A great gale had flown in from the Singing Sea and slammed Domino City with strong winds and a neverending downpour of rain. The students of Rosenkruz Academy decided to hunker down until it passed, which they were told would not be for many hours. They would probably be trapped there until nightfall as far as the weather mages were concerned. But not even a terrible storm could dampen their spirits. The academy itself was like its own metropolis. There were lounges to sit in, a dozen libraries, places to eat. What better place to be stuck in during a storm?
Outside, the streets were blackened by the storm clouds. Even though it was only 3:30 in the afternoon, it looked like nightfall had cloaked the city in darkness. The street lights were turned on all throughout the city despite the hour. As the rain tapped the glass walls of the school, the students undid their ties, took off or loosened their blazers, and started their own mini-tournaments all throughout the halls. At the atrium, a crowd gathered around two freshmen up in arms against one another for the honor of a girl they adored in class. One student summoned a Mother Grizzly and set a card face-down, hoping it would be enough to withstand the might of his opponent's Twin-Headed Fire Dragon, whose power was boosted with the field spell, Molten Destruction. The holograms displayed an erupting volcano behind the boy and their battlefield was pooled with hot magma.
Up the stairs was another exciting Duel pitting the Six Samurais against the ghostly warriors of the Mayakashi archetype. And down the curved hallway from that one, two dragon Duelists were up against each other to see who was the best one. Youngsters cheered for the boy with white-spiked hair who summoned his ace monster, the shining light dragon, Seiyarui, which meant Holy Night Dragon. His opponent cared not and activated Monster Reborn to bring its opposite, the dark Serpent Night Dragon into battle.
It was a time of great excitement.
But in the midst of it all, Cora was sulking down the halls furiously, her arms crossed over her chest in a pout and a couple of tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped down her chin. She was so furious, so sad, that she didn't even care that she walked through battlefields, despite everyone was calling her to stop and go around. She went right through the leg of a Garnecia Elefantis, avoided the gold battle ax of an Ax Raider, and dodged to the left to let a Time Thief Redoer through so he could finish off an Eldlich across the field. She walked all the way down to the underwater library to join with her friends, studying hard for their trigonometry exam and the big test on Norman the Conqueror.
They were all gathered in a lounge on the library's west wing. It came complete with a long table for them to work on, a fireplace to keep them cozy, orange armchairs, and a couch. They had a grand view of the ocean. Outside, the glowing Termnnian Angel Leviathans were swimming by, singing beautifully. The males were spinning around, displaying their angelic glowing fins and flashing their lights to attract the females swimming around in circles, watching to see which male impressed them the most.
"Isn't it so pretty?" Candy asked Mr. Gael. "Look at all of them."
"You're late," Nixie said to Cora. Cora said nothing and stormed into the lounge. She dumped her backpack on the couch and sat down with a pout. "All right, all right, you're in a mood. What happened this time?"
Kasumi closed her textbook. She walked to the couch to soothe her girlfriend with her touch. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, offering her a pouch of fruit punch.
Cora nodded at a fast pace and gently took the pouch. "Thanks," she said. She took a long drink before she spoke, sucking the pouch dry in a matter of seconds. "It's been three days since I helped save Seto from the virtual world. He hasn't thanked me. He hasn't talked to me. He hasn't even looked at me. I'm done! I'm fucking done!"
"You mean after all the hell we went through he still doesn't want to acknowledge you as a Kaiba?" M asked. "Dude, that's fucked up."
Candy set Mr. Gael down on the windowsill and proceeded to the couch to join her friends. "What are you going to do now, Cora?"
"I don't want to do anything right now. I can't...I can't think. I want to run away. I want to quit. What more do I have to do?"
Jericho nibbled on her pencil for a moment, then set it down. "Well, you certainly can't quit. That's the worst thing you can do right now, Cora. I know it's hopeless but you need to stand tough. Knowing Seto Kaiba, he most likely won't make you an honorary member of the House. But at least you have the honor of staying there and playing the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Come on, Cora, stop it. You're acting like such a baby."
"Hey, hey, hey!" Kasumi snapped at her. "You wouldn't know how hard it is, Jericho. You're not in her shoes."
"Whatever. If you're not going to study, Cora, then could you at least not worry us or ruin our focus? Some of us actually want to pass these exams."
Cora scoffed. She loosened her tie, then unbuttoned her blouse a bit and untucked some of it out of her skirt. "Yeah, great. The History of Prince Yuri. What history? The dude isn't even king, yet."
M closed his textbook and stood up. "All right. There are tensions rising here and a bunch of textbooks and a quiet library ain't gonna quell those feelings. Now, I'm no doctor, but I know that the best cure for some sour faces and a rotten mood" —he ruffled Cora's hair— "are some big ass monsters duking it out against one another. Come on, girls, what do you say? We've been down here for hours. Let's have some fun duels to lighten the mood."
Cora slowly formed a smile, brightening Kasumi's mood. Happy seeing Cora's change in expression, she kissed her cheek loudly. "Isn't she a dream when she smiles?"
"She's even better when she duels!" said M.
Nixie closed her textbook shut. "Come on, you guys. There's a big storm out there keeping us locked in. Let's blow off some steam with a little dueling!"
They couldn't say no to that. They packed their books, calculators, and their notes away then took the train to the underwater dueling arena of the school. No surprise, it was full of students, thankfully many of them were more interested in hanging out down here than dueling. M could only find one vacant arena for them to play on so they had to take turns using it.
"M," Jericho said. "I haven't tried my hand against you. Want to have a match against me?"
"I'm up for anything right now," M said. "I'm do Goddess-Damn bored!"
"Actually, that's okay with me," Cora said, setting her backpack down on a table nearby. "I bought some new packs in the shop earlier today and some of the cards I pulled fit my deck really well and I wanna use them."
"Yay!" Candy said clapping her hands, Mr. Gael was sitting on her lap. "M versus Jericho! Let's go!"
M and Jericho climbed up the illuminated steps up the arena and took their positions. Since M was the challenger, he went first. He drew his opening hand and yelled out: "Duel!"
LP 8000
T1
"Look out, Jericho, here I come! The darkness that emits from your D/D/D monsters can't possibly hope to stand up to the radiance of my Lightsworns!"
"We'll just see about that," Jericho said. "Show me what you've got, M!"
"You want it you got it, baby! I activate two Charge of the Light Brigade! I'll send six cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard, I can add two level four or lower Lightsworn monsters from my deck to my hand. Next, I'm summonin' Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner in attack mode!"
