『 [ Wow! It looks like the real deal! ]
[ I'm getting a little excited myself! ]
Looking at the lively atmosphere on the scene, listening to the impassioned broadcast voice, March 7th felt her own excitement rising.
[ Look, here come four high-spirited friends! ]
[ Do you want to become a superstar of the festival? ]
Suddenly, the host's broadcast voice rang out again, seemingly calling them.
[ Huh… are they talking about~ us? ]
March 7th asked uncertainly.
[ Yes! ]
[ Don't doubt it, I see the potential for stardom in all of you! ]
The host gave a definitive answer on March 7th.
[ Excited Reporter: Four contestants, what do you hope to gain by coming here? ]
[ Calm Reporter: As the last batch of contestants, how confident are you in passing all the challenges? ]
[ Underperforming Reporter: Can we have an exclusive interview with you? Just for a moment! ]
[ Hunt Reporter: The road ahead is treacherous and steep, flags obscure the sky as we vie for the crown! ]
[ Beauty Reporter: Swords and Roses! Protect the beauty! Beauty, beauty! Mighty and magnificent! ]
[ Elation Reporter: Knights have hard heads! Lan is stubborn! Winning doesn't matter! The fun never stops! ]
After the host finished speaking, a group of various reporters popped out from nowhere, surrounding Stelle and the others, talking incessantly, asking this and that.
[ How are there so many people! ]
[ I feel like all sorts of monsters and demons are coming out, let's just hurry in and start the competition! ]
March 7th was getting creeped out by this scene, and wanted to pull the others away quickly.
[ Ladies and gentlemen, please make way, make way! ]
[ Walking towards us now is one of the ten richest people in Penacony, the creator of the SoulGlad business empire—Mr. Aideen! ]
Suddenly, an old man walked in slowly from the outside.
And at this moment, the host's broadcast also began introducing this old man.
[ Let me introduce myself, I am the factory manager of SoulGlad, Aideen Leeda. ]
[ Four friends, introduce yourselves to the audience across the galaxy as well! ]
Aideen came to the front of the four and said with a smile.
[ Um, hello everyone, I am a Nameless from the Astral Express, Himeko. ]
[ These are my companions. ]
Himeko, unhurried, introduced herself elegantly to the camera.
[ Um… don't you need to hide your identities? ]
Hotaru saw Himeko stating their identities directly, and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
[ Can't hide it, all of Penacony is plastered with our posters… ]
[ But precisely because everyone knows the Astral Express, the Family doesn't dare to act rashly. ]
March 7th whispered the answer to Hotaru.
[ Hello everyone, I'm the Galactic Baseballer, and she's Say~Cheese~. ]
While March 7th and Hotaru were whispering, Stelle had already confidently introduced herself to the camera and took the opportunity to introduce March 7th beside her. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Furina de Fontaine: "Say… Say~Cheese~?!"
Furina de Fontaine: "What kind of strange title is this?"
Guinaifen: "It should be because Miss March 7th often carries a camera, so Stelle gave her a nickname?"
Stelle: "Hahaha, this isn't a nickname I gave her."
Stelle: "This is clearly her own screen name!"
March 7th: "Aaaah, damn it!!"
March 7th: "You, why did you call out my screen name on an occasion like this!!"
March 7th: "This is social death, you know!!"
Stelle: "What are you afraid of? Look at me, didn't I just openly state my hero name?"
March 7th: "But this is different, AAAAH!!!"
Silver Wolf: "Say~Cheese~… hahaha, it's killing me."
Silver Wolf: "You really know how to combine reality to create a screen name."
Himeko: "It's quite good, at least it fits little March's characteristics very well."
Lumine: "Speaking of which, it's so lively here."
Lumine: "But those reporters, why do they all look so strange?
Charlotte: "The first three are fine… those last three reporters… it feels like they are just there to make up the numbers?"
Hu Tao: "Hunt reporter, Beauty reporter, Elation reporter…"
Hu Tao: "Do you have to believe in an Aeon to be a reporter these days?"
Aventurine: "Ha, not necessarily."
Aventurine: "I can only say, the current Penacony is a mixed bag, with all kinds of people."
Aventurine: "Whether these three are actually reporters is hard to say."
....
『 [ Oh my! ]
[ Can you not call out my screen name in public! ]
[ Hello everyone, I am March 7th! ]
[ An ordinary girl who likes to go on adventures everywhere! ]
March 7th was very dissatisfied with Stelle revealing her screen name, so she reintroduced herself to the camera.
