"Go, Pepper Pounder!"
"Waaaaugh!"
"Carrot Crunch!"
"Gomph!"
"Extreme Eggplant!"
"Omp!"
"Cu-clubber!"
"Wa-oph!"
These strange attacker exclaims and recipient outcries were what rang through the heavier park complex of Heartland City like a trumpet horn during this new hour into the World Duel Carnival, which would eventually be investigated by the mayor's young agents, Nistro and Dextra, they finding the latest victimized duelist sprawled on the grass with...cucumbers stuffed in his mouth?
"Looks like somebody had a run-in with with a produce stand..."
The male with grizzly soot-red hair glances his purple irises up at his partner with a wry grin.
"Better call it in."
Nodding, the young woman with short black-blue hair contacts the official's office through her gazer.
"We found another down duelist. Send another unit here right away to help him out."
Looking back down at the barely-conscious boy, Nistro comments,
"Whoever did this is playin' by their own rules...Check this out."
He was pointing out the light red substance staining the bottom of the boy's t-shirt...Dextra kneels down to get a better sense of what the blot was, her finger catching a watery texture that wouldn't be characteristic to something such as...blood. Bringing the sample closer to her face and picking up a harmless scent, the young woman with milk chocolate irises tastes it.
"Ah, just as I thought."
Nistro eyes her in confusion and disgust, which would quickly switch an expression of complete befuddlement when she stands back up and states,
"That stain is tomato juice."
"Gauh?!"
Falling back on his behind, the male with purple irises springs back on his feet and asks the victim in disbelief,
"What kind of crazy duel was this, kid?!"
The nameless duelist could only moan incoherently with streams of embarrassed tears running from his eyes...
Meanwhile, at another end of the city, we find two familiar young girls leaving from a local food truck with something for each of them to eat at this later lunch hour.
"Thank you!" "Thanks, dude!"
"No probs; enjoy your curry buns, ladies!"
Tiffany blushes with a giggle at being called a lady, while Athena rolls her eyes with an amused smirk before taking a heart bite out of her meal.
Mmm, so good...
"Sheesh, Addy, with the way you eat, I could almost mistake you for one of the guys."
Swallowing another large bite down, the girl with red irises smile-glares at the other as they settled onto a new leisure bench.
"Oh ha ha ha. Just count your blessings that unlike some guys, I remember to keep my mouth closed while chewing...Besides, with my body and all the battles I've been in so far, I gotta fuel up when I can or risk droppin' flat by sunset."
"Right, since you burn off more energy than the Bunsen Burners in the science lab at school."
"Heha, comin' from you, Tiff, I'll take that as a compliment...In fact..."
Reaching into her casual sky blue backpack bordered with brown leather sitting by her feet, Athena pulls out a small white cloth bundle.
"I'll even reward that 'clever' comparison by sharing my Grandpa's Mochi with ya."
"Heh, I know you're bein' a little sarcastic with the word Clever, but I'll accept your invite nonetheless. Your grandpa's mochi is the best!"
...But just before the girls could unwrap the rice treat from its cloth, a crow suddenly comes swooping down from a nearby tree and swipes up the bundle into its beak by the knot!
"Auh!" "Oi!"
They dart to their feet and make the motion to chase after the bird, but second-guess to such an idea when they see how far up and away the aviary creature was getting...
"Awww..."
"Damn it, and that was the last of the mochi in my pack too..."
"...That's a real shame there, girls."
Looking back down in front of them, Athena and Tiffany found themselves face-to-face with a new individual: A young man at least an inch or so taller than them and considerably wider in body type, tan skin highlighting some muscle in his large arms, rosy cheeks and prominent eyebrows that made his black-grey irises smaller than they really are, short black hair tied back in a small ponytail and tucked under a wicker sunhat, and wore a light blue short-sleeve shirt with a picture of tomatoes over a yellow/orange backdrop, a small white towel over his shoulders, blue jean shorts, and brown shoes. He was also carrying two big baskets of what looked to be fresh produce products over his back...
The stranger held out some of his rations to them with a friendly smile.
"Here, chow down on some cucumbers. They are de~licious!"
Looking to one another so blue met red, the girls shrug in a 'why not' manner before politely accepting the stranger's offer.
(Crunch, chew...)
"Oh wow, these are really packin' water...!"
"Yeah, really fresh!"
Beaming a smile, the girl with bobbed black hair turns to the male and asks curiously,
"Did you grow these and those other vegetables by your own hands?"
Blushing a bright red, the young man pivots to the side and exclaims in bashful pride,
"Yes, ma'am!"
Finishing off her edible gift, Athena rose back up from the bench with a satisfied expression.
"Aaah, that really hits the spot after a spicy curry bun. Thank you for sharing your bulking bundle, um...sorry, I didn't catch your name."
The bulky male introduces himself:
"Well, ma'am, I'm Tombo Tillbitty, and I love tomatoes, more than practic'lly anything. My dream is t' build a huge en'ertainment park dedicated to tomatoes right here in the big city!"
