Chapter 45: A Life-Changing Game
We engaged in rock, paper, scissors in silence. "..." We didn't say anything until our choices were revealed. "Haha! Rock triumphs EVERY time! It looks like I "rocked" your world, Dave." I said with a smirk. "Oh haha, veeery funny, Schezo… another of your miswordings, I presume?" He sighed. "Sh-shut up! … Anyway, I'll take the first move." I told him. I drew my starting hand, then drew one more card to start the turn. Looking at the cards I had, I began to think of how to go through with this. I drew a decently powerful one, a tier four creature. I can't bring it out yet, I only have three at the moment. The only other one that I can put on the field is this weak tier 1 creature. Is it even worth it? As long as he doesn't bring out the tier eight of his deck, I should be fine. "I will place this card face-down… and turn things over to you." "Is that seriously it, Schezo? I was honestly expecting a bit more from you… Oh wait, you didn't have a tier three or lower creature to bring out, am I right?" "... Tch. You're not wrong…" "What a shame… tsk tsk tsk." "Hey! Don't you "tsk" at me!" "It seems your bad misfortune is still overpowering your desire to win. I draw. I'll set this creature down in the resilience stance… and play the Conjure Card, "Magical Confiscation". This card allows me to randomly send one of the cards in your hand packing. Say goodbye to whatever card gets taken by the elf, because it's going in the Mausoleum." "A-ah!" Phew… it didn't take my creature. I think I may have the luck and Dave doesn't know it. "With that, I end my turn." I don't get it… why did he set that mystery creature down? Actually... what's even the point in doing that to begin with, besides blocking a tier eight creature's attack that is? Hm… there must be more to this than meets the eye. "I draw." I now have at least four SL to use. The question is though: Do I want to actually commit to it now? Attacking his set creature would be pointless. Plus, there's that face-down card… most likely a bait. … What is this card I just drew? "Sneaky Gremlin", it's one of those creatures with special abilities. It triggers when it's flipped face-up… it sends one creature your opponent controls of your choosing to the Mausoleum, then you can have your opponent lose one CP?! Does it matter which stance? If not, then this is excellent. … I hear the card calling to me, saying that I'm allowed to manually flip it face-up after a full turn of being set. Well look at this… another thing Dave didn't tell me. I'm starting to think that he did it on purpose. I'm really getting a bargain out of this creature. It's only tier one and so efficient. "I set one creature down in the resilience stance and play "A Conjurer's Gluttony". The power of this Conjure Card allows me to draw three cards, but then I have to discard one card from my hand and also give up two SL. I end my turn, Dave." "That's a potent Conjure Card, Schezo. Drawing three cards from one is a rare thing in this game. Not like it changes much into your favor. I draw. Niiiice. I play the Conjure Card, "SL Booster". When my next turn rolls around, this card is sent to the Mausoleum and the SL I would normally gain is doubled." "Wh-what?!" "In other words, I'll gain four SL instead of two for that turn only. I would be afraid if I were you, Schezo…" He's setting himself up to bring out his tier eight! Dammit, now I need to save the gremlin for that. "With that, I set this creature face-down in the offense stance and end my turn." Whatever creature that one might be, it's a tier four. He'll get all of that SL back on his next turn, as if he never used it. "I draw. Let's see here… I don't have much to use. I'll pass my turn, Dave." "Pass? Okay… For you feeling motivated to win this, you sure aren't doing a whole lot." "Blame my deck." "Fine. I draw. My SL Booster card now goes to the Mausoleum, and I get four SL as opposed to two. But… I think I want some more SL. I use the ability of "SL Warrior" from my hand." "Fr-from your what?!" "Oh yes… a creature ability from the hand. Didn't see that one coming, did you, Schezo? You see, by sending it from my hand to the Mausoleum, as well as a resilience stanced creature I control… I automatically gain one SL." He's got six SL now! On his next turn, he can pull out a tier eight if he wants to. It's fine though, I have the gremlin to counter his incoming creature. He will never know what hit him…
