The crowd murmured incredulously. What was she saying? Hairo Asahi was losing, two to zero. Her team had lost the first two matches of the round. If she lost even one more throw this match, Kohitsuji Academy would be out of the tournament.
And she had just offered to allow her opponent to forfeit.
Obviously, Jihara was just going to defeat her with his Lord of Emptiness technique. She hadn't been able to counter it, and it allowed him to beat her on every throw.
But then...
Why was he hesitating?
Jihara finally spoke. "I was hoping you hadn't noticed."
Ryoichi's eyes widened.
Hairo kept her gaze focused on her opponent. "I'm sorry, Jihara-san. But you've lost this match. I can tell you've injured your wrist recently. It's mostly healed, and against anyone else you'd be fine. Unfortunately, I'm studying to become a doctor. I know exactly what to throw to force you to re-injure yourself. That'll prevent you from countering me, and I'll win the match. So, I would like you to forfeit."
Jihara hesitated.
"If you keep dueling, you're asking me to decide between injuring you and losing. Don't force me to make that kind of decision. You've fought well, but you have to leave this to your teammates now." Her eyes darted to the Bosatsu and Kohitsuji duelists watching from the sidelines, then back to Jihara. "Please."
Jihara met her gaze. "Your perception is most impressive, Hairo-dono. As you say, I am certain that if our duel continues as before, you will defeat me. However, I am afraid I can not oblige you."
Hairo gritted her teeth, as Ryoichi stood to cry out - but Jihara interrupted them both by raising his hand to continues the duel.
His left hand.
Hairo grinned. "That's good. Thank you, Jihara-san - now I can finish this duel without any reservations!"
Ryoichi returned to his seat, but he didn't relax. Jihara would be dueling with his uninjured hand, but...
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! SHOOT!"
- their hands flickered through a rapid series of throws -
"Scissors cuts Paper! Point to Hairo!"
... but Jihara was nowhere near as swift with his off-hand.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! SHOOT!"
Again, they cycled through Rock, Paper, and Scissors swiftly, doubling back and skipping ahead, trying to outmaneuver each other in a split moment -
"Rock crushes Scissors! Point to Hairo!"
- and again, Hairo managed to stay one step ahead.
"Rock!"
Jihara steeled himself -
"Paper!"
- focusing his senses -
"Scissors!"
- calling on all his training -
"SHOOT!"
- pouring everything into his throw!
There was a momentary silence.
"Rock crushes Scissors! Match, Hairo! Three points to two!"
The Kohitsuji duelists erupted in an immense cheer. Hairo ran towards her teammates, cheering along with them. She ran straight into Captain Hidaka's arms.
"You did it, Hairo-chan!"
"Well, we're back in the game. It's up to you guys now! Just let me sit down for a bit."
At the Bosatsu bench, Ryoichi put his hand on Jin's shoulder. "Our position is no longer unassailable. In Rock Paper Scissors, whoever has the momentum controls the match. You're going to have to face a tough opponent now - are you ready?"
Jin nodded. Tetsu Karan was an unusual foe, but Jin had studied him thoroughly. Still, it would be difficult to tell what strategy he could use until he could use the Thousand-Devil Eye on Tetsu directly.
Jihara returned to the bench, stopping before Ryoichi. "I apologize, Ryoichi-dono."
Ryoichi shook his head. "You fought valiantly, Ji-san! Now, I order you to rest until you're fully healed. We can leave this to Kotei-kun."
Jihara smiled. "Of course."
Back at the Kohitsuji bench, Tetsu yawned, stretched, and casually got to his feet.
~
Jin waited at the dueling platform. Tetsu was approaching his own platform at a languid pace, seemingly unconcerned by the vast crowd watching on. In fact, he looked sleepy and distracted, as though his mind were somewhere else.
Of course, Jin had seen recordings of Tetsu's previous duels. He was quick, but not exceptionally so. He rarely, if ever, employed esoteric techniques. He didn't seem to use any sort of traps or complex strategies.
But he just kept winning.
