Chapter 4 What do I want?

The battlefield had closed.

I wasn't afraid of being tricked into not giving back what was promised. After all, the fight had been recorded for hours, so I would be able to trample his reputation so that no one would want to play with him at all.

"Well, I won."

There was undisguised disappointment on Kyo's face.

"Where did you get that card from... there's only rumors about it."

I was silent for a bit as I was somewhat at a loss for an answer.

"Maybe Darkus is my destiny?" I suggested, trying to smile and holding out my hand demandingly.

"Oh, c'mon... okay!" he said and shoved his hands into his pockets.

In the next instant, he handed me the 7 cards he had there and withdrew.

Well, the bakugans were lying on the ground and although, in a good way, he should have picked them up and handed them to me, he just walked away.

Well, we're not proud, we'll take them ourselves.

Prey: Chaos Juggernaut, Chaos Serpenoid, and Chaos Falcon.

Not bad.

As for the cards, there were 5 revealed and 2 sealed.

Of the revealed ones, understandably, there was 1 choking ability card for Serpenoid at -50g for the opponent, 1 ability card for Falcon, a fire frame that gave +100g, and a Pair Battle Gate card.

In total, 3 cards I knew, and two new ones - an ability card, Light Barrier, unique to Chaos but not particularly useful - canceling out the opponent's gate card effect, and a gate card, Peacemaker.

The gate card effect was very interesting - returning all Bakugans to the players. So, in theory, you could force the enemy to give up all ability cards, and then just roll the round, depriving them of resources.

So, that left the lottery. I'd better get out of the way first, though, because those "he's got a Sting" looks were getting a little uncomfortable.

Back in class and after I'd finished the rest of my lessons, I headed home as usual. Alas, Dan's company of three immediately came to me.

Surprisingly, Dan, who had chosen his own Pyrus, bluntly offered me to trade him the Darkus Sting for something.

"Are you trying to get away from Pyrus?" I asked.

The man scratched the back of his head.

"Well, you know, it's the Sting of Darkus, how can you say no to that?"

Sure, the flashy look of this monster did inspire power, but it's just a tool, a toy, isn't it?

...

Ah... I realized, even though it's a tool and you just need to know how to use it properly, the other thing is also true - it's a toy, and what child doesn't want a prettier toy?

Actually, the answer is always on the surface.

While I was immersed in my thoughts, Dan walked beside me, constantly saying how cool it would be for me to do this swap.

"H-hey! Hello?" he said.

"Yeah, I can hear."

"So, how about it? Will you make the swap?"

"And what will you offer?"

Here he hesitated, but soon answered.

"3 Pyrus Bakugan and 2 cards, okay?"

I paused.

"You do realize that 3 Bakugan can win the game, and 1 of another elemental is only a fraction of that, right?"

"I know, but I want to!" he said.

Noise next to him put his palms over his eyes as if he didn't want to hear it.

Everyone wants my Sting... not today!

"Let me think for a while."

"Huh?" he said, as if he'd heard an option he hadn't even considered.

"I played for the first time today. It was probably my greatest luck to get the sting," I began from afar. "Say, do you think if I make the wrong choice, don't you think I'll regret it?"

"What's there to choose? I'm giving you several Bakugans at once, and you're giving me one."

"Well, not one, but one and one card, color death."

At those words, both of the boys walking with me froze, eyes wide.

Dan and Shun looked at each other.

"T-that's the coolest card?!" they simultaneously blurted out.

I couldn't help but smile. It's rare for me to smile, but I found it really entertaining.

Anyway, I decided to heat up the atmosphere.

"Here, look," I pulled out the very map that had the name, description, and effects on the back.

Those froze, looking at the map.

I moved it from side to side - the boys' gazes followed it.

"What... do you really want those two things that badly?" I sighed and walked forward.

"W-wait!" both of them said.

"Give me time, I'll tell you later. Shun, Dan, I think you know a lot of people, so you'll be able to get what I ask..."

"Uh..."

"Don't interrupt. I just haven't picked an element yet, but..." I paused symbolically. "I liked it!"

No wonder. Who wouldn't love the opportunity to be commander of imaginative creatures that can conquer the elements? Of course, at the same time you could stomp your opponent into the dirt, which was very satisfying.

Anyway, yeah, it was just like I said... I didn't choose an element.

Why is that so important?

Well, aside from the fact that there would be no regrets later on, since changing the element reset the rating to 0, each element had its own advantages.

For example, I heard that Aquas had a magical ability card that could be used by any Aquas master - Water Barrier.

The effect is simple, but incredibly powerful - blocking the activation of abilities from parties until the one who used it cancels the card's effect.

Here, let's say there's a situation where someone has purposely succumbed 2 times to keep all the cards and give their opponent a good kicking in the final turn. Of course, soporific vigilance also comes into this. Going back to the same Mantris, simply to 1 enemy Bakugan you can add another one, and then use Mantris' ability to drag enemies to any gate card, and eventually two will send Ghost Mind to rest, and the last one... well, a sharp cutter and Mantris' own power should finish the job, and also his own gate card.

However, that insidious water barrier will simply take it and block all use of abilities. All you have to do is cast someone strong against the enemy, quickly activate an ability, and then the water barrier and the final smackdown on 3 Bakugans will fail instantly!

So the choice had to be approached deliberately.

"Anyway, Dan, Shun, give me a week. Then I'll tell you which ones I want."

Those nodded their heads and soon left.

I naturally headed home.

On the way, I seriously thought about what I wanted.

Not in terms of elements... or rather, that's where it started, but something inside me demanded an answer for more.

Emptiness... my head was a storm of emotions and thoughts, but there was absolutely no way a clear answer wanted to form there.

I've seen things, experienced a lot of pain, learned and experienced far more than it was worth to a 13 year old boy....

"What do I want...?"

I stopped and looked up at the sky.

It was overcast. It was going to rain soon.

It was strange, but I felt completely reluctant to go anywhere.

Like standing here and watching the gray sky was the best activity I could think of.

I thought it was quiet and peaceful... understandably so, because judging by the clouds, it was obvious that rain was about to fall on this sinful earth.

As I stood there, the answer never came. My thoughts, carefully trying to lead me to it, led only to the carefully sealed greenness in my mind, the very gift that had turned out to be a curse for me.

Well, then, the answer would come sometime later. I made it home after all. There was nothing I could do about the books and notebooks in my briefcase if they got wet.

Speaking of the house. It's completely unremarkable, two floors. On the first is the kitchen, toilet, bath, common room. On the second floor is my room, my father's office, and his bedroom.

I usually spend almost all the time I'm home in my room, which has just a bed, a bedside table, a lamp on it, a chair, a desk with two drawers and a lamp on it, and 1 lamp on the ceiling. That's it.

Sometimes even books had to be put on the floor. Not that there wasn't enough space, though.

I didn't have a computer, only a phone, which I was able to get not for good studies, but because our school "recommended" to buy one for downloading electronic textbooks and laboratory works for some subjects.

That's right, my dad bought it for me just because of that.

I don't even know how to feel about it.

I realize that it's like a stranger to him, but still, he's raising me.....

Cooking, of course, from him is the simplest thing - noodles, that's all, so I had to learn how to do it.

Of course, it's not like a kid with no budget could often cook his own food by himself, but... something I knew how to do.

After sitting down and quickly getting my homework done in 10 minutes, I was soon leaning back in my chair at home and stretching.

"Still, lottery..."