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“The colosseum is flooding! It’s flooding, people! Even the commentator’s booth I’m in is underwaterrrr!”

The announcer’s voice echoed loud and clear, noticeably more excited now that the battle had taken a sudden turn.

“Lemures! Lemures!”
“Altered! Altered!”¹　

Though we were still at a numerical disadvantage—three against two—the cheers resounding throughout the colosseum had clearly shifted in favor of our team.

“Everyone’s cheering for us. Leafa too… I can’t afford to lose, not until I face Estea.”

With Lady Alfe’s dependable voice ringing in my ears, I remembered why I was fighting.

This battle was my challenge. A rematch on the grand stage, armed with the finest Mecha Soldier my Master had lovingly prepared for me.

“Indeed. And I have no intention of losing to Lady Estea either.”

As I said this and moved Altered forward, the surrounding water rippled in its wake. Still, this sheer volume of water—what kind of strategy had Lady Alfe devised?

“Awww, now that everything’s so soaked, I can’t use my dust-cloud tactic anymore~!”

Numelin’s voice came through the loudspeaker. At the very least, we no longer had to worry about that smokescreen trick. She could try using splashing water instead, but would she really have the presence of mind for that in the heat of battle?

“Then we’ll just go in head-on! Farah, keep Alfe in check! Nume and I will take care of Hom!”

It’s okay. Both Vannabelle and Numelin were clearly rattled by the drastic shift in the arena’s conditions. I didn’t believe Lady Alfe orchestrated all this just for that, but still, all I could do now is find the best course of action in this moment and fight.

“I won’t let you!”
“Nyaha! So that’s your move, huh!”

I must buy time by avoiding direct confrontation with Alfe whenever possible. Not to protect her, but to carve out an opening for her attack.

“Prepare yourself!”

I swung my shortened right arm to keep Lady Farah’s Lesvahl in check. With her Magic Eyes, Altered’s movements must appear excruciatingly slow. But no matter how well she perceived them, her machine couldn’t match that speed. A Mecha Soldier’s reaction time will never catch up to her Magic Eyes. So then—

“Haaaaahhh!”
“Nya!? The reach is different!?”

She had dodged based on the original arm length of Altered. I ducked low in an instant. Her Lesvahl, poised to block the initial strike, slashed at empty air and staggered off balance. I targeted her pivot leg and swept it without hesitation.

“Whoa there!”

Lady Farah, catching a glimpse of my movement through her eyes just in time, activated her rear thrusters and retreated to gain distance.

“Waaah! Farah’s in troubleee!”

I didn’t pursue. Instead, I silently confirmed that Lady Alfe had moved out of Lady Farah’s attack range.

Even if Lady Farah swung her twin blades from there, they wouldn’t reach Lady Alfe. And if she tried to rush her using her thrusters, Altered would be in her way.

“Tch! I’ll go! Nume, you handle Alfe—”
“Hom, run! Three o’clock direction!”

Lady Alfe had picked up on my intent and gave out precise instructions. I dashed off toward the three o’clock direction as she said, just in time to hear her chant begin.

“O unseen hand, I honor the godspeed. Open the swirling gate and beckon forth. To those who pass, grant thy blessing—let them fly like arrows. Linear Accel (Magnetic Acceleration)!”

Before me, enormous magic circles began to appear one after another, as if illuminating the path I was to take. They were large enough to engulf even a Mecha Soldier.

“Lemures! Lemures has activated a spell! Altered is charging through the gates of magic circles! Whaaaaat’s going to happen next!?”

There was no time to analyze the effect. But I could feel it—through Altered, I sensed it. With each circle I passed through, Altered accelerated. It felt just like the ejection with the rails before executing Blitzraid.

*—I can make the jump.*

Just like that time in the class match with Master, when we went all in on that desperate comeback strategy—I could soar again.

Blitzraid had been sealed away. But my wings would never be broken.

“Haaaaaaaahhh!”

After passing through four magic circles and reaching top speed, I unleashed a spinning kick in the exact form of Blitzraid.

“I-is this!? Is this the trump card, Blitzraid!?”
“Numeeeee!!!”
“Hyaaaaahhhh!!”