"Huh, seriously? A, tomato, amusement park?"
"Yes-siree, because tomatoes are the finest and funnest vegetables on this whole planet! I wanna win the Duel Carnival so I'll be set on the road t' fame and fortune and I can make Tomatotopia a reality!...Course, I'll need a greeter or two for the guests when they en'er the park, an', I thought..."
Tiffany tilts her head to the side in confusion while Athena opted for a delicately-raised eyebrow, before Tombo darts his head back up and finishes enthusiastically,
"That both of ya would be the absolutely perfect people for the job, ladies!"
"Hauh?!" "Wha-?!"
Now, for the girls, this was what their imaginations came up with in terms of being greeters to such a future theme park...
(Flash)
Both are dressed in cutesy outfits of red strapless tops matching knee-length bubble skirts, also wearing little hats shaped like flattened tomatoes, and waved their hands in a jazzy fashion in front of a gateway.
"Welco~me,"
"To Tomatotopia~!"
(Flash)
...As for the celestial being left as the outside-looking-in participant of the conversation, he tries to come up with his own interpretation of such an occupation, and his imagination created the following.
(Flash)
The girls wearing a single costume depicting a stem-conjoined set of the misconceived fruit.
"Hi!"
"Welcome to Tomatotopia!"
(Flash)
Shaking his head of the mental scene, Astral comments to himself,
"That does not sound like a very flattering image for either of them..."
Hearing his mutter, Athena pivots her head up at him with a raised brow, before shrugging the commentary off and focusing on saying to the other male,
"Aum, listen, Tombo, much as I appreciate the share of good food, I have to be blunt honest: Your dream sounds way too high in the fantasy realm to have potential to reality."
Tiffany winces the slightest from her friend's weak support towards the male's goals...
"I'm not necessarily discouraging you, but you're competing against a wide array of dreams in this tourney that are just as or more passionate than yours. (Small smirk) You sure you know what you're getting into?"
The bulking male's thick eyebrows knit together in annoyance from the girl's tone, but then breaks open a little grin.
"Keh, quite sure, little lady! I've already taken this big city by storm, and won whole crop of victories to help me reach my dream...And based on your lip, I'm thinkin' you wanna be my next opponent."
"Hell yeah! Let's get it on!"
Athena pulls out her ash black-washed red duel disk and matching gazer.
"Duel Disk: Go! Duel Gazer: Activate and take us on a ride out of reality!"
Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.
"(Both Duelists) Let's do this!"
...Suddenly, Tombo pulls off those large cylinder baskets of produce and starts fixing on a lid with a small opening in the center on each of them.
"But before we start, I propose that we add on a special rule just for fun..."
His opponent felt a nerve twitch in her eyebrow from the wide grin on his face, as well as a nervous flip in her stomach thanks to her past experience with duels that had 'unique circumstances'.
"And, what does this special rule entail?"
Alright, easy now, Addy. He seems like an honest-enough guy and not the type to suggest something cutthroat...
Thankfully, the universe would prove her intuition to be correct.
"The Basket Rule!"
Tombo tosses one of the baskets over to have it land smoothly near Athena's left side before explaining the handicap.
"Before you attack, you gotta pull a vegetable out of the basket and gobble it down!"
"Say what?!"
"And ya can't start your attack until it's all gobbled up."
Settling a couple feet away at his place opposite of his opponent, the farm-dressed male points ahead at the girl and taunts,
"You fired up for the challenge, little lady?!"
...Oddly enough, there wasn't any negative protest to the proposal from Athena's end. In fact, it little more than amused her to hear such a relatively harmless added rule, so much so that she'd burst into laughter and bent frontward while holding her stomach to help steady herself.
"Hahahahahahahaha, oh wow! I-In all my times of duelin', with people who add something or other to the conditions of the game...! Hehahaha, Tombo, you are quickly becoming my favourite, and we haven't even started yet!"
"Weeeell, this wasn't the reaction I expected!"
She stops guffawing immediately upon hearing the new voice cutting into the area, and darts her head up right to see Nistro standing atop a thick-diameter light post.
"I actually thought you'd try and squirm your way out, kid, but I can tell from that tone you've got some guts. The kind of duelist this Carnival needs."
"...Uh, thanks, and you are...?"
"I'm a member of the committee that approves all Duel Carnival regulations."
Nistro turns his purple irises to Tombo:
"This yokel's already caused all kinds of chaos with his special veggie rule, and that's okay by me."
"Hold on there, Nistro."
Heads turn to Athena's left vantage point, focusing on Dextra's more stern and serious form that stood atop the lamppost on the opposite end of the pathway.
"I have to approve too."
"Aw, loosen up, Dextra. Our farmer friend here just wants to make things interesting for his city slicker rivals."
Tombo felt a swell of joy at hearing the support from the male with spiky ash-red hair.
