YUGIOH: It's Time to Duel!

Chapter 109: Answers



Sorry for the delay; I wasn't able to get it to the point where I was satisfied with the chapter, so I spent more time polishing it. There may be another chapter coming later this week, but I'm not sure if I can get the one after done in time, so we will see.

[3rd POV]

When Yuna regained consciousness, she found herself in a completely different room. This one was smaller, sleeker, and undeniably modern. The stark white walls, a bed neatly tucked into the corner, and the glow of a bright computer screen created a sense of strange familiarity.

As she absorbed her surroundings, the sound of a clattering keyboard and mouse reached her ears.

"A... Aki! This guy is using Dimension Shifter on me!" a woman yelled, slamming her hand on the table. "I can't take this anymore! They have to be cheating!"

There was a quiet rustling from the bed, and a girl poked out from under the covers, "Don't you have a Called By the Grave in your hand? Just use that." She mumbled softly, and her large, round glasses were slightly askew, giving her a sleepy, unimpressed look.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I... I did, but then they used that Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion or whatever!" the woman wailed, her frustration boiling over. In the next moment, her face fell completely. "They're playing Kashtira too..."

"Just give up already," the girl replied indifferently. "Such is the fate of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon player..."

"Don't insult the power of my spirit!" the woman huffed, pouting dramatically as she stood up. Her white hair cascaded over her shoulders as she grabbed the girl and yanked her out of bed.

"K...Kisara, stop!" Aki yelped, struggling as Kisara mercilessly squished her cheeks and tugged at her face like a mischievous sibling.

Watching the chaotic scene unfold, Yuna furrowed her brows, unsure of what to do. Slowly, she stood up, her movements careful. But the instant she did, both Kisara and Aki froze mid- action and turned their heads toward her in unison.

"Ah... Sorry, you have to see that..." Kisara exclaimed softly and released Aki, who hurriedly darted behind her back. Straightening the wrinkles in her dress, Kisara greeted Yuna with a smile, "It's nice to finally meet you, Yuna Sano."

Controlling her expression, Yuna examined the woman more carefully. Staring at her face, Yuna recalled her appearance. She looked eerily similar to the woman from the statue she had seen earlier, and it wasn't difficult to deduce her identity.

"You're Kisara..." Yuna called out, and the woman smiled gracefully.

"Yes, that's right," Kisara replied, bowing slightly. She gestured toward the girl behind her. "This girl here is called Aki. We have both been waiting for you."

"Hello..." Aki waved timidly, and Yuna nodded in return.

Kisara's smile deepened as she flicked her wrist lightly. In an instant, the entire room dissolved around them. Yuna blinked and found herself seated at a table in an endless white void, with Kisara and Aki calmly sitting beside her.

"We are currently in a different dimension where time flows differently from the real world," Kisara explained, patting her chest. "In fact, we are not even here physically, but spiritually."

"I... I don't understand," Yuna mumbled, her confusion clear. "How is any of this even possible?"

Kisara gave an apologetic smile. "It's difficult for us to explain as well. But it feels as though fate has brought us all together here today."

Yuna remained silent, unsure how to respond. Fate? Who could believe in something as abstract as that?

Yuna tore her gaze away from the amused Kisara and focused on the girl sitting timidly across from her. Aki fumbled with her glasses, shrinking behind Kisara, her face a mix of nervousness and guilt.

As Yuna looked into Aki's eyes, an overwhelming sense of familiarity washed over her. With each anxious fidget from Aki, Yuna's eyes widened. At that moment, she realized what her instincts had been trying to tell her.

"It's you..." Yuna muttered, her voice barely a whisper. Aki visibly shrank back. "You're the one who stole my body..."

A heavy silence settled over the room, thick with tension. It was so palpable it felt as though the atmosphere could be sliced through with a knife. Kisara froze, her pupils trembling as she watched the intense stare between Yuna and Aki, unsure of how to intervene.

Dozens of different scenarios had played out in Yuna's mind when she finally met her other self. Her face shifted through a myriad of complicated emotions as she grappled with how she should feel. Should she be angry, sad, or frustrated? Yet, none of those emotions surfaced. Instead, only one word lingered in her mind.

"Why..." Yuna asked, her voice trembling with a mixture of loss and confusion as she looked at Aki.

"Yuna, I..." Aki paused, unable to continue, her words caught in her throat. She glanced at Yuna's face, terrified of her reaction, and tears began to fall. "I'm sorry..."

"Aki..." Kisara mumbled, her voice filled with worry as she gently patted Aki's back. But she quickly shook her head, struggling to hold her composure.

