"GAAAH!"
A random Obelisk Blue student let out a pained cry as he crashed onto his back, groaning. His wide, terrified eyes shot upward, only to lock onto something far worse than defeat.
"PATHETIC."
A silver heel slammed down onto his chest, pinning him in place. Lovely Labrynth looks down on the boy with disdain as if she is seeing a very ugly blue bug she stepped on.
She pressed her heel down harder, making the boy wince and gasp in agony. "G-GAH! Please..! Have mercy..!"
Her lip curled in disgust. "Tch. And here I thought Obelisks were supposed to be elite of this school. This one can't even take a little pain let alone survive 3 turns before getting lovely locked."
"Waah!" the boy yelped as she yanked him up by the collar, dragging his terrified face closer to hers.
"I wouldn't even keep you as a slave in my castle, YOU BRAT!" she snapped with fury in her eyes.
"UWAAAHHH!! M-MOMMYYY!!" he wailed, breaking down into hysterics.
Around them, the gathered Ra Yellow and Slifer Red students stared in stunned silence. Some winced in sympathy at the humiliating sight, while others watched with poorly hidden amusement.
Off to the side, Mash let out a long, exaggerated sigh.
"Hhh… Lovely, hurry up and finish him off." His voice sounded thoroughly bored.
Unlike everyone else standing around the duel arena, Mash had chosen the far more comfortable option of lying down. He was stretched lazily across the ground, propped up on one elbow with a leg bent and the other extended, looking less like a duelist and more like someone lounging during a picnic.
To be fair, standing dramatically during a duel did look cool.
Unfortunately, Mash had always been a tabletop guy, Probably because in his previous world the technology there isn't as advanced as here. Which, alongside this body extremely poor stamina makes it so that he couldn't even stand still for more than ten minutes without getting restless.
Mash yawned. "We've still got three more blue prey to hunt if we want to beat our high score."
He flicked a lazy glance toward the sobbing Obelisk student.
"Sure, he might have committed the ultimate sin of calling you 'mid,' but c'mon… it's turn thirty already." Mash yawned. "Even I'm getting bored of Lovely Locking this unworthy Obelisk loser."
Lovely's irritation vanished the moment she heard him. She perked up instantly, her expression melting into a delighted smile. "With pleasure, my Darling~"
Without hesitation, she slap him across the face so hard he went flying, crashing into the wall and getting his head getting comically stuck in it like a cartoon character.
{Herbert LP: 1100 -> 0}
Mash pushed himself upright with a lazy yawn, stretching both arms above his head as the duel holograms shimmered and dissolved into light. Everything vanished except for Lovely herself, who happily skipped toward him, heels clicking against the stone like an excited child who had just finished a game.
"Three more to go, Darling~!"
"Of course, Lovely." Mash flashed a crooked, predatory grin. "Let's go hunt down the rest of our unfortunate blue-blooded prey."
Together they strolled away from the battlefield, leaving behind a stunned sea of Ra and Slifer students and one Obelisk whose head was still stuck firmly in a wall.
Well, hello everyone, Mash here!
So... There this little tradition of mine that I do every break time for the past 2 weeks. What is it you may ask? Oh, it's simple. I just hunt down at three Obelisk Blue students, no big deal.
NOW. You might be asking, "Why would you waste time on dueling Obelisk Students if you can duel your own Slifer trash peers?" The answer? Duel Points, baby.
At Duel Academy, the most important thing wasn't your dorm, your rare cards, or your anime-style friendship speeches.
Nope. It's DP.
Because Duel Points buy the second most important thing in the entire school: card packs.
Now yes. Mash technically had access to a ridiculously broken system that allowed him to gacha for cards, craft them, and do all sorts of game-breaking nonsense. But...
[CREDITS. ARE. LIMITED. AND I PREFER SAVING THEM RATHER THAN GACHA FOR THE DOPAMINE OF IT!]
But there's more reason for me saving them and using card pack for cards, but... We'll get into that topic later. For now, let's talk about why Obelisk students are my preferred prey.
At Duel Academy, when you beat someone in a duel, you earn DP based on their dorm. Each dorm has this kinda "bounty" system or something... Anyway, we'll call them bounty for explanation sake.
