The swordsman golem was the first to move.
Brandishing a greatsword nearly as tall as Reiko herself, it swung downward in a massive overhead strike.
Reiko evaded the blow with a graceful step.
The blade instantly rebounded from the ground, lunging at her from a low diagonal angle. But Reiko was no longer there.
"She’s only got speed," Marcus muttered, before issuing further instructions to the swordsman golem. "Galborial! Go all out!"
In response to his command, the golem's speed increased a notch, then another.
Its massive frame, weighing over four hundred kilograms, began to move faster than any human. The earth gouged and cracked under the weight of its charge.
"Incredible speed for such a giant..."
Most of the spectators watched its movements with wide-eyed astonishment. However, Prince Ernest leaned over and whispered to Princess Lieschen.
"It’s nothing special. Jin’s Reiko-chan once blew away dozens of rampaging combat golems with that tiny body of hers."
"I witnessed it as well," she replied. "I was there when she incapacitated fifty bandits in a heartbeat."
Just as they said, Reiko was weaving through Galborial’s fierce onslaught as easily as if she were dodging a gentle breeze.
"Hmph, is running away all you’re good for? Just as I thought—nothing but a doll made by a second-rate magi engineer!"
Marcus’s sneer reached Reiko’s ears.
"...Because Father instructed me not to embarrass you too much, I showed restraint. It seems you are too dense to even realize that."
Reiko came to a dead stop. She met the incoming greatsword head-on.
"Wha—!?"
The spectators couldn't believe their eyes.
Reiko parried the greatsword swung by Galborial at times, struck it back at others, and occasionally caught the massive blade directly from the front.
Her physical strength was unbelievable, but the crowd was equally stunned by the durability of the sword in her hand—a mock sword only about a tenth as thick as the greatsword it was clashing against.
"Why doesn't it break?" voices drifted from the stands.
"Do you really think a mock sword Father made for me would break so easily?"
64 light silver was stronger than steel. Furthermore, Reiko now possessed the skill to deflect impacts. Even when she appeared to be clashing head-on, she relaxed her strength at the exact moment of collision to mitigate the shock.
"It is time to counterattack!"
Reiko’s speed surged even higher.
She launched a barrage of strikes so rapid that Galborial’s tower shield became a useless piece of metal. Reiko slashed from every angle the shield couldn't cover. If she had been using Touka or a vibration sword, the match would have ended with a single stroke.
However, Reiko held an edgeless mock sword. She chose a strategy of attrition instead.
She relentlessly targeted the golem’s left shoulder—the base of the arm supporting the heavy tower shield. Although the golem was clad in full-body armor, the joints were relatively weak points.
After a dozen strikes, a piece of the armor tore away. Ten more attacks followed, and a crack appeared in the magical muscle of the shoulder. Aided by the weight of the tower shield, the tear widened with every movement.
Under the weight of the continued assault, the magical muscle—the equivalent of a human deltoid—snapped. The golem’s left arm went limp.
"It is finished."
Reiko thrust her mock sword at the throat of the swordsman golem, which could no longer raise its shield.
"T-That’s it! The winner is Jin!"
Since the announcer called out the creator's name, Jin felt a bit sorry for Reiko.
Cheers rained down on Reiko as she bowed to the audience with a curtsy.
"She’s adorable!"
"Way to go, little lady!"
"Go for the complete victory!"
In any era, the sight of a beautiful girl performing heroic feats seemed to win over the crowd instantly.
"Reiko-chan is amazing."
"Truly, it is a terrifying thing..."
Prince Ernest and Princess Lieschen cheered for her success, though they also felt a lingering sense of awe. It was unclear if the rest of the audience realized the true magnitude of the threat Reiko posed; they were simply caught up in the excitement.
Meanwhile, the Empress sat at the top of the VIP section with her head in her hands.
Marcus had changed the rules of his own accord, only to be humiliated. He had made the worst possible impression on Jin, and the audience was likely dissatisfied with the blatant favoritism.
The only saving grace was that because Jin had won so overwhelmingly, there likely wouldn't be a public outcry against the rule changes. Still, the Empress, who desperately wanted Jin to enter her service, felt like weeping.
