Sumo AU RE (Patreon)

Updates to the first chapter of RWBY Sumo AU

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Series: RWBY
Characters: Ruby, Yang, Elm, Pyrrha, Nora
Contains: weight gain

“Sumo, an ancient art of strength devoted to the gods. Even to this day, the semblance has not faded. Those who reach the highest rank are renowned across the globe. My sister, Yang, has already made it that far, even after only two years. Now it's my time to start my career and meet her at the top. My name is Ruby Rose, and I want to become a Yokozuna!”

——

Ruby looked at the entrance of the sumo stable and gulped nervously. This would be her new home. Professional sumo wrestlers were required to live in the stable they fought for, and Ruby just had her application accepted. When she gathered her nerves, she stepped towards the front door. With both hands pressed against the massive wooden door, it slowly pushed open. It was incredibly heavy and thus felt symbolic of the path she was about to undertake. Ruby couldn’t help but feel nervous after the past months. Her big sister, Yang, had been awarded the highest title a sumo wrestler could achieve, the role of Yokozuna. Since then, Ruby had been dealing with Scouters. Ruby wanted to be a sumo wrestler more than anything, but it was intimidating with people expecting her to be as good as Yang.

“There you are!” A familiar voice boomed.

Ruby spun in the direction and smiled when she laid eyes on her sister. The exceptionally obese young woman wore a yukata with dark red fabric at the bottom, which gradually transitioned to orange and then a vibrant yellow the higher it went. Across the material were the outlines of carnations and a few prints of lilies and scattered leaves. Her hair was tied up in a bun with two red chopsticks poked through it, and she wore two sandals. Typically, it was tradition to wear geta, but Yang was far too heavy to wear them. She would either drive the wood through the floor or snap them under her weight.

“Yang!” Ruby exclaimed as she ran over to her immense older sister. It had been months since the two last saw each other, that time being when Yang was awarded her new title. Though before that, it wasn’t like they got to see each other often. Once Yang became a sumo wrestler, she was always at the stable, and the only chance Ruby could hang out with her was at tournaments.

Yang grinned and opened her flabby arms wide for Ruby, who promptly jumped into them. “Thought you’d never show up. I’ve been waiting all morning!” Yang said and squeezed Ruby tightly to the point she groaned. “Ah, you haven’t changed a bit!”

Ruby wanted to say the same to Yang, that she hadn’t changed much. If Ruby referred to the past half a year, she would be correct. However, Yang had changed substantially over the past two years. She entered the sumo circuit slim and toned. Now, she almost looked entirely different to anyone other than her friends and family.

Sizing up was just part of what sumo training was. Yang was always one to put in 100%, and that included this specific aspect of training. She gradually gained throughout her career, and many assumed she wouldn’t stop just because she reached the top. She had a balanced build with thick layers of fat all over her body. Her face was soft and round. Paired with her confident smile, she had an excellent reputation with the fans and quickly garnered plenty of sponsors. The arms that currently hugged Ruby were large enough to cover most of her upper back. Heavy limbs loaded with blubbery fat, bingo wings the size of watermelons, elbows smoothed over with fat, and even a tube of adipose flesh encased her forearms down to her thickened wrist.

Yang’s yukata wrapped her body tightly in its soft fabric. The obi, a sash belt that held the yukata closed, dug deep into her belly yet seemed unlikely to come loose thanks to the tight knot that bound it. Such a knot was necessary to keep the garment closed around Yang’s belly. Without it, the sea of flab would force it open to expose the pale rolls of her fat. The heavy mass of fat dangled down to her padded knees. Following the curve of her belly would lead to thick love handles that could hardly fit into two opened hands. It was softer than a marshmallow and warmer than an electric blanket. Ruby knew this to be true as she was sinking into the fatty mass as if it were trying to swallow her whole. The blonde’s breasts were in a similar position as well, the round orbs bound tightly in the fabric and currently being squished by Ruby’s face. She wasn’t doing this intentionally, though. She missed her sister enough that she didn’t want to remove herself from the hug.

