[Mash POV]
Jaden pointed two fingers at the girls, a bright grin on his face as he struck his signature pose.
"Gotcha! That was a fun duel, Alexis! Jasmine!"
"All right, Jaden!" Syrus beamed and rushed over to wrap Jaden in a hug.
Jaden turned toward me and Lovely Labrynth, his eyes sparkling. I shot him a thumbs-up.
[That's my boy.]
He nodded at me with a big ol' grin. "So, what'd you think of that combo, Mash?"
"It was great," I said, arms crossed with a proud smirk. "You've got the skills to adapt to new cards, and you didn't just throw them in, you actually wove them into a damn clean combo. Color me impressed."
Jaden puffed up like a puppy getting praised, tail-wag energy and all—until Lovely leaned in with a sly smile, one hand covering her mouth like she was about to spill some hot tea.
"Pfft~! If it weren't for my Darling's intervention, those girls would've hung on with just 100 LP! You did combo well, but let's not pretend you didn't need my Darling's help, LMAO~!"
Jaden deflated instantly, sulking like a scolded mutt. Syrus awkwardly patted his shoulder, trying to cheer him up.
I turned to Lovely, giving her a pointed look. "Cut it out, dear…" I reached over and pinched her cheek.
"Uweee~!" she squeaked.
Jaden chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah... You're right, Miss Labrynth."
The three of us—me, Syrus, and Lovely—blinked in surprise and looked at him.
Jaden scratched the back of his head. "Even when I'm trying to prove myself, I still needed help all the way to the end… from you, Mash."
"Jaden..."
He clenched his fists, eyes lighting up with a fierce determination.
"I still got a long, long chasm to cross before I reach your level, Mash." Then he grinned, full shonen-mode. "But it's exciting! 'Cause maybe! Just maybe! Someday I'll be able to beat you!"
I laughed under my breath, shaking my head. [Typical shonen protagonist. Always very optimistic.]
"Fufufu… The only way you'll pull that off is in your dreams, bro," I teased, raising a hand. "But I'll still root for that impossible dream."
He raised his hand too, and we hit the cleanest dab this side of Duel Academy. Both of us grinning like idiots.
Syrus watched with wide eyes, awe written all over his face.
"Would… I ever be like them someday…?"
"Maybe~ if you weren't such a freakin' pussy, Syrus-chan~"
Lovely leaned in beside him, voice sugary sweet and full of mischief.
"Wah!" Syrus yelped, nearly jumping out of the boat. "Miss Labrynth!? Why are you still here!?"
"What do you mean~?" she asked with a smug smile, tilting her head like a confused catgirl who knew exactly what she was doing.
"But the duel's over! All the monsters should've—"
Before he could finish, she pinched his nose and wagged his head side to side.
"Aw aw AW! M-Miss Labrynth…!"
She grinned wider. "Hohoho~ You ask way too many questions, boy."
Jaden and I burst into laughter at the scene. Still, in the back of my head, a thought lingered.
Then something tapped my shoulder. I turned around and there they were. Alexis, Jasmine, and Mindy stood outside our boat, standing atop the glowing surface of the silver field ocean.
Alexis stood with her arms crossed, clearly salty about the loss but doing her best to keep her composure. Jasmine, on the other hand, looked like she was one snide comment away from committing homicide, her fists clenched and jaw tight. Mindy was doing her best to calm her down.
I smirked. "Hey hey, if it isn't the losers dropping by to celebrate our glorious victory."
Lovely Labrynth, ever the diva, raised a hand to her lips and let out a mocking laugh. "Ho ho ho ho~"
The three girls all gave me and Lovely the same irritated glare
"Knock it off, dude," Jaden nudging me with his elbow before turning to the girls. "So… a deal's a deal, right? Me and Mash won, so we get off scot-free?"
Alexis let out a resigned sigh. "Okay, guys, I won't back out. We'll keep quiet about what happened tonight."
Jasmine huffed. "Well, if you ask me, we should turn them in right now!"
"No one asked you," Alexis snapped without missing a beat.
"Alexis!"
