Episode 20: "XB vs. Zero: Part 4"

Zero
"Two outs, bases loaded... And now it looks like my favorite to win has stepped up to the plate."

Naturally, it was Yo who was standing at home plate.

Yo Kuronaka
"I'm through with letting you mess with us!"

Despite the way the odds were stacked against them, Yo's fighting spirit hadn't wavered at all.
He gripped a very peculiar-looking bat in his hands.

It was shaped like some sort of machine.

Hyakuichitaro Senju
"Bat looks kinda weird, doesn't it?"

Miu Jujo
"It's the same bat Tsuki and Sui had been carrying around. They gave it to Yo once they found him, since it's the one he used when he was in the Meguro Tribe."

They chatted somewhat casually as they watched on from the dugout.

The bat from his days in the Meguro Tribe.
Yo gripped it instinctively, glare narrowed on Zero.

Zero
"How thrilling. You really ARE brimming with enthusiasm!"
So, what do you think? Aren't you having fun?"

Yo Kuronaka
"Stop yapping and start pitching!
This way, I can finally crack you in the face with all I've got!"

Fury filled Yo's voice as he responded to Zero's teasing.

Zero
"But it's so much fun seeing you get worked up like this!"

Zero began to wind up his pitch as he spoke.

Zero
"It's just that I want you to enjoy our game, Yo.
I promise, it won't be boring at all!"

He then used his full strength to pitch the ball.
The XB Ball moved at lightning speed.

Yo swung his bat as the ball flew his way, but...
All he managed to hit was the air.
The velocity of the ball caused Yo to stagger as well.

Yo Kuronaka
"Ngh!"

Zero
"Strike one! Two more of those and it'll be game over for you."

Yo Kuronaka
"..."

Despite hearing those words, any semblance of defeat was absent from his gaze.
If anything, his determination had only been heightened by the challenge.
He may have gotten a strike, but he felt as if he'd learned something from the way Zero had pitched.

Zero
"Even here and now, right in the middle of our game, your growth continues to be tremendous."

Yo Kuronaka
"Huh?"

Zero's unprompted remark caught Yo a bit off-guard.

Zero
"Do you know why that is?
It's because... humans demonstrate their full potential when faced with a life-or-death situation. The scent of death has permeated the field, and that in turn will be the cardiotonic drug to spur your growth."

Yo Kuronaka
"..."

Zero
"Once I win this XB match, I'll ensure you all participate in my games on the surface, just as you promised.
And with that sense of perpetual danger instilled in you, the Ultimate Death Games will await you."

As he said those words, Zero began to roar with laughter.

It really was true, after all.
Zero viewed absolutely everything as some manner of game.

Yo Kuronaka
"You changed Neo Tokyo's laws in order to find an opponent to play against, right?
Why'd you have to involve everyone on the surface, then?"

Zero
"Are you saying that I should've just made you my adversary from the very start?
That's a bit conceited to say, don't you think?"

Zero shook his head as he heaved a sigh.

Zero
"There's no denying that you're special to me, Yo. But to become the one? Well, that'll depend on you."

Yo Kuronaka
"On... me? What do you mean by that?"

Zero
"It's not as if you're the only player with that latent potential to be my adversary. I actually have a few candidates in mind..."

Yo Kuronaka
"And who are they?"

Zero
"The ones I've let join 24 Tribe. I've been keeping a close eye on their development.
I call them the Numbers."

Yo Kuronaka
"The Numbers..."

Zero
"Much like you, they're candidates to become my adversary.
They're also the reigning champions of the death games that are held in each of the surface cities."

The Numbers... So they were currently the reigning champions of all the death games held across the different cities.
In addition to that, Zero held control over them in the 24 Tribe, and were also candidates to become the adversary Zero was seeking.
Yo couldn't even begin to imagine just what sort of people they may have been.

Zero
"And you... You will be added to their ranks, where you will be tasked with defeating them in the death games they excel at.
Should you survive until the end, then the time to reap my harvest will finally arrive!"

Zero was undoubtedly grinning beneath his mask.
Yo could surmise that much from the rising elation in his voice.

Zero
"And when that happens, once you've proven that only you deserve to be my adversary... You'll be the one to play the ultimate game with me!"

Yo Kuronaka
"What the hell are you going on about? Everything you're saying is totally absurd!
Do you really think I'm just going to go along with your delusions?!"

Desperate as Yo's retort sounded, he found that he was beginning to understand Zero's madness.

Zero
"You're the one who promised to take part if you lost to me in XB... or have you already forgotten?
You'll take part in XG, Neo Tokyo's ultimate game of survival..."

Yo Kuronaka
"X....G?"

Zero
"I know it must sound similar to XB. However, I can assure it's quite different.
Putting your life on the line in XG games... Now those? Those are the greatest games to play!"

As he carried on, Zero began to wind up for his second pitch.
In response, Yo quickly adjusted his grip on the bat.

After contorting his body to an extreme degree, Zero released all of the power he'd been accumulating. The resulting pitch zoomed toward Yo with extreme speed and force.

Yo Kuronaka
"To hell with your XG game!"

Yo responded in kind as he swung his bat with the whole of his power.
Once again, his attempt to hit the ball had only made contact with the air.
The catcher drone behind him that had received the incoming pitch was blown back.

His timing had been perfect, he was sure of it.
He had accounted for the terrifying speed of the pitch, and swung with perfect form.

Two strikes.
Still, he was sure he'd begun to understand the way Zero pitched.

Zero
"Oh, you pitiful thing! There's not a single thing you can do to fight back against me..."

Zero spoke casually, having Yo exactly where he wanted him.

