————Silence.
A deathly quiet scene.
In that fleeting moment, the entire Sirius Dome fell silent, and it was as if all the previous cheers and applause were fake, turning into absolute stillness.
All eyes in the audience were directed towards the stage and a unanimous expression of tension appeared on their faces.
Even Cecily and Sasamiya Saya widened their eyes, staring intently ahead.
On the stage, Fang Li and Amagiri Ayato stood back to back, both maintaining their slashing postures with their heads lowered. In this situation, an indescribable silence permeated the entire stage, intensifying the feeling of suspense.
This scene seemed to last an eternity.
Until, at a certain moment, in the audience, one spectator involuntarily swallowed a gulp of saliva.
"Gūlp…"
The slight swallowing sound became an ear-piercing sound at this moment.
Under this sound, on the stage, the two figures back to back finally made a move.
"Pā Tà…"
A sound of liquid dripping emanated from Fang Li's body.
It was the sound of liquid dropping from the splattering of blood.
Fang Li had a gruesome wound in front of him, blood dripping, staining his uniform red.
"Buzz.."
Bo Xie trembled as if it had lost its power, and the sword's body retracted, returning to its deactivated state.
A sharp pain surged through Fang Li's mind, forcing him to kneel on one knee. His complexion turned pale, and his breathing became rapid.
The gruesome sight made Cecily's complexion change involuntarily.
Conversely, Amagiri Ayato, without even turning around, as if aware of what had happened, helplessly said a line.
"You're really reckless."
Because the sword strike by Amagiri Ayato was clearly aimed at Fang Li's emblem, it was impossible for Fang Li to suffer such a severe injury. The reason for this situation was entirely because Fang Li anticipated Amagiri Ayato's target.
When the Ser-Versta approached, Fang Li took another step forward, using his own body to directly intercept the sword, preventing his emblem from being cut off.
This was something Amagiri Ayato had never expected.
"This is just a match, and you're too harsh on yourself," Amagiri Ayato said with a wry smile on his face. His voice, however, was full of admiration. "But, I do appreciate your determination. At least, in that final strike, your resolve far surpassed mine."
So, Fang Li could be this ruthless to himself, a concept that Amagiri Ayato hadn't even considered.
As a result, the disparity in determination naturally became a difference in outcomes.
"Kacha…"
A cracking sound emanated from Amagiri Ayato's body. It was the sound of the emblem simultaneously splitting apart.
The emblem, now severed in two, fell heavily on the ground, producing a crisp sound.
Immediately, the mechanical pronouncement followed.
"Amagiri Ayato, emblem damaged."
The entire venue fell into complete silence.
Fang Li, still breathing heavily, pushed himself up despite the bleeding wounds. He pointed the Bo Xie, now reduced to its activation form, towards the bewildered Sasamiya Saya and whispered, "What about you? Do you want to continue?"
Sasamiya Saya finally snapped out of her daze. She looked at Amagiri Ayato, who was smiling bitterly, and after a moment of silence, she unemotionally uttered, "I surrender."
These two words resounded clearly on the stage.
Shortly afterward, the mechanical announcement sounded again.
"Sasamiya Saya, surrender."
"The match is over. The winners are Fang Li and Cecily, the champions of the Pheonix Festa."
When this proclamation replaced Sasamiya Saya's voice, it echoed throughout the entire space of the stage. Everyone in the audience stood up.
"Pa Pa Pa Pa!"
Applause erupted like a wave, enveloping the entire space.
Cheers.
Applause.
Clapping.
Fireworks.
At this moment, all the sounds were directed towards the victorious figures on the stage, illuminating the Sirius Dome with dazzling lights and bursting beautiful fireworks, causing shimmering confetti to continuously rain down from above.
"Finally— finally, the victor is decided! Fang Li from Jie Long Seventh Academy, together with Cecily, triumphed in the 24th Phoenix Festa!"
"After many years, the Jie Long combination dominates the Phoenix Festa again. This is truly a joyous occasion!"
The voice of the live broadcast blended with the cheers and applause, making it clear to everyone: The Phoenix Festa had indeed come to an end.
"Hū…"
Fang Li slumped down on the ground, taking a deep breath.
At the same time, notifications from the system began to sound in Fang Li's mind.
"Serial Number 11273 completed C-Rank Side Quest, gained 5000 Exchange Points."
"Serial Number 11273 completed C-Rank Side Quest, gained 5000 Exchange Points."
"Serial Number 11273 completed B-Rank Side Quest, gained 10000 Exchange Points."
Three consecutive Side Quests, all completed.
This meant that Fang Li's Main Quest had also been fulfilled by threefold.
And winning the Phoenix Festa not only fulfilled his Main Quest but also did so in the most perfect manner.
So, Fang Li lifted his gaze, looking at Cecily, who was running towards him with a laugh. He couldn't help but smile.
…
"Hū…"
In the VIP room of the Queenvail Girls' Academy at the Sirius Dome, Sylvia, who witnessed Fang Li's victory, couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. The tension that had lingered until just now finally dissipated, bringing Sylvia a sense of peace.
If someone knew that Sylvia had come to watch the match in person, they would be absolutely surprised.
After all, although the Sirius Dome had VIP rooms for various academies, Sylvia rarely attended live matches. Not because she wasn't interested, but as a world-class Diva, Sylvia was often busier than anyone else, hardly having the opportunity to watch matches in person.
However, today, Sylvia took a day off specifically to watch this match.
The reason wasn't just the outcome of the match being related to Ursula's future but also because Sylvia couldn't shake off the desire to support Fang Li since yesterday, leading to this scene.
Gazing at Fang Li sitting on the ground, being embraced by Cecily, who was rubbing his head but accidentally touching the wound, causing Fang Li to grimace in pain, Sylvia smiled gracefully.
"Congratulations…"
...
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