Chapter 9: Coming in with a Bang
"I activate Frozen Lady Justice's effect!" Rio declared. "By detaching an overlay unit, I can destroy all your defence monsters! And since Fortune Tune's effects are negated, it can't protect itself! Cold Decree!" As Number 21's ATK fell to 1500, she unleashed a blizzard that froze and shattered Number 49.
"Take this! Ice Beast Zerofyne and Frozen Lady Justice shall both attack you directly!" The two ice monsters each unleashed a storm of snow and icicles that sent the boy flying.
Number 49's LP: 0
Rio: WIN!
"That was almost disappointingly easy." Rio admitted as she took Number 49: Fortune Tune.
"Yay, Rio." Noda clapped with a small smile, along with III.
"Waaaaah." 49's spirit cried in a squeaky female voice. "I thought for sure I would win!"
"Ahhhh, I thought for sure I would win." The boy she had just possessed huffed as he handed over his Heart Piece.
"Keep practicing, kid. It's the only way you'll get better." Rio said with her usual, albeit unintentional, coldness, successfully scaring him off and making her frown. "Oh come on, I'm not that scary."
"No worries, Rio, I know how nice you are underneath." Noda said.
"You surely are a nice person." III agreed.
Rio just sighed. "Where's Dennis gone off to?"
The boys pointed at a very large crowd, having gathered around Dennis in the middle of a Duel, putting on quiet the show with his Performage Hat Tricker.
"He really is impossible at subtlety isn't he?" Rio muttered.
"I think it's wonderful! Putting on a show with your Dueling." III approved.
"By the way, Noda." Rio looked at him. "You haven't had your first Duel yet, and it's beginning to get late. The first day will already be over, and you won't be any better off."
Noda shrugged. "I've just been happy watching you all Duel and win."
"I agree with Rio, sire." Lancelot's spirit appeared. "We cannot allow our blades to grow dull. We must strike whilst the iron is hot!"
"I said not to call me sire, didn't I?" Noda said. "I understand what I need to do, but I'm not just going to rush into things."
"Well, I'll just have to pick out an opponent for you at this rate." Rio growled.
"Um...Noda?" 35 spoke up.
"Yes, 35?"
"I think I can see something over the-"
The sound of a cannon firing made all three Duelists leap out of the way, as the ground to the left of them exploded.
"Tch, I missed." A person mumbled.
"What the hell was that!?" Rio yelled. "Noda, are you okay!?"
"I'm alright." Noda admitted as he stood up. "How about you, Rio? And III?"
"I'm okay." III said. "That was a shock though!"
"Yeah, we could've been hit by that!" Rio cried.
"Actually, it would have missed you." Noda pointed out. "It looks like they were aiming more for me." It was true, the crater was definitely closer to where Noda was standing.
"Who is aiming for Noda!?" 14 growled.
"Over there!" III pointed, and the two looked to see a figure, standing on a nearby building.
"Who is that!?" Rio snapped.
At that moment, the figure noticed all three looking at her through her scope.
"So, they've seen me, huh? Guess I've got to make my entrance."
As the trio watched, the figure seemed to jump on something and...fly? Towards them?
"They're flying." Noda stated.
"We can see that." Rio said.
"Should we run?" III suggested.
"Only if they start shooting at us again." Noda reasoned.
"So we wait for an attacker to come to us?" III questioned.
"Well...I wanna know why they shot at us."
By the time the debate had finished, the assailant was already in front of them. What they were riding was actually a cannon with turbines, as if it were a rocket. The person who jumped off of the rocket as it touched down on the ground. It turned out she was a girl with red and orange hair with blue hairclips wearing a red and white jacket and matching boots, along with a fierce glare.
"So, not running away this time, Noda?" She hissed at him.
"Who is this?" III wondered.
"Noda?" Rio asked.
Noda just blinked at her for a moment. As he looked at her, memories returned to him.
"Anna?"
"Anna? As in Anna Kozuki?" Rio mumbled.
"So you bothered to remember me, huh? Too little too late!" Anna growled whilst tapping her foot angrily with folded arms.
"Do you know her, Noda?" III asked.
"Yes..." He remembered.
