Chapter 32: Eyes of the Beholder
To continue from the last chapter:
Haru placed her finger near the edge of her mouth. She tapped her lips, trying to decipher the message on the white card.
"Okay...We all see the words: Death and Rebirth written in bold letters," Haru spoke. Yugo recovered from the impact and rubbed his sore head landing near Haru. The tawny brown-haired girl glanced in his direction before returning to the card.
"We also know someone named Misty Lola dropped this card at my little concert. Therefore, it is possible that she has something to tell us," Naomi suggested. "From both of your reactions, I can guess she is pretty well-known around the Synchro Dimension."
Yugo huffed. "Of course she is! She is Misty Lola; a famous fashion model loved by both Commons and Tops!... Plus, she's beautiful," Yugo blushed at the last sentence. Naomi giggled softly and enjoyed the flustered expression on Yugo's face. Meanwhile, Haru still had her eyes locked on the message. She considered whether to go to this apartment where Misty could be or not go at all.
"Hmm... I say we go to this Misty Lola and see what's up, or else I'm going to be thinking about this all day" Haru stood up. Yugo and Naomi followed suit.
"I don't want to sound like a dumbass, but I hate thinking, especially about nonsense like this."
Without further ado, the trio cleaned up their trash and left the area after a short drive back to the City. The trio-well Haru and Yugo, spent the next minutes arguing about the directions while trying to find the apartment. Luckily Naomi was able to divert their attention and manage to locate the place mainly because the apartment was in a prominent place in the City where anyone could figure out someone famous lived here.
The trio found themselves outside a luxurious building with security guards to prevent any suspicious people and paparazzi from entering the building.
As the trio was about to head towards the building, Haru felt a breeze brush against her back. She whipped her head from side to side to see whose presence she just felt. She knew from her enhanced sense of touch that the presence she felt was indeed a human male.
Haru turned to the group. "Did you guys feel that?" Haru questioned. Naomi shook her head.
"No. But one second, I heard footsteps, and the next second they vanished," Naomi answered.
Naomi knew she had heard those same sounds before, but she couldn't place her finger on where she heard them.
"Maybe they came from a ghost whose soul still lingers in this building. Perhaps they are looking for a place to rest," Naomi thought about the different possibilities of whose footsteps she heard just a little while ago. She came up with several theories about how ghosts tend to linger in an area, especially those who still had regrets preventing them from passing on.
Yugo shuddered and flailed his arms around wildly. "Don't say such weird things with a straight face! It's creepy!"
"If that's the case, let's get this over with! I don't wanna deal with this occult shit any more than I have to!" Haru rushed to the entrance, and as expected, the two security guards prevented Haru from entering the building.
"Excuse me. I have an appointment with Misty Lola, and I would appreciate it if you move out of my way" Haru saw the two men hadn't moved from their positions.
Naomi intervened before Haru caused a huge commotion and prevented them from entering the building. It was already bad enough that bystanders gave them looks filled with disdain and disgust. They even mutter words here and there about how they would take their filthy presence elsewhere. Their existence alone is enough to stain the building's reputation.
While those words are upsetting, Naomi just brushes them off. She is used to hearing those kinds of words, so they didn't bother her. However, Yugo's and Haru's reactions were different from hers. Anger was evident on their faces. They returned the gesture by flipping the bird toward the people who said those derogatory words.
Naomi sighed heavily and took out the card to show to the two security guards. "My friend here is correct. We have an appointment with Misty Lola. We would like to speak to her" Naomi saw the two men still didn't budge and resorted to blocking her path just as they did with her lookalike.
Yugo threw his hands up and groaned. "We just showed these bastards the reason why we're here in the first place, and they still won't let us through! This crap is so stupid!" Yugo complained, huffing.
"Completely stupid," Haru agreed.
She was about to resort to her usual methods of beating the men to a pulp and taking her minions into the building by force. That was until Naomi turned her head, placed her finger on her lips, and shushed the duo.
Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she winked at Yugo and Haru. "Play along," Naomi whispered. She turned her attention back to the two security guards and pursed her lips.
"Do you numbskulls have any idea who I am?" Naomi flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I am the world-famous international idol Nao-chan, and I demand to see this Misty Lola and move on with my life!"
"Hah. Do you know anyone idol by that name?"
"Never heard of her a day in my life."
Naomi clicked her tongue and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Of course, you morons haven't. I debuted roughly around a month ago. Regardless I still made an impact in the City," Naomi replied. "I understand that it may take time for my name to be well-known and all that other nonsense! BUT I still deserve recognition for all the efforts I put in for my skills!"
Naomi stomped her feet and snapped her heads to her two companions. "Isn't that right!"
Haru shakily nodded her head. Yugo gave a lopsided grin. "O-Of course M-Miss Nao. You deserve to be acknowledged. After all, you do work hard," Yugo commented, shaking his head.
"Right. M-Miss Nao just had a gig a while ago, and now she has this appointment with Misty Lola" Haru cringed at how high her voice became but continued with the plan. "Stop causing trouble for her."
While Haru is impressed with her Standard Counterpart's ability to think quickly on her feet, the haughty expression feels unnerving. It was as if Naomi had become another person. Although they have known each other for a short while, Haru feels close to the green-haired girl. They just became boss/minion, after all! She doesn't want Naomi to become like that sadistic bitch. Haru doesn't need another Akemi in her life. One is already painfully enough for her.
Haru shook her head and watched the exchange for a while. Well, it's not like Naomi is like this on purpose. She's just pretending to be this way so they can meet Misty and confront the woman about the message she sent.
Judging from the security guards' frightened expressions, Naomi's plan worked out for them.
"E-Even if what you're saying is true. We can't just let you- "
"Huh! Stop messing around and let us in already!" Naomi snapped, cutting the men off. "I'm not asking for a whole day with the woman! Just a couple of hours will be fine! Or do I have to storm in there to see Misty myself and show how incompetent you morons are?!"
With that, the guards easily complied with Naomi's request to see Misty but only for three hours. Smirking at her victory, Naomi turns to her friends and gives a peace sign, and the two residents of the Synchro Dimension applaud her performance.
"That was impressive, Miss Nao!"
"You gave those rat bastards hell, Miss Nao!"
The yellow-green haired girl bashfully blushed at the praise she was receiving. "It was nothing. It was just something I picked up from Okaa-san during my idol days," Naomi explained. She started to remember whenever she had an interview on the same day as one of her concerts. Her mother would act overbearing and arrogant toward the executives running the shows to ensure Naomi's back-to-back schedule didn't overwhelm her. As a result of Chou's efforts, Naomi would have the rest of the day off.
"That's great, but we still need to find out what room Misty is in, or else our time will be up," Haru mentioned. She motioned to the stares filled with disdain directed at them by the people in the lobby. "And I can bet 1000 yen that none of these people will be willing to help us out."
Yugo clicked his tongue and waved his hand. "Who needs their help anyway?! I'm sure we can find her room all by ourselves!" Yugo threw his fist in the air.
"You do have a point, my minion! I'm sure we can find Misty with our abilities! She won't even have time to blink by the time we do," Haru agreed as she threw her fist in the air. Naomi joined her fist in the mix and added some encouraging words.
"Yes, I'm sure the three of us can do it. I know this will sound corny, but if the three of us are together, we can make it work."
Without wasting any more time, the team split off and gathered information from the people in the lobby as discreetly as possible.
Yugo was sneaking around and stealing food from the tables by hiding underneath the tablecloth. He listened to the crowds near the buffets while chewing on a turkey-grilled cheese sandwich.
