Even in the darkness, the distant giant and dragon remained strikingly visible.
A commotion this big—it seemed Miss Alice was truly unhappy.
When things get like this, someone's bound to have a very bad day.
Flapping his wings, Robin gently stirred the cold night air. "You go on ahead."
The silver-haired doll nodded quietly, clutching her camera as she flew toward the giant.
Snowflakes landed softly on Robin's head, the chill seeping slowly into his body. The robin shivered involuntarily before flying toward the headmaster's residence nearby.
--+--
Perhaps because it was the first snow, the wind was strong that night.
The cold breeze drummed snow against the office window of the headmaster's home, producing a light, rhythmic tapping.
Inside the office, Edward cradled a teacup in his hands, warmth from the tea steadily seeping into his body. He took a small sip and let out a soft, contented sigh.
A wisp of steam escaped his lips, vanishing like faint smoke in the air.
He seemed to be in good spirits.
Even the earth-shaking roars from outside did nothing to disturb the headmaster's mood.
Tap, tap, tap.
Unlike the wind brushing the glass, this was the sound of something sharp rapping against the window.
Edward raised an eyebrow slightly, releasing a faint pulse of magical energy. The window swung open on its own.
Along with an invading gust of icy air, a blue robin drifted in and landed gracefully on the desk before him.
Without ceremony, Robin shook the snow from his feathers onto the desktop, then looked up at the school's headmaster.
"Well now, welcome to my humble abode, Mr. Robin." Edward took out another cup, smiling as he poured hot water from the teapot.
Not bad—you know how to treat a guest.
Robin was quite pleased with his host's attitude. He folded his wings slowly and asked, "Do you know what's happening outside?"
"Of course." Edward's smile widened, and he stroked the beard on his chin.
"The students are outside apprehending the Cannibal Candy."
Robin nodded again, hopping lightly across the desk.
"You don't seem particularly concerned about the students attacked by the Cannibal Candy."
After all, the Cannibal hadn't only targeted puppets—quite a few students had vanished alongside their automata.
"This academy is a mixed bag," Edward shrugged helplessly, though the smile never left his face. "Spies from every nation are here. It's hardly unusual for students to go missing."
"Then…" Robin tilted his head in the direction of the giant, the gesture carrying a practiced ease.
The headmaster glanced out the window and nodded in understanding.
"The ever-helpful student, Alice Kuonji, is assisting the academy in investigating the Cannibal Candy. During the investigation, the target resisted stubbornly. In the end, seeing no chance of escape, they chose to take their own life in despair."
Having said this, Edward raised an eyebrow slightly at Robin, as if asking whether that would suffice.
Robin's beak curved upward slowly, and Edward returned a knowing smile.
Man and bird faced each other in the residence, sharing a silent, amused moment.
With a flutter of wings, the room was empty again, save for Edward.
He looked at the freshly poured cup of tea, steam still rising from it.
From outside, the giant's ground-shaking impacts and a faint, songlike murmur reached his ears.
"Fairy tales… fairy tales."
So that is… magecraft born from fairy tales?
Listening to the elusive melody, Edward confidently raised his voice in song. "London Bridge is—"
"You sound awful, you old coot!" Avril's yell traveled up from downstairs. "It's noisy enough out there—don't go disturbing people in the middle of the night!"
"All right, all right."
--+--
The giant, having absorbed most of the coliseum, swung its hand freely. The gust generated by its motion gathered the white mist into a single mass.
Eliza panicked, reverting to her form clad in silvery armor. If she were struck by that 'Demon Sword' in her mist-like state, it would mean certain death.
She stomped hard onto the giant's arm, driving her longsword into the concrete for support.
In the distance, Felix trembled as he raised his hand, his magical output growing erratic.
The shock of having his trump card so easily defeated left him flustered and unsteady.
And then, near the end of the battle, he issued one of his worst possible commands.
"Jump back now!"
Eliza's body leaped high into the air, the figure of the girl-puppet stark against the moonlight.
Suspended with nothing to push against, a sliver of panic rose in her.
Just as she reached the highest point of her jump, the giant's fist slammed down on her mid-air form.
The destructive force coursed through Eliza's entire body, shattering the defensive layer of magical energy around her in an instant.
She didn't use the mist to evade, nor the chains to reposition.
Which means… each Magic Circuit can only be used once?
Alice gave a slight wave of her finger, and the giant slowly raised its arm.
Aiming at the crater below, the gleam of the 'Cursed Sword' gathered in Sigmund's mouth.
"Blazing Cannon!"
A white-gold radiance built within the dragon's jaws, then burst forth in a violent torrent.
For a moment, everything was blinding light.
The brutal beam illuminated the surroundings, washing everyone's vision in pure white.
The flash struck Eliza's shattered form, dissolving her and the ground beneath into nothingness.
A few seconds later, the light faded.
The already massive crater was now even deeper and seemingly bottomless. The surface of the surrounding soil was perfectly smooth, like candy melted by a lick.
Silence.
The deep of night returned to its rightful stillness.
Hearing the noise subside, the disciplinary committee members, now with reinforcements, rushed over from a distance.
But the concrete giant shifted to block their path.
"Why are you stopping us?"
"Isn't the fight over?"
Just as they hesitated, considering whether to go around the giant, a silver-haired doll appeared atop its arm.
She gazed down at them, expressionless, her profile looking even colder under the moonlight.
Proudly, she lifted her chin and raised the camera high. "Someone come take a look at what became of the assistant."
Then, as if remembering something, Suigintou added, "Preferably a female student."
After all, the images of the girl's body in the camera showed her unclothed.
A young woman emerged from the disciplinary committee—one of those who had taken part in the search operation that day.
Breathing quickly, she steadily took the camera and examined its contents.
A few seconds later, she drew a deep breath, turned back, and nodded to her companions.
Some of the committee members bowed their heads in grief, some shook theirs in regret, while others looked toward the area behind the giant in confusion and asked, "Why…?"
"Because the battle isn't over yet."
Robin descended from the sky, his deliberately stern voice echoing through the night. "This is a fight among the top thirteen. We must prioritize safety."
Most of the disciplinary committee waited, half in doubt, while those who had guessed the truth could only close their eyes in sorrow.
Behind the giant, Alice was slowly approaching Felix, who stood frozen in place.
Felix stared vacantly in the direction where Eliza had been, the empty crater reflected in his wide eyes.
The sound of footsteps on grass reached him. He whipped his head around to see the black-haired girl approaching him, step by step.
The footsteps drew nearer, like a countdown to the end of his life.
A few seconds later, they stopped right beside him.
--+--
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.