Yu-Gi-Oh! Eternal
A Fan-Fiction by neomage
(DISCLAIMER: Dun-dun-DUUUUN!...nope, I still don't own the franchise.)
CHAPTER 37 – The House of Cards
Characters' First Appearance in Story
BUCK
NAME: Buck Morgan
AGE: 19
HAIR: Dirty blond (wears a brown cowboy hat)
EYES: Blue
CLOTHES: Dark blue dress shirt, blue jeans, brown boots, brown Angora chaps
DIANE
NAME: Diane Chill
AGE: 22
HAIR: Light blue (dyed)
EYES: Blue
CLOTHES: Dark blue biker outfit, black boots
GASTON
NAME: Gaston Altair
AGE: 20
HAIR: Blond
EYES: Green
CLOTHES: White pinstripe suit, white shoes
CALEB
NAME: Caleb Link
AGE: 23
HAIR: Black
EYES: Black (wears round-rimmed blue sunglasses)
CLOTHES: Brown leather jacket, white shirt, brown jeans, gray sneakers
KENT
NAME: Kent West
AGE: 18
HAIR: Brown (wears a white cap backwards)
EYES: Hazel
CLOTHES: Blue-and-orange jacket, orange sweatpants, yellow sneakers
RENO
NAME: Reno Dawkns
AGE: 20
HAIR: Black (done in a ponytail)
EYES: Black
CLOTHES: Black leather jacket (buttons undone), black pants, black boots
DUEL ACADEMY AUDITORIUM, 2:30 p.m.
JANUS: 8450; PRINCIPAL YUKI: 8000
The duel between Janus and Principal Yuki continued with the stats looking like this: Principal Yuki's initial score remained unchanged, with him having 8000 life points; Janus's life points were slightly higher at 8450. On the field Janus had Elemental Hero Neos and Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird in Attack Mode, and the Common Soul magic card continuing to power Neos with its effect so that his current ATK was 3300. By contrast, Principal Yuki only had Yubel in Attack Mode on his side of the field. Janus held only one card in his hand by this point; Principal Yuki held five.
Now Principal Yuki took his turn and drew, so he held six once again. "Now, what to do…well, now, it seems I can play this combo of mine," he remarked. "I summon Samsara Lotus (ATK 0, DEF 0) in Attack Mode!" A moment later, out of the ground there grew a green plant stem with bright pink petals serving as its hair. "Anything else…?" Principal Yuki examined his hand again. "Hmm, I guess I'll just set one card facedown, and that'll be all for now."
At that moment, Samsara Lotus transformed into mist, and that mist seeped into Yubel! "Ah—I almost forgot," Principal Yuki remarked. "Each time I end my turn, I must tribute one other monster that I control, or else Yubel will be destroyed. Well, go ahead now—it's your move."
"And I'll gladly take my turn now! I draw!" Janus swiftly drew his card. "And again, I'll activate Air Hummingbird's effect! Since you have four cards in hand now, I'll increase my life points by 2000!" And again honeysuckle plants grew out of Principal Yuki's cards for Air Hummingbird to feed from, and Janus's life points increased once more.
JANUS: 10,450; PRINCIPAL YUKI: 8000
But Principal Yuki merely chuckled. "Increase your life points all you like—but if you can't find a way past Yubel, you won't win this duel."
"Well, you do have a point—Yubel's effects make her pretty troublesome," Janus admitted. "So, until I can get something in my hand that'll let me deal with her properly, I won't do anything at all. I'll just end my turn."
"Oh, is that right? So you think it's going to be that easy, then?" Principal Yuki smirked as he drew once again. "I wonder about that…" He picked one of the cards in his hand. "I think you ought to recognize this card, Janus…a card which I will now Special Summon to the field! Come forth—Grinder Golem (ATK 3000, DEF 300)!"
"Grinder Golem…!" Janus's eyes widened in recognition of the name—and sure enough, the familiar metallic golem appeared on his side of the field, its buzzsaws whirring menacingly.
