"Boom!"
With a thunderous roar, a dazzling beam burst forth from Sigmund's mouth under Charl's command. Vaporizing the atmosphere along its path, it hurtled straight toward Olga and her companions.
"Spin!"
Loki also extended his hand, unleashing mana and transforming Cherubim into a spiraling flaming sword that shot forward.
The sudden thunder-like assault caused gasps from the audience.
Even the Night Party's Execution Division members stood up in alarm.
That's because the attacks were aimed directly at the Puppeteers on the opposing side.
And within the Night Party, attacking other puppeteers was strictly forbidden.
What Charl and Loki had done could very well be considered a violation and get them disqualified.
Thankfully, that didn't happen.
They hadn't lost their reason. Neither the annihilating beam nor the spiraling flaming sword was aimed at the puppeteers themselves—but at their Automaton Dolls.
"So it really came to this…"
Asura calmly raised his hand. The Automaton Doll silently following him all this time stepped forward.
The Automaton wore majestic armor, wielding a single-edged sword resembling twin blades protruding from the ends of a dumbbell. Its armor bore Eastern motifs, and its appearance resembled an Indian deity.
It was none other than the Automaton Doll of the Avatar — Indra.
Indra raised his single-edged sword high and dashed forward like a bolt of lightning.
No, not like — he became lightning.
Countless arcs of electricity surged from his body, converging on his sword, which he lifted high and brought down upon the spiraling flame sword that was blazing forward.
"CLANG!"
A chime-like sound rang out. Lightning and scorching winds erupted simultaneously, clashing against each other.
Then, Cherubim was knocked away by Indra's lightning-infused sword.
"What?!"
Loki was stunned.
The flame sword, capable of concentrating heat of thousands of degrees and cleaving through steel, was actually repelled by Asura's Automaton.
It was a pure difference in power.
Indra's specs clearly surpassed those of Cherubim's, and its magic circuits were based on electricity. The surge of lightning overwhelmed the extreme heat and allowed Indra to cleave through it.
Realizing this, Loki's competitive spirit flared.
"How about this, then?!"
With a turn of mana in his hand, the knocked-away Cherubim returned like a boomerang. Instead of focusing the heat into a point, it now dispersed it directionally, adjusting both direction and power with purpose. The flaming sword now seemed alive, carving intricate paths through the air toward Indra.
Indra swung his twin lightning swords, deflecting the spiraling flame sword again and again—but each time, it returned, carrying greater force from the counteraction.
This surprised Asura, and he grew more cautious.
"It seems you've grown quite a lot these past two months, Sword Emperor."
Saying so, Asura extended his hand, unleashing mana and causing electricity to surge violently from Indra.
The two men now entered a fierce clash, neither giving an inch.
Meanwhile, Charl's beam attack was also blocked.
"So this is the infamous Gram of the Belew family?"
Sonechka snapped her fan shut, her eyes burning with battlelust as she released mana.
Around her, three massive, single-eyed mechanical giants with metal joints surged forward. Like Cherubim, they began to transform, interlocking and combining.
In mere moments, the three merged into a single, massive steel serpent, its size rivaling even Hokuto in its normal state.
This was the Automaton Doll of the Northern Cross — Jörmungandr.
The steel serpent barreled forward, colliding with the annihilating beam from Sigmund.
"BOOM!"
The beam blasted off the serpent's head, seemingly melting and evaporating its upper body.
However, in the next instant, a flash of light enveloped Jörmungandr, and it restored itself as if untouched.
"It regenerated?!"
Charl was taken aback.
"What kind of magic is that?"
Even Sigmund was surprised.
Letting out a silent roar, Jörmungandr charged ahead at shocking speed. It opened its massive jaws and unleashed a barrage of flaming bullets like a machine gun, all aimed at Charl.
"Charl!"
"I know!"
Responding to Sigmund's call, Charl wasted no time, pouring mana into a spell.
A whirlwind erupted around her, lifting her into the air to dodge the incoming bullets.
Seeing this, Sonechka smiled with excitement instead of surprise.
"Calling upon a Wind Spirit using Spirit Art to fly, huh?"
She chuckled.
"Excellent! You're worthy of being defeated by me, the Empress!"
Sonechka manipulated Jörmungandr, who raised its massive head and once again spat out countless bullets toward Charl.
In response, Charl used the Wind Spirit to interfere with air currents, redirecting the bullets. She glided weightlessly through the sky, avoiding the attacks. Whenever an opening appeared, she commanded Sigmund to fire another beam at Jörmungandr.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times Jörmungandr was destroyed, it regenerated instantly, unaffected.
Now, even Charl and Sonechka were locked in a stalemate.
"Loki! Charl!"
Seeing this, Frey prepared to assist with her Garms, but she was quickly intercepted.
"Don't get in the way, mutt princess."
"Just stay put."
The Zekaros brothers blocked her path.
Each had a fairy-sized Automaton Doll on their shoulder, dancing and releasing magic.
In an instant, the ground rumbled, and earthen spikes erupted, forming a fence to stop Frey and her Garms. A powerful gale followed, pushing them back.
"Wind and Earth… two of the Four Great Elements?"
Frey shrank back a little.
The Zekaros brothers' Automaton Dolls used wind and earth elemental circuits.
The elder brother wielded earth.
The younger, wind.
While common elements, their manipulation was on a whole different level.
Frey was effectively held back by them.
As for Rozen…
"You've really got a knack for picking your moment."
Rozen didn't make a move like Charl or Loki. Instead, he scratched his nose and looked at the youth who suddenly appeared before him.
"Rorelei Arneet."
Veyron stood there with Sleipnir, having appeared as if by teleportation.
"I will defeat you."
He declared coldly.
To that—
"Alright."
Rozen smiled faintly.
"I've got nothing better to do. Go ahead and try, Last One."
Rozen decided to enter the fray.
"So he's finally making a move?"
Olga, who had been quietly observing him, murmured.
"Should we go, Onee-sama?"
Dolores stared at Rozen, itching for a fight.
"Are you going in too, Hazel?"
Rather than respond, Olga turned to the girl beside her.
Hazel said nothing. Her gaze passed over Loki and Frey, then settled on Rozen.
Hatred began to well up in her eyes.