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Thank you all for reviewing, thank you for suggesting what should happen in this chapter and thank you for the continued support~ It always makes my day to see people enjoy my works~
Chapter 11: A slow realization…
A simple blank space is all Shin saw, as he finally started coming to.
Strangely enough, Shin felt as if his body was floating. Trying to move, nothing happened. He tried to look around, but all he saw was white. Even his body wasn't visible, although he could still feel it.
"That's it sweetie~" a gentle voice echoed in the void, getting the young boys attention. He still couldn't see anything, but he heard the voice speak again. "Come on little man, you can do it~"
Suddenly, the blank space turned into an unfamiliar room.
The first thing Shin saw, was a baby. A baby, probably around a year old, wearing a light blue onesie. Taking a wild guess by the color of the onesie, Shin thought it was a baby boy, currently laying on his belly.
"What are you even trying to do Kyoko?" a male voice suddenly said, making Shin glance at the source.
Stood in front of the door to the room, were two people.
The first was a woman, wearing a sky blue cardigan over a plain T-Shirt, gray sweatpants and slippers. She was currently in a crouching position, holding out her arms toward the baby, seemingly calling him toward her.
However, her face was seemingly covered by her wavy blonde hair. Most of it anyways. Shin could still see the smile on her lips, as well as her flawless skin.
Behind her, stood a tall man with a lean build. His attire consisted of blue shirt, black slacks and shoes. He had short black hair which was slicked back, however his face wasn't recognizable.
That was due to the fact that it was blackened out. Shin was wondering why, but he still couldn't make much sense of the current situation, so he decided to just observe the interaction, only attributing the voices he heard to these two people.
"I'm trying to make him take his first steps darling" the woman's voice resounded, however Shin didn't see her mouth move at all. "He was trying to stand just as I came in here, and I'm not leaving until I see my baby at least wobble on those little legs!" the woman spoke, staring intently at her, apparent, baby.
"Kyoko, he's hasn't even turned one year old..." the man sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Even I couldn't walk when I was his age. I don't think he will-"
"He's doing it, he's doing it, he's doin' it!" the woman suddenly cut him off, chanting excitedly like a child. Shin's vision shifted back to the baby.
The baby was now on all fours, trying his best to push himself upright, all the while his little legs seemed to be just about to give out. And then, the baby managed to push himself on his feet, causing the woman to clap her hands happily.
"That's it sweetie! Now come to mommy~!" the woman cheered, extending her arms toward the baby once again.
The baby extended his own little hands, mumbling baby things, and began slowly stepping toward the woman, who by now seemed to radiate excitement.
But it didn't really last, as the baby stumbled after a few steps and fell face first on the floor, almost immediately beginning to cry. Of course, the woman, quick as a lightning, picked the baby up and cradled him in her arms.
"Oh don't cry baby~" she said softly, almost immediately calming the baby down. "Come on, let's go get your rubber duckies ready for the bath, how about that~?" the baby released a little laugh, something the woman took as a 'yes', and swiftly made her way out of the room.
The man was left alone, scratching his head in confusion.
And that's where the tape seemed to end, as Shin's vision turned black. The boy having one final thought, before slipping into unconsciousness once more.
'What was that…?'
In the real world, Shin was once again inside the infirmary, soundly asleep on one of the beds. He has been in that place for a little over two days now.
Two days since his duel against Pegasus, and over 48 hours that he has been asleep for. As soon as he collapsed after the duel, he was brought to the infirmary so Emi could check on his condition.
There was a debate over what should actually be done in this situation, as to whether he should stay on the island, or be brought to the main land, but a call from a certain CEO made Samejima keep Shin on the island under Emi's supervision, the option of sending Shin to the main land only available should his condition suddenly worsen.
However, although Shin was under Emi's supervision, there was one person who was in his room almost as much as the nurse.
Sitting on a chair placed next to Shin's bed, was none other than Obelisk's top female student, Asuka Tenjoin. And she was currently following Shin's example, sleeping on the side of his bed.
Though she wasn't alone.
A little further away, were Shin's three male friends in the form of Judai, Misawa and Sho, all asleep on some chairs. Well, Misawa and Sho were, as Judai was sleeping on the floor, his feet being the only thing on the chair.
These four have been in Shin's room ever since he collapsed, with Asuka being the only one to actually spend the night with him, Emi only allowing it because she saw something between the two even they didn't see yet. As for the other three, they came around in the early morning, and probably fell asleep waiting for Asuka or Shin to wake up.
Ryou dropped by once, to see if Shin was alright, but didn't stay long as Judai challenged him to duel almost immediately. They agreed to duel later today by the cliffside, since Chronos would most definitely not allow an official duel.
Not to mention Ryou and Asuka didn't want to give Chronos another reason to pick on Judai, especially with Shin out of commission.
In the silence filled room, the sound of the door sliding open was heard, as Emi stepped inside.
She glanced at the sleeping teens, a little smile forming on her face. But, since she was here now, she needed to wake them up in order to get ready for classes.
Placing her clipboard on her desk, she clapped her hands loudly, snapping Sho and Misawa awake, while Judai was snoring away on the floor, and Asuka didn't give any sign of waking up either.
"-Huh…?" Misawa mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Looking around, he saw Sho doing the same, the other three sleeping and Emi looking at them from her desk.
"It's almost time for you kids to go class" Emi said, going over to Asuka and beginning to shake her slightly. The girl finally seemed to stir awake, slowly opening her eyes soon after. Raising her body, her first reaction was to glance at Shin's face, hoping he was awake. But her face dropped upon seeing nothing has changed yet. Emi noticed Asuka's face and gave her shoulder a light squeeze.
