Honestly?
Mai took it a LOT better than you'd ever expected. Her main concern was whether you were actually safe, and once you assured her you were? She simply shrugged and told you to call her if you ever did need help.
…Though she made absolutely sure to stress that she was in no way, shape, or form going to be looking after the kid.
After that, things de-escalated surprisingly quickly. Whatever jealousy Persephone had initially felt toward Ruby seemed to either melt away or transform into endlessly teasing her over her painfully obvious envy of Demeter's chest, while Ruby did little more than whine about how unfair it all was and complain that she couldn't modify her body anymore after inserting the Eye and becoming physical. Throughout it all, Demeter simply sat there quietly, observing the chaos with an air of dignified patience, only occasionally shooting you a judgmental look whenever Ruby's antics became particularly ridiculous.
Eventually, though, everyone turned in for the night. Tomorrow was the second day of the tournament, and you'd all need your energy. Demeter and Persephone returned to Lily's room—even as Persephone narrowed her eyes at you before disappearing inside—while you headed to your own bedroom with Mai and Ruby.
As soon as you climbed into bed, Ruby immediately curled against your side while Mai settled across your chest.
"So, with all the chaos today I almost forgot to ask," Mai said after a moment. "How many Locator Cards did you end up getting?"
You froze.
…There was the one you'd won from Vicky, and apparently Lily had also had one—Lucian had handed Locator Cards out to all of his followers—but that still only left you with...
"...Two."
Mai pushed herself upright, staring down at you as one eyebrow slowly rose before the corner of her mouth curled into a smug grin.
"...Really now? Very impressive. Want to know how many I managed to get today~?"
You let out a long sigh, giving her a flat look while Ruby watched the exchange with an amused grin, idly kicking her feet.
"...Something tells me you'll tell me no matter what I say."
"Three! And counting the one I started with, that puts me at four Locator Cards total." Mai's grin widened. "And you know what that means~"
You grimaced.
"Well... a deal's a deal. Guess I'll go get the stuff—"
Mai immediately stopped you, reaching up to press a finger against your nose.
"Oh no~ I'm going to enjoy this properly, and that means some extensive prep work. So until I'm finished..." She leaned in close, her grin turning positively wicked. "...I guess you'll just have to sit there and simmer in anticipation~"
She gently blew into your ear, sending a shiver down your spine that was, naturally, one hundred percent the result of simple physical stimulation and absolutely nothing else.
...And with that, the three of you closed your eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, bringing what had felt like an exceptionally long day to an end.
Though as you next opened your eyes, rather than finding yourself in bed beneath the rising morning sun, you instead awoke somewhere you instinctively recognized as your Soul Palace.
Though somehow... it was a part of it you'd never seen before.
.
------------->
.
That... shouldn't have been possible.
You'd explored this place from top to bottom, and you knew without a shadow of a doubt there had never been a garden like this.
Before you could dwell on that any further, your attention snapped behind you at the sound of approaching footsteps. You turned, an eyebrow raising as you spotted Demeter strolling through the garden, calmly observing her surroundings.
"...This is..." She grimaced as she looked around. "Acceptable… I suppose." The words sounded as though they physically pained her to admit.
You narrowed your eyes.
"And this is...?"
Demeter merely rolled her eyes before letting out a haughty sniff.
"My new home away from home, I suppose. As I told you before, do not mistake the XIII for mere spirits. With our new... partnership, it seems I have been granted a place within your Soul Room, just as the thief was before me. And much like with him, your very soul has reshaped itself to contain my power, creating the place we now stand within."
As she finished speaking, you slowly looked around, taking in the sprawling gardens stretching out in every direction.
...You supposed that made sense.
You highly doubted your Soul Palace had contained an entire Underworld before you'd acquired Hades, so it only followed that Demeter would receive a domain of her own as well.
"So..." You wandered over and took a seat beneath one of the many gazebos, breathing in the pleasant floral scent drifting through the air. "...Is there a reason you called me here? Or did you just want to explain all this?"
Demeter let out a quiet sigh before walking over and taking the seat beside you.