"All they have been talking about is pointless crap here and there! But I learned more about the Friendship Cup this year, so that's a good thing... Well, besides the food here, of course," Yugo's eyes sparkled when he saw a table filled with various meat he'd never seen before. Before Yugo realized it himself, he had drool hanging from the corner of his mouth that he didn't even bother to wipe.
"I'm sure Haru and Naomi are doing well on their ends, so I can take a little break from gathering information" Yugo makes his way to the table and takes a beef tenderloin without being spotted. "Yep! I can just sit back and relax before heading back, but for now... Let's dig in!" Yugo happily devoured the meat in his hand down to the very bone before going for another piece on the table.
Meanwhile, Haru used her sensitive touch to locate Misty in the hotel but kept coming up short. "Ugh! This shit is so frustrating!" Haru throws her hand in the air. "I'm sensing more than one adult woman in this place, and it's throwing me off!" She slumps on a pillar in the lobby. She thinks about the people she sensed throughout the hotel and narrows her options.
"Wait a minute... Instead of focusing on adult women in this place, I need to turn my attention to women in their early twenties and see if they are moving around in their rooms," Haru said. She placed her hands on the pillar and closed her eyes to block out the other vibrations resonating throughout the apartment.
Haru concentrated on the specific vibrations ringing under her fingertips. Throughout the tremors, she sensed a particular one that stood out the most. Haru focuses more on that particular one and manages to locate the source. She grinned and pulled away from the pillar.
"Found you sucka!" Haru backflipped, not caring about the stares she was receiving but paused when she hit a stump. "I think?"
Meanwhile, Naomi had the same idea of using her enhanced hearing. She sat on the couch and listened to the other patrons' conversations in the lobby and throughout the building.
Her brows furrowed, and her ears twitched by the voices Naomi heard. And just like Haru, Naomi hit a roadblock in her search.
However, she got an idea. Naomi decided to use the same trick from her idol days and concentrate on the sound waves resonating in the air. She tapped her fingers to the different sounds passing through her ears. She listened to the beats of the various types of music playing simultaneously.
Naomi hummed to the sounds and continued to tap her finger. Her lips twitched when she heard a distinct noise that was different from the others. Yet, it was familiar to the young duelist. This Misty person has the same unique melody as Mai, Jounouchi, and Aki.
But Naomi knew it had to be from somewhere else. She couldn't place her finger on where she had heard this sound before, but the tune still sounded familiar. Nevertheless, she found her target.
The group returned from their search and informed the others of what they found on their end.
Haru's eyes twitched when she saw BBQ sauce on the corner of Yugo's lips. She could instantly tell that the boy was fooling around, and instead of gathering intel, he was stuffing his face.
"Gocchi, when we are done here! I'm slapping the stupid out of you!" Haru seethed, crossing her arms. "You were scarfing down and probably sleeping somewhere instead of finding out what room Misty could be in!"
"D-Don't be stupid! I only stuffed my face after I found out where Misty is!" Yugo retorted.
"Oh yeah, where?!"
"Here in this apartment!"
Both girls looked at Yugo with a blank expression before a look of irritation took over. Haru took a deep breath and calmed down before she started another fight with Yugo. Honestly, if Haru were in his shoes, she would have been slacking off, so she couldn't stay mad at him.
"Okay, that's enough jokes for today," Yugo's face turned grim. He informed the two girls about what he found on his end about the Friendship Cup. After hearing the news, the girls were shocked.
"You can't be serious! How in the name of hell is that friendship!"
"W-Wait a minute! Haru-chan, aren't you surprised that you'll be forced into servitude for the rest of your life if you do lose!"
Haru shrugged nonchalantly. " I'm not surprised, considering how this dimension is so competitive and high risk."
"What I'm even more surprised about is the application process to enter the Friendship Cup. Tsk! People who are deemed worthy can enter a load of crap because the people who are deemed worthy will be the fucking Tops! This brings me to my previous point: how is that considered friendship when the whole tournament is literally named the fucking! Friendship! Fucking! Cup!"
Haru has a good point. Suppose a tournament is named The Friendship Cup. It should mean everyone can enter, so how come certain individuals can participate in the event? It just doesn't seem right.
"Whatever, we will deal with that bridge when the time comes. Right now, we got other business to take care of" Yugo directed the conversation to why they are here in the first place.
Naomi had to take a deep breath herself and find her stability. "Yugo-kun is right. We know what room Misty is in, and let's head over there and not waste any more time than we already have."
Naomi headed over to the elevator, and as the group proceeded up to the fourth floor, the green-haired girl kept her eyes to the ground. Her brain couldn't begin to fathom how Yugo and Haru could easily accept that if they do lose in the tournament, they will do labor for the rest of their lives. Naomi understood that this dimension differed from hers, but it still didn't sit well with her.
"Naomi, I have a feeling of what you're thinking about, and I don't have any words to say to make you feel better" Yugo's voice broke Naomi out of her thoughts.
"I know it's unfair and cruel, but that's the hand that life dealt us. We just gotta make it work out in our favor," Yugo grinned. "Besides, who says we're going to lose anyway! Even if we did, I'm sure we can get out of that mess in no time at all! Stop worrying about the small stuff Naomi!"
Haru joined in. "He's right, my other minion! Life can be harsh and cruel sometimes, but when it does, then we just make it work out in our favor. If it doesn't work out, then we will find another way!" Haru placed her hand on her lookalike's shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze.
Naomi smiled when she saw her two friends bickering again, but this time it was about copying what the other said. She feels more motivated than ever but is still discouraged by what she just heard. Or maybe she's affected by Crow and Shinji landing in jail despite not knowing the two men? Or... was it because she is sending her friends on a one-way trip to the Facility with a 1% possibility of getting out? All this stress is affecting her somewhat stable mental health.
Naomi gave a cramped smile. "I need a duel to take my mind off things, or else I might sulk again."
The elevator stopped on the fourth floor, and the trio got off and headed two rooms down. They're considering how they should approach the woman since they have arrived at their destination.
"We could bust in there and demand why Misty sends us that note."
"We can't do that, Haru-chan. Do you want the guards to alert Sector Security and give them our location so they can arrest us for what we did to their headquarters?"
"Tsk. I say we bomb this hallway, and while everyone is screaming their heads off, we get Misty and take her back to our house. If someone asks, we pin it on someone else," Haru suggested another idea, only for it to get shut down once again.
"The moment we do that, it will not only cause a huge fire but there will be casualties we won't be able to walk away from. We could also be charged with murder and kidnapping and sentenced to the Death Penalty. Do you have any other ideas, Yugo-kun?" Naomi turns to the Speedroid Duelist.
"Can we just knock on the door to see if she's even home? We can just break in and wait for her to come home if she isn't," Yugo proposed.
"Well, it's aggravated assault without the assault part, but at least it's better than kidnapping and the possibility of murder," Naomi agreed as she ignored the sound of Haru clicking her tongue.
"FINE! I just wanted to have fun, but go right ahead if you guys wanted to do things the boring way."
Not even bothering to retort, Naomi knocked on the door. Her brows furrowed when her ears picked up a sound coming from the other side of the door. It was the same sound she heard earlier, but it sounded kind of off for some reason this time.
Regardless Naomi has her guard up. "She's here, everyone. But let's be careful an-Are you two even listening to me?!" Naomi screamed when she saw Yugo and Haru knocking on the door, demanding Misty to come out.
"If she's here, then she needs to hurry up! We are on a tight schedule!" Haru kept pounding on the door.
"Don't worry, Naomi! We'll apologize to Misty for our rude behavior, but Haru's right! We're in a hurry! Answer the door, Misty!" Yugo agreed, slamming his fist against the hardwood.
