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The colosseum was packed to the brim, both inside and out, and the excitement of the crowd was swirling with even greater fervor than on the first day.

As always with the Zersteller, gambling was in full swing. And with two teams from Class 1-F—typically ranked the weakest in the entire grade—making it to the semifinals, the odds for the most popular bet, the Canalford Student Council team, had dropped slightly since yesterday. In contrast, there were now visible clusters of spectators betting on our team, which had paid out handsomely the day before.

“Reinforce! Reinforce!”
“Belle! Belle!”

The deafening cheers ahead of our entrance to the first semifinal match were likely the result of that shift in sentiment.

“Belle… That’s referring to Vanabelle and the others, right?”
“Well, I guess shouting ‘Belle and her Merry Friends’ would be a bit much for a cheer.”

I shrugged at Alfe’s puzzled voice. The people who decided to bet on Vanabelle’s team after watching yesterday’s match probably had that level of investment at best.

“…I don’t hear anyone calling out for Altered today.”

It was a quiet murmur from Hom, who was advancing forward, apparently disappointed that no one was shouting the name of her beloved machine.

“If you do something amazing out there, I’m sure the stands will be filled with ‘Altered’ chants in no time.”

It made me happy to hear the crowd cheer for our team name, of course, but even more so to hear the arena roaring with calls for Altered or Lemures—the machines I had created.

Strictly speaking, within the context of the Zersteller, my fighting style—piloting Arkecius, a subordinate unit, and relying on Ars Magna—was rather unconventional, even frowned upon by some.

And like it or not, I was undeniably the weakest link on this team. Still, there was much I could learn from today’s battle. I needed to pay close attention to how Vanabelle and her team—who said they’d be going all out—would approach me. That said, I had no intention of going down without a fight. I’d promised we’d win this, after all.

“Aaaaaalrighty, ladies and gentlemen! Sorry to keep you waiting! It’s finally time for the moment you’ve all been waiting fooooooor! Day Two of the Zersteller Canalford CUP—Semifinal Match One is about to begiiiin! And now… let the players enteeeeer the arrrrrrrenaaaaaaaa!”

From beyond the backstage gates, in the arena bathed in brilliant daylight, Johnny’s exuberant voice rang out to signal the start of the match.

“Let’s go, Master, Lady Alfe.”

Following Hom’s lead, we slowly advanced our machines toward the entrance gate.

◇◇◇

“Looking good, Hom.”
“Of course. I’ve come to win today.”

Hom and Vanabelle entered the arena at the same time and now faced each other from a measured distance. I could hear a bit more tension in Hom’s voice than usual as I parked Arkecius just at the threshold of the entrance.

Alfe stepped forward slightly, as if to shield me, while also maintaining a bit of space between herself and Altered’s rear engine. It was the perfect distance to avoid getting caught in the blast of the plasma verniers.

“I’m starting from here.”
“Yeah. I’m counting on you, Alfe.”

Yesterday’s match with Melua had clearly fired Alfe up. I knew she’d been running Multi Vision simulations all morning. Choosing to start from this position must mean she’s planning to coordinate attacks and defense in real time with Hom. Sure, part of it’s to protect me—but more than that, I could tell she’d positioned herself so she could move in sync with Hom’s attacks at a moment’s notice.

“And nowwwwwwwww! It’s a matchup no one saw coming! A first-year showdown in THE SEMIFINALS! Will it be Reinforce, led by Altered, who takes the wiiiin?! Or will it be Belle and her Merry Friends?!”
“Reinforce! Reinforce!”
“Belle! Belle!”

The crowd erupted in response to Johnny’s provocative announcement. Seeing their energy swell, Johnny raised his right hand dramatically toward the sky, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Then leeeeeeeet the match—BEGINNNNNNNNNNNN!”
“Here we gooooooo!”

At the very moment the match began, Vanabelle gunned Flago’s thrusters and charged directly at Hom.

“Tch!”

Vanabelle, leveraging Flago’s mobility, lunged in with her melee weapon—the Flamme Rapier—aiming straight for Altered.

Hom blocked the sudden strike just in time with the armored plating on her left arm, then fired her shoulder-mounted thrusters and sidestepped to safety.

“Nyaha! Knew you’d lag just a beat behind!”

I figured Farah’s Magic Eyes would eventually pick out the flaw in Hom’s plasma verniers. While those verniers give insane acceleration, they need a discharge from the charged cloth, which makes them just a little slower to activate than conventional thrusters.

