#(and rin with her hair down just looked like lulu)
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3 extra people in your head = 4x the hairstyle opportunities
#yugioh arc v#ygo arc v#arc v#zuzu boyle#yuzu hiiragi#celina#serena#rin#lulu obsidian#ruri kurosaki#arc v art#my art#drawing this made me realize how much more similar zuzu + co. look to each other compared to yuya + co#zuzu and celina in particular have pretty much exactly the same hair just in different colors + worn differently#rin + lulu are the outliers with shorter + longer hair respectively but even they still have the two strands framing their face#i kinda struggled with rin tbh i feel like i don't have a good grasp on her personality and it comes across when i draw her#but i ended up feeling like high pigtails / low pigtails / high ponytail / low ponytail was a good contrast between everyone#(and rin with her hair down just looked like lulu)#their colors don't clash nearly as bad as yuya + co.'s do either so there's a bit more cohesion among them -#- which is ironic considering the boys are the ones with identity issues and the girls are the ones with greater independence comparatively#but i've said too much already...(tugs my hat down and walks away pensively)
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LOVE IS NOT FOR EVERYONE - suna x fem!reader smau
part 5: the date
summary: after years of not talking to each other, your childhood best friend decided to reach out again, how will everything go?
note: heavy make out session with suna, he says ily as the stupid boy he is, thanks to @sunalma cos one of the songs is out of her playlists<33
series masterlist - part 6
An elevator ride couldn't feel so long and short at the same time, biting your lip, scared of seeing that person after so many years.
Clumsily taking your keys out of your bag, you open the door and there you saw it, perfect, handsome boy you fell in love on the young years of high school
“you look beautiful, as always” He told you with his deep voice that made you shiver on spot, he seemed more mature now, with features no longer like the ones of a teenage boy. You were out of guard when his arms wrapped comfortably around your waist, still leaning into it
Looking at him, at his eyes, that same green eyes that made you fall in love when you were a child and that green eyes that were making you fall in love, again “Rin, I missed you” you whisper with a soft tone, your head resting in the comfiness of the crook of his neck, his left hand came to cup your cheek, taking in how fucking pretty you looked like that
“I missed you too, so much, do you want to know what did I plan?”
“yeah rin, I'm sure I'm gonna love it" he took your hand in his, leading the way to the passenger sit in his car "you're not gonna found out until we are there, so you better be patient" he slid the seatbelt in front of him and pecked your hand before starting the car "okay, I can handle that"
"the aux is yours then, pretty girl"
your eyes widen after hearing that pet name "do you want me to call you daddy too?" it was supposed to be funny, you thought he would only call you pretty girl in texts, apparently not
"if you like"
Pretty Please by Dua Lipa starts playing in the background, gradually turning up the volume until it was hard to hear your own voice
Suna thought the sight was pretty, the window on your side rolled down with the wind all over your face, happily singing by the lyrics not giving a single fuck about the world, just as he loved to remember you
"This makes me remember of the old days but instead of the car, you in my room giving me a concert that, in fact, didn't ask for"
his comment took you back down to earth, old days, just old days, no feelings attached at the moment; you were praying to any god up there to make the butterflies go away in your gut go away, you were one hundred percent sure he could hear your heart beating from where he was sitting, not even the loud music could hide it
“old days? We should make new memories I think”
"yeah, we can make new memories but we shouldn't let go of the ones we have, hand me your phone" you did as you were told, suspicious of what he was about to do until you saw him open Spotify, oh okay, he is gonna change the song.
Fluorescent Adolescent was now blasting from the stereo "umm, love this song, gives me the dancing in front of a mirror with a brush vibe"
He chuckled at what you said "and you did that? would like to see it with my own eyes"
"We are almost there, babe, close your eyes"
"Babe? we are not dating, Rintaro"
"maybe we should"
maybe we what? that did take you back, choosing for peace, you shut your mouth and closed your eyes, anxiously waiting for what he had
"you have your eyes closed, right"
"yes, rin, they are closed, I didn't know you were blind"
he opened the door of your seat, interlacing your hands so he could guide you behind a tall tree "I need you to stay here until I have everything done, okay? it's not gonna take more than ten minutes" he didn't give you time to answer that he was already walking back to his car.
"better be something good" you murmured under your breath, turning on your phone to scroll through social media until he called you.
he called you exactly eight minutes after he dropped you behind the tree "if you don't like this, then I don't know what should I do"
The scene in front of you was dreamy to say at least, the back of his car decorated with fairy lights, lots of blankets that seemed so warm, and pillows in all their forms that you knew for a fact they were comfortable as fuck, you were quick to wrap your arms around his neck, chanting like a mantra 'rin, this is beautiful' and 'im so thankful' he gladly took you in his arms, his nose behind your ears, landing a sweet peck right there
"you ready for movie night, pretty girl?"
"bet your ass I'm ready, Rintaro Suna" and with that you were off, running to his car ready to spend the best night of your life
Or perhaps the beginning of the end, who knows
Howl's moving castle last scenes were on the screen of his laptop, a weird feeling in your heart after he remembered it was- no, is your favorite; you two stared sitting beside the other and now he has his arm protectively around you, his back straight against the backseat while your head was on top of his underarms, cheeks smashed to his collarbone "you did remember it, rin" your eyes still locked on the screen in front of you, watching the movie credits.
He looked down at you with soft eyes, deciding to close the laptop and pull it aside "how could I not? hand me my phone"
you did as you were told, searching for the little device under the huge blankets "here! take it"
he quickly searched for a song and toss it aside, I Wanna Be Yours playing inside the car from the 11-inch phone "come here" he signaled, patting his lap.
it took you a good minute to realize what he meant but now you're on top of him, looking at his emerald eyes in search of a hint of what he is thinking
he took his time analyzing your feature, looking at your cheeks, forehead, baby hairs, nose, lips, and finally your eyes, he could see the past in them, and a little of his future too
"not as much as you, rin"
he didn't answer, to lost in the paradise of your face, he was now focused on your lips, how would they taste?
to answer his own question, he leaned into your face, into your lips that he knew that were begging to be touched by his own
your eyes were wide, taken by surprise by his action, even if you saw it coming, it was something you were dreaming for years now
he looked at your eyes again for a kind of permission, and when he saw you nod, his hand was in the back of your neck in a matter of seconds while yours found home on his hair, tugging it slightly
"a kiss and you're all whiny and needy"
"shut up and fucking kiss me-"
he took the chance of sliding his tongue inside your mouth, exploring every single place he could, his free hand now on your lower back to move you back and fort his lap, he took the flavor of the artificial coconut lip balm you were wearing, he took all he could, in fact
"not only you look good but you taste good too" you hear him groan before going into it again, soft pants coming out of your mouth, whimpering his name as a mantra r-rin, r-innie, arching your back to be closer to him, you could feel his smirk on your now puffy lips with every movement of your hips, the hand on your lower back now going down to grip your thigh
pulling out to catch a little air, you rested your head on his large neck, you two were in comfortable silence, your head rested against his chest and his hands caressing your cheek
maybe ten minutes passed while you were cuddling until your phone screen turned up after a notification- you didn't care about it but the time, past two in the morning "rin, would you take me home? is getting late" he gave your cheek a sweet kiss before standing out the car, extending his hands to help you do the same "of course I can, pretty girl"
the drive back home was quiet, you could hear Apocalypse in the car radio, looking by the window to the beautiful night lights in the city, suna's hand on your thigh, playing with it from time to time, using the other one to drive
"We are here"
"Thanks for bringing me home, rin, I had fun"
he stepped out of the car with you- not letting you out that easily, his hands with a firm grip of your waist and silence was around the two of you, just appreciating the presence of each other, your hands going inside his jackets to hold his waist too
"good night, I love you" he told you and sealed his words with one last kiss
taglist [open]: @arrogantsonofabiscuit @sakusasbitch @souco @minamihrs @sunasexual @boba-duckie @discountkiyoko @shoyotime @sunalma @kuroohoeee @cubbluv @astrqmi @triniteaaa @zukoslosthishonor @iheartkuroorin @kac-chowsballs @akaashiwife @lilith412426 @loveprisms @eunoiwa @gladly-olus @its-the-aerieljeane @smackmyasslikeavolleyball @bakugouswh0r3 @mydandydays @erens-piss-cleaner @call-me-lulu
#👥 — love is not for everyone#haikyuu#haikyuu smau#haikyuu fluff#haikyuu x reader#haikyuu x yn#haikyuu x you#haikyuu!!#haikyuu!! smau#haikyuu!! fluff#haikyuu!! angst#haikyuu!! x reader#haikyuu!! x yn#haikyuu!! x you#suna rintaro#suna rintarou#suna fluff#suna angst#suna smau#suna x reader#suna x you#suna x yn#suna x y/n
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Rehabilitation: Standard Issues (9/?)
Side effects may include a loss of self-identity and individuality, frequent nightmares, questioning your own existence, severe mental trauma, constant panic attacks, spontaneous crying at random moments, and a strong desire to stay with loved ones at all cost. Co-written with @violetganache42. Takes place between Chapters 6 and 7 of Arc-V Aftermath.
"Whatever. I'm gonna go see what Yuya's up to. Hopefully it's a lot more interesting than snobby rich stuff."
Zarc left Yuto’s mind because his XYZ reincarnation hadn’t told Lulu about how he was still lingering around; heck, even he knows Ray has the same ability as he does now, only she can only do it with the Bracelet Girls. Not only that, but after spending the morning in the Obsidian residence, from the discussion of how wealthy people live their lives far differently than what he expected to Yuto’s amusing hair mishap, he needed someone else to talk to after witnessing this rich stuff fiasco. Hopefully, seeing what Yuya was up to can help concentrate on something else instead of this, especially because it’s not like the American cartoons he has seen.
As he whisked away from the city’s Heartland quarter, he traveled into the Paradise section where the morning was taking place; as of matter of fact, the morning rush was happening in all four corridors, with everyone busy with their own schedules for the day, so he wanted to see how Yuya was doing for today after attending the Faire. Unfortunately, as he entered into his mind, he was unaware—for a short time—of the fact his Pendulum reincarnation was in a pickle about something. What could he be so focused on that made him feel stressed, pressured, and unsure?
"Uh... Hi, Yuya?"
Even though he was awake, Yuya hasn’t gotten out of bed to have his mother’s pancakes for breakfast yet because he has been staring at his deck for a while, shuffling and scanning through his Performapals, his signature ace Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, and the dragon’s current variations as his thoughts dragged him away into his own mental conscious…that is until Zarc’s arrival caused him to snap back into reality and jump up from his bed.
"Wow, you're awake and still in your pajamas? Something must be on your mind."
Yuya let out a groan as he stood up. "Morning Zarc," he said.
"So what's bothering you?"
"Oh, nothing," Yuya lied. "Just trying to figure out how these new Magician cards can work with my deck."
"Yeah, I'm not falling for that. You're technically a part of me, so I can tell you're upset about something."
"I told you, I'm fine," Yuya insisted. "It's not like I feel empty about the whole separation thing and I don't deserve to be a pro anymore." He let out an obviously fake laugh.
Zarc simply stood beside Yuya’s bed with his arms crossed, giving him an expression that clearly reads he wasn’t buying it, complete with an eyebrow raised upward. He knew what Yuya said was exactly what’s been bothering him: ever since Leo performed the blood separation, he has been feeling empty without his counterparts around and he feels like he isn’t an actual Pro Duelist because of that emptiness.
"You can drop the act. I know you miss the other dragons."
Yuya sighed sadly. "I became a pro thanks to Dark Rebellion, Clear Wing, and Starving Venom. But now..." He fanned out his Extra Deck. "...even their Odd-Eyes upgrades are gone. My deck feels incomplete."
"So you're short a few cards. Big deal. Can't you go to a card shop and get new ones?"
"It's not that simple," Yuya explained. "When I accepted myself as you, I felt complete. I finally discovered my dueling identity-"
"Yuya, please shut up for once. You're not me, you bozo! You're you! You have goofy circus pets in your deck instead of just mystical Magicians and Sorcerers! Heck, before I gave into peer pressure, my Dueltaining mimicked basic gymnastics. So basically, you are NOTHING like me!"
"But-" Yuya started to say.
"But nothing. I'll even help you get started. Take out your pendant and put it next to Tuning Magician."
"Why?" Yuya asked.
"Trust me on this one. You'll thank me later."
He shuffled through his cards and stopped when he found Tuning Magician somewhere in the middle of his deck. He pulled the card out and placed it in front of him before putting the rest of his cards on top of his bureau where his pendant rested. With his left hand, he grabbed onto the string that held the pendant and lied it down next to Tuning Magician to see if there would be some kind of reaction. So far, there seems to be no results from this and he was questioning exactly why Zarc wanted him to do this and if he knew what he was doing. Just then, the pendant started to glow blue-green, the same color that coincides with the Synchro Dimension, whether it was from Yugo when he Awakened, Rin, or the aura of the dimension itself.
"Wh-What's going on?!" Yuya asked.
"It's the true power of your pendant. It can transform any plain old monster card and unlock its hidden Pendulum abilities, kind of like when it gave Odd-Eyes, your first two Magician cards, and a good chunk of your Performapals much-needed Pendulum makeovers."
Yuya was left mesmerized by this small yet amazing performance. The green energy from the pendant synchronized with the Tuning Magician card and it began glowing the same color before changing it to light blue, the same color as the pendant. As the card glowed, energy ascended from the bottom of the card, unlocking Tuning Magician’s Pendulum abilities and transforming her into Harmonizing Magician, a Scale 8 Level 4 DARK Spellcaster-Type Pendulum-Tuner monster with 0 ATK and DEF. Her monster effects prohibit her from being special summoned from the Extra Deck and used as Fusion, Synchro, or XYZ Material unless all the Materials are Pendulum Magicians. Additionally, if she was Pendulum Summoned from the hand, a Pendulum Magician monster—except herself—can be special summoned in defense position with their effects negated and can be banished when it leaves the field, but this can be done only once per turn. Her newly awakened Pendulum effect allows her to give every monster Yuya controls 100 ATK and DEF for every face-up Pendulum Magician on the field.
Yuya was at a loss of words and his mouth was left ajar from what he witnessed. His pendant didn’t just awaken Tuning Magician’s Pendulum abilities like it did with most of his monsters… It caused her to undergo a metamorphosis! He wasn’t sure if this was actually her Pendulum counterpart and if she could switch between herself and Harmonizing Magician, much like how he and Zuzu switched between their dimensional counterparts when their souls all harbored an individually respective body.
"Zarc, was Tuning Magician originally one of your cards?" Yuya asked after he regained his voice.
"Nah, I never had that card in my deck. But I must say, that's a much better look for her. Maybe all that love and care you gave her caused her to evolve into that new form."
Yuya’s eyebrows rose up in epiphany because what Zarc said could be true. He picked up Harmonizing Magician’s card and was locked into a deep stare with it, reminiscing the monster’s past. Jack Atlas did find Tuning Magician when he was a child and wanted to return her to her original owner, but he could only do that by becoming a strong Duelist, which inspired him to take part in the Friendship Cup and become the Master of Faster and New Domino City’s Duel King. When he handed her to Sam, the latter interpreted his statement of her being more suitable for him as being a weak monster, which was why he gave that card to Yuya. Even if that wasn’t the actual interpretation of what Jack said, he was glad to incorporate her into his deck; with Harmonizing Magician, he might have to rethink his Synchro strategies a little.
He then heard a knock on the door and rose his head up to see who it was, only for him to greeted by Sora, who wanted to see what his adopted older brother was up to. There was no way they were going to miss out on Yoko’s pancakes for breakfast.
"Geez, you're still in your pajamas?" Sora asked. "What's up with you?"
"Sora, do you know any card shops?" Yuya asked in response, taking Zarc's advice of getting new cards.
"'Course I do," Sora answered. "Before this whole dimension war thing started, the Professor would treat his best students for a field trip to Domino City. One of the best hangout spots was Card Craze, a local card shop."
"That's perfect!" Yuya suddenly exclaimed as he rushed over to his closet. "Contact Zuzu while you're at it!"
"Well someone is unusually cheerful," Sora noticed.
Yuya started to rummage through his closet. "Why wouldn't I be?" he asked. "I need to come up with brand new strategies with new cards!"
"Oh, right," Sora remembered. "You're now a pro-"
"Who cares about that?" Yuya asked. "I'll talk to Declan about my new dueling status later." He took out a maroon t-shirt. "For now, it's time I regain my identity as an individual!"
Identity? Why would he focus on regaining his individuality instead of starting his new life as Pro Duelist? Sora pondered on why Yuya was concentrated on figuring himself out, but he didn’t mind it; as long as he gets to check out Card Craze, that’s fine with him. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if Zuzu wanted to join them, so he notified Yuya he’ll be downstairs, which was responded with an “okay” as he pulled out a pair of blue jeans, a white, short-sleeved hoodie with the hood and pockets bearing an orange hue, a plain black chocker, and his usual pair of sneakers. He knew having a different attire would help himself show his individuality during his personal mission.
After he got dressed, he ran towards the firepole and leapt towards it, holding onto it firmly with his right hand and his legs wrapped around it, leading to him sliding down to the first floor. Even before he landed on the floor, he could smell the essence of his mom’s pancakes coming from the kitchen and couldn’t wait to have some. What slowed him down, however, were some of the family’s pets greeting him, including En, Core, Kilo, and Watt.
"Good morning," Yuya cheerfully said as he knelt down to scratch En's belly as the corgi laid on his back. "It's great to see all of you!"
"Yuya, breakfast is ready!" Yoko called out from the kitchen.
"Coming!" Yuya replied as he stood to his full height.
He scurried into the dining room, with the pets following him from behind, where he saw Yusho and Sora already at the table and Yoko cooking some pancakes for them. Sora was just about done contacting Zuzu to see if she had any plans for today and if she wanted to come with him and Yuya to Card Craze.
Yuya sat next to Sora at the table and started helping himself to pancakes. "Uh, Yuya?" the Frightfur user asked. "I'm not sure Zuzu is coming."
"Mmm?" Yuya asked, already eating his breakfast.
"She said she hasn't been interested in dueling lately," Sora explained. "Ever since the separation procedure, she's been feeling indifferent about her Melodious cards. Almost like they feel foreign to her."
Yuya swallowed his mouthful of pancake. "What?!" he asked.
"That's what she just told me," Sora continued. "She wants to focus more on her dreams of being a music composer. In fact, she was apparently writing a new violin piece when I called her."
"I know that bit," Yuya recalled. "Ever since we were little, she has always dreamt of playing a grand symphony to everyone in the world."
Zuzu had always enjoyed orchestras and symphonies when she was a child, even before the grand opening of You Show Duel School. Just watching people play their assigned sheets of music depending on if they’re part of the woodwinds, brass, percussions, or strings group fascinated her because of how coordinated and well-timed each group member plays thanks to the conductor. She even did a well-researched essay on Tchaikovsky as part of a history assignment and gave a copy of it to her music teacher, so why would she not be interested in dueling anymore? Her Melodious monsters emphasize her love for orchestras, from their names referencing famous composers to their regal designs that resemble musical notes or musical-related objects.
"Wait, so she really has a violin?" Sora asked.
"Well yeah," Yuya confirmed. "She writes and performs her own original music. She's so good at performing that it's why she joined the school band."
"That's a relief," Sora remarked. "But I don't like how she apparently abandoned dueling."
"Me neither," Yuya agreed after swallowing another mouthful of pancake. "I hope she's feeling alright."
Meanwhile, at the Boyle residence, Zuzu adjusted a few sheets of paper with musical notes onto a stand to help her see what notes to play. She took a few steps away to pick up a small case from the floor and placed it on her bed, opening it up to reveal her violin and bow. Taking them out of the case and holding the violin in her left hand and the bow in her right, she walked back to her stand where her newest and original piece rested. She really was going to practice performing her song, and after everything that had happened up to the blood separation, this was the perfect opportunity to do so.
"'The Enchanting Nightingale'? Is this one of your original works?"
Zuzu raised her head up a little and had a subtle yet noticeable surprised look on her face. Standing in front of her was an apparition of her incarnation Ray, who was browsing through the sheet music; although Zuzu wasn’t expecting to have some company, this wasn’t the first time this has happened to her.
"...It is," Zuzu finally answered.
"I take it that you're surprised by my appearance."
"I am," Zuzu confirmed. "I thought you were spending the day in Rin's mind."
"I did earlier today, but ever since she and Yugo started dating, I thought it might be best to give them some privacy. So with Celina busy getting a school uniform for Paradise Prep and Lulu unaware of my presence, I figured I might as well hang out with you. So what's with this particular song?"
"It's something I wrote shortly after I was revived," Zuzu explained. "The song's story is about a guardian angel that takes the form of a little bird."
"So that stuff you told Sora is true? You're feeling a bit bothered because of me?"
"No!" Zuzu blurted out. She calmed down a bit. "Having you in my head is great, but that's not what's bothering me."
"Does it have to do with those special lessons with-"
"Shh!" Zuzu blurted out. "I want to surprise Yuya. He can't know about..." She took out two cards from her deck. "...this."
These two cards were Opheli the Melodious Operetta and Beetho the Melodious Songstress, which were both created by Declan. Having their cards based on Pendulumstatues White Flower and White Butterfly respectively, they’re both LIGHT Fairy-Type Pendulum monsters, but Opheli is a Scale 9 Level 4 monster with 400 ATK and DEF while Beetho is a Scale 1 Level 10 monster with 1000 ATK and DEF. They also have effects that work in a similar manner in different circumstances given the types of cards they’re specifically targeted towards: Beetho’s Pendulum effect gives all the Melodious Divas and Melodious Maestras that Zuzu controls 200 ATK once per turn and her monster effect permits her owner to add a Melodious Spell card from her deck to her hand if she was special summoned; likewise, Opheli’s Pendulum effect increases all the Melodious Choirs that Zuzu controls 200 ATK once per turn and her monster effect allows a Fusion Spell card to be added from the deck to the hand if she was special summoned.
"Ah, so you want to surprise your boyfriend with new summoning techniques."
Zuzu blushed heavily. "Yuya isn't my boyfriend," she denied. "He's just a friend with pretty eyes and very soft hair." But Ray let out a laugh in response.
"You can't hide your feelings from me. Lulu might have all my love and affection, but even I know you have a crush on Yuya Sakaki."
Ray was right; despite acting like the straight man in all of Yuya’s acts of buffoonery, Zuzu has developed a crush on him over the years. Even before and during their involvement in the Interdimensional War, she had shown evident signs of him harboring feelings for him, and overtime, he had soon realized his true emotions for her in his desperate mission to rescue her. Zuzu, however, tried her darnest to deny this obvious speculation despite knowing it was true.
"I don't have time to think about this," Zuzu said, attempting to change topics. She got into position for playing her violin. "I need to see if I got rusty after all these weeks."
As she held onto the violin, her fingers pressed down on specific areas of the strings and slid the bow across to create the sound of the first note. Its pitch was exactly how it was depicted on the first page of the sheet music. No problems so far. She then moved onto the next few notes, swiftly shifting her fingers to different places and sliding the bow back and forth, capturing the varying tones. So far, so good. She proceeded to go through the page to tackle all the notes in her musical number, only stopping to flip it to the back side to continue. This was admittedly a minor nitpick for Zuzu; she enjoyed playing the violin and writing all her compositions, but if there was one thing about practicing, it’s pausing in order to get to the next couple pages. It didn’t bother her back then, but she hasn’t played the violin in what felt like forever. Even though she has the techniques memorized, she wished she could practice “The Enchanting Nightingale” straight through without dealing with the hassle of turning the pages.
As Zuzu continued her violin practice, a voice interrupted her concentration. "Zuzu, Yuya and Sora are here!" Skip called out.
"Tell them I'm busy!" Zuzu replied, not breaking concentration from her music.
A few seconds later, Skip called out again. "They still want to speak to you!" he said.
"I told you, I'm busy!" Zuzu insisted.
Unfortunately for her, Yuya and Sora still went to her bedroom because they were worried about why she suddenly became disinterested in Duel Monsters after regaining her body. As for Zuzu, her predicament did involve dueling but not what her friends were thinking; she didn’t want to spoil her surprise for Yuya about her new Pendulum monsters and something else she has been practicing.
"Alright Zuzu, start talking!" Yuya demanded.
However, Zuzu didn't respond, wanting to concentrate on her music.
"Sora said you lost interest in Duel Monsters!" Yuya continued. "Is it because of Ray?"
"It has nothing to do with Ray," Zuzu replied as she continued her song.
"Does it have to do with that 'world symphony' Yuya mentioned?" Sora asked.
"If you mean my dreams of being a professional music composure, then yes," Zuzu answered. "It's more important to me than being a Dueltainer. I've been focusing on dueling for so long that I lost track of my true dream."
"What, so you're just gonna abandon dueling all together?" Yuya asked, starting to get annoyed.
"It's only temporary," Zuzu clarified. "I'll get back interested in dueling once I perfect my violin skills."
How long will that take exactly? Surely, she can’t spend so much time devoted to her dream career. She has already shown to be a great violinist during her time at Paradise Prep and she has easily managed the tasks of going to two schools, one for education and one for dueling, so if it wasn’t Ray that led her to abruptly stop dueling, then was it the war itself? Yuya’s irritation at the thought of her decision began to gradually boil; he does respect her dream for the future, but why would she do this to him? Sora spotted Yuya’s pacing change in emotion and stepped off to the side in worry while gesturing his head at Zuzu to have her see what’s going on.
Zuzu stopped practicing her song and carefully placed her violin on her bed. "Yuya...?" she asked, sounding concern.
"Please don't leave me..." Yuya begged, his eyes glowing red. "I beg of you, please don't leave me..."
Zuzu was surprised by the sudden mood swing. "I'm not going to leave you-"
"Do you even know what happened to me during the Interdimensional War?" Yuya interrupted. "When you faded in that green light...I lost control of myself." A desperate look appeared on his face. "I need to be with you, Zuzu Boyle. You complete me."
The green light… She knew this has recently become a trigger for them, but did it mentally hurt him that bad? Having her transferred into ARC-V against her will was the scariest thing that happened to him; it was even worse when all the dimension hopping in his dire rescue mission was nearly all for nothing because he was extremely close to losing her for good, especially when the Standard Dimension became the Pendulum Dimension. With everyone starting their new chapters of their lives, Yuya was hoping he would do the same thing with her. Now that she thought about it, she was certain this Card Craze place would have something that helps suit her surprise for him.
Zuzu let out a sigh of defeat. "Alright," she said. "If you really want me to come to Card Craze with you, I'll come." She started to put her violin and bow back in the case and her sheet music in a nearby folder.
"Great!" Yuya happily said, almost like his irritation never happened. "I've never been to this Card Craze place before, but Sora said it's a hangout spot for Duel Academy students."
"Just leave all the talking to me," Sora informed.
"How come?" Zuzu asked.
"Rumor had it that the store was once operated by the Rare Hunters, a group of rogue card thieves led by dueling cheat Keith Howard," Sora explained. "They kinda disappeared after the whole dimension crisis, but I suspect they're still hiding in Domino City."
"Rare Hunters...?" Yuya mused to himself.
Where did he hear that phrase before? He couldn’t help but ponder on who this group is because he felt like he should know who they are. Maybe in another life? That could be it because he could picture in his head what appeared to be Domino City but looked more like an actual Japanese city instead of the one he and his friends were used to. All around him were dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of Duelists battling each other and receiving these transparent cards with portions of a full picture called Locator Cards. Was some kind of tournament going on? From the look of things, it was, especially when kept hearing what the name of it was: Battle City.
From within his memories, his surroundings weren’t the only thing he remembers. He seemed to know what took place at the time because he just so happened to be one of the many Duelists taking part in Battle City, which was weird considering he only participated in only two tournaments. Maybe this was his alternate self? Who knows. He did perceive the fact he only attended because he wanted to stop the Rare Hunters and their leader from getting their hands on the three Egyptian God Cards. This was peculiar because the Rare Hunters appeared to be more of a larger threat than the ones Sora explained; they even had a different leader who went by the name Marik Ishtar. Although a handful of them are willing to do his bidding, he would brainwash or deceive others into joining him, such as a former stage magician who became sadistic and insane as he challenged the alternate Yuya on who was the true Dark Magician master.
"Uh, Yuya?" Sora asked. "You feeling alright?"
"Huh?" Yuya muttered, snapping back to reality. "Oh, I'm fine." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, mussing up his fluffy hair in the process. "Let's just get to Card Craze already."
Sora led the way as Yuya and Zuzu went downstairs and out of the house to the nearest bus stop. According to the bus schedule that was displayed online through Sora’s Duel Disk, the earliest bus they can from Paradise to Domino will be arriving in less than ten minutes for its 10 AM departure. It was rather shocking that there were already buses that traveled through all four sections of the main city shortly after the Original Dimension returned; then again, this must be practice for them to get adapted to driving through a much bigger city.
A bus soon pulled up in front of the trio to pick them up and they all went through the open door; they then sat down in a few seats that were in between the front and middle portions of the bus before leaving the neighborhood. As the scenery transformed from Paradise’s modern city structures to Domino’s Venice-esque landscape, Yuya couldn’t shake off the feeling of this Arkana person he was suddenly “remembering.” This was his first time hearing about the Rare Hunters yet he felt like he has known about them for a long time; the ones Sora recalled sounded less notorious than their alternate selves, but nonetheless, they still weren’t to be treated lightly.
"Hey Sora, you mentioned someone named Keith Howard," Yuya recalled. "Who is he?"
"The biggest cheat in dueling history," Sora answered. "He cheated his way through professional tournaments, but his methods were usually overlooked. However, during the final round of the Intercontinental Championship tournament a few years ago, his opponent caught him pulling spare cards from underneath his wristbands, specifically countless 7 Completeds. He was instantly disqualified for not only sneaking in more cards despite the 40-card deck limit, but also having more than three copies of a single card. He was banned from taking part in future tournaments since then, officially earning the nickname 'the Bandit'."
"Is that why he joined the Rare Hunters?" Zuzu asked.
"He didn't just join the Rare Hunters," Sora continued. "Rumor has it he founded that group out of spite. Now he makes a living hunting Duelists for their rare cards."
That didn’t sound good at all yet he had a couple questions. If this was because Keith has so much spite against those that banned him, why was he searching for rare cards specifically? For that matter, how come no one in Domino has actually brought it up to the public? Was it because they view him and the Rare Hunters as a minor threat? Yuya just somehow could tell the danger they actually pose even though he has never interacted with them before.
"Alright passengers, we've arrived at Domino City, Building 134 in Block 75," the bus driver announced. "Remember to take all your belongings before leaving the bus."
Yuya turned his head from the window to where the bus driver was sitting, suddenly getting another feeling of déjà vu. Something about his voice sounded very familiar to him. Could it be? No, it couldn’t, Yuya thought. As he, Zuzu, and Sora got up from their seats, they all departed the bus through the door, where he caught a glimpse of what the driver looked like. He had spiky, black hair with a ponytail in the back and several thin strands on the front sides of his face and a smaller strand over his forehead. His eyes were a piercing emerald green and his skin was darker than a fair skin tone yet lighter than a tan one. What made him stand out to Yuya the most was his six-sided die earring on his left ear and his pendant he wore around his neck. Yuya slightly gasped at the person he saw, and right when he got off the bus, he was still in disbelief at the identity of the bus driver.
"Yuya?" Zuzu asked. "You alright? You seem to space out a lot today."
"I'm not sure..." Yuya admitted.
"Well we can worry about it later," Sora said. He cheerfully grinned. "Time to visit the old hangout spot!"
#Arc V Aftermath#Rehabilitation#yugioh arc v#Yuya Sakaki#Zuzu Boyle#Yuzu Hiragi#FruitShipping#Sora Perse#Sora Shiunin
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Post Canon Request - Yuya, Yuto, and Yugo have asked Zuzu, Lulu, and Rin to prom. Hilarity ensues due to the fact that all eight counterparts now share two bodies.
(A/N: YES!! ALL OF THE YES!!! only… japanese schools don’t have proms… so i went with the next best thing! also, this kinda ran away from me… it was supposed to be a drabble… now it’s at least a four part fic… I hope you enjoy!!)
The White Day Festival- Date 1: Yuto
“Does this look good on us?” Yuya asked aloud as he gave himselfa one-over in the mirror, scrunching up his red eyes. He had on a blacklong-sleeved button-up shirt under a short-sleeved gray and purple jacket. The openedjacket ended just above his stomach and had a turtle neck like collar, onlyheld together by a single gold button. His pants were gray and his shoes wereblack.
“I think we look fine.”An ethereal voice spoke from his right.
“I still say we shouldwear something white…” another one grumbled from behind him.
“Yugo,” a thirdmore exasperated, and slightly annoyed, voice spoke from Yuya’s left, “The girls are the only ones allowed to wearwhite.” Yuya felt a drop of sweat fall down his face as listened to his counterparts.He could feel the second one’s temper raising.
“Yuri,” the firstone warned, “calm down. There’s no usegetting upset.” Yuya felt Yuri’s mental eye twitch. “Yugo, please stop sulking… you’re affecting the rest of us…”
“Sorry…” came thetruly apologetic reply. Yugo meant well and his idea to ware white was a goodone, but the school specifically announced that only the girls were allowed towear white.
“Yuto, would you be willing to ware white on your next datewith Ruri?” Yuya asked the first voice.
They all felt Yugo jump with excitement.
“It’s your body, Yuya.”Yuto laughed.
“But it’s your date!” Yuya raised an eyebrow. “Besides, itjust as much your body now as it is mine.”
“Yuy-” Yuto startedto reply, only to be cut off by a call from downstairs.
“Boys, if you don’t leave now, you’re going to be late!” Yokocalled.
“Haaaahhhh…” Yuya half wined, half sighed as he grabbed hisduel disk and hurried out his bedroom door. He slid down the fire pole andturned towards his mom.
“Aw! You guys look awesome!” Yoko grabbed her son(s) into agiant bear hug. Before Yuya would have complained but after everything that hadhappen in the last few months, he decided he wouldn’t take things for grantedanymore. Plus, Yugo loved it!
Yuya’s arms wrapped around Yoko as a happy but goofy grinspread across his face. He gave her a big squeeze and Yoko laughed.
“Yugo!” She sung, knowing exactly which of her boys washugging her. “Try not to cause any trouble.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Yugo’s nervous voice replied from Yuya. Yokopulled away from the boy and leveled him with a no nonsense stare.
“That goes double for Yuri.” She ordered and a drop of sweatran down the back of his neck as his, now, light blue eyes widened.
“Don’t worry. We’ll keep each other out of trouble.” Yugoreplied.
“As much as we can,given the situation we’re in.” Came Yuri’s grumbled reply.
“You have no right tocomplain when we take control, to stop you from doing something stupid.”Yuya’s ethereal voice said dryly, a bit glad that his mom couldn’t hear them. “Neither do I for that matter…”
“Hm… that sounds like it’d be funny to see!” Yoko laughed asshe imagined the look people must have when her son suddenly did a 180 on hispersonality. “But seriously, boys, behave yourselves. Not everyone is used toyou and the girls yet.”
“Yes, ma’am…” Yugo replied solemnly, a frown on his face.Yoko smiled sadly, then leaned over and gave her son(s) a kiss on his forehead.Yugo turned bright red and sputtered a little.
“Here, don’t forget this.” She turned around and grabbed a giftbag from the table. “I’m sure the girls will love them!” she handed it to Yugo.“Now, off you go! And be careful on the D-wheel.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Yugo smiled brightly as he headed out the door.
* * *
“Yugo, I am SO glad you know how to drive.” Yuto’s voicesighed in relief as he took control and Yuya’s eyes turned gray. He pulled offthe red helmet, and goggles, and secured them to the D-wheel.
“Technically we all donow.” Came the nonchalant reply.
“Yeah… but I doubt wewould have handled that situation the way you did…” Yuya laughed nervously.
“Maybe we should takeYugo’s D-wheel next time…” Yuri suggested. “Less people will recognize it… No offence, Yugo.”
“None taken.” Yutofelt Yugo cross his ethereal arms. “Yuyadid beat Jack. It’s only natural people would be trying to beat him now aswell.”
“That’s all fine anddandy, BUT WE CLEARLY SAID NO!” Yuya raged and Yuto twitched at theloudness in his head.
“Some people don’t know how to take a hint…” Yuto mumbled ashe picked up the gift bag and headed towards the school courtyard, stoppingonce to make sure the D-wheel’s key was in his pocket.
“Some people shouldhave their license revoked!” Yuya seethed. He didn’t take well to beingrammed off the road, especially when they had someplace to be.
“Yuya, calm down…” Yuto whispered as he passed by othernicely dressed students. “We shouldn’t go into this event angry. It’ll onlyworry the girls.”
“Right… sorry…”Yuya did the ethereal equivalent of taking deep breaths and Yuto immediatelyfelt all four of them calm down.
“Oh the joys of sharingemotions.” Yuri’s mumbled sarcastically as Yuto walked under a ‘Welcome’banner. His sarcasms was met with three small laughs.
“Yuya!” Someone called from behind them. Yuto turned to lookand saw Gongenzaka running up to them. “Glad to see you could make it! That wasa pretty tight spot.” He reached Yuto’s side and looked him over.
“You saw?” Yuto winced. It hadn’t been the best ofsituations.
“You’re Yuto, right?” Yuto blinked in surprise, then nodded.It seemed their close friends were getting better at telling who was currentlyin control. “I saw it from the train. That was Yugo’s deck, so I take it Yugodrove?”
“He’s getting good attelling us apart…” Yuri stated.
“Well, he’s known mesince we were little.” Yuya laughed.“I would be hurt if he couldn’t tell usapart.”
“Yeah.” they resumed making their way to the courtyardpassing by even more students. All the guys were wearing nice, somewhat fancy,dark colored clothing, while all the girls were wearing white dresses. “Wewanted to get here quickly and Yugo’s the only one confident enough to go fastin traffic.”
“Ah, I see. That make since.” Gongenzaka himself was wearinga nice but simple black suit… with his red headband still on. “He didn’t goabove the speed limit, did he?”
“Of course not!” Yuto mildly exclaimed. “Do you know whatYoko-san would do to us if we did?” The horror was evident in his voice. Thefirst thing Yuto, Yugo, and especially Yuri learned was to not cross Yuya’smother.
“I can imagine!” Gongenzaka laughed. “So, are you andRuri-san taking the first turn?”
“Yes, Yugo is to hyper, Yuri… is Yuri, and Yuya is to shy.”He said quickly, before the other three could stop him.
“OY!”
“What is THAT supposedto mean?”
“Yuto!” game three disgruntled replies.
Yuto chuckled at their response and Gongenzaka joined him inhis laughter.
“I kind of wish I could hear the other threes reaction tothat.” Gongenzaka smiled. Yuto paused for a moment, then looked at the tallerteen.
“Do you want to talk with Yuya for a bit?” he asked.
“No, that’s alright. I talk with him all the time. It’s yourturn to have some fun.” He patted Yuto on the back, who stumbled forward a bit.“Look there she is!” He stated as they walked into the courtyard.
The courtyard was decked out in white and light pink bannersand streamers. There were fake white roses attached to all the trees and busheswhile a small stage had been set up in one of the corners. Paper hearts of red,white, and pink had been taped across the walls randomly and small signs hadbeen placed by each door.
Standing by one of the doors was Yuzu. Her hair was down withstrands from the front pulled back with a white rose clip. Her dress was awhite sundress with a light pink sash around her hip and another rose on herleft hip holding the sash up. The skirt of her dress was a bit puffy, due tothe tulle netting poking out from underneath it. She had white gloves on andwhite knee high socks, as well as pink Mary Jane shoes and a simple silver andpink heart neckless.
“I can’t tell which one of you is staring but you might wantto close your mouth.” Gongenzaka laughed.
Yuto jumped a little and slammed his mouth shut. His face wasbright red and he was 100% sure it was all of them staring, because heimmediately imagined Ruri in that outfit… and he was sure Yugo had done thesame thing with Rin. He wasn’t sure about Yuri.
“Sorry!” came Yuya‘s and Yuto’s panicked response.
“I wonder if havingfour boys in one body comes with four times the hormones?” Yuri mused.
“I Hope not!” Yuto exclaimed out load. Gongenzaka blinked atthe sudden outburst.
“Who said what now?” he asked.
“Ah… sorry,” Yuto apologized, “Yuri… is… well, let’s just sayhe comes up with nightmareish ideas…” the teen sighed.
“Thank you.” Yurismirked in Yuto’s mind.
“You would take that asa compliment…” Yugo dryly remarked.
“I see.” Gongenzaka raised an eyebrow. “Well, he is a… whatis that term? Troll?”
“Yes, yes he is.” came a heavy sigh. “Before we- …I head over to the girls. What are yourplans for the evening?”
“Not much actually, I received some obligatory gifts on Valentine’sDay so, I have some return gifts to hand out.” Gongenzaka held his chin inthought. “Although, Honda-san can’t have sweets and her injury prevents herfrom dancing, so I’ll probably spend some time with her.”
“Honda-san… That’s one of your classmates, right? What happened?”
“Yep. She’s in the martial arts club and had an… accidentwhile training.”
“Eesh.” Yuto flinched. “Well, have fun.” He smiled as hebegan to make his way to Yuzu.
“You to! Keep the other three out of trouble!” Gongenzakawaved goodbye.
“I will!” Yuto laughed.
“Why doesn’t anyoneinclude Yuto? Why is it always ‘The other three’?” Yugo complained.
“Because he’s the mostresponsible and the least likely to get into trouble.” Yuri replied.
“Yeah… but he has hismoments.” Yuya tossed in as he remembered his first duel against Edo. Yutoflinched at his counterpart’s words, knowing exactly what he was referring to,without actually hearing the others thoughts.
“That sounds like aninteresting story.” Yuri purred.
“For another day. Rightnow we have something more important to worry about.” Yuya replied.
As they made their way to Yuzu, she waved her hand at themand smiled.
“Yuto! You made it!”
“Why wouldn’t we?” He laughed. He stopped in front of her andsaw that her eyes were pink, indicating it was Ruri in control.
“Well, apparently you were nearly run off the road?” Ruri’svoice asked in concern.
“…” Yuto frowned. “Why does everyone know aboutthat?” Gongenzaka saw it but the girls shouldn’t have.
“Someone caught it on video… and posted itonline…” Ruri Answered.
“Oh, come on…” Yuto facepalmed. None of the boys had wantedthe girls to see that dual, much less anyone else.
“As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.” Rurismiled as she took Yuto hand. Yuto blushed as she intertwined their fingerstogether. “Where to first?” she asked.
“Where ever you want to go.” He smiled. He noticed theunusually bright blush on Ruri face and assumed it belonged to one of the othergirls.
“Then how about…” Ruri mused for a bit, lightly shaking herhead a bit as she mumbled to herself.
“Is that how we look,when we talk to each other…?” Yugo asked uncertainly.
“Probably…” Yurireplied.
“The Cosplay Café!” Ruri suddenly exclaimed. “They’resupposed to have a special dessert for couples.” She smiled broadly as she tuggedYuto into the school and up a flight of stairs.
“She moves fast!” aflustered Yuya declared. “No wonder youtwo are dating…”
Yuto held back a chuckle as he and Ruri dodged around thestudent’s in the hall. They passed by the classrooms, all of which had beentransformed into different types of ‘Booths’. There was a haunted house, amaze, a game room, and many different types of ‘Restaurants’.
