Duel Terminal
By 7th Librarian
A/N: I'm back! Later than I wanted, but back! Many thanks to my lovely wife, Mei-1105 who wrote Rosemary's scene and did editing when I wasn't able to character well! She's the darlingest! Give her love with a review!
Chapter 2: Getting Your Feet Wet
"You look jealous. Are you jealous?"
"That emotion is beneath me."
"C'mon, I've known you long enough to know you still have emotions even if you can't express them well. And jealousy is a natural part of being human. If people take what's ours or have something we want, we covet it because it makes us aware of what we see as a hole in our lives." Jessiebelle Wheeler said from her pool lounge, pulling her shades down slightly to peer curiously at her friend. "And if there's anything you can't stand, Sumire, it's being inadequate in something."
"I am not inadequate in this." Sumire had eschewed Jessie's two-piece style to go with a one piece swimsuit and instead of lounging by the pool, she was standing like some kind of sentinel overlooking the grounds nearby. "My combat skills are not meant for sparring, but assassination and death. It would be pointless to spar with Bellerophon because he would not get a good experience out of it."
"Uh-huh." Jessie rolled her eyes. "And the fact that Chloe just so happened to be willing to spar with him isn't ruffling your feathers any?"
"If Chloe has the skills and training to be a good partner to him, then there is no reason for her not to do it. Verthandi does not have the right training, Kaede is only a beginner in her Sambo courses and Jackie is a brawler that cannot match him."
Jessie didn't look convinced. "You could have just hired some outside talent. It's not like Germany is out of the way. People would probably go to war over to get hired by the prestigious new CEO of I2."
Sumire didn't respond right away, instead watching the combat happening in the second pool set up on the Von Schroeder Estate. A set of large platforms floated on its surface, Lero and Chloe both clad in swimsuits of their own. Neither of them was wet, which was a testament to their skills that they hadn't fallen in despite twenty minutes of sparring. It was an unusual training method, but that seemed to be her husband in a nutshell. In the three weeks since he'd gotten his new body, he had thrown himself into making for lost time in the most odd of ways.
Ice-skating for hours in the morning, then a break for breakfast and then another hour of boxing blows on a bag while on the ice. Duel training with Plato and whatever computer opponent Tesla had cooked up for him - but those duels didn't seem to be about winning or losing and he often went through the same combos again and again until he could probably do them while blindfolded. He'd spend the afternoon resting and doing his job as the head of R&D but would spend evenings practicing shuffling, building and re-building his deck and she had on more than one occasion caught him painting nothing but calligraphy over and over.
The Egyptian woman could see no practical point to any of it as there didn't seem to be an end goal for him to achieve. When she questioned it, he just said it was conditioning but seemed at a loss to explain how it was conditioning him. There was logic in practicing fighting in uneven or poor circumstances, such as on an ice rink or here on the floating pads, but those circumstances would almost never come up in real life or give him applicable skills in the real world.
"Anyone we hired would be too close to all the Signer things and related magic, something that is best kept secret for now until Bellerophon comes to terms with it." Sumire explained at last. "And the world still thinks he is sickly and unwell after the Bride Tournament. Revealing otherwise would also prompt too many unwelcome questions."
"And if there's one thing you hate, it's unwelcome questions."
"Indeed."
There was a splash from the pool and she looked over to see both combatants surfacing on either side of a platform that looked like it had flipped all of a sudden and dumped them both. Bellerophon said something and Chloe laughed, then laughed harder when he attempted to climb back up and she just yanked it out from underneath him. Bellerophon resurfaced, pointing a finger at her and the Irish woman just laughed - until he dunked her head underwater. Soon the pool was filled with splashes again.
How is she so comfortable around other people after only a few weeks? How has she managed to integrate herself with Bellerophon with such ease?
How does she manage to make friends in only a few weeks, when I still feel like a stranger to so many of these people?
Sumire frowned. Chloe may have been accepted into the group, but she brought nothing but unwelcome questions.
I am not deficient in this, she thought again. I can be just as friendly with people and help Bellerophon in my own way.
Determination stole over her, and she braced herself against the chair, preparing to rise and do…what?
She had no idea what to do. How to insert herself in the situation, or start a friendship building moment. What to say. How to intervene. All the things Chloe had done to instigate this bonding escaped her, like wisps of cloud on the wind. She was lost…deficient.
Scowling, she settled back in her chair and continued to observe, wondering for the millionth time in her life how everyone else could understand something so elusive.
TTTTTTT
"You know, I think I'm going to get used to living rich." Jackie said as she toweled off her hair.
"You have the money to do that?" Kaede snarked as she sipped a lemonade. "Or a real job?"
"Haven't had one yet, won't start now." Jackie replied with a snicker. "All I really have to do is play card games and keep Sky Horse's bed warm. Easy money."
"I expect a bit more out of a relationship than Duel Monsters and sex, Jackie." Lero told her as he crossed his arms. "I expect, you know, a valid partnership of equals built on parity."
"Hey, our relationship is perfectly balanced. You give me what I want and I take what I need." Jackie informed him serenely. "Secret to a happy life is a happy wife."
"Of which only I am." Sumire reminded her, Kaede laughing as Jackie's expression fell under her mask. "You have not passed the certifications and tests I have arranged. There is more to being a wife than gaining the Signer Mark on your arm."
"Tests? Certifications?" Kaede leaned forwards curiously. "This true, Jackie?"
"She's making me take lessons in combat, weapon management and wilderness survival skills." Jackie moaned into her hands. "And that's just the first wave."
"We are rich and famous and in constant danger." Sumire said as if they had this discussion several times before. "And preparation is the enemy of bad luck."
"If I run into bad luck I can't punch out, out-duel or outrace, I'm already dead." Jackie argued.
Kaede laughed again. "You wanted to be part of Lero's life, you gotta put up with Lero's wife!" Her laughter only grew as Jackie took a feebly retaliatory strike at her.
"You look like you're all having fun." Verthy's pink hair flowed behind angelically as she came up to the group clad in a rather light, billowy looking dress.
"And you're looking like a princess again, ojou. Can't really see you swimming in that." Jackie said dryly. "Or do you swim in milk so much that you've forgotten how to do it in water with the rest of us plebeians?"
Verthy gave her a smile. "No, it was simply that I had to entertain a surprise guest." She gestured to a red-haired man who had accompanied. "Everyone, may I present my uncle, Leon Von Schroeder?"
Jackie's eyes widened slightly while Jessie and Kaede let out identical, simultaneous 'ooohs' of appreciation while Chloe's expression perked up noticeably. Sumire, for her part, just crossed her arms and nodded knowingly. "Ah. Another famous duelist."
Leon laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "You could say that, but really, I haven't done all that much to earn it…"
"Don't be modest. You're one of the few people my Dad recognized as a talented card designer. Even I can't just print cards I make up on a whim so easily." Lero put in with a wry grin. "And last I checked, Mr. Von Schroeder, you were in contention as one of the hot picks to be World Champion this year."
"The news does tend to exaggerate, but I can't say I wouldn't mind the title. And I appreciate the challenge of getting it." Leon said agreeably.
"My uncle has been off celebrating the birth of my niece for the last few months and Aunt Taylor has finally convinced him that she and the children are not faberge eggs that will break while he goes away to pursue his career." Verthy said pointedly, Leon scratching his cheek sheepishly.
