It felt like an eternity since Riley deemed herself relaxed. With an overnight stay at STREAM Corp behind them, after dropping off their bookbags at the apartment, the livery driver who was escorting them agreed to drop them at a restaurant around Times Square where Kaden and Milo were to meet them. Riley's recovery was a cause for celebration, and as timing would have it, Sierra had connections with this particular restaurant.
"Hey, Homura!" Sierra smiled, hearing the voice on the other end. "Yeah, we're on our way. Mhmm, a party of four, that's right. Same! It's been so long; what have you been up to?" After a moment, she laughed while retaining the smile.
Riley looked over to Sierra, who was lost in the conversation. When this "Homura" person reached out to her last night, Riley could've sworn that Sierra was gonna lose it. Apparently, they were best friends in High School, but the way Sierra talked about him, you'd think he was a celebrity, or at the very least, she had a thing for him.
It was cute watching her gush.
"Yeah, we'll be there soon. Okay. Mata ne!" Sierra hung up. She noticed Riley's side-eyeing her and turned. "What are you thinking?"
"Nothing..." Riley lied, doing nothing to hide her smirk.
"Riiiight..." Sierra gazed. "FYI, your uncle Gabriel and Homura go way back too."
"Really?" Riley turned, her interest piqued.
"Yup. Back when your uncle was a new teacher at Fiona Academy and while I was a freshman, we had a foreign exchange program set up. Homura Oda came to our school as an exchange student from Kyoto and had family here. At first, he was an antisocial jerk who didn't associate with anyone. But of course, your uncle Gabe stepped in, and little by little, he opened up. I had a class or two with him, so eventually, another friend and I got to know him, and the rest is history. After the program ended, his family allowed him to stay with his grandparents here in NYC. When we graduated, we returned to Japan to pursue culinary art.
"And you kept up all this time?"
"Ten years isn't so long in hindsight. Besides, between the stuff we've been through and seen… it's hard to forget the people you experience it with. Moments like that solder you to one another."
"I see…"
"Don't worry; you'll experience it as soon as you open yourself up to the others."
Riley scoffed and smiled, "Yeah, we'll see…"
Sierra smiled and kept her eye trained on Riley. Riley, before looking away, had to mention it.
"Just thinking how nice it is to see you smile," Sierra commented, earning a blush from Riley. The girl shied away and kept herself fixated on the outside world until she calmed down...
Chapter 5: Kizuna
The car arrived on the street block where the restaurant was and pulled over at the first opportunity. Sierra and Riley exited the car and bid farewell to the driver who took care of them for the weekend. They saw Kaden and Milo walking down the block from the train station as they approached the restaurant. Sierra waved to them, and the two boys quickly made their way over to them. Riley suddenly felt a hard thump in her chest as the pair approached.
Was…was she nervous to see them? It's just Kaden and Milo; there was nothing to be nervous about…
"What's up?" Kaden asked as they came up to them.
"How are you guys? Thanks for coming!" Sierra said, taking it upon herself to hug both boys.
"How are you feeling, Riley?" Milo asked, causing the spaced-out girl to tense.
"I—I'm good…" she stuttered slightly, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "T—thanks for asking…"
Riley's sudden shyness took Milo aback. It was kind of cute, he thought to himself. Forced-sounding but cute. Kaden looked over at the blushing boy and jabbed him. "You're staring, dude."
"I AM NOT!" Milo quickly snapped, resulting in Sierra and Kaden laughing at their expense.
"Shut up!" Riley quickly discarded her timidness and growled at Kaden.
Sierra inserted herself before they went at it. "Try not to tease her so much. It's been a long weekend for all of us."
"Of course, just harmless fun," Kaden replied, still smiling.
Both Riley and Milo didn't find it all that amusing, however. Fortunately for him, Kaden was quick on the uptake and apologized for saying anything, to begin with.
Sierra opened the door, saying, "Let's head inside before we lose our table."
"Didn't you place a reservation?" Milo asked.
"Still wouldn't put it past Homura to mess with me," Sierra replied.
Going into the restaurant, the bustling establishment had quite a few patrons for the lunchtime scene. At first glance, it was a neat but high-quality interior, with a sushi bar down the middle and booth seats on each side. The holographic menus hanging on the walls were written in English, Japanese, and Chinese, depicting food items and their prices.
"Hai, Irasshaimase! (Welcome!)" a waitress approached them. She had a petite frame, the uniform she wore hung snuggly on her, and she also had her hair in a bun.
"Hi, we had a reservation for four," Sierra spoke for the group. "Oh, and can you tell Oda-san that 'Sierra Levan' has arrived?"
"Ah, you are Sierra-san?" the waitress asked with her heavy Japanese accent, grabbing menus from her stand. "Please, follow me then."
She then led them to the back of the restaurant. The trio of teens was wondering where they were going, but after a moment, they found themselves going through the kitchen and into a private dining room. By this point, Sierra was surprised, as she wasn't anticipating such treatment.
"Oda-san will be out shortly. Until then, would you like anything to drink?"
"Um…maybe we can just start with water?" Sierra asked, trying to process things.
The waitress nodded and left through the swinging door. The moment she disappeared, all eyes came on Sierra. Not only did she have to figure out what Homura was planning, but she also had to come up with a way to articulate that to them.
"So…" Riley leaned over, "Got something you're not telling us?"
Sierra cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing. "As I said before, Homura and I are just old friends, nothing more."
"Mhmm…" Riley wasn't buying that.
"I mean, I've been to this restaurant several times before. We were never brought to a private room like this," Kaden pointed out.
"Right? Suddenly I feel underdressed…" Milo tugged on his hoodie.
"You two are fine the way you are…" Riley off-handedly commented. She looked at them, and now their gazes were fixated on her. Her cheeks flared immediately, and her heart started racing. "Stop staring at me!"
Kaden glared, "Who are you, and what have you done with Riley Ocasio?"
Riley grits her teeth, "Shut up! Is it that surprising to get a compliment?"
"From you? A little, yeah." Kaden replied. "No offense."
Riley turned to Sierra for support, and Sierra went to vouch for her, "Riley's trying to become friendlier going forward, so try to be patient with her. Don't tease her so much, okay?"
"Friendlier?" Kaden repeated. "You're like a rose, thorny but not hostile."
"You don't think she's pretty like one?" Sierra suggested, causing Riley to jerk her head back to her.
"I mean…"
"DON'T ANSWER THAT!" Riley yelled. "Look, all this means is that I'm trying to be a better person," she stated, "not for you so much as for myself. So please…"
Kaden realized that he had pushed a bit far and retreated once again. "Sorry."
Milo was the only one who didn't say anything, opting to be observant. To say the teasing wasn't familiar would be a lie. But he was keeping those thoughts to himself. "Not to change the subject but…Kaden got to show me Omnia for the first time yesterday."
"Really?" Sierra asked as a different waiter returned with a water pitcher and glasses. "What did you think?"
"As far as first impressions go, it was really fun," Milo said as the glass was set before him. "Though the second we got there, we ran into some thug who picked a fight."
"I see…" Sierra said as a glass was set before Riley.
"That aside, we explored the Central District for a while and soon ran into some of Kaden's online friends. We got to explore the Eastern District as well, thanks to them."
