It only took a fraction of a second.
The spell dug into the body of the ice puppet with the mud layer, the stone layer pierced through it, and, as the metal core was being unleashed…!
…the ice puppet raised its arm and suddenly crouched down and pumped its hand, breaking the soil and stone layers and bending the metal core into a -V- shape before it could shoot out…!
"...eh…?"
The fake student, who barely regained his balance, froze up, the grin melting off his face, replaced by a heartbroken shock and disbelief.
But he didn't have much time for regret as the ice puppet stood up and charged him, with the remnants of his spell still in it, swinging its whole torso around and attacking not with its own fist but with the metal core lodged in its chest too!
"Ghaah…!"
*whoosh*
The fake student let out a panicked gasp, ducking under both…
*WHAM*
"GUAGH!"
…only for his face to meet the puppet's knees and end up pushed on his back with an almost comical cry!
"M-Mie! AGH…!"
In panic, the fake student called out, reaching his hand forward, and against all odds, his contracted fae did appear in his grasp… only that it was immediately kicked away by the ice puppet.
"It's not OVE…!"
"You already lost by using a piercing spell on my puppet to target me. Retreat, or I will reveal what family sent you."
The fake student gritted his teeth and howled, about to unleash more spells, but Rotsard spoke over him in annoyance, causing the imposter to shut up with a face frozen in fear.
Accidentally, it was also the moment when blood started dripping down from his nose, adding to the visuals as well as making the person in question realize that he is not in an advantageous position.
"Vallhalls might not care about me, but what you attempted is something that the crown itself condemns and pursues. Back. Off."
Against all common sense and security measures when faced with an assassin, Rotsard walked right up to the fake student and declared, staring him down.
"..."
"..."
The two glared at each other in silence. The only difference between the two was that with each passing second, the fake student was getting drenched in cold sweat more and more as he did not find even an inkling of hesitation in the beastly yellow eyes.
*thump* *THUMP*
The next moment, the fake student slammed his palm against the ground, and the earth opened up, swallowing him whole, and then closing up as if nothing ever happened.
"..."
Rotsard glanced to the side, but the assassin's fae had long disappeared to follow its master.
"...Young Lord, I believe the announcement is in order?"
The bleached-boned-haired youth waved a bit as if checking whether an attack would come after all, but as that suspicion was proven false he turned around and called out to the vice headmaster.
"...!"
The sulking man who kept getting blocked by a pillar of ice that stood in his way, no matter what he did, flinched as the obstacle melted away.
"...~"
"..."
Syon made a grumpy expression, staring daggers at the cheekily smirking Rotsard…
"The winner is student Vallhall!"
In the end, Syon begrudgingly announced, while the audience just stood there, not quite fully understanding what they witnessed.