Our room was… nice.
Nothing to really write home about. It was a room on a Train, so the luxury that could be added to each room was limited. As far as train rooms go, it was certainly on the upper end, however.
Not that I was complaining; I'm not one to roll my eyes when I lack luxury or accommodations, simply making a note.
Salem and Venelana looked interested too.
"It reminds me of the Train that goes to the Underworld." Venelana hummed, shifting through drawers.
She wasn't just doing it to be nosy or keep busy.
Salem found a spot on the wall, tapped it, and began to run her finger across it as if tracing something. "There's so much magic here that shifting through anything…unsavory within this room is an annoyance."
I didn't even have to say anything, and they both began to look for any spying devices or magical effects someone may have left in the room.
Yes, it was all very important and rudimentary, especially in this place. If someone failed to discover any spying or eavesdropping, it would be their fault in the eyes of others.
Yes, very important.
I lifted up the back of Salem's dress.
Somehow her amazing pale butt was contained by a pair of lacy black panties.
Salem paused in her machinations, head turning over her shoulder to look at me with the driest look she could muster before huffing and returning to what she was doing.
I made sure to give her a kiss on the cheek, much to her chagrin.
She didn't even say anything as I bunched it up over her waist so it didn't fall back down.
I then moved over to Venelana, giving her a kiss on the cheek and pulling up her dress too, admiring the scene just as much as with Salem.
Less heft to it, but no less impressive.
She went a different route with a thin piece of fabric that disappeared between her ample backside.
Likewise, I made sure it was held up over her waist before plopping myself onto the bed.
Neither of them stopped and continued to inspect the room.
Salem shot me a glare over her shoulder and scowled. "Look how proud of himself he is."
Venelana giggled, her butt jiggling perfectly as she did. "At his age, it's not rare to indulge in such things, you know? Besides, he actually has rather good self-restraint most of the time." She walked up to Salem and pushed her hips against the Grimm Queen's. "How many boys his age do you think could hold themselves back with a sight like this, hmm?"
"Hmph." Salem grumbled. "He's still an unrepentant pervert."
I mean, I wouldn't deny it.
I'm in a train with a bunch of things that would probably kill me given the opportunity.
But this was definitely what heaven for me would be like.
"Are you going to simply ogle our backsides the entire time, or are you going to contribute something?" Salem asked, continuing to map out the insides of the room in a magical manner.
"The former." I said without hesitation. "But if you want my expertise…" I admit, I considered seeing how far I could push her here, but I pulled that thought back. This was probably already her limit, and I didn't want to push boundaries.
After the night we spent together, after the beach, she wasn't nearly as reserved in things like this now. Heck, before those, I know for a fact that she wouldn't have been happy with me lifting up her dress in front of one of the other girls. But now, it's just met with a huff and an eye roll.
"Now that we've entered a second train car, I'm fairly sure this Train is one giant Magic Circuit." I offered my insights. "I think they turned the entire Train into one pseudo-magical organ, which is how it rides Leylines. Magic Circuits have no trouble connecting with Leylines normally; it's usually the squishy, fleshy bits that take exception to the surge of Mana that would more than likely make someone explode if they tried."
Well, technically, the Magic Circuits would explode too if an idiot tried to just bluntly connect to a Leyline without any consideration. But the fact remains that Magic Circuits can do so without any issue; it's just that consequences follow.
Salem looked at me for a moment, clearly understanding what I was saying even if the concepts didn't originate from her world. She's been studying the Magecraft and concepts from my home a lot since we've met.
Combined with her own ridiculous history of magical knowledge and study, well, it wasn't hard to grasp the fundamentals and become competent across many fields.
"It's rather ingenious if you think about it." I tapped my chin. "It could almost be said that we're inside a living entity despite it having no life."
I would investigate it a bit later.
"I can't find any physical objects." Venelana spoke up as she bent over and looked behind the nearby dresser. I was only distracted for a moment. "Though, it's probably unlikely that someone would bug the room with a listening device that's not magical in nature."
I shrugged. "You'd be surprised; some people make use of them because they know that a lot of Magi will overlook that. But thank you for checking." I gave her a smile.
I may not have checked personally. Ironically, despite not looking down on technology, I do fall into certain mental traps and overlook some things.
"The room has innate enchantments that can be activated by the occupants." Salem also added. "If you want, I can activate them, but I don't trust something put up by someone else." Salem turned to me, and she paused briefly because she knew where I was looking. She crossed her arms, pursing her lips, waiting for a reply.
"Oh my, that sounds like a trap." Venelana chimed in. "And it would probably make whoever did so lose a lot of status in the eyes of others, yes?"
I nodded. "Pretty much. Magi are pretty petty like that. If you can't handle defending your own room, you're going to be mocked by them."
They picked up on things really quickly.
Honestly, it all just boils down to pettiness.
Salem could have brute-forced it if she wanted; I didn't doubt that. But it looked like she was being meticulous and inspecting every detail with a fine-toothed comb.
"I'll take care of this." Venelana volunteered abruptly.
Before either of us could question what she meant by that, she took out what looked like a metal ball that had several parts that rotated. And if you looked very closely, you could see hundreds of tiny characters inscribed onto it.
She tossed it up casually, and it hovered before cranking and turning before activating.