"I get that you're worried for him Asuka-san, but he'll be just fine I promise" she reassured. "Now it's time you kids get ready for class" she said, glancing at every students bar Shin. Sho just managed to wake Judai up, so he heard it as well. "If it were after me, I'd let you stay here with your friend, but I'm not the one making the rules."
"Man...I don't wanna go to class" Judai mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.
"I don't really want to either but I don't want to deal with detention for skipping either" Sho answered, stretching his arms a bit.
"Don't you two already have detention for sleeping in class?" Misawa asked, causing both Judai and Sho to sweatdrop. "You two really are something else..." he sighed, standing up and heading toward the door. "See you all in class" he called, taking one last glance at Shin, before leaving the room.
Judai and Sho were about to follow, until Judai glanced at Asuka who was still looking at Shin.
"He'll be fine Asuka" he said, making her glace at him. "I don't know when, but I have a feeling he'll wake up soon."
Asuka didn't say anything, but glanced at the dual haired boy once more. She then stood up and wordlessly left the room.
The people left in the room looked at the door in silence.
"She really hasn't been herself since Shin-kun fell unconscious" Emi mumbled, making the boys look at her. "She barely talked with anyone for the past two days, and when she isn't here she's cooped up in her room..."
"I really hope Shin would just wake up already" Judai said, glancing at the sleeping boy. "He's probably the reason Asuka's like this. It's really weird seeing her like this..."
"Maybe his cards know something?" Sho suggested, referring to Shin's Duel Spirits. While not one to actually believe in this stuff, after Shin made the Dark Magician Girl seemingly become real through the mirror a couple days ago, he's changed his mind a little.
"His spirits huh…?" Judai mumbled, looking at Shin's two decks and duel disk, placed on the nightstand next to his bed. He then shook his head. "Haven't heard any of them at all. Anyway, let's go Sho. I don't want Chronos on my case again" Judai said, before hurrying out of the door, followed by Sho.
Left alone, Emi looked at Shin, raising an eyebrow.
'Wonder what those two were talking about...' she thought, deciding to ignore it for the moment, seating herself at her desk. She then began checking through some other papers on her desk.
"Ughh.." Shin groaned, having come to once more. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by a somewhat familiar marble ceiling. Raising his body, he was surprised to see the big hall he was currently in, as well as the velvet red bed he was sleeping on.
Getting out of bed, he looked around, seeing no one else present.
"This...is the Duel Spirit Realm isn't it?" he asked himself while looking at the various decoration inside the hall.
Walking out, he entered a garden of sorts, a fence made from hedges outlining said garden. As he walked about, he heard voices coming from over the fence.
"Mana, I keep telling you. Shin will be fine. So please stop pacing around so much. You're actually beginning to make me dizzy"Shin heard the voice belonging to Dark Magician say, followed by the unmistakable voice of Dark Magician Girl.
"How can I be calm, Master?! He's been unconscious for two days, and I can't get him to wake up no matter what I try! It's like something is keeping him unconscious!"she exclaimed.
"Of course you would think that my student" Dark Magician said. By now, Shin had managed to find the gate leading to where the two were conversing, deciding to hide behind it for the time being. "Shin will be just fine. The reason you couldn't reach him is because he was inside his own mindscape."
"His mindscape?" DMG asked confused. "Why would he be there? And why for so long?"
"There are a lot of reasons for that. But-" the magician spoke, only to stop abruptly, immediately glancing at the gate Shin was standing behind. Letting a smile form on his face, he spoke again. "Why don't you come out? Dark Magician Girl needs the peace of mind" he said, making Dark Magician Girl tilt her head to the side, before glancing back.
"Well, looks like my surprise is ruined~" Shin said, stepping through the gate while rubbing the back of his head. "I thought I could scare you guys but I guess- guh?!"he didn't even get to finish, before a blur of blonde and blue smashed against him, sending him on the ground.
"I was worried out of my mind for the past two days while you were unconscious! You've scared me enough you idiot!" Dark Magician Girl yelled, clinging desperately to Shin's torso, small tears in her eyes. Seeing this, Shin gained a big sweatdrop on his face.
"A-Ah..I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you like that..." he apologized sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Of course you didn't..." she mumbled, placing her head on his chest. Hearing her sad tone, Shin began stroking her hair. The two remained in this position for a while, Dark Magician watching from a little further away.
A few minutes later, Dark Magician released a little sigh before talking once more.
"I understand that you missed him Mana, but can you continue this in the bedroom? I'm fairly certain we have other things to attend to" he said, hiding a smirk as Dark Magician Girl quickly got back to her feet.
"Master!"she exclaimed, her face burning red from embarrassment, causing the Dark Magician to chuckle lightly.
"I certainly enjoy it when the tables are turned~" Shin giggled from the ground, quickly shutting up as his Partner looked down on him with a glint in her eyes.
"Oh you better enjoy it, Shi-chan..." she smirked "Because you'll be too busy for it when we get back~" the she licked her lips made Shin gulp, a little sweatdrop appearing on his face.
Of course, Dark Magician clearing his throat loudly snapped their attention back to him.
"Now if you two can keep it in your pants for a few minutes" he began, the two partners blushing beet red in response. "Shin, what's the last thing you remember before fainting?"
