Chapter 3 – A Duel Against Kimiko
Kimiko begins to walk away with a prideful but angry stride. Genki has a suggestion for Junto.
“Why don’t we watch the next game?”
They head over to the balcony to watch the next game which is in progress. Genki immediately comments on the players.
“Woah. Some high rankers, huh.”
The two players are rank 48 and 52. Both players seem steadfast but as sweating from all of the cards that have been played.
“This game is over. I’m using a tier 3 card. Clownland Circus.”
The card effect is displayed on the giant TV screen. It reads ‘For the rest of the game, your opponent is in a circus. Every person that your opponent sees is a bloodthirsty clown.’
A few seconds pass by as the level 48 looks around with fear in his eyes.
“What is that noise. That circus noise.”
The level 48 looks like he’s looking at somebody standing on his left but nobody is there.
“AGHHHHH!”
The level 48 smashes the Killjoy button quickly. The game ends.
Junto seems excited by that Clownland Circus card.
“Where can I get that card?”
Genki scratches his head.
“It’s about time I explain tier cards. The higher tier the card is, the crazier it usually is. However, you can only use tier one cards at the moment because you’re still rank one. You can access tier 2 cards at rank 25, tier 3 cards at rank 50 and tier 4 cards at rank 80. Only a small percentage of players make it to rank 80 though.”
Junto is confused by this.
“If people are playing Killjoy all the time, then why’s that the case?”
Genki smiles.
“Allow me to explain. So, you get points for every opponent you beat. But you also lose points for every loss you get. The higher the rank you are, the more points you lose for loses and the less you gain from wins. Once you get to rank 70, you begin to lose double as many points for loses than you gain for wins. Because of this, most hardcore players get stuck around the 60 mark. That’s when things become a massive challenge.”
Junto begins to believe that he’s grasped the basics of how the Killjoy cards work. Genki stops leaning on the railing.
“The next game’s starting now. Let’s head to the ground floor. It’s best that you arrive early for your duel. Things run like clockwork here, so a game will be occurring almost 24/7.”
Junto and Genki head down the stairs. Junto first walks towards an elevator but Genki pulls him away. When they arrive on the ground floor, they wait for the current duel to end. Once the duel is over, the duel screen suddenly shows pictures of Junto and Kimiko. Genki pushes Junto forward.
“You’re up.”
Junto heads into the Killjoy battle arena, in the centre of the building. Junto looks around and sees quite a few people looking down from the higher floors. He turns around to see Genki and other spectators waiting outside of the designated battling area.
Some spectators look at the rank of Kimiko and Junto and begin leaving.
“It’s just a couple of rookies battling. This ain’t worth our time.”
Kimiko comes into the arena and sits down in one of the chairs.
“I told you this was going to happen. Let’s get this game over with.”
Junto sits down in the chair opposite Kimiko. They both begin to shuffle their cards.
‘Ok, Junto. You can do this. I won’t lose this time.’
Kimiko sets her deck on the table and draws the top 6 cards. Junto quickly does the same. Kimiko waits for Junto to take his turn as he hesitates.
“The challenged party has the right to go first in Killjoy. Make your move.”
Junto looks through his cards. He has drawn two number 1 cards and four effect cards. Junto looks and notices that in his hand, he has the card ‘Your opponent can’t breathe until they end their next turn’. Junto moves his hand towards it and begins to take it out but suddenly stops as he tries to come to grasps with how a professional Killjoy player would go about the situation.
‘Let me think of the basics. I have no idea what Kimiko can handle. All I have to do is withstand the mental challenges that she’ll send my way. If I can begin pushing her close to the edge and then play this card, the games over.’
Junto moves his hand towards a different card. Junto pulls a different card from his hand.
“I hope you’re not an arachnophobe.”
The card reads ‘Your opponent sees spiders crawling on them for the rest of the game.’
Kimiko lets out an audible squeal. She begins to sweat as she looks down for a brief moment and suddenly looks up again as Junto picks up a new card.
“You are soooo dead.”
Kimiko plays a card from her hand. The card reads ‘Your opponent is on the edge of a cliff for the rest of the game.’
Suddenly the atmosphere changes as everything in Junto’s vision begins to woosh around. Junto almost falls backwards off of his chair and turns around to see small rocks falling into a giant hole just behind him and around him. The back part of his chair barely sits on the cliff. Junto's heart begins rushing. Junto looks at the Killjoy button and contemplates surrender but decides to press on.