Very quickly, a burst of light pulsed out, as if sweeping over everything. It invaded every corner of the room, and very quickly, it outlined all magical signatures and all magical effects, making them visible to the naked eye.
Salem and I watched silently as it seemed to register them, then began to segregate everything as it put up its own Bounded Field, outlining the room.
She must have noticed our gazes, because she smiled coyly. "Ajuka gave me this after the whole Kokabiel fiasco. He said it would hold up to someone like Kokabiel attacking it for a bit, and it had other functions as well."
Just by looking at it, I could see that it was a very good Bounded Field that covered the entire room. It basically covered every spectrum that either Salem or I would deploy by ourselves.
Anti-scrying, anti-eavesdropping, anti-spirit…the list goes on.
Salem poked it a few times, inspecting it quietly before just crossing her arms with an indignant huff.
Venelana looked very proud of herself, though.
It was a rather well-crafted Mystic Code. Just what I would expect based on what I heard about that particular Satan.
The rumors that there's no magic in the world he can't analyze on the spot and counter.
Before Salem could utter a word of annoyance, a piece of paper slid up from under the door.
I wasn't hesitant about picking it up. If it were bad, or if there was anything dangerous about it, the new Bounded Field around the room would have activated. Beyond the normal things like keeping sound out and such, the Bounded Field doesn't stop the room from being a room. The door still works; people can still knock on it, people can still slide things under the door, etc.
"What does it say?" Venelana peered over my shoulder curiously.
"We are cordially invited to partake in a discussion regarding the upcoming auction by Lord Olga Marie Animusphere." I summarized, not bothering to repeat all the flamboyant wording that one would expect.
"Is that the child you were looking at fondly?" Salem asked.
"Yeah, I know her older self from Chaldea. She's technically my boss." I smiled, remembering Olga's behavior before I left. I could just picture the looks and reaction she'd give once I showed her the pictures I'm going to take.
"How long does it give us?" Venelana wrapped her arms around me from behind.
"A couple of hours, it says, based on the time."
"Perfect, just enough time to break in this bed."
Break being the operative word here.
Funny enough, Salem didn't look like she was protesting the statement either.
[Line Break]
Following the directions on the invitation we received, it was about two train cars back from our room where we found the 'gathering.'
Olga wasn't there, but that wasn't surprising since we came early. But there were also a bunch of other people.
I could more or less guess the purpose of her 'gathering.' Perhaps to put on a united front and pressure the church people after what happened earlier.
Regardless, I did find a few people I knew. With Venelana and Salem following after me, I walked up to the bar and sat next to Waver.
"Good evening again, Waver." I greeted him politely.
"Good evening, Lord Schweinorg." Waver had already noticed me coming in. While he was one who stuck to decorum, he wasn't…obtuse about it. He knew I was easy going and didn't lick my boots with every sentence. "Lady Salem, Lady Gremory." He also greeted my girls politely, which won him extra points in my book. "I hope the amenities have been to your satisfaction."
I spun slightly in my stool to look at the kids he brought with him sitting at the booth a few feet away. "It's about what you would expect for a train; I have nothing to complain about personally."
"Though, they could do with sturdier beds." Venelana added.
Waver nearly choked on his drink, and I had to hold back a laugh.
"Hmm, I suppose we're allowed to help ourselves to the bar?" Venelana asked, noticing the drink in Waver's hands.
"It's activated on command, Lady Gremory. You merely have to ask what you want, and the bar will respond and make it for you."
Venelana pursed her lips, getting up and walking behind the bar to take things herself, finding all the items she needed. Cups and mixers—she opened the cupboards and found them easily enough before she started mixing her own drinks.
Waver merely raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
And the other people here, well, they seemed like they were giving me a wide berth.
Did my 'identity' get revealed now?
"Thank you." I said as Venelana set a drink in front of me. I didn't know what she made, but all her drinks are usually good in their own way.
"Salem, would you like something light or heavy, fruity or bitter?" Venelana asked.
"Either or, bitter. Please." Salem said casually.
Venelana nodded and got to work again.
I spun back around to look around, and my eyes landed on the people Waver brought. "You don't usually leave your classroom for jobs, Waver. It seems something important got you moving and brought students with you too. Extra Credit? Field Trip? Special attention?"
"There were…extenuating circumstances." Waver said carefully. "And I only brought along Gray and Caules."
My eyes landed on the girl he specifically excluded but who was still part of the group. "Miss Lehrman, I believe? If I'm not wrong, it's a distinguished family that specializes in Mystic Eyes in some capacity; the details escape me."
The girl with pink hair perked up. "That's right!" She preened. "My family specializes in artificial Mystic Eyes, so we're always around when the Train comes calling! It was the perfect excuse to spend time with my future hubby."
Waver sighed.
"Do you have examples?" Salem spoke up surprisingly. "Of your family's craftsmanship?"
The pink-haired girl blinked once, looking at Salem. She then reached up and flipped the eyepatch on her right eye. In place of her eye there was a jewel, a green gem with an eight-pointed star etched into it.
"Exquisite." Salem said, appreciating the craftsmanship.
"Of course, my family is the best!" She replied haughtily, appreciating the praise.
