Chapter 32: Eyes of the Beholder
To continue from the last chapter:
Haru places her finger near the edge of her mouth. She taps her lips, trying to decipher the message on the white card.
"Okay...We all see the words: Death and Rebirth written in bold letters," Haru spoke. Yugo recovers from the impact and rubs his sore head landing near Haru. The tawny brown-haired girl glanced in his direction before turning her attention back to the card.
"We also know someone named Misty Lola dropped this card at my little concert. Therefore, it is a possibility that she has something to tell us," Naomi suggests. "From both of your reactions, I can guess she is pretty well-known around the Synchro Dimension."
Yugo huffed. "Of course, she is! She is Misty Lola, a famous fashion model who is loved by both Commons and Tops!... Plus, she's beautiful," Yugo blushed at the last sentence. Naomi giggles softly and enjoys the flustered expression on Yugo's face. Meanwhile, Haru still had her eyes locked on the message. She considers whether to go to this apartment where Misty could be or not go at all.
"Hmm... I say we go to this Misty Lola and see what's up, or else I'm going to be thinking about this all day" Haru stands up. Yugo and Naomi follow suit.
"I don't want to sound like a dumbass, but I hate thinking, especially when it comes to nonsense like this."
Without further ado, the trio cleans up their trash and leaves the area after a short drive back to the City. The trio-well Haru and Yugo spent the next minutes arguing about the directions trying to find the apartment. Luckily Naomi was able to divert their attention and manage to locate the place mainly because the apartment location was in a prominent place in the City where anyone can figure out someone famous lives here.
Which is how the trio found themselves outside of a luxurious building with security guards standing outside to prevent any suspicious people and paparazzi from entering the building.
Just as the trio was about to head towards the building, Haru feels a breeze brush against her back. She whips her head from side to side to see whose presence she just felt. She knew from her enhanced sense of touch that the presence she felt was indeed a human male.
Haru turns to the group. "Did you guys feel that?" Haru questioned. Naomi shakes her head.
"No. But one second, I heard footsteps, and the next second they vanished," Naomi answered.
Naomi knows she heard those same sounds before, but she couldn't place her finger on where she heard them.
"Maybe they came from a ghost whose soul still lingers in this building, and perhaps they are looking for a place to rest," Naomi thinks about the different possibilities of whose footsteps she heard just a little while ago. She comes up with several theories about how ghosts tend to linger in an area, especially those who still had regrets preventing them from passing on.
Yugo shudders and flails his arms around wildly. "Don't say such weird things with a straight face! It's creepy!"
"If that's the case, let's get this over with! I don't wanna deal with this occult shit any more than I have to!" Haru rushed to the entrance, and as expected, the two security guards prevent Haru from entering the building.
"Excuse me. I have an appointment with Misty Lola, and I would appreciate it if you move out of my way" Haru sees the two men hadn't moved from their positions.
Naomi intervenes before Haru causes a huge commotion and prevents them from entering the building. It was already bad enough that bystanders were giving them looks filled with disdain and disgust. Even muttering words here and there about how they would take their filthy presence somewhere else. Their existence alone is enough to stain the building's reputation.
While those words are upsetting, Naomi just brushes them off. She is used to hearing those kinds of words, so they didn't bother her in the slightest. However, Yugo's and Haru's reactions were different from hers. Anger was evident on their faces, and they returned the gesture by flipping the bird towards the people who said those derogatory words.
Naomi sighs heavily and takes out the card to show to the two security guards. "My friend here is correct. We do have an appointment with Misty Lola, and we would like to speak to her" Naomi sees the two men still doesn't budge and resorts to blocking her path just as they did with her lookalike.
Yugo throws his hands up and groans. "We just showed these bastards the reason why we're here in the first place, and they still won't let us through! This crap is so stupid!" Yugo complains, huffing.
"Completely stupid," Haru agreed.
She was about to resort to her usual methods of beating the men to a pulp and taking her minions into the building by force. That was until Naomi turns her head and places her finger on her lips, shushes the duo.
Her eyes sparkle with mischief as she winks at Yugo and Haru. "Play along," Naomi whispered. She turns her attention back to the two security guards and pursed her lips.
"Do you numbskulls have any idea who I am?" Naomi flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I am the world-famous international idol Nao-chan, and I demand to see this Misty Lola and move on with my life!"
"Hah. Do you know anyone idol by that name?"
"Never heard of her a day in my life."
Naomi clicks her tongue and crosses her arms over her chest.
"Of course, you morons haven't. I debuted roughly around a month ago. Regardless I still made an impact in the City," Naomi replied. "I understand that it may take time for my name to be well-known and all that other nonsense! BUT I still deserve recognition for all the efforts I put in for my skills!"
Naomi stomped her feet and snapped her heads to her two companions. "Isn't that right!"
Haru shakily nods her head. Yugo gives a lopsided grin. "O-Of course M-Miss Nao. You deserve to be acknowledged. You do work hard after all," Yugo commented, shaking his head.
"Right. M-Miss Nao just had a gig a while ago, and now she has this appointment with Misty Lola" Haru cringed at how high her voice becomes but continues with the plan. "Stop causing trouble for her."
While Haru is impressed with her Standard Counterpart's ability to think quickly on her feet, the haughty expression felt unnerving. It was as if Naomi became another person. Although they have known each other for a short while, Haru feels close to the green-haired girl. They just became boss/minion, after all! She doesn't want Naomi to become like that sadistic bitch. Haru doesn't need another Akemi in her life. One is already painfully enough for her.
Haru shakes her head and watches the exchange for a while. Well, it's not like Naomi is like this on purpose. She's just pretending to be this way so they can meet Misty and confront the woman about the message she sent.
Judging from the security guards' frightened expressions, it seems that Naomi's plan worked out for them.
"E-Even if what you're saying is true. We can't just let you- "
"Huh! Stop messing around and let us in already!" Naomi snapped, cutting the men off. "I'm not asking for a whole day with the woman! Just a couple of hours will be fine! Or do I have to storm in there to see Misty myself and show how incompetent you morons are?!"
With that, the guards easily complied with Naomi's request to see Misty but only for three hours. Smirking at her victory, Naomi turns to her friends and gives a peace sign, and the two residents of the Synchro Dimension applaud at her performance.
"That was impressive, Miss Nao!"
"You gave those rat bastards hell, Miss Nao!"
The yellow-green haired girl bashfully blushes at the praise she's receiving. "It's was nothing. It was just something I picked up from Okaa-san during my idol days," Naomi explained. She starts to remember whenever she had an interview on the same day as one of her concerts. Her mother would act overbearing and arrogant towards the executives running the shows to ensure Naomi's back-to-back schedule doesn't overwhelm her. As a result of Chou's efforts, Naomi would have the rest of the day off.
"That's great, but we still need to find out what room Misty is in, or else our time will be up," Haru mentioned. She motions to the stares filled with disdain directed at them from the people in the lobby. "And I can bet 1000 yen that none of these people will be willing to help us out."
Yugo clicks his tongue and waves his hand. "Who needs their help anyway?! I'm sure we can find her room all by ourselves!" Yugo throws his fist in the air. "You do have a point, my minion! I'm sure we can find Misty with our abilities! By the time we do, she won't even have time to blink," Haru agreed as she throws her fist in the air. Naomi joins her fist in the mix and adds some encouraging words as well.
"Yes, I'm sure the three of us can do it. I know this is going to sound corny, but if the three of us are together, we can make it work."
Without wasting any more time, the team split off and gathered information from the people in the lobby as discreetly as possible.
Yugo was sneaking around and stealing food from the tables by hiding underneath the tablecloth. He listened to the crowds near the buffets while chewing on a turkey grilled cheese sandwich.
