The Powers of the West (Part 2) (Japanese: 西の強豪 中編 Nishi no Kyougou Chuuhen) is the ninth chapter of the Medalist manga.
Characters[]
Story[]
During practice, Inori is in good shape, successfully landing a Double Salchow and a Double Loop. Meanwhile, Nozomi is surprised to find the receptionist of the Ohsu rink, Mamoru Sekoma, among the audience. When asked why he's there, he tells her he came to watch Inori, which massively boosts Nozomi's impression of him.
As practice time comes to an end, Kanna Kitora is the first to perform. During a 1Lz1Lz + 2T2T combo, she launches off with so much force that she leaves a sizable crater in the ice. She scores 23.03, placing her in second. Next is Ritsuki Koguma, who misses a combo due to the hole Kanna left behind. She manages to stay calm and improvise, turning her next jump into a 2T2T + 1A1A combo. She scores 23.28, overtaking Kanna as second. Next up is Miihi Kurosawa, who opens with a 2T2T + 1T1T, followed by an Arabasque Spiral. Unlike Seira who is all about jumps, she focuses on maximizing her performance points. She scores 23.34, falling short of Seira by a mere 0.03 points.
With her turn coming up next, Inori asks Tsukasa if she should also attempt a double jump in her combo, but Tsukasa tells her that by perfecting her current jumps, she will score higher than if she pushes herself. Feeling reassured by the confidence in Tsukasa's expression, Inori ties his hoodie strings into a bow before setting off for the center of the ice. As she pushes off, she generates an unexpected burst of speed, causing her to lose balance and fall, startling Tsukasa, Nozomi, and Mamoru.
Thankfully, her set hasn't started yet. Inori contemplates the source of the burst of speed as gets in position, while Tsukasa prays for her to recover, as Inori's victory today banks on a flawless performance. During her program, she realizes that shifting her center of gravity toward her skating leg increases her velocity, though it is more physically demanding. As she skates, she begins to gain a better understanding of balancing speed and beauty through manipulating her center.
Following her jump elements, Inori reaches her new Step Sequence. Despite running low on stamina, Inori collects herself and dances gracefully, mirroring Tsukasa's movements from before. Afterward, she ends her program on the Flying Sit Spin into Broken Leg, marking a flawless performance. As Inori returns rinkside, however, she trips and falls on the ice. Tsukasa carries her to the nurse's office while her score of 24.32 is announced, putting her in first place.
| Order | Element | Base Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1A1A | 1.10 |
| 2 | 2S2S | 1.30 |
| 3 | 2Lo2Lo | 1.70 |
| 4 | 1Lz1Lz + 1A1A | 1.70 |
| 5 | StSqBStSqB | 1.50 |
| 6 | FSSp3FSSp3 | 2.60 |