「Shishima Chronicles Arc: Daiyoukai Spawns. 013 - Story of How We First Met.」
One month prior...
The frontlines of the war for Purgatory was on the highest mountain peak in the Twilight Kingdom. It led to clouds before the gates which the youkai army had been trying to breach for eons. Metatron's hordes of stone angels made the battling constant. When rest was needed troops would return to their outpost, tents beneath overhanging rock formations. While food and sleep was required, it was also necessary to keep morale up. So in one of the larger tents fifty-odd soldiers were together to witness a duel spectacle.
"Quiet down everyone," Fukurokuju stood and the chatter died. He was a tall and white owl youkai with a soul-piercing stare, wearing armor like the rest of them. Oni, devils and animal-beings all turned to give him their attention. "As the centuries go by we, as your forefathers did, get closer and closer to breaching Purgatory. Most of you are aware that I was there to see it all: our fall from heaven, our escape from hell, and the fight for conquest that has led to now. My near-omniscience granted me the role of advisor to the king, and it also has enabled me to see that finally breaking into Purgatory is within our grasp. In fact, if fortune favours us, we have a chance of succeeding within the year." It was very good news and there were cheers and back-slaps amidst the crowd. Fukurokuju gave a rare smile, these were brave men after all. "So as entertainment, we have for you now a duel between His Majesty the king, and our very own General Rufu." He swept his wing as the combatants stepped up to take their marks.
Fukurokuju joined the crowd between two special individuals. To his right, Prince Shishima who was mentoring under his wing, the purple lion watching on eagerly. To his left, a smaller white owl known as Fujina of the Winds, and Fukurokuju's own daughter. If anything, she was a little too determined a soldier.
The tall black lion, King Akushishi gave a nod to his subjects. His mane was long at the front, like a beard. The crown denoting his status shined brilliantly against the torch-lights. His opponent was a wolf in black military uniform with a patch over his missing eye. General Rufu raised his fist to excite the audience further.
The two took their marks and bowed. Then prepared their decks; shields and hands set up before beginning the match.
Rufu took the first play "Esmer, Celestial Faerie." She had long sea-green hair and carried a sprinkler. "I send a shield to my mana zone. Turn end."
"I cast Evil Force." The king countered, the twinpact shone red. "Allowing me to summon Hibiki, Explosive Dragon Edge!" The cat-eared human blasted in on jet-boots. "She brings out Batorai Edge and attacks!" The sword fell from hyperspace into her grip, blue symbols etching along the blade. Akushishi turned over his top card but being that it was a spell Batorai couldn't bring it out. Rufu looked relieved. The king proceeded with his attack "shield break!" Glass was slashed and then Hibiki exploded at the end of his turn.
"A good attempt that is to be respected, Your Highness." Rufu gave a slight bow "But now it is my turn. I summon a second Esmer and send another shield to my mana zone. Then, Shinobu Boost Chain." A kunoichi in purple joined her fairy companions. "I attack with Esmer and activate Abarechain! On my first attack each turn I can boost mana!" Another card from his nature-light Bouken kingdom landed on his table. The fairy swung her sprinkler through a panel. The General gave a gallant gesture "I end here."
"I summon Glenislay, Dragon Edge and equip her with Beginning Start, Initial Dragon Tool." A pink-haired samurai raised her arm and a winged gauntlet appeared. "Turn end."
"I summon Namakeira, Alive Chain!" A sloth swung from chains, and contrary to its species looked quite agile with its combat outfit and bladed claws. A blocker on 7500. "I attack with Esmer and use both Abarechains of Shinobu and Namakeira!" First he boosted mana, then he peeped two cards and charged one as mana, the other becoming a shield.
"Glenislay blocks!" She carved through the fae who shrieked.
As the turn was passed Akushishi began "I cast Evil Force and bring out another Glenislay, this time giving her speed attacker. I call out Batorai Edge. Let's try this again, shall we?" His voice was impressively thunderous. "Glenislay attacks!" He flipped over a card "Rosia, Final Dragon Edge comes out and is equipped with another Beginning Start, Initial Dragon Tool!" The gold warrior accepted the upgrade, lightning flashed to his outstretched arm. "Shield break!"
