158-Episode 137. Pack up the second game. Pack up. Pac...

After the first round, there was a bit of an argument.

'Why am I in last place?

Isak from District 41 was biting the tournament organizing committee. Oh, no, not physically, but figuratively.

The number of plates piled up was the same for both Austin of District 40 and Isak of District 41, forty-nine. And the number of plates left on the fiftieth plate is less for Isak.

But ......

'The Isak player spills more food and loses 8 plates!

'What the ...... hell is that?

Didn't he listen to the rules?

No wonder he ate so much.

And when I looked next to me, ...... Bertina was standing there with a pale face.

'Maybe I ...... didn't have to work so hard?

Everyone!Listen to the rules!

If you knew that Isak was going to lose points, you should have only paid attention to Austin. ...... Well, even Austin was picking up the pace as Isak pulled him along... ......... Listen to the rules.

Well, I was also a bit nervous because of the atmosphere.

'More importantly, Bertina.

'Yes. Thank you very much.

She thanked me even though I hadn't said anything.

I'm supposed to say no more.

Because I know.

Okay. I guess I'm okay now.

I glanced at Regina, who immediately noticed my gaze and gave me a satisfied nod.

'Yeah, you got boobs.

'What kind of nod was that?

'No, yeah, I said I had tits. ......'

'Don't say it twice, 'yeah boobs'!

I don't know why I need to look at her tits to prescribe her stomach medicine!

d*mn it. Next time, I'll do the interview and palpation myself!

''Big brother!

Loretta, the leader of the crowd, jumps in front of me.

'Who's going next?I want to come up with an incentive phrase, so tell me.

'You're surprisingly a person who prepares well.

I thought you lived only on the spur of the moment.

'Of course I do!I'm going to make sure that no matter who's in the competition, I'm going to make it happen!

'Then, you go ahead.

'I wasn't expecting that!

As expected, it's impossible to make things exciting by myself when I'm playing.

'It's fine. Norma's awakened, and Paula and Nephrite are there to cheer you on.'

'I'm here too!

Natalia, who had dared to ignore him, stepped in.

'Are you saying that ...... I'm going to be fired from the cheerleading squad?

'I wouldn't do that.

Now is the time for Loretta to shine!

'The power of Loretta's excitement is indispensable for the 42nd district. We've just won a victory, and the best way to keep up the good mood is to bring you in here!Go to the center of the stage and give us a big boost!

'Oh!That's the kind of excitement only I can create!

'Yeah!I'll leave it to you!

'Yes, sir!I'm in good hands!

Loretta's motivation has been ignited.

Yeah, yeah. You just think about making it exciting and fight the good fight.

We're probably gonna lose once here.

My plan is to leave the sweet stuff to Bertina, Magda, and Delia, and that should give us three wins.

With Isak's point deduction this time, the last place is District 41.

If Isak had won, District 40 would have been in last place and would have been in charge of the next dish.

The specialty of District 40 is cake.

If Austin had lost at this point, he would have sent in Delia.

But it was Isak who lost.

The menu in District 41 would probably be meat-based.

I'm not so sure about Delia.

Also, now that we've won one game, there's a good chance that both District 40 and District 41 will bring in strong players to try to win one game as soon as possible.

If they are not careful, there is a possibility that Gustave, a ravenous fish, will appear.

If that's the case, it's better to play it safe and hope that you can win, rather than lose.

If you are in first place or last place, you can win the tournament.

If you win, you are in the reach, and the winner is decided by Magda.

If you are in last place, you can play a lemon pie on the next turn, and Delia will give you a win.

If the 40th district is in last place, the result is the same.

The ideal situation would be for Loretta to be in first place and forty wards to be in last place. ...... Well, I guess it won't work out that way.

Therefore, the 41st district, the lowest ranked district, was put in charge of cooking, and preparations for the second round began.

At the same time, the spectators were changed.

Since there will be some time to spare, the people here are spending their time as they please.

Bertina and Ginette have gone outside to talk with the kids from the church.

The cheerleaders, led by Norma, are practicing some kind of cheer. They were going to cheer with choreography.

'The one hour interval was a bit long, wasn't it?

Estella, looking completely bored, said this as she stretched.

'That's something you can say when you're winning. Those who are losing have an hour to plan their strategy and scramble around. It might even be too short.'