"That's the same card Vasha sneaked into my deck, before our duel," Cassara recalled. "It's a risky card to have in one's deck, unless the owner knows what they're doing…so why would Principal Yuki use it like this?"
Immediately, two Grinder Golem imitations appeared on Principal Yuki's side of the field. "You saw this during Cassara and Vasha's duel, right?" Principal Yuki reminded Janus. "Grinder Golem can only be Special Summoned to the opponent's side of the field if its owner also Special Summons two Grinder Golem Tokens to his own side of the field. Those tokens are summoned in Attack Mode, and are treated as Dark-attribute, Fiend-type, Level 1 monsters with 0 ATK and 0 DEF. Also, I can't Normal Summon or Set any monsters the same turn that Grinder Golem is Special Summoned."
"And you willingly gave me such a strong monster because…?" Janus wondered.
"Well, why else? So I'd have some fodder for Yubel!" said Principal Yuki. "After all, if I lose my ace monster just like that, then I'm not going to be in control of this duel any more—but of course, I realize you're not going to attack Yubel, seeing as attacking her won't work anyway. Still…" He shrugged. "Anyway, I'll equip one of my Grinder Golem Tokens with this Magic card, Mist Body! As long as a monster is equipped with this card, the equipped monster can't be destroyed in battle!"
White mist began to surround one of the Grinder Golem Tokens. "Mmm-hmm," Janus nodded as he observed this. "Anything else?"
"Um…actually…" Principal Yuki shrugged. "Aw, what the hell. I'll activate my Trap card: An Unfortunate Report!"
"What's that?" Natasha wondered aloud. "I've never heard of that card before…"
"It's a very complex Trap card," Principal Yuki answered her. "It allows my opponent to conduct their next battle phase twice. No strings attached."
"That's…kind of redundant…" Ricardo sweat-dropped.
"Next, I'll place another card facedown," said Principal Yuki, "and end my turn…and of course, Yubel's effect activates." And right after he said that, the unequipped Grinder Golem Token turned into mist and got absorbed into Yubel.
"Interesting…he just gave Janus a handicap to exploit," Jiro noted. "His remaining Grinder Golem Token has 0 ATK, and it's been equipped with a card that prevents its destruction in battle. And thanks to that Unfortunate Report card he activated a while ago, Janus can get to conduct his battle phase twice this turn."
Cassara cocked an eyebrow. That's just plain weird…why would he do that kind of thing out of the blue?
Janus, meanwhile, drew his next card. "Okay—I'll activate Air Hummingbird's effect one more time, and increase my life points again!" he announced—and as honeysuckle plants sprouted from Principal Yuki's two remaining hand-cards again for the red-feathered Neo-Spacian to feed from, Janus's life points rose again.
JANUS: 11,450; PRINCIPAL YUKI: 8000
"Now…trust me, Dad, you're gonna regret that play you made last turn," Janus continued. "Because with this extra firepower you've given me, and the opportunity to do my battle phase twice, I'll be able to take a large chunk out of your life points—and it starts right now! Okay, Elemental Hero Neos—lead the way and attack that Grinder Golem Token…!"
Cassara looked over at Principal Yuki—and suddenly saw him smirk. Realization clicked in her brain at that moment. "Janus, no! It's a trap!" she screamed out, frightening the others nearby.
"Too late!" Principal Yuki barked. "He's already declared his attack, so now I counter with this—my Trap card, Staunch Defender!"
In the blink of an eye, Principal Yuki's facedown card flipped face-up. "What the…" Janus began.
"Staunch Defender can only be activated when my opponent declares an attack," said Principal Yuki. "Then, I select one monster on my side of the field…and during this turn, my opponent can only attack that selected monster, and must attack it with all face-up monsters on their side of the field! And do you want to hazard a guess as to which monster I've selected…?"
