The defending soldiers in the distant positions, seeing this scene, didn't even need an officer's command and immediately focused their fire wildly on the 'St. George Type 3.'
"Clang, clang, clang!"
Countless bullets struck its armor, kicking up bursts of dense sparks, but were utterly unable to inflict any substantial damage.
At this moment, the crushing superiority of the Armored Knight over infantry was demonstrated to its fullest.
Morin watched the greasy, scratched steel giant approach step by step, his brain frantically searching for a solution to the current predicament.
Rifles? Grenades? Useless. Previous fighting had repeatedly proven that these individual weapons could not inflict effective damage.
Just as he was burning with anxiety, the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of something.
It was a shaped charge anti-armor warhead, which had fallen off its mount next to Ludwig's machine during the collapse!
A crazy thought instantly formed in Morin's mind.
Although this thing was designed for temporary use by Armored Knights, as its designer, Morin knew well that while its weight was heavy for an adult male, it was not completely impossible to carry!
If he could just carry it close to the 'St. George Type 3' and detonate it at close range…
He looked at the rapidly approaching Armored Knight, then at the shaped charge anti-armor warhead on the ground, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
Why should I risk my life for a country I only crossed over to 48 hours ago?
In that very instant of hesitation, a large hand, stained with blood and dust, grabbed the collar of his uniform from behind and violently dragged him backward.
It was Captain Hauser.
"Captain?"
Morin turned back and saw a face covered in scars, blood, and grime.
Captain Hauser's face was terrifyingly pale, his lips bloodless from loss of blood.
Morin's gaze shifted down, and he was horrified to realize that Captain Hauser's abdomen had been pierced by a not-so-thin, sharp wooden splinter at some point.
Blood was continuously pouring from the wound, staining his gray uniform a shocking dark red.
"Captain! You're wounded! Quick! Find somewhere to lie down!"
Morin was appalled, reaching out to support him.
"Don't mind me…"
Captain Hauser's voice was weak, but his eyes were extraordinarily resolute.
He shoved a cloth-wrapped package into Morin's arms, then pushed him into the interior of the building.
"You're still young, live on!"
These were the last words Captain Hauser spoke to Morin.
Then, he turned around with grim determination, and with a burst of agility as if completely uninjured, he charged out of the building.
His action also attracted the attention of two other Saxon veterans nearby, who were also seriously wounded and barely able to stand.
The two veterans were stunned when they saw Captain Hauser's actions, then immediately understood.
They exchanged glances, seeing the same desperate resolve in each other's eyes.
The Armored Knight had reached them, its armed sword raised high, the blade flashing with arcane blue light.
The 'St. George Type 3' was now preparing to stab down with an inverted grip, to finally terminate Ludwig's machine.
Then, the pilot saw a sight that made his hair stand on end.
Three infantrymen, who appeared out of nowhere, bent down together, using all their strength to lift the heavy 'poker stick' from the ground!
"This is bad!"
The Armored Knight pilot's mind instantly flashed back to the images of his two comrades being instantly destroyed by this weapon.
He was shocked, no longer caring about attacking the downed 'Siegfried Type 1.' He immediately changed targets, swinging the armed sword in his hand violently toward the three infantrymen carrying the lethal weapon!
His shield had been lost in the previous fighting, along with his severed left arm.
Now, the only way he could stop these three madmen was to cut them all into a bloody pulp before they detonated that damned weapon!
Gazing up at the massive blade descending upon them, Captain Hauser and the two veterans showed no trace of fear.
They simply lifted their heads, facing the fatal cold glint, and used the last ounce of strength in their lives to let out a deafening roar.
"Long Live the Glory of the Saxon Empire!!!"
They roared, and Captain Hauser simultaneously fumbled for and pressed the mechanical activation device at the rear of the shaped charge anti-armor warhead.
"Boom—!"
A dazzling flash of fire erupted once again on the battlefield.
The scorching metal jet, with unstoppable force, viciously pierced through the front of the 'St. George Type 3's cockpit.
The Guard Knight Order pilot, along with his machine, was utterly reduced to scrap metal by this strike.
However, the cost was heavy.
The massive shockwave from the explosion, and the armed sword which continued to descend due to inertia, simultaneously impacted the three valiant soldiers.
Captain Hauser and the two veterans were torn to shreds by the explosion and the sword slash before they could even witness the enemy's destruction.
Crimson blood stained the broken ground.
Morin, pushed into the ruins, watched the scene with eyes wide in agony, his fingernails digging deep into the flesh of his palms, yet unable to make a sound.
On the other side, William's Armored Knight, the only one left standing on the battlefield, had plunged into the chaotic mass of Britannian infantry, starting a bloody 'rampage.'
His target was clear—to completely kill the severely wounded mage on the ground, Eldridge!
According to pre-battle intelligence, although Eldridge was a High-Level Mage, the spells he could cast daily were limited.
And today, he had already used several high-circle spells, such as [Turn to Stone] and [Mordenkainen's Sword].
Based on the spell slots available to a mage of his level, he theoretically could not cast any spell that could threaten an Armored Knight unless he continued to use high-level spell scrolls.
But high-level spell scrolls were handmade artifacts, and only High-Level Archmages had the ability to create them. They were extremely rare, considered highly precious 'strategic assets' even in Britannia.
Therefore, now might be the best time to finish off Eldridge…
With that thought, William's killing intent intensified.
He controlled the 'Siegfried Type 1' like a tiger among sheep. Each swing of his battle-axe claimed the lives of several Britannian soldiers who couldn't escape in time.
Soon, he cleared the obstacles around him and arrived in front of Eldridge, who was still struggling on the ground, ready to cleave the perpetrator who had inflicted massive casualties upon them into a bloody pulp!
Just then, Eldridge, with blood still trickling from his mouth, struggled to stand up, leaning on his nearly broken staff.
He looked up at the massive battle-axe about to descend, a grim and frantic smile on his face.
With a trembling hand, he pulled out another seemingly ordinary piece of parchment scroll from his lavish but blood-stained robes.
He then viciously tore open the magical seal on the scroll with his teeth.
A thin, green ray, appearing to have no destructive power whatsoever, shot out from the scroll, silently striking the 'Siegfried Type 1' piloted by William.
[Sixth-Circle Spell—Disintegrate]
(End of this Chapter)