Episode 5: A Fraud and a Hero

## A Fraud and a Hero

**A Fraud and a Hero** (イカサマとヒーロー *Ika-sama to Hiro*) is the fifth episode of Season 1 in the Nanbaka anime and the fifth episode overall.

## Synopsis

Uno continues his match against Honey and Trois and ultimately wins. Hajime Sugoroku and Nico face against Samon Gokuu, Qi and Upa in the following Spinning-top round.

## Summary

Despite having been losing thus far, Uno surprises Trois by managing to take some cards. Honey trades places with the latter, but he too fails to take the cards before Uno who explains that he managed to read Honey's body language to figure out which card he was about to select. His mockery of Honey causes him to lose his temper, believing that Uno has cheated; Trois quickly trades places with him before he can become any angrier. He denies having any habits that give him away, but Uno manages to take the cards before him once again while explaining his habits. Continuing to gloat, Uno continues to dominate the game. Elsewhere, Nico leaves the stand to retrieve his medicine and encounters someone who appears to be floating on his way back to the arena. Panicking, he flees back to the others, leaving his medicine behind.

Back in the arena, Uno announces his desire to build a game room in Nanba Prison before going on to win the match. As the watching guards discuss it, a distressed Nico tries to tell Hajime Sugoroku that he saw someone floating, but he is ignored. Mitsuru Hitokoe announces the rules for the penultimate event of the New Year’s Tournament, a top spinning match with man-sized tops. He then introduces the teams - Hajime vs. Samon Gokuu and Kiji Mitsuba vs. Kenshirou Yozakura - offending all four of them with his comments. Samon enters the arena with inmates Upa and Qi; Nico recognizes Upa as the person he saw floating and drags Hajime down to the arena with him in the hopes of proving it. This causes Mitsuru to assume Hajime is participating, leaving him with no choice but to do so.

The match begins with Samon ordering Upa and Qi to attack Hajime in the hopes of outnumbering him. However, they are prevented from doing so by‌ Nico, who berates them for their “cowardly” actions of attempting to fight two-on-one. Up in the stands, Jyugo, Rock and Uno become concerned about the outcome of the match and prepare to censor material should the time call for it. Upa belittles Nico and suggests that he and Qi defeat him, but Qi forfeits the match in favour of taking a nap, much to Upa’s irritation. He dodges another attack from‌ Nico, who then requests that he teaches him how to float as well. Angered by his comments, Upa insists that Nico is too weak to be taught his Qigong, but only further intrigues the otaku; Nico responds by attacking him with a powerful kick to try and change his mind.

Meanwhile, Samon attacks Hajime claiming that he is doing so slimply out of a personal dislike for him. They engage in battle while Momoko Hyakushiki admires Hajime's movements from the stands. Hajime tries to refuse to fight Samon and opts for going after the spinning top; Upa aims a powerful Qigong attack at Hajime and tells Samon to focus, his abilities exciting Nico even further. He begs Upa to teach him and attacks him, his movements reminding Upa of that of Liang's from his fight with Rock; Nico claims that he copied it after thinking it looked cool. From the stands, Jyugo, Rock and Uno discuss how easily influenced Nico is while his increasingly powerful attacks confuse Upa. Qi suggests that he makes Nico his disciple, and Upa reveals that that was going to be his prize for winning the tournament. Nico reveals that he himself wants a video game console. Upa mocks this goal and attacks him once more, but agrees to think about becoming his master if he beats him.

Samon continues to fight Hajime despite his resistance and states that he thinks he's been lying to Momoko about his inmates. Angered by his constant questions, Hajime begins fighting him seriously and ultimately beats him by throwing the giant spinning top at him; simultaneously, Upa attacks Nico with a powerful blast of qi only for the latter to copy the technique and defeat him with it, winning the round for building thirteen. In another arena, Kiji loses his battle against Kenshirou leading buildings thirteen and four to advance to the next round.

## Character Appearances

* Momoko Hyakushiki
* Rock
* Uno
* Nico
* Jyugo
* Hajime Sugoroku
* Samon Gokuu
* Yamato Godai
* Inori Hakkai
* Liang
* Seitarou Tanabata
* Kiji Mitsuba
* Honey
* Trois
* Mitsuru Hitokoe
* Upa
* Kenshirou Yozakura
* Qi
* Musashi