Bababooey Bababooey~
Man, the last few months were no jokes huh! Accidentally deleting my chapter. Getting hit in a traffic accident, weak from the meds and in constant pain! Oh boy! Not to mention I need to take my vaccine soon so there's that to look forward to. Aiyaiyai~
First off! Thank you to the many reviewers who sent their good wishes to me! I have read every single one of them and they made my stay in the hospital more bearable than I thought.
Now onto some serious news... I am... well, let's not beat the bush. I'm not having a good year. I got let go from my day job and am currently struggling financially. Thankfully I got my parents to back me up but...let's just say they aren't getting any younger. I'm currently working part-time in the evenings to try and save up some cash and hopefully I can get promoted as Full-Time but until then I'm gonna have to tighten the belt as the saying goes.
I genuinely thought about possibly opening a PAT-reon for my fanfics as I've seen with some other fics. Release the chapters in a schedule with the next one locked behind a pay wall. Hey, I have the time now so I can focus more on writing and if people are paying me I would definitely keep to a schedule and such... but lets face it, I'm not that good of a writer and this story isn't that good to warrant such a thing. I also think a lot of you will just drop your interest right then and there but I have to admit it has been a repeating thought lately.
Right now I'm just grasping onto things that gives me a little bit of happiness and this is one of them. Sorry about the downer tone guys.
This chapter is the last of my reserves as I didn't have much time to write a backlog for future chapters. That may change depending on whether my mood is good. The next one is gonna be a pain to write as my innovative juices have all dried up for the moment (as my anxiety has skyrocketed and taken the full focus of my daily thinking).
Don't worry! I ain't quitting any time soon! Just might be switching to a more lax schedule (notthatIwaswritingonascheduleinthefirstplacecoughcough). Current thinking is once every two months but ehhhh we'll see how that goes.
This chapter is mainly gonna be about Julian learning more about this world. Again like last chapter, not every chapter will feature a duel. Sometimes it will be Julian just chilling out and hanging out with people so I can develop (or re-develop if you want to be technical about it) his character and such but the wait is over! GX starts next chapter!
Couple of Quick Questions though,
One of the readers messaged me and said that Julian's progression was going too fast since next chapter I was planning it to be the start of the GX timeline. I thought it was okay, until I realized that it might be because of the sporadic uploading that my sense of time got skewered.
What do you guys think?
Also, are you guys perhaps annoyed with the Japanese honorifics?
Anyway~ I've kept you waiting long enough!
Leave a review if you liked my story!
Writing Glossary
"Hello there!" - Character's speech.
'Not them again...' - Character's inner monologue.
[Spanish:"Where is the Library?" - Character speaking in another language.
"OI! PISS OFF YOU SLAG!" - Character speaking with intense emotion
"That's The King of Games. Yugi Muto!" - Great emphasis on underlined words. Also when spoken in sarcasm, depends on context.
" I was always with you the entire time."
Immediately above is for speech from characters that are [REDACTED*SPOILER*REDACTED]
Elemental Hero Avian - Name of card
ELEMENTAL HERO NEOS - Name of Character's Ace or Signature card
I will also sometimes switch between English and Japanese honorifics such as Mister to -san as well as switching between words like sister to Nee-san and vice versa.
Game Terminology
ATK = Attack. DEF = Defense. LP = Life Points.
Capital lettered words in the middle of a sentence are terminologies from the Yugioh card game. This is so you, but mostly me, won't get confused between a Trap and a trap.
Trap = Trap card (Game Term) while trap = literal word, i.e. "You're walking in a trap".
Other examples, but not all of them, are: Monster, Spell, Quick-Play, Continuous, Summon, Normal, Special, Effect, Fusion, Deck, Graveyard, Field, Discard, Banish, Draw, Duel. (This will change if there's a noticeable demand for it in the reviews and I mean noticeable.
Increased/Decreased Monster stats:
New Stat (Original Stat (PLUS or -) Modifier).
Example-
- [ATK:2500 (2000 PLUS 500)] *The Plus symbol doesn't show up.
- [ATK:1500 (2000 - 500)] *While the "-" Minus symbol does.
Effect Monster's abilities will not be shown unless I deem it for it to be necessary. Otherwise any chapter I write will possess a ridiculous word count. Effect's will only be shown if it's outside of a Duel.
The game terminology section will be deleted 30 chapters later as veteran readers will have already become accustomed to how I write therefore not needing it any longer.
As always,
This story is a non-profit work by me. All characters and cards that appear in the Yugioh franchise here belong rightfully to Konami and the creators of this wonderful show.
Spoilers for the shows will pop out randomly so you have been warned in advanced.
Please support the official releases.
Please excuse any grammar/spelling mistakes as those will be corrected when spotted.
It was 9:12am when I was put on hold. First off, little bit of a tangent. After last night's celebration Jounochi told me that he was going to go over the basics with me. Basics being "Duel Disks 101".
I didn't think I would need it but that thought crashed and burned when I saw just how many pages the instruction manual was.
Did you know that the Duel Disk has a "Free Mode"? It operated like that Dueling Book site, where you had to manually operate everything yourself. For example, instead of typing in how much Damage your Life Point took, all you had to do with the Duel Disk was simply state it out loud and the in-device computer will do the rest.
There's a ton more of other stuff to learn hence why Jounochi was gonna go over it with me. I did ask why there was a Free Mode and Jounochi's response was: "That jackass made it so he could make my life harder."
All this and more I was gonna learn today... or rather I wasn't cause of how long this stinking call was taking! It was 9:33am when I found myself still waiting for the other side to pick up.
