Chapter 5: Shark Hunt Part 2
"Alright, I've got my deck just in case I have to duel any idiots who think they can take me on," Yumi said as she grabbed her duel disk and her jacket in case it got cold in the evening. She didn't want to get sick.
It would prevent her from hanging out with her girlfriend.
She was especially excited because she was looking forward to seeing Chills and his partner take on Shark and Tori in the upcoming duel.
Yumi zipped up her jacket and adjusted the deck case clipped to her belt. Just as she was about to head out, a familiar voice stopped her.
"Yumi, dear, where are you off to in such a hurry?"
She turned to see her grandmother standing in the kitchen doorway, her warm eyes filled with curiosity. The sight made Yumi pause, and a small wave of guilt crept in. She hadn't told her yet.
"Ah… I was heading to my girlfriend's place before going to the museum since I wanted to check out the special deck for a paper I'm doing, and since she's closer to said museum, I thought..," Yumi admitted, rubbing the back of her head.
Her grandmother's expression softened into a knowing smile as she chuckled a little at her granddaughter's expression, even though she did act a bit cold and distant. Haru expected that Yumi's childhood had always been difficult due to her shyness and how Yumi was bullied before she transformed into someone new. Someone strong, but deep down, Yumi's grandmother still sees the kind girl inside her.
"Is that so? You always seem so happy when you talk about her." Yumi's grandmother shuffled forward, holding out a thermos. "Here, take this with you. Just in case you need something warm later."
Yumi took it with both hands, the warmth seeping through her fingers. "Thanks, Grandma."
"Of course, dear." But as her grandmother leaned in to press a kiss to Yumi's forehead, a sudden coughing fit took over, making her clutch her chest.
Yumi's heart dropped. "Grandma—!"
She quickly set the thermos down and rushed to grab the medicine from the counter. Pouring a dose into a spoon, she carefully helped her grandmother take it, watching as the coughing slowly subsided. But the worry in her chest didn't fade.
"Are you okay? Is it getting worse?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
Her grandmother took a deep breath, placing a gentle hand over Yumi's. "I'm fine, sweetheart. It's just the cold air acting up."
But Yumi wasn't convinced. Not entirely. The last time things had gotten bad, she'd nearly lost her—at the same time, her parents had vanished without a trace. The thought of losing her too… it was too much.
Her grandmother must have seen the look on her face because she gave Yumi's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry about me. Go on, enjoy your night. Just promise me you'll be careful, alright?"
Yumi swallowed the lump in her throat before nodding. "I promise."
With one last look to make sure her grandmother was steady, Yumi picked up the thermos and slung her bag over her shoulder. She had a duel to prepare for—but her thoughts lingered on the woman who had raised her and Kari when they had no one else.
However, Yumi lingered by the doorway, gripping the thermos tighter than necessary. Her grandmother had already turned back to the kitchen, humming softly as if nothing had happened. But Yumi's mind wouldn't let it go.
She could still remember that night—coming home from school, expecting her parents, more like her mother than her father, to be there, only to find an empty house.
There was no note about them continuing their exploration, and there was no explanation for their longer disappearance.
Nothing.
It was as if they were just… gone.
At first, Yumi and Kari assumed they'd be back after a couple of months. They thought that maybe some strange circumstances prevented them from coming back or they had made an amazing discovery.
But days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, which also led to the police finding nothing about their whereabouts. There were no signs of struggle, no traces of where they could have gone. It was like they had just disappeared from existence.
And then, just when it felt like their world was already falling apart, Grandma got sick.
Yumi clenched her jaw, pushing the memories away. She wasn't a little kid anymore, crying herself to sleep while wondering if her family would ever be whole again. She had responsibilities now—a life to live. People to defeat in order to gain power, but a part of her was still worried about her grandmother since she was the only other person besides her mother, besides Cathy, who actually cared and tried to help her with her serious shyness, unlike her father's method, which almost killed her many times.
"Yumi?"
