Well, this was a no-brainer; Full Force was nice but kind of useless at the moment.
Adding Graceful Charity to your hand, you don't waste a second in slapping it down.
"Next I'll activate my Graceful Charity! Drawing 3 cards straight from my deck, but then I have to discard 2." You explain, tearing the top 3 cards of your deck.
.
------------>
.
…What the actual fuck? If not for having Spell Sanctuary in reserve you might actually have gotten mad here.
Still though, you still needed to pick which 2 to get rid of here
You take your Dark Magician and Ray before discarding them to the graveyard, making a mental note to head to your Soul Palace later to make it up to her.
"And now why don't we start the beginning of the end?! Firstly, I'll activate my set Lightning Vortex! Discarding a card from my hand to destroy all face-up monsters you control!" You call out as black storm clouds appear above Tea's field before, without warning, a barrage of lightning begins to rain down, destroying her Puddingcess and Marshmacaron in an instant.
Even as she raises her arms to block out the flashing light, Tea doesn't miss a beat. "Not so fast! I activate my Marshmacaron's effect! When he's destroyed on the field, I can immediately summon two more copies!" Tea calls out as the lightning finally dies down, with two more Marshmacarons in place of the previous one.
"Not bad at all, Tea! But I'm far from done; next up I'll activate my Spell Sanctuary, allowing the both of us to add one spell from our decks to our hands!" You say it, already knowing what you wanted without needing to look.
As soon as Tea finishes adding the card she wished for to her hand, you can no longer resist, immediately slapping down the card you had so desperately needed.
"Now I'll activate my Harpie's Feather Duster! Destroying every spell and trap card you possess, including this infuriating Swords of Revealing Light!" You say with a grin, watching with satisfaction as the intense winds from the fan begin to destroy all of Tea's cards.
"I activate my Waboku!" Tea desperately calls through the howling winds even as she covers her face, three nuns appearing on her side of the field and protecting a barrier over her monsters before they vanish.
.
----------------->
.
"Tch! More stalling, Tea!? You're only delaying the inevitable!" You call out as you throw your arm out.
"No matter, even if I can't destroy your monsters, I can at least see what your face-down is! Go on, Ascended Dragon, attack her face-down, Trinity Horn Cataclysm!" You roar out as each of your Ascended Dragons' horns begins to glow, one a deep red, another a pale green, and the last an almost peaceful blue before the glowing suddenly intensifies and blasts off into a tricolored wave of destruction directly at Tea's monster.
…For half a second you see an old recognizable form through the barrage of color before you hear a roar from beside you.
.
--------->
.
"ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY NOT!" Ruby cries out, genuine fury in her voice, before the silhouette in the attack seems to warp for a moment as the attack finally dies down.
.
-------------->>
.
…Alright, you could accept this, you suppose; Ruby and Tea WERE close.
Tea blinks in surprise as she takes in her new monster, obviously too stunned for words, though thankfully to the audience it probably just looks like she was recovering from being so close to the attack.
"U-uhh, I, uhh, I activate my Old—" Tea practically jumps as Ruby practically squawks from her place on her throne. "—I-I mean, my Young Petty Magician's effect! When she's flipped face-up, I can target 1 monster you control and destroy it, and I'll be choosing your Ascended Dragon!"
Suddenly the Ruby on the field blinked, and as you looked over, you saw the actual Ruby now peacefully napping on the throne.
…Well, this would be interesting, but she better not complain if you end up having to destroy her.
The Ruby on the first just smirked, holding out her staff directly to your Ascended Dragon. "Let's do this, bestie! With our powers combined, there's no obstacle we can't overcome! Ruby😤 Red ❤️🔥 Beeeeam~!" Ruby cries out as she fires off her blast, though as it approached Ascended Dragon, one of his horns began to glow, the attack suddenly swerving off track as Tea and Ruby gasped.
"Heh~ did I forget to mention? My Ascended Dragon has a special ability or two of his own, and one of them just so happens to be the fact that you can't target him with card effects." You say smugly as Tea glares over at you while Ruby pouts.
"'Koto! You can't do that! I'm meant to look super cool by beating the big dragon!" Ruby whined as she stomped her feet.
…Maybe pick some wine up with those chocolates.
.
----------->
.
Though for now you just ignore Ruby and shrug.
"Well? That was all I had left to do; it's your turn now, Tea. Let's see if you can pull something out of your hat." You comment with a smirk.
Tea just takes another deep breath at that and draws, though as she does, her eyes widen before she smirks over at you.
"Oh, I can do more than just tricks! Here, let me show you!" Tea said as she immediately slapped down a card.
"To start I'll take a page out of your book and activate my Monster Reborn to bring back my Puddingcess back to the field!" Tea roared out as her monster reappeared, giving a twirl and winking at the audience as they all cheered.
"Next, I activate her effect again! Returning one of my Macaraons back to my deck to get rid of your Ascended Dragon!" Tea called out as one of her Macaraons was converted to chocolate.
You narrowed your eyes at that, wondering what she could possibly be up to. There was no way she had forgotten your words that quickly, right?
"...Didn't you hear me before, Tea? My Ascended Dragon can't be targeted by card effects." You say as the wave of chocolate approaches, expecting your Ascended Dragon to part it like the Red Sea, but your eyes just widen as instead the wave falls over him, consuming him and returning him to your Extra Deck.
Tea just smirked, practically drinking in your stunned silence. "Oh, I heard you alright! And that's why it's a good thing my Puddingcess' effect doesn't target!" Tea announced as the crowd lost their shit, screaming as if this meant anything!
"Tch! So what? You may have dealt with my Ascended Dragon, but I still have a board full of monsters you have to deal with, so what's the plan now, Tea?!" You roar.
"Yeah! What's the plan, bestie?! Ooh, are you gonna fuse me and the little loli together? Chocolate Princess Ruby?! Ooh, or maybe—"
Before Ruby could get lost in a tirade, Tea continued on with her move.
"Why don't I just show you! First things first I'll tribute Ruby and my Puddingcess!"
Ruby's eyes widened at that, turning to Tea as her jaw hung open.
"Et tu, Bea—!?"
Ruby is cut off, disappearing alongside Puddingcess as a familiar monster takes her place.
"Now come on out, my Starry Night, Starry Dragon!" Tea called out as her pure white dragon took the field with a roar.
.
---------------->
.
"Now let's see if you remember what this monster can do, Makoto! Give it to him, Starry! Starburst Barrage!"
The sparkling glow surrounding her dragon only seemed to intensify before slowly dimming and making its way to the snout of Starry Night.
"Fire!" Tea calls out as with that, a pure white beam shoots forth from her dragon, crashing straight into your Reshef, still standing tall behind you, and forcing you to instinctively cover yourself as he crumbles around you.
Thankfully it doesn't take too long for you to straighten out, glaring at Tea as she smirks.
"I'm not done just yet! Now I'll attack with my Starry Night. Go, hit his set monster, Starlight Flare!" Tea calls out as your eyes widen in glee, the attack heading right for your Germ.
Ha! Looks like she got too caught up in the moment—
"But I'm not done yet! Now I'll activate my Starry's effect. Go! Celestial Passage!" Right before her attack could hit your set Germ, an almost black hole-like portal opened in front of it, sucking in both your Germ and Starry's own attack.
You stare at her for a moment, wondering what that was about as Tea's cheeks slowly redden.
"...I thought that would reveal the monster." She somewhat embarrassedly explained.
Before you could respond, Tea just shook her head and regained her composure.