"U-Uhh..." Shin stammered a bit, trying to remember. "I...I got hit by TER's direct attack, right? After that everything is just a big blank" he explained, surprising the two magicians. However, Shin suddenly opened his eyes wide. "Wait a second! The duel! Did I get disqualified?! Did I lose?! Did-"
"Calm down Shin." Dark Magician's simple command stopped Shin's panicked state. "You don't have to worry about the duel. You won" he said, causing Shin to look at him surprised.
"Wait, I won? But how?" the boy asked.
"You really don't remember?" Dark Magician Girl questioned, making Shin shake his head. She then glanced at Dark Magician, who seemed to contemplate something.
"Okay, I'm obviously out of the loop here" Shin said, looking at the two in front of him. "Can someone fill me in?"
"I think you'll learn in due time, Shin" Dark Magician said, making Shin even more confused. "It may have been your other self taking over, or it could have been something else entirely, but bottom line is that you stood up, and finished the duel."
"Really…?" Shin mumbled to himself, shaking his head slightly. "Well, at least I managed to win the duel somehow, so I won't be expelled~ And hey, now Judai and Sho won't have to face expulsion either so that's-"
""Shin-sama/Master!""
*CRASH* *THUD*
Shin was interrupted by two female voices and before he could even turn his head in the direction of said voices, he was tackled off his feet, landing on the ground with a thud.
"We were so worried about you Master!" Eatos exclaimed, her and Silent Magician LV8 clinging to Shin's torso for dear life. Once again, Shin gained a considerable sweatdrop on his face.
"She's right! Just collapsing out of the blue like that and then being unconscious for two whole days...we thought you'd never wake up!" Silent Magician added, small tears visible in her eyes.
'I'm starting to see a pattern here...' Shin thought awkwardly, feeling the two spirits tighten their hold on him. 'Please don't tell me these two are following in Mana's footsteps...It's not like I wouldn't mind, but I appreciate a real girlfriend too...not to mention I don't think I could handle this kind of thing...a harem, I think it's called...' he sweatdropped, patting the two on the head, which was a little awkward as both were wearing pretty big hats, Silent Magician having her regular hat and Eatos wearing her eagle-head.
"Alright you two, that's enough!" Dark Magician Girl exclaimed, pulling the two off of Shin, surprising the boy with her strength. "Shi-chan just woke up so don't go smashing into him like that!" she reprimanded, making the two spirits gain a little sweatdrop.
"You did the exact same thing not even 10 minutes ago, Mana" Dark Magician deadpanned, making Dark Magician Girl blush in embarrassment, while Shin chuckled soundlessly.
"T-That's different!" she exclaimed, making Dark Magician chuckle, while the other three sat down next to each other, watching the two magicians go back and forth.
"Different? Oh, please elaborate my dear student" Dark Magician smirked lightly, making his student blush more.
"Y-You already know why!" she answered, before looking back at the boy. "I'm the only spirit girlfriend you need Shi-chan!"
"Shin isn't a spirit like us, Mana" Dark Magician sighed. "Shin is a human. That means he'll also need a human lover."
"I can make a real body though" the female magician said, making her teacher shake his head.
"That may be, however it only lasts for so long. What if you two have an offspring?" he said, causing both Shin and Dark Magician Girl to do a spit take, their faces turning red as tomatoes. Nevertheless, Dark Magician continued. "You'd need to maintain a real body 24/7, while also nurturing the growing baby. I'm afraid such a thing is simply impossible."
"M-Master! Why do you always embarrass me like that?! How did it even come to b-b-babies?! I never said anything about that!" the blonde magician shrieked, steam seemingly coming out of her ears.
"Well, Dark Magician is right about one thing. Master will still need to find a human girlfriend" Eatos said, throwing in her two cents. At this point, Shin spoke up.
"Okay, how did this turn into my getting a girlfriend?!" the boy exclaimed, his face still red. "Maybe I don't even want to get a girlfriend! Maybe..M-Maybe I like boys, ever thought about that?!" his question, made everyone look at him weirdly, causing him to sweatdrop and regret his choice of words.
"Y-You...really?" Dark Magician Girl was...pretty speechless, to say the least. But then, a look of realization crossed her face. "Well, now that I think about it...You are surrounded by hot girls and I've yet to see any reaction...You're definitely of the right age...And you do seem to care a whole lot about that Judai fellow...Do you really swing that way?!" she exclaimed shocked.
"No, I don't actually swing that way dammit! That was a joke!" Shin answered immediately, his face back to blushing beet red.
"Oh...well you could've certainly fooled me~" his partner giggled, sticking her tongue out at Shin. Shin crossed his arms and begun grumbling to himself, so with a smirk, DMG quickly appeared behind him and draped her arms over his shoulders. "Oh don't pout like that Shi-chan~" she then leaned in his ear, the boy feeling her hot breath. "You can show me just how straight you are when we're alone~" she whispered, Shin feeling a shiver going down his spine.
"N-No thanks..." he answered, looking at his partner cautiously, making her pout.
"Course you wouldn't...Bet you wouldn't mind showing that Asuka girl though..." she mumbled, making Shin do a double take, his face lighting up like Rudolph's nose.
"I-I don't l-like Asuka-chan like that!" he said, though his stutter was a dead giveaway that he thought something else deep down. "S-She's just a good friend!"
"A friend you went through a great deal of troubles for" Dark Magician quipped from the side, making Shin blush a little darker.
"W-well...that's what friends are for.." he mumbled, as Dark Magician Girl smirked knowingly.
"Well, whether you realize it yet or not, you two are a little closer than 'just friends'~" she sang, before an idea popped in her mind. "Now that I think about it, I wouldn't really mind if you two get together. She's certainly rocking it in all the right places, if you know what I mean~" she giggled perversely, making Shin look at her with a deadpan look.