Her grandmother's voice brought her back to the present. She turned to see the older woman watching her, a knowing glint in her eyes.
"You've got that look again," she said gently.
Yumi forced a small smirk. "What look?"
"The one you get when you're holding too much inside." Her grandmother walked closer, brushing Yumi's bangs aside like she used to when she was younger. "You don't have to carry everything alone, sweetheart."
Yumi looked away, pretending to adjust the strap of her bag. "I know."
A pause. Then, a soft chuckle. "Liar."
Yumi let out a quiet laugh despite herself. "Okay, maybe."
Her grandmother sighed, cupping Yumi's cheek. "You're strong, Yumi. I see it every day. But even the strongest people need to lean on someone sometimes."
Yumi swallowed hard, leaning slightly into the warmth of her grandmother's palm. "I just… I can't lose you too."
The words slipped out before she could stop them, and for a moment, there was only silence. Then, her grandmother pulled her into a tight hug.
"Oh, my sweet girl… I'm not going anywhere just yet."
Yumi squeezed her eyes shut, hugging her back just as tightly.
She wished she could believe that.
After a long moment, her grandmother pulled away, giving her an encouraging smile. "Now, go on. Your girlfriend's waiting, and you've got a museum to get to."
Yumi sniffed, nodding as she wiped at her eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, I better get going."
Her grandmother placed a kiss on her forehead once more. "Safe travels, my granddaughter. And know that I'll always love you."
With one last glance back, Yumi finally stepped out into the cold night. The air bit at her skin, but the warmth of her grandmother's words stayed with her.
Yumi had a mission, and she wasn't going to let anything—or anyone—take away what she had left.
'I'm heading to my girlfriend's place, but that's more after the museum, ' Yumi thought as she saw Dark Mist appear next to her.
"Your worried about her, aren't you?"
'Yes. When Mom and Dad went on their trips, Kari and I were with our Grandma. She always took care of me when I was younger since I was so shy, but I tried to make friends with a little encouragement from my Grandma. However, they never worked since many of the kids didn't seem to notice me at all or even care about me being there. They always enjoyed messing with me and didn't want to trouble my grandmother. Hence, I bit my tongue and didn't say anything, but when she found out, she was so mad at those bullies that it made me feel the safest with my Grandma since she always cared for me when I struggled to make friends. Even when Grandma knew about the underground dueling I was doing when Mom and Dad vanished, Grandma still gave me that warm smile and told me she was happy that I was more confident in myself.'
Yumi explained while Dark Mist remained silent for a moment as if processing Yumi's words. The cold night air seemed to deepen the weight of her emotions. Finally, Dark Mist spoke, their voice calm and understanding.
"You've been through a lot, Yumi," Dark Mist said softly. "I can feel the weight of your memories, the way you carry your grandmother's love and your fears for her, along with the ghosts of the past as well as your parent's disappearance. But the fact that you're here, standing strong despite it all… it shows the strength she helped build in you."
'And don't forget you. We're partners and help each other out.'
"Heh. How could I forget."
Yumi was still a bit nervous, but she took a deep breath, trying to keep her composure. She wasn't used to being so open with anyone about her past, especially not about how much her grandmother's presence meant to her. But something about Dark Mist's quiet understanding made her feel less burdened, and given all they've been through together, she has let down her walls around both Dark Mist and Cathy.
"I want to help her," Yumi said, her voice steady but filled with unspoken emotion. "I don't want to lose anyone else. I don't want to be alone since I only have so few people that I truly do not want to lose."
Dark Mist nodded in agreement. "And you won't lose them. You've got the heart of a fighter, my Queen. Know that you mustn't be afraid to be open since if there's one thing I learned about you humans, it's that no one wants to be alone. Sometimes, it's important to let others in so they can help you carry the weight."
Yumi thought about that for a moment, reflecting on her past, her grandmother's kindness, and the journey she was on: collecting the numbers to stop the Astral Envoy from destroying the world. Relying on others—especially when she had always kept her distance—was difficult since she only trusted so few people, but maybe it was something she needed to start learning.
