-130- Become your doll

"*Huff* *Huff* *Huff*..."

Rapid breathing caused Yaya to struggle for air, sweat trickling down her forehead, dampening her beautiful black hair.

Rozen looked at Yaya, who had suddenly appeared, his eyes filled with astonishment.

Not just Rozen, even Akabane Tenzen was taken aback by Yaya's arrival, evident from the tension in his eyes.

With Akabane Tenzen's abilities and his puppeteer skills that could create banned doll, he should easily discern it, right?

"Automaton..."

Akabane Tenzen easily saw through Yaya's identity.

And because of this, he couldn't divert his gaze away from her.

"Such a lifelike automaton..."

Where did it come from?

Akabane Tenzen fell into contemplation.

As a result, Yaya found herself unable to say anything.

"Ugh..."

Her sluggish body almost caused Yaya to collapse onto her knees, sitting on the ground.

If Yaya hadn't been struggling to support herself, she might have even fainted, right?

There was no way around it.

"Magic..."

It had been drained almost completely.

Unlike Rozen, who had flown here riding on his familiar, Yaya had sprinted here on her own two feet.

For that reason, Yaya had almost depleted her magical energy, boosting her physical abilities to the maximum she could achieve. It was just enough to barely catch up during the most crucial moment.

However, that last strike had drained Yaya's magical energy entirely.

Without magical energy to sustain her, even a banned doll would cease to function.

Thus, Yaya's reactions were sluggish, and she felt as if she might lose consciousness at any moment.

Looking at Yaya who seems like she was going to collapse, even Rozen's reactions were delayed.

"Why... Why are you here!?"

Rozen voiced his astonishment.

In response, Yaya felt an urge to laugh.

Truthfully, Yaya didn't even know why she had immediately followed after Rozen when she saw him leaving.

Yaya only knew...

"Without Yaya, you would have been dead just now, foolish human."

Yaya could only muster this sentence with great effort.

"You..."

Rozen was rendered speechless, staring at Yaya standing in front of him, despite her almost collapsing. Turmoil surged within him.

At this moment, Akabane Tenzen made a new move as well.

"Come back, Hotaru."

With Akabane Tenzen's command, Hotaru obediently leaped and positioned herself in front of him.

Akabane Tenzen looked past Hotaru, directing his gaze at Rozen and Yaya.

"I'm truly surprised," Akabane Tenzen said, "It seems you've made quite a harvest at Karyusai."

Evidently, Akabane Tenzen had already guessed Yaya's identity.

"If it's Karyusai's work combined with your abilities, it should give me a pleasant surprise." Akabane Tenzen said expressionlessly, "Let me see, the creation of the world's finest automaton, compared to my creations, who is truly superior."

With that, Akabane Tenzen released his magical energy.

The girls beside him all began moving, forming a formation to protect Akabane Tenzen within.

Observing this scene, Rozen almost instinctively boosted his magical energy, preparing for battle.

Then...

"Give me your magical energy!"

Struggling to support herself, Yaya's voice reached Rozen's ears from behind.

"Please give Yaya your magical energy!"

The meaning behind this phrase required no explanation.

"Just this once, let Yaya become your doll!"

Yaya declared her decision.

Rozen could only stare at Yaya.

Finally, a faint smile crept onto his lips.

"Are you sure you won't regret this?"

That was all Rozen could say.

Yaya replied in kind.

"Yaya has a name, and it's not 'you.'"

As before, Yaya offered this response.

"Alright, Yaya."

Rozen formed a hand seal.

"Let's go!"

"Understood!"

Thus, the world's greatest doll and the world's greatest puppeteer joined forces at last.

"Go, Hotaru!"

Akabane Tenzen infused all the refined magical energy into Hotaru's body, causing her to burst into a scorching gust, like a mass of flames, hurtling forward.

The speed was far faster than Yaya had previously demonstrated in front of Rozen.

However, that was the past.

"Buzz!"

As the air vibrated, Rozen transformed his immense magical energy into a stream of light, infusing Yaya's body. Suddenly, Yaya's entire being radiated a terrifying aura.

A previously unprecedented surge of power erupted from within Yaya, filling her body completely.

"Ah..."

Yaya's voice carried a trace of trance, as if her whole being had been filled to the brim.

By the time she reacted, Yaya had already rushed forward.

"Boom!"

The ground beneath her feet cracked and formed a pit as she stomped it.

"Boom!"

The burning flames that lined her charge were extinguished by the swift winds created by her movement, disappearing entirely.

Yaya moved at an astonishing speed, closing in on Hotaru and appearing before her.

"...!?"

Only then did Hotaru react, but she couldn't stop her forward motion in time. She could only release a charged palm strike that surged towards Yaya.

Confronted with this strike carrying scorching heat, Yaya showed no fear. She concentrated the power coursing through her body into her arm, clenching it into a fist.

"Boom——!"

The fists and palms collided, generating a deafening sound and a surging shockwave.

In an instant, the scales of victory tipped decisively in one direction.

"Haa!"

Yaya let out a spirited cry as her body erupted with power.

"Thud!"

Rendered powerless by the formidable force, Hotaru was sent flying without the ability to retaliate. She scraped through the air, the sharp sound of her passage ending as she flew back faster than when she charged. She crashed heavily in front of Akabane Tenzen, causing a spiderweb pattern of cracks to spread on the ground.

"——!"

Akabane Tenzen's pupils finally contracted.

Not just Akabane Tenzen, even Yaya couldn't help but be astonished.

"Amazing..."

Feeling the abundant magical energy flowing within her, Yaya had never felt so powerful before.

"Even Shouko's magical energy couldn't achieve this..."

After all, Karyusai Shouko was ultimately a puppet craftsman, not an automaton user.

In terms of technique, qualities, and magical energy, Rozen surpassed Karyusai Shouko by far.

Frankly speaking, Karyusai Shouko could only bring out a portion of Yaya's capabilities.

On the other hand, Rozen, although not yet fully proficient, had already managed to exceed the performance of a first-rate automaton with Yaya.

Now, Yaya could truly be called a world-class automaton.

"But this is just the beginning."

Rozen changed his hand seal, extracting more magical energy while closely observing Akabane Tenzen.

"I will make you explain everything you need to say obediently."

Another surge of magical energy flowed into Yaya's body.

"Boom!"

Yaya stomped the ground once again, causing it to crack beneath her feet. She charged towards Akabane Tenzen like a storm.