"But enough about that! Starry! Redirect your attack to his Grand Sorc—" Tea stopped herself, eyes widening. "—T-To his Magician of Faith! I mean his Magician of Faith!" Tea calls out desperately, seeming to have just remembered your Sorceress could float into Ruby if she were destroyed, who then could destroy her dragon.
Thankfully for her, it looked like she caught herself in time, a portal appearing before your Faith as her previous attack reappeared, blasting straight through your Faith and destroying her as Tea sighed in relief.
"...And that's all; I end my turn." With that, the portal reopened again as your Germ was spat back out.
.
------------>
.
You draw, barely even paying attention to what you drew as you added it to your hand.
.
---------------->
.
…You knew, Tea had potential, you'd meant what your told her back on the island, it hadn't JUST been empty words to get into her skirt, but even you hadn't expected this, while she hadn't pushed you as close to defeat as Angel had, in some ways this might be even more impressive, having somehow managed to overcome multiple of some of your toughest monsters.
Still, it was time you ended this.
"...It's been fun, Tea, but it's about time I put an end to this duel, wouldn't you say?" You comment with a smirk as Tea glares over at you.
"Big talk! How about you back it up!?" Tea huffed out as you just chuckled.
"Heh, I suppose if the lady requests it…" You trail off as you reach down and grab your Germ. "You've been playing this smart, Tea; I'll be the first to admit that, always wary of my set monsters, but there's one thing you don't seem to have considered: whoever said YOU needed to be the one to attack my Germ?"
Tea's eyes widened at that, seemingly to realize what was about to happen as your Germ revealed itself.
"Go on, Germ, attack her Starry Night." You say calmly as your Germ flings itself forwards, thanks to your Grand Sorceress effect, her Starry Night, and your Germs stats being modified just enough that you don't need to worry about dying here.
With that said, your Germ crashes into Starry, immediately bursting into red mist that immediately makes its way to Tea, dealing 500 damage and finally ending this duel.
.
--------------->
.
Duel won!
300 DP
Tea traits:
Friendship: If supported by your friends while on the backfoot once per duel you can pick your draw during your DP.
Favorite card! (Weak): Once per duel if your favorite card is revealed to your opponent you can select 3 cards from your deck, during your next DP roll 1d3 and add the card corresponding from the rolled number to your hand.
Win the BurgerWorld tournament!
-x-X-x-
As the holograms die down, you can't help but chuckle when you hear the crowd 'aww' in disappointment, probably let down that Tea hadn't managed to make a surprise victory, or maybe from the slightly anti-climactic ending.
Still, you paid little attention to them for now, grinning as you marched your way up to a pouting Tea who was being comforted by Angel.
"Ha! I gotta admit, Tea, you put up a better fight than I'd ever have expected." You said with a chuckle as you clapped her on the shoulder.
Tea blushed at that, eyes immediately darting to her feet as she squirmed in embarrassment.
"Y-You're just saying that… I mean, Stella was the one who managed to get you to 100 Life Points."
"Heh, that she did. She definitely put up a hell of a fight I won't deny that, but you were the one who managed to take down my Cerberus, Silent Magician, Reshef, and most impressive of all, my Ascended Dragon. If it weren't for your Life Points being so low, I genuinely could have ended up in a real mess at the end there, so take some pride in yourself!" You congratulated her as you gave her shoulder a squeeze.
"He's right you know, I mostly just immediately threw myself at him to try and win before he could summon anything, there's no way I'd ever have been able to take down that dragon of his." Angel spoke up as she continued to rub Tea's back.
Though before Tea could respond to that, you were both interrupted as Ruby finally made her appearance, running up and throwing her arms around you both.
"Bestie! You were so close! Though we'd probably have won if you didn't tribute me…" Ruby said with a pout, kicking her legs as she hung from you and Tea.
"...Heh, sorry about that, Ruby, but I needed to show off the dragon Makoto gave me, didn't I?" Tea giggled out even as Ruby pouted at her.
"...I guess, but you coulda tribute the desert..." Ruby grumbled.
You just patted her on the back at that as your attention was caught by the manager approaching, a small box in his hand.
"Ah! Mr. Yuzuki! I hate to interrupt your celebration, but I believe your grand prize is in order!"
Hmm?—Ah, right, the Cosmo Queen; you had almost forgotten.
You take the box from the manager's hand and open it, seeing your grand prize sitting on a nice velvet cushion.
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--------------->
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…Hmm, it WAS quite the rare card, but to be honest, you couldn't think of much use you could get out of it. You could slot it into your Spellcaster deck, but you didn't really need another boss for that deck, especially a vanilla. You could eventually use it in combination with your Scales, you supposed, but as your eyes drifted to Tea, another option popped into your head…
-x-X-x-
10x King's Coronation
-x-X-x-
Ah, why the hell not? It was a nice PR move, and she'd make better use of it than you could at this point.
"Hmm, I gotta admit this is quite the nifty little prize, but right now I think someone else deserves it more than me after such a stellar performance." You say as you take a step back and turn the box to Tea.
"In recognition of you managing to defeat my Ascended Dragon, I do hereby present the Cosmo Queen to the one and only Burger Queen~" You say with a grin as Tea's eyes widen, the crowd immediately beginning to cheer, obviously eating this shit up.
"I-I'm not sure, I mean you've already—" You cut her off before she can continue, stepping forward with a grin.
"It's fine! Really, take it; to be honest with you, it'd probably just stay collecting dust in my trunk if I took it. I'd be much happier seeing her get some actual use with you. If you really need to, just think of it as me making your deck better so you can give me a better duel next time we play." You exclaim as you practically shove the box to Tea, who finally takes it, albeit a touch reluctantly.
"Oh wow! What sportsmanship, folks! Though don't despair! Even with the grand prize having been claimed, the gauntlet is far from over; you may still take it on in order to get some amazing deals on your meals—" The manager starts to prattle on.
…Oh right, you also got a free meal now, didn't you? Neat.
With that you made your way inside BurgerWorld, dragging Tea and Ruby with you. You also tried to bring Angel, but she'd just rolled her eyes and said she was still needed outside to put the nobodies in their place.
…A shame, but understandable; you suppose she wanted to be diligent for her final day of work.
Which led to now, sitting inside one of the booths and munching away on your burger as Ruby sipped on a milkshake, her other arm keeping Tea trapped besides her.
"...I really should be outside, I mean, what if someone manages to beat Stella?"
You just rolled your eyes at that as you dipped your fry in some ketchup and tossed it in your mouth.
"Then the manager can come in here and get you; besides, I doubt anyone is going to be making it past Angel." You said with a chuckle, looking out the window and watching as her Angry Burger devoured her opponent's Mr. Volcano.
"...I suppose that's true," Tea said as she followed your gaze. "...Do you mind if I ask what's up with the nickname? Do you and Stella know each other?" She asked, reaching over and grabbing some of Ruby's fries even as she sputtered in offense from her food being stolen.
"Well, it's a bit of a long story, I suppose, but TLDR there was the little for-fun tournament we both took part in, and part of it had the participants wear costumes and use pseudonyms, which is where the Angel name came from. After that, some things happened, and I offered her a job working as a housemaid for my new place; it's pretty big, so I definitely need the help." You explain using a more 'family friendly' and sanitized story for what was going on between you and Angel.
"Yup! But she does more than clean the house if you know what I mean!"
…And of course, in typical Ruby fashion, she immediately tore away any pretense of innocence as she winked at Tea, elbowing her in the side as her eyes widened, a blush coming to her cheeks.
…You really should get a spray bottle for her.
"...Really? I'd have never guessed Stella was that desperate…" Tea trailed off as you quickly waved your hands to try and clear up the misconception.