M placed the card on the surface of his illuminated white and gold Duel Disk, crafted to look like a holy sanctuary. Every time he summoned a light monster, their entrance came out flashier and burst with angel feathers. The blonde-haired Lumina jumped out of a pool of light and stood in front of M. [ATK/1000 DEF/1000].
"Using her effect," M continued, "I discard a card to summon another Lumina from my graveyard!" Lumina's palms began to glow. She motioned them around in an elegant dance and conjured the second Lumina. "Nice!" M said. "And with her effect, I discard another card from my hand to summon from my grave, Felis, Lightsworn Archer!"
The second Lumina motioned her arms around in the same fashion as the first one and summoned a cute green-haired girl with a bow and arrow. "Ya!" she cried out, standing in between the two Luminas. [ATK/1100 DEF/2000]
"Everything's going according to plan!" M boasted. "Now the conditions are set for me to activate this spell card. Chaos Space. I discard Necro Gardna to add this bad boy to my hand. Next, I overlay both my Luminas to Xyz Summon, Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss. Defense mode!"
The two women vanished and made way for a young man with long, dark gray hair, formed into a braided ponytail. He sported red and black medieval-style clothing and carried a book under the crook of his arm. [ATK/1000 DEF/2500 RANK 4]. "I activate Dante's effect. By removing an Xyz Material from him, I send three cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard. He gains 500 ATK for each card I discarded until the end of the turn, but there's no need to worry about that. All right, Jericho, that ends my turn."
T2
Jericho grinned and drew her next card using her teeth, causing her friends to oooh and ahh. "A Lightsworn deck with a Burning Abyss engine. Interesting. And am I correct in assuming you've sprinkled a touch of Chaos in there, too?"
M made a chef's kiss gesture. "It's delicious!"
"I'll bet it is. But you're going to have to do better than that if you hope to get the best of my Different Dimension deck. I activate Contract with the Gate. During my main phase, I can add a D/D monster to my hand from my deck, although it's going to cost me 1000 Life Points to keep this out. A small price to pay for what I've got in store for you, M. I use D/D Swirl Slime. Think of him as a living, breathing Polymerization."
"That's not good."
"Not for you, man. I fuse Swirl Slime with D/D Berfomet to create D/D/D Flame King Genghis!"
The arena rumbled. Then BAM a column of fire rose up and revealed a warrior in red armor armed with a tall shield and a giant red sword. [ATK/2000 DEF/1500].
"I'm not through yet. I banish D/D Swirl Slime to summon D/D Berfomet from the graveyard. And then I summon D/D Savant Copernicus!" Her next monster was a bronzed contraption forming a cage around a burning ball of fire that resembled the sun. "Now I will Overlay D/D Savant Copernicus and D/D Berfomet to Xyz Summon, D/D/D Wave King Caesar!"
The two monsters grumbled as they vanished, their essences stacked atop one another to summon a giant warrior in purple armor and a giant black sword. [ATK/2400 DEF/1200 RANK 4].
"So much for things going according to plan, eh, M? All right, I'll strike down your Lightsworn Archer with Flame King Genghis!"
"Don't be so sure about that!" M declared. "Remember the Necro Gardna I discarded? Well, if I banish him, I can negate the attack of your monster."
Jericho wrinkled her nose. "Fine, fine. I set a card face-down and call it a turn."
T3
"It's my turn!" M declared. "Using Dante's effect, I send three cards from my deck to my Graveyard!"
"And I'll remove an Xyz Material from my Caesar," said Jericho.
"What for?" M asked.
"Oh, you'll see."
Cora shuffled her cards around on the table and laughed. "Man, things are heating up in there. It's been a while since I've seen M duel. I forgot how good he was."
Nixie gave a scoff. "Well, if you weren't always so focused on watching Kasumi play all the time, you'd probably see him play more often."
Up on the arena, M scratched his chin, wondering what she just did with her Wave King. "I'm prepared for anything you throw at me, Jericho. Since he was discarded from the deck to the graveyard, I can special summon this guy. Wulf, Lightsworn Beast!"
A white wolf warrior wearing gold and white armor jumped out from the ground. It growled once it landed on the ground and stood up. It was a giant beast, standing seven feet tall. Wulf spun his staff around and stood still. [ATK/2100 DEF/300]
"He looks tough," said Jericho.
"And he's ready to rip your D/D/D Kings a new one! I'll tune Felis, Lightsworn Archer with Wulf to Synchro Summon a mighty ruler of chaos! I call upon Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon!"
M's new dragon descended from dark clouds that formed over their arena. His friends all stood up to stare at the massive beast colored black. The light shining from the clouds bled through his purple membranous wings. Dark red horns spiked and decorated his legs and shoulders and tail. [ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
"M, baby!" Nixie cried out with glee. "Where did you get a card like that?"
"I bought it online. When I saw Cora using it in the virtual world, I just knew I had to get my hands on it. Ain't he amazing?"
"Hell yeah, you look hot with that dragon hovering over you like that!"
M bobbed his head up and down and crossed his arms. "Yeah, yeah, I know how to make my girl happy."
Kasumi laughed. "Come on, lovebirds, let's get this duel going. I want to play next!"
"With my new dragon on the field, I guarantee that will come pretty soon. Using Chaos Ruler's effect, I can excavate the five top cards of my deck. And if any one of those is a Light or Dark monster, I can add it to my hand, but the rest go to the graveyard. One of those cards was Minerva, Lightsworn Maiden. Thanks to her, I'll send another card from the top of my deck to the graveyard. Then I summon Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn! Using his effect, I send two more cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard. Then I banish one Light and one Dark monster to special summon The Chaos Creator from my hand. Since she was banished, I activate Chaos Valkyria's effect and send a Light or Dark monster from my deck to the graveyard. I then activate Chaos Space in the graveyard. I banish it and then one of the banished monsters who can't be special summoned or set gets sent to the bottom of my deck."
"Look at him go," said Madeline. "Ze graveyard iz getting thick! I wonder what M iz planning."
"Me, too," said Candy. "But I'm sure whatever it is, it's going to give Jericho and her D/D/D monsters a run for their money."
M continued. His combo seemed never ending. "I'm going to activate the effect of Chaos Creator. I can choose three banished monsters; one of them is going to be your D/D Swirl Slime. I can special summon one of those banished monsters, and I choose Lumina, Twilightsworn Shaman. Now the rest get shuffled back to the bottom of our decks."
"I suppose I could thank you for that," said Jericho.
"Oh, you're not going to thank me after this. I'm going to use Chaos Creator, Lumina, and Raiden to perform a Link Summon! The conditions are all set. I summon Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians!"
