CHAPTER 135 - SHY ASTRONAUT
Right after Irida and Arth's battle, we were immediately showered by the purple cat's sermons.
"Look at those two! They are not fooling around when they fight! They did their best without holding back! And then there's you two, who can't take anything seriously and even tried to screw in the middle of the tournament!" Himeno scolded.
"Okay, okay, we're sorry." I cried.
"Now that I've seen their full power, I'm quite pumped up!" Rayne pumped her fists due to excitement.
I would say that I'm feeling the same hype as Rayne right now. Witnessing the magnificent strategy of Irida makes me want to be creative with my Command Card activations too. I'm sure Rayne is also quite itching to fight Arth on his Cyber Seraphim Transformation.
Himeno gave a loud exhausted sigh.
"Listen, you two. While I would consider Irida and Arth below my level, don't be too reckless. Irida is a Numbered Kaiser and a higher-ranked one at that. She is Number 2. She has the highest compatibility with the Gladiator System than Ryan, only falling short of the real Raynevere Treenity. The Command Cards on her arsenal are more effective than you would have thought, and their Transformation Cards have a more powerful effect."
"It's the first time I've heard of that. Isn't that considered cheating?" I tilted my head.
"Well, it kind of is, but the truth about Numbered Kaisers is never disclosed to the public. Only the Treenity Innovation higher-ups know about this, and we do not intend to have this secret spread for the sake of the name of the company." Himeno said.
That brings me back to the real Raynevere Treenity. I always find that the Masked Kaiser could always activate any Command Card anytime she wants, and the Skill Cards have way more powerful effects than normal.
All of a sudden, I felt a soft pat on my back. I looked to my side and realized that somebody was pushing me and also my fiance towards the door.
"Break time's over now, you lovebirds! Now prepare for the Semi-Finals Round!" Himeno smiled jollily. I was surprised that she could change her mood from demonic to cutesy so easily. Maybe she is a cat.
"I heard that your opponent also has a Transformation Card," Ryan said. "But considering that you two will fight, I have no worries that you can defeat them!"
"U-Uwaaah!" Rayne and I cried when we were finally pushed out of the room and then the private room was shut. Then, we heard a lock.
"Wait, why did they lock the door?" I asked.
"Maybe they want to do 'it' too, in that room," Rayne said so casually. "Well, I can't blame them. That room is too comfy."
I gulped while having a reddish face. I can't believe Rayne and I almost did it in this room too.
"Anyways, it's our battle up next! Let's go to the arena!" Rayne said with a cheerful smile.
"Yeah."
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The buzzers beeped once more. After the loud noise, the emcee took the stage and announced the next fight.
"For our next and final battle for the Semi-Finals round, we have here the glamorous president of Treenity Innovations, Raynevere Treenity! She is with her unimpressively normal Kaiser, Elzane Chaldeas!"
I wanted to protest at the emcee when we showed ourselves to the arena, but it might get us disqualified if I made a scene so I just took my silence. Meanwhile, Rayne was waving at the audience like the beauty queen she was, and most fans had already been lovestruck.
"And for the right corner is the stellar duo who can reach beyond the stars, Monami Ichinose and Masaya Langit!"
The Gladiatrix Monami is peculiar, as she is the very first Gladiatrix we ever saw who was always hiding her face behind a helmet. She is wearing a skin-tight bodysuit with some mechanical apparatus that makes her look like a pilot of some high-tech robot. Anyway, this suit emphasizes her slender build and well-endowed physical characteristics that could even rival a beauty queen like Rayne. According to the Gladiatrix System, her Gladiatrix type is a Cyber Astronaut.
Kaiser Masaya is a tall man with black hair and purple eyes. His hair is somewhat long which gives an anime protagonist vibe. He is also wearing some kind of mech pilot suit, but at least she is not wearing any helmet to cover his face. He is also wielding the last model of a bulky Kaiser Gauntlet and now he looks like a half-robot half-human hybrid.
"Kaisers and Gladiatrices, on your battle positions!"
Both Kaisers activated their respective Gladiatrix Systems, and both Gladiatrices readied their weapons. The Cyber Astronaut Monami is wielding a white futuristic pistol.
"Monami, don't be nervous! This is the second to the last fight!" Kaiser Masaya advised his Gladiatrix.
"R-R-Right!" Monami replied while stuttering. It's evident in her voice that she is nervous.
Meanwhile, Rayne forced a smile. "She kind of sounds like you, Zane. Back when we first met. You're as nervous as her."
"B-But I have improved now, right? I'm not as introverted and shy as before, right?" I cried.
"Who knows?" Rayne teased me with a carefree smile.
Right after that small tease, the buzzer went loud and the system beeped.
"Let the battle begin!"
[Battle Start]