Darkness adjusted the trim of his jacket as he stepped off the pier. His fashion choice was uncommon here in Domino, though he was confident that many would simply write him off as a Theme Duelist: individuals so invested in the game that they even dressed and acted in ways that corresponded with their decks. Darkness didn't usually count himself among their ranks-his clothing was filled with purpose-though in this particular instance, he supposed being mistaken as one would only serve as a boon. The last thing he wanted was to draw undue attention to himself, which was part of the reason why he'd taken a private vessel and arrived so late in the night.
The wind of Domino's nightly breeze smacked harmlessly against his jacket, brushing off his sleeves with a cold, unsettling chill. According to the information he'd dredged up while traveling, cold nights were common in Domino City. In the summer, their gusts were usually accompanied by pelting rain, but it seemed the dark gods had favored him this evening. Not a single cloud darkened the sky, allowing the natural glow of the crescent moon to shine down upon the city and provide more than enough light for him to see where he was going.
"Darkness," a figure called out from the edge of the pier, walking up to meet him. "I see you've finally arrived. Welcome to Domino City."
"Amnael," Darkness greeted as the man finished his approach. "You've come to this city as well?"
Amnael was a fellow Shadow Rider, having served as a part of the organization for nearly as long as the Leader himself. As such, he had been the first to rise to power among the cult, earning a position serving as the Leader's right hand man. But despite his position and connection to the Leader, Darkness was nonetheless surprised to see him. From what he remembered from previous meetings, Amnael was supposed to be stationed at one of the various duel academies, serving as a spy and inside man. Seeing him here now, on the eve of such an important mission, Darkness couldn't help but wonder if there was some sinister motivation behind his appearance.
The fact that Amnael's hood was pulled up over his head didn't do much to ease Darkness's suspicions, although he could still make out the long hair dangling out from beneath the hood. Each strand was thin and frail, carrying an elderly gray gleam that betrayed the man's old age. Darkness resisted the urge to sneer in revulsion.
Unlike the Leader, who carried strength despite his age, Amnael had done everything in his power to keep his. He'd even gone so far as to carry out horrific experiments in hopes of regaining some semblance of youth. Though some had worked, reducing the man's age by a year or two, many had gone horribly wrong, twisting and corroding his body into a skeletal shell of what it once was. In Darkness's eyes, the man was unnatural, and his continued existence was something worthy only of the highest contempt.
"I asked you a question," he snarled, making no effort to conceal his disgust.
Amnael fought back with a charming smile, which was barely visible beneath the hood of his robes. "The Leader suspected you might have trouble navigating the city. He sent me here to serve as your guide and assistant."
"I have no need for a guide. I am well studied in the matter of this city's landscape," Darkness replied.
"Truly?" Amnael asked. "Well, it would put me at ease if you allowed me to perform my duty nonetheless."
A screeching wind cut between them. It bit into the exposed flesh of Darkness's face, earning a scowl. "Did that duty include finding a place for me to rest as well, or did the Leader instruct you to leave me out here in the cold?" he demanded.
"I had thought that you'd find yourself at home in such conditions," Amnael said, and Darkness growled at the crude smile on the man's lips, "but if it is lodgings you require, then rest assured that I've prepared the proper accommodations. If you would follow me, I have a taxi waiting to take us to the hotel."
"A taxi? You expect me to be ferried by some civilian to a sleazy hotel?"
"Even Leader's reach has its limits," Amnael said. "But you needn't fear. I have prepared only the best for us."
Darkness's sneer remained, but he let some of the tension slip away. "Very well," he said. "Lead on."
A few meters from the pier was a carport. A constant stream of taxis were leaving and entering-the second most popular form of travel behind the railway system. As was typical in a busy city, a thick crowd surrounded the various cabs. Those who'd just arrived quickly formed lines attempting to hire a driver, moving with all the discipline of angry children.
Fortunately, Darkness had no need to join them. Amnael had smartly brought his own cab driver, allowing them to bypass the crowd completely. As they climbed into the passenger seats, Darkness found himself pleased to find that the heater was already running.
"The Grand Domino Hotel, please." Amnael said, handing the driver a handful of hundred yen bills.
The driver nodded and took the cash, then started the car and accelerated, leaving the pier behind. They rode in silence, drawing closer to the massive skyscrapers that marked Domino City's gaming district. Darkness ignored them, knowing they were not his destination tonight.
Unlike most members of the Shadow Riders, he liked to bide his time, gathering as much information as he could before deciding to act. He would soon approach the Emperor Arcade, just as he would soon acquire the Shadow Charm-should it still be present-but neither would happen until he was ready. He was tired, exhausted from the long trip, and he didn't want to make any mistakes.
They passed through the gaming district and made their way to the center of the city. After a few more minutes, Darkness felt the cab begin to slow as the driver hit the brakes.
"Looks like we've arrived," Amnael said as the vehicle came to a halt.
They were in a large roundabout. Tall green hedges decorated the gardens to the north and south. On his right, a towering skyscraper that Darkness could only assume to be the Grand Domino Hotel stood erected in a courtyard. Various lights danced across its sides, providing the building with a constant illumination that not even Darkness would be able to remove.
He and Amnael climbed out of the cab and back into the cold, which had only grown worse during their short journey. While Darkness began climbing the steps toward the entrance, Amnael traveled around to the driver's door and handed the man even more cash.
"Keep the change," he said, and after a hurried thanks, the cab drove off, probably in search of more fares.
"Well?" Amnael asked as he rejoined Darkness shortly after. "Is it to your liking?"
"We'll see," Darkness said, and he pulled the door open to begin his stay.
CHAPTER TWO
VS Kaibaman! The Ultimate Puzzle!
A week had passed since the incident at the pier, and as Lorenzo opened the door to the Domino Arcade, it was to find that absolutely nothing had changed.
Despite the mass exodus of students to duel academies located abroad, the arcade was still packed to the brim. Hordes of high schoolers crowded around the popular Angel May Sneer machine, and many elementary students walked around playing the more physical games like foosball or air hockey.
Loud music and laughter bounced off the interior walls, and the chatter of endless conversations blurred together with the beeps and chimes of the machines to create a cacophony of noise. Lorenzo stepped inside upon seeing it, realizing that despite his sorrow, it wouldn't take long for him to fall back into his usual routine.
He pushed his way to the front counter, intending to greet the establishment's lone worker before heading to the back aisles as he always did. Klaus, the owner of the arcade, was a short, bodied older man with long white hair and a wrinkled face. He'd been running the Emperor Arcade ever since Lorenzo could remember, and had grown familiar with many of his regulars.
It only took a moment for him to see Lorenzo coming. More importantly, the look on his face indicated that he saw the fading bruises too.
