In other words...
"That's right, that naive princess has fallen into the trap of a genius!"
In the square.
Kaluo suddenly realized this as well.
A chill ran down my spine; I knew something was wrong.
Your Highness is too kind, too gentle, and too easily trusting!
Although, it is precisely because of this aspect of His Highness that they have followed him so devotedly to this day.
Born into a treacherous court, she was ostracized as a monster and an outcast from a young age, yet Her Highness still treated everyone who came near her with sincerity.
Kaluo knew how incredible this was, like Miracle!
That's why she wanted to protect such a prince.
but--
"Your Highness! Don't be fooled by this masked fellow! He's wicked! Stop the construction of the massive circuit immediately!!!"
Kaluo shouted in a panic.
Unfortunately, the noise from outside the stadium couldn't reach the stadium itself.
After shouting, Kaluo realized that she had done something useless and could only turn around and start cursing Qiji's despicable behavior.
Just when everyone thought that Qiji would launch a sneak attack at the most critical moment when Sibel was constructing the circuit, Qiji showed everyone with his actions.
You've all misjudged him; he's the City of Kindling's Number One Genius!
How could Qiji be such a despicable and shameless person?
Even if he did, he would avoid the camera when doing something like that!
Now, not only is there a live stream outside the anime series, but within the anime itself, everyone in the entire City of Kindling is watching.
Qiji, who has always been very concerned about her image, would never do such a thing.
Therefore, Qiji simply waited quietly for Sibel to construct the circuit.
However, Qiji's body did not live to see Sibel finish constructing the circuit.
Before this, the ten minutes that Qiji had been waiting for to borrow money from the Silver Wish had come to an end.
The power drained from my limbs like the receding tide, and my body felt as if it had been hollowed out in an instant.
Qiji's legs went weak, and he almost fell to the ground.
Fortunately, new loans are starting to come online.
cost--
He is in a wheelchair.
The wheelchair, which had been parked beside the ring, seemed to be pulled by an invisible thread, and instantly slid under Qiji's bottom, catching him steadily.
"Cough cough." Qiji coughed up two mouthfuls of blood.
Are you alright?
Is it fair to say that Sibel truly lives up to her reputation as a monster?
Ordinary Echoer need to be completely focused to construct large circuits, yet she can still be distracted by her opponent.
Qiji waved his hand and said, "I'm fine."
Sibel is particularly sensitive to time, so she was able to sense the unusual nature of Qiji through this change in time.
"Um, I have a question."
"Speaking."
Is there a time limit for you to stand up from your wheelchair?
"Yes." Since Sibel treated him with sincerity, Qiji saw no need to hide anything from her.
Ten minutes.
Qiji spoke up, frankly.
Outside the stadium.
"???"
"What's going on?!"
"You only have ten minutes to spare, why don't you take advantage of this perfect opportunity to make your move?"
What the hell?!
"It's over! We're all finished!!!"
As Qiji sat back in his wheelchair, lost his fighting power, and fell into a slump, the audience of City of Kindling instantly erupted in wails.
During the time that Sibel was constructing the circuit, Qiji had several opportunities to make a move, but he didn't make a single one, dragging it out until his body couldn't hold on any longer.
They don't understand! They can't comprehend it!
"Is this water being released? What's going on?"
"It's clearly already at the level of match-fixing!"
"A pledge of allegiance! Absolutely a pledge of allegiance! They say nice things, rejecting Kalentia's advances, but in reality, their bodies are already in the City of Kindling, their hearts with Kalentia!"
"Damn! He acted so convincingly, I actually believed him! Turns out he's a traitor too!!!"
A troublemaker is still a troublemaker; no one can match his ability to change his tune.
On the college square.
Kaluo felt apologetic for misunderstanding Qiji.
She hadn't expected that the masked guy opposite her wasn't bluffing, but genuinely wanted to take the hit of Princess Sibel's strongest Echo...
Therefore, he even managed to drag out his ten-minute "last gasp" before his death.
Are there really such lunatics in the world?
Kaluo was at a loss for words.
On the arena, the conversation between Sibel and Qiji continued.
At this moment, the two didn't seem to be fighting, but rather like old friends reuniting in a courtyard in the afternoon, chatting and confiding in each other from a short distance.
Sibel began, "I have one more question."
"You ask."
"You haven't awakened the Echo, have you? You're not Echoer yet. I haven't sensed any resonance between you and the circuit."
As soon as Sibel finished speaking, everyone, both inside and outside the arena, froze for a moment.
Of course, most people's first reaction upon hearing this is—
What is this guy saying?
Although Qiji is now back in a wheelchair, the combat prowess he displayed in those two matches was undeniable.
How could Echoer possibly have achieved such a crushing victory against Kalentia's two Tier 3 elite Echoer?
Of course, there were also those who were stunned by Sibel's words, and then began to show thoughtful expressions—
Yuejian is one of them.
Upon hearing Sibel's question, Qiji, who was directly involved, was also taken aback.
He hadn't expected that Sibel's perception of Echo would be so acute.
Qiji had kept the lack of Echo well hidden, but Sibel was the first to discover it.
However, after installing it for so long, it's almost done.
Now, the timing is perfect.
A slight smile played on the corners of Qiji beneath the mask.
"That's right, I didn't Echo; I'm not Echoer."
He readily admitted it.
In fact, even if Sibel hadn't asked, Qiji would have confessed on her own later.
Because this was part of his ritual.
But now that Sibel has asked, Qiji will go along with it.
He sensed it—
It's time.
The rituals of destiny Echo at this moment!
"Ah?!"
No Echo???
"Really?!"
Upon hearing that Qiji had actually admitted it himself, a huge uproar erupted outside the arena.
"Are you kidding me? The City of Kindling's Number One Genius hasn't Echo at all?"
Even now, the shill from the Thousand Faces Family still dutifully added, "Tie! Tied for the number one genius!"
"Wait, then in that case, does Qiji still count as a genius?"
"The phrase 'no Echo' has absolutely nothing to do with genius!"
"But he utterly defeated Kalentia's genius! Doesn't that make him a genius?"
"Not a genius, yet he can crush geniuses? Hmm?"
If you ask me—
To be able to easily defeat a group of third-tier elites who possess Echo without any Echo is undoubtedly the mark of a genius.
However, in a world where Echo determines everything, without Echo, the upper limit is clearly visible.
The higher the level, the less effective physical techniques become compared to Echo.
From this perspective, it seems that he cannot be considered a true genius...
Inside the stadium.
The four little ones guarding the arena were also quite shocked by Qiji's self-disclosure.
"No Echo from Qiji? He's like me? So Qiji- kun is a pig too... Wait, so I'm a genius too?!"
Huomu was excited for a moment, then shook his head violently.
No, no, no, no!
How could I possibly compare to Qiji? Am I even worthy?
Etc!
In other words, if Qiji is already this powerful even without awakening his Echo, wouldn't he be invincible after Echo?!
Suddenly, Qiji's image in Huomu's mind became even more mysterious, powerful, and radiant.
In Huomu's simple understanding, the reason why Qiji hasn't awakened yet is, of course, because Qiji doesn't want to awaken.