"Hey, Kotei-kun. That was pretty cool, huh?" Tetsu gestured with a nod of his head towards Hairo. "I know you guys are strong, but don't underestimate us. My teammates won't give up, ever!" He pushed his hair out of his eyes with a guileless smile, though it almost immediately fell back into place.
I don't buy it, thought Jin. This whole act - you're not just coasting by on luck. You've got some kind of strange technique. And I'm going to crack it!
"I don't plan to underestimate you, Tetsu-san. But Bosatsu isn't going to stop here. We have to keep going, all the way to the final round." Jin pointed two fingers at Tetsu, forming the 'Blade'. "It's said that a devil can see through any illusion, discover any hidden weakness or transgression." He brought his fingers to his forehead. "My technique, the Thousand-Devil Eye, is going to reveal your secret."
Tetsu shrugged. "I'm sorry, I don't have a neat technique like you, Kotei-kun. I'm really a simple guy. In the dueling arena, I have to rely on one thing only." He winked and tapped the side of his head. "Intuition."
Jin raised his hand to start the duel. We'll see about that.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Episode 23 - Quicksand
The silence drew out for a long time. The two duelists peered at each other, searching, mute. Chiyoko wasn't typically prone to ostentatious speeches or boasts, and Yukimura, it seemed, was also the quiet sort.
Chiyoko needed to get a good read on Yukimura. Both duelists were analytical types, so this was all going to come down to which one of them could out-predict the other.
But so far nothing seems to be amiss, thought Chiyoko. Yuki-chan is trying not to reveal anything - but I suspect that this means she's taken the bait, and is confident she's going to win.
In the previous round of the tournament, Kohitsuji Academy had faced a team of mystic duelists, each of whom used a different meditative technique to focus and improve their abilities. Chiyoko had dueled an opponent whose style relied, supposedly, around reading the "aura" of their foe. She suspected that this ability was in reality based on reading physical cues to determine a duelist's intent - and had ultimately defeated him by forcing him into a more active stance and deducing his throw pattern. Her final throw had been Rock, but formed in a somewhat unorthodox manner, with the hand tilted slightly and the thumb straight instead of bent. This was a subtle sign that she was using a technique involving switching from Paper to Rock at the last moment of a throw, but had not yet mastered it.
However, she had not in actuality used this technique - she had deliberately faked the awkward throw. She had suspected she would be dueling Yukimura Hisoka, the "mastermind" of Bosatsu, in this round. So, she had planted this trap in her previous duel. Since then, Yukimura would certainly have viewed records of the duel, and caught the subtle tell. She would reason, therefore, that Chiyoko would have been practicing this technique, which would make Rock and Scissors very dangerous to use. The only safe throw would be Paper. This meant that Chiyoko could score an easy point on the first throw, while Yukimura thought she was safe, by throwing Scissors.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
Yukimura raised her eyebrows slightly, and Chiyoko kept her reaction carefully controlled.
"Rock crushes Scissors! Point to Yukimura!"
Damn, thought Chiyoko. She realized that it was a trap! She's even more clever than I thought...
I'm in a dangerous position now - I have to outmaneuver her on this next throw, or she'll control the entire match. Let's see... she's going to realize that I want to break her momentum. She knows she tricked me with the first throw, by turning my own trap against me. If I were her, what would I expect me to do? Well, I want a win or a tie on this throw, either would shift the duel's momentum away from her. So, I'll try to exclude her least likely throw, allowing me to narrow down the throw most likely to be successful. Now, I don't know for certain whether she realizes that the technique I pretended to use was a fake, or whether she thinks I just avoided using it to trap her, but it looks like I have to assume she's figured out the entire plot. That means all throws are equally viable to her, but she's not sure that I am aware of this. So, she might think that I'll be expecting her to avoid Scissors and Rock overall throughout the match, allowing her to use the same trick against me twice in a row. If she is, she'll throw Rock, and if she instead actually avoids those throws she'll use Paper. Thus, it would seem that Paper is my safest throw. Chiyoko shook her head slightly, raising her hand in preparation for the second throw. But I have to assume that she's figured all of this out, and is therefore expecting me to throw Paper, which means I should instead use Rock.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
Chiyoko let out a gasp as though she'd been punched in the stomach.
