Chapter #3: Purple Threads

"Fusion Summon. El Shaddoll Grysta."

Reiji looked at her, before nodding. "That's correct," he said. "As you can see, it works rather well with your cards and their mechanics."

Shiori nodded. She kept her cards—they weren't using duel disks right now, just trying out the cards on the table.

"Don't Fusion Summon in front of your classmates yet," Reiji continued.

"Why not?"

"I want to save it for a certain moment," he said.

Shiori looked at him. She assessed what he'd said so far, and then, quietly, she said: "Do you intend to turn me into a legend, Reiji Akaba?"

"... as it stands, I have taken a risk by choosing you." He looked at her. Shiori looked back, completely unfazed by him. "You are an investment that I have made—a project to see if I can construct a duelist strong enough for my liking. As such, even factors such as reputation must be considered."

Shiori could consider that much. "I see," she said. "I will wait then. After all, you are paying me."

They lapsed into silence.

"... it's earlier than usual." Reiji normally left two hours or so later. "Would you like…" Shiori searched their apartment with her gaze, before eventually landing on a chessboard that they'd gotten from a garage sale. They were currently using it as a coaster, but they did have the pieces in it. "To play chess?"

She hadn't expected him to agree, but with that aloof look on his face, he had placed down his tablet and turned to face her. He had nodded. Shiori had placed the board on the table and gestured for him to begin, and that had started… well, the rest of it.


And so, that was where they found themselves too, on a Friday night three months later.

Reiji tilted his head, watching the chessboard.

"I am surprised," he said, "at how many different ways you can build on the Queen's Gambit—and that you have never accepted it."

"I'm hardly good at chess," Shiori said. After all, she'd never won a single time against Reiji in that regard. She didn't exactly have time to learn chess back home. "But the Queen's Gambit is one of the most common openings. After a while, you pick up a few things." The Queen's Gambit, played by the player who had the first move, was a choice to place a pawn in a seemingly precarious position. However, actually taking the pawn that was offered would only place the player on black in a worse position.

In other words, it was a deceptive play where stepping back gave more advantage than moving forward.

"And you're also the only person I've ever met who prefers playing black. After all, everyone prefers playing the first move."

"That's because you're used to having the advantage." Shiori rubbed at her eyes for a moment—a little tired. "I prefer playing at a disadvantage—it means that it's much harder for things to get worse."

In the neighbouring room, Risu was sleeping.

… Shiori really didn't know how they had started this. Reiji had mentioned that he wasn't free during the day, so the natural consequence of that was that they should meet at night. However, Shiori also didn't want Risu to sleep too late—and her sister couldn't sleep unless someone else was around. So eventually, Reiji had suggested that he simply come over to the apartment.

And then, eventually, by the time he was done teaching her about Fusion Summoning, all three of them were used to having dinner together on Fridays. So Shiori had offered a game of chess. The next week, Reiji had brought over the board game Go. Shiori was still learning it—she had never played it before, but she thought that she might like it more than chess eventually.

To reiterate, it had only been three months since they had come to Maiami City. And now, Shiori had come to the embarrassing realisation that apparently, dinner with Akaba Reiji had become a normal part of her and Risu's family life.

They carried on playing for fifteen minutes in silence, and eventually, Reiji played the final move.

"Checkmate," he said. Shiori inclined her head.

"Would you like supper?" She asked.

"If you don't mind."

Shiori shrugged. "I was going to make some eggs for myself anyway." She walked over towards the stove. In the corner of her eye, she saw Reiji taking out a tablet, beginning to draw on it with a stylus.

As she was in the middle of cooking, Reiji spoke up.

"I've arranged a match for you," he said. "During that match, Fusion Summon in front of everyone—and do not show any mercy to your opponent. If you can do it, demolish them."

… hmm.

"Are they at least the same age as me?" Shiori asked. "It'll look like I'm bullying someone if that's not the case."

"Age is irrelevant in this city," Reiji said. "Skill is what matters."

"I'm sure that's true for you, Pro-Duelist-At-Sixteen-san," Shiori said with faux deference. It was a little over the top—Reiji raised an eyebrow at the sarcasm. Both of them rarely broke composure, but when one of them did, the other usually followed. "Sure. It'll feel like I can finally spread my wings a little."

She finished it, and she placed a plate in front of Reiji. He quickly ate it—Shiori was always surprised by that. She would assume that someone as rich as Akaba Reiji would turn his nose down at simple cooked food. It wasn't like Shiori was a good chef either—she had only learned out of necessity.