Naomi stared at her friends in disbelief and clenched her fist. Naomi gritted her teeth and did something she never expected she would do again in her life. Naomi slammed her fist against the loud duo's cheek, crashing them to the ground as they clenched their bruised cheek.
"W-What was that for Micchi?!"
"I think you broke my cheek, Naomi!"
"SHUT UP!" Naomi screeched as she clenched her fist. "STOP DISTURBING MISTY AND THE OTHER PATRONS IN THIS APARTMENT AND CALM DOWN OR SO HELP ME! I WILL SEND YOU TWO FLYING!"
Her rage steadily increases, and her stress from before is piling up. Right now, Yugo and Haru weren't helping in the slightest. On the contrary, they made things worse for the stressed-out yellow-green-haired Duelist.
Haru recovered from the initial shock and stood up on her feet.
"You have some nerve hitting your boss like that, Micchi?!"
"I wouldn't have to if you had just been patient and waited! You have some nerve pushing my buttons like that, Haru!"
"I outta beat some manners into you, Micchi!"
"Oh, please do it, oh, great one! By the way, you have no room to talk about beating manners into people when you don't have none at all!"
Haru snarled and was ready to take out her duel disk to teach her Standard counterpart a lesson. By how hard Naomi is glaring, it seems like she's all ready to release some pent-up aggression as well.
The two girls were ready to duke it out in the hallway until a chuckle prevented them from doing so.
"My, what a lively bunch," an older woman's voice remarked. They turned their heads towards the source and found a tall woman wearing an elegant green and yellow dress and strap-on heels. She had two necklaces worn on her neck. She has long black hair with her bangs parted, revealing a gem tied to her forehead, and she has light blue eyes.
"AH! It's Misty Lola in the flesh!" Yugo's eyes sparkled, and he was captivated by the older woman's beauty.
"Fufu, it's nice to see a young fan who appreciates my work every once in a while," Misty smiled, "thank you very much for supporting me."
Misty winked, turning Yugo into a puddle of goo as he fell to the floor with his eyes turned to hearts. A blissful grin on his visage, muttering how glad he was to be alive at this very moment.
Haru momentarily snapped out of her stupor to check on her friend. She was relieved to see he was still breathing though she was concerned when she heard his heartbeat beating rapidly.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you, but I would like to welcome you into my suite" Misty invited the young trio into her residence. Haru's and a now conscious Yugo's eyes sparkled even more by seeing the inside of the famous model's home. The apartment was like those places you've seen in magazines about homes and decor. The duo wastes no time entering the young woman's home and making themselves comfortable on her couch.
Misty chuckled at the duo's silliness before turning her attention to Naomi.
"You're not going to join your friends," Misty questioned. Naomi snapped out of her stupor and excused herself before stepping into the residence.
Unbeknownst to her, her green eyes had a tinge of brown color, and her birthmark shone a gold-yellowish color.
After settling in their designated spots on the couch, Misty offered the trio some cold-brewed iced tea and different kinds of tea sandwiches. The strangest thing that happened was the sandwiches were almost gone because of Naomi's abnormal, newfound appetite instead of Yugo and Haru eating the snacks. Speaking of the tawny brown-haired girl, Haru was just sitting in her spot, dozing off now and then. She was feeling alright moments ago, but now she feels exhausted.
Before Haru could rest her eyes, she had to find out why Misty had sent them that message earlier.
"So Misty...why did you... send us that message earlier?" Haru asked. "About Death and Rebirth. What's up with that?"
Misty chuckled. "Why, it's because of the reading I received from the look on your friend's face. Speaking of, you also give me the same reading as well," Misty answered truthfully. "You see, I am gifted with the ability called physiognomy, allowing me to predict one's future just by reading their face."
"I can assure you that my predictions are 100% accurate and inevitably will come true," Misty clenched her hands, resting on her lap. "No matter how often we want to change our loved ones' tragic fate. The results will always end up the same... every single time."
Memories of burning buildings, houses, and trees resurfaced. The smell of blood lingered in the air. The maniacal laughter still resounds in her mind as if it was mocking her. The woman's hands trembled as she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
Naomi, Yugo, and an exhausted Haru noticed the action but didn't speak about it out of respect. "Alright, if that's the reading you got from Harucchi and me, then what's Gocchi's reading?" Naomi asked, leaning back on the sofa, crossing her arms over her chest.
Yugo blinked at the name coming from Naomi's mouth. It was unusual for the yellow-green-haired girl to call him what Haru usually calls him.
Haru was dozing off and fell asleep on the couch without a care in the world to make even matters stranger. Yugo raised his eyebrow and rubbed his face.
"Maybe I'm just hallucinating. Must be from hopping to dimensions back and forth," Yugo muttered. He then stuttered when he felt Misty's hands on his face, and her face was too close to his now burning red face as steam came out of his ears.
"Strange. I see the same phrase coming from this boy, but the context is worded differently... The king shall rise again" Misty lowered her eyes and released her hold on Yugo's face.
Naomi scoffed. She rolled her green-brownish eyes and huffed. She didn't know why, but she felt irritated for some reason. It was like her chest was on fire.
All Naomi wanted to do right now was wipe the stupid grin off Yugo's face. "Stupid Minion... Flirting right in front of your boss like that," Naomi muttered before blinking at what she said. "Minion...boss?"
"I heard those words from a long time ago. Yes, precisely 34 years ago, a man named Zarc called himself the Supreme King Dragon during the tournaments. He rose to the top with his dueling and became the World Duel Champion," Misty recalled. "My…late brother Toby was a huge fan of his when he was still alive. He always enjoyed watching Zarc perform before that day happened...!"
Misty gripped her cup tightly enough to cause a crack down the center. The tea spilled on the floor, but Misty didn't care about the mess she'd just made.
The atmosphere was heavy. Yugo and Naomi couldn't say anything. At this moment, Yugo wished Haru was awake to say something to get rid of this dreadful atmosphere. But alas, the usual energetic girl was sleeping peacefully on the couch.
"I'm sorry that happened to you," Yugo said.
"Don't apologize for that man's despicable actions," Misty replied, her words coming out harsher than she intended to be. "Forgive me for my rudeness. I have no right to snap at you like that. Just remembering that man and the pain he brought always makes me remember the sadness he'd inflicted on my brother and me. I always had someone to help me with my trauma of those awful memories. But due to unfortunate circumstances, he is no longer here."
Misty reminisced about her significant other. He's a friendly person yet seems standoffish at times. He could never take things seriously, yet he always gave it his all when it came down to it. Whenever she felt traumatized by her past, he would always cheer her up by serenading her with his guitar. He would hold her until she fell asleep without having a single nightmare throughout the rest of the night.
Just remembering her beloved made Misty give a smile, one full of happiness. "I apologize for rambling about myself. Let me clean up the mess I made."
"No! No! My face made you remember the horrifying things you went through! I'll clean this mess up!" Yugo offered. He bends down to pick up the broken pieces off the floor.
He went into the kitchen to dump the pieces in the trash can, and just as he was going to get a rag to clean the floor, he stopped when he saw two pictures on Misty's counter.
One was with her and a tall, young man with spiky silver hair and pale skin. He has heterochromia eyes- silver and purple. He had his arm wrapped around Misty's shoulder, and the two had smiles on their faces. But the other picture made Yugo stop breathing. The other picture was of a young boy with brown hair and light-blue eyes, the same color as Misty's eyes. Standing next to him was a man with gray hair and light green-haired highlights. He has yellow eyes. But that wasn't what made Yugo stop breathing. It was the man's face.
Although the man's face looked a bit older, his face bore a striking resemblance to him and his other lookalikes. Yugo's vision became blurry as he fell to the ground sweating profoundly. He started to breathe heavily and clenched his jumpsuit as if his heart was going to jump right out of his chest.