Kaden was quiet, receiving a glass of water. He was staring at Sierra as she listened to Milo, and Riley quickly noticed his expression while doing so.
"What's with you?" Riley asked.
"Huh?" Kaden asked, snapping out of his trance. "I'm just listening in on the story."
"What did you do in the Eastern District?" Sierra continued.
"We ran into the representative there," Kaden answered. "And I got to battle her."
"Really?" Riley blinked. She was about to look at Sierra but stopped, remembering that her identity was a secret. Though, at the same time, neither she nor Nico so much as mentioned going into Omnia. Was that the reason why she disappeared during the examination? What was happening in Omnia that she had to meet with Kaden there?
"Which leads me to ask, Sierra…" Milo began. "Are you…Lady Azurena, by chance?"
Sierra hesitated. Milo continued, "It's just that…during the battle, she called Kaden by his real name towards the end."
"Not only that, when battling her…I couldn't help but notice that you two are similar in personality. You two have that same sense of motherly concern and stuff."
"I see…" Sierra said, having the glass put before her. "Well, I've never met the representative personally, so that could be a coincidence that we're so similar. Also, I've been with Riley all weekend in Jersey. I haven't had time to think, let alone do anything about Omnia."
"Yeah, but…before she left, she said she was in the middle of something and had to get back to it." Milo pointed out. "Assuming you stepped away from Riley to handle Kaden's situation…"
Sierra went quiet. How this conversation turned into an interrogation was beyond her. She went to take a sip, only to be startled by the fact that she was drinking air. "Um…why is my glass empty?"
"My apologies," the waiter said, taking the glass from her. "I became engrossed in listening; I wondered if you would crack."
The waiter's words drew attention to him. After setting the glass down, he met their weary gazes. "Are you ready to order yet?"
"Hold on a second," Sierra growled, being the last to look up, "who are you to—Homura?!"
The three teens gasped and held their stares on the waiter—who wasn't a waiter—but the head chef, evidenced by his white uniform and a red scarf around his neck. He was a tall Japanese man with a wolf-tail haircut, his hair tied in a small bun while the rest draped over his neck. His eyes were on Sierra, and he had a smirk.
"W—when did you get here?!" Sierra stammered.
"I heard the commotion from the kitchen and decided to pop in early," Homura answered.
"Sorry about that…" Riley apologized.
"That's my bad too…" Kaden added.
"Don't mention it," Homura told them. "Sierra can tell you we were just like that once upon a time. Right, Azure-chan?"
"You idiot!" She backhanded his side.
"So, you are Lady Azurena!" Kaden exclaimed.
Unable to deny it, Sierra nodded. "Yeah… I am."
"Why keep that a secret?" Milo asked, not understanding.
"Because she's sworn an oath to secrecy as one of the Sovereign Four," Homura explained, filling her glass. "STREAM Corp. put it in place for security reasons."
Riley asked, "How do you know about STREAM Corp.'s policies?"
"Homura streams in his downtime as well," Sierra answered. "Though between school and work, it's probably hard for you to grab even five minutes, right?"
"You're right. Which is why I'll be happy to grab your orders and be on my way."
The four looked at the menus, though Kaden quickly stated what he wanted, "Chicken Curry."
"Tonkotsu Ramen, I guess..." Milo answered, picking the easiest option.
"Ramen sounds good; make that two," Sierra said.
Riley studied the menu and looked at Kaden, "Is the curry that good?"
"Are you kidding? It's amazing." Kaden confirmed for her.
"Okay, then I'll have that." Riley nodded.
Homura collected the menus. "I'll also bring some matcha green tea for the table." With them in agreement, he took his leave to get the staff on the orders.
Kaden took the chance to bring the conversation back to STREAM Corp.'s practices. "I didn't know STREAM Corp. did all that."
"Really, you didn't know?" Milo asked.
"I was always independent," Kaden explained.
"Even though you streamed with Syl and have been affiliated with Lady Azurena?" Milo pressed.
"Uh-huh," Kaden answered plainly.
"How does that even…"
"It's because of Syl," Sierra answered. "Syl talked me into letting her collab with Kaden when he was new and upcoming, and the higher-ups at STREAM Corp. allowed it, hoping to recruit him."
"But I didn't take to it," Kaden added.
"Why not?" Milo asked, not understanding the decision. "V-Streamers make a killing, especially if they're sponsored or tied to an agency."
"I've always streamed for fun, not as a profession."
"So, you're calling me a sellout then?" Sierra crossed her arms.
"Of course not!" Kaden quickly defended, only realizing afterward that she was teasing.
"Then what's your goal then?" Riley asked, inserting herself back into the discussion. "As Cobalius, you were always striving to go pro someday. Do you still intend to since you came back, or did that change after that mess with Gurenmaru?"
"I guess. I wanted to believe I could still go pro, but after what happened with Gurenmaru, I could only think about how I had lost everything. All I wanted was justice somehow; to do that, my goal's become to beat him." He paused before continuing, "You guys have seen my new deck. Back when facing Gurenmaru, cheating accusations aside, I was going to lose; that was a fact. I severely underestimated him, as Sierra warned me. So ever since I've been trying to devise a new strategy to beat him finally, I think I might've..."
The group continued with their conversation, and eventually, Homura returned with the waitress, carrying trays of food for each of them. Their eyes were lit; the food smelled wonderful and fragrant and looked beautifully prepared.
"Please enjoy," Homura and the waitress bowed after setting the table.
"Are you not going to join us?" Kaden asked, arming himself with a spoon.
"He has other customers to tend to," Riley answered. She took the spoon and found herself hesitating suddenly. She had never had curry before, and upon inspection...
"Is this...spicy?" she asked.
"It may have some heat, but not a tremendous amount."
"Okay..." Riley looked down at the food again. Growing up Hispanic, she grew up around spices. Even so, she was a picky eater compared to Sylvia, who spent much time with their mother in the kitchen.
"What's wrong? Can't handle a little spice?" Kaden asked, shoveling some food into his mouth. What followed was a grin as he happily chewed away. "This tastes way better than usual!"
Upon hearing that, Sierra smiled. She broke apart her chopsticks and slurped some noodles. She had the same reaction, but even moreso, "Homura, did you cook?"
"Why? Does it taste familiar?" He smirked.
"Are you kidding?! It tastes like your Grandmother's cooking. It's been years since I've had it!"
Riley and Milo looked at each other and took bites out of their meals. Like the former two, they were overwhelmed by the flavors hitting their taste buds. Riley felt the heat, but it wasn't strong and tied along with the sweetness of the curry, giving it a silky texture. It left her tongue tingling a little, but it was a pleasant sensation.
"It seems by the looks of it that you all are enjoying the food."
"It's amazing!" Milo confirmed for him. "I never had Japanese food before today. This was well worth coming for."
"I'm glad I was able to make your first experience worthwhile," Homura replied, appreciating the compliment.
"Well?" Sierra looked at him.
"What is it?"
"You're not doing anything, so sit." She instructed him. "You're not busy at the moment."
"Why so eager?" Riley side-eyed her.
"Hush you!" Sierra snapped, making Riley snicker. Kaden wanted to add to it but kept silent to avoid getting yelled at again.