'Doesn't Yashiro do that, run around?

'You know, ......'

Estella looks at me with a smirk and a teasing look.

You've got it all wrong, haven't you?

'You're the representative of the 42nd district. If you want to run around, you should be the one to do it.

'Then Yashiro. I'll give you a great plan.'

'What is it?

'Leave it to me'!

'............ you.'

Didn't this guy do a lot of self-reflection recently?

I'm sure you've been thinking that as a lord, you'll be mindful to act responsibly and properly, but now you've left it up to me. ......

'...... is why you can't grow up'.

I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with that.

'Big brother!I have a question!

Loretta comes in, snorting.

Her eyebrows are raised, and her expression is somewhat brave.

'Do you have a physical attack?

'Of course not!

If you admit that, you'll be the first to get knocked out. They're a hunting guild or a lumberjack guild.

'Hmmm ............ hmmm ......, I feel like I'm full of motivation!When you think about it, I've always been a bit of a reserved girl who's always been in the corner of the support .......

What part of it?

'But!This time, I'm the star!Watch me, big brother!I'm going to make it a grand, grand, grand affair!

Loretta raised her fist and looked up at the sky.

There's something about ............ Loretta that's really exciting.

It's not you, but the people around you that should be excited.

'Oh, ...... oh, oh, oh, ...... there's suddenly a lot of pressure,............, my stomach hurts! '

'Oh, no!

This guy, are you seriously okay!

'I can't help it: ...... Regina.'

'I'm sorry ...... there's no medicine for a stupid girl.'

'No, I'd like to order some stomach medicine from .......'

If you have any medicine for a stupid girl, please contact me right away.

There's a lot of people who'd like to take it.

And so time flies. ......

--Boom, boom, boom, boom!

The standby bell is rung.

'All right, Loretta!Let's see what you can do!

'Hmph!I'll do my best!

Clenching her fists, Loretta goes up to the stage, fired up.

'Are you okay, Loretta?

Estella says anxiously.

Well, it's a long shot. After all, Loretta eats only a little more than the average person.

I don't think she'll be able to compete with the gluttonous people here.

'Well, I'll be lucky if I win.

'Oh, so that's what you were thinking?

Estella lets out a sigh.

Maybe you've learned to take it a little easier.

When I glanced at her with that in mind, Estella was staring at me with a very serious expression.

...... What?

I'm sure you'll be able to follow up on this. Loretta is a very competitive person.

'Yes .......'

She hates to lose.............

It's true that she may have that side of her. ............

Follow ......Follow hey ......

'Loretta and the others are not pawns. You have to take their emotional side into consideration.'

'Hmm......'

I know what I'm doing.

............ Do you know what I'm talking about?

I'm sure you'll be fine. ......

...... this guy.

'Oh, thank goodness. We made it in time.'

Ginette came running in.

She must have come running from outside the hall. Seeing that Bertina hadn't come back yet, the kids must have caught her.

'Hmm, Miss Loretta. You look nervous.'

'Give them a cheer. Your voice might bring us closer to victory.'

'Is that so?Well then. Good luck!Loretta-san!

'...... Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be a straightforward task.'

As if to cut off the aftermath of Jeannette's cheering, Magda appeared quietly.

'What do you mean?'

'...... I know who's in the forty-first district.'

This guy was going to check something like that?

'......The next to appear is Drino of the Suigyus. An amazing man with four stomachs.'

Magda said, and at that very moment, a cheer erupted from the audience in District 41.

It was because a tribe of swineherds called the Dorino had come on stage.

He was a big man with two thick horns on his head.

A true swineherd.

He looks like a tough guy who'd eat a lot.

But ......

It's not like you can use them all at once.It's not like you can use them differently, so it doesn't really make much sense.

'...... But that's not the case.

'What ......?'

Magda's eyes flickered bewitchingly.

'...... 'Change the Stomach' is a technique that only a handful of the bovine beastman race can use, and Drino has mastered it.'

'Change the Stomach'?

'...... An amazing technique that allows you to use all four stomachs at will.

'Is there such a technique that can only be used in a gluttony contest ......?'

'......A rare technique that can only be used by a handful of people in the cow beast tribe.'

'No, ......, isn't there just no demand for it, that technique?'

