Lights flickered and veined as I dumped the last of my water bottle's contents over my face, keeping my neck bent to avoid wetting my clothes.
Still, a few droplets trickle down to my collar making dark patches on the white cloth. But a second later I shivered as a chill ran up my back, I turned to check, it was my long black hair stuck to my back all cold and damp. Fuck, I forgot about that. The water had seeped in and made me feel like an idiot.
Few drops even landed on the fancy embroidery of my sickly pink Blazer, 'Domino High.'
At least I would have an excuse to leave with that. I pulled the blazer buttons open and ripped the thing off, the ugly pink was getting to me, not that the cold Japanese weather wasn't already.
I grabbed my bag and pulled at my ID card. All in Japanese that I could somehow read, Mira Heylel. Freshman. A teenager. A girl. Fuck my life.
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I reached the address written on the ID card, a rundown apartment. A cracked roof, an open sewer, a broken gate and a dog house long torn apart for the wood. From the corner of my eye, I saw a small tombstone. Here lies Coco. My…last family.
My eyes did not linger longer than that, I took out the key from my back pocket and opened the door, it was a small thing. Clean at least. Imagine the rent must be cheap.
My eyes went to the corner of the room, a photo of a man, a woman and me when I was younger. Smouldering sticks to remember the dead. All three members of the photo are now dead. Never to be remembered again.
And a deck of cards in the middle of the smouldering sticks.
It took me three steps to reach the corner and pick up the cards. I looked them over, trash. But they will have to do it for now. Because as the Kaiba Corp building in the middle of the city reminded me, I was not in my world anymore.
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I checked every piece of paper I could find in the dump and barely anything other than a suicide note and papers with barely passing grades. All that trash was dumped in the bin.
I sat down on the small futon, and the few bits of paper I could scrap up were 'Rent Due' notices.
I got out of the house using what little wardrobe was in that dump, nothing much, a khaki green jacket over some boring white clothes and started walking the road. I needed to cool off. I needed to think. I needed a plan.
Walking down the streets under the watchful nurse of the decaying sun. I walked as children frolicked past me, office men rushed home and boys my age smashed the balls and the bats together.
I walked past a game shop, a poster hung low from the front, Duel Monsters in-house Tournament 1st place: 200$
I felt for that deck in my pocket and pulled it out.
My eyes shifted between it and the looming Kaiba Corp building. A small smile formed on my face to say, "When in Rome."
I walked into the shop, they were all more focused on a table than anything, and my eyes went to the chalkboard hanging from the side of the wall.
It was a knockout tournament fixture. And only the last few matches were left. I felt a bit of disappointment rise in me and then I saw what cards were being played, Duelist Kingdom rules, [Winged Dragon (1400 atk)] and I stopped, there wasn't a single monster in my deck with more than 1200. I was not going to win. I dropped the thought and my eyes went to the contents of the shop.
No one was looking, I walked in and no one cared, I reached the side of the store. There were packs of cards there. None I recognized.
They were all different. I sighed and grabbed ten or so that said, [Masters of Magic]. It had to have something good. And I pulled a starter deck with a related name.
No one looked at me. No one noticed me. No one cared. And I walked out of the shop, all of them snuggled under my jacket because I didn't care.
Yugioh was popular but it had not reached the heights it did in battle city. I needed to capitalise on that. Get shares of Kaiba Corp before Kaiba became one of the most powerful men in the world, aka before the end of Duelist Kingdom.
The walk to the dump was a slow one filled with plans being written up and being trashed straight after.
When I caught sight of it I stopped, it was burning. I picked up my pace and ran into the closest alley. I hugged the corner wall and peeked slowly towards the pyre.
Men, broad men dressed in suits tossing Molotov cocktails into the buildings. My rundown dump and other rundown dumps surrounding it were all burning. Put to the flame in the most spectacular pyre the city had probably seen in years.
I sat down in the alley as the sirens of the police blared and the men fled.
Baked in the light of the flames I pulled out everything I had suked away and tore them out.
And I couldn't help but smile as my eyes grappled with the card I had pulled. Hello [Relinquished].
Under the light of my burning life, I smiled and ran my plans through my mind. The objective was simple. The aim was set. Adapt, survive and thrive.
