Chapter 1245: The Familiars Suffer Heavy Losses
In the forest, Self-Defense Force soldiers were systematically clearing out the Vespula Serpents that had fallen from the sky.
Thanks to the continuous efforts of Kousaka Sayaka and Asakawa Shio, most of the Vespula Serpents emerging from the Holy Annihilation relics had been suppressed by spirit arrows. The remaining scattered serpents were no match for the Self-Defense Force.
Although they were extinct magical beasts, the Vespula Serpents' combat capabilities were hardly enough to cause significant trouble in this era.
"I'm exhausted!"
Sayaka plopped down on a rock, her face full of weariness.
Beside her, Asakawa Shio was in a similar state. Continuously firing spirit arrows had drained even a proper Ma-Viroi graduate of the Lion King Organization.
Himeragi Yukina and Hanawa Yuiri were giving them both massages.
"Thank you all for your assistance!"
Not far away, a middle-aged man in military uniform expressed his gratitude to the young women.
Anzai Tatsumi, a Third-Class Special Colonel sent by the Japanese government to fully handle the Holy Annihilation relics. The entire Self-Defense Force unit stationed in the area was under his command.
The man's uniform was spotless, and his demeanor was remarkably casual, forming a stark contrast to the disheveled appearance of the other soldiers.
"Special Colonel Anzai!"
At that moment, a female officer approached him.
With a pleased expression, she handed Anzai a metallic device that resembled a measuring instrument.
"It passed!"
"Well done!"
Seeing the green light flash on the device, visible excitement appeared on Anzai's face.
"Immediately dispatch the nearest Self-Defense Force soldiers! We must capture the Marsh Dragon!"
"Yes!"
The female officer quickly turned and left.
Sayaka and the others exchanged glances.
"What's happened now?"
Akase Karyou glanced at the unusually excited Anzai Tatsumi.
"Nothing, please don't concern yourselves."
Anzai turned around, his face having returned to its usual faint smile.
"From my perspective, it doesn't look like nothing happened."
Akase Karyou stood up and stretched her limbs.
To Anzai, her posture even carried a somewhat threatening undertone.
"Eighty percent chance it's related to the Holy Annihilation relics, right? I've been sensing massive magical fluctuations from Kannawa Lake since earlier. Did you really think you could keep this hidden?"
"...My vision was too narrow."
Anzai thought seriously for a moment before smiling again.
"Actually, the true Holy Annihilation relic has just been unearthed. Unfortunately, its contents didn't fall into our hands."
"Unearthed?"
Akase Karyou immediately furrowed her brows.
"Did it fall into the hands of those two high school students?"
Regardless, the Holy Annihilation relics must be secured by the Japanese government.
That was precisely why they had invested so much effort here!
"Whether it fell into high school students' hands is still unknown."
Anzai shook his head, his expression turning serious.
"But one thing is certain—it definitely fell into the hands of the Fourth True Ancestor!"
"What?!"
Akase Karyou's expression changed dramatically.
"The Fourth True Ancestor?!"
Sayaka exclaimed in surprise.
"Did he come from Itogami Island to Kannawa Lake?"
Everyone knew the Fourth True Ancestor had been holed up in Itogami Island without leaving.
And now he appeared here?
Why?
Is it really for the Saint Annihilation legacy?
"Please lend us your strength. The Saint Annihilation legacy must be secured for our Self-Defense Forces!"
Anzama pleaded with them with a grave expression.
"There's no helping it. This is for the sake of our country."
Akira Kousaka let out a long sigh.
"But how far we can go with this, I don't know..."
...
"What kind of person is the Fourth True Ancestor anyway?"
The tank crawled rapidly through the forest, heading toward the direction where smoke was rising.
Himeragi Yukina crouched on top of the tank, observing the surroundings while asking Shizuka next to her.
This was a Self-Defense Forces tank, the legged type, excelling in off-road combat though with the drawback of limited capacity.
"The textbooks say all twelve progenitors of the Blazing Nightmaster are female. Isn't the Fourth True Ancestor herself female?"
The Takamagahara Shrine's teaching materials had taught them some knowledge about the Blazing Nightmaster.
But since the Fourth True Ancestor rarely appeared in history, this knowledge remained quite vague, with few knowing even basic details like gender or height.
"The original Blazing Nightmaster might have been female, but the current Fourth True Ancestor is definitely male!"
Kousaka Shizuka crouched beside her, struggling to maintain balance unlike the relaxed Yukina.
"And his personality is absolutely terrible!"
"Is it that bad?"
Hanawa Yuri's voice came from inside the tank, sounding somewhat disappointed.
She seemed to have held some expectations regarding the personality of the never-seen Fourth True Ancestor.
"Extremely terrible!"
Shizuka declared with absolute certainty.
"If you want to know how terrible... he's just like Nanase Riku!"
"That really is quite terrible."
Himeragi Yukina suddenly understood, nodding in agreement.
"So everyone must stay completely alert! When facing the Fourth True Ancestor, try not to anger him. In my opinion, it might be better not to speak at all!"
Shizuka stated very directly.
"Just what kind of moody tyrant is he?Hikawa Shio's timely remarks came through.
"Boom!"
Just as they were speaking, a tremendous roar came from ahead.
The Golden Lion trampled through the forest, its massive body charging forward like a wild boar, golden lightning spreading out like branches.
But.
"Groowl!"
Having suffered some unknown attack, the Golden Lion cried out in pain, flying backward like a missile, its body dissipating like ions in the blink of an eye.
"You've got to be kidding me?"
Shizuka had been about to warn everyone about the True Ancestor's familiar's attack when she witnessed that scene, her eyes widening in shock.
"He actually dispersed the True Ancestor's familiar? Does the Self-Defense Forces have such means?"
"No, not to my knowledge."
Akira Kousaka's voice came through the broadcast.
"Please don't worry about it. That's our Self-Defense Forces' secret weapon, still under development. This is just a trial run."
Anzama's calm voice followed.
Even without seeing him face to face, one could sense his faintly smiling expression.
"Hurry over there!"
Urged by Akira Kousaka, the legged tank immediately accelerated.
In less than half a minute, everyone reached the center of the battlefield.
And then they finally saw what was actually fighting against the True Ancestor's familiar.
"Bzzzt—!"
The bicorn horse circled in the sky, its dual horns blooming with crimson magical light. A high-frequency vibration wave immediately descended from above, crashing toward the forest floor.
In the path of the vibration wave stood a stone golem roughly five meters tall.
It was clearly the same stone golem from the Special Anti-Magic Squad earlier, but now its entire body was covered in a steel-like black Aurora.