"All they have been talking about is pointless crap here and there! But I found out more about the Friendship Cup this year, so that's a good thing... Well, besides the food here, of course," Yugo's eyes sparkled when he sees a table filled with various meat he'd never seen before. Before Yugo realized it himself, he had drool hanging from the corner of his mouth that he didn't even bother to wipe.
"I'm sure Haru and Naomi are doing well on their ends, so I can take a little break from gathering information" Yugo makes his way to the table and takes a beef tenderloin without being spotted. "Yep! I can just sit back and relax before heading back, but for now... Let's dig in!" Yugo happily devours the meat in his hand down to the very bone before going for another piece on the table.
Meanwhile, Haru is using her sensitive touch to locate Misty in the hotel but kept coming up short. "Ugh! This shit is so frustrating!" Haru throws her hand in the air. "I'm sensing more than one adult woman in this place, and it's throwing me off!" She slumps on a pillar in the lobby. She thinks about the people she sensed throughout the hotel and narrows her options.
"Wait a minute... Instead of focusing on adult women in this place, I need to turn my attention to women around the age of early twenties and sense if they are moving around in their rooms" Haru voices her thoughts out loud. She places her hands on the pillar she's on and closes her eyes to blocks out the other vibrations resonating throughout the apartment.
Haru concentrates on the specific vibrations ringing under her fingertips. Throughout the tremors, she was sensing there was a particular one that stood out the most. Haru focuses more on that particular one and manages to locate the source. She grins and pulls away from the pillar.
"Found you sucka!" Haru backflips, not caring about the stares she's receiving but pauses when she hits a stump. "I think?"
Meanwhile, Naomi had the same idea of using her enhanced hearing. She sits on the couch and listens to the other patrons' conversations in the lobby and throughout the building.
Her brows furrowed, and her ears twitched by the voices Naomi was hearing. And just like Haru, Naomi hits a roadblock in her search.
However, she gets an idea. Naomi decides to use the same trick from her idol days and concentrate on the sound waves resonating in the air. She taps her fingers to the different sounds passing through her ears as if she was listening to the beats of the various types of music playing simultaneously.
Naomi hums to the sounds and continues to tap her finger. Her lips twitch when she hears a distinct noise that was different from the others. Yet, it was familiar to the young duelist. This Misty person has the same unique melody as Mai, Jounouchi, and Aki.
But Naomi knew it had to be from somewhere else. She couldn't place her finger on where she heard this sound before, but the tune still sounded very familiar to her. Nevertheless, she found her target.
The group returned from their search and informed the others of what they found on their end.
Haru's eyes twitch when she sees BBQ sauce on the corner of Yugo's lips. She can instantly tell that the boy was fooling around, and instead of gathering intel, he was stuffing his face.
"Gocchi, when we are done here! I'm slapping the stupid out of you!" Haru seethed, crossing her arms. "You were scarfing down and probably sleeping somewhere instead of finding out what room Misty could be in!"
"D-Don't be stupid! I only stuffed my face after I found out where Misty is!" Yugo retorted.
"Oh yeah, where?!"
"Here in this apartment!"
Both girls look at Yugo with a blank expression before a look of irritation took over. Haru takes a deep breath and calms down before she starts another fight with Yugo. Honestly, if Haru were in his shoes, she would have been slacking off as well, so she couldn't stay mad at him.
"Okay, that's enough jokes for today," Yugo's face turned grim. He informed the two girls what he found on his end about the Friendship Cup. After hearing the news, the girls were shocked.
"You can't be serious! How in the name of hell is that friendship!"
"W-Wait a minute! Haru-chan, aren't you surprised by the fact that if you do lose, then you'll be forced into servitude for the rest of your life!"
Haru shrugs nonchalantly. "Why would I be surprised? Considering how competitive and how high risked this place is, can't say I'm surprised."
"What I'm more surprised about is the application process to enter the Friendship Cup. Tsk! People who are deemed worthy can enter is a load of crap because the people who are deemed worthy will be the fucking Tops! This brings me to my previous point: how is that considered friendship when the whole tournament is literally named the fucking! Friendship! Fucking! Cup!"
Haru has a good point. Suppose a tournament is named The Friendship Cup. In that case, it should mean everyone can enter, so how come certain individuals can participate in the event? It just doesn't seem right.
"Whatever, we will deal with that bridge when the time comes. Right now, we got other business to take care of" Yugo directed the conversation to why they are here in the first place.
Naomi had to take a deep breath herself and to find her stability. "Yugo-kun is right. We know what room Misty is in, and let's head over there and not waste any more time than we already have."
Naomi heads over to the elevator, and as the group proceeds up to the fourth floor, the green-haired girl kept her eyes to the ground. Her brain couldn't begin to fathom how Yugo and Haru could just easily accept that if they do lose in the tournament, then they would do labor for the rest of their lives. Naomi understands that this dimension is different from hers, but it still doesn't sit well with her.
"Naomi, I have a feeling of what you're thinking about, and I don't have any words to say to make you feel better" Yugo's voice broke Naomi out of her thoughts.
"I know it's unfair and cruel, but that's the hand that life dealt us. We just gotta make it work out in our favor," Yugo grinned. "Besides, who says we're going to lose anyway! Even if we did, I'm sure we can get out of that mess in no time at all! Stop worrying about the small stuff Naomi!"
Haru joins in. "He's right, my other minion! Life can be harsh and cruel sometimes, but when it does, then we just make it work out in our favor. If it doesn't work out, then we will find another way!" Haru places her hand on her lookalike's shoulder and gives a reassuring squeeze.
Naomi gives a small smile when she sees her two friends bickering again, but this time it was about copying what the other said. She feels a bit more motivated than ever, but stills feel discouraged by what she just heard. Or maybe she's affected by Crow and Shinji landing in jail despite not knowing the two men? Or... was it because she is sending her friends on a one-way trip to the Facility with a 1% possibility of getting out. All this stress is affecting her somewhat stable mental health.
Naomi gives a cramped smile. "I need a duel to take my mind off of things, or else I might end up sulking again."
The elevator stopped on the fourth floor, and the trio got off and headed two rooms down. They're considering how they should approach the woman since they've now arrived at their destination.
"We could bust right in there and demand why Misty sends us that note."
"We can't do that, Haru-chan. Do you want the guards to alert Sector Security and give them our location so they can arrest us for what we did to their headquarters?"
"Tsk. I say we bomb this hallway, and when everyone is screaming their heads off, we get Misty and take her back to our house. If someone asks, we pin it on someone else," Haru suggested another idea only for it to get shut down once again.
"The moment we do that, it will not only cause a huge fire, but there will be casualties we won't be able to walk away from. Not only that, but we could also be charged with murder and kidnapping and sentenced to the Death Penalty. Do you have any other ideas, Yugo-kun?" Naomi turns to the Speedroid Duelist.
"Can we just knock on the door to see if she's even home? If she isn't, we can just break in and wait for her to come home," Yugo proposed.
"Well, it's aggravated assault without the assault part, but at least it's better than kidnapping and possibility of murder," Naomi agreed as she ignores the sound of Haru clicking her tongue.
"FINE! I just wanted to have fun, but if you guys wanted to do things the boring way, then go right ahead."
Not even bothering to retort, Naomi knocks on the door. Her brows furrowed when her ears pick up a sound coming from the other side of the door. It was the same sound she heard earlier, but this time it sounded kind of off for some reason.
Regardless Naomi has her guard up. "She's here, everyone. But let's be careful an-Are you two even listening to me?!" Naomi screamed when she sees Yugo and Haru knocking on the door, demanding Misty to come out.
"If she's here, then she needs to hurry up! We are on a tight schedule!" Haru kept pounding on the door.