I missed Lesvahl and Flago, but I wouldn’t miss Cataphract. Numelin’s Cataphract, unable to escape in time, took Altered’s kick square on its side. With a loud crash, it was sent flying and slammed into the colosseum wall—then fell silent.

“COOOOOOUUUUUNT! OOOOOONE! TWOOOOOOOO! THREEEEEEEEE! Pilot incapacitated! Target DOWNNNNNNNNNNNN!”
“Altered! Altered!”
“Altered! Altered!”

The roar of the crowd intensified, cheering on Altered with everything they had.

“You did it, Hom!”
“Thank you, Lady Alfe.”

But the one who truly deserved the praise—was Lady Alfe.

I was stunned by her ability to unleash a high-tier, six-verse incantation spell in the mere instant I had carved out. To not only do so, but to choose the exact magic best suited for my fighting style in that fleeting moment—she may even surpass Master in that regard.

“I’ll avenge Nume! Let’s go, Farah!”
“Got it!”
“We’re going in full force—six o’clock direction!”
“Yes!”

Lady Alfe’s instructions came almost in sync with the voices of Vannabelle and Lady Farah. As I broke into a run, the same Linear Accel spell activated once more.

“Altered and Lesvahl, working in perfect harmony! Can anyone stop this combooo!?”
“They’re aiming for your temple! Guard it!”

Lady Farah’s warning came just a fraction of a second earlier. The moment I completed my preparatory movements and launched Altered’s kick, Vannabelle raised her buckler with her left arm.

It was impressive that Lady Farah could keep up with Altered even under this level of acceleration. But both of them had misjudged the true capabilities of the machines Master created.

“Haaaaaaaahhh!!”

It didn’t matter if they blocked. I would just break right through.

I drove my kick straight into the buckler—shattering through it along with Flago’s entire left arm.

“No way!?”

With a cry of disbelief, Vannabelle’s Flago was knocked violently backward.

“Vannabelle!”
“Sorry, but I won’t let you go any further!”

At the exact same time Lady Alfe shouted, Lesvahl’s legs suddenly stopped.²　

“…What just happened?”

The announcer’s voice wavered in confusion, clearly unable to keep up.

“It’s not over yet! You’ll regret not finishing me with that hit!”

Before we could assess Lesvahl’s status, a voice rang out from Vannabelle’s severely damaged machine.

Flago’s left arm was grotesquely bent, but still operational. Vannabelle had driven the wrecked arm into the ground, lowering her stance and taking a ready position.

“That posture—”
“Too late to notice now!”

Her thrusters roared to life with renewed power. I was already within range. If I dodged, Lady Alfe would become the target. She was fully focused on keeping Lady Farah occupied—and completely defenseless. Which meant I had no choice.

I had to face it head-on.

“Vorpal Pierce!!”

Vannabelle’s Flago lunged at incredible speed, rapier aimed straight at me. That obsessive determination—more intense than even when she brought down Master—sharpened this attack into something truly deadly.

*—Fast.*

But not as fast as *her* (Estea).

Because I can see Vannabelle’s movements.

“Uoooooooohhh!!”
“Haaaah!!”

I slipped past Vannabelle’s all-out thrust by a razor-thin margin. And in the instant we passed each other, I drove my fist into her machine’s head.

“Vannabelle!!”

Lady Farah must have seen it with her Magic Eyes—the moment Flago’s head crumpled and was utterly destroyed.

“It’s a direct hiiiiiiit!! A perfect cross counter from Altered! CLEAN HITTTTTTTTTTTT!!”
“Damnnnnn iiiiiiiit!!!”

I heard Vannabelle’s frustrated cry echo out.

“Due to head and left arm damage, Flago is—FLAGOOOOOO—CONFIRMED KNOCKED OUTTTTTT!!!”

The commentator’s voice felt distant now. I could feel the divide between the warriors standing in the arena and the spectators watching from the sidelines. My mind, gripped by extreme tension and exhilaration, had risen above my physical body—transcending it.

And so I heard it clearly—the sound of Lady Farah breaking free from the ice that Lady Alfe had used to freeze the water in the colosseum and restrain her.