"Please, I beg for your mercy in this matter!"
Yabuki immediately dropped to his knees, performing the deepest Japanese bow known as dogeza as he earnestly pleaded with Roy to retract his previous statement.
"How utterly shameless."
Julis could only watch with disdain, muttering under her breath at Yabuki's lack of dignity.
"Ahaha..."
Kirin forced an awkward laugh, unsure how to smooth things over.
"Hahaha! I'm a hedonist at heart—for the sake of pleasure, I'll abandon anything! What's a little dignity worth anyway?"
Yabuki paid no mind to Julis' scornful gaze, laughing boisterously instead.
Yet, despite his bold proclamation, his words only made him appear even more contemptible.
"We'll discuss the interview rights later. The match is about to start."
Roy stood up, fastening the uncomfortable combat gear around his waist as he prepared to head to the stage.
The announcer's voice echoed through the room's speakers—only five minutes remained until the match. It was time to go.
"Wait a moment."
Claudia rose and approached Roy. Under his puzzled gaze, she reached up to adjust his collar and straighten his school emblem.
"There. Perfect!"
She then subtly glanced at Julis and Kirin, her smiling expression carrying a hint of smugness—as if declaring ownership.
Julis' lips twitched, her face stiffening slightly despite her feigned indifference.
Meanwhile, Kirin gazed at Claudia with undisguised admiration, her emotions transparent and pure.
Finally, Claudia turned her eyes toward Yabuki.
Yabuki met her gaze with a grin, nodding slightly as if wishing them victory.
"Let's go!"
***
Asterisk Colosseum, Stage.
"Here they come! The first match of the third round in this year's Phoenix Festa! Our top championship contenders, Roy and Claudia Enfield, have taken the stage! What kind of spectacular battle will they deliver today? Stay tuned!"
The announcer's energetic voice reverberated throughout the venue.
Roy stepped to the center of the stage, sizing up his opponents.
Both wore Jie Long Seventh Institute uniforms—one slender with long hair tied back, the other a burly, bald man with a gleaming scalp. Each bore the Yellow Dragon emblem on their chests, the symbol of their academy.
"Jie Long students. They look like Wood Faction martial artists, but that doesn't mean they can't use Water Faction techniques."
Claudia's voice whispered in Roy's ear.
Jie Long students were typically divided into two factions: the Water Faction, which specialized in "Xian Arts," its practitioners called "Taoists," and the Wood Faction, which focused on martial arts, its members known as "martial artists.""
Due to deliberate encouragement by certain individuals, the rivalry between the two factions was fierce—verbal clashes and even duels were commonplace. However, neither side completely rejected the other's methods. A Water Faction Taoist might know martial arts, and a Wood Faction martial artist could still wield Xian Arts.
"Either way, let's proceed with caution!"
Claudia spoke calmly.
The two opponents' eyes burned with vigilance, yet they solemnly clasped their fists in a traditional salute toward Roy and Claudia.
"Let's have a good match!"
Roy raised his eyebrows slightly and returned the fist-and-palm salute in kind.
"Of course."
Seeing Roy show such courtesy, the two opponents exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting surprise as they developed a favorable impression of him.
"Phoenix Festa, Block A, Round Three, Match One—begin!"
The moment the mechanical voice announced the start of the match—
The long-haired youth took a sudden, powerful step forward, pushing off the ground with a textbook-perfect stomp to close the distance instantly, his right palm striking straight for Roy's chest.
Roy drew an Orga Lux from the sheath at his left side, blocking the strike effortlessly.
At the same time, he channeled his prana into the weapon, causing the green mana core to glow as Lux activated in moments. With a reverse swing, he slashed horizontally at the long-haired youth.
A fierce gale howled—as if a dragon were roaring and charging toward him.
The long-haired youth's expression changed drastically. The slash was too fast to dodge, forcing him to concentrate prana into his arms.
Boom!
In the blink of an eye, the slash sent him flying, bouncing twice across the ground before he could dissipate the force.
As he tried to stand, excruciating pain—like broken bones—shot through both arms.
"Raaah—!"
Meanwhile, the burly youth had activated his glaive-type armed Lux. Kicking off the ground, he launched himself into a full 360-degree spin midair, bringing the weapon down on Roy with mountain-splitting force.
The strike was formidable—easily capable of slicing through steel beams—yet Roy merely extended a hand and caught the blade between his fingers.
"What?!"
The burly youth gaped in shock. No matter how hard he pulled, the blade remained rooted in Roy's grip like it had grown there.
While the burly youth struggled, Roy swung his own weapon—a slash too fast for the eye to follow—cleanly shattering one school emblem.
Then, tossing the burly youth aside, Roy stepped forward like light itself, effortlessly destroying the long-haired youth's emblem as well.
"Match over! Total time: 13 seconds! Astounding! No matter how many times we see it, Roy's terrifying strength remains awe-inspiring!"
"Completely effortless from start to finish. The physical disparity is simply too vast for skill to bridge. And let's not overlook his own impeccable control and technique..."
"Congratulations to Roy and Claudia Enfield for their victory, advancing to the main tournament!"
Roy sheathed his weapon and saluted the two again with a smile.
"Well fought."
Seeing Roy extend such courtesy, the opponents exchanged wry grins.
"I concede wholeheartedly," the burly youth returned the salute.
"As for me..." The long-haired youth lifted his arms with a bitter smile—both visibly swollen and red, likely bone-deep injuries.
They'd never expected to defeat Roy. Even Zhao Hufeng, leader of their Wood Faction's martial artists, admitted he was no match for Roy. To receive such respect made the fight worthwhile.
"Those two felt slightly stronger than Queenvail's pair from the first round," Roy remarked to Claudia as they left the stage.
"They're called Sandra and Nina," Claudia sighed, giving him a resigned look before adding wistfully, "But yes, they were."
"That's how Jie Long is. Even if they don't top the ranking lists, there are plenty of experts who can rival those who do. In terms of sheer heritage, no other academy can compare to Jie Long."
Across all 24 seasons of the Festa, Jie Long has won the most points overall. Even when Saint Galahadworth or Rewolf occasionally take the lead, Jie Long has never fallen out of the top three.
While they may not excel at five-on-five battles like Saint Galahadworth, two-on-two like Seidoukan, or one-on-one like Rewolf, they are still first-rate in every category. Their overall strength frequently ranks first among the six academies.
***
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