"Haven't seen you in a while," Klaus said as Lorenzo pulled up to the counter. "You look like crap."
His words were difficult to hear above the noisy crowds, especially given the man's frail and weak voice. Regardless, Lorenzo did his best to receive the greeting and offer one of his own in kind.
"Good to see you too," he said.
"What's with the bruises?"
"You can thank Edogawa for them. I didn't want to give him the tickets I won last week, so he beat me up."
Klaus frowned and stared at Lorenzo with his wilted blue eyes. "This have anything to do with that argument you had with the Jackal?"
Lorenzo groaned inwardly. He had hoped Klaus hadn't noticed, but he supposed he should have known better. Klaus' desk, despite being called the front counter, was seated near the back of the arcade, allowing him to watch over everything and everyone without having to move a muscle. Combined with the various security cameras he had situated throughout the building, it made watching every corner of the arcade an incredibly easy job.
"Let's not talk about that," Lorenzo said, unwilling to even think about Ida so soon after their fight. He glanced past Klaus to the various prizes hanging on the wall behind him. "Got anything good today?"
"A lot of my stock sold out," Klaus replied. "Plenty of people bought my booster packs, guess they wanted to switch up their decks before leaving for school."
"What about the Grand Prize? Anyone win that yet?"
"Depends. Anyone set a new high score on Puzzle Pro yet?" Klaus asked with a smug grin.
Unlike most prizes on Klaus' wall, the Grand Prize wasn't something one could purchase with prize tickets alone. Instead, it was won by achieving a high score or beating a random arcade game that Klaus changed each month. This time, the chosen game was Puzzle Pro. The decision had been met with many complaints, and many had decided to disregard the challenge until the end of the month, when the game would change to something easier to beat. Lorenzo, however, hadn't been dissuaded.
"Kaibaman's as rough as ever," he said. "But the month's not over yet. In fact, I'm feeling pretty lucky. Today might be the day, Klaus."
His words were met by a harsh laugh.
"Might not," Klaus replied, "especially if the girl over there keeps hogging the machine. She seems to be just as eager to win the prize as you are...though her skill at the game's a bit lacking compared to yours."
Curious, Lorenzo glanced down the aisle where the Puzzle Pro machine laid. The girl in question was easy to spot. She was a young woman, about Lorenzo's age, in a white and blue uniform with short brown hair. It wasn't her appearance that made her easy to point out, though. She was yelling at the machine, hunched over its controls and barking orders like it was some kind of disobedient pet. In front of her, Lorenzo could just make out the beginnings of the words GAME OVER on the screen.
He smiled, "How long has she been over there?"
"Since we opened this morning," Klaus said. "She's been going at it all day. Can't tell if she's made it all that far though."
"First-timer?"
"From the looks of it," Klaus grunted.
A young boy walked up and slammed a pile of tickets on the counter. While Klaus turned to address see what he wanted, Lorenzo continued to study the mysterious girl at the machine. Puzzle Pro was a one player game, so it wasn't as if he could stroll over and lend his aid. Even if he could, he wasn't at all sure how the girl would take it. From his previous experiences, he knew that most people weren't exactly eager to hear that they were playing something incorrectly. Whether that was due to his own poor form of communication or simply hubris, however, he had no idea.
The girl shouted again, the screen transitioning once more to the title menu. It seemed that she'd lost once again. Lorenzo smiled. Puzzle Pro was more than a game of luck. It was about memory and skill, remembering what cards the opponent had on the field and knowing how to use your own. First-timers often made the mistake of treating the puzzle like a regular duel, only to find themselves surprised when their Life Points suddenly hit zero on their next turn.
This girl, for example, kept charging in recklessly instead of thinking through her hand. She was trying to tear away at the enemy's Life Points bit by bit, instead of gathering her forces and unleashing an unstoppable blow. While that was fine for the first few levels, the later stages required more wisdom and patience, virtues the girl either ignored or lacked.
She had just finished losing another round against the remarkably simple Marshmallon when Lorenzo decided he had seen enough. Sighing, he stepped away from the counter and strode down the aisle toward the girl, intent on helping her finish the level...whether she liked it or not.
"Good luck," Klaus said as Lorenzo left. "If her personality's as bad as her gaming, you might need it."
But Lorenzo knew he didn't need luck. Not when it came to Puzzle Pro. He crossed the aisle and brought his hand down gently on the girl's shoulder. Her head snapped up toward him in surprise.
"Can I help you?" she asked, the frustration and anger easy to hear in her voice.
"I believe the question is, 'Can I help you?'" Lorenzo replied. When the girl narrowed her eyes, he smiled wryly and coughed into his free hand, "I saw you from the counter. It looked like you could use a hand."
"Buzz off, playboy," the girl muttered. She frowned and shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "I doing just fine on my own."
The sound of Puzzle-kun's screams fell from the machine's speakers. Lorenzo glanced at the screen to see Marshmallon laughing joyously at the child-like Duelist's defeat.
"Looks like the game says otherwise."
The girl snarled and slammed her fist on the console. "Darn it!" she cursed, glaring at the screen. "Why can't I win? I was doing fine just a little while ago! Am I just missing something or is this stupid game rigged?"
"It's not rigged," Lorenzo laughed. "It's actually quite simple once you realize it's just a bunch of puzzles-"
"-shut it!" The girl snapped, dropping another hundred yen coin into the machine to stop it from booting her back to Level One. Marshmallon's Level lit up again. "This time you're mine! I'm not gonna let some silly camp snack hold me back!"
Lorenzo blinked, glanced between the girl and the machine, then blinked again. "Wait," he asked, "How long have you been stuck on Marshmallon?"
"..." the girl hesitated to answer. After a moment, however, she bowed her head and sighed. "An hour or two? Maybe even three."
A guffaw escaped Lorenzo's lips, but he quickly clamped a fist over his mouth to keep her from hearing it. She glared at him through cold hazel-colored eyes.
"Hey, if you're gonna laugh, why don't you give it a try?" she asked.
"Sure," Lorenzo said. "It's why I came over in the first place, remember?"
The girl blinked, perhaps surprised that he'd actually take her up on her offer.
"Are you serious?" she asked, "You're not just gonna waste my money, are you? I only have a few hundred yen left."
"Relax, I brought my own coins. Though if I'm the one playing, you've gotta let my name be the one on the leaderboard."
The girl blinked. "Leaderboard?"
Lorenzo sighed, "You don't play a lot of arcade games, do you?"
"I'm a little busy doing more important things," the girl replied. "But whatever. You can put your name on the scoreboard if you want. I'm just after the Grand Prize."
"Ha!" Lorenzo laughed, "Good luck with that. I can get you up to the final boss, but Kaibaman's a little too much for even me to handle!"
The girl pursed her lips, "So you're saying you can't beat the game then?"