"Don't worry, Naomi! We'll apologize to Misty for our rude behavior, but Haru's right! We're in a hurry! Answer the door, Misty!" Yugo agreed, slamming his fist against the hardwood.
Naomi stares at her friends in disbelief and clenches her fist. Naomi grits her teeth and does something she never expects she would do in her life ever again. Naomi slams her fist against the loud duo's cheek, sending them crashing on the ground as they each clench their bruised cheek.
"W-What was that for Micchi?!"
"I think you broke my cheek, Naomi!"
"SHUT UP!" Naomi screeched as she clenched her fist. "STOP DISTURBING MISTY AND THE OTHER PATRONS IN THIS APARTMENT AND CALM DOWN OR SO HELP ME! I WILL SEND YOU TWO FLYING!"
Her rage is steadily increasing, and her stress from before is piling up. Right now, Yugo and Haru weren't helping in the slightest. On the contrary, they were making things worse for the stressed-out yellow-green-haired Duelist.
Haru recovers from the initial shock and stands up on her feet.
"How have some nerve hitting your boss like that, Micchi?!"
"I wouldn't have to if you had just been patient and wait! You have some nerve pushing my buttons like that, Haru!"
"I outta beat some manners into you, Micchi!"
"Oh, please do it, oh, great one! By the way, you have no room to talk when it comes to beating manners into people when you don't have none at all!"
Haru snarls and is ready to take out her duel disk to teach her Standard Counterpart a lesson. By how hard Naomi is glaring, it seems like she's all ready to release some pent-up aggression as well.
The two girls were ready to duke it out in the hallway until a chuckle prevented them from doing so.
"My what a lively bunch," an older woman voice remarked. They turned their heads towards the source and found a tall woman wearing an elegant green and yellow dress and strap-on heels. She had two necklaces worn on her neck. She has long black hair with her bangs parted, revealing a gem tied to her forehead, and finally, she has light blue eyes.
"AH! It's Misty Lola in the flesh!" Yugo's eyes sparkle, and he was captivated by the older woman's beauty.
"Fufu, every once in a while, it's nice to see a young fan who appreciates my work," Misty smiled, "thank you very much for supporting me."
Misty winks turning Yugo into a puddle of goo as he fell to the floor with his eyes turn to hearts and a blissful grin on his visage, muttering how glad he was to be alive at this very moment.
Haru momentarily snapped out of her stupor to check on her friend. She's relieved to see he was still breathing though she was concerned when she heard his heartbeat was beating rapidly.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you, but I would like to welcome you into my suite" Misty invited the young trio into her residence. Haru's and a now conscious Yugo's eyes sparkle even more by seeing the inside of the famous model's home. The apartment was like those places you've seen in magazines about homes and decor. The duo wastes no time entering the young woman's home and making themselves comfortable on her couch.
Misty chuckled at the duo's silliness before turning her attention to Naomi.
"You're not going to join your friends," Misty questioned. Naomi snapped out of her stupor and excused herself before stepping into the residence.
Unbeknownst to her, her green eyes had a tinge of brown color in them, along with her birthmark shining a gold-yellowish color.
After settling in their designated spots on the couch, Misty offered the trio some cold-brewed ice tea and different kinds of tea sandwiches. The strangest thing that happened was the sandwiches were almost gone because of Naomi's abnormal, newfound appetite instead of Yugo and Haru eating the snacks. Speaking of the tawny brown-haired girl, Haru was just sitting in her spot, dozing off now and then. She was feeling alright moments ago, but now she feels exhausted for some reason.
Before Haru could rest her eyes, she had to find out why Misty sent them that message earlier.
"So Misty...why did you... send us that message earlier?" Haru asked. "About Death and Rebirth. What's up with that?"
Misty chuckled. "Why, it's because of the reading I received from the look on your friend's face. Speaking of, you also give me the same reading as well," Misty answered truthfully. "You see, I am gifted with the ability called physiognomy, allowing me to predict one's future just by reading their face."
"I can assure you that my predictions are 100% accurate and inevitably will come true," Misty clenched her hands resting on her lap. "No matter how many times we want to change our beloved ones' tragic fate. The result will end up the same every time."
Memories of burning buildings, houses, and trees resurfaced in Misty's mind. The smell of blood lingered in the air. The maniacal laughter still resounds in her mind as if it was mocking her. The woman's hands trembled. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
Naomi, Yugo, and an exhausted Haru both notice the action but didn't speak about it. "Alright, if that's the reading you got from Harucchi and me, then what's Gocchi's reading," Naomi asked, leaning back on the sofa, crossing her arms over her chest.
Yugo blinked at the name coming from Naomi's mouth. It was unusual for the yellow-green haired girl to call him by the name Haru usually calls him.
To make even matters stranger, Haru was dozing off and fell asleep on the couch without a care in the world. Yugo raised his eyebrow and rubbed his face.
"Maybe I'm just hallucinating. Must be from hopping to dimensions back and forth," Yugo muttered. He then stuttered when he feels Misty's hands on his face, and her face was too close to his now burning red face as steam came out of his ears.
"Strange. I see the same phrase coming from this boy, but the context is worded differently... The king shall rise again" Misty lowered her eyes and released her hold on Yugo's face.
Naomi scoffed. She rolled her green-brownish eyes and huffed. She didn't know why, but she feels irritated for some reason. It was like her chest was on fire.
All Naomi wanted to do right now is wipe the stupid grin off Yugo's face.
"Stupid Minion... Flirting right in front of your boss like that," Naomi muttered before blinking at what she said. "Minion...boss?"
"I heard those words from a long time ago. Yes, precisely 34 years ago, a man by the name of Zarc called himself the Supreme King Dragon during the tournaments. He rose to the top with his dueling and became the World Duel Champion," Misty recalled. "My…late brother Toby used to be a huge fan of his when he was still alive. He always enjoyed watching Zarc perform before that day happened...!"
Misty gripped her cup tightly enough to cause a crack down the center. The tea spilled on the floor, but Misty didn't care about the mess she'd just made.
The atmosphere was heavy. Yugo and Naomi couldn't say anything. At this moment, Yugo wished Haru was awake to say something that will get rid of this dreadful atmosphere. But alas, the usual energetic girl was sleeping peacefully on the couch.
"I'm sorry that happened to you," Yugo said.
"Don't apologize for that man's despicable actions," Misty replied, her words coming out harsher than she intended to be. "Forgive me for my rudeness. I have no right to snap at you like that. Just remembering that man and the pain he brought always make me remember the sadness he'd inflicted on my brother and me. I always had someone to help me with my trauma pertaining to those awful memories. But due to unfortunate circumstances, he is no longer here."
Misty reminisces about her significant other. He's a friendly person yet seems standoffish at times. He could never take things seriously, yet he always gave it his all when it comes down to it. Whenever she feels traumatized by her past, he would always cheer her up by serenading her with his guitar. He would hold her until she fell asleep without having a single nightmare throughout the rest of the night.
Just remembering her beloved made Misty give a smile, one full of happiness. "I apologize for rambling about myself. Let me clean up the mess I made."
"No! No! It was my face that made you remember the horrifying things you went through! I'll clean this mess up!" Yugo offered. He then bends down to pick up the broken pieces off the floor.
He went into the kitchen to dump the pieces in the trash can, and just as he was going to get a rag to clean the floor, he stopped when he saw two pictures on Misty's counter.
One was with her and a tall, young man with spiky silver hair and pale skin. He has heterochromia eyes- silver and purple. He had his arm wrapped around Misty's shoulder, and the two had smiles on their faces. But the other picture made Yugo stop breathing. The other picture was a young boy with brown hair and light-blue eyes, the same color as Misty's eyes. Standing next to him was a man with grey hair and light green-haired highlights. He has yellow eyes. But that wasn't what made Yugo stopped breathing. It was the man's face.
