Gamble Fish 21

Sorry about the wait.

Chapter 21

111

Title: Fight 21 Battle During the Pouring Rain

112

Natsumi: Th-the 9-ball is in!!!
Natsumi: Asahina has completed "Break Nine" right off the bat!!!

113

Gokijima: Nn...Gh!!
Mizuhara: N-no way.

Tomu: Gokijima...
Tomu: Didn't you say there was no way she'd get the 9-ball in?

Gokijima: Don't be stupid!!
Gokijima: How could I predict that it would be hit by another ball and have its course changed!?

Mika: Ho ho ho...Didn't I tell you that this was a game of skill as well as luck?
Tomu: ...Mika-san.
Mika: That's the true ability of Rio, the one who conquered the world championship.

114

Mika: Shirasagi Tomu, I look forward to seeing you...
Mika: when you've lost horribly and are prostrated before me...Hee hee hee.

Tomu: ...This has only just begun.

Natsumi: The second set will also begin with Asahina's break shot!!
Natsumi: Tomu-senpai...Bear with it!!

Natsumi: Asahina has cleared the hardest of the conditions, "Break Nine".
Natsumi: To complete this perfectly, she has two games in which to succeed in "Running Out"!!

115

Natsumi: Her break is right on form!!!

116

Natsumi: Her break got the 2-ball and 8-ball in!!
Natsumi: To "Run Out", she has to knock the remaining 7 balls in in order starting with the 1-ball.
Natsumi: With a player of Asahina's skill, this should be a simple task!!

Crowd: What? She's being pretty cautious.
Crowd: The 1-ball's right in front of the pocket, so shouldn't hitting it in be easy?

Gokijima: This is yer chance, kid!!

117

Gokijima: The 3, 5, and 9-balls are clustered together. See?
Gokijima: Even if she hits the 1-ball in, she has no path with which to hit the 3-ball in!!
Gokijima: She's in trouble!!

Gokijima: The theory behind "Runnin' Out" is to have the cue ball get rid of any trouble you might have for the next ball after you hit the current one in.
Gokijima: But if the positionin's bad, you might not be able to do that!!
Gokijima: Your turn's comin' up soon!!

Gokijima: It doesn't help to think about it.
Gokijima: With that positionin', you can only settle for hittin' the 1-ball in and callin' safety next turn.

118

Gokijima: Wh-what?
Gokijima: She's aimin' for the bottom right? Is she givin' it spin?

119

Crowd: Huh!!?
Crowd: After hitting it, the cue ball's turning...

Crowd: Oh!?
Crowd: Wow...!!?

120

Natsumi: A-Asahina did it!!
Natsumi: After getting the 1-ball in the pocket, she expertly broke up the 3, 9, and 5-balls!!

Gokijima: R-ridiculous!! Even if she is the Jr. Champion...
Gokijima: to pull off a draw shot of that distance is just...!!

121

Gokijima: I get it!! It's the new felt...It makes the balls roll better...
Gokijima: Without it, she wouldn't have been able to make such a straight line!! And I just switched out the felt...

Gokijima: She switched out her cue. She got the Break Nine...
Gokijima: Everything is backfirin'!!!

Gokijima: I give up!!

Gokijima: My plan was perfect...
Gokijima: But with someone with as little luck as you, even I can't help you!!

122

Gokijima: You're a damn jinx!!

Mizuhara: G-Gokijima is giving up on Tomu!!
Mizuhara: How can he do that after charging him 2 million yen!!?

123

Mizuhara: Tomu...

Mizuhara: What are you going to do, Tomu!!?

Natsumi: Asahina has gotten into a good rhythm!!
Natsumi: She's hitting the balls in like they're being sucked in!!

124

Crowd: Wow!! So this is the ability of the world champ!!
Crowd: She's doing it flawlessly!!
Crowd: Like this, she's gonna "Run Out" easily!!

Mika: Heh heh heh...
Mika: It's a pity all you get to do is sit there with your fingers in your mouth.

Mika: All you can do is ask heaven for some luck.
Mika: But the heavens don't seem so favorable as they are currently pouring rain down on us. Ho ho ho...

125

126

Tomu: Mizuhara...
Tomu: I have a favor to ask you.

Mizuhara: ...Eh!!?

127

Natsumi: She has completed "Running Out"!!!
Natsumi: And she has two successive victories!!
Natsumi: Asahina is already only one condition short of winning!!

Crowd: Alright!! Just one more victory!!
Crowd: Way to go, Asahina!!

128

Mizuhara: Will I make it in time!!?

Tomu: Please, Mizuhara...
Tomu: You're the only one I can depend on.

Tomu (echo): You're the ONLY one I can depend on.
Tomu (echo): The ONLY one...
Mizuhara: Wait for it, Tomu!!

129

Natsumi: Th-the third round will also begin with Asahina's break...
Natsumi: Yahhn. Tomu-senpai's gonna lose...!!
Natsumi: If Asahina wins this set, she'll have won!!

Mika: Oh ho ho ho ho!!!
Mika: With this set, we're already at the finale, Shirasagi Tomu.

Tomu: The finale?

130

Tomu: No...
Tomu: We're at the beginning of the turn-around.