As they continued eating, Homura conceded to Sierra's request and procured a chair from the outside. After sitting between Sierra and Milo, Sierra muttered a small 'yay' under her breath that no one caught except Riley and Homura, judging by their smirks.
As they neared the end of their lunch, they found themselves lost in conversation. Homura was very warm and appealing, making him very easy to get along with. The three teens enjoyed learning about him, his culinary training, and the people he met.
"You haven't changed much, have you, Azure-chan?"
"What about you? Sounds like you're still the same pain in the neck as back in school," she replied.
"Is 'Azure-chan' like a pet name or something?" Riley asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
Kaden looked at the two adults, "wait, are you guys dating?"
"No!" Sierra quickly responded while blushing at the same time. She then turned to Riley, who continued to enjoy Sierra's torment, "WE ARE NOT!"
Homura chuckled and leaned back in his chair, "It's nothing like that. When I first came to Fiona Academy during the foreign exchange program, I had an art class with her. She got into it with another girl and knocked over blue paint all over my drawing."
"So, you got mad at me and threw red paint on mine," Sierra added. "And then we started fighting and ended up in Headmaster Fredriano's office.
"And from there, we ended up in detention and met Xander.
"Xander?" Riley asked, hearing the unfamiliar name. Who's that?"
"Another exchange student from Europe. Got detention for something unrelated, but regardless, the three of us misfits became friends that day." Homura explained.
"Your Uncle Gabe was the teacher assigned to do detention that day; it so happened. That's when we first met and got to know him."
Homura paused and turned to Riley in surprise. "Huh, now that you mentioned it, I can see the resemblance."
"I told you they were related, dummy." Sierra hit him.
"So that's—ah, I see." Homura was making connections in his head.
"What?"
Sierra side-eyed him before he opened his mouth. "It's nothing; truly is a small world, isn't it?"
"Guess you could say that..." Riley said, reactively shying away a bit.
The previous waitress came with new menus and began to hand them out. "Thanks, Kiyomi. Would anyone like dessert?"
"Maybe to go," Sierra said, looking at it. "It's been a long weekend, and tomorrow starts anew."
"That's fair," Homura nodded. "I can imagine. After all, if Cobalius seeks to challenge me, he would need all the practice he could get."
Sierra chuckled, only to process what he said and pause as the other three did. Homura smirked, taking in their shock, "It's only fair, is it not?"
"There's no way..." Milo uttered, fearfully curious.
Homura turned to Kaden, whose surprise turned into an excited smirk. "As you said, it is a small world, right, Gurenmaru?"
Homura nodded in agreement. "With that in mind, I accept your challenge, Kaden Grant, both as Homura Oda and Gurenmaru, the Crimson Blade…"
"Finally...!" Riley plopped down on her bed, sinking into her mattress. It felt good to be home, she thought. At the same time, the haunting thought of things returning to normal the next day did sour it some.
"Gonna make the matcha tea Homura gave us to go along with the snacks we brought back," Sierra said through Riley's bedroom door.
"Cool..." Riley yawned. "Hopefully, I won't fall asleep before you're done..."
"If you do, I'm gonna eat your mochi," Sierra warned.
Riley groaned and forced herself up. "No fair!"
She could hear Sierra's giggles grow quiet as she left the doorway and entered the kitchen. Before walking out, Riley took a minute to reflect on the day's events. Made an effort to get to know Kaden and Milo, she learned more about Sierra's life before they met and met Homura. It made her realize that she had never really learned about her uncle's early days either. It made her curious.
And just then, a thought crossed her mind.
"I guess. I wanted to believe I could still go pro, but after what happened with Gurenmaru, I could only think about how I had lost everything. All I wanted was justice somehow; to do that, my goal's become to beat him."
Riley kept in deep thought as she exited her bedroom. Kaden believes that Gurenmaru ruined his chances of going pro. If that was the case, why did Homura casually reveal himself to Kaden like that? Was Homura rubbing salt in Kaden's wound, or could it be that Homura was innocent and believed that Kaden cheated?
She found Sierra setting things on the coffee table in their small living room, and Riley sat on one of the couches. The snacks they got from the restaurant included cookies, flavored mochi, and cups of matcha green tea. Sierra was humming happily as Riley took a seat, grabbing her attention. The older girl smiled, "you know I was just kidding about eating your share."
"I don't trust you," Riley said, picking up a pink mochi ball. The rice-based marshmallow treat in her hand squished lightly between her fingers before she took a bite. Strawberry flavored, with an almost neutral taste due to not having as much sugar as a typical Western treat. Sierra also sat and bit into a cookie, lips curling as her taste buds were washed with nostalgia. "So good…!"
"So Homura's cooking was inspired by his grandparents, huh?" Riley picked up her cup of tea.
"Yeah, as far as I know, the family here owns that restaurant or at least co-owns it. Homura hasn't said anything about taking it over, but I wouldn't be surprised if he does."
While she talked, Riley was staring. It took a moment for her to realize that Riley had her gaze locked on her. "Something wrong?"
"I was just thinking…"
"About?"
"Isn't it weird that Homura revealed his identity as Gurenmaru to Kaden earlier?"
"Honestly, I'm not surprised he did. While revealing your identity can put STREAM Corp in a tight spot, Homura's the type to break the rules to see what happens afterward. Ironically, Lord Vermil of the Southern District is drawn to rule breakers as it challenges him."
"'Rule breakers…'" Riley repeated, thinking about it.
"What's wrong?"
"When you explained the cheating situation between Kaden and Homura, you said that you only went against Kaden to save face as the representative of the Eastern District…"
Sierra could see where this was going. "Homura isn't responsible."
"I never said he was."
"Then stop implying it!" Sierra snapped.
"Someone's defensive, aren't they?" Riley picked up, causing Sierra to blush.
"What's gotten into you?" Sierra asked with her pitch slightly elevating. "The matter is done and over with, so why do you care?"
Riley went silent, picking up on the sudden mood change. "Oh my god…d—did you…?"
"Why would I?" Sierra asked, growing irritated. "Do you seriously believe I'd sabotage Kaden for Homura's sake?!"
"It's just a question, relax!" Riley chuckled nervously, finding things suddenly flipped on themselves. A wrinkled smile spread across her face, "what's wrong?"
"You've been questioning my relationship with Homura all day long!" Sierra pressed. "I've said repeatedly that there's nothing between us, and I especially wouldn't dream of hurting Kaden!"
"But you did…!" Riley recklessly pressed, adrenaline pumping into her. "You kept the secret of Syl's death from him and even accused him of cheating due to it…"
Sierra hesitated, realizing that Riley was enjoying this. "Riley, please stop…"
Riley laughed. "What do you have against him? Tell me!"
"Riley, I said stop!" Sierra yelled.
Riley was growing hysterical, "Some mentor you are! You're the last person I'd expect to be a two-timing—!"
A loud smack rang out, and Riley tumbled onto the couch, the mug crashing onto the floor. Riley was left in shock, unable to process the stinging on the left side of her face.
When Sierra realized she was seething, she gasped and stepped back. "Oh…oh my god I—!"
