I Died and Was Reincarnated as a Goth Femboy

The Lily Fighting Club was not the gritty, underground arena Kenjiro had imagined. It was a magnificent, opulent building that looked more like an opera house than a fighting pit. A massive, crystal chandelier hung from a domed ceiling painted with frescoes of legendary Lilies from ages past. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and even more expensive egos. Bombom and Gluteus walked in, the massive crowd of their fans and livestream viewers pressing in behind them, their collective excitement a palpable, buzzing energy.

They approached the registration desk, which was manned not by a person, but by a sleek, chrome-plated robot with a cheerful, perpetually smiling face displayed on its monitor.

"Welcome to the Lily Fighting Club," the robot chirped, its voice a pleasant, synthesized soprano. "Please enter your registered adventurer name and allow the scanner to analyze your status for placement."

Bombom, still live-streaming, stepped forward and typed 'Kenjiro' into the holographic keypad. A beam of blue light shot out from the robot's optical sensor, scanning him from head to toe. After a moment, the robot spoke again.

"Analysis complete. I will use your more common designation, 'Bombom,' from now on," it said. "Your Charisma and Intelligence stats are noted to be... exceptionally low." The robot's smiling face suddenly minimized, replaced by a flashing, black-and-white pop-up window. Three crudely animated, smiling faces appeared on the screen and began to sing in a high-pitched, mocking chorus: "You're an idiot! Hahahaha, ahaha, hahaha!"

A vein throbbed on Kenjiro's forehead. His face went from a confident smirk to a mask of pure rage. "Look here, you clanker!" he growled, shaking his fist at the robot. "You better shut up before I break you into scrap metal!"

The robot ignored his threat, the insulting song continuing on a loop as a nearby door slid open with a polite hiss. "You may enter now, Idiot Bombom."

Bombom gritted his teeth, ignoring the incessant "you're an idiot" jingle as he and Gluteus walked through the doorway and into the main lobby, the sound finally fading as the door slid shut behind them. The lobby was even more extravagant than the entrance, filled with dozens of beautiful Lilies, each one surrounded by their own entourage of butlers, stylists, and fawning admirers. Kenjiro spotted a large, ornate poster board detailing the rules of the competition.

The Annual Lily Championship Gauntlet

Step One: The Pageant of Perfection. A contest of pure aesthetic beauty. Contestants will be judged on their appearance, posture, and overall presentation.

Step Two: The Trial of Charm. A test of charismatic ability. Contestants must win the favor of the judges through a display of their unique charm-based skills.

Step Three: The Quandary of Intellect. A written examination covering history, arts, and culture. A test of the mind.

Lilies who successfully pass all three preliminary steps will advance to the final stage: a one-on-one Charisma Battle Tournament. The ultimate winner will have their face and name promoted on every billboard in the city for three days, earning the title of 'Lily of the week.'

A confident smirk returned to Bombom's face. "That'll be easy," he declared.

Gluteus looked down at him, his massive helmet tilting. "Are you sure, Bombom? Intelligence and Charisma are not your... forté."

A vein reappeared on Bombom's forehead. He quickly smoothed his expression back into a cocky grin. "Watch me and you'll see." He looked around at the competition. There were so many beautiful Lilies, each one a pinnacle of aesthetic refinement. He could tell this would be a close call.

"Bombom!" a familiar, cheerful voice called out. He turned to see Taguro waving at him from across the lobby. "Oh," Bombom sighed. "I didn't know you liked the Fighting Club."

"There's no fighting here," Bombom corrected him, his voice flat.

"It doesn't matter," Taguro said with a shrug. "It's still called the Fighting Club." Bombom leaned in closer, a curious look on his face. "You know what, I've always wondered when I look at you... how do you have those... you know... breasts...?" Bombom blushed furiously as his copycat gestured vaguely at his own chest.

Taguro just laughed. "It's magic. Most Lilies can use this basic illusion magic to enhance their... assets." He paused, a sly smirk on his face. "But I've never seen you use it..."

"It's because I don't need it!" Bombom scoffed. "I'm trying to break free from this... cute body!"

Taguro looked at him, genuinely shocked. "W-what? You can't!" He paused, a look of panic in his eyes. "I mean, you can't now! If you stop being you, what would I be?"

Bombom stomped his foot. "You're only thinking about yourself!"

Taguro turned his head, looking at a random, blank section of the ornate wallpaper. "I mean, the people looking want you to stay that way too~"

"Here you go, talking to walls again..." Bombom sighed.

"Hohoho!" Gluteus laughed. "Taguro must have imaginary friends. I had them too when I was a child."

A bead of sweat trickled down Bombom's temple. Before he could try to explain his copycat's bizarre habit, another, far more annoying voice interrupted them.

"Oh, look what the cat dragged in. The weakest Lily around." It was Hikaru Aoi, the blonde, pink-clad Lily from the boutique.

Bombom simply turned his back on him, completely ignoring his presence. This, of course, only frustrated Hikaru more. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" he snapped, stepping in front of Bombom. Bombom just turned again, and again, and again, as Hikaru kept trying to get in his face.

A donation with a loud, synthesized voice came through the hover-drone.

"Kiss already."

Both Bombom and Hikaru blushed a deep, furious crimson. Bombom grabbed his drone to look at the comments.

"We want to see some action!"

"I wanna see Bombom's 'action,' if you know what I mean."

"Stop being weird, chat!" Bombom yelled. "I'm going to defeat that ugly thing!" He let out a sharp "humpf." Hikaru, equally enraged, let out his own "humpf" and stormed away, swearing under his breath that he would utterly destroy Bombom in the competition.

A loud chime echoed through the lobby, and a disembodied voice called Bombom's name. It was his turn for the first test. He walked into a brightly lit judging room. Three stern-faced judges sat at a long table. The moment they saw him, their jaws dropped.

"Y-you... y-you are the S-Tier Lily!" one of them stammered.

Another judge didn't even hesitate. He pulled out a large board with the number "10" written on it and held it high. "We give you a ten! You are the most perfect Lily we have ever seen!"

Bombom smirked. Of course, I am, he thought.

Taguro was called next. The judges were impressed. "Oh, you look like the S-Tier Lily," one of them commented. "But... you're not as perfect as he is." They gave him a score of 8.5.

The next test was Charisma. Bombom, full of a newfound, if deeply embarrassing, confidence, took the stage. He struck a series of cute poses, blew kisses that materialized into shimmering hearts, and winked at the judges. It was enough to completely charm two of the three, earning him a respectable, if not spectacular, score of 6.5.

Then it was Taguro's turn. He walked onto the stage, turned his back to the judges, and, to Bombom's utter horror, began to twerk. It was shameless, ridiculous, and incredibly effective. All three judges were instantly captivated, their pupils turning into hearts as they held up their scorecards in unison: 10, 10, 10.

Bombom was flabbergasted, staring at Taguro's incredible twerking skills. It was embarrassing, but he had pulled it off.

The final preliminary test was Intelligence. They were each given a long, complicated written exam covering the history of Eldoria, advanced mathematics, and cultural etiquette. Bombom, who had spent most of his life counting reps and not reading books, missed most of the questions. He scored a pathetic 2.5.

Taguro, on the other hand, scored a 9.5.

"How was I supposed to know that Jill Sandwich was a president and not a food item?" Bombom grumbled as they compared scores afterward.

Taguro just laughed. "You can really tell you're not familiar with our world's history."

"I don't care," Bombom huffed, turning his back.

From the audience, Gluteus watched the whole thing with a proud smile on his face, cheering for Bombom regardless of his scores, ready for the final, one-on-one battles to begin.