Episode 17: "XB vs. Sui Part 2"

As the bottom of the first inning began, Sui's team went up to bat.
Sui himself would be the first batter.

Sui Yakumo
"Hey, quit stallin' and pitch already!
I can probably hit whatever you got with one hand, anyway."

Sui taunted Tsuki, who was at the pitcher's mound, with a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Tsuki Iroha
"Better act cocky while you still can, Sui!
I know everything about you, which includes what pitches you're not good at hitting!"

With a deep breath, Tsuki began to wind up her first pitch.
She spread her arms wide and lifted one leg high in the air before she put all of her strength into throwing the ball toward Sui's chest.
But...
(Clang!)

The sound reverberated in the air as Sui made contact with the ball, sending it high into the sky over Minato City.
Yo and the others playing defense struggled to follow the trajectory of the ball.

Tsuki Iroha
"B-But... Sui's always had a hard time with those pitches..."

Sui Yakumo
"Ha! Are you finally gettin' it?
The me you knew doesn't exist anymore!"

Sui carried himself like the King he was, making his way around the bases at a leisurely pace.
It was as if he was trying make a display to Yo's team of the difference in their ranks.

Tsuruko Semba
"Let's change things up, Tsuki!"

Yutaka Gotanda
"Fortunately, the bases weren't loaded.
He only has a one run lead at the moment."

Tsuki Iroha
"Y-Yeah, no kidding! We're not down and out yet!
We just gotta make sure they can't score from here on out!"

Tsuki clapped her palms against her cheek, getting herself fired up.
She began her pitch to the next batter once they were up to the plate.
However, they weren't dealing with pushovers. The Minato Tribe were legendary for a reason.
Santaro got a hit. Ichiro, Jiro and Saburo followed up with sacrificial bunts to Tsuki's pitches, allowing Santaro to score a run.
The score was 0-2, with Sui's team in the lead.

Santaro Mita
"Sorry... It's not like we wanna play against you guys, but when it comes to XB, we can't take it easy..."

Ichiro
"We have to get back the beam bat..."

Jiro
"It's something we can't afford to lose..."

Tsuki Iroha
"U-Urk..."

With each passing inning, the point gap continued to widen.
Yo's team couldn't hit the fastballs thrown by Sui from midair. Though Tsuki didn't crumble, she was being scored against in nearly every inning.
By the end of the fifth inning, the score was 0-6.

Sui Yakumo
"Hey, what's the matter? What happened to beatin' me and gettin' me back to normal?"

Sui continued to taunt Yo's team from the pitcher's mound, a giant smirk plastered on his face.

Sui Yakumo
"Well, it's not like you really stood a chance against my strength! Power is everything, y'know! Better make sure you don't forget it!"

Tsuki Iroha
"Don't get ahead of yourself! We haven't even lost yet!
We're gonna make a huge comeback in the sixth inning, just you watch!"

Sui Yakumo
"Ha! Actin' tough's all you got, huh?"

Tsuki Iroha
"It's not an act! Ugh, you know... you're just like Kazuma lately!
That guy lost because he treated his subordinates like garbage. He was always bragging and calling himself perfect, and now you're just doing the same thing! That's why we're not gonna lose... We're gonna beat you!"

Sui Yakumo
"Ha! There's no comparin' me to some loser who got beaten by you!
I heard about what he did, but it's not like anythin' he said was wrong. He just messed up by losing! You gotta keep on winnin' to prove yourself right!"

If he won, then everything would be forgiven.
His arrogance, the self-righteous ideologies, even his use of violence against others—at least, that's what Sui seemed to believe.

Kazuki Aoyama
"My, it's starting to sound like we have a dictator on our hands... It really may be best to believe that the Sui who had infiltrated 24 City with us is no longer here."

Yo Kuronaka
"No kidding. He's not even making sense anymore."

Tsuruko Semba
"I'm getting a headache from trying to follow his one-sided logic..."

Tsuki Iroha
"He... wasn't like this before. I promise, he wasn't...
Even though he looks the same, he..."

The more they heard, the more difficult it was for them to accept Sui's train of thought.
Still, just because he uttered such words didn't mean they were entirely truthful to his feelings.

Yo Kuronaka
"Anyone can just go off and run their mouths, but I... I don't believe in what he's saying."

Sui Yakumo
"Tch, it's exhausting dealin' with idiot opponents. Keep yappin' if you want, I'm done listening."

Sui stretched out his right hand and used his palm to cover his face.
Then, after a moment, he spoke once more in a hushed tone.

Sui Yakumo
"If I'm gonna make my dream a reality, then I have to keep winning... That's why I'll do it. I WILL win."

Yo Kuronaka
"...Your dream?"

Sui ignored Yo's question, instead raising his voice.

Sui Yakumo
"I have no choice but to crush anyone who doesn't get it! Time to get serious!"

(Fwoooosh!)

The sudden sound of gusting wind filled the air, followed immediately by Sui's XB Gear emitting a red aura.
That aura then enveloped Sui's entire body, much like a chrysalis.
And when Sui emerged from that red chrysalis...

Sui Yakumo
"Haha! My power is overflowing! I'm gonna crush you once and for all with it!"

Sui's white outfit had morphed into a jet-black one.
His face had been covered by a sinister red skull mask.
It was likely that the mask was also a type of XB Gear.
Compared to earlier, before he'd donned the mask, Sui's presence was overwhelmingly powerful.
Still, Tsuki remained unfazed; she called out to him in defiance.

Tsuki Iroha
"What, you think some mask just makes you a different person? Wearing that thing can't erase the past!"

Sui Yakumo
"It's BECAUSE I threw away my past that I'm stronger now! No one can deny it!
And if this face of mine is a reminder of the past, then I'll just throw that away, too!"

Yo Kuronaka
"...!"

Overwhelmed by Sui's imposing aura, Yo and the others on the team recoiled.
His power had already been oppressive, but this shift only intensified that.
A sense of hopelessness and despair gripped at their hearts as they stared on at the masked Sui. How were they going to take down such a beast?
But just then, at that moment...

Kazuki Aoyama
"No, this is our one-in-a-million opportunity. The seeds of our victory are starting to sprout now that Sui's taken on this form."

None of them could have expected the words that came from Kazuki's mouth.

Koishi Kohinata
"...'The seeds of our victory are going to sprout'? What do you mean by that?
We were already no match for him even at our best, and now Sui's even stronger..."

Kazuki Aoyama
"That's exactly the reason why.
A guy as fixated on his power as Sui is wouldn't have used his full strength yet. That contradiction will be the key to defeating him.
We've got Yo and Tsuki to thank for this. Being so determined to bring back your childhood friend has cornered Sui into making a huge mistake."

Kazuki fixed his gaze on the masked Sui, and a devilish smirk that matched the scene appeared on his lips.

Kazuki Aoyama
"Gather 'round, everyone. I'm going to lay out the plan for taking down Sui."

That's when Kazuki told everyone...
Exactly how they could take down someone as overwhelmingly strong as Sui.