Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V: The Six Dimensions

by BlaiseCandell

Before the invasion of the Xyz Dimension, scans done by the Fusion Dimension reveal two more dimensions. The Ritual Dimension, and the Link Dimension. Within those two dimensions, Chiaki, Yuji, Miharu and Yuno have their lives turned upside down, and are tossed into a vicious war. Also, why are there five people with the same faces as them?

73. Chapter 73: Distorted Reflections

Starting Notes:

Welcome back! This chapter was an absolute pain to write, but I'm glad to finally be done with it. Enjoy!

---

Chapter 73: Distorted Reflections

Boom. Crash.

"You're spacing out, Myojin."

Mion blinked. Nue was the one who had spoken—at some point, while the three of them were chasing down that figure, Mion's mind had drifted elsewhere.

"Sorry," she said. "Dealing with Sergey Volkov earlier… brought back bad memories."

"... I see." Nue turned to look forward. "Well, let's hurry and settle this then."

"Huh?" Kyorin's eyes widened. "Nue-san, you don't mean—"

Nue raised her voice, not bothering to hold anything back. "Are you going to keep on running from us forever?"

Mion grimaced. In front of them, the white-haired figure that had already been fleeing from them for over fifteen minutes now paused for a brief moment.

"If you don't want to fight, just hand it over," Nue said. "Then you don't have to worry about it."

A shake of the head—instinctive.

"You're afraid?"

"Nue-san," Kyorin said—clearly an attempt to get Nue to stop pressuring the other girl.

"I know," Nue said. She raised her voice. "I do feel sorry for you. But I don't think that you want that to stop me. Am I wrong?"

The girl nodded.

"There we go. I understand what you want. So… do we fight for it? Or do you not want to fight anymore? Either answer is acceptable to me." Nue held out a hand. "No judgement—hand it over if you want, fight if you want to put up one last moment of resistance."

A tightened fist, a glance away. "I don't want to betray that person," Kaname's duel disk spoke for her. "But no matter what I do now." The voice cut out abruptly—clearly, Kaname didn't know what to input. Didn't know how to express her feelings.

"It's a betrayal," Nue said. "Choosing not to do anything. Refusing to choose a side is still a choice in itself."

Mion took a step forward. "Surely there are some things," she said gently—unable to bring herself to be harsh, despite everything, "that you must value over others. It's easier to let go."

An immediate reply—sharp in its swiftness, despite the emotionless voice of the text-to-speech. "I'm not you."

"Then who are you?" Nue asked. "What do you want?"

Kaname shook her head. Her fingers went tap tap tap on the keyboard. "If I hand it over, will you duel me anyway?"

"Obviously, I'm not going to make you fight if you don't want to—"

"Not what I meant." Then, curtly, the robotic voice continued. "I want to fight. But not for this. You can have it."

She flung the key piece through the air. With a squeak, Kyorin barely caught it.

"I'm tired. I want to figure out how to be a good person." The girl's gaze moved between Nue and Mion, and finally to Kyorin. "I thought that I could only be safe if I was around nobody else. But I was wrong, wasn't I?… please help me. I don't know how. I will give it to you either way, but please defeat me properly. Prove to me that I can't keep going on like this. That I'm really not strong enough to keep holding on."

Mion's heart softened.

"Sure," Nue finally said. "I'll give you that. I'll give you what you want. Rinsoka, Myojin?"

Mion looked at her. Her heart ached.

I want to help.

But not through dueling. What she has been through is a hurt that…

That I might understand more than the average person.

But it's one that burns me too.

"Yes," Kyorin said. She sounded determined, for all that she was nervous. "I'll duel with you, if…"

"I'm staying out of this," Mion said. She did not say why. Neither Nue nor Kyorin asked, but to Mion, the reason was already completely clear.

Her heart might break, if she had to fight someone who was so similar to her.

"I'll talk later," Mion said. "But fighting right now… fighting her would…"

"I understand," Nue said. The two of them exchanged a look.

Mion nodded.

She would entrust this to Nue. Because sometimes, harshness was far more necessary. Sometimes…

It was kindness in its own way.

---

Nue Kamisoka, if asked, would say that she did not know what it was like to have bad parents. Her parents had always been remarkably tolerant of her attitude—even when she was fourteen and going into her rebellious phase, they had never complained about her. She looked back on those days with a bit of embarrassment nowadays—especially considering what that rebelliousness had gotten her into back then. Her parents had never treated her and Yuto differently, and Yuto had never had any cause to feel any less loved. Her parents had shown up to every meeting that the school required, they had encouraged her to follow her dreams, and whenever she had an important match, they would find time to be in the audience and cheer her on.

They were sweet, kind and knew how to raise their children.

And her parents had been far too good to be carded in the way that they had.

Nue still kept their cards with her, after all.

They had been right there. Nue would not claim to understand. Despite being in a Duel School, the invaders had gone for the hall where the teachers and the parents were meeting first—their parents, civilians, had never stood a chance. Before the students of Diamond Branch had even figured out that something was wrong, before they had charged out of their classrooms, saying screw it to the school rules, most of their parents had already been carded.

And afterwards, everything had gone too fast.

Their school had collapsed under the beams of light that had come from the tall, lumbering mechanical giants all around them. Later, Nue would learn from Shun and Kaito that their building was the only one that had been destroyed in such a way. She had taken command, naturally, along with the second-best duelist of Diamond Branch—delegated people to go out and help others, figuring out how to extract people from the rubble—

But there had just been too many enemies.

Barely any members of Diamond Branch had survived that original attack—ending up carded or something worse. Even Nue herself had ended up in a situation where she was holding off six people on her own to let some of the younger students run—if Yuto hadn't come, she really would have been in some trouble.

But, Nue thought with a sigh, I held it together then. No matter how horrific it all was, I still managed to save as many of my people as I could.

She looked at Kaname Mizuchi.

Nue would be the first to admit it. She couldn't be more different from this girl. She was painfully opinionated, possessively protective, and far more selfish than the average person should be allowed to be. She could not imagine living her entire life running from something. She did not know how someone could do that without losing their mind.

This was an enemy, even if perhaps a less willing one.

And yet, Kaname was…

Nue sighed.

Never mind. None of the other three seemed aware, and she would not bring it up. Hopefully, they would get through this duel without anything strange happening.

An opponent that she didn't feel anything for—was that so much to ask for?

… at least it wasn't Gitsune. Nue would gladly choose not to mess with that girl, and as long as she kept the peace, hopefully the other one would as well. Both of them knew why they were wary of the other, and why they did not want to deal with the other, if possible.

Better not to think about it.

"Let's win, Rinsoka," Nue said. "It's for the best."

"Y-yes." Kyorin nodded determinedly. "I'll do my best!"

"… oh, and you're the one that's going on the attack."

"… what?" Kyorin exclaimed. Nue rolled her eyes, slightly amused.

"Well, you don't expect me to do it, do you?"

Kaname watched them, her expression as neutral as ever.

She's not a flower vase—not just something that looks pretty and has no substance. She is all substance and no appearance.

That's the thing. By the end of this duel—

I want to shatter this fragile, still porcelain vase.

That's what she wants too.

[DUEL!]

Kaname Mizuchi: 8000LP

Nue Kamisoka: 4000LP

Kyorin Rinsoka: 4000LP

[Turn 1: Kyorin] [H:5]

No one commented on the turn order, so they let it be random, and Kyorin ended up getting the first turn, with Kaname going second and Nue going third, which was perhaps the exact opposite of what the optimal turn order would be in this case.

Still, they all drew their hands. Mion watched from the side, seeming worried for them.

Why should she be?

Yes, Mion had lost one on one against this girl—but Nue refused to believe that this woman was overwhelming enough to suppress her and Kyorin at the same time. Nue herself was good at dealing with swarming, and Kyorin's deck was built to kill off the Extra Deck.

They should be fine.

"I don't need to rely on my Xyz Monsters, Rinsoka," Nue said. "I'll coordinate with you, so just play to your strengths."

"… okay!" Kyorin took her word for it. "I will discard Nekroz of Clausolas from my hand to add a "Nekroz" Spell or Trap from my deck to my hand." She lifted up a card from her deck. "I'll activate the Spell Card, Nekroz Cycle. By tributing the Level 4 Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz in my hand, I will Ritual Summon a "Nekroz" Ritual Monster from my hand! Fabled unicorn who cuts the strings of fate. Be channelled into the mirror formed from ice, and bless the ancient sorcerer! Ritual Summon! Level 4—Nekroz of Unicore!" The warrior with silver armour and a long white braid appeared, purple cape sweeping majestically through the air behind him.

[Nekroz of Unicore (4*/2300/1000/WATER/Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect)]

"Since Great Sorcerer was tributed by a card effect, I can add a "Nekroz" Spellcaster Ritual Monster from my deck to my hand." She picked up a card from her deck. "I'll Normal Summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands!" The silver statue appeared in front of her, floating sinisterly.

[Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands (4*/1400/1000/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect)]

"With its effect, I'll add a Ritual Spell from my deck to my hand." She revealed the card. "I'll activate the Spell Card, Nekroz Mirror. I will tribute the Level 4 Manju on my field and banish the Level 4 Great Sorcerer from my graveyard to Ritual Summon!"

Kaname arched an eyebrow, seeming surprised.

"Uh, I like to Ritual Summon more than once on the first turn—"

"Don't explain your strategy to her, Rinsoka," Nue said with a sigh. Really, Kyorin was a combination of too sweet and too nervous.

"Um—right!" Kyorin shook her head. "Fabled wisdom of the roaring demon gods. Be channelled into the mirror formed from ice, and bless the ancient sorcerer! Ritual Summon! Level 8! Nekroz of Valkyrus!" The tired-looking white-haired wizard appeared, looking like an older form of the young man that was taking on the form of Unicore.

[Nekroz of Valkyrus (8*/2900/1700/WATER/Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect)]

"Great Sorcerer's effect. Since it was banished, I can send a "Nekroz" monster from my deck to my graveyard." Kyorin dropped a card into her graveyard. "I'll activate Valkyrus's effect. By tributing up to two monsters from my hand and field, I can draw the same number of cards. I will tribute Dance Princess of the Nekroz in my hand. Demonic Renewal!" She swiftly drew a card, and then, she lifted up the card that she had just tributed. "Dance Princess's effect. I will add a banished "Nekroz" monster to my hand." She picked up Great Sorcerer again. "I'll end my turn there."

[Turn 2: Kaname] [H:5]

"The player Normal Summons Beautunaful Princess." The small beige fish appeared.

[Beautunaful Princess (1*/0/0/WATER/Fish/Effect)]

"The player activates Beautunaful Princess's effect. By banishing it from the field, they can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Fish monster from the deck. The player Special Summons Paces, Light of the Ghoti from the deck." The small, glowing white octopus appeared on her field.

[Paces, Light of the Ghoti (2*/0/0/WATER/Fish/Tuner/Effect)]

"Since a Fish monster was banished, the player can activate the effect of Ixeep, Omen of the Ghoti in their hand. They can Special Summon Ixeep from their hand." The blue fish with red spots dancing within its translucent body appeared next to Paces.

[Ixeep, Omen of the Ghoti (4*/1500/0/WATER/Fish/Effect)]

"The player tunes the Level 2 Paces, Light of the Ghoti to the Level 4 Ixeep, Omen of the Ghoti. From the water, emerge with your true strength and make the world bow down before your regality. Synchro Summon. Level 6. Coral Dragon." Immediately, the monster that Yugo had called this girl's ace appeared on her field, its colourful body casting an iridescent sheen through the air.

[Coral Dragon (6*/2400/500/WATER/Dragon/Synchro/Tuner/Effect)]

However, the white-haired girl didn't activate Coral Dragon's actual effect.

"The player activates the Spell Card, White Mirror. The player will Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Fish monster from the graveyard, and add a copy of it from their deck to their hand. The player Special Summons Paces, Light of the Ghoti from the graveyard." The white octopus reappeared on the field. Kaname swiped up a card from her deck. "The player will then activate the Spell Card, Moray of Greed. By shuffling two WATER monsters from their hand into the deck, they will draw three cards. Field Spell, The Most Distant Deepest Depths. By banishing a Fish monster from the graveyard, the player can add a "Ghoti" monster from their deck to their hand. The player banishes Ixeep."

She swiped up another card from her deck.

"Coral Dragon is a Tuner too," Nue said. She narrowed her eyes. "So… you're not Synchro Summoning again?"

"The player activates the effect of Paces, Light of the Ghoti. By banishing it from the field, they can Special Summon a Fish monster from their hand. The player Special Summons Eanoc, Sentry of the Ghoti." The large manta ray appeared in front of her, a bright light glowing from within its body.

[Eanoc, Sentry of the Ghoti (6*/2100/0/WATER/Fish/Effect)]

"The player activates the effect of Eanoc, Sentry of the Ghoti. When Normal or Special Summoned, the player can Special Summon a banished Level 4 or lower Fish monster in Defense Position, but negate its effects. The player will Special Summon Ixeep, Omen of the Ghoti."

Ixeep, instead of Paces?

"Tuning the Level 6 Coral Dragon to the Level 4 Ixeep, Omen of the Ghoti."

… she's really taking us seriously from the get go, huh?

Bringing out her 'ace' and immediately discarding it for a stronger monster.

"Arise now, sealed demon that rules over the holy creatures of the sea with an iron will. Synchro Summon. Level 10. White Aura Bihamut." The enormous, twin-headed white serpent appeared on the field, letting out a fearsome roar—completely at odds with its silent controller.

[White Aura Bihamut (10*/3300/3000/WATER/Fish/Synchro/Effect)]

"When Coral Dragon is sent to the graveyard after being Synchro Summoned, the player can draw one card. Eanoc's effect. By banishing a Fish monster from the graveyard, the player can add a "Ghoti" Trap from their deck to their hand. The player banishes Ixeep, Omen of the Ghoti." Kaname refilled her hand back to four cards. "Spell Card, Fish and Kicks. Since the player controls at least three banished Fish, Aqua or Sea Serpent monsters, the player can target a card on the field and banish it. The player banishes Nekroz of Unicore."

Kyorin grimaced. Her Ritual Monster vanished from the field.

"... she really wanted your monster gone with a vengeance," Nue commented. If Kaname had just destroyed it, Kyorin had plenty of ways to bring it back. Banishing it, though…

"Battle Phase. White Aura Bihamut attacks Nekroz of Valkyrus."

"I'll discard Nekroz of Gungnir from my hand!" Kyorin declared. "This turn, Valkyrus can't be destroyed by battle or card effects!" She braced herself and took the damage, but her monster remained on the field anyway.

Kyorin: 4000 - 400 = 3600LP

Kaname looked at Nue.

Nue looked back impassively. Eanoc floated around on Kaname's field, clearly waiting for an order.

"Main Phase 2. The player sets two cards and ends their turn."

Nue slowly breathed out.

Good.

If she'd attacked me before I started my turn… it'd have brought back far worse memories.

I'd prefer not to duel her with the mindset that she's like Academia.

[Turn 3: Nue] [H:5]

"Getting rid of Unicore last turn," Nue informed her opponent, "was as good for me as it was for you. So I suppose I should thank you."

Kaname arched an eyebrow.

"So? You are going to Special Summon Paces, right?"

Kaname nodded. The small octopus appeared on her field again.