Salem looked happy too, experiencing more magical culture.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but Gray isn't a Magus?" I asked, though my voice was easily heard by them. I noticed Gray stiffen slightly, and Waver frowned. "Don't misunderstand, I'm not asking as an insult. Venelana here isn't a Magus either." I gestured to her.
Venelana gave a little wave.
Waver nodded lightly. "She's my student in other regards."
I didn't press; it seemed like a sore spot for Gray. "And Mr. Forvedge. I believe you are a specialist in spirit evocation."
"Ah….yes." The boy looked surprised.
"I'm surprised you are aware, Lord Schweinorg." Waver answered in his place.
"Erm, my family isn't that well known…." Caules awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, technically, this isn't the first time I've met Caules Forvedge." I chuckled. "I'm sure Waver must have told you my identity."
His eyes widened. "You mean…?"
"I can't say I knew him very well, and we were even 'enemies' for a time." I said the enemies part rather flippantly not to scare him. "I met your sister too, Fiore. I ended up healing her legs."
It technically wasn't wrong to say we were enemies when he was the Master of Berserker during the Grail War. But then again, I had no intention of actually hurting him, so I suppose it's a moot point.
"Fiore's legs!" Caules nearly shouted as he abruptly shot up to his feet.
"Calm down, Caules." Waver said softly but firmly.
Caules sheepishly sank back into his seat. "Fiore decided to give up Magecraft."
I raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? She was considering that, from what I knew, too, before I healed her. Everyone has their own pursuits in life. Does that mean you took over the family?"
Caules smiled awkwardly still. "There wasn't anyone else but me. Unfortunately, my talent in Spirit Evocation isn't very good. Teacher Velvet here was the one who convinced me to start practicing Lightning Magecraft, saying I had talent in it."
"Hoh? Lightning Magecraft, huh?" I rubbed my chin. "I'm something of a specialist when it comes to Lightning Magecraft myself." I mentally went through my storage, looking at my stuff, before taking out a book. "Here, a greeting gift for a fellow Lightning specialist." I tossed him a spell tome, Lightning Rune that I had from Skyrim. "It's a rather nifty spell I picked up. It creates a Lightning Landmine, essentially."
He caught it in shock, seemingly not knowing what to say.
"Make sure to thank Lord Schweinorg, Caulus." Waver reminded him.
"Y-yes, thank you!"
"Don't mind it; it's just something simple I picked up a while ago." It wasn't very valuable to me, but to a kid like him, it's a treasure.
Though it's far from a useless skill. While not very strong, it's very practical and good for ambushes or sneak attacks.
"Lord El-Melloi II, would you like another drink?" Venelana offered.
"I would be delighted, thank you, Lady Gremory." He replied, but I didn't know if he was just being polite or if he was genuinely interested. He was good at keeping his emotions in check.
Expertly, Venelana grabbed a few things off the shelves and from under the counter to make him a drink.
The air was still tense.
Magi seemed to have a natural hesitation when Magicians are around. Well, considering their only examples are Gramps and The Blue, maybe that's warranted.
Miss, There's a mountain in my way, so I blew it up, and Gramps unrepentantly throws magical paint-filled water balloons at cars of people he's annoyed at.
Then again, am I even better?
I keep a brick on me for a very specific reason.
Maybe we're just all a bit bad?
"This is delicious, thank you, Lady Gremory." Waver thanked her after taking a sip. "You seem to have a lot of experience; have you trained?"
Venelana put her elbow on the counter, propping her head up. "Oh, I was bored some decades ago and went to mixology school to learn how to prepare drinks properly. I like to keep up with it; one of my hobbies is to brew wines and spirits."
"Decades?" Waver said softly, repeating it to himself. "You have some…interesting hobbies."
"When you're as old as I am, you need hobbies to keep yourself entertained." She chuckled. "Why, you wouldn't believe some of the things I've done. I remember when automobiles first came around; I was a professional race car driver for a few years." She puffed up proudly. "Of course, that didn't amount to much back then and usually involved more crashes than anything."
Waver gave her a certain look.
I don't think he's used to people just showing off how 'old' they are even when they're monsters who have lived for centuries.
"Waaah? But you look so young still! What's your secret?" Yvette, the pink-haired girl, blurted out without an ounce of decorum.
"Yvette!" Waver hissed under his breath, looking slightly panicked.
Venelana just giggled. "I can't claim credit, dear. I'm not human, so it comes naturally."
That made them silent, maybe even the others in the cabin who were trying their best to not look like they were listening in on what we were talking about.
"Don't worry, I'm not one of your vampires." She added with a wink to alleviate any rampant thoughts on the matter. "Though, I'm afraid those church people would become even more aggrieved if they actually knew what I was." And then she made it worse.
Waver looked utterly dreading his life right now.
"You know, I remember when the church first got started. Everyone treated it like an upstart–"
"Alright." I cut her off. "Now you're just messing with them."
Venelana covered her mouth, clearly holding back a laugh. She can be rather mischievous when she wants to be.
"I assume you also got an invitation to talk about the auction, Waver?" I asked.
He seemed to be appreciative of the change in conversation. "That's right." He didn't hide it. "I believed it was worth listening to, considering the volatile status of this auction."
Volatile was putting it nicely.
"Have you seen that woman in the Veil?"