"I can get close," Lorenzo retorted. "And you can certainly bet that I can get past Level Five."
"Well then, why don't you put my money where your mouth is and prove it?"
Lorenzo's eyes narrowed. He knew the girl was baiting him, wanting him to do all the hard work so she could claim the true reward, but he was the one to offer his assistance. If he wanted to get a chance to play, he couldn't exactly complain.
"Step aside, girl." He said, cracking his knuckles. "Time for you to see a master at work."
"It's not girl," the girl glowered, though she did step back so he could take the controls. "It's Yuma."
"Yeah, sure." Lorenzo said, curling his fingers across the control panel. "Well then, Yuma, let's see what the problem is, shall we?"
He traced the cursor across the screen.
"From what I can tell, your problem is that you've been moving way too recklessly. Puzzle Pro is a puzzle game. You can't just ram all your monsters at the enemy and expect to win."
"Worked the first few levels," Yuma retorted.
"Yeah, because they're the intro stages. They're built so that even a toddler could beat them."
"Are you trying to say I'm stupid or something?"
"Well," Lorenzo muttered beneath his breath, "you're the one who said it."
Yuma pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned, "Look, if you're just gonna stand here and throw insults, I can beat the game myself."
"Hey, relax. It was just a joke, alright?" Lorenzo laughed. "Look, I'll beat this level for you, 'kay? Marshmallon's stage is actually a pretty easy one."
He shifted the joystick to the right several times, letting the on-screen cursor highlight the different cards in Puzzle-kun's hand.
"See? Looks like we've got a few cards in our hand: Caius the Shadow Monarch and Caius the Mega Monarch. On our field we have Archfiend Solider and a face-down, and Marshmallon controls three Marshmallons."
"Those monsters can't be destroyed by battle," Yuma said. "That's why I've been having so much trouble. I can get rid of one with the Shadow Monarch's effect, but that still leaves two other ones that can't be beat!"
"That's why you have to use both Monarch's effects," Lorenzo explained.
"Both?" Yuma asked. "And just how am I supposed to do that? In case you've forgotten how Duel Monsters works, you can only Normal Summon once a turn!"
Lorenzo smiled, "You'd be right if it wasn't for this face-down here."
He used the joystick to highlight the face-down and pressed the black button on the side of the machine to activate it.
"I activate my trap card: Ultimate Offering!" Puzzle-kun shouted on the screen.
"So that's how you do it!" Yuma breathed, grimacing behind him. "I was wondering how to do that."
Lorenzo laughed, "Are you seriously saying you didn't know how to flip your face-down cards?"
"D-Don't laugh!" she sputtered. "I'm not used to dueling in arcade games, okay?!"
"Anyway," Lorenzo said. "With Ultimate Offering now activated, clearing the field and going for game will be easy! First, we'll just tribute Archfiend here for Caius the Shadow Monarch."
The screen flashed with light as the towering warlord took the place of the frightening soldier.
"You're in trouble now," Puzzle-kun said as Caius appeared, "because my monster's effect activates! When this guy is Tribute Summoned, I can banish a monster from the field!"
"We'll use that effect to banish one of the three Marshmallon!" Lorenzo declared, grinning as one of the three chibi blobs on the screen vanished in a black flash.
"Okay, so now there's two left, and Marshmallon still has three thousand Life Points!"
"Not for long, because now we'll use Ultimate Offering to pay five hundred of our own Life Points for another summon!" Lorenzo stated. He clicked the A button and Puzzle-kun grinned.
"I may only have a hundred Life Points left, but I'll still beat you with this next summon!" he shouted. "I tribute my Shadow Monarch to bring out his evolved form! Come forth, Caius the Mega Monarch!"
A second flash filled the screen, and the chibi Caius took on an even more sinister form.
Caius the Mega Monarch - LV8 - DARK - Fiend - (2800/1000)
"Mega's effect activates!" Puzzle-kun shouted automatically. "Since it was summoned by tributing a DARK monster, I can banish two of your monsters and inflict one thousand points of damage!"
The last two Marshmallon screeched as they joined their brother in a different dimension, leaving Puzzle-kun's opponent completely defenseless.
"And since he took a thousand points of damage, that means he only has two thousand left!" Yuma breathed. "This is it!"
"Game over!" Lorenzo grinned.
"Caius the Mega Monarch attacks directly!" Puzzle-kun shouted, "Dark Annihilation!"
The Duelist Marshmallon screamed as Caius unleashed its signature attack, drowning the screen in a pitch-black wave that dropped the enemy health to zero. A loud victory jingle roared out of the speakers, prompting Yuma to smile and nod her thanks.
"Guess you weren't all talk after all," she said.
"Told you it was easy," Lorenzo said, folding his arms. "Still wanna pass up my help?"
"Alright," Yuma said. "Maybe you do have some skill rattling around in that brain of yours, but you haven't beaten the game just yet."
"Give me a few hours with it and maybe I will."
Yuma hummed, as if thinking over the offer. After a moment, she nodded her head and smiled, "Deal."
Lorenzo grinned, then cracked his fingers and got to work. The first several levels went by in relative silence. It was only after defeating Don Zaloog, the twentieth level's opponent, that Yuma decided to pass the time with some small talk.
"You're pretty good," she said, nodding at the screen. "Do you play this game often?"
"Ever since it showed up a few weeks ago, yeah," Lorenzo replied. "Not like there's much else to do these days. What with everyone shipping off to the academies and all."
"Nothing to do?" Yuma asked. "You've gotta be kidding. You're in Domino City. What about going to Kaiba Land, or checking out the stadium?"
"Those might be interesting to tourists, but when you've lived here your whole life, the charm starts to fade. Don't get me wrong, I like watching duels at the stadium as much as the next guy, but tuning in for amateur hour isn't as fun the hundredth time, you know?"
"No, I don't," she replied. "I don't think I'd ever get bored of dueling, even if I'm not the one participating."
Lorenzo shrugged. He didn't know what to say to that. "What about you?" he asked instead, "Given how much trouble you had with Marshmallon, this probably isn't a place you've visited often, and that uniform isn't one I've seen before. You a tourist or something? Here on a school field trip?"
Yuma sighed. "Well, I'm definitely not from around here, if that's what you're asking," she said. "I guess you could say I'm on a field trip, although I'm not really sure that's the right term for it."
Lorenzo nodded thoughtfully, using the moment to declare an attack on level thirty's opponent. The Summoned Skull screamed as his body was vaporized by the cleansing light of a cartoonish St. Joan. "What would be the right term for it then?"
"Who knows?" Yuma asked, trailing off for a moment. In the reflection of the screen, Lorenzo could see her thinking it over. "I'm not sure. Rare hunting, maybe?"
