Secret 6B

Back in the dining hall, everyone was left mystified due to Okisato's sudden exit.

"Well that was weird, but on par for Oki-kun. Imma head out," Iori smiled as she got up and headed out.

"Wait- Forget it," Jaana dejectedly sighed as she sat back down.

"Apologies for the scene. Himitsu, or can I start calling you Daria publicly now, I wish to discuss a matter with you privately. Mimoko is to come as well," Amelia stated as she got up and headed out.

Confused, Daria and Mimoko shrugged and followed her out, eventually arriving at a secluded corner.

"Still wearing a business suit and heels on your off day?" Daria playfully grinned.

"And you two have been wearing the same exact outfits ever since the opening ceremony," Amelia growled.

"Hey, we got multiple sets because this outfit's pure peak femininity. In fact, this is now my new maestro attire too. Shiny black sneakers and skin-tight pants plus the red fiery coat and bra top underneath really pairs well with the short blonde hair and makeup, don't ya think?"

"No arguments! Niimi-sama's fashion sense is peak, and she trained her disciples well. Okaa-chan rocks the drip and hair well. And as for me, just look at how well this dress pairs well with the bra top and sneakers. Not to mention, it highlights my youthful radiant skin and naturally meshs perfectly with my signature twintails," Mimoko proudly huffed.

"Look, I'm not dissing your duds... Ahem, I actually approached you both to inform you of something; are you both aware of the 6B secret tournament?"

Daria shot Amelia a puzzled look. She was aware of the normal 6B tournament, but that had occurred a few nights ago. She had also not heard a single mention of such a thing in her entire time since becoming a maestro.

"Guess I'm the messenger. I'm just as in the dark as you as I just learned of this not too long ago. Basically, it's an all-female bughouse tournament between the top 64 teams in the tournament. It will be bullet format, and take place in the evening, but registration begins shortly. If your team fails to send 2 participants in time, your spot will be given to the next team down."

"Hmm? So this is like an exhibition. What do ya say, Mimoko? Wanna team up with me and wipe the field?"

Mimoko smiled and nodded. "Sounds like fun. Besides, it's not like we have any real plans."

"Then follow me. I'll escort you to the meetup point," Amelia nodded.

...

Elsewhere in the hotel, Okisato managed to track down Chihuahua.

"It's natural to find a librarian in a library, though this isn't your main library, is it?"

Chihuahua looked up from her book and smiled. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, I'd like to find information on blue eyes."

Chihuahua could sense where Okisato wished to take the conversation, but naturally, refused to give an inch. "You want to know about what causes certain eye colors? Well that's simple science."

"I know. But perhaps I should clarify a bit more. I'd like to know what could cause someone's eyes to turn from white to blue and their irises to turn light blue with a ring inside it."

This was a bold play. Okisato had now confirmed he knew of Chihuahua's power, while Chihuahua still had no reason to barter with him. That wasn't to say he had nothing of value to her, namely his family ties, but that would be something he wouldn't have full control over.

"Forming a deal with his family would be preferable, but that's off the table. His grandfather is still the patriarch of his clan, and even if I try to back him for succession- No, he wouldn't go that far. This is the oni-tiger. He doesn't allow others to use him. Though I am curious as to why he's so curious about our eyes. If I recall correctly, he played Rasputin last round, who as a grandmastermind, has more power and freedom than normal members. Ginji is also on his team, but I doubt he'd let anything slip. Seems I'll have to probe," Chihuahua thought as she rose from her seat. "Care to explain the nature of your inquiry?"

Okisato weighed his options, but decided it was best to go big, despite the risks. "Yes, you see my mother had the condition."

"Your mother?"

"Yes, she was a scientist named Kana Tanabe."

A slight scowl formed on Chihuahua's face. "So it's that. Damn, this is going to be troublesome. If I clam up, he'll try to challenge me to a game, and that could lead to everything getting exposed, or at least all that I know. I truly don't know the finer details of Kana's murder, but I am aware of who she was. I also have to go in for an interview with- There's my out, but I need to play my cards right," she thought. "Did your mother have a blue card when her eyes turned blue?"

Okisato thought back. "Like a blue WWCF card? I don't think she even pulled out a WWCF card back then. I really should have asked Iori-chan and Inoue senpai for more information. Seems there's more to this than it seems. I should go back and get more information, but doing so would likely lead to Chihuahua running away. She clearly knows all about what I'm after, but will naturally clam up. I guess I could try challenging her outright, but she'll likely book it before I can get a word out. Hmm, maybe I can leave the library but call Iori-chan. There aren't many exits, and if I keep her in eye-range, I can give chase if she tries to escape," he thought as he began to leave. "Thank you for your time."

Outside the library, but still able to see Chihuahua, Okisato dialed Iori.

"So where'd ya run off to, Oki-kun?"

"The library."

"Huh?"

"Listen, could you do me a favor and tell me all that happened when you faced the Mexicans two nights ago?"

"About their eyes? Uh, they turned blue, and they also dawned ghost makeup, but that wasn't part of it I don't think. Oh, their ratings also shot up and their cards turned blue."

"All of them?"

"No, just the ones with blue eyes."

"Anything else?"

"Hmm, AH! The broccoli head chucked a knife at the leader, but it phased right through her!"

"What do you mean?"

"It was like she was a hologram, but there was static on the knife when it landed."

Okisato began to turn his gears. While he had missed the actual match between Iori, Mimoko, Barbro and the Mexicans, he had been there when Raymond tossed them something.

"It means Mexico now has it's 5th member, and I expect them all to show up to all their remaining matched for the rest of the tournament."

"What did he mean by that? Was there something else?"

"It's come to my attention that something's been kind of off with the Mexican women's team. For the first two days of the tournament, none of it's members showed up to the playing hall, and before you assume it was due to them arriving late or being out sick, all members of the team were fit as a fiddle and present during the opening ceremony. They were also seen roaming around the hotel on the nights of the first two rounds as well. But the crazy thing is that on all the days they showed up at the playing hall, it was raining and the sun wasn't showing Kind of weird. And before you ask, we do have actual bona fide vampires competing and they all went to the playing hall when it was sunny out."

Remembering Kisha's words proved to be the final missing piece Okisato needed to at least form a working hypothesis. "One more thing; when they turned into ghosts, did they dawn the names of famous Mexican ghosts?"

"Yeah, they did. Wanna know which was which?"

In the library, Chihuahua began to scowl as she watched Okisato. "He's mounting a new attack. I need to leave," she thought as she began to get up.

Okisato caught on, but was unable to stop Chihuahua from making use of her secret escape route.

"Sorry, but you see I became a DSPCM, and as such, I can warp away to any secret puzzle cafe in the world. Sorry, but no prize for you," Chihuahua thought as she found herself in the secret puzzle cafe.

However, fear overtook her face as she got a closer look at her surroundings. "No... Why am I HERE!?"