Lydia, who had been preparing for his transfer to the USA as an exchange student, had no idea what they were doing in America in the first place. That's why when Satoshi's dad asked them about the purpose of their visit, she helplessly stole a glance towards Ayano (Eye Goddess) in hopes that she will answer in her stead.
"We came to watch the Official Beast Tournament," Ayano mumbled a matter of factly before entering the premises of the Midoriyama residence. After a quick bow of greeting towards Satoshi's grandparents, she greeted both Tatsuki and Ayumu before approaching Satoshi.
Then there was Lydia, who had no idea what to do so she just approached Satoshi and hid behind his back. "Ah, right, so you came here to watch the quarterfinals for the Official Beast Tournament, right? Shouldn't you be preparing for your transfer? I heard there's going to be a mock battle for your entrance test."
"I was preparing for it... until the Eye Goddess dragged me out of nowhere and before I knew it, I was at the Haneda Airport, boarding a plane to New York City." Eye Goddess whispered towards Satoshi.
"Lydia, long time no see," Emma came up to Lydia, bowing towards her in greeting. Lydia did the same thing, wondering who Emma was at first, and then she remembered that they actually met when they went to the Beast Dimension for the first time. 'Ah, she's the one who's also transferring to the USA at the same time as me, right?' Lydia said to herself.
While everyone was getting acquainted with each other, Tatsuki grabbed the Eye Goddess by her arm, pulling her to the side so he and his wife could talk to him. The husband and wife both wore serious expressions on their faces, which led the Eye Goddess to believe that something was wrong and that's why they had to talk.
"What is it?" Ayano asked as she was cornered by the top two superheroes of Japan.
"Tell us the truth... you didn't come here for the Official Beast Tournament, right?" Tatsuki asked. Despite his tense countenance, he spoke with a clear and calm tone in his voice.
"If you came across another bad future, you should tell us. Don't keep it all to yourself. Your power alone might not be enough to deal with that trouble when it comes, you know." Ayano concernedly pointed out as she twirled her index finger in the air. There had been plenty of occasions when Ayano would show up in other countries without prior warning, and most of the time, something bad was bound to happen.
That's why when Ayano appeared suddenly on their doorstep, Tatsuki and Ayumu assumed the worst. They knew just how powerful and accurate Ayumu's foresight is, after all, and they'd witnessed plenty of incidents that came true after Ayano warned the world about it. Today was no different, or at least that's what Tatsuki and Ayumu assumed.
"Even if I told you... " Ayano heaved a sigh. "I still don't have all the details. At the moment, I only ever had premonitions in my dreams, the only difference was that the same dream was recurring every night. That's why I came here to check things out. I have no idea when it will happen... but it certainly won't be happening soon." Ayano continued.
"I see... so that's the case. So you came here just to check up on things? If that's what it is then that's good. But if ever you need our help, just tell us, all right?" Tatsuki continued.
"How about you just stay here with Lydia? We have enough rooms!" Ayumu offered out of nowhere, clasping her hands as her lips curved into a smile. "Besides, it's been so long since we've had a meal together."
"Then, I'll kindly take you up on your offer, Ayumu-san," Ayano said, responding with a smile as she slightly bowed her head towards Ayumu.
"I guess you're staying with us, Lydia. How's your Frost Elephant? Did you bring it with you?" Emma asked about Lydia's tamed beast. The last time she saw the cute elephant tamed beast was when they held the unofficial beast tournament after all.
"I always bring it with me. How about your Invisible Flying Squirrel?" Lydia asked.
"I keep it with me as well. Want to have a rematch later?" Emma answered with a challenge as a smirk appeared on her face.
"Oh, are we going to have a part two of the unofficial beast tournament? Then count me in and my Vinerinna!" Midori interrupted out of nowhere. Apparently, he had already recovered from the pillar of flame being extinguished. At the back of his head, however, he felt like he was forgetting something important.
'Well, if I forgot about it then it's probably not important.' He muttered in his mind.
"Then count me in and my red salamander as well! Let's have a great match later!" Hiroshi called out as well, also forgetting about the photo that Satoshi took a couple of minutes ago. The distraction caused by Ayumu and Lydia made him temporarily forget the embarrassing photo.
"You're going to hold an unofficial beast tournament?! That sounds so cool! Let me in on it too!" Yun Zhe voiced out.
"What? But you're on the same level as Satoshi. We can't let you join." Midori complained. "You, Satoshi, and Shoyo over there are not allowed."
"Eh?!" Shoyo exclaimed. He wasn't expecting to hear his name since he didn't plan on joining in the first place. But now that Midori rejected his participation, he felt like he should join the unofficial beast tournament as well.
"Why not? It's good practice. Besides, I've been honing my skills as a beast tamer as well, don't think I can't go head to head with you guys." Lydia brushed her light blue hair as she stole a glance at Satoshi.
"Then it's settled then, let's have an unofficial beast tournament once the Official Beast Tournament is over. I'll be the referee." Midoriyama Grado raised his hand, volunteering for the referee role since he felt like it would be fun.
.....
A quick breakfast, and then the group headed back to the American Dome. This time, Satoshi's grandparents decided to come and watch their grandson live. They couldn't believe that Satoshi managed to reach the quarterfinals even though he had only recently awakened his superpower as a beast tamer of sorts. Even if he loses right then, Grado and his wife Lize was more than proud of him already.
A few minutes later, after saying bye to everyone, Satoshi headed to his assigned waiting room. He decided to head there earlier than normal so he could mentally prepare himself for the upcoming quarterfinals.
While he was confident in his capabilities as a beast tamer, he still felt a modicum of nervousness in his system. After all, this was the first time he ever joined a tournament wherein he could envision first place. It was well within his grasp, and he decided to reach for it no matter what.
Satoshi paced back and forth in his waiting room. This time, Yun Zhe was not there, and he was all by himself. It felt a bit weird but Satoshi didn't dislike the peace and quiet at all. 'With this, I'll be able to focus on my matches more.' He said to himself as he reviewed every potential opponent in his mind.
Five out of eight beast tamers who managed to reach the quarterfinals were friends if not acquaintances of his. Satoshi believed that there was a good chance he'll fight one of them.
"Out of five of them... I guess I should watch out for Yun Zhe. He was strong enough to defeat Luke Skyrunner even if it was just a stroke of luck. Luke Skyrunner is stronger than me... so there's no telling what would happen if we were pitted against each other during the quarterfinals." Satoshi said to himself.
"Then there's that troublesome beast tamer Link. Up until now, I still have no idea what his surname is... maybe his surname is Link as well? Who knows?" Satoshi mumbled. "In any case, it's hard to predict him once his screws come loose, but I should be able to put up a fight and defeat him."
"Shoyo as well... I should look out for that kid. He may be weaker than me, but I've seen his improvement over the past two weeks. He's certainly someone I shouldn't underestimate."
"Honestly, Satoshi, you shouldn't overthink it. Just go out there and give your best in every fight." Emma spoke out of nowhere, causing Satoshi to flinch. One moment he was all alone in his waiting room, the next moment, Emma was right there with him.
"Emma?" Satoshi asked, even though he wasn't surprised that she appeared out of thin air. Her superpower is portal creation after all, just like his familiar Ghast.
"You remember when we first met, right? The readings told me that you're the strongest, right? That should be more than enough proof, right? Don't overthink too much, you're going to be fine." Emma said, standing up and patting Satoshi on the shoulders.
Before Satoshi could say anything, Emma leaned in and gave him a peck on his right cheek before she disappeared into her portal. "Do your best out there, Satoshi," She bashfully muttered, her face flushed red.
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