Yugo shut his eyes and fought back against the shards of pictures enveloping his mind.
He saw a woman with long maroon and dark red hair tied in hair clips, reprimanding him harshly as she pulled his ear...
Another woman, but this time, had long purple hair smiling at him as she leaned on his shoulder and she held his hand...
Their bangs shrouded their faces...
The next image Yugo sees is two pairs of small hands grabbing his large ones.
Just as Yugo was about to touch the hands... The image changes to one where the whole City is covered in flames.
He heard screams in the distance... He sees multiple people who were severely injured or killed... He feels a crimson substance on his gloves... He smells the burning ash lingering in the air... Yet, despite all of this, he tastes the sweet flavor of victory in his mouth.
"You sense it too, right? That's right, Yugo. Enjoy all of this while you can... But fear not. This will all be yours as long as you keep winning." A voice cooed. A purple dragon with red eyes beckoned Yugo as it soon shape-shifted into a man much older than him.
"Rise to the top, and everything you wish for will all be yours..."
Yugo's eyes shot open, and he clenched his chest. His heart was still beating fast. But soon, he calmed himself down and looked at his surroundings. He was still back at Misty's apartment.
Yugo let out a relieved sigh, found what he was looking for, and returned to the room where the others waited for him.
Unbeknownst to him, a shadow was grinning maliciously.
Naomi watched Yugo clean the tea stain off the carpet as she scratched her birthmark. For some reason, it was pulsing. While the pain was irritating and unbearable, she didn't care about that. She wanted to know what happened to Yugo while he was going to get the rag. Better yet, why did she see a shadow hovering over him? It made her skin crawl just by looking at the shadow. But as much as she wants to find out what exactly happened to Yugo. There was something Naomi had to do with Misty first.
Naomi took her Deck out and placed it on the table.
"Mistycchi! I challenge you to a duel!" Naomi declared. "I feel you have a lot on your chest you need to let out! So, let's use this duel to release some pent-up stress!"
"Dueling is a way for duelists to connect to each other and communicate our feelings when we don't know the right words to say. Sure, I don't know what exactly you've been through, but regardless I still want to know more about you. Let's duke it out until one of us is feeling satisfied!"
Misty's eyes widened, then narrowed. She took out her Deck and placed it on the table with a smile.
"Very well. I have to warn you, though. Back in my day, I used to be a very skilled duelist before I retired and became a model," Misty warned.
Naomi smirked. "That's fine by me. I like a good challenge."
The two female duelists drew their opening hands.
"DUEL!"
Naomi Kobiyashi vs Misty Lola; 4000 LP Each, H:5 Each
Turn 1
"I will take the first turn," Naomi declared. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card 'Madolche Salon' to gain an additional Normal Summon this turn. Next, I summon Madolche Magileine, and via her effect, I add the Tuner Monster Madolche Mooilk, which I Special Summon to my field."
A small girl with purple hair wearing a purple dress had a witch hat on while holding a fork in her hand.
Earth/level 4/Spellcaster/Effect/ATK 1400/DEF 1200
Next to her was a white-haired girl wearing a cow-like pattern dress. She had brown horns holding a tray in her hands.
Earth/Level 3/Beast/Tuner/Effect/ATK 1000/DEF 800
"I tune Level 4 Magileine to Level 3 Mooilk!" The white-haired girl turns into rings and passes through Magileine, turning her into stars.
"The humble nature of the turtle who suddenly shows its creation of land! Synchro Summon! Level 7 Naturia Landoise!"
However, the Synchro Monster didn't appear on the field, much to Naomi's surprise. Blinking, Naomi scratched her cheek and tilted her head. "Wait, I don't even have that monster in my Extra Deck, so why did I say that?"
Naomi coughed. "I apologize for that...Er... What I mean is the sweet Empress of the magical's dolls! Bring joy and peace to your kind! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 7, Madolche Vanilla Empress!"
This time a white-haired woman with brown eyes is wearing a white dress with blue and red frills at the bottom. She had blue ribbons around her wrist and wore white heels covered with sweets at the bottom. She wields a pair of twin swords with dark chocolate handles.
Earth/Level 7/Fairy/Synchro/Effect/ATK 2500/DEF 2100
Naomi scratched her cheek bashfully and blushed. Ever since she stepped into this apartment, she's been acting strange. It was like someone else inside her body had taken control of her.
"Moving on, I summon Madolche Butlerusk." A small male figure is wearing a black colored suit and holding a teacup in his hands.
"When Butlerusk is Normal Summon, I can add the Field Spell: Madolche Chateau, which I will now activate! When this card is activated, all Madolche Monsters in my Graveyard are shuffled in my Deck, and all Madolche Monsters on the field gain 500 ATK and DEF."
Naomi took one of the two cards in her hand and placed it on the table. "I activate the Spell Card 'Madolche Present' I send Butlerusk to the Graveyard to draw two cards."
Butlerusk bowed his head and disappeared from the field, leaving a 3000 ATK Vanilla Empress in the small land of sweets.
Naomi drew her two cards and placed them on the table. "I set three cards face-down and end my turn."
"A monster with 3000 ATK and a nice back-row. You control a monster with a high ATK, yet you are still conscious about it being destroyed, leaving you defenseless. It seems like there's truly another person joining us in our battle," Misty observed. "Fufu... Let's enjoy this duel to its full extent."
She drew her card and picked up a card from her hand.
Turn 2
H:5-6
"My turn! I summon Ipiria" Misty summoned a small blue lizard with gray hair with a mustache on its face on her side.
Earth/Level 2/Reptile/Effect/ATK 500/DEF 500
"Now, due to Ipiria's effect, I can draw one card. Next, when I control at least one monster, I can target Vanilla Empress to change her ATK to 0 and Special Summon the Tuner Monster Reptiless Hydra from my hand."
Suddenly Vanilla Empress slowly turned to stone. Soon after, a young girl with a snake body on her lower half arrived.
Dark/Level 2/Reptile/Tuner/Effect/ATK 0/DEF 0
"Due to Hydra's effect, I take damage equal to the targeted monster's ATK" Misty winced from the bite from Hydra but recomposed herself.
Misty:4000-2500=1500 LP
"Now, I activate Reptiless Charybdis' effect from my hand since I took damage due to Hydra's effect. I can Special Summon this card! Come Reptiless Charybdis!"
Following Misty's command, a blue-haired serpent woman with tendrils protruded from her back.
Dark/Level 4/Reptile/Effect/ATK 1300/DEF 0
Misty smirked. "Charybdis' additional effect activates! Now you take damage equal to the damage I took from Hydra's effect!"
Charybdis shot acid toward Naomi, who flinched from the damage. Fortunately for her, since the field's size was small, the damage she took was meager.
Naomi:4000-2500=1500 LP
"I thought it was fishy when you took 2500 points of damage and acted like it was nothing. But I can guess Charybdis has another effect when she deals damage this way," Naomi noted.
"Of course. I gain LP equal to the damage I inflicted to my opponent," Misty answered. She was covered in a green aura, and soon her LP returned to 4000.
"Misty just began her turn, and she managed to turn the tide of the duel with just two cards. As expected of a former duelist. Her skills haven't dulled since our last encounter," Yugo observed with a serious expression before blinking. "Huh. Where did that come from?"
"Next, I tune my Level 4 Charybdis to Level 2 Hydra! Woman of the ancient snake of the earth! Revive in this land and fight! Synchro Summon! Descend! Level 6 Reptiless Lamia!"
An older and more horrifying version of Hydra replaced the two women. All six of Lamia's heads start to hiss at the sight of their prey.
