"There's someone that you need to meet. Someone that's in trouble and needs you. Someone that will be a better partner than I was. They're in Neo Domino City. Go after her. She's waiting. Waiting for you, Kaze."
I let out a sigh as I finished rereading Rei's message once again. I'd already lost count of how many times I had read it, and even then, it was still no clearer than when I first received the message. Something like this was way too cryptic for Rei. Was she trying to keep something from me?
There's someone that needs my help. That's all that I've gotten out of it. A Shadow Duelist of sorts? Did they need someone to beat them in a duel in order to return to normal? But if that were the case, then how would Rei find out about them before the rest of us did?
The boat's horn blared loudly, pulling me out of my thoughts. After readjusting my bag on my shoulder, making sure it was in place, I began to walk towards the dock to leave the ship.
As I took my first few steps back on land, I found myself reading the message again. This was Neo Domino City, that's for sure… but how was I supposed to find a girl in trouble? This was such a big city. Where do I even-
The next thing I knew, someone suddenly crashed into me, nearly sending me to the ground had I not fallen back into another passenger.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" the man that I assumed I ran into snarled at me.
"I-I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean…" I trailed off, seeing how the man was now skulking away from me.
Sure, I was looking at my phone, but that man came out of nowhere… How could I have missed him?
I let out a sigh as I shook my head. There was no use dwelling upon it.
"Well, Brionac, what do you think? Where should we begin?" I whispered to my partner. I waited in silence for a few seconds before I started to feel uneasy. "Brionac?" I repeated, a little bit louder this time. Upon not receiving a response, I quickly reached down towards my belt, where my decks hung. The slot up front, the one containing my main deck, was open and my cards were missing.
"H-hey! Thief!" I cried out without even thinking about it, immediately taking off after the fleeing figure of the man. With how many people were leaving the boat, however, I soon lost him in the crowd.
'This isn't good…! C'mon, Brionac…! Brionac, can you hear me?' I tried to focus my thoughts as I closed my eyes and grasped at my necklace. They couldn't have gotten too far..! There was still hope!
'I can.' Brionac's voice responded, causing me to let out a sigh of relief. 'Follow my voice, Kaze. He's stopped. There are a few of his friends here, and also a woman,' Brionac continued.
'A… woman?' I asked slowly.
'She's waiting for you.' Brionac's words quickly took my thoughts back to Rei's message. Could this be the girl Rei was talking about?! Then I had to save her!
I followed Brionac's voice through the crowd of people until I reached a large clearing with only a few people there. The first thing that I noticed was the woman that Brionac mentioned.
It was rather hard not to, actually. She was beautiful, and she honestly took my breath away. The woman had long black hair like silk that cascaded down her back. Even while glaring at the thugs surrounding her, her light blue eyes looked deep, just like the ocean. Despite wearing a rather plain teal dress and white jacket, there was just something about her that I couldn't describe. She looked like a model.
This… This is the person I'm supposed to save? This is the person that was waiting for me?
"C'mon, lady! I know you've got some good cards on you! You're dressed so fancy, you gotta!" the sharp voice of one of the burly men surrounding the woman drew me out of my stupor and forced me back into reality.
"I'm telling you, I don't have any. I don't bring them along, as my bodyguard usually carries them for me," the woman replied evenly, though she stared daggers at the man.
"Bodyguard? So you are rich! Cough up the dough, then, lady!" the man grinned as he held his hand out, and his friends joined in with some jovial laughter and jeering. Taking a breath to steady herself, the woman smiled once more.
"I politely refuse, if that's alright with you."
At her response, the man who had been heckling her twitched. He began cocking his arm back, which caused me to spring into action.
"You stupid little-"
When the man went to punch the woman before him though, I immediately placed myself between the two, catching his fist in my own hand. The men's eyes widened as they stared at me in shock. I heard a soft gasp from behind me, revealing that even the woman I was protecting was surprised by my intervention.
"The lady said no," I said as I pushed his arm back, causing the man's eyes to narrow even more at me in rage. "Besides… don't you know that it's rude to harm a lady?"
