33 Tagging Up 7

So that was what she wanted to know.

Yarden sighed, closing his eyes, "There's two reasons I'm doing it."

"Oh?" she leaned forward in the air in interest.

He opened his eyes again and a smirk spread across his face, "The first, is because it's power. I'm a greedy person at heart. I want fame, I want riches, I want women and I want power." he revealed truthfully, shamelessly. At heart, that was who he was. He was the kind of person who embraced both his own strengths and his own faults. He was no good guy shonen hero, and he didn't want to be.

Take Alexis for example. Did he like her? Yes actually, he did. Quite a bit. He wouldn't have been so angry with Titan if he didn't. She was easy to get along with and meshed well with him. But, his reasons for helping her out and approaching her before taking a liking to her as a person weren't so genial. His main reason for helping her and such initially, was because he wanted to fuck her cross eyed.

Dark Magician Girls eyebrows rose at his answer, "And the second reason?" she asked.

"Because I'm afraid." Yarden admitted. He was in truth, absolutely terrified of the things out there awaiting him, things that could destroy this world and him along with it. The Light of Destruction, Yubel, Nightshroud or Darkness or whatever he called himself. The Earthbound Immortals and the King of the Netherworld. Z-One and his time warping nonsense. All that and more, and no doubt there was other things out there. After all, before he ended up here, a new series of Yu-Gi-Oh had been announced, alongside a new summoning method. Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal and Xyz summoning.

To survive all that. He needed power. And duel spirits were the only avenue he could chase to get that power as of this moment.

Her eyes softened, "Afraid of what?" Dark Magician Girl asked gently, floating over to gently cup his cheek. He could only feel a phantom sensation of warmth, but it was a comforting touch.

"If I said I'd seen some of the future and things approaching that would make the stuff Yugi Moto dealt with look tame?" he asked. If his suspicions were right about what she mentioned earlier about two masters, then this would get his point across without revealing too much.

Her eyes widened, "You're not lying, I'd be able to tell if you were," she mused in realization moment later, "So beyond your desires, you want the power to stop those threats as well?"

"If it comes down to it, yeah." Yarden nodded seriously. He'd much rather leave the true big threats to Jaden. But, Jaden almost broke under that stress before. If he had the strength to support Jaden and let him win more easily later and keep the world safe, then that would be the perfect route.

..And, he'd taken a liking to Jaden. He was a good friend. He didn't want him to end up crushed under the weight of the world like he did in the anime he saw, to the point where he'd forget the very thing that defined him, his love for dueling above all else and begin seeing it as no more than tool or weapon.

"I see," Dark Magican Girl pulled back, examining Yarden keenly for a few moments before smiling at him, "Alright, I'll join you, but only on one condition."

"And what's that?" Yarden asked, curious. That, and doing his very best to smother the excitement beginning to build in his veins and the wild smile that threatened to burst out onto his face.

'Score!' he still couldn't help but cheer inwardly though.

"You have to show me you have what it takes to defeat those kind of threats," Dark Magician Girl grinned at him, twirling her scepter in hand. It glowed and changed shape. A moment later, a daihank was strapped to her wrist, the ancient form of duel disks used back in Ancient Egypt during Atem's time, "You have to beat me in a duel."

He felt as Serpent Night Dragon shot over and coiled around him, his huge serpentine body almost dwarfing Yarden completely, "That is all?" the serpent dragon drawled, "Then you shall be a servant of my master like myself in a short while."

Yarden grinned widely, unable to contain it now, "What he said." He clenched his right fist together, pressing the inner button within the gauntlet and it folded out into the dragon winged duel disk form.

"Let's see you prove it~" Dark Magician Girl giggled.