Episode 6: "The Man in the White Coat"

Yo's group set out from the Lovely Ocean. Their goal: Get to Azabu 11 to get a look at the King that was using Sui's name.
Players loitered around the city, all of them potential obstacles were it not for Kazuki's careful guidance. It took some effort, but they were able to navigate the streets without being caught in any unnecessary disputes.
That was, until they approached a back alley shortcut that would ideally take them to their goal if it wasn't blocked by a group of brawny-looking men.
All of them were clad in white suits and masks, effectively hiding their whole body from view.
Said masks bore a '24' on them, denominating them as 24 Tribe combatants.

24 Tribe Member A
"You lot! This way's off limits, so scram!"

Tsuki Iroha
"You get out of our way! We have to go through here!"

Tsuki bravely stepped toward them, but none budged.

24 Tribe Member B
"I've never seen any of youse before, an' trust me, I'd remember the fits. Ye look like yer 'bout to play some XB."

24 Tribe Member C
"Yeah, you're right! So, let me ask y'all a question. Do you know the shining bat?"

Yo Kuronaka
"The shining..."

The shining bat, he said.
Those words brought a very vivid image to Yo's mind. In his case still sat his beam bat.
The same bat that, during his XB match with Zero, had transformed. Its surface shone, covered in a vivid beam.
But there was no way that's the bat they meant, right?

Kazuki Aoyama
"And why do you care about it? It's not like anyone plays XB anymore."

Kazuki gave Yo a sharp look.
"Don't take it out unless you want trouble," it said, Kazuki's demeanor enough warning to know he shouldn't. And he wouldn't, no matter what.

24 Tribe Member D
"Even you oughta know about it. The King wants it, after all."

24 Tribe Member E
"So if you don't got any info, then get outta here! We don't got time to be wastin' on you."

Tsuki Iroha
"And who are you to give us orders? We're in a hurry here!"

No way they'd turn back and leave.
And so, they'd have to fight. Yo's team against the 24 Tribe combatants.
Tsuki led the attack, firing off a volley of pitches that hit each of the men right on their stomachs.
She charged and Yo followed suit, covering her back and driving their assailants back. He threw left and right hooks where necessary to keep them at bay.
They were getting to Sui, no matter what. Determination burned bright within Yo, and he knew Tsuki was much the same. And before long, they'd knocked most of the combatants out.

24 Tribe Member A
"Gahh!"

24 Tribe Member B
"D-Damn it! Let's get outta here!"

It was instead the 24 Tribe members who turned tail and ran.
The path to Azabu 11 was now clear.
And once the 24 Tribe members were out of sight, the numbers above their heads spiked up.

Tsuruko Semba
"Oh! Your dominance went up!"

Koishi Kohinata
"That's because you fought those guys off. You must've successfully scared them and ruined their reputation."

Kazuki Aoyama
"Yeah, but don't go thinking you can torment just anyone. You won't get anything out of tormenting someone clearly beneath your rank, so you gotta be picky about targets. You won't get anything from turning into a bully."

Yutaka Gotanda
"I suppose that makes some sense. Or as much as it can when the rules are this absurd to begin with."

Though that hadn't been their goal, Yo's group had successfully asserted their dominance over the 24 Tribe thugs.

Kazuki Aoyama
"Well, there's no sign of Sui here, so let's just move on."

Following Kazuki's lead, Yo and the rest continued their trek toward Azabu 11 in search for Sui.
They walked up and down the streets, turning around every corner, peering inside every shop and business in search for Sui.
Yet he was nowhere to be found. The long, futile search eventually wore the party out.

Kazuki Aoyama
"Tch, nothing. Let's call it here."

Tsuki Iroha
"No! We haven't found Sui yet!"

Yutaka Gotanda
"I understand how you're feeling, but pushing yourself will do nothing. We can always resume our search tomorrow."

Koishi Kohinata
"Let's just go back to the Lovely Ocean and rest, okay? If you burn yourself out, you'll probably get ill."

But then...

???
"I'll kill ya and become King!"

That's when they heard someone yelling at the top of their lungs. It was coming from main street.

Tsuki Iroha
"Either I'm going insane or... they just mentioned the King?"

And the King, in this city, could only be one person. Sui.
They quickly made their way toward the source of the voice, peeking around the corner to see what the noise was all about.

Cap-Wearing Man
"Ugh! You... bastard..."

White-Cloaked Man
"Hey, hey! Didn't you say you were gonna kill me and become King, huh?"

Two figures stood before them, engaged in a fight.
One of them was a younger man wearing a cap.
The other figure was clad in a white cloak, hood pulled up and hiding his face.
The number above his head read '3,004,891.' Much higher than the points of anyone else present.
Based on what the other man said, this was the King of the city.

Cap-Wearing Man
"Didn't know... you were... that strong..."

White-Cloaked Man
"Hah! Of course I'm strong! I'm the King! So whaddya say? I still got plenty in me!"

Cap-Wearing Man
"U-Urgh..."

The battle had long been decided.
The man wearing the cap was sprawled out on the floor, face contorted in fear as he looked on at the cloaked man.

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

His dominance had plummeted thanks to his defeat.