"Namakeira blocks!" The sloth swung out and shredded her. "With all due respect, I won't let you flip Batorai Keep."
"Then my second Glenislay attacks Namakeira!" She clawed him, the gauntlet giving her slayer. While fast enough to shred her first the sloth then succumbed to its injuries. "I end and dragsolution. My other Beginning Start becomes Final the End, Finishing Heaven Dragon." The metal-encrusted dragon was part gold, red and dark silver.
"No more cards in hand? His Highness must be in quite the predicament…" Despite the fake show of humility the prince could sense the wolf's true feelings and it made him clench his jaw in anger. General Rufu raised a card "I summon the leader of the Bouken Kingdom! Gorio Bugori, Gorira King!" His fists were twice the size of his body, the orange beast punched them together before huffing breaths over his underbite. "With mach fighter he attacks Final the End! Abarechain doubles his power to 10,000 and Shinobu ramps mana."
"Rosia blocks." It jumped to intercept and was knocked away.
Akushishi drew his only card then played it "Evilvy, Dragon Armored and I keep him. Final the End double breaks!" With a snarl it lashed a tail through twin glass rectangles.
"No trigger…" Rufu only had one shield left, but it wasn't looking good for His Majesty.
Rufu drew "I summon Namakeira, Alive Chain then cast Ougon! Bouken MAX to send Final the End to your shield zone!" Gorio lifted a wrestling belt that gleamed. Like all draghearts Final the End was returned to the hyperspatial zone instead.
Various soldiers cheered their General on and this only served to annoy the Prince further. Fukurokuju remained placid beside him.
Rufu persisted "I attack with Bugorio and triple Abarechain! His power doubles, Shinobu ramps mana and Namakeira lets me gain mana and a shield. Double break!" Those huge fists easily cleared two panels. "Then Esmer attacks and thanks to Gorio I can use triple Abarechain again!" He gained even more mana and his third shield back. Once the sprinkler swung through the king's penultimate shield the pieces rewound into a card.
"Shield trigger. I bring out Rosia and equip him once more with Batorai Edge."
"Then here I end my turn."
Akushishi once more had cards but sadly they were revolution changes and another he couldn't play. He charged and proceeded "Rosia attacks! My top card is…" He flipped it over. "Gigandydanos, Big Tree King!" The giant tree expanded, it had moose horns and a remarkable 50,000 power. All of a sudden Rufu looked daunted.
Evidently some soldiers in the crowd weren't aware of the king's playstyle and someone called out "isn't that the king master card of Team Fushigi?"
"I thought it belonged to Jubokko." Another voice agreed.
"You're surprised?" Fukurokuju spoke with some amusement. "Look at the king's mana. He has every civilization there, and mastery of all Ten Kingdoms in the creature world. He is the ruler of the entire Twilight Kingdom, after all."
At his mentor's words Shishima couldn't help cracking a smirk "Keh… this will put that old wolf back in his place."
"Your hand is sent to your mana zone. You cannot attack me with creatures that have less power than Gigandydanos. My attack continues!"
"Namakeira blocks!" The General ordered, his sloth slashing apart the gold draguner.
"Evilvy attacks Esmer!" His skeletal beast tore into the fae who tried beating it uselessly with her sprinkler. "I end my turn." He declared regally.
Rufu drew Imen's Sign and had no use for it "Turn end."
"My turn. Gigandydanos breaks your three shields!" It unleashed purple fire and Rufu ducked under his arms before a single trigger lifted his spirits.
"Ougon! Bouken MAX sends Gigandydanos to your shield zone!" At the turnaround many gasped. Fujina covered her beak with a wing. Shishima's proud stance went frigid. Fukurokuju of course remained the same, his eyes twinkling with an omniscient certainty of the outcome. As Gorio lifted his belt victoriously once more, the tree shied away then became the king's second shield. With Namakeira able to block his last creature Akushishi had no choice but to concede. The black lion regained composure "I end my turn."
