Chapter 2

Chaos outside. That's what it sounded like. It's a good thing Yumi wasn't outside at the moment, having gone straight home from school. There wasn't anything electrical up in the attic that she had started staying in more frequently these days other than the TV, building her deck, chatting with Catherine about her victory against the wannabe shark duelist, and muttering over strategies with Dark Mist. There was no point keeping the TV on for that. It was easy to keep to herself in the attic, especially since Yumi's family never disturbed her anyway.

Kari, Yumi's older sister, had given up on Yumi trying to make more friends or open up to others, except Cathy. Kari has her suspicions about the cat duelist because she considers her an odd girl, which is understandable considering that Cathy had an army of cats at her command.

Of course, Yumi still came down to dinner lest her sister come and drag her out. She listened to her sister rant about how she lost her article due to her computer goofing up and heard how her grandmother got accosted by one of the trash robots, which worried Yumi since she cared a great deal about her grandmother.

The chaos outside sounded odd and scary. Yumi was glad school was over, so she didn't have to deal with any of that today.

Dark Mist, on the other hand, seemed intrigued by the chaos.

"Interesting," The black being mused. "A widespread phenomenon that affected the entire city," As he continued to watch the news on the small, old-fashioned television in the attic.

"Mm. I don't think anything like that has happened before, but even so, why are you so interested?" Yumi asked, trying to guess Dark Mist's response to her question. He seemed to treat her as if she was really a Queen, which amused the Dark Duelist a bit. She liked having Dark Mist at her side as a powerful and loyal Dark Knight protecting and fighting alongside her, along with Cathy, the Cat Magician.

"It is considered an unusual phenomenon, and it is creating chaos, which means it could be the work of a Number.

"Really? Interesting." Yumi said while pondering since it would make sense in hindsight. Memories of something meant to destroy the world, so it makes sense it would be natural for them to cause chaos, wouldn't it?

"Yes. They draw out the deepest emotions of the host that they acquire if they are able to take control of the person's heart. It is unlike you and me since I cannot control you." Dark Mist said before Yumi replied.

"Damn straight," Yumi said while looking over her deck to make sure it was in order since adding Leviathan Dragon to her deck.

Yumi and Dark Mist then became silent as the duelist thought back to what had happened ever since she defeated Shark, which led to her dealing with that annoying brat Flip, who tried to pull one on her since she kicked his ass with Baby Tiragon.

The annoying class president, Caswell, who acted like a dictator, annoyed Yumi. He got on her nerves because she was not interested in socializing with her classmates, like that similarly annoying green-haired girl who seemed to be talking to herself a lot lately.

As for Bronk, well, he never bothered her again after kicking his ass in a duel and warned him that if he ever tried to take Dark Mist from her again, then he'd pay by losing one dear to him, which made her former bully shiver in fear much to her delight.

'Still, I do wonder what that Tori girl is up to since she's been acting weirder than usual this past week.' Yumi said to herself before closing her eyes to take a small nap in her hammock.

Nighttime.

It was happening again. Something threatened to hack into the main computer frame or something like that. That was what her sister had said, anyway. Kari had noticed it somehow when trying to track the path of the previous incident. She had noticed an untouched spot in the network that the hacker would surely try to target or perhaps was using as an access point.

"My lady. We're going."

"Hm? Whatever for at this late hour since I made it clear that unless it was an emergency, let me sleep," Yumi asked while stretching her arms. She got up, headed to her dresser, and changed into her combat clothes.

"To that mainframe. There may be a Number there," Dark Mist said with a smirk, knowing he could grab his Queen's attention with the idea of a new Number being part of her collection.

"A Number? Are you sure?" Yumi asked, now interested, while putting on her makeup as Dark Mist replied.

"I am. If there is no Number, we need not do anything, but I know you are not one to waste opportunities, nor do I wish to miss a chance to strengthen our deck with a new Number."

"That is a very valid point. Regardless, I do trust your instincts since they've never proven you wrong before, so if you say there is a Number, then I believe you. After all, a queen should trust their knight when it comes to gathering information on the Numbers." Yumi said as she grabbed her deck, listened in on Akari's fevered attempts to get more news on the break-in to discover the location of where she needed to go, and left the house.

Cathy called her and informed her that someone was already there.

"What? Are you sure about this, Cathy?"

[I am nya. My kitties have informed me that Tori Meadows appears to be there, and she seems to have someone with her.] Cathy explained, which surprised Yumi before going to the same place.

