Chapter 38
"Miss Nakamura, there's a phone call for you."
Azula blinked at the interruption by one of Kori's servants. Even though she was letting Katara take charge of their prep sessions as agreed, Azula had become just as invested in coming up with strategies for Yue ahead of her crucial match against Zhao. They had been at it for a couple of hours straight, and several workable ideas were by now taking shape. Azula was feeling greatly encouraged and full of unshakable belief in Yue ahead of this contest, and Yue's steady and confident mindset was helping to ground them all. The mood surrounding their little group was calmer than Azula could have ever hoped for with so much on the line.
Leaving her Water Tribe wives behind as she headed downstairs to answer the phone call, Azula felt her levels of nervousness rising almost instantly. Perhaps it was Zuko, or one of their friends, or even Ursa or Kiyi calling from Ba Sing Se, but Azula had a gnawing suspicion that it was going to be a less pleasant call with nothing but bad and concerning news.
"Yes, what is it?" Azula asked sharply, having picked up the handset.
"Miss Nakamura," Azula immediately recognized the voice of Lee, the detective from Wan Shi Tong's agency. "I called as quickly as I could. There has been contact with Mongke."
"Zhao?" Azula asked. She managed to keep her voice completely steady, but inside, she was shaking mightily.
"Presumably," Lee replied. "We didn't manage to tap the phones, as you suggested. It would have been too risky. But we did tap the rooms, so we at least have one side of the conversation that took place. Mongke's replies suggested that he was speaking with Zhao Sakamoto, just as you suspected."
"Was there anything else you managed to glean from his replies?" Azula asked hastily. "Tell me everything."
"I believe that Mongke at one point repeated the name of Yue Taqqiq," Lee explained. "I would assume that she is the designated target."
"Obviously," Azula growled. "Anything else, such as where, when and how they're planning to carry out the attack?"
"I think the plan is to carry out the attack tomorrow," Lee replied.
"I see," Azula said, thinking frantically. Of course, now that she was aware of Zhao's plans, protecting Yue shouldn't be too difficult. They had a day off from the competition ahead of them, and so they could easily remain secluded in the sanctity of Kori's estate, where Yue would be completely safe. Still, there was the possibility that an attack might be attempted while they were on their way to the museum, or once they were there. And just the very threat of a possible attack hanging in the air was so stressful that Azula knew she had to do everything within her power to avert it.
"What would you like us to do now, Miss Nakamura?" Lee asked a moment later.
"Nothing for now," Azula replied. She was starting to feel more and more certain of what she needed to do. "Are they in right now? At the address that you gave me?"
"Yes, I can see Mongke in his hotel room," Lee said.
"Very well," Azula said. "Just sit tight and don't do anything at all until I get in touch with you." It seemed like Lee wanted to say something, but Azula had already hung up on him. She wasted no time in running back to their rooms on the second floor, pulling out one of her heavy suitcases and starting to rummage through some of the things she hadn't unpacked. It didn't take her long to dig out a thick brown envelope. She quickly checked its contents, relaxing slightly when she realized that the obscene amount of money was still in there.
Having slipped the envelope into her purse, Azula once again stepped out of the room. She stopped on the threshold of the small and comfy studio the three of them had been using to prep for games, smiling as she observed Katara and Yue completely immersed in picking apart another opening line. For a moment, Azula considered leaving without telling her wives anything and hoping that she'd be back before Katara and Yue had noticed her absence. But Azula also knew that her sudden disappearance could create unnecessary stress for Katara and Yue, and she didn't want to be the cause of that.
"Hey, I need to slip out for a while," Azula spoke up. "I shouldn't be gone for more than an hour, okay?"
"Okay, sure," Katara replied in a distracted voice that made it clear that Azula's words hadn't fully registered with her. "I was thinking that you could use the Chrysanthemum to create some nasty threats if you moved it over here, but I also don't like the gap that it creates."