"That's why I came here, to duel Verthy because she did so well in the Bride Tournament." Leon explained. "But she's got an appointment to keep and she told me that all of you were here. So I was wondering if any of you would like to -"
"Me! Me! Me!" Kaede and Jessie almost collided as they leaned over the table and waved their hands. Identical scowls flashed on their flashes and they began grappling as only cousins could. "I saw him first, you witch!"
"Hey, I'm always up for throwing down." Jackie said with a wicked grin. "Love to see what Zombie World does to your fairy tale world…"
"I'd love to play against someone of your caliber, Mr. Von Schroeder." Chloe chimed in, her twitching fingers betraying her raw excitement.
"I feel I should watch. Both to broaden my dueling horizons," Sumire casually side-stepped the combative dust cloud Jessie and Kaede had become. "And to ensure that everyone gets a fair turn."
Lero opened his mouth to add in his two cents, only to have a slender hand clamp over it while an arm slid into his. He looked to see Verthy's face inches from his own. She put a finger to her lips and then pulled him away from the pool.
She swept him into the house and pulled the door and curtains shut silently. Once they were alone, she smiled sweetly at him. "I may have forgotten to mention that you were the appointment I have."
"Appointment?" Lero lifted an eyebrow at her curiously. "To do what? I don't remember an appointment."
"I'm making it just now, you see." Verthy informed him. "It's an appointment to have an impromptu date with me."
Lero glanced towards the outside, then back to the smiling German woman. "You went to all this trouble, so I can't really say no, can I?"
"I'd rather you didn't."
"Sure, why not?" Lero held out his hand and she took it. "You're in charge, pretty lady, so what's this date you have in mind?"
"You'll see."
TTTTTTT
Despite the idea that being rich meant you got the best of the best, there was an inverse to that - you got the best of a small lot. Wealth and fame drew attention and only a few places could offer the privacy to actually enjoy your meal without ending up in the papers the next day. Verthy, being local, had gotten them a table at a very expensive-looking five-star restaurant whose name Lero had no hope of pronouncing.
To his surprise, though, the menu read more like a fast food joint. Burger and fries. Hot dogs. Chicken wings and tenders. Pancakes. Waffles. Sausage and eggs. Toast. Mac'n'cheese. Meatloaf. All that and more. "Verthy, what is this place?"
"Something that I'm sure is going to become a trend, so let's enjoy it before it's cool." She replied as she scanned her own menu. "The owner apparently got rich through luck and hard work and started missing all the casual food he'd had before fame. So he created this place to cater to those who are the odd combination of wealthy and down-to-earth."
"No complaints from me. Dad used to take me to fast food places, if only so I'd put some meat on my bones 'cause I was so skinny. But there'd always be a mob or a fan wanting an autograph and to be honest, bodyguards make you stand out even more in a McDonald's." Lero said with a wry grin. "More than one meal ended with the drive-thru and a high-speed chase by paparazzi with fries and chicken nuggets flying across the back seat."
"That does sound like a Pegasus thing to happen." Verthy chuckled before her expression went sheepish. "I admit, I found this place after our first time living together. You were talking about all these foods and combinations that I'd never heard of and I felt so out of my depth. So I went about researching it all so I could be a good girlfriend and engage with it for you."
"Really? You, slumming from your high horse to have a milkshake and burgers?" Lero asked in amusement. "Your poor refined palate must have had a panic attack."
"It wasn't that bad, Lero - I only hesitated for a few minutes before I ate my order." Verthy chided him. "And that was how I gained a taste for spare ribs and a reason to sew my own bib at the same time."
Lero cackled at the image of prestigious, prim and proper Verthy eating a rib and getting barbecue sauce on her high-end clothing. "Does it say anything clever?"
"'If no one sees you eat it, it counts as empty calories.'" She said and they both laughed.
It felt good to laugh. It felt good to be on a date again. He had forgotten how easy time with Verthy had been and how much they seemed to just flow together. It was like before, with the two of them together and the world falling away. Sure, they were still rich and famous and had oodles of responsibility. But that was far and away outside their little table in the corner behind this charming fake plant.
"This is nice," he smiled at her, as they tucked into their [food]. "I haven't relaxed like this in…" He frowned as he tried to remember.
"A long time," Verthy told him, sipping at her strawberry milkshake. "Sumire told me that she has been attempting without success to get you to take time off."
"I'm still the head of R&D even if Sumire is CEO. And there was the buyout of KaibaCorp and all the integration to handle. And now that I've got a body again, I need to retrain on my Cyber Style. Thinking about returning to the dojo soonish." Lero said, picking at his fries. Seeing Verthy give him a raised eyebrow, he sighed. "Okay, maybe I do need time off. But there's so much to juggle, Verthy, you know how it goes - if you stop moving forwards, it all comes crashing down."
"Of course. SchroederCorp would not be what it is today if my father and I did not devote much of our time to its care and well-being." She agreed. "And as of late, you have more to juggle than most. But, beloved, you have spent a long time being a cog in a machine to keep I2 and Duel Monsters going. I think it would be good for you to take time and find out who you are again."
Lero gave her a lazy grin. "I'm a simple man, Verthy. I love card games, Transformers and writing. I use my Pegasus name as an excuse to tell dad jokes and be as oddball as I want. And my secret crippling weakness is cleavage." He knocked back some of his Pepsi and shrugged at her. "Not much more to me than that."
"You know that that is not a healthy way to live," Verthy said, leaning against the table. "You should consider hiring a deputy head of R&D - someone to take the slack if you need a week off…or more accurately, stop Tesla from accidentally drinking a beaker of motor fluid thinking it's an energy drink."
"Tesla is the deputy head." Lero reminded her and laughed as Verthy made a long-suffering face. "Hey, at the time Dad hired her, I was still an intern and he thought having someone as hyper and bouncy as I was for me to corral would teach me a lesson. It worked. Sobered up real quick on my responsibilities after the first time the server farm caught fire."
"You know what I mean, Lero," pretense of sophistication vanished from Verthy's voice and she adopted a more severe tone that was usually reserved for dueling. "Burnout is very real. You must hire someone competent to take over." She paused. "Maybe one of your circle of friends?"
"My circle of friends is currently occupied with all the Signer stuff." Lero pointed out, his face suspicious. "You know, Verthy, you don't actually have a position in SchroederCorp. You just work as an extension of your father like a very fashionable administrative assistant or that Microsoft Paperclip. Are you hinting at all this because you want a job?"
Verthy frowned, her arms folded. "From the man who just dubbed me a fashionable administrative assistant? No. I would never work for anyone who believed that little of me. I am simply looking out for my boyfriend, who seems to have conveniently forgotten that I am a chief shareholder and creative director of my family's company, not to mention organized enough to run my own fashion line on the side."
"You made creative director?" Lero asked in genuine surprise. Three years ago, Verthy had been busy with her fashion line and helping at SchroederCorp more out of familial obligation than genuine desire. "That's really impressive - I can't believe I didn't know - I…yeah…" Appetite suddenly gone, Lero put down his fork. "I'm really sorry, Verthandi. I didn't mean any of that that way it sounded. I've been so focused on the company and the game, I guess I've got tunnel vision and everything somehow has to come back to that."
Her face softened. "I know you didn't mean any of that the way it sounded. But I accept your apology all the same. But that said, Lero, this really just highlights that you need time to go and rediscover yourself." her hand slid across the table and squeezed her as she smiled reassuringly. "Remind yourself that you're still the wonderful man I spent the happiest times of my life with."
