Yu-Gi-Oh! The Termina Saga
Opening Theme: "One Unaffected by Hades" by Get in The Ring
Ending Theme: "Day and Night" by FELT
Visions from the Kindred World
"So then, what's the job?" Kageru asks.
Adelia sets her tea down the table. With legs crossing in the calm manner of a business lady, she answers: "To reiterate, a looming threat is gradually arising over Termina. Our preparation requires at least two other duelists, as well as yourself to join under the banner of Aoi. Once this team is assembled, we aim to win the Duel Terminal Grand Conquest set to commence a few months from now."
He rolls his eyes, resisting the urge to mince words at her long-expected motive. "Okay, princess. I'll humor the possibility that you're not like the rest of your fellow competitors at this for the spoils." He folds his arms. "Think you can start by shedding some light on what this looming threat even is? Because from the lack specifics, it doesn't seem to be the Tribal Hunters."
"The Tribal Hunters, while indeed dangerous, are but a hurdle we must overcome. As for what I am speaking of, well… unfortunately it is rather difficult to explain to someone not well-versed in Termina's deeper lore."
As always, the irritable vagueness of her answer never fails to rub on him as nothing more than lies in a convoluted web. Still, he continues to ask away, hoping to learn more of anything that concerns the reasoning behind his involvement.
He stands up. "You know, there's a lot of sponsored pros out there who would be jumping in arms to have the beautiful, cunning daughter of High Lady Noel on their team," he says with an acting smile and an open hand pointing to her, to which she lightly blushes.
When he pockets his hands, the smile flips. "So, why me of all people? Having a Hiitan on your side already doesn't bode well for your publicity. You're practically asking for everyone to start insinuating that you've been under some shady conspiracy with Kurenai."
"I am aware. But that's—"
"If me being one of those Project Possessor lab rats is the case, then I can probably name a few better duelists worth your time."
"Oh? Do tell," she replies, watching as he starts pacing around the fish tanks.
"Kalam Purna for one. He's a little whacked, but then you have that Ivy onboard your ranks who's a whole 'nother level of creepy."
He pokes an eye directly on a tank, eyeing at a school of clownfish that return his stare. "Another would be Daido Ikari. Hell of an asshole, but easily one of Kurenai's best, just under his big sister Leiko."
The fish swim towards him as he keeps himself glued on the surface.
"Speaking of Leiko," he adds, "maybe if you're persuasive enough, you can probably get her too. She used to be Blaine McGee's right hand and likely be better informed on all this Project Possessor stuff than I would. Far as I remember in these past six years, those three were detained at one of the last AoJ raided militia camps."
He turns back to her. "They're probably still waiting for someone to bail their sorry asses. Maybe you can pull a few strings, offer 'em a good sum, then just keep 'em on an electric leash with that Ivy on watch. I'd imagine it'd be easier than convincing a skeptic like me."
"I appreciate the suggestions, but even if any of those three were to take your place, it doesn't change your situation," says Adelia. "The Tribal Hunters' still intend on taking your life. Besides, you're beating yourself… and Ivy, a bit too hard."
She powers on the small electronic tablet pulled out from the table drawer. "Ivy and I have faced you. And we both acknowledge without the shadow of a doubt that you have great potential as a duelist. With some guidance and a deck built to match, you'll do perfectly."
He rolls his eyes away and groans, taking it all as empty flattery while she stands and approaches to continue. "You may not admit it, but aside from your skills you also have heart," she says with a smile. "A trait I'm sure you gradually nurtured under the Hinodama family. I'd be far more comfortable with you by my side."
Looking back at the device in her hand, she flips through its menus. "As for those three, I have actually kept them under tabs for a long while. Of course, I only would resort to them should desperation call for it. However, that's… no longer an option. They've apparently escaped captivity months ago."
"What?!" Kageru asks with disbelief. "Out of an AoJ max security prison funded by the legion lords?!"
"I'm afraid so. The Ikari siblings are on the run as we speak."
"Just the Ikaris? W-what about Purna?"