"I'm glad you understand."
Meanwhile, Athena found herself staring between the two late teens with a straight frown as her mind plays recall to the last time she saw them.
Nistro and Dextra, huh? So that's what their names are...
I remember, they were standing with Mister Heartland atop that float, when he personally came to let me off from the trouble I caused with that buggy LitterBot.
They must be his right-hand man and woman...
Hang on. If they're acting as the rule regulators for this tourney...
"Hey, 'scuse me."
The committee pair glance over at the teenage girl with red irises as she asks them,
"If you two really are doin' the whole 'scope for violators' thing, think you could let me in on if you've seen a duelist runnin' around and dishing out, more pain than they should be with their monsters?"
"Huh?" "What?"
Nistro and Dextra form confused expressions, while Astral and and Tiffany glance over at their mutual friend with concern and wariness in their facial features, silently cluing into what the girl was discreetly inquiring about.
She's trying to track his movements.
"You didn't hear this from me, but, there might be a participant in the Carnival who plans on hazing a specific victim, and will not spare anyone who gets in his way. And if the duels don't cut it, he'll immediately switch to using his fists to make sure the objects blocking his path are taken out."
"Tuh, is that right? And what's the name of this supposed hazer?"
Clenching a fist hard, Athena answers Nistro with a slightly shaky and bitter breath,
"...Search up 'Janko', and you'll find him. That's all I'll say, and I'm guessin' from that question that neither of you have seen duelists with more injuries than they usually come out with after a duel?"
Dextra replies while eyeing the younger's body language with some suspicion,
"No, we haven't...but we'll keep a sharp eye out if it will put your worries at ease."
She's hiding a personal factor to her inquiry...
"That's appreciated, miss...Anyway, getting back to (gestures to the produce basket) this, what's your say on Tombo's little add to the game? I honestly don't have any qualms about it, heh, even if it is a bit silly."
"Hm...I also approve the Basket Rule."
That surprised Athena a bit:
Huh, well how 'bout that. I figured with her serious air, she wouldn't give the green light...
She watches as Dextra and Nistro then vanish from the area in a fashion that suggested holographic projection, adding to herself,
And as for their info...it sounds like Trilos hasn't made any moves that would get the danger siren to sing, not yet, that is...So for now, I...and more importantly, my friends in the Carnival, are safe.
The girl with long shaggy black hair tipped with copper red tips would snap back as soon as Tombo made the first call.
"Since I'm a visitor to these parts, why don'tcha allow me to go first. And now, I Draw! First up, I use the Field Spell, Tomato Paradise! This allows me to muster a Tomato Token whenever I summon a plant-type monster, and Tomato Paradise is beautiful to boot."
The environment that the duelists and witness were now standing in was certainly an interesting sight: It had the elements of a basic garden of green with an archway entrance and exit, along with a few waterways streaming on the left and right sides, but with the primary focus being on the red veggie-worthy fruit, sized in various large proportions all bigger than the average tomato and decorating the archways while other ginormous ones were planted in the plain, thick vines or floating in the atmosphere.
Athena was both slightly impressed and partially nerved by the spectacle.
"Uh, well, (gulp) it's certainly something alright..."
Her free hand reaches towards the arm holding her cards, and she starts to rake her nails against the part of her skin exposed from the ridge of her leather jacket sleeve, making her look down with a flinch.
"Gh!"
Oh crap, I'm already-
"Next up, I summon Tomato Knight!"
The first monster to came rising onto the field of this battle was a Level Three with 1100 Attack Points, and held the appearance of a knight getting ready to joust atop a...tomato, slice as their steed...
"My Tomato Knight's a plant-type monster, so I can summon up a Tomato Token too!"
On that note, a little cherub tomato rose up to the field, Level One and with no Attack Points.
Athena comments with a raised brow while fighting to stop this sudden involuntary scratching of her skin,
"Man, you really are a tomato fanatic, aren'tch ya? You should meet my friend Caden: He's got his own little obsession too."
Acting like he hadn't heard her, Tombo then exclaims while holding up another card,
"To add a little zing, I'm activating the Spell, Tomato-pault! Not only does it let me hurl a plant-type monster at ya for 400 points of damage, but it's mighty entertainin' too! You ready or not, 'cause here comes a Tomato Token!"
The little winged fruit sets themselves onto the catapult, and lets out a little warcry chirp as the weapon releases them for a straight shot in Athena's direction!
(...SPLAT)
Thanking herself for having fast reflexes, the girl quickly raises her free arm to use as a splatter shield, cringing from the red mess on her body as her Life Points decreased to 3600.
Ugh, food fights are just gross...
"Hehahahah! You're gonna need a good scrub-down once this duel's done! Now then, you're up!"
Flapping her arm a little to shake off most of the mashed tomato before using that same appendage to try and wipe some of the goop on her right side, the girl glares blazing red irises at her opponent.
