alex 34 anders: Thanks for the 9/10! Hehe, yeah. Eldridge's fury is reaching its boiling point.
HelloEver22: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story!
xxx xxx xxx
Chapter 14
September 8th, 2023: Morning - Alex's (currently reserved) bar -
Standing behind the counter with a huge grin on his rough and stubbled face, Alex Barrie couldn't help but feel a huge sense of accomplishment at seeing thirty-three beautiful shipgirls happily wolfing down plate after plate of his homemade extra large breakfast specials. Sure it was a lot of work on top of being a bit of a last minute breakfast rush order, but seeing the results? It was well worth the stress and swearing. 'Gotta be sure to give my girls somethin' good for all their hard work later... Anyway, best get started on makin' the food for today's festivities.' With that, Alex left one of his girls in charge before heading back into the kitchen.
- Around the various tables occupied by Liam and his shipgirls -
With Black Prince, Eldridge, Laffey, and Anchorage -
"...Zzz...~ "
'...French toast, yummy~ "
"Syrup is... super sweet... and sticky...~! Ehehe~ "
"Oh, dear... Hold still," said the pinkette knight turned nanny as she wiped the Anchorage's cheek for the umpteenth time this morning.
"...So, *gulp* ...Team up?" Eldridge asked after 'waking up' the sleeping rabbit with a light little love zap and waiting for Anchorage to finish eating and being fussed over by Black Prince. Since it was agreed to have this afternoon's matches be three on three, she had to make sure she'd be able to enter no what. Nothing will get in the way of her getting revenge against those uselessly big tiddied, lap stealing sows even if they were her sisters!
"Hmm? But... that sounds too troublesome..," Laffey replied after rubbing the last bits of sleep out of her eyes followed by a little yawn.
"... Share lap! Best place to nap!" Eldridge offered, having spoken from experience. "And, oxy-cola! Best place to enjoy naps, drinks, and snacks! Get headpats too!"
"...Deal."
Laffey was a simple little rabbit to please. Offer her naps, a good fight, and soda (or booze) and she's sold. In truth, she was always planning on helping out the little zapper... it's just, she had an image to maintain, or something like that.
"...Teacher, headpats? Anchorage too?"
Eldridge nodded.
"...Nap with Teach, and Laffey, and Eldridge too?"
Another nod.
"Play with the other sisters?"
A third nod.
"...Okay~ !"
"Best team, ever!"
"Yay!"
*glug, glug, glug!*
'...Where does she keep getting those from?' was the only thought Black Prince had after witnessing the formation of what was possibly the cutest and most innocently(?) terrifying team in the whole fleet. Well, that and a sincere hope that she and her own team wouldn't have to face them anytime soon.
With Akagi, Taihou, and Strasser -
"...Um, and why did you two invite me to join you, exactly?" Strasser asked, legs crossed and a piece of nibbled sausage in hand.
"Because you have useful skills and the tactical leadership we need to help us win and put Eugen and the others in their place," Akagi replied in that oddly friendly but still somehow terrifying voice of hers with Taihou nodding in complete agreement next to her.
"On top of lacking proper support skills, Akagi-chan and I also... aren't as proficient with strategy and tactics as you or those silver haired hussies," Taihou added, admitting their weaknesses and why they sought her out specifically.
Akagi nodded. "Also, we don't mind sharing Shikikan-sama with you should we win," the vixen added, hoping that that little detail would sweeten the pot and secure her help.
"...Hmm. That is very tempting, ja... And admittedly, it would be interesting to see how well we'd really do against our schwestern. Also, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't like the idea of using this chance to show off a little too,"
"Exactly! And, us impressing the locals can only improve their view of Shikikan-sama as well, which in turn, means him praising and spoiling us that much more later on!" Taihou added. Ah, the logic of the hopelessly lovesick.
...
"...Deal. And it just so happens that I even have a strategy to run by you two too."
"Oh? Then it looks like our victory is assured!" Akagi exclaimed with a little clap.
