— Look who made it to the finals! What a surprise, my friend! — Yasoke smiled, looking at his friend.
— I could say the same about you! And let me tell you this: you're going to lose, and it's going to be a massacre! — Jhony gestured clumsily with his hands.
— Wow... What a nice way to say you're going to be BRUTALLY DEFEATED! — the young man in ballet shoes shouted toward the redhead.
— Then let's see about that! HAHAHAHA!
— Oh, you'll see, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
— No, you're the one who's gonna see, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
The two of them kept laughing out loud, standing in the middle of the arena with their hands on their hips.
— Are those two schizophrenic or something? — Zulmy questioned, looking at Yuji.
— I have absolutely no idea, but since they're having so much fun, I want to laugh too! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Zulmy stared at Yuji with a look that clearly said, "What a freak." From a distance, Henrique Loss and Rokko approached.
— Hey, Yuji! I didn't know you knew the chain girl.
— I don't! But since she was so mesmerized by the master techniques I taught Yasoke, she decided she wants to become my student!
Zulmy raised her finger:
— I don't think that's quite how it went...
— Of course it was! I was there!
Henrique stared at Zulmy, who simply crossed her arms and then gestured to imply that her "master" was completely out of his mind.
— Look how nice, it seems these boys are getting a new companion! — Rokko spoke toward Zulmy, who flushed with embarrassment. — But don't worry! These two are way too foolish to try anything.
She turned completely red and hid her face. Rokko smiled and sat down in his seat. Henrique watched from a distance and smirked as well.
— You monkey, I told you you're the one who's gonna see! HAHAHAHAHAHA! — Yasoke shouted at the top of his lungs.
— You monstrous freak, you're the one who's gonna see after all! HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Liangri, watching from afar, screamed in rage:
— HEY, YOU MISERABLE BASTARDS, ARE YOU GOING TO FIGHT OR NOT?! EVERYONE IS WAITING TO SEE THIS AND YOU'RE JUST YELLING AT EACH OTHER LIKE A COUPLE HAVING SEX!
A heavy silence fell over the place. The crowd was left speechless. Yasoke and Jhony lost their expressions, their faces turning completely blank.
— JUST FIGHT, PLEASE! YOU PIECES OF SHIT!
— Liangri, that's not how it works... — the announcer tried to intervene.
She glared at the man, who immediately fell to his knees, consumed by fear.
Yasoke looked at the tan, white-haired girl and yelled back:
— LOOK HERE, WOMAN! THE FIGHT IS OURS, AND WE DECIDE WHEN IT STARTS, UNDERSTOOD?!
Liangri stared at the young man in ballet shoes with disdain, but soon smirked.
— Ok, ok, ok! Strong men are always a delight, especially a young one like you! — She gave him a sultry wink.
Jhony stepped close to Yasoke and whispered in his ear:
— Do you know this woman?
The other whispered back:
— No! But she's pretty hot, right? Do you think I have a chance?
— To be completely honest, she looks like the type who would break your bones doing those kinds of things. Not worth it, man!
— You're right, my dear friend.
Zulmy, already impatient, decided to scream from the stands:
— HEY, YOU PIECES OF TRASH, START FIGHTING INSTEAD OF TALKING, YOU GARBAGE!
Yasoke whispered to Jhony:
— That hideous girl is screaming, now I definitely don't want to fight!
— She's not ugly at all, she's actually quite pretty. Very pretty! Where did you get all this hatred from?
— Simply because she's incredibly annoying. Such an irritating woman!
— I don't know about that... — Jhony looked at Zulmy, who gestured for the two of them to get to it. — Well, whatever, I don't care either way...
— ENOUGH! EITHER YOU FIGHT OR YOU ARE DISQUALIFIED!
The announcer infuriated, demanding the start of the match. Around them, massive pillars of fire began to erupt.
— I'm going to give the signal one more time! If you don't fight, I'm going to turn both of you into barbecue!
The two competitors, once again, stared blankly.
The announcer pointed his finger to the sky. However, instead of firing a normal fireball, he unleashed a flaming bird that exploded in the heights, officially starting the battle.
— Look who decided to man up, but I'm still the one in charge here, got it? — Liangri flashed a sensual smile, and the announcer sat back down, instantly shutting his mouth.
— Look, Jhony, my tank top is already completely shredded, and your jacket is filthy. For old time's sake, let's fight the old-fashioned way!
— I completely agree with you, Yasoke!
The two stripped off their upper garments, revealing bodies hardened by rigorous training. Then, they tore strips of the fabric, fashioning them into bandanas.
Yasoke ripped his tank top and tied a white bandana, stained with his own blood.
Jhony tore his jacket, creating a purplish band, mixing the blue of the fabric with the crimson of his blood.
Yasoke took off his ballet shoes and hurled them away; the moment they struck the ground, the impact shattered part of the arena, revealing the absurd weight of the footwear.
Jhony did the same, throwing his shoes outside the ring, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
— Just like old times, my friend! — Yasoke smiled.
The Pure Macogo took over the young man's body, manifesting an astonishing power through a brilliant, glowing white aura.
— You know the score is tied, right? Whoever wins today gets to claim they're the strongest! — Jhony smirked.
The Pure Macogo concentrated within the redhead's body as well, unleashing an amount of energy equal to or even greater than Yasoke's.
— May the strongest win, hehehe!