Exodia 10: I challenge you to a duel!

Absolute darkness. That was the only thing that was around me. And yet, I didn't feel lonely.

Why?

Maybe because this was more of a nostalgic and reassuring sight than a scary and negative one. The nightmare that I've been having for as long as I can remember. It's happening once more.

[Hello... Brother.]

Before my eyes suddenly appeared a girl. The same girl that appears in this abyssal world.

A petit frame, black hair and a white dress. Her face was still blurry, however, I could still see her mouth.

"What do you want?"

I said.

It came out harshly, but I wanted to say, 'why do we meet like this?'

I'm still not sure if she's an illusion or real. Seeing as how that ULTIMA woman knew about her, I'm guessing it's the latter.

The girl sauntered around me, with her arms behind her back.

[Come on, Brother, is it wrong for a little sister to want to see her older brother?]

"I guess not..."

She suddenly stopped and our eyes met. (I think.)

[Say, Brother, have you heard of Quick Casting?]

I learnt that in Magic Theory. Why is she suddenly talking about that though?

"Yeah. It's the quickest way of casting a spell."

[No, it's not. I mean, you achieved the quickest way of spell casting, remember?]

If I thought of it, there's bound to be others who know about it too. There're probably counters to it too.

['If I thought of that method, then others probably know of it too, meaning that there are counters too,' is similar to what you're thinking, right?]

Ah! She guessed right.

[I'm sure you've already been told, but you shouldn't rely on that method too frequently.]

"I was told, but I wasn't going to listen depending on what would happen. What's so bad about it?"

Though I couldn't see her eyes, I could already tell that she was being serious. Maybe it was her mouth that made it obvious.

[Spell casting uses prayers to spirits as a catalyst to perform the spell. What you did was a prayerless spell, meaning that you had to use something else as a catalyst. Something of equivalence.]

"Which is?"

[Your lifeforce. Each time you perform a prayerless spell, you're one step closer to death. And, as a Streia, usually, you'd live for around 200 years. It'll be less for you.]

I chuckled slightly before facing the girl with a smile.

"It's fine, I wasn't planning on living longer than 60 years anyways."

[Suit yourself.]

The girl started to walk away.

"Where're you going?"

[That was the only thing that I wanted to warn you about. I'll be leaving now. Until we meet again, foolish older brother.]

The abyssal world slowly started to crack like glass. With cracks forming, pieces fell and the world collapsed.

Before I knew it, I was in my bed, awake.

"Man, I have to stop these dreams. They're destroying my sense of everything."

I felt like everything was meshing together as I looked around the room. The toilet door slammed open, and Kuro came through, with a toothbrush in her mouth, holding her mug. When she looked at me, the toothbrush dropped to the floor.

"What are you doing?! Get ready!"

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean?! We have 5 minutes until homeroom! I woke you up 5 minutes ago!"

I sleepily turned around and took a glance at my clock. Lessons start at 9, but homeroom was at around 35 and 40. It was 8:35 right now.

We really did only have 5 minutes!

I rushed out of bed and went into the toilet, Kuro followed me.

"Why didn't you wake me up?!"

I shouted, grabbing my toothbrush.

"How many times do I have to say this?! I didn't but you were just mumbling in your sleep! It was like you were stuck in your dream."

Kuro replied, spitting into her mug.

Crap, I was having that nightmare again. I usually can't wake up until I finish the dream myself.

Gah! We're going to be late!

--

"God... Today's lessons were tiring."

I complained, walking out of the main school building with Kuro.

Kuro stared at me. I already knew what she wanted to say.

"That purple-haired sow... She was staring at you the whole time."

Yeah...

After what happened yesterday in Magic Theory, I found Anastasia staring at me. I can say one thing for sure. It's not a stare of affection but a stare of anger.

"Master, why don't you look at me?!"

"If you're talking about as a love interest, then I have to say, I see you more as a little sister than a lover."

I spoke apathetically. Sighing, I looked at Kuro. She looked like a baby as she looked down at her chest.

"Maybe I should get implants. What do you think, Ma-"

"No way. I'd rather you be a chopping board than have mountains."

Kuro suddenly tripped onto the ground. I think my words were a bit too harsh.

"C-c-chopping board... I see, Master."

She got up and walked aimlessly.

Yeah, I definitely struck a sore spot.

Since she wasn't looking, she bumped into someone.

"Ah, sorry-"

I stopped midway when I saw the boy's face. He took up Kuro's hand and kissed it. As she looked up, the boy smiled handsomely.

"Princess, I think a smile is better on that cute face of yours."

He said.

Kuro snatched her hand away and looked at him, disgusted.

"Worm."

She said, walking back toward me.

"W-worm?! No woman has ever been so bold! "

That guy is not a worm. I mean, he is the definition of handsome!

He's good-looking, tall, and has blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. He's seeping handsomeness!

"Yowch!"

The boy's head went downwards. A girl slapped his head from behind.

"You are a worm, shamelessly moving on every woman you see. I wonder how I got such an incompetent younger brother like you, Sebastian."

"That hurt, Calira..."

The girl had mid-length blonde hair and the same blue eyes as her brother. When you look at them closely, they look like twins.

Calira turned toward us and bowed. After he recovered, Sebastian did the same.

What are they doing?

"Shoya Sasaki."

Ugh, that voice...

Anastasia walked in front of the two and faced both of us. She looked conflicted.

"What is it?"

Her lips twitched. Shortly after, she pointed at me with her finger. Her cheeks slowly became red.

"Shoya Sasaki, I challenge you to a duel!"

"Eh?"