Episode 24 - Turnabout

The crowd murmured incredulously. What was she saying? Hairo Asahi was losing, two to zero. Her team had lost the first two matches of the round. If she lost even one more throw this match, Kohitsuji Academy would be out of the tournament.

And she had just offered to allow her opponent to forfeit.

Obviously, Jihara was just going to defeat her with his Lord of Emptiness technique. She hadn't been able to counter it, and it allowed him to beat her on every throw.

But then...

Why was he hesitating?

Jihara finally spoke. "I was hoping you hadn't noticed."

Ryoichi's eyes widened.

Hairo kept her gaze focused on her opponent. "I'm sorry, Jihara-san. But you've lost this match. I can tell you've injured your wrist recently. It's mostly healed, and against anyone else you'd be fine. Unfortunately, I'm studying to become a doctor. I know exactly what to throw to force you to re-injure yourself. That'll prevent you from countering me, and I'll win the match. So, I would like you to forfeit."

Jihara hesitated.

"If you keep dueling, you're asking me to decide between injuring you and losing. Don't force me to make that kind of decision. You've fought well, but you have to leave this to your teammates now." Her eyes darted to the Bosatsu and Kohitsuji duelists watching from the sidelines, then back to Jihara. "Please."

Jihara met her gaze. "Your perception is most impressive, Hairo-dono. As you say, I am certain that if our duel continues as before, you will defeat me. However, I am afraid I can not oblige you."

Hairo gritted her teeth, as Ryoichi stood to cry out - but Jihara interrupted them both by raising his hand to continues the duel.

His left hand.

Hairo grinned. "That's good. Thank you, Jihara-san - now I can finish this duel without any reservations!"

Ryoichi returned to his seat, but he didn't relax. Jihara would be dueling with his uninjured hand, but...

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! SHOOT!"

- their hands flickered through a rapid series of throws -

"Scissors cuts Paper! Point to Hairo!"

... but Jihara was nowhere near as swift with his off-hand.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! SHOOT!"

Again, they cycled through Rock, Paper, and Scissors swiftly, doubling back and skipping ahead, trying to outmaneuver each other in a split moment -

"Rock crushes Scissors! Point to Hairo!"

- and again, Hairo managed to stay one step ahead.

"Rock!"

Jihara steeled himself -

"Paper!"

- focusing his senses -

"Scissors!"

- calling on all his training -

"SHOOT!"

- pouring everything into his throw!

There was a momentary silence.

"Rock crushes Scissors! Match, Hairo! Three points to two!"

The Kohitsuji duelists erupted in an immense cheer. Hairo ran towards her teammates, cheering along with them. She ran straight into Captain Hidaka's arms.

"You did it, Hairo-chan!"

"Well, we're back in the game. It's up to you guys now! Just let me sit down for a bit."

At the Bosatsu bench, Ryoichi put his hand on Jin's shoulder. "Our position is no longer unassailable. In Rock Paper Scissors, whoever has the momentum controls the match. You're going to have to face a tough opponent now - are you ready?"

Jin nodded. Tetsu Karan was an unusual foe, but Jin had studied him thoroughly. Still, it would be difficult to tell what strategy he could use until he could use the Thousand-Devil Eye on Tetsu directly.

Jihara returned to the bench, stopping before Ryoichi. "I apologize, Ryoichi-dono."

Ryoichi shook his head. "You fought valiantly, Ji-san! Now, I order you to rest until you're fully healed. We can leave this to Kotei-kun."

Jihara smiled. "Of course."

Back at the Kohitsuji bench, Tetsu yawned, stretched, and casually got to his feet.

~

Jin waited at the dueling platform. Tetsu was approaching his own platform at a languid pace, seemingly unconcerned by the vast crowd watching on. In fact, he looked sleepy and distracted, as though his mind were somewhere else.

Of course, Jin had seen recordings of Tetsu's previous duels. He was quick, but not exceptionally so. He rarely, if ever, employed esoteric techniques. He didn't seem to use any sort of traps or complex strategies.

But he just kept winning.

"Hey, Kotei-kun. That was pretty cool, huh?" Tetsu gestured with a nod of his head towards Hairo. "I know you guys are strong, but don't underestimate us. My teammates won't give up, ever!" He pushed his hair out of his eyes with a guileless smile, though it almost immediately fell back into place.

I don't buy it, thought Jin. This whole act - you're not just coasting by on luck. You've got some kind of strange technique. And I'm going to crack it!

"I don't plan to underestimate you, Tetsu-san. But Bosatsu isn't going to stop here. We have to keep going, all the way to the final round." Jin pointed two fingers at Tetsu, forming the 'Blade'. "It's said that a devil can see through any illusion, discover any hidden weakness or transgression." He brought his fingers to his forehead. "My technique, the Thousand-Devil Eye, is going to reveal your secret."

Tetsu shrugged. "I'm sorry, I don't have a neat technique like you, Kotei-kun. I'm really a simple guy. In the dueling arena, I have to rely on one thing only." He winked and tapped the side of his head. "Intuition."

Jin raised his hand to start the duel. We'll see about that.

Episode 23 - Quicksand

The silence drew out for a long time. The two duelists peered at each other, searching, mute. Chiyoko wasn't typically prone to ostentatious speeches or boasts, and Yukimura, it seemed, was also the quiet sort.

