It's been nearly a week since the battle against Mario Enmitsu ended.

The aftermath of the situation rocked the entire city of Alba. Not only because a supposed exile had managed to sneak back into the country, but also because one of the strongest duelists in Eight had been publicly defeated in one of the most cruel ways possible.

...of course, I'm talking about when mom lost to Mario in her duel.

The once invincible reputation of Saionji was beginning to fade away. People who were once terrified of her prowess gradually began to see the weak points in her arsenal.

Slowly, the people who wanted revenge on her, like Mario, came crawling out of the woodworks.

It was also a political mess for the Mayor of Alba. For his failure of being unable to prevent it from happening, to stop it while it was occurring, or to even kill the livestream, he resigned his position and stepped down, leaving the vice secretary to take his place.

A huge power void in East Alba also opened up now that mom was out. Temporarily filling that position was Mika, who used this as an opportunity to expand the Archangels's territory as Logan was still in the States.

In any case, this event really rocked Sangria's standing. While we seemed indomitable before, Mario's vicious, brutal, and audacious attack blew a huge hole in mom's draconic fortress.

Not to mention, Amanda, her right hand, willingly surrendered herself to the authorities. Unfortunately, she was the only person from Sunglow who got charged with a crime for the event.

Everyone else, like Hiryuu and Kazuraba, were let free since they couldn't find enough evidence to incarcerate them.

Part of this was because the footage of the livestream had been completely wiped, at least for their involvement. The public only got to see mine and mom's fight against Mario, but the rest of the footage was only ever shown to me.

I don't know who destroyed the footage, but it saved everyone involved in the Sunglow Wing. Amanda was only charged because she admitted to kidnapping me, which was a hard set in stone crime.

You'd be hard pressed to arrest the others, since they denied everything. The strongest case against them was colluding with Mario, but that was dependent on how involved they were with his schemes, as well as how knowledgeable they were about his plans.

Well... it doesn't matter now. Most of them have been rumoured to fled the country. Apparently a few people are still in Alba City, laying low. Which ones, I wouldn't know... nor would I like to find out.

As for me and mom, we've been at a private hospital getting our injuries treated. Thankfully, mom made a quick recovery, but I wasn't as fortunate.

After nearly dying and overexerting myself in that duel, my body had given up on me and I was still in deep pain. The worst wound I got was the one on the back of my head, when Mario dropped that titanium duel disk to knock me out.

The doctors told me I got extremely lucky that it didn't cause any brain damage. Honestly, considering I was being held hostage by a creepy Italian dude, I think that was just karma balancing things out for me. Thanks, karma.

In the mean time, lots of people visited me while I was bedridden.

The first of which was Grunkle Stan, who gave me a good slap on the back and a cheerful smile, bragging about how his special method won me the duel. He was definitely more happy than proud about the fact I used it...

Unexpectedly, Rizawa and Fuuka also visited me too. Both of them gave me a huge teary-eyed hug, especially Fuuka. Even though we hadn't spoke in a really long time, both of them were really glad that I was okay.

The only person who didn't visit me was Kidou, but he wrote me a get-well-soon card for instead, by hand too. That guy is such a tsundere...

Of course, Mika also visited me too whenever she was free from work. When she did, she would always cut apples in the shape of bunnies for me, then feed them to me. I don't know why, but I could feel a strange aura coming off mom as she watched us...

Annoyingly, Takanori also came to visit me, if only as a courtesy to please mom. He never stuck around for long though, at most popping in to say hi before going off. I preferred it that way to be honest, mainly because I couldn't stand to be in his presence...

And of course... mom visited me every day.

To be honest, it was more like she stayed by my side the entire time. She never left unless it was to go to bed, take care of something, or make me some food.

Not that I didn't mind of course... after everything we've been through, it makes perfect sense why she's dedicating so much time with me suddenly.

I won't complain about it. If anything, this was what I wanted the entire time.

I really enjoyed spending this time with mom, even if I was bedridden and couldn't really speak. It made me really happy whenever I got to see her face, hear her voice, or feel her warmth.

...I wanted to hold onto mom's hand forever and not let go.

Before, she barely had any time to see me because of work.

Even though we were living together now, most of my days at home were spent alone. By the time she got back, I was already fast asleep in bed. She couldn't even make time on the weekend to be with me...

It was no different from when I was living alone.

But then, suddenly, before she could even spend any real time with me... mom nearly lost me again.

And this time, it would've been forever.

...to be honest, I still hadn't really come to terms with the fact I nearly died.

Nor could I comprehend the fact that I beat Mario and saved mom from dying as well.

Everything about that scenario seemed like a dream, especially with how unlikely everything ended up happening this way.

But there was proof this actually happened.

It was the two new numbers engraved on my hands.

XX on the front of my right hand, and 75 on the back of my left hand.

I didn't understand why they chose to engrave themselves into me. It's not like my deck can even summon them.

Hell, I didn't even want to be the brand new owner of two monsters that made the conscious decision to follow such a wicked man either.

Even so... their presence in my body has already deeply affected me.

In my sleep, I get weird visions of darkness, dreams about death, and flashes of dark purple. Sometimes, I can even hear a voice that's not my own. It's dark, deep, and strangely familiar... it's booming quality distorts their words, and I can never remember them.

While I can put up with all of this, since they just feel like nightmares on steroids, what I can't put up with is the glimpses of the abyss I occasionally get.

I don't know whether it was a leftover memory from nearly passing into the shadow realm, or if it was a visage that Gossip Shadow or Dark Infinity was sending to me, but it was the scariest thing I'd ever experienced.

It's probably the worst thing to have happened to me since then.

...sometimes, I wish mom was here when I was asleep. That way, when I wake up from one of these nightmares, I could cling onto her for comfort and cry into her chest. So that she could stroke my head and tell me it would be okay.

That she was here for me this time.

...

I looked over to mom, who was reading one of my favourite novels to me.

When I did, she glanced back with a smile. She put down the book and stroked my cheek.

"Minoru..."

Her thumb ran down my face tenderly.

"It's okay darling... it's okay."

Without saying anything else, mom embraced me.

I latched onto her, grabbing the back of her shirt, and clinging on tightly.

I buried my head into the crook of her neck and closed my eyes.

I wondered how many days of this special treatment I had left.

Once I'm out of the hospital... things will return back to normal.

...I didn't want my time with mom to end here.

I wanted to be her special someone forever.

I wanted to be the thing she gave all her time and attention to.

I wanted mom to prioritise me over everything else.

Even Sangria. Even Takanori. Even Duel Monsters.

It was a simple, selfish wish.

One that I knew it was impossible to fulfil.

But even so... I still yearned for it.

Mom's love.

Her right hand stroked my head, and her left hand pat my back.

"Mommy..."

"Hmm?"

"...let's..."

I looked up at her.

"Let's go to a card shop... t-together. Just like... how we used to."

Mom was taken aback slightly.

However, a small smile broke on her face and she nodded.

"Okay, darling. That sounds like a lot of fun. Let's do it once you get out of here."

I nodded and she kissed me on the cheek.

As she pulled away, I quickly kissed her on the lips.

"Ah?"

I looked away.

"Aren't you being cheeky."

Mom laughed, cupping my face and tilting it towards her, before kissing me back.

"N-no fair..."

I wanted to be the one to kiss her last. I leaned in and kissed her again.

"You really like kisses here, huh...?"

She kissed me again. I kissed back.

"Whatever am I going to do with you..."

Mom sighed, but she didn't seem displeased.

I wish these happy days with her would last forever.

...

......

...

"...huh?"

Just as I was getting ready to go out to the card shop with mom, he was waiting outside.