"Hey! Hey! It's not like that, at least not fully; we have some fun on occasion, but that's because she enjoys it. I would never force her or pay her to do things like that!"
Which was true! You could get off on sugar daddying a bit; God knows you and Mai probably wouldn't be a thing if you didn't, but straight up paying for sex? That was some loser shit.
Tea tilted her head at that, looking at you consideringly.
"...How much does she actually get paid?"
You lean back in your seat as you try to remember how much you've given Angel so far.
"Uhh, I don't think we've really hammered anything down yet, but last I remember, I think I tossed her like 5 grand or something for a week of work?"
…You really should actually work out the specifics, but that was probably best left to Mai or your manager; god knows it sounded boring as shit to you.
As you were thinking, Tea's eyes just widened as Ruby's grin grew larger and more mischievous.
"Heeeey Bestie~ you know 'Koto's house IS pretty big, and Angel could probably use some help. We have someone else, but she really only pops in when she feels like it, and I'm sure 'Koto would pay a LOT better than this place does~" Ruby purred as she leaned up to Tea's ear.
…
…Now that was certainly an idea; Angel probably WOULD like some help, and you certainly wouldn't say no to seeing Tea more, especially when Ruby inevitably dragged her into a maid uniform.
Tea bit her lip at that, eyes darting to the side as she considered her options.
"...It'd JUST be cleaning and stuff, right? Nothing else?"
You looked at her seriously at that, putting a hand on your chest.
"Hand on heart, you'd not have to do anything you don't want to." You promise her.
"...Fine, I suppose if I ever want to fulfill my dream, I can't afford to be too picky." Tea eventually sighed out.
"Yay~!" Ruby cheered as she dived at Tea, wrapping her arms around her in a bear hug.
"Oooh, this is gonna be so great, Bestie! We can pick you up the cutest little uniform and—!" From there you got to watch in amusement as Tea's face slowly got redder and redder and Ruby barraged her with ideas and suggestions.
…Heh, this has turned out to be a pretty productive day after all.
-x-X-x-
…Another boring day.
That's the only thought running around your mind as you lie across your oh-so-comfortable couch, barely paying attention to some trashy soap opera Mai was watching as you lay your head in her lap and idly open up some packs.
God, you wish something would just happen already; you'd never have thought you'd ever manage to get bored of living a life of hedonistic pleasure and crushing trash in minor tourneys, but you supposed do anything for long enough and it becomes routine.
Right as you were about to ask Mai whether she wanted to go out and do something, both of your attentions were caught as your new maid made her way over, something in her hands, as Ruby bounced along behind her, humming happily.
.
----------->
.
...It was cute you'd give her that, but you couldn't say you weren't slightly disappointed Ruby hadn't managed to talk her into the initial suggestion.
.
---------------->
.
Oh well, shit happened, and who knew what the future had in-store?
"Yo, Tea, what'cha got there?" You ask as you sit yourself up on the couch, looking at the envelope in her hands.
"I'm not sure; it was just sitting outside the door. There's no information or anything on it, though, but of course I haven't opened it." Tea says as she holds out the envelope for you.
Oh?
You grab the envelope and open it as the girls gather around you to get a peek.
"To all duelists, if you're reading this, then your skills have been recognized as worthy of taking part in a brand new Duel Monsters tournament; if you are brave enough and wish to learn more, then gather at Domino Square tonight as the clock strikes midnight." You announce as you read the contents of the letter.
Oooh, very dramatic.
"Hmm? That's it? No info on who's hosting this thing? Are we sure this isn't some type of scam?" Mai asked as she raised a skeptical eyebrow once you were finished.
You look at the back of the letter just to be sure but see nothing. "Nope, looks like that's all there is; it might be some kind of prank, but what the hell, not like I had anything better to do today." You say with a chuckle, already knowing you are going to go.
Mai just rolled her eyes with a smirk at that. "Heh, I suppose I should have guessed as much; all they'd have needed to do is write the word 'tournament' on it in big bold letters, and you'd have been sold." Mai scoffs before taking out her phone. "I suppose I may as well ask around and see if anyone else has gotten a letter like this, maybe see if anyone has more info."
"Hmm, I wonder if Joey or Yugi got one…" Tea trailed off in thought before her eyes widened. "Oh! Actually, do you mind if I leave a bit early today? I promised to hang out with Yugi; I promise the house is clean!"
You just wave her off at that. "Sure, sure, not gonna get on your ass for wanting a bit of a break; you've been doing good work." You reassure her even as Ruby pouts.
"Awww! But bestie! Don't you want to spend time with me?" Ruby whined as tears began to build up at the corners of her eyes.
Tea just rolled her eyes at that, more than familiar with Ruby's antics at this point. "Please, I practically spend every day with you at this point; I'm sure you'll be fine for just one day." Tea said as she turned and made her way to change out of her uniform.
Ruby's pout just got even bigger at that, the tears in her eyes conspicuously clearing up as she followed Tea.
"But bestie! Why would you rather hang out with the BDSM twink than me?!"
"Yugi's not a twink! And you have no room to talk about what people are in to—"
You just chuckled as you heard Tea and Ruby argue down the hallway.
"Welp, I'm free until tonight then. How about we go get some dinner? Been a minute since we had a nice normal date." You ask Mai as she tilts her head and hums, considering your offer.
"Sure, why not? And it'll be a bit till my contacts get back to me, and I won't say no to some food; let me just record this first…" Mai stated as she began fiddling with the remote while you went to open your remaining packs.
…Mostly trash; looks like luck wasn't on your side today.
Unless…
You turn to Mai and hold out the last pack to her with a smirk.
"You want to do the honors, babe? See if my little 'theory' still holds ground."
Mai just rolls her eyes again at that, reaching out and grabbing the brand new special King's Coronation pack, your beautiful face plastered across it.
"Fine, but only so I can put to bed this stupid superstition of yours once and for all." Mai ground out as she tore open the pack and quickly began to flip through the cards before freezing as she came across something.
"Ooh? Got a hit? Please tell me it's a Demise, I need one of those—" Your words are stopped dead as you look over her shoulder and see what she pulled.
.
--------->
.
.....Okay, maybe Pegasus deserved an apology for the whole eye thing.
You reach out and grab the handsome card from Mai's hand and look at her with a raised eyebrow.
"...I still don't buy your stupid theory."
You couldn't help but laugh at that.
-x-X-x-
After a pleasant meal with Mai and an even more pleasant evening once you got back, you and her finally set off to Domino Square to find out what was happening.
"So, any updates from your friends?" You ask her as you both approach the square, your arm wrapped around her shoulder.
Mai just sighed at that and shrugged. "Nope, apparently a good few duelists got it, but no one really knows anything about it. Some people are saying it's Pegasus throwing an event to show he's still alive after Duelist Kingdom."
You just shake your head at that. "Nah, no chance, this is too low-key for Pegasus; if it was him, there'd be a lot more pageantry and flair."
Before the both of you could contemplate it any further, you both stop as you see both Tea and Yugi in the distance.
"Ah, there's our little maid now; let's go say hi." Mai says as she detaches herself and runs over to the two.
"Tea! Yugi, there you are!" Mai calls out enthusiastically.
…Heh, Mai might have been more cagey about it, but she was just as social a girl as Ruby was.
…Speaking of. Wonder what she was up to; she was out by the time both you and Mai got home from dinner and started your 'fun'.
Oh well, she was probably hanging out with Stella or something.
You make your way over and shoot both Yugi and Tea a wave.
"Yo, good to see you, Yugi. Don't suppose you have any info on this thing?" You say as you stand besides Mai.
