Season 0: Theme Keycard #1 C9: "Joke's On Me."

A/N: I'd make excuses for the delay, but honestly? I just wanna take the Lunar New Year off before heading into the year. I thought I could write through it, but my brain became very disagreeable. Happy Lunar New Year btw.

The dim orange light spilled from the exhibition lamps on the ceiling as Lenix scrolled down the message for the fiftieth time that night, all while mumuring to himself as if he'd been possessed. “What to pick, what to pick…” Every Duel Spirit he had, or would bond with would offer him unique Spirit Skill(s) and/or Enhancement(s) the higher their Bond…

Vorona had never hidden it from him, but he'd honestly expected Nephthys to be his first.

Mimic wasn't bad, though.

While not conventionally powerful, the Insect had offered some pretty… Respectable Options for their first milestone—three, in fact.

[Option 1: Mimicry Indestructibility]


Rarity: Rare


Description: A Duelist equipped with this Skill Card cannot be destroyed by physical damage.


Cost: 1500 DE / Sec


At first glance, the Skill Card seemed ridiculously overpowered, but the 1500 DE-per-second upkeep was quite exorbitant. It was essentially a gutted version of [Installation: Mimicking Man-Eater Bug], but stripped of all the best features—the ATK boost, the mimicry, and the immunity to effects from monsters of the same type.

While not a bad Skill Card by any means, Lenix wouldn't consider it essential either. Gimmicky, maybe.

Fortunately, it's not the only option he had.

The second appeared much more promising, yet unfortunately still shared the first's primary drawbacks.

[Option 2: Equalizer]


Rarity: Rare


Description: A Duelist equipped with this Skill Card can bypass all conventional defenses with their next attack, unless the Target is specified to be “Unaffected by card effect.“


Cost: 50% DE / Per Activation


“Next.“

[Option 3: Random Assortment]


Rarity: N/A


Description: The higher the risk, the greater the reward; yet with heightened hope also comes deeper disappointment. Sacrificing your first two Skill Cards will allow you to receive 2 random Skill/Enhancement Cards.


Normally, Lenix wasn't one to gamble, but a two-for-one deal was tempting. Too tempting.

"Go big or go home," Even if the Skill Card turned out to be a dud, it's not exactly an uncorrectable mistake. Grasschopper's Bond Progress had risen steadily since he started to use the monster more. It's only a matter of time before he got another Skill Card from it.

"Screw it."

Not one to dwadle and hesitate, Lenix muttered to himself, and selected [Random Assortment].

The holographic Notification smoothly transitioned at his command, giving place to a Confirmation window that not only reminded him of what he was giving up but also seemed to scream, 'Are you stupid?' right in his face.

[You're discarding two Rare Skill Cards to gain two new ones—Click 'Yes' to confirm your choice.]


[Yes] [No]


"Positive."

The verbal confirmation was immediately acknowledged by the System, as a loading screen appeared, spinning endlessly until it, as if possessing a gravitational force of it own, broke down and… Digested the pieces of the first two Skill Cards like an insatiable and silent, yet deadly Black Hole ripping apart all in its wake, before spitting out—”[Destiny Defied] and [Shadow Initiation]?“

Of course, someone chose that exact moment to knock on his door, and who else could it be but the 'Lightsworn' herself? "‘Sup!"

"Good morning." Peering through the crack in the door, she pushed her way inside and surveyed the scene; from the unmade blanket, used clothes strewn across the bed to the overflowing trash bin sitting silently in the corner. "Did a tornado trash your room?"

"If by tornado, you mean me, then yeah."

"How do you even live like this?"

Lenix frowned, looking around what he considered a reasonably clean room, albeit slightly messy. It wasn't like he had moldy, unfinished fast food on the table or a family of roaches multiplying under his bed.

The place wasn't even dusty! "What do you mean? I just swept and mopped last night. The bed's in a bit of a mess, sure, but I just got up!“

"It's 8 a.m., Lenix. How are you just getting up?" Akane teased, a playful twinkle in her eyes as she stood in the middle of the room, already making herself busy. Lenix groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and pushing back the tousled mess of hair that clung to his forehead.

