Well, this took longer than I wanted and I was really busy lately, and there's a duel, I've changed a bit the structure of the duel by showing the turns now and see if that looks better. If there's any technical mistake in the duel, feel free to say in a review or PM me and I'll fix it asap.

Thanks everyone for reading the story this year and I wish you all Happy holidays!

Edit: Hot fix in the duel!

Chapter XXXII

A tennis duel

A silent breeze blows from behind Asuka, the fragrance of the rose petals scattered in the wind coming to her nostrils as she gapes stunned looking at that stranger.

"W-what did you say?" her cheeks burned as red as the flowers on the floor. "We've never met before!"

"We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other after you become my fiancée," he bows politely, taking a hold of her hand and planting a kiss on it. "Plus, I have been looking forward to meeting you for a while."

"What?!"

"Hey! Step back!"

From the open entrance, Edo marches his way into the room, pointing his finger accusingly, his brows so crooked that Mitsuru had to let go of Asuka's hand and raise a brow for a moment fearing he'd start a fight right there, even more as other people entered the room: the Kaiser in person, an Osiris red student and a pink-haired girl.

"Aren't you… Edo Phoenix?" his eyes analyze the duelist from tip to toe. "And Kaiser too… I don't know the rest of you are, but… What are you all doing here?"

"I said step back!"

He reinforces in a stronger tone, stomping the ground towards them, Ayanokouji scowls, his feet skidding back warily.

"I can't believe this was all for this," Edo's arm lightly tugs Asuka behind him. "Do you have no common sense? Which guy calls a girl late at night to ask for her hand? Even more pressuring her to come alone!"

"Who are you to follow her here?" his eyelids drop halfway in an open disdain.

"Certainly someone more worried about her well-being than you are," Edo gnarls.

"Actually, I don't care who you are, this is a particular reunion, you are all uninvited guests. Now that you see she's safe and sound, could you please leave?"

"Don't you know some students went missing last year after going out like this? Of course no one's gonna let her come alone."

Ryou steps ahead this time, standing confidently as if the reason was on his side, Mitsuru's brow twitches once, the best student of the academy, they say? And here he is snooping around, breaking rules, he doubts he got permission for that.

"It's against the school rules," Shou says from behind the two of them.

Great, now even the wimp is scolding him off and isn't that the dude who was almost expelled for breaking rules once?

"Such gentlemen you are, huh. Fine, I know how to talk to your type," he draws his whole deck from his inner pocket, flaunting it. "After all, real duelists can only talk through dueling. How about that?"

"Why should I accept this challenge? I have no interest in dueling you," Edo shrugs off smugly. "Now, you shouldn't be using the school grounds at your own whims. That's beyond pathetic," he clicks his tongue, grimacing. "Renting the whole court, really? You have no delicacy."

"Oh, I think you should be interested, since you all are trying to interrupt my beautiful moment with Asuka, how about we settle it like this: If I win the duel, Asuka will be my fiancée, and of course, if you win, I'll give up on that."

"If you're leaving her alone, fine by me!" Edo frowns, a fierce aura leashing out of him.

"What?!"

Asuka's hand comes to her chest, her eyes almost bulging out as she stutters, Edo didn't even contest the absurdity of it, what's wrong with him? Why is he so eager to jump into the fray?

"How could you-"

Rie holds her back by the shoulders, trying to appease the altered moods, Shou also stands in front of her, swaying his hands up and down nervously, casting glance over his shoulder. The pro duelist is in the zone, he can't hear them anymore.

"If you wouldn't, I would," Ryou supports him with an equal stubbornness of mind, his forehead wrinkled in disapproval at Ayanokouji.

A shout soars in the air, coming from the entrance behind them, they turn around startled at the commotion.

"Argh! You all stay away from her- mhmf!"

"Shhh! Akira, don't-"

Two figures scuffle until one of them pushes the other, the man stumbling a few steps backwards, arms flinging as he steps into the highlights coming from inside the court is none other than Ellis, and the man grabbing him by the collar immediately after is Akira.

The teens can only but gawp, since when their parents are following them and how come they never noticed it? Asuka finally forces her mouth closed, stomping a few steps, confused as she inspects both men at the entrance with her eyes, to make sure she's not seeing illusions.

"Dad?! And Mr. Marufuji?"

