Bam! Bam!
The ground shook with each rhythmic impact as Kanda and his team finally spotted the source: three massive robots, each about five meters tall, approaching their location. Escorting each giant were five smaller robots, standing roughly two meters tall.
Kanda burst into loud laughter, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. After a moment, he managed to say, "Even though I knew they would stick to the original head design, it's still hilarious seeing how mismatched those heads are with the rest of their bodies."
The robots' heads looked exactly like the dog-shaped Assistroids that had attacked them during their beach outing. However, their bodies were vastly different: the smaller robots had sleek, athletic humanoid forms, similar to Olympic swimmers, while the larger robots had bulky, bodybuilder-like physiques.
The robots halted, stopping just five meters away from the team. Seeing that they didn't move further, Kanda turned to his group and said,
"Alright, everyone. Looks like we're in a weird situation here. No reinforcements in sight yet. Either they're stubborn... or their backup is still hiding."
"What is your next plan, Kanda-sama?" Maya asked respectfully.
"We need to test their capabilities first before going all out. Everyone, open fire with your firearms! Let's see if they have the same weaknesses as before."
Following his command, the team raised their weapons and unleashed a barrage of bullets. However, the bullets bounced harmlessly off thin, shimmering barriers surrounding the robots. Without missing a beat, the maids switched tactics, launching grenades toward the ground near the robots' legs. Explosions tore up the ground, leaving craters everywhere—but the robots remained unharmed.
"Hmm… Their defenses have improved significantly compared to the previous attack," Kanda mused. His sharp eyes caught the sight of talismans affixed to each robot's body. "Looks like Madam J successfully modified those talismans."
He continued, "All of you, fall back! I'll confront them directly. Cover me with your fire!"
Stepping forward, Kanda drew his weapons: two black daggers with dragon-like designs etched into their blades. As he gripped them, the daggers extended, transforming into short swords.
Lowering his stance, he bent slightly forward, blades pointing at the enemy. Then, with a powerful thrust of his legs, he shot forward—leaving deep imprints in the ground behind him.
He appeared right in front of one of the smaller robots and launched a flurry of slashes. The blades clashed against the barriers, deflecting off various parts of the robots' bodies. Only when Kanda aimed precisely at the back of a robot's neck did he manage to pierce the defense, causing the robot to collapse and explode, forcing him to retreat slightly.
Provoked by the damage, the remaining small robots charged at him, brandishing one-handed swords. However, their movements were sluggish—likely due to poor calibration for close combat, unlike the previous batch which mainly used firearms.
Amid the heated battle, Kanda received a sudden communication from Maya.
"Kanda-sama, I apologize for disturbing you. I must report—there are 20 additional robots approaching from outside the building. What are your orders?"
Without hesitation, Kanda responded,
"Call Antonia for reinforcements. Tell Swallow or Hawk to deploy our spacecraft to pick them up quickly. Also, inform her that she needs to contact Eris or Melwin immediately—we're facing new, upgraded robot models."
"Understood," Maya replied, ending the communication promptly to carry out his orders.
Kanda refocused on the battle. Despite the difficulty, he managed to destroy three more small robots before one of the towering giants stepped into the fray.
This massive robot's defense was on another level. Even Kanda's short swords couldn't scratch it. His team continued supporting him, launching grenade shells to keep the smaller robots at bay while he faced the giant.
Seizing a moment, Kanda dashed behind the huge robot, aiming for its neck—the same weak spot as the smaller units. His blade connected, but only managed to leave a faint scratch on the thick barrier protecting it.
He returned to his team's side and said to them,
"Claris, I want you to use that weapon from Antonia — the one I gave her the concept for. Equip those weapons quickly and help me hold off the small robots. I'll destroy the large one first. The other two huge robots haven't moved yet."
"Yes, sir," Claris answered shortly.
She opened the large bag she had been carrying, revealing two black metal briefcases inside. Inside each case were eight silver-like blades, each with a handle, about fifteen centimeters long. Claris handed a blade to each teammate and took two for herself.
