Episode 15: "Yo's Provocation"

24 Tribe Member
"What do you all think you're doing? This is the great Number 9's residence!
Get outta here!"

The group had made their way inside Minato Tower, but were quickly prevented from going any farther by members of the 24 Tribe.

Yo Kuronaka
"We have to see Sui, no matter what. Can you just tell him that Yo Kuronaka is here to see him?"

24 Tribe Member
"Are you crazy?! You really think I'm gonna let myself get chewed out because I passed along a message from some small fry, nobody like you?"

The 24 Tribe members geared up for a fight, which in turn meant the Trash Tribe would not be able to get their message to the intended recipient.
With the way things were going, it seemed they had no other options available to them.
Yo and the rest of the group readied their weapons, but just as they were about the clash with the 24 Tribe members...

Sui Yakumo
"Geez. I was told a bunch of weirdos got in. Didn't think it would just be you guys."

Sui appeared without the need to fetch him.
Despite being outnumbered, he didn't seem to take any extra precautions; he simply approached them with an even composure.

Sui Yakumo
"So, what's up? Finally decided to surrender?"

Yo Kuronaka
"Yeah, you nailed it. We're surrendering... Just like you wanted, we're dropping out of XG."

Sui Yakumo
"Ha! Get real! I know that's not what you're here for; it's written all over your face!"

Sui saw through Yo's lie with ease.

Yo Kuronaka
"No, I'm not lying. I really did come to surrender. But I have a condition."

Sui Yakumo
"Having conditions means it's not actually a surrender, man. So, what is it?"

Yo Kuronaka
"If you can beat us in a game of XB, then we'll surrender. For real."

Sui Yakumo
"...XB?"

Sui couldn't help but to let out a laugh, his arms wrapping around his stomach at the mention of XB.

Sui Yakumo
"Hahaha! My dude, are you nuts? You really tryin' to settle a dispute with that outdated, wannabe combat sport?!"

Sui clapped his hands together as he continued to laugh. He spoke as if he was looking down on XB, treating it as if it were a child's game that adults wouldn't take part in. However...

Yo Kuronaka
"You're wasting your breath by talking that way."

Yo wasn't about to let himself be deceived by Sui's acting.

Sui Yakumo
"Huh?"

Sui's expression dropped, the smile on his face disappearing.

Yo Kuronaka
"You... still have your memories of XB, don't you?"

Sui Yakumo
"What're you talkin' about?"

Yo Kuronaka
"You were the one who stole the beam bat that was at Mr. Mita's place, weren't you? You might be acting like a different person right now, but there's still part of you that looks up to the Minato Tribe, right?"

Sui Yakumo
"..."

His expression morphed into a scowl, remaining silent as Yo continued to speak.

Yo Kuronaka
"That's not all, either. Weren't you also the one who saved the robo-umpire? Not that I can really prove it, but...
Carrying a heavy robot like that and hiding it so that it wouldn't be found... That's just not something someone would do unless they really loved XB.
That's why I really believe you still have that love for XB somewhere within you.
I'm right, aren't I?"

As he spoke, Yo raised his voice as a result of his own convictions.
He kept his gaze fixed on Sui, not breaking eye contact as he pressed for answers.
He prayed that the words he spoke were the truth, however...

Sui Yakumo
"Muaha... hahahahahahahahahaha!"

Sui let out a villainous-sounding laugh as his expression shifted into something almost devilish in nature.

Sui Yakumo
"Well done, detective! I'd say you're half-right!"

Yo Kuronaka
"Only half?"

Sui Yakumo
"You're right, it was me who had the bat stolen. It might be outdated, but it's still a symbol of ultimate power. I thought it'd make good decoration for my room, so my subordinates and I searched for it.
That's the only part you got right, though. There's not a single part of me that looks up to the Minato Tribe, and I don't still have any feeling's about XB, either!"

Yo Kuronaka
"...!"

Sui Yakumo
"That's why I did it. So it's about time you stopped trying to get me to play XB. If you really wanna face me, we'll settle things with our fists. How about I knock you out with a single punch like last time?"