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

Shou questions but he's ignored, Akira's brows angled down like a rollercoaster rail, he points ahead, looking at his direction:

"You little-" he grinds his teeth, mumbling some curse words.

He only realizes who he's pointing to after a second delay as Akira threads heavily onwards, passing by him and swinging his finger into the air in an outrage:

"You're not marrying my daughter!" he undoes his tie, tugging it loosely around his neck, sweating as his blood pressure reaches unhealthy heights while mumbling insults, bloodshot eyes at Ayanokouji. "If you want to duel anyone, duel me!" prodding his thumb onto his stuffed chest, he defies the teen.

"Akira, you don't even know how to duel!" Ellis contests as if he was the only reasonable adult there.

With a dramatic gasp that made Asuka facepalm herself at how annoyingly similar to Fubuki he could be, followed by Ryou who could but shake off his head, how could they embarrass themselves like this? Rie taps Asuka's shoulder to comfort her and Shou smiles wryly at the failed attempt of a rescue her father displayed there. Edo's brow rises, watching the spectacle unfold and Ayanokouji blinks fast in awe.

Her father simply turns to Ellis, sweating like a cold pot under the heart, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and shaking him once:

"Ellis, you have to duel him for me!"

"What?! No I can't-" he nervously adjusts his glasses, trying to find the right words to refuse.

"It's okay, I don't mind if you win her hand, you're already married anyways. Please, you have to win this duel! You were in the pro-leagues before, right?"

"I don't even have a deck!" he opens his arms, gasping at what Akira had just requested.

"I'm sure one of the boys can lend you, can't you?" he frowns intimidatingly at the two young duelists. "If you're a pro, you'll be good with any deck, right?"

"No, this is out of question here, Akira."

"Then," he lets go of Ellis, fists clenching as he approaches Ryou with dire, serious steps, his hands landing on the boy's shoulder, a firm grip. "I don't know how it came to this, but please, duel for Asuka, I promise I'll let you have her hand if you win! I'm sure Fubuki would approve of this as well."

Ryou flinches, hie head reflexively bouncing back as he prepares to articulate a whole lot of problems in that statement, his father is faster:

"Ah, Akira I don't want to break it to you, but if there were any romantic feelings involved, Ryou would've made a move long ago, and at this point we can all conclude this isn't going to happen!"

Ellis states from afar, a sizzling sound coming out of his lips as he closes them shut after receiving an astounded glance from Shou and Rie and an annoyed glare from Ryou himself. Maybe he shouldn't have said that out loud.

Rie's mind simmering as smoke comes out of her head, her imagination displaying a scene of both Ryou and Asuka, fondly smiling at each other and blushing, under the starry sky at the lighthouse. Her hands slapping her heated cheeks as she shakes her head violently to dismiss that scenario from her head.

"Oh, come on, none of you should be interrupting this, except you, Mr. Tenjouin," Ayanokouji declares, utterly convinced of his victory. "I'd like your blessings for our engagement."

Rie flinches out of her daydreaming upon hearing a vein snapping on the side, her hands gesturing panicky, trying to appease Asuka, Shou joins her and stands his ground to block Asuka's way too.

"The one dueling you will be me! No way we'd let him woo a girl like this," Edo interrupts, raising a fistful as if vowing, his eyes burning determined.

Akira is wide-eyed, impressed at the attitude and stark conviction of the young silver-haired boy.

A second vein pops on Asuka's forehead, she's at her patience's limit. How can they even consider this a topic for discussion while excluding her opinion on the matter?

"Don't worry, Mr. Tenjouin, even if I don't duel, Edo won't lose this. He's extra motivated today."

The last part was a completely unnecessary add-on that Ryou says with a tiny, mischievous smile, Edo's glare landing on him with a "you really had to say that?" written on his expression, gritting his teeth angrily at Ryou.

The fists of the blonde girl clutch so much that her nails are about to open wounds as the men discuss in a convoluted pace, one talking over the other.

"You all… just STOP!"

Her face was so red after the shout she could as well have the same amount of blood pressure as father right now. Taking a deep breathe, she turns on her duel disk:

"Listen, I appreciate your good intentions," her sharp orbs landing on Ryou, Edo and her father, frowning at them. "But stop bargaining me like I'm a trophy! I can perfectly duel for myself, thank you! As for you," her eyes sharpen as she faces Ayanokouji, standing proudly. "I don't know who gave you this daft idea of calling me here alone or even proposing to someone you don't know out of the blue is romantic, but I'm not accepting the proposal of any man that can't even defeat me in a duel!"

