The two duelists faced each other across the arena - on one side, Kotei Jin of Bosatsu Academy, and on the other, Nanafushi Kazue of Chikaku. She smiled at Jin warmly. It was hard to imagine that she was the dreaded 'Chikaku's Demon'.
"Hey there - 'Thousand-Devil'."
Jin felt a chill. Until not too long ago, he had thought he'd never again stand in a dueling arena, before the gathered crowds, facing down a determined warrior. And now, here he was - and she called him by his old nickname.
He'd thought his days as 'Thousand-Devil Kotei' were over forever.
"Want to know something? I'm really glad I get to duel you."
Jin flexed his fingers, stretching his muscles. "Yeah? Why's that?"
Nanafushi giggled. "I was a big fan, you know. Back when you were in the Junior leagues." She looked off to the side, as though seeing his duels play out before her eyes. "Everyone was transparent to you. Their training and hard work, their strategies and techniques - these meant nothing. You could always see their weaknesses - and crush them." She looked back at him, her eyes gleaming. "You were ruthless."
He looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. "I was -"
"They say the same thing about me. Ruthless." She raised a hand towards him. "But you and I know what that means - we never back down. We're here to duel, so we fight to crush our opponents! To do any less would be the worst insult imaginable!"
Jin's hand shot out to the side, first two fingers pressed together - in preparation for his Thousand Devil Eye. "Then you know the full power of my technique. There's no reason for me to hold back -"
"That's right, Kotei-chan. Because I've watched you for so long, I know the full extent of your Thousand Devil Eye." She put one hand up to her chin, folding the other arm across her chest. She tapped one finger against her lips thoughtfully. "But that also means... I know its weak points. I've seen every misstep you've made - so I know how to seal the Thousand Devil Eye completely!"
Jin didn't respond - instead he swept his hand forward and pressed his fingers to his third eye, a determined look on his face.
"... Of course, you're still going to use it. That's another thing I know about you, Kotei-chan. You're arrogant." A cruel smile spread behind the finger resting on her lips. "This is going to be interesting."
~
"This is going to be boring." Up in the box seats, a bald-headed girl in a loose-fitting burgundy robe popped a grape into her mouth. "Nanafushi-me has studied all of his techniques, and Kotei-me has been rotting for years." She rubbed the back of her neck. On this hand, tattoos on her knuckles spelled out "1 C O R", on the other, "1 3 1 2".
"I disagree, Hibiki," replied Venomous Kyoru from the seat beside her. "I expect the return of Thousand Devil Kotei to be quite illuminating."
~
Jin's mind flooded with information. Nanafushi clearly had already chosen her first throw - the way she was watching him, with that dark smile, she was looking for reactions. But did she have a sequence planned, or was she coming up with her throws one at a time? She said she could seal away his Thousand Devil Eye - but she wasn't doing anything directly against it. So did she think her strategy was immune to analysis?
He needed to watch her carefully as she prepared her next throw. Until then, he'd have to come up with a plan for the first round.
She just looked back at him with a predatorial stare.
~
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
The first throw was a tie - both of them had thrown Scissors.
"What's Kotei-kun doing?" Mizumigawa was hanging off the edge of her seat, leaning on the railing in front of her. "She said she could seal the Eye, but she hasn't done anything yet! So why isn't he winning?"
Yukimura narrowed her eyes, watching the duelists prepare for their next throw. "I'm not so sure she hasn't done something, Mizu-kun." Mizumigawa looked back at her. "His perception is so great - I think the real duel may be invisible to us."
~
There - a flicker in Nanafushi's eyes.
She's picking a new throw. That's the weakness of the Thousand Devil Eye she's exploiting - if she picks her throws at random, there isn't an underlying strategy for me to counter. But even if she executes it perfectly, random play leaves us each with a fifty percent chance of victory. There's no way she'd accept that. So she plans to play randomly and watch me to determine what pattern I'll fall into as a reaction.
Which means -
Jin raised his fist.
~
Throws fell in rapid succession.
Rock and Rock.
The two duelists were silent. They watched each other, unblinking.
Paper and Scissors - a point for Nanafushi.
Nanafushi's face was twisted into a wicked grin, her eyes narrowed.
Scissors and Paper - a point for Jin.
Jin stared her down. A single drop of sweat beaded on his brow.
Rock and Rock.
Then, Scissors and Rock, another point for Nanafushi.
She was leading, two points to one.
Game point.
~
Kono Sayuri clutched her hands to her chest. Kotei-kun looked so bold, so confident, just like when he had saved her from those two thugs on the tennis courts at Bosatsu Academy. When she had heard he was joining the dueling team, she knew she wanted to be there to support him. She just hadn't realized how intense these duelists could be.
She hadn't been able to muster a proper cheer, but as they prepared for the next throw, she whispered, "You can do it, Kotei-kun."
~
"Shoot!"
Their hands fell once more. This time, Jin's Paper won out over Nanafushi's Rock. They were tied at two points each. Nanafushi frowned, began to raise her hand for the next game-point throw.
Then she drew in a breath, sharply.
"Damn you," she said, her cunning smile returning. "How long?!"
"Tch. I was hoping you wouldn't notice." Jin smiled back. "I started back on the second throw."
She shook her head. "How the hell did you break it?"
"I guess there's no point in hiding it any more." He swept his hand out to the side, as though to encompass the entire duel. "By the second throw I realized you were using random throws to block my technique. I watched you when you were selecting your throw, and saw that your eyes flicked to the side - you weren't using the clock, or performing any complex mental arithmetic to pick your throw." He pointed to where she had been looking. "You were using those advertisement banners."
As he spoke, one of the electronic banners shifted - from "Auxesis Corp" to "Shin-Ra Beverage Concern".
"They're changing throughout the match - each advertisement could correspond to a different throw." He tapped his forehead. "But you've seen me duel before. There's no way you'd use such a simple method, right? So I deduced that you were using both of the banners that were in your field of view when you glanced over there - each pair of advertisements would correspond to a throw, because these two signs were changing at different rates. When you were picking your second throw, only one of the signs was different. That meant it was unlikely you'd throw Scissors a second time."
She shook her head. "Wait. Why'd you throw Rock, then?"
"Ah!" he said, holding up one finger. "I picked the throw that I predicted would be worst - because if I was right, I'd get confirmation of my theory, and if I was wrong, I'd get a point. Either way, I win."
He clenched his fist. "From there, it was easy to predict all of your throws! I gave you a few points to let you think you had successfully sealed my Eye - but I was controlling the whole game."
There was a brief silence.
"Spectacular! Somehow I underestimated you, Kotei-chan." Nanafushi stepped into a wider stance, narrowed her eyes at Jin. "But this duel isn't over!" She swept her arms out, swirling her dress around as though blasted by a sudden wind. Her grin widened to frightening proportions, and there seemed almost to be a flicker of heat haze around her. "It's time to go into overdrive!"
They raised their hands for the game point.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!"
~
Jihara spoke softly to Ryoichi. "You feel it, don't you?" Ryoichi said nothing, his entire focus on Kotei Jin. "His battle aura... it's already so strong."
~
"Shoot!"
~
Kyoru glanced at Hibiki.
"Tch. Whatever." She folded her arms contemptuously. "A scythe can't tell the difference in strength between two stalks of wheat."
~
"Match, Kotei! Three points to two!"
Nanafushi stared at Jin, her hand still outstretched, forming Paper.
"You want to know how I knew to throw Scissors? I'll explain. Your previous two throws were both Rock. The amateur would avoid throwing Rock three times in a row. You're no amateur, but you know that I know that you'd be aware of that. You expected I'd predict that you would avoid the throw that would be least expected - and therefore, I'd throw Rock to counter your Scissors, with you thinking I'd throw Paper to counter your Rock. You were counting on me outsmarting you and predicting all that, so you threw Paper." He spread his hands. "I was one step ahead of you."
A slow smile crept across her face. "Incredible." She dropped her hand to her side. "Ha ha ha ha ha! That was incredible! You're even stronger than I thought!"
Jin bowed his head slightly.
"Kotei Jin!" She pointed at him. "I'm definitely going to get stronger! The next time we meet, I'm going to destroy you utterly!" She winked. "Deal?"
Jin opened his mouth to speak, but-
"Worthless people shouldn't talk like that."
Jin and Nanafushi turned, struck silent, towards Chikaku's bench, where Captain Yosai Akio was slowly standing. His face was fixed in an expression of cold scorn.
He walked over to the dueling platform, sneered at Nanafushi. "Get out of my way."
She tensed up, but didn't speak - just walked back to the bench with her head low. Jin reached forward, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
Ryoichi stood there, a serene look on his face. "I'll handle this one, Kotei-kun." Cherry blossoms wafted through the air around him.
Wait, thought Jin, cherry blossoms? He glanced behind Ryoichi, to see one of the girls from Ryoichi's personal fanclub cheerfully tossing handfuls of petals. Really?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Episode 12 - The Demon Emerges
Jin watched as the two duelists sized each other up - Mizumigawa Shin on one side, Kumoru Yuji on the other. He thought back to the other night at the pool hall. Kumoru was unpleasant, certainly, but was he really Yosai Akio's secret weapon - "Chikaku's Demon"?
He flashed back to the image of Mizumigawa standing over Kumoru in the pool hall. And though he was the one lying on the floor, his expression of shock and pain concealed a subtle smile. He was the one in control.
"Ryoichi-san," Jin asked quietly, "are you sure about this?"
Captain Ryoichi watched Mizumigawa calmly. "Trust your teammate, Kotei-kun."
~
"So, Mizu-chan... how did a delicate thing like you become a duelist?" He paused briefly. "Normally duelists are a bit... tougher. You're just-"
"I'm going to shut you up with my first throw!" Mizumigawa clenched her fist. Kumoru, still smiling, shrugged, then raised his fist as well.
The referee, sitting high above them and to the side, chanted as they silently pumped their fists -
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!"
Mizumigawa leapt up just before the throw, twisting to put more force and speed into the arc of her fist, landing just as the referee shouted "Shoot!"
There was a short pause, then:
"Scissors cut paper! Point to Mizumigawa!"
Her smile was confident - but above all, it was calm.
"So," said Kumoru slowly, his tone controlled and flat, "you let me think that I had made you angry enough to throw rock, countering my words with an aggressive throw. Not bad."
~
Quietly, Yosai laughed to himself. "That was quick," he whispered. "You've lost so soon... Mizumigawa-san."
~
A slow grin started to creep back across Kumoru's face. "But the duel is over now. From now on, we play a much simpler game." He stretched up to his full height, and light gleamed madly off one of his eyes from amidst the tangle of his hair.
"That game is called - 'fear'."
~
"Oh, hell," said Yukimura quietly. "I don't believe it."
The others on the bench turned towards her, quizzical looks on their faces.
She shook her head. "This idiot Kumoru - he's an analytical type."
~
Kumoru seemed to loom over Mizumigawa, even from the opposite platform. A complete change had come over him - all of the amusement had left his voice, replaced with cold authority. "I'll make you an offer." His voice dripped with scorn. He raised his hand, two fingers extended, showing Scissors. "We'll both throw Scissors. A show of good faith. If you cooperate, perhaps I'll take it easy on you." He narrowed his eyes. "But if you think of throwing something else, I'll know." He made a fist, ready for the next throw.
"Mizumigawa leads, one to zero," said the announcer.
Mizumigawa looked hesitant, but raised her hand as well nonetheless. Her eyes darted across Kumoru's face from underneath her dark sunglasses, looking for a clue to his next move, but his expression was still, cold, unreadable.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
Mizumigawa's throw was less forceful this time, but Kumoru's was completely different from before - his movements were clipped and harsh, almost as though he were striking someone with his hand.
"Scissors cuts paper! Point to Kumoru!"
Kumoru stared into Mizumigawa's eyes, as though looking right through her shades. "I told you to throw Scissors."
She flinched. So this is his strength, she thought.
He brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Utterly transparent. You've been my puppet from the very moment we first met, but even I didn't expect this duel to go so perfectly." He gestured toward her. "The other night, at the pool hall, do you know what I saw? I saw what you look like when you lose your cool. And then, on the very first throw of this match..."
Mizumigawa's eyes went wide as she realized what he was saying.
"... I saw what you look like when you're faking. This is what allows me to use the full power of my technique - 'Fear Itself'."
Her mind raced. His technique is based on intimidation - and reading his opponent. He tells them to make a specific throw, then he can tell whether they'll go along with it by reading their emotional reaction. Such a technique - this is what makes him a 'Demon'!
His lips parted in a thin, cruel smile. "So you've figured it out? A terrifying technique, isn't it? And the best part - is that it works even if you know about it." He shook his head. "I've beaten you so easily. You're worthless, you know that?" He paused, as though just realizing something amusing. "Is that why you duel? To prove you're good for something? I guess that didn't quite work out."
Mizumigawa raised her hand for the third throw, and muttered through clenched teeth, "shut up."
"One all," noted the announcer.
"Fine, then," replied Kumoru, raising his hand in turn. "Now, obey me this time - or you'll regret it. Throw Rock."
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
Kumoru's eyes went wide. "Impossible!" he hissed.
Mizumigawa smirked. "I thought you wanted me to throw Rock... ?"
"Rock crushes Scissors! Point to Mizumigawa!"
