The last five months passed by in a blur.
With nothing major happening- beyond being driven insane by the fact I had no internet or trashy fanfictions to read- I just continued my new daily routine... Which was training.
Of course, about three months in, I had finally lost my patience and decided to give both Thalia and Uta a crash course on Duel Monsters. Luckily, both had watched the duel videos I'd uploaded several times, so they had a pretty strong understanding of the rules already. Thalia- who had bought a skill that countered and cured the part of her Dyslexia that made reading difficult- loved the game. Rather interestingly, she favoured an Elemental Hero Deck.
When I asked why, she explained that she was a big fan of Power Rangers when she was younger. She could recall watching it growing up, it was one of the few times back in her old home that Thalia remembered being happy- when she watched the Power Rangers defeat the monsters.
Uta, rather predictably, favoured a Melodious Deck. Songstresses and Divas who attacked by singing- as if it were any surprise such a deck would be favoured by the girl who ate the Uta-Uta no Mi.
Strangely enough, playing Duel Monsters- even tabletop- was very therapeutic for me. It was likely due to living in a Yu-Gi-Oh world, where Duel Monsters was the lifeblood of the world. While the game could also be tense and dangerous, it was- primarily- a game and it helped me relax to face off against others.
Right now, Uta and I were sitting around playing a game inside the Apollo Cabin.
Thalia had gone with Penny and Annabeth after following a call from Grover- their Satyr Friend- about two demigods he had found. They'd met up with Penny's mother and were getting a ride to Grover's location- Westover Hall in Maine.
Thalia had gone quiet last night, and Uta was worried- but I knew the truth. Annabeth had almost certainly just been kidnapped by Thorn, and Thalia was still in shock and lashing out that her 'sister' had been stolen away.
That was why the two of us were having a duel, to help Uta relax and stop thinking about it.
"Pandora's Box's effect," I spoke leisurely. "I Special Summon Pandora, Magician of Zenith from my Graveyard. Then, Pandora's skill. In exchange for Ira, the Furious Sin being unable to attack this turn, Pandora gains his ATK- 3000. Then, I'll use the effect of Pandora's Box. By destroying Ira and Superbia, I destroy your monsters. Pandora attacks you directly with her 6000 ATK for game."
"Aw..." Uta pouted. "I lost again... Can't you take it easy on me? You know that I'm still a beginner of the game!"
"If I take it easy on you, then you'll beat me," I told Uta. She and Thalia had picked up the game very fast and were legitimate threats- they'd even beaten me a few times. Granted, they were also playing Decks that were ahead of my own in terms of the META. They owned regular Yu-Gi-Oh cards that were compatible with Duel Disks, but didn't have any spirits. So, Thalia was running cards like Shining Neos Wingman.
The only reason I was keeping up with them was because I had Duel Spirits stacking my deck to give me optimal opening hands.
"How do you think Thalia's doing?" Uta asked me, her voice laced with worry, showing just how much the uncertainty of Thalia being okay was affecting her.
"You know you could send her a message through the group chat," I reminded Uta. "And besides, even if- hypothetically- Thalia were in danger, I'm almost certain the group chat would tell us. I mean, just look at the timing of the World Mission we got. We got it right after Thalia said that she was free and then stopped responding."
Uta blinked and hummed. "Huh, I hadn't really considered that... So, the chatroom wants to keep us alive... But what for? Why go through all this effort to ensure our survival?"
"Sometimes there is no reason," I told Uta. "Sometimes, things simply are."
"You aren't even a little curious about this chatroom?" Uta asked, seemingly in disbelief.
"I am," I admitted. "How could I not be? However, the Chatroom- beyond letting me meet all of you- hadn't really changed anything for me in the long term. In the end, I'm going to stand at the heights of Duelling in my world- and become the next Duel King."
Uta blinked at my words, seemingly losing interest in her previous tangent and focusing her eyes on me more fully. "Duel King?" She asked.
"You've likely seen Alexis and I mention that in the chat a few times," I told her. "Duel King is a title. A title given to the greatest of Duellists. Not just anyone can be a Duel King, and some Duel Kings aren't given the official title. But Duel Kings are the people who define the era in which they live. It's been over 50 years since the world last saw a Duel King. That is why I will revive the title of Duel King and etch my name into history."
Uta stared at me... She didn't quite understand what I meant, but she did understand one thing- that I desired to etch my name into history, just as countless others did before me. Just as Gol D. Roger did in her world. Just as Shanks had in her world.
It was the first time I had truly voiced this out loud myself, but it was the truth.
I wanted to become a Legend.
"Why?" Uta finally asked. "Why do you want that?" She wasn't accusing, simply curious.
I hummed and gathered my cards, shuffling my deck slowly. "Uta, do you believe in Fate?"
She blinked at my seeming change in topic. "I've never really thought about it," she admitted. "But, given what we know about prophecies in this world... I guess I do believe in Fate."
"I also believe in Fate," I told her. "But more than I believe in Fate... I believe in Destiny."
Uta furrowed her brow. "Aren't they the same thing?"
