Yu-Gi-Oh!: I use an Orichalcos deck

Page 307

Yuki took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and grasped her hands. "Zaizen...no, Aoi. I like you. Not because you're some kind of electronic queen, but because you are you. The girl who thinks so intently in the card shop, the girl who makes me bento boxes, the girl who shares an umbrella with me in the rain."

Zaizen Aoi's tears flowed even more fiercely, but this time she was smiling.

"I like you too," she whispered, "I like you so much that I'm afraid of losing you."

Yu Ji gently wiped away her tears. "We won't lose her. Let's think of a way together, okay?"

Zaizen Aoi nodded, then suddenly leaned forward and placed a light, butterfly-like kiss on Yuki's lips. Yuki was stunned, and by the time he reacted, Zaizen Aoi had already turned her head away, blushing.

"That...that was my first kiss," she stammered, "I'm not very good at it..."

Yuki grinned sheepishly, "Me too. We can...practice more?"

Zaizen Aoi playfully punched him, but then leaned on his shoulder. The two of them stayed like that, watching the sunset slowly sink into the city skyline.

"I'm not going to Switzerland," Aoi Zaizen suddenly said, her voice firm. "I'm staying to participate in the national competition, with you."

Yuji held her hand tightly, "Let's face this together."

From that day on, their relationship entered a new phase. Aoi Zaizen began openly appearing with Yuuki, no longer caring about what others thought. Rumors circulated throughout the school about the school beauty and the oddball, but the two ignored them.

As expected, Aoi Zaizen's father took action. First, he limited her allowance, then he banned her from participating in card games, and finally he even went to the school to talk to her homeroom teacher. But Aoi Zaizen was unexpectedly stubborn. She started working to save money, used her prize money to buy cards, and even confronted her father face to face.

"I've never disobeyed your requests," Yuki overheard her say to her father on the phone, "but this time I won't back down. The cards and...and Yuki, they're very important to me."

In the last week before summer vacation, Aoi Zaizen excitedly approached Yuki. Guess what happened? Her father had relented! He said he could give her a summer vacation of free time if she stayed in the top three in her final exams!

Yuji happily picked her up and spun her around. "That's wonderful! Then this summer we can..."

"I've already signed up for the national preliminary rounds!" Aoi Zaizen chimed in, her eyes sparkling. "I'm participating in the duo competition!"

After summer vacation began, they spent almost every day together. In the mornings, they studied at the library (Zaizen Aoi insisted that Yuki's grades also had to improve), in the afternoons they trained at the card shop, and in the evenings they explored the city by bicycle. Zaizen Aoi took Yuki to a secret card shop she had discovered, and Yuki took Zaizen Aoi to see his favorite tokusatsu movie screening.

In mid-July, the national tournament preliminary rounds were held as scheduled. This time, Zaizen Aoi's father really came, sitting in a corner of the audience with a serious expression. Yuki's palms were sweating with nervousness, but Zaizen Aoi remained calm and composed.

"Don't look at him," she whispered to You Ji. "Just look at me."

The match began, and their teamwork was even better than before (with Zhao). Zaizen Aoi's father remained expressionless throughout, but when they won their place in the finals, Yuki clearly saw him nod slightly.

We did it! Zaizen Aoi hugged Yuki tightly on the podium, ignoring the cheers of the audience and the flashes of cameras.

After the match, Aoi Zaizen's father came over. Yuki was so nervous he could hardly breathe, but unexpectedly, the serious middle-aged man simply said: "Well played."

Zaizen Aoi's eyes widened. "Dad...?"

"I still don't think this is a proper hobby," her father said sternly, "but your efforts and cooperation... deserve respect." He turned to Yuki and said, "Take good care of my daughter."

Yu Ji nodded vigorously, "Definitely!"

After Aoi's father left, the two smiled at each other and intertwined their fingers. The setting sun merged their shadows together, like their intertwined future.

"Next up is the National Tournament," said Aoi Zaizen, her eyes gleaming with fighting spirit. "Are you ready, partner?"

Chapter 379 Ultraman Infinite Form

Yu Ji smiled and nodded, ready to serve at any time, my queen.

The venue for the national tournament was even more magnificent than Yuki had imagined. Under the dome of the Tokyo Big Sight, hundreds of battle tables were neatly arranged, where top players from all over the country had gathered. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Yuki's palms, which he secretly wiped on his pants, not wanting Zaizen Aoi to see his nervousness.

Nervous? Zaizen Aoi turned her head as if sensing her presence, a faint smile playing on her lips. Today she wore a dark blue dress, her hair meticulously braided into a fishtail braid, giving her a more mature air than usual.

You Ji nodded honestly, "A little. The atmosphere here is too formal."

Zaizen Aoi reached out and straightened Yuki's collar—she insisted he wear a shirt to the competition. "Remember, no matter how strong the opponent, our teamwork is our greatest advantage." Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable firmness.

