Two medical staff members rushed over carrying a stretcher. Their movements were so practiced that it was almost heartbreaking.
Huohuo was carefully turned over. The blindfold was removed, revealing a small face covered in dust.
Her eyes were spinning with stars, and she was babbling nonsense.
"I... ¥%...#@R%^..."
From the earpiece came Tail's long sigh.
"Sigh... You did pretty well. Next time, remember to fall on the ring. At least that way it could count as a draw."
[...]
[What else can I say? She really... I'm crying. She's using her life to bring us joy.]
[Best program effect of the year, no contest! Huo Family Fist — the main focus is catching the opponent off guard, attacking when they're unprepared, and then sending yourself off the stage.]
[I hereby call this the pinnacle of performance art. I suggest Huohuo joins the Path of Elation.]
Owlbert wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"Ahem, let us... congratulate Miss Hysilens on advancing! Next up will be the final preliminary match of the Wrestling Tournament! Please welcome — Firefly from the Firefly Team! Versus — Cyrene from the Castorice Team!"
The moment this matchup was announced, the bullet comments, which had still been immersed in a mix of sadness and laughter, immediately changed the subject.
[Cyrene? Is that the legendary woman? Was her modeler Elysia?]
[Elaborate, what's the legend? I only know she's super mysterious. There's barely any information on her!]
[Insider info says she has a very close relationship with Elysia! You know what I mean, right? The value of Miss Pink Elf!]
[Holy shit? Is that real? No wonder MiHoYo was hiding her so carefully. So the big one is coming?]
[Elysia ship! I'll board first as tribute!]
Amidst the thunderous discussion, Firefly was the first to take the stage. She walked onto the stage with a sweet smile.
Right after.
Cyrene slowly made her way onto the stage as well.
She still had that petite figure, wearing a simple dress with short pink hair. She looked quiet and harmless, like the girl next door who had accidentally wandered into the competition venue.
[No way, this... she looks way too much like Elysia, right? She can't be her little sister, can she?]
[The facial features are indeed very similar, but the temperament is completely different. Elysia is that passionate, fiery elf type. This one... feels more like a moe-fied version of Elysia? The kind that would cry for a long time if you punched her.]
Backstage, Su Chen looked at Cyrene on the screen, his brows slightly furrowed. He turned to Little Herta beside him.
"Didn't you say she had 'grown up'? How did she turn back again?"
"Yeah," Little Herta crossed her arms, her gaze never leaving the screen. A researching light flickered in her eyes. "But it's not very stable. Occasionally, this kind of infantile regression phenomenon appears. Specifically, you'd have to ask Ruan Mei. This is her research topic."
Su Chen nodded thoughtfully.
That worked too.
That meant Cyrene could work two jobs but only get paid for one!
Hehehe!
On the ring, the referee announced the start of the match.
However, something completely unexpected happened.
"Swish——"
With a loud sound, a thick curtain suddenly dropped from above, completely covering the entire ring and blocking both Firefly and Cyrene from view.
The entire audience: "?"
Live stream comments: "???"
[What the hell? Paid content? They're fighting behind a curtain? Director, come out! We promise we won't beat you to death!]
[Where's the payment QR code? I don't see it!]
[No, I already took my pants off... I even prepared my melon seeds, and you're showing me this?]
[Masaka! Could this be... the legendary black curtain space?! Hiss... Playing this big?]
Faced with the black curtain, the bullet comments kept imagining wild things. They couldn't stop!
Not being able to see only gave the live stream audience unlimited room for imagination!
The curtain "swish"ed again and rose back up at lightning speed.
The whole thing took less than a minute.
On the ring, Cyrene was still standing in her original spot. She was lowering her head and gently blowing on her fingers, as if a cowboy blowing on the muzzle of his gun before holstering it.
On the opposite side, Firefly was already lying face-down on the mat, completely motionless. Her smooth long hair was somewhat messily spread out, and there was even a trace of... a peaceful smile at the corner of her mouth?
[Holy shit! What the hell happened inside?! One minute? And Firefly's already down? And she's smiling so happily?]