"Why…why would you go through all of that…?" Riley's voice broke as she grew emotional. "That…that wasn't fair to him…"
Sierra's throat tightened when Riley looked up at her, the latter's fear-ridden face accompanied by a red cheek and tears. More than Riley's breakdown was the confusion she was left with. Riley hasn't shown interest in the situation with Kaden up until now, so…has she been sitting on this the whole time?
When Sierra took another step forward, Riley reacted, racing to her room like a frightened animal, locking the door behind her. Sierra pursued her to no avail, forced to listen to Riley's sobbing on the other side. Sierra slid down the wall and onto the floor, losing the battle against her own emotions. She curled up against it and gave way to tears.
After a while, she forced herself up to clean the mess she had made…
[Central District, Omnia…]
"If you ask me, you were asking to get slapped," Nico told the shinobi as they trekked down the stone sidewalk.
"Too bad you're only supposed to listen to me vent." Riley shot back. She looked over to Nico, his Saibatar wearing an olive top, black tactical belt, beige pants, and black boots, along with a thick, cream-colored scarf with light green frills on the ends wrapped around his neck and a high-tech rifle on his back. He went by Nico in Omnia, his themes complementing his partner Digimon, Terriermon's evolution line."
"Look, I'm not saying that Sierra should've slapped you, but at the same time, you shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so easily."
Riley touched her cheek lightly. The soreness disappeared after a few minutes, though the weight of guilt and shock lingered. She couldn't help but reach out to Nico to join her in Omnia, as she needed to talk to someone.
"So, Gurenmaru unveiled his IRL identity to you guys earlier."
"Yup."
"And on top of that, you convinced yourself that Sierra rigged the match against Kaden for his sake…"
"Yes…"
"But why, though? Gurenmaru's records are nearly flawless. And I remember the match; Gurenmaru wasn't anywhere close to being at a disadvantage, so it doesn't make sense for Gurenmaru or Sierra to frame him."
"So why did she react the way she did?" Riley insisted.
"How would you react if someone was badmouthing you or someone you're close to?"
Riley didn't have an answer, though she tried to argue it. "Okay, so if they didn't do it, then who?"
"Why are you asking me? Like she said, it's water under the bridge."
"Hmm…" Riley silently murmured.
"Speaking of which…" Nico looked up, pointing to a hovering billboard.
Riley looked up, and to her surprise, Kaden was in the colosseum battling. His ExVeemon appeared from a broken security, reacting to the Fugamon responsible for it. Upon its deletion, the echoes of the crowd erupted from several blocks down from where they were.
"Can't sit still, can he?" Nico crossed his arms, sounding happy to see him back in action.
Riley stared for a moment longer. Her grip tightened, and she began walking toward the Colosseum. It took Nico a second to realize she was walking and chased after her, "Wait up!"
Upon reaching the Colosseum, Nico lost track of Riley in the crowd outside the stadium. "The heck's gotten into her?"
Terriermon appeared on top of his head. "Maybe watching Colbalius got her excited."
"She didn't seem it," Nico argued. "Unless…"
"Hm?" Terriermon grew curious.
Nico scoffed, "Let's go find a seat. I have a feeling we'll be in for a treat."
"LET'S GOOOOOO!" Volcanomon's voice howled along with the crowd. "COBALIUS TAKES ANOTHER ONE!"
As Nico and Terriermon climbed through the hallway into the stands, the crowd applauded and cheered, stomping their feet and chanting "Cobalius" repeatedly. By the looks of it, he managed to secure the win. Watching him soak in the praise from the crowd made him eager to join in the fray. In possession of Magnamon's counterpart, the thought of seeing who was the strongest resonated in him, and yet ladies first. Riley beat him to the punch, so he'll just have to wait for the next opportunity.
As Nico stepped down, Terriermon noticed and pointed towards a familiar face at the end seat. The individual wore a yellow t-shirt with a spiral pattern in the center, a red vest with a popped collar, and brown fingerless gloves. He also wore red goggles on his head, snuggled in brown, spiky hair.
It was Spyral, a friend of Cobalius that he had met the day before. "Enjoying the show, I see?"
"Hey!" Spyral quickly greeted, "Didn't think you'd be here."
"Yeah, well, I'm with a friend of mine this evening. They got some stuff going on and needed some time here to escape. Venting wasn't enough, it seems."
"I see." Spyral acknowledged. "I'm guessing they're gonna battle?"
"Yup. With Cobalius stirring up trouble, they said he's perfect for venting their frustrations."
Spyral chuckled, "I can imagine he's up for it. After all, he's trying to get as much practice as possible."
"Practice?" Nico asked, taking note of that. "Practice for what?"
Spyral hesitated to say, "It's a surprise, trust me."
Nico shrugged and scooted over in the row, taking the free seat next to Spyral. After sitting, he noticed that Spyral was staring a little.
"What's up?" Nico asked.
"I was just thinking…you and Kaden have partner Digimon."
"As most Omnia users do."
"Is there…like a special way to get them?"
"Lady Venusmon takes care of that," Terriermon answered. She's the caretaker of the Central District Nursery and can provide the information on how to obtain one."
"Lady…Venusmon?" Spyral repeated.
"Though, recently, she's been making trips to the Zenith District. So, there's no telling when she's available." Nico mentioned. "Best just try your luck with that."
The news of that somewhat disappointed Spyral. "It's not super important, but having one would've been nice anyway…"
"Can anyone topple the Imperial Knight, folks?!" Volcanomon asked the crowd. "After taking some time off to lick his wounds, he's come back swinging!"
As if on cue, the next challenger walked out. Spyral looked down and noted Kaden's next challenger as they made their way out, the crowd stirring up again. Riley kept her focus on the Imperial Knight as he stopped acknowledging the crowd to give her his full attention.
"Well, this is a surprise, isn't it, folks?! Been a while since we've seen some purple action in these parts!" Volcanomon said as the challenger took their stance before Kaden.
Kaden smirked, clearly excited. "Got a name?"
"Raven," Riley replied stoically. She deepened her voice to keep her identity anonymous, not wanting Kaden to know it was her. Looking at him made her uncomfortable, which only fueled her desire to beat him. Even now, she still questioned why she got so emotional when defending him. After she gets her frustrations out, she needs to take a minute to self-reflect on herself.
As well as apologize to Sierra, of course.
"A…Nadir user?" Spyral said, curiosity lingering in his voice.
"Go get him, Raven!" Nico cheered. "Kick his butt!"
"You know them?" Spyral turned.
"Yup. She's pretty shy, so she modeled her Saibatar off of a ninja, but she's guaranteed to give Cobalius a run for his money."
"I see…" Spyral looked back down. "She must be one of the few Nadir users, then."
Nico grinned, with Terriermon getting eager to see the clash unfold. Meanwhile, a cloaked figure came out from the entrance and blended in with the other standing spectators, finding themselves curious at the pairings below. They didn't say anything, nor did anyone acknowledge them. Silently, they briefly surrendered themselves to the entertainment taking place.
"You two ready to rock?!" Volcanomon lowered between them.
"Always!" Kaden exclaimed.
Riley nodded without saying anything.
"Okay! Security Set! And now the countdown! Say it with me!" Volcanomon flew up and circled the arena to hype the crowd.
"3…2…1…!"
"DIGI-GATE: OPEN!"
