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The Butterfly Effect

Chapter LXXXIV

Yes, for now, the duel. The Duel that felt both familiar and foreign, if just for the fact that there were so many layers to this, it was hard to break down.

The Pharaoh was confronting the Thief way too early for it to be anything else than a test. A show of power and a plan that had long played behind our backs and was only now coming forward with the full intention of being revealed as the quarterfinals advanced. And, from the glimpse I was able to catch and the glance that was thrown my way, that was known. That was fully accepted knowledge as Yami settled into his position on the battlefield, both ready and apprehensive while we all took our places and nervously waited for the other shoe to drop.

It was time to put on a show, and see what holes we could find in their strategies to advance.

But it didn't explain why, after a few minutes of silence and Jonouchi being gone, getting our friends, from the look of things, he slotted himself next to me with little to no words. It didn't explain the reason for him lowering himself, if only a little, to ask, "This is bad, right?" leading to me nodding before I held my breath as the first play happened, and I felt suspicion immediately sink into my gut.

A normal, defensive monster thrown into attack. That…

"… That's not normal, right?"

… Of course. Stop not giving your teammates enough credit, Megumi.

"No, certainly at this level. He's planning something."

"What?"

"No clue. Although knowing the Thief, it's nothing good."

I looked in Jonouchi's direction, unable to help the smile as he also glanced at me, knowingly smiling back before turning his attention back to the match. I turned back to the match myself but blinked as I felt a hand on my shoulder, the one the blonde stood next to. And I frowned as his fingers moved, two of them coming to rest atop it, as if…

Pointing. I took a glance in that direction, towards the platinum blonde teenager who blinked at me with a look of surprise. I took a breath, moved, and Jonouchi let go, not once looking in my direction but obviously wanting to say something he shouldn't as he stared down the Thief with an intensity I'd only seen once.

Hirutani.

… He'd met the teenager, and said teenager had been keeping company.

"I don't like it."

"… Me neither."

Very interesting company.

I wished I could have asked him if this was before or after the brainwash. I wish I hadn't been as shaken, if only so we could speak about those events earlier. A meeting would have been nice to have in this insanity, but I'd just…

One more reason to apologize to Mokuba later. And try to talk with my brother. I needed to tell Jonouchi that I understood.

… You never quite realize how much you know your friends and teammates until you can manage to get someone to move with hints and slight gestures, even if they didn't get the full message.

I watched Jonouchi smile, however briefly, when my brother joined his side, putting a hand on his best friend's back. I felt myself breathe as the blonde seemed to relax for less than a passing instant as my brother and he spoke of what to do after the tournament, seemingly oblivious to the situation. And that same breath caught in my throat when I noticed, gave yet another glance to someone that did the same but with a violent, almost hateful glare.

We were noticed. Suspicion was getting piled on us.

Then again, just like the match before us, the quarterfinals were beginning.

The Sky Sage: Oh dear god, it happened again. So sorry Rueedge for not answering to your reply directly, FFnet is not letting me access your review! I do agree, though. Poor Hiroto and Mokuba. And I won't lie, I'm pretty sure Kaiba's already imagined killing her more than a couple of times, most of them due to Duelist Kingdom alone. He does not deal well with someone messing with Mokuba this much, even with the best intentions in mind and the will to back up those intentions. Let's hope he doesn't decide to follow through with that feeling.

Now, for the updating news. See... I might be looking at a temporary job from now to December. Considering that this is going to be an office job, updating on Fridays might no longer be a possibility. So, depending on what happens in the next few weeks, I might no longer be updating on Fridays, but on Saturdays instead. There is also, and this is not a joke, a major chance that, because of this, once Battle City is done, Millennium World might take a while to come out. I'm sorry for this, but, right now, I'm still writing that part — it's drawing itself to be just as insane, I'll be honest — and it's proving itself to be difficult, at least character-wise. There's a lot that happens extremely quickly, so it's a bit hard to write down.

Thank you all for reading, and thank you all in advance for your patience. Love you guys!