Waver furrowed his brow. "I have not. But now I believe I should pay more attention considering your tone."
I shrugged, not elaborating.
I don't know why she gave me a strange feeling.
"If I may ask, Lord Schweinorg, are you also interested in the supposed Mystic Eyes of Providence?"
"I'm curious as of now; I don't have any set goals." I admitted. "That may change if I see them in person, so I am prepared to put forth effort into acquiring them."
Waver mulled over my response. "Reasonable. I doubt many would consider fighting you for it."
I let out a breath at that. "I don't mind if people compete with me, to be honest. I'm not going to throw my weight around in an auction; that would just be crass. Let whoever wins, win." I waved my hand flippantly. "Sore losers are the worst. If someone can outbid me, then so be it; I'll accept my defeat."
I said that more for the benefit of everyone listening in or eavesdropping. I could pick out half a dozen spells designed to spy on this specific cabin as it was.
There was a silence that followed because Waver seemed to follow my line of sight, and it landed on something slithering across the wall. Something invisible to the naked eye, but if you looked really close, you could just barely make out a discrepancy as it passed.
It got close to Venelana. I could see Salem raise a finger up on her lap as if to do something, but I gently reached for it to stop her.
She looked at me curiously but didn't voice a complaint.
It warmed my heart to know that Salem was going to 'protect' Venelana, but she didn't need it.
Venelana, with a very quick speed, snatched the 'invisible' thing from behind her, turning it visible for everyone to see.
It was a snake, but not a snake.
It was a familiar created through Magecraft; its actual composition I would have to look at beyond eyesight to investigate.
It struggled in her grip but was unable to break free.
"Did someone lose their pet?" Venelana said casually.
It's a pretty good transfiguration spell; beyond noting that it wasn't actually alive, I couldn't see anything else on the surface.
"I believe I know who that belongs to." Waver said darkly, but before he could say anything, the train door opened and a woman walked in.
It was the Japanese woman I noticed earlier, recognizable because she was wearing a kimono.
"Hishiri Adashino." Waver named her with a tone that spoke of an unpleasant familiarity.
"Waver Velvet." She smiled, as if ignoring the distaste in his tone. "And you must be Lord Schweinorg. This –"
"Excuse me, does this belong to you?" Venelana held up the struggling snake.
The woman slightly frowned, glancing at Venelana. She was very clearly trying to make her 'introduction' with me. It was very obvious she had ulterior motives, especially with the snake she sent out.
However, that slight frown quickly returned to a gentle smile. "Ah, yes. It must have wondered off –"
Venelana's hand erupted with her Power of Destruction. The black, flame-like phenomena began to utterly consume the snake and reduce it to nothingness. In the blink of an eye it was utterly destroyed, not a shred of it remaining.
"You should be careful in the future, child. Having one of your little pets wander and creep around people, it may send the wrong message." Venelana returned that same gentle and carefree smile.
She was silent for a moment. "I will keep your advice in mind in the future."
The moment was clearly gone, and she would have to be utterly obtuse to not notice the tense atmosphere she created. Rather than try and get a word in with any of us, she instead went to find an empty seat in the back and sit down.
Salem tapped the counter. "Hmm, transmuting fabric into a snake familiar. It was crude, but not incompetent. Shall I make her disappear?"
Hmm, was it fabric? I hadn't noticed.
Salem was displeased, however.
"Oh, that's alright." Venelana casually waved it off. "Some people just lack certain survival instincts. There's no point in swatting every fly that buzzes around when there are always so many."
"Hmph. You're too kind." Salem huffed. "If an insect tries to crawl on you, you step on it. It's common sense."
Waver looked pale at their conversation.
"You know how it is, though. Squash one, and many more come running." She let out a sigh. "It gets tiring after a while."
"I'm more than capable of continuing to squash them." Salem crossed her arms.
"Oh, I'm sure you are. I just find it dreadfully tiring and simply not worth my time." Venelana replied.
Salem relaxed a little. "I suppose you have a point."
Waver cleared his throat. "She's a member of the Policies department."
Salem and Venelana looked to me for an explanation. Despite them doing their own 'research,' it's obvious they don't know every detail about this world. Salem focused more on the magical aspects; Venelana had just started delving into the political landscape.
"They're basically the internal police for the Clock Tower. Their primary purpose is to protect the concealment of Mystery from the world. But they're also responsible for arresting anyone who breaks the Association's laws, and they're usually the ones leading investigations and auditing other departments. Suffice to say, they're the least liked Department, but also one with the most power. It's also filled with a lot of people who no longer concern themselves with the advancements of their crafts, those who pursue other goals. Therefore, a lot of older families often look down on them."
So, basically, lots of reasons that plenty of Magi hate anyone from the Policies department. Barthomeloi Lorelei is the head of the department, so they can only grit their teeth and obey.
"I suppose I can understand her arrogance now. She's probably so used to being in control that it's gone to her head." Venelana nodded in understanding.
That would explain it, honestly. But I also didn't really go in depth at how the Policies department actually works. There are both exaggerated and legitimate reasons why that particular department is reviled by a great many in the Association.
More people began to file in as I looked at the clock above the bar.
Almost right on point, the door opened one final time, and Olga appeared.
Behind her was that same woman as before, her minder or keeper; I didn't know.