"And now! The final round! A match of pure martial arts!"
Though it was already an overwhelming victory for Jin and Reiko, the regulations required the event to continue until the end. Marcus, his eyes burning with hatred for Jin, sent out his remaining combat golem.
This was the golem that had participated in the weight throw. It wore no armor and was unarmed, but its physique was imposing. It stood over two meters tall and weighed at least four hundred kilograms. Its thighs alone were as thick as Reiko’s waist.
But the audience no longer doubted the outcome.
"Begin!"
The golem lunged, throwing a punch that would have shattered a standard automata. Reiko evaded it with a small leap.
As she landed, the golem unleashed a follow-up kick.
It looked like it would connect... but Reiko ducked low, letting the blow pass overhead. The ribbon in her hair fluttered in the wake of the kick.
Reiko continued to weave through the golem's attacks, seemingly testing her own limits.
"My body moves exactly as I wish. The breeze on my cheeks, the wind swaying my hair—they tell me everything. And the vibrations through the ground inform me of my opponent's every move."
Having gained a tactile sense, Reiko's close-range detection capabilities had improved remarkably. She treated the golem as a training tool to calibrate her new sensors.
"But I suppose it’s time to end this."
Reiko stepped inside the golem's reach. As she evaded a punch, she drove a counter-punch into its solar plexus. Given the height difference, that was the most effective target she could reach.
Of course, since it was a golem, the solar plexus wasn't a vital organ. However, even with her power suppressed, a counter-punch from Reiko was enough to send an opponent ten times her weight flying.
The golem was thrown five meters back and didn't get up. Its internal magi-device had been shattered by the impact.
"O-One hit..."
"That’s beyond incredible..."
Just like before, Reiko offered a curtsy, and a thunderous cheer erupted from the stands.
A complete victory. It was a feat never before achieved in the long history of the Gonkrenz.
"She did it, Jin. Amazing."
"Indeed. If she weren't a friend, she'd be a nightmare," Prince Ernest and Princess Lieschen chatted casually, knowing Jin's peaceful nature.
"Jin, congratulations! Reiko-chan, you were magnificent!" Reinhard shouted his praise, rejoicing wholeheartedly.
"Everyone! The results are clear! The winner of the Gonkrenz is Jin Nidou! And his automata, Reiko!"
The roar of the crowd intensified. Jin patted Reiko’s head as she returned to his side.
"Good job, Reiko. You were amazing."
"It is all thanks to you, Father. I didn't realize the tactile sensors would be this useful. Sensing the wind and vibrations allows me to read my opponent perfectly, and I can control my strength with total precision."
"I see, I see."
Jin beamed, satisfied that the tactile sensors had exceeded his expectations. Reinhard, hearing this later, would immediately resolve to equip Schwarzritter with tactile sensors, but that is a story for another time.
"Now then, Jin-dono, what is your decision regarding the special exhibition match against the giant golem?"
The audience responded before Jin could.
"Do it!"
"Show us what she can do!"
Jin saw no reason to refuse and nodded. "Very well. Master Marcus, would you mind activating the giant golem?"
Marcus replied in a strained, hateful voice. "Fine. But Golias doesn't know how to hold back. Don't blame me if something happens to your precious doll."
The stage was set for the duel between Reiko and Golias.
"Then, let the match begin!"
The referee’s signal rang out, and the curtain rose on the final confrontation.
"Here I come...!"
Reiko harbored a quiet rage deep inside.
It was because her father had been insulted. To Reiko, even comparing a Magi Craft Meister like Jin to a common magi craftman was an insult, yet this man had looked down on him as a second-rate amateur.
She would crush him utterly and force him to recognize Jin’s greatness. That was her true intent. She also knew she needed to demonstrate overwhelming power here to discourage any future interference or harassment toward Jin.
However, she knew Jin disliked unnecessary destruction and hated standing out too much. She understood his heart perfectly.
Ultimately, Reiko decided on her course of action: she would follow Jin's instructions to "overwhelm the opponent without flashy destruction."