Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

Jiang Chuan's path to advancement was easier than anyone had imagined.

His opponent in the semi-finals was also a fighter using the Savaran style, named Iwata. He was burly with a face full of scars, and looked like a veteran who had been fighting for many years.

Before the match began, Iwata stood on the opposite side of the field, arms crossed, looking Jiang Chuan up and down with a disdainful smile on his lips.

"Kid, you're lucky to have made it to the semifinals."

He cracked his neck.

"But that's enough. My Sawalang is not comparable to those small fry you encountered before."

Jiang Chuan didn't speak, but just looked down at the fiery monkey standing next to him.

Hot Monkey is in exceptionally good form today.

And for some reason, ever since he defeated Hitler, the white-haired monkey's entire demeanor has changed.

He has become more composed.

No, it can't be described as composed either.

It should be said that it has become more confident.

While the previous Infernape had sharp punches, it always had a rough, untrained feel to it. But now, it stands there, arms hanging naturally, eyes calmly looking at Sawamura opposite it, exuding the aura of a master.

It felt like... a street thug who had fought his way up suddenly had an epiphany and understood what real fighting was.

Jiang Chuan looked at the fiery monkey and had a good idea of ​​what was going on.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Infernape nodded, clenched his fist slightly, and his knuckles made a soft cracking sound.

The referee raised his flag.

"The match begins!"

Iwata was the first to launch an attack.

"Sawarang, use bullet punches!"

Sawam's figure vanished from its spot in an instant, and the next second it appeared in front of Infernape, its right fist slamming towards it with a whooshing sound.

The punch was incredibly fast; it tore a hole in the air.

But Incineroar didn't even blink.

It turned slightly to the side, and the punch grazed its shoulder, the airflow ruffling the white fur on its head.

Then, the fiery monkey moved.

It's not a counterattack, it's a movement.

Its steps were as light as if it were dancing, and its whole body swayed in an incredible rhythm.

Left and right, left and right, left and right.

The swaying wasn't chaotic; rather, it possessed a unique rhythm.

Jiang Chuan watched this scene with a slight smile on his lips.

This is something he repeatedly emphasized during training.

Rhythm.

Fighting is not a contest of brute force, but a game of rhythm.

Whoever controls the rhythm controls the game.

Intense Monkey's current gait is a typical example of "rhythm-disrupting footwork".

Its every move changes its rhythm, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, making it impossible for the opponent to find an opportunity to attack.

Iwata frowned.

"Sawalang, forget about everything, unleash a barrage of bullet punches!"

Sawaro gritted his teeth and threw out punches alternately, raining down on Infernape.

But Intense Monkey is like a leaf fluttering in the wind; every punch just barely misses its body, never actually landing a hit.

The audience erupted in chaos.

"They dodged it! They all dodged it!"

"That fiery monkey is so agile!"

"No, it's not just flexible, its predictions are incredibly accurate!"

Jiang Chuan stood in the command area, his voice not loud, but every word clearly reached the ears of the fiery monkey.

"The pace quickened by half a beat."

The fiery monkey's ears twitched, and its pace instantly changed.

What was originally a lazy, slow swaying motion suddenly quickened.

Savarang's punches immediately couldn't keep up, each punch hitting empty air, and his body began to lose balance.

"Now." Jiang Chuan's voice was as calm as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

"Sonic Fist".

Intense Monkey's expression changed instantly.

He went from being languid to being incredibly sharp.

Its right fist was tucked into its waist, and its whole body resembled a fully drawn bow.

Then, a punch landed squarely on Savarang's chest.

Sawalang's eyes widened instantly, his mouth opened, and he spat out a mouthful of saliva.

Its body flew backward as if it had been hit by a truck, its feet leaving the ground.

It bounced twice on the ground, rolled three times, and finally crashed into the fence at the edge of the field with a loud "bang".

The entire venue fell silent for a second.

Then, a deafening roar of cheers erupted.

"Hot Monkey! Hot Monkey! Hot Monkey!"

"That punch was too fast! I didn't even see it!"

Iwata stood on the sidelines, his face ashen.

He glanced at Savarang lying on the ground and gritted his teeth.

"Sawalang, get up! You can still fight!"

Savarang struggled to sit up, but his legs were clearly going weak.

That punch just now was extremely damaging.

Infernape's Sonic Punch is already very strong, and with the added rhythm boost, this punch is at least 30% more powerful than usual.