After reading the letter yesterday I realized I didn't have much time in making an appointment for my interview. I briefly thought it was strange seeing how that the letter came to me so late. Was that intentional or did someone screw up? Considering I was in Japan and not in the states I think it was the former rather the latter.
Meanwhile, Jounochi went off to get breakfast for the both of us as he predicted that my call will take a while. We made a bet where the loser will take out today's trash bags outside. I made the bet that I would finish my interview before he gets back. Jounochi on the other hand bet that he would make it back before I finished without running.
At this point in time I believe I have erred and erred hard. Not only was it because of how all this prolonged waiting was making me believe my blonde caretaker had an actual chance in winning, but also because how I made a bet with someone called "The Lucky" and the universe thought I could get away with it. Well, you know the adage: Hindsight is always 20/20.
Still, I had honestly no idea why it was taking this long for someone to get back to me. Besides the possibility of losing a silly bet, I'm not really bothered by it if I am being honest. Today was technically a rest day for me. After Jounochi's lesson I'm free to do whatever I wanted and that meant I can finally go out by myself~
I have, somewhat, caught up with the essentials of this world and was no longer suffering a panic attack when someone came up and talked to me. It wasn't a real panic attack but it sure did feel like one. Every time I was outside I made sure Jounochi or Shizuka was with me to act as a conversation buffer.
I noticed that I seem to be more nervous than normal even more so than back when I was a kid... the first time I need to add. God that still feels weird to think about! At any rate, considering how old I am mentally, it may have been embarrassing for me to admit that I needed the both of them like a lifeline... That said I did feel more at ease when the both of them were with me. The world didn't feel like it was out to get rid of me when I had one of the two siblings by my side. I will always be grateful to them for that alone.
Plus when I'm not with them, I was constantly saying things that did not match up with this world. When Shizuka or Jounochi were nowhere in sight, I tend to forget that I am not in my world anymore. If everyone looked like they were in the anime this wouldn't have been an issue. Since everyone looked like a real human I was forgetting that fact some of the time. This resulted in me babbling out some things that got some people weirded out by me.
A crude example was saying something like: "The Olympics were being hosted in Athens". From my world, this would have been true but it was not so in the YGO Earth. Here, it was currently being hosted in Cape Town, South Africa. I swear it felt like someone was intentionally making things different than on Earth-1. No, sounds boring, maybe Earth Origin? My Earth? Yup, I'm getting cross-eyed again. I still am not getting any closer in designating my planet as I don't have an idea of what to call mine. Nothing so far tends to stick.
Side note, I decided to call this world YGO Earth to internally organize my thoughts better. I started to get dizzy while saying "This Earth, That Earth, My Earth, Not My Earth." I even accidentally blurted out "Not on my World" when I was talking with Iwasaki the other day. Oh and since I'm on that subject, I am still having difficulty in keeping my internal thoughts... well, internal. I have no clue why this was the case. Never happened to me when I was a kid. Did I catch something when I got Isekai'd here? This was new for me which was troubling...
Anyway, right now I was confident enough in being able to have a conversation with people without blurting out about being a... dimensionally displaced dude? I do love it when I accidentally alliterate a... a... ah man~ Can't think of a w-
"Good Morning Mr Ainsley, we apologize for putting you on hold but a member of staff wanted to take over the call when they were notified that it was you who was calling. I will switch you over to his line right now. Please wait for a moment." The same female voice answered from before.
-ord that starts with a- Oh finally. "It's no problem, Miss. Thank you for your help." A jingle starts playing indicating that the person on the other side had transferred me over to whoever it was that was interested in talking to me. Thankfully, unlike before, I didn't have to wait long. I just might win this bet after all.
"Pronto. Signor Ainsley, is it not?" A voice made of velvet and possessing the cadence of a learned gentlemen oozes out smoothly from the phone. I don't remember anyone from the Dub having that kind of voice... That only meant...
"Yes, this is Julian Ainsley speaking. I was hoping I could schedule a meeting for my school interview?" I had an inkling that I should know who I was speaking to. How on Earth could I possibly know that, you ask? Over the small amount of time I spent living on this world, I noticed that when people like Jounochi and Solomon spoke, i.e. named characters from the show, I sensed a, for lack of a better term, certain ompf from their voice. A lure of sorts that make me want to listen to them.
People like Satoru or Mina who are, lets not kid ourselves, npc's, lack that ompf. This dude? That same sense of ompf? It was much stronger than Jounochi's and something in me was literally screaming at me that I should know this person. But who? Chancellor Shepard? I don't think so judging by their tone. Can't be Banner cause I remember his voice was soft both Sub and Dub. Crowler? But this guy doesn't sound British. Side note: get something nice for Satoru and Mina. It felt cruel to call them npc's.
"Molto Benne~ I would like to say, normally such an interview could be conducted through the phone but that is not so in this case, hmm? Why, I believe you're one of the first people, if not, the first person ever to be able to apply to the Duel Academy vis-à-vis this method, so there is really no precedent now is there?" The mysterious person replied.
I had no idea if this guy was annoyed with me or was amused with me. What the hell was that accent anyway? It was this weird mix of Japanese and... I think French. No, Spanish? No. Mexican? Can't friggin tell. Mix that with, what I think is sarcasm, and you suddenly get an anti-Julian tone where I can't tell if you're being polite or just politely rude.
