Upon hearing Davey's remark, Duran briefly clenched his teeth, glared at him, then relaxed his expression. He was exuding confidence as if he were certain in his sluggish mind that he could not possibly lose.
"Well, I doubt I'll lose, but on the off chance I do, I, Prince Duran of the Kingdom of Pogos, will clear all debts and act as if there was no bet at all... But why even discuss this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your golem, did you even complete it? I don’t see it anywhere."
"Hmph, it's none of your concern, Prince."
"Ha! Of course not. You can't possibly have made a decent golem in just a few days!" While Davey remained silent, Duran scoffed at him without holding back. He added, "Oh, I heard there was an accident, and all your golem parts were destroyed, right? Are you thinking of surrendering? Now's the time. Spare yourself the disgrace."
At his words, Edison's expression visibly darkened. "Prince, you should've been more careful with your underhanded tactics."
"Underhanded tactics? I have no idea what you're talking about!" Duran exclaimed dramatically, prompting chuckles from some factions supporting him and causing a commotion around them.
"Even if the god of alchemy were here, it wouldn't be easy to produce something to match what we created in such a short time. It’s probably impossible."
"You can’t be too sure about that. We will see."
In response to Edison's retort, Duran shrugged, then shouted for everyone to hear, "Everyone, get ready for a treat! We will introduce a new technology this time!"
A look of curiosity appeared on everyone's faces. Some were already aware of the ongoing rivalry between Edison and Davey, so their interest was piqued by the mention of a new golem crafted by Prince Duran’s team.
"Reveal it!"
With that command, muscular slaves pulled back a curtain, unveiling a brilliantly shining, massive golem.
"Wow..."
"Incredible."
"I've never seen a design like that."
The revealed golem was a four-legged behemoth. There was no rule stating that a combat golem had to be humanoid or just a large lump.
"This golem, the Shabel Tiger, incorporates a completely new technology unlike any other battle golem. Its performance is astonishing. Would you like a demonstration?"
A prototype combat golem, the source of great pride for the current alchemical faction, made a slow and somewhat awkward entrance from the opposite side. Despite its ungainly gait, it boasted a movement system that was currently the crown jewel of the alchemy faction, making it a truly remarkable creation. Its efficiency in battle had earned it acclaim, even leading to its adoption by the Pallan Empire.
Then, abruptly, as the prototype golem menacingly raised its colossal hammer in preparation for battle, Prince Duran’s golem boldly stepped forward. This exhibition of power before the actual showdown unmistakably conveyed confidence and a hint of disdain for their adversary. Some spectators cheered Duran's audacious display of bravado, while others scowled in response. Nevertheless, a profound sense of shock soon swept through the crowd.
With a deafening crash, the four-legged Shabel Tiger golem skillfully evaded all of the prototype’s attacks, ultimately crushing it and rending its operating system apart. The swift and significant advancement in golem technology was a feat not easily achieved in such a short span. The audience was left in stunned silence, confronted by the overwhelming power differential.
"This time, my team has developed a new material," Duran declared, his words seemingly directed at Edison. "The teeth and jaw joints of the Shabel Tiger are infused with this groundbreaking substance. But that's not all; we've also incorporated a new core into the golem, the likes of which defy comparison to its predecessors."
The crowd's favor shifted unmistakably toward Prince Duran, the acknowledged expert in golem crafting, who had once again achieved a groundbreaking feat. Many found themselves enthralled by this unexpected twist of events, with top tech evaluators astounded by Prince Duran's latest creation.
"Oh! That's the core my grandfather was working on!" Tiara exclaimed furiously.
Duran simply shrugged. "The core made by your grandfather? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You thief! Did you send the burglar to the warehouse to steal the technology?!"
Tiara shouted in anger, but Duran remained nonchalant, shrugging once more. "Do you have any proof, Tiara? Without it, should we interpret your words as an attempt to tarnish my reputation and that of my team?"
"Don't jest! He's nothing but a swindler!"
"Hahahaha!"
Francis shot a glare at Prince Duran, seemingly irritated by his attitude, but Prince Duran merely scoffed at Francis, who had once humiliated him.
"What do you say, Elder Francis? As you mentioned earlier, this won't be a competition but a mere brawl."
"..."
"It appears the Elder's words were accurate! Hahahahaha!"
At the sound of that laughter, Elder Francis closed his eyes in silence.
"With this, we've made a significant contribution to the advancement of golem technology on the continent. Perhaps it's time for Advisor Edison to reveal his own creation. Of course, if you're apprehensive, you can always kneel and concede now..."
Rising slowly from his seat, Davey said, "Let's commence."
Edison nodded.
"Such a foolish and uninspiring individual, tsk tsk," Edison murmured as he retrieved a small cube from his belongings. All eyes were drawn to the palm-sized cube he had taken out.
"What's that…?"
"Is that the golem?"
"It's too diminutive for a combat unit..." Whispers grew louder as people observed the cube Edison had revealed.
The evaluators wore expressions of bewilderment. However, the moment Edison propelled that cube into the air...
