The two Full-Armor Warriors were not only extremely agile, but also achieved a 100% synchronization rate. Rorschach’s first instinct was that it was a waste of talent for the two guys inside those tin cans not to be piloting a Pacific Rim Jaeger.

They advanced step by step, their design incredibly cool. The tall, fully-enclosed armor exuded a sense of pressure on its own. Exposed Magic Circuits shone with blue light, like magical or even sci-fi light strips outlining their forms, and their capes fluttered in the gentle breeze over the water.

’So cool!’ Rorschach said to himself, while Andre blurted it out loud.

All the older mages wore smug expressions—they knew everyone would think it was cool.

"Rorschach, I hear you’re quite the fighter?"

’Not only can I fight, but I’ve got connections. Ever heard of the Royal Magic Academy?’ Rorschach wanted to say, but he had to be modest. "Not at all, not at all. Who’s been spreading such baseless rumors..."

"Master Kano..."

"That was just Master Kano’s way of encouraging me and expressing his high hopes. Besides, we Mages don’t compete based on who has a higher power level, right?"

"Rorschach, you change your tune faster than flipping through a book!" Snow clicked his tongue in amazement. "Andre, you should learn from your teacher."

"Yes, sir!"

’Yes, my ass!’

"We asked you to stay today, Rorschach Mage, to ask for a favor. We need to test these two." Snow flicked a finger against one of the Full-Armor Warriors, producing a dull THUD.

’Empty?’ Rorschach realized there was probably no one inside. He activated his [Arcane Vision]. The two figures before him instantly transformed into "little golden men," nearly blinding him with their brilliance.

Everyone returned to the large tent. The tables, chairs, and plates from the banquet had been cleared away, leaving plenty of open space.

The two Armored Warriors removed their helmets. They were completely empty inside; the internal structure was made entirely of Magic Circuits. When Rorschach tried to get a better look, the warrior immediately knelt down, revealing its inner workings.

Inside were simple mechanical structures like springs and connecting rods, but it was mostly Magic Circuits that corresponded to the "light strips" on the surface. In its chest was a furnace-like structure, fueled by the familiar Blue Crystals.

"Originally, this Alchemy Armor could only operate under the light of the Starlight Torch Tower. But with the Transmuting Dust you refined as a power source, Rorschach, their operational range has increased dramatically," Snow patted the armor happily.

’Just how many functions have you guys crammed into the Starlight Torch Tower?’ Rorschach was speechless. ’And what happened to it being a birthday gift for Charles XVI?’

"But our ambitions don’t stop there!"

The head of the Alchemy Department snapped his fingers. A massive blueprint was rolled out. The design was basically the same as the current human-sized armor, but Rorschach noticed the unit of measurement seemed a bit off.

"Eighteen... meters?"

’Holy crap! You’re trying to build a Gundam!’

There was something else familiar in the blueprint. Rorschach saw its structure, and if he wasn’t mistaken... "You’re going to put a Transmutation Dust Extractor inside its chest plate?"

Master Snow gave a roguish grin and spread his arms wide. "Rorschach Mage, don’t you think this tent is a bit excessive for our previous experiments? And there was no need to come all the way out of the city, right?"

’You... Is this how the Alchemy Department squanders its budget? Don’t you know the entire Kingdom is in dire straits and desperate for money?’

Rorschach was profoundly shocked. "Does Master Kano know you’re doing this..."

"Shh! Rorschach Mage, now that you and young Andre have seen our secret project, you’re in the same boat as us. We finished the task assigned by the Master ahead of schedule. What’s wrong with using the funds we skillfully saved to have a little fun?"

’No, no, no,’ Rorschach thought, looking at the Armored Warrior that had already stood up and put its head back on. ’You guys must have been planning and working on this for a long time.’

"We’ve heard you have a good deal of practical combat experience. So, before we build the ultimate model, we’d like you to fight the smaller version and help us identify any problems."

Rorschach was quite interested. It wasn’t his money they were burning, after all. "A fight, huh? Are there any rules? Also, I’d like more information on this creation."

"We’re not concerned with winning or losing, just collecting data and running tests. So, no rules. Feel free to do whatever you want. As for the information on Alchemy Armor Unit Two..."

