Puppet Master

With the weight of the city hanging in the balance, the stage fell silent. 

Ishiyama, his grin a feral mask stretched across his face, tilted the box, catching the spotlight in a mischievous glint. 

"Well, Yamada," he drawled, his voice dripping with false sympathy

"it seems the bear has chosen its den. Empty, as your future"

Ken's eyes dissected Ishiyama's every twitch, every tremor in his voice. The silence, thick with anticipation, descended upon the arena.

Airi, her knuckles white from gripping Tatsuya's hand, leaned forward, her breath caught in her throat. Was Ishiyama truly telling the truth?

Then, in a move that sent a ripple of surprise through the stands, 

Ken spoke. His voice cut through the tension. 

"Empty," Ken said, his words echoing in the stunned silence.

Ishiyama, caught off guard, faltered for a moment. His grin faltered, the mask of confidence slipping for a fleeting instant. 

Then he threw his head back and laughed. "Indeed, Yamada!" he boomed, his voice bouncing off the arena walls. "Empty, as are your hopes of winning this duel"

Ken's eyes narrowed

And there, in the depths of his gaze, Ken saw it - a flicker of uncertainty, a shadow of doubt.

Ishiyama, his bravado faltering, "Perhaps," he mumbled, 

"perhaps there is no need for… theatrics. You have… conceded. You have chosen… emptiness."

Ishimaya slowly lifted the lid of the box. And there, nestled within, was not emptiness, but a sight that sent a wave of relief and joy crashing through the arena. 

A teddy bear, worn but well-loved, its button eyes shining in the spotlight.

The students erupted in cheers, their faces a kaleidoscope of jubilation and disbelief. Airi and Tatsuya, tears streaming down their faces, embraced each other.

Ken, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, spotted a glint of metal beneath the discarded lid –, spring-loaded device. It was a miniature catapult, cleverly hidden within the box's lining, designed to launch a fake teddy bear into the air upon opening.

Ken had not spoken a word, yet his silence spoke volumes. It was a concession, a tacit acknowledgment of Ishiyama's victory.

Then, as if dissolving into the shadows, Ken began to walk away. Not with a hurried retreat, but with a measured pace, each step a deliberate punctuation mark in the unfolding drama. It was a quiet exit, devoid of theatrics, yet it spoke volumes.

Ishiyama seized the opportunity. 

He strutted towards the edge of the stage. 

"Ah, Yamada," he mocked "where are you going? Surely you wouldn't deny the audience the victor's address? And we still have a third game. Or are you, as I suspected, nothing more than a spineless coward, afraid to face the shame of your pitiful defeat?"

Ishiyama added "Look at him! The great Ken Yamada, defeated by a simple trick! Where are your deductions now, your calculations? All I see is a whimpering pup, tucking his tail between his legs!"

His taunts, venomous and barbed, echoed through the stands. 

Whispers and murmurs arose "Coward," someone spat. "Weakling," another echoed.

But Ken, unfazed by the taunts, continued his measured walk. His back, ramrod straight, held no hint of dejection or despair.

The announcer's voice then echoed. His voice, crisp and formal.

"Attention, students," he declared, his words amplified through the arena. 

"I must formally address the unforeseen events that have transpired. As per the pre-established rules, in the event of a tie, a final round of the duel would commence. However, with Ken Yamada's…unexpected departure, the outcome is clear."

"Therefore, we declare Ishiyama the victor of this duel. The consequence for defeat, as clearly outlined in our rules, is the loss of three hearts."

"Forfeiture, however" the announcer declared, "results in the loss of four hearts, while a defeat incurs a penalty of three. Therefore, Ken Yamada, with his one remaining heart, now stands on the precipice of fate's final judgment."