"That's my girl!" Her father rejoices, swinging his fist into the air.

"My princess is so fierce!" Ayanokouji sighs, infatuated, his cheeks blushing.

"Stop calling me that! This is stupid! How did you even get my number?"

"Your girlfriends told me you'd adore a romantic dinner," he prepares his own duel disk. "I thought making it a surprise would spark your interest."

"Ugh! I'm SO sitting them down and lecturing them later!" she snarls.

"I wouldn't expect less from someone called the obelisk queen! Dueling must be an important part of your life. Now, this is a truly exciting proposal! Asuka Tenjouin, if I win this duel, will you accept my feelings?"

"I'll only answer that question if you win!" she draws the first hand in a foul mood. "I start!"

Ryou folds his arms, watching attentively, Edo takes a spot by his side, Rie and Shou come closer too, they all gather with the exception of Akira who keeps shouting Asuka's name and Ellis who holds him back so he doesn't distract her too much.

"Mitsuru Ayanokouji, he's said to have skills that rival mine. Let's see if that's accurate," Ryou frowns subtly, doubting that fallacy.

"H-he's as good as you at dueling? Hm… I don't want to say she's bad, but isn't that worrisome?"

"Come on, Shou, give her some credit. Asuka is a tough duelist too," Edo reprimands in a calm tone. "Plus if she ends up losing, we're here to turn the tables."

"Y-you're right."

T1

LP: Asuka: 4000 Mitsuru: 4000

Asuka takes a quick glance at her cards. Setting a card face down and showing her monster to him:

"I set a card down, then I'll summon Cyber Tutu in the attack position (ATK 1000/DEF 800) and end my turn."

T2

"I start by activating the card Service Ace! I'll select a card in my hand and you'll need to guess whether it's a spell, trap or monsters, if you guess incorrectly, you'll lose 1500 life points! I choose this card," a sparkle shines on his perfect teeth as he smiles. "Can you read my mind, princess?"

"Ugh! I told you to stop it!" she almost bites her lips. "I say it's a monster!"

"Oh, what a pity, it's a spell!" he flips the card her way showing another Service Ace spell.

The hologram of a shooting machine appears on his field, a ball being pitched at full force in Asuka's field, dealing the life point damage.

LP: Asuka: 4000 - 2500

"Now, I'll set four cards face-down and end my turn!"

T3

He got rid of his whole hand in a single turn? How overbearingly confident can he be? This isn't funny or attractive.

Perhaps because she has been always surrounded by good duelists, people like Edo and Ryou exude a different type of confidence, and they can back it up, but she can't sense it from this guy.

"Draw!" Asuka slides her card out of the deck, taking a quick glance as her permanent frown accentuates. "I'll summon Cyber Petit Angel (ATK 300/ DEF 200) and-"

"Just a moment, my princess! I activate Solemn Warning! I pay 2000 LP to prevent your summon and destroy your card!"

LP: Mitsuru: 4000 - 2000

Asuka exhales deeply, glaring at her opponent a seething, quiet rage, shoving her hand into the air. "Battle phase!"

"Before that! I'll activate my trap card, Just desserts! It inflicts 500 life points damage for each monster you have."

"Is that all you can do?! Fine, but know this cowardly strategy of yours won't last long."

LP: Asuka: 2500 - 2000

"What a cheap burn strategy," Edo spits out distastefully.

"It's disgusting," Ryo agrees with a shake of his head.

"What are you saying? It's just a few life points! Asuka has a monster and he doesn't! Get him, Asuka!" Akira shouts from the side, smiling, his balled fists swinging up, convinced she has the upper hand.

"I wouldn't be too happy about it," Edo casts a worried side glance at him.

"Yeah, there are still cards flipped down," Ryou nods.

"I don't get it…?"

"It could be a trap, Mr. Tenjouin, and in that case, we don't know how Asuka will react or if she can react properly with her current hand," Shou explains in a low tone, as if to not bother the duelists.

"Hm, a burn deck," Ellis finally appears on the sidelines, his glasses shaded by the lights as he puts a hand to his chin. "I understand why people would think he's similar to you with the 'destroy your opponent quick' mentality, Ryou, but I'd say, your decks are nothing alike at all. His style isn't as solid as yours since you could easily get an OTK with a Cyber Dragon deck, but he's just rolling over her life points with those traps. What do you think?"