She puts the screen facing up and the 3D hologram display pops out to show autopsy shots of over a hundred persons. "These were taken by our aerial scouting drones. As you can see, the Hunters have claimed many a victim." Her fingers scroll until they reach the one person. "These were taken a few days ago near Dryad Forest."
He grabs the tablet off her and taps over the file. More photos show, revealing the horrid remains of a raided settlement. "W-what… the fuck happened here?"
She observes his hand cover his mouth with utter disgust. "Reports inform me that a band of Kurenai extremists have emerged. They also speculate that the former Hiitan lord leads them in the shadows."
"McGee… That sick bastard is out too?" He quickly scrolls along the shots of numerous charred, decapitated bodies of Wynnian civilians. Identical past images flash in his head. Memories of the bullet holes, torn flesh and spilling insides, as well as the cries and curses the victims would utter seconds before. Having partaken in these monstrous acts, he knows all too well that these are the result of that man's orders.
He nears the end of his willingness to look anymore, yet pushes on. His scrutinizing stops upon reaching the corpse of who was once Kalam Purna, a burnt hole through his abdomen, meeting an ironically similar fate to that of his victims. "Who… who did this to him?"
She gently takes back the device from his loose, shaking fingers and returns back to the last screen. Once there, she shows him that there are a good fraction of different raced individuals in an otherwise Hiitan populated list. To that, she reiterates, "As I said, the Tribal Hunters seek to eliminate all the children of Project Possessor."
The lack of a clear, justifiable motive finally causes him to snap: "Why!? Project Possessor should've been a down and done experiment!"
Adelia eyes some of the guards by the corner of the room arming tasers and dart guns, and preparing to call for backup if need be, but she gestures them to stand down. "Please Kageru. Relax yourself."
"Maybe I will if you start spitting out why these Hunters are after a leftover lab rat like me, because I don't get it! I don't see why anyone would try to mimic Kurenai's attempts at making more freak soldiers anyhow. They'd get shut down by these Hunters, if not the other lords before they even come up with any sort of army. I'm not a soldier anymore. Just a guy lounging at a coffee shop. Barely a threat to them."
After powering off the device, she asks, "Do you even know what the true purpose of Project Possessor is?"
His eye lowers, feeling that the question is generally rhetorical. "I know damn well you didn't just go blind a few nights back, right? I've taken a lot of wounds normal people shouldn't even survive half the time. I've got the reflexes of an over-caffeinated cat. Your friend Ivy gave me a lethal poison that I simply had to comatose out my system. This on top of the fact that I was bleeding from the wounds your made-real monsters gave me, mind you."
She raises an eye. "You're still not over that?"
He shakes his head. "For the love of…. I think you see where I'm obviously getting at, right?"
"You believe that that project is only meant to mass produce enhanced soldiers in bulk for the frontlines?" She walks back to her seat. "I'm afraid you would be mistaken."
His widened eyes stick to her as she puts her device back inside the drawer. "What else could the reason be?! The whole damn war is the reason everyone has been at each other's throats!"
Settling down, she picks up her tea again. "Please, take a seat Kageru."
Still, he refuses. "We're just tools made to give the nations another edge in this never-ending competition for resources. Treaties or not. The DTGC is no different."
"Please, take a seat. It's a lovely morning, so let us take this bit to ease ourselves. You are still my guest, after all. There is plenty of time, and plenty more I have to show in order to answer your questions."
To his dismay, he takes a long breath before finally agreeing to simmer down.
The next few minutes are silent with him taking the time to collect his thoughts as they consume their drinks. When they finish, a maid arrives to pick up the empty dishes and lend Kageru a scarf and a thicker jacket. The two thank her and then finally decide to go for a walk.
They head towards the thoroughly guarded backyard, taking a leisurely stroll across another brick road surrounded with patches of grass and finely trimmed bushes. On one side is a large patio decorated with yet more expensive furniture, and a greater view of the ports and the ocean spreading across the horizon. On the opposite end is a fenced square where some of the rotating guards and servants are seen jogging or playing sports.
"Man, you've got one hell of place," Kageru mutters.
"Do I really?" she asks, giggling at his awestruck, envious look. "This isn't really all that much compared to the other homeowners here, but thank you."