~
Ryoichi chuckled softly. "You know, I almost feel sorry for him. To face Mizu-kun when he relies on a technique like that...."
Jin looked up at him.
"She has incredible control over her movements," explained Ryoichi. "While he relies on her reactions to choose his throw, she can make him do whatever she wants. I wonder what he'll do now...?"
~
Kumoru raised his head, peered down at Mizumigawa. "This changes nothing. You haven't seen the limit of my power - I've already figured out how to read you even through this-"
He was cut off by a sound like a thunderclap.
Mizumigawa's hands were pressed together, fingers interlaced, forefingers steepled. "Rin. Seal of the Thunderbolt." All the tension seemed to have left her body - she seemed once again relaxed and confident. "Let's put that to the test, then. I'll show you my 'unreadable throw'! You'd better pay close attention!"
Kumoru frowned, but raised his fist nonetheless.
"Mizumigawa leads, two to one! Match point!"
"Now, listen," she said. "I'm going to throw Rock."
The countdown began.
"Rock!"
A sneer was fixed on Kumoru's face.
"Paper!"
Arrogant. She's too arrogant! She doesn't know my true strength.
"Scissors!"
In one lightning-fast motion, Mizumigawa tore her sunglasses off with her free hand and threw them straight up.
A distraction, thought Kumoru. But if I just manage to keep watching her face, then I'll definitely be able to read her!
But... what's that noise?
"Shoot!"
A harsh hiss escaping her lips, Mizumigawa whipped her hand forward.
There was dead silence. Time seemed to stand still. She held her hand forward, fist clenched. She had thrown Rock. And Kumoru... he stood there with his mouth open.
He hadn't made a throw at all.
Time caught up with them, and Mizumigawa's sunglasses fell back down towards her. She snatched them out of the air, then slid them back over her eyes.
"That... was my King Cobra Strike!"
~
"King Cobra...?" Jin wasn't quite sure what he had just seen.
"King Cobra Strike," said Yukimura, adjusting her glasses. "An esoteric technique, and not an easy one to use. It only works if the opponent isn't expecting it, and is paying careful attention to the duelist's eyes. Essentially, it's a glare of intense, focused intimidation - designed to make the opponent flinch at the exact moment of the throw. It was never meant to be an 'unreadable throw' - she just needed him to watch her as closely as possible."
"This is Mizumigawa-dono's hidden strength," added Jihara. "She has an exceptional talent for learning and executing complex esoteric techniques."
Ryoichi nodded. "You see, Kotei-kun? Trust in your teammates." He watched Mizumigawa with a smile of quiet pride.
~
"Match, Mizumigawa! Thee points to one!" A cheer rose up from the crowd and the Bosatsu bench.
"Sorry, Kumoru-chan. But your technique - it really is despicable. There's no way you could win against me with something like that!"
Kumoru remained silent. He gritted his teeth, then turned and started to leave.
Mizumigawa grinned, seeming once again to be her usual, lighthearted self. She turned to the Chikaku bench, where Captain Yosai was watching in scornful disappointment as Kumoru walked away. "Yosai!" He looked over at her. "I really wasn't impressed with your 'Demon'!"
"... Heh heh heh."
She turned back towards Kumoru, who had frozen in place.
"Heh heh heh heh... ha ha ha ha HA HA HA HA!" Kumoru bent over backwards with angry laughter, as though this were the stupidest thing he had ever heard. "AHAHAHAHA!!"
After a short time, he caught his breath, then turned back towards Mizumigawa.
"You though I was Chikaku's Demon?"
She drew in a breath sharply.
Kumoru shook his head condescendingly. "No. Our 'Demon' is going to play in the next round."
Jin stared at Kumoru intently. I'm playing the next round - so I'll be facing this 'Demon'. But if it's not him, then...
Kumoru raised a hand and gestured towards the Chikaku bench, where Nanafushi Kazue stood smiling brightly in her floral dress.
"That's her right there."
He flashed back to the image of Mizumigawa standing over Kumoru in the pool hall. And though he was the one lying on the floor, his expression of shock and pain concealed a subtle smile. He was the one in control.
"Ryoichi-san," Jin asked quietly, "are you sure about this?"
Captain Ryoichi watched Mizumigawa calmly. "Trust your teammate, Kotei-kun."
~
"So, Mizu-chan... how did a delicate thing like you become a duelist?" He paused briefly. "Normally duelists are a bit... tougher. You're just-"
"I'm going to shut you up with my first throw!" Mizumigawa clenched her fist. Kumoru, still smiling, shrugged, then raised his fist as well.
The referee, sitting high above them and to the side, chanted as they silently pumped their fists -
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!"
Mizumigawa leapt up just before the throw, twisting to put more force and speed into the arc of her fist, landing just as the referee shouted "Shoot!"
There was a short pause, then:
"Scissors cut paper! Point to Mizumigawa!"
Her smile was confident - but above all, it was calm.
"So," said Kumoru slowly, his tone controlled and flat, "you let me think that I had made you angry enough to throw rock, countering my words with an aggressive throw. Not bad."
~
Quietly, Yosai laughed to himself. "That was quick," he whispered. "You've lost so soon... Mizumigawa-san."
~
A slow grin started to creep back across Kumoru's face. "But the duel is over now. From now on, we play a much simpler game." He stretched up to his full height, and light gleamed madly off one of his eyes from amidst the tangle of his hair.
"That game is called - 'fear'."
~
"Oh, hell," said Yukimura quietly. "I don't believe it."
The others on the bench turned towards her, quizzical looks on their faces.
She shook her head. "This idiot Kumoru - he's an analytical type."
~
Kumoru seemed to loom over Mizumigawa, even from the opposite platform. A complete change had come over him - all of the amusement had left his voice, replaced with cold authority. "I'll make you an offer." His voice dripped with scorn. He raised his hand, two fingers extended, showing Scissors. "We'll both throw Scissors. A show of good faith. If you cooperate, perhaps I'll take it easy on you." He narrowed his eyes. "But if you think of throwing something else, I'll know." He made a fist, ready for the next throw.
"Mizumigawa leads, one to zero," said the announcer.
Mizumigawa looked hesitant, but raised her hand as well nonetheless. Her eyes darted across Kumoru's face from underneath her dark sunglasses, looking for a clue to his next move, but his expression was still, cold, unreadable.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
Mizumigawa's throw was less forceful this time, but Kumoru's was completely different from before - his movements were clipped and harsh, almost as though he were striking someone with his hand.
"Scissors cuts paper! Point to Kumoru!"
Kumoru stared into Mizumigawa's eyes, as though looking right through her shades. "I told you to throw Scissors."
She flinched. So this is his strength, she thought.
He brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Utterly transparent. You've been my puppet from the very moment we first met, but even I didn't expect this duel to go so perfectly." He gestured toward her. "The other night, at the pool hall, do you know what I saw? I saw what you look like when you lose your cool. And then, on the very first throw of this match..."
Mizumigawa's eyes went wide as she realized what he was saying.
"... I saw what you look like when you're faking. This is what allows me to use the full power of my technique - 'Fear Itself'."
Her mind raced. His technique is based on intimidation - and reading his opponent. He tells them to make a specific throw, then he can tell whether they'll go along with it by reading their emotional reaction. Such a technique - this is what makes him a 'Demon'!
His lips parted in a thin, cruel smile. "So you've figured it out? A terrifying technique, isn't it? And the best part - is that it works even if you know about it." He shook his head. "I've beaten you so easily. You're worthless, you know that?" He paused, as though just realizing something amusing. "Is that why you duel? To prove you're good for something? I guess that didn't quite work out."
Mizumigawa raised her hand for the third throw, and muttered through clenched teeth, "shut up."
"One all," noted the announcer.
"Fine, then," replied Kumoru, raising his hand in turn. "Now, obey me this time - or you'll regret it. Throw Rock."
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
Kumoru's eyes went wide. "Impossible!" he hissed.
Mizumigawa smirked. "I thought you wanted me to throw Rock... ?"
"Rock crushes Scissors! Point to Mizumigawa!"
~
Ryoichi chuckled softly. "You know, I almost feel sorry for him. To face Mizu-kun when he relies on a technique like that...."
Jin looked up at him.
"She has incredible control over her movements," explained Ryoichi. "While he relies on her reactions to choose his throw, she can make him do whatever she wants. I wonder what he'll do now...?"
~
Kumoru raised his head, peered down at Mizumigawa. "This changes nothing. You haven't seen the limit of my power - I've already figured out how to read you even through this-"
He was cut off by a sound like a thunderclap.
Mizumigawa's hands were pressed together, fingers interlaced, forefingers steepled. "Rin. Seal of the Thunderbolt." All the tension seemed to have left her body - she seemed once again relaxed and confident. "Let's put that to the test, then. I'll show you my 'unreadable throw'! You'd better pay close attention!"
Kumoru frowned, but raised his fist nonetheless.
"Mizumigawa leads, two to one! Match point!"
"Now, listen," she said. "I'm going to throw Rock."
The countdown began.
"Rock!"
A sneer was fixed on Kumoru's face.
"Paper!"
Arrogant. She's too arrogant! She doesn't know my true strength.
"Scissors!"
In one lightning-fast motion, Mizumigawa tore her sunglasses off with her free hand and threw them straight up.
A distraction, thought Kumoru. But if I just manage to keep watching her face, then I'll definitely be able to read her!
But... what's that noise?
"Shoot!"
A harsh hiss escaping her lips, Mizumigawa whipped her hand forward.
There was dead silence. Time seemed to stand still. She held her hand forward, fist clenched. She had thrown Rock. And Kumoru... he stood there with his mouth open.
He hadn't made a throw at all.
Time caught up with them, and Mizumigawa's sunglasses fell back down towards her. She snatched them out of the air, then slid them back over her eyes.
"That... was my King Cobra Strike!"
~
"King Cobra...?" Jin wasn't quite sure what he had just seen.
"King Cobra Strike," said Yukimura, adjusting her glasses. "An esoteric technique, and not an easy one to use. It only works if the opponent isn't expecting it, and is paying careful attention to the duelist's eyes. Essentially, it's a glare of intense, focused intimidation - designed to make the opponent flinch at the exact moment of the throw. It was never meant to be an 'unreadable throw' - she just needed him to watch her as closely as possible."
"This is Mizumigawa-dono's hidden strength," added Jihara. "She has an exceptional talent for learning and executing complex esoteric techniques."
Ryoichi nodded. "You see, Kotei-kun? Trust in your teammates." He watched Mizumigawa with a smile of quiet pride.
~
"Match, Mizumigawa! Thee points to one!" A cheer rose up from the crowd and the Bosatsu bench.
"Sorry, Kumoru-chan. But your technique - it really is despicable. There's no way you could win against me with something like that!"
Kumoru remained silent. He gritted his teeth, then turned and started to leave.
Mizumigawa grinned, seeming once again to be her usual, lighthearted self. She turned to the Chikaku bench, where Captain Yosai was watching in scornful disappointment as Kumoru walked away. "Yosai!" He looked over at her. "I really wasn't impressed with your 'Demon'!"
"... Heh heh heh."
She turned back towards Kumoru, who had frozen in place.
"Heh heh heh heh... ha ha ha ha HA HA HA HA!" Kumoru bent over backwards with angry laughter, as though this were the stupidest thing he had ever heard. "AHAHAHAHA!!"
After a short time, he caught his breath, then turned back towards Mizumigawa.
"You though I was Chikaku's Demon?"
She drew in a breath sharply.
Kumoru shook his head condescendingly. "No. Our 'Demon' is going to play in the next round."
Jin stared at Kumoru intently. I'm playing the next round - so I'll be facing this 'Demon'. But if it's not him, then...
Kumoru raised a hand and gestured towards the Chikaku bench, where Nanafushi Kazue stood smiling brightly in her floral dress.
"That's her right there."
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Episode 11 - Joining Battle
The stadium was a wide building with a curved, gray roof. A few wisps of cloud drifted laconically through a flat blue sky.
The Bosatsu dueling team's bus bulled into the parking lot, reached the duelists' entrance, hissed to a stop. The doors slid open and, one by one, the Bosatsu duelists emerged.
First was captain Ryoichi Kei. His golden hair tumbled about his face. He had a confident smile, his paper fan was folded and resting on his shoulder. He wore designer jeans and a white dress shirt, and a throng of excited fans followed him down the stairs of the bus.
Next came Yukimura Hisoka. She was reading from a book that sat folded open in one palm, only glancing up at the stadium once when she reached the ground. She adjusted her glasses. Her straight brown hair framed her face with straight lines and at right angles, and she wore an ankle-length skirt.
Jihara Akatsuki descended the stairs like a spirit, his skin and hair pale as death, his wide-sleeved and wide-legged garments floating about him, his hands folded, his eyes nearly shut.
Mizumigawa Shin took all the stairs in a single leap. She looked ready for battle. Her sleeves were short, but her wrists were wrapped in long strips of cloth. With her spiked hair, her trademark dark sunglasses, and her teeth bared in an enthusiastic grin, she cut an intimidating figure.
Last of the five, Kotei Jin exited the bus. He wore a Bosatsu school uniform, clean and sharply defined. He pushed the fringe of his hair out of his eyes, examining the stadium with a distant expression.
He was quiet.
