Kawaii princess's Arc

Chapter 42 of 54

While Kawaii Princess stood empty-handed beneath the cracked bell, her rival climbed a tall stone tower that had been raised at the arena's far side. Red banners snapped from its peak. The crowd turned to face it, and a frozen scoreboard beside the tower lit up with the rival's numbers climbing past her own. The rival lifted her arms on the high walk and called for the contest to be ended now. Near Kawaii Princess's feet lay a toppled banner pole, its fabric torn and grey in the dirt. The crowd shifted toward the stone tower. A slow chant started under the banners. Kawaii Princess could not shout them back. She bent and lifted the dented pole. She struck it against the iron bell post. The crack rang across the arena, sharp and metal, louder than any chant. Heads turned. The chant broke. She struck it again, then again, beating a clean rhythm the crowd had heard from her before. The head scout raised his hand and held the call. The scoreboard froze mid-climb. The rival's arms dropped. Kawaii Princess kept striking the post — voiceless, still standing, the contest not yet hers but no longer slipping away.