"Heh, I thought I might get out of fighting, but it looks like I still have to compete." Blue Pegasus's Ichiya scratched his head in frustration and rose from his seat. Looking at Sabertooth's Rufus, who already stood in the arena wearing a top hat with his hands behind his back, he sighed even more miserably. "And my opponent just had to be Rufus from Sabertooth..."
"Come on, stop complaining. Don't fear your opponent. All you need to do is show everyone your manly fragrance! That lovely, refreshing scent!" The one spouting nonsense while never forgetting to strike a nauseating pose was, of course, Ichiya. Behind him, Hibiki and Ren were also striking what each considered his most handsome pose.
"Do your best, Ichiya! Our teacher taught us well—" the two said. "Always believe in yourself and your friends! So give it everything you've got!"
"Yes, I will! I won't let our teacher or any of you down!" Ichiya bowed deeply, bending a full ninety degrees.
"All right, all right, save the lecture for after the match." Seeing that the spectators were already growing impatient, Jenny hurried him along. "Get out there, Ichiya! Remember to do your best!" She even gave him an encouraging wink.
"Finally decided to enter the arena..." Rufus raised a hand to lightly press down his broad top hat. His coat fluttered freely in the wind as he snapped the fingers of his right hand. With that crisp sound, countless Modeling paper slips appeared out of thin air, whirling and drifting around him.
His face beneath the hat gave nothing away. In a voice devoid of any emotion, Rufus murmured coldly, "Then let me ask you—are you prepared to die?"
"Ichiya of Blue Pegasus..." Through the gap beneath his hat, his cold, merciless eyes fixed on