Just as above her waist, Yang was quite sizable below it. Wide hips gave her a good center of balance, and the soft padding was just a bonus for the blonde. Having a giant butt didn’t really help in sumo fighting, but Yang had grown to love her blubber ladened backside. It was as if she had a memory foam seat no matter where she rested. Two heavy, sagging cheeks that swayed and jiggled with each of her lumbering steps. Then there were her thighs. Thick and well coated with fat. They rubbed and pressed together most of the day, which Yang didn’t mind all that much. They weren’t the most giant pair in the stable, but she had more fun boasting about her skilled strength rather than size…ok, Yang loved boasting about her size. ESPECIALLY with the newbies.

Despite Yang’s large build, even amongst other sumo wrestlers, dense muscles were buried under the external softness of her fat. Yang’s training wasn’t just sitting on her rear and stuffing her face. She trained five days a week and still tried to get a few weekend matches. She reached the top in two years, thanks to her blazing spirit and indomitable determination. It was these factors that Ruby envied and hoped to acquire for herself.

After a solid minute, the sisters released their hug and stared at each other with smiles on their faces. It was Yang who first broke the silence. “It’s really good to have you here, sis. I’m sure you’re going to do great.”

Ruby blushed and dragged her foot across the ground in a small circle. “It means a lot to hear you say that, Yang. I’ll do my best to make you proud.” She said before Yang shook her head.

“You don’t need to make me proud little sis. Work on making yourself proud.” Yang replied and placed a hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “No matter what you do, I’m always proud. Now, enough of the sappy stuff, let’s show you around! It’s the first day, so training hasn’t started yet. Tomorrow though? You’d better be ready.” Yang said and led Ruby out of the entrance. “Just stick with me, and I’ll make sure you don’t get lost.”

Ruby nodded and followed her sister. As they moved through the hall, she observed the walls to see photos of other sumos. Wrestlers of various sizes, many of them holding wads of envelopes triumphantly above their heads. At the end of the hall, she even saw the photo taken on the day Yang won her third tournament. That was the last match she won as an Ozeki, leading to her becoming a Yokozuna. Ruby remembered the fight as if it were yesterday, probably because she had it recorded and watched it yesterday. The photo showed an exhausted and sweaty Yang with a bright smile on her face, a trophy in one chubby hand, and a bundle of envelopes in the other. Excitement swelled in Ruby’s heart, and she clenched her fist in determination. She was going to rise to the top just like Yang and hopefully join her sister as a champion.

“Alright, little sis, here is our first stop!” Yang exclaimed and led Ruby into a large room with a large Dohyo in the center. “This is the ring where we host lower-division tournaments, and it’s a good place to have some practice,” Yang smirked and bumped Ruby with her hip. Even without much force put into it, she almost caused Ruby to tumble to the floor. “You’re going to become VERY familiar with this space. I can’t wait to see how you do!” The stout blonde was overwhelmed with happiness. So much so that she almost wanted to bounce around in her joy, but for now, she had to restrain herself. There would be plenty of time to celebrate later.

Ruby walked over to the Dohyo. It was a raised platform shaped like a square. Inside, there was a thick rope that formed a circle. This was where the wrestlers would battle it out. The first to touch the Dohyo with anything other than their feet or was pushed past the rope would lose. “Do you think I have what it takes to win Yang?” She asked and turned back to face Yang.

“Of course, I think you have what it takes…in here,” Yang replied and poked Ruby’s chest. “You have enough determination and fighting spirit in here to make it anywhere you want. However, that won’t be enough alone, and no one is born a natural in anything. If you put everything you’ve got into your training, then I fully believe in you!… Oh yeah, and maybe put on some weight. That’s part of it, too. Speaking of which, how about we keep this tour rolling so we can eat? Since it’s your first day, you get to eat with me and the higher ranks.”

Ruby blushed and almost squealed with joy. “You mean I can meet the upper ranks already?!” She exclaimed and danced around excitedly. “Agh, I can’t wait!”