Chiyoko needed to get a good read on Yukimura. Both duelists were analytical types, so this was all going to come down to which one of them could out-predict the other.

But so far nothing seems to be amiss, thought Chiyoko. Yuki-chan is trying not to reveal anything - but I suspect that this means she's taken the bait, and is confident she's going to win.

In the previous round of the tournament, Kohitsuji Academy had faced a team of mystic duelists, each of whom used a different meditative technique to focus and improve their abilities. Chiyoko had dueled an opponent whose style relied, supposedly, around reading the "aura" of their foe. She suspected that this ability was in reality based on reading physical cues to determine a duelist's intent - and had ultimately defeated him by forcing him into a more active stance and deducing his throw pattern. Her final throw had been Rock, but formed in a somewhat unorthodox manner, with the hand tilted slightly and the thumb straight  instead of bent. This was a subtle sign that she was using a technique involving switching from Paper to Rock at the last moment of a throw, but had not yet mastered it.

However, she had not in actuality used this technique - she had deliberately faked the awkward throw. She had suspected she would be dueling Yukimura Hisoka, the "mastermind" of Bosatsu, in this round. So, she had planted this trap in her previous duel. Since then, Yukimura would certainly have viewed records of the duel, and caught the subtle tell. She would reason, therefore, that Chiyoko would have been practicing this technique, which would make Rock and Scissors very dangerous to use. The only safe throw would be Paper. This meant that Chiyoko could score an easy point on the first throw, while Yukimura thought she was safe, by throwing Scissors.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"

Yukimura raised her eyebrows slightly, and Chiyoko kept her reaction carefully controlled.

"Rock crushes Scissors! Point to Yukimura!"

Damn, thought Chiyoko. She realized that it was a trap! She's even more clever than I thought... 

I'm in a dangerous position now - I have to outmaneuver her on this next throw, or she'll control the entire match. Let's see... she's going to realize that I want to break her momentum. She knows she tricked me with the first throw, by turning my own trap against me. If I were her, what would I expect me to do? Well, I want a win or a tie on this throw, either would shift the duel's momentum away from her. So, I'll try to exclude her least likely throw, allowing me to narrow down the throw most likely to be successful. Now, I don't know for certain whether she realizes that the technique I pretended to use was a fake, or whether she thinks I just avoided using it to trap her, but it looks like I have to assume she's figured out the entire plot. That means all throws are equally viable to her, but she's not sure that I am aware of this. So, she might think that I'll be expecting her to avoid Scissors and Rock overall throughout the match, allowing her to use the same trick against me twice in a row. If she is, she'll throw Rock, and if she instead actually avoids those throws she'll use Paper. Thus, it would seem that Paper is my safest throw. Chiyoko shook her head slightly, raising her hand in preparation for the second throw. But I have to assume that she's figured all of this out, and is therefore expecting me to throw Paper, which means I should instead use Rock.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"

Chiyoko let out a gasp as though she'd been punched in the stomach.

"Paper covers Rock! Point to Yukimura!"

Yukimura let the faintest hint of a smile show through.

What... what is this feeling?! Chiyoko's mind was racing. No matter what I do, it's all been foreseen. My plans, traps, counters, all work in her favor! The more I struggle, the more I am drawn down...

...as though I'm trapped in quicksand!

Yukimura narrowed her eyes slightly, then raised her hand for the final throw.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"

"Rock crushes Scissors! Match, Yukimura! Three points to zero!"

Chiyoko stumbled back, defeated. The match was over so quickly - Bosatsu's duelists truly were fearsome!

Yukimura returned to her seat without ceremony, sitting beside Kotei Jin -

(and even distracted by her defeat, Chiyoko noticed the way Yumikura looked at Kotei, and wondered what she really thought of him)

- who said, "Yuki-chan, that was incredible! You and Mizu-kun are more powerful than I thought."

Yukimura shrugged. "It was a gambit. I knew that if I landed that first throw, she would panic. A panicked duelist is easy to predict. If I had missed with the first throw, however... who knows?"

Ryoichi clapped her on the shoulder. "Enough false modesty, Yuki-chan! It's time for the last match of this round. Ji-kun is up next."

In her seat, Chiyoko flinched. Hairo Asahi was already approaching the dueling platform, and opposite her, sure enough, was Jihara Akatsuki. Bosatsu was powerful, but as far as Chiyoko could tell, Jihara was the most formidable of them all.

Jihara's hands were folded, his eyes half-closed. He seemed utterly calm.

Hairo crossed her arms. "Jihara Akatsuki! You're Bosatsu's 'Lord of Emptiness', huh? You look pretty tough!"

She was acting nonchalant, but Chiyoko could tell she was feeling the pressure. Kohitsuji was down two rounds to zero - if she lost here, they'd be out of the tournament.

Jihara bowed slightly. "Hairo-dono. I am pleased to duel you. Shall we begin?" He raised his hand.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"

"Paper covers Rock! Point to Jihara!"

Hairo's throw had been swift, but Jihara threw Paper at the last instant, countering her. Hairo narrowed her eyes at him, then slowly raised her hand for the second throw.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"

"Scissors cuts Paper! Point to Jihara!"

