Chapter 108: Even Millennium Items Can Be Used for Dueling
Having finished chatting with those old folks in the second-floor VIP box, Nanki'in Muramasa had just returned to the first-floor main banquet hall when he saw this scene of Amano supporting Sakuya.
Undisguisable joy flashed through his mechanical prosthetic eye.
Nanki'in Muramasa suddenly felt that holding great-grandchildren within his lifetime wasn't an unattainable fantasy.
Without disturbing the two, Muramasa stepped back two paces, leaving time and space to the young people.
Though consciously retreating to make way, Nanki'in Muramasa's overly robust and imposing physique still carried too strong a presence.
The instant he descended from the second floor, he attracted considerable attention from the main banquet hall.
"Is that the Nanki'in family's previous patriarch?"
"Nanki'in Muramasa? I remember he hasn't appeared in public for many years. Today he actually broke precedent to attend the banquet."
"I heard it was health reasons that made him withdraw behind the scenes, but looking now, he seems perfectly healthy."
"No no no, actually I heard Nanki'in Muramasa was targeted by some dangerous person, forcing him to step down from the patriarch position."
"Dangerous person? Someone more dangerous than an underworld family patriarch? Hard to imagine."
The banquet gathered upper-circle elites who could discuss topics more deeply and subtly.
But Nanki'in Muramasa paid no attention to such trivialities. Everyone had their own fate. Getting to hold grandchildren was the important matter.
Once the banquet entered its formal rhythm, there was completely nothing for Amano to do.
Amano simply focused on eating, while also packing food.
These wealthy people attending the self-service banquet were preoccupied with socializing, barely touching the table full of luxurious cuisine.
Better to bring it back for Shio, and also feed the house-guarding Kikawayu.
During the banquet, though some family heads who'd recognized Amano's dueling strength wanted to approach and network.
But Finesse and Nanki'in Sakuya flanking Amano left and right projected a "keep away" aura. The atmosphere they fused together simply didn't give others opportunities to contact Amano.
Though Wein and Nanki'in couldn't compare to Kaiba Corporation, they definitely weren't small families other clans could provoke.
The banquet that opened with disaster zones and duels ultimately concluded in completely harmonious and friendly atmosphere.
During dismissal, the Sky Cup Dragon Hotel entrance was packed with luxury cars rarely seen even individually on normal days.
Nanki'in Muramasa stood beside Amano, gazing at the night sky overhead. His overly tall frame even blocked half the moonlight falling on Amano.
"Young friend Amano, would you like to return with this old man to Nanki'in family's main residence and chat through the entire night?"
"Sorry, my sister is still waiting for me to return."
Moreover, chatting with the old man all night wasn't Amano's hobby anyway.
"How unfortunate. This old man is very interested in tonight's duel. Especially your qualification to simultaneously use Fusion and Synchro -- quite reminiscent of Nanki'in family's patriarch from two generations ago."
"Fusion? Nanki'in family also used Fusion before?"
As Nanki'in family's sole inherited legacy, Shiranui should be a Synchro deck.
"Lost in darkness now, Nanki'in family's former Fusion Summoning."
Saying this, Nanki'in Muramasa's expression held some regret and some nostalgia.
"The Millennium Scale possesses Fusion power as a Millennium Item. Unfortunately by this old man's generation, it can no longer demonstrate effectiveness in duels."
"Demonstrate effectiveness in duels..."
As items sharing the same origin as Duel Monsters cards, born in ancient Egypt, Millennium Items in the anime indeed could more or less influence duels.
The representative was the Millennium Eye, which could see through opponents' hearts -- equivalent to dueling with X-ray hacks. And the Millennium Necklace's future prediction ability.
The Millennium Scale's represented Fusion power only appeared in Yu-Gi-Oh! DM's Egypt arc, allowing genuine monsters born from stone tablets to fuse.
As for what effectiveness the Scale could have on dueling, Amano who'd only watched the anime didn't know.
Brief regret only flashed across his face before Nanki'in Muramasa laughed heartily again, slapping Amano's back with rough palms.
"Hahahaha, someday when young friend Amano inherits the Millennium Scale, perhaps Nanki'in family's long-dormant Fusion path will also revive together."
"I inherit the Millennium Scale?"