As she saw Ruby dance around, Yang couldn’t help but chuckle, her belly wobbling with her laughter. “You sure are excited about meeting a bunch of sumo wrestlers. Guess you’ve got a fat fetish or something.” She teased and continued to chuckle.

The thinner sister stopped and glared at Yang. Her face turned an even brighter shade of red, and she stammered for a response. “I-I do not! It’s just t-that I uh…I grew up watching sumo, and some of the g-girls in this circuit are s-super cool…” Ruby murmured and fiddled with her fingers nervously.

“No, no, this is fine. You’re just a chubby chaser. Bet you’re excited to start training, eh? Bumping and squishing against the big gals~” Yang continued to tease and started to waddle away. She rubbed her belly as it growled loudly. Hands slid across her vast belly, and thick fingers sank into the velvety folds. “Anyway, I’m starving, so let’s go eat.”

“We aren’t done with this conversation, Yang!” Ruby exclaimed and followed Yang, throwing a barrage of light punches at her sister. Every blow bounced off of Yang’s back fat and butt. “Say I’m not a chubby chaser! I’m not gonna stop until you do!” Ruby continued to punch and smack Yang but stirred no reaction from her big sister. ‘Stupid jiggly Yang!’ She exclaimed inside her head and began to grow tired. Eventually, Ruby gave in, sighed, and rubbed her wrist. Punching Yang’s fat butt hurt more than she thought it would.

After another short walk, Ruby began to sense a heavenly aroma. Her belly growled, she began to drool, and the smell only got better as she progressed further. Of course, Ruby’s tummy growls were drowned out by the near monstrous ones from Yang. Each growl was enough to produce small ripples across her gut, almost as if beneath the thick fat laid a ravenous monster.

Yang suddenly wrapped her left arm around Ruby and squeezed tightly. She shoved a door open and waddled it with Ruby in tow. “Heya, everyone! Look who finally made it!” She boasted and presented Ruby to a group of hefty women at the table.

Ruby was still nervous and waved shyly. Three women were at the table, and every single one rivaled Yang in size, two even surpassing it. “Hello, everyone. I’m Ruby Rose, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She choked out, the girl merely thankful she didn’t stutter on a single word. “I understand that I’m new here, and I’m grateful to be invited to eat with all of you.”

A woman with tanned skin burst into laughter, a heavy hand slamming on the table. “Such a polite one, eh?!” She exclaimed and laughed even harder, her entire body wobbling and bouncing. “No real need for formalities like this. Your big sis has been telling us ALL about you for quite some time.” The woman rolled her head along her shoulders for the ‘all.’ “Anyway, I’m Elm! Pleasure to meet you!”

Ruby’s face slowly progressed from its normal creamy color to a deep shade of red. She slowly turned towards Yang and let out a quiet, squeaky groan. “Y-you told them about me…Yang, why?”

Yang smacked Ruby on the back. “Well, I’m proud of you, of course! I’ve told them everything about you and even warned them to watch out for their titles with you around!” Yang boasted, only making Ruby want to curl up into a ball. “I even placed a bet that you would reach the upper ranks by the end of this year. I’m sure you can do it, no sweat.”

After a few moments, Ruby recovered from her embarrassed shock and took a deep breath. “Well…I’m still really excited to meet all of you in person. I’m kind of a big fan.” She murmured and followed Yang over to the table. The two took their seats and fixed their plates. The table was covered in an assortment of foods. On one corner were hefty bowls of noodles, rice, beans, mashed potatoes, beef stew, and a large mound of stir-fried veggies and meat. Around the center were baskets of freshly baked bread, French fries, mozzarella sticks, meatballs, and fried shrimp. Directly in the center was a massive bowl of chankonabe, a soup filled with a few different types of meat. The most important part of it was the high-calorie broth. Finally, on the other end of the table were more entrees from burgers, fried and grilled chicken, filet mignon, and a stacked platter of hot dogs. “This is a lot of food…kind of a crazy variety too.”

The left side seemed closer to what Ruby had in mind, the middle was an odd arrangement of appetizers, and the right was rather average. The only strictly traditional part was the chankonabe, rice, and noodles. It all smelled great, though.