He winces back, somewhat irritated by her attempt at modesty. "I guess that explains the lack of a duel arena."
"Actually, the practice field is just ahead. A few meters away from the greenhouse."
He returns to sightseeing. "Not that I don't care to see some nice plants all, but any reason why we're going there?"
"Patience, little Hiitan." A playful response to which he would puff his cheeks at.
The last minutes of walking end with a short stairway. Once on top, the spots of interest come into clear view.
"There it is," Adelia points to her left. "This is where we will be training you upon your full acceptance into our ranks."
His attention leads to the broad space of reinforced maple with child-eyed wonder. Towering light posts ground themselves on each corner to not only brighten, but also beautify the area. The spectator seats stretch on one long side, showing a capacity for at least twenty people.
A privately-owned field, but a legitimate one nonetheless, that is night and day in comparison to the makeshift lots of the underground matches he used to enter. Since youth, he dreams of one day stepping foot onto a ground like it. Commentators building hype, surrounding spectators roaring the names of the competitors, with all of it building to a long, fierce, but honest display of competition.
The prolonging of his gaze eventually causes a certain phantom to appear; the familiar, orange-haired girl with scarlet eyes. She proudly flashes her duel disk towards a non-existent, insert foe before her. He watches the nostalgic sight of her calling her moves, throwing cards around, sprinting towards her set traps in a ditch effort, and laughing away whenever she trips and fumbles.
When she stands, she turns to him and waves. The look of her mellow, crimson orbs stop his heart cold.
"How'd I do little champ?" she asks. Her voice and body sweeping away in the wind, only to be heard by him alone.
"Kageru?" Adelia calls, reawakening his senses.
"H-huh?" His startled face looks to her already standing by the doors of the greenhouse.
"Come now. We'll set time to rematch you after we clear a few things. That is, if you somehow feel confident."
He groans at the intended taunt, taking one last look at the arena before hurrying along.
Inside, he is met with the aromatic splendor of various flowers and citrus fruits growing in abundance within the transparent walls. Even as this enclosed space spreads with branches and leaves, the chilling air is only slightly warmer.
Upon moving deeper inside, a familiar face standing around a patch of red berry trees comes to meet them.
"Hi Lia!" Ivy greets, waving. "Oh! Kageru! You're here too?"
The sight of her churns his chest internally. As tempting as it is for him to start firing away his resentment, the very sound of her even replying is the least he wishes to hear right now. Without further words, he impassively returns her enthusiasm with a weakly raised palm for courtesy's sake.
"Good morning Ivy," Adelia follows to whisk away any tension. "Tending to the yews again?"
"You bet," she answers, happily swaying a flowery pail in her other hand. "And I took the liberty of watering everything too. Figured the place could use a little TLC over that drab sprinkler system."
She smiles gratefully. "There is no one else I can depend on to have a green thumb as tender as the Sacred Tree's blessings."
Ivy can only find delight in the praise. She then notices the Hiitan staring hard at the yew trees with a look of discomfort. "Quite a breathtaking garden, isn't it Kageru?" she leads in. "Lia's good taste doesn't just stretch to fish, clothing, and décor you know."
He scoffs. "And growing one of the most poisonous trees found over Miyabi soil is your example of good taste?"
"There's no need to be so overly cautious Kageru," says Adelia. "Though the yews are in fact poisonous, their nectar is a major ingredient for various remedies. Which, by the way, I'm having Ivy treat the injured men with. Not to mention, they make wonderful sweetener."
"Right," he responds skeptically, keeping a close stare on Ivy. "And I'm gonna take a wild guess that this is also what she uses to lace her little sewing pins."
Ivy puts a palm over her jittery mouth. "Yep! And the special compound is used to make my lipstick too." Her tone turns flirtatious and she starts inching closer to him. Their eyes lock, flinching him down while she slowly flaunts her moistened lips. "Did you perhaps… want another taste?"
