"And I hope you won't hold it against us when Cordelia beats Kasumi," you respond to Ayane.
The ninja-girl looks at you.
You look back.
As one, you both grin.
"Go, Kasumi!" Ayane cheers. "Show that gangly American girl what it really means to fight!"
"Go, Cordy!" you shout in English. "Kick that scrawny Japanese girl's butt out of the ring!"
The two girls about to fight each other start visibly at the sudden ruckus, stare at their "cheering sections," and appear to experience a moment of mutual embarrassment. When they turn back to face one another, however, you notice that Cordelia is standing a bit more confidently than she was before. Kasumi, you have to admit, looks no less sure of herself.
"Go, Kasumi!" Taki cries out.
"Go, Cordelia!" Tatsuki shouts.
"Go, Cordy!" Briar adds in her loudest possible voice, tipping the balance of support in favor of her new friend. It's questionable if Cordelia can hear the tiny fairy over the distance involved, with all the other noise of the arena - but others do. Ayane and Taki both do double-takes and stare at your shoulder.
"FIGHT!" the Announcer declares.
The match is fast. Kasumi is a good fighter, but Cordelia is no slouch, and she does have a slight size advantage - physically, the girls come out just about even. Thirty seconds in, Cordy gets in a high kick that fails to connect with Kasumi's head only because the girl blinks out of existence in a burst of flower petals, reappearing behind her opponent and striking Cordelia's unprotected back. It's not a decisive move, but it definitely stung. On the other hand, now that Kasumi has taken the gloves off and resorted to mystical techniques, Cordelia does likewise, calling up what she can of her ki. It's not especially flashy or powerful, but it adds a little more speed and force to her blows, which start disrupting Kasumi's guard. The next time the ninja-girl blinks out, Cordelia's ready for it, and manages to spin around in time to counter the attack - only for Kasumi to counter the counter, grabbing the taller girl's arms, falling backwards, and kicking Cordelia over her. The distance isn't enough for a ring-out, but it buys time for Kasumi to assume a stance and focus her own ki. The next time the girls trade blows, it's on even footing.
"Come on, Cordy!" you shout.
"Don't let up, Kasumi!" Ayane counters, still glancing at Briar.
Despite your encouragement, you can see that Cordelia is starting to have trouble. She's still new to ki-use, and her control and endurance are both limited; after blocking a few of Kasumi's strikes, Cordy's aura is beginning to falter. Fortunately, Miss Chase is aware of the problem. Instead of trying to keep up the hitting match, she throws herself forwards in a graceless but effective full-body tackle. Kasumi isn't expecting the sudden switch from finesse to brute force and is caught by the move; both girls tumble across the ring, heading for the far edge. The Announcer runs over as fast as his feet can carry him, talking a mile a minute into his microphone as he goes, and he rounds the corner just as - with a dual yelp - Cordelia and Kasumi go over the far side.
"Double ring-out!" the Announcer bellows. "Folks, this one's too close to call! We're going to have to take it to the replay!"
"You're kidding me!" Tatsuki protests. "Come on, ref! It's clear Kasumi went out first!"
"Are you blind, girl?" Taki shoots back. "Cordelia was obviously going to be the first one to hit the ground!"
"Well," you say diffidently, as the two dark-haired girls begin trading glares and opinions. "I didn't expect this."
"Neither did I," Ayane admits. "Your friend is quite skilled."
"Yours as well."