[ Hello everyone, I am Hotaru, um… also an ordinary girl who likes to go on adventures everywhere. ]
The camera turned to Hotaru at the end. She pondered for a while and also followed March 7th's lead. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Silver Wolf: "An ordinary girl who likes to go on adventures everywhere?"
Silver Wolf: "Good grief, Hotaru, you really dare to say that."
Hotaru: "Wha… what's wrong?"
Hotaru: "Is there something wrong with what I said…?"
Stelle: "Adventures everywhere is correct."
Stelle: "But the ordinary part is not."
Stelle: "Which ordinary girl can pilot a mecha to go on adventures everywhere?"
March 7th: "That's right, and which ordinary girl can explode stars?"
Guinaifen: "Piloting a mecha to adventure and explode stars, none of these are things an ordinary girl can do."
Guinaifen: "Sister, you are not ordinary at all, you are just too cool!"
Stelle: "Mmhmm, Hotaru is just insanely cool!!"
Lumine: "Compared to Miss Hotaru, we are the real ordinary girls!"
Hu Tao: "Ordinary girl + 1."
Xiangling: "Ordinary girl + 2."
March 7th: "Ordinary girl + 3"
Qingque: "Ordinary girl + .4."
Furina de Fontaine: "Ordinary girl +. 5"
Hotaru: "Uh, actua,lly I'm not as exaggerated as you say…"
Hotaru: "The usual me is also very ordinary…"
Li Sushang: "Miss Hotaru, you are just too humble."
Li Sushang: "You really aren't ordinary at all!!"
Stelle: "Be confident, bring out that momentum of yours that can set the sea ablaze!"
March 7th: "Hey, speaking of which, I really think Miss Hotaru should perform a sea-blazing act on this big stage in her beautiful girl form!"
March 7th: "That way, you can show off your confident and beautiful side!"
Hotaru: "Ah… ah?!"
Hotaru: "Don't… absolutely not!"
Hotaru: "I… I can't say it!"
Silver Wolf: "Lol, when you are in the armor, don't you say it quite naturally?"
Silver Wolf: "All kinds of chuunibyou words, you can blurt them out directly without even thinking."
Silver Wolf: "Now that you are out of the armor, you are embarrassed, right?"
Stelle: "Hotaru, you still need to learn more from me in this regard."
Stelle: "You have to be as confident as me!"
Qingque: "You call that confidence?"
Qingque: "That's clearly just being shameless, okay!"
Stelle: "Who's shameless?"
Stelle: "I am the most shameless… wait, I mean I have plenty of face!!"
March 7th: "Yes, yes, you have face."
March 7th: "Then I beg you to restrain yourself in the future, don't go crazy randomly, okay?"
Stelle: "Hehe…"
Stelle: "Then this face is not needed!"
Dan Heng: "..."
....
『 [ So it's the Nameless! ]
[ Then the showdown will definitely be incredibly exciting! ]
[ Time is precious, four friends, come with me! ]
Aideen began to lead them into the competition venue.
[ Drink this bottle of SoulGlad, sweet dreams come fast! ]
As they walked towards the competition venue, SoulGlad's cheerful advertisement music also started playing along.
[ This place is really lively…. ]
Walking on the road, Himeko looked at the noisy atmosphere on the scene and couldn't help but sigh.
[ That's exactly right! ]
[ This audition venue is the epitome of that era of possibility. ]
Aideen replied.
[ Drink this bottle of SoulGlad, sweet dreams come fast! ]
After hearing the advertisement music again, the four arrived at the competition site.
[ Nameless, your arrival reminds me of the grand occasion when Penacony was first built. ]
[ Back then, I was just a green kid, seeing the Clockie's advertisement, I left my hometown with a heart full of passion to dig for my first pot of gold here. ]
[ One day, I fainted due to heavy labor and was saved by Mr. SoulGlad's drink. ]
[ That sweet taste has been branded in my mind ever since, driving me to create the SoulGlad of today! ]
[ The Dream-chasing Era is just that magical. ]
[ I miss that era, and I also miss the Clockie. This Hot Sand venue is what I built to commemorate that era full of possibilities. ]
[ I sincerely wish you success in reaching the end and becoming the new generation of Penacony superstars! ]
[ So, before the official start, is there anything else you want to say? ]
After Aideen reminisced for a while, he asked the four of them.
[ Our army is doomed to defeat!! ]
Seeing the camera pointed at her, Stelle immediately made a dejected expression.
[ Haha, truly worthy of being… the Trailblazer who prepares for danger in times of peace! ]
Aideen was stunned by Stelle's words, and after a long while, he said slowly.
