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Gilbert’s principle while piloting the Colossal Mech was the same as when he was flying fighter jets. It was all about cutting out the flashy moves and focusing on efficiency to minimize unnecessary waste.

When playing games, he often went for fun over efficiency, pulling off all sorts of flashy maneuvers. But ever since he woke up in this world and started piloting the Colossal Mech, he stuck to the principles he had set before.

Even now, as he was speeding toward Professor Alexander, Gilbert was taking the shortest possible route.

The ground wasn’t in great shape. The debris from buildings destroyed by artillery, the wreckage of Colossal Mechs from the battle, and the craters left by ricocheting magic armor and steel bullets made the terrain uneven.

In terms of pure distance, moving in a straight line would be the shortest route. But given the current battlefield situation, going straight would actually take more time.

A skilled Colossal Mech Knight would naturally consider all these factors while piloting, and this was a key measure of their skill.

In that sense, Gilbert was exceptional at calculating the optimal path. He had outstanding talent and, more importantly, a wealth of experience.

As soon as he grasped the battlefield situation, he found the shortest possible route and moved the Colossal Mech accordingly.

CT-777, considering variables, assisted and adjusted the path of the swiftly moving Colossal Mech. Gilbert couldn’t account for every possible scenario, so he relied on CT-777’s real-time adjustments to refine the route.

All of this happened in a single breath. To an outsider, it might look like a smooth, natural flow, but for Gilbert, it was just routine.

“Stop him! That Colossal Mech is dangerous!”

One of the Resistance officers, who had been pressuring Professor Alexander, shouted as he saw Gilbert’s Colossal Mech charging at terrifying speed. They realized Gilbert’s movements were anything but ordinary and tried to stop him, but they were helpless.

Even deploying magic armor to block his path was futile. With CT-777’s guidance, Gilbert began using three-dimensional maneuvers, literally flying through the air.

The sight of the heavy Colossal Mech hovering in the air left even the Resistance officers gaping in awe.

Just 10 minutes.

The time it took to take down dozens of Colossal Mechs was shorter than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Of course, such intense movement quickly pushed the Mech to its limits. No matter how optimal the path or how much unnecessary movement was minimized, there were still physical limitations.

The Colossal Mech he was piloting was a standard model supplied to the Academy, with a relatively low mana battery capacity.

In contrast, the Resistance’s Colossal Mechs, while not the latest models, were still active-duty units with far superior performance and operational time compared to the Academy’s standard models.

Under normal circumstances, Gilbert would have been taken out before taking down dozens of Mechs, but with the duo of Gilbert and CT-777, they managed to pull off the impossible.

Gilbert stopped the Mech, opened the darkening cockpit, and stepped out, carrying only CT-777’s core.

“Cadet Gilbert!”

“Professor.”

“It was you after all. I heard your Colossal Mech Piloting Technique had reached a masterful level, and it seems to be true!”

Professor Alexander, brushing back his sweat-soaked blond hair, greeted Gilbert with excitement. He was deeply impressed by the incredible piloting skills Gilbert had just displayed.

He had known Gilbert was skilled, but the level of skill shown in such an extreme situation far exceeded his expectations.

What Gilbert had just demonstrated was something Alexander had only seen during his own prime, before his injury. Yet here was Gilbert, still an Academy cadet, performing with ease. Alexander couldn’t help but offer a prayer of thanks to the Lord for such a blessing to the Academy, and indeed, the Empire.

“No, I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“Safe? I’m not so sure. Do you know what’s going on? After the Resistance attacked, I was busy evacuating the cadets and didn’t get a proper briefing.”

“As you suspected, it’s the Resistance. The attack was so sudden that there have been quite a few casualties.”

“…I see.”

At the mention of casualties, Alexander’s expression darkened. Despite his efforts to save the cadets, there had still been deaths. He couldn’t hide his despair and let out a deep sigh.

“Fortunately, the professors piloting Colossal Mechs are holding the line, but it’s not enough. You’ll need to join the fight as well.”

“Understood. I’ll evacuate the cadets and join immediately.”

“Have you seen Professor Briana?”

“I saw her 30 minutes ago. She said she was heading to the hangar, but I haven’t seen her since.”

“Which hangar?”

“Hangar C.”

“Then I’ll join Professor Briana.”

“Understood. I’ll join you soon.”

Gilbert watched as Alexander led the cadets to the shelter, then headed toward a relatively intact Resistance Colossal Mech. Forcing open the cockpit, he found a Resistance member inside, bleeding from the head and unconscious. Whether by bad luck or not, the member had hit his head hard inside the cockpit, and it looked like he was dead.

Gilbert dragged the body out with one hand, tossed it aside, closed the cockpit, and started up the Mech.