"That was a cheap shot, farm boy! And just for that, I'm gonna crush your tomatoes into salsa!"
Tiffany almost giggles from the comeback before cheering,
"Show him what you got, Addy!"
"Count on it, Tiff! I Draw! I summon Achacha Archer to the field!"
The archer with the fiery personality comes rushing up to stand with his first arrow at ready to fire.
"Whoever has the gall to strike me gets struck double, or in your case, will receive retaliation worth 500 points of direct damage since I successfully summoned Achacha to the field!"
At that, Athena's monster lets his flamed arrow fly, hitting Tombo square in his chest with a yelp as his Life Points are taken down to 3500. Astral comments,
"Perfect. Now you should attack a monster. Target his Tomato Knight."
"Just what I was thinking!...Oh, hold on..."
The girl glances sideways towards the basket her opponent left for her.
"Nearly forgot that Basket Rule: I gotta pull out a veggie and eat it before I can even think about calling an attack."
Tombo calls to her with a mix of enthusiasm and impatience,
"So do it, Athena!"
"I am, I am!"
Sucking in a deep breath, the teen girl kneels down by the basket and reaches her free hand inside the opening to randomly pick out a vegetable.
"Hmm, let's see...Auhm, let's go with, this one!"
She yanks her hand back out...and found herself holding,
"Huh?! What the-Since when are Eggplants red?!"
Holding back a snicker at his opponent's exclaim of surprise, the bulked male explains.
"It's a hybrid I created mixin' an Eggplant with a Tomato. It's tasty to a T! I call it, an Eggmato."
...Athena was nowhere feeling as amused as Tombo was, finding herself staring at the strange vegetable-fruit hybrid with, a nervous expression?
Damn...I can't, not without risking, that.
She gingerly places the 'Eggmato' on the ground before reluctantly calling out,
"I place one card face-down and end my turn."
Tiffany rose a brow at her friend's unwillingness to follow the Basket Rule.
"Huh? Addy, what's wrong?" Astral was also confused:
"It makes no sense to avoid attacking..."
Tombo teases,
"Ya should've struck while you had the chance~...You'll regret not eating your vegetables, my fussy little friend!"
Athena's POV
I flinch back a little at Tombo's scolding, turning my eyes to the ground with a frown of self-disappointment.
He's right. If Gramps were here right now, I wouldn't hear the end of the 'Picky Eater' lecture.
But unfortunately, I've got no choice but to reject that mutant creation, otherwise...
My nails lightly scrape vigorously up and down against my skin again.
This scratching will become somethin' worse to deal with...
"My turn to, Draw!"
I snap out of my brewing caution as Tombo starts his next turn:
"Feast your eyes on Tomato in Tomato!"
The monster that sprang to the field on his side reminded me of a crossover between an ice cream cone and one of those Russian Nesting Dolls, Level Three with 1000 Attack Points.
"This monster's doubly-dangerous, 'cause it's ability, lets me summon another one straight to the field!"
The smaller monster jumps out of the bigger one, acting as the second...
"And when you factor in the effect of Tomato Paradise, I can add to my ulim-ato team by summonin' up two Tomato Tokens!"
Which meant two more of those annoying cherub fruits could pop up onto the field...I had to ask at that point,
"Okay, be honest with me: Just how many Tomato-themed cards do ya got?"
"Hehaoh, I got bushels full of 'em!"
Greeeaaaat...
"And here's one of my faves, the Tough Tomato Spell Card! Now my plant-type monsters get 500 Attack Points until the end of the turn, and that gives 'em plenty more juice! We're turnin' these cute little critters into the ultimate power plants!"
With his monsters more jacked up, all he had to do was comply with his house rule.
"Now before I attack, I gotta eat a veggie. Which one will it be?"
And the lucky bastard pulled out,
"A zesty pepper! (Crunch, chew) I'm all pepped up!"
Astral warns me to brace myself, for he too knew I was about to get hit hard...
"Tomato Knight, go after Achacha Archer with Bullseye Blast!"
A dart board appears on my archer's chest, before the dang knight slings his lance straight ahead to spear my poor monster, costing me 400 Life Points thanks to their 1600 over my Archer's 1200...Tombo wasn't done yet, of course:
"And now Tomato in Tomato's takin' direct aim at you, so better brace yourself! Go, Tomato Torrent!"
Next came the overwhelming wave of those dolly-like creatures tryin' to tackle me to the ground, and I fought to push them back as my Life Points fell further to 1700.
"Hoo-ee! I can keep peltin' you with tomato monsters 'til you're knocked out!"
Tiffany calls out to me,
"Come on, pull yourself together, Addy!"
I nod in response while choking down an annoyed growl for allowing myself to get shoved around by food of all things, and straighten back up as Astral tells me,
"Now, use a Trap Card!"
Trap...Right!
Holding out my hand, I make the command:
"I activate, Heartfelt Appeal!"