"And you were talking about me?" he said, making DMG stuck her tongue out childishly.
"I'm bicurious~" she answered simply, making Shin raise an eyebrow. But he ignored it, having known Dark Magician Girl for far too long to question it at this point.
"Anyway..." the boy began, looking back up. "Does anyone know why I'm actually here?" he asked the most important question, making the girls finally realize that a human was in the Duel Spirit Realm.
"Ah yes, the reason you were brought here" Dark Magician noted, bringing the attention to him. "You see, you have a mission Shin."
"A mission…?" Shin questioned confused. Dark Magician simply pointed upward. Shin looked up, only for his eyes to widen.
Up in the sky, a dark vortex was beginning to form, turning the clear blue sky into a mix a blue and purple. The most curious fact, were the ominous whisks of energy extending from the vortex across the sky.
"What...is that?" he mumbled, looking at the different colored whisks, snaking their way around in the sky.
"A darkness that is slowly creeping into our world" Dark Magician Girl answered. "Do you remember Doma?" she questioned, Shin immediately perking up.
"Doma? You mean Dartz?" he asked, receiving a nod from his partner. Then, he opened his eyes wide. "Then, does that mean that thing in the sky is the Leviathan again?!"
"Fortunately, no" Dark Magician was quick to put Shin's worries to rest. However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. "However, it doesn't mean that this threat is that much better. There's still some time before the Beasts are revived, which means there's still a chance to prevent it."
"Hold on...Beasts? What Beasts?" he asked, his partner answering once again.
"There are three monsters that were sealed away in the past, due to their dark power. A power that's fueled by stealing our power. If the Beasts are reborn, they will just keep sapping our power until we have nothing left. And when that happens, you can be that what happened with the Leviathan will happen again. Same outcome, different harbingers" Dark Magician Girl said seriously.
"And how do I stop it?" Shin answered in the same tone. To his surprise however, his Partner shook her head.
"This task isn't just yours Shi-chan" she said, raising seven fingers up. "The beasts were sealed behind seven gates, which means that there need to be six other people alongside you. Well, if a Gate chooses you in the first place." at this, Shin began scratching his head.
"Then what is my 'mission'?" he asked.
In response to his question, Dark Magician stood up from the chair he had been sitting in the entire time, and went over to a little pond Shin just noticed. He then motioned the boy over.
Once Shin was standing next to the magician, he waved his hand over the water, creating a ripple in it. And soon, three stone tablets appeared instead of their reflections. Shin tired to make out the images carved on the tablets, but he soon realized he knew no monster that fit the bill. However, the duel spirits knew full well what these monsters were.
"These, are the Wicked Gods" Dark Magician stated, making Shin's eyes open wide.
"Wicked...Gods? 'Gods' as in, the Egyptian Gods?" he asked, receiving a nod in return.
"Indeed. While the Egyptian Gods are the protectors of our world, the Wicked Gods seek to destroy both our world, as well as your world" the magician said, as the reflection switched from showing stone tablets, to showing six shadows, three of which were unknown to Shin. However the other three…
"Aren't those...the Egyptian Gods?" the boy asked, upon seeing the familiar shapes facing off against the three unknowns.
"The Wicked Gods were originally planned to be counter measures, for keeping the Egyptian Gods' power in check. However, Pegasus soon came to realize that it was pointless, and stopped their production" Dark Magician said, as the reflection changed once again, this time showing the supposed 'Wicked Gods' standing in dark flames. "However, the Wicked Gods had already awakened, but since their cards were never created, they remained sealed deep within the Realm of Darkness, which the Millennium Items are connected to."
"And what am I supposed to do?" Shin asked, as the images in the water disappeared, being replaced by their normal reflections.
"Prepare." was Dark Magician's simple answer, confusing Shin.
"Prepare? For what?" he asked, as Dark Magician glanced at him seriously.
"For the arrival of the Wicked Gods" he said, making Shin's eyes widen in surprise. "I don't know all the details, but someone must've finished the creation of the Wicked God cards. Now, the Gods have left the Realm they were once sealed in. And now that they have someone who possesses the cards, they will go after what created them." he pointed at Shin. Specifically… "Your Millennium Item."
[What?!] Shin, along with all three of his Duel Spirits exclaimed in shock. Dark Magician simply nodded his head.
"You possessing the Millennium Pendant makes you their target Shin. I don't know when, but you will face off against these monsters."
Shin was silent, looking at his Millennium Item, as a bead of sweat rolled down his face. It never usually happened before, but as of late, everything concerning Shin has begun becoming really serious. And now to be told that the evil versions of the Egyptian Gods were coming after him, really put him on the edge.
As if sensing the boy's turmoil, Dark Magician placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it reassuring squeeze.
"You shouldn't start worrying as of yet" he said, making Shin look back at him. "The Wicked Gods still need time to recover their power, from being sealed away for so long. So chances are, they won't show up for a while to come. Besides, strong as these gods may be, as long as you have your friends there to help you, you'll be fine. Trust me."
While not completely relieved, it did make Shin's racing heart calm down for a bit. He still had some time, before he needed to worry about these Wicked Gods, which meant he could finally spend some time relaxing with his friends, before things got serious again.
"Well, if that's the case, then I guess I can chill for a while" Shin chuckled slightly. "Alright, but now I want to hear some more about these 'Beasts'."
"I'm certain you'll learn all the detail in due time, Shin" Dark Magician said, returning to his seat once again.