[Characteristic Skill “Your Mech is Awesome” has activated.]

As the skill activated, Gilbert felt a sense of liberation, as if a heavy weight had been lifted. Normally, piloting the Colossal Mech felt like carrying a heavy sandbag, but with the skill active, it felt like he had set that weight down.

The performance of the skill “Your Mech is Awesome” was truly superior. Even Ian’s skill, Synchronization, couldn’t match the dramatic efficiency of this one. The penalty for using the skill was no joke, but the payoff when it activated was immense.

[Gil. Are we modifying the mission?]

“Top priority is to find Professor Briana. She’s key to resolving this situation.”

[Confirmed. Mission modified. Expanding search area to complete the mission.]

With the mission adjusted, Gilbert moved the Colossal Mech, its movements even smoother under the influence of the skill.

***

Meanwhile, Briana, the person Gilbert was desperately searching for, was piloting a Colossal Mech and engaging the Resistance. She had rushed to the hangar as soon as she saw the large-scale Colossal Mech invasion at the start of the attack.

She didn’t have a full grasp of the situation, but her battlefield instincts kicked in, and she focused on what needed to be done immediately.

Even though she was known as the Swordmaster, taking on modern Colossal Mechs with just her body was impossible. One or two might be manageable, but there were dozens in sight.

In this situation, facing them without a Mech would be suicidal, so she prioritized getting into one. As one of the Academy’s strongest assets, it was the best way to stabilize the situation and save the cadets.

But even though she acted quickly, she was met with Resistance Mechs guarding the hangar. Thinking it might be a coincidence, she tried other hangars, but the situation was the same.

Briana began to sense something was off. But without concrete evidence, she couldn’t make a judgment. She tried another hangar, only to find the same scene.

This is strange. It’s almost like…

It’s almost like they know the locations of all the Academy’s hangars.

After a few more attempts, Briana had to admit it. The Resistance knew the locations of all the Academy’s hangars.

Briana frowned, something uncharacteristic for her. The fact that they knew the hangar locations could only mean one thing.

There was an insider.

Thinking about it, the ease with which the Academy’s security had been breached was suspicious. This wasn’t the first time the Academy had been attacked.

After the first attack, all security measures had been overhauled and strengthened. Just recently, the First Prince’s inspection team had conducted a thorough review, so it was unlikely there were any flaws in the system.

Given how the inspection team had been so meticulous in finding faults, it was hard to believe they had missed something. So the only conclusion was the same as before.

There was an insider from the Resistance within the Academy, aiding in its destruction.

Briana gritted her teeth at the thought of a traitor. She had grown too complacent, having been away from the battlefield for so long. Peace had dulled her insight and made her less suspicious of her allies.

But the damage was done, and regret wouldn’t help now. Briana focused on stabilizing the situation and searched for a hangar that might still be accessible.

During this, she encountered Professor Alexander and learned that other hangars were also occupied. There were only a few left. While heading to one, Briana prepared for the worst but fortunately met up with professors who had secured a hangar.

Hearing how they had managed to secure the hangar, Briana couldn’t help but feel proud.

Gil. You stepped up again.

It was her protégé, Gilbert, who had risked his life to charge into the hangar and save them.

She had heard that Gilbert, who was in the middle of an exam, had immediately taken command of a Colossal Mech and was fighting the Resistance alone. He was also looking for her, likely realizing that her strength was needed to resolve the situation.

Briana felt a swell of pride at her student’s actions and finally boarded a Colossal Mech. Once inside, she contacted Gilbert, who had been anxiously searching for her.

[Master?]

“I heard you were looking for me, Gil.”

[Yes. I can’t stabilize the situation alone.]

“Have you assessed the enemy forces?”

[Estimated at several hundred. Not many professors are piloting Mechs right now. Including cadets, the numbers might be higher, but few cadets are capable of fighting.]

“You’re talking about the performance gap between the Mechs.”

[Exactly. That’s why I need you.]

“Understood. I’ll join you now.”

[Confirmed. Then I’ll shift focus to eliminating the enemy.]

“Before that, let’s establish a command structure.”

After a brief exchange, Briana opened a communication channel. She knew there might be an insider listening, but having no command structure was even more dangerous.

She quickly set up a command system and left the hangar. It was time for her to be not just Professor Briana of the Academy, but the Empire’s Swordmaster Briana.

***

One hour after Swordmaster Briana joined the fight.

All the Resistance forces that had attacked the Academy were annihilated.

The number was a staggering 300.

In other words, the battle against 300 Colossal Mechs was won by Briana, the professors, and the cadets led by Gilbert.

The result was that the Academy suffered near-devastating losses, but that was secondary.

 

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