Chapter 51:

"Blake, dear, how good it is to see you again. Do my eyes deceive me or have you made more friends?" Katherine purred at her ward, her eyes sweeping over those around him. To anyone else it might seem like she's taking a measured look at the people he kept close to him like a parent who didn't want their child to go with the wrong crowd. But, having known her for so long, Blake knew better. She wasn't worrying about him; she's evaluating their usefulness.

As such, it was no surprise she dismissed everyone but Chazz and Kami, who gripped his left arm tightly when his guardian stepped closer. Katherine seemed bemused by that and the hot glare Kami shot her, deciding to ruffle through Blake's hair before checking him over as if to make sure he's alright.

"Hey." He greeted her casually, before waving at the others as their group slowly split up, Alexis and Co being the first ones to leave. "Didn't expect to see you here, what's the deal?"

"Since someone is cutting our valuable family-time short, I decided to pick you up and help you with your new apartment." She rested her head in her hand, shaking it with fake worry. "You're not used to living by yourself, so helping you set up is the least I could do before Mister Kaiba takes you away from me." She theatrically wipes away a tear from her face that wasn't there.

'Yeah, sure. More like wanting to give me a run-down of her next plans before Kaiba boots her out of his city.' Blake thought, wondering why she'd want him to go to America to begin with.

"There's no need to worry, ma'am." Bastion joined in on the conversation, putting a reassuring hand on Blake's right shoulder. "We'll make sure he won't live off of junk food until school starts again."

Katherine sized him up for a split-second before continuing with a worry-wart voice. "Oh, I sure hope so. My dear Blake is way too comfortable with eating burgers every day. And with him being so far away from home now our poor dog won't be there to keep him in form."

"I'm sure whatever Mister Kaiba has planned for him will include getting him a proper workout befitting his physical condition." Kami chimed in with an all too haughty tone. "And if not then I'll make sure he will. It wouldn't do for someone in his position to get lazy the first chance he gets."

The two women's eyes met, appearing as if challenging one another.

"My~, what a dependable girlfriend my little boy found." Katherine purred with a smile which didn't reach her eyes. "I hope you treat him well, since you surely know about his struggles."

"He's in the best of hands." Kami replied, a similar business-smile on her face.

"I sure hope so, though I'm a bit skeptical whether the prized Umino heiress isn't stringing along my poor boy." The woman's eyes gained a predatory gleam. "A handsome and powerful duelist like him makes too good of a tool to use for the elite, doesn't he?"

Blake patted Kami's hand which was digging into his arm while her brows twitched at the accusation.

"A lesser person might do that, as there sure are enough examples of those in recent times. But, as Blake can assure you, we're working together on equal footing." She relaxed her clawing at him, her finger briefly brushing over his.

"What a relief." Katherine said, locking her eyes with Blake. "I'll wait for you in the car so you can say goodbyes without me embarrassing you." She ruffled his hair once more. "But don't take too long; I have a plane to catch." Shooting the other two a charming wink, she sauntered off. Once her car's door shut behind her, Bastion and Kami turned towards Blake.

"The faster she takes that plane the better. She's even worse than I expected." Kami hissed.

"You think so? I get the feeling we're overreacting …" Bastion countered, rubbing his chin to mask the faint blush of his cheeks.

"Don't let that bitch wrap you around her finger." She replied with a glare. "I've had the displeasure of meeting a lot of people like her, and those kinds of people only want to bleed you dry for all you have before leaving you in the dirt."

"I think you might be overreacting-" Blake tried, only to pause when she got right up in his face.

"We're talking about a woman who send a child to fight for its life under torture on the regular." Kami shot back, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who kept you like a pet to use for her own interests and is scrambling to keep hold of you now that other people are interfering."

"You do remember it being my idea and going along with it in the first place?" Blake countered.

"Yes, I do." Kami sighed. "Doesn't change the fact that she enabled you. Do you know what a proper, good person would've done?"

"She should've gotten you out of there immediately." Bastion answered. "Even if you argue her wanting proof you can pull your weight, there's no need for her to keep you dueling the way you did if she could have sent you to amateur tournaments instead. It's a textbook example of making you dependent on her."

"You're both acting like I couldn't live without her." Blake crossed his arms, thus brushing off Kami's hand. "I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions." 'As bad as they were …'

"We're not accusing you of anything, Blake." Bastion tried. "We just worry about the negative influence she's having on you."