"and I cannot thank you all enough for this auspicious opportunity." I replied back in Japanese-Keigo. For those not in the know, I have been speaking in Keigo this entire time. I wanted to craft and cultivate this image with the staff that I was someone studious. After all not many foreigners bother to learn it. If you wanted to get a job here though? You better damn make sure you could speak it fluently.
Unlike English where you could totally embellish your words or adjust your tone to match the subtext, Japanese has many variations of a single word that have a honorific version to show respect to whoever the listener was. It's a complete pain in the ass to learn but its an essential skill to have.
"Che carino~ Back to what I was saying, it is last minute but... I was wondering if I could meet you face to face? I would like to get a better grasp of your character." If I hadn't worked in Japan for 20 years, I would have missed the underlying message and probably have refused. In my time working in this country I found that some work superiors liked to test their subordinates by asking if they were free for drinks after work.
If you said yes, then you would go out for drinks and maybe get a hangover the next day. It would be troublesome but at least your standing with your superior would be slightly better. That would lead to other benefits that could help in your career.
If you said no on the other hand? You could either get a scolding for disrespecting your seniors or suffer some sort of social punishment at work. Thankfully I didn't have any experiences like that as those type of people aren't interested in being a teacher.
Takeo, funnily enough, had an abundant amount of horror stories about the office life for 2 people. I remember giving him shit for that till he transferred to a local branch, Still, I wonder why this person thought I would be okay with this.
"While I admit my schedule for today is open, I cannot say for certain if I have the means to make it to wherever this meeting is taking place." I think I passed whatever test this person just made seeing how his tone changed into something more lighter than before.
"Ohohohoho! My dear boy, I would not be so unreasonable to set a location that was impossible for you reach. I wouldn't be much of a teacher now would I? Much less a human. I was, in fact, going to suggest Kaibaland at say~ 3 in the afternoon? That should give you more than enough time to get lunch and be there on time." He replied. Wasn't there a character in the Sub that constantly used "なのね"? In English "Na no ne: Is it not?" Fuck, I feel like I should know this guy.
Kaibaland? Well I guess it's cause both Duel Academy and Kaibaland are owned by the same person so it's not too much of a leap. "3PM at Kaibaland. I can easily make that appointment, sir."
"Hmmhmm, is that so? In that case, toodles~" I wait for the person to hang up before I flipped my phone closed. Hmmmm. I did have "go to Kaibaland" in my list but I was gonna go much later like summer vacation later... Ehhhh~ I guess I can go see it today.
Also HA! I win my bet, Jounochi! As if he could make it back in ti-
"Oi Brat! You finished? I already set up the table!" The unmistakable voice of Joey Wheeler's Japanese voice reverberates below me.
-me before I finished...
...
That no good, cheating, fast-on-his-feet, possibly reality-bending-capable son of a bitch! HOW!?
That no good, cheating, fast-on-his-feet, possibly reality-bending-capable son of a bitch, somehow, was able to get back home before I finished my call. Apparently he didn't need to stop for a red light and the take out place we frequent go barely had any customers. Furthermore, the bastard didn't even had to wait for the food for too long since the cooks were in top form this morning. What? Did the universe decide to bend over backwards to cater to Jounochi's wish just so it could fuck me?
If you can't tell, I'm was feeling a bit salty from losing the bet. Mostly cause Jounochi thought it be great to rub it in my face. One love tap to the bastard's noggin sort that out, although he retaliated with a love tap of his own. It both hurt and didn't hurt at the same time which was strange. Anime logic? How does that work with everyone looking like a 3D person?
Like Jounochi stated earlier, he already set up the table, meaning he took out the food from the box and transferred them to the ceramic bowls and dishes we had in the cupboards. I boiled the kettle and used it to make some green tea with the Matcha powder Shizuka keeps in stock. While we ate our hearty breakfast, I explained that I needed to go Kaibaland.
"They want you to go there to do your interview?" Jounochi asked, his right eyebrow raised in surprise, as he paused in finishing his miso soup.
"Yeah." I replied back while I stuffed my face with the grilled mackerel.
"That's weird but I guess I can take you there. I need to go the Tournament office there to submit my entry application anyway." Jounochi explained.
If I remembered correctly this was gonna be the final time he was going to compete. Well, compete to aim for 1st place.
"You sad that this is the "last time" you're gonna Duel seriously?" I finished the last of my rice and lean back on my chair, completely satisfied with today's breakfast. Oh God, the food was tastier than I remember. Was it because I could taste things properly again or because the food in YGO Japan was better than in mine?
"Kind of but I've had my fill of Dueling other people in this life time." Jounochi picked up his tea and nursed the cup in his hands. "Don't get me wrong, it's fun playing with unknowns and waiting to see how they will surprise you but... it's just the not same if Aibou is not competing with me." He takes a sip before frowning slightly "Hell, I'd take on that bastard, Kaiba, at this point but he's too busy managing the world." I could hear the usual snark Jounochi reserved uniquely for Seto completely take over his tone at the end and with it not sounding either bitter or hostile? He kinda sounded funny. So I reacted appropriately. I chuckled.
Jounochi smirks when he sees that he could elicit a reaction out of me. He seems to be glad whenever I smile or laugh almost like... hmmm can't put my finger on it. He and Shizuka seem to have those reactions when they think I can't see them.
"So what are you gonna after that? Now that you're not gonna be in the competitive scene?" I knew he explained that he had enough money to live comfortable for the foreseeable future but surely he doesn't mean that he's gonna just retire and relax at home? That sounded too good to be true.
