What?!
Not just Charlotte, but even Suigintou and Shinku looked startled.
"Alice, are you saying... you want to fight right here?" She glanced around doubtfully.
The Western-style house was filled with birdsong and the scent of flowers. Outside, the downtown streets were bustling with people, groups of students from some of the world's top magical academies walking together.
Charlotte stared at Alice in disbelief. If a fight broke out here and they got caught, their lives would be over, wouldn't they?
"Not here." A hint of anticipation tugged at Alice's lips as she looked at Suigintou and the others.
"The N-Field. We can use that, right?"
The two dolls exchanged a glance, thrown off by this sudden turn of events.
How did things escalate to a fight so quickly?
After a moment of silence, Suigintou was the first to speak. "Of course we can use it. But Alice... are you serious?"
Alice probably suggested the fight to gauge their magical energy consumption.
In that case... she probably wouldn't use that eye of hers, right? After all, just being seen by it would mean it's over.
As long as they kept Alice from using any other magecraft, victory was within reach.
A confident smile spread across Suigintou's face.
"Naturally."
Alice casually waved a hand, and a tall mirror appeared beside them.
This was the Second Ticket, which had usually been kept in Alice's room.
"Hehehe... well then, bring it on!" A rapier materialized in Suigintou's hand. She pointed it at Alice with a haughty smirk. "I'll show you the power of the Rozen Maiden."
For once, Shinku found themselves agreeing with Suigintou's decision.
After everything—Alice's dismissal of the Alice Game, her treating them like children—it was time to let Alice understand the strength of the Rozen Maidens.
"Um..." Charlotte, looking a bit lost, timidly raised her hand. "What's the N-Field?"
--+--
The pitch-black night.
Silver moonlight filtered through the clouds, quietly illuminating the extravagant, dazzling carousel at the entrance.
It was an abandoned amusement park.
The N-Field was inherently diverse, but perhaps because of the Second Ticket, Alice and the others found themselves in an amusement park.
An exquisitely classical bridge arched over the river that cut through the park. A roller coaster, coiled like a giant serpent, enclosed the entire grounds. A towering Ferris wheel stood like a giant at its heart.
It should have been a place of laughter and joy, but the derelict scenery and the silence of the night made it exceptionally eerie.
An excited Suigintou led the way ahead.
"This really is a suitable stage," Alice murmured, running her hand over the entrance turnstile.
Charlotte wandered around curiously, giving the carousel a push, poking at the gingerbread men by the path.
She laughed happily, like a child.
After Alice and the others briefly explained the N-Field to her, she had eagerly jumped right in.
There was a large empty space under the Ferris wheel.
The group stopped here.
Suigintou brandished her rapier, brimming with excitement.
Last time, Alice had completely shut her down. This time, she was determined to wipe away that disgrace.
Why was she so worked up?
The others also readied their canes, glancing at Suigintou with some puzzlement.
Alice patted Charlotte, who looked ready to charge up the Ferris wheel, signaling her to calm down a little. Then she turned her gaze to the two dolls.
"We fight at full strength until I call a stop, or until a victor is decided. Suigintou and the others will be one team. Charlotte and I will be the other."
"Huh?" Charlotte pointed at herself. "I'm fighting too?"
"Of course." Alice nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "It's a perfect chance for me to see Sigmund in action as well."
"Well, in that case, don't blink." Charlotte was stunned for a second, then a similarly excited grin spread across her face.
"Sigmund!"
The small dragon spiraled up from Charlotte's head.
"As you command."
The next moment, Sigmund let out a powerful roar.
A black mist enveloped him. His body began to swell, stout arms, claws, and wings emerging from the swirling darkness.
Soon, the mist dissipated, revealing a massive dragon now hovering in the air.
It wasn't just a simple increase in size; his very visage had changed.
His once somewhat gentle eyes were now sharp and severe. His build had become burly, his limbs and wings more angular and defined.
As the mist cleared, Sigmund threw open his massive jaws, and a high, resonant roar erupted from within.
A violent gust of wind swept over everything around them, making the surrounding amusement park fixtures clatter and bang.
The dragon's unfurled form brought with it an unparalleled sense of pressure.
Has his mass increased?
Ignoring Robin, who was screaming 'Help!' as he was swept away by the wind, Alice watched the hovering Sigmund with keen interest.