“Do you see what you’ve gotten yourself into now, Junto? Do you see why people need to be kept away from this game?”
Junto looks through his hand and picks a card before responding.
“If you really feel that way, then why do you play it?”
Junto can hear an almost silent tapping. He notices it a while earlier but didn’t pay much attention to it until now.
‘I understand it now. She’s tapping her foot to calm her nerves from the spiders. Luckily, I have a card in my hand that’s perfect for that’
Junto plays a card and draws a new one. The card he has just played reads ‘For the rest of the game, your opponent can’t feel their legs.’
Kimiko begins to sweat with no way to calm her nerves. She looks surprised and, in an attempt to distract herself, comes up with an answer to Junto’s earlier question.
“I play Killjoy to show people its horrors. I play it so that other people don’t get sucked into it.”
Kimiko pulls a card from her hand and plays it. The card reads ‘Every 20 seconds, your opponent feels 5 needles pierce their legs.’
Junto feels the needles begin to pierce his legs and cause him slight pain. He responds to Kimiko’s answer.
“That’s not your choice to make. Every person has decided to play Killjoy with their own free will.”
Kimiko looks angry but beaten. Junto is suddenly overcome with a burst of determination. He looks through his cards and knowing that Kimiko is struggling, decides that now is the right time to try and break the game.
“I won’t stop playing Killjoy, I won’t ever stop. I’m going to beat you and then I’m going to become the best Killjoy player ever!”
Junto pulls out a card and plays it. The game-breaking card reads ‘Your opponent can’t breathe until they end their next turn.’
Kimiko suddenly finds herself unable to breathe. She looks at her cards as her heart begins to race. She prepares to pull a card out but suddenly a giant spider falls from the card and begins to climb up her. Kimiko throws her hand to one side and hits the Killjoy button.
The game has ended. Junto looks up at the giant screen which shows his win. Furthermore, he has been promoted to rank 2. Junto stands up from his seat and offers a hand to the breathless Kimiko. Kimiko reluctantly accepts Junto’s help and they begin to walk away from the Killjoy table as the next game begins.
Junto, Kimiko and Genki stand together near the exit from the Killjoy arena. Kimiko seems to have undergone some reflection as she speaks to Junto.
“Maybe I was wrong to try and stop you. You could be the one who someday reaches rank 100. Maybe you’re the one who can put an end to this,”
Kimiko bows her head and begins to leave the arena. Junto looks towards Genki.
“What was that all about? There aren’t any rank 100’s?”
Genki prepares to explain why people are so desperate to reach rank 100.
“There is a Killjoy leaderboard. You can see it in the reception area. Take a look over there.”
Genki points towards a smaller screen which displays a ranking of current players. Junto looks at the leaderboard which shows that the current highest rank is a rank 89.
“See him on the top of the leaderboard. Azuma Koyama, rank 89. He’s the guy who everybody thinks will be the first to reach rank 100. He’s been playing Killjoy for years.”
Junto proceeds to ask a question which is bothering him.
“What happened when somebody reaches rank 100?”
Genki prepares to tell Junto the truth of why everybody is obsessed with Killjoy.
“As it stands, the effects of Killjoy cards only work when you’re sitting at the Killjoy table. Once you reach rank 100, you can use Killjoy cards outside of the game.”
Junto moves back in shock as Genki continues to speak.
“Can you imagine the power somebody would have if they reached rank 100?”
Junto is in shock and outraged at this.
“That can’t be allowed. Surely somebody’s tried to stop this. Nobody should be allowed to reach rank 100.”
A sinister smile flashes in Genki’s memory. From a distant time ago, there once was one who had a similar goal to Junto but for a much more sadistic reason.
“There was once somebody who tried to stop people from reaching rank 100. I’ll tell you all about him when the time is right. He was actually a rank 99. But, because he stopped playing Killjoy, his rank has deteriorated vastly.”
This piques Juntos curiosity.
“Who was he?”
Genki begins to get uneasy.
“He isn’t something we like to speak about here. He had a really nasty reputation. It’s taboo to even bring up his name. It was a long time ago though, roughly 5 or so years.”
Junto picks up on something that Genki has just said.
“5 years ago? How long have you been playing Killjoy?”
Genki chuckles.
“A long time, that’s for sure.”
Genki tries to change the topic.
“It’s getting late, lets head home. Can I assume that I’ll see you around here again?”
Junto smiles.
“You can count on it.”