"I end my turn, Schezo." "My turn, then! Haaa! Damn…" "What's wrong? Not drawing anything useful still?" "Shut. Up! Mind your own business, Dave! … Tch. I'll pass again." "My turn again. Draw. Schezo, I think it's about time that I start going on the offensive." "...!" Here he goes…! "Using all eight of my SL… I bring forth a tier eight creature, one of likes you've never seen before! Come, Bright Sky Knight!" All of that offense… it's over three thousand… I don't know if I have anything that can beat it in a fight. "I'll now go into battle. Flipping over my tier four monster, Flame Priestess, and have it attack your face-down resilience stanced creature!" "Haha, you fool! Reveal face-down creature, Sneaky Gremlin!" "...!" "Ha! I see that your face is growing pale, Dave. Thanks to the special ability of this creature, Sneaky Gremlin allows me to send one of your creatures to the Mausoleum when it's flipped face-up. Do your thing!" "N-no! My knight! … Just when I thought you had nothing… I get curb-stomped by a flip-based creature. This will not stand, Schezo. My Flame Priestess will finish attacking and take out that annoyance!" "Hrrr…! Thankfully for me... Sneak Gremlin has another part of its ability to resolve. Since your knight was sent to the Mausoleum by this creature, I'm able to eliminate one of your C… P! Gah! ... That fire is hot…" I witnessed my gremin turning to ash and bones after being engulfed in flames. "... My CP… This means war." "Bring it." "Alright, you asked for it, Schezo. Let's see if you can go beyond the initial test boundaries and beat me. I end my turn." "If you're done weeping over the loss of your knight, I'll make my move. Draw! Heh… things are about to swing into my favor. Time to bring out the tier four monster, "Shadow Prince"! I then play the Conjure Card, "Stealth Strike"." "Eh? What does it do?" "Ah… Finally a card that you don't know what it does. Allow me to explain it to you... This card allows me to select one of my creatures on the field. As long as that creature remains face-up on the field, I can bypass any creatures of yours and attack you directly like a tier eight creature can." "Wh-what…? How is this possible?!" "I see that you are panicking from this. Worry not… if I attack you directly in this way, you only lose half of one CP. And that's why I'm now going to attack your Flame Priestess first with my Shadow Prince. He boasts higher offense than her, standing tall with 1900 compared to 1700. Shadow Prince, take out his priestess now! Shadow Order!" "Gaaah! I'll get you back for that, Schezo. Don't think that you've won yet, not by a long-shot! If you're done, I'd like to go start my turn. Ha! I play the Conjure Card, "Creature Rebirth"! This will grant me the power to revive one of my fallen creatures from the Mausoleum at the cost of two CP. Agh-! Come to me once more... Bright Sky Knight!" "Ah-! Impossible… I just got rid of that damn knight!" "Well, he's back for round two, Schezo. My knight, attack and take out his prince before it has a chance to get me directly! Daytime Slash!" "Hrrrr… AAAH! … Tch. It's like I feel the pain that my creatures feel… I despise it. But… I at least got some good out of losing Shadow Prince and that one CP." "Just what could you possibly be insinuating, Schezo?" "Come now, have you forgotten that I still have a card on the field to play this turn, Dave." "...! N-no! It can't be- Your face-down card from earlier!" "Precisely, you have failed to remember that I set it on the very first turn of the game. I set off the Bait Card, "Revive and Combine"! I"ll tell you how it works, for I'm fairly certain that even you don't know what this card does." "No, I don't, Schezo." "I bring back two of my fallen creatures from the Mausoleum, but their abilities are wiped. Not like it will matter in this grand scheme of mine, because these guys are to be combined into a new creature. I do this by removing them from the game, then I can unleash this special creature from my hand or deck that cannot be played like a normal creature. The conditions to call forth this behemoth require me to use up a creature from the "Warrior" race, and one from the "Fiend" race. I bid my Shadow Prince and Sneaky Gremlin farewell and call upon- Gremlark, King of Fiends! Bright Sky Knight... prepare to meet your absolute end!" "Wh-what is this?! I've never seen a creature such as this before! A "Combination Creature"?!"
