A Match That Only the Real Powerhouses Are Watching

The fourth round of the Bushin Festival was finally underway.

I took my spot in the very front row of the stands, waiting for the one match I actually gave a damn about. My light blue hair fluttered in the breeze as I kept my eyes locked on the arena floor. The crowd was a bit thicker than yesterday, but the stadium was still sitting at less than half capacity.

"You here for that guy’s match too, girlie?"

The voice caught me off guard. I turned around to see who was talking to me.

"If I remember correctly, you’re..."

"Quinton," he grunted.

He looked like a heel pro-wrestler who’d lost his way to the ring. He plopped himself down in the seat next to me with a heavy thud.

"You were watching his third-round match yesterday, weren't you?"

"I was," I replied, shifting slightly. "I take it you were there too?"

"Didn't plan on it. Just happened to catch my eye. So, what did you make of Jimina Seinen’s performance?"

Quinton kicked his legs out in front of him and stared at me, waiting for an answer.

"Well, it certainly didn't look like he won because his opponent accidentally tripped."

"Yeah. That bastard did something. I couldn't tell what the hell it was, but I figured a hotshot from the Vegalta Seven Swords might have seen through it. Right, Annerose?"

Quinton’s arrogant gaze collided with my sharp glare for a split second. I looked away immediately and crossed my legs, letting the slit in my skirt reveal a flash of skin.

"I've thrown that title away. Now, I’m just Annerose."

"My bad. Better late than never, though—congrats on passing the Goddess’s Trial."

"Thanks."

"So," he leaned in, "don't tell me even you couldn't see what he did?"

"I... I didn't see it," I admitted, feeling a prickle of annoyance. I can’t believe I missed it. I must have been more careless than I thought. "But I’m fairly certain Jimina’s right hand moved."

"Hoh. His right hand, huh?"

"I couldn't tell you exactly what he did with it. But I can tell you one thing: it was incredibly fast."

"Hmph. Guess my theory was a bust then." Quinton let out a bored snort.

"Theory?"

"I figured the guy was cheating—using some kind of prohibited artifact."

"I see... I suppose that’s not entirely impossible."

"Doesn't matter. We’ll find out the truth in this match."

"True enough. His opponent is Goldoh Kinmekki of the Undefeated Legend."

"Never heard of 'im, but apparently he’s a big deal. People say he’s never lost a single fight."

I couldn't help but let out a dry, cynical smile. "Oh, he’s famous, alright. Famous for all the wrong reasons."

"Is he actually strong?"

"Let's put it this way... I’ve fought all over the world. Real battlefields, arena tournaments, you name it. In past tournaments, I’ve been matched against Goldoh Kinmekki three times."

"Wait, really? If Goldoh is 'undefeated,' does that mean you lost to him?"

I gave Quinton a flat stare. "Of course not. We never actually fought. The second he realizes his opponent is strong, he runs away."

"Huh? What kind of bullshit is that?"

"He refuses to fight anyone who has a chance of beating him. He only steps into the ring against people he knows he can crush, and the moment he's matched with a real threat, he withdraws. That’s how he got the nickname 'Undefeated Legend.' Technically, no one has ever beaten him. He seems to hate the name, though—he insists on calling himself the Ever-Victorious Golden Dragon."

"Ever-Victorious and Undefeated, huh? They sound the same, but the vibe is completely different." Quinton let out a dark chuckle. "So, basically, we shouldn't expect anything from Mr. Undefeated?"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." I felt the corner of my mouth twitch upward.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The Undefeated Legend only fights matches he’s guaranteed to win, and yet he’s consistently placed high in major tournaments. He’s even won a few smaller ones."

"Hoh... so he's not just some scrub." Quinton’s eyes sharpened.

"Exactly. His greatest strength is his ability to unerringly gauge the power gap between himself and his opponent. And yet, he didn't run away from Jimina. Which means..."

"I get it now." Quinton’s face twisted into a feral grin. "Even the Undefeated Legend couldn't see through Jimina’s true strength?"

"Either that, or Jimina really is just a coward relying on a hidden artifact. There’s one more thing, though. Because he only fights people he can definitely beat, the Undefeated Legend has never actually had to go all out. He’s never shown his true cards."

"Now this is getting interesting."

"Yes," I whispered, licking my lips. "Very interesting."

Quinton let out a low, beast-like laugh as we both turned our attention to the center of the arena.

Amidst a storm of cheers and heckling, Jimina Seinen and Goldoh Kinmekki stood face-to-face. Out of the thousands of people in this stadium, Quinton and I were likely the only ones who understood what was actually at stake here.

"4th Round, 6th Match: Goldoh Kinmekki versus Jimina Seinen! Begin!!"

The signal rang out, and the match began.