Opening up her circle a little.
"Thanks," Yumi murmured, her voice small but sincere. "I'll keep that in mind."
With a final glance toward her grandmother's house, Yumi straightened up and started walking toward the museum. Dark Mist fell into step beside her, and though Yumi still felt the tightness in her chest, the warmth of their words and the memory of her grandmother's smile gave her a little more courage.
The night ahead held its challenges, but Yumi was determined to face them. She would handle whatever came her way—for herself, her grandmother, and those she cared about.
However, someone planned on interrupting said plan as the space seemed to freeze, shocking Yumi and Dark Mist before a voice spoke to them.
"So you are the one who holds a wide collection of numbers. I should thank you since I'll be taking them off your hand, as well as your soul." The voice said as Yumi froze in place. The voice echoed through the night, its chilling tone cutting through the air like a knife.
Dark Mist's presence beside her seemed to tense, a warning that whatever was coming was serious.
"I detect many Numbers coming from the opponent, Yumi. Get ready to duel." Dark Mist said as Yumi asked.
"Who's there?!" Yumi demanded, her voice full of defiance despite the strange, eerie sensation crawling up her spine. She didn't need to know who the person was to recognize the gravity of the situation. The mention of her Numbers was enough to put her on edge.
The night seemed to freeze for a moment before a figure slowly emerged from the shadows, his outline sharp against the dim glow of the nearby streetlamps. The stranger's stance was casual, almost arrogant, and the smirk on his face spoke volumes of his confidence. His eyes locked onto Yumi, his gaze sharp and calculating.
"So, you're the one collecting the Numbers," the voice came again—smooth, controlled, and utterly confident. "I should thank you. You've made my job easier. I'll be taking them from you, along with your soul."
Yumi's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't flinch. "Who the hell are you?"
The figure stepped forward, revealing himself fully. "Name's Kite," he said almost nonchalantly. "And I'm the Number Hunter."
Yumi's breath caught in her throat. She'd heard whispers about the so-called "Number Hunter"—a mysterious figure who hunted down those in possession of the powerful Numbers, taking them for himself.
"Hand them over now, and maybe I'll spare you," Kite said, his smirk widening as his hand rested on the duel disk at his side. "But if you choose to resist, things will get… messy."
Yumi's fingers instinctively clenched around her duel disk. "You think I'm just going to let you walk away with them?" Her voice was steady, though the weight of the situation began to sink in.
Kite chuckled darkly. "I'm not asking. I'm taking them."
Yumi barely had time to react before she felt something wrap around her wrist with a sudden, forceful snap! She gasped, jerking back, only to realize that whatever it was had tightened around her.
A glowing rope of sorts coiled around her forearm, connecting her directly to Kite's duel disk. She recognized it immediately—the Duelist Rope. There was no escaping this duel now since she heard of the Number Hunter trapping their prey with said rope.
"Tch!" Yumi gritted her teeth, tugging at the rope, but it held firm. Dark Mist hovered beside her, his eyes narrowing. "So this is how you do things, huh?" she spat, glaring at Kite. "Afraid I'd just walk away?"
Kite scoffed. "I don't take chances," he replied coolly. "And I don't let my prey escape."
Before Yumi could fire back, a loud, mechanical whirr filled the air. From behind Kite, a small robotic figure hovered into view, its single red eye glowing ominously as it observed her. Its metallic arms twitched, and its screen-like face flickered before displaying a mischievous, grinning expression.
"Master Kite!" the robot chirped in an almost singsong voice. "Scanning target! Ooooh, look at this one! She's got so many Numbers! A jackpot, a treasure trove! Ohhh, Master Kite, can I keep one? Can I? Pleeeeease?~"
Kite exhaled sharply, clearly unamused. "Orbital, be quiet."
The robot—Orbital 7, Yumi realized—whined but obeyed, floating around her as if analyzing her every move.