The junior members of the team followed, each moving to the side and waiting for the rest. Once they had all disembarked and the bus's doors had slid shut, at a signal from Ryoichi they moved as one for the duelists' entrance.
There was a boy standing beside it, looking impatient. He was somewhat short, but extremely neat, with a perfect part in his hair, immaculate dress shirt and dark blue tie. He glanced back and forth between the parking lot and his phone's display.
As they passed by him, without looking, he said "Bosatsu."
They stopped.
"You're with Chikaku, aren't you?" asked Ryoichi.
The boy still didn't look at them. His voice was high, but his enunciation was exact and dispassionate. "Technically, yes." He sighed, to communicate how patient he was being with them. "More precisely, I am the captain of Chikaku Academy's dueling team. Yosai Akio."
"Pleased to meet you, Yosai-san." Ryoichi glanced back into the parking lot. "Is there something wrong?"
Yosai massaged his forehead with one hand. "One of my duelists is late. Though," he mused, "really this is all just a formality."
Ryoichi tilted his head to the side, slightly.
"I mean, of course, that you should just give up and go home now." He looked at them, finally. "You're not prepared."
Mizumigawa stepped forward, suddenly, but Ryoichi raised one hand slightly, and she stopped, frowning.
Yosai looked at her, abstractly, as though he wasn't quite sure what she was. "I don't mean that as a threat. It's a simple fact. You're not going to be able to defeat 'Chikaku's Demon'."
A squeal of tires broke the silence. A sleek, black car screeched into the parking lot, stopped diagonally across two or three parking spaces. The door opened, and Kumoru Yuji stepped out, a cruel grin visible under his long hair.
Yosai glared at him. "You're late. Get inside."
"Of course, boss," Kumoru replied flippantly, "Didn't mean to keep you waiting."
The two of them swept through the doorway and out of sight. As he went, Kumoru looked at Mizumigawa. He licked his lips, still smiling, winked, and was gone.
She stood watching him, frozen. "Chikaku's... Demon?"
~
The murmur of the crowd quieted as the lights went up on the dueling arena. The door from the Bosatsu team's room led to a brief path, then a few stairs up to one of the two dueling platforms. A short distance across from it was the other dueling platform, matching stairs, a path, and the Chikaku team's door.
On the sidelines, by their entrances, the Bosatsu and Chikaku duelists waited. Ryoichi, Yukimura, Jihara, and Jin sat on one side. Yukimura and Jihara were watching the duelists' entrances, but Ryoichi, true to form, was watching the crowds, savoring the atmosphere. Jin, meanwhile, was looking over at Chikaku's sidelines.
There, Yosai Akio sat with his arms folded, his eyes drifting around the stadium but focusing on nothing. Nanafushi Kazue, the girl who had been with Kumoru the other night, sat next to the captain. She appeared to be doodling in a small notebook. She looked incongruous there - she was wearing a bright floral-patterned dress in reds and pinks, while her teammates were dressed mostly in dark, somber colors.
Beyond them, there were two others Jin had not seen before. One seemed to be napping, a skinny boy with a wide-brimmed hat over his eyes. The other was intimidatingly huge - a broad, muscled boy with short-cropped blond hair. They each wore dress shirts, looking like Yosai, though not quite as neat.
The announcer's voice boomed out over the speakers as he proceeded to describe the structure of the tournament. Each round of the championship consisted of a series of five matches between the duelists of two opposing teams. Each match was played to three points, and the first team to win three of the five matches could move on to the next round.
Mizumigawa stepped out from the Bosatsu entrance. She adjusted her arm wraps as she walked up to the platform and took her position for the opening match. She looked around at the crowd, smiling slightly, as the noise in the arena grew to a roaring cheer.
"In this round, Bosatsu Academy faces Chikaku Academy! Match one - Bosatsu's Mizumigawa Shin versus Chikaku's Kumoru Yuji!"
Kumoru casually emerged from Chikaku's entrance, sauntering along, deliberately ignoring the crowd and spectacle. He made his way to the platform opposite Mizumigawa's. He was also wearing a dress shirt and a tie, but the top few buttons were undone, the shirt rumpled and half-untucked, the tie hanging loosely around his neck, draped rather than knotted. It looked like it must have taken him quite some time to make it clear precisely how little he cared about his appearance.
"Hey there, Mizu-chan."
Her lip curled into a sneer, reflexively.
"Are you ready, little girl?"
The Bosatsu dueling team's bus bulled into the parking lot, reached the duelists' entrance, hissed to a stop. The doors slid open and, one by one, the Bosatsu duelists emerged.
First was captain Ryoichi Kei. His golden hair tumbled about his face. He had a confident smile, his paper fan was folded and resting on his shoulder. He wore designer jeans and a white dress shirt, and a throng of excited fans followed him down the stairs of the bus.
Next came Yukimura Hisoka. She was reading from a book that sat folded open in one palm, only glancing up at the stadium once when she reached the ground. She adjusted her glasses. Her straight brown hair framed her face with straight lines and at right angles, and she wore an ankle-length skirt.
Jihara Akatsuki descended the stairs like a spirit, his skin and hair pale as death, his wide-sleeved and wide-legged garments floating about him, his hands folded, his eyes nearly shut.
Mizumigawa Shin took all the stairs in a single leap. She looked ready for battle. Her sleeves were short, but her wrists were wrapped in long strips of cloth. With her spiked hair, her trademark dark sunglasses, and her teeth bared in an enthusiastic grin, she cut an intimidating figure.
Last of the five, Kotei Jin exited the bus. He wore a Bosatsu school uniform, clean and sharply defined. He pushed the fringe of his hair out of his eyes, examining the stadium with a distant expression.
He was quiet.
The junior members of the team followed, each moving to the side and waiting for the rest. Once they had all disembarked and the bus's doors had slid shut, at a signal from Ryoichi they moved as one for the duelists' entrance.
There was a boy standing beside it, looking impatient. He was somewhat short, but extremely neat, with a perfect part in his hair, immaculate dress shirt and dark blue tie. He glanced back and forth between the parking lot and his phone's display.
As they passed by him, without looking, he said "Bosatsu."
They stopped.
"You're with Chikaku, aren't you?" asked Ryoichi.
The boy still didn't look at them. His voice was high, but his enunciation was exact and dispassionate. "Technically, yes." He sighed, to communicate how patient he was being with them. "More precisely, I am the captain of Chikaku Academy's dueling team. Yosai Akio."
"Pleased to meet you, Yosai-san." Ryoichi glanced back into the parking lot. "Is there something wrong?"
Yosai massaged his forehead with one hand. "One of my duelists is late. Though," he mused, "really this is all just a formality."
Ryoichi tilted his head to the side, slightly.
"I mean, of course, that you should just give up and go home now." He looked at them, finally. "You're not prepared."
Mizumigawa stepped forward, suddenly, but Ryoichi raised one hand slightly, and she stopped, frowning.
Yosai looked at her, abstractly, as though he wasn't quite sure what she was. "I don't mean that as a threat. It's a simple fact. You're not going to be able to defeat 'Chikaku's Demon'."
A squeal of tires broke the silence. A sleek, black car screeched into the parking lot, stopped diagonally across two or three parking spaces. The door opened, and Kumoru Yuji stepped out, a cruel grin visible under his long hair.
Yosai glared at him. "You're late. Get inside."
"Of course, boss," Kumoru replied flippantly, "Didn't mean to keep you waiting."
The two of them swept through the doorway and out of sight. As he went, Kumoru looked at Mizumigawa. He licked his lips, still smiling, winked, and was gone.
She stood watching him, frozen. "Chikaku's... Demon?"
~
The murmur of the crowd quieted as the lights went up on the dueling arena. The door from the Bosatsu team's room led to a brief path, then a few stairs up to one of the two dueling platforms. A short distance across from it was the other dueling platform, matching stairs, a path, and the Chikaku team's door.
On the sidelines, by their entrances, the Bosatsu and Chikaku duelists waited. Ryoichi, Yukimura, Jihara, and Jin sat on one side. Yukimura and Jihara were watching the duelists' entrances, but Ryoichi, true to form, was watching the crowds, savoring the atmosphere. Jin, meanwhile, was looking over at Chikaku's sidelines.
There, Yosai Akio sat with his arms folded, his eyes drifting around the stadium but focusing on nothing. Nanafushi Kazue, the girl who had been with Kumoru the other night, sat next to the captain. She appeared to be doodling in a small notebook. She looked incongruous there - she was wearing a bright floral-patterned dress in reds and pinks, while her teammates were dressed mostly in dark, somber colors.
Beyond them, there were two others Jin had not seen before. One seemed to be napping, a skinny boy with a wide-brimmed hat over his eyes. The other was intimidatingly huge - a broad, muscled boy with short-cropped blond hair. They each wore dress shirts, looking like Yosai, though not quite as neat.
The announcer's voice boomed out over the speakers as he proceeded to describe the structure of the tournament. Each round of the championship consisted of a series of five matches between the duelists of two opposing teams. Each match was played to three points, and the first team to win three of the five matches could move on to the next round.
Mizumigawa stepped out from the Bosatsu entrance. She adjusted her arm wraps as she walked up to the platform and took her position for the opening match. She looked around at the crowd, smiling slightly, as the noise in the arena grew to a roaring cheer.
"In this round, Bosatsu Academy faces Chikaku Academy! Match one - Bosatsu's Mizumigawa Shin versus Chikaku's Kumoru Yuji!"
Kumoru casually emerged from Chikaku's entrance, sauntering along, deliberately ignoring the crowd and spectacle. He made his way to the platform opposite Mizumigawa's. He was also wearing a dress shirt and a tie, but the top few buttons were undone, the shirt rumpled and half-untucked, the tie hanging loosely around his neck, draped rather than knotted. It looked like it must have taken him quite some time to make it clear precisely how little he cared about his appearance.
"Hey there, Mizu-chan."
Her lip curled into a sneer, reflexively.
"Are you ready, little girl?"
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Episode 10 - The Gathering Clouds
Renjin Kazuki stepped out onto the dueling platform. He ran his fingers through his shaggy, sandy hair. The noise of the crowd had subsided to a low murmur.
Renjin was trying to look relaxed, nonchalant, but it wasn't quite working. The waiting was getting to him - he kept shifting his weight from foot to foot, fidgeting, looking around at the crowd, at the entrance his opponent would emerge from any second.
He was nervous, yes, but he was also excited. He felt like a live wire, coursing with energy. He had spent so long training, honing his skills to a razor edge, drilling and sparring and meditating. He was easily the strongest duelist on his team, and they were championship-strength duelists in their own right.
And now, by sheer chance, he was going to face the legendary Venomous Kyoru in the first round of the championship.
But where was he?
The crowd's volume was rising again. There was still no sign of Kyoru. Renjin turned to look at his captain, waiting at the door he had entered by. He tilted his head quizzically, she shrugged back at him.
Then, the crowd went silent. Renjin tensed, and slowly turned to see his opponent approaching.
Kyoru Arashi, "Venomous" Kyoru. The stories Renjin had heard, the videos he had seen, none of it had prepared him for this moment. The boy's presence was almost tangible, like waves of heat emanating from his body. His demeanor, however, was utterly cold. His eyes were hidden behind mirrored shades, his movements were precise and controlled. His hair, black as obsidian, was buzzed short, and formed a widow's peak that looked sharp enough to cut yourself on. Renjin felt faint, and for a moment couldn't draw more than a very shallow breath. What is this energy? Kyoru's stare, blank with - contempt? - seemed to hammer on Renjin, making it difficult even to think. How is he doing this?!
Kyoru was patient, though, and Renjin soon gathered the strength to speak. He laughed, first, to remind himself of the enthusiasm he had been feeling only a few moments earlier. "Venomous Kyoru... it's an honor to face you so early in the tournament." He clenched his fists. "But you're going to see I'm not some novice you can sweep aside!"
Kyoru replied, "Is that so." His voice was deep, resonant, and seemed to shake Renjin's very bones.
It wasn't a question, but Renjin pressed on. "My hand is swift, my eye is keen. I've studied the Crimson Mantis style, the Lunging Crane, the Thrashing Shark. I've mastered the Four Names of the River Dragon, and brought their power to bear against many formidable opponents." He spoke this like a mantra. "Even you cannot stop me."
Kyoru was unmoved. "Show me."
~
The silver-haired girl sat at a table in the back of the pool hall, holding a cup of tea with her long, slender fingers. She was difficult to notice - she'd been sitting there for quite some time, and not one person had looked her way.
She sat there during the confrontation between the Chikaku and Bosatsu duelists, and after the Bosatsu duelists finished their game and went back home, and a little longer to finish her tea. She sighed, contentedly, then left some change at her table and departed.
She walked for a while in thoughtful silence. Eventually, she stopped, overlooking the Bosatsu dueling compound. It was dark, but she could see a few lights on inside the duelists' dormitory.
She drew her phone out of her pocket, traced one finger across its screen in a simple pattern, then brought it to her ear. It rang twice before being answered.
"Hello." The voice was harshly distorted, computerized.
"Everything is right on schedule." Her voice was soft, susurrant. "They really seem to have taken a shine to Kotei Jin. Is the Auxesis project progressing?"
"The team has run into some difficulty, but it should be complete in time."
"Good." She glanced off into the distance. "Now, I have a few loose ends to tie up before the championship really gets underway. Send me a copy of the expanded dossiers on the Bosatsu duelists, would you?"