Zero
"Whether it's strength, intellect, stamina, creativity, or agility...
None of you are on the level of even the dirt on the soles of my shoes."

Yo Kuronaka
"The only pitiful one here is you!"

Yo fired back with no hesitation.

Yo Kuronaka
"You're the only person on your team, so you have to do everything alone. And that means you'll never understand the true joy of playing XB."

Zero
"..."

Yo Kuronaka
"You know even less than a guy who's lost his memories of what XB is truly about."

Yo's gaze dropped, eyes trained on the bat gripped in his hands.

Yo Kuronaka
"Even standing here, playing like this... I get it.
I understand exactly why Tsuki and Sui talked about XB so passionately."

He lifted his gaze and glared at Zero once more.

Yo Kuronaka
"The reason you can't have fun with games has nothing to do with whether or not opponents are on your level.
And it's not because you aren't risking your life while playing them, either."

Yo pointedly aimed his bat in Zero's direction.

Yo Kuronaka
"It's because you don't have any friends to play them with."

Zero
"..."

Zero drew in a deep breath. What followed after was completely unexpected.

Zero
"I... I can't take it anymore..."

Zero's body began to tremble as he became overcome with excitement.

Zero
"I... I want to break you! I want to completely crush you to bits and pieces!!
But if I do that, all my plans will be ruined!
But... but, but, but!!"

Abruptly, the trembling stopped.

Zero
"But even that might be fun!"

Zero stretched his arms wide before he bent his body back to face the heavens.
A strange energy began to emanate from him.
Yo could see Zero's entire body being enveloped by a sinister, magenta aura.

Both his left and right hand drones began to float above him.
Softly, Zero tossed the XB Ball he'd been holding up in the air before it slowly began to float upward, as if being drawn to the hand drones.
Then, as both drones carefully cradled the ball...

A deep crimson ball of energy materialized from the XB Ball.

Enoki Yukigaya
"Well, this seems like a problem..."

Hyakuichitaro Senju
"The hell?! You tellin' me something like that is even possible?!"

Koishi Kohinata
"I mean, yeah, I think so. Those drones are probably XB Gear..."

Kazuki had been watching Zero and Yo's battle from a distance all the while.
He screamed out as he held his injured arm.

Kazuki Aoyama
"This... goes way beyond the norm!
Yo, you've gotta get out of there!"

Those words didn't manage to reach Yo's ears.

Yo Kuronaka
"..."

Yo was completely focused.
Perhaps that was what triggered his memory.

The next attack was going to be exactly the same as what he'd faced previously against Zero in Meguro City.
That time, he'd been defeated, which planted both fear and trauma into his heart.
...And in turn, caused him to lose not only his memories, but two years of his life.

He vowed to himself that he would win this time.
That's why he showed no hesitation; there was only determination lining his features.

Zero
"Accept your fate!"

The ball of energy that floated above Zero continued to grow in size.

A moment later, static briefly clouded Yo's view.
Two faces flashed through his mind.

Sui Yakumo
"You got this. You—"

Tsuki Iroha
"No worries! You can do it, Yo!"

Encouraged by those words, Yo made a declaration.

Yo Kuronaka
"I remember..."

Yo Kuronaka
"I remember our dream!"

He tightened the grip on his bat once again.
As he did so, the bat transformed, its surface covered with a dazzling beam.

It was now a beam bat.
Energy fluttered from the beam bat like glittering cherry blossom petals.

Zero
"Get ready, Yo!!"

The energy ball above Zero's head seemed ready to burst.
Then, Zero motioned in his arms forward.

When he did that, the massive ball of energy raced toward Yo with blistering speed.

It took only a moment.
Everything came to a close with the blink of an eye.

As the energy ball made its final approach, Yo swung the beam bat.

(Bwoooong!)

The massive sphere clashed against the bat, the force of the collision intense.
What followed was a blinding flash of light.

Yo Kuronaka
"Haaaaaahh!"

He continued to use his strength against the force of the energy ball.

Along with the static that had overtaken his senses, another memory flashed through Yo's mind.

It was back in Meguro City, he was sure.
Beneath the fluttering cherry blossom petals...
The three of them had put their fists together.

They made a promise to fulfill a dream.

Yo Kuronaka
"That's right, that was our dream!"

Yo continued to push against the energy ball with as much strength as he could muster.

Yo Kuronaka
"We wanted to become undefeatable XB players!!"

The flash of light grew even brighter.

Yo Kuronaka
"Haaaaaaaaaaahh!"

This time, Yo completed the swing, the bat carrying through.

(Bwong!)

The energy completely dissipated, leaving nothing but the normal XB Ball in its place.
And then, engulfed in a pale pink light reminiscent of cherry blossoms, the ball went barreling in Zero's direction.

A moment later, the ball slammed against Zero's mask.
As a result, his face had been revealed.

The XB Ball then flew out into the distance.

Yo Kuronaka
"How'd you like that?"

With that, Yo dropped his bat.
All traces of the light beam had disappeared.

Yo Kuronaka
"I... I did it..."

Then, the energy drained from him, Yo proceeded to collapse in place.

Slowly, Zero made his way toward Yo.
The corners of his mouth tugged upward in sheer glee in a way they'd never seen as he looked down at Yo.

Kazuki continued to watch Zero's movements from afar, completely stunned by what he had just witnessed.

Kazuki Aoyama
"Th-There's no way..."

There was an uncharacteristic tremble to Kazuki's voice as he spoke.

Kazuki Aoyama
"Shun... Kamiya..."

-Tribe Nine Chapter 0 END-

Writer : Kazutaka Kodaka