Chapter 81: The Imperial E-Sports Invitational

I am standing in the Akasaka Palace, wearing a dress I hate, and I am watching my dad take a selfie with a gold pillar. My mom is trying to stop him. Toujo is trying to steal an Imperial-branded cream puff from a passing waiter. Rika is just trying to disappear into the carpet.

It is the most high-class, high-tension, high-stupid event of my life.

In the middle of this ancient room, under chandeliers that probably cost more than my entire neighborhood, is a massive, neon-lit gaming stage. It is like a spaceship landed in a museum.

Hiroto Suzume is on the stage, wearing a sparkly-blue suit. He is the host.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome, Japan!" Hiroto beams into the camera, his voice echoing. "To the first-annual, the one-and-only, Imperial Charity E-Sports Invitational! Where gaming meets royalty!"

He poses. The cameras flash.

"This is a disaster," I mutter.

"This is the best!" Toujo whispers, his mouth full of cream puff. "Look! They have unlimited snacks!"

I scan the VIP section. My family and I are seated. My dad is vibrating with excitement, talking to other game developers. And then I see the other VIPs.

The Crown Prince, Takahito. He is sitting in a throne-like chair. He looks like he is in physical pain. Beside him, Lady Mariko is scrolling through her phone, looking completely bored.

And then I see Daiki. He is not in the crowd. He is in the "Player's Lounge" area, a glassed-in box. He is wearing a pro-gamer jersey over his suit. He is cracking his knuckles, staring at the stage.

He looks serious. He looks like a king in a cage.

The tournament begins. It is a "Street Fighter X: Ultra Hyper Omega Edition" invitational. My game.

This is not a coincidence.

The first few matches are a blur. Daiki, as "Deception," plays. He does not just win. He annihilates. His first opponent is a famous streamer. Daiki beats him in under forty seconds. A "Perfect."

The crowd goes wild.

Then, the second bracket.

"And now," Hiroto announces, "A challenger we were not expecting! He is a scholar! He is a gentleman! He is... His Imperial Highness, Prince Kenji!"

Fuji walks out.

He is not in his white Imperial suit. He is wearing a simple black suit, his white hair a stark contrast. He looks like a CEO.

He sits down at the second gaming station.

The crowd is confused. The Prince? Is playing?

Fuji's first match is against a university e-sports champion.

Fuji does not just win. He dissects.

His movements are perfect. Technical. Flawless. He does not use flashy moves. He just wins. Perfectly.

He is the "Ice Prince" even in a video game.

He and Daiki plow through their respective brackets.

It is inevitable.

"This is it, folks!" Hiroto screams, practically jumping. "The Grand Final! Our King of Gamers, DECEPTION! Versus our very own Prodigy Prince, HIS HIGHNESS, KENJI!"

Daiki walks onto the stage. Fuji walks onto the stage.

They stand at the center, facing each other while the crowd roars.

This is it. Fuji's plan.

I remember his whisper. "I am going to lose this tournament to Daiki. Publicly."

He is going to throw the match. To make his father look magnanimous. To make Daiki the "hero" of the charity.

I watch Daiki. He is staring at Fuji. His eyes are narrowed. He hates Fuji. He wants this win more than anything.

But... does he want a fake win?

Daiki, the "King of Jerks," has more pride than anyone I know.

This is not going to go the way Fuji thinks it is.