"What's the meaning of all these special summons, M?" Jericho asked.
"You're about to find out. When Selene is Link Summoned, I can place spell counters equal to the number of spell cards on the field or in the graveyard. I'll remove six counters and special summon Lumina and Lyla. When Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress is summoned, I can pop that face-down card of yours and then switch her to defense mode. Now for another Link Summon. I use Selene and Lyla to Link Summon, Access Code Talker!"
M's new monster was a cybernetic knight in brilliant armor made of white and gold steel and data made solid. [ATK/2300 LINK-4]
"My monster gains 1000 attack points times the Link Rating of the Link Monster I used to summon him. So his attack points rise up to fifty-three hundred!"
"What's this!" Jericho cried out. "Fifty-three hundred attack points!"
"Yeah, and now I can special summon Lighsworn Dragon to the field and..."
She placed her hand over her deck. "I can't go on. You've gotten the best of me, M. That was...that was fast. I couldn't keep up."
"Huh?" M was puzzled by this move. He hadn't known Jericho long but he knew she wasn't the kind of girl who surrendered. "Quit? How come?"
"I've got nothing in my hand to counter all those cards. That's it. You win."
"You okay, Jericho?" Cora asked. She finally finished her deck and shuffled it once more. "You...you haven't been yourself lately."
"I'm sorry, everyone," she said coming down the stairs. "I just haven't been the same since Jack dueled me, that's all."
"Haven't been the same? What do you mean?"
"I mean...nevermind. It's best we don't talk about it. I...I'm done for the afternoon. I...I have to go home."
"But ze storm!" said Madeline.
"I'll be fine," Jericho said at once. She hurried down the steps before anyone could say another word.
"Huh," said M. He looked at his Duel Disk. "Maybe I was a little rough on her with my new engines."
"No, that's not it," said Cora. "Something's troubling her. And I'm going to figure out what."
"Excuse me!" a girl with a blue cap called. Honey-colored hair streaked with dark blue spilled out from underneath it. Blue LED extensions made her mane glow brightly. Her uniform was heavily customized with gold trim and precious gems from emeralds, rubies and sapphires, and round diamonds lined on the high collar of her custom blazer, most likely to show off her nobility. Her legs were concealed in black thigh-high socks that peered out of her custom white and gold boots. She crossed the illuminated bridge toward their arena, waving her arm around to get their attention, the jewels on her uniform flashed like stars.
"Hi!" she said. "Is this arena reserved for you guys? Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all," said M. "The more the merrier. Who are you?"
"M, seriously? You don't know who this is?" Nixie said. "This is Kendrix. Kendrix Kingsbridge. Your father is about to gain ownership to the lands in the Evermonts, right? He's about to become king."
Kendrix closed her eyes as she bobbed her head arrogantly. "That's right. And in a few weeks, I'm going to be a princess."
"How does one just become a king?"Cora wondered. "What did your father do?"
"What does my father do?" Kendrix asked, feeling offended that someone would even ask such a question. "He's only the greatest warrior in Lorin. He fended off clans of warlords holding the Evermonts. All those resources; precious metals, dragonbone, gems, and more ancient Celtran ruins than anyone can count. A vast wealth of ancient knowledge was kept out of our reach for hundreds of years because of those warring bastards, and NOBODY wanted to get involved. Can you believe it? Well, being the champion that he is, my father rallied support from his allies from Lorin to the very Great Houses of Emboldor. He led an army of thousands against the warlords in a campaign that lasted only a year."
"Oh, yes, I heard about zat," said Madeline. "My uncle and my cousins rode wiz your father in zat campaign. Zey helped him take ze Great Mines of Goldfine in ze Great White Mountains."
"Indeed. And all that gold helped my father fund his campaign and earn more allies. Thanks to our acquisition of the mines of Goldfine, House Martin are no longer the owners of the richest mine in Termnnia. The rest speaks for itself. My mother recently started her own hotel chain here in Eredas, The Kingsbridge. Our first hotel should open next month, which should increase our profits tenfold. I got the funds to attend the best dueling prep-school in Termnnia, and I got to build this amazing uniform. Like it?"
She slowly stepped around to show off her outfit and the gems sewn on it.
"Someone's full of herself," Nixie muttered, wrinkling her nose in agitation. "Well, for now, your father's hold will be nothing more than an Estate. A lesser kingdom."
"Ha! For the time being. With my father's leadership and the resources we've gained in the Evermonts, we'll grow into a true kingdom soon. Hey! I know who you guys are. Yeah, you're Cora Kaiba's crew."
"You can drop the Kaiba," Cora said sadly. "I fear that's not a name for me."
"That doesn't sound good," Kendrix said. "Looks like someone's in a sour mood."
Cora put her hand on her cheek and sighed. "You don't know the half of it, sister."
"Well, how about you and me Duel, Cora? I've always wanted to play against you. I never got the chance all semester and now's my chance. Come on, please accept."
"Well, I can't say no to a pretty face," Cora said, to which Kasumi nudged her hard on the ribs with her elbow.
"Uh...you say no to me plenty of times. Are you implying that I'm ugly?"
"Perish the thought, Kasumi. It's a joke. Sheesh." Cora got up from the table. Kendrix stopped her for a while to take some selfies and trade contact information before they got up on the arena and readied themselves.
"They say Seto Kaiba trained you himself. Is that true?"
"Not unless you count his dueling robots. I never had a chance to go up against him before. Something tells me he'll wallop me if I ever did. But, meh, I still aim to try my hand against him. So, gorgeous. Who should start first?"
Kendrix laughed. "Why, Cora, I'm flattered. But, I think we should stop with that. If what I heard about Princess Kasumi is true, she'll punch me to one of the moons. I think you should go first."
"Sounds good to me. Duel!"
"Duel!"
"Why do I even date her?" Kasumi grumbled to herself.
"Cora's a player," laughed M. "I don't think that's a side of her that can go away. Even if she is dating a total hottie like you."
LP 8000
T1
Cora drew and began the Duel. "I activate the effect of Danger! Dogman! Now, you get to choose a random card in my hand."
"That one!" Kendrix pointed to the one on the far right.
"All right, this card is discarded and my Dogman comes into play."
She placed the card on the field. Dogman rose out of the ground snarling, eyes flashing red. His hair stood on end as the thrill of battle overcame him. He then howled at the ceiling as though it were a full moon. [ATK/2400 DEF/1000].
"And why should I stop there? Dogman lets me draw a card when he's summoned. Ooo! I activate the effect of Danger! Nessie! Once again, choose a card."
