Noon on the campus. Sunlight blanketed the earth, and in the quiet hallway, two girls were walking slowly. One of them held a card, her face beaming with joy.
"Lalala~ Lulu~ Fufu~ White Dragon! Oh, White Dragon! My White Dragon is finally back!"
Humming a nonsensical tune, Hayakawa Rin skipped forward happily, gazing at the card in her hand that featured an illustration of a white dragon. Beside her, Miketsu walked at a steady pace, smiling.
"Well? Your White Dragon is back. Are you satisfied now?"
Looking at the jubilant Hayakawa Rin, Miketsu spoke. The girl spun around and gave Miketsu a massive hug in response.
"Satisfied! Satisfied... Extremely satisfied! I'm buying you lunch today, Inaba!"
"Mm-hmm. It's good to know you're grateful."
Miketsu nodded, letting Hayakawa Rin hug her for a moment before gently pushing her away. Hayakawa Rin continued to clutch the card, speaking excitedly.
"But I never expected you to pull all five pieces of the Sealed Exodia in one go, Inaba! Ending a duel in a single turn... is that the charm of dueling? Your luck is just too strong! Is there some deity watching over you?"
Hearing those words, Miketsu waved her hand dismissively.
"Haha... How could there be any gods in this world? It was all just a coincidence."
Miketsu replied in a relaxed tone. Listening to her, Hayakawa Rin couldn't help but think with a slight twitch of her lips.
'That's just absurd. Inaba, you're so irreverent yet you seem to have the favor of the gods themselves. What would the people who pray and worship every day think? Still, for Inaba to beat Senior Matsuzo like that... I'm surprised he was such a good sport and gave me the card back.'
Letting out a sigh of relief, Hayakawa Rin continued speaking. Moments ago, when Miketsu had slapped down the five cards of the Forbidden One, Matsuzo and his cronies had frozen in shock for quite a while before they could even react. His followers had immediately demanded that Matsuzo refuse to recognize the match and insist on a redo. It was understandable; starting with five cards of the Forbidden One in hand for an instant victory was so rare that the followers' aggression had initially frightened Hayakawa Rin.
To her surprise, Matsuzo had ultimately accepted the result with grace and returned the White Dragon.
"Accepting the outcome regardless of how one is defeated, and enjoying the process even if there was no 'game' to speak of... Ha. Perhaps that is what it means to be a duelist. I wish him luck as he hacks through the brambles and climbs to the peak of his dueling path."
Miketsu spoke with a light laugh and continued walking forward. After this brief duel, she found herself reminiscing about Ao Andon from a millennium ago. The power of that yokai's secret lore had manifested in the form of cards, much like a game.
In the end, to distract Ao Andon, Miketsu had guided her to create a similar trading sorcery card game that became popular among yokai and Onmyoji. It seemed to have been quite a hit at the time.
Thinking of this, Miketsu gazed out the window at the sky. Watching the birds in the distance, her thoughts drifted.
'I wonder how that card game is doing now? A game that can manifest yokai and secret lore on a small, realistic scale shouldn't have gone out of style so quickly.'
In Tokyo during the day, within the dark alleys unreachable by humans and the shadows invisible to normal sight, there were many gathering places for yokai. These venues were typically scattered throughout the territories of Tokyo's various yokai organizations.
The Cat Izakaya was a yokai tavern nestled deep in a dark alley of a busy district. Its owner had been an employee of Nekomata in Nightless Island. Later, during the Edo period, he had taken a few brothers to strike out on his own in the Kanto region. He eventually established himself in the city of Edo, forming a yokai organization called the Cat Group and swearing fealty to the Nura Clan.
The Cat Izakaya was a well-known establishment in Tokyo. Even during the day, many yokai gathered there. For instance, at this moment, within the antique, wood-styled interior, many diurnal yokai were drinking and chatting. Nekomata on the day shift moved between the customers' tables, providing service.
On the upper floor of the Cat Izakaya, inside a private booth, two yokai were currently sitting across from each other. One was an old Kappa with a white beard, and the other was a burly wolf yokai wearing old-fashioned leg guards and carrying a sword.
The two sat in the booth, facing each other across a table. Although they had ordered drinks and some snacks, they hadn't touched them. On the tabletop between them lay several exquisitely crafted cards. Each card featured a vivid, miniature version of a yokai.
"Go, Queen of Arakawa! Destroy all remaining enemies!"
Following the old Kappa's declaration, a girl with long light-blue hair and wearing armor manifested on the table. She brandished a coral weapon, swirling arrows of water that shot forward, annihilating all the mini-monsters on the opposite side in one fell swoop. In an instant, the wolf yokai's monsters were wiped out, leaving him with an expression of shock.
"Is... is this the power of the Queen of Arakawa? As expected of the pinnacle of water-manipulating Secret Lore cards... truly impressive."
The wolf yokai spoke with admiration. Hearing the praise, the old Kappa couldn't help but speak up boastfully.