"No," I shook my head. "Fate is that everything has a pre-determined outcome. No matter how you fight it, events will line up to bring the thing you fear coming to pass. One often meets their fate on the road to avoid it," I quoted. "But Destiny is different. Destiny is the idea that the collective actions you take ultimately lead to the destination you arrive at. In other words, Fate is something you can't change, determined by a higher power. But Destiny is the fate you hold within your own hands, able to decide your own future. Your choices have meaning."
She remained silent for a moment. "... What does this have to do with my question?"
"You asked me why," I told her. "And that is why. It may not be my Fate to become the Duel King. After all, countless people have tried, and they all failed... But it is my Destiny to become the Duel King. I want to become the Duel King, because I want to be remembered. I want the future generations to look back at me and believe I could face off against the Duel Kings before me. I want them to witness me and think 'He was the greatest Duel King.' And that is the Destiny I choose. That is why I want to be Duel King. Because it is the Destiny that I chose for myself."
I cast my eyes towards Uta. "Don't you also have a goal that you are striving for?"
A slow smile crawled onto her face. "I see..." She nodded at my words. "I think I get it now... Beyond just that, it's also just a simple case of 'If I'm going to do this, then I'm going to be the best,' right?"
"That's right," I nodded at her words. "If I'm going to Duel, then why not aim for the stars? Those who are remembered become immortal. And that is the immortality I seek- remembrance..." I chuckled. "Of course, if the group chat gave me immortality, then I wouldn't say no to that either."
"And it's the same for you," I added. "If you're going to be a Diva, an Idol... Then aim for the stars. Aim to be the greatest Diva the world had ever seen. Make it so when you're an old woman, telling stories to your grandchildren, they'll already know that their grandmother was the greatest Diva to ever walk the planet- who defined an entire generation and shaped countless others after her."
"If, in the end, you can do that... Then you have truly accomplished your dreams."
There was silence between us for a while...
And then Uta smiled widely as she stared at me. "... You know," she giggled, "You sort of remind me of an old friend... He was just like you- a fool. Always screaming about how he was going to be the pirate King, even though he could never beat me in a competition no matter how hard he tried. Single-mindedly pursuing your ultimate objective..." She giggled. "I think I had a little crush on him back then."
"Is this a confession?" I asked in a slightly joking voice.
To my surprise, however, Uta didn't immediately deny it. Instead, she smiled slowly, "Well, I have noticed you staring at my legs an awful lot... And you look rather good after six months of training too..."
I gulped... Akiza was one thing, but I wasn't mentally prepared for this from Uta!
She laughed lightly and shook her head. "No, it's not a confession," she told me. "But I can definitely say that I admire you and your ambition. I won't lie and say that it isn't attractive either, your dreams rival and are even greater than mine. But, thanks to you, now my dreams have evolved to the next level."
"Just being a Diva isn't good enough anymore. And not just in one world either. I'll be the first Diva to span the multiverse, to draw eyes from countless people across multiple worlds! I'll be the greatest Diva in all creation itself!"
She gave me a grin, as bright as the sun itself.
"I hope you can keep up with me, Yuno~"
I stared at her in silence for a few moments.
And then I felt a smile crawl onto my lips.
"Challenge accepted."
She smiled widely before she leaned in and pressed her lips against my cheek, my eyes widening in surprise at her bold actions.
She pulled back with a little grin. "Got you~" She grinned, doing the same clawing gesture on either side of her head that she loved to do whenever she won.
I just chuckled softly, wiping my cheek. "Shall I take that kiss as a declaration of war from you, Miss Diva?"
"I guess you could take it that way," she agreed easily. "Like I said, I admire you... But you know, admiration is just a step or two away from feelings of love, you know. Maybe one day, I'll be placing a kiss on your lips~"
She licked her lips slowly, making them glisten.
"And I should warn you, I'm a very needy girl~"
I couldn't help but laugh in amusement... I wouldn't deny that these six months with Uta had made me feel something strong for both her and Thalia, I would be a fool to try and deny it. After all, I already admired them long before in my previous life and, like Uta said, love was just a few steps away from admiration.
"I'll win," I told her.
"You'll try," she grinned, lifting up her cards and shuffling her deck before she set it down. "Now, another game!"
I chuckled and shuffled my own cards, setting them down before I drew five.
"Duel!"
.
.
.
I made my way outside of the Hermes Cabin in the early hours of the morning as a loud crash was heard outside, along with the sound of steaming and water bubbling.
The sight of the steaming golden bus sitting in the water was an amusing sight, especially as the doors opened up and girls dressed in silver hunting gear filed out, all of them looking disgruntled. Trailing not far behind were Penny, Thalia, Grover, and a girl with short black hair and sparkling eyes as she looked around the camp.
I let out a sigh and gave a wry smile.
It seemed the time for training had finally come to an end.
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I've gotten enough reviews about it that I'm going to address it here.
The ability Yuno received is not the ability to summon Duel Monster cards or use their effects in the real world. He already has those powers built in as part of his Dark Signer abilities.
When his ability is revealed, I'll add a description of the ability itself at the end of the chapter.