The blue and purple gates expanded overhead, sending the crowd into uproar. Both opponents stared one another down and prepared themselves for what was to come.
"I'll begin by hatching Kokomon. It will digivolve into Lopmon, and then I will play the Tamer Koichi Kimura from my hand to end. Riley stated, summoning Koichi.
Kokomon (BT7-006)
Color: Purple
Level: 2
Lopmon (BT7-068)
Color: Purple
Level: 3
DP: 2000
Koichi Kimura (BT7-091)
Color: Purple
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Kaden)
"When Koichi enters play, I can draw and discard a card from my hand." She drew and flashed the card she was discarding, "I discard Lucemon and end my turn."
"Purple and yellow, huh? Interesting combination." Kaden commented, finding himself a bit intrigued.
"It's your move, Riley told him, prompting him to draw.
"All right, let's go! I hatch DemiVeemon, Digivolve it into Veemon, and then play another. The Veemon played will reveal the top three cards of my deck and let me add a card with 'Free' in its traits to my hand while the rest go to the bottom."
The pair of Veemon appeared on Kaden's side, and the top three cards of his deck were: Flamedramon, Lightning Blade, and BT3 Veemon. From them, he swiped Flamedramon and sent the rest to the bottom.
DemiVeemon (BT2-002)
Color: Blue
Level: 2
Veemon (BT2-021)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 2000
Veemon (ST9-02)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
3-0
"I end by playing Davis Motomiya; he's gonna reveal three more cards for me to choose from my deck," Kaden stated, summoning Davis.
Davis Motomiya (BT3-093)
Color: Blue
Davis appeared, holding up his personal Digivice to reveal the top three cards of Kaden's deck: Magnamon, EX1 ExVeemon, and Ice Wall were among them. Kaden grabbed Magnamon and ended.
MEMORY
0-4 (Turn Change: Riley)
"And both our combatants start well!" Volcanomon commented. "Riley started with a basic setup, while Kaden got an additional body and a Memory Tamer. However, with the loss of Ice Wall, his defense crippled some. What do you think, folks? Do you think he can manage without it?"
"He better hope," Riley answered. That earned remarks from the crowd, a positive reaction to her trash talk.
Kaden scoffed and motioned to her, "Bring it on then. Show me what you got, Nadir."
"Gladly," Riley drew. "Lopmon moves into the Battle Area, then Koichi Spirit Digivolves into Loweemon!"
Kaden was caught off guard by her sprinting Tamer. Koichi flipped into the air as he was covered in purple light, transforming Loweemon.
Loweemon (BT7-071)
Color: Purple
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
4-2
"A…Hybrid?" Kaden was honestly surprised.
"And Riley comes through with a Hybrid Digimon!" Volcanomon grew excited. "For those at home, Hybrids are Digimon who inherit the powers of their ancient predecessors, Level 4 and higher Digimon that can digivolve off of Tamers. Some of them even gain benefits from going that route. Not long ago, one of the strongest Hybrid users was the Zenith District's Syl, who commanded AncientKazemon and her sky battalion. Since her graduation, Hybrid users are increasingly far and few in between."
Spyral turned to Nico upon the name drop, "Hey, I was wondering…"
"Hm? What's up?"
"Did…you happen to know Syl before?"
"Yeah, of course," Nico confirmed. "We started streaming around the same time before Cobalius debuted."
"So you knew her for a while then, huh?"
"Yeah, guess you can say that."
"So then…how did you take the news of her passing?"
Nico recalled when Riley opened up and explained what had happened to her sister. The situation was tragic, and to this day, Riley claims it's why her people skills are lackluster. Out of respect, he doesn't pry into it, though he wants to for her sake.
"Well, when I got the news, I didn't take it well. Cobalius…he was gone for a minute. Anyway, why ask?"
"He keeps avoiding the question whenever I try to ask about it. Knowing she died but not the reason for it bugs me."
"he's likely sensitive about it. They spent the entire summer together on Omnia, pretty much. Those two and Lady Azurena were basically family, so I can understand that he's still grieving, even if he says he's over it.
Spyral turned his focus back on the match. "Yeah, well, he's not the only one still grieving…"
"What's wrong?" Riley asked, noticing Kaden's hesitation.
"Nothing; just thinking how much more interesting things are getting," Kaden grinned.
"Well, I'm far from over. Loweemon digivolves into Rhihimon and Security Attacks! Since I have a Tamer in its sources, its' cost is reduced by 2!"
Loweemon roared as a purple binary surrounded him. Over his obsidian lion armor came a second layer of bulky brown armor, including a pair of gold wings and a staff. Two small cannons also extended from its shoulder pads as well.
Rhihimon (BT7-075)
Color: Purple
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
2-1
Rhihimon shot forward towards Kaden, swinging its staff towards him and triggering the Security Card to intercept. From it, ExVeemon appeared and caught the staff.
Rhihimon: 7000 DP
ExVeemon: 4000 DP
Though ExVeemon could keep a firm grasp on the weapon, Loweemon aimed its shoulder cannons and fired at close range, staggering ExVeemon long enough for Rhihimon to swing and cut it down.
Kaden
Security: 5-4
"I end my turn by digivolving Lopmon into Devimon," Riley stated, transforming Lopmon into Devimon.
Devimon (ST6-08)
Color: Purple
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
1-0
0-3 (Turn Change: Kaden)
"And Riley lands the first Security Break of the match! Instead of building her board, she plays it safe and passes the counter to Cobalius. Is this a chance for him to make a comeback? Just how is he going to respond to her Hybrid and Blocker?"
"We'll just have to see, won't we?" Kaden drew. "Veemon moves into the Battle Area; then I play Hammer Spark for an extra Memory."
MEMORY
3-4
"My initial Veemon will Armor Digivolve into Flamedramon, while the one that moved out will Armor Digivolve into Lighdramon."
The Veemon twins embraced the red and green streams, transforming into their armored counterparts. Flamedramon was a taller Veemon variant with flame-designed armor pieces on its fists, feet, thighs, chest, and face, with a blade-like horn coming from its muzzle. At the same time, Lighdramon had gotten on all fours, with black and yellow jagged armor covering its blue body, its edges resembling lightning bolts, adding a lightning bolt horn on its muzzle. Both stood defiant, in direct opposition to Riley's Digimon.
Flamedramon (BT8-012)
Color: Red/Blue
Level: 4
DP: 5000
Lighdramon (BT8-053)
Color: Green/Blue
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
4-2
2-0
"Lighdramon, suspend Devimon, and Flamedramon, take out Rhihimon!"
Riley was slightly surprised by that decision as the lightning bolt came down on Devimon, allowing Flamedramon to challenge Rhihimon without issue. Wasn't he going to take out Devimon first? With both having 5000 DP, Lighdramon would Armor Purge afterward, and then Kaden could follow up with Magnamon after taking out Rhihimon, which would put her at a disadvantage.
What was he up to?
Flamedramon gains +3000 DP when attacking," Kaden pointed out. "Go get 'em!"
Flamedramon: 5000-8000 DP
Rhihimon: 7000 DP
Rhihimon fired its lasers at Flamedramon, though the latter sidestepped each of them, flipping into the air. Lining itself up, Flamedramon pulled its ignited fist back and crashed down on Rhihimon, causing a small explosion, the aftermath hitting Riley, so she reactively shielded herself.
