This visual contrast was even more ridiculous than the earlier "Beauty and the Beast."
This was literally "The Evil Circus Clown" versus "The Runaway Disney Princess."
"Hehehe... little missy, don't be scared," Choi Bounge said in his shrill, grating voice, trying to break down his opponent's psychological defenses. "My claws are very fast. One strike... and you won't feel any pain."
However, his self-satisfied intimidation tactics looked like nothing but strange cuteness in Nakoruru's eyes.
Nakoruru only tilted her adorable little head, a hint of confusion on her face.
What had she experienced?
In the Samurai Shodown world, she'd faced the Demon Queen, warriors who had slain countless souls, and all manner of demons and monsters that had crawled out from Yomotsu Hirasaka.
Those opponents were the types who casually planned to destroy the world and massacre all living beings, arriving with dark barriers and undead BGM as standard equipment.
By comparison, this guy in front of her who could only giggle "hehehe" stupidly and wasn't even as tall as her pet Mamahaha standing up...
His intimidation factor was approximately zero.
In fact, he kind of reminded her of those not-so-bright marmots back home in the forest—the ones that liked to steal nuts.
"Please... stop making those strange noises," Nakoruru said softly, politely. "Mamahaha will be scared."
Choi Bounge, having just been described as "making strange noises," felt his smile freeze instantly on his face.
He felt his very personhood had been insulted!
"Damn brat! Sharp-tongued little—!" He shrieked, done with talking. The moment the match bell rang, he immediately unleashed his full power!
A domain composed of countless tiny wind blades expanded instantly!
Within this domain, the air itself seemed to be sliced into countless fragments. An ordinary person would have their skin cut open with bleeding wounds just from standing here.
"Take this! Flying Air Slasher!"
Choi Bounge's figure vanished from where he stood, transforming into a high-speed rotating tornado that traced bizarre arcs through the air, attacking Nakoruru from all directions!
Following that was his signature ultimate—"Whirlwind Flying Swallow Thrust!"
His entire body performed continuous high-speed flight, gliding, spinning, and direction changes in mid-air, like an unpredictable, blade-covered spinning top!
This combo had given countless fighters headaches.
You simply couldn't lock onto his position or predict his attack trajectory. By the time you reacted, his claws had already carved dozens of wounds across your body.
"It's over! Die, little girl!" Choi Bounge's shrill laughter came from all directions, full of confident triumph.
Every spectator's heart leaped into their throat.
"It's over! That move is impossible to counter!"
"That girl called Nakoruru—why isn't she moving? Did she freeze up from fear?"
"Dodge! Hurry!" Mai Shiranui was so nervous she nearly crushed the fan in her hands.
However, just as everyone thought Nakoruru was about to be torn to shreds, the girl standing in the center of the arena did something that left everyone bewildered.
She slowly closed her eyes.
Then, she extended her delicate fingers and gently stroked the head of the falcon in her arms.
As if giving the simplest command to her own child.
"Mamahaha, go."
"—SCREECH!!!"
A loud, piercing eagle cry filled with kingly majesty echoed throughout the entire stadium!
The falcon that had been resting quietly in Nakoruru's arms—Mamahaha—suddenly spread its wings!
A wingspan of nearly two meters, its golden eyes flashing with a light as sharp as a blade's edge!
It was no longer a docile pet, but a true ruler of the skies soaring through the heavens!
With a single beat of its wings, it transformed into a golden lightning bolt, shooting skyward!
So fast that it left a long afterimage trailing through the air!
Choi Bounge, spinning at high speed in mid-air and believing himself invincible, suddenly felt a terrifying killing intent descend from above.
He instinctively looked up, only to see a pair of talons that seemed forged from gold rapidly expanding in his pupils!
"What... what is that?!"
He didn't even have time to finish his cry of alarm.
Mamahaha's talons, precise as the highest-grade guided missiles, completely ignored Choi Bounge's dazzling high-speed movement and simply grabbed his head with a "slap"!
Yes, his head!
Like an eagle snatching a chick—effortless, graceful, and utterly humiliating.
One second ago, Choi Bounge had been spinning wildly through the air, arrogant beyond belief. The next second, he hung there like a rag doll, dangling by his head from Mamahaha's grip.
His proud high-speed movement came to an abrupt halt.
His sharp iron claws flailed wildly but couldn't touch a single one of Mamahaha's feathers.
The entire venue once again fell into deathly silence.
Everyone stared dumbfounded at this scene that belonged in a "Most Confusing Moments of the Year" compilation.
The commentator's mouth formed an O-shape, his script falling to the ground.
"I... what did I just see? Competitor Choi Bounge... he... he got grabbed by an eagle? Is this legal? Referee! Does this count as outside assistance?!"
The referee was just as confused. He flipped through the rulebook for ages and found there was nothing written about "prohibiting the use of pets"!
The competitor spectating area had completely exploded.
Kim Kaphwan's face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
He felt that his dignity as a master had, in this moment, been mercilessly trampled by that eagle.
Chang Koehan rubbed his big bald head, his simple face full of relief. Good thing that red-haired girl earlier didn't have a pet...
Meanwhile, on the other side, the corner of Cloud's mouth curved into an "I knew it" smile.
Please—this was Nakoruru and Mamahaha! In their world, this kind of "human-pet unity" fighting style was instinct carved into their DNA!
Fighting Nakoruru was equivalent to simultaneously fighting a nimble assassin with bizarre movement patterns AND a high-performance fighter jet.
You thought you were in a 1v1?
No, you were actually in an asymmetric "land-air coordinated operation."
...
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