The band struck up a vibrant tune as a flock of crows swirled against the sunset-drenched sky. Seizing the moment perfectly, the clock tower began to chime.
"One Hundredth—'Second Last', to the stage."
Carrying a qualification he'd wrested from some unfortunate student, Raishin stepped onto the battlefield.
Just as they reached the center, his opponent was announced.
"Ninety-Ninth—'Nursery Rhyme', to the stage."
Alice, accompanied by Trimmau and Irori, made her way onto the field. Robin, acting like a scout, took a quick lap around the arena before alighting gracefully on Alice's shoulder.
Her gaze skimmed past Loki in the stands, settling instead on Raishin below.
"Feel like a match?" Raishin offered a confident smile.
Yaya, standing behind him, stepped forward and placed her hands on her hips.
Alice glanced at her, gave a slight flick of her fingers, and Irori moved with elegant poise, her eyes locking with her sister's.
With a rustle, Trimmau produced a chair from beneath Alice's skirt.
As Alice slowly took her seat, the first night of the Night Party began.
Under the bright lights, two of Karyuusai's masterpieces sprang into action. The black-haired automaton in a kimono began to move.
"Let's go, Yaya!"
"Yes!"
Yaya shot forward with explosive force, leaping into the air, her heel aimed directly at Irori.
But unlike a typical puppeteer who directs from the rear, Raishin charged onto the field right alongside her.
Then, the air stirred, turning bitingly cold.
Winter had descended upon the spring night.
A thick wall of ice blocked Yaya and Raishin's path, while a creeping frost crawled up their legs.
The ice spread over them with startling speed. Yaya shattered the ice encasing her with a violent shudder, but Raishin, behind her, was already completely encased, save for a single nostril left clear for breathing.
"Raishin!"
Yaya halted her charge, looking back at her master.
"That is your weakness, Yaya."
Irori's voice sounded right beside her ear. At some point, the silver-haired automaton had closed the distance and now stood near her sister, arms spread wide as if to embrace her.
"Do not lose focus on the battlefield."
With a sharp crackle, Yaya was instantly frozen solid.
Like a popsicle on a stick, everything from the neck down was sealed within a block of solid ice. While the cold couldn't penetrate the core of Yaya's 'Adamantine Strength', any technique requiring movement was nullified. For the moment, she was powerless against her frozen prison.
"We surrender," Raishin said with a bitter laugh. He'd tried using his hardening technique to break free, but it was useless. It seemed he'd made the worst possible choice.
He shook his head at Yaya, who compliantly lowered her own.
Irori silently dissolved the ice and returned to Alice's side.
Trimmau rustled once more and produced another chair from its... skirt. Irori blinked, smiled faintly, and took her place standing behind Alice.
Raishin, clutching his shoulders, walked towards them, the deep-seated chill slow to leave his body. He eyed the chair, but the moment he stepped closer, Trimmau snatched it away.
Raishin's eyes widened in disbelief. Trimmau met his stare without flinching. After a long moment, he was the first to look away.
"Fine," he grumbled, stretching his arms and starting to do some warm-up exercises on the spot to shake off the cold.
The surrounding students looked at each other, bewildered. The Night Party required the opponent's glove to be taken. The current scene made no sense to them. Cedric, head of the Executive Committee, facepalmed. "Couldn't they have dragged it out a bit longer?"
He sighed in resignation, leaning back in his seat to wait for the closing bell.
"Hey, look! That black-haired automaton and the silver-haired one look really similar. Are they the same type?"
"...It seems the 'Nursery Rhyme' team has gained a member."
The students had hit upon the truth. Up in the stands, Loki watched boredly, arms crossed. A young man with honey-blond hair and a sturdy build sat beside him, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Your next opponent is a pair, you know, 'Sword Emperor'."
"No concern of yours, Rosenberg." Loki narrowed his eyes, looking at Irori. "Be it one or two, I will crush them all."
"Looking forward to it," Rosenberg responded with a tilt of his chin, before standing up and leaving. A petite knight trailing behind him paused for a moment, then followed suit.
Loki shot a barely perceptible glance at the knight, then returned his gaze to the battlefield. Taking in the almost tea-party-like atmosphere, he closed his eyes in silent resignation.
"Magnus has only revealed his spatial Magic Circuit so far..." Raishin muttered, staring at Magnus in the spectator seats.
"Yep," Robin fluttered his wings. "He's your brother?"
"Just a guess for now." Raishin squinted, focusing on the young girl automaton beside Magnus.
"The one who destroyed your clan?"
"Did Shouko tell you that...?" Raishin looked away. "Yeah. He's the one who killed my little sister. Who slaughtered my entire clan."
The clock tower trembled slightly, its heavy bell tolling once more.
The first night of the Night Party had ended.
The second night of the Night Party began.
"Well then..."
Loki rose slowly to his feet, his automaton, Cherubim, beginning to vent gas.
The female announcer from the Executive Committee called out, "Ninety-Eighth—'Tyrant Rex', to the stage."
"..."
A wide grin instantly spread across Rosenberg's face.
"You knew the Tyrant was coming up, didn't you?"
"Heh..." Rosenberg answered only with a silent shrug.
Loki shot a glance at the blond young man and settled back into his seat.
The surrounding students let out sighs of boredom.
"Here she comes, the Tyrant herself."
"They're all in the same group. There won't be a fight."
"How boring. I want to see some real action!"
On the field, Charlotte shot an annoyed look at the chattering audience before walking over to Alice and sitting on the chair Trimmau provided.
Another peaceful night passed.
The following evening.
The announcer's voice rang out. "Ninety-Seventh—'Sacred Blaze', to the stage."
"What?!"
Amid the stir from the crowd, Loki took to the field with Cherubim. The petite knight followed slowly behind him.
"Two of the Rounds? This early?!"
"A match between Rounds right at the start of the Night Party! This is awesome!"
Those with no stake in the fights began chatting excitedly, while some of the qualified participants also perked up, their interest caught.
Loki fixed Raishin with a murderous glare. "I believe I told you to withdraw."
"And I believe I refused."
Raishin met his gaze head-on, his reply crisp and clear.
A dragon roared beside Charlotte. She looked over at Alice.
"Get ready. We're going on. Any problems?"
She growled the words.
"Alice."
--+--
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.