Dark/Level 6/Reptile/Synchro/Effect/ATK 2100/DEF 1500
"Because of Charybdis' effect when she was sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material, I can draw one card" Misty drew her card. "Now, when Reptiless Lamia is Synchro Summoned, all monsters you control with 0 ATK is destroyed!"
All eyes belonging to six of Lamia's heads began to glow and soon sent a shockwave toward the frozen Vanilla Empress.
"I activate my Trap Card 'Madolche Song' during this turn. All Madolche Monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects!" Naomi shouted as a shield protected her monster.
"Nice play. But it won't be enough to save you from defeat," Misty commented. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card 'Solidarity' since I only have Reptile-Type Monsters in my Graveyard. All monsters I control gain 800 ATK!"
Reptiless Lamia's ATK rose to 2900 while on Naomi's field. She only controlled Vanilla Empress with 0 ATK, who remained a stone statue.
"Battle! Reptiless Lamia attack Vanilla Empress!" Misty declared an attack. Reptiless Lamia's eyes shined, and all six heads shot acid out of their mouths.
"I activate Vanilla Empress' additional effect! I banish Madolche Butlerusk from my Graveyard so she can gain his 1500 ATK! In addition, I activated the Trap Card 'Ground Capture' now the Battle Damage is cut in half, and remember, due to Madolche's Song, she can't be destroyed during this turn!" Naomi protected her monster from the acid that turned smaller and flinched from the droplets hitting her hand.
Naomi:1500–700=800 LP
"You saved yourself yet again. I have to say I'm impressed by your instincts or, better yet, the two of your combined instincts when it comes to escaping situations just like this one," Misty complimented the yellow-green-haired girl before her eyes shifted over to Haru, who was still sleeping on the couch.
"I set three cards face-down and end my turn" Misty finished her turn. "Now it's your turn."
Naomi scowled and analyzed the table in front of her. "I have a 0 ATK Vanilla Empress of my field and no cards in my hand. Mistycchi has three set cards, a 2900 ATK Reptiless Lamia on her field, and one card in her hand. If she draws a monster to change the tide of the duel, she can attack and win. Shit!" Naomi clenched her fist. "I need to... gain a good solid defense to survive when Misty's turn comes again."
Someone else was telling her to go on the offense and take the risk in her mind. Naomi is the type to trust her instincts in situations like this, but who can she trust when there are two different options yelling at her?
Naomi smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever, I'll just wing it."
Turn 3
H:0-1
"My turn! Draw!" Naomi looked at her card. "Let's start the counterattack! First, I activate the Spell Card 'Fairy's Bet' I tribute Vanilla Empress to draw two cards. If the drawn cards are monsters, I send them to the Graveyard; however, I get to add it to my hand if it's a Spell or Trap Card!"
Naomi drew her card and inspected them.
"I send Madolche Jeldoggo to the Graveyard. I get to add the Spell Card 'Magical Dolls Fusion', which I now activate! I shuffle Vanilla Empress and Jeldoggo back to their respective decks to Fusion Summon a Madolche Monster!" Jeldoggo and Vanilla Empress briefly appear on the field before fusing in a spiral.
"Empress of pure sweets! Energetic fluffy dog! Combine your powers into a new kind of hope! Fusion Summon! Descend! The knight of the magical dolls! Madolche Devil's Knight!"
From the spiral, a red-haired male with white eyes wearing a suit of armor, with black cake at the ends of his torso. He wields a gigantic javelin with a peppermint handle in his hand.
Earth/Level 8/Warrior/Fusion/Effect/ATK 2500/DEF 1500
"Through Devil's Knight Effect, all Madolche Monsters I control gain 800 ATK and DEF! With Madolche Chateau in play, he gains an additional 500 ATK and DEF!"
Devil's Knight's ATK and DEF changed to 3800 ATK and 2800 DEF.
"Now, Madolche Salon's effect second effect activates! When a Madolche Card from my Graveyard or Field is returned to my hand or Deck via a card effect, I can set a Madolche Spell or Trap directly from my Deck!"
Naomi looked through her Deck and chose a card as she placed it on her field. She shuffled her Deck and put it back on the table.
"Battle! Devil's Knight attack Reptiless Lamia!" Naomi entered her Battle Phase.
She flipped over a card on her side of the field. "Before you activate any of your set cards, I activate my Trap Card 'Doll's Play' to prevent you from activating any monster's effects, Spell Card, and Trap Cards during this battle! However, you can activate them when it's the End Phase!"
A soundwave shot down, striking all three of Misty's faces, and preventing her from activating them. Soon after, Devil's Knight shot his weapon across the table, hitting the six-headed serpent woman in the chest, instantly killing her.
Misty winced from the pain, her smile never leaving her face.
Misty:4000-900=3100 LP
"With that, I end my turn," Naomi concluded her turn. Sweat dripped on the side of her face.
"I only managed to make a dent in her LP. If I hadn't activated my Trap Card, I would have been in more of a jam than I'm already in. She's not liked any duelist I've faced before," Naomi muttered. "Not only gives off the same sound as Dr. Aki, Jounouchi-san, and Mai-san had. But she's powerful just like them..." She wiped the sweat off her temple, revealing a savage grin.
"Just the way I like it!"
Turn 4
H:1-2
"Then it would be rude of me to disappoint you. My turn! Draw!" Misty announced. She glanced at her drawn card and smiled.
"I release Ipiria to Advance Summon Reptiless Medusa from my hand," Misty said. A light green-skinned woman with purple attire and purple snakes in her hair replaced Iprira.
Dark/Level 6/Reptile/Effect/ATK 2200/DEF 800
"I activate my set card 'Ghost From the Past' I banish Ipiria and Lamia from my Graveyard to target Devil's Knight to change his ATK to 0 until the end of this turn" Misty flipped one of her face-downs. The Trap Card blasted ghosts heading towards Devil's Knight, rendering him powerless as he fell to the ground.
Just as Misty went into her Battle Phase, Naomi prevented her from doing so.
"Not so fast! I banish Doll's Play to shuffle Magical Dolls Fusion back to my Deck to shuffle all cards you control back to your Deck!" Naomi countered. A tornado shot from the Graveyard zone and took every card from Misty's field as the woman shuffled her Deck.
"Naomi was able to wipe out her field completely. Yet how come Misty doesn't look worried in the slightest?" Yugo said. He noticed no change in the woman's expression.
"That won't be enough to stop me. Naomi Kobiyashi and Haru Kobi, you two only stopped one of my attacks. However, I still have many other ways to achieve victory" Misty placed her drawn card on the field. "Let me show you what I mean by that."
"When my opponent controls a monster, I can Special Summon Reptiless Typhon from my hand."
Appearing from the field was a black-skinned serpent woman wearing a red dress.
Dark/Level 7/Reptile/Effect/ATK 2500/DEF 1200
"Usually, when Reptiless Typhon is Normal or Special Summoned, Madolche Devil's Knight ATK is changed to 0. However, because Ghost From the Past's effect is still active, there is no need for that. However, I can still do this," Misty snapped her fingers. Soon Typhon started to whistle and shake her body, causing Reptiless Hydra and Charybdis to appear again, but this time, they were turned to stone. Each women's ATK was changed to 0.
"I tune my Level 7 Typhon to Level 2 Hydra! Goddess of snakes! Descend in this palace and purify the world! Synchro Summon! Level 9 Reptiless Manasa!" Misty chanted, taking Typhon and Hydra's place was an older, more horrifying version of Naja.
