!!!
When Kawaguchi Tokushi heard Aya's words, he felt as if a dagger had been plunged straight into his chest!
What do you mean all Japanese people are perverts?!
Are you openly insulting us Japanese?!
Sure, there are perverts among our people, but not everyone is like that! There are normal people like me too!
Even though I've been deliberately cultivating this image of being a perverted fan, hearing it said so bluntly still stings!
Aaaah!
I'm not a pervert!
I'm the strongest ninja prodigy in modern Japan!
Though Kawaguchi Tokushi's inner voice screamed in protest, reality had him in its grip. He had no choice but to grit his teeth, continue digging himself deeper into this hole, and refrain from arguing whether Japanese people were inherently perverted. Instead, he doubled down on self-deprecation:
"Yes... I was possessed by madness! I... I might actually be a bit of a pervert... It's just that Miss Aya, you're so beautiful, so dazzling! I... I simply couldn't control myself!"
"I was wrong! I truly know I was wrong! Please, forgive me this time! If you just untie me, I'll immediately kneel and kowtow in apology!"
He practically sobbed, his performance utterly convincing.
One could say he was throwing everything into this to avoid elimination.
China Region Bullet Comments:
[Just for what Sister Aya said earlier, I'll be her fan for life!]
[So brave! Sister Aya! That's how you tell him off!]
[Ugh! To avoid elimination, Kawaguchi Tokushi has completely abandoned his dignity!]
[Who says he's abandoned his dignity? Maybe he's just a pervert by nature? This is just him being himself.]
[Whether Kawaguchi Tokushi is a true pervert or not, given the current situation, Aya's right to call him one is completely justified!]
Japan Region Bullet Comments:
[Teary-eyed! Master Tokushi... you've worked so hard!]
[Your efforts will surely be rewarded! Contestant Kawaguchi will definitely win!]
[Don't get too cocky! Contestant Kawaguchi is just playing the role of a pervert. A few insults are nothing—it's all part of the Ninja Way to victory!]
[I thought Aya was different from the average person, but she's just another ignorant woman spewing baseless slander against other countries!]
Good! Her foolishness gives Contestant Kawaguchi the perfect opportunity to deceive her!
On screen, "Aya" studied Kawaguchi Tokushi, who was putting on a show of "deep remorse" and "utter regret." After a moment of feigned contemplation, she suddenly shifted her tone:
"Wait... looking at your outfit, you seem quite the professional. Are you a ninja?"
She pretended to ponder, sizing him up from head to toe.
"Now I remember... in the Japan Region of Global Manhunt: The Final Heist, wasn't there a top-ranked star player—a genius ninja from the Kawaguchi Style Ninjutsu School—named Kawaguchi Tokushi?"
She paused again, her eyes sharpening.
"Could that be you?"
!!!
Hearing his name escape "Aya's" lips, Kawaguchi Tokushi's heart jolted violently!
But when she uttered that final question, he felt his heart about to stop entirely! His carefully maintained composure crumbled.
"Hmm? Judging by your expression, I seem to have guessed right?"
"Aya's" eyes instantly lit up with curiosity.
"But you don't quite resemble the Kawaguchi Tokushi I know. Could you be disguised? Ah... you're a ninja, after all, so such tactics would come naturally."
With that, "Aya" pulled out another small dried fish and waved it toward "General":
"Check his face for any disguise. Be careful and confirm thoroughly, okay? Don't hurt him!"
"Meow~"
"General" responded with a glance that conveyed, "You can count on me." The cat then waddled its plump body toward Kawaguchi Tokushi's face.
With "General" perched on his chest, Kawaguchi Tokushi felt as if a mountain were pressing down on him. The words "No need to check, I am Kawaguchi Tokushi" froze on his lips, choked back by the sheer weight.
Staring at the fleshy paw pad looming over his face, complete with razor-sharp claws, Kawaguchi Tokushi froze completely.
He dared not make a move, fearing that even the slightest twitch might provoke this massive orange cat, with consequences too dire to imagine.
He trusted "Aya's" beast taming ability. As long as he didn't resist, she truly wouldn't let her pet harm him.
When "General" realized Kawaguchi Tokushi was cooperating so readily, a remarkably human-like expression of "disappointment" flickered across its feline face, sending cold sweat trickling down Kawaguchi Tokushi's back.
What a devious fat cat!It was genuinely hoping I'd resist so it could pounce with lethal force!
This realization solidified Kawaguchi Tokushi's resolve to remain "immovable as a mountain."
Seeing no opportunity to muddy the waters, "General" had no choice but to get down to business properly.
The cat meticulously studied the contours of Kawaguchi Tokushi's face for a moment, quickly identifying the "key point."
With a few gentle strokes of its paw over this spot, it peeled off a human-skin mask in a single fluid motion.
The entire maneuver was so seamless and effortless that it was hard to believe a cat could perform such a feat.
Watching Kawaguchi Tokushi's face transform from merely unremarkable to even more unremarkable, viewers in the live stream who had never seen him couldn't help but ask, "What's the point of this disguise? You look more like a disguise without the disguise!"
Still, despite both faces being equally unremarkable, the revealed features were enough for "Aya" to confirm his identity as Kawaguchi Tokushi.
"So, you're Contestant Kawaguchi Tokushi after all. What should I do with you now..."
"Aya" gave "General" a small fish treat as a reward, then resumed her thoughtful pose.
For Kawaguchi Tokushi, having his identity completely exposed meant his fate now lay entirely in his opponent's hands. His heart leaped into his throat!
"Hmm, I've decided..."
"Aya" seemed to have made up her mind, her smile returning to its "gentle and kind" demeanor.
"Since you're a contestant on the show, your purpose in infiltrating my home must have been to 'steal' something according to the rules, not for any actual perverted motives."
"It's not like I can't let you go..."
Hearing this, a glimmer of hope instantly ignited in Kawaguchi Tokushi's eyes.
"As long as you agree to a fair and square duel with me."
"Aya's" smile grew eager:
"I've always wanted to test myself against the legendary ninjas of Japan! If you win, I'll let you go immediately.
"But if you lose, or refuse my proposal, I'll have no choice but to hand you over to the police as a dangerous 'pervert'."
She leaned in, her gaze locking onto Kawaguchi Tokushi's eyes, and asked, each word deliberate:
"So, what's your choice?"
Kawaguchi Tokushi froze, his mind barely registering the question before he blurted out:
"Fine! I accept your challenge!"
Are you kidding me?!
Sure, it was a bit unexpected, but how could he hesitate? This was like finding salvation in the nick of time!
The opponent looked like a pampered Young Mistress, perhaps familiar with some of the Cat's Eye Clan's inherited techniques, but she couldn't possibly match a ninja like himself, forged through brutal training!
Victory would not only secure his dignified escape but also salvage his reputation on the live stream.
He could even use this opportunity to undermine the Cat's Eye Clan's arrogance and continue his original mission in the China Region.
If she tried to weasel out after losing, the damage from his elimination would be greatly reduced, as public opinion would be on his side!
Was this even a choice?