"Rough night.“ Managing a sheepish grin, he stumbled back inside, joining Akane in her quest to locate the scattered remnants of his wardrobe. Diligently folding the clothes they’d gathered, Akane accidentally dropped a piece of black fabric to the ground and crouched to retrieve it. It took her brain seconds to register she's holding a pair of boxers, Lenix's, in fact.

"Kya! You pervert!" The uncharacteristically high-pitched scream pierced the air, startling her into a momentary panic. Heart racing as she wheeled around, heated glare glued to the boy in front of her who's frozen in a pose.

"What the Hell was that?!"

With a sheepish grin, Lenix replied, his voice both innocent and confident, as though he's genuinely convinced his reaction's appropriate.

"Isn't that what all Anime characters are supposed to do when someone touches their underwear? It's one of the oldest troupe in the book!“

"Not when it's a guy's clothing!" Akane retorted, equal parts annoyed and amused. "Also, ew, I didn't know you were a Weeb." Sharing a laugh, the two quickly tidied up the room, an easy task until Akane threw open the closet. "Lenix, are you serious?"

"What now?"

"There's only one set of clothing in your closet."

"What? There should be five sets in there! I just had them dry-cleaned!"

“Excuse me," Akane growled, massaging her temples wearily. "I meant there are five identical sets of clothing in your closet… Why, pray tell, do you have five identical sets, Lenix?"

"What do you mean 'Why?' I can't exactly go outside naked, can I?"

Unlike earlier, her friend genuinely didn't seem to see any issue with his wardrobe, a fact that felt heretical to her. "... I can't even… Just, why?! Why not have an alternate look?"

"Because I rock the red jacket, and black pairs well with it. I'd opt for a brighter color, but yellow just looks cheap, and I'm nowhere rich enough to have clothes made from threaded gold just yet."

"What if you're invited to a party? What would you wear?"

"That? I don't see the issue here."

And saw it, Lenix truly didn't.

Yugi spent around nine-tenths of Duel Monsters in his school uniform,

Even Jonouchi largely stuck to a standard look for the Season which usually took place in days, if not weeks.

Nobody ever questioned their clearly lacking wardrobe, but when he did it, all a sudden it's a problem?

"You do realize those are just Tournament outfits for recognizability and branding, right? They don't wear the same thing everywhere!"

"Yeah, tell that to the King of Game. Dude's still rocking his school uniform."

Or Weevil—the shifty-eyed motherfucker who hadn't even grown an inch after a decade-long time skip.

"Whatever. We're not Dueling today, not until you get something else to wear."

"... What are you, my mother? And your schooling situation still isn't resolved yet?"

"It's too late in the semester for local schools to accept us. I'll have to wait until next year."

Scratching his chin, Lenix jokingly suggested, "You know, if we get you good enough at the children's card game, maybe you can join Duel Academy next year?"

"... Who'd actually go to a school for Dueling? What do they even teach there?"

"I don't know, but I'm headed there in a few months."

"Why?" What could the Academy teach him that Lenix didn't already know?

"I'm not joining as a student."

"A faculty member—you? Oh, those poor Souls."

“What's with the tone?!"

The two headed to the nearest mall at Akane's insistence, where she promptly dragged him into every store that caught her eye.

Half an hour later, with pockets emptied and hands weighed down with bags, Lenix stifled a sob.

"Oh, don't be dramatic. You'll earn the Duel Points back in a few days, at worst."

"I was saving that!"

"For what?"

"A rainy day?“

Rolling her eyes, Akane snorted. "What's the point of making money if you're just going to hoard it? Besides, those places weren't exactly breaking the bank. You'll recover financially in no time."

To her, it might seem so, but to Lenix? It sure didn't seem that way, and the pain poliferated every time he set gaze on his balance. Choking back tears of regret, he turned to Akane, mind scrambling for a topic—any at all—if only to take his mind off his now significantly lighter digital wallet.

"So, how's progress?"

