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Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Entrance

In the locker room, Celestial Weave opened her backpack, about to take out her racing outfit.

However, having poured all her energy into training, she clearly hadn't had the luxury of fussing over its design. When the professionals had come to ask for her input, she had simply pictured the academy uniform and casually said, "A sailor uniform would be fine," and hadn't given it another thought.

It was only now that she was seeing her racing outfit for the first time.

It was a black and red sailor uniform with a rather retro design. The top and skirt were pure black, making the only splashes of color particularly eye-catching. Several red stripes, like streaks of blood, ran across the collar, converging at the chest to form a ribbon tie.

In addition to the uniform, she also found a pair of black thigh-high socks and a pair of fingerless gloves in the box.

After changing, Celestial Weave held the red ribbon in her mouth, about to tie her hair into a ponytail.

"Hahahahahaha! My rival, are you ready to take the stage for the first chapter of the 'Legend of the Hegemon King of the Century's End'?"

Just then, the door to the locker room was suddenly thrown open. With a loud laugh, T.M. Opera O appeared before her.

Startled, Celestial Weave's hand slipped, almost undoing her freshly arranged hair. She glanced at the still-laughing T.M. Opera O, said nothing, and simply finished tying her ponytail with a clean, efficient motion.

Seeing that she was being ignored, T.M. Opera O stroked her chin and began to observe her. The black sailor uniform would normally give off a serious air, but on Celestial Weave, that solemn, mountain-like stillness seemed to have been forged in iron and fire into the sharpest of blades, glinting with a chilling light.

The red patterns on her outfit were like blood or molten iron, exuding an aura of danger. The large red ribbon tied at her chest rose and fell with her breath, like a blazing furnace on the verge of eruption.

Her deep, abyss-like eyes, framed by the outfit, seemed to have transformed into a sharp, black sword. The high ponytail and ribbon became the body and tassel of the blade.

Fiery, sharp, and as piercing as a drawn sword—that was the impression Celestial Weave gave in her racing outfit.

As if drawn by a magnet, T.M. Opera O slowly approached, the smile on her face growing wilder. After appraising her from head to toe several times like a priceless treasure, she finally spoke. "My rival, it seems you are ready to be unsheathed."

"But—" She paused, bringing her amethyst-like eyes close to Celestial Weave's, and proudly declared, "The one who will be victorious is I! The Hegemon King of the Century's End—T.M. Opera O!"

The crown on her head reflected a brilliant light under the lamps, as if announcing the arrival of a king.

"There is only one winner."

"And I will not lose!" Celestial Weave retorted, not to be outdone, staring back into her rival's eyes.

They were inches apart, the hot breath from their mouths trapped in the small space between them. Their burning fighting spirit and determination seemed to be on the verge of turning the locker room into a battlefield.

"Um... are you two on bad terms?"

Suddenly, a third voice sounded in the room. They both turned towards the door and saw Narita Top Road looking at them with a troubled expression.

Interrupted, T.M. Opera O reverted to her usual demeanor. Laughing loudly, she slung an arm around Celestial Weave's shoulders, showing no trace of her previous wild and arrogant manner. "How could we be on bad terms! We are destined rivals! Hahahahahaha!"

"This is just how her chunibyo is. Don't mind her," Celestial Weave said, nodding to Narita Top Road. She looked her over for a moment and added, "Your racing outfit suits you. The bows are cute too."

Unlike Celestial Weave, who had decided on her outfit carelessly, Narita Top Road had clearly put a lot of thought into hers. Her violet one-piece dress was adorned with gold decorations, looking magnificent. The high boots under her purple leg bands were even meticulously tied with a pair of bows.

Hearing the compliment, Narita Top Road blushed, especially since she had noticed the little details. The tense atmosphere from moments ago was completely forgotten. "Hehehe—"

"You think so? I was worried the bows might be a bit too much." She giggled foolishly as she spoke.

At that moment, T.M. Opera O squeezed in between them. "What about me, what about me?" she asked, twirling around. Her cape swung and hit Narita Top Road in the face, causing her to let out a little yelp.

To be fair, her purple and gold racing outfit looked quite regal. The pendants hanging from her cape glittered in the air as she moved.

"How on earth do you keep that little crown on?" Celestial Weave asked, ignoring her plea for praise and pointing at the crown on her head with genuine curiosity.

"A king has her ways!" T.M. Opera O snorted twice. Seeing that she wasn't going to get a compliment, she simply stormed out of the locker room first.

"Your cape is so annoying!" Narita Top Road, who was following her, was startled by the pendants again and grumbled.

"The cape is the symbol of a king!"

"Where did you even learn all this?" Celestial Weave followed them into the entryway.

"Louis XIV in 'The Sun King' was just like this!"

"You really are an 'opera,' aren't you..."

Chatting as they walked, they soon reached the end of the tunnel, only to see a figure leaning against the wall, as if she had been waiting for them.

"Hime—" Narita Top Road popped out from behind T.M. Opera O, calling out and waving. Behind her, Celestial Weave also nodded to Admire Vega.

"You're late."

Narita Top Road didn't mind her coldness and said warmly, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Hearing this, Admire Vega turned her head away unnaturally. "I wasn't waiting for you specifically."

"I was just... delayed by something and happened to run into you."

"Hahahahahaha!" T.M. Opera O suddenly burst into a flamboyant laugh, instantly capturing the attention of the other three like a spotlight. She threw back her cape, the golden pendants tracing a brilliant arc in the air.

"The actors are finally assembled on stage!" She spread her arms in an exaggerated, theatrical pose, her cape fluttering behind her.

"Then—" With a magnificent spin, she pointed towards the track entrance, her eyes blazing.

"The first chapter of the 'Legend of the Hegemon King of the Century's End'—begins now!"

Celestial Weave fell into step right behind her, her black and red outfit like a burning flame as she moved. Narita Top Road and Admire Vega exchanged a look and then started moving at the same time.

Four figures, like the intertwined strings of fate, stepped onto the stage of their destined showdown together.

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