Rival Part 2

What's this sudden development? Iris and Shinatsu are rivals? Kagura moves her hand to the new member's shoulder and asks a concerning question.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I am! This is unbelievable."

"I-I've never had any friends, let alone rivals."

"Tch... I even held myself back when we first reunited. Come on, remember. Remember your origins!"

The invisible camera dramatically flies up to Iris and her hair flows backward as if it were hit by a gust of wind.

***

The Tale of Rivals

Narrated by Shinatsu Boreas

It started when we were both at the young age of 8 years old, still in elementary school.

"You're 17 aren't you, that's still young."

"Don't interrupt the flashback!"

"My bad."

We'd always been placed in the same class. And I was always seated behind you, as if the teachers themselves were mocking me. Our rivalry started as soon as I noticed a consistency in our test and PE rankings. I was always ranked directly under Iris! There was never a time it changed. For about 5 years straight, this girl was always ranked one spot above me. Nobody can begin to comprehend the frustration born from that.

"I was always ranking above you? But I wasn't that smart."

"I wasn't that smart either. Of course, I mean when I was a kid! Now I'm a genius."

"This girl has a major ego... I like her!"

"Ariel..."

Anyway, I dedicated myself to my studies. All for the purpose of toppling Iris. Once we graduated from elementary to middle school and I still couldn't surpass you, it was decided then and there that we were rivals. I pushed myself to my limits in 6th grade, that year I put myself through hell. That's when I seriously began to train my mind and body, conditioning myself to levels no other 11-year-old would dare to do. It felt as if every fiber of my muscles would tear into pieces, but I continued to move forward. Yet it was all for nothing. As if fate willed it, I still ranked right under her at everything. Life itself was spitting in my face. Once we started 7th grade, I approached you to try to start a conversation...

"Oh... I remember you now. I thought you were a stalker!"

"Pfff."

"Hahahahaha."

"What was that??!!"

"S-s-sorry! Thinking back on it, I remember this person who always seemed to be looking at me. And um... when you came up to me.. Why did I run away?"

"I wanna punch you right now."

"Oh yeah, you were looking at me so menacingly, I thought I was gonna get mugged. I even imagined you saying 'Give me your lunch money'."

"Yeah, and you ran away yelling don't rob me which made all the other students scared of me!"

"Hahaha, you're a riot Iris!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Kagura and Chifuyu are laughing up a storm.

"You two be quiet!"

"Hehe."

"What's so funny?"

"N-nothing. It's just that, I was so scared of you back then when you were thinking of me as your rival, and I didn't even know your name."

"Hahaha, burn by Iris!"

"Tch. Seriously shut your trap!"

"I'm... I'm happy you actually thought of me that way!"

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

.....

Seriously, you have no idea what that means to me.

"Hmph. Anyway, I never got to settle the score. You left before 7th grade finished after all. For years I'd been wondering why you disappeared, but I finally found out from Shoyo when I happened to become your tutor."

"What a sweet little flashback."

"Pff.. More like an unserious one."

"So if I'm gathering things correctly, for those 5 years you've kept up a one-sided rivalry with someone who didn't even know you?"

"...Yeah."

At that moment, Kagura, Chifuyu, and Ariel were clearly thinking the same thing trying their hardest not to erupt in laughter.

'No, we can't laugh. Hold it in...'

I'll ignore them.

"It's finally time Iris."

"Huh?"

"We settle the score here and now!"

"Eh??"

"I challenge you to a duel!"

***

To be precise, Shinatsu challenged Iris to a competition of multiple rounds. Whoever comes out with the most wins will be declared the better of the two. They went to a park that's a 15-minute walk from Odd Jobs.

"Let's make things interesting and bet."

"Ho."

Kagura throws out an enticing idea.

"You're on."

"My money's on Iris."

"Same here."

Chifuyu and Ariel both bet on Iris.

"Okay, then I'll bet on Shinatsu. How's $200 sound?"

"Deal."

The bet is on. Ariel has only been spending her money on donuts ever since she became a Hunter, so whether or not she wins this doesn't really matter to her. But it does seem fun either way.

"You ready Iris?"

"I guess.."

"Chifuyu, get your ass over here!"

"Sir yes sir!"

The first few rounds will consist of physical challenges, whoever can do the most in a set amount of time wins.

"Round 1: Push-ups."

Chifuyu is announcing the challenges and putting on a timer for each one per Shinatsu's orders. They are both in a planking form waiting to begin.

"3, 2, 1, start!"

At Chifuyu's cue, the first challenge commences.

"We're off to a fierce start folks! Both contestants are giving it their all right off the bat. It seems neither wants to lose!"

Which is the case for Shinatsu, but Iris was dragged into this so whether or not she wins is of little concern. Regardless, she's still giving it her all, out of respect for Shinatsu.

"And... time's up."

"Ah.. I did 68."

"69."

"That's 1-0 Iris."

