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Yuhi was at a complete loss of what to do. So much so that his brain wouldn't even let him think about it.
Instead of facing his problems, it was way easier to worry about something small, like his outfit. He didn't look cool? Well, that was something he could fix!
Which was how, of course, Yuhi ended up spending several hours at clothing stores instead of doing anything productive to prepare for his duel against Yuamu. Eventually, he gave up and just went with his UTS uniform, making the time feel wasted.
Though perhaps not wasted completely.
Before returning to face Yuamu, Yuhi's feet had taken him on an aimless trip around Mutsuba Town. When he finally stopped, he found himself at a tree, known as the tallest tree in the town.
There was a legend passed down in the Ohdo family about making wishes at trees like this. And right now, Yuhi felt like he really needed a wish.
He knelt down. Found a leaf on the ground with a couple of holes in it, but still a rich shade of green. Then he put the leaf up to his mouth and breathed into it. Seven times was the number passed down in legend.
I wish I could stop Yuamu from becoming Otes.
I wish I could stop Yuamu from becoming Otes.
I wish I could stop Yuamu from becoming Otes.
I wish I could stop Yuamu from becoming Otes.
I wish I could stop Yuamu from becoming Otes.
I wish I could stop Yuamu from becoming Otes.
I wish I could stop Yuamu from becoming Otes.
The final repeat of the wish cast, Yuhi folded the leaf together. To keep the wish from falling out. Then, he held the leaf out in an open hand, until the wind picked it up and took it wherever it needed to go.
It was a legend passed down through the Ohdo family, but Yuamu never believed in it. Wishes didn't come true just like that, she'd always tell Yuhi. But a part of Yuhi had always wanted to believe, and now, that part was crying out louder than ever.
He couldn't let himself lose his sister.
His hand now empty, he closed it into a fist. Then he turned around, and walked back to face his destiny. To face Yuamu.
It was only when he stood across from Yuamu on the duel field that his mind let him face the true problems he was now facing. Yuhi hadn't altered his deck at all since he last faced off against Yuamu, trying to help Damamu. Oh, and now this was going to bite him in the ass. Yuhi was the one to lose that previous duel, and now he was going to try to beat the same opponent and stop her from playing Monster Reborn?! How was he supposed to do that?!
His brain would only let him worry about trivial stuff, when he should've tried harder to focus on…
Yuhi shook his head. No point in worrying about that now. It wasn't like he could go back, so he'd have to give this duel everything he had now in order to stop his sister.
Cards were played on both duel disks in flurries of combos. Yuhi gave it the best he had with the cards he currently possessed, and honestly, he wasn't doing bad. He had Yuamu on her toes a couple of times, even! Combatting her Contact Fusion was near impossible, though, and there was no way she'd let the duel end before Monster Reborn was played.
Even at a point where she could've won the duel in the current turn, she left Yuhi purposefully with Life Points for this plan. Talk about embarrassing…
There wasn't much time for shame to blossom. It was Yuamu's turn, and Yuhi could tell, just from the look on her face. She'd drawn it. He was too late.
The card slotted into her duel disk, Yuamu selected her target, began to recite the chant…
Yuhi blinked.
How did he get back in a clothing store?!
Zeyet, standing next to Yuhi, looked confused as Yuhi began fiddling with his duel disk in a panic. Yeah, his deck was slotted in, but no signs the duel disk had been activated for a duel recently. Yuhi looked down at himself; he was wearing the same outfit he'd been wearing since his school uniform had gotten destroyed (no, the curry bread outfit didn't count). His UTS uniform had vanished.
Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Zeyet by the arms. Zeyet was sent into an anxiety spiral by the sudden movement and contact, but he didn't have time to worry about that.
"Where's Yuamu?!" Yuhi demanded. "What's she doing?!"
The anxiety spiral seemed to turn into one of confusion. Zeyet told Yuhi that the Dark Meister was still waiting for Yuhi to prepare for their duel where the Dark Meister would finally use Monster Reborn.