It was already going as bad as it possibly could. Chiyoko felt sick to her stomach. They had lost two duels, and Hairo was losing two points to zero. She was facing the ground, frowning, apparently deep in thought. If she missed a single throw, it would all be over.

She took a deep breath, seeming to come to a decision, then looked up at Jihara.

"Jihara-san. I would like to offer you the chance to forfeit."

Episode 22 - Stealing Thunder

Chiyoko was quiet. She had said a cursory goodbye to the Bosatsu duelists, then met up again with Kohitsuji. Their opponents were strange - they seemed nice, but she couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that crept up on her when she was stuck with them in the elevator.

But that wasn't the most pressing issue at the moment. She was often distracted by things like this, trying to figure people out, when really she should be focusing on the upcoming duels.

She looked around. Electrical problems aside, it was quite an impressive building - a spire that towered over the surrounding city, topped by an open-air dueling arena. The stands were bursting, fans of each team eager for this round's duels to start. She was sitting on the sidelines, along with Hairo, Tetsu, and Captain Hidaka. On the opposing bench, four of the Bosatsu duelists waited - Kotei, Jihara, Yukimura, and Captain Ryoichi. Just outside the arena, on opposite sides, Mizumigawa and Karasu were preparing to face each other.

Chiyoko knew that Karasu was strong, but Mizumigawa was not to be taken lightly. She was very skilled, and it was well-known that in the last few years Bosatsu had been a real innovator in developing esoteric techniques. Karasu was going to have to bring all his strength to bear if he was going to triumph.

The crowd suddenly cheered as the two duelists emerged from their respective entrances, striding towards their dueling platforms.

Mizumigawa Shin was wearing her signature hand-wraps and dark glasses. She wasn't a physically imposing figure, but out there in front of the audience she had a powerful presence - electric.

Karasu Nori - Karasu the Rogue - was dressed in his typical dueling outfit, his uniform accented by a domino mask. He carried a single rose, and as he reached the platform, he savored its scent, then tossed it towards the audience - receiving an extra chorus of cheers as his fans reached out to catch it.

Say what you like, he's got style, thought Chiyoko. Just can't seem to hang on to a girlfriend for some reason. Although things seem to be going okay between him and Ana so far...

"Mizumigawa Shin!" Karasu greeted his opponent. "I've been looking forward to this duel."

"Yeah?" She adjusted her shades with the edge of her hand, smirking. "Then don't blink."

"Hah! All right, but I don't just want to hear boasts. I want you to be able to keep up - you're going to have to use your thunderbolt technique."

"Normally I only use that on tough opponents."

Karasu turned towards the audience. "What do you think? Don't you want to see her duel for real?" They roared in agreement.

"Hey, hey, no need to beg. I guess if you're a fan, it's the least I can do." She shifted her stance, then traced a wide circle in the air with her fingertips. Suddenly, with a thunderclap, she brought her hands together, interlacing her fingers, steepling her forefingers. "RIN! Seal of the thunderbolt!"

Chiyoko's eyes widened. Mizumigawa's movements were confident before, but now... she exuded an incredible power, as though her body was charged with electricity. What was this technique?! Was she tapping in to some strange source of power? Or was this her natural strength, sealed away?

Karasu clenched a fist. "Yes! This is the power I wanted to see." He raised it up in preparation for the first throw, and Mizumigawa followed suit.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! SHOOT!"

Mizumigawa whipped forward a swift throw of Rock. At the same time, Karasu's hand shot forward - stuttered in mid-throw, as though in a skipping video - and completed the throw. Paper.

"Paper covers Rock! Point to Karasu!"

They paused for a moment, then dropped their hands.

"Karasu-kun, that was a sweet Glitch Step! Totally threw me off."

"Are you kidding? I only barely pulled that off. Did you seriously just use Seeding on me?!"

"Hell, I tried."

"No, it worked! I thought you were going to throw Paper, but only guessed you might be seeding it just before the throw. I used the Glitch Step to hide my suspicion, and it payed off."

Chiyoko narrowed her eyes. Sierpinski Seeding? The technique was incredibly tough to pull off - a duelist would have to subtly indicate a specific throw several times, but only at the precise edge of their opponent's peripheral vision. Done properly, it would cause their opponent to subconsciously read them as preparing the  desired throw, and would therefore control what they used to counter. So Mizumigawa had seeded a throw of Paper, so that Karasu would throw Scissors. If it had worked, her throw of Rock would have won, but he suspected something was up, and threw Paper to counter.

"You better have more tricks than that, Karasu-kun. It's not going to work again!"

They prepared for the next throw.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! SHOOT!"

"Scissors cuts Paper! Point to Mizumigawa!"

"That type of move isn't going to work on me, Karasu-kun. Trying to read me mid-throw? I've been training with Jihara-san, and he's faster than you!"

"That was pretty good, Mizu-kun. You could tell I was trying to read your throw, so you faked Rock before switching to Scissors."

"Yep. I thought you were going to take this match seriously!"

"Well, I suppose it's time to finish this." Karasu held a rose in front of him - where had that come from? - and narrowed his eyes at Mizumigawa. "I've seen through your pattern, Mizu-kun. I don't need to read your throw, I can predict it ahead of time." He vanished the rose again with a flick of his hand.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! SHOOT!"

