Chapter 10: Let’s Unveil the Special Machine!

A few minutes ago.

I—Klaus Renford—was sitting in the cockpit of the special war machine that appeared in the game, soaking in the thrill of a holy pilgrimage.

“Hell yeah! So this is what it feels like to actually ride it…!”

The sensation, something I couldn’t grasp just playing the game, had me hyped as hell. The underground chamber was empty, and temptation got the better of me, so I climbed in. But now that I was here… I couldn’t resist wanting to actually pilot this thing.

“Just a little spin won’t hurt, right?”

Not knowing exactly how to operate it, I figured I’d start by channeling mana into the shiny, orb-shaped magical stone in front of me. The moment I did, I could feel the mana spreading through the entire machine.

“So that’s it! You pour mana in to make it move!”

I was riding high on excitement when—

“Why’s the special machine starting up on its own—wait, who’s in there!?”

“Uh-oh.”

A voice echoed through the chamber. Looks like I’d been caught sneaking in and messing around with the special machine. Whoever this guy was, he had to be one of Markovar’s lackeys.

(Alright, what now? Normally, I’d play it up as the villain, say I snuck in to steal the war machine to tank my reputation…)

Problem is, the guy in front of me was tied to Markovar. Lowering my rep with a fellow villain like him wouldn’t exactly make my day. But I couldn’t think of anything else to do either. As I raised my right hand to rub my temple, wondering what to do—

Click.

“…Huh?”

My elbow accidentally hit some kind of button. And then—

ZIIIIING!

The special machine lit up with a faint glow of mana and started powering up.

“—! Is this some kinda auto-return system to the administrator!? It needs a ton of mana to start, so where’s it even—!? No, wait, I can’t let it move without orders! Stop—arghhh!”

The guy, shouting something and sprinting toward me to stop it, was too slow. The machine unleashed a burst of mana, blasting him back. Then it started floating, smashed through the ceiling, and before I knew it, we were soaring through the sky.

“Holy shit, this is awesome!”

Brushing off the details, I was pumped that the special machine was up and running. Down below, I didn’t notice a voice shouting, “Marquis Markovar, my apologies! An intruder just took the special machine and is heading your way—”

(I’ll fly around a bit, have my fun, and bring it back!)

Oblivious to the warning, I surrendered myself to the joy of free flight.

But a minute later, to my surprise, the destination was the manor where I was staying, and the machine started landing automatically. The manor was half-destroyed for some reason, with signs of battle all around.

After landing, I figured I’d check the situation and casually swung the right arm using the controls I’d picked up during the flight—

“Gahhh!”

“…Huh?”

A loud crash echoed as something—or someone—went flying into the manor. Squinting, I realized it was none other than Markovar, the guy who developed this war machine.

(Wait, didn’t that guy say something about it heading to the administrator before it took off?)

Apparently, it had kicked into auto-pilot to return to Markovar—and I’d just accidentally sucker-punched him with it.

And then—

“Klaus-sama…?”

Looking around, I saw a whole crowd: Sophia, the knights, Marie, the intelligence unit, Sedia, and her elf crew. In the middle of all this, I’d shown up in the special machine, declared I’d take Markovar down, and then clocked him right into the manor.

“I can explain.”

The words slipped out in a reflex of self-defense. Yeah, it was like that awkward moment when your family or friends catch you playing with a shiny new toy. Not exactly the vibe of someone aiming for the Charisma of Evil, but what can you do?

Just as I was thinking that—

“—I get it!” Linsia suddenly shouted, like she’d cracked some code.

“The moment you heard my report, you bolted out to read the enemy’s plan perfectly and neutralize their biggest threat—the war machine—before they could use it! No, not just neutralize it—you took it for yourself and crushed the enemy! As expected of my lord!”

Her guess couldn’t have been further from the truth. But somehow, her words sparked a wave of agreement and praise from everyone around.

“Klaus-sama saw through everything from the start!?”

“While we were under attack, he’d already turned the tables…!”

“It’s an honor to serve Klaus-dono. Not only unmatched in sword and magic, but in cunning strategy too!”

Hearing all this, I was freaking out inside. (Goddamn it, cut it out! This makes it look like I planned to steal the machine and take down Markovar!)

At this point, it’d almost be better if they knew I swiped it just to mess around.

“Listen up, you lot! The reason I’m in this war machine is—”

“It’s not over yet!”

Just as I tried to explain, a sharp voice cut through from the rubble of the manor’s collapsed wall. There stood Markovar, battered and bruised but still moving. Guess the hit from the special machine wasn’t meant to kill, so his mediocre stats let him barely hang on.

“Lord Renford… it seems I underestimated you. To predict my plans and steal the special machine…!”

“No, that’s not—”

“But! Don’t think you’ve beaten me yet! I’ve still got another trump card!”

Cutting off my denial, he declared with gusto. Three hooded figures gathered around him, moving like they’d been given prior orders, and pulled off their hoods in unison.

Pointed horns. Black hair. Men who were unmistakably demons.

“…!”

“Demons!?”

“I knew they were strong, but that’s what they were…!”

The knights and elves gasped in shock. Looks like they’d been fighting these guys before I showed up.

“As you can see, these are the remnants of the ‘Phantom Hand’ you so infuriatingly destroyed!” Markovar said, no longer bothering to hide his ties to the group, his tone dripping with defiance.

