Disclaimer: Same as before.

Chapter Nine: Lion v. Lion

"Waaa...hhhhhh! I was totally outclassed, outgunned, outfoxed, out everything," Shouji wailed loudly as he plopped gracelessly on a bench that was strategically located near a vending machine.

Oka, head bent and shoulders drooping, sat mutely next to Shouji. He was too wrapped up in his own misery and disappointment to even tell Shouji to shut up.

"I was a goner before I even knew what hit me," Shouji said with exaggerated resignation. "Damn, it was embarrassing!" Shouji said as he clapped a hand over his eyes. He leaned back on the bench and allowed his back to slide down against the wall until his rear reached the edge of the bench and was in danger of falling off.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Oka responded in a low quiet voice, all the while staring at the tips of his shoes. "It's like he can see right through me. It's really eerie." Oka felt a mild tightening of his stomach as he recalled how Shindou had so easily neutralized all the attacks that Oka had carefully planned on the board.

Silence settled between them. The reality of crushing defeat was a humbling experience.

"You know, that guy Touya Akira is freaking amazing," Shouji said slowly as he stared up at the ceiling.

Oka did not answer immediately. He merely sighed and blew strands of dark blue hair away from his eyes.

After a short pause, Oka finally replied, "Shindou Hikaru is really something too." He shrugged and added, "But hey, we knew that before going in there didn't we?"

A long pause followed.

"HAAAaaaaaaaa...!" Shouji and Oka simultaneously sighed in exaggerated resignation.

"I wanna to be a pro!" Shouji sat up suddenly and announced in a loud voice, his eyes bright with renewed determination.

"ME too!" Oka readily agreed, a similar glean bright in his eyes.

"But first order of business is second round, second round! I bet Touya's gonna win!" Shouji said enthusiastically with a broad grin. "Yeeeee-hah!" Shouji pressed his palms onto the bench and lithely bounced up and away toward the direction of the game room. He was not the type to stay depressed for long.

"Dumbass, get it right! It is Shindou who's going to win!" Oka exclaimed with a touch of annoyance, but it nevertheless pleased him that Shouji was so gung-ho about his idol. "But yes, Touya Akira is..." Oka finally noticed that his friend was no longer sitting next to him. "Hey, no fair! Wait for me!" Oka yelled as he dashed after the shock of bright orange hair.

--0--0--0--

"Second round matches. Please begin," the master of ceremony's voice announced formally over the loud speaker.

The familiar sound of clicking stones resonated throughout the room as players counted the stones to decide who will take black.

"Please," Hikaru and Akira said simultaneously as they performed the ceremonial bow over the table.

Both appeared perfectly serene. There was nevertheless an inexplicable feeling of tension radiating from the two, like a low smoldering fire that had been lurking, yearning, and waiting for the right moment to break free.

Shindou. What kind of game are you planning to play today? Akira thought as his gaze bored intently on Hikaru. The facade of a less experienced player would have undoubtedly crumbled under the pressure of those calm, yet unforgiving turquoise eyes.

Hikaru, however, was oblivious to Akira's scrutiny. Hikaru's expression was unreadable as his gray-green eyes focused on the empty board. His lips were set in an uncharacteristic firm line. The spectators that surrounded the small table were silent as they waited tensely for Hikaru's opening move.

Finally, with a slow and deliberate motion, Hikaru's hand reached into the bowl of black stones. He paused only for a split second as his eyes met Akira's over the board.

They were hot. Burning. Determined.

Hikaru felt a rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins as he swiftly unleashed his opening move.

--0--0--0--

Hikaru and Akira proceeded rapidly through the opening game.

Black. White. Black. White. Black. White.

Neither hesitated. Neither wavered. The stones flowed smoothly onto the board in a steady rhythm.

Pa-chi! Pa-chi!

It was almost as if the game played itself, and Hikaru and Akira were merely observing at the sidelines as the game unfolded. Most of the pros around the table, however, knew that it was quite the opposite. This steady dialogue of black and white stones was evidence that each had invested a considerable amount of thought in preparing for this match. It also showed that each was intimately familiar with the styles and pet peeves of his opponent in the opening game, to the point that most moves could be adeptly countered or neutralized without a second thought. Time was precious. Both wanted to reserve as much time as possible for the big battle that was sure to come.