"Okay...then, was that all?" Shin questioned, receiving a simple nod from the master magician. "Alright...now, how do I leave?" he asked, looking around. His female spirits looked at each other, before Dark Magician Girl raised a finger.
"Do you feel any different right now Shi-chan?" she asked, as Shin looked at himself. He then shook his head slightly. "Nothing different huh? Hmm, then try to imagine waking up from a dream."
"Wait what? Why?" the boy asked confused.
"Well, you collapsed after your duel with Pegasus. You've been unconscious in the real world for about two days now, and since you're here, I'm guessing your conscious is finally starting to come back. So try to 'wake up' and maybe you'll finally wake up in the real world~"
"How do I 'wake up', while being awake?" Shin asked.
"I dunno just...Uhh, Master?" Dark Magician Girl turned to her master, who raised a single finger.
"Imagine you're having a bad dream. You don't know it's a dream, and yet to know when to wake up. Or just think of something in the real world, and focus on it. Focus on wanting to see that something, while having the thought of waking up in the back of your mind, and when you open your eyes again, you should be back in the real world. Go ahead, try it" the magician instructed.
Nodding his head slightly, Shin took a step away from his partner and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he began thinking of things back in the real world. Although the list was kinda short, as he didn't really have anything besides the things he had back at the academy.
Though as he focused on picking something to focus on, he began hearing a familiar voice. It was slightly muffled however, so he tried to focus more on the voice, which gradually became louder and clearer.
And suddenly, light filled his vision.
Inside Chronos' class, Judai and Sho were trying their best to keep from falling asleep as usual, while Misawa was paying full attention to the teacher. However, in the Obelisk stand, Asuka was still out of it, simply staring into the distance.
Her Obelisk friends tried to snap her out of it, in order to understand why she was so unreceptive, but she simply brushed them off.
"Asuka-san has been really out of it for the past few days..." an Obelisk girl mumbled, getting the attention of one of her friends.
"Of course she has. Didn't you hear? She's been spending her time in the infirmary ever since that kid Shin collapsed after his duel" her friend whispered, confusing the first girl.
"What does that have to do with Asuka-san being like this?" girl#1
"Hello? She's been spending almost all her time there. Ayukawa-sensei said she even slept there once." girl#2
"Really?" girl#1 whispered surprised. "She must really care about him, huh?"
"Obviously. Haven't you seen how close they are? She hangs out with him more than she does with Kaiser Ryo, and that's saying something" girl#2
"Do you think...they're hiding something?" girl#1
"Well, I saw the two all alone on the beach last week. And they left while holding hands, so maybe..." girl#2 said, glancing at Asuka, who was oblivious to the conversation happening right behind her.
A little further away, sat Manjoume who heard the discussion, and was currently clenching his fist tightly.
'Lies!' he exclaimed in his mind. 'I refuse to believe Tenjoin-kun cares so much about someone like him!'
'I spent months trying to make Tenjoin-kun fall for me, and now this kid comes in and she's immediately all over him?! This doesn't make any sense! Why would she even care so much about him? It's only been two weeks, not to mention he's an obvious trouble maker! So why? Why does she prefer his company over mine?!' he raged, glancing at Asuka, only to grit his teeth in frustration, upon noticing the melancholic expression on Asuka's face.
'Grr...that's it!' Manjoume thought, as a last ditch method to make Asuka fall for him popped in his mind. 'As soon as that punk is back on his feet, I'll challenge him to a duel! It will be payback time for all the things he's done to both Torimaki and Mototani, and I'll finally impress Tenjoin-kun by showing her I'm better than him!'
As he was thinking that, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. It also snapped the two Slifer boys awake, as they failed in keeping awake during Chronos' boring lecture.
Almost as soon as the bell rang, Asuka stood up from her seat, and began descending the stairs, making people raise an eyebrow at the hurry in her step.
"Asuka wait!" Judai called after the blonde, causing her to stop and glance back at him. "Heading to the Infirmary again?" he asked, to which Asuka gave a short nod.
"Are you coming too?" she asked simply.
"Oh hey you can still talk~" Judai grinned, rubbing the back of his head, which he then shook. "I'll leave Shin to you. I need to get to the cliff for...you know" he said, glancing at Chronos who was too busy packing his stuff.
Asuka nodded her head once more, and swiftly made her way out of the room.
"Are you sure you want to do this Judai?" Misawa asked, approaching the two Slifers. "You may be talented but taking on the top student after just two weeks...well, you're definitely challenging someone way above your league" the black haired boy stated simply. However, Judai simply shrugged.
"Don't worry Misawa. I know what I'm doing" he said, giving Misawa a subtle wink, before turning to Sho, who fell asleep once more. "C'mon Sho wake up. We gotta get to the cliff" he said while dragging Sho from his seat and out the door.
Left alone, Misawa sighed. He then decided to head back to his the yellow dorm, letting Asuka take care of Shin. That, and he also wanted to see how Judai's duel went, seeing an opportunity to find any weakness in the Kaiser's deck.
Inside the Infirmary, Emi was busy checking Shin for any unwanted changes to his condition.
"Hmm, no fever so that's good..." she noted, placing her hand on his forehead. She then grabbed a stethoscope from her desk and placed it on his chest, listening carefully for a few moments.
"Everything sounds just fine." nodding her head, she placed the stethoscope back, sat down in her chair and began searching through the drawer of her desk. She then pulled out a bag of clear liquid, which she took to the IV stand next to Shin's bed.
