After Serizawa's appearance, the tournament grew dull again. These were only the preliminaries, so the matches were seldom close. The gap between contestants was often too wide, leading to one-sided fights with few exciting moments.
Even Tatsumaki found the matches tedious. She had started out in the stands, eagerly watching with a tub of popcorn bigger than her head. Before she had eaten even half of it, she began to nod off.
"Wake me when it's Sugar Baby's match," she told Fubuki. Then she hugged the popcorn tub and fell fast asleep.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she felt someone poke her. She lifted her head groggily.
"Wake up," Fubuki said. "Sugar Baby's about to go on."
Tatsumaki looked beside her. Sugar Baby was no longer in her seat; she must have gone to the waiting area to prepare.
To Tatsumaki, the contestants onstage might as well have been children playing games. Only a match involving her close friend Sugar Baby could hold her interest.
Soon, it was Sugar Baby's turn to enter the arena.
Before they left, Fubuki had carefully applied makeup to give Sugar Baby's fair skin a wheat-colored tone, but it could not hide her natural beauty. When spectators noticed a lovely little Girl entering one of the match zones, scattered applause rose from the stands to encourage her.
The Rising Star Tournament had no age limit, but Sugar Baby was undoubtedly one of its youngest contestants. Her endearing looks won her support the moment she appeared.
People even began to worry for her. Her opponent in this match towered over her.
Sugar Baby was facing a muscular, powerfully built man.
One was a Young Girl who had yet to grow up; the other was a strong adult man. On appearances alone,