Her peach complexion, orchid eyes, and lulling voice create a slight attraction pulling him towards her. But as he stares further into the hints of ominous purple in her orbs, he remembers the dread he experienced a few nights back. The cackling of the Traptrix vixens and their ginormous insects, the powerlessness he felt, the near loss of his friend. All it starts to shrink him down.
Having gotten sick, he returns a glare with a clear, ready intent of violence. "You know, I really can't stand annoyingly fast women. How about you back the hell off with that disgusting mouth of yours?"
"That's enough Ivy," Adelia calmly voice cuts in, weighing Ivy down with a hand to her shoulder. "It's early, and you're frightening our guest."
Ivy obeys with no resistance, smiling with a small blush on her cheeks. "Sorry. He is just so adorable when he gets riled up. It's really hard to resist teasing them."
"That he is," Adelia agrees, and they share a girlish giggle. "In any case, I'll be taking him to the glyph room."
Ivy turns to Kageru again. "My, my. You should feel honored. Your first day here and Lia already likes you enough to let you into one of her special places." she says, winking. "Not even the guards are allowed in there. You'll be getting a rare chance look at some mind-blowing stuff about our fun little plot of land."
Adelia heads over to the end of the building, revealing a hidden switch that rotates out a concealed set of stairs leading down below. "This way please," she says, motioning him over. And the two of them walk in.
"See you two at brunch!" Ivy chimes away.
Unease sets in Kageru's chest. This is clearly a secret that no common person ought to know. He swallows hard and goes inside with the hatch closing behind him.
They descend the long chain of stone steps for a good few minutes. The faint glows that mark the otherwise pitch-darkness are eventually accompanied by several bright lamps that spark to life with each advance.
When they finally stop in place, the last set of lights whisks the shrouds of shadows from the room entirely. Before them is a massive archive with shelves of books, various tools, and scrolls scatter over the surfaces of tables and other pieces of electrical equipment. Atop its alloyed floors are thick, branching, root-like wires that all line up to a large display monitor. And at the very center of it all is a power well with a transparent tube.
Kageru peeks through the tube to find several fragmented stones floating inside. Unknown foreign characters inscribe their smoothened surfaces with a fluorescent radiance, identifying them as the source of the faint glows from when they first entered.
"So, these… pile of rocks. What're they for?" he asks.
Adelia explains, "These glyphs are records from an extraterrestrial civilization."
He winces at her, rewinding the ludicrous words he is unsure he hears. "I'm sorry. Did I catch that right?" His continual staring then drops to a chuckling smirk, thinking that perhaps she is simply telling a joke. "Come on. Quit screwing with me already."
Instead, her complexion remains relaxed. All reads of her indicate no traces of lies to him. Nothing but firm sincerity which she coolly confirms saying, "I understand that this is all rather odd-sounding. But, I am indeed serious."
Then the word that cringes him inside, struggling to escape his mouth comes out: "Aliens," he says in a manner testing whether or not she has really gone mental. "You're legit talking about aliens. Crop circles, UFOs, those reptile things that pop outta your chest in the movies. That what you mean? A-am I overthinking this?
"Ah!" His fingers snap at the last logical guess in mind. "You're talking that weird counter spamming archetype, right?"
He receives no quick confirmation.
"Right?" he asks again, with less confident certainty.
Her eyes tilt up from the thought of his stereotypical guesses. "In simple terms, I suppose… yes. Well, minus the mention of that old archetype."
He does not know what to think. Castelle has showcased traces of sadism during their duel. If anything, it is far safer to say that she is likely a typically depressed, drug-addled aristocrat gone out of her mind. The continent already has enough of its own internal problems to handle, with signs of potential Kurenai uprisings added to the list. Knowing all that, the sudden potential of an extraterrestrial invasion could not be any more out of left field.
Having given him a bit to mull it over, Adelia then explains: "To begin, Termina's origins stretches from only a mere several decades. We humans have made incredulous strides since the land's infancy. A great deal of thanks goes to the knowledge and power of our otherworldly ancestors. Much of which are contained within these glyphs."
The phrase otherworldly ancestors pains him to the point of sighing inwardly before asking, "So, there's more of them?'