"Something you should try and think about when you have some free time." Kami added. "Who knows; maybe taking up Kaiba's offer for more than just physical therapy would do you some good."

Before Blake could voice his rebuttal, she silenced his words with a kiss.

"Take your time. There's no need to rush, but even you should see that your relationship with her is toxic." She said, putting her hand on his. "I just don't want you to hurt yourself even more over someone who'd drop you the moment you lose your value. Promise me you'll think about it, alright?"

Blake felt both betrayed and conflicted, unsure what to do. His first instinct was to ask her, but it only made Kami's words hit harder. He slowly nodded, pulling his girlfriend into a short but tight hug.

"I … will try."

"And I ask for nothing more." She reassured him.

He nodded, before reluctantly letting go. Bastion slung his arm over Blake's shoulder in a one-handed hug of his own, before nudging him towards the car.

"Send us your address once you're done." Kami all but demanded.

"And you better tell us when you're free." Bastion added. "A new home should be ushered in properly."

"Will do. See you later guys." Blake said his goodbyes, feeling unwell at the thought of not seeing either of them for a while. Once he'd put his bag in the trunk, he sat down in the car with a heavy sigh.

"Already missing your girl?" Katherine teased as they drove off. "I hadn't expected you to pull through on the idea, but after losing the income from the Abyss Arena a well-paying connection like the Uminos is more than welcome. Especially with the way you wormed into the heiress' heart like that; the poor girl's completely smitten."

"That's not-" Blake began but was interrupted.

"The earlier you use her to go pro the better." Katherine continued, talking over him without a care. "There are a lot of low-level pro tournaments coming up in America, so those will be a good chance to make a name for yourself once she does. And if not, well, there are other ways."

"Kaiba's sending me to America regardless." Blake said, the words of his friends echoing in his mind. "No doubt to rat out more underground rings while keeping taps on his least favorite Duel Academy."

"Does he now? Perfect." Katherine laughed. Where it has once sounded light and uplifting, Blake now heard the maliciousness hidden behind the pretty facade. "We'll milk them try, then blow them up like we did the last. And if he wants to find dirt on MacKenzie, I'm more than willing to help."

"Is there something I should know?" Blake questioned, the name not ringing any bells.

"We're … acquaintances." She replied looking like she'd just bitten into a lemon. "Just as rotten as the old man you got rid of, very likely in kahoots with him but too well hidden for Kaiba to find anything concrete."

"Would explain why he wants me to find something on him then." Blake nodded. 'Then this guy is connected to the Wicked Gods Kagemaru pulled out, right?' The thought alone caused a noticeable rumble from the Sacred Beast he's carrying.

"Indeed. But I'd advise caution." Katherine surprised him, not being one to let adversity dictate her plans. "The old man was a puppet master who took his time to create the perfect scenario. MacKenzie is a whole different beast that likes to act on impulse, quickly and brutaly."

"You worried he could take me down?" Blake snorted dismissively.

"Perhaps." Katherine nodded, slowing down the car in front of a huge apartment block. "Kaiba and I aren't the only ones who'd like to see him gone, but he's built a foundation strong enough to make even Kaiba Corp pull their punches."

That was a worrying thought, considering how Kaiba usually dealt with nuisances.

"Tell me when you're getting shipped to America and we'll meet up so I can give you some information." She said, turning off the engine. "This isn't someone to take lightly." Her tone was almost … fearful?

Blake scoffed, straightening his back as he puffed out his chest. "Doesn't matter. If he's an obstacle I'll tear him down like everyone before him." He opened the door before pausing. "And don't talk down on Kami the way you did."

Hearing no answer, he got out of the vehicle and closed the door behind him, taking out his PDA to look up which apartment was his before taking his belongings from the trunk..

As he wandered into the building, Katherine was left alone in her car, looking after him before he vanished out of sight. A cruel smile adorned her face.

The flat wasn't much different to the rooms at the Ra Yellow dorm. One big room, a small kitchenette, bathroom next to the entrance. It had a nice view, showing the nearby park and the Kaiba Corp buildings only a few minutes away. He didn't bother to turn on the light, despite the sun slowly setting.

