Three months later
The dull hum of the sewing machine drills into my head. I'm grateful that this job keeps my mind off other things. The shop has picked up in business in the last few weeks which helps. I've started working overtime. My life mostly consists of working and sleeping. I barely see anyone these days. Raiden drops in occasionally since his mother owns the shop, but I can't bear to look him in the eye. Shinji sometimes appears when I'm closing up shop. He walks me home afterwards. He tries his best to get me to talk, but I have nothing to talk about. I haven't seen Reika since the Fortune Cup. It's been an empty and lonely three months, but what else can I do? That same stupid dream haunts me every night. Each time, I see Yusei's torso getting pierced and that betrayed look in his eyes. Because of this, I've been getting little to no sleep. Whenever I do sleep, I wake up screaming with tears rolling down my face.
Speaking of Yusei, it almost seems like he's disappeared off the face of the earth. By the time I came back from the Satellite, the press had all but forgotten him. Though, I can hardly blame the press. Apparently, some geoglyphs had appeared in the City, leaving hundreds of people missing. Godwin made no comments on the matter, though they all reappeared eventually. Then, another geoglyph appeared at his mansion and he mysteriously disappeared. Although Godwin was trying to resurrect the Crimson Dragon, something tells me that he played for both sides. Apparently, before Godwin disappeared, he began planning the reconstruction of Daedalus Bridge. I suppose Kenta was right. Yusei really did cause a spark. Revolution is coming, I can feel it. Maybe that's why Yusei went with Godwin. I suppose I'll never know though. I plan to keep living like this, alone. That way, I can't hurt anyone. I refuse to watch the people I love get hurt because of me, never again.
It's then I realise that I've stopped sewing and have started staring out of the window. This is not good. If Mrs. Kimura catches me like this, I'll never hear the end of it.
"Sasaki!" Too late.
"Yes, Mrs. Kimura?"
"What do you think I'm paying you for, Satellite?" Her voice is so shrill that it hurts my ears. "Daydreaming? I think not!"
"You pay me to make clothes, Mrs. Kimura."
"Is that cheek?"
"No, Mrs. Kimura, that is the truth."
"Get back to work! And remember you have a few days off starting tomorrow. Although you're a filthy Satellite, I still have to treat you the same as the rest of us. Be grateful!"
"Thank you, Mrs. Kimura." How many times has she given me this lecture, I wonder? I pull up the turtleneck of my dress, I wince as it brushes over my bruises.
I start working again on the sleeve. It's for a cute peach and white striped blazer. Though, I imagine it would look horrible with my skin tone. I look up at the clock, it's nearly closing time. I want to finish this sleeve today. I hate leaving parts unfinished when I leave. When I start putting the finishing touches, the bell rings, meaning someone just entered the shop. It's strange that someone would enter the shop at this time. Mrs. Kimura comes out from the back of the shop to greet the customer. I freeze when I hear that voice. Emiko. What is she doing here? I duck my head as I pretend to focus on the sleeve. I keep glancing up as she looks at the stock we have. I'm grateful that my sewing machine is in the back corner of the room. You probably wouldn't notice me with the large rolls of fabric leaning against the table. Then, Kaoru enters the shop and walks over to Emiko. I resist the urge to sigh out loud. I wonder if this is a coincidence. I doubt it, this boutique would be out of the way for Emiko and then the fact that Kaoru is with her. I did tell Emiko I am a seamstress, did she look for me based on that?
Mrs. Kimura retreats into the back, probably for a smoke. Kaoru quickly glances around the shop. Our eyes meet. That's it, I'm ready to bolt. This time I get a clear look at his face. It's much more defined than two years ago. His eyes are still the same, that same orange colour. I reach from my duel disk underneath my desk. Well, when I say my duel disk, I lie. Reika has my actual duel disk because she's modifying it, so the one I have now is a spare. Kaoru's feet turn in my direction. I stand and move towards the back exit. I shout into Mrs. Kimura, telling her that I'm leaving.
"Yuuka." Kaoru finally speaks up. My back is towards him.
"What are you doing here?" I look at him over my shoulder. He's frightened. Emiko has a nervous smile on her face, probably because I have a duel disk and well, I'm a psychic.
"I came here to find you." I turn around to face him. I scowl, I know what he's after.
"You want me to go home, isn't that right?" I start towards the door. "I'm not going back, Kaoru."
"No! Yuuka, that's-"
"What else would you be after? It's not safe for you to have me in your life, okay?" Gripping my duel disk close to my chest, I run out the door. I'm panicking, what am I going to do? They know where I work, they'll keep coming back. I need to leave the City, I don't care what Raiden says, it's the only way I can get away from them. I'm barely a few meters away from the shop before I'm pulled back. I try to shake away from the arm grabbing me. I turn back, expecting to see Kaoru. I'm somewhat relieved to see that it's Shinji instead.
"What's wrong?" He says this cautiously. He glances up and down, stopping at the duel disk.
"Kaoru's in the shop. Oh no, he's gonna make me go back-"
"Yuuka!" Kaoru comes to a halt just behind us. "You need to listen to me!"