“And I’m a lot of woman!” Elm replied and smacked her gut. The mass of blubber wobbled like jello in response. “Part of being a sumo is bulking up. I’d say it’s half of it, but everyone has their own opinion on that.” She added and rubbed her chins. Elm was a woman of monstrous size in both height and width. Some even referred to her as The Globular Goliath. Of course, in sumo, there was no need for such chauvinistic titles or nicknames, but this was all too fitting for Elm. Elm wore a yukata with a deep chestnut color and had long since removed the sleeves to allow her arms the room to breathe. She towered over her opponents, her girth casting a shadow over the unlucky soul that would face her. She currently held a rank as Sekiwake, the third-highest rank of all.

Her arms and legs were built with a foundation of powerful muscles yet padded with doughy blubber. Truth be told, some opponents and fans had been subjected to the plump limbs' wrath. This was because her main style was just brute force shoving her opponent out of the ring, but she also had a reputation for NEVER refusing to hug a fan. So anyone brave enough would be welcomed into a smothering embrace and hopefully lucky enough to withstand the anaconda-like grip on top of avoiding suffocation. That was just her arms, though. Plenty of unfortunate victims have fainted between Elm’s tree trunk thick thighs. Before she joined the sumo circuit, Elm was involved in more flamboyant wrestling, like with the BBWWE. Those days might be past the ample woman, but she still found time to practice old moves on the newer recruits during off time.

Her chest and belly were enormous, in Ruby’s opinion. Just one of Elm’s breasts was probably three times the size of Ruby's head, and Elm’s gut was big enough to be a chair for her…probably a super soft chair. Ruby blushed at the thought of nuzzling against the flabby lump of tan fat, only to shake her head rapidly. Elm was one of Ruby’s favorite wrestlers for a long time, as well as a crush for a little while. Ruby concluded she had just been going through a phase, but seeing Elm now, it felt like that faze had slammed right back into her. It should be easy to get over Elm’s bountiful front. She could look away for a few seconds, and it’d be over.

Elm’s backside, however. That was weighing heavily on Ruby’s mind. She couldn’t see it right now, and that was torturous. The idea of what it looked like but no confirmation. Judging Elm’s size from Ruby’s perspective, she could only imagine her posterior was as prodigious as everything else on the titan of a woman. Images of thick back rolls and a gargantuan set of butt cheeks were enough to make a bead of sweat drip down Ruby’s forehead.

Thankfully, Ruby was saved from the self subjected torment as a soothing voice called her name. “So Ruby, are you ready to join us in training tomorrow?” Pyrrha asked and smiled warmly. Pyrrha was swathed in a deep crimson yukata with faint flower designs. Like Elm, Pyrrha had previously trained in other forms of wrestling. She was a world-renowned Pankration fighter. Pankration was an ancient form of Greek fighting style and one of the earliest forms of martial arts. With her mastery of these techniques, she was a formidable opponent who delivered powerful slaps before throwing her opponent to the ground. She had quickly risen through the ranks just like Yang. She was nearly unmatched in strength, and her kind, charismatic nature made her extremely popular amongst fans, sponsors, and public officials. With these combined factors, it was no shock that she was promoted to a Yokozuna along with Yang.

It actually took Pyrrha quite a while to start gaining weight. She won her first tournament without gaining a single pound, but as time passed, she appeared to grow a little softer. Thanks to gifts from fans that she couldn’t refuse, lucrative endorsement deals, and simple peer pressure, Pyrrha plumped up and now sat at a sizable five hundred pounds. A soft, plush face that was often seen in photographs in newspapers, online articles, and even a few billboards around town. In many fans ' eyes, she was much like a poster girl or idol. Heavy arms still delivered powerful thrusts and could grapple heavy opponents with ease. This was aided by the thick legs which stabilized Pyrrha’s ample frame. Pyrrha didn’t mind her plump appendages as they never got in her way.

