After the awkward interruption with Bella still unconscious on the warehouse floor, the tension in the air finally began to ease. Nyx sat beside her, brushing dust from her clothes, while Vario leaned against a crate, smirking as if the chaos hadn't fazed him in the slightest.
"You know," Vario said, reaching into the folds of his coat, "there's more to me than just being scary and all-powerful."
Nyx raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Oh? Enlighten me. Should I be terrified or intrigued?"
Vario grinned, producing a worn deck of cards from a hidden compartment inside his coat. The edges were frayed, the sleeves covered with little marks and doodles. "Both, maybe," he said.
He spread the cards carefully on a nearby crate, revealing an impressive collection of Duel Monsters from his past world. Rare holographic cards shimmered in the flickering warehouse lights, each one meticulously kept despite centuries of chaos and war. "These… are my treasures," he said softly, almost reverently.
Nyx's eyes widened. "You… you played Yu-Gi-Oh?"
Vario chuckled, running a finger over a particularly rare card. "Yeah. Back in my world. Before all the battles, the demons, and… well, before all of you came along."
Nyx leaned in closer, curiosity overcoming her embarrassment from earlier. "Show me. Show me everything."
For the next hour, Vario revealed card after card. He explained combos, strategies, and even the stories behind the rarest holographics. Nyx was captivated, hanging onto every word. She leaned closer than necessary, her face still pink from the earlier events, though now mixed with excitement.
"You really kept these through… everything?" she asked in awe.
"Of course," Vario said, eyes gleaming. "Some things are worth more than power. Some things… are personal."
Nyx's heart fluttered at the way he spoke, like these weren't just cards—they were pieces of him, memories of a life she had only just glimpsed. She realized something: for all his strength, all his shadow and demonic authority, Vario had a side no one else had seen.
By the time Bella stirred, blinking groggily, Nyx was still leaning over the crate, listening to Vario explain the rarity of an Egyptian God card. Bella yawned, completely oblivious to the shared fascination, and muttered, "Are you two… playing a card game now?"
Nyx and Vario exchanged a glance, both trying not to laugh.
"Yes," Nyx said, a grin spreading across her face. "And it's officially my new obsession."
Vario smirked, shuffling the deck like a magician revealing secrets. "Good. I think you're ready for your first duel."
And so, among broken crates, flickering lights, and the faint smell of dust and old oil, the warehouse became a new kind of battlefield—one where strategy, laughter, and curiosity ruled, and the world outside could wait.