A smile opens up onto his lips, his eyes squinting closed as he turns slightly sideways to face his son, Edo and Shou can only look in some sort of anxiety and can't shake this sense that Ellis was testing Ryou with that question, his older son glancing at him thoughtful for a moment.

Understanding your own style… This is a core part of dueling too.

"Cyber Dragons can achieve a one-turn kill, or at least a short term duel, but the essence is bringing the power of fusion out and defeating your opponent with an overwhelming strength. Not only he isn't relying on fusion monsters, but even with his strategy, there are many possible counters, he's basically using his luck as a crutch here and if Asuka had set some other counter traps, he would've lost already."

"Luck, huh… It's also important to have it in dueling, but not going all out for the win at the first chance can be very detrimental. In his case it is more like he can't do it with this shabby deck, but I don't think you'd have this problem, since you could OTK with a good hand, right? Unless you're holding yourself back, of course… Not that I'd know, it's been a while I haven't seen one of your duels."

The words prickle Ryou's temper, his brows coming together in a second, glaring at his father.

What is he trying to get at? Are you telling me I'm holding back, Ellis?

Edo is intrigued, his eyes focused on that smiling, but seemingly shrewd expression of the older man. Despite the inoffensive appearance, he has quite the sharp tongue. Granted, he did raise an interesting point, in that duel against Psycho Shocker, Ryou didn't do an OTK, he didn't even finish it as soon as he could.

Would it have been possible with his starting hand? He can't know, but… It's a fact that had he sacrificed Cyber End, he'd have won it faster, and in that situation it would be the best to do as a professional, at least he would have done it. Was it out of pride? Or are there other reasons for Ryou to hesitate there? Could it be that he is… Stalled?

Ellis' chuckle breaks the tense mood. "Haha, that prince of tennis guy looks determined, but his deck isn't fun, this is only my opinion though, so take it with a grain of salt," he scratches his head messily. "And he does have a pretty lady dueling him. You really missed a chance here, Ryou," he slaps his son's back softly. "She even has machine cards like you, and they're so pretty and girly unlike your Cyber Dragons. Honestly, it would have been the perfect match."

I've already told him about my relationship, why is he…? Ugh.

Edo and Rie have adverse reactions with the silver-haired boy furrowing his brows in a grumpy pout, disapproving of that unnecessary comment; and Rie immediately seizing Ryou's sleeve, squeezing it so tight it startled him, their eyes meeting as he gapes wordless, stunned at her panicky gaze, a faint blush rising on his cheeks. Ellis giggles on the side, his teasing came rather fruitful.

"Asuka! Don't lose to this wimp! I don't approve of him!"

Asuka's brow twitches at her father's completely clueless behavior, her wrath fueled as she exclaims, letting out her pent up irritation:

"Tutu, attack him directly!"

"I was waiting for this!" Ayanokouji's teeth twinkles when he smiles. "I activate my trap Receive Ace! When you declare an attack, I can negate it and deal 1500 life point damage to you!"

"Don't get your hopes up!" she retorts in a confident posture. "I saved this card for this situation! I activate my counter trap, Wiretap! It negates your trap and by doing so, you'll have to shuffle this trap into your deck! Now, my attack resumes!"

"I wouldn't say so! I activate another of the cards I've set down: Ring of Destruction! You know what this one does, right? Your Tutu will be destroyed before the attack!"

A ring with grenades clutches Cyber Tutu's neck, she struggles to get rid of the trap, but it explodes, the hologram shattering, Asuka's eyes faltering.

LP: Asuka: 2000 - 1000 Mitsuru: 2000 - 1000

"As a result, we both lose 1000 life points."

"This isn't good… He's cleaning her field to prevent her ritual summons," Edo sighs heavily, tapping his finger, almost clutching his own arm, mumbling to himself, almost in a prayer. "Come on, Asuka, don't let this guy get the best out of you."

"Turn end," the blonde girl closes her eyes in conformity to the temporary disadvantage.

Mitsuru chuckles, it turns into a laugh as he draws, his eyes landing on Asuka, her golden hair shining as if she emitted an aura of light, his whole face blushing at the sight.