But Olga held a gaze of determination. She held her head high, doing her best to look authoritative.
She was the head of the Animusphere Family, the Lords of the Astrology Department.
She took one step inside the train car, and she tripped, falling on her face.
The train went silent.
[Line break]
Non-Canon Omake: The Heart of the bullshit, I mean cards.
Wilhelm casually looked out at the horizon. It was nighttime, but one often doesn't get a few this good.
Even if it was right above a massive city, and the stars weren't very visible due to the light pollution, it was a marvelous sight.
Wilhelm made the mental note to take more giant blimp rides, if he could swing it.
"Mr. Schweinorg." Someone called out to him. "Did you hear? You will be dueling Marik Ishtar next."
The announcer—one of the event organizers.
"Oh? Yes, sorry, I was distracted. Mr. Ishtar, you say?" Wilhelm looked around, the ones gathered around giving him rather strange looks. Some are showing a bit of concern or pity for him.
Wilhelm's eyes landed on his supposed opponent. A young man, sporting blond hair that looked almost white. He also had a glowing Egyptian-esque eye on his forehead.
And he was wearing gold, a lot of gold.
He had a whole…motif going.
He also cackled rather diabolically once the next match was announced.
"Kaiba, you have to stop this duel! He put Mai and Joey both in comas!" Yugi Moto—a boy with rather spectacular hair—cried out.
The man he was talking to, one Seto Kaiba, just snorted. "The tournament will proceed. If you want to quit, then quit; stop making a fuss about your 'magical mumbo jumbo.'"
Wilhelm ignored all that. Truth be told, he had barely been paying attention to the happenings of the tournament itself. Just when he was supposed to duel or not, he just focused on having fun!
Who would have thought that there existed a world that operated off card games?
This was such a wonderful vacation; Wilhelm was having a lot of fun.
Wilhelm just smiled, walked up to him, and extended a hand. "Good luck to you, my friend. Let the best duelist win!"
Everyone went silent. Even Marik Ishtar, the one with the glowing Egyptian eye on his forehead and the nailed evil laugh, seemed taken aback by Wilhelm's casual demeanor.
"When I win, I'll rip your soul from your body." Marik replied with the same casualness.
"Don't you mean 'if' you win?"
"No." Marik said dryly. "When I win, you will experience pain beyond your wildest nightmares. A torment that stretched on for eternity."
"Neat."
"You will beg for mercy, and it will never come!"
"Handshake?" Wilhelm still offered, trying to be a good sport.
Marik's nostrils flared. "You are a fool. But you will learn your errors in time."
"Well, good luck to you. Let's have a fun duel." Wilhelm just smiled.
Marik stared at him, oddly silently. The evil alter ego of the man known as Marik Ishtar didn't know what to make of him. After a moment, he just turned to walk away, deciding the fool was no longer worth his time.
His death would come soon enough; there was no point in getting upset.
"Wilhelm!" Yugi Moto ran up along with his friends. "You can't duel him. You saw what he did to Joey and Mai!"
"Pardon? I wasn't actually watching, admittedly. I didn't want to spoil myself on their decks." Wilhelm replied.
"You weren't watching?" Yugi blinked.
"Well, no one else here knows what my deck is. I didn't want an unfair advantage, you know?" Wilhelm scratched his head. "It's more fun this way!"
"Wilhelm, I know we don't really know each other, but you have to listen to me! He's evil, and that rod in his hand –"
"The golden one with the Egyptian motif?"
"Y-yes?"
"Is that solid gold?"
"Yes, I mean…maybe?' Yugi was taken aback by the direction of this conversation. "That's not the point—"
"Wouldn't that be ridiculously heavy if it were solid gold?" Wilhelm asked. "Actually, is that pyramid around your neck also solid gold? Also, what's with everyone sporting Egyptian apparel? Is that some sort of fashion these days?" Wilhelm fell out of the loop. "There was even that woman who had yet to duel who also had an Egyptian necklace and motif. Though her name was also Ishtar, so that sorta makes sense; they're probably siblings." He jerked his thumb to Marik.
"....." Yugi blinked a few times. "Look, none of that is important. But you have to listen to me; he's evil, and he hurt a lot of people. You may not believe me, but he has magic, real magic. And he can use it through dueling to hurt you!"
Wilhelm blinked this time. "Wow, that sounds…fantastical."
"Look, I know it sounds strange—"
"Yugi." Wilhelm stopped him. "We're flying on a massive blimp for the sake of playing a card game. Strange didn't board with us, and we left him in the dust."
"You know, when he puts it like that, it is kind of strange, isn't it?" The girl next to him—was her name Tea? She was the one who agreed with him.
"Will Marik Ishtar and Wilhelm Schweinorg please step onto the dueling platform?" The announcer shouted.
"Oh, looks like that's me." Wilhelm perked up. "Wish me luck!"
"Wilhelm, wait—"
Wilhelm did not wait and walked up to the dueling arena.
He waved to Seto Kaiba, the guy in the impressive white trench coat and mullet. Kaiba returned a scoff and a glare.
"A bit chilly up here, don't you think?" Wilhelm asked his opponent as he took his place on the opposite side of the dueling arena. "Actually, are these handrails even safe? A little bit of turbulence and someone could go overboard."