"Of course. I'll have someone keep an eye on them while you're away."
"Spectacular. I'll be seeing you soon." Her eyes narrowed in a private smile as she hung up the phone.
She stood there, watching the dormitory, for a few moments longer. Then, a wind blew past, and she was gone.
~
Renjin stared straight ahead, his pupils shrunk to pinpoints, his mouth hanging open. Sweat dripped from his forehead.
"Match to Kyoru Arashi, three points to zero!"
"H... how?" he stammered. "How did you...?"
"When you duel," replied Kyoru philosophically, "you strike with your hand, do you not?"
Renjin nodded, numbly.
"Then you will never win against a true duelist. To win, you must strike with the entirety of your being. You must cut your opponent down with your killing intent itself. Only then will your hand follow." He began to turn for the exit.
"You're... you're not human."
Kyoru fixed Renjin with his gaze, even through his mirrored glasses. Renjin fell to his knees under its weight. "What about me is inhuman? That I do not flinch? That I do not falter?" Venomous Kyoru shook his head, and strode out of the arena.
"If this is what you mean by humanity... then it is useless to a champion."
Renjin was trying to look relaxed, nonchalant, but it wasn't quite working. The waiting was getting to him - he kept shifting his weight from foot to foot, fidgeting, looking around at the crowd, at the entrance his opponent would emerge from any second.
He was nervous, yes, but he was also excited. He felt like a live wire, coursing with energy. He had spent so long training, honing his skills to a razor edge, drilling and sparring and meditating. He was easily the strongest duelist on his team, and they were championship-strength duelists in their own right.
And now, by sheer chance, he was going to face the legendary Venomous Kyoru in the first round of the championship.
But where was he?
The crowd's volume was rising again. There was still no sign of Kyoru. Renjin turned to look at his captain, waiting at the door he had entered by. He tilted his head quizzically, she shrugged back at him.
Then, the crowd went silent. Renjin tensed, and slowly turned to see his opponent approaching.
Kyoru Arashi, "Venomous" Kyoru. The stories Renjin had heard, the videos he had seen, none of it had prepared him for this moment. The boy's presence was almost tangible, like waves of heat emanating from his body. His demeanor, however, was utterly cold. His eyes were hidden behind mirrored shades, his movements were precise and controlled. His hair, black as obsidian, was buzzed short, and formed a widow's peak that looked sharp enough to cut yourself on. Renjin felt faint, and for a moment couldn't draw more than a very shallow breath. What is this energy? Kyoru's stare, blank with - contempt? - seemed to hammer on Renjin, making it difficult even to think. How is he doing this?!
Kyoru was patient, though, and Renjin soon gathered the strength to speak. He laughed, first, to remind himself of the enthusiasm he had been feeling only a few moments earlier. "Venomous Kyoru... it's an honor to face you so early in the tournament." He clenched his fists. "But you're going to see I'm not some novice you can sweep aside!"
Kyoru replied, "Is that so." His voice was deep, resonant, and seemed to shake Renjin's very bones.
It wasn't a question, but Renjin pressed on. "My hand is swift, my eye is keen. I've studied the Crimson Mantis style, the Lunging Crane, the Thrashing Shark. I've mastered the Four Names of the River Dragon, and brought their power to bear against many formidable opponents." He spoke this like a mantra. "Even you cannot stop me."
Kyoru was unmoved. "Show me."
~
The silver-haired girl sat at a table in the back of the pool hall, holding a cup of tea with her long, slender fingers. She was difficult to notice - she'd been sitting there for quite some time, and not one person had looked her way.
She sat there during the confrontation between the Chikaku and Bosatsu duelists, and after the Bosatsu duelists finished their game and went back home, and a little longer to finish her tea. She sighed, contentedly, then left some change at her table and departed.
She walked for a while in thoughtful silence. Eventually, she stopped, overlooking the Bosatsu dueling compound. It was dark, but she could see a few lights on inside the duelists' dormitory.
She drew her phone out of her pocket, traced one finger across its screen in a simple pattern, then brought it to her ear. It rang twice before being answered.
"Hello." The voice was harshly distorted, computerized.
"Everything is right on schedule." Her voice was soft, susurrant. "They really seem to have taken a shine to Kotei Jin. Is the Auxesis project progressing?"
"The team has run into some difficulty, but it should be complete in time."
"Good." She glanced off into the distance. "Now, I have a few loose ends to tie up before the championship really gets underway. Send me a copy of the expanded dossiers on the Bosatsu duelists, would you?"
"Of course. I'll have someone keep an eye on them while you're away."
"Spectacular. I'll be seeing you soon." Her eyes narrowed in a private smile as she hung up the phone.
She stood there, watching the dormitory, for a few moments longer. Then, a wind blew past, and she was gone.
~
Renjin stared straight ahead, his pupils shrunk to pinpoints, his mouth hanging open. Sweat dripped from his forehead.
"Match to Kyoru Arashi, three points to zero!"
"H... how?" he stammered. "How did you...?"
"When you duel," replied Kyoru philosophically, "you strike with your hand, do you not?"
Renjin nodded, numbly.
"Then you will never win against a true duelist. To win, you must strike with the entirety of your being. You must cut your opponent down with your killing intent itself. Only then will your hand follow." He began to turn for the exit.
"You're... you're not human."
Kyoru fixed Renjin with his gaze, even through his mirrored glasses. Renjin fell to his knees under its weight. "What about me is inhuman? That I do not flinch? That I do not falter?" Venomous Kyoru shook his head, and strode out of the arena.
"If this is what you mean by humanity... then it is useless to a champion."
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Episode 9 - Billiards-Jutsu!
Krak! The cue ball slammed into the racked billiard balls and scattered them across the table, two immediately flying into the far corner pockets. Ryoichi Kei straightened up, rested his cue on his shoulder.
"I'll be solids then."
Effortlessly, he sank another few balls, one after the other. Finally, he missed one, and the cue ball rolled to a stop on the table's green felt.
Ryoichi sighed, tossed his long hair aside. "Your turn, Ji-kun."
Jihara Akatsuki approached the table. The pool cue looked too small in his hands. He peered down it solemnly at the cue ball, carefully sizing up the lay of the table, planning his shot. He drew it back carefully, and paused for a moment before striking.
Then, in a single sharp movement, scratched along the felt, hit the cue ball off center, and made it hop across the table and crash into a pocket without hitting a single other ball. He stood back from the table with an embarrassed smile, ceding his place to Ryoichi.
Meanwhile, at the next table over, Yukimura Hisoka was studying the positions of the cue ball and her targets. Her eyes darted across the table, a thoughtful expression on her face, as though she was calculating angles of collision, simulating possible shots.
"Any time now, Yuki-chan," said Mizumigawa Shin, grinning confidently and leaning on her pool cue, waiting for her opponent to take her shot. Yukimura shot her a withering look, then, after a moment, rested her hand on the table, laid the cue between forefinger and thumb, and fired off a confident, solid shot. The balls careened around the table, rebounding at precise angles, and two striped balls sank into the pockets at the table's edges.
The next shot was more difficult. Yukimura decided she didn't want to risk going for another point, and instead made a careful shot that left Mizumigawa in a terrible position.
Mizumigawa looked askance at the table as the cue ball rolled into place, blocking all her potential shots. It would take a double-rebound at least to even try to hit one of the solid balls. But she just casually lined up a shot - right at a striped ball.
"Mizu-kun, you know you're solids, right?" Yukimura looked down at her skeptically.
Mizumigawa just smirked, drew the cue back, and struck viciously at the cue ball - it spun rapidly, swinging out to the side, and curved around the striped ball, smacking right into the solid ball behind it, knocking it into the far pocket. She looked up with a gleam in her eye - Yukimura's expression was frozen on her face.
Ryoichi sank the 8-ball with a flourish. "That's the game! Sorry, Ji-kun." The group of girls who had drifted over to surround him (Though I didn't actually see them arrive, thought Kotei Jin) giggled and cheered. Jihara gave another embarrassed smile as he gestured for Jin to take his place.
(Only Ryoichi saw, mixed in with the self-deprecating embarrassment, a faint flicker of disproportionate shame.)
Jin would be facing Ryoichi in this next round. As they gathered the balls from the pockets, he thought to himself that it was nice that even such a serious dueling team could take some time out to play a simple, relaxing game.
Jin took the first shot, scattered the pool balls. They bounced about the table, rebounded off each other - but none went in.
"Good break," said Ryoichi, turning from delivering what was apparently a hilarious witticism to his laughing herd of fans, "but you'll regret giving me a turn!"
He made good on his threat! He put away a series of balls in short order, only half paying attention to the game, keeping up his stream of banter with the crowd.
Jin was... impressed.
But still, it couldn't continue forever, and after the first few points he missed a shot, leaving Jin with a choice between several tricky shots.
Jin looked down his pool cue from different angles, trying to figure out which shot to go for. This one was at an awkward angle, that one was more straightforward but lay further down the table. He decided to go for the closer shot, and leaned in close to the cue ball, aiming carefully.
Suddenly, another cue ball clattered onto the table, smashing his out of the way, just in front of his face. The giggling stopped, and Jin looked up, startled, at the next table over.
"Sorry about that." A boy with dark, stringy hair hanging in front of his face was standing there, holding a pool cue and wearing a completely unapologetic grin. He'd been playing a round with a girl in a light-yellow sundress, and had apparently chipped his cue ball from one table to the other.
He drifted over to their table, picked up the ball. "Hey," he added, as though just recognizing them, "you guys are from Bosatsu Academy, aren't you?"
"Indeed we are," replied Ryoichi warmly.
The boy with the messy hair indicated the girl in the sundress with his thumb. "We're from Chikaku. I'm Kumoru Yuji."
The girl waved cheerily, a big smile on her face. "I'm Nanafushi Kazue-chan!"
Kumoru raised his head slightly as though looking down at them, a contemptuous smirk on his face. "So these are our first opponents in the championship."
"No," said Mizumigawa, stepping forward, "we're your only opponents. No way you'll make it past us!" She crossed her arms, grinning.
Kumoru laughed, harshly and too loudly. He drew himself up to his full height - he seemed to grow a foot at least - and leaned forward. "Look at you," he hissed. Mizumigawa's hands dropped to her sides, and the hair stood up on the back of her neck. "You're pretty tough, aren't you?" His voice had gotten lower, cold and deliberate. "What's wrong? You've gotten quiet. Why don't you show me your stuff?" He seemed perfectly still, but somehow he had gotten way too close. Still, except for his eyes, which darted and flickered about. "I want to see what you're made of." Everyone seemed to be frozen. The atmosphere had changed so suddenly and drastically, they were just starting to react when Kumoru grabbed Mizumigawa's wrist.
Krak.
In a flash, he lay sprawled on the ground, Mizumigawa standing opposite him. Her feet were spread apart, one hand formed into a fist, a fighting stance. A trickle of blood dripped from Kumoru's lip.
She whispered, "don't you ever touch me."
Then, everyone remembered how to move. Ryoichi and the others ran to Mizumigawa's side, Nanafushi to Kumoru's. She reached down to help him up.
He pushed her hand away, wiped at the blood. "Keep a leash on that one," he sneered, then pushed his way to his feet. "Now I'm really looking forward to this match." He narrowed his eyes at Mizumigawa. "I'm going to eat you alive."
She jerked her hand back as though about to strike again, and he flinched. Without another word, he turned and strode out of the room.
Nanafushi Kazue lingered for a moment, the same smile inexplicably still on her face. "Sorry about him! He can be sorta difficult sometimes, I know." She turned to follow him, and then paused, as though she had just remembered something.
"Oh... but we are going to eat you alive."
She laughed lightly, then sprinted after Kumoru.
The Bosatsu duelists looked at each other in silence for a long moment.
Slowly, Mizumigawa pushed her way out of the group, picked up a cue stick.
"Are we going to finish this game?"
"I'll be solids then."
Effortlessly, he sank another few balls, one after the other. Finally, he missed one, and the cue ball rolled to a stop on the table's green felt.
Ryoichi sighed, tossed his long hair aside. "Your turn, Ji-kun."
Jihara Akatsuki approached the table. The pool cue looked too small in his hands. He peered down it solemnly at the cue ball, carefully sizing up the lay of the table, planning his shot. He drew it back carefully, and paused for a moment before striking.
Then, in a single sharp movement, scratched along the felt, hit the cue ball off center, and made it hop across the table and crash into a pocket without hitting a single other ball. He stood back from the table with an embarrassed smile, ceding his place to Ryoichi.
Meanwhile, at the next table over, Yukimura Hisoka was studying the positions of the cue ball and her targets. Her eyes darted across the table, a thoughtful expression on her face, as though she was calculating angles of collision, simulating possible shots.
"Any time now, Yuki-chan," said Mizumigawa Shin, grinning confidently and leaning on her pool cue, waiting for her opponent to take her shot. Yukimura shot her a withering look, then, after a moment, rested her hand on the table, laid the cue between forefinger and thumb, and fired off a confident, solid shot. The balls careened around the table, rebounding at precise angles, and two striped balls sank into the pockets at the table's edges.
The next shot was more difficult. Yukimura decided she didn't want to risk going for another point, and instead made a careful shot that left Mizumigawa in a terrible position.
