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“W-We can talk about this, de gozaru!”
Kanzaki shook his head. “Apologies, Sengoku, but we must settle this issue.”
Tsukasa nodded in agreement. “I am obliged to agree. I admit, I am disappointed. Usually, we are on the same side, but this issue cannot be ignored. We shall settle this with a DUEL!”
Shinobu looked at him with wide eyes, covering his mouth with his hands.
Kanzaki’s eyes narrowed. “I accept your challenge.”
“WHAT HAVE I DONE!?” Tsukasa wailed as he burst into the dorm kitchen.
“T-Tsukasa-chan!?” Narukami frowned at him with great concern. “Are you okay…?”
Sena scoffed. “Are you trying to mess us up!? Haven’t you learned better than to just burst dramatically into a room?”
“Hngh…? I’m up, I’m up.” Ritsu sat up from where he was resting his head on the kitchen island.
Pausing his outburst, Tsukasa took in the scene before him. Narukami and Sena were moving swiftly around the kitchen, reaching for and mixing several ingredients, and Ritsu was watching him drowsily, his face caked in flour. “W-What are you doing, my seniors? Are you all baking?”
Sena nodded without looking at Tsukasa, instead choosing to glare at Ritsu. “Well, we were supposed to be baking. I don’t understand the point of asking me to teach you how to bake and then spending the next fifteen minutes sleeping with a face full of flour.”
Ritsu waved Sena off with a sleepy hand, using his other to stifle a yawn. “No need to worry… I’m paying attention.”
His statement was only met with an eyeroll. “We~ll,” Sena shot back, “if you forget the steps, don’t come to me. Go bother Shiina or Naru-kun instead.”
Narukami giggled. “Yeah, I’ll teach you as many times as you want, Ritsu-chan! Then we can share as many sweets as we like with everyone else ♪”
“Mm…” Ritsu pouted. “You’re too nice, Nacchan. It’s not as fun to bother you…”
“Kuma-kun, you—!” Sena shrieked.
Narukami giggled again before directing everyone’s attention back to Tsukasa. “Anyway, Tsukasa-chan, is there anything we can help you with?”
Tsukasa groaned, collapsing onto one of the island counter seats. “I challenged Kanzaki-senpai to a DUEL.”
Sena raised an eyebrow at him. “Okay, and…?”
“And…! And I don’t know if I will be able to DEFEAT him. He is quite skilled, as both a warrior and an IDOL.”
Ritsu raised his hand before asking, “Question. What exactly are the details of this duel?”
Tsukasa sat up straight and put a hand to his chin in thought. “We agreed to split this DUEL into three parts. We are going to COMPETE in horseback riding, archery, and finally, a LIVE performance. It is meant to be a BLEND of our own practical skills and our SKILL as an IDOL.”
“Okay, so just beat him,” Sena said flatly.
“Izumi-chan~” Narukami chided softly. “Can’t you see that Kasa-kun needs us?” She put her hands on Tsukasa’s shoulders, her eyes burning with determination. “Don’t worry! The three of us will help you train for your duel!”
“We will?” Sena asked. “Why am I volunteering against my will?”
“Okay then.” Ritsu smirked. “I guess it’ll just be me and Nacchan helping Suu-chan—”
“Fine, fine! If you really insist, I suppose I have no choice but to help.”
Narukami nodded her approval. “See, Tsukasa-chan! Just leave it to us ♪”
Before Tsukasa could thank them, a beeping sound filled the room.
“MY APPLE PIE!”
Ritsu ended up baking Sena an apology apple pie, proving that he was in fact listening.
“Are you ready, Tsukasa-chan?” Narukami readjusted her helmet while making sure that Tsukasa was applying his own gear correctly.
“Yes, of course.” Tsukasa bowed. “I would like to THANK you again for being willing to help me, my senior.”
“I think we’ve already gotten to know each other enough past a lot of formalities, don’t you? ♪” Narukami’s smile shone with radiance that rivaled the sun and all the stars in the universe combined. “Although, I suppose it is a part of your charm~” She gently petted the horse next to her. “How much experience do you have riding horses?”
“Aside from the horseback for LIVE performances, I have experience riding horseback while doing archery.” Tsukasa received a hum of acknowledgement.