Blake set down his belongings, which included the bag he brought over from Duel Academy, holding his cards, basic necessities, and gifts, as well as a cardboard box Katherine had brought him, keeping his how much stuff he'd seen in Kami's and Bastion's rooms respectively it felt … very little.

Then again, he'd never owned much, whether this life or the last. What did that say about him?

'Remember what that fat guy said?' Dark Armed Dragon rumbled but didn't appear due to the size of the room.

Blake stopped his measly unpacking, his hand tightening around the cardboard and crunching it in the process. "Stop surviving and start living or something?" He mumbled, lost in thought.

Going from one hell to another, scrambling for food and a chance to be something, only to fling himself into a literal fight for life and death, several times … he hadn't really wasted any thought about any of that. Doing his best to make ends meet and all that. But now he had his own place, a lot of money to spend on what he wanted, and most importantly no need to continue the way he did in the past.

The only one who wanted him to do so was his legal guardian.

"Maybe the others really do have a point …" Blake put away the rest of his belongings. Just because he could continue like he had didn't mean he should. There was no need to torture himself in some illegal duels when he could just do it normally and make money regardless. He wasn't a pro yet, but amateur tournaments still paid a bit of cash, and it's not like he had to share it anymore. They'd gotten a big payout from Kaiba, which probably set Katherine up for life considering their usual split.

'Can you stop being so fucking stupid?' DAD growled, this time appearing with his talons pointing accusingly at Blake.

"What?" Blake shot right back.

'Who else has to tell you to drop that witch like the baggage she is until you finally do?' The spirit pressed, his largest claw phasing through Blake as he tried to poke at him. 'You know you should leave her behind like everything else that happened in the past. I've told you, your little princess told you, your friend told you, even the White Dragon made sure she's as far away from you as possible after meeting her just one time.'

'She holds no value, only your misplaced sentiment. A leech who wouldn't survive without someone stronger than her. Nothing more but a weakling who needs you to do everything. Is that what you want to be? A damn slave?!'

"No! But-" Blake countered, his hands curling into tight fists.

'Then stop letting yourself get manipulated into being her attack dog!' DAD interrupted. 'Break her shackles and free yourself of what's left of your past once and for all!'

By now Blake's knuckles were turning white. "I'm not letting myself get manipulated! I do what I do because I want to!"

'Oh? Really? Because the way I see it you're happy being her pet. Despite what everyone else said, you always take her side, break whatever word you gave to someone else without a second thought. At this point I'm not sure it's worth staying around.'

Blake was about to lash out as the air between them crackled with energy, but his partner's words gave him pause. Dark Honest and Dark Blade appeared next to the dragon, nodding in agreement.

'It were fractured and broken bonds between Yusuke and those close to him that drove him to what he did.' Dark Honest said solemnly. 'The way I see it, that woman aims to turn any bond you have into something to abandon at the drop of a hat. And I don't see you being the person to do that.'

'My liege, while I was the one who joined you last, I've witnessed the witch's wrongdoings for the longest.' Dark Blade inclined his head. 'She is not worthy of your allegiance in the slightest. She'll cage you like a beast just like she did back then if you let her.'

'If that witch told you to use the little princess for her gain, would you?' DAD asked. 'If she decides the girl lost her value and tells you to drop her for someone else? Tells you to get rid of her?'

"Of course I fucking wouldn't!" This time he lashed out, surprising both him and the spirits when his fist connected and sent the dragon reeling back. "I'd never treat Kami like that, much less do anything to her."

'How amusing.' The rumbles of the Sacred Beast shook the whole room as Raviel's eyes peered through the windows. 'You should strike her down the first chance you get. She's forged you into a mindless weapon to use against whoever she deems her enemy. First Kagemaru, now this new man. She'll never be satisfied until you either make her the ruler or break trying.'

'Yeah!' DAD agreed for once with his self-chosen rival.

'There's no need to go that far.' Dark Honest tried to be the voice of reason. 'Just … keep your distance, don't interact, and when you do encounter her, leave.'

Blake sighed heavily, all the tension he's holding left his body and caused him to stumble back against the wall, where he sank to the ground. He knew they're right, so why was he struggling with this so much? This was stupid!

A nagging feeling at the very edge of his conscience prodded him for a decision, seemingly very interested in what he would do. It also riled up every negative emotion inside of him all at once, which made his DE almost fly out of control. Almost. It was a good thing he's started getting a hold of himself after what his Shadow Charm did to him.