"I can't!" My mind is cluttered, but my heart is screaming for me to run. "Don't you understand? I can't go back there, Kaoru."
"Duel me." He stiffens and holds up his duel disk.
"But Kaoru." I'm confused. Why would he want to duel me? Doesn't he remember what happened last time?
"I know what you're thinking, but please listen. If you win, I'll leave you alone. If I win, you won't run away and you have to listen to what I have to say." His eyes are burning. There's something different about him, but I can't put my finger on it.
"Fine, but it's not my fault if you get hurt." I don't look at Kaoru as I put my duel disk on my arm and walk into the centre of the courtyard outside the shop. I turn around, waiting for Kaoru to take his place. I take a deep breath. I can't let my emotions control me. If I let that happen, who knows what I could end up doing? I glance over at Emiko. I'm surprised she hasn't said anything yet, though judging by her face, she looks guilty. She did promise that she wouldn't tell Kaoru about me.
"Are you ready?" Kaoru takes a deep breath. I imagine that he's preparing himself for my powers. He doesn't know that I can control them now. I nod at him.
"Duel!" We manage to call it out simultaneously.
"I'll let you go first, since you're the challenger." I say this, but I just like going second in a duel.
"Alright." His face tells me that he wasn't expecting that. "My turn. I summon Ehren, Lightsworn Monk(ATK:1600). I set two cards and end my turn. Ehren's monster effect activates, I send the top three cards of my deck to the grave." That's right, Lightsworns focus on milling. I haven't dueled this deck in two and a half years, it's going to be hard for me to remember the ins and outs of it.
"My turn. I draw." I look at my hand. I have four monsters to choose from which is good. My spell card, A Feather of a Phoenix, is of no use to me since I have no monsters in my graveyard to return to the top of my deck. My trap, Dark Smog, isn't really of use now since I can banish a monster in Kaoru's graveyard with it. Better to use that card when I know he has that monster in his graveyard. I start to declare my move when Kaoru interrupts me.
"I activate Skill Prisoner." Hmm, strange that he activates that now. "It lets me negate monster effects that target one of my cards, I choose my set card." I look at my hand again. Not useful for him at all. I wonder what that set card could be.
"Now, if you're finished. I summon Fabled Grimro(ATK:1700)! Now, Grimro attacks Ehren!" Kaoru is the first to lose life points as he is left with 3900. "I set two cards and end my turn."
"My turn. I draw. I banish Skill Prisoner from my grave to negate monster effects targeting my set card this turn." Interesting effect, I must admit. "Now, I activate Charge of the Light Brigade. By sending the top three cards of my deck to the grave, I can add a Level 4-or-below Lightsworn monster from my deck to my hand. I choose Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn!" Raiden, huh? I forgot about that monster. Rather ironic name, given the fact that Kaoru owns this card. "Now, I summon Raiden(ATK:1700)!" With that many attack points, he won't be able to beat Grimro. "Raiden's monster effect activates!" Calling that monster 'Raiden' is messing with my head. "I send the top two cards of my deck to the grave and if one of them is a Lightsworn monster, Raiden gains 200 attack points until the end of your next turn." Kaoru shows me the two cards; I curse as one of them is a Lightsworn. (ATK:1700-1900) "Minerva, Lightsworn Maiden's monster effect activates. Because she was sent from my deck to the grave, I send the top card in my deck to the grave as well."
"Is your turn ever going to end?"
"It will soon. Raiden attacks Grimro!" Raiden flies across the field, slashing Grimro with his knives. As Grimro is destroyed by the attack, I feel the impact. I have to shield my face. It can't be. That attack was too strong. Kaoru can't have, could he? Impossible.
"You're a psychic?" That's what I couldn't place my finger on earlier! It's faint, but I can feel his aura. It must be so similar to my own that I can barely feel it. Kaoru is taken aback by this and looks towards Emiko. I look at Shinji, who gives me a strange look. The look manages to capture what I'm feeling. How is this possible? Psychic abilities normally manifest through trauma, what trauma could Kaoru have faced?
"Yes. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I want your help. You can control your powers now and I need your help."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner, dumbass? I would have listened to you!" I start scowling, he got me into a panic for nothing. "Just continue the duel. Don't worry, I can handle your powers."
"Are you sure?" Kaoru looks like he wants to run. I supposed he imagined that he could control them and is now panicking because he couldn't. Newbie psychics can rarely control their powers, hell, even older psychics can't.
"Yeah, I'm used to dueling people with powers at this stage."
"Okay." He sighs, I don't know if he fully believes me or not. "I end my turn. Raiden's second effect activates; I send the top two cards of my deck to the grave."
"Alright, my turn. I draw." Beckoning Light, a trap. I discard my hand and add a Light-Attribute monster to my hand for each card discarded. Not helpful at the minute, but okay. First, I have to deal with Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn. I only have one option, it's risky but we'll go with it. "I summon Snipe Hunter. Snipe Hunter's monster effect activates. By discarding a card, I can roll a die." I discard Beckoning Light. "If I roll anything other than a 1 or 6, a card of my choice is destroyed and I choose Raiden!" I pray that I get a good result. "Hah! I rolled a 4, which means your monster is destroyed! With this, I attack you directly with Snipe Hunter!" Kaoru's life points drop to 2400. His face gives away the fact he thought he would take real damage. He didn't. He stares at his hand in awe and then back at me.