I can't think of any other use for it.

But if you can use your four stomachs at will,......, you can't win. It's like four against one.

It's like '...... the 41st district has come to win.

'Looks like.

'The players in District Forty are tough, too.

Imelda, who is familiar with District Forty, brings me information.

'Xenobios, a pheasant man with an indomitable spirit. He's a pretty nasty guy.'

On the stage, a flamboyant man with a bright red face stands in a stylish pose.

What can I say? ...... "Stylish! It's the kind of pose that makes you want to say, ' Stylish!

'...... Stylish!

'That's what everyone who's seen him says.

He's thin, flamboyant, and somewhat aristocratic, more suited to a gourmet than a glutton.

I wonder if he is such a troublesome opponent. ......

'He has ............ invited me to dinner a total of 239 times, and even after being rejected 240 times, he still invites me to dinner, he has an indomitable spirit.

'Isn't that just being persistent!

So, why have you refused more times than you've been asked out?

'His motto is 'Never give up'. His favorite word is 'sticky'.

'Wow ......, I don't want to get involved with you anymore ......'.

So, what about the important part, the gluttony?

Well, you've been selected as an athlete, so I guess you're great in your own way. ......

'Hey guys. I think we're ready.

Estella says, pointing to the stage.

The three players take their seats and the first dish is placed in front of each of them.

The dish placed on the table is a very simple meat dish. A fist-sized chunk of meat, grilled to perfection. There were four different sauces on each table, and you were supposed to pour them over the meat as you liked.

It's very simple. So it's going to be a game of deceit.

--Knock!

The bell rang loudly, and the game began.

'Whoa!I'll watch!This is what I'm really doing!

As soon as it starts, Loretta bites into the meat.

She stabs a chunk of meat with her knife and fork, lifts it up, and bites into it.

She doesn't ...... cut it. ............

With her small mouth, she bites into a large chunk of meat and scrapes it off with her front teeth.

It's just like a hamster. It was a unique way of eating rodents.

'...... I wonder what Loretta's eating style is ............ cute'.

'......Hmm, I agree.'

'It's kind of like a small animal.

'I could do that too if I wanted to, you know?

Estella and Magda are fascinated by the way Loretta eats.

Well, it's true, she's kind of cute. I don't know what it is, but it's ............ kind of cute.

So, Imelda. You don't have to compete with me.

'Oh, look!You'll be the first to finish it!

Ginette shouts excitedly.

'Please give me another one!

She stretches out her arms and declares in a high-pitched voice.

Loretta is the first to finish her first plate.

Good. So far, so good!

But if we start off so fast, how will we last?

'If you eat slowly, you won't be able to eat as much. I think it's better to cram as much as you can in at the beginning and adjust your eating in the second half.

Estella has an idea of her own.

That's the Bertina strategy.

If that works for you, ...... is fine.

'Give me a refill too!

The swineherds of District 41, the Drinos, followed close behind.

The stylish Xenobios of the Pheasant People was enjoying his meal in style, dexterously using a ...... knife and fork. ...... Is he going to do it?

'Loretta!I'm not going to let you down.

In response to Paula's encouragement, Loretta's shoulders shook for a moment.

Then, a fist stretched out from behind her and poked her.

'Hey, Paula. Where are the cheerleaders who threaten the players?You have to support them emotionally, don't you?

Something tells me that Norma is blossoming as a cheerleader in spirit as well.

'It's our duty as cheerleaders to say more things that will make Loretta happy.

'She'll be happy .............'

Norma admonished, Paula folded her arms and thought: ......

'Yes, if you win first place, you can eat all the ...... sausages you want for a month!

'I'm on fire!

Loretta's eating speed has increased dramatically.

How much do you like Cantaloupe sausage?

--Slap!

There was a dry sound on the stage.

Xenobios from District 40 raised his right arm high in the air. He seems to have snapped his fingers.

Then he stroked his bright red face with a gesture like scratching up his bangs and said a little obliquely.

'Hey, Chef!Can I have another plate of this?

Stylish!

...... No, this is not the time for that.

Let's not worry about that guy anymore. He seems to be an insignificant opponent in terms of gluttony.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. ...... But I can't help but notice ...... that red face glimmering out of the corner of my eye!

I'm not sure what to do.