"Thank you," he said—ever aware of social etiquette. "The arranged match will happen tomorrow."

"Will you be watching?"

"I will. Like I said, you're my investment. I need to track your progress."

Investment. Right.

"Well," Shiori said, her eyelashes falling slightly in weariness, "I'll be sure that I live up to your expectations."

"... you should go to rest too." With that, Reiji stepped towards the door. Shiori watched him leave for a moment.

That was right. The relationship between them was not friendship. She was his investment, and he was her benefactor. That was all that was between them—and that was all that there would ever be between them.

She didn't have to worry about that.


The next day, Shiori learned that when Akaba Reiji had said "arranged match", he had apparently meant "a large match with the entirety of LDS watching, for the ranking of the Number 1 Fusion Duelist in LDS".

… he really should have been more clear about that.

Risu wasn't with her now—she had gotten slightly better with the help of therapy, and so, as long as she knew where Shiori was, it wasn't as bad for her. She was currently watching the duel with Reiji in the office high up above.

Shiori did not care about the ranking, but Risu was watching. Reiji had expressed clear expectations for her—not in the way that her parents often had. He had known that she could do it because he had helped her to train for it.

She…

Well. It had nothing to do with Akaba Reiji or anything, obviously. They were not friends, she did not like him, and this was only because he'd done her a favour. It wouldn't do to make him think that she couldn't keep up with their bargain.

That was it. The only reason.


When Kotsu Masumi had heard about a new ranking match in the Fusion Course, she had immediately been intrigued. As the current Number 4 Fusion Duelist in LDS (though she was climbing fast!), she knew that usually, only people one rank below the strongest duelist in the ranking were allowed to challenge them. However, the challenger had apparently gotten special permission, and that was really interesting.

The Number 1 Fusion Duelist in the course was the daughter of Professor Marco—Tojyo Mio. Some argued that she had an unfair advantage due to her father, but her skill was undeniable. Masumi still thought that she could defeat her, but it looked like someone else was currently going to get the opportunity.

Still, Masumi wanted to watch! She wanted to know who this duelist was—the person who the Leo Corporation thought should get such a good opportunity.

So that she could defeat them too.


Big crowd.

Shiori raised her head. She looked up at where she knew Risu was.

I'll prove it to both of you now. I will be stronger.

"You're the special one, aren't you?"

Shiori turned to look at her opponent. Tojyo Mio was a girl with short brown hair, spiked up near the back. She looked Shiori over.

"Wonder why they asked me to let you challenge me," the girl murmured. "You're a transfer student, right? You must be really good."

Shiori inclined her head. "I would rather not praise myself," she said calmly. "Let's have a good duel, Tojyo-san."

"Uh, your name is…"

"Fujishiro Shiori," Shiori introduced herself. "I'm a transfer, yes."

They moved to opposite sides of the field. The Action Field activated, and Shiori stumbled through the chant in a way that was frankly too embarrassing for her to think about. It ended up being a room surrounded by mirrors at various areas.

… this seemed like it would cause quite a lot of injuries. Well, she'd have to be careful not to run into a mirror.

[DUEL!]

Fujishiro Shiori: 4000LP

Tojyo Mio: 4000LP

[Turn 1: Mio] [H:5]

"I'll activate the Continuous Spell, Phantasmagorical Dream Magic Mirror!" The card appeared on the field. "When activated, I can add a "Dream Magic Mirror" monster from my deck to my hand. And now, I'll activate the Field Spell, Dream Magic Mirror of Darkness." Shadows drifted around the field and the mirrors.

Hmm.

Thematic.

"I'll Normal Summon Maiden of the Dream Magic Mirror - Ikelos!" A girl with long green braids appeared, a darker green cloak slung around her shoulders. Behind her, a golden mirror shrouded in shadows appeared.

[Maiden of the Dream Magic Mirror - Ikelos (1*/0/500/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect)]

"When Ikelos is on the field while I control Dream Magic Mirror of Darkness, I can tribute her to Special Summon her darker form from my deck!"

The girl with green hair leapt into the mirror—and on the other hand, a darker, shadow-like creature shifted, before it jumped out of the mirror. It was a girl with a cold look on her face—pastel purple curls. She was dressed in dark red, and as she spun the deadly-looking scythe in her hands through the air, her orange, cat-like eyes glowed. A mirror with a frame crafted from dark metal appeared behind her, floating.

