Understanding the stakes, the pleading, pitiful expression on Kawaguchi Tokushi's face vanished instantly, replaced by the arrogant confidence of a true warrior, despite still being bound like a rice dumpling.
He straightened his back as much as his restraints allowed, his voice now steady and forceful:
"That's right! I am Kawaguchi Tokushi!
"The Cat's Eye Clan truly lives up to its reputation—you actually saw through my infiltration!
"I underestimated you this time, falling to these... Cat Guards. I admit my defeat!
"But!"
Kawaguchi's tone shifted abruptly, his eyes blazing with battle intent:
"You want to spar with a true ninja? Hah! Such an opportunity must be exceedingly rare for someone like you—perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance!
"Under normal circumstances, opponents beneath my level wouldn't even warrant my attention. Even facing elimination, I would never agree!
"However, I must admit, you, Aya, are quite skilled! A fighter of your caliber is truly rare. That's why I accept your challenge!
"This duel isn't about letting me go free. It's about showing you the true power of Japan's ninja!"
"Since you've proposed these rules, both participants must strictly adhere to them.
"If I win, you must release me unconditionally and allow me to leave freely.
"If I lose, I won't need you to lift a finger. I'll call the authorities and turn myself in!"
Although Kawaguchi Tokushi delivered his words with fervent passion, his "Colonel-esque" Mandarin accent and his comical, dumpling-like bound state only served to make him appear more absurd.
Chinese viewers in the live stream burst into laughter.
[Pfft—! Sorry, I couldn't help but laugh! All wrapped up like a Dragon Boat Festival gift, and he's still bragging?]
["Not to make you release me" and "A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity"! Classic! Absolutely classic!]
[Translation: "Thanks for giving me an out! I gotta put on a show now!"]
[Still tough-talking even with death staring him in the face. Is his face a ancestral ninja tool? He's saving face so well, he could probably deflect Kunai!]
[He's clearly terrified of being eliminated, but he's acting like he's doing us a favor! Ten out of ten for the bluff!]
Of course, some Chinese viewers expressed concern and confusion about Aya's decision to challenge him to a duel:
[Wait! Sister Aya's going to fight him? Seriously? He's a professional ninja!]
[Though Kawaguchi Tokushi looks battered, he's still a genius ninja from Japan. His skills must be formidable. Can Sister Aya really handle this?]
[Sister Aya is amazing at commanding cats, but fighting for real? That just doesn't fit her image!]
[Worried +1. She's biting off more than she can chew. What if she gets hurt?]
[Could it be that Sister Aya is actually a hidden martial arts master? After all, the Cat's Eye Clan sounds incredibly mysterious!]
[Exactly! Maybe she's been holding back all this time? I'm getting hyped already!]
[Bets are open! Bet on Sister Aya to win and type '1'. Bet on Ninja and lose your eyeballs!]
In contrast to the mixed reactions of worry and skepticism from the Chinese bullet comments, the Japanese live stream was a completely different scene, brimming with fervent enthusiasm and Chuunii fervor:
[Ooooooh! Master Tokushi! Well said! ! !]
[That's it! This is the true spirit of a ninja! Even when at a disadvantage, we never lose our pride!]
[That woman should consider it an honor to face Master Tokushi!]
[Master Tokushi! Crush her with your magnificent Ninjutsu! Make her pay for underestimating us!]
[This match has transcended the program itself! It's a clash of national destinies! Master Tokushi will undoubtedly triumph!]
[Master Tokushi! The people of Japan will always support you!]
On the screen, after hearing Kawaguchi Tokushi's words, "Aya's" smile grew even brighter, as if she had discovered an amusing toy:
"Very well, then it's a deal."
With a light wave of her hand, the cats surrounding Kawaguchi Tokushi began to spin around him rapidly once more.
As the cats moved, the golden threads entwined around Kawaguchi Tokushi swiftly loosened, retracting like living golden snakes with astonishing agility into the cats' forelegs.
The sight left everyone utterly stunned!
This is... how is this even possible?!
Even humans might struggle to untangle and retract such intricately interwoven threads so quickly and precisely, let alone a group of cats...
How exactly did Aya train them to do this?!
Not even the world's top animal trainers could achieve this!
But the members of the Cat's Eye Clan, including Little Ya, who knew the truth, were the most shocked of all.
They knew perfectly well that these cats had only just met Cifera tonight. How could she possibly command them to execute her instructions with such flawless precision?
This is beyond absurd!
Is there anything you can't do? Are you truly an omnipotent genius?!
Even the Japanese audience fell silent.
After all, this wasn't something that could be dismissed with simple criticism. "Aya" clearly understood cats too well!
Kawaguchi Tokushi, now freed, immediately sprang to his feet with a carp-like flip, stretching his slightly numb limbs as he regarded "Aya" with admiration:
"Sugoi ne!
"Miss Aya's beast-taming ability is simply astonishing. I've never seen a beastmaster as powerful as you!
"If you were to fight alongside these cats, you'd be a formidable opponent. But the next battle is a test of individual martial prowess..."
Kawaguchi Tokushi's gaze sharpened:
"Are you prepared to personally experience the might of Japan's strongest Ninjutsu school, the Kawaguchi Style?"
In truth, "Aya" had never explicitly challenged Kawaguchi Tokushi to a one-on-one duel. However, having witnessed the prowess of Aya's feline army, Kawaguchi Tokushi himself lacked absolute confidence in defeating Aya in her "Beastmaster" state.
Therefore, he deliberately jumped to a conclusion—this was a one-on-one duel, and she should keep her annoying cats out of it!
Inwardly, Aya understood exactly what Kawaguchi Tokushi was thinking.
But she hadn't intended to use the cats in the duel anyway. To create a compelling show, she needed to constantly introduce new elements to capture the audience's attention.
The cat army's performance was over; now it was time for "Aglaea" to make her grand entrance.
A rapier master, indeed~
She snapped off a long branch nearby and gripped it like a sword. Turning sideways to face Kawaguchi Tokushi, she smiled and declared:
"I'm ready.
"And you, Japan's genius ninja, are you prepared to face your defeat?"