Although the man's face looked a bit older, his face bore a striking resemblance to him and his other lookalikes. Yugo's vision became blurry as he fell to the ground sweating profoundly. He started to breathe heavily, and he clenched his jumpsuit as if his heart was going to jump right out of his chest.
Yugo shut his eyes and fights back against the shards of pictures enveloping his mind.
He sees a woman with long maroon and dark red hair tied in hair clips, reprimanding him harshly as she pulls his ear...
Another woman but this time, she had long purple hair smiling towards him as she leans on his shoulder as she holds his hand...
Their bangs shrouded their faces...
The next image Yugo sees is a two pair of small hands grabbing his large ones.
Just as Yugo was about to touch the hands... The images changes to one where the whole city was covered in flames.
He hears screams in the distance... He sees multiple people who were severely injured or killed... He feels a crimson substance on his gloves... He smells the burning ash lingering in the air... Yet, despite all of this, he tastes the sweet flavor of victory in his mouth.
"You sense it too, right. That's right, Yugo. Enjoy all of this while you can... But fear not, this will all be yours as long as you keep winning." A voice cooed. A purple dragon with red eyes beckoned Yugo as it soon shape-shifted into a man much older than him.
"Rise to the top, and everything you wish for will all be yours..."
Yugo's eyes shot open, and he clenches his chest. His heart was still beating fast. But soon, he calmed himself down and looked at his surroundings. He was still back at Misty's apartment.
Yugo let out a relieved sigh, found what he was looking for, and returned to the room where the others waited for him.
Unbeknownst to him, a shadow was grinning maliciously.
Naomi watched Yugo clean the tea stain off the carpet as she scratched her birthmark. For some reason, it was pulsing. While the pain was irritating and unbearable, she didn't care about that. She wanted to know what happened to Yugo while he was going to get the rag. Better yet, why did she see a shadow hovering over him? It made her skin crawl just by looking at the shadow. But as much as she wants to find out what exactly happened to Yugo. There was something Naomi had to do with Misty first.
Naomi took her deck out and placed it on the table.
"Mistycchi! I challenge you to a duel!" Naomi declared. "I have a feeling you got a lot on your chest you need to let out! So, let's use this duel as a way to release some pent up stress!"
"Dueling is a way for duelists to connect to each other and communicate our feelings when we don't know the right words to say. Sure, I don't know what exactly you've been through, but regardless I still want to know more about you. Let's duke it out until one of us is feeling satisfied!"
Misty's eyes widen and narrow. With a smile, she took out her deck and placed it on the table.
"Very well. I have to warn you, though. Back in my day, I used to be a very skilled duelist before I retired and became a model," Misty warned.
Naomi smirked. "That's fine by me. I like a good challenge."
The two female duelists drew their opening hands.
"DUEL!"
Naomi Kobiyashi vs Misty Lola; 4000 LP Each; H:5 Each
Turn 1
"I will take the first turn," Naomi declared. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card 'Madolche Salon' to gain an additional Normal Summon this turn. Next, I summon Madolche Magileine, and via her effect, I add the Tuner Monster Madolche Mooilk, which I Special Summon to my field."
A small girl with purple hair wearing a purple dress and had a witch hat on while holding a fork in her hand.
Earth/level 4/Spellcaster/Effect/ATK 1400/DEF 1200
Next to her was a white-haired girl wearing a cow-like pattern dress. She had a brown horn. She was holding a tray in her hands.
Earth/Level 3/Beast/Tuner/Effect/ATK 1000/DEF 800
"I tune Level 4 Magileine to Level 3 Mooilk!" The white-haired girl turns into rings and passes through Magileine, turning her into stars.
"The humble nature of the turtle who suddenly shows its creation of land! Synchro Summon! Level 7 Naturia Landoise!"
However, the Synchro Monster didn't appear on the field, much to Naomi's surprised. Blinking, Naomi scratches her head and tilts her head. "Wait, I don't even have that monster in my Extra Deck, so why did I say that?"
Naomi coughed. "I apologize for that...Er... What I mean is the sweet Empress of the magical's dolls! Bring joy and peace to your kind! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 7, Madolche Vanilla Empress!"
This time a white-haired woman with brown eyes is wearing a white dress with blue and red frills at the bottom. She had blue ribbons around her wrist, and she wore white heels covered with sweets at the bottom. She wields a pair of twin swords with dark chocolate handles in her hands.
Earth/Level 7/Fairy/Synchro/Effect/ATK 2500/DEF 2100
Naomi scratches her cheek bashfully and blush. Ever since she stepped into this apartment, she's been acting strange. It was like there was someone else inside her body taking control of her.
"Moving on, I summon Madolche Butlerusk." A small male figure is wearing a black colored suit holding a teacup in his hands.
"When Butlerusk is Normal Summon, I can add the Field Spell: Madolche Chateau, which I will now activate! When this card is activated, all Madolche Monsters in my Graveyard are shuffled in my Deck, and all Madolche Monsters on the field gain 500 ATK and DEF."
Naomi took one of the two cards in her hand and placed it on the table. "I activate the Spell Card 'Madolche Present' I send Butlerusk to the Graveyard to draw two cards."
Butlerusk bowed his head and disappeared from the field, leaving a 3000 ATK Vanilla Empress in the small land of sweets.
Naomi draws her two cards and placed them on the table. "I set three cards face-down and end my turn."
Misty hummed.
"A monster with 3000 ATK and a nice back-row. You control a monster with a high ATK, yet you are still conscious about it being destroyed, leaving you defenseless. It seems like there's truly another person joining us in our battle," Misty observed. "Fufu... Let's enjoy this duel to its full extent."
She draws her card and picks up a card from her hand.
Turn 2
H:5-6
"My turn! I summon Ipiria" Misty summoned a small blue lizard with gray hair with a mustache on its face on her side.
Earth/Level 2/Reptile/Effect/ATK 500/DEF 500
"Now, due to Ipiria's effect, I can draw one card. Next, when I control at least one monster, I can target Vanilla Empress to change her ATK to 0, and Special Summon the Tuner Monster Reptiless Hydra from my hand."
Suddenly Vanilla Empress slowly turned to stone. Soon after, a young girl with a snake body on her lower half arrived.
Dark/Level 2/Reptile/Tuner/Effect/ATK 0/DEF 0
"Due to Hydra's effect, I take damage equal to the targeted monster's ATK" Misty winced from the bite from Hydra but recomposed herself.
Misty:4000-2500=1500 LP
"Now, I activate Reptiless Charybdis' effect from my hand since I took damage due to Hydra's effect. I can Special Summon this card! Come Reptiless Charybdis!"
Following Misty's command, a blue-haired serpent woman with tendrils protruding out of her back.
Dark/Level 4/Reptile/Effect/ATK 1300/DEF 0
Misty smirked. "Charybdis' additional effect activates! Now you take damage equal to the damage I took from Hydra's effect!"
Charybdis shot acid towards Naomi, who flinched from the damage. Fortunately for her, since the size of the field was small the damage, she took was meager.
Naomi:4000-2500=1500 LP
"I thought it was fishy when you took 2500 points of damage and act like it was nothing. But I can guess Charybdis has another effect when she deals damage this way," Naomi noted.
"Of course. I gain LP equal to the damage I inflicted to my opponent," Misty answered. She was covered in a green aura, and soon her LP was restored to normal.
Misty:1500+2500=4000 LP
"Misty barely begun her turn, and she managed to turn the tide of the duel with just two cards. As expected of a former duelist. Her skills haven't dulled in the slightest since our last encounter," Yugo observed with a serious expression before blinking. "Huh. Where did that come from?"