Finally, they reached the Cosplay Café. It was, actually, thecooking clubs room, which had been transformed into a cute café. They walked inand saw small round table scattered about the room, each covered in a checkeredpastel colored table cloths.
“Please, sit where ever you’d like!” one of the club members,dressed as Cutie Honey, called to them as she carried food to a couple in thecorner.
“Alright.” Ruri led them to a table by the window. It overlooked the courtyard and they could see more students and guest pouring in.
Even as they sat down Ruri never let go of Yuto’s hand. Shelaid their joined hands on the table and ran her thumb over his knuckles. Shewas staring out the window and most likely not even aware of what her hand wasdoing.
Yuto gave her a lopsided grin and gently moved his hand awayas the Cutie Honey cosplayer came over and handed them menus. Ruri frowned alittle at the sudden lack of warmth in her hand but smiled as she read themenu.
“They have Karumeyaki!” she squeaked.
“…And pancakes…” Yuto mumbled as he resisted Yuya’s urge todrool.
“Sorry… I just reallylike Moms pancakes…” Yuya apologized. Once everyone’s memories hadreturned, Yuya had developed a strange obsession with his Mother’s pancakes.Yuto assumed it was because of how much he had missed her during the war.
Yuto smiled fondly, letting his emotions tell Yuya heunderstood.
“Is that what you want?” He asked Ruri.
“Hm…” Ruri gave him a conflicted look. “I donno… The dessertI mentioned earlier is the Marshmallow Parfait but…” she sighed as she let herupper body collapsed dramatically onto the table. “Everything sounds good!”
“I’m sure one of theother booths or classrooms will have Karumeyaki.” Yuri stated. “… That is how these Festivals work, right?”
“Yeah, it’s notuncommon for one or two of the same thing to appear in different places.”Yuya confirmed.
“Yuri and Yuya suggest looking for karumeyaki at one of theother booths.”
Yuto said absentmindedly as he looked for something he mightlike. The Marshmallow Parfait sounded good but stupidly sweet. If they weregoing to get it and share it he was going to need something a bit bitter andthirst quenching to counteract the overwhelming sweetness.
“They did?” Ruri blinked. She looked at Yuto, studyinghis(Yuya’s) face before returning to the menu. Yuto ignored her gaze, knowingshe was still getting used to the unique situation the eight of them were in.
“Did you make up your mind?” He asked.
“More or less…” She hesitantly replied.
“I sense a hidden ‘But’ in there.” He gave her a small,amused smile.
“But…” she continued, “It’s…well…” she hesitated again.
“It’s hard to make a choice when you have three other voicesin your head?”
“…” Ruri sighed. “Yes… we don’t mean to but we can’t seem tokeep our thoughts to ourselves… they keep… leaking.” She frowned sadly. Yutoreached over and took her hand back into his.
“Don’t worry…” He said softly. “All of you will get the hangof this… it wasn’t easy for us ether.”
“But you adjusted so quickly…” she gripped his fingers infrustration. “why is it taking us so long?”
“Yuya and I have been like this for weeks…” he felt a twangof guilt from Yugo but ignored it. “That’s why we adjusted quicker but thatdoesn’t mean we have it down.”
“You don’t?” Ruri looked a bit surprised.
“We don’t.” He confirmed. He made sure his voice was low, to avoidunwanted eavesdroppers, and continued. “We can keep our thoughts from theothers but not our emotions and there are times when we get so emotional we inadvertentlytake control of Yuya’s body.”
“…Really?”
“Yes, really.” Yuto thought a moment, before continuing. “Yokowas angry at Yuri, why I won’t say, but they weren’t getting along. Yoko wastalking to Yusho-san and said something that upset Yuri and without realizingor meaning to, he took control of Yuya and began yelling at her.” He felt theother three flinch at the memory and did his best to keep a calm face.
“Yuri… actually got upset?” Ruri looked at Yuto in disbelief.
“Yes. He did.” Yuto held back a shudder. “A few days ago,Yugo became so happy about something, he took control of Yuya. The change wasso sudden, we skated right into a tree…” this time he allowed himself toflinch.
“Oh…” Ruri flinched as well.
“We’re still getting the hang of this… we just had a headstart.” He smiled sadly.
“Any tips?” She asked hopefully.
“Unfortunately, the only advise I can give is to practicetalking to each other. The more you ‘Talk’ to each other the less you hear theother’s thoughts.” He gave her a small but sad smile.
“Okay…” Ruri looked down at their entwined hands, before theyheard the sound of footsteps headed their way.
“Sorry for the wait,” The Cutie Honey waitress apologized,“But are you ready to order?” She asked.
“Yes, I am.” Yuto said as he let go off Ruri hand and pickedthe menu back up. “What about you, Ruri?”
“Oh! Yes, I am!” she fumbled with the menu before findingwhat it was she wanted. “We’ll have the Marshmallow Parfait and I’ll have a cupof Melon soda.” She smiled.
“Alright…” The waitress jotted down Ruri’s order beforeturning to Yuto. “And you?
“I’ll have a cup of green tea…” Yuto sighed.
“Normal or Dark?” she asked, recognizing the look of someoneresigned to their ‘sweet’ fate.
“Dark.” He handed the menu back to her, as did Ruri.
“Understood.” She nodded solemnly, then smiled. “I’ll beright back with your drinks.
___
~OmEki ThEaTeR~ RuRi’S sIdE
Ruri looked down at their entwined hands. Yuya’s hands werecallused and rough but warm. They were a testament to his dedication to Entertainmentdueling. They spoke of his acrobatic training and the trials and errors he hadfaced.
They were so similar yet so different from Yuto’s… Her Yuto’shands were softer and had less calluses. He dueled for personal fun and, whilehe enjoyed competing, he didn’t have the zeal to become a professional thatYuya did…
So similar… yet so different…
Even her ‘own’ hands where different… Yuzu’s hands weresimilar too Yuya’s. they were covered in calluses and little scars from daysand hours of training… Ruri’s hands had been similar, but softer. They were notyet as calluses and rough as her counterparts… but… she supposed none of thatmattered now…
Yuzu’s hands were Ruri’s and Yuya’s were Yuto’s.
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Seed of Darkness: A Clash of Academies (6/?)
All it takes it one bad seed to spoil the whole bunch. An AU collab with @violetganache42.
Ah, the wondrous dueling school known as Duel Academy. Located in the Fusion Dimension, this school is where the most skilled Duelists go to become among part of Leo Akaba's team of elite soldiers.
Or at least, that's what it used to be.
No one saw it coming and it was too late for the students to retaliate because they had taken over all within the span of only two days. Smoke hissed from the huge piles of rubble scattered all over the island. The attached towers were either destroyed, ripped from the Academy, suffered damage, or a combination of the three. Different buildings also endured the same casualties and a few of the docks had been dismantled from the severe battle damage that was dealt. Any students who survived the onslaught have been facing with the grim, harsh reality that the school they grew up in was now gone. It now went under a new name and it was called Reverse Academy.
The large percentage of the students had been Reversed and still follow the same strict set of rules and the “By-the-Book” method, but it was all for a different purpose: create the perfect world as imagined by the Void. They have been converting the wrecked duel school into what resembles a demonic cult; there was a vast amount of candles standing around every hall and corner, draperies with the Link Joker emblem were hung up in the rooms that contained little to no damage, and everyone attending there wore dark-colored cloaked robes like Celina and Barrett. Progress was still being made on not only Reverse Academy’s appearance, but that was the job of those who were not assigned to carry out the mission to handle the “renovation”.
Right now, a special task was going to be made for one of the Reversed students. In the Professor’s old throne room, a tall teen received a notification on his altered Academy-issued Duel Disk. He had teal hair divided in three sections with the bangs hovering above his blue eyes, fair skin, and wore a white variation of the male Obelisk Blue uniform. He was known as Zane Truesdale, a legendary Duelist in the Fusion Dimension who used to be a student at Duel Academy. With him already falling victim to the Reverse, he had recently returned to help carry out the Void’s orders. He was currently left in charge until Celina returns from her assignment in the Standard Dimension, so seeing the head agent calling him meant this was going to be important.
Zane opened his Duel Disk's communication function, very little emotion showing on his face. "Hello Celina," he said. "Have you made progress with Reversing the Standard Dimension?"
"I have," Celina answered. "I was able to Reverse a small number of Duelists, but that should be enough to Reverse everyone else. But my top priority is finding Zuzu Boyle. Once I find her, I'll come back to Reverse Academy."
"But the chains you once wore are gone," Zane pointed out. "There's no need to liberate her, as you call it."
"I have witnessed her duels," Celina explained. "She is one of the more powerful Duelists of the Standard Dimension. Once I liberate her, fulfilling the Void's wishes will be much easier. But there's more. There are still former students who oppose us: Sora Perse, Dennis McField, and Yuri."
"So the Professor's prodigy sides against us," Zane noted. "The Void will not be happy to hear that, wherever it currently is."
"Speaking of our master, I also made a discovery," Celina said. "And it has to do with the Void's ultimate plan to Reverse everyone in all four dimensions: someone might have access to Joker monsters."
"Why should that be a concern?" Zane asked. "You know I have Joker monsters as well, ones that replaced my Cyber Dragons."
"Because he sounded too innocent," Celina explained. "But I don't have time to track him down. I need someone to scout ahead and locate this rumored Joker user."
"And you want me to handle it?" Zane assumed. "I appreciate how much faith you have in me, but I need to overlook the medical procedures Bastion has completed."
"Not you," Celina corrected. "I need your brother."
"Are you sure?" Zane asked. "You know how ruthless he can be, even before he was Reversed."
"I'm sure," Celina insisted. "He's the perfect candidate to start our takeover of the Standard Dimension."
"Very well," Zane said. "I will send him to Standard as soon as possible."
Within moments, a flash of icy blue light shone just outside of the Ancient Zone; coincidentally, it just so happened to be right near the alleyway where the three beings were hidden away from plain sight. The trio looked over to their right to see the light and ran towards it, awaiting for the arrival of their companions and their commander. Once it diminished, it revealed a few more people dressed exactly like them but with different colored lenses for each soldier. Leading them all was a short, fair-skinned teenager with light blue, fluffy hair sectioned into three layers, gray eyes underneath the three bangs closest to his face, a pair of small, circular glasses, and donning a slightly altered male Obelisk Blue uniform. He was known to everyone as Syrus Truesdale, Zane’s younger brother who was originally a Slifer Red student but made it through Ra Yellow and up to Obelisk Blue over the years thanks to the intense amount of strict, ruthless training and lessons.
"Commander Truesdale!" one of the soldiers exclaimed with a salute. "What a surprise to see you!"
"Save your breath, Torrey," Syrus said, speaking in a cold tone. "My brother sent me to this dimension on orders given by Celina. It seems her obsession with finding her other selves is keeping her occupied. So how is the progress?"
"Everything is proceeding according to the Void's plan," Torrey reported. "Mukouda, Isaka, and myself have Reversed about three Duelists."
"That's all?" Syrus asked. "How pathetic."
Torrey was surprised by Syrus' words. "But Commander Truesdale, the Void wants us to Reverse every Duelist who doesn't have Pendulum cards!" he explained. "So far most of the Duelists we came across already has them!"
"Then make sure everyone in this dimension loses their Pendulum cards!" Syrus snapped. He let out a huff. "Must I do everything?"
It was bad enough he already has his hands full with his own mission. Earlier that same day, he was called into the throne room because Zane had retrieved information from Celina; his main objective was to seek out this Yuri lookalike because he might be in possession of Joker monsters. He does have an idea about the latter’s appearance because Celina did mention about the two sharing the same facial structures. Also, with his small group of Obelisk Force soldiers plus the ones scheduled to arrive briefly, taking over the Standard Dimension should be simple enough as long as they confiscate those Pendulum cards. Besides, how much of an impact would Reversing three measly Duelists even have?
"So what brings you here, sir?" Torrey asked.
"Celina wants me to track down a Duelist who might have access to Joker monsters," Syrus explained. "Have any of you seen a 14-year-old boy who resembles Yuri but with messy hair and casual clothing?"
"I have," Torrey reported, showing a broadcast from his Duel Disk. "His name is Yuya Sakaki. He doesn't have the same bushy eyebrows as Yuri, but his other facial features and voice are very similar."
"I see," Syrus said, watching the broadcast carefully. "May I see the other duels he was in?"
"Actually, Commander, you might want to check TooYube," Isaka suggested. "There is a video you might want to watch."
"We don't have time watching pointless videos!" Syrus pointed out.
"But sir, this one is kind of important," Isaka insisted, using his own Duel Disk to play the video. "It was what made Celina come to Standard in the first place."
The video playing on Isaka’s Duel Disk was during Yuya’s duel against Iggy. The young Duelist’s demonic Reversed side had just made itself known and he had brought out Odd-Eyes Joker Dragon. He declared his attack to secure his victory through a One Turn Kill, but what happened after that piqued Syrus’ curiosity. Yuya had Reversed Iggy, but once the duel was over, Nico had dropped his microphone, causing the former to go back to normal due to the feedback; he didn’t remember what happened until he saw his defeated opponent’s face. After the video ended, Syrus proceeded to quickly piece together what Celina meant when she said Yuya sounded too innocent. The presence of Joker energy drew her into the Standard Dimension and seeing him in the Battle Royale made her suspicious of him.
"Wait a minute..." Syrus said, his eyes widening slightly. "That dragon looks familiar."
"I know," Isaka agreed. "It looks a lot like Glendios."
"Of course!" Syrus exclaimed. "The Void's signature Unit! But that would mean..."
The Void is using Yuya as a puppet; in its current state, it used enough energy to take control of him. Despite the microphone feedback snapping him back to normal, it was still enough for its pawn to initiate its side of its master plan. With the increasing number of Reversed soldiers, it would grow stronger and soon fully reveal itself through him eventually. Syrus smirked sinisterly at this revelation of Yuya being the Void’s host; in fact, his mission just got a whole lot interesting.
"There has been a change of plans," Syrus said. "We must locate Yuya Sakaki so we can see if our master has chose him as its current host."
Meanwhile, thanks to Violet Flash cooperating with him, Yuri and Sora had managed to successfully arrive just outside of the Battle Royale. They are currently staying at a motel, mainly because there was no way Yuri wanted to make himself known to the public, especially to his counterparts after attempting to abduct Lulu and Rin. The last thing he needed was for his past actions to burn into everyone’s brains and draw alarm; the war against the Reversed Duelists is already a threat as it is.
So while Sora was currently in the motel's dining room splurging on free sweets, Yuri was still in the rented room, looking at Starving Venom's card. "Oh, my treasured pet," he said. "Whatever are we supposed to do?"
"Help me!"
Yuri looked up in alarm. "Who said that?!" he demanded.
"I did, plant boy! Now hurry up and help me!"
Yuri turned to his left to see an apparition standing in front of the motel room’s window. He rapidly realized this was no ghost—it was a Duel Monster Spirit! Not only that, but he recognized her as Celina’s ace monster prior to the Reverse outbreak! What was Lunalight Cat Dancer even doing here?
"I don't suppose you're here to slash my chest and throat as well," Yuri said with disdain in his voice.
"I only attack Celina's opponents in duels," Cat Dancer said. "And my attacks don't cause actual damage."
"Then how-" Yuri started to ask.
"How was I able to attack Leo Akaba?" Cat Dancer asked in response. "That wasn't me. The entity known as Link Joker was manipulating my body. Luckily I was able to transfer my consciousness to your deck before I was Locked."
"My deck?!" Yuri asked in disgust. "Get your filthy paws off my lovely Predaplants!"
Cat Dancer let out a frustrated sigh. "It's not like I had a choice," she admitted, sitting next to Yuri on the bed. "I could have transfer my consciousness to any deck, preferably that of Declan Akaba. But for some reason, your dragon seemed to call out to me, so here I am."
"How dare you make such a false accusation!" Yuri cried out. "Starving Venom would never associate himself with the likes of you!"
"Then why is he getting all chummy-chummy with me?" Cat Dancer asked.
Right as she said that, Yuri saw Starving Venom Fusion Dragon’s spirit next to Cat Dancer and he was purring. He also could have sworn he heard occasional small, content growls. His jaw was left ajar and his arms went limp at the sight of his beloved pet getting smitten with Celina’s feline ace.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Yuri asked. "You know you're not supposed to fraternize with the enemy!"
"I guess he's willing to make an exception with me," Cat Dancer said as she scratched Starving Venom under his chin.
"Enough with that," Yuri said, changing topics. "You said you need me to help you."
"I do," Cat Dancer explained. "You have to get Celina to snap out of it. She's not completely Reversed."
"Not completely?" Yuri repeated. "I saw the damage she caused."
"Exactly," Cat Dancer. "The Void didn't tell her to kill Leo and destroy all of Duel Academy. That was her doing. The only thing the Void did was give her the power she needed to overthrow the school."
Yuri’s eyes shot open wide and his bushy eyebrows sharply raised up at what he just heard. The shock was so intense, his Starving Venom card fell out of his hand and landed on the floor as his mind comprehended the given information. Leo’s sudden murder and the massively hysterical epidemic going around Duel Academy… All of that was only Celina’s doing?! She was solely responsible for the uprising?! In only a matter of seconds, his eyebrows lowered and started to twitch, his upper and lower jaws pushed against each other, his hands clenched shut to form two fists, and subtle trembles shook his body. All the years spent growing up under the care of someone who valued his powerful skills and talent, taught him etiquette and proper manners, and served as a father figure to him… They came to an abrupt halt…at the hands of the same girl he met when they were young.
"How dare she cause such a ruckus!" Yuri shouted, tears forming from his eyes. He stood up. "You here me, Celina?! You will pay for the damage you have caused!"
Starving Venom used his tail to wipe away the tears from his master's eyes, sadly growling in response. "I take it that Leo meant a lot to you," Cat Dancer noticed.
"Of course he does," Yuri responded, having slightly calmed down from his outburst. "As well as Duel Academy itself. It was the only place I ever called a home, and the Professor was the closest thing I had to a true father figure. He never made it official, but it always felt like he adopted me."
Cat Dancer couldn’t help but feel somewhat bad for Yuri. She knew Celina was devastated to learn the truth about Leo’s plans, but she admittedly never took into consideration about how her actions would affect the other students. It all happened too quickly; before anyone could get a chance to discover Leo had died, all the carded Duelists were freed and Reversing most of Duel Academy and quickly took control thanks to the Void and its Units merging with Duel Monster cards to create horrific, monstrous demons, including herself.
"But that's why you have to help me," Cat Dancer said. "Yet you can't do it alone. You need to team up with your other selves."
"I beg your pardon?" Yuri asked as he picked up Starving Venom's card. "Why would I do that?"
"Because I believe you're the key to freeing Celina from this twisted insanity," Cat Dancer admitted. "The same way your other selves are drawn towards their female friends."
Now that he thought about it, Yuri did remember seeing his XYZ and Synchro counterparts accusing each other of kidnapping their respective female friends. It further proves how strong their connections are regardless of what dimension they originated in. Although Yuri and Celina met each other a couple years ago and haven’t had that much of a bond, that connection is still there, and with the fate of the dimensions on the line, it may be time to put it into good use.
"Well, if you insist, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to...ugh...ask them for help," Yuri said.
"Thank you for cooperating," Cat Dancer said.
At that moment, Sora returned to the room with a bag full of candy. "Who're you talking to, Yuri?" he asked.
"What?" Yuri asked. "You don't see them?"
"See what?" Sora asked in response.
Yuri wasn’t sure how to explain this since this was the first time he ever saw Duel Monster Spirits; the only ability he knew he can do was communicating with Starving Venom. Was this an advanced version of this ability where he can also see him and other Duel Spirits? Were a selected few aware of this as well mainly because they possess it too? He was hoping this wouldn’t be too long of an explanation; for all he knows, Reversed Academy could be arriving at any minute.
Back at the Battle Royale, a duel was taking place on the outskirts of the Ancient and Jungle Zones. A well-known chef and Duelist named Reed Pepper was currently locked in a heated battle against Syrus with Yuya’s whereabouts on the line. His Cookpals were holding up surprisingly decent against Vehicroids; of course, this duel wasn’t even over yet because Syrus was getting ready to unleash his ace Joker monster.
"What a pity," Syrus said. "Your Cookpals appear to be the strongest monsters I have ever faced." A sinister grin appeared on his face. "They're perfect for Link Joker to influence."
"Link Joker?" Reed repeated, trying hard to stay calm. "What's that?"
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough," Syrus answered. "With the Spell card Joker Fusion, I combine the two Cycroids in my hand to bring out a new type of monster: a Fusion-Joker hybrid known as Life Pair Cycroid - Reverse!"
As the name suggests, Life Pair Cycroid - Reverse is the Link Joker counterpart of Pair Cycroid. Resembling more of a two-up-seated motorcycle than a tandem bicycle, its design consisted of a white and dark gray color scheme with yellow and red linings, gray, robotic hands, blinkers that were light green on the front and magenta on the back, blood red eyes, and the red-lit black halo behind it. It is also a Grade 2 Machine-Type Joker-Fusion monster with 1600 ATK and 1200 DEF. Its Fusion materials must be two monsters with the same name in order for it to be Fusion Summoned. It can also attack its opponent directly but—much like Life Force—leave a damaging effect on life points, hence its given name.
"Now I activate Life Pair Cycroid - Reverse's special ability!" Syrus continued. "Since I used two monsters to summon it, I can Lock two of your monsters! I Lock Royal Cookpal Prince Curry and Royal Cookpal Princess Pudding!"
"Lock?!" Reed repeated. "What are you-"
Life Pair Cycroid - Reverse revved its engine and launched two black halos towards Prince Curry and Princess Pudding. The two monsters became trapped and surrounded by black electricity when they were soon swallowed up by bright light that reverted them to their card forms. The light then encased each of them in two, black, electric spheres with two black orbiting rings. Reed was baffled by what had just happened and one glance at his Duel Disk left him speechless at the sight of his monsters in face-down defense position.
"Don't bother touching your cards," Syrus said. "When a monster is Locked, it loses all of its stats and abilities until the end of your next turn."
"That's alright," Reed said, looking back at his remaining monster. "I activate Royal Cookpal Knight Pasta's special ability-"
"I don't think so," Syrus interrupted.
"Huh?" Reed asked.
"It's Joker Fusion's secondary ability," Syrus explained. "By banishing it from my Graveyard, your remaining monster is also Locked."
Joker Fusion soared out from the Graveyard portal and lit up before disintegrating to let Reed know it was banished. Once that was done, a black ring materialized around Knight Pasta and Locked him into place alongside Prince Curry and Princess Pudding.
Reed looked deeply surprised. "I can't believe it..." he said. "You're the second person to defeat my Royal Cookpals, but I've never seen these tactics! What are they?!"
"These are Joker monsters," Syrus answered. "They're combinations of Duel Monsters and Units. They have abilities like typical Duel Monsters, but they also have skills that give them advantages when monsters are Locked. For instance, Life Pair Cycroid - Reverse has two skills. The first one deals you 400 points of damage for every Locked monster on the field."
Three Locked monsters meant 1200 points of effect damage will be dealt to Reed. With each Locked sphere unleashing 400 damage each, they all zapped black bolts of electricity at him to lower his Life Points. Of course, like Syrus said, this was only just the first of Life Pair Cycroid - Reverse’s two skills.
"But that's not all," Syrus continued. "With Life Pair Cycroid - Reverse's second skill, it can attack you directly for every Locked monster on the field."
Reed was alarmed with that information. "That's..."
"Far more than 2800?" Syrus interrupted, referring to Reed's current life points. "That's the power of Link Joker. Now go, Life Pair Cycroid - Reverse! Finish off this duel once and for all!"
Life Pair Cycroid - Reverse charged up its motor and accelerated towards Reed for a triple direct attack. Each strike and blow lowered his Life Points by 1600, giving him no time to react after it kept passing him; by the time the third attack was done, the 4800 damage points had completely depleted his Life Points and secured an easy win for Syrus, who was eagerly and sadistically anticipating the result of dueling someone with the Link Joker archetype.
Suddenly, the dark red aura of the Reverse started to surround Reed. "What's going on?!" he demanded. "Are you even part of the tournament?!"
"Of course not," Syrus answered. "Now become one with the Reverse!"
Reed shot open his usually shut eyes out of petrified helplessness to reveal his grayish purple irises glued onto the surrounding aura sucking him deeper into the Reverse’s influence. Within seconds, his pupils and white highlights vanished as his eyes obtained a soulless demeanor and red markings faded in underneath his lower eyelids.
At that moment, Reed's newfound friend, a Duelist named Trout, ran over to him. "There you are!" he exclaimed. "I know we're supposed to be allies, but you can't run off like that!"
However, Reed didn't respond. "Reed?" Trout asked. "You feeling alright?"
Reed looked over at Trout. "Are you...a strong Duelist?" he asked.
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Rehabilitation: Yuto’s Knightly Transitioning (8/?)
Side effects may include a loss of self-identity and individuality, frequent nightmares, questioning your own existence, severe mental trauma, constant panic attacks, spontaneous crying at random moments, and a strong desire to stay with loved ones at all cost. Co-written with @violetganache42. Takes place between Chapters 6 and 7 of Arc-V Aftermath.
The next morning, after a busy day of the Sakaki-Osaku family attending the Faire, Yugo and Rin moving out of the orphanage, Yuri joining the Duel Academy gardening club, and Celina transferring to Paradise Prep, everything was finally starting to return to normal for the Obsidians, who had spent the past couple days readjusting to their daily lives. It felt like forever since they last did anything at their house prior to the Invasion, so they have been readjusting to whatever they missed on their schedules…besides the haircuts and bath treatments.
At exactly 7am, the robot maids entered the individual rooms of the family members to wake them up. Lulu, on the other hand, woke up to her former nursemaid's voice.
"GOOD MORNING, MISTRESS LULU," Lillybot said. "SHALL I PREPARE YOUR MORNING TEA?"
Lulu sat up in her bed and politely yawned. "Of course," she answered as she got out of bed, ready for her morning shower.
Meanwhile, in the guest bedroom, Yuto was still asleep…and his snores that were coming out of his wide open mouth were quite voluminous. Aside from that, the clothes he usually wears to bed looked untidy, with the bottom of the shirt exposing his lower torso, the left sleeve pulled down to reveal his shoulder, and the sleeves of his sweatpants slightly rolled up. His position made even appeared to have his legs spread out with his knees bent, his right arm over his head as it lies on the bed and the left arm over the edge. It’s also worth noting that the pillows were tossed all over the bed and the blanket was messed up—half-on and half-off the mattress. Speaking of which, it was the most comfortable mattress he has ever slept on. He wasn’t used to these at all, so this might be the best sleep he has ever had.
While Yuto slept, Orbital entered the room and approached the sleeping teen. "GOOD MORNING, MASTER Y-YUTO," the head robo-butler said. "IT IS TIME FOR YOU-"
BONK!
Yuto had used the left arm that was dangling from the edge of the bed to turn off the alarm clock, but there was a slight problem: there was no alarm clock. The only piece of technology that was in the room besides the lights was Orbital 7, the Obsidians’ robotic head butler, who had just been mistaken for an alarm clock.
"MASTER Y-YUTO?" Orbital asked, but the eggplant-haired teen shifted in his sleep, not waking up at all.
Meanwhile, Lulu was already inside her personal bathroom, taking a shower. Ever since she was a toddler, she was given lessons and techniques on how to properly maintain a long and beautiful hairstyle, which she still does to this day. She even had to take care of it during the Invasion, but it was more difficult for her because trying to find places with decently functioning plumbing was a challenge. At least she was lucky enough to find water for the Resistance to drink and for her to wet and style her hair; with Heartland City destroyed at the time, it was improbable for anyone to shower, so she had to make due with what there was. So when she finally washed it thanks to Julia, she was so happy that her hair remained long and beautiful even after not bathing for months.
While Lulu was washing her hair with FeatherSoft shampoo, she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she said, wondering who wanted to see her since Lillybot was currently brewing her morning tea.
Orbital entered the bathroom. "MISTRESS L-LULU, MASTER Y-YUTO IS NOT WAKING UP," he reported.
"Oh?" Lulu asked.
"I SUSPECT IT IS BECAUSE OF HIS NEW BED IN THE GUEST BEDROOM," Orbital guessed.
Lulu let out a small, polite laugh. "Of course," she said. "He must be used to the same type of mattresses Zuzu uses."
"SO CAN YOU MAKE SURE HE WAKES UP?" Orbital asked.
"I'll see him once I finish my shower," Lulu said.
Some time later, Lulu had just gotten out of the shower and was wearing a light yellow bathrobe with a light blue towel wrapped around her head to help absorb some of the water in her hair before properly drying it and had on a pair of sleepwear slippers. She exited her room and walked over to the guest bedroom where Yuto slept for the night. The door was opened just a tiny bit and has been that way ever since Orbital wasn’t successful at waking him up. She slowly pushed it to check in on him, and sure enough, he was still on the bed in a deep slumber. He must have turned around and was now on his left side facing the doorway shortly after the robo-butler left, and Lulu couldn’t help but find him adorable as he slept. His legs were now closed, but the pant legs were still rolled up and his shoulder was still exposed; however, he was holding one of the pillows near his body. He must really like the mattress her family has.
Letting out a small giggle, Lulu approached her sleeping boyfriend. "Yuto..." she said, gently touching his cheek. "It's time to wake up..."
However, Yuto stopped snoring and moaned a bit from the slight contact. "Yuto...?" Lulu asked.
"Mom..." Yuto muttered in his sleep.
Lulu smiled softly, realizing he was dreaming about his mom. However, his content expression became that of fear.
"Yuto?" Lulu repeated, starting to sound concerned.
"Mom, don't leave me..." Yuto said in his sleep. "Please... Don't..." His eyes shot wide open. "MOM!"
Lulu was surprised, seeing her boyfriend heaving as he sat up. "Did you have a bad dream?" she asked.
Yuto looked around the room, confused. "...Where am I?" he asked.
"You're in the guest bedroom," Lulu answered. "You moved in last night after returning from a Renaissance Faire with the Sakakis."
Yuto looked around the bedroom to see that he had indeed moved in last night. There was luggage next to the closet that contained his clothes he had packed, along with the Sword of Nobles hung up on the wall parallel to the bed and a small shrine on the right nightstand that contained the framed selfie of him and Lono, which was made last night in memory of her.
"Right..." Yuto said. "I forgot about that."
"But did you really need to bring that sword with you?" Lulu asked. "It looks pretty dangerous."
"It's something I won at the Renaissance Faire," Yuto explained. "Only true Knights with the kindest of hearts can wield the Sword of Nobles. It's a reminder that I really belong here, among your kind."
Lulu let out a small giggle and gave Yuto a 'good morning' kiss. "We can discuss this later," she said. "Right now, you need to freshen up."
"Oh, right," Yuto said. He got out of bed. "Sorry for oversleeping."
As Yuto walked over to the private bathroom in the room, Lillybot entered holding a teacup with a small plate. "YOUR MORNING TEA IS READY," she told Lulu. "PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIP IT SLOWLY."
"Thanks Lillybot," Lulu said as Lillybot gave her the teacup.
"Morning tea?" Yuto repeated. "You drink tea every morning?"
"Mother said the time I take to drink from this teacup is the same amount of time needed to properly remove extra water from my hair," Lulu explained. She took a sip from the teacup. "So I started drinking a special tea blend every morning a few years ago."
"That's pretty interesting to hear," Yuto remarked before he closed the private bathroom door.
Upon turning around, he saw his reflection in the mirror and noticed how much of a sleepy mess he was. Aside from his rolled up pants and his shoulder poking out from the neck hole of his large shirt, he had a severe case of bed head as a result of him oversleeping. It was a good thing he was about to take his shower and he caught on how nicer it was when compared to his old bathroom and Yuya’s in fact, everything about this bathroom had a nice appearance. It just so happened to be his reaction when he first moved in—he loved everything about the house when he first saw it…that is, until one of the maidbots gave him a forced spa treatment because she thought he was a visitor of some sort. Because of that, special 'pampering-prevention' protocols had to be activated. Who would have ever thought that such simple programs designed to avoid unnecessary grooming would come in handy?
Yuto noticed several bottles of shampoo on the bathroom counter. Curious, he picked up one of them and read the label. "Uh, Lulu?" he called out. "What kind of shampoo is 'MoonShine'?"
"It's a special kind of shampoo focusing on a type of spa treatment called hair-therapy," Lulu explained from outside the bathroom. "The kind my family buys focuses on detangling hair."
Detangling hair? It does make sense since hair was vulnerable to getting tangled up in snarls and knots, as seen with Yuto’s bed head; he switched his sight between MoonShine, his messy hair, and the shampoo-stocked counter. Man, they sure do have a lot of shampoo brands, he thought to himself. And I’m just used to using only one. How do they even know who uses what?
Well, it shouldn’t matter to him regardless because as long as he continues using his Spike and Curl, he’ll be fine in terms of shampoo usage. …But dang, they seriously have a lot for their respective hair care regimens and spa treatments. Dandruff control. Silky and soft results. You name it. Some of the most expensive brands they bought were used to treat any familial hair issue, so it was nice that they were prepared, but do they really need several of them? Yuto assumed it must be a perk of being born in a wealthy, elite, and high-class environment and decided to carry on with his shower.
Once Yuto took off his sleepwear and put it in a nearby hamper, he stepped into the shower with the bottle of MoonShine he was holding and turned on the water. Standing underneath the shower hose, he let the warm water pour down from above and soak his hair and entire body; a multitude of droplets sprinkle onto the eggplant-shaped locks and flowed down the tangled strands while the rest made impact on his skin and slid down to the ground. Even though he was already clean from his spa treatment, he wanted to freshen up on his own without the hassle of maidbots catching him off guard and giving him one.
With him now soaking wet, he took the bottle of MoonShine and applied the same amount he typically uses with his shampoo brand. He caught a whiff of its scent—and found it to be quite sweet—before lathering it all over his hair. The scrubbing of his hands through the strands and on the scalp created foamy suds on top of his head. If he was going to be honest, it felt a little weird not using his own shampoo brand, but it does detangle hair, so he’ll be fine with it as long as it gets rid of his bed head. Will it still retain the same spiky results? Yuto asked himself. Guess there’s only one way to find out.
"Look at you, Mr. Big-Shot. You're finally livin' the good life."
Yuto let out a chuckle as he applied some lavender-scented soap to his body. "Good morning to you too, Zarc," he said.
"So what's the plan for today? A fun swim in the luxury pool? Being fed grapes as you get a manicure? Dueling with a diamond-encrusted Duel Disk?"
"Actually, Mr. Obsidian gave me my new weekend schedule last night," Yuto answered. "After breakfast, I'm supposed to begin my training as a wealthy person."
"Pfft. You don't need training for that! All you need to get started is a huge bath of gold coins to swim in!"
"Zarc, this isn't like those old American cartoons," Yuto said. "Apparently being wealthy involves a lot of hard work, especially with looking absolutely perfect."
"So you have to take boring lessons so you can marry your girlfriend? That doesn't sound like fun."
"It kind of is," Yuto said. "One of my lessons is ballroom dancing. I even have some time to work in the family gym."
"Okay, maybe some of those things are fun, especially the dancing bit."
Several minutes passed and Yuto had finished with his morning shower. His hair was already soaked from the water, but at least it took care of his bed head. But one look in the mirror revealed a new dilemma.
"Stop laughing," Yuto told Zarc.
"But your hair is all flat! How could I not find that funny?!"
Zarc was right about Yuto's hair looking completely flat; his light purple bangs were covering his eyes in a similar manner to how they behaved when he was a child, only they now left some gaps in between for him to see through. To top it all off, the black locks were flat enough to almost mirror Yuya’s hairstyle. Apparently, MoonShine doesn’t work well with spiky hair yet it does work for other types of hair, so that was kind of ironic to say the least.
"This is why I also have to use a hairdryer," Yuto said. Luckily he found a hairdryer on the bathroom counter, so he plugged it in and used it and a brush to make sure his hair was dry and nicely brushed.
"Didn't you used to have shorter hair?"
"Yes," Yuto answered.
"Then if managing that uncontrollable mess of hair is a problem, why not cut it short again?"
"Because I actually like this style," Yuto answered. "It helps emphasize my most attractive features."
"Oh right, I forgot you're the one with the massive ego."
"I don't have an ego," Yuto explained. "I simply like it when other people tell me how handsome I look."
"Well if those memories of your childhood are any indication, it looks like that's part of you being a mama's boy."
Yuto blushed out of embarrassment after hearing that comment. It’s not his fault he grew up as an only child for most of his life and without a father. In fact, he has never known about his father throughout his entire life, so with the lack of knowledge on his identity and spending so much time with Lono, it was understandable on why he would enjoy other people’s compliments. And with Yuto being constantly smothered by love without a father figure, no wonder people would call him a mama's boy.
"You are right," Yuto said. He finished blow drying/brushing his hair into its usual spiky style and wrapped a towel around his waist. "I did grow up without a father fig-"
"Eep!"
Yuto stopped walking to see Lulu sitting in the guest bedroom’s chair right as he exited the private bathroom. She had abruptly paused with drinking her morning tea because she wasn’t expecting to see him shirtless. Her cheeks quickly flooded with a pink hue as her eyes were already locked onto his torso…and she could not look away from it.
Yuto smirked. "Like what you see, princess?" he asked, flexing his arm.
"Peeeehhhh... Haaaaaaa..." Lulu stammered, her fingers twitching slightly. Ultimately she snapped out of it and quickly looked away as she stood up. "Breakfast is currently being prepared. You should get dressed and meet us in the dining room."
But before Yuto could reply, Lulu quickly left the guest bedroom, leaving the eggplant-haired teen confused. "Oh come on, Lulu!" he called out. "I saw you staring!"
"Congratulations, Romeo. You just broke your girlfriend's brain."
Yuto didn’t mean to; it’s like he said before: when people say he’s handsome, he knows it. Besides, he can’t help it if his figure is slightly more built than his counterparts. It was thanks to the Invasion that his muscles on his arms and chest were subtlety developing. Regardless, Lulu was right; with breakfast being made, they should get dressed. Now with complete privacy, Yuto got changed into his light gray tank top, dark gray, short-sleeved, button-up shirt, and dark jeans with his black belt along with his glasses while Lulu donned into the clothes she wore before the Invasion struck: a light yellow dress over a whitish-pale blue neck shirt, and a pair of white heeled shoes. She even tied her hair into her trademark bow-shaped hairstyle with her wing-shaped barrette.
When Yuto met up with Lulu in the hallway, he smiled softly at her. "What?" she asked.
"You should braid your hair more often," Yuto suggested. "Braids make you look super cute."
Lulu let out a small giggle. "Maybe tomorrow," she said.
"I'm serious," Yuto said as the two headed for the dining room. "I remember seeing you with braided hair during the Leo Corporation dance. I kid you not when I say you look absolutely adorable with braids."
"Oh, stop," Lulu playfully said.
"But it's true," Yuto said. He placed his hand on Lulu's waist. "All that beautiful long hair done in a single braid is an amazing look for you."
"I do like braids, but they're a hassle to make," Lulu explained. "Especially since I refuse to let anyone else touch my hair."
"I know," Yuto said, making sure his hand wasn't near the long locks. "But you would still look adorable."
Lulu giggled once again, with her cheeks that were bright pink earlier in the guest bedroom becoming a lighter rosy tint. Although it was difficult to do braids herself, she actually might consider trying to do them more often; at least it’ll help her improve on braiding her hair. With her brain already keeping that in mind, she and Yuto headed downstairs and towards the dining room. He wasn’t sure where it was located since he just moved in, but it was a good thing he can follow her to wherever it was somewhere on the first floor. Upon arriving, they saw Shay, Kameron, and Astra at the dining room getting ready to have their breakfast once it was done cooking.
"Good morning, Lulu," Astra said.
"Good morning, dearest family," Lulu replied with a small curtsey.
Yuto noticed Shay was wearing a black muscle shirt and dark grey shorts. "What's with the getup?" the Phantom Knights user asked.
"This is what I wear when I go to the family gym for my workout routine," Shay answered.
"But Shay, your weekend schedule starts with an hour and a half of business studies," Kameron informed.
"I'm aware of that, father," Shay said. "But Crow called me this morning. He wants a Turbo Duel rematch this afternoon."
"A Turbo Duel?" Astra asked, confused and alarmed. "Since when did you get a Duel Runner license?"
"I didn't," Shay answered. "But I was given a Duel Runner during my time in the Synchro Dimension."
"And this Crow person wants to duel you?" Kameron asked.
"Precisely," Shay answered.
"But son, being the CEO of a major company is important," Kameron said. "You have to understand that business normally comes first."
"Your father is right," Astra agreed. "We worked hard to make this company possible, and we need you to keep it running when we retire."
"But surely I'll have enough time to-" Shay started to say, but then some robot maids entered the dining room with food.
"YOUR BREAKFAST IS READY, OBSIDIAN FAMILY," a robot maid said. "TODAY'S BREAKFAST IS PANCAKES AND GREASE-FREE BACON. ENJOY."
As a few robot maids exited the kitchen to bring out plates of pancakes and bacon, Yuto was left surprised by what he witnessed. He has heard stuff about how wealthy parents normally treat their children, but it didn’t apply here because Kameron and Shay were quite civil with discussing their disagreements. Does that mean this family functions like a genuine family even though they live in a high class environment and are taught elite manners?
As the family (and Yuto) sat down to eat their breakfast, the discussion resumed. "As I was saying, father," Shay continued. "Surely I'll have enough time to duel Crow."
Kameron thought about that idea. "That could work," he said. "While I am unhappy with how you received a Duel Runner, we could have the duel take place during your resting hour from 5pm to 6pm. Is that alright?"
"Of course," Shay answered. "Thank you for understanding."
Astra noticed Yuto's surprised expression. "Oh my goodness," she said. "I'm sorry you had to witness that unfortunate squabble."
Yuto was even more baffled. The way Astra apologized sounded like he saw a hostile argument. "You're very civil about disagreements," he remarked.
"Of course we are," Kameron said. "Why argue when we can settle disputes with compromises?"
"Father is right, Yuto," Lulu said. "We compromise about a lot of things. Why would you think otherwise?"
Yuto took a bite out of his provided pancakes. "Because while my mom was usually very loving, we often had arguments," he explained. "It was mostly about how I wandered off in public places when I was younger. Apparently it had something to do with 'unexpected bursts of rage' as she called it-" He stopped himself upon realizing what that meant. "Which would explain a lot."
This epiphany made Yuto feel like his entire life felt somewhat different. His first time Awakening wasn’t from his mother’s sacrifice; according to faint memories he was now remembering, it actually happened on occasion throughout his childhood. Could that explain why he was always alone as a child? Why he was initially the outcast among the citizens of Heartland? Why he was drawn more towards the darkness? Why he chose the Phantom Knights as his archetype…and became knightly himself?
"No wonder mom always wanted me to smile," Yuto realized.
"Well you don't have to worry about that now," Lulu reassured after swallowing a mouthful of pancake. "Zarc's gone. You have nothing to worry about."
"Seriously Yuto? You still didn't tell your girlfriend about me? Does she even know Ray's in her head?"
"You're right," Yuto told Lulu. He held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry for freaking out."
