Jun 16, 2024
ROUND 2B, MATCH 1 OUT OF 4!
Which is the best duel monster?
Mokey Mokey King
Lycanthrope
Voting ended onJun 23, 2024
Monster Stats & Propaganda Under the Cut:
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from South Korea
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Germany
seen from China
seen from Brazil
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Thailand
ROUND 2B, MATCH 1 OUT OF 4!
Which is the best duel monster?
Mokey Mokey King
Lycanthrope
Monster Stats & Propaganda Under the Cut:
GX Oneshot Duelist Tournament - Round One Match 24
Skull Bishop aka Skull Knight VS Ikazuchimaru aka Thunder
Who is the best oneshot GX Duelist?
Skull Bishop aka Skull Knight
Ikazuchimaru aka Thunder
[fanfic] Not A Good Job
He slipped in through the window, sneering at how easy this was. For all that this Haou had a monstrous reputation as a duelist, he didn't seem very aware of how to keep unwanted guests from entering his home.
Snowdun kept his tail tucked close to himself, ears perked and nose drawing in air, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. But so far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He could tell that there were spirits in the area, but this was the castle of a warlord. Spirits were all over the place.
So carefully he moved forward, finding the areas that would leave no trace of his passing. He passed rooms where people talked to one another about whatever the servants of Haou spoke about, none of them noticing anything as he did so. He sneered to himself again; this would probably be the easiest gig that he'd pulled off in his entire life.
Somewhere around here, he knew, would be Haou's treasure room. He didn't know what sort of treasure it was, but he knew one thing - Haou was a king, a mighty warlord who'd ruled this land for quite some time now, and that meant he had treasure gathered somewhere. Treasure that Snowdun would identify, decide if it was worth his efforts, and then return to take away.
This wasn't even close to the first time that he'd done this. Snowdun enjoyed going around to whatever fortresses he could find, scoping out their most valuable treasures, and taking them away to sell for money. He'd done it to Brron several times; the Mad King hadn't even noticed. There were other as well that he'd dealt with over the years.
Though he wasn't ever going to try sneaking into the Fallen Angel fortress ever again. He wasn't even certain which one of them had caught him, but he'd seen the look in the eyes of Fallen Angel Lucifer, and he never wanted to see that ever again.
He shook his head to dismiss the memory and focused on what he was doing now. Where would Haou keep his treasures? The most sensible place would be down below, where most people would never be able to get to. Carefully he flicked down there, bypassing guards and warriors alike, sometimes having to wait in hidden alcoves for half an hour or more at the time. He found himself quite grateful that he didn't have anywhere else to be. Not to mention that he'd neither eaten nor drunk before coming here. The last thing he would have wanted in this situation was to have a sudden call of nature and not know where the proper area was!
But slowly he made his way downward. He listened to those he passed to determine if any of them said anything that might be useful. Once he stopped, concealed by a fine tapestry, and paid strict attention to the conversation.
"Did you pick up anything interesting?"
Snowdun resisted the urge to peer from behind the tapestry and see who it was that spoke. These voices weren't familiar, but anything could provide him with information.
"A few things." This voice whispered of flame and burning death. Snowdun flinched briefly at the sound. He'd never been fond of fire. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore that and focus just on the words. "I put them in my hoard."
Hoard. Snowdun licked his lips. Hoards were treasure. Now all he needed was a way to get to the hoard. But - that could also mean - he had to look.
Slowly he peeked out, keeping himself as concealed as he could while still seeing what was going on. That wasn't easy but he did have a lot of experience. It mostly involved staying very still, since movement attracted attention.
Two monsters stood there chatting with one another. One he recognized as Skull Bishop - one of Haou's chief servants, his Death Duelists. Snowdun had made a point of ensuring he knew what all five of those, and the two or three others who were known to be close to Haou, looked like. At least this wasn't Snoww, Magician of Dark World or Freed the Dark General.