Rufu failed to hide his glee "I play a second Gorio Bugori and use his mach fighter to take out Evilvy! Then Namakeira breaks your final shields!" The sloth cleared the final defenses and there was nothing for the king to come back with. "Now let's finish this Gorio Bugori - todomeda!" The king crossed his arms and slid back on his feet, resisting the massive punch with some difficulty. His wings spread to slow him down and ultimately he collapsed to his knees.
The General immediately bowed low to show respect, but Shishima could feel his enjoyment and the smile he was hiding. "You have my humble gratitude for the duel, Your Highness."
Akushishi was helped up, then conceded a nod as well and the soldiers applauded. While many were indeed entertained by the close match, the prince certainly wasn't. Unable to restrain himself he walked past the crowd, right up to the old general.
"How dare you disrespect the king in such a fashion!" Then to the shock of many watching he pulled out his deck.
"Well if the young prince wishes to duel me, how can I refuse?" But behind his façade Shishima could sense the inner desire to crush him as clear as day.
The king gave a solemn frown and stood aside for their game. Shishima set his deck down in his father's place, in his mind he was defending the king's honour. This wasn't a game to entertain the troops, it was pure competition on both ends.
Rufu was the first to summon "Hakiri, Leafcry Faerie." A black-haired fae emerged, holding a teapot.
"Vermin… I summon School Man and destroy him alongside Hakiri!" At Shishima's order a building of black ooze reached out and crushed her before coming apart.
"The young prince has some moves. I summon Shinobu, Boost Chain and end." The kunoichi in purple landed.
"I summon Time Tripper, Shadow of Stagnation. Your mana now enters tapped." At his growl a white ogre stomped, a fanged mouth opening up on its body.
"Esmer, Celestial Faerie!" The green-haired girl was back, sprinkler in hand. "I send a shield to the mana zone. Shinobu attacks and with Abarechain I mana ramp. Shield break!" With a fast kick she flew and burst his shield.
"My turn," Shishima growled while adding the card to his hand. "I summon Jenny the Dismantling Puppet and discard your final card!" The white-haired doll in red-black lolita fashion snickered as Rufu emptied his hand. Shishima crossed his arms with satisfaction. "Then I end."
"I play another Esmer." Once more one of his shields dissolved into mana, a display of confidence? "First Esmer attacks and Abarechain!"
Shishima turned away from the glass then gave a fanged grin "Shield trigger, Spiner Shock Doctor gives -3000 to your three creatures and destroys them all!" It zapped its rods together before firing volts across, leaving the general's field bare. Shishima felt the sharp pang of frustration the wolf hid and found it most pleasurable. "Not so high and mighty now are you? I summon Ninjariban, Dragon Edge and bring out Greene, Dragon Soul Ruins to boost one." The ninja plush landed followed by a green temple. "I end here."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Prince. I summon Britanneko, Mana Zone Chain. It becomes mana along with Ninjariban!" A pink cat-girl in uniform kicked the ninja plush and back-flipped away, both vanishing.
"It's over. I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge. I mill two then bring out Reddull, Dragon Soul Castle and give him speed attacker." The wolf plush raised boxing gloves, wings stretching in preparation. "Attack and S-rank invasion zombie! I evolve him into Deadzone!" The creature morphed into a craggly purple giant. A 12,000 triple-breaker reaching out with a clawed hand. His final shields burst into glass.
"Two shield triggers!" Rufu announced. "How about a cup of tea? rebuilds a shield! Imen's Sign brings out Gorio Bugori, Gorira King and force battles him with Spiner!" His king master of Team Bouken appeared, the orange gorilla punching out a creature with his giant fist.
"It's pointless! Time Tripper, final break!" His creature palmed the last shield and Rufu's despair gave away his defeat. "Know thy place, filthy wolf! Jenny, todomeda!" She snickered before using her weapon to knock the general off his feet. Rufu snarled, clenching his fists where he lay.
More clapping forcefully resumed. But when Shishima looked over his shoulder he saw disappointment in his father's gaze, the king turned away to leave.
Shishima didn't linger. He forced his way through the crowd and out the tent flap after him. Fujina looked to her father, who stood with the calm certainty his omniscience gave him. Not everything was certain, but she could put her trust in the wise judgement of his broader perspective.
