Popularity is everything; I play a super genius

"Saki-kun, are you really sure you're alright? What if Su-shi-kun dons his armor then—"

"Of course it's alright."

Saki interrupted him.

"Firewood, have you forgotten the Flame Fist I taught you?"

When Huo Mu heard what Qi Ji said, his eyes lit up, and he immediately understood what was going on!

"Saki-kun, you don't mean... you're going to use that?"

“That’s right.” Qi Ji nodded, his tone carrying a hint of satisfaction, as if to say, “You’ve finally figured it out, kid.”

"Don't blink."

Because I only teach once.

Huo Mu nodded emphatically, his whole body suddenly becoming excited!

finally--

Saki-kun is finally going to personally demonstrate the real Flame Fist to him!

But wait!

According to Saki-san's suggestion...

Flame Fist, can it actually fight against a cape?!

So, what Sakizawa taught him was such a powerful force...

but!

Since the Flame Fist is so strong...

No one would entrust it to someone they are just classmates without expecting anything in return!

Why……

Why is Saki-kun treating him like this...?

What have I done to deserve this...?

As Huo Mu thought about it, his nose tingled, and he burst into tears again, quickly wiping them away with his sleeve.

Seeing Huomu shed tears again, Qiji felt a little embarrassed.

Oh, this honest kid!

He coughed twice, waved to Huo Mu to signal that he was "leaving," and then turned back to the center of the arena.

After waiting a while longer, Su Shi, on the other side of the arena, finally completed the circuit construction.

The prism on her chest trembled violently, shone brightly, and flew into the air.

"Now—!!"

The girl inwardly scoffed!

A powerful, chaotic torrent of mental energy, like water bursting its banks, was violently drawn from the sea of ​​consciousness!

Through the initial transformation via the prism, it begins to flow back into the body of the supplicant.

"Ughhhhhh!!!"

Su Shi gritted his teeth, enduring the tearing pain, and suddenly leaped up!

His body flipped in mid-air.

then--

His toes landed precisely on the prism mirror surface where the light reached its peak!

The next moment—

"Bang!!!"

"Splash splash splash splash—!!!"

The prism shattered completely!

It turned into countless shards of a mirror.

These fragments did not scatter and fly, but were drawn to the intense resonance within Su Shi at that moment, a resonance that shared the same origin as "image forgery."

Like bees returning to their hive! Iron filings encountering a magnet!

It roared and circled around!

“Swish swish swish——!!!”

The fragments spun faster and faster, and gathered more and more densely!

Ultimately, just like that, a dangerous, dazzling aura, refracting countless distorted lights and violent inner energy, formed around Su Shi's body—

A lens vortex!

The vortex enveloped the figure of the one who had confessed his sins.

The dazzling interplay of light and shadow creates a chillingly oppressive atmosphere!

Genealogy attire!

Armament manifested!

——【The Person in the Mirror】!

Donning the armor, all done!

However, although the cloaking was completed, it was obvious to anyone with discerning eyes that the cloaking presented to the world was extremely unstable and on the verge of collapse.

It is neither a solid energy armor nor a flowing outer garment.

Instead, it resembles a "shattered glass humanoid" violently pieced together from countless broken pieces of glass.

The lenses are her armor, the refracted light and shadow are her cloak, and the spinning fragments are her extended blades.

The overall effect presents a fragmented and morbid aesthetic.

Yet it also reveals a powerful, extremely volatile, and unstable nature!

Su Shi stood at the center of the vortex of the lens, breathing slightly heavily.

The girl's face beneath the mask was exceptionally pale, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, carrying a sense of madness and exhilaration born from a desperate, all-or-nothing attitude.

She did it!

Brother, did you see that?

I did it!!!

At the second tier, forcibly activate the armor!

Without a doubt, she won this time!

The lawsuit has won!

……

Class 8's area—

Seeing this scene on the stage, Ms. Jing once again volunteered to be a substitute teacher.

She looked into the clear eyes of the students in Class 8, eyes untouched by the pollution of knowledge, and began to explain:

"Because Su Shi has not yet reached the third level, she has not truly mastered the art of armor."

The so-called "clothing" is not simply an energy garment, but rather the projection and solidification of the echoer's "image of existence" on the real world.

This so-called 'imagery' can only be explored inwardly by those who have reached the third level of Echoes, possessing a more powerful spiritual body and a deeper self-awareness.

Even some people who lack talent may never be able to comprehend their own imagery, even if they reach the third level.

But precisely because of this, a shortcut was born—

That is 'image forgery'.

Through external means, a pre-designed 'artificial image' is forcibly implanted and mapped into the depths of the echoer's consciousness, replacing their own 'true self' that has not yet been generated, thereby gaining control of the armor in advance.

You can understand it as something at the spiritual and conceptual level...

Organ transplantation.

Seeing the bewildered expressions on the faces of the students in Class 8, as if they were listening to gibberish, Teacher Jing simply switched to a more straightforward analogy.

"Just think of the echoers using 'imagery fabrication' as the construction team!"

Following a foreign blueprint, they built a building that appeared magnificent but was not entirely compatible with their own foundation.

This building is called "Draped in Cloth"!

As Teacher Jing spoke, something seemed to come to mind, and her tone suddenly took on a hint of helplessness and reality.

"Of course, 'imagery forgery' is extremely rare, very difficult to make, and requires very high standards for materials and the maker..."

This was practically a privilege enjoyed only by aristocratic families; ordinary people shouldn't even dream of it.

These words immediately dampened the spirits of everyone in Class 8.

Wow, it's so cold!

Almost all of the students in Class 8 were born into ordinary families.

An indescribable sense of resentment and powerlessness instantly spread through their hearts.

No wonder……

Powerful and influential families can maintain their prosperity for generations and easily cultivate "geniuses".

Their descendants can use "image fabrication" to sense and even master the armor that ordinary echoers might not be able to master even when they reach the third level, even at the second level...

This is practically cheating!

The gap, the resource divide...

Even if ordinary people shed countless drops of sweat and even blood, they still cannot catch up.

……

……

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Su Shi's Imitation Contest – Su Shi Wins Second Place

As Ms. Jing's mini-lesson ended, the female teacher, as if remembering something, suddenly turned to look at Huang Lu, who was serving as the referee, her tone carrying a hint of urgency:

"Teacher Huang, your student used 'imagery forgery,' isn't that a bit... shameless?"

Isn't this a case of forcibly boosting one's strength by relying on external aids?

Therefore, I believe that even if we win, it doesn't count!

She is now very worried about the money she has invested in Saki.

That was her "dowry" that she had saved up through frugality!

Upon hearing this, Huang Lu frowned slightly, but his tone remained calm and professional:

"Ms. Jing, please watch your words."

"Imaginary Imitation" is a legal aid for training and combat recognized by the academy and the Echoers Association. It is part of an Echoer's strength, just like weapons and armor.

The fact that Su Shi was able to use and withstand its power is itself a manifestation of his ability and inner strength.

The rules don't prohibit it, so how can it be called 'rogue'?

Ms. Jing was taken aback and wanted to argue, but Yuejian stopped her with amusement.

"Don't worry, just watch."

Tsukimi spoke calmly, and for the first time since the start of the competition, he turned his gaze from the novel to the arena.

……

On the arena.

At this moment, the person in the mirror has completed their transformation, turning the tide of their previous decline and finally regaining their confidence!