T4

"It's time to finish this duel," with a confident move of his hand, he draws. "Oh, my, what a lucky draw! I activate Pot of Greed!" he pauses amused, guffawing boastfully after drawing more. "I activate Pot of Desires! I will banish 10 cards from the top of my deck and draw 2 cards!"

Ugh… What's with his lucky drawing…? Two pots at once?! You gotta be kidding me!

"You can't be serious, all you've been doing is trying your luck! How can someone like you even be compared to Ryou?!" she huffs, shaking her head off. "At least try and make a deck that counts on your skill!"

"You hurt me, but your blazing personality is another charming part of yours," he titters. "Besides, I have my own share of victories too, you know?"

The obelisk queen crosses her arms, a bored and disquieted air around her as she taps her foot repeatedly on the ground, making a rhythmic sound, just waiting for her own turn to put an end to this clownery.

"Now I summon The Big Server (ATK 300/ DEF 800), he can attack your field directly, also I equip him with the spell card Giant Racket: once per turn, my monster cannot be destroyed by battle neither I'll take battle damage from any attacks. That's not all! Thanks to all my drawing, I now have all I need! I was waiting for this moment! I play my continuous magic card, Deuce! When both of us have exactly 1000 life points, the winning conditions of this duel change: First, we can only attack with one monster each, and to win the duel, we must inflict damage to our opponent twice! However, if you take damage, your count goes down to zero! Even if our life points go to zero, this battle will continue until one of us strikes twice! I'll show all my tenacity to you, I'm pouring my heart into this duel for you, Asuka!" he stretches a hand, as if offering his true feelings to her on the palm of his hand. "And soon, I'll receive your answers."

Her fists grapple the cards on her hand. "We'll see that, this isn't over yet."

"Right, let's hurry up, then! The Big Server! Attack Asuka directly!"

His bulky tennis player monster pitches the ball into the air, hitting it so strongly with the racket that it makes a razor whirlwind across the field, hitting Asuka's side of the court, she braces herself for the impact, the gusts of wind and smoke stirring in the air, blowing her hair up as her life points decrease.

LP: Asuka: 1000 - 700

"With this, I end my turn," he puts a hand to his chest, bowing politely.

"I can't believe it," Shou's posture slumps, his anxiety hitting as his fingertips sweat profusely.

"Hey, someone has to do something!" Akira urges, grabbing Ryou's shoulder.

"This is Asuka's duel, Mr. Tenjouin, no one can interfere," his cold, inexpressive tone aggravates the man.

"Y-you, do something!" he grabs Edo's shoulder next, shaking the boy. "You're a pro too, right? And I get you have a thing for her."

"Wha-" Edo is speechless for a moment before tugging his uniform neatly and recomposing. "Mr. Tenjouin," his unusually grave tone and fulminating gaze startles the man. "As a duelist, the utmost disrespect is to underestimate their abilities and as a duelist myself, I cannot comply with your request. If you care about Asuka, then, just watch this until the end, because I have the feeling we're about to see, just how good of a duelist she is."

Mitsuru's eyes lock into Asuka's, a serene, happy smile stamped on his face, that expression, she knows it. His fingertips graze on the Goddess of Victory. Or so he dreams.

T5

"My turn! First, activate the spell Double Summon! This allows me to have a second normal summon this turn! Then, I summon Cyber Gymnast! (ATK 800/ DEF 1800), now I tribute my Cyber Gymnast to summon Cyber Prima! (ATK 2300/ DEF1600), like you've said, luck is an important part, but it isn't all!"

"Do you reject the idea of being with me so much?" he asks sorrowfully, his brows twisting up. "But that's not enough, my Deuce is still-""

"Cyber Prima's effect activates! When I tribute summon it, it destroys all face-up spell cards on the field! And the two you have just happen to be the pillar of your strategy!"

"No… This can't be-"

"Now, the conditions of the duel are just how they should be and your life points matter again! Cyber Prima, attack him! It's time to end this!"

"Asuka Tenjouin… I thought we were destined to…"

His eyes flicker as he watches Prima skiing her way to him and dealing a blow, the holographic lights of her attack so bright, his eyes almost closed. As the holograms disappear, so do his life points, Akira holds his breath in amusement.

Mitsuru: 1000 - 0

"Mitsuru," she calls him by his name, much to his surprise, he can but stand frozen as she walks up to him at calm steps. "Just like in the duel, you tried to make your own rules to win my affection. But relying on luck, thinking your proposal will work just because you have a high opinion of yourself and believe this is how it works… This is not how to win a girl's heart."

