Chapter 54 - Interlude:
Domino City - Exam Arena
"Goblin Elite Attack Force destroys your paladin! Then my Blindly Loyal Goblin attacks your set monster!" The proctor ordered, his monsters rushing into action. While their opposition fought valiantly, they couldn't overcome the goblin elite.
The examinee cried out as her monsters got destroyed, but didn't miss a beat once it was over. "You destroyed my Shining Angel, which allows me to summon a Light monster from my deck! Come; Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner!" In front of her, a tanned woman with short blonde hair and wearing a pristine white dress appeared .
"A good enough play, I suppose. At the end of my Battle Phase, my Goblin Elite switches into defense position." The proctor said, ending his turn with a single face-down as his monster switched its position.
Blair took a deep breath. With Lumina on the field, she could bring back Jain, which would be powerful enough to beat the now defending Goblin Elite, but only if that set card didn't stop her. She could play it safe and revive Lyla instead, using her effect to clear the face-down but then needed to destroy the elite another way.
The answer to her plight came with her next draw. Everything was clear now. "I begin with activating Lumina's ability! By discarding a card I summon a Lightsworn monster from my graveyard: Return Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress!" Her monster opened a bright white portal, through which came her returning monster, wearing similar but longer garbs as her current one.
"Next I use Lyla's effect: By putting her into defense position I can destroy your face-down!" The sorceress kneeled down as if to pray, before her wand shot out an orb of light, crashing into and destroying her opponent's set card, which revealed itself to be Mirror Force.
"With that you might've destroyed my trap, but you're still missing the power to overcome my monsters." Her opponent stated.
"Not for long!" Blair countered. "I offer Lyla as a tribute to summon Celestia, Lightsworn Angel!" As quickly as her monster hit the field it was gone again, replaced by a tall female angel with bright white wings, clad in a white and golden armor.
"And since I summoned her by tributing another Lightsworn monster, her effect activates! I send the top four cards of my deck to the graveyard to destroy two cards, like your remaining monsters there!" She pulled four cards from her deck and slid them into her graveyard while her angel released a hail of light arrows to destroy the goblins opposing her.
"But I'm not done yet!" Blair's face shone as brightly as her monsters. "Because this card went straight from my deck to my graveyard, I summon Wulf, Lightsworn Beast!" A muscular wolfman arrived on the scene, twirling its weapon with a cocky grin, its armor missing its breastplate to show off its defined abs.
"Now my monsters; attack my opponent directly!" Blair ordered with an outstretched hand. With a combined power of over five thousand attack points, her opponent didn't stand a chance.
Once the dust and bright lights had settled, the proctor made his way over to her. "Well played, Miss Flannigan. Considering your performance today and your written results I can comfortably say you have a bright future ahead of you."
"Thank you, sir!" Blair replied with a respectful bow.
"Now off with you to get your things. School starts next week, so you better prepare yourself accordingly." The man waved her off.
Moving over to a desk at the end of the hall, Blair couldn't help but notice a group of nervous teens nearby. Most of them were boys, with only two girls in the mix, but they all had a similar angsty aura about them. They're also all holding onto the bright red uniforms she remembered the Slifer students wearing.
"Miss Flannigan, great duel out there." The tall woman manning the counter called out to her. She had long black hair and wore a similar coat as the proctors did, only hers being red in color.
"Thank you." Blair smiled.
"After that performance I doubt anyone will oppose me on sending you straight to Ra Yellow with a note for promotion the first chance you get." The woman returned the smile and handed her two sets of yellow uniforms; one vest and skirt combo and a long-sleeved jacket with pants.
Blair blinked at her, realizing the size was picked out perfectly. "How did you-"
"When you have to deal with siblings on ridiculous growth spurts you tend to get an eye for that sort of thing." The woman answered with a wink.
"I see." Blair nodded. "May I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"Is it normal for students sorted into Slifer Red to be this nervous?"
At this the woman's face fell. "No, but this group is a special case. I'm afraid I'm not allowed to talk about it, but they're in a … rough spot in the past. I think it might be more due to the place we're in, rather than their grading."
"Oh …" Blair voiced, looking over at the group once more. Taking a closer look she noticed them trying to evade looking at the stands. Scratching, foot tapping, hand rubbing, nervous movements all around. Only a single one of them looked somewhat composed, but she noticed the haunted eyes hidden behind a large pair of glasses.
