Yasoke was still running around the arena, targeting the next opponents he would try to remove from the combat. Meanwhile, the announcer shouted: — BUT LOOK AT THIS! WE HAVE SOME INTERESTING SURPRISES IN THIS TOURNAMENT: A YOUNG MAN WEARING BALLET SLIPPERS!
Immediately after, he lowered his voice, questioning what he was seeing: "Why is he wearing ballet slippers?" He shook his head and returned to shouting: — WE ALSO HAVE A REDHEAD WEARING GREEN CLOTHES!
He questioned himself again: "This guy is tall as hell; this kid has real grit." He received a piece of information and was stunned: "What was that? He's sixteen years old! Even the boy in the slippers... What on earth is with this year's candidates!" He shook his head again and resumed narrating: — WE ALSO HAVE A GIRL WEARING A WHITE DRESS WITH GOLDEN DETAILS AND LONG WHITE GLOVES!
The judge received another piece of information: "What do you mean she's also sixteen? This makes no sense!" He heard another detail that left him in shock: "What do you mean she's from a wealthy warrior family? You've got to be kidding me!" Just as the judge regained his composure to shout, the body of a shirtless, bald man flew toward the referee's table.
— What is this, boy!
As the announcer reached for the microphone, he looked at the man with the red bandana. He had tan skin and displayed a back that was fully trained and muscular; his well-defined muscles glistened under the bright sun. While everyone observed the man in the red bandana, Yuji finished his popcorn and realized he needed something to drink. However, pineapple peel tea—his favorite drink—was nowhere to be seen. He noticed no one else was drinking tea and grew sad. Just as he thought about slipping away, the arena was completely covered in darkness for a second; at Yuji's side, Rokko emerged from the gathered shadows and offered a cup: — So, do you want some pineapple peel tea?
Yuji became very happy, wearing a silly smile, and returned his attention to the tournament while sipping his tea.
Jhony was being careful with the other fighters, knowing someone could appear and push him; he remained apprehensive. A small man appeared, jumping from side to side, very fast. Jhony spotted the small, stocky, and muscular fellow, who advanced toward him and threw high strikes: — Haha, big redhead! Since you're so tall, you're easier to hit!
However, the audience was not particularly impressed; the people's view was that of a five-foot-tall man trying to hit a six-foot-six youth. Yuji felt awkward watching this "beautiful" fight, until Jhony grew tired of simply defending. When the short man struck, Jhony dodged and kicked him in the stomach, throwing him out of the arena. Jhony wore an expression that suggested he had expected more.
Yasoke was performing pirouettes and somersaults while stepping on the faces of the other fighters, until the same guy in glasses who had approached Jhony descended from the air, landing a kick to Yasoke's abdomen and sending the youth straight to the ground. — Apparently, your defense isn't that good, but based on your body and personality, you must be quite aggressive!
The man in glasses vanished while Yasoke was down. At the moment he thought about reacting, a group of five brutes advanced toward him. Yasoke stood up with a backflip and exclaimed: — Why am I only approached by this kind of people!
The brutes surrounded Yasoke, who began to swing his arm to warm up his muscles, a smile on his face. When the five charged, Yasoke kicked one in the stomach to gain momentum, and with his other foot, he pushed off another brute's face, causing the five of them to collide with each other while he escaped unscathed and returned to running through the arena.
The announcer declared: — ONLY 10 MINUTES REMAIN, AND HALF OF THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE ALREADY GONE HOME!
Yuji was drinking tea and eating popcorn alongside Rokko, curious about the two boys. However, he noticed an exceptional skill in the red-bandana man's fight; one of the tallest and most muscular fighters, a favorite to win, was completely obliterated by him without a chance to react. Yuji grew suspicious of whether the boys could defeat that man and asked Rokko for his opinion: — That man is truly good, but that girl isn't one to be underestimated either.
At that moment, the girl in the dress was adjusting her long white gloves, careful not to get them dirty. With every fighter she threw out of the arena, she greeted the crowd with a delicate and refined touch to her dress. Meanwhile, Yasoke was jumping around "like an idiot" and Jhony remained passive, doing nothing. But what caught both of their attention was the boy in glasses, who kept appearing and disappearing as if he were teleporting. Yuji grew worried, and Rokko firmly believed in that hypothesis.
The announcer was shocked to see that so many people had been eliminated, considering that there might not even be the planned second stage. He warned: — AT THIS EXACT MOMENT, 5 MINUTES REMAIN, AND THERE ARE ONLY 32 FIGHTERS LEFT IN THE ARENA!
Yasoke and Jhony were shocked. The crowd began to scream, and as the minutes passed, several fighters continued to fall. Then, an encounter took place: the man in the bandana found Yasoke running through the arena. — So, you're the youth with the ballet slippers! — he said with a smile.
Yasoke noticed the man's presence and realized how large his muscles were. The man in the red bandana introduced himself: — My name is Araújo Costa, and I came here to win!
The youth in the red jacket pointed to himself: — My name is Yasoke, and I'm the one who's going to win this damn thing!
Araújo wasted no time and attacked with a spinning kick; Yasoke saw the movement and dodged. The two began to strike at each other, but neither could land a hit.