The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City-Chapter 158: The Witch’s Cauldron (8)

Violets ran, holding the prism like a cauldron. From above, Adela relentlessly fired arrows.

Although they had clearly provoked the enemies from a distance, the enemies, seemingly angered, charged at them with insane speed. It was fortunate that the jetbikes weren’t armed.

"Ugh! Sniper incoming!"

Before I could even think how lucky we were, a sniper shot came flying from the jetbikes.

A bolt came crashing down, and a Violet near the prism was hit, rolling across the ground.

Immediately, a counterattack came, and one of the hovering bikes was shot down.

"Ah, ahhh!"

A shrill scream echoed from behind the Violet escort at the front. It was Ennis, who was startled by the sniper shot.

"Hey! How fast can you set it up once we reach the plaza?"

"Ten minutes! Even if it takes longer, ten minutes should be enough. I don’t understand the structure completely, but... ugh!"

This time, a bolt of electricity shot at my feet. I quickly jumped to the side, barely avoiding the attack.

The role of the vision prism wasn’t just as bait.

This artifact was going to be the giant bonfire that lured in the moths. Therefore, I had to keep this prisoner alive for as long as possible.

"Hyah! They’re coming!"

Struggling to hold the prism, I ran, but the distance between us and the enemies closed quickly. The command center was pinpointing the enemy’s location on the strategy map while pushing the other Violets forward.

"Ugh! I knew it was a gamble! We should have set it up earlier!"

"Stop whining! We’re almost there. The team members are lying in wait!"

The mages were coming. Were they using acceleration? Their speed was even faster than before.

Violets, who had been hiding at the intersection, fired bolts, dodging or swatting them away with their swords as they ran forward.

Now I could see their faces. Whether it was due to the recognition interference device or something else, their faces were blurry, like a broken mosaic.

"Ughhh!"

"Now!"

At my command, a massive bolt shot from one corner of the building rooftop, streaking through the air like a meteor.

Numerous magical circles appeared above the enemy’s head like a halo, unleashing light beams that shredded the bolt. The weakened bolt collided with a translucent shield.

"Are you blocking this too?"

The jetbike squad and the mages fired beams at the location from where the attack came. Panicked, Levi grabbed the ballista and quickly fled from his sniping position.

"Ahhh!"

"Wouldn’t it be nice if it ended this easily? Not happening. Charge!"

After the sniper attack failed, the Violet squad in ambush and team members charged at the pursuers. Golden magical power enveloped the extermination unit.

The Violet in the lead, wearing a military exoskeleton, injected a syringe into her thigh. As the black substance coursed through her veins, an overwhelming sense of euphoria washed over her.

"Uwaaah! I feel the strength!"

Violets who had injected Black Ice leaped off the rooftop and pounced on the enemies. With bloodshot eyes, they charged at the enemies at an incredible speed.

"Charge! Tear them apart!"

The shockwaves added by Irene’s buff, the exoskeleton’s support, and the drugs were beyond imagination. For a brief moment, we dodged the incoming bullets and ran forward.

The magic arrows before me moved slowly. The arrows floated lazily in the air like balloons. Everything seemed sluggish.

Sensing the danger, the enemies raised their staffs and swung their swords to retaliate.

"Ughhh!"

"Bind them! We have to capture them!"

The enemies’ combat power was formidable, not quite as strong as the Vanguard, but they were skilled veterans in both ranged and close combat.

Intense sword clashes ensued. Even with the amplified strength from the exoskeleton and drugs, it was barely enough to match the enemy.

"Use the Aether Ray Gun!"

While the Violet special forces temporarily held the enemies in place, other Violets holding Aether Ray Guns pulled the triggers.

- Bwoooom!

Magical power leaked out, and beams of magic burst forth. The three enemies swinging their staffs and swords were struck and collapsed instantly. The sheer force of the magical energy seemed to have stunned them.

"Now! Blaze of Glory!"

Seizing the opportunity, a Violet holding the Blaze of Glory sword didn’t hesitate to strike. After blocking the staff with her sword, a powerful flame erupted, sweeping across the enemy ranks.

"They’re holding on with shields!"

Despite the Aether Ray Gun and Blaze of Glory sword attacks, the pursuing enemies held their ground.

We fired bolts in succession, but the witch in the middle activated her interception spell, deflecting all our projectiles. Regaining their momentum, the enemies attempted to counterattack.

