I'm really curious as to what happens next, so I'm going to read ahead. :-P This is the next chapter of volume 5 during Chihaya's face-off with the current Queen, Shinobu Wakamiya...
BTW, this chapter was SUPER difficult for my limited skills. -_-; A lot of technical playing terms that I'm not familiar with, a lot of characters I don't remember ever studying <-- only studied Chinese for 4 years....
So you'll have to forgive me if I summarize some parts more than most. I only have a small inkling as to what they're saying..... -_-;
Scene: in the lobby of the tournament center
An administrator/announcer of the tournament asks all B Ranked players to check their play cards and go into the competition hall and find their seats for the 2nd round. Meat bun-kun and Taichi are loitering about. Apparently they've got some time to kill before their competition beigns. (Taichi's opponent forfeits?) Meat bun-kun asks if Taichi will go over with Kana-chan to watch the D ranked tournaments. Instead, Taichi heads upstairs to check up on Chihaya. He is shocked to discover who her next opponent is.
Chihaya...is facing the Queen...!!
Cut scene: the two players on the tatami, Chihaya sweating as she faces off with Shinobu
While recording, Ms. Miyauchi zooms in on the pair.
"The old wild mountain, autumn's breeze..."
Chihaya loses a card. She is shocked that the movements are so fast she can even tell what's going on. But even she understands what's going on. Chihaya, still with 25 cards, is losing miserably.
"The large red mountain..."
Chihaya loses another card. Taichi watches and wonders, "So fast! What the hell...?"
He notices that Chihaya moves as soon as the first syllable is out, and moves before Shinobu does. Shinobu waits until the second syllable is pronounced before moving, and even so, she is still faster than Chihaya.
The crowd starts to murmur.
"Not another one..."
"Shinobu Wakamiya is on a whole higher level..."
"She's already down by 10 cards?"
"I'd feel sorry for anyone facing the Queen..."
Taichi gets annoyed by the chatter.
"That girl's gonna lose her will to fight soon."
Taichi whirls around and glares at the person who said that last remark. They quickly apologize. Taichi notes that Chihaya needs to match the Queen's speed to win. But even so, she's already behind by ten cards, but Chihaya is can only focus one one card at a time, not all of them at once. It seems that would be something only the Queen could do.
Chihaya tries to think. Calm down... Calm down... Even if she is the Queen, it doesn't mean she doesn't have any faults. She examines the "naniwa e" and "naniwa ga" cards carefully. The "nani shi" card has already been read, so Chiyaha thinks that as soon as she hears the first syllable she will strike them both. She hears her mentor in her head saying it's such an underhanded tactic, but true enough Shinobu has kept those cards together. Chihaya's aura fumes as she is determined to do it.
Taichi thinks that her facial expressions make her so obvious... -_-; Sure enough, the Queen sees right through her and swipes the cards away. Taichi is beside himself with frustration at Chihaya's lack of a poker face.
But surely, you're still trying to get your first card from her? You haven't lost your will fight on...? he thinks. Then let everyone see your attack style, Chihaya!
"Nani-" (TN: Thank goodness this wasn't her "namesake" card, you b*tch!)
Just as Chihaya's hand immediately reaches for the card, even though the Queen moves subsequently, Shinobu reaches the card first and swipes it away. Everyone is in shock.
Ms. Miyauchi pulls Taichi aside and asks what just happened. They were both so quick, she had no idea who was successful. She asks what would happen if neither side could tell who reached the card first. Taichi explains that the players would then discuss it between them, or listen to the referee. But clearly, that last card belonged to Shinobu...
Chihaya noticed the differences in their approach. While she was aiming for both cards, Shinobu was only aiming for the smallest corner of the correct card.
In her head, she hears her mentor, Harada sensei. "Attack! Chiyaha!"
She recalls Harada sensei teaching her how to attack; offensive and defense play all at once, in one short burst, aiming straight from the center.
What should I do? I've already used up my last tactic...
"Daddy bear!" Shinobu blurts out suddenly. She blushes and apologizes quickly. Chihaya's at a loss for words. She looks down at her T-shirt and the "Daddy Bear" logo.
Does she mean this? Come to think of it, the Queen's T-shirt is "Snow-Snow!" That's a super-ultra-rare shirt, sold only in exclusive stores. Snow-Snow's characteristic trait is that if you take off the bucket on his head, it reveals his knot, the source of his true power.... (TN: WTF? I have no idea. Take a look. Chick has weird taste in clothes...)
"No, I must concentrate on the game..." Apparently, they're both thinking off topic... Even though she is the Queen, she is still the same age as Chihaya. Chihaya realizes there must be a way to defeat her.
"Yo-"
Apparently, the next card is the "five syllable unknown." Both Chihaya and Shinobu guard the card on either side that they think is correct. They wait for each syllable, but Shinobu slaps the correct card out of the way, despite the fact that Chihaya was guarding it. Everyone is shocked.
Ms. Miyauchi asks Taichi for clarification since she's thinking Shinobu did something underhanded. Taichi explains the nature of those two cards, "Yononakayo" and "Yononakawa". They are so ridiculously long and similar until you get to the fifth syllable; they are also called the "guarding" cards. You just pick one and wait to see if you have the correct card. Chihaya had the correct card and all she had to do was touch it but Shinobu was one step ahead of her. From all across the playing space her hand slipped underneath Chihaya's and knocked it away. (TN: WOW...)
At this point, Chihaya loses her will to fight. Shinobu smiles.
I have no will left to win...
Chapter end.
TN: Sh*t.
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