Just like how he wouldn't let the darkness inside of him string him along and strike out without his intent, he wouldn't let himself be controlled any longer. Whatever had kept him playing along with Katherine would stop now. He didn't need her anymore and the only thing she could offer was pain, so it was time to let go. Whether or not he could stay true to this when they'd meet again, he didn't know, but he sure as hell would try.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, breathed out slowly, and felt how his stirred emotions were fading just like his energy did before. When he opened his eyes he didn't just see what's in front of him clearer, but felt a fog in his mind he hadn't known was there clear.

At once, all spirits in front of him, save for Raviel, reacted. The knight fell to one knee, the fallen angel clasped his hands together in a prayer, and even the dark dragon lowered his head in a surprising show of subserviency. The low light of the room had lessened despite the sun being gone from the sky by now. Blake felt his senses … expand, in a way he could feel the various spirits in the vicinity of several blocks around his apartment. He even felt them react to him noticing them, before the feedback was too much and whatever this sight was broke off.

Feeling sweat running down his forehead, he wiped it away and got up. He felt exhausted, but great at the same time, despite his clothes clinging to him like he'd just ran a marathon. The spirits started vanishing one after the other, every one of them seemingly pleased with his decision.

Shaking his head, Blake made his way to the shower, throwing his soaked clothes into the corner before letting the cold water wash away everything. He didn't know how long he stood there before his mind wandered off to things he wanted to think about more. Or rather people. If only he could spend more them with then than at-

Kaiba Corporation HQ was massive. While it stood in the middle of Domino City it seemed less like just another corporate building and more like a corporate campus. One, two, maybe three whole building blocks could've fit into the same area which span one huge skyscraper and several other tall buildings. Heck, Kaiba even had his own helipad. Fitting for such a big corporation, the security was tight all around with gates and checkpoints on all sides and security patrolling the streets outside as well.

Blake wasn't sure whether that was out of necessity or paranoia, but it was intimidating nonetheless. For a world revolving around a card game and usually resolving any issues with it, seeing Kaiba's agents armed with what were certainly no duel disks was also a weird experience.

"Name, occupation, and reason for visit?" One of said agents barked from his side, almost making Blake jump. The guy was only a bit taller than him, clad in a black suit and sunglasses.

"Uh …" Blake made a noise, completely caught off-guard. "Blake Moore, student at Central Academy, and … here for an internship?"

"Identifications please." The agent replied, holding out his hand in which Blake put his PDA. After connecting another device to it for a few seconds, he got it back. "Identity confirmed, you may enter. Also, pick up a visitor's pass at the reception of the main building. Have a nice day."

Blake blinked as the man left him standing there. Was … was this normal? Did Kami's corporation have similar security or was this a Kaiba thing? He walked towards the nearby gates and the security there waved him through without a second look. When he looked into the small hut attached to the gates he counted at least four screens, three of which showed different camera angles of the gate and street he just came from.

But it really hit him when he entered the area proper, both physically and mentally. Like he'd just walked through a wall or something. His right hand spasmed briefly, the area in which he'd worn his Shadow Charm feeling hot and itchy. He shook it off with a frown, swallowing a sudden spike of anger.

'What caused that? Does Kaiba have some anti-magic bs installed here or what?' Blake thought as he walked towards the tall skyscraper in the middle of the area. 'There was a reaction when I thought about the Wicked Gods too, though … am I cursed or something?'

This was the point where he'd expected some jab from his spirit partners, but none came. If anything, he felt a bit … disconnected from the supernatural energy in his body.

"Mister Moore, over here, please." A familiar voice caught his attention before he could think much about it.

Even the area outside was a hive of action, with security, office workers, researchers, and what not alike buzzing around like busy bees. If there was so much going on on the outside, Blake could only wonder how it must be in the several buildings around. There was a noticeable free space around the person who'd called out to him, who turned out to be none other than the man Kaiba had arrived with at the academy. And of course he was standing in front of a massive statue of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Hello … Mister Roland, sir?" Blake greeted cautiously, having no idea how to behave in an environment like that.

Roland gave him a tight nod. "Security notified me of your timely arrival. Mister Kaiba asked me to give you a short tour of the facilities so you'll know where to go, so, please follow me."