"Tch. Come on, let's do the next one."

"Alright, second is sit-ups. Get in position. 3, 2, 1, start!"

The two rivals continue a series of exercising challenges: squats, jumping jacks, lunges, bicycles, russian twists, and burpees. Iris came out on top in all of them.

"So far it's a sweep by Iris, there's no stopping this monster!"

"Your commentating is irritating me!"

"Hey, hey. You don't have to raise your voice."

Chifuyu is getting a real kick out of teasing Shinatsu. The challenger is quite angry while Iris looks sorry for her.

"The thought of me still not being able to beat you is repugnant."

"Don't let her big words confuse you, Iris."

"Sounds like a word to describe awful food."

"We're racing across the track now."

"Sure..."

The track going around the entirety of the park is about .8 of a mile. Sadly for Shinatsu, she doesn't know running is one of Iris's strongest points.

Iris kept her pace matched with Shinatsu for about the first half, but completely gapped her afterward. Shinatsu 100% sprinted it which took all the gas out of her, leaving her hunched over grabbing her knees, and trying to catch her breath.

"What are you, a freakin gazelle? Huff.. Huff.."

"Hey, that'd be a cool nickname."

"Totally, Iris the Gazelle," agrees Kagura while spreading her hands out from the center of her chest.

Shinatsu has a few more rounds in mind, but with just those she won't be able to beat Iris anymore. So she has to find some new challenges. Luckily for her, it's a busy day at the park and there are plenty of things around them they can use.

"Hey, is it okay if you guys can give us a couple of serves?"

"Huh? Sure."

Shinatsu calls out to a group of guys playing volleyball. There's no net, they're just receiving each other's passes.

"What do you have in mind?" curiously asks Iris.

"A receiving challenge. Whoever can successfully receive the ball and pass it to Chifuyu wins. Neither of us plays volleyball so it's fair game."

"Okay."

Iris looks over at Chifuyu and he gives a thumbs-up with a devilish grin. She giggles anxiously in return. What could this mean?

"Alright, here I go."

"Give me your best serve!"

First up is Shinatsu.

"If you say so."

The boy tosses the ball high in the air and begins a sprinting jump. Jumping, he showcases an elegant form, telling them he's not your average volleyball player. While his form was graceful, the serve is much more violent coming at Shinatsu like a canon ball. The force of it blows her back, but she was able to receive it decently. Sadly, the pass is overshot and misses Chifuyu.

"Damn it!"

"Don't mind," says one of the players.

Now it's Iris's turn. She walks up and gets into a ready stance. Her determined eyes sends a shiver down the server's body as if he's facing the district's greatest receiver. He gets psyched up and puts even more effort into this serve. More gracefulness, and more destructive force. The serve is sent at Iris like a blast from an alien anime. How could anyone possibly receive this? But, it was a little off. The serve veered to the right.

"Crap, sorry."

This was no problem for Iris though. She leaps off both of her legs and sticks one arm out for the receive.

"Rolling thunder!"

She catches it perfectly with her forearm and is able to make the pass, rolling to brace her fall. Sitting on one knee, she looks at Chifuyu with a look of surprise.

"You did it! Way to go!"

"I-I did it," Iris confirms to herself while looking at her right arm.

"Hey, you play volleyball?!"

"N-no."

"Well it sure looks like you do!"

"It's pure coincidence. Iris has wanted to try that move ever since she first saw it," Chifuyu explains.

Shinatsu falls to her knees.

'It's over. I'm still no match for her. But, there is one thing I'm confident in.'

The next challenge is...

Math.

Whoever can answer all 10 questions correctly wins. Shinatsu prepared these beforehand, the two of them are now at a table answering them. She knows she can beat her at this because she was her tutor. If she can't claim at least one victory against her rival here and now, she might as well not be alive.

"I don't even know the first question..."

"Hehe."

"Shinatsu was taking university-level questions, this is a petty win for her," whispers Chifuyu.

"Booo. This one was rigged," Ariel chimes in.

"Silence!"

Shinatsu naturally won this one.

"Alright, there's one more round. This one counts for 10 points, so whoever wins this one wins it all."

"That's totally unfair."

"Hey you two, what about that over there?"

"Hm?"

Kagura points their attention to a hot dog eating contest that's all the way across the park.

"I'm starving, I haven't anything to eat all day..."

"Looks like Iris is game. What about you?"

"I suppose," replies Shinatsu.

'I am not winning this...' She agrees, but does not believe she has a chance of beating Iris. Or anyone, she thinks she'll be the first one out.

"I happen to be hungry as well, so I'll also take part in this contest."

"You just can't help yourself, Ariel... Well, let's hurry up before they start."

***

"With the surprise addition of these 3 contestants, let the annual hot dog eating competition commence!"

