Little Phym finishes in 31.33 seconds and takes first place!
Let's give a round of applause to Little Phym's trainer and the sponsor of this Paw Guardian event—Mr. Kaiji!
Mr. Kaiji is passionate about public welfare—not only rescuing animals but also revitalizing the conservation area. <color=#ff4e4eff>He's even running for Babylonia council soon</color>, so please give him your support!
Thank you, thank you everyone!
I only wish to do my part for humanity. Whether or not I become a council member doesn't matter. As long as I can serve the public, I'll do it from any position.
This guy...
Watching the self-important figure in the center of the arena, the blue-haired girl frowns.
Woof!
Yeah, we're both ready.
Next, please welcome the infamous "dangerous dog"—Ksori—and its trainer, Miss Discord!
"Dangerous dog"—such a blatantly slanderous term to appear in the host's script. There must be more to this.
The blue-haired girl's stride falters for a moment.
Yeah. After all, we trained her together, [player name].
She turns slightly to give you a small smile before guiding Ksori into the arena.
Woof!
Ksori glances back at you with a short bark, then follows Discord in.
Timer—start!
First up, the hurdles. Beautiful! Both trainer and dog have immediately found their rhythm!
And now the final event, the long platform jump. Hold it steady! And what a perfect finish!
Ksori's time is 26.71 seconds, taking first place from Little Phym!
That concludes our practice competition. We've arranged free health check-ups for all rescue dogs. Please wait just outside the exam room.
With the competition over, the blue-haired Construct girl makes her way quickly toward you.
Though she tries to maintain the composure and professionalism of a maid in front of you, the light classical tune she hums while walking gives away her good mood.
We did it, Commandant!
If Constructs had tails like dogs, Discord's would be wagging straight up toward the sky right now.
Ah!
Her short blue hair is soft and smooth under your palm. She instinctively pulls back a little, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.
After a moment's hesitation, she stays put, eyes half-closing with contentment as the stiffness in her body slowly melts away.
Mm...
She unconsciously purses her lips, as if a little disappointed in her own reaction.
A-anyway, this is the result of our teamwork.
Earning Ksori's trust and bringing her back to a normal life in such a short time is far more than enough for me.
Whether or not she wins first place in the practice competition, she'll always be my companion.
Busybodies never seem to rest.
She instinctively reaches out to pat Ksori's head, wanting to ease the sting of the host's hurtful words from earlier, only to realize she's already been taken for her health check.
Discord's hand finds only empty air, and a faint unease rises in her.
Strange... the check's been going on for almost half an hour and Ksori still isn't back.
Who's Ksori's trainer? That <color=#ff4e4eff>mad dog</color> has lost control again!
A crimson flash of steel slices the air, leaving countless afterimages in your vision.
...<color=#ff4e4eff>Mad dog</color>?
In the blink of an eye, a branch above the host's head is neatly trimmed, withered bits falling in loose fragments onto his shoulders.
Eek!!!
Lead the way.
(Low, threatening growl)
Look at that mad dog, baring its teeth at Mr. Kaiji's dog!
After the way it performed in the competition, I thought it had changed. But the moment its trainer's gone, it acts like this. How can anyone trust it?!
Following Discord into the exam room, you see chaos: Ksori has Kaiji's dog cornered, growling as if ready to pounce.
This smell... something's not right. It's not just medicine or the usual clinic scent...
Excuse me, passing through.
In the middle of the crowd, Kaiji, dressed in a sharp suit, waves his arms theatrically while shielding his dog.
Calm down, everyone. This dog did win first place in the practice competition, so it must have some special qualities.
Mr. Kaiji, why protect a vicious dog? If it shows aggression toward others, it should be disqualified no matter how skilled it is!
That's right, disqualify it!
Heh...
Seeing his fake display of generosity only riles up the crowd further, Kaiji can't help but chuckle.
(Low, threatening growl)
Don't you dare hurt my dog!
Wooof—Woof!
You push your way through the crowd, only to see Ksori's muscles tense, fangs bared at Kaiji. The air is seconds from breaking.
Ksori, stop!
But Ksori's in a frenzy, ignoring Discord's command completely as she lunges toward Kaiji like an arrow, jaws open.
Aaah!! Get away from me!
Kaiji stumbles back, but in that split second, a blue figure flashes forward like a shadow, placing herself in front of Kaiji's dog.
Aargh!
Ksori's teeth sink into her arm, grayish-red vital fluid welling from the wound.
Ksori—
Discord endures the pain and uses her other arm to gently wrap around the dog.
Roar... Woo...
Still holding her, Discord strokes Ksori's head. When seeing her blood, Ksori slowly releases her grip and lies down in front of her, whimpering softly.
Sorry, Miss Discord, but given Ksori's dangerous behavior, we regret to inform you that it's disqualified.
Still shaken, Kaiji straightens with help from the onlookers, tugging his flashy tie before speaking in a show of regret.
Everyone saw what happened. I admire Ksori's skills, but I must be responsible for every dog and trainer here.
Ksori has endangered everyone's safety, so I think...
...Do you smell that?
Ignoring Kaiji's dramatic speech, she crouches, her backlit face unreadable.
S-smell what?
There's a strange scent in the air.
She slowly stands, sniffing around as people eye her nervously.
There's no strange scent. And don't use that as an excuse to cover up that dog's—
Just as I thought. It's coming from your dog.
Discord starts walking toward Kaiji's dog, but just as she is about to kneel, something glints in the corner and catches her attention.
Is this... Ksori's name tag and collar? These bite marks... were they bitten off?
Her voice turns cold. She slowly lifts her head to look at Kaiji, her pupils trembling ever so slightly.
For a brief moment, Kaiji can almost feel the weight of her gaze burning through him like deep blue flames.
Uh...
The bitten tag and collar carry the same strange scent. Exactly like the scent from your dog.
The blue-haired Construct girl grips Ksori's name tag tightly, saying nothing, her expression shadowed.
S-so what?
That only proves there was a fight. It doesn't prove Ksori's innocent.
With so many people coming and going, no one can say for sure which dog bit what!
You...! <size=30>Fine. FINE.</size>
The suited man glares at you, his face tightening. Then, as if making a decision, he draws a slow breath and forces a friendly smile.
Alright, friends. It's time to end this little drama.
It's true I failed in my responsibility to ensure harmony in our dog community and safety backstage. That's on me.
I promise it won't happen again. And as a personal favor to me, please show leniency to both dogs involved.
That smile makes my skin crawl.
Discord leads Ksori back to your side without hiding her disgust.
He's too afraid to verify the bite marks, hiding behind smooth talk.
At least we kept Ksori's eligibility.
She glances down at the little brown-and-white dog by your feet... Ksori's ears and tail droop lifelessly, all her usual energy gone.
Ksori...