I could see how bewildered and distraught Dave was when he saw Gremlark making an appearance on the field. This king of fiends had an offense stat of 4500, more than enough to kick Bright Sky Knight's ass. "Haha! Looks like I am going to win after all. You're not as knowledgeable or good at this as I originally thought you were. Sure, you got a good hit in with Bright Sky Knight just now… but you also sacrificed two of your CP to do so. Down by four so far, you only have one left. On the next turn, I'll attack your vulnerable knight with Gremlark and win. How do you feel, knowing that I'll pass this whole thing you made for me, Dave?" "Schezo… you may have performed well, even doing something that I never knew you can do… but none of that means anything until you actually beat me. And, I don't intend on just handing you the big "w"! I set this card face-down and end my turn." "It's over for you! Draw! Gremlark, attack and annihilate Bright Sky Knight!" "You're attacking me, even though my face-down is obviously a Bait Card?" "Hmph. Baits don't work on Gremlark, that's why I'm not hesitating." "... Either way, I'm not using this bait on him, but rather his attack. Bait Card, trigger! "Pinned Down"! This card not only stops your creature's attack for this turn, but it also average's out our CP." "H-huh? Wait… care to explain…? What is he doing? "Come on, Schezo… you may be a stupid pervert, but I know you're not dumb." "H-hey! I am NOT a pervert!" "*sigh* For the few months I have known you, you ARE a pervert in my book. No matter how much you deny it... it's who you are. Yes, sometimes you don't mean to-" "Can you JUST explain to me what your Bait Card does in Layman's terms already?!" "Okay! ... You don't have to yell at me, Schezo… Basically after stopping your attack, since my CP amount is lower than yours… I gain CP and you lose CP until we both are at the same amount. The difference between our counts is three CP. Thus, I gain one and a half CP and you lose that same amount. Now we both sit equally with two and a half CP." After Dave said this, my mind scrambled to find a good solution to this stalling of his. Shit! What do I do now?! Knowing Dave, he's going to put his knight in the resilience stance next turn and his CP will be safe. Gremlark doesn't have a tier, so it can't do what tier eight creatures can… Damn it! It'll be difficult to get myself in an advantageous position again. What CAN I do to circumvent this roadblock? Unless I can draw the one tier eight monster from my deck, I won't be getting anywhere. I should at least send Bright Sky Knight packing for the second and last time. He won't lose CP, but at least his biggest threat will be gone. "Uh, Schezo…? SCHEZO!" "H-huh?!" "Do you end your turn or not?" "Oh. Tch. I end my damn turn… Go ahead... switch the stance of your knight, I'm calling your move." "You would be correct to think so, not like I have a choice at this point. I HAVE to switch the stance of Bright Sky Knight... otherwise, I'll lose in an admittedly stupid way. Draw! Bright Sky Knight, shield yourself. I'll end my turn after that." "My turn once more, Dave. Gremlark, obliterate his knight!" "Gah! You have defended me well, my friend…" "I set this card face-down and end my turn." "... *pant* Schezo, this game of ours will still continue for a while. I'm not through y-" "But you will be soon enough." "... I draw my card. Argh… there's nothing that I can do. I'll pass this turn." "Then I draw once again!" At this point, both of us had kept passing our turns for a good bit.
Ringo's POV
"*sigh* What's taking Dave so long?" I wondered. Me and everyone else had already sat at the cave entrance for a while. Ex came back not too long after Dave left us. "This is ridiculous, how long does it take just to convince one person to help?" He commented. "Yeah, it's… worrying to say the least." Klug cleaned his glasses. Rulue stood up, giving us a sign that she was going somewhere. "Ms. Rulue, where are you going?" Raffina wondered. "*sigh* Raffina… I'm not only worried for Dave, but for that stupid pervert too. I'm going to check up on them." She said adamantly. "H-hold on! Don't go by yourself, it's dangerous!" I stood up and tried to stop her. I felt a hand grab one of my shoulders. "Ringo, I know that you're concerned as well, but please… I think she wants to do this herself. Ms. Rulue is not weak in the slightest, she can hold her own if she needs to." Ms. Accord told me. "B-but…" I stuttered. "Get a grip, Ringo. I promise that I'll drag those two over here! I get that you love Dave so much, just have some faith in me." Rulue drilled the words into my head. "... O-okay. I just want him to be fine." I said to her. "Heh. I'll make damn sure that he's okay. I care about him too, with him being a student that I taught CQC to… I'll be back!" She ran off. "*sigh* Please come back to me, Dave…" I softly wished.