"Cocky little punk! Stay outta our business!" the man snapped at me, looking as if he was about to lunge once more, though he still remained where he was standing.
"You're attacking an innocent woman! There's no way I'm just going to let you get away with that!" I cried out as I gestured towards the black haired woman behind me. "Besides, I know you have my deck!" I continued.
My last comment caused a smirk to fall on the man's face.
"Ah, that's it? Here, take your deck back. Take it and leave us to our business." The man continued to give me a toothy grin as he held out a stack of cards that I figured were mine.
"No. I'm not going to just let you hurt an innocent bystander!" I declared, taking the man back a bit.
'Kaze, do you know what you're doing?' Brionac's voice echoed in my mind.
"Please, Brionac, trust me. I can't let her get hurt," I spoke softly to my partner, who was still in the man's hand.
'But if you just take my card back, you could freeze them all,' Brionac noted, causing me to bite my lip.
"I… I don't want to do that… Not again," I murmured.
'Fair enough. Be prepared to deal with this the hard way, then,' Brionac commented, and I immediately knew what he meant when one of the thugs charged at me.
I lightly put an arm behind me, making sure the woman was a safe distance away, before catching the man's incoming first. I began pushing forward, sending the man stumbling back and causing him to run into another one of his friends who was attempting to attack us as well.
Two more men came charging at me, both with their fists at the ready. Just when they were about to hit me, I quickly ducked, causing their fists to collide with each other's face and disorienting them both for a bit. Noticing that one of these men was the one that had my deck, I quickly returned the favor by taking my deck back from his belt.
Having done that, I retreated away from them and back to the woman's side once more. Slowly, they all began gathering their thoughts and rising to their feet.
"You…! We still have more people than you…! You can't take us all on at once!" one of the men insisted.
"Please, just leave. If you leave now, none of you will have to get hurt," I tried to reason with them, but this only seemed to enrage them more.
"Don't act so cocky, like you're better than us!" At hearing someone's snarl as a reply, I found myself sighing.
"Alright then… if you truly insist on fighting… then at the very least, allow us to fight in a duel," I bartered.
"I… I'm sorry," a soft voice spoke from behind me, turning my attention back to the black-haired lady. "I wish I could help you, but alas, my deck truly is with my bodyguard… He left and never came back. I have a spare at home, of course, but still…" the woman trailed off as she averted her eyes, clearly ashamed of her situation.
Holding back my comments about her bodyguard, I instead focused on the duel disk attached to the woman's arm. If she had a duel disk, then…
"I actually have some spare decks with me. If you'd be willing to duel with one of them, I would welcome your support," I said as I reached down to my belt and unclipped two of my spare decks, which I held out to her. She took them both gingerly into her hands, glancing over the notes I had written on the cases.
"Hold it! You had more cards all along!? Then why did you want those other ones back so badly?" a man shouted, forcing me to turn my attention back towards them.
"These cards are more than just cards. They're my friends. I won't let you have them. Not only that, but I'm going to protect her as well," I declared before facing my new partner once more. She then handed me back the deck that she hadn't chosen, allowing me to reattach it to my belt. "I'm sorry if that deck isn't perfect. It's a new one that I've been working on to get away from my old theme, but I haven't tried it out yet," I apologized.
"Don't worry. I'm sure it will fit its purpose quite nicely. Thank you." As the woman smiled at me, I found my heart skipping a beat.
"Stop getting so cozy over there! If that's the way you want to play, then we'll just beat you both! Then we'll take your cards and your money!" the man shouted, thankfully reminding me of just what was at stake.
"That's not going to happen! You're going to face us fair and square in a tag duel! If we win, you leave us both alone and return whatever else you stole!" I proposed as my partner and I both activated our duel disks.
"Fine! But if we win, then you know exactly what's going to happen to you!" The lead man smirked at us as he and his friend activated their duel disks as well.