"That one!" Kendrix said again.
"Same deal. The card you chose is discarded and I can summon Nessie. Come on out, girl!"
Since there was no water, Nessie swam out of a watery portal and hovered over Cora. She let out a strange, eerie, shriek, waving her long neck back and forth [ATK/1600 DEF/2800].
"Just like Dogman, Nessie lets me add a card to my hand if she's summoned successfully. Now, I'll send Sage with Eyes of Blue from my hand to activate his effect and tribute Nessie to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Cora's friends clapped and cheered when her Blue-Eyes appeared on the field letting out its iconic roar [ATK/3000 DEF/2500]. "I've still got a normal summon to perform!" Cora boasted. She summoned White Stone of Ancients and tuned it together with Dogman to Synchro Summon Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon [ATK/3000 DEF/2500].
"Far out, Cora!" Candy cried out in delight, watching the big, black, dragon descend from a cloudy sky.
"You ain't seen nothing yet!"
Chaos Ruler's body was then outlined with a dark bluish-purple aura.
"I excavate the top five cards of my deck and add a Light or Dark monster to my hand. And the rest are discarded. Now, I'll banish my two Danger! Dogman! And Danger! Thunderbird! To special summon Chaos Dragon Levianeer."
A portal acting as the gates of chaos opened, and from it flew Cora's malevolent dragon, lighting up the dark corners of the arena with its glowing accents decorating its body [ATK/3000 DEF/0].
"Since I special summoned this bad boy using nothing but Dark monsters, I can shuffle a card from your hand back to your deck. Then I end my turn. Oh, but before you draw your card, there's still a couple of more things I can do. During the commotion, I sent another White Stone of Ancients to the graveyard. And since this is the end phase of the turn that I sent them there, they can give me two free Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Come out, guys!"
Cora's remaining two Blue-Eyes White Dragons soared out of the sky. They used their wings to brake to stop. Both of them roared in unison, joining the first one that Cora summoned earlier.
"Man!" said M. "Would you look at that! Cora got five powerful dragons out on her first turn."
Kasumi crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back on her seat. "She may be a lousy girlfriend, but, man, can she play a good game of Duel Monsters."
"I hope you're right," said Madeline. Look at Kendrix. Despite all zose powerful dragons Cora has, she's smiling. I have a feeling she's got something in her deck zat can deal wiz Cora's dragons. As powerful as they are, Cora left them all out unprotected for ze sake of showmanship. I think Kendriz iz going to capitalize on zat."
T2
"Is that it?" Kendrix said. She took pictures of the dragons with her phone and blew a bubble with her gum. Pop! She sucked it back in and cackled cruelly. "Cora, I'm disappointed."
"Say what?"
"Those are some very pretty dragons but what good are they unprotected? Allow me to demonstrate. I activate Lightning Storm."
Cora's arms hung like an ape's as she sulked forward. She knew what that card did. It could wipe out all attack position monsters on her field. And….all her dragons were in attack mode.
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! Lightning rained down from above the arena and destroyed all of Cora's precious dragons. When the smoke died down, it revealed Cora, frozen in shame and sorrow. "Heh, heh, heeeeeh," she sobbed, not believing she could have been so stupid. She fell to her knees, head tilting back and forth. "Ooooo! Seto's gonna have my butt for breakfast if he ever finds out about this. Oh, whhhhyyyyy!?"
Kendrix laughed and flung some blue and blonde hair over her shoulder. "Honestly, Princess, what do you see in her?"
"Sometimes I wonder that myself," said Kasumi.
"You don't mean that?" Cora said at once. "Do you?"
"Maaaaybe," Kasumi said.
"Do I sense trouble in paradise?" Kendrix asked.
"I guess you do," Kasumi said. She didn't sound like she was joking either. She had a very serious expression on her face and her eyes, usually twinkling when she looked at Cora, seemed dark and cold.
"Waaaaaa!" Cora cried. "This is such a bad day!"
"And I'm afraid it's about to get worse, Little Miss Kaiba. First I use the spell, Pot of Extravagance. I will banish six cards from my Extra Deck face-down to draw two cards. Next, I activate Instant Fusion. At the cost of 1000 Life Points, I can summon a level five or lower fusion monster. I call upon, Curse of Dragon the Magical Knight Dragon!"
A magic cup that looked like a container for instant noodles popped out of nowhere in front of Kendrix. She opened it and slid it across the air in front of her, creating a green mist that sparkled with purple light. The mist grew and grew, then faded away to reveal her monster. A Curse of Dragon but protected by red and indigo armor that matched Gaia the Fierce Knight's armor. [ATK/2000 DEF/1500]
"What good that will do you," said Cora. "Don't you know that Instant Fusion prevents your monster from attacking?"
"You're as arrogant as your father, Cora. Of course, I know that. But I will not be using my magical knight dragon to attack you. I need it to call on something much bigger. I tribute Curse of Dragon the Magical Knight Dragon to special summon, Soldier Gaia the Fierce Knight!"
Curse of Dragon vanished in a puff of blue smoke. And from it rose Gaia but he was clad in giant black and gold armor and a long, flowing, cape colored black and red. Instead of his signature red lance, he carried a long trident. [ATK/2600 DEF/2100]
"Gaia won't stick around for long, either. I sacrifice him so I can use his special ability, which allows me to add a warrior monster to my hand." After Soldier Gaia disappeared, Kendrix continued. "Excellent. Now I'll use the ritual spell, Super Soldier Ritual. I offer Black Luster Soldier - Sacred Soldier to ritual summon, Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier! Go!"
From behind Kendrix, a gold arcane circle ringed with smaller ones formed, acting as the gate for her Super Soldier. He jumped out, shattering the arcane circle and stepping in front of Kendrix like he was her personal knight-champion. She stopped the Duel for a moment to step in front of Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier. She whipped out her phone and started to take selfies with her soldier standing behind her to show off to her followers later.
ATK/3000 DEF/2500
"Look at the size of that big boy!" said Nixie. "Damn!"
"No kiddin!" M said. "Three thousand attack points and Cora's wide open!"
"Why settle for just three thousand?" giggled Kendrix. "I use Monster Reborn and bring back Soldier Gaia back from the graveyard." The ground next to Black Luster Soldier lit up and spewed out sparkles like a fountain. Soldier Gaia rose up from the light, good as new and ready for battle.
"Okay, guys! Double team! Attack Cora directly!"
Soldier Gaia attacked first. He stabbed Cora in the gut with his trident. As she clutched her tummy, Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier sprang across the field and slashed her across the chest with his sword, knocking her backward. She landed on the ground hard and winced with pain.