Dark/Level 9/Reptile/Synchro/Effect/ATK 2700/DEF 1800
"When Reptiless Manasa is Synchro Summoned, I target Typhon to gain LP equal to her combined ATK and DEF! Therefore, I gain 3700 LP" Misty recovered her LP to 6800, causing both junior youths' mouths to gasp in surprise.
"That's not all. I activate Manasa's effect by tributing Charybdis. I can Special Summon a Reptile-Type Monster from my Deck, ignoring its summoning conditions. I choose to Special Summon Reptiless Vasuki through this effect!"
Replacing Charybdis, this time was a pale-skinned woman with four arms holding a flower in her hand. Her lower body was a snake tail.
Dark/Level 8/Reptile/Effect/ATK 2600/DEF 0
"With just one card, Misty managed to summon two powerful monsters while recovering her Life Points. She didn't just change the tide of the duel..!" Yugo muttered. "She had it in her hands this entire time!"
Naomi was stunned by the revelation. She didn't deny Yugo's words. Before the duel started, Naomi knew she would be at a complete disadvantage. But not to this degree.
This sensation feels oddly familiar. Naomi knows she dueled someone whose skills are just like Misty's no- probably even more incredible than hers. The memory was cloudy, but Naomi can vaguely remember she dueled a mysterious woman who used a Deck that relied on sending monsters to the Graveyard and banishing cards.
When Naomi tried to remember the strange dream before her whole life changed, all hairs on her back started to rise. Haru stirred in her sleep as her brows furrowed, and she hugged herself to stop herself from shivering. Yugo noticed the action and placed his hand on Haru's shoulder.
"Oi! Wake up, Haru! You're missing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here!" Yugo yelled, placing both hands on the unconscious girl's shoulder and shaking her back and forth, hoping it would wake her up. He even considered slapping Haru across the face to wake her up. Knowing full well he will get a punch in retaliation.
"Maybe she'll let me off the hook if I offer to buy her ramen later," Yugo muttered, cracking his knuckles. But before he could, a chuckle stopped him.
"With this, you're finished. Reptiless Manasa destroy Madolche Devil's Knight!" Misty declared. Reptiless Manasa lunged toward the opposing monster digging her fangs into Devil's Knight's neck, turning him into stone. Then she smashed the stoned monster into pieces as the small chucks landed on Naomi. She flinched at the pieces hitting her hand.
Naomi:800-2700=0 LP
The monsters vanished from the table as Naomi's eyes returned to their normal yellow-green color. At the same time, Haru's tawny brown eyes shot open. She jumped off the couch, doing a backflip, landing on her hands.
"RED HOT!" Haru bellowed, lowering her legs till they touched the floor.
"What the hell?!" Yugo exclaimed with bulging eyes. "You were passed out moments ago, and now you're doing flips! What the hell did you drink for breakfast this morning?!" Yugo asked.
"Hot chocolate," Haru responded. With that answer, the two start arguing. Misty and Naomi witnessed the brawl with amusement evident in the former eyes.
Naomi looked at her left arm. "What was that? It wasn't like that when Yuki-san took over my body. This time it was almost as if Haru-chan and I became one... except this time, I was pulling the strings," Naomi recalled under her breath.
"Another strange incurrence that involved me and my counterpart. I wonder if I can do this again, but this time with Akemi," Naomi thought about her Fusion counterpart. Although when they first met, Naomi was frightened by her because of the malicious intent Akemi emitted. But there was also a strange sound coming from the girl Naomi had heard before but couldn't place her finger on it.
"That was an exciting duel. I look forward to dueling you again in the Friendship Cup" Misty smiled. "Don't worry. I will apply all three of your names so you can also participate."
The group was delighted when they heard those words, especially Haru and Yugo, who hugged each other and jumped with joy. Naomi giggles at her friend's silliness.
"You're the best, Mistycchi/Misty!" Both Synchro counterparts praised the woman bowing at her feet. As they repeatedly said their praises.
"I don't mind. This is the least I can do for you guys. Before you head out, I will pack up some snacks for you to take home" Misty stood up and went into the kitchen.
"Hell Yeah! Not only do we get to bring gifts to Martha and the other kids in the orphanage! But we also get to participate in the Friendship Cup!" Yugo cheered with stars in his eyes.
"Hell, we might even get to see Crow and Shinji if Micchi's friends can pull through on their end," Haru mentioned.
"They will. I am sure they will free Crow and Shinji in the Facility. This time, Yugo-kun and Yuya-san can meet to clear up the misunderstanding between Yuto and Yugo-kun," Naomi said. Her face didn't have any doubt. That was enough to convince Haru and Yugo to place their faith in Yuya and the others.
The group wrapped their snacks in green cloth and placed them in their hands. They each said their goodbyes, and just as they were about to head out the door, Haru and Naomi were stopped by Misty holding them by their shoulders.
"Keep an eye out for Yugo," Misty warned.
"Huh?"
"Why?"
"I'm sure you both noticed a shadow looming over him before our duel. The same shadow that will cause the king to rise again. If it does, then the calamity that occurred 34 years ago and the disaster that happened 31 years ago will happen again. If you don't want to lose your loved ones just like how I lost Toby, then you must stop the shadow from rising."
With those words, Misty released her hands and closed the door, taking in each girl's bewildered expression. Misty sighed and sat down on her chair. She heard a ringing sound and went into the kitchen to answer the phone.
"It's been a while since we last spoke to each other, Aki Izayoi."
Back to where the trio were_
Haru was walking behind Yugo, clenching her fists. From what Yugo told her, Naomi started to act like her, and for a split second, he saw her dueling instead of Naomi even though she was asleep on the couch. At first, she didn't believe him because there was no way she would be asleep, missing the duel of her lifetime. But she remembered that Yugo could not tell a lie to save his own life, so she was furious with herself. But it wasn't just that.
She's worried about what Misty said concerning Yugo and this weird shadow hovering over him.
Haru felt something was wrong with him, and it made all of the hairs on her neck rise just by looking at Yugo, which was the first for her. She didn't want to brush this off as an itch.
"Oi Gocchi!" Haru called. She successfully made Yugo look at her. "If something is troubling you, you know you can come to talk to me. I know you're probably still depressed about Rincchi and everything else. Still, whatever happens, I will always be there for you."
"You told me years ago that I can always count on you because you're not just my minion, but my friend. Can't you do the same thing... After all, I am your boss and friend" Haru finished her speech as she unclenched her hands. She felt the tension ease out of her. She placed her hands behind her head and sped up her pace.
"Haru!" The girl stopped her movements and turned around slightly.
"Thanks, Haru. Something weird happened earlier today, and I already had a lot on my plate. I may be feeling sick, but when I do feel better, I promise I will tell you everything," Yugo responded. He gave a thumbs-up, which Haru returned before running towards the elevator.
Haru sensed the strange sensation from Yugo disappeared for a brief moment. It made her grin, and she jumped while punching the air. Although it wasn't gone completely, it's still better than nothing.
When the group exited the elevator, they were escorted out by Security. As expected, Yugo and Haru huffed, flipped the bird, and returned to their rides with Naomi in tow, apologizing again for her friend's actions.
"I still want to visit Martha and the other brats. Is that alright with you guys?" Haru asked.
"Yeah, I don't mind," Yugo replied, starting his engine.
"Wherever my boss goes, I will follow," Naomi responded, holding the handles in a hard grip. For once, Haru didn't say anything and started her ride. The trio takes off away from the building.
Naomi briefly looks at the setting sun illuminating the sky with its warm colors and remembers her actions moments ago. She doesn't have any slight idea why she started to act like her Synchro Counterpart. But she has a clue about why it happened.