"True," Yue nodded along thoughtfully. "But maybe I could plug it with Rose, like this. That Rose tile isn't doing much back there, anyway. I know it's a loss of tempo, but still."
"Hmm… I don't know," Katara mused, looking uncertain. "I mean, fundamentally it works, but it just feels like the whole attack now grinds to a halt. You know what I mean, right?"
Azula smiled softly as she turned to walk away. She had the dorkiest and most amazing wives in the universe, which meant that there was no amount of money she wasn't willing to spend in order to keep them safe. Concerns for her personal safety faded from Azula's mind as she got out of a taxi in front of Mongke's hotel twenty minutes later. Her thoughts were completely and singularly consumed by the burning need to do whatever it took to neutralize the threat to Yue and Katara.
That need was still burning bright and overshadowing any fear Azula might have felt when she stood outside Mongke's hotel room and gave the doors a firm and insistent knock. "Yeah, what is it? I didn't request anything-" angry voice came from inside before the doors swung open and the man occupying the room froze at the sight of her. "Well now… isn't this a surprise," Mongke spoke up, clearly taken aback. "If there was someone I didn't expect to see on the other side of the doors, it would be you, Miss Azula."
"Can we speak, Mr. Mongke?" Azula asked, pleased that she managed to keep her voice firm and steady. It had been almost fifteen years since she had last seen the chief of her father's most trusted security detail. She had last met Mongke during that winter vacation on Ember Island, when she had tricked Zhao into pawing at her, causing Ozai to fly into rage and beat Zhao within an inch of his life. Mongke and his men had been the ones to drag the bloodied Zhao outside and kick him off the property. Despite Mongke now carrying out Zhao's orders, Azula doubted that Mongke had any true respect for Zhao Sakamoto.
"You want to speak with me?" Mongke sounded surprised, but also just a tiny bit nervous. "Very well, I don't see why not," he eventually said, stepping aside to let her into his dingy hotel room.
"I'll state my intentions straight away, so that there are no misunderstandings," Azula said. She was flattered that Mongke seemed unnerved by her unexpected appearance, but she didn't actually want him nervous. Mongke was a dangerous thug who didn't need to be armed to rip her apart. Azula definitely didn't want to set him off. "I've heard that you and your group are available to provide certain services, and I wish to inquire about hiring you for a job."
One look at Mongke's face told Azula that this was not what he had expected to hear. "I guess you know what sort of services we provide, then?" Mongke replied, having recomposed himself. Azula thought it was reassuring that he wasn't trying to deny being involved in shady and downright criminal dealings.
"I think I have a pretty good idea, yes," Azula smiled thinly. "I also have a reason to believe that you have recently accepted a job and I would like to be given the opportunity to convince you to turn it down."
"And just how do you intend to do that, Miss Azula?" Mongke asked curiously.
"By throwing a stupid amount of money at you, obviously," Azula shrugged. There was no reason to beat around the bush with Mongke. He was a brutish thug who appreciated direct language. "How much is he paying you?"
"Thirty grand," Mongke admitted. Whether he was telling the truth or not, Azula couldn't tell. She didn't exactly have the insider knowledge of the rates for carrying out a hit. It seemed like the kind of money that people like Mongke would be willing to hurt innocents for, though.
"I'll double that amount for you to not take on this job," Azula said, noticing that Mongke's eyes lit up greedily at the offer.
"Interesting," Mongke replied, trying to pretend as if he wasn't sorely tempted to accept the offer. "I don't know if it's worth the blow to my reputation, though. After all, in my line of work, reputation is everything. If word got out that I'm ready and willing to turn on my employer, nobody would want to hire the Rough Rhinos."
"I think you're exaggerating, Mr. Mongke. I think you would survive this blow to your reputation just fine," Azula snorted. "I suspect that the mere fact of working for someone like Zhao Sakamoto is just as damaging to your reputation. You can't enjoy that, Mr. Mongke. I know you have always held Zhao in contempt." Mongke scowled at that comment, but said nothing. "However, you have always liked me," Azula added with a sly wink.