"Dozens," she answers, approaching the tube containing them. "They are buried deep within the soil and waters of our continent, and are still being excavated in secrecy to this day. As of now, only the four lords, and the rare individuals they deeply trust enough to bestow their contents, know of their existence."
Her hands feel through its surface. "What we have here are but a few from High Lady Noel's vault placed in my care. Some of which were found in Kurenai's molten fissures."
He nods, though still trying to grasp at an understanding. "That valuable huh? What's there to gain from having them?"
"I think you'll have a much easier time digesting all this once you see for yourself." She paces back, and an arcade-like machine raises up from the ground close to the glyph. On its panel are multiple slots and a few sets of buttons. "This chamber is what we use to connect our minds to these glyphs, allowing us to know of their contents. The energies they emit are also what drive our DT disks."
After hitting a few switches and buttons, she asks for Kageru's duel disk. WIth the two in hand, she then removes a set of cylinders found within them. Fitting perfectly in the panel's slots, she inserts them in. The glyphs inside the tube begin to react, their glows brightening greater.
The reaction, while intimidating for Kageru, is a beckoning for Adelia. "Your hand on the panel, please," she asks.
Upon moving next to her, he gazes into its lights with a heavy hesitation from not understanding what the machine or the glyphs even do.
"I don't know Castelle. W-what if I end up screwing something up?... Uh!?" He then feels Adelia laying her hand upon his, its icy warmth clasping and guiding his fingers.
"Just relax," she reassures. The gaze of her icy blue eyes and soft, cold, tightening grip almost calm him down. "Just think of this as a… virtual history lesson. I'll be your tutor on every step of the way. There's no need to fear."
He swallows hard. A second of resolve and their layered palms push the panel to its activation. The world fades to white.
When their eyes recover from the flash, they find themselves no longer inside the glyph room.
Kageru sees finds his body floating over the atmosphere of a different world. He looks to his hands, heart throbbing at the fact that he is unable to physically take hold of anything. Each of his limbs pass through any part of him he tries to feel, as if he has become an ephemeral ghost.
"W-what the hell is going on!?" he asks. "What's happened to me!?"
"Calm yourself," Adelia speaks from behind, hoping that her presence would ease him. "We've merely become observers of a time long past. Look around you."
His attention finally turns to the surrounding area. It is initially a desolate field of hilltops with clear skies. But this only serves as a crossroad, a starting point. Looking at every other direction across the horizon marks an entirely new area, each with its own environment.
Volcanic marshes overtake the south.
Windy forests and deep jungles grow across the east.
Mountains of ice and snow lie up the north, surrounded by a vast ocean.
Rocky plains and deserts spread towards the west.
He finds it hard to believe that this is in fact another world. If anything, it is a land all practically identical to his own. "Termina," Kageru mutters. "This is like Termina."
"Yes and no," Adelia says. "Our continent is made up of several fragmentations that broke off from this world, remnants that would eventually forge a small-scale replica of its origin. What you see here is the genuine article, a planet we have named the Terminal World."
The speechlessness of her visitor more than confirms his inability to deny any further. A swipe of her hand, and she continues showing more and more revelations through the forwarding of the world's time.
They make several stops on each section of the planet to look at the various inhabitants. What they find is no less than another world just as plagued by war as theirs. Then the major players start to come into play, solidifying even more of the parallels between their worlds.
Hailing the north are warriors and sages of frozen winter. "Behold. The ancestors of my Gishki tribe," says Adelia. "The Ice Barriers."
From the east soars a winged tribe who claim dominance over the clouds and lightning shrouding the heavens. "The Mist Valley," she names.
Marching from the west are a fierce mercenary band of master blade wielders. "No way. X-Saber?" Kageru mutters. "They were used by the early DTGC champion, the late Kurogane champion, Victor Roze."
And from the south are the very flame manipulators once used by his sister, which he now commands. "Flamvell."
He watches as all life in the planet led by these four dominating armies clash time and time again, vying for supremacy over the other. Neither show any signs of giving in. As if he is watching a reenactment of those bloody events with the only difference being these extraterrestrial creatures taking the role of humans. The fact that he knows them as the one and the same Duel Monsters cards makes it all the more bizarre.