"Keep me posted, Cathy. I have a feeling that Tori's partner is the envoy."

[Y-You mewn-!]

"Yes. The envoy from the Astral world whose purpose is to destroy this world," Yumi said before ending the call and looking back at her partner.

"It seems that your rival/enemy is here."

"It would seem so. At last, we can take Number 39 and-!"

"No," Yumi said, much to Dark Mist's shock. But before the Number could ask why, Yumi stopped him. "We need to see just how skilled Tori really is and this envoy's skills in battle."

Dark Mist was shocked by this before realizing what Yumi meant.

"We're going to spy on her, aren't we?"

"Of course. We gain an inside look at her deck and the envoy, plus she does the heavy lifting for us. If she impresses me, then I'll let her have the Number," Yumi said as the duo headed to the location of the Number, where they'd get a wonderful show.

Later.

Yumi crept around the observatory's deck, opening the door by just a crack to peer inside.

"Hm? Ukyo-sensei is doing this?"

"Apparently. And he definitely possesses a Number. I can sense it. It has pulled out the deepest desire of his heart and made it manifest itself."

"Interesting. So, is Tori the one who has to duel him? This should be fun," Yumi said as she pulled out her Duel Gazer and connected Cathy to the duel. She was amazed and pulled out some popcorn to enjoy this smackdown.

"Let's see how good of a duelist she is, shall we?" Dark Mist said as the duel began.

Why? Why couldn't Tori inflict any lasting damage on him? Even when she managed to attack Ukyo-sensei and hurt him, the teacher healed it straight up. Even that one small damage that mere five hundred life points, Tori still couldn't even keep that.

"Perfection! That's what I strive for!" hissed the teacher, a sick and twisted grin crossing his face. "I won't allow any of my life points to be tarnished, especially not by a student like you! I was hoping that brat Yumi would show up so I could tell her how much of a failure child she is! She's incapable of doing anything at all, much less doing it correctly, so she's worth nothing in my eyes!"

Yumi felt her hands shake as she gripped the metal bar and gritted her teeth. She knew it, and it was obvious that Ukyo-sensei thought that of her, just like everyone else did when she was her cowardly self and even after she had grown stronger. And yet, it hurt so much to hear those words coming from the kind teacher.

Why did it hurt?

It wasn't supposed to hurt. S-She wasn't supposed to care anymore, was she? It would have been easier if she hadn't cared about what her teacher thought.

"Ignore him," snarled Dark Mist, who was enraged by the audacity of the man's words towards his Queen. "His ideals on so-called 'perfection' are useless to you now. All the brat needs to do is follow the envoy's instructions perfectly. Think nothing of what she says."

"I…I…"

"Listen to me," Dark Mist said with a surprising sense of comfort and warmth in the darkness enveloped Yumi, who immediately stiffened before relaxing in said darkness. "You resent this man, do you not? His fixation on perfectionism is precisely why you have never progressed in class and will never progress in anything, so long as these ideals are cherished. Because of this pressure to exact flawless skill from every human being, the hypocrisy of demanding perfection from flawed species, you have been downtrodden all your life. Deep in your heart, you despise this, do you not?"

Yumi froze before slowly nodding, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. It hurt, and she thought she was done away with those emotions, but Dark Mist could tell and knew what it was like to be vulnerable and weak.

Yumi recalled those who always insulted her and expected her to be like her old man, but she felt rage towards them instead. It wasn't necessary to inflict that kind of pain on people like her, so why did everyone constantly insist on doing so? It wasn't fair.

"I will prove his notions of perfectionism wrong! If one does not risk everything, they will not win, and we will prove that to him only if you listen to me." Tori shouted, shocking Yumi, before hearing the envoy speak to her about the key to their victory.

For what felt like a sense of nostalgia from a distant memory, Yumi let out a small, genuine smile when she heard how they'd destroy the man's ideals.

"I activate the trap card, Excessive Insecurity! Because you increase your Life Points again, I can destroy one monster on your side of the field, and I destroy Super Bugman!"

With the hulking monster gone, the switch on each monster's attack and defense points was gone, and all of them returned to normal. With Tera-Byte's zero attack points being the only thing protecting Ukyo-sensei from defeat, it was a simple matter to increase Utopia's attack power with its effect (unnecessary, but satisfying), a special spell card, and deliver the final blow with Tori's Number: Utopia.

