Chapter 4: Samurai Village Part 2
After I got out of my wet clothes which consisted of a blue Sailor uniform, white stockings, and tan shoes, I put on the white kimono with blue flowers that had been laid out for me on the futon bed. When I got down to the table where all the other candidates were sitting, some of the dinner plates had been replaced by deserts. Fortunately, there was a full plate of food at my designated spot.
"They didn't know when you were going to show up, so it might be cold," said the girl with the glasses.
"That's alright," I replied, and immediately chowed down while everyone else went back to eating their food.
No one spoke a word, and eventually the candidates started to leave until I was the only one left at the table.
I guess they're all tired like me, I thought as I finished what was left of the mochi.
So like them, I went back up to my room, and fell asleep. The next morning, I was woken up by Feng-Lan from Night Raid 1931 who insisted that I get going if I wanted to make it to the first Area Match in time. So I quickly got into the clothes I wore when I arrived in Otakuland, which had been dried overnight, and grabbed my Kakashi Doll before heading out the door to my room. Downstairs, I was informed by China that the Otaku King Candidates had gone ahead to the battle arena, which was located in a park at the center of Samurai Village. Unfortunately, I didn't ask her for directions, and so I quickly got lost until I saw Rurouni Kenshin in front of me.
"Rurouni Kenshin!" I cried, and got his attention.
"Are you looking for the battle arena?" he asked, like he read my mind.
I nodded, and said, "I'm kind of lost."
"This one is heading in that direction anyway, so this one will take you there," he said, and so I followed him.
At the park, there was a large Zen garden that was rectangular in shape, where a large crowd was gathering around it. At the center stood the candidates I met last night, carrying various Merchandise Objects that ranged from clothes to actual swords. Immediately, the crowd silenced as I approached the Zen garden. But then I soon realized that they weren't staring at me, but at Rurouni Kenshin.
"The new girl got escorted by the Samurai Village Supervisor?" Loli Tsundere said, folding her arms.
"Do I sense jealousy?" asked the dark-haired boy Shou.
Loli blushed briefly and glared at him.
"This one ran into Miss Otaku by chance, and so this one decided to help her because she was lost," Rurouni Kenshin explained. "Now that all the Otaku King Candidates are here, it is time to begin the first Area Match!"
The crowds cheered in response, but it just made my heart pound in fear.
As if he read my mind again, Rurouni Kenshin said, "Since you are new to this world, allow this one to explain the rules: you may use your Merchandise Object and its Abilities, but nothing else, and once a winner has been declared, the loser will be sent back once the tournament is finished. Are there any questions?"
Unabashedly, I raised my hand. "How do we use our Merchandise Objects in combat?"
At that, the rest of the candidates groaned in annoyance. But Rurouni Kenshin smiled and replied, "You'll have to find out for yourself."
As he sat down at a wooden platform next to the Zen garden, a man wearing a scholarly robe, who I think was Ri Kouyuu from Saiunkoku Monogatari, lifted a thin sheet of rice paper to reveal a diagram of tournament brackets with names on it. I looked at the bracket on the far left and saw my name next to Loli's. Next, Ri Kouyuu took two wooden sticks and clapped them together.
"The first battle of the First Round will be between Anna-May Otaku and Loli Tsundere," Ri said nonchalantly.
With that said, all the other candidates except me and Loli moved out of the Zen garden, while the crowd backed away slightly. I looked down at my Kakashi Doll, then I noticed Loli rolling up one of her kimono sleeves to reveal a charm bracelet that was similar to the one Yuki wore in Vampire Knight. For a few seconds, we both stared at our Merchandise Objects, trying to figure out how to use them, when finally I got so fed up with impatience that I threw the Kakashi Doll at Loli. To my surprise, the Kakashi Doll moved and kicked Loli in the face. However, the force wasn't strong enough to knock her down, so she retaliated by flinging the doll off to the side, but luckily it managed to land on its feet. We were both briefly amazed as it looked back at me and said in Kakashi's voice, "So you finally figured out how to use me."