Yugi just shakes his head at that, and you immediately know it's the pharaoh in control, just by how confidently he stands.
"Unfortunately not; I was actually hoping you would know." He responds.
You just click your tongue at that. "Tch, a shame. Looks like whoever our 'gracious' host is, he wants to remain a mystery a bit longer."
…Honestly, if this were some nobody, you'd have half a mind to leave; you weren't exactly a fan of being led around by the nose.
"Yeah, everyone I've talked to has no idea either, though rumor is whoever it is has some serious cash; my guess is Kaiba." Mai commented as she played with her hair.
Yugi's eyes widened at that, seeming to come to some sort of conclusion.
"That must be why Ishizu told me to enter…" Yugi commented quietly to himself as your own eyes widened.
…Ishizu? She was in town?
Tea, oblivious to your and Yugi's thoughts, just looks around. "This is beginning to remind me a lot of Duelist Kingdom, especially with the familiar faces hanging around…" She trails off, a note of disgust in her voice as she sees Weevil standing nearby.
"Mhm, looks like every big name has decided to turn up, got the usual suspects in Rex, Weevil, and Mako, plus some new up-and-comers on the scene, like that new kid Espa Roba; they say he has psychic powers and that's how he wins his duels," Mai said as she nodded to a nearby group of green-haired brothers.
…Tsk, hopefully not; you had enough of the mind reading with Pegasus.
"What about her, Mai? She seems tough." Tea said as she nodded to a nearby duelist.
.
------->
.
Ooh? Been a few years since you saw her around, hopefully she still wasn't mad about before…
"Oh, her? That's Victoria Monroe or something like that. I'm actually surprised she's here; apparently Kaiba crushed her so hard in one of the previous Nationals, and word was she completely retired after that," Mai explained.
…Well, that might have partially been the reason you supposed.
Still, there were like ten minutes till midnight; you suppose you could go and socialize a bit if you wanted to
.... This was probably a bad idea, but when has that ever stopped you before?
"Hmm, think I'll go say hello; it's been a while since I last saw her." You tell the others as you make your way over to Victoria, practically hearing Mai roll her eyes behind you as she mutters 'playboy' under her breath.
Still, you ignore her for now and somewhat awkwardly approach Victoria, who met your approach with a glare.
…Yeah, she was still mad, wasn't she?
"Heeeey, Vicky, been a while, huh?" you try to say confidently, but you can't quite get rid of the nervousness in your tone.
"...I've told you before, you don't get to call me Vicky anymore." Vicky— Victoria spat out as she continued to glare at you.
You just sighed at that and placed your hands in your pockets. "You're still mad then?"
Victoria's glare only intensified at that until you could practically see the fire in her eyes. "Mad? What would I have to be mad about? It's not like my boyfriend cheated on me with some dumb whore right before the biggest tournament of my life or anything like that."
…Well when she put it that way.
"Look, I fucked up, bad, terribly even, but I won't apologize again; I already said it till my throat went raw, and I know it won't help at this point. I just wanted to come check on you after all this time; I'm happy to see that you've apparently picked your deck back up again though." You say with what you hope is a sincere smile.
Unfortunately it didn't seem to make the situation better; Victoria just crossing her arms across her chest. "Oh, you won't be soon enough; the only reason I'm doing this is to deal with you! Having to hear everybody talk about you like you're God's gift to dueling after you won Duelist Kingdom has been unbearable! I'm going to show the world once and for all the person you really are and knock you out of this tournament personally!" Victoria hissed with one last stomp of her feet before turning around and marching away.
…Heh, god, you used to love how petty and spiteful she was, but now that it was focused solely on you, well…
…
…Well, it was actually still kinda hot, plus she still had one hell of an ass.
With one last sigh, you turn and make your way back over to the others, Mai just raising an eyebrow at you, obviously having noticed the little spat.
You just shake your head, conveying you don't want to talk about it, and thankfully it wasn't long after that a nearby electronic billboard sprang to life.
.
-------------->
.
Well, it looked like whatever this was was going to be worth your time after all.
"Greetings, duelists, welcome to Domino City—" Kaiba begins, and as he does, all the electronic billboards begin to change to show the same video of him speaking.
God, what a dramatic little bitch. Could his ego get any more out of control?
"But more importantly, welcome to my tournament."
Mai just rolled her eyes as the video of Kaiba paused, presumably because he expected the audience to react to his proclamation.
"I don't know what's bigger, his ego or his melon on the big screen." Mai scoffed.
…There was probably some big boob joke you could make here, but you were classier than that.
"I see you've each received your private invite to KaibaCorp's very exclusive Duel Monsters tournament, and you had enough brains to show up here tonight. Being that you are all elite duelists, we shall be using the expert ruleset for this tournament."
Ah, good, while you enjoyed the Duelist Kingdom ruleset, you didn't exactly want it to become the new standard, and it looked like Kaiba felt the same.
"And part of that also means you shall be dueling using these!" As Kaiba spoke, the camera panned down, showing a Duel Disk on his arm.
Ah, you saw what this was now: a big advertisement for his new Duel Disks. Now that they were finished, give them out to top-ranked duelists, hold a tournament, and likely broadcast it and then sell 'em like hot cakes. While you could fault Kaiba for a lot of things, his business sense wasn't one of them.
"And as another special rule for this tournament, there will be the ante rule; the loser of the duel will be forced to hand over their rarest card to the winner." You hear the crowd gasp at that, with even Yugi and Mai besides you going silent as they consider the implications.
…
…
…
…This was all about you.
That's the only thought running through your head as you go over what he just said.
You knew he wanted your Hades, and it was clear he made that rule specifically to come get him, but unlucky for Kaiba, it went both ways. Once you put him in his place again, you couldn't wait to see the look on his face as you walked away with one of his oh-so-precious Blue-Eyes White Dragons.
You glared up at the screen as he continued on, almost feeling like he was looking directly at you through the screen, challenging you to back down.
"My tournament will make the Duelist Kingdom look like a joke—" At that you suddenly feel a heavy wind blow against your back, and as you turn and look up you see the man of the hour himself, standing on the open door to a helicopter, glaring down at you.
.
------------->
.
Suddenly Kaiba breaks your stare off and grins, lifting his hand up high as he continues on his speech in person.
"Don't forget to register and pick up your Duel Disks, because exactly one week from today my Battle City tournament begins!" And with that, the helicopter left as you stayed glaring at Kaiba as he got further and further away.
…He wanted to come for the king, did he? Well, you'd just have to show him exactly what that meant when you crushed and humiliated him at his own tournament.
You couldn't suppress the grin that came to your face at that thought, already knowing you were going to enjoy what came next.
-x-X-x-
As the next day came, you couldn't stop the buzzing in your body; it felt like electricity was pouring through you. You couldn't wait for the tournament to begin so you could put Kaiba in his place like the bitch he was once and for all.
…Of course that didn't stop Mai from getting annoyed as you practically made a ditch in the kitchen from all your pacing.
"Sheesh, handsome, I know you're excited and all, but you've got to calm down; keep this up and I don't think you'll make it a week; you barely got any sleep last night as is." Mai sighed out as she ate her breakfast, Stella watching on in amusement from her place besides Mai.
You stop your pacing and take a deep breath to try and calm yourself, taking a seat at the table and beginning to eat as well. "I know, but it's just… Fuck! I could practically hear him taunting me out there; he wants me to run away and hide, but I'm not gonna! I swear, day one of this stupid tournament, I'm going for his throat! Let's see how he likes that!" You huff, slamming a fist down on the table and nearly dropping your toast in the process.
