Chapter 112: Silver Soul (Earth Arc)

After knocking Shinpachi into the air, Ichigo Kurosaki stuck out her tongue, tapped her head, and said, "Oops, sorry! I got a little carried away. Please forgive me, *chu~*."

"Ichigo!"
"Ichigo!"
"Ichigo!"

From somewhere beneath the stage, a crowd of men suddenly appeared, waving photos of Ichigo Kurosaki and cheering wildly.

"Shinpachi, are you okay, aru?" Kagura asked, waddling over to help the fallen Shinpachi to his feet.

"I'm... I'm fine," Shinpachi replied, his face flushed with happiness. "Being hit by Ichigo Kurosaki is truly a blissful experience."

"..." Kagura →_→.

"Alright, the fourth round of guests has arrived. Now, I ask Takamagahara and abc.dotch to each send up three participants. Both sides will form teams of two to charm the three guests. Each guest holds a scoring device worth 10 points; it is up to the teams to earn those points. Finally, we will tally the total scores for each team, and the side with the highest score wins."

"Now, please consult with your teams to decide on your representatives."

Takamagahara began their discussion. Hijikata, who was naturally handsome, had already been broken by the two sadists on the team. After surveying the remaining members, Kyoshiro said, "This round, we need to pick the good-looking ones. Handsome men are more likely to sway a woman's heart. So, for this round, it will be me, Okita, and Kyubei."

"Wait a minute!" the unselected members shouted indignantly.

"Why pick that jerk? A pretty boy like that is all looks and no substance. You should have picked me, aru!" Kagura pointed at Okita, filled with resentment.

"Exactly! At the very least, you should have picked Gin-san. I’m the protagonist of the *Gintama* manga, the number one in the popularity polls! How could you leave me out?" Gintoki pointed at himself, looking smug.

"…Gin-san, the only thing you can brag about is being number one in the third-dimensional popularity polls, but you aren't popular with women in the second dimension at all," Shinpachi retorted, adjusting his glasses.

"Shut up! You’re a guy whose glasses are an 8, whose name is an 8, and who miraculously ranks 8th in popularity—you have no right to talk to me!" Gintoki said, picking his nose with disdain.

"What’s wrong with 8! 8 is great! At least I’m in the top 10!" Shinpachi roared.

"Shopkeeper, I think I’m well-qualified to be the captain of the handsome vanguard. You should know I’m a pro at dating sims; I can easily conquer any female character. Just let me have a go at them, shopkeeper!" Kondo said, giving a confident thumbs-up.

"..." Kyoshiro. No, just that last sentence alone makes it impossible for you to conquer any woman!

"Even though the young master is handsomely cute, she’s better suited for a Gothic Lolita outfit. Young master, come on, put on this outfit before heading out!" Tojo pulled out a Gothic Lolita dress.

"Who’s going to wear that!" Kyubei yelled in a rage, drawing her sword and shredding the dress in Tojo’s hands.

"Kyoshiro-san, what should we do?" Hachiro asked, looking at the chaotic brawl.

"…Sigh." Kyoshiro sighed, rubbing his temples as he desperately tried to think of a solution.

"Die!" Kyubei.
"Go die, Gorilla!" Kagura.
"Go die, Glasses!" Gintoki.
"Huh?" Kyoshiro.
"Huh?" Hachiro.

Hearing these three roars, Kyoshiro and Hachiro looked up just in time to see Tojo, Kondo, and Shinpachi flying toward them.

"Eh?!"

*Bang!* Caught off guard, Kyoshiro and Hachiro were sent flying by the impact of the three bodies crashing into them. The force was so violent that their heads tilted, and they promptly fainted.

"Oh my, Takamagahara has turned on itself again. They’ve now lost six members and only have four left. Which three will they send for the third round?" The host pointed at the scene at Takamagahara, trying to stir up the atmosphere once more.

In the end, Takamagahara’s three participants were Gintoki, Kagura, and Okita. Kyubei had been lured away by the sight of Otae and decided that sitting with her to watch the match was better than participating.

Takamagahara participants: Gintoki, Kagura, Okita.
abc.dotch participants: No. 3, No. 7, No. 10.

"Alright, both teams have selected their participants. The match duration is thirty minutes. During this time, both teams must entertain the three guests. Each team sends one person to charm each guest. If the guest likes you, they will award you points. The match begins now—teams, choose your guests."

"It’s definitely more comfortable watching from the audience," Okakura Take said. She wasn't judging this round, so she sat in the audience, feeling quite relaxed.

"Indeed. Being a bystander is the most enjoyable part," Otae said, covering her mouth with a light giggle.

"You're right, Otae." Kyubei looked at Otae with gentle eyes and a soft voice; as long as Otae was there, the child was content.

"Still, with those three guys, I have a feeling the process will be quite twisted..." Okakura Take said, looking at the trio on stage.

As expected, the three on stage had already started arguing.

"I’ll take the one in her twenties," Okita decided immediately. He had no interest in the middle-aged woman or the little girl; the twenty-something was perfect for him.

"Wait! Don't go deciding on your own, you brat! If you do that, it leaves me with the old lady and the kid. I should handle the one in her twenties because I’m closest to her age. You can go entertain the old lady and play with the kid." After saying this, Gintoki suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

He turned his head slowly. In the audience, Okakura Take was smiling very gently at him, but she was already holding her spiked club.

"Fine, fine. I’ll let you have the one in her twenties. I’ll take the 12-year-old. After all, Gin-san has been reading *Weekly Shonen Jump* for years; I’m sure I’ll have plenty to talk about with that little girl."

"Then I’ll take the middle