Within minutes from the start of the match, black and white had each methodically staked out multiple advantageous positions on the board for its groups. Hikaru's black stones extended a powerful double-wing formation from the corner enclosure in the upper right, while Akira's white stones formed an aggressive territorial framework on the left and lower left corner, standing ready to conquer vast expanses of territory.

Shindou is playing rather conservatively today, Akira thought as he glanced coolly at black's double-wing formation all the while feeling vaguely disappointed. Is Shindou still bothered by his loss back at the go salon this week or is there a deeper strategy to this?

Akira sat back on his seat, arms crossed and pondered briefly. In either case, you of all people should know that there is no chance of winning against me with mere defense, Akira thought as his eyes narrowed. I expected more from you, Shindou!

A spark of anger rose deep inside Akira at the thought that Hikaru might not be giving this match his all, but at the same time, Akira felt a shadow of uneasiness.

Is this match going to disintegrate into a pathetic mess like that time? No, I won't accept that! Akira's teeth clenched at the offending thought. His eyes seemingly bent on burning a hole through the top of his opponent's bent head. Shindou wants to win. He wants to win against Ko Yongha - bad. Akira's brow furrowed slightly as he recalled how desperately Hikaru wanted to play against Ko Yongha at the Hokuto.

There was something in Hikaru's attitude then that struck a cord within Akira, compelling Akira to step aside. Akira still occasionally marveled at why he had allowed Hikaru to take first board at Hokuto without protest.

Yes, but it definitely will not happen again, Akira thought with renewed passion. Did you think that was a sign of weakness? A sign that you have surpassed me? Is winning against Ko Yongha the only thing driving you? Is nothing else worth your while? Look at me. Look at me! Shindou!

Akira's gaze swept quickly over the board. He astutely saw that timing was crucial if he wanted to maximize the effectiveness of his groups. Although the opportunity was there, he did not rush into an attack immediately. Instead, he chose to first consolidate his position on the left side of the board with a stone on 2-7 at the lower left corner. An extra sharp pa-chi that accompanied the move was the only sign of Akira's irritation.

If Shindou persists in this ridiculous conservative strategy, I will gain an enormous framework for my territory at the next move, Akira thought, his eyes flashed dangerously.

Hikaru responded unerringly with a reinforcement to his lower right group, which effectively prevented Akira's white stones from further enlarging its influence. Hikaru's black stone also had the secondary effect of encroaching on white's territory.

The corner of Akira's lips rose slightly. Akira's slender fingers dipped lightly into the bowl and swiftly delivered a move that blocked black's attempted advance.

Hikaru felt the stress of the game bearing down on him. It was always tough to play against Akira, but today seemed to be particularly bad.

This isn't working, Hikaru thought as he quickly assessed the situation on the board. He unconsciously rubbed his palms against his jeans to rid the accumulating sweat. He knew that his framework was good enough to beat most junior pros, but not Touya Akira.

Since when has it gotten so hot in here? Hikaru thought, mildly irritated. Several more moves were exchanged. Hikaru surveyed the battles on the board again. This time, he felt a chill running down his spine. His attacks were barely making a dent on Akira's defenses.

At this rate, white will soon control the board, Hikaru thought. KUUuuu-so! What the hell is wrong with me today?

Touya. It's because of you. It's all because of you!

Hikaru stared at his opponent in mute frustration. Since that day at the salon, on and off, he thought about Akira's challenge.

"If you want to play against Ko Yongha as the first board in the Kawasaki,
you're going to have to go through me."

Those words are so Touya, Hikaru thought. Unrelenting. Persistent. Stubborn. They sneak up on you when least expected or wanted. Hikaru frowned as he ran his hand through his hair. I don't want to lose! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE! Not to you. Not to Ko Yongha. No - definitely - not to Ko Yongha. Hikaru's mouth hardened at the last thought.

The wound from Hokuto was still sore. It had only been two weeks. On a subconscious level, that loss was affecting Hikaru's game and concentration. It was not Hikaru's intention to play conservatively - it just happened, almost like a self-protection mechanism.

This isn't good; it isn't good at all, Hikaru thought. His head drooped, eyes closed, a pained expression on his face. All of a sudden, he felt tired and defeated.