"Paper covers Rock! Point to Yukimura!"
Yukimura let the faintest hint of a smile show through.
What... what is this feeling?! Chiyoko's mind was racing. No matter what I do, it's all been foreseen. My plans, traps, counters, all work in her favor! The more I struggle, the more I am drawn down...
...as though I'm trapped in quicksand!
Yukimura narrowed her eyes slightly, then raised her hand for the final throw.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
"Rock crushes Scissors! Match, Yukimura! Three points to zero!"
Chiyoko stumbled back, defeated. The match was over so quickly - Bosatsu's duelists truly were fearsome!
Yukimura returned to her seat without ceremony, sitting beside Kotei Jin -
(and even distracted by her defeat, Chiyoko noticed the way Yumikura looked at Kotei, and wondered what she really thought of him)
- who said, "Yuki-chan, that was incredible! You and Mizu-kun are more powerful than I thought."
Yukimura shrugged. "It was a gambit. I knew that if I landed that first throw, she would panic. A panicked duelist is easy to predict. If I had missed with the first throw, however... who knows?"
Ryoichi clapped her on the shoulder. "Enough false modesty, Yuki-chan! It's time for the last match of this round. Ji-kun is up next."
In her seat, Chiyoko flinched. Hairo Asahi was already approaching the dueling platform, and opposite her, sure enough, was Jihara Akatsuki. Bosatsu was powerful, but as far as Chiyoko could tell, Jihara was the most formidable of them all.
Jihara's hands were folded, his eyes half-closed. He seemed utterly calm.
Hairo crossed her arms. "Jihara Akatsuki! You're Bosatsu's 'Lord of Emptiness', huh? You look pretty tough!"
She was acting nonchalant, but Chiyoko could tell she was feeling the pressure. Kohitsuji was down two rounds to zero - if she lost here, they'd be out of the tournament.
Jihara bowed slightly. "Hairo-dono. I am pleased to duel you. Shall we begin?" He raised his hand.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
"Paper covers Rock! Point to Jihara!"
Hairo's throw had been swift, but Jihara threw Paper at the last instant, countering her. Hairo narrowed her eyes at him, then slowly raised her hand for the second throw.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
"Scissors cuts Paper! Point to Jihara!"
It was already going as bad as it possibly could. Chiyoko felt sick to her stomach. They had lost two duels, and Hairo was losing two points to zero. She was facing the ground, frowning, apparently deep in thought. If she missed a single throw, it would all be over.
She took a deep breath, seeming to come to a decision, then looked up at Jihara.
"Jihara-san. I would like to offer you the chance to forfeit."
Chiyoko needed to get a good read on Yukimura. Both duelists were analytical types, so this was all going to come down to which one of them could out-predict the other.
But so far nothing seems to be amiss, thought Chiyoko. Yuki-chan is trying not to reveal anything - but I suspect that this means she's taken the bait, and is confident she's going to win.
In the previous round of the tournament, Kohitsuji Academy had faced a team of mystic duelists, each of whom used a different meditative technique to focus and improve their abilities. Chiyoko had dueled an opponent whose style relied, supposedly, around reading the "aura" of their foe. She suspected that this ability was in reality based on reading physical cues to determine a duelist's intent - and had ultimately defeated him by forcing him into a more active stance and deducing his throw pattern. Her final throw had been Rock, but formed in a somewhat unorthodox manner, with the hand tilted slightly and the thumb straight instead of bent. This was a subtle sign that she was using a technique involving switching from Paper to Rock at the last moment of a throw, but had not yet mastered it.
However, she had not in actuality used this technique - she had deliberately faked the awkward throw. She had suspected she would be dueling Yukimura Hisoka, the "mastermind" of Bosatsu, in this round. So, she had planted this trap in her previous duel. Since then, Yukimura would certainly have viewed records of the duel, and caught the subtle tell. She would reason, therefore, that Chiyoko would have been practicing this technique, which would make Rock and Scissors very dangerous to use. The only safe throw would be Paper. This meant that Chiyoko could score an easy point on the first throw, while Yukimura thought she was safe, by throwing Scissors.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
Yukimura raised her eyebrows slightly, and Chiyoko kept her reaction carefully controlled.
