Everywhere and nowhere
When the green light faded, they were in the back alley of a shining metropolis whose spires briefly reminded Yugo of City. Yuto and Shun looked around.
"Where are we?"
"I don't know either." The blonde admitted. "Clear Wing, what was that for?"
The dragon roared and whipped its tail between its partner and the Xyz pair. Then it tugged Yugo away. The blonde sighed.
"First, you take me to him. Now, you take me away. What are you playing at, Clear Wing?"
The dragon didn't answer beyond pulling him. Sighing, the blonde teen jumped on its back and flew off, leaving the pair behind. He trusted his partner, of course. Clear Wing had been with him for as long as he could remember and, if the dragon couldn't talk, it could still make itself be understood. However, lack of words sometimes caused issues, such as there. Yugo breathed and hoped his partner's actions would become clear soon enough.
In the meantime, as they flew above the metropolis, he took in the sight.
It was as beautiful as City, and not just because it didn't have slums. It was shining, the sun's light reflecting on the skyscrapers' windows and the buildings' pristine walls as the sea sparkled like a diamond-covered blanket. The green of trees and parks, the blue of the sea and sky, the many colors of the buildings beyond the city center… After the ruined landscape of the Xyz Dimension, the sight was one for sore eyes.
"Whoa."
Clear Wing roared in approval and dashed through the sky. Yugo breathed deep. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful place.
They landed by a series of abandoned storehouses in the docks. Once he found a mostly-empty one, the teen switched his white and blue riding gear for a more pedestrian outfit: dark blue pants and white shoes at the bottom, green shirt under a white hoodie at the top. Then, just to be safe, he pulled the hood up and put a glittering veil around his neck. Not exactly the most inconspicuous, but it would let him blend in.
Next step: learning about the place. Where did Clear Wing take him, exactly?
The dragon safely hidden in his deck, Yugo set to explore. From the ground, the metropolis looked exactly like Tops-controlled areas, except there was no distinction between rich and poor. Everywhere he looked, people seemed normal. They went on with their business, talking about this and that like it was just another day. Screens played adds about some products or advertised events. It was refreshing, he had to admit. They used the same language as the Xyz and Synchro Dimension, one that was still different from Etheirys, but as he watched a woman pay for coffee, he grimaced at the sight of the bill. Money was not the same.
Fortunately, he had brought food and drink among his supplies, which included a bedroll. Not knowing what conditions he might be travelling in, he had decided to play safe. So, until he figured how to make money, he wouldn't go hungry or tired. In the meantime, he explored and learned the Dimension's customs, chewing on a Bismarck Sandwich when hunger seized him. This was one of the things he'd learned while travelling with Jonathan: when visiting a foreign country, first learn the language, then learn the customs. It made interacting with the natives easier.
The local customs, as it turned, involved the utilization of Fusion, Synchro and Xyz Summoning. This left no room for doubt: the place was none other than the Standard Dimension. Thanks to having escapees from both the Synchro and Fusion lands, the people of Avalonia knew of the Three Summoning Methods. Synchro came without saying since most of the Avalonians were Commoners. Fusion was rarer thanks to the few people who had fled Academia – like the Truesdale brothers. They, in turn, had instructed them on Xyz Summoning, having been trained to fight it. As such, it was bar none the rarest. The Fusion escapees had also informed them of a Dimension that used all methods, known in Academia as Standard. They had learned about it much the same way they had learned about Synchro.
It was one thing to hear about a custom. It was another to experience it. Yugo watched a screen showing a particularly flashy duel between a man with stars on his coat and a magician-looking girl. It was instructive to say the least, and yet revealed an unexpected aspect of Standard Dimension: Action Duels. The blonde teen had to give it to them: it was creative. Using Real Solid Vision to simulate entire landscapes was interesting. Using the same process to make monsters ridable got him curious. The scattered Action Cards really caught his attention.
"You know what, Clear Wing? I wouldn't mind trying. Looks like a different kind of fun from Riding Duels."
Clear Wing roared happily.
He returned to the abandoned storehouse when night fell. A few crates hid the corner where he'd set his bedroll. A light snack of grape cookies and cornbread with some jerked beef made his dinner. He fell asleep there, safe in the knowledge that Clear Wing was watching and would attack anyone trying to disturb his sleep. A smile crossed his face as he dreamed of his journeys at Jonathan's side.