Yumi scowled. This match wasn't just any ordinary duel—Kite had planned for it and had been waiting for the right moment to strike. And now, with the Duelist Rope locked in place, there was no turning back.
Dark Mist's voice echoed in her mind. "Stay focused. You've fought worse than this arrogant Hunter."
Yumi took a deep breath, forcing herself to steady her nerves. "If you think I'm gonna just roll over and let you take my Numbers, you're dead wrong," she said, activating her duel disk with a sharp motion. "I'll take your Numbers instead."
Kite smirked. "Bold words," he mused as his duel disk activated as well, projecting the life points and field holograms into the cold night air. "But let's see if you can back them up."
Orbital 7 cheered excitedly, spinning in the air. "Duel commencing! Oh, this is gonna be fun!"
Yumi ignored the robot, her focus locked on Kite. This match was more than just a fight for her Numbers—this was a battle to prove that no matter who came for her, she wasn't backing down.
She clenched her deck, eyes blazing with determination.
"DUEL!"
Heartland Museum
The grand halls of the Heartland Museum were dimly lit, casting long shadows over the ancient relics and shimmering duel exhibits. The air was thick with tension as Tori stepped in front of Shark, arms spread wide as she blocked his path to the museum's entrance.
"Shark, wait!" Tori said firmly, her eyes full of determination.
Shark clicked his tongue in irritation. "What now, Tori?" he asked, already annoyed. "I don't have time for this. Get out of my way, and I won't force you, just like how I kicked your ass last time."
"I know you can beat me," Tori replied, standing her ground. "But I can't let you throw away your life! Your sister needs you, and she wouldn't want to wake up and learn her brother became a criminal when she needs him. Chills and Scorch are dangerous, and they're a bad influence on you! I know you want to face Yumi, but breaking and stealing cards from the deck will not help you."
Shark narrowed his eyes, clearly impatient. "Then what do you suggest? I just let Yumi go about causing trouble with those Numbers?"
"No, of course not, but I have Numbers as well, so if we work together, with my Numbers and your experience, we can face Yumi and defeat her. And maybe if we get rid of those Numbers, then perhaps we can save Yumi." Tori explained, but before Shark could argue, a slow clap echoed through the area.
"Well, well, well," a smug voice drawled. "Look who finally decided to show up."
Shark and Tori turned toward the source of the voice. Standing across from the two duelists were two figures bathed in the moonlight. Chills and Scorch, the infamous tag-team duelists and leaders of the Pack, smirked down at them with confidence.
Scorch, the taller of the two, crossed his arms. His fiery red jacket almost seemed to glow in the dim light. "Took you long enough. We were starting to think you got cold feet."
Chills, his blue scarf draped lazily around his neck, gave a mocking grin. "Though, from the looks of it, you two don't exactly scream 'intimidating.' Just a washed-up ex-champion and some girl trying to play hero."
Tori clenched her fists but refused to let their words get to her. Instead, she raised her duel disk. "We're not here to listen to you run your mouths. We're here to duel!"
Scorch let out a chuckle. "Oh? You think you two can take us?" He cracked his knuckles. "Fine by me. We were getting bored anyway."
Shark smirked, stepping forward. "Just don't slow me down, Tori," he muttered. "I'll handle these punks."
Tori shot him a sideways glance. "I can handle myself, you know."
Chills laughed. "Oh, this is adorable. You two lovebirds should focus less on bickering and more on preparing to lose."
Scorch activated his duel disk with a flick of his wrist, the holographic interface lighting up. "Enough talk. Let's heat things up!"
Chills followed suit, adjusting his scarf as his duel disk flared to life. "And I'll make sure to cool things down when we're done with you."
Shark and Tori locked eyes for a brief moment before activating their duel disks. They might not have been the perfect team, but right now, they had a common goal—winning.
All four duelists took their positions as the air crackled with energy.
"DUEL!"