And by he, I mean that despicable bastard, the one whose trying to steal my mom away from me—

Takanori Yuuto.

"Yo, Minoru. Glad to see you're doing good after everything!"

I'm not glad to see you though, asshole!

Is what I would say, but I don't feel like making any trouble for mom when today is supposed to be our special day out together...

"H-hey... what are you doing here, T-Takanori-san?"

I forced a smile and waved at him. Better to try and get to the bottom of why he was here quickly, rather than stand around doing nothing but staring at his mutt ugly face any longer than I have to...

"Did Yuuri not tell you?"

Every time he calls mom by her first name, I want to kick him in the Heavenly Spheres.

"Uh... tell me what, exactly?"

For some reason, I could imagine Takanori smiling smugly at me under his emotionless face.

"Why don't I let her explain? Hey, Yuuri."

I turned around and saw mom trying to sneak up behind me. She pouted and shot a glare at Takanori for exposing her plan to surprise me.

"Good morning, Yuu. I see that you're as cheeky as ever."

Damn, was she just mad at him? Let's go! I don't have to do anything to sabotage Takanori, being him is his own biggest downfall!

"Ha ha, sorry. I didn't know you were trying to spook him."

"I wanted to see Minoru's cute reaction when I do."

Mom then smiled and turned to me, giving a gentle hug.

"Are you ready to go today, darling?"

I nodded, showing off my deck.

"I'm more than ready! I'm gonna clean sweep locals X-0, just watch!"

"That's the spirit. I'd expect nothing less from my beloved son. Mommy will be watching over you and cheering for you the entire time!"

Saionji pet my head, making me feel really happy. However, it ended quickly as I remembered Takanori was still here.

While me and mom were sharing an intimate moment, he rocked up and drew closer to us. Mom pulled away from me to give him a firm hug.

I wanted to pull mom away from him, but I knew it was probably a bad idea... I was nowhere near as strong as her, so I'd probably just get myself hurt doing it.

Takanori hugged mom before giving her a kiss on the cheek. She did the same. I think I'm gonna throw up. He better not be putting his Gold Rat anywhere near her either...

"Did you really not tell him, Yuuri?"

"Hmm? About what?"

I hated the fact mom still had her hands on him. They should be wrapped around me, not him!

"That I was going to be joining you two today..."

Mom raised an eyebrow and looked at me. I gulped.

"No, I did tell him. Don't tell me... Minoru, did you forget?"

When faced with mom's authoritative tone, I froze up. It scared me... it reminded me of the fierce Boss that led Sangria. The one that showed no mercy to anyone... not even to me.

I scratched the back of my hand and closed my eyes, digging my mind for any vague memory of mom telling me this... asshole, to put it nicely, was going to join us. After confirming that I didn't remember anything like that, I shook my head.

"I don't recall you saying anything like that..."

Besides, if it has to do with that guy, there was no good reason for me to remember it anyways. The less I remember about him, the better. The only things I needed to remember was mom's love and how to play Duel Monsters.

"Well, now you know. I hope you don't mind." Takanori said.

Oh, I do mind. I do mind a lot, jackass. You're worse than Imperial Order or SPYRAL format. But I'm not going to say a word since I don't want to cause any trouble for mom. I'd rather sell my deck or dust it in Master Duel than see her cry again.

"Mom, let's go!"

Ignoring Takanori, I grabbed mom's hand and pulled her along down the street.

"D-darling, slow down! I'm wearing a dress and high heels, you know!"

I just wanted to get her as far away as possible from Takanori. That pest, I could see him follow us regardless...

Since I had created some distance between us, I slowed down like mom wanted. She looked at me with an annoyed face, tugging my arm with exasperation.

"Minoru, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?! I know you're excited to play Duel Monsters, but there was no need for you to grab my hand and start running like that when I wasn't ready! I could've tripped over and injured you or myself, you know?"

"S-sorry..."

I mumbled an apology, unable to tell her the real reason why I was in such a rush. Mom sighed and made me face her. I didn't feel like I deserved to see her face right now, but she still made me look at her anyways.

"It's okay... just don't do something like that again, alright? I want to be the one leading you. Not the other way around."

I could feel my ears getting hot when she said that. I nodded and squeezed mom's hand. She squeezed it back, before gently smiling and starting to walk again.

This time, I was the one who was matching her pace, instead of the other way round. However, this gave Takanori a chance to catch up with us, and he was now walking besides mom on the side opposite to mine.

"Yuuri, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just not used to walking in these heels, that's all..."

"You're more accustomed to wearing boots, I'm guessing?"

"Of course. I do spend most of my days on a Duel Runner or in the office."

"I'm surprised you decided to pretty yourself up today though... we're just going to a card shop, not some fancy dinner. Imagine everyone's shock when you walk in looking like a supermodel."

As much as I hate to admit it, the same thought crossed my mind. It wasn't like mom to put in a lot of effort about her appearance, especially since she didn't see the value in bothering with superficial things like that.

However, it just made it even more impressive when she decided to dress up, since mom was naturally so pretty already. By simply just tying her silky hair into a mature half-bun and putting on a knitted casual dress, mom's beauty rocketed to tier 0.

"What? Am I not allowed to look my best outside or something?"

She seemed genuinely offended by Takanori's comment. Good thing I didn't say anything about it then...

"N-no, it's not that... it's just unusual for you."

Mom laughed. Hey, no fair... mom is even more beautiful when she laughs honestly...

"It's only unusual because I don't get many days off anymore. This is what I look like when I'm in my "off work" mode."

"...I think you should take more time out of the office then."

Oh c'mon, why did mom blush at that... wait, she even smiled a little! What the hell?! Was that lame ass comment really enough to impress her?!

Damn it, this blows! I hate this, I hate him, and I hate this scenario so god damn much! Dammit, just let me kick this bastard asshole in the Gold Rat already! I want him to stay away from mom!

"My, how suave of you. If you're going to try using lines like that though, you need to fully commit to it. I can't think of anything but "cute" if you're going to blush after saying that."

"I-I'm still working on my complimenting skills."

"You're free to practice on me as much as you want, but I can't guarantee you'll survive."

"W-what's that supposed to mean?!"

"You know exactly what it means, darling."

Mom winked. Takanori shivered, scratching his scarred cheek. Even though it sounded like she threatened him, Takanori looked strangely happy about it. I huffed and squeezed mom's hand.

"Aww, sorry Minoru. Did you want mommy's attention too?"

"H-how much longer? My feet hurt..."

I quickly made up a lie on the spot so mom wouldn't think anything suspicious about me.

"Oh, dear... don't worry, it's just a little up ahead. I thought you had completely recovered, but I must've misjudged... I'm sorry."

I shook my head.

"It's okay mom... I shouldn't have pushed myself earlier... it's my fault."

Mom hummed, making a thinking face before looking as if she came up with an idea. Suddenly, she let go of my hand and crouched down to my level, turning her back towards me.

"Come on, Minoru. Mommy will give you a piggyback ride, just like I used to."

I could feel my face turn red. A piggyback ride...? Wasn't I bit too old to be receiving one of those...? Could mom handle carrying all my weight on her back...?

"What are you waiting for, darling? I thought you were in a hurry to get to the card shop."

With a bit of encouragement from mom, I clambered onto her back and wrapped my arms tightly around the base of her smooth shoulders. Her hands nimbly slipped under my legs, holding me as she stood.

"You're a lot more lighter than I expected, Minoru... light as a feather, even."

"I-is that a good or bad thing?"

I don't know why, but it embarrassed me when mom called me light. I rested my head on her shoulder, practically nuzzling my cheek against hers.

"I think it just means you need to eat more, young man. I think I'll start by serving you larger portions of rice from now on."

