Flora gestured toward the screen to show the content.
In the photo, Julis and Flora were in a bathhouse, washing their hair, with only towels wrapped around them.
"Hmm. Very well shot," Haruki Aizawa evaluated with a calm, deadpan expression.
His reaction, however, triggered an immediate scream from Julis.
"KYAAAAAAAHHHH!!"
Julis shrieked at the top of her lungs, lunging forward to snatch the phone from Flora's hand and instantly closing all the holographic windows. "You—you didn't see anything! Tell me you didn't see anything!!"
"Unfortunately, I saw it quite clearly. And one of my few gifts is a near-photographic memory," Haruki said, deciding to lean into his mischievous side. "That image is probably going to stay with me for at least a hundred years."
"NOOOOOO! FORGET IT! FORGET IT RIGHT NOW!!!"
Julis's face was so red it looked like it might actually catch fire. She let out a pained wail, but it was clear she couldn't move Haruki's iron-clad resolve to tease her.
Finally, the girl turned to the young maid, her voice full of bitter regret. "Flora! I told you a long time ago to delete those photos!"
"Ugh, but... but they're such precious memories with the Princess..." Flora lowered her head, looking utterly dejected.
"Ngh..." Seeing her like that, Julis couldn't bring herself to be truly angry. She could only fall silent, looking deeply troubled.
"Trying to delete a child's happy memories... I suppose the Princess is actually a villain," Haruki noted. He had discovered recently that winding Julis up was a surprisingly entertaining hobby—a unique form of stress relief.
"I-I am not a villain...!"
"That's right! The Princess isn't a bad person!" Flora added, trying to comfort her.
The girl's defense only made Julis feel more awkward. She let out a long sigh, deciding it was best to stop acknowledging the incident entirely.
"Since I finally made it to Asterisk, I want to make more happy memories with the Pwincess!" Flora chirped, her mood bouncing back.
"Of course. We can go out somewhere after the tournament is over."
"Yay! Then Haruki-oniisan has to come too, right?" Flora looked at Julis with wide, expectant eyes.
Faced with such innocent excitement, Julis didn't have the heart to refuse.
Flora continued, her voice growing even more animated. "Oh, oh! I know! This time, let's all take a bath together! I've been practicing how to scrub backs lately!"
"Pfft—! What are you saying?!" Julis sputtered, her brain nearly short-circuiting.
What made it worse was Haruki's shameless agreement. "I have no objections."
"I HAVE OBJECTIONS!!" Julis roared, glaring at Haruki with enough intensity to melt steel.
She was absolutely not taking a bath with Haruki Aizawa. That was beyond the pale.
Haruki ignored her outburst, but Flora looked genuinely sad. "But... but Flora just wants to help everyone!"
"You're still too young, don't worry about things like that," Julis managed to say.
"But the rumors say the Dragon Gate President is even younger than me! If she can be a President, maybe I can be a big help too..."
At Flora's logic, Julis wasn't the only one who turned pale—even Haruki's composure wavered. Having met Fan Xinglou in person, he knew exactly what kind of monster she was. Comparing Flora to her was like comparing a house cat to a dragon.
Flora's arrival was a brief, chaotic interlude in the Phoenix Festa. Ultimately, the most important thing for Haruki and Julis was the tournament itself.
Having fought through match after match, they had officially entered the Top 8. Their next hurdle was the Quarter-Finals. A victory here would put them in the semi-finals—the final four.
According to the bracket, their opponents were the twins from the Dragon Gate Seventh Institute: Li Shenyun and Li Shenhua. Haruki had met them briefly at the Dragon Gate campus, so he was calm and composed as they prepared to enter the ring.
"Haruki, is the backlash from the Ser-Veresta truly handled?" Julis asked.
When Haruki had left the Dragon Gate, he had sent a message stating that the issue with the magic sword's rejection was solved. Not only that, but the insights he had gained from Fan Xinglou's teaching had given him a significant boost in power.
However, only Haruki knew the full extent of his growth. He didn't answer Julis with words, but his aura alone was proof enough. He felt better than ever, his spirit perfectly synchronized with his blade.
