Popularity is everything; I play a super genius

Two joys overlapped, and this double joy brought even more joy. It should have been time to pop the champagne and celebrate wildly!

However, the situation on both sides took a sharp turn for the worse in the next moment!

……

Hiber stepped into the ring with a composed gait.

She was tall and slender, with a thin veil covering her face.

Only a pair of light blue eyes were visible, their color as pale as a clear sky diluted by a paintbrush.

Her long hair was a deeper lake blue than her eyes, and it was tied into a low bun at the back of her head.

A silk scarf tied in a bow is attached to the bun, with the end hanging down to the side of the neck, swaying gently with each step, revealing a kind of gentle beauty that is out of place with the solemn atmosphere of the arena.

After taking the stage, Hibel did not immediately adopt a fighting stance. Instead, she first nodded slightly to Saki and gave a formal self-introduction.

“My name is Hibel Oberon, the seventh princess of the Kalentia royal family.”

These words caused an uproar outside the stadium.

"What? This girl is a princess of Kalentia?"

"A princess from a nation has personally come to our City of Fire to participate in the competition?"

Hiber was unable to hear the gasps and exclamations from outside the stadium.

The girl looked at Qi Ji with gentle eyes and a sincere tone:

“You are very strong. I have seen many people who call themselves geniuses in the academy of Kalentia, but very few can achieve this level at your age.”

If you are willing to transfer to Kalentia, I can provide you with the best resources, including but not limited to—

An independent Echo Research Lab, an unlimited supply of high-level fragments, and direct royal protection.

Everything you can get in the City of Fire, I can give you ten times more.

As soon as he finished speaking, the area outside the stadium erupted in chaos.

"A princess of a nation personally poaching talent???"

"Holy crap! Don't agree!!!"

The audience in the City of Fire is really nervous this time!

Because of the generous conditions offered by Kalentia, even if the City of Fire wanted to match them, it would be powerless to do so.

In recent years, everyone in Xinzhicheng knows best how serious the brain drain has been.

After all, wasn't that genius named Wuma Ling poached by the resources of Kalentia?

They worried that Saki would also agree.

Because, if it were them...

If everyone asked themselves honestly, they probably wouldn't be able to resist the temptation!

Just as their hearts were in their throats, the masked boy on the stage chuckled softly.

"Your Highness, I admire your ability to judge people."

But if I'm not mistaken, you must not have had an easy time in Kalentia, right?

Otherwise, given your status, I would never have met you at the Grand Tournament in the City of Fire, would I?

Therefore, I reasonably suspect that you yourself might not even be able to obtain what you've promised me.

As soon as Saki finished speaking, Sybel's eyes flickered slightly, as if a sore spot had been hit.

"in addition--"

Saki then spoke,

"I am from the City of Sin and have no intention of switching allegiance to Kalentia. I'm sorry."

……

Outside the stadium.

With a "whoosh," someone breathed a sigh of relief first, and then the sound spread throughout the crowd like a chain reaction.

Over the years, so many geniuses have left Xinzhi City one after another that they've almost forgotten that there are still people who choose to stay.

……

Hibel sighed regretfully at Saki's decisive rejection.

She raised her hand and gently removed her veil, revealing a beautiful and delicate face.

Then, she took off the silk scarf tied to her bun, and her long, light blue hair, now unrestrained, cascaded down like a waterfall, falling over her shoulders.

The princess's expression became more serious than before, and she explained softly to Saki:

"The veil and hairband are creations used to seal my echoes."

My response is time.

Because of it, I have been called a monster since birth.

It was too powerful, so powerful that it was completely beyond my control.

Anyone who gets close to me will be corrupted.

It could be slowed thinking or physical aging.

Therefore, in order not to harm those around me, I have kept it sealed away.

Hibel tucked the veil and hairband into her bosom, raised her head, and looked directly at Saki.

"But now, to show my respect for you, I've decided to give it my all."

