Amber slumped back onto the sofa in Galehaven Comics, her face a mask of despair as she clutched the Sealing Key and Fly Card, muttering, "This is going to kill me with embarrassment!"
The rewards thrilled her—flight at her fingertips, a scout's dream made real—but the chuunibyou incantation required to wield them loomed like a public humiliation waiting to strike.
"Maybe I'll just use it in the middle of nowhere, where no one can hear me shout," she thought, plotting a future of secluded activations to spare her dignity.
Eula tilted her head, her cool gaze puzzled. "What's this line you're fretting over—why's it got you so twisted up when you can fly now?"
Barbara leaned in, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Are you going to test it out—I'd love to see it in action!"
Amber coughed, brushing off her nose awkwardly. "Let's wait 'til Eula gets her reward—I'll figure out my mess later."
She'd resigned herself to the inevitable—hiding it forever wasn't an option; someone would catch her chanting eventually, so she might as well face it head-on.
Eula closed Yu-Gi-Oh with a soft thud, her voice steady. "I've finished too—caught up right around the same time as Amber since we started together."
Barbara perked up, her interest piqued by the unfamiliar title. "Is it good—worth a read?"
She hadn't seen it yesterday—clearly a fresh addition from Harlan—and regretted arriving too late to snag it herself.
"It's decent—the duels are visually stunning, even if it's not the raw power boost I'd hoped for," Eula replied, her tone measured but earnest.
The comic's card-based battles intrigued her, a novel twist on combat with duel disks summoning monsters, a stark contrast to her swordplay upbringing.
Monster cards like Black Magician, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and True Red-Eyes Black Dragon danced in her mind, alongside magic and trap cards weaving endless strategies.
For Eula, raised on discipline with little room for play, the idea of crafting decks and clashing in such a game held an unexpected allure.
"Monsters, huh? Sounds fun—I'll give it a shot tomorrow," Barbara said, her imagination already conjuring beasts from the pages.
The system pinged in Harlan's head, its panel updating: "Customer Eula completed Yu-Gi-Oh—Rewards: Duel Disk, Card Pack."
[Duel Disk: A device to summon monster projections from inserted cards.]
[Card Pack: 40 randomized cards.]
Harlan smirked faintly—not shocked this time after Amber's dual haul; paired rewards seemed fitting for these tight-knit Knights.
A dazzling beam spilled from above, enveloping Eula in a radiant glow as the shop's occupants—Amber, Barbara, Lisa, Fischl, even the Lady—watched with bated breath.
The light faded, revealing a sleek blue-and-white Duel Disk strapped to Eula's left arm, its card slots brimming with a fresh deck.
"What's that? It's so cool!" Amber exclaimed, darting over to inspect the device, her earlier gloom forgotten in a surge of excitement.
"A Duel Disk, I think—matches what the comic characters used," Eula said, her voice tinged with uncertainty as she flexed her wrist.
Harlan stepped in, his explanation smooth. "That disk holds forty cards—slot a monster card in, and it summons a lifelike projection, just like the game, minus any real attack power."
"It's more vivid than the comic's holograms—pure spectacle," he added, nodding at the tech's flair, a perk of his system's craftsmanship.
"Summon monsters?" Eula's eyes widened, a rare spark of surprise breaking her composure—she didn't mind the lack of combat utility.
A fighting Blue-Eyes White Dragon might've been overkill—imagine Stormterror cowering before a swarm of them over Mondstadt's skies!
Her pulse quickened as she drew a card, glancing at its face. "Black Magician Girl—familiar from Muto Yugi's deck."
"Give it a whirl!" Barbara urged, her voice bubbling with anticipation as the group leaned in, eager for the show.
Eula slid the card into the disk's slot, and a burst of light flared, conjuring a petite, angelic figure in a magical outfit, wand in hand.
The Black Magician Girl materialized, winking playfully at Eula, her charm melting the room as Barbara and Amber cooed, "She's adorable!"
Eula's interest spiked—she drew another card, her breath catching as she read it. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon—now this is something."
Harlan let out a low whistle. "Your luck's unreal—Black Magician Girl first, now Blue-Eyes White Dragon in a random forty-card pull?"
Her fortune defied odds, a streak that'd make any duelist jealous, and he couldn't help but marvel at her draw.
"This one's too big for indoors—let's take it outside," Eula said, recognizing the dragon's scale from the comic as she headed for the door.
Amber, Barbara, Lisa, and Fischl trailed her, their curiosity dragging them into the alley as the Lady and Luke peeked from their seats.
Eula stood in the open, Anastasia's prone form a faint backdrop, and took a steadying breath before slotting Blue-Eyes White Dragon into the disk.
A searing flash erupted, twin silver wings unfurling from a halo of holy light, their span casting shadows over the narrow street.
"ROAR!" A thunderous dragon cry split the air, reverberating through Mondstadt as a towering silver-white beast ascended into the sky.
Everyone clapped hands over their ears, gazes lifting to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon looming above, its icy eyes glaring down with regal disdain.
The sheer presence of it—majestic, domineering—stilled their breaths, a projection so real it felt like it could raze the city if it willed.
***
100 Chapters posted on my patreon:
patreon.com/Nocturnal_Breeze