The Talent Performance continued.
"Bib #5, Sireen’s Allen!"
"Oh, another outfit that looks quite easy to move in."
To Jin, the clothes looked like what he would call a "gym suit." The top and bottom were primarily white and appeared to be made of a stretchy, elastic fabric.
"Now then... begin!"
"Whoa!"
Allen bolted the moment the signal was given. But he didn't just run.
"Floor exercise?"
As Jin had suspected, Allen was performing floor exercise, one of the events in artistic gymnastics.
In standard gymnastics, the event is held on a twelve-meter square mat, but the performance arena was much larger. This allowed Allen to build up incredible speed for various maneuvers. He utilized a wide array of techniques—balancing, strength moves, handstands, rotations, and somersaults—as he zipped across the floor.
"He’s quite the showman," Stayhart remarked, sounding impressed.
The somersaults in particular showcased the high jumps and rapid rotations unique to an automata. It was a performance that was quite literally superhuman. When he finished, the audience erupted in a massive round of applause and cheers.
"Our Talent Performance is in full swing! Next up is Bib #6, Sidney’s Liddel!"
"Oh, she’s also wearing an outfit suited for gymnastics."
"I believe they’re called... leotards?" Sion wondered.
Indeed, Liddel was clad in a form-fitting orange leotard.
"Now then... start!"
"Ah, just as I thought. Floor exercise again."
As expected, Liddel followed suit with her own floor routine. One might have expected the audience to be less impressed by a repeat performance, but the routine was entirely different. Furthermore, since Liddel was a girl-type, the crowd's reaction remained enthusiastic. While Allen had captivated them with power, Liddel’s performance was defined by grace.
When she finished, she was met with applause and cheers that rivaled Allen’s.
"Next is Bib #7, Werner’s Leila!"
"Oh? Her outfit is rather... provocative."
Since Leila was an adult female-type, her figure was quite curvaceous. She was wearing an outfit that left her midriff completely exposed.
What was that called again? Right, a belly dance.
As Jin recalled the term, Leila began her performance at the starting signal. She moved with an alluring grace, undulating her hips and shifting her shoulders. While the dance was certainly seductive on the surface, Jin’s analytical eye reached a different conclusion.
Hmm. Those movements are only possible because her joints and muscles are so close to a human’s. Her control system is exceptionally well-made.
When she finished, she too received a thunderous ovation.
"Bib #8, Florence’s Clark!"
"Oh, he has a sword!"
"The regulations don't explicitly forbid the use of props."
"That’s true."
"Now then... start!"
The moment the signal sounded, Clark began to move with the blade in hand.
"A sword dance, perhaps?"
It was the perfect description for his movements. It was a valiant display; he wielded a greatsword with one hand—a weapon far too heavy for any human to swing—and made it look like a part of his own body. When he finished, the stadium was filled with the cheers of a captivated crowd.
"Bib #9, Elvis’s Cyrus!"
"Oh, he’s holding something too. Is that a musical instrument?"
"As I said before, it’s not a violation of the rules."
"That’s a string instrument."
It consisted of a boxy resonance chamber with a neck and strings—an instrument very similar to a guitar, though this one had five strings.
"...Begin!"
Cyrus gave a polite bow and began to strum. He started with a quiet, somber melody.
His fingers are moving with incredible dexterity. Impressive, Jin thought, acknowledging the automaton's skill.
The quiet piece lasted about a minute and a half before transitionining into a lively, up-tempo song. The movement of Cyrus's fingers grew increasingly frantic to match the beat.
"That’s a masterful performance."
"I really like this song," Sion added.
With just under two minutes remaining, he began his third and final piece—the most intense of them all.
A 64-beat?!
Jin was genuinely impressed by the crafting technology required to enable such transcendental technique. In this context, a 64-beat rhythm meant the performer was dividing a single measure into sixty-four distinct notes. Despite playing a guitar-like instrument, Cyrus was producing sounds that mimicked a violin.
He’s really something.
Though Jin wasn't particularly well-versed in music, he found himself honestly impressed. This performance also concluded to great acclaim.
"And now, the one to watch in this competition: Bib #10, Rubina’s Alice!"
"Oh? She’s changed from her lady’s maid uniform into a dress."
"Though it seems she’s stuck with the blue color scheme."
"Now then... begin!"
"Oh!?"
Alice began to dance while humming a gentle melody. Her dark brown hair, which reached down to her back, swayed gracefully with every movement.
"Is this... the kind of dance performed at parties?"
It was what would be called ballroom dancing in modern Japan. Alice was performing a style that usually required a partner, yet she was dancing alone. And yet, she wasn't just spinning in place.
"...It’s as if you can actually see her partner."
Indeed, Alice moved exactly as if there were someone there leading her.
"I wonder how she’s doing that," Sion murmured.
Stayhart was the one to offer an explanation.
"In moments where a partner would normally be supporting her weight, she is likely using magi-craft to adhere the soles of her shoes to the floor."
"The use of magic isn't prohibited, after all."
The assessment was spot-on. The dance, which relied on such perfect balance and control, was nothing short of magnificent.
"That tomboy Rubina actually produced a dance this elegant..." Sion remarked with the pride of a distant relative.
Five minutes passed, and the performance came to an end. As Alice finished with a graceful curtsy, a roar of applause and cheers erupted, powerful enough to make the entire stadium tremble.
A satisfied smile played across Rubina's lips—the look of someone who knew she had given it her all.