Aishuu Offers:
Prince of the Layer
~ An Angelic Layer Prelude Fanfiction ~
mbsilvana@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: CLAMP is Queen. ^_~ I just want to play,
really.
Part of the "Obscurely CLAMP" challenge!
Dedication: For Lyra, who loves Oujirou just as much
as I do.... And unfortunately claimed dibs, darn it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 2: Mentor				
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Applying for the Angelic Layer card was chancy
business, especially since he didn't want his brother
to know that he was getting into the competitive
aspect of the Layer. So he simply did what his brother
would have in his place: he threatened Ogata. It was
amazingly easy to do, and Oujirou was amazed to
discover the wicked streak he had buried underneath
his customary shyness.

Two weeks after a carefully applied threat, his card
arrived, along with a note from Ogata that yes, he
WOULD try to keep Mihara-kachou out of loop, but if
Oujirou slipped up, it wasn't his fault, so would he
PLEASE destroy those negatives?

Oujirou laughed so hard from that note that he had
tears in his eyes. He stored it in his desk drawer,
deciding the note was precious in its own right.  He
had six weeks until the Kobe tournament, and he used
it to practice with Wizard, perfecting the basic Layer
moves and working on designing some moves that Shuuko
wouldn't know. He and Shuuko had played together for
so long that their styles had meshed, and it was time
to start finding his own. His first match against
Tigra had been lucky, since he really hadn't had to
use any of his own attacks aside from the Trance
Breaker, but if he tried to use more, people would
inevitably compare him and Wizard to Shuu and Athena.

He didn't want that. He wanted to surpass her.

The next time he went to Tokyo, he was in a thoughtful
mood.  He watched Shuuko practice with Athena, amazed,
as always, by the connection between woman and angel.
He wanted to have that with Wizard. He wanted Wizard
to be his other self.

 Athena danced as Shuuko listened to the music, and
Oujirou watched. They had offered him a prototype, but
he had declined, saying that he didn't think his
concentration was up to it.  Shuuko had raised her
eyebrows, but his brother had lamented the fact that
Oujirou was starting to get the "Angelic Layer is a
girl's game" syndrome that was so prevalent.  Oujirou
had held his hands up defensively, and promised to
play the next time he came. 

It would be weird to play with another angel but
Wizard. It had only been two weeks, but Wizard was
already starting to grow on him. He found himself
adjusting himself automatically, and as he watching
Athena move, he realized that her style was all wrong
for Wizard. Athena was pure speed, but Wizard's key
was his balance. Both of them were about beauty and
entrancing the opponent through their superiority, but
the philosophies on their creation were different.

Shuuko finally ended her practice session with a
satisfied sigh.  Yuuko hurried to bring her a drink,
which she gratefully accepted.  "Ou-chan?" she asked.

He looked over at her from where he was leaning
against the wall.  "Hmmm?"

She wheeled her chair forward, careful to avoid all
the wires that ran throughout the lab.  "Is something
bothering you?"

He blinked a bit.  "Not that I know of.  I've just
been really busy at school." A partial truth. He
wanted to keep his coming entrance into the
competitive Layer a secret, at least for a while. The
expression on his brother's face would be worth it,
and he couldn't bring himself to tell Shuuko, in case
his idea failed.


Shuuko lowered her eyes, and he saw a hint of
indecision there before resolve came across her face. 
"You know, it's okay if you have a life outside the
company. You're growing up, and we don't have a right
to keep you here. You're not an employee, and we..."
she trailed off.

Oujirou laughed a bit as he saw her hesitance.  He
knew that she enjoyed his company, for she saw few
people. Offering to let him go was a great sacrifice,
and he appreciated her concern for him. 
"Shuuko-san... I love coming here. I really wish I
lived closer, though, because the commute is tiring
but I wouldn't stop coming if my life depended on
it.." Her relieved expression filled him with warmth,
and he had to push down his childhood crush firmly. 
"I'm just working on a project that takes a lot of my
time, and I really don't have the concentration to do
well on the Layer against you... and I would never
give you a substandard match."

Shuuko nodded.  "Are you sure?  Because I can talk to
Icchan and..."

He smiled reassuringly and took her hands, squeezing
the finely-boned fingers gently to offer comfort. "I'm
positive."

Her answering grin was beautiful.  "Okay! What's this
project that has you so busy? It's not like you to get
tired out by anything!"

He tapped her nose playfully.  "That's a secret. 
You'll find out in a couple of months."

She pouted out him, though her eyes were shining. "I
have to wait that long?"

