Gambit - Night Stalker Chapter 18
Apr. 17th, 2025 06:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shivalriesSeason: Winter
---
Location: Gambit Stage
Tsukasa: Speaking of which, Leo-san, you did say yesterday that "my Knights" would end here...
Leo: I really did intend for that to happen. I was gonna give the Knights name to those who wanted it.
In exchange, I told them to be satisfied with that and stop trying to come after us for weird reasons.
I even drew up a contract, even though I hate stuff like that, you know?
I sat down and had one-on-one chats with every member of King Slayer, and besides the Kuroki brothers, everyone agreed.
Izumi: You like doing that, don't you... Didn't you do something similar back in the war era?
Leo: I mean, c'mon. We tend to lump them all together as "remnants of Chess", but each one of them is their very own person.
We gotta meet them face-to-face and confirm how we feel about each other.
Leave everything up to cold, hard numbers and you'll miss something important... Like how Tenshi is all the time, y'know. He does one thing, and without fail, it turns into something he can never take back.
Anyway, so we decided that selling off Knights' name would finally settle this, and continued our negotiations with that in mind.
Today's Judgment was meant to be just a formality to that effect.
As the plan goes, today King Slayer will reign supreme in this Judgment and become the "real thing".
It was rigged from the start.
Tsukasa: ...I see.
I despise fixed games. That's why you failed to mention this to me until the very last moment—because you knew I would be against it.
Izumi: Didn't he just fail to mention it in general? You probably lost your phone again, huh, Leo-kun?
Leo: Oh, shut up... You'll age faster if you're always so sensitive, you damn nag from planet nag.
What's most important here is that King Slayer accepted the challenge despite their overwhelming advantage. Normally, they'd have no reason to pick up the gauntlet, right?
They knew there's no way they could lose, so they decided hey, why not show up to the duel?
Tsukasa: I'd thought that was a bit unnatural...
They only needed to let time pass, and they would've defeated us without having to stage this whole fight.
However, I must remind you, former king—do not try to sell off Knights without the permission of your current king.
That is an irredeemable act of betrayal.
Leo: Really? Can't we just be any name? I mean, "Knights" was something we just came up with on the fly. Right, Sena?
Izumi: Yeah, you're not wrong. I remember us talking about being from Chess, so we could be named after a chess piece, or something offhand like that.
Leo: Exactly, names have no value. I just put random titles on my songs every time, too.
Arashi: I think it's a little too random, Leo-kun... It's always such a hassle for us to come up with titles that suit Knights' target audience, you know.
Leo: Oh yeah? I'm pretty partial to just messing around and having a laugh with everybody while making up a name outta nowhere!
We can just do the same this time: get together and think up a name to replace Knights.
We can wear new outfits and stuff, but we'd still be the same people underneath.
And then after selling the current Knights to King Slayer for a low price, the new us will leave 'em in the dust in no time!
Of course, at first it'll be kind of annoying dealing with people calling us liars and fakes...
But we've climbed up from rock bottom once already.
We have all those experiences and achievements behind us, so I figured we'd be fine.
Ritsu: ...But doesn't it bother you to just lay down and surrender without a fight?
We did that in the SS prelims, but you know... it hangs really heavy over my head.
It gets harder to breathe when you've got regrets tightening your chest. I can't live on like that, so I want to take this chance to clear our name.
No—let Ricchan, strategist of Knights, restore his reputation.
Izumi: Are you plotting something again, Kuma-kun...?
Ritsu: Uh-huh ♪ That's my job, after all.
Tsukipi~'s so nice, he feels sorry even for idiots. But I'm not as kind as our merciful former King—
If those fools dare to point their blades at us, I'll make sure they taste retribution.
Crazy:B were surprisingly rational during the SS prelims, but I don't think Tsukipi~'s naive and simple way of doing things is gonna work this time.
This is a bad matchup: a guy like Ohji Kuroki, who's gotten swollen stiff with hatred, will never be satisfied no matter how much you let him hit you.
If he kills you, he'll kick your corpse. Even if we manage to solve the current issue, his hatred won't disappear—he'll do something stupid again.
So this time, I'll exterminate every last remaining grudge.
This spiteful juvenile delinquent thinks he can coil himself around us like a snake? I'll beat him black and blue so he'll never get up again.
Tsukasa: Y-You mustn't engage in violence...
Ritsu: It's fiiiine. This is just a form of that junior bullying that Secchan likes so much.
Besides, if he can't even bounce back from this, then he shouldn't have taken a shot at us in the first place.
