Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Victory belongs to Valuabl...
"King Sumeru!"
A clear, slightly urgent voice jolted Suoh Hyoki out of his reverie. He looked down, his gaze meeting his reflection in the mirror—a toothbrush in hand, a few drops of foam clinging to his lips.
A barely perceptible look of bewilderment and melancholy flashed in his green eyes.
Suoh Hyo-hee slowly raised his head, his gaze crossing the boundary of the mirror and landing on a novel and slightly comical figure.
"Chikiri?"
Suoh Hyo-ki's voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
It wasn't that Suoh Hyoki was face-blind, but rather that Senkiri Hyoma looked too strange at that moment.
His bangs were deliberately swept back, revealing his forehead, which was rarely seen on ordinary days. His signature bright red hair was carefully styled and tightly wrapped in a peculiar hat that shimmered with a metallic sheen and resembled tin foil, making him particularly eye-catching.
Senkiri Hyoma, noticing Suoh Hyoki's questioning gaze, explained, "I'm taking care of my hair."
As he spoke, he deftly pushed aside Suoh Hyo-ki, almost filling the entire mirror. He casually pulled off the slightly exaggerated hat, and his red hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Then, he scooped out a dollop of white paste from a jar he carried with him and applied it to his hair.
Throughout this process, Qianqie Baoma's gaze was focused and earnest, as if he were performing a sacred ritual.
"What are you thinking about? I called you several times but you didn't respond."
Suoh Hyoki observed Senkiri Hyoma grooming his hair, and thought, "I'm thinking..."
"If we had more time, could we have tied with Team W, or even beaten them?"
Suoh Hyo-hee lowered his eyes gently, his green pupils seeming to sparkle with starlight, or perhaps to surge with the deep ocean.
Almost...just a tiny bit more.
The dawn of victory seemed within reach, yet it slipped away unnoticed.
They almost managed to nail the "Son of God" to the cross.
It seems pretty good that we've achieved what we have now.
But why do I still feel a sense of loss?
Perhaps that was the closest we got to "God"?
Wang Xiaoxi comforted himself in this way.
A subtle sense of loss quietly spread through his heart. The spark of secret joy vanished in an instant, replaced by an indescribable sense of resentment and regret.
Upon hearing this, Qianqie Baoma patted Sugao's shoulder forcefully, "What's wrong with you? Thinking about those unrealistic things again?" His words revealed an undeniable confidence, "Qianqie Sugao is of course the strongest!"
As he spoke, he finished his hair treatment and casually tapped the toothbrush in Wang Xiaoxi's hand with his toothbrush.
A hint of hesitation flashed across Suoh Kōki's face, but he corrected her in a low but firm voice: "...It is Suoh Senkichi."
Qianqie Baoma slightly pursed his lips, clearly not caring about the order of events; he was more concerned about the upcoming challenge.
He stepped forward and began his own washing routine, urging, "Alright, alright, hurry up and wash up, stop dawdling. We're going to participate in the final competition, so we need to be in top form."
"It's the last game..."
Suoh Takayuki gripped the toothbrush tightly in his hand, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He looked down at the bubbles in the water, but his thoughts had already drifted back to the thrilling duel with Team W.
In that match, they gave it their all, but still missed out on victory. The disappointment and regret weighed heavily on his heart like a boulder.
I wanted to have a good talk with Amano Minaka and Kira Ryosuke after the match, but I couldn't find them at all.
Not only Amano Minaka and Kira Ryosuke, but the entire W team disappeared in the Blue Prison.
Perhaps we've advanced to the next round?
With that thought in mind, Suoh Hyo-ki took a deep breath, temporarily putting aside his distracting thoughts. He picked up his toothbrush and began to scrub more vigorously.
This is the last match in Building 5, and the result is crucial.
Apart from Team W, who won all four of their matches, and Team Y, who lost all four, the outcome of this match is important for the other three teams.
