Chapter Text
Genius Invocation TCG took the world by storm and Inazuma was not immune. The lift of the Sakoku Decree created a new influx of business opportunists from outside the country, eager to take advantage of the new market. The people of Inazuma, stifled as they had been, were hungry for the new, the fanciful, and the intriguing. Businessmen from Sumeru advertising their new card game found a ready audience. The seeds of interest planted in Inazuma sprouted rapidly, and soon Genius Invocation TCG was just as popular in the previously time-locked continent as it was in the rest of the world.
Kujou Sara had no interest in the rise of Genius Invocation’s fame. She was aware of its mounting recognition, of course, but that took no skill in perception. Any half-blind fool could see that suddenly half of Inazuma’s population seemed to be carrying around card cases. But since this new card-based fad didn’t seem to be out of line with the Raiden Shogun’s enforcements – Sara didn’t think Eternity could be brought to its knees simply by the introduction of a new card game – and so long as it did not create any interference in her everyday life, Kujou Sara was content to allow the game and herself to coexist.
Even when the Genius Invocation agency reached out to Sara, requesting to make a character card based off of her, Sara still had no wish to learn how to play the game. However, after careful consideration of the pros and cons, she ultimately decided that allowing the agency to make her into a card could only be beneficial. As thanks, they gave her a custom-built deck in her very own Casket of Tomes (the name of the card case she had noted previously, it seemed), and several copies of her character card to gift to opponents who bested her in matches. Since Kujou Sara had no intention of participating in any matches for the foreseeable future, both the Casket of Tomes and the extra cards were tucked onto a shelf in her room next to her spinning tops, kept spotlessly clean, but never used.
But then the Agency extended the same invitation to the Raiden Shogun. Kujou Sara remembered it clearly as the day that sent the spiral of future events into effect, the first whisper of change leaving an echo in her ears. She was standing at the left hand of the Raiden Shogun, hardly the only guard in the room, but the one standing closest, and by far the one with her hand stayed nearest to her weapon. Yae Miko was also there, by express permission from the Shogun. She stalked the edge of the room as if she were on patrol, though her movements were lax and her mannerisms thoroughly disinterested to the casual eye.
The Genius Invocation agents were perceptibly uneasy as they stood before the stone-cold Shogun, stating their pitch with sweat beads on their foreheads, uncomfortable in the eyes of their martial audience. When they had finished, the Shogun crossed her arms. “Allow me to consider your proposal,” she said. “You will wait outside.” And with hasty bows, the agents complied, followed by all guards except for Sara.
"Now, what is there to consider, Ei?" Yae Miko asked as soon as the heavy doors to the throne room were swung shut. “I swear sometimes you act as if you’re allergic to fun.”
Sara tensed, her back straightening into even more of a ramrod-straight stature than it had been previously. She tried not to let any of the irritation she felt show in her eyes. Far be it from her to dismiss any of the Shogun’s wishes, but that Kitsune lacked many of the distinguished graces that Sara would wish for Her Excellency. Calling her ‘Ei’ in such a familiar fashion, blatantly questioning her opinions…
“There is much to consider,” the Shogun responded, resting her chin on the elegant prop of her hand. Another thing that tended to happen when the Kitsune was around was how all of the Raiden Shogun’s uncompromising mannerisms fell away, like it had all been a mask, even though Sara had never known that mask to slip before, or even for it to be a mask in the first place. “This game they represent… it has made its mark upon the masses. There is much to consider on the repercussions which might occur if I accept to use my visage and abilities on one of their cards. If I agree to display my powers, how will it be taken? How will its semblance be used? Is there any way it can be used against me?”
“Oh please, it’s a CARD game, Ei,” Miko sighed. Once again, Sara schooled her expression into neutrality. These questions her Archon asked were all sound ones. Indeed, they had been the same ones she had considered when she had been proposed the same offer. “If you are so insecure about how they will portray the scope of your abilities after hundreds of years of toning them to perfection, then maybe you should display them ON the agents instead of just TO them. I’m sure that will make your intentions on the portrayal of your card quite clear.”