When Noda was a young boy, he was in tears and reaching up towards a tree.
"Please!" He sobbed. "Please give it back!"
In the tree, a young Anna smiled as she held a Deck, waving it around tauntingly.
"Hey, Noda! Come up here and get it back, okay?" She taunted with a smile.
"That's my Deck I worked so hard to make!" Young Noda wailed, trying and failing to climb the tree. "Pleeeeease!"
"Come on! Come on!" Anna just laughed.
"This was before even we met." Rio mused. "You were such a crybaby back then."
"You were a crybaby, Noda?" 84 asked.
"I was a pretty sensitive child." Noda seemingly avoided the question.
"If you can reminisce about that, you'd better remember what you did!" Anna yelled as she pointed at him accusingly. "The day I was set to leave Heartland, I asked you to come to the school playground...but you never showed up!"
"Is that true, Noda?" Rio was sceptical. That didn't sound like him, but he was arguably a different person back then.
"It's true that I got Anna's email." He admitted. "But I didn't go. I was-"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" That was enough for Anna to throw a punch at him, barely missing his head and instead impacting the wall behind him and leaving a crater behind, much to the shock of everyone. "So you admit it! You didn't appear on purpose! You...you...jerk!"
Rio's eyes narrowed. Turning up late was a given for Noda, but straight up not going? Something was up here. He'd talked about Anna before, but not too much.
"I'm sorry about that, Anna." Noda admitted. "But truthfully, the reason is-"
"Save it! I don't wanna hear it!" Anna huffed. "More importantly, take a look at this!" She then held out a golden bangle.
"She already has three Heart Pieces!?" III gasped.
"I know how much you liked Dueling, so I started as well!" Anna boasted. "So that I could beat you! And the WDC is the perfect opportunity! You haven't Dueled a single opponent yet, so if I win, you'll be knocked out!"
Rio looked at her. "How do you know he hasn't Dueled any opponents yet?"
"That's...not important!" Anna snapped. "Noda! You and I are going to Duel! You owe me that much at least!"
"Noda?" Rio asked.
"That's fair." He agreed. "If that's what you want after that happened, I'll Duel you."
"And when I win..." Anna gave a confident smile. "We'll see what happens next!"
III winced. "Not ominous sounding at all..."
"Duel Disk, set!" Anna's Duel Disk was custom, being the same colours as her rocket and outfit.
"D-Gazer, set!" Her D-Gazer was also arrowhead shaped with a blue lense.
"AR - Vision, Link Established."
"DUEL!"
Noda vs. Anna LP: 4000
"I'm going first! Draw!" Anna declared. "I Normal Summon Night Express Knight!" At that, a portal opened next to her, out of which appeared a railway track, and along it rode a white train ridden by a knight wielding a golden lance.
"A Level 10 just like that?" III mused.
"I can Normal Summon this guy by reducing his attack to 0!" Anna smiled despite the fact her monster lost its 3000 ATK. "I set a card and end my turn!"
"What a straightforward play." Rio mumbled. Just what was Anna's plan?
"Hey! Hey!" The two spectators watched as Dennis ran over to them. "Sorry for the delay! I got caught up in my show!"
"Did you win your Duel, Dennis?" III asked.
"Of course!" He grinned. "So, what exactly is the situation here?"
"We'll have to just wait and see." Rio said.
"A 0 ATK monster and a single Set card? What is her strategy?" 77 wondered.
"Right now, all I can do is face her." Noda drew. "I activate the Field Spell, Mount Sylvania."
At that, more VR code began running over the area, transforming their surroundings into a luscious forest filled with all manner of plants, with an outcrop between the two Duelists showing a vast mountain in the distance.
"Heh, so you're finally using an archetype instead of generic Level 1's now?" Anna chuckled.
"That's right. I've changed a lot from back then."
"That's an understatement." Anna huffed. "Back then you got teary over everything. Now you're all slow and calculated. What gives?"
"I grew up, and came to the realisation that you've got to take everything life gives you and grow from it, so that you can enjoy it all the more." He said. "In a way, I have you to thank for that, Anna. I learned from what you did to me and realised I couldn't cry over everything."
