Chapter 5: New Feelings
Bronya had just finished crying on Osrelios' shoulder.
The group of 5 were now discussing what to do.
Bronya knew that she was now the current Supreme Guardian.
Bronya was discussing with everyone what she should tell
The people of the planet.
Oz then spoke up. "You tell a lie."
The other 4 turn to him.
"If you tell the truth, then all the trust everyone will have for you will be gone in an instant. They will never be able to trust a Supreme Guardian again. So lie, keep the truth hidden, and the hope of preservation- no, the hope of everyone, alive."
Bronya seemed deep in thought.
She then spoke up. "Madam Cocolia Rand died, fighting against the Stellaron. In her final moments, she wished for me to protect this world in her stead. That is the lie that I will tell everyone."
"Are you sure we should lie?" March asked.
"As Oz said, we need to keep the people's hopes alive. If we tell them the truth, that they have been lied to for 700 years, then all hope they have had will crumble into despair." Bronya explained.
Bronya then turned to Seele. "Seele. Will you help me keep this lie?"
Seele then out a hand on Bronya's shoulder. "If you promise to open the Underworld and Overworld again."
Bronya then smiled. "Already planned on it."
Bronya then took a step forward, only to start to fall.
Oz and Seele both catch her.
"Careful now. You're out of energy, physically, emotionally, and spiritually." Oz said.
O then turned his head to Seele. "Can you take Bronya back to Qlipoth Fort? March, Dan Heng, and I will go down to the Underworld and tell everyone the news."
"Sounds good." Seele said as Oz let go of Bronya and Seele began to help her go back to Belabog.
The Astral Express Crew went to the Underworld, and went to Natasha. They told her that they have won and that the Underworld was to be opened up again.
They then went to the Great Mine to tell more of the people, miners of Wildfire and Vagrants alike.
They then went to the Robot Settlement, they told Svarog the news.
They also mentioned that he'd no longer have to protect the Underworld.
Svarog's Objective 1 was finally completed after 700 years.
A day later, it was getting close to the speech that Bronya was going to give.
The people of the Underworld were going to the surface to see the speech.
Everyone gathers in the square, waiting for the speech to start.
The Astral Express Crew were sitting at a nearby cafe.
Oz saw that Bronya had just made it on stage, and decided to get up.
"I'll be right back. I'm going to get a better view."
"Okay!" March said.
Oz zipped over to the crowd at the stage, getting to the opposite side, he noticed Seele in the crowd and stood next to her.
The two share a look and a smile before paying attention to the speech.
When Bronya was done with the speech, everyone was cheering.
Bronya looked at the crowd and noticed Seele and Oz.
Oz smiled at her, which caused her to smile back.
Bronya then made eye contact with Seele. The two then nod to each other.
Confused, Oz turned to Seele. "What was that about?"
Seele had a smile on her face and looked away. "Oh, nothing." Her voice had an unusual pep to it.
Oz was even more confused.
"Anyway, I got somewhere to be. I'll see you later." Seele said as she then walked away.
Bronya had already left and returned to Qlipoth Fort.
Oz met back up with March and Dan Heng.
"So Seele's acting strange."
"How so?" Dan Heng asks.
"She seems cheery. Which is weird considering she doesn't seem to be open with her emotions that much."
"Maybe because she's happy that everything is going to get better from here?" March suggested.
"Could be." Oz shrugged. "Anyway, I think it's best we check on Bronya, it's been a day so I think we should see how she's holding up."
"You're right. Just because she looked fine while on stage, doesn't mean she's actually okay." Dan Heng stated.
The three then walked to Qlipoth Fort, they were let in and they made their way to Bronya's office.
When they stepped in, they saw Bronya appearing to be resting.
She saw them and smiled, she got up and walked over.
"Oz, March, Dan Heng. It's nice to see you three."
"How are you holding up?" Oz asked.
"I'm much better. I've recovered physically." Bronya answered.
"What about emotionally?" Dan Heng asked.