[Kaze and Misty: 8000 LP]
[Ivan and Kenyou: 8000 LP]
I stared down at my duel disk for a moment, observing the names that popped up on the screen. Her name… is Misty…? Why does that seem so familiar…?
I quickly shook the thought aside and drew my card.
"I'll start things off by setting two cards face down! Then I'll activate Umi," I declared as I placed the field spell into the side of my duel disk, causing the ground to slowly shift into water. "I'll then summon Mermaid Knight, and that will end my turn." Seconds later, my pink haired monster jumped out from the water around us, brandishing her sword and shield. [Mermaid Knight: 1500 ATK - 1700 ATK]
"For my turn, I'll place a monster face down, and then set two cards," the man I took to be Ivan said. With all his cards being face down, it was a little hard to get a feel for what his strategy was going to be, or if Mermaid Knight would be able to destroy his monster… I took a glance over at my partner, who was taking her draw and looking over the cards in her hand.
"I summon Giant Rat in Attack Mode," Misty said as a familiar blue rat appeared on her side of the field. [Giant Rat: 1400 ATK] "Now, Giant Rat, attack his face down monster!" Misty declared, which took me by surprise. Giant Rat was the weaker of our two monsters. When attacking an unknown monster, usually my partners would lead with our strongest card, to ensure the monster was defeated… Of course, I couldn't oppose to Misty's methods, but with the unrivaled confidence she was giving off, I couldn't help but stare at her as our monster bit through the face down card.
From the card's hologram, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive emerged, but its defense was no match for Giant Rat's attack, and so it was easily destroyed.
"I activate Dekoichi's effect! When he's flipped over, I can draw one card," Ivan revealed, taking pleasure in drawing one more card despite the fact that his field was now wide open.
This aura Misty's giving off… It's not just confidence… I can't put my finger on it, but… I can tell that she has a feel for that deck already… and that my cards seem to trust her too.
"That's not all, though! You see, when Umi is on the field, Mermaid Knight can attack twice during the Battle Phase! So, Mermaid Knight, attack them directly!" Misty declared, drawing me out of my thoughts as my monster charged forward, sword at the ready.
[Ivan and Kenyou: 8000 LP - 6300 LP - 4600 LP]
"With two cards face down, that will end my turn," Misty said.
"Then it's my move! I'll place one monster face down, and then set one card! That's all," Kenyou shouted.
What was with these guys and placing face downs…? Did their decks revolve around flip effects? That was definitely something to keep in mind then as we proceeded.
"It's my-" I started to draw my card when Kenyou suddenly threw his hand out.
"I activate my Trap Card, Human Wave Tactics!"
"With that card, he'll be able to summon a monster with every end phase… We should destroy it now, before he has a chance to use it," Misty whispered to me, clearly hinting at the fact that we had Mystical Space Typhoon set on our field.
"Don't worry… I'll make sure it won't even hit an end phase," I smiled at her before completing my draw. "I summon Mother Grizzly in Attack Mode! Mother Grizzly! Attack their face down card!" I shouted, prompting my blue bear to charge forward and slash its claws towards Kenyou's monster. [Mother Grizzly: 1400 ATK] The card flipped over, revealing a skeleton and man, but Spirit Caller didn't last too long against my monster, allowing us to clear their field once more. "Then let's end this! Giant Rat, Mermaid Knight, wipe out the rest of their life points!"
"N-not so fast! Trap activate! Call of the Haunted! With it, I bring-" Kenyou hurriedly pressed the button on his duel disk to activate his card, but I triggered my own spell just as fast.
"I don't think so! I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Call of the Haunted! And with that, it's game over for you!"
Our opponents let out a cry as our spell blew their trap off of the field and our monsters cut through the rest of their life points.
[Kenyou and Ivan: 4600 LP - 3100 LP - 1400 LP - 0 LP]
"W-whatever! We just let you win! Don't get cocky!" Kenyou cried out before he and his friends all fled.
"That was amazing. Your dueling prowess… It was unlike anything I've ever seen. We won without taking a single point of damage. And you're an Osiris at a Duel Academy? That hardly seems fair," Misty commented, causing me to jump a bit.
