The trio and their piggy headed to the lower district competition grounds.
As they approached, the sound of hype and excitement from the arena reached their ears.
"Attention all spectators~ attention all spectators~ The Interastral Tournament Festival is about to begin. All participants, please enter in an orderly fashion!"
With the PA system blaring, March 7th couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! This looks super lively…"
When the three of them reached the registration area, Wilder waved at them. "You're here. Everyone, please hand me your Aether Coins so I can register you."
Stelle: "Here you go!"
Before the match officially began, it was necessary to confirm the Aether Spirit data. Once the information and data were verified, the Aether Coins were handed over to Stelle.
"There's still some time before the match begins. The three of you can take this opportunity to prepare. I wish you a triumphant start."
"Thanks~"
After Pei Guang expressed his thanks, the three prepared for the final rounds. At the entrance of the arena, March 7th glanced around nervously. "I'm a bit nervous! Ah Guang! Stelle! We'll be okay, right?"
Pei Guang: "No idea? Stelle's the one who's been training the Aether Spirits these days. I've just been slacking off at home."
Stelle: "No worries! I've gotten really familiar with the strategies Ah Guang left behind. But Ah Guang, if anything goes wrong, I'll need your help…"
Pei Guang: "No problem!"
After some anxious waiting, the match officially began. When the three saw it was their turn to enter, they went through identity verification and took the elevator to the competition stage.
As the contestants entered, the crowd erupted in cheers, and the host launched into an energetic introduction.
"Up next, it's the Trailblazers! Versus! The Iron Wall of Boulder Town—Luka!"
With the host's impassioned introduction, bursts of flame shot out from both sides of the passage, amping up the atmosphere in the arena. Upon hearing the name "Trailblazers," the audience grew even more excited.
Some were there to enjoy the action in person, while others were watching holographically, experiencing the near-lifelike broadcast. Among the audience were not only Aetherium Wars players but also those who had formed bonds with the Trailblazers along their journey.
In the VIP seats, Asta watched the three Trailblazers with excitement. She was so overjoyed she even waved at Pei Guang and the others, though the crowd and lights kept them from noticing her.
At home in the Xianzhou, Fu Xuan clenched her fist while watching Pei Guang approach the stage. "Come on! Show them the power of your perpetual motion comp!"
Inside the Ten-Lords Commission, Hanya was watching the stream, though she didn't understand any of it.
Even in the Seat of Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan was sneaking in some live viewing whenever his schedule allowed.
When Pei Guang and the others reached the stage, Luka was already there warming up. He was punching a sandbag in front of him, eventually sending it flying. Pei Guang responded with a serious expression.
"Didn't expect our first opponent to be the martial arts champion!"
Pei Guang's comment caught Luka's attention. He pulled out his Aether Coin and looked at Pei Guang with intense energy. "So it's you! I was wondering who'd show up first. Didn't think it'd be you guys!"
Seeing the Trailblazers, Luka was clearly thrilled. Although he hadn't interacted with them directly before, he had always looked up to them. Now, facing them as his first opponents, he was elated.
Though they didn't know Luka personally, seeing his powerful aura made Pei Guang get serious. "Looks like you're ready! Stelle, March, Piggy Hero! Let's go!"
Stelle pulled out her Aether Coin. "Let's do this! We'll show you the power of our nuclear burst comp!"
As both sides raised their Aether Coins, four Aether Spirits appeared on each side of the battlefield. Luka's side featured the Overlord-class Aether Spirit Automaton Direwolf, from Belobog's combat mechs, along with Voidranger: Reaver, Imaginary Weaver, and Incineration Shadewalker.
Stelle summoned a Frigid Prowler—codenamed Ice Chub. The other three were Piggy Hero, the Vagrant, and the Silvermane Cannoneer.
As the Aether Spirits appeared, the audience roared with excitement. Ice Chub was strong, widely considered one of the highest-damage Overlord-class Aether Spirits.
However, Ice Chub had a flaw that made it unpopular: its battle skill drained teammates' HP. Using its skill first could leave allies nearly depleted. If the opponent acted right after, at least one unit on the user's side would likely be knocked out.
Even with high damage, no one wanted to play a 3v4. Compared to Ice Chub draining its own team, the automatons from the Xianzhou that could endlessly summon allies were far more efficient.
When Pei Guang's Aether Spirits appeared, the announcer's tone noticeably shifted.
"What?! The Trailblazers are using the Frigid Prowler? That's widely considered the hardest Aether Spirit to use! And the Vagrant and Silvermane Cannoneer? These two have recently been discovered to have unique synergy, but the Cannoneer usually pairs best with the Silvermane Lieutenant.
Why combine it with the Frigid Prowler? One is a one-shot mechanic, the other relies on follow-up attacks. Are they trying to use the Cannoneer to patch the damage? Or... do the Trailblazers have some new strategy or combo in mind? Let's see for ourselves what unique understanding the Trailblazers bring to Aether Spirit tactics!"
High EQ: "A unique interpretation from the Trailblazers."
Low EQ: "What kind of mess are the Trailblazers playing?"
The host continued their passionate commentary, and when both teams deployed their Aether Spirits, Luka took on a cautious expression.
Among Pei Guang's team, only the Silvermane Cannoneer had the highest speed. So as the match began, the Cannoneer was the first to act, applying a support skill to Ice Chub. As for the remaining three Aether Spirits, all were slightly slower than Luka's team.
The Silvermane Cannoneer's move was within everyone's expectations—but what happened next left everyone dumbfounded.
Silvermane Cannoneer: "A thousand wonders, to raise your spirits~ Fight as one!"
The Silvermane Cannoneer shouted a line that sounded awkward to everyone, and the Vagrant's subsequent action and line froze Bronya's expression as she watched the livestream.
The Vagrant suddenly moved and shouted a line Pei Guang had prepared.
Vagrant: "The time is now. Lend me your strength! We've entered the storm: to guard and defend, crush them!"
First, the Vagrant raised his shovel twice in quick succession: the first boosted all teammates' attack power, and the second gave the Frigid Prowler priority to act.
But what the Frigid Prowler did next plunged everyone watching the match into silence. It first activated a battle skill to absorb its teammates' HP and strengthen its attack. Full 10 stacks! What came next was the godstrike—or rather, the Frigid Prowler's terrifying burst.
Ice Chub: "Lunar flame!!"
As the Frigid Prowler shouted this barely intelligible line and released a wave of chilling air, three of Luka's regular Aether Spirits were instantly wiped out by the devastating attack.
Even his Overlord-class Aether Spirit, Direwolf, was frozen and lost a third of its HP in one blow.
But that was only the beginning—because after taking down three of the enemy's Aether Spirits, the Frigid Prowler acted again.
Ice Chub: "Lunar flame!!"
Once more, it shouted the phrase, and Luka's Aether Spirit was taken down as well.
At that moment, all eyes were on the Frigid Prowler. Its tactical coordination surpassed even Nous! In that moment, everyone saw the embodiment of pure beauty in the Frigid Prowler's deep, round belly.
Even the Aeon of Propagation remarked: "If I were still alive, my endless swarm would fall at its feet."
Some even imagined a serious yet absurdly comical line echoing in their minds:
"General MacArthur once said: 'if Ice Chub was dispatched by the Annihilation Gang to destroy the Xianzhou Luofu, the Luofu would already be rubble.'"