Bidding the nice woman goodbye, she decided to find out what's wrong herself. Most of them shied away when she approached, so it was the one with the glasses she talked to.
"Hey there! I'm Blair, what's your name?" She asked with an innocent smile, holding out her hand.
The boy jolted in surprise, nearly causing him to drop his glasses. With hair as bright red as the uniform he's clutching onto as if his life depended on it, he turned towards her.
"Ah … uh … hello? I'm Adam." He carefully shook her hand, his eyes trying to meet hers but looking elsewhere after just a moment.
"Are you alright?" She tilted her head.
"Eh … I guess?" The boy replied. "It's just the nerves."
"Oh. Well, you all made it in, didn't you? That's a cause for celebration, isn't it?" Blair asked.
"We did, but I doubt it's because of our capabilities." Adam answered, wringing his hands uncomfortably.
"But then you wouldn't have passed?" Blair frowned.
"We wouldn't have if not for getting waved in by Mister Kaiba." Now it was Adam's place to frown. "We can duel, sure, but even that's a stretch. We need to be able to after …" He turned quiet.
Blair thought about what could possibly give someone like Seto Kaiba a reason to allow students into his prestigious academy without the proper qualifications. Then she remembered the news, the police, and the silver-haired teen that had helped her meet Zane Truesdale back at the academy.
"Ooooh, I get it now." She clasped Adam's hands in her own, causing him to look at her in shock. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. I know some nice upperclassmen in the academy and I'm sure the staff will be helpful if that lady at the counter is any indication. And if anyone tries to bully you guys I'll take them down no problem!"
Adam stared at her with wide eyes before giving her a faint smile. "Thank you. Now I feel better about this whole thing."
"You're welcome!" Blair grinned, casually ignoring the scars she saw on the boy's arms when he pulled his hands back.
New York - Duel Academy, principal's office
"I knew Seto Kaiba was a shrewd man, but I hadn't expected him to send his newest pawn straight into the hornet's nest." Principal MacKenzie mused, leaning back in his comfortable chair as he read the report of his spies.
"Reggie" he said, glancing at his daughter from behind the sheet of paper "make contact with the Hound the first chance you get. Given his achievement and the special card he's holding, he could be a valuable asset."
"Yes, father." Reggie nodded, pushing her short blonde hair behind her ear. "May I access his file to prepare?"
The principal drummed his fingers on the desk. "Yes, but take Katherine's notes with a grain of salt. It's her fault the leash around her pet has loosened, after all."
"If that is all?" His daughter rose.
"Hmm … tell David to take charge of our newest student." He said eventually. "There's a deep seated hatred within him, we might as well hone it into a proper weapon."
Reggie frowned momentarily. "As you wish." She gave him a tight salute and left, silently closing the door behind her.
Not a moment later, the blinds around the office shut, turning the whole room dark. With the press of a button, two monitors moved down from the ceiling.
"Status report." The principal barked.
"Ja!" The face of a young man with grey hair and eyes said, fixing his round glasses. "We've made great progress with recovering the cards we've lost because of Chairman Kagemaru. With the help of our new designer the timetable is coming along nicely, so we'll have the whole trio of cards ready again soon."
"And the card to ensure their victory this time?" MacKenzie pushed.
"Is almost complete!" The man nodded wildly. "Combining both will create an unstoppable force!"
"See to it you're done before the big tournament rolls around. Don't let your little side-project disrupt the plan."
"Ja, sir!" The monitor turned off.
"... are you sure it is wise to give a deranged man like him so much funding?" A stern voice rose from the other screen. Wearing a dark blue uniform with golden shoulder pads, the man behind the voice locked eyes with the principal, his forward facing black hair barely fitting onto the screen.
"We have little choice in the matter if we want it done, but perhaps my newest pawn can somewhat ground him." MacKenzie replied, interlacing his fingers. "How's your progress, Thelonious?"
"Going as planned." The man replied. "My men have systematically moved around the academies this past year, unearthed their secrets, and supported your chosen duelist. The final piece rests at Central Academy, as we've thought."
"Then I assume we've our own men among all of them?" MacKenzie pried.
"Yes, albeit with slight alterations." Professor Viper replied with a small frown. "The top duelists of West, South, and East academies have all been tested and outfitted as you've requested. In the case of the North we had no choice but to pull out early due to … unforeseen circumstances. Which is also why only their second best works for us."
"Explain."