"Course!  Though I might just decide to run away from
home and abandon everything...." he said, rolling his
eyes.

Shuuko patted his arm.  "Have the girls finally
noticed you, Ou-chan?"

Oujirou groaned, but refused to say anything.

His school life had been changed by his defeat of
Himeya. Oujirou had always been popular, but now he
found himself one of the most sought-after boys in
school, something that made him distinctly
uncomfortable. He preferred solitude, but he was
besieged by girls who brought him lunch, love notes in
his shoebox, guys who wanted help with homework and
endless questions from everyone on Angelic Layer.
Everything he did was watched closely, and people were
amazed that he was talented at sports, academics and
unfailingly polite.

Secretly, he was also annoyed. Oujirou hadn't changed
a thing about himself; he had merely made the mistake
of getting on stage. He wished for the previous
relatively anonymity he used to enjoy, but he found
that like Pandora's Box, once you opened the lid,
there was no way of getting everything back inside.

'I'd better get used to it,' he thought. 'I'm going to
make myself into an Angelic Layer idol role model, and
I know how much fan mail Shuuko gets...'

"Well, I always knew that it'd happen. You're too nice
not to get plenty of attention, and when you add those
eyes into it..."

He blushed. Shuuko was studying him intently, and he
wanted a hole to open up and swallow him. "Um..." 

Ichirou chose that moment to return.  "Why is Oujirou
blushing?" he asked Shuuko.

She gave him a sweet smile. "I have absolutely no
idea."

*


The Kansai qualifying match was more crowded than it
had been the previous year. He had chosen to enter the
Kobe tournament, and he was positive he'd win it. By
the time he'd finished, word about him would be out. 
He patted his duffle-bag gently, knowing that Wizard
was inside.

Many of the people there had their own friends
cheering for them, but he was alone. Some of his
classmates would show, as would some of the people who
watched Tigra's match, but he had no real close
friends who understood his motivations.  Still, he
walked to the entry table and smiled at the girl who
was there with confidence.  

"Mihara Oujirou," he said.  "I'm registered."

"Hello, Mihara-san," she said.  "Do you have your
Angelic Layer card?"

He handed it over, and she slid it through the
machine, which immediately brought up his player data
and Wizard's.  "You need to go through the doors to
the right, then door three corridors.  The player's
waiting lounge is marked quite clearly.  You're ranked
quite low, so I'm afraid you're going to be up against
one of the top angels..." she blinked.  "Though you
beat Tigra?"  

He gave her a serene smile.  "First official match. 
When am I up?"

"Second. You fight Stormrider." She shuddered.  

His eyes narrowed.  Stormrider had come in fourth in
the Kobe tournament last time.  "That's the way it is,
then.  Thank you," he said, bowing, before heading
off.

The stress level in the waiting room was almost
tangible.  He could feel the players' tension levels,
and he saw the entrant's eyes turn towards him. Most
of them were girls, but there were a scattering of
boys, some of which he recognized as coming from his
school.  'I did it,' he thought.  'This will work.'

He took a seat and popped open a laptop, pulling up
the data he had on Stormrider.  Stormrider was a heavy
model, probably stronger than Wizard, but definitely
less agile.  She had a special attack, though, called
Lightning Lash, which used some kind of static shock
to throw opponents from the ring.  Her hits dealt a
lot of damage, and throwing her out of the ring would
be near impossible.

'Still, she's not as good as Tigra... Tigra is
higher-ranked.'  He turned to it thoughtfully, trying
to figure out how Wizard would fare.  If Stormrider
got her hands on Wizard, he'd be in trouble.  So the
key was to stay out of range.  And if throwing her out
of the ring was impossible, then it would have to be
defeat through points.

"Attack and run," he murmured. 

"Hello, Mihara-san." 

He looked up and saw Himeya and Suzuki standing there.
 Both were wearing matching dresses and he blinked a
bit, wondering if he was seeing double.  "Um... hi."

"We wanted to wish you luck..." Himeya said. "You have
a hard opponent. I haven't actually faced her - she
may be better than I am."

He nodded. "Well, we'll see what happens on the Layer,
won't we?  But thanks for your wishes. Who's your
first opponent?"

Himeya's eyes flashed. "A rookie, Saitou Maiya. I have
no clue about her."


He typed in the name.  "She's a heavy weight. Your old
tactics should work against her, unless she's changed
her thinking drastically in the last week," He turned
the screen around so Himeya could see the specs.

"You're... helping me?" she whispered.