"The last time this happened was during my match with Izumi-san, then my birthmark is the cause as usual. Shortly before Yuki-san took over my body, I felt helpless because of how skilled Izumi-san was at the time," Naomi theorized. "This time, it was because I was frustrated with the current situation concerning Crow and Shinji and what's happening with Yuya-san and the others. I wanted to lash out, and I did towards..."
Naomi glanced at Haru. She opened her mouth, "Haru-chan, I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. I definitely shouldn't have hit you and Yugo-kun. Especially when you're still worried about your foster brothers," Naomi apologized.
There was silence in the area, excluding the sounds of the engines and tires running. It was unbearable to Naomi until she heard the sound of laughing coming from the driver.
"It seems like you'll be a worrywart for the rest of your life. But that's a good trait to have," Haru commented. Naomi's cheeks tinge pink from embarrassment.
"Y-You—!" Naomi cried, pouting.
"Micchi... You know what you said about following me wherever I go. When you said that, it made me happy. It reminded me what Rincchi said years ago, just around the time when Pearson was murdered," Haru mentioned. She remembered that day like it was yesterday.
Four Years Ago_Somewhere in the Commons Slums_
Haru was breathing heavily. Blood dripped from her mouth, nose, and hands. In front of her was a pile of bodies across from each other with multiple injuries ranging from broken ribs to broken jaws.
This was the fourth gang fight Haru had been in ever since she received the news about Pearson's death. A month has passed since then but a month was all it took. Since then, Haru lashed out and started to fight gang members to unleash her pent-up anger.
She didn't know where to direct her anger at. Should she be angry with herself for not being there for her foster father? She wasn't sure. Was she mad at the sick bastard that killed Pearson? Of course, she wanted to find the bastard and kill him. Simply as that.
Unfortunately, she didn't have any clues other than that it was some no-good punk on the streets, so that's where she started her search and proceeded to beat the everlasting life out of any gang members she came across, which led her to her current situation.
Amid her thoughts, she didn't notice Rin was behind her. The short-length aqua-green-haired girl panted as she finally found her friend. She grimaced when she saw the gruesome sight in front of her. She forced the bile down her throat when the smell of blood lingered in the air for far too long than it should have.
Rin steeled herself and carefully approached Haru. To be honest, Rin was shocked to see this side of her childhood friend. While Haru's reaction to Pearson's death is understandable, it was still frightening to see Haru so passive-aggressive. It wasn't like her at all.
"H-Hey Haru, let's go home. Yugo and Martha are worried... We shouldn't keep them waiting any longer for us to come back," Rin said. She placed her hand on Haru's shoulder and was shocked by how much the brown-haired girl was trembling. Her posture was tense, and she seemed ready to explode at any given moment giving the right trigger.
"Haru... Let's go home. I'll fix your favorite dinner for tonight and run a hot bath," Rin pleaded. "So please, Haru, let's go home where everyone is waiting for us."
When Rin saw Haru still didn't budge from her spot, she gritted her teeth and slapped Haru across the face. She grabbed Haru by her shoulders and yelled in her face, not caring if her voice came out unsteady.
"SNAP OUT OF IT! YOU'RE OUR BOSS, RIGHT?! YOU NEED TO BE STRONG AND LEAD US! IF YOU CAN'T, EVERYONE ELSE WON'T KNOW WHICH STEP THEY SHOULD TAKE!"
Rin shook a stunned Haru back and forth. "Please, Haru! I—No, We need you to lead us... Please be the boss who minions will follow to the ends of the earth with..." Rin trembled. "No matter what happens, I will always stay by my boss' side. I will follow you no matter where you'll end up, even if it means someday, you'll go to hell, then I'll go to hell with you."
For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence.
"Then stop me before that happens. If I end up in a situation or fight that will be too hard to handle on my own, then I will need my minions to put me back in my place and fight alongside me...!" Haru's eyes shone as her dull look was replaced with ones filled with light.
Rin's eyes widened when she saw the familiar gleam in her friend's eyes, and she smirked.
"Of course, boss. I will have to give you a beating if you just happen to give up before the fight begins, and when I'm finished, I'll fight alongside you!"
Flashback Ends_Present Time_
"During that time, I had to forcefully accept my foster father's death, but it seems I didn't completely accept it. I lashed my anger out at other people. When I was done, I went home to wash the blood away every time I did it," Haru recalled the heart-wrenching moment in her life. It was a dark place at the time.
Initially, Haru was upset, and soon, her sadness turned into anger. But instead of throwing outbursts, she became silent and more ruthless than ever.
Luckily for her, Rin was there to snap her out of her psychotic state and remind her of her role as the boss in their group.
"That day, Rincchi reminded me of what it truly means to be a boss," Haru said. "I know being a boss is all about barking orders and commanding their minions to fight for them. But now I realize it's more than that. A boss isn't just a leader. A boss abides by their minion's whims. Grant their every wish. Make sure they're safe. Make sure they're happy. Take every hit the enemy throws at them and get back up if they fall. They can never back down, or else their minions will lose faith in them."
"If I can't even do one of those things, I can't truly call myself your boss," Haru looked at the sky. She turned her head slightly toward her Standard counterpart and smirked, enjoying the stunned expression on her face.
"Do you know what your duties as my minions are?"
Naomi shook her head. She was too baffled by Haru's words, but Haru soon spoke again.
"All I need you guys to do is keep me in line, argue with my ideas, and yell at me if I get too over my head. That's why Micchi, I'm glad you told me what I did to piss you off, including talking back to me instead of letting me do whatever I wanted. It reminded me of Rincchi."
"Whenever I do something ridiculous like start gang fights or wanted to do my stunts, she always pulls my ear and yells at me. So, thanks for doing that" Haru patted Naomi on the head, and her cheeks turned pink from embarrassment. "It might be weird considering what I told you before, but I'm glad we met Micchi. Today you taught me something."
Haru put her hand back on the handles and didn't notice the smile adorned Naomi's face.
"No, Haru-chan. You were the one who taught me something today. To fight for what you believe in and to fight for your dreams even if you get hurt along the way because the results will cause a miracle to happen," Naomi thought back to the times she spent with her tawny brown-haired lookalike and her friend. The times they have spent together may be short, but Naomi enjoyed every single one of them. Haru and Yugo were troublesome duos, but they were friendly and kind. Their sounds are different from Yuki's, Shun's, and Yuto's, who had a mysterious and somber tone to theirs, but there was a hint of gentleness underneath it.
The yellow-green haired girl recalled the brief moments she spent with her black-haired lookalike when training for the Junior Youth Championship. Naomi enjoyed them all and even learned more from Yuki than intended.
"I learned from Yuki-san... there is more to people's actions than what they're perceived to be" Naomi closed her eyes. "Some people fight for others because maybe they'll finally gain what they've been waiting for in their whole lives—recognition. While there are people who fight for others because it's how they feel without being recognized... Funny how contradicting those things are."
For once, in Naomi's mind, she feels clear. This is the second time Haru feels calm. Her mind is relaxed and serene from the wind blowing against her helmet's visor. But neither girl voiced these strange feelings out loud. They were content staying like this the whole day. Unbeknownst to them, their birthmarks were glowing and pulsing on their left arm.
Yugo noticed silence behind him, but it made him uneasy for once. The silence left him with the voice from before as it infected his mind. It kept telling him to rise to the top and win, even if it meant killing everyone he cared about. His friends and those he considered family were all nuisances standing in his way of reaching his true dream. It said they were preventing him from reaching his true potential. He needs to get rid of them now, or else he will suffer.
Yugo clenched his chest and shut his eyes to ward off those ominous thoughts. His breathing becomes steady; unlike before, he doesn't see pictures; instead, he sees darkness. He sees a monster calling out to him in the darkness, and just as he is about to reach for it, another hand grasps his wrist.