"...Do you remember the question you tried to ask Lily earlier? About her true parents? Are you still curious?"
You glanced at her, noticing the sorrow creeping into her normally proud voice.
"...And if I am?"
She closed her eyes for a long moment.
"Then I shall tell you."
When she opened them again, there was only regret.
"...The story of how I killed them."
-x-X-x-
Pov Change
…I'm not quite sure where to begin, truly, but I suppose the beginning is as good a place as any.
To preface this, I suppose it would be best to explain a little more about the state of myself and my siblings.
Without a true wielder, we are not truly... awake. Aware, certainly, but not fully conscious. I suppose the closest comparison for a human would be existing in a constant haze, forever half-asleep.
I remember, for a brief time, resting within what I believe was some manner of glass display case, but it was not long before Lord Zeus' current host claimed us for himself.
...A foolish endeavor, of course. He was compatible with none of us. Though I suppose the man possessed more fortitude than most to endure us for as long as he did. Nevertheless, I was discarded soon enough, and after that all I truly remember is being passed from one unworthy hand to another, each owner swiftly discovering they were hopelessly out of their depth. Some cast me aside...
...Others were less fortunate.
...
...
Hmm?
Ah, yes, I suppose I should explain. It is rather pertinent to the story.
In the hands of the unworthy, myself and my siblings bring only ruin. At first, it manifests as little more than simple misfortune, but should the fool stubbornly cling to us, it only grows. Misfortune becomes tragedy, tragedy becomes catastrophe, until at last we bring about their complete destruction.
...Which is precisely what befell the original parents of my precious Lily.
I remember very little of those days. As I said, we are not truly awake in the hands of the unworthy. All I know is that I had fallen into the possession of a particularly greedy man who refused to surrender me.
The first moment I truly awakened was when my precious girl touched my card.
She was standing amidst the burning remains of her home, leaning over the charred corpses of her parents, my card still tucked safely within her father's breast pocket.
...I do not truly regret the deaths of that fool and his wife.
I regret only the anguish I brought upon my precious girl.
Unfortunately, she was never afforded the luxury of grieving.
The flames only continued to spread, and even awakened there was nothing I could do to stop them. All I managed was to manifest myself long enough to snatch my girl from the inferno and flee, even as she screamed for her parents.
I do not know how long I ran.
Not very long, I imagine.
Manifesting in that state drained what little strength I possessed. Before long, my body simply gave out, my manifestation fading away as Lily stumbled to the filthy ground.
After that...
Things were difficult for the both of us.
My sweet Lily was inconsolable, and all I could do was remain by her side, offering what little comfort I could while helplessly watching her cry her poor little eyes out.
...
Then he came.
Some pathetic little rat who dared believe he could lay his hands upon MY baby.
I knew exactly what he intended the moment I saw the look in his eyes.
I knew what he planned to do to her.
...I could not allow it.
I had already brought my precious girl more pain than any child should ever have to bear.
If I allowed anything else to happen to her...
...
...
...
I used everything I had.
It did not matter that I had already exhausted myself.
It did not matter what became of me.
The only thing that mattered was keeping my Lily safe.
I forced myself to manifest.
It felt as though my very soul were being torn apart, split piece by piece, yet I endured it. That pain was nothing compared to what I would have suffered had I failed her.
The rat stumbled backward at my appearance...
I did not even grant him the opportunity to beg for his miserable life.
I poured every ounce of my strength into him.
Crushing him.
Squeezing him.
And...
...
...
Haaa...
...The only regret I have for what I did to him is that my sweet, innocent Lily witnessed it.
After that...
Everything went black.
I remember lying in that wretched alley, feeling as though I was finally about to fade away.
Perhaps I truly would have...
If not for her.
She walked over to me.
She knelt beside me.
She ignored... the stain I had left behind...
And simply asked me if I was alright.
There were no more tears.
No terror over what I had done.
Only concern.
Only love.
For me.
It was in that moment I understood my purpose.
My Lily's safety.
Nothing else mattered.
Not the purpose of the XIII.
Not the gods.