Bronya then let out a sigh. "I... I'm still upset about what my mother did, but I think I'm ready to start moving on."
"Are you sure?" Oz asked, voice laced with concern.
Bronya then had a small smile. "Yes. Oh, and before I forget. Oz, can you come with me somewhere? I need to talk to you privately."
Oz raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Can I ask why?"
"Nope." Bronya said, popping the P.
She then started to walk and grabbed Oz' arm, dragging him along.
Oz was incredibly confused, first Seele was acting cheerful, which was out of character for her, and now Bronya is acting a little strange as well.
As the two left the room, Dan Heng and March shared a look before silently agreeing to follow them.
Bronya led Oz to the same alleyway that he used to escape his first encounter with her back when she tried to arrest him March and Dan Heng.
They walk down not too far and Oz saw Seele standing around.
Bronya led him to where Seele was.
"Seele? What are you doing here?" Oz asked.
"Waiting for you, dummy." Seele responded.
Bronya then let go of his arm and stood next to Seele.
"So about that thing you wanted to talk to me about."
"Ah, yes. You see, on our way back from Everwinter Hill yesterday, Seele and I had a talk." Bronya began.
Seele then continued. "In that talk, we came to an agreement."
"An agreement? For what?" Oz asked.
"For this." Bronya said as she grabbed Oz by the collar.
She pulled him close and then...
She kissed him on the lips.
To say Oz was shocked was an understatement.
When she broke the kiss, Oz was a blushing mess.
Oz was about to say something, when Seele grabbed his collar.
She too pulled him in for a kiss on the lips.
Once Seele broke the kiss and pulled away, Oz was even more of a blushing mess.
He was left speechless, literally. He couldn't form a coherent word.
The two giggle at Oz' reaction.
When Oz finally found his voice, he stuttered. "I-I, uh.. Wha- eh?"
"You see, the two of us had realized something. We both love you." Bronya explained.
"We argued for a bit to see who would confess, but considering that neither of us backed down, we ended up agreeing to both confess. That way you could just be in a relationship with both of us." Seele continued.
"So... Will you, Osrelios Fudo, be our boyfriend?" Bronya asked.
Oz finally found his voice. "I..." Oz then took a deep breath and gained a warm smile. "I'd love to."
He then leaned in and kissed Bronya. She kissed back.
After a minute, they broke the kiss.
Oz then kissed Seele, with her kissing back.
Oz swears he saw a flash of light for a moment, but was too caught up in what he was doing to care.
Once Oz and Seele broke the kiss, Seele placed her head on Oz' shoulder.
"You're warm. A comforting warm."
While resting her head, Seele spoke up. "If you end up attracting more women, make sure to tell us. Otherwise you can expect a beating."
Oz sweat dropped. "Sure thing."
"... So, what made you two fall in love with me in the first place?" Oz asked.
"When we first met, there was this feeling in my chest." Bronya explained. "It was small, but noticeable. When we fought side by side, and when I learned more about you, the feeling grew. It grew more whenever you comforted me over the past few days. It wasn't until my discussion with Seele that I realized that I love you."
"When we first met, I was impressed by your skills. It's not every day that someone with skills like yours shows up." Seele explained. "Working with you side by side has allowed me to understand that it's okay to let your emotions go free. Plus, you're awesome to be around, being able to summon dragons and all that. It took the discussion with Bronya for me too, to realize that I am in love with you."
Oz was silent, taking in the information, before speaking up. "I had that same feeling in me when I first met the both of you. Being able to interact with you two, and fight along side you has been really fun. When the both of you confessed to me, that gave me a feeling that I had only felt one time before. A feeling that I got when my adoptive family took me in. That feeling is the feeling of being wanted, of being needed. The feeling of knowing that someone cares." Oz had tears in his eyes.
Seele and Bronya then both hug him, as he hugs back.
They three of them stayed like that for a while, just staying in each other's embrace.
When they finally broke the hug, the three had warm smiles.