"Hah! You're not wrong there, Miss Azula," Mongke burst into hearty laughter. "If you have the sixty grand then I'll take them. And I suppose you'll want the Rough Rhinos to then disappear discreetly?"
"Actually, no," Azula shook her head. "As I said before, I want to hire you for a job."
"Oh?" Mongke once again appeared surprised. "I thought that by job you meant… us not taking Zhao's job. What did you have in mind?"
"I want to place a hit on somebody," Azula stated confidently.
"Really," Mongke smirked. "I expected that from your father, not from you. Are you sure you're not a chip off the old block, after all?"
"Do you make it a point to anger your perspective customers, Mr. Mongke?" Azula hissed. "You should know that I find this implication incredibly offensive."
"My apologies, Miss Azula, I meant nothing by it," Mongke uttered. "Anyway, who do you wish taken care of?"
"I thought that would be painfully obvious," Azula rolled her eyes. "Zhao Sakamoto, of course."
Mongke burst into more booming laughter. "I'm sorry," he managed, trying to stop laughing. "That's just… very funny to me."
"I know," Azula nodded. "I'm glad we're having fun."
"Anyway," Mongke finally managed to gather himself. "What would you like to happen to Mr. Sakamoto? Also, I have this informative brochure to help you decide."
Azula incredulously accepted the brochure Mongke handed over to her. Looking at the printed leaflet adorned with metallic foil, Azula could scarcely believe that Mongke actually had promotional material for his business, including all the services the Rough Rhinos provided, everything starting with a light beating and ending with bloody murder, along with their rates. "Oh, goodness," Azula exclaimed as she browsed the brochure. "I feel like… hmm, what was that saying? Like a child in a candy store. There are so many wonderful options to choose from!"
"A satisfied customer is a returning customer," Mongke smiled broadly, showing off a row of badly yellowed teeth.
"I'm having real trouble deciding," Azula admitted. "Hmm, just a thought. What did Zhao ask you to do to Yue?"
"He paid us to break her arm and her leg before their game," Mongke replied.
"Asshole," Azula growled, looking at the rates for this particular service. Broken limbs started with three grand for a finger, ten grand for an arm, twenty grand for a leg and fifty for a shattered spine. "Well, I think it would be very fitting for him to suffer a similar fate, only worse. I do want him to be able to play Pai Sho, so let's leave the right hand unbroken. But do break his left hand and both of his legs, will you?"
"With pleasure, Miss Azula," Mongke nodded. "I'll throw in a gratis kick in the groin. Will that be all?"
"Well, I am hugely tempted by the shattered spine option," Azula mused thoughtfully, but then shaking her head. "But no, this will have to be enough. That amounts to one hundred ten grand, am I right?"
Mongke did some mental calculations, struggling to keep up, but eventually nodding at her. Azula walked over to a nearby coffee table and opened her purse. She made sure not to remove the envelope from her bag, because she didn't want Mongke to know that she was a reckless idiot wandering around with two hundred fifty grand in cash. She quickly removed the agreed upon sum of money from her purse and placed it on the coffee table, stepping away and letting Mongke walk over and count it.
"You are a delight to do business with, Miss Azula," Mongke grinned, looking very happy, and for a good reason. She had more than tripled his payout and also given him the opportunity to cripple someone he personally disliked. Of course, Mongke was very happy with her right now. "Do you wish us to take care of it now?" Mongke asked.
"Good question," Azula replied thoughtfully. On one hand, it made strategic sense to cripple Zhao before his game with Yue and literally eliminate him as a threat. But Yue and Katara would probably be upset that Azula had intervened in the events in such a dramatic way. Also, Katara was putting in such an enormous effort to prepare Yue for this crucial encounter and Yue felt so confident about being able to defeat Zhao. Azula had complete and unshakable belief in Yue's ability, which was why she decided that it would be way more satisfying to let Yue destroy Zhao while he was still at his best. "I want you to carry it out after his game with Yue," Azula said. "By that point, he will be livid with you, and he will demand explanations and his money back. It should be easy for you to arrange a discreet meeting with him."