“Was that intended to be humorous?” The Shogun frowned. “I’m sure you saw their faces. They seemed afraid I would smite them on the spot. The very last thing I would need would be to scare them into creating a card that would usurp the delicate balance of the game they’re creating. I cannot admit to knowing much about the creation of games of any genre, but I know that if one unreliable piece is added, whether it is underpowered or overpowered, it may very well change the balance of the game for the worse.”
“Which is the problem for the creators to handle.” Miko wheedled, the sound of her heeled sandals muted on the tatami floor as she continued to move like a tide, ever pushing and pulling. “Come now, Ei. I would advise you to live a little but… well… this could hardly be excused as ‘living’ because there’s basically no risk involved. If you’re so hesitant, I could always teach you how to play the game now and leave the decision-making for later. That way you could at least make an informed decision on how the game plays originally and how your card might fit into the mix.”
“Do you play, General Kujou?” the Shogun unexpectedly addressed Sara.
“I do not,” she answered, unsure whether to feel pride or dishonor at this declaration. “Although I have been offered a card. And I did take them up on that offer. I beg your pardon, your Excellency, if you feel I was abrupt in my allowance. However, I did think my offer through very carefully before I made my decision.”
“And what was the factor which led to your decision?” The Shogun’s rigidity was back when addressing her, rather than addressing Miko. Sara preferred it this way.
“Simply this, Almighty Shogun: In my experience, one is much more likely to form a positive correlation if it is matched with an object which gives a positive experience. Hopefully, if the adult or child who plays the game sees my face in their cards and it brings protection and victory to their minor battles, perhaps they will understand that I also stand for them in real life.”
“Hm, spoken as the acting commissioner of the Kujou Clan,” the Shogun remarked. “Accounting for the psychological correlations of a positive experience and turning it to your advantage. Quite politically adept of you.”
“This could also work to your advantage as well, Almighty Shogun,” Kujou Sara added. “Your statues which stand in every household already remind us of your might. When we keep these statues close by, we are reminded of your watchful protectiveness over each and every home in Inazuma. But perhaps another aspect of your character might be displayed by letting your card go out to the masses.”
“Which means, if I may translate,” Yae Miko inserted herself smoothly, “that letting your people perceive the Shogun in a positive light will do you nothing but good. You could certainly stand to have your image be a little more personable, no? And if you insist on tucking yourself away, giving your subjects SOME idea of what you look like will save them a heart attack or two when you spring out of nowhere for an unexpected stroll in the city like some jack-in-the-box.”
“What of the card’s attacks?” the Shogun asked next, and Sara firmly tamped down the flicker of amusement it gave her to see Miko be ignored yet again. “They plan to use a semblance of my actual skills. The names of my moves and the scope of my abilities up for portrayal… can enemies then use this knowledge to their own advantage?”
“Ei, for the love of—”
“I considered this myself, your Excellency,” Sara cut in. “And I asked the agents about how detailed the abilities would need to be in card format. Although they requested a personal demonstration of said abilities, they did little more than use the name of my fighting moves with a description that fits more sleekly into the card’s usages.”
“Meaning that the Muso No Hitotachi’s true art will remain secret,” Miko imputed. “And the only clues these theoretical mischief-makers could piece together is how the special ability for the Raiden Shogun card deals an electro-infused attack like lightning to multiple opponents. I assume the card-makers will do something of that sort.”
“You both advise me to do this?” the Shogun looked from Kitsune to Tengu and then back again.
“I do,” said Sara, chin raised.
“I believe I made my thoughts quite clear,” Miko said, appraising her nails.
“Then bring the agents back in. I still have a few more specifics to ask, but I believe I could be coerced since the two of you believe there is opportunity here.”