Cora - 2400 LP
Kendrix - 7000 LP
"How perfect. I end my turn."
T3
Cora stood up and massaged her bottom, which took the brunt of the fall. "You may have taken out my dragons but they're not out of this yet. I'll banish Nessie and Sage with Eyes of Blue to bring back Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon!"
The dragon returned from the graveyard, shaking the arena with a terrifying roar. Cora pointed at Soldier Gaia and shouted: "Attack!" Chaos Ruler glided toward Gaia with great speed, making him look like a black and purple blur. He reared up his head and fired a bright red laser, hitting Soldier Gaia on the chest. "GYAHKKK!" Soldier Gaia grunted before his body burst in a violent explosion.
Kendrix just stood her ground, her skirt waved over her thighs from the blast, and her hair whipped around behind her.
"Geez," said Cora. "You could at least...flinch or something. I end my turn."
T4
"Cute, cute, very cute," Kendrix looked at the card she drew and smiled. "I activate Graceful Charity. Draw three and discard two. Ah, since you control a monster with more than 2300 attack points, I can normal summon Gaia the Magical Knight without tribute!" She smacked her card onto her jeweled Duel Disk, which instantly conjured the horseman riding on a blood-red steed and carrying two oversized lances and a flowing cape.
"And guess what I just banished to the graveyard? Beginning Knight and Evening Twilight Knight. Two light and dark monsters, which I will banish to summon this. Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning!"
"Not him again!" Cora cried out.
"Yes, I've heard so much about your first Duel with Clovis. He was an amateur undeserving of the Black Luster Soldier's power. However, this is not the monster you should be worried about, Cora."
"You mean there's more?"
"Oh, yes. I have the requirements I need for a Link Summon. Behold the Black Luster Soldier's true power! Soldier of Chaos! Break free from your domain and carve me a road to victory with your blade! Link Summon! Black Luster Soldier - Soldier of Chaos!"
"Soldier of Chaos!" gasped Candy. She held onto Mr. Gael tightly.
"Now that's what I call a duel!" said the bear. "Hopefully those new cards I ordered you can make you play like her! Now she's a true duelist, unlike you, idiot! Watch and learn."
Black Luster Soldier - Chaos Soldier jumped out of the Link Summoning portal, cloaked in sparks of electricity left behind from the portal. When they faded, he appeared in all his glory. His armor almost matched Kendrix's customized uniform. He was eight feet tall, his sword's gold accents flashed in the lights of the arena. As his stats displayed [ATK/3000 LINK-3] a pod of glowing leviathans swam by the windows.
"What do you think?" Mr. Gael asked.
"I thought that Envoy of the Beginning Mr. Andre kept bragging about was impressive," Candy replied. "But this Soldier of Chaos completely takes things to a whole new level. Just look at that thing!"
"I never liked that guy," Mr. Gael said with a nasty chuckle. "All brawn and no brain. Come to think of it, he didn't have much brawn either. Heh, heh, heh."
"Isn't he beautiful?" Kendrix boasted. She held up the card so Cora could see his Ghost rarity.
"This is the treasure of my deck. And once he's in play, there's no stopping me. Princess Kasumi. What do you think? Is he not more impressive than the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?"
"Kass?" Cora whined.
"He looks cool," Kasumi answered. "But what exactly can he do?"
"Let me take care of that," Kendrix said with a wink. "You just sit there and continue being beautiful."
"Hey! That's my girlfriend you're talking to!" Cora yelled.
"What's going on, Cora," Kasumi said in a cold tone. "Me being your girlfriend didn't stop you from flirting with her a little while ago? Or the other girls you hit on since we started dating."
"What? I...It's just a flirt. That doesn't change how I feel about you. Kasumi, you really don't take what I say to other girls seriously, do you? I'm just kidding around."
Nixie sighed. "This girl doesn't know a thing about love."
"That she doesn't," M agreed. "I'm surprised Kasumi hasn't knocked out Cora yet. The last guy to piss Kasumi off got kicked by her so hard he saw the curvature of the planet."
Kasumi's brow curled and her eyes flashed with anger reminding Cora of the Berserker of Tenyi. "Your kidding around is really starting to bug me. You make me feel like I'm just an accessory. Just something to make you look good and feel good. I'm not a toy, Cora. You can't just toss me on the shelf and play with me whenever you feel like it. I thought I meant so much more to you."
"You do!"
Kasumi placed her palm over her eyes and shook her head. "I want to believe that."
"I'll be better! I promise! I don't want to lose you."
"Or perhaps you can be with me," Kendrix suggested.
"Say what!" Madeline gasped.
"Oh, hell, no!" said M. "Now it's on."
"Back off!" shouted Cora.
"Yes, please," said Kasumi. "Cora may have her...flaws. As annoying as they are, I still find myself wanting to keep her. If you want this to work, you need to stop being so immature."
"I'll do anything for you, Kass. Anything. I'll never flirt with another girl again, I promise!"
"I'll hold you to that, then," said Kasumi.
"Why?" Kendrix said. "Princess, I can be so much better than her!"
"Hmmm," Nixie said, drumming her fingers on the table. "Something tells me little Kendrix here didn't come to our arena just for a Duel. Seems like she's got her eyes set on Kasumi."
"Yes, that is true," Kendrix said. "Give me a chance, Princess. Cora's a Kaiba. And we all know the Kaibas are not a family to be trusted. Think of all the atrocities Seto Kaiba committed to find his Blue-Eyes White Dragons. All the wars his father, Gozaburo, started to expand this city and his wealth. The destruction his army caused to your people when they attempted to steal your wealth."
"I am NOT Seto!" shouted Cora. "And I most certainly am NOT Gozaburo Kaiba."
Kendrix leered at her. "So your adoptive father told you all about his adoptive father, too, eh?"
"I know very little, but that small piece of information makes my skin crawl. Seto took Kaiba Corp and the family in a whole new direction."
"Yes, he made things worse. House Dalton rules Eredas, but everyone knows Domino City is Seto Kaiba's little playground. He's building that giant space elevator to further fuel his ego and just recently made it law to have Dueling decks registered in order to be citizens of this city. I get he's trying to keep those bloodsucking Yeyunists out of Domino, but don't you think him deciding who gets to be a citizen makes him a tyrant?"
