When Elizabeth invited Herta to fight, Herta's first instinct was to refuse. She hated wasting time on things that didn't benefit her. But then she reconsidered: fighting Elizabeth might actually... possibly... be worthwhile.
She nodded. "Now?"
Elizabeth smiled. "Of course."
After Lily left the arena and returned to the spectator stands, Elizabeth instructed her to hand the Sword of Promised Victory to Little Herta. Then, she led Little Herta onto the arena floor, a sight that stunned everyone in the audience.
They hadn't even recovered from the terrifying golden cross that had just appeared when they stared in disbelief at Elizabeth in the arena.
"Her... Her Majesty the Queen?!"
"Oh my god! When did Her Majesty arrive?"
"What is Her Majesty planning to do? And who's that girl she's facing?"
"Wait, don't tell me Her Majesty intends to fight that girl herself?!"
Elizabeth turned to Little Herta and smiled. "Don't worry about hurting me. Use all your techniques."
Little Herta raised an eyebrow. Elizabeth didn't seem afraid of Excalibur at all.
It wasn't surprising, really. While Little Herta's attack was powerful, Elizabeth was one of the world's top combatants, so it was only natural she'd have countermeasures.
Elizabeth glanced at the proctor beside her, whose legs were trembling uncontrollably. "The exam... begins!" she announced.
With that, Little Herta had no further hesitation. She stepped forward, raising her golden longsword. But before she could speak, she felt her hands go empty. Looking down, she realized her sword had vanished, replaced by a silver ring.
The Sword of Promised Victory had materialized in Elizabeth's hand across the arena. She examined the weapon with a curious gaze, saying, "On a real battlefield, over-reliance on weapons can be a fatal mistake. You can't guarantee your weapon will always be there, or that your enemy won't have a way to steal it—like this technique I just used..."
This was Elizabeth's true reason for challenging Little Herta. In her eyes, Little Herta was undoubtedly a genius, but instead of wasting time on flashy, impractical "toys," she should focus on genuine self-improvement.
It was likely futile to lecture a genius like Little Herta with platitudes. Better to engage her in combat and let her grasp the lesson through experience.
However, before Elizabeth could finish speaking, Little Herta interrupted, "Is it some kind of Exchange Magic that swaps the positions of two objects? With a range of about a hundred meters?"
Even with just this technique, Elizabeth could disarm any magician at any time, instantly incapacitating them. It was, to put it mildly, a bit unfair.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, surprised that Little Herta had deciphered the spell's secret so quickly. A smile spread across her face as she grew even more impressed. "What other magic do you know? Show me everything."
A brief silence fell over the battlefield. Little Herta's magical repertoire was pitifully limited, consisting only of spells like conjuring tiny flames, neutralizing Great Britain's inner and outer barriers, and releasing Magic Power. Clearly, none of these were applicable in the current situation.
The first two spells were self-explanatory. As for the third—using Magic Power Release on a Herta Puppet would essentially be a self-destruct mechanism.
During this time, Herta Herself had developed numerous advanced technological weapons, but none of them were installed on Herta No. 002. At first glance, she appeared to be completely defenseless.
But this was precisely why Little Herta had accepted the battle. Elizabeth, Great Britain's most powerful magician, undoubtedly possessed a vast arsenal of potent spells. This was the perfect opportunity for Little Herta to secretly learn some.
Take the Exchange Magic from earlier, for example. After witnessing it just once, she had already grasped most of its principles. However, instead of using it to retrieve the Sword of Promised Victory, Little Herta declared, "I always respect my elders and cherish the young. You go first."
Elizabeth smiled wryly, assuming Little Herta was bluffing to hide her helplessness. "Fine, fine, if you insist."
She raised her right hand skyward, palm open, and began chanting a spell at ten times the speed of a fast-forwarded video. As the incantation progressed, dark storm clouds rapidly blanketed the sky, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed within the swirling masses.
In the next instant, Elizabeth lightly waved her right hand, pointing toward Little Herta—or, more precisely, at the empty space beside her. She had no intention of actually attacking the puppet.
As Elizabeth's finger descended, a colossal bolt of lightning descended from the sky. Simultaneously, Little Herta's lips parted slightly, and she began to chant in an incredibly slow, otherworldly language.
The Herta Puppet's once-purple pupils turned silvery-white. The surrounding air grew thick and viscous, and time itself began to congeal. The lightning strike, which should have struck the ground instantly, gradually decelerated until it froze completely in mid-air, unable to advance even an inch further.
Even Elizabeth, her opponent, stared wide-eyed at this impossible spectacle. "Time-stopping magic?!"
Indeed, it was. Elysia and Little Herta had revived the Prophet earlier, and the magic Little Herta was now using was the same enchantment that had been affixed to the Prophet's coffin.
After obtaining the coffin, Little Herta had studied it extensively. With slight modifications, she had refined the enchantment into the magic she was now wielding.
One could say that while her repertoire of spells was limited, each one was undeniably powerful.
But the most astonishing part was yet to come. Little Herta, just like Elizabeth, rapidly recited a long and convoluted incantation. In the next instant, the lightning bolt that had been suspended before her abruptly pivoted ninety degrees and hurtled back toward its original caster, Elizabeth.
"Ah... A-ah?! What's happening?" Lily exclaimed from the audience, utterly bewildered. "Did Herta absorb and reflect Her Majesty the Queen's magic?"
Lily's reaction mirrored that of most spectators. The ability to replicate an enemy's power and wield it oneself was a common trope in stories, often wielded by protagonists or final bosses, and generally considered an unfair, overpowered advantage.
In short: completely broken!
However, the Principal shook his head gravely. "No... this isn't mere absorption and reflection. Herta... she's actually using Her Majesty the Queen's exact same magic? And beyond that, she's even seized control of Her Majesty's spell!"