The holographic duel field flared to life, illuminating the museum's dim interior with a bright glow. Scorch and Chills stood confidently on their side of the field, their teamwork evident in the way they grinned at each other before looking at their opponents.
Scorch adjusted his duel disk. "Since we challenged you two, we'll be going first! Oh, and since this is a tag team duel, you both still have life points, but they're combined this time, so we both have 8000 life points."
Chills smirked. "And don't get cold feet now, Shark. We wouldn't want you to freeze up before the real duel starts."
Shark scoffed. "Just play already."
Scorch began his turn. "I'll start things off by Normal Summoning Laval Magma Cannoneer!"
A warrior clad in burning red armor appeared, its shoulder-mounted magma launchers glowing with intense heat.
Laval Magma Cannoneer
Level 4
1700 ATK / 200 DEF
Effect: Once per turn: You can send 1 FIRE monster from your hand to the Graveyard; inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the discarded monster's attack points.
Scorch grinned. "Now, I'll activate Cannoneers's special ability by sending one Fire Monster from my hand into the Graveyard. You take damage equal to half of their total attack points. And I chose Laval Lancelord."
Laval Lancelord Level 6
2600 ATK / 200 DEF
•Effect: If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage.
A lava-cloaked knight emerged, gripping a molten spear as flames burned in his eyes and went into the grave. He got turned into a cannonball and blasted at them, which made Tori and Shark wince as their life points took a massive hit.
Shark and Tori:8000-1300=6700
"Hey! You can't attack on your first turn! That's against the rules!" Tori shouted, Astral appearing next to her.
"Calm down, Tori, since he could not attack you with his monsters, but they can still do damage thanks to his monster's abilities," Astral explained, which annoyed Tori. She got up while Scorch continued.
"And now, I play the spell card, Rekindling! This spell allows me to Special Summon FIRE monsters from my Graveyard with 200 DEF or less, and then I can make another FIRE monster on my field at the same level as the monster I bring back, so return to the field, Laval Lancelord!" Scorch explained as the knight returned, and the cannoneer became level 6 thanks to the spell.
Tori's eyes widened. "Wait, Scorch has two Level 6 monsters out now. Meaning, he's about to XYZ summon."
Scorch grinned. "You got that right! Now, I overlay my Level 6 Laval Lancelord and Laval Magma Cannoneer to construct the Overlay Network!"
The two fiery monsters swirled together, forming a vortex of molten lava. Scorch raised his hand, and a brilliant red light shone through the dark, revealing the Xyz monster that would appear.
"Rank 6 Xyz Summon! Rise, Number 61: Volcasaurus!"
Number 61: Volcasaurus – Rank 6 / 2500 ATK / 1000 DEF
•Effect: Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target one face-up monster your opponent controls; destroy it, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to its original ATK. This monster cannot attack directly the turn this effect is used.
Overlay Units: 2
Scorch crossed his arms. "Normally, I would begin torturing you, but I think I'll let you two off the hook for now, so I'll put two cards facedown and end my turn. Your move, Shark."
"It's about time! I draw, and I'm bringing out Big Jaws, and thanks to the Shark Stickers effect, I can special summon him from my hand." Shark said that as Big Jaws and Shark Stickers appeared on the field, Shark then overlayed them both to summon Submersible Aero Shark.
"And get ready because, thanks to Aero Sharks' special ability, you both take three hundred points of damage for each card in my hand, and since I have four of them, you take 1200 damage," Shark said with a smirk as Chills laughed.
"We were hoping for that since I activated my Growing Snowball's effect! Since I can special summon it if we're about to take damage from an effect or battle." Chills said as a tiny snowball with glowing blue eyes appeared before the missiles changed direction and went into the snowball, making it expand a moment until it burped with smoke coming out of its mouth.
Growing Snowball
Level 5
ATK 0/ DEF 0
Effect: Special summon when taking damage from battle or an effect, then double the damage that you would've taken, and that becomes this card's attack and defense points.