"Why?" he can only ask. "Even if we are practically living on what? Borrowed land? What difference does it make? Why are we fighting like them?"
Out from him bursts a crazed laughter. "We're mimicking freaking aliens from a freaking card game. All that blood spilled. All just for this? I-is this for real?"
"Not even the glyphs can say exactly why these factions went into battle," says Adelia. "War is a concept unfortunately non-alien to any and all civilizations."
Even as it weighs down on him heavily, Adelia is not finished. She continues forwarding the events.
And just like that, yet another army arises. This time, one actually not from the Terminal World, but an invader. Composed of hideous organisms that are ever-spawning in number, and ever cunning in their evolution compared to the four major tribes, they rampage the planet. With their ferocity, all the four supposedly matchless tribes start to tumble in defeat.
"These are what we call the Worm creatures," Adelia explains. "They were once held to be the greatest threat to this planet. Sequentially, a threat to us as well."
"I don't remember some other outside nation or group being involved in the war. There was nothing but the four powers in Termina. So, is this the major problem you've been referring to?"
"No," Adelia answers. "This threat would eventually fall through the union of these four tribes."
And with that shows him yet another major connection, "The Allies of Justice…."
They watch as the named alliance start to pool their technology and strength of the four tribes together, allowing for the creation of various machines which they then use to combat the invaders. Battle upon battle through their long struggle, they eventually succeed. What follows is an abrupt flash that sends the two back to their world.
Kageru finds relief to be back, though now he is shaking from everything he has witnessed.
"How was it?" asks Adelia. "I know it must be a lot, but did that paint a better picture for you?"
Falling to his knees, he tries to fathom all the numerous paralleling revelations. While given some answers, he is now slammed with an even greater multitude of questions. "So, is this it? The whole point of Project Possessor?"
Adelia nods, further clarifying, "To harness all that is within these mysterious glyphs. Just as we people carry the namesake of the elemental charmers Hiita, Wynn, Eria, and Aussa, we are to utilize the knowledge and power of those legendary tribes. We are to look through their experiences to instill the betterment of our own future… all for the sake of this land."
"The sake of this land…" The words carry a familiar inspiration for him. "That's what Akane use to say. The code of the AoJ… Project Possessor is… an AoJ experiment."
" Correct," Adelia confirms. "As for the mass production of soldiers you mentioned earlier, that was just an abuse of methods solely on Kurenai's part. And that was not the first of their transgressions."
"What do you mean?"
She explains, "Apparently the Hiitan lord before McGee's rule had actually obtained a glyph housing the power of the Worm parasites. Through the development of early DT disk technology, that tyrant sought to use them to take over the continent just the same."
"Now it makes sense," Kageru mutters. "They were testing so many prototypes of those things long before I got into the army. I always wondered if and when they were gonna mass-weaponize them. This is all crazy… I-I gotta be dreaming."
"It's no dream. This is all just as real as it was for Akane Hinodama."
9 years ago.
It is a midnight on the playground. Ten year old Kageru sits atop a slide, backpack cushioning his rear and a handheld game plastered over his gloomy expression. His fingers go through a rhythm as he practices a string of combos from a fighting game out of memory. It is the only other thing he can find himself to do without having to worry about overthinking things.
Then the phone in his pocket rings. He sighs, not finding the mood to answer, hoping that whoever the caller is would just leave a text. Then the thought of his step mother Aoko sends shivers down his spine, prompting him to check. The call is missed, but he tries to return as quick as he can. The device lights to show his home phone number with a recorded voice message.
His insides begin to tremble upon starting it up. He listens in, hearing the unclear whispers of a young woman saying, "At the end of your Battle Phase…"
A clear voice close to him then shouts, "Evenly Matched!" sending him jumping and hitting his backhead on the metal bars.
Akane's head pops out from below, laughing in tears from his freakout. "There you are!" she says. "I've been looking for you all afternoon!"
Upon climbing over, she finds the space littered with empty juice boxes and snack packages, as well as two sets of decks with their cards in a row, showing signs of a duel that he likely played out himself. "Geez! You been here all day lil' champ?"