For example, stupid dumbfuck Slifer's has a bounty of 10 DP when you defeat them, which makes them fucking worthless. While Ra Yellow has a bounty of 50 DP, not bad but not great either. And then there's the elite Obelisk Blue's with the big jolly bounty of 100 DP a pop.
But wait! There's more!
Because this school seems to love an underdog story, because they added multipliers to each dorm to spice things up. Obelisk doesn't have them because they are the elites (NOT). Ra got a 2x bonus points when defeating an Obelisk, ONLY. Because Slifers are trash by default.
And then there's us…! This, is the reason why I want to be in Slifer Red... Because Slifer Red multiplier is GOD FRICKING 3X MULTIPLIERS! To everyone except Slifer's.
Because even amongst ourselves we are still trash.
Anyway, that means... Just by giving trap trauma to 3 Obelisk students I just racked up 900 DP in a single day! And I can rack even more if I wanted too!
But, then you might ask, "Mash, if the reward is so stinky garbage low for beating you, why would any Obelisk even bother dueling you?"
Ah, you sweet, naive readers. Because the answer is one single word: ego.
Obelisk students are walking, talking, "Young Masters" straight out of a cultivation manhwa. Arrogant, prideful, and extremely easy to bait. All it takes is a little nudge to their fragile ego and boom! They're sprinting into the trap zone and is ripe for an ass beating. For example, here's one from 10 days ago.
I walked up to some random Obelisk Blue."
Hey. Duel me."
He scoffed.
"Pfft. Why would I waste my time on a Slifer?"
"Pussy." Mash said
"Alright. Let's duel."
And then we duel and I won and got a 300 DP pop! Easy peasy.
Well... That is a simpler and more censored example of what happens, because the real example is where I insulted their Mother, Father, Grandma, Sister, 5th Grade teacher, dog, cat, parrot and their entire generation of family tree.
They also started giving me cringe nicknames from salty Obelisk students who are trying to cope, like "Trap monkey", "Stall Loser", "Simp" etc.
But there was one title this one title I actually liked.
And it had quickly become the most popular one on the academy
The Red Demon King and the Silver Trap Queen.
Hey! It's pretty cool! Not only am I there but Lovely Labrynth is there aswell!
But, Ugh...! I'm getting sick of all this yapping. Let's get back to-
Mash raised an eyebrow as he spotted something in the distance.
[Oho? What's this?]
From around the corner, three dense, spiky strands of black hair poked out just enough to be visible. The sight was oddly distinctive, almost comically so. Mash slowed his steps, curiosity piqued, and quietly crept closer before leaning slightly to peek around the corner.
And there he was.
The edge-lord himself.
"Hello there." Mash murmured with a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. "Chazz..."
Chazz Princeton stood there leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, posture rigid and cool like he was posing for the cover of some gothic fashion magazine. His sharp gaze flicked up the instant Mash stepped out from the corner with Lovely at his side. For a split second his face twitched, and even his body flinched. But just as quickly, the reaction vanished, replaced by his usual cold, stoic mask.
"Hey, hey!" Mash called out brightly, already grinning. "Let's duel—"
"I'm busy," Chazz muttered flatly.
He didn't even slow down. He simply pushed off the wall and immediately turned to walk the other way.
Lovely moved before Mash could say another word. She zipped past him in a blur, sliding directly into Chazz's path with a smug smile sharp enough to cut steel.
"Ho ho ho~! What's this, Chazzy-boy~?" she said mockingly, resting a hand on her hip. "Running away from a duel with me again~? Don't you feel ashamed~? You're an Obelisk Blue running away from a Slifer slacker~! Ho ho ho~!"
Chazz didn't even spare her a glance.
"I'm busy," he repeated, voice flat as stone as he tried to walk past her.
Mash stepped forward at the same time, casually sliding into the opposite side of the hallway and blocking his path. "Hey, why so serious?"
When Chazz turned around to leave the other way, Lovely simply stepped over again, cutting him off with an exaggeratedly smug expression.
"Going somewhere, Chazzy-boy~?" she asked sweetly.
"Tch!" Chazz clicked his tongue loudly, the irritation finally showing as his jaw tightened and his teeth ground together. "Outta the way! I said I'm busy!"
