24.Little girl routs her opponents

 

 

“”Really nice you are giving your all.””

 

Bela felt a bit of admiration as she saw the iron ball of Golias´ gimmick weapon [Morning Star], flying in her direction.

 

Stepping on the foot pedal and pulling down the control stick, the machiini [Iron Dinna] lowered her stance while maintaining connection with the receptive stones.

 

And then, the iron ball that came flying went through the space [Iron Dinna]´s head and chest were at before. That was really an act of an instant.

 

[You avoided!?]

 

Golias shouted. The gimmick that launched the iron ball at the top of the mace was Golias´ trump card of certain victory in the first move. However, Bela saw through it in the first time seeing it. To Golias, who was thinking of bullying Bela a bit while making a name for himself, this was an unexpected result.

 

However, Bela didn´t care what Golias was thinking about in his heart. Carrying on and stepping on the foot pedal, [Iron Dinna] charged.

 

[As if I would let you.]

 

The gnome of the mercenary group Jadan charged at the approaching machiini [Iron Dinna] head-on. With the big shield it held, it tried to stop [Iron Dinna]´s momentum.

 

[Hyahah]

 

Seeing that, Bela greatly swung the war hammer held by [Iron Dinna] while laughing, spinning, and hitting it at the upper part of the shield while making use of the centrifugal force.

 

[Gaah!?]

 

With its momentum, the war hammer pierced at the upper part of the shield, having been vertically swung in direction of the ground. Both arms of the gnome holding the shield creaked by the impact. Having lost its balance due to the impact that came from an unexpected direction, the gnome fell forward.

 

[Tch. Milka, stop her movement.]

 

[Yes.]

 

Letting go of the handle of the cane connected to the iron ball, Golias gave the silphy orders as he drew the sword at the waist. And then, he spoke to Maia, who was watching from the back.

 

[Maia, you too step forward.]

 

[Sure. Gauro, let´s go.]

 

[Finally!]

 

Except for the Gnome that fell down due to the impact of the war hammer, everyone else acted.

 

“”First of all would be that.”

 

Bela´s eyes were looking at the silphy. Just like the salamas that could control fire, the silphy was an element that could control the wind. Seeing that the silphy was casting an immobilizing spell, Bela threw the war hammer at it.

 

[Kyah]

 

Rotating in the air, the thrown war hammer hit the silphy, and then the scream of a female resounded. Due to the impact, the wind swirl the silphy was forming with its both hands exploded and sent the silphy flying. The explosion that happened when the spell was interrupted in the middle of its casting affected both the user and the element equally. At the same time, however, Bela lost her main weapon.

 

[So you let go of your weapon.]

 

Charging at Bela´s empty handed [Iron Dinna], Maia´s machiini swung down the sword it held. Gauro´s machiini was also approaching from behind.

 

[Hyahya]

 

Looking at them as she laughed with delight, Bela drew a short sword that had been installed at the waist and raised it in response to the incoming attack.

 

“”Wha….at?””

 

Maia was surprised.

 

Bela´s short sword parried her blade and changed its path. And then, just like that, being deviated away from [Iron Dinna]´s mechanical body, Maia´s sword dug into the ground.

 

Just like how the leaves of trees on the surface of the river avoided the rocks in its way as it flowed through, Maia´s sword was parried. Maia was surprised when she felt her sword piercing into the ground. However, being surprised was a fatal mistake in battle.

 

[Uwaah!?]

 

[Where are you looking at? Are you stupid?]

 

The sudden impact that assaulted Maia was the result of Bela entering at close range onher machiini and hitting at its chest with her buckler/small shield.(TL note: ライトシールド = buckler? Maybe it is just a normal shield that is small…)

 

Although the machiini itself would be fine, inside the machiini was a human. Maia lost consciousness from the impact of [Iron Dinna]´s attack. During that time, [Iron Dinna] grappled her machiini while at the same time putting its leg behind Maia´s machiini leg, bringing it down to the ground. (TL note: Not sure how to describe this in english -.- ->足をかけられながら組みつかれて<- Basically Bela is using the leg as to make Maia trip while grappling her at the same time.)

 

[Take your hands off the group leader.]

 

Seeing Bela bringing Maia down, Gauro charged at Bela as he shouted with his spear pointed forward. He felt that he could get her if it was while she was still holding Maia´s machiini.

 

However, at the next instant, that spear vanished from his machiini´s hands.

 

[What?]

 

Gauro couldn´t understand what happened to him. All he noticed was some sort of sound coming from behind. He didn´t have the spare time to be looking at it. However, Gauro had a good enough of a head to be able to guess that the real cause behind the sound was his own spear piercing into the ground.

