To a Mrs Hamilton who had survived from the beginning of the SystemÆs arrival until now there was nothing more important that viewing everything with an unbiased eye
To her surprise Pan answered first Well they donÆt care much about winning right They are just battle maniacs ThatÆs always a handicap
An interesting point But I would say that they both enjoy the act of fighting too much to let that stop them once the match starts They possess plenty of tenacity toward victory once they begin to bleed But you are right that in the right circumstances that could be dangerous Mrs Hamilton replied with a smile Any other thoughts IÆm thinking of a personal factor related to image
Oh IsabellaÆs expression abruptly brightened Is it is it because the Ghosthound is here watching And he has very obviously put a lie to their invulnerability in the past So being here would weaken them because someone stronger is present
Also an interesting thought but well you might very well be right about that but it wasnÆt what I was thinking Mrs Hamilton filed that thought away so she could scrutinize the minute interactions between Paolo and KayleÆs images and RandidlyÆs aura during the fight But ultimately Randidly had been so studious about being self contained that there might not end up being any interaction to watch
Still it was reassuring for Isabella to bring something up that Mrs Hamilton hadnÆt considered Perhaps they could someday sit at the helm of Donnyton after all
PaoloÆs right hand man gave Mrs Hamilton a meaningful sidelong glance he wanted to know whether he should speak or night She inclined her head slightly It didnÆt matter where the answer came from just that the Cortez siblings heard it and understood
He cleared his throat to draw their attention and then spoke They have a handicap because they are curious No one has yet forced Huang Li to display his full potential His powerful attacks have generally ended his fights Rather than winning the tournament Paolo and Kayle will focus on finding the hidden potential of the tournament participants in the beginning and middle portions of the match They wonÆt strike decisively to end it early which should be extremely possible for someone like Kayle
Rick KayleÆs second interrupted as he leaned forward in his seat DonÆt be modest PaoloÆs ability to strike swiftly is in no way inferior to KayleÆs And in fact when you consider how destabilizing Paolo can be
I donÆt know what is more aggravating Kayle and Paolo fighting or the two of you complimenting each other constantly Pan complained The two men clicked their tongues and took their seats right next to each other Mrs Hamilton smiled slightly inwardly she was in agreement with Pan And in fact their bosses’ constant bickering was much more palatable than the alternative
anyway Mrs Hamilton eventually continued What Rick said was correct Look they took the opportunity to come out first Although I suppose this is their right as the higher seed they are the champions while the other duo is the challenger
Around Mrs Hamilton and the Cortez siblings the Donnyton group and much of the crowd leapt to their feet and began to roar as the figures of Paolo and Kayle sauntered out onto the stone arena Whether it was due to their affiliation with Donnyton their very public bet to use each otherÆs weapons their approachable personalities or their dominant wins thus far this duo had won the goodwill of the public
Mrs Hamilton closed her eyes feeling the volume of the cheers around her like the presence of a swarm of bees with their segmented legs pressing against her skin It was a living physical cloud It was both sound and energy echoing in the bowl like stadium And below on the arena floor she could feel both Paolo and Kayle steadily absorbing the outpouring of support
They raised their heads and that energy flowed into their confident smiles and settled through their images
Paolo benefited a lot more directly than Kayle but both had their images buoyed upward to fill the sky Mrs Hamilton even felt Randidly stirring above as the two images spread out to dominate the surrounding space Even that strange heaviness from Randidly couldnÆt hide his curiosity and interest as he looked down at the fighters of Earth
Mrs Hamilton followed the GhosthoundÆs sharp gaze truly these two were special From Paolo the typical exultation of a champion emerged He was indomitable invulnerable inexhaustible He might bleed or be beaten down but nothing would ever keep him from rising once more These cheers made his image concrete almost instantly His belief in his own strength towered above him like a thousand year old sandstone pillar
But the potency of KayleÆs image didnÆt fall behind his partner who was so at home in a coliseum And if anything KayleÆs image was slightly more aggressive than PaoloÆs Because KayleÆs image concerned distance Any distance really The space that could be severed almost absolutely by a single slash of a blade
Mrs HamiltonÆs eyes slowly opened until she looked down at Kayle with a half lidded gaze There was a swirling boundary around Kayle about six and a half meters from his person Even without his long knives he had an almost absolute control of that six and a half meters To the point that Mrs Hamilton couldnÆt be sure that she could defend herself if she went within that space
It used to be that it was a difference of combat practice but now Mrs Hamilton couldnÆt help but smile at the small stirrings of envy in her heart as she looked down at the prideful men on stage My attention went elsewhere Even if my image is just as robust as theirs the applications differ significantly In a fight Heh IÆll be lucky if I can overpower little Bella here
Gradually the cheering faded to a chaotic rumble from the crescendo Both Paolo and Kayle turned the opposite entrance to the fighting grounds For from there a new breeze was blowing Mrs Hamilton looked up at the sky above them The heavy clouds that had lingered after yesterdayÆs snow had previously seemed stoic and disapproving but her eyes could still trace the subtle ways they began to move
The wind wasnÆt oppressive but it was almost all encompassing
The Huangs walked out calmly with Huang Li standing a little behind and to Huang ShouÆs left as they proceeded forward ShouÆs wooden cane hit the ground at an even interval echoing to with enough of an imageÆs edge that it managed to suppress the cheers of the crowd Gradually silence was pulled over the stage as though it was being dragged by that limping old man
Oh This is new Tired of letting your grandson steal the spotlight eh Mrs Hamilton studied Huang Shou more closely Well it makes sense The elder generation isnÆt very well represented in this tournament letÆs prove that the unwavering belief an image requires isnÆt just a young personÆs game
Perhaps I should try and meet this man before they return to their Zone
Very quickly the Zone 7 team took its place opposite Paolo and Kayle who were playing a very fast paced game of rock paper scissors Their hands were only blurs as they adjusted their response on the fly The duo parted a few seconds later and Mrs Hamilton could tell from the rather glum expression on PaoloÆs face that he had lost
Meanwhile Kayle grinned over at Huang Li with a triumphant expression Mrs Hamilton couldnÆt help but roll her eyes You two maniacs never change
The referee looked back and forth between the duos Are both sides ready
Both duos nodded their heads and the referee cleared his throat He checked his watch and nodded Then let the first quarterfinals match of the duos tournament to name the Earth begin
Neither side moved immediately as the audience began to cheer more loudly The wind around the stadium began to howl a counterpoint to the cheers Although his expression was somewhat listless Paolo cracked his knuckles and began to advance The Huangs exchanged a glance and Huang Shou walked slowly forward to meet him It seemed that the purpose of Kayle and PaoloÆs brief competition was obvious to everyone
I find you uncouth Huang Shou remarked with a deep frown