Tombo's expression shifts to an agitated wary, telling me he knows the effects of my card, and giving me a bit more confidence in my skills.
"(Smirk) Heh, with this card, when you attack me directly, I then get control over the monster on your side with the most Defense Points. Now your Tomato in Tomato's playing for my team!"
The little nesting doll plant monster pops over to my end, and I add to myself more neutrally,
Still, just 'cause I've got my opponent's monster doesn't mean they're always on my side.
I'll have to watch it and make sure there's no tricks to be had...
Tombo seemed slightly impressed by my slick counter:
"Nice. It's been quite a while since I saw the ole tomato shield ploy, but I got some tomato tricks of my own. Don't forget that my Tomato-pault is still in effect, and that monster ya took won' save ya."
Damn, he's right. Which means I better get my arm ready...
"Go get 'er, guys!"
This time, I'd get splattered by two Tomato Tokens, coating me in more puree fruit and taking a bite of my Life Points worth 800, pinning my total at 900.
"That's what I call tomato teamwork! You're up, Athena!"
I curse to myself in frustration while wiping off the thankfully not completely real tomato debris off my person.
"Shit, this is worse than the time Jamal screwed up our chem lab assignment and caused our foam project to explode..."
Now that made a real mess.
Astral chides in a near-exasperated manner,
"Please try to remain focused..."
Ignoring his tone, I grab hold of my next card:
"I Draw! Hm...okay, I tribute Tomato in Tomato, and summon Chachaka Archer!"
This guy is someone I haven't used in a while, a Level Six with 1200 Attack Points and elements similar to Achacha, but had more of an ancient ninja look while wielding twin crossbows that if I remember right was the Chu State design.
"Quite a wise choice. No doubt you chose it because it can destroy a Spell or Trap Card once per turn."
"Right as rain, Astral. Chachaka Archer, take down that Tomato-pault!"
He does as I ask, and shoots down that stupid giant slingshot...
With that out of the way, this was the moment to jack up my power.
"Now I activate the Spell, Blustering Winds, and give Chachaka another 1000 Attack Points, raising them to 2200!"
"Very good, and now you can attack."
...Right again though my floating friend was, that's when I recall that increasingly-terrible Basket Rule.
Just glancing at the wickerwork was enough to get that...scratching going again.
Gh! Come on, snap out of it, girl! It's not a contact thing!
Swallowing thickly, I suck it up and stick my hand into the basket like I was fishing out a rattlesnake.
"Hoh-kay, round two...Hm, that one definitely feels familiar, liiiike, a cucumber!"
...
But let's all take a guess at what I pulled out instead, shall we?
...
...
Give up? Well, Astral's guess was definitely in the right realm.
"Look at that. I see that it is the same colour as a tomato."
Oh no, not another tomato-veggie hybrid!
Tombo guffaws at my expression and exclaims with pride,
"That there's the tastiest tomato creation I ever grew! Have a bite and I guarantee you'll agree, Athena!"
Now, I'll admit it: A very, very tiny part of me was curious to what these crazy vegetable-fruits actually tasted like...But I'm gonna let you in on something I haven't told anyone for a long while.
...
...
I, Athena Fujina, am allergic to Tomatoes!
How did I find out? Little incident back at my bestie's fourth birthday party involving salsa. Long story short, it wasn't pretty and left some laughing...
My reaction itself isn't anything deadly, thank god, as long as I don't like, eat a whole bunch mindlessly...but it does boast itself to be really noticeable in ways that screams 'Keep this such and such away from me'. That's why I have to carry allergy pills with me at all times, a habit I still have trouble remembering.
That reminds me...do I have them in my pack today?
"Athena?...Is something wrong?"
Ignoring Astral for a moment, I shift my cards into the one with the um, 'Cumato' to quickly do a grope-check that a certain little container was in my backpack's front pocket...My worst fears were confirmed when I felt nothing.
"Damn, damn, damn...!"
Oooooh this isn't good! And if Tombo stuffed a bunch of these weird creations into my basket...
Oh this is all kinds of bad for me!
"Addy, what's the matter? You look like you're about to have a panic attack!"
Oh come on, Tiff, how can you of all people not remember my problem?!
Clenching my fist, I look up ahead at my opponent with an apologetic look, which got him looking at me in confusion.
"Huh? What's with the long face, little lady?"
"...I'm sorry, Tombo, but, I can't."
I slowly place the hybrid food on the ground after putting my cards back into my holding hand, and say in a low voice,
"I can't eat this creation of yours." Astral asks me,
"You can't? Whatever do you mean, Athena?"
Tombo's eyes narrow at me as he wonders suspiciously,
"Wait a minute...you don't like tomatoes, do you?"
Emitting a humourless laugh, I smile weakly and reply,
"I wish it was that simple...but my issues are a bit more complicated than that."
"Huh?"
"It's not that I think they taste bad or anything...but my body, rejects them. I'm allergic to tomatoes."
"Whaaaah?!"
