Training

The next day, Jared was in the classroom, his mind elsewhere as Mrs. Henderson explained a complicated math exercise on the board.

With his head down and eyes on the notebook hidden behind the math book, Jared was scribbling rhymes and verses instead of noting down the teacher's formulas and examples.

He wrote quickly, the ideas coming faster than he could put them on paper. Creating rhymes was much more important to him at that moment.

As Jared scribbled in his notebook, Sarah, sitting next to him, couldn't help but peek out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey… Sorry to bother you, but I noticed you're writing in your diary. I have a diary too, you know? It's totally normal, helps to organize thoughts and all."

Jared stopped writing and looked at the girl, clearly surprised. He didn't know her name, but he knew she was the new girl. But mistaking a notebook for a diary? Well, the notebook was small… and had a black cover… and he was hiding it from others' view… Okay, fine, it did look very suspicious. He almost expected someone to ask if he was writing his deepest secrets in there.

"Diary? This? No, these are just some rhymes I'm writing."

Sarah blushed, realizing the misunderstanding, but continued talking. "Oh, sorry! I thought… well, you know, that it was a diary. But rhymes? That's really cool too. I always thought writing in a diary was more… I don't know, intimate, but rhymes are great! I mean, you can put your feelings into them, right? Like, when I'm sad, I write in my diary, but you must… rhyme about it? And that's pretty… creative, you know?"

She paused, realizing she was talking too much. "I'm Sarah, the new student. And, well, I just wanted to say it's nice to see someone… like you… writing. Not that I think you wouldn't write, but, you know, it's a bit surprising."

Jared looked at her, slightly confused by the sudden interaction. "Right… Sarah. Nice to meet you."

Sarah nodded, adjusting her glasses slightly with her cheeks still blushing. "Yes, it helps a lot. And… good luck with your rhymes! I've never rhymed before, so I think it's pretty impressive."

Jared just nodded and went back to writing.

During the break, Jared found a quiet corner in the school yard, away from the bustle of the other students. He sat on a bench, took the notebook out of his pocket, and continued working.

Jared knew he needed to stand out and impress the crowd, but above all, he didn't want to embarrass himself.

As he wrote, echoes of the previous night's rap battle still resonated in his mind. He wanted to feel that same adrenaline, hear the roar of the crowd, and prove to himself that he could be the best.

Jared didn't notice the time passing. The bell rang again, announcing the end of the break and the return to classes.

During the following classes, he continued to write whenever he could. The day went by quickly, and soon the final bell rang, releasing the students to go home.

When he got home, he locked himself in his room and continued practicing. He looked at himself in the mirror, trying to imagine himself on stage, with a crowd around him.

With a serious expression, he started to speak, gesticulating exaggeratedly with his hands.

"I'm Jared, and I'll take you down,

With these sharp rhymes, I'll disarm you.

You think you're smart, with your tough-guy pose,

But I'll show you who's boss in this improv show."

He paused, watching his own expression in the mirror, and made a face.

"This sounds like a villain's speech from a movie… Let's try again."

He shook his head and started again, trying different tones and rhythms.

"You think you're the man, but you're just fooling yourself,

My rhymes are fast, they'll leave you falling.

I'll take you down with words, leave you on the ground,

And in the end, you'll see it was all just fun."

"Okay, maybe less drama and more… I don't know, impact?"

He went back to his notebook, adjusting some lines and smiling to himself.

"I'll beat you in rhyme, make you a joke,

You'll leave here feeling the heavy rhyme.

Every word of mine is a punch in the gut,

And at the end of the battle, you'll be in despair."

He paused, looked at the mirror, and with a smile, pretended to be talking to the audience. "So, did you like that? I think I'm getting better." (Not really…)

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Jared dedicated himself completely to training. He still went to school, but his mind was always occupied with his little notebook. During breaks, he isolated himself, finding quiet corners to practice and perfect his style. When he got home, he locked himself in his room and continued practicing, training in front of the mirror, imagining himself on stage, with a crowd around him.

Jared knew he couldn't use the rhymes he wrote directly in battles since he needed to respond to the opponent spontaneously. Even so, writing and practicing helped him develop his quick thinking and improvisation skills.

One night, while practicing, he felt something was missing, an example. In his life, he only had one battle, as he didn't remember anything from his old life, so he needed to see more battles, but he didn't know any other place where there were rap battles.

"Are there rap battle videos on VibeSphere?" he wondered. On the old YouTube, he knew there was everything, so it was likely he would find something similar in this new world.

To his surprise, rap battles were a real hit on VibeSphere. He found countless videos, some with millions of views. The MCs who battled had numerous followers and a legion of fans who followed them faithfully. There was even a ranking of the best MCs, with the most talented and popular names at the top of the list.

There were various championships and different categories, each with its own style and specific rules. From freestyle battles, where the MCs improvised rhymes in the heat of the moment, to thematic competitions, where they had to create verses around a specific topic.

*Now is a good time to talk about the different rhyme styles. I'll list them below and talk a bit about the championships, some based on the real world, others just from the author's imagination. Stay if you want to know more.*

1. **Classic Freestyle:** MCs improvise rhymes without a specific theme, showcasing their quick thinking and creativity.

2. **Thematic Rhyme:** MCs receive a theme or keyword minutes before the battle and must create rhymes around that topic.

3. **Duo Rhyme:** Two MCs team up to face another duo, creating rhymes in sync and showing their chemistry and coordination.

4. **Challenge Battle:** MCs receive specific challenges during the battle, such as including certain words or styles, or rhyming in different languages.

5. **Historical Rhyme:** MCs must incorporate historical events or famous figures into their rhymes, showing knowledge and creativity.

6. **Melodic Rhyme:** MCs rhyme to a specific beat or melody, mixing rap skills with musicality.

7. **Speed Rhyme:** The goal is to rhyme as fast as possible without losing clarity or coherence.

8. **Character Rhyme:** MCs take on specific personalities or characters and must rhyme from their point of view.

9. **Forbidden Words Rhyme:** Certain words are forbidden during the battle, and MCs need to avoid using them while rhyming.

10. **Response Rhyme:** MCs have to respond to the opponent's rhymes in real-time, showing improvisation and quick response skills.

**Global Championships**

*Importance Level: ???*

- **World Freestyle Championship:** ???? (No winner.)

**Regional Championships**

*Importance Level: High*

- **International Rhyme League:** An annual league with stages in various regions, culminating in a grand global final.

- **Regional Freestyle Tournament:** Championships that gather the best MCs from different regions (North, South, East, West).

**Local Championships**

*Importance Level: Moderate to High*

- **Urban Freestyle Championship:** One of the most important local championships, highlighting talents from urban areas.

- **Community Rhyme Battle Tournament:** Gathers the best MCs from specific communities, promoting local freestyle culture.

**Entry and Entertainment Championships**

*Importance Level: Moderate to Low*

- **Rookie Challenge:** A championship for beginner MCs, offering a platform for new talents.

- **Freestyle Fun:** An unregistered event, just a rhyme environment created by amateurs for fun.

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Reader-kun: Wow, Author-sama! This time you went far, created so many championships, completely enriched the novel, never seen any novel like this before, it's the first and only one! Take my power stones, I'm going to review your book now. (っ◔◡◔)っ ❤(ˆ‿ˆԅ)

Author-sama: What wouldn't I do for you, reader-kun (っ◔◡◔)っ ❤(ˆ‿ˆԅ)