I Was Just a Losing Jail Guard, but When I Was Kind to the Captured Heroines, the Game’s Story Fell Apart. - Chapter 24: The Losing Jail Guard Gets Hyped

Chapter 24: The Losing Jail Guard Gets Hyped

Baulnout, the Guardian Dragon.

This legendary dragon was supposed to protect Katiana’s kingdom, but for certain reasons, it was now fighting for the rebels.

“Lady Elette!!”

Katiana rode up on horseback, shouting as she approached the Strongest Golem.

Her face was filled with panic.

“That’s Baulnout!! The Guardian Dragon of our kingdom!!”

“Oh? That sounds promising. The rebels were starting to bore me.”

“No!! That dragon is incredibly powerful!! Even your golem might not be able to defeat it—”

Before Katiana could finish her warning, Elette floored the pedal, sending the Strongest Golem hurtling forward.

At the same time, Baulnout, perched atop the walls of the capital, turned its massive head toward the golem.

Its mouth began to glow, gathering an enormous amount of heat —a clear sign it was preparing to attack.

“All weapons, deploy.”

The eight cannons on the golem’s back roared to life, bit weapons swarmed into formation, and every missile pod opened, launching a relentless barrage.

The onslaught struck Baulnout head-on, engulfing it in explosions and thick black smoke.

 Everything landed spectacularly, and Baulknowe was engulfed in explosions and black smoke.

For a moment, I was tempted to shout, “Did we get it!?” but quickly decided against it. That’s always the setup for a bad twist.

“Did we get it!?”

“M-Miss Katiana!! Don’t jinx it!!”

Just as I thought we’d avoided it, Katiana’s voice —complete with her classic flag-raising phrase— was picked up by the cockpit mic.

When the smoke cleared, Baulnout was still standing.

The energy gathered in its mouth now glowed white-hot, radiating a terrifying heat that screamed massive attack incoming.

As the Strongest Golem attempted to dodge, it happened.

FLASH!

A blinding beam shot out from Baulnout’s mouth, searing the air.

The Strongest Golem tried to deploy its makeshift “A◯ Field” defense, but the barrier was shattered instantly.

While we barely avoided a direct hit, the beam grazed the left side of the golem, taking out boosters and weapon systems.

With mobility and firepower severely crippled, things were looking grim.

“Impressive!!”

Despite the flashing red lights inside the cockpit, Elette grinned confidently.

Meanwhile, I was losing my mind.

“H-Hey, what now!? This is seriously impossible, isn’t it!?”

“You’re right. Our current weapons aren’t enough to deal with that thing. Yes, our current weapons.”

“Wait, what?”

Elette suddenly reached into her pocket and pulled something out.

It was a switch labeled Serious Mode.

“Uh, Miss Elette? What’s that?”

“It’s the activation switch for Strongest Golem’s Serious Mode.”

“Okay, but, uh… did you really have to make the design look like that?”

“Isn’t it adorable?”

Elette spoke with a smug, self-satisfied grin.

Well… I mean, yeah. I guess you could call it cute?

Her naming sense and taste for “cute” things are honestly something else.

I mean, the Strongest Golem itself looks ridiculously cool, but then she gives it a name like Strongest Golem-kun…

While I was lost in thought, Elette casually pressed the switch with a cheerful “Boop!”

In the next instant, all of the Strongest Golem’s weapons were jettisoned.

No, it wasn’t just the weapons —the golem’s arms and legs detached as well.

A magical circle appeared behind the golem, glowing ominously.

“This is an application of summoning magic. I stored additional equipment in a subspace and can summon and attach it on the spot.”

“Holy crap, this woman can do anything!!”

Detaching and then combining new parts —Elette really understands what appeals to a guy’s inner child.

As I watched in awe, new, larger arms and legs emerged from the magical circle.

If the original Strongest Golem was a lightweight unit built for speed, this new configuration was all about raw power and durability.

A backpack appeared from the magical circle, docking with the golem’s torso and adding massive cannons to both shoulders.

And then, one final weapon emerged from the magical circle.

It was a pile bunker —a massive impact weapon taller than the newly upgraded Strongest Golem itself.

“W-What is this…!?”

“Long-range attacks didn’t seem effective, so we’re going to break through it up close.”

“OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

This was enough to get my adrenaline pumping.

The Strongest Golem hefted the massive pile bunker onto its shoulder, its crawler tracks spinning furiously.

The boosters roared to life, propelling it forward in a powerful charge.

Recognizing the upgraded golem as a threat, Baulnout unleashed its breath attack.

“Think you can hit me just because this is a heavy unit? Too bad, I can dodge that.”

In a split second, the boosters on the shoulders, waist, and legs fired briefly, shifting the golem out of the attack’s path.

W-Wait, was that a Quick Boost straight out of Armored Core!?

The Strongest Golem weaved unpredictably, zigzagging closer to Baulnout.

As it neared the capital’s walls, it made its next move.

This time, the golem used an Assault Boost to close the gap between itself and Baulnout, who was perched on the wall.

Baulnout, clearly rattled by the golem’s blistering speed, attempted to take flight. But Elette wasn’t about to let it escape.

“Your torso is wide open.”

Without hesitation, Elette drove the massive pile bunker straight into Baulnout’s chest.

Critical hit!

The attack was devastating. Baulnout suffered a fatal wound and plummeted to the ground.

Afterward, the rebel army surrendered to the royal forces.

Katiana escaped her fate of suffering and successfully cleared the event.

But… a small problem arose soon after.

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[Afterword] 

A Random Tidbit

Author: “There’s just something magical about purge-and-docking sequences.”

L: “I get that.”

If you thought, “The Serious Mode switch cracked me up,” “Baulnout got taken out in seconds, lol,” or “Pile bunkers are peak coolness,” please leave a comment, bookmark, give a ★ rating, or write a review!