Shishima followed the king to his private tent and went in after him "I've displeased you father."
Akushishi stood by a table covered in papers detailing information and battle plans. While alone with his son he could lose the image of a strong and unyielding king. He glanced back, knowing Shishima could sense everything he was feeling.
"Yes."
"I only wanted to put that mutt back in his place! He delighted in beating you! I restored your honour in front of the other men!"
"You did no such thing. You acted as a petulant child." At that Shishima was at a loss for words. Akushishi sighed "In the past millenia your mentor and I have sought to undo the terrible upbringing you endured at the hands of your mother. The methods that killed your siblings before you. Now, you are no longer Koushishi's child. You are mine."
"But father-"
"While I cannot say General Rufu has my complete trust, I do believe he's an honourable warrior who will do whatever's best for our kingdom."
Shishima lowered his gaze. On the table beside them was an ancient depiction of Metatron, an angel of old with a multitude of reaching hands.
Akushishi turned, raising his deck once more "Would you give me a duel, my son?"
"Of course, Father." Shishima answered and they stepped around to give themselves room. The tent had just enough space for a battle, but none for any spectators. Shields were raised and hands drawn.
They passed some turns charging then Shishima went "I summon Rousseau Montes and discard Mad Demon Excellency, then you must random discard." At the appearance of the four-armed creature a card shone purple in the king's hand. He dropped Hibiki. "Turn end."
"A nice change from our usual form of sparring practice." The king smiled as he drew. Then he merely charged and passed back.
"Indeed. I summon Time Tripper, Shadow of Stagnation." The white golem stomped forth, a mouth opening widely on its belly. "Your mana now enters tapped. Turn end."
"This is quite the predicament you've put me in. Unless…" he smirked. "I cast Evil Force to summon Hibiki, Explosive Dragon Edge then bring out Batorai Edge, Blazing Sword." The cat-eared girl landed, the jagged sword then falling into her grip. "Attack and revolution change! Hamukatsuman Ace, Brave 1!" Hibiki blasted back on her jet-boots, high-fiving a gerbil in colourful armour. "He lets me check my top five cards for a multi-coloured creature and then put it on the top of my deck. I choose this one: Genmu Emperor, Infinite Dragon."
"The king master of Team Zero…" Shishima murmured, recognizing it as Fukurokuju's main finisher.
"Before Batorai Edge is returned to the hyperspatial zone, I can use its effect from Hibiki's attack, revealing my top card and summoning it if it's a human or dragon." Thus emerged a shadowy dragon of literally infinite power. Having to face it was no little concern. Akushishi continued "Creature abilities and spells from cards costing five or less are negated. Hamukatsuman, continue with your attack!" The gerbil swung its full-length sword down a shield. "And with that, the king's turn has ended."
While that disappointment lingered, Shishima could also feel genuine happiness from his father. He enjoyed duelling his son much more than someone else, and especially when nobody was around. I will make you proud of me, father. Shishima thought. But for now I must beat you, it will be a testament to how much stronger I've become!
"I summon Vader, Dark Armor and end!" A ghastly metal knight took up post.
"I summon Hibiki, Explosive Dragon Edge." The fire human returned. "Her effects may be negated, but so are the ones belonging to your three creatures. You cannot block this. Brace yourself, my son… Genmu Emperor breaks your four remaining shields!" A darkness-water pulse obliterated the shields one by one.
Shishima took a defensive stance, narrowing his eyes amidst the storm of glass. For all my desire to overcome you, I still can't help but respect you and love- He cut his thinking short right through the last word.
"No triggers."
"Hamukatsuman, todomeda!" The gerbil launched across and aimed a kick that knocked Shishima over, the tent flap wavering against his back.
Akushishi gave a hearty laugh, in good spirits once more. He went to his son and helped pull him to his feet.
"I lost…" Shishima admitted, somewhat shamefully.
"Do you wish to seek revenge?"
"Of course not!" Shishima said, thrown by the question.
"A king must learn how to handle both victory and defeat. Those men out there are our allies. All of us are fighting together, prepared to give the ultimate sacrifice, so how can we say any of them are beneath us?" At the king's wise words the prince was speechless once more.
