Get your own Free Home PageYumika is checking students' medical/progress records. Akari's is rather less than fantastic while Ichino's muscle strength is a little unbalanced. Jessie's figures are perfect as usual and Ayla's figures have improved by exactly the same amount as usual... like a machine.
Jessie and Ayla are summoned to the Master's room.
TitleAyla is swimming in the pool alone. She wonders why she is swimming when she knows unnecessary extra training is no good. Well, she knows the answer; thoughts of Jessie always rob her of sensible reasoning. Just then Akari and Ichino come to the pool. Ichino is trying to give Akari a swimming lesson but Akari claims she already can swim. "Are you going to dogpaddle in triathlon!?" They are surprised to see Ayla doing something more than her training plan. Akari suspects it is because Ayla has been selected for Battle Royal. She praises her because neither Akari or Ichino were selected or even nominated. But her praise does not receive more than her usual short reply, "Weren't you?"
Realising there is no point of trying to make a "conversation" with her, Ichino decides to go back to her original reason for coming here and asks Ayla if they can use the pool as well. "No problem" is her reply [this phrase is supposed to be Ayla's characteristic phrase and used in many occasions]. Ichino tells Akari that she should at least learn how to crawl. This surprises Ayla, "Can't you crawl?" "No, I can't breathe well." Ichino thinks this is a good chance to get something out of this wonderful swimmer. "Could you give her a good advice?" "Advice on breathing?" "Yeah" "Breathe" ^o^;;
Akari practices at the edge of the pool and Ichino tells her to put her face into the water but Akari is reluctant. Frustrated, Ichino pushes her head down. This angers Akari, "How can you scare me like that?" Hearing their conversation, Ayla continues her training. Her perfect form impresses the two girls. "Icchan, how long do you think it will be before I can swim like that?" "About a million years, I guess..." They resume their training but Akari can't stay under the water for more than four seconds. Akari tells Ichino "I'm afraid of water." Suddenly unexpected voices replies, "There's no need to be." It was Ayla and she carries on to say, "Water won't do anything scary. Trust water." She tells Akari to come to her. Not knowing what to do, Akari looks up at Ichino, who tells her to go.
Ayla tells Akari to put her face under the water; no need to take a deep breath... just breathe normally. "When it get unbearable, just get out. Water wouldn't strangle you." Akari follows her instruction.
Akari's image reminds Ayla of her old days back in Russia. Her coach asked "Comrade Ayla, why do you like water?" "Because I feel peaceful in the water."
Akari lifts up her face out of water after 33 seconds. Ichino is pleased with her improvement and Ayla also praises her with a smile. Akari is surprised to see her smile.
From the pool-side, Jessie has been looking at them; or at Akari. With an unpleasant look on her face, she leaves the pool.
Akari and Ayla chat while Ichino is swimming. "Ichino is fast" "She's got little resistance" "I can hear you, bitch!" ^o^;; Akari wants to know why Ayla has been training. Ayla says she is uneasy unless she is swimming. Akari cannot understand why as Ayla is the top swimmer of the school. "She will be there, too" "She? You mean Jessie?" "Yes. She is special" "What's special about her?" "I don't know. So I want to find out in the next race."
On the day of Battle Royal, which is being held to celebrate the opening of a new outdoor pool, all the girls are waiting for the race to start while Ling-Pha is busy selling box lunches with "something weird" in it.
The race is being broadcasted by Great Osaka Station who has got Yumika as a commentator. When she introduces herself, the announcer adds "She is 27 years old", which does not please her. The Battle Royal is to be competed for by the seven top swimmers of the school and, after each race, the last one to finish gets disqualified. So the key to winning is to save power whilst avoiding being the last. Asked her view, Yumika predicts "It will be a two-horse race between Jessie and Ayla." After all, this is merely an exhibition match and she hopes no one will get injured or something in the race. The announcer wants to know how Ichino (from Osaka) will fare. When it is pointed out she is not in the entry, he wants at least a shot her and throws a moving camera, which eventually finds her at an embarrassing moment. [The announcer is very pleased to see the moment. In Osaka, everyone should be an entertainer ^_^;;]
Just before the race, Jessie asks Ayla's condition. "No problem." Jessie wants to shake hands but Ayla refuses. The race is now under way and Akari cheers for Ayla. Ichino is sure she does not need any cheering but is amazed to see the race. Ayla has won the first race with a new school record. Jessie realises that this is a challenge to her and is ready to fight back. She removes her wrist weights.
Following races turn out be a real battle. As expected, Jessie and Ayla reach the final but with four new records between them. Now it is more than an exhibition match. By this time, Tanya has finished her lunch. Ling-Pha is as impressed with her appetite as she is with the two swimmers. Ichino and Akari are also impressed but Ichino knows being impressed is no good. They will be their rivals soon. Akari is sure there is no way she can win against them.
It is Jessie again who speaks before the final. "I don't know how an exhibition match has become this hard. I'm exhausted... If I lose after all of this, I'll really be pissed" Another short reply from Ayla, "I feel the same."
The final race has started. The audience know their speed is slower than before but it's still at an amazing level, considering they have done five 100m races. After a close race, Jessie is pleased to find her name at the top of the board... for a moment. She has not won the race; they are tied. The officials discuss what to do and decide to do a rematch after 15 minutes' break.
Ayla nearly falls after the final and Akari, who sees it, runs to her. She urges Ayla to quit. Otherwise she will damage her body. It won't be a shame to quit here. Everyone will praise her. But Ayla replies quietly. "Just a little to go. It's only a bit to go to find out why I'm so desperate and why she is special. I cannot quit because she (kindly) answered my challenge. I'll swim to the last drop of my power." Jessie is back in the changing room and takes out a photo from her clothes. The photo of Midou Tomoe (Akari's mother) brings a smile to her tired face.
The rematch is about to start. Akari cannot understand why Ayla is willing to swim when she is so exhausted. "You'll never understand," says Jessie in an unfriendly tone, which confuses Akari even more.
Again Jessie speaks to Ayla. "Have you recovered?" "So so." "Ok, shall we begin?" "Yes" Ayla feels fear, exhaustion and excitement. It is only Jessie who can share all of them with her. She can feel what Jessie is feeling... as if she was in the water. "I understand finally my feeling at the bottom of my heart. You're me!"
They swim fast, even faster than before. Ling-Pha cannot understand their behavior. She would quit an exhibition game as soon as possible. But Ichino thinks otherwise, "You do your best because you don't want to lose!"
In the middle of race, Jessie suddenly slows down. Yumika know it is a bad sign and calls a medical unit in. Ichino thinks Jessie's retirement means Ayla's victory but Akari finds that is not the case. A few meters ahead of Jessie, Ayla is also floating unconscious. The rule says the match is void as neither reached the goal. The audience are shocked but Akari is the first to praise the two swimmers who have shown a fantastic match. Even Ling-Pha has to admit it.
In the medical room, Ayla speaks to Jessie. "I want to beat you." "You have." "No, it was a draw because I didn't reach the goal." Jessie wants to shake hands but it is refused with a smile, "No shake hands until our match is settled." Jessie tells her she is surprised to see smile. "I've never seen you smile." "Haven't you?"
Then Akari rushes in to see Ayla. She is relieved to hear she is all right. "But after all, you two are on a different level from us." Ayla coolly takes Akari's praise but Jessie does not. She rashes out of the room, leaving behind a distressed Akari.
[Rivalry between Jessie and Ayla is a key to enjoy Battle Athletess.]
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