Sket Dance 34

1
Sket Dance
Chapter 34: Found The Pixie
Round 5, Card Game / Pixie Garden / quick / Rule Explanation
Each player starts with 5 cards! // Players take turns playing cards face-down, with either the same colour or symbol as the opponent's.
Player1: Blue Star.
Player2: Red Star.
[Note: The player may also play extra cards bearing the same symbol.]
At this stage, the player is allowed to lie. // Calling the player on his lie...
Player1: Check. // Fair enough.
Believing and carrying on. // Check successful! / The liar has to draw a penalty of three cards.
[Label: Three cards]
Check failed! / The one who called Check has to draw the penalty.
[Note: Play continues from the player who drew the penalty.]
The first player to empty his hand wins. // If a player thinks that his opponent has played the almighty Pixie card, he can declare "Found the Pixie!" // If he's right, his opponent draws three cards and play continues from the caller. // If he's wrong, then he has to draw three cards, and his opponent takes the next turn.

2
Bossun: (The way... / ...to defeat Agata... / ...in this game... // I've got to... // ...know all the cards in play!!)
[insert text: What is Bossun's winning formula?!]
Bossun: Having this many cards also gives me the advantage in information. // I'll use that against him! // These are the nine cards I have. // And as long as I know the contents of the deck that Agata just shuffled...)

3
Bossun: (I know the three cards Agata is holding! // First things first... I have to recall all the cards in that deck on the table. // Think back to the start of the game!! // I know I can do that!! // First of all... Agata played a Blue Star.)
Flashback!Soujirou: Let's just pick one.
Bossun: (That was the first card, so it's gotta be right. // Then the next card I played.................. // I lied and played the Yellow Wind!! / Then I drew three cards and lied again...)
Flashback!Bossun: (Poker-face!!)
Bossun: (That's right... Red Moon!! I can remember it all!! I've just gotta keep concentrating!!)

4
Soujirou: Hey.
Bossun: [aside](Lessee... next was...)[/aside]
Soujirou: I've been wanting to ask this for a while... // Do you mind?
Bossun: ......... // Ask me later.
Soujirou: Why did you create the Sket-dan?
Bossun: (I've gotta ignore him!! // I can't let myself fall for his tricks! // Concentrate!!)
Soujirou: If you say it was "to help out people in need"... well, that's admirable. A lovely bit of volunteer work. // But then...

5
Soujirou: What I don't know is why you would want to help people out like that. // Some incident in your past?
Bossun: Sh... Shut up already!!! // It's got nothing to do with you!!! Right now, we're playing the game!! // If you're trying to put me off, you're not gonna manage. / Don't underestimate my Concentration Mode. // (I've gotta think back!! ...Next up, I played three cards. Red Flower, Green Flower and Blue Flower.)
Soujirou: I'm not trying to put you off. You just honestly intrigue me.

6
Soujirou: I'm expecting a lot from you. // So even if I am provoking you or whatever you want to call it... I'd be disappointed if you couldn't show me what you've got regardless. // You don't have to respond if you don't want to. // I'll just keep on talking.
Bossun: (.................. // Next, Agata played one card... the Blue Moon... and that one was real.)
Soujirou: You have a shadow hanging over you.
Bossun: (Next!! // I played three, with a lie hidden amongst them...)
Soujirou: I know the truth. // Your little Princess and Glasses, too... they were both saved by you. // The two of them both have an absolute trust in you. // If you tell them to do anything, anything at all, they'll do it, and with all their might. / Just like this tournament.

7
Soujirou: It's painfully obvious that serving as your right-hand men, helping you out, is their entire purpose in life. // Such weaklings... don't you think? // And though you serve as their crutch, holding them up... // ...in truth, you're the one being "saved".
Bossun: Sh... // Shut up!!!! // Shut the hell up!!! // What the hell do you know about us?!!! You have no right to talk about us like that!!!
Himeko: Ahh... Bossun... seems to be shouting somethin', but... // ...I guess he's probably just screamin' "dummy, dummy!" like always...
Switch: If they're trading insults, I want in!!

8
Soujirou: Hahahah... / Don't get so heated up. Aren't you meant to be thinking up a strategy? // (Yes, you keep getting angry, Fujisaki...)
Bossun: You're the one stopping me doing that!!!
Soujirou: (Just like that... // Just keep on pouring that hostility towards me...!)
Bossun: (All the cards... I've remembered all the cards that were placed down!! / And the deck on the table right now is made up of those cards, shuffled by Agata... // The only issue here is the order. // Even if I know what cards are in there, after they've been shuffled, they'll be all mixed up.)