He continues to rub the back of his aching head. "And what if I was?" he asks, his tone indifferent.
Her arms fold and she flashes a scolding look. She then crouches to his level, slowly aiming her fist to slam at his face.
He shuts his eyes and braces for a solid punch. Instead, he feels a hard finger blow hitting his forehead. "Ow!?" It stings him, but no more than with the discomfort of a snapped rubber band. "Okay! Okay! I wasn't! I walked around town and looked at a few pawn shops before I got here. Happy?"
Her response is a long glare. "Yeaaaaaah, no. Not the point here. Point is you left in, I dunno, the middle of the school day?"
"Whatever you say, Aoko! Like that's any of your problem."
"Uh huh. And if I was ACTUALLY Aoko, you'd be spending every weekend sore at the dojo from being her sparring dummy for a whole month. I mean it. She takes attendance pretty darn seriously."
He folds his arms and puffs his cheeks, looking away.
She takes a deep sigh, knowing full well that he is hiding something. "Come on. Out with them." Her order is initially ignored, but he eventually gives in. She takes his roughened hands, spotting multiple blisters and cuts.
"I heard from Gai and the principal," she says. "So, you got into a spat with the Omokawas' kid and his group?"
"Those morons had it coming. Especially that prick, Tetsu. Just wouldn't leave me alone."
"Alright then." She gives him a focused stare, knowing that he is without match in physical fights. The only way for those kids to really hurt him is through words. "What did they say?" she asks, receiving a stubborn groan. "Kageru."
His eyes sink down and he bites his lower lip. "They said… that you you didn't wanna be near me. That you half-breeds have it bad as it is. He said that you were always gone… Because you didn't want to get mixed up with some Kurenai purebred."
"You should know that's nothing but a bunch of riff-raff," she says. But her reassurance is far from enough.
Sadness sinks him lower. "So, why are you going again? It's been months since you got back, yet you're already leaving after a few days." He knocks her to her bottom and buries himself on her lap. "It's been like this for years now. Aoko is out working most of the day, and Ken visits even less."
She gently strokes his charcoal black hair and whispers, "I'm sorry. I really am. And don't go thinking it's all about you." Her head of orange hair turns up to the dark clouds above them, worry glistening in her scarlet orbs. "Those two haven't seen each other for a long while. And well, it's been… difficult between them.
"As for those brats," she continues. "I guess they miss me too. Tetsu and Gai both."
The shred of understanding fills him with a bit of relief. He then looks back to her and asks, "Didn't you say you used to babysit them?"
"Yep. Before I got into the Pro Duelist League, and well, now the AoJ that is. Free time has just been short is all."
"Why do you bother? Hasn't most of the fighting stopped already?"
"Most. But not all, lil' champ. A lot of troublemakers we got on our hands. Until we can safely say we'll be A-OK for at least some time, I gotta keep at it, you know? If I don't, I wouldn't have you guys to come home to."
A brief silence follows, one that she did not want to end the night on, especially for her time with her kid brother. With a jolly smile and a poke at his nose, she reverts the topic back to her babysitting days.
"You know, Tetsu and Gai were little mess makers back then," she says. "Gai with all his science stuff, and Tetsu whenever he tries to concoct something in the kitchen for his old man's coffee shop. And in your case... well." She points back to his obvious mess.
Embarrassed as he is, he tries to hold a laugh. She follows shortly and they share the moment.
Kageru's confused eyes turn to Adelia, and she proceeds to console him with a hand to his shoulder.
"Though not everyone knows it, your sister was a hero," she says. "She fought bravely alongside her fellow AoJ members, bearing the weight of responsibility bestowed by these visions."
But hearing this only pains him more. "She went through all that and died. Yet this continent is still a damned mess."
"We are still at odds, true, but if not for their actions, that tyrannous lord would have ushered far greater devastation as the Worms did in the other world. I can't even imagine what sort of disaster McGee would have caused back then."
He feels a sharp pain in his head, and rests it over his hands. There is still much he is unsure of, so much still aching him.
