#608 Forming Tag Teams

Well, this is an unexpected turn of events.

I didn’t think we’d be doing a tournament.

The management readily accepted the masked woman's reckless proposal, and the match format was changed to a tournament.

I had doubts about whether a last-minute change would go smoothly, but it surprisingly did.

“It was as if they had planned to do so from the very beginning...No, I bet they did it on purpose.”

Hm? Did you say something, Selena?

Personally, I’m just happy that my hopes of defeating that masked female wrestler, who pretends to be a defending champion, are about to come true.

I still have to overcome the obstacle of winning the tournament, but the more severe the obstacle, the more I get pumped up!

Just you wait, masked wrestler Miss Bean Crush!

I'll make you consign to oblivion as the last boss of this pro wrestling arc!

"But, Momoko, due to the sudden change in the battle format, the match-up system has to be changed.”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard that all matches will be tag team matches.”

“Tag teams?!”

You mean fighters will fight in pairs?

Half the pain, twice the joy, huh!

“In a tournament, the number of matches will inevitably increase compared to the originally planned matchmaking. It seems they changed it to a tag-team match to balance this situation.”

I see.

If two fighters fight at once, things will be over twice as fast compared to having wrestlers fight one at a time. 

I guess the management is using their heads, after all!

“As for our tag team partners...”

“Partner with me, Selena! Come on, let's fight together!”

I’d much rather have Selena, my adventuring party member, as my tag-team partner! 

“Come on, let’s team up! Let's team up, let's team up, let's team up!!!”

“Okay, okay. Having you as my partner is more reassuring than some stranger, so I have no complaints. The other wrestlers have chosen their fellow party members as partners too.”  

Yeah! I can see why they would do that!

“The person we have to watch out for in this tournament is the organization’s representative, Pink Tonton. She picked Reddy Kong, a friend from her mercenary days and a current party member, as her partner.”

I think it’s incredible how the representative is also participating in the initial matches.

I wonder who that masked wrestler really is for disregarding Pink Tonton?

“Not even someone from the Heavenly Four can easily smash a boulder with their fist... Well, it’s a different story if they use magic, but doing it bare-handed is near impossible...!”

Selena is taken aback by the demo Miss Bean Crush showed us earlier. 

Even after the ceremony was over and we returned to our waiting room, her mind was still someplace else.

“Selena! Don't give in to the intimidation! Keep your goal in mind and focus on that!”

“You say that, Momoko, but your legs are shaking.”

Huh?!

Oh, my legs started shaking before I noticed it!

No, this isn’t due to fear; it’s because I feel cold! 

It’s what they call trembling with excitement!

“It seems we must defeat that masked woman to keep our pride...!”

“Indeed. A soldier of the Demon King's Army must keep their head high.”

With Selena’s motivation ignited, we march into the ring of our battle!

* * *

The tag team matches went smoothly, and now it's our turn.

We crossed the elevated walkway, people cheering us on, and made our way to the ring.

The audience seemed to find it unusual to find an adventurer hailing from the Human Kingdom (though, more accurately, a summoned otherworlder) pairing with a demon. 

“The purpose of the wrestling show is to promote harmony between humans and demons, so your tag team is very convenient for us. It's the dream team. I want you to win,” Kato says as we reach the ring. 

He’s really the referee of these matches?!

“Now, before we start the match, may I ask what your tag team name is?”

“Tag team name?”

“You guys need a team name to market yourselves, to collectively symbolize the two of you, and most importantly, as a trademark.”

That’s new.

I'll come up with a futuristic team name that will impress everyone with my otherworldly tastes!

“Hmm...!”

As Kato had said, we are an interracial team of a human and a demon.

We should come up with a name that maximally emphasizes that.

“The human race has a fair complexion, while the demon race, dark, right?”

"Yeah?"

“Since it’s black and white, the two of us are called Pre...”

“Hold it right there.”

I was about to say something when Kato covered my mouth.

“Mbhbhp?”

“No.”

“Mbhf...?”

“No means no. Got it?”

I don’t understand what’s going on, but he already rejected our name before I even got to say it.

Kato’s so strict.

"Then, can you let me name our team?”

“Go ahead, Selena! I’m good with anything as long as it's not this girl’s idea! Come on, let’s hear that name!”

Kato looks like he’s at his wit’s end.

Be it encouraged or pressed to say, Selena responds, “As Momoko said, we should emphasize that we are a mixed team. I hope we can pioneer the harmony between the two races from here on out as...”

Lovely Pair.

“...how about that?”

Pair...that means ‘duo’ or ‘partners’!

It’s simple and great!

"Yup, that's good! Let's go with that! No objections, right? Okay, go, go!”

Kato hurriedly wrapped things up for us, perhaps because of the shock he had just experienced.

Anyway, Selena and I are invincible buddies!

“Now that we've decided on a team name let's start the battle!”

Who will be our opponent?

"Hmph, you've kept us waiting a long time. Happy-go-lucky people you are on the battlefield.”

“You can’t blame them. They’re just little girls. As seniors, we have to teach them how to fight.”

Huhhhhhhhhhhh?!

Why are you two here?!”

In front of us are two adult women with a dark complexion and bewitching charms—Miss Batemy and Miss Belena!

We met them to get our ring costumes made, and now we’re meeting them in the ring!

“Sis?! Why?!”

"We never said we won’t be participating, did we?”

“We didn’t even dream of competing here!”

Exactly—I thought this wrestling event was mainly for adventurers!

I didn’t expect non-adventurers to be here!

“Heh-heh-he, actually, farm residents are fully cooperating in this event.” 

“We’ve already decided from the very beginning that we’re participating as competitors. We hope that this event will bring harmony between the two races. It’ll be depressing if you’re the only demon contestant present, won't it, Selena?” smugly says Belena, Selena’s sister. 

“Nghhhh...! Are you trying to say it’s too much responsibility for me to handle?!”

“Oops. Sorry if that made you insecure about your lack of experience.”

Selena is only as harsh as thorns when it comes to her sister.

Even her sister has a provocative tone. Maybe this is what it means to be sisters?

“Come at us if you dare! We'll give you girls some quality experience! Quality experience in defeat, that is!”

“In honor of our former master, former Heavenly One Lady Astres, we, her aides, decided to name our duo ‘Astreses’!”

Astreses!

Plural of Astres!

But the sound of it also gives me the impression that Lady Astres is lesbian*... I wonder if they’re okay with that?

“Careful, Momoko. Those two are capable enough to have served as Heavenly Four aides! It is an elite position that may even lead to succeeding your master! You should never underestimate them!”

Huh.

Does that mean that your sister was an amazing person, Selena?

And so, I, Heroine Momoko, take on my first match in the Women’s Pro Wrestling Tourney Arc.

The bell rang for the match of Lovely Pair vs. Astreses.

-------

 i think Momoko was trying to make a pretty cure reference (futari wa pretty cure)

the lesbian part got lost in translation.

basically, in waseigo (borrowed foreign words written in katakana), jp pluralizes things by adding a "zu" at the end. asutaresu->asutarezu in this case. except, "rezu" is also one way to say lesbian...