"Whatever. I'm gonna go see what Yuya's up to. Hopefully it's a lot more interesting than snobby rich stuff."
That being said, Zarc finished his mental communication with Yuto and vanished from his XYZ reincarnation’s mind. Well, he didn’t exactly vanish; not only can he talk to more than one of his reincarnations, but he can freely travel between all four of their minds to talk with them, which was he was doing right now. Surely, Yuya must be doing something interesting right now after returning from the Faire.
"So with that set aside, can you please change your clothing after breakfast?" Kameron asked Shay. "You know your time in the family gym is at exactly noon."
"Certainly, father," Shay replied.
"Noon?" Yuto asked. "That's when I'm supposed to use the family gym."
"Precisely," Astra said. "I figured Shay could help get you started today. Which reminds me..." She looked over at Lulu, who was cutting her bacon into small pieces. "Lulu, I would like you to accompany Yuto for his ballroom dance lessons at 10:30am."
"But why?" Lulu asked. "I have archery practice during that time."
"For comfort reasons," Astra answered. "I know you and Shay are used to the robot dance coach, but Yuto probably isn't. Perhaps having his dance lessons with you could help him relax."
Yuto took a bite out of his pancakes, blushing heavily. "Very well, mother," Lulu agreed. "But what about my archery lessons?"
"They will occur starting at precisely 12:05pm," Astra answered.
Yuto couldn’t believe what was happening. He just moved in last night, had the most comfortable sleep of his life, and he’s already receiving scheduled lessons…and his first one is with his girlfriend! Fortunately, the revelation of Lulu’s archery practice subsided his heavy blushing a little; he never knew she did archery, but why was she being taught lessons about it in the first place?
"I didn't know you do archery," Yuto remarked.
"It's my way of getting exercise," Lulu explained. "Mother said a gym is no place for a proper lady."
"Precisely," Astra chimed in. "Especially with your hair getting sweaty, and I'm aware of how long it takes for you to wash it."
Ever since she was a toddler, Lulu always wanted to have long hair after watching several movies where actresses have long hair themselves. Astra reprogrammed Lillybot to not give out her daughter’s old haircut schedule and gave her lessons on how to take care of it over the years; as a result, she has adapted to it marvelously. Although the hair care regimen includes delicate brushing and thorough shampooing and conditioning, one of the benefits is styling it into ponytails, pigtails, braids, buns, and so on. It was rather mind-boggling on how Lulu was still able to maintain a luxurious hairstyle when water, plumbing, and hair products were scarce during the Invasion, but she definitely wasn’t a big fan of greasy hair. With that in mind, it was safe to say she doesn’t enjoy having sweaty hair either whether it is due to pumped-up adrenaline or a hot day.
"So that's why I take archery," Lulu said. "It isn't a very active sport, but it's perfect for strengthening the right amount of arm muscle."
"I could tell," Yuto noted, glancing at her arms.
A few hours later, at exactly 10:30 AM, both Yuto and Lulu arrived at the ballroom for his first ever lesson. He wasn’t sure what the Obsidians’ robotic coach is like or how these lessons go, so he felt a bit uneasy. More so, they were going to be spent with his girlfriend and he couldn’t help but feel somewhat flustered.
When Yuto and Lulu arrived at the ballroom, they were greeted by what was probably the robotic coach. "GREETINGS MASTER YUTO," he said. "ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN YOUR FIRST DANCE LESSON?"
"Of course," Yuto answered.
"EXCELLENT," the robotic coach said. "TODAY'S LESSON WILL BE A BASIC WALTZ, SO PLEASE GET INTO POSITION WITH MISTRESS LULU."
That confused Yuto. "Position...?" he asked.
"Just follow my lead," Lulu said. "Well technically you'll be the one leading me, but hopefully you get the picture."
Yuto has never done a waltz before and wasn’t sure if he remembers seeing it on television due to his personality change over the last few years. At least he now has a good reason to try and watch Waltzing with the Idols just so he can understand how it is done. He followed what Lulu did and got into his starting position; little did he know, both waltzers have to start off by standing in close proximity, leaving him madly blushing.
"Are you alright?" Lulu asked, noticing Yuto's blushy face.
"I'm fine," Yuto lied, tightening his grip on Lulu's waist. "So how does this work?"
"Well for starters, you take the lead," Lulu explained. "Now take a step forward, then to your right."
"Alright," Yuto said, subtly glancing at his feet.
"Don't look at your feet, you goof," Lulu playfully said, brushing a hand through her boyfriend's hair. "Look at me."
Yuto was unable to stop himself from blushing as he felt her hand combing the light purple and black, thick strands. When she removed her hand from his head, they proceeded with the given lesson. They stared into each other’s eyes, with Yuto attempting to maintain his composure and relax the best he could, but a part of him was glad he can finally see her magenta eyes in person and being separated from his counterparts once again. After spending so much time searching for her, adjusting with sharing Yuya’s mind with Yugo and Yuri, and nearly escaping a mind merge, this was honestly all he wanted: being with his girlfriend. Because of Yuto’s deep gaze into Lulu’s eyes, he didn’t notice his feet had moved one step forward and one step to the right.
"That's it," Lulu happily said, moving along with the music. "Now repeat the steps, but this time glide me across the floor."
"Of course, dearest princess," Yuto said, half-paying attention due to him being so happy to see her in person.
With one hand on her back and the other holding her hand, he let his feet do the moving and carried on with sliding to the rhythm of the music with Lulu following suit. The progressing waltz melody guided them across the ballroom floor with mirroring steps and, surprisingly, the basic steps of performing this smooth dance: Yuto’s left foot and Lulu’s right foot moving together and vice versa, doing left and foot changes, box steps, forward progressives, and promenades. The robot coach was dumbfounded by the sight of the two pulling off the basics in a short amount of time.
"MY GOODNESS," the robotic coach said. "YOU ARE A QUICK LEARNER, MASTER YUTO."
"What can I say?" Yuto asked in response. "I'm only feeling the flow of the music."
"Feeling the flow?" Lulu repeated. "I never heard you say that phrase before."
"I just feel really happy to see you," Yuto said as he gracefully twirled her around. "You're so pretty and perfect. I missed you so much and I want to spend so much time with you." An unusually wide grin appeared on his face. "Being with you just makes me want to high-five the sky!"
At that moment, his eyes shot wide open and he clapped both hands over his mouth, realizing what he just exclaimed. To be more specific, on how he blurted it out. He is usually never this enthusiastic and overly happy, which was better suited for Yugo, so what could have caused him to become so energetic all of a sudden?
"Are you alright?" Lulu asked, sounding a bit concern.
"I'm not sure," Yuto admitted, calming down from his little excitement moment. "I haven't seen you in such a long time. It must have given me a boost of adrenaline."
"But you saw me during the LDS dance," Lulu pointed out as she and Yuto got back into position to resume their waltz.
"While we were in Yuya and Zuzu's bodies," Yuto corrected. "I get that we were able to swap places with them, but it felt a bit off. Now I can actually feel your skin, see your pretty face, and even smell the sweet scent coming from your hair."
A light pink tint developed on Lulu’s cheeks for two good reasons. First off, she was flattered about the compliments Yuto made about her skin, face, and hair. Second of all, and more importantly, she soon realized he was right about what he explained. Although she got to reunite with him at the LID dance, it was because their souls were merged in their Pendulum counterparts’ bodies; now that their physical bodies were recovered, they could finally be with each other once again without the threat of Duel Academy catching them off guard.
"You're right," Lulu said. "I can feel actual warmth coming from your hands." She pressed her forehead against Yuto's as the two continued their waltz lessons. "I guess being trapped within someone else's body made me miss the actual feeling of touch."
"I know," Yuto agreed. He gave Lulu a brief yet loving kiss. "Being back in my body makes me want to cuddle with you every evening."
Lulu let out a small laugh. "I didn't know you're a bedtime cuddler," she remarked.
"I never grew out of that habit," Yuto admitted. "I even remember those nights when I would have a hard time sleeping due to either thunderstorms or nightmares. When that happened, I would head over to my mom's room and she would let me cuddle with her. When I got older, she gave me a body pillow as a substitute, which always proved to be effective."
He quickly reassured her that it was a blank body pillow instead of those body pillows, which she had a feeling it was. She then put two and two together and soon concluded why he had that severe case of bed head, snored loudly, and was in an overly-comfortable sleeping position. Without something or someone to cuddle with, he tends to have a difficult time going to sleep; he was lucky to have that mattress to give him one heck of a slumber.
"How about you move in to my room?" Lulu suggested, the two never breaking concentration from the waltz.
"Huh?" Yuto asked, confused.
"If you needed a body pillow to sleep, maybe I could be that pillow," Lulu explained.
Yuto nearly dropped Lulu in shock, his face turning red. He was so embarrassed that he couldn't speak properly. "Uh..."
"I mean, you can cuddle with me," Lulu explained. "I'll clear out some stuff in my room so you could have room for your stuff."
"Are you sure?" Yuto asked. "It feels kind of weird..."
"But it would be nice practice for when we get married," Lulu explained. "We will share a bed together. It wouldn't hurt to get used to that feeling."
She does have a point; because they are arranged to get married in the future, it’s never too late to begin adapting to a paired lifestyle, even if one of them involves sharing a bed. Besides, it’ll help make Yuto fall asleep faster if he moves in with her. She didn’t want to think about the amount of sleep he had during the Invasion and when he was merged with his counterparts, so at least that can also reduce the risk of restless nights he may get.
Feeling calm about this information, Yuto resumed his practice waltz with Lulu. "Alright," he agreed. "I'll sleep with you at night. Hopefully your parents have no problem with that."
"Don't worry," Lulu said. "I'm sure everything will turn out alright."
#Arc V Aftermath#yugioh arc v#Yuto (arc v)#Lulu Obsidian#Ruri Kurosaki#FallenAngelShipping#Rehabilitation
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Seed of Darkness: Imbalanced Evil (2/?)
All it takes it one bad seed to spoil the whole bunch. An AU collab with @violetganache42.
Back at Paradise City, Zuzu and Yuto were both carrying Yuya as they rushed through the neighborhood streets to get to the Sakaki residence. After what happened so suddenly, he needed to get some help as fast as possible. It didn’t help that they were left with some questions that needed to be answered. Who really was this Yugo person and why did he thought his XYZ counterpart was someone else? Was there another lookalike of them, and if so, why did he take those Lulu and Rin girls? Does Yugo and their other lookalike have some kind of connection with Yuya and Yuto? What was that flash of red light and where did it came from? Will it end up breaking that connection?
They weren’t sure as of now. Confusion had clouded their minds about this strange turn of events yet they were still strongly focused on bringing Yuya home. They were really hoping this red light didn’t affect his appearance, personality, dueling skills, or whatever. They just want him to be okay.
"Who does Yuya live with?" Yuto asked.
"Huh?" Zuzu asked in response, surprised by the sudden question.
"Who does Yuya live with?" Yuto repeated.
"He currently lives with his mom," Zuzu answered. "His dad disappeared a few years ago. Why do you ask?"
"Because a few years ago, a man named Yusho Sakaki showed up in my home dimension," Yuto explained. "But he looks nothing like Yuya, so I had to check if them sharing the same last name was a coincidence."
Yuto knows Yuya’s dad? How can that be? Was that why he disappeared three years ago? Because he went to Heartland City? But why would he do that? Whatever the case is, Zuzu knows that Yusho being related to Yuya was no coincidence despite that he clearly didn’t get his tomato-like hairstyle through genetics.
"No, that's Yuya's dad," Zuzu clarified. "It's hard to tell at first, but they're related."
A few moments later, the two had already arrived at Yuya’s house and Yusho’s wife, Yoko, was helping Zuzu and Yuto carry her son up to his bedroom. However, one look at Yoko made Yuto feel uncomfortable, as he kept on glancing away from her.
"Zuzu, who's your new friend?" Yoko asked.
"His name's Yuto," Zuzu answered. "He's from out of town."
However, Yuto was lost in his thoughts. "She's not real..." he muttered. "She can't be here..."
"Who can't be here?" Yoko asked.
Yuto looked back at Yoko, tears forming in his eyes. "You look so much like my mom," he admitted.
Zuzu and Yoko were both surprised by Yuto’s declaration. Yuto has a mom? If so, did something happen to her during the Invasion? And what does he mean when he compared Yuya’s mom to his own? Do the two counterparts have something in common that would have ended up shrouded in mystery?
"I'm not joking," Yuto said. "You have curly blonde hair and blue eyes. It's not exactly like her hair and eyes, but it's similar."
"What's your last name?" Zuzu asked.
"Osaku," the eggplant-haired teen answered. "My name is Yuto Osaku."
That greatly surprised Yoko. "Your last name is Osaku?" she asked.
"Of course," Yuto replied.
"But...that was my maiden name before I got married," Yoko explained.
Zuzu and Yuto’s faces revealed flabbergasted expressions, especially the latter, because they couldn’t believe what they heard. Yoko shares the same last name as him and his mom. If that was the case, then does that mean…
"No..." Yuto said. "How can you be my aunt?!"
"I'm not sure," Yoko admitted. "Do you have a picture of your mom?"
By that point, the three had arrived at Yuya's bedroom. So after they set him down on his bed, Yuto took out his Duel Disk and presented a digital picture. "My mom was an amazing person," he said. "She was always so cheerful, constantly smothering me with love and wanting me to be happy. But I was never embarrassed. Because I never knew my dad, she was my only parental figure."
Yoko had her eyes locked onto the photo of Yuto and his mom, and slowly but surely, she was beginning to see what he meant when he saw the parallels between them. Her long, orange, gingery hair mirrored hers, and based on how it appeared, it reminded her of when she was the leader of the Sirens. She even had eyes that were similar to her own, but they looked more feminine and were a bold tint of icy blue.
"What happened to her?" Yoko asked.
Yuto didn't respond right away. "Yuto?" Zuzu asked.
"She..." A small sob escaped the Phantom Knights user's throat. "She died protecting me from Obelisk Force. A Chaos Ancient Gear Giant was about to attack me when she shielded me." A tear escaped from his eye. "I even remember the last words she said to me."
"What were they?" Yoko asked.
"D...Don't you dare let that beautiful smile leave your face..." And with that, Yuto lost his composure as he sobbed heavily.
Zuzu and Yoko fixated their attention onto Yuto, leaving them heartbroken as a result. The Melodious user instantly knew Yuya went through a similar experience when Yusho disappeared and had to miss out on his duel against the Sledgehammer. He couldn’t bear the thought of having his father gone and was bullied because of it. Learning about how Yuto was now an orphan because his mother sacrificed her life at the hands of Duel Academy was extremely upsetting to hear, especially since it occurred during the Invasion. Yoko walked over to Yuto and embraced him in a hug as a way to comfort him, which only made him cry harder. Her embrace reminded him of how Lono used to comfort him.
"Yuto..." Zuzu said, sounding a bit sad.
"I'll take care of things from here, Zuzu," Yoko said. "You still have the Arc League Championship tomorrow."
"But what about Yuya?" Zuzu asked. "He's also taking part in the tournament."
"We'll figure something out," Yoko said. "I just hope he recovers."
The trio weren’t sure if recovering was the case because throughout the next two days, Yuya was still unconscious on his bed. At the same time, Yuto was given the opportunity to readjust back into a normal lifestyle while he stayed at the Sakaki residence. Naturally, Yoko was the one who let him stay over the past few nights and wear some of her son’s clothes and pajamas during that time. Yuto never thought he would be back in a house with delicious food, sufficient plumbing with drinkable water, provided clothes, comfortable beds, and an adult…or in this case, a possible long-lost relative. It felt weird living with his potential aunt because there was so much about her that reminded him of his mother Lono, but he was starting to adapt to bonding with her a little.
After two days have passed, Yuto, Yoko, and Zuzu sat in front of Yuya’s bed, where the latter still laid and hasn’t spoken a single word at all. Yuto was concerned about his possible cousin since he wasn’t even responding; it would be nice to see how he was doing and tell him about his normal lifestyle he was adapting back into. Even though the Invasion was recent, he hasn’t felt clean in a while and even got brand new clothes to replace his war-torn attire: a white, long sleeved casual jacket with the sleeves rolled up a little, a black t-shirt, dark jeans, and a new pair of black sneakers. He was also hoping that the two would get to know each other more and what their families were like while growing up while also try to work together to defeat Duel Academy and put a stop to the Interdimensional War.
"So how's Yuya?" Zuzu asked.
"He's still not recovering," Yoko explained. "But I haven't seen signs of him getting worse."
"I hope he recovers soon," Yuto said, taking Yuya's deck out of his Duel Disk. "I don't know how much longer I can keep pretending to be him."
With Yuya unconscious, Yuto had no choice but to fill in for him during the Arc League Championship since the two have the same facial features. Throughout the second round of the tournament, people have been jumping to the conclusion that he was Yuya wearing an eggplant-like wig, but he was more worried about how they will react when they find out it’s not really Yuya.
"It's okay, Yuto," Zuzu said. She was still looking at Yuya and she was reaching forward to touch Yuya's cheek. "I know Yuya will feel better soon-"
"Don't you dare touch him!"
Zuzu, Yuto, and Yoko turned around to where the voice came from, and before anyone knew it, a young, teenage girl came jumping out of the window and towards them, causing all three of them to panic. A few seconds later, Zuzu recognized the girl as Aura Sentia of Fortune Prep School, a Duelist who specializes in Divination Duels where counters her opponent’s moves through a prophetic witchcraft style through her flip and Ritual monsters. If anything, she was not the biggest fan of her because she has been harboring feelings for Yuya ever since their duel against each other. And she had a really good feeling on why she unexpectedly showed up.
"If you're here to see Yuya, he's not well," Zuzu said with disdain in her voice.
"My visit has nothing to do with my duelmate!" Aura said, looking incredibly worried. "I came here because the entire world might be in danger, and it's all because of him!" She pointed at Yuto.
"Me?" Yuto asked.
"I had a feeling that hair looks too realistic to be a wig," Aura continued. "But that's not all. Lately I noticed there has been a drastic shift between darkness and light. A great evil is manifesting and the source is coming from Yuya Sakaki!"
"What does Yuya have to do with it?" Yoko asked.
Aura held up her crystal apple near Yuya's head. "I initially detected darkness within his soul during our duel," she explained. "But now I sense a greater darkness within him, one that is slowly consuming him." As she said that, a small cloud of black and dark red smoke appeared inside the crystal apple. "Worse, this darkness is spreading throughout the world, corrupting innocent people into joining its army."
"What?!" Zuzu asked. "Are you serious?!"
"You don't believe me?" Aura asked in response. "Then check his pulse."
Zuzu reached over and placed her index and middle fingers onto Yuya’s neck to feel his pulse. Nothing. No breathing. No movements. No pulse. The only thing that filled the room was silence. No… It can’t be… There’s no way that’s possible! Her mind flooded with thoughts that an inevitable fate had fallen upon her childhood friend. The only question left was whether this darkness that is lurking all over the world was responsible for ending his life prematurely.
Zuzu's shocked expression was all that Aura needed. "Luckily I came here just in time," she said as she started decorating Yuya's room with various spiritual healing supplies. "With my expertise, I'll be able to cleanse Yuya's soul and put it back into his body."
Within moments, Zuzu, Yuto, and Yoko all sat aside as Aura carried out with her spiritually recovery ritual. The decorations all around the room was meant to repel any malevolent spirits while the enchanted regeneration crystals on the bed were made to draw positive energy to the body. Aura hoped that these would help weaken the darkness long enough for Yuya to recover and overcome it for good. Just as she was almost done placing the crystals on the bed, she noticed something was amiss and threw off the blanket to reveal the gray sweat clothes Yuya was currently wearing.
"My goodness!" Aura exclaimed. "Why is Yuya wearing such bleak colors? It will only draw in more negative energy! Tell me, does he have any green or white clothing?"
"I think so," Yoko answered. "Why do you ask?"
"Green is the color of life and growth, while white radiates healing purity," Aura clarified. "Yuya must be dressed in those colors so his soul can properly return to his body."
"Are you sure?" Yuto asked, sounding a bit suspicious.
"Of course I am sure!" Aura exclaimed. "Now we must find green and white clothing right away, or Yuya might never recover."
Momentarily, Yuya’s gray sweats have changed into white pajamas with a green plaid pattern, satisfying Aura. Hopefully, it will help Yuya regain consciousness. Zuzu was hoping that whatever Aura did will help make his heart beat and have him breathing once again.
But as Aura waved incense sticks near Yuya's face, Zuzu suddenly remembered something. "Isn't your Arc League Championship duel coming up in an hour?"
"Never mind that," Aura said. "I'm more concerned with the fate of the world. I have to restore the balance of darkness and light!"
Zuzu was about to say something, but Yuto beat her to it. "Look, I understand how much you're worried about Yuya," he said. "But you sitting here isn't going to help. If you really want to help, get back to the tournament and warn everyone. There might be a chance that not everyone would believe you, but it doesn't hurt to try."
Aura looked up at Yuto. "Really?" she asked.
Yuto simply nodded in response. "Very well," Aura said, blushing slightly. "But now that I think about it, you do have better hair that Yuya-"
"I have a girlfriend," Yuto stated.
"Oh," Aura said. "Well then... I better head back to the tournament."
Aura headed towards the bedroom door and opened it as she dashed out of the room and the house, leaving behind Yuto, Yoko, and Zuzu to continue checking in on Yuya and the Ritual user's charms so that they can work their magic. After the few moments that had just happened, Zuzu was beginning to feel like she may not mind Aura after all; the fate of the world was more important than her romantic affections and she really does seem to demonstrate that anything that is essential must come first.
But that got Zuzu thinking about Yuto. He told Aura that he has a girlfriend, but was that true? So while Yoko gave the two teens some privacy, she decided to question it.
"Yuto, do you really have a girlfriend?" Zuzu asked.
"Of course," Yuto answered. "It's Lulu."
"Lulu?" Zuzu repeated. "The same Lulu you and Shay are looking for?"
"Who else?" Yuto asked in response. He looked at Zuzu. "Come to think of it, I should have known you're not her. Lulu is too stubborn to drastically change her hair, even during a war."
"What does her hair have to do with it?" Zuzu asked.
"Everything," Yuto answered. He pulled up a digital picture on his Duel Disk. "Shay told me Lulu spent years learning how to maintain long hair. Even when Duel Academy attacked, she refused to cut her hair despite it being a hazard."
Zuzu looked surprised when she saw the image he digitally pulled out. He wasn’t kidding when he said it was long; in fact, it went past her lower back and was tied into a bow-shaped style, complete with side tails similar to Zuzu’s but longer. It was even worth mentioning that the dark purple with lilac made her look beautiful.
"It looks like her hair is knee-length," Zuzu commented. "But she still looks beautiful."
Yuto let out a small, loving sigh as he smiled softly. "Of course she's beautiful," he said. "It was her natural beauty that made me fall for her."
"How did you two meet?" Zuzu asked.
"She was taking part in a school dueling tournament," Yuto recalled. "I saw her from the crowd and I was blown away by how amazing she was. Her sweet smile, her Rapunzel-like hair, her elegant Lyrilusc cards... I knew right away how perfect she is. I met up with her after the tournament and we have been inseparable ever since."
Zuzu was amazed at how Yuto described Lulu and how much their relationship with each other has blossomed. And all of that happened before the Invasion? The two must be really lucky to have each other then and they will be luckier once she gets rescued. Zuzu took another glance at the picture and noticed something about the clothes Yuto, Shay, and Lulu wore. They were all casual yet tidy, especially the clothes the Obsidian siblings were wearing.
"Those outfits Shay and Lulu are wearing look a bit expensive," Zuzu commented.
"That's no surprise," Yuto said. "The Obsidians were an incredibly wealthy family."
Zuzu was surprised to hear that. "How wealthy?" she asked.
"Wealthier than everyone else from the rich and elite community," Yuto explained. "They had countless robo-maids to help with basic necessities while they were busy with their individual schedules. It was also why Shay and Lulu have the most powerful cards in all of Heartland."
"I could tell," Zuzu said, recalling how powerful Shay's Raidraptors are.
"But that's why Shay is so upset," Yuto continued. "When Duel Academy attacked, his and Lulu's parents were among the ones who were carded and their house was reduced to rubble. They lost everything because of that school, so I had to follow Shay to this dimension in case he might do something reckless."
Zuzu did remember what Shay was about to do to Julia before Yuto stepped in; heck, now that she thought about it, she was surprised on how Yuto was able to punch and carry his friend with no effort at all. Just how strong was he? His body looked similar to Yuya's, but could he be slightly more muscular?
"My eyes are up here," Yuto suddenly said.
The statement stunned Zuzu a little because she was lost in thought about Yuto’s strength. She must have been distracted by this thought that her eyes were glued onto his chest. Has he been working out? It was unlikely, but a book’s cover shouldn’t be judged; in other words, did he have a slightly buffer figure than Yuya and maybe this Yugo person? That was a possibility because he and the Resistance were fighting for survival while battling against Duel Academy, so he was bound to get in shape.
Not long after Aura left to warn the audience and any uninfected Duelists, Zuzu, Yuto, and Yoko all noticed some good signs coming from Yuya. His shut eyes made some movements and the sounds of sleepy moans escaped from his closed mouth. He was finally waking up!
"Zuzu?" Yuya muttered, his eyes opening slightly. "Mom?"
"Yuya!" Zuzu happily exclaimed. "You're alright!"
"Uh, yeah," Yuya answered, sitting up. He quickly realized there was a familiar face in the room. "Yuto? Are you wearing my clothes?"
"Your mom gave them to me," Yuto answered.
"What happened?" Yuya asked. He glanced at Zuzu's wrist. "And why aren't you wearing your bracelet, Zuzu?"
"What are you talking about?" Zuzu asked. "I've always-"
Right as she lifted her right arm up, she noticed that her wrist was completely bare. How was that even possible? She knew she had it with her throughout her entire life and wore it two days ago. Did she accidentally leave it behind and forgot about it or did it somehow magically disappear?
"I hate to tell you this, but you have been d- asleep for two whole days," Yuto said.
"What?!" Yuya asked.
"I'm afraid he's right," Yoko said. "All of that nonstop dueling these past few days must have tired you out."
"But do you feel alright?" Zuzu asked.
"Yeah," Yuya said. He suddenly realized what sleeping for two days meant. "But I must have missed part of the tournament."
"You didn't," Yuto said, giving Yuya back his deck. "While you were dozing off in dreamland, I had to take your place. It's a good thing you're now awake. My throat was starting to get sore from copying your voice."
Yuya looked through his deck, only to realize there was a new card he didn't recognize. "Queen Dragun Djinn?" he asked. "What's this card doing in my deck?"
"I bought it for you as an extra power boost," Yuto explained. "It prevents your other dragon monsters from getting destroyed by battle."
"Wow..." Yuya said, surprised by Yuto's kind gesture. "Thanks."
Yuya analyzed Queen Dragun Djinn’s stats to see how effective she would be in his deck. She is a Rank 4 DARK Dragon-Type XYZ monster with 2200 ATK and 1100 DEF. Yuto was right about her main effect: all Dragon-Types except this one can’t be destroyed by battle. Additionally, once per turn, by detaching one Overlay Unit, a Level 5 or higher Dragon-Type monster can be targeted and special summoned onto the field from the Graveyard with its effects negated and is prohibited to attack on the turn it was revived. While it won't work for Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon due to him now going to the Extra Deck, maybe he could use this card to revive Rune-Eyes and Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragons...
At that moment, Yuya realized how his room was currently arranged. "What's with all this stuff?" he asked.
"Aura stopped by," Zuzu explained. "She was concerned about your health, so she used her supernatural stuff to try and help you-" She stopped herself from speaking.
"Help me what?" Yuya asked.
"Uh... Never mind with that now," Zuzu said, almost as if she was trying to change topics. She took out her Duel Disk. "But speaking of Aura, I think she's currently dueling in the tournament right now." She opened up one of the applications that was broadcasting the Arc League Championship to show Aura’s duel, but she was given a rather unexpected surprise instead.
"And that concludes a recap of Ms. Sentia's quickest loss ever!" Nico announced. "For those of you who missed it, she was tragically defeated by Moon Shadow on the very first turn!"
Zuzu, Yuya, and Yuto couldn’t believe what they just heard as they watched a recap of what happened. During the first turn, it looked like Moon Shadow activated some kind of effect or effects that drained Aura of all of her Life Points. Yuto was more concerned about whether she was able to warn the public about the gradual but dangerous growing darkness.
"Furthermore, Ms. Sentia also informed Moon Shadow about a virus that will kill anyone who gets it," Nico continued. "I'm not sure if she's telling the truth, but I hope she isn't."
"Virus?" Yuya asked. "What virus?"
"You have nothing to worry about," Yoko said. "You're alright and that's all that matters."
"You sure?" Yuya asked. "'Cause it looks like you all just saw a gh-"
He then realized why Yoko had a rather worried expression: did this virus went out to try and get him? All he remembered two days ago was him about to get hurt by Clear Wing Synchro Dragon’s attack when a flash of red light appeared; everything went black afterwards. What exactly was this virus Aura was referring to? Why was it suddenly causing an outbreak during the Arc League Championship? That was when everything clicked into place.
"Was I dead?!" Yuya asked, suddenly sounding worried.
"What?" Zuzu asked in response. She let out a nervous laugh. "You couldn't have died two days ago. I only noticed your lack of a pulse today."
That didn't help Yuya calm down. "I actually died..." he realized. "My god, I actually died! Do I look alright?! Did my body start decomposing?! Am I skinnier than before?!"
"Calm down, Yuya," Yuto said. "You don't look any different."
"You sure?" Yuya asked. He placed his hand on his heart. "'Cause my heartbeat feels a lot slower."
Slow heartbeat? Did that mean Yuya is now suffering from bradycardia? It doesn’t look like it since he seems to be talking and moving just fine; if anything, he should have been feeling weak, dizzy, sweaty, weary, or pass out if it was at a much lower rate, which were all symptoms of this condition. Then again, that only applies if his heart was less than 50 beats per minute and one of the causes of it is prolonged bed rest, so does that mean his heart rate is now between 50 and 60 to 100 beats per minute? Regardless, it did feel a bit unusual that his heart is slower, but as long as he regained consciousness, that’s all that matters. If he was experiencing any signs of fatigue, it would mean he needs oxygen, but since he isn’t feeling faint, it must mean it is stable, so he should at least try to take it easy just to be safe.
Before Yuto could forget, he wanted to tell Yuya who his opponent is going to be so that he could spend the rest of the second round relaxing without any risk of his heart rate decreasing any lower.
"Your next opponent is someone named Iggy Arlo," Yuto said. "He's a student from Bandit Warrior Academy. But I must warn you that he won't go easy on you."
"Bandit Warrior Academy?" Yuya repeated.
"I did some research on the school," Yuto said. "The students are given harsh training on a constant basis, almost like a military school. Worse, they're not allowed to see their families and friends until they become professional Duelists. Because of that, I don't think Iggy will go easy on you."
"How bad could it be?" Yuya asked.
"Kit Blade from the Leo Institute dueled him yesterday," Yuto explained. "Not only did he lose, but he was severely injured, resulting in him ending up hospitalized."
Yuya sharply inhaled as he heard what Iggy did to Kit. It is obvious that he must really miss his family and friends, but combine that with the harsh militaristic training from Bandit Warrior Academy and you get a brutal Action Duelist. What they don’t understand is how someone like him is even participating in a tournament when he clearly put another Duelist in the hospital. Did he get some kind of warning about the incident? They doubt he would listen to those in charge of the Arc League Championship and would continue dueling violently, putting Yuya at risk of injury himself, especially in his current condition.
"You sure you can't fill in for me again?" Yuya asked, sounding a bit worried.
"I can't," Yuto answered. He used his Duel Disk to look up duel play-by-plays on TooYube. "If I continue dueling in your spot, other people might get suspicious."
Yuya glanced over Yuto to see coverage from the duels two days ago and noticed how his XYZ counterpart was fumbling in the different Action Fields. It probably meant he was inexperienced with Action Duels, but he did remember how he was having a similar problem when he went up against Yugo in a regular duel. Could he be having vision problems?
"Aw, don't look so glum," 'Yuya' said in one of the videos. "Who cares if you win or lose? You just have to keep on being all smiley and happy!"
Yuya was a bit offended by Yuto's surprisingly accurate impersonation of his voice. "I don't talk like that!"
"That's not the point," Yuto said. "What I'm trying to say is that when there's a lot of movement in duels, I usually have a hard time seeing what's going on."
"Do you need glasses?" Yoko asked.
"No," Yuto bluntly answered. "I tried glasses before. I look weird in them."
"But it looks like you squint a lot," Zuzu realized.
"What?" Yuto asked, looking surprised. "I don't squint. I'm trying to look intimidating for when I encounter Duel Academy students."
Trying to look intimidating? They never would have expected that it also involved fumbling around…almost as if he does need new glasses. In fact, he was squinting right now and there weren't any Duel Academy students right now.
"That does it," Yoko said. "I'll have to schedule an eye checkup for you this afternoon."
Yuto turned crimson out of embarrassment. "But I really don't need glasses," he insisted.
"Don't be silly," Yoko said. "I bet you would look a lot better if you didn't squint all the time."
The crimson blush faded away from Yuto's face and he smirked at what Yoko said. It would be nice to have his vision improved since he was near-sighted, he also began to wonder if not constantly squinting would actually make him look nice in glasses. The thought filled him with intrigue and a bit of satisfaction; naturally, his ego had been fed and he quite enjoys it whenever that happens.
Zuzu was amazed. The last time she saw Yuto smile was before the Arc League Championship. Not only did his smile make him resemble Yuya, but it made him look rather cute. A dust of pink scattered across her face, but no one noticed it.
"What about my duel?" Yuya asked.
"Don't worry about it," Yoko said. "I'm sure you'll win. You just have to keep being your usual positive self."
"But if you're planning on winning him over, don't bother," Yuto said. "If his bio is any indication, your Dueltaining isn't going to magically turn him into your best friend."
Yuya looked deeply offended at that statement. "Can't I at least try?" Yuya asked.
"If you must," Yuto said.
Yuya always carried his belief about bringing smiles to everyone with his duels. It has been a belief that he learned from Yusho and has cherished it ever since he was six. If he was going to start Dueltaining again, he can attempt to break through to Iggy. He can find some way to express his loneliness due to him being away from his loved ones for so long; the violent attitude of his must be a coping mechanism so that he can put up with his training. Although it would be nice to win him over, trying to make him feel better emotionally felt like a better deed. After all, when someone is feeling down, they can find a way to turn their frown around and push forward towards the light, something similar to the movement of a pendulum. Surely, his advice will be of great use to his opponent.
...Right?
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Arc-V Aftermath: The After-Party (25/26)
When all is said and done, things have quickly recovered in the four dimensions. But when weird things start happening, the Yu-Salad Boys and the Bracelet Girls quickly realize they have some loose ends to fix. Co-written with @violetganache42.
WARNING: Dub names will be featured in the story.
Later that night, in the New Domino City section, the Topsiders were getting ready for the Team Duel Tournament after-party to celebrate Team Turbo's victory, including the winning teammates themselves. Yesterday, shortly after the Fusion Parasite was removed from her ear, Rin had made a promise to Yugo on how he was going to wear the handmade dress he made for her and she wasn't letting this opportunity slip on by.
"Seriously?" a Topsider seamstress asked. "You want to wear that old rag?"
"A friend made it for me," Rin explained, holding the handmade dress. "I know it's not fancy, but I like cute and comfortable outfits."
"Oh great," the seamstress said in disdain. "You must be that girl Akiza talks about."
"Akiza?" Rin asked. "As in, Akiza Izinski?"
"Of course," the seamstress answered. "Despite being born a Topsider, Akiza preferred to hang out among the Commons. She currently owns a donation center in that section."
Rin already knew that because she enjoys shopping for clothes there and was close friends with Akiza. "I visit her donation center a lot for new clothes," the green-haired girl explained. "She even gives me tips for hair and makeup, although I didn't know she's actually a Topsider."
"Well, if you really are a good friend of Akiza's, I'll suppose you can wear this...ragged old dress," the seamstress said.
Meanwhile, Yugo was at a barber shop getting a haircut. That's right. An actual haircut. …Much to his dismay, of course. This was the style he grew up with all his life even after he combed out his bands during the semifinals, so it seemed normal to him.
"No way!" Yugo protesting, clutching the top of his head. "I've had this hairstyle my whole life! Why should I change it?!"
"Because I was told you wanted the full Topsider treatment," a Topsider barber explained. "And that includes fixing those unruly locks."
Yugo knew he wanted the full Topsider treatment, but he wasn't expecting something like this. His natural and perfectly-coiffed hairstyle was definite proof that he never understood why he has to get a haircut. He spent his whole life trying to not die hungry. He never had time to worry about his hair getting too long.
"I don't know..." Yugo said, tugging on a dark blue lock of his hair. "Do I really need a trim?"
"Yes, you do," the barber answered. "Now please sit in the chair."
Yugo took a deep breath. "Alright," he said, sitting in the provided chair. He closed his eyes. "Do your worst."
Some time later, the TDT after-party located at the Duel Palace began and everyone who participated were invited along with their friends and families. They all wore their best suits and dresses, made their hair presentable and elegant-looking, and donned their matching accessories; in other words, they were dressed nicely enough to "fit in" with the Topsiders since they were known to discriminate Commons (although wealthy people from the Heartland City section were able to blend in easily).
Despite not being a dress person, Celina wore a gray, strapless dress that went past her knees with a black ribbon tied around where her hips were, a black bracelet on her right wrist where her old bracelet used to be, and a pair of heeled sandals tied with black ribbons. Lulu pinned up her dark purple hair and adorned in an aquamarine, floor-length dress with silver sparkles in the breast area and around the waist along with diamond flats. Zuzu wore her pink hair down as she arrived in a white, knee-length dress that exposed her chest and was decorated with green vines and bushes of white, yellow, and red roses with matching sandals. As for the guys, Yuya wore a silk black suit, Yuto wore his black formal suit, and Yuri wore a dark purple tuxedo with coat tails and white gloves.
"Uh... Don't you think you're overdoing it?" Yuya asked Lulu.
"Don't be ridiculous," Lulu answered. "This is one of my more casual gowns."
She was right; since she lives in an elite environment, she can distinguish high class attire on whether or not it's casual. Besides, she has a lot of fancier dresses back at home. Yuto can also agree with her response even if he didn't have that same ability as her.
"Oh, don't you worry," Lulu said, looking a bit sad. "In a few years, you'll be able to tell the difference between silk suits and cloth suits."
Even since the duel where Zuzu got corrupted by No. 52: Diamond Crab King, Lulu couldn't stop thinking about the alternate timeline. It was kind of depressing to learn the sole reason she existed was to prevent this timeline from collapsing and maintain its balance. Who was she supposed to replace? Was her love with Yuto even real to begin with? Was she more than just a replacement and actually an individual? She didn't want these questions bothering her, so for now, she decided to focus on celebrating the after-party.
Elsewhere, Team Turbo were just about done getting ready for tonight. Crow and Shinji simply wore suits because they didn't want to go all out like their friends. Rin and Yugo have dreamt about living their lives among the Topsiders since they were younger and they wanted to take full advantage of it. Rin wore the dress Yugo made for her with sapphire flats and had her hair pinned up with her side tails curled. However, someone was missing and they knew exactly who this someone was.
"Where's Yugo?" Crow asked. "He should have been here right now."
"Your friend is running a bit late due to personal reasons," Jack explained.
"It was probably about getting a haircut," Rin guessed.
"No, I said it was because of personal reasons," Jack repeated.
"I know Yugo," Rin said. "I know that moron has issues about getting haircuts."
She was right. She has known Yugo for a long time and knew he never was a big fan of getting haircuts. But as if on cue, a certain someone finally showed up.
"Sorry I'm late," Yugo said. "I think those Topsiders overdid it- Why are you guys lookin’ at me like that?"
His blonde bangs were now trimmed and brushed forward and his dark blue locks have been cut short. For tonight, he wore a white suit instead of his usual Turbo Duelist outfit. Unbeknownst to him, his teammates were staring at him because this was the first time he looked formal and clean, especially in Rin's eyes since she was having a sparkly vision about him.
"Yugo..." Rin said, completely in awe. "You look so handsome!"
"You actually like this monkey suit and stupid haircut?" Yugo asked. He clearly didn't like his new look, everything from his haircut to the suit. It wasn't much his style and it made him feel insecure about it, which Rin took notice on.
"No, she's right," Shinji disagreed. "You look pretty nice."
"Yeah," Crow added. "You look like a real Topsider."
Yugo was still skeptical on their reactions, so he wanted to know if there was a room with a mirror in it to see for himself. He did find a full-length mirror, but he wasn't pleased with what he saw.
The Speedroid user let out a sad laugh. "I don't even recognize my own reflection anymore," he admitted.
Seeing his reflection made him realize that he was right; his hair was too short and he was actually wearing a suit. He was practically a new person and he didn't like it.
Rin walked up to Yugo. "Don't say stuff like that," she said. "You do look different, but don't let that bother you. You're still my goofy moron under all that Topsider stuff."
As Yugo turned around, he noticed how Rin dolled herself up for the big night, showing that she has easily adapted to her new life and how she was comfortable with it. His smile became happier as he planted a kiss on her lips.
"Thanks RinRin," Yugo said.
"You're welcome," Rin replied. She held her boyfriend's hand, intertwining their fingers. "Now let's show the world the new us."
The two caught up with Crow and Shinji as Jack escorted them to the Duel Palace's ballroom where the party was held to present them to the partygoers. As they all entered, everyone applauded for New Domino's newest Topsiders.
"Everyone, this is Team Turbo," Jack announced. "Starting today, they are officially Topsiders and dueling professionals."
Dueling professionals?! Already?! How is that even possible?! Team Turbo all kept their surprise to as subtle as they could for the Topsiders' sake, but deep down, Yugo and Rin were super ecstatic because they thought they were living in a dream where their childhood plans for the future were coming true. The two squeezed each other's hands, happy with this reveal.
"Of course, I will have to train them as their personal manager," Jack added. "But they will still take part in official dueling tournaments."
Much like earlier today, he was applying the winning rules of the Friendship Cup to the Team Duel Tournament where they're not only given access to live in the Tops, but were also starting a career as pro Turbo Duelists. Needless to say, this was the best thing that has ever happened to Yugo and Rin.
After Jack gave out the rest of his introductory speech, the after-party had officially begun as participators, friends, families, and loved ones communicated with one another, ate and drank some of the Tops' finest cuisines and beverages, and got the chance to interact with Team Turbo. So far, everything was going well as Yuya socialized with his parents and closely knit group of friends—including his counterparts—while also trying to get an understanding of how fancy parties like this work. It was bad enough he had a small hassle with the Obsidians' robot maids, so he wanted to be sure how the food and drinks tastes while also using the right amount of proper etiquette skills; him almost getting that full body pampering virtually gave him an experience of taking part in high class events. But at least that experience helped him with how to style his hair for those events, since his tomato-colored locks were currently combed back with a small ponytail.
"Mato!"
Yuya turned his around to see baby Riley in Moon Shadow's arms as she held her free arm out in the direction to where he was, with her other arm holding a small C/C Critical Eye plush. She was clearly happy to see him several weeks after Zarc's soul was cleansed of the darkness.
