Looking at her field being fully wiped clean, Youmi let out a sigh.
"I banish Dragonmaid Tidying from my Graveyard to activate its effect. I Special Summon one Dragonmaid monster from my hand or Graveyard in Defense Position, and it returns to the hand at the End Phase. I Special Summon Chamber Dragonmaid from my hand, and activate her effect to add one Dragonmaid Spell or Trap from my Deck to my hand. I add Dragonmaid Hospitality."
With a full set of her maids now in hand, Youmi once again Special Summoned Chamber Dragonmaid and fetched Hospitality.
"I activate Dragonmaid Hospitality. I Special Summon one Dragonmaid monster from my hand or Graveyard in Defense Position, then send one Dragonmaid monster with the same Attribute but a different Level from my Deck to the Graveyard. I Special Summon Kitchen Dragonmaid from the Graveyard and send Dragonmaid Tinkhec from my Deck to the Graveyard."
Jaden watched Youmi's steady development and began grasping the Dragonmaid pattern. "I get it now. Each Dragonmaid has a dragon form of the same Attribute, right? Huh? Why does your Chamber Dragonmaid look kinda… upset?"
Chamber Dragonmaid was forcing herself to hide her irritation, but the ground beneath her feet had already cracked.
"I don't see it, Jaden… but why is the ground breaking?" Syrus couldn't see spirits the way Jaden could, but even he noticed the literal cracks forming.
"Calm down, calm down. Jaden's just like that—don't take him seriously. If I had drawn a big dragon, I'd have cut him down already." Youmi hurriedly sent a telepathic message to settle Chamber Dragonmaid.
"Now I enter the Battle Phase. At the start of the Battle Phase, Chamber Dragonmaid and Kitchen Dragonmaid return to my hand, and I Special Summon the Level 7 Dragonmaids from my hand or Graveyard. I return Chamber Dragonmaid to Special Summon Ernus from the Graveyard, and return Kitchen Dragonmaid to Special Summon Tinkhec from the Graveyard."
With both of her Level 7 forms on the field, Youmi declared her attack.
"Ernus, with 2600 Attack, attack Elemental HERO Stratos."
[Jaden, LP: 4000 → 3200]
"Even in defeat, a new HERO inherits the will of the fallen!"
Jaden took the overflow damage, then pressed a button on his Duel Disk to reveal his face-down.
"I activate my face-down—Hero Signal! When a monster on my field is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: I Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Elemental HERO from my hand or Deck. I Special Summon a second Elemental HERO Stratos in Defense Position! And Stratos's effect activates to add one HERO monster from my Deck to my hand! I add Elemental HERO Wildheart."
"Then Tinkhec with 2700 Attack attacks Elemental HERO Stratos."
The alternate-art Stratos was destroyed. Youmi ended her Battle Phase, then activated her follow-up effects.
"Ernus and Tinkhec both activate their effects and return to my hand. I Special Summon the Level 2 Dragonmaid Laundry and Level 3 Dragonmaid Kitchen from my hand. Laundry Dragonmaid's effect activates, sending the top three cards of my Deck to the Graveyard."
Yes. Youmi was running the entire Dragonmaid family. And since her opening hand was the most abstract combination possible, all lower maids plus Dragonmaid Welcome, this was a true family reunion.
"The cards I milled are… What?!"
Youmi stared at the three cards sent to the Graveyard.
Dragonmaid Changeover, Laundry Trap, and Dragonmaid Nudyarl.
Amazing. That mill was absolutely cracked. Laundry Dragonmaid: forever the goddess.
"Laundry Trap's effect activates. When this card is sent from the Deck to the Graveyard by a card effect: I target one card sent to my Graveyard this turn, except a card with the same name as this one, and add it to my hand. But until the end of my next turn, I cannot activate the card I added, nor cards with the same name. I target Dragonmaid Nudyarl."
Youmi recovered Nudyarl, then looked toward Jaden's Field Spell.
"Next, I activate the effect of Dragonmaid Changeover in the Graveyard. I return Laundry Dragonmaid on my field to my hand and return Changeover from the Graveyard to my hand."
"And now, Jaden-sama, allow me to borrow your Field Spell for a moment."