Mizumigawa looked askance at the table as the cue ball rolled into place, blocking all her potential shots. It would take a double-rebound at least to even try to hit one of the solid balls. But she just casually lined up a shot - right at a striped ball.
"Mizu-kun, you know you're solids, right?" Yukimura looked down at her skeptically.
Mizumigawa just smirked, drew the cue back, and struck viciously at the cue ball - it spun rapidly, swinging out to the side, and curved around the striped ball, smacking right into the solid ball behind it, knocking it into the far pocket. She looked up with a gleam in her eye - Yukimura's expression was frozen on her face.
Ryoichi sank the 8-ball with a flourish. "That's the game! Sorry, Ji-kun." The group of girls who had drifted over to surround him (Though I didn't actually see them arrive, thought Kotei Jin) giggled and cheered. Jihara gave another embarrassed smile as he gestured for Jin to take his place.
(Only Ryoichi saw, mixed in with the self-deprecating embarrassment, a faint flicker of disproportionate shame.)
Jin would be facing Ryoichi in this next round. As they gathered the balls from the pockets, he thought to himself that it was nice that even such a serious dueling team could take some time out to play a simple, relaxing game.
Jin took the first shot, scattered the pool balls. They bounced about the table, rebounded off each other - but none went in.
"Good break," said Ryoichi, turning from delivering what was apparently a hilarious witticism to his laughing herd of fans, "but you'll regret giving me a turn!"
He made good on his threat! He put away a series of balls in short order, only half paying attention to the game, keeping up his stream of banter with the crowd.
Jin was... impressed.
But still, it couldn't continue forever, and after the first few points he missed a shot, leaving Jin with a choice between several tricky shots.
Jin looked down his pool cue from different angles, trying to figure out which shot to go for. This one was at an awkward angle, that one was more straightforward but lay further down the table. He decided to go for the closer shot, and leaned in close to the cue ball, aiming carefully.
Suddenly, another cue ball clattered onto the table, smashing his out of the way, just in front of his face. The giggling stopped, and Jin looked up, startled, at the next table over.
"Sorry about that." A boy with dark, stringy hair hanging in front of his face was standing there, holding a pool cue and wearing a completely unapologetic grin. He'd been playing a round with a girl in a light-yellow sundress, and had apparently chipped his cue ball from one table to the other.
He drifted over to their table, picked up the ball. "Hey," he added, as though just recognizing them, "you guys are from Bosatsu Academy, aren't you?"
"Indeed we are," replied Ryoichi warmly.
The boy with the messy hair indicated the girl in the sundress with his thumb. "We're from Chikaku. I'm Kumoru Yuji."
The girl waved cheerily, a big smile on her face. "I'm Nanafushi Kazue-chan!"
Kumoru raised his head slightly as though looking down at them, a contemptuous smirk on his face. "So these are our first opponents in the championship."
"No," said Mizumigawa, stepping forward, "we're your only opponents. No way you'll make it past us!" She crossed her arms, grinning.
Kumoru laughed, harshly and too loudly. He drew himself up to his full height - he seemed to grow a foot at least - and leaned forward. "Look at you," he hissed. Mizumigawa's hands dropped to her sides, and the hair stood up on the back of her neck. "You're pretty tough, aren't you?" His voice had gotten lower, cold and deliberate. "What's wrong? You've gotten quiet. Why don't you show me your stuff?" He seemed perfectly still, but somehow he had gotten way too close. Still, except for his eyes, which darted and flickered about. "I want to see what you're made of." Everyone seemed to be frozen. The atmosphere had changed so suddenly and drastically, they were just starting to react when Kumoru grabbed Mizumigawa's wrist.
Krak.
In a flash, he lay sprawled on the ground, Mizumigawa standing opposite him. Her feet were spread apart, one hand formed into a fist, a fighting stance. A trickle of blood dripped from Kumoru's lip.
She whispered, "don't you ever touch me."
Then, everyone remembered how to move. Ryoichi and the others ran to Mizumigawa's side, Nanafushi to Kumoru's. She reached down to help him up.
He pushed her hand away, wiped at the blood. "Keep a leash on that one," he sneered, then pushed his way to his feet. "Now I'm really looking forward to this match." He narrowed his eyes at Mizumigawa. "I'm going to eat you alive."
She jerked her hand back as though about to strike again, and he flinched. Without another word, he turned and strode out of the room.
Nanafushi Kazue lingered for a moment, the same smile inexplicably still on her face. "Sorry about him! He can be sorta difficult sometimes, I know." She turned to follow him, and then paused, as though she had just remembered something.
"Oh... but we are going to eat you alive."
She laughed lightly, then sprinted after Kumoru.
The Bosatsu duelists looked at each other in silence for a long moment.
Slowly, Mizumigawa pushed her way out of the group, picked up a cue stick.
"Are we going to finish this game?"
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Episode 8 - Training
Ryoichi clasped his hands behind his back. He paced in front of the lower-ranked duelists of the team, arranged in rows before him in the courtyard.
"When I say to begin, you will make your first throw. You will all throw simultaneously, then continue making new throws every second. Make your sequence as unpredictable as possible. If I do predict one of your throws," he paused menacingly, obviously enjoying this chance to chew the scenery, "you will give me ten pushups, then return to your sequence!" His head snapped towards them. "Begin!"
The students' hands descended in tandem; Rock, Paper, and Scissors flashing out in rapid succession. Ryoichi slowly stalked down each row, a cunning smile in his eyes.
"Scissors," he said. The boy in front of him had indeed thrown Scissors, the moment he had said it. He looked up at Ryoichi, who arched an eyebrow. The boy dropped to the ground, started his ten pushups.
"Paper," Ryoichi walked down the rows, "Paper," surveying his subjects, "Scissors," and with each word, "Rock," another one fell to the ground.
Then, he paused. He was watching the next student in line, a boy with a fierce, determined look. The next few throws ticked by - Scissors, Rock, Rock, Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Ryoichi grinned. "Pretty good," he whispered to himself, then turned his attention to the next student. "Scissors!"
~
Mizumigawa rolled out of the dueling arena and into the main office like a thundering stormcloud, her irritation practically forking through the air around her. She kicked the mini-fridge open, cracked open a soda, drank it in seconds, crumpled the can, and chucked it forcefully into the garbage, teetering the basket.
Jihara entered behind her, an almost embarrassed air about him. "You've become much faster, Mizumigawa-dono. It is very difficult to read you."
"One point! I got one measly point. I'm not fast enough." She drew herself up as tall as she could, looked Jihara in the eye. "But I'm going to beat you."
He blinked. "Ah," he started, but she was out of the door by then.
~
Behind the compound's main building and the duelists' dormitory, there was a small zen garden of low plants, winding paths, large stones, carefully raked sand. It was quiet and serene, insulated by some architectural means from the sounds of Ryoichi's drills in the courtyard.
On two large rocks near the middle of the garden, surrounded by sweeping waves of sand, sat Yukimura Hisoka and Kotei Jin. Jin tugged at the blindfold over his eyes, adjusting it, seemingly unable to find a comfortable way for it to sit on his head.
"Stop playing with that," said Yukimura, "you need to focus."
Jin lowered his hands to his lap, grudgingly.
"Ultimately, in the moment," she began, "Rock Paper Scissors isn't about your feelings. It's about your choices. Rock, no matter how forcefully thrown, cannot tear Paper. Paper, no matter how cleverly planned, cannot entangle Scissors. Scissors, no matter how sharp, cannot cut Rock."
"So why are we...?" asked Jin, trailing off and gesturing at the garden around them.
Yukimura shook her head. "This isn't about spiritual enlightenment. We're only here because it's quiet." She raised one hand. "I'm going to make a throw, and you're going to tell me what it was."
"How am I supposed to to do that?!"
"I don't care how you do it," she replied. "But I'd suggest paying careful attention. If you're not willing to do what seems impossible, you won't last long in the championship." A pause. "What did I just throw?"
"... I didn't hear a thing."
"Then keep quiet and try again."
Jin frowned, concentrated, reached out with his mind for the faintest sound, the tiniest vibration. Then, a faint rustle, Yukimura's clothes? The air around her hand?
"What did I throw?"
"... Paper?"
"How sure are you?"
Jin shrugged. "How should I know? It was just a guess."
"That was Scissors. Do it again."
Another faint sound, which Jin thought was slightly different this time.
"Paper?"
"Scissors again."
"This is pointless!"
"What's pointless," snapped Yukimura, "is guessing randomly. You'll never learn how to do it if you rely on chance! As soon as you start thinking like that in a duel, your opponent has the advantage."
Jin snapped back at her, "then why do you keep asking me what you threw?! There's no way I'd be able to do this so quickly! The only right answer would be for me to keep silent!"
Yukimura smirked. "Now that is a clever idea. You're right, don't bother guessing, just listen."
Then, "Rock." Another pause. "Rock. Paper. Rock. Scissors."
Jin simply sat there listening. His anger died down, and he became quickly absorbed in the succession of sounds.
Time passed, Yukimura making a series of throws at the blindfolded Jin, Jin silent and still.
"Scissors. Rock. Scissors." Then, suddenly, they said together, "Scissors."
"... Very good. I think you're catching on."
"I'm still not entirely sure what you've thrown," mused Jin, "but I think my guesses are better than chance now."
"That's enough for today, you two." Jin turned and peeked under his blindfold. Ryoichi Kei stood at the entrance to the garden. To Jin's surprise, it was starting to get dark. How long had he been training? "Good work, but you need to take a break sometime." Ryoichi gestured for them to follow with a slight incline of his head. "I'm going to go play some pool with Ji-kun and Mizu-kun. Want to join us?"
Yukimura stood, stretched. "Why not?"
Jin hopped up from his rock. He started for the garden's entrance, then stopped, turned to Yukimura. "Thank you for training with me, senpai."
She raised an eyebrow. "Training like this is useful, even necessary. But your best teacher will never be a teammate, or an ally, or a friend. It will be your strongest opponent, someone driven to find your every weakness."
Jin smiled and glanced at Ryoichi. "She's always this serious, isn't she?"
Ryoichi laughed. "Ha ha! Pretty much, yes." Yukimura frowned at them, half-seriously. "Now quick, we need to catch up with the others."
Ryoichi waited at the entrance for Yukimura as Jin walked ahead. He held up one hand to stop her as she reached him, not taking his eyes off of Jin. "He's good, isn't he?" His voice was quiet.
"He is." She also watched Jin. "I didn't expect him to do so well so quickly."
"Good enough for the championship?"
She shrugged. "Perhaps. No way to know yet." She looked up at Ryoichi. "You may have picked well this time."
Ryoichi smiled faintly, lowered his head in thought. Then, he started after Jin. "Come on, Yuki-chan."
~
"Bosatsu Academy." The boy wore a pressed white shirt, an expensive-looking haircut, an expression of long-practiced condescension that still looked strange on his youthful features. "They are to be our first opponents." His posture was rigid, his voice high and soft.
"Haven't faced them before," mumbled another boy. He had long, dark hair that hung untidily in front of his face, and though he was tall, his slouch brought him almost down to eye level with the first boy. He leaned against a wall nonchalantly.
"They're strong, but we've beaten stronger."
The slouching boy rolled his eyes. "So what's your point?"
The first boy glared. "I just want us to be ready. I've prepared reports on each of them, and you all should study them carefully before the match."
"Whatever. I don't need this stuff." He turned to leave. "I'm out of here."
The first boy pressed his hand to his forehead.
"Don't worry!" A girl, bubbly and smiling, with a brightly-colored sundress. "I'll make sure he reads it!" She giggled, and grabbed two copies of the documents. "Wait for me!" She ran out after the boy who had left.
The boy sighed. "Fine, go." He picked up another copy, flipped through the pages. He tapped his finger on a picture of Ryoichi. Then, he closed his eyes, let out a deep breath.
A thin smile slowly crept across his face. "These people... have no idea what they're in for."
"When I say to begin, you will make your first throw. You will all throw simultaneously, then continue making new throws every second. Make your sequence as unpredictable as possible. If I do predict one of your throws," he paused menacingly, obviously enjoying this chance to chew the scenery, "you will give me ten pushups, then return to your sequence!" His head snapped towards them. "Begin!"
The students' hands descended in tandem; Rock, Paper, and Scissors flashing out in rapid succession. Ryoichi slowly stalked down each row, a cunning smile in his eyes.
"Scissors," he said. The boy in front of him had indeed thrown Scissors, the moment he had said it. He looked up at Ryoichi, who arched an eyebrow. The boy dropped to the ground, started his ten pushups.
"Paper," Ryoichi walked down the rows, "Paper," surveying his subjects, "Scissors," and with each word, "Rock," another one fell to the ground.
Then, he paused. He was watching the next student in line, a boy with a fierce, determined look. The next few throws ticked by - Scissors, Rock, Rock, Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Ryoichi grinned. "Pretty good," he whispered to himself, then turned his attention to the next student. "Scissors!"
~
Mizumigawa rolled out of the dueling arena and into the main office like a thundering stormcloud, her irritation practically forking through the air around her. She kicked the mini-fridge open, cracked open a soda, drank it in seconds, crumpled the can, and chucked it forcefully into the garbage, teetering the basket.
Jihara entered behind her, an almost embarrassed air about him. "You've become much faster, Mizumigawa-dono. It is very difficult to read you."
