Chapter 361: Crush the Mechanical and Grotesque Puppets! 2

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"I don't... I don't understand...?"

Those words were muttered by a large man with a scar on his cheek.

It was General Orbos, the central figure among the Duke Faction nobles, who had been leading the coup d'état plan, using Duke Daychib as a figurehead.

He stood dumbfounded, watching the battle-torn Third Plaza from behind.

"What... what is this strength...?"

Fighting before his eyes were his own army, the full-body armored legion, and the Kingdom Army's so-called 'Royal Capital Unit'.

The Royal Capital Unit, which also handles security in the royal capital, is the most specialized unit in urban warfare within the Ashgo Kingdom Army, and are highly mobile elites.

It seems they caught wind of General Orbos and the others' coup d'état plan, and as soon as they marched out of the Duke's mansion, surrounded them and initiated combat in an attempt to apprehend them.

But what left General Orbos dumbfounded wasn't the strength of those elites.

It was the strength of his own full-body armored legion.

"Pipiii, pipi!"

"Uwaaaaaaaaah!?"

"Guh, ga!?"

"Gyaa..."

Even now, with just a single horizontal swing of a large sword by one of the full-body armored soldiers, several Kingdom soldiers were blown away.

Of course, the Kingdom soldiers weren't just taking hits, they seized the moment when the full-body armored soldiers swung their large swords, jumped at them, and tried to thrust their blades at them.

But all their desperate resistance, it was all in vain.

Their desperate attacks, every single one of them, were nullified by the full-body armored soldiers' thick armor.

"Pipi, pipipi, kyururururu!"

"Gaaaーーー!?"

"D-Damn iiiiit!"

And once again, one after another, they were struck down by the full-body armored soldiers' nonchalant attacks.

It was truly an overwhelming difference in strength.

But then, why?

Why is General Orbos dumbfounded?

When his own army is winning?

It's because.

"Who... who are they in the first place... !?"

Those full-body armored soldiers, who should be his own army.

Soldiers with overwhelming strength, all with the same physique, as if they were the same person.

He doesn't recognize... their appearance, or their names.

"Ugh!?"

And then, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his head, and the general clutched his head, even through his helmet.

"Wait... wait, wait, wait... Today's uprising wasn't supposed to be with those full-body armored soldiers, but with my own forces who had infiltrated the royal capital beforehand... huh?"

And with that headache, his mind suddenly cleared, and questions flooded General Orbos's brain.

"Huh? To begin with, hmm? 'Infiltrate the royal capital with my own forces beforehand'? Hiding their weapons so they wouldn't be detected by the Kingdom Army? Eh? How? Were we planning to win against the Kingdom Army with such a small number of people that wouldn't be detected? Hmm? Huh!?"

And then, he realized that his past actions and thoughts were full of inconsistencies.

The blood drained from his face, and cold sweat ran down his back.

"A coup d'état!? Am I... am I staging a coup d'état!? What nonsense!? No, I don't want that!! The reason I approached that idiot Duke... this... Hmm!? Wh-What is this armor I'm wearing!?"

He finally went into a frenzy, frantically trying to tear off his own armor.

The armor he's wearing is similar to the ones worn by the full-body armored soldiers fighting on the front lines... a heavy, grotesque armor with geometric decorations.

Occasionally, green light leaked from its joints, and since he could move without feeling its weight, General Orbos understood that this armor is some kind of magic tool, and quite a high-quality one at that.

But even so, it felt unpleasant.

He doesn't remember putting this armor on himself.

He was wearing it before he knew it.

"No, wait... !?"

No, he does remember putting it on.

That's right, he remembers this.

He remembers enthusiastically declaring that he'll change the regime of this country, laughing boisterously, and putting this armor on, "as he was told".

Without any questions.

And then, together with the full-body armored soldiers who had surrounded him at some point, he raised a war cry, left the Duke's mansion, and started fighting the Kingdom Army...

