Jeez...
So these are the Discipline Rooms I've heard so much about...
What the hell is your problem, Korona?
Uh, right! I'm sorry!
Hey, skank. You still alive?
What do you want?
As it happens, I have a favor to ask of you.
By that you mean "order," don't you?
Are you gonna do it or not? What's it gonna be?
Yeah, yeah...
So what is it you want me to do?
Compete in the Phoenix Festa.
Hey.
R-Right!
AYATO AMAGIRI SEIDOUKAN ACADEMY
This Seidoukan punk... destroy him.
No need for you to win.
Oh, of course, no biggie if you do happen to win.
You make it sound so damned easy!
So what's your reason for targeting him?
Not that I'm obligated to tell you, but whatever.
Right!
SER=VERESTA SEIDOUKAN ACADEMY
That punk's Ogre Lux is going to be a major pain in the ass sooner or later.
So I want to get rid of it now.
If that's your take on it, it must really be powerful.
Anybody would think so if they saw it in real life.
All right, then let me confirm one last thing.
You haven't let anyone touch my sister, have you?
Of course not.
I always keep my word.
Well, it is a drag, being locked up in here forever.
If it's a job you're offering, I'll gladly take it, Dirk Eberweine.
Took you long enough to accept, Irene Urzaiz.
Thank God.
All right, then, how about a snack, for starters?
The Phoenix Festa
The opening ceremony will now begin.
What a huge turnout!
Good morning, everyone.
I'm Madiath Mesa, the chairman of the Festa Steering Committee.
That guy's the chairman?
I'm pleased to have the chance to see your gallant faces again this year.
He seems awfully young.
He's a Seidoukan alumnus, you know.
And those of you who've just arrived in Asterisk this year,
As a student here, he won the Phoenix Festa. That's how good he was.
I must say, "Pleasure to meet you!"
If he's a Seidoukan alumnus, then he's a Galaxy executive, right?
And those of you in the audience.
The greatest amusement in the world,
In name only, yes.
and the stage that inspires unparalleled excitement and emotion...
When he won the Phoenix Festa,
And the ultimate entertainment that will move your soul...
they say he asked to join the Steering Committee after graduating.
Welcome to the Festa!
I don't want to dull your interest by going on and on up here.
He's a pretty tough guy, that one.
I'm now going to inform you about some important changes to the regulations.
Was it just my imagination?
Until now, we've never imposed any restrictions on your Luxes,
but we've started to experience some issues.
Specifically, how to deal with autonomous machines as weapons?
Restricting the number of Luxes would be out of the question.
Forbidding the use of autonomous weapons
would surely bring on the decline of these tournaments.
So, for this festa only, we've decided to allow alternates to enter.
Intelligent as you all are,
this is not to give an advantage to any one academy,
but to ensure equality in the near future, I'm sure you'll understand.
And those of you who love these Festas, and cheer on the contestants,
I'd like you to know that this will surely lead to an even more evolved, new kind of Festa!
Students entered in today's Phoenix Festa,
please report to your respective stages on time.
Uh, this is our venue, so we don't need to go anywhere, right?
Right. We have quite a lot of time before our match,
so it might be a good idea to have a light lunch.
Then let's do that.
Hey, where's Saya and Kirin?
Lester!
What do you want?
I was wondering if you wanted to join us for lunch.
You too, of course, Randy.
Lunch?
Listen, Amagiri... How many times do I have to tell you?!
I have no intention of becoming your friend!
Well, that's not what I meant.
But hey... I still haven't thanked you for lending me your Lux the other day.
Who needs thanks?!
I have just one thing to say to you.
You two are the team that I want to take on the most!
Don't even think about losing before I can get to you!
Now there's another troublemaker.
Yeah.
Found you, Ayato.
Is that you, Saya? Don't give me a heart attack!
You left yourself wide open.
H-Hey, you!
Where've you been?
S-Sorry about that.
We went to get these.
What's that?
Just listen and be surprised.
It's lunch.
Um... The other day, Sasamiya-senpai...
No, I mean Saya and I talked it over, and...
Um... we made these as a way of cheering you on, so...
I-If you like, please have them!
You made them just for us, huh?
I have almost no experience in cooking, so Saya taught me...
Oh? You're well-versed enough in cooking to teach others, Sasamiya?
I-I'm so sorry.
I totally have two left thumbs.
No, no, this makes me happy.