They'd spent many centuries together and that would end up being one of the conversations Shishima remembered the most.
Presently…
A chance event leads to an encounter that would later shape the destiny of entire worlds. Where countless other angelic sentinels had failed, one would land a successful strike against Prince Shishima and send him plummeting from the sky. The winged lion fell from the battlefield by Purgatory's gate, through the clouds and past mountains. He fell to the palace, but not quite reaching it, instead falling to its royal gardens where he struck the ground like a comet.
There he was approached by its gardener, Nekohana. And the rest would become history.
。
Hyouma entered the queen's chamber, bowing only as low as she could considering in her hands was another tray laden with violet tarts. With a smile Koushishi indicated for the young panther to come closer. Then she reached and lifted the lid, revealing another three treats made with painstaking care.
"Hand me those…" Koushishi took the tray and put it down on the small table beside her. "Sit down. And try some of these." As Hyouma sat on a recliner beside hers she saw another tray proffered, this one stacked with scrumptious red desserts. "While these berries are not so rare, they are delectable."
"Thank you, my queen." Hyouma took one and bit. Indeed, it was the finest tart she'd ever tasted.
Beside Koushishi was a multitude of grapes and a wine goblet. A servant stood to the side with head down, his life purpose reduced to merely being cup-bearer and poison tester for the queen.
"So tell me child, I hear those friends of yours were caught trespassing on forbidden grounds..." She curled a hand under her chin delightfully, as if it were gossip.
"Sazansho told!?"
"Not quite. My dear, I have eyes and ears all over this palace. As one should. I'm sure as one of nobility you can understand that."
"I do." Hyouma spoke honestly. The queen's narrowed gaze became shrewd.
"In a way... you remind me so much of a younger version of myself. And not just by our physical characteristics. But by our cunning and ruthless natures. We both know what it takes to better one's position in this kingdom, and we're prepared to do whatever it takes to secure that. We're natural leaders. And it's why we end up on top."
Hyouma was at a loss for what to say, but clearly the queen drawing similarities between them was a big complement.
Before Hyouma could come up with the correct and courteous response, Koushishi reached for her goblet and continued "I'd like to help you, Hyouma. I will lend you my ear - I want to hear all about your delightful little plotting with those friends of yours." She drank, set down her goblet and picked up a red tart "And while you have me as your own confidant, I'd be willing to grant you some favours as well, within reason."
It sounded too good to be true. Therefore Hyouma needed to remain cautious.
"All this, merely because you see yourself in me?"
"Yes, because I feel I understand you."
At the queen's behest, Hyouma began divulging her latest schemes with her two comrades. She inserted judgments and observations she'd made, and Koushishi was delighted. She ate and drank with a mirthful smile, perhaps reminiscing of her own days as a younger and less important political figure. One who had to rely on her own wits to get by and to better her standing.
Perhaps Koushishi would assist her, even to the degree of helping her woo Prince Shishima's heart. That would be no easy feat and require more planning in itself. Hyouma could only guess that Koushishi knew her son would eventually find a bride. So perhaps she wanted to set up other potential pieces on the board to be in her grasp as well. As immortals they knew how important it was to prepare for the future, and to ensure you've set yourself into an advantageous position well ahead of time. So maybe Hyouma would be groomed to one day be another shiny new chess piece for the queen.
As Hyouma retailed events she never let her guard down. The one thing she couldn't let slip was that she'd found a human of all things, and intended to use said human for her whims. At any point she knew Koushishi could jump in and catch her off guard: anything else you're not telling me? And the persuasion would hit and everything could be ruined. Fortunately, despite Hyouma taking the utmost care and attention with her words, the queen never lobbed that question as a messenger interrupted them.
The chamber door opened with a heavy sound. In patted the feet of Sazansho's abominable crow messenger. While Koushishi despised his stupidity she was privy to the tale of Kotarin's life and it amused her.
The three-legged creature bowed and offered a scroll "For Her Majesty."
Koushishi was delighted to receive word from one of her most trusted. She undid the ribbon and opened the message. With a lazy flick of her hand she ordered the bird away and he bowed before flying out.
