Chapter 8 – The Trickster’s Rival

The game had begun.

And Hikaru knew exactly how this was going to go.

Budi wasn't the type to make direct moves. He was a ghost, a shadow, a puzzle you only realized was missing pieces after it was too late. If he had decided to step back into Hikaru's life, it wasn't just to say hello.

He wants to test me.

Fine.

Let's play.

It started subtly.

Hikaru returned to the guild that evening, settling into his usual spot at the corner table. The guild hall was as lively as ever—adventurers laughing, boasting, drinking.

Nothing seemed out of place.

Until Hikaru reached for his deck of cards—

And realized one was missing.

He froze, eyes flicking through them.

It wasn't just any card.

It was the Joker.

A slow grin spread across his face.

So that's how we're playing it.

By morning, Hikaru had already set his first counterplay.

If Budi had stolen his card, it meant he was nearby. Watching.

Which meant all Hikaru had to do was bait him into making a mistake.

The easiest way to do that?

Start a rumor.

It began as whispers.

"Hey, did you hear? Someone's been messing with the guild's records."

"Apparently, a masked guy's been sneaking into places he shouldn't."

"I heard he's some kind of rogue assassin."

Hikaru made sure the story spread just enough.

Not enough to alarm anyone—just enough to make Budi react.

And react, he did.

That evening, as Hikaru returned to his rented guild room, he found something waiting for him.

A single folded note on his pillow.

He picked it up, unfolded it, and read:

Nice try. But I don't fall for cheap tricks.

No signature.

Just a single Joker card tucked inside.

Hikaru exhaled through his nose, grinning. Alright, Budi. You got me.

But this wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.

The real challenge came the next day.

Hikaru had been planning to spend the morning taking an easy quest—something simple, like helping an alchemist test a potion or delivering supplies to a merchant.

Instead, Elara pulled him aside at the counter.

"You." She jabbed a thumb toward the quest board. "You're taking that one."

Hikaru followed her gaze.

The quest wasn't one he had seen before.

"Capture the Phantom Thief – Reward 50 Gold."

Hikaru's grin froze. Wait.

"Uh," he said, adjusting his glasses, "you sure this is my kind of thing?"

Elara folded her arms. "You're a trickster. You think like a criminal. You'll do fine."

Hikaru opened his mouth—then closed it.

Because this wasn't a normal bounty.

He could see it.

The reward was too high for a petty thief. And more importantly…

The description matched Budi too well.

Mysterious masked figure. Untraceable. Appears and vanishes like a ghost.

This wasn't a normal guild mission.

This was a test.

And if Hikaru didn't take it, someone else would.

His fingers brushed over the Joker card in his pocket.

He exhaled.

"Well then," he murmured, pulling the quest notice down, "looks like I'm hunting ghosts now."

By nightfall, Hikaru had set the trap.

If Budi was as good as he thought he was, he wouldn't get caught by normal means.

So instead of chasing him, Hikaru did something different.

He made himself a target.

He spread the word that he had a rare artifact stolen from the kingdom—a magical deck, too dangerous to be in the wrong hands.

Of course, it was a lie.

But Budi wouldn't be able to resist checking it out.

And when he did—

Hikaru would be waiting.

It happened faster than expected.

Hikaru sat at the edge of a rooftop in the lower city, absentmindedly flipping a card between his fingers. He had planted just enough bait—a rumor here, a whisper there.

And just as he predicted—

The air shifted.

He didn't see him.

Didn't hear him.

But he felt him.

A presence, a flicker of movement in the shadows.

Then—

Budi struck.

Hikaru barely dodged, flipping back as a wooden staff swept past his head.

He landed smoothly, pushing up his glasses. "You're predictable."

Budi stood there, twirling his staff lazily. His mask was different this time—sleeker, darker, an oni design.

He smirked beneath it. "And you talk too much."

Then he attacked again.

Hikaru knew better than to fight Budi directly.

His old friend had always been the better combatant. Even back in school, before either of them had magic, Budi had been trained in Pencak Silat, an Indonesian martial art built on deceptive movements and devastating strikes.

Now?

He was faster. Stronger.

And Hikaru had no idea what those masks could really do.

So he played his game instead.

[Skill Activated: ♠6 – The Mirage]

Budi's strike passed through an illusion, hitting nothing but air.

Hikaru reappeared behind him, flicking a card.

[Skill Activated: ♥5 – Emotional Shuffle]

For just a split second, Budi hesitated—his body faltering, his mind momentarily unsure of what to feel.

Hikaru smirked. "Gotcha."

Budi's hesitation vanished instantly.

He flipped backward, landing smoothly on a lamppost. "Not bad."

Then, before Hikaru could react—

Budi touched his mask.

The air around him shifted.

And suddenly—

He disappeared.

Hikaru froze.

He wasn't invisible. He wasn't hiding.

He was just… gone.

Then—

A whisper from behind.

"Gotcha."

Something hard slammed into Hikaru's back, knocking the air from his lungs. He hit the ground, rolling to recover, but by the time he looked up—

Budi was already gone.

A single card fluttered down in front of him.

Hikaru picked it up.

It was the Joker.

On the back, a handwritten note.

Nice try.

Hikaru exhaled.

Then—

He laughed.

Alright.

Budi had won this round.

But the game was far from over.

And Hikaru never lost twice.