Nue nodded and revealed a card in her hand. "Spell Card, Traptantalizing Tune. By sending a Level 4 Insect or Plant monster from my hand to the graveyard, or a Normal Trap, I can draw two cards." She cycled out the cards in her hand. "I'll Normal Summon Traptrix Dionaea." The dark-haired girl appeared in front of her, white flowers blooming in her hair.

[Traptrix Dionaea (4*/1700/1100/EARTH/Plant/Effect)]

"When Dionaea is Normal Summoned, I can target a "Traptrix" monster in my graveyard and Special Summon it to the field in Defense Position," Nue said. "Return to the field, Traptrix Myrmeleo." The girl with ashen grey hair appeared next to Dionaea, pacing nervously.

[Traptrix Myrmeleo (4*/1600/1200/EARTH/Insect/Effect)]

"Since Traptrix Myrmeleo was Special Summoned, I can destroy a Spell or Trap on the field." Nue gestured forward. "I'll destroy your left set card."

The set card lifted up with a flick of Kaname's wrist. "Trap Card, Ghoti Cosmos. Since there is at least one banished Fish monster, Fish monsters the player controls cannot be destroyed by battle this turn."

… hmm. Letting that card be activated when Kaname had more banished Fish monsters would have been rather bad, to put it mildly.

Still, it was pretty obvious to Nue that Kaname was saving Paces's effect until she Xyz Summoned. It was what she had wanted her opponent to do, after all—it was why she had deliberately reminded Kaname that she was an Xyz user, under the pretext of reassuring Kyorin about her moves.

By reminding Kaname that she was an Xyz user, she could plant the idea of 'waiting until Nue Xyz Summoned' in her opponent's head, when it came to interference.

Plus, this girl was very patient.

But in this case, waiting was exactly her opponent's mistake.

"I'll overlay the Level 4 Traptrix Myrmeleo and the Level 4 Traptrix Dionaea! Beauty made flesh, appear with the fruit of temptation! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Traptrix Rafflesia!" Her ace appeared on her field—the defensive barrier that protected the rest of her monsters, if not herself.

[Traptrix Rafflesia (R4/300/2500/EARTH/Plant/Xyz/Effect) (OU:2)]

"The player activates Paces's effect." Predictably, Kaname responded to her move. "The player tunes the Level 2 Paces, Light of the Ghoti to the Level 6 Eanoc, Sentry of the Ghoti."

Got it.

And since I Xyz Summoned Rafflesia in Defense Position, that should prompt her to—

"Beautiful flying fish floating in the reaches of the extraterrestrial oceans, crush the universe beneath your beautiful, pale power. Synchro Summon. Level 8. Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti." The alien-looking, ghastly fish appeared in front of her, glowing as it swiftly summoned up a whirlpool in front of it.

[Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti (8*/2700/0/WATER/Fish/Synchro/Effect)]

Yup. White Aura Whale destroys all Attack Position monsters. Synchro Summoning it now wouldn't allow her to interfere with my field. So by Xyz Summoning Rafflesia, I pretty much guaranteed that she would bring out Askaan or Guoglim. And since Guoglim interferes through battle, it's technically slower in this context—meaning that, considering she's skilled enough to recognise that, she'll Synchro Summon Askaan.

… I think I have her mindset down already.

So despite the fact that she could use Bottomless Trap Hole, or several other cards with Rafflesia's effect right now, Nue did not.

She waited.

"Askaan's effect. The player can target a Fish monster they control and a monster the opponent controls, and banish both of them. The player targets Askaan itself and Traptrix Rafflesia."

Now.

"Traptrix Rafflesia's effect," Nue declared. "I will detach an Overlay Unit from her and send a "Hole" Normal Trap from my deck to the graveyard, and she copies that Trap's effect when activated. I will send Traptrix Trap Hole Nightmare from my deck to the graveyard. When a monster that was Special Summoned this turn activates its effect on the field, I can negate that effect and destroy that card. Entrapping Gaze!"

[Traptrix Rafflesia: OU:2 - 1 = OU:1]

Askaan shattered on the field.

Kaname looked at her, clearly considering what had just happened.

"You saw my duels against Shun and Yuto, and so you thought that you had a good grasp of my skill level," Nue said. "But the only duels that you've seen from me in this city are against opponents who understand me as well as I understand them. The understanding of how to work around my cards that they have is something born through years of practice. But my gift has always been to see through others. I see your moves, I see your thought process, and I guide it the way that I want to, in this duel. Even if you think you understand my strategies, there is no chance that you've understood my way of thinking as well as I've understood yours, Kaname Mizuchi. The power of my Traptrix monsters is to steal your right to attempt."

"... that's so cool, Nue-san," Kyorin said, which rather undercut Nue's attempt to intimidate her opponent, though she did appreciate the compliment.

Kaname finally nodded. Interestingly though, she let Nue continue with her turn—not activating another card in response. Bihamut was still on the field, but at the very least, one of the threats had been taken down.

Actually…

"Rinsoka," Nue said, turning to look at her partner in the duel. "Can you take out that monster?"

"H-huh?" Kyorin looked at the field, and then looked at the single card in her hand. "Um…"

"We all know what the last card in your hand is," Nue said. Nearby, Mion disguised a surprised laugh as a cough. "So?"

"... I think I can," Kyorin said. "It would be harder for you, right, Nue-san? Since you're best at dealing with monsters on the turn they're summoned? So, I'll do it on my turn…"

"Alright." Nue turned back to the duel. "I'll Special Summon Traptrix Arachnocampa from my hand, since I control a "Traptrix" monster." The white-haired girl appeared, surrounded by glimmering green globules, a cocky smirk on her face.

[Traptrix Arachnocampa (4*/1300/1500/EARTH/Insect/Effect)]

"However, I cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck this turn, except Insect and Plant monsters." Not a restriction for her at all, naturally. "Opening the circuit of the entrapping flowers! Arrowhead confirmed! The conditions are a "Traptrix" monster that isn't a Link Monster! I'll set Traptrix Arachnocampa in the Link Markers! Now, cute girl in the beautiful meadow! Rise up with the sunshine over your hair and trap the world in your shadow! Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Link 1! Traptrix Sera!" The girl with bright green hair appeared in her Extra Monster Zone, which had been left open for a reason.

[Traptrix Sera (L1/800/EARTH/Plant/Link/Effect/↓)]

"I'll set two cards facedown." She gestured forward. "That's my turn."

She had always been one to take it slow, after all.

"On the opponent's turn, when the player controls no Tokens, the player can activate the effect of White Aura Bihamut and Special Summon a Divine Dragon Token to their field." An exact copy of Bihamut appeared on Kaname's field.

[Divine Dragon Token (10*/3300/2000/WATER/Fish)]

"The player also banishes Paces, Light of the Ghoti and Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti from the graveyard from the graveyard to Special Summon Snopios, Shade of the Ghoti from the hand." The far larger octopus appeared on the field as well.

[Snopios, Shade of the Ghoti (6*/2100/0/WATER/Fish/Effect)]

"Snopios, Shade of the Ghoti's effect. When it is Special Summoned, it can target a card on the field, and that card is banished when it leaves the field. The player chooses to target Snopios itself."

Special Summoning everything on Nue's turn, so that her set Traps couldn't be activated yet…

… not bad.

"Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti's effect. Once per turn, if it was banished, the player can banish a Fish monster from their graveyard to Special Summon it back to the field. The player banishes Eanoc, Sentry of the Ghoti." The Synchro Monster reappeared on the field—meaning that Kaname now had four monsters on the field.

Still, the important part was that she had no removal on the field, which was what Nue had really been worried about.

[Turn 4: Kyorin] [H:2]

"Draw," Kyorin said. "I'll activate the effect of—"

Kaname gestured forward. Paces reappeared on her field.

It was really very hard to get rid of that thing, wasn't it?

"I'll activate the effect of Nekroz of Valkyrus," she said. "I'll tribute the two monsters in my hand and draw two cards! Demonic Renewal!" She revealed one of the cards that she had tributed—the same Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz that she had added back to her hand on the previous turn. "Since I tributed Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz, I can add a "Nekroz" Spellcaster Ritual Monster from my deck to my hand again. And since I tributed Ariel, Priestess of the Nekroz, I can add a "Nekroz" monster from my deck to my hand, as long as it's not a Ritual Monster!"

With that, she refilled her hand to four.

"I'll discard Nekroz of Unicore from my hand to add a "Nekroz" card from my graveyard to my hand!" She revealed the card that she had just picked up. "I will activate the Ritual Spell, Nekroz Cycle! By tributing monsters from my hand and field, I can Ritual Summon a "Nekroz" monster from my hand or graveyard! I will be Ritual Summoning from my graveyard. I'll tribute Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz in my hand—and with his effect, he counts as the full tribute for this Ritual Summon! Dragon of the ice barrier, with the wrathful nature of the protector, be channelled into the mirror formed from ice, and bless the young princess! Ritual Summon! Level 7! Nekroz of Gungnir!" The woman with fiery red hair appeared, an apathetic look on her face as red-tinted ice floated around her in the shape of wings.

[Nekroz of Gungnir (7*/2500/1700/WATER/Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect)]

Kaname blinked as the monster appeared—seeming surprised for some reason.

"Since Shurit was tributed, I can add a "Nekroz" Warrior Ritual Monster from my deck to my hand!" Kyorin held out another card. "Nekroz of Gungnir's effect! By discarding a "Nekroz" card, I can target and destroy a card on the field! I will destroy White Aura Bihamut! Frozen Waltz Spear!"

A fast and efficient route to taking care of that monster, but…

Bihamut shattered.

"When White Aura Bihamut is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the graveyard while the player controls a Divine Dragon Token, it can be Special Summoned back to the field in Defense Position." The serpent reappeared on the field.

Nue sighed.

Yeah. She had a feeling that it would be something like that.

"So the only way to defeat it is through battle?" Kyorin wondered to herself for a moment. "Sorry, Nue-san, I failed—"

"Not at all."

Both Kaname and Kyorin turned to look at Nue, who had already flipped over one of her set cards.

"You forced her to Special Summon it a second time, after all," Nue continued. "So, in a sense, you forced her to reset her monster to a state where it's still under my control. Trap Card, Network Trap Hole. When my opponent Special Summons a monster from the Main Deck or the graveyard, I can banish that monster facedown."

Another quick blink.

"And, as much as you like working with banished cards, cards that are banished facedown are an entirely different thing," Nue continued. "They have no qualities, no statistics, nothing—no information is known about them. They're even less than ghosts. So I'm afraid that your monster won't be joining us for the rest of this duel."

White Aura Bihamut was whisked up into a strange, cybernetic portal, vanishing.

---

Kyorin glanced at Nue, somewhat surprised—and a little relieved.

It was nice to have someone to rely on, in moments like this. Kyorin knew her own strength very well—she was nowhere close to the strongest of the Lancers. But she had never really felt intimidated by that either! After all, it would be weird to be intimidated by her friends.

…friends? She really hoped that everyone agreed that they were friends. Kyorin had never had so many friends in her life.

Even so, she knew that she was just one member of a group whose average strength was far higher than hers.

It was true. She wasn't very exceptional.

But no matter how weak she was, she still had a group of exceptional teammates by her side. Even if as an individual, she wasn't close to being as good as the opponent that she was facing, she could still help in her own way. Even if she could only go fifty percent of the way—twenty percent, ten percent, even if just one percent—what if all that was needed was that one percent, to fill in whatever gaps that she could?

Even if her efforts weren't enough, these teammates of hers would never let them go to waste.

"Traptrix Sera's effect activates," Nue said. "Since a "Hole" Normal Trap was activated, I can Special Summon a "Traptrix" monster from my deck. Come—Traptrix Nepenthes." The girl with orange-yellow hair appeared in Defense Position.

[Traptrix Nepenthes (4*/800/2000/EARTH/Plant/Effect)]

"I'll set a card facedown," Kyorin said. "Battle Phase!"

"During the end of the Main Phase, the player activates the effect of Paces, Light of the Ghoti. The player tunes the Level 2 Paces, Light of the Ghoti to the Level 6 Snopios, Shade of the Ghoti. Spinning around, descend now with high velocity and rend this field like the waves you create. Synchro Summon. Level 8. White Aura Whale." The large, pale whale appeared on the field.

[White Aura Whale (8*/2800/2000/WATER/Fish/Synchro/Effect)]

"When White Aura Whale is Synchro Summoned, the player can destroy all monsters the opponent controls in Attack Position."

Nue immediately responded with her other set card. "And like I said, you're still playing according to what I think you'll do." The familiar figure of an archer could be seen in the image on the card. "Trap Card, Titanocider. I will permanently negate your monster's effects and change its attack points to 0." The arrow of light shot out, pinning it down.

[White Aura Whale: 2800 → 0ATK]

"Bringing out White Aura Whale when your opponent has two monsters in Attack Position? That's the most predictable move you could make in that situation."

"Nue-san," Kyorin said. "You're being too mean."

"... she was the one that said that she wanted a demonstration, Kyorin." Nue turned her head. "You're absurdly powerful. All of your effects are stronger than mine. But you're too used to overwhelming your opponent by having free reign of the field on their turn. You're not used to struggling for control, are you? That's the one thing that you take for granted."

After a moment, Kaname nodded—acknowledging the point.

Kyorin blinked.

"She's not that fragile, Rinsoka," Nue said. "She can think about these things critically. What kind of city do you think she's grown up in?"

Yes, but…

I don't know.

Being cruel to be kind has never been something I can do.

I know that she wouldn't be needlessly cruel though. For all that she's a bit harsh, she's not unkind.

"If you want to help her, then put in your all against her. Make this the most insufferable duel that she has ever been in." Nue's gaze was determined, if a little cold. "You want softness, leave it until she's no longer our enemy. That's all."

"Snopios's effect." Kaname's text-to-speech interrupted them. "Since it was banished, the player banishes Paces, Light of the Ghoti from the graveyard to add it back to the hand."

"... Nekroz of Valkyrus attacks Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti!"

There was something similar to approval in Kaname's nod. She flipped over her other set card. "Trap Card, Ice Barrier. When an attack is declared involving the opponent's monster, the player can change that monster's attack points to 0, negate its effects and stop it from changing its battle position."

Kyorin's eyes widened.

[Nekroz of Valkyrus: 2900 → 0ATK]

And it didn't negate the attack, which meant…

The two monsters collided, but Valkyrus was the one that was destroyed. Kyorin's life points fell immediately.

Kyorin: 3600 - 2700 = 900LP

She could have Nekroz of Gungnir attack White Aura Whale, but then, Kaname could banish another Fish monster from the graveyard to bring it back, meaning that Titanocider's effect would no longer work on the newly summoned monster—

"Go ahead, Rinsoka," Nue said calmly. "It's not going to be the outcome that you think."

… well, she'd trust Nue, obviously.

"Nekroz of Gungnir attacks White Aura Whale!" The red-haired spellcaster tossed out an icy lance that pierced straight through the whale, destroying it.

Kaname: 8000 - 2500 = 5500LP

And… nothing happened.

"Didn't you notice, Rinsoka?" Nue raised a finger. "… there are no Fish monsters left in Mizuchi's graveyard."

"What?"

Kaname tilted her head in a nod, acknowledging Nue's words.

"She can't revive any of her monsters if they're all banished," Nue said. "That's it, really."

"... oh." Kyorin nodded. "I'll end my turn."

