I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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A staggering 986th iteration.

There are several reasons why the countless regressions ended in tragic defeats.

First, it was due to the overwhelming power of the Grand Duke.

Second, humanity was fragmented by the Demon Church, unable to unify.

Third, the sheer number of monsters trapped within the Abyss was far too great.

And now.

Ed has succeeded in weakening the Grand Duke’s power and uniting humanity, but…

There was still an uncompleted mission.

“Gruuuu!!”

That was the fact that the remaining number of monsters was far too great.

“Eve!”

“I know.”

However, Ed and Eve were already aware that there were too many monsters and demonkin.

After countless simulations, they sought ways to prepare for this.

The moment Eve heard Ed’s signal, she rushed towards the Empire’s Grand Dukes.

And she shouted the promised phrase to them.

“Now! Defensive positions!”

The Empire’s Grand Dukes nodded their heads.

So Adela Elmar, Bionson Bernhardt, Duke Ireya, and Adrian Graham.

These four Grand Dukes issued the command to establish ‘defensive positions’ for each of the East, West, South, and North.

“Commence position establishment!”

Thus, the Empire’s soldiers moved in perfect unison, echoing the Grand Duke’s orders.

In a short time, they executed the movements honed through dozens, hundreds of trainings.

The defense position construction system, a fusion of mechanical engineering and magical engineering, was immediately activated.

First, as the soldiers inserted small metallic devices into specific locations, the devices began to glow and activate.

In that moment, mechanical sounds echoed from the metal devices, and the ground trembled and swiftly morphed.

The devices interconnected, and sturdy metal plates rose up alongside magical barriers, quickly forming a solid defense wall.

This defense wall was made not of simple metal but of an alloy crafted by dwarves over many years, possessing the ability to absorb and reflect magical energy.

Moreover, within the defense wall, magic circles were engraved to block demonkin attacks.

And at times, there was even a system to automatically counterattack when needed.

The astonishing speed and precision with which the defense position could be constructed were due to the long-term research and efforts of Ed, his club members, and the dwarves.

The research that fused mechanical engineering and magical engineering went through numerous trials and errors, but ultimately produced a highly effective defense system.

As a result, powerful positions that could defend the battlefield in just seconds, like at this moment, were being established.

As time passed, the soldiers rapidly and efficiently completed the defense position.

All this process was carried out swiftly under the command of the Empire’s Grand Dukes and Ed’s engineering unit.

-Kugugugegege!!

As soon as the defense position was established, countless monsters surged forward.

The curtain of war already hung thick in the cold air.

The sight of countless monsters and demonkin endlessly pouring in was like a black wave trying to engulf the land.

With their roars, the battlefield was drawn into a whirlpool of chaos.

However, the Empire’s Grand Dukes stood firm.

Adela Elmar’s spatial magic twisted the bodies of countless monsters.

Bionson Bernhardt’s aura boosted the morale of the soldiers.

Duke Ireya cut down the threatening boss-level monsters with his magical sword.

Adrian Graham’s massive ice magic swiftly crumbled the enemy’s rear support.

Before them, no monster could withstand.

“In the end, breaking through is only a matter of time. We need to eliminate all the Lords of Hell.”

However, Eve coldly analyzed the situation.

Right now, the defense line seemed absolutely unbreachable…

But in reality, there were more enemies than bullets.

In other words, once the union’s stamina, mana, and fuel to maintain the defense line were depleted, it would inevitably breach.

“I know.”

And Ed was well aware of that fact more than anyone else.

Ed quietly turned to his comrades.

“You all understand, right? This war won’t end unless we kill those bastards.”

Ed’s comrades glared at the Lords of Hell.

They had already received a prior explanation from Eve and understood their roles well.

Helping Ed snuff out the Grand Dukes’ breath.

That was the only way to end this long war.

【Not even funny…!】

At that moment, the Flame of Terror, Karaan, launched the first attack.

As he swung his arm wide, a gigantic flame began to cling to the very fabric of space.

Even as I dodged quickly, the heat made my skin sting.

【Don’t think some shabby machine can defeat me… Today, I will become the most perfect being…!】

The strongest beast, Nergal, began to morph his body.

As his human form instantly swelled, he transformed into a walking dragon.

It took the shape of ‘Tiamat’ from Mesopotamian mythology.

【Kuoouuu!!!】

But he didn’t stop there.

Then, merging with the Chinese myth, he sprouted a lion’s mane on his face, and his teeth and claws grew grotesquely long.

On top of that, merging with Leviathan from the Bible, his tail split into dozens, sprouting serpent faces, and among them, one transformed into the head of a cerberus, a hellish dog.

