The recoil from Manon's kick sent her tumbling backward, dragging the combat golem captured from the Norha Principality down with her as it held her in the full nelson.
Because the golem lacked flexibility in its joints, it was forced to use its arms to push itself back up, meaning it had to release at least one arm from around Manon.
Seizing that split-second opening, Manon slipped free.
Attempting to recapture her the moment it got up, the Norha Golem lunged to wrap its arms around her from behind, but Manon was already gone.
She had ducked between the Norha Golem's legs and slipped right behind it.
Then, as naturally as breathing, she delivered a full-powered flying kick straight into its wide-open back.
A deafening roar erupted as though lightning had struck, and the Norha Golem was literally blown away.
Given that the lightweight Manon was knocked back ten meters by the recoil alone, one could only imagine the sheer force of the blow.
The Norha Golem crashed into the dirt, its back caved in by a good ten centimeters, showing no sign of ever moving again.
Meanwhile, having gained distance from the backward leap, Manon shifted her sights to the foreign-purchased combat golem closer to her.
(This one is likely manufactured in the Shouro Empire. In that case, standard Shouro martial techniques might not be very effective.)
With that in mind, Manon adjusted her approach from speed-plus-technique to speed-plus-power.
She charged straight at the foreign golem, dodging laterally at the very last instant before collision.
Catching the golem's arm as she slipped past, she used its forward momentum to swing it around.
"Whoaaa!"
The onlookers roared in excitement at the sight of the petite Manon effortlessly swinging the massive golem through the air.
Two rotations, three, four... Once she had built up maximum centrifugal force, Manon let go.
The foreign golem hurtled through the air—directly toward the Jagus Principality's combat golem.
An instant later, a thunderous crash and a shower of sparks filled the arena. The impact between the two golems was violent enough to make everyone in the audience clamp their hands over their ears.
When the dust settled, the foreign golem had lost its right arm, its left leg crushed beneath it. The Jagus Golem, on the other hand, seemed to have weathered the brunt of the collision and slowly pushed itself back up.
The crowd erupted into cheers once more.
At last, it was down to a one-on-one duel between Manon and the Jagus Golem.
(Through this battle, I have gained a clear sense of its capabilities. Since there is no need to make this look like a narrow victory, I might as well get a bit more serious.)
To instill true awe for the Magi Craft Meister and make them desperate to meet him, Manon decided to secure an overwhelming, decisive triumph.
"Here I come!"
Kicking off the ground, Manon closed the distance at more than twice her previous speed.
Carrying that momentum, she drove a straight right punch directly into its abdomen.
With a heavy, dull thud, the Jagus Golem's abdominal plating caved in, stamped with the shape of her fist.
(That should severely restrict the movement of its waist joint.)
Pulling back her right fist, Manon reached out with her left and seized the Jagus Golem's right arm.
Without missing a beat, she spun her entire body.
Unable to endure the torsional stress, the golem's elbow joint snapped cleanly out of place.
With that, the Jagus Golem's right arm was rendered completely useless.
(...Still no signal to end the sham fight, I see...)
Though she could not fathom what the Duke was waiting for, Manon deduced that the bout had to continue and pressed her advantage.
She hurled the severed right arm still in her grip straight back at its original owner with all her strength.
The collision of two identical materials rang out with a deafening clang.
The thrown arm shattered on impact, leaving a noticeable dent in the Jagus Golem's chest.
(Time to finish this!)
Manon had no desire to needlessly toy with an opponent.
Just as she stepped back to create space for the decisive blow—
"!"
Her balance suddenly wavered.
The Norha Golem, which had seemed completely incapacitated, came charging straight at her.
(How persistent!)
She managed to dodge, but the momentary distraction allowed the Jagus Golem to seize her right arm.
With Manon's balance compromised, the Jagus Golem hoisted and hurled her through the air with its lone left arm. No matter the difference in output, raw mass could not simply be ignored.
(Though it is hardly worth deploying the barrier projector for this.)
Having been tossed roughly four meters up, Manon composed herself midair and landed with total grace.
The instant her feet touched the ground, she sprang forward, driving a full-body tackle into the Jagus Golem before it could even register her movement.
Knowing that a purely horizontal strike would favor the heavier opponent, she drove her tackle upward at an angle.
The angle lifted the golem off its balance while pressing Manon firmly into the earth, completely neutralizing the weight disparity.
With a deep, resonant boom, the Jagus Golem toppled backward.
Manon's impact had evidently shattered the Plate or the Link Board inside its chassis; it never stood back up.
Stepping away from the fallen Jagus Golem, Manon looked around for the Norha Golem that had just ambushed her.
However, that desperate charge had clearly been its last dying effort; it lay collapsed on the ground, entirely motionless.
"T-That is enough! The victor is Manon!"
Under Manon's calm gaze, the royal ritter serving as referee finally called an end to the match.
A ripple of stunned murmurs ran through the gathered crowd.
Before long, the murmurs swelled into genuine applause and cheers.
Given the small audience, it could hardly be called a deafening ovation, but after offering a polite bow to the spectators, Manon made her way back to Gajue Tsuga and the others.
"Well done, Manon."
"Thank you. Did that meet your expectations?"
"More than enough. It was magnificent. How are you holding up? No damage to your frame?"
Gajue Tsuga praised her warmly, checking on her condition.
"Yes, I am perfectly fine. Not a single issue."
As they spoke, Duke Niestro Kirilo Jagus and Chancellor Beyax Geer approached them.
"That was truly magnificent, Manon-dono."
"I am thoroughly impressed, Manon."
"I apologize for the unrefined display."
Since she was not wearing a skirt, Manon gave an elegant imitation of a curtsy, lightly pinching the sides of her outfit as she bowed.
"I have witnessed the peerless craft of the Magi Craft Meister with my own eyes today....When the opportunity arises, I would very much like to meet him in person."
Hearing the Duke use such unusually respectful phrasing, the Chancellor looked momentarily taken aback.
The Duke paid him no mind, pressing on.
"Gajue Tsuga-dono. I formally request that the delegation dispatched by this 'World Conference' of yours includes the Magi Craft Meister."
"Y-Yes, we will do everything in our power to accommodate that."
"Good."
Duke Niestro Kirilo Jagus offered a broad grin.
Gajue Tsuga had his head respectfully lowered and missed it, but Fione Fias, standing just a few paces back, would later recall that the Duke's smile had struck her as unmistakably sinister.
Without any awkward demands to hand over Manon, the airship carrying Gajue Tsuga and his mission was already cruising on its return voyage by early afternoon.
"I'd say that was a reasonable success."
Gajue Tsuga let out a sigh of relief.
"This should make the official goodwill mission from the World Conference much smoother to coordinate," Fione Fias agreed.
Gaining a clear picture of the internal state of the Four Principalities was an invaluable breakthrough.
"The only remaining concern is Jin-dono."
Though Gajue Tsuga had promised to do his best, he was quietly fretting over what they would do if Jin turned down the request.
"I believe you need not worry. Jin-sama is not the sort of person to coldly dismiss such an invitation," Manon said, offering reassurance.
"And if the worst comes to pass, couldn't we ask Deus Ex Machina-dono instead?" Fione Fias suggested, easing Gajue Tsuga's worries further.
"You're right. There is no use fretting over uncertainties so far ahead. For now, let's just celebrate the success of our mission."
"Understood."
Carrying the delegation home, the airship cruised onward at top speed.
The afternoon sky stretched out in vivid blue, dotted here and there with fluffy puffs of cotton-white clouds drifting serenely by.