"…shit…!" Janus whispered under his breath in sudden horror—but right at that moment, Elemental Hero Neos, Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird, and Grinder Golem all charged forward toward Yubel, intend on marauding her. In retaliation, Yubel's dark energy field spread out from her body, knocking all three attackers back and severely lowering Janus's life points.
JANUS: 4350; PRINCIPAL YUKI: 8000
"And as I recall, my Unfortunate Report card causes you to conduct your battle phase twice for this turn," Principal Yuki reminded Janus. "So, whether you like it or not, your monsters are going to attack once again—and they've only got one target in their sights!"
"NO!" Janus cried—but true to Principal Yuki's word, the three monsters charged forward again! Once again, too, Yubel retaliated with her dark energy field, this time obliterating all three attackers and knocking Janus backwards.
JANUS: 0; PRINCIPAL YUKI: 8000
"Damn…that sucked, royally…" Jiro winced as he watched Janus's fall.
"And Principal Yuki's life points remained untouched even after all that," Ricardo noted. "Is this the skill of a former pro duelist…?"
Principal Yuki nonchalantly switched his Duel-Disk off, and all the images on the field vanished. "Janus…anything that appears too good to be true usually is," he told Janus. "This is something your mother and I taught you about life on a whole and taught you to apply to dueling…and yet, knowing that, you still fell into my trap. That kind of mistake was severely punished, as you know from a moment ago—and it is that kind of mistake that will be capitalized upon by duelists of pro league skill. If you intend to last to the end of Drake's tournament, you'll have to learn—or relearn—how not to fall into such an obvious trap."
Janus carefully picked himself up; there was a sour expression on his face. "Well, did it ever occur to you that maybe your monster's effect was just broken?" he demanded.
"And did it ever occur to you that your opponents won't care what you think, as long as they're the winners?" Principal Yuki shot back. "When I was in the pro leagues, many of my opponents made the same complaint you're making now, that Yubel was too unfair a monster to be allowed into sanctioned tournament play. But I wasn't breaking any rules; Yubel wasn't a card that was on the unsanctioned list. Are you, then, going to complain that your opponents' strategies are too unfair when they get a clear victory over you?"
"Well…uh…" Janus scratched his chin, his face flushed pink.
"The world of dueling can be fun, Janus, and in fact that is how it ought to be for everyone, but not all duelists will view it that way," Principal Yuki warned him. "Those in the pro leagues certainly see it as much more than that. Dueling is their life, their strength, their everything. Play against them too naively, and what I just did to you will be what they'll do to you. To avoid that, you have to learn how to play beyond victory."
"Eh? Play beyond victory?" Janus asked.
Principal Yuki nodded. "Don't think only of defeating your opponent…learn from their strategy, and use that knowledge to improve your own dueling ability. The deck that you've got there is meant to be flexible—that is why the Elemental Heroes are all of different attributes, and why the Neo-Spacian monsters are all of different attributes and types…and that is especially why your ace monster, Elemental Hero Neos, can work interchangeably with a purely Elemental Hero strategy, a Neo-Spacian strategy, and a strategy that focuses exclusively on Neos himself. In addition, you can add Monster, Magic and Trap cards to your deck that may not have anything to do directly with Elemental Heroes or Neo-Spacians, but that will help you to survive in a duel nonetheless. And, just as your deck has potential to be flexible, you yourself must learn how to be flexible as a duelist."
"Um, excuse me, Principal Yuki…about that…" Jiro interrupted.
"Hmm?" Principal Yuki turned to him.
"What you said just now…about decks potentially being flexible…is that really true for every deck strategy?" Jiro asked. "Like me, for instance—I use a Six Samurai strategy, and to me it just feels like it would be weird to include cards in my deck that explicitly don't have anything to do with that strategy."
"Jiro's right," said Natasha. "I use Vehicroids, and, well, it just seems awkward to use any other kind of cards alongside them that don't have anything to do with them."