I really want to become as strong as her someday though. To notice something like that…

If I want to help Yuji and Chiaki, I do need to at least be strong enough to take down opponents by myself!

---

… they're both good. If that's the case, why does the one on the left tremble so much?

[Turn 5: Kaname] [H:3]

Kaname drew a card, considering the three girls in front of her.

She had never been called predictable in her life. Maybe that was due to her lack of presence—people didn't usually know that she was coming, and when she showed up, their first reaction was shock. And she didn't usually duel opponents more than once, anyway. As such, there was very little information on her and her cards—leading to people usually being surprised by them.

And then this dark-haired girl had shown up, looked at her, and cut directly through all her usual strategies.

Kaname looked at Nue Kamisoka.

… you are so cruel. It was a compliment, coming from her.

Perhaps it was because they were part of a group. Most people in this city stood alone, or perhaps with only one or two friends that they could trust. They would never hear about her cards' effects in so much detail.

She dueled people, and they were locked away—that was how things had gone.

She had gotten used to it.

She had gotten used to knowing all about her opponents with the resources that Security had, of having a plan in mind. Even over the past few days, she had known her role. To prompt someone to Fusion Summon, to hold off someone just long enough—

To know her opponent from watching them.

But now, the shoe was on the other foot. Nue Kamisoka and Kyorin Rinsoka had never been an important part of Roget's plans for Kaname, and so she had not bothered learning that much more about them. All that she knew was what she had picked up from casually watching the Friendship Cup. But the two of them were part of a larger group—one that had faced her…

Enough, perhaps?

Mion Myojin, naturally—and then, Yugo was with them too, right?

Kaname fidgeted with her mask.

… what a mess.

Innovation had never been her strong suit.

She did ask to be shown her opponents' strength though. And…

She had always preferred honest cruelty to pitying kindness.

---

An hour ago:

The room was still. Everyone else had already left—Makoto and Arisu had given her worried looks. But Kaname had wanted to wait one last time, so she had waved both of them off. And now it was just her and the man that she had called her father in this room.

This was a confrontation that she wanted no one else to see.

"Do you feel betrayed?"

There was no question to her about what he was asking—and as such, she nodded.

She had felt betrayed by him all along. By his callousness. By his decision to hire her father despite knowing about her. By his decisions, each and every single one of them.

"... I see." Roget looked at her. "At least you're honest about it now." He leaned on the table. "You and I agreed when we started this farce of a familial relationship that there would never be any affection between us. As such—if you care for me, it's your own fault. And you can only be betrayed if you trust someone first. Trusting me was entirely your mistake. You made that decision yourself."

Another nod. She was very aware of that—very aware that this man was going mad, if he hadn't already been so beforehand.

And she was very aware that this man would never, ever, admit to being wrong in anything.

"So—what will you do then? If you will betray me, tell me now." He stood up. He was far taller than her, and Kaname instinctively tightened her grip around the railing right in front of her. "I don't care how strong you are. I don't care how much of a reputation you've built up with my help. I don't care about your emotions, or your fears. I don't care how loyal you are to me. If you're not useful to me—"

He took another step forward. If Kaname reached out with her arms now, he was within range for her to shove him back. She didn't do so—but the urge was very strong.

"If you're not useful to me, then I don't need you."

Kaname flinched back, as though she'd been physically struck.

"Did you think you were a collaborator? That you and I stood on any equal level?" Another step. Kaname tensed up. "Like I said, all of that was your own delusion. You were never anything to me but an investment, and you've more than paid in dividends."

An investment…

"If you're willing to betray me, then get lost. I will accept the responsibility of being such a fool as to rely on you, and you can be the coward that runs back, easily forgiven. Remember, before me, you were nothing. This city would not have recognised you. Do you think that you are anyone special at all?" He scoffed. "A foot in every group that this city despises. A bastard, an orphan, penniless, Commons, a criminal's child, crippled, half-driven to insanity, an unnatural dueling creature—and all of that is what you've been from the start. Your choices don't matter. You were born as the perfect specimen of what this city loves to hate. Did you think that you could ever change that?"

Kaname raised a hand, signing. It was instinctive. I don't intend to run away. Those weren't actually the words she signed, but despite the disjointed words, he seemed to get the idea.

Roget's eyes widened.

This is the first time that you've done something that remotely resembles a father. Her hands were unsteady, and she was unsure if the fragmented words that she signed, all based on her thoughts but not quite the same, were making it through. And this is the first time that you've ever been honest about what you thought of me.

"... hah. I'm afraid that I don't get your meaning."

Why say this to me? Why not to Chino, Makoto and Arisu? Why not him? Why only me?

"As if I would give those three the chance to run," Roget sneered. However, he then paled, seeming to understand what he'd just said.

So you acknowledge it then.

"You ruinous, sentimental fool." Roget slammed his fist against the wall. "You—"

I am your tool. But I've been far too useful to you. You do not care for me. You and I know this. But you cannot bear to permanently sacrifice a useful piece. A part of you finds it wasteful.

Do you believe you have already been defeated?

So you call me useless. You hope to remove me from this board yourself. Because you think that I have already decided to betray you, and you would rather cut me off yourself than give me the chance to choose to betray you.

Roget pulled at his own hair. "What do you want from me?"

Ask.

"Ask what?"

Ask me to protect you.

"Does it matter?" He snapped.

To me, it does. She stared at him. You asked me what I would do. But you didn't truly let me answer if I wanted to betray you or not. Ask me, father.

The last word seemed to sting him just as much as his earlier words stung her.

"Fine," he growled out. "What are your plans from here on out? Will you truly defend me?"

I will betray you.

But before he could explode into more of the same cruel words from earlier, she continued.

Because I want to save you.

"... what kind of idiocy are you spouting now?"

Kaname took a step forward—and to her surprise, he retreated from her.

… the height difference between them had shrunk over the last three years, hadn't it? He was still taller than her, but she wasn't the same as that girl anymore.

If you win in the way that you want to, so what? People will rebel eventually. You're smart enough to make your own schemes, father. You know that your victory here is not true victory. It's temporary survival. But there is a much easier fate in store for you if you lose than if you win.

If you win, father, Academia will come back. They will kill you. That man—Ryo Marufuji—he is so much stronger than me, and I barely held him back. I cannot protect you from everything at once. But—when I betray you, when you lose, I will do my best to protect you from the people. And because Academia will no longer see you as a threat while you are in prison, you will, at the very least, survive.

Roget stared at her—as though seeing her for the first time.

Kaname wasn't surprised by that. It had taken her a while to come to the conclusion of what exactly she wanted to do.

I will not run away. I will betray you, father. I will hand this over to the Lancers, and they will come directly to you. Because I do think that you've—we've done something terrible here. I do think that you deserve to be punished. But you will also live.

"What in the goddamn hell is wrong with you?" Roget shouted. "You—irrational—what kind of justification is that?"

"I spent a while coming up with that." Her voice was hoarse. Was this the first time that they had truly communicated on an equal level—not just listening to him and doing what he said? "The reason I want to do this is because I'm the real fool here."

"What—"

"I love you, father."

There. Those cursed words—that horrible emotion.

Because to see this person as her father… to care for him was something that defied common sense. She despised those feelings, and yet she had to honour them anyway, with all their weight. It was hard to call a person her father for years without growing somewhat attached—even though he was horrible, even though he was the worst, beyond everything else. Even though he had hurt her.

He was right. He had given her much of what had made her terrifying. Her reputation, her position, most of what she was had come from him.

Even so, she could not have stayed loyal to him for so long with how he'd treated her, if not for this stupid attachment in her heart.

She would not forgive him. She would never forgive him. But she would act according to what she wanted now.

"... go," Roget growled out. "Don't bore me with your sentiment. Don't try to justify how you are betraying me, after all of this—"

Yes. That was about what she'd expected.

She'd never have been lucky enough for that feeling to be returned.

Still, she lowered her head in a brief bow, and turned to walk out of the room.

Some ties had to be severed, after all.

If you can feel betrayed by me, then by your own words, didn't you make the mistake of trusting me too?

---

In the present:

Traptrix Rafflesia was on Nue's field, with one Overlay Unit. If she used its effect, Traptrix Sera would give her a "Hole" Normal Trap from the deck. Traptrix Nepenthes's effect didn't matter until Nue got the chance to activate one of those Traps again. Therefore, she had to get rid of Rafflesia first.

As for Kyorin's Nekroz of Gungnir, it could still destroy her cards on her turn, so she would have to take that into account.

Not to mention that her opponent knew exactly what she was likely thinking of.

"During the Standby Phase, Paces, Light of the Ghoti returns to the field." The small octopus appeared, floating in front of her, in between Askaan and her Divine Dragon Token.

She hadn't expected her opponent to keep track of the number of Fish monsters in her graveyard. Kaname could have banished Coral Dragon, but… she hadn't wanted to. That was the one monster in this deck that, once banished, really couldn't be brought back.

Breathe.

You are the Ghost. You are the Security Overseer.

This may be the last time you can duel with those titles. Be the Ghost. Never be intimidated.

This is a duel without a decided outcome for you, so make it yourself.

"Spell Card, Graceful Charity." She drew three cards and discarded two—including her Snopios, naturally. "When Nimble Angler is sent to the graveyard by a card effect, the player can Special Summon up to two Level 3 or lower "Nimble" monsters from the deck. Come—Nimble Sunfish." Two thin white fish appeared, floating quietly next to Paces.

[Nimble Sunfish (2*/1000/100/WATER/Fish/Effect)]

"The player tunes the Level 2 Paces, Light of the Ghoti to the two Level 2 Nimble Sunfish." The two monsters turned to streaks that shot up.

Give her back Titanocider. It's fine.

"Appear in a burst of adrenaline and rend all with your hellish waves! Synchro Summon! Level 6! White Aura Dolphin!" The pale, ghostly white dolphin appeared on her field.

[White Aura Dolphin (6*/2400/1000/WATER/Fish/Synchro/Effect)]

"Since my opponent Special Summoned a monster from the Extra Deck, I can set Titanocider back to the field," Nue said, the Trap returning to her field facedown—though she couldn't activate it this turn.

"I'll activate the effect of Nekroz of Gungnir!"

Kaname saw Nue grimace. So Nue knew what was going on, huh?

"I will discard one card and destroy your monster!"

White Aura Dolphin was destroyed, but it hardly mattered. "The player banishes a WATER monster from the graveyard to Special Summon White Aura Dolphin from the graveyard. They will banish Nimble Sunfish from the graveyard." The dolphin reappeared on the field in front of her.

"... that's all of those "White Aura" monsters then?" Kyorin blinked in surprise. "Oh no…"

"White Aura Dolphin is now treated as a Tuner. White Aura Dolphin's effect. The player will target a monster the opponent controls and change its attack points to half its original attack points. The player targets Nekroz of Gungnir." The dolphin let out a squeal, and Kyorin's Ritual Monster cringed away slightly.

[Nekroz of Gungnir: 2500 / 2 = 1250ATK]

"Battle Phase." She didn't bother to continue—she'd overextend. She didn't know why Nue hadn't used Rafflesia's effect to seal off White Aura Dolphin, but summoning more monsters meant subjecting more of her monsters to Nue's Trap Hole cards. "Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti attacks Traptrix Rafflesia."

The long fish darted forward.

"Rafflesia's effect," Nue countered, as Kaname had known that she would. "I will detach an Overlay Unit and send Terrifying Trap Hole Nightmare from my deck to the graveyard to copy its effect. Since my opponent Special Summoned a monster this turn, I can target a monster my opponent controls with 2000 or more attack points and destroy it—and then, since I have a "Hole" Normal Trap in my graveyard, I can banish one monster from your graveyard. I will destroy Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti, and banish another of your Nimble Sunfish."

So, trying to eliminate Kaname's options by banishing the non-Ghoti Fish monsters, huh?

Kaname gestured forward, placing down a card. "Spell Card, Forbidden Chalice. The player negates the effects of Traptrix Rafflesia, and increases its attack points by 400." It didn't matter if she increased that monster's attack points—it was in Defense Position, after all.

[Traptrix Rafflesia: OU:1 - 1 = OU:0; 300 + 400 = 700ATK]

Nue grimaced. Rafflesia's effect wouldn't work then. But as the effects resolved…

"I'll activate the effect of Traptrix Sera," Nue said. "You might have negated it, but I still activated it. I can set a "Hole" Normal Trap from my deck to the field." A set card appeared on her field, next to the set Titanocider.

Even so, Rafflesia was still destroyed by the battle.

"The Divine Dragon Token attacks Traptrix Sera."

The dragon roared, cutting down the Link Monster—which was one of the biggest problems that Kaname would have to deal with. Better to get rid of it early.

Nue: 4000 - 2500 = 1500LP

Still, she only had White Aura Dolphin left. Attacking Traptrix Nepenthes, or attacking Nekroz of Gungnir…

The answer was obvious.

"White Aura Dolphin attacks Nekroz of Gungnir."

If this attack hit, then she would be able to eliminate Kyorin Rinsoka. However, it wasn't a guarantee, and Kaname would rather get rid of as many threats as possible, just in case.

Kyorin lifted up the last card in her hand. "I'll discard Nekroz of Decisive Armor from my hand to increase Nekroz of Gungnir's attack and defense points by 1000!"

[Nekroz of Gungnir: 1250 + 1000 = 2250ATK; 1700 + 1000 = 2700DEF]

It wasn't enough for Gungnir to survive the attack—but at the very least, Kyorin's life points survived the hit.

Kyorin: 900 - 150 = 750LP

Kaname glanced at the two cards in her hand. "Main Phase 2. The player activates the effect of The Most Distant, Deepest Depths. By banishing a Fish monster from their graveyard, the player adds a "Ghoti" monster from their deck to their hand." She swiftly banished Paces from the graveyard again, placing a card in her hand. "The player sets two cards facedown and ends their turn."

It may be the wrong thing to do. But I'm not yet the kind of person that can do the right thing.

… I want to learn it though.

So show me then, how you overturn this.

---

Nue sighed.

She was at 1500 life points, and Kyorin was at half that… and their opponent's life points were doubled theirs combined.

Still, there were two of them. Twice as many problems.

"Take back your octopus," she said.

[Turn 6: Nue] [H:2]

Nue drew a card, and Paces reappeared on Kaname's field.

She still had two set cards and Nepenthes—not like Kyorin, whose hand and field had already been wiped clean.

Honestly, it wasn't even that bad of a situation.

"I'll activate another copy of Traptantalizing Tune," she said. She discarded the other card in her hand, drawing two cards. "I'll Normal Summon Traptrix Mantis." The pink-themed girl appeared on the field next to Nepenthes, flowers growing around her body.

[Traptrix Mantis (4*/1500/1300/EARTH/Insect/Effect)]

"Traptrix Mantis's effect. Since she was Normal Summoned, I will add a "Traptrix" monster from my deck to my hand."

Nue raised her head.

"Kaname Mizuchi," she said. "I'm going to speak to you through your own language."

Kaname watched her expectantly.

"Since there is an Insect or Plant monster in either player's graveyard, the player—" Nue stopped. "... your text-to-speech has infected me. Uh, I can Special Summon Fairyant the Circular Sorcerer from my hand." A blonde fairy in white and brown robes, similar to those of a cleric, appeared on her field, swinging a staff through the air, the wood of the staff forming a ring right above it, a green crystal glowing in the middle. The crystal gave off a bright glow that surrounded the fairy.