“Progress?“ The girl repeated questioningly.

"Well, you know, the disappearances?" It had been, what, three days since their conversation? And Lenix still couldn't shake the matter from his mind.

What were the odds of a shady Duelist starting a spree of kidnappings just as soon as he arrived in this world? It was certainly possible, but far from probable. 'It has to be a Quest, right?'

And it felt like the Main Quest, too.

Was this why he was here? To stop a great evil? Some villain with a plan to eradicate all of mankind, never mind that life would surely be terribly boring for them afterward?

"Why, I thought you didn't care?" Akane teased, grinning mischievously as she poked her friend in the ribs.

"Of course I care—I could be the next victim, for all I know."

"C'mon, you're an amazing duelist. If it's really a Shadow Duel, you're the most equipped."

"You believe in that Shadow Duel nonsense?" Lenix gawked. He knew it wasn't actually nonsense, but Akane Fushio had never struck him the type to believe in urban legends, let alone Ancient Egyptian occult hocus-pocus.

"I don't."

Her answer only confused him further.

"But where there's smoke; there's gotta be fire, right? Plus, we've advanced technologically so quickly in the past decade, I just can't see any other explanation. Hell, arcades were a thing just six years ago—can you believe that? Nowadays, I hardly see one anywhere in Domino City. They've all been replaced by Internet cafés, dueling arenas, and the like."

The more Akane Fushio spoke, the less confident she sounded, as if she still couldn't fully grasp the rapid metamorphosis the world had undergone in such a short timeframe.

“How on earth did we evolve from bulky computers to life-like projections that are literally being used to decide the outcomes of wars and manage national resources? And in less than a decade too! How else could anyone explain it besides magic or aliens?!"

"Are... Are you doing alright?"

He awkwardly asked, completely taken aback by the girl's sudden tirade. Although no stranger to existential musings himself, Lenix couldn't remember ever having quite that intense of a crisis.

"I... No... Nii-san got word last night—three of his guys have vanished."

"Gone? Just like that?"

"Yeah... not a trace of them left. Nii-san managed to bribe a KaibaCorp employee for information, and it seems there was a surge in Duel Energy right when they disappeared."

"So you knew there was a risk of a Shadow Duel and still tried to talk me into it?"

"What are you afraid of? You're probably the most competent Duelist I know!"

"What am I afraid of? Oh, I don't know, fucking death?! The children's card game kills, in case you haven't noticed.“

While they were caught up in their conversation, Lenix accidentally bumped into someone. That someone also happened to be eating ice cream, which was promptly smeared all over Lenix's clean red jacket. "Great. Just great..."

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!"

"No, no. It's my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Not wanting to blow things out of proportion, Lenix helped the glassed girl to her feet, transferred the DP for the ice cream to her, and immediately headed to the restroom to change out of the uncomfortably sticky shirt.

He never noticed the curious, if not to say obsessed, eyes glued to his back even after the interaction, nor the look she gave Akane which was anything but friendly.

After the ordeal, the two regrouped and headed to the first floor in complete silence, a silence that was, embarrassingly enough, broken by the rumbling of the girl's stomach.

"... Are you hungry?"

It took her a moment to respond, her cheeks dyed by pink. "I forgot to eat this morning."

“Non-answer, typical.“ Pointing to a random restaurant, Lenix dragged the girl toward despite her weak protests, “It's too expensive!“

"Jesus H. Christ, it's a meal, not a mansion."

"But—!" Her protests visibly weakened as they approached and stumbled inside the sushi restaurant.

"But nothing. Think of it as compensation for showing me around the city."

"Pretty sure you already paid me back by teaching me how the game works."

"Seriously, woman, it's free food—do you want it or not?!"

"I do, okay! Just stop yelling at me!" Startled by the noise, Akane flailed weakly, but Lenix hadn't missed the hunger in her eyes.

"Then stop being so damn timid. I'm inviting you for breakfast, not proposing!"

"Well, I didn’t ask for it!"

"Your stomach did! And I'm gonna look like the jerk left his girlfriend to starve!"