[I don't feel comfortable saying it. I can only say this curtain was pulled with great spirituality. I declare this curtain is the MVP of this match!]
Su Chen's eyes widened. He couldn't say a single word.
Elysia had been dragging Cyrene around every day. Could it be that Cyrene had already mastered some divine technique?!
It was over. All the female employees at MiHoYo were in danger!
— —
Immediately after came the second semifinal match.
Cyrene versus Hysilens.
"Swish——"
The familiar curtain fell once again.
This time, the audience was mentally prepared. Some even heard an extremely soft and seductive gasp from behind the curtain.
[It's here, it's here! Classic little black box segment! I'm guessing three minutes! Hysilens can definitely last three minutes!]
[I already have the scene in my head. Fast forward to... hehehe...]
Three minutes later, the curtain rose.
Hysilens was lying quietly on the mat. Her iridescent fishtail gown was somewhat disheveled. A blush had spread across her beautiful face, all the way to the tips of her delicate ears. Her eyes were tightly closed, her breathing rapid, and the corners of her eyes seemed slightly moist.
[???]
[She's blushing? Hysilens is blushing?! Holy shit, what the hell happened inside?! Is this even allowed to be broadcast?!]
[Whether it can be broadcast or not, just broadcast it already!]
[Damn it! What kind of wrestling could leave someone in this state?! MiHoYo, you have no heart! Cyrene! Please use that move on me! I can take it!]
Su Chen was already speechless. Even a succubus couldn't resist Cyrene?
It seemed his cheap older sister — Stelle the Great General — was the final trump card.
— —
Finally, the highly anticipated finals arrived.
Feixiao versus Cyrene.
When that black curtain fell for the third time, carrying a heavy sense of finality, the entire venue had fallen into a strange kind of frenzy.
This time, however, the duration was especially long.
Five minutes passed... Muffled impact sounds and Feixiao's suppressed groans could faintly be heard from behind the curtain, as if she was resisting something with all her might.
Ten minutes passed... The impact sounds disappeared, replaced by rapid panting and the intense friction of fabric — "rustle rustle."
Suddenly, the curtain was violently struck from the inside, bulging out with a vague, tall human silhouette before instantly disappearing again, as if dragged back by an invisible force.
Fifteen minutes later, all sounds abruptly stopped. A deathly silence fell behind the curtain.
Twenty minutes passed... There was no movement inside at all. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
People in the audience had already started yawning. Even Su Chen backstage couldn't help but rub his eyes and whisper to Little Herta, "It seems her ability has reduced effectiveness against people with strong willpower and pure physical resistance. General Feixiao... is using endurance to wear her down."
Just as everyone was dozing off, thinking they would have to wait until the end of time...
"Swish——"
The curtain finally rose.
On the ring, Cyrene's petite body was curled up on the ground, her chest rising and falling slightly. Her beautiful eyes were tightly closed, and crystal-clear sweat drops hung from her long eyelashes. She seemed to have exhausted all her strength and couldn't even move a single finger.
Her opponent, Feixiao, was still standing tall.
However, her entire body was already soaked in sweat. Her tight sports tank top clung wetly to her body, outlining terrifyingly firm muscle lines. She looked like she had just been pulled out of water, with steam rising from her body.
She supported herself on her knees, her chest heaving violently as if she had just finished a marathon. She was panting heavily, strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, her gaze sharp but still carrying lingering fear.
She had won, but it had been an incredibly difficult victory — one could even call it a pyrrhic win.
Owlbert jolted awake and quickly grabbed the microphone. "The final winner is — Feixiao from the Feixiao Team!"
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.
The points leaderboard on the big screen refreshed once again.
1st Place: Castorice Team, 6 points.
2nd Place: Feixiao Team, Boss Team, Big Herta Team, Firefly Team, Phainon Team, 5 points each.
4th Place: Aglaea Team, Acheron Team, 4 points each.
Backstage, Su Chen looked at the results, his expression turning especially solemn.
"The scores are very tight. The next round is crucial! We have to create some distance!"