"Look," Alexis continued, voice firm, "both of them beat us fair and square. Even if Mash and his... talking girlfriend card were clearly holding back the entire duel. Because of someone."
"Sorry…" Jaden mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah, don't do that again, Shmaden," I said with a sly grin.
"Why are you calling me Shmaden?"
"Because from now on," I said, pointing at him out with flair, "whenever you do or say something stupid like that, I'll call you Shmaden Shmuki."
"What!?"
Alexis smirked. "Hm… I like the sound of that. Shmaden."
"Hey..."
"You really did great in the early and mid part of the duel, Shmaden!" Jasmine join ins.
"Not you too…"
Lovely Labrynth laughed again, her voice musical and mocking. "Ho ho ho ho~ Shmaden, Shmaden, Shmaden, Shmaden, Shmaden, Shmaden, Shmaden, Shmaden, Shmaden, Shmaden, Shmaden—"
"ARGH! CUT IT OUT ALREADY, I GET IT!" Jaden shouted, his face red with embarrassment.
Everyone burst into laughter except Jaden, who folded his arms and pouted like a scolded puppy.
Syrus nervously raised a hand. "So, uhm... shouldn't we be heading back now?"
"Great idea, Syrus! Let's see..." Mindy's gaze drifted toward the gleaming silver field beneath their feet, the very thing keeping their boat trapped in place. Her voice turned sarcastic. "Huh. I wonder why we can't head back?"
That drew everyone's attention.
She rolled her eyes with a dramatic sigh. "Alright, alright, I'll get rid of the field. But..."
Without warning, she leapt gracefully onto our boat, landing right next to Syrus and flashing a mischievous grin at the girls still stranded outside.
"Please stay right where you are, girls~" she sang sweetly.
The girls blinked, confused. "Huh!?"
And then with a sharp crack from beneath the water, the shimmering silver field plunged beneath the surface like a stage trapdoor dropping its floor. The girls, standing on top of it, shrieked as they plummeted into the cold water below with an enormous splash.
Jaden and Syrus gasped in shock, eyes wide.
Meanwhile, I leaned forward and pointed. "Hyo ho! Nice one, dear!"
Lovely Labrynth gave a smug little bow. "Of course, my darling~"
We both burst into laughter, practically wheezing.
"HO HO HO HO HO—"
Bonk! Jaden knuckled us both on the head, knocking us down in sync.
"Shut up, you two! That wasn't funny!" he snapped.
"ugh..." Me and Lovely Labrynth groaned, our head at the floor of the boat.
Alexis, Jasmine and Mindy then appear from the ocean.
Syrus: Ah! Are you guys alright-
Syrus say but then went silent because of the girls bloodlust aura.
"Ugh…" I groaned, my face smushed against the boat floor beside Lovely, who groaned in unison.
A few seconds later, three soaked girls emerged from the ocean.
"Ah! Are you guys alright—?" Syrus began to ask.
Then he froze.
Like dripping demons, their hair clung to their faces, their clothes were plastered to their skin, and the collective murderous aura radiating off them could've boiled the sea.
The girls said nothing. Just stared. But that silence was loud.
A few minutes later…
Back at the Obelisk dock, the girls stood shivering in their dripping uniforms, their arms wrapped around themselves for warmth and possibly restraint. The fury in their eyes said the cold wasn't the only thing making them shake.
Meanwhile, down in the boat, Jaden and Syrus tried not to breathe too loudly as Lovely and I quietly giggled to ourselves.
[Worth it.]
Mindy turned to Alexis and Jasmine, her arms still dripping with seawater. "Maybe we should just report Mash for trespassing."
Both girls said in perfect unison, "Agreed."
"Wait, wait, wait!" I raised my hands in panic. "Didn't you all promise to stay quiet after what happened tonight?"
"Shut up, Mash!" Jasmine snapped, stomping her foot. "Because of you, we'll need to wash ourselves twice tonight! And it's all because of that bitch!"
Lovely Labrynth gasped theatrically. One hand clutched her chest while the other draped across her forehead like a fainting noblewoman. "Oh~ such heart-quenching words…!"