"Hai! She really was the perfect sister to ask to have on our side...!" Taihou chirped up with a smile and a dangerous glint in her eye. 'Oh we have so got this in the bag! Hah! Shikikan-sama is as good as ours~ '
"Well then, let's not waste any time then," Strasser, ever the professional, suggested while bringing out her tablet and setting it on the table between them.
With Saratoga Vampire, and Nautilus -
"...Um, are you sure you want to have me on your team?" quietly asked the ever shy, short haired bluenette submarine.
"Hm? Totally! Like, you being super sneaky and moving underwater gives us more battle options!" replied the excitable petite, purple eyed pinkette.
Vampire nodded. "Lady Sara's right. Unfortunately, we aren't made for heavy hitting and thus need something that can give us a real edge, something nobody would expect... ambushes!"
"Yup! After all, you and the other submarines totally caught everyone off guard in our battle against that Siren Elite! And that's exactly the sort of thing that'll let us stand out too, especially since all the other subs teamed up... well, except your squad leaders anyway." 'Probably to keep us from getting any payback on them I bet.'
"O, Oh, um... If you really think I can help you, then okay," quietly replied the bluenette with a shy little smile.
"Excellent! Now then, how about you tell us a bit more about your skillset so we can see how best to work them in with our own. Y'know, strategies and all that!"
...
And so it went, a flurry of scheming and battle plans fueled by aspirations of glory, Liam's lap, revenge, and a whole host of other countless motivations gathered and quickly took shape.
- Meanwhile, at Liam's table -
Honestly, Liam was amazed that the whole event was coming together so fast, but then again, he supposed that he really shouldn't be too surprised either. 'After all, these shipgirls have been doing the impossible since the day we met... Huh, I wonder if I'm starting to get desensitized to all this weirdness... Dunno if that's a good or bad thing though...'
"Honorable Master? Is everything alright?" asked the ever doting Sirius with a hint of concern in her voice.
"Hmm? Sirius? Oh, sorry. Just thinking about how scarily efficient you girls can be and how crazy this whole situation's gotten. It's all, a little hard to wrap my head around and fully process I guess," Liam somewhat sheepishly admitted.
"Ah, I see. And yes, things certainly have gotten pretty exciting lately. That said, you've kept up rather well in spite of it all, my dear Honorable Master," the buxom, ever doting red eyed platinum blonde maid replied reassuringly, nodding in understanding. "Still, I'm surprised you managed to convince Miss Archerfish, Miss Albacore, and Miss Surcouf to switch places with us so we might be able to fight instead."
Liam chuckled. "Well, I needed a way to keep the others from going overboard by trying to take revenge on them after that little stunt of theirs during our battle with the Sirens. Y'know, since they were the ones in charge of it all. Besides, a dinner date is a small price to pay to keep the peace. That and I figured you'd all wanna to take this chance to cut loose too, right?"
"Indeed, and Sheffy's been very excited since the swap was finalized. She's been polishing her handguns with a real fire in her eyes getting ready for the tournament," Sirius added with a light giggle.
"Oh, um... One more thing..."
"Hmm?"
"...Could, could you remind Sheffield to wear some panties, at least during our stay here on the island? I mean, like, I don't really mind when it's just around us at home or out in the field... but, I... really don't want anyone else getting a free show..."
Sirius let out another light giggle. "She won't be happy, but I'll be sure to let her know."
"Thanks. Speaking of which, where are the other two on your team? Still with the mayor?"
"Ah, yes, Sheffy, Enterprise and the Mayor are busy finalizing the plans for the matches later today along with making sure the 'arena' is properly set up. Oh, and there will be a few people from some of the neighboring islands watching too."
"Oh? Cool. That'll definitely help spread the word around about us. Still, I'm surprised the Sirens haven't made any moves since they retreated from our last battle. Honestly, them being so quiet is a little worrying."
[Don't worry. I've been making sure to send out plenty of our surveillance drones to keep an eye on the area around the island to let us know if anything should come up during the tournament]
"...!? Metis!? ...Crap, I keep forgetting the watch I'm wearing is linked to you...!"