Quickly changing the IV solution, she returned to her desk and began filling some papers from her clipboard. But as she did that, she suddenly heard the door slide open.
"Ah, Asuka-san" Emi greeted, seeing the Queen of Obelisk enter the infirmary. Said girl bowed her head slightly, before looking at the boy asleep behind the nurse.
"Still nothing?" she asked quietly, making Emi shake her head slowly.
"I'm afraid not, Asuka-san. No change whatsoever..." the nurse said, looking back at her papers.
Asuka's face dropped slightly, hearing there was still no change. Thus, she made her way over to his bed, and sat down on the same chair she's been sat on ever since Shin's been brought here.
"Why won't you wake up already Shin-kun..." Asuka mumbled, looking at Shin's peaceful face. Getting no response, she sighed silently, reaching over and brushing some of Shin's golden locks out of his eyes.
As Asuka was doing that, Emi gathered some of her papers, and stood up. She then turned to Asuka.
"Asuka-san, I need to go speak to the Principal. Could you keep an eye on Shin-kun while I'm gone?" she asked.
"Of course" Asuka nodded her head, releasing a silent breath. "Not like anything will change..." she mumbled sadly, making Emi furrow her eyebrows.
"Don't be so pessimistic about this Asuka-san. See the good side of things~" the nurse said, trying to cheer Asuka up. Said girl glanced back with a raised eyebrow.
"And what's that?" she questioned blankly.
"He's just unconscious. It it was a coma, then I'd understand the depression, but with this, he's bound to wake up soon. Even in extreme cases, one can only sleep for so long" Emi explained, looking at Shin. "Call it a nurses intuition, but I'm almost certain he'll open his eyes sooner than you think~" she smiled, before heading out the door, leaving Asuka alone with the sleeping Shin.
Left alone in silence, Asuka simply stayed near Shin, something about seeing his chest rise and fall making her feel some relief inside.
"Why did you have to go and duel like that Shin-kun…?" she mumbled, looking at Shin's face, the bags under his eyes having disappeared by now.
"For that matter, why do you even do half of the things you do?" she continued, gently stroking his face. "Always ready to go, no matter what. Why even go that far for Judai and Sho? True, there was no way to know they wouldn't be in any immediate danger...but you knew that when Pegasus asked you to postpone the duel..Why didn't you take it?" she asked.
Of course, she still didn't get any response. However, what she didn't know was that his finger twitched once she finished her question.
"Even back at the Abandoned Dorm...Why do you always jump in head first?"
"...Because sometimes there's no time to think.."
"-!" Asuka gasped as soon as she heard the familiar voice, answering her question. And of course, her eyes immediately landed back on Shin's face.
"Yo..." the boy greeted, looking at Asuka with a small smile. The girl opened her eyes wide, making Shin's smile grow a little bigger. "Did'ya miss me-"
*HUG*
He didn't even get to finish his question, as Asuka's arms wrapped themselves around his neck, taking him by surprise. The girl didn't say anything, but kept her arms around Shin, who gained a little sweatdrop.
"U-Uhh...Asuka-chan?" the boy asked weakly, looking at Asuka.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" the girl asked in a low tone, making Shin gulp a little.
"I...I think I can guess" the boy replied, sweatdropping further as Asuka tightened her grip on him.
"I've barely been able to get any sleep these past few days" she said, finally looking at Shin with a harsh gaze. "That's how worried I was."
"I-I'm sorry for worrying you then..." Shin replied, feeling Asuka's stare drill into his soul.
"I told you not to go to the Abandoned Dorm" she began, tightening her hold on Shin further, the boy feeling her hands begin to squeeze his neck. "I told you to rest before the Duel. I told you to stop diving into things head first. And what do you do?" Asuka questioned.
"Uhh...none of it..?" the dual haired teen guessed, feeling his airways slowly begin to close.
"Exactly." was Asuka's simple statement. "And what did you get from not doing anything of what I told you?" she asked again.
"H-Hospital…?" Shin managed to get out, as Asuka's hold was depriving him of oxygen.
"Luckily for you it's just the infirmary, but if you keep doing this you'll really end up in the hospital one day" she reprimanded, narrowing her eyes.
Shin gulped again, seeing Asuka's brown eyes pierce into him. Though at this point, gulping wasn't possible.
"I-I get it...A-And it will happen...s-soon..!" Shin rasped out, making Asuka raise an eyebrow.
"Why?" she asked, concern returning to her voice. And then she noticed Shin's face turning a light shade of blue, the boy beginning to tap her arm.
"Can't...breathee!" he wheezed, causing Asuka to quickly let him go and return to her seat, a small blush of embarrassment present on her face, all the while Shin took in deep breaths.
After oxygen returned to Shin's brain, the boy released a little chuckle, before looking back at Asuka.
"You certainly have an interesting way of showing affection Asuka-chan~" he smirked lightly, making Asuka's eye twitch a little. She then wordlessly reached behind her, pulling out something that made Shin pale slightly.
"I don't think you want to feel just how 'affectionate' I'm feeling right now, Shin-kun" she said, narrowing her eyes and brandishing her harisen.
"Y-You're right...I don't want too feel that affection" the boy said, trying to sink back into his pillow in order to get as far away from Asuka's mighty paper fan.
Asuka maintained her stare for a moment, before letting out a soft chuckle, putting the harisen back to wherever she got it from in the first place.
"Even after all of this your sense of humor is still the same...You're definitely alright~" she smiled a little, looking back a Shin with a much warmer gaze. Seeing the harisen was gone, Shin breathed in relief.