Ruby makes her way in, yawning and rubbing her eyes, having reappeared from wherever the hell she'd been last night by the time you and Mai got home.
"Hmm? What's going on?" She asks as she takes a seat on your lap and begins to snuggle.
"Heh, Master here has gotten all worked up cuz his boyfriend apparently threw down the gauntlet last night~" Stella chirps as she takes Mai's empty plate over to the sink and begins to clean it.
Ruby perks up at that, seeming to regain her energy "Oh?! Kaiba's done something? What is it?!"
From there, Mai and Stella explain what happened as you quietly eat your food—definitely not skulking no matter what Mai's look says—as you eventually finish up.
"—The problem is it takes place in a week, and I'm not sure if Handsome's going to last that long, and something tells me his typical way of burning off energy isn't going to work." Mai comments as she leans back in her chair.
"Hmm~", Ruby hums as she leans back into you, resting her head on your shoulder as she looks up at you. "Weeeeell~ We'll definitely need to test that theory later, but in the meantime I think I know just the thing to take your mind off of it. Guess who's in town?" As she says that, Ruby reaches into her cleavage and pulls out a flyer about some kind of museum exhibit.
You take it and look it over before returning your attention to Ruby. "...Never took you for a history buff."
"Oh, I'm not; let old foggies deal with that, but look who's hosting it!" She started as she pointed to a name on the flyer.
Ishizu Ishtar.
Oh! Fuck, right. Yugi HAD mentioned her at one point last night, hadn't he?
Ruby just grinned as she saw your eyes widen. "How 'bout we go and see if we can convince her to give up the chocolate goodness this time~?" Ruby purred.
Mai just raised an eyebrow in curiosity at that. "Oh? And who's this now?"
"Ah, remember when I went to Egypt? Pretty sure I mentioned a hot Egyptian girl, and well this is the girl in question." You say as you idly tap the name on the flyer. "She's got one of the Millennium Items—" You stop as Mai raises her hands.
"Alright, and that's all I needed to know. I want nothing to do with any more magical nonsense, so I'll sit this one out. I might head to the store to do some shopping, maybe tune up my deck a tad for the tournament…" Mai hums idly as she considers what to do.
From there it wasn't long after till you and Ruby set out for the museum where Ishizu had apparently set up shop.
"So, where were you yesterday? When Mai and I got back from dinner, you were already out." You ask her, giving her shoulder a light squeeze from where your arm was wrapped around her.
"Oh! Well, since my bestie didn't want to hang out, I thought I'd just keep watch on her little date. I wouldn't want that nasty BDSM freak to take advantage of her innocent mind now, would I?" Ruby said with a huff as she crossed her arms with a pout.
You just raised an eyebrow at that and looked down at her. "...And you had to do that in person? Wouldn't it be easier to follow her in your spirit form?"
Ruby clicked her tongue at that, as if you'd said something stupid as she immediately dropped the protective act. "What's the point of potential voyeurism if there's no risk of getting caught? That's like half the point!"
You and Ruby continue chatting as you approach the museum, Ruby explaining more about Tea's little date with Yugi, where she apparently got harassed by some dude at the arcade and promptly beat him in not just a dance battle but a duel afterwards.
…Ah, it was good to see your student flourishing, you were almost proud.
"Mhm! And after that they mostly just walked around. I think they went into a card store at some point, but eventually they stopped here! I followed them inside, but I lost them somehow, but then I saw Ishizu on one of the posters on the wall! So I grabbed a flyer and ran home, but neither you or Mai were there so I just decided to go look over Serenity for a bit." Ruby explained as you finally arrived.
"Hmm, so this is the place, think she'll be excited to see us?" You ask as you look up at the museum.
.
--------------->
.
....Nice place.
"Of course! And if she doesn't, she will—" Ruby is suddenly interrupted as a figure walks out the museum entrance with a sigh.
"—Once we manage to get her to slip out of those robes." Ishizu says, exasperation in her voice as she finishes Ruby's sentence.
Ruby doesn't miss a beat, immediately perking up. "Look! You're already finishing my sentences! You're practically part of the family already!"
You just chuckled even as Ishizu sighed again, stepping forward and holding out a hand for Ishizu to shake.
"...It's good to see you again, Ishizu; you should have told me you were in town. I'd have come to visit sooner."
Ishizu smiles at that, reaching out and shaking your hand. "I know you would have; unfortunately that may have led to some issues, so I felt it best to leave it for this moment, please come inside." She says, stepping inside and gesturing for both of you to follow.
You chat and catch up for a few minutes—is it catching up if one party already knows the answer to every question? —But unfortunately before too long the conversation strays in a more serious direction.
"...The time approaches Makoto, the day where my brother shall either be saved or lost forever is almost upon us, I hope you remember our deal?" Ishizu says seriously as she stares at you.
You nod in kind at that. "Yeah, you want me to wipe out every other XIII-User to try and minimize anything going wrong with your plan, unfortunately though I still have no clue where any of them are." You admit, expecting her to be frustrated but instead she just nods as if that was expected.
"Unfortunate. But not unexpected, thankfully with the coming tournament I believe it is highly likely they shall all appear there, even with my fragmented visions it is this coming tournament that is the most shrouded." Ishizu explains.
…Right on, now not only would you get to humiliate Kaiba in front of the entire world but also complete your set of one-of-a-kind magical cards. What was it? Christmas?
"Ah, that's good to hear, hopefully I can sweep them all up quick, you then can save your brother, I win the tournament and we all walk away happy."
As Ishizu goes to reply to that, Ruby suddenly pipes up, stopping her in her tracks.
"Right, right, boring plan out of the way! Now on to more important things! Like the fact there's still one other promise to keep here! If I remember correctly, Makoto promised to show you around Domino on a date when you got here, didn't he? Well, why don't we get on with it then?!" Ruby chirped even as Ishizu sighed, though a small smile did work its way onto her face nevertheless.
"...I suppose I did say something to that effect, and I am a woman of my word. Well, Makoto? Shall we be off then?" Ishizu suddenly stated as she looked up at you.
…Goddamn, Ruby was one hell of a wingman, but the question was what to do exactly…
"Sure thing, but first we need to decide where we're going. Got anywhere in mind?" As soon as she closed her eyes and brought her hands up to her necklace, you stepped forward and gently rapped her on the head with a finger, breaking her concentration as she blinked up at you.
"Heh, no cheating now; half the fun of a date is taking things as they come, so looking into the future ruins the experience!" You say with a large grin as Ishizu tilts her head at that.
"...I suppose that is true. Very well, I suppose it will not hurt me to not use my Millennium Necklace here." After saying that, though, Ishizu just continued to think for a moment, seemingly unsure exactly what she wanted to do, until Ruby stepped forward and suddenly wrapped her arms around her.
"Come on, 'Shizu! It's not that complicated! Just think about something you've never done before, and 'Koto and I will give you a thorough demonstration~" Ruby purred, wiggling her eyebrow at Ishizu, not even trying to be subtle with her intent.
Ishizu, though, was either oblivious or choosing to ignore the implication in Ruby's words and instead just looked up at you, seeming to have come to a decision.
"...An amusement park."
You blink at that, unsure if you'd heard her correctly.
"Say that again?"
Ishizu just nods at that. "An amusement park. I've never once in my life ever had the opportunity to visit one, and from my understanding they are also common date locations, are they not?" She asked, tilting her head with a cute inquisitive expression writ across her face.
Ruby pouted at the news that this apparently wasn't going to descend into a sudden threesome, but you just shrugged your shoulders with a grin.
"Sure thing, sounds like a good time. I think there's one at the edge of the city; let me just call my driver real quick."