"Oh nooo, not the classic 'I'm busy' again," Mash mocked, dragging the words out dramatically. Then he began parroting him in a deliberately obnoxious tone. "I'm busy, I'm busy, I'm busy, I'm busy… You always say that every time I bump into you!"
"And yet somehow..." he continued, voice dripping with amusement, "every time I duel, you're always lurking in some shady little corner watching and recording with that PDA of yours."
Chazz froze.
His eyes widened in shock. "Wh-What?! How did you-?!"
"Because of me~!" Lovely shouted cheerfully, clasping her hands behind her back. "Even in this holographic body, my eyes are top-tier, you know~?"
"You creepy little stalker~♡"
"I-I…!" Chazz's mouth opened, words failing to form as his composure visibly cracked.
"SHUT UP!"
The outburst exploded out of him like a gunshot.
Before Mash could react, Chazz stormed forward and slammed his shoulder into him. The impact knocked Mash clean off his feet, sending him sprawling onto the floor as Chazz rushed past and bolted down the corridor.
Within seconds he was gone.
Mash groaned from the ground, rubbing the back of his head. "Ugh… what's his problem?"
"I know the solution, Darling~" Lovely said brightly.
She had already summoned her massive silver battle axe and was gripping it with both hands. Her voice remained sweet and cheerful, but the bloodthirsty sparks in her eyes suggested a very different mood.
"Death."
Mash sighed.
"Lovely, that's jail for me."
"Not if they never find the body~" she replied helpfully. "If we strapped him with a silver block and throw him deep in the ocean, how would anyone find him~?"
Mash pinched the bridge of his nose.
[Damn, what is wrong with him…?]
Ever since that duel with Chazz, the guy had been acting weird. In class he'd gone completely cold and stoic, nothing like the arrogant, loud, high-and-mighty Obelisk he was supposed to be. Or... at least if the anime version of him was anything to go by.
[Then I felt him glaring at me multiple times like I ran over his dog. And now this stalking behavior? Unless he secretly has feelings for me like that time he has feeling to Alexis. Which I doubt... This is completely out of character behavior of him.]
Mash groaned softly and rubbed his temple.
[Ugh… I'm getting a headache just thinking about it.]
With a grunt he pushed himself back to his feet and dusted off his uniform. "C'mon. We only need three more Obelisk students to break our hi—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Mash blinked slowly at the sight in front of him.
"Well… speak of the devil."
From around the corner strolled three familiar figures—blonde, brunette, and black-haired Obelisk girls walking together without a care in the world.
Mash's lips slowly curled upward.
A wicked grin spread across his face.
---
Alexis, Jasmine, and Mindy strolled down the corridor of Duel Academy at a relaxed pace, each carrying a small paper bag from the card shop. The warm scent of freshly baked Drawbread drifted faintly from the bags as they made their way back toward class, planning to eat during the break.
Of course, even something as simple as a casual walk never went unnoticed.
"Woah, look, it's Alexis Rhodes!"
"The Queen of Obelisk Blue herself…"
"And the Queen of second turns and comebacks!"
The whispers followed them like a breeze trailing behind their steps. Alexis had long since learned to ignore them, and Jasmine and Mindy did the same, though Alexis still let out a quiet sigh under her breath. The attention, especially from the boys never seemed to stop.
[When I enrolled at Duel Academy, I thought it would just be a place to sharpen my dueling skills… and maybe help me investigate my brother's disappearance.]
Her fingers absentmindedly brushed against the deck pouch at her waist.
[I didn't expect it would turn me into some kind of celebrity.]
The nickname "Queen of Obelisk Blue" was from a strange competition that she somehow won without even competing in it. Which is... Whatever.
The other nickname, however…
That one came from a single card.
Alexis pulled a card from her deck and held it up between her fingers, the glossy surface catching the corridor's light.
{Lightning Storm}.
[All because of this...]
And it worked especially well against the boys who challenged her with the condition that "If they win, she be his girlfriend."
Alexis slipped the card back into her deck and closed the pouch.
[Mash…]
The name lingered in her thoughts.
He had given Jaden four cards as well, and Alexis had seen the results firsthand. With them, Jaden could turn what should have been a completely dead opening hand into a board of powerful monsters capable of ending a duel in a single turn.
[But where did he even get cards like those…?]
"Hey! You three!"