Cue yet another round of giggling from Sirius, this time joined in by Metis.
"...Ugh."
- Later that day, in a small cafe somewhere along the island settlement's main street -
"So, those are the rumored shipgirls, huh? A real lively bunch aren't they?" commented a tall, well built man in his mid thirties with brown hair and eyes as he looked out the window and observed Eldridge, Laffey, Archerfish, and Anchorage playing with some of the local children while under Belfast and Sheffield's careful watch with a slightly roguish looking smile on his ruggedly handsome face.
"I think that liveliness and energy of theirs is nice," commented the red eyed, twintailed light bluenette dressed in a grey, red and white outfit vaguely that looked like a heavily modified Iron Blood military uniform. Frankly, if Liam were present, and obvious differences in their looks aside, he would've been strongly reminded of someone else... someone who shared the same 'presence' and calculating look in their eyes. "If nothing else, it's helped win the islanders over, even going so far as to allow them to have this little exhibition tournament of theirs. It's quite impressive really and makes me want to see what their Commander is like."
"By the way, have any of those other shipgirls noticed you yet?"
The light bluenette put a slender, gloved finger to her chin and closed her eyes in thought for a moment before finally shaking her head.
"Too soon to say. They're pretty busy and likely haven't been awake too long to know what shipgirls from other fleets feel like. That said, I don't think it'll take too much longer before they do notice though... especially considering who I am, it's unavoidable really. Still kind of a weird sensation to experience firsthand though..."
"Oh? And what does it feel like, if you don't mind my asking."
"... A bit like I'm in two places at once, but not quite. Apologies, but it's quite a difficult sensation to try and put into words, much less explain," replied the bluenette with a furrowed brow.
"Well, do you want to meet her?" the brown haired man asked, genuinely curious.
"...I'd be lying if I said I didn't, but... aren't we supposed to keep a low profile and avoid getting noticed? Staying in the background all that?"
"True, but I think the situation's changed quite a bit now that we know that not only are there other shipgirls here, but ones who were presumably strong enough to fight and drive off a Siren Elite too! I think the Admiral's gonna want to know about that, right? And if we can somehow 'arrange a meeting' to see what they're made of firsthand, then all the better!"
"...You do have a point there. And frankly, I doubt I can stay hidden for too much longer anyway... To be honest, I would rather we stay hidden myself, but I don't see that happening if we don't want to make things more complicated and messy later on."
"Then I'll get in touch with the Admiral and let him know what's up. Hah! I knew it was worth coming out here ahead of time! Damn my instincts are good!"
"Heh, if nothing else, I'm glad der Admiral ordered me to come out here with you too."
"Alright then, let's get going."
"Ja."
Finishing their drinks and bidding the owner farewell, the pair exited the cafe.
xxx xxx xxx
At the beach on the opposite side of where the Liberty is docked, in the waiting area set up for the shipgirls while Liam and Mayor Mason giving the assembled crowd the tournament's introductory speech.
"...!?" '...Hmm? What was that?'
"Lady Eugen? Is something the matter?" asked a concerned Belfast noticing how suddenly distracted her fellow silverette looked for whatever reason.
"Hmm? Ah, well... I'm not sure. It's odd but lately, I've been feeling like I'm in two places at once, but not quite...? Honestly, it's an odd sensation that's hard to explain very well," Eugen replied, a bit of uncertainty in her normally cool and collected voice.
"...I see. Well, do you think you can still fight then? Or would you like to sit out the match?"
Eugen shook her head. "Nein, if I did that, then our whole team would have to forfeit as well. It's nothing too bad really. Just... odd. But, now that I think about it, this feeling reminds me of something I read while looking over the research documents Frau Akashi compiled. 'Resonance' I think it was called?"
"...Wait, 'resonance'? As in...-"
Eugen nodded.
"-Ja, that. Or, at least, what I'm feeling matches what was detailed in the documents. And, if that really does turn out to be the case, then she's likely nearby and watching us right now and hidden within the crowd."
"But wait, if that's true then why hide?"