“Well, this time, we’re going to be more focused on racing than shooting or performing, so you’ll need to redirect your focus accordingly,” she said matter-of-factly. “As long as you have a horse you can get along with…” The horse Narukami was petting nuzzled her. “…and a lot of practice, you can do pretty much anything! Let’s begin now ♪”
Tsukasa nodded, locking eyes with his horse, who was eyeing him warily. He smiled reassuringly, reaching his hand out. He was determined to win against Kanzaki, and he wouldn’t let such a small obstacle stop him.
“Do you have any experience with archery, Ritsu-senpai?”
Ritsu blinked up at Tsukasa, comfortably lumped on the floor of the archery hall. “Are you doubting me?”
“N-No, I don’t mean to OFFEND, my senior…”
Ritsu sharply eyed Tsukasa for a few seconds before closing his eyes and yawning, “You’re too tense…”
“Huh?”
“You won’t be able to aim properly if you’re rigid, y’know?”
Tsukasa spluttered in offense. “O-Of course I do! I am not a member of the archery club just to fool around!”
“See?” Ritsu pointed out. “That’s exactly the problem.”
“W-What!?”
Ritsu sighed. “This is gonna to take a while…”
“Kasa-kun, focus!” Sena snapped.
Tsukasa gasped, catching his breath. He knew Sena never held back, but he thought that being his junior, he would be allowed some reprieve. “I think we need to take a BREAK.” The redhead knight unceremoniously plopped down onto the training room floor.
Sena stared at him, unimpressed, before sighing. “There’s no use in keeping this up if it’s only going to wear you out more. Very well. We’re taking a break. But you’re getting your ass back up in ten minutes.”
Tsukasa laughed with relief, and he bowed his head gratefully. “Thank you, I PROMISE to do my best!” He looked around. “Where is my BOTTLE?”
Sena extended his arm toward Tsukasa without looking at him, bottle in hand. “You put it too close to us while we were dancing. Try to be more careful next time, or I might not be here to clean up your messes.”
“T-Thank you…”
“Oh, and I’m taking you out to eat after this. You’re probably not eating enough because of how much training you’re doing for your duel. I noticed you looked skinnier and moved a bit slower.”
“O-Oh, thank—”
“And make sure you get enough sleep. Don’t think I didn’t notice those eyebags! If I find out you’re practicing late into the night, I’m dragging you back to your room!”
Tsukasa bowed again. “Of course! I will not let you down!”
“Yeah, yeah. Now drink. We have no time to waste. I refuse to sit idly by and risk you bringing anything less than near-perfection as a representative of Knights in this competition.”
“It is not that INTENSE…” Tsukasa still couldn’t completely see Sena’s face because Sena was facing away from him, but he thought he could see the barest hint of a smile. “B-But that does not mean I will give any less effort ♪”
“Good.”
Tsukasa tried to stop his legs from shaking as he watched Kanzaki mounting his horse. He practiced for hours with Narukami, but even with his prior experience, he felt that was hardly enough time to be considered good enough for a competition. Tsukasa sincerely hoped that the samurai’s time spent on idol activities meant he would be a little rusty.
Kanzaki petted his horse, smiling as it neighed affectionately. “I promise to feed you well when we win.”
“When.” That was a lot of confidence to have. Tsukasa sat up straighter on his horse, doing his best to not appear intimidated. “Do not be so confident, Kanzaki-senpai. The RACE has not started yet.”
Kanzaki nodded. “Of course. But I refuse to let myself think of defeat until it happens.”
“Are you two ready?” Shinobu asked. He had offered to referee for the two of them as their roommate caught in the middle of all the drama. It made Tsukasa feel a bit guilty, but Shinobu had reassured them that he didn’t mind.
“Yes, we are READY.” Tsukasa nodded to Kanzaki, who nodded back to him.
“Please, watch me, Kiryu-dono and Hasumi-dono!” Kanzaki waved to the rest of AKATSUKI.
Tsukasa copied the action, waving to the rest of the Knights members. He sighed as he heard a scream of, “INSPIRATION IS COMING TO ME!” from off in the distance.
“Okay, get ready guys, de gozaru!” Shinobu raised a flag. “Three.”
Tsukasa steeled his nerves.
“Two.”