"Come—Succubus of the Dream Magic Mirror - Ikelos!"

[Succubus of the Dream Magic Mirror - Ikelos (1*/500/0/DARK/Fairy/Effect)]

"When this new form of Ikelos is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Dream Magic Mirror" monster, I can Special Summon a "Dream Magic Mirror" monster from my hand, except another copy of her! Come! White Knight of the Dream Magic Mirror - Morpheus!" A blond man appeared, dressed in silver armour, looking rather graceful—wing-like structures emerged from the shoulders and back of his armour, making him look rather angelic.

[White Knight of the Dream Magic Mirror - Morpheus (8*/1000/2800/LIGHT/Warrior/Effect)]

"I'll set a card and end my turn," Mio said.

… hmm. A defensive wall and a monster there just to protect her and test her out.

[Turn 2: Shiori] [H:6]

Shiori scanned through her hand.

no Attributes other than DARK, huh? And bringing that out just makes more trouble for me right now.

"I'll activate the Field Spell, Curse of the Shadow Prison." Shadows drifted around her feet, dancing in her hair, like threads on a marionette. "I will activate the Spell Card, Graceful Charity. I will draw three cards and discard two."

She swiftly picked up the three cards—but the main key was the pair of cards that she was now sending to the graveyard.

"Since I sent Shaddoll Hedgehog to the graveyard by a card effect, I can add a "Shaddoll" monster from my deck to my hand. And since I sent Shaddoll Beast to the graveyard, I can draw a card."

Considering the Attributes of her monsters had not been something that she'd particularly needed to do before this, but considering what her Fusion Monsters were like, she'd been forced to keep them in mind.

She tilted her head up very slightly.

Here goes nothing. Sorry if I scare you, Risu.

"Spell Card, Shaddoll Fusion," she called out.

Mio didn't look surprised. "My father said that you got Fusion cards from LDS almost immediately," she said. "Usually that's for specially selected students from the top of the course. You must be connected pretty closely to them."

"… I could be," Shiori said vaguely. "Shaddoll Fusion lets me perform a Fusion Summon using monsters in my hand and on my field—I assume that's the standard?" And that other effect, of course, but her opponent had not yet Special Summoned a monster from the Extra Deck. "I will fuse Shaddoll Squamata and Nehshaddoll Genius in my hand." She dropped both cards into the graveyard.

The purple threads around the ground seemed to rustle for a brief moment.

"Pale woman caught in the threads of insidious madness," Shiori said—still completely composed. "Become one with the destructive entity that towers in the sky, and become the boundary that cuts off all hope for resurgence. Fusion Summon—El Shaddoll Shekhinaga!"

A tall, pale woman appeared, her skin bone white. Her hair was much the same colour. Her eyes were shut. She was dressed in blue-white armour, and around her, threads tied her to a strange structure—she seemed suspended oddly, her neck bent in a manner that was not quite human.

[El Shaddoll Shekhinaga (10*/2600/3000/EARTH/Machine/Fusion/Effect)]

Shiori… really liked it. (Them? What pronouns did one use for a monster that was half puppet, half machine? She settled on neutral pronouns, in the end.)

If nothing else, Akaba Reiji had at least captured her aesthetic. That was very important.


"So that's one of Shiori's… Fusion Monsters?"

"Yes," Reiji said. "Do you like it?"

"… the girl there," Risu said thoughtfully. She was clinging onto a stuffed bear as she watched the duel. "On the monster… she looks a bit like Shiori."

Wait until you see Construct, Reiji thought, though he didn't say it yet. The machine itself made the monster look more alien, but El Shaddoll Construct undeniably resembled Fujishiro Shiori.

To be fair, they had made the effects of the cards, but its design had taken shape on its own—the same way that card-making often worked.

Reiji himself didn't know why. It was interesting to see her side by side with that monster though.


Shiori drew a hand through her hair, nodding to her monster. "Shaddoll Squamata's effect," she said. "When sent to the graveyard by a card effect, I can send another "Shaddoll" monster from my deck to the graveyard. And Nehshaddoll Genius's effect. I will target an Effect Monster on the field, and it cannot activate its effects this turn. I will choose White Knight of the Dream Magic Mirror - Morpheus."