"It builds character." Kaiba, from the side, snorted disdainfully.
"Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen."
"You idiots signed away your right to sue when you entered my tournament."
"I didn't sign anything." Wilhelm returned. "I was just handed my Duel Disk and told to have fun."
"Wait, what?" Kaiba then looked oddly surprised, and he grabbed his collar, where he had a communication device. "Mokuba, pull up the contracts for the participants, find everyone's name here, now!" He shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. A moment later he scowled. "What do you mean no one here signed the damn waivers!?"
There seemed to be more back and forth between them that Wilhelm couldn't quite hear all of.
"That's it, we're taking a temporary break! This duel is suspended for now!" Kaiba announced.
"You finally listened to reason." Yugi breathed a sigh of relief. "Now we can—"
"Until you idiots sign the damn waivers. I'm not getting sued because you idiots don't know how to stay away from the damn safety railings!" He announced, and Yugi deflated as he continued to yell into his collar. "Mokuba, get the lawyers on the line! We needed airtight indemnity clauses yesterday!"
[Line Break]
It took a surprising amount of time to get it all done.
Even Marik, who was cursing and announcing his evil intentions the entire time, reluctantly signed them just to get it over with and on to the duel.
That, and he threatened to disqualify anyone who didn't sign.
One could argue that it was signed under duress, but Kaiba also told them they could speak to his literal army of lawyers.
"Well, we're back." Wilhelm smiled, making sure his deck was in place of his duel disk.
He was having fun.
Marik stared at him with a vacant but rather hostile expression. "I've decided I'm going to have you jump off this blimp as your punishment for wasting my time." He hissed.
"It's a long way down." Wilhelm responded.
"I know." He hissed under his breath again, clearly getting frustrated. The golden eye on his forehead pulsed ominously.
"...it's a lovely night for a duel, don't you think?" Wilhelm said politely as he did his pre-duel shuffling of his deck. "Would you like to cut mine? I heard it's polite to offer even if the duel disks auto-shuffle to prevent cheating anyways."
"You don't understand, do you? The shadows whisper to me, Schweinorg. They scream your name. They hunger for your soul." Marik didn't blink as he stared, well over a minute passing.
Wilhelm blinked. "That's… concerning. You should probably get that looked at."
Marik sneered. "I will drag your spirit into the Shadow Realm, tear it apart piece by piece, and feed it to the void. You will know agony before the end!"
Wilhelm frowned slightly. "Right. But before that—just so we're clear—you're using a 40-card minimum deck, right?"
"What?"
"The tournament rules," Wilhelm said, gesturing casually to the Duel Disk. "Standard deck size. Don't want to win by disqualification; that'd be kind of a downer."
Marik's mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again. "I—yes! Of course I follow the rules, fool! I am the harbinger of darkness, not some petty cheater!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to insult. It's just…had some guy do that a couple days ago, and it was kind of a letdown to win by a technicality, you know?" Wilhelm smiled, sliding his deck back into his duel disk. "Good luck to you. Should we roll dice to see who goes first?"
"I'll go first!" He declared, eye twitching.
"...well, alrighty then." Wilhelm shrugged.
"Be careful, Wilhelm!" Yugi called out. "Whatever you do, don't let him summon his Winged Dragon of R!!!"
Wilhelm blinked, looking at Yugi and then back at Marik, who looked rather smug now. "Winged Dragon of Ra, huh? I heard about that; these 'Egyptian Gods' seem to be all the rage this tournament."
Marik laughed evilly. "You have no idea what's in store for you. The very gods themselves support me. So yes, try your best, play and have fun, because when I summon my god, your soul will be forfeit!"
"Hmm." Wilhelm pursed his lips. "Why Egyptian Gods?"
"What?"
"What about the other gods? I mean, why are you so focused on Egyptian gods and the whole Egyptian motif?"
"...I will take far too much pleasure in ripping your soul apart." He said in a monotone response. "First, I summon Gil Garth in attack mode!"
[Gil Garth: Level 4]
[1800/1200]
The hologram lit up as the creature took the field.
"Then, I place three cards face down." Marik declared, and then he took out his golden rod that he was keeping behind him somewhere. "Now, I'll take this duel to the shadow realm!" He laughed as he held it up, and the world changed around them.
It got all purply, and there were menacing eyes in the void around them.
"What do you say now, mortal? Do you understand the pain and torment that no one sees in you"? Marik continued to laugh maniacally.
"Where were you keeping that rod?" Wilhelm asked, ignoring basically everything.
".....I end my turn." He seethed.
"My turn, draw." Wilhelm called out, smiling lightly as he took his new card. "Well, this was a wonderful opener."
"Play your pathetic tricks, mortal; you will rue the day all the same. The longer you take, the longer you will suffer for your arrogance." Marik hissed in annoyance.
"I play First Generation Magus in attack mode." Wilhelm called out.
[First Generation Magus: Level 3]
[800/500]
"I activate his effect. When First Generation Magus enters the field, I can search my deck for a card called 'Heaven's Feel Ritual' and add it to my hand!"