The voice snapped Alexis out of her thoughts instantly.
She, Jasmine, and Mindy turned around together—and immediately recognized the black-haired Slifer Red student approaching with a familiar smirk. Walking beside him was the striking silver-clad figure of Lovely Labrynth, her regal posture and amused smile making it clear that the pair had already chosen their next victims.
The surrounding students immediately began whispering again.
"Hiii…! It's Mash!" Mindy squealed under her breath. "Isn't this around his hunting time?"
"Mash…? That Demon King…" Jasmine muttered, narrowing her eyes.
"Ho…? If it isn't the Queen of Second Turns and Comebacks herself," Mash called out theatrically as he approached. "And her two trusty little bodyguards."
Alexis folded her arms across her chest, though her tone remained calm. "And if it isn't the Demon King and his Silver Queen. What a lovely surprise, Mash."
For a moment the two simply stared at each other.
The air around them thickened with tension as the hallway grew quieter, students watching the confrontation like an audience waiting for the opening move of a duel.
"…These titles are kinda lame, huh?" Mash suddenly said.
Alexis blinked, then exhaled.
"Tell me about it."
Mash shrugged. "At least yours—'Queen of Obelisk Blue'—sounds elegant. Mine sounds like it came straight out of a cultivation novel, and it's not even a good one."
Alexis tilted her head slightly. "Yours is at least intimidating. Mine sounds like some overlong title a fanboy made up."
Mash nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah… someone could probably come up with a better one."
Just like that, the tension collapsed.
The dramatic standoff fizzled into an awkward silence as the corridor returned to its usual background chatter.
Mindy tilted her head in confusion. "Uhm… aren't you going to ask us to duel for DP like you usually do?"
"Mindy!" Jasmine snapped.
Lovely suddenly twirled her massive axe with a delighted giggle before pointing it directly at them. "Ho ho ho~! You're absolutely right, Mindy~! We only need three more victories to break our daily hunt record~!"
The three girls instinctively tensed.
But before Alexis could say anything, Jasmine and Mindy stepped in front of her with determined expressions.
"Don't worry, Alexis! We'll protect you!" Jasmine declared.
"Yeah!" Mindy added as she snapped her Duel Disk onto her arm. "If you want to get to Alexis, you'll have to go through us first!"
Lovely's grin widened with delight. "How brave of you loyal pawns~! Unfortunately for you~ my Darling and I are about to wipe the floor with this du-"
"Actually, Lovely." Mash spoke casually, cutting her off mid-sentence.
"I don't want to duel them."
Everyone froze.
Lovely, Alexis, Jasmine, and Mindy stared at him in perfect synchronization.
"WHAT?!"
Lovely blinked, caught completely off guard. "But why… Darling~?"
"Well," Mash began, rubbing the back of his neck, "they've been pretty lucky avoiding us these past two weeks. So I decided since they are already so lucky. If we bump into them while hunting, we won't duel them unless they challenge or provoke us first. But there's a condition, of course."
Lovely blinked rapidly, completely thrown off. "But why… Darling~?"
"Well…" Mash scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "They've been pretty lucky avoiding us these past two weeks. So I decided that since they're already that lucky, if we run into them during our hunts, we won't duel them unless they challenge or provoke us first."
He raised a finger. "But there's a condition."
Alexis narrowed her eyes slightly. "Condition…?"
Mash grinned.
"Yeah. Just hang out with my lovely."
The three girls stared at him.
"Huh?"
Lovely looked like someone had unplugged her brain. "Darling~!? What… what do you mean by this!?"
Mash looked at her with surprising fondness. "Well, I've been thinking about you a lot lately, my love."
Lovely's cheeks turned faintly pink. "D-Darling…"
"And I realized something," Mash continued solemnly. "Someone like you... a beautiful, elegant, amazing wife, will never experience one thing as long as you stay by my side all the time."
Lovely tilted her head, puzzled. "What…?"
"A girl group experience."
Lovely stared at Mash. "What...!?"
"You know," Mash elaborated seriously, "girl talk, gossip, makeovers, sleepovers… whatever it is girls do together. I'm a guy, so I don't really know. But if you stick with me all the time, you'll never experience that!"