The other one, however, was even more terrifying to him. He bit back a whimper of fear at the sight of Dark Blaze Dragon, a creature of pure flame. It hovered above the floor, tail twined about itself, voice hissing with the flames that composed it. Snowdun shivered; he'd never robbed a dragon's hoard before, let alone a dragon of fire.
Never robbed a dragon's hoard before. He considered that carefully, then slowly smiled to himself. He didn't know any other thieves who'd done that either. While robbing Haou would be impressive and worth a great deal, robbing a dragon's hoard would be even more so. And if he could do both? They would sing of his exploits forever.
He kept himself back behind the tapestry, listening harder. There had to be a hint of where the treasure would be. Did Dark Blaze Dragon keep their hoard in the castle or did they have somewhere else to store their treasures? What were they even doing here? Did they guard Haou's treasure?
"Haou-sama said I could keep it," the fiery dragon purred, tail moving back and forth casually. "He has no use for it."
"That doesn't surprise me." Skull Bishop agreed. "Are you going to attend dinner tonight?"
The flaming tail shifted back and forth, possibly in some form of negation given the following words. "I would prefer to hunt for my dinner tonight. I've caught the scent of something interesting and I wish to track it down."
Snowdun winced. He did so hope that it wasn't him the dragon hunted. He thought he could hide enough - he was very good at that - but being chased never set well with him.
The two of them bid farewell and departed, each in a different direction, neither of which were near Snowdun. He leaned his head against the cool flagstones and pondered his options. Tracking Dark Blaze Dragon would probably lead him to the dragon's hoard or maybe even Haou's treasure. Following Skull Bishop might not award such treasures. But continuing downward stood both a chance of finding the loot and doing so without being caught. If he found nothing, then he could take another chance at a later time.
Once he was certain that no one else was out there, he moved onward, looking for a way to the lower regions. He headed down a row of stairs, through another corridor or two, then more stairs. This wasn't the first time he'd had to go so far down to find treasure but by the time he spied a wide set of double doors, reinforced with steel, but with no guards outside of it, he looked forward to carrying as much out of here as he could right now. He had an enchanted bag with him that he'd intended to use to gather a sample of the treasure to carry back and ask his contacts how much they were worth before going back to take the rest of it.
Now he would pick everything up that wasn't nailed down. Haou could and probably would take more from wherever he got this. He didn't need all of it. He didn't need any of it. He controlled his minions through absolute terror. They didn't get paychecks.
Snowdun waited behind a pillar, watching and sniffing. He could still smell hints of fire here, so Dark Blaze Dragon probably came down here a lot. This might even be his hoard after all. It wasn't labeled; it could be anything. Slowly finally Snowdun moved forward and rested his fingers against the door. It didn't seem locked.
In retrospect, that should have sent him fleeing as fast as he could go. But at the moment he pushed the door in and entered, still trying to keep himself aware and yet in awe at what he saw.
Treasure chests everywhere. Each one sealed and locked, but he was a thief. It was what he was, a Burglar. He knew treasure when he saw it, and he knew that these would bring him wealth beyond his wildest dreams, before or after he sold it all. He whisked out his bag and started to drag it over the nearest chest.
One by one each chest ended up in the bag. Snowdun stopped paying attention to what else happened in the room as he worked on clearing it out. Hours must have passed before he finally turned back to the door, ready to leave. He'd done a very good job. There wasn't a single chest or random coin or jewel left. The last item he held and admired, a glorious golden goblet, set with diamonds and rubies. Quite gaudy and probably worthless to drink out of, but Snowdun liked it.
But when he raised his head, ready to slip out, he stood shocked. There in the door stood those two same ones from before - Skull Bishop and Dark Blaze Dragon. Snowdun growled low. This wasn't going to be a good night.
"I told you that I smelled a thief," Dark Blaze Dragon declared, tail lashing back and forth, setting small bits of dust on fire as they did. "A Burglar, in fact." A tongue of flame licked at their jowls. "Dinner."
