Yuuki could only stand there, quietly taken aback by how thoroughly prepared this Exhibition was, right down to having a member of Unit Ten brought in as the official referee.
But one thing continued to nag at him, and that was Ginna's peculiar behavior, specifically the way she addressed the Captains.
(She calls them Kyou-sama and Ten-sama like she's worshipping them. Is she some kind of fanatical Corps devotee?) Yuuki watching Ginna closely.
Sensing that she was being observed, Ginna turned toward him. In an instant, her bright, enthusiastic expression collapsed entirely. Her smile vanished, her eyes narrowed into something cold and cutting, and her entire face went flat with displeasure. The sudden transformation sent a genuine shiver crawling down Yuuki's spine.
He briefly wondered whether Ginna was the type of woman who had a particular dislike of men. It wouldn't have surprised him, given how many women in this world looked down on men as helpless creatures with no Peach Fruit Blessings of their own. In a society where women held dominance, men were frequently written off as weak beings who could only shelter behind others. That theory, however, was disproved within the very next second.
"Nao-sama! Give it everything you've got! You're definitely going to win! Show them what you can do!" Ginna shouted, her face radiant again, waving her small hands energetically toward Naoki.
"..."
Watching the discrimination play out so openly and without any attempt at subtlety, Yuuki felt his shoulders sink. Something tight and indignant settled in his chest.
(We're both men, so why does this woman treat the two of us like we're from completely different worlds?) He lamented internally.
What Yuuki didn't know was that Naoki was simply in a different category for Ginna.
Not long ago, Ginna had been a direct witness to Naoki holding his own against Ren during a sparring session, a brief match known only to the Captains. From that moment on, his standing in her eyes had shot into the stratosphere. He wasn't simply a man to her anymore. He was a living legend deserving of reverence.
"All right, I need to be ready too!"
A cheerful voice cut through Yuuki's thoughts. Nei was standing nearby looking absolutely fired up.
The small girl had a bright red headband across her forehead and was holding a large support banner for Unit Seven. Behind her, a long stretch of fabric was laid out bearing even more encouragement.
"Did you make all of that yourself, Nei-chan?" Yuuki asked, genuinely startled by the dedication and effort she had clearly poured into it.
"Nei isn't counted as a fighter, so Nei's job is to cheer on her teammates with everything she has!" Nei answered with a sincere smile.
Yuuki appreciated her wholeheartedness. Given that Nei's unique ability, her capacity to sense enemies from a great distance, made her far more valuable as a strategic support than a front-line fighter, it was true that her role suited her. But seeing that burning enthusiasm from her still moved him.
A moment later, his gaze drifted toward the Unit Six formation, which looked relaxed to the point of being casual.
Yuuki drew a slow, measured breath, feeling the weight that had settled onto his shoulders. According to the plan, he would be participating in five matches in total, two alongside Himari, one with Shushu, and then two at the end alongside Kyouka.
Five consecutive battles. A kind of pressure he had never faced before.
The hopes of Unit Seven rested on him. Yuuki tightened his fist, knowing that backing down even slightly in front of Unit Six's considerable strength was not something he could afford, especially not in front of Naoki, who seemed to be quietly drawing everyone's attention without even trying. The man was still and silent, yet his presence pressed on the space around him with an unmistakable weight.
"..."
On the other side, Naoki noticed Yuuki's burning gaze aimed in his direction. Rather than feeling threatened or unsettled, he answered it with a quiet, meaningful smile.
(Come on then, Yuuki. Show me whether that protagonist's plot armor of yours is thick enough to carve out a win against me.)
He was genuinely curious to experience firsthand what it felt like to fight a "main character," the kind who always seemed to find some impossible opening at the critical moment.
In every story he had ever known, the protagonist always had a way to rise at the last second. Would that hold true in this actual, living world?
"Let's get started without any more delay!" Ginna called out into a microphone that had appeared from nowhere in particular, splitting the tension that had been building. "First match!"
From Unit Six's formation, Yachiho stepped forward with every ounce of arrogance she possessed. Each stride radiated an excess of self-assurance. She stopped at the arena's edge and fixed Himari with a look of pure condescension, then crooked her index finger in a slow, provocative gesture that said: come here.
Himari didn't flinch. She met that gaze with something burning in both eyes. Her jaw set, her posture straightened. She turned to Yuuki and held out her hand.
"I'm going."
Yuuki gave a nod. Under the watching eyes of every member of both units, he took Himari's hand and pressed his lips gently against the back of it, that brief ritual of contact triggering the transformation of their slave contract.
*SRING!*
A bright light enveloped Yuuki as he shifted into his Whirlwind form. The solidness of his usual frame gave way to something lean and aerodynamic, built precisely to cut through air resistance. His body was wrapped in a light organic armor that followed athletic lines and radiated an aura of pure speed.
"He'll be participating as part of my ability." Himari stated clearly to the referee and her opponent.
Yachiho glanced at Yuuki with a flicker of contempt before returning her focus to Himari.
"I couldn't care less. It would be cruel of me to stop a trainer from bringing her dog into the fight." She smiled without warmth, her voice heavy with scorn. "Having an extra weight attached to you won't make the slightest difference."
Himari held her anger in, but she didn't answer. She only gripped her hand a little tighter.
Ginna rattled off the rules in a loud, energetic voice, her hands moving with her words.
"The rules are simple: you lose if you surrender or can't continue! Don't worry, any injuries inside Club Ginna will heal automatically once you leave, so fight without holding anything back! Destroy your opponent to your heart's content!"
"..."
The two Azuma sisters now faced each other at close range.
One was the arrogant, self-proclaimed superior. The other was the younger sister who had always been pushed down, now standing straight.
"If I win, I'm dragging you back to the Azuma main house." Yachiho announced, her posture imperious. "You'll live in my room, and your only duty will be serving as my personal attendant."
"I'm the one who's going to win today, Yachiho." Himari answered without wavering. "I'm not the same weak girl I used to be."
"Begin!" Ginna called out, sweeping her hand downward.
Yachiho raised her hand in a leisurely manner, beginning to activate her Peach Fruit Blessing. "A word of warning, Himari. You won't last even a single second against my—"
*WHOOSH!*
Before the sentence was finished, a devastating open-palm strike from Yuuki connected with full force and sent Yachiho flying.
"—me..."
Yuuki had executed their newly developed technique, the one they called Marking. The shockwave of his explosive speed launched Yachiho at high velocity, like a bullet that had found the wrong target entirely.
*BAM!*
Dust rose from the spot where she landed.
On Unit Seven's side, Kyouka watched with quiet pride, her arms folded across her chest, satisfaction evident in her eyes. Shushu stood speechless beside her, mouth hanging open. Nei cheered and jumped up and down, her banner waving wildly above her.
Unit Six's reaction was a completely different picture.
Tenka wore a faint smile, as though she had already seen this coming. Her expression remained composed and unhurried. Sahara's eyes were half-closed as usual, carrying the same drowsy indifference they always did. And Naoki exhaled slowly, shaking his head with an expression of resigned acceptance.
(I knew this would happen,) He watching the distant figure of Yachiho lying in the dust. (Yachiho's greatest weakness has always been her narcissism and her excessive confidence. She looks down on her opponents so thoroughly that she forgets a single moment of carelessness in this world can be fatal. And now that arrogance has come back and hit her square in the face.)
(She thought she had already won before the fight even started. She thought Himari was still the same helpless little sister she used to trample. But people can change, Yachiho. And you just felt exactly what that change looks like.)
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