"S-so... What you're saying Darling is-"
"Exactly." Mash nodded, as if about to deliver a profound life lesson. "So I want you to make some girl friends. Like, real ones."
Lovely slowly turned her head toward Alexis, Jasmine, and Mindy.
The three girls waved awkwardly alongside a matching awkward smile.
They looked completely confused, but polite enough to play along.
"B-But Darling…" Lovely whispered.
Mash leaned forward slightly. "Hmm? Are you nervous about making friends with girls, Lovely?"
"WHAT!?" she burst out. "O-Of course not! A Silver Queen like me!? Nervous about making friends!? Watch me, Darling~!"
She immediately walked up to the girls and struck a flamboyant, smug pose.
"Ho ho ho~! Nice to meet you, new friends~! Don't be shy now~!"
The girls exchanged stunned looks.
Jasmine leaned toward Alexis and whispered, "Alexis… what do we even do here?"
Alexis sighed quietly. "Just go with it. Honestly, I don't see any downside. It might even be fun."
"Well, alright then." Mash casually removed Lovely's card from his Duel Disk and tossed it toward Alexis.
Lovely instantly dissolved into shimmering particles as her hologram shut down.
"Put her card in your Duel Disk with projection mode on," Mash instructed. "She'll re-materialize that way."
Alexis caught the card and did exactly as he said. A moment later, shimmering light gathered beside them and Lovely Labrynth reappeared, now synced to Alexis's Duel Disk instead.
Lovely immediately struck another dramatic pose. "Ho ho ho ho~! Since we're all going to be friends now, just call me Labrynth, okay~?"
The girls exchanged another uncertain glance.
"Uh… nice to meet you, Labrynth. I'm Alexis."
"I'm Mindy!"
"…Tch. Jasmine."
Labrynth clapped her hands happily. "Lexy, Min-Min, and Jassy~! Got it! I'll remember you gals forever~!"
"That's not really—" Jasmine began.
"So~!" Labrynth cut in cheerfully. "What should we talk about first~?"
Alexis glanced back toward Mash with mild concern. "Are you sure you're okay with handing over your ace monster like this?"
Mash waved dismissively. "It's fine. I've still got Lady Labrynth as my secondary ace. Just let her have fun."
"Oh, I will, Darling~!" Labrynth beamed as she turned back to her new companions, who still looked unsure what exactly they had just been signed up for. "Now~ let's go~!"
The four girls walked down the corridor together, leaving Mash standing behind as their voices gradually faded into the distance.
Mash stretched his arms as he walked down the corridor, rolling his shoulders with an exaggerated groan. He shifted his Duel Disk slightly on his left arm as if trying to ease the weight of it.
"Ahh… my left hand is killing me…!" he complained, flexing his fingers dramatically. "Why the hell is this Duel Disk so heavy?"
A calm voice answered from behind him, smooth and composed.
"It is only heavy for you, Master Mash."
A figure quietly materialized at his back.
The woman who appeared carried herself with the dignified composure of a perfectly trained servant. She was tall and elegant, dressed in a pristine black butler uniform trimmed with blue accents that matched the cool color of her eyes. Silver hair was pulled into a high ponytail that swayed gently as she moved, while two curved, horn-like spirals adorned her head like decorative ornaments. A shining silver monocle framed her left eye, catching the corridor's light with a faint glint.
In one hand she held a polished silver tray bearing a complete tea set: cups, saucers, and a teapot that shined like a mirror, while her other hand rested neatly behind her back in a professional stance. A striped tail, patterned in black and blue like a devil's, curled lazily behind her.
Mash glanced over his shoulder and snorted.
"Ha ha. Very funny, Arias the Labrynth Butler."
"Yes," Arias replied without changing expression. "Hilarious. Almost as amusing as the fact that you conveniently sent the Princess away, not to give her 'social experience,' but to relieve your poor, aching left arm."
Mash waved dismissively as he continued walking down the hall. "Aw, c'mon. That was just one of the minor reasons. The main goal was exactly what I said, help her make some girl friends. You know, real bonding stuff. Character development."
"mHm."
Arias's expression remained perfectly unreadable.
"Would you like some tea, Master Mash?"
Mash stopped mid-step and slowly looked down at the tray she was carrying. Then he lifted his gaze back to her with the flattest expression imaginable.
