But she had one fatal flaw—the absolute quantity of her prana.
Her prana reserves were far from abundant. While they ranked above average among Genestellars as a whole, in the eyes of those at the true pinnacle, they were decidedly mediocre—what people often called "better than the worst but worse than the best."
The amount of prana represented absolute firepower. The more prana one had, the stronger their offensive capabilities.
Did Julis not want to overwhelm her opponents with sheer firepower?
No—she simply couldn't.
Because her prana reserves were inherently limited, she had no choice but to rely on a diverse array of techniques to compensate, ensuring she could handle any situation.
Stella, on the other hand, was an overwhelming powerhouse of firepower!
Her prana—though Julis couldn't sense the flow of mana, she assumed it was prana—was unimaginably vast, far surpassing her own, Claudia's, or Kirin's.
Perhaps even approaching Roy's level?
In their previous battles, Stella had never once gone all out!
"Dragon's Maw of Hell!"
Facing Julis as she soared into the air, Stella showed no fear. With another swing of her sword, seven flaming dragon heads roared forth from the blade, surging toward Julis from every direction!
Stella couldn't fly, but with firepower like hers, even airborne opponents couldn't escape her relentless bombardment!
"Anthurium Multi Flos!"
Gritting her teeth, Julis flew toward the defensive barrier, pressing her back against it to minimize her exposed surface. Then, at the cost of draining her already limited reserves, she forced out every last drop of prana to form multiple flame shields around herself.
BOOOOOOM—!!!
The deafening explosion sent a blinding flash of white across Julis' vision, nearly knocking her unconscious. She barely managed to regain her senses in time, stabilizing her free-falling body before stumbling onto the ground.
"Hah… hah…"
Julis gasped for breath, her body covered in burns, pain radiating through every inch of her skin. Her uniform was in tatters.
Though she remained standing, her limbs had gone numb and cold.
Multiple flame shields and prana reinforcement had barely protected her school crest from being shattered—but at the cost of depleting her already meager reserves to near exhaustion.
She was completely outmatched.
No matter how many tricks she had, under absolute firepower, she was like fragile glass—one strong blast, and the truth was laid bare…
"Will you continue?"
Stella's gaze locked onto Julis. For a brief moment, as she took in her opponent's battered state, her eyes wavered—but then hardened with resolve as she raised her voice.
"Don't even ask…!"
Julis forced a defiant grin.
She had a wish she had to fulfill.
For that wish, even if her body was battered beyond recognition, she would grit her teeth and endure.
"Surrendering in a situation like this—even if my body allowed it, my pride never would!"
Stella nodded, admiration flashing in her eyes, before raising her sword once more.
The dragon's maw roared forth again, its thunderous echoes shaking the arena.
...
Central District, Infirmary.
This was a landmark building located in the heart of Asterisk City. Not only did it employ a large number of highly skilled doctors, but it also gathered countless healing ability users. The director, Yang Koebel, was renowned as the most skilled physician in the world, with the reputation of "being able to bring you back even if you're dead." The low mortality rate of the Festa was largely due to the advanced medical technology and healing abilities available at this treatment center.
Defeated participants in the Festa were mandatorily sent to the treatment center and only allowed to leave after a comprehensive examination confirmed no issues.
Knock, knock, knock!
In the evening, Roy arrived at the treatment center. Taking the elevator in the inpatient ward, he reached a certain hospital room and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
After receiving permission from inside, Roy opened the door and entered the room.
"How are you feeling?"
Roy placed a basket of fresh fruit on the table and asked the princess lying on the bed in a hospital gown.
"Not bad. The healing ability users have already treated me. The burns are all healed, but the biggest issue is the massive depletion of my prana."
Julis sat up on the bed, her expression much calmer than Roy had expected.
The outcome of this semifinal match was no surprise.
Julis and Kirin had suffered a crushing defeat.
In fact, both were defeated in their respective areas of expertise—Kirin was bested by Okita's godlike speed with the blade, while Julis was completely overwhelmed by Stella's flames, which were similar but many times more powerful.
By the end of the match, Julis had already fallen unconscious from exhaustion of her prana, her body covered in burns. She was immediately taken to the medical center by the rescue team. Kirin, on the other hand, was unharmed and left after a quick checkup. Julis had only just woken up, and Roy came to visit her as soon as he heard.
"What a shame, to fall at this stage."
Julis let out a bitter laugh, her expression complex. Her eyes drooped as if in sorrow, and even her usually upright posture slumped.
"I really thought we had a shot at the championship... but who knew we wouldn't even make it to the finals? Well, I knew it would be tough to win against you and Claudia even if we did... but it's so frustrating! At the very least, I wanted to reach the finals!"
As if unwilling to let anyone see her vulnerable side, Julis turned her gaze toward the dazzling sunset outside the window.
Roy didn't look at her, preserving her last shred of dignity.
Yet, the faint sound of suppressed sobs still reached his ears.
Were Julis and Kirin weak?
Of course not.
They were both strong.
One was ranked first in the school's sequence, the other fifth. Though the value of being first in their school might be lower compared to others, their strength was undeniable—easily comparable to the second or third ranks of other schools. Overall, they were still among the upper echelons of the Page One students.
In previous Phoenix Festas, a duo of two top-tier Page One students would have had a 70-80% chance of contending for the championship. They would have been unquestionable championship candidates.
But in this year's event, after the semifinals were decided, discussions about Roy and Claudia were rampant, and Okita Souji and Stella also drew much attention. Even Alde and Rimcy were highly eye-catching.
Only Julis and Kirin saw shockingly little discussion online, as if no one cared.
Why was that?
It wasn't that they weren't strong, but their strength had limits—completely within expectations, utterly devoid of surprise.
If one were to ask which team had the strongest raw power in this year's Festa, Roy and Claudia would undoubtedly top the list. Okita Souji and Stella's pairing was equally formidable, not to mention both were exceptionally rare beauties. Alde and Rimcy also boasted an invincible defensive barrier. Only Julis and Kirin stood out as strong in a conventional way.
Everyone knew they were strong, but that was all—nothing particularly special.
In the hospital room, Julis blinked hard, determined not to let her tears fall. Her strong-willed nature meant she refused to show a defeated expression in front of others, even if that person was Roy.
"Julis, what is your wish?"
At that moment, Roy suddenly spoke.
"...What?"
Julis hadn't caught his question and reflexively asked back.
"What is your wish?"
Roy pressed again, patiently, as if confirming her feelings.
Julis sniffled softly, the sound barely audible.
"...Money. A lot of money. Enough to buy the orphanery."
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