"R-Really?" She seemed to perk up at that, but then grew cocky. "Well, you're welcome! But if you think that's gonna sway me, you're dead wrong!"
"In that case, I'll continue." Noda picked a card. "With Mount Sylvania's effect, by sending Sylvan Guardioak from my hand to the Graveyard, I can place a Sylvan card from my Deck on top of it. Like Sylvan Komushroomo. Then I Normal Summon Sylvan Marshalleaf." The tiny little Sylvan jumped out of the grass in front of Noda with 1500 ATK, and began shaking its flowers like bells. "When Marshalleaf is Normal Summoned, I can excavate the top two cards of my De-"
"No you don't!" Anna yelled. "I activate my Continuous Trap, Skill Drain!" A damaging red aura surrounded her. "Nggh! I pay 1000 Life Points to play it!"
Anna's LP: 3000
"And now, all monsters on the field have their effects negated!" Suddenly, blue ghosts flew out of Marshalleaf and Night Express Knight, that were absorbed into the Trap, causing them to grey.
"Now Marshalleaf's excavation is negated." Rio noted. "And-"
"Since Night Express Knight lost its effect, guess what? His attack returns to normal!" The monster raised its lance as its power returned to 3000.
"Crippling her opponents whilst gaining incredible power." Dennis became interested. "What a great strategy."
"I came prepared for tricky effects!" Anna boasted. "Weak little monsters like yours can't stand up to my Runaway Deck!"
Noda frowned. Anna's Dueling seemed to focus on power. It certainly fit her. "Then I'll set a card and end."
"Hah! That all? My turn then!" Anna drew. "I summon another Night Express Knight!" A second train appeared, crushing the flowers under its tracks. "And Skill Drain is still in effect!" As the monsters soul was stolen, its power became 3000 too. "Alright! If I attack you directly with both my monsters, its my win!"
"No wonder she got three Heart Pieces so quickly!" III realised. "Her strategy is pure strength!"
"Normally Noda's tactical Deck would be a perfect match, but with Skill Drain..." Dennis mumbled.
Rio just shook her head. "He won't lose so easily to a tactic like that."
"Battle! Night Express Knight attacks Sylvan Marshalleaf!" The monsters tracks extended as it ran forward, skewering the little plant with its spear and unleashing a drilling shockwave that hit Noda and sent him sprawling.
Noda's LP: 2500
"Alright! Direct hit! Meaning you can't stop this!" Anna cheered. "Get ready to lose, Noda! My other Knight will attack you directly!"
Noda picked himself up and gestured. "I activate my Trap, Back to the Front, to revive Sylvan Guardioak in defence position!" The green giant rose out of the GY portal and lived up to its name by blocking the lance, before being destroyed.
"What!? You little-!" Anna clenched her fist. "How dare you get my hopes up! It's just like that day all over again!"
"That day?" Dennis echoed, confused.
"Good point, actually." Rio said. "Why did you want to see Noda on that day anyway? Just to say goodbye?"
"Th-That's none of your business!" Anna huffed at her. "Whatever! I know Sylvania's effect is gonna mill Komushroomo! So, since Skill Drain's gonna go at my End Phase, I can just do this! I end my Battle Phase, then I overlay my two Level 10 Night Express Knight's!" The two train soldiers became orange energy that shot into the red portal.
"Xyz Summon! From the very heavens, part the sky and descend alongside a storm! Appear! Skypalace Gangaridai!" This time the sky of Mount Sylvania was covered in stormy clouds to herald a giant floating ship with two metallic bodies and several steel oars somehow making it fly with 3400 ATK.
"Rank 10!?" III gasped.
"It's huge!" Dennis cried.
"Let's see you get past THIS!" Anna boasted beneath her gigantic monster. "I'll set a card and end. Your go."
"First, Mount Sylvania's effect activates during you End Phase. I excavate the top card of my Deck, and obviously it's Sylvan Komushroomo, so it's milled, and Skill Drain is destroyed!" The Trap burst into flames, causing Skypalace's soul to be returned to it.