"Why not? I wouldn't mind another match, see if you've
learned anything now that you're going to take me
seriously." He sighed. "I have the feeling that it'll
take me two or three matches to be taken seriously."

Suzuki placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just remember,
on the Layer, all that matter is the fight."

He gave them a smile, then flinched as he heard his
name called.  "Um, Suzuki?  Can you keep my laptop? My
mother wasn't able to make it, and there's no one else
here I trust not to sabotage my data."

The blonde smiled prettily.  "Sure.  Can we browse?"

"Sure.  But all of Wizard's spec's are password
encoded and you'll never break that."

"Wouldn't want to."  The two girls gather around his
laptop and started to flip through different player
stats as Oujirou hurried to the door, where an
attendant was waiting.

"Mihara Oujirou," he said, bowing.

"Great. Can you grab Wizard and follow me?"

"He's here," he said holding up the angel in his hand.

"That's good.  You'd be amazed how many first-time
players forget their angels," the man said with
amusement.

"Jitters.  Makes us act a bit weird."

The man led him down the way to the arena, refreshing
him on rules.  Oujirou made the appropriate noises,
even though he knew it backwards and forwards. "I must
say it's a bit odd to have a guy of your age playing,
though," he added.

"Why I'm playing.  Break the stereotype."

The attendant grinned.  "Here we are.  Don't be
daunted by the crowd.  It'll seem fierce, and it's
going to be on Stormrider's side, but you're something
new and different.  If you give them a good show,
they'll love you for your second match.  Remember,
two-round elimination."

"The crowd doesn't matter.  It's only the Layer."

"Good attitude.  Now get going!" the man ordered,
pushing Oujirou a bit.

Oujirou walked through the arena, hearing the hushed
murmurs of the audience.  Stormrider's Deus hadn't
appeared yet, so he had their complete attention,
something he did not like.  Still, he forced himself
to remain serene and walk gracefully, heading to the
chair.  These chairs were a bit different than the
ones at the Piffle Princess; they would elevate the
play above the Layer, affording them a better view. 
He nodded to the announcer, a gaudy blond man in
purple, and got ready.

As the noise from the crowd rose, he assumed his
opponent had arrived.  He looked over at the other
chair, and noticed a pretty girl wearing red.  Her
hair was fiercely curly, and she was too thin.  He
nodded to her, and she blinked at him in surprised as
their seats rose.  "You're really handsome!" she said
in shock.


He felt a fierce blush creep up his cheeks.  "Thank
you," he said softly.  "You have lovely hair." Be
suave, be suave...

She grinned at him.  "How about I take you out to
dinner after I beat you?" she offered.  

"Um, I don't intend on losing," he said, evading the
offer. He looked over at the announcer, hoping to get
out of the situation.

"In the East Corner, Deus Mihara Oujirou, Angel
Wizard!" The MC said, waving a hand to him.

The light hits Oujirou, and he tried not to squint as
he held Wizard by his wait.  "Work your magic, Wizard.
 Angel, fall in!" he called, performing his entry
without the dramatics he found so overwhelming. His
very lack of melodrama was statement enough, he
thought as Wizard touched down.  Wizard stared across
the ring, waiting for Stormrider.

"In the West Corner, Deus Tachi Riira, Angel
Stormrider!"

The girl's eyes fell away from his face, and he
suddenly knew she had become serious. "Stormrider,
bring lightning and fury!" she called, and tossed her
angel. "Angel, fall in!" Her angel flew, and when it
enter, it did a somersault before coming down quickly,
poised for battle. Oujirou studied the angel.  The
female was as tall as Wizard, and built on curvaceous
lines, but covered entirely in a sheer gray gossamer
bodysuit. Over it was strategically placed red
swatches, covering what would be essential, were
Stormrider a real human female.  Her black hair fell
to her knees, but it was her red eyes which were
frightening, giving the impression of a barely
contained storm.

"Ten minute time limit... Angelic FIGHT!" the
announcer called.

The last time he had remained still, but giving
Stormrider the chance to get her hands on him would be
asking for trouble.  Wizard starting to circle the
other angel, looking for an opening.  She watched
carefully, and he knew that his first few strikes
would probably be mere tests.  Still.. time was
ticking.

He launched a kick at her side, which she sidestepped.
Stormrider made a grab for him, but he rolled aside,
knowing that wasn't going to work. He came to his
feet, and waited, knowing she would make a move for
him.

"Wizard attacks, but Stormrider dodges! Now they both
seem to - Wait!  Stormrider is gearing up for one of
her special attacks... is it?  She's starting off with
the Lightning Lash, this early! She must want to
finish him off quick!"

