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*On the day of the tournament—*

Alongside Hom and Alfe, I arrived at the Colosseum two hours before it opened to the general public. As we approached the backstage area where our mecha soldiers were stationed, we saw two familiar figures already waiting there.

“It’s Sir Isaac and Sir Romeo,” Hom reported.
“It seems so.”

Even in the dim light, Isaac’s distinctive ears and tail made him easy to spot. His excitement was impossible to miss—the way his tail swished vigorously from side to side was classic Isaac. As for Romeo, his small stature made him easy to recognize even from a distance, especially standing next to Isaac.

“Good morning. It’s still quite early before the gates open. You two are here already?” I called out from behind.
“Lady Leafa! We’ve been eagerly awaiting you, forsooth!” Isaac exclaimed, turning around with a bright grin.
“As mechanics officially assigned to your team, there’s no way we could be late,” Romeo added with a nod.

Though they turned to greet us, their eyes were clearly drawn toward the other mechs stationed throughout the area—burning with interest and admiration.

“Arriving early means more time to observe the machines up close, doesn’t it?”
“Ah, as expected of Lady Leafa—you saw right through us, you did!”

At the Zersteller – Canalford Cup, access to the backstage—meaning the hangar attached to the arena, the waiting rooms, and other facilities—was strictly limited to participants, registered support mechanics, and tournament staff. Strict security was in place to prevent any foul play; even official personnel weren’t allowed to approach other mechs without reason. Still, just being near such high-level machines seemed more than enough to satisfy the two of them.

“We’ve already finished our duties. The machines are fully tuned, and as long as we complete the final tests and calibrations an hour before the event, everything will be battle-ready.”
“I really appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“It’s only natural for a mechanic, forsooth! Otherwise, why would we even be here?” Isaac said with enthusiasm.

Despite his words, Isaac’s tail was still wagging furiously. It was clear that, for him, simply being in this place, surrounded by cutting-edge mechs, was a dream come true. I couldn’t help but feel happy for them both.

“You can take it easy for now—I’ll handle the remaining adjustments myself. If I need anything, I’ll call you.”
“Understood!”
“Thanks, Leafa!”

Isaac and Romeo beamed with joy at my words, their excitement practically radiating from them.

“Actually, Estea’s Selem Salkh is getting an interview right now. We’re going to sneak into the pre-shoot and grab some shots too!”
“Sir Romeo, wait for me! I’m coming as well!”

I’d noticed they were carrying something around their necks—turns out they were compact photo-ensorcelling devices. And since they were matching, it wouldn’t be surprising if they’d crafted them specifically for this day.

“…They’re really glowing, aren’t they? Isaac and Romeo.”
“They usually get like that around mechs, but yeah—today they’re extra excited.”

Even Alfe could tell how elated they were. I’d felt it too—that spark of happiness they gave off, and maybe I wasn’t wrong after all. These past few months, I might have gotten better at sensing other people’s joy. Considering I had no interest in others at all in my past life, that’s probably a sign of real growth.

While I was reflecting on that, my eyes wandered to Hom, who was staring intently at Estea’s Selem Salkh.

“Want to go take a closer look too, Hom? We’ve still got time.”
“…No, thank you.”

Hom gave a small shake of her head, politely declining, but her eyes remained locked on the mech.

“Something bothering you?”

Estea’s machine was, after all, the one Hom had acknowledged as her greatest rival in this tournament. It was only natural that she’d be curious about it. Still, I didn’t want to put pressure on her by pointing that out too directly. I couldn’t just ignore it either, so I opted for a gentle nudge. Hom blinked a few times in thought before answering softly.

“I just noticed… all the press seems to be focusing solely on Lady Estea’s machine.”
“…Ah, right.”

A few reporters had begun to trickle in, identifiable by the armbands they wore to prove their credentials. And sure enough, every one of them made a beeline straight toward Selem Salkh.

It was only natural, really. After the stunning victory in the exhibition match, the machine had become a symbol of excellence. But even so… the level of attention it was receiving felt overwhelming.

“Is it really just because her machine is considered the strongest in the academy?”
“That’s certainly a big part of it.”

As I answered Hom’s quiet question, I began inspecting Arkecius.

Isaac and Romeo had done an excellent job with the maintenance—so much so that there was almost nothing left to adjust—but checking over the machine with my own hands still helped me center myself before the battles ahead.

In the Zersteller, machine operation time is directly linked to the operator’s magic power, and serves as one way to assess endurance. It still felt a little strange to see Arkecius without its usual liquid aether tank, though.

“…Even though Altered and Lemures scored similarly in the Mecha Evaluation, too…”

Hom’s soft murmur reached my ears. She wasn’t looking at me, so it was probably just her talking to herself. But hearing that quiet frustration—that wish for the mechs I made to be recognized more—I couldn’t help but smile a little.

“If we win, that’ll prove just how amazing Leafa is. Let’s do our best, okay, Hom?”
“I’ve given everything for this day. I will fight with everything I have—for Master’s sake as well.”

Encouraged by Alfe, Hom turned and nodded firmly, her eyes sharp with resolve.

“You don’t need to put so much pressure on yourselves. Just trust in your own strength and fight for your sake. If you do that, you’ll stay true to yourselves—even in the thick of it.”

*—Even if something were to happen to me.*

That lingering fear within me never quite went away. But as I looked at the two of them, willing that feeling to be understood, they both smiled and nodded in unison, as if my thoughts had reached them.

“Fighting for ourselves… is the same as fighting for Leafa…”
“I understand, Master.”

Alfe, who’d known me the longest, and Hom, who shared my thoughts on a fundamental level—both of them caught on quickly. That in itself was reassuring.

“Thanks, both of you. We really are… the best team.”