"Next, I play the spell card—Catalyst." Wilhelm declared, and the faint outline of a sheath appeared in the spell and trap zone. "And now, I play a familiar card—Heaven's Feel Ritual!" He slapped the spell card down, and a large magic circle appeared on the field. "With this card, if I control a Magus and a Catalyst, I can ritual summon a Servant monster from my deck! Come forth from the Ring of Restraint, Saber!"
On the field, she appeared, blonde hair, blue armor, a regal knight in appearance.
[Servant Saber – Artoria Pendragon: Level 8]
[3000/3000]
"What!?" Marik exclaimed in surprise. "I've never heard of this card before."
There were similar remarks from the peanut gallery.
"Then you should thank me; it's not every day that you can stand before a king. Meet Artoria Pendragon, the King of Knights."
She gave a curt nod towards her opponent.
"That is no ordinary monster." Yugi called out, but his voice was far deeper, and he was taller.
"Holy shit, did you just go through puberty during my turn, Yugi?" Wilhelm exclaimed.
They ignored him like it was completely normal. Though Yugi stared at the Servant, the image of Saber turned her head to meet his gaze, and he recoiled slightly.
She gave him a little smirk, then focused back on Marik.
Though, in that small pause, Wilhelm had a different thought that made him take a small interlude.
He briefly wondered if he could look up the dress of the hologram and if it captured her properly there.
Something he would need to test later.
Thoroughly test.
"Artoria, please show this monster the pecking order." I spoke.
"Not so fast!" Marik announced as Saber was about to attack. "I activate the trap card, Mirror Force!"
"Oh wow, so much skill."
"It destroys all your monsters in attack position!"
"Yeah, no." Wilhelm responded casually. "I activate Saber's special ability. Once per turn, if a spell or trap effect would destroy her, she can negate that effect."
His Mirror Force was destroyed and sent to the grave.
"I activate my second trap!" Marik growled. "Negate Attack! Your monster's attack is negated!"
Wilhelm shrugged.
"I place two cards down and end my turn." Wilhelm replied as Saber took her position back on his side, looking a bit annoyed.
"Draw!" Marik shouted, doing a very exaggerated method of drawing from his deck. He then started to laugh. "I admit, your monster is impressive. But a king is no match for a god. I play the spell card Pot of Greed; this allows me to draw two more cards."
"That seems pretty busted, but continue."
"Now, Gil Garth, attack his Magus!"
"I activate my trap card—Command Seals." Wilhelm gestured, and the trap card on the field flipped up. "If I control a Servant, this card gains three counters. I can remove one counter to activate one of its effects per turn as long as I control a Servant monster. I choose to activate its first effect; your attack is negated."
"Then I respond by activating the special effect of a monster from my hand. During the battle step, I can special summon my Juragedo!"
[Juragedo: level 4.]
[1700/1300]
"When this creature is special summoned, I gain 1000 life points!"
[Marik Ishtar: 4000] → [Marik Ishtar: 5000]
"Now, reveal my last face-down card!" Marik shouted, throwing his hand out. "The spell card—Enemy Controller!"
"I chain my Command Seal!" I responded. "I can change one non-servant creature to defense mode; I choose your Juragedo!"
His monster huddled down defensively, but the damage was done.
"Then I take control of your Saber Servant!" The Spell card of his forced Wilhelm's Saber over to his side of the field. "And since it's still in the battle step, I'll attack your Magus!"
Saber reluctantly followed his commands, slashing Wilhelm's nameless Magus.
[Wilhelm Schweinorg: 4000 LP] → [Wilhelm Schweinorg: 1500 LP]
Wilhelm felt a strange stabbing sensation in his chest.
Marik laughed maniacally again. "How does it feel to be betrayed by your own precious monster!?"
"Oof, hurt more than I was expecting, a bit out of breath here." Wilhelm said honestly.
Marik just continued to laugh. "You fool, that's the shadows taking their meal, biting pieces of your soul! Every life point you lose is every piece of your soul you forfeit!"
Saber looked apologetic.
"That sounds rather unpleasant."
Marik scowled. "Hmph, I'm not done yet! I haven't summoned yet for my turn, and I now have three monsters!"
"Oh no!" Yugi called out.
"That means he's going to summon his Egyptian God Card!"
"Egyptian God card!?"
They all seemed surprised and worried.
"That's right, you fools. Now bow down before a true god. I sacrifice all three monsters to summon the one and only—Winged Dragon of Ra!"
[Winged Dragon of Ra: Level 10]
[?/?]
"When Ra is summoned, I can pay life points to increase its attack! I pay 4000 Life Points to feed the mighty god!" Marik grunted as his life points drained.
[Marik Ishtar: 5000 LP] → [Marik Ishtar: 1000 LP]
[Winged Dragon of Ra: Level 10]
[4000/4000]
"What do you have to say now, mortal!?"
"That looks more like a bird than a dragon." Wilhelm said honestly.
"...those will be your final words." Marik glared. "You move, mortal. Take your last pathetic turn before Ra obliterates your soul."
"Wilhelm…don't give up. Believe in the heart of the cards." Yugi called out.
"Heart of the what?"
"The Heart of the Cards!"
"What's that?"
"Your belief in your deck. If you believe in it hard enough, it will return that faith, and you'll draw what you need!"
"That sounds like some bullshit." Wilhelm replied. "Or cheating. Actually, yeah, that sounds like cheating."