"Good win," Yumi whispered before telling Dark Mist that Tori could keep the Number. To Dark Mist's surprise, Yumi started walking towards Ukyo-sensei of her own accord, her hands clenching into fists. As the teacher began to wake, his first sight was Yumi looking down on him, shaking, and with an expression on her face that could be called genuine anger.

"Why? Why did you let your obsession with perfection lead to this? Causing all this trouble and pain to satisfy some weird need for that?"

Yumi asked, and suddenly, the anger was gone, replaced with the same nervous and scared girl that Ukyo-sensei was used to seeing every day. Somehow, however, the teacher still felt unsettled, as if he was seeing something he shouldn't have.

"Is it because you were scared? Insecure about your real self so that you could hide behind that perfection? So you wouldn't ever be someone you hated, someone like inferior little me?"

"N…no…" Ukyo stammered out, watching as Yumi began to shake again. "I don't...how could I hate any of my stu-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!"

The sudden outburst left everyone speechless. Tori, since she didn't know who this person was while Astral, watched in shock while Dark Mist hid himself but was ready to defend Yumi just in case. He was watching as Yumi brought both hands to her face before taking a deep breath and spoke to him.

"Don't lie to me. You said it yourself. A 'failure child,' you said, 'worth nothing in your eyes,' meaning you despise me and don't give a shit about me." Yumi said as her voice quivered and hiccuped a bit, something she didn't want to show as the Dark Queen but unsuccessfully kept the tears from spilling over.

After a few moments of this unnerving Ukyo, with its uneven pitch and tone, she let out a nervous giggle.

"I hate you too, Ukyo-sensei. I thought you were different from everyone else, you know? After all that effort you put in for me, explaining things three times over and staying after class to help me? Not just putting up with me but giving me kind words and a smile, as if you actually did care and wanted to help me get better at anything, really. And to hear all that now. Im relieved. Relieved to know you're just a hypocrite, like everyone else who pretended to give a shit about me."

Ukyo found himself speechless as a smile crept its way across Yumi's face through the tears, one side of her mouth twitching as if it had been unused to such an action for so long.

"I hate you. I don't need you. I don't need yours or anyone else's standard of perfection. It's a good thing knowing that now. See, you never teach," Yumi said before walking away until Tori called out to her.

"Wait! Who are you?"

Tori asked before Yumi turned around and stared at her for a moment until she replied to her.

"Call me Carmilla," Yumi said before using a grappling hook to leave the observatory and the duelists alone and heading to one of the only places she felt like she could fall apart and be comforted: Cathy.

Tori, Astral, and Caswell were shocked by Carmilla's words to their teacher, while Ukyo couldn't bring himself even to move. Instead, he stared blankly upwards, watching through his D-Gazer as the image of Bugman came up in the Duel Network, gracing the night sky with its cheerful demeanor and bright fireworks. And despite seeing the successful fruits of his endeavors, he couldn't find any joy in it. How could a simple desire to bring happiness have gone so wrong?

He was a failure of a teacher, wasn't he?

Dark Mist lingered in the shadows, watching the fallout of Yumi's—or Carmilla's—outburst. The look of brokenness on Ukyo's face disgusted him, but a part of him understood. Perfection, the pursuit of it, was the bane of existence. Even now, the teacher was grappling with his inadequacies, brought to life by the Number's influence, much like Yumi's insecurities had once surfaced and nearly consumed her.

"Foolish humans," Dark Mist muttered under his breath. "Perfection is a hollow lie, a prison. The deeper they chase it, the more they entangle themselves in their webs of failure."

As Yumi—or Carmilla now—moved further away from the observatory, her mind was still racing. The moment had been cathartic but painful, like tearing off a bandage over a wound she thought had healed. Her heart ached in the aftermath, but the tension in her chest slowly began to ease as she walked further away. Cathy was waiting for her, as always, and she could feel Dark Mist's presence comforting her, even if his methods were far from gentle.

The alleyway Yumi entered was dimly lit, a fitting contrast to the bright observatory lights. Cathy's cats slinked out from the shadows, rubbing against Yumi's legs as if sensing her inner turmoil.

"Nya, there you are," Cathy's voice rang out softly as she emerged from the shadows, her usual mischievous grin replaced with concern. "My kitties told me what happened, nya."

