Chapter 387: 64 Chapter: The Day of Competition_2
As for the remaining two matches, naturally, there were no objections, at least everyone aside from Mubaihe felt there were no issues.
"Now, both contestants, please take your positions!"
Hovering above the center of the underground training field, Moke held up a toy microphone, seemingly conjured out of nowhere, and surveyed the crowd with a pretense of solemnity, declaring with forced seriousness, "Now, as the Seeder of the Fangting City team, I hereby announce on behalf of the royal court that the exchange match between Fangting City team and Bai'an City team begins now!"
The response was only a sparse smattering of applause from a handful of people.
Unfazed by the lukewarm reception and after loudly announcing the start of the match, Moke continued, "We'll now announce the rules of the match! Each team consists of three members, who, based on a draw, will compete one-on-one in a total of three rounds. Win a round to earn one point, a draw earns no points, and the team with more points is declared the winner."
"The criteria for judging the winner are as follows: if the opponent runs out of Magic Power, becomes restricted in movement, or is physically overcome and loses the ability to act; if the opponent is forced out of the training field during the match, resulting in disqualification; if the opponent formally surrenders during the match in any form and the surrender is confirmed by the judge... these are all considered winning conditions!"
"In addition, since this match is intended for exchange purposes, there is a special rule: with mutual consent, the competition can be limited to skills in the same field, and the final technique will be judged by two senior Magical Girls, whose verdict will also be considered a victory in the match!"
"Now, let us welcome the first pair of contestants for this match, the Magical Girls who, following the drawing order, will battle first—Xiaojin and Shygrass!"
This time, whether out of genuine emotion or politeness, the Magical Girls present all clapped their hands in welcome.
Xia Liang, as one of the contenders for the first duel, appeared quite relaxed, smiling and nodding to everyone before naturally proceeding to the center of the training field; the other contestant, Shygrass, was clearly tense, clutching one sleeve tightly with her hand, pursing her lips, and taking small steps to position herself opposite Xia Liang.
Seeing that both contestants were in position, Moke didn't delay further. Lifting one paw high, still holding the microphone with the other, he loudly declared, "Now, take your places, the first match begins now!"
No sooner had the words fallen than everyone's gaze instinctively focused on the two figures on the field. However, neither of the two seemed to be making any moves.
They hadn't even transformed, as if they hadn't heard Moke's declaration at all, simply standing there.
Of course, not transforming didn't mean they had no intention of competing. At least from Xia Liang's perspective, she simply didn't know what she should do.
Despite appearing confident and natural, after all, it was her first time facing off against a fellow Magical Girl. Whether she should start the battle without a word, or follow some kind of etiquette before the fight, she had no idea.
Her initial plan was to respond based on the other party's actions, if her opponent chose to transform and start the battle immediately, she could follow suit and transform; if the opponent started with a greeting, she could respond politely before commencing the battle.
What she didn't expect was that her opponent would stand there saying nothing, not starting a fight, and looking even more like a rookie than herself.
This indirectly led to Xia Liang also being forced to simply stand there.
After a while, seeing that neither of them was making a move, Moke, as the referee, had no choice but to remind them again, "Ladies, the match has already started."
But still, neither of them moved.
Realizing that the match seemed unable to start at this rate, Xia Liang couldn't help but break the silence, asking with a polite smile on her face, "Excuse me, are you planning to decide the winner according to the special rule?"
The reticent girl in front of her kept her head low, looking as though she might bury it in her clothes at any moment, her eyes flickering uncertainly. It was no wonder that Xia Liang had to ask her question; considering the other girl's demeanor, which suggested no desire to win, let alone a hint of fighting spirit.
Seeing the other's state, Xia Liang was uncertain whether her question would receive any response at all.
But to her surprise, in response to Xia Liang's question, Mimosa quickly gave an answer. Although the voice was low, it was entirely clear enough to be heard: "No need."
By saying "no need," it indicated that the opponent was at least planning to fight.
Having her question answered, Xia Liang immediately continued: "Then, may I ask how we should start? Since it's a contest, should we start with something simple like a magic power probe..."
"No need."
This time, Mimosa's voice was noticeably louder: "I became a Magical Girl a year before you, I'm the senior, so you go ahead."
Everyone heard this statement loud and clear.
Even Xia Liang, who had been puzzled by the other's nervous demeanor, now slightly restrained her smile because of the other's words.
After all, the statement didn't sound very friendly; at the very least, saying it in this context made it hard not to feel like the opponent was being dismissive.
However, since they were in the midst of a contest, saying things to provoke the opponent was also a kind of strategy, so Xia Liang wasn't so disturbed by such words.
She simply realized that her opponent was, perhaps, not as straightforward as she appeared to be.
After all, a Magical Girl is a profession constantly engaged in frequent battles, and most Magical Girls have a very clear understanding of their own strength. What kind of enemy they can defeat, and what kind they cannot, has become quite distinct through accumulated battles over time.
So, when a Magical Girl acts as though she's going easy, it's either because she has a clear assessment of the other's strength or she really has some kind of trump card to rely on.
Both participants were Leaf-level Magical Girls, something the other must also be aware of. With their abilities at the same stage of bloom, one wouldn't dismiss the opponent's attack without any defense, thus, it was most likely that the other did indeed have some kind of reliance.
Thinking this, Xia Liang had already silently recited the spell, quietly completed her transformation, and had even raised her Magic Wand in her hand.
It wasn't until she had assumed an offensive stance that Mimosa finally started to act, belatedly reaching into her pocket for her Heart's Gem and also silently completing her transformation.
Mimosa, now in her transformed state, looked utterly different from her usual self.
The usual her had long bangs that almost covered her eyes, and her attire consisted of nondescript, dusty jackets and jeans, virtually as inconspicuous as one could get.
But after transforming, her image could not exactly be described as rebellious, yet in the realm of Magical Girl costumes, it could be called "bold."
First off, the overall exposure of the outfit was quite high, with the upper body being merely a bare midriff tank top topped with a bow, and the skirt was among the shorter ones even among Magical Girls, who generally have a higher degree of revealment in their outfits.
Secondly, the saturation of the outfit's colors was extremely high. The overall tone was light red, but the contrast was so stark that it reached the level resembling an animated character.
Lastly, the hairstyle. The previously even bangs that hid her eyes parted to reveal a pair of pomegranate-colored eyes, and her not-so-long hair was tied on both sides of her head with two ribbons, forming a pair of twin ponytails.
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This dramatic change in appearance caused Xia Liang, who had already been considering her mode of attack, to momentarily stall in her thoughts.