Ishiyama, his smile widening, stared at the announcer, the weight of the revelation sinking in. Ken, with only one heart left, stood on the brink of annihilation

Airi felt a spark of certainty ignite within her. This wasn't over. Ken's departure, she knew, wasn't an act of cowardice, but a calculated move in a larger, unseen game

Airi stood frozen

"Forfeiture? Four hearts?" Tatsuya mumbled, his voice tinged with disbelief. "But... how? Why would Ken just leave?"

Airi, torn between her own confusion and the instinct to trust Ken's silent strategy, could only offer a helpless shake of her head. Around them, similar whispers echoed.

"Did he really just give up?" a girl hissed

But others, those who had witnessed Ken's quiet brilliance throughout the duel, refused to believe it.

"I don't think so," a boy muttered, the same boy Ken helped to survive back in Room 13

 "There's something more to it. Ken wouldn't just walk away..."

"But why?" Airi muttered "He had a chance to win! Now he's just one heart away from…"

Airi, feeling a spark of hope ignite within her. She knew Ken. She knew the steel that ran through his veins, the cold logic that underpinned his every move. This wasn't a surrender; it was a strategic retreat

"We need to find him," Airi murmured, her voice barely audible above the murmur of the crowd. Tatsuya, without needing further explanation, nodded in agreement. 

Together, they pushed through the crowd of students

"Airi," he called over the rising clamor, "where do you think he went?"

"He had to go somewhere," Airi replied, her voice tense

"This so-called University place is literally a whole island. We could be searching for hours." Tatsuya replied

Meanwhile, Hiro remained frozen in the stands, his mind reeling from the spectacle that had unfolded.

He watched, numbly, as the announcer's words painted a bleak picture of Ken's fate. One heart remaining, a single misstep away from oblivion.

And then, as if the weight of the moment had become too much to bear, Hiro turned away. He pushed through the throng, his steps echoing the hollowness within him, and retreated to the familiar solitude of his room.

He knew Ken wouldn't surrender so easily.

Ken. The name tasted bitter on his tongue, a cocktail of admiration and frustration. The enigma that was Ken Yamada, the boy who walked a step ahead of everyone, had done it again. He'd defied expectations, woven a web of deception so intricate that even Hiro, the observer, had been left breathless.

"Enlighten me more, Ken," Hiro muttered, "Tell me your secrets. I am eager to see the bigger picture."

He wasn't Ken's friend, not in the traditional sense. He was a rival, a silent observer who admired the boy's brilliance but refused to be left in his shadow. 

Hiro craved understanding, not camaraderie. He wanted to dissect Ken's mind, to comprehend the intricate workings of a genius that could outwit them all

Finally, Airi and Tatsuya stumbled upon a small, unassuming cafe tucked away in a forgotten corner. 

Its warm glow, spilling out like honey onto the cobblestones.

Hesitantly, they pushed open the creaking door.

Inside, the aroma of roasting coffee hung heavy in the air.

The cafe was sparsely populated, filled mostly with students hunched over textbooks and weary actors drowning their post-performance nerves in steaming mugs. 

And there, in a dimly lit corner booth, sat Ken Yamada.

He sat perfectly still, the only movement a slight curl of his fingers around the mug's handle.

Airi and Tatsuya exchanged a silent glance, their hearts echoing the same question: was this defeat, or was this the calm before the storm? 

With a shared nod, they approached him, their footsteps muffled by the soft carpet.

As they drew closer, Ken glanced up. 

Tatsuya sat down with a nervous cough. 

Airi, however, slid with a determined grace, her chin held high. The silence stretched between them, thick and full with unspoken questions.

"We came here about... the duel."

Ken responded "I thought I conceded rather gracefully."

"Conceded?" Airi scoffed, her voice sharp. "Leaving everyone hanging like that is hardly graceful, Ken. What exactly are you planning?"

Tatsuya, mirroring her anxiety, echoed her question with a worried glance. "Yeah, Ken, there has to be more to it."

Ken, however, remained unfazed by their probing. He took another languid sip of his coffee

"Thirst" he finally replied, his voice a smooth murmur.

