And you're telling me you're an AI with emotions?!
"So are you an artificial intelligence, or... an electronic life-form?" Hara Shichi could not help asking.
If it was an electronic life-form... then it was very likely the power of "Link."
"Does that question matter?" aaa76 did not directly answer Hara Shichi's question, merely saying coldly, "Leave. If you still want to come back."
"Let's go, let's go." Ai, who had remained silent the whole time, hurriedly patted Hara Shichi on the shoulder and urged him along. "Why do you care what she is? If she's willing to let us freeload, she's a great person!"
"Fine, see you tomorrow." Hara Shichi did not waste any more words.
"Hehe, humans truly are insatiably greedy." aaa76 mocked them, but she did not refuse.
"By the way, A-Qi."
As they walked back to the dormitory, Ai suddenly spoke up.
"What is it?" Hara Shichi looked at Ai's pale-blue dress, wondering whether she did not get tired of wearing the same outfit every day.
"Should we investigate that masked girl?" Though Ai had not spoken at the time, she had heard every word of the conversation between Hara Shichi and Crimson Lotus.
"Uh... forget it. It sounds like too much trouble." Hara Shichi waved a hand.
"But she knows who we are, while we don't know who she is. What if she reports us?" Ai asked worriedly. They had only just found a way to freeload in the long term.
"She won't. If we tighten our defenses when the time comes, she'll be the one at a disadvantage."
For the girl, replenishing Duel Power was essential.
Otherwise, she would not even be able to duel.
"Sigh, inviting someone to join us failed again. Hopefully, we can find some decent teammates tomorrow." Hara Shichi sighed.
"I'm still saying the same thing: just pull in someone who can give us free wins. A 4–1 record will do." Ai said indifferently.
"Even if you put it that way... what if, what if one of us loses?" Hara Shichi said softly. "Sera's Traptrix deck is strong, but its field-clearing and damage output aren't stable enough. Going second can easily put her at a disadvantage, and going first, if she bricks on monsters or traps, goes without saying. Julie's ace, Dragon Necro, is extremely aggressive, but it has no disruption outside its turn and no protection, so it can be removed easily. Yukikaze... I'm grateful she's stayed with me this long."
Even... Hara Shichi himself could not guarantee that he would defeat the girl named Crimson Lotus one hundred percent of the time.
Yu-Gi-Oh! was that kind of game, one filled with "possibilities." A duel was full of unexpected twists, and even with perfect skill, you could still lose for all sorts of reasons.
Of course, if it were like Go, relying entirely on technical skill, it would lose its charm.
"That's why I think a world that puts dueling above all else is awful." Hara Shichi complained.
"I feel the same way, so do your best, Hara Shichi."
A bright smile bloomed on Ai's adorable face. She held out her soft little fist toward Hara Shichi. "Let's change this twisted world together!"
Under the bright moonlight, Hara Shichi extended his fist and gently bumped it against hers. "Yeah."
"Hehehe, didn't that just feel like something out of a hot-blooded shonen manga?!" Ai asked excitedly.
"No." Hara Shichi replied flatly.
"Huh? Why not?!"
"Have you ever seen a hot-blooded manga protagonist whose cheat ability was as weak as yours? You still can't even print a standard competitive deck." Hara Shichi gave her a sidelong glance.
Ai's little face reddened as she argued, "Competitive decks aren't that easy to print... Haven't I already printed lots of powerful cards...?"
What followed was a string of incomprehensible explanations about "insufficient energy" and "not all cheat abilities can be compared," which made Hara Shichi burst into laughter. The quiet night filled with cheerful air.
The next afternoon, because Hara Shichi had defeated Kiritani Aki yesterday, a steady stream of people came to take the "assessment."
However... even now, no one had earned Yukikaze's or Julie's approval.
Come to think of it... had Yukikaze become this strong already?
Hara Shichi could not help looking toward Yukikaze, who was currently dueling. Going first, she had a powerful Counter Trap Card like Hay Fever. Going second, she had Six Flowers Blizzard paired with the archetype's various tributing effects to clear the field. She could easily bring out the archetype's big sister, Flower Princess Snowdrop, while Rosemary of the Six Flowers, her starter, kept jumping back and forth from the Graveyard to generate resources... Hiss.
Hara Shichi could not help drawing a sharp breath. Terrifying, truly terrifying. Yukikaze, sorry for underestimating you last night. You were strong now, very strong!
"Next." After easily using Snowdrop to deal with her opponent, Yukikaze called out again.