Rulue's POV
I dashed through the woods, making my way to Schezo's cave. I just wonder how Schezo is making this go on for so long. I know that he's stubborn, but… no person should have the level of endurance to last through somebody such as Dave. "How? How is he resisting Dave so much?" I asked myself that question out loud. "R-Rulue?!" I heard somebody notice me. "Who's there?! Show yourself!" I demanded. "D-don't you remember my voice, Rulue? I'm somebody who always tried my best to treat you well!" "Huh...? Why do you sound… so familiar? Please, show yourself." "Rulue, it's me!" The individual revealed himself to me and I felt stupid for forgetting about him. It was Minotauros, though I just refer to him as Mino. He was a servant of mine back when I was in my world. As his name would suggest, he's half-man, and half-bull. At this point, I haven't seen him since the last moments of me being there, which was quite a few years ago. "M-Mino...! What are you doing here?" "I was just about to ask the same thing. I missed you so much, Rulue! My life did not have much in the way of meaning when I couldn't serve you. A-anyway… I came through what seemed to be a one-way portal from our world to here. At the time... it was a little after when you disappeared, so I figured that you traveled to another world in the same way." "Is it just me… or are you actually smart now, Mino? Oh, not at all. I'm mostly still the stupid cow that you would call me back in the day. As for how I got to figure things out, I was given info from an old acquaintance that you should be somewhat familiar with." "Who, Mino?" "Does the name "Zoh Daimaoh" ring a bell?" "... Zoh… Oh, you mean the elephant?" "Yeah." "I remember that he also came to this world. He was a contestant of a fighting tournament that I participated in; that was the first time I saw him since coming to this world. I don't know where he is now… he's always been a loner... like that stupid pervert, except productive with his alone time." "By "stupid pervert", you mean Schezo, right?" "Of course, who else could I be referring to? Stupid cow…" "Rulue? Are you feeling alright? You don't sound so… uh… you know…?" "Angry? *sigh* Mino, I'm fine. I've learned to control my anger within the past few years. Besides, I can't be bothered to get mad at you in this circumstance. You've only just met back up with me after all this time." "I-is that so? You have indeed changed…" I hope that what he just said was a compliment. I can't tell whether or not it is one. If he likes me for how I was before… he must be a masochist…
"Mino, I'll be heading towards a cave on my own now…" "Why are you going to a cave, Rulue?" "Honestly, I don't think your tiny cow brain can understand why. The reason is linked to a complicated issue." "H-hey! I said that I was "mostly" the same stupid cow that you know from the past! I've gotten a bit smarter since then." "Okay, how smart then? I'm waiting for a good answer. Are you at least smart enough to not be so reckless? The last time that you mindlessly went in to protect me…" "*gasp* -Was when I shielded you from a giant eyeball! I… I remember that… Y-yes, I'm no longer dumb enough to do something like that without considering my own level of resilience, Rulue. I-is that a good enough answer?" "... … Yeah, it… is. I remember that time too… *sigh* I was actually worried for you when you took the full force of that Yog's beam. After that, you were bedridden for what seemed to be forever. By the time that we had dealt with all the Yogs, Yoggus, and Yog Swartus… you had just recovered and greeted me after everything was resolved." "You were actually… worried for me?" "Not entirely... but the event still hit me hard on the emotional side." "Rulue… Well, I can't make you stay here for what's left of the day, now can I? If you feel like you need to go to a cave, then go there. I won't question or stop you, you can tell me all the details when you come back." "It seems like all that time allowed you to develop better manners too, Mino." "Hahaha! You think so? Well, I have matured a little, I'll admit." "I'll be going now." I left Mino and came up to the cave. "There it is… Schezo's cave. Come to think of it… have I EVER been inside it before? I don't think I have…" I began to walk inside. As I got farther into the cave, the darker it became. That would soon change though, with light twinkling in front of me. "... Honestly, for a man cave… this surprisingly has good living conditions. *gasp* Dave! ...Eh?" I looked at a scene that I didn't expect. Both Dave and Schezo were not moving outside of occasional unconscious breathing. They almost looked like statues that faced each other. "I-is that a light coming out of Dave's hand?" No matter what I did, there was nothing that I could do to wake them from this "trance". "Hm? What's that bookshelf over there? It seems reeeeally out of place compared to everything else here. I wonder why…" When I took a closer look at what kinds of books rested there, my signature fury came back for a bit. "Why am I not surprised… OF COURSE HE WOULD HAVE THESE KINDS OF BOOKS! What is wrong with him?! That… stupid pervert! When he wakes up from whatever Dave is doing to him… HE'LL FEEL ME THE FULL WRATH OF ME, THE FIGHTING QUEEN! … ... *sigh* He is seriously a degenerate… what the hell...? The worst part about this is that I have to stay here for who knows how long. Dammit, Dave… what's taking you so long to persuade that stupid-? … I should stop. Complaining about it isn't going to be good for my mental health."