"Not sure but I recognize that look, it's the same one my lil sis gives me when she's worried about my future." Jounochi lightly flicks my forehead for some reason I cannot fathom then continues. "Don't worry, I have a couple of ideas of what to do so I can still work and earn some grub. One of which is: I could help out with Kame Game, despite his energy, Sugoroku-jii isn't young anymore and he gets more tired easily these days..." I grimace at the reminder. I've gotten quite close to the old man and the fact that he's nearing the age where he could suddenly... yeah it's not a good feeling and I think Jounochi is feeling the same considering the look on his face at the moment.
Jounochi shakes his head to clear away the depressing thoughts and went back on track. "Another idea I had was maybe joining up with Honda. He opened up a drift course with his buddy up in Ebisu. I kind of like the idea of working in a race track but something about it doesn't sit well with me, like it's lacking something." Jounochi said as he finished his tea. He smiled condescendingly and placed his cup in my empty rice bowl and motioned a "shoo-shoo" gesture.
I rolled my eyes as I got the signal to start cleaning up. Since it was my turn to do the dishes, I pick up the used plates and bowls then head over to the kitchen sink located behind me. I turn on the tap and block the drain so I could let the mixture of water and a local cleaning solution fill up the kitchen sink. Once the water reached a sufficient level I submerged the various tableware in the sink to let it soak and loosen the dry food debris that's stuck onto the surface.
I rinse my hands before heading back to table to pick up my cup which I intentionally left behind. "By the way pops, you gonna be okay with being in Kaibaland? Won't you get glomped by the hundreds of fans who will definitely recognize you the moment you enter?" I pour the last of the green tea I brewed for the both of us into my cup. Noticing the liquids temperature I head to the fridge and take out a couple of ice subes from the freezer and lazily let it plop into my hot beverage.
I tested the temperature, seeing how it was at an okay level I started sipping. My tongue seemed to be more sensitive in this body, hence the reason why I added a couple of cubes to help cool it down. Seems like I've got a 猫舌 (Translation: Nekojita - Cat Tongue) in this life. I guess I have to kiss goodbye to Mapo Tofu and all the other hot and spicy food I liked eating in my previous life, that's a bit annoying.
Jounochi dignified me with an insulted squawk. "I ain't old you brat!". I beg to differ. He was literally shaking his fists like one of those stereotypical grandpa's, contradicting his statement
"Still, isn't it a serious concern though?" Finishing my tea, I go back to the sink and gently drop my cup into the water. "I heard about the horror stories of fans willing to do all sorts of messed up stuff to their favourite celebrities."
"Where the heck did you get that idea? Sure, some fans I meet can be a bit overwhelming but it's not as bad as you're making it sound. What did you think was gonna happen?" While I cleaned the dishes, Jounochi cleared the table and wiped with a rag to get rid off any of the stains we made from the sauces or from the soup.
I grabbed the dish sponge to coat it in soap and started scrubbing the dish that had the mackerel on it. Leaning in, I used my body weight to give me some leverage to wipe hard but not hard enough break the plate. "I don't know, they give you a home made muffin they baked themselves..." with that done and cleaned, I put in on the countertop and let the soap linger on the dish.
Now to move on to the cups. I firmly hold the one I used and, with my fingers, let it rest on my palm then clean the insides. Once that's done I do the same with Jounochi's "... but there's a single hair they intentionally left in batter..."
Cups are scrubbed so that leaves the rice bowls. I always leave those for last cause they are easier and the simplest to clean, making it my favourite thing to clean. "... so a part of them can be in you when you finish eating." and finished~ I let the water in the sink drain out.
I loved doing the dishes. On certain days I could go deep into a meditative trance which helps me keep my balance going through day to day crap back home. I loved that feeling at the end where I feel as refreshed as the stuff I've cleaned. Not too mention how surprisingly fun it could be doing this chore. Turning off your brain to just clean, clean and clean the dirt away to reveal the cleanliness underneath. I take the tableware off the countertop and thoroughly rinse off the soap with water for a while and after I think it's okay I pull the dishes to my nose and sniff. Yup, I can't smell anything. With that I rinse my hands then dry them off with a paper towel.
I turned around to face Jounochi but froze in my tracks when I saw Jounochi staring back at me while adopting... an unusual expression. He looked absolutely horrified. His eyes were wide open with his mouth slightly open with something in it. Couldn't tell what it was from a cursory glance but his hand revealed to me what he ate and it was... a... it was a muffin.
...
I couldn't even resist for a single second. "ahahaha... hahahaha... hahAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAHA!". I grasped my stomach with one hand and started to slam the kitchen countertop with the other. While howling my guts out I must add. The look of terror he had was reminiscent of a comedian I have long since forgotten pulling a face for laughs. Add that with the way Jounochi's lower lip was quivering? The situation was too perfect to a point where I found myself in a position where I couldn't do anything but laugh.
Completely ignoring my reaction (The Prick, how dare he), Jounochi slowly brought the muffin up to his eyes and scrutinized it. "T-th-this is j-just a co-coincidence... I mean I d-d-did receive at a sign event the other day... b-b-but noooooo It can't b-be." He slowly starts taking it apart while searching the thing he was dreading about: a single strand of hair.
That just made me howl even in harder. "HAAAA! What Hahaha! What makes you think you didn't already eat it!?" With that said, I get the reaction I was looking for. Jounochi, who didn't even find a hair in his muffin, yeets the thing into the trash can with enough force that he achieved lift-off. He runs towards the liquor cabinet and pours himself a glass of whiskey before haphazardly chugging it. He stares at the bottle before shrugging and-
WAIT! OH NO YOU DON'T!