Then she saw a petite figure. It was a "Porcelain Doll" completely out of place amid the surrounding crowd. She looked so fragile that she seemed as though she could be accidentally shattered at any moment, yet her cold, frost-laden gaze seemed to tell everyone that whoever broke her would also be cut by her sharp fragments.
"N-Nero, what are you doing here?" Yukikaze asked blankly.
"Didn't you say I had to pass the 'assessment' to join you?"
A black Duel Disk appeared around Nero's slender, frail arm. Raising it, Nero said, "So I came to duel."
A Second Clash: Yukikaze vs. Nero!
"Huh, aren't you from the Crimson Lotus Society too? You humiliated yourselves yesterday, and now you're back to give away another win?"
Covering her mouth, Sera snickered. "Why does that old hag Crimson Lotus only know how to send her underlings to cause trouble? Why is she hiding in the club lounge instead of coming out herself? Go back and tell her for me: stop skulking around. I, Sera, will be right here in Training Room Seven waiting for her to duel me today. If she doesn't come, she's a coward!"
"Can you beat Crimson Lotus?" Hara Shichi asked curiously.
"Easily." Sera clapped her little hands and lifted her delicate chin high, exposing her slender, fair neck before Hara Shichi.
Nero gave Sera a faint glance. Her rosy lips parted slightly, revealing clear, porcelain-white teeth. "Surname?"
"Sera Cordola." Sera replied, still holding her head high.
"Mhm, I'm Nero.Arisa." After nodding, Nero looked at Sera with utmost seriousness. "The junior high division is in the eastern part of the academy. No need to thank me."
Sera's fair little face immediately darkened, and her voice turned gloomy. "Good. Very good. You've successfully angered me. Junior Hara Shichi, don't stop me. Today, I absolutely must send her plunging into a bottomless abyss of despair!"
"Senior, I wasn't stopping you." Hara Shichi expressionlessly took a step back, moving away from the pretend-angry Sera.
That was right. Though Sera was being verbally aggressive, she had stood in the same place the entire time without any intention of moving.
"Um... are you really here for the assessment, not to cause trouble?" Yukikaze, who had not spoken until now, asked hesitantly.
"If you're here to make trouble, get off the stage." Someone behind Nero shouted, "Don't waste my time. Lots of people are still waiting in line."
"Exactly. Why's someone from the Crimson Lotus Society here to join the fun? Even Senior Kiritani Aki ran off in disgrace yesterday."
"There's no rule saying members of the Crimson Lotus Society can't participate, is there?" Nero looked at Yukikaze.
"There isn't." Yukikaze said.
"Then can we begin?" Nero placed her slender fingers on her deck, seemingly ready to draw five cards.
"Ah... yes, we can begin." Yukikaze hastily raised her Duel Disk.
"Then... duel."
"Duel!"
"Beep!"
The moment the words fell, Yukikaze's Duel Disk began to glow.
Yukikaze unconsciously bit her lower lip. Was she choosing who went first or second again this time?
Then, should she choose to go second?
Or... go first?
In an instant, Yukikaze fell into hesitation.
"Hey, something seems off about Yukikaze." Sera rose onto her tiptoes and whispered near Hara Shichi's neck.
Yes, even on tiptoes, she could not reach Hara Shichi's ear.
"Yukikaze has dueled Nero once before." Hara Shichi bent down slightly.
"Mm... judging from this, she probably lost." Sera said thoughtfully. "If I'd known, I would've stepped in myself just now."
"Leave it to Yukikaze." Hara Shichi looked at the girl's graceful back. "She's not the same as before."
While they spoke quietly on the side, Yukikaze had already made her decision.
"I choose... to go first!" Yukikaze declared as she drew five cards from her deck.
"Are you serious?" Nero's expressionless little face shifted slightly. Last time, going first had been understandable when Yukikaze did not know her deck, but this time, she clearly knew that Nero's Soul Birds excelled at going second and finishing opponents off. Yet she still chose to go first?
"Yes, I'm choosing to go first." Yukikaze said as she decisively slapped Rosemary of the Six Flowers from her hand onto the Duel Disk. "I Normal Summon Rosemary of the Six Flowers and activate her effect, adding Flower Princess Peony from my deck to my hand."
Though she did not know why she always got to appear at the start, Rosemary of the Six Flowers still excitedly appeared on the dueling field, her adorable face shining with a pure, flawless smile.
"Next, I activate Flower Princess Snowdrop's effect in my hand. I tribute Rosemary of the Six Flowers on the field to Special Summon both Peony and Snowdrop from my hand!" Without mercy, Yukikaze sent the newly summoned Rosemary of the Six Flowers to the Graveyard and slapped the two monsters from her hand onto the Duel Disk.