"H-how did you know that?!" I asked. The woman giggled at my reaction.
"I do a bit of fortune reading in my free time… That, and you are still wearing your uniform." I found my face quickly heating up as I looked down to see what she said was true. Of course she knew I was an Osiris…!
"R-right…" I murmured, willing my blush to go away.
"Anyway, I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there. My name is Misty Lola. You have my thanks." Misty smiled with a slight bow.
"It was nothing. I couldn't just let you get hurt. My name is Kaze Kokoro, by the way. It's nice to meet you," I said as I returned the gesture.
"The pleasure is all mine," Misty insisted.
"Why don't I escort you to this bodyguard that you mentioned? Those guys might come back if I leave, and I would hate to see you in trouble again," I offered, but this quickly caused the smile to drop off of her face.
"Well, you see… I appreciate the offer, but I don't quite know where my bodyguard is. That's the problem. My manager is really bad with getting responsible workers, you see." Misty smiled once again, but this time she looked rather resigned to her situation.
"I'd say so. You were left alone. That's not a very good bodyguard," I remarked before deciding to breach a different topic. "What about your house then? I'll escort you there. Your bodyguard has to return eventually," I decided.
"That sounds wonderful. Thank you." And like that, the two of us set off, with Misty leading the way.
"So, judging by your uniform, you're fresh out of Duel Academy, correct?" Misty asked leisurely, obviously trying to fill the silence with some idle chatter.
"That's right. I come from the main branch on Duel Academy Island. We just had our graduation duels not too long ago," I recalled. Doing so brought my thoughts back to Rei, so I tried to quickly ignore it. This was what Rei wanted, after all. I had to continue to help Misty, like Rei said to.
"I see… Well, Neo Domino City is a great place to go to from Duel Academy. There are plenty of opportunities here for whatever you can imagine. It's even home to the renowned duelist Jack Atlas," Misty noted. I got the feeling that I was supposed to be impressed, but having no idea who Jack Atlas was, I found myself indifferent to the information.
"Hm… I can't say I've heard of him before. We're kind of isolated at DA," I explained to my companion, who gave me a sympathetic smile.
"That's a shame. Maybe I can take you to one of his duels some time? As a thank you for saving me?" Misty offered, but I quickly raised my hands to deny the gesture.
"No, no, it's fine! I did what any other citizen would," I said.
"Yet didn't," Misty quickly responded, taking me aback. "There were plenty of people around when they started haggling me and they all fled. None of them stood up for me like you did," Misty continued.
"Really now…?" I found myself asking, astounded by how no one would even think of helping someone in trouble here. Misty hummed a bit as she nodded. Back at DA, we would risk our lives for our fellow students without much thought… Just how different were things here in this city…?
"If you don't mind me prying, where are you going to be living? I'd like to visit you in the near future." Misty's comment drew me out of my thoughts.
"H-huh…? Oh, I-" My words immediately came to a halt. It just then that I realized it. I came to this city expecting to find an apartment or maybe even a hotel somewhere, but I hadn't even looked into such a thing yet. Would they still be accepting people? Was there still time left?
"I'm sorry, is it a secret? That's fine, I just thought…" Misty trailed off, looking utterly hurt, so I quickly made to explain myself.
"N-no, it's not like that at all…! I… Well, since I just got here, I don't have anywhere that I'm staying right now. I realized that." I laughed a bit as I scratched at my neck, embarrassed of how stupid I probably sounded to my new friend.
"Then you must come live with me." Misty's response was so immediate that it didn't even register for a while.
"W-what!?" I shouted upon realizing what she was offering. "B-but we just met!"
"Indeed we did, but even so, you stood up for me and protected me regardless. And… it might be in poor taste, but I also just get the feeling that you're someone I can trust," Misty smiled softly at me.
"A… feeling…?" I asked under my breath. "Even so…! You're… You're a… and I'm…" My words trailed off as I struggled to piece my thoughts together. How could I just start living with Misty like that? We just met a few minutes ago, and more pressingly… She's a girl…! Of course, I would never dream of doing anything to her, but still…!