Stubbornly, Sui denied the chance to settle things with XB.
Yo wasn't sure what to do next; the plan he had made relied on Sui agreeing to an XB match.
With how things were going, it seemed all their efforts would be for nothing. He wasn't sure what he could even do next.

Tsuki Iroha
"That's what you SAY, but... you're just afraid of losing, aren't you?"

Tsuki interrupted their conversation, her tone stern.

Sui Yakumo
"What? Afraid... of losing?"

Tsuki Iroha
"Well, yeah. I mean, you've never beaten Yo at XB, right?"

Sui Yakumo
"Shut up."

Tsuki's words seemed to agitate Sui, which prompted him to shift to a much more unreadable expression.

Tsuki Iroha
"You keep saying you're stronger, but if you were to lose like you did in the past, you wouldn't be able to make any excuses..."

Sui Yakumo
"I SAID SHUT UP!"

Sui shouted in response, infuriated by what Tsuki said.

Sui Yakumo
"The past doesn't matter anymore! I HAVE become stronger! No one can beat me, not even Yo!"

Yo Kuronaka
"If no one can beat you, then you shouldn't have any problems facing us in an XB match."

As the cracks began to form in Sui's demeanor, Yo knew he had to use the opportunity to challenge him.

Sui Yakumo
"Ha? Fine, bring it on, then! Let's do this!"

Yo Kuronaka
"...!"

Yo quietly balled his hands into fists.
Their heated back-and-forth had finally resulted in Sui accepting the XB match.
His plan had worked...

Sui Yakumo
"...Is that what you wanted me to say?"

Tsuki Iroha
"Huh?"

A puzzled look appeared on Tsuki's face.

Sui Yakumo
"I'm not gonna accept crappy challenges like that. Don't you realize that I have tons of ways to make you all bow down to me? I've got no reason to play XB against you!"

Yo Kuronaka
"Hngh..."

It seemed that no matter how Yo tried to convince him, or how Tsuki tried to provoke him, Sui wasn't going to accept their proposition.
Yo found himself completely out of options.

Kazuki Aoyama
"My, my... I see that you're really not aware of your own incompetence."

Kazuki spoke up as he stepped forward, saving Yo from his predicament.

Sui Yakumo
"What was that?"

Tsuki Iroha
"Ka...zuki?"

Kazuki Aoyama
"Sui, you really need to work on that attitude of yours. You're really going piss off everyone in the world if you don't tone down those violent tendencies. You realize that, right?
Truth is, most people in this city already hate you. Children, adults, the elderly... even the Influencers seems to really hate your guts.
That's why we have their support in dethroning you."

Koishi Kohinata
Kazuki, I don't think you're supposed to..."

Yutaka Gotanda
"Shh... We should leave this to him."

He was quick to cup his hand over Koishi's mouth.

Sui Yakumo
"The Influencers are on your side? So what?
I can just kill those old goats whenever I feel like it, y'know? I can take them down in an instant, even without that whole annoying dominance process!"

Kazuki Aoyama
"Wow, you really don't get it. Talk about being out of touch up there on your throne. You really can't figure out who'll be killed before you can kill the Influencers?"

Kazuki responded with what sounded like a riddle, and then, a moment later...

Influencer
"Kazuki Aoyama... I do believe you were told to keep this confidential, correct?"

The conversation was interrupted by the giant emoji that appeared on the floor of Minato Tower's entrance.
It appeared that the Influencer had hacked into both the lighting and speaker systems.

Kazuki Aoyama
"Well, things didn't go exactly as planned. Can't you cut me a little slack here?"

Influencer
"I see. In that case, allow me to do what I must, as well."

System Voice
"A large decrease in dominance has been detected. Your rank has been downgraded to Commoner."

The points above Yo's head dropped sharply as the system voice echoed around them.
It was, without a doubt, the Influencer's doing.

Tsuruko Semba
"Kazuki, if this keeps up... Yo's really going to have to flee the city!"

Sui Yakumo
"Huh?!"

Sui's expression was that of extreme agitation.

Kazuki Aoyama
"Are you finally starting to get who's actually going to get killed first in this situation yet?
You might be able to change the Influencer's mind if you accept the XB match."

Sui Yakumo
"..."

System Voice
"A large decrease in dominance has been detected. Your rank has been downgraded to Beggar. Please increase dominance at once if you wish to avoid further consequences."