Lorenzo paused. The term 'Rare Hunting' was one he hadn't heard for some time. In fact, the only time he remembered hearing about it was when he watched old Battle City clips on YuuTube. Back then, a group of Duelists had gone around tricking and trapping their fellow Duelists in order to gain the rarest cards they could as quickly as possible. Their plan had ultimately failed against famous participants like Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba, though the term still lived on. Unlike before, however, now it was used to describe those searching for any kind of rare find, rather than remaining isolated to Duel Monsters cards alone.
"Is that why you're going after the Grand Prize?" Lorenzo asked.
The words earned him a mysterious smile.
"Maybe," she said. "I'd say more, but if you don't mind, I'd rather not go into the details."
Lorenzo rolled his eyes. Clearly, Yuma wanted to involve him as little as possible when it came to her reasons for being there. He didn't really blame her-he'd be slow to trust a stranger as well-but her words did intrigue him.
From what he knew of the latest Grand Prize, it was supposed to be some shiny antique. Lorenzo wasn't exactly sure how the thing had managed to fall into Klaus' possession, but if he was honest, he wasn't all that interested.
While the idea of wearing such expensive jewelry did amuse him, he was quick to remember that it'd likely only make him a bigger target. If by some miracle he won the thing, his status as Domino's resident punching bag all but ensured it'd be stolen from him by the end of the week.
"Well," he said, "can't say I expected to ever find someone my age who was into antiques. Doesn't really seem like the kind of thing you'd be interested in, but hey, I won't judge. You like what you like."
"Yeah," Yuma agreed. She turned her head back to the screen, watching as he beat another boss. "So," she said, "about that Grand Prize, just how close are we to winning it?"
Lorenzo glanced at the score in the top left corner of the screen. After completing level thirty three, it read 6703485. "Well, we're about a third of the way to matching the top score. We'll probably be close enough to make a go for it come Kaibaman's level, although, given it's Kaibaman...this run will probably be a bust."
"What's so special about this Kaibaman character? Is he a tough boss or something?"
"Tough is an understatement," Lorenzo groaned. "His field layout always changes, so you can never tell what kind of face-down cards he's using. It's impossible to finish him off in one turn like you're supposed to, either!"
"Sounds pretty interesting. Do you think I could have a go at him?" Yuma asked gently.
"You?" Lorenzo asked, smirking at the statement. "You couldn't even beat Marshmallon."
"H-Hey, that was a control scheme error, nothing more!" she retorted. "I've been watching you play, and like you said, these levels are pretty easy."
"Yeah, but maybe you should just stick to resting for a bit. I mean, all that screaming you did earlier can't be good on your lungs. You should take it easy for a while, just sit back and watch."
Yuma sighed. "Wow," she said. "I knew you were a gamer, but I didn't realize you were greedy too. I'm fine if you want to keep going, but don't forget whose coin it is that you're playing with."
"Oh don't worry, I haven't," Lorenzo replied. "Just like I haven't forgotten who cost us all our lives, either."
"Lives?" Yuma asked, peering over him to look at the screen.
"Yeah. All your losses to Marshmallon really cost us," Lorenzo said, gesturing to the bottom corner of the screen where a Puzzle-kun face stared back at them, unmoving. "See how there's only one there? It means you've used up all your resets. If we lose again, we'll have to start over from the beginning, even if we put in another coin."
"What?" Yuma breathed. "So you're saying we've only got one shot left?"
"Unless we start from scratch? I'm afraid so, yeah."
Yuma frowned. "Well then, I suppose you better not screw up, huh? I'll leave it to you, Puzzle Pro."
"Puzzle Pro?" Lorenzo asked. "What, is that supposed to be a nickname or something?"
"Well, it's not like you told me your real one," Yuma pointed out. "You just kinda walked up on me and commandeered the machine."
Lorenzo smirked, "I certainly didn't hear you complaining at the time."
"Well, you've got a point there," she sighed. "But don't you think it's a little unfair? I told you my name, but I still don't know yours."
"It's Lorenzo," he said. "Lorenzo Gin."
"Hm? Gin? Like the Gaming Company that went over years back?"
"The very same."
"Oof. Guess it's no surprise you're a gamer. Your parents must have had a great time raising you," Yuma sighed. "But with that background, you probably get picked on a lot at school, huh? Is that why you've got all those bruises on your face?"
The words shocked Lorenzo. He'd been having so much fun that he'd nearly forgotten that he still looked like he recently strolled out of a dumpster. His fingers curled inward against the controls, and he bowed his head to let his dark hair fall against the sides of his face.
"Huh, what's the matter?" Yuma apologized. She must have noticed how her words affected him, "I didn't offend you, did I?"
"No. Just forget it," he sighed, shaking his head as he began to continue playing. "Your question just surprised me, that's all. Don't worry about it."
But evidently, she did. She remained relatively silent for the next half hour, watching quietly as he made quick work of foe after foe. Before long, he had racked up a score capable of rivaling that of YUG's, and at long last, the final boss-Kaibaman-appeared.
"Here we are," Lorenzo grumbled, glaring at the cocky superhero. "The final boss of the game."
"So this is him?" Yuma asked, her arms folding as she stared at the screen. "The Kaibaman enemy you've been hyping up all day?"
"Yeah. Just so you know, I might not be able to defeat this guy. Even with my weeks of experience playing Puzzle Pro, he's the only enemy I've never been able to beat."
"He's that strong?"
"Only because of his programming," Lorenzo growled, tensing over the controls as the cutscene began to play. On the screen, Puzzle-kun walked into the Dragon Castle's throne room and glared at the sinister Kaibaman seated on the throne.
"Die monster," Puzzle-kun screamed. "You don't belong in this world!"
Kaibaman sneered at the foolish boy. "It was not by my hand that I am once again given flesh!" he replied. "I was called here by Duelists who wished to pay me tribute."
"Tribute?" Puzzle-kun asked. "You steal our money and make Duel Spirits your slaves!"
"Perhaps the same could be said of all corporations."
Puzzle-kun growled. "Your words are as empty as your soul! Dueling ill needs a savior such as you!"
"What is a Duel?" Kaibaman snapped, tossing aside his glass of Blue-Eyes White Coffee and letting it shatter on the floor. "A miserable contest of secrets! But enough talk...Have at thee!"
As the cutscene finished, Kaibaman unleashed the power of his Blue-Eyes White Dragon, bathing the screen away in a vivid white light. By the time it faded, the screen's contents had shifted back to the duel screen, revealing a layout Lorenzo was surprised to see.
"I-Impossible..." he muttered, "I-I've seen this combination before!"