"Well, each time that you Special Summon a monster while I control Dream Magic Mirror of Darkness, I can inflict 300 damage to you! And then, I'll chain Morpheus's effect!" Mio countered. "I'll tribute him to Special Summon his darker half as well, since my current Field Spell is my darker magic mirror!"

… implying that there was a brighter one?

"Come! Black Knight of the Dream Magic Mirror - Morpheus!" A dark-skinned knight in black armour appeared, holding a bright blade with a red glow to it, grinning wildly. All the honour and elegance from the other Morpheus's appearance was gone—replaced, ultimately, with something more sinister.

[Black Knight of the Dream Magic Mirror - Morpheus (8*/2800/1000/DARK/Warrior/Effect)]

Both Genius and Squamata's effects resolved, along with the Field Spell's effect.

Shiori: 4000 - 300 = 3700LP

"Reeshaddoll Wendi's effect," Shiori continued. "When she is sent to the graveyard by a card effect, I will Special Summon a "Shaddoll" monster from my deck in facedown Defense Position."

"When the Black Knight is Special Summoned by a "Dream Magic Mirror" monster's effect, I can target and destroy a card on the field! I'll target your El Shaddoll Shekhinaga!"

"… that won't do," Shiori said after a pause. "When you activate the effect of a Special Summoned monster, I can use the effect of El Shaddoll Shekhinaga. I will negate that effect's activation, destroy it, and send a "Shaddoll" card from my hand to the graveyard."

Mio immediately darted around the mirror arena—she seemed far more familiar with it, stopping before bumping into invisible obstacles. She grabbed a card, placing it down. "Action Card, Invisibility! I will target Morpheus! For the rest of this turn, he can't be targeted by card effects, and he is unaffected by other card effects!"

"Okay," Shiori said. Mio turned back to look at her—just as Shiori raised an Action Card in the air as well.

It was fine to counter fire with fire, right?

"When'd you have the time to get that?"

Shiori shrugged—she didn't really like running much, and she was hardly physically fit, not like these people who had trained in Action Fields for so long. Still, she gestured towards Shekhinaga, whose threads had pooled on the ground and slowly grabbed an Action Card, pulling it over towards her. "I think my monsters have an unfair advantage in this format," she said calmly. "Not that I'm complaining—but I'll try not to abuse it. Action Card, No Action. I'll negate your Action Card's effects and destroy it."

Invisibility shattered.

"So Shekhinaga's effect resolves. Earthlocked Forbidden!"

The ground rumbled, and then chains shot up, dragging Morpheus to the ground and destroying him.

"Were you so determined to defeat Morpheus?"

"… I was determined to discard a card," Shiori said. She sent one of the three remaining cards in her hand to the graveyard. "Reeshaddoll Wendi's effect." A single set card appeared on her field. "Your Field Spell will inflict another 300 damage to me. And I will activate the effect of Shaddoll Dragon. I can destroy a Spell or Trap on the field. I will target and destroy Dream Magic Mirror of Darkness."

"I'll activate my set card!" Mio countered. "The Quickplay Spell, Dream Magic Mirror of Chaos! I can perform a Fusion Summon using monsters I control as material. And since I control Dream Magic Mirror of Darkness, I can also banish monsters from my graveyard as material. I will banish both versions of Morpheus from the graveyard to Fusion Summon!"

… all of this was still just them responding to the effects that were triggering from the costs of their cards.

Why hadn't she just brought out this monster last turn? Was it because she wanted to make use of Morpheus's effect to interfere with Shiori's field before she brought out this other monster?

"Dreams, rest in the ethereal plane. With a laugh that echoes through the heavens, guide this world to its natural rest! Fusion Summon! Mara of the Dream Magic Mirror - Neiros!" A pink-haired woman appeared, smiling. Golden and white wings rose from her shoulders, glowing with holy light. Translucent white and blue silks surrounded her. She was surrounded by a strange, ethereal glow—one that made her seem softer, gentler.

[Mara of the Dream Magic Mirror - Neiros (10*/3000/3000/LIGHT/Fairy/Fusion/Effect)]

The other two effects triggered—Shiori took a small amount of damage, while Mio's Field Spell was destroyed.

Shiori: 3700 - 300 = 3400LP

"For each "Shaddoll" monster that has been sent to the graveyard through a card effect while I control my Curse of the Shadow Prison, my Field Spell gains a Spellstone Counter." Shiori gestured to the glowing card.

[Curse of the Shadow Prison: Spellstone Counter(s): 6]

Overpower them.