“Good luck, Suou.”
“One!”
“Same to you, Kanzaki-senpai.”
“Go, de gozaru!” Shinobu waved the flag down, and the two competitors rocketed past him a split second after. “Woahh!?”
Tsukasa barely registered the cheering from their small audience as he gasped.
Despite starting behind Tsukasa, Kanzaki managed to speed past him in the first few seconds. They would only be making three laps around the half-mile track, so if Tsukasa had any hope to win, he would have to catch up quickly.
Tsukasa held his breath as his horse leapt over the first hurdle. He sighed with relief upon the clean landing. There was a total of five hurdles on the track, each one a fair distance away from each other.
His horse leapt over the second hurdle with equal ease. Then the third. The fourth. Fifth.
Tsukasa gritted his teeth. Passing the second lap, he qiuckly realized that at the rate he was going, there was no way he would be able to beat Kanzaki. He urged his horse forward, hoping that he wasn’t pushing it too far. His speed increased slightly, and he was slowly gaining on Kanzaki. Unfortunately, it wasn’t dramatic enough of an increase to close the gap between them before reaching the finish line.
CLANG!
Tsukasa gaped as Kanzaki’s horse barely hit the edge of the fifth hurdle. He couldn’t make out any sounds other than the rushing wind, but he could imagine Kanzaki’s frustrated grunt. He closed his mouth to stop himself from biting his tongue, and he noticed that Kanzaki’s horse was significantly closer to him.
“FINAL LAP, DE GOZARU!” Shinobu shouted uncharacteristically loudly.
Tsukasa was only a few meters away from Kanzaki, steadily closing the distance. If Kanzaki made one more mistake, it would be Tsukasa’s victory. He prayed that by some stroke of luck, he would be allowed a chance to speed ahead.
Kanzaki hadn’t turned his head the entire match, probably too nervous or focused to even chance a glance at Tsukasa.
One hurdle. Two hurdles. A third. Fourth. Please…
Kanzaki cleared the fifth hurdle seamlessly.
Damn it. Tsukasa’s horse was nearly neck and neck with Kanzaki’s, and Tsukasa was sure Kanzaki could see him out of the corner of his eye.
Their horses crossed the finish line, a dust cloud forming as both their riders braked.
“FINISH! Good job, de gozaru!” Shinobu jumped up and down in excitement, watching the pair finally come to a stop.
Tsukasa sighed, dismounting his horse. The horse looked at him expectantly. Tsukasa mustered up a small smile, fetching a small bag and pulling a bright red apple out of it. His smile grew as he watched the horse happily eat the apple, and he gently stroked its mane as it ate. Even if I lost… keep a brilliant smile, just like Narukami-senpai. “You did well. Maybe we will be able to WIN next time.”
“You did well, Suou.” Kanzaki outstretched his hand. “For a moment I was sure I was going to lose.”
Tsukasa firmly shook Kanzaki’s hand, smiling sheepishly. “I was only LUCKY, but I will be sure to try harder should we ever race again.”
“Next is the archery competition, de gozaru!” Shinobu bounced on his heels as he spoke excitedly into a microphone.
Wow. Shinobu-kun is really getting into this… Tsukasa giggled as he observed Shinobu’s emceeing.
The young ninja spoke to the small crowd that had gathered at the school grounds. At some point, the audience was not only made up of Knights and AKATSUKI, but also RYUSEITAI, most likely because of Shinobu’s presence, and friends of Tsukasa and Kanzaki.
“Kohakun~ I’ll win this one for you~!” Tsukasa waved enthusiastically to Kohaku, receiving an embarrassed wave in turn.
A sigh sounded from behind Tsukasa. “Sometimes it feels like you’ve taken after Secchan more than the rest of us, and I don’t know how to feel about that…” Yawning, Ritsu pointed behind himself with his thumb. “I’m done setting up the target. Time to show us what you’ve got.” He half-heartedly patted Tsukasa’s shoulder in what was probably an attempt to be encouraging before joining the others in the audience.
“Prepare yourself, Suou.” Kanzaki retrieved his bow, gesturing Tsukasa to do the same.
“I should say the same to you, my senior.” Tsukasa gripped his bow tighter than necessary, trying not to think about the unsettling realization that he may lose before he even got to perform in the Live.