"Of course, it’s time to deploy our team members!"

At the moment they let their guard down, I tossed my team members like a catapult.

The two girls, Irene and Kalia, who were thrown by Violet, swiftly flew toward the enemies.

This was the Violet Launcher Tactic. It’s more effective than simply charging in — you can approach higher and faster.

"Haha! Take that!"

The two girls launched by Violet charged at the witch, unleashing a fierce barrage of attacks. As their spears and swords crossed, the witch pulled out a long bolt of lightning from her staff and swung it like a whip.

"Ugh! What strength..."

Surprisingly, the strength displayed by the witch was beyond what I had imagined. Every time the witch swung her lightning whip, our Violets had to jump or duck to avoid it. If we didn’t, we’d be split in half!

Above all, the witch didn’t give us any openings. I had warned my team members to watch the rear, but the enemies showed no signs of lowering their guard. That strange device on her back was definitely an artifact.

"I’m losing it. She doesn’t give us a break! If only I could use a gun, I’d manage somehow!"

The trajectory of my flaming sword, wielded with my unique power, struck the witch’s back and shoulders several times.

Kalia’s sword repeatedly ravaged her. Every time the sword and staff collided…

The chain made a sharp sound as it wrapped around my left arm. The Violets quickly tugged at the chain.

"Uh? Aaah!"

"They’re flying!"

The opponent demonstrated an astonishing amount of strength, swinging the chain along with my left arm. As the chain unraveled, the Violets were sent flying some distance away.

"Should I charge with my body?"

Just as I was about to think of the glider returning to the small fountain square, Kalia seemed to have had a sudden realization and shouted urgently.

"Steel chain! Now!"

As if in a trance, I threw a steel chain at her.

The chain of will, making the distinctive sharp sound of metal, wrapped around Kalia’s arm. Just then, the witch swung her lightning whip again.

"...Yeah, this is it!"

The unyielding flames surged along the steel chain. The fiery chain collided with the lightning whip, creating a small shockwave. The moment the witch flinched, the flame chain wrapped around her staff and arm.

"I’ve got her!"

"Violet! Why didn’t you give this to me earlier? This is the first time I’ve seen something I like this much!"

As soon as her left arm was caught by the chain, the witch was unable to move.

She resisted with brute force, but the bright magenta flames dug in, and she could no longer exert the same strength as before.

She struggled, casting minor spells. Irene pierced with her spear while I slashed with a knife, but she was surprisingly tough.

"The protective spells on her body are stronger than expected!"

Irene shouted. I pulled out my remaining hidden card.

"Come out! Granite!"

"Uwoooo!"

A large boy with an axe smashed through the wall and appeared.

The witch’s confusion could be felt even beyond the visual distortion of her interference device. The slow but powerful strike, capable of toppling mid-level beasts, landed squarely.

Kwoooom!

"I’ve got her!"

"Argh!"

The witch fell to the ground, bleeding.

She wasn’t dead, but the artifact she was carrying on her back had shattered, sparking.

The woman groaned in pain as she weakly stood up.

"Done, I broke the artifact!"

Whether from the axe strike or the fire chain, her staff had also broken.

The woman with crimson hair glared with fury as she drew a sword from her left side.

Wait a second, I don’t quite understand how her facial expression looks. Did her interference device deactivate because of the shock?

Come to think of it, crimson hair. I’ve seen that face somewhere before.

"This is strange, that face. I feel like I’ve seen it before."

Hearing Irene mutter, I quickly searched the kill list on the desk in Command 3.

From the academy’s highest kill list, I found a photo of the witch with the same face as the one here.

"Damn it, why is she here?"

She was Lera Velleston, the vice-president of the Polaris Academy Student Council. No wonder she wasn’t at the academy; it seems she was scheming here.

"Good! We were going to kill her anyway. Let’s finish her off quickly!"

"Impossible! The command center reports. Look at the map. They’re closing in!"

Bitterly, the map showed that enemies were approaching.

"Guys! Let’s retreat!"

Unfortunately, the jet bike squadron, which had been circling above us, launched an attack and descended. The Vanguard was also rushing toward us. I immediately detonated a smoke grenade and fell back with my team.

It’s a shame we couldn’t kill her right away, but the ambush was a success. Now we can use guns and bombs.

The Violet Battalion regained control of the battlefield.

"Command from the battalion headquarters! Battery 1, prepare for battle! Squadron 1, deploy!"

