Chapter 13 – A Duel Against Azuma Koyama, The Undefeated Champion
The suspense in the arena is building rapidly. Suddenly, everything springs into action as the text on the television changes.
Azuma Koyama and Hiroki Miyamoto VS Junto Nakano and Tenma Onizawa.
Both parties shuffle their cards as the coin on the television flips.
Azuma’s team goes first.
All players put their Killjoy decks down as Azuma begins to think to himself.
‘Neither me nor Hiroki have many number 1 cards in our deck. If this game goes the distance, I have no doubt they’ll win. I have to crush them.’
Azuma’s eyes glance towards Tenma.
‘If he’s a good as he used to be, he isn’t someone who I can take out easily. Instead, I’ll gun for his partner. I need to beat Junto into submission.’
Azuma signals to Hiroki to look downwards. Azuma makes a fist and then points a finger at Junto. Hiroki nods his head in understanding. Azuma speaks.
“I’ll go first.”
Azuma plays the card that reads ‘Your opponent faces a storm while in the water of the ocean. The water level constantly goes above his mouth’.
Suddenly both Tenma and Junto feel as if they are in an ocean. The waves splash around them and the water level frequently rises above their mouths. Tenma visibly flinches. Azuma recalls when he and Fuyuki fought Tenma and how this card had no effect on him back then. Azuma comments in disgust.
“That’s enough to cause you to panic? I don’t know why I was afraid of you Tenma, you’re nothing but a shadow of your former self. A washed-up relic of the old Killjoy. You can’t kill anyone with these cards anymore.”
Junto prepares his first card and plays it. It reads ‘Intense headaches bother your opponent throughout the rest of the game’.
Hiroki laughs at this.
“Is this a joke? You come here with weak cards like this. I thought I was going have an exciting duel but you disappoint me, Junto.”
Hiroki plays his first card. It reads ‘Your opponent feels like he has just been shot by a gun. The pain will remain for the rest of the game.’
Suddenly, both Junto and Tenma feel the pain. Azuma looks towards Tenma again and his eyes widen as he notices that Tenma is smiling.
‘That bastard is smiling, after everything that happened to him last time he played?!’
Tenma drops his next card onto the table. It reads ‘Your opponent can no longer move his arms forward’.
Azuma begins to get nervous as his mind starts to race.
‘What the hell is he thinking? You can’t kill anyone in Killjoy anymore. They changed the game, didn’t they?’
Azuma grabs his next card.
“I will end this.”
Azuma plays his next card, it reads ‘Your opponent feels like he is being stoned. The stones will strike him throughout the game’.
Suddenly the sensation of stones striking Tenma and Junto afflict them.
Junto prepares his next card. Azuma notices that Junto looks uneasy as he looks towards Tenma. Tenma nods his head and shas his eyes fixated on Hiroki.
“Another life will be lost.”
Junto plays his next card. It reads ‘Your opponent’s movement slows’
.
Azuma begins to sweat intensely as he notices Tenma’s fixation on Hiroki.
‘You can’t kill in Killjoy. Besides, Junto wouldn’t kill his former school friend, would he?’
Azuma again notices Junto’s uneasy expression.
‘Something is wrong here. Whenever he’s at the table, something feels off.’
Hiroki prepares his card but notices Azuma’s sweating. Hiroki ignores this. Hiroki instead looks at Junto.
“All of my cards are brutal, Junto. This will be your greatest challenge.”
Hiroki plays his next card, it reads ‘An invisible chainsaw begins to sever a random limb from your opponent. The opponent feels as though their limb is being removed’.
Suddenly Junto’s left leg and Tenma’s right arm begin to feel like they are slowly being severed.
“Agh fuck.”
Kimiko, Genki, Taisei and Kosei watch from the sidelines. Kimiko turns to face Genki.
“Do you think that Junto can do this?”
Genki nods.
“I have unmeasurable faith in Junto.”
Back at the table, Tenma prepares his next card. Tenma begins to speak as he grabs his next card.
“Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.”
Azuma gets annoyed by this and has now lost his cool.
“Can you shut the fuck up already.”
Hiroki looks in confusion at Azuma. Hiroki is surprised as the calm and collected Azuma Koyama has never behaved like this before. Hiroki questions Azuma.
“What’s wrong, boss?”
Azuma begins to think back on Fuyuki’s death as Tenma hold his next card.
Tenma plays his next card. It reads ‘Your opponent has the sensation of a drill burying into their skull’.
Suddenly, all of the sensations from that fateful day begin to hit Azuma once more. Azuma grabs his next card as the pressure begins to get to him.
“Are you still watching me, Fuyuki?! I can beat him again!”
Azuma plays his next card. It reads ‘Your opponent feels as if the doors of an iron maiden have closed upon him. His organs feel pierced by spikes’.
Suddenly Junto grabs his chest as he resists the urge to hit the button. Junto looks towards Tenma who isn’t reacting nearly as much as he is.
Junto plays his next card. It reads ‘Your opponent won’t know the effect of the next card you play’.
Azuma laughs.
“So that’s how you’re playing this? Now I know, if you’re playing the game like this, there no way that Killjoy cards can still kill people. I win.”
Hiroki grabs his next card.
“We have won.”
Hiroki plays his next card. It reads ‘Your opponent is set on fire until they end their turn’.
Suddenly Junto panics. Because so little people have that card, Junto has not faced it outside of training games with Kosei. Junto raises his arm towards the Killjoy button but looks out of the corner of his eye to see Tenma Onizawa smile. Tenma throws his next card onto the table and suddenly the flames dissipate. Junto lowers his hand. The card is invisible to Azuma and Hiroki. Azuma looks at his cards.
“Hmph. I guess it’s my turn. Hiroki…”
Azuma gestures another hand signal but looks up to Hiroki. Hiroki’s nose is bleeding and his face is expressionless. Hiroki slowly begins to fall to one side. As Hiroki falls, Azuma’s vision flickers to all of those years ago. He sees both Hiroki and Fuyuki falling to their deaths. His glaze turns to Tenma, who bares the same smile as he did back then
“Not again! What have you done, you bastard?!”
Azuma begins to cry as he jumps his body onto the table, hoping to hit the Killjoy button before it’s too late.
The game has ended and Azuma’s vision returns to normal. The arena is in suspense.
“Hiroki!”
Azuma turns to look at Hiroki, who is sitting in the chair in disbelief.
“But you?”
Azuma looks straight ahead again and sees Tenma holding a card in his hand. It was the last card of the game that they previously could not see, the card reads ‘A traumatic experience the opponent has seen repeats itself before their eyes’.
Azuma’s eyes tear up.
“So that’s how you got me.”
Suddenly Azuma passes out from exhaustion and stress. Hiroki stands up and begins to walk away. The arena is silent. Suddenly the arena erupts with cheers.
“NO WAY!”
“He beat the undefeated Azuma Koyama!”
“Junto beat the champ!”
Junto raises his fist. Suddenly Junto notices Tenma has stood up and is whispering into Junto’s ear.
“Nobody can reach rank 100. With you here, I know that this game will be in good hands.”
Tenma begins to take his leave. Junto stands up and the cheering erupts once more.
“I did it! I’m the greatest Killjoy player!”