“So she was targeting that exact moment… with Flago, no less.”

It was a risky move—if Hom had triggered the plasma verniers in time, the attack could have been neutralized or even turned against her. I knew Vanabelle favored preemptive strikes, but I hadn’t expected her to open the fight with such a bold gambit.

“No time to sit around being amazed~!”
“Leafa!!”

Even as I let out a breath in awe at Vanabelle’s impressive opening move, Numelin’s Cataphract was already bringing down its greatsword in a powerful overhead slash.

“Not bad.”

I quickly pulled Arkecius back to avoid the blow. But Numelin didn’t slow down—instead, she slammed the massive sword straight into the ground, undeterred.

“Heave-hooo~!”

Just like in the class battle against Class A—Numelin smashed the ground, sending up a thick cloud of dust and debris.

“Whaaaaat a staaaarrrrrt! Vanabelle and Numelin open with a surprise assault! The arena is covered in dust, and we can’t see a thiiiiiing!!”

A curtain of dust kicked up into the air, drastically reducing visibility. But we couldn’t just sit back and let it cloud the battlefield.

“O swirling winds—grant us the blessing of the gale: Wind Flow!”

I flipped through Ars Manga and channeled aether. As Arkecius became wrapped in the wind summoned by Wind Flow, the surrounding haze was swept away in an instant.

“That’s more like it~!”
“What?!”

But the one revealed wasn’t just Numelin’s Cataphract—Arkecius was also now in plain sight from her position.

“Seeeet—gooo!!”

The Cataphract raised its massive blade and swept it in a wide arc toward Arkecius. I urgently shifted course and blasted the thrusters to dash clear of the strike. Still, the ground where I’d been just moments earlier was torn apart, and dust billowed into the air once more.

But the lingering wind magic from earlier quickly dispersed the new cloud, hiding us from view for only a fleeting moment.

“Not done yet~!”

As if she’d anticipated that too, Numelin brought her greatsword down in another heavy strike.

*—This is bad. Even if my aether is practically infinite, the output difference between Numelin’s Cataphract and Arkecius is too great. I have to find some kind of effective counterattack.*

“I’m coming!”

Just as I was frantically trying to think of one, Alfe’s voice rang out. A Water Lance shot forward, striking Numelin’s Cataphract and holding her at bay.

“Alfe, don’t worry about me! You need to watch out for Farah—!”

Even as I called out, I felt a chill run down my spine.

“Where’s Farah!?”

I focused on the image display within Arkecius, scanning the arena.

Behind Hom, who was fending off Vanabelle’s ferocious assault, I caught sight of Farah’s Lesvahl emerging from the shadows.

“Hom, behind you!!”

But my warning came too late. Farah’s twin swords sliced clean through the charged cloth connecting Altered’s plasma vernier system.

***
#Lesvahl#

A sixth-generation Mecha Soldier piloted by Farah. It is a custom unit based on the Löwe series and was originally operated by Farah’s father, a former officer in the Imperial Army.

To make the assigned Löwe more user-friendly, Farah’s father purchased the unit from the military for personal ownership. He then used his connections to commission customization work from the Euro Corporation, focusing on reducing its weight and enhancing mobility.

Thanks to these upgrades, Lesvahl’s maneuverability is 30% higher compared to a standard Löwe. It is primarily equipped with two military-grade sabers, emphasizing close-quarters combat.

After her father was killed in action, the unit was passed down to Farah. Since most of the damage had been concentrated in the cockpit area of the torso, the rest of the frame remained in relatively good condition, making repairs comparatively easy.

#Flago Belle Custom#

A personalized version of the Iris-Flago customized specifically for Vannabelle.

The machine has undergone modernization and mobility-focused enhancements, including a complete overhaul of its key components with cutting-edge replacements.

Its coloration reflects Vannabelle’s personal taste to a significant degree.

#Cataphract#

A fifth-generation Mecha Soldier developed by the Arcadia Empire during the Third Holy-Empire War as the successor to the Legion series.

It bears the distinct visual traits common to Mecha Soldiers manufactured by Zeonista Heavy Industries: a mono-eye–style magic crystal orb, exposed pipes for aether supply, and rounded armor plating. Its limbs have also been reinforced with additional magic contraction muscles, giving them a bulkier and more muscular appearance compared to the Legion.