"I'll make sure to keep in contact every day. Especially since I won't be on this planet forever." Oz said.
"Right, being a part of a group of interstellar travelers." Bronya said.
"Just make sure to make time for dates with either of us." Seele said.
"Of course." Oz replied.
"Speaking of dates, why don't we go on one right now?" Bronya suggested.
"Huh!? Really? Won't it taint your public image if people see us?"
"As long as we keep on the down low, and act as if we are just friends hanging out." Seele stated.
"I guess that could work. But what should we do? I don't have any experience with this sort of thing." Oz said.
"Let's start with a cafe date." Seele suggested.
"That sounds perfect." Bronya said as she grabbed Oz' right arm.
Seele then grabbed his left arm.
The two began to drag him along.
When they got out of the alleyway, the two let Oz go, and the three of them walk to a nearby cafe.
When they got there, the employees greeted Bronya. Bronya explained to Oz and Seele that she was a regular at the cafe as she would often go there to unwind when she got into an argument with Cocolia.
Some of the citizens who were there, were quietly talking about how the Supreme Guardian was at the cafe, hanging out with one of the Heroes of Belabog, and a member of Wildfire.
The citizens began to whisper to each other, coming up with theories. These theories ranged from them having a discussion about politics, to having a celebratory meal.
None of the theories went towards them dating. It seemed like the citizens weren't going to assume anything.
The three of them ordered food and drinks and then proceeded to enjoy each other's company.
After the cafe, the three of them enjoyed their time walking around the streets of Belabog.
When the day was over, they all went to get some sleep.
Oz was about to go to the Goethe Grand Hotel, but before he could, Seele grabbed him by the back of his collar.
"No, no. You're going with me." Seele said as she began to drag him.
Oz waved bye to Bronya as Seele dragged him over to the tram that lead to the Underworld.
Oz just accepted his fate and let Seele drag him.
Seele brought him to Boulder Town, and led him to an apartment.
She unlocked the door and pulled Oz inside.
She pushed him onto a couch. "Stay."
She then walked into another room.
After a few moments she walked out, now wearing a purple nightgown.
"Do you have sleeping clothes with you?" Seele asked.
"Yeah." Oz replied.
"Good. Change into them." Seele said. "Once your done, join me in my bedroom."
A moment later Oz knocked on Seele's door. She opened it and saw Oz wearing a white t-shirt and smooth black pajamas.
Seele smiled at seeing him, she then noticed how his body looked. She blushed a bit seeing as his body had a bit of muscle.
She then grabbed him by the arm and brought him over to her bed.
"Lay down."
Oz did as instructed.
Seele then got on the bed and then proceeded to cuddle him.
Oz decided to cuddle back.
When he did, he could feel Seele sink into the cuddle.
"I never took you for one who likes to cuddle. I think I like this side of you." Oz commented.
Seele said nothing, but proceeded to sink into the cuddle further.
After some silence, Oz spoke up. "I love you."
"I love you too." Seele said. The two then gradually fall asleep.
The next day, Oz and Seele wake up in each other's embrace.
As they woke up, they looked into each other's eyes, lovingly.
"Morning." Oz said.
"Morning." Seele said back.
The two then kiss.
They get ready for the day, Seele having to oversee a supply run between the Overworld and Underworld.
Before she left, Oz pulled out some cooking supplies and made breakfast for them.
Oz had a portable miniature kitchen due to his time in the Spirit Realm.
When he was done cooking, Seele took a bite.
When she did, she cried tears of joy.
"I've never tasted something so delicious." Seele said as she continued eating.
Oz smiled and ate his portion.
When they were done eating, Seele left to go do her overseeing, leaving Oz alone.
Seeing as Oz had nothing better to do, he decided to go find March and Dan Heng, seeing as he hasn't seen them for a whole day.
He went back to the Overworld, and arrived near the Goethe Grand Hotel.
He soon spotted his friends.
"Hey guys! Sorry for not showing up yesterday." Oz said as he made his way over to him.