Youmi snapped her fingers and activated Skyscraper's effect. "The Fusion requirements are a Dragonmaid monster plus a Level 5 or higher Dragon monster. I banish Laundry Dragonmaid and the Level 7 Dragonmaid Nudyarl from my Graveyard to Fusion Summon Dragonmaid Sheou!"
House Dragonmaid appeared in her dragon form on Youmi's field—radiant and formidable.
Jaden pointed in astonishment. "So Dragonmaids also have a Fusion Monster? That's amazing, Yuyumi! Does she have a human form too?"
"Well, you're about to see it. I activate Dragonmaid Changeover from my hand. I send fusion materials listed on a Dragon Fusion Monster from my hand or field to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon it from the Extra Deck. The materials are a Dragonmaid monster and a Dragon monster. I use Chamber Dragonmaid and Tinkhec in my hand, and Fusion Summon House Dragonmaid!"
Although they were two forms of the same spirit, this was a duel; so Sheou and House Dragonmaid could appear simultaneously.
As a note: unlike the limited Branded cards she received from the Spirit World, all Dragonmaid cards she obtained here existed in full playsets. But even if multiple copies existed on the field, only one spirit would manifest; thus, Youmi effectively had three House Dragonmaids.
"With that, I end my turn."
"End Phase. Absolute Zero returns to my field~"
Turn 3
"My turn—draw!"
Jaden forcefully drew a card from the Deck, but before he could activate anything, Youmi immediately halted him.
"Hold on a moment—Standby Phase. Dragonmaid Sheou's effect activates. I Special Summon one Dragonmaid monster from my hand or Graveyard with Level 9 or lower. I Special Summon Chamber Dragonmaid from my Graveyard. Chamber Dragonmaid's effect activates: I add Dragonmaid Downtime from my Deck to my hand~"
With a resonant dragon cry from Sheou, Chamber Dragonmaid—who had been slacking off in the dorm with Kitt—was yanked back to work.
"House Dragonmaid's effect activates. During either player's Standby Phase: I target one Dragonmaid monster I control, except this card, then Special Summon one Dragonmaid monster from my hand or Graveyard whose Level is one higher or lower in Defense Position.
"I target the Level 4 Chamber Dragonmaid, and Special Summon Parlor Dragonmaid from my Graveyard. Because of her effect, I send Dragonmaid Lorpar from my Deck to the Graveyard."
Jaden stared at the field Youmi developed during his turn, already larger than when Absolute Zero wiped it, and exclaimed, "You can extend during my turn too? You really are strong, Yuyumi! Just like Youmi himself!"
Youmi and Fallen of Albaz immediately snapped back in unison: "That's your imagination!"
"Hah… really? Well, anyway, since you're done now, right? Main Phase. I activate the effect of Skyscraper, which I already have face-up, and Fusion Summon by banishing monsters—"
Jaden nodded with an expression that clearly meant you're messing with me, though it wasn't clear if he fully absorbed the denial. "Now I can finally clear your board again~"
Youmi, of course, refused to let that resolve uncontested. "Go ahead. Fuse if you like."
Jaden revealed the card he had just drawn. "I banish Elemental HERO Captain Gold and the Absolute Zero on my field to Fusion Summon Elemental HERO The Shining! Absolute Zero's effect activates—destroy all monsters on your field again!"
"That is most ungentlemanly of you, Lord Jaden. I won't allow it so easily. I activate Dragonmaid Sheou's effect. When your Spell, Trap, or monster effect is activated, I can apply the following effects: (1) Negate that activation and destroy it. (2) Return this card to the Extra Deck, and Special Summon House Dragonmaid from my Extra Deck. I negate Absolute Zero's effect and transform into House Dragonmaid."
Jaden's confident grin barely lasted half a minute before being cut off again.
"Even if I didn't wipe your board, The Shining gains Attack equal to the number of banished HERO monsters ×—"
"And what of it? House Dragonmaid's effect activates. When a face-up Dragon monster I control (other than her) returns to my hand: I target one monster you control and destroy it. I destroy Elemental HERO The Shining. Do you have anything left?"
Jaden looked at his remaining cards—Parallel World Fusion and Elemental HERO Wildheart—then sank into thought.
"I surrender. I just can't beat you… That's two losses in one day. I lost to Zane this morning, and now to Youmi's little sister at noon… Hey, Youmi, duel me instead?"