Akira watched wordlessly from across the table. A mixture of concern and annoyance crossed his features, but was quickly replaced by his usual game face.

What would Sai do in this situation? Hikaru asked himself. At the back of his mind, he knew that valuable game time was ticking away, but he felt paralyzed.

Sai! Am I going to let you down again? Hikaru screamed in his mind.

Why? Why? WHY!

I'm afraid.

Afraid?

Since when have I turned into such a coward?

Fear.

Fear?

The word left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Maybe he wasn't as good as he thought. Maybe he wasn't worthy. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

Time continued to move uninterrupted on the game clock.

Hikaru felt rather than saw Akira's displeasure. Although Hikaru tried to resist, something about Akira's aura was compelling him to look at his opponent.

Hikaru slowly raised his head. He swallowed, hard.

Although Akira's features appeared calm, those icy turquoise eyes told a different story. They seemed to be accusing him of something.

Now that their gazes had met, Hikaru felt unable to tear away, like a moth to a flame.

Sai isn't here anymore, but Touya is.

The pain of his fingernails digging into his palms told him everything he saw and felt at that moment was real.

So what was the worst fear of all? Hikaru thought as he tried to pierce through the swirl of emotions within him.

--It was the fear of losing respect in the eyes of his rival.

No. NO! I will NEVER EVER allow let that happen!

A sudden surge of determination swept through Hikaru.

This is not the time to ponder. This is not the time to hesitate. This is the time for action. Whatever happens will happen. At least, I know there will be no regrets as long as I did my best!

Hikaru once again closed his eyes and forced himself to take a deep breath. His mind raced as he methodically searched and compared an extensive array of possible moves. Suddenly, it clicked. The answer was clear.

Hikaru slowly, almost reverently, reached over to place a black stone on the center of the board.

Tengen? Akira's eyes widen slightly, but quickly narrowed as he surveyed the new development. Very risky, very reckless - very Shindou.

Akira finally smiled.

Akira sent a white stone to clamp against the black stone at tengen, reducing its effectiveness. Hikaru responded with a knight's move from tengen. White fought back without hesitation and a fierce exchange broke out in the middle of the board.

--0--0--0--

Akira's white groups took the preemptive strike and began an ruthless campaign to invade black's territory in the upper right. However, Hikaru's black was strong in that corner so white cannot expect to take much territory.

No one in their right minds would dare to challenge me in this situation, Hikaru thought as he waited for Akira's next move. No one but Touya Akira.

Hikaru felt his breath caught in his throat as Akira played the next move. It was aggressive bordering on reckless, but the genius behind it was undeniable.

White was going all out to destroy black's hold on the upper right corner. White was fearless even though it was badly outnumbered. White was cunning, always seeming to know which soldier to sacrifice would result in the maximum gain. It was absolutely ruthless. But black was no easy target, it clung tightly to its territory and stubbornly refused to yield.

Droplets of sweat formed at Hikaru's brow. He wiped at it impatiently with the back of his sleeve. Even Akira was showing signs of strain as the furrow between his brows deepened. Breaths were becoming more labored as the match approached the climax. They were like marathon runners approaching the finish line. It was close, so close that the outcome could still swing either way.

Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

Hikaru could feel the rapid pounding of his heart in his ear as it accompanied the crisp pa-chi of the stones on the board.

Black! White! Black! White! Black!

Suddenly, Hikaru's eyes widen in shock and disbelief.

It was over.

"Tha...nk yo..u for the game," Hikaru felt his voice shook as he bowed over the table. Akira softly uttered the same phrase and quietly stood to leave without a backward glance.

No one spoke as they watched Akira's retreating back from the room. Hikaru felt himself drowning in a sea of black and white stones as he continued to sit mutely in front of the board.

A hardy slap on the back brought him quickly back to reality. It was Waya.

"ALRIGHT! YE--AH! Shindou! You won! You won! You beat that Touya! This calls for a sushi celebration!" Waya beamed happily as he continued to slap Hikaru enthusiastically on the back.

"Hey! Ouch! Easy there, Wa-ya!" Hikaru replied, somewhat sheepishly.

"Ho! Ho! We're already so full of ourselves here?" Waya grinned and enthusiastically pulled on Hikaru's cheeks with his fingers.

