By the end of Saturday, the Ages Knights had rested. They were in the Top8, and they're getting a special prize because they won the first place in the point races. However, there was one person who was very upset that the team had broken in this way, by name Raptor.

Chikuron, Rolento, and Splinter were having a meeting, when he went in there nervous. "I can't believe they're getting better and better than us. If this keeps up, we'll end up being defeated. "he grumbled as he walked. "What are we supposed to do? In case you haven't noticed..." Rolento couldn't finish the sentence because Raptor interrupted. "No ifs, no buts! We need to find a way to take out one of the Ages Knights team member. If we don't do this, we won't have a chance to win." "I forbid that!" Chikuron shouted. "Our team will never resort to nefarious methods! If it turns out that you did something to one of them, you're gonna put your entire team on the verge of disqualification." Meanwhile, he reached out to his back pocket because there was a tape recorder. He started to record it. "Besides, who would you want to hurt? Namire? Any Oono? Daniel? Hidaka? Yaguchi?" ask Rolento with cynical voice. "No, I don't physically hurt women. I've got spirit, too." "Or are you just afraid that if you touch one of them, it'll wrap you up so tight you can fit into a Famicom cartridge?" said Splinter, cynically. Raptor didn't even respond, he just kept thinking out loud. "Daniel is not good idea either. Yaguchi! Of course! He'll be the best one for a finger fracture. I can shut your team out for good." Then Chikuron stood before Raptor. He spoke in a threatening voice. "This is the last time I'm warning you! If you do that, I guarantee you, you will never, ever go into any arcade in Japan, and come out with one piece." Raptor paused for a moment and listened. He finally stepped down. Chikuron pushed the recorder out, but he was in a huge dilemma anyway. If he report to the organizers, the least they can do is suspend the competition. At worst, not only will his team be disqualified from the tournament, but they will never be able to enter a single arcade. There is only one solution left, but it is strictly forbidden to interfere with the process of things, only at the moment that is promised to be the best.

After a long dinner, the Ages Knight continued to discuss the surprise game, which was not an easy thing. All they ever heard was Congratulations. An hour of trying was enough to give that up and go back to their room. When Yaguchi closed the door after Oono, he sighed. "We're looking at a pretty rough second day, aren't we?" he asked, as if waiting for a normal answer. He just nodded and went to take a bath. the man couldn't wait, so he walked silently to the fire escape. Out there, thinking in the open air, his right hand against the railing. That was his huge mistake. He didn't know the Raptors ' team were staying there, so he had every reason to believe that he could stay away from that guy for the time being. Unfortunately he was wrong because the Raptor was already behind him with a hammer that he slammed with full force onto the pointing and middle fingers of Yaguchi's right hand. Yaguchi's hand was in terrible pain. He wanted to shout, but raptor managed to keep his mouth shut before that. "It's nothing personal. I'm just trying to keep you out of the tournament." Raptor whispered to Yaguchi's ear. "Once they're out, no one's gonna stop us. When you think about it... it's personal. That's for kicking my ass in Tekken 3 tournament, motherfucker." Yaguchi could not answer because he saw stars because of his pain. Then his opponent raised the hammer again, but he could not strike with it because a female hand grabbed and twisted it. Oono was the one who came out of the bathroom and noticed the absence of his boyfriend and her ears were sharp enough to hear even the slightest noise. "What the fuck?" Raptor asked. Raptor asked and turned back, and a fist hit him. After that, he backed off and ran away. Oono had no intention of pursuing him, but rather turned to Yaguchi, who held his injured fingers. "Shit! I think it's broken." he cried painfully. Oono immediately took his steady hand and dragged him to Daniel and Hidaka's room. He needed immediate care, which Hidaka was good at.