"Heh! Of course. This is my proudest collection... I went through a great deal of trouble to get my hands on it. Young man, consider your eyes opened today."
Stroking his beard, the old Kappa laughed. He then looked at the empty tabletop in front of the wolf yokai and continued.
"You have nothing left, and your remaining life isn't worth a single blow. Just surrender. It's more dignified that way."
As he spoke, the old Kappa took a sip of sake. However, the wolf yokai showed no intention of surrendering. His eyes burned with intense desire as he stared at the Queen of Arakawa on the old Kappa's field.
"Queen of Arakawa... the pinnacle of water-control. I really want to obtain such a powerful Secret Lore card. If a card this strong had its restrictions broken, then..."
Seeing the wolf yokai's expression, the old Kappa's brow furrowed, and his tone became stern.
"Young man, this Queen of Arakawa is my treasure. If you want this card, you must first defeat me in a match with your own skill. But judging by your current technique and deck, you are far from it. You've already lost. Just surrender quickly and go back to hone your skills before coming again."
The old Kappa spoke while drinking. Hearing this, the wolf yokai's expression darkened, a hint of ruthlessness appearing in his gaze.
"Lost? Heh, I'm far from losing. Don't I still have life left?"
The wolf yokai whispered. The old Kappa continued to respond.
"You do, but what could you possibly use to turn the tables now?"
"As for that... naturally, it's this."
As he spoke slowly, the wolf yokai's hand gradually approached his waist. Finally, beneath the table, he gripped the hilt of the sword at his side.
"Old man! Now it's my turn!! This is my attack!!"
Suddenly, the wolf yokai roared, mouth agape. He lunged upward, stepping onto the table and drawing his sword from its scabbard. In a quick-draw stance, he slashed toward the old Kappa. In a flash, the bright blade was right in the old Kappa's face.
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, a massive water bubble suddenly formed out of thin air around the wolf yokai. His blade was blocked by the inner wall of the bubble, and the wolf yokai himself was lifted and suspended by the large sphere. His entire body was imprisoned within the water, and a trace of panic appeared on his face. He struggled desperately to break the bubble, but it had no effect.
"Hmph. Losing a duel and then resorting to such underhanded tactics! You have absolutely no sense of honor. For a yokai like you to even own Secret Lore cards is a disgrace to the world of dueling!"
The old Kappa spoke angrily at the struggling wolf yokai, but the wolf clearly didn't intend to give up.
"Heh... old man, your cultivation isn't bad. But don't get too ahead of yourself!"
The wolf yokai spoke while fumbling through his clothes. After a brief search, he actually pulled out a card. On that card was the illustration of a crimson oni.
"Come forth! Horned Red Oni! Crush this old fossil!"
The wolf yokai shouted. To the old Kappa's astonishment, a thick cloud of smoke billowed from the Secret Lore card in the wolf yokai's hand. Then, a massive, muscular, and hideous Horned Red Oni manifested from the smoke. Unlike the mini-yokai summoned on the table before, this Red Oni was enormous—a genuine member of the ghost race. Its sharp horn pierced the water bubble instantly, freeing both the Red Oni and the wolf yokai.
Following that, the Red Oni threw a forceful punch, striking the old Kappa squarely in the face. The old Kappa was sent flying by the immense force, crashing through the wooden wall of the booth. He landed on the ground, his face covered in blood. Even now, his eyes were bulging wide, filled with disbelief.
"How is this possible... the yokai from a Secret Lore card... how could it become real..."
Looking at the incapacitated old Kappa, the wolf yokai gave a sinister laugh and spoke.
"They were always real. They were only treated as a game because they were restricted. Once the restrictions are lifted and demonic power is infused, the true power contained within will manifest! Haha! Old man, you've played with Secret Lore cards for years and this is the first time you've heard of this?"
The wolf yokai spoke with a mocking tone. The old Kappa's shock deepened.
"Breaking the restrictions on the cards... Impossible! These Secret Lore cards were made by the Great Yokai, the Lord of Hyakumonogatari, a thousand years ago! Each card carries her power! How could they be so easily modified?! Cough, cough!"
The old Kappa spoke urgently, causing him to cough up a large mouthful of blood.
"Hmph. As expected of an old-timer, you actually know about Hyakumonogatari. Yes, these Secret Lore cards were born from the power of Hyakumonogatari. But is there only one kind of Hyakumonogatari in this world?"
The wolf yokai spoke as he looked down at the old Kappa. The Kappa's eyes widened even further.
Just then, a chaotic commotion and the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the booth. Clearly, the yokai in the tavern downstairs had noticed the noise and were rushing up. Hearing this, the wolf yokai realized he couldn't stay long. He immediately turned his gaze to the table, sweeping up all the cards—including the Queen of Arakawa—that had belonged to the old Kappa. After recalling the Horned Red Oni, he leaped out the window and fled the scene.
Rate on N.U.