"Oh, don't worry about paying me back," Misty said, as if this was the only logical concern to have about her proposition. "You saved me, after all. Plus, I'm sure we can work something out."
"Like what?" I found myself asking, curiosity temporarily overriding my embarrassment.
"Would you be alright being a bodyguard?" Misty asked. "Specifically… My bodyguard," Misty appended with a soft smile that caused my heart to skip a beat again despite myself.
"B-but what about your old one?" I tried to remind her and buy myself some more time to figure out how to respond to all of this.
"I'm sure he'll get fired after this. And if he isn't, I'll fire him myself." Misty continued to smile at me, never missing a beat despite what she was saying. "You'll be paid, of course, on top of living with me. It's a win-win for both of us, isn't it?"
Even if she says that…! That doesn't change anything, does it…!? How can she be okay with just allowing some guy she met on the streets to live with her? And… being a bodyguard? There was no way I was qualified for a role like that, right? I just graduated from Duel Academy…! I…!
'There's someone that you need to meet. Someone that's in trouble and needs you. Someone that will be a better partner than I was.'
That's right… Misty… needs me, doesn't she…? And she'll be my next partner…? So… maybe this is what Rei meant… If I'm Misty's bodyguard, I'll be able to keep her safe for sure.
"I… I'm a little nervous about all this, but… alright. I'd be happy to help you," I said, causing another smile to light up Misty's face.
"I'm glad to hear it! Now come on, it's just around the corner. Let's get you settled in."
When we rounded the street corner, I found myself coming to an abrupt halt at the ginormous building before me. It was nothing like I had ever seen before! It was practically a skyscraper with how tall it was, with a shining outside to boot. This… was Misty's house…!? N-no wonder she needed a bodyguard…! She must be rich!
Misty paused as she was about to enter the door, noticing me in my stupor behind her. She giggled a bit before walking back to my side and pulling me forward with her into the main floor of the building.
We were immediately met by two men in tuxedos who offered us a bow. She… She had butlers too…!?
"T-This is amazing, Misty…! I… I don't know what to say! I didn't know you lived in a mansion like this!" I gushed, looking at all the extravagant decorations hung about and suddenly feeling extremely underdressed.
Misty's light laughter drew my wide eyes back to her. "No, silly, I don't live in a mansion. This is a hotel. I have just a room upstairs," Misty said, and I suddenly felt my cheeks heating up.
"O-Of course," I laughed nervously. How stupid could I be…!? A mansion…!? Really…!? Now Misty must think I'm some kind of idiot…!
I meekly followed Misty into the elevator and waited in silence until we reached the floor she selected. Once there, Misty lead me down the hall, opening her door with her key.
"I apologize for the mess. I wasn't expecting company when I left," Misty muttered as she pushed open the door, revealing a luxurious room I could only dream of calling my own. There was a fully furnished kitchen, along with a big screen TV and huge mattress. The place seemed to sparkled.
"N-no! It's amazing! It's spotless!" I insisted, but upon realizing I was probably making a fool out of myself again, I quickly backtracked. "I, I mean… Our DA rooms were just bunk beds, a mirror, a desk, and a closet. So you could totally trash this place and I'd still think it's way better," I laughed nervously and Misty laughed as well.
"Is that so?" she mused before motioning me inside and closing the door behind her. "Please, take a seat and get comfortable. I'll start some tea."
With Misty's back to me, I slowly found my way to her dinner table and sat down, using the time to really take in my surroundings.
Misty… really is rich, isn't she…? I wasn't poor by any means, I had enough DP to get by, but… I couldn't help but feel out of place in her room.
I'm really supposed to be her bodyguard…?
My hand found its way to my necklace, tugging at it subconsciously. I tried to turn my attention towards Misty instead, who was still preparing her tea with a grace that could only have come from making tea many times before.
Before she was even done, I could smell the tea's scent fill the air. It was subtle, but still pleasant, and reminded me of an orchid.