Team X, who won two games, Team V, who also won two games and hopes to win the next game, and Team Z, who only won one game and is also looking forward to victory.
If Team V wins this match, then Team V will undoubtedly qualify with all its members advancing.
If Team Z wins this match, then all three teams will have the same points, and there is a very high chance that the time will be extended to play another round-robin tournament.
Of course, the focus of this match is not only on Team Z, but also on their opponent Team V, who are also eager to win.
Rei-ou Mikage stayed up all night studying Team Z's match recordings. His expression grew increasingly serious as the video progressed, especially when reviewing Team Z's match against Team W, which showcased their astonishing growth rate. His eyes revealed an unprecedented seriousness and determination.
For him, Blue Prison was not only an arena to prove his strength, but also the place where he could realize his dreams the fastest.
He will absolutely not be eliminated and leave like this.
Reio Mikage sat in a corner of the lounge, thoughtfully tying her shoelaces.
"...Ling Wang".
Nagi Seishiro's voice rang out softly, tinged with concern. He noticed Reio Mikage's slightly detached expression.
Are they (Team Z) really that strong?
Although Nagi Seishiro had some questions in his mind, he was more sensitive to the changes in Mikage Reiou's emotions.
These past few days, he has accompanied Rei-Oh Mikage to watch all of Team Z's match recordings.
The content was boring, but Nagi Seishiro still watched it all the way through.
He didn't think highly of Team Z.
Very weak.
In Nagi Seishirou's mind, although Team Z has shown some growth and strength, it still hasn't shaken his opinion.
A stubborn weakling.
This is how Nagi Seishiro described the players of Team Z.
When the weaker team (Team Z) snatched a few balls from the stronger team (Team W), Nagi Seishirou thought Team Z was about to launch a desperate counterattack. After all, many shonen anime follow this formula—when the protagonist is pushed to the limit, they evolve into a Saiyan and defeat their opponent.
Unfortunately, Team Z doesn't seem to be the main character; the weaker team never managed to defeat the stronger one.
Nagi Seishiro casually put his hand on his neck, a rare competitive glint appearing in his light brown eyes.
If it were me... I could definitely beat them (Team W).
"Nagi, Zantetsu, it's time to show our strength." Reio Mikage, regaining his senses, gently stroked his slightly disheveled hair, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp and profound.
He strode forward, leaving the locker room first and stepping onto the green field where his fate would be decided.
Nagi Seishiro responded lazily, then slowly stood up, his steps leisurely, yet he followed closely behind Mikage Reiou into the court.
Kenjou Zantetsu, on the other hand, looked completely focused. He gently adjusted his sports glasses on the bridge of his nose, and a calm and determined light shone behind the lenses.
"Strike while the iron is hot and let our advantage become unstoppable like a tidal wave."
These words immediately broke the serious atmosphere.
Reio Mikage chuckled and put his arm around Kenjou Zantetsu's shoulder. "It's 'pursue the victory,' and that phrase means to continue pursuing the enemy while the momentum of victory is in place. It's not suitable for this context."
"What does it matter? We're the ones who will win anyway." Kenjou Zantetsu extended his fist toward Mikage Reio.
"Peng—"
The two fists struck each other, producing a crisp and powerful sound, as stirring as a war drum.
Reio Mikage's purple eyes seemed to ignite at that moment, flashing with dazzling light, "Victory belongs to Valuable (Team V)!"
"One call and a hundred responses," the V team players shouted in unison.
"Victory belongs to Valuable (Team V)!"
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Author's note: *Source: Baidu.
valuable; precious; treasure; valuable.
I think this word fits the nature of Mikage Reio as a merchant, so I'll use "valuable" instead of "V team" here.
There's also Winner (W team) and Zero (Z team).
The updates have been a bit unstable lately because I've been working on reverting Suoh's personality (I've gone off-topic). Waaaaah, I'm so sorry everyone.
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