"One point! I got one measly point. I'm not fast enough." She drew herself up as tall as she could, looked Jihara in the eye. "But I'm going to beat you."
He blinked. "Ah," he started, but she was out of the door by then.
~
Behind the compound's main building and the duelists' dormitory, there was a small zen garden of low plants, winding paths, large stones, carefully raked sand. It was quiet and serene, insulated by some architectural means from the sounds of Ryoichi's drills in the courtyard.
On two large rocks near the middle of the garden, surrounded by sweeping waves of sand, sat Yukimura Hisoka and Kotei Jin. Jin tugged at the blindfold over his eyes, adjusting it, seemingly unable to find a comfortable way for it to sit on his head.
"Stop playing with that," said Yukimura, "you need to focus."
Jin lowered his hands to his lap, grudgingly.
"Ultimately, in the moment," she began, "Rock Paper Scissors isn't about your feelings. It's about your choices. Rock, no matter how forcefully thrown, cannot tear Paper. Paper, no matter how cleverly planned, cannot entangle Scissors. Scissors, no matter how sharp, cannot cut Rock."
"So why are we...?" asked Jin, trailing off and gesturing at the garden around them.
Yukimura shook her head. "This isn't about spiritual enlightenment. We're only here because it's quiet." She raised one hand. "I'm going to make a throw, and you're going to tell me what it was."
"How am I supposed to to do that?!"
"I don't care how you do it," she replied. "But I'd suggest paying careful attention. If you're not willing to do what seems impossible, you won't last long in the championship." A pause. "What did I just throw?"
"... I didn't hear a thing."
"Then keep quiet and try again."
Jin frowned, concentrated, reached out with his mind for the faintest sound, the tiniest vibration. Then, a faint rustle, Yukimura's clothes? The air around her hand?
"What did I throw?"
"... Paper?"
"How sure are you?"
Jin shrugged. "How should I know? It was just a guess."
"That was Scissors. Do it again."
Another faint sound, which Jin thought was slightly different this time.
"Paper?"
"Scissors again."
"This is pointless!"
"What's pointless," snapped Yukimura, "is guessing randomly. You'll never learn how to do it if you rely on chance! As soon as you start thinking like that in a duel, your opponent has the advantage."
Jin snapped back at her, "then why do you keep asking me what you threw?! There's no way I'd be able to do this so quickly! The only right answer would be for me to keep silent!"
Yukimura smirked. "Now that is a clever idea. You're right, don't bother guessing, just listen."
Then, "Rock." Another pause. "Rock. Paper. Rock. Scissors."
Jin simply sat there listening. His anger died down, and he became quickly absorbed in the succession of sounds.
Time passed, Yukimura making a series of throws at the blindfolded Jin, Jin silent and still.
"Scissors. Rock. Scissors." Then, suddenly, they said together, "Scissors."
"... Very good. I think you're catching on."
"I'm still not entirely sure what you've thrown," mused Jin, "but I think my guesses are better than chance now."
"That's enough for today, you two." Jin turned and peeked under his blindfold. Ryoichi Kei stood at the entrance to the garden. To Jin's surprise, it was starting to get dark. How long had he been training? "Good work, but you need to take a break sometime." Ryoichi gestured for them to follow with a slight incline of his head. "I'm going to go play some pool with Ji-kun and Mizu-kun. Want to join us?"
Yukimura stood, stretched. "Why not?"
Jin hopped up from his rock. He started for the garden's entrance, then stopped, turned to Yukimura. "Thank you for training with me, senpai."
She raised an eyebrow. "Training like this is useful, even necessary. But your best teacher will never be a teammate, or an ally, or a friend. It will be your strongest opponent, someone driven to find your every weakness."
Jin smiled and glanced at Ryoichi. "She's always this serious, isn't she?"
Ryoichi laughed. "Ha ha! Pretty much, yes." Yukimura frowned at them, half-seriously. "Now quick, we need to catch up with the others."
Ryoichi waited at the entrance for Yukimura as Jin walked ahead. He held up one hand to stop her as she reached him, not taking his eyes off of Jin. "He's good, isn't he?" His voice was quiet.
"He is." She also watched Jin. "I didn't expect him to do so well so quickly."
"Good enough for the championship?"
She shrugged. "Perhaps. No way to know yet." She looked up at Ryoichi. "You may have picked well this time."
Ryoichi smiled faintly, lowered his head in thought. Then, he started after Jin. "Come on, Yuki-chan."
~
"Bosatsu Academy." The boy wore a pressed white shirt, an expensive-looking haircut, an expression of long-practiced condescension that still looked strange on his youthful features. "They are to be our first opponents." His posture was rigid, his voice high and soft.
"Haven't faced them before," mumbled another boy. He had long, dark hair that hung untidily in front of his face, and though he was tall, his slouch brought him almost down to eye level with the first boy. He leaned against a wall nonchalantly.
"They're strong, but we've beaten stronger."
The slouching boy rolled his eyes. "So what's your point?"
The first boy glared. "I just want us to be ready. I've prepared reports on each of them, and you all should study them carefully before the match."
"Whatever. I don't need this stuff." He turned to leave. "I'm out of here."
The first boy pressed his hand to his forehead.
"Don't worry!" A girl, bubbly and smiling, with a brightly-colored sundress. "I'll make sure he reads it!" She giggled, and grabbed two copies of the documents. "Wait for me!" She ran out after the boy who had left.
The boy sighed. "Fine, go." He picked up another copy, flipped through the pages. He tapped his finger on a picture of Ryoichi. Then, he closed his eyes, let out a deep breath.
A thin smile slowly crept across his face. "These people... have no idea what they're in for."
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Aside
Hello everyone! Now that we've reached the end of the first "mini-arc" of the story, I'm going to take a short break from updating with new episodes to work out a few things about the next few chunks of plot. I may break up the wait with a side-story, or maybe bad drawings of the cast so far.
In the meantime - after these first seven episodes, what do you think? Do you like what you're reading? Do you have questions that need answers (or vague evasions)? Is there anything in particular you want to see? Anything you're looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!
And if you are enjoying Jankenjutsu, spread the word! Pass a link along to your pals, chums, acquaintances, buddies, comrades, spouses, or nemeses.
In the meantime - after these first seven episodes, what do you think? Do you like what you're reading? Do you have questions that need answers (or vague evasions)? Is there anything in particular you want to see? Anything you're looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!
And if you are enjoying Jankenjutsu, spread the word! Pass a link along to your pals, chums, acquaintances, buddies, comrades, spouses, or nemeses.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Episode 7 - Lord of Emptiness
Empty.
Jihara Akatsuki stood calmly before Jin, but everything about him bespoke emptiness. There was no aggression in his stance, no strategy visible to Jin's Thousand-Devil Eye. There was no fire in his eyes, serenely half-closed. Even his skin was pale, his hair white as paper.
To Jin's sight, he was a walking void.
Jihara inclined his head a single degree. "Kotei-dono?" His voice was soft.
Jin shook himself out of his trance. "I'm ready, Jihara-san." That his supreme technique could be so thoroughly sealed - it was unthinkable! But he still had to find a way to win. He's been watching me all this time, planning his strategy. Jin raised his fist. But even though I can't see it, I should still be able to win this.
"Rock!"
After all, I've been preparing a "surprise" for just this sort of opponent!
"Paper!"
Jin smiled to himself. He couldn't have used this in the earlier matches, but it would be perfect against a duelist who had been observing him for this long.
"Scissors!"
As he prepared to throw, he shifted his back foot slightly - almost unnoticeably! - but he had taken care to make a similar adjustment in every match that day, just before throwing Paper. Not every time, but often enough - and only before Paper. If Jihara had been watching carefully, analyzing Jin's movements in preparation for this duel, he might have seen it - if he was as formidable as he seemed, able to negate the Thousand-Devil Eye so effortlessly, he must have seen it! So Jihara would throw Scissors, if he saw the tell Jin had been constructing over the past three matches - which meant Jin needed to throw-
"SHOOT!"
"I... impossible!" Jin's hand trembled, still showing Rock. Jihara's Paper, meanwhile, was as steady as stone. His throw had been swift and powerful, utterly confident.
Mizumigawa muttered to the others. "The tell was a fake... this Kotei Jin was planning that throw this whole time! And it would have worked, but..."
"But that sort of thing could never work on Jihara-san," finished Ryoichi. "He's a fascinating duelist. It's almost as though he can read his opponents' minds."
"It must be tormenting Kotei-san," mused Yukimura.
Jin felt panic rising inside him. Jihara had defeated his Thousand-Devil Eye! Seen right through his trap! There has to be something...
Then, a desperate plan occurred to him. It wasn't much, but it was something to grasp at, something that could maybe pull him out of this mire! I'll play a random throw. Everyone knows that humans can't produce true randomness, and trying to sustain a random sequence is tactical suicide. But if I find some way to generate a random throw right now, there's no way he could predict it - or force my choice! If I can pull it off, I'll have a two-thirds chance of getting at least some extra time to try to fight back. He cast about for something he could use. The only things in the room were... Yes! I'll use those!
The two keys to his salvation were right there in the room - the clock on the scoreboard, and the other duelists watching him. First, I'll pick an ordering of the throws. Scissors, Rock, Paper, that should do. Next, I'll wait until Ryoichi-san blinks. For a tense few seconds, Jin waited. It seemed endless! Jihara was still, watching Jin with calm interest. Then... it happened! He blinked! Yes! Now I'll note the number of seconds past the full minute displayed on the clock - thirty-five seconds. Now, if zero seconds means Scissors, one means Rock, and two means Paper, as I decided before, then I just have to determine the value of thirty-five modulo three, that is, the remainder of thirty-five divided by three. That's simple, it's two - meaning I'll throw Paper! There's no way he could predict that whole sequence - I have a chance!
Jin raised his fist grimly.
"Rock!"
All I can do now...
"Paper!"
is put my whole heart...
"Scissors!"
behind this throw!
"SHOOT!"
Jihara's hand flicked out at the very last instant.
Scissors.
Jin stumbled backwards as though he'd been struck, almost tripped at the edge of his platform, staggered, but managed to keep his balance. He couldn't believe it - he'd been beaten so thoroughly! Every technique demolished! Every throw predicted! He stared blankly ahead, trying to figure out how it had happened.
Jihara lowered his hand, turned halfway towards the bench, then stopped.
"Kotei-dono." Jin's eyes jerked toward him. "Right now you're thinking - 'How did he outwit me?' - am I right?"
Jin said nothing.
"Do not worry. I didn't outwit you, Kotei-dono. I didn't have to outwit you in order to win." He still didn't turn to face Jin. "My talent is 'perception'. I don't have keen insight into my opponent's mind as you do, nor into their heart as Ryoichi-dono does. But I can see their throw as they make it, react in the moment to counter them. Until then, I have no strategy. My mind is empty of preconceptions. I do not consider what to throw until I have seen what my opponent has thrown. That is my technique - 'Lord of Emptiness'."
He walked the rest of the way back to the bench, then sat.
"Guh," Jin commented incisively.
~
The Bosatsu Four had been conferring for no more than a few minutes, but to Jin it had felt interminable. He sat at the edge of the dueling platform, waiting, going over the day's duels in his head. What had he missed? Where were the clues that would turn losses into victories? And how could anyone beat someone like Jihara? With that "Lord of Emptiness" technique - he didn't even seem human.
The door opened. Jin, startled, looked up.
Ryoichi strode into the room, flanked by the other three duelists, the very picture of an emperor surveying his courtiers. "Kotei Jin." His voice had grown deeper and more resonant for the occasion, somehow. "You have impressed us. There is a long road ahead of this dueling team, one that will test the limits of all our abilities. If you are willing to undergo the grueling training, to fight duelists more powerful than you have ever faced - then we offer you a place on our team."
The door opened. Jin, startled, looked up.
Ryoichi strode into the room, flanked by the other three duelists, the very picture of an emperor surveying his courtiers. "Kotei Jin." His voice had grown deeper and more resonant for the occasion, somehow. "You have impressed us. There is a long road ahead of this dueling team, one that will test the limits of all our abilities. If you are willing to undergo the grueling training, to fight duelists more powerful than you have ever faced - then we offer you a place on our team."
Except what Jin heard in his heart wasn't "a place on our team", but instead "a chance for revenge". A chance to find some answers.
"Well, Kotei-kun? Do you accept?"
"... I do."
Ryoichi's serious expression broke into a warm smile. "Spectacular! Then as of today you will have full use of our facilities, as well as a room in the duelists' dormitory like us four. I'll send a few first-year students to help you move your things, we won't start training until tomorrow." He held out his hand to Jin. "Welcome to the team."
~
Later that evening, Ryoichi ambled down the hall towards Jin's room. "Kotei-kun! Come on, the team's going to get dinner to welcome you."
There was no response. "Kotei-kun?" Ryoichi knocked on the door. Still nothing. He tested the doorknob, found it unlocked. He opened the door, looked around briefly. Jin wasn't there. Through the window, he could see the main building of the compound. Ryoichi frowned.
He was right. When, a few minutes later, he opened the door to the central command room, he found Jin standing there with his back to the door, staring silently at the banks of monitors. On some, there was displayed a seemingly-endless litany:
Kyoru Arashi
There was no response. "Kotei-kun?" Ryoichi knocked on the door. Still nothing. He tested the doorknob, found it unlocked. He opened the door, looked around briefly. Jin wasn't there. Through the window, he could see the main building of the compound. Ryoichi frowned.