Her opinions of her other assets were wavering, though. Pyrrha had taken many a tumble after she failed to see past her breast and belly. She had also been responsible for breaking a few chairs, leaving her mortified and afraid to sit down for a whole week. It was hard to blame Pyrrha as she had been gifted with generous weight distribution. She had a full bust with breasts the size of ripe melons, a supple belly with a smooth curve and round shape, and a perky posterior that turned heads wherever she went. Pyrrha was flattered by the many compliments she received, and her fans seemed to enjoy her size as well, but she couldn’t help but yearn for a day when she could move about without a single stumble.

Ruby nodded a few seconds after Pyrrha asked her question. “Yeah, I’m ready!” Ruby began to fix her plate and kept her eyes on Pyrrha primarily out of respect. “I’ve dreamt of this for a long time. Honestly, it feels like I’m still dreaming. Tomorrow, I will give it my all and try to make my best impression!”

“Ooh, is that so?” Nora asked, leaning across the table, the wood creaking beneath her weight. “Then how about we do a little sparring tomorrow morning, eh? Everyone has to go at it at least once! Lower ranks first, and you can choose an opponent if you win. So what do ya say? Pick me!” Nora said even more excitedly.

“Easy there, Nora. I don’t want my sister flattened on her first day.” Yang warned as she finished stacking her plate. “Let’s just let Ruby get a feel for things. Maybe in a month or two.”

Nora rolled her eyes and turned her focus to Ruby. “Just follow your gut. I’ll never refuse a challenge.” She boasted and flashed a thumbs up. Much like her fellow sumo, Nora had put on plenty of weight for her occupation. Unlike most of the sumo at this stable, Nora arrived at her current weight instead of working up to it. This was all thanks to Nora being a fourth-generation wrestler. She had been training since she was born and spent years building muscle before gaining weight in her later teen years. Many older wrestlers still quaked in fear at Nora’s mother, the Thunderous Mountain Yokozuna. Nora planned on continuing her family's legacy and was well on the way to doing that. Like Elm, Nora was a Sekiwake.

Despite her shorter stature, Nora was still a formidable opponent. In fact, her height was most likely a contributor to her power. Short and wide, it was almost impossible for anyone to knock her off balance. Even Yang’s throws and Pyrrha’s pivots failed to move the voluptuous valkyrie.

Thanks to her training, Nora’s arms were almost more muscular than they were fat. If one were bold enough to squeeze them in their hand, they would be greeted with more resistance than any of the other girls. Her legs were also built with solid muscles, but these would be a little harder to feel, thanks to the generous fat distribution. Shopping was notoriously hard for Nora as no store carried pants wide enough for her hips and thighs. Stretchier clothing could barely accommodate her hip's incredible four-and-a-half foot width, and the second she started walking, the thighs of the garment would be littered with holes. Nora didn’t mind all that much, but apparently, there were laws about “public decency” that she often found herself in violation of. It was also unacceptable to hip-check someone annoying you. Nora had grown up outside of the cities in a family-owned estate. She wouldn’t call herself feral, but she was still trying to adjust to the many rules imposed upon her. Her mother had taught her that rules only count in the Dohyo.

Similar to other hefty girls, Nora was gifted with a sizable chest. The pink cloth of her yukata was stretched exceptionally taut across her bust, so she often adjusted the fabric to let them hang out. Thankfully, she had been convinced to wear a white undershirt so her fellow wrestlers didn’t have to gaze at a valley of cleavage whenever they spoke with her. The belt drawn over her belly was really two belts that had been sewn together. It was impossible otherwise to hold the yukata close. Nora carried a heavy double belly. The upper roll rested on the lower mass of fat, which almost reached down to Nora’s knees.

Ruby tried to think clearly as she added more food to her plate. “Well, I’d love to give it a shot, but I don’t think I’d hold a candle to you,” Ruby replied, laughing nervously. “I’ll think about it.” Ruby grabbed a fork and started to stuff her face. She had always been a bit of a nervous eater. Hopefully, food would help settle her nerves and allow her to loosen up enough to enjoy talking with some of her idols.