"Actually, I can understand what Principal Yuki is saying," Ricardo spoke up. "Janus, you saw it during my duel with your cousin Jacki, and my duel today with Beaumont, right? I used a number of cards that didn't seem to have anything to do with each other, but that served my purposes nonetheless."
"And I, as well," Cassara added. "My deck theme is predominantly life point restoration—but when Vasha tried to cheat during our duel, I had to turn my battle plan right around into a life point draining strategy. So, yeah, flexibility does make a difference."
"You've provided some good examples for my point, Ricardo, Cassara," Principal Yuki nodded. "Jiro, Natasha, I understand your concerns, but you have to keep in mind that Duel Monsters isn't limited to just one set number of deck archetypes or themes. Cards can be mixed and blended, thus creating an endless number of possible strategies. Yes, there are certain deck themes that rely on specific cards, and in turn there are certain cards that can only work within specific deck themes. However, even those can be strengthened and improved with careful consideration. Why do you think Industrial Illusions has created so many hundreds of cards in all the years it's been in business?"
"But, then, how do I go about improving my deck?" Janus asked.
"Well, that's a question you'll have to answer on your own. I can only make recommendations as a duelist, after all," said Principal Yuki. "Your deck is your deck; only you can decide how to upgrade or alter it, or whether anything should be done to it at all."
"Hmm…" Janus frowned, deep in thought.
----------
DRAKE PHOENIX'S FAMILY MANSION, 2:45 p.m.
"So this is where the great Drake Phoenix lives, huh?" Vasha remarked. "Boy, he sure lives in style, doesn't he?"
She and Calhoun were standing outside the front gate to the Phoenix family mansion, looking through the gate's bars at the luxury within. "Never mind a silver spoon—that guy was born with a gold plate in his mouth," Calhoun replied. "Well, let's not waste any time. Let's try and get in."
There was an intercom button by the side of the gate; Vasha walked up to it and pushed it. "Hello, good afternoon," she spoke into the installed mouthpiece.
"Good afternoon. How may we help you?" a female voice asked.
"We're students from Duel Academy," said Vasha. "Drake Phoenix is expecting us."
"Oh, more guests for Master Drake?" the other voice replied. "One moment, please; we'll open the gate. Just come right up the driveway to the front door."
Vasha and Calhoun looked at each other. "More guests? That means other people are here already?" Calhoun wondered.
The gate opened at that moment; taking their cue, the duo walked through it and headed up the driveway. "I wonder who these 'other people' are," said Vasha. "Well, we'll soon see, won't we?"
"Yeah," Calhoun nodded.
By and by they reached the front steps—and just at that moment Jasmine came out the door. "Hello again," she greeted them. "Master Drake's been waiting for you. Please, follow me."
She turned and headed back inside; Calhoun and Vasha followed after her. They walked through the hall, down the passageway, and then came upon the library. "This is the family library; Master Drake and his other guests are inside," said Jasmine. "Please, go right on in."
"Yeah, thanks," Calhoun nodded.
Pushing the door open, they entered the room—and, indeed, there was Drake to greet them. "Welcome," he said to them, his expression poker-faced.
Jan Shimizu was standing nearby, his arms folded across his chest. "You two sure took your sweet time," he growled.
"Sorry about that—some stuff happened at Duel Academy this morning, and we couldn't get away," Vasha said apologetically.
Drake shrugged. "Well, it's not as if a specific time was agreed on; the point is, you're here now," he told them. "Shimizu tells me that you two are at least decent duelists—is that true?"
"Decent? We're better than decent!" Vasha replied.
"We're currently the best duelists of our school's Obelisk Blue dorm!" Calhoun added.
"Hmm…well, I think I'll let my little club be the judge of that." Drake then held up his hand and snapped his fingers. "Okay, folks, you can come out now."
Then—from behind the various bookshelves nine other individuals appeared. "Say hello to my personal dueling club, the House of Cards," said Drake. "Let me introduce the members to you. You've already met Shimizu here…" To which Jan shrugged.
