Slum Online by Hiroshi Sakurazaka

column in front of the saloon fell just at Tetsuo’s feet. The gravel-strewn ground dovetailed perfectly with the Old World feel of Sanchōme. The hollow was deep, but unless you were watching for it, you’d never have noticed Tetsuo’s height drop as he stepped into it. No wonder his knee-jab had missed.
    As a general rule, characters that held the high ground were at an advantage. Characters who found themselves in midair over a depression or low area took longer to hit the ground, which meant they were vulnerable to that many more attacks while airborne. And of course the opposite was true of characters hit over high ground: they landed sooner, exposing them to fewer attacks in the air. Midair combos dealt massive damage and could easily decide a fight, so holding the high ground was key.
    But the high ground came at a price. Since your arm needed to be able to reach behind your opponent to throw him, you had to get much closer to throw. The character who held the high ground also had a more difficult time landing normal hits on his opponent. A low sweep kick could miss because of the downward angle, and it wasn’t uncommon for attacks from a higher elevation to sail right over a crouching opponent’s head. Essentially, this was what had happened in Tetsuo’s fight against Ricky. The best way to handle the situation was to jump over your opponent and use moves that struck down from above, but you had to know what you were up against first.
    Ricky had deliberately lured Tetsuo to this spot.
    A sigh of understanding worked its way out of my lungs. Tetsuo had never stood a chance. I had always thought the people who spent their time in Sanchōme were subpar players who used it as a glorified chat room. Clearly, I had some rethinking to do.
    Tetsuo pushed open the doors of the saloon.
    The walls were dressed in the same dim textures they had worn when I was last here. A man in a black tuxedo crouched in a seat at the bar. The heavyweight bartender from my previous visit was nowhere to be seen, and there was no one else in the saloon. Tetsuo and the man in the tuxedo were alone.
    Tiny russet butterflies decorated his tie. He wore black leather shoes. A pair of purple cufflinks completed his outfit. I took him to be a lightweight jujutsuka.
    One of us had to break the ice, so I pulled out my keyboard.
    > Hi.
    > Good day, Tetsuo.
    > How do you know my name?
    > We met at the wall dividing Itchōme and Sanchōme.
     
    His facial texture looked familiar. This must have been the jujutsuka practicing E-rank jumps by the wall.
    > Weren’t you wearing a ninja outfit last time?
    > I was scouting. Shinobi attire would be out of place in an establishment such as this.
     
    He nodded his head knowingly, but his expression never changed. He seemed more a caricature of a ninja than anything, but I thought better of pointing that out. He continued.
    > Alas, you are too early. Ricky never comes before eleven.
    > I’m not here for a rematch.
    > Is that so?
     
    Tetsuo stood only three and a half steps from the ninja-cum-secret agent. Just out of dash-throw range. Dropping him into a battle stance, I shifted Tetsuo to the side, minimizing his exposed profile.
    > Who told you my name? And how did you know I fought Ricky? I never told anyone in the saloon who I was.
    > I made inquiries.
    > With who?
    > There is a certain individual who wears a button-down school uniform and high wooden clogs. I thought he might know who you were, so I went to the arena to ask. People seem to consider you a dark horse in the upcoming tournament, Tetsuo.
    > Why go to all that trouble?
    > I am ninja.
    > That’s not a reason.
    > You may not consider it a reason, but alas, it is the only one I have to offer. In this city, I am ninja. I collect meaningless information the way you engage in meaningless fights. A hobby of mine, nothing more.
    > I never said it was meaningless.
    > One man’s meaning is another man’s static.
    > True enough.
     
    I wanted to be the