"It's okay; she deserves to know everything," Aki said, taking a deep breath. Wiping away her tears, she turned to Yuna, her expression resolute. "It all started when I died..."

"Hold on, died?" Yuna interrupted, her confusion evident. "What do you mean?"

Aki took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. "I'm not originally from this world," she explained. "I lived on another Earth, one very similar to this, though with some minor differences. In that world, I suffered an accident and passed away. But the next thing I knew, I woke up in your body with all my memories intact."

Yuna stared in disbelief, but Aki pressed on, her voice softening. "At first, I was excited... excited for a second chance at life, a chance to explore this new world. For the first time in my existence, I could make friends and have people who actually cared about me... For the first time... I wasn't lonely..."

"I know it's wrong, and you have every right to be mad at me..." Aki murmured, her voice breaking. "My life had already ended, and it's not fair for me to take someone else's just to satisfy my greed."

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Aki finished, her gaze fixed on the ground. She fidgeted nervously, too afraid to look up and see Yuna's reaction.

Yuna, listening to her, found herself at a complete loss. If what Aki said was true, then she never intended to possess anyone, let alone Yuna. But still, it was unfair. Yuna had lost a year of her life, and that loss weighed heavily on her heart.

In the end, the question lingered in Yuna's mind: who should she blame? Both of them were victims, caught in an accident neither had ever asked for.

Despite the confusion and hurt, Yuna found herself unable to direct her anger at Aki. It was as if her own body was silently pleading for forgiveness, making it difficult for Yuna to hold any

resentment.

"I..." Yuna's voice faltered, and she looked away, struggling to find the right words. "I know it's not your fault... But I also don't think I can accept your apology."

Yuna hugged herself tightly, her voice shaky as she admitted, "It was scary... In the blink of an eye, I suddenly lost a year of my life. Knowing that, during that time, my body was... doing

things on its own, without my control... It's terrifying..."

"However..." Yuna paused, gathering her thoughts. "I know Aki isn't a bad person. I've heard about the things you've done... and that's why I want to try and forgive you."

Stretching out her hand, Yuna found herself saying words she never expected to. "Will you be my first friend?"

Aki flinched, her eyes wide with shock as she gazed at Yuna's outstretched hand. Hesitantly, she took it, but in an instant, she pulled Yuna into a tight hug, tears streaming down her face. The embrace was so sudden that Yuna froze for a moment, awkwardly patting Aki's back. "Fu fu fu..." Kisara chuckled from the side, watching the scene unfold. "I'm glad things turned out well. Aki's been thinking about this for quite some time now..." "Shush..." Aki blushed in embarrassment, and Yuna couldn't help but smile, sharing in the warmth of the moment.

'Is this what it's like to have friends...?' Yuna wondered, feeling a sense of excitement she had never experienced before. 'It feels nice...'

As the atmosphere grew warmer, everyone returned to their seats at the table. Aki took a deep breath and began to recount everything that had happened during the year Yuna had been

possessed.

At first, Yuna could only blink in disbelief at the absurd fairy tale Aki was telling. Duel Monsters weren't just a game but a battle involving spirits from other dimensions. Villains used gods to try to take over the world. It all sounded so insane that Yuna would've sworn she was listening to the plot of a cartoon.

"That's pretty much what happened," Aki said, her voice steady despite the surreal nature of her words. "After I sacrificed myself, hoping Kisara's soul would survive, we both ended up

here..." "But I still don't understand..." Yuna mumbled, her confusion deepening. "Why were we all brought together? Why didn't Aki possess anyone else?"

"Because I deemed it not to be..."

A voice echoed in all three of the girls' ears, catching them off guard. Their surroundings went white for a moment, and when their vision cleared, they found themselves face-to-face with

a tall woman floating before them.

She wore a luxurious white robe adorned with a ceremonial golden chest plate. Luminous wings extended from her back, shimmering with divine light. On her head, a large crown with intricate designs glowed softly, marking her unmistakable divine status.

"H... Holactie, the Creator of Light," Aki muttered under her breath. Yuna turned to her, wide-eyed, seeking an explanation.

"She's the Goddess of this world..." Aki added softly, her voice filled with awe.

"Go... Goddess..." Yuna stammered, still in shock, her gaze fixed on Holactie in disbelief.

"Please rest easy and speak comfortably," Holactie said with a gentle smile, her presence exuding warmth. "I won't be offended by such a petty reason."

"Um... Holactie-sama..." It was Kisara who spoke up first, her voice steady despite the weight of the situation. "Could you tell us why we're here?"