"Sometimes, the most desperate battles are fought with a parched throat. And besides, conceding doesn't always mean defeat, does it?"

His words, cryptic as always, hung heavy in the air. 

Airi frowned, her mind racing with possibilities.

"But Ken," Tatsuya interjected, his voice a tad firmer, "the one-heart penalty… you risked everything. Don't you see how reckless that was?"

Ken replied. "Perhaps"

"Besides," he added, "This coffee, I must say, is quite excellent."

Minutes have passed.

Tatsuya, his mind racing with possibilities, slammed his fist on the table, the clatter echoing in the quiet cafe. 

"Wait a minute, Ken," he blurted out, his voice hot with a sudden suspicion. 

"Ishiyama... he cheated, didn't he? You couldn't possibly lose to him, not fairly."

Airi gasped, the thought mirroring her own suspicions

Ken, however, remained unfazed. He took another languid sip of his coffee, 

"Cheating?" he murmured "That's a rather uncharitable accusation, Tatsuya. Don't you think?"

Tatsuya's jaw clenched. "Uncharitable? The man practically rigged the whole duel! Remember that rule about forfeiting costing more than a defeat? It was fishy from the start."

Airi, her mind piecing together the puzzle, nodded in agreement. "Tatsuya's right, Ken. This doesn't seem like you. You're not the type to give up without a fight, not when the stakes are this high."

Ken simply raised his mug. "This cup seems to have emptied itself rather quickly."

"Don't play games, Ken," he spat, his voice tight with frustration. "We deserve an answer. Was it Ishiyama? Did he cheat?"

He didn't offer another word, not a hint, not a crumb of comfort. He simply turned and began to walk towards the cafe's exit.

The cafe door creaked shut behind Ken.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the opposite side of the street. It was Ishiyama, his arrogant smirk illuminated by the glow of a cigarette. 

His eyes, glinting with triumph, met Ken's in a silent clash.

Ken stopped, his back straight, his expression an unreadable mask.

He sauntered towards Ken, his every step dripping with smug victory. 

"Well, well, well, the great Yamada reduced to a mere shadow," Ishiyama sneered, his voice dripping with mocking amusement. 

"Hiding in a cafe like a wounded pup? Pathetic."

Airi and Tatsuya, who had followed Ken out, froze at the edge of the cafe. Their hearts hammered against their ribs.

Ishiyama, emboldened by Ken's silence, circled him like a predator savoring its prey.

"Coward," he spat "What happened? Did the big bad game get a little too real for you?"

Airi, her fists clenched tight, felt a surge of anger rise within her. Tatsuya, his jaw set tight, shared her silent fury, their gazes darting between Ken and Ishiyama, desperate to intervene yet unsure of their place.

"You're finished, Yamada." Ishimaya spat

"The word Coward," Ken finally spoke.

"is a curious label for the man who painted his victory with the brushstrokes of a child's toy."

Ishiyama, flustered and cornered, stammered, "You fool, what do you think this is? Theatrics?!"

Ken's eyes met Ishimaya's.

"Theatrics, so that's how you call it. Then tell me, was it the bear that danced, or the strings you held so tightly?"

Ishimaya choked

"The crowd," Ken added

"is easily swayed by mirrors."

Ishiyama's face flushed, the victor's mask cracking under the weight of Ken's words.

"The bear," Ken whispered, 

"was an illusion. Considering the elaborate puppet show you orchestrated. A grand show with no substance"

"just like your victory."

"But I, unlike you, have no time for such childish theatrics."

Ken's words sent shivers down Airi and Tatsuya's spine.

Ishiyama, his face drained of color, sputtered for a response, but his words died in his throat, choked by the naked truth laid bare

The arrogant victor now stood exposed, a shivering figure under the cold gaze of the moon.

Airi and Tatsuya felt a cold satisfaction settle over them. 

Ken, without a word more, turned and walked away

Airi and Tatsuya followed, their hearts pounding