Chapter 163: Merlin Against Robots!

-----

Clash! Clash! Clash! Clash! Clash!

Dozens of powerful magic bullets began to impact Merlin's entire vessel, the magic armor he was using to generate a proper body began to break alongside his golden staff, the one he was drawing all this power from through the scripted magic runes on it!

Boom! Crash!

The large armor fell over the floor, shattering into large chunks, although it was a very powerful armor, it was more than a thousand years old, and it was not connected to the System nor it was Soul Equipment, after the constant barrage of attacks, the old artifacts finally gave in!

And it was not as if the robots were too weak or something either, as they had been forging their strength through the absorption of magic items and magic materials since Noah gave them such power through their new Blood Core Batteries. Like this, they had accumulated new power and evolved as if they were mutated beasts, becoming stronger.

After all the dungeons explorations until now, every Robot possessed the strength of a C-Rank Hunter at minimum, while Sakura, Sugar, and Noire had already stepped into the B-Rank Realm of strength!

Although they lacked flexibility, several types of abilities, and many other things that human hunter possessed, making them always weaker than humans within such realm of strength, the strength of the robot was when they gathered and fought together like an unstoppable and cold army!

The artifacts broke apart, but Merlin roared in anger after seeing these robots attack him and catch him by surprise!

Iris and the rest glanced with bright smiles and hopeful eyes as they saw their mechanical comrades finally arrive!

"Damn… machinery! This accursed era has these strange, automated golems, horrible creations of engineering and magic! Such a lack of finesse!" roared Merlin.

Flash!

Suddenly, Noire covered herself in shadows and teleported right behind Merlin through her ability to teleport through shadows around her!

She quickly changed her weapons into long, black-colored mechanical katanas, engulfing them in shadows as her cybernetic eyes glowed with crimson red light!

"You are not in the position to insult us, accursed Undead!" she said, using her petite and swift body (without the giant spider-like lower half) to unleash incredibly fast slashing attacks which she combined with her shadows!

Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!

The slashing katana techniques broke through Merlin's phantasmagoric soul, damaging it directly!

Although a soul could not receive physical damage, as long as an attack was enhanced with some sort of magic, it was possible to inflict damage against them!

Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!

"S-Such skillfulness! How can a golem have such a talent at swordsmanship?! Unnnnggggggrraaaaahh…!" Merlin was impressed by Noire's slashing attacks, as he let out a groan of anger and pain, quickly flying away from her deadly shadowy attacks!

The other machines quickly began to chase him around with their magic cannons, machineguns, and other mechanical weapons, while a specialized group of healers, Robots who developed healing-oriented Abilities through their Blood Core Batteries rushed towards Iris and the rest, beginning to treat their tired bodies, and slightly healing their souls!

"Hahh…" sighed Iris, feeling a bit relieved as she drank the blood potions prepared by the robots through the blood of Noah for emergencies.

There was a particular Fembot name Holy, who resembled a classical priest girl with white mechanical clothes and an adorable smile, alongside long, synthetic blonde hair, she carried around a special mechanical staff that was able to unleash her unique Ability, Soul Therapy, which had the power to not really heal a soul directly nor right away, but it was able to calm the pain within it and increase the speed of its natural regeneration.

Every time Noah fell unconscious, she had helped him off-camera, although she was too shy to show up in front of her lord.

"Thank you, Holy…" sighed Timassa.

"Please, Holy, heal Noah's soul!" said Arthur.

"A-Ah, what has happened to Noah-sama?!" asked Holy in surprise.

Iris briefly explained what happened to Noah to Holy and her team of medic robots, as she nodded.

"V-Very well then, I shall appease his pain!" said Holy, beginning to pour pink-colored light into Excalibur, filling it with her power and mana.

Meanwhile, Merlin kept running away from the robots. Each time he found a suitable artifact he could take over and finally fight back, he was blocked by the robots merciless and fast attacks!

Merlin's phantasmal soul suddenly reached a large sword, only to be blocked by spears made of ice from Sakura, who flew towards him by manipulating ice winds around her body!

Clash! Clash! Clash!