"The vice-president of the club, my twin sister, Jessica," Drake indicated her, even as she walked up to stand next to him.
"And the others…my God…" Calhoun swallowed. "These guys are all pro league duelists!"
Vasha looked straight at one of the women in the group, clad in combat gear. "Alyx Brodie, the user of the Volcanic strategy!"
"Yo." Alyx raised a hand in greeting.
"Usagi Saiou, that famous duelist who can predict her opponents' moves before they even make them…" Calhoun looked at another of the women, clad in a kimono and hakama.
"Salutations," Usagi nodded respectfully.
Vasha turned to look at one of the men in the group, wearing a broad-rimmed cowboy hat and Angora chaps. "Buck Morgan, the dueling wonder of the Southern United States…"
"Howdy!" Buck spoke with his Southern American accent, tipping his hat slightly.
"Diane Chill, the Ice Princess of dueling," said Calhoun, in reference to another of the women, this one clad in dark blue biker clothing and with a tattoo of a flaming sword on her hand.
"Uh-huh," Diane said nonchalantly.
"Gaston Altair, the national Duel Monsters champion of France," Vasha addressed another of the men, this one with a thin mustache.
"Bienvenue," Gaston replied, his accent somewhat strong.
"Caleb Link, master of combo chaining," Calhoun addressed another man wearing round-rimmed blue sunglasses. Caleb, in turn, merely nodded in acknowledgement.
"Kent West, of the Cu'Chulainn strategy," Vasha referred to a man wearing a white cap backwards on his head.
"That's my name, don't wear it out," Kent replied.
"Reno Dawkins, the dragon-tamer," Calhoun addressed the last individual who was wearing an unbuttoned leather jacket that revealed his six-pack abs.
"Yup," Reno nodded.
Drake nodded. "And now, you two, introduce yourselves formally."
"R-right!" Calhoun stood up straight. "Calhoun Vincente, fifth-year student of Duel Academy, member of Obelisk Blue's dorm!"
Vasha nodded. "Vasha Morrison, of the same!"
"And your deck strategies?" Drake pursued.
"Aliens!" Calhoun answered.
"Masks!" Vasha added.
Drake nodded. "Well, Shimizu has already tested you and vouches for your skill…I suppose we can give you a chance. At the very least, you should be a good help to us during the tournament…"
"Huh? Tournament?" Vasha and Calhoun looked at each other in surprise.
"Hmm…yes…you truly were preoccupied with the events at Duel Academy this morning, that's why you don't know about it," Usagi observed.
The duo's eyes widened. She knew about that without either of us going into detail…is she truly psychic?
"My brother announced a new tournament this morning, to start tomorrow at Kaiba Land in Honshu province, south of Sendai," Jessica explained. "He's already sent a few invitations for competitors, including everyone here in the House of Cards, and also to three duelists who've recently come into Maximillion Pegasus's employ. Those three…they'll be working with us as well, and we'll all get to meet them officially in due time."
"Quite so," Drake agreed. "In the meantime…how would you two like to join our little club, hmm?"
Calhoun and Vasha blinked. "Honestly? We get to work alongside pros?" Calhoun asked.
"Well, you're already on your way to becoming pros—you're the cream of the crop in your Obelisk Blue, aren't you?" Drake returned.
"Of course we are!" said Vasha.
"Then that is simply that." Drake smirked.
Usagi closed her eyes and sighed. Please, Drake…as if you honestly think that I, with my power, can't see the real reason you're admitting these two so easily…or why you're doing all of this to begin with…but then again, who am I to say anything? It's your choice…your path…your destiny…
"All right," Drake said officiously to the gathering. "House of Cards, longtime members and new members alike, thank you for gathering here today. Now, you'll all get to hear my intentions for you with this tournament I've set up, as well as get a rundown of how the tournament will commence. But before I do that, I think it's only fair to give a little history to our three newest members, as to how we came to be in the first place."