Skull Bishop chuckled, regarding Snowdun as if he were some sort of dirt beneath his feet. He fingered his great sword. "You were right indeed. Now, thief, set the bag down and I might consider requesting Haou-sama to spare your life."
Snowdun shifted, gripping harder onto the bag. He'd taken this all - he wasn't going to give it up. "Why would I do that? I'm not hurting anyone!"
"You're attempting to take what's mine," Dark Blaze Dragon hissed, tail flashing harder, tiny bits of flame falling from their claws. "And I will not allow that. Haou-sama has assigned me to guard this place and I am free to devour any who enter here without permission."
Snowdun backed off, clutching the bag and goblet close to himself. He didn't have any spare hands to defend himself and he didn't see any other ways out of here. Skull Bishop stalked forward, boots clicking on the floor.
"If you choose not to surrender what you've stolen, then my companion will roast you. Surrender the items and you might be spared. Haou could find a use for you."
That didn't encourage Snowdun at all. He shook his head. "There's nothing that I would want to do for Haou!" He judged the distance between the two of them and darted forward, intent on sliding between them and pelting his way up the stairs. He would figure out what to do after that - but finding the nearest window and jumping out of it remained one of his favorite plans. Most people didn't expect that and while they stood around in shock, he could get to safety.
He was a rat, after all. Hiding in plain sight was one of his specialties.
He'd scarcely begun to slide between them before Skull Bishop's heavy sword slashed down onto him, knocking him to one side and sending that goblet skittering across the floor and out of sight. Only the fact it was the flat of the blade saved his arm from having been taken off. Snowdun skittered to one side, uncomfortably aware of how close he was to Dark Blaze Dragon, especially when one fiery claw caught onto the back of his shirt.
"Fleeing isn't an option," the flame dragon hissed. "Especially not when you carry what isn't yours with you." A claw of flame wrenched the bag away from him, then the creature sniffed even more at him. "He has more treasure on his person," Dark Blaze Dragon reported. "Search him."
Snowdun wanted to get out of there. But Dark Blaze Dragon shoved him towards Skull Bishop, who wrapped one powerful hand around his throat, choking his air off. The rat creature struggled and squeaked, tail lashing furiously, his metallic claw trying to grab hold of Skull Bishop's hand and get it off of him, but to no avail. If he'd been able to get a grip, it might have been different.
Coldly and clinically, Skull Bishop searched him, pinning him up against the wall with one hand. One by one he pulled out other bags that Snowdun had with him, dropping them with small metallic clinks onto the ground. He shook his head.
"I'd heard rumors of a skilled thief. You might be useful indeed to Haou-sama. This is your last chance. Agree to serve my master or face the consequences of refusal."
Snowdun twitched harder and harder, tail lashing hard against the cold stone, trying not to look too often at the dragon and how the dragon kept staring at him, as if he had a sign over his head reading "good food here". He wasn't doing a very good job of it. "What would he want me to do?" If he could buy just time enough to escape that would be good enough. He had no intentions whatsoever of doing anything that over-arrogant human wanted him to do.
"You are skilled in getting in and out of places without being seen. You can go to where people resist Haou and worm your way into a position to open gates for our army. In return, you would be allowed to live." Skull Bishop informed him.
Snowdun snorted as harshly as he could. Speaking wasn't his greatest strength, especially not not when he had only what air he could get in through Skull Bishop's grip on his neck. But he tried his best to appear unaffected - and knew he still wasn't doing a good job of this.
"Be his little run ahead dog? Why would I do that?" Every word was one more moment that he had to live. Each moment he lived was one more moment to find a way out of here. He thought he saw one, slim as it might be, but he had to walk this carefully. He fought to keep away a moan of fear just at the thought of Haou and having to do anything that he said.
Skull Bishop's lips performed a movement that in someone else might have been considered a smile. Snowdun wasn't so certain about it. He thought it might mean the same thing. Or at least be intended to.