"I understand that you desire to know more," says Adelia. "But, while I still have a few other glyphs to use for your own preparation, I am afraid the ones with us do not cover the full tale. The best way to obtain them all would be- "
"The Duel Terminal Grand Conquest," he says. "A wager against the other lords."
Her nod confirms his answer.
"Alright, Castelle… count me in."
Her icy blue eyes gleam, wanting to make sure of his answer. "You've finally decided?"
"Don't get the wrong idea," he answers. "I still have my doubts about you. But I'll be damned if I let Aldebrand's little band take me out before I get a shot at him. Sooner or later I'll get to the bottom of this whole mess."
He then stands up. "You're my only chance. I get it now." And upon saying so, he offers his hand.
She rests a palm on her chest with relief. "I'm honored," she answers, extending her hand as well. And with that, they shake on their newfound agreement as she proudly proclaims, "Let us fight together then, Kageru Hinodama. For the sake of this land."
(AN: Another one down! And I couldn't be any happier with this post! Probably my fastest one yet, and with a lot of improvements that I've noticed on my part since the last chapter. A lot thanks to mah Beta, TLA as always. The feedback I've been receiving has been pretty eye-opening and it's great to see them being implemented. I'll be working on the next chapter, which will probably be a lot less of a hassle, since I am likely having a duel in that one XP.
As for this chapter... Uggh! Why are none duel chapters so freaking hard?! Yes, it's pretty expo heavy. This one ate a lot more of time and energy than I hoped. But it was all worth. Pretty much a culmination of the major plot ideas that I have been trying to figure out since I started this story years ago. I've getting some major brainstorm dots connecting finally, and it's gradually leading somewhere that I can finally say I'm satisfied with.
And yes, in case somehow I haven't made it anymore obvious, the story will follow the events of the YGO 2nd Duel Terminal lore, which I love to death as one of the best card stories in this game since. Of course, the kicker here is that our heroes will have the opportunity to change things thanks to the introduced glyph artifacts, so not everything is gonna precisely is things did in that lore. I leave it to your imaginations to guess more. But of course, I am still exploring it all myself as the story goes on, so I am pretty open to possible suggestions (Maybe. MAYBE I'll consider dropped OCs, since there a few left open slots at this time. We'll get there when we get there).
Writing the Castelle mansion was admittedly quite fun, since I normally don't enjoy writing setting details, and still trying to work them myself. Hopefully what I got here paints a good enough picture for everyone. The details this time around were pretty clear in my head. I guess I've been holding on them for sometime, since I have been waiting to write these reveals for so long.
The added Akane flashback was admittedly a last minute thing to fill space, and I wasn't sure if it would drag anymore, since I personally found more scene transitions than I normally do in my chapters. Personally happy that I did. I felt it necessary as another emotional drive for our MC, and I wanted to showcase more of Akane's character than I originally planned to, and shed a bit of light on the two's personal relationships.
The ending song (if you people love that stuff) this time around will be Day and Night by FELT's lovely own Vivenne. The song is beautiful and it clicks with me whenever I think of Kageru and Akane's moments, and how the former is feeling emotionally. So, I would definitely give that a listen! FELT is a good music circle, and I'll be using more of their tracks throughout the story.
Once the next chapter is done I will be shifting gears to, yet again do some MAJOR touch-ups on the early chapters. I know. I know, my umpteenth time doing so, but I has a Beta now! For the people who do wish to reread them once they are done, I will appreciate that lots, but just to let everyone know, I don't plan on making too much critical changes to the events of those chapters. So, no pressure. Everything should flow practically the same. I only really plan on adding on details, fixing some inconsistencies, and fleshing some stuff out better on top of quality control. This might include adding a flashback scene or two that I feel will just be there to add to the later chapters that mention them. Stuff like that. Just so that the quality matches what I have right now. Hopefully, I also start pulling some more fans afterwards. *crosses fingers*
That's all! Hope y'all look forward to the next chapter! I know I am. It'll be featuring a duel that I have been loooong wanting to showcase for some time now. As always, leave your reviews, feedback, offers to beta, and whatnot. Stay beautiful, and see y'all around!)