[Dear viewers, after three rounds of attacks from contestant Luka, contestant Zhongli's unknown Aether Spirit has finished charging!] The host, dressed in a company uniform, stood aboard a small spacecraft and poured as much passion into his voice as he could:
[Contestant Luka is out!]
Azhdaha leaped high into the air, then came crashing down. All that remained on the ground were a few mechanical fragments.
Honestly, a one-hit knockout did nothing to stir up the crowd.
"Aether Spirits are created by using Aether Printing Technology to store creatures a player has encountered. I learned a little about the process during the Holy Grail War." Zhongli lifted the boiling kettle and poured hot water into a teacup.
"As it happened, Azhdaha suggested storing my Aether data to help him compete in this tournament."
Zhongli raised the teacup to his nose and took a gentle sniff. The fragrance of tea cleared his mind.
"So..." Lu Mingfei's mouth twitched as he looked from Azhdaha, who was glaring fiercely at Zhongli, to Iron-Arm Luka, who stood below the stage in a daze.
Zhongli smiled faintly. "I had the same idea. I also took the opportunity to spar with Azhdaha."
So the loser got tamed and turned into a Pokémon?!
Lu Mingfei glanced at his girlfriend nearby. She held up a little notebook with "You can do it" written on it. He straightened his back and headed for the stage.
It was his turn now.
There's nothing to be afraid of anymore.
Even if he couldn't manually control his armor, he had the Four Angels. There were differences even among overlord-class Aether Spirits, and his cosmic-horror abilities had the superior mechanics!
Zhongli, on the other hand, had only Azhdaha!
*Wait for me, Erii. I'll meet you in the finals, lift the trophy beneath a