……

Below the ring.

Listening to Hibel's confession on stage, Huomu suddenly realized something and punched his own palm:

"I know! I know this! This is the Echoer's [Self-Exposure Resonance], Teacher Jing taught it the other day!"

However, Shana had a different opinion. The girl frowned and shook her head, saying:

"No, this is not resonance; she is simply telling a story."

……

"Go all out?"

Upon hearing this, a slight smile appeared on the corner of Saki's mouth beneath his mask.

"Then, so will I."

From the moment he put on the mask, Saki had been waiting for this day.

"Since you call yourself a monster, then let me help you become human again."

The moment the words left his mouth, Saki moved.

However, the result was slightly different from what Saki had anticipated—

Despite his unparalleled speed, Qi Ji failed to get close to Xi Beier immediately.

His movements suddenly slowed in mid-air, as if he were immersed in a viscous liquid.

His sudden movement faltered, leaving afterimages, and his voice became low and drawn-out, as if his thoughts were frozen.

Meanwhile, during the same period, Hilbel walked, smiled, and raised her hand normally.

The girl walked up to Qi Ji, gently placed her fingertips against his throat, and then spoke:

"You lost."

Viewers in the live stream witnessed this and filled the screen with question marks:

"???"

"What the hell? Both are time echoes, but why is her echo so different from that Carol's?"

"That's outrageous! Who can beat her?"

"Waaaaah, Hagiwara, I only had two minutes of pleasure, and now I have to go back to bed?"

"Laoji suffers its first defeat!"

"Wait, what's the rush? Everyone in the main group except Lao Ji has had a flashback, and Lao Ji's flashback hasn't even been triggered yet!"

The moment this comment appeared, showing a high-level fan badge of Qi Ji, morale was immediately stabilized.

"That makes sense! The flashbacks about Lao Ji haven't even been served up yet, so how can you say Lao Ji lost!"

"No, it doesn't seem like it's time for the flashback yet, look!"

As the comments on the screen said, it's not time for that yet.

……

On the arena.

"Who lost? Say it again?"

Saki's voice rang out from behind Sybel.

Sibel was slightly startled, watching helplessly as Qi Ji's figure slowly disappeared before her eyes.

Hibel was stunned, somewhat incredulous.

No, how could that be?

This guy actually broke free from my [Time Delay]?

This was the first time Hibel had encountered such a situation.

However, the girl couldn't help but smile slightly.

For the first time, she actually experienced a sliver of enjoyment during battle.

There is no doubt that Sybel does not like fighting.

Because all that battles brought her was boredom and emptiness.

The outcome was known before the battle even began, and the outcome was entirely predictable during the battle.

Her response was like a cheat code; simply inputting "time" would grant "victory."

But now, someone is actually able to defy her within her "time"?

This made Hibel realize that the battle might not be as boring as she had imagined.

Using the [Blurring of Reality and Illusion] technique, he broke free from Hibel's [Time Delay], and a flash of electric patterns appeared on Qi Ji's mask.

In an instant, the buzzing of a thousand birds resounded throughout the arena.

【Shunhua】, accompanied by lightning, struck down fiercely from behind Hibel.

"You won?!" Huo Mu, who was lying on the edge of the ring watching intently, clenched his fists in an instant.

He was even more excited than when he was on stage.

Huo Mu knew that at this distance, with Qi Ji's speed, the opponent would not have any time to react to the [Shun Hua].

"No...not yet." However, Setsuna shook her head with a solemn expression.

Off the field, everyone thought that Saki was going to win as easily as he had in the previous match.

The fingertips, crackling with electricity, struck Hibel on the back of the neck!

We won!

"We got it!"

"No... what is this?!"

However, just as everyone was cheering and celebrating, they witnessed an extremely unbelievable scene on the stage!

Just as the lightning was about to strike Hibel, it seemed to rewind.

The lightning went out.

The swinging motion was withdrawn.