A massive surge of flames erupted, forming a towering pillar of fire that shot into the sky!
The intense heat radiated outward from the fiery column, its brilliance akin to the sun itself descending before their eyes.
The colossal beam, stretching fifty meters long, shattered the overhead defensive barrier with a thunderous boom the moment it surged upward. It roared into the arena's sky like a dragon, its overwhelming presence dominating the entire battlefield—thankfully, the second defensive barrier stood nearly a hundred meters high, or else one might have doubted whether it could withstand such an attack.
The instant the enormous beam erupted, the audience erupted into chaos.
How could someone break the defensive barrier again?
For decades, no one had ever managed to destroy the barrier single-handedly, yet this year's Festa had already produced two such individuals.
And the one before them wasn't even a hybrid wielding an Orga Lux—she was a full-fledged human!
Julis and Kirin, watching from the spatial screen, felt their hearts leap into their throats.
As the unnatural light and heat surged toward him, Roy tensed.
He couldn't take this head-on. If he were struck directly, even he would suffer severe injuries.
"Fine, then I'll just have to eliminate you early!"
Roy's eyes sharpened as he drew out the majority of the mana within his body, enveloping himself completely. Without hesitation, he charged toward Stella, smashing through the flaming dragon heads blocking his path as if they were mere clouds. His body shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
"Blazing Sky, Scorching Earth—Dragon King's Inferno—!!!"
Stella swung her greatsword down first.
The colossal beam descended upon Roy like a collapsing sky, instantly blotting out his entire field of vision. The sheer scale of it was enough to crush any hope of resistance in those who witnessed it.
But Roy had already activated his awareness, taking in every detail within a certain radius. In the blink of an eye, he calculated the trajectory of Stella's strike. With a burst of prana, he kicked off the ground, darting to the side at speeds imperceptible to the naked eye—just barely evading the devastating blow.
"It's not over yet!"
Seeing Roy escape her certain-kill technique despite being surrounded, Stella felt a jolt of surprise, inwardly impressed by his tenacity. But she immediately roared, sweeping her greatsword horizontally. The massive beam chased after Roy like a persistent shadow.
No matter how fast he ran, he couldn't outpace the speed of her swing—Stella was certain this strike would land!
"He vanished!"
But suddenly, right before her eyes, Roy disappeared without a trace.
Stella's heart lurched as she frantically scanned her surroundings for any sign of him.
Then—
Her vision blurred.
Roy flickered into existence directly in front of her.
Only a fist's distance separated them.
"What?!"
Stella's entire body stiffened in shock as she instinctively tried to retreat.
But Roy wouldn't let this opportunity slip away.
He stepped forward and slashed downward!
A strange sensation washed over Stella's chest—and she froze in disbelief.
"Stella Vermilion, school crest damaged, eliminated!"
The faceless goddess emblem split in two, slowly falling from her chest and clattering to the ground.
"I... lost?"
Stella stared at the crest on the ground with disbelief in her eyes.
No matter how unwilling she was to accept it, she had to admit—that was indeed her crest.
She had been defeated, the first to be eliminated.
"Whew..."
Roy let out a relieved sigh. His remaining magical energy was less than half, and maintaining starforce defense across his entire body consumed an enormous amount—even he couldn't use it more than twice.
"Sorry about this, but I'll be taking the championship this time."
Roy glanced at Stella, a weight-off-his-shoulders smile appearing on his face.
Who would have thought the pressure facing Stella would be greater than against Alde?
While defeating Stella had been technically simpler, honestly speaking, he doubted even Alde's firepower could match Stella's ferocity. At least Roy could take a direct hit from Alde's Warhammer without breaking bones, but eating one of Stella's Blazing Sky Incinerating Dragon King Flames might have left him severely wounded.
"You're strong, but far from your full potential. I hope to fight you at your best next time."
If Roy remembered correctly, this was still the "first edition" Stella—the power hidden beneath that body was far more terrifying than what she currently displayed.
Though in this world, how much of that power she could unlock remained to be seen.
"Don't get cocky! You think victory's guaranteed already?"
Though defeated, Stella's heart burned with resentment. Hearing Roy's remarks only stoked her indignation. She crossed her arms and shot him a sharp glare.
"My partner Souji hasn't lost yet!"
Okita was formidable too.
Stella had never seen Okita go all out—she might be stronger than imagined. Even against Roy, it wasn't necessarily an unwinnable fight. Their team hadn't truly been defeated yet!
"Claudia Enfield, school crest damaged, eliminated!"
At the same moment, Okita's blade severed Claudia's crest in a single stroke.
Claudia seemed dazed by her defeat.
She'd expected another near-miss, but Souji's strike this time had been unimaginably precise—one clean cut through her emblem.
"That's not your concern anymore."
Roy waved dismissively at Stella, an odd smile playing on his lips.
"Miss Crimson Princess who was eavesdropping from the rooftop earlier."
With those words, Roy turned and walked toward the opposite side of the stage.
"That guy...!"
Stella's shock was written plainly across her face.
"He knew I was on the rooftop that time... no, he knows my identity!"
So he was definitely from another world too!
And like Okita Souji, he knew details about her world—even her "Crimson Princess" epithet!
Not to boast, but in her world, Stella did hold the title of "World's Strongest Magical Power" and enjoyed considerable international renown.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the match has finally reached its climax! Despite unleashing an astonishingly powerful ultimate move, Stella Vermilion was narrowly defeated by Roy. Meanwhile, after several minutes of intense struggle, Claudia Enfield also fell to Okita Souji. Now, we are about to witness the ultimate showdown between Roy and Okita Souji—both exceptional swordsmen. Who will emerge victorious? Who will claim the championship of this Phoenix Festa? The most thrilling moment of the tournament has arrived!"
Stella and Claudia retreated to the edges of the arena.
Meanwhile, Roy and Okita stepped into the center of the stage.
The two locked eyes, their gazes sharp and unyielding.
But in truth.
No one could have guessed just how hard Roy was laughing inside.