There was a surprise waiting for him the next morning, one that had the shape of a seashell atop a stack of bills.
More exactly, the shell in question was a cowrie shell. Yugo delicately picked it.
"Nald'thal?"
As one of the oldest known forms of currency, the cowrie shell was a symbol of Nald'thal the Trader, twin patrons of Ul'dah and the Eorzean deity of Commerce and the Underworld. And, indeed, the bills were made of Standard's currency. The teen checked his coin purse and found it empty. There could be no doubt: the gift had come from the god. Holding the shell in his hands, Yugo recited a prayer in Dhonan.
May we want for naught coin can buy
Never see wealth's river run dry
May we find fortune after life
For this we pray, we pray, we pray,
We pray twinfold
He placed the shell with the bills inside his purse. Then, he set to find proper housing. His next step would be to further explore the city… and find out why Clear Wing had taken him there.
The next days were mostly eventless. Maiami City, as the place was called, reminded him a lot of City, but with very distinct differences. Action Duels, the Three Summoning Methods and an absence of social segregation were but a few of them. There were various dueling schools across the city, the biggest one being Leo Dueling School – or LDS, for short. It was one if not the only to teach all three Methods. Another had gained a certain amount of fame, recently: You Show Duel School. Apparently, one of the students had developed a brand-new, completely unique form of Summoning. So unique, in fact, that no one had managed to replicate it.
Looking through videos gave Yugo the name of the technique: Pendulum Summoning. The design was rather nice, though the mechanisms weren't exactly understood. It involved two monsters to "set the pendulum scale", and then summoning a bunch of monsters whose Levels were within the scale. The animation was flashy, and what little of the mechanisms appeared showed it would be really useful in tandem with other Summoning methods. Synchro had its ways to Special Summon the required materials for a Summoning, mostly through monster effects. Pendulum Summoning would greatly simplify the process.
He decided to wander around the school, if only to see the Pendulum user's face. He saw it, alright. His, and another.
"Rin!?"
The girl in a skirt walking next to the boy looked exactly like his girlfriend. The sole difference was the pink color of her hair. Not only that, she had a bracelet on her wrist, and he could instinctively feel its nature was the same. Clear Wing happily roared.
"That's why you brought me there." Yugo understood. "Those two are my and Rin's Standard selves."
Approval washed over him. From what he heard, the boy was called Yuya Sakaki while the girl was Yuzu Hiiragi. Furthermore, his counterpart had been the one to devise Pendulum Summoning. His hand went to his amulet. What had the cards told him, already? Journey, growth, destiny, conflict, destruction and death. Conflict, destruction and death, he had seen in the Xyz Dimension. Journey, he was on one. This left growth and destiny unanswered.
"Just like Jonathan had Ardbert as his First Shard self, so do Rin and I have our own alter egos. In the Xyz Dimension, they're Yuto and Ruri. In the Fusion Dimension, if Rin is to be trusted, it's the psychotic guy called Yuri. In Standard, it's Yuya and Yuzu. Growth and destiny. Growth, I still have no idea. But destiny… We're meant to gather? We're supposed to meet each other and come together?"
Clear Wing approved. Yugo frowned and decided to observe the pair.
Barely two days after meeting the pair, LDS came knocking at the small dueling school. The blonde teen had been around and, through a bit of sneaking, managed to get the gist of the issue. Apparently, someone who looked like Yuya had assaulted one of LDS's students. But, given the aggressor had used Xyz, something his red-haired double couldn't do, it couldn't be him. Yugo had the sneaky suspicion it was Yuto. They shared the same face, after all, and he used Xyz Summoning. But, in the end, it didn't matter. The aggression was just a good excuse for chairwoman Himika Akaba to perform a hostile takeover on You Show Duel School.
Naturally, Shuzou Hiiragi and the rest of the students refused. They decided to resolve it with a contest: three LDS students against three You Show students. Whoever scored the most wins kept the school. Yugo strongly wanted to participate, not only because he liked Yuya's fun-loving personality and agreed that duels were meant for entertainment, but because Himika Akaba was a rich bitch the likes of the Tops denizens and Lord Lolorito.
His Amulet of Nymeia shone. A quiet chuckle filled the air. A grin crossed the teen's face.
"You're watching too, right, Lady Nymeia?"
"Yuya Sakaki is an interesting character." Azeyma whispered in the light. "I wouldn't mind having a chat. In the meantime, child, find a seat and grab some snacks. The show is about to start."