“A true missed opportunity would be you refusing to play the game yourself,” Miko offered. “Card or no, you should learn how to play. I could teach you, if you want?”
“Hm.” Again that breach of solemnity. “I suppose I could be coerced into that too.”
That was the first time the fleeting thought entered Sara’s mind that if the Shogun was willing to learn Genius Invocation TCG, perhaps she should learn as well. But Sara was skilled at weeding useless desires such as these from the well-kempt garden of her mind, especially since there were always much more pressing matters to attend to. But she wished the Shogun well in her learning endeavors, and looked on in carefully pruned irritation as the Kitsune’s visits became more consistent.
But in the end, both the manufacturing of the new card and the Shogun’s newly acquired TCG skills were developed right on time, and Sara had to admit – secretly and begrudgingly – that Miko’s efforts turned out quite beneficial as Inazuma hosted the King of Invocations Grand Prix, a TCG tournament whose reginal-specific matches drew in people from all across Inazuma.
It seemed every island had sent out representatives. Even Watatsumi’s military strategist Sangonomiya Kokomi participated in the event, bringing her second-in-command General Gorou with her. There was no formality or presentation to their presence. They simply arrived and mingled beneath Ritou’s flame-colored maple leaves, a smaller part of Inazuma’s whole. Kujou Sara couldn’t help but feel pleased by this, as causing the two sides which had once been at odds to participate in friendly, stakes-free competition would be far more effective restoration than any length of time at a negotiation table.
“You’re looking awfully happy, general.” Yae Miko slid smoothly next to Sara as the festival grounds began to clear, the Grand Prix finalized with Kokomi as the victor. “Changed out of your ever-present stoicism for the occasion?”
“I am pleased with today’s outcome.” Even Miko’s petty jabs couldn’t get under Sara’s skin today. “The bonds between Watatsumi and the Shogonate have grown stronger in a single day.” She had been able to hold a casual conversation with General Gorou earlier, one with no hint of rivalry or undertones of bitterness. It had been surprisingly pleasant to converse with someone who had stood so violently against her on the battlefield. “And because of the Shogun’s presence, most ruffians and rabble-rousers chose not to tempt fate today, so my day was remarkably calm.” The Arataki Gang had shown up in force, and Sara had kept a careful eye on them, but besides Arataki Itto being obnoxiously loud about his loss in the preliminary match which bumped him out of the beginning qualifiers entirely, there had been no disturbances from their end. Sara thanked the Shogun (and Kuki Shinobu, probably) for that.
“Ah Ei,” laughed Miko. “Still trying to find her place even after all these years. She’s scuttled back off to her Euthymia like the recluse she is, but really, I’m proud of her for holding out this long. Being engaging for an entire day, playing games with strangers who fear she’d be a poor loser and smite them down… it does get a bit draining, no?”
“Hmm.” Sara could understand only half the words the fox was saying and had no interest in trying to puzzle out the rest. “Well, I have full faith Her Excellency can do whatever she sets her mind to do.”
“Oh yes, of course. Except win against me, apparently.” Miko flashed the Raiden Shogun’s character card at Sara, propped firmly between two slim fingers. “Pretty, isn’t it? Ei gifted it to me for winning against her in the qualifiers. I suppose she thought I’d earned it.”
“She did you an honor. You would do well to treasure her gift.”
“Is that all you have to say?” laughed Miko. “I thought you would be more interested in the card itself, seeing how obsessed you are with Shogun-themed collectibles. Look at how beautifully the card manufacturers have captured her.”
Sara suddenly found the card pressed into her hand, one of Miko’s oval nails tracing up the side of the card to point out the details. “Such excellent artwork! I have half a mind to find out who did this and invite them to work for Yae Publishing House as an illustrator.”
“If by ‘collectables’ you are referring to the Statue of Her Excellency, the Almighty Narukami Ogosho, God of Thunder,” Sara replied, somewhat more stiffly than before, even as she cupped the card more gently, “it is a common household persona of worship and reverence.”
