Chapter 97: The Iron Man
After the Imperial Guard subjugated the town of Thame with their firepower and resources, they marched through the town and began advancing northwards ―― towards the forest.
50 Chi-Ha Kai tanks formed a Panzerkeil formation and marched on. And then followed by the soldiers riding on the half-track vehicle.
The root of the problem lies in that forest. Therefore, letting them escape is not an option…
What stood against the Yamato Empire was the elves’ prided decisive weapon.
It is the humanoid heavy golem ‘Stalin’.
Its official name is ‘IS-1’. Its gigantic body has far surpassed the size that can be managed by the magical powers of ordinary humans, standing at a towering height of 18 meters.
So in order to move this huge body, the elves used their most advanced technology, the Mana Engine.
Elegantly designed to resemble medieval knight’s armor, the body is painted red to symbolize the revolutionary spirit of the elves and serve as a morale booster…
And in their hand was a giant rifle-shaped wand―― a magic gun.
This is a firearm created by the elves to counter the Yamato Empire that uses large-caliber artillery and the effective range of the ‘magic bullets’ it fires is approximately 1 kilometer.
Although it cannot fire continuously, it possesses destruction power comparable to that of a short-barreled 60mm cannon.
This is the true identity of the supporting fire coming from the forest during the siege of Thame.
Armor made of steel, superior magical projectile weapon.
This ‘Stalin’ humanoid heavy golem embodies the pinnacle of the elves’ magical technology that combines both firepower and defense.
Moreover, this ‘Stalin’ is not merely a weapon. It is a powerful tactical weapon.
Its massive body and carrying capacity are valuable for a fantasy world. If special modifications are applied, it is possible to achieve capabilities that set them apart from existing weapons and means of transportation.
“Fuhehe… ‘Stalin Commandante’. I wish I could have had more fun with this one’s abilities.”
“Hey, almost all the monsters have been killed. Turn off the monster control system, it’s a waste of mana. Even the replenishment capability of my ‘Fabrica’ has its limits.”
“Tsk… It’s fun, using monsters to kill inferior races. Oh, well, crushing them with this guy’s power seems pretty fun, too.”
The two elves climb into each ‘Stalin’ hidden in the forest and enter the cockpit in its chest.
The female elf boarded the ‘Stalin Comandante’, also known as the ‘Monster Command Model’, which is equipped with a large antenna on the backpack.
This large antenna casts magic over a wide area to tame all the monsters in the surrounding area. It’s a convenient tool that allows you to form an army of up to 1,000 monsters.
It is largely due to this feature that the giant weapon ‘Stalin’ has been able to remain in Londeria undetected until now.
They were able to deploy a large number of monsters like accompanying infantry and quickly eliminate those who discovered them.
The one that is ridden by the male elf is a special model as well. ‘Stalin Fabrica’, to put it plainly, is the ‘Mana Resupply Model’.
Mana is a highly concentrated magical power created by converting human life force into magical power.
Obtaining this is difficult, and just as refining crude oil into gasoline requires a dedicated refinery, collecting mana from humans requires specialized equipment.
This Fabrica model refers to the type of equipment that is carried on the back of a large backpack, and if they can capture life forms that possess magic power similar to that of a human, they can replenish mana on the battlefield indefinitely.
This would be perfect for infiltration missions with a small number of people like this one, where it is difficult to receive supplies.
The two ‘Stalins’, each with their own different specifications and having the crew in the cockpit, shift from a standby position to a combat-ready stance while emitting a distinctive high-pitched sound from their mana engines.
“System start-up successful. The remaining mana is 21 percent, it’s not enough.”
“You’ve used too much, we’ll probably have to destroy a human village somewhere to replenish. However, we must somehow shake off those enemy forces and escape…”
“Hmph! A noble superior race elf running away? Such a thing is impossible, we will crush and break through the inferior race.”
The female elf loudly proclaimed.
Following her control, her ‘Stalin Commandante’ begins to charge towards the approaching Chi-Ha tank unit.
Her escape plan is quite simple.
The superior race of elves would never show their back and flee. Even if they retreat, they must prove the power of the elves to the entire world.
In this case, there’s only one path she can take.
It’s a frontal breakthrough. There is no other way but to advance while suppressing the opposition. With the superior combat ability of ‘Stalin’, destroy the enemy army and then try to escape. It’s really easy to understand.
Certainly, there is a significant risk in exposing Stalin, the top-secret weapon, to humans. However, even so, we must uphold the prestige as a superior race.
And then, following that strategy, “Hey, wait a minute, are you going to charge at those numbers? A guerrilla battle in the forest is…” And then, she boldly shakes off the restraint of her partner who was trying to stop her, and exposes the body of the giant.
The Ch-Ha Kai tank at the forefront of the Panzerkeil was the first to confirm its appearance.
The tank commander is Major Nishi, who is also the battalion commander. She was, until a little while ago, a captain and the Führer’s personal driver, but due to various reasons, she was promoted and became the commander of a tank battalion.
It’s not like she was demoted for stealing the Führer’s underwear or anything.
“――Battalion Commander Nishi! Enemy spotted! In front, a giant humanoid… Monster? No, weapons confirmed!”
“That… Perhaps it is some kind of golem? It’s pretty big, it would have been good if we had brought along the knowledgeable saint of the Celestial Kingdom who is familiar with magic… But she wasn’t here.”
