The Noble Challenge

Michael wiped the sweat from his brow as he left the gym, his muscles still buzzing from his intense workout. However, his moment of relaxation was abruptly interrupted by the sight of D'arcy DeWinter, moustached bodybuilder dog, storming towards him with an air of fury and grabbing him by the neck pinning him to a wall.

"Hey! What the hell's your problem, D'arcy?" Michael asked, taken aback by the intensity in the other man's eyes.

D'arcy clenched his fists, his frustration evident. "You know exactly what my problem is, Schumacher. Third place? That's not where I belong, you know. I demand satisfaction!"

Michael braced himself for a confrontation, but before D'arcy could throw a punch, something stopped him.

"Well, you're lucky I stopped myself from raising a hand on you, young man, but that won't fix the issue I have with you. Instead - I challenge you to a bodybuilding showdown to determine once and for all who is the superior athlete. If you want to accept the challenge, meet me behind the stage. Do you understand? Good." he then let go of Michael's neck. The gentledog said one more thing as he left "and I'd better not hear you say "no", because this is a serious case of honor and I do not tolerate those with no honor!"

Uncertain of what to do, Michael turned to his fellow bodybuilders – Theo, Karl, Adam, and John – for advice.

"I know I might sound crazy, but D'arcy challenged me to a fight and he doesn't take no for the answer." said Michael.

"D'arcy? You mean the one who reached the third place in previous competition?" asked Theo. "By the way, your show was full of surprises that I almost won, but it turns out I got second." As he said this, he chuckled.

"That man must've had it rough, I do remember his previous performances when he was a young 14 years old boy. He impressed everyone with his physique. He must've been called "The strongest of DeWinters" " said Karl. "He's from an aristocratic family after all. His win streaks told everything about him."

"Aristocratic, you say?" asked Adam. "Perhaps that's why he's so competitive. He wanted more to win to keep his streak alive and make his family proud, but then again, life wouldn't be interesting if you kept on winning all the time."

"Even I didn't stand a chance as a debutant, but D'arcy had his own winning streak, probably because he was raised this way. Raised to win. Do you know how hard it is for a aristocratic family to raise a child to be the pure perfection?" said John.

"I kinda feel bad for him now" said Michael "but that still doesn't give me the answer of "what to do about it?" I mean, if I don't accept the challenge, then I'm a man with no honor, but if I lose it, D'arcy might keep on bragging about his victory to me how the best he is. Although I do know he's a fair player, I've seen him give out the show the best he could and he didn't even rig the game..."

"I'll tell you what, man." declared Theo "Fight him like a man! Accept his challenge."

Michael was stunned by Theo's determined expression on his face.

"Whether you win or lose isn't the problem here, running away from the challenge is like trying to cover the Sun with your finger. It's not possible. You have to face the challenge head on!" fox bodybuilder explained with a couch-like attitude.

"You mean it?" asked Michael.

"Yes, fight him like a man!" Theo repeated his words.

After giving his minute of thought, Michael said: "You know what, fox man? You're right. I can't just let the dog wipe the floor with my face! I must stand up to him! I'll show him I'm strong not only in body, but also in mind!"

"That's the spirit!" praised Theo.

With the final decision being made, Michael is ready to face his challenger head on. He thanked for the support and wise words and left the locker room.

"Go get'em, cowboy!" said Adam as Michael was leaving the locker room through the door.

Next day, behind the scenes, D'arcy was waiting for Michael to show up. He was growing a bit impatient, but as he noticed Michael arriving, he sighed in relief and approached him.

"What took you so long, Schumacher? I'm staying here for like an hour and a half waiting for you just to arrive." said D'arcy.

"Listen to me, sir! You can't just attack me by surprise by grabbing my neck and raise a hand at me!" said firmly Michael. "Do you really think that you can push me around and treat me like trash?"

"I never said you were trash, Schumacher" interrupted D'arcy "It's just you're taking my win streak. Imagine this, growing up to be on top after your intense hard work and getting pushed by someone who just debuted and impressed even more with size than me with ellegance and magnificence?"

"You, sir, have a problem with your own ego. You think everything's about you, when it's really not!" replied Michael "It's just not right to think of yourself as a high man above others!"

D'arcy could be seen clenching his teeth in anger after hearing what Michael had to say about him. He was also clenching his fists as if he was planning on punching him, again.

"But that's not what I'm here for, Mr. DeWinter." Michael said "I'm here because I want to declare, that I accept your challenge. I'm a man with honor and I will not back away from fight when necessary!".

Thus, this ignited a rivalry between a man and a gentledog that would push both men to their limits.

So, naturally, before the competition, each of the contestants - Michael and D'arcy for that matter - prepared themselves for the show at gym.

In the dimly lit gym, the clang of weights and men's loud, aggresive grunts echoed through the air as Michael and D'arcy prepared for their upcoming showdown.

Michael, guided by his trainer Reijo "Leaf Daddy", followed his usual strict training program with unwavering dedication. With each rep, his muscles strained against the resistance, his focus unwavering as he pushed himself to the limit. The scent of "E-chin" powder filled the air as Michael mixed it into his protein drink, replenishing his body with the nutrients needed to fuel his intense workout.