Calhoun and Vasha looked expectantly at him; Jan merely cocked an eyebrow.
"The House of Cards was founded by me four years ago, one year after I first began competing in Duel Monsters tournaments," Drake explained. "Every member here is someone who has either placed in the top four in the pro leagues at any time within the last five years, or who has skill comparable to that of a pro league duelist. Every deck strategy that we use is different, of course; no two strategies are the same here. What binds us together is that one thread we have in common: our desire to be seen as the world's strongest."
"Of course, it's acknowledged that there can only be one Number One in any field of expertise, and Duel Monsters is no different in that regard," Jessica added. "It's like a kingdom—there can only be one king, and the strongest knights are his support. So, we act as support for Drake, who's proven himself as the strongest around. With his five-year-long win streak in the pro leagues and in other tournaments, he's worthy of being the king."
"Or, at least, I would be worthy…but…" Drake gritted his teeth a little. "I was prevented from entering the Dueltropolis World Championships, and thus I was prevented from proving my strength to the whole world once and for all. Had I been allowed to compete, I could have become the World Champion, or at the very least been recognized as one of the world's three top-ranked duelists. Instead, the world's top three dueling ranks went to three undeserving persons…"
"Ah, yes—those three," Reno grunted. "The former World Champion, a kid who'd made a name for himself in two minor tournaments beforehand, and a virtual no-name from Duel Academy."
"Seta Kaiba, Yugo Muto, and Janus Yuki," Usagi clarified. "Yugo defeated Seta in the final match of the Dueltropolis tournament and claimed the World Championship title; Janus, meanwhile, went on to claim third place in that competition."
"Oui," Gaston sighed. "And, unfortunately, none of us distinguished folk in this room were able to attend due to contractual obligations we held with our sponsors for events they were hosting on our behalf at around that same time."
Caleb spoke for the first time. "What gets to me most is the fact that two minor-league characters and a guy who almost caused the deaths of innocent people, were allowed to clinch such high honors in the dueling world, while we couldn't do anything about it. I say it's time we took back what was rightfully ours."
"Which is one reason why this tournament now exists," Drake assured him.
"Yo, Drake, you are aware that this tournament of yours won't be as big an affair as Dueltropolis was, right? I mean, it's not like the World Championship title is gonna be up for grabs," Alyx said snidely.
"Thank you for a reminder that I really did not need, Alyx," Drake growled. "However, based on the way I'm going to set it up, it'll at least show the Duel Monsters World Tournament Committee, those three upstarts, and the rest of the world that our talent is not to be overlooked. And…it'll allow us a bit of revenge against that organization that infiltrated Dueltropolis as well."
"You mean the Zodiacs?" Reno asked.
"That's the one," said Drake. "Remember those three duelists I mentioned before, the ones who've been hired by Maximillion Pegasus? Apparently, they were members of that same organization, too, but they struck a deal so as to avoid going to jail for what they did."
A hiss of disapproval swept across the entire room. "And you invited them to join us? Phoenix, were you even thinking?" Kent demanded.
"Don't worry about it," Drake said dismissively. "They're not joining the House of Cards, per se; I'm merely hiring them to serve a specific function in the Phoenix Herald Crown. After that, well, I could care less what happens to them."
"And what function could that be that would require you to hire three criminals, instead of coming to any of us?" Diane demanded angrily.
Drake looked levelly at her. "It's a function that, should any of them be defeated while playing that role, would catapult those who defeated them to positions of high prestige within the dueling tournament circuit. Also…there's a cash bonus in it for whoever can defeat those three."
"Did you say cash?" At once dollar signs seemed to replace Diane's eyes as a cash register dinged in her head. "Okay, I'm in!"
"You'll agree to anything as long as it involves money…" Buck sweat-dropped.
"Oy, you say something, buckaroo?" Diane asked threateningly.