"Be confident. You're the man Sakuya has her eye on. The Millennium Scale will eventually pass to your generation." Nanki'in Muramasa raised his head toward the starry sky again. "Just like Eden's future will eventually be grasped by you young people."
"Patriarch, we should depart."
Having prepared everything, Ryuuma opened the luxury car's rear door, then sat in the driver's seat himself.
"Young friend Amano, do you need me to arrange someone to send you home?"
"No need, Elder Nanki'in." Finesse stepped out to refuse for Amano. She'd also just finished handling several family social obligations. "Amano will return with me. I have a car."
"You're the Wein family girl, the youngest sister who was found?" Nanki'in Muramasa's mechanical prosthetic eye flashed.
Actually the old man had already noticed Finesse's existence during tonight's banquet.
Experienced in human affairs, Nanki'in Muramasa could naturally discern something.
"Finesse and I live in the same dorm, just happen to be going the same way, so won't trouble you, Patriarch."
"Living in a dorm? I see. Then it doesn't matter."
Though able to discern something, Nanki'in Muramasa wasn't worried at all.
Not just because of the gap between Finesse's illegitimate daughter status and Sakuya's sole legitimate heir status.
The more important reason was Nanki'in Muramasa knew -- Wein family women all lacked femininity.
Every one was a chuunibyou patient obsessed with playing HERO.
Eldest sister Latir was over twenty and still had no partner. Placing this on a major family's eldest daughter could inversely indicate how unpopular Latir was in upper district marriage circles.
Then youngest sister Finesse naturally wouldn't be much better.
While his granddaughter Sakuya was beautiful, cute, gentle, kind, and ice-snow smart -- simply a hundred times superior to Wein family women.
Thinking this, Nanki'in Muramasa waved, calling to Sakuya: "Sakuya, come ride in the same car with Grandfather. We grandfather and granddaughter haven't chatted in quite a while."
People who aged really couldn't endure loneliness, always wanting to find someone to chat with.
"Okay, Grandfather."
Sakuya obediently followed. Passing Finesse, the two exchanged glances before looking toward Amano.
"Then I'll head back first, Amano. See you tomorrow at school."
"Mm, see you tomorrow."
"Oh, see you tomorrow~" Finesse wore a displeased expression, sarcastically imitating Amano's words before pulling him onto Uncle Gong's car.
Only after genuinely sitting in the car did Amano finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Good, survived!
Come to think of it, before the banquet started, he'd seemingly raised a flag.
Promised Mizuki that if he survived tonight, he'd discuss video matters with her.
Honestly, Amano now held no hope for earning money filming duel videos.
Even so, Amano still opened his terminal's VSN software.
First to pop up was a newly posted dynamic photo from a friend.
Glancing at the time -- exactly 11 PM, Rin Seiya's photo-posting time.
Tonight's photo was still a dazzling starry sky.
The caption read [So bored alone!]
Now Amano could understand Rin Seiya's meaning without misunderstanding like initially.
This caption was obviously Rin Seiya complaining that he had business tonight and couldn't accompany her to watch videos at the club.
Plus the weekend's two days when Rin Seiya returned home away from Academy City, they genuinely hadn't had club activities for three days.
However, tonight Rin Seiya's dynamic caption had a second line.
[Tonight's star paths are unstable, main star dim. Suggest everyone return home early to sleep.]
Senior, you're doing astrology now too.
Amano liked it, then commented below [Understood senior, heading home to sleep immediately.]
Of course, similar comments appeared in abundance below Rin Seiya's dynamic. He seemed to have become an unremarkable member mixed into the senior's fanbase.
"Uncle Gong, stop at the corner by South Street." Finesse suddenly spoke.
"Why the sudden stop?" Amano inquired.
"I just remembered there's a really delicious cream stew stand here. I loved it most as a child. Since we're rarely passing by, I want to try it again after so long."
"Miss, you can still eat more?" Amano felt Finesse had eaten no less than him tonight.
"Stew goes in a separate stomach."
This sentence pattern was usually said about desserts, right? Applying it to stew was somewhat far-fetched.
"Loved most as a child" -- this phrase let Amano know that even after her mother was expelled from the Wein family due to accidental pregnancy, Finesse had lived in the middle district during childhood, never falling to the lower district.
