"My deepest apologies, Master! I have failed!"
After the match concluded, Alde descended from the stage with his battered body and arrived in the passageway where Ernesta and Camilla were waiting.
"We have brought shame upon our masters. We truly deserve to be melted down and reforged."
Alde and Rimcy bowed their heads together, offering their sincere apologies to the two girls.
"No worries, no worries! Losing is just part of the game!"
Before Camilla could speak, Ernesta waved her hand dismissively.
"I never expected to fulfill my wish with just one Festa championship anyway. There will be plenty more opportunities. Most importantly, you two coming back unharmed is what matters most!"
"Thank you for your understanding, Master!"
"You both seem rather... cheerful about this?"
Camilla placed her hands on her hips, studying the two automatons with a probing gaze.
"Master isn't angry either?"
Rimcy looked at Camilla anxiously—she had been the least effective in this battle.
"If you gave it your all and still lost, then there's nothing more to say. Just try harder next time."
Camilla shrugged, an unusual smile appearing on her face.
Had Alde lost because he couldn't withstand the immense burden of the mana crystal, Camilla would indeed have been bitterly disappointed—so much so that she might have screamed into her pillow at night. But Alde had been defeated fair and square by Roy after giving his all. Camilla could accept that.
This was their current limit—but not their future limit.
In this regard, she even had to thank Roy for his consideration. Who would have thought he'd be willing to settle the match with Alde in a direct confrontation at that critical moment? His attitude had truly taken Camilla by surprise.
Seeing Camilla's forgiveness, Rimcy visibly relaxed.
"This battle has taught me so much! I never realized I still had so many weaknesses!"
Alde couldn't help but marvel as he recalled the fight.
"That Roy fellow... he treated us with more respect than anyone else. No discrimination, no wariness—just as Master sensed. He looked at us as equals, as living beings."
"Wow, coming from Alde, that's high praise indeed!"
Ernesta gave Alde a surprised glance, though her expression showed no real shock. She'd felt this way from the beginning.
Roy was a strange one—but exactly the kind of person she liked!
"And... I don't think Roy was fighting at full strength!"
At this moment, Alde dropped his bombshell.
"Wait, you're serious?"
Camilla was visibly shocked, her expression turning horrified.
Though they'd already lost at this point, the idea that Roy had defeated a fully-powered Alde without even using his full strength was unacceptable to Camilla!
"Come to think of it, Claudia Enfield said something similar."
Rimcy seemed reminded by Alde's words and repeated Claudia's earlier statement.
"Mmm-hmm! If he really defeated my masterpiece Alde without going all out... he's becoming more and more intriguing!"
Ernesta covered her lips with her hands, letting out a strange chuckle before lightly licking her parched lips where no one could see.
Her curiosity didn't end there.
How exactly was Alde's defensive barrier breached? What method did Roy use to deliver a strike surpassing even an Orga Lux? It was simply too intriguing! She wished she could find Roy right now and discuss it with him all night long!
...
"The stage is completely unusable. Will the afternoon match be alright?"
After Roy and Claudia left the stage, Roy couldn't help but recall the devastated state of the stage floor—torn and battered, with barely a single intact spot. Alde had smashed it up so badly that the stage was absolutely unusable.
"The committee will repair it as quickly as possible. The afternoon match will definitely proceed as scheduled. We've had situations like this before," Claudia explained.
In the worst-case scenario, they could always ask Helga Lindwall, captain of the Asterisk Security Force, to intervene. Known by her alias Chronotemis, her witch ability allowed her to manipulate time within a certain range around herself. Restoring the stage to its pre-battle condition would be no problem for her.
"The security captain is the real cheat character!" Roy clicked his tongue, feeling a mix of awe and fear toward the legendary captain.
Manipulating time? That's just insane!
"Congratulations on your victory!"
"That was seriously nerve-wracking!"
"Thank goodness you managed to win in the end!"
As soon as they returned to the preparation room, Julis and the others excitedly rushed over to greet them.
The significance of this match was no less than a championship bout. A humanoid Orga Lux was undoubtedly a monster beyond anyone's imagination—and Roy had actually defeated it head-on, making him a monster among monsters!
Even the usually composed Julis couldn't help but gaze at Roy with an unusual glimmer in her eyes, her cheeks flushed with a hint of spring-like excitement. Kirin, too, regarded him with admiration.
"Good luck in your match this afternoon!" Roy smiled, offering his blessings to Julis and Kirin.
But blessings aside, he already had a pretty good idea of how the match would turn out.
He wouldn't ask Okita to go easy on them. Friendship was friendship, and wishes were wishes—the two had to remain separate. While Julis and Kirin had their own aspirations, Roy wasn't without his own. Since both sides were fighting for their respective goals, there was no reason to hold back.
Even if Okita did go easy on them, they might not make it past Stella Vermilion. And even if they somehow defeated Stella's team and advanced to the finals, they'd still have to face Roy—who certainly wouldn't hold back then either. In the end, they'd still lose.
"We'll do our absolute best to win this match!" Julis and Kirin exchanged glances, both sensing the immense pressure reflected in each other's eyes. Whether it was Okita Souji or Stella Vermilion, both were opponents far beyond their expectations. Yet, they mustered their fighting spirit and responded to Roy's encouragement.
After lunch, everyone returned to the preparation room, where Julis and Kirin stood ready.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! The second semifinal match of this year's Phoenix Festa is about to begin! Which team will advance to the finals and compete against Roy & Claudia for the championship? The moment of truth is upon us!"
"We're going!"
Julis and Kirin stepped onto the stage with an air of do-or-die determination, their entire beings radiating sharp intensity.
Following the announcer's introduction, both competitors entered from the east and west gates respectively, stepping onto the fully restored stage.
On the field, four young women stood facing each other—Julis and Toudou Kirin opposite Stella and Okita Souji—the atmosphere tense enough to spark flames.
"There's something strange about this person..."
Kirin studied Okita with a hint of confusion in her eyes.
Okita's aura was cold and detached, like a lifeless corpse, devoid of any presence befitting a top-tier swordsman. This unsettled Kirin's spirit.
Meanwhile, Julis faced Stella directly.
The two red-haired fire-wielding powerhouses sized each other up. Under different circumstances, they might have become friends.
"Let's both leave this battle without regrets!"
Julis was the first to break their mutual appraisal, her stern expression softening slightly as she extended a hand toward Stella.
"Agreed! I like that sentiment!"
Stella blinked in surprise before enthusiastically shaking Julis's hand.
After a brief pause, she added:
"I'll be giving this fight everything I've got!"
Julis found this odd but dismissed it as mere acknowledgment—a promise that neither would regret this confrontation.
At this stage of the competition, of course they'd fight with their full strength.
Then.
Julis understood.
Stella's words weren't meant as a response.
They were a warning.
—She was about to go all out.
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