She shakes off her head feebly, her hand landing on his shoulder, Edo instinctively steps ahead, a hand barricading his body, making him trip back. Ryou sways his head in denial, silently telling him to not go there yet. With crooked brows, the silver-haired teen watches frustrated. He's not the only one, Akira grumbles curses and makes a fuss, employing all his power to glide his feet onward while Ellis both closes his mouth with a hand and pulls him back with all his might.

That hand she landed on Ayanokouji's shoulder was filled in warmth. Despite his advances and terrible approach, Asuka's earnest eyes were filled with a graceful frankness. Right, this is why he even fell in love in the first place as he observed her in the tennis court, he was captivated by how blazing her spirit is, how passionate her dueling is and yet, how she possesses the gentleness and elegance of a true woman.

"No matter how tenacious you are, if your efforts sum up to relying on flimsy things like luck or fate, you will lose sight of what matters and won't be able to conquer anything with your own hands. I'd appreciate more a person who can stand proudly even when luck or destiny isn't on their side and overcome the tribulations that may befall them."

Edo's lips split apart hearing that statement, his heart thumping harder inside him as his mind drifts off from reality.

Not relying on destiny, huh?

"I've truly lost to you, Asuka," Ayanokouji sighs dejectedly, a faint, but kind smile playing on his lips. "I'm ashamed of myself. But because of your tender words, my resolve has been rekindled. I understand your feelings better now, although I couldn't move your heart, I'll work on becoming a better man, worthy of your kind heart. When I improve, I'll come back to you, but next time, I'll ask you out directly, no tricks or flashy entrances, I promise. This way, we can get to know each other better."

Her hand recoils with a twitch, her breath hitching so briefly he heard the faint gasp as her cheeks acquired a pink tint at his declaration. She'd have boys confessing before, but for some reason, his words felt more real now.

Everyone in the room is quiet as well as some embarrassed faces, Rie bringing her hand to cup her gawking mouth and Shou's face flushed, impressed as Ayanokouji continues:

"Thank you, Asuka Tenjouin. We may meet another time."

Instead of the tacky gestures like before, he merely beckons at her, smiling only at her until he leaves the place, her eyes following his figure, a saddened glint abiding in them. Was she too harsh? Edo averts his eyes, snorting, he can't stand it, watching that subtle intimacy unravel between those two as they exchange a last glance, even if Asuka rejected Ayanokouji's feelings, it still sets his insides into disarray, his chest inflaming.

"Asuka!" the long yell bursts into the air, Akira recovers his breath, finally getting free from Ellis. "I'm so proud of you!" his eyes tear up as he runs leaving a trail of dust behind, tenderly grabbing her by the shoulders. "You've grown so much in this short time you have been here. My little girl became such a fine lady!"

"See, Akira? You didn't need to worry this much!" Ellis comes closer along with the rest of the group.

"To think you made such good friends here too, they all came to see you," Akira bobs his head in approval, a satisfied and relieved smile on his lips.

"Why are you even here, dad?"

"How can you question that after sneaking out?! A lady shouldn't be doing those things! I know you have some trusty friends, but that's not correct!" he makes an attempt of a parental speech.

"You say this, but you also sneaked instead of approaching me directly."

"Caham," he clears his throat. "I was worried about what you were going to do."

"As you can see," she sweeps his hands away from her shoulder with both arms opening in a V. "I'm in good company, so there was no need for you to come all the way here."

"Good company, huh…" his eyes land on Edo. "Talking about which…"

His eyes narrow suspiciously as he walks towards the teen's general direction. Rie's eyes widen, intuitively grabbing Ryou's arm, clamping it between both her hands and yanking him brusquely to the side, to make sure he's not in range of Akira Tenjouin, causing yet another startle on him, he see a flame of enmity burning inside her eyes, as if the older man was a threat. What's with her? He raises an eyebrow, his cheeks stinging again with the blood accumulating there, albeit he allowed her to keep hold on his arm, he questions her reasons.

"Hm," Akira stands in front of Edo, looking at him from tip to toe, the combed hair, neat clothes, straight posture, his head bobbing and he grunts repeatedly in assurance.

"Can I help you?" Edo glances over at Asuka and Ryou, visibly pleading for some help, his personal space invaded, but they are as confused as him.