Cap-Wearing Man
"Shit... If it keeps going, I'll have to flee the city..."

The man with the cap got up in a hurry and ran.

White-Cloaked Man
"Hah! Think you can take a swing at the King and get away just like that?"

But he didn't make it far before the cloaked man shot forward.
Eyes feral, like a beast set upon its prey, he quickly bridged the gap between him and the running man.

Cap-Wearing Man
"Urgh... I just... wanted to bring the old Minato City back..."

White-Cloaked Man
"I don't care! That's all old news! What matters is what you're doing now!
Just who do you think you were going up against?! HUH?!"

Cap-Wearing Man
"Damn... it... Guess this... is it for me! AAAAAAHH!"

The man strengthened his resolve, going for one last desperate attack on the cloaked man.
His retaliation showed itself in a desperate barrage of punches, his voice echoing, determined.

White-Cloaked Man
"Hah! Missed! Missed, and missed! Come on, is that all you can do, you measly Commoner?!"

Yet the man in the white cloak dodged every attack, cruelly taunting his opponent as he did.
Through his cloak you could still see the scornful smile adorning his face.
No matter how many punches did the man in the cap throw, none would connect.
The gap in power between them wasn't just evident. It was painful.

Cap-Wearing Man
"Bastard! If only you hadn't become King! Urgh—"

The man with the cap fell to his knees after taking a blow to the stomach, anguish clear in his face.

White-Cloaked Man
"Oops! My bad. Got a good one in ya, didn't I?"

Cap-Wearing Man
"Urk... Bastard..."

The man fell over, gripping his stomach. He didn't stir again.

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

The man's rank fell down to Beggar.
If he didn't do anything about his dominance, and quickly, he'd be executed. But he didn't have any strength left...

White-Cloaked Man
"No matter how many hounds come for my throne, I'll just knock them down all the same."

The man clad in the white cloak looked down at his fallen opponent, smiling down fiendishly.

White-Cloaked Man
"I'll take down anyone who crosses my path. This city's ruler will always be Number 9!"

Yo Kuronaka
"Did he just say Number 9?!"

Yo blurted the words out before he could even think about it, caught himself off-guard out of sheer shock.

Kazuki Aoyama
"The Numbers are the ones standing at the apex of the governing rules, so it makes sense to have one here..."

So the white-cloaked man, the present King of the Minato Rankingdom, was Number 9.
And that could only mean...

Tsuki Iroha
"That voice..."

It was then that Tsuki realized something.
She couldn't see his face clearly, covered by the cloak's hood as it was, but she'd never mistake that voice.

System Voice
"Your time is up. We hope you will be someone of high society in your next life. Goodbye."

As the system voice made its merciless announcement, a red beam fell down from the sky.
CRACK!!!
Thunder cracked all around them, deafening. A blinding beam of light fell down from the sky, and without a trace, the man's body was now gone.

White-Cloaked Man
"Heh. Saved me the trouble of cleaning up."

The cloaked man wasn't fazed.
It was as if such horrid executions were just an every day matter to him.

Tsuruko Semba
"That light... It must've come from Space Envoy 3!"

Tsuruko opened her eyes, looking up at the sky.
The Minato Rankingdom executions were the work of Space Envoy 3's laser beams.
The very same lasers that had previously pierced through Tsuki and Sui's bodies...

Kazuki Aoyama
"...That's the fate of those who drop down to the Beggar rank."

Koishi Kohinata
"That's what happened to the people that faced him the other day..."

Koishi glanced at Tsuki, worried.

Tsuki Iroha
"...No! You're wrong! That guy... He has to be an impostor!"

Tsuki shook her head, still in denial.
The man wearing the white cloak could NOT be her childhood friend.

Kazuki Aoyama
"I understand that you don't want to accept it, but take a look around you. Look at what's actually happening, and use THAT information to make a decision."

Tsuki Iroha
"Then... I'll go prove it myself!"

Yo Kuronaka
"Tsuki?! Wait!"

Tsuki ran off.
Yo quickly shot out his hand in an effort to drag her back behind the corner, but it was in vain. She was gone, and all he grasped was thin air.
She was running straight toward the cloaked man, all by herself.

Yo Kuronaka
"I'm going after Tsuki! Wait for us here!"

Tsuruko Semba
"No, siree! I'm coming with you!"

Koishi Kohinata
"I-I'll go, too! I'm scared, but I'm not going to sit back and let you die."

Yutaka Gotanda
"Likewise. I owe you too great a debt to just watch you die."

Just as Tsuruko, Koishi, Yutaka, and Yo were set to go chase after Tsuki—

Kazuki Aoyama
"No, you won't. Everyone but Yo will stay here."

Kazuki interrupted. He threw his arms to the side, spreading himself to stand in their way.

Koishi Kohinata
"W-Why?!"

Koishi was the first to speak back.

Kazuki Aoyama
"We don't know how he'll react and you want to just run in there?
What if things get dangerous? Who will be left to step in, huh? Let's just leave it to Yo for now."

Yo Kuronaka
"Thank you, Kazuki! I'm counting on you guys to help if things get dicey!"

With those words, he left the team behind, chasing after Tsuki.
They'd confront the cloaked man. Together.