"Now, Lighdramon—!"
"Not so fast!" She countered. "First off, Koichi's IE gains me a memory. Secondly, when Rhihimon is deleted, I can revive one Purple Tamer from my trash if I have a Hybrid in its sources. I revive Koichi back to my field, then draw and discard Kari Kamiya from my hand."
MEMORY
0-1
Kaden smirked nervously as Koichi reappeared on Riley's side.
"Ooooh! It looks like Cobalius walked into that hook, line, and sinker!" Volcanomon commented. "Tough luck, amirite?"
Riley drew. "Not taking out Devimon was a mistake, you know."
"Trust me; I realize that," he admitted. "Still, it could be worse."
"That it can," she agreed. "I hatch Kokomon, digivolve it into Gabumon, and Devimon into NeoDevimon to end."
As Gabumon appeared in her raising area, Kaden watched as Devimon transformed into NeoDevimon.
NeoDevimon (BT4-084)
Color: Purple
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
1-2 (Turn Change: Kaden)
Kaden wasn't necessarily regretting anything at the current moment. Riley was forced to trade a blocker for Rhihimon's replacement. That left her open for attacks. "Davis sets my memory to 3; then I'll hatch DemiVee and digivolve it into another Veemon.
MEMORY
2-3
Veemon (ST8-04)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 2000
"Time for a counterattack, you two! Flamedramon, Security Attack!" Kaden ordered, sending Flamedramon taking off like a rocket. Appearing from it was LadyDevimon, taking a stance to repel the aggressor.
Flamedramon: 5000-8000 DP
LadyDevimon: 7000 DP
LadyDevimon sent out a swarm of bats, all of which were burned down by Flamedramon as it landed a clean strike on her.
Riley
Security: 5-4
"Lighdramon!" Kaden continued, his Digimon calling lightning down to strike. Piercing the Security with its horn, it electrified and shattered, revealing an armored lion Digimon resembling Loweemon and Rhihimon, known as KaiserLeomon.
Lighdramon: 5000 DP
KaiserLeomon: 6000 DP
KaiserLeomon pounced back and tackled Lighdramon, so they both crashed onto the arena floor. Both beast Digimon stared each other down and struck one another, KaiserLeomon succeeding in getting under Lighdramon to fling it in the air. As it went up, KaiserLeomon aimed its cannons and fired darkness energy that swallowed Lighdramon, the overhead explosion sending Veemon crashing back down.
Riley
Security: 4-3
"High risk, high reward!" Volcanomon exclaimed. "Taking the risk last turn has given Cobalius the lead! I'd tell ya; Armor Purge is Dope!"
"Got that right," Kaden chuckled. "Now then, Veemon, Armor Digivolve into the Royal Knight of Miracles, Magnamon!"
Veemon got back on its feet and stared Riley down as yellow binary codes spiraled around it. Flashing in a bright light that rivaled the sun briefly, a golden knight-like Digimon similar to Flamedramon appeared, sending the crowd cheering.
Magnamon (BT8-038)
Color: Yellow/Blue
Level: 4
DP: 7000
MEMORY
3-0
"Magnamon when digivolved into unsuspends. Veemon's IE draws me a card, and DemiVeemon boosts it by +1000 DP. And since Lighdramon is in my trash, it gets another +2000 DP, turning it into a 10k blocker." Kaden explained. "I end by playing Rina Shinomiya from my hand."
"Wha—is he serious?!" Spyral reacted upon Rina's deployment.
"Ooh hoo hoo, man, he screwed up bad!" Nico chuckled, covering his mouth. "Riley's going to punish him for that for sure, jeez!"
Rina Shinomiya (BT2-086)
Color: Blue
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Riley)
The green-haired teenage Tamer materialized, eager as ever to fight. However, upon her appearance, NeoDevimon's stoicism ceased, its eyes illuminating. Rina suddenly tensed and felt the creepy nature of the Digimon suffocate her in fear.
Kaden noticed and was about to question it when Riley interjected his thought process, "You don't think, do you?"
Kaden was taken aback, "what was that?"
"Someone like you should know about NeoDevimon's effect, right?"
"For the sake of it, enlighten me," Kaden told her.
"When you play a Tamer during your turn, I gain 3 Memory."
Kaden's eyes widened. "That's oddly specific, don't you think?!"
"Not when the goal is to punish opposing hybrid users…" Nico answered, with Spyral picking up on that subtle comment.
"And it looks like Cobalius bit off more than he can chew, sending sixMemory over to Riley as a result!"
Kaden clicked his tongue as the counter shifted. It wasn't the end of the world; he figured he could still pull this off so long as he kept focused. "In any case, when Rina is played, she reveals the top 3 cards of my deck and allows me to pick one with 'Vee' in its name to add to my hand."
BT3 ExVeemon, Flame Rocket, and Armor Texture were among them. He took his only option and passed the turn, hoping he wouldn't regret what was coming.
MEMORY
3-6
Riley drew. "Gabumon moves out, then I pay 6 Memory to play the Option Card Schwarz Lehrsatz! I can delete one of your level 5 or lower Digimon for each Hybrid and Tamer on the field. With Koichi, I delete Magnamon!"
"Give me a break!" Kaden reacted, shielding himself from the impending purple energy cluster forming before Riley. The condensed energy fired towards Magnamon, the latter reluctantly taking it head-on. Little by little, the armor covering it eroded and peeled off before the last completely overtook it, reverting Magnamon into Veemon.
"Gabumon, Security Attack!" She followed up, sending her Digimon charging. From Kaden's Security came UlforceVeedramon, whose 11,000 DP effortlessly rejected Gabumon with no trouble.
Kaden
Security: 4-3
"I end by digivolving NeoDevimon into the Fallen Beast King: Cherubimon!" Riley declared, causing the arena to quake. NeoDevimon rose from the ground and hovered in the air as purple binary codes came down onto it, transforming it into a massive beast Digimon, with a purple body with a green vertical stripe going down its torso, massive, veiny arms, and a sinister grin and gaze.
Cherubimon (BT7-079)
Color: Purple
Level: 6
DP: 12,000
MEMORY
0-4 (Turn Change: Kaden)
"With Cherubimon's effect, I revive the Kari Kamiya from my trash. Then, I delete one of your Level 4 or lower Digimon for each tamer I possess afterward.
Kari Kamiya (BT4-097)
Color: Purple
An innocent-looking tamer with brown hair, a yellow shirt, and suspenders materialized on Riley's side, standing beside Koichi. Cherubimon drew from them and conjured a bolt of red lightning, aiming for Kaden's two Digimon. Spearing it, the energy raced across the floor and made contact, electrocuting both Digimon. Veemon was deleted, while Flamedramon was forced to regress into Veemon itself due to Armor Purge.
"Finally, Lopmon's IE effect triggers; Since I played a tamer during my turn, I gain a Memory. With that, I end my turn."
MEMORY
4-3
"Yikes, looks like this newcomer is keeping a tight leash on Cobalius!" Volcanomon shuddered.
"Wow, I thought you were on my side," Kaden remarked.
"Sorry, Cobalius, but with Syl gone, someone needs to rein you in."