Blake didn't argue and walked with the man, who's going at a moderate pace indicating this would be a quick thing and there was no time to waste. Considering he's likely Kaiba's right-hand man, he likely had tons of work to do so that made sense.

They walked past a large housing block with a parking garage attached to it, which wasn't all that interesting to him, but Roland told him he could get a parking spot here in the future if he decided to get a license. Right, he did have the money to get himself something to be more mobile if he wanted to, something to think about …

Not far from the employee housing was a gym with several floors, an infirmary, in- and outside swimming pools, and courses to take on any physical activity ranging from games, to martial arts, to whatever the rest was. It would also be where Blake would do most of his physical rehab, Roland said.

"Why's Mister Kaiba going to such lengths for some orphaned streetrat?" Blake asked as they passed the large outdoors cafeteria housing stores for every kind of food one could ask for. Sure, he was the best duelist at the academy, probably all of them combined, but he knew better than anyone how much trouble he brought with himself. Was it because of his value as playing the attack dog for yet another person? Him being the holder of a Sacred Beast?

"I believe it's best to ask him yourself when you get the chance." Roland replied crisply. "Rest assured about the rehabilitation plan, as this was offered to every victim of the underground dueling ring."

'So, more like making up for not finding out about what's going wrong in his city, got'cha.' Blake nodded along. 'I wonder how many others there were …'

On the other side of the area stood three different research labs, but Blake tuned the explanation for those out as he couldn't do jack with the information anyways. Bastion would love to visit them for sure, but for someone who struggled with his homework it certainly wasn't the right place. Something about a facility to test new prototypes and Duel Monster's related tech caught his attention, however.

Naturally, there was a grand arena for dueling, having several fields for both one-on-ones and tag-duels, along with equipment ranging from the old duel arenas from Duelist Kingdom times to almost every version of the duel disk to try out. Safe for the ones Kaiba and Yugi wore during the last movie and likely did now. There even was a "customize your own duel disk"-store which he had to visit at a later date. The duel disk Blake had was a standard-issue academy model, but he could at least take a look. Who knew, maybe he'd need his own when going to America or to tournaments?

Last but not least was the towering skyscraper which would've fit right into Jaden's Field spell card. If the area outside had the busy bees collecting pollen, then the building's lobby was positively a hive of activity. There was not one, not two, but eight elevators, two near the reception and three on the walls to the left and right. There were stairs too, which had a constant stream of people going up and down.

One elevator was left completely unused and before Blake was able to ask why, Roland led him straight to it.

"Only for authorized, high-ranking personnel." The man told him, holding his own ID against a scanner at the side of it before ushering him inside. "There are plans for the different floors and how to get from point A to B. In case you need help, just ask someone who doesn't look like they'll be fired if they walk any slower."

Blake did a double-take at that, to which Roland cracked a small smile. "No, that's not happening, but those people are usually too busy and couldn't help you even if they wanted. Our leading scientists are a focused bunch, they wouldn't even hear your question."

"Kinda like my buddy Bastion, I see." Blake chuckled. "I'll try my best not to keep anyone waiting then."

"You'll be given some leeway as long as you don't take too long." Roland replied, tapping away on a tablet he pulled from Ra knows where. "The people in charge will go over your schedule in detail, but you're expected to do your internship-part during the morning and rehab in the afternoon. After that you're allowed to look around campus or go home."

"And here I feared I'd have absolutely no freetime." Blake mused, looking at the schedule which just arrived on his PDA.

"You're still a student, a teenager at that." Roland reasoned. "Mister Kaiba had been clear on giving you enough free time. And while you won't be paid, you can use the facilities free of charge as long as you don't overdo it at the cafeteria."

'Didn't take Kaiba for one that wouldn't squeeze every bit out of an employee.' "I imagine someone took advantage of that in the past?" Blake asked, before blinking in disbelief as one of the closed walls was replaced with glass and they reached a height on which most of Domino City could be overseen.

"Indeed." The man answered just as the doors opened with a hiss. He motioned Blake to follow, the two of them having found themselves in one of the highest-up floors. A short walk later and they found themselves in an office that was the very definition of spartan, safe for a picture frame on the desk Blake couldn't see.

Roland motioned for him to take a seat, so he did. "I've arranged everything you need for your time interning here." He put an ID with Blake's picture on the table, the same used at the academy, along with a small bag which held a tablet and its corresponding accessories.