One of the mages stepped forward to explain, "The outer shell is made of Fine Steel. The joints have been optimized to be waterproof and dustproof. The entire body is fire-resistant and frost-resistant. The internal drive and inscribed circuits use a large amount of Mithril, and the Power Furnace at its core is made of pure Mithril."

"It consumes 328 grams of Dulled Transmuting Dust per hour. Currently, without activating its Shield or casting Magic, it has an operational time of six hours. Its standard weapon is a 12-kilogram Fine Steel Greatsword, and there’s reserved space for installing additional combat modules..."

Listening from the side, Andre’s scalp tingled. "It’s that powerful? Will Teacher be in danger?"

Before Rorschach could express how much his student was underestimating him, the mage from the Alchemy Department quickly added, "No worries. The fight can be stopped at any time. Rorschach Mage, you just have to call it."

Rorschach nodded.

A temporary arena was set up. More importantly, Snow and five other Mages worked together to erect a hemispherical Shield, leaving ample combat space for both sides. One suit of armor was inside, while the other remained outside for adjustments.

"Rorschach Mage, are you ready?"

Rorschach looked at his opponent, which had already taken a stance, the sharp edge of its Great Sword pointed right at him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that its movements were too fluid and human-like for a simple Alchemy Puppet. It felt like it was being controlled by someone.

"Ready."

"Three, two... Go!"

’Didn’t you forget a number?’ Rorschach was still complaining internally as the Armored Warrior powered forward, its blade rushing toward his face. Rorschach dodged to the side while simultaneously protecting himself with a giant [Mage’s Hand], blocking the slash.

The strength of both sides exceeded their expectations. Rorschach suddenly felt a drain on his energy; just to block a single physical strike, he had been forced to push the amount of Magic Power he was controlling to its instantaneous limit.

The Armored Warrior, for its part, hadn’t expected Rorschach to block with some freakish [Mage’s Hand] instead of a Shield. In Snow’s [Arcane Vision], Rorschach’s hand was as big as his entire body.

’I need to restrict its movement...’ Rorschach found its agility was too high. He thought of the [Magnetic Technique] he had developed some time ago. A rapidly changing electric field erupted, and small, snake-like currents slithered across the armor’s surface.

"It’s no use, Rorschach Mage. Forgot to tell you, it’s also anti-static."

’If you were a smartphone, that would be pretty impressive...’ Rorschach saw the armor’s circuits flash; a Protective Array must have activated. But, just as he’d expected, the so-called "Fine Steel" wasn’t an alloy but a carbon steel.

Magnetization successful. Under the electric field Rorschach deliberately controlled, the various parts of the armor began to repel or attract one another. The electromagnetic force was immense, and the warrior’s movements became sluggish and distorted.

Rorschach cast an Enchantment on himself. Propelled by [Floating Skill] and [Feather Fall Skill], he fired [Rorschach’s Air Cannon] from both hands simultaneously to fly up, putting distance between himself and the warrior on the z-axis.

"We really do need to account for flying enemies..." Snow nodded, having received useful feedback.

’If you guys can make an 18-meter one fly, you really will have built a Gundam.’

He fired a [Molten Beam]. At first, the warrior intended to tank the hit, but when it noticed signs of the armor glowing red-hot and softening, it quickly projected a blue Shield. Rorschach hadn’t expected it to be able to cast magic; he fired another beam, shattering the barrier.

However, the high temperature also successfully demagnetized the armor. When the next Molten Beam came, the armor actually started doing barrel rolls to dodge.

’Is this being controlled with a controller or a keyboard and mouse?’ Rorschach had a strong sense of déjà vu.

Immediately after, he noticed Snow giving some kind of command to the warrior. After receiving the instruction, the warrior stopped rolling and raised its sword with both hands again. The Great Sword began to glow with a dangerous, incandescent light.

He unleashed a [Magic Roar]. It had no effect on the warrior; the white light on the sword flickered for a moment before continuing to gather.

’It seems it’s not drawing on the Ether from the environment, but consuming the Magic Power from the Transmuting Dust.’

"Its strongest attack is coming, Rorschach Mage! Show us what you’ve really got!"

"You’re the one who said it!" Rorschach, hovering in the air, saw Snow’s gloating expression. He gritted his teeth and began to charge his own attack.

But Rorschach was one step faster.

Great Splitting Technique!