"Sorry," Riira called. "You're just too fast.  It's
best if I deal with speed types quickly," she told
him.

She had brains, he gave her credit, but he had
misidentified Wizard.  And it would cost her. Wizard
watched as Stormrider geared up for her lightning
lash, seeing the electricity build in her fingertips.
"Lightning Lash!" Riira exclaimed as Stormrider
unleashed a static blow.

Wizard anticipated it, using his powerful legs to jump
straight up, one that took him to near the top of the
Layer; a pure speed type wouldn't have been able to
manage the jump, but Wizard could.  Oujirou smiled as
the untamed blast reflected back at Stormrider.  The
reflection wasn't as powerful as the original attack,
but it still took over half of her hit points.

"And Wizard avoids the Lightning Lash through an
amazing jump! Stormrider is hit by her own blast!" the
announcer exclaimed. The audience started to call out,
but Oujirou blocked them out.

"It's never a good idea to use an attack that can
reflect back at you," he told her softly.


Riira just blinked.  "Well, this will just have to be
done the old-fashioned way, won't it?" She gave him a
cute smile. "And when I win, you're taking me out to
dinner."

"Um..." Was he doomed to be hit on every time he
played? First Suzuki, now Tachi Riira? He glanced at
the clock.  Six minutes.  He could draw this out, but
since Stormrider was a heavy angel, it wouldn't be
wise. She might manage, through some fluke, to knock
Wizard out of the Layer. "I think that won't happen."

He smiled at Wizard.  "I think it's time to end this,
don't you?"

Wizard looked at him. Stormrider lunged for him,
clearly trying to land a hit, but the slender angel
avoided it easily.  "Walk the Magic Circle, Wizard,"
he ordered, and he smiled as Wizard began to circle
Stormrider again.

"Didn't you try this before?" Riira asked.

He merely smiled at her. He intended on having Wizard
moving faster this time, and there was one spot where
Riira was blind, most likely. Most Deuses had a blind
spot, the spot right behind where there angel was
standing. If he timed it right, it would seem as
though Wizard came from nowhere; a simple optical
illusion, but his mother had said it...'When Oujirou
does something, Oujirou does it by thinking.'

He intended to outwit his opponent.  The Magic Circle
wouldn't work against Shuuko, but most players would
fall for it. Wizard had other tricks up his sleeve,
should it fail.

Stormrider watched carefully, but there was one
spot... 

THERE.

Wizard took the moment, and a strong kick to the jaw,
one of the spots where an angel was most vulnerable,
sent Stormrider tumbling back. She hadn't raised any
kind of defense, and to spectators, it would seem as
though he had simply appeared in front of her.  Even
the cameras would have a hard time catching it,
Oujirou thought in satisfaction.

The announcer stared in surprise for a moment as
Stormrider's points went below zero before turning to
Oujirou, who merely smiled. "Wizard wins!"

*

Oujirou sat in the waiting room, flipping through his
computer files. The stats he had gathered updated
automatically through a wireless web link with a
program he had designed; after every match, players'
abilities were automatically recalculated, and new
information was input. He glanced at the live feeds of
matches as well, watching the other Deuses battle.
This was thrilling, more thrilling than he had
believed. Pitting himself against the others wasn't
that challenging yet, because none of the Deuses had
been on his level, but analyzing, tactics... That had
been wonderful. He could see the flaws of the other
angels as clearly as he could see his own hands if he
held them in front of his face. .

The ranks were starting to thin, with the two-loss
elimination rule, and the players he would be facing
would be better soon. He looked up towards the screen
just in time to see an angel be thrown from the ring,
and winced, knowing that it was the second loss for
that angel. She was out of the running, and her Deus
had to be upset. 

"For someone to win, someone has to lose," he
murmured. It was a sad thought. 

He glanced at the schedule posted on the wall. Two
more matches before he came up for a fifth time. His
opponent's name was finally listed and... Oujirou
smiled slightly to himself. This would be interesting.
Last year's fifth-place finisher in the Kansai
tournament, and probably better than Tigra. 


Ginga Kaoru and Angel Yumemi, the Matriarch of Angelic
Layer.  Kaoru was seventy if she was a day, and
Oujirou knew his brother was thrilled that the retiree
had gotten into the game. Her data had been avidly
studied by all of the researchers. 

Oujirou was relieved for another reason. 

All the other Deuses seemed to think he was fair game
for dating, and a few of the propositions he'd
received had actually made him want to hide. Kaoru had
a sharp mind and a great personality, but he knew that
she wouldn't hit on him, at least. Well- he hoped not.