That one comment sent Volcanomon cackling and Kaden blushing hard. "Real funny," Kaden said, drawing. "Veemon moves out; then I play Hammer Spark to gain an extra Memory!"
MEMORY
3-4
Kaden playing the card to increase his memory to 4 grabbed Riley's attention. What did he plan to do with that?
"Let's see if you're laughing after this! Veemon, Warp Digivolve into UlforceVeedramon!"
Riley's expression switched as soon as the wind blew past them. The new Veemon drew in the massive gust of wind and grew empowered by it. "How...?"
"Because youhave that big lug out." Kaden pointed to Cherubimon. "While you have a Level 6 out, this Veemon can warp into Ulforce by paying 4 Memory for it."
Riley gazed up as the azure dragon knight appeared, using its glowing blade gauntlets to slash the tornado surrounding it. As she was, the crowd was left in awe, and Kaden reveled in the moment.
UlforceVeedramom (ST8-10)
Color: Blue
Level: 6
DP: 12,000
MEMORY
4-0
"Ulforce, Security Attack! Thanks to its effect, it unsuspends since I have eight cards in hand! I'll also suspend Rina to add +1000 DP!"
Ulforce vanished from Kaden's side and appeared in front of Riley like an oppressing force. Shaken by its sudden appearance, she quickly reacted, realizing she could save herself. "NeoDevimon's IE—!"
The Security broke, the noise from the impact cutting her off. Antylamon appeared and swung back, though Ulforce sliced its lanky arm, spewing binary all over before the dragon cut it down totally.
Riley
Security: 3-2
"Now, Ulforce, Security Attack-!"
"I said,NeoDevimon's IE triggers!" Riley exclaimed, cutting off Kaden as he did her. "Since you suspended your tamer, I gained a memory for it."
MEMORY
0-1 (Turn Change: Riley)
"Not only that, but I suspend Kari to gain another Memory for the Security you broke."
MEMORY
1-2
"You've..." Kaden didn't bother to finish the thought, sighing in annoyance.
"Had I not been paying attention, that would've screwed me..." she said, drawing. She admitted that that blindsided her, though it was clear that it wasn't enough to stop her. She could drag the match out at this point long enough, so he should be running out of steam by now. "I hatch Kokomon, then digivolve it into Lopmon."
As Lopmon appeared, Riley cast her arm forward, "Cherubimon, Security Attack!"
The hulking beast growled as it raised its arm, swinging its large limb to conjure energy between its palms. The gust made Kaden shield himself as the Security broke.
Kaden
Security: 3-2
"Security Trigger: Hammer Spark!" Kaden countered, "I'll take those two Memories back, thank you very much!"
MEMORY
2-0
"I'm not done!" Riley continued, "You said you wanted to see what the Yellow cards in my deck can do, right? Well, here they go! By deleting my Cherubimon, I can play this Cherubimon For three Memory instead of eleven! I play Cherubimon from my hand!"
Kaden hesitated, looking up at the dark beast. It closed its eyes and embraced the yellow binary code that rained over it, and the crowd watched as the menacing creature purified into a cream-colored variation of itself.
Cherubimon (BT8-043)
Color: Yellow
Level: 6
DP: 12,000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Kaden)
Kaden could only blink, rendered confused by the soft-looking creature. He almost wanted to hug it.
"The old Cherubimon's On Deletion effect revives one Level 4 or Lower Digimon for each Tamer I have. Thanks to Kari and Koichi, I revive KaiserLeomon and Lucemon from my trash."
A pair of pillars, purple and yellow respectively, rose from the ground and appeared KaiserLeomon, and an angelic Digimon resembling a young boy with six wings.
Lucemon (BT4-115)
Color: Yellow
Level: 3
DP: 10,000
KaiserLeomon (BT7-045)
Color: Purple
Level: 4
DP: 6000
"Cherubimon's effect: For each tamer, I have in play, one of your Digimon gets Security Attack –2 until the end of your turn. I apply both instances onto Ulforce, giving it Security Attack –4. In addition, Lucemon, when played, recovers one security.
Riley
Security: 2-3
Kaden felt the pressure come on him now moreso; Ulforce was useless for the turn, which meant he was screwed next turn if he didn't come up with a rebound. He still had a Veemon and the BT3 ExVeemon in his hand to unsuspend itself, but that would require luck that it wouldn't get itself deleted. Thinking hard, he drew, leaving it up to chance...
"I hatch DemiVee, and then digivolve it into Veemon..."
As the new Veemon appeared, he drew hesitantly. Looking at his card, his eyes widened. He may have a shot after all, so long as luck kept blessing him.
Turning his attention forward, he declared his move, "Veemon, Security Attack!"
The Veemon acknowledged the command and rushed forward, headbutting her Security.
Riley
Security: 3-2
Riley snickered and revealed their security: Glaive Memory Boost. Kaden's eyes lit up, ecstatic that it wasn't a Digimon to take out Veemon. He kept up the momentum, "I digivolve Veemon into ExVeemon, using its effect to unsuspend itself!"
ExVeemon emerged from where Veemon stood, its white wings extending outward with a ferocious and triumphant roar.
ExVeemon (BT3-025)
Color: Blue
Level: 4
DP: 4000
MEMORY
3-1
"ExVeemon!" Kaden exclaimed, sending his dragon to shoot a white laser from its torso at Riley. The attack connected, and another Security was blown past her.
Riley
Security: 2-1
Reactively, Riley roared back, echoing the savage Digimon that flew out of her Security known as Wendigomon. The Digimon pounced on ExVeemon as it scrambled to defend itself, taking a hit to the face. As the opposing Digimon began to pummel it into submission, ExVeemon managed to hold it back long enough to blast it point blank, taking them both out.
"I end my turn by playing one more Veemon." He stated, summoning it.
Veemon (BT3-021)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
1-2 (Turn Change: Riley)
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE IMPERIAL KNIGHT REFUSES TO GO DOWN!" Volcanomon exclaimed, sending the crowd into a frenzy. They began to chant Cobalius' name, Kaden feeling encouraged by it. Up in the stands, the cloaked figure gasped and was swept with admiration and fear. The conflicting feelings made him turn and leave.
"They're so strong…" they uttered, shrouded in the hallway's darkness. "…too strong…"
"Don't chicken out now…" Dracmon's voice spoke. The cloaked figure stopped walking and raised their D-Streamer. "Now that I know what you're dealing with, I don't see any problems going forward."
"R—really?" the cloaked figure asked, almost thrilled to hear that.
"So long as you keep your end of the bargain, we got this. It looks like they've already beat me to it…"
The cloaked figure silently nodded and continued to walk down the hallway, taking Dracmon's words as gospel for the moment.
Riley meanwhile steeled herself. On her part, it was now or never. This was the last turn. Drawing her card, she went into action. "Lopmon moves into the Battle Area, then Glaive Memory Boost's delay effect activates, regaining two memory.
MEMORY
2-4
"You're really good, by the way," Kaden commented before she could continue. "I would love to battle you again sometime."
Riley visibly paused, her mask hiding her flustered expression. She shook it off and continued with her turn. "Cherubimon, waste him!"
Cherubimon nodded, holding its arms up to the sky to summon a ring of light, which it cast down towards Kaden. Kaden braced for it, and his Security took the attack head-on. "Come on, give me a miracle…!"