"Really... you, Waya," Isumi said softly under his breath as he clapped a hand over his eyes, embarrassed for his friend. But, he knew that Waya was overjoyed that someone in their age group finally beat Akira in an official match.

"Ou...c...h...!" Hikaru exclaimed as he attempted to shove the ecstatic Waya away.

The people around the table laughed heartily. This was a good break from the intense atmosphere that filled the room just moments before.

Suddenly, Hikaru's world was filled with words of congratulations, handshakes, and a billion questions of how he was feeling at the moment.

Hikaru knew that this was no doubt one of the greatest highlight of his life.

--0--0--0--

Akira heard the laughter radiating from the table just as he was stepping out of the room.

Akira sighed inwardly. He could never make people laugh like that.

Why am I so glum? Akira thought. This is pitiful. It was bound to happen - losing to Shindou in an official match.

Akira slowed his steps and leaned his left shoulder heavily against the wall. "It's too soon," Akira mumbled to himself as he pounded his fist against the wall.

Half a moku!

Ku-so!

The sound of approaching footsteps from around the corner snapped Akira quickly back to attention. He would rather be dead than be caught moping over his loss to Shindou. He quickly straightened his suit and waited.

The footsteps belonged to the energetic Weekly Go reporter Kosemura. Akira firmly pushed his feelings to the back of his mind and put on his best smile as he graciously accepted Kosemura's post game interview.

--0--0--0--

Akira was not sure what he said to Kosemura, but the reporter seemed satisfied as they bid their farewell. That was good, because Akira's cheeks were starting to ache from the smile on his face. He wanted to get out of this place. Now!

"Akira-kun." A voice called out to Akira from behind him.

Despite the mild numbness that Akira felt after the match and the interview, Akira instantly recognized Ogata. Akira highly respected Ogata as a senior in his father's study group and as one of the current top pros. However, since the Honinbou round robin matches, the relationship between him and Ogata seemed to have changed. On the outside, Ogata seemed to be the same, but Akira, for whatever reason, felt an underlying tension whenever he spoke to Ogata. Although Akira implicitly trusted Ogata, it had nevertheless been a strain for him to pretend that he did not notice anything.

Akira was not in the condition to talk to anyone right now, least of all, Ogata. Akira quickly thought of an excuse and pasted a smile on as turned around to greet Ogata.

"Good afternoon. Ogata-san. I'll be happy to discuss the match, but I have an obligation that I must attend to ...," Akira said with an apologetic smile.

Ogata did not seem to notice Akira's stiff demeanor. If he did, he kept that thought to himself.

"This will only take a moment," Ogata said shortly as he reached into the inner pocket of his white suit jacket to pull out an envelope to give to Akira.

Akira wordlessly accepted the envelope with a puzzled look.

Ogata adjusted his glasses with a slight smile and crossed his arms across his chest.

"That's the schedule for the Kawasaki preliminary. It hasn't been publicly posted yet, but I thought that you might want to see it first." Ogata said with a light shrug. Ogata's demeanor indicated that he was waiting for Akira to look at the schedule.

Akira wondered vaguely about Ogata's behavior, but obediently opened the letter.

As Akira was looking over the schedule, Ogata said quietly, "Despite speculations, the Kawasaki sponsors were planning to issue only one invitation. Apparently, they felt Shindou-kun was the better candidate. Judging from today's game, maybe ... ."

Akira froze. Those quiet words felt like a kick to his stomach.

Ogata adjusted his glasses as he perceptively took in the apparently stunned Akira. Ogata patted Akira lightly on the shoulder and proceeded down the corridor with a little wave.

Ogata took only two steps before he heard the distinct sound of paper being crumpled.

Ogata smiled coolly. There was a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.

A cigarette and a glass of wine would be perfect just about now, Ogata thought with a barely suppressed chuckle as he recalled the expression on Akira's face.

That was absolutely ... priceless.

--------

A/N: Finally, the conclusion to the Young Lion's tournament. It has been a long time coming. Contrary to what some of you may think, I'm really a big Akira fan. I have no idea whether anyone has written about who wins here, but this is my take on it. It's sad that Akira had to lose, but I suspect, for various reasons, that is the likely outcome had Hotta-sensei continued her work. Thanks for reading and thanks to the nice people who reviewed.. Until next time.