Mr. Magical Girl

Chapter 64. 0-Rank Combat Record

『Transcendent Emperor Colossus』

“Red!”

Hearing Blu’s shout, I quickly leaped towards it.

In the middle, Black held the Colossus in place with a gravity field while Yellow provided long-range support with an electric cannon.

The most effective attack was the temperature differential strike using Blu’s cooling device and my flame sword.

Both my flame sword and Blu’s cooling device were powerful weapons on their own, but together they would create an even stronger weapon, especially since our opponent was precision machines.

“43 675 612 64.”

Maybe the Colossus knew this, as it hid its frozen right arm behind its back and extended its left arm towards me.

Was it to defend against the flame sword?

That didn’t matter.

Grrrrrr

The burning skin of the Colossus met my flame sword.

The overwhelming heat of the flame sword made the Colossus’s arm seethe, and its surface started to melt away.

Cutting it proved difficult.

The Colossus, embodying the leader of every opponent we had faced, stood firm, blocking my flame sword head-on without losing its arm.

Its bronze surface melted and the blue circuits flickered momentarily, but that was all.

However, that didn’t concern me.

We had experienced worse while fighting the Four Heavenly Kings.

Before I could even say his name, Blu pulled out the cooling device and jumped out from behind me.

Towards the melted arm of the Colossus, he exhaled a blue mist.

Order didn’t matter.

I could attack, or Blu could attack.

It didn’t matter whether I attacked first or he did.

What mattered was the temperature difference created in that moment.

Click. Creaking.

The sound of twisting metal echoed.

Splash.

An ominous noise indicated that the Colossus’s left arm had fallen into the sea.

“57 68 79?”

There was no sign of surprise in its voice.

The Colossus looked at us with a blank, emotionless expression.

Not just emotions—it was also passive in its actions.

It didn’t actively attack, more like swatting away the pesky insects clinging to it.

While it was active in defense, that too seemed like a move to protect itself.

“Greeun7”

“It’s dangerous.”

A glance at its face confirmed it was heading towards the end.

Could it no longer bear the weight of its helmet, having tossed it aside?

Its hair was clinging to its forehead, drenched in sweat, and its pale skin resembled the color of the sea.

Now. The dark sea where we stood evoked a sense of gloom.

As Yellow and Blu moved forward to fight the Colossus, Black approached Green to support her.

“Can you hold on? This is it!”

“Red! Right now, Green is…”

Thump.

Green pushed Black away with her remaining arm, filling her one remaining arm with a green shield and barely managing to stand up.

“What do you see me as…?”

“…I understand.”

She ignited her last spark.

At that, I looked around.

Countless water spouts were spreading over the sea.

The Colossus’s fleet, being blocked by the Awakeners.

“Moving to Formation G. Prepare.”

“I can tell you’re planning on using us until the end…”

“That’s the quickest way.”

“I guess…”

Looking up, I could see the last remaining arm of the broken Colossus from afar.

An opportunity to end it all was coming at the right time.

Inputting the commands onto the wrist-mounted brace, I shouted,

“Formation G. Executing!”

“Activating formation!”

The voices of everyone overlapped, and Yellow and Blu, who were facing the Colossus, quickly dashed toward us.

The moment the five of us got into position.

A sight to behold.

Crreeeek.

A gigantic gear appeared suddenly from the sky.

It began to rotate.

Clink. Clank.

Parts started to appear around the floating gear, and the speed of its rotation accelerated.

Just as that mechanical sound ended.

Thud.

A tremendous weight settled onto our shoulders.

It didn’t look like a weapon at all; it was a cannon composed of gears.

“Green! Don’t push yourself! You’ll tear your wounds!”

“Shut up… Black. This is… my technique.”

“Let me do it as I want.”

“Red!”

“You know… the leader…”

All four combined their powers. The final attack concentrating on one.

And… (k-…)

Plug in!

Plug… in!

Creeeek. A sight to behold.

Holes appeared before each of our eyes.

Sinsert!

Because it was the last time to insert the weapons, even Green squeezed out the name of all her techniques.

The cannon that had equipped everyone’s weapons began to gather energy.

“Charging!”

I started the charge.

“Controlling!”

Blu began the control.

Yellow aimed for the target.

Black fixed the energy.

Now. The last moment.

“Fire! Superconducting Disassembly Cannon!”

Green pulled the trigger.

From the back, taking a stance to absorb all the recoil.

Since this was a technique based on her disassembly shield.

“47 72 65 65 614?”

The green beam of light was fired at the Colossus.

Until the very last moment, it seemed unaware of what was happening to its body, standing blankly, staring at the light.

Crack.

With the sound of material breaking, the Colossus lost its arms as the green energy field crashed into it.

The world behind the Colossus shattered.

This wasn’t a mistake; it was merely a set-up for a possible next move.

Please, let this be the end.

Keerrrrrr.

The speed of the gear’s rotation increased, and the thickness of the disassembly beam spewing from the cannon began to grow larger.

Simultaneously, the recoil from the cannon grew stronger.

