At the Gonpetition arena, the Mock Battle was finally about to get underway.
"The Mock Battle is a discipline where participants determine superiority without damaging their opponents!"
"That's right. The weapons and armor have been specially modified for this purpose. The weapons are custom-made from wood that has undergone a unique treatment."
"Mr. Tolf, our commentator—the armor is also quite specialized, isn't it?"
"Certainly. The armor is made of specially treated leather designed to change color the moment it's struck by a weapon."
"I see, so if you're marked with color, you've lost."
"In simple terms, yes. It's a very straightforward rule."
"Additionally, while the use of magic isn't explicitly forbidden, winning via magic alone won't earn any points."
"So it's strictly a contest of martial prowess."
"I see, those are interesting rules... prioritizing technique over magic," Jin mused.
He understood that, essentially, a single clean hit meant defeat.
"...Though I suppose one might use magic as a feint to throw an opponent off at a crucial moment."
Hearing the explanation, Jin began to simulate the battles in his mind.
"But magic probably won't leave a mark on the armor... I wonder how the mechanism works?"
He found the setup of the equipment fascinating.
"Is it soaked in a chemical similar to pressure-sensitive paper? No, if that were the case, anything would leave a mark. It's likely that the chemicals in the weapons and the armor react to each other to produce the color."
Jin spent a moment imagining the chemistry that would allow marks to appear only on the struck areas.
"And now, the Mock Battle begins! First up, the preliminaries! A multi-party melee divided into four blocks! The lone survivor of each block will advance to the finals!"
"Since there were some withdrawals, we have thirty-eight units total, meaning we'll see nine or ten fighting simultaneously."
In other words, a battle royale, Jin thought.
"...In a situation like that, the standard tactic is for everyone else to gang up on whoever seems the strongest."
When Jin muttered this to himself, Elsa reacted.
"That feels... like cheating."
"Ah, you could look at it that way, but this isn't a duel between knights. Since it's not a one-on-one fight to begin with, the format is simply 'last golem standing wins.'"
"...I suppose so."
Unfamiliar with such combat sports, it was only natural for Elsa to feel that way.
"You could call it a strategy—or perhaps a tactic."
"I understand the logic, but..."
She seemed to have doubts about why they would use such a method to determine who was truly the 'strongest.'
Jin could appreciate her perspective.
"True. In a battle royale, there's always the chance the strongest participant gets eliminated early."
"Exactly."
However, this was ultimately a matter of the tournament's management policy, so Jin couldn't offer much of a critique.
While they talked, the battle royale—the preliminaries—moved forward.
The fights within the circular designated areas didn't quite follow the tactical patterns Jin had predicted; instead, they devolved into chaotic brawls.
In the first group, No. 1 Stahl Ritter and No. 16 Blue Knight were the final two remaining. After a brief one-on-one duel, Blue Knight was defeated, ending the round.
In the second group, No. 2 Zaberer used its superior speed to overwhelm the other golems and finish the match quickly.
The third group ultimately came down to a duel between No. 35 Iron Warrior and No. 40 Alte Krieger.
"Oh, they haven't settled it over there yet?"
Jin watched the battle projected on the massive magi-screen with renewed interest.
Both Iron Warrior and Alte Krieger were heavy-warrior types.
However, in the records for the 500-meter run, Alte Krieger had been faster by about three seconds.
That, in itself, indicated a gap in basic performance.
"The two units remaining in Group 3 are locked in a fierce struggle!"
"This is a sight to behold, especially for a preliminary round. Neither side is yielding an inch!"
To the eyes of the announcer and the commentator, the two might have seemed evenly matched, but from Jin's vantage point, Alte Krieger still had plenty of power in reserve.
Then, Donald's Alte Krieger finally showed a glimpse of its true capability. Its speed increased by a visible notch.
Alte Krieger possessed the balance and technical precision required to convert its raw output into pure speed.
In the middle of what had looked like an equal exchange, Alte Krieger's horizontal slash caught Iron Warrior across the torso.
A vivid red streak appeared instantly.
"As expected, it was powerful! The winner of Group 3 is No. 40, Alte Krieger!"
The audience, who had been engrossed in the high-level match on the magi-screen, broke into generous applause.
Then came the fourth group—the one containing No. 41, Phantom.
Surprisingly, even though the intense battle in Group 3 had already finished, three units were still active here.
One was, of course, Phantom. The others were No. 15 and No. 29. Both were formidable golems that had ranked within the top ten in yesterday's cumulative totals.
(...I knew it.)
Jin was now certain that his suspicions from the other day were correct.
(It's prioritizing the acquisition of its opponents' techniques.)
No. 41 was holding back just enough to avoid being defeated while attempting to learn as much as possible from its opponents' fighting styles.
And just as he suspected, compared to the start of the preliminaries, No. 41's movements had changed visibly.
At first, its style had been—to put it kindly—diligent, or to put it bluntly, rigid. But as it eliminated its opponents one by one, its movements improved with startling speed.
It was as if it had suddenly learned how to handle irregular attacks.
Or perhaps it was more accurate to say it had moved beyond its programmed manual and begun to adapt.
"It really is learning."
"...Jin-nii, that golem's joint range of motion is incredibly wide."
Elsa also voiced her own observations.
"Yeah, that's for sure."
Jin began to wonder if it even had an endoskeleton.
With an endoskeleton, the range of motion for limbs is physically limited by the joint settings. It is the same for an exoskeleton.
However, it is different for a golem with a Form Drive.
It can bend at any point, and there are virtually no limits to how it moves.
However, since the standard control system doesn't have the magi-formulas to support such complex movements, the creator has to construct them from scratch.
"...It really must be that..."
Jin felt there was no longer any doubt regarding why No. 41 had used such forceful means to enter the Gonpetition.
"But the ultimate goal is still a mystery..."
Even if they had perfected a golem with a Fluid Form Drive, he couldn't see what they intended to do with it.
"It doesn't seem like they're trying to showcase it for a sale, either..."
If that were the case, they could have followed the earlier reports and sold it to Count Guarana for a fortune.
Since they had come here instead, Jin could only assume they were after something other than money.
"Maybe it's for the prestige, or perhaps..."
Just as Jin's thoughts were deepening, a thunderous cheer erupted from the stands.
No. 41, Phantom, had secured victory in the fourth group.
"Ah, it's over. Next come the finals."
"And now, the four units that will compete in the finals have been decided!"
"It's a very logical outcome. I'm certainly looking forward to this."
Erich Siflo's No. 1 Stahl Ritter, Yaruidare's No. 2 Zaberer, Donald's No. 40 Alte Krieger, and Jix's No. 41 Phantom would be the ones facing off in the finals.
However, the hour was approaching noon.
"We will now take a lunch break! The Mock Battle finals will commence in the afternoon!"
"Father, I have received a message from Laojun."
As Jin stood up from the judges' table, Reiko spoke to him in a hushed tone.
"It appears to be of very high urgency."
"Understood."
Jin pretended to head toward the restrooms, slipping into a quiet, deserted corner to contact Laojun.
Reiko kept a sharp eye on their surroundings while Elsa stood by to listen.
"Laojun, it's me. What's happened?"
"Yes, My Lord. My apologies for the interruption. Actually, there has been a minor accident just outside the venue..."
Laojun proceeded to give a concise report, explaining that the carriage involved in the collision with Vivienne and Lucol had been transporting the very same 'armor' they had been investigating.