Shinobu tore himself away from the crowd to address the competitors. “Are you two ready to start? Everyone is looking forward to it, de gozaru ♪”
Tsukasa and Kanzaki nodded.
“Okay, de gozaru! Who’s going first?”
Kanzaki faced Tsukasa. “Suou. As my junior, it would be courteous to allow you to go first.”
Tsukasa shook his head. “As the WINNER of the last competition, you should go FIRST.”
Kanzaki looked like he wanted to protest before seemingly thinking better of it and nodding. “Very well, then. I wish you the best.” He stood in position.
“YEAHHH, ZAKKI~ KICK HIS ASS— MMPH…!?”
Tsukasa searched the audience for the source of the noise, spotting Otogari waving apologetically while covering Oogami’s mouth. “It seems you have some very enthusiastic supporters, Kanzaki-senpai~”
“A-Ah, forgive him. Oogami-dono can be quite… a lot.” He smiled fondly at the struggling pair before turning back to Tsukasa. “You are not the only who wants to win for those you care about.” The samurai focused once again on the target placed a few dozen meters away from them. He aimed and took a deep breath. His arrow flew moments after.
The screen connected to a camera displaying the target showed the arrow hit the 8-point ring.
The crowd cheered as Kanzaki smiled pridefully. “Your turn, Suou.”
Tsukasa stepped into position with a nervous chuckle, and he eyed the target. It was composed of ten rings, with the center ring being worth ten points, and the outermost ring worth one point. Tsukasa and Kanzaki had decided to use the same target and alternate in shooting, even at the risk of hitting each other’s arrows. Both could launch three arrows each, and the winner would be determined by seeing who garnered the most points.
“No need to be so nervous. You are experienced in this area.”
Tsukasa felt a bit pathetic that even his own opponent felt the need to reassure him, but he shot Kanzaki a grateful look before aiming. He took a deep breath, feeling the cool autumn wind brushing his hair to the right, and shifted his aim a bit to the left. Letting go of the drawstring, Tsukasa’s breath hitched as he watched the arrow soar.
A nine, followed by cheers and a few sighs from the crowd.
“You have quite a lot of skill,” Kanzaki complimented. He quickly stood in position as Tsukasa stepped back. Kanzaki pointed his bow toward the target and let another arrow loose.
A few people jumped as the arrow hit the 10-point mark, including Oogami, who was trying his hardest to break out of Otogari’s grasp. Another round of cheers erupted from the audience.
Tsukasa gulped at Kanzaki’s smirk and readied his own arrow.
The arrow hit an eight. After Tsukasa and Kanzaki shot those two arrows, Tsukasa had 17 points, and Kanzaki had 18 points. It was much too close for comfort, not to mention that if Kanzaki hit a nine or higher on his next turn, the best Tsukasa would be able to get is a tie.
Kanzaki seemed to come to the same realization, and he smiled confidently as he readied his bow. The stoic samurai aimed, and his arrow flew moments after.
A series of gasps followed the seven. Kanzaki ended with 25 points, and if Tsukasa could get at least a nine, he would win.
As Tsukasa aimed at the target, he could feel everyone’s eyes on him, watching in anticipation. His hands shook slightly from the pressure, and he tried to remember Ritsu’s words.
“If you worry too much, and you don’t know how to relax, you’ll end up being so rigid that you can’t move properly. Just try to think less and let your body do the work.”
Tsukasa took a deep breath. Just stop thinking… He allowed the nervous buzz to turn static, and the world to shrink to just him and the target. In and out. In and out. And… He let go.
Everything moved in slow motion as the arrow flew closer and closer to the center of the target.
“Oh wow, de gozaru!” Shinobu shouted. “TEN POINTS!”
Tsukasa’s arrow had split Kanzaki’s cleanly in half, pushing Tsukasa ahead to 27 points, two points more than Kanzaki’s 25.
Tuning out the cheers and Shinobu’s commentary as adrenaline pumped through him, Tsukasa strode over to Kanzaki and outstretched his hand. “That was a GOOD match, Kanzaki-senpai.”
Kanzaki stared back at Tsukasa with wide eyes for a moment. He then smiled and took Tsukasa’s hand, shaking it firmly. “Hasumi-dono would be proud to see a member of the archery club perform so spectacularly.”