Before I could reply, Loli touched the charm on her bracelet, and suddenly red daggers appeared out of nowhere and pinned the Kakashi doll to the sand by its hands and feet. It tried to break free, but the more it struggled, the deeper the daggers went, causing it to moan in pain. While Loli grinned in triumph, I stood there paralyzed, unable to figure out what to do.
"Looks like your stupid doll was no match against the Hunter's Charm," Loli said. "Though I am disappointed that the doll couldn't replicate what the real Kakashi would've done in this situation."
That's it! I realized then what I had to do.
"Kakashi, use the Sharingan Eye!" I shouted at the doll.
"I would if my hands weren't impaled," Kakashi Doll replied. "But I'll try."
So it struggled to free its left hand, which did prove to be a difficult task, but then it managed to break it free at the cost of tearing it. Though the Kakashi Doll flinched in pain, it managed to lift its forehead-protector, revealing the Sharingan Eye, and stared at Loli. This in turn caused her to become dizzy, and fall asleep. The red daggers vanished, and the crowd cheered. Meanwhile, Ri sent two men to check on Loli. After checking her pulse and eyes, they went back and told Ri of their examination.
"It seems that the Kakashi Doll's Sharingan Eye caused Loli to fall asleep via light hypnosis, therefore Anna-May is the winner of this battle!" Ri announced.
I felt a surge of pride as the crowd cheered again, only louder. Then I noticed some of the candidates either glaring at me or giving me a thumbs-up. As Loli was carried back to the inn, Rurouni Kenshin told the rest of us to gather around him. So we got up onto the wooden platform while several men were ordered to remake the Zen garden with wooden rakes.
"While Loli Tsundere recovers here, the rest of you shall journey to Love Town, where the next battle of the First Round will take place," Rurouni Kenshin said. "As for traveling supplies, they will be provided at the inn, and here are some tokens that Kamiya would like to present you."
From behind Rurouni Kenshin stepped Kamiya, the girl who supported Kenshin and loved him despite his troubled past, who bowed respectably to the seven of us. Next, she opened a wooden box, which contained eight different-colored prayer bead bracelets. We got to choose our favorite, which for me was a bright red one, and then Kamiya bowed again before heading for the inn to present the eighth prayer bead bracelet to Loli when she woke up. After that, Rurouni Kenshin left to meet us at the outskirts of Samurai Village, so the rest of the candidates went back to the inn to get their stuff, while I wandered around to find someone who could fix my Kakashi Doll's torn hand.
"I'm sorry I made you do that," I said as I carried it in my arms.
"It's alright. It didn't hurt that much," Kakashi Doll said, but flinched slightly when I pinched his broken hand to prevent the cotton from falling out.
But then, something amazing happened. One minute, I felt the cotton at my fingertips, then the next, Kakashi Doll's hand felt whole. I uncovered my own hand, and indeed, its hand was fixed as if by magic. The Kakashi Doll wiggled it to make sure it worked, and no cotton fell out.
"What on earth just happened?" I asked myself.
"I don't know. I guess the power of your desire to fix me made my broken hand heal all by itself," Kakashi Doll said.
"But that doesn't make sense!"
"Hey, I'm a talking doll. Do you think that makes any sense?"
He did have a point, so I decided to drop it as we headed back to the inn. There, I was given a pack with rice-balls, a blanket, a leather sack full of fresh water, and a map. Unlike the one Masakaki gave me, this map wasn't crummy. In fact, it was much more detailed, showing the forests and valleys between the Areas and a few recommended paths lined up. After I thanked China for letting me stay the night, I met Rurouni Kenshin and the other candidates near the lake outside of Samurai Village. There, he told us to head towards the woods next to the lake, and there we would find a hidden path out of the valley where Samurai Village was located. He then bowed to each of us as we left.
To be continued...