"Oh, and there's more. Since he's eaten the missiles, the damage we would've taken is now doubled and becomes his attack and defense points." Chills explained as the snowball grew until it became taller than Chills and roared as its attack and defense were now 2400.
"Grr. I'll put a card facedown and end my turn," Shark said before Chills went next.
"Why, thank you, Shark. Now I'll summon Megalosmasher X!" Chills said as the massive dinosaur appeared and roared until Chills continued. "And now I play Level Changer, which allows me to alter my monster level by one, so he's moving from level four to five."
Megalosmasher X
Level 4/Normal Monster
ATK: 2000 DEF:0
"And now I overlay Megalosmasher X and Growing Snowball and bringing out my Number!" Chills said as a swirling blizzard erupted as the two ice monsters combined, forming a towering white dinosaur with frozen spikes protruding from its back.
Tori and Shark felt the cold as the massive dinosaur growled and looked down at them before it roared as it was placed in defense mode.
"Say hello to Number 19: Freezadon!"
Number 19: Freezadon – Rank 4 / 2000 ATK / 2500 DEF
•Effect: Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 Xyz Monster you control; attach one monster from your Graveyard to that target as Xyz Material.
Overlay Units: 2
Shark clenched his fists. "This is getting ridiculous."
Tori's heart pounded while Chills ended his turn with two facedown cards. "How do we deal with two Numbers right out of the gate?"
"Calm down, Tori, since you do recall that you have a Number of your own, don't you?" Astral asked, which made Tori recall her ace as she then drew her sixth card.
Tori smiled as she placed her card down. "Alright, it's time to show you what my deck can do since it's time to high-five the sky!"
She held out her hand and chanted, "I summon the Angel of Creation - Venus!"
The radiant figure of Venus, an angelic fairy with golden wings, appeared on Tori's field, her beauty and grace glowing in the light.
"Now I activate Shining Light Reinforcements, which allows me to summon four Mystical Shine Balls from my deck!" Tori said with confidence as the four mystical orbs materialized on her field, their bright, sparkling energy making her Life Points surge slightly.
"Next, I'll activate Shining Transformation, this spell card that lets me sacrifice two of my Mystical Shine Balls from the field to increase the levels of my remaining Shine Balls by two. But that's not all—each Shine Ball sacrificed grants me five hundred extra Life Points, so I'll gain a total of a thousand Life Points!"
Tori's Life Points increased as the two Shine Balls disintegrated, and the remaining two balls glowed even brighter, their forms now at Level 4 with a combined surge of energy.
Tori and Shark: 6700 plus 1000=7700
"Now, let's kick it into high gear!" Tori said with excitement. "I overlay these two Mystical Shine Balls to summon my Number!"
A brilliant flash of light erupted, and Tori's entire field seemed to brighten with power as a giant, radiant figure emerged.
"Come forth, Number 39: Utopia!" Tori declared that the warrior of light had appeared and prepared itself for battle.
"And I'm not done since I play Light Reflection, which allows me to not only copy a light monster on my field into two copies of my own, but I can use them as an overlay unit, so by turning this spell into a copy of Venus, I can now overlay my three level three Venus to bring out another one so say hello to Number 34: Terror Byte!"
The massive mechanical beetle hissed as it emerged in defense mode, which made Tori smile since now she had a monster on both offense and defense.
"Now it's time to attack!" Tori shouted as she began her assault. "Utopia, attack Freezadon with Rising Sun Slash!"
"What are you doing? Neither will be destroyed since my Freezadon's defense points equal your monsters' attack points!" Chills said, surprised by the girl until he saw Tori smirk with the two cards in hand.
'Unless she's got a spell waiting for me.' Chills thought as he activated one of his facedown cards.
"I activate my Ice Barrier trap card, which prevents one WATER monster on my field from being destroyed in battle this turn. This trap is a continuous trap card, so you're out of luck," Chills said, but Tori still smiled as she activated a card in her hand.