"However, there's a matter I must press before I can allow you to stay here." His tone left no room for discussion as he slid over a contract and a pen. "Everything you see and hear here is to remain here. I know Mister Kaiba had given you and the other students involved in the recent affair at the academy the order to stay silent about it."

Blake nodded.

"We also know you're prone not to listen and break the rules."

Blake shrugged.

"Which is why we'll handle this in a written contract." Roland explained, pulling down his sunglasses just enough so their eyes could meet. "Once signed, the moment you talk about anything that happens here …"

"My life's over?" Blake completed the clear threat, neither eliciting agreement nor denial to his statement. "I'd say it'd be easier if you just … didn't let me near anything you don't want to risk anyone knowing about, but I also know Kaiba wants me to show I can be trusted."

He took up the pen and put down his signature on the contract. "And while I don't disagree with anything you've said, I feel like some change would be in order." Especially regarding his guardian.

Roland nodded, took the papers, and stored them away safely. "We'll be holding you to it. As the spring break is only two weeks long, you'll be here on weekdays starting next week, get a free weekend, then go to America for half a week, and lastly close things up here before your next school year begins. Your rehab will continue once you're back at the academy as well. Any questions?"

That was a tight schedule for sure. Only two weekends he really had the time to spend with his friends. They really had to make the most out of it.

"Where do I start?"

"I wonder if Kami would help me go pro early." He said out loud, stepping out of the shower. It would be funny to see Zane's look if they were to meet in a pro tournament for sure. He knew she's busy and he had no idea how much time and effort it took to arrange such a thing, but she certainly had the means to do so. Or would that be akin to using her …

He shook his head. No, it wouldn't. The plan to go pro was there, so what would a few years early matter? And despite how … emotional they were when it came to the other, he doubted she'd do something like that against her will, if her father even allowed it. She's always talking about him fondly, but to him it seemed like she was as chained down by her father and the expectations on her as he was with his guardian. Here they were, having their alleged free time but both too busy with what other people wanted of them instead of spending it together.

"What does Umino Corp do anyway? Sea traffic?" Blake plopped down on the couch, one towel around his waist and another on his head, and took out his PDA to look up some information on that topic. When he scrolled through the plethora of news articles, shop sites, and more, he started to feel woefully inadequate. Kami herself appeared in quite a few of them too, the latest one being from Christmas where she'd worn that darn dress of hers.

Older articles popped up quickly, showing him just what she'd been involved in while working for her family's company. The worst part? He had no idea which of those she would've genuinely liked to do and which were for publicity. Aside from her scheming to be the most liked and powerful figure on the island, he knew little about her, other than that quip about wanting swimming lessons and her positively massive library of barely hidden smut.

He put down the device with a sigh, leaned back, and crossed his arms over his eyes. That'd have to change. She knew everything about him and he'd fumbled even the basics. Not like he knew what those were, but still. To be fair, it wasn't like he had much going for himself other than dueling and with everyone else being busy he'd have to find something to do with what free time he had.

A hobby or two outside of dueling would certainly do him good, maybe one for when he's alone and one to share with someone else? He'd never been at such a point and now he didn't know what to do.

Perhaps his internship would give him some answers. It'd be the least considering the time it took from him, but considering what he's done there up until now he wondered if his contributions had any value to begin with. He looked outside the window towards the buildings in the distance, only for his eyes to widen when he noticed a familiar blue-haired girl step out of a car down below.

…

"Thank you, James. Please do pick me up tomorrow morning like we'd discussed. Have a nice evening." Kami thanked her driver, a bag slung over her shoulder and a smaller paper bag in her hand. The man inclined his head, unable to hide the smile on his face before driving off.

The paper bag crumbled just a bit as she was reminded of how several of the employees of her household had reacted to her the past few days.

"Miss Kami, you look so happy these days!"

"Miss Kami, did anything happen in the academy?"

"You're always smiling when looking at your messages, is there something you'd like to share?"

Yet she didn't feel like she's any different? She might complete her work a bit faster than before and check her PDA a bit more often, but surely that didn't amount to much?

Even her father had noticed, having noted how pleased he was with how she's holding herself lately. They'd even found the time to speak in private more often, played a game or two that made her think about restructuring her deck, which inevitably moved her thoughts to Blake.