“Of which you have five, if I’m not mistaken?”
“Yes, I have five.” Sara could feel her spine straighten, much as it would if she were conducting a drill.
“Of just that first model. Tell me, how many do you have of the other ones?”
“Is there a point to this, Guuji Yae?” Sara almost snapped.
“My, but how you do bristle. I wonder how much ruffling it would take before your wings pop out,” Yae tittered. “I was simply surprised at your indifference toward the card, that’s all. You did refer to the statues and the playing card in the same breath when we convinced Ei to take the agent on his offer, did you not?”
“I… suppose I did.” Sara looked down at the card, a wrinkle pursing between her brows. It was a very pretty card, almost seeming to shimmer with motion in the afternoon light. Almost against her will, she began to picture it amidst the statues, propped up in the personal shrine in her room.
“What’s the difference between a tabletop figurine and an idol?” murmured Miko. “And what’s the difference between a playing card and an icon?” She leaned in so close that Sara could smell the intoxicating floral scent of her perfume. “It’s the deference you give them.”
The card was plucked out of her hand with the same suddenness with which it had been deposited, leaving Sara with the hollow feeling of being woken from a daydream. “I personally am not too terribly attached to this card,” Miko announced, holding the card between two fingers once again, waving it like one might air a spare scrap of paper. “I could have a match with Ei any time I wished, and I would win, and she would give me another one, so it’s not like it’s a rare commodity.” Sara’s attention switched quickly from the card to Miko’s smile as the Kitsune leaned forward slightly, smile sharpening. “Why don’t you play a match against me, hmm? I would be willing to wager this card if you win.”
“You would…” Sara couldn’t even begin to guess what the fox’s game was. Miko tended to hide her true intentions beneath layers upon layers of subtext, trapped behind a labyrinth of mind games. Her intuition warned her of a trap. Therefore, her first question was, “Why?”
“Why not?” Miko returned. “If this card is the payment I must make to tempt you into playing a game with me, I will pay it happily.”
“Sorry, I don’t know how to play.” Sara crossed her arms.
“Oh do you not?” Miko laughed again, waving away her ‘surprise’, which Sara could swear was fake. “My apologies, I simply thought you weren’t participating in the Grand Prix because you didn’t want to let on that you could possibly have fun in public. Ah well, no time like the present if you want to learn. Who knows? The secrets of the art of war might be revealed by your participation.”
“I’m afraid I have duties I must attend to.” Sara tried to extract herself from the situation. Yes, the card was desirable, but until she understood what kind of baited trap she was walking into, she would rather steer clear. “I’m sorry, Lady Guuji, but I wouldn’t dare to relieve you of a gift that Her Excellency has gifted to you personally.”
“So it is just my card you have a problem with?” Why did her question sound just a little too eager? “Fine. If you so desire, I will teach you to play, and you can challenge Ei and she can give you her character card. How does that sound?”
“It sounds too good to be true, Lady Guuji,” Sara responded honestly, giving a short, formal bow. “I must apologize again, I really have no time to dedicate myself to learning Genius Invocation. If I decide I wish to acquire a card,” (not so honest a response this time, for she had already decided) “then I will purchase it using my own methods. But I do thank you for your generous offer. My condolences on your loss to Sangonomiya Kokomi.” And she marched away swiftly, not allowing Miko the chance to respond.
But she had to admit, the first stage of Yae Miko’s plan – whatever that plan might be – had worked. The more she considered it, the more she wanted that card. Although it hadn’t been intended for worship… well, even a fragmented thought could be considered a prayer, couldn’t it? She was determined to get her hands on one, without succumbing to any more of Miko’s intervention.
The downside to Sara’s late revelation was that the first batch of Raiden Shogun character cards were no longer available for general purchase. The batch had sold out quickly, she was told by the people who ran the Genius Invocation distribution store in Ritou, and they were waiting to see if or how it influenced gameplay before distributing more. There would be a new sampling available for purchase… eventually, at some undisclosed time. Hard to say when, exactly.