"… I should thank you," Shiori said softly. "For finally bringing out a monster that I can use."

"Huh?"

"Spell Card, Shaddoll Fusion." Shiori placed down another copy of the card—she had been worried that it would be a brick, but as it turned out, her opponent had handed this to her on a silver platter. "When I perform a Fusion Summon, I may remove three Spellstone Counters from my Field Spell to use your monster as Fusion Material."

And for a moment, Shiori allowed her mind to wander.

After all, the person that she had decided to defeat someday…

Those elemental kings, one by one. Fire and water and wind and earth, and even some darkness and light.

This effect, she thought to herself, would be perfect against that person.

"I will remove three Spellstone Counters and fuse your Neiros with my set monster, Shaddoll Hound." The two monsters shot up in the air.

[Curse of the Shadow Prison: Spellstone Counter(s): 3]


Masumi gasped.

Using her opponent's master as material? How overwhelming…

But Masumi would never do that. Absolutely not. That felt like cheating.

If she was going to face her opponents, it would be head-on, when they were at their best—not like this.

Still…

Masumi really wanted to defeat this girl now. For all that she was strong… could they really allow the top student in the Fusion Course to be one who used such insidious methods to duel?


"Figure with a face of stone," Shiori said. "With the light that shines within your stolen soul, lead the charge of the souls corrupted by these purple threads. Let the world be washed to a clean slate. Fusion Summon—El Shaddoll Construct!"

The same woman that was currently fastened to the machine now appeared on her own, her pale, off-white, slightly purple-tinted skin still rather inhuman. All the purple threads around her dizzied the eyes—the entire field had these threads snaking through it now, and what was once a clear mirror maze was now completely exposed—the threads showed where every wall and barrier was, eliminating any possible advantage that her opponent might have gained from it.

"Wow," Mio said after a moment. "I thought I was imagining it, but she really looks like you."

[El Shaddoll Construct (8*/2800/2500/LIGHT/Fairy/Fusion/Effect)]

"I would say that I get that a lot, but it's the first time I've summoned her." Shiori tilted her head. "Hound's effect. Since it was sent to the graveyard by a card effect, I can change the battle position of a monster on the field. I will choose Ikelos." The dark succubus reluctantly got forced into Attack Position. "When El Shaddoll Construct is Fusion Summoned, I can send a "Shaddoll" card from my deck to the graveyard."

She revealed the card.

"I'll send Resh Shaddoll Incarnation to the graveyard. And that's the end of it."

Overpower them. Don't give them a choice to break free of your threads.

Don't fail.

Demolish them.

And then, all of a sudden, that word floated around in the back of her head, nearly at the surface. Shiori bit her lip for a moment in sheer fury.

But don't be perfect either. Be a bit messy about it.

Never be perfect again.

"El Shaddoll Shekhinaga attacks Ikelos!"

Mio ran for an Action Card. Shiori let her.

Reputation was a careful thing to cultivate. For her to let her opponent take as many Action Cards as they wanted, and still win anyway…

That was a better show, wasn't it?

She didn't care about the showiness of duels in Maiami City, but…

She could hardly stand to win without letting her opponent do anything.

Mio grabbed an Action Card, looking at it. "Action Card, Miracle! I'll halve the damage, and Ikelos survives the battle!"

Hmm. So her opponent would survive this Battle Phase then. Fine.

Mio: 4000 - 2100 / 2 = 2950LP

"El Shaddoll Construct attacks," Shiori continued. Then, slightly reluctant, she continued. "When Construct battles a Special Summoned monster, that monster is automatically destroyed. So you don't have to worry about damage from this attack."

Ikelos shattered. Mio blinked.

"So that's why you had the weaker monster attack first…"

"I'll set a monster facedown," Shiori said. "I'll end my turn."

[Turn 3: Mio] [H:2]

"Draw," Mio said. She grabbed another Action Card from nearby. "Action Card, Mirror Magic! I'll draw a card for each Special Summoned monster my opponent controls!" She quickly drew two cards. "You're pretty terrifying, miss puppeteer. To think that I nearly lost in a single turn…"

"Terrifying?"

Mio raised her head to look at Shiori, who was looking at her. She had not lost her composure, but she could feel something strange tugging on the edges of her lips.

Terrifying.

"I think I like that," Shiori said honestly.

It beats being obedient, filial or perfect.

"So thank you."