“Soooo…” Ruby murmured after a few bites. “This seems to be when all the highest ranks would be eating, but I’m definitely noticing some missing contenders. Where are they…if I can ask that.” Ruby asked before she resumed shoveling food into her mouth.

“Oh, them?” Yang asked and leaned back in her chair, which groaned loudly beneath her. “Yeah, they had some special training with Salem, our Oyakata, or basically the woman in charge of the whole stable. She’s the only one who can train us, and going off for special training with her is super serious.” Yang said as she got seconds, the hefty woman already having polished off her first plate of food.

Elm nodded. “I sure as hell remember my last special training session.” Elm shivered as the memories of carrying heavy stones up a mountain while wearing iron shoes plagued her mind. “Luckily, you won’t have to deal with that for a good long time…maybe.” Elm shrugged and stuffed her mouth.

“Maybe?” Ruby asked and noticed how everyone at the table had grown tense from the mention of this special training. “Eheh…well, maybe I’ll do fine?” She suggested and continued eating. Ruby didn’t plan to give up just because things were hard. Joining this sumo circuit was her dream, and she would do whatever it took to succeed!

Ruby’s inner monologue was cut off as Nora began to pile food on the newbie’s plate. “Since it’s your first meal, it needs to be big! Gotta get you bulked up, y’know?” Nora said confidently and smacked Ruby on the back. “So come on, dig in! Don’t need to worry about table manners here!”

“Well…” Pyrrha murmured. A fair few of the women at this table were indeed messy eaters who stuffed themselves silly, but Pyrrha tried to maintain some sense of dignity despite being hundreds of pounds overweight. “While Nora is right, you don’t have to throw away your table manners if you…I had almost forgotten you were Yang’s younger sister.” Pyrrha trailed off as she saw Ruby stuffing her face, the scrawny newcomer having paused in the middle of biting into a chicken breast, gravy and grease dripping down her chin.

Ruby cleaned her face with a napkin and blushed brightly. “Well, I do want to be a good sumo wrestler, and I mean…I feel they’re fat for a reason. So Nora is right, I have to bulk up!” Ruby stated with determination and crammed more chicken into her mouth, followed by a forkful of rice and beans. Everyone at the table began to focus on their plates, most stuffing themselves with gusto while Pyrrha managed to keep things quick yet clean.

Being large was important as it made it harder for your opponent to throw or push you out of the ring. It wasn’t the only thing. Sumo wrestlers also needed powerful muscles to push their mass forward. A wrestler that was all fat and had no muscle would be easily toppled over. Ruby knew that to be true, and she already had a decent muscle tone. She just needed to add to that, but many of the wrestlers here were plenty squishy, too. Ruby put her hand over her stomach and wondered how she would look all softened up.

Ruby continued to eat. She worked her way through her plate and felt her belly slowly swell and rest in her lap. It would serve as the foundation of a soft layer of fat to coat the area.

She tried to focus primarily on her plate, but it was hard not to glance up at the other women. They were huge, especially when compared to Ruby. It made Ruby want to eat faster. Being so tiny amongst these giants made her feel increasingly nervous. Lots of visions of being easily shoved out of the ring plagued her mind as well. To start out with such experienced sumo wresters as potential sparring partners and eventual opponents hit her with a profound realization. Yes, she was a rookie, but that didn’t mean she would be free from criticism. Scouts would be watching, and potential sponsors, too. She wanted to explode onto the scene, she wanted to impress her seniors, and she needed to work hard to do that. Sure, she had been working out, but would that mean much when someone three times her weight slammed into her?

So Ruby got serious and stuffed her face faster in the hops she could pack on a little extra weight before her career truly began. She only stopped when she heard someone at the table calling her name, and upon looking up, realized it was Pyrrha. “Oh, uh, sorry I didn’t hear you,” Ruby said and smiled softly.

Pyrrha nodded and smiled back. “It’s nothing to worry about. I just asked if you were familiar with the season. Competition season, that is.” Pyrrha asked before she looked at her bowl to quickly slurp up a long string of noodles. “We just recently got the schedule, and I wanted to ensure you were up to speed?”