Lero gave her a small smile back, then sighed. "Sorry. I seem to be bringing our date down. And we're talking about me again." He pulled his hand free, running it through his lilac hair and biting back another sigh. "Let's focus on the pretty lady I'm with for a bit. How are you handling all this, Verthy? Unlike the Moutos and the Wheelers and the Kaiba-Pegasuses - Pegasi?- your family doesn't have any history in all this magical destiny stuff."
"I'll happily share my thoughts about this whole situation, my dear." Verthy said smoothly as she helped herself to more milkshake. "After you answer my question."
"Okay…if I'm honest, no one really springs to mind." Lero said after a second of thought. "Working R&D for Duel Monsters isn't easy - it's more than creating cards and effects, it's lore and background and artwork and a whole host of other things. But maybe if I can't find one person, I'll find a few who can cover each other." Seeing her look levelly at him, he gave her a small smile and held up his hands briefly. "Okay, okay, I surrender. I promise I will seriously think about this and discuss it with Sumire. Along with some time off."
"That is all I ask," she nodded, satisfied. "And I am handling this just fine - you forget, I do have magical connections through my family…" she unconsciously moved her hand to her forehead, before turning it into a brush of her hair. "...albeit, slightly different to the rest of you. But I am not 'weirded out' if that was your concern."
"Not really. You've always been rather level-headed and take things with that usual German stoicism. Remember the time you showed up to half the castle covered in TP and that herd of kittens running around?" Lero said, unable to stop himself from chuckling while Verthy held a stoic face for a moment before cracking into her own tiny giggles. "I guess it's more the whole 'Signer King' thing and the fact I'm being portioned out like a take-out pizza. I know the big thing we're all worried about is the relationship aspect, but there's also the fact I think we're Signers for life now and it's implied that we have to have kids. Something I know you weren't too keen on."
Verthy's face dropped slightly. "I am still not that keen. I feel no real maternal urges, and doubt I ever will. And I get very tired of people telling me that I'll feel differently when I'm older, or when it's my own kids. I know myself, and I love myself." She shrugged. "But I also know that I am not the only one. I have been speaking with Sumire, and I know that children have never particularly been a desire for her either - something about Seto Kaiba's brand of stupidity ending with her. So perhaps the two of us will not need to have children. If the other Signers are willing to shoulder that aspect of the family, it is possible that we will not need to."
"I think it's a bridge we all cross once we get other things settled. Having kids is a big thing, whether or not we're stupidly rich or famous or whatever. To be honest, I'm a little surprised at how well you're taking the whole Signer thing, that we're supposed to be one big happy family. Jackie, too, which is so far out of left field for her." Lero subconsciously rubbed at his mark hidden under his sleeve. "Is it wrong of me to be worried that the Crimson Dragon is so concerned about its own stuff that it's making you girls want to be with me?"
"It's not wrong," Verthy said. "But that implies that we are easily manipulated. All three of us have dated you and we clearly still have some feelings for you, even if it is just friendship."
"Is that the case for you? I mean, we are on a date. And you are still the one I'm closest to. Even if our fun night out has gotten really heavy…" Lero asked, belatedly realizing that he had barely eaten most of his food due to the conversation and felt the stem of his good mood that had flowered just minutes ago wilt even further.
"It has always been the case with me," she assured him, with a smile. "But if you need to me to say it completely unambiguously, then yes, Lero Pegasus, I still have feelings for you, I am happy that we are on a date, and I hope we can have many more in the future." She tapped her plate with her fork. "I believe Sumire herself would be pleased with my directness."
Lero couldn't help but crack a smile at that. "Are you kidding? She'd be taking notes on how to do it herself and then probably use it to create a framework for the other girls to follow to 'ensure we maximize the minimal time we have until we save the world and build our united future' or something like that."
"Surely you jest, sir."
"Not by a lot - that's the funny part! The first time she submitted card ideas and promotional material as CEO, the entire thing was a Holographic PowerPoint! I've had more fun at funerals-"
Some soft German interrupted him, both of them looking away from the conversation to the intrusion. It was a slender woman dressed in finery with sharply blue eyes and blonde hair. Seeing that she had their attention - or Verthy's attention - Lero noted that she wasn't even looking at him - she repeated the phrase again.
Verthy cocked her head. "I really don't-"
The woman interrupted again, Lero catching German for 'English' and 'German' in there and assumed the woman was saying she had a hard time dealing with English. His guess was right when Verthy replied in German in this time, but he did catch the little narrowing of his date's eyes.
That wasn't like her, to be irritated at someone for not speaking her language.
The dialogue continued for a few minutes, Lero politely taking quiet bites of his food. This new woman seemed to grow more animated as she talked, gesturing to Verthy and then herself a few times. Whereas Verthy's face seemed to grow less and less sincere in her smile and pleasant demeanor until she was almost as masked as Jackie was.
The woman produced her phone, clearly intending to either get something or show Verthy something. But Lero jumped when Verthy's curt tones stopped the woman cold as if she'd been slapped. Pink eyes narrowed in fury, Verthy rattled off a few sharp, cutting remarks before getting up, stepping past the woman in pointed ignorance and seized Lero's hand. "Let's go, Bellerophon."
"There a reason-"
"It seems this place has finally become a trend that is sadly running downwards if they're letting racist, arrogant women with more money than sense in here." Verthy informed him, dragging his lagging form up to her side so she could thread their arms together. "Come along, darling. We'll find desert elsewhere."
TTTTTTT
It was like a dream.
In it, Rosemary woke up in a beautiful place. The Shen-Long Duel school was marvelous, a step back into Ancient China. Inside the tall walls, the grounds were clean and brilliantly colored with flowers and plants. The rice-paper rooms were filled with everything from exercise equipment to books on every conceivable topic and the food was outstanding. She spent the day surrounded by people who were just like her. With the same abilities, and powers. Who weren't freaks, just normal people with normal lives in a tiny corner of the world that accepted them - accepted her. No one wanted anything from her. Nobody looked at her and saw money, beauty or opportunity. They only saw her and the gifts she had.
Never mind like. It was a dream.
But Rosemary had learned at a very young age, two very important things about dreams. That they weren't real. And they didn't last.
So every day, she still glanced in every corner, turned her head at every sudden noise, and felt her heart race when she heard footsteps approach, sure that she was about to be yanked out of this paradise and back into reality. Where her only purpose was to be looked at, lusted after, and to generate money. Where she was a promotion, not a person, save for the fleeting moments when she could be with Lero.
Lero who was now dead.
Dead.
She swallowed the ache away. Even away from Amane's glare here, she still only cried when nobody could see her. The lack of knowledge clawed at her, but there was nothing she could do. Chrysaor and Daiyu had explained that nobody here had cell phones. They were too easily traceable and could threaten the security of everyone in this safe haven. And besides, scrolling through social media and it's endless stream of hatred for anything different, including Darkborns, was so miserable that they felt it best if everyone was shielded from that. Rosie didn't blame them for that - depression and suicide was rife among Darkborn - but she would have given her very soul to be able to speak to any of Lero's friends, just so she could know what had happened.
Walking across the beautiful garden she had so admired on her first day, she turned a corner to skirt the nearest building, only to freeze in that familiar panic as she heard voices. She recognised Daiyu, and her heart crashed as she heard the other.
Amane.