Thanks, Kirin.
Ayato. Ayato. Take a look at mine, too.
Oh, sure.
These are quite... um... large, eh?
Bigger is better. That's my motto.
Are these all rice balls, by any chance?
Something wrong with that?
No, I was just impressed that you'd claim you'd taught her to cook with these.
Just so we're clear, that wasn't a compliment, all right?
Well, hey, this is more than enough for us all to eat, don't you think?
That was the plan all along.
Hear that, Julis?
Well, in that case, why don't we join them?
All right, it's a date!
Me, too. You have to play fair.
Feels good.
We can probably eat in peace in our waiting room. Let's go!
Hey! Hold up, Julis!
Thanks for the meal!
Sorry for my humble offering.
It was really good.
R-Right!
I think I overate a little.
Well, no wonder! You ate three or four of those gigantic rice balls!
Whoa, it's almost time.
All righty, I'm here at the Sirius Dome, site of today's first match!
Live commentary will be provided by yours truly, Meeko Yanase, ABC reporter.
Play-by-play will be provided by Jie Long Academy #7 alumna
and leader of the current Executive Aladfar... Pham Thi Tram!
Hello, I look forward to collaborating with you!
Now then, I know it's right before the match, but let's quickly review the rules!
This Festa will run for approximately two weeks.
The first week is casually known as the preliminary round,
and our field of 256 pairs will be whittled down to the Top 32.
For the final round, matchups will be drawn in advance,
and it will be a whole new tournament then, right?
That's right. Each academy will start earning points when the final is underway.
The match ends when both team members have their school badges destroyed,
or else when they've been judged to have lost, by losing consciousness, giving up, and so on.
This will be announced via their school badges.
Since the match and all judgment calls are fully automated, there will be no referees.
I think your first opponents are from Galahadworth, right?
Yeah. Rank #30 and 41, I think?
Can you beat them?
I'm just gonna do everything I can.
Do you have some kind of special strategy up your sleeves?
No. It's quite the opposite.
Oh, well, just see for yourself!
Now, then, this is today's second match, Block C, Round 1, Match 1!
And who's making their way onstage from the East Corner?
Seidoukan Academy!
The team of Ayato Amagiri and Julis-Alexia von Riessfelt!
SEIDOUKAN ACADEMY AYATO AMAGIRI JULIS-ALEXIA VON RIESSFELT
Also known as Murakumo, Ayato Amagiri, believe it or not, just rose to Rank #1 a few weeks ago!
He's the only Rank #1 among the contestants this time.
From those viral videos, we can see that he has tremendous power.
He sure is one to watch, huh?
She says you're one to watch.
I'm nervous enough as it is.
Why would you say a thing like that?
And if that weren't enough, his tag partner is Julis von Riessfelt, a.k.a. the Glühen Rose!
Who's Seidoukan's Rank #5.
It wouldn't be an overstatement to call them the frontrunners, would it?
The crowd's going wild for her!
Well, she is a princess of Lieseltania, you know.
And in terms of her abilities as a Strega, I think she's among the best of her generation.
Let's go.
Right.
All right, they're ready to go now!
Phoenix Festa Block C, Round 1, Team 1...
Battle start!
So they're going for close combat from the get-go, eh?
Well, I suppose my predictions weren't too far off.
All right, Ayato, I'm counting on you.
Roger that!
With the sword inside me, I shall break out of this starry prison,
and release my savage force!
Badge broken!
End of battle.
End of match!
Winners, Ayato Amagiri and Julis-Alexia von Riessfelt!
That was unbelievable! We barely had time to comment on anything!
Oh, wow, that was incredible.
And it's not just the sheer power...
What was really stunning was Amagiri's flamboyant performance!
The entire audience is rocking!
Just as I expected!
In Round 1, we were able to hide our teamwork patterns without revealing them.
It would be great if we could keep it that way.
I've got to make sure no one finds out about the limit on my all-out mode, huh?
You were right to flaunt the breaking of your seal.
Everyone seems to think it was a performance.
Not that that's really my style, but...
Next up for us is the victors' interview.
Whatever they ask you, just be evasive, okay?
I want to keep everyone in the dark as much as possible.
We're gonna hold out on everyone as much as we can till the final!
Roger that!
Here you go.
Hey, thanks.
Seriously, the media out there are relentless beyond belief.
Compared to them, I think even our school news club is less obnoxious.
