Arc-V: Cultivating Future

A Little Exposition

"That. Was. Tiring..." I groaned before dropped on the freshly bough futon. Today's events finally crashed down on me.

First, dealing with that moron Sawatari. Then, You Show School and Action Duel with Yuzu. That alone drain my stamina. Next, creating a bank account before goes apartment hunting. I found a nice one within my range price. It's IR apartment, but it's furnished with refrigerator and stuff, so I don't have to buy them up later. The process acquiring it was bit more complicated than I'd like, though. Thank Haou the identification card in my wallet work or I have to answer some unpleasant questions.

Which, can be spanner in the works.

"It can't be worse, isn't it?" Commented Bergamot.

"Don't tell me something I already know." I groaned and rolled over. "So..."

"Hm?"

"Since when you can manifest and talk?" I asked. "And can the others do the same? No. they definitely can. Rosemary is still a chatter as ever. I thought when we leave That Palace, you guys lost ability to communicate." I don't remember in Arc-V Duel Spirits can talk to their masters. Well, there's been hinted that Zarc and his pieces can communicate, to a degree, but it was more of reading the transmitted emotions than actual conversation like this.

"Your Brooch."

"My... Brooch?" I unpin the brooch from my breast and stare at it.

It was, sorta "graduation gift" from my... mentors. Right before I arrived in this dimension. "What about it?"

"It was imbued with Shadow Magic."

...if I was drinking, it would go down the wrong pipe.

"Seriously?!"

"En." He sat cross-legged. "It was more than proof that you're ready to take on this journey. It was so that it would be easier for you to activate your dormant magic." I... do recall the words. That I had some dormant magic inside me. That was the reason why my soul managed to found its way to YGO-verse instead yeeted to afterlife. I don't have expectation about it, though. "The necklace and the magic inside it would act as, let's say, a magnet. A force that drawing it out. It takes time, though."

I figure. The first time I dueled, my monster only has some small interactions. The second time, Bergamot and Rosemary can talk freely, though no one seem to notice it.

"Why no one notice it?"

"Take one to understand one." Was his reply. "To those without magic or psychic power, we would appear as they expect us to behave. A normal hologram created by scientific advance machine. Same with very dormant power."

That implying Yuya and Yuzu either have none, or theirs are so dormant on top of them being oblivious to it, thinking it was just "normal" behavior of Action Duel monster. Well, considering the holograms are really well-made, they can't be blamed for the misunderstanding.

"Does that mean, the more I dueled, the wore it'll drawn out?"

"Precisely."

Good thing I don't lack of opponents. I can ask for training from others at You Show... and maybe challenge other duelists. It shouldn't be too hard. Maiami Championship is coming, and its requirement is either completes fifty official duels with 60%-win ratio in the past year, or win six consecutives official duels. So, there must be lot of duelists who are geared up and ready for duel.

The question is how do I branched out? I can't just pull a Pokemon NPC and goes "our eyes are locked; therefore, we must battle!" can I? That would be too embarrassing to do. Maybe visiting public space and searching anyone who's dueling and "pretend" I want to duel them too after seeing the duel? Respectfully of course.

Or, maybe I can see if I can find an online forum, to create arrangement beforehand.

Maybe after getting groceries done.

And maybe, no, I definitely have to start a training regime. Making sure I won't be out of breath for Action Duel. Can start with jogging tomorrow.

Okay. I have to worry about when Yuto and Shun arrived. I'm not sure about my persuasion skill, but it would be very appreciated if I know when it actually happens. The show tends to short the actual timeframe to keep it entertaining and not boring.

Speak of entertaining, gotta break Yuya's mindset. Like, okay, making people happy is not wrong, but he can't go down his current path. It setting him up to put strong façade and bright smile, forcing him to locked his nastier feelings deep inside and repressed them until it blow up.

And with Zarc thing goes on, a literal explosion is most certainly involved. And Psychological horror slash mind-fuckery.

So, yep, play therapist on Stepford Smiler in the making.

Back to dimension travelers, I'd like to prevent Yuto's "death" and merging with Yuya. Like, he deserves better. Surely there's another way to break out different dimensions' existence to Yuya aside from that. Well, that was for future me. That incident happens after Sora's duel with Shun in the Championship, so worry about that when the Championship already start.

And what about Serena? Yuri? The whole invasion? If I can persuade Sora to defecting way earlier, it would be preferable. What about fusion parasite? Is there anything I can do about that? I—

"Need to go to sleep." Bergamot pokes on me. "I know you're worried, but it's late and late-night decision tends to be stupid and you will end up regretting it later when you're awake and looking back at it. Rest. The world is not going to be off kilter tomorrow. Take break when you still able to. Don't make me break out the incense."

"I understand, I understand." I replied.

He gives me a stern, but unmistakably fond look, before vanished.

I sighed and close my eyes. Trying to sleep.

Hopefully, I can make difference. Something noticeable and steer the "ending" into a better one, not worse one.

Because ripple effect is a thing and you know, murphy's law. If something can go FUBAR, it will go FUBAR.

Hopefully I don't have to end up as Damsel in Distress or a deadweight.