"My turn! I activate the Spell, One for One. By discarding Spore, I Special Summon the Level 1 Copy Plant from my Deck. Then, I banish Guardioak from my Graveyard to revive Spore as a Level 7 monster, and use Copy Plant's effect to copy its Level." The 2 normally small plants grew to much larger sizes as they appeared on Noda's field.
Dennis blinked. "Level 7? I thought Noda was a Rank 1 specialist?"
Rio laughed. "Oh, he's a bit more diverse then that."
"I overlay my Level 7 Copy Plant and Spore! Xyz Summon! On pure untainted wings, soar above the forest and bless the sky! Orea! The Sylvan High Arbiter!" Flying out of the red portal was a gigantic roc bird covered in bright green foliage, looping around the mountain before flying in the sky and clearing the dark storm with a clear blue expanse, opposing Gangaridai with 2800 ATK.
"I activate Orea's first effect! By sending the Level 3 Sylvan Mikorange in my hand to the Graveyard, I check the top 3 cards of my Deck and rearrange them how I like." He drew 3 and looked at them, before placing them back on top of his Deck in a different order. "I then activate Orea's second effect! By detaching an overlay unit, I excavate up to 3 cards from the top of my Deck! And for every milled Plant, I return a card on the field to the hand! I choose to excavate 2. And of course, I got Sylvan's Lotuswain and Bladefender! With Bladefender's effect, I add it to my hand. And with Orea's effect, I return both your monster and your set card to your hand! Life Gale!"
"No...FAIR!" Anna yelled over the wind as her 2 cards were blown back into her Extra Deck and her hand.
"Battle! Orea attacks you directly! From Heaven!" He giant bird dove down from the sky, pulling up just before hitting Anna and battering her with powerful winds and leaves.
Anna's LP: 1200
"I end my turn there." Noda finished as his monster flew in the air.
"Why, you...!" Anna growled as she fixed a glare at him that actually made Noda sweat. "Now you've really made me mad!"
10 raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "She wasn't before?"
"My turn! I Normal Summon Lionhearted Locomotive!" This time a green train puffed up with 2400 ATK for a Level 4. "And I activate the Spell, Special Schedule! It allows me to revive Night Express Knight in defence position!" Once again the train riding knight appeared, this time using its shield. "Finally, I activate the Spell, Southern Stars! This makes Lionhearted Locomotive Level 10!"
"I overlay my Level 10 Lionhearted Locomotive and Night Express Knight! Xyz Summon! From beyond the railway, arriving here and now, alongside the tremors of the earth. Appear, Superdreadnought Railcannon Gustav Max!"
There was a deafening thunder of heavy iron, as several railway tracks extended out of the Xyz portal. On these tracks appeared a gigantic green fortress on wheels, effortlessly crushing several trees on the way. It stopped with a heavy hiss of metal and smoke, its stats box tiny in comparison, but still showing its 3000 ATK.
"Another massive monster." Rio noted.
"How do you like my Gustav Max?" Anna smirked. "If you like it now, just wait! I'm activating its effect!" One of its orange comets flew skyward, before dropping and impacting the top of the machine, causing it to begin changing shape. "By detaching an overlay unit, I inflict 2000 damage to you!" Several loud booms echoed as a long, silver barrel emerged out of Gustav Max, and took aim at Noda.
"2000 damage just like that!?" Even Rio couldn't hide her surprise at that.
"Take this! Big Cannon!" After a moment of charging, the cannon unleashed a giant beam of light that tore through the greenery, enveloping Noda.
Noda's LP: 500
As the dust cleared, an entire trains worth of forest had been completely destroyed by the effect, stretching as far back as anyone could see, leaving nothing but charred earth behind, as well as a a floored Noda.
"My Battle Phase is still on! So I can crush you!" Anna punched her hand for emphasis. "Gustav Max attacks Orea!" The machine once again changed forms, this time turning into a gigantic hammer that drove in front of Orea and raised its weapon.
"Take this! Gustav Hammer!" The monster brought its weapon down with a thunderous crash, crushing the bird and kicking up insane debris.
Noda's LP: 300
"I think I'll let up for now with a set card." Anna finished. "Your go."
"Are you alright, Noda!?" 78 gasped.