My opponent's mood does a one-eighty flip to disbelief, while Tiffany feels her recall ability finally kick back into gear.
"Ooooh, that's right! I completely forgot that you're allergic to tomatoes, Addy!"
Smirk-glaring at my friend lightly, I call back,
"And I find it surprising that you don't remember until now, since it was during your fourth birthday party that we discovered my allergy."
"Right right, with the salsa..."
"Mhm..."
With most of the shock cleared out of his system, Tombo coughs a bit awkwardly and suddenly asks in a more sympathetic tone,
"So...how bad is this allergy of yours?"
"Well, as long as I don't eat tomatoes like a starving maniac, I won't die or anything...But eating even one will get a rash going around my chest and neck, I start wheezin' and coughin', and unless I take my allergy pill in the nick of time...well...god, this is embarrassing, but...my voice changes to the point when I sound like a raspy old man."
Eyes were staring at me with awe at my little confession, but I could detect a bit of that old mirth in Tiffany's blue eyes telling me she remembers the last time my allergy got me...
"Well, I must say, I do appreciate your honesty, little lady."
It was my turn to look at Tombo with that expression of awe, surprised that he seemed to be taking my words in with a calm air.
"You do?"
"Yeah. Much as I do love tomatoes with all my heart and wanna make my Tomatotopia a reality, (sheepish smile) I always seem to forget that there are people out there who can't share in that joy because their body can't handle it...But, why didn't ya say something before we started our little match?"
"(Shrug) Didn't feel like I needed to say anything. I wasn't expecting to be that heavily bombarded with all this tomato mumbo-jumbo..."
"Heh, righ'...Well, now that we all know your unfortunate handicap...do you, still wanna continue our duel?"
The area falls silent for a short moment as I contemplated my options...and the answer came pretty quick.
"Teh, or surrender my Heart Piece? I don't think so."
"What?"
Smirking a little, I lightly argue,
"I'm already too far into this duel to back down, and I'm not someone who likes to abandon more than halfway. So what if I technically can't eat tomatoes? I'll find some way to make my comeback against your Basket Rule, Tombo."
I finalize my decision by ending my turn with a face-down, and gesture a 'go on' wave with my free hand.
"Let's keep 'er goin', man, 'til the end."
I hear my two friends with me mutter my name in surprise at my willingness to continue, while Tombo gapes at me for three seconds, before letting out a hearty laugh.
"You've got guts, my poor, allergic friend, I'll give you that! But you might regret continuing when I'm done. Alright, here it comes; my Draw! First, I summon Tomato in Tomato...and a Tomato Token too!"
Hmm, now what could he be planning next? Oh wait, I already know: A bigger, badder tomato!
"I overlayin' both my Tomato in Tomatoes and my Tomato Knight! Then I'm usin' them to build the Overlay Network so that I can XYZ Summon!"
There's a huge flurry of a whirlwind chock-full of the fruit that manifests in front of Tombo as he announces,
"Make way for the King of the Crop, the toughest tomato of them all! All hail the mighty Tomato King!"
There's a flash of light, before I wind up staring at this huge sideways tomato with orange foliage and dotting yellow eyes, their limbs made from vines with smaller red fruits making the hands and feet, and a fifth appendage sprouting from the top!
O-kaaaay, this is a new one at me...
I fought the urge to gape at this Rank Three monster with 1600 Attack Points, while by BFF commented in delight,
"Awe, cute and delicious!" My opponent carries on:
"Then I'll take advantage of Tomato Paradise and summon another Tomato Token! And once more, I'll activate Tomato King's special ability. By using an Overlay Unit, this monster's Attack Points double until the end of my next turn! Nothin' can stop this tomato now!"
Next thing I knew, that harmless-looking fruit creature grew into a massive mutant that I couldn't begin to describe, with 3200 Attack Points to boot.
"Yipes. Looks like somethin' out of Terry's classically-cheap horror flick collection..."
"Okay, King, get ready! Fix your aim on Chachaka Archer! Pour on the heat with Tomato Terror!"
That mutant mess burns my poor archer alive with fiery breath, and I got thrown back by the after impact...
"That's the way! Ya finished Athena off!...Huh?!"
Contrary to what ole Tombo was thinking, I wasn't down and out yet, grinning as my Life Points only fell to 400.
Heheheheh, thank yooooou, face-down!
"How come you still have Life Points left?!" I cheekily explain while pointing to my Trap,
"It's all thanks to my Transaction Summon Trap Card, you see. This card allows me to lower the damage I took from your attack by 500, then summon a monster with 1000 or fewer Attack Points."
He just grinds his teeth a little at my stubbornness, while I ready my next card.
"The monster I'm choosing from my hand, is Gagaga Girl!"
My Level Three magician apprentice with 1000 Attack Points comes springing up onto the field in front of me...
"The drawback is that I can't destroy your monster for some of your turns. A small price to pay for avoiding defeat."