"Next, I tune my Level 4 Charybdis to Level 2 Hydra! Woman of the ancient snake of the earth! Revive in this land and fight! Synchro Summon! Descend! Level 6 Reptiless Lamia!"
An older and more horrifying version of Hydra replaced the two women. All six of Lamia's heads start to hiss at the sight of their prey.
Dark/Level 6/Reptile/Synchro/Effect/ATK 2100/DEF 1500
"Because of Charybdis when she sent to the Graveyard as Fusion Material, I can draw one card" Misty draws her card. "Now when Reptiless Lamia is Synchro Summoned, all monsters you control with 0 ATK is destroyed!"
All eyes belonging to six of Lamia's heads began to glow and soon sent a shockwave towards the frozen Vanilla Empress.
"I activate my Trap Card 'Madolche Song' during this turn. All Madolche Monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects!" Naomi shouted as a shield protected her monster.
"Nice play. But it won't be enough to save you from defeat," Misty commented. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card 'Solidarity' since I only have Reptile-Type Monsters in my Graveyard. All monsters I control gain 800 ATK!"
Reptiless Lamia ATK rise to 2900 while on Naomi's field, she only controlled Vanilla Empress with 0 ATK still turn to stone.
"Battle! Reptiless Lamia attack Vanilla Empress!" Misty declared an attack. Reptiless Lamia's eyes all shined, and all six heads shot acid out of their mouths.
"I activate Vanilla Empress additional effect! I banish Madolche Butlerusk from my Graveyard so she can gain his 1500 ATK! In addition, I activate the Trap Card 'Ground Capture' now the Battle Damage is cut in half and remember due to Madolche's Song she can't be destroyed during this turn!" Naomi protected her monster from the acid that turned smaller and flinched from the droplets hitting against her hand.
Naomi:1500–700=800 LP
"You saved yourself yet again. I have to say I'm impressed by your instincts or better yet the two of your combined instincts when it comes to escaping situations just like this one," Misty compliments the yellow-green-haired girl before her eyes shift over to Haru, who is still sleeping on the couch.
"I set three cards face-down and end my turn" Misty finished her turn. "Now it's your turn."
Naomi scowled and analyzed the table in front of her. "I have a 0 ATK Vanilla Empress of my field and no cards in my hand. Mistycchi has three set cards and a 2900 ATK Reptiless Lamia on her field, along with one card in her hand. If she draws a monster to change the tide of the duel, she can attack and win. Shit!" Naomi clenches her fist. "I need to... gain a good solid defense to survive when Misty's turn comes again."
There was someone else telling her to go on the offense and take the risk in her mind. Naomi is the type to trust her instincts in situations like this, but which instincts can she trust when there were two different options yelling at her?
Naomi smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever, I'll just wing it."
Turn 3
H:0-1
"My turn! Draw!" Naomi looks at her card. "Let's start the counterattack! First, I activate the Spell Card 'Fairy's Bet' I tribute Vanilla Empress to draw two cards. If the drawn cards are monsters, then I send them to the Graveyard; however, if it's a Spell or Trap Card, I get to add it to my hand!"
Naomi draws her card and inspects them.
"I send Madolche Jeldoggo to the Graveyard, and I get to add the Spell Card 'Magical Dolls Fusion', which I now activate! I shuffle Vanilla Empress and Jeldoggo back to their respective decks to Fusion Summon a Madolche Monster!" Jeldoggo and Vanilla Empress briefly appear on the field before fusing in a spiral.
"Empress of pure sweets! Energetic fluffy dog! Combine your powers into a new kind of hope! Fusion Summon! Descend! The knight of the magical dolls! Madolche Devil's Knight!"
From the spiral, a red-haired male with white eyes wearing a suit of armor, with black cake at the ends of his torso. He wields a gigantic javelin with a peppermint handle in his hand.
Earth/Level 8/Warrior/Fusion/Effect/ATK 2500/DEF 1500
"Through Devil's Knight Effect Madolche Monster I control gains 800 ATK and DEF! Along with Madolche Chateau in play, he gains an additional 500 ATK and DEF!"
Devil Knight's ATK and DEF changed to 3800 ATK and 2800 DEF, respectively.
"Now, Madolche Salon's effect second effect activates! When a Madolche Card from my Graveyard or Field is returned back to my hand or deck via a card effect, I can set a Madolche Spell or Trap directly from my deck!"
Naomi looks through her deck and chooses a card as she places it on her field. She shuffles her deck and places it back on the table.
"Battle! Devil's Knight attack Reptiless Lamia!" Naomi entered her Battle Phase.
She flipped over a card on her side of the field. "Before you activate any of your set cards, I activate my Trap Card 'Doll's Play' to prevent you from activating any monster's effects, Spell Card, and Trap Cards during this battle! However, you can activate them when it's the End Phase!"
A soundwave shot down, striking all three of Misty's face downs preventing her from activating them. Soon after, Devil's Knight shot his weapon across the table, hitting the six-headed serpent woman in the chest, instantly killing her.
Misty winced from the pain, her smile never leaving her face.
Misty:4000-900=3100 LP
"With that, I end my turn," Naomi concludes her turn. Sweat dripping on the side of her face. "I only managed to make a dent in her LP. If I hadn't activated my Trap Card, I would have been more of a jam than I'm already in. She's not liked any duelist I've faced before," Naomi muttered. "Not only gives off the same sound just like the one Dr. Aki, Jounouchi-san, and Mai-san had. But she's powerful just like them..." Naomi muttered. She wipes the sweat off her temple, revealing a savage grin on her face.
"Just the way I like it!"
Turn 4
H:1-2
"Then it would be rude of me to disappoint you. My turn! Draw!" Misty announced. She glanced at her drawn card and smiled.
"I release Ipiria to Advance Summon Reptiless Medusa from my hand," Misty said. A light green-skinned woman with purple attire and purple snakes in her hair replaced Iprira.
Dark/Level 6/Reptile/Effect/ATK 2200/DEF 800
"I activate my set card 'Ghost From the Past' I banish Ipiria and Lamia from my Graveyard to target Devil's Knight to change his ATK to 0 until the end of this turn" Misty flipped one of her face-downs. The Trap Card blasted ghosts heading towards Devil's Knight, rendering him powerless as he fell on the ground.
Just as Misty was going to go into her Battle Phase, Naomi prevented her from doing so.
"Not so fast! I banish Doll's Play to shuffle Magical Dolls Fusion back to my Deck to shuffle all cards you control back to your Deck!" Naomi countered. A tornado shot from the Graveyard zone and took every card from Misty's field as the woman shuffled her deck.
"Naomi was able to wipe out her field completely. Yet how come Misty doesn't look worried in the slightest?" Yugo said. He noticed no change in the woman's expression.
"That won't be enough to stop me. In fact, Naomi Kobiyashi and Haru Kobi, you two, only stopped one of my attacks. However, I still have many other ways to achieve victory" Misty placed her drawn card on the field. "Let me show you what I mean by that."
"When my opponent controls a monster, I can Special Summon Reptiless Typhon from my hand."
Appearing from the field was a black-skinned serpent woman wearing a red dress.
Dark/Level 7/Reptile/Effect/ATK 2500/DEF 1200
"Usually when Reptiless Typhon is Normal, or Special Summoned Madolche Devil's Knight ATK is changed to 0; however, because of Ghost From the Past's effect is still active, there is no need for that. However, I can still do this," Misty snapped her fingers. Soon Typhon started to whistle and shake her body, causing Reptiless Hydra and Charybdis to appear once more, but this time, they were turned to stone. Each women's ATK was changed to 0.