Fifteen gliders soared up into the dark ceiling of the dungeon.

"They’re closing in! How much longer?"

At the moment the ambush team succeeded in destroying the combustion-suppressing artifact, a woman was struggling with the vision prism placed at the center of the Lion Fountain Square.

Right next to her was an old lion statue with its mouth wide open.

The reason I had ordered the prisoner to activate the prism was simple. It was to lure the beasts and fanatical followers.

"Let’s think back to the Pasteira Snowfield. When we activated the ether amplifier, the beasts came rushing."

The beasts are drawn to powerful magical waves.

I thought that if we used such a powerful artifact, it might produce a similar effect, so I asked Ennis, and she gave a positive reply.

"It will be done soon. Please wait a little longer! I don’t fully understand the system of this artifact or the magical layout."

"Who else could understand it but you?"

I questioned, and despite her hands working non-stop, Ennis opened her mouth.

"...Our team leader?"

"Are you talking about that headless guy?"

She nodded.

"The entire process was handled by the team leader. The rest of us, including myself, only dealt with the supplementary parts. I was responsible for adjusting the circuits during the intermediate stages."

Oh no, I should’ve kept that team leader alive. Maybe we could have finished faster.

"Well, it was just a middle job. The fact that you said you could do it isn’t a lie, right?"

"No! I can do it. Why would I lie?"

She muttered as she fiddled with the prism, her eyes blank.

"Anyway, it’s my job. In the end, I’m the one who got involved, so I should finish it."

A dispatch from Command came.

Looking at the strategic map, a red dot had appeared, advancing through a narrow passage from the right.

Perhaps because they had destroyed all the vehicles, aside from the jet bike squad, all of them were approaching on two legs.

Small Violet task forces hidden in the windows of buildings were trying to slow the enemies down, but they chose to clear the floors of the buildings and approach by air.

The sound of explosions grew nearer.

“Hey! It’s coming! Hurry!”

“We’re in the final stage!”

With a flash of light, a bolt of lightning struck near the artifact.

「What’s coming so quickly!」

“These damn thieves. I’ll send you to hell!”

A Vanguard wielding a staff charged at high speed. He swung his staff in the air, showering the area with a tremendous amount of magical projectiles.

“Ugh! Get down!”

“Ahhh!”

The area near the Lion’s Fountain turned into a sea of fire. The Violets held off the enemies, buying time. Soon, bolts from the hunter squad flew in.

“Prisoner! Hurry up, or... huh? Your arm!”

“Ah, my... arm... hahaha...”

I froze for a moment while urging the prisoner on. Her left arm had been severed, yet he was struggling to continue the work.

“D-Done. Now just inject the magic, and it’s all o-over!”

Before the prisoner finished speaking, I immediately injected magic.

Soon, the Vision Prism began to glow with vibrant, multicolored light. Whether the enemies saw this or not, the fire from their guns intensified.

As soon as the work was completed, another explosion occurred.

“Ugh...!”

“Ahhh! Let’s run!”

I grabbed the prisoner and some of his body parts and dashed toward a building near the square. The Violets who had been holding them off had long since perished.

「Hey! This should be enough. Start it quickly!」

One minute later, the entire Magna Nabis unit entered the square.

Near the now-lightless artifact, only Violet No. 10, in an immobile state, remained.

A Vanguard-looking figure approached and asked.

“...Where is Adela Cascadia? What did you do to the artifact?”

“...You’ll know when you see it. Can’t you hear that sound?”

I pointed toward the road above the square. It was in the direction of the forward base.

As the roar of beasts grew louder, they glared at me with eyes full of hatred.

“I don’t know what you did to the prism, but if you plan to lure the zealots and beasts here, you better wake up. We’ll just retrieve this and head back.”

No. 10 snickered and laughed.

“Who’s going to send you? Guys, start it! Broken Arrow!”

“...!”

In that moment, the improvised explosives buried across the square detonated simultaneously.

A massive shockwave shook the ceiling of the dungeon, causing the ground to tremble.

“Aaaaah!”

But that wasn’t the end of the attack.

“Unit 1! Open fire!”

As the hunters covered in debris screamed and bled, orange-colored flying craft shot toward us from all directions.

The Magna Nabis troops, startled, quickly activated their shields. One of them pointed at the sky and shouted.

“It’s a rocket!”

Correct, it was the Violet-designed special rocket. V-1!