"Because if you don't, then you're going to be killed. You won't even be allowed the honor of a duel - if you even know how."
Snowdun had to admit to himself that he didn't know how. He'd never gone to the effort to learn, not when thievery came so much easier to him. He twitched harder, then sank back against the wall, relinquishing all efforts to get away.
"Do I really have a choice?" He sagged back, hoping this would allow him some air if nothing else. At least he wasn't yet to the point of not being able to speak at all. Though he didn't doubt Skull Bishop would get him there with little effort.
Dark Blaze Dragon's tail swished ever so lightly. Tiny bits of trash on the floor flared up in its wake. "You can choose to serve Haou - or you can choose to be my dinner. I can tell you which one I would prefer."
Skull Bishop shifted his grip so that Snowdun could actually breath but wasn't touching the floor at all. "I'll introduce you to Haou-sama."
Snowdun found himself carried along like a child in a sack. His own sacks were taken by Dark Blaze Dragon into the vault and the last he ever saw of them included the dragon tearing open the bags and starting to sort out the treasure as it tumbled out in a waterfall of silver and gold with thousands of sparkles of gemstones. He wished that he would have the chance to come get it all again.
But he told himself over and over as he was dragged up the stairs he'd worked his way down so carefully that even if he had to open the way for Haou's army, that also meant that he could open the way for anyone who might want to enter into Haou's castle.
If he were stupid enough to trust a Burglar, then Haou deserved whatever he got.
The End
Notes: I do have plans for a sequel. One day. But not today. Also, I love the Death Duelists and I wish we’d seen more of them. Well, that’s what fanfic is here for!
ROUND 1B, MATCH 2 OUT OF 8!
Which is the best duel monster?
Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch
Lycanthrope
Monster Stats & Propaganda Under the Cut:
[fanfic] Cleaning Up
It was his turn to clean up after the duel, though he knew there wasn’t much for him to clean up at all. There never was in small scale battles like this.
The fool did try. Skull Bishop headed over to where the last remains of that foolish human rested. The terror-filled cries of his companion could still be heard as he fled away. Skull Bishop wondered if he could persuade Haou-sama into letting him go after the coward.
He said that he didn’t need warriors who aren’t willing to fight, and this one is quite the coward. At least the one with the crocodile gathered up enough courage in the end. Skull Bishop didn’t believe that they’d see the other one again.
He had other duties to deal with regardless. He scooped up the defeated fighter’s Duel Disk and examined it.
He’d never seen one like this before. Very few Duel Disks he knew of had been modified, especially not those of common soldiers. Had that fool believed himself special?
Skull Bishop took the deck out and fanned it before him. Part of serving Haou-sama involved checking the decks of the defeated for certain cards. Haou-sama had been quite clear: any deck that carried Gem Beast cards needed to be brought to him at once, along with anyone who might possess any relevant information.
But this one didn’t have anything of that sort. An earth based deck, with cards that seemed unique to the duelist. Skull Bishop sorted through them curiously. He’d not seen some of them anywhere before.
He seemed to be under the impression that he knew Haou-sama.
Skull Bishop knew quite well that Yuuki Juudai was Haou-sama’s true name. He’d never hidden it; he simply chose not to use it. To put the past behind him so he could move forward to the glorious future of ruling the world.
But these two warriors – one warrior and a coward – at least seemed to believe that Haou-sama was their friend.
He might have been, once. But he is our king now.
The rule was to throw a useless deck and duel disk into the lava. To do otherwise meant a use was imagined for the cards. He tucked the deck back into the duel disk and turned to the other item that rested on the bridge: a backpack.
That one he picked up and pawed through thoroughly. There wasn’t much in it: a few sealed items of food that he tossed into the lava – it wouldn’t be needed at all. A few odds and ends of clothing. Those would be kept and recycled for future use. A few other bits and pieces that he kept. Those could be researched and examined to see if they were worth keeping or if they should also be disposed of.