Yumi gave a small nod, slumping against the wall and sliding down to sit, her arms resting on her knees as she buried her face in them. "I snapped, Cathy. I wasn't supposed to care what Ukyo-sensei thought anymore… but I did. And it hurt."

Cathy sat beside her, the silence between them filled with the soft purring of the cats. "It's okay to care, Yumi. You're not a machine. But remember, you don't have to be perfect for anyone. Not for Ukyo-sensei, not for your classmates, and not even for me, nya. You're strong because of what you've been through. And because you choose to rise above it."

Yumi let out a small laugh, wiping the remnants of tears from her eyes. "I guess so. But it's still hard, you know? It's like I'm always trying to prove something to someone that I'm...not broken."

Cathy nodded, leaning her head on Yumi's shoulder. "I know. But you've got us, me and our kitties. And Dark Mist, too, nya."

Dark Mist's shadow loomed larger behind them, his voice low but protective. "You are more than what they think of you, Yumi. You are a queen. You don't need their approval. You wield a power they will never understand."

Yumi smiled faintly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, both of you." She reached into her pocket, feeling the weight of her deck. It wasn't just about dueling anymore. It was about proving to herself that she could stand tall, even when the world tried to tear her down.

The night air was cool, and for the first time in a long while, Yumi felt at peace—even if only for a fleeting moment. She had faced the darkness inside her and hadn't let it consume her. And that, in itself, was enough.

"So, Carmilla, nya?" Cathy teased, breaking the silence. "Is that your new dueling name now?"

Yumi chuckled softly, leaning back against the cold brick wall. "Maybe. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Cathy giggled, her voice light and playful. "Definitely. Queen Carmilla, nya, ruler of the Darkness and the Dark Numbers. It suits you."

Yumi waited to respond. She gazed up at the stars, feeling the weight of everything that had happened slowly slip away. "Yeah," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "It really does."

As the night deepened, Yumi hesitated, still feeling the aftershocks of her emotional confrontation with Ukyo-sensei. She wasn't sure she could face her home right now, not with Kari's incessant questions or her grandmother's quiet concern. She needed space, somewhere that felt safe, away from the world's expectations, somewhere she wouldn't be judged.

"Cathy?" Yumi's voice was soft, almost unsure. "Do you mind if I… stay at your place tonight?"

Cathy blinked, her large, curious eyes softening. "Of course, nya. You don't even have to ask."

Yumi let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, grateful for Cathy's easygoing nature. They began to walk together toward Cathy's home, tucked away in a quieter part of the city, surrounded by an almost unnatural calm that Yumi found comforting.

For a mansion, that is.

Once they arrived, Cathy insisted on running a warm bath for Yumi. The hot water soothed her tense muscles, and the steam cleared her mind. It was like washing away the remnants of the day—the anger, the sadness, the confrontation. For the first time since the outburst, Yumi felt the heaviness lift off her chest like a burden was lifted from it.

After the bath, Cathy prepared a light but warm meal—soup, which was simple but comforting. They ate in comfortable silence, and Cathy's presence beside her was a quiet reminder that she wasn't alone. It was a rare feeling—one of safety. Yumi hadn't felt that way in a long time.

Once the meal was finished, Cathy led Yumi to her room, where she handed her a set of soft, cozy pajamas. Yumi smiled, feeling a wave of affection for her friend. Cathy never judged her and never pushed her to be anything other than what she was.

After changing, Yumi crawled into the bed, feeling the soft warmth of the blankets and Cathy's arms as she snuggled beside her. Cathy's cats curled up around them, forming a comforting ring of fur and warmth. Yumi relaxed fully, letting herself be vulnerable, letting herself feel tired and worn without the pressure of having to be strong. Cathy's arms around her felt like a shield against the world.

"You're safe here, Yumi. You can just be you," Cathy whispered, her voice laced with affection. Yumi could feel her heart swell at the words. It was what she needed to hear. She nuzzled closer, letting her eyes drift shut as she breathed in the soft scent of Cathy's home, the familiarity of it.

Dark Mist, who had been watching silently from the shadows, allowed himself a rare moment of gratitude. He smiled with a small but genuine expression. Though he often kept to the background, his presence looming over Yumi like a protective force, tonight, he was simply thankful that she had someone like Cathy. He could sense Yumi's sadness and loneliness, as well as the strength she held and her determination to push forward despite it all.

