“Start!”
The moment the signal to begin the match was given, both golems simultaneously leapt backward.
They had both likely moved to avoid a surprise attack. However, from their new positions, they immediately lunged forward again. They were now on a direct collision course.
A heavy thud, typical of clashing wooden swords, rang through the arena.
As both golems swung their blades along nearly identical trajectories, the swords crossed directly in front of their faces. They immediately locked into a contest of strength, their guards pressed tight against each other.
<Whoa! It’s a high-octane start!>
<From what I can see, they appear to be perfectly matched in strength.>
In reality, there was little difference between the power of Phantom and Alte Krieger. At most, Phantom held roughly a twenty percent advantage in raw strength.
However, there was a significant difference in weight.
Just as Jin had surmised, Phantom was somewhat lighter than Alte Krieger. In a grapple, weight was the deciding factor. The lighter combatant would inevitably be pushed back.
Of course, techniques existed to prevent being overwhelmed by weight, but Phantom had not yet learned them.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Hmm, Alte Krieger is handling this well. Or rather, Donald’s instructions are spot on.”
“Jin-nii, explain it to me?”
Jin began to explain in response to Elsa’s request, she having overheard his muttering.
“Well, when you’re pushing against someone, the frictional force between your feet and the ground is crucial.”
“Mm, I think I understand.”
It was easier to visualize when thinking about a tug-of-war rather than a push. If both sides pulled with equal force, the one with the higher frictional force would win.
“Frictional force is the product of the coefficient of friction and weight. Since the ground is the same for both, if we assume the soles of the golems' feet have the same coefficient of friction, the heavier one will have the advantage.”
“That makes sense.”
“...Now, it’s harder to do when pulling, but when pushing, if you push slightly upward from below, you can use the opponent's pressure to effectively increase your own weight.”
“Ah, I see.”
“But Phantom isn't using that technique, likely because it hasn't had the opportunity to learn it. And Phantom is definitely the lighter unit.”
＊ ＊ ＊
<An equal struggle! This is a development that keeps you on the edge of your seat!>
While swift exchanges of blows were a joy to watch, a clash of strength like this was equally captivating. The spectators clenched their fists, staring at the two golems, unwilling to blink for even a second.
Sensing it would eventually lose the struggle, Phantom suddenly leapt backward.
If a human had been in that position, their balance might have crumbled when their opponent suddenly withdrew, but Alte Krieger’s reaction was lightning fast. Realizing it would be disastrous to have its posture targeted, the golem twisted its body and jumped sideways in a somewhat forced movement.
It proved to be the correct decision.
Phantom, having pulled back, immediately charged forward again to deliver a downward strike. However, Alte Krieger was no longer there, and the blade cut through empty air.
A missed swing created an opening of its own.
Alte Krieger quickly stepped to the side and performed a horizontal sweep. Phantom blocked it with its exceptional reaction speed.
Once again, they were in a stalemate.
The only difference was that while the previous clash was high-guard against high-guard, this time Alte Krieger was sweeping horizontally while Phantom held a low-guard position.
<The previous matches were wonderful, but this is truly a final match. I am at a loss for words.>
When the commentator Tolfedest spoke with a fervent voice, the host Emsaston agreed.
<Indeed. Their abilities are perfectly matched; this is a battle truly worthy of the championship.>
The deadlock did not last long. Both golems leapt back simultaneously and settled into a standoff, glaring at each other.
＊ ＊ ＊
“I see. Both of them... no, Alte Krieger is definitely boosting its output.”
“Jin-nii, explain again, please.”
Hearing Jin mutter as if he had confirmed a theory, Elsa questioned him once more.
“Yeah, alright....Alte Krieger’s power source is likely an ether tank and an ether driver.”
It was the same type of power source that had once been used for Elena.
“...Is that a bit weak for Alte Krieger?”
Elsa offered her assessment, and Jin nodded in confirmation.
“Exactly. Its output isn't enough to keep performing peak movements continuously. That’s why it’s likely using a mana tank in conjunction with them.”
Jin explained that the golem probably stored surplus mana during its normal state and drew upon it when necessary to obtain power exceeding the ether driver’s standard output.
“So I should assume it uses full power during the grapples and stores energy during the standoffs?”
Jin nodded with satisfaction at Elsa’s insight.
“That’s exactly right. Even if I’m wrong, it’s only by a small margin.”
At that moment, the situation on the magi-screen changed. Phantom’s movements suddenly became significantly faster.
“Oh? Is Phantom boosting its output as well?”
Jin leaned forward toward the magi-screen.
“No, that’s not it. That’s... it’s cloaked in Breeze!”
It was the same technique Zaberer had used—using wind magic to assist with defense and movement. Phantom was now mimicking it.
“So it really was learning...”
Jin groaned. He had to re-evaluate the golem; its processing power was far higher than he had initially thought.
However—
“Oh!”
Alte Krieger also increased its speed even further.
“It was hiding a trump card too. As expected of Donald. That’s the pride of a former ‘Alpha’ showing through.”
From what Jin could see, there was no visible change in appearance or movement to explain the boost.
“It likely has a second, spare mana tank as a backup power source.”
“Jin-nii, isn't that a rare feature?” Elsa asked.
To her, the idea of simply adding a spare mana tank didn't seem like a particularly complex technique, yet she had never seen a golem that actually used one. Since she had never built a mana tank-type golem or automata herself, she wasn't quite sure why it was uncommon.
“Ah, there’s a reason for that. The biggest hurdle is the ‘switching.’”
“Switching?”
“Right. To put it simply, if you have two mana tanks, A and B, you need to be able to open or close the transmission paths for the mana to choose which one to use.”
“Mm.”
“Unlike electricity, mana can't be switched that easily.”
“...Ah... I see. Thank you.”
The supply of mana from a mana tank didn't travel through wires or switches. In a golem, the synchronized magical muscles and control core received the mana semi-automatically. This was the same principle that had allowed the Gigas to absorb Reiko’s mana in the past.
“For example...”
Elsa spoke while carefully considering the necessary magi-sequence.
“Assuming it can use mana from two equivalent mana tanks, A and B... if it normally uses mana from A and directs half of that to keep B charged, then only A’s mana would decrease while B remains full. Then, in an emergency, it can draw from both....How would that work?”
Jin nodded happily.
“That’s impressive, Elsa. It’s a simple but highly effective way to manage the process.”
Jin praised Elsa for devising the method on her own, using only her existing knowledge and experience.
“My Lord, please look at the screen.”
At Laojun’s voice, Jin and Elsa stopped talking and turned their attention back to the magi-screen.
There, the match had finally reached its conclusion.