Chapter 82: The Thrown Match

"Players, select your characters!" Hiroto announces.

Daiki instantly locks in his main. A fast, aggressive rush-down character.

Fuji pauses. He looks at the screen. And he picks... a joke character. A slow, clumsy, low-tier fighter that no one in a serious tournament ever uses.

The crowd laughs.

"An interesting choice from His Highness!" Hiroto says, confused. "Is this confidence? Or a mistake?"

I know what it is.

It is Step One of "Operation: Throw the Match."

He is building a narrative. If he loses with this character... it is believable. It is an "honorable" loss.

Daiki sees it. His face darkens. He says nothing.

"Round One! FIGHT!"

The match begins.

And Fuji... destroys him.

He uses the "joke character" and, with his perfect, technical skill, he completely dismantles Daiki. He parries every attack. He punishes every mistake.

It is an Ice Prince execution.

Daiki, the King, does not even land a single hit.

PERFECT.

Fuji wins Round One. Flawlessly.

The crowd is stunned. I am stunned.

What is he doing? This is not "losing"! This is "humiliation"!

Fuji sets his controller down, his face calm. He is showing the world, and his father, that he is infinitely superior. He is proving that he could win, easily.

Daiki is gripping his controller so hard his knuckles are white. He is shaking.

"An unbelievable first round!" Hiroto shouts. "His Highness is a monster! But do not count out the King!"

"Round Two! FIGHT!"

Fuji picks up his controller.

And he stops playing.

He just stands there. He holds "back" on the controller, blocking. He does not attack.

Daiki, furious, unleashes his full offense. He pummels Fuji's character. Fuji just... blocks.

"What is this?" Hiroto asks. "His Highness is not fighting back! He is just defending!"

Daiki keeps attacking. He is angry. This is not a fight. This is a "gimme."

Fuji's "block" finally breaks. Daiki lands a massive combo.

K.O.

Daiki wins Round Two.

The crowd is weirdly silent. It was not a "victory." It was... boring.

I look at the Crown Prince. Takahito is smiling. He approves. This is the plan. The Prince "proves his superiority" in Round 1, and then "graciously allows" the commoner to win Round 2.

Now, the final round.

"It is all tied up!" Hiroto yells. "One to one! This is it! The final round! For all the charity! For all the glory!"

"Final Round! FIGHT!"

Fuji sets his controller down.

He just sets it on his lap.

He is not even pretending to play.

He is just giving up.

Daiki is supposed to walk over and "win."

Daiki does not move.

His character stands still. Fuji's character stands still.

The timer ticks down.

The crowd is whispering.

"Uh... folks?" Hiroto asks, tapping his mic. "We seem to have a pause in the action?"

Daiki is shaking.

I can see the rage.

He is being insulted. In front of millions of people. He is being used as a prop in Fuji's "perfect son" political game.

He is being handed a victory he did not earn.

This... is Daiki's breaking point.