Not even my siblings.
I would watch the entire world burn if it meant my Lily remained safe.
After that...
It was just the two of us.
I taught my girl how to survive on her own. I knew I could trust no one else to care for her. I showed her where it was safest to sleep, where she could wash without being disturbed, and once my strength finally returned, I used my power to provide for her.
Apples.
Oranges.
Grapes.
Whatever my precious girl desired.
...And before long, she began to call me "Mother."
...I knew it could not continue forever.
But I knew nothing else.
Then, not long after, Lord Zeus approached us.
I shall admit...
I was disgusted by him.
The mere thought of him doing to my Lily what he had done to his own host filled me with revulsion.
Yet I also knew I could not protect her alone forever.
So...
I accepted his offer.
In exchange for my service, he would guarantee Lily's safety.
...Along with returning my other precious daughter to me.
After that, things were... peaceful.
My daughters and I finally had somewhere to call home.
Lord Zeus rarely had any need to involve Lily directly.
For a time...
I was content.
...
Until you came along.
The very moment I saw you in that alley, I knew.
I knew who you were.
I knew that, if left alone, one day you would steal both of my daughters away from me...
Leaving me alone once again.
So I urged Lily to stand.
I volunteered us to be the ones to face you.
Lord Zeus was... skeptical.
Yet he granted my request all the same.
And from there...
Well.
You know as well as I do what happened next.
-x-X-x-
The next morning was... slightly awkward.
Usually you, Mai and Ruby would spend the morning lounging around in nothing but robes before getting ready for the day, but even you weren't enough of a degenerate to do that with a kid around.
Which led to a somewhat awkward breakfast as you all sat around the table while Lily happily munched away at her cereal, seemingly oblivious to the atmosphere. Behind her, Demeter quietly hummed a gentle tune as she idly stroked Lily's hair with phantom hands.
...You supposed you could understand her attachment issues after your little "talk" last night.
Honestly, you almost felt bad about claiming Demeter and Persephone for yourself after hearing the whole story, so for the time being you'd decided to let Lily continue carrying their cards until your next duel.
Still, as everyone got up to leave, you couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when Ruby immediately started heading in the opposite direction from Domino Square.
"Yo, where're you going?"
Ruby looked back over her shoulder, flashing you a peace sign and a bright grin.
"I'm gonna go find Bestie! Then we can come find you and cheer you on together! Oooh! Maybe I can convince her to wear an itty-bitty cheerleader outfit!" Ruby exclaimed, bouncing excitedly on the spot and doing genuinely incredible things to her chest in the process.
...God, she really was your other half.
You just shook your head with a smirk.
"Heh, alright then. Just don't take too long. It'd be a real shame if you missed me mopping the floor with the competition."
Ruby's grin only widened. Giving one last enthusiastic wave, she turned and dashed off down the street.
With that, you, Mai and Lily set off for Domino Square, where you planned to split up once you arrived.
-x-X-x-
As you, Mai and Lily approached the Square, you raised a hand in greeting as you spotted Yugi idly waiting around.
"Yo, Yugi! Who're you waiting for?"
Yugi turned at the sound of your voice, his face immediately brightening.
"Ah! Makoto, Mai and—"
He stopped mid-sentence, blinking as he noticed Lily shyly peeking out from behind your leg.
"Oh... umm, who's this?"
...You got the feeling you were going to be answering that question a lot today.
You reached behind you and gently guided Lily to your side.
"This is Lily, and she's—"
You were cut off as Yugi's eyes widened in realization.
"Ah! Is she the girl you dueled yesterday? Tea and Grandpa told me all about it."
Ah, good.
That saved you having to explain everything from the beginning.
"Yep. Speaking of, where are those two anyway? I'd have expected them to be here with you. And what about Joey?"
"Ah, well, you see..." Yugi trailed off awkwardly, but before you could press him further, a familiar voice suddenly rang out across the Square.
"Yuge! Makoto! Mai! Long time no see!"
Joey came jogging over, and Mai casually raised a hand to high-five him as he came to a stop.