Yo's rank had fallen all the way to Beggar.
If they didn't act quickly, his chest would be pierced through with a laser.
Just as Sui's had that day...

Tsuki Iroha
"If we don't do something, Yo's gonna...!"

Sui Yakumo
"...I accept."

Yo Kuronaka
"Wh...at?"

Yo could hardly believe his ears.

Sui Yakumo
"I said, I accept your XB match!"

Yo hadn't misheard. This time, Sui really had accepted his challenge.

System Voice
"A large increase in dominance power has been detected. Your rank has been upgraded to Noble. Congratulations."

The number above Yo's head shot up quickly in tandem with Sui's acceptance to the XB match.

Santaro Mita
"Hey, hey... What the heck just happened?!"

Tsuki Iroha
"Sui... saved Yo's life?"

Kazuki Aoyama
"I wonder... We don't know what his true intentions may be, but at the very least, it seems like Sui doesn't want Yo to die. He's given more than a few warnings to give up on XG, but still let him escape easily enough, too."

Kazuki's assessment was on point.
If Sui had really intended to kill Yo, he'd already had ample opportunity to do so.
He could have eliminated them on their first encounter; he could have also attacked them at Santaro's secret base. But he hadn't done any of those things.
It was difficult to gauge what his true intentions were.

Influencer
"...It appears you used us as you saw fit."

Kazuki Aoyama
"A two-way street, as far as I'm concerned."

Influencer
"Heehee. An excellent display of ability, indeed. I wish you the best in your endeavors."

Leaving behind those words, the Influencer proceeded to vanish.

Yutaka Gotanda
"That was a quite a risky bet. Had you miscalculated the situation, Mr. Kuronaka would have..."

Kazuki Aoyama
"Haha. Can't deny that it had me on edge, too."

Kazuki's forehead was damp from the beads of sweat that had formed.

Yo Kuronaka
"Sui... You saved me..."

Sui Yakumo
"...Don't let it go to your head. Things would've gotten boring real fast if you croaked, so I let you live. Got it?
I'm gonna be the one who takes you down, and I'm not lettin' anyone else get in the way of that!"

It was still impossible to tell just what Sui was after.
Yo couldn't make heads or tails of what he was thinking, or just what his current circumstances truly may have been.
But... that was something they could figure out after bringing the current situation to an end.
There was only one thing Yo needed to do right now.
And that was just to work with his teammates to defeat Sui in an XB match.
That was where his focus needed to be.

Kazuki Aoyama
"Regardless, we know what we have to do. We should get to it."

The moment Kazuki motioned to get started...

(Clap, clap, clap, clap.)

Their ears were filled with the sound of someone's clapping.
They turned around to the source of the sound, only to find...

Zero
"Haha... Truly incredible! Amazing work, everyone! Passionate friendships suddenly morphing into extreme loathing...
This is exactly what I was looking for! This turn of events is so incredible that I needed to see it in person for myself!"

It was Zero standing before them.
This time, he wasn't in his plushie, mascot form.
He chose, instead, to appear before them in human form.
His face was hidden behind his mask, save for his right eye, which watched on with intense excitement.

Yo Kuronaka
"Zero..."

Sui Yakumo
"Tch..."

Zero
"Yes... Reviving Sui was definitely worth it. The two of them being all buddy-buddy would have been BORING!"

...Revived?

Santaro Mita
"...Why is he here?"

Yo and all the others, Sui included, were baffled.
Why exactly had Zero come? To watch their XB match?
...Was that really the only reason?

Tsuruko Semba
"Excuse me."

Tsuruko was the first to speak up.

Zero
"Huh? What do you want?"

Tsuruko Semba
"We were planning on settling our matters with XB, rather than the governing rules. I was wondering if you were here to stop us..."

Zero
"Ahh. Look, I can't say I like excessive hindrances. But... I'm sure these two going at it with a game of XB will be pretty exciting, so I'll allow it.
Still, I'll keep a close eye on matters, as it's all part of XG. After all, I can't stand when shady Nobles manipulate what dominance power they have to their advantage."