"Y-Yeah..." Noda groaned as he staggered back up with a wobble. He hadn't expected such a strong assault. The Anna he remembered didn't even Duel. She'd become impressively strong.
"I've never seen Noda so shaken before." Rio breathed.
"Who wouldn't be after such damage?" Dennis figured.
"I hope he is okay." III whispered.
"Not bad, huh?" Anna called to him.
"Not bad at all." Noda agreed. "But during your End Phase, Mount Sylvania's other effect activates. I excavate again. It's Sylvan Komushroomo again, so I destroy your Set card!" The Magic Cylinder was destroyed in flames.
"Tch. Ah well, no matter what you try, you're in a tough spot." Anna said. "Next turn, if Gustav Max's attack won't finish you, it's effect will! Then you're as good as finished!"
Noda winced. In a way he felt like he was little him again, with Anna being too much for him to handle. When it came to physical strength and feats, he was the total opposite of Yuma and Anna. But this was a Duel. If he lost to Anna here, that would mean truly nothing had changed. And for whatever reason, he didn't want that.
"My turn." As Noda drew, he looked at the card and let slip his poker face.
"What's that smile for?" Anna picked up on it instantly.
"Just this." Noda showed her the card. "I Normal Summon Kurivolt."
What appeared was a little black ball with a spike for a tail that wiggled as it bounced onto the field with 300 ATK.
"Kuri, kuri!" It declared.
"Kurivolt?" Everyone gasped.
'He still has those cards?' Anna thought as she remembered.
"Wow! Your Deck is completely filled with weak little monsters!" Ironically little Anna laughed as she fanned through Noda's Deck.
"Don't make fun of them..." Noda sniffled. "I like them."
Anna just giggled. He was so cute. He had all these Level 1 cards like Acorno and Pinecono, Explossum, Stinging Swordsman and-
"Three copies of Kurivolt?" She took the the cards out and showed them to him. "Why do you have these? Don't they clog up your Deck a bunch?"
"K-Kurivolt is cute!" Noda timidly argued. "A-And lot's of people use Xyz Monsters. So, so they can be a big help!"
Anna waved he cards around. "You just like them because they're Kuriboh monsters, don't you?"
"I mean iiiiiiit!" Noda whined, making Anna just grin.
"You still have those Kurivolt?" Anna stated in bafflement.
"Of course." Noda nodded. "They can be really helpful."
Anna blinked. 'Maybe you haven't changed as much as I thought.'
"Like now. I activate Kurivolt's effect. By detaching an overlay unit from an Xyz monster, I Special Summon another from my Deck." Kurivolt let loose sparks that grabbed the orange comet and pulled it over, transforming it into another copy of Kurivolt.
"Gustav Max's overlay unit was-!" Anna gasped.
"I overlay my Level 1 Kurivolt's." The two monsters danced happily together as they became yellow energy. "Xyz Summon! Appear, Sylvan Princessprite!" The regal Plant monster bloomed onto his field, facing down the giant machine.
"I certainly wasn't expecting monsters like Kurivolt. Noda sure is surprising." III marvelled.
"He certainly is one for misdirection." Dennis chuckled.
Rio said nothing. She just continued to watch Noda and Anna with her usual coldness.
"I activate Mount Sylvania's effect again! I discard Bladefender, to place another Marshalleaf on top of my Deck! Then I activate Princessprite's effect, to detach an overlay unit and mill Marshalleaf, with its effect destroying Gustav Max!" An entire waterfall fell out of the GY portal over Gustav Max, crushing it with pure pressure.
"My Gustav Max!" Anna cried in disbelief, before gritting her teeth. "No way...my ace machine lost to a bunch of little Level and Rank 1's?"
"Remember, Anna?" Noda asked. "I've always had a soft spot for Level 1 monsters. Even if they're weak, I wanted to build a Deck that could help them work together. I found that my Sylvan's were the perfect way for them to work."
Anna blinked, then actually laughed. "Wow, you really are still like that."
"Of course. Because now with them, I'll win." He said, which made Anna's smile drop. "Sylcan Princessprite attacks you directly! Royal Life!" The monster clasped her hands and unleashed a beam of sunlight that washed over Anna, as well as healing all the damage to the forest.