It wasn't long till your driver—you really SHOULD learn his name at some point—arrived, and you, Ishizu, and Ruby were off to Domino Park.
The drive to Domino Park passed surprisingly quietly, all things considered.
Ruby spends most of the trip pressed against Ishizu's shoulder, enthusiastically pointing out every shop and landmark they passed as if she'd personally built the city. Ishizu, for her part, listened with the same patient attention she gave most things.
"Ooh, and that's—" Ruby is cut off before she could start her next observation as the car finally pulls to a stop.
"We've arrived at the location, Mr. Yuzuki." Your ever-dependable driver announces as he lowers the separating window a smidge.
"Ah, well, how about we head on out then, girls?" You said with a grin as you stepped out, holding the door open for Ruby and Ishizu as you all looked at the theme park in front of you.
.
----------->
.
Ishizu looked up at the park, seemingly in shock, a silent gasp on her lips.
…You found it cute for a moment before you remembered the reason she'd never had the opportunity to do anything like this before considering her… 'complicated' family situation.
Well, that just gave you even more incentive to make sure she had a great time.
"And welcome to Domino Park! Lucky timing, all things considered. The place only reopened recently. Some idiot with a bomb got the whole park shut down for a while." You explain as you walked up to the entrance gate and paid for all-day passes for the three of you.
"...I must admit, I have seen pictures and the like, of course, but being here in person…" Ishizu trails off, eyes darting from attraction to attraction even as her body remains stiff, obviously unsure of how exactly she should react.
Ruby grinned, latching herself onto Ishizu's arm. "You can't just judge things like this by pictures! You have to come in person to take in the atmosphere! The smells! The taste! The excitement! Tell her 'Koto!" Ruby said as she marched Ishizu up as you entwined your arm with her free one.
"Heh, she IS right; it looks to me you've spent too long looking at things from a screen or your necklace that you've forgotten to live in the moment." You look around and stop once you see the biggest rollercoaster in the park. "...And what better way to live in the moment than with that?" You grin, Ishizu's eyes widening as she follows your gaze.
From there you, Ruby, and Ishizu spent the entire day going on every ride you could, thankfully not having to deal with any lines through a liberal amount of flashing your money around.
…Ah, being rich was the best.
Though as you stepped out of the haunted house, you couldn't help but click your tongue.
"...Yeah, compared to actually ancient evil magic and spelunking in tombs, I suppose haunted houses WOULD lose their luster." You lament as you all make your way to a nearby bench.
"...I thought it quite quaint, and the costuming was nice; the witch was truly hideous and disturbing."
Ruby just shivered at that, glaring back at the haunted house. "...Tell me about it; witches should be sexy and curvy, not old and hideous!" She hissed.
In typical Ruby fashion, though, it didn't take her long to perk up, eyes going to a nearby food stand.
"Ooh! We need to get some drinks and food before we get back to it! 'Koto give me some money!" Ruby demanded as she held out her hands.
You just chuckled at that, handing her your wallet and giving her a quick swat on the ass as she turned to rush off.
"I must admit, even with my necklace, I doubt I would be able to keep up with her sudden mood swings." Ishizu commented as you both looked at Ruby bouncing her way off.
"Ha! Don't I know it? Lucky for me, just a bit of attention and her mood always shifts to her regular happy self. I don't know what I'd do if I were stuck with a moody Ruby." You chuckled as you leaned back on the bench.
"...Perhaps it isn't just her nature; I wouldn't discount your effect on the process, for all of your bluster I do truly believe that deep down you are a good person who is insightful to the feelings of other; you had no reason to indulge me today." Ishizu said seriously as she looked you in the eyes.
You felt your cheeks begin to burn at such sincere words, quickly looking away and coughing to try and cover up your reaction.
"H-Heh, don't be so quick now; it's hardly some great burden to take a beautiful woman like yourself out, you know?" You say, trying to set straight your motives here, you wouldn't exactly want her to get her hopes up.
Though suddenly your eyes dart back to Ishizu as you feel her place her hand atop yours.
"...I think you discredit yourself far too much. While there may be some truth to your words, nevertheless, you have still gone out of your way to make sure my experience was enjoyable. If you had truly just wanted me for my body, you could just have as easily demanded it as payment for our deal."
You feel your chest tighten at her words, not quite sure how to react to them.
…The usual answer was sitting right there on the tip of your tongue.
Where's the fun if I have to force you to do it?
Cocky. Flippant. Exactly the sort of thing you'd typically go for.
...
Except...
That wasn't it.
Sure, Ishizu was gorgeous. You'd never pretended otherwise.
But somewhere between helping her in Egypt, listening to her talk about the tombs and ancient history, and watching her eyes light up at every stupid little thing in the park...
You'd found yourself wanting to see that look again.
Not because you were expecting anything in return.
Just because...
She deserved to smile more.
Thankfully, before you had to respond, Ruby—the angel that she is—quickly runs back, two hot dogs in one hand, a tray of drinks in the other, and a third hot dog lodged in her mouth.
.
------------>
.
"Mmf got da foof!"
"...She says she got the food," you translated without missing a beat.
Ishizu blinked. "...You understood that?"
"...It's not the first time I've heard her talk with her mouth full."
After that, the three of you continue on with your date, but before long, the sun slowly begins to set, leaving you to take Ishizu back to the museum.
Ishizu stepped out of the car before pausing, turning back toward you.
"...Thank you."
"For what?"
"For today."
She hesitated for only a moment.
"...You were correct."
"About?"
"Not knowing the future."
A small smile touched her lips.
"...I believe I enjoyed today more because I did not know what to expect."
You couldn't help but grin.
"Told you."
"...Indeed."
She inclined her head before walking toward the museum entrance as you watched on, your grin slowly transitioning into a more sincere smile as your driver took off.
Ruby was asleep against your shoulder before the car had even made it halfway home, one arm wrapped around yours as she quietly snored.
You absentmindedly rested your head against hers, your thoughts drifting elsewhere.
...
Yeah.
Today had been a pretty damn good day.
-x-X-x-
It was a few days after your date with Ishizu that you and Mai finally stepped out to go register for the Battle City tournament and for Mai to pick up her Duel Disk.
"...I still can't believe you somehow managed to convince that little bitch on your phone to help you fix up that ratty old Duel Disk from the underground." Mai sighed as she walked beside you.
"Heh, what can I say? I've got a way with women apparently." You say with a supremely smug grin as you wrap your arm around her, very much enjoying the fact you'd be the only one walking around with a custom Duel Disk on your arm.
Really, it was only fitting; you were the champ, so of course you'd get all the bells and whistles that came with that. You could picture sitting back home now—
-x-X-x-
.
-------------->
.
…God, it was a thing of beauty; you'd have to do something nice for Seta once this tournament was over.
…Maybe try and get her a robot body, purely just for her sake, of course.
You're brought out of your fantasies as Mai gently bumps you with her shoulder, the both of you standing outside the store holding the Duel Disks.
"Get back to reality, handsome; we don't need you walking around with a tent in your pants now, do we?" Mai teases with a raised eyebrow as you both step inside.
At the bell sounding, the clerk turns around, the typical customer service smile on his face. "Ah, how may I help—" He suddenly stops, eyes widening as he obviously realizes who you are.
"Oh! Mr. Yuzuki! I presume you're here to register for the Battle City tournament?"
You just grin as you slide up to the counter. "Got it in one, along with Mai Valentine here." You say, nodding to Mai to your side as the clerk begins to do something on his computer.
"Alrighty then, let me just… Ah!" He suddenly turns his monitor and shows your page.
.
----------->
.