Zero's gaze shifted toward a surveillance camera that was mounted above their heads, as he smiled behind his mask.
It seemed that his intent was to keep the Influencers, who were watching from the other side of those cameras, in check.
"I'm enjoying myself, so don't you dare get in the way," was the unspoken sentiment he seemed to convey with his actions.

Sui Yakumo
"Hey. How much longer do you plan on yappin'?"

Zero
"Now, now... There's no need to rush. Ah, that's right. Who's the King, again?"

The rankings appeared as Zero asked that question.

Santaro Mita
"Wh-What the heck is that?!"

Santaro sputtered in shock.
The rankings board that Zero summoned was massive.
It was the size of a screen found in a baseball stadium.

Zero
"It's a special rankings screen that can only be summoned by yours truly. Everything's better on a big screen, after all!
Oh, right, that reminds me. Yo, have you given your victory reward any thought?"

Yo Kuronaka
"Like you don't already know. I want you to undo Sui's brainwashing so he goes back to normal."

Zero
"Oho! You're much more clear-headed now, I see! You've gained a real sense of humor, there."

Yo Kuronaka
"Don't play dumb with me! It's all your fault Sui's acting like this!"

Aggravated by Zero's detached tone, Yo suddenly raised his voice.

Zero
"Hmm? Well, I understand what you're getting at. If he's been brainwashed, then I'll do it."

There seemed to be some sort of hidden undertone to Zero's words, but regardless, he committed to the terms.
All that remained was defeating Sui at XB!

Santaro Mita
"Time to get rollin'! I can't even remember the last time I played... I'm so pumped right now!"

Santaro's enthusiasm was palpable as he cracked his knuckles.

Koishi Kohinata
"Mr. Mita... Well, all of you... Are you going to join us as well?"

Jiro
"You bet! We've been itching to play this whole time!"

Having the legendary Minato Tribe alongside them in their fight would be nothing short of a tremendous help.
Their combined power was most definitely enough to defeat Sui.
However, nobody could have prepared for the words Sui uttered next.

Sui Yakimo
"Hmm... All right, I've made up my mind. Santaro, and you four kids, too... You're on my team."

Santaro Mita
"Huh? Says WHO?!"

Sui Yakumo
"Hey, now. Maybe you should think it through before you go turnin' me down. That stolen beam bat... Who'd have thought it'd come in handy at a time like this?"

Saburo
"Wait, you don't mean..."

The color drained from the faces of Santaro and the Four Children.

Sui Yakumo
"It's a memento of a legendary player, isn't it? I remember how happy you were when you showed it to me a while back."

Santaro Mita
"Y-You..."

Santaro's tone darkened as he realized the stolen beam bat was being held hostage.

Sui Yakumo
"Look, there's no need to get so worked up. Once we win, I'll give it back. It belonged to an important teammate, after all, right?"

Kazuki Aoyama
"...That's low, Sui."

Kazuki fired a glare laden with contempt toward Sui.

Santaro Mita
"Kazuki, I..."

Santaro's voice trembled.
It was clear how conflicted he was between his desire to help the Trash Tribe, and wanting to recover the beam bat.

Kazuki Aoyama
"I can't stop you from what you need to do, Santaro. But there are things I need to do as well."

Kazuki's words implied exactly one thing:
"Let's do this."

Santaro Mita
"Man... I can't believe this is how I end up playin' XB with you again..."

Santaro sighed and scratched his head as he came to terms with the situation at hand.

Kazuki Aoyama
"If we're going to play, then give it your all. I'll be sure to do the same."

Kazuki offered Santaro a taunting smile.

Santaro Mita
"Heh..."

Santaro returned the very same expression to Kazuki.

Sui Yakumo
"Haha! So you're gonna join my team, after all! I'm stoked!"

A wicked grin formed on Sui's lips as he watched Santaro's response to the situation.
There was no telling just what the outcome of the match would be now that the Minato Tribe teaming up with Sui.

Zero
"Incredible! Absolutely incredible! This tangled mess of emotions is bringing so much chaos! It's going to be a match for the ages!"

With their matters settled, Minato City's final match had begun.
It was a match to end the absurd dominance power struggle game.
A match to undo the brainwashing that had turned Sui into Number 9.
The XB match featuring Yo and the others would now begin.