The dream was over. And yet, instead of despair, she felt only the same simmering rage that she had felt the moment she had felt Lero's death. Why did she have to ruin everything? Just for once, couldn't she have something in her life that she wanted? Her mother had taken her away from Lero, and now he was dead. She had brought her to this haven of people just like her, and now she was going to tear her away.
It took her a moment to realize something that had eluded her all these years.
She hated Amane.
"-two weeks! She has jobs that have been arranged for almost a year - contracts! I cannot delay her career any further!"
"The Inter-School Festival is next week and Miss Rosemary is our guest of honor." Daiyu said with a soft quiet firmness that brought to mind a judo master; nothing you threw at her was going to land and she'd toss you around like you were a feather. "It would be a grievous insult to our school and our family if she simply left."
"That Festival was supposed to have been the week we arrived, that was the point! She was supposed to participate and then boost your school's popularity via interviews during the New Dimensions campaign! Which is the biggest Duel Monsters event since Battle City II!"
Rosie held back a scoff. Amane had spent months complaining about how the New Dimensions campaign was a waste of time and wouldn't do anything for her, now she was using it to win her arguments?
"I cannot control the whims of the government nor nature; the landside in the northern provinces is a humanitarian crisis that cannot be moved. A tournament can be." Daiyu said smoothly. "Moreoever, Chrysaor has taken a fondness for Miss Rosemary and wasn't that your 'secret' intent, Miss Amane? To weld your prize masterpiece to an even greater fortune? My father did hint as much after your negotiations…"
"I have no idea where you could have imagined such a fantasy," Amane said with a practiced ease that could only come from a lifetime of manipulation. "And I do not appreciate the implication that I would ever be anything but up front - I am an honest business woman."
"Honest only in wanting whatever satisfies your desires and it is a poor business practice to use your child as an expendable resource." Daiyu retorted, still soft-toned and gentle But Rosemary could just imagine Amane's back stiffening as her British pride rankled. "And before you mention her career and contracts and jobs, those are things you want. Until - and only then - Miss Rosemary tells Chrysaor and myself directly that she wishes to leave here of her own violation will she be allowed to do so. If you persist in trying to make that happen, we will not only cancel our contract with you but will do so in the most public, ruthless manner we can."
Rosemary felt the breath leave her in an instant. Was it really possible? Could she…stay here? Amane always controlled where she went and for how long, but never had she heard anyone stand up to her mother like that - even Lero. Nobody told Amane no where she was concerned. Would Daiyu…really let her stay here?
She heard her mother hiss and could picture her grinding her teeth. "At least let me see my daughter. I have that right."
"On the contrary, she is a legal adult, and you have no right to see her unless she wishes it," Daiyu pointed out, and Rosemary felt as though the floor had vanished from under her feet. "Now, I have other business to attend to. Please do not attempt to visit again - we will contact you."
Surely Amane wouldn't leave. Surely she would break down the wall at any second, seize her by the wrist in that bruising, bony grip, and drag her back into the world. But nothing happened. Footsteps stamped away with a frustration that Rosemary had never heard before, and a door closed on the other side of the room. Heart beating in her chest, Rosemary leaned against the wall, listening, waiting.
After twenty minutes, she got to her feet and walked slowly back into the garden. The smell of blossom and the light buzz of insects greeted her. She saw colors splashed artfully in every corner. Distantly she heard people moving, and caught a sniff of the midday meal being prepared.
The dream was not over.
And Rosemary laughed.
TTTTTTT
"Verthy, slow down - slow down!" Lero managed to wrench his grip out of Verthy's, stopping their two-person conquering march across the park. It wasn't too crowded and thankfully free of media presence, but his date was still drawing looks just from how harsh her steps were across the cement. "What did that woman say? Why are you so angry?"
She gave him a sharp look, but it immediately softened as she realized who she was looking at. With a sigh, she seated herself on a nearby bench. "Her name is Selinde Egatz, an heiress from one of the old landed families. There may not be German nobility anymore, but old money spends just as well as new money and her family have been political dabblers for more than a century."
"Okay. So what, she wanted to use you as some kind of bargaining chip or whatever?" Lero asked, crossing his arms. "Which is kind of odd because I was right next to you and not to like, be a dick, but I'm richer and famouserer than you."
Verthy gave him a playful smile. "You are, but which one of us is capable of not making themselves a fashion disaster?"
"I dress just fine!"
"Bellerophon, I have seen your closet. Nine different color variations on two different suit styles." Verth shuddered slightly. "You might as well borrow one of Jackie's Straightjackets…at least then you'd be adventurous…!"
Lero seated himself next to her, rolling his eyes. "You and your keen eye for fashion are adventurous for the both of us; I'm just the mannequin. Now what did Miss Egatz say that got you so worked up?"
Verthy sighed and pulled on one of her ringlets anger and disgust twisting her face. "Nothing that I would ever sully my mouth by repeating. Suffice to say Miss Egatz appears to hold some disgusting opinions that the rest of our country managed to shake off last century. Specifically ones concerning you, your heritage and your 'two-timing' nature to be polite about it."
"Oof. Ow. Haven't had anyone insult me like that since…well, I'm assuming everyday for any decision I make about Duel Monsters." Lero said in a wry attempt to defuse the situation but it clearly didn't work as Verthy simply tugged on her ringlet harder.
"The broader public is one thing, Lero. Anyone in a position of authority or possessing enough wealth will find themselves under assault sooner or later. This was a direct slight on you and it is not something I will tolerate!" Verthy informed him sternly. "Nor do I appreciate people I do not know coming up and insisting that we belong together or are bound to be together through some intangible, unknowable destiny."
Lero opened his mouth and she put a hand over hit. "And before you say anything, you are someone I know and destiny is hard intangible when we both have magical dragon cards and you have a glowing tattoo of a dragon's head!"
Wait- glowing? Lero flicked his gaze down to his left sleeve to find he could indeed see the Signer Mark glowing. And now that he was aware of it, he could feel something off about the place around them. Like something unpleasant stirring the air and rustling the metaphorical leaves of his person.
Something that was coming from one Selinde Egatz walking right towards them.
Very saw her, too and stood up, grabbing Lero's hand again. "We should go. I don't have the patience to waste wit or words with her."
"Don't think that's an option right now. Magic mark is telling me something is up with her and in my experience, running away will only make her summoned a magic circle or glowing flames to stop us." Lero slide free of Verthy's grasp, parking himself squarely in Selinde's path. "You look like you have business with us."
"I have business with Miss Von Schroeder next to you, Pegasus." Selinde's accent was far thicker than Verthy's but that meant it just did a good job of carrying all the implied malevolence the woman felt for him. "Leave us."
"Nope."
"You are a cruel, cheat of a man. Go back to your kind and stop drawing Verthandi in your shadow." Selinde barked. "She is not some bauble for you to pocket merely because the shine catches your eye!"
"See, talking like that just makes me want to stay even more. I really don't get why people think slinging insults and harsh words is going to convince the target that they're right." Lero drawled, giving her a patented Pegasus grin. "Unless of course the bitter, black bile that is your soul forces you to vomit all that junk up in hopes of making the pain go away."
Selinde hissed in anger, reaching into the folds of her clothes and producing a Pocket Duel Disk that she slid onto her wrist. "Then perhaps a brute like you will be more understanding of force and bloodshed."
