Yu-Gi-Oh Original Series
Parallel
Chapter 023
Originally Written: Sunday, April 10, 2022 551PM to 805PM
. . . . .
"Yugi." Tea struggled to keep up with his fast pace.
He wore a blue jacket around his shoulders like a cape. A permanent scowl was set on his face. He eyed the white and blue Duel Academics sponsored duel disk on his arm with an air of extreme distaste.
Tea didn't like that it was there either, but he was required to wear it in order to participate in the tournament. She eyed the bandages wrapped around his left arm. She apologized to the people who quickly dived out of Yugi's way.
"Move!" Yugi shouted to a group of teens that clearly weren't duelists.
They jumped out of his way like he had the plague. Tea apologized on Yugi's behalf, even though they were now complaining about rude duelists overtaking their city. A bandage wrapped up around her leg, most of her bruises and scrapes there hidden underneath it.
"Pharaoh." She tried a different tactic. "Please slow down. I can't keep up with you."
Pharaoh stopped, walked, and sighed heavily. "I apologize, Tea."
She shook her head, "I'm upset too. I just can't keep up with you is all."
The two continued at a slower pace. A plain woman dressed in a non distinct outfit stopped them. She was not wearing a Duel Disk. "Blue eyes."
Pharaoh looked at her in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"Voice recognized." His duel disk chirped in a robotic female voice. "Synchronizing information." The words 'Waiting for Input from User' scrolled on the duel disk where the life points counter displayed.
"Press your fingers to the screen." The woman said.
Pharaoh did so, against Tea's suggestion. A map with a blinking dot flashed. It took him a bit, but he figured out how to zoom in. "Fascinating."
Tea leaned over, looking at the duel disk. "Is this even legal?"
"All bets are off when you anger Mr. Kaiba, Pirouette."
Tea looked at the woman. She didn't have a visible form of identification on her. Tea wished she did. She looked so plain she'd easily disappear into the crowd. Perhaps that was the point.
"That is the location of the rare hunter believed to have assaulted Joseph Wheeler. Mr. Kaiba strongly requests you to be careful." The woman turned around, "Good luck, Yami Yugi."
Tea watched the woman walk off. Her heels clicked against the sidewalk. "Did…Does she mean Seto, or Noah? Maybe Mokuba? I don't know how computer savvy he is." Tea looked at Pharaoh, but he was already halfway down the street. She chased after him, relieved when he finally remembered to wait for her.
The rare hunter they ran into was a tall, middle aged man with white hair, dressed in dark purple clothes. "Yugi Moto. The man of the hour."
"His outfit matches their uniform." Tea said, stepping just slightly off to Pharaoh's side. Amane caught her off guard in that warehouse. She clearly knew that Tea favored her legs in a fight. With her leg burned and injured, she wouldn't be able to fight as well as usual. Call her a bit selfish, but she was glad they didn't end her dancing career before it even began by slashing her achilles tendons or something.
Pharaoh stared at the glowing eye on the man's forehead. He activated his duel disk. "Perhaps you can tell me why Kaiba Corporation, a military weapons company, continues to sponsor children's card game tournaments?"
The man spoke with a warped voice, as he readied his own duel disk. "I couldn't say. I don't work for Kaiba Corporation."
"Don't lie, fiend. Duel Academics is a sub company of Kaiba Corporation!" Pharaoh shuffled his deck. "I know your gang is working for them!"
"Very well. I must ask you, however, if that is the information you want to wager on this duel in addition to your rare card? The Dark Magician, I believe." The man waved a card, flaunting Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon. "Perhaps, you would rather know why Joseph Wheeler was our target, and not you."
"That, sir, is a question for children, unbefitting someone who claims to be a highly esteemed criminal."
Pharaoh turned to look where the familiar voice came from. He nearly dropped his deck.
Maximilian Pegasus stood on the sidewalk, next to Tea. His eyes focused on the rare hunter. "I don't even need to read your mind, to know the answer, Seeker."
Seeker scowled, glaring at him, specifically the eye hidden behind his hair.
"Pegasus!" Tea jumped. "I mean-Mr. Pegasus!"
He nodded in response, but didn't look at her. It was strange seeing him wearing jeans and a blazer. Of course, the blazer was red.
"I can't say I'm pleased to see you Pegasus, but I am glad you're alright." Pharaoh looked back at Seeker.
"I will make it up to you by making sure none lay a hand on dear Tea, while you rid us of this absolute eyesore." Pegasus flared his hair with a wave of his hand.
"With pleasure." Pharaoh struck Seeker hard and fast in the duel. Seeker didn't seem to mind, and goaded him into wasting his time trying to get past his defenses.
"What…?" Tea questioned. "What's going on?"
Pharaoh lowered his duel disk, and folded his arms in the middle of the duel, on his turn. The posing was awkward due to how bulky the duel disk was, but he managed to make it look surprisingly regal.
"Giving up, Yugi?" Seeker asked.
Pharaoh ignored him. He had until the counter on his duel disk reached zero to make a move. Tea looked at Pegasus.
"Just like in war, one of the secrets to winning a duel is working out the opponent's strategy, yes? Then you will know how to go about defeating their strategy, if such is possible utilizing the cards currently in your deck. Seeker is stalling. But what for, dear Tea? Yugi will figure it out. He's new at the game, but his mind is sharp. He is going over every turn made until this point."
"Right." Tea clutched her bag.
"In time, he will be able to do this while dueling." Pegasus proceeded to bet that 'Yugi' would win after no more than twenty turns total, including the turns already taken. Seeker didn't like hearing that. Neither did he like learning that 'Yugi' beat his Exodia Deck on Turn 13. Tea cheered.
"Easy." Pharaoh taunted as Seeker's life points dropped to zero. "Are you sure you know how to play? Did you waste all your brain power on Joey? I'm certain he gave you trouble."
Seeker stared at the trio with wide, terror filled eyes. "No…no!" He clutched his head. "Give me another chance! Please, master!"
Tea wasn't sure why, but Pegasus froze for a moment. He walked over, and propped up Seeker with arm around his back. He looked him straight in the eyes. "Oh, do get out of the poor dears' head, would you? How unbecoming."
Seeker looked up at him, and screeched while clutching his head. Even Pharaoh jumped. Eventually though, he calmed and relaxed into a faint.
"Ah, I see…That's how you do it." Pegasus looked back at Pharaoh and Tea.
Pharaoh walked up to him. "What was that?"
"A criminal about to murdered by a psychic named Marik, Little Yugi." Pegasus gave Pharaoh an innocent look and a smile as he nodded. "Apparently the rare hunters are just a faction of the criminal organization 'The Ghouls'. Marik is their leader. I should really thank Bakura. He's the one who suggested I go sight-seeing again.".
Tea facepalmed. Pharoah nearly pirouette-kicked him. "That is not what I was referring to!"
A/N: -looks at my notes- Pegasus was supposed to show up again, but not in Battle City. Stay in your lane, Pegasus!