Raffina's POV
For a while, Ms. Rulue did not return. The woman that I look up to, I grew worried for her. When I saw an opportunity, I slipped away from the others and ran in the direction she went in. I met up with somebody at a point. "Uh, hey… have you seen a woman with wavy blue hair come by here recently?" I asked. "Why, sure I did. I saw Rulue go over there to find a cave." "You know her?" "Of course, I was her servant for a long while in the past. The name's Minotauros, what's yours?" "Raffina." "Huh… You know, you remind me of Rulue quite a bit." "That well… I look up to her, Minotauros. I was in love with her fighting queen levels of strength. I want to be just like her when I get a little older." "I see, you praise her for the power she carries. A strong woman is bound to be a dependable one. Speaking of strong though, I smell trouble up ahead. I hope this doesn't come off as an offense, Raffina… but I want to be with you in case you're attacked." "Interesting proposition, but I'll kindly decline. I may not be as strong as Ms. Rulue, but I can hold my own." "P-please, I insist! This trouble might be for Rulue too. As a servant of hers… I cannot fail at my duty." "*sigh* Very well then, escort me if you know the way a little." "I can locate her scent, Raffina. I AM technically an animal, so my nose is sharp." "Sure, whatever leads us to that one cave..." I followed Minotauros as he persisted in smelling out for Rulue. A while after, that trouble he spoke of took form. "...! Raffina, take cover!" "What?! Arrows?!" "O-ow! One nipped me in the leg!" "M-Minotauros! Are you gonna be okay?!" "Don't worry, I've been through worse... but damn that HURTS! Who are those bastards shooting at us? Raffina, take a better look for me. I can't get out of cover like this." After he told me to, I swiftly looked at where the arrows came from before taking cover again. "Little… elf guys?" "*sigh* Those must be little shooters… they don't know when to stop randomly attacking people. Is there a way to get them to run off?" "Well they're on trees, so I think it's best to shake them off. I have enough power to do so and then some." I came out from cover once again and jumped at a tree trunk. "Hiiiiiyaaah!" I kicked it ferociously. The little shooters on that tree wobbled and fell over. They panicked, screamed, and ran away in fear. I moved over to other trees and did the same thing. This process continued until all of the little shooters left running. I came back to Minotauros, who had since pulled the arrow out of his leg. "Yup, I expected it as much… it's bleeding. Raffina, I know that this is asking much out of you… but I need help." "It'll be of little trouble Minotauros, I'll get somebody!" "Heh… hehehe… Thank you." I left him after he winced to get Ex. "*pant pant* Mr. Ex, I need your help…!" I alerted him. "R-Raffina! Where were you?! You just disappeared from us without a trace and we were worried!" He ran up to me. "Look, we don't have a lot of time. I left because I was worried for Ms. Rulue. Along the way, I met with this guy and he offered to come with me. After a bit, he got shot with an arrow! I promised him that I would get help, so I went to you." "... Alright, Raffina. Everyone else, stay here please. Ms. Accord, look after the kids for me." He said and Ms. Accord nodded to his words. "Of course, Mr. Ex." She responded. I showed Ex the way to Minotauros. "Is this the guy, Raffina?" "Yeah, he said that he was a servant for Ms. Rulue in years past. His name is Minotauros." I introduced him. "Okay, where's the wound?" Ex checked. "Wh-who are you?" Minotauros wondered. "Ex, the one who's gonna help you. Here's what will happen… I'll transform into this… Hrah! Then, you hold on to me; I'll fly you to a healer." Ex told him. "S-sure… Ugh, I feel strange... That arrow must have done something else…" Minotauros said. "Could it be poison?" I guessed. "I dunno, but I'm becoming weak as hell… Sorry, Raffina… it looks like you'll have to continue on your own to find Rulue." He apologized. "It's fine, I just want to see you come out of this okay." I said to him. "If you two are done talking…" Ex readied for flight. "Go now, Raffina..." Minotauros advised me.