"AGH!"

Merlin quickly ran in another direction, finding six robots firing magic bullets against him!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Ugh!"

Merlin once more moved elsewhere, reaching for a magical spell book with many engraved magic runes which he could use to attack!

CLASH!

However, an enormous blade of blacklight fell right in front of him, blocking his path as Sugar flew towards him, shapeshifting her mechanical arms into large cannons and unleashing a blast of black light towards him!

BOOM!

"UNNNGRRAAAHH…!"

Merlin felt part of his soul begin dissipated and weakened, as he quickly flew desperately once more!

He was slowly being torn apart by their powerful attacks, and Merlin began to lose hope of surviving this!

"King Arthur…!" he groaned, recalling his past when he meets the young and talented boy, his amazing skills for swordsmanship, his talent at leading people, how he unified many Kingdoms, unifying people and leading them through his charisma…

A sudden burst of resolve began to blaze within Merlin's soul, as he suddenly realized something!

Weren't these robots like artifacts too?

"Then I can possess them!" he thought, flashing towards Sakura who was flying directly at him while charging ice spikes, showering him down with them!

Clash! Clash! Clash

Merlin let the ice spears hit his soul constantly, tearing him down as he reached Sakura at last!

"Eh?! Nngh…! Aaagh…!"

"Sakura?!" asked Sugar, flying towards Sakura with the rest of the robots.

Noire quickly reached Sakura as well, reaching her near.

Suddenly, Sakura began to feel that some strange mass of ethereal essence was trying to take over her mechanical body!

"Ungh…! Get out!" she cried, suddenly falling into the ground motionlessly.

"Sakura!" cried Sugar, running towards her before she was stopped by Noire.

"What? Big sis!" said Sugar in surprise.

"Stop," said Noire, her crimson eyes gleaming eerily.

Suddenly, Sakura began to move once more, standing up, as she began to glance at her body.

"This… This is way better than I expected! Amazing! I take back everything I said! Hahaha! Hahahaha! This technology… With this, I have acquired a way better body!" laughed Sakura with the voice of an old man, as she began to summon icy winds all around, creating a snowstorm in seconds!

FLAAAASH!

The powerful winds blew away several robots as Merlin began to laugh maliciously, quickly getting accustomed to his new vessel!

"What did you do to Sakura!?" roared Sugar.

"Sakura? Oh, you mean the golem? You beings have no souls, it was as easy as breathing to take over her mechanical artifact body! Now, perish and become part of my new body as well! I will absorb all of you and become the God of Magic I always wanted to be, and then, I will force Arthur to take over the legacy of my King, even if he doesn't want to!" roared Merlin, rushing towards Sugar as he created an enormous wave of ice, hitting Sugar and blowing her off through the air!

BOOOM!

"UNNGGAAAGH…!" Sugar was not able to attack her own friend, feeling various of her circuits breaking apart as she was blown almost into pieces by the powerful ice conjured with the mana of a Level VI Magician!

FLASH!

Suddenly, Noire emerged right behind Merlin, raising her blades!

"I am sorry, Sakura, but we can rebuild you later!" said Noire while her crimson red eyes flashed with an eerie light, she prepared to slice Sakura's body with the promise to rebuild her later, unleashing a powerful barrage of slicing attacks!

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

However, Merlin laughed!

"Hahahahaha!"

Within seconds, he created enormous walls of ice one after another, blocking Noire's powerful slicing attacks and overwhelming her with immense weight!

"Unnggaaahh…!"

Noire groaned as Merlin suddenly shaped all the ice he created into a giant spear, making it fly right towards Noire!

"Nnngh!"

CLASH!

The giant spear of ice crushed Noire's entire body into the wall, as her limbs began to fall apart, her system began to turn off, falling unconscious and motionlessly!

Merlin began to slowly walk near her, as he began to extend his hand.

"Now, become part of my new vessel as well…"

BOOM!

However, right before Merlin could do so, Excalibur suddenly clashed against him, throwing him into the air!

"E-Excalibur?! W-Wait… No! This… can't be!"

However, this Excalibur was completely black and red!

-----