"Rock crushes Scissors! Point to Yukimura!"
Damn, thought Chiyoko. She realized that it was a trap! She's even more clever than I thought...
I'm in a dangerous position now - I have to outmaneuver her on this next throw, or she'll control the entire match. Let's see... she's going to realize that I want to break her momentum. She knows she tricked me with the first throw, by turning my own trap against me. If I were her, what would I expect me to do? Well, I want a win or a tie on this throw, either would shift the duel's momentum away from her. So, I'll try to exclude her least likely throw, allowing me to narrow down the throw most likely to be successful. Now, I don't know for certain whether she realizes that the technique I pretended to use was a fake, or whether she thinks I just avoided using it to trap her, but it looks like I have to assume she's figured out the entire plot. That means all throws are equally viable to her, but she's not sure that I am aware of this. So, she might think that I'll be expecting her to avoid Scissors and Rock overall throughout the match, allowing her to use the same trick against me twice in a row. If she is, she'll throw Rock, and if she instead actually avoids those throws she'll use Paper. Thus, it would seem that Paper is my safest throw. Chiyoko shook her head slightly, raising her hand in preparation for the second throw. But I have to assume that she's figured all of this out, and is therefore expecting me to throw Paper, which means I should instead use Rock.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
Chiyoko let out a gasp as though she'd been punched in the stomach.
"Paper covers Rock! Point to Yukimura!"
Yukimura let the faintest hint of a smile show through.
What... what is this feeling?! Chiyoko's mind was racing. No matter what I do, it's all been foreseen. My plans, traps, counters, all work in her favor! The more I struggle, the more I am drawn down...
...as though I'm trapped in quicksand!
Yukimura narrowed her eyes slightly, then raised her hand for the final throw.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
"Rock crushes Scissors! Match, Yukimura! Three points to zero!"
Chiyoko stumbled back, defeated. The match was over so quickly - Bosatsu's duelists truly were fearsome!
Yukimura returned to her seat without ceremony, sitting beside Kotei Jin -
(and even distracted by her defeat, Chiyoko noticed the way Yumikura looked at Kotei, and wondered what she really thought of him)
- who said, "Yuki-chan, that was incredible! You and Mizu-kun are more powerful than I thought."
Yukimura shrugged. "It was a gambit. I knew that if I landed that first throw, she would panic. A panicked duelist is easy to predict. If I had missed with the first throw, however... who knows?"
Ryoichi clapped her on the shoulder. "Enough false modesty, Yuki-chan! It's time for the last match of this round. Ji-kun is up next."
In her seat, Chiyoko flinched. Hairo Asahi was already approaching the dueling platform, and opposite her, sure enough, was Jihara Akatsuki. Bosatsu was powerful, but as far as Chiyoko could tell, Jihara was the most formidable of them all.
Jihara's hands were folded, his eyes half-closed. He seemed utterly calm.
Hairo crossed her arms. "Jihara Akatsuki! You're Bosatsu's 'Lord of Emptiness', huh? You look pretty tough!"
She was acting nonchalant, but Chiyoko could tell she was feeling the pressure. Kohitsuji was down two rounds to zero - if she lost here, they'd be out of the tournament.
Jihara bowed slightly. "Hairo-dono. I am pleased to duel you. Shall we begin?" He raised his hand.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
"Paper covers Rock! Point to Jihara!"
Hairo's throw had been swift, but Jihara threw Paper at the last instant, countering her. Hairo narrowed her eyes at him, then slowly raised her hand for the second throw.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!"
"Scissors cuts Paper! Point to Jihara!"
It was already going as bad as it possibly could. Chiyoko felt sick to her stomach. They had lost two duels, and Hairo was losing two points to zero. She was facing the ground, frowning, apparently deep in thought. If she missed a single throw, it would all be over.
She took a deep breath, seeming to come to a decision, then looked up at Jihara.
"Jihara-san. I would like to offer you the chance to forfeit."
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