The demons glanced at me, then bowed to Markovar in unison.

“Marquis Markovar, use us!”

“Avenge our fallen kin!”

“Grant us the chance for revenge!”

Markovar smirked wickedly and pulled a sheet of paper from his chest, inscribed with a complex, ominous magical circle radiating dark mana. He placed it on the ground, and the three demons stepped onto it. In an instant, they were engulfed in black light, vanishing—and then—

‘VROOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!’

In their place stood a sinister black giant, as massive as the special machine I was in.

“Behold! My other trump card—a magical lifeform summoned by sacrificing the powerful souls of demons!”

“Huh.”

I couldn’t help but let out a sound. Honestly, this thing caught me off guard. Magical lifeforms appeared in ‘Altena Fantasia,’ but in a completely different context, not tied to the Markovar fight. I never dreamed I’d run into one here.

“Hahaha, even the great Lord Renford quakes before it!” Markovar misread my furrowed brow, his grin oozing confidence. “Though, if you could draw out the special machine’s full potential, you might defeat it… but alas, that’s impossible! In its incomplete state, with such poor mana efficiency, trying to max it out would drain your mana and kill you in seconds! No matter how you struggle, it’s futile!”

He cackled triumphantly. In response, I—

“—Hmph.”

Truth be told, I was pissed at being underestimated. I’d planned to just fly around and return it after having my fun, but if he was gonna talk big like that, I’d show him the special machine’s limits—pushed to the max by my hands.

With that resolve, I started pouring my mana into the magical stone. Markovar, thinking he’d already won, opened his mouth smugly. “What a fool! You’ll die pathetically before even fighting!”

“Let’s see who’s the one dying,” I shot back lightly, then focused on channeling mana.

Mana efficiency? Who cares. Thinking that’d stop me was their mistake.

(There’s nothing impossible for the guy destined to rule this world as its final boss!)

With that inner declaration, the special machine suddenly blazed with blinding light.

“What!? Impossible! To fully charge it in its incomplete state…!” Markovar’s smugness flipped to shock.

Guess he still hadn’t grasped my true power. As the swelling mana and its pressure enveloped us, my excitement hit its peak!

“Hahaha! Let’s see who the real fool is! Come on, special machine! Use my power to crush this old fool’s ambitions—”

BOOOOOM!!!

It happened out of nowhere. A deafening explosion, and I was sent flying.

The special machine I was in? Blown to bits.

“…What?”

In the blast’s aftermath, I let out a dumbfounded sound. It didn’t take much to figure out what happened. The machine couldn’t handle the sheer amount of mana I’d poured in and self-destructed in a fiery explosion.

“““…”””

As the dust cleared, everyone—friend and foe alike—stood gaping at the scene. Markovar looked the most shocked of all.

“No… no way! Did you pour in more mana than it could handle…!? No, stay calm! We’ll figure out the cause later! The moment you lost the special machine, your defeat was sealed!”

He was shouting something, but I didn’t care. My heart was drowning in a bigger emotion.

(I finally had the chance to unleash the special machine’s full power—something even the game never showed!)

In the original story, Claude was comatose as the machine’s core, so its potential was never fully tapped. I was this close to making it happen… and now this!? It’s not fair!

Clutching my head in despair, I heard—

‘VRAAAAAHHHH!!!’

The magical lifeform, seeing its chance, roared and charged at me. Here I was, wallowing in heartbreak, and this thing had the nerve to attack without reading the room. Something inside me snapped.

I drew my Shiny Sword, poured every ounce of mana into it, and—

“Dimensional Rupture!!!”

—unleashed the ultimate technique I’d developed from my fight with Ortoram, wielding the power of severing mana. A torrent of dazzling light swallowed the magical lifeform, wiping it out in an instant.

“Impossiiiible!” Markovar’s scream echoed.

And then—

“That light… it’s the same as when he defeated Gatelinque… What a beautiful glow,” Sophia murmured in awe.

“As expected of Master,” Marie said coolly.

“What strength… I’ve only seen a fraction of my lord’s true power!” Linsia exclaimed.

“Klaus-dono is truly worthy of our service!” Sedia added.

The knights and elves erupted into cheers of “Wooo!” (Shit!)

Snapping back to reality, I realized my screw-up. In my anger, I’d obliterated it, but since the special machine was gone, I could’ve taken control of the lifeform and trashed the town to tank my rep. Now I looked like a hero who saw through Markovar’s plans and crushed him!

(This is bad… really bad!)

I racked my brain for an excuse, but nothing came. Just then, Markovar—supposedly in as dire a spot as me—spoke up, sounding oddly resolute.

“Damn it! If it’s come to this, so be it! At the very least, I’ll make your territory mine!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“While we attacked here, I sent nobles with mass-produced machines to your Renford territory! I also gave them items to control nearby monsters, and the assault should be starting any moment now!”

“…!”

He’d accepted his defeat but was aiming for one last jab. Hearing this, though, I couldn’t hold back my glee.

(This… this is my chance to turn it around!)

If I got so caught up dominating other lands that I neglected my own, my reputation would take a hit for sure! It was a ray of light in the darkness.

Just as I was about to thank Markovar from the bottom of my heart—

“…Huh?”