Chapter 101: This is a Complete Disaster
[70 AFFECTION MILESTONE: ROMANCE SKILL UNLOCKED -- "BEARING THE FAMILY'S GLORY"]
[In duels with an EX Zone, unlock Sky Striker field cards in the Extra Deck. At the start of the duel, choose to add Sky Striker Ace - Raye and Sky Striker Ace - Roze to the Main Deck.
(This skill is available during Invasion State)]
"Wait, what?"
When Nanki'in Sakuya's affection first broke through the seventy-point threshold, Amano had been genuinely pleased.
The skill name -- "Bearing the Family's Glory" -- didn't sound remotely romantic, but it fit Sakuya perfectly.
Then he read the skill description and froze completely.
Starting with Rin Seiya, the system's unlocked skills had taken an increasingly strange turn.
Rin Seiya's skill could conjure an entire card field out of thin air in the shop inventory. Amano had barely managed to accept that.
But Nanki'in Sakuya's skill was even more outrageous.
What exactly did "choose to add to the Main Deck at the start of the duel" mean?
System, you're not even pretending anymore, are you? Last time you at least disguised it as a shop feature. This time you're just directly stuffing cards into the Main Deck.
No -- maybe this indicated the system's permissions were growing stronger.
Still wearing the skin of a romance system, but increasingly close to the original Duel King System underneath.
Though adding cards to the Main Deck came with conditions.
"In duels with an EX Zone."
So far, Amano had never encountered a duel with an EX Zone.
EX Zones were essentially bound to Link Summoning.
That summoning method existed only in Eden Tower's most mysterious top-layer area -- somewhere even the wealth-drenched upper district couldn't touch.
There was also something else Amano couldn't quite wrap his head around.
Why Sky Striker?
Just because of appearance?
Looking at Nanki'in Sakuya's signature outfit -- short skirt, thigh-high socks, and a katana at her waist no matter where she went -- it did match the Sky Striker aesthetic pretty well.
But that couldn't be the system's reason for assigning this particular skill.
"Sakuya, can I ask you something kind of personal?"
"I've never been in a relationship before." Nanki'in Sakuya answered with complete seriousness.
Hey, class rep. You've learned how to jump ahead with answers.
Unfortunately, wrong question.
"I wanted to ask about your duel gene identification field."
"Oh, that." Nanki'in Sakuya's interest evaporated immediately. "I never did a duel gene identification."
"Never did one? Why not?"
"Because there's no point. Actually, getting one would just make things more complicated."
She gestured toward the deck box strapped to her thigh.
The Shiranui deck was the Nanki'in family's century-old legacy, passed down through each generation's rightful heir.
As the sole heir of the current Nanki'in generation, Sakuya was destined to inherit this deck.
Under those circumstances, if she went and got a duel gene identification, the initial field's ten bound cards would remain in the deck and interfere with the Shiranui deck's purity.
Because she bore the family's glory, there was no need to entrust her fate to the unknown probability of duel gene identification. That meant Nanki'in Sakuya's true card field would remain permanently buried, unknown to anyone.
No -- at least now Amano knew.
Nanki'in Sakuya's actual field was almost certainly Sky Striker.
"Being the heir to a major family must not be easy."
"I think it's fine. With my brain, I probably wouldn't have gotten anything impressive from identification anyway."
Hey, class rep. You've learned to jump ahead with answers again.
This time you got it right.
True enough -- if Nanki'in Sakuya had actually identified a Sky Striker field, it would have been absolutely terrible for any tier without EX Zones.
Amano followed Nanki'in Sakuya out of the room and back to the family lounge. The intimidating organization members who had looked so threatening earlier now regarded him with considerably warmer expressions.
"Young Mistress!"
"Young Madam!"
Amano: "???"
Wait. Young Mistress is for Sakuya, so Young Madam would be... me?
"Don't call him that." Sakuya waved them off. "Just call him Amano."
"Yes, Boss Amano!"
Being called "boss" by a group of men who looked to be in their thirties and forties felt strange.
But at least it was better than Young Madam.
Otherwise it would be too easy to misunderstand. If Finesse heard that...
Amano pushed open the lounge door.
"Oh, so the hotel bathroom is over here~~" Finesse's voice came through with a smile.
She had been waiting outside the Nanki'in family lounge at some point, and when she saw Amano and Nanki'in Sakuya emerge together, her greeting carried a particular warmth.
Finesse had changed into an exquisite, tasteful black evening dress that made the already beautiful young lady absolutely stunning.
Only right now, watching that familiar yet somehow unfamiliar smile, Amano didn't dare voice any compliments about her appearance.
"Oh, Finesse. You're here too." Nanki'in Sakuya responded coolly. "What a coincidence."
"Where's the coincidence?!" Finesse, already at the edge of her anger threshold, practically squeezed the words through clenched teeth.
When her second brother had told her earlier, Finesse had found it hard to believe. She'd even briefly suspected Karl was trying to create conflict between them.
Turned out she'd wrongly blamed her second brother again.
"Why are you with Nanki'in Sakuya, Amano?"
"Finesse, listen--"
"I invited Amano to attend the gathering."
Hey, class rep, why are you jumping in with answers at a time like this?
This time you got it right, but we're finished.
"You -- you -- you invited him?" Finesse's lips trembled as if she was so angry she was starting to stutter. "Then what does that make me? I'm the one who brought Amano here!"
"You brought Amano here?" Nanki'in Sakuya looked toward Amano with an expressionless face that somehow conveyed a chill only he could detect. "No wonder you said you could find your way and didn't want me to pick you up."
The banquet was about to begin. Guests emerged from their lounges one after another. As the opening ceremony's signature, an elegant and stirring orchestral symphony began playing throughout the grand hall.
The two young ladies -- both stunning enough to outshine everyone in the room -- had created an atmosphere thick with tension that attracted considerable attention.
Human nature really did gravitate toward drama, apparently even among the wealthy.
Both young ladies maintained their basic standards of conduct, at least.
They knew tonight's banquet had gathered Eden's most prominent families. Among the crowd of onlookers were plenty of upper-tier elites.
Every move they made represented their family's image.
No arguing. No physical confrontation. No throwing tantrums.
Suppressing both psychological and physiological impulses, Finesse bit her lower lip lightly with white teeth and made her voice as gentle and calm as possible.
"Amano, come back with me first. I'll listen to your explanation properly, okay?"
"Yeah--"
But the moment Amano prepared to leave, Nanki'in Sakuya's hand closed tightly around his wrist.
Despite her delicate constitution that made even morning runs half-kill her, the strength with which she gripped his wrist felt surprisingly powerful.
As if the girl was using every ounce of strength to keep him there.
Nanki'in Sakuya said nothing. She simply stared at Amano with those eyes that seemed perpetually untroubled.
Not speaking. Not releasing him.
Amano noticed that behind Nanki'in Sakuya, near the family lounge entrance, stood quite a few of the family members he'd greeted earlier.
If he walked away with Finesse right now, he'd probably be swallowed by the Nanki'in family's fury. Tonight, Tokyo Bay's seafloor would gain one fresh cement pillar.
Was Sakuya desperately trying to keep him here because she was worried about exactly that?
The opening ceremony's orchestral symphony reached its climax in that moment.
What should have been a chaotic scene became strangely clear in Amano's mind.
He heard it distinctly -- this symphony was Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67. The Fate Symphony.
Apparently hinting that his own fate had reached its end.
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