"I tune my Level 7 Typhon to Level 2 Hydra! Goddess of snakes! Descend in this palace and purify the world! Synchro Summon! Level 9 Reptiless Manasa!" Misty chanted, taking Typhon and Hydra's place is an older and more horrifying version of Naja.
Dark/Level 9/Reptile/Effect/ATK 2700/DEF 1800
"When Reptiless Manasa is Synchro Summoned, I target Typhon to gain LP equal to her combined ATK and DEF; therefore, I gain 3700 LP" Misty recovered her LP to 6800, causing both Junior Youth's mouth gap in surprise.
"That's not all. I activate Manasa's effect by tributing Charybdis. I can Special Summon a Reptile-Type Monster from my deck, ignoring its summoning conditions. I choose to Special Summon Reptiless Vasuki through this effect!"
Replacing Charybdis, this time was a pale-skinned woman with four arms holding a flower in her hand. Her lower body was a snake tail.
Dark/Level 8/Reptile/Effect/ATK 2600/DEF 0
"With just one card, Misty managed to summon two powerful monsters while recovering her Life Points. She didn't just change the tide of the duel..!" Yugo muttered. "She had it in her hands this entire time!"
Naomi was stunned by the revelation. She didn't deny Yugo words. Before the duel started, Naomi knew she would be at a complete disadvantage. But not by this degree.
This sensation feels oddly familiar. Naomi knows for certain she dueled someone whose skills are just like Misty's no probably even more incredible than hers. The memory was cloudy, but Naomi can vaguely remember she dueled a mysterious woman who used a Deck that relied on sending monsters to the Graveyard and banishing cards.
When Naomi tried to remember the strange dream she had before her whole life changed, all hairs on her back start to rise up. Haru stirred in her sleep as her brows furrowed, and she hugged herself to stop herself from shivering.
Yugo noticed the action and placed his hand on Haru's shoulder.
"Oi! Wake up, Haru! You're missing a once in a lifetime opportunity here!" Yugo yelled, placing both hands on the unconscious girl's shoulder and shake her back and forth, hoping it will wake her up. He even considers slapping Haru across the face to wake her up. Knowing full well, he will get a punch in retaliation.
"Maybe she'll let me off the hook if I offer to buy her ramen later," Yugo muttered, cracking his knuckles. But before he could, a chuckle stopped him.
"With this, you're finished. Reptiless Manasa destroy Madolche Devil's Knight!" Misty declared. Reptiless Manasa lung towards the opposing monster digging her fangs into Devil's Knight neck, turning him into stone. Then she smashed the stoned monster into pieces as the small chucks landed on Naomi. She flinched at the pieces hitting her hand.
Naomi:800-2700=0 LP
The monsters vanished from the table as well, as Naomi's eyes returning back to their normal yellow-green color. At the same time, Haru's tawny brown eyes shot open. She jumped off the couch, doing a backflip, landing on her hands.
"RED HOT!" Haru bellowed, lowering her legs till they touched the floor.
"What the hell?!" Yugo exclaimed with bulging eyes. "You were passed out moments ago, and now you're doing flips! What the hell did you drink for breakfast this morning!" Yugo asked.
"Hot chocolate," Haru responded. With that answer, the two start arguing, and Misty, along with Naomi, witnessed the brawl with amusement evident in the former eyes.
Naomi looks at her left arm. "What was that? It wasn't like that when Yuki-san took over my body. This time it was almost as if me and Haru-chan became one... except this time, I was the one pulling the strings," Naomi recalled under her breath.
"Another strange incurrence that involved me and my counterpart. I wonder can I do this again, but this time with Akemi" Naomi thought about her Fusion counterpart. Although when they first met, Naomi was frightened by her because of the malicious intent Akemi emitted. But there was also a strange sound coming from the girl Naomi had heard before but couldn't place her finger on it.
"That was an exciting duel. I look forward to dueling you again in the Friendship Cup" Misty smiled. "Don't worry. I will apply all three of your names so you can participate as well."
The group was delighted when they heard those words, especially Haru and Yugo, who hugged each other and jumped in joy. Naomi giggles at her friend's silliness.
"You're the best Mistycchi/Misty!" Both Synchro Counterparts praised the woman bowing at her feet. As they repeatedly said their praises.
"I don't mind. This is the least I can do for you guys. Before you head out, I will pack up some snacks for you to take home" Misty stood up and went into the kitchen.
"Hell Yeah! Not only we get to bring gifts to Martha and the other kids in the orphanage! But we also get to participate in the Friendship Cup!" Yugo cheered with stars in his eyes.
"Hell, we might even get to see Crow and Shinji if Micchi's friends can pull through on their end," Haru mentioned.
"They will. I am sure they will free Crow and Shinji in the Facility. This time Yugo-kun and Yuya-san can meet so they can clear up the misunderstanding between them," Naomi said. Her face didn't have any doubt. That was enough to convince Haru and Yugo to place their faith in Yuya and the others.
The group had their snacks wrapped in green cloth placed in their hands. They each said their goodbyes, and just as they were about to head out the door, Haru and Naomi were stopped by Misty holding them by their shoulders.
"Keep an eye out for Yugo," Misty warned.
"Huh?"
"Why?"
"I'm sure you both noticed before our duel a shadow looming over him. The same shadow that will cause the king to rise again. If it does, then the calamity that occurred 34 years ago, as well as the disaster that happened three years later, will happen again. If you don't want to lose your loved ones just like how I lost Toby, then you must stop the shadow from rising."
With those words, Misty released her hands and closed the door taking in the bewildered expression each girl wore. Misty sighs and sits down on her chair. She hears a ringing sound and goes into the kitchen to answer the phone.
"It's been a while since we have last spoken to each other, Aki Izayoi."
_Back to where the trio where_
Haru was walking behind Yugo, clenching her fists. From what Yugo told her, Naomi started to act like her, and for a split second, he saw her dueling instead of Naomi even though she was asleep on the couch. At first, she didn't believe him because there was no way she would be asleep missing the duel of the lifetime. But she remembered that Yugo could not tell a lie to save his own life, so she's furious with herself. But it wasn't just that.
She's worried about what Misty said concerning Yugo and this weird shadow hovering over him.
Haru feels something was wrong with him, and it made all of the hairs on her neck rise just by looking at Yugo, which was the first for her. She didn't want to brush this off as an itch.
"Oi Gocchi," Haru called. She successfully made Yugo look at her. "If there is something troubling you, you know you can come to talk to me. I know you're probably still depressed about Rincchi and everything else. Still, whatever happens, I will always be there for you."
"You told me years ago I can always count on you because you're not just my minion, but you're my friend. Can't you do the same thing... After all, I am your boss and friend" Haru finished her speech she unclenched her hands.
She felt the tension ease out of her. She placed her hands behind her head and sped up her pace.
"Haru!"
The girl stopped her movements and turned around slightly.
"Thanks, Haru. Something weird happened to me earlier today, and I had a lot on my plate already. I may be feeling sick, but when I do feel better, I promise I will tell you everything," Yugo responded. He gave a thumbs-up, which Haru returned before running towards the elevator.
Haru sensed the strange sensation from Yugo disappeared for a brief moment. It made her grin, and she jumped while punching the air. Although it wasn't gone completely, it's still better than nothing.
When the group exited the elevator, they were escorted out by Security. As expected, Yugo and Haru huffed and flipped the bird and went back to their rides with Naomi in tow, apologizing for her friend's actions again.
"I still want to visit Martha and the other brats. Is that alright with you guys?" Haru asked. "Yeah, I don't mind," Yugo replied, starting his engine.
"Wherever my boss goes, I will follow," Naomi responded, holding the handles in a hard grip. For once, Haru doesn't say anything and starts her ride. The trio takes off away from the building.