"Scissors cuts Paper! Point to Karasu!"

"Tch. You got me."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I was lying. Had to distract you. But it worked! You were wrong about me being too slow - now that I'm synced up with you, I can 'steal' your throws without predicting them." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's over, Mizu-kun!"

"Heh." She looked down. "I guess you're right. It was fun, but it all ends here." She looked up sharply, drew a circle quickly in the air, then brought her hands together with a sound like thunder.

Her hands were clasped together, the fingers interlaced, but different this time - her middle fingers were pressed together, folded behind her forefingers. "PYO! Seal of the great thunderbolt!"

Chiyoko almost couldn't believe it. The change that came over Mizumigawa was like when she used the first seal, but redoubled. She almost expected to see sparks jumping from the duelist's fingers.

"You're good, Karasu-kun! I was hoping I wouldn't have to use my second-level release." She pointed at him. "Consider yourself lucky!"

The duel didn't last much longer after that. The next two throws followed swiftly, and on each one her movements were fast and flawless. Without hesitating, she threw the perfect counter each time. She blew past all his defenses, and in a flash, the match was over.

"Match, Mizumigawa! Three points to two!"

Karasu had to take a moment to catch his breath. "Mizu-kun, that was incredible!" He bowed to her.

She flashed him a smile and a 'V for victory'. "Not bad yourself, Karasu-kun. Keep working, and maybe you'll be able to keep up with me next time."

"Haha! All right, Mizu-kun. Next time!" They left the dueling platforms. Karasu's girlfriend, Ana, was waiting for him, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek as he returned to his seat.

But Chiyoko wasn't watching them anymore. She was heading for the team's lounge to prepare herself for the next duel. These Bosatsu duelists - we can't underestimate them! I'll have to be especially careful dealing with this next one. She glanced back, as her opponent was heading off in the opposite direction. From what I heard on the elevator, she sounded especially dangerous. The "mastermind", Yukimura Hisoka.

Episode 21 - Gathering

Yukimura adjusted her glasses and began to tell her story. "So, my first year at Bosatsu, I started visiting the dueling team before the first tryouts of the year, watching the sparring and practice matches."

Ryoichi cut in. "Lots of people do that, but Yuki-chan... she'd show up every day, taking elaborate notes on every match."

"I needed to learn the lay of the land if I was to join the team. Not everyone can blithely ignore the existing power structures."

"Hah! Yes, that's you, always deferring to authority."

She narrowed her eyes at this, but continued. "I took notes on the team, on everyone's dueling styles. When the time came to try out for a spot, I used that information to win."

There was a brief pause, as Ryoichi waited for her to continue. "That... was terrible. Did a raconteur kill your parents or something? Just... just let me tell it." She shrugged. "So she shows up one day, when the team's duelists are going to spar. She comes up to us, the five slated for the championship, and she hands us each an envelope. Says nothing, she's cultivating an aura of mystique -" she rolled her eyes at this "- except that we're not supposed to open them until after the day's training. Most of the duelists didn't think much of it, forget about the envelopes. But as soon as we're done, I open mine."

He leaned forward, spreading his fingers. "It's a single sheet of paper. On it, she's written a series of throws. It takes me a moment to figure it out, but then I see it. From the start of that practice, through each of my duels in order, it's a series that would have beaten me. I go to the others to check, and it's the same with them - she'd figured out how to beat each of us before the matches even started. We tried to find her, but she'd already disappeared. Then, the next day, she shows up and joins in the practice, as though she'd been a member of the team for years."

He leaned back again. "She may not be able to tell a story, but don't let her fool you into thinking she doesn't have a sense for the dramatic. She's Bosatsu's 'mastermind'." He glanced at Jin. "She was the one who came up with the throw that Mizu-kun used against you that day on the tennis courts."

Jin blinked. There was so much he didn't know about his teammates. Why was that? Was it just that he hadn't asked ...?

"In fact, now that I think about it... it was Captain Umari Toshio's last year, and I was planning to succeed him the following year. I was popular with the first-year students, and Yuki-chan seemed to be on my side as well. But she convinced me to challenge him for the position before the championship started."

She looked away, spoke quietly. "I didn't see any point in delaying the inevitable. Ryoichi-san is right - Umari-san was a good duelist but a terrible captain, and the team wasn't going to go anywhere until Ryoichi took over."

"Well, I challenged him, and I had enough support with the rest of the team that he had to accept. Yuki-chan and I developed a cunning strategy, and I beat him. It... wasn't a graceful transfer of power. He quit the dueling team in a fit of rage, and I haven't heard of him since. But in the end, I was the captain, and the current age of Bosatsu dawned."

He looked over at Jihara, who was sitting still with folded hands. "And my first year as captain was the year we lost to the Shinku monastery."

Jihara nodded. "As Ryoichi-dono says, that was the first year we met. The Bosatsu dueling team progressed quite far in the championship that year, under Ryoichi-dono's peerless leadership. He helped them to unlock their potential, and they swept past many opponents that would have previously proved too capable. However, the ability that allowed them to progress that far placed them against an opponent they were completely unprepared to challenge. The Shinku monastery is an isolated community of duelists who follow a rigorous training regimen, honing their bodies to be capable of utilizing the monastery's signature technique, the Lord of Emptiness. This esoteric technique produces a state in which a sufficiently capable duelist may respond in the moment of an opponent's throw, countering them regardless of their strategy. It is an invin-"

The pause was momentary.

