"Finally, it's here! The first match of the quarterfinals! Every match from today onward will be climactic. Among the eight teams that have fought their way to this stage, which one will emerge victorious in this year's Phoenix Festa, filled with elite competitors? The answer will be revealed over the next three days of intense battles!"
"Alright, the first quarterfinal match is about to begin! Representing Seidoukan Academy, we have Roy & Claudia, and from Jie Long, we have Li Shenhua & Li Shenyun! Which pair will advance to the semifinals today? Stay tuned to find out!"
Under the spotlight, the four competitors from both teams emerged from the east and west gates of the stage.
The moment the contestants appeared, the audience erupted into thunderous cheers.
"Are you really sure about this?" Claudia asked Roy, her expression tinged with curiosity.
"Those twins may not be overwhelmingly strong, but their tactics—whether you call them underhanded or sharp—are relentless in exploiting weaknesses. If we slip up even slightly, they'll strike hard."
"Leave it to me." Roy flashed her a confident smile.
"Then I'll be waiting for good news." Claudia returned his smile with a faint one of her own.
Roy intended to face Jie Long's twin siblings while restricting half of his strength—and without her involvement. Even though Claudia knew Roy was exceptionally powerful, she still felt this approach carried too much risk. But since he insisted, he must have his reasons. There was no need for doubt; she only needed to stand behind him and offer her support.
"Oh my! What's this? Roy isn't carrying a weapon?"
At that moment, the sharp-eyed commentator noticed Roy's empty waist and let out a bewildered exclamation.
Gasps of surprise rippled through the audience, waves of confusion spreading among the spectators.
"Roy is a swordsman, right? Is it really okay for him to go without a weapon? Did he forget it?"
"It's hard to believe this wasn't intentional in such a serious match. I can't fathom why he isn't armed—maybe there's some deeper meaning behind it... Still, his raw strength is top-tier even without a weapon. That said, there's no denying his opponents will have a significant advantage now!"
On the stage, Li Shenhua and Li Shenyun had been tense since entering. But when they saw Roy stepping onto the stage completely unarmed, their faces lit up with glee.
Up until now, Roy's close-quarters combat had always involved a bladed weapon. Since his battles ended so quickly, no one knew just how skilled he truly was with a sword. But one thing was certain—compared to fighting barehanded, he was undoubtedly more proficient with a weapon. Without it, his threat level dropped by at least thirty percent.
Then, they noticed Claudia—already formidable and now even more powerful—standing far in the back, showing no intention of stepping forward. It was as if she was outright stating that Roy alone would face both of them. The twins could hardly suppress their grins.
Exchanging a glance, the siblings immediately understood—this must be the "plan" their master had mentioned yesterday.
Although I didn't know how our master managed it, getting to take advantage of this situation was truly great!
"It seems we can really look forward to seeing the championship contender fall from grace!"
A cruel yet excited smile appeared on Li Shenhua's face, while Li Shenyun's expression was equally intense.
However, upon hearing this, Roy merely chuckled with unshakable composure.
"Hmph, don't be so sure about that!"
The siblings both froze momentarily.
Why did that infuriating tone sound so familiar?
"The first match of the semifinal qualifiers begins now!"
The school badges worn on all four participants' chests simultaneously flashed red as a mechanical voice announced the start of the match.
Snapping out of their daze, the siblings wasted no time. The moment the match began, they flicked their long sleeves, releasing a continuous stream of talismans.
The talismans flew out and immediately positioned themselves between both sides—likely to prevent Roy from launching his astonishingly swift opening attack. After forming this obstruction, they arranged themselves midair like migratory birds in formation during their seasonal flight.
Roy found their precautions rather amusing.
Thinking such defenses could stop him was naive. If he truly wanted to strike at the opening moment, their formation speed wouldn't have been fast enough to block him. Even if their talisman array had been fully deployed, he could have forcefully broken through with his prana protecting him and taken them down—something these siblings wouldn't have been able to withstand.
Yet, Roy remained motionless, standing there with effortless calm, as if magnanimously allowing them to complete their formation before engaging him.
"By the power of the divine decree, activate!"
Boom!
The siblings didn't overthink it. Seeing Roy standing still, they assumed he was stumped by their talisman array, and identical triumphant smiles spread across their faces as they formed hand seals.
In that instant, all the talismans hovering midair exploded. A series of fiery flashes erupted, and thick black smoke rapidly engulfed the entire arena, obscuring not only Roy and his opponent but even the audience's view.
"What the hell is this? Clear the smoke already!"
"Exactly! We paid good money for this—we didn't come to watch this nonsense!"
Before Roy could react, angry shouts erupted from the spectator stands, growing louder and spreading like wildfire.
"Ahem, according to the Festa Charter, competitors must not obstruct the audience's view for extended periods, or they risk disqualification. Contestants Li Shenhua and Li Shenyun, if you don't resolve the smoke soon, you may be disqualified!"
Up in the commentary booth, Takase Miko broke into a cold sweat as the audience's complaints intensified. She hurriedly issued a warning over the broadcast system.
Roy, however, didn't mind the situation. His keen ears could detect movement within the smoke—someone was darting around. A light sniff confirmed the gunpowder scent had already dissipated. This smoke screen was likely a smokescreen created by the siblings' abilities. No doubt, they were using the obscured vision to set up their next move.
However, the Festa itself is not just a combat competition but also a variety show. The conglomerates aim to profit from it, so actions like covering the entire arena in smoke to obscure the audience's view are strictly prohibited by the conglomerates—even explicitly written into the Festa Charter. Severe violations could even lead to disqualification.
"The audience these days is becoming so impatient!"
"They can't even see through the techniques meant to make the match more exciting!"
As the smoke gradually dissipated, the figures of the twin siblings emerged.
No—not both siblings, but only Li Shenhua.
To be more precise, five Li Shenhuas.
A total of five identical Li Shenhuas appeared on the stage, each indistinguishable from the others in appearance. Each struck a different pose and wore a different smile, as if multiple perfect clones had been created. Li Shenyun had vanished without a trace.
Li Shenhua, who had been cautious at the start of the match, now wore a wild, triumphant grin, brimming with arrogance as if victory was already assured.
***
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