"Hey! Don't call my Lovely that!" I growled, stepping protectively in front of her. "She might be a bitch, but…"
I turned toward her with a smirk, slipping my arm around her waist. My other hand gently lifted her chin as I pulled her face close to mine. Her silver eyes getting bigger as her face went red.
"…She's my bitch. Isn't that right?"
"Ahh~ Darling~!" she squealed, nuzzling into me. "You're such a smooth criminal for stealing my heart like that~!"
"Everything for you, my lovely dear…"
As we flirted like we were in a soap opera, the others stared at us, cringing harder by the second.
"Yeah…" Jaden muttered. "You can go ahead and report them, Alexis."
"Agreed," Syrus said with a deadpan tone.
"Wait, wait, wait!" I said, spinning around with one finger raised. "How about a deal instead? Alexis, how about I give you an extremely powerful card?"
Her brows furrowed. "Extremely powerful card…?"
"Yup. Just give me a second!"
I opened my System window, heading straight for the shop to the shop bundle menu and buying a certain bundle for 750 credits. After rapidly skipping the gacha animation, I snatched the card from my inventory and held it up with a grin.
"Here." I tossed the card to Alexis. She caught it instinctively, and as her eyes scanned the text, her face went pale.
Jasmine and Mindy leaned in from both sides, peeking over her shoulder, then gasped in unison.
Alexis's hands trembled. "What on earth…"
"Is this—" Jasmine started.
"CARD!??" Mindy blurted out, eyes wide.
I grinned. "So… is it good enough to keep your mouth shut, Alexis?"
She stared at the card for a moment longer before slipping it carefully into her pocket. "Yes… But are you sure you want to give me this?"
"Will that keep you quiet?" I asked.
She nodded slowly. "Yes… but—"
"Well then!" I clapped my hands and turned to Jaden. "Looks like we're done here. Let's head back and get some Z's."
Jaden groaned. "Will you at least row the boat too?"
I gave him a slow, smug smile. "Ha ha ha. No."
He turned to Lovely Labrynth with a last shred of hope. "How about you, Miss Labrynth?"
She struck a dramatic pose. "With these delicate hands? How could I possibly row a boat!?"
"But… weren't you able to lift Chazz almost effortlessly yester—" Syrus began.
"Oh no~" Lovely Labrynth cut him off with a wave. "It seems the duel is over, so I'll just vanish like the rest of the monsters. Bye bye~!"
With a sparkle and a ripple of light, she dissolved into glowing hologram particles.
Syrus and Jaden exchanged a tired glance.
Then they sighed in perfect sync and picked up the paddles.
The boat drifted quietly away from the Obelisk pier, leaving behind three soggy, scowling girls and one smug, satisfied Mash.
As the boat drifted along the quiet water, Jaden leaned over, curiosity burning in his eyes. "So, Mash… what card did you give Alexis?"
I smirked. "A Spell Card."
"What Spell Card?"
I crossed my arms. "The name of that Spell Card… is Lightning Storm. Ever heard of it?"
Jaden and Syrus both shook their heads.
[Well, of course they never heard of it. That card came out in like… 2020 in my world, part of the Ignition Assault pack. God bless my inner card nerd for remembering all the random release dates and booster names of maybe thousand of cards from my head. I swear, it's way easier than memorizing the damn periodic table.]
"Then surely you guys know about Raigeki and Harpie's Feather Duster, right?"
Jaden tilted his head. "Uhm… what are those again?"
Syrus perked up, excited to explain. "Oh! Those are two of the rarest and most broken cards out there, Jaden! {Raigeki} wipes out every monster your opponent controls."
Jaden whistled. "Sweet."
"And Harpie's Feather Duster is basically the same thing, but it clears out all your opponent's Spells and Traps. No joke, it's a game-changer."
Jaden's jaw dropped slightly. "Dang, okay… so what's that got to do with Lightning Storm?"
I grinned wider. "Well, you see, Sy… Lightning Storm is basically both of those effects, slapped onto one card."
"WHAT!?" they both shouted in sync.
"Yup. Lightning Storm lets you choose between two effects: the first one is a slightly nerfed Raigeki, it destroys all face-up Attack Position monsters your opponent controls. The second effect is just a straight-up Harpie's Feather Duster, no strings attached."