"According to my agents, North Academy's top student refused the offer vehemently and forced my men into an early departure. While we've known this duelist to be a cut above the rest, we didn't expect him to decline."
"Any indications on whether or not he's holding onto something special?"
"We can't say for certain as he's shown no changes in his performance and cards since he started there." Viper said.
MacKenzie tightened his fingers around his desk so hard it creaked. "He should be the optimal choice, both in terms of dueling prowess and connection to Pegasus. Try and have your agents gather everything they can once the time arises. How has your protege handled his unexpected boon?"
"Axel is … struggling." Viper revealed, his eyes narrowed. "He's doing the best he can, but he doesn't have a handle on it just yet."
"Make sure he's ready, we can't waste an opportunity like this." MacKenzie ordered before cutting off the connection.
Madrid - West Academy, Professor Viper's office
Leaning leisurely against the wall outside the professor's office, a boy with spiky reddish brown hair played with the prayer beads around his neck."What do you think they're talking about?"
Next to him stood a dark-skinned teen at attention, arms behind his back as if guarding the door. The teen barely gave him the side-eye. "If it's any of our business, Professor Viper will tell us."
"Come one, Axel, surely you're at least a bit curious." The other boy said. "If I were you I would be, that's for sure. Especially after your lackluster showing of using that card you've received from the King of Games."
Axel frowned. "I've been given a mission to handle it, so I will. You should worry about yourself, given all you have to show is a stack of useless cards, Adrian."
"Quite true." Adrian laughed. "Without the final piece, they're worthless. Only brought together as a whole will they reveal their ultimate power. Just like a puzzle."
"I doubt that 'ultimate power' is coming in handy. You can count the number of people who've managed to use those cards successfully on one hand."
Before they could talk further, the door to the office opened, which was their cue to enter. With the door closing behind them, they saw Professor Viper pacing behind his desk, arms behind his back. The room itself was spartan, the only decoration being a picture frame standing on the professor's desk.
"Sir!" Axel saluted, stopping in front of the desk with Adrian beside him.
Viper paused and sharply turned towards them. "What's the status?"
Axel lowered his arm. "Our troops are spread out evenly amongst the other academies, save for North and Central. They've been outfitted with the Biobands as instructed and are biding their time."
"Good. What about the card?"
At this Axel lowered his head. "There's been little progress in using the Sacred Beast, but the Legendary Planet has been fully integrated. Our other top agents have relayed adequate successes of their own."
Viper nodded before turning towards Adrian.
"While I may not have access to my cards full power yet, I too can comfortably vouch for my readiness. The Planet card fits my deck surprisingly well, a bit too well, honestly." Adrian said, raising a suspicion they all shared about the American principal. "But even without the final piece the sealed one will serve its purpose."
The professor shared a look with Axel, the two silently communicating whether or not they had more intel on that statement. They didn't. "See to it you're both ready for the operation. With the restructuring of Central Academy we can only imagine what Kaiba comes up with to hinder our progress."
"And what about the VIPs?" Adrian asked.
"We'll receive plenty more intel until we arrive at Central, as I fear our current one will be highly outdated by then." Viper replied. "Regardless, the goal of taking them down remains as they're the most likely to unleash great volumes of DE."
"Especially their top duelist." Adrian supplied with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Doesn't he too hold one of the Sacred Beasts?"
"Yes, and the only one recorded to have successfully summoned it besides Kagemaru." Viper harshly reminded them. "Unless you have mastered your new cards, you should refrain from facing him. Since he's going to America at this very moment, I assume Principal MacKenzie will use the chance to have his own men engage the Hound of Central Academy."
"Perhaps we'll have a new comrade before the week ends then." Adrian laughed good-naturedly, but his face was more that of a hungry predator than a welcoming ally.
"We shall see. You have your orders and are both freed from your classes until we leave, so use your time wisely."
"We won't disappoint you, professor." Axel assured before he and Adrian left. They split off once outside, with Axel heading straight towards his usual training spot. He proceeded to undergo the same brutal regiment he did everyday, but not even that helped him in his quest to master the Sacred Beast he's holding.
Laying in a pool of his own sweat, he pulled his deck from his still smoking custom duel disk, picking out the red-framed card he'd received from Yugi Muto himself.
The King of Games had put his trust in him despite having known him for but a week after their first meeting. He'd called him a trustworthy and honorable person, completely assured of his decision to give such a powerful and dangerous card to someone he'd never met before. It was foolish, but it'd stirred a fire in Axel he had almost forgotten.