Naomi briefly looks at the setting sun illuminating the sky with its warm colors and remembers her actions moments ago. She doesn't have any slight idea on why she started to act like her Synchro Counterpart. But she has a clue on why it happened.
"The last time was this happened was during my match with Izumi-san then my birthmark is the caused as usual. Shortly before Yuki-san took over my body, I was feeling helpless because of how skilled Izumi-san was at the time," Naomi theorized. "This time, it was because I was frustrated with the current situation concerning Crow and Shinji along with what's happening with Yuya-san and the others. I wanted to lash out, and I did towards..."
Naomi glanced at Haru. She opens her mouth, "Haru-chan, I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. I definitely shouldn't have hit you and Yugo-kun. Especially when you're still worried about your foster brothers," Naomi apologized.
There was silence in the area, excluding the sounds of the engines and tires running. It was unbearable to Naomi until she hears the sound of laughing coming from the driver.
"It seems like you're going to be a worrywart for the rest of your life. But that's a good trait to have," Haru commented. Naomi's cheeks tinge pink from embarrassment.
"Y-You—!" Naomi cried, pouting.
"Micchi... You know what you said about following me wherever I go. When you said that, it made me happy. It reminded me what Rincchi said years ago, just around the time when Pearson was murdered," Haru mentioned. She remembers that day like it was yesterday.
_Four Years Ago_Somewhere in the Commons Slums_
Haru was breathing heavily. Blood dripping from her mouth, nose, and hands. In front of her was a pile of bodies across from each other with multiple injuries ranging from broken ribs to crushed jaws.
This was the fourth gang fight Haru has been in ever since she received the news about Pearson's death. A month has passed since then but a month was all it took. Since then, Haru lashed out and started to fight gang members to unleash her pent-up anger.
She didn't know who to direct her anger at. Should she be angry with herself for not be there for her faster father? She wasn't sure. Was she mad at the sick bastard that killed Pearson? Of course, she wanted to find the bastard and kill him. Simply as that.
Unfortunately, she didn't have any clues other than that it was some no-good punk on the streets, so that's where she starts her search and proceeds to beat the everlasting life out of any gang members she comes across. Which leads her to her current situation.
In the midst of her thoughts, she didn't notice Rin was behind her. The short length aqua-green haired girl panted as she finally found her friend. She grimaced when she saw the gruesome sight in front of her. She forced down the bile down her throat when the smell of blood lingers in the air for far too long than it should have.
Rin steeled herself and carefully approached Haru. To be honest, Rin was shocked to see this side of her childhood friend. While Haru's reaction to Pearson's death is understandable, it was still frightening to see Haru so passive-aggressive. It wasn't like her at all.
"H-Hey Haru, let's go home. Yugo and Martha are worried... We shouldn't keep them waiting any longer for us to come back," Rin said. She placed her hand on Haru's shoulder and was taken back by how much the brown-haired girl was trembling. Her posture was tense, and it seemed she was ready to explode at any given moment giving the right trigger.
"Haru... Let's go home. I'll fix your favorite dinner for tonight and run a hot bath," Rin pleaded. "So please, Haru, let go home where everyone is waiting for us."
When Rin sees Haru still didn't budge from her spot, she grits her teeth and slaps Haru across the face. She grabs Haru by her shoulders and yells in her face, not caring if her voice came out unsteady.
"SNAP OUT OF IT! YOU'RE OUR BOSS RIGHT! YOU NEED TO BE STRONG AND LEAD US! IF YOU CAN'T THEN, EVERYONE ELSE WON'T KNOW WHICH STEP THEY SHOULD TAKE NEXT!"
Rin shook a stunned Haru back and forth. "Please, Haru! I—No, We need you to lead us... Please be the boss who minions will follow to the ends of the earth with..." Rin trembled. "No matter what happens, I will always stay by my boss' side. I will follow you no matter where you'll end up even if it means someday, and you'll go to hell, then I'll go to hell with you."
For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence.
"Then stop me before that happens. If I end up in a situation or fight that will be too hard to handle on my own, then I'm going to need my minions to put me back in my place and fight alongside me...!" Haru's eyes shone as the dull look she had was replaced with ones filled with light.
Rin's eyes widened when she sees the familiar gleam in her friend's eyes and smirks.
"Of course, boss. I will have to give you a beating if you just happened to give up before the fight even began, and when I'm finished, I'll fight alongside you!"
_Flashback Ends_Present Time_
"During that time, I had to forcefully accept my foster father's death, but it seems I didn't completely accept it, and I lash my anger out on other people. When I was done, I go home to wash the blood away every time I did it," Haru recalled the heart-wrenching moment in her life. It was a dark place at the time.
Initially, Haru was upset, and soon, her sadness turned into anger. But instead of throwing outbursts, she became silent and became more ruthless than ever.
Luckily for her, Rin was there to snap her out of her psychotic state and reminded her of her role of being the boss in their group.
"That day, Rincchi reminded me of what it truly means to be a boss," Haru said. "I know being a boss is all about barking orders and commanding their minions to fight for them. But now I realize it's more than that. A boss isn't just a leader. A boss abides by their minion's whims. Grant their every wish. Make sure they're safe. Make sure they're happy. Take every hit the enemy throws at them and get back up if they fall. They can never back down, or else their minions will lose faith in them."
"If I can't even do one of those things, then I can't truly call myself your boss," Haru looks at the sky. She turns her head slightly towards her Standard Counterpart and smirks, enjoying the stunned expression on her face.
"Do you know what your duties as my minions are?"
Naomi shook her head. She was too baffled by Haru's words, but soon enough, Haru spoke again.
"All I need you guys to do is keep me in line, argue with my ideas, and yell at me if I get way too over my head. That's why Micchi, I'm glad you told me what I did that piss you off, including talk back to me instead of letting me do whatever the hell I want. It reminded me of Rincchi."
"Whenever I do something ridiculous like start gang fights or wanted to do my stunts, she always pulls my ear and yells at me. So, thanks for doing that" Haru pats Naomi on the head, and her cheeks turn pink from embarrassment. "It might be weird considering what I told you before, but I'm glad we met Micchi. Today you taught me something."
Haru put her hand back on the handles and didn't notice the smile adorned on Naomi's face.
"No, Haru-chan. You were the one who taught me something today. To fight for what you believe in and to fight for your dreams even if you get hurt along the way because the results will cause a miracle to happen," Naomi thought back to the times she spent with her tawny brown-haired lookalike and her friend. The times they have spent together may be short, but Naomi enjoyed every single one of them. Haru and Yugo were a troublesome duo, but they are so friendly and kind. Their sounds are different from Yuki's, Shun's, and Yuto's, who had a mysterious and somber tone to theirs, but there was a hint of gentleness underneath it.
The yellow-green haired girl recalled the brief moments she spent with her black-haired lookalike when training for the Junior Youth Championship. Naomi enjoyed them all and even learned more from Yuki than she originally had intended.
"I learned from Yuki-san... there are more to people's actions than what they're perceived to be" Naomi close her eyes. "Some people fight for others because maybe they'll finally gain what they've been waiting for in their whole lives—recognition. While there are people who fight for others because it's how they feel without wanting to be recognized... Funny how contradicting those things are."
For once, in Naomi's mind, she feels clear. This is the second time Haru feels calm. Her mind is at ease and serene from the wind blowing against her helmet's visor. But neither girl voice these strange feelings out loud. They were content staying like this the whole day. Unbeknownst to them, their birthmarks were glowing and pulsing on their left arm.
Yugo noticed there was silence behind him, but for once, it made him unease. The silence left him alone with the voice from before as it infects his mind. It kept telling him to rise to the top and win even if it means killing everyone he cares about. That his friends and those he considered as family was all nuisances standing in his way of reaching his true dream. It said they were preventing him from reaching his true potential. He needs to get rid of them now, or else he will suffer.