"If it also means larger portions of mom's katsu curry, count me in!"

Mom laughed, kissing me on the cheek.

"You really like that, don't you?"

"Your cooking is the best. Especially when you make curry."

"I'll be sure to make some tonight then... only if you win today's tournament, though."

"Gg easy. In fact, it's so easy, you should make me a triple sized portion if I win!"

"I don't think you'd be able to eat that much, sweetie..."

"I'll eat whatever he can't finish."

My happy moment with mom was shattered as Takanori spoke. Why couldn't he have stayed quiet and shut up the entire time? Why did he have to butt into everything? Why can't he just leave us alone to be happy in peace?

I wrapped my arms around mom tighter and nuzzled her cheek. Mom was surprised, but giggled at my affection.

More importantly, I didn't like how this implied he'd also be joining us for dinner. Coming with us to the card shop is one thing, but staying over for the evening is something completely different.

I wouldn't forgive Takanori if he ate with us. No, in fact, I wouldn't forgive Takanori if he ever even got a bite of mom's homemade cooking. Mom rarely cooks because she's so busy, so whenever she does, it's super special.

And there's absolutely no way I'm letting someone like him steal mom's food... the food that she made for her and me and nobody else!

"Alright darling, we're here. Card Shop Alumina."

As we stopped in front of the card shop, mom put me down and ran a hand through my hair before extending it to me. I gratefully accepted it, and we walked into the store together. Like a stalker, that annoying pest Takanori followed us in tow.

"Welcome to Alumina, how may I—"

At first, the shopkeeper was jovial in greeting us, but upon seeing mom, his face hardened.

The shopkeeper, a gruff old man probably in his late sixties, scowled at us with a mean lip. Despite having dealt with an angry old man before, such as Grunkle Stan, the shopkeeper's glare still scared me nonetheless.

In fact, he wasn't the only one leaking hostility towards us when me and mom entered. The entire shop stopped what they were doing in order to stare at us like we were unwanted foreigners.

As I looked around, I noticed that most people here were around the same age I was or younger. It just made me feel even more uncomfortable, since I felt like the odd one out.

"Get out."

The old man's welcoming tune changed real fast. He turned away from us and pointed his finger towards outside the shop.

"...come again?"

Mom, who couldn't comprehend why we were being suddenly asked to leave, glared back at the old man.

"You heard me, woman. Your type isn't welcome here. Go back to the duelling pits where you dogs belong."

The glint in the old man's beady eyes told us that he knew who mom was. Considering she was a very famous person, this was no surprise to us, but normally, you'd welcome a celebrity with open arms when they're visiting instead of rejecting them...

"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken. I'm not here on business with Sangria, I'm here to spend time with my family."

Mom gestured to me. The old man chuckled derisively and shook his head.

"I don't care. In fact, that's even more reason to kick you out. Remember what happened last time when your family got involved?"

Okay, that was a low blow. Mom was taken aback by this asshole's words, so I stepped up and confronted him instead.

"Oi, Yugiboomer. What's the big idea bringing that up, huh?"

"I'm just proving a point. Wherever your mother goes, trouble is soon to follow. You know that full well, don't you, sonny boy?"

"She doesn't cause any trouble though! It's everyone else who causes trouble for her!"

"And how exactly does that exempt her from taking responsibility for the rampage she brings while on her warpath? I absolutely refuse to let these shenanigans happen in my shop, especially when I pride this store as a safe place for all these children to play Duel Monsters without any of your gangs turning it into a competitive bloodbath."

The old man crossed his arms and leaned forward, intimidating me with his firm stare.

"Now that you understand, you'll leave. Won't you?"

"Oh, now you're asking to get decked old man...!"

I reached into my pocket and grabbed my deck out, ready to slam it on the counter. However, before I did, mom grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back.

"Wait, Minoru..."

For some reason, there was a guilty look in her eyes.

"Mom, what are you doing?! Let me go, I'm gonna stick it to this Yugiboomer and teach him a lesson in respect!"

"I'm older than you, sonny boy! You should be the one respecting me!"

The shopkeeper's voice boomed, but I ignored him in favour of mom.

"We... we should go to another shop, darling."

"Why?! We haven't even done anything wrong yet! He has no good reason to kick us out!"

"He will if you keep acting like this. You're being a nuisance by challenging him so aggressively."

Mom's stern words made me go stiff. It looked like she didn't want to chide me in public, but she had no other choice.

"T-then, if I did it civilly, there's no problem... right?"

"No... even if you did, take a look around."

Mom gestured towards everyone in the shop.

In that moment, I could feel the weight of the atmosphere suddenly crush me.

There was an exuberant amount of fear.

Everyone in this shop... was scared of us?

The mixed expressions on their faces was all I needed to see to understand the general attitude they held towards us.

We were unwelcome.

"Let's respect the shopkeeper's wishes and go. I'm sure there's another shop we can play at."

As mom gently encouraged me to leave, I looked down, sighing.

I guess I really was causing trouble for the shopkeeper. And, more importantly, for mom too...

...but it's his fault! He was the one who brought up the incident with Mario when it was uncalled for!

And so blatantly in mom's face too...!

He deserves to get decked in the face for just that!

...even so, I couldn't forget the guilty look on mom's face.

I bet she's feeling awful right now.

That she's the reason why we can't play in this shop.

But it's not her fault...

It's everyone else's fault for being scared of her.

It's everyone else's fault for holding a grudge against her.

It's everyone else's fault for not giving her a chance.

I tightened my fist.

Even so, I couldn't say any of this stuff to mom's face. She'd probably just tell me off for thinking in such a selfish way.

As much as I didn't want to, I had to concede here. I didn't want to make mom feel worse. Not when she's making this sort of face.

Just before I could utter "okay", a girl's voice cut in.

"Wait, grandpa!"

I turned around, my eyes widening.

Rushing to the counter of the store was a girl with long braided hair.

"Please let them stay!"

"Huh? What are you saying, Raiya? They'll disrupt the peace around here."

Raiya? What a unique name...

Actually, come to think of it, I've heard it before. But where?

"No they won't. I can assure you that they won't cause trouble."

"How can you been so sure?"

"Because... because Takamine-kun is my classmate from school!"

I blinked, staring straight at the girl.

As I did, she glanced back at me and gave a shy smile.

When I saw that, I instantly recognised her.

It was Nagare Raiya—

—the girl who sat next to me in class.

"Wait... this geezer's your grandfather?!"

I pointed at the shopkeeper in surprise, earning me a slap in the hand from mom.

"Minoru, don't call people geezers..."

"S-sorry..."

"Yes, he is. I'm sorry about all this, Takamine-kun..."

Nagare bowed apologetically. I shook my head.

"N-no, it's fine... you don't have to apologise at all for this."

The old man's face twisted in surprise as he saw that we really were familiar with each other.

"What...? This rascal goes to the same school as you?"

"Yes... and I've never seen him cause any trouble at school. Not once. In fact, most of the time, everyone in the class forgets he's there, ha ha..."

I couldn't tell if Nagare was lying to try and save face, or if she was telling the truth. If it was the latter, that would be a depressing thought... seriously, if it's true, how was I not more famous at my own school?

I've been through a lot, way more than most of my classmates! I was the 10th best player in Eight, I was kidnapped by Mario, I was the son of the Boss of the strongest Wing... damn, was I really that lame outside of these things?

"Even if Takamine is fine, what do you have to say about his mother, Saionji? She's been involved in way too many controversies to let her in here with good faith."

"You do realise that most of the stuff I get dragged into isn't even initiated by me, right...? Most of them are petty fools who wish to seek vengeance against me, but miserably fail every time."

