This was a city of eternal silver radiance—her own domain.
Unlike her card artwork, [Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle] wore a loose tracksuit, strolling with practiced ease through the shining city. She directed her pink and green demon attendants as they tended to the maze, ordering Labrynth Chandraglier, Labrynth Stovie Torbie, and Cooclock to return to their posts after slacking off. With a trace of smug delight, she made her way toward the door of her usual bedroom.
With a grand flourish, she tugged off the jacket of her tracksuit and, by some unknown mechanism, transformed into her classic outfit. Pushing open her door lightly, [Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle] revealed a somewhat messy room—despite her attendants' efforts—but the real focus was not the surroundings. It was the sleeping beauty lying upon her bed.
Youmi—the one who, among countless cards, had chosen her at a glance, who had willingly taken on this form (not really), a courageous Duelist who had become her partner the moment she first gained awareness… was now sleeping soundly on her bed, completely defenseless.
Tiptoeing over to Youmi's side, [Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle] gazed at that lovely face—identical to her own save for complexion—and, knowing this was the person she adored, felt her cheeks grow red. Even knowing it was her own face, she couldn't resist the urge to pinch those cheeks. This kind of experience was far too novel to pass up.
The gloved fingers slowly approached. Feeling the faint warmth of Youmi's breath and the thrill of this first-time mischief, [Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle]'s heart began to pound faster and faster. Finally… she was just about to pinch.
"Hey—is that really so fun?"
Youmi, who had known she was there since the moment [Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle] entered the room, opened her eyes. Staring at the embarrassed, flustered Labrynth, she mischievously flicked out her tongue and licked Labrynth's finger.
Labrynth immediately jumped straight up—and with her inhuman strength, she slammed headfirst into the ceiling. Her horns drove deep into the plaster, fixing her in place. "Y-y-you—why did you suddenly wake up—a-and lick—you licked my finger, didn't you?!"
"Well, you were trying to prank me. Isn't it fair if I prank you back?"
Sitting up from the bed, Youmi tugged at her silver-white pajamas, finding it amusing how much their tastes overlapped. "Besides, setting aside how this body can't even roll over while sleeping, it's not like I suddenly woke up for no reason, right?
"You came in here wearing high heels on hardwood floors; If you wanted to sneak in quietly, maybe start by taking off your shoes? Would you really fall for such a careless prank yourself?"
"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing…" Rescued from the ceiling by the entering [Labrynth Archfiend], [Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle] straightened her clothes and spun with open arms as if nothing had happened. "Welcome to my domain—[Labrynth Labyrinth]! Through the great power of [Ten Thousand Dragon], you and I have finally met again, brave Youmi, who takes the form of my image~"
"If this state violates my portrait rights, then I apologize. But this isn't reality or the Spirit World, right? Otherwise, suddenly having my clothes changed, no matter how dense I am, would still make me feel embarrassed…" Youmi flushed slightly at the thought.
"Besides, I'm probably still asleep in my hotel room in Domino City. Since I was pulled here out of nowhere, that must mean… this is a dream? Or maybe a mind-only space like [Ten Thousand Dragon]'s realm?"
Her gaze fell upon [Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle], who, after a moment of bashfulness, suddenly felt a chill of foreboding.
Youmi caught on quickly—realizing soon enough that this must be a dream.
As for proof…
[Lovely Labrynth] held her cheek in tears as Youmi pinched her face without any effect. She accused Youmi of growing distant, insisting she must have another Deck outside now.
Since Labrynth could feel pain while Youmi could not, it was clear this was some kind of dream world. Youmi snapped her fingers, changing into more androgynous clothing, but the tightness at her chest made her sigh and loosen two buttons. "I thought I might be able to return to my original body here, but even in a dream, I can't. I swear, I'm going to have a word with that dragon later."
"I brought you here to welcome you properly, and this is how you treat me? You must have another Deck out there—what a tragedy desuwa~" [Lovely Labrynth] dramatically pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and leaned toward Youmi, only to be pushed upright again.
"Leaving aside that you were one of my later Decks, what's with this ambiguous attitude toward me? It feels like we only met today. Sure, I did get the Silver Castle set when it released, but I haven't used it much, right?"
Youmi had been wondering about [Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle]'s unusually high affection ever since summoning her.
Honestly, if she were a spirit born from one of Youmi's cards, she should probably be more resentful of Youmi's 'deck-hopping' nature.
Pushed back until her head touched the bedframe, [Lovely Labrynth] tilted her head a little. "So when you chose me as your partner—no, when you chose 'us'... I was so happy, you know? My heart was racing! So why are you acting cold now, Youmi-sama?"
Youmi tilted her head in confusion. It wasn't that she didn't understand what Labrynth was saying, but she couldn't quite follow her logic. Was choosing a card across timelines supposed to be like an ancient emperor choosing a concubine for the night? No wonder she was so emotional.
Maybe it was better if she never found out that her first choice had actually been [Fallen of Albaz].
And another thing—the whole 'watashi' and 'desuwa~' thing… were those verbal tics just something [Lovely Labrynth] added herself? She must have forgotten earlier and hurried to put them back in.
"Even if you do have other Decks out there, the times we spent together—dueling side by side, trapping foes in the maze, and watching them flail—those moments weren't fake. And since [Ten Thousand Dragon] gave me this rare chance to express my feelings directly, there's no way I'd give it up to any other Deck."
Straightening up, [Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle] rubbed at the dark circles under her eyes and turned to Youmi. "Since I stayed up all night preparing your welcome, how about we tour the [Silver Castle] together before you wake up? I promise you won't be disappointed."
Getting off the bed, Youmi glanced up at the gaping hole in the ceiling from Labrynth's earlier impact, then at the glossy, wax-like sheen on Labrynth's horns, and nodded.
"Actually, that sounds good. That said, speaking of dark circles… wasn't your lore that you got them from staying up all night setting traps for heroes? You're not planning to make me your next victim, are you?"
With that, she walked to the door and pulled it open.
Bang!
Bang!
Crash—clatter!!
Two demon maids and a [Labrynth Archfiend], who had been leaning against the door, suddenly lost their balance and tumbled to the ground in a noisy heap.
"Ahhh!" ×2
...
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