Please… let this end before Green dies. Please.

Please.

Thud.

But the world was cruel.

Thud. I could hear a splashing sound.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

I could hear the sound of the Colossus taking steps over the water.

Thud.

Even as it was directly struck by the disassembly beam and its body began to break down, it walked towards us.

“Green, stop…”

“The initiative… is mine now…”

Green pulled the trigger again.

I couldn’t turn back now.

The moment I broke this formation, the Colossus would charge at us.

Click.

The sound of pulling the trigger signaled that power was raised.

Pop. Pop. Crackle.

Was that effective?

As the dense and thick green disassembly beam began to break down Colossus’s body.

Thud.

The sound of the Colossus’s foot, which was moving forward, turned into a retreating sound.

“414 65 78 74.”

The last gasp of the Colossus.

As I heard that, the green disassembly beam pierced the Colossus and continued behind.

Becoming a beam of light illuminating the dark seawater.

It’s over… right?

Everyone, including me, swallowed hard, staring at where the Colossus had just been.

An empty spot.

Yet, the feeling that everything was over didn’t settle in. I stared blankly into space.

Splash. Splash.

A giant splash echoed in our ears.

The sound of ships sinking.

The sound of countless warships the Colossus had raised once again returning to the bottom of the sea.

“We won!”

“It’s over! It’s really over!”

The team members started to cheer.

I too ran with a smile towards the companion at the back.

“Green! We won…”

She was dead.

Blood dripped from her eyes and mouth, yet she bore a bright expression.

No breath came in or out.

My heartbeat was absent.

We had won due to Green’s sacrifice.

While the comrades surrounded Green in silence, other survivors approached us.

“…is Green dead?”

“Looks like it.”

They too wore gloomy expressions.

Out of nearly 20 Awakeners besides us, only around 10 remained.

Most of them were severely injured or on the verge of collapse.

Even Lee Haram had lost an arm and was tying it up with her clothes.

“Let’s go back. We need to bury Green.”

Someone spoke up.

To bless the survivors and send off the fallen.

And to celebrate everyone’s escape from this nightmare.

[The machine carries a soul.]

Splash.

The sound of water echoed.

Everyone turned their heads towards the source of the sound.

A small copper sphere, about the size of a human head.

A blue line etched along the copper surface.

It’s still not over.

Our enemies had split into two.

One that had been annihilated by the final attack.

One that, despite being struck by the final move, would free its true form.

It seemed that the Colossus was the latter.

“Mechanical Legion! Fuse!”

“Fuse!”

A voice that felt like it was one too few was heard.

It’s okay.

Having fused in this state due to enemy interference before was not a first.

Realizing this situation, the Awakeners began to retreat from the battlefield.

In this situation, we would only be a hindrance.

Crackle

Bang.

The space that had been disintegrated from the shock of the disassembly cannon exploded.

From the open aspect behind, our last weapon came rushing in.

Fighter Jet X Lumber

Ultra-Mid Electronic X Azul

Light Cannon X Breed

Strategic Satellite X Flav

Submarine X Atra

“Ready!”

The four voices overlapped, and we were teleported to our respective command rooms.

Flash.

The lights in the dim cabin brightened, and I sat in the cockpit, catching my breath.

Let’s calm down.

Settling my mind, I slowly grasped the controls.

I couldn’t afford to mess up the fusion.

This was it, the last chance.

From above the cockpit, I could see several warships beginning to rise according to the Colossus’s guidance.

Green trains running across the water and gentle electronic devices.

A yellow satellite that began to fall, transforming into human form.

A black submarine sailing in from afar.

Numerous pieces of information poured from the visor on my head.

From the phrase indicating “in fusion” to the remaining energy levels.

The enemy’s guessed energy.

Rapidly passing warnings cluttered the screen.

Among the red warning messages, there was one that especially caught my eye.

A phrase repeated over and over.

S-Bread – Ram-Phase Up.

…Right.

I pushed the control yoke with all my heart.

The X Lumber, whose pilot faced downward, began to descend rapidly.

Not yet.

If I miss the timing…

I pulled the levers to raise the output.

Slightly faster.

Despite the warning that I was going too quickly, this was not the time to heed such a caution.

In my field of vision loomed a massive structure.

Crack. Bang.

Code!

The warships had begun to lift off around the Colossus.

They began colliding and merging towards the center.

Bending, breaking, and twisting, they slowly began to form a gigantic shape.

The final form of the Transcendent Emperor Colossus.

A giant of scrap metal made of countless metals.

What was formed now was only about waist level.

But soon it would take on its massive shape.

We had to finish the fusion before it revealed its true form.

-Red. You’re going too fast!

“I can do it!”

Blu’s shouting echoed, but it was alright.

I could do it. I had fused countless times before. There should be no issues.

In my rapidly descending view, I could see a colossal robot.

A yellow human-shaped robot clad in black gloves.

Around it, parts of blue metal floated in disarray, spinning.

Clang. Clang.