Jaden placed his hand on his Deck, formally conceding, then turned toward Fallen of Albaz. "I just want to win at least once today… Oh, right, your Deck isn't finished yet. Then Syrus—let's duel!"
A loudly growling stomach interrupted him. Syrus stared at Jaden like he was a monster.
"Jaden, we just finished morning classes and haven't eaten lunch yet! You're the only one always ready for a duel 24/7… And classes got canceled this afternoon because the replica Decks of the two legendary Duel Kings are being displayed at school. Don't you want to eat before going to see them?"
"Hm?" Youmi caught a key detail, put away her Deck, and approached. "Lord Jaden, you dueled Zane Truesdale a few days ago? And… the Duel Kings' Decks are being exhibited at the school this afternoon?"
Jaden, finishing tidying his cards, looked from Syrus back to Youmi. "Yeah! Youmi lost to Zane before, right? I figured anyone who could beat Youmi must be crazy strong, so I challenged him. And he OTK'd me with an 8000-Attack Cyber End Dragon. Syrus' brother is insanely strong."
"Which is why I told you to prepare a counter Deck for my brother, didn't I?! Why didn't you listen?"
Syrus pushed up his slightly slipping glasses with a frustrated sigh. "As for the Duel Kings' Decks, they're being stored in the school exhibition hall from now on. I wonder if Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle and Dark Magician Girl are included… I want to see them no matter what…"
He said this while sinking into some kind of dreamy fantasy.
"Huh… I see. A replica Labrynth Deck…"
….
After the duel with Jaden, Youmi and Fallen of Albaz returned to their dorm.
"Hey, boss, you gotta explain what's been happening these past few days. Dragon of All Creation sent us here to help you, sure, but who were those two that obviously have history with you?"
Fallen of Albaz sat cross‑legged on the bed, still in his school uniform since they'd be heading out later.
"Well… I'll explain from the beginning. It's complicated, and honestly, I'm not great at explaining it myself."
Still in a mixed state between Dragonmaid and Albaz—since Chamber Dragonmaid's power hadn't fully separated—Youmi dragged over a chair and sat down.
Kitt and Ecclesia were eating the lunch Ecclesia brought for Youmi from the Ra Yellow dorm.
Fleurdelis and Chamber Dragonmaid sat nearby, waiting for Youmi's explanation.
"Man… this dorm is getting cramped. I really do need to move to another one."
Youmi glanced around the crowded room, then continued, "Dragon of All Creation should've told you already—I'm a Duelist from another world. My original mission was to pursue another Duelist who escaped the Dragon's control. The reason all this happened is… well, in my own world, I'm probably seriously injured and unconscious. Maybe even dying."
Borrowing Kitt's sketch board, Youmi drew a crude stick figure falling into a well.
"Anyway, because of my agreement with the Dragon of All Creation, as long as I become the Duel King, it can heal my body and send me home safely. For now, I exist here only as a consciousness possessing Duel Monster cards. You all saw how unstable I was before returning to the Fallen of Albaz card."
Hearing this explanation, everyone in the room frowned.
"Then doesn't that mean your physical condition is in terrible danger right now? If you don't hurry up and become the Duel King, your body back in your world might actually die, right?"
Fallen of Albaz was the first to speak, his expression dead serious.
Though they had known each other for barely over a month, they were already comrades; he couldn't just sit and watch Youmi perish. "Shouldn't you leave the school as soon as possible and go pro? With your skill, boss, you'd reach the top in no time, right?"
"Hold it, Albaz." Fleurdelis cut him off. "Then what about the kid's body? Your real body in your original world, the one that was dying? It's been more than a month since we arrived here, hasn't it? If those injuries were truly fatal, the damage would've progressed to an irreversible point by now. But if it received immediate treatment, even though it wouldn't be without consequences, there's a chance your life might've been saved."
"As for that…"
Youmi recalled an earlier conversation with the Ten Thousand Dragon. "Time flows differently between the two worlds. Since the last time I checked with it, only a few seconds have passed over there. My body is still lying where I was injured. Convenient setting, I know. But that creates a new question."
She drew a simple doodle of Aluber on Kitt's sketch board and added an arrow pointing to the name 'Yuki.'
"Yuki—he's someone like a younger brother to me. He said I've been having so much fun here that I completely forgot about him. However, if time over there hasn't moved, there's no way he could've known I'm here. And more importantly, when you piece everything together, I'm actually the one who chased him into the GX timeline."
