I'm finally going to the nationals with you!
Haven't you forgotten about me?
I am also happy that I get to go to the nationals with you, Kyoutaro-san!
As am I!
Now, it's off to the nationals for all three of us!
Hey, wait!
I said we're going together to the natio-
Hey, wait up!
Let's go together!
Together...
That's just way too fast...
Wait up!
Let's go to the nationals together!
To the nationals!
Hand 22
Promise
The second day is hanchan games?
I hadn't heard that...
I told you yesterday, didn't I?
And it should have been written on the rule sheet I passed out right in the beginning.
This has got to be some plot by the organizers who were jealous of my easy win yesterday!
Yuuki...
Yuuki-chan.
Um, you're the one that didn't listen.
In this case, for each match I just have to eat two times the tacos from the previous one!
I call it the "Taco Doubling Plan"!
Kyoutaro, I'm counting on you to keep me supplied with tacos!
According to that, you'd have to eat 512 tacos for the 10th game.
Even I can't eat that many!
Guess she needs to go over those arithmetic drills again.
We will now announce the draws for the first match of the second day of the individual tournament.
Okay everyone, it's the second day.
Today the north and south groups will be mixed up so all the players are together.
And only the best are left, too.
Only three of these will get to go to the nationals.
There's no getting around having to compete against members of your own school.
Everyone, do your best and leave no regrets!
Right!
And be careful. There are players in the individuals that weren't able to participate in the team tournament.
It's possible there are some extremely powerful opponents out there from unknown schools.
For example, if you had participated in the individuals last year...
Something like that.
Well, I doubt there would be someone that good out there...
Damn straight...
Will the participating players please proceed to their designated rooms.
Okay, let's go!
Right!
President...
She didn't participate in the individuals last year or the year before.
This year is her last, and only, chance.
Now, it's the second day of the individuals in this prefectural qualifying tournament!
Today is the final day!
Over 10 hanchan, the players with the top three scores will earn the right to enter the national tournament!
It's her!
That's the player I lost to early yesterday.
She made big hand after big hand in the South round...
South round?
[Note: If no one has 30 000 or more points by the end of the game, the next wind round is played until someone reaches 30 000]
It was a tonpuusen, but they ended up going into the South round too.
Wait, maybe...
She made them go into the South round?
It's the start of the match!
The first match of the second day has begun!
Riichi, tsumo, iipeikou, dora 2!
2000/4000!
And Kiyosumi High School's Kataoka Yuuki,
who blazed on through the first day in first place, wins with the first mangan!
It seems like Kataoka is very good during the East round.
So she's the type that likes to get a fast start and run away with it, huh?
A
East 2nd Round Dealer: Kataoka Yuuki
Ron! 5800!
Okay.
The player who played into that ron was Hirataki High School's first-year Nanpo.
I've never heard that school's name before.
Hirataki High School didn't enter the team tournament.
Nanpo is only participating in the individual tournament.
As expected from yesterday's tournament leader.
All I must do is get through the East round.
A
East 3rd Round
Tsumo! Tanyao, pinfu, tsumo, sanshoku, dora 1!
3000/6000!
A
East 4th Round Dealer: Nanpo Kazue
Ron!
Haku, honitsu, 3900!
Here.
Thanks ya!
I'm just gettin' started!
A
End of East Round Kiyosumi High School 1st Year Kataoka Yuuki
Made it...
Indeed this is the second day. Her opponents are strong.
But with today's rules, you will no longer be handicapped!
Kazue, fight to your heart's content.
[South]
Wind?
From where?
My imagination?
A
South 1st Round 7th Turn
Tsumo only. 300/500.
A trash hand right off the bat?
As long as it gets me past the South round, all the better.
A
South 2nd Round Dealer: Kataoka Yuuki
Riichi.
Riichi, ippatsu, tsumo, 2 ura dora.
2000/4000.
And I'm dealer...
It's the same as what happened to me yesterday.
Is that so?
A
South 4th Round Dealer: Nanpo Kazue
Kataoka is seeing her lead rapidly shrinking in the South round thanks to Nanpo!
It's just like you and the East round.
For me, the South round is my home field advantage.
Riichi!
Hirataki High School's Nanpo has declared a dealer riichi on the 7th turn!
Ron.
Riichi, 2 dora.
7700.
This is strange. It might be the south round, but for me to be beaten this badly...
Could it be that this person is like me, except the opposite?
The type whose concentration increases during the second half?
Ron.
5800 with one bonus is 6100.