In other words, Nergal was evolving into his final form by fusing various mythical beasts.

【Despair!】

The Lord of Nightmares, Izazel, cast a mental curse.

Once, the source of ‘Negation’ often used by Isabella was this curse of Izazel.

Izazel intended to spread his final form among Ed’s comrades, plunging them into despair and fear.

“That won’t work.”

However, Izazel’s curse was akin to a frequency.

Once you decipher the bandwidth, modern science can block it.

Thus, normally a tremendous spell that would crumble minds before even fighting…

Now it had become a useless burden devoid of any effect.

Izazel groaned in frustration and shouted.

【I’m not just cursed!】

Izazel extended his arms and released demonic energy.

The energy seeped into Karaan and Nergal, beginning to enhance their power.

It was a form of buff.

“If it’s a buff, I’m more superior.”

Claire countered.

As she closed her eyes and chanted her spell, Enya, Isabella, Lucas, Charlotte, and Elena radiated a resplendent light.

It was the highest level buff magic that dispelled all fatigue and rapidly circulated mana.

“Everyone, leave those three to me. I’ll handle the rest.”

Ed said softly, glancing at Melfirn.

Ed’s comrades nodded, signaling him not to worry about them and to end him.

Ed nodded and lightly fiddled with his bracelet.

-Shrirriririririrring…

Then the bracelet began to glow softly and vibrate.

In an instant, mechanical parts extended from the bracelet, wrapping around his arm as a mechanic suit began to form.

Metal plates spread from his wrist, covering his hands and arms, then extending to his torso and legs, enveloping his entire body.

The parts automatically combined, transforming into a sturdy yet flexible suit, and finally, the helmet settled into place as the HUD activated.

Within just a few seconds, Ed was fully equipped and ready for battle.

-Wham!

Then, Ed leaped toward Melfirn in an instant.

Countless arms of Melfirn, transformed into cold weapons, attacked Ed, but…

The suit’s automatic evasion system analyzed all trajectories and dodged in the most optimal route.

With a momentary opening created, Ed activated the laser cutter and slashed through Melfirn’s body, causing Melfirn to twist his lips in disdain.

【Is that all you’ve got? The outcome is already determined.】

Melfirn’s disrupted body rapidly regenerated in an instant.

*

A fierce battle continued.

Despite everything planned coming into fruition, surpassing the Lords of Hell was not easy.

“Ugh… ugh…”

There wasn’t a single member of the group left unscathed.

Even having reached the highest point achievable for humans, everyone was panting heavily.

Blood clung and dried in sticky patches all over their skin.

Their hair was scorched and in disarray.

Their bodies were covered in bruises, burns, and cuts.

It was a miracle that they were still standing, given the severity of their injuries.

Elena and Charlotte had already exhausted all their mana and fainted.

【How… could mere humans…】

However.

The Lords of Hell, Karaan, Nergal, and Izazel, were on the verge of extinction.

The ground was littered with their bodies, cleaved by Enya.

The earth and rocks were heavily dented with Lucas’s spatial magic.

Nergal was completely trapped within an iceberg that soared up to the sky.

Isabella had expended all her strength to cast the ancient spell, ‘Frozen Avalon’, sealing the colossal beast.

“Hah… Hah…”

And the reason why the heirs of the Grand Duke family managed to remain intact amidst this outpouring of battle strength was because Claire was exhausting herself entirely to support and heal them.

If she had not been there, they would have lost their lives before delivering the Lords of Hell their punishment.

Ultimately, each had played their part to create the current outcome.

【This is… impossible…】

The Lord of Nightmares, Izazel, let out his final breath.

His body was being twisted by Elena’s telekinesis while melting away under Charlotte’s acidic poison.

As the three Grand Dukes faded away, the outcome was determined.

All companions collapsed on the ground, gazing towards Ed.

Towards the place where the leader of the Lords of Hell, Melfirn, stood.

However, contrary to their expectations, a desperate scene unfolded before their eyes.

【It is my victory, Edgar Fix…!】

Ed, wearing a shattered suit, stood there.

Opposite him, Melfirn stood tall, grinning widely as he spread his arms wide.

In that instant, the essences of Karaan, Izazel, and Nergal, which had been dissipating, were drawn forth and infiltrated Melfirn’s body.

His form began to swell grotesquely and transform.

The blazing black giant morphed into its ultimate form, clad in armor of hell.

“Ah, so that was your insurance. But I too had one.”

Yet Ed remained unfazed.

He had one ultimate insurance he had been saving until the very end.

It was the divine power of a Heavenly Being that he had not yet used for this moment.

-Shrirririrr!

Light burst forth from Ed’s body.