Yugo nodded and sat outside the building, fishing his pouch of dried grapes. He felt the Warden's warmth blanket him as his eyesight improved, to the point he could see the arena inside the school. Inside the building, Yuya had been set against Hokuto Shijima, a purple-haired teen with a star-studded bandana who was LDS's Xyz Course's top student. He and Yuya faced each other.
Then, Himika Akaba gloated.
"My students can deal with any situation, so choose whatever you like."
Yugo distinctly heard Nymeia laugh.
"Hahaha! Challenge accepted, Chairwoman."
Judging by everyone's reaction, they had heard her too. The Solid Vision machine's screen briefly flashed a spinning wheel before the Spinner's voice echoed.
"Action Field on. Field Spell activated: Alzadaal's Legacy."
The Solid Vision system turned the area around Yuya and Hokuto into a sunken palace filled with riches. At the same time, a cheerful and adventurous music played in the air. Yugo instantly recognized the place. Alzadaal's Legacy was where Vrtra, Thavnair's draconic ruler, kept most of his treasure before he had emptied it to rebuild his homeland. It was also where a Voidgate had been located before Rubicante destroyed it.
Sora turned to the chairwoman.
"I am not particularly superstitious, but it seems to me like you just tempted Fate and she literally took you up on it."
Yaiba Todo winced.
"Yeah, tempting fate never ends well. It's just, well, it's usually more subtle."
Himika shrugged.
"I stand my ground. Hokuto can win this fight, and he will do so easily."
(Music: Final Fantasy XIV - The Map Unfolds)
Hokuto didn't win.
Oh, the teen was good, not two ways about it. His Constellar monsters were great at sending Yuya's deadlier monsters back to hand. But they returned to the teen's hand, not his Graveyard. Pendulum Summoning brought them back the very next turn, and in an environment neither duelist was familiar with, Yuya's knack for improvising was a huge asset.
"Action Spell activate: Oh, shiny! Constellar Pleiades cannot act for the rest of the turn!"
Pleiades was about to use its remaining Overlay Unit to return Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. It stopped dead in its track when the Spell turned into a shiny gemstone that landed in its hand. The monster immediately began playing with it, oblivious to everything else. Hokuto gave Yuya an indignant look.
"Dammit, not again! It's the third time you use that card!"
"Hey, I use what I find, alright? Besides, we're in a sunken palace filled with treasure. Of course, we're going to be distracted by all the gold."
"Sad but true. Turn end. I swear, I'm almost afraid to Summon Ptolemy… But, if your dragon doesn't feel the urge to hoard that gold, mine probably won't, right?"
He was wrong. While Odd-Eyes couldn't defeat Pleiades and forced the redhead to stall for time, when Hokuto's turn came, he Overlaid his two Pleiades to Xyz Summon Constellar Ptolemy M7. The dragon took one look at the hoard before giving a happy roar and diving in the piles. The teen groaned.
"Oh, come on…"
Yugo couldn't stop laughing. Neither could Sora, for that matter. The blue-haired boy was having a fit of hysterical laughter as the duel played on, and it was contagious among the people of You Show. Yuzu snickered. Her father was biting his lips to hold his mirth. Gongenzaka's shoulders were shaking. Even Yuya had a massive grin at the sight.
Hokuto took a ruby and threw it at Ptolemy.
"Hey, knock it off and attack Odd-Eyes! You can swim in the gold after you've won!"
Ptolemy huffed and went after Odd-Eyes. Yuya grabbed an Action Card.
"Action Spell activate: Laser Hallway! The attacking monster loses ATK and DEF equal to their Level or Rank times 100!"
Red laser beams suddenly sprang from the walls. The LDS student facepalmed.
"Of course, this place has booby traps. Why did I think it wouldn't? This is such a cliché."
Yugo, meanwhile, vividly remembered the mechanical guardian he had faced in the palace alongside Jonathan, Estinien and Y'shtola. Calculating where its mirrors would reflect the lasers had been a pain, the beams requiring several castings of Benefic to heal.
Yuya and Odd-Eyes dashed through. Hokuto and Ptolemy followed, the stellar dragon losing 600 ATK and DEF as the beams struck it. But the red-haired teen wasn't struck. In a surprising display of acrobatics, Yuya dodged each beam as they passed over him, chaining vaults with spins and crouches with handsprings. It was beautiful to watch. Odd-Eyes didn't manage to dodge the lasers, but their contact still didn't hurt it.