Yes, Sazansho was letting her know he'd left the palace to embark on the mission she'd given him. He did not mention any specifics in something as damning as a letter, though they were both in agreement that with all his speed and training it was almost unthinkable for Kotarin to be captured. Ah yes, the mission…
Fukurokuju had left her service a millenia ago to fight on the frontlines with her husband. She knew the old owl's omniscience was a problem for her, and she'd shielded herself from his powers as soon as she'd uncovered a way. Undoubtedly this troubled him, as much as his capabilities troubled her. However, her followers recently came across evidence while in search of a solution. Fukurokuju's great perception may have blind spots. Koushishi had sent her trusted Sazansho to investigate further and he took to the challenge with as much excitement as she had. As things stood, Fukurokuju was still her greatest threat.
At that exact time, elsewhere Sazansho was thinking along similar lines. He was being carried through the forest within the confines of an ornate palanquin, a procession of his sealing corps and other servants ahead and behind him in a travelling line. As he brushed back the little curtain he could see a black dot in the skies, Kotarin flying back speedily after having delivered his message to the queen. Sazansho intended to update her frequently on how he was going.
He should've been further along on his journey by this point, but a chance run-in at the crowded lower levels stalled things. Sazansho was furious to have his exeunt blocked by another travelling party of servants. Instead of everyone else clearing out of his way, both parties found themselves at a stand-still at a junction. Such ill-gotten timing. Sazansho had kicked his way out, assuming the other servants all belonged to some meagre lord. Unfortunately it was a fellow senator, so while both made quite the show of threatening and yelling at each other, ultimately Sazansho knew he couldn't do anything about it.
After starting a scene his pride demanded he not let up. He'd already been in a bad mood after losing a duel to that young echidna. Now his blood was boiling with outrage. Both travelling parties had no choice but to share the walkway as they passed each other, neither one able to walk right down the middle.
Even with his degree of closeness to the queen, Sazansho knew he couldn't exact revenge on a fellow senator for something as trivial as this. No, better he focus on the important task at hand: taking down the great Fukurokuju.
。
Hyouma had moved their operations to her bedchambers for the time being. While stealing the Scientiae Bonietmali was one thing, it was a whole other affair to secretly harbour a human in their midst. The guards were strictly ordered to give the corridor to her room space - if someone overheard Amira's suspiciously tiny voice, well even her family's own guards might turn her in. For this reason Hyouma had talked her father into switching around the watch shifts. The youkai species with better hearing: canines, marsupials and such would guard at night when Amira was specifically instructed not to talk. Her request was disguised as a fear that someone - like with Hikumi - might again try climbing into her bedchamber at night.
Hyouma gave a secret knock to her own bedroom and she heard the door unlock then open. She slipped in past Senhari. Inside were a stack of books stolen from the sealing corps' vault of secret magic. Amira was standing on an open book, walking as she read.
"Ohhh Hyouma…" Rasenkara spoke sadly by the window. "It looks like the plant is starting to die."
"Doesn't matter now. It served its purpose." Hyouma turned her gaze back to Senhari who was glaring at her. "What?"
"Don't 'what' me! Once the sealing corps find out books are missing from their stash do you know who they're going to suspect first? Us! Me and Rasenkara!"
"They haven't tried anything yet." Hyouma calmly stated.
"But still, it's only a matter of time before they do!" Her spiky friend bit back.
"I left that room in a hurry, and in such a mess too…" Rasenkara spoke up curiously.
"I fixed it." Amira said, making her way to the corner of her page. "My powers aren't as straight-forward as you guys think. I wouldn't call it just 'teleportation'. I can transport myself to any physical location, yes. I can transport anything that happens to be touching me along too, yes. But I can also transport things I'm not touching, to wherever it is I happen to be, so long as I know their exact location."
"So in other words, after Rasenkara left you simply teleported back here and then transported every book on the floor along after." Hyouma said indifferently.
"Yes." Amira stepped off the book and found the edge of the next page, she had to lift then walk under it. Then she could push it over with both arms. She stepped up to flatten it down then walked to the beginning corner. "If anyone notices the gaps in the book cases, then yes you could be in trouble."