"In the proper hands, the technique is essentially invincible. The Bosatsu duelists faced a team of Shinku monastery's most highly trained monks, each a master of the Lord of Emptiness technique. The first two matches were decisive victories for Shinku. In the third match, Bosatsu's new captain dueled an initiate who had been raised in the monastery, but who was only that year allowed to duel in the championship. Myself. Ryoichi-dono was swift enough to last for several rounds, in which I was only able to force ties. I won the duel in the end, but the extended bout gave him enough time to observe me. He has peculiar insight, and he was able to discern what I had kept hidden from my fellow monks for years. In truth, I was dissatisfied with the only life I had ever known. I wished to discover the world that I had never been a part of. I felt that I was trapped within Shinku, but that I had no other options. After that round of the tournament, Ryoichi-dono came to speak with me privately. He offered to take me in and provide a place for me at Bosatsu. I had won the match, but the true victory was his. I took the chance he offered me, and have been a member of the Bosatsu dueling team ever since."

There was a drawn-out silence.

"Damn." Mizumigawa finally broke in. "I guess it's my turn next, but my story's not anywhere near that moving, and I didn't pull some ridiculous stunt like Ryo-kun or Yuki-chan. I just showed up, the next year, my first, at the tryouts. I dueled Ryo-kun and showed him I knew my stuff, so here I am!"

"Wellll... that's not quite all, is it?" Ryoichi arched an eyebrow at her.

"Uh?"

"You don't remember? When you were sparring with me? I could tell you had spirit, but I wasn't sure if you had the talent to back it up. But when I used the Rock-Crushing Strike... you blocked it effortlessly, but that wasn't the impressive part. What surprised me was how you used it on me yourself right afterward."

"Ah, well, it's not such a tough technique! I must've picked it up the last tournament season."

"Don't be so modest. What you used against me was a hand-crafted variation on the Rock-Crushing Strike that I had designed myself. It took me days to master it, and you learned it in the middle of a duel. You earned your spot on the team with that one throw."

"Ha! Haha! Uh, isn't it Kotei-kun's turn? Yeah?" Mizumigawa grinned in embarrassment.

Ryoichi smirked, but they turned towards Jin.

"Um. Well -"

Jin was cut off suddenly as the lights flashed on, blinding bright, and the elevator shuddered to life again. It accelerated, as though nothing had happened, towards the the three hundredth floor and the dueling arena.

"- I guess I can tell you later."

Episode 20 - Stuck

Jihara Akatsuki shook his head. "I am afraid the ceiling panel is locked. We will have to wait until power is restored."

They sat, leaning against the walls of the elevator. They had come to a stop somewhere above the hundredth floor of the building, and the doors, when forced, opened only on a blank wall - the elevator was only supposed to run to the 300th floor.

"I guess we're stuck, then," concluded Ryoichi, looking cheerful even in the dim emergency lighting.

"This sucks!" Mizumigawa sat upside down, her back resting on the floor, her legs stretched up the wall. "How long is this going to take? What are we supposed to do?"

"Well, um," said Chiyoko softly, as everyone turned towards her, "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Chiyoko Shizu."

Ryoichi grinned. "Of the Kohitsuji Academy dueling team? Pleased to meet you. I am Captain Ryoichi Kei, of Bosatsu."

The other Bosatsu duelists introduced themselves in turn. Chiyoko studied them carefully. She'd read the data on each of them, but there wasn't much information on what they were like as people. For some reason, nobody thought that was important enough to track.

There was a short silence before Chiyoko spoke up again. "So, um, how did you all end up on the dueling team?"

Mizumigawa perked up. "Oh man. You gonna tell her about how you joined, Ryo-kun?"

"Well..."

"Don't do this whole thing where you pretend you don't want to!" She smirked. "You love talking about yourself."

"Fine! If it'll make you happy, I'll grudgingly tell you." He cleared his throat, as though for punctuation. "Well, it was three years ago, my first year at the academy. At the beginning of the year I showed up to the offices to meet with the captain at the time, Umari Toshio. You see, the Bosatsu team was ranked very poorly, and most people didn't really pay it much attention then. But I had been watching their matches, and there were a few duelists there who I thought had a lot of promise. With proper guidance and strategy, they could have been quite formidable. So I went to Captain Umari, and I made my case."

Ryoichi shrugged.

"He didn't like it. Thought I was just some cocky upstart, fresh from the junior leagues. Which I was, I guess. But still, he threw me out of there."

Mizumigawa spun around to sit upright, grinning.

"So, before the first tryouts of the year, the team does an exhibition for the school. The arena's packed, and the team's best duelists are showing off their most impressive throws and techniques. Finally, Umari enters the ring to demonstrate a new technique he developed, the 'Stride of Hermes'. But before he can begin, a murmur passes through the crowd. It's me, walking out of the stands. It takes longer than I expected - the whole way down, there's this uncomfortable quiet, and Umari's giving me this look like he wishes I'd burn to ash right then and there. But I keep going, until I'm standing in front of the whole team, and I flick out my wrist" - he demonstrates the gesture - "in Scissors, a duel challenge. I tell the whole school, not only is the team not strong enough to take us to the championship, they're not even strong enough to beat a single first-year student. I said I wanted to try out, immediately, by dueling each of them in turn. If one of them could beat me, I'd leave. But if I beat them all, I wanted a spot on their team, and a chance to compete in any tournament they entered."