Sara then switched tactics. If she couldn’t purchase the card she wanted brand new, she would purchase it used. She began taking special note of TCG players along her patrol routes, surreptitiously flicking her eyes over their cards to see if they had the one she desired. In her mind, mora was no object. She had no idea what the value of TCG’s newest character card stood at currently, but she was willing to pay any price if only the seller would make themselves known.
As days passed with no luck, Sara’s despondency grew. Apparently, this card was much rarer than she had first suspected. The first sighting she had of it in the wild was a couple weeks after she had put her plan into motion, and in the hands of an Arataki Gang member, which quenched her elation immediately.
Had it been anybody else, Sara would have marched straight up and made her offer on the spot, but considering that this was a member of the Arataki Gang – really, just her luck – she halted only briefly before resuming her patrol. This deserved a little more consideration. Even though it broke her normal pattern, she made sure her rounds took her past the position of the Arataki Gang member a few more times as she considered her options. Mamoru, she was pretty sure his name was, looked progressively more anxious with each of her rotations, even as his child opponent showed no visible concern.
Sara’s choices solidified with each rotation. Yes, this was the Arataki Gang, which might cause her a hassle in the near future just by her interference, but her supply of patience was running low. How could she consider herself a dutiful worshipper of the Raiden Shogun if she balked at the first obstacle in her conduit towards worship? She had smitten down traitors for less cowardice. It wasn’t even Arataki Itto himself; it was one of his men, which made the potential of transaction much more favorable. After all, weren’t all the members of the Arataki Gang – minus Kuki Shinobu, of course – almost always low on funds? Something Kujou Sara had in abundance? Making such a transaction in broad daylight in the sightline of gossips was not ideal, no, but she doubted making such a small matter of business would shake the peoples’ faith in her or the Tenryou Commission. Eyes might glance and tongues might wag, yes, but only for a day. A week, if she was unlucky. They would turn to other more sensational things soon enough, completely forgetting the scandal that was General Kujou Sara exchanging mora with Mamoru from the Arataki Gang for a Raiden Shogun character card.
And if, by any chance, Arataki Itto tried to insert himself into the matter… well… that was just a risk she would have to take.
That thought held firmly in the forefront of her brain, Sara completed the fifth cycle of her patrol and headed back to the Hanamizaka circle. Much to her dismay, however, Mamoru was no longer there.
“He said you were freaking him out,” the child he had been playing with said bluntly in answer to Sara’s questioning. “He was tryin’ to end the match as quickly as possible at the end so he could get away. He still won, but he was in such a hurry he didn’t even take my snacks! Haha!” The boy laughed, pocketing the forgotten prize.
Sara, dreadfully disappointed, couldn’t well justify yet another patrol of the Hanamizaka district, so she left empty-handed. But she promised herself that this would not be the end. The next day found her back on her regular patrol pattern, eyes sharp, and hesitation behind her.
There – Mamoru was playing again on the same dirt-paved offshoot he had been the day previously, a couple children grouped around him this time. His focus was on his opponent and his hat was pushed back. He didn’t see Sara. Sara saw him… but she didn’t see the Shogun card.
She froze in her tracks, just as taken aback as the first time, when the card had been unexpectedly in her sights. Now, just as unexpectedly, it was gone. Had he hidden it? Was he simply not using it for this match? She hadn’t imagined seeing it, certainly. Not several times over.
One of the children next to Mamoru spotted Sara and patted Mamoru rapidly on the shoulder to get his attention. He tensed, going as still as a Bake-danuki caught with its hand in a jam jar. Panic flashed in his eyes as he pulled the kid forward, plopping her down in his stead and muttering in unheard words for the girl to take over for him. Abandoning his playmates and his cards, Mamoru fled.