"…Arias. Both you and that tea set are spirit projections. It would literally phase right through me."
"Indeed," she said calmly.
Mash sighed and resumed walking.
The corridor stretched ahead of him, quiet and mostly empty. His eyes swept lazily from side to side as he searched for the distinctive blue uniforms of potential prey. Nothing. Just ordinary students wandering between classes.
Behind him, Arias followed like a silent phantom that only he could see.
"So," Mash muttered after a moment, "how's the recon mission going?"
"Ariane and Arianna should be finishing their search… right about now."
Almost on cue, two new figures flickered into existence behind her like holograms stabilizing into place.
The first one practically exploded with energy.
"Mastah-mastah!" the girl shouted the moment she appeared.
Ariane the Labrynth Servant bounded forward, nearly vibrating with excitement as she swung around an enormous silver candelabra shaped like a trident.
"Two Obelisk Blues spotted in the card shop! They're buying packs! Hurry hurry hurry! If we don't move now, we'll lose them!"
Beside her stood her polar opposite.
Arianna the Labrynth Servant peeked quietly from behind her sister, clutching an oversized keychain with both hands. Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.
"There is… one Obelisk in the library… Please hurry and go there…"
Ariane immediately rolled her eyes.
"You're too slow, Arianna! You gotta pump it up! Like me! Like meee!"
"No…" Arianna replied in the same monotone. "It's too overwhelming…"
Arias stepped aside gracefully as her two subordinates finished their report, her tray remaining perfectly level the entire time.
"There is your information, Master Mash."
Mash let out another long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
Anyone watching this scene would probably be wondering what the hell was going on.
The answer required a little flashback.
---
Two weeks earlier, inside Mash's dorm room, he had suddenly thrown his arms into the air like a man who had just discovered the meaning of life.
"So… in theory, I could have infinite power!"
Across from him, Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle tilted her head.
"Huh?"
"Think about it, Lovely!" Mash leaned forward with a manic grin. "With the insane number of monster cards in Yu-Gi-Oh, the possibilities are endless! If this heart bond system keeps unlocking powers, then technically—technically!—we could have enough power bonds to rule the world!"
He paused.
"…Okay, that last part was a joke. But still!"
Lovely let out a long sigh, the kind someone used when dealing with an overly excited child.
"Darling~ you're getting ahead of yourself again~ You clearly weren't listening to everything I explained." She crossed her arms. "Yes, every Duel Spirit has their own traits, but those unique powers you're talking about—the ones unlocked at six and nine hearts that also grant abilities to the duelist—those only exist for cards crafted through your Master Duel system."
She raised a finger.
"And just like I told you before… they're exclusive to a very small group of special monsters."
Mash raised an eyebrow. "Special monsters?"
Lovely leaned forward suddenly, glaring at him.
"Did you develop dementia, Darling~!?"
She clapped her hands together sharply.
"Fine! I'll explain it in a way that might actually stick inside that thick skull of yours!"
She snapped her fingers.
"Trivia time, Darling~! What do I, Stardust Dragon, Trickstar Holly Angel, and Revendread Slayer all have in common?"
Mash blinked.
"…They don't share the same attribute, type, ATK, archetype, or summoning method. So… I have no idea."
"Ho ho~ Perhaps a hint~?" she teased. "What happens on screen the moment you summon one of us in Master Duel?"
Mash froze.
Then it clicked.
"Wait… you all have summoning animations!"
"Ding ding ding~!" Lovely sang happily. "Correct! Only monsters with flashy summoning animations in Master Duel can unlock those unique spirit power abilities. Everyone else will simply be your typical lovable Duel Spirits."
Mash's eyes sparkled.
"That's actually… really cool! But wait, why did Big G upstairs even add this feature to my system? What's the point of spirit powers?"
Lovely shrugged.
"No idea~ I was only uploaded with knowledge about the Master Duel system itself. Anything beyond that is outside my jurisdiction, Darling~ Maybe you can use it as party tricks or something."
Mash frowned slightly.
"This 'party trick' looks like something straight out of an action manga…"
Lovely burst into laughter.
"Pfft~! For fighting~!?" she said between giggles. "Darling~ Yu-Gi-Oh and physical fighting don't mix! Sure, it happened occasionally in the DM era, but this is GX~! From here all the way to VRAINS, every conflict is solved through dueling!"