He was just about to go through Yumemi's data again
when he heard a soft sniffle beside him. Looking over,
he noticed a young Deus, no more than ten. Oujirou
wasn't that good with children, and seeing one cry
made him feel distinctly uncomfortable. The girl was
holding onto an angel, the one that had just been
thrown from the ring in the last match. He recoiled
inside, but knew he couldn't leave her like this. 

"Are you okay?" he asked. 

She wasn't so young that she wasn't entranced by his
looks; having a handsome boy pay attention to her
startled her out of her crying. She blushed a bit as
he gave her a concerned look. "I... I'm fine," she
said, trying to brush away her tears hurriedly. 

He studied her for a moment, trying to decide if that
would let him off, but the same conscience that had
led him to intervene when Himeya and Hiroshi had
started to fight. "Really? People who are fine don't
cry..." He set the laptop aside after shutting it with
a 'click.' 

The girl seemed torn about how to answer. "I shouldn't
cry... It's just a game," she murmured as she cradled
her doll. 

Oujirou considered her words. "Losing hurts..." he
murmured. "I hate to lose." 

"You lose?" the girl asked in amazement. "I watched
you fight... It's hard to believe you lose." she
admitted. 

"Everyone has someone who is better than they are. But
losing is what makes us stronger." Oujirou rose out of
the chair to walk over to the girl, looking at her.
"Your opponent was better than you were today, but
that doesn't mean you won't be better than she is, the
next time you meet." He helped her into a seat,
kneeling down in front of her so he could look her
directly in her eyes. 

"What?  How?" She wondered. 

"You remember this... and you let it make you strong.
Take this memory into the next fight, and it will
guide you and your angel," he told her. His brother
had told him the same thing, the first time he and
Shuuko had fought seriously, and he had lost. Losing
to Shuuko repeatedly was enough to make him want to
scream sometimes. He had never defeated her, no matter
what he tried. Still, he kept getting closer, and he
knew that he was the only one who came close to giving
Athena a challenge.
 
With Wizard at his side, he would finally bring the
Goddess down. 

Still, the girl before him was his concern right now.
She held her angel lovingly and smiled at him. "Thank
you, Oujirou-sama..." she said, blushing even more
deeply. "I'm Kai Satami..." she said, bowing as she
introduced herself. "You're wonderful. I hope I'm half
as good as you are someday." 

It was only through sheer force of will that he kept
from blushing himself at her words. "I've barely done
anything yet," he returned. "I'm merely a Deus, like
you." 


The girl shook her head. "No... You're more. You're
going to win this..." she predicted. "And you took
time to comfort me... You're wonderful." 

He did color at her words that time. 

*

Another match. 

He sat in the chair, feeling it rise to face his
opponent, Ginga Kaoru. He looked across at her,
smiling as she stared back it him with cool eyes that
gave away nothing of what she thought. He respected
that; she would be hard to anticipate because of that.
With her, it would be about her angel and skills, not
about   psyching out the opponent. It would be worth
the fight. 

Oujirou nodded a bit to Kaoru, maintaining a sweet
expression as she studied him. Seeing an old face
behind the Angelic Layer headset was odd, but he liked
it. Her face was full of character and a life well
lived. He respected her for entering the arena, in a
game where the average age of players was sixteen. She
kept abreast of technology, and had been quoted as
saying, "the day I stop being interested in the latest
advances is the day I'm six feet under." 

Kaoru was what most people would call "a character." 

"Your pretty face isn't going to help you this time,
boy," she said to him after a while, breaking the
smile. Then she winked playfully. "I'm about half a
century beyond being distracted by good looks." 

He laughed a bit, not at all offended by her teasing.
"And your sharp tongue isn't going to distract me. So
let's agree that our angels will decide?" 

She returned to studying him before bursting out
laughing as well. "You, I like. But Yumemi won't lose
to your Wizard. I've watched you fight, and I've
figured out your style," she warned. 

"Oh?" he asked in idle curiosity. He hadn't really
unleashed any of his secret moves yet, and he'd be
seriously surprised if she knew them, except for the
Magic Circle. He wasn't sure if he was going to use
that one on her; she was known for being perceptive,
and his optical illusion trick would probably fail.

"You fight with your head. You're a thinker," she
said. "But so am I, and I've been thinking for a lot
longer than you have. So smart as you are, boy, you're
still just a boy."

He merely smiled in return, but inside he braced
himself for a fierce fight. Kaoru was going to be one
of the toughest fights he'd see on his way to Athena,
he realized. Age brought wisdom, and that was
something Kaoru apparently had in abundance. Along
with the lack of tact her age let her get away with.