"Moon Shadow?" Yuya asked. "What are you doing with Riley?"
"Declan informed me that the young Akaba was able to retain all of her memories," Moon Shadow explained. "So because she also remembers her past abuse, he thought it would be better for my brother and I to raise her."
"Mato!" Riley repeated.
"That is all she can say at this point," Moon Shadow clarified.
Yuya instantly knew what Riley meant whenever she said "Mato". It was obviously a nickname she gave to him because of how his hair normally resembles a tomato and he thought it was sweet and appealing.
"She remembers me?" Yuya asked, letting Riley grab his pinky.
"Of course," Moon Shadow answered. "I have also made plans to enroll her in the You Show Duel School once she completes her Ninjitsu training."
Ninjitsu training? Was she going to be a ninja? Yuya was informed on how she will receive the same training Moon Shadow and Sun Shadow did at the Fuma Clan Duel School before she enrolls at You Show. Basically, she was going to be the first Ninjitsu Dueltainer in Duel Monsters history.
"That's pretty cool," Yuya remarked. "But what about her C/C deck?"
"Declan instructed me to give it to her once she is at the proper age," Moon Shadow explained. "But her training will be different since a majority of her monsters are weapons. She will learn how to wield those monsters in duels."
The plan was to have Critical Eye as her primary weapon because of its ability to turn into the different Fusion, Synchro, and XYZ monsters in her extra deck, so once she has masters the techniques of wielding and attacking with her C/C monsters, she'll transfer to You Show to integrate what she'll learn in Ninjitsu with Dueltaining.
"Then I hope she grows up to become an amazing Ninjitsu Dueltainer," Yuya said.
Meanwhile, in contrast to Riley's future, things may not be looking too bright for Lulu's, mainly because she was still sad about what Yuto explained earlier during the finals. She still couldn't prevent herself from questioning if her love with her boyfriend was real at all; before the Invasion and after the separation, she had lived a normal high class life in Heartland with her family and boyfriend until just recently. If they were meant to replace this Yuma person and his love interest, does that mean their relationship was a replacement as well?
So when Lulu went to excuse herself for some hors d'oeuvres (which were far more delicious than the ones she ate at previous events), she was confronted by Aura. "I know what you're thinking," the younger girl said. "It's a bad idea."
"What ever do you mean?" Lulu asked.
Aura held up her crystal apple. "You want to break up with Yuto," she stated.
She wasn't wrong; Lulu felt like it could be the only way to truly find herself instead of just substituting a girl who harbored feelings for Yuma Tsukumo. Because of her previous encounter with Declan and her strong beliefs in fate and destiny, Aura practically knew Zarc and Ray's reincarnations were meant to be together.
"You shouldn't," Aura said. She held up the card Arcana Force VI - The Lovers. "You and Yuto Osaku were destined to be together regardless of why you were created."
"But is my love for him real?" Lulu asked. "And does he genuinely love me as well?"
"Of course," Aura answered. "I can tell you and Yuto are meant to be together. Your soul becomes brighter when you're with him."
This piqued Lulu's interest a little; it was true that they did felt like they belong together, but was it really true? Did destiny knew about this all along regardless of the truth about the alternate timeline? She still wasn't completely sure about what Aura just stated, so the latter decided to show her crystal apple as proof; she used it to check out what was wrong with Yuya back in the Arc League Championship when she encountered the cousins' souls and Zarc's darkness. Hopefully, Yuto's soul does end up illuminate a brighter color whenever he's nearby his girlfriend. Before they knew it, he walked over to where the two girls were, prompting Aura to look up at him. Speak of the devil, she thought.
"There you are, Lulu," Yuto said. "I was wondering where you went."
Through the crystal apple, the two souls started to glow brighter as he walked closer to her. It was exactly what Aura predicted what would happen. "See?" the red-haired girl asked. "You two were meant to be together! Don't fight it!"
"Don't fight what?" Yuto asked.
Lulu looked a bit hurt. "I..." She took a deep breath. "I think we should break up."
Yuto blinked. "Very well," he said. "If that's really what you want, I'll allow it."
"What?!" Aura asked. "But you two are soulmates!"
Yuto closed his eyes. "There's no point arguing with Lulu Obsidian," he said, looking away from her. "She's too stubborn."
Stubborn. That word echoed in her head just as he finished his sentence. A word that others know it defined her. It helped her take on Yuri back at Heartland City. It pulled her through the back surgery she had to remove the spinal plates. Even so, Yuto still respected her wishes like the true gentleman that he is, but before he could head back, Lulu recalled on why she fell in love with him in the first place.
"You're the miracle child," Lulu said.
"Huh?" Aura asked.
Lulu reached up and placed her hand on Yuto's cheek. "You're the miracle child who was created by angels," she repeated. "They wanted to create a person so perfect that everyone admired him. So when the timeline created you, those same angels decided to change you into the prophesied miracle child." She started to caress his face. "They sprinkled moon dust in your hair to make it very soft and planted starlights into your eyes so they always sparkle."
Yuto automatically recognized what she was talking about as he opened his eyes. Although they now have Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon's golden eye color, it didn't change the fact that they were beautiful on him. "Lulu..."
"So I do love you," Lulu said. "But I'm not sure if those feelings are my own or not."
Own feelings… It rang a bell to Yuto…almost as if he's been to a similar situation before… Correction: he has been into a similar situation before and he understood exactly what she was talking about.
"I think I have a way to help," Yuto said. He glanced at the marking on her heart. "But we need some privacy."
Lulu looked down on where her marking was and acknowledged on what he meant; it does seem like a smart idea to get some privacy for whatever his method of helping is. Aura obliged on his wishes as he walked through the crowded ballroom to find a room, with his girlfriend wheeling on his tail. They didn't expect this many people to be at the after-party, but only 1% of New Domino City does consist of Topsiders, so they should have seen that coming.
Ultimately the XYZ counterparts were able to find privacy on an enclosed balcony. "A few weeks ago, I also questioned my existence," Yuto said. "I wasn't sure if I dueled because I wanted to or because I replaced a Duelist from the other timeline."
"You seem alright now," Lulu said.
"Only because I was able to get a glimpse of who I replaced," Yuto explained. "I also saw who you replaced."
"You did?" Lulu asked.
Yuto nodded in response. "And I think I can show you," he continued. "During the tournament finals, I think I saw how Yuya and Zuzu were able to communicate through a mind merge." He lifted up his hand. "I could try the same thing with your permission."
Lulu looked down again at where her marking was; it was located near her heart, which was above her young, teenage breasts. She immediately knew why he asked permission. He never touched her near that area before.
"It's okay," Lulu said. "I'll allow you to touch my marking."
She then slid her arms through the straps of her dress before pulling the top part down, exposing her upper chest where her En Birds marking was. Yuto gently placed his hand near her heart, causing her to softly gasp from the contact.
"Are you alright?" Yuto asked, slowly withdrawing his hand.
"I'm fine," Lulu answered, blushing heavily. "Please continue."
Yuto began to try out Yuya and Zuzu's newfound mind-channeling ability as he focused his thoughts on where her marking was. After a few minutes of deep concentration, a blue glow illuminated from underneath his hand as their minds started to channel with each other.
"Yuma, quit being such a moron!"
Lulu shot her eyes open as she heard her alternate self say that exclamation; Yuto's hand was still on her chest, so the channel wasn't broken, but hearing her yell like that caught her off guard. Based on what she saw through his memories, the girl had orangey-hazel eyes and green, shoulder-length hair with two light green bangs and tied into a bun with a light red ribbon on her left side. She wore a white, shoulder-sleeved T-shirt with a yellow-striped decal and yellow edges along the sleeves with small yellow bows, a pink choker with a pink heart attacked to a beaded chain, a pink miniskirt with a brown belt, black, knee-length socks with gray linings on the top, and white shoes.
Yuto replayed all of his memories of that girl. To Lulu's surprise, the girl wasn't even a Duelist! She did play Duel Monsters, but only rarely and she wasn't very good at it. If that wasn't enough, her relationship with the Duelist Yuto replaced was more like Yugo and Rin's relationship.
Some time later, Yuto ended the mind merge, removing his hand from Lulu's marking as it stopped glowing. "You see?" the eggplant-haired teen asked. "You're nothing like the person you replaced."
As Lulu put her dress back on, she pieced together that he may be right; Yuma and this Tori Meadows girl may be XYZ users, but their personalities were nothing like them and mirrored Yugo and Rin, especially given the fact that both girls have green hair and hazel eyes.
"That girl didn't seem very ladylike," Lulu pointed out.
She was right. She also didn't understand why Tori fell in love with Yuma despite being childhood friends. Yuto was much more gentlemanly and knightly than the Legendary Duelist and Lulu was practically unstoppable thanks to her Lyriluscs, but it was because dueling was a requirement for her dream of becoming an actress.
But that wasn't all. Yuto is incredibly handsome. Although both boys had spiky hairstyles and dressed casually, Yuma had tanner skin and his clothes were a lot brighter than Yuto's dark-colored clothes. He also behaved much like Yugo: energetic, loud, short-tempered, and even rude at times, but cares deeply about his friends; Yuto, on the other hand, was noble, chivalrous, kind, loyal, and normally calmer. The two have been dueling since they were kids, but Yuma initially wasn't the best at it and got better with his skills thanks to some kind of alien being, whereas Yuto uses his Phantom Knights to reflect how they made him into a completely new person.
As for the girls, Lulu has much longer hair and wears dresses fit for a high class environment when compared to Tori's shorter hair and casual clothes. She was also sweet, polite, feminine, loyal, and kind-hearted, but also brave, confident, and especially stubborn; Tori was pretty much Rin's personality with her own quirks: cheerful, protective, fiercely loyal, sometimes easily annoyed at Yuma's antics, and also worries about him and his safety. As Lulu saw in Yuto's memories, Tori wasn't good at duels as she had lost all her duels, but she does have the capability of XYZ Summoning and even Chaos XYZ Summoning when under a mind control spell; this was a strong contrast from the Lyrilusc user who demonstrated herself to be powerful with her cards, even able to pull off a OTK with Assembled Nightingale.
"Besides, I don't understand why she would fall for that guy," Lulu said, reaching up to place her hand on Yuto's cheek. "You're far more better-looking than him."
Her compliment was a clear indicator that the reason she fell in love with Yuto wasn't because of the alternate timeline. It was because of how handsome, cute, protective, loving, and gold-hearted he is. To her, he's perfect in every way. Even though she was immobilized in a wheelchair, he leaned forward towards her to give her a kiss on the lips. It was brief, but it showed unspoken emotions.
"Shall we head back inside?" Yuto asked.
"Of course, sweet knight," Lulu answered. "You should try the hors d'oeuvres. They're far more delicious than the ones I had during previous parties."
"I'm not sure what that is, but I like the sound of it," Yuto replied.
With the couple now resolved the timeline issue and officially not breaking up, they returned to the main ballroom as Lulu explained what hors d'oeuvres are. At the same time, Zuzu has been talking to Byron Arclight about the Number card and this "lucky-hand draw" Skill she pulled during her duel against Rin. She wanted to speak with him because she saw different versions of him and his sons in the vision from the Millennium Necklace and felt confused on how her new card and Skill were considered normal in the alternate Heartland City yet they almost disqualified her from the tournament and ended her dueling career.
"So you never had this Skill before?" Byron asked.
Zuzu shook her head 'no' in response. "It's Diamond Crab King," she explained, showing the card to Byron. "Ever since I somehow obtained him, he's been giving me these weird powers. I think it's similar to how Yuya communicates with his dragon."
"How fascinating," Byron remarked. "The XYZ monster Diamond Crab King is considered common among XYZ Duelists, but this variation is decorated in alien text."
"What alien text?" Zuzu asked. "It says it can only be destroyed by other Number cards."
Byron informed Zuzu about how the Number cards are written in this alien text that apparently only those who wield them can understand. "I also heard about this 'lucky-hand draw' Skill," he continued. "It seems you now have alien blood inside your body thanks to that card."
Alien blood? Does that means she has become a human-alien hybrid of some sort? "Is there any way I can control it?" Zuzu asked.
"I think I can come up with a way to help neutralize the Number's influence on you without you becoming completely corrupted," Byron answered. "How do you feel about bracelets?"
Zuzu responded that she was completely fine with having bracelets and mentioned how she used to have one since she was a baby thanks to Ray splitting herself into four along with Zarc and the Original Dimension. "My wrist has been feeling a bit bare ever since Leo..." she started to say.
Byron knew exactly what she was going to say because he was among the civilians of all four dimensions who witnessed the Original Dimension's return and the eight counterparts returning with the boys having their ace dragons' eye colors and the girls bearing the markings of the Natural Energy Cards somewhere on their bodies. He took note on the En Flowers marking on her right cheek.
"If you want, I could harness the power of your marking into your new bracelet," Byron offered.
"You can?" Zuzu asked.
"Of course," Byron answered. "But I will need a few skin samples from you."
She stared at her right arm where her Standard Dimension bracelet used to be. A blood sample was no big deal since it was just a simple prick on the finger, but she's never had a skin sample before. What is it like? How does it work? …Does it hurt? Whatever's the case, it would feel nice to wear a new bracelet with a power-controlling ability.
"Thank you, Dr. Arclight," Zuzu said.
Meanwhile, Yuri and Celina were spending some time together, and needless to say, he was disappointed about the after-party. Sure people are dressed fancy and have proper etiquette and manners like he does, but there was something about it that didn't sit well with him at all.
"I don't understand," Yuri said. "If this is a formal party, where is the orchestra and dance floor?"
"Were you expecting some kind of grand ball?" Celina sarcastically asked.
"Precisely!" Yuri answered. "Back in Duel Academy, all Duelists of every rank were allowed to attend grand galas. I was hoping these Topsiders had similar celebrations."
Celina internally cringed as she remembered those events occurring every year. There were honestly painful for her because of how everyone took part in such fancy parties; within her mind, she was thinking that she actually might be preferring the Topsiders' parties over Duel Academy's galas.
"Those parties are part of why I transferred to Paradise Prep," Celina said. "At least I'm not forced to wear over-the-top poofy dresses and painful shoes."
Yuri let out a gasp. "But Miss Celina, those parties are the best part of Duel Academy!" he argued. "Can you imagine dancing lovingly with a beautiful person as romantic music is provided by a professional orchestra?"
"Compared to Paradise Prep school dances that have hired DJs and have no strict dress codes, I would rather attend one of those than those Duel Academy balls," Celina replied.
What was she talking about? Why on earth would she make that preference? It confused Yuri because he remembers what happened yesterday at the tournament during the preliminaries. They were dressed formally (obviously not over-the-top), slowly becoming love-struck with each other, and finally danced all around the Moonlit Ball Action Field. After all that, she enjoyed the dances held at Paradise Prep more than those galas? Before he could respond, an idea popped into his head. Well, idea was a bit of an understatement because it was more of an…"experiment".
"But Miss Celina," Yuri said, his glove-covered hand holding her bare hand. "What about what happened yesterday during the tournament preliminaries?"
"It was a fluke," Celina answered. "You looked..." She briefly glanced at him. "...just like that and I lost control of my thoughts."
Yuri let out a small laugh. "I see..." he said. "Then I suppose what happened afterwards was also a fluke."
Was it a fluke? It was shown and proven yesterday through the Center Duel Field's monitor that the two enjoyed their kiss after the dance, but what does this discussion even mean? Are formal events not Celina's cup of tea? Does she only dislike them it they go extreme with the fashion choices?
"What if you were to attend one of Duel Academy's galas now?" Yuri asked, guiding Celina towards...somewhere.
"Yeah right," Celina replied. "I wouldn't have someone to dance with."
Yuri stopped walking and faced Celina. "What about me?" he asked, placing his free hand on her waist. "I could be your dance partner."
Celina quickly caught onto what Yuri said; he was taking her out to dance! This is the second time she has been tricked by Yuri and it's only been a few weeks since he set her up on a date with him. Next time, she better come prepared for whatever sneaky tricks he has up his sleeve.
"What's going on?" Celina demanded.
"Oh, hush," Yuri said. "This is a private room. No one will disturb us." He briefly lifted his hand from her waist to snap his fingers.
As if by magic, the lights turned on to brighten the empty private room, indicating that there are no light switches but ones that responds to snaps and claps. There was definitely plenty of space for the two to dance. However, Celina looked more tensed.
"What ever is wrong?" Yuri asked.
"You're doing it again," Celina answered.
Yuri looked a bit surprised, then a bit hurt. "Doing what?" he innocently asked.
"This!" Celina said. "Doing this stuff to make me act like a girl!"
"But isn't that what you are?" Yuri pointed out. "A stunning young lady with a pretty face?"
And there he goes again with the flirting as Celina's cheeks brightened to a light shade of pink, but…was it really flirting? Was it coming from how he feels or was it this more than just another trick? From the feel of things, it may be the former choice because this doesn't feel like it was entirely set up as part of a plan. It felt more like a real deal was taking place right now in this very room. It felt like…she may be genuinely falling for him.
"Fine," Celina said, placing her free hand on Yuri's shoulder. "I'll bite."
"Excellent choice," Yuri said.
The two initiated a slow dance that was like what they did yesterday at the preliminaries: a pacing waltz across the room. As time went by, the realization of Celina harboring feelings for Yuri were becoming more evident by how head-over-heels she was in her gaze and soon concluded that she may be wrong about cutting ties with Duel Academy. She can still maintain her own identity and date him at the same time; she also thought about how her old school did have some perks after all. Paradise Prep wasn't a dueling school, so she never got to duel a lot like she did in Duel Academy.
Then there was Yuri himself. She initially saw him as a crazed psycho with an ugly personality, but she came to realize he genuinely wanted redemption for his past actions. His makeover didn't hurt either. Without the cabbage-shaped hairstyle and tacky uniform, he actually looked rather cute, especially when his eyes became dragon-like. Her infatuated stare glued onto every feature he had as they danced for what felt like hours. She actually wished this could go on forever just so she can analyze everything that he has changed, from his appearance to his personality.
"I love you," Celina blurted out.
That caused Yuri to stop the dance. "What?" he asked.
"I love you," Celina repeated.
She has never said those three words to him, let alone him never hearing her say that to him. So this statement genuinely surprised Yuri.
"You...actually love me?" Yuri asked.
"It's your fault," Celina explained, punching Yuri in the shoulder. "You've become too cute."
Of course, her explanation left Yuri confused again because he always thought he was a hottie. However, throughout the Interdimensional War, he did have moments that were proven to be adorable, such as his bewildered expression to Yugo's answer when he asked about Zuzu's whereabouts and his laughing smile when he dueled against five students from Fusion Dimension's You Show Duel School.
"You honestly think I'm cute?" Yuri asked, his eyes becoming more dragon-like.
"Yes," Celina answered. "Like what you're doing with your eyes."
She had just noticed his pupils becoming more shaped like a dragon's, triggering a small memory of what Dennis and Sora said about this ability whenever he was about to win. As it turns out, he can slit his pupils in scenarios besides winning duels; it was also a reaction to being with love with her, which is another common situation he gets himself in whenever his heartbeat increases, and she liked it.
"Alright, so you think I'm cute," Yuri said. "Are you sure you don't think I'm also a hottie?"
And here she thought Yuto was the one who enjoys getting his ego fed, but he's not the only one apparently. Yuri's new haircut helps flesh out his newly-redeemed persona, yes, but she never thought of him as a hottie. She has stated that he was cute, especially with his slitted pupils. So she let out a small laugh and gave him a loving kiss on the lips.
"Come on," Celina said. "Let's get back to the party."
The couple exited the private room, with Yuri clapping his hands twice to shut the light off before shutting the door. They made their way back to the ballroom—which wasn't too far away compared to Yuto and Lulu returning from the balcony—when they ran into an approaching Leo.
"Yuri and Celina, I wish to speak to you two," Leo said.
"What ever is the matter, Professor?" Yuri asked.
"Due to causing the Interdimensional War and nearly killing countless lives, I decided to turn myself in," Leo stated.
The two quickly became distraught from what they heard. Why on earth would he turn himself in at a time like this? There was no trial going on at the moment, so what gives?
"How come?" Celina asked, sounding a bit concerned. "Shouldn't you wait for a trial?"
"No need," Leo explained. "I would still be viewed as guilty for what I have done, especially towards you two and your counterparts."
"Well I still have severe nightmares," Celina sheepishly admitted. "Suddenly ceasing to exist can really damage a person's mind."
"Whereas I simply blacked out," Yuri recalled.
"So there won't be a true reason for a trial," Leo continued. "I caused both physical and mental damage towards so many people. And since I'm going to prison for probably the rest of my life, I would like to leave Duel Academy in your care."
The two looked at each other and then back at Leo. They weren't at an old enough age to run an entire school; heck, they need to find someone to train them to run the Academy. Out of the people they have known and met in the Original Dimension's four main cities, who would be the perfect tutor for them? This question ran through the couple's heads after hearing they were now going to be in charge. Just then, Celina raised her eyebrows after processing why he spoke to her and not just Yuri alone. Her childhood desire was coming true; she has proven herself to Leo and he was accepting her as the former Obelisk Force soldier's equal.
"Even me?" Celina asked.
"Especially you, Celina," Leo answered. "I have come to accept you as a strong Duelist-"
Before he could finish, Celina ran up to him and gave him a hug with tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she said. "I won't let you down."
Celina may be a student at Paradise Prep, but deep down, she always had Duel Academy's blood coursing through her veins. Even though she didn't agree with what they did to Heartland as part of Revival Zero, she spent her entire life growing up there learning how to duel and strengthening her skills. Besides, her current dreams for the future were to improve Duel Academy. She just wasn't planning on starting this early.
"Hey Yuri!"
The three glanced over at Yugo, who was heading over to where they were. Does he have anything he wants to talk about?
"What is it, XYZ?" Yuri asked.
"First of all, stop calling me that!" Yugo said. "Secondly, RinRin wants a group photo with all the counterparts."
"A group photo?" Celina asked, separating from her hug with Leo.
"We'll explain everything once everyone's together," Yugo said.
Yuri and Celina said their goodbyes to Leo before following Yugo back into and through the crowded ballroom. It felt more like a maze or a labyrinth when trying to get by so many people…or more technically, Topsiders.
Ultimately all eight counterparts were able to meet up. "Why do you want a group photo?" Yuya asked.
Rin let out a sad sigh. "Jack Atlas plans to enter Team Turbo in a Turbo Duel tournament in Florida," she explained. "There's a high chance me and Yugo won't be able to see you again."
The Pendulum, Fusion, and XYZ counterparts grew dismayed at why they were gathered for a group photo. Rin and Yugo were going to be leaving for America soon now that they have officially started their careers as professionals. It'll be weird knowing the two will be gone and busy with their Turbo Duel tournaments. Just when will they find time to see and talk to each other again, regardless if it's through their Duel Disk webcams or visiting in person? Rin knew they would get upset at the news and told them that taking this picture will let them never forget about each other and illustrate how much they have changed since getting involved with the War.
"But that's why I want this photo of us," Rin continued. "All of us have formed our own identities. Zarc and Ray must've known this would happen, so that's why they gave us this." She held up her left hand, revealing her En Winds marking.
Zuzu placed her hand on her right cheek where her En Flowers marking was, Celina looked up and moved her hair from her forehead to uncover her En Moons marking, Lulu glanced back down at her upper chest and put her hands on top of her heart near her En Birds marking, and the Yu-Salad stared at each other to see the changed eye colors to match their respective dragons: Odd-Eyes' red and green colors for Yuya, Dark Rebellion's golden eyes for Yuto, Clear Wing's yellow eyes for Yugo, and Starving Venom's neon green eyes for Yuri.
"They're reminders that we're still connected," Yuto recalled.
"Correct," Rin said. "And there's more. Think about any random thing you love about the person you're dating."
The six got glimpses of each other before figuring out the first quality they like popping into their heads: the three Energy Girls loved their boyfriend's cute hairstyles while Yuya admired Zuzu's smile, Yuto thought about Lulu's natural beauty, and Yuri pictured Celina's eyes.
"I take it that my counterparts immediately thought about the guys' hair," Rin said.
Lulu blushed. "How did you know?" she asked.
"Because I also like Yugo's hair," Rin answered. "Which means Ray must've also liked Zarc's hair."
The Yu-Salad stared back at each other to see their different and iconic hairstyles. Yuya and Yuto's haven't changed one bit and still resembled a tomato and an eggplant respectively. Although Yugo has gotten used to his new look, he still missed his banana bangs whereas Yuri was glad he changed his cabbage-haired look because it reminded him of his old self. Regardless of what style it was, Rin was right about Ray taking an interest to Zarc's hair.
"Wait a minute," Yugo said. "Are you sayin' we got together because of Zarc and Ray?"
"Maybe they were always soulmates to begin with," Rin guessed. "But regardless of what happened in the past, I want each of us to remember that despite becoming individuals, we're still spiritually connected."
Everyone agreed on the spiritual connection they all share and how they all developed their own identities. At least it was better than being merged because they were fused back into their incarnations out of their own free will; the Energy Girls were kidnapped and sent to ARC-V whereas Zarc's lingering darkness caused the Yu-Salad's souls to be absorbed.
"You are quite right about us becoming individuals," Yuri said. "Why, Miss Celina and I have become the new heads of Duel Academy."
"Technically you are," Celina corrected. "I want to finish my education at Paradise Prep first."
"So whaddya say?" Rin asked, holding up her Duel Disk. "One last picture in honor of the start of our new lives?"
The seven other counterparts all gave out their words of agreement and grouped together for the picture, with Rin joining in to take a selfie with them. She opened up the Camera app and pressed the switch camera button to have it aimed towards the group. Once they paired up with who they were dating, as seen with Yugo getting closer to the camera and standing next to his girlfriend, Rin clicked the white button to take the picture, preserving a cherishable memory that they will all remember forever.
#Arc V Aftermath#yugioh arc v#Yuya Sakaki#Zuzu Boyle#Yuzu Hiragi#FruitShipping#Yuto (arc v)#Lulu Obsidian#Ruri Kurosaki#Yugo (arc v)#Rin (arc v)#AppleShipping#Yuri (arc v)#Celina (arc v)#Serena (arc v)#PredatorShipping
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Arc-V Aftermath: Knight and Prince (22/26)
When all is said and done, things have quickly recovered in the four dimensions. But when weird things start happening, the Yu-Salad Boys and the Bracelet Girls quickly realize they have some loose ends to fix. Co-written with @violetganache42.
WARNING: Dub names will be featured in the story.
As a girl who grew up in an elite environment, Lulu has access to everything she needs to look absolutely perfect. Shampoo to keep her hair silky soft, face cleanser to avoid possible acne, lotion for making sure her skin is smooth... She even has the finest ear picks in the city so her ears always remain clean.
Yuto, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Born in a middle class environment, he didn't mind if his face was slightly dirty or if his hair was out of place. Even when he started living with the Obsidians, he wasn't completely obsessed with his looks.
The next morning, at the Obsidian house, the couple were getting ready for the second round of the Team Duel Tournament. Needless to say, there was a strong difference in their morning routines. While Lulu was carefully brushing her hair before she could style it, Yuto was having a hard time cleaning his ears. After hearing yet another frustrated sound, she put her brush on her vanity and wheeled over to her private bathroom.
"Are you having a hard time?" Lulu asked.
"Sort of," Yuto answered, holding up an ear pick. "I don't really clean my ears a lot."
"Come here," Lulu said, patting her lap. "I'll help you get your ears clean."
Yuto walked over to where Lulu was and handed her the ear pick before kneeling down and placing the right side of his head on her lap. With her right hand holding the pick, she began helping him clean his ears. She used the ladle of the ear pick to scrape out ear wax, using her other hand to stroke his hair. Yuto let out a content sigh, closing his eyes as he let his girlfriend continue the intimate gesture.
When Lulu finished using the down puff to remove any extra ear wax, she gently patted Yuto's head, indicating him to switch sides. He shifted his head so the left side was on her lap. Lulu then tucked Yuto's stray bang behind his ear before repeating the process. He sighed again, adoring her gentle touch.
Suddenly, Lulu hit a sweet spot, causing Yuto to moan. "Lulu..." he muttered.
She suddenly remembered about his sensitive area near his right ear, where his small, faint, and somewhat noticeable scar was, hiding underneath the locks of light purple hair. Smirking, she finished cleaning out ear wax with the ladle before switching to the down puff. But this time, she removed extra ear wax very suggestively, using her other hand to gently touch his outer ear.
Yuto moaned from his girlfriend's gentle touches, his hand gripping the skirt of her pale yellow sundress. He adored this pleasurable feeling, wishing this moment could last forev-
"What are you two doing?"
The two looked up to see Shay standing in front of the bathroom door. They didn't hear him come in, but hearing his voice made things somewhat…embarrassing.
Yuto lifted up his head. "This isn't what it looks like!" he exclaimed, blushing heavily.
"I get that you two are bound to get these kind of moments, but we have a tournament to get to," Shay reminded the lovebirds.
"Right," Yuto said, leaving the private bathroom to get dressed. "Sorry about that."
After shutting the bathroom door when Lulu wheeled out to follow him, Yuto headed towards the bed where his clothes laid nicely across. He couldn't believe he was going to be wearing his pre-Invasion attire again; he wore it when he first met Lulu. Speaking of her, she was tying her hair into her signature bow-shaped style and secured it with her feather-shaped barrette before putting on her sunhat and white flats. To them, they were almost getting a blast from the past.
Yuto smiled softly. "Isn't that the sunhat you wore during the Heartland Spring Festival?" he asked as he finished getting dressed.
"Of course it is," Lulu answered. "It was the first time we hung out outside of school."
"And look how far we came," Yuto said, putting on his glasses. He gave Lulu a loving kiss. "Not even a horrible crisis can separate us."
"Of course, sweet knight," Lulu said. "Our love is unbreakable."
"You can flirt on the way over to the Center Duel Field," Shay pointed out. "We have a tournament to get to."
The trio headed out of the bedroom and went downstairs, with Kameron and Astra meeting up with them before making their way to the car and driving to LID. With this being the second day of the tournament, all the people who attended yesterday—including some of the Cardfighters—were returning to their seats while some of the losing teams joined the audience and took their own. As for the winning teams, they were brought to the Center Duel Field with their families and friends: Team Smiles with Yusho, Yoko, Skip, Mr. Strong, Allie, Tate, Frederick, Aura, and the Lancers, Team Noble with Kameron, Astra, Cathy, Alex, and Kite, Team Turbo with Akiza and a few other Turbo Duelists, and Team Obelisk with Leo and the former Obelisk Force members.
All around the stadium, many people were cheering for the four teams, especially for Team Smiles, who have become the fan favorite team…much to Yugo's chagrin. Despite realizing that Jean-Michel Roget was responsible for the High Council's disbandment, he still wasn't pleased with how everyone was preferring Yuya over him. They both endured contradicting sufferings, but he still believed the people loved the Performapal user more than him.
Rin quickly noticed Yugo getting tensed. "Calm down," she said, rubbing her boyfriend's shoulders. "Your Speedroids are just as entertaining as Yuya's Performapals."
"I hope so," Yugo said, still not relaxing.
With the four teams gathered, Declan and Aichi began the opening ceremony. "Welcome to the Team Duel Tournament finals," Declan said. "While yesterday's matches showed promising Duelists, only four teams were able to move on to the finals. Today the four teams will take part in a standard elimination round. The four teams will split into two groups with the teams dueling each other. Once the final two teams are determined, they will battle it out with the winning team being crowned the winners of the first-ever Team Duel Tournament."
"The teams facing off were selected based on their performances from yesterday," Aichi said. "We have the fan favorites of Team Smiles, the unbeatable Team Noble, the Turbo Duelists of Team Turbo, and the Wicked Dueltainers of Team Obelisk."
The audience applauded for the announced and outstanding finalists, especially for Yuya. Yugo stared at him from a not too far distance and wondered if everyone loved him because of his natural charm. He then started considering about changing his current hairstyle into a more attractive style.
"You alright, pal?" Crow asked Yugo.
The banana-banged Duelist ran a hand threw his hair. "I think I might need a comb-"
His response was cut short by the startled gasps of everyone in the Center Duel Field. He turned around to see what the big deal was, only to find Yuto strangling someone out of sheer anger. From the looks of things, the eggplant-haired teen must have recognized the former Obelisk Force student, as well as Sora, who was rushing from his team to where the incident was coming from. Sure enough, he also spotted his face and immediately knew who it was: the same person who killed Lono Osaku… Chazz Princeton.
"Well well, if it isn't the goth loner," Chazz said.
Yuto tightened his grip. "You're going to pay for killing my mom!" he snarled.
Chazz scoffed at the threat. "Like I was trying to kill her," he said. "I found out about the Professor's ultimate goals: save Ray Akaba and prevent Zarc Nightstone's resurrection. I thought killing one of Zarc's fragments might get me promoted. That woman was only an interference."
Yuto couldn't believe what he was hearing coming out of this psycho's mouth. If he was killed by the Chaos Ancient Gear Giant, he and his counterparts wouldn't have received new chances to find themselves and learn their Skills given to them by Zarc. He wouldn't have been able to get a job at ObsidianCorp and determine his future. He wouldn't have gotten his first kiss from Lulu. The words made him furious because he knows Zarc felt bad for what he has done yet Chazz doesn't seem to care in the slightest. Meanwhile, with Sora, he was just about to help calm Yuto down when he heard footsteps coming from Leo, who had overheard the explanation behind Lono's unfortunate murder.
"Mr. Princeton, how did you find out about all of this?" Leo asked.
"I overheard you talking about your plans to some crazy bug-eyed man," Chazz answered.
Leo knew exactly who he was referring to as his eyes shifted towards a certain someone in the audience: The Doktor, who was unsealed from his card once Yuya was revived and the dimensions split back into four. Yesterday, during the preliminaries, he was initially concerned when he was watching Team Turbo's duels and saw Rin Fusion Summoning Crystal Bell; he eventually relaxed and was pleased with how she integrated the Fusion monster into her deck and brought out the card's true beauty. Today, he heard what Chazz was talking about in regards to the Invasion and Revival Zero and how those plans inadvertently gave him an idea for a promotion. The poor guy can't seem to catch a break throughout the tournament's duration.
"Yuto, please unhand Mr. Princeton," Leo said. "I'll have to speak to him about not straying from direct orders."
Yuto let go of Chazz. "This isn't over," the eggplant-haired teen said, sounding calm yet miffed.
With the interruption taken card of, Declan proceeded to announce the pairings. "As I was saying," he said. "The first round is Team Smiles vs. Team Noble, followed by Team Turbo vs. Team Obelisk."
Well, isn't that peachy? Yugo gets to have a rematch against Yuri and no doubt he's going to show the Predaplant user just how strong he, his Speedroids, and his Clear Wings really are. As for Yuya, he was surprised to see him going up against his own cousin.
"How about that?" Yuri asked his teammates. "I get to duel XYZ again."
"Don't you mean 'moron'?" Dennis asked.
"Of course, my friend," Yuri answered. "But Rin is proof that the word doesn't seem to affect him. Luckily I found a new nickname that would have better results."
He remembered the conversation he had with Yugo, Yuya, and Shay back at Heartland Park. He was aware of this Yuma person that Yuto replaced in this timeline. Apparently Yuma was the opposite of Yuto: rude, loud, and quick-tempered. In other words, he was more like Yugo. Yuri noticed how that comparison irked the banana-banged Duelist more than being called a moron, so he decided to take full advantage of that.
"The first round is about to begin," Declan announced. "So will Team Smiles and Team Noble please step up?"
The two teams walked towards the center of the arena to get ready for their matches against each other. Unlike yesterday, Shay knew Gong would be able to withstand his Raidraptors, so he would take part in the round. Lulu happily greeted Zuzu, while Yuya felt content with dueling his cousin. With the dividers and Action Fields set up, the three simultaneous duels begin.
"Alright Yuto, let's get this duel started!" Yuya happily exclaimed.
Yuto's furrowed his eyebrows out of perplexity on what was up with Yuya. Was this his Dueltaining style? Even if their souls were merged and he got some glimpses of Dueltainment during the Arc League Championship, it still confused him on how it is done. However, his cousin clearing his throat snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Come on..." Yuya half-whispered. "Aren't you gonna say something?"
"What am I supposed to say?" Yuto asked. He wasn't a Dueltainer like Yuya; heck, he hasn't learned what Dueltaining is throughout most of his life back at Heartland.
"Anything!" Yuya half-whispered again.
"Okay..." Yuto said. He straightened his posture. "This shall be a show worthy of a good performance!" Deep down, he knew that was a bad attempt at saying an introductory Dueltaining sentence.
Yuya was too embarrassed and surprised to even respond. "Let's just duel!" he said as he activated his Duel Disk.
Yuto activated his Duel Disk as well to initiate their first Action Duel with each other, following a shout of "Let's duel!" from the two.
The eggplant-haired teen went first. "I'll start things off with a couple of face downs," he said. "Your turn."
Yuya instantly caught on to the two face-downs; they were Yuto's signature starting move. He may have to plan out his turn carefully, and after scanning the Action Field for where the Action Cards may be located, he figured out his strategy. "My turn!" he announced as he drew a card. "And I'll activate the Ritual Spell Odd-Eyes Advent!"
"What's this?!" Nico exclaimed. "Yuya is Ritual Summoning?!"
"You bet!" Yuya answered. "And I'll use Performapal Splashmammoth and Performapal Odd-Eyes Unicorn for the Ritual! Descend from the depths of space and emerge in all your galactic glory! I Ritual Summon Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon!"
Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon is a Level 7 EARTH Dragon-Type monster with 2800 ATK and 2500 DEF. He had grayish-navy blue scales with dark orange skin, heterochromia eyes (red on the right, light blue on the left), and light gold borders all over his body, surrounding purple stones on his tail, arms, legs, and feet, keeping hold of a light blue orb on the center of his chest, and supporting the powder blue stones that help him levitate and fly. When this card is special summoned, all Spells and Traps the opponent controls are sent back to the hand and can't activate cards or effects in response…unless they want to pay 500 LP if they want to use card effects. Gravity Dragon's effect can only be used once per turn.
Aura was in awe. "An Odd-Eyes Ritual dragon!" she exclaimed. "How wonderful!"
"I activate Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon's special ability!" Yuya declared. "All of your face down cards are automatically returned to your hand, so don't even think about using them on me this turn!"
The two face-downs dematerialized from the field and reappeared back into Yuto's hand, much to his frustration. "When did you get that card?" he asked.
"When I got my other three new Odd-Eyes dragons," Yuya answered. "Now I activate my Skill: Mind Merge!"
With a roar from Gravity Dragon, he and Yuya merged their minds together, as seen by the teen's body falling limp onto the floor and the dragon gaining his owner's personality and mannerisms.
"And there it is, folks!" Nico exclaimed. "Yuya has pulled off another mind merge! What an amazing Skill he has!"
Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon roared happily as the crowd chanted Yuya's name. Meanwhile, Team Turbo was watching the simultaneous duels from the sidelines, including Yugo, who still couldn't get over how everyone was rooting for Yuya. Why did everyone like him anyway? Was it his hair? His face? His personality? Or even his dueling style?
Shinji noticed Yugo's frustrated expression. "You feeling alright?" he asked.
"No," Yugo admitted. "Those cheers should be for me! Yuya shouldn't hog the spotlight!"
"You said something about needing a comb, right?" Shinji asked.
"Yeah," Yugo answered.
Shinji gave Yugo a comb. "Here," he said. "You can borrow one of mine."
Yugo thanked him before taking off in search for a mirror or some sort of reflective surface. As he ran through the halls, he stopped in front of two bathrooms and headed insides the one designated for males; sure enough, there was a mirror hung up on the wall above some sinks, so he took the time to figure what hairstyle he should go with.
After a bit of pondering, Yugo started to comb out his bangs. As he did so, the blonde locks started to become less banana-shaped. Ultimately his bangs ended up looking more whispy with the shorter locks hanging in front of his eyes. He grinned as he winked and pointed at his reflection, a clicking sound coming from his mouth.
"Lookin' good," Yugo said aloud, happy with the results. "This should help attract some attention."
Meanwhile, back in the arena, Yuto was XYZ Summoning The Phantom Knights of Break Sword. "Rise, my mighty beast!" he exclaimed.
Break Sword galloped onto the field as the headless knight attached to the armored horse brought out his giant sword and wielded it on his right hand. Outside of the arena, a lot of female Duelists cheered for Yuto after successfully performing an XYZ Summon. Although he didn't care about his looks, he does make himself look nice enough up to the point where he looks handsome. Even if Yuya had more fans than his cousin, it was clear the eggplant-haired teen's natural charm can cause the ladies to swoon; it was practically the Kastles' party all over again.
Yuya noticed Yuto smirking as he adjusted his glasses, looking a bit surprised. "Looks like those fans are feeding his ego..." he mused.
"Since I used Ragged Gloves as an Overlay Unit, I'll use 500 life points to give Break Sword an additional 1000 attack points," Yuto said. "Now Phantom Knights of Break Sword, slay Yuya's dragon!"
With an ATK of 3000, Break Sword sped up towards Gravity Dragon as the headless knight readied his sword to unleash his attack. However, the tomato-haired teen was prepared.
"I activate the Action Spell Miracle!" Yuya exclaimed. "So Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon is here to stay!"
Break Sword slashed his sword through the dragon, not fazing it in the process; however, the normal 200 points of damage was halved as Yuya lost only 100 LP. Yuto then had no choice but to end his turn.
"And with that, Lulu Obsidian has secured Team Noble's first win for the round!" Nico announced.
Her duel against Zuzu ended somewhat early due to how powerful her Lyrilusc monsters were, especially her Assembled Nightingale. Even Zuzu was amazed. "Wow," she said. "I didn't think you were that good."
"Well I was the one who taught Shay how to duel," Lulu replied.
Zuzu was confused by that choice of wording. "Don't you mean he taught you how to duel?" she asked.
"Nope," Lulu answered. "I taught him."
When the Obsidian siblings were growing up, Shay never got a chance to duel because he was busy preparing himself for when he becomes the new head of ObsidianCorp. Once he was given permission to play Duel Monsters, Lulu let him borrow some of her old cards so she could teach him how to play.
Zuzu was surprised to hear that. "Oh..." she said, recalling how powerful Shay's Raidraptors are. "That's...pretty unexpected to hear."
As the two Energy Girls waited in the arena for their teammates to finish their duels, Yuya and Yuto continued on with stunning progress. They were neck-and-neck with each other, always finding counters and strategies to ensure them a victory. At that point, Yuya was able to set the Pendulum Scale with Odd-Eyes Mirage Dragon and Odd-Eyes Persona Dragon to Pendulum Summon Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon. He then overlayed Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon and Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon to XYZ Summon Odd-Eyes Absolute Dragon. He was a Rank 7 WATER Dragon-Type XYZ monster with 2800 ATK and 2500 DEF. it had red and blue heterochromia eyes, dark purple skin, and light gray and light blue armor all over his entire body, encasing a dark blue orb on his chest. By using an overlay unit, Yuya can special summon an Odd-Eyes monster from the Graveyard if any of his or the opponent's monsters declares an attack. If this monster was sent to the Graveyard, an Odd-Eyes monster is special summoned from the Extra Deck except Odd-Eyes Absolute Dragon. Each effect can be used once per turn.
"So that your replacement for Dark Rebellion," Yuto commented. He smirked. "Not bad, but Break Sword is still stronger."
