A few days later, at Antonov Stadium.
When Team Slacking Spectators arrived at the venue, they were genuinely stunned by the sight before them.
The entire stadium had been painted gold. At the entrance stood a thirty-meter-tall pure gold statue of Antonov, in a pose of him hugging a globe.
What floated down from the sky wasn't confetti, but vouchers printed with his face.
The stadium's dome featured a giant billboard composed of tens of thousands of drones, playing a loop of Antonov flexing muscles, driving luxury cars, and wrestling.
The air was thick with a dizzying smell of money.
"Wow... it's so... shiny here..." Kula put on the sunglasses Cloud had prepared in advance, barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Tacky." Shermie pinched her nose in disgust. "This aesthetic is worse than my design school juniors."
Cloud could only laugh helplessly. This Antonov really had "I'M RICH" written into his DNA.
As they walked into the competitor rest area, they encountered several old acquaintances.
"Hey, isn't that Cloud? You've finally come out of retirement!" Terry greeted him warmly. Andy and Joe beside him also gave friendly nods.
"Long time no see, Terry." Cloud smiled in response. "Just here to join the fun."
Elsewhere, Kyo Kusanagi was glaring unhappily at his registration form. Next to his "Japan Team" was prominently displayed "Yagami Team."
"Can't get rid of him no matter what..."
"Hmph, trash."
The two exchanged a fierce "preliminary battle" through their glares from several meters apart.
Just then, all the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight hit the main stage.
"Ladies! Gentlemen! Fighters from around the world!"
Antonov's signature booming voice, transmitted through a speaker system worth hundreds of millions, echoed throughout the entire arena.
He wore an even more flamboyant gold wrestling outfit with a fur cape, descending from above under the spotlight of tens of thousands!
"Welcome to the fighting feast presented by me—the one and only champion, Antonov! KOF XIV now... begins!"
At his command, dazzling fireworks exploded above the stadium, instantly pushing the atmosphere to its peak.
Cloud stood in the crowd, watching the spirited Russian tycoon on stage basking in the cheers. His eyes narrowed slightly.
He could sense that the peculiar "belief" power within Antonov was strengthening at an incredible rate, fueled by the audience's cheers and adoration.
"Interesting..." That amused smile curved Cloud's lips again.
He glanced at his two teammates. One had already rushed off toward the newly opened "Global Ice Cream Buffet Bar" in the rest area. The other had pulled out a notepad and was critically evaluating other competitors' outfits, viciously roasting them.
"Haah..." Cloud sighed helplessly.
It seemed this KOF journey was destined to be a fun yet troublesome "slacking adventure."
...
The KOF XIV preliminaries were, for Team Slacking Spectators, easier than buying drinks at the convenience store downstairs.
First match: against a South American team. Three muscular men took one look at Shermie's flirtatious wink and immediately suffered collective anemia from excessive nosebleeds, carried off by medical staff. The referee didn't even have time to yell "Ready Go."
Second match: against a mysterious ninja team. Cloud merely yawned, accidentally leaking a trace of Orochi's aura. The three opponents immediately went "poof" and transformed into wooden logs, their real bodies having fled a hundred miles away. They left only a note written in trembling handwriting: "We forgot to turn off the gas at home. Goodbye."
Just like that, Team Slacking Spectators advanced to the Round of 32 in an almost absurd fashion without lifting a finger.
This allowed Cloud's slacking plan to be perfectly executed. He spent most of his time with his teammates in the luxurious VIP lounge that Antonov had spared no expense building.
There were endless snacks, bottomless drinks, and a giant holographic screen offering 360-degree viewing of every match.
"Haah..." Cloud sprawled on the sofa, a lollipop Kula had forced on him dangling from his mouth, feeling himself being thoroughly corrupted by this decadent capitalist lifestyle.
"Cloud, look at that!" Shermie's voice dripped with professional disdain as she pointed at a competitor on screen. "Good heavens, what era is this? Someone's still wearing a fluorescent green and hot pink bodysuit? My eyes! My eyes are going to go blind!"
"Is it that ugly?" Kula asked, mouth stuffed with chips, words muffled. "I think... it looks kinda like watermelon."
Shermie pressed her hand to her forehead, wearing an expression of utter despair at dealing with hopeless cases. "Kula dear, the gap between our aesthetic senses is probably the Mariana Trench."
Cloud couldn't be bothered with these two treasures' daily bickering. His attention was drawn to another match on screen.
One side was the battle-hardened Fatal Fury Team: Terry, Andy, and Joe, coordinating flawlessly. Their opponents were a brand new team—"China Team."
"Oh? Old Master Chin has new disciples?" Cloud's interest was piqued.
On screen, a young man in white training clothes, drowsy-eyed and hugging a pillow, was dodging Joe's hurricane-like Muay Thai attacks in what looked like a sleepwalking state. His movements seemed slow, yet he consistently avoided all vital hits by the smallest margins, even occasionally tripping Joe.
"This kid called Meitenkun is interesting," Cloud commented. "His style seems to merge subconscious dream-state with martial principles—formless, technique-less, naturally spontaneous."
"The key is his pajamas!" Shermie's designer soul blazed. "Pure cotton, loose cut, ensuring both comfort and freedom for large movements. Simple yet sophisticated! Hmm, I could take some inspiration from this—design Cloud a 'combat pajama' set."
Cloud: "...Really not necessary."
Soon, Meitenkun apparently ran out of energy and fell asleep in the corner of the ring clutching his pillow. The next to enter was the team's core fighter.
A black-haired young man in a red-and-black jacket, wearing headphones, his expression defiant. His eyes held a confusion and struggle that seemed out of place for his age.
His name was Shun'ei.
...
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