Stephen Tsai wrote:

Richard Lawson wrote:

[...]

Kyosuke's mind spun in circles for a full minute under Ayukawa's
persistent gaze.  Finally, he had to admit the validity of her
observation.  Kazuya was going to pay, of that there was no doubt -
but Kyosuke was in no condition to fight him.  Maybe never was, a
fearful part of his mind said to him.  Kazuya had always been the
stronger ESPer, perhaps the strongest in the family.

Kazuya is probably more *proficient* and skillful with his powers
because he's had more practice, but there's no evidence in either
the manga or the anime (or even those Shin-KOR novels) that Kazuya
is *more powerful* than Kyosuke.  In fact, there's lots of evidence
to the contrary.

I initially read this as typical Kyousuke underconfidence.  He just
doesn't -act- or -think- like the strongest ESPer of his generation,
even though he (probably) -is-.

He was on the verge of drifting when a voice, so soft he barely
heard it, drifted into his ears.  "I was a mistake."

"Message in Rouge" (the only significant story w/ Ayukawa's parents
that I know of) doesn't support this.  It might be my interpretation,
and that one story alone isn't positive proof, but I never saw any
actual evidence of this in either the manga or anime.

This is the alternate universe, though, and all sorts of things have
changed -there-.  Just look at Komatsu and Hatta.  I didn't find it so
unbelievable.  (I was more worried that Kyousuke automatically assumed
the same would apply to his Madoka, actually... an assumption that
seems to be borne out by the end of the fic, unfortunately.)

[...]

Kazuya's relief was short-lived.  Various Kasugas entered the
office.  His twin cousins.  His father.  Two great-uncles.  And
his sister.  All looking at him warily.  And angrily.  They knew.

Let's see now...
Manami, Kurumi, Akane, his father, two grandpa-class guys...

No way.  No way in heck can Kazuya beat or even come close to
matching this group.  Hell, *Grandpa* at full strength ould be
hard-pressed to do so.

[more reasoning deleted]

Scott Shimmel suggests that it may be required for dramatic
necessity,

Actually, just to clarify, I don't.  That's just the only explanation
I could come up with that would allow Kazuya to win in that situation.
That's why I'd suggested making it just the twins and Akane.  (And the
elders could show up later to do the memory-wiping...)

I could believe that a more-practiced Kazuya could beat Akane (who has
little combat-useful power) and Manami (who has less practice than
anyone else in the family) and even Kurumi (who does have power and
practice but isn't bloodthirsty) all at once.  Maybe even his father,
too, thanks to the surprise, though that's pushing it.  More than
that, and I just can't buy it.

Kyosuke's mind was much more powerful than he'd thought.  Anger,
unchecked anger powered Kyosuke's thoughts, gave his
counterattacks devastating force.

Whoa, whoa, whoa...So Kazuya is so powerful, he can control
half-a-dozen ESPers, all of whom have as much or more
experience/power etc than Kyosuke, but Kyosuke alone can challenge
him?

Kyousuke is the hero. ^_^

Seriously... I'd agree that Kyousuke would be a major challenge for
Kazuya... but it seems to me that in this situation Kazuya just
wouldn't have anything left.  Kyousuke just performed a major feat?
Well, Kazuya just fought a protracted psychic battle against some very
powerful ESPers, and is still having to hold them captive.  If
Kyousuke is -that- angry, Kazuya is as good as dead.  (And mightn't
the elders break free while he's marshalling his remaining power to
fight Kyousuke?)

And as his panic and confusion grew, one of Kyosuke's attacks
broke through.  For just a second, Kyosuke had him and held him
still.

He should do a lot more than that, given that his "unchecked anger"
and what he's gone through.

This is true.  And just how is non-telepathic Kyousuke fighting off a
telepathic attack, come to think of it?

"Home?"  She shook her head.  "I left my door open.  My home's
surely been ransacked.  My only choice would be to go back to my
parents, and what kind of choice is that?"  She sighed.  "What is it
that gentlemen wish?  What would they have?  Is life so dear, or
peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and
slavery?"  She shook her head.  "May almighty God forbid."

Statistically speaking, it's highly unlikely Madoka is a Christian
(referring to her last line).  Shinto and Buddism are the two
dominate religions in Japan.

She's quoting, though.  Shakespeare?

[...]

Who was "she"?  Given that this is a parallel universe (that
apparently has no Madoka), it's quite plausible that there might not
be a Hikaru either.

Well, with no Madoka, Sayuri was never interested, I'd assume... so
that leaves Hikaru or... um, the other girl whose name I forget.  His
childhood friend.  Though if it were that other girl, that would be an
interesting twist...

I missed this the first time, but "...such a thing as ESP"?  Is this
universe also a universe where Kasuga has no power?

Looks like it.

Stephen Tsai        |Kimagure Orange College #39

#39 is being quoted?  Hope to see it soon. ^_^


Scott Schimmel                http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~schimmel/
Ex ignorantia ad sapientium;  "You really aren't normal, are you?"
ex luce ad tenebras.              -- Miki Koishikawa