Well, magic or not, it seemed technological savvy was what was going to win the day here. Shame he wasn't better at it, but Sousei knew very well that he'd have to take it a little at a time and simply do his best with what he could manage. If they all did so, perhaps they would be better prepared in the future.

And if not, at least he knew that smashing through them with a sword was still viable, even if more difficult than with a human opponent.

"...Their competence with their own machinery matters little if it is purposeful interference." Sousei doesn't say if he means purposeful interference from others, as they'd claimed with the clowns, or purposeful interference from the city itself, with how undependable they all seem to be. He figures he doesn't really need to, and better to not say too much than to regret half-understood conjecture now.