Lero pulled out his own Duel Disk, which was one of Sumire's latest innovations and was at this point essentially a mechanical-looking brick. He popped off one corner, unfolding the lense project and mounting it onto the side of his head. The rest he slid onto his arm and it unfolded silently. A moment later, the device powered up and holographic eye lenses and a dueling tray were projected. "I'll duel you. I mean, there's no actual stakes here except your ego and pride because Verthy's not an object to be fought over. But hey, if it makes you feel better about having such a narrow-minded worldview, we can play."
"Flippant bastard." Selinde ground at him through clenched teeth as she drew her opening hand. "I'll show you! I'll drive into that empty skull of yours how unworthy and wrong you really are!"
Lero just smiled pleasantly at her, savoring how she glared. He waved his hand over his Duel Disk and five holographic cards slid into his waiting fingers.
"LET'S DUEL!" (LLP:8000) (SLP:8000)
"I'm first - draw!" Lero snapped up his sixth card and then flicked it into the air like he was flipping a coin. The holographic card spun and then grew into a larger-than-life copy on his field. "I activate the equip spell Future Fusion, sending all three Cyber Dragons from my deck to the graveyard to fusion summon Cyber End Dragon!" Light erupted behind him, three electronic roars echoing in a round as the gigantic fusion appeared and spread wings so large they almost threatened to knock aside one of the trees. (4000/2800)
Lero swept two more cards from his hand across the field and they settled into position behind his monster. "Cyber End Dragon can't attack during the turn I use Future Fusion to summon it, but it doesn't matter, does it? I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
"Typical, resorting to brute force to achieve an aim." Selinda sniffed.
"Says the woman who challenged me to a duel over my date like this is a property dispute." Lero said with a wry chuckle. It only grew as Selinda glowered at him. "Whoops, am I not living up to the image of the monster you conjured up in your head?"
"Beast or monster, one still puts the sick and corrupt down! Verthandi will be free of you!" Selinda barked as she drew her new card. The field slot of her disk slid up and she slammed a card into it. "I activate the field spell card Battle City!"
Holographic light spilled from her disk, morphing the park they were standing into a mock-image of Domino City's Clock Fountain and in the distance behind Selinda, the distinctive shape of KaibaCorp Tower overshadowed the Eiffel Tower menacingly. "I activate the effect of Battle City! I reveal one fusion monster in my Fusion Deck-"
"Extra Deck." Lero corrected politely. "More than fusion monsters live there now."
Selinda's eye twitched, but she soldiered on. "I reveal a fusion monster with unique materials and then summon one Battle City Token for each of those materials!" She held up a purple-bordered card that glowed softly with light. "I reveal Schewsteroid and summon five tokens!"
The light spread and resolved itself into five generic-looking duelist whose faces were shadowed by their caps, all of them wearing the original Battle City-style Duel Disk. (1000/1000x5)
"Then Trade-in! I discard one level eight card and draw two more cards!" Selinda did so, her eyes lighting up as she saw the second one. "It appears fortune favors me, because my strategy is now complete!"
"Go on, then." Lero gestured playfully at her while Cyber End Dragon roared behind him. "Show me."
"Gladly! I activate the continuous spell card Chronomancy Ritual!" Selinda slid the card into her disk, the card materializing in front of her with an image depicting a wizened old wizard working some magic over a mirror in which his clearly youngerself was accepting some kind of gift from him. "Now I can send a ritual spell from my deck to the graveyard and activate it as this card's effect! However in exchange I can only sacrifice Normal Monsters!"
"But she doesn't have any." Verthy pointed out, cocking her head slightly.
"Naw, she does. Tokens are always considered to be Normal Monsters and can never have effects. Which means thanks to her field spell card, she's always going to have material for her ritual spells." Lero explained, crossing his arms. "That's pretty impressive."
"Like I care what you think!" Selinda snapped, her Chronomancy Ritual card glowing. "I send Final Ritual of the Ancients to the graveyard to ritual summon Reshef the Dark Being from the graveyard!" Two of her tokens were surrounded by a glowing circle that ignited with eight purple flames in quick succession. The flames swallowed the tokens up, eating the statuary like it was paper and swelling in size. Then they receded to reveal something vastly more imposing. Taller than either duelist, it was a seamless blending of ancient stone and machinery in a vaguely humanoid shape separated at the waist by three crackling balls of energy. (2500/1500)
"Bellerophon, I know you don't personally design every card, but I am starting to think that the design team and the naming team really are not talking well." Verthy commented. "I don't know what that is, but it is not what I picture when I hear 'Dark Being'."
"I'm sorry. Should I just stamp 'This card is clearly evil!' on all the ones like this?" Lero huffed back. "Have some imagination, girl!"
"Don't you speak to Verthandi that way!" his opponent snapped. "She has a name! I'm sure where you are from, you are used to ordering women around like servants, but in the civilized world we respect us as equal citizens!"
"How dare you!" Verthy jumped in, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment. "That man is my friend, first and foremost, and shows nothing but respect every time we are together! He does not arrogantly barge into my meals and act as though I am in need of rescuing just because my companion is foreign."
"I did not say foreign, I said-"
"I know what you said! I will not sully myself by repeating it!" Verthandi was spitting now - Lero was not sure he had ever seen her so angry. "I have spent my whole life upholding the morals and standards of our home country. I believe that we Germans are a welcoming and hospitable people, who value others and their differences, would never disgrace themselves the way we have in the past ever again. I am disgusted to see that people like you do not hold the same values! You bring shame on our country, and yourself!"
In the silence, the only thing that Lero could hear was Verthy's heavy breathing. He was simultaneously proud and in awe of her fierceness. I think even Jackie would be quaking from this!
Selinde stared at Verthy as if she was some kind of alien that had two heads and six arms. Then her gaze flicked back to Lero and her expressioned sharpened into anger. "I knew you'd get in the way, Pegasus! You're nothing but bad for her! I activate the effect of Reshef! I discard one spell card and take control of your Cyber End Dragon!" Reshef's arms lifted, the three orbs surging with light.
"Trap card combo - activate!" Lero snapped his fingers dramatically and his two cards flipped up in tandem. "Glory Level Talisman and Armory Call! Armory Call goes off first, equipping Cyber End Dragon with Super Strident Blaze from my deck! Then Glory Level Talisman also equips to Cyer End, rendering it immune to any monster effect whose level is less than its own level of ten!" Blue energy surrounded the fusion monster while at the same time a giant bejeweled medallion appeared around the neck of the center head.
Once again, Selinde stared at this new development like it was completely foreign to her as Reshef's light faded and its arms lowered. Then she shook her head, growling to herself and grabbed a card from her hand. "I set this face-down! You can only stall the inevitable for so long, Pegasus!"
"And what's inevitable in this, exactly?" Lero asked as he drew. Seeing her glower, he just rolled his eyes. "Seriously, I mean that. This duel has zero stakes and even if you won, what would that exactly do? I'm not going to walk away from my date. In fact, I'm pretty sure I should stay here before she decides to feed you one of her boots-"
"Why stop at one?"
"-both of her boots." Lero corrected himself. He didn't bother to add that his Signer Mark was still tingling and warning him of some danger that Selinde represented to him.
"She tarnishes her shine by consorting with you, Pegasus! Verthandi is one of the premier talents in fashion and you would yoke her to your banal card game -"
"-the same one you are using right now-" Lero muttered just loud enough for Selinde to hear and returned her dark look with a cheeky grin.