In the meantime, Loretta has entered her third plate.

That's a good pace.

The chunks of meat seemed to be heavier than they looked, and none of the players were eating as much as they thought they would.

The sand in the hourglass continued to fall, and it was now ten minutes past.

About a quarter of the way through, we're almost a plate ahead. ............ Let's hope it all goes off without a hitch.

Loretta's rodent appetite shows no signs of slowing down at the moment. She's flying lightly.

'...... Foo, Foo, Foo!Good luck!'

Millie shouted, trying her best to make her small body look bigger.

In an attempt to make her small body look bigger, she raises her arms and jumps up and down.

What is this? I want takeout.

I wonder if there's an alarm like this anywhere?

'Loretta, good luck with your ......'.

Ginette folded her hands in front of her chest and prayed.

'...... but please, don't overdo it.'

She was praying not for victory, but for Loretta's body.

'Come on, come on!I'm sure you'll speak up too!The representatives of our forty-two districts are fighting!Cheer with more enthusiasm!

Norma is shouting to the audience.

He has his hands on his hips, his arms outstretched, and he is leading the crowd with great courage.

I'm not sure what to make of ....... More than 80 percent of the male audience was glued to Norma's raging cleavage.

Watch the game, guys. And at least cheer her on.

'Good!

'We're watching you!

'Keep it up!

'Shake it up!

'Go wild!

Don't you guys be cheering for tits!We're cheering for Loretta!

Look at that!Loretta's not sure what's going on, but she's shaking her head anyway!'Why is it shaking? Why is it shaking?' You've got a puzzled look on your face like that!

'Loretta!Your pace is fine!Keep your own pace and keep eating!

'Yes, sir!

The bastards in the audience are too stupid, so I'll cheer them on properly.

Loretta's doing her best.

I feel sorry for her if I don't cheer her on.

'Hmm ......'

'What is it, Estella?

'No, I was just thinking that you were so enthusiastic in cheering her on, even though you said you'd never lose.'

'...... You're annoying. Is that bad?'

'Just the opposite.'

Estella puts her hand on my shoulder and leans in closer.

'It's more 'typical' of Yashiro to show his parental love like that.

He smiles happily and pats me on the back.

...... What is "typical"? The real me is a cooler, dirtier guy.

You just don't know it, do you?

I'll have a refill!

I'll have another!

And with Loretta in the lead, thirty minutes passed,............, and that's when the strange began.

'............u............p'.

Loretta's hand stopped completely.

However, she had a good lead, so if she could just escape ......

'Mwah, I can't do it anymore. Come on, let's go!'Change the Stomach'!

Dorino shouted, and his whole body glowed white.

'Hmm!My stomach feels better now!Onee-san, get me another one!

Dorino's 'Change the Stomach' seemed to be a technique that could really switch the stomach at will.

Dorino, who had looked like he was in pain earlier, began to eat again with the same vigor as when he was hungry.

'More food, please!I'll keep bringing more!

'Mmm, mmm!I'm as good as ......!

Loretta bites into a chunk of meat, trying her best. But after taking a bite, her face contorts in disgust.

...... I don't think I can eat that anymore.

If you force yourself to stuff it in, you'll probably spit it out. Eating like that is bad for you. ......

'......Let Loretta abstain.'

I can't push her any harder than I already have.

'Are you sure?

'It can't be helped.'

The answer to Estella spontaneously fell out of her mouth as she watched Loretta trying her best.

'Because Loretta's body is more important than a win here.

He said, and ...... was surprised.

'Oh, no!I don't mean that in a weird way.

Looking back,............, I was too late.

'Yashiro-san......'

'You say that, too.'

'......, that's why Hammy misses you.'

'Ladybug-san ...... easy.'

Everyone was staring at me with a grin on their face.

...... Please don't take my out-of-character comments as a positive sign with such warm eyes. It's so embarrassing!

I'm not sure what to say. If Loretta hears what you just said, she'll be very pleased.

I can't say that!That's so embarrassing!You guys, don't ever say that!

Anyway, let's get him to abstain.

That's when I thought ......

'Whoa, whoa, whoa!

There was an uproar that seemed to shake the hall.

'What the hell?

'Yashiro-san, take a look!Xenobios is here!

Imelda told me and I turned my gaze to ......

