Confronting the massive golem Golias, Reiko began by gauging her opponent’s movements.
This was not her first time facing a gargantuan foe. She had already contended with the Sham Dragon, the sandworm, the Hekatonkheir, the Death Sea Serpent, and the Gigas. Compared to those monstrosities, the opponent before her was lacking.
"But 'complacency is the greatest enemy,' wasn't it?"
That was a piece of wisdom she had gained from Jin. Reiko reminded herself never to let her guard down, regardless of who she faced.
Even if Golias was considered fast for a golem, his speed was at most a few times that of a human. Reiko could move hundreds of times faster.
Golias stepped forward, intending to trample her underfoot, but she evaded the heavy limb with ease and instantly circled behind him. She delivered a sharp kick to the back of his left knee joint just as it took his full weight—the mechanical equivalent of a "knee-buckle."
The joint buckled under the pressure, and Golias began to topple. To stop his fall, he reflexively thrust out his left hand to brace himself against the ground.
Reiko had been waiting for exactly that.
She lunged forward, caught the extended arm, and pulled it toward her with a violent twist. It was a throwing technique she had committed to memory but had never found the right occasion to use. With exquisite control over her immense output, she sent the giant tumbling through the air.
A thunderous roar shook the arena as dust billowed up in a thick cloud.
"O-Ohhh!"
"Incredible..."
A collective gasp, like a unified sigh of disbelief, rose from the crowd.
"Wait, was that an 'Arm Reversal'?"
Seated near the Empress, Marquis Gehren Theoderic von Eisen watched, captivated. That particular move was considered a secret art among the ritter of the Shouro Empire—a specialized throw designed to defeat an armed opponent barehanded after losing one's sword.
The technique involved dodging a thrust, grappling the opponent’s arm, and using the momentum of one's entire body to twist and lock the enemy’s elbow or shoulder joint before slamming them down. It was unmistakably the same maneuver.
"Gehren, what is this 'Arm Reversal'?" the Empress asked, leaning past the Chancellor.
The Marquis offered a brief explanation. "That technique redirects the opponent's own power. One mistake can lead to self-destruction. And yet, that automata—Reiko—executed it perfectly. I am curious where she could have possibly learned such a move, but more than that, the fact that she has mastered it so thoroughly is truly extraordinary."
"O-Oh? Your Majesty, look!" Chancellor Jung Fowles cried out.
Cheers erupted once more. Before the fallen Golias could even begin to rise, Reiko had slipped beneath his massive bulk. With her tiny 1.3-meter frame, she hoisted the 6-meter-tall giant into the air. It was a surreal, almost comical sight.
Golias didn't take the humiliation lying down. He thrashed his limbs and reached out with his massive hands to crush her. But before he could make contact, Reiko hurled the golem high into the sky.
Golias weighed approximately four tons. Reiko’s raw physical power launched that mass over thirty meters straight up.
"Wh..."
Both Viscount Georg Randol and Marcus Greenbalt stood paralyzed, unable to process the impossible scene.
Reiko stepped back from the shadow of the falling giant. Obeying the laws of gravity, Golias plummeted and slammed back into the earth.
A deafening crash echoed throughout the arena, making the entire structure shudder. A crater over ten meters wide opened in the ground. At the bottom of the pit, Golias lay still. His waist joint was completely crushed and mangled.
After waiting several minutes for the giant to move, Reiko trotted over to the referee, Administrative Vice-Minister Christoph Balde von Tarnat.
"I believe we are finished here," she said calmly.
Snapping out of his daze, Christoph regained his professional composure. "Match over! The winner is Jin Nidou and his automata, Reiko!"
As his declaration rang out, the stunned audience seemed to collectively remember how to breathe. A wave of frantic applause and enthusiastic cheering swept the stands.
"Incredible!"
"Way to go!"
"You're so cute, Reiko-chan!"
When Reiko bowed in response to the adoration, the applause only grew louder.
"A truly marvelous automata, Jin-dono," an interviewer said as the field was being cleared. "For such a small, lovely automata to possess such overwhelming power... is there some secret to her construction?"
"No," Jin replied smoothly. "I simply put my heart and soul into making her."
"There is no secret," Reiko added, standing proudly beside him. "Father is the one who created me. That is all there is to it."
As the initial excitement began to fade, a sense of unease settled over some of the spectators. They looked at Reiko’s immeasurable power and her clear intelligence and reached a quiet consensus: it was far better to stay on Jin’s good side than to ever cross him. None of them realized then that this realization would be the most important decision of their lives.
"And so, all events have come to a close," the host announced.
Empress Gerhardt Hilde von Rubis Shouro stood to deliver the final word. "Though there were minor disturbances, this year's Technology Expo appears to be ending on a successful note. I express my deepest gratitude to the participants, the visitors, and the executive committee."
Her concise words were met with thunderous, rhythmic applause. Jin joined in. He despised long-winded speeches, so he found the Empress’s brevity refreshing.
"After a short intermission, we will begin the awards ceremony for our top performers."
"No... No, no, no! This is impossible! I refuse to believe it!"
In the stands, Viscount Georg Randol was ranting, his eyes wide with denial.
"But it's the truth, Father," Elsa said softly. "Jin... Jin-kun's skill is world-class. It was a mistake to compete against him."
Georg, however, wasn't listening. "Shut up! What do you know? I’ve been compared to my 'perfect' older brother since I was a child. I was never meant to be the heir. I clawed my way to my current position, and just as I was about to climb higher, that boy appeared! Why? Why must he get in my way!"
