15 To Find One's Drive

"You have been staring at that card for so long. Is it that impressive?" Grace's voice was as perplexed as it could get. She understood that its effect was one that could bring an overwhelming advantage, but at this point, she was worried the card had holes from how much he had been paying attention to it.

"Huh—What? Oh, no. It's not that. I am just thinking about something else." Realizing his mistake, Joachim simply put the card back in his pocket. He didn't want to look like a creep who got... "excited" about monsters.

"What then?" Her question brought no amount of troubling thoughts to his mind since he couldn't answer with the whole truth simply because there was no way he could explain that same truth without sounding suspicious.

"You are probably not going to believe this, and possibly think I am crazy, but I think this card is incomplete." Nothing better came to mind when having to describe that card, so that's what he said to her. Going by her strange expression, though, it didn't seem to have worked in clarifying things.

"What? You mean to say that it's not printed correctly?" That was... an interesting interpretation to say the least. So much so that he became speechless for a moment or two.

"No—That's... you know what, let's go with that. It's easier for both of us." It was really hard to point out that Trishula was a monster of a Synchro Archetype without sounding like he knew too much. That was also the reason why he had many doubts about the card. It was true that it was a Fusion Monster, but the original one was Synchro, which begged the question. What was it doing in this Dimension?

"Hey, Grace... That man we met at the store...since when do you know him?" The more he thought about it, the strange it got. He didn't want to generalize, but these things usually didn't happen casually; there was always something behind them. 'It's a typical cliche, so I don't see any reason why it would be all just a coincidence.'

"Oh? Is that jealousy I am hearing?" The silver-haired girl put a hand to her mouth and smiled smugly, missing the point of his question for hundreds of kilometers.

"..." He stared at her. Reaaaaaally stared at her. Grace had no option but to cough embarrassedly and quickly answer to change the topic. "For a few years, actually. He was already managing that store when I was a kid wanting to buy some Amazoness cards."

"You don't know what he did before?" He might be overthinking things, but he didn't want to be left with doubts. It probably looked inconsequential to others, yet he preferred to account for every variable he could.

"It was a joke before, but now I am seriously thinking that you are jealous. How am I supposed to know what he did before? I am not some kind of detective." The look she was giving him stung a lot. He was not crazy...

'You are not exactly normal...'

'You shut up!'

Ignoring the jab of his chicken companion, Joachim decided to address her fantasies. "First of all, you seemed to know him well, so that's why I asked. Second of all, if you keep that game up, I will really ask you out in front of your mother. See if you can live with the embarrassment."

Color drained from her cheeks faster than the speed of light. "Y-You wouldn't dare..."

The golden-haired youth turned his gaze to the front. They were already back at their house. He then shifted his gaze back to her, giving her a smug smile that promised a whole lot of mental pain.

"I-if you do that, I will tell Gloria that you were making fun of me!" Left with no choice, she resorted to using her hidden card: Marik's fear for her sister. It seemed to work somewhat as his smile faltered for a moment, but he still managed to continue undeterred.

"Please. What will she do? Threaten me with copious amounts of pain and so many duels that my soul will leave my body? Besides, I can always tell her about how you stole her money in secret to buy some stuff in secret."

"How do you...?! I will tell her that you secretly sniff her panties when she is away!"

"What the hell! That never happened! You are just making things up at this point!"

"It's true! I saw it by chance the other day!"

"Hm... An interesting conversation you are having there." Both paused their back and forth immediately at the cold voice next to them. Mechanically, they turned their heads to the origin of the sound, finding Gloria with her arms folded looking at them as if they were the biggest trash of society.

"He-Heya, sis! Ehehe... Since when have you been listening?" She couldn't look more suspicious even if she tried, but Joachim didn't blame her as he wouldn't fare any better.

"From the beginning." She said with finality, narrowing her eyes in the process and shutting up Grace's attempt at a plausible excuse.

"And the beginning is...?" Deciding to sacrifice himself for the team, this time it was the Transmigratior the one who asked.

"The beginning."

"..." Joachim and Grace looked at each other. For a moment, the same thought flashed through their eyes. 'We are fucked.'

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"You are prepared, right?" Gloria's question was like God's Judgment on him. Fast forward to some punches to his persona for a crime he didn't commit, the shameless thievery of Grace's pocket money, and the gift of a Duel Disk followed by an explanation on how to use it, Joachim stood in front of the blonde-haired woman ready to duel her, this time, as per her words, "for real."

"Yes, sir..." He wished he could put more enthusiasm into his voice, but he really couldn't. Before getting to this point, they had many duels the old-fashioned way. If it was just that, he wouldn't be that mentally tired, but the thing was, she actually hit him every time he lost Life Points. And it hurt, a lot. Grace didn't even have the time to laugh at his misfortune when she was already being ransacked of all of her possessions.