"I activate Peony's effect to search a 'Rikka' Spell or Trap Card from my deck. I add Six Flowers Blizzard to my hand."
"Six Flowers Blizzard... Unlike before, when she focused on offense and defense, Yukikaze is already planning for the next turn?" Ai had somehow appeared and was watching the duel.
"The key is whether she'll even have a next turn." Hara Shichi knew very well that Yukikaze's deck did not contain cards like Threatening Roar or Messenger of Peace that could forcibly end the Battle Phase. Facing a Soul Bird triple bounce, she was in great danger.
"I activate the Continuous Spell Card—Six Flowers Blizzard. Then I set two cards and end my turn!"
"My turn, draw."
Nero lightly glanced at the card she drew, then slapped it onto the Duel Disk. "I Normal Summon Hand of the Six Samurai."
A hideous monster covered in arms appeared on the dueling field, letting out a low growl. It formed a stark contrast with the two youthful, beautiful girls on Yukikaze's field.
But for duelists, a monster's appearance was usually unimportant. Useful effects and strong attack power were what determined a monster's worth.
"I activate Hand of the Six Samurai's effect to search a Ritual Monster or Ritual Spell from my deck."
"Don't even think about it! I chain the Trap Card—Breakthrough Skill! I negate your Hand of the Six Samurai!" Yukikaze flipped over her Set Card and negated Nero's Hand of the Six Samurai.
Watching the Hand of the Six Samurai on the field wilt like an eggplant struck by frost, Nero's long eyelashes trembled faintly. The sight reminded her of their previous duel. Only, last time it had been Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi that was negated, whereas this time it was Hand of the Six Samurai.
"I continue by activating the Spell Card—Ritual of Descension." Nero inserted a Spell Card from her hand into the Duel Disk. "Tribute monsters from my hand or field until their total Levels equal or exceed the Level of the monster to be Ritual Summoned..."
"Chain!"
Before Nero could finish, Yukikaze abruptly flipped her final Set Card. "I activate the Counter Trap Card—Hay Fever!"
"I tribute Snowdrop on my field to negate the activation of Ritual of Descension!"
Ritual of Descension, which had been radiating a mysterious glow, was struck by a flash of red light and immediately dimmed.
"Yukikaze has quite the talent." Sera could not help saying. "She's mastered the use of Counter Trap Cards so quickly?"
"No, she's forcing herself to stay composed." Hara Shichi pointed at Yukikaze's faintly trembling calves. "And if this is all she has... it probably won't stop Nero."
"Next, I activate Six Flowers Blizzard's effect. It can only be activated when a 'Rikka' monster on my field is tributed. My opponent must tribute one monster on her field!" Yukikaze pressed on.
"Is that all?" Nero disappointedly sent the only monster on her Duel Disk—Hand of the Six Samurai—to the Graveyard.
"What do you mean?" Yukikaze could not help frowning.
Nero did not answer Yukikaze. She merely expressionlessly slid a card from her hand into the Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card—Preparation of the Rites."
Yukikaze's little face immediately drained of color.
That kind of thing is impossible for me!
She had... been tricked?!
Had all of Nero's previous plays been to ensure that Preparation of the Rites in her hand could activate successfully?!
No, activating Hay Fever was not wrong. It was Breakthrough Skill. Breakthrough Skill should have been saved for Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi to prevent the OTK...
Yukikaze's breathing involuntarily quickened. It felt as though a giant hand had squeezed her heart; it abruptly stopped, then began pounding fiercely.
Sure enough, should she have chosen to go second?
There had clearly been no benefit at all to going first... so why had she chosen to go first?
"Because you were unwilling to accept it." A cold voice rang out. Yukikaze sharply turned her head and discovered that at some point, a silver-haired little girl in a pale-blue dress had floated into the air like a ghost, looking down at her with deep eyes.
"Y-You... who are you?" Yukikaze asked nervously.
"Who I am isn't important. What matters is that you're now bound hand and foot by your own 'arrogance,' which is why you ended up in this situation." Ai said with her arms crossed.
"'Arrogance,' or something..." Yukikaze wanted to refute her, but it was as though a stone had lodged in her throat, leaving her unable to make a sound.
Seeing that Yukikaze did not speak, Ai continued, "Losing to Nero.Arisa last time has continued to weigh on your mind, so this time, you chose to go first because you wanted to prove yourself again."
Before you continue