"Um…no…just talking to myself…" Buck's sweat-drop grew bigger.
"Anyways, if you guys are quite finished…listen to what I have planned. I guarantee you'll enjoy it immensely." Drake smirked as his eyes narrowed.
----------
DUEL ACADEMY OSIRIS RED DORM, IN THE MEANTIME
"Okay…do I need that? Hmm, I guess not…"
Janus was packing all manner of things into a large bag, while close by the others were watching him. "Janus, it's only a weekend trip…it's not like you'll be away for years," Cassara told him.
"Well, yeah, but I just want to be as prepared as I can be, you know?" Janus answered. "I can't really expect them to have every little thing ready for my convenience."
"What do you mean? This is Drake Phoenix you're talking about, isn't it?" Ricardo asked. "The guy basically eats, sleeps and bathes in money. Why wouldn't he pay the extra expense to see to your comfort?"
"Um…did you forget? That Drake doesn't like Janus at all," Natasha reminded him. "And since Drake's the one running the tournament, he might try to use it as a kind of bias against Janus."
"Sounds like the kind of thing someone with money and a grudge would do," Jiro remarked. "In that case, Janus, what are you going to do?"
Janus shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to do what Dad suggested—improve my deck the best I can," he answered. "But how do I even begin to do that properly? I mean, somehow, I don't see myself using cards that are obviously different from the Elemental Hero or Neo-Spacian style…"
Ricardo rubbed his chin contemplatively. "I wonder…" He turned to the others. "Guys, do any of you have any cards that you're not using in your decks at present?"
"I think so," said Cassara.
"I do," said Natasha.
"So do I," said Jiro. "But whatever are you asking us such a thing for?"
"Well, I just figure that maybe we can give Janus a helping hand with restructuring his deck a little, with some cards that could come in handy during the tournament," said Ricardo. "Okay, guys, let's all dig up our card stashes and bring them back here. After we do that, Janus, we'll go through the cards together, and any that catch your fancy or that might be of help to you, we'll let you have them. Sound reasonable?"
"I guess," Janus answered, though he sounded unsure.
"Then it's agreed!" Ricardo grinned. "All right, we'll be right back! Come on, you guys!" And he exited the room.
"Sure!" Cassara and Natasha chorused, following after him.
Jiro chuckled. "Those guys really seem eager about this, so what the hell…" He crossed over to the nearby desk and pulled a drawer open. "Now, let's see what kinds of cards I've got that I'm not currently using…"
"Hoo, boy…" Janus sighed and sweat-dropped.
----------
"I see…so that's what happened, eh?"
Mrs. Rhodes-Yuki was still in her bed in the infirmary, and beside her Principal Yuki was sitting on a chair. "Hope you're not too mad, Alexis…I mean, Janus did break your rule, after all," Principal Yuki said sheepishly.
"Ah, forget it," Mrs. Rhodes-Yuki brushed it off. "How many times did we go to the abandoned dorm when we were students, even though it was against school rules?"
"Yeah, that's true, too," Principal Yuki laughed, scratching the back of his head.
"More importantly…" Mrs. Rhodes-Yuki's expression became thoughtful. "Now he knows about the origin of that power inside him…I'm just surprised he took it so well."
"To be honest, I wasn't expecting his reaction, either," Principal Yuki admitted. "I just hope he'll be able to shoulder the responsibility that comes with having such power."
Mrs. Rhodes-Yuki reached out and gently gripped her husband's hand. "He's our son, isn't he? Of course he will," she whispered. "He's not as irresponsible as he makes himself out to be…when it comes to responsibility, he knows how to own up to it."
"Yeah…" Principal Yuki got a faraway look on his face. "Although…I wonder how much that'll apply when he goes to participate in Drake's tournament. There's going to be a lot of blood boiling between those two."
Mrs. Rhodes-Yuki nodded. "Then Janus will just have to fortify his heart, as well as his cards, won't he?" she remarked.
