11 The Aftermath

'Ow, ow, ow... Next time I try something like this, I better find something to hold onto...' He was not going to camouflage it; the pain of hitting his back against a nearby woodbox when he was flown away hurt like hell.

At least he wasn't bleeding or going unconscious. That was what was going through his mind in order to remain positive. Still, better to feel bad physically than mentally. 'No matter how you look at it, those two monsters are a memento. Ren's desire to keep them on the field even when he could have summoned a more powerful monster as well as defending them at the cost of his Life Points clearly showed how much they meant to him.'

Joachim certainly wanted to grumble under his breath. He came here to feel the 'rush' of Dueling 'for real', not to end up as part of some emotional turn of events. He was not good at dealing with that sort of stuff.

All that aside, though, he was pretty okay with the result. While it was true he wanted to win, he was more of the type to enjoy the journey than the destination. Games like these with no stakes were meant to be enjoyed regardless of the result since he was sure that in the near future, Duels of that category would be few and far in between, and where his personal feelings would have to be buried in front of the bigger picture.

And speaking of which, he better let Tachyon Dragon taste blood in the upcoming days or the one that will be mauled to death would be him next time he summoned it.

Pushing those dark thoughts to the back of his mind, Joachim got up with some winces here and there; just in time to see Ren approaching him with an apologetic look on his face.

"I hope you didn't hurt yourself too seriously." The Xyz Duelist extended his hand to the now standing dark-skinned youth, who grabbed it, accepting his supposed gesture of sportsmanship.

"So is it okay if I hurt myself a little?" Joachim jokingly asked as he retracted his hand; the pain still lingering a bit.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Ren shook his head in amused exasperation before continuing. "With that out of the way, I hope you have at least understood the basics of how to Duel."

He gave a nod at that. "I did. It was strange, not going to lie. At first, I did everything clumsily, but then I began to have some odd dexterity as if it was second nature to me."

It was indeed weird. Joachim felt as if a hand was guiding his actions with each passing moment. Not literally being controlled; it was more in a metaphorical sense. Putting it into words was hard, but the first thing that came close to the feeling and somehow described it was muscle memory.

Considering the body he was currently using — something that felt bizarre, and he would not get tired of saying it — belonged to someone else, who also happened to be a Duelist, that assumption might not be so far off. Still, he preferred not to have some existential crisis at the moment, so he quickly deleted the thought out of his mind.

Ren dryly chuckled after he saw his expression. "I will admit that it would have been a bit boring if you took five minutes just to set a card. I am still surprised, though. It was a bit more exciting than what I originally thought it would be if I am being honest."

"Sorry about that." Joachim sarcastically rolled his eyes before he remembered something. "Oh, right. I came here to tell you about the incoming threat, but I don't know what do you want to do now. If you so wish, I could stay for a bit in case something comes up."

"It is all right. My comrades will be here soon, so you don't have to worry about that. And though I have told them about you..." The brown-haired youth trailed off, yet the Blue-Eyes user didn't take long to catch the meaning.

"They do not trust me. Can't say I am surprised, and I even understand it to a degree." It was something he was already expecting. He didn't really want to make a sort of profile, but knowing how stubborn people like Shun or Yuto could be, facing distrust was something he was prepared to do. In fact, what did surprise him was Ren choosing to believe in him. It might not be a '100%' thing, but it was enough to at least listen to some pieces of advice.

Ren nodded with an apologetic expression, knowing precisely that they couldn't be faulted considering the experiences they went through, while also being aware that it was not okay to outright dismiss help just like that. 'Hah... I have no one to blame but you, little sis. I guess your optimism somehow managed to rub itself on me.'

"But anyway. I hope that you can, at the very least, make them see reason. If you want to beat their numbers, you have to be smart, and throwing yourself at the enemy screaming vengeance does not denote intelligence." He knew they would obviously don't listen to a stranger, but if the warning came from the person in front of him, who seemed to be their leader, then things might be different.

The Xyz Duelist hummed at that, and he truly wished they could all attain victory in the battles to come. He would admit that Joachim's words struck deep, and they made him reconsider a lot of things, but his core didn't change. He still wanted to make an impact—a difference, and that could only be achieved by winning against their most powerful generals. He... no. They had to inflict a wound deep enough that it would, at the bare minimum, cause a setback for their plans.

"By the way, I should be the one to ask this time. Do you want me to accompany you? You don't seem to be..." Ren gestured to the way Joachim was still grabbing some parts of his body as a reflex to pain. "...in the best conditions."

Even if he tried to downplay it, it was obvious that he wasn't 'just fine'. He was unfortunate enough to hit something relatively hard when he was flown back due to the shockwave, after all. In fact, it was already good enough that he didn't go unconscious.