"Hey yourself. I'd have thought you'd oversleep. Still in the tournament, I see."
Joey grinned proudly at that, reaching into his pocket and pulling out three Locator Cards.
"You bet! I'm already the proud owner of three Locator Cards!"
Mai smirked, shooting you a sideways glance as she reached into her own pocket and held up all four of hers.
"Still one short of mine, unfortunately. Though right now it looks like you're ahead of Handsome over there~"
You clicked your tongue before pulling out your own two Locator Cards.
"Tch! I could've had all six yesterday if I'd really wanted to. I just refuse to bully fodder." You flashed Joey a cocky grin. "So you can breathe easy there, Joey. Looks like our duel will have to wait until the finals."
Joey immediately pointed an accusing finger at you.
"Oh, big talk, tough guy! How 'bout—"
He suddenly stopped, blinking as he finally noticed Lily standing beside you.
"...Eh? Who's the kid?"
You let out a long sigh.
...Would it be rude to just print the answer on a card?
-x-X-x-
As you finished explaining the whole situation surrounding the XIII, Lucian and their connection to the Rare Hunters, you saw Joey visibly gnash his teeth.
"Tch! What slimeballs! Draggin' kids into this!" he spat, looking genuinely furious.
You sighed, idly reaching over and ruffling Lily's hair.
"Yeah, and knowing those basta—" Your eyes flicked down to Lily. "—those jerks, who knows what they'd do to the kid. So I've decided to look after her for now, at least until they're dealt with."
Yugi bit his lip, his eyes drifting toward Lily.
"...Are you sure that's a good idea, Makoto? I mean... they'll probably come after you directly."
You just smirked.
"Heh, don't worry, Yugi. I'll be fine. They're chumps at the end of the day. The only way they can do anything is by pulling some sneaky shi—" You coughed into your fist. "—ahem, crap. But if they try to face me head-on, I'll wipe the floor with 'em."
Joey grinned, stepping over and clapping a hand onto your shoulder.
"You can say that again! I dueled that freakazoid who beat me yesterday, and without all his goons around to help, he went down easy! And I even managed to get back..."
Suddenly Joey reached into his Deck Box and triumphantly held up a familiar card.
"...My Battleguard King!"
.
----------->
.
...Good.
At least he'd managed to redeem himself quickly. Otherwise, you might've just decked him.
Joey suddenly cleared his throat, scratching the back of his reddening neck.
"But, uh... I guess your cards did help a little, Makoto. So now that I've got Battleguard King back, I figured I could give 'em back—"
You cut him off, stepping forward until you were looking him straight in the eyes.
"...Keep them."
Joey blinked.
"For now, anyway."
You folded your arms.
"It doesn't matter that you got Battleguard King back. You still lost to a roach. The deal's still on."
You jabbed a finger into his chest.
"Next time we duel, if you lose, I'm not just taking your entire Deck."
A grin slowly spread across your face.
"You're putting down your Duel Disk for good."
Both Yugi and Mai's eyes widened, this apparently being the first either of them had heard about your little wager.
"Makoto! You can't just—" Yugi started, only for Joey to stop him by holding out an arm.
"...It's alright, Yuge."
Joey's expression grew serious as he looked at you.
"He's right."
"Just because I got Battleguard King back doesn't mean nothin'. I still lost fair and square to that creep. If I'm ever gonna become a true duelist, then I need to step up my game."
A confident grin spread across his face.
"And that means bein' able to take on the best of the best."
He pointed a thumb toward himself.
"So you better be ready to get ya keister kicked by the one and only Joey Wheeler!"
You couldn't help but smirk.
Turning away from the group, you reached down and took Lily's hand.
"Heh. Guess we'll just have to see, won't we?" You glanced back over your shoulder. "But like I said, our duel's waiting for the finals. Same goes for our rematch, Yugi... and our little game, gorgeous."
You shot Mai a cocky grin before looking back at the three of them.
"So I better see every last one of you in the finals."
You started walking away, Lily happily keeping pace beside you.
"Now let's stop wasting time and go get those Locator Cards."
Now then...
Where to start?