"In the East corner, Deus Mihara Oujirou, Angel
Wizard!" The announcer voice proclaimed, cutting
through their conversation. Oujirou activated his
headset and had Wizard perform his entry, even though
his eyes never left Kaoru's face. 

"In the West corner, Deus Ginga Kaoru, Angel Yumemi!" 

"Weave the dreams of yesterday and today, Yumemi!"
Kaoru called. She dropped her angel in nonchalantly,
not bothering to strain herself by throwing it halfway
across the Layer. 

Oujirou watched  Kaoru smile as Yumemi came alive.
Yumemi was a medium angel, built on equal portions of
speed, agility and strength. She wore a traditional
kimono complete with obi, and Oujirou knew that Kaoru
habitually changed Yumemi's clothing. Her strength was
from Kaoru's expert control, creativity and ability to
undermine whatever the other Deus threw at her. She
was adaptable; this would be a battle of the Deuses,
which one was able to think the further step ahead. 


"What kind of battle will these two angels show us?
Both angels are undefeated so far in this tournament!"
the announcer said. 

The Deuses ignored his hype, waiting for him to give
the signal. "Angelic FIGHT!" he yelled after adding a
few of their statistics to get the crowd going. 

The angels remained still, neither moving as they
searched the other for weakness. Oujirou knew he was
faster and stronger, but she would be able to keep
even with him through her endurance and agility. 

"We probably should begin this, Oujirou-kun," she
said. 

"Ladies first," he replied politely. 

She cocked an eyebrow beneath the pink plastic. "Kind
of you. Well... Shall we dance?" 

"Let's." 

On that word, both angels sprang forward into what
appeared to be a carefully choreographed dance. Wizard
closed the distance quickly, as Oujirou decided to
test Yumemi's short-range abilities. If he could wear
her down, he might be able to win on points, rather
than tossing her from the Layer. 

Yumemi's black eyes watched carefully, and she took a
guard stance, waiting to parry the blow. Wizard
launched a triple series of kicks, one rising to the
stomach head and falling to the chest. It was a
difficult combination to avoid; parry the first, dodge
the second, get hit by the third was the usual
sequence most experienced Dueses decided to deal with;
if they could avoid it at all. He'd taken out his
fourth opponent with it. 

Yumemi, though, calmly accepted the first blow...
which left Wizard open as he raised his leg higher to
land the second. 

Oujirou winced as the average angel punched him. The
blow only grazed Wizard, doing minimal damage, but it
was enough to send him back. It was the first time
he'd been hit this tournament. It was the first time
Wizard had ever been hit, for that matter. 

"Wizard attacks, wounding Yumemi, but Yumemi's
counterattack forces Wizard back! She is the first
angel in the tournament to score a hit on Wizard!" 

Wizard did a series of flips back, trying to give
Oujirou a moment to think. "I've gotten cocky," he
murmured. 

"You have," Kaoru said. "Time to wake up!" 

Yumemi moved forward this time spinning around in
circles with her arms out beside her. The kimono rose
around her pale tanned legs, and Oujirou realized that
this was some new special attack Kaoru was going to
unleash on him. He followed her carefully, Wizard
following into a defensive crouch. The blue angel was
on guard; Yumemi was a threat. Yumemi seemed to blur
before Oujirou's amazed sight as her spin gained more
and more speed.

 'She's not a speed type...' he thought, but then
realized that was exactly the point. She was spinning
to gain momentum, and any of the strikes she hit would
deal extra damage and even deflecting them might
injure Wizard. 

"Yumemi launches into a twirl... I've never seen this
tactic before - watch is she going to do? Will Wizard
be able to stop her?" the announcer yelled into his
microphone. 


Oujirou remained impassive, but inside he was
applauding. 'This is a good fight,' he thought. If I
can't deflect, that leaves fight or flight... But
flight might let her get me. That leaves fighting...' 

Wizard tensed in preparation, waiting for the right
moment to react. Yumemi was getting closer and closer,
and her new attack was negating his speed and strength
advantage. She had more hit points and could afford to
make more damage... Yumemi finally arrived in striking
range, and one of her feet lashed out with twice her
normal speed. 

Wizard countered by leaping over her, trying to get on
her other side, but Yumeni's kick was there on the
follow through. It was only because he landed just
outside of her reach that he didn't end up tossed from
the Layer. 

"Wizard narrowly avoids Yumemi's powered-up attack!
Will he be able to avoid the next one?" the announcer
cried.