"To gather intel on us, or so I would imagine. I mean, it's not like we were being very subtle about our activities so far. And, if I recall, there is at least one other Commander operating here in the Pacific so I wouldn't be surprised if they also wanted to figure out why the Sirens have been so active around here. Frau Metis even suggested such a possibility before we left, remember?"
"That's true..," Belfast said with a nod. "Alright, then I'll let Master know."
"Ja, good idea. Besides, we should avoid doing anything that could cause suspicion among the islanders this late in the game. Besides, it's already far too late to change things now anyway."
"Alright. Just, do be sure to let me or the Master know if anything changes, alright?"
"Ja, leave it to me." '...Though, if she does turn out to be anything like me at all, then I don't see her being content to just sit still around quietly and just spectating...'
xxx xxx xxx
Somewhere among the assembled crowd -
"What's up?" asked the twintailed light bluenette's taller, brown haired partner. sitting to her right.
"...Oh? Well now. That didn't take very long. Much sooner than I expected actually," remarked the bluenette.
"Someone finally noticed you?" asked her brown haired companion, half empty beer in hand.
"Ja, and it even seems like she's looking using our resonance to find me too."
"So? What do you want to do then?"
"Well, the Admiral did say to try and make contact if an opportunity presents itself. And, I think something like a 'shipgirl resonance phenomena' most certainly counts, don't you?"
"...So what? You planning to crash the party when 'you-know-who' shows up then?"
Rather than replying, a mischievous, impish grin playing across her lips was the only answer her partner received.
xxx xxx xxx
At the center of the tournament's 'ring' and broadcast to the gathered crowd using one of the Liberty's holographic projectors -
"Alright, and without further ado..! Let's begin the first match!" loudly announced Mayor Mason, his voice amplified by his ear mic. "First up: Team Akagi, Taihou, Strasser vs Team New Jersey, Alabama, Black Prince!"
At his call, both teams made their way to the center of the ring from opposite sides, getting the crowd really fired up and eliciting a wide range of reactions with each and every confident step they took.
"...Those girls are seriously beautiful!"
"Hey, that dark haired one has legit fox ears and nine big, bushy and really fluffy looking tails! ...I, I wonder if she'd let me... floof them?"
"...The fuck is wrong with you?"
"I mean, come the fuck on! Real fox ears and nine big, fluffy tails! Why wouldn't I want to floof them!?"
"...Ugh, whatever you weirdo. And I seriously doubt she'd let anyone but her Commander get anywhere near her, let alone her tails. Never mind some rando pervert who just wants to 'floof' them or whatever. Fuckin' creeper."
"...Shit, yeah...! I guess that's true, huh... Fuck!"
"Oh, it's fine, I can wear a tail (butt plug) for you later tonight if you want."
"Wait, seriously? Hell yeah!"
"Hmph! It's that blue haired, big breasted slut again! Screw her and her big tits! I hope she gets her ass kicked! You hear me! I hope you choke on a ten inch dildo and die you stupid slut bunny!"
"..Wow! What the hell was all that about!?"
"Forget it. She's just the super jealous type. I mean, I've been trying to calm her down for a while now but she's just... really sensitive about it because she's, y'know, more on the er, smaller side..."
"...Wow..." 'Talk about petty.'
"Yeah, tell me about it."
"I could die happy if that tanned hottie crushed my head between those thicc, toned and delicious thighs of hers...! Yummy!"
"...Fucking pervert. And aren't you a woman?"
"Fuck off! And so what if I am! I can appreciate a nice pair of thighs as much as any guy thank you very much! Besides, I'm bi and my husband's a man, you dick!"
"...Yeah, okay whatever! Just, shut the fuck up already you loudmouthed cunt! And anyway, I like that black haired one with the twintails and cap. Strict and sexy! You can keep your thighs you loser, it's all about the stern, sexy scowls and that cold gaze that makes you feel like an insect under her heel!"
"...Are you for fucking real!? Now who's the pervert, huh?"
"Oh piss off!"
"I, um... I like the pink haired one. She, looks super nice... and that hair ribbon looks cute on her."