-x-X-x-
You were glad Lily let you get your dramatic exit out before she spotted a slushy stand and practically begged you with her eyes to buy her one.
…
God, you knew a girl would likely be the death of you one day, but you always assumed it'd be getting stabbed in a fit of jealousy, not having a heart attack from puppy-dog eyes.
Alrighty, where to go when she finished? You'd heard rumours people were getting jumped around the Graveyard, so turning that back on them while also terrifying them could be fun—
"You!"
You blink, taken by surprise as a short girl with green hair suddenly marched straight up to you.
.
----------->
.
Wait... had you seen her before?
"I challenge you to a duel, Makoto Yuzuki! I'll redeem myself for my defeat at the Nationals here and now!" the girl declared, pointing a finger square at your chest while Lily continued happily slurping away beside you, kicking her feet.
The Nationals...? Wh—
Your eyes widened.
"Oh! Maki! Damn, it's been awhile. How've you been?" you asked casually, leaning back as you took another sip of your slushy.
Maki visibly deflated.
"...You could take this a little more seriously, you know?"
You chuckled.
"Ah, probably should, but it's just nice seeing you, y'know? Not often I finish a duel and my opponent doesn't hate my guts afterwards, so I've gotta appreciate it when it happens."
You glanced back towards the stand.
"Yo! Another slushy over here!" You looked back at her. "What flavour?"
Maki puffed herself up as if preparing to refuse, before her eyes drifted to your drink and she sighed.
"...Grape, please."
So you bought her one, the two of you taking a seat while Lily happily worked her way through hers.
"So? What's been going on with you?" you asked. "Guess you're in the tournament if you're challenging me. Been keeping up with duelling?"
"Yeah. I even got invited to Duelist Kingdom, if you can believe it, but I turned it down with the state my deck was in. Been sticking to smaller tournaments instead, and I guess placing at Nationals was enough for KaibaCorp to send me an invitation..."
"Oh-ho? What a big shot I'm dealing with~"
Maki snorted, stirring her slushy with her straw.
"You're one to talk, Mr. King of Games. What, being National Champion wasn't good enough for you?"
You laughed, finishing your drink before tossing the cup neatly into a nearby trash can.
"Heh, guess not. Though I do feel bad sometimes, y'know? I must make all the new faces on the scene like you feel awfully insecure having to compare themselves to me..."
Maki rolled her eyes and flicked a splash of grape slushy at you.
"God, I forgot what an egomaniac you are. One day someone's going to pop that oversized head of yours."
You climbed to your feet with a grin.
"'One day'? And here I thought you wanted to do it here and now. Or have you already accepted you're going to lose?"
Maki narrowed her eyes as she stood as well, leaving her half-finished slushy on the bench.
"...As if. I was just wondering whether you were really worth my time anymore." Her eyes drifted towards Lily. "Looks like you're more babysitter than duellist these days."
You smirked.
"Ha! Maybe. Or maybe I've just learned when a little brat like you is begging for a spanking."
Then you looked over at Lily.
"...Lily, it's time. I need them now. Promise you can hold onto them again once I'm done."
Lily froze for a second before quietly nodding.
"...'Kay..."
She hopped off the bench and hurried over, carefully reaching into her pocket before pulling out Demeter and Persephone's cards and placing them into your waiting hand.
You smiled, gently patting her head.
"Good girl. Go sit back and watch. Maybe you'll even get to see 'em kick some butt."
Lily nodded and scampered back to the bench.
Maki watched the exchange with narrowed eyes.
"...And what exactly was that about?"
You simply smiled as you slid the two cards into your Deck.
"I guess you'll just have to duel me and find out."
You activated your Duel Disk with a metallic snap.
"And trust me..."
Your cards whirred into place one by one.
"...You're about to learn exactly why they call me King of Games."
The crowd quickly began clearing a space around the two of you.
And with that...
Your next Battle City duel began.
-x-X-x-
Mulligan trait activates.
Dragon Heart! Trait activates.
As Maki begins her turn and draws she smirks, immediately NSing Lord of D.