"Peropero Cerebus's monster effect activates! If I take battle damage, I can banish this card to destroy one card on the field." Uh oh. "I choose my face down." What? I'm confused. Why would he do that?
"I end my turn." I'm raising my eyebrow at Kaoru, what is he up to? Destroying the facedown doesn't put him any closer to summoning Judgement Dragon. Speaking of that Dragon, I'm curious as to how I'll defeat it since I know he will summon it eventually. That's why he's milling his deck. I'm snapped out of my thoughts by an aura entering the courtyard, they stop. I imagine they're watching the duel. I don't turn to look at them.
"My turn. I draw. I set one monster and end my turn." Strange. Kaoru and I both stare at each other. "What's wrong with you? You seem different."
"It's been two and a half years. Time changes people."
"No, that's not it. There's a darkness around you." I stay silent. I know what's he's sensing. It's the guilt of my attempt to kill Yusei. I can't let him know that. I can't let anyone know that. I wouldn't expect him to understand. Of course, how do you go about explaining that a five-thousand-year-old deity is real and that I died and got resurrected by a dark god? Not easily I tell you.
"My turn. I draw." De-Synchro. A card that lets me return a Synchro monster to the Extra Deck, great. Just what I needed. "I summon The Fabled Rubyrada(ATK:1100)! Now, The Fabled Rubyrada tunes Snipe Hunter! Behold the wings guided by great winds. Descend to the Earth and pass judgement on the living! Synchro Summon! Descend, Fabled Valkyrus(ATK:2900)!" I let out a breath, that took a lot of energy out of me despite the fact I didn't physically manifest Valkyrus. There's something unsettling about that new aura. I can't help but feel like it's familiar. But I can't look now, I need to focus on beating Kaoru before he can summon Judgement Dragon. "Valkyrus's monster effect activates! I can discard one card from my hand to draw a new one." I discard Fabled Kushano, the last card in my hand, and draw Twin Twister. This card allows me to destroy two cards in the Spell and Trap zone. "I set one card. Now, Valkyrus attacks your set card!" The card flips to reveal Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter.
"Ryko's monster effect activates! I can destroy one card on your field." Oh no, not Valkyrus, I just summoned him. "I choose the card you just set." Not what I would have gone for, to be perfectly honest, but sure. "Secondly, I send the top three cards of my deck to the grave. Dawn Knight's monster effect activates." Okay seriously, how many monster effects are there? "I can move one Light-Attribute monster from my grave to the top of my deck, and I choose Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn." Great, he's back.
"I end my turn."
"My turn. I draw." Here we go, wait for it. Even though the monster won't have enough attack points to beat Valkyrus. "I summon Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn. Raiden's monster effect activates. I discard the top three cards from my-"
"I know what the effect is. Discard three, if there's a Lightsworn, add 200 attack points."
"Yeah, well. Because Jenis, Lightsworn Mender was sent to the grave, Raiden gains 200 attack points(ATK:1700-1900). Next, Wulf, Lightsworn Beast's monster effect activates. If this card is sent to the grave from my deck, I can Special Summon it(ATK:2100)! Finally, the trap card Lightsworn Judgement activates! If this card is sent to the grave by the effect of a Lightsworn monster, I can add Judgement Dragon to my hand." Shit. Well, I've basically lost then. He's milled enough that he can summon it on his next turn, great. "I end my turn."
"My turn. I draw." I need a card that can turn this around. Doppel Warrior, nope. Why? Valkyrus can't stand up to Judgement Dragon with its attack points, and besides, it'll be destroyed through its effect long before that. "Valkyrus attacks Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn!" Kaoru's life points drop to 1400. "I end my turn."
"My turn. I draw." Oh boy, not ready. "I set one monster and I can Special Summon Judgement Dragon if I have four or more Lightsworn monsters in my grave with different names(ATK:3000). Now, Judgement Dragon's monster effect activates. I pay 1000 life points to destroy every card on the field besides Judgement Dragon." Kaoru's life points drop to 400 as he takes a deep breath. "Judgement Dragon attacks you directly."
The direct attack sends me flying and I land on my back. My back aches as I try to get up. Leaning on my elbows, I signal to Kaoru that I'm okay. I look over to Shinij and I freeze. My eyes meet with familiar cobalt ones. Oh gods, why is Yusei here? Wait, he's standing with Shinji and Emiko, is there a reason for him being here? "I end my turn. Judgement Dragon's second effect activates; I send the top four cards of my deck to the grave." As Kaoru ends his turn, I get on my feet and sigh. I'm genuinely confused as to why Kaoru and Yusei always seem to appear at the same. But I can't focus on that now, in order to stand a chance of winning, I need to defeat Judgement Dragon.