"Who's your girlfriend?!" Akane growled.

"It's a hypothesis, plus it's not the point. The point is it's not a good look. And neither is me forcing you into the restaurant, so get a move on or I'm dipping!“

"Alright, alright! Stop pushing me already!" Akane threw her hands up in exasperation.

Spotting the pair entering, two chefs in crisp white uniforms bowed in unison. "Will a table for two suffice?" Standing slightly to the side, the waitress politely inquired.

"Two seats, yes. But enough food for three," Lenix replied, jerking a thumb towards his embarrassed and cranky companion. "In fact, make it four. This one's only inhaled oxygen since morning. Trust me, she can pack it all away."

"Lenix!" Akane hissed, her cheeks flushing bright.

"See? Starving. Audibly starving," He teased, a grin spreading across his face as he clicked his fingers at the waitress, who stifled a chuckle, and smoothly guided them to a table bathed in sunlight. With a practiced flourish, she pulled out two chairs. "May I offer you some tea while you check out our menu?"

"Depends what you've got," Lenix replied, already scanning the unfamiliar names.

The only dish he recognized and had any recollection of was Sushi.

"We have a selection, including a fine Matcha—"

The name instantly brought a grimace to his face. "Hard pass." Till this day, he couldn't explain why the tea's so disagreeable to his tastebuds, but he'd rather drink mud water from a canal than put himself through all that retching again. "Akane?"

"Matcha sounds lovely, thank you," Akane accepted, her gaze fixed on the elegant surroundings. As the waitress poured the steaming green liquid, Akane leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Are you sure about this place? It seems… Expensive."

“Well, you said it yourself, what's the point of hoarding DP if I'm not gonna use it?“

"We have several other beverage choices if the Matcha doesn't suit your preference, sir.“

"You have coffee?" Lenix asked, hopefully.

"We specialize in teas, sir. No coffee is served."

Lenix sighed. "Fine. Something with a caffeine kick then. Something… Bitter. And iced, if it's available?“

“I think I've got just what you need—Sencha or Sobacha?“

“Surprise me.“

With their orders placed, Lenix returned his attention to Akane, picking up where they left off.

"You're absolutely certain there's no trace whatsoever?" The moment the waitress departed, he pressed, brow furrowed.

In Lenix's experience, everything left a mark, Supernatural or no.

If he could just identify his opponent's Deck, their methods, their motives—he was confident he could build a Deck to defeat the kidnapper without breaking too much of a sweat. Admittedly, he wasn't eager to actively hunt down a potential threat to his life.

Cowardice, many would call ot, but Lenix preferred to think of it as strategic prudence.

Still, as one of the top Duelists in Domino City, second only to the reigning regional Champion and the King of Games, Lenix thought it's only a matter of time before his path crossed theirs.

"No."

Akane replied, frustration clearly shown in the puff of air she blew through her nose. "There's not enough evidence to open a case."

"And there won't be any at this rate," Lenix mused, tapping a finger thoughtfully against his chin.

"Did your brother check the surveillance cameras? Even if it's a Shadow Duel, they must have caught something. It's kind of hard to take down someone when we have not the slightest clues what they look like."

“We… Does that mean you're in?!“

"Oops, I meant 'You,'" Lenix snorted. "What am I supposed to do against a literal Mage?"

"Duel them?" Akane suggested innocently.

"And what if they don't play fair? What if they refuse to Duel and just blast my ass away with a Fireball? I'm just preparing, in case they take a shot at me."

“You think they will?“

“They're targeting Duelists, right? They might not be going after the bigger names right now, but I'm new to the scene and undefeated—I'm basically the next best thing if they are looking for a competent Duelist.“

"Egotistical much?"

Akane said, rolling her eyes as she shifted to get comfortable and took a steady sip of the Matcha.

"I'm not, I am just… Aware." Earnestly, Lenix replied while giving his drink a slow stir.

“I can't believe it. Of all the answers you could've given me, you really chose the most arrogant?"

"How is it arrogant if it's true?" Lenix retorted with a confused frown.