Professor Viper had been ecstatic about it given their meeting was by pure chance. But what was the chance of meeting an individual like Yugi Muto out in the depths of the African jungle? Just how they suspected Principal MacKenzie to be larger than life from the sheer knowledge and power he exuded, so was the King of Games. It couldn't have been a coincidence, could it?
Once again Axel tried his best to decipher the text of the card he's holding, as everything besides its name was a mystery to him. He had precious little time to become acquainted with it and would then have to find ways to incorporate it into his strategy.
"A good soldier follows orders." Axel replayed his mantra for the millionth time. "Professor Viper is my commanding officer, so I follow his. You are a card in my deck; you should follow mine. So why don't you?"
Domino City - Outskirts
Comfortably laying on a blanket in the midst of a grassy hill, a teal-haired youth was enjoying the sun shining down on him. All around him, the spirits went along their business, relaxing, playing, enjoying themselves.
Curled atop the youth's chest, a purple catlike spirit opened its red eyes, meeting the boy's green ones. "What's up, Ruby?"
The spirit yawned cutely before stretching, its tail animatedly swishing behind it, the gem at its tip shining brightly in the sun before a large shadow turned out the light..
Jesse craned his head back as far as he could, trying to remain as relaxed as possible despite the oppressive aura now present. "You alright there, big guy?"
'... what's the point of this?' The owner of the shadow thundered.
"Relaxing. Having a good time. Enjoying life." Jesse listed off, counting up on his fingers. "We don't get as nice a weather up north so the warm sun down here is especially nice."
'... to prepare for combat?' The tall spirit pressed on, shifting its stance so the sun came through its translucent wings once more.
Jesse let out a good-natured laugh. "I guess you could try and spin it like that, but no. While I enjoy a good duel as much as the next person, there's a time and place for everything. And sometimes you need to just sit back, relax, and let everything roll off of you."
'... I don't understand.'
"No surprise, you didn't exactly have the luxury before as far as I know." Jesse said, patting the grass next to him. "But it's not too late to learn, now that you have the chance. We'll get into enough duels once break's over, so we should enjoy what little downtime we have."
Despite every of Jesse's expectations, the shadow shifted away and the towering spirit awkwardly sat down onto the ground, its wings folding behind its back.
'... and what will my part in those be?'
Jesse hummed to himself, trying to mask his sheer bewilderment at the sight in front of him. "I guess that depends on you, my guy. If you want to fight, I'll let you. If you don't, then you don't have to. That's it, really."
The spirit raised its head, starting into the blazing sun. '... I yearn to face my brethren when the chance arises.'
"My buddy Jaden said Raviel's partner was one of the two people who managed to beat him all year." Jesse recounted. "And they managed to beat those artificial monsters too, didn't they? A duelist as strong as him would be a great challenge for us for sure."
Spirit World - r̴̖̺̜͇̲̺͚͒̓u̸̧̧̗̫͔̺̽̓i̴̝̘̥͒̊͌͋͆̄n̴͈͉̆s̵̱̋̈́̄̂̆̓͝ ̷̢̛̋̎͠ó̶̻͖̤͍̖̲̤̺̟͚́̀͗̿͊̚͠f̴̻͉͓̬̆̄̏͒͂͠ͅ ̴̨͉̫̥͚̟͍̹̖͆̆͛́̓͐͂͝à̷̳̠̺͍̻̬̼͜ń̸͖͓̘̲̺͕̮ ̸̛̟̖͉a̸̢̛̲͙͙̼̜͎͉͎̱͂̾͋̋̓̎̌͝n̷͎̦͌c̷͓̻͍̑̈́i̸͇̍̇e̸̻̩͈̪̲̰̠͍͔̣͛̅̏̔̀́ṋ̸̝̋̃̎́̒̽t̸͙̭̠̾ ̸̨̰̥͉͉̄̔̚͜c̶̦̿̋̅̃̄̓̊̉̈͝a̴̛̮͗̍̊̍̕͝s̸̖̝͉͖̼͎̝̫̙̆̋̀͌̽͘t̶͓̪̠̯̟͎͕̳̰̂̇ḷ̸̤̟̳͈͎͎̙̳̌͂ẹ̸̦̿̕
The sound of metal and chain rustling echoed through the stone corridors of the castle. Sounds of battle deafening the delicate but powerful steps of a winged demon and her entourage making their way towards the throne room.
