Sigma/Star

Chapter 64: Chi vs. Fundamentals Part 2

Mr. Shotuku eyed Gretta up and down, surveying her petite, feminine form through the folds of his wrinkled eyes. His eyes darted back down when she looked his way and he wiggled his nose a little, trying to resolve an itch. The elderly man reordered the cards in his hand, trying to decide which way they should go.

An ace of spades was laid down in the centre of the table by Rick, who glanced sidelong at Gretta to his left. She gave out a sigh before placing a queen of spades down and then crossed her arms in frustration. She looked down at the seven-six score in favour of Rick and Mr. Toriyama and groaned a little.

Mr. Toriyama was next, shifting his eyes behind their glasses and trying to get a read on Shotuku. "The trick is mine Shiro," Rick stated, nodding at his partner. In response, Mr. Toriyama lay down the ten of hearts onto the table and gestured towards Mr. Shotuku.

The oldest man at the table didn't think long before laying down the nine of diamonds on top of the pile, before sweeping the four cards in towards himself. "Diamonds is trump. That was far too easy."

The bespectacled teacher threw his cards down on the table in frustration and lifted his hands high to the heavens. "He always does that Rick! How many times will you keep telling me the trick is yours when Shotuku still has to play?!"

"That's table talk for the record boys," Greta interjected before being shot a dirty look by the professor that immediately silenced her.

"It isn't always about winning," Rick replied calmly, sifting through his hand. "Sometimes it is just about fun."

"Listen you," Toriyama said, standing up and reaching across the table to grab at the Circuit Breaker. "It's not fun when you're losing, especially in a game where clothing is on the line!" Rick and Toriyama both looked down at their nearly-naked forms, each one only wearing their underpants. Both Gretta and Shotuku were still fully dressed, with heaps of clothing sitting around them. "I can't go home to Sakura looking like this! She'll eat me alive and you know it."

"Not to mention if the students saw you," Shotuku quietly added as he picked out which card he would play first. Mr. Toriyama threw another dirty look around the table, this time directing it at Shotuku and then he hastily took his seat when he realized he was in full view of poor Gretta.

The young girl sighed, placing her elbows on the table and resting her face in her hands. "This place really isn't the same since they left is it? It's so boring here, so quiet." The rest of the table shook their heads in response as cards started to be played once again. "Do you think they found him yet sir?"

"Oh they did that quite a while ago Gretta." Shotuku swept another won trick of cards in close to himself as he reassured the girl. "But there were more challenges to the mission than simply finding the general. They have an ordeal to overcome first, provided they have enough strength to do it."

"We lose more students this way when you send them on your insane missions Akio," Toriyama sighed, throwing his hand down on the table in surrender and leaning back wistfully in his chair, fixing his glasses so they stayed on his face. His pale, thin frame reflected the lights above off his chest. "But that group seems different than the last few don't they?"

"Indeed." Shotuku began shuffling all the cards together again, and then he tucked the deck away in the folds of his robe.

"I mean this one actually won me a bowling match!" Mr. Toriyama nearly leapt out of his seat in excitement (former school record 0-21 in bowling matches all times) and began to retell the story of how the CRU had triumphantly defeated Ms. Sakura for the hundredth time.

Gretta buried her head in her arms as they lay across the table. "So boring here..."

* * * * *

Porter deflected another stab from Sigmeund's lance, this one narrowly redirecting past the face of the White Storm. He rolled to the side, kicking up and trying to strike the ribs of the Silver Hawk with his speed but Sigmeund was already twisting and spinning out of the way. Porter quickly flipped himself back to his feet, teetering for a moment as he regained his balance. He was starting to feel woozy from the extended use of his chi but this is what he had trained for.