Chapter 16: Dream of the Butterfly

Instead of dodging, she did a different hand sign, and the area was suddenly encased by a triangular-patterned wall - much like a mirror room, except the shapes were blue. Yune's eyes started glowing with a deep blue colour, lighting the dullness.

"This is my spirit, if you're wondering." Yune smiled. "It's called Hotaru no Yume.*"

"She must've needed the butterflies to use her dodging ability," Moye said to me telepathically. "You kept the butterflies in dust form, so she can't use that dust to her abilities until they turn back into butterflies."

"It's very pretty." I nodded. "Just like you."

I wasn't trying to win the match by flattering. I was just being honest.

I dashed at her using Sorahoshi, and followed that with a Ryuuseigun. Yune was able to dodge every one of Ryuuseigun's hits, much to my shock.

While looking around, I saw Montei outside yelling to me about something, but the arena didn't allow sound to pass through.

"He's telling you Yune's spirit gives her a preview of 3 seconds into the future." Fortunately, Moye, an absolute god, translated Montei's silent words.

"Precognition, huh." I jumped back. "I knew at least one person would have this spirit in this world."

After clashing a few times, I came up with something. If I did something completely arbitrary, then her precognition may not be able to keep up - this is what I remembered as Schrödinger's cat: before something random happened, no one would know what would happen. Of course, the easiest solution was Kanshou no Sakura.

I was proven wrong again. Yune knew where I went before I myself did every time I called for a rally.

"Well, looks like I'm cornered." I chuckled, slightly worn out after a lot of slashes.

"You still have your own spirit." Moye reminded me.

"Guess I have no choice but to rely on it again." I sighed and called for my spirit.

Much to my disappointment, I did not get something that would help me this time.

"Now I've burnt out my luck potion too, huh." I gave an awkward smile.

"Think, Reiken. If there's one advantage you have over people from this world, it would be knowledge from the future." Moye reminded me. "Technically, you have precognition too."

Think. What other strategy could I use from my world? I searched through my knowledge base; in just a few seconds, something popped up.

"Sorahoshi!" I charged in yet again, but before I finished the move, I added a second skill: Ryuuseigun.

"Checkmate," I said, the blunt edge of my sword pressing against Yune's neck.

"I surrender." Yune smiled and closed her eyes, and we were put back in our bodies.

"Why did she surrender? Is she going easy on that Reiken guy?" Of course, the crowd started to chit-chat - I was just some random "lucky guy" to them.

I wiped some sweat from my forehead. Opening my eyes, I saw Yune smiling at me, her eyes arching into two crescents.

"Uh… Yune-chan?" I smiled back nervously.

"I sensed danger that I knew I couldn't escape from, so I surrendered." Yune started. "If you're comfortable with it, please tell me how you won."

"Um…" I scratched my head.

"It's alright. Those plays come with experience; just telling her isn't revealing yourself." Moye said to me.

"Your spirit skill lets you see 3 seconds into the future, and it also calculates all possible situations. In a glance, it makes you invincible apart from situations where you couldn't dodge fast enough - which doesn't apply to me, as we are on the same skill level." I took a breath and explained. "However, that made me realize that even if you can see into the future, there are some things you cannot avoid. I set you up with a combination of a dash attack and a flurry attack. The first is to pass the 3 second time; the second is what's really blocking your path."

"If I'm correct, as soon as you step out of the field you created, your Hotaru no Yume deactivates. Because of the presence of the arena's dome, you can't extend your field further, meaning you can't step back in that situation. I then simply used a sword flurry to deny the area in front and to your sides."

In short, Yune, the "king", was backed into a side; I simply used my bishops and rooks to block off every path, resulting in a checkmate - just like in Chess.

"No wonder." Yune nodded, still smiling. "No wonder why you're so strong, Reiken-kun. But you could've just slit my throat, it wasn't like I'd really die from it; not to mention the fact that I could've easily retaliated and eliminated you."

"But you didn't, which means I won the bet." I smiled. "The bet of my trust."

"Miss Yune, the boss wants to see you right now to talk about your wedding." Yune's butler walked up to her and said.

"Okay." Yune looked at me for one last time. "I look forward to when we meet again, Reiken-kun."

Her smile stayed on her face as she walked away, but somehow, I feel - I know - that there was something she hid behind those dull eyes.

Before my train of thought went anywhere else, Moye woke me.

"Love at first sight? Reiken, I was wrong about you." Moye shook her head. "Wake the hell up. That girl left something for you."

"Huh?" I looked up. A butterfly-shaped card floated around and landed softly in my palm. I opened it.

Inside was a very pretty text printed in both Japanese and English that read:

"MiSter Reiken, I hope you hAVE tiME to attend my wedding with my lovely betrothed, Tenka Hayashi-sama. I look forward to your presence!"

Below were the date and place of her wedding. Some of the English letters were printed bolder than others.

"Do you see it too?" Moye asked.

"Yes." I closed the card. "Looks like we're in for some trouble."

And trouble it was, because the bolded text spelled out: "SAVE ME."

*Hotaru no Yume: 夏蝶の夢, literally "dream of the summer butterfly".