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."