"Oh, don't worry." March said. "You were busy on your double date, so we wouldn't have bothered you."
Oz froze.
"Or is it date and a half, in this case?"
"It's just a date March." Dan Heng said.
"How'd you know I was on a date?" Oz asked, suspicious.
"Easy. We followed you when Bronya dragged you away." March answered. "I even got pictures of your kisses with them."
Oz tilted his head down so shadows covered his eyes.
His eyes then began to glow red, as fire began to form on his hands.
"You what?" Oz asked, in a menacing voice.
March immediately understood her mistake. "Uh..."
March then ran.
Oz immediately started to chase after her.
Dan Heng sighed and followed after them.
After Oz was done chasing March, the trio had went around helping the denizens of the city as well as some of the Silvermane Guards.
It was getting close to the evening, a Silvermane Guard ended up approaching Oz.
"Excuse me, Mr. Osrelios." The Guard said.
"Yes?"
"Lady Bronya has requested your presence. She has ordered for you to be escorted to her private chambers for you and her to discuss future alliances with the Astral Express."
Oz raised an eyebrow. He doubted that was the actual reason and that she just wanted to spend time with him.
He followed the Guard, who led him into Qlipoth Fort.
The Guard led him to a door that was a hallway away from the Supreme Guardian's office.
Oz knocked on the door. After a moment of silence he did again, but this time he did it in the form of a jingle from a popular video game.
Oz heard a laugh. "You can come in, Oz."
Oz walked in and saw Bronya sitting on her bed, wearing a white nightdress.
"Ready to discuss future alliances?" Oz joked.
Bronya then let out a laugh. "Just sit beside me."
"Give me a minute." Oz said.
Bronya understood and turned away.
"Okay." Oz said.
Bronya then turned around and saw Oz in his nightwear.
Oz then sat down on the bed next to Bronya.
She then let her body lean against his, her head on his shoulder.
"So you said that you'd be leaving at some point. Do you know when?" Bronya asked.
"I remember hearing that the usual span of time that the Astral Express stays in a location is usually a week. This is the sixth day that we've been here. Tomorrow being the last. Which means we will have to leave by the end of the day tomorrow." Oz explained.
Bronya moved her body so it was against Oz' more.
"Then stay with me for the rest of the night."
Oz leaned his head against hers. "I will."
"Promise that you'll visit."
"Even if I'm several planets away, I'll still visit. I'll take a shortcut through the Spirit Realm if I have to."
Bronya let out a giggle. "With how stubborn you can be, I don't doubt it for a second."
The two chatted while they sat together. When they were finally getting tired, they laid down.
The two got into a cuddle position.
As the two were enjoying the embrace of the other, Oz spoke up. "I love you Bronya."
"I love you too, Oz."
The two of them sank deeper into the cuddle and fell asleep in one another's embrace.
When the two of them awoke, they were still holding each other tight.
They look into each other's eyes, and then kiss.
Once they broke the kiss, they got ready for the day.
Bronya had another big day ahead of her, and Oz had to mentally prep himself to say goodbye to the friends and loved ones that he met on this planet.
Oz was dressed in a sweatshirt that was styled after the Silvermane Guard uniform, and matching sweatpants.
When Bronya saw what he was wearing, she giggled. She forgot that some stores had clothing like that.
The two shared a tender moment, as a means of saying bye.
Oz then left Qlipoth Fort, but to keep suspicion from arising, he used his invisibility trick to sneak out.
Oz then went around the Belabog and the Underworld, saying goodbye to the friends he made while he was there.
When it came to saying bye to Seele, they shared a private tender moment.
When it was finally time to go, Oz met back up with March and Dan Heng.
When they met up, they were beamed up into the Astral Express by its power.
When they got into the Express, they were greeted by Welt and Himeko.
"Welcome back." Himeko greeted. "How was your first Trailblazing Expedition?"
"It was awesome!" Oz said.
"I'm glad you had a good time." Himeko stated.
