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The second match was against Class 1-A’s noble team, Noble Arts.

Our opponents were led by Rizel, eager for revenge after the class competition, with the team made up of him, Gutenberg, and Jost. Their lineup consisted of three Dukes.

Dukes were a type of Mecha Soldier known as heavy units, boasting high defensive power. Given that, it would be best to fight with all three of us this time, not just Hom alone. Since we wanted to conserve Alfe’s magic power for tomorrow’s third round, I planned to capitalize on my endlessly flowing aether and use the Ars Magna to catch the enemy off guard and finish the battle in one swift stroke.

That said, Noble Arts, favoring defense, had tailored their loadout to suit the Duke’s characteristics, equipping knight lances and large shields across the board. They wouldn’t go down easily.

“Lyle and Jost… They’re pretty strong, even among Class A.”
“Yeah, they are.”

Gutenberg boy doesn’t seem to be one of Rizel’s usual followers, so this was probably a team he picked seriously with revenge in mind. It looks like the rumor about them being selected based on entrance exam rankings wasn’t too far off.

“Laaaaadies aaaand gentlemeeeeeeeeen! Thank youuuu alllll sooo very muuuch for your loooooong wait! Aaaat loooooong laaaaaast, we will noooooow begin… the second round—match ooooneeeeeee!”

Our A Block matches had progressed quickly—almost too quickly—but the B Block, where Estea and her group were, had fallen far behind. Because of that, this second-round first match began with an hour’s delay.

Still, since only two rounds were scheduled for today, the spectators weren’t particularly upset. In fact, the crowd inside and outside the colosseum had only grown denser, as people gathered in hopes of catching a glimpse of Estea, who was set to appear in the final match.

“Fiiiiiirst uuuuuup! Making a dazzling debut in the very first match of round ooooneeeeeee! It’s… Reinforce!”

With Johnny’s announcement, we entered the arena led by Altered, and the crowd immediately responded with shouts of his name.

“Altered! Altered!”
“Go, Altered! You can do it!”

Hom, a little flustered, mimicked my Arkecius and raised her right hand lightly in acknowledgment of the cheers.

“It feels nice… having people cheering for us.”
“It does. And it’s all thanks to the amazing battle you put on, Hom.”

Unlike our usual life at Canalford Academy, the presence of general spectators gave the arena a much warmer, more welcoming atmosphere. With Altered’s popularity at this level, not even Ignis and his entourage seemed willing to make their usual noise.

Perhaps, because we were facing the first-year representatives from the noble dormitory, they were aware of the risk of us winning—and were keeping their support to themselves. That kind of sneaky self-preservation is exactly the sort of move Ignis and his lot would pull.

“…I will ensure that you and Lady Alfe emerge victorious in this match as well, Master.”

At the white line drawn across the colosseum floor, Hom brought Altered to a halt and spoke in a quiet, resolute voice.

“We’ll be backing you up. Gutenberg boy and the others saw our first match—they’ll be cautious. Let’s take it slow.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll be fighting too, Hom!”

Though I couldn’t see their expressions, both Hom and Alfe sounded calm and composed. As long as they stayed like this, they wouldn’t rush into any poor decisions. I would keep my distance and observe the field, supporting them with the most suitable spells for the situation. That way, I wouldn’t become a burden.

“Aaaaand nowwwww! With three Dukes forming an unbreakable wall of defense—here comes Nooooooble Aaaaarts, masters of the heavy-class mecha soldier Dukeeeeeees!”
“Rizel! Rizel!”
“Lyle! Lyle!”

Led by Rizel, Gutenberg and Jost entered the arena, drawing a small wave of cheers from the spectators. Notably, there were no voices cheering for Jost, their attendant—likely a reflection of Class A’s strict social hierarchy. Still, Jost didn’t seem bothered in the slightest and stood closely beside Gutenberg boy.

It was clear those two shared a bond that went far deeper than just master and servant.

Come to think of it, the turning point for Gutenberg boy may very well have been Jost’s presence. Rather than entering through the retainer quota, Jost had taken the proper entrance exam and earned his place at the academy. And he had lived up to every expectation placed on him.

“Well, we’re up against three Dukes focused entirely on defense. The standard tactic would be to break their formation and take them down one at a time.”
“Then allow me to make the first move.”
“We’re counting on you, Hom. Alfe, support her.”
“Got it!”

We hadn’t laid out a detailed strategy so we could stay adaptable—but even with this loose plan, the flow of the early battle was already beginning to take shape.

“Then leeeeeet the match… begiiiin!!”
“Hah!”

At the very instant Johnny’s voice rang out to signal the start of the match, Hom activated Altered’s charged cloth discharge system.

“Plasma Verniers incoming—here we go!”

The exhaust vents opened wide, and the main unit’s magic crystal lamp flared to life with a brilliant orange glow—almost simultaneously, Rizel reacted.

“Blitzraid!”
“Haaaaaah!”

Altered lunged forward with explosive speed, aiming a flying kick at Rizel—who caught it with his massive shield.

“Well played.”

Hom let out a quiet breath of laughter, then swept at the shield with a sharp left hook.

“Too slow!”

A spear came crashing down toward Altered’s pivot leg. Hom barely dodged in time—but it was as if they’d been expecting that, because Gutenberg boy suddenly stepped in to cut off her retreat.

“Hom!”

Even Altered couldn’t move freely when surrounded by three Dukes. I tried to support her, launching a strike with Arkecius’ drill at Gutenberg boy’s Duke—but the blow was easily deflected by his spear.

“Unbelievableeee!! The heavy-class mecha soldier Duke doesn’t even flinch before Reinforce’s lightning-fast opening assault! Reinforce is in biiiiig trouble right out of the gaaaaaate!!”
“There’s no way a Subordinate Unit can match a heavy unit like a Duke, Leafa.”

Gutenberg boy jabbed with his spear—more to warn me not to get too close than to land a hit. Arkecius, much smaller and lighter, couldn’t withstand a direct blow from a Duke. I had no choice but to fall back.

“Hom! Leafa! Regroup!”

Alfe’s voice rang sharply in my head. Hom must’ve heard it too—Altered reacted immediately, lowering its head unit.

And in the next moment—

“Wha—?! What’s going on!?”

A shocked cry burst from Rizel’s unit—followed by a barrage of fireballs raining down on all three Dukes.

“What is thiiiiiiiis?! Lemures! Lemures has raised her magic staff and is unleashing a fireball storm—without even chanting!! The heat and smoke are incredible, absolutely incredible!!”

Johnny’s voice from the commentary booth rang with rising excitement.

“Now!”

At Alfe’s cue, Hom and I pulled back from the three machines just as the fireball barrage ceased.

“A brutal burst of magical firepower—but not a scratch!! An impenetrable defense! All three Dukes are completely unscaaaaathed!”

Within the thick, billowing smoke, Rizel and his team stood firm in a defensive formation. They didn’t follow up with a counterattack—likely wary of our next move. That alone spoke volumes. Their team was exceptionally well-disciplined.

To break through such a tightly coordinated heavy-unit formation… we’d need a strategy strong enough to topple a fortress.