On the screen, an impossible-or perhaps miraculous series of cards stared back at him: Three hundred Life Points, a face-down Enemy Controller, with Jerry Beans Man, Power Bond, and Axe of Despair in the hand. It was the same field he'd seen last week! A quick glance at Kaibaman's side of the field confirmed it. Blue-Eyes White Dragon sat menacingly on the field with two face-downs, and Kaibaman still had three cards in his hand.
"One of his face-downs is Magic Cylinder," Lorenzo murmured, recalling how he was defeated last time, "but knowing that still doesn't change the fact that this is an impossible field. I can't win this in one turn!"
"What, you can't?!" Yuma asked.
"It's impossible," Lorenzo grunted. "With this hand combination there's no way to get around Kaibaman's backrow, and even if we used Enemy Controller to take over his Blue-Eyes, it would only wear off during the End Phase!"
"Yeah, that does sound pretty difficult," Yuma said, tapping her chin in thought. "Well, if there's nothing you can do now, just set Jerry Beans Man and end the turn."
"What?!" Lorenzo snapped, "Are you crazy?! That'll lead to an instant Game Over!"
"I'm not so sure. After all, he only has one monster on the field," Yuma pointed out. "And if our face-down is Enemy Controller, that means we'll be able to switch the battle position when he tries to attack. I know this game is supposed to be about OTKs, but that's not an option here, so we'll just have to make do, right?"
Lorenzo frowned.
Yuma pursed her lips and stared at the screen, "Remember whose coin you're using. Set Jerry Beans Man and end Puzzle-chan's turn!"
"It's Puzzle-kun," Lorenzo corrected, "And I can't believe I'm saying this, but alright, fine. Your money, your rules. Just don't come crying to me when this blows up in our face."
"Yeah," Yuma said, nodding her appreciation. "Here's hoping we don't regret it."
Lorenzo thought they would, but he did as he was told regardless. Moving over the joystick, he quickly positioned the cursor over Jerry Beans Man and hit the select button.
"I summon Jerry Beans Man in Defense Position!" Puzzle-kun shouted. "Then, I'll end my turn!"
A golden flash leapt from the screen, and Jerry Beans Man could be seen inside shortly after, kneeling in front of Puzzle-kun protectively.
Jerry Beans Man - LV3 - EARTH - Warrior - (1750/0)
"Now for the part where he ends us," Lorenzo sighed.
As if hearing Lorenzo's words, Kaibaman laughed.
"You fool!" he shouted. "Your pitiful monster is barely worth destroying, but destroy it I shall! But first, why don't I show you what you're really up against? I draw!"
The super dragon Duelist grinned as his chibi artwork ripped a card out from his Duel Disk and added it to his hand.
Turn Six - Kaibaman - Four Cards in Hand - 4000 LP
"I activate Polymerization to fuse the Blue-Eyes on my field with the two Blue-Eyes in my hand!" Kaibaman laughed. "Now, watch as the most powerful dragon becomes even more powerful! Come forth, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
A bolt of cartoonish lightning struck the chibi Blue-Eyes on the field along with two of the cards in Kaibaman's hands. The bolts were quickly followed by the appearance of a swirling portal that seemed to crop and twist the images on screen, until the Blue-Eyes White Dragon image was replaced with a three-headed version of itself!
"Behold, true despair!" Kaibaman laughed. "The Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon descends!"
The monster's iconic shriek roared from the machine's speakers, no doubt recording from an appearance of Seto Kaiba's own copy. The cartoon dragon glared at Jerry Beans Man, its three heads snapping at the trembling warrior hungrily as if preparing to feast.
Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon - LV12 - LIGHT - Dragon - (4500/3800)
"Oh man, oh man, oh man...!" Lorenzo whined, shutting his eyes. "This is it...!"
"Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon attacks Jerry Beans Man!" Kaibaman roared.
"Wait," Lorenzo paused. "What?!"
"Quickly now," Yuma commanded. "Use Enemy Controller!"
"Ah, right!" Lorenzo replied, hitting a button to do just that.
"I activate Enemy Controller," Puzzle-kun shouted. "It'll change your Ultimate Dragon to defense mode!"
"Don't think you'll stop my dragon so easily!" Kaibaman replied. "You activated my trap card: Dark Bribe! By letting you draw a new card, I can negate your spell's effect!"
"Tsk, so he had that up his sleeve huh?" Yuma asked. "No matter. Thanks to our earlier play, we still won't take the damage from his attack."
Lorenzo nodded in agreement as Pot of Greed materialized in their on-screen hand. Due to Jerry Beans Man being in defense position, even if he was destroyed by a monster with higher attack, Puzzle-kun's Life Points wouldn't be affected. This was proven a few seconds later when the trembling jellybean was annihilated by three powerful streams of destruction. A white flash rocked the screen, and even the control panel began to vibrate. Despite this, Puzzle-kun emerged unscathed a few seconds later, still ready to continue the fight.
"It's not over yet!" he declared. "I still believe I can win this duel!"
"Draw your last pathetic card so I can end this, Puzzle," Kaibaman said with a cruel smile.
"My deck has no pathetic cards, Kaibaman." Puzzle-kun replied. "But it does contain...the unstoppable Destiny Draw!"
The screen and control panel shook as a series of inputs suddenly displayed on screen.
"Huh?" Yuma asked. "What's happening here?"
"It's a Quick Time Event!" Lorenzo gasped, unable to believe what he was seeing. "We have to hit the buttons before we run out of time!"
"If that's the case, what are you waiting for?" Yuma snapped. "Hurry up and get started already!"
But Lorenzo was already moving. With all the speed and precision he could muster, he typed in the buttons as they appeared.
"Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, START!"
"Left, Right, B, Up, Down, Right, Right, A!"
"Down, Down, Up, Up, A, A, START!"
"A, A, A, A, A, A, B, A!"
"Uooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooah!" Puzzle-kun roared, a fearsome anime-inspired aura of power igniting around him as he reached for his deck. "It's my turn! I D-D-D-Draw!"
TURN SEVEN - PUZZLE-KUN - THREE CARDS IN HAND - 300 LP
A gleaming card added itself to their on-screen hand.
"Well, what is it?" Yuma asked, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the screen.
Cracks appeared on the shining image, slowly spreading across the card until the light shattered like a broken shell. Lorenzo's eyes widened at the card's artwork: it was Cyber Dragon!
"Cyber Dragon? But that's Zane's card!" Yuma breathed, smiling. "If that's what we drew, then we might still have a chance!"
Lorenzo didn't know who this Zane fellow was, but if he used Cyber Dragon, then he was probably pretty strong. Cyber Dragon was a Level Five monster that required one tribute, but its special effect made it far easier to use than most Tribute Summoned monsters. When you controlled no monsters while your opponent did, it could be Special Summoned from your hand at no cost. With twenty one hundred attack points, that made it incredibly dangerous when played correctly.