"That is an excellent plan, Miss Azula," Mongke nodded. "Your request will be carried out, and let me just say that it was a pleasure doing business with you."
"Likewise, Mr. Mongke," Azula said, heading for the doors. "And please, don't let me down, Mr. Mongke, especially not after I saved you from committing a terrible mistake. If anything should have happened to Yue, I would have used my vast means to hire all of your rival gangs in Caldera City. Hunting the Rough Rhinos into extinction would have become the new favorite blood-sport in the streets of the capital. See, this is why I am nothing like my father, Mr. Mongke. He would not have forgiven you for working with someone like Zhao Sakamoto."
Mongke stood frozen for a moment before swallowing heavily. "Your point is well made, Miss Azula. The Rough Rhinos will make sure not to disappoint you."
"I'm counting on it, and I'm looking forward to seeing the results of your encounter with Mr. Sakamoto," Azula smiled as she turned to leave the room.
Yue had felt unusually confident and capable of handling any nervousness all throughout their preparations to face Zhao in the crucial contest of the nineteenth round. She was pleasantly surprised that the reassuring feelings of confidence were still there in the morning before her biggest test yet. It helped that both Azula and Katara also appeared unshakable in their belief that Yue would be able to overcome Zhao. For some reason, Azula appeared particularly bullish, stating that Zhao was about to get crushed. Yue loved the faith that Azula and Katara had in her, but she was also mindful not to become overconfident.
The Yu Dao Museum of Modern Arts was abuzz with activity upon their arrival, far more so than during the previous rounds. The interest in the tournament had been gradually building throughout the lengthy event, but with three players sharing the tournament lead with two rounds left to play, the potential drama attracted public interest like a jar of honey attracted bears. Yue had heard that the black-market prices for tickets for the two final rounds were reaching astronomical sums. Also, security at the museum had been increased, and Yue had needed some extra help from security guards to hold the reporters at bay and allow her to enter the museum.
Yue arrived at the hall with a few minutes to spare, stopping to exchange a few words with Aang and Zuko. The pair were talking and laughing, looking relaxed ahead of their game, the outcome of which had already been decided. After this defeat, Aang would have settled his debts with Zuko and Toph in full, and he had already made a solemn promise that this was the last time he'd ever enter agreements similar to this. Yue was curious to see what Aang would do in the next championship cycle, because after not allowing himself to play to his full potential, Yue could sense that their Air Nation friend was very hungry to prove himself. Perhaps in two years' time, Yue would see Aang taking his second world title, and as long as he took over from her, Yue would be more than happy to see it happen.
Toph was standing by herself at the refreshment table, pouring herself a cup of coffee and snacking on the delicious blueberry mini muffins. As far as Yue was convinced, Toph was failing to hide that she was tense and nervous ahead of her game against Piandao, and there was a good reason for her nervousness. Toph had never been this close to winning the world title. In all the previous finals she had been carrying water for either Aang or Zuko. It made Yue feel a little more sympathetic towards Toph, but nowhere near enough to dent her resolve to win the title for herself. Toph would just have to be content with having decisively proven that she belonged to the very elite of the Pai Sho world.
Piandao Mori looked to be in a relaxed mood as he stood at the barrier that separated the spectators from the playing area. Piandao was busy discussing some last-minute strategic considerations with his old friend and sparring partner Jeong-Jeong Kaneko ahead of his match with Toph. Zhao Sakamoto was the last to arrive in the hall, and his reaction upon entering and laying his eyes upon her surprised Yue. For some reason, Zhao looked very surprised to see her, almost stunned, before his expression had shifted to one of intense anger, and more disturbingly, even hatred. Zhao still looked to be boiling with rage when they sat down to play, but Yue quickly subdued her curiosity about Zhao's reaction. If Zhao was unsettled and brimming with anger and hatred, then this was the perfect opportunity to seize and defeat him.