Tombo chuckles a little and jeers,
"Alrighty! Since you only got 400 Life Points left, I can afford to wait another turn before my tomatoes take you down. Go for it!"
"You want it, you got it! I Draw! I summon Gagaga Magician!"
My Level Four magician with 1500 Attack Points comes to the field through a strong tornado...
"I would suggest changing that card's level, Athena." I nod at Astral and reply,
"Hm, good idea. I switch Gagaga Magician to Level Three!"
"...This next step holds the key to your victory."
Now I had to look eye-to-eye with my friend from beyond, as he elaborates his words.
"If you choose to XYZ Summon now, you will have a fighting chance to win this duel...but first, you will have to reach into that basket and eat what you pull out."
I suck in some air through my teeth and knit my eyebrows together with a nervous smile.
"Yeah, I know...but it could end up spelling bad news for me if I pull out something tomato-based again..."
Pivoting my body to stare at the wicker basket for a moment...I then let out a groan and exclaim,
"Ya know what, screw it; I'm goin' in!"
With that, I jab my free hand into the opening for that third and hopefully last time.
Hm, hm...Okay, this time, I'm sure this one's gotta be a regular vegetable. More specifically...
"(Yank) A carrot!"
...Bu~t Lady Luck was of course, by no surprise to me, against me at this hour, and I wound up pulling out,
"Auh, you gotta be kidding! Another freakin' hybrid?!"
Tombo laughs a little and says a touch sympathetically,
"Oh boy, I almost feel a bit sorry for ya, little lady! That's a carrot-like tomato I dreamt up and named a Tamarrot!"
Curse it all, why me?!
...Now what am I gonna do? Without my pills, if I eat this, my allergy's gonna screw me over.
"Addy?"
I sideglance helplessly at Tiffany who looks at me with a concerned smile, before I turn back to Astral as he reasons with a reluctant sigh,
"I am afraid that you have no choice but to risk a probable reaction...unless, you wish to lose?"
Hm...well I do have one Heart Piece that isn't working for me...but I don't wanna risk the time crunch.
...But, then my allergy...Geez, what a dilemma.
"Addy!"
I jump out of my thoughts to Tiffany's call, and turn to look towards her as she says to me,
"I just remembered there's a walk-in clinic not too far from here! I normally don't like encouraging doing something dangerous or stupid, but...if you choose to do what I think you might do...I'll get you the help you need as fast as I can. Plus, if I remember right, your allergy's a bit slow-acting."
Ah! That's right: Last time I accidentally ate something with a heavy amount of tomato, it still took about ten minutes before something happened.
...Hm...Okay, this 'Tamarrot' isn't very large...I might be able to pull this next swing off if I'm fast.
Feeling a bit more sure of myself, I nod firmly before shouting aloud,
"Okay, all: Prepare to witness the quickest turnaround this side of Heartland! And body...please forgive me for what I'm about to do next!"
With that, I widen my jaw, and chomp down hard on the hybrid veggie-fruit.
No POV
Three sets of a gasp ran through the air as Athena gobbled down the 'Tamarrot', followed by a three second pause...before she hms and comments,
"Not a bad combo. Real shame that I'm not suppose to eat it, 'cause it tastes delish...Mmh!?"
The girl then felt a tightness in her throat, and gingerly touched her fingertips to the surface of her skin.
Uh oh...I think my allergy's kickin' in faster than usual.
"You okay, little lady?"
Expelling a small dry cough, Athena calls back with a partially-reassuring smile,
"Y-Yeah yeah, I'm alright, just dandy, heh-heh, heh...!"
Neither Tiffany nor Astral bought the panicked assurance in their mutual friend's tone.
"Addy..."
"Athena...XYZ Summon now while you can."
Nodding, the girl with red irises moves to finish this duel off as fast as she could.
"I Overlay Level Three Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Girl, to build the Overlay Network and XYZ Summon, Melomelody, the Brass Jinn!"
The Rank Three monster that came to Athena's side of the field next held 1400 Attack Points, and had the appearance of a chibi girl sitting atop an enormous brass instrument of various origins, with little imp horns at the top of her short green hair, amber-brown eyes, and wore a white shirt under a pink vest and matching skirt, along with tiny white boots.
"I activate Gagaga Girl's special ability, Cellphone Subtraction! When she and another Gagaga monster are used to XYZ Summon, your monster's Attack Points are reduced to zero!"
In which case, Tomato King is hit with a boxy energy wave that causes it to shrink back to their original form as their strength is completely drained. Tombo cries in despair,
"It's not the top tomato anymore!"
"Now it's Melomelody's turn to belt out a big note that'll blow you away! Go, Melody Wave!"
A sound wave with many colourful notes goes blasting out from the brass instrument and against Tomato King...
"It's true that Tomato King won't be destroyed right now thanks to Transaction Summon, but you're still gonna feel the heat of the beat!"