[Fairyant the Circular Sorcerer (3*/800/1500/WIND/Insect/Tuner/Effect)]

"A Level 3 monster, Nue-san?" Kyorin said.

"I think you should be more confused by the fact that she's apparently had a Tuner all this time," Mion said dryly. "Where on earth did that come from?"

"It wasn't made for me, if that's what you're asking," Nue said. "When we first reached the Synchro Dimension, Makishima, Gongenzaka and I were looking for the rest of you together. Makishima and I ended up working with Nagisa-san to take down a crime boss—it happened really fast, not really worthy of mention, so I'm not surprised that you don't know."

"... slow down to the part where you took down a crime boss again?" Mion said, eyes lidded.

"I'd rather not, it was boring." She had been both stressed over the situation and annoyed at the fact that this guy had apparently tricked Shun and the others into a situation where they were going to get arrested, and well, maybe she'd actually explain what had happened in detail one day, but for now it would just be 'something that had happened'. "Anyway, after we were done, we stole all the documents of his shady practices, and Hitoda and I stole all the cards that the crime boss stole from people that he scammed, and shall we say, uh… 'redistributed them' in the Commons. I kept these two though—they work well with my cards, and it's hard to find who the original owner was."

Silence greeted her.

"How were you two never arrested again?" Mion said.

Nue shrugged. "We made less trouble than the rest of you."

Mion and Kyorin both sputtered, having done absolutely nothing wrong since they stepped into the Synchro Dimension.

"Tuning the Level 3 Fairyant the Circular Sorcerer to the Level 4 Traptrix Mantis! Colourful mushrooms that expand outwards in a ring! Eternal creature that opens the way to a world of myths! Emerge now from your slumber, and shed light on this graceful meadow! Synchro Summon! Level 7! Circle of the Fairies!"

The same ring on the top of Fairyant's staff appeared—except now it was much bigger, forming the 'head' of a large golem of bark and crystals. Colourful butterflies floated around it. Sitting in the middle of the ring that formed its head was Fairyant, who had a rather cheerful look on her face. Green leaves grew and curled around the golem, a more neutral shade that accented the brown bark rather well.

[Circle of the Fairies (7*/2200/2500/WIND/Plant/Synchro/Effect)]

"You actually learned Synchro Summoning?"

Nue shrugged. "How many Synchro Summons have I seen since I walked into this dimension? If I hadn't picked it up by now, I wouldn't deserve to be called one of Heartland's strongest. So, Mizuchi? Anything you want to do before I continue?"

Silence.

Well, Nue had expected that. After all, Kaname currently controlled two Tuners and two non-Tuners—but their Levels were awkward to work with.

"While I control Circle of the Fairies, once per turn, I can perform another Normal Summon of an Insect or Plant monster." A monster that allowed her to swarm more monsters on the field was always welcome. "Normal Summoning another copy of Traptrix Dionaea." The dark-haired girl appeared on her field again. "And I usually don't bother to fix what isn't broken. Come back—Traptrix Myrmeleo." It was probably one of her most common moves. "Traptrix Myrmeleo's effect. I will destroy your left set card again."

"Trap Card, The Ice-Bound God." Kaname activated the card with no hesitation. "Since there are two or more WATER monsters on the field, the player can target one face-up monster the opponent controls. That monster cannot attack and its effects are negated. The player chooses to target Circle of the Fairies."

Nue nodded. Her Synchro Monster was pinned down, though it had more than done its job—two more monsters on the field. And she hadn't been going to attack with it anyway, considering that she'd placed it in Defense Position for a reason.

"I'll overlay the Level 4 Traptrix Dionaea and the Level 4 Traptrix Myrmeleo. Beautiful plant overflowing with wool, share in the lifeforce of all nature around you. Grow bright, and in your grazing dream, bring forth a new world. Xyz Summon. Rank 4. Baromet the Sacred Sheep Shrub!" The large, fluffy white ram appeared, snoozing off on the field, a fern growing from its underbelly. Two small demon-like wings grew on the top of its head, in between slender, curving horns.

[Baromet the Sacred Sheep Shrub (R4/1900/2000/EARTH/Plant/Xyz/Effect) (OU:2)]

"I'll activate Baromet's effect," she continued. "I'll detach an Overlay Unit from it and shuffle a Trap from my graveyard into the deck—my Terrifying Trap Hole Nightmare—to draw one card. Draining Blessing!" She swiped up the top card of her deck.

[Baromet the Sacred Sheep Shrub: OU:2 - 1 = OU:1]

"By sending a set card I control to the graveyard, I can Special Summon Traptrix Vesiculo from my hand." Nue dropped her Titanocider into the graveyard—after all, all of the monsters that Kaname currently controlled did not strictly count as having been Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, since they'd already left the field and come back. The black-haired girl dressed in lush green appeared on the field, a white flower on both sides of her head. She smiled slyly.

[Traptrix Vesiculo (4*/1400/1400/EARTH/Plant/Effect)]

"I'll overlay the Level 4 Traptrix Vesiculo and the Level 4 Traptrix Nepenthes!" She declared.

What nonsense. If we talk about cruelty, is there any style of dueling more cruel than mine?

"Graceful flower, set into bloom. Leaves, unfurl and unravel this field. Never lose control of the world. Xyz Summon! Rank 4—Traptrix Pinguicula!" The girl with bleached blonde hair appeared on the field, grinning wildly. The same bright, glowing butterflies as the ones around her Synchro Monster floated around Pinguicula as well.

[Traptrix Pinguicula (R4/2500/300/EARTH/Plant/Xyz/Effect) (OU:2)]

"I'll activate the effect of Traptrix Pinguicula," Nue continued. "By detaching an Overlay Unit from her, I can add a "Traptrix" monster from my deck to my hand."

[Traptrix Pinguicula: OU:2 - 1 = OU:1]

She kept the card in her hand for now, and gestured forward. "Battle Phase. Traptrix Pinguicula attacks your White Aura Dolphin."

Will she revive it, knowing what my deck does?

The attack hit—Kaname didn't seem concerned at all.

Kaname: 5500 - 100 = 5400LP

"White Aura Dolphin's effect. The player banishes Nimble Angler from the graveyard to Special Summon it back to the field." The Synchro Monster reappeared on the field.

"Trap Card, Deep Dark Trap Hole," Nue declared. "When a Level 5 or higher Effect Monster is Special Summoned, I can banish that monster." The Trap Card flipped over. "We'll be having none of that."

White Aura Dolphin was properly banished from the field. Nue then immediately started a new Chain, as both Baromet and Pinguicula glowed.

"Once per turn, when a monster my opponent owns is sent to the graveyard or banished by a card effect, I can attach one of those monsters to Pinguicula as an Overlay Unit!" White Aura Dolphin reappeared for a brief moment, before turning into a blue orb that orbited Pinguicula.

[Traptrix Pinguicula: OU:1 + 1 = OU:2]

"Then, since a Trap Card was activated, I can activate Baromet's other effect," Nue continued. "By detaching an Overlay Unit from an Xyz Monster I control, I can Special Summon a Level 4 monster from my hand. I will detach an Overlay Unit from Pinguicula." Notably, she detached Vesiculo instead of White Aura Dolphin—keeping her opponent's resources away from them, of course.

[Traptrix Pinguicula: OU:2 - 1 = OU:1]

"I will Special Summon Traptrix Sundew from my hand." The monster appeared in Defense Position.

[Traptrix Sundew (4*/1000/1800/EARTH/Plant/Effect)]

"And when Traptrix Sundew is Special Summoned, I can add a "Traptrix" monster from my deck or graveyard to my hand." She picked up a card from her graveyard. "And that's one down. I don't know why you didn't Synchro Summon with Paces, but I guess we'll figure that out. Baromet attacks Paces, Light of the Ghoti!"

The octopus was destroyed, though since it was in Defense Position, Kaname took no damage.

Nue narrowed her eyes. Despite her wariness, though, she had no choice but to watch this play out. "I'll end my turn."

So, she had Pinguicula, who was pretty much immune to all of Kaname's bullshit now. Baromet was there to help her out if she needed it as well, and Circle of the Fairies was a good defensive wall…

The annoying part was that she didn't currently have any set cards, which was… definitely a problem. Still, all she needed was for Kaname to perform a Synchro Summon, and she'd get Titanocider back.

[Turn 7: Kyorin] [H:1]

Kyorin drew a card. Nue turned to look at her.

"You're not scared, are you?" She said.

Kyorin shook her head.

"Good. I don't know your deck nearly as well as I know mine, but I'm sure you're not done yet."

"You're right," Kyorin said. "Since I control no monsters, I'll banish Nekroz Cycle and a "Nekroz" monster from my graveyard to add a "Nekroz" Spell from my deck to my hand!" She picked up the card. "And I'll activate the effect of Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz. Since it was banished, I can send a "Nekroz" monster except itself from my deck to the graveyard!"

She then picked up her other Ritual Spell from her graveyard.

"I'll activate the effect of Nekroz Mirror! By banishing it and Ariel, Priestess of the Nekroz from the graveyard, I'll add another "Nekroz" Spell from my deck to my hand!"

She placed down one of the cards in her hand.

"I'll activate the Spell Card, Upstart Goblin." Kyorin gestured to Nue. "In a Battle Royale format, Nue-san counts as my opponent too. So I can give her one thousand life points and draw a card!"

Nue: 1500 + 1000 = 2500LP

"I'll discard Nekroz of Catastor from my hand to target a "Nekroz" monster in my graveyard and Special Summon it to the field! Come back! Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz!" The young boy reappeared on her field, an impish look on his face.

[Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz (3*/300/1800/WATER/Warrior/Effect)]

Ah, good choice. The one that substituted for the full cost of a Ritual Summon.

"I'll then activate the Ritual Spell, Nekroz Cycle! I will tribute Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz, who acts as the full cost with his effect, and Ritual Summon a "Nekroz" Ritual Monster from my graveyard!" Shurit dissolved into light. "Come forth, dragon cloaked in the armour of the mighty warrior of the galaxy! Ritual Summon—Level 10! Nekroz of Decisive Armor!" The enormous dragon appeared on the field—the strongest monster in Kyorin's deck, as far as Nue knew. The cannons on its back glowed with bright blue light—far more aggressive than anyone might expect from one of Kyorin Rinsoka's monsters.

[Nekroz of Decisive Armor (10*/3300/2300/WATER/Dragon/Ritual/Effect)]

Come to think of it, Nue had never actually seen Kyorin Ritual Summon this monster. She usually just used it as a hand trap. So she had no clue what its effect on the field was.

"Since I tributed Shurit, I can add a "Nekroz" Warrior Ritual Monster from my deck to my hand." Kyorin picked up the card from her deck. "I'll activate the effect of Nekroz of Decisive Armor! Once per turn, I can target a set card my opponent controls, destroy it and banish it!"

… or it could be one of the most nuclear ways of dealing with a single card that Nue had ever seen.

"I'll target your other set card! Dark Arctic Destroyer!"

Kaname looked at them. There was something cold to her expression as she flipped up her set card. "Trap Card, Ghoti Chain. By banishing a Fish monster they control, the player can Special Summon a "Ghoti" monster from their hand, banished cards, graveyard or deck, but that monster is banished when it leaves the field. The player banishes Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti and Special Summons Shif, Fairy of the Ghoti from the deck."

Another of her rather annoying Tuners appeared on the field.

[Shif, Fairy of the Ghoti (2*/0/500/WATER/Fish/Tuner/Effect)]

"Since Askaan was banished, the player banishes the other copy of Nimble Sunfish from the graveyard to Special Summon it to the field. Since a Level 5 or higher monster was Special Summoned to the player's field, the player can set The Ice-Bound God from their graveyard, but it is banished once it leaves the field."

"Nue-san, can't you…" Kyorin turned to her. "Use… your monster's effect?"

"No," Nue said. "Pinguicula specifies being banished by a card effect. Her card banished her own monster as a cost. That doesn't count."

"Oh." Kyorin grimaced. Askaan resurfaced on the field, as hard to get rid of as ever, along with a set card. "I'll activate the Spell Card, Nekroz Mirror! I'll banish the Level 5 Exa, Enforcer of the Nekroz and the Level 4 Dance Princess of the Nekroz from the graveyard to Ritual Summon! Destroyer of the ice barrier. Be channelled into the mirror formed from ice, and bless the young warrior! Ritual Summon! Level 9! Nekroz of Trishula!"

The red-haired man appeared, wearing icy armour, with wide ice wings behind him. He was holding onto a long ice sword. A draconian tail swung through the air behind him.

[Nekroz of Trishula (9*/2700/2000/WATER/Warrior/Ritual/Effect)]

"I'll activate the effects of Exa and Trishula, in that order! When Exa is banished, I can target and Special Summon a banished "Nekroz" monster! I'll target Dance Princess of the Nekroz! Then, Trishula's effect! When Ritual Summoned, I can banish a card from my opponent's hand, field and graveyard! The card in the hand is chosen randomly, but you only have one, so it's not as big of a deal. I'll banish the card in your hand, your Askaan from the field, and White Aura Whale from the graveyard! Regal Shock Freeze!"

Kaname gestured forward. "Shif, Fairy of the Ghoti's effect. The player tunes the Level 2 Shif, Fairy of the Ghoti to the Level 8 Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti."

Nue sighed.

There it was.

"Glistening light sleeping in the depths below. Mythical creature with galaxies and emptiness within your frame. With those eyes that see and comprehend the start and the end, rule over the deepest, most distant depths with the power of the Big Freeze of the universe, where all is silent. Synchro Summon. Level 10—Ghoti of the Deep Beyond."

If everything that they had done to mess with each other's fields so far was a bomb, this monster was a full-on nuke.

The water serpent appeared, the clouds of stardust dancing within its body. Around it, its tendrils danced, making it seem far larger than it actually was—as though there was a certain presence there, more than the human eye could see.

[Ghoti of the Deep Beyond (10*/?/0/WATER/Fish/Synchro/Effect)]

Kyorin blinked, and Nue realised with a start that Kyorin had no clue what this card did, because she hadn't been around for the second round of the Friendship Cup.

"Um, Trishula's effect only resolves if three cards can be banished," Kyorin admitted. "So the other two cards don't get banished." Meanwhile, Exa's effect triggered, and Dance Princess of the Nekroz reappeared on Kyorin's field in Defense Position.

Nue already knew that it wouldn't stay for long though.

[Dance Princess of the Nekroz (4*/1600/800/WATER/Spellcaster/Effect)]

Once the cards finished resolving, Kaname raised a hand.

"When Ghoti of the Deep Beyond is Synchro Summoned on the opponent's turn, all cards on both players' fields are banished!"

"All cards?" Kyorin gasped. "Including itself?"

The white waves shot up, washing across the field.

When they fell, surprisingly, there were still cards left on the field. Namely, Kaname's Field Spell and Nue's Pinguicula.

Kyorin looked at Pinguicula with surprise.

"Pinguicula is unaffected by the effects of monsters with the same Types as its materials," Nue declared. "I didn't realise that Kyorin didn't know about your field nuke—that's on me for not warning her. But I've been prepared for that since the start."

---

So, Nue's theft of White Aura Dolphin had been for this?