Anna's LP: 0
Noda: WIN!
"I win, Anna." He said, as Mount Sylvania faded away around them.
"...Shit!" She shouted as she slammed her fists on the ground strong enough to cause cracks.
"Well done, Noda." III clapped with a smile. "For your first Duel of yours I've ever seen, you've left quite the impression!"
Rio meanwhile, walked up to a sulking Anna. "You know how this goes. You lost, so hand over a Heart Piece."
Anna glared up at Rio with tears in her eyes and a pout. "...Fine!" She stood up, blinked the water out, and stomped over to Noda, who backed away for a second as Anna took one of her pieces in her clenched fist. "Here!" Noda just stared, because her fist was still closed, but held out his hand. After several seconds, Anna slapped it into his hand. "There! Good for you!"
"Thank you, Anna." Noda said. "And, I really am sorry about that time."
Anna fumed at that, but then just began pouting. "Why didn't you show up? I asked you and waited, and waited as long as I could."
"Um." Noda coughed. "In all honesty...I thought you were gonna bully me some more."
"What!?" III and Dennis backed away at her outburst, as she grabbed him by the scruff of his collar. "What do you mean, bully!? I never bullied you!"
"...Um...yes, you did." Noda stated.
"From what Noda told me and Ryoga, yeah, you did." Rio chimed in.
"Wha-!?" Anna stared back and forth between them in shock. "What are you talking about!?"
"Well, you stole my Deck and wouldn't give it back."
"I was just playing around! It was a game, like tag!"
"You scribbled all over my brand new D-Pad."
"That was a lo-! I mean, a letter for you!"
"You made fun of my appearance and liked to make me cry."
"But you were so little and adorable!"
There was an awkward silence.
"Oh for-so that's it." Rio sighed, rubbing her temple. "You didn't really sell yourself too well there."
"Huh?" Anna gasped in genuine confusion.
"You were very..." Noda had to choose his words carefully. "Strong. I wasn't comfortable with that."
Anna looked like she was on the verge of breaking down into tears, or flying into an uncontrollable rage.
"Well this is awkward." 37 stated.
Noda spoke up. "I'm sorry for not considering your feelings, Anna. I didn't mean to hurt you. But now, I enjoyed my Duel with you, and I'm glad you were my first opponent in the WDC." He offered her a hand. "I'm happy to meet you again, Anna."
Her internal struggle seemed to cease as she stared at him. After a moment, she folded her arms.
"Yeah. You've changed, Noda. But, you're still the Noda I remember." She gave him a soft glare. "So...let's just start over or whatever! Yeah!?"
"That sounds good." Noda blinked, as it seemed the setting sun was in his eyes.
"Wow, when'd it get so late?" Rio wondered, looking at the sunset, then checking the time on her D-Gazer.
"Looks like it's dinner time." Noda mumbled at his own D-Gazer, then looked up. "Hey, wanna come over for dinner? It's spaghetti tonight."
"Sure." Rio shrugged. "You offer so often I suspect your mum sets five plates at this point. I'll just call Ryoga and make him jealous, one second."
As Rio was messaging with her D-Pad, Noda turned to the rest of the group. "Dennis, III, Anna, do you want to come?"
"Really?" "Dinner?" "Huh!? A-At your house!?"
"Yeah."
III blinked. "A family dinner...would that be alright? I wouldn't want to intrude or anything..."
"I-I mean, that sounds nice, I mean cool! But, isn't that too...soon...?" Anna mumbled.
"Relax." Rio reassured them with a glance. "His mum makes so much it's a miracle he's not overweight. He has someone over every other day."
"Well then that sounds lovely!" Dennis seemingly agreed for all three of them.
Noda nodded happily and gestured for the group to follow him, with Dennis having to push Anna along whilst Rio walked at the back.
"Mum, I'm home! And I brought friends!"
"Hello dear! That's wonderful! Is it...oh!" Frieda gasped at the small group entering. "You're all new! Hello! I'm Frieda, Noda's mum!"
"Um, thank you for having us." III bowed.
"H-Hi Miss Inaba." Anna was clenching her hands.