Unfortunately, Lorenzo didn't know if even Cyber Dragon would be able to help them against the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and even if it could, there was still the matter of Magic Cylinder to deal with. Fortunately, Cyber Dragon wasn't the only card they would draw that turn. Grinning, Lorenzo moved the joystick over to the other card in their hand.
"I activate Pot of Greed," Puzzle-kun declared. "This will let me draw two new cards!"
Pot of Greed fell to the Graveyard, and in its place another Cyber Dragon and Evolution Burst appeared. Lorenzo's eyes widened.
This was it, he realized. This was the true final puzzle of the game. Everything before had merely been the set up: the prelude to the ultimate victory that had always been out of reach. Puzzle-kun's hand now had Axe of Despair, Power Bond, Evolution Burst, and two Cyber Dragons. His field was empty, while Kaibaman's had Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and a set Magic Cylinder. Everything was in place.
"You ready to see the ending?" Lorenzo asked Yuma. "Because I'm about to blow this game wide open!"
"What's that supposed to mean? Don't tell me you figured out how to win?!"
"Yeah. Just watch and learn!" Lorenzo shouted, and he hit the button.
"I Special Summon Cyber Dragon in attack position!" Puzzle-kun declared. A blue wave shot through the screen, and the mechanical wyrm rose up beside the chibi Duelist.
Cyber Dragon - LV5 - LIGHT - Machine - (2100/800)
"Next, I'll activate my Evolution Burst spell card! My Cyber Dragon can't attack, but I can target one card on the field and destroy it! I target your face-down trap card!"
"Oh no! Not my Magic Cylinder!" Kaibaman gasped.
The cartoon Cyber Dragon screeched as a wave of light burst free of its jaw. The wave flew across the field and crashed into Kaibaman's face-down, shattering it into golden ash that scattered into nothingness.
"You might have destroyed my defenses, but you still can't overpower my dragon!"
"But we can," Lorenzo murmured. "Because we have Power Bond!"
"I activate Power Bond!" Puzzle-kun shouted as Lorenzo hit the button. "This will fuse monsters in my hand or on my field, and the Fusion will have double its original attack points! I'll take damage equal to its attack during the End Phase, but hopefully it won't come to that! I fuse the Cyber Dragon on my field with the Cyber Dragon in my hand! Come forth, Cyber Twin Dragon!"
Another wave of light rocked the machine as the two Cyber Dragons swirled together to make a two-headed version of themselves. It towered high above Puzzle-kun, equal in size to the three-headed cartoon dragon that Kaibaman controlled.
Cyber Twin Dragon - LV8 - LIGHT - Machine - (5600/2100)
"No!" Kaibaman gasped, the anime-shock icon appearing over his sprite. "Impossible!"
"Cyber Twin Dragon can attack twice each Battle Phase!" Puzzle-kun shouted. "This is the end, Kaibaman! Cyber Twin Dragon attacks your Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and then follows up with a direct attack!"
"BADA-BING!"
"No! This can't be!" Kaibaman screamed, the wave of destructive light engulfing he and his monster whole. "I'm Kaibaman! KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"
A massive explosion appeared on screen, accompanied by the appropriate sound effect. The victory jingle began to play, and slowly, the image displayed on the screen changed. Kaibaman's battle screen was gone, replaced by an image of Puzzle-kun staring off into the sunset with his trusty companion: Watapon.
And so, the war for Puzzle World came to an end...
But Duelists must always be ready, lest evil rears its ugly head...
THE END
The credits began to roll.
Lorenzo stared at them wide-eyed, unable to believe his eyes. He had done it. After weeks of failed attempts, he had finally done it. He had beaten Puzzle Pro!
"Great job," Yuma said from behind him.
Lorenzo nearly jumped, having almost forgotten that she was even there. He'd been so caught up in finally achieving his goal that he had forgotten all about her; all about their deal.
"We beat the game, but what's our total?" she asked, leaning forward. "Did we manage to place a new high score?"
"We're about to find out," Lorenzo said, still riding the high of his victory.
The credits quickly passed through the special thanks section, until finally, the screen went blank. The list of the top ten players quickly appeared in its place.
1. _ _ _
2. YUG
3. LOR
4. KAI
5. LOR
6. JOE
7. EDO
8. LOR
9. DUK
10. LOR
"YES!" Lorenzo roared, slamming his fists down on the control panel.
A group of nearby gamers all stopped what they were doing to stare at him. He glanced at them awkwardly before offering a sheepish wave.
"Wow, this LOR guy sure is on there a lot," Yuma said. "He's filled up nearly the entire board!"
"Yeah," Lorenzo agreed, typing the same three letters into the number one spot.
Yuma blanched. "I should've known," she sighed, leaning back and folding her arms. "LOR, Lorenzo... It makes sense."
"Yeah, and now that I've finally reached the top of the game's scoreboard, there's nothing I can't do!" he laughed. "You hear that, Kaibaman? No one's bringing me down now!"
"Right, right..." Yuma sighed, seemingly exasperated with all his bravado. "So now that we're done here, we can go get the Grand Prize now, right? You know, the one you said I could have if you won? Since you were using my coin and all."
Lorenzo froze.
"Whoa ho ho!" a voice called from behind him, interrupting whatever response he might've had. Lorenzo turned to find Klaus staring at the screen in surprise. "Are my eyes deceiving me, or did you just set a new high score?"
"Your eyes are working fine," Yuma said. "Your friend here really did beat the final stage of this stupid game. More importantly, he did it well enough to rank number one on the-what was it again?"
"Leaderboard," Lorenzo repeated, shaking his head at her ignorance. "But yeah. I did it, Klaus. I beat Puzzle Pro."
The words seemed to make Klaus frown. "Dang," he said, glancing over to his counter where the prizes hung limply on the wall. "And here I was thinking I'd pawn off the Grand Prize and try to make some real dough."
"You were gonna sell it?!" Yuma screeched.
Klaus rubbed his chin as a smirk crossed his lips. "Well, if it hadn't been won by this time tomorrow, then yeah. Figured it'd be better off collecting dust in an antique store than hanging around in a place like this. Not like it matters now though."
He turned, guiding the two teens over to the counter lazily.
"You won quite the antique this time, brat." Klaus said as they reached their destination. He slid behind the counter and reached for the necklace. "Archaeologists found this particular piece lying around some Ancient Egyptian ruins awhile back. They say it easily dates back to at least 1,000 B.C., if not earlier!"
"How'd you get your hands on it?" Yuma asked. Lorenzo thought he heard a whiff of incredulity in her tone. "No offense, but a game shop like this isn't exactly the first place that comes to mind when thinking 'Ancient Egyptian artifact.'"