"...Black haired beauties wearing off the shoulder kimono... Sakura Empire girls for the win, oh, yeah!"
"...The fuck is wrong with all of you?"
And so it continued. People took sides, made bets, and let the alcohol make them a little more honest with themselves.
xxx xxx xxx
In the tournament 'ring' -
"Alright, just remember, you only have eight minutes per match and the side with the most members still standing wins... And, BEGIN!"
Having finished his piece and formally beginning the match, Mayor Mason quickly beat a hasty retreat.
...
"Alright! Showtime bitches!" exclaimed a very excited New Jersey as she shifted into an offensive stance, the halo like light of her rigging flaring up in response to her desire to win.
"...We totally got this," nodded Alabama as she held out her hand and summoned a very large red and black scythe that was longer than she was tall.
"Yes!" Black Prince said with a nod as confidently as she could and sword drawn.
"Ufufu~! Time to show everyone just what we aircraft carriers can really do! Ne, Taihou-chan?, Strasser-chan?"
"Ja. Now then, let's begin," Strasser said as the hands on her clock like platform rigging began to rapidly spin as her skill, 'Forward Advance'(a party wide buff version of her usual 'Paralyzing March' wide area enemy debuff skill), that quickly bathed the three in bright blue light before they vanished in a blur of speed fast enough to leave a trail of afterimages as they charged forward, weapons in hand and catching their opponents completely off guard in the process.
'...Oh crap! Fast! Really, really fast!'
*BOOM!*
Sparks flew as Akagi's katana made contact with New Jersey's own ether reinforced, metal plated knuckles with such force that that it actually sent a shock wave in every direction on impact.
Meanwhile, Alabama managed to easily block Taihou's tessen strike before countering with a swift kick with her right leg, sending out a blast of pressurized air Taihou barely dodged before retaliating with a blast of flame that struck the water where Alabama evaded from, sending up a geyser of steam up into the air in the process.
"...Tch!"
Taking advantage of the hot steam blocking her opponents' vision, Alabama wasted no time pulling back her scythe in preparation for a full power diagonal slash.
"...Eeii!"
"Oh no you don't! Haaahhh!"
Realizing that there was absolutely no way for her to block such a powerful counterattack with just her metal bladed combat fan, Taihou made the smart choice to retreat and let Akagi take her place while she moved on to back up Strasser.
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Akagi-chan~ !"
Luckily for them, Akagi conveniently managed to knock out New Jersey right before Taihou retreated and let Akagi take over.
"...Yosh! That just leaves that pink haired knight!"
And, not wanting to waste this golden opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Black Prince while she was busy engaging Strasser, Taihou couldn't help but smile near wickedly as she moved in to strike with her tessen... or she would have, had New Jersey not chosen that very moment to 'wake up' and fire off a heavy artillery barrage their way.
"Hahaha! Gotcha, bitch!"
'Wait, won't she hit-huh? Where'd Black Prince go!?'
- A few moments earlier, with Black Prince and Strasser -
*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*
Black Prince's sword slammed against Strasser's own blade in another rapid exchange as each struggled to land a decisive blow on the other.
"Heh! For such a sweet and doting big sister, you certainly live up to your image as a fierce knight!" Strasser complimented with an impressed smirk in the midst of their duel turned blade locked stalemate.
"Many thanks, Lady Strasser, but as they say; flattery won't get you anywhere!" Black Prince shot back as she tried to press forward.
"Well said! After all, actions speak louder than words, do they not!? HAAHHH!"
Blade lock finally broken, the pair engaged in another exchange of slashes, parries, dodges, and counters.
"...!"
Black Prince felt the air begin to virtually sizzle and heat up around them as Strasser poured not just more power into her unending assault, but ether too, likely in an attempt to take her out right then and there. Luckily for her, and unluckily for Strasser, that was the exact moment New Jersey's voice came in over their private 'Joint Tactical Network' channel.
[Black Prince, get outta the way! I'm gonna hit Strasser and Taihou with my main guns, so go back up Alabama!]