He was right. When, a few minutes later, he opened the door to the central command room, he found Jin standing there with his back to the door, staring silently at the banks of monitors. On some, there was displayed a seemingly-endless litany:
Kyoru Arashi
Dueling Records
Win 3-0
Win 3-0
Win 3-0
Win 3-0
Win 2-0 (forfeit)
Win 3-0
Win 3-0
Win 3-0
Win 3-0
Win 2-0 (forfeit)
Win 3-1
Win 3-0
Win 3-0
Win 3-0
Win 1-0 (forfeit)
Win 3-0
Win 3-0
Win 3-0
Win 3-0
Win 1-0 (forfeit)
Win 0-0 (forfeit)
Win 2-0 (forfeit)
On other screens, there were still frames from recorded duels. Duelists lay on the ground, weeping. One retched in a corner. One clutched her wrist, her face twisted in pain. Another wiped blood from his mouth.
In each of these duels, Venomous Kyoru stood opposite his victim, his face fixed in indifferent contempt.
"I... I knew he'd have gotten stronger since the Junior Grand National..." Jin's eyes were wide with horror, his voice shaking, "but this is beyond anything I've ever seen."
Ryoichi wrapped his arms around Jin's neck in a protective embrace. "It's okay, Kotei-kun. He's strong, but you're going to beat him. Together, we can win this championship. I promise."
Jin took a deep, shuddering breath. "Thank you, Ryoichi-san."
"Let's go. The five of us are going to get some dinner."
After a moment, Jin nodded, and they turned and left the room.
On one monitor, unnoticed, there was a picture of Kyoru Arashi with his dueling team. Behind him, with a smug smile on her face, was a girl with silver hair that covered one of her eyes.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Episode 6 - Thunderbolt
Kotei Jin stood facing Mizumigawa Shin. He had won his first match, and lost his second - though he was prouder of that one. He still had two opponents left to face - Mizumigawa, and Jihara.
"SHOOT!"
As her fist descended, there wasn't even the slightest shift in her hand. She was throwing Rock! Jin had just enough time to react to this-
"So, Mizumigawa-san, are you going to ask me about my reasons for fighting as well?"
Her face grew unusually serious at that. "Kotei-kun, let me tell you something." She spread her fingers and made a sweeping motion. "The world doesn't care what you want. It doesn't obey the just, or the deserving. It obeys the strong." She pushed her dark sunglasses up by the arm with the edge of her hand. "So don't tell me about your values - show me your strength!"
Jin narrowed his eyes, baring his teeth in an aggressive grin. "Fine by me."
Mizumigawa laughed, then spread her arms out. They traced a slow circle in the air - then, with a clap like thunder, her hands came together, her fingers interlaced, her forefingers steepled.
"RIN!" She shouted. "Seal of the thunderbolt!"
"Is this an esoteric technique?" Jin's eyes were steel.
"Hah! I don't need an esoteric technique to defeat the likes of you! I'm going to beat you with sheer power!" She pointed at him. "Kotei Jin! I am Mizumigawa Shin, the crushing force of the Bosatsu Four, and I will grind you to dust!" She pulled her hand back into a fist.
Jin smirked. "I can already see your first throw."
Jin's mind was burning. She was completely unfazed by his boast. She must have seen through it - figured out it was an attempt to manipulate her throw - and decided there was no threat. Clearly, she had already selected her throw, and was going to completely ignore his taunts.
Then, Jin's eyes went wide. No! She hasn't just selected this throw - she's selected all her throws for the match! No matter what I say, she plans to stick to her strategy. Well, we'll see about that. He raised his fist.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!"
If Jin was right, he could figure out from this first throw what her strategy was, then beat her by turning her own force against her.
"SHOOT!"
As her fist descended, there wasn't even the slightest shift in her hand. She was throwing Rock! Jin had just enough time to react to this-
But at the very last instant - Jin didn't even see the movement - her Rock unfurled into Scissors, cutting his Paper.
"Do you see, Kotei Jin? Your Thousand-Devil Eye is no match for my overwhelming force!"
Jin was stunned. Her speed and precise control were incredible, her movements would be impossible to read mid-throw. But her raw aggression made her wide-scale strategy easy for his Thousand-Devil Eye to perceive - it was obvious she planned to throw only Scissors for the whole match!
Jin was stunned. Her speed and precise control were incredible, her movements would be impossible to read mid-throw. But her raw aggression made her wide-scale strategy easy for his Thousand-Devil Eye to perceive - it was obvious she planned to throw only Scissors for the whole match!
But, thought Jin, I'm down by a point already. I'd better play this next round safe, confirm what I've seen - and then go for the kill in the following round!
Their fists pumped in tandem once again.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! SHOOT!"
A tie - Scissors against Scissors. I was right! She's going to follow this strategy for the whole match - so if I play this carefully, I can let her own "overwhelming force" destroy her!
Mizumigawa looked impatient. "You're too slow. Come on! Throw again!"
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! SHOOT!"
Jin's Rock crushed her Scissors. Hah! She's falling for it! Just one more throw and I've won!
Jin's Rock crushed her Scissors. Hah! She's falling for it! Just one more throw and I've won!
But something made him stop. She was hiding it well, but he could see she looked nervous. Damn! I've been too obvious. She can see that I've figured out her strategy. She might break the pattern-
"What did I say?! Don't just stand there, throw again!"
Jin frowned, but raised his fist.
"Rock!"
She was definitely feeling the pressure - but was it enough to make her switch to Paper to counter him?
"Paper!"
Jin saw a single bead of sweat on her brow. She's going to break.
"Scissors!"
I have to throw Scissors to counter her counter!
I have to throw Scissors to counter her counter!
"SHOOT!"
There was something on her face that made Jin realize his mistake in mid-throw. She had planned this whole thing! She had deliberately pre-committed to this aggressive strategy, predicting that he'd be able to figure it out, that he'd be able to make her break the pattern, and that he'd know the exact throw she'd break on, allowing him to switch to counter. So she wasn't faking it - she really was breaking to throw a counter - but she planned to throw the wrong counter! If she broke her run of Scissors to throw Rock, but he expected her to counter his own Rock with Paper, he'd throw Scissors - and she'd use the insight of his Thousand-Devil Eye against him, making him dig his own grave!
So at the very last instant, he switched his throw to Paper - even though she had thrown nothing but Scissors the entire match, this was the only way to win!
As their hands descended, they shouted a warrior's cry together.
In the silence afterward, they both held their throws - Jin's Paper, and Mizumigawa's Rock. They were breathing heavily from the exertion.
"... That was pretty cunning, Mizumigawa-san."
"Tch. You're lucky I went easy on you." She dropped her hand, grinning. "But you're not bad yourself, Kotei-kun."
She turned, and walked back to the bench. "You're up, Jihara-kun."
Jin turned to study the last member of the Bosatsu Four. He had been silent this whole time, his eyes almost closed, his expression impassive. He stood slowly, walked to the platform opposite Jin without any hurry.
Jin felt confident. The thrill of battle was coursing through his veins. This feeling - Ryoichi had seen a flicker of it on the tennis courts, but dueling strong opponents had fanned it into a devouring flame!
He turned the full force of his Thousand-Devil Eye on Jihara Akatsuki - then froze.
What he saw almost made him choke.
Nothing.
An absolute void.
It didn't seem like Jihara was blocking Jin's technique - instead, his stance was entirely empty.
Jihara spoke softly.
"Kotei-dono. Shall we begin?"
"Kotei-dono. Shall we begin?"
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Episode 5 - Scorn
Yukimura waited for Jin to raise his hand.
He was down by one point, in a match to two. But the situation was worse - he couldn't read her at all, couldn't trust his insight, couldn't trust that his insight would be untrustworthy. She was going to defeat him on this next throw, going to prove he was too weak to join the team, too weak to avenge his brother.
"Kotei Jin." Her voice was like ice-cold razors. "Raise your hand, or walk away and stop wasting our time."
Weakly, he did. His voice came out as barely a mumble:
"Rock. Paper. Scissors. Shoot."
It took him a moment to understand what he was looking at.
"A... tie?" They had both thrown Scissors. Had he been wrong? Was Yukimura not as strong as she seemed?
"Again." Her voice's tone hadn't changed.
"Rock. Paper. Scissors. Shoot."
Another tie - a pair of Papers.
Jin shook his head. What's going on?! He looked up at Yukimura, studied her carefully. There's got to be something I can use-
Then, his blood went cold.
"It looks like you understand now." Her eyes were hidden by the light reflecting off her glasses. "We're not tying because we're evenly matched. I'm choosing your throws for you."
"But-"
"Why don't I just finish you?" She gripped one lens of her glasses again between forefinger and thumb - almost, Jin suddenly thought, as though she was pretending to crush him. "I'm not letting you off that easily. For you to come here and play at this level - it's an insult to Bosatsu's entire dueling team. You only have two ways out of this duel now - beat me, or give up. That, or just wait for the hammer to fall." She raised her fist. "Again."
"Why don't I just finish you?" She gripped one lens of her glasses again between forefinger and thumb - almost, Jin suddenly thought, as though she was pretending to crush him. "I'm not letting you off that easily. For you to come here and play at this level - it's an insult to Bosatsu's entire dueling team. You only have two ways out of this duel now - beat me, or give up. That, or just wait for the hammer to fall." She raised her fist. "Again."
The throws landed like weights on Jin's back.
Scissors.
Paper.
Rock.
With each tie, it became harder for him to raise his head, more of an effort to make his throw.
~
Thousand-Devil Kotei stood before a sea of spectators. His hand sliced through the air, his Scissors effortlessly dispatching his opponent's Paper.
Victory. Three points to zero.
Kotei turned as his opponent wept. Over his shoulder, he shouted - "Maybe if you had another hundred years to train." Then, he strode out of the arena as the crowd erupted in cheers. Only one more duel remained to determine the Junior Grand National Champion.
Just inside the antechamber, a staff member ran to him, handed him a phone.
As he listened, his confident smile faltered. After he understood what they were saying, only a few words made it past the roar of blood in his ears. Fell - terrible accident - gone - sorry - sorry. And Kotei Jin had been here, dueling, when it happened.
He felt his fighting spirit shatter.
~
Paper. Rock. Paper.
Yukimura was shouting now. "Kotei Jin! Why are you here?"
He could barely speak. "For... for my brother."
Rock.
"Your guilt has been holding you back all this time. But if you want to avenge him, you have to release it!"
Scissors.
"These feelings - you have to turn them into a will to fight!"
Paper.
Then, something snapped.
"UUUUAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!" Jin's voice was ragged. For a few seconds, the only sound in the room was his breathing.
Then, suddenly, his arm whipped out to the side. His hand formed a symbol that wasn't one of the three throws: his index and middle finger extended and held together, the others curled down under his thumb - the 'Blade'. The significance of the Blade is that only two fingers need move to form any of the three throws - making it a sign of great power.
"It worked," whispered Ryoichi.
"You want to see my strength?!" Jin's arm swung forward, and his fingers touched the center of his forehead - his 'third eye'. "This... is the Thousand-Devil Eye."
Mizumigawa leaned forward hungrily. "Finally we get to see it!"
Ryoichi watched intently. "The Thousand-Devil Eye... it really is an incredible technique. It's the culmination of Kotei-san's finely-honed insight, a mode of thought that allows him to process sensory data with incredible precision and discover his opponent's strategy... almost as though he can read their mind."
Jihara said nothing, stayed perfectly still.
Jin felt his strength flowing back into him. Now, he could clearly recognize the subtle posture shifts that Yukimura had used to guide his throws - it had been easy after she had destabilized him in the first throw. It was a formidable strategy - she'd taken advantage of his emotional state and his finely-honed instincts, leading him to decide throws without knowing what cues he was reading. But now that he could see it, it had been rendered useless! The only thing unusual was that there had been no shift since he used his Thousand-Devil Eye - she was going to use the same strategy. A test, to see if he had really regained his insight? Jin grinned. If so, he'd be happy to oblige her.
They raised their fists again.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! SHOOT!"
Yukimura looked at their throws impassively. "Scissors cuts Paper. Well done." She cocked her head to the side. "So you weren't bluffing just now."
"Hah! Of course not!"
"I had to check. One more point left."
"I had to check. One more point left."
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! -"
Jin analyzed her new stance in a flash. She had shifted, but it was clearly just an attempt to disguise the same strategy. Of course, at this point she expected him to see through it. She must have been hoping that he would see this and decide she must have altered her signs so as to mislead him. But she was too relaxed into her stance - she was in reality still using the same strategy, betting that Jin wouldn't expect her to really be using a method that had just been broken -
"SHOOT!"
Yukimura's Scissors cut Jin's Paper.
"What?!"
"Sorry, Kotei-san, that was a mean trick."
"But how did you hide your strategy?"
"Oh, I didn't. I was using that same strategy throughout. The reason you couldn't read my choice was because I selected my final throw before our match by rolling a die. It was by chance that it beat yours." She shrugged. "In any case, it doesn't matter. You've reawakened - if you used your Thousand-Devil Eye from the start, this could have turned out much differently. Perhaps next time ." She sniffed. "Well done, Kotei-san. But you'd better train hard so that doesn't work again." She turned to walk back to the bench.