"Sometimes you have to do dark things in order to keep away dark people," said Cora. "Unless you want those damn cultists running around and burning our city in the name of liberty, you'd better shut the fuck up! You know nothing about my father except for what you heard in the tabloids. And don't bring up the Cherry Blossom Wars again just to convince Kasumi that we're evil. Gozaburo was Gozaburo. And he's gone now. It's just me, Uncle Mokuba, and Seto. Kaiba Corp is no longer an arms manufacturer or a PMC. We do games now. And my father's genius has helped this city grow. Maybe one day all of Termnnia will look like Domino."
"Unless the Westerners want it," Kendrix said, still with her cocky smile. "Something tells me Seto is going to build his big cities all over Termnnia whether the Westerners want to modernize themselves or not. But we've prattled on for far too long. It's time to impress Princess Kasumi with my Black Luster Soldier - Soldier of Chaos."
"How the hell do you plan on that?" Cora asked. "Both he and my Chaos Ruler have 3000 attack points. They'll destroy each other if they battle."
"What do you think this is? GX Academy? I already know that. However, I still have one more card that can help me turn this around. But first, I'll attack your Chaos Ruler with my soldier!"
Soldier of Chaos sprinted across the field. He yelled, raising his sword up. "Now that it's the battle phase, I can activate the effect of Envoy of Chaos. By discarding him to the graveyard, a Black Luster Soldier monster I control has its attack points raised by 1500. Now Soldier of Chaos is standing strong with 4500, making him a match for even your Ultimate Dragon!"
Soldier of Chaos jumped and sliced off Chaos Ruler's head with one swipe. The head landed next to Cora before the dragon's body exploded.
Kendrix blew Kasumi a kiss and shouted: "For you!"
"Bitch…" Cora muttered.
Cora 900 LP
Kendrix 7000 LP
"Check out the score," said Nixie. "It's been a while since I've seen Cora get her ass kicked like this. Kendrix knows how to use her Black Luster Soldiers really well."
"Yeah, but Cora's pulled out of tight spots before," said M. "She can beat Kendrix. And I really hope she does. All that money and power and she thinks she can walk in here and just take Kasumi away from Cora like that."
"Still," said Nixie. "This is the opportune time to nudge her way into her heart. There's a lot of heat going on between Cora and Kasumi right now. Cora's a nice person and I'm sure she loves Kasumi. But she's really immature. I keep telling her that acting like a player and flirting with every girl she meets is bad for their relationship. I don't blame Kasumi for feeling the way she does. Especially since she saved Cora from getting raped by Jack back on the ship. You'd think Cora would be a little more grateful to her hero. But this behavior has got to stop. It's time for her to grow up. I guess only time will tell if she will."
"Yeah," M said sadly. "I hope things go well between those two. They seem like a great couple."
"Look!" cried Candy. "Soldier of Chaos's attack points rose up to 6000!"
"What happened?" Cora cried out. "Your soldier's attack climbed up again."
Kendrix reared her head back and laughed. "Of course. It's one of his special effects. Whenever he wins a battle, I'm allowed to activate one of them. I increased his attack by 1500 points. Just surrender and give Kasumi to me, Cora. There's nothing in your deck that can hope to stand up to my soldier."
"Kasumi's not going anywhere!"
T5
Cora looked down at Kasumi, her face creased with sadness. "I'm the worst girlfriend in the whole world. I don't deserve someone as amazing as you. You're more than just my girlfriend, Kass. You're my best friend. I won't lose you the way I lost Krissa. I won't!"
"I know," said Kasumi. "Forgive me for being a little jealous. You're an amazing person, Cora. You have your mistakes, but that's just part of being human. Despite all that, I'm honored to have you as part of my life."
Cora burst into tears. "You mean that?"
Kasumi nodded. "Yeah, there's a lot we need to work on, but we'll get through it if we work together. Being in love means more than just kissing and hugging and sex, Cora. We're a team. Now, knock her out so we can go get some ice cream, huh."
"What?" Kendrix gasped. "No…Kasumi...my love..."
Cora wiped snot on her sleeve and smiled. "Okay, Kendrix. You heard the lady. We've got an ice cream date after this. And I'm buying. Chocolate vanilla swirl with a Loopa Berry on top. It's her favorite flavor."
"And mint-chocolate chip for you," said Kasumi. "I know it's your favorite."
"Come on!" M shouted impatiently, clapping his hands. "This is like filler on a Saturday morning cartoon! Let's go before the episode ends!"
"That's not going to happen, M," said Cora. Cora placed two fingers on the top of her deck and breathed. Trust in the heart of the cards….Master Yugi's voice rang through her ears like a breeze in the wind. "All right, Master. Let's see what this trust of yours can do." She swiped her card out with all her might, held it up; prayed for something good, then looked at it.
"All right, I activate Pot of Avarice. It allows me to shuffle five monsters in my graveyard back to my deck. In addition, I can draw two cards."
"Yes!" Candy cheered. "Now all three of her Blue-Eyes are back in her deck!"
"Get ready, Kendrix! I've drawn, Card of Demise. I can draw five cards. However if I don't use them in five turns, I lose them in five turns (Anime Effect)."
"Ooo! It's a fresh hand!" Nixie said. She sat down on M's lap. "This is gonna be good!"
"Hell, yeah!" M said, playfully swatting her thighs. "Now let's see if those cards of hers can change this game around."
"I activate the effect of Danger Bigfoot!" shouted Cora. "Choose a card!"
"The one in the middle."
"All right, I discard it and summon Bigfoot!"
A summoning portal opened, revealing a dark forest. The forest shivered when a terrifying primal roar thundered through the darkness. Bigfoot came stomping out of the trees, even knocking down a few that got in his way. He jumped through the portal, raising his fists. He smashed them on the ground dramatically. He stood up and roared, thumping his fists against his chest. [ATK/3000 DEF/0]
"Now that this badass got summoned, I can draw a card. Well, lookie here. Another Bigfoot. Choose a card."
"The farthest right," Kendrix said at once. She didn't care what Cora did. Her Black Luster Soldier had lots of surprises ready for anything she tossed out. Cora discarded the card Kendrix showed and summoned her second Bigfoot, who came stomping out of the portal that opened behind her. She drew a card.
"This ends now!" Cora shouted. "I reveal Blue-Eyes White Dragon and summon Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"
"Yay!" Candy cheered.
"You go, Cora!" M cried out, raising his fist in excitement. "Now she can pop a card on the field with his Blue Lightning. Kendrix is done for!"
Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon slithered out of a flash of blue-white light. It flew over Cora, moving its body in graceful undulations as if it were swimming. [ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
"Now I'll destroy your Black Luster Soldier! Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon's effect activates! Blue-Lightning!"
Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon charged up its signature attack. The arena flashed as though someone turned on a strobe light. Finally, the dragon unleashed its Blue Lightning attack. Black Luster Soldier stood where he was and just took it.
Cora and her friends cried out in shock. It didn't work. Black Luster Soldier just narrowed his eyes and went: "Hmph!"
"He didn't get destroyed!" Madeline yelled.
"What happened?" M asked.
Kendrix, again, laughed. "Black Luster Soldier - Soldier of Chaos comes with all sorts of goodies to give my opponents a bad day. Since I Link Summoned him using a Level 7 or higher monster, he gains the following effects. He can't be targeted by your effects and he can't be destroyed by your effects. My soldier is practically invincible, Cora. Summon all the monsters you want. Activate all the abilities you want. Nothing you have in your deck will stand a chance against my soldier."
Cora giggled. "I wouldn't be too sure of that."
"Huh?"
"I made the mistake of not doing this earlier, but I know better now than to grandstand again. I'll never make that mistake again. Now, I Overlay my two Bigfoots to Xyz Summon, Number 97: Draglubion!"
The two Bigfoots turned into orbs of light. They began to orbit over a portal. From it formed a giant, long, beautiful black dragon. Its coils hovered over the arena and gray and black wings flapped, cooling Cora with a tranquil breeze. [ATK/3000 DEF/3000]
"A Number Card!" Kendrix babbled.
"Not just any Number Card. Kasumi gave this to me on our first date. He means a lot to me." She looked down at Kasumi with a loving smile. "Thanks."
Kendrix scoffed and twirled a lock of blue-highlighted hair around her finger. "I figured you were just bluffing. As impressive as your little love token is, he's still not strong enough to take on my soldier."
"He's not the only card I gave you, Cora. Come on!" Kasumi clapped her hands.
"You got it, babe! I remove an Xyz Material from Draglubion to activate his effect. I can special summon a Dragon Number Monster from my Extra Deck and special summon it and add another Number Dragon to it as an Xyz Material. Arise, Number 100: Numeron Dragon!"
The entire ceiling had to disappear in order to render her monster. Like Draglubion, Numeron Dragon was long and serpent light, it's body was like a double-helix and was glowing brightly like the sun. Four wings sprouted from its body and it took a deep breath.
Though its attack was 0, Kendrix kept her mouth shut. Monsters that were complicated to summon and had 0 ATK usually had some nasty surprises. Now she was starting to get nervous.
Cora then took the Xyz Material from under the dragon. "I remove Number 92: Heart-EartH Dragon from Number 100. Now, Numeron Dragon's attack points will increase by 1000 times the Rank of all Xyz Monsters on the field. So that's 9000 attack points. Numeron Dragon, attack and destroy Black Luster Soldier - Soldier of Chaos!"
Numeron Dragon obliterated the soldier with one blast of its bright beam of yellow light. Kendrix stood where she was, shocked to see that her soldier got devastated so easily by her dragon. "I see…" she whispered. "Let's see if I can't change things around." She drew and sighed heavily. "I guess I can't." She powered down her Duel Disk. "I'll let you have this round, Cora. I promise this won't be the last time we Duel."
"I look forward to it. Next time, don't chicken out. Take your loss like a champ, shuffle your deck, and try again."
"Would that I could, but the storm has died down and there are some things I must take care of. Goodbye." She looked back at Kasumi. "You deserve better, Princess. You deserve the best. And I'll make sure you get nothing but the best."
Kasumi shrugged. Kendrix brushed some hair off her face with her fingertips and walked away.
"Was that a threat?" Cora asked.
"The semester's only begun," said Nixie. "I guess we'll have to wait and see. I can tell this isn't the last we've seen of Kendrix. When she wants something, she'll unleash hell to get it. And it looks like she wants you, Kasumi."
"I'd like to see her try," said Kasumi.
"Cora," Ms. Goldwine gently called. She crossed the bridge toward the arena. "Get your things, dear. You're needed at the tower."
"Aww, really?"
"Yes. The storm's over and Seto wishes to speak to you."
"Now what did I do?" Cora groaned. She walked down the steps to get her backpack and put her cards away. "See you tomorrow, guys."
"Yeah, see ya," said M.
Cora and Kasumi kissed, then they hugged. "See you tomorrow," said Cora. "I promise it'll be a new start for us. If I'm going to keep you, it means I have to grow up."
"That you do, you klutz," Kasumi said, she nuzzled her nose with Cora's. "We can have our ice cream date tomorrow."
"See you then."
Cora kissed her one last time then followed Ms. Goldwine out of the arena. Outside, the sky was glowing gold as the sun peered through the dark clouds the covered half the city. The air was damp and smelled sweet. Leaves covered the sidewalk and streets around the academy's estate.
"So what's up?"
"A lot."
They got into the limo. Ms. Goldwine didn't answer any of Cora's questions along the way. Cora found the entire situation to be awkward until a tear dripped down Ms. Goldwine's cheek. She sniffed and dried it with her glove-covered finger. Cora asked what was wrong. Again, Ms. Goldwine remained silent.
Once the limo reached Kaiba Tower, Ms. Goldwine patted Cora's knee. "Wait here," she said. "Roland will come out to escort you back into the tower when things are ready."
"What's going on, Ms. Goldwine?"
Barbra said nothing and left the car, slamming the door shut and locking it so Cora couldn't leave. Blake the drive then left the car and locked all the doors. Cora was all alone and trapped. She nervously texted her friends, telling them that something was wrong. Everyone was acting weird and she was getting really scared. The calm weather didn't stay long. Soon rain began to pour from the sky again and thunder rumbled. Cora sat in the back of the limo for hours before Roland finally came out. Night had fallen and the walls lining the steps had their lights turned on. Roland was clad in a dark overcoat and held an umbrella. He opened the door.
"This way, Cora," he said. He held the umbrella over the door as Cora stepped out. Then he led her up the steps into the atrium. The atrium was dark, save for the lights that illuminated the Blue-Eyes White Dragon statues. Roland stopped at the golden doors. "I can go no further," he said. "Go. Mr. Kaiba is waiting."
"Roland what's going on?"
"Go," he said. "Don't ask any more questions, Cora."
Cora stepped into the atrium. As soon as she did, a secret elevator rose out of the floor in front of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon fountain. The marble doors slid open. The mirrored walls inside reflected Cora perfectly. She hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside. The doors slid shut and the elevator took her hundreds of feet down to what appeared to be a dark temple with a great rectangular pool lined with giant statues of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragons. Brass cauldrons with blue fire burned at their feet. Giant chandeliers of crystal and gold hung from the ceiling, barely lighting the temple.