Their effect on the duel was that, by the time the two dragons faced each other, Ptolemy was down 2100 ATK while Odd-Eyes was still at 2500. The red dragon effortlessly blasted the white one.
Hokuto's turn ended. Yuya's turn began. And, while the LDS student only controlled a Pleiades, the redhead similarly only controlled Odd-Eyes. Magical Star Illusion tipped the odds in his favor, powering his partner while Hokuto was left with nothing. Pleiades burned, and so did the purple-haired teen's chances of victory.
(End music)
As the system shut down and the area vanished, Sora swore to himself he would remember this duel to the end of his life. Not just because of the sheer pleasure of seeing an Xyz user humiliated, but because of how beautiful, awesome and hilarious it had been. As it was, he was still too busy laughing his head off. So was Yugo, for that matter.
"Thal's balls, why didn't I bring a camera? Rin, Crow and the Scions would've loved it!"
Hokuto left the room, head low.
"Sorry, Chairwoman. I really did my best, but…"
"For our collective sakes, could you please not taunt Fate any further?" Yaiba begged.
"Yeah!" Sora hiccupped. "Because – hahaha – she clearly – snrkhaha - got a b – ffft – bone to pick – pfahaha – with you! Wahahahaha!"
Himika grumbled and turned to Hokuto.
"There is no such thing as chance. There is only skill, and yours obviously failed you. Your loss is a disgrace to the Xyz Course, Hokuto Shijima. But now, I really want Pendulum Summon…"
"Pendulum Summon is not yours to claim, Chairwoman. Not through such heavy, underhanded methods."
Everyone froze as Nymeia's voice echoed once more. The spinning wheel briefly flashed on the Solid Vision system's screen.
"And who are you to decide?" Himika retorted.
"I am someone who cares. Himika Akaba, you are a bad person. What goes around comes around, and it is about time your actions caught up to you. For what is Fate but the consequences of our deeds? On the same topic, what is Luck but preparation meeting opportunity? I wonder: between Hokuto Shijima and Yuya Sakaki, who had more of either?"
"Not an easy answer." Gongenzaka admitted. "No one has ever seen such an Action Field before, so neither Yuya not Shijima knew what to expect. In the end, while Shijima may have shown more skills, Yuya proved better at adapting to this unknown Field and had an easier time capitalizing on its effects."
"An honest assessment." Nymeia acknowledged. "The next Action Field will be similarly unknown. Prepare yourselves adequately. You do not know what opportunity it may present."
Himika slowly nodded.
"I trust my students' skills. Masumi, you're next."
Shuzou turned to his daughter.
"Yuzu, make us proud."
"I will, Dad."
The duel had at least the positive effect of distracting her from her encounter with the masked Yuya lookalike. The girl that stood before her had the black hair and tan skin of people from the Near-East.
"I am Masumi Kotsu, of LDS's Fusion Course. If you think you can defeat me with your dull eyes, think again."
Yuzu growled and raised her disk.
"We'll see about that. Bring it on!"
A chuckle filled the air as the Eorzean deity spoke.
"Action Field on. Field Spell activated: The Grand Cosmos."
The area shifted from an empty room to a beautiful palace with impressive gardens – but why was most of the vegetation purple? The music was suitably grand and lively. The two girls faced each other. Soon, Gem-Knights were clashing with Melodious across the corridors and velvet-shaded bushes.
(Music: Final Fantasy XIV - The Grand Cosmos)
Mozarta's soundwaves sent Topaz crashing through a fountain. Masumi followed soon after, courtesy of Canon.
"What were you saying?" Yuzu glared. "My eyes have no luster?"
"I stand my ground. Next turn, you're mine."
Outside, the building, Yugo was cheering.
"Cat fight! Cat fight! Cat fight!"
Yuzu ran further inside the palace and snatched an Action card.
"Action Spell activate: Magic Broomstick! Say goodbye to your face-down cards!"
Five magical brooms swept the space between the girls, sending any face-down card to the Graveyard. Yugo played with his amulet.
"Remind me to get one of these for Rin's workshop. Maybe Matoya will give us one if we ask nicely?"
He received no answer. In the meantime, deprived of her Trap, Masumi was forced to take the long way to summoning Gem-Knight Master Diamond. By the time, she did, the two girls had found themselves in a wide yet empty ballroom. A single Action card was in the middle. Yuzu proved faster to grab it.