Sawalang stood up unsteadily, but his eyes were already somewhat unfocused.

Seeing this, Jiang Chuan did not continue the pursuit.

It's not out of kindness, but because it's unnecessary.

His Incineroar has already proven its strength.

The match is over.

Sure enough, after Shavarang had just stood up and taken two steps, his legs gave way and he knelt down again.

The referee stepped forward, glanced at Savarang's condition, and raised his flag.

"Sawaro is unable to fight! The winner is Jiangchuan!"

The entire venue erupted in cheers once again.

Jiang Chuan stood in the center of the arena, and Incineroar jumped onto his shoulder, raised its two fists above its head, and let out a long howl towards the audience.

After this match, Jiang Chuan and Fiery Monkey became incredibly famous.

Reporters swarmed around the venue, pointing their cameras and microphones at Jiang Chuan.

"Jiang Chuan, what are your thoughts on today's match?"

"How did you train your Infernape? That gait is amazing!"

Do you think you can win the championship?

Jiang Chuan gave a few perfunctory replies and left the area with Infernape.

When they returned to the rest area, Xiaoxia, Hanako, and Aimi were already waiting there.

Xiaoxia was the first to rush up and grab Jiang Chuan's arm.

"Jiang Chuan, you're amazing! That punch made my heart stop!"

She looked up at Jiang Chuan, her eyes sparkling, her little face flushed with excitement.

Hanako also came over, a gentle smile on her face.

"You played very well, Jiang Chuan."

She reached out and patted Hot Monkey's head: "You've worked hard too."

Aimei stood a little distance away, looking at Jiang Chuan with a slight smile on her lips.

She didn't speak, but there was something in her eyes.

That is hope.

...........................

That evening, the hotel manager came to visit in person.

She was a woman in her thirties, dressed in a well-fitting business suit, with her long hair tied up behind her head, delicate features, and a curvaceous figure.

She stood in front of Jiang Chuan with a smile that was just right, neither overly enthusiastic nor distant.

"Mr. Jiang Chuan, congratulations on successfully advancing to the finals."

Her voice carried a professional gentleness, "To show our respect for you, our hotel has decided to upgrade your room."

She paused, then took a room key out of her pocket and handed it over with both hands.

"Your previous standard room has been upgraded to one of four deluxe suites."

"Four rooms?" Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," the pretty manager nodded. "You and your three companions will each have a room. Also..."

She paused for a moment, and the smile on her lips deepened.

"We also have a special perk for you – hot spring bathing service. This is our hotel's highest level of VIP treatment, which is usually only available to top-tier guests."

Xiaoxia's eyes lit up instantly when she heard this.

"Hot springs? Really?"

Xiaoxia was so happy she almost jumped up, shaking Hanako's hand.

"Hanako-nee! Hot spring! We can soak in the hot spring now!"

Hanako was also affected by her emotions and nodded with a smile.

"Yes, that's great."

Aimei stood to the side, not as excited as Xiaoxia, but the corners of her mouth also turned up slightly.

She hasn't had a proper break in a long time.

I've been worrying about my father a lot lately, and I'm under a lot of stress.

Soaking in a hot spring might help her relax.

Jiang Chuan took the room key and nodded to the beautiful manager.

"Thank you, that's very thoughtful."

The beautiful manager gave a slight bow, her gaze lingering on Jiang Chuan for a moment.

"You're welcome, Mr. Jiang Chuan. You are one of our hotel's star athletes, so this treatment is only fair."

After she finished speaking, she turned and left, walking with the elegance of a cat.

………………

The day before the final, Jiang Chuan took three women out shopping.

The four of them walked down the street, attracting a lot of attention.

A handsome young man is accompanied by three beautiful women of different styles: one petite and cute, one gentle and mature, and one aloof and intellectual.

This duo is the center of attention wherever they go.

Moreover, there are significantly more people who know Jiang Chuan today.

"Hey! Isn't that Jiang Chuan?!"

"That Primalsaur trainer?"

Several young girls stood by the roadside, and their faces turned red as soon as they saw Jiang Chuan walking over.

One of the bolder ones ran over with a pen and a small notebook.

"Um... Mr. Jiang Chuan! Could you please sign your autograph?"

Her voice was trembling, and her face was as red as a ripe apple.

Jiang Chuan paused for a moment, then smiled.

"OK."

He took the pen and signed his name in the notebook.