'She's anticipating me...' he realized. A smile formed
on his lips as he realized that Kaoru must have
researched him as thoroughly as he had done him. It
was time to play to the next level. 

The spiraling angel continued to build speed, her Deus
watching with a blank face. Oujirou tapped his fingers
against his chair, sending Wizard around in what
appeared to be the beginning of the Magic Circle.
"Cast your Illusions, Wizard," he murmured. 

"That won't work on Yumemi," Kaoru said. "I know the
trick of that, and I'm waiting for it." 

It took an instant, a blink of the eye. Yumemi's spin
was too quick for her to stop, and Oujirou had
anticipated that. Wizard raced around, faster and
faster until he matched her pace... and then raced
forward, grabbing her arm and helping her spin faster.
Kaoru had been preparing for a strike from her blind
side, but Oujirou had come from the front. She had
known that was possible as well, but it wasn't a blow.
There had been no force behind it, and he hadn't taken
any of Yumemi's hit points... rather he had unbalanced
her. 

"Wizard uses Yumemi's own momentum against her!
Oujirou-san seems fond of this tactic!" 

Yumeni's whirl wobbled a bit, and Kaoru's eyes
narrowed in concentration as she focused on gaining
her control back... but that instant was enough to let
him get the edge he needed. Wizard pressed his attack,
again using the three kick strike he had initially
tried... but this time it connected. 

Oujirou heard the sound of Yumemi's hit points going
down, and smiled as he realized it had been a mortal
blow. The Asian angel went flying, landing in a
crumbled heap across from him. Wizard stood over her
like a grim angel of death, his expressionless face
foreboding.  

"Now Wizard lands his three-kick combo, taking Yumemi
into negative hitpoints! WIZARD WINS!" The announcer
proclaimed. 

After he had been lowered to the ground and removed
his headgear, he walked over to where Kaoru was still
sitting in her seat. It was customary to exchange
thanks for a match, and Kaoru had been a good
opponent. He hoped she hadn't been offended at her
defeat; according to her records, Wizard was the
fourth angel to defeat Yumemi. 

Kaoru, though, looked up at him as he approached, a
beautiful smile on her face. It made him catch his
breath, and he reflected that she must have been a
beautiful woman in her youth; traces of her beauty
still remained in the lines of her face, and something
about how she held herself. Only beautiful women ever
gained that kind of confidence. 

"Good match, Oujirou-kun... Too bad it didn't last
longer." 

He bowed to her in sincere admiration. "I had to take
you out early, because you're too good." 


She laughed a bit. "You may be right. Well, would you
be so kind as to help an old women out of her chair?
I'm afraid these bones don't move as easily as they
used to..." 

Oujirou offered her his arm, which she clung to as she
maneuvered herself out of the chair. The assistants
raced over to hand her Yumemi. The old woman stared
down at her angel thoughtfully. "Well, I'll see you in
Kansai, won't I?" 

He blinked. "I..." 

"Come now, no false modesty. Four of us will
advance... You and I will be there, and I fully intend
on facing you there. I've fought you now, and I know
what I need to defeat you." Her dark eyes glimmered as
she looked at him. "I'll even tell you, because I want
you to fix it, so we can have a real match." 

He went cold inside, fearing that Kaoru's perceptive
eyes had seen something he hadn't, recognized some
flaw in him that was the reason Shuu won time and time
again. "What's my problem?" he asked in a hushed
voice.

"You're not fighting me or my angel. You're fighting
something else, some cosmic battle. Still, there's
stories about people like you, Oujirou-kun. Some
people walk with their eyes so focused on the heavens
that they don't see the earth around them." Her hand
gripped him tightly. "And those people always stumble,
because they never see the roadblocks right before
them." 

* 

The last three matches were easy. No one else came
even close to challenging him or Wizard, and Oujirou
knew that what Kaoru had warned him of was true. He
wasn't playing the other players; he was playing for
Shuuko. Would he encounter someone who would challenge
him? Would it be Kaoru, in her wisdom, who would
challenge him at Kansai? Or would someone else rise
up? The thought preyed on his mind. 

The Kobe tournament was large enough that he didn't
have to meet all the players; it was a pity, because
he would have liked to fight Tigra again. Tigra was
fighting more strongly, varying her attacks, and his
eyes shone as he caught the end of her eighth fight.
She hadn't lost any of them. He was willing to wager
that she would be one of the ones advancing. Along
with Kaoru, a fourth contestant, a small girl who
fought with a speed-type angel named Lucifer, were his
bets. He hadn't fought Lucifer, and privately thought
Stormrider was the better angel, but Stormrider had
encountered Tigra as her fourth match, and would place
fifth. It was the luck of the draw. 