Tsukasa chuckled, reminding Kanzaki, “And he would also remind us that the BATTLE is not over yet. I am very excited to see who will WIN.”
Tsukasa wondered how the competition escalated so much. How was it that everyone seemed to be busy all the time, but still made time to watch him and Kanzaki dramatically settle their petty dispute? He watched as the Aoi twins handed out penlights to all the familiar faces that had gathered to watch them. Friends, acquaintances, and even several producers, including Anzu, were all chattering excitedly amongst themselves while Shinobu delivered riveting commentary.
“It seems we have gathered quite a crowd,” Kanzaki commented.
Tsukasa nodded absent-mindedly, waving back to those who were waving at him in greeting.
Shinobu paused his emceeing and grinned at Tsukasa and Kanzaki. “Looks like it’s time for the final showdown between the knight and the samurai, de gozaru. Do your best, guys!”
Kanzaki turned to Tsukasa. “No matter what happens here, I am grateful for the chance to face off against you.”
“Do not make it sound like we are actually FIGHTING to the death,” Tsukasa chided, although he was unable to stop a laugh from bubbling up out of him.
“Well, back then…” Kanzaki’s face fell for a split second before correcting itself into a determined smile. “Either way, we should treat this Duel just as seriously.” He held out his sheathed katana. “No need to waste any more time. Let us begin!”
Tsukasa took his own sheathed sabre out of its hilt and pointed it at Kanzaki, trying to ignore the sweat on his palm.
The silence of the crowd was deafening.
Without warning, Kanzaki lunged forward, striking Tsukasa’s sabre.
“Tenjou tenge sasurau renge no hanabira”
Tsukasa parried it, hastily backing up to give himself time to recover from the sudden assault.
“Oozora ni te o nobashi kokoro to shisei o pin to tadasu”
In a B1 match, the two competitors are allowed to decide the rules, as almost anything goes in an unofficial match. While Tsukasa and Kanzaki agreed to have a mostly normal Live showdown, they wanted to also incorporate sword fighting, making sure to sheath their sabre and katana respectively to ensure safety. Although the competition would be determined by audience vote, they were allowed to sabotage each other through combat, turning the Live into a battle of singing ability, stamina, and reflexes.
“Seiippai no saki ni hikaru mirai e to tsunagaru michi o”
Tsukasa continued to keep his distance, glancing behind him to confirm that he was staying away from the edge of the stage, where he would be at risk of being knocked off. He knew that while he was most likely superior in singing, Kanzaki’s swordsmanship remained his greatest strength. He would be forced to remain on the defensive, lest he get quickly overwhelmed.
“Doro ni mamiredo kokoro wa nishiki”
Kanzaki swiftly sliced through the air with seemingly impossible agility.
“Ouka kenran yume yoi miyabi”
Tsukasa managed to barely block, stumbling a bit from the force of the blow. Even if the katana was sheathed, it was still capable of dealing serious damage. Blood was rushing in his ears, and he could only distinctly hear Tsukinaga screaming something and Sena screaming at Tsukinaga to calm down.
“Eiga wa makoto yoki kana saredo madowazu”
Kanzaki went for another opportune slash, causing Tsukasa to grunt with exertion as he barely managed to deflect it.
“Donna toki mo mune o hatte jibun o itsuwarazu ni”
Tsukasa sidestepped as Kanzaki attempted to lunge, taking the opportunity to put more space between them. It was obvious that Kanzaki was focusing more on his assault as expected, though he was still able to sing effortlessly. Knights focused more on their vocals than keeping active while singing like RYUSEITAI did, so Tsukasa knew couldn’t keep dodging for the entire duration of the Live.
“Tsukusu to kimeta chuugi o mune ni”
Kanzaki went for another slash, which was parried again, but he grinned as he seemed to realize Tsukasa’s dilemma.
“Honmono no PRIDE ni fusawashii seijitsusa o daite”
Tsukasa took Kanzaki’s pause to assess him as an opening to perform a flashy move, earning several cheers. Bold and beautiful, just like Sena-senpai. It was no longer just his hands that were sweating, but his entire body. He was about halfway through his song, but his body’s strength was already waning. He was glad he rested like Sena told him to.