I lunged at the yellow haired bitch and grab onto the alcohol before he could start drinking the shit straight out of the bottle. "English: OI DICKHEAD! YOU GOTTA DRIVE REMEMBER?! Also! YOU DON'T DRINK WHISKEY STRAIGHT OUT A BOTTLE, YOU UNCULTURED SWINE!" There was a time for jokes and there's a time to be serious... We clearly thought it was the former.
Jounochi struggled against me while I tried to overpower him. He doesn't put much effort into it seeing how I was much weaker than him... for now... "English: FUCK THAT NOISE! I GOTTA DISINFECT MY STOMACH! WHO KNOWS WHAT I COULD HAVE EATEN! AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW HOW TO DRINK THIS ANYWAY, YOU UNEDUCATED BARBARIAN!?" He pursed his lips and starts moving his puckered mouth hole closer to the opening of the bottle.
I smack his cheeks and scream in "coherent" rage. "English: YOU PIECE OF SHIT! HOW SELFISH CAN YOU BE!?"
Jounochi gave me a look that easily conveyed how he felt: that I was being unbelievably hypocritical. "English: AHHH!? THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN I AM SELFISH?! YOU'RE LITERALLY USING ME AS A GOFER!" I think at this point we both realized this was beyond silly but didn't want to admit it nor stop it like any sane adult would have...
"English: CAUSE THAT'S ALL YA GOOD FOR YOU BIMBO! AND GOFER'S ARE TOO CUTE TO BE COMPARED TO YOUR UGLY MUG!" ... Seeing how sanity left the station, we doubled down and went full throttle with our overdramatic quote unquote "Fight". Thank God Shizuka wasn't here to bare witness to this travesty. She would have probably tan our collective hides.
"English: BIMBO? BIMBO!?" Jounochi screamed back in outrage. "English: I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW, I AM AN EXTREMELY HANDSOME AND INTELLIGENT MAN! I WAS ON THE COVER FOR DUELER'S MAGAZINE FOR GOD'S SAKE! ALSO! GOFERS ARE LUCKY TO BE COMPARED TO ME, THOSE FURRY LITTLE CRITTERS!" To be honest this was pretty fun to do since we didn't mean what we say and was just taking the piss at each other. I could now easily see how comedic scenes like these can happen in anime.
Seeing how it was nearly time, I screamed out the following. "English: THEN MAN UP AND LET GO OF THE BOTTLE! YOU NARCISSISTIC, THIRD RATE DECK USING FOURTH RATE DUELIST!" What that translated to was: "Should we end this and head out now? It's near the time to depart from home."
"English: OVER MY DEAD BODY, YOU TRY HARD KAIBA WANNABLE FUCK!" Again, in the same improvised language which used hidden meaning this meant: "Yeah we should since this is getting embarrassing. ALSO, don't forget to pack your deck. You're gonna need it considering your interview is to a Dueling School regardless if they said you wouldn't be taking a test." Jounochi closed the whiskey bottle and placed it back in the cabinet. Despite the fact that this "language" was literally made a few seconds ago, somehow, the two of us instinctively understood each other.
"上等だ , この間抜けが-!" = "Right, Good point, almost forgot that. I think we still have time to take the train and... Thanks pops." I picked up my deck box that contained my D.D. Monarch deck and strap it around the backside of my belt.
"かかって来いや!" - " Obviously, not a good idea to drive since I drank a bit and don't forget the trash since you lost the bet... No problem brat" Jounochi ruffles my head which I swat away without thinking and the both of us made our way out.
When we came back from Kaibaland we got scolded by Shizuka who received complaints from the neighbors about how loud we were. Turns out someone called the cops on us cause of the disturbance we made and they were worried if something bad happened. But~ I'm getting ahead of myself.
Well... this wasn't what I expected.
Kaibaland was like... if someone designed Disneyland and the investor, I.E. Kaiba, said "Go nuts, we have the money."
The entrance building was the Blue Eyes White Dragon, as if Kaiba would choose something else, and we had to walk into its mouth to enter the park. There were exits along the sides of its body leading to different parts of the park. Thankfully there was no opening near the literal butt end of the building. I don't need that imagery, thank you very much! I don't know if I ever wondered what the inside of the Blue Eyes looked like but I guess I do now. Pale blue and fleshy. Seriously, what the fuck, Kaiba?
Seeing how we were on the clock, to avoid being spotted Jounochi brought out a hat he seldomly used and wore it. Surprisingly, that cheap ass half measure of a disguise was disgustingly effective. Was it cause that I knew this was a trope that I could "pierce the veil" as it were? Or was it because the people of this world were dumber than mine?
Let me explain how I came to that conclusion.
That may have sounded harsh but it was true, sort of. When I was part timing in Kame Game the other day, I had to explain to a guy that they couldn't buy a certain booster because it hadn't even been released yet. He just got all confused and asked the same question again: "Can I get the new Soul of Justice boosters please?" I nearly threw the dumbass out the window, right then and there, in a trash bag.
I thought retail horror stories were just memes? Anyway.
Another time was when I discovered that people needed to use devices when deducting Life Points. People were in awe with just how fast I could mentally calculate... and that I could do it without a calculator. Something simple as 4000 - 1100 took people at least 20 seconds to figure out. Apparently being able to do it in mere seconds made me look like some sort of prodigy. What on Earth?
People like Jounochi and Sugoroku, however, were fine in that regard, in fact they seemed sharper than I expected. Granted it took Sugoroku approximately 11 seconds to do some mental arithmetics but I Iet that pass as he was getting old in age.