I nodded and ran for the area that I assumed the cave was at. "I-is this it? I mean, it IS a cave, but is it the cave that I'm looking for? Well, there's only one way to find out and I'm not going to know if I just stand here…" I walked inside. My eyes slowly adjusted to the temporary darkness. When I got to this shiny part of the cave, my eyes burned a little. "... …! Ms. Rulue!" I called out to her. "R-Raffina? What are you doing here? I told you guys that I would be fine." "Yeah, well… I had this worrying feeling in my chest, so I went after you. I will say… I never knew that you once had a servant." "Y-you met Mino?" "Y-yeah, he wanted to help me find you… only because he thought that I would need help. After some time going in the direction you went, we were ambushed by those little shooter guys. Minotauros… was shot with an arrow and claims that he is growing weak." "*gasp* It must have been the little poison shooters! Oh God… Mino, you stupid cow... Will he be alright, Raffina? Where is he?" "He's being carried by Ex over to a place to be healed. The only issue to that is a lack of an antidote for the poison. *sigh* Where is an actual pharmacy when you need one?" "A… what?" "You don't know what a pharmacy is, Ms. Rulue?" "No, I don't..." "It's a place that sells medicine for certain illnesses or to treat things." "Oh, you mean an apothecary?" "It's practically interchangeable for us, but yes, that's what I meant. A-anyway, what's going on with Dave and that pervert? Why do they both look unconscious?" "I don't really know to be honest… and I can't seem to wake them either." "So what, we have no choice but to wait?!" "It made me irate too, but yes… there is no other choice." "Damn it. … Huh...? That bookshelf looks really out of place…" "Um, I would suggest that you don't look at the books there, Raffina…" "W-why?" "Well… who's cave are we in right now?" "That perv- … Are you kidding me…? Is this SERIOUSLY a joke?! All of these books are dirty in some way, shape, or form?! That asshole already looks at me funny when we do see each other… I can't believe that he's STILL willing to be perverted!" "Raffina… that guy never quits… He may claim that he doesn't mean to sound like one, but in his mind… he IS perverted at the root of it all. That's why women like us have to beat him up, so that he is taught a lesson. We find it to be a sin when a guy, and the guy alone, thinks of something perverted involving himself and a girl. Now, it's perfectly fine if the guy and girl are in a relationship together and are both okay with it… Schezo clearly doesn't love any women and ONLY thinks about the looks. A quick question if you don't mind… Has he ever tried to touch you?" "N-no, he hasn't." "Then you should count yourself lucky and look on the bright side… Unlike me, you have not been violated by him. In the past, he has touched me in places that I didn't approve of. Even in recent times, he had his hand on one of my breasts. ... Also… the first time that Schezo saw Yui, when we had brought her life... his nose bled." "Is there no redemption for this bastard...?" "Nope, not when it comes to having a dirty mind. At least Dave laid a smackdown on him. Quoting Dave's reaction to Schezo, word-for-word: "Dude, are you seriously-…? Get a damn grip!".I was shocked by him not even hesitating to pound Schezo's head." "Well, duh. Dave is a good, responsible, and fine guy." "Not as straightforward as one would think of him, Raffina. Dave is a person that always carries doubts with him. His moral compass makes him stop at times, without even thinking of it. Strong hesitation unconsciously resides within him… despite wielding the power of both a demon and a dragon. But I digress..." After she stopped talking, we waited together.
Schezo's POV
The game was getting down to the wire, each of us only had one CP left. It was currently Dave's turn... and had himself well protected with a resilience stanced creature, as well as a face-down card. "Schezo, I set a card face-down… and I'll see what you can do." He decided. I think I'm finally beginning to see why Dave is trying to change me so badly. Now, I still don't like it too much at the moment… but I can see it. He wants me to enjoy life, much like how everyone else enjoys it. If I'm going to live this life… I might as well make it exciting for myself. Sitting in a cave constantly is mundane and boring. And maybe I can finally prove myself to be a formidable foe to anyone. If there's anything that this huge test of climbing up a mountain and playing this game with Dave has taught me… it's to have me believe in myself, strategize, and never give up. Dave, I may not like you at the end of the day… but I appreciate you trying your hardest to get me outside to feel exhilarating things. My fate, as well as everyone else's, rests on this next draw. "Dave… are you ready?! This next