A total of now 15 participants begin munching down on however many hot dogs they can stomach. They did need to sign a waiver before since they risk making themselves sick doing this or worse. Ariel has nothing to worry about though. Once the first minute passes, 3 contestants drop out not being able to eat anymore. Reason being they were eating way too fast. By 5 minutes, the numbers are down to about half. Ariel is giving the reigning champion a run for his money.

"How is that little girl able to eat so much?"

"We may have a new champion!"

The spectators gossip as two more contestants are nearing their end. About 15 minutes have passed now and Shinatsu is at her limit. Before she's able to eat her 24th hot dog, she vomits the previous ones all over her lap.

"Contestant number 14, disqualified!"

Iris is also on her 24th hot dog. She slowly nibbles on it, and passes out once she finished it.

"Looks like Iris won this one."

"Yep, and Ariel is still going strong."

A few more minutes pass, and now it's just down between Ariel and the reigning champ. They've just passed the 50 hot dog mark, and Ariel's adversary isn't looking so hot. Once he hit 55, he collapsed out of his chair. By this point, Ariel was already passed 60. She walks up to him and extends a hand.

"You were one of the strongest opponents I've ever faced, what's your name?"

With food and saliva all over his mouth, he smirks and answers Ariel.

"Devin Lyudrigo."

Ariel helps him up and they stand there, shaking hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new champion!"

***

After the contest ended, they had to carry Iris and Shinatsu back to Odd Jobs. After a few hours, they woke back up.

"I feel sick," grumbles Shinatsu as she pours herself a glass of water.

"I'm not gonna eat anything for the rest of the week," cries Iris.

"Hahaha, bow down to your new champion!"

Ariel is still basking in net glory, and Chifuyu along with Kagura continue to amuse her.

"You wiped the floor with me, Iris. Even after all these years, I can't beat you."

"Uh... Don't mind?"

"...."

Shinatsu glares at Iris, gripping the glass of water in her hand so hard it looks like it's going to break, with her pigtails blowing upward as if a fierce aura is around her.

"Wh-what I meant to say is... you're amazing. You-you don't have to compare yourself to me."

"She's right. That's a pretty high standard," says Chifuyu.

"But, I had a lot of fun today."

Iris is giving her awkward smile, she genuinely enjoyed herself. Shinatsu feels the same, though she wouldn't say. Her bangs cover the top side of her face as she blushes from being flustered for a quick second.

"We still have that last round."

"The one that counts for 10 points?" asks Chifuyu.

"That doesn't matter anymore. If you're okay with it, I'd like to spar with you. Something we never did as kids."

"...Let's do it!"

***

Going to the yard, the rivals get ready to spar with wooden swords. There was no cue to start, just when it seemed right. As if they were both given a sign, they charge toward each other.

"First one to get a hit wins right?"

"Yep. Let's see how strong Shinatsu is."

Every second, you can hear the wooden swords clashing. The two are trading swings equally, neither being pushed back. This is their first time seeing Shinatsu fight, and anyone can tell that her form is incredibly solid. She's honed her technique even more so than Chifuyu and Iris who went through hellish training for an entire year. This is the result of her hard work. But Iris's attacks are a bit more fierce than hers. Slowly, Shinatsu starts getting more on the defensive. So she switches up her style. Kicking Iris away while transitioning to a backflip to regroup, she takes a deep breath and pushes back forward.

"What the..."

"Is she fencing?"

Shinatsu won't be blocking anymore, she's going on a pure offensive. With her sword at her chest pointed at Iris, she takes continuous jabs. They're swift, Iris can only parry and get a slash in every few seconds. But each one is sidestepped by Shinatsu. The best choice is to disarm her. Waiting for her to get close enough, Iris flips backward kicking the sword out of her hand and lands a blow at Shinatsu's side.

The winner is Iris.

Falling to the ground exhausted, the loser takes a huge breath.

"You really are something, Iris."

Falling to the ground, she replies, "You are too."

Following suit, Chifuyu, Ariel, and Kagura also sit down in the yard.

"I guess I can tell my family I have something like a rival now."

"Something like?"

"I'm not looking forward to my little sister's response though…"

"Hold on, I didn't know you have a little sis."

"How would a stalker know that? Actually, how wouldn't she know that?" Chifuyu quips. Shinatsu flips him the bird in response and he sticks his tongue out with his hands in the air playfully.

A second later, Shinatsu's face twists into a complicated expression as she says, "Make sure you cherish her."

Iris looks like she's about to say something heartfelt in return, but instead dismisses what her self-proclaimed rival just told her. "I don't know, she's kinda annoying.."

Shinatsu sighs. Chifuyu has something else to tell her. "Great to have you with us again, Shinatsu. Though I'm sure the readers didn't miss you."

"Oi, you cruisin' for a bruisin'?"

"Haha. Who in Shioto says that?"

"So hey, how'd you become a Hunter early?" inquires Kagura.

"Hm? I graduated early cuz I'm a genius and all."

"For real?"

"Yeah."