As the intensity of the Festa surged, the Quarter-Finals began. The crowd at the Sirius Dome was deafening.
"Honored guests, thank you for waiting! The Quarter-Finals are finally underway!" the announcer's voice boomed through the stadium.
"First, entering from the East Gate—the duo from Seidokan Academy: Haruki Aizawa and Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld!"
"And from the West Gate—the pair from Dragon Gate Seventh Institute: Li Shenyun and Li Shenhua!"
"The results from the other stages are in! Three of our final four have been decided! Now, who will claim the very last ticket to the Semi-Finals?!"
The crowd erupted into a roar. Haruki and Julis walked onto the stage.
"We're the final match of the round," Haruki noted.
"Yes," Julis nodded. "The other winners are Ayato and Saya from our school, the autonomous doll pair from Alakant, and the knights from St. Gallardworth. The Semi-Finals are right in front of us."
Haruki nodded and manifested the Ser-Veresta.
Compared to before, the shape of the Black Furnace Magic Sword hadn't changed drastically, but its size had shifted. It looked as though the blade had finally submitted to Haruki's will, molding itself into a form that suited him perfectly. It now bore a striking resemblance to a Ghost Slayer blade, though its power as an Ogre Lux far exceeded any conventional steel.
Thump. Thump.
As Haruki and Julis took their positions, the Li twins arrived on the opposite side of the ring.
"I am Li Shenyun, representing Dragon Gate."
"I am Li Shenhua, also of Dragon Gate."
"Pleased to meet you," they said in chillingly perfect unison, their movements mirrored as they bowed.
Haruki ignored the posturing, but Julis's expression grew cold. The twins were looking at them like predators staring at prey.
"What do you want?" Julis asked.
"Nothing much. We just felt we should offer an apology," Shenyun said.
"An apology?"
"Yes. A few days ago, our classmates Song and Luo made quite a fool of themselves in their match against you. As fellow disciples of the same school, it was frankly embarrassing."
Julis frowned. She didn't think Song and Luo had fought poorly; it was simply that Haruki's strength was an anomaly.
"No, no. Their level was simply too low," Shenyun continued.
Shenhua added, "We couldn't have you believing that the direct disciples of the Ban'yuu Tenra, Fan Xinglou, were only at that level."
"..." Julis's eyes narrowed at their arrogance.
Haruki remained calm. "So you believe you've mastered everything Fan Xinglou has to teach?"
"Hehe. We may not equal our Master yet, but we are the closest anyone has ever come," Shenyun boasted. "Star-Pulse Incantation is the ultimate art of Dragon Gate, and aside from Master herself, we are the strongest practitioners!"
"Is that so?"
"We know you studied under Master for a single day, Haruki Aizawa. But in such a short time, you've seen nothing but the scratch on the surface," Shenyun said coldly. "Allow us to show you the true power of the Star-Pulse Arts."
The twins turned and walked back to their starting line.
"Hmph. They're certainly easy to read. What annoying people," Julis grumbled.
"Agreed," Haruki said.
He decided then and there to show the twins the reality of their "mastery."
As the announcer called for the start, the combatants prepared themselves. Haruki did something unusual: he moved first.
He raised the Ser-Veresta and closed his eyes, focusing his resonance. Thanks to Fan Xinglou, he had learned how to perfectly channel Prana. He realized that a "Wave" was simply a form of energy conversion.
In the past, Haruki had used his mental focus to "manually" convert energy into resonance—it was like digging a hole with his bare hands. It was exhausting and inefficient. But after studying with Xinglou, he realized he needed better tools.
To dig a hole effectively, you use a shovel.
Haruki was now using the Ser-Veresta as that tool—a high-efficiency catalyst for his Wave Arts.
RUMBLE!
Haruki raised the Ser-Veresta high, his movements controlled and rhythmic. He began to release the massive energy he had been condensing within the blade.
A staggering resonance formed in his palm, surging through the hilt and igniting the blade. But it wasn't just the sword's natural fire. It was a localized, high-density explosion of elemental energy.
"What is he doing...?"
As the flames erupted from the tip of Haruki's sword, every spectator in the dome leaned forward in shock. Haruki wasn't just attacking; he was reshaping the battlefield.
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