"Not for long," Yuya said. "I activate the Spell card Spiral Flame Strike to wipe out your Break Sword!"
Using the first effect of Spiral Flame Strike, Absolute Dragon blasted out a magenta beam with black streaks spiraling around it to destroy Break Sword. However, Yuto was then allowed to bring Ragged Gloves and Silent Boots back on the field in defense mode, now at Level 4.
"Nice try," Yuto said. "But I still have the materials I need to-"
"Oh, I know," Yuya replied. "Odd-Eyes Absolute Dragon, attack The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves! Double Slash Strike!"
Absolute Dragon used its signature move to attack and destroy Ragged Gloves; since it was in defense position, no damage was dealt. But oddly enough, Yuto wasn't annoyed. He was actually smiling.
"I can't believe it," Yuto said. "You actually fell for it."
Fell for what? Was this a trap that Yuto set up this whole time? That statement confused Yuya because he knows what his strategies are. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"You'll see," Yuto answered. With Yuya's turn over, he drew a card and smiled even more. "By banishing The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves from my Graveyard, I can transfer Phantom Knights' Wing from my deck to my Graveyard. And by banishing that card, I'll bring back The Phantom Knights of Break Sword."
Before Yuya knew it, Break Sword was special summoned back onto the field, lacking any Overlay Units. "But that's not all," Yuto said. "I activate the very card I drew during this turn: The Phantom Knights' Rank-Up-Magic Launch!"
He targeted Break Sword and used it to rebuild the Overlay Network; since its ability prohibits Yuto from special summoning non-DARK monsters for the rest of his turn, he managed to work his way around it.
"Cloaked in shadows and relentless in its objective, I call upon the most dangerous of dragons!" Yuto chanted. "Go, Rank-Up XYZ Evolution! Come forth and strike, Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon!"
Yuto's ace monster appeared onto his side of the field, with his tail whipping out, his wings bolting open, and his long chin reflecting the luminescence of the lightning before bellowing out his iconic roar. But Yuya wasn't worried. He knew Yuto has a hard time using his Skill.
"Now, Dark Rebellion, use your special ability and absorb half of Odd-Eyes Absolute Dragon's strength!" Yuto commanded.
Dark Rebellion extended his wings and shot out purple lightning to encase Absolute Dragon in it while halving his ATK and adding it to his own, increasing it from 2500 to 3900 until the end of this turn. But the eggplant-haired teen wasn't done.
"I activate my Skill!" Yuto exclaimed, running over to Dark Rebellion. "Mind Merge!"
Throughout the past few weeks of training and practicing, he has learned a new way to manage his Skill. Once he got on top of Dark Rebellion, his eyes started to glow periwinkle—much like when he Awakened—as their minds started to merge and they acted as a single entity.
Yuya was flabbergasted. "You can do that?!" he asked. He always thought Yuto continues struggling to manage with his Skill, so seeing this was quite the surprise for him. But he didn't want to miss out on the fun, so he proceeded to activate his Skill. Seeing that he wanted this duel to be a Dueltainment show, there was no way he's missing this opportunity since his own cousin was involved.
"I activate my Skill: Mind Merge!" Yuya cheerfully declared. He and Absolute Dragon synchronized and unified their minds into one until he saw that he has become one with his monster, as seen by his unconscious body on the floor of the arena. The sapphire-scaled dragon let out a cheerful roar, indicating to the audience that the fun has begun.
"Now hold on a minute!" Melissa exclaimed. "Since when can Duelists use their Skills on their opponent's turn?!"
"I'm not sure," Nico admitted. "But it seems Yuya has other ideas in mind." He looked at their bios. "He and Yuto recently found out their mothers were sisters prior to the dimensions separating, so Yuya wishes to perform alongside his cousin."
"Well that's mighty nice," Melissa commented.
As Nico and Melissa commentated on the first round, Yuya started his performance through the body of Odd-Eyes Absolute Dragon; he knew it was still Yuto's turn, so he decided to encourage him—who was still fused with Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon—to join in as well.
However, Yuto was deeply confused. Why was his cousin running around the arena? A confused sound appeared from Dark Rebellion, but Absolute Dragon happily roared again. It sounded like the two were communicating through their dragons. Absolute Dragon continued to cheerfully growl and roar at Dark Rebellion, wanting to convince him to join in on the performance. The latter was still confused on how Dueltaining even works; even if Yuto saw glimpses of it when his soul was fused with Yuya's, he still didn't quite understand it.
Lulu laughed in amusement as she watched the duel. "Come on, Yuto!" she called out. "Don't you want to have fun with your cousin?"
Despite the arena being split into three, Dark Rebellion started to softly purr, mostly because Yuto had a feeling Lulu liked the thought of him spending time with Yuya more. The last time they spent some bonding time together was a few days before the Paradise Prep school dance. Letting out a playful roar, the XYZ dragon proceeded to fly into the sky, ready for the performance.
As Dark Rebellion soared through the air, Absolute Dragon shot crystals out from his body as the XYZ dragon produced electricity from his wings. A display of crystals and electricity sparkled all around the dragons, astonishing the audience. "Incredible!" Nico exclaimed as Dark Rebellion did a midair backflip. "I've never seen such a performance!"
Everyone cheered enthusiastically at the stunning and marvelous presentation the two dragons were creating. Yuto was amazed by the reactions. Is this what Dueltainment is all about? Was it really all about keeping the world entertained and smiling? That's what Lulu believes in, and needless to say, Dark Rebellion looked pretty satisfied.
The two dragons continued their performance, shooting out electricity and crystals through the air. Electric bolts then came into contact with the colored gems, which caused them to explode and transform into fireworks. But while Absolute Dragon couldn't fly, Dark Rebellion soared in the sky, the fireworks causing his scales to shine. Yuto enjoyed seeing everyone cheer for him and his cousins. Maybe this Dueltainment thing isn't so bad after all-
"And the winner is Gong Strong!"
The two dragons quickly finished up their last round of fireworks shortly after hearing that Gong won. Through Absolute Dragon's gleeful roars, Yuya was happy to know Team Smiles was tied with Team Noble. With Dark Rebellion back on the ground, the two cousins ended their mind merges.
"So what did you think?" Yuya asked.
Yuto got off of Dark Rebellion, a soft smile on his face. "That was amazing," he answered.
"Aw, you can do better than that!" Yuya said, wanting his cousin to smile wide.
"Trust me, this is my biggest smile," Yuto clarified. He's usually a soft-spoken and quiet person, so in a way, he wasn't as energetic and outgoing like Yuya.
"Alright!" Yuya cheerfully said. "Now let's finish this duel!"
"Of course," Yuto agreed. "Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon, attack Odd-Eyes Absolute Dragon! Mauling Mandible Charge!"
Dark Rebellion charged his wings with purple lightning as the purple orbs on them began to illuminate. He then flew over to Odd-Eyes Absolute Dragon to pierce him with his long, sword-like chin. However, Yuya was prepared.
"I activate the Trap card Cross Damage!" Yuya announced. "Now you lose the same amount of life points I'm about to lose!"
As Dark Rebellion's chin stabbed through Absolute Dragon, the destroyed monster exploded, engulfing part of the arena in dark gray smoke that barely covered the two, who both lost 1100 LP each.
"Not bad," Yuto said as he ended his turn with a face down. "But Dark Rebellion still has an Overlay Unit."
"I know," Yuya replied as he drew a card. "But this duel is over. This is the final turn!"
Outside of the duel, the Cardfighters who were sitting immediately recognized that phrase Yuya said. They all know "final turn" meant a Cardfighter thinks they'll win based on the card they drew; does that mean he’s going to claim a victory for his team?
"Since Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon was Odd-Eyes Absolute Dragon's Overlay Unit, I get to Pendulum Summon him back onto the field!" Yuya exclaimed. "So return to the spotlight, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!"
The Pendulum "portal" opened up and Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon ricochet back onto Yuya's side of the field. "But I'm not done!" the tomato-haired teen continued. "I activate the Field Spell Sky Iris to protect Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!"
Sky Iris was…well, a Field Spell card that prohibits the opponent from using card effects to target Magicians, Performapals, or Odd-Eyes in the Pendulum Zones. Yuya can also select and destroy a face-up card he controls in order to add one Odd-Eyes card from his deck to his hand, but this effect can only be done once per turn.
"I'm also setting this monster face down on the field before I end my turn," Yuya said, knowing Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon is weaker than Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon.
Suspicion crept up Yuto as his turn was about to begin. Yuya never played a monster in face-down defense position before. What is he planning? Regardless of the plan, Yuto drew a card, deciding it would be safer to attack Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon.
"Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon, attack Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!" Yuto exclaimed. "Mauling Mandible Charge!"
As Dark Rebellion charged for the attack, Yuya smirked. "I activate the Action Spell Trick Distraction!" he declared. "Now Dark Rebellion is forced to attack my face down monster!"
Yuto was flabbergasted. "When did you get that?" he asked.
"During our little fireworks show, I secretly used Odd-Eyes Absolute Dragon's body to bring the Action Spell over to my actual body," Yuya answered.
The face-down card appeared on the field and flipped itself up to reveal itself to be Purple Poison Magician, who was pierced through Dark Rebellion's sword-chin. Purple Poison Magician was a Level 4 Scale 1 DARK Spellcaster-Type monster with 1200 ATK and 2100 DEF. His Pendulum effect gives a battling DARK Spellcaster-Type monster that Yuya controls an additional 1200 ATK during the Battle Phase before sending this card to the Graveyard. His monster effect, which treats him as a Fusion Dragon card, enables his owner to select and destroy a monster on the field after he is destroyed through battle or card effects. Yuya knew exactly which effect he is going to choose.
"Since Purple Poison Magician was sent to the Graveyard, he's taking Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon with him!" Yuya declared. "Vine Whip Ensnarement!"
Purple Poison Magician brought out some vines from the ground and commanded them by whipping them at Dark Rebellion, wrapping him around them, and pulling him down into the Graveyard with the former. Yuri watched on and was proud with this strategy he witnessed because that's something he normally does.
"Not bad, Yuya," Yuri commented. "It seems my best features have rubbed off on you."
Yuto clenched his fists. "I see," he told Yuya. "You have become a lot stronger." He set a card face down.
"Yep!" Yuya happily answered as he drew a card. "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, finish this off with Phantom Spiral Flame!"
"Then it's a good thing I have this," Yuto said. "I activate The Phantom Knights of Wrong Magnetring to negate your dragon's attack!"
For quite some time, the two equally-matched Duelists kept going back and forth with each other in an seemingly endless chain of summoning, activating, destroying, and banishing monsters, Spells, and Traps, losing and regaining Life Points, and mind merging with their monsters. Three archetypes against one. It was almost like a special summoning galore… Almost… Eventually, the duel ended up getting a bit boring because of how long it's been going and no victor has been decided; fortunately, this stalemate revived some lost tension as they stood looking exhausted with 100 LP each.
Declan let out a frustrated sigh. "New rule," he spoke into the microphone. "If a duel goes on for too long, whoever has the most life points after four turns is the winner."
This was a problem; the two neither had more nor less Life Points than each other. How are they going to declare the winner if they are tied? Worse, the two were already exhausted and their strongest cards were in the Graveyard.
"Yikes," Yuya said. "How are we supposed to-" His eyes widened upon seeing his cousin. "Yuto?"
Suddenly, much to everyone's shock, Yuto collapsed out of exhaustion. Because the Invasion made him slightly buffer than his counterparts, he had been recently working out at the Obsidian family gym, resulting in him getting exhausted easily; he also rarely took part in Action Duels, and seeing this one was his longest one yet, it wore him out immensely.
"Yuto!" Yuya exclaimed. He ran over to his cousin and kneeled next to him, holding the back of his head. "Speak to me!"
Yuto weakly opened his eyes and smiled. "I see her," he quietly said. "I see my mom." He took out Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon. "I leave Dark Rebellion in your care, Yuya."
"What?!" Yuya asked.
"Take care of him," Yuto said. "And remember to use your power...to keep the world entertained...and smiling."
Yuya panicked a bit. "But Zarc's no longer a problem!" he pointed out. "You can't-"
Just then, the sound of an amused laugh came out from Yuto; as it turned out, he was joking this whole time. Yuya looked offended, but he couldn't help but smile as well. "You sneak!" he exclaimed.
Yuto got back up, still laughing softly. "Gotcha," he said.
Yuya stood up. "Okay, you got me," he said. He playfully punched his cousin on the shoulder. "But that was a pretty good show we performed."
"It was," Yuto agreed. He held both of Yuya's hands. "Love you, cuz."
Yuya smiled even more. "Love you too, Yoot," he said.
All around the Center Duel Field, a collective sound of "Aww" was heard from the audience, who were touched by the cousins' fluffy moment. The two may have formed a bond during the Interdimensional War, but the revelations of their moms being sisters helped bring them closer.
"I hate to interrupt this moment, but I must declare a winner," Nico said. "So because Yuto Osaku was the first one to pass out, the winner of the final duel goes to Yuya Sakaki! Team Smiles is moving on to the final round!"
As the audience cheered and applauded after hearing the results, Yuya, Zuzu, and Gong's faces showed how genuinely content they were with advancing onto the tournament. The members of Team Noble, on the other hand, were all proud at how far their companions have gotten through, including themselves.
"Yuya, we did it!" Zuzu exclaimed. As Yuto released his grip on the tomato-haired teen, she ran over to him and hugged him tightly.
As Gong walked over to his teammates, Shay and Lulu approached Yuto. "It's alright," the heiress said. "We tried our best."
"Speak for yourself," Shay said. "I spent last night practicing for dealing with Fusion monsters and I happened to get stuck dueling the only non-Fusion Duelist on Team Smiles."
It was true; he was in the family dueling room last practicing his skills against simulations of Fusion Duelists because he was hoping he would go up against Team Obelisk, most particularly his rival Sora. Because of the arrangement of duels for the semifinals, he got stuck with Gong, his Superheavy Samurais, and his Synchro Summoning technique. The powerful effects and high DEF of his all-monster deck did a number on Shay, helping Team Smiles in moving on with a 2-to-1 score.
"Alright Team Turbo and Team Obelisk," Aichi announced. "It's your turn to duel. Good luck to both of you."
With the dividers already lowered back into the floor, Teams Smiles and Noble exited the arena to watch from the sidelines during the second round. Team Obelisk got up and walked away from where they were sitting to make their way towards the arena's center. At the same time, Team Turbo—albeit their stand-in Shinji—grabbed their Duel Runners from behind them and followed Yuri, Dennis, and Sora to begin the next set of simultaneous duels.
#Arc V Aftermath#yugioh arc v#Yuya Sakaki#Zuzu Boyle#Yuzu Hiragi#FruitShipping#Yuto (arc v)#Lulu Obsidian#Ruri Kurosaki#FallenAngelShipping#Yugo (arc v)#Rin (arc v)#AppleShipping#Yuri (arc v)#Celina (arc v)#Serena (arc v)#PredatorShipping
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Arc-V Aftermath: The Spell of Fairy Tails (18/26)
When all is said and done, things have quickly recovered in the four dimensions. But when weird things start happening, the Yu-Salad Boys and the Bracelet Girls quickly realize they have some loose ends to fix. Co-written with @violetganache42.
WARNING: Dub names will be featured in the story.
Today has finally arrived. The day every Duelist has been waiting for. One that will redefine the Duel Monsters card game for the years to come. The first day of the Team Duel Tournament was here.
Everyone was scrambling to get ready, especially the Yu-Salad and Energy Girls, who were doing their morning routines. Yuya and Sora ate Yoko's pancakes a tad faster than usual because they don't want to be late for the opening ceremony. Yuto, Lulu, and Shay each took turns taking showers and getting dressed before they can eat their breakfasts. Yugo, Rin, Crow, and Shinji all prepared their Duel Runners and decks while having already finished eating. Yuri was in his and Dennis' dorm bathroom, attempting to make his new appearance look neat; the Shaddoll user commented on how his roommate has combed his hair for…what, the umpteenth time now? Celina was wrapping up her morning workouts at the gym while Zuzu got changed into her usual attire she wore in and out of school.
A couple hours later, seven of the eight counterparts were inside LID with their teammates and were about to enter through the doors to the Center Duel Field. So many people from across the Original Dimension came to see an important event in dueling history. As the competitors and audience members walked in, they all grew shocked at what was surrounding the field. There was a surprising large amount of Fluffal monsters in the arena and plants hung all over the walls. There were even unknown hooded figures among the crowd. What was going on?
At that point, Yugo saw a flash of red from the corner of his eye. "You okay, Yugo?" Rin asked.
"I recognize that swirly red hair anywhere," Yugo said. "It's that Ancient Gear guy!"
Unfortunately for all the Duelists and Duel Monsters fans, some Cardfighters have also showed up just to see the twelve teams screw up the new tournament rules. Yugo hasn't seen the red-haired Cardfighter since the day Rin discovered her Skill, but he hasn't forgotten him.
"Who do you think you are showing up here?!" Yugo asked, running up to the Cardfighter. "This is a Duelists-only event!"
"Oh, you're one to talk!" the Cardfighter said. "You stole our tournament rules! You're just gonna end up screwing things up with your weird technology!"
"You're the weird one!" Yugo retorted as Rin had to rush over to restrain him. "Your Ancient Gear monsters aren't real, you weirdo!"
"They're called Gear Chronicle, you toy-loving freak!" the Cardfighter said, taking out his deck.
"Oh, you want a showdown?!" Yugo asked, taking out his deck as well.
"Bring it!" the Cardfighter answered. "Can't wait to punch that smug expression off your fa-"
"There you are, Chrono!"
Yugo, Rin, and the Cardfighter, now revealed to be Chrono, turned their heads to see a girl walking towards them. She had apple green hair and hazel eyes like Rin, but the only notable difference was the clothes they wore. The three looked back at each other, baffled by what they're seeing. The two girls have similar appearances and features, and from what they heard from Chrono's friend, they even have mirroring personalities. Heck, the two boys were both quick-tempered. They honestly don't know what to say about the recently discovered similarities.
"Not now, Tokoha," Chrono said. "This banana-haired Duelist keeps calling my cards ancient gear-"
"Will you just focus for once, you moron?!" Tokoha demanded. "And I'm serious this time! If you could control that temper of yours, we wouldn't have gone through that whole problem with Team Trick-Trick! And stop picking fights with random Duelists! You've gotta learn to stop losing your cool!" She tightly grabbed Chrono's arm. "Do you even know how worried I got when you vanished?!"
"Geez, alright!" Chrono exclaimed. "Stop being such a nag about it!"
Yugo and Rin became convinced that Chrono and Tokoha are definitely much like them; admittedly, learning about these parallels was almost scary. The Windwitch user was hesitant on interacting with her look-alike because of the…ordeal that was going on.
"Uh... Rin?" Yugo asked as Tokoha dragged Chrono over to the stadium seats. "You think Cardfighters aren't as different as we thought?"
"Yep," Rin answered.
The crowd got themselves adjusted in the seats that encircled the Center Duel Field; there were even some familiar faces from the Interdimensional War and some people that played larger roles in the alternate timelines within the audience. The eleven teams were given special seats near the arena's center to identify themselves as those that are competing. Only three seats were empty, leaving Yuya, Yugo, and Yuto a bit flummoxed. Pretty soon, Declan showed up to begin the opening ceremony and announce the tournament rules, unbeknownst of why the field was decorated.
"Welcome to the first ever Team Duel Tournament," Declan said. "For those of you who do not know yet, this tournament was put together with one idea in mind: to restore trust between fallen friends due to a recent war between dimensions. Needless to say, I am glad to see the best Duelists taking part in the tournament.
"But before I can begin, I wish to introduce you to someone. He is the one who helped organize this tournament. Presenting the CEO of the Vanguard Association: Mr. Aichi Sendou."
Aichi walked down the arena as some audience members applauded, but the Duelists were generally baffled that he looked a bit young to be the CEO of a rival card game. He had long, blue hair with a bang swept right and blueish-teal eyes. He wore a half-sleeved, light blue jacket with black—and a few white—markings, denim jeans, and gray shoes.
"Thank you, Declan Akaba," Aichi said. "The rules of this tournament might sound familiar to all the Cardfighters in the audience. The teams will be divided into four separate blocks. The three teams in each block will duel each other. Whoever wins the most duels in each block moves on to the next round. Once the four finalist teams are decided, they will be paired up in a standard elimination round. The best two teams will then battle it out, with the winning team being the last team standing."
The rules sounded decently easy enough, but many Duelists were demanding to know why Declan even agreed to use these rules in the first place. The eleven present teams looked at each other with worried looks. Some of the members noticed off in the distance that a few other people in the audience were also uneasy about the vast complaints.
"Calm down, everyone," Aichi said. "I was expecting this kind of backlash. Declan told me about the Interdimensional War, but two years ago, us Cardfighters were having our own problems: a virus called Link Joker." Various images appeared on the arena monitors as he spoke. "Link Joker corrupted the hearts of Cardfighters everywhere with no exceptions. Family and friends were turned against each other during this crisis as more Cardfighters fell to darkness. But with the help of my friends, I was able to defeat Link Joker and purify it so it would no longer corrupt anyone who uses their cards."
Everyone stared in stunned silence at the photos of Link Joker and the terror it brought upon to the Cardfighters. Rumor has it that this incident was briefly discussed in a Duel Monsters magazine. It was clear that none of the Duelists knew about this until just now. Does that mean they will have a change of heart and how they may not be so different after all? So far, a total of five Duelists during the past few weeks, including what happened earlier, had came across this realization, so who knows.
Yuto simply gave Lulu's hand a firm yet loving squeeze. To him, Link Joker was exactly like the Fusion Parasites, corrupting people and forcing them to use cards they would never use before. The very thought angered him. He would never let such a thing happen again.
"A virus..." Yuya said, touching his own face. "Corrupting innocent people...?"
Why would anyone do such a horrible thing to Card Fighters? They may be rivals with Duelists, but even they don't deserve to go through such a catastrophic tragedy. The Duelists soon began to see the similarities that they unknowingly shared with those that played Vanguard. At the same time, Aichi and Declan witnessed the dismay on everyone's faces after hearing the news of this other terrible and dangerous event.
"This is why I told Declan about Vanguard tournaments," Aichi explained. "These tournaments are used to establish trust between teammates, something that Duelists lost because of their war. By the end of this tournament, I can reassure you that family and friends will reunite due to newfound trust."
All around the stadium, Duelists and Cardfighters gradually applauded at the explanation Aichi gave. The more people that clapped, the louder it got and the more touching this moment was. Even those watching this broadcasted tournament were touched by the inspiring words as they've come to accept the fact that Cardfighters and Vanguard weren't so bad after all. Surely, this event will be the last day of their heated rivalry once and for all.
Aichi thanked everyone for listening to what he had to say as he handed the microphone to Declan and sat back down in his seat. It was now time to officially start the opening ceremony.
"Thank you Mr. Sendou," Declan said. "To begin the opening ceremony, one of the Duelists participating in the tournament will recite the Duelist's Oath. And the honor goes to Lulu Obsidian."
Everyone applauded as Lulu went up on stage on her motorized wheelchair. She, her friends, her family, and Yuto are glad that she was fully healed on the day before the tournament, so now she can take part in it; of course, Sarah is still Team Noble's stand-in. Although she might never walk again, little girls within the audience mistaken her for a real life princess; they saw how beautiful she looked despite being handicapped. Even Allie from Team You Show had the same reaction and comment about Lulu being a princess.
"No way!" Allie had cried out. "A real life princess!"
Lulu heard the enthusiastic remark while making her way towards Declan and blushed as she glimpsed at the red-haired girl. Yuto had turned around in his seat to see what the commotion was about, only to realize what she was talking about. He quickly looked back at the dark purple-haired girl, smiling contently because he knew she wasn't wrong; he did mention to his counterparts that his girlfriend was his Rapunzel.
When Lulu had wheeled over to the microphone, Declan lowered it so she could recite the Oath. She cleared her throat as she raised her right hand. "I, Lulu Obsidian, promise to-"
Suddenly, the Center Duel Field's dome steadily closed, leaving everyone in a small, confused frenzy in the now enclosed darkness. Lulu and Declan had trouble figuring what was going on; there's no way this was part of the opening ceremony. Within the dark stadium, three figures appeared and revealed the Fluffal monsters in the arena, the Shaddoll monsters that were hidden in the crowd, and the Predaplant monsters that dangled on the walls. The teams instantly learned there were only three people that use these archetypes.
"Sorry to interrupt," the shortest one said as the three revealed Polymerization cards. "But I think it's our turn to steal the show."
In perfect unison, the three fused a selected group of their monsters to Fusion Summon Frightfur Bear, El Shaddoll Shekhinaga, and Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. The stage lights then turned on to reveal Sora, Dennis, and Yuri, the absent three Duelists. They were dressed up in peculiar costumes: Yuri in his plant-altered Obelisk Force uniform, Dennis in a Shekhinaga-based outfit, and Sora in a toy soldier attire. Music started playing from the machine room, but it was no ordinary musical piece. A lot of people recognized the instrumental number they were hearing. It was time for them to unleash their surprise opening act.
"We know that your powers as mere Duelists," Dennis sang.
"Are as weak as a lone Kuriboh!" Sora sang.
"But weak as you are, pay attention," Yuri sang, taking out his whip. "Our words are a matter of skill!" He used the whip to call Starving Venom to his side.
"It's clear from your vacant expressions," Sora sang, smiling creepily as he hopped onto Frightfur Bear's shoulder. "The lights are not all on upstairs."
"But we're talking Dueltaining legends," Dennis sang as his sat on a Shaddoll Hound's back as El Shaddoll Shekhinaga appeared by his side. "Even you can't be caught unaware." As he sang that line, he threw a dagger at a random picture of Yusho.
"So prepare for a change of the spotlight," Yuri sang, sitting on Starving Venom's hand as he flew across the arena. "Be prepared for a brand new duel style."
"A shining new era is tiptoeing nearer," Sora sang.
"And where do you feature?" Dennis sang.
"Just listen to teacher!" Sora sang as he pointed to his head.
"We know it sounds sordid, but this show's rewarding when at last we deliver our own fun!" Yuri sang.
"And injustice deliciously squared," Sora sang.
"Be prepared!" the three sang in unison.
"That's right, everyone!" Yuri said. "We are Team Obelisk, and we challenge the legacy of Yusho Sakaki!"
"Precisely," Dennis added. "His brand of delivering smiles has become quite tiresome."
"That's why we're introducing a new type of Dueltainment!" Sora gleefully said. "Wicked Dueltainment, a special type of Dueltainment used to oppose all smiles!"
"So get ready, Yusho Sakaki," Yuri said as he, Dennis, and Sora pulled out multiple fusion-type Spell cards. "It is time for a brand new duel king!"
Sora played another Spell card, Frightfur Fusion, which enabled him to use his Bear and two copies of Edge Imp Frightfuloid to Fusion Summon Frightfur Chimera. Dennis followed suit by playing El Shaddoll Fusion; two of the hooded figures saw the Spell card and leapt over to their owner—removing the cloaks to disclose themselves as Zefracore and Zefranaga—to be Fusion materials, resulting in El Shaddoll Winda to appear. Yuri was the third member in the chain as he activated Super Polymerization, using his Predaplants Cordyceps and Darlingtonia Cobra in order to bring out Predaplant Chimerafflesia. The three repeated the process until they Fusion Summoned nearly all of their Fusion monsters, resulting in a stadium full of Frightfur, El Shaddoll, and Predaplant fusions that proceeded to 'entertain' the crowd by demonstrating their powers.
"It's great that you'll soon be connected," Sora sang, now dangling on one of Frightfur Chimera's necks. "With duel kings who shall be admired."
"Of course, quid pro quo, you're expected," Yuri sang, still being carried by Starving Venom. "To take certain measures on board."
"The future is littered with terrors," Dennis sang. "And though we're the main addressees."
"The point that we must emphasize is..." Sora sang.
"You won't get a smile from our show!" Yuri sang as he used his whip once more.
"So prepare for the turn of the century," Sora sang. "Be prepared for the wickedest cast."
"Meticulous planning, tenacity spanning," Dennis sang. "Decades of denial is simply why we'll..."
"Be kings undisputed, respected, saluted," Yuri sang as Starving Venom brought him back on the ground as Shaddoll Hound carried Dennis over to him. "And seen for the wonders we are."
"Yes, our skills and ambitions are bared," Sora said. "Be prepared!" As he sang that last part, Yuri used his whip to bring Sora over to him and Dennis.
"Yes, our skills and ambitions are bared," Yuri sang as he revealed Violet Flash.
"Be prepared!" the trio sang in unison as Yuri activated Violet Flash and another Polymerization at the same time.
A flash of light appeared from Violet Flash to add effect to their concluding act, with the trio's monsters laughing sinisterly, evilly, and maniacally. At the same time, Starving Venom and Chimerafflesia fused together to bring out the Fusion dragon's alternate form: Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon, who proceeded to let out a fearsome roar.
As Team Obelisk stood in their finishing poses, everyone, including the teams, were left with an indecisive reaction. They weren't sure how to react to the surprise performance they all watched. After a few minutes of silence, Celina rolled her eyes and started clapping, wanting to let her boyfriend know the performance was somewhat entertaining. Sylvio and Aura also clapped with her, followed by the rest of the teams, the attending Card Fighters, and finally, the entire audience. It definitely was something they didn't expected to occur, but they were satisfied with how it went and anticipating Team Obelisk's new style of Dueltaining; besides, no one can resist rooting for the villains.
"We are glad you could enjoy our display of a Wicked Dueltainment," Yuri said once the applause died down. "If any of the other teams cross our paths, we will show no mercy."
Yuri, Dennis, and Sora headed towards their empty seats while deactivating their Duel Disks, leading to their monsters disappearing. Lulu gave the microphone to Declan, who thanked the boys for putting on their act and for introducing Wicked Dueltainment to the public. He cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses as he stated Lulu will recite the Duelist's Oath without any further interruptions, regardless of how fantastic they were. She and her brother had practiced and memorized the Oath multiple times when ObsidianCorp sponsored past events, so with the Team Duel Tournament being presented by her family's company, this should be a breeze for her.
With the microphone ready, Lulu raised her right hand once more. "I, Lulu Obsidian, promise to play fair, never cheat, and treat all opposing Duelists with utter respect. Furthermore, I will not use fake cards nor sneak in hidden cards during duels. I will also not resort to physical harm on my opponents. In conclusion, I shall respect the game and not resort to becoming a cheating snake."
The audience applauded yet again when she was finished with declaring out the Oath. She handed the microphone back to Declan and wheeled back to her team. Yuya remembered how his attempt at it during the Arc League Championship wasn't his best; it surely doesn't compete with Lulu since she knows it by heart.
"Thank you, Ms. Obsidian," Declan said. "The teams will now be divided into four separate blocks based on duel skills."
The monitor screen showed the four blocks, each with three teams. The pictures of the twelve teams were all shuffled to see who will be paired with who for the first round according to their skills. A few seconds later, the pairings have been made: Teams Smiles, Wishes, and Victor in Block A, Teams Noble, Ace, and You Show in Block B, Teams Turbo, Skillful, and Luck in Block C, and Teams Obelisk, Lancer, and Force in Block D.
Shay looked nervous regarding the other two teams in Block B. "Are you alright, Shay?" Yuto asked.
"Sarah, you're going to have to duel in my spot," Shay said. "I don't think I can handle dueling those teams."
Wait, Shay is suddenly sitting out this round? Yuto wondered why he would make this choice when he was informed that his friend felt guilty of what he did to Julia, Kit, and Dipper; he also doesn't want Frederick, Allie, and Tate to get hurt by his Raidraptors because they're little kids. He'll most likely compete once the winning teams from each block have been determined. Yuto didn't blame him in regards to Team Ace because the Resistance falsely accused Leo Corporation and LID for the Invasion whereas Lulu knew how her older brother has a soft spot for young children.
"It's okay," Lulu said. "I completely understand your reasons. We'll do our best to make sure we make it to the finals."
Shay thanked his teammates for understanding and turned his head to face Sarah, asking her if she was ready. She responded that she's more prepared and confident to duel than ever before, and it was all thanks to Yuya. He was glad to hear this from her, especially since this was going to be her first duel in a while.
"Would anyone like my Fairy Tails?" Sarah realized. "Not everyone uses them, so I'm a bit concerned by their reception."
"You'll do great, Sarah," Lulu reassured. "The Fairy Tails suit you perfectly. I'm sure that once you duel, everyone will love your dueling style."
Sarah stared at Lulu after hearing those words. Fairy Tails aren't a popular archetype among Duelists because only a few monsters were made, all female LIGHT anthropomorphic animals based on fairytales with 1850 ATK and 1000 DEF. Although no Spells and Traps were also created along with the archetype, the spectacled girl found what works well with her monsters to create her deck.
"Thanks Lulu," Sarah said.
"You're welcome," Lulu replied. "Just remember to have fun."
Sarah nodded her head, indicating that she will. Hopefully, as she duels, people will admire her usefulness, skills, and strategies with her Fairy Tails, including her secret weapon…
With the block matchups already decided, Declan instructed the teams to head to the four separate arenas to begin the preliminaries. They all did so, with Shay and Shinji the only ones not dueling as they are still sitting in their seats. Once everyone was situated in their blocks, the monitor then displayed the duels between each competitor. Block A will be Team Smiles vs. Team Victor, Block B pits Team Noble against Team Ace, Block C is a battle between Team Skillful and Team Luck, and Block D involves Team Lancer dueling Team Force.
"Team Ace, huh?" Yuto asked. "So our first opponents are those Leo Institute kids."
"Including Julia," Lulu added, recalling how the Gem-Knight user treated her to a spa day to help prep her for the Leo Corporation dance.
Just like the Vanguard team tournaments, there will be three simultaneous duels occurring in each block with one member from a team going against another member from the opposing team. In Block B's case, it'll be Sarah vs. Julia, Yuto vs. Kit, and Lulu vs. Dipper; the first team from each block to score the most wins moves on to the next round.
"So you're Lulu Obsidian," Dipper said. "I heard your cards are powerful, but can they defeat my Constellar monsters?"
Lulu let out a small laugh. "Oh, you'll see," she answered as she activated the Duel Disk that was now built into her wheelchair.
Kit smirked. "Well if it isn't Shay Obsidian's accomplice," he said. "I must say, from what I heard about you, you're pretty noble. But I have a code of honor of my own."
"I recall," Yuto replied. "You're a swordmaster."
"Correct," Kit said.
"But I have something you probably don't have," Yuto said. "A strong bond with my cards. They helped shape me into becoming who I am today."
"Then maybe it's time you showed me those cards of your songs," Kit said.
As the four Duelists were about to prepare to duel, Sarah and Julia stood across from each other as this was their first time meeting each other.
"Uh... Hi?" Sarah asked.
"You're clearly nervous," Julia stated.
"Huh?" Sarah asked.
"I said, you're nervous," Julia repeated. "You seem unsure of what to do, so this is probably your first time taking part in a big tournament. That probably means your deck doesn't have a clear archetype, so you're not sure if it would actually be effective in a proper dueling environment." She readied her Duel Disk. "But that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."
Sarah couldn't find the right words to describe how Julia figured her out instantly. She has never encountered someone like her before, but as she shook the thought off, she activated her Duel Disk as well, getting ready to test her newfound confidence she gained during the War.
"Good," Sarah replied. "Because I wasn't expecting an easy win."
With the competing teams fully ready to duel, all four blocks got divided into three sections each to have a total of twelve duels going on at the same time. Since these were Action Duels, all sections got different duel fields, with Sarah and Julia getting a grand ballroom. It was an interesting choice because it made the spectacled girl smile widely while the Gem-Knight user flashbacked a little to her first duel with Zuzu. If that wasn't enough, she quickly realized that she and Sarah were now wearing ball gowns.
"What's going on?!" Julia asked, confused.
"I recognize this Action Field," Sarah explained. "Fairy Tail Palace. This was my favorite Action Field back in Heartland. I even know where all the Action Cards are and which ones I should use at certain moments."
In other words, Fairy Tail Palace gave Sarah an advantage, surprising Julia because it meant her opponent will know the right moves to counter her attacks. Regardless, she may have to step up her game if she was going to win.
"So you use Fairy Tails," Julia realized. "I was right. You have a scattered deck. There are only a few Fairy Tail cards in the whole game, so you don't have a proper archetype."
Sarah knew about her deck being scattered, but it didn't matter nor did she care. It was her deck that she created by herself with her own original strategies, so despite being an underrated archetype, she will bring out its potential.
After everyone set up their Duel Disks, they all shouted "Let's duel!" in unison, marking the start of the preliminaries. Elsewhere, in the main arena, footage of the multiple Action Duels were being aired as Nico and Melissa commentated on what was happening during the first turns.
"Wait a minute!" Nico exclaimed. "Why is Team Turbo riding motorcycles?! This is strictly a no-vehicle duel format!"
"Oh Nico, clearly you never saw Turbo Duels before," Melissa informed. "Team Turbo's Duel Disks are built into their Duel Runners, so their way of duelin' can get rather confusin'."
Nico has never heard of Duel Runners or Turbo Duels before. Action Duels were what he was familiar with the most, so seeing a Turbo Duel for the first time was quite an experience for him. He learned something new today as well from Melissa: it was legal to play card games on motorcycles. She then gave a brief synopsis of how they work; as a Duel Monsters announcer from the Synchro Dimension, her explanations were as easy as pie. While that was going on, Julia went first.
"I'll start things off by using Gem-Knight Fusion to fuse Gem-Knights Lapis and Lazuli!" Julia said. "Two gems sparkle together, illuminating a new stone! I Fusion Summon Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli!"
As a Level 5 Earth monster with 2400 ATK and 1000 DEF, Lapis Lazuli can only be Fusion Summoned once per turn. She can also inflict 500 damage to her opponent for every special summoned monster on the field by having Julia send one Gem-Knight monster from the Main or Extra Decks to the Graveyard. The Fusion Duelist sent Gem-Knight Amber to the Graveyard to have Sarah's LP decrease to 3500, since Lapis Lazuli was the only special summoned monster on the field. She then placed a card face down, emptying her hand and ending her turn.
"Now let's see what you got, fairytale girl," Julia said.
"Alright," Sarah said. "My turn!" She drew a card, but before she could check her hand, a beautiful song echoed throughout the arena.
"Where is that song coming from?!" Julia asked, confused. "Is this part of the Action Field too?!"
"It's not," Sarah answered. "I recognize that voice anywhere."
Meanwhile, it was Yuto's turn as he was about to XYZ Summon The Phantom Knights Break Sword with his Level 3 Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves and Phantom Knights of Silent Boots. Just then, he and Kit quickly paused the duel to hear who was singing. Their reactions were similar to Julia and Sarah's because the X-Saber user didn't know where the singing was coming from and who it belonged to while Yuto realized whose voice it was.
"Who's that singing?" Kit asked Yuto. "Your girlfriend?"
"No," Yuto answered, his eyes sparkling with admiration behind his glasses. "An angel."
In the third section, Lulu had activated her Skill known as Natural Energy Burst to give her Lyrilusc - Assembled Nightingale, using Turquoise Warbler, Sapphire Swallow, and two Colbalt Sparrows to XYZ Summon it, a 500 ATK boost while it was sporting the En Birds marking on its forehead for one turn. Her usage was different because she sang a melody to help give its activation a visual effect, which was calling on songbirds.
"Eh... That's it?" Dipper asked once Lulu was finished with her song. "You do know you're not allowed to attack on the first turn, right?"
"I know," Lulu answered. "My Skill is automatically activated when I first XYZ Summon in a duel." She proceeded to play a face down card. "So even though I end my turn, I can activate it again."
As Assembled Nightingale's ATK returned to normal, it was now Dipper's turn. He drew a card from his deck and analyzed the six cards he had before proceeding with his first Main Phase.
As for Sarah, she had finished checking her hand and she had retrieved her first Action Card near a spinning wheel. "I'll start things off with a face down monster," she said. "Which I'll reveal now!"
"You can't flip summon a monster you just set," Julia pointed out.
"Actually, I can," Sarah explained. "I happen to have the Action Spell True Love's Kiss, so awaken from your slumber, Fairy Tail - Sleeper!"
Sleeper appeared on the field now in face-up attack position. She was a pink cat with long, fluffy, golden hair, a big, bushy tail, and wore a orange dress. A book can be seen on her tail along with a reddish-pink bow. She let out a yawn as if she just woke up.
"So that's a Fairy Tail monster," Julia remarked. "Not bad, but what's one little kitty going to do?"
"Call on a friend," Sarah answered. "Now that Sleeper woke up from her deep sleep, she can allow me to summon another Fairy Tail from my hand. And I'm summoning Fairy Tail - Rella!"
Sleeper's book glowed brightly, allowing Rella to make her debut as she was being summoned by popping out of the book. She was a light blue dog with her blue hair curled up, a bushy tail like Sleeper, and wore a light green dress with glass slippers. She too had a book and a bow on her tail, but the bow was aquamarine with light purple patches stitched on it.
"There's more," Sarah continued as she picked up an Action Card near a pumpkin. "I activate Rella's special ability! By discarding the Action Spell Pumpkin Charm, I can retrieve the Equip Spell United We Stand from my deck and equip it to Rella!"
After Rella's book glowed when Pumpkin Charm was sent to Sarah's Graveyard, United We Stand increased her ATK and DEF by 800 for each of Sarah's face up monsters on the field after she equipped it to the dog princess. She was ready to begin her Battle Phase.
"Fairy Tail - Rella, attack Lady Lapis Lazuli!" Sarah declared. "Stroke of Midnight!"
Rella ran towards Lapis Lazuli to kick the Gem-Knight Fusion with her glass slippered feet and deal 1050 damage to Julia until…
"I activate the Trap card Brilliant Spark!" Julia declared. "Since Rella attacked Lapis Lazuli, you lose 1850 life points!"
Brilliant Spark sent a blast to Sarah to decrease her LP to 2150; however, Julia noticed a small smirk on her opponent's face and soon caught on the one mistake she made: she now has no monsters on her side of the field, meaning she was vulnerable for a direct attack from Sleeper.
"Fairy Tail - Sleeper, attack Julia directly!" Sarah declared. "Spindle Prick!"
Sleeper extended her front arms and aimed it at the Gem-Knight user and proceeded to shoot out needles towards her, reducing her LP down to a mere 300. Some of the audience members in the stadium that were watching the duel between Julia and Sarah and were ecstatically crazy at how an incomplete archetype can result in such an amazing turn-around.
"Amazing!" someone had cried out. "Those Fairy Tails are so powerful!"
"I don't know," someone else said. "Don't you think it's unfair that she's able to pull that off with the Action Field?"
That made Julia realize Sarah had an unfair advantage. "You wouldn't have been able to use your combo without that Action Spell!" she pointed out.
Sarah let out a small laugh. "That's not true," she explained. "My whole deck is based off of this Action Field. Sure I have my Fairy Tails, but I also included various support cards that act exactly the same way as the Action Cards from Fairy Tail Palace. Dueling on this Action Field only speeds up my combos and strategies."
Julia was rapidly taken back by what she heard because it turns out that she was at a fair disadvantage, not Sarah having an unfair advantage. The explanation made the people watching the two girls' duel grew more enthusiastic; even the person who questioned about the tactic had second thoughts of what he said and admitted that it was actually a clever use of the Fairy Tails archetype. Naturally, Nico spotted the marvelous strategy used against the dark-haired girl on the monitor.