"Stop being a wimp. There are times when you will have to do duel after duel with no rest in between. Do you think they would just let you catch your breath if you ask them nicely?" Her words were harsh, but not false. It wasn't like he believed he would be exempt from those kinds of situations.

'More so if I will have to fight with Ren and the others...' His gaze became lost for a moment as the feeling of everything that rested on his shoulders sank deep within him. There was much to be done, and precisely because of that, he couldn't complain about all the little things.

"All right, Gloria. Let's do this. I won't put things easy for you." A sharp and firm look met her eyes this time. The blonde-haired woman would lie if she said she wasn't satisfied with the change in attitude, which was why she responded in kind.

"Don't come crying later." Her ferocious and predatory grin didn't elicit a change in his expression. Perfect.

'You will eventually realize that I am doing this for your own good. I don't know what the future awaits you, but if I can make you a little more prepared for it, then I will gladly do so. After all, I owe you for what you have done for my mother and sister.' Her thoughts would remain unspoken, for the better of everyone involved. After all, the moment a predator shows weakness is when the prey starts to fight back.

"DUEL!"

Gloria — LP: 4000 x5

Joachim — LP: 4000 x5

"I will take the first turn." Gloria looked at the cards she had in her hand. It wasn't much, but she could work with this. "I activate Amazoness Call to get Amazoness Queen from my hand."

Once she got the card she needed, she continued her play. "Then I will use Polymerization to fuse the Amazoness Queen I just got and the Amazoness Swordswoman in my hand!"

A multicolored portal manifested behind Gloria. The two warriors got out of their cards to show their true form for everyone to behold. However, the display didn't last for long as the two merged into the spiral to bring a new, more powerful monster.

The blonde-haired girl joined her hands as she began her chant to bring out the ace of her Deck. "Queen of the jungle. Receive the power of the valiant swordswoman, and build an empire that rules over everything! Fusion Summon! Appear, Amazoness Empress (Earth/Warrior/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2400/Level: 8)!!"

A humungous woman appeared in front of Gloria. She had tanned skin, a bone helmet, a red cape with a furred battle skirt, and muscles that would put any bodybuilder to shame. He wouldn't lie, it kind of scared him.

"I set a card and end my turn. Let's see what you got, Marik. Make sure not to disappoint." It was certainly a powerful start, but the true meaning of her actions lay elsewhere. It was up to him to respond in kind.

Gloria — LP: 4000 x1

"My turn, draw!" Joachim immediately got the card from his Duel Disk and assessed it. His whole hand was bad, but nothing he couldn't work with. "I activate the Spell Card, Dragon Shrine, and I will use it to send The White Stone of Ancients to the Graveyard!"

"Next I am going to place a monster in face-down defense position and two cards face-down. Turn End." His proper turn might have ended, but he still had things to do. "At this moment, the effect of the Stone of Ancients activates! During the End Phase, if this card is in the Graveyard because it was sent there this turn, I can Special Summon a "Blue-Eyes" monster from my Deck! Appear now, Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon (Light/Dragon/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/Level: 8) in defense position!"

A new Dragon appeared in front of the youth. Its scales seemed to be made of solid steel, while its folded wings were of multi-colored lights. Same as his counterparts, it was bathed in majesty.

"Is that all? Are you just going to hide like a coward?" A disappointing frown marred her face at the defensive display. She had expected him to go more on the offensive, but she guessed she set the bar too high.

"Hold your tigers! Solid Dragon effects activates! When he is Special Summoned, I can target one face-up monster you control and negate its effect! Solid reflection!" The Dragon took flight, hovering above Amazoness Empress and releasing particles of light that weakened Gloria's Monster completely.

Marik — LP: 4000 x2

"I admit it, you surprised me. Empress' strength is her ability to not be destroyed by battle or card effect. The fact that you came up with a countermeasure for that is nothing to scoff at. It seems you haven't been slacking off." Although Gloria meant her words to sound like a compliment, they brought a bit of PTSD to him. He had been beaten by that monster so many times that he knew it like the back of his hand.

"But that's not going to be enough. Draw!" The red-eyed woman took a look at the card she got and immediately brought it to the field. "I place a card face-down and then immediately summon Amazoness Tiger to the field in attack position (Earth/Beast/Effect/ATK: 1100/DEF: 1500/Level: 4)!"

With a wild roar, the iconic red tiger appeared next to Amazoness Empress, glaring at Joachim with the intent to tear him to shreds. 'Is it just my imagination or does that cat have something personal against me?'

Amazoness Tiger ATK: 1100—> 1900.

"Amazoness Tiger gains 400 attack for every 'Amazoness' monster I control, including itself." She explained as a red aura enveloped the fierce animal, making him grow taller and more menacing.