"Action Spell activate… Ballroom Blitz? Wait up."
She looked around. It was a huge, empty ballroom with a single Action card right in the middle, whose effect made her blink several times. Masumi raised a brow.
"What's the problem? What does that card do?"
"It… causes exactly that. A ballroom blitz. You add the ATK of the monsters you control, I do the same and whoever got the biggest number wins the brawl."
The LDS student paused. She only had Master Diamond, whose ATK was 2900. Yuzu, meanwhile, had Canon and Mozarta. Individually, the Melodious had 1400 and 2600 ATK respectively, which made a perfect 4000. Right on cue, the music changed.
And the man at the back said: "Everyone attack"
And it turned into a ballroom blitz
And the girl in the corner said: "Boy, I wanna warn ya"
It'll turn into a ballroom blitz
"Ballroom blitz ~ Ballroom blitz!" Sora sang along.
The two girls shared a look.
"Fate has a weird sense of humor."
"Agreed."
On this, Canon and Mozarta tackled Master Diamond. The trio rolled in a massive ball across the ballroom, the Gem-Knight vainly trying to keep the weaker Melodious from shouting his head off while the Maestra was doing her damnedest to stab him with her baton. His big, jeweled sword was no use when the two Fairies were physically grappling him and assaulting him with point-blank sonic attacks. Eventually, he lost the struggle, and Masumi lost 1100 Life Points in the process.
"Remind me to never taunts Fate again." The girl grumbled. "Scratch that, remind me to smack anyone who taunts Fate while I can hear them. Even if it's our goddamn CEO."
Reiji, who had been watching from a dark corner, was torn between scolding her for disrespecting authority and agreeing with the sentiment. Yes, his mother had indeed blundered when she'd made her earlier statement.
In the end, Yuzu narrowly won. Though Masumi managed to return Master Diamond somehow and nail her with Topaz's effect, the burning chandelier dropping on its head proved too much. Yugo vividly remembered that part. One of the chandeliers had narrowly flattened Alisaie and the blue flames had only gone after he'd transferred them to the curtains.
(End music)
As Yuzu and Masumi exited the room, they found Sora still singing Ballroom Blitz. Himika turned to Shuzou.
"Two for two. Best out of three?"
"On one hand, I shouldn't push Luck any further. On the other…"
"Do bring it, Mr. Hiiragi. Some people in this room could use a lesson in humility."
"Then it's settled. Best out of three, Chairwoman."
Himika turned to Yaiba.
"Your turn."
The teen looked up and joined his hands.
"I apologize for everything the chairwoman said and have no intention of taunting you any further. Whoever I face, I will prove respectful and give them an honorable duel. Please, have some mercy."
"Fate is naught but the consequences of your actions." Was Nymeia's answer. "You reap what you sow, no more and no less."
Yuzu turned to Sora.
"You're a student of You Show. You go."
"What? Nah, I'm not interested. Me against him wouldn't be a fair fight, anyway."
Yaiba held himself from calling him out of underestimating him. Himika had taunted Fate plenty enough for all of them. He was going to keep his mouth shut, be polite and grateful for what came his way. When Gongenzaka decided to face him, he took it in stride and bowed.
"I accept your challenge. I am Yaiba Todo, of LDS's Synchro Course. Let us fight honorably."
Nymeia's chuckle filled the air.
"Action Field on. Field Spell activated: Doma Castle."
The area changed around the two duelists, going from an empty space to a half-ruined, slowly sinking Asian castle. They were in the throne room, and for all that the situation seemed dire, the musical track was none other than Japanese funk, with kicking drum beats and a rocking shamisen.
(Music: Final Fantasy XIV - Gates of the Moon)
This was a tune for storming a castle. Yaiba decided he would do exactly that.
Then, he ran into his opponent's dueling style.
"Dammit, your monsters are brick houses!"
Once again, Gottom's assaults faltered. Gongenzaka crossed his arms.
"This is the essence of Gongenzaka Dojo's Steadfast Dueling: we stand our ground, no matter what."
"And you're damn good at it…"
The taller teen wasn't moving. He was standing in the middle of the throne room and hadn't bulged from his spot since the duel began. And even as Yaiba sent X-Saber after X-Saber against his monsters, he couldn't manage to push him back.
"Fighting you is like trying to besiege a castle!"