Zhao immediately went on an aggressive assault on Yue's position. Under normal circumstances, Yue would have probably chosen to play defensively, weather the storm and then think about launching her own counter offense. However, with her confidence soaring, Yue did not feel like playing passively just because Zhao was desperate to dominate. Yue met Zhao's attack blow for blow, answering a punch with an immediate counterpunch. Because Zhao was playing mad with anger, reason for which still escaped Yue, his game was riddled with small imprecisions. Zhao still hadn't committed any serious mistakes, but his punches gradually began to grow weaker, while Yue's blows gained some serious momentum and soon began to push Zhao's stalling offense back.
Zhao tried desperately to keep the tide of his attacks going for as long as he could, but he was rapidly running out of steam, and out of tiles to throw into the meatgrinder. Yue could see that as soon as she managed to break through, Zhao's position would collapse like a house of cards, and she wanted to achieve her breakthrough before the time limit of forty moves. She didn't want Zhao to get another hour to perhaps figure out a way how to save his sorry skin.
In the end, Zhao failed to reach the time limit. On the thirty seventh move, Yue's Orchid managed to crucially undermine Zhao's left flank and it caved in, leading to a rout. Yue's invasion of Zhao's position was swift and ruthless. When the tournament official walked up to their table to reset their clocks, Zhao decided not to continue the game, realizing the futility of his situation. Having barked his resignation at the official, Zhao rose and quickly walked off, seething in anger and not bothering to shake Yue's hand. Having booed Zhao for his unsportsmanlike conduct, the crowd then gave Yue some generous cheering and applause when she rose to accept the accolades.
With the game between Toph and Piandao still deadlocked, Yue decided to linger around and watch. The outcome of that game had massive implications for her, and she was deeply invested in watching the match progress. Piandao actually seemed to be holding a very slight advantage late in the middle game, and Yue decided to step aside and do some mental calculations of all the possibilities depending on the outcome of Toph's contest with Piandao. The game against Zhao had been mentally exhausting, however, so try as Yue might while looking at the tournament standings, she wasn't having much luck making sense of all the potential outcomes. Fortunately, by now Azula and Katara had made their way down from the stands, and Yue quickly went over to the barrier to accept hugs from her wives, a simple act of affection that as always drew great cheers from the crowd of spectators.
"Do I have it in the bag if Toph loses her game?" was Yue's first question.
"I'm afraid not," Azula replied, having already done all the calculations, as always. "If Toph loses, she can still take the title if she wins against you. And Zuko and Zhao can both sneak in through the back door as well."
"Oh well," Yue sighed, feeling mildly disappointed. Winning the title ahead of the final round would have given her the opportunity to relax and start celebrating, but obviously, it wasn't going to be that easy. This finish was always going to be wild and dramatic. "So, what happens if Toph manages to draw the game? Or even win?"
"That would eliminate both Zuko and Zhao from contention for the title," Azula said. Yue and Katara both looked at her questioningly. "Look, just trust me on this, okay? Because you and Toph are playing each other, regardless of the outcome of your game, in the end one of you will always have more points than Zuko or Zhao. Seriously, it's not that complicated," Azula sighed.
"Alright, I suppose we'll trust you on this, love," Katara smiled. "And I guess if Toph manages a draw, then Yue won't even have to win the final game. A draw will be enough." Yue nodded along with that. She liked her chances. Toph wasn't a particularly accomplished attacker. Getting a draw against her did not seem like too much to ask for. "What if Toph does the impossible and wins against Piandao, though?" Katara asked.
"Then Yue will need to win," Azula shrugged. "It's perfectly possible, nothing to be concerned about. If you play the kind of Pai Sho like you played today against Zhao, Toph will be in big trouble, trust me."