Maki then sets 2 cards face-down and immediately activates Card of Sanctity, drawing 4 cards as you draw 1.
Maki then activates her set Melody of Awakening Dragon, discarding 1 monster in order to add 2 Dragons from her deck to hand (Divine Dragon Ragnarok & Masked Dragon).
She then activates POG drawing 2 more cards.
Maki then activates Polymerization, fusing her Lord of D on field with her Divine Dragon Ragnarok to summon her King Dragun.
Maki then activated the effect of her King Dragun in order to Special Summon her Sky Dragon Ascendant to the field!
.
------------->
.
Hmm, you'd heard of this monster, had taken note of it specifically because it likely got a retrain because of yours and Maki's duel.
"You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by banishing 3 Spell Cards with different names from your GY. This card gains 100 ATK for each Spell Card in either GY. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can banish 1 Spell Card from either GY; apply the appropriate effect based on its type.
● Normal Spell: This card cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects until the end of this turn.
● Quick-Play Spell: This card can make a second attack during each Battle Phase this turn.
● Continuous Spell: Target 1 face-up monster on the field; negate its effects until the end of this turn.
● Equip Spell: This card gains 500 ATK until the end of this turn.
● Field Spell: Target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; it loses 1000 ATK until the end of this turn.
● Ritual Spell: This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each this turn."
MID-GAME RETRAIN: Norrmal Spell: If this card would be destroyed by Battle or by Card Effect negate that destruction.
Maki then set another card and ended her turn.
…Heh, she wasn't playing around was she?
.
----------->
.
You draw and get Grand Coronation of Rite.
.
------------>
.
Well, if she wasn't playing around it'd be rude if you didn't respond in kind~
Hmm, it was probably best to bait out a negate first, or if not at least set-up your own negate.
You start by NSing Grand Sorceress, then immediately tributing her for Silent whose ATK climbs to 3500.
You then enter your BP and attack her Dragun.
Maki bites her lip for a moment, seeming to consider something but does nothing as the attack connects, Silent eliminating her Dragun and dealing 1100 damage.
…Alrighty, you got further than you expected, what now?
.
----------->
.
You set MF, decreasing Silents ATK by 500 and then end your turn.
.
----------->
.
Maki draws and grimaces, turning her SDA to DEF and setting a monster before ending her turn.
.
-------------->
.
You draw and get da horny boi.
.
---------->
.
Firstly you activate Coronation, tributing Tri and Germ in order to summon Regent as the crowd gasps in shock.
You then activate Regents eff, tributing the token in order to summon Ruin to the field.
Maki: "…Is your deck really just a card based on you and then a bunch of female monsters as a harem?"
.
------------>
.
You start by usuing you— REGENTS effect once again, tributing your CED and Red from hand in order to summon Demise.
You then activate Demise's effect, paying 2k LP to destroy all cards on the field.
Maki grits her teeth, but activates her SDA's effect, banishing a Normal Spell in order to negate its destruction.
She then attempts to activate her Card Guard, discarding a card.
.
------------>
.
You of course, use Silent's effect to negate it as Maki scowls.
Demise' effect then resolves, destroying her set Masked Draogn along with her set Monster Reborn dealing 400 damage to her Life Points as her dragon remains the only monster left even as your Silent and set MF are destroyed.
As the smoke clears Maki demands to know why your Ruin and Regent are on the field as you smirk and explain that while Ruin is on the field no ritual monsters you control can be destroyed by card effects, including yours.
.
------------->
.
You smirk, entering your BP and destroying her SDA with Regent, commenting you'd been waiting to do that since your last duel and then combo attack her with Ruin and Demise, wiping out the rest of her LP.
.
---------->
.
DUEL WON!
200 DP!
+1 Locator Card >
Traits:
Dragon Heart!: Start with either "Lord of D" or "Sky Dragon Ascendant" in your opening hand.
Mulligan: Once you can mulligan your starting hand.
Standard (Weak): If on the verge of losing once per duel you can roll a die of all the cards in your deck that will save you, add that to your hand instead of your normal DP.
-x-X-x-