“Good grief, that was close,” Koutarou called out to Yurika. He really did think that he’d been in danger.
“Sorry, I will be more careful next time...” Yurika was equally relieved and apologized from the bottom of her heart. A lot of lives were at stake in the coming battle. She would have been ashamed for the rest of her life as a magical girl if people had died because she’d forgotten to take her motion sickness medicine.
“Master, we are almost at the planned altitude,” Ruth reported. The time for battle had arrived.
“All right, let’s go, Yurika!” Koutarou said.
“Yes!” Yurika answered with resolve. She knew that they were about to start.
“Ten seconds until the final deceleration finishes,” Ruth said. “The hatch is opening!”
“End standby mode; release the joint locks!” Koutarou instructed.
“As you wish, Your Excellency,” the AI responded. “Mana amplifier activated.”
“The mana amplifier is working normally. Everything is ready, Satomi-san!” Yurika said.
She and Koutarou were in the successor unit for Warlord III Rev, which had been half destroyed. Its parts were interchangeable, and aside from the standard equipment, it was equipped with the Blue Line backpack. The Blue Line was additional gear for when Yurika was sitting in the machine, and it functioned like a small mobile base of operations for a magician with its mana amplifier, mana supplier, and more. It allowed the fragile Yurika to stand at the front.
“Change from operation mode to combat mode,” Koutarou ordered.
“Your Excellency, combat mode requires an official authorization,” the AI said.
“Yeah... Wait, what the heck is this?” Koutarou exclaimed.
The monitor in front of him displayed a strange string of words. It said, “Show the bravery and dignity of the emperor who rules the galaxy,” and below it were two buttons that said “yes” and “no.”
Hah, this must be Elle’s doing. She really is a handful.
Koutarou had experienced something similar when he had first activated Garb of Lord. It must have been some sort of good luck charm, and he laughed while pressing yes. However, he didn’t know how the footage of GoL had been used afterward.
“Your Excellency, please enter your authentication code,” the AI said.
“Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire Supreme Commander and captain of the Royal Guard, Layous Fatra Veltlion,” Koutarou stated.
“Official authentication code confirmed. War Emperor changing to combat mode. Your Excellency, this system will pray for your fortune and glory in place of the nation of Forthorthe.”
The new unit had been named War Emperor. It was based on the Warlord series but had been improved and enhanced to handle Koutarou’s piloting. That was why its name had naturally been enhanced as well, and it hoped to live up to the name with its massive power.
“War Emperor launching!”
As the sunlight reflected off of the vivid blue armor, War Emperor shot out from the landing craft. The knight in heavy armor had a design that looked like it had a silver crown, and it stood out from afar. Enemies who saw it trembled, and allies celebrated. And so the emperor of the battlefield landed on Urashidau.
Warlord III Rev had been damaged by Koutarou’s and Maki’s reckless piloting, but one of the reasons was that it had been a mass-produced machine. A common weapon had been altered to fit Koutarou’s and the others’ needs, and its structure had been able to endure Koutarou’s movements. But War Emperor was different. It had been built with him in mind, and its durability had been greatly improved. Movements impossible for Warlord III were easy for the new machine. Even so, it was best not to push too hard. No matter how strong it was, there were still physical limits.
“Yurika, make sure you pay attention to reducing friction and restoring the structure,” Maki said over the comms. “When Satomi-kun gets serious, the knees and ankles will take damage first!”
She was giving advice to Yurika, which the latter found helpful since it was her first time on the machine.
“I understand, I will keep an eye out!” Yurika answered. That put a little more work on her plate, but it was a fair trade for not having to worry about protecting herself while on War Emperor. She always mustered her courage to fight, but she was a timid person deep down, so having Koutarou protect her at all times removed a psychological burden for her.
“Yurika, you don’t have to do what Aika-san does! Just fight the way you do best!” Koutarou said.
“Okay!” Yurika answered with a nod. Right now, she was strong. Her eyes were filled with bravery, supported by a strong sense of trust. She had resolved to carry the future of Folsaria and Forthorthe, and she could fully focus on magic. The enemy was truly unfortunate.
“Satomi-san, the Nefilforan unit will cover your flanks!” Nana announced, standing next to War Emperor. “If you punch a hole in the enemy lines we will rip it open! Also...”
She was guarding Koutarou like before. War Emperor was five meters tall, making it something like a tank on the battlefield, which also meant it had the same weakness as a tank. It was invincible from the front, but it would be in danger if someone got behind it. That was why Nana would protect it. It was a collaboration between the Blue Knight and Hidden Leaves. She was well-known for her genius and swift movements, so she was perfect for the role.
“Let’s do our best together today, Yurika-chan!”
“Yes! I’ll do my best!”
Nana and Yurika were teacher and student. Since they were standing shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield, they were both fired up.
“All right, let’s go!” Koutarou said. He couldn’t watch over the teacher and student forever. After confirming that his allies were in place, he moved War Emperor forward.
At first, the ground shook with each step, but before long War Emperor started floating and gliding just barely over the ground. The machine stabilized and the shaking stopped. The Warlord series could freely fly in any case, but it had also been adjusted to skim the ground like a hovercraft for stability. It had been Clan’s idea to reduce the strain on the ankles. The smoother the movements, the less strain on the joints. In combat in particular, Koutarou put a lot of strain on the machine when stepping forward while using swordsmanship.
“So, this is how hovering feels,” he remarked.
“If you disable that function in combat, you can fight like normal,” Clan explained.
“Great!”
Koutarou made War Emperor draw its sword. With its legs stationary, it had a majestic appearance befitting the emperor of the battlefield. With its vassals in tow, it attacked the rear forces of the Liberation Army.