“Wait!” Perhaps it had sounded too much like a command than a plea, because Mamoru didn’t seem to be slowing down. Sara launched herself after him in quick pursuit, mentally berating herself for chasing him down like a criminal when he had done nothing wrong, but really, what else was she supposed to do? The streets of Hanamizaka were the Arataki Gang’s playground and she was sure that Mamoru knew all the best hiding spots if she let him duck out of sight for more than a moment. In most cases her past involvements with the gang hadn’t been necessary until after they had been caught. Such hunting and chasing down were usually left to either Kuki Shinobu or the guards. This was hardly her area of expertise.
It turned out Sara’s expectations of Mamoru’s hiding skills were higher than the skills themselves, because only a few minutes after the chase began, Mamoru cornered himself in a dead-end alleyway, panting for breath. He turned to face her, his back pressed against the otogi wood fence which blocked his escape, hands trembling as he raised them in front of him like a feeble barrier. “H- hey—” He gulped in breaths, attempting to recover from his frantic flight. “T-t-time out, Kujou Tengu! What’re you chasing me down for, huh? I didn’t even do anything! …You know, recently.”
“It was not my intent to scare you off.” Sara thought it wise to start out with reassurance. Even though she was barely winded, she could see sweat on the man’s forehead beneath the brim of his Arataki Gang trademark hat. “I wanted to stop you from running so we could talk.”
“Oh yeah?” Mamoru demanded. “And what about yesterday? Don’t tell me you were actin’ like a creep and stalking me just because you wanted a chat then, too? Don’t make me laugh.”
Sara took a second to rethink her situation and re-evaluate the gang member in front of her. She knew from experience (and the thick file in the gaol with ‘Arataki Gang’ printed on it in bold letters) that one of the members had a vicious temper with a hairpin trigger, and although her previous dealings with the gang members should have taught her which one was the dynamite, she had to admit that sometimes it was a little difficult to tell the three gang goons apart, especially when they grouped en masse as they often did. She might be able to tell which name belonged to each member, but personality-wise she was confined to the basics. Was it this member who had the anger issues? She strained to recall. No, she was fairly certain it was the other one – Genta. Which should mean that this one was safe… or as safe as a frantic, desperate man cornered in a back alleyway could be considered ‘safe’, she supposed.
In any case, there seemed to be no way to convince him that she hadn’t been targeting him – all the evidence pointed otherwise – so she asked instead, “Where is the card?”
“Huh???” The look of bewilderment was familiar on a face such as his. “Seriously, what are you talking about?”
“The Raiden Shogun character card,” reiterated Sara. “You were using it yesterday, but not today.”
“Is that what this is all about?” Mamoru gaped, mouth hanging open. “I didn’t steal it, I swear! I won it in a really hard match, fair and square, so help me, Tengu!”
Sara gritted her teeth. If the Arataki Gang happened to leak their special knack for getting underneath Sara’s skin to the Shogunate’s enemies, Inazuma would suddenly find itself in a far weaker position. What was with their insistence on calling her ‘Tengu’? She supposed it was better than some other, less polite things they could be calling her instead, but the repetitive lack of respect nettled her, especially in times like this. “I have no interest in how you obtained the card – I want to know where it is now.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes.”
“Why would I tell you that?”
“I wish,” Sara said between gritted teeth, “to purchase it from you.”
“Well you can’t,” Mamoru said, almost smug in his defiant declaration. “I lost it. So there.”
“You…” Sara rocked backwards, suddenly at a loss for words. “…What?”
“I lost it.” Maybe she had misjudged his expression. He didn’t look smug anymore so much as… annoyed. But at her? At himself? At the card for disappearing? Or somehow all three? “Sorry.”
“But…” Sara gathered herself. She was still the general, after all, and making strategies out of messes was in her job description. “Well, where did you lose it, then? Perhaps we could find it.”