Joey Wheeler was portrayed as bit of a dunce and his Japanese counterpart seems to have inherited that aspect as well so I could understand if it took him the same amount of time as the old man. What he lacked academically though he more than made up with street smarts.
Was their intelligence due to them being named characters in the shows? Did they get a massive boost to their brain? Absorb the collective intelligence of the human race therefore leaving the npc's to be dumb as rocks? I mean Satoru and Mina were completely dumbfounded when I explained they could simply create a 2nd deck with their excess cards... and they did start getting a bit more smarter the more time they spent with Jounochi... Something to add to the list.
After writing down my research point in my note pad I started to look around the famous Kaiba Land. I never went to Disneyland in my first life.
My Lord, was that weird to acknowledge. My First Life. Despite how hot it was today, I let out a shudder as I felt a chilly sensation crawl up my spine. Moving on.
Growing up, there weren't many attractions in the park that made me want to visit. I mean that all changed when Disney acquired the rights to Marvel and Star Trek but I was already in Japan and was busy getting ready to start my job as a teacher.
Like Disneyland, here in Kaiba-Land, there were people in costumes greeting incoming visitors, a few Monsters made to look cute were idly standing around so people can take their picture with them. I could spot an adorable looking Kuriboh, in the size of those Japanese mascots like Kumamon, bopping around and posing for the kids. A few attractive ladies in Harpie Ladies outfits who were getting their picture taken with guys... Damn. The queue for them was long. There was a rad looking Battle Ox who was standing like Ultra Seven, flexing his arms and letting a few of boys dangle off his biceps...
I squinted.
Those weren't made of foam. They were proper muscles. Jesus. That guy was jacked like Arnold.
I looked around the area, after noting how inadequate I felt as a male after viewing such a specimen, and spotted a few more Yugioh Monster Mascots that, frankly speaking, I have absolutely no clue about their identity.
There was a jester in a blue dress with a yellow collar and boots holding a massive key with a pinkish jewel at the handle. A winged peach colored ball with eyes just as cute as the Kuriboh I spotted earlier was waddling towards a stage with a line of kids following it. An egg that was partially cracked horizontally across the middle, a couple of glowing yellow eyes in the black gap within, 2 wings protruding from the egg shell, it seemed to move around by... floating? Just how the f-? Never mind, probably something to do with how much money Kaiba could blatantly throw around.
Since we were at the entry point there wasn't anything I could see that looked like fun. I could spot some booths that were selling fast track passes, special zone tickets and various other knick knacks.
I pull up my ticket that Jounochi bought for me and examined it. It was a visitor's pass since we weren't here to go have fun in the park. Jounochi promised me to take me here again if I finished my first year with high grades. Today, we were merely entering the Kaiba dome in the Duel Zone.
Remember that filler arc in the original series? The one just before Duel of the Dawn? We're heading to the building that was shaped as the head of the Blue Eyes.
Jounochi and I had to go to the 3rd Floor for different reasons. There was an office there that handled the Tokyo Side of the Dueling Circuit, I.E. The Grand Prix where my Gofe- I mean my caretaker needed to visit and register. I, on the other hand, needed to find the Duel Academia Local Office Branch where Jounochi explained:
"Whatever your interview is, it's most likely gonna end up happening in there. Remember to register for an on-site Duel Disk seeing how you don't have one. You might need it."
Speaking of which, I had asked him why I didn't have one of my own yet and his reasons made sense.
1) I was going to Duel Academy anyway where they will issue me a brand new Duel Disk Device that is up to date with all the latest tech and apps.
Considering how I don't see anyone wearing a GX Era Duel Disk, I think I can bet on that being the new model Jounochi talked about.
2) And this was the one that convinced me. It was expensive as shit. Like, half as much as a White Plate Car in Japan and a new one at that.
It was around 1 Mil in Yen which converted to USD would approximately be around $9K... Yeah, you see why I didn't buy one and opted to just wait for the School Issued one?
If it is that expensive how could so many people afford it, I hear you ask. Gather around folks, for Mr Ainsley's Duel Corner! Here are some ways I've discovered where even you can get a spanking brand new Duel Disk!
First off, it's only the newest ones, I.E. the .3 Models, that usually cost that much. Subsequent models become vastly more cheaper the older the model.
1 roundabout way to getting the latest model was to enter an official KaibaCorp Sponsored tournament and ending in the top 5. That being said, you would be competing with a thousand or so others so if you're a shit Duelist, you're out of luck!
But don't despair! You can still get a discount voucher if you're placed in the top 100!
But Mr Ainsley! What if we can't do that as well? Don't worry folks! Every month there's a raffle where you can spend hundreds of thousand Yen to hopefully get a voucher that way!
You don't have that amount of cash, you say? Well then! Don't worry! All you have to do then... IS TO GRIND YOUR WAY BY DUELING!
...
What's this?! You don't know? Know that in each and every standard issue Kaiba Corp Mobile there is a Duelling App! All you have to do is Duel your way to a 500,000 Duel Points and use those DP to purchase a brand new Duel Disk! Yes my friends! Truly, the future of Capitalism!
"Hey Bratticus, take your head out of the clouds. We're here." Jounochi said.
"Be silent, Gofer! I was in the middle of something!" I received a smack at the back of my head for that comment.
After telling me where to meet after we finished our meetings I waved to Jounochi as we parted ways. Jounochi went left where as I went right, towards the customer service booth. I found it easily enough. Wanna guess how I found it?
