In the following days of the tournament, Fu Shi swept through the Knockout Matches without suffering a single defeat, practically unstoppable. Meanwhile, Mei☆ also returned to the ring thanks to the "Popularity Revival" system, cutting her way through her opponents.
Inside the contestants' lounge, March 7th, who had also advanced thanks to her unpredictable bow-sword techniques and a fair bit of luck, pointed to herself in bewilderment, her face full of disbelief, "I'm fighting Fu Shi? For real?"
Fu Shi crossed her arms, looking at the flustered March 7th with a matter-of-fact tone, "What's wrong with fighting me? It's just a formality. You go up there, admit defeat loudly, and that's it. The champion's already reserved for me."
March 7th muttered in protest, "But that's way too embarrassing..."
From the side, Stelle added, "Actually, you do have a little privilege, you can choose another opponent."
March 7th's eyes lit up immediately. She leaned forward eagerly, "Really? Really? Who else is there?"
"Raiden Mom." Stelle's answer was blunt and merciless, showing no sympathy.
March 7th froze on the spot, her smile stiffening, her mind filled with nothing but question marks, "???"
Quickly, she collected herself, forcing a smile and putting her hands together in a pleading gesture,
"Stelle, isn't there anyone else? Just someone weaker will do! Anyone else! As long as it's not Fu Shi or Mei☆, I'll take anything, even hugging Pom-Pom to sleep onstage!"
Fu Lin chuckled and teased from the side, "So you're not willing to take even the slightest loss, huh? How about you fight me then?"
March 7th shot back without hesitation, "Fu Lin, you didn't even enter the tournament. What are you butting in for?"
Stelle placed a hand on her hip, giving her a helpless look before speaking slowly, "In that case, there's only one more option, someone who barely counts as 'a little weaker.'"
"Who?" March 7th immediately pressed, eyes full of expectation.
"Luka the 'Iron Arm' from Belobog." Stelle paused, then added, "But… he already has his match lined up."
March 7th trembled with frustration, her weak fists thumping Stelle's arm, "Aaaaah! Then why even mention him?! In the end it's still just Fu Shi or Mei☆!"
A quarter of an hour later, the sound of fireworks thundered outside the lounge, rattling the windows. The host, Owlbert's high-pitched voice rang out over the speakers, signaling the next fighters' entrance.
Stelle looked at March 7th, a teasing note in his voice, "March, think you'll win?"
March 7th snapped her back straight, head held high, trying to sound confident, "No problem, I'm the strongest!"
Just then, Mei☆ pushed the door open. Her gaze landed on March's puffed-up stance, and she couldn't help but smile, patting her shoulder lightly, "Is that so? Then it looks like I'll have to go all out, after all, I'm up against the 'strongest' March."
Her words instantly punctured March 7th's bravado. Clutching Mei☆'s sleeve like a lifeline, she pleaded pitifully, "Mei☆! No, Mei☆-mama! You've gotta go easy on me later, okay? I don't wanna be carried off the stage the second the match starts!"
At the side, Fu Lin held up two middle fingers toward the ground, hiding a grin as she deliberately taunted, "All this just to make Mei☆ go easy on you, you even called her 'mama'? March 7th, you're pathetic. I despise you!"
"Plain as day. So weak it hurts."
Fu Shi leaned lazily against the wall, arms folded, her tone dripping with amusement as she watched the show.
Mei☆ chuckled at March's quick surrender, "Ahem, don't worry. I'll control my strength. You won't really get carried out."
The words had barely left her mouth when the Cloud Knights pushed the door open, "Contestants, please enter the arena!"
March 7th still clung to Mei☆'s sleeve, shuffling step by step toward the exit.
"Hurry it up." Fu Shi straightened and gave March's back a firm pat, not too hard, not too soft, pushing her forward with a stumble. "If you drag your feet any longer, the crowd's gonna think you're chickening out."
"I'm not!"
March stiffly retorted, but quickened her pace anyway, her grip on Mei☆'s sleeve only tightening, repeating again and again, "Mei☆-mama, you have to go easy on me!"
"Now, let's give the warmest applause to welcome today's fighters, our guest from the Astral Express, the 'Nameless' March 7th, and the ever-popular 'Herrscher of Thunder,' Raiden Mei☆!"
Owlbert's cheerful voice echoed across the arena, his upbeat tone instantly igniting the crowd.
The moment the two stepped onto the stage, the cheers nearly blew the roof off, especially the chants for the "Herrscher of Thunder," which crashed down like tidal waves.
March 7th instinctively glanced up at the audience, muttering under her breath, "So lively… too bad they're not shouting for me."
But then she spotted two figures in the front row, Guinaifen and Sushang, waving signs that read "Go March 7th!" while Sushang bounced and shouted her name.
March 7th's eyes curved with joy. She shouted back proudly, "That's my girls!"
Just then, another voice drifted from ringside, Stelle's, completely ill-timed, "March 7th, want me to yell 'I surrender' for you? That way you can head to the audience for snacks right away~"
"No way!"
March 7th took a deep breath, straightened herself, and though her voice still trembled a little, her gaze carried a faint determination, "Even if I know I can't win, a Nameless can't run away!"
"Well said, March."
It was Dan Heng's voice. At some point he had appeared at ringside too, his silent gaze full of encouragement.
With the call of "Match start!", Mei☆ slowly drew the katana at her waist, its blade gleaming coldly under the sun.
But she didn't strike right away. Instead, she stood steady, eyes calm as she waited for March to make the first move.
March swiftly gripped her bow in her left hand, her right taking hold of her longsword, and in the next instant, she rested the blade across the bow, holding the hilt like an arrow as she drew the bowstring into a full crescent moon.
The stance silenced part of the audience instantly.
Fu Shi turned to Yanqing and Yunli not far away, her tone puzzled, "Did you two teach her that?"
The two shook their heads in unison, then pointed at each other, "Don't look at me! It was Yunli (Yanqing)!"
Fu Shi ignored their bickering, her gaze shifting to Fu Lin, who was looking away guiltily.
Caught under her stare, Fu Lin quickly coughed twice and raised her voice in mock seriousness, "Ahem! Who would've thought little March had this up her sleeve? This move isn't simple at all, its power shouldn't be underestimated! Mei☆ might actually be in trouble!"
Even Mei☆, who had seen countless techniques, frowned ever so slightly, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing her eyes.
But that surprise quickly gave way to deeper interest. The grip on her katana loosened instead of tightening, clearly intrigued by March's unorthodox stance.
Owlbert's astonished voice boomed over the broadcast, "C-Could this be March 7th's brand-new technique? To use the bow and sword in such a way, it's truly beyond expectation!"