[ Hey! You should also get rid of that defeatist habit…. ]
March 7th looked at Stelle and felt speechless about her. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Hu Tao: "Our army is doomed to defeat??"
Hu Tao: "Hahahaha, Miss Stelle is acting up again!"
March 7th: "Unbelievable, every time we are in such an exciting occasion, you always manage to make us look like fools!"
March 7th: "I'm telling you, can't you just boost the morale properly?"
Stelle: "Tsk, what do you know?"
Stelle: "I'm setting a reverse flag!"
Stelle: "Haven't you watched those stories on the internet?"
Stelle: "Anyone who is full of confidence and sets a flag before doing something, never has a good ending!"
Stelle: "So before this, I just didn't have any hope, and in the end, it can be reversed, right?"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Hehe, what a genius logic."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "I will write a letter to the Intelligentsia Guild right now, recommending you for advanced studies."
Furina de Fontaine: "Eh… why do I feel like Miss Stelle's words actually make some sense?"
Paimon: "I… I think so too."
March 7th: "It seems like that's the case?"
March 7th: "Then should this young lady learn this defeatist spirit from you in the future?"
Stelle: "You should learn it."
Stelle: "To save us from setting some flag we shouldn't have, leading to our complete annihilation."
Fu Xuan: "What feudal superstition, from my perspective, what you are saying has no basis at all."
Stelle: "No basis doesn't mean it doesn't exist!"
Stelle: "It's always good to take precautions!"
Silver Wolf: "When it comes to sophistry, it really has to be you…."
....
『 [ Miss March 7th, how about you? ]
Aideen asked March 7th again.
[ Hello, audience! ]
[ Next, please enjoy the super March 7th adventure that will break the record for clearance speed! ]
March 7th was clearly good at handling such occasions.
[ Exploring the unknown, challenging the limits! Truly worthy of being Miss March 7th! ]
[ Miss Hotaru? ]
The camera turned to Hotaru.
[ I hope that at the end of the journey…. everyone can reach the ending they yearn for. ]
Hotaru gave a blessing directly.
[ What a beautiful blessing! ]
[ Miss Himeko, what are your expectations for your team? ]
Aideen looked at Himeko.
[ Everyone, safety first. ]
Although Himeko only said six words, it was full of concern.
[ Haha, what simple and warm words! ]
[ Waiting for you are three checkpoints, each related to that era. ]
[ The first two checkpoints each have two routes for you to choose from, and each road has unique challenges! ]
[ And the last one….. You will challenge a gatekeeper who has held the position until now, a popular contestant with noble character! ]
[ The rules are that simple, do you warriors understand? ]
[ Then I announce, the 20th, 33rd Hot Sand Festival sponsored by SoulGlad Co., Ltd.—officially begins! ]
After Aideen finished explaining the rules to the four, he announced the official start of the competition. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "It's starting, it's starting!!"
Stelle: "It's just a small challenge, I will definitely break through like a hot knife through butter!!"
Qingque: "What's this? Did you get a shot of adrenaline?"
Qingque: "Didn't you just say our army is doomed to defeat?"
Qingque: "You are being inconsistent!"
Stelle: "I already said that was just my pre-match strategy."
Stelle: "As for the competition process, I will definitely go all out!!"
Silver Wolf: "Still have to pass the competition, I feel the efficiency is still too low."
Silver Wolf: "My evaluation is, it's better to burn down the competition venue."
Stelle: "You are right, but the Hot Sand Festival is a large-scale challenge event sponsored by the SoulGlad business company."
Stelle: "Contestants need to follow the challenge rules, fight their way through, and reach the final boss to defeat him."
Stelle: "And burning down the venue directly will make us bear immeasurable compensation!"
Stelle: "Therefore, it is not advisable."
March 7th: "Huh? When did you become so good at analyzing?"
March 7th: "I thought you would agree with this approach."
Stelle: "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Stelle: "This venue is built so luxuriously, if we set it on fire, wouldn't we be forced into bankruptcy by the compensation?"
Silver Wolf: "What are you afraid of? Let Hotaru do it, she is a Stellaron Hunter anyway, no one will suspect you."
Hotaru: "Ah, this…"
Stelle: "Am I that kind of person?"
Stelle: "How can I let Hotaru take the blame?"
Stelle: "How about you do it?"
Silver Wolf: "?"
Silver Wolf: "She can't do it, but I can, is that it?"
Silver Wolf: "What blatant double standards! Down with you!"
....