“Ouka kenran yume sakimidare”
Kanzaki seemed to realize that Tsukasa was trying to make up for his exhaustion by appealing to the audience. He suddenly began dancing with his blade while singing, much as he normally did in AKATSUKI’s songs.
“Akaki kyouji o kono mai de yuuben ni kataru”
“…!” Tsukasa swerved out the way with a gasp as a flurry of blows narrowly missed him. He used his sabre to block another series of slashes, legs bending under the pressure as he was pushed back.
“Tokidoki wa amaete shimau uketotta yasashisa no bun”
Although Kanzaki’s new manner of attack was much more overwhelming, dancing also seemed to slow the amount of distance he was able to cross naturally.
“Donna toki mo mae o muite jibun o uragirazu ni”
Kanzaki most likely realized it, that he unintentionally trapped himself. Stopping his dancing halfway through was not his style, preferring to finish what he started. The forced change in style would be obvious to all their onlookers as well. However, at the rate he was going, he wouldn’t be able to wear Tsukasa out in time.
“Ouka kenran yume yoi miyabi”
The audience went wild seeing Tsukasa barely manage to block another string of slashes before dodging and quickly traversing to the other side of the stage in elegant fashion.
“Mada tsutanai ESCORT hagayusa o STEP ni shite”
CHECKMATE, Kanzaki-senpai.
“Ouka kenran yume sakimidare”
Kanzaki relented his assault as he finished his song, letting Tsukasa finish his own. They agreed it would be unfair for Kanzaki to still be able to attack Tsukasa, as Tsukasa’s song was a bit longer. Despite attempting to appear confident in the face of all the cheers he received, it was obvious that he was a bit worried about his chances.
“Donna toki mo mune o hatte jibun o itsuwarazu ni”
Tsukasa held out the last note for as long as he could, languidly letting his final pose relax into a serene stance.
The crowd cheered as Shinobu stepped in front of the two competitors. “Everyone, it’s time to vote for either the samurai or the knight that fought today, de gozaru. Use the penlights you were given by our lovely 2wink ♪”
“Aww, thanks Shinobu-kun~!”
“Yuta-kun, shhh!”
“S-Sorry, Aniki!”
Tsukasa marveled as the mass of friends, acquaintances, and fans turned into a sea of red and purple.
“Mmmm, and it looks like the results are…” Shinobu faced the anxious pair. “The winner of this competition to decide…”
Feeling a warmth, Tsukasa looked down to see Kanzaki gripping his hand. He offered a smile to Kanzaki, who reciprocated with ease. That’s right… No matter who wins today, we’ll still be good friends. Tsukasa let his worries dissolve into nothing as the cheers from the audience resounded at the announcement.
Tsukasa squinted as he tilted his head “Mmm… a little to the LEFT.”
Kanzaki’s face crunched in confusion. “What is 'reftu'?”
“The left, Kanzaki-dono,” Shinobu clarified.
“Ah. Thank you, Sengoku.” Kanzaki adjusted it accordingly.
“I believe that looks GOOD, right?”
Shinobu nodded in agreement.
Kanzaki took a step back and looked at the painting before them. “Very good assessment, Suou. I must admit, perhaps it was best that you won.”
Tsukasa silently preened at the affirmation. “Thank you.” He hadn’t expected to win, even if it was only by seven percent of the votes. The way the crowd had rushed them was quite overwhelming too. Oogami howled in disappointment, Leo jumped on him in excitement, and Sena began talking about how he “had no doubt that Kasa-kun would lose” before Ritsu revealed that Sena had been a wreck the whole time. Narukami suggested that they all go out to eat and decided to invite their friends and AKATSUKI as well. After making it back to their dorm, Tsukasa still had enough energy to cash in his victory reward: getting to decide where their new painting was placed.
Before turning off the lights, Kanzaki and Tsukasa took one last glance at the painting.
The painting was split into equal thirds, a line vertically ascending from the bottom center before branching off to the corners about halfway through its trek. In the upper third was depicted a ninja robed in violet with a large shuriken on his back, surrounded by smoke, on the right an honorable samurai unsheathing his katana in a temple, and on the left a proud scarlet knight, his right hand gripping a sabre, and the left hand palmed against his chest with the promise of a better future.