"Hey, you know what they say. A good sense of humor never dies~" Shin chuckled, raising his body, only to cringe upon doing so, causing Asuka to worry again.
"Shin-kun you can't move like that all of a sudden" she said, gently pressing Shin back down on the bed. "Your body didn't move for two days. You need to take it slow for a bit."
"Yeah you're right...I forgot this is what usually happens..." Shin mumbled, adjusting his pillow so he could at least lean against it. He then noticed the little tube going from his arm to the IV stand next to his bed. "Ah, the IV solution. Haven't seen you in a while" he said.
Asuka saw the tube as well, and remembered that she should tell Emi if anything happened with Shin. And him waking up was as important as it gets. However, before she could stand up, the two heard the door slide open.
"Alright Asuka-san I'm back~" Emi called, entering her room. However, her eyes widened upon seeing both Asuka and Shin look back at her. "Shin-kun, you're awake!" she exclaimed, quickly placing her clipboard on her desk and making her way over to Shin.
She then leaned in close to his face, and peered into his eyes, surprising Asuka and making Shin sweatdrop.
"Hmm...pupil dilatation looks just about right" she said, placing her hand on his forehead "No fever...Shin-kun, do you feel anything out of the ordinary?" she asked, taking a step back.
"Uhh...except a minor headache, then no. I don't feel any different" then boy answered, making Emi nod her head happily.
"A minor headache was to be expected~ It will be gone in a bit~" she said, picking up her clipboard again. Quickly looking through it, she nodded once more and looked back at Shin. "Alright, I know you said you don't feel any different, but I still need to make sure. It's check-up time~" Emi smiled, getting her clipboard ready.
As the sun began to set, Shin, Asuka and Emi exited the infirmary.
"Be sure to get proper rest once you get back Shin-kun" the nurse said, closing the door. "I'll go tell Principal Samejima you woke up, so expect to have a word with him tomorrow~"
"Am I gonna be in trouble?" The boy asked, Emi shaking her head with an amused smile.
"No, nothing like that. I'm certain he'll just want to see how you are. There's not everyday one of your students just collapses out of the blue, after all~"
"Y-Yeah, I guess you're right~" Shin chuckled, as he and Asuka turned to walk back to the yellow dorm. "Thank you for all your help Emi-san!" he called once more, before disappearing down the hallway.
Emi smiled a bit, before going on her own way toward Samejima's office.
"So, what did I miss while I was out?" Shin asked Asuka, as the two walked the lonely hallways.
"Well besides homework, not much" the girl answered simply. "I mean, beside Judai challenging Ryou to a duel" she said offhandedly, causing Shin to stop immediately. "Shin-kun, are you alright?" Asuka asked, seeing Shin stop so abruptly.
"Judai...is dueling Ryou?" Shin asked himself quietly, before looking at Asuka seriously. "When are they dueling?"
"U-Uhh...I think right it's already begun" she said, glancing at the clock in the hallway. She then glanced back at Shin. "Why are you -kyahh?!" she didn't get to finish her sentence though, as she felt herself getting dragged through the hallways at high speeds.
"Dammit, I'm taking a nap for two days and that Kuriboh steals my duel with Ryou! I wanna duel him too!" Shin exclaimed, running through the hallways while dragging poor Asuka behind him.
"You just woke up and you already want to duel?!" the girl shouted baffled, trying her damn best to keep up with Shin. 'How the hell is he running this fast?! He didn't move for two days straight!' she exclaimed in her mind.
"Dueling is in my blood Asuka-chan! You can't keep me away from it!" he replied, as the two made it into the courtyard, passing by dozens of students, leaving them with eyes wide as dinner plates.
One of those students, was Misawa. He was heading toward the infirmary, wanting to check up on Shin, only to have said boy pass him at top speeds, dragging Asuka behind him. And he was still trying to process that, like the other students present.
"Hey...wasn't that Shin? The guy that was unconscious for two days?" a Ra student asked.
"I think it was..." another mumbled, everyone alternating between looking at the school and in the direction Shin ran in.
"Do you even know where they're dueling?" Asuka asked, as the two teens kept running on the cliffside.
"I don't but I'm fairly certain that big mechanical dragon with three heads I see is the 'X' on the map!" Shin replied, pointing at the giant duel monster in front of them, the actual duel happening on the dock.
"That's Ryou's monster alright..." Asuka sweatdropped lightly, before feeling Shin pick up the pace, her legs beginning to tire.
Fortunately for her, they managed to reach to point on the cliff where they could look down on the duel. But from the looks of it, the duel was just about finished, something that slightly upset Shin, as he couldn't see what Ryou was capable of.
Nevertheless, Shin looked down to get a look at the field.
Judai was on the defensive with the Fusion monster, Elemental HERO Mudballman protecting his LP, while Ryou was all-out offensive with his Cyber End Dragon.
E-HERO Mudballman (1900/3000) -LV6-
Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800) -LV10-
"Now that Cyber End Dragon was successfully summoned, Power Bond doubles it's ATK points!" Ryou declared, as Cyber End's power rose ranks above the DEF of Judai's Mudballman.
Cyber End Dragon 4000 → 8000 ATK
"8000 ATK..." Hayato mumbled, shocked at the monsters insane ATK.
"This duel is over Judai" Ryou stated, as his monster prepared to attack. "When Cyber End attacks a monster in DEF mode, whose DEF is lower than my monsters ATK, the difference is dealt to you as damage!" he declared.
"Just hang on Judai!" Hayato encouraged from the sidelines, Sho watching the duel quietly. "If you can last this turn, then Power Bonds effect will deal Cyber End's original ATK as damage to Ryou and you'll win!"