Yugo clenches his chest and shut his eyes to ward off those ominous thoughts. His breathing becomes steady; unlike before, he doesn't see pictures, but instead, he sees darkness. He sees a monster within the darkness calling out to him, and just as he was about to reach for it, another hand grasps his wrist.
"You're going to be alright... Yugo. Everything will be alright," A voice called out to him. Yugo couldn't make out the voice in the darkness and opened his eyes to see Haru and Naomi looking at him. There weren't any words, but Yugo knew what they were trying to say.
He just smiles. "Thanks for worrying about me. I just ate too much food today. Don't worry when we go to Crow's place. I think I'll take a small nap, so stop making that face," Yugo assures the two worried girls who weren't convinced with his answer but didn't push Yugo to say anything more than he already has. Unbeknownst to them, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon was glowing in the Extra Deck together with a new monster.
Eternia and Chaos Goddess saw the whole exchange, and the chaotic monster fumed in anger.
"T-That sneaky little bastard!" Chaos Goddess growled. She couldn't decide if she wanted to rip Clear Wing's head off or Yugo's. But she was leaning towards the former.
She whipped her head towards her older sister and snarled. "We need to update the others on the current situation and come up with a foolproof plan to stop those damn dragons once and for all."
Chaos Goddess could feel her anger rise as her skin start to heat up from its smoldering intensity. She was too engrossed with herself; she didn't notice the expression her sister wore.
_Spirit World_Forbidden Realm_
The two women returned to informed their siblings what they have learned regarding the situation. Needless to say, their brothers' reactions were exactly what they had expected to be.
"This is bad. If this keeps up, then Zarc will revive" El Shaddoll Grysta clenched his fists. He winced when he felt sparks flying everywhere in the room, which was caused by the Xyz Monster.
"I'm sure this isn't the only news you two have to share with us. Or should I say just you, Eternia" Thunder End Dragon tapped his claws. Eternia gave a bitter sigh.
"...When did you find out?" Eterna questioned. "A little after our last meeting. I felt something was off in my realm and wanted to check things out. Of course, I found out nothing. So, I checked every nook and cranny until I felt its presence somewhere deep in the network. So, I have to ask sister, why did you keep this information hidden from us?" Thunder End Dragon growled.
Both Fusion and Synchro Monster were confused by the implication of their brother's words.
"Thunder End... What are you talking about?" Chaos Goddess asked. "Whose presence did you sense in the network?"
"I sensed Zarc's presence!" Thunder End Dragon growled, shooting lightning in the air, and suddenly the atmosphere became thick. Soon both Fusion and Synchro's monster started to yell at the Xyz Dragon.
"T-That's impossible! There's no way he could have escaped from the pendulum they've made!" El Shaddoll Grysta screeched. "Yes. While it is true the pendulum, those two created were made to be an impregnable defense and contained multiple seals that made it impossible to escape. It has only one flaw," Thunder End Dragon said. "That it only works on the inside. However, if another party were to interfere on the outside, then that's how Zarc escaped from his prison."
There was no deception in the Xyz Dragon's words. Though some wished the dragon was telling a joke just to scare them. But when they saw lightning pulsing around the figure, they only knew that happens when the dragon is serious about certain situations just like this one.
Chaos Goddess whipped her head towards Eternia. "Sister! Why did you keep this from us? We could have prevented all of this if you had told us about Zarc escaping from his prison!"
The woman was also angered by her brother as well for keeping it a secret. They should have told them as soon as they discovered his presence lurking around the Spirit World.
Eternia just looks at Chaos Goddess with a tired expression. Her eyes filled with sorrow, yet she didn't shed a single tear.
"I didn't want to bring back any unwanted memories from that time. You saw how those memories affected the people who recovered their memories of what happened years ago," Eternia replied. "They have so much sorrow, pain, and anger towards the people who ruined their lives and took their loved ones away from them. If it weren't for these rules, I would have like to give those people a proper closure. A chance to properly say goodbye to their loved ones so they can move on with their lives."
Everyone knew the people who Eternia was talking about. Jounouchi, Mai, Misty, Leo, who were there, lost their memories of what happened 34 years ago and so forth. Only for them to only remember the pain of losing their loved ones when it happened t is heart-wrenching.
"We don't know who else regain their memories. But when they do, they will feel so much pain. It can destroy them and change them for the worse. After all, it was the same for us, right. When we lost her and them," Eternia mentioned as she notices how each of her siblings flinched when she brought up their previous masters.
"Even so, sister, you still could have told us about it" Chaos Goddess didn't press her sister anymore. She understands her sister's reasoning for what she did, but it still irritates her.
"I know, and I'm sure Thunder End feels the same way" Eternia smiled. The mentioned dragon rumbled before stopping the sparks that were released from his body.
"But now the situation has taken a drastic turn, and we need a solution to stop the problem from escalating further than it already has," Thunder End Dragon addressed every monster in the area.
"Agree, brother. Which is why we must go with that plan," El Shaddoll Grysta announced. "Yes. I know what each of you is thinking, and I know it sounds cruel and inhumane, but it needs to be done. Now is there anyone who disagrees with this idea?"
"While I am glad you admit this idea is brutal and heartless, considering it was your idea. Glad some things haven't changed," Chaos Goddess remarked, ignoring the look the Fusion Monster gave her. "How are we going to replace those beasts when we go through with this plan?"
"Good question for someone of your caliber. I'm actually surprised you decided to use your brain this time. I guess some things changed in the past years" El Shaddoll Grysta mocked the Synchro Monster by throwing her words back at her. "I already have a replacement on hand. We don't need to worry about the consequences when we proceed with our plan."
"Other than that, does anyone have any other concerns or issue we need to address before moving forward" El Shaddoll Grysta scanned across the room and found no one had anything else to say.
"Very well. Let's commence with the plan. Operation 'Killing the Heavenly Dragons.'
Author's Note: Here is Chapter 32, featuring another Legendary Character from Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds is Misty Lola. I wanted to feature the Legendary Characters' strength hence giving Misty the win because, in the canon, they only showed Jack and Kaito's and maybe Edo to a lesser extent. So in this book, I want to prove why they are called the Legendary Characters strength-wise instead of name-wise. Also, here's the birthmark girls' hair colors:
Naomi=Yellow-green
Yuki=Midnight black
Haru=Tawny brown
Akemi=Dark Blue
Sometimes I will just say black or midnight black, but I am still referring to one of the birthmark girls, with Akemi being an exception to these hair colors.
Oc Cards
Misty
•Reptiless Charybdis
Dark/Level 4/Reptile/Effect/ATK 1300/DEF 0
When you take effect or battle damage: you can Special Summon this card from your hand, then inflict damage to your Opponent equal to the damage you took and if you do, gain LP equal to the damage inflicted. When this card is sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material: draw one card.
•Reptiless Typhon
Dark/Level 7/Reptile/Effect/ATK 2500/DEF 1200
When your Opponent controls a monster(s): you can Special Summon this card from your hand; if you do all monster(s) your Opponent controls, ATK becomes 0. When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can Special Summon two Monsters from your Graveyard with their effects negated and ATK changed to 0.
•Reptiless Manasa
Dark/Level 9/Reptile/Synchro/Effect/ATK 2700/DEF 1800
1 Reptile-Type Tuner + 1 or more Non-Tuner Monsters
When this card is Synchro Summon: Target a Monster in your Graveyard; gain LP equal to the targeted monster's combined ATK and DEF. This card is unaffected by card effects your Opponent controls. Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects. Once per turn: You can tribute a Reptile-Type Monster on your field or in your hand to Special Summon a Reptile-Type Monster from your Deck, ignoring its summoning conditions.