"Lucemon, Final Security-!"
"SECURITY TRIGGER!" Kaden exclaimed, followed by sudden balls of plasma firing at each of Riley's Digimon.
"What the—?!" She began to ask as her Digimon were struck. They each cried out from the electric impulses, with KaiserLeomon and Lopmon deleting. Cherubimon and Lucemon remained, though visibly weakened.
KaiserLeomon: 6000-0 DP
Lopmon: 2000-0 DP
Lucemon: 10,000-7000 DP
Cherubimon: 12,000-9000 DP
Finding herself two Digimon short, Riley looked at Kaden, who was full of glee at the results. "Just what was that?!"
"Plasma Shot." He smirked.
"Plasma…what?" she repeated.
"Allow me!" Volcanomon chimed, "Plasma Shot is an option card that gives one of the opponent's Digimon -4000 DP, in addition to -1000 DP for every Armor Digimon in the user's trash."
"But…you never had that card in your deck before…" She muttered out loud.
"How would you know what's in my deck or not?" Kaden furrowed his brow.
Riley continued her offense, ignoring his question, "Lucemon, Final Security Attack!"
The angel Digimon was seething from being blindsided and cast its own energy bolts forward to take out Kaden's Security. Flamedramon responded, though the angel clearly wasn't having it, using its wings to take off into the sky and fire an additional volley down on Flamedramon, covering the arena in smoke.
"Could this be it, ladies and gentlemen?!"' Volcanomon asked as the smoke billowed. "Has Cobalius avoided the brink of defeat once again?!"
Kaden smirked, "That was close…Plasma Shot really saved me there. But like I said, this was fun, and I hope—what the?!" Kaden was cut off by the sudden appearance of Loweemon cutting through the cloud of dust. With a swift jab, Kaden flew out of the dust cloud, crashing on his back and rendering the crowd silent.
Riley was finally revealed on her end; noticeably, Koichi was nowhere to be seen. In addition, the counter was ticked down to 2. Loweemon leaned up and looked to Volcanomon before punching the air in victory.
"…The winner is RAVEN!" Volcanomon announced, causing the crowd to roar and cheer her name.
Riley took a moment to process it. The crowd cheering her name took a moment to register, and when it did, she felt…different. It made her heart race, sure, but she wasn't scared. Actually… it was nice.
So Syl dealt with this all the time…no wonder she didn't want to leave it.
She made her way over to Kaden, who was chuckling to himself. At first, she thought she might have also given him a concussion, but when he sat up, he had a smile plastered on his face like a goofy kid.
"That was awesome! Been wondering if anyone was going to break my streak."
"Not for nothing, but I think Lobomon should be added to your deck," Riley stated.
Kaden perked upon the mention of the hybrid, "You think so?"
She nodded. "An additional finisher wouldn't hurt, especially in a rush deck like this. Plus, you have several tamers that become extra rookies for that purpose."
Kaden couldn't argue with that. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks."
"Once again, give it up for our competitors, Cobalius and Riley!" Volcanomon announced, stirring up the crowd more. Kaden waved back and, noticing Riley's shy attempt at raising her arm, grinned, grabbed it, and waved it for her. She grew incredibly flustered, pulling back and racing out of the stadium. Somewhat taken aback, Kaden gave chase.
Nico stood back in the stands, saying, "We should meet up with them." As he began to move, he noticed Spyral still sitting there. "You coming?"
Spyral perked up upon hearing him. "Sorry, kinda zoned out for a sec."
Nico chuckled, "Match ended a few minutes ago, bro."
"Yeah, sorry…" he apologized, following him outside. Spyral pondered his thought silently, thinking of Riley's behavior. If his hunch was correct, this was a small world, if there was one.
"Hey, wait up!" Kaden called as they reached the outside of the stadium. The both of them were out of breath, panting from the sudden sprint they did. Riley looked at Kaden and then at her device. She'll apologize to Nico later for dipping on him so abruptly. However, before she could issue the command to log out, an invitation chimed on it.
It was a friend request.
Blinking, she looked up at Kaden, who could do it before she got away from him. She looked at it again and felt hesitant to reply to it. Ultimately, she sighed and looked toward him, "Sorry, but I don't do friends…"
Kaden, upon hearing that shook his head, "After everything we've been through, you're not allowed to say that, Riley."
Riley blinked, rendered speechless. "How—huh?!"
"Seriously?" Kaden asked, surprised by her surprise. "The deck knowledge gets you a pass since I've been playing all weekend, so everyone knows what's in my deck now. But the fact that you shot out of there like a wet cat and have me out of breath for it…? Yeah, you can't fake that."
"…I hate you." She said, dropping the deeper voice for her normal one. By this point, Spyral and Nico arrived and ran up to them.
"Milo!" Kaden waved.
"Nico," Riley said, crossing her arms.
Milo turned to Nico, "That's your IRL name?"
"Yup. Nice to meet you, Milo," Nico replied.
"Nico…" Kaden pondered. "Aren't you the dude who works at the Starbucks on the second floor of TCG Tower?"
"Bro, seriously?" Nico asked in surprise, "It's me, Nico Woods; we had Dawson for Math last year."
Kaden took a moment. "Oh! Right, okay, I remember you now!"
"Yeah," Nico nodded. "Speaking of Riley, how are you doing in his class?"
"I was right! You are Riley, aren't you?" Milo exclaimed.
"To be fair, she made it pretty obvious…" Kaden noted.
"Shut up!" She snapped. "Anyway, to answer your question, I'm doing fine; why?"
"Really? The man's a slave driver when it comes to homework. Don't tell me he mellowed out once we stopped having him."
Riley shrugged. "Don't know what to tell you. Speaking of which, I had my fun, logging off for the night."
"Bet, same here." Nico yawned. "I just got back home from helping my grandpa, so it's back to school tomorrow."
"That's fair. Before I forget," Kaden pressed a button, sending Nico a friend invite. "We gotta get a game in when we have time."
"Oh yeah, definitely. It's been a while. Now that we know each other IRL, we can even play a game during our breaks."
"Looking forward to that," Kaden smiled at the thought. "Milo, be sure to send Riley an invite too."
"Okay, how do I—?"
"You don't have to," she interjected. "I'm barely on Omnia, to begin with."
That was a bull-face lie, but for her, this was enough social interaction for one day.
"Well, in that case, we'll just see you tomorrow at work then." Kaden shrugged.
"Yup." She pressed a button on her device. "Night."
"Good night." They replied as she vanished.
When Riley opened her eyes, she was staring up at her ceiling. She processed her thoughts momentarily, flipped around on her stomach, buried her face in her pillow, and screamed into it, kicking her feet up and down. Once she was calm, she turned her head to the side.
"Too much…way too much interaction for one day…" She told herself, feeling like she overdid it. She was exhausted and had a headache. Maybe going into Omnia so soon was a bad idea after all.
She sat up and thought about taking some Tylenol, but at the same time, she remembered the situation with Sierra; she didn't want to risk running into her. Was she still mad? Could it wait until tomorrow?
Riley answered her question by fetching some pajamas and going to bed, throbbing head and all.
It could wait until tomorrow.