(80) Meeting up
After a bunch of tense sneaking around, we finally make it to the hotel area proper and the scene waiting for us there is pretty shocking.
There are a bunch of soldiers laying on the floor, many of them unconscious, with the rest clutching their cores in agony.
The culprits for this are quickly apparent: two girls with duel disks drawn, one gigantic monster standing behind each of them.
We stop to look at the soldiers’ momentarily, but move on as soon as we notice their weapons stashed behind the two duelists.
Aiko’s eyes fixate on one of the girls, and she runs over, calling out. “MIA!!!!!”
This snaps the black-haired girl out of her conversation with the other duelist, and she also runs up to Aiko. “SIS!!!!”
The girls run into each other in a wide hug, almost picturesque.
Yasuna—who’s standing on my left side—sighs, holstering her duel disk and walking away to join the two.
I look around the space clearly. There are other station security guards patrolling out the entrance to the duelist hotel, and some even escorting civilians in.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I say. “Looks like we made it to the right place, after all.”
To my right, Naeko nods. “Looks like we did.” She turns around to the guards, giving them a thumbs up. “Thanks for the lift!”
The male one scratches his neck. “Well… We just got lucky that all of you were duelists. This would’ve been impossible otherwise.”
Standing next to the guard, Haruna turns to him with a smirk. “You bet your ass you wouldn’t! Don’t forget to thank who saved your behind back there!” She says, nudging her head toward me.
Seeing this, I walk away with my hands raised. “Woah there! Don’t credit me, please.” A frown forms on my lips, my head tilting downwards as I clutch my left arm. “I… I almost fucked up big time there…” The picture of the dire situation we were in forms in my head. “I should’ve taken things way more seriously… I’m sorry.”
Naeko’s and Haruna’s expressions sour, their heads tilting slightly.
But Nanako frowns straight on. She takes three steps forward, arriving about half a meter close to me, then, the brown-skinned girl lays a hand on my left shoulder, looking me straight in the eyes. “Yuumi… You did fine. I’ll admit that I was a little judgemental; I just didn’t expect you to bring out a deck you had barely used when we were being shot at. Yet you still took care of the threat.”
“In two turns…”
She shakes her head. “And? That’s more than enough. You need to stop holding yourself to such monumental standards.”
I look back down, voicing a weak. “Okay…” ‘She really doesn’t understand how close that duel was to disaster… If that soldier was using a deck even a little better than that; I would’ve gotten us all shot…’ I look behind me at the other duelist with a monster behind her. ‘The same thing happened when I dueled Anna… If I don’t get better at this deck, then I’ll have to change to something else again… I can’t keep going just scrapping by.’ My eyes inch to the right, finding three girls conversing. ‘Not when people look up to me…’
Nanako smiles, taking a step back. “Right, I think we all need a little quiet time. Why don’t we go up to our rooms to relax—Oh, we can, right?”
The two security guards walk up, with the woman saying. “We’ll check with the rest of the guard. But I’m pretty sure your colleagues have security covered.”
Assured; the five walk in a group to the hotel entrance.
I follow them for a bit, but stop close to my three ex-roommates.
Haruna looks back, a single eyebrow lowering, but I just point to the three and tell her that I’ll join her as soon as I’m done, she simply nods and continues walking.
Mia is recalling her side of what happened to the two. “Oh my god, you wouldn’t believe it! They showed up and started giving orders like they owned the place! And then! One of them asked for my name and when I told him, he just grabbed my arm, yelling ‘You’re coming with me, citizen!’ Like! Who the fuck does he think he is?!” As she’s giving her story, she spots me and waves over. “Oh! Yuumi! Come here!”
With my forehead wrinkled and my arms crossed, I walk over to the group, asking. “What is it?”
Cheery, and beaming like the sun, she inches close and reveals a card. “Look what I got from those guys! I was looking for a playset of ‘Imperial order’ for the longest time! And they had a playset each!”
I step back. “Y-Yeah… That’s… Crazy?” Suffice it to say, I wasn’t expecting Mia to show me a card she had so graciously looted from her fallen foes…
Aiko steps forward, placing a hand on Mia’s shoulder, and smirking. “Sis, tone it down, you’re weirding her out…”
She glances at Aiko and then turns back with an expression of realization. “Oh… Sorry, you probably think I’m a wierdo, huh?”