"I've seen her first fashion line, saw how creative she is and how her honest purity is a breath of fresh air in a world of hypocrisy, wealth over health and impossible dreams that are built out of people's crushed self-esteem!" Selinde continued fiercely, eyes blazing. "You made her risk everything in the Bride Tournament to fix your problems and did nothing to thank her for it! Even now, your wife and your card game overshadow her career just because they haven't milked your drama for all the money its worth!"
"Okaaay, I think you have more of a problem with the fashion industry than me." Lero said slowly, but it was clear that Selinde didn't want to hear what he had to say. "Alright, fine. I'll continue my turn by activating Graceful Charity. I draw three cards and discard two."
"I activate my trap - Sacrificial Tokens." Selinde barked before he had even finished discarding his cards. The card lifted, the image depicting some Ojamas shoving some Scapegoats in front of a Gyaku-Gire Panda.
"Good for you - I hope it stops my attack because thanks to Super Strident Blaze, you can't activate card or effects during the battle phase and my monster deals piercing damage! Cyber End Dragon!" Lero pointed at one of the tokens. "Super Strident Blaze!"
Three blue bolts of energy were fired from his monsters heads, the blasts shattering the statue like it was clay. Selinde braced herself as the backlash washed over her. "Sacrificial Tokens means I take no damage from token battles this turn and then I can reduce your monsters by one thousand for each token you destroy!"
"You didn't hear me - you can't activate that effect during the battle phase!" Lero watched as Cyber End Dragon casually swatted the glowing energy her trap shot out with one of its wings. "Try to hear this; each time my monster attacks now, the equip he has lets me banish a 'Cyber Dragon' monster to let him attack again. You have three monsters left and I have three in my graveyard-" He held up all three copies of Cyber Dragon. "So, you know, do the math!"
Explosions rocked the field as Cyber End Dragon opened fire, shattering the last two tokens and then a conjoined blast from all three heads ripping Reshef apart like he was nothing at all. Selinde howled as the backlash hit her, then her eyes widened as she watched another Cyber End Dragon rear up alongside the first. "But - how!?" (SLP:8000-65000)
"My quickplay card Cyberload Fusion shuffles my Cyber Dragons back into my deck to fusion summon with them." Lero said, gesturing to the card now face-up on the field. And then at the second one alongside. "And Turn Jump moves the turn count forwards by three, meaning its no longer the same turn that my first Cyber End Dragon attacked. Which also means Super Strident Blaze doesn't restrict my new monster from attacking! Eternal Evolution Burst!"
Selinde screamed as the new fusion attacked, the energy crashing over her body and sending her sliding backwards with streamers of smoke rising off her body. "Damn you!" (SLP:6500-4500)
"Like I care what you've got to say." Lero said, rolling his shoulders casually. "My turn is over."
"Draw!" Selinde yanked the card free and then pointed at her Chronomancy Ritual card. "I drew a Ritual Spell and thanks to my continuous spell, I can instead place that card on the bottom of my deck and add a new ritual monster from my deck to my hand!" She shoved the new card to the bottom of her deck and then caught the card her deck slid out. "I activate another Trade-In to discard this new monster and draw two more cards!"
As before, she drew and Lero watched her eyes light up slightly at the sight of the second card. Oh good, I thought I was going to have to hold back to see what's up with this warning I'm getting.
"By paying one thousand life points, I activate Spiritual Collapse! I send one monster from my extra deck to the graveyard!" Selinde announced, fanning out said stack of cards and picking out her choice. (SLP:2400-1400)
That's new. I know we have a few new fusion archetypes in development that get effects if they're sent to the graveyard, but they aren't in production yet. Lero watched as she shoved the card into the graveyard and then all hell broke loose. A brilliant, pure white light flooded the field and he had the terrifying privilege to watch and hear both of his Cyber End Dragons let loose electronic screams of pain as the light evaporated them into nothingness. At the same time, his arm burned in warning and he clutched it. A glance showed his Signer Mark shining enough to be seen under his suit sleeve. "No! What did you do!?"
"I sent Barrier Statue of Fusion to my graveyard and as long as it's there, fusion monsters are not permitted to exist in play! That which is foreign and corrupt will be removed, the world purified!" Selinde said triumphantly. "Now I activate the effect of Battle City a second time and reveal Schewesteroid to summon five more tokens!"
Lero wasn't paying attention, though, as a startled cough from behind caused him to look over his shoulder. Verthy was more than a few steps back, shaking her head as if she was trying to clear it and one hand wrapped around her stomach. His heart sank a bit as he realized what it was - Verthy had one of the Signer Dragons, Starving Venom Fusion Dragon and it was a fusion monster. Given what the light had done to his monsters, it wasn't a far stretch that the same light was anathema to her monster and by extension her. "Hey, Selinde! Whatever trick you just pulled just hurt the person you wanted to protect! How about you call this duel off and just leave before you make it worse!"
Selinde looked away from to Verthy, blinking slowly as if wiping something from her vision. "I…I did not intend do to that to Verthandi, you're the only one I need to…" A hand was dragged down her face and then her gaze refocused on him. "You're the one I need to deal with!"
Damn it - is it too much ask for new and creepy magical cards to not come with brainwashing affects? Lero grit his teeth as Selinde continued with her move. I have to deal with that Barrier Statue! A mental command caused his eyepiece to display Selinde's graveyard and bring up the card in question. He swore under his breath as he couldn't see the card at all, just the purple border and its name. That's just great!
"I activate Chronomancy Ritual, sending Contract With The Abyss to the graveyard to ritual summon my monster from the graveyard again!" The flaming circle entrapped two tokens again this time and one more lit up with eight lights. The flames ate the token and then parted to reveal a monster Lero recognized as The Masked Beast. Or at least, some variation of it. While both monsters had the same centaur-like monster design with inhuman legs, jagged staff and a mask instead of a human face, this version had holes in its torso and its left arm was held in place by metal pieces crisscrossing the hole as connections. The mask was an irregular mess of parts that had been improperly glued together and the creature part of the body had tumorous growths instead of back legs. "Masked Beast - Remanence Guardius!" (3200/2000)
"See, that one looks like its supposed to!" Verthy managed from the sidelines, her nose wrinkling. "Ugly and monstrous inside and out."
"I remember it now - its built off the moment in the tag duel with Lumis and Umbra Yugi and Kaiba had when the Masked Beast was destroyed." Lero said in recollection. "We've got a whole series of cards coming out based on stuff like that."
"It doesn't help you now, Pegasus, does it? Masked Beast attacks directly! Beast Reaping!" Selinde watched in satisfaction as the monster charged and slashed Lero across the chest with its scythe with enough force to drive him to one knee. "That should help you feel some of what you do to poor Verthandi!"
"Oh trust me, what I do to her feels nothing like this…" Lero grunted as he got to his feet. "But sure, you carry on thinking you're going to get something out of this beyond a crushing sense of disappointment, lady."
"Bastard!" Selinde hissed at him. "Why can you not understand enough to stay out of things that don't concern you?"
"You first," Lero snapped back and drew for his turn. "I activate Pot of Greed and draw two cards." Snapping them up, he flung one out onto the playing field. "Fusion Birth! I send the top five cards of my deck to the graveyard and then if they're fusion material in them, I fusion summon." He held up the top five cards of his deck, revealing a trap, a spell and three monsters that he all shoved into his graveyard. "And lucky me, all of my monsters count as 'Cyber Dragon' in the graveyard, so Fusion Birth lets me summon my last Cyber End Dragon!"
