"So he does have more…"

"Is that a problem, Rider?"

"That depends on a lot of factors" I admitted. "Without knowing his exact numbers, it is impossible to accurately determine how many soldiers of my own to commit to an engagement. Nor does it help that he can apparently strike from anywhere at any given moment. An encirclement is impossible against an enemy who can move beneath it. Figuring out how many passageways, and where they are located, is going to be crucial."

"Tch, is an encirclement even relevant when your arrows simply bounce off their bodies? Clearly they are golems of some sort, and not spirits. Conventional military wisdom has no place here."

"It is precisely because they are golems that an encirclement is key to victory, master."

"…Explain."

"Considering we are dealing with golems created by Daedalus himself, it is safe to say they are quite powerful. A head on engagement is futile, as they will simply overpower. They are, however, quite slow, from observation. As such, keeping them occupied by attacks from multiple directions is the best way to create an opening to their weak points."

"Those perverse contraptions attached to them, you mean?"

"That is my assumption, yes."

Looking over the battlefield again, I frowned. Those devices on the golems were some form of modern technology. As were those orbs floating in the sky, blasting this headache of what he considers music and enabling us to communicate with one another. But… was that all they did? The timing of those initial ambushes, and the coordination of the golems…

"…He's controlling them."

"What?"

"The golems. Caster's master is controlling them directly."

"Controlling them? How? He is no magus."

"That I cannot say, but if he is not controlling them, these are some of the most intelligent, organized golems I've ever seen. Wouldn't you agree, master?"

"…Assuming he is controlling them, how would he be able to direct them? It is not as though he can use magecraft to look through the eyes of the golems."

"No, and I suspect that wouldn't be practical either, looking at the battlefield through their eyes. Too many viewpoints, and far too limiting in terms of what is visible. Which means…"

"I see…" master sighed, following my gaze to the floating orbs in the sky. "Yes, that would certainly work better. Miserable pest of a child…"

"Yo, Rider" a loud voice boomed, overpowering even the headache inducing music. "You plan on moving anytime soon, or what? Not gonna lie, but you're kinda making this boring, which is something I didn't even think was possible!"

"Well, isn't the heretic rather impatient" master grumbled.

"Impatient? Me? No, I'm not impatient. Just bored. But I mean, if that's how you want to play it, by all means. This is your world, and thus your magical energy to spend to keep it up. If you want to give me the win by running the clock, well… I'll be disappointed, but I'll take the free win."

So, he even knows he wins by staying still and doing nothing… That makes things slightly more complicated.

"That happens with all your little toy golems out, and you'll reveal magecraft to the whole world. The Mages Association will kill you."

"I'd like to see them try when I'm God, considering they couldn't even manage to adequately preserve their dying craft, let alone even reach the root, a much more basic goal than ascension to true divinity!"

"As if someone like you could ever achieve such a thing" I proclaimed in defiance. "Music and toy golems! If this is just a game to you, then I shall bring it to a permanent end!"

"Oh, bold words Rider. I like it! You gonna back it up though? I await your move…"

Await my move? Fine then. Let's see how you deal with this!