"A Pawn in My Game" - Great Encounter Battle Arc

Two more fights ensued in The Great Encounter Battle Tournament, and it wasn’t to Hiroshi’s surprise that Blossoming Flower had won their match. Despite them being a very mysterious fighter, Hiroshi didn’t seem interested in knowing who it really was under that dark, depressing mask.

He wanted to fight them at their full strength and compare that to people he might meet in the future.

He needed to win against Tomokazu in the final, but being the child of a God…how could he possibly beat that? He would be powerless against him. He had to win the Tournament, or else he wouldn’t be taken seriously. If he lost, he would be back to square one. Feeling lost. Useless. Forgotten.

However, Hiroshi realized that he was thinking too far ahead. He still had one more opponent before taking on Blossoming Flower and Tomokazu Onuki.

“And now, for the final match of the Quarter Finals! Firstly, we have Number Seven, White Knight, King of Jousting, who had never lost a jousting battle in his entire career! That’s right! Over twenty years, not one match!” Alexander once more came to life in front of the crowd, who were loving each battle more and more.

“However,” he continued his announcement, “Will that end today? Here we have Number Eight, Shinigami, who just seemed to breeze through the early rounds! Give a big cheer for Shinigami!”

To Hiroshi’s surprise, a big cheer came from the crowd. He couldn’t deny that it felt nice for people to care about him. Then, the small smile that formed on his face immediately dropped. They had cheered everyone in the exact same tone, other than Tomokazu’s, who, of course, got a much larger cheer.

The hierarchy was already established. Cheering for him was just a gesture. A normality. Even if they heard about him, the crowd’s cheer would be just as loud. He was just a means to an end, to see Tomokazu win the Tournament for himself. Hiroshi’s eyes narrowed.

Nobody could ever be nice to him.

How could they?

Hiroshi’s head was throbbing as he stepped up to the arena and faced his challenger. The White Knight was already on horseback, preparing for the match ahead. The horse itself was a very noble steed, and was charcoal black in color, with one white strip running down his muzzle. The horse reared up on his hind legs, neighing proudly.

“What a fantastic creature,” Hiroshi thought, his breath taken away from the beauty of the beast. The man that was on top of the horse was the exact opposite of his steed. His armor wasn’t very bulky, possibly to give his steed an easier time carrying him, but it was so polished that it was blinding Hiroshi, as if he was looking directly at the Sun. The White Knight also wore a helmet, masking his face, and a feather was donned the top of it. The center piece of the breastplate was a brilliant gold color, just like Tomokazu’s tsuba.

“Is that pure gold too?” Hiroshi spoke aloud, pondering the idea. It was entirely possible. “Wouldn’t gold be too heavy? Or was gold different in this new world? Maybe it was lighter, more abundant and cheaper?”

As he talked to himself, the stallion locked eyes with Hiroshi, black, beady and determined. Hiroshi noticed the fighting style from the previous rounds. Although it was a very small arena in the earlier stages, the White Knight had managed to win every round with ease.

And his weapon was the main cause.

He brandished his weapon, pointing it directly at Hiroshi, as his steed huffed aggressively. It was a long lance, which started thick at the base, and got thinner and thinner near the tip. It was the perfect weapon for jousting.

“No manna again, Hiroshi,” Kuro-Yami instructed. Hiroshi’s eyes narrowed in determination.

“Why not?”

“We need as much of it as possible when we take on Blossoming Flower and Tomokazu Onuki. Both are extremely powerful fighters, and you will need my power for both of them. Besides, I think you can beat this guy anyway.”

“Really?” Hiroshi responded in shock. “You have that much faith in me?”

“Always have and always will have,” Kuro-Yami smiled at his only friend. “Now, go kick his ass.”

Hiroshi gave him one of his evil grins.

“Sure.”
“May the final battle of the Quarter Finals, begin!” Alexander the Presenter announced to the audience, who was still cheering in excitement and anticipation. The horse dragged its hoofs on the ground, seemingly waiting for the perfect time to charge.

Hiroshi didn’t hesitate.

He charged towards the man on horseback, which stunned the man. He pulled on the reigns of the horse, signaling him to charge forward, At the man’s command, the horse leapt forward, head down, aiming to take out Hiroshi with one strike.

Hiroshi quickly side stepped, throwing the horse’s sense of direction off, and continued charging forward. The White Knight stook out his lance, attempting to stab Hiroshi straight through the heart.

“Hiroshi! What are you doing?!” Kuro-Yami yelped from within his friend’s inner conscious. “Are you trying to get us killed?!”

Hiroshi smirked, continuing his charge, not slowing down. He drew his black-bladed sword from its sheath as he ran.

“Friendships are built on trust, Kuro-Yami. Can you trust me?” he yelled aloud, lifting his head up, his eyes locking on to the helmet the Knight wore. Kuro-Yami was nervous about the outcome. However, he knew Hiroshi had a plan. He believed that he could win without his help.

“Yes, I trust you, Hiroshi.”

“Good.”

Hiroshi gripped the sword tightly and waited as he charged forward. The White Knight wouldn’t budge.

It was like a game of chicken.

“What an exhilarating performance, and they haven’t even clashed blades yet!” Alexander announced excitingly to the crowd. Hiroshi couldn’t hear the cheer. He focused on the lance, nothing more. He took a deep breath.

At the last moment, the White Knight thrust his lance forward, aiming to kill Hiroshi. His plan had worked.

Now!

Hiroshi gripped his sword as tightly as he could and faced away from his attacker. Without losing momentum, he backflipped over the lance, and aimed his blade at the steel helmet his opponent was wearing. He took it clean off, and it rolled around on the ground for a few seconds before coming to a dead stop. The steed grinded to a halt just as Hiroshi completed the backflip, landing perfectly on two feet. The jouster grinded his teeth in disgust.

“You shitty brat! How dare you! Do you have any idea who I am?” he yelled, thrusting his lance to the sky. Hiroshi smirked and responded coldly.

“You’re just a pawn in my game. Now, move out of my way.”