She hadn't told her father about him, at least not about the new form of their relationship. He knew they're working together, seeing as Kami had paid Blake in the past, but that should be the extent of her father's knowledge. Yet she couldn't know for sure if he knew more than he let on, as even for her it wasn't easy to read him sometimes.

All he said regarding Blake was for the event she's planning for this Sunday, seeing as she and the others had agreed on taking their girls day on Friday evening and going to the beach on Saturday. She doubted Kaiba would have Blake work on that day, so all she needed now was his agreement to spend the day with her and the measurements of his clothes.

As she waited in front of the building of Blake's new home, she shot a glare towards a guy who was about to approach her, quickly sending him stumbling and changing course. Served him right, she hadn't practiced this look for years for nothing.

"Kami?" The familiar voice of Blake asked from behind her.

She turned around and tilted her head slightly upwards to meet his eyes. They seemed … brighter? He's wearing the same old black shirt and pants he wore whenever not in his uniform. Some blue would do him good.

"Hello Blake." She couldn't help but smile at him. "I was in the area and decided to drop by."

His eyes went from hers to the rest of her body and what she's holding. Considering the black top and white skirt of hers, maybe she shouldn't have criticized his choice of colors. Or she should've worn her cute new blue jacket on top afterall.

"Funny, I was just thinking about you. Looks like you're more than just dropping by, though." He replied with a playful smirk, not the mean one he tended to give others while dueling.

"I imagined us talking for a while and I wouldn't want to call for a pickup too late." Kami replied. "There are a few things I'd like to go over, you know."

"Mhm, I'm sure. Going over something with you is certainly something I'd be up for." Blake teased and took both bags she brought with her while she was busy blushing.

"Not like that!" She hissed.

"We'll see when we get there." He mused and jerked his head towards the entrance before walking past her.

"And here I thought you said you weren't like the other boys? I fail to see the difference in how often you bring this up." Kami poked at him as they walked up the stairs to the third floor.

"Shouldn't you be happy about my healthy drive? It's something the doctors at Kaiba Corp worried about at first." Blake teased right back. "Apparently it'll take more than just two weeks to get my body back in order, shocker I know. But since the damage is centralized on where I wore my collars it's easier to treat."

Kami frowned, entering the room once he'd opened the door for her. It looked … plain. "They're not miracle workers. Given how long you suffered under what caused the scars I'm surprised they found a way to fix your issues to begin with."

Blake waved her off. "Eh, it's just nerve damage or something. Numbness, twitching, the limp. I'll live even if they can't fix it." He put the paper bag on the couch table and her larger bag between bed and bathroom. "Want something to drink?"

"What do you have?"

"Water?" He turned towards her like she'd grown a second head. "Tap or carbonated?"

"And?"

"And what?"

She blinked at him before walking over to the kitchenette and checking his fridge and cabinets. What she found was rather barren.

"What do you live off; photosynthesis?!" She turned towards him with an accusing look, only to find a confused Blake.

"What do you mean, I got everything I need? I think?"

Kami pinched her nose. "I'd expect you to have more than water, a couple of fruits, eggs, and plain toast."

Much to her growing annoyance, he simply shrugged. "It's enough for breakfast. I get proper food at Kaiba Corp."

"And what are you going to eat on the weekend where you won't work?" She sighed.

"Probably something at the beach when we meet up and takeout on the way back? I don't see your problem, really; that's how I've been living all the time."

Kami was reminded of the perfectly fake concern Blake's guardian had shown at the docks and found herself more angry than annoyed. "Of course, I see." She took a deep breath. "Has the medical personnel at Kaiba Corp given you something in regards to your diet?"

"A few supplements to take and a general plan of what to eat in which amounts, yes. Easy to do while I'm interning there, but after that …" He trailed off.

"You're hopeless." Kami groaned into her hands.

"Well excuse me for being barely able to not burn fried eggs." Blake rolled his eyes at her. "I don't have a chef that does whatever I want, when I want."

"No, you don't. Getting food at Kaiba Corp and the academy really is a godsend for you." Kami took his hand and led him over to the couch before sitting down. "Obviously, I'm not a great cook either, so I can't help you with that. So, I have a proposal."

"Wow, wow, wow, calm your seahorses. I don't have a ring." He interrupted nonchalantly.