"If you are just going to cower behind a wall, then I will attack first! Battle! Empress, split that annoying dragon in two!" The tall woman did as she was commanded. With a jump and shout, she brought her sword down and cleaved the defenseless monster without resistance.

'So his backrow was a bluff; no wonder he didn't summon anything to gain a better advantage and chip away at my Life Points. Good to know.' Her thoughts didn't stop her from continuing her onslaught, as she immediately ordered her other monster to follow in its owner's footsteps.

"Amazoness Tiger, chew his face-down monster between your fangs!" With an earth-shattering roar, the red feline pounced on the unknown monster and slashed it with its claws.

There were some winds that impacted his face, but nothing that could topple him, especially since his Life Points remained untouched. "The White Stone of Legend's effect! When it's sent to the Graveyard, I add a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my Deck to my hand." He showed the card to Gloria before adding it to the rest.

"Hmph. With this, I end my turn."

"Before that, I activate my Continous Trap Card, True Light! Thanks to it, not only you can't target my Blue-Eyes Monsters with card effects, but I can also choose to, once per turn, either Special Summon a Blue-Eyes White Dragon monster from my hand or Graveyard or set a Spell or Trap that has it in its name, and I will use the first effect now! Come out, Blue-Eyes White Dragon (Light/Dragon/Normal/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2500/Level: 8)!"

Gloria — LP: 4000 x0

The Majestic Dragon of Light appeared just as Gloria's turn was ending. It was a familiar monster to her as well since she had faced it so many times, but she had to admit, it looked more impressive now that its form could be manifested into the world.

"Prepare yourself, draw!" A sigh of relief escaped him once he saw the card he got. It seemed he was not out of luck yet. "I activate Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon's effect! Since you are already familiar with it, I will not explain it to you."

Joachim showed his second copy of BEWD to Gloria before summoning Alternative once the condition was met. "Appeared on the field now, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon (Light/Dragon/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2500/Level: 8)!"

Now they were two versus two, but he wouldn't let it remain that way for long. "Since I used True Light in your turn, that means I can use it again now that it's mine. I once again choose the first effect to summon another Blue-Eyes!"

Three monsters with 3000 attack all at once; that would certainly bring fear or panic to any person in this world. However, Gloria remained unfaced, which didn't reassure him at all.

'I better play it safe for now.' Tracing his strategy, he started to act. "Alternative, use your effect to destroy Empress!" Following its owner's orders, the maw of the dragon became filled with white energy—energy that it didn't take long to launch at the warrior, disintegrating her in a ray of light.

Amazoness Tiger roared with fury at the death of Empress, but there was nothing it could do as he suffered a weakening because of that.

Amazoness Tiger ATK: 1900 —> 1500.

"My first Blue-Eyes, roast the cat!" The sooner he got rid of that thing, the better. It was already starting to give him the creeps. Unfortunately for him, though, it wouldn't be all smooth sailing.

"Continuous Trap, open! Amazoness Willpower! I can select one 'Amazoness' monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it in attack position. My obvious choice is Empress!" The warrior returned once again, and with her came the empowering effect on her pet.

Amazoness Tiger ATK: 1500 —> 1900.

"It doesn't matter, continue your attack!" It was true that it was unexpected, but nothing that he couldn't control.

Gloria — LP: 2900.

A stronger force resulting from her monster being destroyed tried to push her back, but she resisted it so as to not show any weakness. After all, things were not over yet.

"The remaining Blue-Eyes, attack Empress! Although she can't be destroyed, you will still take the damage!" Joachim's declaration signaled the start of his last attack. A beam of light shot from its mouth in direction of Empress. Although she used her sword to hold the assault from reaching Gloria, some of it still escaped and destroyed the ground around her.

Gloria — LP: 2700.

"Not good enough! I reveal my face-down card, Amazoness Secret Hot Spring! Thanks to this card, once per turn during the End Phase, I will recover Life Points equal to an instance of battle damage I took." The youth's eyes twitched. That was a cursed card that haunted his dreams.

"...I end my turn."

"Now Amazoness Secret Hot Spring effect resolves. I choose the battle between your Blue Eyes and my Amazoness Tiger!" At her declaration, a blue light enveloped Gloria, giving her a good part of her Life Points back.

Gloria — LP: 3800.

Marik — LP: 4000 x1

"What's the matter? Giving up already?" Her taunting smirk was annoying, but he couldn't say anything at this point. He knew she wanted him to respond so that she could later make him eat his words.

"Then allow me to finish things up. Draw! I activate Pot of Greed and draw two more cards!" Gloria briefly gave what she got a passing glance, but that was enough to make her smirk grow into a full-blown grin.

"Be grateful, I especially requested this card from Academia to crush you! I will equip Enchanted Sword Nothung to Amazoness Empress!"

"What the hell?!" Why did she have that card?!