Huh…? Since when did I know what an orchid smelt like…?
"Here you are." Misty's voice drew me out of my thoughts as she slid a cup and saucer in front of me.
"T-thank you," I spoke quickly before reaching for the cup. My eyes drifted upward, to see how Misty was holding her tea, and I mimicked her posture as best as I could.
The brew was a bright red, and with it this close to my face, I was able to smell its aroma even more. After taking a slow sip, I found the taste to be fairly mild, but still sweet.
"T-this is really good…!" I found myself remarking as I lowered the cup back down.
"Thank you, but you're much too kind. It's nothing much." Misty smiled at me before taking another sip of her tea.
"I've never seen a tea with this color or taste before. What kind of tea is this?" I asked.
"It's my own mix I've made with some herbs I imported. I'm glad that you enjoy it, though. I was worried that you were just drinking it to be polite," Misty muttered, staring down at her cup's contents as she did.
"N-no, that's not the case at all. It's the best tea I've ever had," I admitted earnestly, earning another smile from my partner.
"You flatter me," she spoke softly before lowering her cup back to the table, an action which I mimicked. "However… I suppose we should talk business now," Misty muttered. I righted myself at this, making sure that she knew I was taking this seriously.
"All you really need to do is tag along with me when I'm out and about. If someone targets me, you'll protect me, won't you?" Misty asked.
"Of course! I won't let anyone hurt you!" I replied almost immediately, to which Misty smiled faintly at me.
"Hopefully it won't be too much of a bother for you to stick around me all day. I'm sure there are other things you'd want to be doing," Misty muttered.
"No, no, it's fine, really. I mean, at DA, they had us with the same partner for a year without separation, so I'm actually used to being with someone all the time," I insisted, not wanting Misty to feel bad about something like this.
"Truly? I'm glad to hear it." Misty sighed with relief. "Then… in terms of your pay… How about 100,000 DP a week? Does that sound fair?"
100,000 DP!? That was… That was like winning 100 duels in a week…!
"A-are you serious…? That's a lot of money," I noted. Misty just pulled her eyebrows together in confusion.
"Is it…? That's what the beginning salary for my last bodyguard was…" Misty murmured, apparently unable to comprehend just how much she was offering me. A starting salary of 100,000 DP per week…?! I'm going to have more DP than I know what to do with…!
"So, will you accept?"
"O-of course." I tried to keep the concern out of my voice as I spoke. I didn't want Misty to think I was helping her because of the money. I would have helped her regardless of how much she offered me.
"Great. It's a deal then." With a smile, Misty took another sip of her tea.
Was that… really it…? I found my head spinning as I tried to process how my life got flipped on its head so fast. I went from an Osiris at Duel Academy with enough DP to make ends meet to the bodyguard of someone I just met earning 100,000 DP a week…? On top of that, I get to live in such a place with Misty too… All for doing what any other person should do?
My eyes made their way back to Misty, and I was surprised to find her gazing intently at me, tea cup resting in her hands.
"Is… Is something on my face…?" I asked cautiously, causing Misty to jolt a bit, realizing I had caught her staring.
"I apologize. I didn't mean to stare. I was just wondering what your future looks like," Misty admitted. My future…?
"Ah, right. You said you did fortune telling," I recalled.
"Indeed I do. Do you mind if I check yours? It's been weighing on my mind," Misty requested, and I found myself hardly in a place to refuse her with all she's done for me.
"Of course. Go ahead."
I watched as Misty placed her teacup down before walking over to my side. Her hand reached out and pushed the brim of my hat up, allowing her to lean in and gaze deeply into my eyes. With how close Misty was to me, I found my face heating up despite myself. It was like she was staring into my soul, seeing everything about me.
"Black…" Misty whispered the word so softly I almost thought I misheard her at first. "It's… black. All I see is black," Misty spoke a little louder as she lowered my hat and took a step back.
"W-what!? Am I gonna die!? Black means death, doesn't it?" I panicked.