Ruby shook her head. “I haven’t seen it yet.” She replied and continued to idly munch away. “I know there are six throughout the year. Umm…January, March, May, July, September, and November.” Ruby listed them off, feeling a little like a nerd as she did. “That’s all the official ones, at least.”

“Exactly,” Pyrrha responded. “Then we have three unofficial tournaments this year as well. We have an end of summer beach match, we’ve been sponsored for a tournament that celebrates the grand opening of a new restaurant, and there’s the winter festival. Winning or losing in those unofficial tournaments won’t affect your rank, but it is a nice time to practice or get a few endorsement deals.”

Nora snorted, nudging Pyrrha’s side. “Didn’t you get a deal with a plus-size bikini line and rip your sponsored suit during our match last summer?” She asked and laughed harder as Pyrrha’s face began to glow red. “It totally did!” Nora confirmed and slapped her knee, looking at Ruby. “We were grappling each other when her bottom fell off. She didn’t notice and kept fighting, threw me to the ground a few minutes later, AND THEN she noticed she had mooned an entire audience!”

Pyrrha lowered her head and started to stuff her face with reckless abandon, discarding the earlier manners she had displayed. The rest of the meal progressed like that. Each girl stuffed their faces, occasionally talked, and once they had their fill, they each excused themselves.

Ruby and Yang were the final ones at the table. Ruby pushed herself to finish the leftovers, which she began to realize were intentionally left. ‘They’re all so nice…which means I need to try even harder!’ Ruby thought and lifted a small bowl of soup to her mouth. She gulped the savory, calorie-rich broth to her mouth and sighed afterward. Her stomach had swelled up over her meal, and now it was nearly as large as a basketball. It wouldn’t remain that large for long. As the meal was digested, it would shrink, but hopefully, a small, soft layer would be left behind. It was getting harder to push on, though. Ruby hadn’t kept track of how much she ate, but she knew she was past five plates. It felt like every bite she took added to the circumference of her bloated belly. Still, she persisted until the last scrap of food was gone. Afterward, she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her swollen, basketball-sized belly. “Phew…” She sighed and watched as Yang slowly heaved herself up from the table. “So what’s next on the tour? Kinda forgot about that while we were eating.” Ruby murmured and stood up, her tummy jutted out in front of her.

“Eh, last stop will be your room, which is also almost everyone else’s room. Lower ranks are in a communal dorm, so be ready to make a lot of friends!” Yang smacked Ruby on the back, which almost sent the petite girl tumbling to the floor. “Also, we’ve got to pick up a little gift for you.” Without any further explanation, Yang led Ruby through more of the building until they reached what seemed to be a mailing area. Yang had a beaming smile as she tossed Ruby a brown package and waited eagerly for the girl to open it.

“I wonder what it could be…” Ruby looked at Yang, who nodded for her to open it. Upon doing so, Ruby saw a lump of red fabric. She lifted and unfurled it to reveal a red yukata. The color was a bright red toward her shoulders, but the color grew darker the further down she looked. It was dotted with rose designs of varying sizes, too. Beneath it was her sumo uniform, a red Mawashi and a matching top that resembled a sports bra. “I didn’t know I’d get a custom outfit the second I joined! This is awesome!” Ruby exclaimed and danced around excitedly. “Agh, I just can’t believe this is really happening!” After a moment, Ruby stopped and grabbed her stomach. “Oof, wait…no, don’t do that…” She groaned as Yang laughed.

“You better believe it! Training starts tomorrow morning, so let’s get you to your room.” Yang said and began to waddle off again with Ruby close behind. “Tomorrow is when it’ll all start for you. So you better be ready to give it everything you’ve got. If we ever meet in the ring, I won’t go easy on you.”

Ruby smiled confidently and nodded. ‘Neither will I, Yang.” Ruby thought to herself and felt excitement boil over in her chest. ‘This is where my career starts. I won’t settle for anything less than the best.’

END PART ONE