"Thank you," Yue smiled at her Fire Nation wife. She hadn't beaten Toph in this tournament yet, but Azula's words made the task feel not just possible, but inevitable.
"Well, it looks like you won't have to play for a win," Katara said, nodding towards the stage. Toph and Piandao were shaking hands, having agreed on a peaceful outcome of their back-and-forth battle. Toph was in a far less advantageous position at the time of calling the truce, so it felt like Piandao was letting her off a little easy. At the same time, Piandao had already kissed his title goodbye and he had nothing to play for. Considering his lacking motivation, Piandao had played better than anyone had any right to expect, and he'd taken some important points away from a frustrated Toph. Because of Piandao, Yue knew that the world title would be hers as long as she didn't lose to Toph in the final contest, and looking forward to the twentieth round, Yue found herself fancying her chances.
The morning of the great showdown for the title of Pai Sho world champion finally arrived. Yue was finally experiencing some serious nervousness, and she hadn't been able to even look at her breakfast, having only a little bit of yoghurt and a small cup of coffee. It wasn't the kind of anxiety that made Yue feel like she was falling apart, though. It felt more like healthy nervousness that anyone under such a weight of responsibility should feel. Also, Katara had wisely pointed out that because Toph had to push for a win, she was probably feeling even more nervous, and that had helped to set Yue's nerves further at ease.
Aware that the crowds swarming the museum would be larger than before, Yue and her wives made sure to arrive at their destination with plenty of time to spare. Still, Yue decided to stay with Azula and Katara until almost the final minute before play began. As always, she was drawing so much strength from the two loves of her life, and she also didn't want to subject herself to any mind games that Toph might attempt. Yue could tell that Katara and Azula were also slightly nervous, but they hid it well, and their expressed confidence in Yue's ability to secure the title was completely genuine and made Yue feeling like she could topple mountains, not just prevent Toph from winning their game.
Eventually, Yue made her way towards the stage. On her way there, she unexpectedly bumped into Toph. Yue smiled inwardly at how Toph had most likely had the same concerns about potential mind games and she had also decided to arrive late. "I would wish you luck, but we both know that would be a lie," Yue spoke as they walked side by side, having exchanged polite nods. "So, instead I'm going to say only this. Regardless of how it ends, I will still want to be your friend, Toph. Always."
"Thanks, and right back at you," Toph managed stiffly, like she was trying to rein in her emotions. Yue hadn't actually intended to play some kind of mind games, but Toph's reaction suggested that she had actually managed to slightly unbalance her friend.
Walking onto the stage, Yue saw that the others had already taken their places. Aang was facing off against Piandao and Zuko… Zuko was up against Zhao Sakamoto, sitting in a wheelchair with his both legs and left arm in heavy casts. "By the light of the moon, what happened to Zhao?" Yue asked, aghast.
"Probably a bad fall," Toph shrugged indifferently as they finally sat down to play. "Can't say I really care about Zhao right now."
"Of course, me neither," Yue replied hastily. In truth, however, the unexpected sight of Zhao with such terrible injuries was rather unsettling and Yue couldn't immediately shake it off even if she tried. As her game with Toph began, her mind kept running around in circles, speculating as to what might have happened to Zhao and finding it very hard to focus on the game.
Yue was saved by the fact that Toph was not a very prolific offensive player. Needing to win was an uncomfortable situation for her to be in and she was never going to launch some kind of a blistering and decisive strike on Yue's position. Whenever Toph went on the attack, she usually built up her forces slowly and deliberately, and this game was no exception. It allowed Yue to eventually conquer her curiosity about Zhao and refocus completely on her game against Toph.
Around the twentieth move, things appeared to be hanging in the balance. Toph wasn't ready to push her attack yet, and Yue wasn't about to risk going on offence either. She was prepared to wait until Toph gave her an opening.