Rio quickly made herself comfortable as Noda began helping with dinner, getting out several more bowls. Dennis helped get more chairs for the table as III and Anna awkwardly sat down for different reasons. Frieda seemed to have struck up conversation with her son about how his first day in the WDC.
"This is meant to be a simple family life?" 10 questioned.
"Close, I reckon." 79 smiled. "It's wonderfully calm, isn't it?"
At that moment, the sound of the door opening was heard again, and Frieda called out: "Is that my Honey?"
"Yeah...a very tired Honey."
Walking into the room was a woman in a business suit and tie, with long black and pink hair cascading down her back.
Noda turned to her. "Hello mama."
"Hey, Luna." Frieda hugged and kissed her. "We've got some guests over."
"What's new? Oh, guess you are." Luna said upon seeing the three new guys. "Hey, take care of our son during the WDC, okay?"
"Yes!" Anna blurted out.
"How was work?"
"Ugh, tiring. The WDC is running everybody ragged. Mr. Heartland wants every single Duel tracked and recorded. Don't know why the Doctor can't take care of that, apparently he's working on some new project for the finals. Whatever, that's work, and this is dinner, I'm starved."
The family of three plus more extras then them sat down and began eating. Whilst Frieda just complimented everyone, Luna would occasionally shoot a question at one of the newcomers with a critical, tired eye. This caused Anna to nearly choke several times, considering it REALLY seemed like she'd figured out who the girl was from Noda's past.
"This...is nice." III offhandedly mentioned, making Noda look at him, as III laughed nervously. "Sorry, it's been a while since I've had a family meal like this."
"Well I'm glad." Frieda beamed at him. "I hope you enjoy it, III."
"I do. I really, really do..."
After dinner, Luna and Frieda spared Noda help with the washing up to see his friends out. Noda and the group headed outside the shop.
"Thank you very much for having me over." III smiled almost as if on the verge of tears. "It was wonderful."
"Your mothers are lovely people." Dennis complimented. "Even though they're so different."
Noda shrugs. "Mama says they complete each other."
Anna seemed to set up her cannon. "Right, well, I'm off. Uh, thanks for the food, or, whatever."
"Anna." Noda stopped her. "I hope we Duel again."
She blinked at that, then got a determined look. "I'm aiming for the finals too, y'know. And I don't plan on losing again!"
"I can imagine it." NOda nodded. "Shall we meet again there, then?"
Anna blinked. "Of course! And then, I'm gonna win!" Her cannon, began flying as she rode on top of it, and turned to look at him. "I'll see you around, Noda!"
"See ya, Anna." He waved, as she took off.
"Anna Kozuki...she certainly is fascinating." 78 mused.
Rio meanwhile, walked up to Noda with a quizzical look. "Did you know she loved you?"
"I figured it out after the Duel, admittedly." Noda chuckled. "She's not a bad person. Just a bit headstrong."
"You couldn't be more different." Rio nodded, and paused before continuing. "So?"
"So?"
"What do you think of her?"
"She's become a very powerful Duelist."
"That's not what I meant and you know it. Your parents seem to like her too."
"Mum and Mama like everyone I bring around."
"Really? Why'd they never put ME on the spot like that, hm!?"
As Noda just brushed off Rio's questioning, III raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I understand. She was his childhood bully, right? And they really are total opposites."
Dennis laughed. "Well, perhaps it's a case of two opposites completing each other."
"III!" Noda escaped the conversation. "Let's you and me Duel at the next stage, too!"
III turned to him in surprise, then smiled lightly. "I'd like that. Thank you Noda, thank you all, for a wonderful day. I really must be going, but see you again." He waved as he headed off.
As the group dispersed, everybody was more ready then ever for the rest of the World Duel Carnival...not knowing what would befall them.
Number Count
Noda: 10, 13, 14, 20, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, 35, 37, 42, 56, 57, 63, 67, 70, 72, 76, 77, 78, 84
Yuma: 11, 12, 16, 17, 19, 34, 39, 50, 55, 59, 61, 86, 91
Kaito: 38, 62, 90
Rio: 21, 49, 94
Shark: 73