Senhari raised a meaningful eyebrow at her leader.
"If you two get in any trouble I can just have Amira return the books." Hyouma placed a hand carefully between the spikes at Senhari's shoulder. Senhari tensed but then reluctantly gave in.
"I'm surprised that Amira could teleport in and out of that room." Rasenkara mused. "I thought it would have better security."
"Or maybe they didn't think anyone would be crazy enough to try getting in there." Senhari answered.
Hyouma fetched the glass perfume bottle on her dresser and crouched before Amira.
"Brace." At her words Amira turned and clenched up her face, spreading her arms out. Hyouma gave two spritz which hit Amira with heavy droplets. She wiped the moisture off her face, hair now damp. It was a potion that could erase one's scent. It needed to be reapplied every few hours - Hyouma wasn't taking any chances for Amira to be noticed. Her head twisted back "How long until your uncle can re-enchant the earrings?"
"With everything that's happened all the officials are busier than usual." Senhari shrugged.
"Everything that's happened?" Amira looked up from her reading.
"...a few days ago we lost an important battle in the war for Purgatory. That's the world above ours." Hyouma answered Amira's confused expression. "Most of the daiyoukai who were on the battlefront have returned to the palace. Including…"
"The prince." Amira finished and watched Hyouma nod. "Well… fine. A deal's a deal. Senhari and Rasenkara have been reading through these books with me, and found other books to clarify info too. So, I will spy in the prince's room, and you guys will keep digging up a way to send me home."
Rasenkara and Senhari looked pleased that Amira intended to keep her side of the bargain, even when the prince had come home sooner than expected.
"You have my word, Amira." Hyouma answered her. "With all you've learnt about us, I also want to send you back home, and don't want to risk making you an enemy. Both of us have the ability to ruin each other, so in the interest of self-preservation we'll both keep our promises and work together."
Amira smiled and nodded. They all got back to reading, at times with idle chatter passing between them.
Despite the fact that everything seemed to be working well, the next day would present a further complication: the very first encounter between Hyouma and Shishima.
The panther was walking the halls alone, hoping to catch her father or the queen leaving their senate meeting. Instead none other than the purple lion Shishima was spotted approaching from the opposite end. Nobody else was around but them.
First impressions are important. Those words echoed back to her. Centuries of plotting could all be ruined by a mistake in a single moment. Hyouma's heart beat fast with fear. She'd rehearsed countless times what to do in this situation. Immediately she stepped to the side to ensure she wasn't in his way. She kept her eyes from him, head slightly bowed and posture introverted. Act appropriately submissive, but above all look secretive. She thought to herself. Capture his curiosity. If he said one word to her, she'd reply in kind, but also with distance and evasiveness. Let the fact I'm not eager to please him be rousing. And if he pulled her into conversation, only then would she stop walking, answer his questions with only respectfulness and show no desire to prolong the exchange.
For a man wanted by all, if he saw her disinterested she'd be a challenge and she'd have him.
The distance between them shortened. While Hyouma gave every physical indication she didn't want his attention, inside she was willing with all her might: speak to me, speak to me! No words spoken by either of them, and he came closer still. Would he really, truly, ignore her as she would him? They passed within inches of each other…
"Keh…" Shishima said at that exact moment, like he'd settled a bet. At hearing that Hyouma turned just in time to catch his smirk.
He continued past her. Hyouma stopped walking. Her brain flexed in place. She looked over her shoulder but Shishima gave her no interest whatsoever, still just making his way.
The reaction he gave. Somehow he was able to read her. In that moment he understood her desperately scheming nature. Hyouma was fully exposed and now her gameplan was flipped on its head. She'd had her suspicions before but now she knew charm wasn't going to help her woo him, at all. Hyouma stood in that corridor thinking for a long time. Clenching her fists before finally continuing along. She would need a new approach.
⟨author's note⟩
Breaking all the rules here. This is my first ever chapter containing three duels. In fact, the only other Duel Masters chapter I wrote with multiple duels in it had two, with one of the games being brief and a non-Kaijudo card-top duel. But here we go, and here's the story of the first time Shishima and Hyouma met.
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