With a strong burst of steam, a part of the blue armor clung to the back of the robot.

Clink.

Was it because I got closer? A big sound echoed.

The sound of the black gloves and blue armor’s couplers clamping together tightly. Having been this close in timing for the first time, it was a sound I had never heard before.

Now it was my turn.

I yanked the control yoke strongly.

The front end soared rapidly upward, my body felt heavily crushed.

Sudden speed changes caused my blood to shift.

Soon came the blackout.

In an instant, my field of vision darkened.

-Red!

I heard a voice calling for me.

I’m okay.

I’m not just the leader of the previous generation because of my flair.

Even if I couldn’t see, I knew where everything was.

I pulled the lever in my left hand towards my body. The output weakened.

As I weakly pushed the controls with my right hand, the front end began to stand upright at a 90-degree angle.

I felt it lean to the left as it took the headwind.

I stepped on the pedals beneath me. Balance restored.

Grrrrrr.

The sound of X Lumber’s wheels scraping against X Azul echoed, like a familiar metallic sound.

Proceeding with the rest of the process.

Clink.

Connecting the fuel nozzle.

Swoosh.

Releasing the hydraulic cylinder.

Clink. Clank.

Activating the couplers.

Bang.

The impact created by the couplers clamping together resonated through my body.

That allowed my vision to return.

Was this the last process as a consideration to do it with a level head?

I pushed the lever strongly.

To the maximum output.

Wiiiiiing.

The roar of the engines came on, and simultaneously, my seat began to slide and move.

Towards my comrades, into the cockpit of the giant.

“Red. You reckless idiot!”

Welcoming me into the cockpit was Yellow’s curse.

“Thank goodness it worked out, what if you had died!”

Even if I say there was no way I’d fail… that’d be pointless.

I quietly stared at the enemy.

Now, the Colossus, which had grown to its chest.

“What about the fusion?”

“Only X Breed remains now.”

“Got it.”

The last part, X Breed.

Now, since there was no pilot, it would automatically proceed with the fusion.

Slowly, but automatically, it wouldn’t make mistakes.

Wiiing. Wiiing.

As if mocking those thoughts, the cockpit was filled with alarm sounds.

This was truly… the worst day.

Along with the red warning lights, a message spread across the screen.

A statement that X Breed could not fuse appeared.

“Why not?”

…It seems additional operation is needed because we are above the sea.”

The one to first understand the situation was Blu.

He always grasped the situation quickly and seemed to have scanned the logs this time as well.

Additional operation, huh?

Green was already gone.

“Is there another way? I could go and operate it or…”

“Such a function doesn’t exist. We can only either disengage the fusion and fight or have no choice but to proceed knowing that the automatic operation will fail.”

Everyone fell silent.

In that last moment, what held us back was Green’s absence.

It was my fault.

If I hadn’t gotten distracted for even a moment…

Swamped by self-loathing, I felt myself slipping into despair.

“Let’s just fusion and see what happens.”

“Yeah. We’ll manage somehow.”

The one to break the silence was Yellow and Black.

“Even back when we first fused, the success rate was only 1.4%, and we managed to do it.”

“Right now, it says 4.5% on the screen, that should be reasonable.”

They laughed and turned their heads towards me.

“So don’t just dig your own grave alone, hold your head up, leader.”

“Just like you.”

“I’m executing the automatic operation.”

Blu tapped the keyboard, and the final fusion began.

With the Transcendent Emperor Colossus descending, only the head remained in place.

The Light Cannon X Breed split in two, beginning contact with the legs.

Could it be because of running across the sea? Looking inside the X Breed, it didn’t look well from just a glance.

“Connecting.”

Blu’s voice flowed through the cockpit.

Bang. Ting.

Fusion failed.

The connection point where the legs and X Breed had failed to fill in.

“Again!”

Bang.

Fusion failed.

The couplers failed to connect, and the legs came undone.

“Again!”

Again it failed.

The Colossus began to move.

A colossal steel deity standing over the sea.

Dragging along decaying metal.

Exhibiting grotesque contours as it moved sluggishly like a colossal abomination.

Grrrrrr.

Each time the Colossus moved, the unpleasant metallic sound echoed in the cockpit.

Due to roughly sticking metal together, the disagreeable sound was produced when the metals rubbed together.

How many times has it failed now?

“Again…”

Even I no longer believed in success.

Click.

The Colossus swung its fist. Though it was slow as its size, there was no way for us to block it.

In that moment of thought.

[What the hell are you guys doing with your heads in the cockpits?]

Clink. Bang.

Along with the last resonating impact, the red warning light illuminating the cockpit vanished.

Whirrrrrr.

The robot’s engine began to rev up.

The engines of the five machines resonated, amplifying energy.

Everyone turned their heads towards the empty seats.

Green was sitting there.

Transparent, yet there she was.

Was this the power of the Otherworld?

What did it matter if it was the power of the Otherworld?

Green had returned, and the last fusion was complete.

Then let’s begin now.

“Mechanical King! X Magina!”

Our final stand.

---