"What a coincidence, Captain. I didn't expect to run into you all here."
After Mo Wang walked up to the judge's table, Himeko and Fu Hua immediately greeted him.
"It is a coincidence. Though, I wouldn't have minded it being a little less of a coincidence."
Mo Wang couldn't help but retort.
Hearing Mo Wang's words, Himeko and Fu Hua couldn't help but laugh.
"I heard you were planning a date with Ana from the Oceania Branch today. I never thought something like this would happen. You poor thing~ Your first date, ruined just like that. Want Big Sis to comfort you a little?"
Himeko looked at Mo Wang and couldn't resist teasing him.
"Really? Are we talking about actual comfort, Big Sis Himeko?"
Mo Wang played along with Himeko's banter naturally.
But hearing Himeko mention his date, he couldn't help but ask, "But, how do you all know about this?"
"That's because the school forum is filled with posts about you today," Fu Hua explained.
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Mo Wang quickly took out his phone to check.
Sure enough, the St. Freya forum was flooded with posts about him.
Things like: [Scumbag Captain Ditches St. Freya Valkyries for Oceania Branch!], [Six Girls, One Guy: The Debaucherous Life of the Schicksal Captain.], [Valkyrie Date: Who is the Captain's Girlfriend? Or... Are They All His Wings?]
The screen was flooded with scandalous headlines. Anyone who didn't know better would think all the Valkyries at St. Freya majored in journalism.
"Seriously, not a single good thing has happened today. This is just ridiculous."
Mo Wang couldn't help but press his forehead, feeling that today was truly a bit rough.
"But, speaking of which, how did you two end up here?"
Mo Wang couldn't help but ask Himeko and Fu Hua.
These two didn't seem like the type to enjoy crowded places. Why were they here as guests?
"Haha, it's quite a coincidence. Fu Hua and I came here to take care of some things and happened to run into the staff looking for guests. When I heard there was free beer, I came right over."
Himeko couldn't help but laugh.
"I came because I heard there was free game merchandise and in-game currency top-ups," Fu Hua said.
Mo Wang covered his face, feeling that this was probably the most casual reason he had ever heard.
Can't you be more serious? You're Schicksal's most elite Valkyries! Not some B-list Saturday morning cartoon heroes who claim to be Earth's strongest defense!
"But speaking of which, it seems the Principal and the others are participating too. I'm really looking forward to it."
Fu Hua adjusted her glasses, her face showing the unique excitement of a martial arts fanatic.
"Are you really excited?"
Looking at this group of spirited Valkyries, a drop of cold sweat trickled down Mo Wang's forehead. This love war was simply terrifying.
And while Mo Wang and the others were talking, the host had already arranged for the contestants to enter the ring.
Unexpectedly, the first to go up were Theresa and Ana.
The appearance of the two beautiful girls naturally attracted the attention of the crowd, especially when Theresa appeared, her presence immediately caused a stir among the audience.
"Wow, what an adorable little girl! Is she also here to compete?"
"She looks really strong, but... does she have a boyfriend?"
"Isn't this basically a crime?"
"This seems pretty interesting."
Hearing these comments, the corner of Theresa's mouth twitched, and she grumbled to herself, "Little girl? I'm the commander of Schicksal's Far East Branch!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, this next match is truly something to look forward to! First, on my left, we have the principal of St. Freya Academy, St. Freya's Number One Idol—Theresa Apocalypse! And on my right, from New Zealand, we have—Ana Schariac! It's said that in Oceania, she holds the title of a hero! Who will emerge victorious? Let's wait and see!"
Following the host's introduction, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers. Theresa smiled and waved to the crowd, while Ana remained calm, merely nodding slightly.
"Ana, I never thought I'd be facing you here."
Theresa spoke first, her tone lighthearted. "But let me make it clear, I won't be holding back."
"Lady Theresa, I am also looking forward to our battle," Ana replied calmly, a hint of fighting spirit in her eyes. "It is my honor to fight an S-rank Valkyrie. Besides, I don't plan on losing so easily."
"Then, let the match begin!" the host announced loudly.
Before her voice had faded, Theresa had already made her move. The Oath of Judah instantly unfurled, and countless golden chains shot toward Ana like spiritual snakes. Ana reacted with extreme speed, tapping her foot to retreat swiftly while a spear materialized in her hand, which she then used to parry Theresa's incoming chains.
"As expected of Lady Theresa, so serious right from the start," Ana said softly, her eyes filled with vigilance.
"You're an A-rank Valkyrie, after all. I can't afford to be careless against you," Theresa chuckled, swinging Judah once more. The chains traced golden arcs in the air, closing in on Ana from all directions.
However, Ana didn't panic in the face of Theresa's attack.
As an A-rank Valkyrie, she might even be slightly stronger than the current Himeko.
Ana's spear turned into a blur, instantly blocking all the surrounding chains.
"A good move," Theresa nodded in approval. She had, of course, recognized the technique Ana was using as a classic Schariac family move.
As Cecilia's good friend, Theresa couldn't be more familiar with this technique.
When she saw Ana use it, she was even reminded of Cecilia back in the day.
But even so, Theresa had no intention of going easy.
She suddenly leaped high into the air, and a golden spear shot out from Judah, thrusting down toward Ana.
Ana looked up, a grave expression in her eyes. She quickly took a few steps back, gripped her spear with both hands, and thrust upward. The tip of the spear clashed with the golden spear, creating a crisp metallic clang. The immense impact caused the ground beneath Ana's feet to sink slightly, but she held her ground, successfully blocking the blow.
After landing, Theresa quickly retracted Judah, gripped the cross with both hands, and with a mighty swing, sent a wave of golden energy sweeping toward Ana.