"I was moved by your words back then, boy," his hands slap the slides of Edo's arms. "I can tell you care and are a great friend, no less."

"Thank you?" his gaze flashes in a deeper desperation to Ryou, his eyes screaming for some intervention.

"You really, really care about Asuka too, don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

Edo flinches at this point, Ellis shakes off his head trying to say a "no Akira, don't say that" in a desperate whisper while Ryou slaps his own forehead, Asuka's eyes bulging out at this point.

No, he wouldn't… would he?

"Look into my eyes," he awaits until the teen obeys his unreasonable demand. "You seem like a right fellow, I heard good things about you. Would you like to be Asuka's boy-"

"Dad!"

Asuka squeals, have they ever heard her pitch be so high? Stomping her way to her father, she tugs his coat, dragging him away.

"But Asuka, you're already in that age in which your first love should be flourishing and I worry you don't have a boyfriend yet-"

"Stop saying those stupid things! Have you not heard anything I've said in that duel at all?!"

Akira tries to appease his daughter, wobbling his hands left and right in a dismissive stance as her face boils, tomato-red, a blend of irritation, shame and tiredness to have to deal with his idiotic antics after that duel.

"Pfft-"

The growing, delighted laughter barges into their quarrel, everyone's eyes lock onto the target, flabbergasted: it's Ryou, his body bending back, he swipes some tears from the corners of his eyes with a nudge his finger.

Ryou is laughing?

Rie's hands unwittingly let go of him, entranced by the sight. She's never seen him having this much fun before. His expressions were always restricted to those faint or sometimes, more apparent smiles, even when he was with her, but laughing to tears? Although he sounded happy, it worried her somewhat.

Edo and Shou exchange a glance, Asuka huffs mildly, but out of all the people in the room, Ellis has a displeased expression, his mouth shut in a line, his eyes squinting subtly, an underlying consternation.

"You never change, Mr. Tenjouin," Ryou taps the older man's shoulder once. "You see Asuka can hold her ground well in a duel, why not let her choose when she's ready for any sort of relationship?"

"B-But-" his fists curl like a five year old about to throw a tantrum.

"Akira, what did we talk about not meddling too much?" Ellis calls him out from behind, each of his fingers landing on his friend's shoulder in a wave motion. "Do you remember what we agreed upon before coming here? Don't overstep the rules now."

"Ieek! I do!"

W-What did they agree upon?

All the teens in the room think in unisson, trying to craft theories about what those two mean.

"That said, while I'm glad everything went well, we're not done here yet," he stands imposingly, his arms folded and his glasses reflecting the light, making it impossible to see where he was looking.

Shou and Ryou gulp, a chill running down their spines instantly, that hits close to home, they're acquainted with that posture and mannerism: they're in for a long lecture.

"How about we all sit and have a talk about what you were all doing outside at night, hm?"

"But dad we're in the middle of winter vaca-" Shou voices a protest, but it dwindles as he screeches upon the neck of his father moving in a horror movie fashion to glare at him.

"Well, I guess this is my leave-"

Edo raises his hand to wave at them, his eyes dropping uninterested. If he's going to scold them that's their problem, he better make himself scarce.

"Wait right there, Edo Phoenix!"

He staggers at the strangely authoritarian voice, Ellis' hand also grabbing his shoulder, shuddering slightly as he turns around to face the man.

"Just because you're a pro-duelist and earns your own bread," the first accusation arrow hits Edo's head. "This doesn't give you privileges over school rules once you're still a student here," the second arrow pierces his chest. "Don't think you can skip this like you skip classes for your pro-matches. You're still fifteen and you're going to lend me an ear too."

The last part is the final blow as suddenly, the silver-haired duelist is brimming with guilt and an unadmitted shame. He's in a special condition, true, but that doesn't mean he can slack off. He has to give it, Ryou's father is awesomely scary.

As they all are forced to sit down onto their own legs onto the icy, hard floor, hands on their thighs, they listen to a long, tedious lecture. Ellis gives the finishing speech after a while:

"Most of all, Ryou, as the oldest of the group and a model student, I'm appalled you ignored our last conversation about breaking school rules, regardless of the reasons you had," his eldest son responds by drifting his orbs away, a dissatisfied curve on his mouth. "Shou you too, I know you are the younger one, but if your brother is doing something wrong, you have all the rights to call him out for that, don't just support him in his mistakes and come along, you should take care of each other!" Shou lowers his head in response."Rie, it's unbefitting for a girl your age to be roaming around the island, even if you came with your friends, you've gotten into trouble for that before and you should know better. Asuka, you too, if you received a message from an unknown source, you should've contacted an adult first, not just ask for the help of your friends!"

