Chapter 283 Challenger Vs Defending Champion I

The American Dome which was already loud at this point had gotten even louder as everyone started cheering for both Jean Grey and White Mist. They were both more or less related to the number one superhero, Star Spangled/Jean Grey, and that's why the people looked forward to the fight more than they were expected to.

Pretty soon, Satoshi and the others also already returned to their seat after that awkward moment by the line of stalls outside. They were able to buy food thanks to Ayano, the Eye Goddess, and her fluent English speaking skills. And now that they've stocked up on food and drinks, they can finally watch the fight without any disturbance— aside from the loud cheers of the people around them.

The first one to enter the ring was none other than the reigning champion of the Official Beast Tournament with almost ten consecutive wins on his belt, White Mist. As he walked inside the field with a confident and purposeful gait, he waved toward the audience with a huge smile on his face. He liked the attention, and this was one of the rare times when people flocked just to see him. How could he not relish the glory when it was readily available to him?

"This many people came for my exclusive match? How nice. I guess I should put a pretty good performance in front of them. Whomever my challenger is, I'm going to beat him black and blue using my tamed beasts." White Mist said to himself as he summoned his trusty White Wolf. He paused in the middle of the field and petted his White Wolf, urging it to howl.

With pride, the White Wolf let out a long and fearsome howl that echoed all throughout the stadium. Even though the people who were cheering for the two of them were so loud they drowned the noise of everything in the stadium, the White Wolf still managed to howl more dominantly than them. It was a threat as well as a performance from the White Wolf that he's the superior tamed beast standing in the field.

"Good job," White Mist said as he petted the White Wolf. He couldn't get any more satisfied with the crowd and the way his White Wolf displayed how formidable it was.

After bowing down a couple of times in the middle of the field, White Mist then headed to the right side of it, positioning himself just by a block wherein he'd stand while the beast battle went on. He wasn't new to this kind of feeling, and that's why he felt pity for his challenger. He may be Jack Michael's friend, but that doesn't mean he's an expert when it comes to beast battles.

"I am, after all, the number one beast tamer in all of the world. And no one can beat me on my home court." He said to himself as he eagerly waited for his opponent.

And yes, of course, he knew who his opponent was. It's not like he tried to kill him a couple of days ago by the Beast Dimension alongside Satoshi and the others.

The opening to the other side of the field, the left side, then opened, and out came a man who was no older than White Mist himself. He looked like a typical middle-aged man with black hair and black eyes and he waved to the crowd with pure confidence. To the spectators, it seemed like the challenger was more used to the crowd compared to the defending champion himself. After all, the challenger just walked as if he was in the zone. There was no shred of hesitation in his presence and the way he waved his hand was as if he was waving to a friend.

But quite frankly, Jean Grey felt a tad bit nervous after seeing the crowd. He knew all too well that he doesn't know anyone here, not to mention that this is his first time having a beast battle in an entirely new world. Aside from his family, and the other people who were with the Midoriyamas, he pretty much doesn't know anyone.

And also, the people here don't speak his language. He was surprised that they speak an entirely new language! He could understand Satoshi and the others properly since they have the same language, but the people in this country were weird, he couldn't even converse with them.

"That's the least of my problems though. Right now I have no idea how strong my opponent is. He's the Beast Master of this world so I shouldn't let my guard down. I should safely assume that he's on equal grounds with me. I should at least gauge his abilities for now and try to counterattack with the options I have." Jean Grey said to himself as he let out Pheross, the Azure Lightning Tiger, and his one and only partner.

"Wow! It's so cool!"

"His tamed beast looks way more awesome than White Mist's"

"Yeah, White Wolfs are too generic when it comes to animes and fantasy light novels."

"The White Wolf may be powerful, but it looks way more common than that tiger, right?"

"Right, that White Wolf is ugly."

The unnecessary hate directed at White Wolf pricked White Mist a little bit. As much as he hated to admit it, the Tiger in Jean Grey's possession was really more appealing than his generic White Wolf. He clicked his tongue in frustration. The fight hasn't even started yet and he'd already lost when it comes to the appeal.

"So you're the Beast Master. I've always looked forward to challenging you." Jean Grey said, unaware of the fact that the person in front of him was the one who attacked his group back at the Beast Dimension.

"I don't know who you are, but you're a friend of the Star Spangled. I know that I shouldn't underestimate you. You're powerful, aren't you?" White Mist lied as naturally as he breathed. Of course, he knew who Jean Grey is. In fact, he's got piles and piles of paper about his identity. He was, after all, planning to kill him one of these days.

"I'm Jean Grey, an up-and-coming beast tamer. I look forward to having a rematch with you by the Official Beast Tournament." Jean Grey said, extending his hand and then taking it back since White Mist was actually farther than he initially thought. It would be awkward if he kept his hand up and White Mist would come running across the field just to shake it.

A person in black then walked towards the field and positioned himself by the edge of it, overlooking the center of the field. He was the referee, and he looked like your typical referee with his black cap, his black and white striped shirt, and the black whistle on his mouth.

He let out a long whistle and then raised his hands towards the audience, gesturing that they should stop their unbearable screaming. After making sure that most of the audience wasn't making any unnecessary noise anymore, the referee then put down the whistle and screamed.

"On the right side, we have the defending champion, White Mist! On the left side, we have the challenger, Jean Grey. Let the fight begin!"

"Pheross, you ready to fight?" Jean Grey said, petting his Pheross as it nodded its head. Everyone in the audience couldn't help but think that Pheross's mane must've been soft since Jean Grey kept on petting it. They were envious, no doubt.

"White Wolf, I know you're raring to go. Let's add this to our consecutive wins, all right? I'm counting on you." White Mist said as White Wolf proudly stepped inside the ring.

"Pheross, just have fun out there. We've been to many fights. This is going to be a piece of cake. We just need to take care of the nerves and do it like we used to." Jean Grey said as Pheross too stepped inside the ring.

The intensity inside the field permeated the air, enveloping the audience with the feeling of anxiousness as they anticipated who will move first. Pheross and the White Wolf just stood on opposite sides, not daring to move. At the same time, they growled at each other while baring their teeth.

"I wanted to cheer but somehow, the air got heavier for some reason."

"I know right? Why do I feel more nervous than the challenger?"

"Do you think he's got a chance at winning?"

"I'm sure he has. If he didn't then he wouldn't have challenged White Mist."

As the air continued to get thicker and thicker, Jean Grey and White Mist started getting impatient. They were waiting for one or the other to make the first move but no one dared.

"GO, CHALLENGER! YOU CAN DO IT!" Suddenly, someone screamed from the audience much to everyone's surprise. They all turned around to see who it was.

It was none other than the number one superhero of Japan, Midoriyama Tatsuki.