'Please give me another ...... thanks. Crunchy ...... munchy ............ another please!Thank you, kitty cat. Crunchy............ munchy............ another please!

He was devouring the meat with great speed and style.

It's so fast!What the hell was that speed?

'He was probably eating the meat slowly, cutting it into small pieces at first to get his stomach used to it. Then, when there were only fifteen minutes left, he started eating fast, that's how it must be!

'That's absurd!

''That's so-called ...... pre-dinner meat!

'It's not alcohol!

The Stylish Xenobios seemed to be a rather unusual race.

Eating meat stimulates their appetite, and then they eat more. It's called a slow starter.

'd*mn it, I can't lose!I'll have another one!And 'Change the Stomach'!

Dorino's body glows white, and he eats faster again.

Dorino's body glows white and he eats faster again. Loretta had been leading, but the gap is quickly closing.

Three plate difference......Two plate difference............One plate difference......... .........You've been turned around!

'Ha, ha, wow......, I'll eat!

Loretta bites into the meat with tears in her eyes.

'Wait, Loretta!No!You don't have to win!

'I can't, Yashiro. Look at the audience.'

'What?'

I look back at ......

'Good job, Loretta!

'Keep up the good work!

'It's so cool!

''Seeno!

''Loretta onee-chan, keep up the good work!

''Go for it!Loretta!

''I'm really impressed right now!Loretta!

The audience cheered for Loretta, who was doing her best.

A big, passionate "feeling" encouraged Loretta to fight alone.

This is something I can't back down from.

He's the kind of guy who always responds to cheers.

He's the kind of guy who senses what others want and steadily carries it out.

Didn't I tell you to ...... make it exciting?

Come on!Let's support Yashiro too!

'Ah ...... ah!

I'll be cheering at the top of my lungs for the rest of the night.

'Loretta, go for it!

'Loretta-san!

'...... You're going, Loretta.'

'Loretta!You can do it!I believe in you!

Loretta's ears twitched, as if our voices had reached her.

Her ears were the same as a human's, without any animal characteristics.

For better or worse, Loretta was an ordinary girl, but at this moment, she was more special than anyone else.

Attracting everyone's attention, Loretta bit into the meat.

'............ Yeah, this is the last one!'Change the Stomach!

Dorino glows for the third time. He switches to his fourth stomach.

That's the last of him.

'Hmm~...... indeed, it's already ...... impossible......, hey.......'

Stylish Xenobios is slowing down rapidly here.

You can't help it. No one has ever eaten to such a limit before.

Xenobios' plate stopped at twenty.

Dorino had twenty-five. Loretta had ...... eighteen. ............ No. ......

'Yah, Yashiro-san!

Ginette tugged at my sleeve, raising her voice unusually.

Ginette's eyes are on ............ Seriously? ......

'Loretta is ............ back?'

There was Loretta, swallowing the meat at a furious pace .

'I'll have another one please!

The meat was being brought in at a rhythmic pace, like soba noodles.

He grabbed the meat and shoved it into his mouth. No, it would be more accurate to say that she stuffed it into her mouth.

Loretta was mindlessly stuffing the meat into her mouth as if something had been blown out of proportion.

's ...... amazing ............ where in the world did she get that kind of power ......'.

Estella's throat gurgled.

The audience was silent as she devoured the food with such ferocity that it was almost suffocating to watch.

I couldn't take my eyes off her.

Loretta, with tears in her eyes and her cheeks puffed up, was still trying her best to stuff the meat into her ...... mouth, and the sight was ............ moving. I can't even remember .................. hmm?

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.

He grabbed the meat as it was brought to him and stuffed it into his mouth. ...... His cheeks swelled ............ and his neck swelled... ............... torso swells ............ ......

'Well, I'm still going in!I'll have another one!'

'Goo...... what is this, it's ............ going to be overtaken......?

And at last, he was aligned with Drino from Change the Stomach and ...... reversed again.

--can-can-can-can!

Then the bell rang to end the game.

The result was that Xenobios of District 40 had 20 plates. Dorino of District 41 had thirty-eight. And Loretta of District 42 had thirty-nine .............

'Loretta ...... okay?

'.............'

In response to my question, Loretta only gave a small nod.

She probably couldn't talk.