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I was walking under the dark streets, I had no place to go, and I was homeless. Shoplifting was an option and I had done so already. But I needed something solid.
While walking the quiet roads that on occasion light up by a passing car I saw a bus stop and on it was a map of the city.
I looked through it, searching for some sort of shelter and my eyes were dragged to one marker, Kame Games.
Nodding, I decided on my destination. Three kilometres. It was going to be a long walk. My eyes went to my feet, they ached slightly. And I sighed. A very long walk.
At least the night sky was clear today.
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The shop's lights were still on, and the billboard still lit up. Kame Games. A shop tucked away in the street. A small thing in the grand scheme of things. But the small guy hidden in here would do great things. He had a destiny. Destiny, what a beautiful bunch of bullshit.
Let's ruin it.
My hands reached for the door handle as per the instructions taped onto the handle I pushed.
"Hello," I walked in with a small smile.
"Ah, hello," A short old man less than half my height welcomed me as he sat on the counter.
"Here to sell some cards," I told him and he nodded, as he pulled out a purple cushion and patted it.
Then a voice came from inside, "Grandpa, who's there?" It was something I recognised from the brief bit I had heard in class. His voice has concern laced into it. The kidnapping was recent then.
As the voices of footsteps reached closer my face turned neutral, I needed to sell this as hard as humanly possible.
"Oh, it's Mira," A tiny guy with hair so utterly indescribable stepped out and identified me.
"Yugi Moto," I acknowledged and turned my eyes back to Solomon as I placed the old deck on the cushion. Sixty cards, like every other beginner fool.
"Mira who, the pretty girl?" Joey came from behind, and I gave him a dead-eyed stare, "Your classmate," I said then ignored the other two who flooded behind.
"So how much—" I was cut off again by him, "Wow you play duel monsters too? Why are you selling your deck?"
I ignored the monkey and looked at the fat man, "How much?"
The fat man scratched his head before Joey got physical, "Come on you gotta duel me once with it!"
"It's not mine, it's my dad's. Now piss off Wheeler," I said as he stopped moving before pushing off the Gramps, who just smiled the whole thing off.
"So, if it is your dad's, why are you selling it!?" He asked as he slammed his hands over the counter, looking utterly offended.
"Yeah, why Mira? I am sure he must have put his heart into the deck," Yugi said as he crossed his arms and from behind, Tristin nodded.
"Young lady, if this is rebellion…" His eyes went to the clock, "You should go back home, Yugi and his friends will drop you off."
"I can't rebel against a dead man, now please just tell me how much, so I can go…" I cut off my sentence and let the room descend into an uncomfortable silence.
Joey shook it off, "If he's dead you should keep his deck right? Something to remember him by," I scoffed at his words and just tapped the deck, "Sentiments and memories aren't much in front of starvation Wheeler. So just tell me how much the thing is worth!" I cringed at myself over how shrill that last part sounded.
"Wait, you are starving? Then go home and eat," I raised my hand like a flash and almost hit his face but I pulled back at the last inch, "You saw that fire from the slums?" He jerked back but nodded.
"Yeah, that was home!" I paused and caught my breath, lowered my hands onto the deck and my voice came out as a squeak, "So…just tell me so I can eat something."
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"God I am pathetic," I said as I pushed a chunk of miso soup down my throat, and sat on the sofa of Yugi's house as the gang gathered around.
"No Mira," Yugi said as he sat down in front of me, "You were very brave, the bravest I have seen, your life was torched away and you have yet to shed a single tear," He said as he nodded to himself, and singled Joye to…do something.
Joey took his signal in and nodded with iron determination, his blue cote shifting with each move as he bowed, "I am sorry Mira," He apologised.
"No, it's fine…I was just not thinking straight, I should not have snapped," I mimicked him as he shook his head.
"Still you wandered quite far from the old town," Tea said to me as she put down a glass of water, I nodded, "Yeah, I just saw people throwing Molotovs at everything in the neighbourhood I just did not want to be there. So I took a random distance and started waking."