[Understood!]
Half a beat later, Black Prince quickly gathered up and discharged her own ether stores to not just push back against Strasser, but get enough strength in her legs to make a break for it and catch the preoccupied Akagi in a surprise pincer attack.
"Huh? Oh, scheiße!"
Not only did Black Prince suddenly jumping back and running away cause Strasser to over commit and miss her attack, but get distracted just long enough to stumble forward and helplessly watch the incoming fusillade head towards her and equally stunned Taihou
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
Now, even if her output was dramatically scaled back, that didn't mean New Jersey's attack wouldn't still hurt like a bitch when it hit. Unfortunately for New Jersey, Strasser and Taihou still under the effects of her 'Forward March' skill and were still just barely fast enough to avoid the bulk of the energetic bluenette bunny girl's surprise attack.
...
"Dammit! How the hell did we not see that excitable woman doing something so crazy!? And how the hell did she recover so fast!?" Strasser asked no one in particular, though Taihou still heard her.
"We were careless... That's really all it comes down to... not that that makes it any easier to swallow..."
"Right, but I guess it goes to show how nervous we must be to overlook something like that, huh?"
"Well, at least the crowd's enjoying it... And hey, we can just chalk it up as another learning experience, no?"
"Ja, good point. Anyway, payback time!"
"Hai!"
Nodding, the pair quickly moved to go support Akagi who was now barely holding off a three on one assault.
- Back with the crowd watching the match -
"Well, they're definitely strong, but their inexperience shows. Still, those shipgirls have some seriously fast learning speeds. Over five minutes in and they've improved so much already," the brown haired man observed, genuinely thankful nobody was paying too much attention to him or the bluenette sitting next to him. "Look, the crowd's eating it up too."
Said bluenette nodded. "Ja, now it's become too close to call too."
"So? Seeing as you're more of an expert on shipgirls than I'd ever be, who would you put your money on then, if you were a betting girl that is," the brown haired man asked.
"Hmm... Not sure. As of right now though? New Jersey's team. It'd still be a close call for sure, but they've shown the most teamwork overall since the match started. That said, Taihou and Akagi's teamwork is even better so who really knows."
"I see."
"And what about you? Who would you bet on?"
"Me? Well, I think I'd probably bet on that energetic bunny girl too actually."
"Oh? And why is that?" the light bluenette asked with a raised, slender eyebrow.
The taller, brown haired man just shrugged. "Intuition I guess." He then turned back to watch the match. "Oho? Looks like the match is about to wrap up."
"...So it seems."
- Back in the ring, in the final moments of the match -
*BBOOOMMM!*
Another hot pillar of steam rose up into the air as artillery shells and old fighter plane shaped attack drones clashed and exploded while six shipgirls vied for dominance in the final minutes of their fight that, to them, felt like time itself slowed to a crawl as the tension and pressure to win rose with each and every second.
Metal struck metal and sparks flew.
Fierce, feminine shouts and grunts filled the ring as ether charged gusts blew out in every direction.
The crowd was transfixed, watching with rapt attention and bated breath as the slowed down footage of the holographic projector let them barely keep up with what was going on inside that whirlwind of desperate violence defined by punches, kicks, weapon slashes, magic being flung every which way.
'Shit! there's only a minute and half left!' New Jersey thought as she hastily blocked another slash with her rigging before lashing out with a swift kick at Akagi's exposed stomach.
"...Guh!"
"Alright! And here's the finisher!"
Not taking any more chances, the bunny eared bluenette aimed her main guns at a conveniently bunched up Taihou and Strasser caught between Black Prince and Alabama's pincer assault and, seeing what New Jersey was up to, her teammates quickly put up a multilayered ether shield and kept charging forward instead of pulling back. Sure it was risky, but they would either succeed here and now, or fail and lose everything. It was all or nothing, do or die.
'Heh! Probably not the smartest move I've ever made but hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained! 'Sides, Alabama and Black Prince put their faith in me so I'll be damned if I let them down now!'