"Hello. I was told I could rent a Duel Disk but I don't know where to go. I also need to go the Duel Academia Office. Can you help me?"
"Certainly, sir. Here's what you need to do."
The customer service lady pulled out a map and laid it out on the white dragon shaped counter... Yeah I know.
Her explanation took about 15 seconds and once that was done, with the map in hand, I set off to rent myself a Duel Disk then make my over to where my interview was taking place.
I won't bore you with the details. I was able to get one alright, but there were a few things that happened. First off, Kaiba's a bastard. The renting fee was ¥7000 per hour for a Duel Disk. 7000 for a hour?! That was insane! Secondly, when I nearly blew up in anger a rather helpful person, who was nearby luckily enough, by the name of Ran decided to help me with my problem.
So get this, Ran told me that if a person had a D-Tab (the name of the Kaiba Corp Smart Phone, finding that out took an embarrassingly long time) I could get a loyalty discount which lowered the fee to a much more understanding ¥4199. Still think the price was a bit much but what could you do?
"Thank you for that, Miss Ran. Really. I would have wasted nearly 3000 yen if it weren't for your help." I observed the lady in front of me.
She looked around like my age- Uhhh. My physical age, that is, 14 to 16 years old. She had pretty pink eyes that almost glittered when the light was shone at a certain angle. Ran had fair skin and was quite tall too. Around 175cm seeing how I didn't have to look too down to meet her eyes. She wasn't wearing heels to boot. Long legs that were hidden from view by the tights she wore. Her provocative denim short looked like they were tight fit and made her ass look plump.
I was momentarily taken off guard with how open and large her chest was. Ran wore a sleeveless jacket which zipped up only halfway. Underneath the jacket, she was wearing a low cut tube top that made her cleavage pop out leaving it exposed. As for her breasts, they were far larger than what I expected for a high schooler. They seemed to be in the high C range.
With the way she looked comfortable about herself, it gave me the sense that she liked flaunting off what she had. She certainly was enjoying the stares of all the guys nearby at this moment.
In this situation I had to admit, regardless if I was isekai'd of not, with how much of sexy energy she seemed to be emanating, I would have been staring at her like the other guys near us. Weirdly, I didn't get the feeling of wanting to stare at her tits a little bit more like I usually did back on Earth Prime. Nor did I feel the accompanying shame I felt when I found myself looking at ladies younger than me.
Don't give me that look. When you get to the age of 50 pretty much every attractive female I saw was younger than me by 20 years and that in of itself was something that made me feel ashamed of myself. I don't need your judgement for leering at someone younger than me, I had plenty of it my own.
I don't know if it was because I was regressed physically or something other, I just didn't feel... anything. No arousal. None of the shame. Nothing. Just the thought of: 'Aww, her back must get pains every once in a while. Poor girl.'
That reaction got me blinking in surprise. That certainly wasn't in line with what I normally thought.
"Oh don't call me that~ That makes me sound so old! Just call me Ran or Ran-nee." She winked playfully at me while flicking one of her the braided side-tails out of her way.
Speaking of hair, she had a lot and it was... interesting. The amount of volume made me want to ask if she was either wearing a wig or if she liked Medusa, the Inhuman Queen to a unhealthy degree. It was burgundy in color and... just where to start with how it looked like?
As is common in this world, her hair was wild. She had spiky bangs in the shape of a "M" with a strand of hair going down the middle. She had 2 ahoges that sprouted out right in the middle of the "M". She also had braided side-tails that curled around her ear with a decorative clip near the end to make sure the tails were kept in shape. The weirdest part was the back of her head. There were... 2 massive flat ponytail-like parts that made it look like she had wings attached to her head. Yugioh hair man. It's flippin' weird.
Ran let out an airy laugh when she saw my eyes darting around. It was a very flirty sounding laugh. Something to let the guy she was with she was interested in... something. Normally, when a girl that looked like Ran was giving me attention I would have felt my blood start rushing. Get her hair into a more manageable look then BAM! She would be hitting every point in what I found attractive in a girl. Long legs, an ass that you wanted to spank, huge tits, red hair and has the sexual energy of a confident lion.
So... what the fuck was wrong with me? Why was I not blushing like mad and not making a fool of myself? Why was the first thing that popped into my mind when looking at her was how utterly ridiculous her hair was, and not say, how it would feel to fuck her over a table? Ah. There's the shame.
I know for a fact I would have tried to say something cheesy or something downright typical for a pick up line and try and get her number. Right now however? I could only feel awkward with how the two of us seemed to be the center of attention, not to mention how I felt annoyed of being the recipient of a lot of jealous stares. The fuck is up with my body?
I think I can hear the FBI knocking on my door.
"If you don't mind me asking Julian, where are you from? You sound like you were born here." Ran said while she twirled one of her braided hairs in her hands.
"San Francisco. I just moved here a few months ago." We moved out of the renting booth as to let the others get their devices. Or rather not considering how the group of simps were now trailing after us.
"Really!" Ran spoke out in surprise. "But your accent sounds so natural."
"A good deal of studying that. Also watching anime helped now and again." I let the Duel Disk lock up on my left forearm and pulled out my deck. Before I could slot it in however...
"Oh my~ is that a Deck I see? I wouldn't mind if you and I go a couple of rounds~" Ran said in a sultry tone as she winked.
I could hear a couple of stragglers cursing me.
"Lucky Gaijin."
"Damn, I wouldn't mind a couple of rounds with her, if you know what I mean~"
I had to resist rolling my eyes as it would have given the wrong impression to Ran.