"Incredible!" Nico exclaimed. "It appears Sarah Glitters is a lot smarter than we initially thought! Having memorized a whole Action Field and working her deck around it is a clever strategy!"
"Well I don't know about y'all, but I'm more focused on Team Turbo," Melissa commented. "I think I r'member seein' those three fellas from the Friendship Cup, but Miss Rin is somethin' special. Her Windwitches are quite a powerful force."
"I'll just conclude my turn with a face-down," Sarah said. "But sadly, Rella has to return United We Stand back to my hand."
With her book glowing, Rella lowered her ATK and DEF to their original amounts as Sarah removed the Equip Spell and returned it to her hand. Julia drew a card to start her turn and looked at what was in her hand. It wasn't a Polymerization or an alternative Fusion Spell card, but it was better than nothing. She activated Monster Reborn to bring back Lapis Lazuli; now she needed to find an Action Spell that centers on Fusion Summoning, so she ran through the Palace, looking for one. She found one on a chair that was near a small bureau with an oval mirror and grabbed it, only to react in dismay at what it is.
"What?!" she exclaimed, looking at the Action Card she just picked up.
"That would be the Action Trap Severed Toe," Sarah explained. "It causes all of your monsters to lose half their attack points until the beginning of your next turn. Didn't you notice the blood-stained knife?"
She looked at the top of the bureau to see the bloody knife and slowly realized there were visual representations around the Action Field. True Love's Kiss near a spinning wheel, Pumpkin Charm next to a pumpkin, Severed Toe on top of a chair near a knife… Action Spells represented rewards while Action Traps were punishments. Julia stared in disbelief as Lapis Lazuli was having trouble standing up due to now having 1200 ATK. Looking at her hand, empty and cordless, she questioned herself if this Trap she played was her punishment for relying too much on her Gem-Knights and not knowing a lot about fairytales in this duel. With no other move to make, she chose to end her turn. She would have surrendered, but she didn't, which was perfect for Sarah. It was time to unleash her secret weapon.
"My turn!" Sarah declared as she drew a card. "And I'll start things off by summoning Fairy Tail - Luna!"
Luna spun herself into the field upon being summoned. She was an orange fox with long, blue hair that had a few teal streaks, a bushy tail like the other Fairy Tails, and wore a kimono with top being green and having red edges and the bottom being orange-pink and having floral patterns on it. She carried a dark brown fan with a light blue crescent moon and a pink flower with a red-to-greenish-blue gradient on the ribbons. Her tail had an opened scroll and a dual-colored tied-up string—one half was red while the other half was light purplish-pink.
"Then I activate Fairy Tail - Luna's special ability!" Sarah continued, causing Luna's scroll to glow. "I can retrieve another Fairy Tail from my deck, which I can special summon with the right card..."
Ultimately Sarah was able to find an Action Card next a statue of a deer. "And I'll use this Action Spell: Animal Call! Since I have at least one Fairy Tail on my field, I can summon another one to join them. So I'll summon the very one I retrieved thanks to Luna, and her name is Fairy Tail - Snow!"
Snow scurried onto the field to join her Fairy Tail friends. She was a light-skin-toned squirrel with a brown bob hairstyle that had some red streaks and had a light green with a small, white polka-dotted patterned bow. She wore a red dress with a white collared underdress and two light green bows: one with white polka dots in front of her neck and a plain one on the back. Like the other Fairy Tails, she also had a long, bushy tail, which had an opened book with a light green bow.
Four Fairy Tails, each being a Level 4 monster. That could only mean one thing: Sarah had everything she needed to bring out her secret weapon.
"I heard of Fairy Tail - Snow," Julia said. "You're going to use her special ability to flip my monster into face-down defense mode."
Sarah let out a laugh. "True, but not this duel."
Her demeanor suddenly changed into a more…ruthless personality. She was no longer the sweet, shy girl with higher self-esteem as she was getting ready to continue her Main Phase.
"Funny how a chance encounter with a handsome prince can change a maiden such as myself," Sarah said. "How he can suddenly appear out of nowhere with a smile and encourage you to break out of your shell. Meeting someone that beautiful, both inside and out, really is something special."
Julia was confused. "Who are you talking about?" she asked.
"But I don't mind that the prince was meant to be with another maiden," Sarah continued. "I dared not to tamper with their destined paths. Yet I'm not sure when, but I know I'll ultimately find a prince who will love me just as much."
Sarah closed her eyes. "This is for you, Yuya Sakaki." She opened her eyes, a newfound spark emerging. "Fairy Tails Luna, Rella, Snow, and Sleeper, join forces to create the Overlay Network!"
All four Fairy Tails formed a circle and joined paws with each other before constructing the Overlay Network. Just then, as a result of preparing to XYZ Summon, ice formed all throughout Fairy Tail Palace and spread to the other two sections, covering the entirety of Block B in an icy sheet.
"Hey, what gives?!" Kit asked. "What's with all the ice?!"
Yuto let out a deep chuckle. "Let's just say the Queen is coming," he answered.
Dipper had a hard time standing properly. "Where did all this ice come from?!" he asked.
"From the Queen," Lulu answered.
An icy wind swirled all over Fairy Tail Palace. "Mistress of the cold, emerge onto the field and punish the wicked of this world!" Sarah chanted. "I XYZ Summon Fairy Tail - Queen!"
Queen made her debut by having snow and wind encircle around the Overlay Network as she appeared onto the duel field. Her attribute was WATER instead of LIGHT, but her ATK and DEF remained the same as the other Fairy Tails. She was an arctic fox with long, luscious, icy blueish-white hair. She wore a blue, floor-length dress with light blue fur around the chest area and hips, as well as on her lower arms, and long, icy blue gloves that extend up to her back side of her hands. Her accessories consisted of a crown with beads around her head and multiple necklaces; they, along with the fur around the upper chest and hips, were all encrusted with blue gems.
"This is the true power of Fairy Tails," Sarah explained. "They're pretty powerful individually, but when they come together, they become unstoppable."
Julia couldn't believe what she was hearing; how can an incomplete archetype prove themselves to be more than just incomplete? Their abilities coincided fluidly with the Action Cards and Field, and now that they were Overlay Units to their mighty Queen, she was going to be shown the undying loyalty that all five monsters shared with each other and how they have potential for being used in Duel Monsters.
"I activate Fairy Tail - Queen's special ability!" Sarah declared. "By using one Overlay Unit, she places a Mirror Counter inside your monster's heart, preventing it from attacking during your next turn!"
A shard of glass that looked like it was from a broken mirror popped in front of Queen's paw and she threw it into Lapis Lazuli's heart, giving her a Mirror Counter and preventing her from attacking.
"But there's more," Sarah continued. "As long as there's at least one monster on the field with a Mirror Counter, Fairy Tail - Queen can attack you directly!"
An increasingly thunderstruck Julia yelled out the "What?!" card because what Sarah said basically means she is screwed. Even if she activates Lapis Lazuli's effect, it still wouldn't make a difference.
"Precisely," Sarah replied. "This duel is officially over. Fairy Tail - Queen, attack with Unforgiving Blizzard!"
Queen raised her paw and thrust it in Julia's direction, commanding a blast of heavy snow to attack her. She got pelted with fast, hard-hitting snowflakes and the strong winds blew her off her feet and tumbled her on the icy floors, wiping out her remaining 300 LP.
"And there it is, folks!" Nico announced. "The first winner of Block B is Sarah Glitters of Team Noble!"
The audience cheered as loudly as they could as a way to congratulate Sarah on her victory and her spectacular usage of Fairy Tails. The Action Field and Queen both disintegrated to signal the duel's conclusion, causing the girls' ballgowns to revert back to their normal clothes.
Julia was about to stand back up when Sarah walked over to her. "That was a fun duel," the XYZ user said, reaching out her hand.
This made Julia start blushing; everything about this scenario was exactly like the time she was defeated by Zuzu during the Arc League Championship. She looked at Sarah, who was back to her usual personality as seen by her smile, and then back at her hand for only a few silent seconds.
Julia grabbed onto Sarah's hand, letting her help her stand back up. "I'm impressed," she said. "Those Fairy Tails sure are amazing, kinda like you."
"Aww, thank you!" Sarah replied. "Your Gem-Knights look amazing as well."
Julia was flattered by Sarah's compliment and quickly realized that she might be developing a crush on her. She always was shown to be more attracted to females than males, which was most evident during her first tournament defeat. This was practically déjà vu for her; only this time, she was developing feelings for Sarah because she knows about Zuzu's feelings for Yuya.
"Mauling Mandible Charge!"
"Graceful Winds!"
Yuto and Lulu declared their ace monsters' signature attacks to deplete Kit and Dipper's down to 0. As a result, with a score of 3-0, Team Noble claimed the victory for the Block B's first three simultaneous duels, causing the audience to cheer and applaud for their first wins. The other two Action Fields and the monsters vanished as the two sections returned to their original appearances. Outside of the block, Team You Show were waiting for their turn to duel and watched Sarah, Yuto, and Lulu win against Team Ace, meaning the next three duels will revolve around the kids battling against the three XYZ users, followed by the three representatives of LID's special summoning courses.
But while Tate and Fredrick were expressing concern regarding being able to keep up in the next round, Allie was absolutely amazed. She kept her eyes on Lulu's duel, watching how the dark-haired beauty dueled. In Allie's young, innocent mind, Lulu was a lot like the princesses she read in books. And if that wasn't enough, there was a high possibility that she would duel the wheelchair-bound princess.
Julia, Kit, and Dipper all walked out of the mini arena to wait for their next duels, wishing the kids good luck and to do their best against Team Noble and the formers. Team You Show all replied that they will as they headed in to start the next matches in Block B. The rest of the blocks were also displaying the outcomes from the other duels via monitor screens. The audience went wild with the victories they watched while Nico and Melissa expressed the action unfolding in the arenas and predicted who would win the preliminaries…
#Arc V Aftermath#yugioh arc v#Yuya Sakaki#Zuzu Boyle#Yuzu Hiragi#FruitShipping#Yuto (arc v)#Lulu Obsidian#Ruri Kurosaki#FallenAngelShipping#Yugo (arc v)#Rin (arc v)#Yuri (arc v)#Celina (arc v)#Serena (arc v)#PredatorShipping
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Arc-V Aftermath: Celina in Love (7/26)
When all is said and done, things have quickly recovered in the four dimensions. But when weird things start happening, the Yu-Salad Boys and the Bracelet Girls quickly realize they have some loose ends to fix. Co-written with @violetganache42.
WARNING: Dub names will be featured in the story.
"You did that on purpose!"
"So what if I did?! Clearly you slipped up, so I technically won!"
"Oh, look who's talking! Your dragon doesn't even fit in with your overgrown weeds!"
"How dare you call my graceful Predaplants weeds!"
Yuri and Celina sounded like they were arguing about a duel they recently had. Ever since Zuzu's revival, the two have developed this heated rivalry with each other. You would think that Zarc and Ray splitting and the dimensions merging once again would bring new changes to everyone; as it turned out, there were some things that remained the same, and the Fusion duo's rivalry was one of them.
In the midst of yet another argument, Yuri took out Violet Flash from his deck. Celina saw the Spell card and, becoming angrier than she was, yelled at him not to teleport while she "talking" to him. In response, the cabbage-haired Fusion user simply gave her a deadpan expression as he activated his Spell card and teleported away. A frustrated and annoyed sigh escaped her mouth.
"Why do I even bother?" Celina muttered to herself, frustrated at Yuri once more.
Meanwhile, Yugo and Rin have recently become roommates with Crow and Shinji and all are living in an apartment/garage next to a watch shop called Poppo Time. Right now, they were working on a new Duel Runner, with Yugo on the driver's seat and the others checking the laptop to see how well the new engine was running.
"You might want to go easy, Yugo," Crow advised.
"No way!" Yugo happily exclaimed, accelerating even more. "I wanna push this baby to its limits!"
"Crow's right," Shinji said, checking the computer. "There's a slight possibility it might-"
BOOM!
The entire apartment/garage interior and everyone in it were covered in black smoke from the engine overloading. Rin yelled at Yugo for doing something as reckless as that. He was very lucky that it didn't suffer too much damage though; otherwise, they may have ended up buying a new one. For now, they'll just check it and fix any impairments it suffered.
Just then, a bright light unexpectedly appeared, almost blinding everyone in it. The light vanished to reveal Yuri, who had apparently teleported in here in the motorcycle engine's aftermath.
Yugo wasn't happy to see Yuri again. "Oh great," the Synchro Duelist said. "Did you have another fight with Celina?"
"You say that as if it's a bad thing," Yuri remarked. "I simply enjoy getting Miss Celina irritated."
Aside from that, Yuri mentioned about how he technically won a duel against Celina and how she had the nerve to call his Predaplants weeds. Even though he usually gets bored with long arguments, teleporting away is his favorite because it irritates her even more. He even managed to sneakily take her ribbon out of her hair earlier in the week they were separated. At this point, Yugo was starting to get a little fed up with his antics involving Celina.
"For someone who hates Celina, you sure like talking about her a lot," Yugo remarked.
"Almost like you have a crush on her," Shinji added.
"What?!" Yuri asked. "I do not have a crush on Miss Celina!"
"Kinda sounds like you do," Crow pointed out.
Yuri kept denying that he harbors any feelings for Celina and they are just rivals. Rin pointed out how some people who have crushes on someone tend to act harsh around them; in other words, she was telling him that he may be a tsundere. He was backed into a corner on this discussion thanks to her indication. She wasn't wrong about what tsunderes do yet he knows he wasn't in love with Celina. His opinion was final and nothing else was going to change that.
"Are you sure?" Rin asked.
"Of course I am certain!" Yuri insisted.
Rin let out a sigh. "If you insist," she said. "But try recalling what she looked like when you took her hair ribbon."
"Oh, that's easy," Yuri said. "She..." He was unaware of a small blush appearing on his face. "She..."
Yugo, Rin, Crow, and Shinji easily noticed Yuri's blush on his face. She really got him on that one. The Synchro Duelist with Clear Wing's eye color was having some difficulty suppressing his laughter.
"Stop laughing, you moron!" Yuri exclaimed. "It's not my fault Miss Celina looks too pretty with her hair down!"
Yuri instantly covered his mouth with his hands, realizing what he just said. Yugo ended up falling on the floor laughing his butt off while the rest of the Synchro crew had "called it" faces, especially Rin. She even threw out a fist bump to Crow with her left hand. As of now, the Fusion user was at his wit's end and took out his Violet Flash card again to teleport out of the apartment/garage.
"Oh man, that was too funny!" Yugo exclaimed.
Rin smirked in satisfaction. "'Bout time he got some payback for kidnapping me."
Before anyone knew it, the same bright light flashed in front of their eyes as an embarrassed and mad Yuri teleported out of the apartment/garage, leaving the Synchro crew the only ones left. Seeing that they were still covered with some black smoke from the engine mishap, they all decided to wash up before resuming with working on the Duel Runner.
Back with Celina, she was still annoyed about the fight she had with Yuri. She figured she would talk to Lulu to help try and calm down. She took out her Duel Disk and opened up the webcam app to call her, only to find out the XYZ user was at the spa. She was getting a facial, based on the mask on her face with cucumber slices on her closed eyelids, and some robots were giving her a manicure. She even had curlers in her hair and was wearing a robe.
"Uh... Lulu?" Celina asked. "What are you doing?"
"The Kastles invited my family to a grand party tonight," Lulu explained. "The richest people from Heartland are attending, so I have to look my best."
"So how are you holding your Duel Disk?" Celina asked.
"Lillybot is holding it for me," Lulu answered. "I know she's one of the older models, but she's still pretty useful."
"Lillybot?" Celina repeated.
Lulu's Duel Disk turned around to have the webcam briefly aim at Lillybot's face. Celina waved "Hello" at her as Lulu explained that this bot used to be her nursemaid at a young age. The Fusion girl was interested by this information until something struck her mind. Was her XYZ counterpart even at the spa? She immediately asked while the thought was still fresh in her head.
"Where are you?" Celina asked.
"The spa room in the family household," Lulu answered.
This initially shocked Celina, but she shook it off since she should have known Lulu lives with a wealthy family. Celina told her that she wanted to talk to her about Yuri and their most recent argument. She mentioned about the bickering on who made the bigger blunder during a round of Duel Monsters and how he teleported away with his emotionless expression yet again. She admitted that she could honestly care less about where he went off to.
"Normally I would say those are the signs of a crush, but this is Yuri we're talking about," Lulu said. "He's the worst."
"I know," Celina agreed with a groan. "That jerk thinks he knows everything!"
"Not to mention he's as ugly as his personality," Lulu added. "Have you seen his tacky choice of fashion?"
Celina nodded in response to her question. She also noted about the Duel Academy students combined having a better fashion sense than him and Lulu couldn't agree more. If she was going to be honest, this rivalry seemed to be more like an enemyship because most rivals at least know when to tolerate each other. She even confessed that she would rather hang out with Sylvio because he isn't as sociopathic as Yuri despite having the same nobility.
"Oh, really?" Lulu asked, intrigued. "Do tell."
"Sylvio is a pretty decent guy," Celina admitted. "His dueling style is fun to watch and I wouldn't mind facing off against him in a sparring session."
Lulu was pretty excited to hear that. "Sounds like you have a crush on him."
Celina blushed upon thinking about that possibility. "I'm not sure," she replied. "We never really got to spend a lot of time hanging out, but I wouldn't mind getting to know him more."
Lulu smiled wide. "Lillybot, contact Sylvio and tell him to visit the southeast park," she instructed.
"YES MISTRESS LULU," Lillybot replied.
Southeast park? That's where Celina was currently at. She asked Lulu what she was doing and the dark-purple-haired girl responded that she's helping her Fusion counterpart get a chance to connect with him. In other words, a date is being set up for the two. This surprised the indigo-haired girl; she never thought about going on a date with Sylvio. After Lillybot made the contact, she said he'll be heading to the southeast park in about 15 minutes. Still smiling, Lulu thanked the robot and reminded Celina to get herself ready—nothing too fancy, just brushing her hair and a few touch-ups. She wished her good luck before the two girls ended the webcam conversation. Here's to taking a breather from Yuri, Celina thought.
Meanwhile, Yuri had teleported in front of a random restaurant, still humiliated and angry about what happened back at the apartment/garage. It wasn't his fault he likes Celina having her hair down. Besides, people can like someone without having romantic feelings for them, right? …Right? A few minutes later, he encountered Sora walking by with a cherry lollipop in his mouth.
"Hiya Yuri," Sora said. "What's up?"
"Do you mind?!" Yuri snapped. "I'm not in the mood to talk!"
"Yeah right," Sora said. "You're clearly upset about something."
"Those Synchro Duelists humiliated me!" Yuri ranted. "How dare they accuse me of having romantic feelings for Miss Celina!"
"Do you?" Sora asked.
"Of course I don't!" Yuri exclaimed. "But it's not my fault she has beautiful hair!"
This was very weird. Everyone knows Yuya, Yuto, and Yugo harbored feelings for Zuzu, Lulu, and Rin. Why on earth would a group of Synchro Duelists believe Yuri had a crush on Celina? It's not like they assumed he does have one because you know everyone says about "assume"… Never mind about that; what really matters is Sora may have an idea on how to cheer his Fusion friend up.
Sora proceeded to take out his Duel Disk and started typing. "What are you doing?" Yuri asked.
"Sending Dennis a text to meet me at Card Craze," Sora answered, referring to a local card store that originated in Domino City. "You're welcome to come."
"No thank you," Yuri said.
"Are you sure?" Sora asked. "There's a new booster set featuring Fusion cards."
This appealed Yuri a little. As a Fusion user, it never hurts to find the right monsters that correspond with their Fusion monster, whether it is special summoned with Polymerization, Super Polymerization, or any other Spell cards effects like Fusion Gate. He also had occasional thoughts about finding other cards to come up with new strategies that work with his Predaplants, maybe even trying to get new Predaplants to include in his deck.
"Fusion cards?" Yuri asked.
"Yeah," Sora innocently answered. "I'm hoping to pick up some Fluffal or Frightfur monsters, but there's a possibility that the set could include some new Predaplants."
What do you know? Great minds do think alike. Yuri depicted which Predaplants were available at Card Craze, and after checking his deck, he may have figured out which ones he hasn't gotten yet.
"Very well," Yuri said. "I accept your offer."
"That's the spirit!" Sora cheered. "Hopefully there are still some booster packs left for sale."
Sora and Yuri then headed down the street to head to the card shop and meet Dennis there. It never hurts to spend some male quality time, so maybe that's what Yuri may need: hanging out with his Obelisk friends for a few hours.
Back at the southeast park, Celina had finished getting ready for her date with Sylvio. With a little over five minutes left, she walked towards the park entrance to wait for him. As she stood there, she tried to relax about the argument from earlier today. Yuri was always thinking highly of his cards, and not every blunder was done on accident; even if she did slip up, he was the one who set her up like that on purpose. It was executed rather well, but it still doesn't change the fact that everything he does annoys her. Seeing it was for his own amusement, it was working. He was constantly winning at these emotional games, trying to find the right buttons to push. She sighed and figured spending some time with Sylvio can relieve any stress she has.
Before long, she spotted a figure walking down the sidewalk. Speak of the devil; it was Sylvio. Based on the time it was, it was safe to say he arrived on time. "Celina," the Dueltainer said. "What a surprise to see you."
Celina smiled a bit, happy to see a friend again. "I know," she said. "We haven't spoke to each other for a while."
"And yet so much has happened to us," Sylvio said. "How are things going for you?"
"Pretty alright," Celina answered. "I'm glad to have my body back. While I didn't mind having someone to talk to, I didn't like being forced to spend time with Yuri."
"I can't blame you," Sylvio said. "He did unintentionally help destroy the dimensions."
"I really needed a break from him," Celina said. "He's been on my nerves for a while. Every time he duels, he deliberately acts annoying!" She let out a sigh. "Sometimes I wonder if he does that on purpose."
"Well I know what might cheer you up," Sylvio said. He proceeded to activate his Duel Disk.
"You want to duel me?" Celina asked.
"Certainly," Sylvio replied. "My dueling style is all about entertaining the crowd. And who knows? Maybe I'll entertain you as well."
Celina took out and activated her Duel Disk as well. With fierce determination in her eyes and a smirking mouth, she was ready to duel against Sylvio. It was nice to finally take a breather from Yuri and bond with not only a member of the Lancers but a friend as well. With the shout of "Let's duel!" from the two, the duel had begun.
After an unseen coin toss, Sylvio was given the honor of deciding who went first. "Ladies first," he simply said.
"Very well," Celina said. She checked her starting hand. "I'll start things off by setting the Pendulum Scale with Lunalight Wolf and Lunalight Tiger!"
With Celina's Scale 1 Lunalight Wolf and Scale 5 Lunalight Tiger set, she can now summon any monsters between Levels 2 and 4, which she did by Pendulum Summoning the Lunalights Black Sheep, Purple Butterfly, and White Rabbit.
"I see," Sylvio said. "You're mixing things up."
"Indeed I am," Celina said. She set a card face down. "But don't worry. You'll see Cat Dancer later on."
Elsewhere, Yuri and Sora were both nearby Card Craze. The candy-loving teen directed his cabbage-haired friend to follow him around the corner; the card shop was only a few buildings away from the street corner. He changed his directions to turn right at said street corner and the two ended up reaching their destination. To their surprise, Dennis also showed up by going a different way. It only delayed him by a few seconds, but it didn't matter.
"Yuri?" Dennis asked. "You came too?"
"I needed a break from Miss Celina and Sora bribed me with the possibility of getting new Predaplants," Yuri explained.
"So Sora told you about the new booster set," Dennis concluded.
"Yep!" Sora cheerfully said. "You interested in it too?"
"Not today," Dennis replied. "I'm actually thinking about switching decks. The Performage cards aren't really my thing."
"True," Yuri agreed. "XYZ is not a good fit for you."
Fortunately, the Card Craze employees are skillful at choosing an archetype based on a Duelist's personality, ideals, and which special summoning technique they're experts at. This greatly comes in handy when the customer wants to exchange their old deck in favor of a new one. The Fusion trio walked through the shop's double doors to see how busy it is. So many people were heavily invested in getting the new booster set.
"Wow!" Sora exclaimed. "There's still a lot of booster packs on sale!"
"I'm not sure if we could afford a lot," Yuri said.
"Relax," Sora said, taking out his Duel Academy student points card. "Cards are on me. Take as much as you want."
Dennis brought his Performage deck to Customer Service for exchanging. Not long after that, one of the employees scrolled through a list of archetypes on the computer, examining each one to conclude which one is a best fit for him. They eventually settled on Shaddolls, an archetype primarily consisting of DARK monsters—having searching and field advantaging Flip effects and advantage regaining second effects after being sent to the Graveyard—that center around the special summon restricting/punishing El Shaddoll monsters.
As for Yuri, he was having a hard time figuring out where the Predaplants would be, especially since how crowded the place is. Another employee assisted him in maneuvering through the crowd and brought him over to one of the booster sets. He asked the cabbage-haired teen to show him what kind of cards he does have based on the archetype. After some thorough searching, he gave him a booster pack that contained the Predaplants he doesn't have. Yuri looked to see Sora getting some booster packs as well. The only difference is he was having an easier time handling the crowd.
Several minutes later, after the cards were paid for, the trio were walking down the street, checking out what they have purchased.
"Frightfur Wolf..." Sora read. He checked the card's stats. "Not bad. This should give the Obsidians a run for their money."
"Well I'm happy with my new deck," Dennis said. "These Shaddoll monsters are a better fit for a Fusion Duelist such as myself."
"What did you get Yuri?" Sora asked.
Yuri opened his booster pack, checking the cards he got. "Let's see..." he said. "Predaplanet, Mark of the Rose, Miracle Fertilizer, Battle Fusion..."
As Yuri was skimming through, he stopped at a card that he couldn't take his eyes off. It was a Fusion monster called Predaplant Chimerafflesia; not only were its stats very useful, the card's illustration was what really piqued his interests. He became extremely happy that he pulled out a "beautiful" creature from the booster pack. No doubt Chimerafflesia would make a nice addition to his deck.
"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed, peaking up to see the card. "That's a secret rare! Nice pull!"
"But look at the artwork!" Yuri praised. "I have never seen such a finer specimen! A fine addition to my lovely Predaplants!"
"Why do you like Predaplants?" Dennis asked. "We have been friends for years, yet you never explained why you like those particular cards."
"Because no one else wanted to duel with them," Yuri explained. "Whenever the other students bought booster packs, any Predaplants they received were thrown into garbage cans. But I was able to see the beauty in them, so I retrieved every Predaplant that was discarded and constructed a deck with them. It just happened to be coincidental that Starving Venom works so well with them."
But deep down, he knew the true reason why. As a kid, no one at Duel Academy wanted to duel him because of how powerful he was. They feared him so much that he was left alone, from stepping aside to not approaching him, but he didn't mind. He enjoyed defeating his opponents, but his skills and talents resulted in him not having any friends before meeting Leo, Sora, and Dennis. To Yuri, his Predaplants were his first friends because they were regarded as outcasts by society and he saw the beauty and strength the cards and the cabbage-haired Fusion user respectively had in each other, which was why their chemistry proved essential during the Interdimensional War.
After a few seconds of silence, Yuri cleared his throat. "So, shall we see if Leo can let us test our new cards?" he suggested, wiping away any possible tears on his face. "This Mark of the Rose Spell card seems fitting for my dueling style."
"Certainly, Yuri," Dennis agreed.
"Alright!" Sora cheered. "To Duel Academy!"
While Yuri, Dennis, and Sora went off to visit Duel Academy, Sylvio and Celina's duel was about to reach its end. "Not bad, Sylvio," Celina remarked. "But let's see how you'll do once I beef up Lunalight Panther Dance with Crimson Fox and Kaleido Chick!"
Celina activated Polymerization from her hand, allowing her to fuse Lunalight Panther Dancer with Crimson Fox and Kaleido Chick to Fusion Summon Lunalight Leo Dancer. Suddenly, her En Moons marking started glowing on her forehead, in which Sylvio noticed.
"Again...?" Sylvio mused to himself.
"What?" Celina asked.
"Nothing!" Sylvio lied. "Carry on!"
"Alright," Celina said. "By equipping the Spell card Mystical Moon to Leo Dancer, her attack points increase by 300, allowing me to destroy your Superstar and ending this duel!"
With an increased ATK of 3800, Leo Dancer attacked and destroyed Abyss Actor - Superstar, bringing Sylvio's LP to 0. At the same time, Celina's marking stopped glowing once the duel concluded.
"What a wonderful duel, Celina," Sylvio said, approaching the Fusion Duelist. "But I couldn't help but notice your forehead glowing whenever you fused your monsters."
"My forehead...?" Celina asked.
"Yes," Sylvio said. He proceeded to move Celina's bangs aside, revealing her marking. "What's this?"
"Oh, that?" Celina asked, referring to her marking. "I got it after Ray was separated the second time. Leo said it's based on the symbol of En Moons, the Natural Energy Card that 'created' me."
"How interesting," Sylvio remarked, his hand slowly moving from Celina's forehead to her cheek. "And it seems to glow whenever you Fusion Summon."
Sylvio was right; since En Moons "created" Ray's Fusion reincarnation, it would make sense for her marking to glow when she Fusion Summons a monster. Seeing how the Natural Energy Card ends with "Moons", it also means the glow only happens when she uses the Lunalights archetype. Does that also apply with Zuzu, Lulu, and Rin when they perform their respective special summons with their archetypes?
Celina was going to have to answer these questions for later because she couldn't help but blush as Sylvio caressed her cheek. There was something about him that she couldn't stop thinking about; he had a similar nobility-like personality as Yuri, but he generally acted more gentlemanly and charming based on his looks and mannerisms. She became convinced that she may have started developing a crush on him.
"Sylvio..." Celina said, still blushing. "Would you like to eat lunch with me?"
"Hmm?" Sylvio questioned.
"I want to discuss dueling styles with you," Celina explained. "Maybe you could be a better rival than Yuri."
"Certainly," Sylvio answered. "I do hate seeing such amazing dueling talents from a beautiful girl go to waste." As he said that last line, he carefully untied Celina's hair ribbon and placed it in her hands.
A realization popped up in her head almost as fast as—if not, faster than—when she developed her first crush. She may have found a good match in Sylvio. Yuri was never this kind to her and their constant bickering was a sign that they would most likely try to strangle each other. As for Sylvio, he seemed nicer and was interested in cherishing their dueling rivalry. With this in her mind, the two left the southeast park to look for a restaurant to have lunch.
Meanwhile, the Obelisk trio were at Duel Academy testing out their new cards. Leo had given them permission to do so after hearing about the Card Craze booster set sale that was going on. At the moment, they were currently dueling out in the schoolyard in a Battle Royale style.
"Go Frightfur Wolf!" Sora exclaimed. "Tackle that flower!"
"I activate Mark of the Rose!" Yuri replied. "By Banishing Predaplant Flytrap from my Graveyard, I shall take control of Frightfur Wolf, protecting my darling Chimerafflesia from harm!"
"And I chain that with the Trap card Shaddoll Core to protect my life points and allow me to Fusion Summon a new monster during my next turn!" Dennis added.
The three were all having fun dueling each other. Even back then when they were still enrolled in Duel Academy, they had Battle Royales with each other and reveled in the entertainment they brought to one another. Now here they are, in the newly-revived Original Dimension, having an enjoyable duel with each other at the school they all attended. It was just like the old days.
"I see you're having fun as always."
The three former Obelisk Force soldiers noticed Leo had arrived. "Professor Akaba!" Dennis exclaimed. "What is it?"
"I couldn't help but notice how in-sync your dueling is among yourselves," Leo said. "Maybe your skills would work better in a team."
"A team?" Sora repeated. "I don't think that's tournament-legal."
"Until now," Leo continued. "I just got off the phone with Declan. He informed me that after speaking to the Vanguard Association, he decided to host a Team Duel Tournament in a few weeks."
"Vanguard?" Yuri repeated in disgust. "You mean that cheap Duel Monsters rip-off?"
The Vanguard Association is a company that's best known for the Cardfight Vanguard card game. The people who play said game are called Cardfighters. They have a heated rivalry with Duelists about which card game is better: Vanguard or Duel Monsters. Yuri calling Vanguard a rip-off is understandable because Duelists believe it is mimicking the Duel Monsters playing style and Cardfighters are being delusional due to them claiming Cray (the planet that’s featured in the franchise lore) is a real place. On the other hand, Cardfighters claim that the Duelists are uncivilized due to having a lot of cards other than basic monsters. All things considered, why the H-E double hockey sticks would Declan host a Team Duel Tournament after talking to Vanguard Association? Are the companies going to co-host this upcoming event?
Sora let out a groan. "Why would Declan talk to those delusional people?" he asked in disdain. "Did they manage to convince him that their pretend planet is real?"
"Not exactly," Leo explained. "While the Vanguard Association is rather insane with their ideals, their tournaments are for teams of three people. After learning that this format is to promote trust and teamwork, Declan thought that might be a good thing to help restore trust among Duelists after the Interdimensional War."
This actually left Yuri, Sora, and Dennis somewhat flabbergasted. Usually, when it comes to teaming up, the duels are either done in a tag team or a Battle Royale, but Team Duels were generally illegal in tournaments up until now. But of all the people Declan spoke to, it had to be with the CEO of Vanguard Association. Still, it was a reasonably nice decision of him to make Team Duels tournament-legal, and seeing how well the three worked together and had fun over the years, this could be their big chance to utilize it in a few weeks.
Yuri smirked. "Are you suggesting that the three of us should register under a team?" he asked.
"Certainly," Leo answered. "You were the best Obelisk Force soldiers."
"Count me in!" Sora cheered.
"I don't approve of Declan getting the idea from those Vanguard people, but I do like the idea of working together with my friends," Dennis said.
"I can already tell this was an excellent idea," Yuri happily said.
With this in mind, the Obelisk trio eagerly agreed with Leo's suggestion to register for the first ever Team Duel Tournament. Despite the new change being inspired by a rival card game, they all knew this was going to be a great change for not only them, but for the other Duelists as well. Three different decks will mean a whole new variety of strategies for Dennis, Sora, and Yuri.
#Arc V Aftermath#yugioh arc v#Yuya Sakaki#Zuzu Boyle#Yuzu Hiragi#FruitShipping#Yuto (arc v)#Lulu Obsidian#Ruri Kurosaki#FallenAngelShipping#Yugo (arc v)#Rin (arc v)#AppleShipping#Yuri (arc v)#Celina (arc v)#Serena (arc v)#PredatorShipping
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Arc-V Aftermath: Dance Do-Over (2/26)
When all is said and done, things have quickly recovered in the four dimensions. But when weird things start happening, the Yu-Salad Boys and the Bracelet Girls quickly realize they have some loose ends to fix. Co-written with @violetganache42.
WARNING: Dub names will be featured in the story.
Yuri switched back to Yuya while heading downstairs. He knows how Yusho is still having a hard time trusting him, especially after carding him, so he would rather let the son of a Dueltainer talk to him. Besides, Yusho and Yoko would still get filled in on what’s wrong with Yuto now that they know what happened.
Before sitting down to eat breakfast and talk to his parents, Yuya was greeted by En, Core, Kilo, Watt, and all the other pets his mother rescued. Some of them jumped on his legs, wanting to lick his hands and face, while the rest barked and meowed with excitement.
“Whoa!” Yugo exclaimed. “That’s a lot of pets!”
“Mom just can’t say no to strays,” Yuya explained as he picked up En and cuddled the corgi pup in his arms.
He looked over to see his mother in the kitchen—cooking a few more pancakes—and his father, who had just finished breakfast. “Morning, Yuya!” Yoko pleasantly said. “Were you talking to your friends?”
“Yeah,” Yuya answered, setting En down on the floor before taking his seat at the kitchen table. “And I need to talk to you and dad.”
“What about?” Yusho asked.
“I want to host a dance at the LID’s Center Duel Field,” Yuya explained, sensing that Yuto wasn’t present.
“What for?” Yusho asked.
“It’s for everyone who attended the Heartland Duel School dance,” Yuya continued.
This surprised Yoko and Yusho. They were curious as to why Yuya wanted to host a dance at LID’s Center Duel Field, so their son filled them in on what happened that very night. He really wants to give the students who attended the last dance another chance to hang out, sing, dance, and have fun, but more importantly, he wants to bring back the smiles that were taken from them by Duel Academy. He was also determined to make this an extra special night for Yuto and Lulu.
“What a kind thing to do for your friends,” Yoko said.
“And I’ll get everyone in Paradise City in on it,” Yuya continued. “It’s clear that the people of Heartland are still recovering, so they need to be happy again.”
“I don’t see why not,” Yusho said. “I’ll even contact Skip and Declan to see if they could help out.”
Throughout the day, Yuya, his parents, Yugo, Yuri, and Sora worked together to put together the upcoming dance. It was going to be a lot of work, so they need all the help they can get. Yusho called Declan and Skip to inform them about his son’s surprise dance for the students at his duel school and asked if they can help. Naturally, they both said “Yes”. Declan offered to distribute inviations to the people in Heartland City while Skip said he’ll talk to Zuzu to help prepare Lulu for the dance; they also made sure to keep it a secret. Shortly after hanging up, Zuzu and Henrietta came in to see what their respective relatives were talking about.
“What’s going on, dad?” Zuzu asked.
“Great, you’re here!” Skip said. “I need to speak to you privately.”
“Uh… Sure,” Zuzu said. “Okay other me’s. I need you to…go away for a while?”
“No, wait, Rin and Celina need to hear it as well!” Skip corrected.
“Alright,” Lulu said before she disappeared into Zuzu’s shared mind.
“Okay dad, Lulu’s gone,” Zuzu informed.
“There’s going to be a dance for the former students of Heartland Duel School,” Skip explained. “I need you to get Lulu ready for tonight.”
“A formal dance?” Zuzu asked.
“Yes!” Rin cheered. “As a fashionista of the Synchro Dimension, I would be more than happy to help Lulu switch out those old rags for better outfits.”
“I think Lulu can handle it herself,” Celina replied, aware that Rin and Lulu have different fashion sense.
“Don’t worry, dad,” Zuzu said. “I’ll see if Julia can help out.”
“So Declan, is there anything I can do?” Henrietta asked as Zuzu went over to the Krystal residence.
“As a matter of fact, there is,” Declan answered. “Because Yuya wishes to have the dance located the Center Duel Field, I was hoping you can arrange the decorations.”
“Certainly, Declan,” Henrietta replied.
As the day went to, Declan finished working on the invitations. He then scrolled through a list of XYZ residents who attended Heartland Duel School on his computer. After checking, he sent the invitations to the former students’ Duel Disks, except Yuto and Lulu. The gray-haired teen decided to message Shay to head on over to LID for measurements. It was obvious he was going to need a new suit.
Meanwhile, in the XYZ Dimension, life was slowly returning to normal for the people of Heartland. They have been working together to clean up and rebuild the city. Aster Phoenix, the Tyler Sisters, and Mamoru Noro even decided to stay and help the citizens out, continuing to distribute food, drinks, and medical supplies, as well as assist in reconstruction. Just then, a notification alarm went off from someone’s Duel Disk. Followed by a second. No, third. Fourth. Fifth. Now, multiple notifications were popping up from several Duel Disks. This was rather bizarre.
One of the Duelists who received a notification alarm was none other than Sarah. “Hey Alex, are you getting this?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Alex answered as he checked his Duel Disk. “I wonder what it’s for.”
They checked their notifications to see what it was. They received what looked like invitations. This was rather unexpected, but that quickly turned to joy when they read the invitations. They were invited to a dance at the Leo Institute of Dueling.
“A dance?” Alex asked. “We haven’t attended one since…”
Sarah sadly looked over at Alex. “I know,” she agreed. “Hopefully you can wear something than a hoodie and a poncho this time.”
“It was my cleanest poncho!” Alex insisted.
Meanwhile, Aster checked his Duel Disk. “That’s strange…” he noted. “My Duel Disk doesn’t have a notification.”
“Neither does ours,” Gloria said as she and Grace showed Aster their Duel Disks.
Back at the Pendulum Dimension, Zuzu was heading towards the local spa, where she—well, technically Lulu—was supposed to meet up with Julia. The long, dark-haired girl has never met Zuzu’s XYZ counterpart before, so spending some time preparing for the dance in there can also result in the two girls becoming friends. The Fusion Dueltainer also figured this would finally give Lulu a chance to bathe; since she constantly had to deal with Duel Academy, she pretty much earned it.
Zuzu stopped in front of the spa’s entrance and looked through the windows to see if Julia was in there. Sure enough, she was there, waiting near the front desk for Lulu. “You want me to go to a spa so I can bond with a Fusion Duelist?” the dark-haired teen asked.
“Sure,” Zuzu said without hesitation. “You need to know that not all Fusion Duelists are evil. Julia’s a nice person, so you should spend the day with her.”
“Alright,” Lulu said. “If you say so.”
Lulu switched places with Zuzu, still feeling a tad bit unsure about this Julia person. She opened the doors and entered the spa; the sound of the bell grabbed the Fusion Duelist’s attention as she saw what looked like Zuzu but wasn’t actually.
“Uh… Hello?” Lulu told Julia.
The Gem-Knight Duelist walked over to Lulu. “You smell,” she said bluntly.
“Excuse me?” Lulu asked, alarmed.
“It’s your body odor,” Julia explained. “It smells like burnt rubble and blood. If that isn’t enough, your face looks unwashed and your clothes are severely damaged.” She lifted up a lock of Lulu’s hair. “And your hair feels too greasy, even under normal conditions.”
“Your point?” Lulu asked, taking a few steps back to make sure Julia stopped touching her hair.
“Zuzu explained everything to me,” Julia continued. “You need a complete makeover. Thankfully you came to the right person. By the time we’re done, you’ll feel like a new person.”
Lulu felt a little bewildered; she didn’t expect Julia to instantly find out how she hasn’t bathed in a while. It’s like she can detect imperfect hygiene, and you know what? Given that she can detect people’s talent and hesitation, one can consider this to be no surprise that she can also tell when someone is dirty.
Julia directed Lulu on where to follow her. Without any hesitation, she went along with her. The two girls headed to a special room designed for full-body pampering, which is what the XYZ user clearly needed. In it, there was a bathtub with a bathmat in front of it and was in between a couple of tabletops. One of them had bottles of bubble bath soap, shampoo and conditioner, makeup remover, face cleanser, and a facial cleansing brush whereas the other had a couple of candles with a sweet, cherry-blossom fragrance; both tabletops had small cabinet doors that contained towels and facecloths. Not too far away was a chair that had a light yellow bathrobe on it. There was even a smaller room meant for getting changed in and out of clothes. Lulu was astonished at the room she was led to.
“This is amazing!” Lulu exclaimed. “How-”
“I’m a regular customer,” Julia explained. “I was saving a lot of reward points, so I figured they could go to good use.”
Lulu was nearly in tears of joy. “Thank you,” she said.
Elsewhere, Yuya and Yusho were at a local clothing store, planning on getting Yuto a new tuxedo to wear for tonight. Since the tomato-haired boy has the same body figure as his XYZ counterpart, he’ll be helping his father with measurements. While that is going on, Yugo and Yuri were conversing about something; they wanted to figure out how they were going to get a new pair of prescription glasses for Yuto since his first pair was probably destroyed during the Invasion.