Some fifteen moves later, Toph finally began to push her offensive effort. Defending against Toph's attacks could sometimes become very annoying, because her offense was so ponderous, like a slow and rolling wave that threatened to consume everything in its path. Yue kept her counterplay simple. She forced Toph into as many tile exchanges as she could in order to exhaust her attacking forces, while waiting for Toph to blink and commit an error. Frustratingly, the error was not coming, although Yue did manage to reduce the number of tiles on the board and Toph's attack eventually slowed down.
Toph was forced to pull her remaining tiles back and regroup. As she did so, Yue kept poking and probing Toph's position, but no gaps were appearing. By the sixty-fifth move, Toph had regrouped and she began pushing another wave of attack. Things were getting dangerous for Yue now, because as they entered the fourth hour of play, she was starting to experience a shortage of time. By now, all the other games had ended, with Aang surrendering quickly to Piandao and Zuko overcoming Zhao even faster, which was not a big surprise because Zhao looked to be in very serious pain. Zhao had then been helped off the stage by some of the orderlies from what Yue assumed was the local hospital.
Still, none of that mattered now, with Toph really starting to push more and more, trying her hardest to strangulate Yue's remaining tiles. Toph was a force to reckon with when she was playing with such single-minded purpose driving her forward, and on several occasions, Yue felt like she was balancing on the edge of a bottomless pit. Still, even when starved for time, Yue always managed to find the only move that kept her in the fight. By the time they reached the eightieth move and had another hour added to their timing clocks, Yue had somehow managed to cling on. She was down a flower tile, but she had also managed to largely exhaust Toph's second wave of attack, and a draw still seemed the likeliest outcome.
It was clear that Toph was having none of that. She seemed determined to play on until they ran out of tiles, and Yue completely understood her old friend. The opportunity to win a world title was often unique and not something to throw away easily. That was why Toph spent almost twenty more moves to consolidate what little forces they had remaining on the board and began to push the third wave of her attack. Yue had used her time to prepare well, setting up all sorts of traps to lure Toph into. However, as they were moving into the sixth hour of play, Yue was starting to suffer the consequences of skipping breakfast and drinking way too much coffee during the game. She was developing a mother of stomach aches that was giving her cramps and she was struggling desperately hard not to let the pain and exhaustion being reflected in her face.
Perhaps fittingly, this was becoming the longest played game of Yue's career, and she was suffering, but then in all likelihood, so was Toph. Yue could see that Toph was forcing herself forward with sheer force of will, and that allowed Yue to dip into never before tapped reserves of strength, letting her cling on. Toph's last ditch attack was desperate and not very precise. She sidestepped some of Yue's traps, but not all of them, and more and more tiles kept getting exchanged and taken off the board, until Toph only had four flower tiles left, the absolute minimum with which to form the Harmony Ring. And then, a few moves later, Yue managed to lure Toph into yet another trap, cornering her White Jade tile and trading it for her Chrysanthemum. On one hundred sixteenth move, Toph was down to three flower tiles and the draw became unavoidable, and still Toph looked ready to play on and somehow defy the impossible, despite the audience already rising to their feet and starting to applaud.
Finally, one of the tournament officials came over and stopped the timing clocks, signaling that the contest was over. Toph gave the official a look full of rage and for a moment, Yue worried that Toph might end up flipping the Pai Sho board. Instead, Toph slumped forward and buried her face in her hands, starting to cry. Immediately, Yue forgot all about celebrating her own well-deserved triumph. She rose and walked over to Toph, placing an arm around her shoulder and whispering words of comfort into her friend's ear. Despite some of Toph's dubious behavior during the tournament, she had put in a monumental effort and she had come very close to winning the title. As far as Yue was convinced, Toph had earned both her respect and her sympathies.
Still, Yue couldn't hold off ignoring the cheering crowd for too long. When she rose and faced the spectators, giving her a standing ovation, Yue couldn't stop herself from rising her arms in triumph as for the first time, her achievement truly began to sink in. She had really done it. She was the Pai Sho world champion, just like her beloved wives, and she could not wait for the celebrations to truly begin.
