Speaking of Kazuya Hyodo, he is the second son of Kazutaka Hyodo, the chairman of Teiai Group, who stands in Kaiji's way. He first appeared in "Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji," when Kaiji and Muraoka were playing a gambling game called "17 Steps." He lent Kaiji money, and made an unreasonable deal with him: if he lost, he would repay with his body. Later, impressed by Kaiji's victory over Muraoka, he challenges Kaiji to a game of his own. Kazuya's novel "Swords Over Love" appears in the story. It expresses Kazuya's values and the true nature of humanity, but it's surprisingly interesting regardless of its relevance to the story. This time, we'll introduce Kazuya's debut work, "Swords Over Love."
1. Was Kazuya's distrust of people what motivated him to become a novelist?
Kazuya Hyodo is the son of Kazutaka Hyodo, chairman of the Teiai Group. Naturally, he was born into wealth and surrounded by people who cared about him. Growing up in such an environment, Kazuya understood that others were only concerned about him because of his father's influence, and he felt a sense of loneliness and emptiness, not knowing what others thought of him. Eventually, he was betrayed by everyone he considered his friends, and from then on, he stopped believing in people's goodness or virtue. This distrust of people was the catalyst that shaped Kazuya's current values. From Kazuya's perspective, the true essence of human beings is self-interest and self-preservation.
But one day, Kazuya decided to become a writer. His reason for this was a desire to be recognized for his own efforts, not by his parents' influence. This led to the writing of his debut novel, "Swords Over Love."
2. "Swords Over Love" is based on a gambling game that Kazuya actually played.
Kaiji also reads "Swords Over Love" in the story. While the writing is amateurish, it has been praised for its compelling realism. This realism is possible because "Swords Over Love" is a novel based on a gambling game that Kazuya actually played. If you've actually seen it with your own eyes, no matter how poor your writing skills, you'll be able to describe it in a way that only someone who's seen it can.
3. "Swords Over Love" is about the punishment of a man and woman who default on their debts.
From here, I'll go into more detail about "Swords Over Love." The story begins with a man and a woman who owe money to a yakuza boss and try to run away after stealing some money. However, they are unable to escape and are caught by the boss, who then imposes a punishment on them.
The punishment involves the man and woman entering two boxes, each with two holes in the feet and five in the torso, for inserting swords. Nine swords and nine iron plates are used for the punishment. Each man and woman take turns stabbing a sword into any part of their body they like. If they're lucky, an iron plate will be found in the exact spot they stabbed, saving them. Otherwise, the sword will pierce their body. The game ends when all nine swords have been stabbed. If they're lucky, they'll be able to insert all of the swords into the iron plates.
4. As the punishment is carried out, the true nature of humanity is revealed!
At first, the man asks the woman to stab him with a sword to protect her. This represents their love, but the situation changes completely once the sword penetrates the man's body. In such intense pain, he forgets to protect the woman and asks her to stab him instead. From this point on, it becomes a horrible battle of self-interest. Desperate for survival, each man continues to stab the other, no longer filled with love between them. In times of such desperation, love and trust easily crumble, revealing the true essence of selfishness and self-preservation.
Summary
Kazuya's "Swords Over Love" is briefly read by Kaiji before moving on to the next chapter, but it not only contains Kazuya's values, but also offers a glimpse into the essential human qualities we all share. If you're interested in "Swords Over Love" after reading this, I recommend reading it separately from Kaiji.