She waved a hand dismissively.
"Why would there be any fighting, Darling~?"
"Yeah…" Mash rubbed the back of his head.
"But it is just a hunch tho..."
---
And that was how Mash somehow ended up raising his bond with Arias, Ariane, and Arianna to six hearts within just two weeks—unlocking their ability to communicate with him directly.
Apparently grinding Duel Points together in every single duel counted as "bonding."
Why all three leveled up at once despite Arianna being the one he used most often… Mash had absolutely no idea.
But honestly?
He wasn't about to complain.
Anyway, while you were busy reading that flashback and listening to Mash internal monologue, he already started dueling with a random Obelisk kid.
Apparently some random Obelisk Blue student had challenged him the moment he appeared in the corridor. The kid hadn't run. Hadn't hesitated. In fact, the guy looked confident. Not fake confidence either, the genuine kind that only appeared when someone truly believed they were about to win.
Mash could only conclude one thing.
The kid had balls of steel.
Anyway, the duel state currently looked like this:
{Mash LP: 4000|Blue Kid LP: 4000}
It was the Obelisk student's Turn 2. The boy stood across from Mash with the smug poise of someone who clearly believed he was the protagonist of this little story.
Mash's field, meanwhile, looked deceptively simple.
Only {Arianna the Labrynth Servant} stood in Attack Position at the center of the field. Four face-down cards rested silently behind her like sleeping landmines waiting to explode. In Mash's Graveyard rested {Big Welcome Labrynth} and {Labrynth Cooclock}.
And in his hand?
Exactly one card.
"Nyehehehe!" the kid cackled, dramatically pushing up his glasses like a Saturday-morning cartoon villain. "Oh, Mash… you don't even know it yet, but I've built the ultimate counter to your deck! And today... today my hand is perfect! Prepare to lose!"
Arianna slowly turned her head toward Mash, her expression as blank as ever.
"Master Mash… this child's face is extremely punchable."
Mash, meanwhile, was lying sideways on the floor like someone who had completely given up on life.
"I know, Arianna," he muttered flatly. "He's basically a downgrade version of Weevil."
"Nyehehe!" the kid continued, utterly undeterred. "You and your talking monsters should quake in fear! First, I summon {Horn Imp} in Attack Position!"
A small brown imp popped onto the field, barely taller than Arianna's waist. A single sharp horn protruded from its forehead while it screeched aggressively.
{Horn Imp|4 star|Dark|Fiend/Normal|ATK: 1300 DEF:1000}
Mash raised one eyebrow lazily. "And he even summoned something weak like a bug, just like Weevil's decks"
"HEY! Don't underestimate me yet!" the kid shouted, pointing dramatically. "Because now I activate the Spell Card {Double Summon}! That lets me Normal Summon again!"
The card flashed with light.
"And now I tribute {Horn Imp}… to summon the ultimate trump card against your deck!"
The ground trembled as the sacrificed imp dissolved into energy.
"Come forth, {Jinzo}!"
A heavy shockwave rolled across the corridor as the metallic psychic tyrant materialized on the field, its mechanical body humming with power.
{Jinzo|6 star|Dark|Machine/effect|ATK:2400 DEF:1500}
"Nyehehehe!" the Obelisk student laughed triumphantly. "With Jinzo on the field, all Trap Cards are negated and can't be activated!"
Arianna glanced calmly at the machine.
"Oh no..." she said in the most emotionless voice imaginable. "Our traps are useless again..."
Mash didn't react. He didn't even blink.
[This is like… the fourth Jinzo deck I've faced this month. They all think they're so fucking clever.]
"Battle Phase!" the kid declared dramatically. "Jinzo! Attack that puny girl!"
Jinzo raised its arms as purple psychic energy gathered between its metallic palms. With a mechanical roar, the blast shot forward.
But just before the attack landed, Arianna shimmered in golden light and vanished.
She flew back toward Mash's Duel Disk as a card.
"Sorry," Mash said lazily from the floor. "By banishing {Big Welcome Labrynth} from my Graveyard, I can return a Fiend monster I control to my hand. Obviously, I choose Arianna."