"Fool! Your hopes are blind as your eyes!" Selinde watched as a pillar of light erupted in front of Lero, the shape of his triple-headed monster visible within it. "Barrier Statue of Fusion negates all fusion summoning!"
"Well…crap." Lero watched as the light pillar vanished like a popped soap bubble before he grabbed another card from his hand. "I activate D.D.R - Different Dimension Reincarnation, discarding a card to grab one of the Cyber Ends that you banished!" A rift opened in front of him, the heads of his dragon shoving their way through.
"No!" Selinde barked as that brilliant, purifying white light flashed over the field again and threw Cyber End Dragon back into the portal's depths. "I told you! Fusion is denied utterly!"
Negates fusion summoning, banishes fusions on the field when it's sent to the graveyard and then just keeps doing if they're re-summoned. This has 'broken bad guy card' written all over it. Lero glanced down at his hand and kicked himself. I really screwed this one up. I got cocky and over-extended on my second turn without being able to finish her!
There were still options he could take, though. "I normal summon Cyber Dragon Core!" A little, segmented Cyber Dragon with wires trailing off it appeared in front of him. "When I summon this guy, I can add a 'Cyber' spell or trap to my hand! I choose Cyber Emergency!" (500/1500)
Catching the card his deck slid out, he held it up. "I activate Cyber Emergency! I add one Cyber monster I have that can't be normal summon to my hand! And I choose Cyber Eltanin! Which I can only special summon by banishing all light machines in play and in the graveyard! I have a total of five!" Lero slapped down the card and a massive mechanical dragon head rose up in front of him, detaching small versions of itself to circle it like drones. "Not only does it gain five hundred attack for each one, but it wipes out all monsters you have! Cyber Sublimation!" (0/0-2500/2500)
The main head opened wide, spewing out a torrent of blue-white energy that swept across Selinde's field and erased her monsters from existence like they were nothing at all. Selinde staggered from the effort, glaring at him as she jabbed a finger at his monster. "When Remanence Guardius is destroyed, I can equip your monster with Mask of Remnants from my deck and take control of it!"
"You what!?" Lero stared in horror was an ugly, horned mask fastened itself to his Eltanin and caused the big machine to drift over to her side of the field. "Oh no-!"
"Draw!" Selinde did so and then held up a fusion monster card. "By the effect of Battle City, I reveal XYZ-Dragon Cannon and summon three tokens!" The three duelists appeared in front of her. "Then by the effect of Chronomancy Ritual, I send Earth Chant to the graveyard to ritual summon the Pilum Ceaser Beatle from my hand!"
This, too, was a new imaging of an older monster. An oversized blue beetle standing on its hindlegs so that it would wield a four-tipped lance in the other four arms. Bloodstains patterned the carapace and the horn was shaped like a crown, one compound eye cracked in a way that left it milky white and blind. (2600/2700)
"Then I activate Preparation of Rites, adding a ritual monster from my deck to my hand and then picking up Contract with the Abyss from my graveyard." Selinde grabbed the two cards and pointed at her remaining token. "I activate Contract With the Abyss, offering the last token to summon Paladin of the Ritual Dragon!" In a flash of fire, the token was consumed and replaced with what looked like the younger version of the wizard on Chronomancy Ritual riding a purple-scaled dragon and armed with staff. (1900/1200)
Lero did some math in his head and grimaced. She can't finish me off with those three monsters, but this is going to hurt.
"I activate Paladin of the Ritual Dragon's effect, tributing it to summon any ritual monster I wish from the deck but its effects are negated until the end phase!" Selinde lifted her hand, her monster vanishing in a pillar of light. That light was shredded by thick, sword-like talons as her new monster stomped out of it. It was a beaked demon, a tattered black cape billowing dramatically behind it as its armored, scaled body lumbered forwards. Ancient runes were physically carved into the hide, letting greenish blood fill them as the monster roared. "I summon Zera The Mantled!" (2800/2600)
Okay, so now it's going to hurt worse.
"Battle! Pilum Ceaser Beetle attacks you directly!" The beetle hurled its weapon at Lero and despite its impossible shape, it still flew straight and true enough to crash into his chest. (LLP:8000-5400)
I was right, it hurts! Lero held his chest as he got to his feet, his eyes widening as he heard the familiar noise of a numbered score rising. "What!?"
"When an Insect monster deals you damage, I can choose whether to increase my life points or the attack of another monster by eight hundred thanks to Pilum Ceaser Beetle!" Selinde declared as she pointed at Zera The Mantled. Who in turn roared as his power rose, the green of his runes oozing out across his body. (2800-3600)
"Double direct attack!"
Lero had to give Sumire credit - the Bleeding Edge System did make it feel real. Real enough to have the hot, tingling energy of Cyber Eltanin sending him reeling. And the raking talons of Zera The Mantled drive him to his knees again as if someone had hit him nonlethally with a sledgehammer. The pain was real enough that it almost drowned out the sound of his life points hitting zero.
Or maybe that was his shame.
(LLP: 0)
Selinde looked as triumphant as if someone had handed her a Noble Prize in smugness as the field faded away. "There. You are defeated. And now you will remove yourself from Verthandi's life. An infection has to be plucked out by the roots."
Lero would never know what Selinde was expected as a response. Maybe for him to bow out gracefully. For him to spew apologies and admit how wrong he was. Or maybe for Verthandi to fling herself into Selinde's arms whilst proclaiming that Selinde was a true fan and more than that, a true friend.
He wasn't going to find out because after what happened next, Selinde wouldn't speak again and he'd never see her again for the rest of his life.
There was a sharp, heavy 'crack!' that scattered nearby pigeons like a gunshot and then was followed by a heavy, dominating silence as if the whole world had suddenly sucked in a worried breath.
"You disgust me." Verthy lowered her hand, her tone dropping even further than it as Selinde stared at her with wide, surprised eyes. "You are nothing to me, Selinde Egatz. Not a friend. Not a fan. Not a business partner. Nothing."
"I…" Selinde swallowed, drawing up some measure of her own composure despite the redness on one of her cheeks. "I will go, but-"
"Stay."
Selende gaped at Verthandi.
Verthy stared her with an ice-cold expression even though she seemed to tremble with a barely contained fury. "I don't want you to leave, because that implies I can't stand the sight of you and that in turn implies some measure of care on my part. Of which I have none. Not for you, for your thoughts or for your opinions. You are as meaningful to me as the pavement on which we stand - and that has more value for at least when I walk over it, I don't get dirt on my shoes."
She turned and carefully helped Lero to his feet, pointed taking his hand in hers and letting her lean on him. "Come along, my love. Let's go home."
They had only made a half-dozen yards when there was the sound of footsteps behind them, Hesitantly at first, then faster and then Selinde appeared next to Verthy, eyes wide. "Verthandi, please! You must listen to me! You have to listen to me!"
Verthy didn't even so much as glance in her direction.
Selinde's panic grew, thickly-accented English words becoming pleading German. She grabbed at Verthy, only to be shrugged off and then parked herself in front of them. Begging, talking so fast that Lero could barely make out individual words.
Verthy stared right through her with this calm focus, forcing the other woman back step by step as the ink-haired woman half-carried her date and marched forwards with determination. When Selinde collapsed, clutching at Verthy's skirt and whining in half-sobs, Verthy just tugged her clothing free and seeing Selinde wasn't going to move, knocked her aside without even looking.