Clink… Clink!
The entire hall fell into silence. Suddenly, the cube began to expand in mid-air, morphing into a colossal humanoid golem.
This was a technology from the Decepticon Fleet, not something that needed to be showcased, particularly since it had been downgraded, and there was no one capable of replicating it even if it became public knowledge. Ultimately, the focus was not on the golem's storage capabilities but its combat prowess.
A golem with a magnificent, multicolored form began to materialize, standing at approximately 4 meters tall, noticeably larger than the Shabel Tiger. Witnessing the abrupt appearance of this golem, Prince Duran frowned.
"It can't be... There's no way you made a golem in such a short time..." Duran’s incredulity was clearly reflected in his expression.
‘How was this golem completed?’ It was a question that undoubtedly crossed the minds of Prince Duran and his team.
Keeying!! Keeeeeeying!!!
Then, one of the golem's hands twisted and transformed into a gigantic saw, which began to move with a visible trail of mana.
"There's no need for us to exchange words. Allow me to introduce my creation, Doom."
In a gesture of assertion, Doom displayed its formidable mana-powered rotating saw, radiating an imposing presence in all directions.
* * *
"How... How did this happen? How did you create the golem?"
"Hm, you speak as if you were certain the golem wouldn't be completed."
Duran's face contorted at Edison's taunt.
Edison's golem was unlike the standard efficient designs. While the Shabel Tiger was a quadruped golem, Edison's creation, Doom, resembled a fearsome knight. The name 'Doom' was a word that had sprung from Rinne’s mind. Despite her petite stature, Rinne's mind was filled with aggressive and destructive terms.
"Hah...haha! Did you merely construct an empty tin can? It's a shame, but in the face of our Shabel Tiger, it's nothing." Prince Duran then turned to Edison with a smug look. "It seems you managed to create something with the Prince's assistance. Quite a rushed job. I believe your golem is weaker than ours. Furthermore, the moment you insisted on a complex human form, the battle became uninteresting, didn't it?"
"God, he talks so much! Seriously," Edison grumbled under his breath, causing Duran’s expression to contort.
"What did you just say…?"
"Enough. We don't waste time destroying precious golems here," Davey replied calmly, nodding at Edison, who walked forward. "We just need to take down the one that deserves it. Let's get started."
At Davey’s words, one of the judges overseeing the competition gestured toward the two golems.
"Only external commands are permitted. If any other external factors influence the golems during battle, it will result in disqualification," the judge carefully announced, raising his hand. "Now, show us the prowess of the two golems!"
Ding!!
As the announcement marked the start, Prince Duran shouted, "Go, Shabel Tiger! Crush that empty tin can!"
With his command, the Shabel Tiger lunged forward.
In comparison to the Decepticon, the Shabel Tiger's movements were remarkably straightforward. However, to the experts observing the battle, the Shabel Tiger appeared remarkably sophisticated.
"Amazing! Such refined motion!"
"This is revolutionary progress!"
Alongside the voices of the evaluation team, the Shabel Tiger charged toward Doom. In no time, it seemed poised to overpower Doom.
Although Edison's hastily constructed golem might have seemed formidable at first glance, most questioned its practicality in reality. Many anticipated that the Shabel Tiger, with its new material teeth, would easily dismantle Doom… At least until they witnessed Doom's next move.
"Doom, tear it apart," Edison commanded next.
As the heavily armored Shabel Tiger charged with ferocity, Davey closely observed Doom, which had assumed a stance reminiscent of a knight preparing for battle. In unison, Doom exhibited a fluid and agile movement that appeared almost impossible to achieve with a golem. Just as Shabel Tiger's attack narrowly missed its target, Doom swiftly seized its jaw, twisting it with precision and driving a mana saw into its frame.
The resulting screech of metal reverberated throughout the hall. Simultaneously, a substantial surge of mana began to emanate from Doom, initiating the process of cleaving the Shabel Tiger in twain. None had foreseen that this hastily constructed golem would emerge victorious over the golem into which Prince Duran and his team had poured their unwavering dedication. But reality unfolded in stark contrast to expectations. Even the evaluators, who had previously held Duran’s golem in high esteem, were left dumbfounded, their mouths agape in disbelief at the staggering performance unfolding before them.
With relentless force, the Shabel Tiger fought back, yet Doom remorselessly tore its body asunder. It didn't end there; Doom moved with an almost sentient grace, deftly parrying Shabel Tiger's assaults and systematically dismantling its formidable structure. The resistance of the struggling Shabel Tiger gradually waned.
While the Shabel Tiger had, until this point, dominated the prototype golem, Edison's creation was nothing short of astonishing. Witnessing the mana-powered saw in action, with dazzling sparks flying, sent shivers down Duran’s spine.
From Davey’s vantage point, both the Shabel Tiger and Doom were outmatched compared to the Decepticon Fleet. However, to the spectators, their perspective must have been markedly different.
An eerie hush descended upon the arena, akin to a sudden dousing of cold water. The one most taken aback was Duran, who had always exuded unwavering confidence in his impending victory.
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