The handwriting isn't particularly beautiful, but it's very powerful.

The girl took the notebook and was so excited she almost jumped up.

"Thank you, Mr. Jiang Chuan! Good luck with the final tomorrow! I'll be watching it on TV!"

After she finished speaking, she covered her face and ran back, joining her companions in a noisy, screaming chorus.

"Jiang Chuan, you're a celebrity now." Xiaoxia said, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

Hanako covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "Yeah, Jiangchuan is getting more and more popular."

Aimei didn't speak, but as she looked at Jiang Chuan's profile, something seemed to appear in her eyes.

The four of them strolled around for a while, bought some things, and ate some snacks.

Xiaoxia ate a roasted dumpling, and there was sauce on the corner of her mouth. Jiang Chuan reached out and wiped it off for her.

Around 3 p.m., the sun got a bit strong, so the four of them found a cold drink shop to cool off.

Jiang Chuan ordered an iced coffee, Xiao Xia ordered a super-sized strawberry ice cream, Hua Zi ordered a lemonade, and Ai Mei ordered a matcha latte.

Xiaoxia was holding an ice cream bowl, her face covered in ice cream.

"Jiang Chuan, are you confident about the final tomorrow?" she asked while eating.

"It's alright." Jiang Chuan took a sip of coffee, his tone calm.

"What do you mean by 'not bad'?!" Xiaoxia puffed out her cheeks. "You have to say you're sure we can win!"

Jiang Chuan smiled but didn't reply.

He is confident, but he won't make any definitive statements.

There are too many variables in fighting.

Even if you have the advantage in strength, you can still lose the game because of a single mistake.

All he can do is make thorough preparations.

Leave the rest to Infernape.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Xiaoxia pouted and continued to eat her ice cream.

After a while, she suddenly raised her head, her eyes becoming somewhat mysterious.

She put down her spoon, moved closer to Jiang Chuan, and lowered her voice.

"Hey, Jiang Chuan."

"Um?"

Xia looked around to make sure Hanako and Aimi weren't paying attention, then moved even closer.

Her lips were almost touching Jiang Chuan's ear, her breath spraying onto his earlobe, carrying a sweet strawberry scent.

"The finals are tomorrow, you...why don't you want to relieve some tension tonight?"

Jiang Chuan's hand trembled, and he almost spilled his coffee.

He turned his head and looked at Xiaoxia.

Xiaoxia's face was flushed, but her expression was serious, and there was not a trace of a joke in her eyes.

"I'll help you stay in perfect shape."

She spoke with such seriousness, as if she were explaining some scientific principle.

Jiang Chuan paused for two seconds, then couldn't help but laugh.

"Where did you hear that from?"

"That's what the book says!" Xiaoxia puffed out her chest confidently. "Athletes need to release excess heat before important competitions to maintain their best competitive state!"

She paused, then added, "And you've been so busy with fighting lately, it's been a while since you... you know, right?"

As she finished speaking, her voice grew softer and softer, and her face turned so red it looked like it could bleed.

But she still forced herself not to lower her head and stared straight at Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan looked at her expression and his heart stirred slightly.

When Xiaoxia said this, although she was extremely shy, there was something very serious in her eyes.

She was genuinely concerned about his well-being.

She genuinely believed those nonsensical claims and wanted to help him.

This clumsy act of concern warmed Jiang Chuan's heart.

He reached out and put his arm around Xiaoxia's slender waist, his fingers resting on the soft flesh of her side, and gently pinched it.

"Then we'll wait for Miss Mermaid tonight~"

Xiaoxia felt weak on one side after he hugged her.

She gently nudged Jiang Chuan and said playfully, "Hey, stop it! This is about getting into the mood, not being frivolous!"

After saying that, she broke free from Jiang Chuan's hand, lowered her head, and ran away.

After running a couple of steps, she turned back to look at Jiang Chuan.

That glance was a mixture of shyness and reproach, with a hint of barely concealed anticipation.

Then she turned and ran towards Hanako and Aimi, shouting "Wait for me!" with a joyful elation in her voice.

Jiang Chuan watched her retreating figure, and the corners of his mouth curled up.

........................

That evening, Jiang Chuan did not eat with them.

He ate a simple, healthy meal—chicken breast, brown rice, and boiled broccoli—and then took Infernape to training.

It wasn't high-intensity training; it was just some simple warm-up and stretching to maintain my physical condition.