Namie was in a semi-crouch, the sword already gone. She got up, undid her hair and smirked.
"Look again, Ryuugamine. Your rose's knocked out too."
Mikado was ready to call on her bluff. And then he saw that she was right.
"It can't be. You tricked me!"
"Yes, yes I did. Tell him how the rules go, Orihara. I bothered asking a few questions and Orihara here was willing to answer me."
Izaya stepped forward, regal red dress sweeping the floor.
"In case of a tie both duelists lose their right to the Rose Bride and a new duel is set with other duelists."
Mikado's gaze could kill.
"You set up this entire scenario, didn't you?"
"Of course. Someone has to teach you a lesson. If you can pull strings on people then someone can pull strings on you just as well. I'm sick and tired of having you hiding in the shadows and gloating over everyone's failures. You were right up to a certain point. As you said, I could win over Shizuo, he might not go all out against me because I am a girl. And then you arranged a fixed duel. That was your shortcut to get the Rose Bride. You would never drop your clever cover unless you were absolutely sure that you could win. That is why you never even assumed yourself as a duelist until now. Your mistake is very simple: you failed to realize that I don't dance to your tune. I can get rid of Orihara now, the connections I had to establish with the chairman are already locked in. Do you understand, Ryuugamine? Your plan worked to my advance and foiled your objectives completely."
Namie smirked widely. Mikado felt the ground below him sink.
"Izaya!"
Shizuo did not even pant even though he had just raced up the massive staircase.
"Just in time. As I was explaining, possession of the Rose Bride now falls unto whoever wins the next duel, the current duelists being dismissed. I presume that you want to duel for Orihara?"
Shizuo took a step forward. He experienced a moment of tunnel vision. The castle, Mikado's blank fury, Namie's explanations, all disappeared and all he saw was Orihara Izaya.
"I'm not fighting for any Rose Bride. I'm fighting for myself and for Izaya."
"For yourself?"
"For myself. Call it selfish if you will but I had fun being with Izaya. And I'm not the kind of man to just let what I like be taken from me. And Izaya, you don't speak up for yourself and just go along with whatever because of this weird system. I won't accept this engagement idiocy, I will set you free. If afterwards you want to crawl back into this puppet master game then fine, that's your call. But I will not accept it until it is your call. That is my resolution."
Namie's smile warmed.
"Make that your revolution of the world, then. Here, I got you a spare sword."
"You knew I'd come here…?"
"I thought it highly likely. And as a scientist I work with probabilities first and foremost."
"Oh, what is this? A party? I'm so in!"
"Masaomi…?"
Mikado forced himself raise from his prostration. Kida gave him a thumbs up and showed him a black rose crest ring.
"Pretty neat, isn't it?"
Shizuo took a stance and held his sword firmly.
"I don't want to hurt you or anything but if you're here to get Izaya I will fight you."
Kida chuckled and tested a sword with a wide sweep.
"Sure thing. Bring it on."
Mikado gesticulated at this point and appealed to Izaya.
"Rose Bride, Masaomi isn't a duelist. He cannot take part in this."
"He is recognized by End of the World as qualified. The ring is the evidence."
"And that's that!"
Mikado spun around as if one does upon waking up to a nightmare that is in fact reality.
"Masaomi, why are you doing this?"
Kida's ever present smile cooled and disappeared.
"I could ask you the same thing. Say, Mikado…I also have things that I want to achieve. I bet you never thought of that. Whoever gains that smoking hot girl there gets to change the world."
"But-"
"I must ask all non-dueling people to please leave the arena."
Izaya did not add a correction as to the status of his gender. Kida waved merrily. Namie had to drag Mikado away. Shizuo took a deep breath to steady himself and prepared. He suspected that this Kida was faster and could probably change direction mid-dash more easily. Shizuo had learnt this from Namie's duel.