"But your Field Spell…"

"While the player controls a Fish Synchro Monster, The Most Distant, Deepest Depths cannot be destroyed or banished by card effects."

"I see." Nue gestured forward. "And you don't get your monster back either. Your Ghoti of the Deep Beyond comes back on the turn after you banish it—but that only works if it's still banished Pinguicula's effect. Since your monster was banished, I will attach it to Pinguicula as an Overlay Unit!"

Kyorin watched as another orb surrounded Pinguicula.

[Traptrix Pinguicula: OU:1 + 1 = OU:2]

Kyorin grimaced.

There was a higher level of play here that she was not quite privy to—she had thought that bringing out both Decisive Armor and Trishula would help her win, but… now she was in an even worse state than when she'd started her turn.

"I'll end my turn," she muttered. But… there was really nothing she could do. She could try to add more of her Ritual Spells to her hand, but what would that even accomplish?

[Turn 8: Kaname] [H:2]

Kaname drew a card. Obviously, her monster had already been stolen by Nue. Strangely, while Kaname seemed to be able to completely counter every move that Kyorin had made, Nue was doing the same to her—a complete imbalance in the duel.

And yet…

Nue currently had no set cards, right?

So that meant that right now, Kaname was free to summon anything that she wanted.

Kaname raised a hand, flipping around a card.

"Knew it," Nue muttered.

"Spell Card. Miracle Synchro Fusion."

Kyorin winced.

"The player can perform a Fusion Summon by banishing the materials for the Fusion Summon from their graveyard and field. The player banishes Coral Dragon and Paces, Light of the Ghoti from the graveyard."

The two monsters appeared on the field, before shooting into a fusion vortex behind the girl.

"Ghastly dragon that casts cold light over the ocean at midnight. Cast ships adrift, crunch through driftwood, and drown the unfortunate souls who dare to trespass into your domain. Fusion Summon. Level 10. Vengeful mirage dancing on the surface of the sea. Apparition Dragon - Ayakashi."

In front of her, a translucent serpent-like dragon appeared, its body longer than most of Kaname's monsters so far. Its body was strangely incorporeal—it was blurry around the edges, white mist swirling around it. Around it, tiny ghost lights appeared, floating, seeming independent of the dragon itself. Just looking at it made Kyorin feel tired. There was something intrinsically feminine to the monster—for all that Kaname had called it vengeful, it seemed almost tranquil. Around it, water swirled slowly, forming rapids—its very presence seemed to chill the air itself. It was imposing, for all that it was not visually colourful—just white and grey, in a single serpentine form.

[Apparition Dragon - Ayakashi (10*/?/?/WATER/Dragon/Fusion/Effect)]

"Ayakashi," Nue repeated. "It's on brand for you, I suppose…" She gestured forward. "I will set Titanocider back to my field."

"Apparition Dragon - Ayakashi's original attack and defense points are equal to the number of banished monsters the player controls times 500."

"Similar to that monster that I just stole then." Nue gestured forward. "Let me weaken that slightly. I'll steal your Coral Dragon and make it Pinguicula's Overlay Unit!"

A card shot over, turning into a single orb that floated around Pinguicula.

[Traptrix Pinguicula: OU:2 + 1 = OU:3]

"Your monster is a Dragon monster, so Pinguicula becomes immune to its effects."

Kaname shrugged. Her monster powered up.

[Apparition Dragon - Ayakashi: ? → 500 x 7 = 3500ATK/DEF]

"Activating the effect of The Most Distant, Deepest Depths. The player banishes Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti from the graveyard to add a "Ghoti" monster from their deck to their hand." She picked up the card. "The player banishes Shif, Fairy of the Ghoti from the graveyard to Special Summon Askaan back to the field."

[Apparition Dragon - Ayakashi: 3500 + 500 = 4000ATK/DEF]

"Battle Phase," Kaname said. She looked between Kyorin and Nue at the same time.

Kyorin winced nervously.

"Apparition Dragon - Ayakashi attacks Traptrix Pinguicula."

The Xyz Monster was crushed by the attack, her Overlay Units falling into the graveyard.

Nue: 2500 - 1500 = 1000LP

Kyorin breathed out in relief. So her choosing to boost Nue's life points had helped after all?

But there was still one more attack, and neither Kyorin nor Nue had a monster to defend themselves now.

Kaname looked between the two of them.

Kyorin pressed her hands together. She didn't say it aloud, but she hoped that she would be the one that took the attack—

Nue probably had a way better chance of fighting back, right?

And Kaname had to know that too, right?

"Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti attacks Nue Kamisoka directly."

"... you can't." Nue lifted up a card from her graveyard. "By banishing the Trap Card, Traptrix Holeutea, from the graveyard, I can target a "Traptrix" monster from my graveyard and Special Summon it to the field. Return in Defense Position—Traptrix Sundew. And with its effect, I will add a "Traptrix" monster from my deck to my hand again."

But in that case, there was a replay.

Kaname gestured forward—

And Traptrix Sundew was destroyed by the attack.

"The player ends their turn. During the End Phase, the player must banish a WATER monster from the graveyard to keep Ayakashi on the field. The player banishes Ghoti of the Deep Beyond from the graveyard."

"... is that your choice?" Nue tilted her head. Kyorin couldn't really read the expression on her face.

Kaname nodded.

"Why? Defeating Rinsoka right now would make things far easier for you."

Fingers on a keyboard, typing. Her duel disk spoke for her. "There are no stakes whether I win or lose. I want to see the strength of what it's like to rely on others. I can't get that if I defeat one of you."

"... I see," Nue said. "I suppose that makes sense, in how you view the world." She reached out for the top card of her deck. "That works. Sacrificing Rinsoka for myself would have left a sour taste in my mouth anyway."

Kyorin covered her mouth for a moment, unsure how to react.

---

From nearby, Mion watched the duel.

Watching this, she had already come to the conclusion that it had been the right decision for her to sit out. She was not merciless enough to be what this girl wanted them to be.

Just this once, she would admit that Nue's rougher nature was better for the situation.

Still, Mion would be fine being herself, and not like Nue—the other girl might take that as a compliment too.

[Turn 9: Nue] [H:3]

"Draw," Nue said.

Both Paces and Shif reappeared on Kaname's field—along with the big problem.

Ghoti of the Deep Beyond, who gained attack points not just from Kaname's own cards, but her opponents.

[Apparition Dragon - Ayakashi: 4000 - 500 x 2 = 3000ATK/DEF]

[Ghoti of the Deep Beyond: 0 + 500 x 6 + 500 x 5 + 500 x 2 = 6500ATK]

Honestly, in Mion's opinion, the attack points had gotten so high that they no longer mattered. With the current state of Nue and Kyorin's life points, a single hit would take either of them out.

And Nue Kamisoka was not the kind of person to meet her opponents in battle.

She placed down one of the cards in her hand. "Spell Card, Graceful Charity. I will draw three cards and discard two. I will also activate the Field Spell, Traptrip Garden. I can perform a Normal Summon of a "Traptrix" monster each turn, in addition to my usual Normal Summon. Then, I'll Normal Summon Traptrix Dionaea." That was the monster that she had clearly added back to her hand. "I will activate her effect to Special Summon Traptrix Sundew from my graveyard. And with Traptrix Sundew's effect, I can add a "Traptrix" monster from my deck to my hand."

She flipped over her set card, gesturing forward.

"Trap Card, Titanocider—" However, when Nue tried to flip the card, the set card didn't activate.

"Ayakashi cannot be targeted by card effects." The dragon curled up into itself, still just as elusive in appearance.

Ah, and it was the only target for Nue's card, so Nue couldn't activate it.

Still, such a strong monster that couldn't be targeted by card effects…

"That's fine," Nue said. "I will Normal Summon Traptrix Myrmeleo." Another copy of Myrmeleo appeared on her field, with her ashen hair. "I will activate the effect of Myrmeleo. I will add a "Hole" Normal Trap from my deck to my hand."

Above her, the familiar circuit appeared.

"Open again, circuit. Arrowhead confirmed. The conditions are at least two monsters, including a Plant or Insect monster. I will set Traptrix Dionaea, Traptrix Sundew and Traptrix Myrmeleo in the Link Markers! Cunning cruelty that weaves the web of destruction. Atypical anomaly that tugs on the strings of all that pity her. Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Link 3! Cursed cunning—Traptrix Atypus!" The brown-haired girl in a purple robe appeared, smirking.

[Traptrix Atypus (L3/1800/EARTH/Insect/Link/Effect/←, ↓, →)]

"While I have a Normal Trap in my graveyard and I control Traptrix Atypus, all "Traptrix" monsters I control gain 1000 attack points!"

[Traptrix Atypus: 1800 + 1000 = 2800ATK]

"I'll set a card facedown," Nue said. "Atypus's effect. Once per turn, I can target cards you control, up to the number of Plant or Insect monsters I control. I will target Ghoti of the Deep Beyond and negate its effects!"

And as far as Nue was aware, Kaname had no Level 12 Synchro Monsters, so she couldn't use a Synchro Summon to get rid of the vulnerability.

With its effects negated, Ghoti of the Deep Beyond's attack points fell back to zero—an efficient way of taking care of it.

[Ghoti of the Deep Beyond: 6500 → 0ATK]

"Traptrix Atypus attacks Ghoti of the Deep Beyond!"

Nue's monster dashed forward, striking at the tall serpent—striking it down.

Kaname: 5400 - 2800 = 2600LP

"That's my turn," Nue said. She raised a hand, curving a finger. "... there's another vulnerability in your dueling, though your Fusion Summon mitigates it somewhat."

Kaname nodded. She gestured forward. "Maintenance cost. Banishing Ghoti of the Deep Beyond from the graveyard."

"So you can keep bringing it back each turn…" Nue shook her head. "What a hassle."

Mion frowned.

She had been suspecting it, but…

Even so, this was far too much. No matter how well Nue had analysed Kaname, this was still just too overwhelming.

Back then, against that girl—Shino. Nue had said that it was very likely that Shino had been holding back somewhat against them.

Then, what about Nue Kamisoka, who had prematurely shut down the duel in a draw before any of them could properly show off their skills?

There was no definition in the world by which Kaname Mizuchi could be called weak. Mion was convinced of that much. She herself wasn't confident in her ability to face the other girl head-on. Just this field alone was the proof—two monsters that had easily gone over 4000 attack points, one of which could constantly banish the other and let it revive itself.

Nue was not winning. That was the thing. But she was suppressing Kaname's moves by forcing her to be less optimal—as though her goal was less victory and more to force the duel to slow down.

What about Kyorin? What could she do now?

[Turn 10: Kyorin] [H:1]

"Draw," Kyorin said. She looked at the card, and she closed her eyes.

"Rinsoka?"

"I'm okay," Kyorin promised.

On Kaname's field, Ghoti of the Deep Beyond reappeared, just as threatening as ever.

"Spell Card, Pot of Extravagance. I can't draw cards by any other card effects this turn, but banishing six cards randomly from my Extra Deck facedown, I can draw two cards!"

Kaname looked somewhat bewildered. Mion knew why. After all, most people reliant on the Extra Deck wouldn't know the tradition that Yuji Fujita, Chiaki Katsuya and Kyorin Rinsoka all seemed to have—an Extra Deck full of Fusion Monsters that they couldn't summon at all, there as fodder.

Kyorin drew the two cards, glancing at them. "Since I banished the monsters facedown, they don't count for your monsters' effects, since they have no properties! But while my card stops me from drawing cards by card effects, adding cards to my hand by a card effect is totally fine. I'll banish Nekroz Mirror and Nekroz of Unicore from the graveyard to add a "Nekroz" Spell from my deck to my hand!" She picked up the card.

[Ghoti of the Deep Beyond: 6500 + 500 = 7000ATK]

"I'll Normal Summon Senju of the Thousand Hands!" The bronze fairy appeared on Kyorin's field.

[Senju of the Thousand Hands (4*/1400/1000/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect)]

"Senju lets me add a Ritual Monster from my deck to my hand!" She picked up the card. "Ritual Spell, Nekroz Kaleidoscope! I can send a monster from my Extra Deck to the graveyard to Ritual Summon "Nekroz" Ritual Monsters from my hand with a total Level equal to that monster's Level!"

The screen came up. Kyorin scrolled…

And scrolled…

And scrolled.

"Do you really have that many monsters in your Extra Deck?" Mion asked, genuinely curious.

"Fusion Monsters are pretty much useless in our world," Kyorin pointed out. "I collected a few… after Reiji Akaba made me an Extra Deck monster, I added them all into the Extra Deck so that the chances of me banishing it with Extravagance became practically zero."

… sure, why not. Nue even nodded in approval.

"I like the sound of that," she said. "Use Fusion Monsters as fodder."

"... you have a sinister look on your face right now," Mion said with a sigh.

"I'll send the Level 11 Nekroz of Apollousa from my Extra Deck to the graveyard to Ritual Summon!" She placed down the two Ritual Monsters in her hand. "I'm going to get rid of your field, Mizuchi-san!"

Kaname arched an eyebrow.

"Cold glaciers that rise in the presence of the icy sigil. Be channelled into the mirror formed from ice, and bless the young warrior! Ritual Summon! Level 6! Nekroz of Brionac!" In front of her, the red-haired warrior dressed in armour made entirely from ice appeared. "And then—creature that seals the destructive light! Be channeled into the dragon that protects the kingdom of the ice! Ritual Summon! Level 5! Nekroz of Catastor!" The blue draconic warrior appeared in front of her too, its right arm fused with a familiar white and gold claw.

[Nekroz of Brionac (6*/2300/1400/WATER/Warrior/Ritual/Effect)]

[Nekroz of Catastor (5*/2200/1200/WATER/Dragon/Ritual/Effect)]

Kaname raised a hand, gesturing for her to stop. Then, she typed into her duel disk. "Brionac, Gungnir, Trishula, Catastor, Decisive Armor, Unicore, Valkyrus… why are all your monsters named after Synchro Monsters?"

"Truth be told?" Kyorin shrugged. "I don't know. I've always had these monsters. Maybe it's just a coincidence, and they existed at the same time?"

Could coincidences like that really exist?

"But anyway, when Nekroz of Apollousa is sent from the Extra Deck to the graveyard by a card effect, I can target and destroy a monster on the field, and that card can't activate its effects in response to this effect! I'll target Ghoti of the Deep Beyond!" The enormous monster was struck down by a familiar arrow of ice.

Apollousa too, right? That was Hitoda's monster…

How odd.

"Battle Phase!" Kyorin called out. "Unless you want to use Shif's effect?"

Kaname shook her head.

"Okay! Nekroz of Brionac attacks Ayakashi!"

"While the player controls another monster, Apparition Dragon - Ayakashi cannot be targeted for an attack."

"... really?"

Kaname nodded solemnly.

"Well, that's fine." Nue flipped over her set card. "I expect an award for supporting you this much, Rinsoka." It was clearly sarcasm, but the card that she activated was anything but a joke. "Trap Card, Nightmare Trap Hole. Since all monsters I control are "Traptrix" monsters and I have a Normal Trap in my graveyard, I can discard a card and destroy two monsters on the field. I will destroy Askaan and Shif." The two monsters exploded—and since it was the Battle Phase, Kaname couldn't activate Shif's effect anyway.

So the only monster that Kaname controlled was Ayakashi.

