Number 1333

The Most Dangerous Duo

Like planned by Ayu and expected by Hajime and Jyugo, Uno starts to play seriously and the colorful combo begins to miss cards.

<<You think I win at gabling just by cheating? How naïve!>> says in provocation Uno, <<Playing against you isn't even a challenge!>>

<<Move Trois, let me handle this.>> Honey sits but Number 11 wants to make them feel really vulnerable.

As if Number 33 read his mind, he sits up and smiles amused, <<This match is over, give up already.>>

<<What?! You should be quiet since you slept all the time!>>

[After many, many years-]

Once again, the rival team didn't get the card in time. Using their confusion as a stimulus, Ayu supports Uno with his tricks.

<<Even if I slept, I saw your weaknesses.>> he says, <<You have three tells; your teammate has two of them. Showing your vices so openly to veteran in gambling like us, your superior must be an idiot.>>

<<Should I tell them, Ayu?>> Jyugo and his friends see that between those two there's a deep connection, but surely, they shouldn't be in the same team again, they are terrifying!

<<Why not, go ahead.>>

[The opposite combo turned into the affinity combo!! These guys are smart, so keep hide your cards boys!] Mitsuru and his jokes... Ah, what was his job in this prison again?

<<As my friend said, you have three tells. One, you follow the card you're about to grab with your eyes.>> Honey's body twitched surprised, Uno hit the spot, <<Two, your center of gravity leans to the right, so you're especially fast when grabbing cards on the right side. And last but not least, your middle finger; you have the habit of pointing with your middle finger instead of your index finger.>>

"How did he find it out?!" thinks Honey remembering all his actions during the game, "I didn't do anything that could lead to my- It was his friend? But, he slept all the time, how?" after another provocation from his opponents, Number 82 loses his composure, <<Screw you, bastards! You've must've rigged something! You freaking cheaters!>>

<<I'll tag in!>> Trois replaces his teammate, but the situation doesn't change, he can't get the card before his rival, <<How....?>>

<<You showed your naughty vices too.>> says Uno feeling so good, turning the table in a situation like this is something that he lives for.

<<Such stupidities! I don't have any!>>

<<You open your mouth slightly when you move to the right, and close it tightly when you move to the left.>> Trois covers his mouth instinctively, he barely knows about it, and Ayu keeps going with a threatening look, <<You blink once when reaching for the cards nearby, and twice if the card is far away. Surprised to discover something about yourself that even you didn't know?>> Ayu stands up and waits patiently.

<<Even without hearing any sound, it's easy to figure out, as long as I can see you.>> now even Uno's eyes are mirroring Ayu's, <<Remember this, you damned amateur. It's not that easy to win a game!>>

Under the loud cheers exploded after Uno's wish, the Number 11 wins easily the game and the stadium goes wild again. Mitsuru screams as always, another victory for the Building 13 that keeps topping the rank, while Uno throws his hat and brags for his victory even if he isn't handsome as his opponents.

Walking back to the bleachers, No. 33 gives back that hat and stays silent, but his friend has a lot of questions now that he cooled down and his brain remembers clearly what happened.

<<You discovered their habits faster than me, right?>> asks Number 11 smiling, <<Where did you learn it?>>

<<I got them after the first change they did, they were too easy to read for me.>> replies the inmate, <<I've learnt it for my work. A lot of my targets were people who played cards, my eyes got used to certain things.>>

<<I was surprised that you were that fast, that's all.>> comments the other, <<And the psychological pressure that you put on them was superb, my compliments.>>

<<I remember you that I'm an assassin, I can play with people's minds as toys, you know?>> his voice doesn't have emotions at all, it's totally different from before.

<<So... you still kill people?>>

<<I came here for my last target, I didn't find it all around the world, so I'll wait here for now. I will die inside a prison anyway, I can take my time with this one.>>

<<That's bad, buddy! Also, please give a tone to your voice, it's too dull, it's a little creepy.>>

<<I understand your point, but since I grew up in a different world, what's bad for you, is normal for me.>> Ayu pulls his hood down and keeps talking, <<And I'm sorry for my voice, it's just... I don't know how to use it when I'm not in a mission, so I don't know how to react to your words or what type of voice should I pick... Sorry.>>

"I guess it's linked with his assassin work. I won't ask anything about it, not my business." <<Don't apologize for it, man! We'll teach you how to live normally!>> Uno puts his arm around his friend's shoulder and smiles warmly, <<Next time, let's play some card games together!>>

When they go back, the next stage is done, and the two prisoners keep asking themselves why there is a huge hole in the middle of the arena, but Seitarou and Yamato's voices distract them. The group praises the two winners and Hitokoe announces the next event.

[Only two more events left in the New Year's Tournament! The next one is... top spinning!!] even Mitsuru is excited for this one, he keeps jumping here and there on his personal moving bleacher, [What you'll need for this game is probably teamwork! Spin these giant tops at the center of the stage, the top that either pushes the other off the stage or destroys the other wins!]

<<Destroy?!>> exclaims everyone, how should they destroy something huge like that bare handed? It's more than impossible!

[I will now announce the teams! They've been winning all the events thus far! Building 13 is led by the almighty superhuman gorilla, Hajime Sugoroku!]

<<Who the hell are you calling gorilla?!>>

<<The perfect name for you! Hahaha, my stomach hurts!>> Gokuu laughs to provoke his rival, but when is his turn to be announced...

[Their opponent, Building 5, Cell 8, is led by the moronic monkey with a low IQ, Samon Gokuu!]

<<That's basically means that I'm stupid! Mitsuru, you bastard!>> and Hajime's laugh makes it even worse, "Which inmate will fight? Number 33 is too dangerous, Cell 8 can't handle him. The others don't seem to be trained to fight, unless Number 69. Who will you choose, Hajime?" <<Let's go, Number 71, Number 58!>> with that doubt in mind, Gokuu jumps inside the battlefield.

While the members of the Cell 13 are shocked by Nico's reaction, Ayu recognized the prisoner Number 71, but before he could remember his abilities, a loud sound distracts him. Nico dragged Hajime inside the ring, and he's forced to participate by the cheers of his prisoners and the people all around the stadium.

"Qi, a pharmaceutical chemist, who creates drugs using plants, right? That's why there's this strange smell in the air." Ayu sits on a bench and relaxes a bit, he can't handle anymore all those sounds, when he can go back? "One more game, one more and then you can have all the silence you want. The silence is my only alley, someone says that it's the sound of loneliness, but I think that being a quiet place is the best. No sounds, no pain, only a little symphony... The darkness, the silence and that melody are my only friends that really understand me. Or at least... that's what I thought."