"Tedious, tiresome, casualty-heavy and a generally risky endeavor? An apt comparison. The manly Gongenzaka thanks you for it."
A piece of the ceiling suddenly fell on him. Yaiba gasped.
"Souza, stop it!"
The monster dashed. It wasn't fast enough. The debris landed on Gongenzaka… who raised a hand and let them fall on it before effortlessly throwing it away. Yaiba and Souza paused. Those had been some big debris, yet their opponent had thrown it away like it weighted nothing.
First jaw drop.
"Okay, wow. You're tough."
"Thank you."
Yaiba looked around. If his monsters alone couldn't get past the Superheavy Samurais, maybe Action Spells would do the trick? There was one by a hole in the wall. As he dashed to get it, he heard the sound of furious fighting. Peeking out made him blink.
"Yep, we're in the middle of a warzone. Mages and archers on giant birds having dogfights with strange pillar-looking airships above a ruined castle. It's a dungeon siege and you're the final boss."
Yugo snickered at that. Indeed, the Battle of Doma had been the final step of the Othardian Campaign, the culmination of Jonah, Hien and Yugiri's efforts to free the Eastern continent from Garlemald's yoke. It had worked, even with Zenos popping up. The Ruby Confederation, the Doman militia, the Kojin of Blue and the Azim Steppe tribesmen leading an assault on Yotsuyu's fortress after Hien had decided to sink it to weaken the opposing forces.
The room where Yaiba was fighting Gongenzaka was the very place Jonah, the Leveilleur twins, Lyse, Yugiri, Gosetsu, Hien, Rin, Crow and himself had fought the hypertuned Grynewaht.
The samurai teen played the card.
"Action Spell activate: Hypertune! My monsters gain ATK equal to their DEF but are destroyed at the end of the turn! Doesn't matter, I got ways to bring them back. Everyone, attack!"
"Superheavy Samurai Soulbreaker Armor's Effect: if there are no Spells or Traps in my Graveyard, I can banish it, then you take damage equal to my monster's change in ATK points. You reduced Big Benkei's ATK to 0."
Understanding dawned.
"That. This is why you never used an Action Spell."
"Indeed. My Superheavy Samurais require me to have neither Spell nor Trap to activate most of their effects, hence why my Deck is made exclusively of monsters and I do not go looking for Action cards."
Second jaw drop.
Yuya wasn't surprised. Sora, Yugo and the rest of LDS were stumped.
"A Deck… completely made of monsters. That guy is crazy!" The blonde teen gasped. "Crazy awesome, that is! An all-monster Deck and he makes it work! Wow, full respect there."
In the end, Yaiba's quick thinking allowed him to turn his opponent's victory into a tie. As Soulbang Cannon delivered 3300 damage to both duelists, taking both of them out of the fight, the room shook brutally. The samurai teen shook himself and blinked – right in time to see a column fall on him.
"Oh, cra – !"
The column fell in Gongenzaka's waiting hands, the colossal teenager effortlessly holding it. Yaiba hurried out of the way and watched his opponent throw it off. The area became empty again.
"Wow, you really are strong!"
"I would have a much harder time withstanding blows if I was built like you."
(End music)
The teen winced. In spite of his physical training, the fact remained Yaiba was more on the svelte side. Out of curiosity, he knocked on his opponent's biceps. It was as hard as a rock.
"I'd break my bokken on you and you wouldn't get a scratch. What was it about fighting people your size?"
"You were a skilled opponent." Gongenzaka reassured. "Your mastery of Synchro Summoning was in full display, and you gave all you could to get past my defenses. In a way, you did break them down. You simply broke yourself in the process. Not many people can boast that."
Yaiba decided to accept the praise. There weren't many people who could fight him to a standstill, and between his unorthodox strategy and sheer resilience, the heir of Gongenzaka Dojo had proved his worth. This was a man he could respect.
And, of course, even though he hadn't won, he hadn't lost either. Hokuto and Masumi couldn't say the same.
"What goes around comes around." The deity's voice echoed. "What will be the consequences of this duel, I wonder?"
The samurai teen sincerely hoped it would be friendship. Himika Akaba closed her eyes.
"Very well, LDS will stay out of You Show's affairs and look for other ways to obtain Pendulum Summoning. But I won't forget – What? Who's calling?"
Her phone rang. She took the call and answered. Her body tensed. Shuzou noticed.
"Something wrong, Chairwoman?"
"Yes: one of LDS's top teachers was attacked."