"So your mom?" Taylor asked as he got elbowed by Tea, "Dead like dad, dead like Coco, all gone. I thought I would upgrade my dad's deck and mine with the money I made. Came back to a pyre rising into the sky."
"Your deck? You mean you have one too?" Yugi asked and I took it out from my jacket's inner pocket, "My pride."
And as I was expecting, "Wanna duel to take your mind off things?" Joey asked and I nodded, "...Yeah. Let's not like moping's gonna do me any good."
"Okay then, just cuz you are a girl, don't mean I am gonna go easy on you!" Joey proclaimed and I laughed, worry about yourself. Well, I need practice with Duelist Kingdom bullshit on the way.
I pulled out my deck and stacked it to the side, Yugi looked at it and looked at my extra deck zone, "No fusion monsters?" I shook my head.
Joey pulled his deck out and placed it in place too.
Mira:2000
Joey:2000
I looked at my hand, [Senju[MST[Black Forest Witch[Pot of Greed[Senju]
"Since you are a girl, go first and do you need me to read you the rules?" I shook my head and picked out my sixth card.
[Mystic Tomato]
"Alright Wheeler, you will regret underestimating me, I play pot of Greed, it allows me to draw two more cards."
[Black illusion ritual] and [MST]. Against Wheeler's deck both my [MST]s were kinda dead draws but whatever.
"Hope those two cards help," Joey said with full certainty and I sighed, "Tell you what, Wheeler, if I win on my next turn you don't speak unless spoken to. Deal?"
"As if I would lose to a Girle, and you don't we are friends," I gave him a raised brow and shrugged, "Sure. I was under the impression that we were already given that you were trying to cheer me up with a duel but okay," I said as I crossed my legs one over the other.
"Eh! Whatever, play your cards," His head turned tomato to the laughter of his friends.
"Fine, I play [Witch of the Black Forest(1400 atk)] attack mode and end my turn."
"You're gonna beat me with that? No way, I play [Battle Ox(1700 atk)] in attack mode and attack your monster, how do you like that?" I shrugged as I said, "When [Witch] goes to the grave she lets me add a card with 1500 or less defence from my deck to my hand. And choose [Manju of the ten thousand hands]."
Mira: 2000-300=1700
"Okay but that's still weaker than my [Ox] fat load of good that will do you, and I end my turn," I laughed at the fool, "Let me tell you something wheeler, your monster is going to help me crush you this turn," He gave me the stink eye as, "I summon [Manju of a thousand Hands(1400 atk) to the field. When he is normally summoned he allows me to add a ritual card from my deck and I choose [Relinquished(0/0)."
"Joey, watch out she is planning something," Yugi said as he realised what was going to happen, I shot him a deadpan glare, "Don't ruin the surprise. I play [Black illusion ritual] with this card. I can sacrifice my [Senju] from my hand to ritual summon [Relinquished(0/0)] to the field."
Joey scoffed, "All that show for a 0-attack monster," I laughed at him, "It has an effect, it eats your [Ox] and gains his attack points and your [Ox] becomes my caequippedquipp card."
"So that means…" He said as he whitened, "Yes you fool [Relinquish]'s attack is not [1700] and combined with my [Manju] well that just ends the duel."
Joey: 2000-1700-1400=0
"Game," I said as I collected my cards.
"Oh damn! I lost to a girl! Again!" And this guy almost beat an Egyptian God Card. Right those things. That's going to be an interesting issue.
"Well I guess I will be going guys, thank you for the food," I said as I stood up only to be stopped by Tea, I looked at her with a raised brow and she said, "Go where?" I clamped up, "To a shelter? The police?"
"Thought so," She smiled, "Go tomorrow at least rest with us today. I bought two extra pairs of clothes since we were sleeping over today." I opened my mouth to say thanks as the older Moto shouted, "Yugi there's a delivery for you." Here we go. Old Moto, walked in with a white box with the print Industrial illusions on it.
Yugi pulled the box open and took the tape out, "A VHS?" I asked and he nodded, "Let's see what it is about." Inserting it he touched the play button and then the lights faded.
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"Look you guys are sheltering me, it's the least I can do," I chided the four as they made plans to jump over to Pegasus' Island.