"It was so good, that he got himself two girlfriends!" March exclaimed.
"March!" Oz shouts, face red with embarrassment.
"Oh, my." Himeko said, hand over her mouth.
Welt raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.
March then held her camera up. "I even got pictures!"
"March..." Oz said, eyes glowing.
Thinking quickly, March shouts. "Dan Heng help!"
Dan Heng, who was feeling bored, decided to finally indulge March in her antics and quickly grabbed Oz.
Oz was struggling to get out of Dan Heng's grip.
March then pulled out two photos. "Say hello to Bronya and Seele!"
When Welt looked at the pictures and heard their names, his eyes widened.
At this point, Oz stopped struggling in Dan Heng's grip and noticed Welt's expression.
"Do you know them, Mr. Yang?" Oz asked.
Welt's expression went back to his usual calm one. "Personally, no. But they do remind me of two girls I knew back home. Their names were Bronya Zaychik and Seele Vollirei. They look like younger versions of the two in these pictures."
Oz managed to slip out of Dan Heng's grip. "Really? Could it be a case of multiversal variants?"
Welt then subtly looked at Himeko. "It very well could be."
Oz noticed the subtle glance but said nothing of it.
Oz then moved really fast and snatched the photos.
He then put them away in his pocket.
"Since you are back, you can finally check out your new room." Himeko stated.
"Alright, I think I will." Oz said as he then made his way over to the passenger car.
He looked at his room and saw that it was fully furnished, he noticed he had his own Bathroom as well as a closet, and a couch in the middle of his room.
Smiling, he activated Hamon's power and began to zoom around the room.
After having decorated the room, and set up things such as a TV, gaming computer, and a bunch of other stuff he obtained from the Spirit Realm, he looked around admiring his work.
Once he walked out, he saw the others gathered at the couches of the Parlor car.
We walked to the others and sat down beside them.
"Hey, Oz." Dan Heng spoke up.
"Yeah?"
"I've been meaning to ask. When that thing, that possesses Cocolia during the fight against her, first appeared, what it said confused me."
Welt raised an eyebrow at the mention of Cocolia's name. Oz figured it was another case of multiversal variants.
"First, that thing is known as The Wicked Dreadroot. One of the three Wicked Gods. Second, what about it confused you?"
"It called you an imitation of a human."
Oz then looked down. "Oh, that."
Oz then let out a deep sigh as he stood up. "I guess reintroductions are in order."
Oz then stood up. "I am Osrelios Fudo, Destiny's Guide. I am an artificially created human who was made with the sole purpose of guiding the destiny of one particular era of the realm of Duel Monsters to a better ending. I started by purpose filled journey with a pre-programmed backstory, making me believe that I was a real human."
The other four were shocked by that information.
Welt then spoke up. "From what you said, you eventually found out that you aren't a real human."
"I did."
"How long ago?" Himeko asked.
"Two months."
"Oh, you poor boy." Himeko said.
She then got up and walked over to him.
Himeko then hugged Oz in a motherly embrace.
The motherly aura that Himeko was exuding was enough to break through Oz' emotional defenses and he began to cry.
He hugged back, tears running down his face.
They all stayed silent, letting him cry.
March then spoke up. "If it helps, I think it doesn't matter if you're arti... arty..."
"Artificial." Dan Heng chimed in.
"Artificial or not. You can still feel like a real human, you felt happy, sad, angry, and even love."
"March is right. It's not your origin that makes you who you are, that's for you to decide." Dan Heng said.
"What truly matters is what actions you take. From what you have told us, your actions in the past have lead to a universe having a better outcome than what was originally destined. For that, I say you are indeed a real person." Welt said.
"And if you don't think so, then you can count on us to think that for you." Himeko said.
A small chuckle escaped Oz' mouth.
He let go of Himeko and they could see a smile on his face.
He was still crying, but they were tears of joy.
"This really is a family isn't it?" Oz said.
"And your a member of this family." Himeko stated.
After some time, Oz and the rest go to their rooms to get some sleep.