"That's besides the point. We don't need figures like Mario coming in here and ruining everything!"

"Mario was a special case. He certainly isn't the norm when it comes to my enemies. In fact, he's probably the worst one out of the lot of them, if only because he was fine with stooping as low as kidnapping a child..."

As she said that, I could feel mom pull me closer to her body as she held me.

"I can assure you most people involved in the Wings business aren't deranged like him. But if you can't trust my word, then you're free to ask Amasawa from Archangels or Logan from Gran Kaon if you want. They're also in the same league as me."

"Please, grandpa... please just let them play. They came here together as a family too. They really don't mean any trouble."

As mom and Nagare pincered the old man from both sides, he eventually gave in with a deep sigh.

"If you're so insistent on letting them in, fine. They can play here. But Raiya, you're responsible for taking care of these three. Don't you dare let them leave out of your sight for even a second."

"Y-yes, grandfather!"

Nagare saluted, nodding her head.

"But what if I need to pee...?"

As I muttered that question, both the old man and mom looked at me with raised eyebrows. Nagare blushed.

"Then she'll wait for you outside the toilet. Is that not common sense?"

"Minoru, don't tell me you were hoping she'd watch..."

"W-wait, it's not what you think mom! Of course I don't want that! What would Mika think?!"

"You mean what would I think, right?"

For some reason, mom smiled a little scarily and pinched my cheeks, pulling them up and down. She wasn't doing it playfully however, she was pinching pretty hard...

"Ow, ow, ow!"

As mom teased (or maybe punished is the better word for it...) me, Nagare laughed.

"I've never seen you make that face before, Takamine-kun. It's really interesting!"

"H-hey, don't look at me like that, Nagare-san..."

"I agree. I want to be the only one to see Minoru's adorable face when it's being squished like mochi."

Mom giggled before letting go of my cheeks and giving them kisses to make it feel better.

Now that the ordeal of whether we were allowed in the shop was resolved, everything went back into motion, albeit with an air of reluctance.

Of course, we were still treated like black sheep by the other customers and had to play at the back of the shop, but it was better than nothing. Besides, I was planning on entering the tournament, so it's not like they could keep us contained here forever.

"Seriously though, thanks for helping us out back there, Nagare-san... you're a lifesaver."

"Please, please, don't mention it. This shouldn't have had to happen in the first place, so I apologise on behalf of my grandpa."

"It's fine... while I get his concern, the way he went about it was so rude."

"It's just how he is... grandpa just doesn't like people who make a mess for others."

Considering Nagare was still his granddaughter, I decided to spare her the venting. There was no point in complaining about it now, especially after she helped us out.

"Still though... imagine my surprise when I saw you here, Takamine-kun! I thought Wings people didn't like visiting card shops."

"It's not that we don't like to, it's just that we don't have a reason to, most of the time."

After all, Alba City did have designated arenas and tracks for Wings to battle it out. For example, mom's tag duel against Mika and Logan was held in one such stadium.

"Ooh, I see..."

"Are you in a Wing, Nagare-san?"

"M-me? No, of course not... I could never keep up with such a competitive scene."

"Fair enough. It's a pain having to learn a new deck every month and change side decks accordingly for the format..."

"You're actually secretly quite a diligent person, aren't you? Takamine-kun." Nagare giggled.

"Only when it comes to Duel Monsters. I suck at anything else."

"Really? But you still get good grades in school."

"I do, but it's unwillingly... if I got crappy grades, I think mom would be disappointed in me about it. I don't want that."

Mom, overhearing my conversation with Nagare, hugged me from behind.

"Hey, that's not true... no matter what grades you get, I'd be happy with them as long as you tried your best."

"Yeah... but secretly, you want me to do well, don't you...?"

"Of course I do. I'd be really happy if you got good grades, Minoru."

Mom kissed my forehead.

"But just because I have great aspirations for you doesn't mean I have to pressure you into doing well at school. If there's one thing I'll be on top of you about, it'd be your ability to play Duel Monsters. Otherwise, I just want to see you happy."

"Mom... w-when you put it that way, fine. I swear I'll become top of the class one day!"

"That's my boy."

Mom kissed me on the cheek and stroked my hair.

"I'm gonna buy some packs and see if I can score big. See you guys in a bit." Takanori said.

"Alright, dear. But please don't spend too much... last time you did, your friend had to sell himself to another city to pay off the debt you two racked up."

Oi, oi, oi, don't drop a bombshell like that so casually on us, mom! Since when the hell did this happen?! She's never told me about him being in debt, or selling off his friend to pay it off! Isn't that, like... criminal?! Shouldn't he be arrested?!

"...I'll keep it two multis."

And don't talk about it in gacha terms either!

Mom sighed, taking a seat next to me and slumping her head on my shoulder.

"I don't think his wallet is going to be okay."

"I think you should break up with him to be honest, mom..."

"Hmm?"

"N-nothing!"

Yikes, that slipped out by accident. Good thing she didn't hear, or else that could've ended badly...

"A-anyways... we have some time to kill before the tournament, so..."

I pulled out my deck and put it on the table.

"Nagare-san, do you want to duel me?"

"...eh?"

Nagare squeaked in surprise, pointing at herself.

"Y-you... want to duel me?"

"Yeah! We've never played before, so I'm interested in what your deck is like."

"I don't think I'll be a good enough opponent though..."

"Eh, it's fine. We're just playing casually, so it's no biggie who wins or loses."

"Yeah, but I have a feeling you'll curb stomp me, Takamine-kun... you're ranked 10th, after all."

It should've been higher, considering I banished Mario's sorry ass deep into the shadow realm.

"What ranking are you?"

"I'm somewhere in the 300s... I don't remember exactly where, though."

Considering she didn't play Duel Monsters competitively or was even in a Wing, hovering somewhere around there was still very respectable. Most casuals don't even break up into the top 300. You have to be at least a little serious at the game to get there.

Mom lifted her head from my shoulder and leaned towards Nagare with a serious but welcoming smile.

"Nagare, you should play against Minoru. Even if you think you're not strong enough to fight against him, Duel Monsters is a game where the playing field can be levelled with just a single card. You're not as disadvantaged as you think you are."

Nagare, who looked cautious by mom's assertiveness, relaxed slightly as she received some well meaning advice.

"Besides, it's either that or I play him. And I'd win against Minoru every time, so it'd be boring."

Nagare laughed a little at mom's confidence, but she fully meant it. Hell, it was completely justified. I'd still yet to find a way to get over mom's Dragon Link without resorting to floodgates or playing decks that naturally counter hers.

"Ugh... this is why mom is so annoying to play against."

"Hey, what do you mean? I thought you enjoyed playing against me." Mom pouted.

"O-of course I do! I just don't like losing all the time..."

"Aww... sorry darling. I could hand you a free win, but we both know it'd be meaningless for your development."

"Yeah... and to be honest, I don't want to win that way either. It'd have about as much value as winning because you bricked."

Even when she does brick, mom finds ways to play through it regardless. She's just that good at the game.

"Good. Keep trying, okay? I know you'll get there someday."

Mom kissed me on the head again.

"Yeah. I'll do my best to win against you one day, mom!"

"I'll happily wait for the day you bury me then, darling."

Even if she was near impossible to overcome, I still want to beat mom one day... with this deck of mine, Lyrilusc, too.

"You two have such a cute relationship..."

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Nagare's soft giggles.

"A-ah? Y-y-you were watching the entire time?!"

"When you act this lovey-dovey in front of me, how can I not? You have a lovely mother, Takamine-kun."

"...please don't tell anyone at school."

"Eh? No way, could it be? Takamine-kun is shy about how close you are to your mother?"