Kyorin gestured forward. "Nekroz of Brionac attacks Ayakashi! And with the effect of Nekroz of Catastor, when a "Nekroz" monster I control battles a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, I can destroy that monster!"

---

Betting everything on an attack. If I can negate her monster's effects, she's doomed.

Kaname looked at the girl. So nervous, but so lively and filled with spirit.

… good thing I can't.

She let the effect pass, and her Fusion Monster shattered.

… it's so nice to duel when my life isn't in the balance.

Without Nue Kamisoka's card, she would not have been able to do that.

Teamwork like that…

Makoto, Chino and Arisu are likely far better at it than me.

I've dueled alone for so long. I cannot trust anyone…

"Nekroz of Catastor attacks directly!"

… what did she have to fear?

"The player banishes Ice Barrier from the graveyard. The player will send a Level 5 or higher WATER monster from their deck to the graveyard and add a WATER monster from their graveyard to their hand." She revealed the card that she added to her hand. "When Lappis Dragon is added from the graveyard to the hand, the player can Special Summon it from the hand, but it is banished when it next leaves the field." A thin, azure sea serpent appeared in front of her in Defense Position.

[Lappis Dragon (5*/0/2600/WATER/Sea Serpent/Tuner/Effect)]

"2600 defense points?" Kyorin bit her lip. "I'll end my turn."

[Turn 11: Kaname] [H:2]

In reality, what was she doing? Clinging on by the skin of her teeth? Fighting to prove something to herself that she would never speak to anyone?

She drew a card.

"The player Normal Summons Lifeless Leaffish." The white leafy seadragon appeared on her field.

[Lifeless Leaffish (4*/1500/1600/WATER/Fish/Effect)]

"Lifeless Leaffish's effect. The player sends a Fish monster from their deck to the graveyard." She gestured forward.

Crush it. Crush them.

"Tuning the Level 5 Lappis Dragon to the Level 4 Lifeless Leaffish. Snow. Ice. Cyan creature swimming under the arctic waters. Now, emerge and form the power that I can follow. Synchro Summon! Level 9! Ravenous Crocodragon Archethys!" The large, reptilian fish appeared on the field, letting out a loud growl.

[Ravenous Crocodragon Archethys (9*/1000/1000/WATER/Fish/Synchro/Effect)]

"I get Titanocider back," Nue said with a shrug.

"When Ravenous Crocodragon Archethys is Synchro Summoned, the player can draw a card for each non-Tuner monster used in its Synchro Summon." Kaname drew a card. "The player banishes Lifeless Leaffish from the graveyard and returns White Aura Dolphin, White Aura Whale and Ayakashi to the Extra Deck to draw a card. Spell Card, White Mirror. The player Special Summons Shif, Fairy of the Ghoti from the graveyard and adds another copy of it from their deck to their hand." The small white sea angel appeared on her field. "Spell Card, Moray of Avarice. The player banishes a WATER monster to draw two cards."

She now had four cards in her hand.

"The Most Distant Deepest Depths' effect. The player banishes Askaan from the graveyard to add a "Ghoti" monster from the deck to the hand. Then, by banishing Ghoti of the Deep Beyond from the graveyard, the player can Special Summon Askaan back to the field."

The long white fish reappeared.

"The player Special Summons Ixeep, Omen of the Ghoti from their hand, since a Fish monster was banished." The small blue fish appeared on the field. "The player discards two cards from their hand to destroy a card on the field with Archethys's effect. The player chooses to destroy Traptrix Atypus."

The brown-haired girl was destroyed by rapid waves.

"Archethys gains 500 attack and defense points for each card in the player's hand."

[Ravenous Crocodragon Archethys: 1000 + 500 x 2 = 2000ATK/DEF]

"Battle Phase. Ravenous Crocodragon Archethys attacks you directly, Nue Kamisoka."

"I'll banish Traptantalizing Planning from my graveyard to Special Summon a "Traptrix" monster from my graveyard, and this turn, it can't be destroyed by battle or card effects," Nue countered. "Return to the field in Defense Position—Traptrix Rafflesia."

The beautiful girl sitting on the red flower reappeared.

Kaname paused Archethys's attack, before turning to Kyorin. "Ravenous Crocodragon Archethys attacks Senju of the Thousand Hands." The fairy was destroyed by another large wave, knocking Kyorin's life points down to an even more fragile sum.

Kyorin: 750 - 600 = 150LP

"Askaan attacks Nekroz of Catastor."

The fish lashed out, and with its tail, it struck down Kyorin's monster—and the rest of her life points, in one fell swoop.

Kyorin: 150 - 600 = 0LP

And then, there was one.

"The player ends their turn."

Kaname turned to Nue.

Enough already.

If her opponents couldn't overcome this, Kaname would win like she always did.

And that would be the end of it.

[Turn 12: Nue] [H:1]

"Draw." Nue picked up the card without any fanfare. Ghoti of the Deep Beyond and Shif reappeared on Kaname's field.

A single card in that girl's hand…

Could she pull it off?

"Spell Card, Rank-Up-Magic Tantalizing Force!" Nue declared. "I will target Traptrix Rafflesia and use her as material to Xyz Summon a Plant or Insect Xyz Monster which is one Rank higher. Tricksters, let your mind bloom with the brightness of the deceiving flower, and evolve into the hungry devil that longs for chaos! Rank-Up-Xyz-Change! Rank 5! Traptrix Cephalotus!" The girl with green hair appeared, waving two graceful green fans through the air as she twirled around.

[Traptrix Cephalotus (R5/2800/0/EARTH/Plant/Xyz/Effect) (OU:1)]

"Tantalizing Force attaches itself to Cephalotus as an Overlay Unit."

[Traptrix Cephalotus: OU:1 + 1 = OU:2]

"And when Traptrix Cephalotus is Xyz Summoned, I can send cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard, up to the number of Overlay Units she has. Then, I can Special Summon a "Traptrix" monster from my graveyard. Return—Traptrix Atypus!" Her strongest Link Monster appeared on the field next to Cephalotus. "And Traptrix Atypus's effect is still active. While I have a Normal Trap in my graveyard, my "Traptrix" monsters gain 1000 attack points."

[Traptrix Cephalotus: 2800 + 1000 = 3800ATK]

[Traptrix Atypus: 1800 + 1000 = 2800ATK]

"The player activates the effect of Shif, Fairy of the Ghoti." Kaname gestured forward. "They tune the Level 2 Shif to the Level 4 Ixeep. Slumbering, glowing moray sliding through the darkness of the distant, deepest abyss. Now, as the world falls into your grasp, bare your fangs and show off your luminous glow. Synchro Summon. Level 6. Arionpos, Serpent of the Ghoti." The beautiful purple and blue sea serpent appeared on the field, coiled up.

[Arionpos, Serpent of the Ghoti (6*/2100/0/WATER/Fish/Synchro/Effect)]

"When Arionpos, Serpent of the Ghoti is Synchro Summoned, the player can banish a Level 6 or lower Fish monster from their deck. The player banishes Zep, Ruby of the Ghoti from the deck. And when Zep is banished on the opponent's turn, it can Special Summon itself back to the field." The glowing red lionfish appeared on her field, smaller than the rest of her monsters.

[Zep, Ruby of the Ghoti (2*/0/1000/WATER/Fish/Tuner/Effect)]

"When Zep is Special Summoned, the player can immediately perform a Synchro Summon. The player tunes the Level 2 Zep, Ruby of the Ghoti to the Level 6 Arionpos, Serpent of the Ghoti. Spinning around, descend now with high velocity and rend this field like the waves you create. Synchro Summon. Level 8. White Aura Whale." The same stark white whale from earlier reappeared on the field. "When White Aura Whale is Synchro Summoned, all monsters you control in Attack Position are destroyed!"

"Don't you already know?" Nue shot back. "Trap Card, Titanocider!" She flipped over the signature card. "I'll target White Aura Whale, negate its effects and change its attack points to 0!"

Of course Kaname knew that. She had summoned White Aura Whale in Defense Position, after all. But it was one of those situations where she was forcing her opponent to use that card.

[White Aura Whale: 2800 → 0ATK]

You're done for.

"When Arionpos is sent to the graveyard, the player can banish a Fish monster from the graveyard and add a Fish monster with a Level equal to or less than that monster's. The player banishes Arionpos." Kaname picked up a card from her deck. "The player activates the effect of Ravenous Crocodragon Archethys."

"So that's your plan." Nue narrowed her eyes. "To destroy my monster before it can negate the effects of cards you control…"

"The player discards two cards to target and destroy Traptrix Atypus!"

And yet—

And yet, nothing happened.

"This is the final step," Nue said. On her field, Cephalotus laughed into her own palm. "While I control Traptrix Cephalotus… you cannot target "Traptrix" monsters I control with card effects."

… so. That was what went wrong.

She had already activated the effect. There was only one applicable target.

She gestured towards Nue's Field Spell, which blew up—not that it mattered in this case.

Archethys's attack and defense points fell.

[Ravenous Crocodragon Archethys: 2500 - 500 x 2 = 1500ATK/DEF]

"You already know how this goes," Nue said. "Would I be right in saying that you have no more Level 10, 11 or 12 Synchro Monsters in your Extra Deck—if you ever had the latter two in the first place? You can't escape this. Traptrix Atypus's effect. I'll target cards you control up to the number of Plant and Insect monsters I control and negate their effects. I will negate the effects of Ghoti of the Deep Beyond and Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti. And then, by banishing a Normal Trap from the graveyard, like my Traptrix Trap Hole Nightmare, I can destroy one of those cards. I will destroy Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti!"

Askaan was caught up by vines and torn to shreds.

And not just that, but Deep Beyond's attack points went to zero again.

Zero…

"Mizuchi," Nue said. "You're thinking that at the very least, you put Ghoti of the Deep Beyond in Defense Position, in your relentless paranoia." Her Level 10 Synchro and White Aura Whale in Defense Position, only Archethys exposed in Attack Position. "So even if I attack, I can only deal at most 2300 damage to you, right? You'll live with 300 life points left."

Yes. That was true.

"You're scary," Nue said. "I've never seen a person so compelled to stay alive. Your monsters, too. They die over and over again for you, always keeping you alive, even if barely. That will to live, no matter what…" She shrugged. "You wouldn't be out of place in Heartland."

What kind of place was that?... Kaname, strangely, wanted to know.

This girl…

Kaname could admit to respecting this girl.

This was the girl who had turned her fangs against her own brother, cut him down and then proceeded to deliver one of the most scathing rants against their city that Kaname had ever heard.

"How dare you look down on his reasons for lashing out," she whispered, but the microphone amplified it across the entire stadium. Even the guards holding onto Yuto stopped in their path, and her brother turned back to look at her. "You preach for unity when it is your people's fault that this city of yours is so divided. You complain about the minor inconveniences in your life while you force others to slave away in passivity. You look down on those who struggle for their lives. You all, you Tops—you create an impossible situation of suffering everyday through your apathy, and you have the gall to have that look in your eyes when you look at those who suffer because of you? Don't you dare look down on those with the resolve to fight despite the fact that they have had everything that they ever cared for torn from them! Don't you ever dare compare me or Shun or my brother to all of you and your carelessness! Your antipathy towards cooperation! Your greed! Your envy! Every part of your city disgusts me from the ground up! Every part of it is built on suffering and hatred and every part of it was cemented with your own hands!"

And what—as an outsider looking in?

"But you can live," Nue said. There was nothing soft to her voice, but even so, Kaname found herself snapping to attention. "Tell me, Mizuchi. Did you ever once slip into the same apathy as this city? Did you find yourself thinking that none of this mattered at all?"

Kaname shook her head.

No. She had felt it all so strongly—sometimes, to the point where she'd needed to find somewhere quiet to disappear to. But apathy? She could not ever have hoped for her heart to stop trying to leap out of her chest.

"No one has the right to tell someone that they shouldn't be alive," Nue said. "You know that, don't you?"

Kaname thought about spending her childhood in a house where her very presence was a nuisance—better erased.

She would never want someone else to feel that way.

She nodded.

"Good." Nue breathed out slowly. "Then—as you wanted—can I bring this to an end now?"

If you can.

Kaname nodded.

"Traptrix Cephalotus's effect. I will detach an Overlay Unit from her and banish a "Hole" Normal Trap that meets its activation requirements from the graveyard. I will banish Nightmare Trap Hole from the graveyard and copy its effects. I will destroy two monsters on the field. I'll choose Ghoti of the Deep Beyond and White Aura Whale. Destroy both of them—Avaricious Pitfall!" The two monsters were swallowed up by the ground.

"White Aura Whale's effect."

"Yes, you banish Deep Beyond, bring it back, and I do this again." Nue detached Cephalotus's other Overlay Unit. "I will banish Network Trap Hole from the graveyard—and by copying its effect, I will banish your monster facedown. Avaricious Pitfall!"

And then, she controlled two monsters, and Kaname controlled only one.

"It's over," Nue said. "Cephalotus. Atypus!"

Traptrix Cephalotus cut down the Synchro Monster—and Atypus struck directly.

Kaname: 2600 - 2300 - 2800 = 0LP

Winner: Nue Kamisoka!

"You did it, Nue-san!" Kyorin didn't seem upset—instead, she seemed genuinely joyful for her comrade.

"Well done," Mion called from the side, brow slightly furrowed.

Such simple recognition…

Kaname stood there, slightly lost.

That was it then, right? She had handed over the key. These Lancers would go forth and defeat her father, and this would all be over.

And…

She'd go back to being who she was before all of this.

Her father wasn't wrong when he'd said that most of what Kaname was had come from him. Over time, this life of hers had become routine. Kaname had no clue what she would do in the future, without his orders to follow.

If nothing else, working for him had given her the assurance that she would always be one step ahead of anyone else, by virtue of him being the worst schemer.

Now what? Now who was she supposed to be?

She had seen what she wanted to see—genuine cooperation and support between comrades, something so similar to what she shared with the rest. And yet it left her feeling a little lost.

She—

"I'm going to tell you something."

Kaname turned her head. Mion Myojin looked at her.

---

Seeing the girl there…

You're not a real enemy at all, are you?

Mion shook her head.

She had to be insane, to think of saying this…

But the girl looked so lost. And Mion could see herself, standing alone in a room, when she looked at that girl.

Nue had said that no one had the right to tell someone else that they shouldn't be alive. That had… stung a bit.

The words slipped from Mion's lips before she had the chance to swallow them, the way that she always did.

"My mother tried to kill me, along with herself."

Both Nue and Kyorin whipped their heads around to look at her. Mion did her best to pretend that their gazes didn't bother her—even if they were her friends, speaking about any of this aloud was still new to her. Not even Reiji knew the truth, and the idea of telling him made her want to curl up into herself.

But Kaname was looking at her.

"I can't understand how it feels to be scared your whole life," Mion said. "No one deserves that. But I know how it feels to be terrified for your life. To know that the person who should care the most for you wanted you dead…"

She wrapped her arms around herself.

"I was a bastard child. My father didn't want anyone to know of my existence, so while he sent money to my mother to keep her mouth shut, I almost never saw him. My mother had genuinely loved my father—the two of them had been having an affair. She thought it was love, he thought it was just a convenience. That's what I gathered from when I was a child, at least. My mother went mad because of it. So… I understand that much. I understand it too well."

And she couldn't help but think back to everything. She didn't elaborate on her words aloud—she left them at that—but remembering was still just as painful as ever.