"A-A-A-Are you alright, General, General!? Are you feeling illーーー!?"

At that moment.

A ridiculous voice, inappropriate for a battlefield, called out to General Orbos, who was still confused.

He hurriedly turned his head to the side, and there stood a mage dressed as a jester, with his face painted completely white.

"Chuu... bos..."

"That's rightーーー! I'm everyone's idol, the cheerful, cheerful Chuuubos-kunーーー!"

In contrast to General Orbos's pale face, Chubos was grinning from ear to ear.

This jester, still smiling, danced towards General Orbos, and then.

"Now, look into my eyesーーー!"

He brought his face close and made eye contact with General Orbos at point-blank range.

And then, Chubos's eyes glowed an eerie green!

The moment he saw that light... General Orbos's thoughts, which had been confused and panicked... began to cloud over.

He was enveloped in a comfortable feeling... as if dozing off in a warm bed.

"Hey, heyーーー, General Orbos... 'Don't think about the details'."

And this jester whispered to General Orbos, smiling.

"Yes..."

General Orbos, with a drowsy face, gave a vague reply.

"Hey, General Orbos, you're a serious guy, right? You've been studying hard your whole life as a warrior, as a military man, right? Strategy, combat techniques, all sorts of things."

"Yes..."

"But it's a shame, isn't it? Because there are no wars where you can use those skills! So you have no choice but to start a war yourself, right? A coup d'état, right?"

"Well..."

"It's fine, okay? This is the Golden Continent. There won't be any wars with other countries. The gods will interfere, you see! They don't want to ruin the Golden Continent, the food storehouse of this world."

"Yes..."

"Bugs like the previous king of this country won't appear anymore! The only future left for this continent is preordained peace! In other words, the gods are saying that you, as a military man, are worthless! Hey, General Orbos, are you a worthless man!?"

"No..."

"That's right, isn't it!? You're not worthless, are you!?"

"Ah..."

"Then you have to prove it, don't you!? Your worth, in war! Make a name for yourself!"

"Ah...!"

"See? Now's not the time to worry about the details, General Orbos! Right!?"

"You're right...!"

"Now, fight, General Orbos! Slaughter your enemies and shine, as you are! The one who decides your worth is not the gods! It's you!"

"Oooooh... OOOOOOOOOH!!"

At first, General Orbos only gave half-hearted replies, but gradually, his voice regained its energy, and finally, he shouted!

And then, he swung the large sword in his hand, round and round with one hand!

The wind pressure made Chubos's jester attire flutter!

"Hmm? I don't know what happened, but... it seems I was... blown away by a cowardly wind!? Chubos-dono, thank you for bringing me back to my senses!!"

Finally shouldering the large sword he was swinging, General Orbos grinned ferociously with a determined look in his eyes!

"It's fine, it's fine! It's fiiineーーー!"

Chubos also spun around again and chuckled!

"Ah, it's really so funnyyyy!"

And finally, he muttered, mockingly, but his voice didn't reach General Orbos.

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"Now! There are no more vanguards of the wicked and ignorant council faction nobles to stand in our way, holy warriors!"

After looking around at the Kingdom soldiers lying dead in the Third Plaza, General Orbos declared.

Listening to him were the full-body armored warriors.

They stood still, silently, emotionlessly, listening to the general's words.

"We will begin our advance! Our destination is, of course, the royal castle, and the throne that awaits its lord's return!"

Powerful words, filled with spirit.

There was no longer any hesitation in his heart.

He's currently filled with a sense of omnipotence and self-affirmation.

Overflowing with fighting spirit!

"Now then... All forces, advanceーーー!!"

And then, he gave the order.

...It was at that moment!

ZGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!

From the opposite side of the plaza from General Orbos and the others... from the direction of the royal castle, a tremendous roar echoed, and then...

...By someone short, wearing a jet-black armor-like garment and with deformed arms extending from their shoulders... the full-body armored soldiers around them started getting blown away, one after another!!