Far from the square, Violet soldiers from Unit 1 set up a solid and compact launcher.

Following the training on the uninhabited island, they adjusted the angle, and then pulled rocket parts from their inventories one by one.

After assembling the body and warhead, the massive rockets, as big as a person, were completed.

While the firepower was weaker than a suicide attack, it could support long-range fire. If they fired enough, even the enemies wouldn’t be able to handle it. Their interception systems would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

While the artillery fired the rockets, the hastily launched powered hang gliders soared into the sky. With the internal combustion engine now running, the full flight squadron could take off.

The mission was to guide the artillery, track the enemies, and provide ground support. And intercepting the jetbikes!

“Shoot them down!”

Flight Squadron 1 started their first-ever aerial battle since its formation. In the skies, machine gunfire rained down, and the jetbikes emitted smoke as one by one, they fell to the ground.

“Alright, now block the escape route!”

As artillery shells fell, the long-awaited group of zealots appeared from above. The leader, riding a Nox-Terror, shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Found you! You damn thieves! I don’t know who you are, but I’ll show you hell!”

The beast pack, riled up, charged toward the Vision Prism. A fierce battle erupted in an instant.

Some of the soldiers, perhaps sensing the confusion, tried to retreat. But I wasn’t going to let that happen.

“D-Damn it! We killed them all!”

One of them pointed at our group and shouted.

Amidst the fluttering of the last regimental flag, our main forces, who had been hiding in alleyways, rooftops, and the right side of the square, revealed themselves.

Violets from every window drew their guns and aimed them outside. A few of the enemies, realizing the overwhelming numbers, couldn’t hide their shock.

Sensing the crisis, a Vanguard agent rushed toward us, leading his subordinates in a reckless charge.

“Charge!”

He appeared fearless, pulling a huge magic sword from his staff and charging at us. But we had our own hidden cards.

“Go, Rugilinn’s Iron Fist!”

Violet’s ally, Rugilinn’s Iron Fist, charged toward the enemy.

The target was the Vanguard right in front! The one with the staff, who had insulted and hit us as we crawled down.

「You damn bastard!」

By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late. The Violets swarmed him, holding him tightly like glue.

“We’ve got him!”

“Step on him quickly!”

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Before he could retreat, the tank charged forward at high speed. Though the Vanguard swung his magic sword, miraculously, the light tank withstood his attack.

“Hang in there! Rugilinn’s Iron Fist!”

Could this be because of our cheers?

The armor was dented, and the barrel was cut off, but the tank continued to advance.

The defensive magic embedded in the armor still functioned effectively.

"Uaaah!"

Immediately, the massive tank’s continuous tracks crushed both Violet and the thing together.

"Uwaang! That thing is holding on!"

It was incredibly tough. Even after being crushed by the tank, it didn’t flatten, instead thrashing around wildly.

Damn bug bastard! You think I’ll die from this toy?

The mechanical distortion sound coming from behind its mask sent a chill down my spine.

Truly, the elite of Magna Nabis, a power befitting the Chairman’s subordinate! If left alone, it would surely crawl out from under the tank and counterattack.

But I won’t let that happen.

We are girls who understand preservation cooperation tactics. A tank is always accompanied by infantry support.

The Violet Guards attacked the thing trapped beneath the tracks.

"They’re trying to lift the tank!"

"Pierce its head! Hit its arms!"

Taking advantage of its thrashing, the Violet squad surrounded it and began attacking. The shield, armor, and ether protection were neutralized one by one.

"Die!"

With a snap, the last ether defense shattered, and the tank’s tracks, which had been spinning idly, finally moved forward and crushed the thing.

Ugh, uaaaahhh!

The thing that had been struggling was flattened beneath the tracks, armor and all.

"We finally got it!"

"We’ve brought it down! Vanguard!"

This monster that had slaughtered many of our Violets... we finally brought it down.

I had an epiphany. They weren’t invincible machines, but living creatures, just like us, made of flesh and blood.

But this wasn’t the time to bask in victory. There were at least five more of those Vanguard bastards. The plaza was still filled with enemies.

The command post issued orders.

"From the brigade command post, we relay: All troops! Attack!"

Amid the chaos of the plaza, a squadron of hang gliders soared overhead.

The artillery unit relentlessly fired rockets. The Violets aimed their rifles and pulled the triggers.

A thousand-strong Violet battalion began their offensive.