draw will seal the deal for this game! I draaaaaw! … Heh. I have to give you a minor thank you, Dave." "Eh...? What for? I didn't do anything for you." "Within the context of this game alone… no you did not, but… You helped me see a new side to things after going through this test of yours. You helped me feel... a certain feeling that I was missing in my life: Exhilaration. Thinking back to how I live alone in a stupid cave has taught me something important… it's boring and meaningless. Why should I waste away, doing nothing productive... when I can just have fun fighting things? Thinking about this new thought now makes my very blood boil! That's at least when I'm in the mood to do so. I'm still not within that mood, but as a token of thanks… I'll help you take down those Yogs for my own benefit. To prove this: I'll beat you… THIS TURN! Be ready, because I'm going to hit hard!" "Bring it, Schezo… Let me see your new-found resolve!" "I wouldn't call it "resolve", but… I do have the will and cards to win! I have more than enough SL in the vault for this. I give up eight SL for this creature right here in my hand; come forth, "Hellfire Dullahan"!" "I will admit that it's a formidable warrior on horseback… but I have two face-down cards! Do you honestly think that either one of your powerhouse creatures can avoid them entirely?" "Not on their own, but I have something else that will quite literally blow you away! I play the Conjure Card, "Gryphon's Gale Storm"! This card eliminates each and every Conjure and Bait Card on the field, regardless of position!" "...! Gah! My two baits!" "It'll be all over after I take out your face-down creature! Gremlark, attack it now!" "It's not over yet, Schezo! Because… the creature you just attacked is one called "Rubber Man". This creature can't be taken out in battle, so you're out of luck." "Heh… not quite." "H-huh?" "Unlike YOUR tier eight, mine has a useful special ability. You see, when it attacks one of your resilience stanced creatures… it snatches away one half of a CP!" "What?!" "Do your work, Dullahan!" "G-gah! Damn! How do I not know some of your cards?!" "I don't know that myself, Dave. You just seem to inevitably forget some things. But... just one more strike, one more and it will be my victory." "Schezo, there's a saying associated with this game that I go by: "The game's not over until the last card's played". As I see things now, I have one turn left. I know there's still one card in my deck that can destroy that dullahan..." "Fine. I end my turn, begin your final turn…" "I will. … … It's now or never… Draaaaaw! … … I end my turn, finish me, Schezo." "It looks like in the end… your deck failed you. Draw. ... Hellfire Dullahan, attack Rubber Man and erase the last half of his CP!" "G-GAAAAAAAH!" The last portion of Dave's CP was gone; thus, I was declared by the game as the winner. Dave fell to the ground and stayed there for a few seconds. He got up and approached me slowly. "Congratulations, Schezo… you have passed the test. I will now bring us both back to consciousness." "About time…" He flashed me again and the next thing I knew, I was back in my cave. "Ooough… it's good to be back…" I said to myself as I recovered. Dave was also waking up from this. "Damn... I hope that I'll never have to resort to something like that for another person ever again…" Dave muttered. "D-Dave!" I heard a familiar voice. "Rulue…?" Dave noticed. "Ah-! Wh-what are you two doing in my cave?! I never gave anyone permission to come inside!" I yelled at Rulue and the other girl. "Excuse me? We only came individually because Dave took so long trying to get you to help us!" Rulue lashed back at me. "Besides, we now have a bone to pick you with you. Answer us this question: What the hell is all of this?!" The girl pointed at my bookshelf. "...!" I couldn't say anything in my defense, they found my porn collection. "Schezo…?" Dave looked at me funny, then took a peek at one of the books with a serious expression. "So this is where your collection was at… looks like Lemres wasn't kidding. ... You perverted son of a…!" Comet Warlock told Dave about that?! He shoved a book back on the shelf, then transformed into his signature armor. "W-wait! It's not what it looks like!" "Honestly, Schezo… how on Earth can you possibly defend yourself under these circumstances? Three people have already seen this collection of yours. I don't think you are in ANY position to plead innocent. This proves without a shadow of a doubt… you ARE a pervert!" He grabbed hold of me. "L-let me go! I'll do anything, just please don't hurt me, you three!" I promised. "Nah… I don't think that's going to work out. I believe what you need to learn from this is pain. First, we're taking YOU outside." Dave said to me before he dragged me. "N-no! Stop!" I struggled. He took me outside while the other two followed him.