She didn't raise her hand nor stop her stride as her minions raised their staves, bolts of white and black striking down the vermin trying to guard the door in front of them. The skilled magicians decided to stay behind, raising a barrier with their combined powers so no one would interfere with them.
Releasing an ounce of her power, the double door to the throne room was flung open, its sides crashing into the walls next to them with a loud bang. The demon's face displayed disgust at the worthless traitors huddled together in an attempt to stop her from reaching their leader.
A wave of chaos energy parted the weaklings, making way for her to continue towards the throne unimpeded. Atop of it, the mad king cackled, his remaining knight brandishing his sword before making his way towards her, azure cape fluttering in the wind kicked up by the fighting behind her.
"Stand aside, knight of Dark World." Yubel ordered.
"I am duty bound to protect my king." The knight replied, holding out his sword in challenge.
"As am I." Yubel said, not even glancing at the weapon. "This castle is rightfully my king's, so reclaim it I shall. If you surrender, you and your fellows will be spared and given positions in our army. If not, all of you will perish."
The knight's grip tightened around his blade. "You expect me to betray my king to save my own hide?"
"I expect you to do what's best for those following you, Zure." Yubel pressed. "Unlike your mad king, mine doesn't see a need to harass the common folk. He doesn't seek needless bloodshed among us when there's a bigger threat searching to destroy us all."
Zure closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh before lowering his weapon. Behind him, atop the throne, the mad king laughed hysterically.
"How deliciously self-righteous." The king spat between his demented cackles, rising out of his seat. "Is that what you tell yourself? That some grand king will come and save all realms of the Spirit World from the Light?"
Yubel regarded the cackling fool with distaste. "Perhaps if you were only half as mad you'd see the Darkness of Justice's heir being the one to bring our salvation. But you're nothing more than an insane fool in need of a swift end." That said, she spread her wings and pushed herself off the ground, lunging towards the mad king with a pulled back claw cackling with dark energy.
"Oh, but I've seen the Light and its power." Bronn replied and barely stumbled out of the way of the attack, rolling down the stairs to create space between them. "There's no chance anyone can match its destruction, much less some fool who doesn't even fight his own battles!"
The mad king barely had time to react before Yubel was upon him once more, effortlessly throwing him into a nearby column with so much force he remained stuck in it.
"My king doesn't need to waste his time with lowlifes." Yubel spat, her dichromatic eyes gleaming dangerously.
"A fitting excuse for a weakling." Bronn cackled once more. "But your struggle? Your hope? Worthless. Even the Monarchs have seen the truth, why else would they've fled their posts? Who knows, they might have even allied themselves with the Light in an attempt to preserve their primordial status."
"Then they will fall." Yubel stated simply. "They've caused our world to splinter and Chaos to erupt in the void they left. Death will be a fitting punishment, a judgment the Supreme King will justly deliver."
"Hahahaha … and you're calling me mad." Bronn wheezed.
"What I call you is dead." Yubel replied, raising her hand before unleashing a blast of energy, vaporizing the column and Bronn with it. Turning towards her generals, she spread her wings once more. "The mad king has fallen! Let it be known the Supreme King's Castle is in the possession of its rightful owner once more!"
Domino City - Saio Residence
"And the Wheel of Fortune keeps turning …" Sartorius mumbled, having felt the ripple caused by the mad king's demise all the way from the Spirit World. Turning away from the window he used to oversee the center of Domino City, he made his way to his chambers.
A small rectangular table and a chair were waiting for him, a deck of cards shuffling itself as he sat down. Placing his right hand on top of it, a flash of white light erupted from the deck. Not a moment later, a knock on his door was followed by his trusted friend Aster entering.
"Sartorius, you said it was time for another reading?" Aster asked, eyeing the deck of cards curiously.
"Indeed, my friend. The flow of destiny has changed and we must respond accordingly."
"Do you reckon it's the movement of the agents of Hatred causing this change?" Aster leaned against the wall opposite of Sartorius, crossing his arms in thought.
"Let's ask the cards, shall we?" Sartorius chuckled. He closed his eyes, a dime white shine to them as he raised the top card of the deck and put it down in front of him.
"Most curious. Whereas the central position of the Fool hasn't changed, it's started overlapping with the World, creating an urgent need to be dealt with. For as the World is almighty. Without interference, the Fool will ascend and become the very power assured of beating the Light due to the actions of the former Jester."