As Yumi and Cathy drifted to sleep, Dark Mist remained awake, his thoughts wandering as the rain began to tap against the window softly. 'I love the night,'

He thought to himself, feeling an odd sense of peace. 'The rain, the moon… they are like me, dark but gentle, quiet yet full of meaning.'

His eyes, though devoid of light, seemed to reflect the soft glow of the moon through the window. He understood Yumi's sadness better than anyone. Her yearning for power, for strength, to no longer be weak in front of others—it resonated deeply with him. He remembered the night they first met, the moment she had called out for something greater, something that would allow her to shed the skin of the girl who had been stepped on, mocked, and dismissed.

'She wanted to become strong, and I responded to that.' Dark Mist mused as he watched her sleep. 'But even in her strength, she is soft with those she trusts. She allows herself to show her weaknesses to those she loves. That is what makes her different from me. She can still hold onto the light even as she embraces the darkness.'

The gentle rhythm of the rain and Cathy's soft breathing created a serene backdrop to his thoughts. He lingered by the window, watching over them both, his mind wandering between memories and the present moment.

Yumi, even in her vulnerability, was a force to be reckoned with. 'And I will continue to stand by her side,' he vowed silently, his voice echoing only in the confines of his mind. 'For she is my queen, and I will protect her, even from the shadows.'

The rain continued to fall softly, the moon casting a pale glow over the room as the night deepened. In that quiet moment, everything felt peaceful, even for Dark Mist.

The Next Day.

In the end, it was found that while he truly didn't mean any harm and actually fixed something in the systems with his hacking, Ukyo-sensei still had to be held accountable for the chaos his hacking had caused earlier in the day. With the lengthy legal actions that had to be taken out, even for a simple sentencing like this, it was apparent that he wouldn't be coming back to teach that year at the very least.

Yumi pretended to care as her class was delivered the news the next day. Some of the sharper-eyed students picked up on this and moved to question her during free time, but Cathy hissed and scared them away with her felines, which made Yumi relax with her girlfriend.

However, a certain duelist was confident of finding Carmilla while spying on the duo because Astral had spoken to her earlier about the two of them having a number, one possibly being Carmilla.

"There's no way. Yumi Tsukuma, the quiet girl in class, the same person as Carmilla? It couldn't be her, right?" Tori asked herself while Astral stayed in the key.

Scene!

The decision to have Yumi confront her darkness, despite being the "Queen of Darkness" in the underground dueling world, was intentional. As readers, you've seen her as a strong and fierce duelist, but even someone with that level of power and confidence has emotional battles that need to be faced. Yumi's title as the "Queen of Darkness" might imply that she's fully in control of that chaos within her, but the truth is that she still carries wounds—emotional scars that influence how she views herself and the world.

In many ways, Yumi's struggle reflects a deeper truth: no matter how strong or confident someone appears, they often have their inner demons to confront. Her outward persona of power and control masks the insecurities that lie underneath, insecurities born from years of being judged, pressured, and made to feel inadequate. Her character development needs to show that even as she rises in power, she must also come to terms with her vulnerability and unresolved feelings.

This is why I included her emotional confrontation with Ukyo-sensei. Even though Yumi has seemingly embraced her strength as a duelist, hearing those harsh words from someone she once trusted opened up old wounds. It's not easy for someone like Yumi, who has built up walls of strength and self-reliance, to face her insecurities. Yet, that confrontation allows her to grow. In this moment, Yumi learns that true strength doesn't just come from power—it comes from accepting the parts of herself that are hurt, broken, or insecure and turning that into a source of resilience.

Yumi's bond with Dark Mist, her loyal Dark Knight, is also a reflection of this inner journey. Dark Mist understands her darkness because he, too, is born from chaos. Together, they represent the idea that real strength is forged not by ignoring your weaknesses but by embracing them. Yumi's vulnerability is what makes her relatable, even as she holds the title of the "Queen of Darkness." It's a reminder that no matter how powerful we become, we are all still human—flawed, imperfect, and always learning to balance the light and dark within us.

In this story, Yumi's journey isn't just about winning duels or amassing power; it's about her evolution. She's learning to face her inner demons, accept her flaws, and build stronger connections with those she trusts, like Cathy. This is what makes her story compelling—not just the duels but the emotional battles she fights behind the scenes.

I hope this gives you some insight into Yumi's character and why it was important to show her facing her darkness, even as she embraces the title of "Queen of Darkness." Everyone, no matter how strong, has moments of vulnerability—and it's in those moments that true growth happens. Thank you for reading!