"Oh, this? Yes, it hurts a little, but nothing a good night of rest and some pills can't fix. And if you are worried about me meeting trouble along the way then don't be. I am good at things like running away." He removed his hand from his forming bruises while also calming Ren with a dismissive gesture. 'Leaving Yami and his handy ability to move like a flash, those Academia soldiers are idiots who can be deceived by a little acting.'

The brown-haired youth sighed in resignation. And he was the one tagged as stubborn. "Fine. You showed me during our Duel that you can defend yourself good enough. Still, if you ever find yourself in trouble, just tell your dragon to shoot a beam at the sky or something. I will get there as soon as I can."

Part of why he was willing to compromise on letting him go alone was in fact the way he performed during their confrontation. Yes, he didn't go all out or did as many combos as he could have done, but Joachim still showed good enough skills to slap some grunts to hell and back.

There was a but, though. Those lunatics loved to do the same combos again and again, which involved summoning those stupid mutts to inflict burn damage continuously, and since they always fought cowardly three versus one, that annoyance tripled.

His worry was natural as even if he defeated a group, another one would probably come since they were like moths attracted to a flame. One, two, even three groups might be fine, but more than that changed things.

"I understand your concerns. Believe me that I do. That's why I can say with confidence that you are worrying unnecessarily. I know it's not my time to fight yet, so I won't be looking for Duels left and right. I have other means to get out of a possible meeting between me and those idiots." One thing he forgot to take into account was the fact he knew important higher-ups. Sure, despite lacking intelligence, they wouldn't just believe him if he said he knew Grace and Gloria, but if he played his cards right, he would plant a seed of doubt.

Now, those two wouldn't just be some almighty backing that could save his hide whenever he encountered some troublesome situation with those mindless fools. They wouldn't see it with good eyes, to begin with. However, he was still someone that helped around the house and more usual than not cleaned their mess; not to mention their mother favored him. All that meant that at the smallest sight of trouble, heads would begin to roll.

It wouldn't work forever, but he didn't need to. Just enough times for him to get acclimated with Duels to make them something of a habit. After that? He guessed it would be possible to make them quiver with pressure alone thanks to Ra's power if his words were to be trusted.

"Fine, fine. Just be careful out there, all right?" Knowing nothing he could say would change his mind, Ren simply raised his hands in mock surrender before quickly dropping them and adopting a more serious posture. Without hesitation, he formed a fist and extended it to Joachim, who reacted by doing the same almost instantly.

'Thank you. Once again.' The voice was heard loud and clear, and when the transmigrator looked past Ren with surprise that didn't quite reach his face, he was met with a Duel Spirit looking straight at him.

'Risebell?' It seems he finally figured out who was the mysterious ghost that scared him to death back then, but who would have thought that it was a monster belonging to Ren and one that didn't belong to his archetype to boot.

"Hm? Is anything the matter?" Noticing that Joachim seemed to be distracted, Ren decided to ask him about it. However, the youth in question just shook his head.

"It's nothing, do not mind it." That was a double answer. To the person in front of him, and to the Duel Spirit observing their current interactions. He then removed his fist, adopting a faint smile on his face.

"I better get going. You already saw the number on my Duel Disk. If you need anything, no matter how small, you can count on me. And who knows, we might even go at it to untie our score." The last thing earned a weak punch on his shoulder, enough not to hurt, as well as a weak chuckle from the brown-haired youth.

Joachim turned around and began to walk in the same direction he had come in under the watchful gaze of two individuals. It was a little hard getting past the mini tunnel since the bruises burned a little, but he eventually reached the outside.

It was not sunset yet, but it was indeed getting a little late. He should get back to avoid some unnecessary trouble.

"Your performance left much to be desired. You better improve lest you misuse me in the near future." Ra's words brought a point to the table, though he didn't appreciate the tone. He left it very clear to him before. The best way to describe him would be a casual player; nothing too outstanding. He will commit many mistakes in the future, and only after going through many Duels could he start to be considered 'good'. That was why he didn't consider helpful such advice... if it could even be taken as one.

"Tomorrow we will see about that."

"I do not need empty—"

"I said tomorrow... We will see about that."

Ra went silent at his reaffirmed answer. He thought at first that the whelp was just saying whatever nonsense came to his mind to avoid any kind of lecture from him. He seemed to be wrong, though.

'This kid... Is he planning to go on a hunt? What feebleness caused him to have a change of heart? To go from a mere spectator—a coward that would only act if things were a hundred percent in his favor to someone who would actively participate in this war?' He would never understand the human heart, nor did he plan to. However, the kid's was another thing entirely. There was a reason he was the one who got asked for help among the three Gods.

It was because he resembled a machine.

And so did Joachim.

'Be that as it may, I will not complain about getting to burn something. I am going to look forward to your evolution... and mine as well.'

The return of the Shadow Games didn't seem so far now.