---

She heard her mother wail a lot as a child. From what she could find online, her mother had been a relatively successful woman before she was born, but after that, she had fallen into obscurity, and no one really knew why. Mion would wake up in the middle of the night and hear her mother sobbing to herself. He loves me, he loves me, he loves me. The words would keep Mion awake and leave dark circles under her eyes in the morning—a neverending loop. The cries would grow more and more vehement, and the house would begin to smell of beer, and Mion would rather sleep hidden in a nook at the back of a dusty library, or hide herself somewhere in her school so that she wouldn't have to go home.

That was the mother that she grew up with—so broken that she could barely hold herself together at the seams—shattered by love.

The worst part, perhaps, was that her mother had never laid a hand on her personally. No, she would braid Mion's hair—still long at the time—and she would talk about how pretty Mion was. Which features were from her mother, which features were from her father. She would sing songs and there would be a steaming pot of food on the stove every single day. "I made your favourites," she would say, her auburn hair—the same as Mion's—lit by the evening light. She'd been perfectly lovely.

That had made the moments that she hadn't been lovely even harder. Sometimes, her fingers would tighten in Mion's hair. "If my hair was longer, do you think he'd love me?" Sometimes, she'd complain about something or another that Mion had done. "If you were a better child, your father would still be around. Instead, he's fawning on that idiot boy of his." Sometimes, she'd laugh and kiss Mion's forehead, and curse her name in the next.

I never wanted you. If you hadn't come, everything would have been perfect.

If only you weren't alive. If only you didn't exist.

Mion had grown her hair longer. She had looked prim and proper and everything that her mother wanted—even wore heavy, old earrings that earned her the mockery of others at school that already laughed at her. They asked: Do you even have parents? We've never seen them. Where's your daddy? I heard that your mummy's sick. Can't even show up to a single meeting.

Mion forged forms and signatures, she lied as easily as she breathed, all to pretend that everything was normal and that she was happy. Because she needed to be.

If she wasn't, what would happen to her mother?

In the last months of her life, her mother's cries had become quieter. Mion had thought that it was a good thing. One day, she had sat down next to Mion and poured her a cup of tea.

"It's not your fault, Mion," she had said, her tone airy. When Mion looked back at those memories, she often wondered if her mother had already made her decision by then. "You know that, don't you? You deserved to be raised in a better home than this."

"I don't mind," Mion had lied. "I love you, mum."

Her mother had laughed. "How could you?" She said. "Do me a favour, Mion. Promise me something."

Mion blinked.

"Never love anyone," her mother said softly. "Never fall in love. Ignore the butterflies and the warmth, play it off like it doesn't matter. If you feel like you might lose control, make sure that you don't show it. Be kind if you want to—I know you're the kindest of all, Mion. So be casual. Even if you see signs of those feelings, pretend that you do not notice—seal them deep down. Don't love me, don't love your brother, don't ever love anyone. Loving means losing your own freedom and losing your own mind. You will never be yourself again."

Mion looked at her and wondered. What did that mean for her, who had tried so hard to love her mother her entire life? Was that the reason that her mother wouldn't love her? So terrified and scarred by love that she could not even bear to care for her own child in any way but the most superficial? She knew that she had aunts and uncles—but her mother's family had long since abandoned her, and she was all that her mother had, but her mother didn't love her, and didn't want her love.

"Love is the way that people manipulate you." Her mother had combed her fingers through her hair. "I don't want that to happen to you, Mion. Promise me."

And at that moment, her mother was still more important to her than anyone else. No matter what. So she nodded.

"I promise," Mion said. "I'll never love anyone."

Her mother had made a nice meal for dinner, and Mion had gone to sleep thinking about it, still hearing the crying in the other room.

And a few weeks later, her mother would claim that they were going on a road trip, all while stinking like alcohol. In the middle of the drive, her mother would start shaking, and she would start crying in the car. Her hands would slip on the wheel at moments.

"Forgive me, Mion," she would whisper over and over, and Mion would do her best to stay calm in the backseat, calling out her agreement. But none of it seemed to reassure her mother, who only shook more and more—and how was Mion supposed to know what to do?

The uncomfortable mantra only changed when they were on the highway. Her mother—her lovely, beautiful mother—would look at her with a smile that looked… relieved, at odds with the wide-eyed madness. Tears stained her cheeks, ruining her makeup.

"I promise things will be better," she said with warm intention, and that was the last thing that Mion heard before the crash.

---

Mion was barely conscious. She thought that she heard a voice, but she slipped in and out of slumber.

The sounds of cars hitting each other repeated over and over—the force made the ground rumble. There was shouting. The tang of iron and blood was in the air.

The car had flipped over, and the entire side door had caved in—shards of glass and metal were all around them, and there was a dent in the car door from where it had slammed straight against her. Mion found herself hanging sideways in the car, barely able to move at all.

"Mum," she whispered, though no one could hear her. "Why?" She saw the blood drenching the steering wheel, a single hand hanging at an unnatural angle in the air. Hair was spilled over the sideways seat. The state of her mother's body was too horrific to describe in such detail—and yet her head was turned towards Mion, empty and tearful eyes staring directly at her, searing into her soul.

It was as though she could hear her mother's calm voice in the air again.

"Never love anyone."

It was a warning.

This was a person that she had tried to love—not even a person any longer.

Mion did not scream. She did not wait. She could not register the state of her own body, but she knew that there was something ruined to it. With one of her feet, she managed to hook the door handle—it was cramped, but she managed. Even as she bled, she forced the door open.

But to get out of the sideways car, she had to climb.

For a moment, she looked back at her mother. Take me with you, she wanted to say. I'm scared of what's outside, scared of living without going entirely according to your expectations. Take me with you.

It was a moment of weakness. She found a foothold in the back of the seats—then another. Her foot slipped, and so she tried again. Eventually, she found herself halfway out of the car, her torso leaning on glass shards and dented metal, her legs still struggling to wiggle out of the car.

Outside…

What she saw outside was horrible. It was people stuck in their cars, their eyes shut. People lying on the ground outside open doors. Cars were piled up everywhere, and the sound of sirens and horns made her dizzy.

She saw a man open his eyes, and then collapse on the road, just like that.

No.

She continued to wiggle her way out. If her arms would not work to pull her out, she would kick with her legs. She would climb, she would crawl, she would inch forward—

She had to live. She wouldn't give up.

I can't come with you yet, mum. I'm sorry.

I don't love you enough for that. If I did, I would just die to be with you.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You're lonely again. I'm so selfish.

Was she crying? She wasn't feeling anything, and she had no clue where the tears came from. They mingled with blood.

She wanted to live. She wanted to…

The sirens. Paramedics were on the scene. One of them noticed Mion and called out.

"There's a girl here! She's losing blood fast!"

Mion looked, and she didn't allow herself to relax. The pain kept her awake.

I just have to do what's necessary.

---

So she had played it off, and… what else was there, after that? Her mother, for all of her father's protests, had still listed her father as the next-of-kin in the event of something like this. Her father quickly made sure to earn the silence of the hospital with regards to that.

"You can't stay here," he had said. Mion had looked at him, his balding scalp, his flustered expression and she had thought a single word.

Pathetic.

This man… really was pathetic.

"I'll stay," she had said—not knowing where she had found the defiance to do so. Even so, she tightened her right fist, the fabric of the hospital bedsheets scrunching up between her fingers. It sent a burning feeling through her arm, but she didn't care.

"What?"

"I'll stay, whether you want me to or not," Mion said. She had looked him in the eyes. "You can either let me stay here without being found out. Or you can try to force me out, and I'll spill the beans the moment that I can."

It was so blunt. It was nothing like the demure girl that she had been taught to be.

Mion found that she liked it.

"You—you!"

"... thank you for paying for my medical bills, father," she said. The word left a stinging sensation on her tongue. "I don't need anything more from you. But I will not leave."

She never wanted to go back there again. Not without her mother, not to that house, not to that life.

"Do you really think that you can survive on your own?"

No.

However, she was willing to make the attempt.

That would be better than cowering away from everything after this.

---

Her father had reluctantly given in, and he had handed her a wad of bills before he had left, telling her to at least not get in his way.

Mion had applied to LDS right after that. It was only logical—not for the dueling, but for the accommodation. LDS would allow her to stay in one of the dorms, and it was far cheaper than trying to find an apartment for just herself in this city. If she did well, she could just get a scholarship from LDS itself, and then it would be even cheaper.

The one thing that she needed to do was to earn her living here. Her father had stated that he would pay for the upkeep of the apartment in her hometown—likely hoping that she would give up from the adversity of trying to survive and go back there.

Mion hoped that she wouldn't have to.

Naturally, most odd jobs turned her away. She understood—having only one arm was likely a dealbreaker for most people. Even so, she got a job at a convenience store, running there after classes to sit at the counter. She could still carry and move things as well, and while the pay was low, it still helped. On weekends, she would tutor kids in their classes—not dueling, but actual language and mathematics. One of the people that had hired her turned her away, claiming that her appearance would scare their child. But she kept on trying anyway.

And maybe that was a good thing.

Maybe she was fortunate, because it was on one of those odd jobs that she met him.

"I've heard," Himika Akaba, one of the major stakeholders in the Leo Corporation had said, "that you're doing very well in your classes." She had called Mion over after classes, and when Mion had expressed that she had a job to do, had flippantly stated for her to call in, and handed her a stack of bills to earn her agreement.

"I try my best," Mion said cautiously.

"For a duelist playing the deck that you have, it's impressive." The pink-haired woman put the file down. Mion winced. Her deck, scraped together—her mother had never liked dueling. However, back when she had first met Shingo, even though her strange younger brother had pretended to dislike her, he'd also seemed offended by the very idea that she didn't duel. The two of them had snuck out to a card shop, where Shingo had huffily said that since Mion had brought him a present (a plush that she had saved up for, over the course of a month), he'd generously sponsor her for a few cards. Her Endymion, with a name that Shingo had continuously joked about. Then, her Royal Magic Library and Mythical Beast Cerberus. Those cards were the backbone of her deck now, but most of her deck was a mishmash of Spellcasters and whatever she could find.

(She had still barely talked to Shingo at all since she'd come back. She had seen him once, and he didn't seem to know what to think about her. Mion wasn't surprised. If someone she knew came back, looking completely different, she might feel the same.)

"You have a good temperament too. I have a proposal for you." Himika Akaba had looked her in the eyes. "Tutor my younger child."

Younger child…

"He has talent, but unfortunately, he struggles with the presence of others, so I cannot send him directly to school. Tutor him, and I'll pay you for it. Better than most others in this city could afford, I reckon."

Tch. It was always about money with people like this, wasn't it? Money and prestige.

Then again, how was she any different?

Mion nodded. "When do I start?" She asked.

Himika Akaba had looked at her in surprise. "Practical girl," she had said. It might have been praise. "You can start tomorrow, if you please."

(In the future, Mion would look back and wonder—if Reiji's mother had known how close Mion would get to her children, would she have agreed so easily?)

Reira Akaba was a sweet child, if shy. Mion persevered though, and she gently coaxed him out of his shell. It worked so well that Reira seemed to, thankfully, be more receptive to learning from her. Himika praised her once or twice.

And yet, the other presence in the room would take a long time to speak up.

That was Reira's older brother. The CEO of the Leo Corporation, despite how young he was—maybe only a year older than her. He had to be busy—and yet he was always there, sitting further away in the room, watching them. Sometimes their eyes would meet, before they would both look away from each other at the same time. Mion had figured out early on that he was likely worried for his brother being taught by a stranger, and so she had not spoken up about it. There was something nice to the thought, after all.

She wondered sometimes if Shingo would like her to look out for him like that. It might be worth a try—

"I promise. I'll never love anyone."

It'd be hard though, to do that. It probably wouldn't be welcome. She did not want to think about it—

---

The box in her hands fell, the packets of snacks in it spilling across the ground. Mion barely caught herself on the shelf.

The person who had bumped into her immediately knelt down, beginning to pick up the snacks.

"Thanks—" Then, Mion's words were caught in her throat as Reiji Akaba looked up at her, his expression as calm as ever.

"It's no trouble. I bumped into you in the first place." His voice did not betray any recognition of her, and yet, they were both very aware that they knew each other.

To avoid awkwardness, Mion immediately turned to pick up some of the packets too. Still though, her curiosity got the better of her, and she spoke up. "What are you doing at a convenience store?"

"I was going to buy some snacks to see if Reira would enjoy them." Reiji cleared his throat. "Our mother doesn't buy those often."

… huh.

A surprisingly good brother, all things considered. For all that he was a CEO, he seemed surprisingly teenage-like in that moment.

However, Reiji didn't seem familiar with what was there—as he looked around, he didn't seem to know what he wanted to buy. He didn't look confused, per se—the same calm expression—but Mion had the feeling that he was genuinely baffled.

"I'll show you some if you help me get these on the shelf," Mion bargained. For a moment, she thought that she might have seen the corner of his lip tilt upwards, but it was gone when she looked back at him. He helped her to get the spilled snacks on the shelf again, and she helped him to fill up a basket with snacks.

"I didn't think that you were still working other jobs," Reiji commented.

"It's good to save up," Mion said. And it kept her mind busy, anyway. If she was constantly working, she didn't have to worry about getting close to other people. She could just think about the things that she wanted—what she needed to live.

"I see." Reiji looked at her. He didn't say anything more, but when she took him to the counter, he left a tip there—far more than he should have paid her.

Mion had glanced at it. She had wondered for a moment—and then she'd gone back to her work.

(She used the extra money to buy a gift for Reira, and one for Shingo. She didn't want to live on another person's charity.)

(But she certainly appreciated the thought.)

---

Something changed after that. Reiji had begun to sit closer during the tutoring sessions, occasionally speaking up to point out certain things. It was welcome, naturally—and strangely, his presence became something that Mion got used to.

It was during a quiet moment when Reiji had gone out to get water that Reira spoke up.

"My mother didn't pick you," he said.

"She didn't?"

"Nii-san did." Reira was looking down at the table, not meeting her eyes. "He asked me first. He said that you were skilled, hardworking and practical, and you wouldn't ask questions."

And… how had Reiji Akaba known any of that?

"I see," Mion said. The conversation felt strangely surreal. "I hope I lived up to what you wanted?"

Reira nodded. "You should make friends with my brother," they said. "He's… lonely too."

Lonely too?

"Nii-san likes you," Reira said. "I think you could be friends."

Friends. Mion wasn't sure if she wanted friends anyway, but…

She thought about Reiji casually hiding his face under a hood, standing in a convenience store and looking like he did not belong there.

"I can try, Reira," she said. "But that's all it's going to be, alright?"

Reira nodded. Reiji came back in, and he sat down again.

After the hour had passed, Mion stood up, ready to head home. For a moment, she glanced at Reiji, whose paperwork seemed to only have doubled since he first came into the room.

"Can I take Reira out for ice cream?" She blurted out.

Reiji looked up at her. "Sure," he said, seeming somewhat confused.

"You should come too," Mion said, not entirely sure but doing her best to sound like she had planned this out. "Take a break from work."

It was silent for a moment, the two of them looking at each other.

Reira interrupted the silence. "You should, nii-san," he said.

Reiji looked between the two of them. He then put down the papers in his hand on the desk and stood up, offering a hand to Reira, who clung to him. There was something softer to his expression when he looked at his younger brother.

