Tonight's Night Party was destined to become the hot topic on everyone's lips among the students for quite some time.
All of the Thirteen, except for Magnus and Hinowa, had made their appearances—this alone was sensational enough.
Not to mention, Olga's declaration carried immense weight. It directly changed the format of the future Night Parties, forcing many glove holders to act.
Thus, every student who witnessed tonight's battle began spreading the news in excited whispers and fervent discussions.
No doubt, come tomorrow morning, the entire Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machinart would be abuzz with excitement.
However, for Olga and the others, the events of tonight were far from reassuring.
If anything, having caught just a glimpse of Rozen's strength, the group felt a tremendous weight settle upon their hearts.
Turning their backs to the commotion of the Night Party, Olga and her companions departed the arena, silently walking through the Academy's grounds, exchanging glances.
"Does anyone have something to say?"
Olga opened her mouth first, as if trying to start a conversation.
At her words, everyone fell silent in contemplation.
Then, Asura was the first to speak up.
"Rorelei Arneet is indeed a formidable opponent."
That was the extent of Asura's thoughts.
And it was the very sentiment shared by the others.
Having seen the strength Rozen had displayed, their hearts grew heavier with unease.
"He didn't use the traditional magic that supposedly defeated the Headmaster, nor did he summon any of those legendary familiars. He only used the three Automaton Dolls by his side, and yet that alone was enough to unleash such power?"
Sonechka spoke with a muttering tone.
"We still don't even know if those were his automatons at full power."
Olga added this with a hint of gravity.
At that, the weight on everyone's hearts deepened.
"How the hell are we supposed to defeat a monster like that!?" Dorothy shouted in frustration. "Is that guy even the same age as us? How can he be that strong? Don't tell me he's actually just like my grandmother..."
She didn't get to finish her sentence—Olga's expression changed immediately.
"Dorothy!"
Olga's tone turned sharply stern.
"Hey!"
"Whoa there!"
Even the Zekaros Brothers looked shocked. Whether the cold elder brother or the gentle younger one, both raised their voices.
"Ah...!"
Only then did Dorothy realize what she had just said, her face turning pale.
This made Asura and Sonechka both frown.
"What are you talking about?"
Asura gave a probing look.
"What's with this connection to the Nosferatu's grandmother?"
Sonechka also questioned, pressing for an answer.
Olga glanced at Dorothy, who was ghostly pale, and sighed inwardly before facing the two.
"That's a private matter of Dorothy's household. There's no need for you two to concern yourselves."
Olga's tone was firm.
"...I see."
Asura nodded, asking no more.
"If it's a family affair, then of course we won't pry."
Sonechka didn't hide her discontent at this evasive attitude, but she let it go, showing her character as someone frank and straightforward.
Olga seized the opportunity to steer the topic away.
"Regardless, things have already been set in motion. Now that we've stepped forward, there's no turning back. No matter how powerful Fimbulvetr's Winter may be, we have no choice but to keep fighting. That's our only path."
Hearing this, both Asura and Sonechka nodded.
Then...
"Setting aside Fimbulvetr's Winter for now, if it's the Sword Emperor, I still want to settle things with him."
Asura looked at Indra beside him as he recalled the earlier battle.
Looking closely, Indra's body bore distinct scorch marks—injuries left behind from clashing with Loki.
"He's gotten a lot stronger than before. He's probably reached a level equal to mine. If his Automaton hadn't been at a disadvantage in terms of specs, I might not have been able to hold him back so easily."
Asura said plainly.
To which Sonechka nodded in agreement.
"Not just the Sword Emperor—even that Tyrant Rex has grown significantly stronger after learning Gram Battle Arts."
At this point, Sonechka's tone carried a spark of burning battle-lust.
As someone who aspired to become the strongest woman and the undisputed empress of the Academy, she had always considered Olga her greatest rival—followed by Hinowa.
As for Charl, even though she ranked higher than Hinowa, Sonechka viewed her as inferior.
Hinowa was only ranked 8th because she wasn't the type to fight for dominance and had never gone all out.
On the other hand, Charl neither mastered the intricacies of Spirit Arts nor wielded Gram Combat Arts effectively—her use of the Gram before had been crude and unimpressive, leaving Sonechka disinterested.
If she relied on just the Gram, she would be no match at all for Sonechka, whose Automaton was completely unfazed by such power.
But now, things had changed.
"Honestly, the current Tyrant Rex might be stronger than you, Olga."
Sonechka made a provoking remark.
"If that's true, then I look forward to it,"
Olga responded with an elegant smile, unfazed by the taunt.
Not getting the reaction she wanted, Sonechka turned away.
"Though Fimbulvetr's Winter is certainly formidable, don't forget—we're not allies. Now that we're all in the game, I hope you all become stronger before the final showdown. Don't disappoint me."
Leaving those words, Sonechka walked off with her three Automaton Giants.
"Take care of yourselves."
Asura, finding further words pointless, also turned and left.
At the same time, the ever-silent Hazel turned on her heels and departed.
In the end, only Olga, Dorothy, and the Zekaros Brothers remained at the scene.
"Dorothy..."
"You almost made a fatal mistake just now."
The Zekaros Brothers glared at Dorothy.
"I-I didn't mean to…"
Dorothy hunched her shoulders and accepted the blame.
Olga released a small wave of mana to probe their surroundings, ensuring there were no eavesdroppers before speaking.
"Be careful in the future. Don't let anything slip in a place like this."
"I got it already..." Dorothy puffed her cheeks and said, "Besides, in just a few days, that person from onee-sama's house will arrive at the Academy. At that time, who knows if the Academy will even survive."
Those words made Olga's elegant face fall slightly, and she remained silent.
The thought of what was coming made Olga feel a growing unease.
But she also had no way out.
Because—
"I'm just a chess piece in the hands of those old hags."
Olga muttered in bitter self-mockery.
No one knew of this conversation.
But the darkness was indeed drawing closer to the Academy.
And Rozen had no idea—
That the absolute evil of this world was about to surface,
And would soon reach out to this place—
In the worst way imaginable.