Meanwhile, D'arcy's approach to exercise was all about pushing his limits, relying solely on his natural strength and determination. He attacked each set with fervor, his body glistening with sweat as he pushed himself harder than ever before. The feeling of intense sweat pouring down his brow was a new sensation for D'arcy, a testament to the intensity of his training.

Though their methods differed, both men shared a commitment to excellence, fueled by the desire to emerge victorious in the upcoming competition. And as they pushed themselves to the brink, the stage was set for a showdown of epic proportions.

And so, the day of the competition arrived, and the stage was set for the ultimate showdown.

The announcer's voice boomed through the arena as the judges prepared to assess each competitor fairly and without bias.

Amongst the audience there sat Houjo - the founder of Swole House, Juan - his boyfriend, Michael's fellow bodybuilder companions: Theo, Karl, John and Adam and Reijo - Michael's personal trainer.

They were invited by Michael to watch the show.

As the preparation for the show was on behind the scenes, each on the opposite side, both Michael and D'arcy oiled themselves getting ready for the contest getting their bodies to shine.

"All right, Michael, you got this." thought to himself Michael "You're a man of honor, show them you're strong not only in body, but also in mind!"

"I can't let this brat win again." thought to himself D'arcy "I must prove I'm better than him in every possible way!"

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Ultimate Showdown of two rivals from the previous local competition." annoucer greeted the audience. "This will be a showdown of two bodybuilders, one victor and the other one of the third place, who demands satisfaction as he said so himself. This brawl will determine who will come out superior and win the golden medal of the Local Bodybuilding."

Behind the scenes, already oiled Michael and D'arcy were anticipating the moment announcer will call out their names.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you on the scene, in the left corner, the third place winner of the previous local competition, historical winner of multiple competitions back in times of his mid-teenhood and in his 20s, the gentledog of England himself, D'Arcy DeWinter!"

As D'arcy's name echoed through the arena, the gentledog finally stepped onto his stage with elegance and magnificence, bowing down to audience and giving his one arm flex pose for show off.

"And now, in the right corner, his rival - the winner of the local bodybuilding competition, debutant, that got favorable scores from audience and judges alike, the Monster, the Titan, Michael... SCHUMACHER!"

With the name being called out, Michael stepped onto the stage waving to the audience while giving a smirk of self-condifence.

As soon as both Michael and D'arcy reached the middle of the stage, they looked at each other in the eyes, their looks reminiscent of anger, determination and desire to win.

As they face off, they turn to their audience preparing themselves for doing the poses they were about to showcase them.

"Just a reminder, this is a clean fight, so that means no bias, no pushes, no punches and whatnot, got it?" asked the announcer. Both athletes nodded in agreement.

"All right, ladies and gentemen. LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!" As the announcer said the line, Michael and D'arcy were prepared for every pose they would represent.

First off, they showcased some mandatory poses - starting off with Double Biceps Pose, showcasing their big as boulders guns.

They also showcased more poses such as Front Lat Spread, Side Chest, Most Muscular, Back Double Biceps, Rear Lat Spread, Side Triceps and Abdominal and Thighs.

While the athletes were doing the poses, judges graded their bodies based on their conditioning, muscularity, posing, size, stage presentation, and symmetry.

The posedown went on in full swing, the bodybuilders showcasing each pose by pose, whether mandatory or non-mandatory. The contestants gave out the best they've got, as they were both equally matched, however Michael dominated with size due to his E-chin physique. However, the size didn't matter the most. D'arcy was doing well in stage presentation with his classic elegance and magnificence.

They were both special in their own unique way - the judges had no doubts. Their oiled bodies shined on the stage as they were bathing themselves in the spotlights.

The non-mandatory posing, such as Crucifix Pose, Kneel Down Pose, Double Straight Arm Pose and Quad Stomp brought up some spice and individuality to the show.

The poses were presented by the participants in a professional manner.

As the show was about to reach it's end, the crowd was holding their breaths as the announcement of the winner was getting closer.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for... the results." - announcer said. - "The judges made sure the results were fair and that there were no rigged votes. Both athletes sure showcased their own unique strength in body and spirit. However, there can be only one winner. And thus, the winner of this bodybuilding competition, the one who receives the golden medal, the true victor of this game is..."

"MICHAEL SCHUMACHER!"

The crowd applauded as the results were revealed, as they couldn't hide the excitement. And neither could Michael, who as a gratitude for the show bowed down for the audience and gave out the flex of Kneel Down pose for them.

D'arcy, on the other hand, was devastated as he heard the verdict, he couldn't believe that he had been defeated. His win streak was no longer valid. He lowered his head in shame and kneeled down on both knees. His facial expression from shock went to sadness and resignation.

As Michael was bathing himself in the spotlight, he also noticed the gentledog kneeling down in defeat.

"You win." - DeWinter declared, head looking down on the floor.

"Hey, you were good too, D'arcy. You put up a good fight. Let's call it even." Michael said, offering a handshake as a sign of respect and fair play.

D'arcy as he looked up into Michael's face, changed his facial expression from sadness of defeat to a more calm smile, stood up and accepted the handshake.

Over time, Michael and D'arcy's rivalry evolved into mutual respect, and eventually, friendship. Though they remained competitive, they understood that true greatness was not measured by victories alone, but by the bonds forged through shared passion and determination.