Nanpo's momentum will not be stopped!
Kataoka's lead has disappeared just like that!
Could this be...
It's possible there are some extremely powerful opponents out there from unknown schools.
Was this the person that the President was talking about?
Tsumo. 3200 with the bonus is 3400 from each of you.
And it's over!
Nanpo Kazue has a commanding victory in room D in the first match!
The top player from yesterday, Kataoka, blew a big lead in the end.
There really are scary opponents that only play in the individuals.
The morning matches are now over.
The afternoon matches will begin after lunch.
Fukuji Mihoko Kazekoshi All-girls
Nanpo Kazue Hirataki High School
Haramura Nodoka Kiyosumi High
Ryuumonbuchi Touka Ryuumonbuchi High
The first 4 matches are over.
At this time, the overall leader is Fukuji Mihoko, due to the splendid play that put her in the top 3 out of the 4 games.
In second place is Hirataki High School's Nanpo Kazue.
Grandfather.
I played with all my strength through those 4 games.
Good, Kazue. Do not let your guard down this afternoon.
I won't.
Really?
I'm going with some friends next week.
Ooh, that sounds nice...
I've done a bad thing to you, haven't I?
Thanks to me taking you in, you had to transfer to a tiny weak school that can't participate in the team tournament.
I never had any interest in the team tournament to begin with.
It would only serve to hinder me with weak teammates.
I have no desire to place our heritage in the hands of such people.
Saki isn't here yet.
Maybe she got lost again?
It's no use...
You can still recover in the remaining matches.
Says you, Nodoka, while you're sitting pretty.
So you're in 3rd place, Nodo-chan.
If you can keep it up, you'll get to go to the nationals for the individuals as well.
I-I can't relax yet!
There are other players as well...
Miyanaga-san...
That's...
P-Pardon me!
Nodoka?
Nodo-chan?
What's with Nodoka?
I've gotten lost again...
Miyanaga-san!
Haramura-san, you came for me!
What is the meaning of this, Miyanaga-san?!
Plus-minus 0 four times in a row?
Are you trying to lose the individual tournament?
Are you going to break our promise?
P-Promise?
Are you going to break our promise?
P-Promise?
B-But we're already going to the nationals,
in the team tournament.
So it's okay to hold back now?
See, I'm a first year so there's always next year...
But the president is a third year so this is the only chance she's got...
So you plan on playing that way even if you play me?
The promise we made was not just to go to the nationals!
Have you forgotten?
Let's go to the nationals together!
Okay, then... no more holding back, okay?
Sure!
I know you promised not to hold back anymore!
And I know that the president also wants to go to the nationals
by beating her opponents when they're playing with all they've got!
That's right...
I'm sorry, Haramura-san!
Miyanaga-san...
I thought that I could already go to the nationals and play my sister, so it'd be nice if other people won afterwards.
But I was wrong.
Thank you, Haramura-san, for making me realize!
As long as you understand.
It's full power from now on, got it?
Right, I'll do my best!
I'll even win against you, Haramura-san!
I will not allow it!
Oh, there you two are.
President!
Hurry up or Yuuki and them will eat everyone's lunch.
Let's go, Miyanaga-san!
Right!
Now it's time to show you what I'm like when I play seriously.
It's the start of the afternoon matches.
Only 6 hanchan remain.
Those 6 games will decide the three players who get to go to the nationals.
Currently the top three players who may go to the nationals are first place, Kazekoshi All-girls' Fukuji Mihoko.
Second place, Kiyosumi High School's Haramura Nodoka.
And third place, Hirataki High School's Nanpo Kazue.
And then there's the player rising suddenly this afternoon...
Kiyosumi High School's Miyanaga Saki!
A
Kiyosumi High School 1st Year Miyanaga Saki
Already up to 12th place, and now playing her senpai from the same school, Takei Hisa!
Looks like you're back in the groove.
Thank you very much.
President, I'm definitely going to win and go to the nationals.
Unfortunately for you, I am currently in 6th place.
I can't afford to lose to you.
Of course!
Lets begin.
Decide the seats.
[East]
At the start of the 9th match, it's getting quite difficult to break into the top three.
In room C, Takei Hisa is 6th overall.
Sawamura Tomoki is 9th, Touyoko Momoko is 11th, and Miyanaga Saki is 12th.
It would be very difficult for any of them to go to the nationals without winning this hanchan.
The current leader, Fukuji, has not let down her guard once today.
With a large gap between her and second place, she is running away with it.