In any case, Loretta's mouth, cheeks, neck, flanks, and entire body were so swollen that if she tried to open her mouth, her flesh would pop out of it.

Loretta desperately held her mouth and stared at me with tears in her eyes.

No, it's cute.I'm sure you'll find a lot of people who would like to know more about it.

The whole venue's eyes were drawn to Loretta.

There was an air of unease in the air from the beginning.

'Hey, isn't there something wrong with that guy? ......

Yeah, this must be a ............ no-no.

'Loretta, come here.'

When I beckoned her a little bit, Loretta tied her mouth into a knot, her eyes welling up, and walked toward me a little bit, a little bit, a little bit, with her swollen body.

'You've done well. In terms of plate count, you're the winner.'

'............ (chuckles)'

'......, though.'

I spun Loretta's body around halfway,...... and pushed and squeezed her body from both sides,...... as a mercy to turn her back to the audience.

I'm not sure what to say.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it'll help. And then a lot of meat was spat out of Loretta's mouth. ...... It was like a rainbow bridge of gravy.

'You ...... just stuffed it in your cheek pouch, didn't you?

'What are you doing?I packed a lot of stuff in there!

With tears in her eyes, Loretta looked back at me and protested.

Her cheek pouches have emptied out and she has returned to her usual clean contour. ...... How much did you pack in there?

'Oi, Cora!Oba-Yashiro!'

'Oba-kun!I'm not sure that's a good idea!

Ricardo and Demilly come running out from the service entrance at the back of the stage.

You're talking out of your ass.

'It's a foul thing to stuff your cheek pouch!

Ricardo comes at him.

Oh, I'm scared. This kind of guy who's obsessed with winning has a kind of seriousness in his eyes. Don't bark at me when no one's trying to get back at you.

'But, but!The cow in the forty-first district also used the beast trait of the beastman tribe!

''Hmm... Ma'am. I understand how you feel, but ......'

''Huh?The lord of the forty districts ............ has changed his hairstyle?The angle is a little different from before. ......'

'Waaaah!It's nothing!It's just that I was in a hurry!No, it gets stuffy if you wear it all the time!

Demilly is severely damaged by Loretta's malicious words, which she doesn't know are fake hair.

Why don't you just admit it?

'Anyway!It's okay to 'eat' using the beast's features!But I didn't eat yours!I just stored it in a different place temporarily!

'But, but!We'll eat later!

'Loretta.'

I put my hand on Loretta's head to calm her down a little.

'Just watch.

I take out some caramel popcorn from my pocket.

I toss it to her and catch it in my mouth.

'Let's say you eat this way, and Delia or Magda uses their animal features to throw the food all the way up their body. ............ Does that count as 'eating'?

What?...... No, that's not ............ that's .......'

'Isn't that the same as eating it later?

'............But mine is in my mouth,............'

'So what!If you have a cheek pouch, you can't eat it unless you take it out once!If you can put it directly into your mouth from the cheek pouch, then let's see you practice it here.

Loretta squeezed her shoulders as Riccardo yelled at her.

'Ricardo......'.

'What the hell?

'.................. There's a way to say it, you know?

'Oh ............'.

Don't bully Loretta. ............ You'll make her cry.Kola.

'...... and anyway!I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've.Do you have any objections?

As if to cover up something, Ricardo raised his voice and looked at me and Demilly.

Demilly, who had finished fine-tuning her hairstyle, nodded that she had no objections, and I agreed.

'Then District 42 is disqualified!District Forty will be in charge of cooking for the next match!All right!

With that, Ricardo quickly walked toward the service entrance.

'Eh, ah, ah!If you're disqualified, at least give the next dish to the 42nd district ......!

'Loretta.'

'...... big brother.'

'............ Enough.'

'..................Yes, sir.'

Her shoulders slumped, and Loretta nodded.

'Well, it's also our fault for not setting clear rules. Please don't let it bother you, young lady.

'...... Yes, sir. The lord with the nice haircut: ......'

'Yes ............, can I take it honestly?

'Loretta is a good, honest girl. It's nothing personal.'

'I see. I'll take that as a yes then.

With a smile and a wave of his hand, Demilly returned to the service entrance.

'Shall we go back too?

'............ Yes, sir.'

Rubbing Loretta's back, we walked off the stage.