"Normally I would say yes but I have an appointment I have to keep." I needed to cut this conversation soon as it was nearly time for my interview.
"Oh what a shame." She briefly pouted before smiling. "Someone's playing hard to get, cheeky~ Here." She grabs ahold of my left hand and scribbles something on it.
I gave it a look and raised an eyebrow.
"There's my number~ Give me a call if you're interested in having a row with me~"
I wasn't really aiming to get her number but I'm not complaining.
"In that case, I hope to see you soon. I'll use that money you helped me save on your drink."
"How sweet of you~ Tata then~"
We both exchanged farewells and went our separate ways. I let out a chuckle when I saw her strutting away without paying any attention to the group of horny boys who were following her like baby ducks.
Looking at a nearby clock, I saw I had just shy of 10 minutes left to get to where I needed to go. Pulling out the Kaiba Dome map, I started to follow the trajectory the customer service lady laid out for me.
"Nice, I'm nearby. Guess I can take a leisurely walk." I shuffled my deck and inserted it into the Main Deck Zone and waited to hear that nostalgic chime.
Ah. There it was. I don't think I could ever get used to that. Not that I wanted to. I always liked the original sound effects. When the Sound Design Team decided to change the SFX for 5D's, it took a really long time for me to accept it without complaint.
I clenched my left fist a couple of times to get used to the tight bindings then moved on.
The model I had equipped on my arm was the .3 model. It was a lot more streamlined in terms of appearance. Mainly flatter and slimmer. It was also far more lighter than the one Jounochi used which I found to be a shame. I kind of miss the weight. It feels wrong not feeling that heaviness on my forearm.
Unlike the OG unit, the Graveyard Zone on the .3 was a lot more smaller which meant the cards didn't get "digested" into the slot. Digested was what the local term was for having the cards disappear into the compartment storage directly beneath the LP counter. Apparently the CPU used in this model was far more larger than the previous two so it took the majority of the space inside. The only part that could afford to be made smaller was the graveyard compartment so that was taken out and a magnetic seal was used instead to hold the cards inserted there. How the magnets don't interfere with the machine is beyond me but somehow it still worked.
Before I knew it, I had reached my destination. There in bold letters above the glass doors...
"Duel Academia huh..." My fingertips gently touched the glass as I took my time to calm the storm that suddenly formed in my mind.
4 Years of Dueling. 4 Years of trails and tribulations. 4 Years I was going to spend my time in a place where I could potentially lose my life. I'll admit, my nerves were starting to get frazzled just thinking about it.
There was some small part of me begging to whoever was listening to please let me be too early in the timeline to get caught up with the crap Jaden and his friends got into.
There was, however, a larger part of me that relished the thought of taking part in their adventures. Discover how I fare against the named characters of this universe. To see if I can carve my name into the annals of history and stand alongside the greats.
Oh.
How appropriately cheesy...
'It's time... TO DUEL!'
I pushed.
Turn 5 - Press 0 to freak out - End
Edited for spelling mistakes.
AND FINISHED! JESUS CHRIST DID THAT TAKE A LONG TIME!
I'll edit in the reviewer section next time I wake up!See you all (Hopefully) Soon!I'm gonna be posting the Gundam Fic I have tomorrow.
Give it a look if you like Isekai'd fics!
This is a Blanket Thank You to the people who wished me well when I was in the Hospital. Though it may seem impersonal, please let it be known that your comments have made my stay there more manageable and helped in my recovery.
To: LordZarcon, MrFrenchFry, danielcarswelldog365, Ramses the Great, AmanoRyo, The Black Kraven, 25dmccown1, Gentlemen Rance-T.M, bsdurler, Tsog the eht gosT, viniciussantiagosousa, Middernacht, Testarossacain, McLoggernaut, Mallory S. Nocturne, Crywolfseven.
Thank you for your comments.
Reviewer's Corner!
Testarossacain
Unfortunately no, the Yata-Lock was too early of a deck for Julian to use. He knows about it due to the memes but he wouldn't have gone out and gotten the cards needed for that deck. As for getting it in the YGO World? We'll see but fair warning, I won't make it an easy thing for him to get.
Mallory S. Nocturne
Then I am glad it got on your radar and that you're enjoying it!
Raven R. Mahmood
I'm glad that you're enjoying it and that you think it has substance! I won't lie but I did almost make this a crack fic but changed my mind.
The Black Kraven
Again, I am glad someone is receptive to the idea of me opening a PAT-reon but I'm not planning on doing it anytime soon. As for the Gundam Fic, its a Crossover with Build Divers and Seed. I was originally gonna do it as a SI from the Build Divers Re:Rise era but the site didn't have that option yet so I opted to do it with a side character from the Build Divers Series. Do you know the character, Kurt? He's the one who got ISK'd over.
barryc10
I wouldn't but that doesn't Julian wouldn't either. His excuse is that he's never heard the Japanese VA of Crowler before.
DG2
Yup, it would have been unrealistic for a guy who hasn't played the game over a decade to win against someone who has constantly been playing since his teenage years. Someone, who I might add, honed his skills to the point where it got Pegasus to acknowledge Joey as one of the Top 5 best Duelists during the GX timeline. I toyed around with the idea with having either Joey or Tristan be Julian's Guardian. I literally decided on a coin toss and guess who won?
Rodvek97
I'm glad you found it here as well! There might be times I will post some chapters here instead of on SB as I heard SB is far more stricter in terms of what kind of content someone could post.