“Tengu…” There it was with the ‘Tengu’ business again! She knew she was a Tengu, she didn’t have to be reminded every twenty seconds. And also, why was his face twisting? Was he even more annoyed? Or was that confusion? Emotions were so difficult to read sometimes, especially on people as changeable as the gang. “No, I… I didn’t lose it like THAT. I lost it in a match, same way I won it.”
“In a match?” Sara echoed. The words were out of her mouth in tandem with the realization that she was loathe to hear the answer: “To whom?”
Mamoru’s sullen expression gave her the answer even before he said it out loud. “To the boss.”
Sara felt her heart drop to her shoes. She crunched her eyes closed as a feeling akin to agony dragged a deep groan out from her throat. “No…..”
Not Arataki Itto. Not HIM.
“Yep.” She could hear him kick a pebble across the cobblestone. “You think you’re pissed about it? I never get to flaunt the cool stuff to the other guys! It was a seriously rare card, and nobody else in the gang had anything up on that, and then the boss just had to go and take it!” He made a frustrated sigh. “What a time for Boss to decide to build his deck right. Just my luck.”
“Are there any others?” Her tone made it suspiciously close to a plea.
“What, any other Shogun cards? I doubt it.” Mamoru shrugged, staring somewhere behind her with a disgruntled expression. “Most of ‘em got nabbed by collectors hot off the market, so the people who have ‘em don’t really flaunt that they do, or at least don’t really use ‘em in matches. And it’s not like you can really go up to the Raiden Shogun and ask for a match so some of us common folk can have more. Were you really serious about that paying me to get the card thing?”
Sara nodded. “I was.”
“Oh.” Mamoru rocked on his heels. “Wait, how much were you gonna give me?”
“Does it matter now?” Sara asked wearily.
“No… I guess it doesn’t,” Mamoru decided. “’Specially now that Boss has it, because he’s not gonna let you pay for it, even if you offer him a million mora.”
“Yes, I suspected that would be the case.” Sara felt even more weary. Arataki Itto considered herself and him to be ‘fated rivals’, whatever that meant. The closest she could decipher for that term was that it meant that any weakness would be lorded over and every loss held above her head until one of them died of old age, and considering that they were both Youkai would mean a very long time indeed. If Arataki Itto caught on that she wanted that card, she shuddered to think what trials he would put her through as exchange. And as for how long afterwards he would continue to bring it up… “Hey Kujou Tengu, you still have that card around? You know, the one that I gave to you? I didn’t have to do that, you know, but since I’m such a cool guy and everything, I just couldn’t stand to see you so heartbroken over that little thing.”
The really scary thing was how easily she could picture his voice in her head. The accuracy was off-putting.
“Hate to say it, but it’d be down to a match,” Mamoru mused. “That’s the only way I could see him giving that thing up. You… uh… any good at TCG?”
“I’ve never played,” Sara muttered.
Mamoru’s eyes opened wide. “Wh- what? Then whaddya want the card for, then?”
“It is an emblem of the Raiden Shogun.” Somehow, even the thought of the Archon didn’t provide Sara with the same enthusiasm it usually gave her. “A fragmented depiction of her might in battle, and a worthy icon to be included in my shrine.”
“You…” Mamoru suddenly sounded a little choked. “You wanna worship it?”
Sara looked at him sharply. “Is that a problem?”
Mamoru swallowed his laughter, almost visibly. “I mean, it’s a little weird, but I’m kinda liking the idea of you nabbing the thing off the boss and sticking it on a shelf where he can never see it again.”
“I thought it was your card,” Sara said, trying – unsuccessfully – to puzzle out what must be going through his head. “You wouldn’t ever be able to see it again either.”
“It WAS my card,” Mamoru corrected, “until last night. Honestly, I don’t really care that much about getting it back anymore. I just want the boss to suffer humiliating defeat like I did. It’d be great if you knew how to play,” he added, almost in a mumble. “I’d pay to see the boss’s face.”
