Machinart City—Liverpool.
Autumn had arrived.
The temperature began to drop, and the whistling wind carried a hint of chill.
The broad-leaved trees gradually turned yellow, signaling the change of seasons.
People on the streets started to wear warmer clothing one after another.
Only the automatons tirelessly working remained the same—neither fearing heat nor cold—as steam rose from every corner of the city.
Seeing such a bustling cityscape, no one would believe that just two months ago, this place experienced a large-scale riot.
To call it a riot isn't quite accurate. It was more of a mass rampage of automatons, wildly attacking humans in the streets.
Of course, the cause of this was not a flaw in Machinart magic, but rather a rebellion planned by a British prince.
And the one who resolved this rebellion was a student from the most prestigious and renowned global institution of Machinart magic in the Machinart metropolis of Liverpool—the Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machinart.
Today, the name of that student had become well-known, drawing the attention of numerous world powers. Even many citizens of Liverpool now knew his name, declaring that the victor of this year's Night Party, the next generation's Wiseman, would undoubtedly be that very person.
Unfortunately, ever since the incident, the Academy had entered summer vacation. The Night Party was temporarily suspended, and many students returned to their own countries.
That person was among them.
This left many with ulterior motives—those who had come seeking him—disappointed, forcing them to return empty-handed.
Only recently, as summer vacation neared its end and the Academy prepared for a new term, the atmosphere once again grew lively.
At this moment, students in their Academy uniforms were returning with luggage in hand.
After two months, the once quiet Academy was again filled with life.
But the liveliness wasn't too intense.
Since the Academy followed a two-semester system, the academic year started in spring. Graduations and new enrollments also occurred then. Now, with only the second semester beginning, there were no new students arriving or graduates leaving, so there wasn't anything particularly new in the air.
Still, anticipation for the Night Party's return filled every student's heart.
"As soon as the new term starts, the Night Party will resume."
"There's going to be a good show then."
"Definitely."
Students returning to the Academy chatted excitedly.
And it was no wonder.
"Last year's Night Party didn't have anything this exciting."
"So many Glove-bearers will participate at once. What kind of chaos will that be?"
"They'll probably target him, right?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"If no one acts quickly, the consequences could be serious."
Such was the topic of conversation among the students.
Due to the prince's rebellion, many automatons belonging to Glove-bearers were hijacked before the summer break, leading to many being forced to withdraw from the Night Party.
After protests from the sponsors behind these withdrawn participants, the Night Party's executive committee passed several resolutions. They restored these participants' qualifications and granted them time during the summer to rebuild their automatons. When the new term began and the Night Party resumed, all these contestants would return to the fray.
What's more, all participants ranked 50 and below would rejoin the competition simultaneously.
In other words, the first Night Party battle of the new term would be a chaotic clash among nearly thirty Glove-bearers—an event well worth looking forward to.
Even more anticipated was the fact that one particular man would be participating.
This person had resolved the Black Prince's rebellion, singlehandedly defeated the strongest magus of the 19th century, summoned an army of hundreds of thousands of monsters, and suppressed the automaton military that had gone berserk. His actions shocked the entire world, prompting nations to send envoys in hopes of making contact.
A magus capable of summoning hundreds of thousands of troops in an instant—what country wouldn't want such a talent?
To have him would be to hold a terrifying army in their hands—no one could afford to ignore that.
Not to mention he had defeated the strongest magus of the 19th century. There were countless who had their eyes on him.
And he would appear in this very Night Party, becoming the most formidable enemy in the minds of all other contestants.
How would the participants respond to such a powerful foe?
What actions would the global powers take toward such a talent?
Everyone watched with bated breath. Tension stirred in the underground.
Now, two days remained before the new term began.
In the Academy, a pair of siblings with pearl-colored hair emerged from a hidden grove.
"It's finally about to begin," the younger brother said coolly to his older sister. "Are you ready, Sis?"
"Uuh…" The sister hesitated, but summoned her courage. "I… I'm ready."
The siblings had just finished their two-month-long special training.
"I wonder if Rozen is back yet," the sister said with nervous anticipation.
"This time, I'll definitely shock him," the brother declared, clenching his fist with determination.
At the same time, outside the Academy, a girl was hastily dragging her younger sister along.
"Hurry up, Henri!"
"W-Wait for me!"
The two sisters—one running swiftly, the other panting heavily—headed toward the Academy.
Behind them, a steel little dragon flew along.
"Honestly, you two… slow down a little," the dragon said, half-pampered, half-exasperated.
Then…
"Heehee…"
A delicate and ethereal girl flitted by like the wind, giggling like silver chimes. She danced playfully through the air, caught up to the older sister, and even merged into her body.
Because of that, a strange energy ripple flickered across the sister's body, and her face bloomed with a confident smile.
"Don't think I'm the same as before."
She seemed to be speaking to someone as she whispered to herself.
Afterward, more stunning girls appeared in Liverpool, heading for the Academy.
There was the flower maiden, playful and laughing like autumn leaves.
There was the moon maiden, sprinting forward with impatience.
There was the snow maiden, beautiful and stern.
And trailing behind them was a seductive woman.
"Slow down!"
The snow maiden called out with concern.
"Hurry up, Onee-sama!"
The flower maiden teased, running ahead.
"So impatient," the seductive woman said, gracefully following.
Only the moon maiden charged ahead without hesitation.
"I'm back, Rozen!"
She longed to see her beloved again.
Little did she know, the one she missed had also just returned.
From an unseen height in the sky, a boy in a black coat emerged from a vortex of light.
"This time, I finally arrived at the right moment," he said with a sigh of relief and a smile.
Behind him, four girls released their physical forms, becoming spirit forms and silently following.
Before the Night Party resumed, Rozen had returned safely.
And his return was sure to stir a new wave of upheaval.