Well, that's music to my ears.
I said compared to them, that's all.
Right, right, our princess is as unforgiving as ever, I see.
So what's going on?
Don't tell me you actually came to cheer us on?
Opponents of that level?
No need to cheer you on.
What I'm here for today is Match #3.
I see. Arlequint, eh?
Sure, after that announcement, how could my journalist's soul not seethe?
So anyway, I went right over to their waiting room to report on them, but...
Did you find out anything, Yabuki?
The thing is, they totally shut me out.
I was sent packing.
Oh, darn.
Well, it's probably best to see them in person.
So let's all go see the match, guys!
What you're after is our contestants' passes, eh?
Now, now.
We should get going, or the match will start without us.
Now then, Arlequint's new puppets have unmasked themselves at last!
Now that we're actually seeing them, any thoughts, Tram?
Well, let's see.
Most combat puppets are externally manipulated by humans,
but due to speed-of-response issues, they still can't defeat the Genestella.
I see, I see!
But I hear these particular puppets are autonomous...
Wait, excuse me for a second...
Uh, please forgive me!
I've just received some information on these new puppets from Ernesta Kuhne!
Well, talk about impeccable service!
Well, it says here, "This information is being released today, as of now."
Why would you help out the enemy yourself?
Now, now.
We're already getting preferential treatment thanks to the changes in the regulations.
And I don't want anyone saying, "We lost because we didn't get the memo!"
If we're defeated because of this, we'll lose everything.
But there's no way we'll lose!
According to this information,
the larger one's name is autonomous puppet mockup - AR-D, a.k.a. Aldy,
and the female type is autonomous puppet mockup RM-C, a.k.a. Rimsy.
Damn...
To use me, a Page One at Le Wolfe, as a spoiler...
What the hell is that Steering Committee thinking?
So, bro, what do you want to do?
What we always do, Gelt.
For now, focus on backing me up.
You humans there! Listen up!
My true objective is not victory,
but to show you this dignity of mine, bestowed upon me by my master!
I shall grant you one minute.
During that time, I will not lift a finger.
Feel free to attack as you wish.
Nice idea, Aldy!
I like it, I like it!
Now even they're acting like fools!
You bastard!
That hurt, you know, Rimsy.
Shut up.
Seriously, you laggard of a feeble-minded, airhead piece of junk.
You should head back to the lab right now and get some maintenance done.
And I mean on your head.
Oh, but then you'd have to trouble our master,
so you should just break down for good right here.
So you say, Rimsy,
but I just felt that in order to have the public realize how competent we are,
we should put on, I don't know, some kind of performance.
I agree that it's a wonderful idea to try to make our master's greatness known.
Allow me to give you credit for that.
Don't you agree? Don't you agree?
But then why did you shoot me?
Because I found you vaguely annoying.
Then it can't be helped.
Now then, humans.
Even if it was mere drivel from a defective machine,
we cannot turn our backs on what we've uttered,
or it would dishonor our master.
Therefore, although it is against my will,
I, too, promise not to launch any attacks on you during a grace period of one minute.
Is that right?
Then I think we'll take you up on your offer.
Gelt, you take out the thin one.
I'll demolish the huge one.
Understood.
All right, here's the match of the day!
Who will victory smile upon, I wonder?
Phoenix Festa, Block H, Round 1, Match 1!
Battle start!
Moritz is wasting no time!
There's his specialty move, the Boreas Spira!
It's a skill that's not easily applicable,
but its pure destructive power is tops at Le Wolfe.
I'm going to reduce you to scrap metal in the blink of an eye!
Pretty courageous of you!
What the...?
All right, but don't think you can keep blocking my power with something like this!
It's futile.
Damn! In that case...
45 seconds to go.
Gelt!
Change of strategy!
Over here...
This can't be happening! Not this!
30 seconds to go.
Once these two start attacking...
Boreas Mordent!
Take that!
One minute.
Time's up.
Oh, too bad! That's the end!
You damned monster!
E-End of match!
Winner, Ernesta Kuhne and Camilla Pareto!
So those are...
those are Arlequint's puppets?
Just what I'd expect of my Ayato.
You're so cool!
Just what I'd expect of my Ayato.
The first round was a breeze for you, wasn't it?
Episode 10 - The Tyrant Vampire Princess
Still, what a headache... Aldy and Rimsy...
Especially Aldy... he's such a stiff!