"But how did you hide your strategy?"
"Oh, I didn't. I was using that same strategy throughout. The reason you couldn't read my choice was because I selected my final throw before our match by rolling a die. It was by chance that it beat yours." She shrugged. "In any case, it doesn't matter. You've reawakened - if you used your Thousand-Devil Eye from the start, this could have turned out much differently. Perhaps next time ." She sniffed. "Well done, Kotei-san. But you'd better train hard so that doesn't work again." She turned to walk back to the bench.
"... Thank you, Yukimura-san."
She paused. "Don't act like you're finished. You still have two matches left." But still, there was the tiniest hint of a smile on her face as she returned to the bench.
Mizumigawa leapt up and dashed to the platform Yukimura had vacated, spinning to face Jin. His eyes were like lasers.
"Kono reiatsu," she muttered to herself, grinning.
She pointed at him. "Kotei-kun, don't think that just because you have the Thousand-Devil Eye you'll be able to beat me. It's going to take much more than that."
There was a faint buzzing, as a fly passed her head. Then, a sharp snap - as she struck it out of the air with the back of her hand, almost too fast to be seen.
"Are you ready?!"
~
Yukimura lowered her eyelids and muttered, "I can't believe Mizu-kun actually released a fly in here just so she could swat it like that."
Yukimura lowered her eyelids and muttered, "I can't believe Mizu-kun actually released a fly in here just so she could swat it like that."
Ryoichi snickered. "I don't know, I thought it was pretty cool."
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Episode 4 - Trial by Fire
It was the following day, and Jin was once again walking through the dueling compound's courtyard. The dueling team had sent Kotei Jin home to rest the day before, but now he was resolute. They had said that before he could get a place on the team, he would have to duel each of the Bosatsu Four. They hadn't said how many of them he would have to beat - just that he would be judged on his performance. He wasn't sure exactly what that meant. All he knew was that he needed to make it onto the team, so that he could face 'Venomous Kyoru' and avenge his brother.
He entered the team's offices and made his way towards the central room where they had spoken. He turned the corner and paused. There was someone there.
It was a tall girl who Jin didn't recognize. Her silvery-gray hair was mostly short, except for a long lock that covered the right side of her face. Her uniform was unfamiliar - she certainly wasn't from Bosatsu Academy.
She was leaving the central room. She paused when she reached Jin. "Kotei-san." Her voice was smooth and cloying. "I understand you're being tested today." She placed her hand on Jin's shoulder. "Best of luck."
She was leaving the central room. She paused when she reached Jin. "Kotei-san." Her voice was smooth and cloying. "I understand you're being tested today." She placed her hand on Jin's shoulder. "Best of luck."
"... Thanks," said Jin, unsure.
The girl laughed lightly, then continued down the hall. Jin watched her leave, the hair standing up on the back of his neck. There was something unsettling about her... Jin shook off the feeling, then turned and walked into the central room.
The monitors were off, and the papers lying about had been tidied up a bit. No one was there. Jin looked around in mild confusion, then, tentatively, tested the door at the back of the room.
The monitors were off, and the papers lying about had been tidied up a bit. No one was there. Jin looked around in mild confusion, then, tentatively, tested the door at the back of the room.
His eyes took a moment to adjust to the bright lights. The Bosatsu Four were facing him, sitting on a raised bench at the far wall. Between Jin and the Four lay a pair of slightly elevated platforms, and above them on the wall was an electronic scoreboard with a timer - this was their private dueling arena.
"Welcome, Kotei Jin," intoned Captain Ryoichi Kei, standing and raising his arms. "Today you will face each of the top four duelists at Bosatsu Academy. Your success or failure will determine whether there is a place for you on this team. Are you ready?"
A confident grin crossed Jin's face. "Of course. Who's up first?"
Ryoichi smiled. "I am."
Ryoichi smiled. "I am."
~
They stood facing each other on the dueling platforms.
"Kotei-kun, something for you to keep in mind - victory is not the most important thing in this test. Dueling someone is the only way to know their true character. That is the purpose of the test. Show us your character."
Jin raised his fist, grinning. "Enough talk. Let's duel!"
Jin raised his fist, grinning. "Enough talk. Let's duel!"
Ryoichi nodded. "Very well. Best two of three. Engarde!"
"Rock!" Jin watched carefully.
"Paper!" He saw it. The twitch of Ryoichi's fingers. He was displaying the same tell as Mizumigawa. Jin almost shouted at him - he wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice!
"Scissors!" Unless... he must be expecting Jin to see this and recognize it as a trick. If Jin fell for it, he'd throw Rock. If he saw through the trick, he'd throw Scissors. Which meant Ryoichi was going to throw Rock or Paper...
"SHOOT!"
"Hah! Looks like I'm better than you thought?" Ryoichi's Scissors had beaten Jin's Paper. "You're going to have to do better than that."
Jin couldn't believe it. It wasn't a trick. He really does have a tell that obvious. It took effort to make it look like he was disappointed.
"Ready, Kotei-kun?"
Jin frowned. "You are good. I hope I can figure you out."
"Rock!" Jin watched intently for the tell.
"Paper!" There it was again. All four fingers this time - Paper. Jin would throw Scissors and wipe him out.
"Scissors!" But Jin couldn't silence a nagging doubt - was Ryoichi manipulating him? He'd play it safe, throw Paper. If he was right, they'd tie, and his suspicions would be confirmed.
"SHOOT!"
A tie. Jin smiled to himself.
"Damn. Looks like you're still winning."
Ryoichi smiled proudly, raised his fist in silence.
"Rock!" Jin was behind, but he knew all he needed to win.
"Paper!" It was a shame, really. He hadn't expected it to be this easy.
"Scissors!" ... Nothing yet. That meant he was going to throw Rock... right?
"Scissors!" ... Nothing yet. That meant he was going to throw Rock... right?
"SHOOT!"
"Sorry, Ryoichi-san. Paper covers rock. We're tied now."
"Sorry, Ryoichi-san. Paper covers rock. We're tied now."
"Ah, looks like I'm going to have to be more careful." Ryoichi tilted his head, watching Jin closely. He raised his fist once more.
"Rock!" One more throw. This was where Jin had to prove himself.
"Paper!" All four fingers. Paper again.
"Scissors!" Unless Ryoichi was pretending still... but he looked confident. Jin was sure!
"SHOOT!"
Jin smiled. Scissors cut Paper.
Ryoichi was taken aback. "... Your vicory, Kotei-kun." He turned and walked back to the sidelines.
This, thought Jin, is going to be easier than I expected. Still, something bothered him about that duel. Forget it. Deal with the others. "Well, who's next?"
Yukimura Hisoka stood silently, walked out opposite Jin. Her expression was severe, unreadable.
She eyed Jin. "... Pathetic."
Jin raised his eyebrows. "That's what I thought. I expected the captain of the team to put up a-"
Her voice was flat. "I'm not talking about him, I'm talking about you."
"What?!"
"You're right, the captain of the Bosatsu Academy dueling team is much better than that. He threw the duel."
Her voice was flat. "I'm not talking about him, I'm talking about you."
"What?!"
"You're right, the captain of the Bosatsu Academy dueling team is much better than that. He threw the duel."
Jin glanced at Ryoichi, watching with amusement from the sidelines. "Why?"
"It's a test. We told you that. You saw his weakness, but you didn't push. You didn't see how he was manipulating you - he could have won at any moment."
Jin's head was spinning. "But... but I won! In the end, I won!"
Yukimura glared. "You won a single round. But you learned nothing. The duel didn't make you any stronger. When you duel, you have to push your opponent to be as strong as possible - so you can crush the next opponent. And the next." Her glasses flashed with reflected light. "If you want to join the Bosatsu Four, you're going to have to do better than that. If you want to beat Captain Ryoichi next time, you're going to have to do much better."
Jin shook his head. "All right! I'll show you what I can do." He raised his fist.
Yukimura adjusted her glasses, gripping the top and bottom of one lens with her forefinger and thumb. She raised her fist in turn.
"Rock!" Jin was sweating. Was he in over his head?
"Paper!" No. I can't think like that. I have no choice but to beat them and fight my way to Kyoru. But Yukimura was blank and unreadable. She was giving no clues.
"Scissors!" There had to be something... she seemed like the type to prefer Paper, cold and analytical. But she was smart, she would expect him to see that... he'd throw Rock, hopefully that would be safe, give him something more to work with.
Right before making his throw, he had a sudden thought. No! She's figured me out... I have to assume she knows what I'm going to throw - I'll switch to Scissors to counter Paper!
"SHOOT!"
NO! She'd thrown Rock, beating his Scissors.
"Pathetic. I expected better from you, Kotei Jin." She pointed at him. "I'm going to make this absolutely clear. If you're going to beat me, you're going to have to use 'that'."
Jin recoiled, looked away. "I... I haven't used 'that' since...." He couldn't finish.
"If you can't do it, then you're useless. You'd better leave right now."
For a long moment, she watched Jin, who couldn't seem to raise his head to meet her gaze.
She narrowed her eyes. "Fine."
Then, she raised her fist.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Episode 3 - Ghosts of the Past
The Bosatsu Academy dueling team's high-walled compound sat a little higher on the mountain than the academy itself. Kotei Jin had been standing outside the giant wooden doors for quite a few minutes, now.
I just have to go in, meet the team, then take my leave. This should be painless. Jin sighed.They're going to ask me to join them, but... I can't. Not after-
He shook his head. Let's just get this over with. He pulled the door open.
Just inside the walls lay the courtyard, where several students were sparring, drilling their throws, coaching each other, or lying in the shade of the trees. Jin recognized a few of them, but these weren't the top-tier duelists, the "Bosatsu Four". They had to be inside.
Ahead was the outdoor dueling arena, mostly used for tournament matches. Beyond it were two buildings - the team's offices and, further down the path, the duelists' dormitory. Jin walked past the practicing duelists, past the arena, and up the stairs at the main entrance of the offices. He made his way down the hallway and into the central room.
It had a high ceiling, banks of monitors lined the walls, desks and cabinets overflowed with documents and keyboards. The Bosatsu Four were waiting.
Ryoichi Kei, fourth year. The captain of the team. He was standing at a table in the middle of the room.
Mizumigawa Shin, a second year like Jin. The one he'd lost to the day before. She was - Jin blinked - sitting upside down on a nearby chair, looking up at the ceiling, her legs dangling over the chair's back.
The two others Jin knew only through their position on the team - everyone in the academy knew about the top four duelists.
Yukimura Hisoka was a third year girl with straight, dark brown hair that fell to shoulder length, framing her face with perfect right angles. She wore a pair of glasses with oval-shaped lenses, and a bored expression seemed fixed on her face. She stood at the table, reading something with the captain.
Jihara Akatsuki was the last of them, a third year boy who towered over his classmates. His hair was white, and swept back in a series of layered blades. His eyes, as usual, were half-closed in a serene expression. He was leaning against a side wall, his head bowed.
They seemed to be in the middle of a discussion when Jin entered.
"Ah, Kotei-kun." Ryoichi gestured for Jin to come further into the room. "Glad you could drop by."
Jin looked at the gathered duelists. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm only here because I made a deal. As soon as I've made good on that, I'm out of here."
Jihara looked up. "Ryoichi-dono... you haven't told him yet?" His voice was soft.
Jin's head snapped towards Jihara, then back to Ryoichi. "What are you talking about? What are you guys up to?!"
Ryoichi sighed, nodded to Yukimura. She tapped something into a keyboard, and one of the bigger monitors lit up.
Jin blanched. "... What does he have to do with this?"
The screen showed a boy slightly older than Jin. He wore a tailored suit and an expression to match - crisp, cold, utterly professional. His hair was buzzed short and formed a sharp widow's peak, his eyes hidden behind mirrored shades.
Yukimura spoke. "Kyoru Arashi. Commonly known as 'Venomous Kyoru'. A duelist of unmatched skill. He swept a series of junior tournaments, culminating with-"
"The Junior Grand National. I know." Jin's voice was cold. "What's your point?"
Mizumigawa turned herself right-side up, and Jihara watched Jin intently. Ryoichi approached the screen, stood facing it with his hands clasped behind his back. "We've been researching you, Kotei-kun. When we studied the Junior Grand National, one question stood out." He raised one hand in the air. "Why would a promising duelist like yourself drop out of the tournament just before the final round?" He dropped his hand again. "But we didn't stop looking until we found the answer. Your brother-"
"How dare you mention him!" Jin shouted. He was shaking. "Yes! I dropped out of the tournament because of the accident! Why do you-"
Ryoichi turned, his eyes burning. "There was no accident."
No one spoke for a long moment.
"What do you mean..." Jin finally managed.
Ryoichi spoke, almost a whisper. "Kyoru Arashi had your brother killed so that you would drop out of the tournament."
Jin fell to his knees. "... You're not certain. How could you know that?"
Yukimura stepped forward. "We received a confession from his second-in-command. Written instructions from Kyoru himself. Nothing explicit, obviously, but we're certain."
Ryoichi's expression softened. "Kotei-kun, I'm sorry..."
Jin spoke without looking up. "If I join your team, I'll get to face him, is that what you're saying?"
Ryoichi smiled grimly. "That's the idea."
"... I'll do it."
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