For a brief moment, Mion felt something odd in her heart—something light and fluttering.

She immediately shut it down.

"Let's get going then," she said.

---

And well—

Naturally, Mion had seen the signs, but she had forced herself to deny them. The idea that someone—that Reiji Akaba could possibly care for her in that dangerous way, that she might—

No.

I won't allow myself to think it.

For his sake, and mine.

I won't break him. I won't let him break me.

But that was besides the point. That was too much. She wouldn't talk about that part.

Everyone there seemed to be waiting. Somehow, the expectation loosened her lips—made it easier for her to say the awful secret.

"It's scary," Mion said. "To want someone to be there for you, but not to want to get close to anyone. But it's worth it."

Was she a liar for saying that when she never had any intentions of getting close to someone? She had always been worried about getting too invested—checked herself constantly to stop herself from becoming too close. Kind, warmth, but only ever coming close to 'liking'. Nothing more.

(No matter what her heart wanted. Her head knew better than her heart.)

"You scared me, you know. Back when we first met." Mion took a step forward, holding out a hand. "But I'm not scared of you anymore. You're not my enemy—I don't need to defeat you, and there's nothing to forgive you for. You and I are pretty similar. If you want, I'll be your friend. But I won't allow you to drown in your misery—if I do, this never ends. I'll help you figure out how to reach out too. Our tragedies don't have to define us."

… and maybe someday, I'll figure it out for myself.

Kaname looked at Mion's hand. She raised her hand—their fingers came close to each other, but they did not touch. Something light was dropped onto her palm—a card.

"I'm not asking for something from you," Mion said, sounding furious at the very thought. "Don't—"

"No. You're not." A soft exhale. Kaname had drawn back her hand, fingers pressed to the keyboard again. "I wanted to… I wanted."

I wanted.

Maybe not to touch another person with such heaviness hanging behind it—maybe that was too terrible, even now.

But it was acceptance, nonetheless.

"Will you come back with us?" Kyorin, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke up now.

Behind her, Nue was studying Mion with a… strange look. Mion didn't know what to feel about that. She felt like she had been completely seen through.

Kaname blinked.

"To see Yugo! We have to pass him the key, after all." Kyorin pressed her hands together nervously. "I… don't you want to see him?"

A nod.

"Then… come along?"

Another, hesitant nod. Kyorin beamed, and she gestured for the girl to follow. It was almost comical, to see the blue-haired girl nervously going on about things—just trying to fill the silence—while someone that was completely silent followed her.

Nue and Mion looked at each other again, lagging a certain distance behind the other two.

"... what is it?" Mion asked, slightly weary.

"I never would have imagined that you…" Nue glanced away. "... you always seemed rather stable."

"I am stable," Mion said, and it wasn't even a lie. "It was two years—three years ago now. I know what I want, I know what I don't."

I want stability. I want normalcy. I want to be myself and nothing more than that.

I will be the Lancers' comrade, their friend, their ally, and nothing more than that. Not for stubborn younger brothers or for…

I won't cross the line.

"... I guess so. More stable than most of our comrades, at least." Nue turned to her. "I saw how you were looking at me during that duel. You've recognised it, haven't you?"

"... I think I do," Mion said. "But I want to test it first. To prove it to myself."

"Specifically to yourself?"

"I want to prove to myself that you're also holding back, Nue Kamisoka." Mion made direct eye contact with her. "That you've been holding back all along. Because you already knew from the start that there was no chance you would lose that duel."

Thank goodness Kyorin and Kaname were out of earshot.

"Your theory is wrong," Nue said. She shook her head. "I'm not holding back at all—I'm doing everything to the best of my current capabilities. I have been this entire time—it's not like I would hold back on Academia. Not after what they've done to me." She glanced back at Mion. "But the person I am when I duel an enemy is very different from when I duel a comrade. And you don't get to see those fangs bared so often."

"Then, you—"

"I like breaking things down." Nue raised a hand, as though gripping onto something. "I like seeing through things. I thought you would understand. It's the same way that you like to fix things." When she looked at Mion, there was something about her gaze that was so perceptive that Mion wanted to turn away. "I'll answer your question. If I was kind, I would have told you and Rinsoka to face her instead of me. I'm specifically her worst opponent." She shot Mion a meaningful look. "Reiji Akaba is stronger than me, but he'd probably have more trouble with her—I just genuinely counter her deck on pretty much any level."

Alright, Mion had noticed that much…

"It's not intentional. It's just the way it is." Nue shrugged. "I knew it when we started the duel. But it's fine. I'd like to see someone try to win against that girl in manoeuvrability—maybe only Gitsune—" She stopped talking then. "Well. I'm really not as strong as you think I am. I just understand better than most."

"Doesn't that make you strong?"

"... someday, I'm going to meet someone that I can completely see through the strategies of," Nue said. There was something foreboding to her tone—something expectant. "But no matter how much I know, they'll simply be too overwhelming. I won't be able to counter their moves—I'll see them coming, but I can't do anything. That kind of person, she—they are the kind of person that will be able to truly defeat me. That's how that goes. That's how Shun wore me down during our duel, after all." She stretched upwards. "I'm well aware that I'm not invincible, but I know what I'm about. That's all."

Mion nodded after a moment. "Fair enough," she said. "You are rather competent though—it's reassuring."

"Hah. Thanks." Nue took the compliment with little fanfare. "About what you said. Our tragedies don't have to define us, huh?... do you really believe that?"

Mion looked at the dark-haired girl and was reminded that Nue was ultimately still a survivor of tragedy—the same as Yuto, Shun and Ruri. Destruction and vengeance had been what drove her to Standard in the first place.

"If you don't believe it," Mion said honestly, "I understand why too."

Nue nodded sharply. However, she didn't seem offended. "I hope you'll be able to live by your own words someday," she said. "You still carry a ghost with you, don't you?"

Mion froze up for a brief moment.

"You're my… friend, Mion Myojin," Nue said, seeming somewhat awkward about the word. "And I… can't say that I understand, because that's downplaying what happened to you. But someone as kind as you doesn't deserve to live with a ghost hanging over their shoulder. I think you can afford to forgive less."

She turned away, just in time to miss Mion's stricken expression.

The rest of their travel back to the stadium was filled with silence.

---

OC Cards:

Traptrix Sundew

(4*/1000/1800/EARTH/Plant/Effect)

You can discard this card from your hand; Special Summon 1 "Traptrix" monster from your hand. If this card is Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Traptrix" monster from your Deck or GY to your hand. You can only activate each effect of "Traptrix Sundew" once per turn.

Apparition Dragon - Ayakashi

(10*/?/?/WATER/Dragon/Fusion/Effect)

1 WATER Synchro Monster + 1 WATER monster

Monsters cannot target this face-up monster for attacks while you control another monster. This card cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects. The original ATK/DEF of this card each become equal to the number of your banished monsters x 500. Once per turn: You can banish 1 WATER monster from your GY; select 1 card your opponent controls and negate its effects. If this card is banished: Special Summon 1 banished WATER Synchro Monster in Attack Position. During your End Phase, banish 1 WATER monster from your GY. If you cannot, destroy this card.

Trivia: You probably already knew that she had a Fusion Monster. "Ayakashi" refers specifically to the Japanese ghost lights that appear over water. They're yokai, aka "strange apparition". They're sometimes referred to as mirages that take on the shape of mountains, etc—and sometimes referred to as the vengeful spirits of those who died at sea, wanting to drag others to join them. Its first effect is both a reference to Ghoti of the Deep Beyond and Chimeratech Overdragon. The significance of it needing to banish a WATER monster to survive is a reference to how it's ultimately tied to the water and can't escape. There's also a myth about it where it takes on the form of a beautiful woman to trick sailors, and attempts to destroy their ship. :) So yes, it is a ghostly spirit which is occasionally depicted as a sea serpent/dragon.

Nekroz of Apollousa

(11*/?/?/WATER/Psychic/Synchro/Effect)

1 Tuner + 1+ "Nekroz" non-Tuner monsters

This card's original ATK/DEF are equal to the number of materials used for its Synchro Summon x 800. Once per Chain, when your opponent activates a monster effect (Quick Effect): You can make this card lose exactly 800 ATK, and if you do, negate the activation. If this card is sent from the Extra Deck to the GY by a card effect: You can target 1 monster on the field; destroy it. The targeted monster cannot activate its effects in response to the activation of this effect.

Nightmare Trap Hole

(Trap)

If you control only "Traptrix" monsters (min. 1) and have at least 1 "Hole" Normal Trap in your GY: Discard 1 card; destroy 2 monsters on the field. You can only activate 1 "Nightmare Trap Hole" per turn.

Traptantalizing Planning

(Trap)

Tribute 1 Insect or Plant monster; Special Summon 1 "Traptrix" monster from the Deck, and if you do, you can add 1 "Hole" Normal Trap from your GY to your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 "Traptrix" monster from your GY, and if you do, that monster cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn. You can only activate each effect of "Traptantalizing Planning" once per turn.

Rank-Up-Magic Tantalizing Force

(Spell)

Target 1 Plant or Insect Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 Plant or Insect Xyz Monster that is 1 Rank higher than that monster you control, by using it as the Xyz Material, and if you do, attach this card to it as Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon. Xyz Materials attached to it also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned monster.) If you control a "Traptrix" Xyz Monster: You can banish this card and 2 Normal Traps from your GY; draw 2 cards. You can only activate this effect of "Rank-Up-Magic Tantalizing Force" once per turn.

Traptrix Cephalotus

(R5/2800/0/EARTH/Plant/Xyz/Effect)

2 Level 5 monsters

If this card is Xyz Summoned: You can send cards from the top of your Deck to the GY, up to the number of Xyz Materials this card has, and if you do, Special Summon 1 "Traptrix" monster from your GY. All "Traptrix" monsters you control cannot be targeted by card effects. (Quick Effect) You can detach 2 Xyz Materials from this card; banish 1 "Hole" Normal Trap from your GY which meets its activation conditions, and if you do, this effect becomes that Trap Card's effect when that card is activated. You can only Xyz Summon "Traptrix Cephalotus" once per turn.

---

End Notes:

This chapter's writing style took me so long to get down. It was very important to me that the entire chapter is both disorientating and yet gets across what it wants to say. And well, intentional disorientation seems to be what I always find myself going for with these six characters :D

It was immensely important to me to start this duel off on a backfoot for Kaname, because at this point in time, she's coming into this duel right after dueling Ryo Marufuji plus dealing with Roget. It was also equally important to me to let all four of the girls in the scene play off each of the others in terms of personality. Mion not being in the duel is the point—after all, her choice to not duel Kaname is just as in character for her as it is for Nue to hear "please defeat me properly" as "I'm going to force you to confront all the flaws of your own dueling and mindset and give you an existential crisis", and for Kyorin to try and mediate the whole thing.

The reference to the Gallagher thing is a reference to how I made the mildly questionable decision to skip over Nue, Hitoda and Carly stomping him and everyone working for him earlier in the arc, purely because I was like "okay, everyone already knows what happened here, I don't want to have to cover several useless duels and curb stomps. Plus everyone already knows what a Nue sweep looks like". But anyway, it's become a Noodle Incident, completely unintentionally.

Also, in case you're wondering, Nue is pretty much Kaname's hard-counter in this story. Remember, most of Kaname's opponents are helpless because her effects are all linked to Synchro Summoning on her opponent's turn, meaning that she can just keep bringing out more monsters if she negates one—but Nue is best at countering monsters on the turn they're summoned. Nue is not actually stronger than Kaname—after all, she still did need Kyorin's help to deal with certain cards.

I also knew that Circle of the Fairies was going to go to Nue from the moment it was leaked last year, though it took a lot of self-control to not give it to Chino instead, just to make scripting her duels easier.

But yes, this chapter ended up being longer than expected… though to be fair, I don't know what I was expecting when the outline for this chapter was an entire page long. (Fun fact—I write everything in font size 10.)

Also fun fact, the fact that Chiaki/Yuji/Kyorin canonically keep all kinds of unsummonable Fusion Monster jank in their Extra Deck is a reference to how when YGO first introduced Fusions, the Extra Deck had no limit and people just brought an enormous amount of cards for Metamorphosis/Scientist-Turtle shenanigans. They are from the DM dimension after all. It's probably not going to play a big role except for meta-jokes like the one with Pot of Extravagance.

I searched for like ten minutes for a summoning chant for Catastor only to realise that Kyorin has never actually Ritual Summoned this card in her life, lmao.

This chapter was also troublesome because I wanted to write everything other than the duel. In the end, I think I probably could have dragged out the duel, but I didn't do so in the end—I feel like it really would have gotten too repetitive in the end. There was so much ground to cover in this chapter, and in the end, making the duel longer would have compromised it—once I got all the card interactions that were important scripted in, that was it :D

And the thing is, Kaname doesn't intend to win the duel—she's just doing her best, as per normal, because she wants to see what Nue and Kyorin will do in response. As such, this duel has the lowest stakes of this finale—it's not the true point of the chapter. The true point is what the characters in the duel can see from each other during it.

I would try to explain what is going on with Kaname and Roget, but it's intentionally confusing, so let me know what you think of what's going on there, lmao.

On a lighter note, Reira is the number one shipper of Mion and Reiji, and has been the entire time. If Sawatari was less oblivious and had a clue about what was going on, he would probably be number two.

Review responses!

To TheRealD3lph0xL0v3r, thanks for the review. Hopefully it'll be as cathartic as you think.

To phantomdragons, like I always say, I like writing interesting card interactions that I can come up with into the duel. And I'm really glad that you like both of those dynamics! We stan bros being bros.

To Erathios, thanks for pointing that out! I always find little phrasing errors here and there—usually, it comes from me juggling several card effects around in my brain at once. Honestly, Roget's deck is not that big of a deal—it's just not Ancient Gears in this story :)

To Ben23ten, that's a really interesting theory! I'm glad that you're actually interested in the lore—though it will take a while before you can find if that theory was correct or wrong, because of how this story is structured :)

To cardfan135, you're right about who's dueling, at least! Hope you enjoyed. And I'm really glad that the parallel seems to have gone down well with most people! One thing that I do try to do is to contextualise the problems of the characters in their environment. I never give anyone needlessly traumatic backstories unless they say something about the world that the characters live in! :D

To Bryz0n, glad you enjoyed the duel. All of these duels are definitely meant to expose the vulnerability of the main characters—after all, the battles that they're fighting now are ones of ideals and necessity rather than survival.

To Kuroto, I will say that it's probably not that simple for the first two points you mentioned in that review, but can't elaborate right now :3 I chose to take the stance that in canon, Yusho Sakaki only interacted with people at Clover Branch, so the only people that actually knew he existed were the students there (Sayaka, Allen and Kaito). Yuto says that Ruri told him about the ideal of smiles because Sayaka told her about it. Thus, according to canon, as improbable as it is… Yuto, Shun and Nue do not know who Yusho Sakaki is. Does Ruri know? *shrugs* I'd actually love to hear more on what you mean by Miharu and Yuno being each other's Morality Chain, since I don't quite understand the point. As for the Zarc theory… interesting! :)

QOTC: Just for fun, give me your guess for what deck Roget is using!

Next chapter, we finally have Yugo and Rin vs Roget. *breathes out* Just a little more now, and I can go back to writing my fluffy character interactions again. Let's do this!