“I know!” Yugo exclaimed after a bit of thinking. “We’ll have Yuya go to the eye doctor so he can see what Yuto’s prescription is!”
“Except Yuya, you, and myself all have perfect vision,” Yuri pointed out.
“You sure?” Yugo asked, suddenly standing too close to Yuri. “‘Cause you tend to squint a lot.”
“I can assure you my eyesight is normal!” Yuri exclaimed, shoving Yugo away from him. “I simply have smaller pupils!”
“Geez, I thought that after the whole Zarc thing, you’d stop acting like a jerk,” Yugo muttered loudly.
“The darkness within Zarc’s heart merely clouded my judgement,” Yuri corrected. “That doesn’t mean my personality completely changed when that same darkness vanished!”
“Guess that explains why you haven’t gotten along with Celina yet,” Yugo pointed out.
“Miss Celina simply has a hard time accepting I have somewhat changed,” Yuri insisted.
“She probably doesn’t like how big of a spoiled brat you are,” Yugo remarked.
“Oh, that is it!” Yuri exclaimed. “Now you just got personal!”
As Yuya was about to try on one of the first suits in the fitting room, he overheard his Fusion and Synchro counterparts arguing. He wondered what they were even fighting about; they were supposed to find a way to get Yuto a new pair of glasses, but knowing Yugo’s short-temper and rude remarks and Yuri’s high nobility, disputes like this are bound to happen. Yuya decided to quickly intervene and help them formulate their plan.
“Come on, you guys,” Yuya said. “We’re supposed to be figuring out how to get Yuto new glasses without him finding out about the dance.”
“He started it!” Yugo exclaimed.
“Excuse me?!” Yuri angrily asked. “I’m not the one with a rude attitude!”
Yuya let out a sigh; if those two keep it up, either this day will go on forever or Yuto will end up finding out. Within only a few seconds, he conjectured an idea on how they will carry out their plan. It might be crazy, but it could work.
“I think I know how we can get this to work,” Yuya said. “But I’m going to need Yugo’s help.”
Yugo directed his attention towards Yuya when the latter mentioned his name. He looked rather puzzled; why did he need his help? Heck, why can’t Yuri help as well?
Meanwhile, Shay had just arrived at the LID main entrance. A bit earlier, he received a message from Declan telling him to come meet him inside the institute for suit measurements. He pondered on why he needed to be measured for a little while. Then again, he wore this outfit ever since the Invasion, so it would make sense to try and find something nicer to wear.
Upon entering through the doors, he noticed Declan waiting for him at the main lobby near the front desk. “Thanks you for coming, Shay,” Declan said.
“Why did you want to see me?” Shay asked.
“I have recently found out the Invasion on your home dimension began on the night of a formal event,” Declan explained. “And because of that, you have been wearing the same tuxedo underneath your coat. Correct?”
“Yes,” Shay explained. “When the Invasion started, none of us had time to change outfits.”
“Which is why I asked you to come here,” Declan continued. “Think of it as a thank you gift for serving the Lancers.”
Shay accepted the gray-haired teen’s offer. He hasn’t worn anything else other than his tuxedo and a trench coat since the night of the dance, so this will finally give him a chance to try on something new. Besides, it was the least he can do after being a member of the Lancers and helping them defeat Duel Academy.
Back at the spa, Lulu finished taking her bath. Seeing that it was her first one in a while, she needed it. She even got to bond with Julia during that time. It started when she asked the dark-haired girl what Fusion Summoning was like in the Pendulum Dimension; she and Zuzu are the only two Fusion users who were great people. Julia’s response was it was mainly used for Dueltaining, especially in Zuzu’s case. She continued by explaining how much her friendly rival has improved in this particular special summoning technique ever since they first met. The rest of their conversation involved discussing beauty tips and the different dueling strategies they use.
With Lulu wearing the bathrobe and had a towel wrapped around her head, Julia informed her that she can get dressed in the smaller room; she mentioned about picking a new outfit for the now clean XYZ user. Lulu was eager to see what her new friend picked out. When she walked into the changing room, she saw a long, sleeveless, and really beautiful dress hanging up. It was sky blue with frills at the bottom, had a lighter shade of blue around the chest area, and peacock feathers were attached on the side. Next to the dress were a pair of matching sapphire heels. She was so ecstatic about the new outfit Julia got for her.
Not long after finding the right suit for Yuto, Yuya and Yoko were sitting in the waiting room, waiting for his eye examination. “Wait, why would Yuya need an eye examination?” one may ask. Ah, but there’s a catch. It was actually for Yuto; Yoko being asked and taking Yuya to the eye doctor was part of his and Yugo’s plan. Of course, Yuto still doesn’t know about what’s going on. He was still deep within the shared mind, replaying his memories of his mother like home videos. He couldn’t help but repeatedly watch these memories, from his days as a baby to his gradual appearance and personality change to the last night he saw her. After everything he’s been through, he really missed her.
Suddenly, Yugo barged in. “Hiya!” he exclaimed.
“Not now,” Yuto said, wiping away forming tears from his eyes.
“Nope!” Yugo cheerfully said. “Yuya needs you out right now.”
Yuto was suddenly shoved out of the deep part of the shared mind. What on earth is going on? he wondered. And why does Yuya need me? It can’t be that important, can it? Before he knew it, he and Yuya quickly switched places, with the former taking control. What is this place? He looked around to find himself sitting in a chair in a doctor’s office. An eye doctor’s office.
“What’s going on?!” Yuto asked.
“It’s okay, Yuto,” Yoko reassured. “Yuya wanted to get new glasses for you.”
“But I don’t need glasses!” Yuto insisted.
“Relax, it’s my treat,” Yuya said. “Just sit back and go through the eye exam.”
Yuto couldn’t believe he was going through with this, let alone Yuya and Yugo planning something like this. Yuya did say it was his treat, but he still wasn’t so sure about it. Glasses always looked weird on him, so why do they even bother trying?
A couple minutes later, the eye doctor came in. “Hello Mr. Sakaki,” he said, thinking Yuto was Yuya. “Shall we begin?”
“Fine,” Yuto muttered in response.
Back at LID, Declan was typing down a list of measurements he needed to find a tuxedo that fits Shay. At the same time, Shay was wondering how Yuto and Lulu were doing.
“Does Yuto and Lulu know about the dance?” Shay asked.
“So you figured it out from my message,” Declan remarked.
“You’re usually not this generous,” Shay pointed out. “The new suit is for the dance.”
“Correct,” Declan replied. “And to answer your question, no they did not. Yuya wanted it to be a surprise for them.”
“Can’t blame him for doing that,” Shay said. “Discovering that they and the other counterparts turned out to be the center of the universe must have been hard for them to comprehend. At least my parents understand that Lulu is permanently fused to three other people. They still miss her, though.”
“If it makes you feel better, my father recently informed me that he’s currently working on a way to separate all eight counterparts,” Declan said.
That piece of information astonished Shay. Leo Akaba, the man responsible for the Invasion, having the Obelisk Force card innocent people and Yuri kidnap Rin and his sister, and fuse all four dimensions just to bring his daughter Ray back, is working on a way to split them back into their individual bodies? This was amazing! That means his parents can see their daughter again! Simultaneously, another question struck his mind. After everything Leo did, why is he suddenly doing this? Is it an act of redemption? Or has he accepted that Ray may never return? Or was it both?
“Why is Leo doing that?” Shay asked.
“He takes full responsibility for Zarc’s return,” Declan answered. “He learned that if he had never tampered with the dimensions, none of this would have happened. Bringing back Zuzu was part of his separation plan. Once he receives a blood sample from each of the counterparts, he can work on separating them.”
“How come he never told anyone about it?” Shay asked.
“He’s aware of any possible consequences that might occur during the separation,” Declan continued. “For all he knows, they might receive permanent amnesia, or even end up with severe mental damage. He fears that the procedure is too risky at the moment.”
What Declan said just now is reasonably understandable. Not every plan is smooth sailing from here on out, especially the fact that the separation plan is still in its early stages. Who knows how long it will take for it to take shape? From the sound of things, it was going to take a while. It was also worth noting that this may be the first time someone is attempting to separate souls back into their individual bodies via blood samples. Shay didn’t think that was possible, but this is Leo they’re talking about; he would do whatever it takes to fulfill any plan he has, no matter how long it takes. The teen wondered if Lulu will be mentally okay or if she will remember anything once the separation is complete. He then decided not to worry about that at the moment; for now, he just wanted to focus on getting ready for the tonight’s dance.
“Thanks for telling me about it,” Shay said.
“You were the closest to Lulu,” Declan replied. “I figured you would understand.”
Elsewhere, at the eye doctor’s, Yuto finally finished his eye examination; throughout the entire exam, he wasn’t very fond of it deep down. Now he just has to wait for the results, but one thing is for certain: there is no way he was going to wear glasses, regardless of what anyone says. He said they look weird on him before and that’s an opinion he was going to stick with. Yuya, Yugo, and Yuri, on the other hand, would all beg to differ.
“What’s wrong with wearing glasses, Yoot?” Yugo asked.
“I told you, I would look weird,” Yuto repeated.
Yuto’s counterpart all agreed he would actually look nice in glasses; as an added bonus, it’ll be their first time seeing him wearing them since they have never seen him with a pair on his face. Yuya couldn’t help but comment they would make him look smart.
“Smart, huh?” Yuto repeated.
“Yeah,” Yuya replied. “Like a sharp businessman.”
Yuto pictured himself as a businessman with glasses on. Not only do they go with the suit, but they also seem to help give off an intelligent impression. This thought gave him a bit of second thoughts about thinking glasses looking weird on him; Yuya was left a bit dumbfounded on whether if that compliment fed his ego.
The eye doctor came out with the results; sure enough, Yuto needed glasses. But the fun part was coming up. One of the best things about getting glasses is choosing a pair that go well with the person. The Yu-Salad Boys offered to help him out pick some, such as choosing the shape and color of the frames. Some time later, they settled on the glasses with rectangular, light gray frames that worked well with his dark gray eyes. With a suit picked out and the examination finally out of the way, they now need to worry about Yuto getting ready without ruining the surprise.
“Thanks for the glasses, Mrs. Sakaki,” Yuto said. “Now I should really let Yuya-”
“Not yet,” Yoko interrupted. “As soon as we get home, I need you to shower.”
“What?” Yuto asked. Did he really smell that bad?
“Every time you take over, your stench makes the whole house reek,” Yoko explained. “It’s for the best.”
Later that afternoon, Yuto and Yoko returned to the Sakaki house and the first thing he did was taking a shower. He immediately headed straight to the bathroom, shutting the door for privacy and taking off his tattered attire. It was clear they also needed to be cleaned; he tossed them in the hamper so that they can get washed. Closing the shower curtains, he turned on the water and adjusted the nozzle until it was set at a comfortable temperature. He stood underneath the shower hose as water sprayed out and rained down on Yuto’s entire body, soaking his hair in the process. It was a miracle how it still maintained its shape despite it being as greasy as Lulu’s; he wondered how his girlfriend is doing right now. Once his hair was all wet, he grabbed a bottle of Yuya’s shampoo so he can lather some in his hair, but there was one problem: the bottle didn’t have enough shampoo for him to use.
“Yuya, please tell me you have more shampoo,” Yuto said, holding up the bottle.
“That should be enough,” Yuya pointed out.
“For you,” Yuto corrected. “Didn’t you notice my hair is longer than yours? I need more shampoo to get it fully washed.”
Realization hit Yuto. “Oh…” he said. “Right… There should be more in the bathroom cabinet.”
“Thank you,” Yuto said, turning off the nozzle and wrapping a towel around his waist. “But I hope you actually have Spike and Curl.”
“Eh… Come again?” Yuya asked.
Yeah, there was one slight problem with that. Actually, make that two. Yuya may have a crazy hairstyle, but it’s not as spiky as Yuto’s; he also hasn’t even heard of this “Spike and Curl” brand, so…that could be an issue.
Yuto let out a groan. “Why do I even bother asking…?” he muttered out loud.
Meanwhile, with Lulu, she was all ready for tonight. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and was amazed at what she saw. The dress and heels Julia picked out looked elegant on her; the loose braid added an extra nice touch to complete her appearance. It was as if she was a completely new person.
“Don’t start crying on me,” Julia said, taking out a makeup kit from her bag. “I still need to help you with the finishing touches.”
“Sorry Julia,” Lulu said, wiping away tears. “I haven’t felt this beautiful in months.”
Julia took out some blush, mascara, and some makeup brushes from her bag. Since Lulu was already beautiful, she only needed a light coat of makeup. Julia examined the assorted shades of blush to see which one would go with Lulu’s skin tone. She took one of her brushes, brushed it in the pale pink blush, and applied it on the latter’s face. Once that was done, she grabbed the mascara and used it to add a black coat on her eyelashes. Now completed with the finishing touches, Lulu looked at the mirror again, having a much nicer appearance with the added makeup; she was as beautiful as a princess.
“Thank you,” Lulu said, beaming with pure happiness. “I…” She couldn’t say anything else due to being so happy.
“Anything for a friend of Zuzu’s,” Julia happily replied. “Now I just need to bring you to the Center Duel Field.”
The Center Duel Field? At LID? Why there? Is anything special going on over there? Before Lulu could say anything, Julia led the way to the duel school; as a student of the Fusion Summoning course, she happens to know how to get there from the spa. A curious Lulu followed her, wondering what is happening.
Back at the Sakaki residence, Yuto had finished showering and is almost done getting ready. The black suit Yuya and Yusho bought fit him well; now all he has to do is put on his tie. He looked at his reflection in the mirror to put it on and make any adjustments to it, but he started fumbling. Something nearly caused him a trigger; he could have sworn he experienced this before, almost like a déjà vu, but what was it? He soon remembered what had happened back at Heartland City. He remembered checking his reflection on the night of Heartland Duel School’s dance. He remembered spending the night with the dueling club and having fun. He remembered Duel Academy suddenly invading and wreaking havoc in the city. He remembered…seeing Lulu and Shay’s parents getting carded…and his own mother getting killed by an attacking Chaos Ancient Gear Giant…as a way to protect her only child…
Yuya quickly heard sobs coming from his XYZ counterpart. “Is something wrong?” the tomato-haired teen asked.
Yuto heard Yuya’s concerned voice, startling him a little. He wiped away the tears as fast as he could before answering, but up to no avail; his Pendulum counterpart already figured out why he was sobbing. “The last time I wore a suit…it was when…” But Yuto choked up before he could finish.
Yuya could determine what he was going to say—because of the flashback he was told about earlier that morning—and comforted him. “Don’t get all sad now,” the Pendulum Duelist said. “Look at how far you’ve come since then. I can even help you get more clothes for you to wear so you can stop wearing those old rags.”
“S-Sorry,” Yuto said, stammering a bit.
“You can apologize later,” Yugo said. “Now you better head downstairs so Mrs. Sakaki can take you to-”
“Yugo!” Yuri exclaimed.
“Oh… Right…” Yugo said, feeling embarrassed. “Never mind.”
Wiping away the excess tears, Yuto finished adjusting his tie; he was all ready to go, except one thing was missing… His new glasses! He grabbed them off of Yuya’s nightstand, but before he could them put on, he stared at the pair. He couldn’t believe he was going to wear glasses again. This would make tonight the first time he has ever worn them in quite a while. Letting out an exhale, he finally put them on his face and checked himself in the mirror once more. What Yuya said earlier today was true; with the suit and the glasses, Yuto did look like a sharp businessman. He couldn’t help but smirk at his appearance. The Yu-Salad Boys loved the glasses Yuto was wearing… Well, Yugo and Yuri were in awe; Yuya was more stunned at the fact that his earlier comment is feeding his ego again.
Yuto headed downstairs and saw Yoko near the door, waiting for him. She told him Yusho and Sora had already left to go to the Center Duel Field, so they’ll catch up with them.
“I’m ready to go, Mrs. Sakaki,” Yuto said, bracing for impact.
Yoko turned her head to see how nice Yuto looked in his tuxedo and glasses. “Well someone knows how to clean up nicely,” she said.
Yuto blushed a little at her comment; he told her it took a while to get himself ready, especially when he was in the shower. He was more used to his mom being around. He thought back to when she was so proud of how much he has grown and attending his first dance. She even hugged him tightly, so he was kind of hoping Yoko would do the same.
Yoko asked him if he was okay, with him responding that he wished his mother could see him once more, especially considering how well-dressed he is for the night.
“I understand how much you miss her,” Yoko said. “You have every right to mourn, especially since she died to protect you. But you shouldn’t wallow in sadness. Focus on the now and how much you accomplished since then.”
Yuto nodded and thanked her for not only the kind words, but for today as well. Yoko smiled back and accepted his thankful compliment. They both left the house to head on down to the Center Duel Field.
Meanwhile, back at LID, the Center Duel Field was all decorated for tonight’s dance. Streamers were hung around the walls with balloons were scattered and tied up in various places. There were a couple tables located near the Field’s entrance that were set up with a variety of foods and drinks. The center included a stage with the band finishing setting their gear up. Declan walked towards Henrietta, who was holding baby Riley in her arms, to say how impressed she did with decorating.
“I’m impressed, mother,” Declan said.
“I used leftover materials from previous company parties,” Henrietta explained. “Unfortunately I couldn’t find any working festive lights.”
“Not to worry,” Declan said. “As we speak, Skip Boyle of the You Show Duel School is managing the lighting using one of Yuya’s cards.”
“Smile World?” Henrietta asked.
“Not quite,” Declan answered.
Up in LID’s Solid Vision machine room, Skip used one of the machines to activate a card Yuya gave to him earlier; it was called Smile Universe, a retrained version of Smile World. With a click of a button, the devices underneath the Center Duel Field began to illuminate planets, galaxies, and stars across the night sky, with the planets and galaxies having smiley faces on them.
“Not bad,” Henrietta remarked.
“What else would you expect from the son of Yusho Sakaki?” Declan asked in response.
Out of all the former students that were invited, Shay was the first to arrive; then again, he practically spent the day at LID helping Declan with suit measurements. His tuxedo was similar to the one he originally wore, except it looked brand new, was dark gray and the shoes were black instead of brown. Shortly thereafter, a lot more people started showing up. He could recognize them as students who used to attend Heartland Duel School. Among the crowd, he saw Sarah, Alex, and Kite and headed towards them.
Sarah was in complete awe over the scenery. “This is incredible!” she exclaimed.
“No kidding,” Alex replied. “First Leo Corporation hands out invitations to a dance, then they offer the students free makeovers, now this!”
“Guess this was their way of apologizing to us,” Kite guessed.
As the three continued to admire the decorated Duel Field, they noticed Shay, who was just about to meet up with them. “Hey guys,” Shay said, walking up to his friends. “Glad you could make it.”
“Why wouldn’t we?” Sarah asked. “We received these unexpected invitations for a dance, then Leo Corporation provided hot baths and new outfits to anyone who received an invitation. I haven’t experienced such comfort in months.”
“Although not all of us accepted the makeovers,” Kite said.
“I bought this shirt with my own money!” Alex exclaimed, gesturing to the tuxedo t-shirt he was wearing along with his usual pants and boots.
Shay, Sarah, and Kite all chuckled at Alex’s response. It’s been months since their last dance and he still doesn’t follow the dress codes. Kite wore a proper suit instead the one his father gave him whereas Sarah had a long-sleeved, aquamarine and white princess gown with a pair of diamond flats.
After a few minutes talking to each other, two girls entered through the doorway. They all looked over to see who they were. Shay recognized the dark-haired girl, who was about to surprise the other one, which he was more focused on. Who was that? She had her eyes closed, but something about her seemed familiar. He then spotted her long, loosely-braided, dark purple hair, lilac side tails, and her now open magenta eyes. It was his sister Lulu! He has never been this overjoyed before and he was extremely happy to see her again.
“Lulu!” Shay exclaimed, so glad to see his sister again.
Lulu heard someone calling her name. She looked to find out where that voice came from, leading her to see Shay running towards her. A small gasp escaped her mouth; she couldn’t believe she is seeing his older brother and was immediately filled with glee.
“Shay!” Lulu happily cried out, knowing she hasn’t seen him since the dimension crisis.
Shay ran up to her and they gave each other the biggest hugs they have ever gotten. “I never thought I would see you again!” Shay exclaimed.
“The feeling is mutual,” Lulu replied.
Kite, Sarah, and Alex saw Lulu as well and caught up with Shay so that they can also hug her. It feels like it’s been too long since they last saw their friend and they are thrilled to be reunited with her.
“You’re alright!” Sarah exclaimed once the group separated from the hug. “And you look absolutely amazing!”
“Thanks Sarah,” Lulu replied. “You look great as well.”
Kite smiled softly. “So how about that?” he asked. “The dueling club of Heartland Duel School is finally reunited. Funny how a dance hosted by Leo Corporation brought us together.”
“Leo Corporation did this?” Lulu asked.
“Sort of,” Shay explained. “It was actually Yuya’s idea. Yuto must have told him what happened when the Invasion began, so this was probably his way of saying thanks.”
For Lulu, this was quite the surprise indeed; she was amazed that this entire event was all Yuya’s idea. They now have another chance to bring back the fun and shared smiles that were taken from them by Duel Academy. However, someone was missing, but who? Lulu realized that the dueling club wouldn’t be complete without Yuto. She was right; he was an important member of the club, where (according to Shay) he underwent a big change ever since he joined.
The five members of the reunited dueling club searched all over the Center Duel Field to find Yuto, but none of them had any luck. Suddenly, Lulu saw two more people enter through the doors, but more particularly, the masculine one. She recognized that spiky, black and light purple hairstyle anywhere; it was Yuto, who was accompanied by Yoko Sakaki. The loosely braided-haired girl stared at the outfit he was wearing. Last time she saw him, his usual clothes were practically his ruined suit on the night of the dance; instead, he now wore a clean black suit with a new pair of glasses. He looked really handsome.
At the same time, Yuto was astonished at what was happening. It was no wonder why his counterparts and Yuya’s parents wanted to help him get ready; this dance is amazing. Before he knew it, his eyes stumbled upon someone staring back at him. The person standing across from him was none other than Lulu and she was dressed beautifully. He found himself blushing at the sight of seeing his girlfriend in person once again.
“Uh… Guys?” Yuya asked Yugo and Yuri as Yuto walked over to Lulu. “Do you feel a weird thing in your hearts?”
“Yeah…” Yugo answered. “Weird.”
“Sort of,” Yuri admitted. “But I do feel something off.”
This was a strange feeling indeed; it has never happened before when Yuto and Lulu were in Yuya and Zuzu’s shared minds respectively. But now that they’re controlling their Pendulum counterparts’ bodies, this feeling was emitting onto the Yu-Salad. Even Zuzu, Celina, and Rin sensed they were also feeling weird.
“Yuya…?” Zuzu asked, concerned why she was suddenly feeling certain things towards the tomato-haired teen.
“Please tell me I’m not the only one getting this weird feeling,” Rin said, almost as if she could swoon.
“Trust me, you’re not,” Celina dully replied.
What on earth is this feeling they’re experiencing? They soon discovered why they were feeling this peculiar emotion: Yuto and Lulu were the reason. Their love for each other must have indirectly transferred to them. For Yuya, Zuzu, Yugo, and Rin, this was understandable, but what about Yuri and Celina? They have been rivals ever since Zuzu returned from the ARC-V machine. For the two of them, this was more unusual than what their counterparts were perceiving.
At the same time, Yuto walked over to see Lulu. Of all the times she was beautiful, this one tops them all. Everything from her attire to her loose braid to the touch of blush and mascara empathized her elegance and beauty. Likewise, Lulu can’t stop staring at his handsome features. His gravity-defying hair, his eyes, his suit. Everything about him was perfect; this was also the first time since the last dance that she got to see him wearing glasses. Although she liked his dark purple glasses, she knew the light gray glasses suited him more.
Once the two were right next to each other, they were so overjoyed to see each other. “You look beautiful,” Yuto said. “Absolutely beautiful.”
“Thanks,” Lulu replied, smiling softly. “You don’t look so bad yourself, especially since you stopped squinting.”
Yuto blushed a little at her compliment; maybe wearing glasses isn’t so bad after all.
Kite, Shay, Sarah, Alex were wondering where Lulu has gone off to until they saw her with Yuto. They ran towards them to give him a huge hug.
Yuto let out a small chuckle. “Good to see you too,” he said.
He was very glad to see his friends. They also comment how nice he looked and thanked them, saying he had some help getting his outfit together from a certain family. He turned around to see Yoko, who was with Yusho, giving him a thumbs up; he smiled back at her and gave her a thumbs up as well.
Now the dueling club was officially reunited.
Declan checked his Duel Disk to see what time is was. 8 PM. It was time for the dance to begin. He took a microphone so that he can make a special announcement to everyone attending the dance.
“Attention everyone,” Declan said. “I would like to thank you for attending tonight’s dance. I’m sure a lot of you are wondering why Leo Corporation is doing this for all of you, but wonder no longer. As you are probably aware, I have only invited former students from Heartland Duel School.”
He explained how their last dance was interrupted by Duel Academy when they invaded Heartland City. During that time, students realized he was right about what he was saying. During the Interdimensional War, people from Leo Corporation were turned into cards because the XYZ Dimension were confused as to who attacked them. Their confusion led to a grudge against the company because various members of LID were carded all because they were in the Fusion Summoning course. They all felt guilty about their past actions, but Declan reassured them it was okay; he knew how sudden and unexpected the Invasion was for everyone, especially for the former students.
He then went on to mention that putting the dance together was all Yuya’s idea; the Pendulum Duelist felt bad about what happened that fateful night and how Leo Corporation helped him set everything as a way to revive the lost smiles. Everyone cheered, applauded, and thanked Yuya for making this event possible. Although he wasn’t there physically, he saw how happy they were about attending the dance and was flattered with their thanks.
“There’s more,” Declan continued. “As we speak, my father, Leo Akaba, is currently working on making amends, as he takes full responsibility for causing the near destruction of the four dimensions. That is why I am pleased to announce that everyone in the XYZ Dimension will receive new clothing courtesy of Leo Corporation.”
Everyone’s faces were filled amazement; it felt like forever since they got to wear different clothes, especially since the clothing stores were pretty much destroyed. They all got excited after hearing the news.
Once all the announcements were made, it was time for the dance to officially start. “So Leo takes full responsibility for Zarc’s resurrection?” Yuya asked.
“Well I did give in as soon as I felt RinRin disappearing,” Yugo admitted.
He wasn’t wrong. If Leo hadn’t abducted the Bracelet Girls and fused them back into Ray, the whole Zarc incident wouldn’t have happened. But what matters now is everyone having an enjoyable time at the dance.
The band started playing music and everyone began to spend the greatest night of their lives. Some ate and drank, others danced to the songs, and the rest chatted with their friends. The dueling club talked about how they have stuff they should catch up on; after the whole Invasion fiasco, it would be nice to find some time to hang out with each other.
“Then Rella kicked that Ancient Gear Hound with her glass slipper-covered feet and reduced the Obelisk Force soldier’s life points to 0!” Sarah concluded.
Lulu laughed in amusement. “He must have been surprised that you defeated him using your Fairy Tails,” she said.
“He was,” Sarah said. “You should have seen the look on his face when I creamed him!”
Although Sarah rarely dueled, she uses a Fairy deck, consisting of not only Fairy Cheer Girl, but also Fairy Tail cards, with the XYZ monster Fairy Tail - Queen as her ace monster.
“So what have you been up to lately, Yuto?” Alex asked.
“Yuya wanted to give me, Yugo, and Yuri a tour of Paradise City a while ago,” Yuto explained. “One of the stops was a local museum, where I noticed an Egyptian exhibit featuring an ancient puzzle…or at least I think it was supposed to be an ancient puzzle. The only thing that was on display was a golden box.”
An ancient Egyptian puzzle? How odd. Rumor has it that the puzzle once belonged to a great pharaoh who was best known for sealing away the dark magic that caused special kinds of duels called Shadow Games. And now that magic hasn’t been on Earth’s surface for 5,000 years. Yuto remembered seeing something written in hieroglyphics on the golden box. It read: “The one who solves me shall gain the powers and knowledge of darkness…” He figured who that person could have been if they solved this puzzle. Perhaps a shy, game-loving high school boy who would’ve been destined for greatness…
“Has anyone tried to solve it?” Lulu asked.
“According to Yuya, a team of archeologists who discovered the puzzle mysteriously fell ill,” Yuto answered. “Since then, no one has dared to even touch the box containing the pieces.”
That piece of history didn’t sound too good. The gang pondered on what will happen if someone did try to solve the puzzle. Lulu didn’t like the thought of it; dealing with the Fusion Dimension after the Invasion was bad enough. The last thing she needed was someone unlocking the powers of darkness and bringing back these “Shadow Games” five millennia later. Yuto reassured her and the others that as long as the puzzle remains in the museum’s Egyptian exhibit, nothing bad will happen. Besides, they should focus more on enjoying this dance, which is exactly what they did.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing no one has solved the puzzle,” Lulu said, snuggling close to Yuto.
Yuto couldn’t help but lovingly look at his girlfriend snuggling next to him; it was really adorable to see her all snuggled up. He reached out his hand to pull her in close when something rather atypical happened. Instead of having it on Lulu’s hips, it accidentally went and touched her butt. A yelp escaped her mouth and an embarrassed Yuto quickly apologized; she forgave him, but mentioned it was unlike him to do something like that. She was right; Yuto is more of a gentleman and even he knows it, but what could’ve caused this unusual action? …Or who? He had a thought on who was responsible for this, and he is within Yuya’s shared mind.
“That was Yugo, wasn’t it?” Lulu asked.
Indeed, it was Yugo. But why did he do something like that? Yuto might need a moment with him. Whatever he did might lead to some new and awkward issues.
“Oopsie…” Yugo said. “Didn’t mean to do that.”
“Don’t be sorry, you moron!” Yuri exclaimed. “Can’t you see-”
“-you’re ruining the moment?!” Yuto immediately covered his mouth.
Whether it was accident or not, Yuto was clearly mad at Yugo for doing something so perverted. He was just having a nice time with his friends and girlfriend. Of all the times for a stupid “accident” to occur, it had to be tonight. Before he could scold at him more, the Synchro Duelist blurted out that he just saw Rin instead of Lulu less than a minute ago. That was oddly surprising to hear; actually, it was more odd than surprising. Yuto asked him to explain what he meant by that. This action may be the beginning of what could spell bad news for all eight counterparts in the near future.
Outside of the Yu-Salad’s shared mind, Sarah and Alex both wondered what their dark, dual-colored haired friend was up to. They knew it involved his counterparts, but they didn’t fully understand it; they were still new to this merge after all. It was a good thing Kite, Shay, and Lulu had a grasp on it, seeing they were more tangled in the Interdimensional War than the duo. They decided to have the rest of the dueling club help them answer the questions that left the two a little confused.
“Yugo…saw me?” Rin asked, amazed.
Zuzu noticed her blush wasn’t fading away. “I still feel weird,” she admitted.
Celina huffed in annoyance. “Give me a break,” she said. “There’s no way Lulu’s feelings for Yuto are actually transferring over to-”
But they were. It was indirect, but the signs were evident on the other six counterparts’ faces. Although Yuya, Zuzu, Yugo, and Rin like it, Yuri and Celina didn’t. Having feelings for someone who aided Leo in his conquest to fuse the dimensions by carding people? Preposterous! She couldn’t bear the thought of being in a romantic relationship with him; if it did happen, disaster would be waiting around the corner. The closest thing to a relationship she’ll ever have with him is a rivalry and it’ll remain like that.
The thoughts, however, couldn’t leave their minds. The thoughts of the other counterparts wearing formal wear was impossible to not think about. Zuzu with her hair down, donning a sleeveless, purple dress with several frills below the purple belt and a pair of flats. Rin having her short, apple green hair curled and wearing a two-piece pink dress—a sleeveless top exposing her midriff and a floor length bottom that splits near the knees—with white flats. Celina without her yellow-orange ribbon tying her hair back and having on a long and simple looking gray dress with a thin white ribbon tied around the lower torso and some heeled boots. The Yu-Salad sporting suits reflecting their personalities—Yuya having on a red tuxedo that gives off an impression of entertaining the audience, Yugo with a white suit based on his Turbo Dueling style and rather impulsive behavior, and Yuri wearing a more luxurious, purple suit that highlights his nobility. They were impossible to not think about.
Yuri chuckled a bit. “You’re trying to seduce me, aren’t you Miss Celina?”
“Celina?” Shay asked, sounding a bit concerned. The indigo-haired girl who saved him after his duel with Sora and rebelled against Duel Academy by joining the Lancers? Why would Yuto mention her all of a sudden? Unbeknownst to Yuri, he unintentionally made his XYZ counterpart say his line out loud.
That was when Yuya had an idea. “Yuto, you brought your deck with you,” he recalled, remembering how Yuto placed his deck in his jacket pocket before heading over to the dance. “Can you check it?”
“What for?” Yuto asked.
“I want to try a small experiment,” Yuya answered.
Yuto took out his deck and checked it like Yuya asked. He wondered what this “small experiment” is until he noticed his cards were jumbled, baffling him. Instead of a Phantom Kinghts deck, he now has a Performapal/Phantom Knights/Speedroids/Predaplant deck. How did Yuya, Yugo, and Yuri’s cards get mixed up with Yuto’s? This night feels like it keeps getting weirder and weirder.
“Whoa!” Yugo exclaimed. “Not bad.”
“Not bad?” Yuri repeated, getting miffed. “What are my lovely, elegant Predaplants doing with such pathetic cards?!”
“This happened once before,” Yuya explained, recalling how Yuto’s love for Lulu caused him to duel with Phantom Knights. “Our conflicting feelings for the girls are causing our decks to get mixed up.”
If that’s the case, then does the girls’ feelings for each boy also result in their decks getting mixed up as well? Yuto asked Lulu if she brought her own, but she said “no.” Of course, with Yuto’s jumbled deck for reference, it’s safe to assume this may have happened to the girls as well.
Yuto put his deck back in his jacket pocket. “But we shouldn’t worry about this problem now,” he said. “We should just enjoy the dance.”
He was right; the night was still young and the former students were enjoying themselves, so the best thing to do is to have fun as well and resolve this peculiar issue another time. Besides, they can’t let this night go to waste. Leo Corporation worked really hard to put Yuya’s genius idea together. The other dueling club members agreed to discuss this issue after the dance and proceeded to spend tonight having fun.
Some time later, everyone continued to celebrate with one another. It was also the perfect opportunity for them to reconnect, share past fun memories and create new ones. At one point, the band was taking their break as the students socialized, except Shay. He couldn’t stop thinking about what happened to Yuto and his counterparts earlier. He knew his friend and his younger sister were in love with each other, but he didn’t expect their love to be that strong. Did it inadvertently result in the rest of the Yu-Salad and Bracelet Girls to be put in some kind of trance? Whatever’s the case, he has to help them out. And he has just the song to fix it…
Shay checked to see if no one was looking, albeit the band since they were probably in their breakroom. He walked casually in order to make sure people became suspicious; a few seconds later, he snuck behind the stage. He looked at the main stage to find the speakers and saw them plugged in with the band’s musical instruments. Checking once again that no one would notice, he quickly unplugged them. He then took out his Duel Disk and a connector to plug it into the speaker. He went online to look up Yuto and Lulu’s song; it was called “Close To You” by The Carpenters. Found it, he thought once the first video in the search results showed up. He clicked on the video and—for a brief moment—the song played through the speakers. This will hopefully help all eight counterparts out.
Lulu let out a small gasp. “Yuto, this is our song!” she recalled.
“Indeed it is,” Yuto agreed. He placed one hand behind his back and he bowed slightly as he held out his other hand to Lulu. “May I have this dance, Ms. Obsidian?”
Lulu smiled softly. “Of course, Mr. Osaku,” she answered, intertwining her fingers with Yuto’s.
Together, Lulu Obsidian and Yuto Osaku danced to the melody of their song. Their gracefully fluid movements and well-timed choreography captivated the attendants. In the two XYZ users’ shared minds, the song seemed to have snapped Yuya, Zuzu, Yugo, Rin, Yuri, and Celina out of whatever trance they were in, mostly due to how each dimensional duo has a song that best suits them.
“Man, this song is too slow!” Yuya complained. “I’m outta here!”
“Me too!” Yugo said. “Besides, RinRin acts too much like a mother. There’s no way I can be attracted to that!”
“I was never attracted to Miss Celina in the first place,” Yuri agreed.
“Well…this is awkward,” Zuzu said, blushing hard. “We better give these two some privacy.”
“Yeah,” Rin replied. “I don’t even know what I was thinking. Yugo’s loud, rude, and disgusting. Why would I fall for that?”
“I’d rather go on a date with that Sylvio guy than fall for that cabbage-haired jerk,” Celina said in utter disgust.
And with that, the six counterparts retreated back into the shared minds, leaving Yuto and Lulu to spend the rest of the night with each other. Shay’s plan was a success. The two danced to the rest of “Close To You,” and everyone around them clapped and cheered for them; they pulled off one heck of a dance. Shay unplugged his Duel Disk from the speaker, plugged the instruments back right where they originally were, and exited through the backstage, with only a couple minutes to spare before the band returned from their break.
Even when the song came to an end, Yuto still held Lulu in his arms. “You smell nice,” he said.
Lulu responded by placing her left hand on Yuto’s cheek, her fingers briefly touching the stray light purple bang that hung in front of his eye. “And your hair feels a lot softer,” she replied.
Their eyes stared lovingly at each other as they embraced their cleaner features. Within a few seconds, their faces moved closer and closer until they locked lips, with Yuto’s hands on Lulu’s hips and Lulu still having one hand on Yuto’s cheek while the other rested on his shoulder. They were finally sharing their first kiss.
The rest of the former dueling club watched from a distance, with Kite smirking. “Well it’s about time,” he remarked.
Yuto and Lulu’s lips slowly moved apart after spending a few seconds locked up in their kiss. They looked back into their eyes before Lulu embraced Yuto in his arms.
“It’s been a long time since we had moments like this,” Lulu remarked, embracing Yuto’s warmth. “But you know this can’t last any longer.”
“I know,” Yuto agreed. “We’re each stuck with sharing a body with three other people.”
“But even though we were once whole, why does this feel so wrong?” Lulu admitted.
Yuto realized she was right. Several years ago, they were once Zarc and Ray; ever since the ARC-V incident, the souls of all eight counterparts were permanently fused into Yuya and Zuzu. Everything hasn’t been the same for them, especially for Yuto and Lulu. Despite having a great time at the dance, it doesn’t change the fact that they may never get a true happy ending.
Shay, while walking away from the stage, noticed overheard the duo’s conversation. Feeling bad for the two, he told them that Declan told him that Leo is currently working on a way to split them back to their original bodies. He said it requires a blood sample from each counterpart, but mentioned that it is still in progress and negative consequences may occur once it’s complete, so it was too soon to actually separate them.
“What?!” Yuto asked, releasing Lulu from the embrace. “Leo might be able to actually separate us?!”
“Declan told me it’s still in the works,” Shay repeated. “There’s a high risk of permanent memory loss or severe mental damage.”
“Then why don’t we just give Leo our blood samples?” Lulu asked.
“I don’t think it’s that easy,” Shay said. “Leo is probably using Arc-V, so he has to rewrite the machine-”
“I don’t care!” Yuto exclaimed, grabbing Shay by the throat. “I can’t stand being fused to three people! Let us speak to Leo, or I will break you in half!”
This was rather sudden. Yuto would never do something like this and that shocked Shay and Lulu. Veins started appearing on his face and his eyed turned yellow. Is Zarc trying to take over again? Lulu tried to calm her boyfriend down, but Declan arrived to explain what just happened. Apparently, this fit of violence is one of the side effects of being fused with the other counterparts. This worried Lulu, but was informed that this seemed to only happen with the Yu-Salad. The rest, however, applied to all of them. Their jumbled decks was also another side effect, as well as speaking in place of whoever was in control and the unexpected swaps.
Realizing that, Yuto recovered, his eyes changing back to grey and the veins disappearing. “Sorry,” he said, letting go of Shay.
“So can he actually do it?” Lulu asked. “Can Leo really separate us?”
“If this gets any worse, I’m afraid I will have to bring you to him,” Declan said. “Hopefully we can fix this before any mind merge occurs.”
“Mind merge?” Yuto asked, sounding concerned.
“Meaning that Zarc and Ray will gradually take over, erasing you eight from existence,” Declan explained.
The last bit of information was very worrisome. All eight counterparts each had different dreams for the future: Yuya and Zuzu want to continue their paths of being Dueltainers, Yugo and Rin also have similar paths as their Pendulum counterparts, but they want to be professional Turbo Duelists, and Celina and Yuri want to help improve Duel Academy. Lulu wants to be an actress, but Yuto is still unsure of what his dream is. Regardless, if nothing is done about this, Zarc and Ray will return, erasing the two’s incarnations from existence and their futures forever.
Lulu was in tears. “I hope Leo’s happy!” she exclaimed. “This whole mess started because he was too selfish to care about the lives of other people! If it wasn’t for him, I would have stayed in Heartland and worked on my dreams of becoming an actress!”
Yuto looked back at Lulu, who was on the brink of crying. He felt terrible that this was happening to the both of them. Suddenly, he thought of an idea; he was considering about remaining fused with Yuya while he, Yugo, and Yuri separate. He lost everything back at Heartland City that night, so this will give him a fresh new start. Living with the Sakakis and Sora already felt natural to him because Yoko reminds him a lot of his mother. The best part is with Yugo and Yuri splitting back to their own bodies means the risks of Zarc returning is reduced to zero.
“What if I said no?” Yuto asked.
“I beg your pardon?” Declan asked in response.
“I never considered any plans for my future,” Yuto explained. “And I ended up becoming an orphan with no home to go back to because of the Invasion. If I was to stay with the Sakakis, stay fused to Yuya, I can start fresh with a new family.”
“Are you crazy?” Lulu asked.
“Being fused to Yuya feels natural,” Yuto continued. “But with Yugo and Yuri being separated, Zarc won’t come back since all four of us are needed for the mind merge.”
“But Yuto, won’t you miss being in Heartland?” Shay asked.
“There’s nothing left for me there,” Yuto insisted. “No family, no house, no-”
“You could live with us,” Lulu bluntly suggested, carefully wiping away her tears to avoid smudging her makeup.
Live with the Obsidians? Even though they have to rebuild everything they lost, that idea is similar to Yuto’s, in terms of starting fresh with a new family and preventing Zarc’s return, but that means living with his girlfriend and having plenty of time to decide his dream for the future. Yuto actually liked her idea better than his own, although he admits that he will miss being fused with Yuya.
“She’s right,” Shay agreed. “Mother and father heard about you and they’re considering hiring you once ObsidianCorp is rebuilt.”
ObsidianCorp is a corporation led by co-bosses Kameron and Astra Obsidian, where they specialize in maintaining the nature of the city parks. Prior to the Invasion, the family wealth came from how the corporation did a fantastic job at keeping Heartland beautiful. Yuto was honestly not surprised about the Obsidians being wealthy because it could explain Shay and Lulu having rare and powerful cards, due to how powerful the Raidraptors are and how Assembled Nightingale can result in a one-hit KO for the opponent, and wearing incredibly fancy formal attires at their previous dance. Of course, restoring the company is essential for Heartland’s restoration; once that is complete, Yuto getting a job there can help out with figuring out his future.