He lingered in the background as he watched the last
of the matches, Yumemi versus a rookie. Yumemi fought
brilliantly, and he realized that beating her was a
triumph. Yumemi was a Championship-level angel, and
defeating her on the Kobe level was a true victory. He
was ready to face the battles on the next level. 

"Layer Out! Yumemi Wins!" The announcer declared. "And
now its time to declare the ones who will represent
Kobe in the Kansai Tournament!"

 Oujirou waited, not at all concerned. Wizard and
Tigra were the only undefeated angels, so it was a
foregone conclusion. He felt someone join him though,
a warm presence that was at once expected and
challenging.

"I was wondering when you'd get here, niisan," Oujirou
said idly to his older brother. 

Ichirou's face was uncharacteristically blank, the way
it was when he was either going to be serious or was
truly angry. Oujirou still hadn't learned to read his
brother's moods well enough to tell which would be
forthcoming. 


"Well?" The single word bespoke volumes. If Oujirou
didn't answer carefully, Ichirou was going to figure
some way to yank him out of the competition.

"I'm going to win," Oujirou said. 

"You've already swept the Kobe match," Ichirou said
softly. "I think you've demoralized a few of the
players."

 "Really? Most of my competitors seemed inspired after
playing me. Riira's even managed to get my e-mail
address and has invited me out for a celebratory
dinner," he replied. He smiled, staring up at the
board, waiting for the results to be posted, even
though he knew he'd be going to Kansai. 

"Why? Why have you suddenly decided that Angelic Layer
is so important?" his brother demanded. 

"A part of it is to establish a male Deus as a
success. Last year at the championship, there was only
one male Deus, and he was ten. You need someone who
can be a role model, who the girls will desire and the
boys want to be." Oujirou looked over at the
contestants who were milling around. "I didn't want it
to be me originally, but there's no one better. I'm
the only one who can fight Athena on her own terms.
After this year, you'll see a drastic rise in male
players..." 

"...and we'll get the data we need that much quicker,"
Ichirou continued softly. "But there's more. You don't
do anything for just one reason." 

"Of course not," Oujirou said. "But my reasons are my
own." 

"You won't beat Athena," Ichirou said softly. "Shuuko
is unstoppable on the Layer." 

"I'll defeat her," Oujirou answered. "Wizard and I
understand each other." 

"Do you? You understand Wizard better than any other
angel you've fought with, but I don't think you're
there yet. Athena is Shuu's other self... You won't
beat her." 

Oujirou's eyes narrowed dangerously. He was usually
quite laid back, but being told 'no' inflamed him like
nothing else - with the exception of being
underestimated. "I will." 

"Of course, you have to make it to her first...
There's still the Kansai Tournament and the rest of
the Championship to go. The players this year are
better than they were last year, and some might have
some interesting things to show you." 

"By the time those are done, I will be the best known
player on the Layer, aside from Shuu," Oujirou vowed. 

"Egotistical, aren't you? Don't you know that they say
'pride comes before the fall?'" his brother murmured,
stepping back into the shadow. 

Oujirou turned back to the ring, just in time to hear
them announce him as the winner of the Kobe match. He
smiled brightly at the cheers, but inside he was
thinking much more serious thoughts. I'll get there,
niisan... I'll defeat Shuuko... And show you how much
you mean to me, he vowed to himself. 

All that stood between him and his goal were eight
matches. 


Author's Notes:

I made my second deadline! *pleased*


Credits: Okay, thanks have to go to the incomparable
Lyra for all the help she's been in the last few
months... it won't be much longer. Also thanks to
Gabi-hime, who I enjoyed speaking to on Oujirou's
motivations very much, and AlanP who suggested the
concept of an older player, which eventually evolved
into Kaoru - I blame him for hijacking my plot. ^_~
Also thanks to Kamitra, for supplying me with the
music I needed to keep moving. I'll be mailing you
soon!

The advancement of four players I decided
arbitrarily... it looked like they took several from
the Tokyo match to Kantou, so I did the same for this.
Four seemed like a good number, since sixteen players
will be at Kansai. Four from four local matches.

Feedback would be very much appreciated.  This is
&*#&* piece to write. And I have two more parts to
write...


=====
Let the wind and ocean water
Wash across your hands
Wash away a thousand footsteps
Wash us all away
Like sand
Mailing List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quicksilver/
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