There seemed to be little else there. The earth duelist had traveled light, or he’d used up all of his supplies before coming to stand against Haou.
If they were friends and came from a world where dueling is but a game… why did they come here at all?
Skull Bishop had heard about Haou-sama’s duel against Brron. He’d not been part of Brron’s forces, joining Haou-sama some time after he’d gathered his army. But rumors that he heard whispered of a child who searched for a lost friend and who unleashed the darkest of hells upon Brron once he learned that the one he searched for had perished.
Perhaps I should ask Haou-sama. He considered that for a few moments for he snorted and started back inside the castle. He knew better than that. Haou-sama didn’t like to speak of his past.
After that little encounter with Gold and Silver, Skull Bishop didn’t think that Haou-sama would even want to speak of what had come before. They had been quite massive fools, daring to mock his goals.
They may have been loyal servants to Brron, but they mean nothing to Haou-sama. They’d mentioned something about having brought captured folk to Brron and those words alone enraged Haou-sama to the point he hadn’t even bothered to duel them. With his own hands he’d rendered them down to raw dust.
Whether they became part of Super Fusion or not, Skull Bishop truly didn’t know. Haou-sama hadn’t ever spoken of it. The dust blew on the wind and Skull Bishop had never seen able to see souls.
He took the Duel Disk and backpack to his own quarters, tossing them into a small storage closet. If Haou-sama ever wanted something to remember his fallen former comrade, then Skull Bishop could provide. And should he not, then there were plenty of bazaars and markets which provided places to sell and trade cards.
It would not at all be the first time that he’d traded a defeated duelist’s deck for cards he could use or other items he’d wanted. He had a small stash of precious gems that he’d traded for. There were those who wanted nothing to do with cards but would do everything within their power for gems or gold.
I wonder if I should track down that coward and see if there’s anything in his deck that could be useful to me. Such a thought brought a smile to his lips. He might not have time to do this just yet – the great festival of the darkest time of the year would be soon – but once that passed, then matters would be different.
The dark time festival would also be a good time to gently bring up the concept of giving this deck over to Haou-sama. Gifts were an important part of the festival and he could question his liege cautiously on what might be a suitable gift.
Should it not be, then he would have time to find another. He could make an early trip to one of his favored trading villages and see what he could acquire there.
What did one get for the conqueror who needed nothing but greater bloodshed?
The End
Notes: My original idea for this was to have Jim's duel disk and backpack get tossed into the lava. Probably what happened anyway, really. Also, if you want to see this as a prelude to Haou's Holiday, I don't object.
[fanfic] Thief’s Punishment
"Look what I've got!" The elder of the brothers lifted up his loot. "Brought from the master’s own table!
The younger one stared at his brother in disbelief. "You stole from Haou-sama’s table?" Words choked in his throat even as stern footsteps sounded, echoing from the stone walls with enough gravity to shake the world.
Moments earlier, his brother stood proud and fearless, a silver goblet in one hand, taken by this lowly servant. As the ruler of Dark World entered the room and met terrified eyes, the two of them fell to their knees without hesitation and with a great deal of terror.
"Haou-sama, please forgive me! I meant no insult to you! I only wanted to.. "
His words broke off as Haou raised one hand. Skull Bishop answered the gesture without hesitation.
"Theft isn't permitted. Nor is sheltering a thief," Skull Bishop spoke for his master and to the both of them. "The sentence for both is death without a duel."
The younger one leapt up at once, rage overcoming sense. "That’s always the sentence! You’re not a king! You're nothing but a murderer!" Perhaps he wouldn’t have said anything if they’d been allowed to give a defense, even if he knew they’d die anyway. But to enter their quarters and sentence them at once? It was wrong!
Skull Bishop drew his blade and stalked forwards to carry out the decree, no more bothered by this than if he’d been ordered to swat a fly. There wasn't anywhere they could run; the quarters had only one exit, and Haou himself stood there.