“Right…”

Seeing the skeptical look on her face, he added airily. “The other day, I beat Jonouchi Katsuya. I am quite literally THE best Duelist in town."

"Jonouchi Katsuya... You mean the blond guy fans call Joey? The same guy who's always seen following the King of Game?"

"The one and only. Do they really call him Joey?"

"Apparently, Jonouchi is just too complicated for the audiences oversea.“ She answered with a shrug.

"It's literally one syllable less than Joey... How complicated can it be?"

Lenix shook his head, somewhat puzzled by 4Kids' logic.

Meanwhile, Akane's mind was being occupied by a whole 'nother matter.

"If you're such a competent Duelist, why are you so afraid? Don't you care about Domino City and its people at all?"

"Well, I do care, just not enough to risk my own neck,"

He replied and calmly explained, "Being confident doesn't mean being reckless with your life. Don't get me wrong, the two can absolutely overlap, but for the sake of my own wellbeing, I'd prefer that they don—”

Pausing mid-sentence, Lenix smiled at the approaching waitress and nodded his thanks as she set down the food.

Only after she had gone away did he notice the skeptical glare Akane's throwing him out of the corner of his eye.

"Look, I don't know what you want me to say. I have nothing to gain, and everything to lose.“

"The people being taken have dreams, you know—aspirations!"

"And so do I," Lenix growled through clenched teeth, struggling to rein in his temper and failing miserably. "Look, can we just move past this, have our meal and leave?“

"Fine." The girl grunted. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she dropped the bombshell. "What stakes would you consider high enough to get involved?"

"I don't know."

"If I were taken, would you act the same?"

Hope flickered in her eyes, only to be extinguished as Lenix glared at her through his messy bangs. "Well, now, that's just not fair, is it?"

"I... I see." Akane poked at the now-cold dish, dispassionately took a couple of bites, and then rose to her feet.

"Akane—"

"Sorry, I just remembered I have plans."

"Akane..."

"And don't worry about the leftovers. I'll pay the fine."

"Jesus H. Christ—"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Lenix sighed, ruffled his hair in frustration, and proceeded to stab his sushi into mush.

"I thought you were better than this, Lenix. I hoped that after you'd had some time to think it through, you'd at least consider it. But I was wrong… This is you—the real you: Cowardly and selfish.“

"You're saying it like I ever tried to hide it.“

Those were the last words Akane heard before she departed from the restaurant. “You're right, you never did, so I guess the joke's on me.“

He could have lied. Lenix had no doubt that if he had said “Yes,” Akane would've believed him, but it's not in his nature to lie, especially when it concerned the life-n-death of another person, nor was it in him to give someone false hope.

"Ahh... Self-righteous people are such a hassle.“

Finishing the meal to avoid wasting any food, Lenix went to pay the bill, only for the waitress to toss him a freezing glare—quite the change compared to her earlier friendly demeanor.

"You made your girlfriend cry, you know? And you didn't even bother to go after her."

"First, we're not dating. Second, her demand was unreasonable. And third, is it any of your business?"

“It's not, but—!“

"It's a 'Yes or No' question," He interrupted sharply while scanning the QR code on the screen. "Since it's no business of yours, I would appreciate it if you'd get off my back about it."

Mood completely ruined by the ordeal, Lenix jogged home, carrying the bag of clothes Akane had handpicked for him. He doubted he would ever put them on again after that particular discussion, but throwing them away went against every fiber of his being, hence he could only hold onto the bags.

Halfway home, too caught up in his thoughts, Lenix once again stumbled into someone.

Only, it wasn't a different person, but the same girl he'd crashed into earlier.

Lenix hadn't the time to take a good look at her before, but now he saw that she resembled a main character more than Akane did with her white hair; stunning violet eyes hidden behind glasses with frames that seemed just a size too large for her heart-shaped face; and rows of pearly whites behind her pink lips.

She stood out, needless to say, and definitely not in a bad way. If Akane was the girl-next-door, then she'd be the leading lady who would usually steal the spotlight and have the entire fanbase simping over her in a heartbeat.