Then she slowly lowered her hand.
"Well then... let's begin."
As the words left her lips, Alice altered the somewhat restricted magical energy supply she usually maintained.
She began channeling mana at full power into Suigintou and Shinku.
Visible light suddenly erupted from Suigintou and Shinku's bodies.
The magical energy consumption was a bit high, but it was completely manageable.
Alice continued the infusion of power.
Crimson and silver light shot into the sky, scattering the thick black clouds and revealing the crescent moon hidden behind them.
Feeling this surge of power, the two dolls grew excited.
Even the others spun their cane expertly, while Suigintou shot forward directly to face Sigmund.
"Alice, I'm starting to like you more and more." With a haughty laugh, Suigintou elegantly spread her wings. "Allow me to defeat you beneath this beautiful crescent moon."
Suigintou's aerial position seemed to put pressure on Sigmund. He roared and beat his wings. "Charlotte!"
"Go all out, Sigmund!" Charlotte splayed her fingers, mana flowing into Sigmund's body. "Don't cry when you lose, Suigintou."
"Look who's talking!" Suigintou snapped her wings open, swiftly flying above Sigmund, while calling back to Shinku without turning her head. "Don't let Alice use her magecraft!"
"Photon Cannon!"
As Charlotte's spirited shout rang out, Sigmund lifted his head to target Suigintou. Blue lines traced their way up his neck, like a laser weapon charging up.
The surroundings abruptly darkened, a deep gloom enveloping everything around the giant dragon.
Countless black feathers swarmed, wrapping Sigmund into a massive cocoon.
The feathers quivered violently, slicing into what they enveloped.
But the top of the cocoon suddenly began to glow.
An intense beam of light erupted from Sigmund's maw, piercing through the black feathers and shooting straight into the sky.
The brilliant flash was intense enough to sear retinas, the white-gold radiance utterly unstoppable.
It annihilated even the air in its path, creating a fierce wind that sucked inward.
Where the beam met the black feathers, it was as if candy were melting, the smooth, cleaved cross-section leaving a chilling sight.
Sigmund stood within the cocoon, like a dragon breaking from its shell.
He immediately beat his wings, sending the surrounding black feathers scattering, and swiped a claw toward Suigintou above him.
Facing the dragon's aerial assault, Suigintou's smile didn't fade. She swung her rapier and met it head-on.
BOOM—
The air around them shook violently as the rapier and dragon claw collided with tremendous force. The massive dragon was actually forced back several steps.
Charlotte, watching from a distance, stared with wide, astonished eyes.
The black feathers gathered again. This time, they didn't rush at Sigmund, but converged on the wings behind Suigintou.
In the next instant, Suigintou vanished from Sigmund's sight.
Sigmund's pupils constricted sharply. His instincts screamed of a powerful attack coming from behind.
Too late to dodge.
Sigmund whipped around, lashing out with his tail.
"So slow." A pleasant, girlish voice sounded right behind Sigmund's ear.
BANG—
A sonic boom cracked the air as the flat of the rapier slammed against the back of his head.
The massive draconian form was sent flying a considerable distance.
Sigmund frantically shook his head, trying to reorient himself.
Suigintou sat cross-legged in mid-air, black feathers swirling around her like subjects honoring their queen. A slender finger tapped her smiling lips. "You... aren't very good at defense, are you?"
Sigmund's 'Magic Sword' was tremendously powerful. No one could defend against it head-on.
Conversely, however, Sigmund's defensive capabilities were lacking. If one could quickly destroy his Magic Circuits, the 'Magic Sword' would cease to be a threat.
A look of grim determination settled in Charlotte's eyes as she channeled more mana into Sigmund.
The great dragon opened his jaws wide again, the 'Magic Sword' ready to fire.
Just then, a few flower petals drifted down, landing on the smooth skin of Charlotte's neck.
She flinched violently, spinning around.
Shinku was descending from the air.
Like a princess from a fairy tale, accompanied by a shower of flower petals, the others landed gracefully right in front of Alice and Charlotte.
Facing the others' sudden appearance, Alice unhurriedly took out a bell.
It was the Glass Cat, darker than the night itself.
And then, she released her fingers from the cat's bell.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.