Chapter 1267 The Method of the Competition

After the photoshoot was finally over and he received the printed photos that captured his various embarrassing moments, Zijing almost immediately said, "It's getting late, we should take Gray back."

Aponia looked at the photos, seemingly satisfied, carefully put away hers, and then calmly nodded: "Yes, the journey home is also part of the journey."

Gretchen blushed slightly as she looked at the photo of herself and her brother Zijing leaning against each other, and carefully put the photo into her small bag.

After safely delivering Gretchen to her vicinity, only Amethyst and Aponia remained on the streets that night. The previous noise and awkwardness dissipated, and the atmosphere became somewhat quiet.

“Then, I’ll go back too.” Aponia looked at Amethyst, her eyes appearing even deeper in the night.

"Okay." Amethyst nodded. "Let's go out together again next time."

"Um……"

Aponia said nothing more, turned and left, her figure in her nun's habit quickly disappearing into the night.

Zijing turned around as well, but was startled.

Because behind him, a humanoid object with red eyes appeared out of nowhere, looking like a vampire in the darkness.

"Theophile...is something the matter?"

After calming herself down a bit, Zijing said helplessly to the person in front of her.

"Someone is slandering you."

It sounds like they've come to complain.

Amethyst was also curious, so she asked, "Oh? Who is it?"

"A stupid dragon."

"……Understood."

Zijing immediately thought of Sirin's familiar. She vaguely remembered that the child had some minor grievances against her, but they were all childish squabbles. What could have made Theophier so angry… what bad things had that child been saying about her behind her back?

So Zijing asked the question.

Theophile replied, "She said you're not as good as that purple-haired little dwarf."

"..."

I thought it was something big... but it's just like this?

It's normal for them to have a bias towards their master, since they are Sirin's familiars; there's no need to take it so seriously.

Just as Amethyst was about to say something to comfort Theophile, she heard her say, "That's why I argued that the purple-haired dwarf is the most useless. The stupid dragon got angry, and the two of us got into a fight."

"..."

Zijing glanced at the communication device and, sure enough, there was a new message with an attached picture—two giant beasts fighting fiercely in a desolate place, oblivious to the world around them.

Amethyst advised Theophanes to get along with his friends, but Theophanes replied that the two had broken off their friendship and even made a promise to fight again.

That won't do. Although these two know their limits and won't fight in crowded places, we can't let this little thing ruin our relationship.

Looking into Theophil's stubborn red eyes, Zijing knew that with her inflexible nature, simple persuasion would be unlikely to work. He sighed and rubbed his temples: "Theophil, fighting won't solve anything; it will only make things worse."

“But the slander must be corrected,” Theoffel said firmly and unwaveringly.

"Then let's try a different way to 'correct' it," Zijing suggested. "Since you all think your side is better, why not have a fair competition? Let the results speak for themselves, rather than fighting a lose-lose situation, right?"

Theophil tilted her head, seemingly considering the suggestion. Her scarlet eyes flickered, and she finally nodded: "Hmm, okay. But the competition and rules must be fair; we can't let that stupid dragon get the better of us."

“Of course.” Zijing breathed a sigh of relief, finally managing to avert another clash between the giant beasts. He immediately contacted Xilin.

At first, the other party was unaware of the conflict between the two families. After all, Benares wouldn't complain like Theophile would. But after listening to Amethyst's explanation, Sirin stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"A peaceful competition...it feels so boring..."

For her, who was once a Herrscher, fighting was the best way to resolve conflicts.

"Please, at least don't let those two create any more man-made earthquakes."

"Since you've put it that way, brother, then alright..."

Because it was Zijing's request, Xilin reluctantly agreed.

Meanwhile, after hanging up the call, Zijing also fell into thought. There were no problems with Sirin, but what should she do next? How should she choose the method of the competition to minimize the commotion caused by the two giant beasts?

Zijing's gaze settled on a brightly colored, trendy poster—a promotional poster for St. Freya Academy's upcoming "School Idol Festival." On the poster, vibrant young girls were shining brightly on stage.

A brilliant idea took shape in Zijing's mind.

“Let’s name the competition… ‘Idol Showdown’,” Zijing announced to Theophil.

A flicker of confusion crossed Theophil's crimson eyes: "An...like?"

“That’s right,” Zijing tried to make his explanation sound reasonable. “Since it’s a competition of ‘whose supporter is more charismatic,’ then showcasing oneself in front of a huge audience, using singing, dancing, and stage presence to conquer the audience, is undoubtedly the most direct, civilized, and also the most… challenging way.” He silently added in his mind: At least it’s much more civilized than you guys turning back into your original forms and dismantling the faction.

Theophile tilted her head, seemingly struggling to process the information. For her, solving problems with claws and strength was the norm; singing and dancing on stage? That was even harder to understand than fighting Benares. But out of absolute trust in Amethyst, and a strange, competitive spirit of not wanting to lose to Benares, she finally nodded stiffly: "...Understood. I will win."

The process of persuading Celine and Benares was a bit bumpy, but after Celine felt that "it seems interesting" and after Amethyst's repeated assurances and persistent pleading, the two sides finally reached a consensus.

Thus, a uniquely styled "idol showdown" was being prepared intensively at St. Freya Academy.

……

In the school square, a huge and magnificent stage was quickly set up, complete with lights and sound equipment.

On the day of the competition, the audience was packed, with students and teachers eagerly anticipating the event, creating an atmosphere as enthusiastic as a real idol concert.

On one side of the stage, the host, Velvet, made a dazzling entrance! She was dressed exceptionally extravagantly today, wearing a headset adorned with gears and neon lights, a modified, cyberpunk-style host's gown, and holding a microphone, her voice amplified throughout the venue:

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the unprecedented and earth-shattering 'Ultimate Charisma Idol Showdown'! I am your passionate and talented host—Vilvie!"

The spotlight swept across the excited audience below the stage, finally settling on the judges' panel directly in front of the stage.

There are three judges.

On the far left is Theresa Apocalypse, the school principal, dressed in an adorable nun's habit and holding a giant Houmu plushie. She slurps down bitter melon juice, swinging her little feet, a knowing smile on her face: "Hmm, it's nice to hold events like this occasionally; it's so youthful and energetic!"

On the far right stood Walter Yang, dressed in his signature suit and glasses. He was currently holding his forehead with one hand, his face a picture of bewilderment and helplessness, as if asking, "Who am I? Where am I? Why am I sitting here?" He had only come to St. Freya for an academic exchange, but had inexplicably been tricked into sitting on the judging panel by Theresa and Alicia. "No, I really just came as a guest..." His muttered complaint was drowned out by the cheers of the audience.

And in the center position is our radiant pink fairy, Miss Alicia, with a bright smile and sparkling eyes, as if she's discovered some priceless treasure! Today, she's wearing a gorgeous idol-style dress, holding a scoreboard, and blowing kisses to the camera and the audience:

"Wow! What a heart-pounding stage! What kind of amazing performance will the beautiful girls participating in the competition bring? I can't wait! Judge Alicia is ready to score your charm!"

Three judges with distinct styles have taken their places.