"As you guessed earlier, this place is my domain, detached from the real world," Holactie explained,

her voice soft yet resonant. "The reason I'm here is to present my gift to the one who saved the world and fulfilled a promise I made long ago..."

"I don't understand, what promise?" Aki asked, her curiosity piqued. "Was it one made with

Ten Thousand Dragon?"

Holactie shook her head gently, her smile softening. "The promise was made not with my brother but with my dear niece. You may know her as the dragon of the Blue Eyes."

At that, Kisara's eyes widened in realization, her heart pounding as the weight of Holactie's

words settled in.

"The Blue Eyes White Dragon..." She muttered and clutched her chest, "But it still doesn't make sense; what kind of promise did Blue Eyes White Dragon make with a Holactie-sama?" "A promise for a second chance..." the Goddess said softly, her gaze turning sympathetic as she stared at Kisara. "Are you aware of your original fate in the past?"

"Yes, Aki told me that Lord Aknadin killed me when the darkness of Zorc Necrophades corrupted him," Kisara replied, a discomforted nod accompanying her words. "Indeed," Holactie confirmed, her voice tinged with sorrow. "But there is more to the story. After

the pharaoh sealed himself along with the malicious creature in the Millennium Puzzle, peace was restored to the world once more."

"However, everything changed when the new Pharaoh, known as Seto, took control..." Holactie

continued, her tone grave.

"Unable to handle the loss of his lover, the new Pharaoh sought powers no mortal should possess. In

his grief and desperation, he resorted to dark magic, forcibly summoning me from the depths of my slumber, awakening me after millennia of rest..."

Aki and Kisara both gasped, their hands instinctively covering their mouths in disbelief. The notion that Seto would resort to such extreme measures was unfathomable to them. They exchanged looks, struggling to comprehend the depth of his actions.

"He demanded the revival of Kisara, an act that c the very na of life and order itself," Holactie continued, her voice steady but heavy with the weight of the past. "Of course, I rejected his demands. To tamper with fate in such a way was unforgivable, and I planned to curse him for his

sin."

"However, I stopped," Holactie said, her tone softening slightly. "And to my surprise, not only did the mortal beg me to reconsider, but my niece also pleaded with me as well. I had never seen her so attached to a human that she would defy me like that..."

"But I assume that's not enough to change your mind..." Yuna interrupted, her frown deepening as she tried to understand the complexity of the situation. Holactie nodded in

acknowledgment.

"That's right. Although I adored my niece, I still couldn't bend the rules I had established eons ago. Some things, no matter the plea, must remain unchanged."

"Then why did you do it?" Aki asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. "I can't imagine what Blue-Eyes White Dragon could have done to make you break your own rule..." Holactie let out a soft sigh, her expression distant, "Knowing my firm stance on the matter, my

niece did something that had never been done before. She willingly challenged my authority as a god..." "Gathering spirits weaker than her own," Holactie continued, her voice laced with admiration, "she fearlessly waged a battle against me. She even had my nephew, whom you may know as the Dragon of Gold, join in the fight."

"All for a single human," Holactie said, her gaze softening slightly as she looked at Kisara. "I

couldn't understand why she would go this far to save Kisara, and unfortunately, such earthly attachment was beyond me..."

"But her resolve shone through, unlike anything I have seen." Kisara's voice trembled as she processed the weight of Holactie's words. "So you broke your

own rules... because of your affection for Blue Eyes White Dragon?" she whispered, her tone a mix of disbelief and awe.

Holactie chuckled softly, the sound almost melodic. "Yes... you could say something like

that."

The goddess's eyes softened as she gazed at Kisara. "Instead of breaking the laws of the world, I offered an alternative. I vowed that Kisara's soul would be reincarnated after several millennia, alongside the reincarnation of the man you once knew. But even with that, it was not a simple

solution." "By that time, Zorc Necrophades' magic had already ravaged your soul," Holactie continued, her voice grave. "It could not be easily restored. The damage was too great, even for me." "If I were to repair it, Kisara would no longer be herself. She would become an artificial being forged

from my power. So, I chose a different path. I fragmented what remained of her soul into several parts."

"One part contained Kisara's identity and memories..."

"Another part allowed me to create a vessel, one that would house her soul once it was restored."

"And the final piece was sent to another world to regrow what had been lost. Kisara's current form

was too fragile to withstand the energy of this realm."

"Kisara..."

"Yuna..."

"Aki..."

Holactie's gaze softened. "These fragmented souls... are the three of you."

I hope you enjoy it.