Jaden gawked. "Whoa! That's insane, dude!"
Syrus nodded rapidly. "No wonder Alexis went quiet the second she read it. That kind of card is crazy powerful!"
"Fu fu fu… I know," I said smugly, resting my chin in my hand like a smug anime villain halfway through his monologue.
[Although I might be hyping this card up a bit too much, there's one little line of text that keeps it from being completely broken. Just one sentence, one restriction, that balances it all.]
[Lightning Storm can only be activated if you control no face-up cards on your field.]
[That single line makes all the difference. It basically means this card is meant for going second, you can't pop it off if you've already got monsters or face-up Spells or Traps cluttering your board. But... you can still use this card even going first as if your opponent wipes your field clean on their second turn? Just play lightning storm and Boom. Wipe their whole monsters or spell/trap card if they are playing some backrow deck. So it's also good for a comeback tool too.]
Syrus leaned forward again, puzzled. "But where did you get it? I've never even heard of a card that powerful before. Wouldn't a card like that be super popular?"
"You ask too many questions, Syrus," I said, pointing lazily at the paddle. "Now row the boat."
Syrus sighed in defeat and grabbed the paddle. Jaden chuckled beside him, as the boat floated off into the night.
A few moments later...
Mash lay sprawled across his dorm bed, alone and mildly bored. With nothing else to do, he flicked open his system window with a tired sigh.
[It's a shame I wasted 750 credits just to give it away...] he thought, staring at the now-empty balance. [Credits are limited, it seems. I really need to start saving more, who knows what kind of broken cards I need to pull or craft later.]
The transparent blue interface blinked to life.
{Missions:
- Survive all 4 seasons of GX: 0/4
reward: 100.000 credits
- Help Jaden save Syrus!: COMPLETE
reward: 2000 credits
- [SECRET MISSION] Duel againts Jasmine and won: COMPLETE
reward: 500 credits
- [SECRET MISSION] Duel againts Alexis and won: COMPLETE
reward: 500 credits
- [SECRET MISSION] Do a tag-duel and won: COMPLETE
reward: 1000 credits
[CLAIM ALL]more mission are coming soon!}
[Now it's time for the one of the most satisfying part of any gacha game.]He tapped the glowing [CLAIM ALL] button.
{Credits: 2250 -> 6250}
Mash jolted upright, nearly bouncing off his mattress. "Nice…!" he hissed with a grin.[Around six thousand credits! That's like 60 packs or more! Though… I'll use them for later. I'm way too tired to dive into a gacha spiral tonight.]
He sank back into his pillow, eyelids growing heavier.
But just before sleep could take him, a lingering thought bubbled back to the surface—one that had been bugging him for a while now.
"Hey, honey!" he called into the quiet room. "Can you appear, please?"
With a soft shimmer of silver light, Lovely Labrynth materialized beside his bed in spirit form, resting a hand on her hip and flashing him a teasing smile."Hey, Darling~ Are you perhaps feeling pent up and want me to relieve it?"
"Yes." Mash replied with a cheeky smirk. "But later, first, I want you to explain something."
"Oooh~" Lovely purred, leaning in with interest. "Something important? You're making me all curious now~ What do you need, my love?"
Mash's smile faded slightly as he turned to face her more seriously. "I don't know why, but you seem to know more about my system than even I do. Why is that?"
She blinked—then grinned knowingly.
"Because I was personally created by GOD, silly. Not just to be your partner, your lover, and your occasional 'friends with benefits'" she winked, "but also to serve as your system's guide."
Mash sat up straighter. "Alright then. Dear…" His eyes narrowed slightly. "I want you to explain everything about my system. Right now."
Lovely Labrynth smirked, her eyes gleaming with silver mischief.
"Hmm… where to start from~?"
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Hey guys, it's ya boy author: Im_good
Though just call me IG in the comments for short.
Anyway, you maybe wondering why i havent uploaded this whole week. Well... its because of one thing!
Lazy
yeah... i'll just be honest, im just lazy even if i got something in my mind. just lazy to write that's all.
anyway i hope you enjoy because so am I. Chiao!
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