That was the glaring contradiction. She wanted to ask the Ten Thousand Dragon for answers, but it seemed to have gone offline.
"Then what about that Cartesia? The one calling herself 'Midai.'"
Chamber Dragonmaid raised her hand with a question.
"I don't know her. I seriously don't." Youmi shook her head.
No matter how much she combed through her memories, she had zero impression of Midai. "In my world, I'm not exactly popular. Sure, I kept decent relationships with the people around me, but I never offended anyone, and I never got close to anyone either.
"If anything, I don't have memories before I was six. That said, being younger than six is way too early to have provoked a yandere like her."
Albaz raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean you don't have memories before you were six? Your past is unclear too, boss?"
Youmi nodded, replaced the page, and drew a crude car with a collision mark.
"According to the aunt who adopted me, it was a traffic accident… At the end of it, I was the only one left. She couldn't just leave me, so as a relative, she adopted me.
"Apparently, I lost my past due to the shock, and I've never remembered it since. It's too late to recover those memories now."
She gave a bitter smile and shook her head. "Auntie's kid is Yuki, two years younger than me.
"After I was adopted, while flipping through photo albums, I noticed there were no pictures with me in them.
"Then I found medical records and documents proving my identity. So afterwards, I asked Auntie directly about my past. Since Auntie and Uncle were always busy with work, they couldn't look after both me and Yuki at the same time, so from then on, I started helping take care of him."
She closed her eyes and thought for a moment… perhaps remembering something, perhaps trying not to. Her body trembled a bit before she opened her eyes again.
"That kid was actually really easy to look after. He had a good personality too—maybe a little too attached to me, but still.
"Starting in junior high, I chose to attend a boarding school, then continued into high school, and then chose a university in another city.
"Naturally, our contact faded. Even so, he wasn't the kind of kid who'd turn into a world-shattering final boss."
Youmi folded her arms, trying to figure out how her good little brother somehow turned into someone who wanted to tear down the world.
"Um… is it possible," Chamber Dragonmaid asked hesitantly, "that he only acted like a good kid in front of you? And he actually had a hidden side he didn't want you to know about? Families usually want to show their best side, after all…"
"No way," Youmi answered without a second thought, no shred of hesitation.
Fleurdelis listened to her story for a long while, then finally voiced her own question. "Then why did you distance yourself from him? If it was just about fostering independence, you didn't need to avoid him entirely."
"That's because—" Youmi immediately tried to answer, but the moment the words reached her lips, she froze.
"I… don't know."
"Maybe because going to a boarding school relieved some pressure for Auntie and Uncle?
"After middle school, Auntie and Uncle got job transfers and weren't as busy anymore, so maybe… maybe they didn't need me to take care of Yuki anymore?"
As she spoke, her head gradually lowered.
Fleurdelis stood up, walked over, and lifted Youmi's head by the chin so their eyes met. "Look at me, kid. Don't tell me you distanced yourself because you felt like you weren't needed.
"Did you think you were an outsider to them? That since you weren't needed anymore, it'd be better to stay away than keep seeing them every day?"
Youmi pushed Fleurdelis's hand away—accidentally touching something she really shouldn't have—and turned her head aside. "That's just your imagination, isn't it? Can't it simply be that I wanted my own life once I hit puberty? Is it so strange that I'd want some independence?"
"No. I understand perfectly now."
Fleurdelis rejected that excuse outright. "Your thought process is absolutely abnormal. I'm not good with psychological explanations, so I can't break it down clearly, but I know this much—your current mindset is not normal. You can't keep going like this, kid."
Youmi waved her hand dismissively with a faint laugh. "Come on, Fleurdelis~ I've always been seen as an exemplary, outstanding person. If I'm not normal, then who is? Anyway, it's about time. Albaz, let's go see the Duel Kings' Decks already~"
She stood, glanced at the clock, and walked straight out of the dorm.
Fallen of Albaz wanted to say something, but Youmi was already halfway down the corridor, so he hurried after her.
After the two left, Chamber Dragonmaid turned toward Kitt—who was rolling around on the bed after eating her fill—and asked, "Miss Kitt, did you finish fixing the clock on the wall?"
"Huh? Didn't I fix it last night? Why did it stop again…? That's weird…"
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]