Selinde's demanding, keening wail was drawing stares now, but Verthy didn't look back, didn't even seem to register they were happening.
Plato was waiting for them at the parking lot - because of course Plato was waiting for them at this random park they'd run off to - and looked over them with concern. "Is everything alright, Young Master? Ms. Von Schroeder?"
"There is some garbage causing trouble on the pavement, Plato. Please see it is dealt with accordingly." Verthy said briskly, guiding Lero into the backseat. "I will take Lero home for now. To salvage what is left of the day and our date."
"Of course, Miss." If he was bothered about being stranded, Plato didn't seem to display. Though Lero figured Plato was talented enough that if they dropped the manservant in the middle of the desert, he'd come home having found a new oasis and his own herd of camels. "Have a good evening. I will let the household know you are not to be distrubed."
"Thank you." Verthy slid into the driver's seat and buckled up, looked to make sure Lero was the same and then started the car.
They had been driving for a few minutes of thick silence before Lero found some words. "You can be pretty damn scary, you know that?"
"She insulted you. I was not going to tolerate it. Or her attempts to intervene in my life." Verthy said as she drove. "And given the effect of that Barrier Statue of Fusion card, prolonged exposure to it might have been bad for us."
"Probably, but it wasn't there. I checked her graveyard when she was begging and sobbing." Lero smiled wryly as Verthy's eyebrows rose in the rearview mirror. "She was totally fixated on you and I'm a former street rat. Pick-pocketing her was child's play."
"I see. Do you think she'll return to trouble us in the future?"
"No. If the card is gone like that and judging from her reactions during the duel, I don't think she knew what it was. She was just given it as a test case." Lero said grimly. "Meaning someone is watching us and testing the waters."
"We have no short-list of enemies." Verthy's lips thinned. "Perhaps Sumire and Kaede can glean more information from the duel records."
"Yeah, but it can wait." Seeing her surprise again, he grinned. "I was thinking - there's that gelato place a few streets away from here, right? The one where we shared our first kiss? Wanna relive the memory? I'll even buy."
Verthy's brilliant, sweet smile was all the answer he needed.
TTTTTTT
Created Cards:
Selinde
Battle City
Field Spell Card
Effect: The first time a Level 10 monster you control would be destroyed by battle and/or a card effect, it is not. Once per turn, you can reveal one Fusion Monster in your Extra Deck. Special Summon a number of 'Battle City Tokens' (4 stars/EARTH/Warrior/1000/1000) in defense mode equal to the number of unique materials listed on the revealed monster. You cannot Special Summon from the Extra Deck during the turn you use this effect.
Chronomancy Ritual
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: You can Ritual Summon Ritual Monsters from your graveyard, but all the Tributes for that Ritual Summon must be Normal Monsters. Once per turn, you can send one Ritual Spell card from your deck to the graveyard; this card's effect becomes the effect of the sent card. If you draw a Ritual Spell card, you can reveal it and then place it on the bottom of your deck, then draw one more card. You can only use each effect of 'Chronomancy Ritual' once per turn.
Image: An eldery wizard standing in front of a mirror shaped like an hourglass, handing his younger self in it a book labeled 'Impcantations'. Scattered around the old lab are other books with labels like 'Contracts With The Abyss', 'Shinato's Ark' and 'Contract With Exodia' among many others.
Paladin of Ritual Dragon
EARTH
4 stars
Dragon/Effect/Ritual
1900/1200
Effect: You can Ritual Summon this card with 'Focused Ritual Art'. Once per turn, when this card battles a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, return that monster back to the Extra Deck at the start of the Damage Step. You can tribute this card, Special Summon one Ritual Monster from your Hand, Deck or Graveyard(This is treated as Ritual Summon), but negate the summoned monster's effects until the End Phase.
Masked Beast - Remnance Guardius
DARK
8 Stars
Fiend/Effect/Ritual
3200/2500
Effect: You can Ritual Summon this card with 'Curse of the Masked Beast Revived'. This card is treated as 'Masked Beast Des Guardius' while face-up on the field and in the graveyard. If this face-up card is sent to the graveyard by your opponent's card, equip one face-up monster on your opponent's field with 'Mask of Remnants' from your Deck. If both this card and 'Mask of Remnants' are in your graveyard, you can banish this card; shuffle one 'Mask of Remnants' back into your Deck and Special Summon one 'Masked Beast Des Guardius' from your Graveyard.
Pilum Caeser Beetle
EARTH
8 Stars
Insect/Effect/Ritual
2600/2400
Effect: You can Ritual Summon this card with 'Caeser Beetle Coronation'. All Insect monsters you control deal piercing. Once per turn, when an Insect monster you control deals damage to your opponent, you can increase your life points by 800 or the ATK of one face-up monster you control by 800.
Zera The Mantled
DARK
8 stars
Fiend/Effect/Ritual
2800/2600
Effect: You can Ritual Summon this with 'Zera Ritual Pact' ?
Idea Notes: CARD DESIGN
Creating a Yu-gi-oh! Card isn't hard. You just decide what you want and what you want it to. The hard part is the minutiae and rules. The biggest example of this is 'If' and 'When' cards and the rules about timing. A 'When' card has to be the last thing that happens in a Chain in order for its effect to go off. Whereas an 'If' card is mandatory and will happen regardless so long as the conditions are met or still exist.
The other hard part is 'balancing' a card. This is trickier in fiction than it first appears. A good example of this is 'Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning'. When it was first printed, it was very powerful and therefore Limited/Banned. The GX anime even acknowledged this by mentioning that a copy of Yugi's deck on display had one and the card was so rare that it wasn't even certain if 10 or more copies even existed.
However, now the game in real life has progressed to the point where you can run more than one and the Envoy just doesn't pack the same punch as it once did. In fiction, this attitude can cause issues. If everyone in a story plays like we do in real life, then you run into the problem with higher-tier duels - the decks run a lot of handtraps, set up big boards and then try to OTK. This does not make for engaging story writing. (And neither does watching the other player play YGO Solitaire for five minutes on Master Duel, but I digress.)
The key that I've found designing good, fun cards for fanfiction is to take something old and revamp it - as seen with Selinde's Ritual Monsters here - or create something to fix an otherwise awkward archetype - see Verthy's duel with the Puppeteer of Death in 'Heirs of Fate' for my favorite take on that. This can open up new options for that deck and bring them forwards, so to speak and give them more variety than 'I summon big monster X and make it invincible via Y but you can beat it with Z'.
The other good rule of thumb I use is 'Keep It Simple'. Invented cards should have simple mechanics and build towards something that is a challenge to the opponent or engaging to the reader. A good example of this is Aster Phoenix's Destiny Heroes- they focus on a dark hero theme and manipulating 'time'' via the deck and graveyard. Not all of them do both well - Defender has zero synergy with the rest. But that also means his duels are fun to watch and try out for yourself because the cards possess unique interactions.
A bad example of this is Jaden's duel with T-Bone. T-Bone was using Monarchs and went through a lot of effort to gather all of the four he needed to get off his strategy with Demiurge Ema…which resulted in two tokens and one big monster with a lot of attack points. Demiurge didn't even last one full round and Jaden was even able to take advantage of getting one of the tokens.
So…don't make it complicated. Make it FUN.