The Express will be going to another location the next day.
Decks I can see certain HSR characters using if they were to play YuGiOh (No, this isn't foreshadowing. At least, not completely. One character on this list will get their own deck, but you'll have to guess):
Bronya: Qliphort deck. Her culture worships Qlipoth and has a building called Qlipoth Fort.
Silver Wolf: Code Talker deck. She's kinda like a female Playmaker.
Kafka: Not exactly sure but I know she would have a spider themed card as an ace. Probably Number 77: The Seven Sins. She would probably also use the other spider based Numbers, there's 4 of them.
Blade: ... SwordSoul. That or some sort of fiend or zombie deck.
Dan Heng: Dragunity. Wind dragons/knights.
March 7th: No structure. She'd probably make a deck full of cute monsters only. Maybe Purrely then. Or maybe she'd have an ice based deck like Ice Barrier.
Welt: D/D/D. Strategy based deck, D/D stands for different dimension, and he's from another universe.
Himeko: Some fire based deck, or maybe spaced themed, depends honestly.
Stelle/Caelus: Scrap/Junk deck. Considering they are trash obsessed.
Seele: Probably a Beatdown strategy deck. She's pretty impatient so I'd see her using a deck that would make the game go as quick as possible. Maybe Tenpai Dragons. Or maybe she'd play an Illusion deck, her Ultimate has her say Illusions of the Past.
Serval: Symphonic, or another music based deck. Self explanatory really.
Sampo: Probably a deck with a really annoying gimmick, that steals opponents cards a lot.\
Post Jarilo-VI voice lines:
About Bronya: Bronya is probably one of the most reliable people you could ever meet. What? No, I'm not saying that because I'm dating her.
About Seele: Seele is both strong and fast. She may act all serious, and has a short temper, but deep down she's a caring person. She is also very adamant when it comes to our relationship. I'm honestly surprised that she actually agreed with Bronya on that subject considering that they almost never agree on anything.
About Natasha: Being not only a doctor and the true leader of Wildfire must be exhausting. She's lucky that she can divert the Wildfire duties over to Oleg. If she never had that option, I bet she would probably constantly work herself to the brink of collapse.
About Sampo: What is there to say? He's a scammer, never trust him.
About Clara: Clara is a kind child. She cares for other's wellbeing, and will do nearly anything to help them. If anyone was to hurt her, they would not only have to answer to Svarog, but me as well.
About Gepard and Serval: The two Landau siblings are both incredibly bland, and interesting at the same time. Gepard is a stereotypical perfect soldier, which means that he follows orders from his superiors so well, that he doesn't question of what he's doing is morally right or wrong. Serval, however, is a much more free spirited person. Her method of attack is interesting, attacking by using music. I've seen Duel Spirits use sound and/or music to fight before, so she would probably get along with them well.
Powers(Preservation): The power I gained from Qlipoth's blessing is actually easy to use. Since I've already had practice with fire because of Uria, so the fire from the lance is easy to manipulate. Honestly, with both the Flames of Preservation, and Uria's power, my control over fire has increased dramatically. I bet I could create a miniature sun if I focus enough.
Wicked Gods: The Wicked Gods are a nasty bunch. They are always up to no-good. It's literally in their nature to cause disorder. Hopefully they don't come into contact with the Antimatter Legion. If they do, then that's one big headache.
Family(Fudo): You want to know about my family from before I got to this universe? The Fudo family is made up of 6 people including myself. None of us are biologically related. There's my dad, Yusei Fudo, my mom Akiza Fudo, my brother Yuto, and my younger siblings Leo and Luna. Despite the fact that none of us are biologically related, we get along like any other family. In fact I'd say we get along even better considering that we are bonded over our shared experiences of how we lived in the past.
Family(Astral Express): The Astral Express Crew are like a second family to me. I'll do anything to make sure they are all okay. Himeko and Welt really do act like the parents of the group. March is obviously the younger sister, and Dan Heng acts like an older brother.