I don't know how, but Nagare got it right. I could feel my face turn red from her scarily accurate guess.

"I'm a little offended, Minoru."

Mom, who didn't like that fact, once again pinched my cheeks and twisted them.

"Ow ow ow!"

...

.....

Mom kissed my cheeks.

"Good luck, Minoru."

"Thanks, mom..."

Nagare had agreed to a duel against me, and we were just about to start.

Apparently, she was hesitant to do it at first because she thought I would act how I would in school: aloof, cold, and distant. But after seeing how docile I was around mom, she became more comfortable with the idea of playing against me.

"Alright, looks like I won the dice roll!"

Nagare cheered as she got five, while I got two.

"Nope, that's fine with me. Go ahead."

Luckily, my deck was able to play going both first and second. Of course, being an OTK deck, I tailored it to going second, so I was feeling confident I could break any board Nagare sets up.

"In that case, let's duel!"

<[Sangria] Saionji Minoru (8000) vs [——] Nagare Raiya (8000)>

"Alright, let's see... since I control no monsters on the field, I'll start things off by special summoning Kashtira Unicorn from my hand!"

Hold up, Nagare uses Kashtira? What?! If that's the case, how the hell is she ranked so low then? This deck is giga stupid turbo fucking broken unless you draw Nibiru! There's no way I'm gonna be able to win this if she's gonna eat up all my board space!

"Unicorn's effect, I add Kashtiratheosis from my deck to my hand! Next, I'm normal summoning Harpie Channeler, and since I now control a level 6 or lower Wind monster, I can special summon Harpie's Pet Dragon - Fearsome Fire Blast from my hand in defence position!"

My head was spinning at this absurd combination. I had to do a double take at what I was seeing, because there was no way this was real.

On one side of the field, there was Kashtira Unicorn, a card from a broken meta archetype, and on the other side of the field was Harpie Channeler and it's Pet Dragon, cards from an archetype best known for their broken spell card.

Just how in the world did this deck work...? Where was the synergy between these cards? Why would she dilute a perfectly good Kashtira deck with Harpie cards? Nagare, you're killing me here...

"I'll use Channeler's effect to discard a Harpie Lady from my hand and special summon a Harpie Perfumer from my deck! Perfumer's effect, when she's summoned, I can add a spell or trap card that mentions Harpie Lady Sisters from my deck to my hand! But since I control a level 5 or higher Harpie monster, that being the Pet Dragon, I can add two of them to my hand instead! I'm grabbing Elegant Egotist and Alluring Mirror Split! Then, I'll activate Alluring Mirror Split as a continuous spell!"

Having never seen these cards before, I had to take my time reading through them. Even as I did, I still couldn't tell what Nagare was planning.

"Since I control a Dragon monster, Channeler's level becomes 7. This lets me overlay level 7 Harpie's Pet Dragon - Fearsome Fire Blast and Harpie Channeler! With these two monsters, I create the Overlay Network! Fly, rank 7! Xyz summon, Raidraptor - Arsenal Falcon!"

My jaw dropped. I looked over to mom to see if she was also confused, but of course, she looked completely unfazed by it. There wasn't even a hint of surprise on her face. If anything, it looked like she understood what Nagare was going for.

Did she actually figure out how Nagare's deck functioned based on just her few opening moves? If so, that means there's enough hints to figure it out myself too... I really need to hurry up and get a grasp on what she's doing, or else I'm going to be left behind...

"Arsenal Falcon's effect, I detach one material from him to special summon a level 4 Winged Beast monster from my deck. I special summon Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite! Now leap into the circuit of dreams and fly! The summoning conditions is two Dark Winged Beast Monsters! I set Raidraptor - Arsenal Falcon and Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite in the Link Arrows! Circuit combine! Link summon, Raidraptor - Wise Strix!"

"Wise Strix's effect, I special summon Raidraptor - Mimicry Lanius from my deck in defence position, but its effects are negated! Then, by taking 400 damage (8000 > 7600) and bouncing Alluring Mirror Split back to my hand, I can special summon Zephyros from my graveyard! Next I overlay level 4 Raidraptor - Mimicry Lanius and Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite! With these two monsters, I create the Overlay Network! Fly, rank 4! Xyz summon, Raidraptor - Force Strix!"

Okay, so basically, this has deck has somehow jumped from a Kashtira deck, to a Harpie deck, to now a Raidraptor deck. Nagare, please tell me you're going to somehow spin your way into Tri-Brigade, Lyrilusc, and Simorgh to complete the bird collection.

"Force Strix's effect, I detach a material to add Raider's Wing to my hand! This triggers Wise Strix's effect, letting me set one Rank-Up-Magic spell from my deck! I'll be setting Rank-Up-Magic Soul Shave Force! Next, I use Mimicry's effect in graveyard, banishing it to add Singing Lanius to my hand! Raider's Wing effect, I detach a material from Force Strix to special summon it! Singing's effect, since I control an Xyz monster, I special summon it! Now, leap into the circuit of dreams and fly! The summoning conditions are two Dragon or Winged Beast Monsters, except tokens!"

Wait, I've heard this line before.

I've heard it way too many times for my liking.

I glanced over at mom, who had a mild look of pleasant surprise on her face.

"I set Link 2 Raidraptor - Wise Strix and Raidraptor - Force Strix in the Link Arrows! Circuit combine! Link summon, Dragunity Knight - Romulus!"

Damn... she was now dipping her toes into Dragon Link too? Do I Ash this or what?

It was at this point I had been stumped. Throughly, extremely, and utterly stumped. Nagare's combo had genuinely stunned me. I tugged mom's sleeve, about to speak, but she shook her head and put a finger to my lips.

"Minoru. Let her cook."

"Romulus' effect, since he was Link summoned, I get to add Dragon Ravine to my hand! Then I'll activate it, discarding a card to send a Dragon monster from my deck to the graveyard! I send Destrudo the Lost Dragon's Frisson!"

Uh oh. That can't be good. Any combo that sends Destrudo means a level 7 Synchro is going to happen somewhere. Was it going to be Shooting Riser? Was she going to dump Nervall, use it's effects to summon Shuraig, and then Tri-Brigade combo me?

"Then I activate Elegant Egotist! Since I control a Harpie Lady, I special summon a Harpie Lady from my deck! Leap into the circuit of dreams and fly! The summoning conditions are two or more Wind monsters! I set Link 2 Dragunity Knight - Romulus and Harpie Perfumer in the Link Arrows! Circuit combine! Link summon, Hraesvelgr, the Desperate Doom Eagle!"

And of course, having no monsters in my graveyard, Hraesvelgr's attack shot up to 4800.

"Next, for the purposes of this Synchro summon, my Harpie Lady is treated as a tuner! Level 4 Harpie Lady tunes with level 4 Raidraptor - Singing Lanius! The alluring wings transform with bondage, scattering a gale whip of thorns and roses! Fly, level 8! Synchro summon, Cyber Slash Harpie Lady!"

So there really is a Harpie boss monster in this mess of a combo deck, huh? Let's see what else Nagare has in store for me.

"The effect of Destrudo in my graveyard! I target Raider's Wing and pay half my life points (7600 > 3800) to special summon him and reduce his level down by 4! Now, level 3 Destrudo the Lost Dragon's Frisson tunes with level 4 Raider's Wing! Fly, level 7! Synchro summon, Ancient Fairy Dragon!"

"Ancient Fairy Dragon's effect! I destroy as many field spells as possible, gain 1000 life points (3800 > 4800) and add a field spell from deck to hand! I choose Zombie World!"

Oh god, Nagare's going to use that floodgate against me? I can't say I was looking forward to it, especially since she had already set up a graveyard sniper and a bouncer on her field.

