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.

"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!

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!

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!

"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?"