"Well," Klaus laughed, "if you must know, I wasn't always a humble arcade owner. Once upon a time, I used to grind up the dirt with the best of them, digging out ruins and exploring tunnels the likes of which mankind had never seen!"
"What made you give it up?" Lorenzo wondered.
"My body's not what it used to be," Klaus replied. "I can't jump and hop like I did some twenty years ago. Still, while I left the game, my old contacts still reach out to me from time to time. Every now and then we'll play some cards, and the winner gets to go home with a piece like this."
"So you go gambling with your old friends, is that it?" Yuma sighed. "And when you win, you turn around and make even more money by selling the prize young children in exchange for putting yen in your machines,"
"Gotta make a livin' somehow, don't I?" Klaus asked. "Besides, it ain't like I hand off all my souvenirs. Most of them are still safe and sound at my house. I just like being generous with the few that don't tickle me like the others, that's all!"
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say."
Klaus sighed and looked to Lorenzo, "Mighty fine one you found here, brat. But I guess it's the strong, holier-than-thou type that suits you anyway, huh?"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Yuma asked, but Klaus didn't answer.
"Congratulations," he said instead, stretching his hand out to offer the necklace to Lorenzo. "As per the rules of the Domino Arcade, this Grand Prize-Solomon's Key-is yours!"
"Actually," Yuma interrupted, lips still pursed from being ignored, "it's mine. Lorenzo and I had a deal. He would beat the game and in exchange for helping get his name on the leaderboard, I'd get to take the Grand Prize home."
"What?!" Klaus snapped. His eyes drifted over to Lorenzo, "This true?"
"'Fraid so," Lorenzo said. "I figured it was only fair. I did kind of win using her money."
Klaus sighed, "I'm not sure how to feel about this. The Grand Prize is supposed to be special! Something that's earned, not given! And you're tellin' me that you gave it away before you ever even had it?"
"It is what it is," Yuma said, holding her hand out with an expectant grin. Klaus grunted, then reluctantly dropped the necklace in her palm, grumbling some obscenity while he did.
"Well," he muttered as she pulled back her hand. "I don't suppose there's anything I can do about it now. Just hope you don't come to regret it, boy. For all you know, that antique could've been your one-way ticket to fame and fortune!"
"I think I'll manage. Besides, it's not like I'll be leaving empty-handed," Lorenzo said. He pushed the pile of prize tickets he'd collected from the machine forward. "I might've given up the Grand Prize, but as far as I'm concerned, there's still plenty of loot to take off your hands."
"Looks like everyone wins then," Yuma said with a smile. "See? I get my antique, and Lorenzo here cashes in on a bunch of over-the-counter prizes."
Lorenzo nodded and pushed the mountain of tickets even closer to Klaus. The older man's face twitched, and for a moment, Lorenzo swore he saw a bead of sweat start to roll down the side of his face.
"Everybody wins, huh?" Klaus grumbled. "If that's the case, then why do I feel like I'm about to lose a fortune...?"
Lorenzo's smile widened.
"Alright, alright!" Klaus finally said after staring into the smiling void. "I get it already! What you do with your prizes is none of my business, but don't come crying to me if it turns out girlie here winds up selling it for millions on netsy or eBeach!"
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Yuma laughed. "There's no way on earth I'm going to sell off a Shadow Charm."
"Shadow Charm?" Klaus asked.
Yuma frowned, tightening her grip on the object as she spoke.
"You mean you didn't know? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. There's no way you would've put this thing up for grabs if you knew what it could really do."
"What are you talking about, Yuma?" Lorenzo asked. "What's a Shadow Charm, and what's that necklace got to do with one?"
Yuma closed her eyes and explained, "Shadow Charms are relics of the past. They're talismans of sorts, opening doorways and leading their users to ancient treasures and beyond."
"So what? They're like treasure maps?" Lorenzo asked, tilting his head.
"Yeah, but the treasures they hide aren't simple jewels or gold," Yuma clarified. "Some of the Shadow Charms are said to possess dark and mystical powers. The kind that grant their wielders all kinds of mysterious abilities, like being able to change your form, or letting you steal a person's soul!"
"Bah! Rumors and hearsay, just like that Milennium crap a few years back!" Klaus grunted. "Don't you pay her any mind, brat. She's having you on!"
"I am not!" Yuma huffed. "I'll have you know that I've seen first-hand the power of those treasures! It's why I was so interested in getting your Charm once I saw it was up for grabs! Solomon's Key is supposed to be one of the most powerful and dangerous Shadow Charms around. Supposedly, its capable of unleashing its user's true potential, and even give them the power to summon and control spirits! When I saw you had it just lying out in the open like this, I just had to have it!"
"Why?" Lorenzo asked. "You some kind of cultist or something? Gonna do a little voodoo?"
"No!" Yuma denied. "It's because-" she cut herself off, shaking her head. "It's because if this Charm's power can really unlock my true power like the legends say it can, then it'll make passing my exams at Duel Academy way easier!"
"Wait, Duel Academy? You're a Duelist?" Lorenzo asked.
"Well, yeah." Yuma said, "You really didn't recognize the uniform? You're looking at an honest-to-god Obelisk Blue! Although just about every girl who passes the exam gets put there. Miss Fontaine would freak if any of us had to stay in that pigsty of a Red Dorm. And Ra Yellow's a little...well, the point is I'm in Obelisk Blue! Bow before me, peasant!"
How sad. She's a top student of Duel Academy...and she couldn't get past Level Five...
"What's with that smug look all of a sudden?" Yuma asked. "Don't tell me... Hey, are you thinking something rude right now?!"
Lorenzo leaned back, wrapping his hands around the back of his head as a wide grin broke out across his face. "Nah, I'm just hoping that that Shadow Charm of yours is for real, because if it isn't, you're probably not gonna last long at that fancy school of yours."
"And just what is that supposed to mean, huh?!"
"That you didn't check your face-downs? Isn't that like, rule number one of dueling?"
"Uh, no? Rule number one is make sure to shuffle-hey, wait a second! Stop making fun of me!" Yuma complained. "Besides, I told you that face-down thing was a fluke!"
"Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that."
"Ugh, whatever," Yuma scoffed. "It doesn't matter anyway. Now that I've got this Shadow Charm, there's no way I can lose! I'll overcome all of my challenges, just you wait and see!"
"Sure, sure," Lorenzo said, turning back to Klaus with a smile. "So, about your other prizes?"
"Yeah, yeah..." Klaus sighed, "Whaddaya want? Some booster packs? A nice figurine? Think I had a rare Dark Magician Girl figma come in pretty recently. Had a lot of people eyeing that."
"Hmm, I think I'll pass. I never really was one for figurines. How about cards? I probably won't be getting much use out of it for a while, but my deck could probably use an upgrade."
