Chapter 33

"Ugh, my head hurts. It feels like I just had a nightmare." Jonouchi was the first to wake up, rubbing the back of his head. Soon after, Honda and Anzu also woke up.

"It seemed like in my dream, there was an especially evil Bakura?" Anzu shook her head, trying to recall.

"Yeah, a super scary Bakura, with a particularly creepy smile." Honda shivered as he remembered.

Bakura walked over with his usual gentle smile. "Is everyone okay?"

"Ah! Evil Bakura!" Jonouchi and Honda screamed and clung to each other in terror at the sight of Bakura.

"Come on, guys, does this Bakura look evil to you?" Anzu, being the calmest, knocked sense into the two scaredy-cats.

"Uh-oh, Anzu, look over there!" Hoshino, who had been quietly observing the group, suddenly shouted and pointed to the fire.

Or rather, to the curry on the fire, which was starting to emit black smoke.

"Oh no, oh no!" Anzu rushed over to save the curry, but it was too late. She had to announce its demise.

"We don't have dinner again," Jonouchi lamented, plopping down on the ground.

Hoshino wasn't as disheartened as Jonouchi. Having just eaten an omelet made by Emiya in her soul state, she didn't feel as hungry as before. While her physical body hadn't eaten, the feeling of fullness transmitted from her soul kept her from being famished.

But this wasn't a long-term solution. If everyone else didn't have food, she couldn't be the only one unaffected. Plus, she couldn't be sure how effective this soul-transmitted satiety was. If it only made her feel not hungry while her body still needed energy, she might suddenly collapse without warning.

An idea suddenly lit up in Hoshino's mind, as if a lightbulb had gone off. "Since we have a fire now, do you remember Yugi's initial suggestion?"

"Yugi's initial suggestion, you mean looking for mushrooms in the forest?" Yugi immediately remembered. Although the forest's vegetation wasn't dense, finding enough food for one meal shouldn't be a problem.

"With a fire and a pot, we can make grilled mushrooms and mushroom soup." Anzu also recalled the idea.

"Grilled mushrooms and mushroom soup..." Jonouchi wiped his mouth, imagining the food.

"But we have a problem. We didn't follow Yugi's suggestion initially for two reasons," Anzu added. "We've solved the fire issue, but we can't tell if the mushrooms are safe to eat. What if we get poisoned?"

"Yeah..." Jonouchi's mood sank again.

Clearing her throat, Hoshino, lacking confidence, said, "Ahem, I might be able to tell if the mushrooms are edible."

Hoshino, being a shut-in, had Zero survival skill or knowledge of edible mushrooms. Normally, she wouldn't make such a claim. But now she had "Da Vinci" as her cheat.

Bringing the Millennium Bracelet close to her mouth, Hoshino whispered to Da Vinci, "Da Vinci, can you hear me?"

There was no response from Da Vinci, but the bracelet vibrated like a phone on silent mode.

"Hmm? Da Vinci can't talk right now?" Hoshino guessed, and the bracelet vibrated again.

"Can you only speak in the shadow game space? Shake once for no, twice for yes." Cleverly, Hoshino devised a way to communicate with the "mute" Da Vinci.

The bracelet vibrated twice.

"So it's different from a real Millennium Item." Thinking of how the Pharaoh could swap bodies with Yugi anytime, Hoshino sighed. "Even geniuses have their limits."

The bracelet vibrated violently, as if Da Vinci were expressing dissatisfaction.

"Haha, don't be mad, Da Vinci," Hoshino chuckled awkwardly. "Anyway, can you help me identify edible mushrooms and fruits? One shake for yes, two for no."

The bracelet shook once, showing how simple it was for a universal genius like Da Vinci. Hoshino could almost see Da Vinci's smug smile.

"Hoshino, are you serious? Do you have survival skills?" Yugi asked, surprised that the seemingly delicate girl had such knowledge.

With Da Vinci's affirmation, Hoshino straightened her back and patted her chest confidently. "Of course! Leave it to me. Just gather the food, and I'll identify it."

"Hoshino, you're incredible! Not only are you good at dueling, but you also have survival skills," Anzu looked at her like an idol.

"You're amazing, Hoshino. I've never seen such a perfect girl." Jonouchi's flattery was sincere, though it sounded a bit exaggerated.

Scratching her face shyly, Hoshino enjoyed the feeling of being relied upon, even though it was thanks to Da Vinci. "Well, let's get started. The sooner we find food, the sooner we can eat. And don't just look for mushrooms; bring any fruits you find too."

"Alright, time for me, Jonouchi, to shine. Leave the food gathering to me!" Jonouchi rolled up his sleeves, full of energy.

Everyone scattered to search for food. Although Jonouchi offered to do the heavy lifting, no one would let him do it all alone. In wilderness survival, mutual help was essential. Hoshino also refused Jonouchi's offer of protection and went off alone to gather food, knowing she couldn't communicate with Da Vinci in front of others.

"This is edible. Wow, this one too. So many delicious-looking mushrooms and fruits!" Hoshino ran around, collecting a lot of food in just ten minutes, guided by Da Vinci's knowledge.

"Huh? Da Vinci, what's going on? Why's the bracelet shaking so much?" Hoshino asked, puzzled by the sudden intense vibration.

The next moment, a giant hand covered her mouth and dragged her into the bushes.

"Damn it! I let my guard down!" was Hoshino's first thought. With her mouth covered, she couldn't call for help. Being dragged into the woods at night was terrifying, and Hoshino could only imagine the worst.

"Cough, cough, cough," Hoshino retched and coughed as she was finally released.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" she asked, terrified, shielding her body with her hands, knowing it was futile against the giant.

"Is my purity going to be sullied here?" Despite her reluctance, the situation made Hoshino fear the worst.

"I am a Dark Duelist. Hoshino Chiyuki, I challenge you to a duel!" The giant pointed a hand wearing a Duelist glove at Hoshino.

"????" Did you drag a girl into the woods at night just to play cards?