"Hah!" Mizumigawa punched Ryoichi lightly on the shoulder. "I wish I could have seen that!"

Yukimura nodded. "I am certain it was almost as impressive as Ryoichi-san is making it out to be."

Ryoichi clutched his heart in mock-sorrow. "Yuki-chan! You wound me. I would never embellish a tale."

Chiyoko smiled quietly to herself before Ryoichi continued.

"I had challenged the dueling team's honor, and Umari's most of all. He had to accept. So, in the middle of the exhibition, one after another, I faced Bosatsu's five strongest duelists. I had studied each of them, and I knew their weaknesses. They had potential, but it was uncultivated. So, I defeated each of them in turn, until only Captain Umari remained." Ryoichi looked especially pleased. "He was furious."

"Which, of course, was the plan. Umari Toshio was a useless captain, but a very powerful duelist. He was an analytical type, able to develop elaborate strategies to trap any opponent. The team never progressed very far under his leadership, but he personally almost never lost a match. So I had to arrange the match to be as favorable as possible - I had studied his dueling history, but he knew almost nothing about me. I was calm and, if I'm being honest, exuding confidence and skill, while he had just witnessed me insult his team and his ability, then defeat every one of his teammates, before the entire school.

"Still, it was a hard-fought duel. He had been formulating plans to defeat me over the course of the four previous duels, watching my patterns and movements. I used esoteric techniques to cloud my intentions, eventually bringing the duel to a tie, with the next point determining the victor. He drew one foot back, preparing his dreaded Stride of Hermes. He wanted to finish it with a flashy, decisive throw. The arena had gone utterly silent. I knew that he had noticed I'd been avoiding Paper during this duel, trying to make him think that I'd use it at the last moment for a surprise finish. So, he was expecting me to use Rock to counter his Scissors. But this would make Paper a "safe" throw - it wouldn't lose whether my gambit was real, and I used Paper, or a feint, and I used Rock. He was learning quickly, and he didn't trust this. So, when it came to the throw - Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot! - he had fallen right into my trap, throwing Rock to counter the double-gambit and losing to my throw of Paper.

"And that was that. The audience went crazy, shouting and cheering and booing as I left the dueling platform. I was on the team. I wasn't very popular with the other members, but everyone knew who I was."

Yukimura smiled sardonically. "Of course, what else were you supposed to do after your bad first impression? You had no choice but to challenge them all in front of the entire school."

He shrugged. "Hey, it worked."

"Eventually. The team was a complete mess my first year."

Mizumigawa raised an eyebrow. "Hey, yeah, you joined up the year after that, didn't you? How did that go?"

"It was pretty uneventful."

Ryoichi gave her a skeptical glance. "Come on, Yuki-chan. It's your turn."

Mizumigawa leaned towards her. "Yeah, please?"

She sighed. "Fine, fine, no need to prostrate yourselves. I'll tell you how it happened."

Episode 19 - The Basilisk

Mizumigawa Shin stood atop the Bosatsu dueling team's central building, her hair shifting slightly in the breeze. She watched as, beyond the walls of the dueling compound, Venomous Kyoru and Tendou Hibiki strode off into the distance.

The sunset blazed in her shades.

~

The light from the monitors flickered on Yukimura's glasses.

"She's not in any of this footage, Captain."

She and Ryoichi had gone over the surveillance footage from the duels again and again. Tsuki Masako, the Basilisk, hadn't shown up until after Kyoru called out to her.

Ryoichi stopped pacing, lowered his head. "She knows the blind spots of the cameras. She can hide from all of us in plain sight." He paused. "This means she can watch us at any time - has been watching us. The question being -"

"Why," finished Yukimura, still watching the screens. "What is she trying to learn?"

Jin stood suddenly, breaking his long silence. "My duel with her. What did she do to me?"

Ryoichi and Yukimura eyed him uneasily. She switched the central monitor to display the brief duel.

The events unfolding on the screen started as he remembered them. "Rock, Paper, Scissors." But just before the throw, his body went curiously slack, his movements slow.

"Shoot."

He had thrown Paper, Tsuki throwing Scissors as she took a step forward. Without stopping, she glided past him while he stared ahead dully, his hand still forming Paper. The other Bosatsu duelists were watching him in shock, as was Tendou. Tsuki paused after passing him, as his trance wore off. "Good try, Thousand-Devil."

Yukimura paused the video.

"I don't..." Jin shook his head. "I don't remember any of that."

"I can explain, Kotei-kun." Ryoichi looked grim. He made his way to the front of the room, silhouetted against the monitors in the dark room, and turned to face Jin and Yukimura. He glanced around the room briefly - he had sent Jihara to the school nurse, for his wrist, but where was Mizumigawa?

He put the thought from his mind.

"Decades ago, a trinary logician made a crucial discovery. He learned that any logical system has a fatal flaw. No matter what, there is input you can give that causes pathological behavior. They suspected that there might be ways to apply this principle to humans, images that could damage the mind directly. These images were named after the mythical beast that could turn people to stone with a glance..." He turned towards the monitor where Tsuki's image was frozen, a knowing smile on her lips. "The Basilisk."