In second place, Haramura Nodoka's careful play has given her an impressive high average.
And of course, right at the endgame, I get a tough match up.
At first sight, the girl from Ryuumonbuchi seems like a online style player.
But according to the records of her play in the past, she also takes calculation into account.
Then there's the girl from Tsuruga.
Just from her records, she seems to play a safe and orthodox game.
But during the team tournament, Ryuumonbuchi Touka missed her riichi twice and played into it.
Gotta watch out for her.
And then, here's the worst person I could be up against.
To win against Saki, one must seal her kan.
So...
Chi!
Huh? Kiyosumi's Takei broke her set by calling a chi.
It doesn't get her any closer to a winning hand.
What are you scheming?
She discarded two 7 sou.
That's just meaningless.
What in the world is Kiyosumi's Club President doing?
Chi!
Tsumo!
Tanyao only. 300/500.
President?
That's quite a tough win.
And she even lowered her score on purpose.
Why would she win like that?
Her aim is to get runs?
A
East 2nd Round
To seal Saki's kan, it's important to avoid situations where it's easy to get a set.
The runs are just superstition...
But, it's not meaningless if you are trying to stop a kan.
I can't get a kan...
Tsumo. Riichi, pinfu, tsumo. 700/1300.
The girl from Ryuumonbuchi has already realized it.
But for this plan to work, just the two of us isn't good enough.
All that's left is...
Go for runs, right?!
Ryuumonbuchi's glasses girl and Kiyosumi's President...
They're both my enemies.
However, my number one enemy is...
Kiyosumi's Ms. "Rinshan"!
I don't want to lose to you, no matter what!
Senpai!
You're not going to play with everyone?
No...
Even after the President took us all to the beach in order to help us bond before the big tournament?
I know that.
But... Don't laugh, now.
Okay?
I... can't swim.
And once I realized we were going to the beach, I ended up being the one watching over our stuff, so...
It's not like I don't want to play with everyone.
Didn't I say not to laugh?!
Senpai, let's go swimming after the tournament is over.
Momo, I just told you, I can't swim.
It'll be fine!
I'lls be with you the entire time!
And we'll practice together, of course.
So, let's go swimming together.
Senpai?
Together, right?
Yes!
It's cold!
Feels good though, right?
Yep!
Hey, Yumi-chin!
Senpai!
Over here!
We're coming!
I lost.
I was watching.
I may have lost, but I'm not disappointed.
Senpai said that she was satisfied with how the team tournament ended up.
But I will not forgive you for defeating my Senpai!
I'm going to win over you today!
Ron! Tanyao only. 2000.
Other than Kiyosumi's Miyanaga, everyone is winning with quick hands, aren't they?
It's almost like the three of them are cooperating to get runs.
Because they're all protecting against Miyanaga's kan?
I wonder about that.
So, did you come up with this trick, Hisa?
What's wrong? I can't make any kan at all.
Sorry about this, Saki.
But you said "full power" didn't you?
A
South 3rd Round Dealer: Touyoko Momoko
It's now the third South round in room C.
Only Kiyosumi's Miyanaga has been winless.
The other three have mainly won with low scoring hands, and thus don't have very high scores.
So far everything's gone according to plan.
But the game isn't over yet.
If we keep this style up through the end...
Riichi!
Kiyosumi's Ms. "Rinshan" and President... not yet.
But glasses girl...
Ron! Riichi, ippatsu, pinfu. 5800!
Riichi?
Yes. I announced it properly.
This is just like what happened to Touka!
She just played right into that...
I don't believe she would have made that mistake...
It's exactly the same thing that happened to Ryuumonbuchi Touka
during the finals of the team tournament.
First renchan!
Took you long enough.
From now on, Stealth Momo's got the stage all to herself!
The third South round.
With Sawamura Tomoki's unusual play into her opponent's hand, the situation has started changing quickly!
Touyoko Momoko has passed the 30 000 point threshold and is playing her first renchan!
The third South round...
Now that I think about it...
...Touka played into her hand at the same time as I did.
This person that Haramura-san played... There's something strange about her.
Our alliance ends here.
You all can no longer see my tiles.
I will wins this game, and go to the nationals!
Together with my Senpai!
No one will be able to stop me!
Next Episode
Serious
Riichi!
Huh, why?
Why would you choose such a bad wait?
You don't understand?
In this world of ours, see, there are waits that can defy even reason itself!
That's just you!
You're the only one who could win from a 3-6 man riichi like that!