It didn’t take long. Haou watched with impassive golden eyes, a strange blank card in his hands that glowed faintly with each death. When he spoke at last, his voice lacked emotions just as his eyes did.
No one had ever seen Haou show an emotion. No one knew if he had any, besides a commitment to swift, fatal judgment, no matter the offense.
“Yes. I am. But only of those who commit crimes first."
That said, he turned and left. Skull Bishop delayed long enough to have other slaves clean out the room and search for new, trustworthy servants. Then he followed his master, somewhat bored by these petty discipline issuss.
Their work remained unfinished, and Super Fusion hungered for more souls. Haou hoped to find some better suited to his masterwork than petty thieves.
The End
Notes: It's so rough being a ruler, isn't it? THis is why we should never let Juudai be in charge of anything.
[fanfic] Haou’s Holiday
“Haou-sama.” Skull Bishop interrupted the usual litany of his master’s name being chanted from the warriors stationed on the bridge blow.
Haou’s only acknowledgment was a faint twitch of one armored finger. Skull Bishop – all of the other Death Duelists stood near the doorway, muttering among themselves – moved forward. He held a finely carved box in his hands.
“We know that you’re not native to this world, Haou-sama,” the monster declared. He nodded to where the comet coursed through the skies in its endless journey. “But we have a tradition. Around this time of year, we celebrate harvests and the bounty of another year’s hard work for those who till the fields and fish and hunt.”
Life in Dark World wasn’t easy, especially when it came to providing enough food. Haou could understand wanting to be grateful for it. He nodded to indicate his servant should continue.
“It’s also traditional to exchange small gifts for some people. Our loyalty and service to you is, of course, without measure or limit, and we will lay down our lives for you should it be necessary. That is our pride, not a gift.”
Skull Bishop’s tone had something of a sing-song to it, as if he’d done this before. Haou wondered how many other overlords he’d seen fall.
No matter. They would not see him fall. He couldn’t. He dared not.
But now Skull Bishop offered him the box. “I found this not long ago, during one of our raids. I believe that you will be pleased by it.”
A gift? He hadn’t put Skull Bishop’s words together with what the other held in his hands, until now.
When was the last time he’d been given a gift? He couldn’t remember. His birthday fell between the school years, and his friends tended – had tended – to send cards, both birthday cards and the occasional Duel Monsters card – but he’d never thought of them as ‘gifts’. His parents would at least tell him happy birthday.
None of that had ever mattered, either. Getting older bored him and he could have cake whenever he wanted it.
Especially now that he ruled a world.
But he reached out to take the box regardless. He could not help but wonder what Skull Bishop thought would be worth saving and giving to him. Did they expect him to live long enough to get it or did they fear he would and would punish them if he didn’t like it?
He didn’t know which could be the truth and he dismissed any other idea that dared to show itself. These were his warriors, his assistants in the creation of Super Fusion and the domination of Dark World. They were not friends. He didn’t have friends and he didn’t want them. He knew what being friends meant: it meant dying.
Not that these wouldn’t die as well, but only when he’d had his fill of them.
The five remained in silence by the door, Skull Bishop having scurried back once delivering his gift. When they were around others, they displayed no fear and total loyalty to him. When it was just the six of them, he saw fear frequently, save on those moments when they reported victory to him.
Still curious, though he would never have admitted it out loud, he lifted up the box’s lid and stared at what as inside.
Black pearls gleamed up at him, nearly as dark as the world itself, as the darkness that wrapped itself around him at all times. All five, strung together on a silver chain, were polished and as round as the moon he scarcely remembered seeing anymore.
At home it would probably be worth a small fortune. Here, he had no idea, but it struck a part of him that he’d never even known existed.
That had happened far too often lately. The power of Haou recalled a moment in Neo-Space, when he’d first spoken to Aqua Dolphin and words of the Gentle Darkness had been spoken.
He pushed that away now. He couldn’t be gentle. Gentle would not rule this world with the power that he needed.