"... you're also a little strange," Mio said with a deadpan voice. "I'll activate the Field Spell, Dream Magic Mirror of Holy Light!"

A bright green glow surrounded the field.

"I'll then Normal Summon Traitor of the Dream Magic Mirror - Neiroy!" A dark-haired, dark-eyed teenage boy appeared, devil wings floating behind him.

[Traitor of the Dream Magic Mirror - Neiroy (3*/1000/1000/DARK/Fiend/Effect)]

"Neiroy's effect! Since he was Normal or Special Summoned, I can add his counterpart from my deck to my hand! And while I control a "Dream Magic Mirror" monster, I can Special Summon Apostle of the Dream Magic Mirror - Neiroy from my hand!" A pink-haired angel appeared on the field, letting out a cheerful laugh. Bright orbs of light floated around them.

[Apostle of the Dream Magic Mirror - Neiroy (3*/1000/1000/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect)]

"Since Neiroy was Special Summoned from my hand and I control Dream Magic Mirror of Holy Light, I can target a Spell or Trap you control and return it to your hand!" She gestured to Shiori's Field Spell.

… what a pity. And a waste of Spellstone Counters. Shiori picked the Field Spell up.

"And then, I'll activate another copy of the Quickplay Spell, Dream Magic Mirror of Chaos! I'll fuse both versions of Neiroy! Come—Nightmare Demon of the Dream Magic Mirror - Neiros!" An enormous, red-skinned warrior appeared, black feathery wings cutting through the air. Shadows and red energy swirled around them.

… hmm.

Someone else might have been intimidated. Shiori just thought that it was a pretty good aesthetic.

[Nightmare Demon of the Dream Magic Mirror - Neiros (10*/3000/3000/DARK/Fiend/Fusion/Effect)]

"While I control Dream Magic Mirror of Holy Light, Phantasmagorical Dream Magic Mirror grants all monsters I control 500 attack points and defense points!"

[Nightmare Demon of the Dream Magic Mirror - Neiros: 3000 + 500 = 3500ATK/DEF]

"Neiros attacks Shekhinaga!"

She was trying to stop Shiori from negating effects… alright. That made sense.

"I will banish Resh Shaddoll Incarnation from my graveyard, along with Shaddoll Dragon, to activate its effect," Shiori said. "I'll flip my set monster face-up." The monster appeared. "Shaddoll Squamata."

[Shaddoll Squamata (4*/1800/1000/DARK/Spellcaster/Flip/Effect)]

"Shaddoll Squamata's effect. When flipped face-up, I can target a monster on the field and destroy it." She gestured towards Neiros.

"What?" Mio exclaimed.


"Shiori-nee-san…" Risu hugged her stuffed bear slightly tighter.

Reiji turned to look at her. "Is something wrong?"

"... mm. No." Risu was still looking at the screen. "Shiori-nee-san's always so strong. I'm…"

The girl seemed to brace herself, and then she smiled—a very small smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"Happy."

Reiji looked at her.

If this girl had ended up becoming his sister—no, his brother—the way that his mother had intended, would she still be able to smile like that?

Probably not.

Not for the first time, Reiji felt somewhat at ease with his decision back then.

"You're correct," Reiji said after a moment. "She… has met my expectations. At least she didn't waste my time."

On the screen, Mio had ended her turn after losing her Fusion Monster.

Shiori raised a hand, gesturing forward. Construct and Shekhinaga mirrored her actions, and purple threads swarmed the field—

Sealing her opponent's fate.

Mio: 2950 - 2800 - 2600 = 0LP

Winner: Fujishiro Shiori!

No boasting, no arrogance, just a simple victory…

On the screen, Shiori turned. She showed no joy at her victory in her gaze—she simply looked forward calmly, before raising a fist in the air. The other LDS students applauded—it sounded like a roar.

After all, LDS did respect strength.

Still, she didn't bask in it. Reiji had a feeling that she'd only done it to give off the impression of being an overwhelming, passionate opponent—in other words, in line with the image that he'd wanted her to have. She clearly didn't actually feel that way.

The new Number 1 duelist in the Fusion Course turned around, walking out among the crowd's cheers.

"I wonder what it will take for you to feel anything when you duel," Reiji murmured to himself.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," Reiji said. He checked his schedule very quickly—good. He'd cleared out his afternoon today. "I'm sure she'll be by to pick you up soon."