Showed that even expelling mother and daughter from the main family, the Wein family had continuously provided financial support.
The humane small stand -- Eden's October nights, the temperature control system already simulated sporadic chill.
Around the warm stew stand gathered quite a few workers just getting off work at this hour.
Finesse held a soup bowl emanating waves of creamy fragrance, sending a spoonful of vegetables and broth into her mouth. The delicious happiness filling her mouth instantly flushed the girl's cute cheeks red.
"Still as delicious as before. Amano, want to try?"
"I don't need--"
"Don't be polite with me."
Before Amano could refuse, Finesse shoved a spoonful into Amano's mouth.
Though very hot, it was indeed delicious. The saltiness-and-sweetness-balanced vegetable milk soup conveniently also mixed with a beautiful girl's saliva -- exquisite!
"You know, Amano, I haven't eaten this for ten years."
Ten years -- this timeframe coincided exactly with when Finesse's mother died from involvement in a terror attack.
Finesse who once lived under calamity's shadow seemed to have placed revenge shackles on herself.
These shackles even imprisoned Finesse's childhood memories with her mother.
As if re-experiencing this happy memory would halt her revenge steps. As if re-experiencing this memory before successfully avenging was betraying her mother.
But current Finesse had already removed these shackles.
Even still wanting revenge, this matter no longer constituted her life's entirety.
Finesse shoved several more spoonfuls into Amano's mouth.
"Amano, you eat more too. Eat eat eat!"
"Enough, enough Miss..."
She clearly wanted to eat stew herself, yet stuffed most of the bowl into Amano's stomach.
Looked exactly like Finesse wanted to forcibly share half her childhood's happy memories with Amano.
"Mom said only after eating your fill do you have courage to face life. As a child I believed completely. But later I discovered Mom left out one condition."
After Mother left, no matter how full Finesse ate, that courage never appeared.
"That condition is you must eat your fill together with important people to birth this courage."
Mother hadn't told Finesse this condition because at the time, the important person was right beside her.
However, after Mother left, Finesse spent another ten years finding this person.
"Finish this bowl -- we'll win to the very end, Amano!"
"Yeah, we absolutely won't lose to mere Dark Games!"
However, the instant Amano finished this sentence, the twinkling starlight in the sky was suddenly rendered black.
The sky instantly losing radiance seemed torn from the center. From the massive cross-shaped rift, grotesque eyes peered at the world.
Sin Cross
[Spell Card]
[Target 1 "Malefic" monster in your GY; Special Summon it, ignoring its Summoning conditions. That monster's effects are negated, and it is banished during the End Phase.]
"That's--!" When did he unlock the speak-and-it-happens skill? The familiar sensation blooming thrice made Amano instantly recognize: "A Dark Game!"
Though a Dark Game, the distance was quite far. It wasn't targeting him.
Moreover, this Dark Game's barrier special effects differed completely from the Puppeteer's.
Finesse opened her Eva terminal's map positioning. "That direction is where Nanki'in just left!"
What should we do, Amano?
Asking him what to do?
"Anyway let's head there first. Have Uncle Gong drive faster!"
Unlike Finesse's illegitimate daughter family status, sole heir Nanki'in Sakuya went out accompanied by a bunch of combat-capable duelist bodyguards.
Including when they left earlier -- aside from the main car carrying Sakuya and Muramasa, the remaining convoy vehicles should all carry Nanki'in family enforcers.
But ordinary duelists handling ordinary duels might be fine.
This dark aura tearing even the sky was stronger than any Dark Game the Puppeteer had opened before.
That dense dark barrier -- ordinary people without spirit power blessings might not even withstand just standing inside.
"That's a Dark Game that can only be opened with a Millennium Item. Amano, going there now is very dangerous for you!"
A spirit's clear voice suddenly rang in Amano's mind.
Amano: "Was that you speaking just now, Eve?"
Eve: "Not me."
"It's me!"
Huge in-your-face.
After Amano's gaze moved from Eve, he discovered a sprite-manifested girl holding a staff, floating before him.
"That feeling is definitely Shadi's Millennium Key! Who in this world obtained immortal power?"
Dark Magician Girl
DARK
[Spellcaster/Effect]
[This card gains 300 ATK for each "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician of Chaos" in the GY.]
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