Front kick, side kick, turn and another kick.
A relentless stream of techniques flowed from Yaya.
The knight gripped its greatsword, the blade leading the man, the sword formed from Cherubim intercepting each of Yaya's swift strikes.
A scorching wind whipped up as Cherubim slashed fiercely at Yaya, its ultra-high temperature capable of severing any material instantly dispelled by a wave of cold.
Magical energy surged, 'Kongouriki' activated, and Yaya reached out, effortlessly blocking the descending greatsword.
Raishin seized the moment, using Yaya's back as a springboard to leap over her head, delivering a powerful kick aimed at the knight's helmet.
His shin flew towards the helmet, but just before impact, his leg froze mid-air, stopping short of its target.
"Typical foolish Oriental." Loki's voice drifted from afar.
The scorching wind erupted from Cherubim's blade once more. A trace of crimson bloomed on Yaya's palm where she gripped the sword, the cold she summoned arriving a beat too late.
Raishin pushed off with his foot, shouting "Yaya!"
Yaya grabbed his collar and leaped backward. In the next instant, a white-gold light pierced the spot they had just vacated.
The wyvern's jaw released a radiant beam, a light capable of erasing all things, now directed at the petite knight and the greatsword.
Foolish Oriental... how bold.
Loki's eyes narrowed, magical energy spilling from him.
The knight in the light's path hurled the greatsword backward, raising its tower shield to meet the 'Cursed Sword' head-on.
The beam cannon swallowed the knight instantly, filling everyone's vision with blinding white-gold radiance.
Seconds later, the light faded, yet the knight stood there, completely unharmed, slowly lowering its tower shield.
What?!
Charlotte stared in shock at the unscathed knight.
"Fragarach. It manipulates vectors on a molecular level."
Alice's voice was calm, though her fingers twitched restlessly.
The appearance of a German automaton on the field was unexpected.
Irori, standing beside her, suddenly raised a hand to her forehead, discomfort flickering across her face.
"So, that knight just stopped the molecular motion in front of it?" Charlotte reopened her palm, and Sigmund began moving at high speed through the air.
"Irori, are you okay?"
Raishin kept his eyes warily on the now hovering greatsword, asking without turning his head.
As the battle progressed, Irori's chilling cold was arriving slower and slower.
Was it because Alice wasn't here?
"I'm... I'm alright."
Irori shook her head. She had been using her own magical energy until now, only able to provide minimal support.
But just then, a surge of energy had come from Lady Alice, who wasn't even present... and this energy felt somewhat... strange.
She pressed a hand to her chest, and the cold began to spread once more.
First, deal with the present situation.
The freezing cold once again dispelled the heat from Cherubim's blade.
To cut through anything, the heat needed to be concentrated at a single point. As long as Cherubim's heat couldn't intensify, it couldn't sever Yaya's 'Kongouriki'.
"What a nuisance." Loki frowned impatiently, his gaze shifting between the distant Irori and the still inactive maid.
His eyes returned to the petite knight, and he asked in a low voice, "Sophia, can you block the 'Cursed Sword' again?"
The knight raised its tower shield and gave a silent nod.
"Foolish Oriental." Seeing the knight's response, Loki immediately called out to Raishin.
"What is it, you foolish Westerner?"
"... Weren't you afraid the 'Cursed Sword' would erase you too?" Loki clicked his tongue in displeasure.
The light had reached their position the moment Yaya and Raishin jumped away.
They had no means to defend against the 'Cursed Sword'. A direct hit would have wiped them from existence.
"I trust my teammates completely." Raishin gave a thumbs-up, smiling as he pointed back at Charlotte. "The 'Cursed Sword' wouldn't hit me, right?"
"..." Charlotte silently manipulated Sigmund, magical energy flowing into the magic circuit as the 'Cursed Sword' activated once more.
Raishin's smile slowly faded. "...It won't hit me, right?"
"..."
"Hey!"
"Of course it won't! Now move!"
As they spoke, the knight, brandishing the greatsword, flew at them again. The white-gold light dissipated once more against the knight's tower shield.
Yaya stepped forward again, kicking towards the greatsword in the air.
Just as her slender, jade-like foot was about to connect, the knight forcefully threw the greatsword away, choosing to take Yaya's blow head-on.
The greatsword spun through the air, hurtling towards the distant Irori.
Yaya immediately turned to pursue it, but the moment she spun around, a volley of short swords shot out in rapid succession from Cherubim's back.
So, 'Jet' was applied to the short swords too?
But he could see their trajectories. Dodging them should be simple... right?
Raishin suddenly realized he had unconsciously aligned himself directly behind Yaya. If she dodged, the short swords would hit him.
He'd been baited...
While directly using magical attacks on a puppeteer was against the rules, even the executive committee referee probably wouldn't consider this a foul.
Yaya halted her pursuit, kicking away each of the incoming short swords one by one.
So this was why Loki was called the 'Sword Emperor'.
However, as soon as the short swords appeared, Irori stripped them of their heat, and they clattered uselessly to the ground.