"Uh..." Yuma said.
"Yeah, I got a few." Klaus replied, "But remember, for singles the price depends on the card. You got anything specific you're looking for?"
"Well I've already got three copies of Boss Rush," Lorenzo said, "and I'm already good on Armored Core and Gradius."
"How about Cyber Summon Blaster? It's a trap that inflicts 300 damage each time you Special Summon a machine!"
"I already have it, and I don't know if I have space to run more than one."
"Well, what about Stage Select?" Klaus asked. "Useful for getting out of some tricky situations."
"Have it."
"Um..." Yuma said.
"Armored Core?"
"I literally just told you I had it."
"Big Core?" Klaus tried.
"Have it," Lorenzo said, shaking his head.
"Moai Interceptor Cannons?!"
"Have it."
"Hey..." Yuma murmured.
"Why are you even running that?!"
"You never know when you could use a little defense," Lorenzo shrugged. "Not everyone has Big Shield Gardna, you know?"
Klaus huffed and folded his arms. "Well, you sure are making it rough for me, huh? Though from the looks of it, it seems like you're still as much as a gamer in dueling as you are here. So I guess I'll ask you this: you have some sci-fi ships in that deck of yours, but do you have any key cards?"
"Key cards? What, like bosses?" Lorenzo asked. "I mean I guess my Crystal Core would count, but I've always seen that as a pretty low level encounter."
"Hello...?" Yuma tried again.
"If that's the case, then why don't you take on this?" Klaus asked, slamming a sealed card onto the table. "B.E.F. Zelos. A Field Spell! When it's played, you can add Boss Rush straight to your hand, and even better, all those B.E.S. monsters of yours get an attack boost!"
"Whoa," Lorenzo breathed, leaning forward to look at the card. "That's a pretty rare card you got there Klaus! Where'd you get it?"
"I got it off some brat who was talking about swapping over to ninjas."
"I dunno...this card seems pretty cool and all but I don't know if it'll fit with my deck too well-"
"Oi..." Yuma grunted.
"Oh, come on, brat! What kind of sci-fi boss deck doesn't have a cool fortress?! It's be like reading Star Fights without the Doom Star, or Larry Totter without Boarwarts! You need a field...more than your body needs air!"
Lorenzo groaned inwardly. Every once and a while, Klaus tried to pawn off some of his card onto unsuspecting customers, and he had a feeling that this was one of those times. Still...
"That effect protection is pretty intriguing..." Lorenzo muttered. "And that Special Summon effect..."
"Come on," Klaus said, waving the card in front of him. "You know you want it. If you pass, you might end up regretting not picking up such heavy firepower when you had the chance."
Lorenzo closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright fine! I'll take it. How much?"
"For you? Twenty tickets."
"Sold!" Lorenzo snapped, sliding the tickets across. Klaus grinned and handed Lorenzo the card, which was quickly tucked away into a thick black deck holster on Lorenzo's belt.
"Alright," the older man chuckled, thumbing through the tickets. "Now that you have B.E.F. Fortress, you've got yourself a pretty nice boss. But let me ask you something. What is a fortress...without someone to attack it?"
Lorenzo raised a brow.
"Behold, the Gradius series!" Klaus shouted, slapping three cards onto the table rapidly. "Thes beautiful ships may be hard to use, but they comes with various special abilities!"
"I dunno," Lorenzo sighed, dropping his chin in his palm. "They sound a little gimmicky."
"Someone running Moai Interceptor Cannons has no right to complain about how gimmicky something is!"
"Alright, that's fair. And at least Gradius is actually part of the franchise," Lorenzo murmured. He nodded, "Okay, I'll bite. How much for the set?"
"Two hundred tickets."
"What?! That's like half my stack!" Lorenzo shouted. "I'll offer a hundred."
"Two fifty!"
"It's going up now?!"
"You give me smack, I'll hit you back," Klaus said.
Lorenzo glowered, "One thirty five."
"Hey...!" Yuma grunted.
"Two seventy five."
"One fifty!" Lorenzo said, slamming his right palm on the counter. "And I won't tell the little ones how you've rigged the pinball machine to short out the left bumper every third hit."
Klaus winced, "So you noticed that huh? Alright lad, you got yourself a deal!"
"How long are you two planning on ignoring me?!" Yuma finally shouted, unable to take it anymore.
Lorenzo winced at the noise, bringing his hands up to cover his now ringing ears. He turned to Yuma with a frown, "You didn't have to bite my head off over it, geez! What is it anyway? You want something too? Since it was your money, I don't mind sharing the tickets-"
"That's not it," Yuma huffed, folding her arms. "I already got what I wanted with the Shadow Charm. That being said, don't you think you're being a little rude, fawning over some busted ships when there's a nice quirky girl here for you to talk to?"
"Oh, I get it. You're one of those types, huh?"
"Those types?" Yuma inquired.
"You know, the type who acts on cute and lovey dovey on the surface but really plans to pummel anyone who takes even the slightest step outta line. That type."
"W-What the hell? Where'd you get that idea from?! I was just upset you were ignoring me, that's all!" Yuma explained. "Don't tell me you've been writing me off as some tsundere who folds her arms and says, 'it's not like I like you or anything, baka?!' What kind of girl do you take me for?!"
"Uh, the nice quirky type?" Lorenzo echoed, realizing he might have made a mistake.
Yuma stared at him and sighed, "Whatever. Know what? Screw you guys. I'm going home."
"Huh, already?"
"Yeah," she sighed. "It's getting late, and my spring break's almost over anyway."
"Spring Break? Didn't you guys start classes just two weeks ago?" Lorenzo asked.
"Nah, that's for the other schools. D.A. started back in October." Yuma replied.
"Oh yeah? Well, I guess this is goodbye then." Lorenzo said, turning to shake her hand. "It was nice meeting you. Thanks for the help."
"No, thank you, Lorenzo Gin." Yuma said, accepting the handshake. "If you're ever in the mood, you should think about applying to Duel Academy! If what I saw today is how you are all the time, I'm sure you'd fit right in!"
"I'll think about it," Lorenzo murmured. But he didn't think he would. Just thinking about Duel Academy was enough to put Ida's face in his head-to make him feel small and insignificant in the grand scheme of the world.
"Well, I'll should probably get going. Thanks again for the Charm, bye!" Yuma said. She offered a quick wave before she left, then turned on her heel and began sprinting for the door.
"Well, there she goes..." Klaus murmured, rubbing his chin. "Sure you don't wanna try and chase her down? With any luck, you just might hit first base."
"Klaus," Lorenzo groaned.
The man barked a laugh, and Lorenzo turned back to the table, intent on buying a few more cards.
CHAPTER TWO
VS Kaibaman! The Ultimate Puzzle!
END