"That's impossible!" Jin grabbed Ryoichi's shoulder. "Are you saying that she can use techniques like that?"

Ryoichi turned back towards him. "Not quite. You see, Kyoru Arashi is called 'Venomous' because of his insidious dueling style. He has a particular genius for turning duelists against themselves. His techniques are based on what he calls the 'Toxic Principles', a set of dueling-theoretical concepts that can be used to manipulate people in very subtle ways. Tsuki Masako is a gifted technical duelist, an 'esoteric art genius' specialized in using a particular Toxic Principle..."

Ryoichi swept his hand out to the side, a theatrical twinkle in his eye.

"Battle hypnosis. She has an incredible talent for influencing minds with subtle sounds and movements. That's how she's been staying hidden in plain sight, and that's how she beat you, Kotei-kun. And she's improving at an astounding rate. Last time we met, she was nowhere near this strong!"

Jin laughed nervously. "A team of powerful duelists who developed an ultimate technique, the 'Toxic Principles'... it almost sounds like you're going to tell me that Kyoru and Tsuki are members of Trefoil."

Ryoichi and Yukimura looked at him sharply.

"You know, Trefoil? The legendary secret team of master duelists?" He blinked. "It was just a joke."

There was a momentary silence.

"Right," said Ryoichi. "Of course."

~

Chiyoko Shizu's eyes focused on the page, but her mind kept wandering. She was trying to distract herself from the upcoming round of the tournament, but it wasn't working at all. Kohitsuji's dueling team had won their first round with ease, but they had been facing a weak team without much experience. From all of the information they had on Bosatsu, this round was going to be very different. The "Bosatsu Four" were a fearsome team before, and this new guy, Kotei Jin, was a wildcard, a powerful duelist who had mysteriously vanished for years.

Hairo Asahi gently nudged Choyoko to turn with the rest of the team as they walked down the hall towards the dueling arena. She corrected her course without looking up from her book.

Chiyoko and the rest of Kohitsuji had been training nonstop, studying their opponents' techniques and practicing their own, working on tactics and counters and counter-counters. Captain Hidaka had helped each of them develop their strengths, and more than that, encouraged them to believe in themselves and their teammates. Chiyoko really admired him as a captain, and knew that his leadership would be crucial if they were going to win. But she had noticed that, privately, he was worried. He was hiding it from everyone, even  his boyfriend Tetsu Karan. He thought he had to present a strong facade in order to motivate his team. She hoped he was doing okay.

She came to a stop in the elevator, turned around, and looked up.

"Uh, Chiyoko-chan..."

Why was everyone standing outside of the elevator...?

She looked around. The Kohitsuji duelists were waiting outside, and Hairo was giving her an odd look. They couldn't fit inside, because...

Because the elevator was already full.

"Uh," she started to say, as the elevator doors shut, leaving the Kohitsuji team outside, and Chiyoko inside, with the Bosatsu duelists.

"H-hello everyone," said Chiyoko as the elevator shot up towards the dueling arena on the 300th floor.

"Pleased to meet you!" Captain Ryoichi Kei bowed slightly, offering his hand-

-when suddenly the elevator screeched to a stop, and the lights flickered and went out.

"Hm," he said.

Episode 18 - Kohitsuji

Hidaka Michi cut a striking figure. He was tall and handsome, and, as the scion of the powerful Hidaka family, easily projected a casual yet commanding presence. From a young age, he was effortlessly talented at whatever he turned his hand to - equally comfortable playing the violin, translating ancient texts, and analyzing trinary logic systems.  So it was no surprise when, after deciding he wished to learn Rock Paper Scissors, he quickly rose to the position of captain in Kohitsuji Academy's dueling team.

From beneath the brim of his pilot's cap - featuring the Hidaka Airlines crest - he surveyed the duelists arrayed before him. They were Kohitsuji's finest, and he was proud of them.

Right now, however, they seemed to be a little distracted.

It was the end of a long day of training, analysis, planning. The Kohitsuji duelists were scattered through the spacious, two-level central lounge of the team headquarters. A slow, intricate passacaglia issued forth from the grand piano.

On the second level balcony sat Hairo Asahi, frowning in concentration at the documents and textbooks spread out on the table in front of her. Hidaka found her studiousness inspiring - she was not only a strong duelist, but also an aspiring surgeon, and her academic work took up almost as much of her time as her stringent Rock Paper Scissors regimen. And yet somehow this massive workload never seemed too much for her, as no matter how many nights in a row she spent up studying and training instead of sleeping, she always remained cheerful and friendly. As she read, compared notes, and studied anatomical diagrams, her boyfriend Yuta Daichi, sitting in the chair next to hers, bobbed his head to a private rhythm - ostensibly he was helping her study, but in reality he was mostly just keeping her company and listening to music on an expensive-looking pair of headphones. Yuta wasn't a duelist, but he was a common feature of the dueling team's lounge nonetheless, offering the occasional sarcastic comment from the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Karasu Nori was pacing about restlessly, with a dreamy, faraway look in his eye.

Hidaka smiled. "What's on your mind, Karasu-san?" Of course, he knew exactly what that look meant.

