The black-haired man in the mask walked with steady, measured steps along the path, two young girls following closely behind him.
The spacing between the girls' steps and the sway of their arms was perfectly synchronized, as if they were marionettes on strings—no, they were dolls.
The girl-dolls wore beautiful black dresses trimmed with lace, yet their lovely faces were veiled by short black cloths, tempting one to sneak a peek beneath.
"That's Magnus," Charlotte whispered into Alice's ear, watching the approaching figure.
"A genius outstanding in both skill and magical energy, with the highest overall grades in the academy's history."
"A one-man force, capable of operating six automata simultaneously."
"He's widely considered the closest to claiming the title of 'Demon King'."
As Magnus drew nearer, students ahead of him hastily scrambled to both sides of the path.
The once bustling walkway cleared in an instant.
What impressive crowd control.
Alice, facing the path the students had yielded, stepped forward without hesitation.
Walking through the campus with Charlotte earlier had a similar effect, but it wasn't this pronounced.
She had no intention of moving aside like the others, nor of halting her steps for Magnus.
The current Magnus simply didn't interest her.
Charlotte and the dolls followed Alice, resuming their lively chatter as if nothing was amiss.
Robin fluttered his wings and took to the air, blue feathers shimmering with an almost dreamlike radiance in the sunlight.
His sharp senses told him something was about to happen, so he flew off to a distance, eager to enjoy the coming spectacle.
Charlotte glanced at the dolls flanking Magnus and continued whispering to Alice.
"Each of his six automata, individually, can match automata controlled by ordinary students, even while he's operating all six simultaneously."
"Their Magic Circuits have never been revealed; he's won all his previous battles without even using them."
"But his dolls share a common trait: they're stealthy and incredibly fast."
As the distance between the two groups narrowed, Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest, a hint of defiance in her gesture.
"His dolls are highly vigilant. They'll strike at the slightest hint of movement from anyone getting too close."
Her cheeks puffed out slightly. "Last time, just because Sigmund flew a bit too close, they swatted him right out of the sky."
Sigmund, rubbing his stomach, nodded grimly, his expression darkening at the memory.
"Have you ever fought him?" Alice stroked Kirakishou, perched on her shoulder, and looked curiously at Charlotte.
Given Charlotte's personality, if Sigmund had been wronged, she surely would've sought payback.
"No." Charlotte's face fell. "We've already experienced firsthand what happens when you face a fast enemy."
Hearing this, Sigmund's expression soured even further, and he slumped dejectedly onto Charlotte's head.
Suigintou, however, let out a light laugh, her small case swinging in her hand.
Charlotte sighed helplessly. While Sigmund's defense wasn't a pressing concern for now, their inability to hit a swift opponent remained an unsolved problem.
She trudged along despondently, but then her head snapped up as if she'd remembered something.
Come to think of it, back when she was alone, she couldn't avenge the slight against Sigmund.
But now Alice was by her side. So...
A slight smile touched Charlotte's lips, and she said excitedly, "Alice, I want to test his strength."
Alice looked at her, puzzled. "Then go ahead. Why ask me?"
Under Alice's gaze, Charlotte flushed slightly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "It's just... if I can't beat him, will you help me~?"
So that was it. Looking for backup.
Well, why not? It would be a good chance to see this so-called strongest student's methods.
"Fine," Alice said, shooting Charlotte a slightly disdainful glance.
Hearing this, Charlotte instantly straightened up, chest puffed out with confidence, her head held high.
She quickened her pace slightly, moving ahead of Alice.
While they were analyzing Magnus, he too was observing the girls ahead.
The golden-haired one seemed to be the Tyrant Rex, ranked No.6 on the Night Party.
His gaze slowly shifted to Alice.
This one... a student he hadn't seen before. A newcomer?
But she's with the Tyrant Rex, who's always operated alone...
No matter. It's of no concern to me.
Magnus didn't pay the girls much mind; in fact, he was rather accustomed to such things.
As the top student of the academy, he often received unwanted attention and challenges from presumptuous students.
However, thanks to his swift and decisive methods, the ones foolish enough to seek him out had largely disappeared.
It was the start of the new term, so it was only normal for new students to try their luck.
If they dared to make a move, he'd simply teach them a minor lesson.
His pace unchanged, Magnus fixed his eyes on Charlotte.
The Tyrant Rex's 'Cursed Sword' was powerful, but cumbersome—it posed no real threat.
As for the girl beside her, her background was unknown, but she emitted no magical fluctuations whatsoever, so there was no need to...
No magical fluctuations?
Magnus frowned slightly. To rise to the top in this academy, his abilities had already reached the pinnacle of what a magus could achieve.
It was a state known as 'Mind's Eye'.
He could perceive every minute detail of his surroundings with crystal clarity.
Yet, from that girl, he could sense no magic at all. Not just magic—he couldn't detect any presence from her.
His expression grew more serious, but before he could ponder it further—
In the next instant, Charlotte raised her hand.
Before she could even complete the motion, six dolls instantly materialized around her.
Dolls with hair and eyes of varied colors, each radiating their own unique aura, surrounded Charlotte and Alice.
Some stood in front, others crouched slightly.
Their figures differed, but they shared one commonality: weapons were in their hands. Spears, scythes, short swords—an assortment of arms now held ready.
Facing these dolls that had appeared from nowhere, Alice narrowed her eyes slightly.
Spatial Manipulation?
But the moment the One-Man Force's dolls prepared to strike, they found their limbs frozen.
Looking down, they saw white thorns—which had appeared without warning—tightly binding their arms and legs.
The thorns bloomed from Kirakishou, who sat on Alice's shoulder, watching the surrounding dolls with an innocent smile.
Simultaneously, a crushing pressure slammed down, pinning all six dolls of the One-Man Force firmly to the ground.
Before Magnus could even react, a shower of black feathers blotted out his entire field of vision.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.