"So that's his actual ace-in-the-hole? Power Bond..." Shin mumbled, looking at Ryou's monster. "That's a really risky move"
"To some, but not against someone as experienced in using it as Ryou" Asuka noted, knowing full well how skilled Ryou was.
"Heh, you're telling me that, Asuka-chan" Shin chuckled lightly. "A simple De-Fusion is enough to negate Power Bond's effect, swarm your field with monsters and still win the duel. It's all in what cards you have in your hand" the boy explained, not taking his eyes off the duel at hand.
Asuka spared him a calculating look, before following his example and focusing back on the duel.
"Cyber End Dragon, attack Mudballman!" Ryou declared, as his monster charged an energy blast in all three of it's mouths. "Eternal Evolution Burst!"
Ryou's monster wasted no time in blasting Judai's monster to bits, as well as wiping all of his remaining LP.
Judai: 2500 → 0 LP
WINNER: Ryou
"Gh-!" Judai cringed, falling to his knees.
"Big Bro!" Sho exclaimed, immediately rushing toward Judai. The boy himself looking back at Ryou with a small smile.
"Heh..That was a pretty fun duel" he grinned, making a small smirk appear on Ryou's face as well.
He turned to leave, however, he glanced back and spared his little brother a glance, Sho now having a determined expression on his face. Before he could turn to actually leave, a voice called out from the top of the cliff.
"That really was an awesome duel!" the four heard a familiar voice, causing their eyes to widen and look up.
"It's a real shame I only got to see the end of it though~" Shin grinned, crossing his arms.
"Shin you're finally up!" Judai exclaimed happily, as Shin slid down the cliffside and unto the docks.
"You bet I am~" He grinned pointing at himself. "Ain't no way you're keeping me down for long~" he then looked at Ryou. "I feel cheated y'know. I thought we agreed we'd duel as soon as possible and the moment I'm out of commission, you duel the next guy. That really hurts, Ryou-chan~" the boy pouted childishly, causing Ryou to release a slight chuckle.
"I'm afraid I couldn't turn down this specific offer, Shin. I'm still open to your invitation, however" he smirked, reigniting the challenge.
"O-hoh, now we're talking!" Shin smirked in return, ready to duel Ryou right now. Fortunately, a certain blonde haired beauty was more than glad to act as Shin's conscience.
"I'm afraid there will be no such thing happening tonight young man!" Asuka exclaimed, appearing out of nowhere and pulling on Shin's ear, beginning to drag him back. "You just woke up after being unconscious for two days from dueling, and I certainly will not let you duel yourself back into that infirmary bed you hear me?!" she reprimanded him in a strict tone.
"Ow-ow-ow! Asuka-chan please stop pulling on my ear!" Shin whined, holding unto Asuka's arm as his ear turned red. "Seriously, you're gonna rip it!"
"Then I'll just sew it back on!" she replied coldly, not even sparing Shin a glance. "Now you will get in bed and get a proper rest, and I will put you in that bed myself if I have to!"
"This would've sounded so much better when used in any other context!" Shin exclaimed with tears in his eyes, before Asuka literally dragged him away, and back to his dorm.
Left alone, the four boys exchanged glances.
"I think we should all learn from Shin's example...and never anger Asuka again" Judai stated, earning a sincere nod from the other boys, all four sweatdropping upon hearing Shin's distant voice, who was unmistakeably crying.
"I've known Asuka for years...and this is the first time I've seen her like this with anyone other than her brother" Ryou mumbled, before shivering lightly. He then turned on his heel, and began heading back as well, leaving the Slifer students alone on the pier.
"Well...wanna go back to the dorm and work on your deck?" Judai asked Sho, breaking the silence. Said boy nodded his head happily.
"You bet! Shin-kun may have spared us expulsion but I sure don't want three months worth of extra homework!" he declared, making Judai burst out laughing.
"Ahaha, you're certainly right about that! I definitely don't want that either, so let's go" the brown haired boy said, as the three left the pier as well.
And that's a wrap!
Phew, it's been a while huh~?
Sorry for not updating for so long, but as I said last time, life has really kept me busy as of late. But the good news: I'm have the whole next week free, so I think I can write around 2 chapters~ Depends which story those chapters will be for..
So picking up quite a while after we left of~ Two whole days..
And, as suggested in the reviews I gave an inside look, as well as an outside look at what was happening~ Wonder what that thing Shin saw was all about…
And then he wakes up in the spirit world, only to be give a new task! Preparing for the arrival of the Wicked Gods…
Now some may be familiar with the Manga version of the cards, while other may only know the cards. Whether one or the other, everyone should be able to figure out that these bastards will cause all sorts of trouble. You will see what I'm talking about in the future, and how these Gods are tied into Shin's past…
Hell, Shin himself will learn alongside you!
Put putting all that aside for now, Shin and Asuka bonded a little more~
I apologize if it was weak. I tried to make it as emotional as possible, but then I realized that Asuka still doesn't love Shin *that* much as of yet. But, expect all of that original emotion to come out in the future~ I won't give any spoilers yet~
But, all in all, this chapter was a nice little filler to prepare the story for the next chapters~
I don't have all that much to say for this chapter. Again, I apologize for not uploading and I'm sorry if this chapter came out weaker than you expected…
I can only hope I didn't disappoint. So with that said
Tell me what you thought of the chapter in the reviews, if you have a suggestion for future interactions, feel free to leave it there as well and until next chapter~
Bye~