I wave my hands and assure. “No, it’s fine. They were trying to kidnap you, take as many cards from them as you want! Hell, take their entire deck if you have space!” I glance to the side. “… Just didn’t expect you’d be taking this so casually…”
Mia shrugs. “What can I say? I’m used to it.”
‘… Of course she is. Why am I even surprised?’
Letting out a sigh, I ask. “I know it’s selfish of me to come here and derail your conversation, but… Don’t you three have something else to discuss?”
Mia tilts her head, looking back to the two who frown and look away.
She asks. “What is she talking about?”
I sigh. “I’m guessing we better sit down before any words get said.”
—
We moved to a nearby bench. The atmosphere was serene with the sound of birds chirping returning. The only reminder of what happened here were the two gigantic monsters backdropping the hotel entrance.
As soon as we sit down, I go about catching Mia up. I tell her about the duel and what happened, about our conversation in the woods, and even a bit about the confrontation we had by the elevators.
Her seemingly permanent wide smile lowers bit by bit as I go on, and when I finish, she shows a light frown. “So, sis finally said it, huh? Well… I was hoping to tell you, Yasuna, what I thought of it myself, but… Well, things haven’t exactly gone to plan…”
Yasuna shares a smirk with Mia, mumbling. “You can say that…” She looks up and asks. “Was I really that bad?… With the overprotection thing, I mean.”
The twins hesitate, but both end up nodding in the end.
…
…
Looking at the three awkwardly, I break the silence by standing up. “Well, it is clear that I’m not part of this discussion. I’ll be taking my leave.” There is no reason for me to be here, this is something between them and I really shouldn’t be wedging myself in their problems. Honestly, I just wanted to start this conversation between and let it take its course.
‘They’ll be fine working this out alone.’
But as I’m turning away, I hear a low voice ask. “Please don’t…”
Turning back to the table, I notice Aiko looking at me. She says. “You also play a part in this. Besides, we need someone to arbitrate…”
‘Or not…’
I give a nod, sitting back down. “Alright, say your piece.”
Aiko lowers her chin, turning to Yasuna. “I know that with what I said, it may not sound like it, but… I don’t hate you for doing what you did. At the start, it was even necessary. You looked after us despite the risks; Facing stronger foes than ever before… Thank you, Yasuna.”
Her sister goes in after, looking at Yasuna with a smirk. “Remember when those yellow guys ‘Invited’ us to that academy ‘housewarming party’ a week after Yuumi moved out? You knew exactly what they were trying to do… And you intervened.”
“I lost badly…” Yasuna points out.
Mia shakes her head. “You held out long enough for security to interfere. But what I’m trying to say is this: You always made sure we were safe. And…I’m not trying to speak for sis, but… What I think she means to say is: We appreciate you.”
Yasuna’s face brightens up a little, her head bouncing in small nods as her lips form a light smile. “Thank you… I understand now, you’ve also grown up into quite fearsome duelists…” Her head turns to me. “Shame I couldn’t grow enough to impress you yet.”
My head snaps to her, my brow furrowing. “What do you mean? You’ve also grown a lot! Just look at your duels!”
She shakes her head. “Nah, even if I’ve gotten better, it’s still nothing compared to you. That last duel proves it.”
Mia’s eyes brighten up, and she asks. “Wait, Yuumi dueled against one of those soldiers!? Now that’s something I want to see! How did it go?!”
Yasuna snorts, hiding a laugh. “She laughed at his starting position and then ran him over. And yet she still thought she messed up by not beating him faster!”
The dark-haired girl’s brown eyes shine as she looks my way. She lunges over the table and begs. “Really?! Come on! Let me see it!”
I lean back, holding my hands head level. “Woah there! Calm down! I’ll show it, okay? Just don’t laugh when I mess up.”
With Mia backing down, I put my duel disk on the table and show them the duel.
I get ready to cringe at my questionable choices, while Yasuna watches along with a shit-eating grin.
—
We end up watching the entire duel, up to the part where my opponent surrendered. It’s during the rewatch that I notice an interesting detail.
That soldier… He didn’t have to surrender there. His life points wouldn’t have reached zero just with that attack.