Even the Kaiser can't escape or rebuke it, huh?

Edo sits as royally as feasible, his back so straight he felt there was a pole behind it helping him. The educational speech aside, there's this awkward, but twiddling sensation in his chest. he's never been berated like this, his own father didn't have much of an iron hand and mostly talked to him tenderly when he was just a child, maybe had his father seen him grow, their conversations would evolve past the niceties and become deeper. Those few recollections of his father contrast in his mind with D.D's way of doing things, his guardian was rather frivolous and at some times even tactless in making his point across.

Perhaps, it was the fact that D.D, never had children of his own, or that he was just a man of few words, but his arguments with him always had this nasty, irking feeling Edo couldn't kick away from the back of his head, as if he was being a bother, a task to take care as quickly as possible. D.D. has been always busy with the pro-leagues and raising a child alone as a single parent is no easy feat, he'll concede that underneath the coldness, D;D might have had other reasons. But then, he looks at Ellis, who scowls at all of them equally, and he can't help but think how Ellis is more of a fatherly figure now than D.D. ever displayed in their whole time together. It makes him a bit jealous, Ryou and Shou are lucky that their father cares so much, about their friends and the people around them too, his thoughts shift when he hears Akira's voice again:

"You heard it all, kids! Now, we'll take you back to the dorms and-"

"Akira," Ellis's tone is crude and menacing. "We'll talk later."

"I-I don't want to talk later."

A chuckle soars in the air, Ellis' facial expression changes from night to day. "Ah, I feel better now. I'm sure the kids don't need us escorting them back, after this long lecture, they oughta be going to their dorms alone, right?" he adjusts his glasses, his scary persona slipping into his face again.

"But what about the girls? I've just got to see my Asuka-"

"Akira, what did we talk about letting the kids have their privacy?" His arm weights around the shoulder of his friend as he slowly, but firmly drags him away.

"Which type of privacy are we talking about?" his tone is gruffy.

"Come on, I've got a bottle of a special sake my wife received as a gift from one of her latest clients, Same is already waiting, we'll have a drinking night!"

"Oh! Even Same?"

The burlier man looks over his shoulder, his nervous gaze switching between Ellis and Asuka as if worried the friend would notice his lack of attention, she can only read his lips as he moves them as slowly as possible so she understands the sentence.

"Asuka. remember. the. pepper. spray."

He mimics the gesture of pressing the top of the bottle to jet out the contents, Ellis' brows arching up when he looks back to see what Akira was doing with the hand behind his back, his friend skillfully opens his palm, patting and rubbing Ellis on the back.

"Let's get to that bottle quickly, I need a drink!"

As they happily chat out of scene, the blonde girl exhales all the air stuck in her lungs, facepalming. How is she even supposed to look at Edo now? What was her father even attempting there?

"You have lovely parents," Edo cuts the silence with his sarcasm.

"I'm sorry about that," she grimaces wryly.

"It was only half a joke. They're nice people."

"Well, that's Mr. Tenjouin for you," a tiny smile drives by Ryou's lips. "He's like a grown-up Fubuki."

"I think I've had enough of the parents for a whole night," Shou says, his cheeks sucked dry as if his soul was drained. "I guess I'll be going back to the Osiris dorm now…"

He leaves, half his body flopping to the front as his arms dangle from him without an ounce of energy, secretly casting a glance back at his brother and Rie who seemed deep in thought.

"Well then, I think we should get go-"

Ryou's sentence is stopped as Rie weakly, but aggressively tugs his sleeve, her gaze lowered to the ground. Edo and Asuka share a glance between each other, not wanting to be in the middle of the couple's argument.

"Huh, we will go ahead, then," Edo points at the exit, wishing good luck to Ryou in his heart.

They hurry their steps, until there's only the two of them left, a crawling jitter running up his stomach when Rie folds her arms, a fit of annoyance as he's never seen before, her shoulder stiff like a mountain as she pouts pettily, not even looking at him, an afflicted curl on her brows. This looks like it's gonna be a long talk and he's not looking forward to it.

Did I do something wrong?