"Okay." Risu looked away from him, and then, she shyly asked: "Can I come back here again, nii-san?"

Reiji looked at her.

Well, he thought resignedly, this had certainly become far more than he'd wanted it to be.

"Feel free," he said. "I'll let the security guards know to let you come and go." To look out for her while she was in the building too, in case she got in trouble.

"Thank you." Risu looked at her hands. "... you're really nice."

Reiji went still. Luckily, Risu didn't seem to notice.

Nice. What a thought.

He had never been that kind.


"Poor Tojyo-san," Manami said, though she was clearly smiling. "Still, at least now, I'm not the only one who knows how it feels like to be stomped by you."

Shiori shrugged. "It wasn't so bad." The two of them (and Risu, of course) were heading to the nearby mall to get lunch together.

Then, Manami jumped behind a sign.

Shiori turned to look at her, slightly confused. Manami held a finger over her lips, silently begging Shiori not to call her out.

Shiori turned to look at the crowd. It was easy enough to tell what Manami was hiding from, if only because there were three adults there, one of which had the exact same blonde hair as Manami. All three of them were walking over.

Shiori looked at her frightened, nervous friend, and sighed to herself.

Did Manami really think that she could hide with a sign?

She squeezed Risu's hand, and gestured for her to stay with Manami for now. She could feel Risu's nervousness, but her sister nodded, concerned for their friend too. Then, Shiori stood up and walked directly towards the three adults.

One of them turned to look at her. He looked surprised for a brief moment.

"Hello." Shiori lowered her head slightly—a deferential bow. Once all three of them were looking at her, she saw Risu and Manami sneaking by. "Sorry to disturb… I wanted to ask if there was anything good to eat around here."

"Oh," the woman, who might or might not be related to Manami, said. She was smiling gently. "Are you new to this city, dear?"

"I've been here for a while, but I haven't eaten here before. I'm meeting up with a friend, but I wasn't sure what to eat." Shiori was just buying time, really.

"Oh, I see."

"You're new here?" The man next to her said loudly. "Have you joined a Duel School yet?"

Shiori nodded. The man seemed to deflate.

"Oh…"

"Don't be too pushy towards the poor girl," the third one said. He had dark brown hair, and he had the same amber eyes as Manami. This one… was probably related to her, yeah. "There's a nice place that sells ochazuke on the second floor. You'll know it from the sign outside—it's a large kettle with a smile on it."

Shiori nodded, bowing slightly again. "Thank you, sir. I'm sorry for taking up your time. May I get your name? The next time that we meet, I would like to buy something for you for your help."

"Ah, there's no need for that." The man smiled at her. "Sakaki Ryoma. If you need any help while you're in this city, please don't be afraid to ask, if you see me again."

Sakaki Ryoma. This was Manami's… father then?

Shiori's gaze drifted to the other two.

"Ah, I'm Hiiragi Shuzo!" The other man said cheerfully.

"Sakaki Yoko." The woman said, smiling at her too. "You're sweet. What's your name?"

Well, lying would be worse in the long run. "Fujishiro Shiori," she said. "Thank you."

"Shiori-chan, huh?" Yoko said with a sweet smile. "Well, you may be a student at another Duel School, but feel free to come visit! I'm sure that my son and his friends would be happy to duel someone different."

"I'll consider it," Shiori said politely. She tilted her head just slightly, looking between Yoko and Ryoma, making sure that her expression and body language would make her look innocently curious. "... I'm sorry, but are the two of you…"

"Oh!" Yoko chuckled. "No, no, we're not married. He's my husband's brother—though our relationship is a little complicated—he's married to one of my second cousins. So family reunions get a little strange."

"I see. I apologise for prying. I have to get going, but…"

She was a little surprised at her next words.

"I'll visit," she decided.

"See you there then!"

Shiori waved to them, before she walked off, ready to find Risu and Manami again.

… that was interesting.

She would be lying, if she said that she had done that entirely to help Sakaki Manami escape an awkward situation. Yes, she had wanted to help her friend, but more than that… she had been curious about them. She had wanted to learn more.

And more importantly…

Well, that last part would be a secret just to herself for now.


"It might have been just my imagination," Yoko said thoughtfully as the three of them left, still carrying their shopping. "But when I looked at her, I thought I was looking at Sae for a moment. It's strange—they don't look that much alike, after all."

"No, I had the same feeling." Ryoma shrugged. "It's probably nothing. I'm glad that Manami has such a good friend."