9
Bossun: (After... // ...they've been shuffled... // ...Shuffled...)
Flashback!Soujirou: Are you sure you're paying enough attention?
Bossun: (!!! // I've got it!! // I've really got it!! / I saw exactly how Agata shuffled them... // I remember it all!! // I can do this!! // From the top... // Those are the ten cards. // I'm sure of it!!)

10
Bossun: (The deck ran out after I'd drawn two of my three penalty cards... // So I drew a single card from that new shuffled deck... // That has to be the Blue Sun. // The card on top of the deck. // It was!!! // I was right!! // I've done it!! // Ahhhh!!!!
Announcer: What's this? What could be wrong with Fujisaki?! After a long period of concentration, he suddenly starts coughing violently!!
Shinzou: Bossun-donooooo!!! // He was concentratin' for too long!!
Bossun: *pant* // *pant* // Heheh... / Sorry for the wait... but now I should be able to win this. / *pant*

11
Bossun: Mouthing off about stuff that's none of your business... / Prying into people's pasts... // But I'm gonna be wiping that stupid grin right off your face, so you watch out now.
Soujirou: Shall we continue?
Bossun: We were on Green Sun, right? // (The Pixie still has yet to be played... // In other words, Agata's cards... // ...are these three!! // As long as I know the contents of my opponent's hand... / I can win!!

12
Bossun: Here comes the counteroffensive! // Green Star, Red Star, Yellow Star!
Soujirou: ...The truth.
Bossun: (It's your turn now, Agata... if you have the cards to play, then play them! // Though of course I know... that you have no Yellows or Stars!!)
Soujirou: .........

13
Soujirou: Yellow Wind.
Bossun: Check.
Soujirou: ............... // Well done.
Bossun: (Okay!!! // He played the Red Wind just now...)
Soujirou: 1... // 2...
Bossun: (And his three penalty cards are... from the top: Blue Flower, Red Moon, Blue Moon!! // His next card will have to match the Red... a Red Sun of Red Moon!!)
Soujirou: Well, then, next up... // Red Sun.
Bossun: (Bingo!!) // Indeed.

14
Bossun: (I know every one of his cards. // If I think this through and play my hand properly... // I can find the Pixie! // He's not going to play the Pixie as long as he has cards that go...)
[Label: Pixie]
Bossun: (So if I make him play out his cards one by one... // I can chase down the Pixie!! // I just have to reduce his hand to two. // The rules say he can't play the Pixie as his last card, so he'll have to play it then.)

15
Bossun: (He'll play the Pixie, leaving him with only one card; I'll be certain to Check...)
Imaginary!Bossun: Check!
Bossun: (...or so he'll think.)
Imaginary!Soujirou: Sorry. / It's the Pixie.
Bossun: (He'll be sure that he can catch me out with the Pixie and widen the gap between us by a full three cards. // And then, of course, he just has to await his chance to win with his final card.)
Imaginary!Soujirou: Hahahah...
Bossun: However!! // If I catch him out on the Pixie, then he'll be the one with the penalty. // And I'll get to take the next turn... // Right now, in my hand, I have three pairs. // If I play those cards right, the turn after I find his Pixie... // ...I can win!!

16
Shinzou: Bossun-dono's face has changed completely! Could it be he's about to win...?!!
Switch: Yeah...
Himeko: I never doubted him for a second...
Bossun: (I know what cards I have to play!!!) // Yellow Sun, Blue Sun!
Soujirou: Indeed. // Let's see... a Blue or a Sun...
Bossun: (Agata's next move should be to play two Moons!! // But will he throw the Pixie in there...? // ...or just play them alone...?)

17
Soujirou: Blue Moon, Red Moon.
Bossun: (The two Moons!!) // Right! // (The only cards left in Agata's hand should be... // ...the Blue Flower... // ...and the Pixie itself!! // He's got to play the Pixie this turn!!) // Yellow Moon, Green Moon!! // (I just have the Green Wind and the Blue Wind left... a Wind pair!!)
Soujirou: You do seem awfully confident... I'll accept those.

18
Bossun: (Now... play the card!)
Soujirou: Hahahah... / Looks like we're reaching the climax, eh? // Green Flower.
Bossun: (This is it!!! // I've caught you now, Pixie!)
Soujirou: Have you spotted? I've only got one card left... // I guess you'll have to Check me here, huh?
Bossun: (Don't you think everything's going to go the way you want it...!)

19
Bossun: No... // I've Found the Pixie.
[insert text: Bossun has chased down the Pixie! The end is nigh!!]
[TN: Am I the only one who's just a little worried that Soujirou has spotted what Bossun's doing and, say, played the Pixie a little earlier? It's perfectly possible... >_<]
[bottom text: Next issue, the grand conclusion!! How will this battle, with both of their positions on the line, finally end?!]