"Five stars, very nice! That's the highest ranking a duelist can possess." The clerk explains.
You smirk at that and let out a light chuckle.
"Heh, happy to see Kaiba hasn't gone fully delusional yet." You joke to Mai as she just rolls her eyes.
"Eat it up, handsome; I better be at least four stars." She scoffs before the clerk suddenly sucks in a sharp breath.
"...Ah, unfortunately, ma'am, it doesn't seem you have a high enough ranking to qualify." The clerk explains as yours and Mai's eyes widen.
"What?! Let me see!" Mai suddenly reaches out and turns the monitor back to face you both.
.
------------>
.
"Two stars!? That no-good rotten rich boy! I'll show him two stars! Just wait until I get my hands on him!" Mai spits out as she rages.
…
…Well, it looks like Kaiba was as petty as ever. You suppose her little stunt during your last duel left an impression on him.
You reach out and grab Mai's shoulder, gaining her attention and stopping her flailing.
"Relax, babe, there's an easy solution here." You explain as you turn to the clerk and whistle. "Yo! How'd you feel about making some money?" You say with a raised eyebrow as you reach for your wallet.
The clerk's eyes just widened at that as he flinched back as if struck.
"I-I can't do that, sir! That is highly unethical—" He stops dead in his tracks as you reach into your wallet and bring out a fat stack of cash.
"...I-I mean, even if I were to register her, I'm not sure if I could give her a Duel Disk; they may be tracked, and each comes with its own Locator Card, so without that…" He trails off uneasily, obviously not wanting to miss out on the bribe but still at the very least being professional with the risks.
You just shrug at that. "Eh, that's fine, just give her mine."
Mai's and the clerk's eyes widened at that.
"What?! Handsome, if you give me your Locator Card you won't be able to participate!" Mai stressed out as you just chuckled in response.
"Won't I? In case you forgot, babe, I'm the King of Games. If I walk around with my own Duel Disk, people aren't going to question if I have a Locator Card, so all I've got to do is crush the first twerp I come across and I'm in." You suddenly raise an eyebrow at her. "...Unless you're implying I'll lose my first duel, of course?"
Mai rolled her eyes at that, seeming to calm down now that you'd explained your brilliant plan.
"...Fine, but don't think this means I'll go easy on you when we meet in the finals!" Mai huffs as she walks up to the still stunned clerk and grabs the Duel Disk box from the counter before turning and making her way to the exit.
"Ha! Wouldn't have it any other way, babe." With that, you slap down the bribe on the counter and follow Mai out of the store leaving the still stunned clerk at the counter.
Heh, as if this changed anything; all this meant was you'd have to put one more unfortunate soul in the ground, and that was FAR from an unappealing prospect~
-x-X-x-
The next day, thankfully enough, you remembered to set your alarm early to wake you up so you could get to the hospital in time to spend a few hours with Serenity before she had to go into surgery.
Though as you make your way to Serenity's room, your eyebrows immediately shoot up as you see her mother banging on her door, flanked by two nurses.
"Serenity! Open the door right now, please let me in!"
You approach one of the nurses and tab her shoulder, deciding to get some more info before anything else.
"...Yo, mind telling me what's up? Makoto Yuzuki, friend of the family."
Before she could answer, Joey's mother turns to you, and her eyes widen.
"Ah! Serenity, Makoto's here! Will you open the door now?!"
"No! I won't! I'm not opening the door until Joey gets here!" Serenity screamed out from inside her room as her mother stepped back and sighed.
"What's exactly going on? I'd have thought Joey would be here bright and early." You ask as Joey's mom takes a deep breath.
"...I don't know. Joseph said he would be here last night and spend the night, but he never showed up. I called his friends, but they haven't seen him since last night either; they're out looking for him now. I just don't know what to do…" Joey's mother said as she choked back a sob.
…
Joey was missing? Something must have happened to him; there was no way he'd have ever left Serenity on her own.
The only question was whether to stay here and comfort his mom and maybe try to get Serenity to open the door or see if you could go find Joey; you'd probably have an easier time of it than most…
At that thought you felt the Millennium Ring on your chest tingle for a moment.
Now, What to do?
-x-X-x-
…Really, there was just one option; as much as you'd like to think you could sweet talk your way inside her room, what she needed right now was her brother.
Didn't mean you couldn't say ANYTHING though.
You walked up to her door and gently rapped your knuckles against it as you knocked.
"Serenity? It's me, Makoto. I know you're really upset and stressed right now. But I'm not gonna ask you if you can open the door; I just want you to take some deep breaths. I'm gonna go get Joey, and me and him will be back any minute, so just sit tight for me." You say that, but before you can turn to leave, you hear Serenity's voice ring out from within her room.
"...You'll really find him?"
You just grin at that. "Ha! Trust me, sweetheart, I'll have Joey here within the hour, and it'll only take that long cuz I might need to kick his ass a bit for worrying you!" You joke, and you swear you hear Serenity lightly giggle on the other side of the door.
You wave to her relieved mother and immediately make your way out, lifting the Ring from your chest as soon as you step outside.
"...Alrighty then, not what I typically use you for, but it should be the same premise; show me where Joey is." At your words, one of the prongs of the Ring begins to float as it lights up.
…Right on.
As you call up your driver and begin to follow the trail, you begin to consider if the Ring was malfunctioning as it began to take you seemingly in the direction of your house.
"...Swear if you're fucking with me, Sammy. I'll actually shove you in a dog cage; this isn't the time for games."
Though right as you say that, you order your driver to stop as you see a figure sitting on the beach looking out at the ocean.
.
------------->
.
....Maybe that joke you told Serenity would turn out a bit more true than you thought.
As you step out of the car and begin to march your way over to him, you note that something obviously HAS happened with all the tears in his clothes and a nasty bruise right on his cheek.
"Joey!"
Joey turns to you at that, eyes widening as he realizes you're right beside him.
"E-Eh!? M-Makoto? What are you doing here?"
You immediately reach down and grab him by the collar, lifting him in the air.
"What am I doing here?! I should be asking you that! What the fuck are you doing here?! You're supposed to be over at the hospital with your sister!"
Joey flinched back at that and clenched his eyes shut as tears began to build up at the corner of them as he clenched his fists.
"...Last night, as I was on my way to the hospital, I ran into these creeps in weird cloaks; they challenged me to a duel and…" Joey tensed up even more as he continued, the words seemingly like poison with how he spat them out. "...I lost! And not just that, they took my Battleguard King! I promised Jacob and Isaac I'd make 'em proud with it, and now…!" He grinds his teeth.
…
…Tch! Fucking hell, now you felt like a dick.
You let go of his collar as Joey collapses to his hands and knees.
"...It doesn't matter."
Joey's eyes widened at that as he looked up at you.
"Don't get me wrong, you should absolutely be pissed and disgusted with yourself, but right now there's more important things to worry about; your sister is fucking bawling her eyes out at the hospital, and she can't go through with the surgery if you're not there to support her, so you need to swallow those emotions for now, pick your ass up, and be there for her!" You shout, but Joey just scrunches his face up and looks down.
"...I can't, I can't show her my face ri—"
You cut him off, pulling your leg back and kicking forward, throwing him on his back as you place your foot on his chest and hold him down.
"The fuck you mean you can't?! Yeah, you're a fucking loser and a disgrace! Losing to fucking no-name thugs! But you'll be even more of a fucking loser if Serenity misses her operation cuz you were such a fucking sad sack you sat here sucking on your thumb rather than being there for her! After everything you went through in Duelist Kingdom, are you really going to stumble at the final hurdle!? Serenity fucking needs you! Now are you going to get up and follow me, or am I going to have to knock you out and carry you there myself?!" You cry out before you reach down and extend a hand.