Daniel weren't expecting any guests, and they almost fell asleep when they heard a knock. Their surprise became astonished, when they saw Yaguchi's injured hand. Without hesitation, Hidaka immediately put him on the bed and began to take care of him. Until then, he reported on raptor's latest move. "That fucking snot-nosed son of a bitch. I'm gonna report this to the judges." said Daniel. "Don't do it! that'll suspend the tournament for the tests. At worst, it's cancelled. "Yaguchi moaned and raised his intact hand. "So what do we do? One of our top men is out and we need all hands on deck. Remember the rule we got? We can't use Makoto to join us." Daniel explained , who poured a glass of cognac and held it out to Yaguchi. "I know it's medieval, but you're gonna need it to numb the pain." Yaguchi didn't like alcohol, but now he drink it all. He felt a slight ease of pain. "However, if the tournament is cancelled, we will lose the prize. I'll manage somehow." "Unnecessary heroism, Yaguchi." said Hidaka softly, who had finished the care. "Your fingers aren't broken, but this is serious. You're not gonna move it painlessly for a while." "Sleep on your decision, and if you decide to report it, we will. It doesn't matter about fame or prestige or money. I'll go to the final plan then." said Daniel firmly. Yaguchi thanked for the care and left with Oono. when they returned to their room, he cried. "I can't believe it! Nothing changed!" he erupted, when Oono looked into his eyes. "I feel like I'm going back to the old days. Over and over, I pledge to solve my own problems. Instead, I have to rely on others again. I'm useless again. I wouldn't even be surprised if you left!" Then Oono embraced him and let him express his bitterness on her shoulder. She didn't consider him as garbage and useless. She remembered that he was the only classmate who treated him like an equal. And I also remember that in the past, he's the only one who's done anything for her. When Yaguchi calmed down, Oono nurtured him almost as a pair. Then they fell asleep together.

Raptor returned to his room satisfied. he managed to cripple Yaguchi and no one could pin it on him. At least, he believed that until a bony hand grabbed his neck and dragged him into his room. The collar was made by Chikuron, who couldn't see through the nerves. "Are you did that, asshole?!" "What are you thinking? " ask Raptor back with innocent voice, but in this case... it did not work. "You know what I mean, you big, fat piece of shit! You broke Yaguchi's finger with a hammer!" "Are you have any proof?" ask Raptor, but now, in serious voice. Chikuron booed me like a bull about to be rammed. "Because the maintenance man left his tool kit near your room, and when he came back, he complained that his hammer was missing. I even saw you heading for the fire escape." "Congratulations, Detective Conan. I did it. so what? At least we got the biggest obstacle out of the way. that makes us the winners of the tournament." Chikuron punched his teammate in the face with all his might. He tries to hold back to not punch his face again. "Did I tell you not to do that? But you have to mess with everything like some stiff prick in a whorehouse! What you did is gonna get us thrown in jail!" "Only if it gets out. You don't know anything about team play or gang war! So I'm leaving now. And think about my little action as guarantee way to win." Chikuron let Raptor go. Let him think there's no evidence against him. When the door closed, he immediately took out the tape recorder and rewind it to talk. Then he took a handkerchief and a bag and went to the fire escape. He found the scene of the crime and the left-behind hammer and used the handkerchief to put it in the bag. He's seen enough crime stories to know how to put evidence without damaging it. Then he made a call to Lillith requesting an immediate meeting.

Akibahara, Taito Hey arcade, 9: 00 a.m., 9th of April. 1999.

The remaining 8 teams were anxious for the final game. Only two of the injured were present in total from one-one team. Yaguchi's injured fingers were fully bandaged and he tried to play early this morning, but without the pointer and the middle fingers, he felt like a free target. Raptor's face was still showing that Chikuron hit him with a fist, but he smiled. R. Mika turned on the microphone at the start of the tournament. "Ladies and Gentlemans! Let's continue the tournament with top eight, all the way to the final victory. Anyone who has read the brochure knows that today is a surprise game that will await the remaining teams. This game is... Garou, Mark of the Wolves!" The players and the audience were cheering when the game appeared on the big screen. In February, SNK announced the ninth edition of the Fatal Fury series. Yaguchi, on the other hand, was cursing. He played with the latest Fatal Fury, but only on release day. Plus, since it was a fight game, with two injured fingers, his team was in a bit of a jam. While he wondered how to solve this obstacle, R. Mika continued. "The game follows the four-button system, as in the previous games of Fatal Fury. However, a new game element has been added with the name T. O. P. system. This can be placed in three selectable stages in the front, center, or end of the character's HP, that you choose. If this is activated, their attack will be stronger and their Vitality will increase slowly if they do not receive a punch, but will only be valid up to the marked point, and lasted only 10-15 seconds." The screen showed nicely what T.O.P. system looks like in reality. So everything was clear. When the demo video went down, the Top8 fighting teams appeared on the screen. R.Mika continued, after the Top8 screen showed up. "All teams participate in the team fight, the reserve only in the final. It's a game against everyone, and if one team member loses, the other team will replace him. The fight for a place ends until one of the competing teams runs out of men. Is that clear?" The crowd was cheering as Morrisons and Lillith got in from the VIP stands, but they were applauding only. "Then, LET'S GET STARTING!"

The Ages Knight team is the fourth in the fight, which is good enough to watch the game. However, Yaguchi was worried that he was a liability to the team now. How will he get out of this? And why does Oono think deeply enough, even though she hasn't done this in any game so far?