"...Jin-kun isn't doing anything to you. You're the one making him an enemy. Jin-kun is very kind to his friends, but he is firm with those who oppose him. That's just who he is."
Georg turned to her, his eyes bloodshot. "You... don't tell me you feel for him..."
"?"
"I won't allow it! You will marry into a high-ranking family for the sake of my status! Otherwise, there was no point in acknowledging the child of that woman!"
"Father... what about your promise? You said if Jin-kun won..."
Elsa was reeling. To have such cruel words thrown at her by the man she had tried so hard to love as a father was a devastating blow.
"I don't give a damn about promises! Your only purpose is to be a tool for my advancement!"
Red-faced and foaming at the mouth, Georg reached out to grab Elsa and drag her from the arena. In that moment, something inside Elsa finally snapped.
"Barrier."
The keyword triggered the Absolute Barrier of her Guard Ring. Georg’s hand slammed into an invisible, immovable wall.
"Wh-What is this? Elsa! You dare defy me?"
Elsa didn't answer. She kept her head down, her eyes brimming with tears. Seeing his hand was blocked, Georg drew his sword and struck the barrier, but the Guard Ring didn't even flicker. Jin had designed that barrier to withstand advanced magic; even Reiko’s full-power punches hadn't broken it. A human’s sword was meaningless against it.
"Blast it, how annoying! Doll Soldiers, prepare magic!"
The two automata guarding Elsa stepped forward, raising wands imbued with flame magic. Most of the nearby spectators had already fled, but using combat magic in the stands was a grave offense.
"Uncle! Stop this at once!" Reinhard cried out, finally finding his voice, but Georg was too far gone to hear him.
In a flash, Edgar darted forward and snatched the wands from the automata before they could discharge.
"You! That blockhead doll Elsa made! Out of my way! Soldiers, destroy it!"
The two automata soldiers lunged at Edgar. Edgar sidestepped a punch from the first and moved inside its guard, executing a clean throw.
"That's a Back Throw!" Reinhard noted.
It was one of the many ritter techniques Laojun had recently uploaded to every golem and automata associated with Hourai Island via Trans Info. Since Edgar lacked Reiko’s tactile sensors, he didn't know how to pull his punches. The automata soldier was slammed into the ground with such force that its limbs shattered, leaving it a heap of scrap.
Edgar turned to the second soldier. He ducked under a kick, swept the golem’s supporting leg, and caught its flailing limb to drive it further into the dirt. The soldier’s head slammed into the stone with a sickening crunch. It didn't get back up.
"How... how..."
Elsa’s father stared, unable to comprehend. An automata that looked like a mere boy had just dismantled two combat models as if they were toys.
The commotion had finally drawn official attention. A squad of soldiers dispatched by the Empress arrived on the scene.
"Viscount! What is the meaning of this?"
"You are in the spectator stands!"
But then, Georg suddenly spasmed. "Ugh... guh..."
He clutched his chest, gasped in pain, and collapsed, losing consciousness before he hit the ground.
"...Father?"
"Uncle?"
"Viscount!"
"Commander!"
His subordinates rushed to his side. As soldiers, they had a basic grasp of field medicine.
"Lay him flat! Easy now."
"Pulse is weak. We need to move him, quickly!"
Ignoring Elsa entirely, they lifted the Viscount and hurried away. The Empress’s soldiers followed to maintain their watch. Left behind, Elsa and Reinhard stood in a daze at the sudden, anti-climactic end to the confrontation.
"That's right—I have to tell Jin! Edgar, stay here and protect Elsa!" Reinhard shouted before sprinting off toward the arena floor.
"...Father..." Elsa whispered. She was stunned. What had happened to her seemingly indestructible father? Even though she had been in the depths of despair because of him moments ago, she couldn't help but feel a lingering worry.
"It seems he may have reached his limit this time."
Elsa whirled around. Marcus Greenbalt was standing behind her in the now-empty section of the stands. Seeing her defensive posture, Marcus held up his hands and spoke in an oddly detached tone.
"Don't worry, I have no intention of harming you. My role here is finished, after all."
"Role?"
"Yes. My role... to measure the strength of the humans."
"The humans?" Elsa repeated, struck by how he spoke as if he weren't one of them.
"Ah, a slip of the tongue. Regardless, Lady Elsa, I shall be taking my leave. It’s quite a relief to finally stop this little performance."
"Performance?"
"I caused quite a stir simply because I wanted to see what Jin-kun and his automata were truly capable of. I didn't expect him to dismantle Golias so effortlessly, but I’ve gathered more than enough data."
"Who... who are you?"
"I wonder. Why don't you try and guess? Do give my regards to Jin-kun. I'd very much like to be on good terms with a magi craftman as talented as him. You have quite a bit of skill yourself, of course."
Marcus glanced at Edgar, who was standing protectively in front of Elsa, and then turned to walk away. He paused for a moment as if remembering something. "Oh, and please tell the Marquis I’m sorry for everything."
Then, he vanished into the crowd.
Amidst the chaos of the closing ceremony, the Secret Mobile Unit golems Maron and Plum had observed every word and action, relaying it all to Laojun on Hourai Island in real-time. Following Laojun’s orders, Regulus 50, a Quinta operative stationed in the arena, began to tail Marcus.
"Elsa!"
Jin arrived at a run, having been alerted by Reinhard immediately after the closing ceremony.
"Jin-nii..."
The moment she saw him, Elsa deactivated her barrier and threw herself into his arms. The relief was so sudden and overwhelming that her composure shattered, and she began to sob uncontrollably.
"Jin... Jin-nii..."
"What happened? Are you okay?"
Jin could only hold her tight as she wept, offering the only comfort he could.