Chapter 490: Hmm? I smell the scent of lifespan theory!
Day three of the main event, 10 AM.
Amidst the cheers of the audience, the Oli Lilli Team and the Scarlet Devil Mansion Team simultaneously stepped onto the ring.
The tournament bracket for the quarterfinals was already displayed on the big screen.
There was no re-selection of opponents; instead, they were directly assigned according to the default A and B group rankings from the round of sixteen:
[First Match — Oli Lilli Team VS Scarlet Devil Mansion Team]
[Second Match — Resilient! Invincible! Strongest! Team VS Fatal Fury Team]
[Third Match — Japan Team VS Art of Fighting Team]
[Fourth Match — 996 Team VS Ikari Team]
According to the schedule, all quarterfinal matches would be completed today.
Since Cheng would be participating, the commentary duties had to return to Sunglasses Mustache.
Cheng was undoubtedly the star of this event, with an extremely strong presence; not only did the audience pay close attention to him, but the players and other competitors also did.
They all wanted to see what other abilities Cheng Tian could reveal.
And then they would surprisingly find that Cheng Tian's abilities would diminish with each fight.
"So, have both sides decided on their vanguard?"
"It's still me."
Cheng, who could only go first due to the challenge, raised his hand to signal.
Across from him, Remilia, the mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, small in stature but holding a pink parasol at the front of her team, scanned Cheng Tian from head to toe with a scrutinizing gaze.
Although the term "Head Maid's wild daddy's counterpart" came from Remilia's own mouth, re-examining him still gave her a very strange feeling.
Even though Cheng Tian and Sakuya bore no resemblance, there was still a strong feeling of "they must be relatives, right?"
As the saying goes, love me, love my dog. The Vampire Lady's trust in her Head Maid inevitably extended to Cheng Tian, making her initial impression of Cheng Tian quite good... But upon closer contact, Cheng Tian emitted an undeniable "sun" aura, which she detested the most.
The irreconcilable conflict between Vampires and the sun is ingrained in their racial talent; becoming a Daywalker is not something all Vampires can achieve.
And this aura of the sun reminded her of the terrifying sunlight this guy had unleashed before!
At that time, Remilia, exposed to the terrifying sunlight, immediately covered her head and crouched defensively, her dignity shattered.
With this memory resurfacing, the Lady's mouth visibly turned into an inverted U-shape, indicating her mood was far from pleasant.
"Is the vanguard still me?"
Hong Meiling, completely oblivious to her Lady's mood, leaned over and asked casually.
But the next second, the Head Maid, standing behind Remilia on her other side, stepped forward directly.
"Only a time-stopper can deal with a time-stopper."
Sakuya Izayoi stared sharply into Cheng Tian's eyes.
"Ah? He is too?!"
Evidently, the mistress and her Head Maid had not informed their gatekeeper about Cheng Tian's situation, which caused Hong Meiling to instinctively recoil a step upon hearing the term "time-stopper."
The accumulated pressure (salary deductions) from the Head Maid made Hong Meiling subconsciously place Cheng Tian in the same category, her eyes full of apprehension.
This was the effect of first impressions, even though Cheng Tian's ability system was quite different from the Head Maid's.
"Both vanguards confirmed."
"Then, the first match of this quarterfinal round, the eight-to-four stage, will be between player Aoko and player Sakuya Izayoi! Rules as usual!"
"Now, other players, please step down."
Cheng Tian, so focused that he didn't even notice the three hands on his back leaving, watched Sakuya Izayoi intently.
Because this would probably be his most difficult opponent to date.
An opponent who not only mastered Time Stop but theoretically could also use Time Acceleration. If he didn't also have a Stand World that could somewhat bridge the gap, Cheng Tian wouldn't know how he could win against her.
However, as Cheng Tian concentrated on her pristine, ageless face, as if solidified at seventeen or eighteen years old, a chilling thought suddenly popped into his mind.
"I have a question, I wonder if you'd be comfortable answering it."
"...Ask away."
Sixteen Nights' eyes flickered slightly, her expression remaining cool, as it always had been. But soon, she would pay the price for underestimating Cheng Tian, this human-shaped weapon box.
"If I recall correctly, when you work at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, you basically use time manipulation to assist throughout, and you single-handedly take on almost all the work. Those useless little fairies are completely unhelpful, isn't that right?"
"Indeed, their ability to feed themselves and sleep is already a great help."
If it weren't for Mu Q's reputation, and the fact that the vast Scarlet Devil Mansion truly needed some living presence, those useless little fairies of the Scarlet Devil Mansion would have been swept out long ago.
"What is an instant to others has been an unknown amount of time for you, yet your physical age has not increased in the slightest. Can I assume that, having mastered time, your actual lifespan is practically infinite?"
The Head Maid's eyes visibly flickered upon hearing Cheng Tian's words, and she did not reply.
But this reaction largely confirmed Cheng Tian's conjecture.
"Lady Remilia is a little over five hundred years old, but Vampires are long-lived, not eternal beings, which means..."
Cheng Tian didn't need to continue, because the cool Head Maid was already clutching her head, her pupils starting to tremble.
In fantasy worldviews, we often discuss the lifespan theory that arises from the union of humans and long-lived races like elves. A human, at most a century old, is but a fleeting moment in the thousand-year lifespan of an elf. To an elf, it's just an ordinary journey, but to a human, it might be half a lifetime or even an entire lifetime.
This is the so-called lifespan theory.
But when it came to a human who controlled the flow of time and a Vampire, a long-lived but not eternal species, the discussion of lifespan theory was completely reversed.
In other words, there would come a day when Lady Remilia, the mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, would die before her most trusted Head Maid!
And Cheng Tian, whose initial intention was merely curiosity, cruelly exposed this inversely existing lifespan theory.
"Lady ahhhhhh—"
Sakuya Izayoi's morale plummeted!
At the same time, Xiao Huzi "inopportunely" announced:
"First battle! Begin!"
The Head Maid, instantly transforming her severe mental trauma into anger, was the first to attack. With a sweep of her hand beneath her skirt, a barrage of exquisitely crafted silver throwing knives flew towards Cheng Tian the next second.
However, just as everyone expected Cheng Tian to summon the Stand World and counter with mu da! mu da!, they saw Cheng Tian's body stiffen. After a flick of his hands at his waist, he surprisingly produced two large handfuls of Aoko-gold, equally exquisite throwing knives—
DIO's template knife barrage!
The series of Aoko-gold throwing knives, seemingly casually flung by Cheng Tian with great force, collided in mid-air with the silver throwing knives from the opponent, which also sliced through the air at high speed!