Yuki took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of Zaizen Aoi's fingertips brushing against his neck. Since winning the preliminaries, their relationship had undergone a subtle change. Zaizen Aoi had begun to naturally make some intimate gestures, such as tidying his hair or gently hooking his little finger while walking. These small touches always made Yuki's heart race.

The first round of matchups is out! The venue's loudspeaker announced.

Their opponents were a professional duo from Osaka, using a hybrid deck of Sky Striker and Shaddoll. This combination is extremely rare in duos, meaning their opponents had a unique strategy.

"Not easy to deal with." Zaizen Aoi frowned as she studied the opponent's information. Sky Striker is good at speed attacks, while Shaddoll is a control type, which is perfect for disrupting our rhythm.

Yuki flipped through his notes, but we'd practiced strategies for dealing with control decks. If we could hold our ground in the early game, we could turn the tide in the mid-to-late game.

Zaizen Aoi nodded, the worry in her eyes gradually replaced by fighting spirit. "You're right. Remember our slogan?"

The intertwining of light and electrons. The two spoke in unison, then smiled at each other. This was a slogan they had specially designed for the doubles match, symbolizing the perfect fusion of Ultraman's power of light and the electronic world's card deck.

At the duel table, the opponents were already in position. The boy named Sasaki had dyed blond hair and wore an expensive duel disk on his wrist; his partner, Takahashi, was a girl with a cold expression, meticulously checking the deck.

"Hey, a student couple?" Sasaki whistled. "So youthful." But this is a professional arena.

Zaizen Aoi's expression instantly turned cold. "Nice to meet you." Her voice was like it had been soaked in ice water.

Takahashi glanced at them, "Don't underestimate them. I've watched the preliminaries; their teamwork is excellent."

The match began, with Sasaki's team choosing to go first. As expected, they launched a suffocating offensive, establishing a strong position in the first round. Yuki's palms began to sweat again, but seeing Zaizen Aoi's calm profile, he slowly regained his rhythm.

When it was their turn, Aoi Zaizen's movements were as precise as a scalpel, dismantling the opponent's defenses step by step. Yuki seized the opportunity and launched a crucial Ultra Fusion. The battle was extremely fierce, with both sides having very little health remaining.

Activate the effect of Ultraman Legend! Yuki loudly proclaims, "Except for Ultraman Zero in the Graveyard, destroy your Shaddoll Fusion Dragon on the field!"

Sasaki's expression changed, and he activated Shado-Douji's Pseudo-Scripture! Negate your effects and destroy your monster!

At the critical moment, Aoi Zaizen opens the face-down card and activates the counter-trap Cyber ​​Overflow! Negate your Pseudo-Scripture and inflict 500 damage!

Perfect teamwork! Yuki's monster effect worked flawlessly, turning the tide of the battle. In the end, they won the first round by a narrow margin.

During halftime, Zaizen Aoi's eyes gleamed with excitement. "See? They had no idea about our chain!"

Yuki smiled and nodded, handing her a bottle of water. Zaizen Aoi took it and naturally took a sip, then handed it to Yuki—these little gestures of indirect kissing had been happening frequently lately, each time making Yuki's heart skip a beat.

In the second game, their opponents adjusted their strategy, employing a more aggressive approach to suppress Zaizen Aoi's Cyberse deck, leaving Yuki's Ultraman deck isolated and helpless. They lost this game, tying the score at 1-1.

Before the decisive game, Zaizen Aoi pulled Yuki to a corner. "Listen," she whispered, her fingers gripping Yuki's sleeve tightly, "they've been targeting me the whole time. In the next game, you'll be the main attacker, and I'll do my best to support you."

Yuki's eyes widened, but your electronics world is our core.

"No," Zaizen Aoi shook her head, her eyes resolute. "Your Ultraman deck is the key to victory. They've thoroughly studied the Cyberse world, but their understanding of Ultraman is limited." She paused, then added, "I believe in you."

These three words were like a shot of adrenaline to You Ji's heart. He took a deep breath and nodded vigorously.

As the decisive game began, Aoi Zaizen, just as she had predicted, gave up her own opportunity to shine and focused entirely on creating an environment for Yuki to deal damage. She used ingenious trap combinations to restrict her opponent, even sacrificing her own monsters to protect Yuki.

"Now!" Zaizen Aoi shouted to Yuki after clearing the last obstacle.

Yuki understood perfectly and activated the ultimate combination: Ultra Fusion! He fused Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Zeta on the field! The ultimate combination of light power, appear, Ultraman Infinite Shining Type!

An Ultraman, radiating seven-colored light, descended onto the field with an attack power of 4500. The opponent's defenses crumbled before it.

Battle! Ultraman Infinite Shining Type Direct Attack! Yuki gave the order for the final blow.

The dazzling light devoured their opponent's health, and the arena erupted in thunderous applause. They won! They've advanced to the round of 16!