Now come on, you spoiled little brat. I'll show you just how scary real grown-ups can be...♪
---
< Night Stalker Chapter 17 || Masterlist || Night Stalker Chapter 19 >
---
Location: Gambit Stage
Tsukasa: Speaking of which, Leo-san, you did say yesterday that "my Knights" would end here...
Leo: I really did intend for that to happen. I was gonna give the Knights name to those who wanted it.
In exchange, I told them to be satisfied with that and stop trying to come after us for weird reasons.
I even drew up a contract, even though I hate stuff like that, you know?
I sat down and had one-on-one chats with every member of King Slayer, and besides the Kuroki brothers, everyone agreed.
Izumi: You like doing that, don't you... Didn't you do something similar back in the war era?
Leo: I mean, c'mon. We tend to lump them all together as "remnants of Chess", but each one of them is their very own person.
We gotta meet them face-to-face and confirm how we feel about each other.
Leave everything up to cold, hard numbers and you'll miss something important... Like how Tenshi is all the time, y'know. He does one thing, and without fail, it turns into something he can never take back.
Anyway, so we decided that selling off Knights' name would finally settle this, and continued our negotiations with that in mind.
Today's Judgment was meant to be just a formality to that effect.
As the plan goes, today King Slayer will reign supreme in this Judgment and become the "real thing".
It was rigged from the start.
Tsukasa: ...I see.
I despise fixed games. That's why you failed to mention this to me until the very last moment—because you knew I would be against it.
Izumi: Didn't he just fail to mention it in general? You probably lost your phone again, huh, Leo-kun?
Leo: Oh, shut up... You'll age faster if you're always so sensitive, you damn nag from planet nag.
What's most important here is that King Slayer accepted the challenge despite their overwhelming advantage. Normally, they'd have no reason to pick up the gauntlet, right?
They knew there's no way they could lose, so they decided hey, why not show up to the duel?
Tsukasa: I'd thought that was a bit unnatural...
They only needed to let time pass, and they would've defeated us without having to stage this whole fight.
However, I must remind you, former king—do not try to sell off Knights without the permission of your current king.
That is an irredeemable act of betrayal.
Leo: Really? Can't we just be any name? I mean, "Knights" was something we just came up with on the fly. Right, Sena?
Izumi: Yeah, you're not wrong. I remember us talking about being from Chess, so we could be named after a chess piece, or something offhand like that.
Leo: Exactly, names have no value. I just put random titles on my songs every time, too.
Arashi: I think it's a little too random, Leo-kun... It's always such a hassle for us to come up with titles that suit Knights' target audience, you know.
Leo: Oh yeah? I'm pretty partial to just messing around and having a laugh with everybody while making up a name outta nowhere!
We can just do the same this time: get together and think up a name to replace Knights.
We can wear new outfits and stuff, but we'd still be the same people underneath.
And then after selling the current Knights to King Slayer for a low price, the new us will leave 'em in the dust in no time!
Of course, at first it'll be kind of annoying dealing with people calling us liars and fakes...
But we've climbed up from rock bottom once already.
We have all those experiences and achievements behind us, so I figured we'd be fine.
Ritsu: ...But doesn't it bother you to just lay down and surrender without a fight?
We did that in the SS prelims, but you know... it hangs really heavy over my head.
It gets harder to breathe when you've got regrets tightening your chest. I can't live on like that, so I want to take this chance to clear our name.
No—let Ricchan, strategist of Knights, restore his reputation.
Izumi: Are you plotting something again, Kuma-kun...?
Ritsu: Uh-huh ♪ That's my job, after all.
Tsukipi~'s so nice, he feels sorry even for idiots. But I'm not as kind as our merciful former King—
If those fools dare to point their blades at us, I'll make sure they taste retribution.
Crazy:B were surprisingly rational during the SS prelims, but I don't think Tsukipi~'s naive and simple way of doing things is gonna work this time.
This is a bad matchup: a guy like Ohji Kuroki, who's gotten swollen stiff with hatred, will never be satisfied no matter how much you let him hit you.
If he kills you, he'll kick your corpse. Even if we manage to solve the current issue, his hatred won't disappear—he'll do something stupid again.
So this time, I'll exterminate every last remaining grudge.
This spiteful juvenile delinquent thinks he can coil himself around us like a snake? I'll beat him black and blue so he'll never get up again.
Tsukasa: Y-You mustn't engage in violence...
Ritsu: It's fiiiine. This is just a form of that junior bullying that Secchan likes so much.
Besides, if he can't even bounce back from this, then he shouldn't have taken a shot at us in the first place.
Now come on, you spoiled little brat. I'll show you just how scary real grown-ups can be...♪
---
< Night Stalker Chapter 17 || Masterlist || Night Stalker Chapter 19 >
