"And one more announcement - this week our dueling team won a victory in the first round of the championship." The class president's voice crackled out of the PA system throughout the school. "On behalf of the student government, and all of the students of Bosatsu, we send our congratulations! Best of luck in the second round!"
~
"Did you see the first round?"
"Ryoichi-san was incredible!"
The halls and paths of Bosatsu Academy were teeming with students, abuzz with talk of the dueling team's latest exploits.
"I know! His speech about being a captain - it was so inspiring!"
"I liked Mizu-kun's duel - HWACHA! King Cobra Strike!"
Some were trying out the moves they had seen, almost smacking into other students walking past.
"Yeah! Mizu-kun is the coolest."
"I thought Kotei-kun was pretty cool..."
"I hear he was a member of Trefoil!"
"Don't be stupid, that's just a myth."
"Do you think there's something going on between him and that Chikaku girl?"
"No way! He's totally got a thing for Yuki-chan!"
"That's not what I heard..."
"I bet he's been doing some 'extra training' with Ryoichi-san."
"Oh my god, Miki! Shushh!"
"Why? Are you jealous?"
"Gah! You're such a perv!"
"Hey, Daisuke-kun, are you okay?"
A wave of silence had crept up the hall, and now the last few trickles of conversation ended as the students turned towards the two walking past. They couldn't speak if they tried.
Venomous Kyoru Arashi strode forward like the keel of a warship slicing through icy water. As he passed by, students shivered from the sheer force of his presence. To one side, glancing around more casually but with utter disdain, was Tendou Hibiki, the girl with loose, silken clothes and a shaved head who had watched Bosatsu's first round alongside Kyoru. Everywhere she looked, students flinched under her gaze.
When they passed out of sight, the gathered students mumbled muted goodbyes and slinked off to their classes.
~
"Yuki-chan?"
"Ryoichi-san."
The two gave each other a perfunctory fist-bump, then Ryoichi flung up his hand as Yukimura flicked on a display screen, gesturing at the banners and profiles that scrolled past. "Our next opponent is Kohitsuji Academy!" Pictures of each member were highlighted one after the other, each with reams of data alongside and flashy special effects. "We've got airtight strategies for beating each one - this'll be a breeze!"
Yukimura raised an eyebrow at him.
"... But don't let your guard down," he continued. "In the middle of a duel, anything can happen."
Mizumigawa raised a hand from where she was lying, dangling half off of a chair.
"Yes!" Ryoichi pointed at her triumphantly. "A question?"
"What's with the video?"
"Pretty cool, huh? Yuki-chan collected all this data, and I helped make this to show it off!"
Mizumigawa, Jihara, and Jin blinked at him for a moment.
"Cool," asserted Jihara, giving a thumbs-up.
"Okay! Yuki-chan, would you please?"
Yukimura extended a telescoping pointer and indicated the first picture - a boy with an amused expression, wearing a pilot's hat tilted at a jaunty angle. "This is Kohitsuji's captain, Hidaka Michi, the heir to the wealthy and influential Hidaka family. He's a relatively inexperienced duelist, but he's careful and thorough, and has an impressive record already. We've determined -"
She stopped suddenly, staring at the room's entrance. The other four duelists felt it just a moment later - an overwhelming presence approaching. They turned to look as well, just as Kyoru and Tendou stepped into the doorway.
There was a long silence.
Ryoichi was the first to react - his expression going from shocked to smoothly pleasant in a moment. "Kyoru-san. What brings you to our humble academy?"
"It's good to see you again, Ryoichi."
In the next instant, Jin covered half the distance to Kyoru, and Mizumigawa leapt just in front of him, holding him back. She tried to catch his gaze, but he was staring with unrestrained hate at the gleaming surfaces of Kyoru's mirrored shades. She took his head in her hands, turned him towards her. She silently mouthed, "not yet."
Kyoru and Tendou walked past them as Jin was looking at her with a helpless expression. Yukimura and Jihara were standing, stiffly, off to the side, as Ryoichi moved to meet the unexpected guests.
"We wanted to congratulate you on your triumph in the first round," said Kyoru. "But... that wasn't really a challenge, was it? Chikaku was never a contender."
Ryoichi smiled disarmingly. "You're right, it's only going to get harder from -"
"We want to see how good you really are," sneered Tendou.
They turned to survey the Bosatsu duelists. Jin stared defiantly at Kyoru, who raised his hand in the air. The faintest smile crossed his lips as he lowered it in Scissors, the gesture of challenge.
"Not today, Kotei Jin."
Kyoru was pointing at Jihara. Beside him, Tendou was pointing at Yukimura with the same gesture.
"We challenge you. Show us your strength."
~
A dozen executives filed into the dimly-lit boardroom that dominated the hundred-and-eighth floor of the Auxesis Corporation skyscraper. They took their places around the octagonal table, rustling papers and files.
"We have a report on the status of the Arhat Laboratory project. Lacuna has promised completion by the date of the invitational tournament." The board member pressed a button on a remote.
After a moment, screens descended from the ceiling around the table, then flickered on. They all displayed the same video feed - a nondescript room with the Auxesis Corp logo, a stylized lotus, on a banner on the far wall. Standing before it was a figure shrouded in dark clothes, wearing a mask - blank white, with dark eye holes but otherwise featureless.
"Good evening, gentlemen." Lacuna's voice was disguised, distorted and computerized - the same voice the silver-haired girl had spoken to before Bosatsu's first round. "I trust you are well."
