The Ring that bounds Us [IDOLiSH7]

Round 8

Technique notes

- Superman punch: to do this, you pretend you are going to kick by lifting the back leg up, but instead of letting the leg go, you punch. A powerful trick move.

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The fateful night had finally come. Thousands of people gathered inside the Grand Stadium, hoping for the most memorable moment of their lives.

"Aaaaand now is the time for the main event of BLACK or WHITE! ARE YOU READY?!" The MC, Mister Shimooka, shouted and the cheers were deafening. Fighters from previous matches had hyped the audience up for the main event. It was up to Gaku and Ryuu to raise the tension to, if not beyond, the maximum.

Ryuu stood in the corridor. He wore black and gold Thai boxing shorts, pairing them with a black robe. A kanji character that represented the dragon in him was printed on the shorts in gold. The staff checked his gloves and made sure the mouthguard was in place. The ring was yet a distance away, but the voices of the people did not make it seem so. He felt no fear, only excitement and determination. Standing before him was Kujo Tenn, who was just as determined to guide his best friend to victory.

Before long, Shimooka announced, "On side BLACK, we have our strong and sexy Sea Dragon, Tsunashi Ryunosuke!"

It was just a brief second, but Tenn glanced back at the fighter. They nodded, and off Tenn went. With a voice of angelic clarity, he sang a slow opening to his song, Negai wa Shine on the Sea, as he took steady steps towards the entrance.

"Negai yo todoke tatoe tookute mo~ Oh

Yuruginai Yume ga aru kara..."

Tenn picked up the pace slightly once he crossed the entrance into the fight world. People started screaming for his presence. "No way! Kujo Tenn!" "Kujo Tenn is walking Ryuu-kun out?" Surprise. Happiness. Excitement. The stadium was full of positive emotions. The cheers got even louder when Ryuu appeared a few steps behind the idol.

Even Mister Shimooka himself couldn't contain his excitement. "What's this?! Our dragon is being led to the stage by beloved superstar Kujo Tenn? We are blessed indeed!"

Tenn didn't like it when someone stole his spotlight. He was a solo idol. He and only he owned the stage. But just this once, he'd let his friend shine.

"The stage is yours, Ryuu."

Ryuu didn't mind when a lot of the attention went to Tenn. His friend was here to create an atmosphere the way he wished. Ryuu wanted people, especially his brothers, to have fun watching him on the fight stage. None other than Kujo Tenn could make more than a grand opening to the ultimate world of entertainment.

"I won't let you down, Tenn."

The fighter crossed over the ropes into the ring, planting each foot down firmly before letting go of his robe. After bowing to the audience from every angle, his eyes fixated on the other entrance.

Walk, Gaku. Into the depths of my ocean.

On the opposite side of the stadium in the corridor, Yaotome Gaku placed his gloved hand firmly on Nanase Riku's shoulder. Nodding, Riku turned around to face the stage. He was nervous. The stadium was, honestly, overwhelming. It was even worse when none other than his twin brother appeared, making the audience even more hyped.

Riku clenched his fist and took a deep, cleansing breath to calm his nerves. He could do it. Having sung several times, even for a much smaller audience, there was no reason why he couldn't meet this level of professionalism.

Even when a part of him did not want to believe in himself, Yaotome Gaku believed in him. Izumi Iori believed in him. Osaka Sogo, Yuki, and Momo were looking forward to his opening.