Tombo grits his teeth, before crying out as he's hit by the song's power and his Life Points reduce to 2100. Astral then says to Athena,
"And now you can activate Melomelody's special ability!...Hm? Uh!"
Not hearing a response, he turns to look down at the girl, only to recoil a bit in surprise when he sees a blotching redness forming on the skin of her neck and upper chest!
"Athena! Your...Your reaction...!"
"I, (cough) know! It's comin' on faster than usual...I gotta wrap this up quick while I can still talk."
Wheezing the slightest bit, Athena calls out as loud as she could,
"I activate Melomelody's special ability! Because you have an XYZ monster, my jinn can use one Overlay Unit to attack again!"
At the same time her monster sucks back an orb of light into their tuba-based instrument, the girl reaches into the basket beside her to pull out another vegetable...
"Oh thank god, something normal! A pepper! (Crunch, munch) Mm, crisp and fresh, just like your tomatoes! Let this next song go out to your farming skills, Tombo!"
Melomelody releases her next note-filled blast, and Tombo's hit for more damage that took his Life Points down to 700...
"Encore, encore! Let's hear the encore!"
Athena pulls out another piece of produce, this one being a regular carrot this time, and chews it down while calling out in an increasingly hoarse voice,
"Max-(cough) volume, Melomelody! Go, Melody, (cough, wheeze) Wave!"
The jinn does as commanded, and Tombo watches helplessly as the attack came on a straight course for he and his Tomato King.
"Now I know how it feels to be a tomato when it's just been canned!...Gaaaaaaaauh!"
He falls back as the energy wave connects with his body, and the last of his Life Points vanish, declaring Athena the winner of this duel. She grins a little as the AR World fades away, but then grimaces as she feels her throat tightening again.
God, damn, the things I risk for a victory...
"Addy!"
She looks up weakly to see Tiffany rushing towards her with an anxious expression.
"Are you okay?!"
"Ah-yeah, never been better...What? Why are you staring at me like-...Oh, crap."
"Uh-Uhm, yeah, your voice is..."
...Sighing in a now deepened, raspy masculine tone, Athena looks ahead over where her defeated opponent was laying sprawled on the ground before stating,
"Well, much as we should motor over to that clinic...we better check up on Tombo too."
Small Time Skip
"Hehahahaha, oh my, you weren't kidding about that voice change! You almost sounded like my own dad a little while ago!"
"Yeah yeah yeah, it was hilarious, now can we please get out of here?"
(Ka-chank)
About more than half an hour after leaving the area in the park to an upper street where Tiffany said that small walk-in clinic was, we find her, Athena and Tombo exiting through the place's double doors after picking up an antihistamine for the girl with the food allergy as well as some rash cream, along with a cool compress for the duelist who lost...
"So how long did the doctor say until your reaction fully wears off?"
Athena, her skin rash reduced slightly to only accumulate around the neck and her voice back to normal if with some rasp lingering, replies to Tiffany,
"I think she said about an hour or two, three tops before my rash fully clears as long as I drink plenty of fluids. She said I was lucky to come in just as my allergy kicked in or it would've been longer..."
Throughout their talking, Astral had not taken his eyes off of the girl with red irises once out of his own concern.
Thank goodness she is alright...but now I know something else about her health I'll have to keep an eye out for.
Oh Athena, must you continue to find ways to scare me?
Whatever keeps you on your toes.
"Mh!"
He jumps a little and looks down to see said girl looking up at him with a cheeky smile and silent giggle, causing him to scowl halfheartedly at her in return...A few minutes pass before Athena would pause her steps down the street, just a foot away from a big staircase that led down to the large park complex again, and she glances back and forth between her best friend and new friend while quirking,
"...By the way, nobody's gonna mention this incident to my bros or grandpa, right?"
Tombo and Tiffany smile awkwardly and reply in unison,
"Riiiiiight..."
The teens let out matching deep breaths, before the bulking male turns to hand something to his latest dueling opponent.
"Here's your Heart Piece, Athena."
"Uh?"
"You earned it, by not only beating me in our little match, but by having so much respect to my passion that you'd risk agitating your food allergy. I don't think even I'd be willing to go all the way like you did."
Athena rubs the back of her head with a modest expression.
"Aeh, I wouldn't read too much into it. It's just a common quirk of mine to take risks; I'm reckless like that. I've been trying to curb it, but...I don't think I ever will. It's, just who I am. I'm glad that you're taking the loss with a smile, though."
"Well, we gotta learn from everything we do, right?"
"Right."
Holding out a free hand each, the two duelists shake hands...
"Take it easy, Athena."
"You too, Tombo, and keep trying to hit for your dream."
"I will."
With that, the farmer's son turns and starts heading out on his own, leaving the girls to watch him go with small smiles on their faces, while Astral thinks to himself with a more neutral expression,
Observation Number 16: The Human Body is more complex than first initially believed...and so far, Athena's has proven time and time again, to be the most baffling functioning body.