When the doors to the elevator opened, Cora stepped out. She approached the pool cautiously, wondering what was going on. Just then, Ms. Goldwine stepped out of the darkness draped in a white robe with a hood that covered all but her face.
"Ms. Goldwine, wha…"
She was silenced when six priestesses in white robes walked out from between the statues of more Blue-Eyes White Dragons. They surrounded Cora. One of them was waving a platinum thurible with a sweet-smell incense. She walked in circles around her muttering prayer in Dragonic. A priestess came from behind and removed Cora's backpack. A second one then removed her blazer. Ms. Goldwine walked to Cora and undid her tie. She tossed the tie aside and unbuttoned her blouse as another priestess yanked down Cora's skirt.
Cora gasped. What were they doing to her?
A third priestess knelt down from behind and started to remove her boots. Her necklace, rings, and eventually her undergarments were removed from her person leaving her standing naked before Ms. Goldwine and the priestesses. They fervently folded her clothes and piled her jewelry in a wooden box.
Ms. Goldwine took Cora by the hand and led her down the steps into the pool. The water was surprisingly warm. Cora shivered from the shame of being naked in front of complete strangers. The priestesses walked into the pool with her. One of them placed her hand on her back and gently bent her forward. Ms. Goldwine straightened Cora's hair with her hands, then nodded to one of the priestesses who came by with a chalice of silver with handles looking like the wings of the Blue-Eyes. The priestess dipped the chalice in the water and poured it down Cora's head as she muttered a prayer.
"Ugh," Cora winced. She was doused with the water three more times. She soon realized this was an ancient Vollanti ritual. A ritual of acceptance when a child received their Blue-Eyes White Dragon at birth. The priestesses took sponges and doused them with scented oils before scrubbing them all over Cora's body. They washed every inch of Cora over and over again before Ms. Goldwine came back into the water and lifted Cora's deck in the air.
"I call upon the souls of the dragons who reside in this deck. Which one of you will be this girl's guardian? Her partner through the good times and the bad. To be with her in sickness and in wellness. To protect her from the foul forces of Odiva the Perfect and the one to answer her calls when she needs aid in Duels."
The ghostly silhouette of Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon formed over the pool. The dragon roared, spreading its wings in joy.
"Max!" Cora whispered. The dragon touched her on the forehead with the tip of its nail and then Cora was covered in a thin white gown.
"So it's decided," Ms. Goldwine said with a smile. "And I'm not surprised it was he who chose to be your partner. Your ace."
"Max and I have been through a lot together," Cora said, tears streamed down her cheeks, her eyes locked with Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon's eyes.
"He's a powerful partner," Seto said, coming out of a doorway with Mokuba by his side. He walked to an altar where there was a sword laying on it. The sword she saw in her dreams when she battled the mysterious girl with the Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon. Wreathes with blue flowers surrounded it and all three of Cora's Blue-Eyes White Dragons, which stood on acrylic display stands.
"You truly are a blessing, Cora," he continued. "You have proven your worth to me these past few months. You have saved me from death. You defended my little brother. And you put your life on the line to defend my legacy, which is Kaiba Corp. Many of our enemies have now been annihilated because of you. And these powerful dragons were right to have chosen you as their master. It will be my greatest honor to call you...my daughter."
Cora's lower jaw trembled as sheer joy overcame her.
"But in order to do that, you must become a Kaiba." Seto turned and picked up the sword. Ms. Goldwine gently pushed Cora forward so she could step out of the pool. She stood in front of Seto, hands clasped together over her chest.
"On your knees," Seto said. Cora did as she was told, her hands still locked together. "Be without fear, even among the evils of the world. Grow courageous and strong, so that Safaani, the patron Goddess of our House, will love thee. Defend the House no matter what the cost. Even if it leads to your death. Protect the city which is our home and the people who have helped our family grow. That is your oath."
Seto got down on one knee and put a ring made of diamond and platinum bearing the coat of arms of House Kaiba over Cora's finger. He then slapped her hard across the face.
"And that is so you remember it!"
Cora rubbed her mouth. She tasted blood in her tongue. She looked up at Seto and nodded.
"Arise, Cora of the House Kaiba."
Mokuba couldn't hold his applause anymore. He clapped his hands. Ms. Goldwine followed and then the priestesses started to clap as well.
For the first time since he found her in the diner all those months ago, Seto Kaiba embraced Cora in a hug. Cora did her best to control her emotions but she was just too happy. She sobbed and spilled tears of joy as she wrapped her arms around Seto.
"I love you, daddy," she whispered.
Seto looked down at the top of her head. He smiled as one small tear slid down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away before anyone took notice. He released Cora from his hug then lifted up her arm victoriously, causing the applause to get even louder. Seto took Cora back to the atrium where the entire Kaiba Corp staff awaited the new member of the family. They filled the atrium, lined the stairs, and looked down every balcony. All of them were clapping their hands and whistling. Ms. Goldwine approached Cora and hugged her, kissing her forehead repeatedly before letting her go to her Uncle Mokuba who wanted to hug Cora, now officially his niece. Blue and white Fireworks burst around the Kaiba Corp tower, letting all of Domino know that Cora was now officially a member of House Kaiba.
It was the happiest moment of her life. As Cora shook hands with the staff and waved to the camera crews who came to document this momentous occasion, she started to remember all the loving faces that she met since the day she got here. All the battles and trials she had to undergo. All the dangers she faced. All the losses and the sadness. It was a long and difficult road, but it was worth it for this moment.
She didn't know what tomorrow would bring but she didn't care. Not only did she have powerful friends supporting her, she now had what she always dreamed of since she first came into the world.
A family. This chapter in her life may have come to a close, but it was just the beginning for Cora, the Maiden with Eyes of Blue.
He could see the fireworks from outside his office. That brought a smile to his face. "Hmph," he said. He stood on the balcony, his figure shrouded in darkness.
"So she's a member of the House now," Kendrix said, leaning against a pillar. "You told me these monsters would help me beat her."
"Zey vill help you, I said," said the man on the balcony. He took a sip of wine to relish being in the light of the fireworks. "I did not say they vuld grant you victory. You got arrogant, und she took advantage of zat. Of course, she defeated you. Herr Kaiba has got himself a very powerful daughter."
"That he does. So what do you plan to do now?"
Zigfried von Schroeder walked back into the light, smiling at Kendrix. "She is now a Kaiba. But I'm sorry to say her little fairy tale vill not have a happy ending."
End of Book II