"Next I activate Kashtiratheosis! At the cost of locking myself into only being able to special summon Xyz monsters from the extra deck for the rest of the turn, I get to special summon a Kashtira monster with a different attribute to Unicorn from my deck to the field! I choose Kashtira Fenrir! Fenrir's effect, I add a Kashtira Riseheart from deck to my hand! And since I control a Kashtira monster, I can special summon Riseheart! Next I'll overlay level 7 Kashtira Unicorn and Ancient Fairy Dragon! With these two monsters, I create the Overlay Network! Fly, rank 7! Xyz summon, Kashtira Shangri-Ira!"

Now we're going back to Kashtira, huh? My head was still spinning, but slowly I was getting it. Nagare's deck had the potential to full power Kashtira combo me, but it also had additional ceiling thanks to the... Harpies? Raidraptors? ...Romulus?

Point was, instead of just locking out all my zones, Nagare could also snipe down my graveyard and bounce away any threats I try to summon or defence I try to set up. She had combined both proactive and reactive disruption.

"I activate Riseheart's effect to banish Kashtira Big Bang from my deck to banish the top three cards of your deck face down!"

Crap, and the milling has began... please don't be my one-of's, please don't be my one-of's... if Battle Fader ends up here, I'm gonna freak.

Thankfully, when I checked, it was just two spells and a monster. Could've been worse, but I'm glad it didn't hurt me too hard.

"Since I banished, Riseheart becomes level 7! Big Bang chain link 1, Shangri-Ira chain link 2! Each time a card you own is banished face down, I choose one of your unused zones and seal it! I choose the zone under the free extra monster zone. Big Bang's effect, when it's banished, I add the Kashtira Unicorn attached to Shangri-Ira to my hand, then special summon it! And since I successfully used the effect of Shangri-Ira, I can use just my level 7 Kashtira Riseheart as material to create the Overlay Network! Conquer everything in sight and bring it all down under the weight of falling stars! Fly, rank 7! Xyz summon, Kashtira Arise-Heart!"

Here it is... the Macro Cosmos on legs and the ultimate Zeus material maker... Arise-Heart, the Kashtira boss monster and graveyard killer.

"Next I overlay level 7 Kashtira Unicorn and Kashtira Fenrir! With these two monsters, I create the Overlay Network! With the wires of fate twisted and bound, the electronic beast reroutes the story and shortcuts the ending! Fly, my rank 7! Xyz summon, Number 89: Diablosis the Mind Hacker!"

The number 89 appeared below Nagare's right eye in neon red.

"...what?"

My jaw dropped.

"Surprised?"

Nagare giggled, hiding her smile behind the last two cards in her hand.

"I don't get many opportunities to show this card, so I'm glad I was able to today."

I was at a loss for words.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Nagare... this girl that I had been next sitting to the entire time...

She... she was also in control of a Number monster...?!

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise? We've ran into Number 89's owner today. I had no idea your classmate had one too, Minoru."

"I... I-I didn't know Nagare-san had that either, mom..."

Hell, I never even sensed it from her. Now that I owned three Numbers, I had become pretty good at feeling out for this kind of stuff. Nagare kept this fact a very well hidden secret, that's for sure.

"Then let me show you what Diablosis can do, Takamine-kun! By detaching a material from him, I can look through your extra deck and banish one card from among them!"

My eyes widened as Nagare started cycling through my Xyz monsters.

"Oh... I know just the card to get rid of."

Nagare took Number 83: Galaxy Queen from my deck and banished it face down.

"H... h-huh?"

In that moment, when I looked up at Nagare, she was unrecognisable.

"There! I got rid of your Number monster, Takamine-kun. Now you won't be able to get rid of mine."

All I could see was a demon.

An elegant demon eating away at my most precious things.

Everything I knew about Nagare had been thrown out the window.

All of my preconceptions about her had been shattered into pieces.

The thick smell of danger oozed from her like sap.

Why... was I scared of her?

I was the 10th strongest duelist in Eight...

There shouldn't be any reason for me to fear this 300-something ranked duelist...

And yet...

And yet...!

Somehow, Nagare was the one controlling me.

Somehow, Nagare was the one who turned the tables on me.

Somehow, Nagare, who should've been the prey, was now the predator in this duel.

And I...

I would be her first meal of the day.

"Since one of your cards was banished, three of my monster's effects activate! Diablosis chain link 1, Shangri-Ira chain link 2, Arise-Heart chain link 3! Arise-Heart's effect, I attach a banished card to him as material! I'll be attaching Big Bang! Shangri-Ira's effect, I'll seal off the monster zone in front of my extra monster zone! Diablosis's effect, I can banish cards from the top of your deck face down equal to the number of face down banished cards you have! Since you have four, I'll banish another four!"

My turn had yet to even began, and my deck was already down to 28 cards. Damn, this is the worst... maybe John was onto something, playing 60 cards in Earth Machine.

"This triggers Shangri-Ira's and Arise-Heart's effects again, in that chain link order! I attach your Galaxy Queen to Arise-Heart as material and then seal off your centre monster zone with Shangri-Ira!"

And just like that, not only had Nagare banished my Number monster, but she had also stolen it too.

My heart felt crushed. I felt empty.

It was like the moment I lost Galaxy Queen, the darkness from Dark Infinity and Gossip Shadow began seeping in.

But above all that...

It felt like mom had been stolen from me by another person.

And when that thought settled, I could see Takanori's face imprinted faintly on Nagare.

There weren't the same person... they weren't the same person...

I had to remind myself that, but it was no use.

My fear of Nagare spiked tenfold.

"Before I end my turn, I activate the Soul Shave Force I set earlier with Wise Strix! By paying half my life points (4800 > 2400) I special summon back Force Strix, then rank him up by two! Fly, rank 6! Xyz summon, Cyber Dragon Infinity!"

"Since Soul Shave was banished, Arise-Heart activates, and I put another material under him! Finally, I activate Zombie World, turning everything on the field and graveyard into Zombies! Turn end."

At the end of this long combo, Nagare had managed to set up a four material Macro Cosmos on legs, a graveyard sniper, a monster bouncer, a quick-play banisher, a deck miller, a zone locker, a negate, and a Zombie floodgate...

I took a deep breath, looking at the overwhelming puzzle before me. How the hell was I supposed to break this...? This board is ridiculous. It felt even more ridiculous knowing that Harpies of all archetypes had a helping hand in making it...

I looked at mom for guidance, but all she returned to me were confident eyes. Was this her way of encouraging me? Or was this her way of telling me that I had a way or the means to break it?

Nagare:
Hand: 1
LP: 2400
EMZ: X
XXXXX
OOOOO

Minoru:
Hand: 5
LP: 8000
EMZ: O
OOOOO
OOOOO

I couldn't see what mom was seeing, so all I could hope for was drawing into a Kaiju or Triple Tactics here to try and get around Nagare's menacing board. They were the only cards in my deck right now that could do anything against it.

The only going second card in my hand, Ultimate Slayer, was useless here. Arise-Heart's Macro Cosmos effect locked me out of paying it's cost, since it required me to send cards to graveyard. Maybe I could try to extend through her board...?

Wait.

As I scanned through her field, I noticed something.

Since Nagare checked my extra deck with Diablosis, she knows I have ZEUS, a card that can normally counter her board.

However, because she knew she was going to summon Infinity for a negate, she got greedy and banished my Number monster, thinking she could save Infinity's effect for when I try to ZEUS her.

In that case, to force the board clear through, I had to either bait the Infinity or make a ZEUS with four materials. Considering the latter option was basically impossible under Shangri-Ira locking three zones, my best option was somehow forcing the negate out.

But what if... the negate wasn't there to begin with?