“Really?” Yuto asked. “You’ll actually help me out?”
“You’re a friend,” Shay said. “And mother and father approve of how great of a person you are.”
“Plus ever since I told them about you, they started to work on wedding plans,” Lulu added.
Yuto officially decided to have his soul separated from Yuya’s once the time comes so that he can start anew back in Heartland. It sounds nice to be living with his friend and girlfriend’s family, especially knowing that they highly approve of their soon-to-be marriage, and working for their corporation.
“Alright,” Yuto said. “I’ll separate from Yuya.”
“Excellent,” Declan said. “I will inform my father that you know about his plan. I do suggest that you tell your counterparts about it.”
As Declan headed back to Henrietta, Yuto and Lulu informed the rest of the Yu-Salad and the Bracelet Girls in their shared minds about what has been happening and how Leo will try to fix it. They were gleeful about how they will finally be split back into their original bodies. They were also informed about the risks of severe mental damage or amnesia, but reassured them that their friends, family, and even Leo will be there to help them out. With that, the dueling club and the rest of Heartland Duel School’s former students spent the rest of the night enjoying the dance.
Looks like they may be getting their true happy ending after all…
#Arc V Aftermath#yugioh arc v#Yuya Sakaki#Zuzu Boyle#Yuzu Hiragi#FruitShipping#Yuto (arc v)#Lulu Obsidian#Ruri Kurosaki#FallenAngelShipping#Yugo (arc v)#Rin (arc v)#Yuri (arc v)#Celina (arc v)#Serena (arc v)#PredatorShipping
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Arc-V Aftermath: My Fair Yugo (4/26)
When all is said and done, things have quickly recovered in the four dimensions. But when weird things start happening, the Yu-Salad Boys and the Bracelet Girls quickly realize they have some loose ends to fix. Co-written with @violetganache42.
WARNING: Dub names will be featured in the story.
A few days have passed since Yuto's job offer and the mystery of Yoko and Lono's familial relation. At one point, Yuto realized that if he and Lulu were to get married, then that would mean Yuya would end up being her cousin-in-law. The Sakaki/Osaku family tree might be getting crazier with every possible thought. Aside from that, life has been going normally for the Yu-Salad and Bracelet Girls.
Today, Yuya and Zuzu were continuing with their training with Frederick, Allie, Tate, Gong, and Sora at the You Show Duel School. They were practicing different special summoning methods, including XYZ Summoning, something Zuzu suggested on the day she, Yuya, and Gong dueled against Julia, Dipper, and Kit respectively. Right now, she and her tomato-haired friend were demonstrating how to Fusion Summon to everyone else.
"Alright everyone!" Yuya exclaimed. "Time to swing this performance my way with Performapal Trump Witch and my newest addition to the show: Performapal Card Gardna! I'm taking control of this duel starting now!"
Card Gardna looked like a card with green eyes, a smiling face with oval blushes, white gloves, and white shoes. Its card had a magenta and black checkered pattern on the bottom half, two light yellow rings surrounding a pink circle and a yellow star on the upper half, and a light gold border with 12 light gold studs around it. Yuya used his Scale 4 Trump Witch and Scale 8 Card Gardna to set the Pendulum Scale, enabling him to summon any monsters between Levels 5 and 7.
"I'm allowed to summon monsters from Levels 5 and 7 all at the same time!" Yuya continued. "Swing far, Pendulum! Carve the arc of victory! My monsters are ready...to SWING INTO AC-"
"RinRin!"
Everyone was surprised to see that Yuya was no longer on the Duel Field, especially Zuzu. Taking his place was none other than his Synchro counterpart Yugo. Why is he unexpectedly taking over? Regardless, the Yu-Salad boys were experiencing another side effect Declan mentioned back at the dance.
"Yugo!" Rin exclaimed after Zuzu let her take over. "What was that for?!"
"Oh, come on, Rin!" Yugo said. "These people have seen Fusion Summoning so many times! How about mixing things up with a Synchro duel?"
Rin asked why he wants to Synchro duel and he stated that all he knows is that the High Council was immediately disbanding after Yuya won the last Friendship Cup. Besides, the last time the banana-banged Duelist dueled was against Yuri. In other words, he's just finding an excuse. At the same time, the spectators thought Yugo was goofing off.
"But Yuya-" Rin started to say.
"Enough with Yuya!" Yugo suddenly yelled. "Ever since the dimensional war, it's all about him! So what if the Duelist from the Synchro dimension won't be able to fulfill his lifelong dream of winning the Friendship Cup?! Look at how amazing the Pendulum Duelist is! Don't worry about losing your Duel Runner to your brainwashed-crazy childhood friend! We should all focus on all the smiles the tomato-haired Duelist brings! Sure, who cares about all the others as long as YUYA IS ****ING HAPPY!"
Tears started to form in his eyes. Despite Yuya having to deal with his father's disappearance and Zarc's growing darkness during the war, Yugo endured much worse events. He grew up in the Commons as an orphan, almost lost his childhood friend at the hands of Leo, had his only Duel Runner destroyed when a Fusion Parasite monster controlled Rin, and he is now fused with his three other counterparts, one of them in which he had a hatred for all because of a simple misunderstanding.
Skip escorted the students back into their classroom to give Yugo and Rin a few minutes to themselves. While the Synchro Duelist snapped about how it's all about Yuya, the Pendulum Duelist felt terribly guilty. He had no idea his counterpart felt this way until just now. He wants to make it up to him, but he doesn't know how.
"Yugo..." Yuya tried to say.
"SHUT UP!" Yugo yelled, slapping midair as if he was trying to hit Yuya.
"Maybe we should give them some space," Yuto advised.
"Agreed," Yuri said. "Perhaps the girls are doing the same thing."
Yuya, Yuto, and Yuri retreated back to their shared mind, with Zuzu, Lulu, and Celina doing the same thing, leaving their Synchro counterparts the only ones left on the Duel Field.
Yugo fell to his knees, sobbing hard. "Why?!" he shouted. "Why do I always get the short end of the stick?! Why does Yuya get everything?!" He angrily punched the ground.
Rin knelt next to Yugo. "Don't feel bad," she said. "I didn't really have an easy time either."
Yugo looked up at Rin, tears staining his cheeks. "R-Really?" he choked up.
"I wasn't really sure what was going on," Rin explained. "The other girls said they believed in someone I never heard of, but if he was going to save us, I figured I had no other choice but to voice my support. But then..." She sniffled a bit.
Yugo knew what Rin meant. Throughout the entire Interdimensional War, she has never met Yuya until after the ARC-V incident started. If she was going to be completely honest, she felt the most hesitant about Yuya trying to save the Bracelet Girls from Leo's clutches, especially when the darkness from Zarc was gradually consuming him.
"I don't really remember what happened," Rin continued. "The next thing I knew, I was fused to those other three girls. The rest is a huge blank."
Yugo mentioned he doesn't remember much either. The huge blank was when all four girls fainted and each disappeared to fuse back into Ray. At the same time, all Yugo remembered was he lost against Yuri and his soul merged with his Fusion counterpart, with the darkness taking hold of him. Then, when the dimensions split back into four, he, Yuri, and Yuto were fused into Yuya; Zarc's reemergence most likely caused his memory to draw a blank.
Back in the shared mind, Yuya still felt bad about his Synchro counterpart. More so, his sudden lash of anger further upset him, especially when he was "slapped" on the face. The Pendulum Duelist placed his hand on his cheek, feeling the nonexistent pain from that "slap". All he wanted to do was help, but he felt like he ended up making things worse. Yuto and Yuri stood not far from Yuya, talking about what they should do for the rest of the day after that heated incident.
"Don't listen to that moron," Yuri told Yuya. "It was your dueling style that erased the darkness from Zarc's heart."
"He's right," Yuto agreed. "My dueling style is more passive-aggressive, so I would have made things worse if I was in your spot."
Yuya looked up at the two counterparts. He thanked them for trying to make him feel better, but he also wondered what they were going to do about this. Yuto said to leave the situation to Rin and let her handle it. He could tell she's got it under control.
At that point, Rin was hugging Yugo as he sobbed. "It's okay," she said, stroking his blueberry-colored hair. "We both underwent a lot of stress during the war. We should embrace each other's comfort."
Yugo nodded as he continued sobbing. Despite everything they went through and their differing personalities, they still have each other and that is what's important for them. As they embraced each other, he was feeling her warmth on his body and it was soothing. This may be the first time he didn't mind her motherly personality; even from the way she was comforting him was like a mother comforting their child. The two spent the next few minutes embracing each other as the Speedroids user calmed down.
Eventually, Rin spoke up. "If you want, we can have a sleepover at Zuzu's place," she suggested, her fingers still caressing Yugo's hair.
"Hmm?" Yugo muttered, still in a slight trance from the comfort.
"We can discuss new dueling strategies and come up with ideas for our new Duel Runner," Rin continued. "It'll be just like old times, just the two of us on the streets of New Domino City."
Yugo looked up, seeing Rin's smiling face. "You mean it?"
"Of course," Rin answered.
Yugo shifted his position to hug Rin in response. "Thanks RinRin," he said, happy to have a friend like her.
Later that night, at the Sakaki house, Yugo was getting ready for the sleepover with Rin; he finished taking off his Turbo Duel suit and began putting on his short-sleeved, teal shirt, white shorts, and a pair of light teal sneakers. No matter what clothes he's wearing, he's always confident about his looks… Maybe a bit too overconfident… Just when he was about to pack a toothbrush, some toothpaste, shampoo, and his deck to bring with him, Yuya, Yuto, and Yuri appeared.
"What's with the bags?" Yuya asked.
"Rin invited me to a sleepover at Zuzu's place," Yugo answered. "Nothing special."
Yuto looked alarm. "A date?" he asked.
"I beg of you, moron. Don't screw this up!" Yuri said.
"And don't get her upset," Yuya said.
"As someone who has proper dating experiences, I would advise you to be yourself," Yuto chimed in. "But that won't work for you. Treat Rin like a beautiful princess."
"So I should act like a stuck-up, one-dimensional prince from one of those old animated fairytales?" Yugo humorously asked. "Got it."
Yuri groaned in frustration as he rubbed his forehead. "At least comb your unruly hair," he said.
Yugo wasted no time as he went in the bathroom and combed his dual-colored hair. Yuri rhetorically questioned why it was even a miracle that he was going out with someone like Rin. Shortly thereafter, he began to teach the Synchro Duelist about etiquette. Since he grew up in a high class environment, it was the perfect time for him teach everything Leo taught him. As the old saying goes, "The student has become the master."
"Is this really important?" Yugo asked as he had to walk across the room while balancing a book on his head. "Me and Rin came from a poor environment."
"Yes, it is important if you want to win her heart," Yuri said. "And the correct phrasing is 'Rin and I'. Get it right!"
Yuto and Yuya watched Yuri's lesson as they waited for their turns to teach Yugo about etiquette. Yuya pointed out that this is one of the easiest lessons in history, but Yuto reminded him that they'll be teaching real lessons once Yuri was done. The Pendulum Duelist looked back at Yugo, who was still balancing the book on his head. He hoped all their advice will pay off for him tonight.
Not long after that, Yuya taught his Synchro counterpart everything he knows about acting and how it should be utilized in dates. He needs to find the right balance of when it's appropriate to act or take things seriously. As for Yuto, he demonstrated his skills on how to properly talk to girls. He used his years of growing up and his first date with Lulu as references to keep Yugo's quick-tempered, loud, and rude behavior in check. Pretty soon, they were finished with giving out their best advice.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Yugo said, combing his hair once more.
"You look great," Yuto said. "Just remember to speak in a calm tone and listen to her."
"But don't forget to keep a good posture!" Yuri emphasized.
"And you have to convince her that this is the real you," Yuya added.
Yugo took a deep breath as he placed his comb on Yuya's nightstand. "Alright," he said. "I got this."
He gathered his bags and headed downstairs to meet up with Rin. He is really looking forward to the sleepover, but at the same time, he will be darned if she finds out that the boys mistakenly prepared him for a date. For now, he gathered his courage to use the tips and tricks he learned for tonight. He was about to say "What's the worst that could happen," but decided not to because let's face it: literally anyone who says it ends up with some kind if worst-case scenario. It's a known fact.
Meanwhile, at Zuzu's house, Rin had already gotten changed into her pink top and yellow shorts, which were usually her pajamas. Zuzu asked what else she and Yugo were going to do aside from discussing deck strategies and ideas for their new Duel Runner. The green-haired girl replied that they can always watch a movie or two, play Duel Monsters, and plan for any more future tournaments besides the Friendship Cup since it was still dubious that it'll continue next year. The Synchro duo were determined about becoming professional Turbo Duelists. Celina and Lulu couldn't help but chime in at Rin and Zuzu's conversation.
"Don't you have other plans for the future?" Lulu asked, suggesting something else.
"Like what?" Rin asked.
"Maybe forming a connection?" Lulu continued, smiling wide.
"Like a dueling connection?" Rin guessed. "I'm not sure Yugo would feel alright with tag teams..."
Celina let out a groan. "I wish she was talking about a dueling connection," she said. "Lulu was talking about you and Yugo getting married."
"Oh, that?" Rin asked. "We already did that."
Celina, Lulu, and Zuzu were shocked by this revelation. When did this happen? Have they reached a decision yet or did they already decide? They asked Rin what their plans were at the moment.
"What plans?" Rin asked. "Me and Yugo got married when we were little kids. The Headmistress even helped with the ceremony. It wasn't really special."
Wait, what?! Marriage at a young age?! How is that even possible?! This further threw the three girls for a loop. …That is until they quickly realized most kids pretend to get married. Looks like they may have to explain to their Synchro companion what marriage actually is.
"Uh... Rin?" Zuzu began. "Do you know what marriage is?"
"Of course," Rin answered. "It's a friendship promise between two close friends, which perfectly describes how I feel about Yugo."
"My mother and father are making wedding plans for Yuto and me," Lulu clarified. "Do you think we're close friends?"
Rin initially was about to say "Yes," but she remembered that Lulu and Yuto were dating. She soon processed this and was staggered by this. Romance was involved in marriage? But she and Yugo aren't even dating; they are each other's best friends and practically have a mother-son relationship. She might need a minute or two to let this sink in.
"Ew!" Rin exclaimed as she heard the doorbell ring, prompting her to leave Zuzu's room and answer the front door. "I don't feel that way about Yugo! He's a great friend, but he's loud, rude, and easily angered! Why would I even fall for someone like-"
When she opened the front door, however, she saw Yugo at the front door, only slightly different. She noticed he looked a lot cleaner with neater hair and a better posture. Pink blush faintly appeared on her cheeks.
"Hello Lady Rin," Yugo said, speaking in a calmer tone. He paused to gently hold Rin's hand and kiss the back of it. "What a delight to see you this evening."
"Y-Yugo?!" Rin asked, unknown why he was making her feel like this.
"Don't worry," Yugo said as he entered the house. "This is the real me, the one I hide from the public."
Her blush grew a bit more visible as she let Yugo into the house. At the same time, there was something about him that seemed a bit off. All her life, she knew he was never a proper person until just now; she decided to keep an eye on him…without having this weird feeling interfering. What even is this? I hope this isn't love I'm experiencing, she thought.
The Synchro duo headed upstairs to Zuzu's bedroom, where Rin said they will be hanging out for most of the night. She told Yugo that he can put his bags not far from the bed and she'll set a mattress up with a blanket and a pillow for him in a few hours; if not, he can always sleep on the couch.
Yugo lightly chuckled. "I don't think a couch is necessary," he said, carefully placing his hand on Rin's hip. "If anything, we can go back to our usual sleeping methods."
Rin quickly stepped back and cleared her throat. "So...how about discussing design ideas for our new Duel Runner? I have a couple of plans to make it battle-proof."
Yugo said he would love to discuss their new Duel Runner's design, giving Rin a quick kiss on her cheek in the process. At this point, she is slowly becoming more convinced that this isn't the Yugo she knows. Lulu, however, had more of an opposite reaction, commenting on how much he improved on his behavior and is acting more gentlemanly. That's just it; Rin is completely unsure of whether or not she likes the new Yugo, despite the blush giving out a clear indication.
The two then began on what designs they should use. Although each one provides different statistics in terms of speed, traction, durability, and so on, they all have one thing in common: battle-proofing the Duel Runner.
"I was thinking about adding special shockproof shields near the handles," Rin said, her blueprints laid out on the floor. "I know they're expensive, but I was hoping Lulu could help provide them for us. And... Are you even listening to me?!"
Yugo, who had wrapped his arms around Rin's body from behind and pulled her in close, was clearly not paying attention. "I hear you, Lady Rin," he said. "Your idea is amazing."
Usually, someone would tell the other that they need personal space, but that's not the case for Rin and Yugo. Since they grew up together, they don't have personal space. Heck, they're even fine with a girl and a boy sleeping together in the same bed…platonically, of course. Yugo is not the affectionate kind of person. Correction: Yugo wasn't the affectionate kind of person. Rin doesn't mind hugs from him, but this is taking it on a whole new level. …And the blush isn't making the the situation better or worse, despite how pinker it keeps getting.
Ultimately Rin got fed up. "Enough already!" she exclaimed, pushing Yugo back. "What's with you?!"
"What do you mean?" Yugo asked, remaining calm. "This is the real me."
"No it's not!" Rin insisted. "I appreciate that you finally cleaned up, but your behavior isn't right! Where's the big-mouthed moron I made the friendship promise to?!"
Within Yuya's shared mind, Yuri heard that. "Is that why he doesn't react when I call him by that name?" he wondered aloud.
Yugo pondered at what Rin was talking about and—gradually returning to his old self while still keeping a bit of a calm demeanor—let out a sigh. Looks like it was time for him to come clean about his behavior.
Yugo let out a small laugh. "Sorry about that," he said, relaxing his body. "The guys thought this was a date, so they gave me this weird advice on how to act."
"That's more like it," Rin said. "But I like your cleaner look more."
"Really?" Yugo asked.
"You smelled worse than Yuto," Rin explained. "And you look a lot nicer with neater hair."
Yugo blushed heavily. "RinRin..." he breathed out.
"Don't get carried away," Rin said. "We still need to improve our initial Duel Runner designs."
The two continued working on improving their new Duel Runner and eventually settled on a design that is battle-proof and has some useful stats. They agreed to work on building once the separation is successful. Until then, they practiced their dueling skills, trying out different strategies to what works and what doesn't. As usual, Yugo is still persistent and claims he will never give up whenever he's backed into a corner.
Rin let out a heartfelt sigh. "You still don't give up," she remarked.
"'Course I won't," Yugo replied. "That's one move I'll never make."
"Then I guess I'll have to keep up," Rin said as she played a rather interesting-looking card.
It was Polymerization. She hadn't used a Fusion card since her previous duel with Yugo when she was brainwashed by the Doktor. How is it in her deck? Rin didn't mind it because she has no ill will towards Fusion, even when Yuri kidnapped her. The only question is how Yugo will react to this. There's only one way to find out.
"I'll combine Winter Bell with the Ice Bell in my hand to Fusion Summon Crystal Bell," Rin explained as she did so with her cards.
Yugo was shocked that Rin still had Crystal Bell. He started flashbacking back when she first used that monster and how it decimated him in that duel and destroyed their first Duel Runner. Rin noticed there was something wrong with him and asked him to see if he was okay.
"Why do you still have that card?!" Yugo asked, still hyperventilating. "You should have ripped it up by now!"
"Calm down, you moron," Rin said. "The card actually has nice stats, so I decided to incorporate it into my dueling as a secret weapon. Zuzu and Celina have even gave me some advice on how to properly Fusion Summon, with Zuzu giving me this vintage Polymerization card as a starting point."
Yugo had slightly calmed down at this point, but he was still concerned. "But what about-"
"Lulu ripped up Independent Nightingale as soon she could," Rin explained. "Even though the rest of us are using Fusion, she's still traumatized."
Yugo let out a sigh of relief. He is glad to know not all the Bracelet Girls are using Fusion in their decks. Can you blame Lulu? Ever since the Invasion, she developed resentment for this special summoning technique, and her getting abducted and brainwashed didn't help at all. Now having calmed down, Yugo and Rin continued with their practice duel.
Later that night, the two were watching a movie in the living room. They were left speechless at the amount of movies Zuzu and Skip owned, but they both settled on watching Beauty and the Beast; right now, they're at the scene where Belle and the Beast were dancing. Rin always loved reading that fairytale as a kid, so seeing its movie adaptation was enjoyable for her.
Without warning, Yugo held Rin's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. "Yugo...?" Rin asked softly.
The green-haired girl stared experiencing the same weird feeling from earlier, only this time, it felt more comfortable. The blush returned and became a visible light pink on her cheeks as she looked at Yugo. His typical personality seemed to have coincide with his cleaner appearance, as if she was seeing him in a different light. For the first time, she thought that he looked cute.
Without thinking, Rin leaned in and gave Yugo a quick kiss on the cheek, causing Yugo to blush heavily. "RinRin..."
He realized that Rin had been cute all along and never batted an eye on it until now. Her short, apple green hair and orange eyes helped display her cuteness; he even liked the way her nose scrunches up whenever she gets angry. He softly smiled and laid his head on her shoulders, slightly surprising her. She looked at Yugo resting on her and couldn't help but smile back. She turned her head back at the TV screen as the movie played.
Yuya, Yuto, and Yuri were astounded at how everything turned out. Even though it may not have been a date, their advice have paid off in the end.
"We should have just let Yugo be himself," Yuto pointed out. "He seems to have things working out."
"Only because I told that moron to clean his appearance," Yuri informed. "There's no way he could have won over RinRin looking like a slob."
Yuya was taken back by what Yuri said. "Come again?"
"Yuri's right," Yuto said. "Now we're finally dating Rin."
Yuya and Yuri were nonplussed at what Yuto just said. He quickly corrected himself and said he meant to say "he's" instead of "we're". They both knew what he meant to say, but they were more concerned about what he said. Based on the worried looks on their faces, they soon caught on as to what may be happening to them. It looks like the mind merge may be occurring quicker than they initially thought.
"Guys..." Yuya said. "We need to speak to Leo as soon as possible."
#Arc V Aftermath#yugioh arc v#Yuya Sakaki#Zuzu Boyle#Yuzu Hiragi#FruitShipping#Yuto (arc v)#Lulu Obsidian#Ruri Kurosaki#FallenAngelShipping#Yugo (arc v)#Rin (arc v)#AppleShipping#Yuri (arc v)#Celina (arc v)#Serena (arc v)#PredatorShipping
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Arc-V Aftermath: New Adjustments (3/26)
When all is said and done, things have quickly recovered in the four dimensions. But when weird things start happening, the Yu-Salad Boys and the Bracelet Girls quickly realize they have some loose ends to fix. Co-written with @violetganache42.
WARNING: Dub names will be featured in the story.
The next day, back at the Sakaki's residence, Yuto was having difficulty figuring out what his new look should be. It was really nice of Leo Corporation to give the XYZ people new clothing, but if there was one thing that people sometimes forgot about getting dressed, it is deciding what goes with what. He looked at some of the brand new clothes to see what he can wear. Heck, he was even pondering about wearing his glasses, something he has never happened before, so you can say there's always a first for everything.
Yuya, Yugo, and Yuri looked at the assortment of the provided clothes with. They were impressed with how nice they all were and wanted to help him out with what to wear. However, someone was getting impatient.
"Will you just pick something already?!" Yuri angrily asked. "I would like to have some of Mrs. Sakaki's pancakes before they get cold!"
"This is a new me," Yuto said, lifting up a black dress shirt. "Once Leo finally separates us, I'm going to work at ObsidianCorp. I need to have a more professional look."
"But who knows how long that's going to take," Yugo pointed out. "No need to get nervous."
"Yeah," Yuya agreed. "And you've known Shay and Lulu for a long time. I'm sure their parents are just as nice."
"You wouldn't know that," Yuto replied. "This is going to be the first time I properly meet Mr. and Mrs. Obsidian. I want them to know how serious I am with their job offer."
"You said they were making wedding preparations, Yoot," Yugo recalled. "Clearly they already see somethin’ good in you."
It was true; last night, Shay did mentioned how his parents approve of him. But in all seriousness, Yuto is preparing for his new life and he doesn't know what to expect. Whether the separation plan will get done today, this week, or some time later during the year, he wants to be ready. For a young, teenage boy who grew up in a middle class, entering a higher social status is pretty serious business. The sheer thought of it is putting a lot of pressure on him.
Detecting that Yuto was still pretty nervous, Yuri let out a frustrated sigh. "If it makes you feel any better, I suppose I could give you some...advice."
Yuto did his best to repress a laugh. "I'm serious!" Yuri exclaimed. "Dueling wasn't the only thing Leo taught me in Duel Academy!"
"Like how to dress like a snooty rich boy?" Yuto sarcastically asked.
"Wait, Yuto," Yuya said. "Yuri might be on to something."
Yuto soon realized that Yuya is right. Yuri ended up having to remind him that ever since he met Leo as a kid, he was taught about etiquette and how to behave properly. Seeing that he grew up in a high class environment in Duel Academy, he knows how his XYZ counterpart should dress for his first meeting with Shay and Lulu’s parents.
After a quick few minutes, he picked out a semi-casual outfit for Yuto to wear. It consisted of his light gray glasses, a long-sleeved black shirt with a dark grey business jacket, dark blue jeans, black shoes, and a necklace similar to his old one. Yuto was surprised about the clothes he was wearing while Yuri felt quite proud of himself.
Yuto smirked at his reflection in the bedroom mirror. "Not bad, rich boy," Yuto remarked. "I look good."
"That's good to hear," Yuri said. "Now you might need to fix your hair."
"What?" Yuto asked. "But my hair looks alright."
"Do you honestly think Mr. and Mrs. Obsidian would take you seriously with those crazy eggplant locks?" Yuri asked.
The only hairstyle Yuto had other than it being pushed back was when he had his bangs covering his eyes when he a kid. He was honestly unsure if a different hairstyle would look good on him. Yuri suggested getting a trim since it is longer and not appropriate in a high class environment. Yuto was a bit hesitant on that suggestion because he wasn't sure if it will suit him.
"What utter nonsense!" Yuri exclaimed. "Yuya, Yugo, and myself all have shorter hair, and we look alright."
It wasn't Yuto's fault. He's more used to a longer haircut than shorter ones. Besides, he isn't in the same social class as Yuri; for now, he decided that using hair gel would be the best he can do. After the XYZ Duelist managed to smooth out his naturally spiky hair using some gel he found in the bathroom, Yuri reminded him to head downstairs for breakfast, which he did.
Yuto followed the smell of Yoko's pancakes to the kitchen, where he met up with Yoko, Yusho, and Sora. "Well someone looks nice," Yoko commented.
"I was planning on speaking to Mr. and Mrs. Obsidian about the job offer," Yuto explained.
"Aww... So you're just going to leave us?" Sora sadly asked.
"I'll still remember to visit once Leo separates us," Yuto explained.
"I must say, Leo separating you and the other counterparts must be a lot of hard work," Yusho remarked. "Skip said Zuzu seems alright with it as well."
"I hope so too," Yuto agreed.
Meanwhile, at the Boyle residence, the Bracelet Girls were also getting ready for the day. Lulu, in particular, was taking a long time brushing her long, dark purple hair. She was already wearing her new look: a white sundress and silver sandals. The other girls wondered how long it will take for her to finish brushing her hair. Much like Yuto, she has a longer hairstyle than her Pendulum, Synchro, and Fusion counterparts.
"Come on, Lulu!" Rin exclaimed. "Wouldn't it be easier to have shorter hair?"
"I spent my whole life wanting to have long hair," Lulu explained. "So I have learned how to properly maintain it."
"How did you even manage to survive the Invasion?" Celina asked. "There had to be some instances when your hair caused a disadvantage for you."
"There weren't," Lulu recalled. "I know that could be a problem, but I'm an Obsidian. All the women from my family have learned to stay beautiful even under unfortunate events."
"I thought so," Celina remarked. "You look pretty okay for someone who dealt with a huge battle."
"That's not true," Lulu sadly admitted, setting her brush down on Zuzu's vanity.
The XYZ Duelist moved her long hair over her shoulder so that she could unzip the back of her dress. Zuzu, Rin, and Celina all gasped as they say what was on her back: a huge, deep scar. Lulu explained that she received it from one of the Ancient Gear Hunting Hounds during the Invasion; it has already healed, but the damage was still there. The other three girls felt awful that something like this happened to their XYZ counterpart. It was no wonder why she decided to keep her hair long.
"So you insist on having long hair to hide your scar?" Zuzu asked.
"Correct," Lulu answered, zipping up her dress. "The attack happened near the initial strike on Heartland. The damage was so bad that I had to get metal plates into my spine. It was why I had to sit out during most of the battles."
Zuzu comforted Lulu; battle scars are always hard to bear on one's body, so she reassured her it was completely okay of her to have long hair. She even said she's always available to talk to if there is anything troublesome. A soft smile formed in Lulu's face.
"Thanks," Lulu said, tying her hair up in a ponytail.
"You're welcome," Zuzu replied. "Besides, if you feel comfortable having long hair, you should keep it."
Lulu happily nodded her head. Initially, Shay, Yuto, and the Resistance were the only ones who knew about her injury. It was nice to know her counterparts were also there to help her out in coping with her scar. She even liked having long hair, so hearing Zuzu say that made her feel more at ease.
Speaking of Shay, he was in the middle of talking to Kameron and Astra, his and Lulu's parents, in Heartland. Ever since the Invasion, the two were thinking about pulling their son out of high school so that he can prepare himself for when he ends up taking control of the company.
"What?" Shay asked, sounding alarmed. "But I need the education."
"We understand that, son," Kameron said. "But that Invasion made us realize any unfortunate tragedy could leave us dead. It's a miracle we survived that horrible attack."
"What about my friends?" Shay asked. "I even have a dueling club at school."
"And we respect that," Astra said. "But your father is right. What if we were to die during another unexpected event? You need to prepare to take over ObsidianCorp at a given moment."
They do have a point. The Invasion resulted in so many people getting carded, including Kameron and Astra, and only one known fatality: Yuto's mother. Even though education was important to Shay, he also didn't want to take over the company unprepared. Knowing there is no point in arguing, he decided to accept his parents' request to get pulled out of school.
"Alright," Shay said. "I respect your decision."
"You'll thank us, Shay," Kameron said, patting his son on the shoulder. "ObsidianCorp is going to be all yours someday. You need to know how the company works."
The phone on the desk buzzed; the company's secretary told Kameron that someone is expecting to meet him and Astra. He told her to send them up to their office. A few minutes later, the doors opened and Yuto walked in, feeling a bit tense. This is finally the opportunity to introduce himself to Mr. and Mrs. Obsidian and to explain about how he is looking forward to their job offer.
Kameron let out a small chuckle. "Well if it isn't Yuto Osaku," he said. "It's good to finally meet you."
Suddenly, Yuto knelt before the co-bosses of ObsidianCorp. "It's an honor to finally meet you," he said. "I have come for the job offer you have promised me."
The poor guy can't help the fact that he's nervous. Shay reminded his eggplant-haired friend that there's nothing to be nervous about; his parents are really nice and they have been looking forward to meeting him. Yuto got up and apologized for how anxious he is about today. The two replied that it's completely fine—everyone gets nervous about preparing for their first jobs. He sat down in one of the two chairs in front of the desk and asked about this job offer.
"So what's the job offer?" Yuto asked, feeling more relaxed.
"We're glad you asked," Astra replied as she and Kameron sat behind their co-shared desk. "As you're aware of, an Invasion from the Fusion Dimension hit the city a few months ago. Since then, we have struggled to restore ObsidianCorp back into its original glory."
"And a while ago, my wife and I decided to prepare our company for any other attacks," Kameron continued. "So we need someone to run the company's new dueling branch to prep the other employees in case such an emergency struck again."
This job offer amazed Yuto. When he was but a shy, lonesome kid, he became one of the dueling club's members, and now he is given a chance to prepare the employees for other unexpected emergencies by making sure they hone their dueling skills. Most companies have duels for brain exercises and as hobbies, but this is the first time an actual company implemented a dueling branch, so no doubt this was some astonishing news.
Yuto accepted their job offer, but he was curious about when his first day will be. Astra asked if there was something else going on; the young teen's answer was "Yes…" for the most part. He and Shay both explained about how Leo is currently working on a way to separate Yuto and Lulu from their counterparts; it was still in its early stages, so he plans on starting once he and Shay's sister get their own bodies back without any mental consequences.
"Of course, Mr. Osaku," Astra said. "Lulu hasn't been able to come home ever since she vanished months ago. Shay explained everything to us, but we greatly miss her."
"In the meantime, we wish to see your dueling skills in action," Kameron informed.
"How come?" Yuto asked.
"So we can see if you're a good Duelist like Shay and Lulu said you are," Kameron explained. "If you really are the best, this shouldn't be a problem."
"Of course not," Yuto replied, even though he was freaking out on the inside.
In the shared mind, Yuya has been freaking out as well, but it was for a different reason. He couldn't believe he heard Yuto being addressed by his full name: Yuto Osaku. Sure, he thought Lulu mentioned his surname during the dance, but he was distracted by Zuzu at that point. Yugo and Yuri were also shocked about this revelation, but definitely not as shocked as Yuya.
The two tried to help their Pendulum counterpart relax, but he has so many questions. What was his life like with his mother outside of school? What did Ms. Osaku look like? Did the tomato-haired teen have any other relatives? Yuri eventually had to snap him out of his state and remind him of what their emotions can do to their decks. Yuya quickly realized this and checked his deck, only to find his Performapals have been switched with Yuto's Phantom Knights. He had been caught up in the heat of the moment that he didn't notice until after he was calmer. Since Yuto hasn't noticed about the second deck swap happening, the three agreed to remain silent.
Later on, Yuto was getting ready to duel against ObsidianCorp's simulation. He may be screaming internally over the thought of wanting to prove he's a good Duelist to Kameron and Astra, but at the same time, he was also determined for the very same reason. Just when he took out his deck to put it in his Duel Disk, he got a quick glance to see they were not his cards. Those were Yuya's! When did this even happen?! The rest of the Yu-Salad, especially Yuya, may have an explanation about this.
"I'm so sorry, Yuto!" Yuya exclaimed. "But I can’t stop thinking about how your last name is the exact same as my mom's maiden name!"
Now THAT was shocking to hear! Yuto's jaw dropped with eyes opened large, dropping Yuya's deck and his Duel Disk on the floor. So that means not only both their mothers are sisters, he and Yuya are cousins? Yugo and Yuri grew more surprised than they were earlier; they now know Yuya had a valid reason to freak out, but it didn't help ease their confusion. It was clear that there was more to Yoko and Ms. Osaku than meets the eye.
"Are you alright?" Kameron asked.
"I'm fine," Yuto replied, carefully picking up the deck and his Duel Disk.
"Your moms can't be sisters!" Yugo insisted. "They grew up in different dimensions!"
"Mom never even mentioned having a sister," Yuya recalled. Then he had an idea. "Hey Yuto, can you let me see your memories so I can see what your mom looked like?"
Yuto gave permission Yuya to do so under one condition: he has to remain deep within their shared mind so that it doesn't interfere with the duel against the simulation. Yuya nodded his head, but before he could do that, he gave the Phantom Knights back to Yuto, with the former receiving his Perfomapals. He wish his XYZ companion good luck before disappearing into the mind, with Yugo and Yuri following suit. Yuto placed his real deck into his Duel Disk; it was time for him to prove his worth to the Obsidian family company.
Elsewhere, the rest of the Yu-Salad traveled deep into their shared mind to look for Yuto's memories. Yuri questioned why Yugo was leading the way when they all know the way to the mind's depths. The latter responded that he remembers exactly where Yuto was watching his memories of his mother, resulting in Yuri rolling his eyes. Surprisingly, they found the very spot Yugo was looking for; the memories involving Ms. Osaku were still there, but instead of them being played on a loop, they were paused. Yuya ran to take a glimpse at Yuto's memories and settle this confusion. He noticed that she does look his mother, expect she had dark blonde hair and her eyes were wider and more feminine.
"No..." Yuya said, alarmed with seeing the resemblance. "This can't be!"
"Maybe she got caught up in the crossfire during the initial separation," Yugo guessed.
"What a wonderful idea," Yuri responded. "Except there's one problem."
"What's that?" Yugo asked.
"Neither of us had any mothers!" Yuri answered (referring to himself and the Synchro Duelist) as he slapped Yugo on the back of his head.
"Yuri's right," Yuya said, searching through the memories. "Besides, Yuto's mom looks slightly younger than mine."
Several minutes have passed and aside from her appearance, they hardly got any new information about Ms. Osaku. Now what? Yuto is probably still dueling against the simulation, so the best thing they can do for now is to wait for him to finish and tell him what they have managed to gather.
Meanwhile, with Yuto, his duel was progressing well. Right now, he just XYZ Summoned Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon and activated his effect. He detached one of his dragon’s Overlay Units to have him half the simulation's monster's 1000 ATK and have him gained that lost ATK. Now with an increased ATK of 3000, he declared his attack.
"I will now attack Deskbot Jet with Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon to conclude this duel," Yuto stated, deliberately controlling his dueling excitement to look more professional.
Dark Rebellion knew that he was in a professional environment and he had to get used to it by toning down his signature move, much to his annoyance. He calmly walked up to Deskbot Jet and mashed his head against the monster, reducing the simulation's LP to 0.
Kameron and Astra were impressed with how Yuto dueled while Shay smiled at his friend; he could tell this duel earned his the job offer.
"I'm impressed, Mr. Osaku," Kameron said. "My wife and have certainly made the right choice to hire you."
"Thank you, Mr. Obsidian," Yuto said. "I won't let you down."
"I should have known you were perfect by looking at the type of cards you were using," Astra added. "Only a noble person like you could wield the Phantom Knights. Lulu has a great choice in men."
Yuto did his best to hide his blush, but what Astra said was true. The Phantom Knights helped make him into the noble and chivalrous person he is, and Lulu's preferences in men led to the two dating; Astra and Kameron sure do approve of their relationship.
Later that day, after saying goodbye to the Obsidians, Yuya, Yugo, and Yuri asked how the duel went. Yuto answered that it went well, leading him to getting the job. The Yu-Salad were proud of their XYZ companion until they remembered that they have to let him know what information they got after checking his memories. Yuya told Yuto that Ms. Osaku looks like a younger, feminine version of his mother Yoko. Yuto asked if that was all they could gather and Yugo replied that they may have an idea on what her name is; they all said her name was Lono. Based on what was given, all four boys decided to ask Yoko if she knows anything about Lono.
"Who?" Yoko asked.
"Lono Osaku," Yuya repeated. "She looks so much like you, and I want to know if you have a sister."
"I'm sorry, but I never had any siblings," Yoko admitted.
This was bizarre; the boys are convinced that Lono is Yoko's sister, but how can she not know her? Either she was an only child or she doesn't remember her at all. Yuya asks if Declan is still at LID, and Yoko responded that he was. He has a feeling that Leo Corporation's CEO may help her out in figuring out this familial mystery. The tomato-haired teen told her that he was heading downtown to meet up with him, and a puzzled Yoko ended up following her son.
At LID, Declan was in his office when Henrietta noticed Yuya heading towards the duel school alongside his mother. The gray-haired teen saw them too; whatever the situation was, it must have been important or mysteriously intriguing. He paged Claude to let him know they can go up to his office once they enter the building. The doors soon opened, revealing Yuya and Yoko.
"Hello Yuya," Declan said. "It has been a long time since we spoke. What brings you here?"
"I demand some answers," Yuya insisted. "Who's Lono Osaku?"
"Why do you ask?" Declan asked.
"Because that was the name of Yuto's mother," Yuya answered. "You did research on Heartland before the Invasion. Who is she?"
Declan pulled out a couple of holographic pictures from his computer. "Lono Osaku was a woman living in Heartland. Not much is known about her prior to the dimensional split, but she raised Yuto as a single mother. While her parenting skills could be described as 'smothering' due to her kind heart, I do believe she raised Yuto properly."
Yoko looked at the displayed pictures; something about her seems familiar. Declan noticed her scanning the pictures and asked her if she was okay. She answered that she feels like she is starting to remember something.
"What happened to her?" Yuya asked. "According to Yugo, Yuto was in tears when he was remembering her."
"The Invasion happened," Declan exclaimed. "While I do not have any pictures of the event, I can tell you that Lono was killed by Obelisk Force."
"Then she should still be alright," Yuya said.
"I said killed, not carded," Declan emphasized. "She died shielding Yuto from getting killed by a Chaos Ancient Gear Giant. While it's true that everyone who was carded was brought back to life, there is no way to bring back Lono Osaku."
So that's why Yuto was upset, Yuya thought. She did a fantastic job raising him and was willing to sacrifice herself just to keep her only child safe. The poor guy really missed his mother.
Speaking of, he turned his head to see his own mother in tears. The added information must have helped her remember more; as a result, she ended up crying. Declan asked Yoko again if she was alright, only for her to respond that everything prior to the dimensional split is coming back to her. She then started mourning Lono's death and mentioned how she never got a chance to reunite with her Imōto ("younger sister" in Japanese). Yuya comforted his mother and helped her calm down.
"Lono was never interested in dueling," Yoko recalled once she calmed down. "She enjoyed watching duels, but she always thought I was the better Duelist. She was always there for support, even helping me out when I married Yusho." She laughed a little. "She was both the maid of honor and the wedding planner."
Yuto overheard this bit of information. He never knew his mother's past life because his timid nature prevented him from asking as a kid, as well as Lono focusing on taking care of her son up until the Invasion occurred. He felt a little guilty about not asking her in the first place; if he did, then there would be a chance of this mystery getting solved way earlier. Then again, Lono most likely ended up with amnesia when the dimensional split struck, so it wouldn't make a difference.
Yuya felt Yuto's presence nearby and asked his now revealed cousin if anything was on his mind. Sure enough, there was. He explained about how this mystery was his fault because he never learned about what other relatives he had besides his mother. Yuya was about to mention if he knew his father, but was cut off with a "Never knew him." He went on to say that it wasn't his fault; everyone learns about their family's history whether they're young or old. Besides, it was kind of amazing to know that he had been fighting alongside his cousin throughout the Interdimensional War and didn't realize they were related until now. After Yuya's reassurance, Yuto admitted that this revelation was rather interesting.
"I know we were part of Zarc, but I still like to think this new information makes us cousins," Yuto said.
"No kidding," Yuya agreed. "Funny how he made you the son of my aunt."
The two got a chuckle out of Yuya's remark. They knew Zarc's incarnations had individual lives, but they never thought it could make them related in a family. Their lives weren't the same ever since this discovery, but from the looks of this, they may have begun getting used to it.
#Arc V Aftermath#yugioh arc v#Yuya Sakaki#Zuzu Boyle#Yuzu Hiragi#FruitShipping#Yuto (arc v)#Lulu Obsidian#Ruri Kurosaki#FallenAngelShipping#Yugo (arc v)#Rin (arc v)#AppleShipping#Yuri (arc v)#Celina (arc v)#Serena (arc v)#PredatorShipping
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