It's a strange thought to have about someone he had just met, but Lenix had enough experience with fiction to recognize which characters were vital to the plot and which were not. 'Another recurring character?'

Sighing again, Lenix offered his hand. “Are you alright?"

"Sorry, I really need to get fitted with new glasses, but I keep forgetting.“ Finished cleaning her glasses, the girl opened her eyes wide and exclaimed, pointing at his bags atop a sewer drain. Though a bit upset at the loss, Lenix could only sigh as he pulled her to her feet. "I know. You told me when you smeared ice cream all over my shirt earlier."

Tilting her head, the girl let out an adorable series of "oohs" and "ahhs" before falling into a crouch and smacking her own head. "Oh, I'm sorry! Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?“

'What is this, Bangbros?'

"Well, since it's not entirely your fault, how about covering the dry cleaning?" Lenix suggested half-heartedly. Compared to the rest of the world, Japan's drains were relatively cleaner—as clean as a sewer could be anyway, which meant the clothes were dirty, but not ruined. "They'll be good as new after a few spins in the washing machine.“

"That won't do! I should buy you new ones," The girl stubbornly insisted, hand latching onto his wrist.

"That's not necessary. Plus, those have... Sentimental value.“ Because there was a good chance he'd never see Akane again after today, and as much as he wanted to shout "Good riddance" at the top of his lungs, the journey home did feel a bit more monotonous without their usual bickering. “You know what, never mind. Just promise you'll keep the eyes on the road and I'll let it slide.“

That should have been the end of it, but her hand continued to linger on his wrist as she pleaded. "Please... I already feel bad enough. Let me pay for the cleaning, or maybe even get you new clothes? On me, of course."

A bit puzzled by her response, Lenix carefully removed her fingers from his arm and went to retrieve his bags. "Sorry, but I have plans for the day."

And by “Plans,” he meant Dueling scrubs to boost his morale.

"It doesn't have to be today. How about tomorrow, or the day after? Just leave me your phone number."

"Yeah... I'm not comfortable with my personal information floating around. If you're that bothered, meet me at Ishido Mall tomorrow morning. You can treat me to ice cream, and we'll call it even. Sound good?"

"That's fine! Oh, I haven't told you my name, have I? I'm Estella Ray, nice to meet you!"

"Lenix Owens, nice to meet you too!"

The girl nodded, pumping her fists as she watched him disappear over the horizon, a distorted grin spreading across her face. "And there I was, trying to figure out how to isolate him from you... Good job.“

Unfortunately, Lenix's not aware of any of this.

With his new friendship in ruins, his clothes dirtied, and Nephthys still being a major obstacle preventing the Hands from helping him advance Pyromancer and refusing to Duel, Lenix had a lot on his mind. He needed an outlet for his frustration, which Domino City's more than happy to provide in the form of Duelists, all eager to prove themselves in a match against the Rising Star.

By the time he finally headed home, it was already 8 p.m. Utterly exhausted, he collapsed onto his bed, ready to shut down completely just when a notification pinged on his Duel Disk. "What now?!" Lenix groaned, tossing and turning as he snatched the device and glared at the name on the screen.

[Message (+1)]


From: Musashi Fushio


To: You


Time Sent: 13 Seconds Ago


Subject: None


Where's my fucking sister, dickhead?


—/—/——/——/—/—


Duelist Profile


Name: Lenix Owens


Title: The Mimic


Level: 4


XP: 2167/6000


Duel Energy: 287/4800 (Regen: 8 Unit/Sec)


Bonded Spirits (Max. 5): Scared Phoenix of Nephthys (0.2%), Hand of Nephthys (6.1%), Mimicking Man-Eater Bug (13%), Grasschopper (6.1%)


Spirit Enhancement(s) / Skill(s): Destiny Draw (1/10), Spirit Vision (1/10), Pyromancy (1/10), Destiny Defied (1/10), Shadow Initiation (1/10)


Duel Points: 870


Duel Record: 67 Total / 67 Win – 0 Loss – 0 Draw


Win Ratio: 100%