Nagare had carefully constructed her board to cover multiple areas of protection, but it had one fatal flaw to it.

And my deck could exploit that flaw with a single level 1 monster.

"My turn, draw!"

It didn't matter what I got anymore. As long I had access to this monster, I could get through this field!

"Alright, I'll take a page out of your book and start things off just like how you did! Since I control no monsters, I special summon Turquoise Warbler from my hand! Since she was special summoned from hand, I can special summon a Lyrilusc monster from my hand! Come on out, Cobalt Sparrow! Sparrow's effect! Because she was special summoned, I get to add Sapphire Swallow from deck to my hand! Now open the circuit of victory! The summoning condition is one level 1 monster, except tokens! I set Lyrilusc - Turquoise Warbler in the Link Arrow! Link summon, Relinquished Anima!"

This was the monster that would overturn the situation.

Knowing that I played Lyrilusc, a deck full of level 1s, Nagare predicted I had access to Anima and built her board so that her weakest disruption, Cyber Slash Harpie Lady, would be placed right in front of my extra monster zone.

This means that if I tried to steal it, I wouldn't be taking one of her core strategy pieces, like Arise-Heart or Shangri-Ira. In that sense, she had protected them from being snatched.

However, what she failed to account for was ATK power.

Cyber Slash Harpie Lady had an ATK of 2600. Infinity had an ATK of 2300, since it only had one material.

This means, if Anima takes Harpie Lady and battles Infinity in a battle, Anima would win, destroying Nagare's singular negate!

That was hole in her defence I could exploit.

It was my only chance to get ZEUS through!

"Since your Warbler was banished, Arise-Heart's effect activates, letting me attach another material to him!"

That being said... Arise-Heart would be the one who kills my strategy. If Nagare catches onto this, she'll banish Anima without hesitation and seal off another two zones... most likely being my remaining monster zones.

Not to mention, Arise-Heart would gain another two materials, making it a seven material monster. If she keeps that pace up, she'll somehow have stacked more materials on him than I normally do on Nightingale!

Let's pray she doesn't notice, then...

"Alright. Next I activate Anima's effect, targeting the Cyber Slash Harpie Lady he's pointing to and equipping her to him!"

"That's fine."

When that happened, Nagare didn't think anything of it. She didn't play anything in response, probably because she expected this to happen. I kept quiet about the fact Anima gained ATK too, just so I wouldn't tip her off on my strategy.

Besides, if she predicted I'd Anima her, she knows what the card does. If she doesn't, then that's on her for not reading it. On the upside, with Harpie Lady's bounce out of the way, I could now activate my spells freely too.

"Next I activate Lyrilusc - Bird Call! I add Beryl Canary to my hand and special summon the Celestine Wagtail in my hand!"

"Since a card was banished, Arise-Heart gains another material!"

"Wagtail's effect, since she was special summoned, I add Bird Sanctuary to my hand! Now I overlay level 1 Lyilusc - Cobalt Sparrow and Lyrilusc - Celestine Wagtail! With these two monsters, I create the Overlay Network! Xyz summon, Kikinagashi Fucho!"

This was a very obscure Xyz monster, but it also had a very interesting effect. Despite having 0 ATK and DEF, it was unaffected by card effects and could become immune in battle.

Essentially, it was printed to be a one turn stall card for level 1 decks, but thanks to the release of new cards, it can evolve to become something even stronger.

"Since I used Sparrow as an Xyz material for a Fucho, a Wind monster, you can't target him for card effects! Next, I use Fucho's effect! By detaching two Xyz materials, he can't be destroyed by battle for the rest of the turn, and also, I take no battle damage involving this card! Now, battle!"

"Anima attacks Infinity! (2600)"

A strained look flashed across Nagare's eyes.

"Wait... what? But Anima has 0 ATK! How did it gain 2600?!"

"Didn't you know? Anima gets ATK equal to the equipped monster he steals!"

Nagare grit her teeth and smiled.

"That was cheeky of you, not saying anything about it."

"I thought you knew what it does... I didn't want to patronise you."

"I know it can steal monsters, but I totally forgot it gains power... ah, damn it! I didn't want to do this now, but you leave me with no other choice, Takamine-kun!"

Uh oh. I don't like the sound of this...

"I activate Arise-Heart's effect! By detaching three Xyz materials, I target your Relinquished Anima and banish it face down! This activates Arise-Heart's, Shangri-Ira's, and Diablosis' effects, in that chain link order! Since you have nine face down banished cards, Diablosis banishes the top nine cards of your deck!"

Crap, I only had 15 cards in deck now and over 20 cards banished... if I was playing Gren Maju, I'd be having a field day right now.

"Shangri-Ira will be sealing off your other monster zone and Arise-Heart gains another material! Then, the Big Bang that was detached from Arise-Heart as material will activate! Since it was banished, I return a Fenrir that's attached to Arise-Heart as Xyz material to my hand, then special summon it!"

Damn it, I completely forgot about Big Bang... I made a huge mistake in opening up one of her zones for her. Fenrir causes way more trouble for me than Harpie Lady does.

At first, I thought it was strange she filled everything out, since it meant she couldn't summon Unicorn or Fenrir off Shangri-Ira's standby effect, but it seems like she had accounted for it. She was saving Arise-Heart's effect for this sort of play.

"Then, on a new chain, since Diablosis banished more of your cards, Arise-Heart's and Shangri-Ira's effects activates! Since your other monster zone is occupied, I'll seal off your leftmost spell and trap zone, and Arise-Heart gets another material!"

At this point, I realised I had run out of options.

Even if I do get Fucho's attack through and make ZEUS, using it would trigger Infinity to negate it and Fenrir to banish it in retaliation, which would then cause Arise-Heart, Shangri-Ira, and Diablosis to activate once more in a perpetual loop.

And if that happened, I'd just lose to Diablosis.

I had 18 face down banished cards. My deck only had 15 cards.

If Nagare used Diablosis' effect, she would mill me out.

I stared at my hand, then stared at her board.

There was only one thing left I could do.

It was a small hope, but I clung onto it tightly.

After fighting so many incredible and intense duelists, I couldn't let something as small as this get in my way.

It'd be pathetic if I lost to Nagare now after beating Mario.

I took a deep breath and held it.

"I end my turn."

Once again, I had to bet everything on this Battle Fader in my hand.

Nagare:
Hand: 1
LP: 2400
EMZ: X
XXXXX
OOOOO

Minoru:
Hand: 5
LP: 8000
EMZ: O
XOOOO
OOOOO

"Draw! Sorry Takamine-kun, but I'm going to end it here."

Nagare stared at me with a fervour I'd never seen before.

"How so? My Kikinagashi Fucho is unaffected by card effects. You're gonna have to beat over him first to get to me!"

"I know. And I also know that you run Battle Fader in your deck too."

I flinched. I guess my "special method" wasn't so special now that everyone knew about it from my duel against Mario...

"If I attack directly, you'll negate it with Battle Fader to buy yourself another turn and try coming back that way."

Even though I physically couldn't make Xyz monsters anymore, since all but one of my main monster zones were locked up, all it took was me finding one removal card to get rid of Shangri-La and gain all my zones back.

If that happened, I could make Nightingale and swing directly to OTK her. I wouldn't even have to invest that much, since Nagare was down to less than 3000 life points.

She too was aware of her own fragility in this duel. If I broke her board, her follow up would practically be non-existent. Especially since I had five cards in hand, while she only had two.

It was clear that, in terms of stabilising after breaking her board, I had a much larger advantage. In Nagare's mind, any combination of the unknown cards in my hand could possibly steal the win from under her.

That's why she had to win now.