He blinked again.
It was like…
He'd gone back in time? He was getting a do-over? A second chance?
Yuhi's face broke into a grin. Before Zeyet could fall back into anxiety, Yuhi took both her hands and shook them, thanking her. He still had time! He could do it right this time, fix his mistakes so that he could finally stop Yuamu from becoming Otes!
He dashed out of the store. His outfit didn't matter. Time to work on his deck. He had a better idea of what cards and combos Yuamu was utilizing now, so he should be able to prepare to counter them. And, hey, that might be cheating, but did it really matter when he was facing down the loss of his twin sister forever?
The first duel had been a loss. Time to turn that around.
…
A night spent deck building. Time spent creating new combos and interruptions specifically designed to combat Monster Reborn and its support. He really thought he had it this time.
It wasn't enough.
The card slotted into her duel disk, Yuamu selected her target, began to recite the chant…
Yuhi blinked.
Back in the clothing store again.
This time, Yuhi knew what happened. He failed to stop Yuamu again, so now he was getting a third chance, somehow. And now, the excitement of getting to give saving Yuamu another try was wearing off.
It wasn't that Yuhi wanted to look a gift horse in the mouth, but he couldn't help but wonder why this was happening. Why he kept getting these chances.
It was almost like…
His wish was getting granted…
But why would something like that happen? There was no point in questioning something that was already happening, anyway, so all he could do was keep going.
So Yuhi prepared and dueled Yuamu again.
And again.
And again.
Yuhi lost count of how many times he repeated that duel.
And no matter what strategies he tried, what cards he played, nothing seemed to work. He'd always end up with the card being slotted into Yuamu's duel disk, the chant recited…
…Maybe this was his punishment for letting things get to this point. For letting his twin sister reach the point that she felt her best course of action was to sacrifice everything, even her own identity.
Maybe there wasn't anything Yuhi could do. Maybe he was doomed to repeat this forever.
Instead of going over his deck for the thousandth time or so, he decided to just wander Mutsuba Town. To immerse himself in the place he called home. Even if Yuamu wanted to lose herself, that didn't mean Yuhi wanted to let these time loops take away what was important to him.
It was on that walk that he ran into Yudias. They talked. Yudias sounded determined to try to face Yuamu himself in Yuhi's place. Apparently, Yudias had also been working on strategies to stop Yuamu from playing Monster Reborn.
There was no way at this point that Yudias had been planning strategies longer than Yuhi, since it was quickly clear Yudias was not aware of time repeating. But Yuhi had already dueled so many times in a row. What harm was there in giving Yudias an attempt? In the worst case scenario, Yuhi would just repeat this all over again one more time.
So Yuhi agreed to it. Yudias was thrilled, and when the time came, they both went to face Yuamu.
Yuamu wasn't aware of this role switch until the last second. Yet, she accepted and allowed it anyway. Yuamu and Yudias both activated their duel disks, and the duel began, with Yuhi as nothing more than an audience.
…
No, his role was bigger than that, wasn't it?
He'd been going about this all wrong. Yuamu was his sister. They were twins, supposed to have each other's backs even if the world turned against them. And Yuhi had spent all this time fighting against Yuamu.
No, he needed to fight with her.
So when Yuamu took a blow too powerful for her to withstand alone, Yuhi took her duel disk and continued the duel in her place. Dueled just as hard as she would, against the very person he'd asked for help.
And that card was in his hand. The card Yuhi thought he was meant to stop.
Monster Reborn.
Yuhi had wished to stop Yuamu from becoming Otes. He'd intended that to mean Monster Reborn wouldn't be used, that no one would become Otes. But as a duelist who played with luck on the line, Yuhi was aware of the whims of fate. The coin toss didn't always land the way one wanted or expected.
If he couldn't stop Monster Reborn from being used, maybe…he was the one meant to use it. If it meant Yuamu would be spared, then…
The living is sealed in light…