"Former?" Aster interrupted. "You mean-"
"A Jester no more," Sartorius continued "as despite all odds, he was not consumed by power despite having lost control. Yet the possibility of becoming the Hunger remains, as power through dominance stays an active aspect. As of now, he stands as the Strength, as only with strength one can endure suffering and torment as harsh as his. Brute force withheld by control, courage, and a gentleness only brought to light by the Empress."
Aster's eyes narrowed. "How is it possible for someone so insignificant as the Empress to cause such a change? She didn't even appear in the past, safe for the last time you made your reading."
"Such is the way fate flows, young Aster. One cannot hope to foresee every possibility without going mad."
"Then if it's the Fool we want to stop and he's influenced by the Strength, we should strike at what keeps the Strength stable." Aster said resolutely.
"Perhaps, but not even I can foresee the consequences of this course of action." Sartorius revealed, making Aster pause. "Remember, whether Jester or Strength, this person was never meant to appear in the first place. Its destiny was to die seven years ago, as such its new destiny is unclear."
"Next up are the Magicians, both searching for their way in life." He continued as Aster had closed his eyes and remained silent. "One next to the Strength and Empress, the other to the Fool and World. Speaking of the Empress, I foresee her clashing with the arrival of the Priestess, coveting her status and the Strength's power, perhaps more."
"Most importantly for you, the Tower stands at an impasse. Neither upright nor reversed, it lies in indecision whether to fall and crumble or to evolve. It's kept aloft by the Moon and the Star, both of which remain out of our grasp before we can deal with the Tower."
Aster opened his eyes, a thoughtful look on his face. "The Tower stands near the Strength, does it not? Pushing it over the edge might do well in tempering the Strength."
"Hmm …" Sartorius hummed. "You are right, Aster. We might use this to our advantage. As such, I forbid you from holding back when the time comes. Our previous plan might've assured the toppling of the Tower, but due to the changes surrounding it we cannot take any risks."
"A shame, but I understand." Aster nodded. "Justice will prevail."
"That I hope, but the Justice cannot remain standing alone much longer." Sartorius revealed, putting Aster on edge. "Regardless of your success against the Tower, it'll be in your best interest to conquer the Chariot and the Sun, perhaps even the newly arriving Lovers. With their help things will be set in motion and you should comfortably overcome Fool and Strength alike."
"I see …" Aster mumbled. "But what if Kaiba or his professors interfere?"
"Judgement shall not pass." Sartorius smiled, putting the Judgment card far away from the rest while putting the Fortune between them. "I'll keep them busy until their fated battles arrive. The Hierophant shall clash with the Hanged Man, and the Temperance will either fall before the Priestess or the next Devil's schemes."
"Those are an awful lot of powerful players to keep track of." Aster sighed. "Are you sure it is necessary for you to join the fray like that?"
"I'm afraid so, but rest assured I've taken the necessary precautions to emerge victorious, even if the unexpected Strength were to move out of alignment once more." Sartorius reassured his friend. "Depending on the success of dear sister mine, this might become easier, but we'll have to wait and see."
"Understood, then I'll prepare for dealing with the Tower for now." Aster inclined his head and left Sartorius to himself.
"And I'll pray for your continued success, my dear Justice."
?
"Most curious. To think bonds could change so much, yet so little … forged in fury, tempered in ice, a weapon more lethal than even I could've anticipated … but who will be struck down by it before it inevitably breaks?"
And that's the interlude, happy second anniversary ~
The stage is getting set, the second year at Central Academy will be an exciting one. Can you guess all the bs I've put into Sartorius's's's reading? Short refresher: The Jester and Hunger aren't regular Major Arcanas but ripped straight from the Persona series. Fitting for someone who shouldn't have any business being around, right?
P.S. I wanted to get a chapter ready this Sunday in addition to this Interlude, but you know how life can be. So, instead it'll be Sunday next week, still a week earlier, I guess?
Reviews:
D2268: Found it by complete happenstance, was a great background music to write out the duel to. If only it didn't a take so long to script them and took up so much space, maybe I could fit in more story -
Raidentensho: There are many a Planet to win off of some poor sods cold dead hands. Can't greed for the Sacred Beast if you ain't ready to offer something in response ~
uchiha-rune: And thanks for reading ~
Thanks for reading and reviewing guys, love y'all! See you next time!