[If I had a Level 8 Fiend on the field, I could've bounced your Jinzo instead. But honestly? This is funnier.]
Arianna reappeared behind Mash in spirit form, quietly bowing. "Thank you, Master Mash…"
The Obelisk kid growled. "Tch! Then I'll just attack you directly instead! Go, Jinzo!"
The purple blast slammed into Mash's chest.
He didn't even flinch.
{Mash LP: 4000 -> 1600}
"Nyehehehe! I actually got to damage on the Demon King! I end my turn!"
Mash slowly exhaled.
[What a dumbass.]
[These so-called duelists that aren't main characters… seriously. You summon a 2400 ATK monster with zero protection or backrow?]
[How many times do I have to teach you this lesson, you fucking kids.]
Mash flicked the top card of his deck into his hand with casual indifference.
Then he looked at it and smirked.
"Why are you smiling like that!?" the Obelisk kid snapped nervously.
Mash pushed himself off the floor and stretched his shoulders.
"Because..." he said calmly, "you're about to learn why they call me the Three-Turn Quick Shot."
He slid the card from his hand into the Duel Disk. "I send {Arias the Labrynth Butler} from my hand to the Graveyard to activate her effect! That lets me either set a Trap or Special Summon a 'Labrynth' monster from my hand."
A massive silver door erupted onto the field like a royal gate.
"And guess what?" Mash grinned. "I choose to summon..."
The door slowly opened with elegant precision.
"{Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle}!"
She stepped through the door like royalty entering a throne room, twin silver rapiers gleaming in her hands. Her sharp blue eyes locked onto Jinzo, and a faint smirk curved her lips.
{Lady Labrynth of the Silver castle|8 star|Dark|Fiend/Effect|ATK:3000 DEF:2900}
"Th-th-three… THREE THOUSAND ATTACK!?" the Obelisk student stammered. "That's the same as {Blue-Eyes White Dragon}! And you summoned her that easily?!"
Around them, the gathering students began whispering.
"Whoa… she looks just like Lovely Labrynth…"
"A second Silver Queen?!"
Mash ignored them. "I'll also Normal Summon {Arianna the Labrynth Servant}."
Arianna appeared again on the field, gripping her oversized keychain weapon.
"Let's go…" she said quietly.
{Arianna the Labrynth Servant|4 star|dark|fiend/effect|atk:1600 def:2100}
The Obelisk kid was sweating now.
"Battle Phase," Mash declared calmly. "Go, Lady Labrynth. Destroy Jinzo."
Lady Labrynth moved like a silver blur.
One elegant slash.
Jinzo shattered into holographic fragments.
{Kid LP: 4000 -> 3600}
"Ugh! Y-you may have destroyed Jinzo!" the boy yelled desperately. "But that other weak monster won't finish me!"
Mash smirked.
"I know."
Then one of his face-downs flipped open.
"But she will."
"I activate {Welcome Labrynth}! It lets me Special Summon a 'Labrynth' monster from my deck."
Another silver gate erupted onto the field and from it stepped a second {Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle}.
{Lady Labrynth of the Silver castle|8 star|Dark|Fiend/Effect|ATK:3000 DEF:2900}
The Obelisk student's face went pale. "Ah… ahhh… AHHHH!!"
"Let's finish this," Mash said. "Go. Arianna and Lady Labrynth! direct attack!"
Arianna pulled a key from her massive keychain. In her hand it twisted and elongated, transforming into a sleek dagger.
She rushed forward alongside the twin silver queens.
Three blades flashed.
The attack landed with surgical precision.
"AHHHHHH!!"
{Kid LP: 3600 → 0}
The holographic field dissolved into particles as the defeated student collapsed dramatically like a cartoon character whose strings had just been cut.
Mash immediately glanced at his PDA.
{CongratulationMash for winning against Kid, you've been rewarded 300 DP}
[Yet another easy victory for the Demon King himself! GYA HO HO HO!] Mash thought as he thinks himself giving a victory speech.
Right then, Arias materialized quietly behind him in spirit form, her posture as immaculate as ever.
"Master Mash," she said calmly, adjusting her monocle. "There is a black-haired Obelisk student hiding near the corner, observing you. Would you like to duel him?"
Mash glanced toward the hallway corner she indicated.
Then he sighed.
"…Ignore him."