"You're going to be alright... Yugo. Everything will be alright," A voice called out to him. Yugo couldn't make out the voice in the darkness and opened his eyes to see Haru and Naomi looking at him. There weren't any words, but Yugo knew what they were trying to say.
He smiled. "Thanks for worrying about me. I just ate too much food today. Don't worry when we go to Crow's place. I think I'll take a small nap, so stop making that face," Yugo assured the two worried girls, who weren't convinced by his answer but didn't push Yugo to say anything more than he already had. Unbeknownst to them, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon was glowing in the Extra Deck with a new monster.
Eternia and Chaos Goddess saw the exchange, and the chaotic monster fumed in anger.
"T-That sneaky little bastard!" Chaos Goddess growled. She couldn't decide if she wanted to rip Clear Wing's head off or Yugo's. But she was leaning towards the former.
She whipped her head towards her older sister and snarled. "We need to update the others on the current situation and develop a foolproof plan to stop those damn dragons once and for all."
Chaos Goddess could feel her anger rise as her skin heated up from its smoldering intensity. She was too engrossed with herself that she didn't notice the expression her sister wore.
Spirit World_Forbidden Realm_
The two women returned to inform their siblings what they had learned regarding the situation. Needless to say, their brothers' reactions were exactly what they had expected them to be.
"This is bad. If this keeps up, then Zarc will revive" El Shaddoll Grysta clenched his fists. He winced when he felt sparks flying everywhere in the room caused by the Xyz Monster.
"I'm sure this isn't the only news you two have to share with us. Or should I say just you, Eternia" Thunder End Dragon tapped his claws. Eternia gave a bitter sigh.
"...When did you find out?" Eterna questioned.
"A little after our last meeting. I felt something was off in my realm and wanted to check things out. Of course, I found out nothing. So, I checked every nook and cranny until I felt its presence somewhere deep in the network. So, I have to ask, sister, why did you keep this information hidden from us?" Thunder End Dragon growled.
Both Fusion and Synchro Monster were confused by the implication of their brother's words.
"Thunder End... What are you talking about?" Chaos Goddess asked. "Whose presence did you sense in the network?"
"I sensed Zarc's presence!" Thunder End Dragon growled, shooting lightning in the air, and suddenly the atmosphere became thick. Soon, Fusion and Synchro's monster started to yell at the Xyz Dragon.
"T-That's impossible! There's no way he could have escaped from the pendulum they've made!" El Shaddoll Grysta screeched.
"Yes. While it is true, the pendulum was made to be an impregnable defense and contained multiple seals that made it impossible to escape. It has only one flaw," Thunder End Dragon said. "That it only works on the inside. However, if another party were to interfere on the outside, then that's how Zarc escaped from his prison."
There was no deception in the Xyz Dragon's words. Though some wished the dragon was telling a joke just to scare them. But when they saw lightning pulsing around the figure, they knew that it only happened when the dragon was serious about certain situations like this one.
Chaos Goddess whipped her head towards Eternia. "Sister! Why did you keep this from us? We could have prevented all of this if you had told us about Zarc escaping from his prison!"
The woman was also angered by her brother for keeping it a secret. They should have told them as soon as they discovered his presence lurking around the Spirit World.
Eternia just looked at Chaos Goddess with a tired expression. Her eyes filled with sorrow, yet she didn't shed a tear.
"I didn't want to bring back any memories from that time. You saw how those memories affected the people who recovered their memories of what happened years ago," Eternia replied. "They have so much sorrow, pain, and anger towards the people who ruined their lives and took their loved ones away. If it weren't for these rules, I would have liked to give those people proper closure. A chance to properly say goodbye to their loved ones so they can move on with their lives."
Everyone knew the people who Eternia was talking about. Jounouchi, Mai, Misty, and Leo, who were there, lost their memories of what happened 34 years ago. Only for them to remember the pain of losing their loved ones when it happened is heart-wrenching.
"We don't know who else regain their memories. But when they do, they will feel so much pain. It can destroy them and change them for the worse. After all, it was the same for us, right? When we lost her and them," Eternia mentioned as she noticed how each of her siblings flinched when she brought up their previous masters.
"Even so, sister, you still could have told us about it" Chaos Goddess didn't press her sister anymore. She understood her sister's reasoning for what she did, but it still irritates her.
"I know, and I'm sure Thunder End feels the same way" Eternia smiled. The mentioned dragon rumbled before stopping the sparks released from his body.
"But now the situation has taken a drastic turn, and we need a solution to stop the problem from escalating further than it already has," Thunder End Dragon addressed every monster in the area.
"Agree, brother. Which is why we must go with that plan," El Shaddoll Grysta announced. "Yes. I know what each of you is thinking, and I know it sounds cruel and inhumane, but it needs to be done. Now is there anyone who disagrees with this idea?"
"While I am glad you admit this idea is brutal and heartless, considering it was your idea. Glad some things never changed," Chaos Goddess remarked, ignoring the look the Fusion Monster gave her. "How will we replace those beasts when we go through with this plan?"
"Good question for someone of your caliber. I'm actually surprised you decided to use your brain this time. I guess some things changed in the past years" El Shaddoll Grysta mocked the Synchro Monster by throwing her words back at her. "I already have a replacement on hand. We don't need to worry about the consequences when we proceed with our plan."
"Other than that, does anyone have any other concerns or issues we need to address before moving forward" El Shaddoll Grysta scanned the room and found no one had anything else to say.
"Very well. Let's commence with the plan. Operation 'Killing the Heavenly Dragons.'
Oc Cards
Naomi:
•Fairy's Bet_Spell
Tribute 1 Fairy-Type Monster you control; draw two cards. However, if one of them is a Monster Card, you have to discard the added monster to the Graveyard; if it's a Spell/Trap Card, that card remains in your hand.
Misty:
•Reptiless Charybdis
Dark/Level 4/Reptile/Effect/ATK 1300/DEF 0
When you take effect or battle damage: you can Special Summon this card from your hand, then inflict damage to your Opponent equal to the damage you took and if you do, gain LP equal to the damage inflicted. When this card is sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material: draw one card.
•Reptiless Typhon
Dark/Level 7/Reptile/Effect/ATK 2500/DEF 1200
When your Opponent controls a monster(s): you can Special Summon this card from your hand; if you do all monster(s) your Opponent controls, ATK becomes 0. When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can Special Summon two Monsters from your Graveyard with their effects negated and ATK changed to 0.
•Reptiless Manasa
Dark/Level 9/Reptile/Synchro/Effect/ATK 2700/DEF 1800
1 Reptile-Type Tuner + 1 or more Non-Tuner Monsters
When this card is Synchro Summon: Target a Monster in your Graveyard; gain LP equal to the targeted monster's combined ATK and DEF. This card is unaffected by card effects your Opponent controls. Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects. Once per turn: You can tribute a Reptile-Type Monster on your field or in your hand to Special Summon a Reptile-Type Monster from your Deck, ignoring its summoning conditions.
Author's Note: Here is Chapter 32, featuring another Legendary Character from Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, Misty Lola. I wanted to feature the Legendary Characters' strength, giving Misty the win. They only showed Jack and Kaito's and maybe Edo to a lesser extent in canon. So in this book, I want to prove why they are called the Legendary Characters strength-wise instead of name-wise. Also, here are the birthmark girls' hair colors:
Naomi=Yellow-green
Yuki=Midnight black
Haru=Tawny brown
Akemi=Dark Blue
Sometimes I will just say black or midnight black, but I am still referring to one of the birthmark girls, with Akemi being an exception to these hair colors.