"It's not cheating!"
"Mokuba, make sure to watch Yugi and his 'friends' closely for cheating." Kaiba spoke rather loudly into his collar.
Yugi and his friends glared at Kaiba.
"I draw." I said quietly, looking over my options.
Marik smirked. "How does it feel, your own ace monster betrayed you, used to summon my god!"
"Ah…." Wilhelm frowned slightly. "Artoria is certainly extraordinary, but she wouldn't be my 'ace' in the same context you're using."
Marik frowned then. "Hmph, a last pitiful resistance in the face of annihilation. My Egyptian God Card is unbeatable."
"Be careful, Wilhelm; his Egyptian god is powerful, and it has some hidden abilities!" Yugi called out again.
Wilhelm did actually have a good impression of him. Yugi seemed to constantly offer support or help when it looked like he needed it.
"You know, I was only half joking before." Wilhelm smiled.
"Joking?" Marik's eyes narrowed. "About what?"
"You all, I've been hearing this for days now: 'Egyptian God this, Egyptian God that." Wilhelm scoffed, and they all seemed to notice his carefree demeanor changed. "Frankly, I'm not impressed."
"Watch your words, mortal. The gods will decide your fate soon enough." The image of Ra seemed to intensify, as if it were insulted, letting out a screech that seemed to rock the blimp.
Wilhelm, however, was unfazed. "You lot seemed to overlook something important."
"And what would that be?" Marik crossed his arms, seemingly annoyed by the conversation.
"This is Japan, not Egypt." Wilhelm stated, slapping a card down. "I activate my own Pot of Greed, drawing two cards. Then I activate the Field Spell Card—Yomi."
Rather quickly, the surroundings were replaced by a desolate landscape, an underworld. The 'shadow realm' around them seemed to shimmer slightly, as if something was pushing it away.
This didn't go unnoticed by Marik or anyone else.
"What are you doing?!" Marik growled, taking a defensive stance.
Wilhelm just smiled.
"Then, I summon Chibiki Stone."
[Chibiki Stone: Level 1.]
[100/100]
"Now, when Chibiki Stone is on the field, I can activate the spell ability of Yomi!" Wilhelm's voice carried despite the winds whipping up. "I can banish Chibiki Stone and two monsters from my graveyard. First Generation Magus and Saber, in order to special summon one card."
Everyone had to brace themselves; the blimp began to shake violently. Marik held an arm up in front of his face as the wind became almost too much for him to bear.
"Do you think Japan doesn't have its own gods? Come out, Izanami-no-Mikoto, Goddess of Death!"
A pillar of unholy light descended, nearly knocking everyone off their feet. Ra was also pushed back with an ear-piercing cry from it.
It took a moment for everything to calm down enough for them to see.
There she stood, in her glory.
White robes, silver hair, and a godly presence no less than Ra's overhead.
[Izanami-no-Mikoto, Goddess of Death: Level 10]
[0/0]
Everyone was stunned into silence, but Marik was the first to speak.
"What is this!?" He shouted, confused and perhaps feeling a bit of terror as the goddess glared at him. "There are other gods!?"
The world separated into two, a profound light pulsed of Ra in the air, and a swirling darkness emanated off of Izanami on the 'ground.'
"You should have stayed in Egypt." Wilhelm said sternly. "Now, Izzy here gains the attack of all monsters banished to summon her."
[Izanami-no-Mikoto, Goddess of Death: Level 10]
[0/0] → [3600]
Marik stilled, but then a smile crept back up. "So what, it doesn't matter! Ra is unstoppable; his attack points are still higher!" \
"I activate my equip spell card – Amenonuboko – The Heavenly Jeweled Spear!" Wilhelm slammed down the spell card. The Divine Spear appeared on the field, and Izzy reached out one of her pale hands and gripped it firmly. "When Izanami holds this spear, her attack is doubled!
[Izanami-no-Mikoto, Goddess of Death: Level 10]
[3600] → [7200]
"What!? Impossible!"
"Izzy, show him who owns this land!" Wilhelm called out.
Izanami, gracefully, swung her spear, a casual action, but the world turned silently. It was like time and space had been sliced in half as Ra was split down the middle and dissipated.
With a reverberation, the Shadow Realm around them was also torn away, sending a shockwave out that nearly knocked everyone off their feet.
[Marik Ishtar: 1000 LP] → [Marik Ishtar: 0 LP]
He collapsed onto the ground, steam literally wafting off of him.
And for some reason, his hair fell down into a different style.
Everyone was silent as they watched.
Izzy just gave Wilhelm a gentle smile and faded away as the duel finished.
Wilhelm walked over to Marik to claim his victor's rights. The loser had to give up their most valuable card.
Wilhelm grabbed the Winged Dragon of Ra from him.
He took one look at it, scoffed, tore it in half, and tossed the pieces away.
"I don't need this trash." He said casually, walking away.
[Line Break]
A/N
Accidently put the wrong omake on and had to delete it and repost, so sorry if you guys see a double update for it. For people who somehow read it in time, it was some vague Idea I had about Wilhelm being in the yugioh world and going through it from the start rather than just a one off like this one.
If you want to read 10 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.c.o.m / astoryforone
I also have a boosty if you can't use the above under the same name.