Ice. Michelle's blood ran as cold as ice when she heard her opponent's words. Her hands started to tremble, as if she were shivering.
"If you're scared, I could walk out there instead," offered Asuka.
"N-no need," replied Michelle, her torso beginning to shake as well.
"Please don't trouble yourself—I can handle myself. After all, you and Kasumi trained me well."
The caramel-haired model shrugged.
"Just be careful."
With a nod and a push off the ground, Michelle began skating towards the backstage exit on her PIC skates—skates that were specifically meant to mimic ice skates on land. She effortlessly glided across the floor, years of built-up muscle memory guiding her despite her fear.
A blue haired woman came gliding down the entrance ramp, her feet adorned with a pair of skates. As she flew down the ramp, her blue hair followed her like an icy gale. She looked peaceful yet solid, her body showing no sign of shaking or discomfort. The crowd bustled and cheered, which masked the sound of Michelle's skates rolling on the entrance ramp. Michelle, meanwhile, was unaffected by the crowd. Her face was serene and adorned with a slight smile.
Michelle's speed reached its apex at the nadir of the ramp. Her right knee shot up as she pushed off the ground, converting a portion of her horizontal velocity into vertical velocity. She rocketed into the air, her arms and legs curling in to minimize her moment of inertia and maximize her rotational velocity. Her body began to spin, causing her hair to whip around like a wintery whirlwind. She spun once, twice, three, and a half times before her right skate slammed into the ground with the force of multiple bodyweights. Her arms and left leg immediately splayed out, halting her rotational velocity and leaving her in an elegant, balanced pose.
Michelle had just landed a triple axel, a move that only elite figure skaters could pull off—and she did so on land. She continued to glide backwards for a bit amidst rapturous cheers before continuing on with her routine. A cavalcade of flashy spins and various feats of balance and coordination followed, leading to even more cheers. In the midst of everything, she found time to clap hands with various reaching fans as she sped around the ring on her skates.
Eventually, Michelle came to a stop near one of the ring corners. She took off her skates and replaced them with more suitable footwear, which had been placed near the edge of the ring by a staff member earlier. Once she was out of her skates, Michelle's legs began to shake. With quivering steps, she made her way up the steps and into the ring. When skating, she could conquer her fear and
focus—the fear, which in the past mostly came as a result of her mother yelling at her, could be managed once she hit the ice. But this was different: she was in a wrestling ring and about to face an opponent who seemed dead-set on hurting her. In this new context, Michelle was much less effective at managing her fear.
"H-hello, Kumo-s-san," Michelle stammered as she walked towards Nimhe with an outstretched hand.
"Let's h-have a good match!" Michelle paused for a moment, looking her opponent up and down. She looked intimidating.
"And please don't be too rough," mumbled Michelle, her eyes turning downcast. Michelle could almost feel her heart pounding in her throat as she waited for Nimhe's response.