The incoming Cherubim was also covered in a layer of ice, but relentless heat fought against the cold, pushing the sword forward with difficulty towards Irori.
"Beam Cannon!"
The annihilating beam shot towards the greatsword.
"Daring to split up in front of me." Charlotte watched the approaching greatsword with calm composure.
The next instant, a scorching hot wind roared to life, but not from the greatsword's blade.
It came from the knight.
Visible magical energy instantly shimmered around Loki's body, his machine core tirelessly drawing power from within him.
Several short swords were now embedded deep in the petite knight's armor, carrying her at high speed.
The weighted tower shield slammed into Yaya, knocking her aside as the knight flew towards the greatsword.
In the split second before the light consumed the greatsword, the knight once again positioned itself as a shield in front of the blade.
And then, the light suddenly reflected back.
A smirk played on Rosenberg's lips in the spectator stands. The knight on the battlefield froze in confusion—it shouldn't have that function...
The petite knight suddenly realized what was happening and violently angled the tower shield, now aimed at Charlotte and Alice, upward.
The reversed beam shot towards Sigmund in the sky.
Blinding light flooded everyone's vision.
"Sigmund!"
Charlotte's cry and the wyvern's roar of pain echoed simultaneously.
One of the wyvern's wings was swallowed by the light. Sigmund's form plummeted from the sky.
At the same time, the greatsword, carrying its blazing hot wind, descended upon Irori, who was still struggling at the front lines.
A silver tentacle attached itself to Irori and pulled her away.
The ground where she stood was split apart by Cherubim's strike, the surrounding grass scorched by the fierce heat.
The mercury-like substance, Trimmau, slowly reformed the tentacle back into an arm. Unlike Irori and the others, without Alice present, she could only utilize the functions of her dress for now.
Irori breathed rapidly. The strange magical energy had vanished. Before her, the greatsword hovered in the air once more, beginning to spin.
A moment later, she felt a gentle touch on her back.
"I'm back."
Alice's soft voice and Komurasaki's lively laughter reached her ears.
"...Yes!" Irori responded firmly.
"Finally, Nursery Rhyme is moving!" From the students' perspective, Alice had landed and was now walking slowly towards Irori.
Cherubim spun as it closed in on Irori, emitting a fierce howl.
A blazing whirlwind surrounded the greatsword as Cherubim hurtled towards Irori with overwhelming force.
And then, a cool breeze gently blew.
The next instant, Cherubim, wreathed in superheated air, froze solid in mid-air. All surrounding heat was utterly stripped away.
"O flaming sword, you have long since entered my realm of winter."
Irori's crystal-silver hair shimmered. No aura of cold enveloped her, no frost fell around her.
She simply stood there, silent and still, and yet the world around her fell into a deep hush.
A stunned silence fell over the students in the spectator stands. Loki stared wide-eyed, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He tried to use his magical energy to reignite the 'Jett', but it was futile. Any heat generated was instantly stolen away.
This was Irori's power—'Himokagami'.
The outcome of the battle was sealed as Alice stepped into this silent battlefield.
Her footsteps were light, the grass beneath her feet crunching crisply.
The petite knight stood rigidly in place. The winter had engulfed the entire battlefield. Her frozen legs showed a trace of red—human blood.
"Does it hurt?" Alice's voice, tinged with a strange lightness, sounded by her ear.
The knight started, shaking her head uneasily. The next moment, a pair of slender hands gently rested on her chest.
"Hey!" Loki's anxious voice called out, but the cold advanced a step towards him as well.
Alice's magical energy rushed into the knight's body, probing her magic circuits.
The image of temporarily altered magic circuits formed in Alice's mind. Simultaneously, the knight slumped powerlessly to the ground.
Alice withdrew her hand, casting a brief glance towards Rosenberg in the spectator stands.
Rosenberg immediately gulped and averted his gaze.
The bell marking the end of the Night Party echoed through the night sky.
"Sigmund!"
Charlotte knelt beside the fallen young dragon, whose form had already shrunk back to its smaller size.
"Truly worthy of the name 'Cursed Sword'," Sigmund said with a bitter laugh. "You only realize how formidable it is when you experience it with your own body."
"Is now really the time for such talk?" Charlotte gently lifted the young dragon.
"Don't worry, my heart is fine."
"Charlotte, let's go." Alice's call came from the distance. Holding the young dragon, Charlotte hurried over.
The group of girls left the battlefield, heading towards a certain building.
It was the direction of Alice's dormitory, where her doll-making tools were, and where a certain "Flower and Willow" master was also located.
The students in the spectator stands looked at each other in confusion. As Irori departed, the Cherubim on the battlefield began to thaw.
Loki watched the retreating girls with a puzzled expression. Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught a small girl holding a... black wolfhound.
He snapped his gaze towards the spectator stands. Frey was also looking in that direction, Rabbi at her feet barking cheerfully.
Tonight's Night Party had concluded. But there, on the ravaged battlefield where winter had just run rampant, unnoticed by anyone, a peculiar plant had somehow taken root.
Its emerald leaves swayed gently in the faint breeze.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.