"Thank you. I was hoping you would play a trap since now I play Mystical Space Typhoon! Which sends your facedown packing, bye-bye!" Tori said as the typhoon from the spell destroyed his facedown card, shocking Chills, and Scorch before Shadk realized what she had done.
"It's not bad psyching out Chills since you were hoping to see one of his facedowns to get rid of, weren't you?" Shark asked, which made Tori giggle as she stuck her tongue out.
"Maybe..."
Shark couldn't help but chuckle as Tori ended her turn with a facedown, which made Chill laugh. He actually complimented her.
"Hahaha! Okay, I will admit that this is becoming more fun since we'll be able to take more numbers that our client will be pleased with." Chills said as Scorch began his turn.
Meanwhile, a spectator was smiling as she sat on the museum rooftop and looked at the duel through opera glasses. She was rather impressed by Tori's dueling skills since she wasn't expecting a member of their class to be almost as good as her darling Yumi.
"Hm. This envoy took a low-tiered duelist and made her into a real duelist. Interesting." Cathy said as she frowned that Yumi still hadn't shown up since she was hoping to spend some time with her. Cathy's cat ears twitched as she heard a familiar voice panting as if exhausted.
"M-My Yumi?" Cathy said as the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up. She then heard a voice scream into the sky.
"I WILL NOT LOSE TO THE LIKES OF YOU!" Yumi's voice shouted as if it was a war cry before a massive pillar of darkness appeared in the city, which shocked Cathy, Chills, Scorch, Shadk, Tori, and Astral as they heard someone scream until the pillar vanished, which shocked the duelists there since they had a feeling, well Cathy, Shark, Chills, and Shark did since it felt like the Number Hunter claimed another victim.
"W-What was that?" Tori asked. Astral wasn't even sure what had happened before Cathy headed that way, thanks to the darkness covering her tracks as she headed to the origin of the pillar.
"Yumi. Please be okay!" Cathy shouted since she couldn't bear the thought of losing her girlfriend until she got to the area where the pillar was before seeing her cats. A few stray dogs carried Yumi away from the street and brought her into an alley where Yumi shivered as she began to breathe at a fast rate, which made Cathy hurry down. Cathy thanked the animals for helping Yumi before she picked up Yumi and hugged her, which made Yumi's breathing steady as she felt the warmth and smelled the scent of her girlfriend, which worried Cathy before she asked her girlfriend.
"Yumi. What happened to you?" Cathy asked. Yumi was too frozen to speak, so Dark Mist appeared. He seemed a bit different since he gained some crown on his forehead, an eye on his abdomen, and a pair of wings with red jewels. His muscle mass grew considerably, and his hair gained volume. His right eye was no longer black.
"The Number Hunter attacked us. Yumi was about to be defeated until some strange power awakened within Yumi as if she refused to lose, and with that new power, she defeated the foolish Hunter but in a draw, resulting in her soul being saved." Dark Mist said as he gently touched her cheek and rubbed it, which made Yumi stiffen a bit as she muttered an apology to Dark Mist before the card shook his head as he used his wings to cover both Cathy and Yumi.
"Let's take her back to your home. She's been through a lot tonight and is reminded of a memory she didn't want to repeat." Dark Mist said, and Cathy agreed with him. However, Cathy also saw a piece of fabric in Yumi's left hand before removing it and narrowed her eyes at it.
"So the Hunter was injured after that attack. My kitties will be able to find him so I can teach him what happens to those who try to harm my love," Cathy said as her eyes glowed, and the cats' and dogs' eyes glowed as well.
The Number Hunter may not have lost the duel, but he just awakened a real hunter's rage.
Scene!
I know that some of you will want to see what happened to Yumi, but I wanted to continue the duel between Tori, Shark, Scorch, and Chills.
Yumi was about to lose the battle with Kite like before, but instead of Haru stopping the duel, Yumi awakened a dark power that would make the Number Hunter more wary of Yumi.
See you all next time, bye-bye!~