So, what could Nagare do in this moment?

I wondered that too.

What was the missing puzzle piece that would give her an assured victory without even attacking into me?

That's when I saw it.

My eyes widened.

Seeing that, Nagare nodded.

"It seems you understand now, Takamine-kun."

The number 89 under her eye began glowing even brighter.

"Diablosis' effect. By detaching one Xyz material, I banish a monster from your extra deck. I choose Lyrilusc - Assembled Nightingale."

And with that, my fate was sealed.

"This activates Arise-Heart, Shangri-Ira, and Diablosis. However, the only one I need to use is Diablosis."

Nagare's tone became icy cold in an instant.

"Since your card was banished face down, I banish cards from the top of your deck face down equal to the number of face down banished cards you have. You have nineteen cards, meaning your entire deck will disappear—"

I watched as she closed her open hand into a fist, sending all my cards in deck flying up into the air.

"Tear it all up, Elegant Diablos!"

They scattered around, landing in a mountainous pile on top of my banished zone, signalling the end of the duel.

If this had been an official match, I...

I looked up at Nagare.

"Good game, Takamine-kun!"

"G-good game, Nagare-san..."

I shook her hand, albeit a bit shakily.

I had no idea she was so good at Duel Monsters.

I had no idea she had such a powerful card in her possession.

I had been completely naive in this duel against her...

Before, I saw her as just a sweet classmate who sat next to me.

But after this... I have a whole new impression of Nagare.

And to be honest...

I was scared.

When she stole Galaxy Queen from my extra deck, it felt like I had been violated.

The card I loved most... taken from me just like that.

Even now, as I'm sitting across her, that fear won't go away.

It's rippling out.

Slowly.

Silently.

Surely.

This was a different sort of fear from what I experienced against mom when our Wings clashed.

It wasn't like the fear I experienced while being held captive by Mario.

It was closer to the fear I felt while around Takanori.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"N... Nagare-san."

But even though I'm scared...

"Yes, Takamine-kun?"

I'm also enamoured to learn more about her, and about her deck.

"Can we... can we, uh, play again? I want to try beating your deck."

Her eyes widened.

"Are you sure...? Most people don't want to play against me after facing something like that... I can change decks if you'd like."

"No... I want you to use that deck again. I want to find a way to beat you, Nagare-san!"

She smiled softly and giggled.

"Okay... I don't mind, but the tournament is starting soon. Didn't you want to sign up and play in it?"

"Oh, crap... yeah. I guess that game took longer than I thought."

"Don't worry about it. We can play some other time, like at school."

"Yeah."

I sighed. After getting my ass handed to me by Nagare, I didn't want things to end here though.

"A-actually, Takamine-kun..."

"Huh?"

"I was just wondering... which high school are you planning on going to?"

I scratched my cheek.

"Um... why do you ask?"

"J-just curious..."

I looked over at mom before shrugging.

"I haven't decided yet."

"Oh... you're not going to Neo Duel Academy?"

"Ehhh... it depends."

I tried to get in before when I was younger, in the middle school division, but I failed the entrance exam. Some lady Bishbaalkin'd me.

"I see... umm, please consider going then."

"Oh, I am, I'm just not settled on it or anything."

"Mm, that's great! I'm glad to hear."

Nagare flashed another smile again.

"I-I'll be right back, I need to go help grandpa. Don't do anything while I'm gone!"

She got up and briskly ran towards the old man. I sighed, turning to mom.

"I'm exhausted..."

I leaned my head against her shoulder, and she pat my head.

"You did your best to try and breakthrough. It can't be helped you lost."

"Yeah... I guess I gotta update my deck again. Next time, I'll bring actual ways to stop to Nagare-san!"

"She's quite the peculiar girl, isn't she? But you know, I..."

Mom mumbled something after that, but I couldn't hear it.

"Hmm? What did you say, mom?"

"O-oh, nothing."

She cleared her throat, shaking her head.

"High school, huh... Nagare does bring up a good point. It's not long until your final year of middle school ends. We need to decide on a place for you to go to."

"If I could choose, I'd skip high school so I could stay by your side all day, mom."

I hugged her arm and looked up at her. She smiled and kissed me on the nose.

"Aww, darling... mommy would like that too, but your education is still important. I want you to get a PhD in Duel Monsters one day."

"G-geh... that's thinking way too far off into the future, mom. One step at a time, please?"

"Ah, yes, yes. Graduate from high school first."

I nodded.

It did make me think... which high school should I go to?

I don't know why, but one school still stuck out in particular for me.

Whether it was because of my own ambitions, or because of what Nagare asked me earlier... I couldn't get Neo Duel Academy out of my head.

...

.....

The tournament wrapped up, and me and mom were getting ready to leave the card shop for today.

Unfortunately, I lost, crashing out in third place. That bastard Takanori won, but he has a turn skip deck, so of course he would.

To my surprise, Nagare didn't play. She was just helping out as a judge and watched everyone else have fun.

I wondered if that was the reason why there was such a huge disconnect in the gap between her actual skills and her rankings...

Though, to be honest, I didn't really want to think about that too hard right now. I was exhausted after playing so much Duel Monsters today.

Thankfully, Takanori left ahead of us to sort out some "personal" business. Knowing that scumbag, he probably went off to go cheat on mom with some other chick. He just gives me that sort of vibe.

"You're certainly more clingy today than usual, Minoru..."

Mom teased me a little as I held onto her waist as we walked home together.

"Shaddap, I'm just tired..."

That, and I know we won't get days where it's just the two of us like this very often anymore.

Now that I was out of hospital, things would return to how it was before...

...and I'd be alone again.

"Would you like me to give you another piggyback ride then?"

I nodded, smiling a little, before getting up and climbing on mom's back.

Feeling all the heaviness in my body dissipate as she carried me safely back home, my eyelids began growing droopy.

I yawned, holding on tightly onto mom's shoulders and nuzzling my cheek against hers.

The warmth overflowing from mom as she held me put my mind at ease.

In the distance, behind the bridge built over the lake we were walking by, the golden sun was beginning to set.

"Minoru... can mommy tell you something?"

As my drowsiness settled in, I couldn't really hear mom that clearly anymore.

"I thought I'd never be able to enjoy looking at a sunset ever again after you were kidnapped."

My vision phased in and out of darkness as my eyes were on the verge of closing.

"But... instead, I've grown to love them even more because of you."

"Mmm?"

Pathetically, that was the only sound I could make right now.

Mom laughed, before warmly kissing my cheek.

"Because you saved me, I know that even when the sun sets and I can see nothing but darkness, you'll still be here to light up the world for me, Minoru."

For some reason, my heart started to hurt.

"You're my sun, darling. A little bundle of joy that gives me hope, even when I'm sunk in the deepest of despairs."

The corner of my eyes stung.

"I hope that you'll never forget that I love you, Minoru. I love you so, so, so much, darling."

Was I in a dream...?

With such sweet words leaking from mom's mouth, I couldn't tell if it was real, or if I was just imagining things.

Even so, I couldn't let her be the only one saying that.

Not when I love her more.

"I love you too, mom... I love you more than you can even imagine..."

I wanted to hold onto mom forever.

My arms tightened around her.

Mom's giggles reached my ears softly.

I could melt away in this moment.

No... rather, I should've.

But suddenly, a familiar voice manifested itself in front of me and mom.

"Saionji Yuuri."

Opening my eyes slightly, I caught a glimpse of who it was.

And when I did, I became fully awake.

"That would be me... and you are?"

The woman in front of us smiled slightly.

"I'm Kazuraba Yukina. A former member of Sunglow."

Mom stepped back cautiously.

"And I was the one who sabotaged Mario Enmitsu's plans."