Zaizen Aoi excitedly threw herself into Yuki's arms. "We did it!" Her body trembled slightly, and her rapid breath brushed against Yuki's neck.

Yuki hugged her tightly, feeling her rapid heartbeat. "It was you who guided me to do this," he whispered in her ear. "Without your help, I couldn't have summoned the Infinite Shining Type."

Zaizen Aoi looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with a light Yuki had never seen before. Her face was close to his, her lips slightly parted, as if she wanted to say something...

"Congratulations on advancing." Takahashi's indifferent voice interrupted the moment. Zaizen Aoi quickly withdrew from Yuki's embrace, but her hand remained tightly clasped in his.

Sasaki shook his head with a wry smile, not expecting to lose to the student group. "Your teamwork was truly impressive." He paused, particularly noting that final move—completely forgoing the opportunity to expand into the electronic realm, solely to create an environment for Ultraman to unleash his attacks. "A very courageous decision."

Zaizen Aoi smiled slightly. "That's how team competitions should be, isn't it?"

As they stepped out of the competition area, the two were surrounded by a group of reporters. As a rare non-professional student duo in the competition, they became the focus of media attention.

"How do you coordinate two completely different deck styles?" a reporter asked.

Zaizen Aoi looked at Yuki, signaling him to answer. Yuki took a deep breath; the key was understanding each other's rhythm. My Ultraman deck needed time to accumulate resources, while Zaizen's Cyberse could flexibly handle various situations. We complemented each other's weaknesses.

"I heard you two are not just partners, but also lovers?" another reporter suddenly asked.

Zaizen Aoi's face instantly turned red. Yuki stammered, unsure how to answer, but then felt Zaizen Aoi quietly grasp his hand.

Yes, surprisingly, Aoi Zaizen answered herself, her voice soft but firm: "We...we're together."

Yuki's heart almost stopped. This was the first time Zaizen Aoi had publicly acknowledged their relationship.

The reporters became even more excited, and questions flooded in. Suddenly, Aoi Zaizen's phone rang. She glanced at it, and her expression changed drastically.

"I have to take this," she whispered to You Ji. "It's my father."

Yuki nodded and dealt with the reporters alone. A few minutes later, Zaizen Aoi returned, pale-faced, her fingers tightly gripping her phone.

"What's wrong?" You Ji asked in a low voice.

Zaizen Aoi shook her head. "It's nothing. Let's...let's go watch other matches." But her voice was clearly trembling.

For the next few hours, Aoi Zaizen was clearly distracted. Although they had successfully advanced to tomorrow's competition, her smiles were forced and fleeting. Yuki didn't press her for details, but simply gently squeezed her hand or offered her her favorite drink when she was lost in thought.

In the evening, the organizers arranged a tour of Tokyo Tower for the participants. Standing on the observation deck, the entire night view of Tokyo was spread out before them. Zaizen Aoi leaned on the railing, silently gazing into the distance.

Her father saw the interview, and she suddenly spoke, her voice so soft it was almost carried away by the wind. He... was very angry.

Yuki's heart sank. Because of the competition?

Zaizen Aoi shook her head because I had told her about us. She turned away, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "He ordered me to withdraw from the competition immediately and go home... or he would cut off my tuition and living expenses."

Yuki felt a sharp pain in his chest. Aoi...

"I don't care," Aoi Zaizen suddenly raised her voice. "I don't care about tuition, I don't care about living expenses. I can work, I can apply for scholarships..." Her voice choked with emotion, "but I care about you." He said if I didn't behave, he would transfer me to a boarding school in Switzerland.

Yuki felt a wave of dizziness. Switzerland? That meant they would be halfway around the world apart.

I won't go," Zaizen Aoi grabbed Yuki's hand, her grip so tight it almost hurt him. "I won't let him break us up."

Yuji pulled her into his arms, feeling her trembling body. "Let's think of a solution together," he whispered. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together."

Aoi Zaizen lifted her head from his embrace, tears glistening in the lights of Tokyo Tower. "Yukiki, I love you. Not because you're such a formidable duelist, but because I can be my true self when I'm with you."

Yuki's heart nearly stopped. This was the first time Zaizen Aoi had expressed her feelings so directly. He looked down at her moist eyes and slightly trembling lips, and could no longer suppress his inner turmoil.

"I like you too," he whispered, then slowly lowered his head and kissed her lips.

Zaizen Aoi stiffened for a moment, then relaxed and returned the kiss. Her lips were soft and warm, with a faint minty scent. When they parted, Zaizen Aoi's face was as red as the sunset, but the tears in her eyes had dried.

"This is my first kiss," she whispered, her fingers unconsciously playing with the hem of Yuki's clothes.

Youji grinned foolishly. I know.

Zaizen Aoi looked up in surprise, "What are you doing...?"

Because you mentioned it last time, Yuki couldn't help but kiss the tip of her nose again after the qualifiers.