-110- [ Kongouriki ]

"Woosh!"

The sound of a strong gust of wind rose, piercing the eardrums.

As the doll of "Moon" sped toward Rozen with incredible speed, delivering a powerful punch, the air seemed to shudder under the impact.

This strike wasn't only incredibly fast, but its force was terrifying as well.

Being struck by such an attack, not only a human body, even solid rock might be shattered.

Before coming to this world, Rozen would not have been able to dodge such an attack without relying on his summoned familiar to protect him.

However, now that Rozen had mastered the skill of "Heaven's Eye," he had already sensed Yaya's intentions before she even moved.

"Buzz!"

In an instant, disturbed air currents formed a protective shield of psychokinetic energy in front of him, shielding him from the impending attack.

"Thud!"

The powerful blow landed heavily on the "Magic Defense" shield, creating a shockwave.

Although most of the impact was absorbed by the shield, a portion still leaked through, causing Rozen to stagger back as if caught in a storm.

"What a formidable power...!"

Rozen couldn't help but be impressed.

After over a decade of training and the complete unlocking of his magical circuits, Rozen's "Magic Defense" had long surpassed its former state.

If he didn't consider the loss of magical energy, converting all his energy into a psychokinetic shield would temporarily raise his defense to a level on par with Mash's.

Currently, while Rozen didn't entirely use up his magical energy, he had elevated the hardness of "Magic Defense" to a level even intermediate Familiars wouldn't be able to shake.

He didn't expect that Yaya's strike could still affect him?

Of course, Rozen was unaware.

He was surprised, but others were even more astonished.

"To think he blocked Yaya's 'Kongouriki'...!?"

"That's amazing!"

Both Irori and Komurasaki were astonished.

Even Yaya slightly widened her eyes in surprise before her expression turned irritated, and she moved forward again, her gaze locked on Rozen.

Her speed was still astonishing.

With the help of "Heaven's Eye," Rozen had already predicted Yaya's movements in advance.

In that moment, Rozen's mind flashed with all kinds of thoughts.

Usually, it wasn't easy for a magician to defeat a Puppeteer. The puppets manipulated by Puppeteers could use magic as naturally as breathing, whereas magicians had to go through lengthy and intricate steps to use magic.

It was like a duel between two magicians—one didn't need incantations while the other did. Furthermore, the more powerful the magic, the longer the incantation needed. It was clear who had the advantage.

It was precisely because of the inconvenience magicians faced when casting spells that automatic dolls came into being. The mainstream of the era shifted towards "Automaton Magic," and the eight great tiers of magicians that remained specialized only in manipulating and supporting puppets. This showed how much of an advantage Puppeteers and their automaton dolls had.

And now, standing before Rozen was the highest level of automaton doll.

(If Yaya had a Puppeteer, I probably wouldn't stand a chance.)

Although Yaya could generate magic energy on her own, much like Servants, the more magical energy they were supplied with, the stronger their power became. Once a Puppeteer provided magical energy to Yaya, the two combined, and Yaya would surely unleash a power that ranked among the highest-tier Familiars.

If the puppeteer was a top-tier genius like Akabane Tenzen, who possessed "Puppetry Techniques" for manipulation and "Crimson Wing Formation" for amplification, Yaya's power would become even more immeasurable.

But currently, Yaya didn't have a Puppeteer.

Even if she could generate her own magical energy, her strength might not even reach half its potential due to the limited amount of magical energy available.

("A good weapon can only pose a threat when wielded by a skilled warrior.")

Similar to Servants, no matter how strong they were individually, in the hands of an incapable Master, they would be limited. They could only exhibit their true power when controlled by a capable Master, and could even become stronger under the Master's support and command.

Automaton dolls were no different; even though they were convenient and easy to manipulate, their effectiveness varied significantly depending on whether they were controlled by a skilled or unskilled Puppeteer. Currently, Yaya's abilities were extremely limited due to the absence of a Puppeteer.

Facing such an automaton doll, even if Rozen didn't summon a Familiar, he still believed...

"I can win!"

Rozen released his magical energy.

The magical energy transformed into psychokinetic energy, which in turn transformed into kinetic energy. It swept through the entire room, generating layers of air currents that surged in all directions.

Under the control of "Telekinesis," the tatami mats around Rozen began to float one by one. As if manipulated by an invisible force, they were hurled in Yaya's direction.

"Tsk...!"

Yaya couldn't help but click her tongue. However, she didn't retreat. Her body surged with magic energy, and she swung her seemingly feeble fist like a rain of blows, covering the oncoming tatami mats.

"Bang!"

The tatami mat struck by Yaya's punch immediately shattered in mid-air.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

With each of Yaya's punches, the tatami mats were shattered in quick succession, with not a single one posing a threat to her.

In a short while, all the tatami mats had been destroyed by Yaya's fists.

"Hmph!"

Only then did Yaya coldly snort, as if she were disdainful of Rozen's attack. She took a step forward and shot towards Rozen like a bullet.

Just as Yaya was about to deliver a potentially lethal blow to Rozen...

"Yaya!"

"Be careful!"

From behind Yaya, the alarmed voices of Irori and Komurasaki rang out.

"...!?"

Trusting her sisters, Yaya didn't hesitate. She immediately leaped to the side.

Almost simultaneously, countless attacks swept past the spot where Yaya had originally been, landing in empty space.

These were...

"Tatami mat fragments!?"

They were the fragments of the tatami mats shattered by Yaya's blows, still enveloped in psychokinetic energy.

These fragments not only swept past Yaya's previous position but also covered the surrounding area.

In other words, Yaya had been surrounded.

"You only realize now?"

As Rozen continued to retreat, he never ceased releasing his magical energy. A smirk formed on his face.

"Too late!"

With a single thought from Rozen, all the fragments manipulated by psychokinetic energy transformed into bullets. Like a storm, they rained down upon Yaya.

"Bang————!"

Explosive sounds reverberated throughout the area.

The fragments of tatami mats, empowered by psychokinetic energy and accelerated forcefully, exhibited astonishing power.

Yaya was instantly buried within the storm of fragments, enduring the barrage.

Judging by the momentum, even a sturdy tree might be shattered into pieces.

However...

"They all got blocked?"

Rozen couldn't help but be stunned.

He saw that Yaya had merely crossed her arms in front of her to shield herself. All the fragments fell on her body, yet not a single trace was left behind. Even her clothes remained unscathed.

Seeing this, Rozen realized.

"So this is the magic of the 'Moon' doll?"