“Unfortunate, then, that I never felt an interest.” Sara sighed, resigning herself to disappointment. No solutions seemed apparent at the moment, so a soft retreat seemed wise. “Thank you for your time.” She turned to leave.
“Wait…”
Sara halted mid-step to look back at the man in the alleyway. A change had come over his face and he stared at her, eyes wide. “I could teach you,” he blurted.
“Pardon me?”
“If I taught you how to play really well… you could beat the boss.” Mamoru swallowed, licking dry lips as if realizing what he was proposing while he was in the process of saying it. “I’d get to see him get crushed in defeat and you get your card. Win-win, right?”
“This is your boss,” Sara said slowly. “Arataki Itto, the head of the Arataki Gang. The gang that you are a part of. This kind of betrayal…”
“Huh?? It’s not betrayal!” Mamoru asserted. “It’s just cards! I just wanna knock him down a peg or two, it’s not like I’m throwing him to the rifthounds!”
“Why not challenge him yourself?” Sara asked next, her mind still whirling. “I’m sure it will cost you less effort than teaching me.”
“It’s not gonna have the same oomph if I do it!” he insisted. “Winning my own card back would be so normal, you know? But if I have you win it under my name, that’d REALLY be rubbing Boss’s face in the dirt!” He grinned as if picturing said revenge playing out before his eyes.
Sara forced herself to actually consider his proposition. Having Mamoru as her ally actually solved most of her misgivings about having any sort of duel against Arataki Itto. Having someone who knew Itto’s dueling style would be more than helpful when facing off against him, and fighting under Mamoru’s banner would ensure that Itto wouldn’t mock her for being the desperate one. Overall, the only downside she could see was being forced to spend time with an Arataki Gang member, but it seemed that would be a necessary evil.
She still was unsure about Mamoru’s claim that his actions didn’t count as a betrayal, but really, when had she been concerned about the inner machinations of the Arataki Gang anyway? If they fell apart because Mamoru picked a fight with the boss and started an inner war, so what? If the Arataki Gang disbanded it could only make her job easier. Not that she would try to usurp their gang, of course, but if it happened in the proceedings it wasn’t her fault.
“Alright,” Sara agreed after a long, pregnant pause. “But I get the card at the end. That’s my deal.”
“R- really?” Mamoru’s mouth gaped for a second before curving upwards in a smile. “I mean, okay then! I knew you’d see it my way, Kujou Tengu!”
“Tonight, after my shift ends,” Sara instructed, “meet me at the Tenryou headquarters. I’ll make sure my men let you in.”
“The—” Mamoru was back to looking shocked. “Uh… sorry, tonight doesn’t work best for me.”
“Why?” Sara crossed her arms, frowning. He was the one who proposed the deal and he was weaseling out of it already? “Other plans?”
“I mean, I know we have a reputation and everything, but I actually have work from late afternoon to after nightfall.” Mamoru winced, and Sara felt a flash of embarrassment. He was right – due to the Arataki Gang’s lax, carefree attitude she found it easy to forget that they had jobs the same as any other citizen, even if they had looser working hours and the jobs were stranger.
“Tomorrow’s free, though!” he added. “Pretty much all day!”
“I could accommodate in early afternoon,” Sara nodded, mentally rearranging her schedule. “You should arrive at the Tenryou headquarters at one o’ clock. Ask for me at the gate. I will make sure you are admitted.”
“The Tenryou Commission Headquarters…” Mamoru mumbled to himself. Sara wasn’t sure why he looked so nervous.
“I’m sure this exchange will be beneficial for both of us,” she said in parting.
“Y- yeah!” Still looking nervous, Mamoru threw up a hand to wave. “See you tomorrow, Tengu! Bring your card deck if you have one!”
“Hm. Will do.”
As Sara turned to leave, resuming her abandoned patrol, one question rang in her mind. A question she was sure she shared with the returning party in her sudden deal: “What have I gotten myself into?”