The three days of preparation flew by under a sense of urgency Axel had never experienced before.
The adventurers, who had once been good for little more than drinking and causing trouble, miraculously built a halfway decent line of defenses under the combined pressure of Succubus Vouchers and Darkness's awe-inspiring righteousness.
At the far end of the horizon, the once-quiet wasteland began to tremble violently.
At first, it was only a faint vibration. Soon, it grew into a thunderous roar. A colossal steel beast, like a mountain on the move, advanced toward Axel in a storm of dust, carrying an unstoppable momentum.
"It's here! Everyone, to your battle positions!"
Kōichi stood on the makeshift command platform. The fierce wind whipped his hair into disarray, but his eyes were terrifyingly calm.
Behind Kōichi, Aqua clutched her staff nervously, muttering nonstop about fame and fine wine. Megumin had already taken position on a ridge with an excellent view, the pupil beneath her eyepatch flashing with fanatical red light as she chanted a forbidden spell powerful enough to distort the air.
"Kōichi, um... can we really beat that thing?" Kazuma hid behind cover. Even though he was gripping his black card tightly, his legs were still trembling against his will. "That's not a robot. That's a moving natural disaster!"
Kōichi did not answer. He simply looked toward the very front of the defensive line.
Darkness stood alone, directly in the Destroyer's path.
Her silver armor still shone brightly through the dust, and her cape was pulled taut by the gale brought by the giant beast.
She did not tremble. She did not show that unsettling blush. She simply stood rooted in the earth like a nail driven into the ground, her broadsword pointed straight ahead.
"For Axel!" Darkness's roar pierced through the rumbling of the giant beast. "All defensive units, this is the line! Not one step back!!"
"OOOOOOH! For the Succubus... no, for justice!!"
Dust led a group of adventurers in a distorted roar. It still sounded just as unserious as ever, but their determination to throw their lives away was very real.
The Destroyer's massive mechanical foot had already risen high into the air, its sky-blotting shadow engulfing the entire defensive line.
"Aqua, now! Hit that giant tin can with your highest-level Purification! Tear its defensive barrier open by force!"
Kōichi swung his arm down sharply, issuing the first order of battle.
"Watch me! I'll show you the true divine power of the Goddess of Water! Sacred Highness Heal!! No, Sacred Break Spell!!"
Aqua shrieked as she swung her staff. A pure pillar of light bright enough to blind everyone shot into the sky and slammed straight into the Destroyer's invisible magical shield, producing a piercing screech.
The pillar of light Aqua released was like a sword of judgment descending from the heavens, carrying sacred, inviolable majesty as it struck the Destroyer's thick magical shield head-on.
For an instant, it was as if all the air had been sucked away. A shrill cracking sound rang through the sky.
The once-impenetrable translucent barrier began to split under the Goddess's full-power Purification Magic, spiderweb cracks spreading across its surface. Then, like shattered tempered glass, it burst apart into countless glittering fragments of magic that scattered through the air.
"Ha! Did you see that?! This is Aqua-sama's true power! A mere giant tin can dares to act so important in front of a Goddess!"
Aqua was drenched in sweat and could barely keep hold of her staff, but she still planted her hands on her hips, threw her head back, and laughed. She even made a face at the colossal machine.
The adventurers, who had been nearly suffocated by the Destroyer's overwhelming pressure, burst into cheers loud enough to shatter the clouds.
"The barrier's broken! It really broke! Long live Aqua-sama!!"
"Charge! For the Succubus... no, for Axel!!"
Kōichi watched the barrier vanish, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes as he pointed forward.
"Now! Its shield is down! Darkness, hold off its first stomp! Megumin, unleash every bit of resentment and magic power you've been saving up for the last three days!!"
The Destroyer seemed to sense the threat as well. Its massive mechanical foot did not stop after the barrier shattered. Instead, it came crashing down toward the defensive line where Darkness stood with thunderous force.
"Come! Even if my body is crushed, I will not retreat!!"
Darkness let out a piercing battle cry. She held her broadsword horizontally in front of her chest, and every ounce of fighting spirit in her body burned to its limit.
The enormous shadow completely swallowed her small figure. In the next instant, a deafening metallic impact rang out.
"BOOM!!"
The earth split apart, and dust filled the sky.
But to everyone's shock, that massive steel foot was being held up by sheer force.
Darkness was on both knees, her armor giving off an awful grinding screech, yet she still held firm. Her breathing had turned into something close to a roar from sheer excitement.
Meanwhile, up on the ridge, Megumin had finished her gorgeous, drawn-out chant.
"The crimson eye that pierces the abyss, the explosive sound that announces the end! Watch closely. This is my greatest masterpiece as the Greatest Mage of the Crimson Demon Clan!!"
Megumin's eyes snapped open. Red light nearly spilled from her sockets as she pointed her staff at the Destroyer's exposed core.
"Explosion!!!"
A crimson light bright enough to devour daylight erupted violently against the Destroyer's chest.
The tremendous shockwave instantly vaporized the surrounding dust and rubble. Under the devastation of Explosion, the Mobile Fortress's thick ancient alloy armor let out a piercing wail, and huge sheets of plating peeled away and melted like paper.
"D-Did it work?!" Kazuma shouted, squinting against the gale.
But when the smoke and dust cleared, the colossal steel monster still had not fallen, even though half its body had been scorched black and the core power reactor in its chest was exposed, flashing with dangerous red light.
Its massive mechanical feet steadied themselves amid the tremors. Steam and sparks sprayed from its damaged joints as it let out a chilling electronic growl, like an enraged ancient beast.
"Tch. No wonder it's called the greatest masterpiece of ancient magical civilization. Even that much power wasn't enough to blow it apart completely?"
Kōichi caught Megumin as she went limp from magical exhaustion, then casually shoved her into Kazuma's arms while Kazuma stared in confusion.
"Watch her, Kazuma! The real trouble starts now!"
Just as the Destroyer was about to raise its massive foot again and flatten the exhausted Darkness completely, an icy wave of magic swept in from the flank.
"Cursed Crystal Prison!!"
With a gentle yet commanding cry, countless enormous ice crystals erupted from the ground, forming sturdy chains that froze the Destroyer's joints in place.
At some point, Wiz had appeared at the edge of the battlefield. Her eyes, usually so timid and submissive, were now filled with the ruthless killing intent of a former Demon King's General. Her hands were clasped together as she continued guiding an immense flow of magic.