"No, no, silly, it's not death," Misty giggled. "I've seen death fortunes before and they are in actual detail. You're the first person I've read whose future is only black," Misty continued.
"So… Is… Is that good?" I asked.
"I wonder," Misty hummed in thought. "Maybe it means that your future is undetermined at this point?" Misty pondered.
"So every decision is super important, right?" I deadpanned, causing Misty to laugh once more.
"I suppose so. Try not to worry too much about it, though. Your future will come into view eventually. For now, just enjoy your life." Misty smiled before returning to her seat.
Enjoy my life, huh? I suppose Misty has a point. There's no use in worrying over something that I have no control over and could change at any moment.
"You know… I really do enjoy your presence here. I haven't had a true friend I could talk to leisurely with like this for years," Misty murmured as she idly ran her thumb along the outside of her teacup.
So, she's been waiting for a friend…? It's as Rei said. Someone really was waiting for me.
Before I could comment on what Misty had said, she suddenly let go of her cup and stood up. "Oh, how rude of me…! I have to get the bed ready for you!"
"T-the bed?" I asked as Misty hurried away from the table.
"Yes. You'll be needing sleep. You've had a long day, so I have to clean the bed," Misty insisted as she began gathering the sheets in her hand to presumably remake the bed.
"No, I'll take the couch, don't worry about it. I am the guest, after all," I said, rising to my feet as well.
"And it's because you're the guest that you must take the bed," Misty retorted, only pausing briefly in her task to meet my eyes. She was really set on this, wasn't she?
"Misty, I'm your bodyguard, aren't I? Sleeping on the couch is bad for your back, so there's no way I can let you sleep on the couch and harm yourself," I noted. Misty opened her mouth to argue, but her words seemed to fail her, as she let out a sigh instead.
"Fine… I'll take the bed and you'll take the couch," Misty relented, placing the sheets back on the bed as she did.
It was at this time that my stomach though it would be an appropriate time to growl loudly. My face quickly flushed when Misty looked at me, clearly having heard the sound.
"Oh, I'm truly sorry…! I'm not being the greatest hostess." Misty began to fret once more.
"Don't worry, it's fine. It's my fault for not grabbing a sandwich for the road," I remarked, but Misty didn't seem too content with this answer.
"Here, I'll take you out to eat somewhere. It will be my treat," Misty offered. When I opened my mouth to politely refuse the offer, she continued, "I haven't eaten either, so you can't say you'll be a bother. As my bodyguard, you have to accompany me, don't you?"
I found myself smiling wryly at having my argument being used against me. "I suppose you're right. Okay, let's go eat then."
Notes:
- At long last, the moment everyone has been waiting for is finally here. Misty is now a part of the fray. Now the real fun begins.
- It was noted that this duel was short, but I'm going to throw out there that I played a duel in tag force and this is literally how it came out, so I stuck with it. Perhaps it just goes to further serve Misty's observation after it.
Reviews:
SilverFlameHaze: You are correct, it has not been explained what happened to Ida yet. I feel like, given who's point of view you're under right now, it should be obvious why though. Rest assured, the pieces will fall into place as time progresses.
Grimraven.V: I am aware that there are other Ice Barrier monsters, but Kaze's decks have been based off of my decks in tag force/rely on the fact that you can't always get the cards that you want in a perfect set. For Tag Force 3, Brionac was one of the few synchros I had/used in my deck, and it just morphed into Kaze's ace because I used it so much. If you guys have any input on this, I'm fairly open. I was originally going to have Kaze just use the default tag force 4 deck with twists (the deck Misty uses in this chapter) but if him having an actual theme/Ice Barrier deck is something you would all prefer to see, it's not like I've planned out the duels yet, so I could make it happen.
darkfenix199713/Kyokushin 0: Kind of referencing the above answer, if you all were okay with custom cards, I could start looking into things. I might take you up on the offer of assistance though because I wouldn't want to make things too unbalanced.
As always, thanks to everyone else who reviewed and favorited/followed the story! Your support means so much to me!