“Those pearls are said to be enchanted,” Skull Bishop spoke up. “Any who own them will attain their most heart-felt desires.” He coughed and Haou could almost see Guardian Baou rolling his eyes at the very thought. “No one truly believes such nonsense, of course. But that is the legend connected to them.”
Haou doubted that himself. No one ever got what they really wanted. He knew he never had.
But they were lovely and he could almost see them gleaming against suntanned skin, or something that could be a dragon’s scales…
He closed the box and set it on the table a few strides away.
“I presume there is also feasting involved in this celebration?” Haou wanted to know. There usually were feasts involved.
Skull Bishop nodded without hesitation. “The cooks have waited for your order to begin anything here, of course.” Of course.
His stomach didn’t rumble, for which Haou found himself briefly grateful. It wouldn’t have gone over very well right now.
“Have it made so,” he ordered. He considered again, then caught Skull Bishop’s gaze. “You will sit at my right hand tonight.” Skull Bishop delivered this gift, which was meaningless and trivial, and therefore Haou would grant him an equally meaningless and trivial reward.
The Fusion monster bowed his head at once. “It shall be done so, Haou-sama.”
Haou dismissed them with a nod of his head, his gaze going back to the chanting warriors outside. Hearing this over and over again helped keep him grounded in the knowledge of who he was and who he needed to be at all times.
But the presence of the pearls refused to leave his mind. He found himself tempted to throw them away, scattered to the winds. What could he do with them, other than that? He didn’t wear jewelry. He had little need for treasure.
O’Brien wore jewelry, he recalled, gold and fancy and probably heavy. It hadn’t slowed him down in his escape, though. Where was he now? Trying to find a way home – back to Earth? Trying to make a home here?
Haou hadn’t kept much track of time since choosing to take on his proper mantle. But now he picked up the box and dismissed the worshiping warriors, going to his private quarters. There, hidden in the back of his closet, behind rich garments he never wore because a warrior wore armor and he was a warrior, first, last, and always, hung a red uniform, stained and dirty and probably too small for him anyway these days.
And from inside the pocket of that jacket, he pulled out his Duel Academia PDA and flipped it open. He’d used it to little that the battery hadn’t drained very much. He could still read the date, and he wasn’t surprised. Some things kind of remained the same. Like holidays.
December 25, 2006.
What had he been doing a year ago? Two years ago? Nothing spectacular. Nothing to stick in his mind at all. Not like this year, when he’d been given a king’s ransom in gems and would sit to a feast with beings that he would never have dreamed to see outside of a card or a hologram.
Ones that feared him and sat at his table because to do otherwise would be to starve or die. Or both.
He would never again sit with the friends he’d had before. Those who weren’t dead weren’t here and he’d never see them again anyway.
Haou squared his shoulders and set the box of pearls in the closet before he closed and locked it. Then he considered again and opened it up, this time removing one of the outfits from within.
He’d never liked dressing up in the first place, but this was a holiday, of sorts. He doubted anyone would be fool enough to try to stab him in the back tonight.
And if they did, he had five very loyal servants who would shred such an idiot before any real harm could come to him in the first place.
Perhaps he’d give Skull Bishop a bit more responsibility. At least he’d thought to please his master. There were some who wouldn’t have. Some would’ve tried to avoid the whole thing to capitalize on his ignorance of this world.
Haou decided he wanted to know more about what holidays this world had. It could be useful.
If nothing else, it could be entertaining and he could use a little more of that. Watching people die just didn’t have the thrill it used to, with Super Fusion complete.
At least it would make for better dinner conversation than some he’d had. He wondered if he should try to kill fewer people, in the hopes of better discussions.
No. It wasn’t worth the price of letting evil flourish.
Nothing was worth that, ever.
Not even black pearls and a feast.
The End
Notes: I got hit by the last second idea to write something about Juudai's holiday season in Dark World in season three and this is what came up.