Karasu sighed blissfully. "I've finally met her - the one. She's just... perfect!"

Hairo called down from the balcony. "Isn't that what you said about what's-her-name like two months ago? And that girl you met at the tournament last year? And-"

"Ah, you don't get it!" Hairo's teasing couldn't sour Karasu's mood. "Ana-chan is different!"

Hidaka shook his head. Karasu looked like a model, with short, wavy hair, high cheekbones, and a chiseled physique. He was always dressed in the most fashionable designer wear, no matter what he was doing. At Kohitsuji, all of the girls - and a significant fraction of the boys - had a crush on "Karasu the Rogue". And yet, when it came to relationships, he was a bit... dense.

This caused no end of problems for Chiyoko Shizu. The serious-looking girl mulled over the problem, her face hidden from the other duelists by her long, straight hair, as she played the grand piano in the corner of the room. She had managed to pair every member of the dueling team up with someone, except for Karasu. Well, and herself, naturally - but that didn't count. Karasu's flighty nature was ruining her perfect record! Still, she was sure there was a solution. She just had to think of it.

It was getting late, but Chiyoko was lost in thought, so she was surprised to see when she next looked up that Hairo, Yuta, and Karasu had already left for the evening. Hidaka was looking at the profiles of the Bosatsu duelists, their opponents in the next round of the championship, while the team's fifth member was dozing on a couch. Chiyoko quickly finished her song, then quietly slipped out the back door with a private smile on her face.

The sound of the door closing snapped Hidaka out of his daze - he'd been reading the same sentence over and over for several minutes without absorbing it. Must be more tired than I thought.

He glanced over at the Kohitsuji dueling team's fifth member, sprawled on the couch by the fireplace.

Hidaka didn't understand Tetsu Karan. His mind worked differently from anyone Hidaka had ever known - he seemed lost in the clouds, but he could make connections no one else could see. He dozed all the time, in class or the team's lounge. He practiced the least of anyone on the team, but his mysterious dueling style was shockingly effective.

And no matter what, whenever their eyes met, Hidaka couldn't help but smile.

He tousled Tetsu's (goofy, flipped-out) hair. "Hey. Wake up."

The boy yawned, stretched, blinked sleepily. "Michi?"

"Come on, Karan, it's late. Everyone's gone home already."

"'Kay." Tetsu stood up, rubbed his eyes, grabbed his bag from beside the couch, and headed for the door. He paused and looked back at Hidaka. "Aren't you coming?"

"I'll catch up with you in a sec. One more thing I have to take care of."

"Okay!" Tetsu didn't leave, though. He wandered over to the table where Hidaka was standing. "Are you excited for the next round, Michi?"

"Yeah. But it's going to be a tough one."

"That's okay. I don't mind whether we win the championship, really." He tilted his head to the side. "I just enjoy dueling with you." He leaned over and kissed Hidaka on the cheek, then turned and headed for the door. "I'll give you five minutes!"

"I'll be right out!"

When Tetsu was gone, Hidaka's smile faded. He drew a card out of his pocket, then stared at it in silence for a moment. He walked over to a wall-screen, punched in a number. The video phone rang twice before the connection went through.

On the screen was a figure shrouded in black, wearing a blank white mask.

The voice was harshly distorted. "Hidaka Michi. Have you reconsidered?"

He couldn't quite meet that empty gaze. "Yes, Lacuna. I can't beat Ryoichi Kei on my own."

~

Basilisk, the silver-haired girl, stood between the two teams of duelists - Jin and the other Bosatsu duelists behind her, Kyoru and Tendou ahead, near the door.

"Basilisk," said Ryoichi. "Explain yourself."

"I'm afraid I was just taking my leave."

She started towards the exit, but in a sudden flash of movement Kotei Jin was in front of her, blocking the door.

"That's enough. I need some answers! Who are you?"

But Ryoichi was the one who responded. "This is Tsuki Masako, also called Basilisk - Kyoru Arashi's former second in command." He paused for a moment before continuing, softly. "She's the one who told us about your brother."

She glanced over her shoulder at Ryoichi as he spoke, then turned back to Jin. "Satisfied?"

But as she started to walk forward once more, Jin raised his hand to point at her with a challenging Scissors.

She stopped, faint amusement on her face. "You wish to duel me?" She gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. If you win, I'll answer your questions. If I win, then I leave without any further trouble. Agreed?"

Jin just raised his hand in a fist, ready to start the duel.

"We'll do a single throw, Thousand-Devil. Are you ready?"

"Rock!"

Something felt wrong to Jin.

"Paper!"

He could hear a faint humming, like a swarm of locusts on the horizon.

"Scissors!"

Tsuki took half a step towards him - and she vanished.

Jin blinked, his head suddenly foggy.

"Good try, Thousand-Devil."

He spun to face her. When did she get behind me?! "What are you doing? We're not finished!"

"Yes, we are." Her eyes dipped for a moment.

Jin followed her gaze to his outstretched hand. He was holding out Paper. When did I make that throw? 


"You lost." She walked towards the exit one more time, pausing only to brush Kyoru's shoulder, lightly, with the backs of her fingers. She glanced at Tendou Hibiki. "She's my replacement, hm? She's pretty good."

She strode out, and silence fell over the room.