Dave's POV
It didn't matter how much Schezo tried, he couldn't escape my grip. "Alright… how should we give you the pain? It's problematic, because we can't hurt you too badly. You're needed to fight with us against the Yogs. But… I think I may have a solution to this. Rulue, Raffina… kick him away in that direction, towards the lake." I proposed. "With pleasure…" Rulue grinned. "We'll have this bastard flying to the lake in no time!" Raffina tensed up. They prepared to run at Schezo, who I still held firm. I planned to let go of him at the last second, so he could be sent flying alone. "Raffina, how about we combine our kicks into one attack? It'll show that pervert." Rulue thought about doing. "To share an attack with the one I idolize? You bet!" She nodded. It was incredible, the two looked perfectly in sync with one another and then... they went for it. "Rainbow Wing Kick!" They unleashed. "Nonononono-!" Schezo rocked back and forth helplessly. I found the opportunity to let him go. "See you at the lake, Schezo!" I bid him farewell. "Ough-! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" He screamed. "Heh. He flew like a baseball… how comical." I watched his body fly high. *splash* "Looks like we landed bullseye, Ms. Rulue!" Raffina heard the splash. "The only thing that sucks about this is that I'll have to retrieve Schezo now. Hold on…" I flew away to the lake. "Time to get you out of there…" I lowered to the water's surface. "*pant pant*" Schezo tried to swim to the shallow area, but couldn't. "Hold on tight, Schezo. I'll get you out of there and take you back to your cave. "M-mercy! I'll get rid of those books and magazines if that's what they want! *pant*" "Well… let's see if that's what Rulue and Raffina want you to do. But for sure… they would want you to apologize to them. Make them see that you truly do feel sorry. Be a gentleman, Schezo. Also, tell them that you will help us." "I-I will!" "Good." I took the dark mage back to his cave where Rulue and Raffina stood by. I dropped Schezo softly on the ground and made him kneel. "Go on, tell them." I made him speak. "R-Rulue and…" Schezo stopped. "Raffina. My name is Raffina." Raffina told him. "R-right… Rulue and Raffina… From the bottom of my heart: I want to apologize deeply for possessing that collection. I am truly sorry… Also, I wanted to say that I'll help you all deal with the Yogs. Before… I was being a stubborn idiot. I didn't realize that staying in a cave for all my life would prove to be pointless. I might as well as fight and kill things that are of pure evil. Heh. That might prove to be a job that I can get… but I digress. The point is: I want to show you that I can improve to be a person with actual decency. Dave, I still don't like you… but you're the reason why I decided to be more productive. So, Rulue and Raffina… can you forgive me on behalf of helping you and the others? I promise that I will not make up anymore dirty thoughts about the girls. I promise that I'll dispose of those books and magazines. I promise that I'll keep up my end of things and wield the new sword you'll give me. I promise that I will side with Dave for this time. If you need any time to think about your decision, that's okay. I'll wait here; still kneeling on the ground." He finished. Rulue and Raffina walked over to me to talk it over. "Well?" I waited. "I mean… he DID look like he was actually sorry, but…" Rulue doubted slightly. "Yeah… it's hard to go and just forgive him of his pervertedness." Raffina agreed. "No. I sensed a change in Schezo's heart. Maybe it isn't a complete change, but he's definitely different from the Schezo we knew before now. Give him a chance… At the very end of a test that I gave him, he gave me a small thanks." I said. "A… thanks?" Rulue gave a surprised expression. "To you?" Raffina followed up with. "It's difficult to believe, but that's the truth. You guys know that I wouldn't lie, right?" I confirmed. "N-no, it's not that we don't believe you... We just find it to be... unexpected. In all my years ever knowing Schezo... he almost never gives a decent compliment, let alone a thank you." Rulue brought up. "And to me, he didn't seem to be the type of guy that would ever give any sort of compliment; only ever really seeing him as a petty pervert before today." Raffina brought to me. "In any case, we can see that Schezo is willing to help us stop the Yogs. So, will you two forgive him?" I presented to them the question. "... … …" I heard the two whisper to each other inaudibly. "We… will." Rulue told me. "Oh yeah... Dave?" Raffina came close to me. "Yeah, Raffina? What is it?" I wondered. "Ringo misses you and whatnot…" She said. "When doesn't she miss me?" I sighed. "C'mon, you don't wanna have a girl remain sad and alone… go to her. Me and Ms. Rulue will stay here to make things up with the "former pervert"." She convinced me. "Alright…" I conceded and flew off.
Author's Notes: Schezo was able to turn the tables on Dave in this life-changing game; even giving a small thanks to him. The dark mage himself swore to Rulue and Raffina that he'll help and not be a pervert. However, all is still not good. Minotauros, Rulue's servant, was shot with a poisonous arrow. Raffina got help for the half-man, half-bull in the form of Ex. If that wasn't the worst thing, our cast still has yet to find the Yog that placed a wicked seed in the tunnel; the seed of which caused Sig to be taken control of temporarily. Where is this Yog? Will Schezo's new blade be forged in time? Can Dave and the others prevent any new wicked seeds from spawning? Next chapter, Chapter 46: Curing the Poison.