"What are you- … B-Blake?!" She sputtered, feeling the heat in her cheeks.

Blake laughed at her reaction. "Ah, I missed this. Sorry, you're saying?"

She pointedly looked away from him with a huff. "I was saying you could ask one of the others for help or I could have someone bring food over for you. I'd do it myself but my schedule is rather full on most days."

"I'll ask Bastion for input then." He nodded. "Knowing him he has a folder ready for that exact purpose somewhere." His arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. "While I'm sure whatever your guys could get me would be great, wouldn't that look suspicious?"

"Considering what I've planned, it wouldn't be that bad. A bit weird, perhaps, but manageable." She leaned into him, giggling at his confused look. "I hope you don't have any plans for Sunday?"

"No, why?"

"Because I've been planning this special event, you see." She pulled out her PDA and tapped on it a few times to find what to show him.

"Umino Corp about to announce a new pro duelist?" He read out loud. "Okay, and?"

"It's about you, you dork." This time she's the one rolling her eyes. "No point in waiting until you're done with the academy if you're better than the Kaiser who's starting once the break is over."

"Oh …"

"Our best pro has been struggling as of late, so you'll be dueling for the spot. When you win, you'll be Umino Corp's poster duelist. You'll get a raise, I'll get the recognition, and there's a party afterwards." Kami counted on her fingers. "I'll need your measurements for a proper outfit for the occasion, and some clothes fitting a pro duelist would do you well too. While I won't deny you look good in your usual clothes, a bit of flair to give you a more striking appearance is in order."

Blake nodded along, before coughing sheepishly. "You know, I've been thinking of asking you whether or not I could go pro before finishing school just a few days ago."

"Thinking about me when you're all alone, hm?" She teased.

"All the time." He turned towards her, only to get interrupted by a kiss from his pleased-looking girlfriend. "Completely innocent thought, of course."

"Would you bet on that? Your history of winning those isn't the greatest." Kami continued, not resisting him pulling her into his lap.

"For now." Blake nodded, his arms comfortably around her back, though he sounded a bit off. "But I'd win that bet, sadly."

Kami frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Remember when we had that talk about you investigating and practically knowing everything about me? Before all that supernatural nonsense."

"I do."

"Well, I've kinda noticed I know jack about you, other than you liking swimming and an excessive amount of cheesy smut."

"I-It's not smut!" She protested. "The stories I read are perfectly innocent romance with perhaps a bit of … spice."

"Case and point is; I want to get to know you more." Blake finished.

Kami looked away, blushing at the innocent request. "Well, the day's still young and I'm staying over anyway. I brought some food … which is probably cold by now, but we can chat over a movie or two, perhaps?" Having something to talk about other than school work and dueling would be a nice change of pace. She'd have to see what to talk about with Alexis and others too, so this was a good start to sort things out.

The warm smile on his face caught her off-guard long enough for a passionate kiss to follow. "Great. Let's do it."

So, Blake got his own place now, presumably broke off his reliance on his scummy guardian, and some weird power-up? What's up with that?
Did a bit of worldbuilding at Kaiba Corp, hopefully it wasn't too much. To finish things off, some progression on the S.S. Dark Waters.

Setup complete. Free time friends and stuff chapter next time, big pro duel the one after that. I'd like to see your guesses on who Blake will duel against. After that we'll get some more action and what will happen during the next term - what could it possibly be?

Reviews:
Capito Celcor: Glad you enjoyed it! After the fluff hand will get thrown left and right!
D2268: American academy, you mean. Well, we'll see how that one plays out given Blake has no idea about the manga story. Whether he'll meet new friends or foes … oh well. Zane is getting the support he sorely lacked in canon, like, why wasn't Sheppard his sponsor originally? Or at least properly supported him? What went wrong there, man? Only question whether or not he'll be strong enough for Aster and how that guy might adjust to any foretellings. Jaden got some deck adjustments to do for his second year for sure :D
Peter Kim: No, he didn't. Trag's a non-entity for him, which makes whats coming interesting. But at least Zane should be fine, right? Full-meta Yubel would raise the bar in this fic too high, a little bit sprinkled in towards the end, probably, but not more. Otherwise everyone's deck would need modern upgrades and that's a looooot of work.
uchiha-rune: You're welcome!

Thanks for reading and reviewing guys, love y'all! See you next time!