Joey clenches his fists for a moment, long enough that you begin to consider seriously knocking him out, but then he relaxes, reaching out and grabbing your hand.
"...You're right, everything else can come later; for now I gotta be there to support my sister."
You grin at that as you pull him up and begin to drag him to your car.
"...Though did you really have to kick me so hard?"
-x-X-x-
....Thankfully things proceed nicely once you drag back Joey to the hospital; you practically forced him to apologize on his hands and knees and deflected from his state by reminding her you HAD said you'd kick his ass, but with comforting her and some reassurance from you and Joey both, Serenity was eventually wheeled into surgery, leaving you, Joey, and his mom sitting outside in the lounge.
Though eventually you do get up with a sigh.
"...I think I'm gonna go get some air, maybe grab a bite to eat. Do either of you want anything?"
As they shake their heads and decline, you make your way out, almost bumping into a nurse as you turn the corner.
"Oh shit, sorry about—" You blink as you see who you almost bumped into.
.
---------->
.
"....Layla?"
Layla's eyes widened at that, looking up from where she was leaning over and grabbing her clipboard that she'd dropped.
"...Well, this is a bit awkward." She coughed as she straightened out. "It's Mimi here; Layla's more my… 'stage name,' you know?" She said as she batted her eyes at you.
…You probably should have expected that after the fiasco with Stella honestly.
"Makes sense. Gotta admit, didn't expect you to be quite so…" You trail off, unsure of how exactly to phrase what you want to say without being a dick.
Layl—Mimi just grinned, though, seeming to enjoy your uncomfortableness. "Respectable? Upstanding? Not slutty? It's fine, hun; I'm perfectly aware of how it probably looks from your point of view, but even dirty girls like me have a day job, you know?" She finished with a shrug.
"But what about you? Please don't tell me I need to get myself tested for something." She teased with a grin as you felt yourself balk for a moment at the implication.
"...Ha, nothing like that, thankfully. A friend of mine is in surgery today, so here to support her."
Mimi just wiggled her eyebrow at that. "Ooh? Knowing you, playboy, I doubt she'll remain just a friend for long, especially if you're this thoughtful~" Mimi purred as she let her eyes roam up and down your body.
"God, part of me is tempted to drag you to a back room for a quickie; unfortunately, I have a patient coming up, though. If you want, you can tell me who your friend is. I'll make sure to keep an eye on her while she's here," Mimi offers sincerely as you blink.
"...That'd be great actually; her name's Serenity Wheeler."
"Oooh, the eye girl with the big fancy German doctor, caused a bit of a buzz at the hospital that one, actually…" Mimi trailed off, tapping a pen against her ruby-red lips, smirking when she saw where your gaze was at, flicking her tongue against the butt of the pen.
"...She'll probably need a proper doctor to periodically check in on her once the Germans left. I suppose I could volunteer if someone gave me the right incentive~"
…
God, sometimes you wondered who had the dirtier mind between her and Ruby—
Nah, it was definitely Ruby.
You just step up to her with a grin, quickly looking around to make sure no one was watching as you reached out and gave her ass a harsh squeeze as her cheeks flared red as you leaned down to her ear.
"I HAVE been itching to pull out the BDSM equipment again; it was oh-so-fun the first time~" you purr as Mimi grins, leaning up and catching your lips.
…
…
…
…After a few minutes of some 'negotiation,' you and Mimi go your separate ways as you make your way back to Joey and his mom and take a seat.
…It was a good thing you'd caught the lipstick stain on your neck; otherwise, this might have been awkward.
Suddenly you kick your leg out, catching Joey's attention as he looks back at you and blinks as you open your bag and pull out your binder.
"...Now that Serenity is sorted, it's time we moved on to the other matter. To be frank, the fact you lost to some bums is fucking shameful and embarrassing, so me, being the nice guy that I am, have decided to help you out. I'm going to give you two cards, and it's up to you then to find the guy who stole your Battleguard and win it back. If you can't?" Suddenly you shrug and lean back in your chair and glare over at him. "Well, next time we duel, I won't just take back these cards, but I'll be taking your entire deck along with them. I won't have a loser disgracing the game."
Joey's eyes widened at that even as you flipped through your binder.
"Wait, what? Makoto, I'm not sure about this! I mean—"
You cut him off with a glare.
"...Are you scared? So pathetic you're not willing to put it all on the line to redeem yourself? If so, say it now and never talk to me again."
Joey glared at that, gritting his teeth for a moment as you waited for his response.
"...Fine! But you better not come crying to me when I beat ya with your own cards and my Battleguard King!" Joey declared confidently as you just scoffed.
"...Fat chance, you're a millennia too early to think you can even step into the ring with me, but I suppose good enough cards can even elevate a loser like you, so here, take 'em."
You say as you hand Joey your—
-x-X-x-
After the 'excitement' of yesterday it was finally time; Battle City was about to begin. Apparently all the participants were meant to head to Domino Square, so you and Mai set out, Ruby staying behind, you having asked her if she could watch over Serenity today and make sure nothing went wrong after the surgery.
As you and Mai approached, you couldn't help but grin as you saw Yugi, Weevil, Rex, and Mako talking, probably some pre-tournament smack talk.
…Well, it'd just be unsporting to not join in now, wouldn't it?
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the fodder patrol~ arguing about which of you is the most pathetic? Personally I'd put money on Weevil, but maybe that's just me." You announce yourself with a smug grin.
Yugi just sighs as you approach as Mako and Weevil glare at you, though Rex seems to flinch back.
…Well, looks like you don't need to worry about dino-boy trying to get revenge.
"Grgh! Talk all you want, Yuzuki! It has been a long time since the Nationals, and I assure you my insects are ready and waiting to devour you!" Weevil hissed.
"Tch! As much as it pains me, the beetle is right; if you were to try and go against my ocean deck, you will find yourself drowning!"
From there you take part in the little taunting circle jerk before the clock finally rings out, announcing the beginning of the tournament as everyone scatters.
You turn to Mai with a grin before she can break away. "Well, I'll be seeing you tonight, gorgeous. How about this: whoever has the most Locator Cards by the end of the day tops tonight?"
Mai rolls her eyes at that, but a smirk still comes to her face. "You're on, handsome, just don't complain when I have you on your knees tonight~" With that, she leaves with a wink and a sashay of her hips.
Heh, what a tease.
As you wander the streets, you wonder who your first target should be. Should you take on some fodder to at least get a Locator Card? But then again that'd be kind of pathetic, almost like you're admitting the possibility of defeat, so—
Your line of thought is broken as you see a strange cloaked figure standing at the mouth of an alleyway, but before you could notice anything else about them, they quickly turned and retreated deeper inside.
…Heh, were they really trying to bait you into a trap? Who did they think you were, Joey?
…Still, it'd be awfully rude of you to ignore their invitation now, wouldn't it? No matter what they had planned, you'd duel your way out of it, and if they tried anything more crude? Well, Samara was in for a treat for the help yesterday.
…And of course, if you could find a lead for Joey to try and redeem himself, you suppose that wouldn't be bad.
Though as you follow the figure deeper and deeper into the alley, you begin to sense a dark presence, almost enough to make you reconsider your course of action.
…Tch! Like you'd ever run, an insect is still an insect no matter its size.
As you step up, you see six figures up ahead, five of them cloaked like Joey had described while the last was the complete opposite, standing in a long white coat, a grin upon his handsome face.
.
--------->
.
"....Makoto Yuzuki, what a pleasure to finally meet you."