After all, they weren't blind. They'd noticed Manami, and they'd noticed the girl's attempts to distract them.

"Speaking of Sae, will she still not come out of her room?"

"Well…" Shuzo sighed. "... it's a month or so 'til winter, after all. The weather's getting cold. Yuzu's doing her best to encourage her, but you know how Sae gets when it's cold."

"You've got your work cut out for you," Ryoma remarked. "... as do I. That rebellious daughter of mine. She ought to just come home already."

The three of them continued chatting as they headed back together, forgetting their encounter with the girl from earlier.


"Thanks, Fujishiro-san."

"It's no problem." Shiori looked at Manami. "Your father…"

"He's a kind man, he really is." Manami shook her head. "It wasn't really… they weren't at fault, when it came to me moving out."

Shiori studied her. She ran through all the information that she had about this girl.

"Why are you working for Akaba Reiji?"

"Huh? Well, didn't he tell you? There's apparently a need for strong duelists in the future…"

"I'm not altruistic," Shiori said. "It was a good opportunity for me to help myself. I don't think you're that generous either."

Manami sighed after a moment. "You're too good at this. Truth is, Akaba Reiji told me that the reason my uncle disappeared was due to that danger. That there was a chance that my uncle was… that maybe he was too badly wounded to get home." She skirted around the topic of death, but it was certainly implied. "He told me that just knowing it was dangerous, but… he asked me if I wanted to fight to find my uncle. I said yes, but… it's a secret that I can't tell anyone else, because it's not yet time for everyone to know. So I couldn't explain to anyone why I was going to LDS. That's why everyone got mad at me. I had no excuse at all. That was why I had to move out… no one would forgive me unless I gave answers, and I couldn't give them."

Shiori looked at her.

"It hurt a lot," Manami admitted. "I wanted to tell them everything, but I couldn't. I… hate secrets."

"... then tell me everything," Shiori said.

Manami blinked.

Shiori studied her with a calm look. "I know about that secret—perhaps not all of it. Reiji Akaba has not actually told me everything. But if the secret makes you scream on the inside, come to me and let it out."

"... you're sweet in your own way." Manami chuckled. "... sure. Thanks for hearing me out."

Shiori looked at her.

"Yeah," she said, barely hesitating. "What are friends for?" She turned away. "That writer that you like, Fuyuhime, released a new romance novel. Want to go and buy it?"

"Sounds great!" Manami cheerfully stood up. "Let's go, then!"

… having a friend really wasn't such a bad thing.


Card Effect Notes:

Action Cards - While I will make OC Action Cards (because I have been informed that each Action Field has unique Action Cards, why), they will not be listed because their effects will probably be pretty self-evident.


End Notes:

I swear updates won't always be so fast. You've just caught me in an unproductive mood about everything else :D

I stole the name Tojyo Mio from canon, because this fic is about consequences. :) And giving Marco a kid points to one obvious consequence in later canon. But anyway, she's not a particularly important character in the story—I just didn't want to come up with more names.

At this point, this fic has just become the 'decks that Blaise always really wanted to write but couldn't justify in other fics' fic, lmao.

Morpheus's name is apparently 'Rpheus' in the OCG but I am choosing to ignore that. I can tolerate Neiros, but not Rpheus.

I am pretty sure that we'll get to the canon timeline in maybe seven or eight chapters? We'll see how it goes. But yeah, the first chapters are an introduction to the world, so we'll occasionally have time skips.

And ugh, I really hate Action Cards. Then again, they're the only reason that Yuya survived the previous chapter's duel for so long. Still, I like to just write the duel as balancing out all the Action Cards—so in the end, they don't unfairly benefit one side.

You have no idea how much I accidentally typed 'Mion' in this chapter, lmao.

To Guests, I'd like if you could use a Guest name! Makes it easier for me to respond to you :)

To the first Guest, you'll have to see how she develops! :) Ayami has her own role to play in the story, but she definitely won't be shipped with Yuya, since they're cousins. I am glad that you like Shiori though, because I certainly do! :)

To the second Guest, Shiori and Shino are very different characters from each other, haha. And yup, I like ZEXAL Kaito quite a lot too.

To Draco, the idea of Shun just being absolutely convinced that she's from Academia is a pretty funny image :D

To the last Guest, I haven't actually confirmed what deck Shiori is using yet. I guess you'll have to wait and see.