'That was a close one, Loretta!

Delia says.

'But it would have been worse if you hadn't explained it properly first!

Nefari is upset.

'We can't help it this time. You'll get it back next time!

Norma encourages him positively.

'I mean, the match itself was really exciting, so why not?You like to have fun, don't you?

Paula is trying to cheer Loretta up.

Greeted with warm words, ...... Loretta scratched her nose in embarrassment.

Then she bowed her head ......

'Ehehe ...... I've lost.

Then she laughed.

'Don't worry about it. I still have one win and one loss.'

'...... This is everyone's battle. It's not time to be depressed yet.'

'Yes, it is . We all know how hard Loretta-san has been working.''

'Estella-san...... Magda-Cho...... Manager-san............ Yes!I'm not depressed at all!The game ended in a disappointing way, but my main duty is to cheer!From now on, I'm going to get excited and share my power with everyone!

That's right!That's the spirit!

Loretta shouted cheerfully as usual, and Paula slapped her on the back. 'It hurts!You're too good at this, Paula! The mood of defeat had completely disappeared as they joked with each other.

'Yes, I do!I want to wear a cheerleading uniform too!I'm going to do my best to cheer from here on out!

'Then I'll put it on for you.

'Oh, don't worry. I can do it myself!

Declining Ukrines' offer, Loretta went to the changing room by herself.

She gives a big wave and smiles all the way to the moment she turns around.

'............I'm off then.'

'Yes, ......, please.'

'Yes, please.'

'......Yashiro, good luck.'

We talked quietly, and I followed Loretta alone.

I knew everyone was watching Loretta closely.

I already know the kind of smile she has.

The one he just smiled is the one he smiles when he's ...... straining.

'Loretta.

'Swoon!What is it, big brother? I'm going to change now, okay?'

'Ah. That's why I came to sneak a peek.'

'It won't be sneaking if you say so.

'Oh, I see. That was a blind spot.''

Loretta doesn't look at me.

I'm not going to peek at her either.

I just put my hand on her head and stroke her thin, soft, fluffy hair.

'Oh, it's ......?Oh,.......'

'I didn't hate it.

'............'.

Loretta stops moving.

Maybe she'll lend an ear for another word or two.

'It was funny, quirky, and entertaining in a way that only you can be. The ...... results were a bit disappointing, though.'

'............ Guess'.

'Well, you'll do better next time.

'..................Yes, sir.'

I pat my head and Loretta grabs my hand with both of hers.

'...... I'm sorry.'

'For what?'

'............I didn't ...... win. ......... ...'

'When did I say 'win'?'

'...... but'.

'I said, "Make it exciting". That was a huge success.'

'............I was disqualified. ......'

'It's just like you calculated.'

'Yeah......'

If you listen carefully, you can hear the voices of your friends rising in the distance.

'They're excited to win at all costs for you.'

'............'

'You're the one who brought us all together.

Loretta's hard work and pure feelings were directly felt by those who were watching.

Loretta did more than enough to help us.

That's something much more valuable and hard-earned than a small victory.

'Loretta. Thank you.

'..................Oichii-chan......... ...At this time, it's ............ unfair .......'

Loretta shook off my hand and ran into the locker room.

She opened the door and walked in, her back to me, her voice only directed at me.

'From the next game, I'll make it even more exciting!Loretta, the captain of the excitement team, will show her true colors!You can count on me!

It was the genuine, usual voice of Loretta. ...... I felt very relieved.

'And then...............'

The door slowly closed.

Gradually, I couldn't see Loretta's back, and just before the door closed, ...... she said something outrageous.

'Actually, I could hear you,...... and I'm also a beastman,............, so my ears are a little better,....... I'm sure you'll be happy to know that ............ Loretta's body is more important than your victory here.

Slam!

--The door was slammed shut.

'............What?

I heard ............ and ............

'Wait a minute!You, you!Listen to me. ............ Oh, no!Forget it!

You're making it sound like I'm a good guy!

'Cause winning is more important!Me, my profits are the most important thing!Can you hear me?Hey!

He must have looked like a pervert, banging on the locker room door. But who cares!

I'd much rather be a pervert than be thought of as a nice guy!

At the end of the day, I was hit with a painful counter ...... and with only one more fight left, my strength was almost exhausted.