The card I used to set up my field—D/D/D Oblivion King Abyss Ragnarok—Has in its pendulum effect that if it is activated, then all battle damage gets halved for the rest of the turn…
‘Why did he surrender? We took away his duel disk, but we left it at the scene… Shit, we should’ve brought it along with us.’
While I think it over, I can’t help but get distracted by Yasuna’s laughing. “Hahahahaha! Look at your face! You look like you shat yourself there for a moment!”
Mia shares her sentiment. “Yeah, it’s like when you mess up your combo, Yasuna!”
The tanned girl gasps. “Ahh! Don’t say that! I’ve had my share of misplays, I admit, but now it’s Yuumi’s turn!”
‘Do they really find misplays that funny? Oh boy, I know of a certain cat with a mustache which would get them rolling on the floor.’
Anyway, Aiko asks the pertinent question here. “Yuumi, when we finally got out of that elevator, you said Yasuna had dealt with the soldiers… And then you spiralled… What happened there?”
My expression turns dull, a wave of coldness spreading through my body. ‘Right, that…’
Yasuna’s face contorts, her eyes moving in my direction. “Do you wan—”
I hold a hand up, stopping her. “No, I’ll tell it myself.” I take a deep breath, continuing. “After the duel was over… Well, the soldiers remained…”
Leaning back, I go on. “I asked them to stand down, threatened them with my monsters… But when they continued shooting…” My eyes inch down. “I just couldn’t bear to yell ‘Attack’…”
A sobering wave passes over the table, but Mia simply tilts her head and asks. “And?”
Blinking intently, I reply. “And that’s bad! Neither you nor Yasuna had any trouble… They were bad men… It would’ve been self-defense, but I couldn’t do a thing…”
Still, Mia keeps staring at me. “Well, have you ever attacked a person outside of a duel? Even in self defense?”
I shake my head. “No… No, never. People normally stand down as soon as I threaten them… Have you?”
Mia nods, her lips forming a straight line. “Yes… I’m not proud of it, but there was a time when I went too far…” her expression turns solemn. “I felt so bad afterwards that I didn’t go to classes for two days.”
…
…
Slowly, I lift my head. “I see… That must’ve sucked…”
She nods again. “Yes, it did. After that was done, I promised myself to never point a duel disk at someone that couldn’t fight back, but those soldiers surely could.”
I repeat. “I see.. Well, sorry for bringing that up.”
Her viewpoint is certainly interesting, duel disks are without a doubt the deadliest weapons in this world, and yet, they’re given out willy-nilly to unstable young adults like toys. That being the case, as a duelist, who should I point them at? I have reservations about using them against regular people, but when you’re under threat, what’s the difference between a duelist and a regular person with any other weapon?
Fortunately, the answer to that is also simple: immediate firepower. You have a rifle? This card has an entire demon army. You have a cannon? I have a railway gun stashed in my pocket. There’s no comparison here. I win, you lose. ‘Yet all of that firepower is irrelevant if I’m too much of a wuss to use it. I guess that’s what makes Yasuna stronger than me. I may be a better duelist, but she’s the better combatant. Those two are not the same.’
Nodding to myself, I affirm in my head. ‘That’s what I need to work on. Actual combat. Not just duels.’ A smile creeps on my face. ‘Yeah, that’s it.’
I look up to proclaim my enlightenment, but everyone is still looking down, with an uncomfortable silence I haven’t noticed until now in the air. Mia’s normally the one which breaks us out of situations like these, but now she’s the one sulking.
Trying to figure out a solution, I quip. “So, last REAL duel, if we hadn't been interrupted, who do you girls think would’ve won?”
With that out-of-place question, everyone at the table turns to me with raised eyebrows and I sink back into my chair. ‘Shit, that was a little insensitive.’
Yet Yasuna speaks. “Well, of course it would be me. Did you look at my field? There’s no way Aiko could’ve broken that.”
This elicits a side-eye glance from Aiko, who counters. “No way. Even if you cleared my board that turn, I had the perfect counter. I would rebuild my field and beat you!”
As they go about arguing, I lean back and let out a deep sigh. ‘Looks like that worked… I wonder who would’ve won. Oh well, the cheer squad’s going to be pretty disappointed that our bet’s null now.’