"What a surprise! I didn't expect the match to end like that even just before it began!" The host was practically bursting with excitement. "To defeat another academy's Page One member so easily—looks like Elise is a real contender for the championship!"
"Indeed. I've also heard that the Snake Sword Ororomunt puts immense mental strain on its user. At the start, Feardorcha did seem to be affected by it."
"But during the fight, that influence seemed to vanish. Elise must have done something to ease or eliminate its effects."
Commentators at the Festa were rarely weak—they had to be capable of interpreting high-level combat, especially when a Page One was involved. This time, the commentator was a former member of Jie Long Seventh Institute's own Page One.
It was well known that Jie Long's Page One was on another level. Supposedly, even top fighters from other academies would rank only in the twenties if they transferred to Jie Long.
Thanks to her expert commentary, the audience gradually came to understand what had occurred. And the full video of the match was already spreading widely, exposing Elise's abilities to academies everywhere.
Contestants who had lacked information on Elise before were now eagerly analyzing her battle footage to assess her powers.
But that was fine—Elise's Sacred Speech left no real weaknesses to exploit.
...
Jie Long Seventh Institute.
"Wahahaha! I never expected to see such a powerful fighter—how fun!"
A petite girl with hair styled like butterfly wings sat on the throne at the center of the great hall, watching the replay with gleeful interest.
Though she looked like a child—perhaps not even ten years old—no one dared underestimate her.
She was the student council president of Jie Long Seventh Institute, Banyuu Tenra—Fan Xinglou.
Jie Long was home to the Huangchen Hall, said to have been built in a single night by the very first Banyuu Tenra. Only a Banyuu Tenra could open and use it.
When there was no Banyuu Tenra, the hall remained sealed. This showed how uniquely important the title was to Jie Long. And now, in the current era, the third Banyuu Tenra reigned.
Though anyone familiar with the original story knew that all three generations of Banyuu Tenra were actually the same person, having used a reincarnation technique.
She had likely lived for over a thousand years, earning her the title "Millennial Mystic Immortal"—though only a few knew the truth.
To most, Fan Xinglou was just an eccentric little girl.
"She didn't use her eyes to see, yet her body dodged at the perfect moment… Her sensory ability is no joke."
"Her mastery over Prana is impressive too. A Strega… and her ability is the Wordweaving Strega, right? Hm, something to do with speech?"
Fan Xinglou muttered to herself as she watched the video. Having lived for over a millennium, her insight was terrifyingly sharp. From just the footage, she could gauge Elise's power with uncanny accuracy.
"She wasn't even serious, yet she could use power like that… If she went all out, she might even be a match for this old lady."
"Interesting! How interesting!"
"When will I get to meet her in person? That would be quite entertaining, wouldn't it?"
Fan Xinglou found herself genuinely looking forward to meeting Elise. If they ended up fighting, that would be even better.
"Eh? Elise Holiness could match you if she went all out?"
Her third disciple, Zhao Hufeng, had clearly overheard and was visibly shocked.
Others might not know, but as Fan Xinglou's personal disciple, Zhao Hufeng understood her terrifying power better than anyone. She possessed a level of strength that transcended dimensions.
In this entire city, the only person who could compare to her might be—
The Witch of Ruling Time—Chronotemis!
Fifty years ago, she was the Strega who achieved a triple consecutive victory at the Lindvolus!
She was hailed as the most powerful Strega in Asterisk's history!
Only she could stand against Fan Xinglou!
And now… could there be another?
Faced with Zhao Hufeng's astonishment, Fan Xinglou simply gave a mysterious smile and chuckled, "Who knows~?"
...
Seidoukan Academy.
Feardorcha sat on a hospital bed, his expression weary as he looked at the blonde woman seated beside him.
It was Claudia, the student council president of Seidoukan Academy and the second-ranked member of Page One—Parca Morta.
"Don't you have anything to say, Mr. Feardorcha?" Claudia asked, wearing her usual gentle smile. "Like perhaps some thoughts about your match with the Saintess?"
"Nothing in particular. Just... the negative effects from the Orga Lux seem to be completely gone. If I stop using the Snake Sword Ororomunt going forward, I probably won't have those breakdowns again."
Feardorcha didn't hold anything back. He recounted everything he remembered about the fight, though what he remembered wasn't much—he'd lost himself to madness several times during the match.
"Honestly, does that power even belong to a Wordweaving Strega? I barely heard her say a single word during the fight!"
Feardorcha voiced his frustration. But complaints didn't matter—he had already lost.
Still, maybe losing was a bit of a relief.
"I see. As expected," Claudia nodded as though something had been confirmed. "As expected of a Wordweaving Strega—or perhaps I should say, of the Saintess herself."
"Well then, I'll leave you to rest, Mr. Feardorcha."
With that, Claudia casually exited the hospital room, leaving Feardorcha alone.
"Tch."
He clicked his tongue. "Used me and tossed me aside, huh? What a pragmatic woman."
As for Elise herself—
Right after the match, she was swarmed by eager members of the media. Their intense gazes made her feel like they wanted to peel off her skin and examine every inch of her.
She managed to answer their barrage of questions calmly. It took a long while, but thankfully, she didn't reveal any secrets.
Sigh… Fame really brings a lot of headaches. Even a saintess gets worn out!
If any of the Church's sisters were here, they would never have let Elise be mobbed like this.
"Ugh! I kind of miss Mana right now. I wonder what she's up to?"
...
Somewhere within the Church headquarters—
"Achoo!"
A certain sister suddenly sneezed. Blinking in confusion, she muttered, "Weird… Is someone thinking about me?"