“Battalion commander, are you still keeping that tone? Despite having become the commander of a tank battalion and was no longer the Führer’s personal driver…”
“Her Excellency comes to see me once in a while. In order to be prepared for an emergency, I cannot abandon this tone of speech that Her Excellency prefers.”
Putting aside, whether or not the Führer truly likes that tone is another matter…
The tank battalion that spotted the ‘Stalin Commandante’ of the female elf that jumped out of the forest moves into a battle position.
“Gunner, what’s the distance to the target?”
“1,200 meters! The target is within reach, how would you like to proceed?”
“…Closing in to 700 meters, fire the 47mm cannon within the effective range for an accurate shot.”
“Affirmative!”
The Chi-Ha Kai is not equipped with a high-performance stabilizer. Therefore, firing while on the march is impossible.
So they have to stop every time they want to shoot… Stopping at every little thing is so frustratingly irritating. Get closer and fire a shot at point-blank range for a guaranteed one-hit kill.
This is Yamato’s tank tactics.
50 Chi-Ha Kai tanks are approaching.
Seeing that, the female elf laughed.
The size of Stalin she rides is 18 meters tall. In terms of size alone, it is much bigger than the Chi-Ha Kai which is 2.4 meters in height.
We are outnumbered, so what? It’s not something worth worrying about, big things are strong. A corporal with a small mustache somewhere also said that.
“…Hahaha, what a tiny lump of iron. Such an insignificant weapon, it is nowhere near as beautiful as the elegant ‘Stalin’. After all, elves are a superior race!”
The female elf, confident in her victory, proudly aimed her prized magic gun and fired a magic bullet at the Chi-Ha Kai tank that Major Nishi was riding.
“Enemy fire! Something is coming!”
“What, no way, a projectile weapon? All personnel, prepare for impact… Ugh!”
A hit.
The metallic sound reverberating from the armor of the Chi-Ha Kai, along with a strong impact.
The magic bullet struck cleanly and exploded on the front armor of the Chi-Ha Kai’s turret.
However, the Chi-Ha Kai continued to move forward as if nothing had happened. And with good reason, the frontal armor of the Chi-Ha Kai tank is unexpectedly thick at 50mm, while the penetration power of the magic bullets is around 30mm… It won’t be able to penetrate the armor with just that.
That’s it.
“Kaaah!!… Gunner, are you alright…”
“Both the main cannon and I are doing great! More importantly, Battalion Commander, what about that wound!?”
“…Kuh. Don’t worry, it’s just that the impact of the projectile caused the armor to peel off, and a metal fragment got lodged in my stomach. It’s only a slight wound.”
Major Nishi is holding her bleeding abdomen.
Even though it has low penetration power, it is still a fairly powerful shell. Even though it was deflected by the armor, the interior is not unharmed.
“More importantly, what about the shelling?”
“It’s possible.”
“Alright, all vehicles of the battalion, aim and fire at will!”
“I’ve been waiting for this!”
That being said, none of the combat capabilities have been lost. The battalion commander was slightly injured, but with determination and the Yamato spirit, we can overcome it.
The 47mm cannons of the Chi-Ha Kai tanks fired continuously, bombarding the ‘Stalin Commandante’ which was being driven by the female elf.
“Aahhh! How dare you, insolent humans! To give trouble for this great elf…”
The iron giant uses its arm as a shield to protect the cockpit in its chest. By sacrificing the arm as additional armor, it can withstand a few shots from a 47 mm cannon, but…
There is a limit to the number that it can endure. Its arm got blown off by exploding shells, and the cockpit was engulfed in flames…
“What, the monitor has stopped working? Why, I… An elf who belongs to a noble and superior race like myself!?”
Along with the female elf, who couldn’t quite grasp the situation, the Stalin Commandante she was riding experienced a mana rampage and exploded.
And then…
“This is the code name ‘C’. Another humanoid weapon has been spotted in the forest. In order to capture it, requesting support.”
“Code name ‘C’… Is Heydrich, right? What are you going to do, Eryu-san?”
“Is it the capture of that weapon? That seems interesting. I allow it, please do a good job.”
The Adventurer Guild in the central square of the town of Thame.
Acting as the temporary command post, the next operation will be set into motion there. The Stalin Capture Operation.
“By the way, Ayame-san. Is Lynn still not found?”
“Not yet, but please be assured, we’ll definitely find her. ――What to do after that is up to her, but that thieving cat must be punished…”
“Hmm, did you say something?”
“No, nothing.”
Feeling a chill on her back, a certain young noble girl let out a sneeze.
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A brief introduction to the weapon: Stalin
IS-1 Stalin
Total height: 18,2 meters
Weight: 120 tons
Armor: front chest area 40mm
Armament: 60mm-class rapid-fire magic spear
Maximum speed: 20 km
A giant humanoid golem that can now be produced by utilizing the Mana Engine. It has the weight and speed of a super-heavy tank while having the armor and firepower comparable to a medium tank… In other words, its armor is flimsy and the firepower is low, so it might not feel very strong.
However, that is only when compared to “streamlined modern weapons”. As a weapon in a world of swords and magic, it was a highly advanced superweapon.
It is also excellent as a platform for weapons, and derivative models such as the ‘Comandante model’ and the ‘Fabrica model’ have been created.
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