Ana swiftly sidestepped to avoid it and, in the same motion, swung her spear in a silver arc, aiming for Theresa's side.
Theresa's reaction was instantaneous. She used Judah to block, the spear and the golden cross clashing with a clear ring. The battle between the two grew more intense, each collision releasing massive energy fluctuations that made the surrounding facilities tremble. The audience held their breath, their eyes glued to the battlefield, afraid to miss a single detail.
"What a spectacular fight," Himeko couldn't help but exclaim.
"As expected of the Principal and Ana. Their combat skills and reaction speeds are impeccable," Fu Hua pushed up her glasses, a glint of excitement in her eyes.
Mo Wang, however, was dumbfounded, unable to stop himself from retorting, "This isn't a match, they're tearing the amusement park apart..."
He didn't know what others were thinking, but he couldn't see any element of romance in this at all.
And the audience around them, like a bunch of bloodthirsty lunatics, started cheering for more.
Wait, where's his romance?
Where's his sweet, sweet romance?
Where did it all go?
Stop! You all stop! Don't fight anymore!
Under Mo Wang's strained gaze, Theresa finally seized an opportunity. With a powerful swing of Judah, she forced Ana back several steps.
Ana, panting, nodded and said, "As expected of Lady Theresa. I admit defeat."
Seeing Ana concede, Theresa couldn't help but hum triumphantly. "Hmph, of course. It would be embarrassing if I lost to you kids."
But even in victory, Theresa didn't forget to offer Ana some advice. "To be fair, your techniques are already very polished. But because of that, many of your moves are a bit rigid. You should go back and think about it. It would be best if you could develop your own fighting style. Then you should be able to become an S-rank Valkyrie."
As their battle concluded, the surrounding crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
"That was amazing. The Principal's skills are as sharp as ever."
"But, it should be our turn next, right?" Himeko said suddenly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Us?" Mo Wang was taken aback.
"Yeah, since we're here, we can't just be spectators, can we?" Fu Hua adjusted her glasses, the corner of her mouth curling into a slight smile.
Mo Wang immediately felt a headache coming on.
"Don't tell me you're going to fight too?"
"Of course not," Himeko laughed. "We're just here to join in the fun."
Mo Wang breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly realized things weren't that simple.
"But, since we're here, why don't we play something interesting too?" Fu Hua suggested.
"What kind of interesting?" Mo Wang asked warily.
"For example, let's see who can win this love war," Himeko winked, her words full of meaning.
Mo Wang felt a wave of helplessness.
"You guys really just want to watch the world burn, don't you..."
"Haha, just kidding," Himeko patted Mo Wang's shoulder. "But, you'd better do your best in the upcoming matches."
"I just don't feel motivated at all," Mo Wang couldn't help but say.
"Thank you, ladies, for the wonderful match! Although it's a shame for one, let's congratulate our little Theresa on winning this round!"
After the battle ended, the host ran back onto the stage to continue her duties.
"Who are you calling a little kid?! Hey! I told you, I'm an adult! And the principal of St. Freya!" Theresa shouted loudly.
"Since the first round is over, before the second round begins, let's hear what our guests have to say."
The host ignored Theresa's protest and immediately turned the microphone toward Mo Wang's group.
"Ahem, both ladies are undoubtedly true warriors who have embodied the theme of 'love is a War'. Both Lady Theresa and Miss Ana are incredibly powerful," Himeko began, speaking eloquently into the microphone. "However, I would like to say one thing: please don't try to imitate these two. Broken bones and torn muscles are no small matter."
"Excellent, thank you for your commentary, Miss Himeko. And Miss Fu Hua, what are your thoughts?"
The host then turned the microphone to Fu Hua.
"Well, although the battle was very exciting, I feel that both sides had some shortcomings. For example, if Lady Theresa had aimed her attack one inch lower at the beginning, she could have achieved a better effect. As for Miss Ana, if she hadn't defended at the start and instead took the initiative, using the advantage of her long spear, she could have caused considerable trouble for Lady Theresa. Therefore..."
[T/N: Two thousand characters of the Celestial immortal Fu Hua's professional combat analysis have been omitted here.]
"Alright, alright, thank you, Miss Fu Hua, for your wonderful explanation. We now understand what combat is all about."
Faced with Fu Hua's lecture, even the professional host was struggling to keep it together.
Seeing that Fu Hua was about to move from battle analysis to practical application and a personal demonstration, the host quickly stopped her.
"So, our guest Mo Wang, do you have any thoughts?"
"Huh? Me?"
Mo Wang stared blankly at the host. What thoughts could he have?
The only thought he had was to get off this stage as soon as possible.
"Uh... it was a great fight. Let's not have another one."
In the end, after much thought, this was the only comment Mo Wang could come up with.
"V-very good! Thank you for your commentary, Mr. Mo Wang."
Faced with Mo Wang's words, the host was struggling even more to keep it together.
So, besides Himeko, is there not a single normal person here?
"Alright, time is tight, let's have our next group continue the competition!"
"Let's welcome our Super High School Level Gamer, Homu's Most Fervent Fan and Stock Market Master! MetalGear---Bronya!"
"And, the Successor of the Hokushin Itto-ryu, the Young Lady from Japan, St. Freya's Number One Chef, and Voted the Academy's Most Gentle Lady—Miss Raiden Mei!"
When the host announced these two names, Mo Wang's heart skipped a beat.
Ana and Theresa had already fought like that.
If these two were to fight, would the venue even survive?
Ugh, it's not his problem anyway. He could only hope the amusement park manager's blood pressure would be okay.