Her mind made up and a fire in her blue eyes, New Jersey moved in to finish off Akagi the instant her guns fired, all the while resisting her guns' recoil. Akagi, for her part, could only stare in muted frustration and surprise as New Jersey's cocked back left fist began to drill into her face.
'...Dammit! We were so close too! Fine! If we are to lose, then I'll take sure to take you down with me!'
And with that, Akagi's whole world started to fade to black as she was blown backwards by the force of the impact... but not before letting her body and instincts take over to fire off one last desperate attack in the form of a burning discharge of crimson hot ether at the too exhausted and spent to move New Jersey.
"...Oh, sshhii-"
*BBBOOOOMMMM!*
- Back with the crowd -
When the proverbial dust settled and the steam faded away, the crowd just silently watched as the first match came to a explosive end with not just Akagi and New Jersey's double knockout, but the triple knockout of Taihou, Strasser, and Black Prince too, leaving only a battered and bruised but still barely standing and conscious Alabama just a few inches away from the 'ring's' edge.
"...Huff, huff...!"
Catching her breath and not wanting to waste her teammate's efforts, Alabama slowly and shakily raised her fist high up into the air.
...
A brief moment of silence later, and after finally processing just what happened, the spectating crowd erupted in loud cheers and raucous applause as the victors of the first match were called and congratulated by their mayor and the shipgirls' Commander while the wounded were carted off on stretchers held up by pairs of odd, trash can shaped robots.
"Alright! With the first match over and the winner decided, there will a two minute intermission before the second match!"
Cue another round of loud cheering and applause.
"That was amazing!"
"I know right!?"
"Dammit! I lost! I knew I should've bet on the hot bunny girl's team! ...Ffffuuuuccckkk!"
"Haha! Sucks for you! I'm totally gonna get wasted tonight to celebrate too! Hell yeah!"
"Well, they might've still won... but, you happy the sexy sci-fi bunny girl got knocked out at least?"
"Yeah, mostly."
"...Are you seriously gonna hold a grudge against her just for having bigger tits than you?"
"Oh, fuck off!"
"...Uh, I just don't know how Tood puts up with you..."
"Screw you!"
"Hey, do you think the silver haired girl's team is gonna make it through their next mach though? I mean, wasn't she the only one left standing in the end?"
"...Damn, that's true. Well, here's hoping, right?"
- Meanwhile, with the brown haired man and light bluenette -
"Damn, I did not expect the match to end like that..," the brown haired man remarked.
The light bluenette nodded. "Ja. It was quite the surprise for sure, but... all things considered and for how close the match really was, I don't think they had much of a choice but to try something so reckless. At least, that's how it looked to me anyway."
"Still, how did Alabama manage to survive?"
"My guess? The pink haired one, Black Prince I think her name was, pushed her away at the last second... which was probably the main reason she ended up knocked out herself," the light bluenette conjectured.
"I see, well that sounds plausible enough at least. Heh, those girls are really something else. Anyway, I'm gonna get another drink before the next match starts up. You want anything?"
"A beer."
"Gotcha. Oh, and you made sure to record and send off the combat footage, right?"
"...Of course I did, now get going already."
"Yeah, yeah."
xxx xxx xxx
Back in the ring and standing atop the motor boat he was riding on, Mayor Mason called out the teams for the second match.
"Okay! Will Team Sirius, Sheffield, Enterprise and Team Saratoga, Vampire, Nautilus make their way down to the ring!"
...
"Alright! Now it's time for Sister Sara and Friends to shine and show everyone what a real fight looks like! You two ready?"
"Indeed! Let us show them a truly stellar performance!"
"U, Um.. yes! I, I'm ready to go too...!"
Saratoga nodded as she smiled and nodded at her two equally petite teammates. "Alrighty then~! LET'S GOOOO~! "
Meanwhile, three elegantly dressed and confident maids waited patiently for their poor pre-opponents to arrive with only one thought between them.
'We will win! We will win and crush them, thoroughly!'
...
"Alright! With both teams here and ready, then... Second match, BEGIN!"
xxx xxx xxx