"Mira, thank you," Yugi said as we sat around the sofa in his room after having admitted his grandfather to the hospital yesterday.
"Just repaying a favour," I shrugged from my seat as Tea giggled and believed in my bullshit.
"But how do we plan on getting on the ship? The rules clearly say we need star chips," Tristan added.
"Oh, you have me," I said with such sheer confidence that they gave me weird looks.
"Everyone will buy a complete camping set, separate tents and all, I will do the rest," I said as I stood up, "I will go prepare."
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The plan was simple really, just follow the anime.
I told Tea and Tristen to stay low and make as little noise as possible and pulled out my crowbar. Again, lifted from a store.
I moved to the container slowly and wedged the crowbar into the edges of one. They weren't locked, likely due to the short but were just shut close, likely because the guards were banking on the weight being good enough to hold the container close.
Seeing that I had hit a tight fit, I locked my legs against the wall and pushed the door with my whole body weight. It slowly slid open. Yeah, when I get the shares I will exercise the fuck out of this body.
I had taken the time to ensure we were in one of the low-priority boxes. I waved them towards me and they fell in. I surveyed out once for any signs of observers and finding none I closed the door.
"Wow. That went smooth," Tristain said as I shrugged and placed the crowbar around my waist. Wedging it against my belt.
"Well we have to wait for the ship to move and then we sneak out," I said to the two and they nodded.
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"Could I possibly see those cards?" We stayed in the shadow of the cabins as we watched them talk. Keeping a finger on my lips, we would only rendezvous with them when we were entirely out of sight, and since I had no intention of stopping the Exodia pump and dump, I didn't care.
"So these are the cards to summon Exodia?" Weevil said as he looked through them and added, "I have been trying and trying and trying but I could not come up with a solid strategy to beat Exodia. Until now," In one smooth motion, Weevil turned around and dropped the cards into the ocean.
And as mother earth took over, Tristin almost lunged as I pushed my body to block him, "Don't ruin all my work!" I cursed the fool barely keeping him from becoming an attack dog.
"Now there is no one who can challenge me!" Weevil laughed as he walked away and Joey jumped into the ocean.
When he was gone I let Dog loose. He ran with a lifeline to the end of the hull and threw it, when I saw Joey catch it I walked over to Yugi, who was pulling the rope along with Tristin.
"Yugi you guys save Joey I will get some work done," I said as I picked out sleeping pills from my pocket and ran without waiting for a response.
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The next morning was calm as we reached the edge of the island and the first thing we heard was a shout, "Where is my second star chip!?"
"That's Weevil right?" Joey asked as we stood in a circle, "Yep," I provided as I rubbed the dark circles under my eyes and out the other hand tossed a star chip up in the air.
When Joey looked at it he was confused while Yugi frowned, "Mira is that Weevil's chip?"
Joey and Tristin realised and smiled, "Yep, it was more than fair for those Exodia cards. Plus now you have a third teammate. Namely, me."
"Mira, two wrongs do not make a right, I wanted to beat him fair and square…" I sighed, "Fine, I won't do it again. Plus I am sure we can flame him into a fight. That thing will be desperate to get more chips now anyway."
"Wait, what?" Joey asked and I smiled at them, "How else do you guys think we will get star chips? Beat them out of our opponents."
Tristin took one step back as he pointed at my hanging crowbar, "Literally or fig—" I cut him off, "In a card game you moron. This baby is here for emergencies."
"Fine," Tristin relented.
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The ships took their time to dock and after getting suspicious looked over our camping bags which I choose to ignore we walked down the ramp and onto Pergaus' castle.
When Pegasus reached the balcony I shaved my eyes away. The man had an imposing build which was a head higher than me. I was tall and he was very. But I did not take my eyes away out of fear of the man. No, I did so out of fear of the man's eye.
My eyes were instead better used to gazing down at the island, it was going to be nonsensical and out of my understanding.
This was going to be a fight. Eliminate five duelists. Give one chip to Yugi. And shift out of this fight.
I grabbed a power chip holder as they were being served, I was going to get powerful and there was nothing here for that, the Millennium items were just trouble.
To only things of value here? Pegasus and Kaiba.
Both of whom I will exploit.
Because I am a bitch like that.