Principal Yuki nodded back. "Yeah."
----------
"Okay, we're back!" Natasha announced cheerfully as she, Cassara and Ricardo burst through the door. "And it didn't take us a whole lot of time to find our card stashes, either!"
"Gotta warn you, though, this is going to be quite a lot of cards to go through," Cassara grinned as she pulled out a large box from her jacket. "You mind if we use your bed?"
"Uh, no," said Janus. "Just…don't do anything I wouldn't do, huh?"
"And that means, what exactly…?" Cassara gave him a threatening glare.
"Anyway, shall we go through our cards, people?" Ricardo asked, cutting off the impending squabble before it could even start.
Jiro, on his bunk above Janus's, was going through his own card stash. "While you guys are searching through your own cards, I've managed to find a few copies of the same card," he spoke up. "In nearly every booster pack I ever bought that had a Warrior theme, I got copies of this card. I can let you have three right away, Janus—they could prove useful."
So saying, he tossed the three cards down to Janus, who caught them in between his fingers. Janus then examined the three cards and cocked an eyebrow. "Necro Gardna (ATK 600, DEF 1300)…hey, this effect he's got isn't half bad, actually," he remarked, somewhat impressed.
"And that's three of them right there, to boot," Jiro chuckled. "Now, what can I do with all these other copies I've got here…"
Natasha had been going through her stash while Janus had been examining the three Necro Gardna cards; now she pulled out two cards and handed them to him. "Here you go, Janus!" she announced. "Considering what your deck strategy is, maybe these could help you somehow…"
"Hmm, let's have a look-see," said Janus, taking the cards from her. "Oh? They're both Magic cards…hmm…Weapon Change and Fusion Weapon …"
"I've got one here that you can use as well, Janus," Ricardo spoke up, holding up a card from his own pile. "Have a look and tell me what you think."
Janus accepted Ricardo's card and examined it. "Elemental Burst…Ricardo, how the hell am I supposed to use this one? Its conditions are too specific!"
"Oh, you'll find a way, I'm sure of it," Ricardo waved him away dismissively.
"I'll kill you…" Janus swore, fangs in his mouth. Then, re-composing himself, he sighed. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep this card, just in case…it does look kinda cool, after all…"
"That's the only reason you're not giving it back?" Cassara sweat-dropped.
"Hey, whatever, okay?" Janus grumbled.
Cassara shook her head. "If you want something truly useful, then have a look at this card," and she held up one and gave it to Janus. "I got it in one of the first few booster packs I bought for my deck, but I can't use it myself. But maybe it could serve some purpose in your deck, hmm?"
"We'll see about that," and Janus took Cassara's card and examined it. "Well, now…Armor Breaker (ATK 800, DEF 800), huh? A Union monster…and not a bad effect he's got here, I dare say…"
"So, Janus? Do you think you can use those cards in your deck?" Jiro asked him.
Janus shrugged. "Don't know…guess I'll have to structure my deck and see how it goes."
"You do that," said Ricardo. "And when it comes down to it, just go and give the folks at that tournament a good show. That's the most we can ask of you, after all."
"Yeah." Janus nodded. "I'll definitely do what I can when I'm there. With the competition I'll be up against, I'll have to do my best."
"I'll be watching you on the TV when the tournament's going on, so make sure you kick butt so I can see, okay?" Natasha giggled.
"We'll all be watching," said Cassara. "Just don't get too far ahead of yourself when you're there, all right?"
"Yeah, sure," Janus chuckled. "And don't worry; if I can find a use for these cards at any point during the tournament, I'll be sure to use them."
Then he turned and looked out the window, his eyes becoming reflective. Drake…
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neomage: The rest of the House of Cards have been given official biographies…Drake gives a small history of how the club came to be formed…and Janus gets a few cards to upgrade his deck a little! Now, what'll happen next? The tournament starts soon, so…keep on the lookout, and review soon, please!