 

And then, he witnessed [Iron Dinna]´s stinger tinged by the redness of the heat sticking out of its left arm. It was a pole enveloped in a very high temperature. The stinger, which would come out with enough destructive power that it could pierce a machiini as it surged up in just an instant, had been deployed. With that being so, it was easy to reach the assumption that the pole directly hit his spear and sent it flying.

 

By the time he realised that, Bela had already stood up and got in a kick, sending his machiini flying. Despite its short stature, Gauro fell.

 

The remaining one was…

 

[Oya, it looks like you really laid-back there.]

 

Bela narrowed her eyes and looked at her opponent.

 

The opponent she thought to be coming to attack her was standing there with an air of composure. Holding the sword with both hands, Golias´ [Hedgehog] was in stance to fight Bela´s [Iron Dinna] head-on.

 

Despite how it seemed there was an opening on Bela´s defenses at that moment before, he hadn´t shown any signs of moving all. Of course, Bela also didn´t intent to lose. However, there was no doubts that Golias had wasted his chance.

 

[I have come to understand your strength. With that in mind, I don´t think getting turned the tables on after doing a surprise attack would be good for my image.]

 

Saying that, Golias laughed. It seemed he had fully realized the difference of their power after all the fight that has happened until now. What he was saying by that was that he had chosen the way of losing that he wouldn´t look bad to the eyes of his subordinates.

 

[Hah, image and those other things of the sort… Those aren´t things you can be talking about after coming with a surprise attack in your first move.]

 

[No matter how you win, a win is a win. To a mercenary, this is absolute. However, when losing, you got to do it in a cool way. You gotta die in a way they won´t laugh.]

 

[Ah, so that´s how it is.]

 

Defeat not being acceptable at all was something Bela didn´t know about. In any case, it was only if it was a one-on-one fight that it would be fine.

 

Having the gnome and silphy that took damage before step back, Golias stepped forward.

 

Retracting the stinger that had already started to cool down, Bela readied her short sword and charged at the machiini [Hedgehog].

 

Being beside him, Borudo, knew that Bal was building up killing intent as he watched it. Apparently, it seemed that he wanted to join in.

 

[Bal, I will mind about you later, so just be quiet and watch.]

 

It seemed that Bela had noticed Bal´s behaving. Hearing her words, Bal quieted down. Although it was possible Bal was embarrassed that his bare emotions were exposed, Borudo didn´t know since he was inside his machiini.

 

Charging at each other, the speed of both [Iron Dinna] and [Hedgehog] were bit by bit rising. From their fifth step onwards, both of them started running with all they had.

 

Having the difference much like that of an adult and child, it was the showdown of the two giants.

 

The first one to attack was [Hedgehog].

 

[Go die!]

 

The swung down sword assaulted Bela, but she parried that with her shield/buckler. In order to get her short sword in, Bela jumped in, getting on close range to him.

 

[You are nimble, however…]

 

Golias threw forward his machiini [Hedgehog], colliding against the short sword that had yet to gather power with the swing, killing off its momentum. Just like that, [Hedgehog]´s armor and [Iron Dinna]´s short sword crashed onto each other and sent out sparkles.

 

[Gnuuoooo!]

 

[Hah, you are taking it too seriously.]

 

Lacking weight, it was inevitable that [Iron Dinna] would get repelled by [Hedgehog] if [Hedgehog] was able to tackle his own way through. However, Bela lowered her stance and got in right next to [Hedgehog]´s legs. (TL note: Not sure how to translate that ->押し切られれば<-)

 

[What?]

 

Feeling like he was floating, Golias shouted. Bela laughed at that. He shouldn´t know what Bela was trying to do despite being within the narrow line-of-sight of his machiini. Using her opponent´s momentum, [Iron Dinna] scooped up [Hedgehog].

 

[Oooooo!?]

 

Violently falling down while spinning after being lifted over [Iron Dinna]´s shoulders, [Hedgehog] crashed into the ground.

 

[Guah!?]

 

Golias screamed due to the impact of falling down. And then…

 

[Checkmate, mercenary-san.]

 

By the time Golias regained his consciousness, Bela´s left hand was already pointed at [Hedgehog]´s chest. He could see her doing that through [Hedgehog]´s crystal eyes.

 

Golias would instantly die if Bela was to shoot her stinger. Realising that, Golias sighed and made a wry smile.

 

[Kuku… lts my defeat. Alright boss, I will accept being hired.]

 

Hearing Golias saying that in resignation, Bela laughed. With that, Bela had successfully got hold of the Rozen and Jakan mercenary groups.

 

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