After closing the briefcases, she looked at her teammates and said,
"The blades you're holding are specially crafted from unknown materials. They have extreme sharpness and durability, tested many times. I'm not sure how effective they will be against these robots, but I can assure you they'll be enough to hold them off until we destroy them — or until Kanda-sama hits them himself. His weapon is made of the same material, though even stronger.
Now, onwards, my friends! We have our task to fulfill!"
"Yes, Ma'am!" her teammates replied.
They immediately joined the battle, some blocking the robots' attacks while others aimed for their necks. However, it took them about two minutes to destroy a single small robot — compared to Kanda, who could destroy one within just ten seconds.
"Careful, everyone. Just hold them off a little longer, then call me to finish them," Kanda instructed, watching the battle while still engaged with the large robot.
After seeing them nod in response, he refocused his attack on the huge robot. Finally, he managed to open a gap in the back of its neck — but it still wasn't enough to defeat it. Sensing the danger, the robot intensified its assault.
The robot drew a large two-handed sword from its waist and began swinging it, creating strong gusts of wind with each motion. However, Kanda easily avoided the attacks due to the robot's wide, slow swings.
Realizing its attacks were ineffective, the robot shifted its stance — posing like a samurai about to draw their sword. Curious, Kanda decided to wait and see its next move. Suddenly, he felt a surge of intimidation as the robot swiftly unsheathed its blade. Instinctively, Kanda ducked, and a massive explosion echoed behind him.
Looking back, he was shocked to see the aftermath: a large horizontal gash embedded deep into the wall of a nearby building.
"Shit! What kind of attack was that?! Although it's not exactly the same as my technique, it's definitely similar to what I used during the beach attack," Kanda cursed under his breath, stunned.
At that moment, the large screen inside the building suddenly flickered on, revealing Jens's face.
"Hello, Ichijou Kanda," Jens said casually. "I'm speaking to you live from my headquarters.
Let me explain — these giant robots can imitate your previous attacks from our last encounter. Their abilities are about 70% similar to yours.
While it may not be enough to defeat you, what about your team members?
Can they withstand it?
Anyway, I have high expectations for you, so I hope you don't fall here."
With a smirk, Jens cut off the transmission.
Immediately after, the giant robot resumed its attack — and the other two huge robots finally moved, joining the battle.
All three robots unleashed the same powerful attack as before — but this time, targeting Kanda's teammates.
Seeing the incoming attacks, Kanda quickly rushed back to his team and shouted,
"Everyone, retreat and stand behind me! Don't move!"
His teammates nodded and obeyed without hesitation.
The giant robots released their devastating strikes, annihilating all remaining small robots in their path and rapidly closing in on Kanda's group.
"It's now or never. Akari-chan, it's our turn," Kanda thought in his mind.
"Yes~! It's Akari-chan's time to help Onii-chan! Let's go!" Akari replied cheerfully.
Suddenly, Kanda was engulfed in flames. His attire transformed dramatically — his hair grew longer and changed from black to fiery red.
He now wore blood-red military clothes with a cape blazing on his back, fastened by buttons on his shoulders. A blood-red military cap sat atop his head, and his twin blades burned with fierce flames.
As if those robots could felt Kanda's current changes, its start to come closer to Kanda where its prepare next attack which Kanda could see from afar.
As the robots' combined attack closed in, Kanda raised his twin blades and red flame rose from his weapon as he slashed forward, colliding with the incoming strike from those robots.
A massive explosion shook the entire building, sending tremors that even reached people outside.
When the dust settled, Kanda's teammates saw that their leader stood firm, completely unharmed — except for the fluttering of his cape in the blast's aftermath.
The expression on his face can be seen as solemn as he saw the damage that he had done towards those robots.
When others saw his expression, they also start to become nervous as they slowly look at the direction which Kanda gaze on and surprised with the findings.
END OF CHAPTER.