Chapter 155: Mutou Yugi, Duel Monsters
Standing at the entrance of the restaurant was a boy who looked as if he had stepped out of a chaotic whirlwind of colors and shapes. His appearance was, to say the least, distinctive.
He wore a dark blue school uniform, the gakuran style, which seemed slightly too large for his slender frame. The jacket hung loosely, emphasizing his slight stature. But it was his hair that commanded immediate attention—a gravity-defying architectural marvel of stiff, lightning-bolt bangs in gold, framed by amethyst tips and a base of starless black. It was a hairstyle that screamed 'protagonist' in any dimension.
Yet, despite the loud visual of his hair, his large, violet eyes were filled with a timid, trembling light. He clutched the strap of his school bag tightly, his knuckles turning white, looking around the wooden interior of the restaurant with a mixture of profound curiosity and rising panic.
"Excuse me..."
His voice was soft, cracking slightly under the weight of his nervousness.
"Um... Sir? Where is this place?"
Ren, who had been wiping a glass behind the counter, paused. He looked at the boy, then his gaze drifted to the object hanging around the boy's neck.
It was a golden inverted pyramid, suspended by a thick silver chain. The artifact hummed with an ancient, heavy aura that seemed to distort the air slightly around it. An eye was carved into its golden surface—the Eye of Wjat.
The Millennium Puzzle.
Ren placed the glass down gently. He offered a warm, disarming smile, the kind designed to soothe startled small animals.
"Welcome," Ren said, his voice calm and steady. "This is the Dimensional Restaurant. A place located in the gap between worlds."
"Another... World?!"
The boy's eyes widened until they were perfectly round saucers. The color drained from his face, leaving him pale.
"No... that can't be..."
He took a stumbling step back, his hands flying up to clutch his head. His fingers tangled in his spiky hair as he spiraled into anxiety.
"How could this happen? I was just walking down the street in Domino City... I just wanted to go look for something to eat! How could I end up in another world?"
His breathing hitched, becoming rapid and shallow.
"What will Grandpa do alone? If I don't come back, the shop... Jii-chan will be so worried!"
Ren and Lucifer exchanged a glance. Unlike the battle-hardened warriors or arrogant kings who occasionally stumbled through the door, this was just a high school boy. A very filial, very panicked grandson.
Lucifer, usually indifferent to the plight of mortals, let out a soft chuckle. "He's like a frightened rabbit."
Ren shook his head at her, signaling her to be nice. He walked out from behind the counter, his tall frame moving with a gentle grace to avoid intimidating the boy further.
"Relax," Ren said, his tone dropping an octave to be more soothing. "Don't be so sad. Take a deep breath."
He gestured to the door behind the boy.
"This is just a restaurant. It connects to various places, but the door you came through is tied to your world. You can go back anytime you want. You just have to open it."
"Eh?"
The boy stopped hyperventilating. He looked at the door, then back at Ren, hope returning to his violet eyes.
"Really?! Can I really go back?! I'm not... trapped here forever?"
"I have no reason to lie to you," Ren assured him, leaning casually against a nearby table. "It seems the restaurant sensed your hunger. You came here because you wanted to eat, right?"
"Ah... yes. That's true."
The boy slumped, the tension leaving his body in a rush. He let out a long, shaky exhale, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"I'm sorry... I got a bit excited. I thought I was spirited away..."
Ren nodded with a smile. "It's a normal reaction. Anyone would be shocked. So, young man, since you're already here, do you want to head back immediately? or would you like to eat something first? It might help calm your nerves."
The boy hesitated, his hand hovering over his stomach. As if on cue, a soft growl emanated from his midsection. He blushed instantly.
"Well..." He looked up, his expression shifting from fear to shy gratitude. "Shopkeeper-san, I am hungry... But, um, please don't call me 'Sir'. I'm still just a student."
He bowed politely, a reflex of ingrained manners.
"Please, just call me Yugi. Mutou Yugi."
[Akarin's Note: Mutou Yugi - The main protagonist of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series. He possesses the Millennium Puzzle, which houses the spirit of an ancient nameless Pharaoh (Atem). Known for his crazy hair and belief in the 'Heart of the Cards'.]
"Mutou Yugi," Ren repeated, testing the syllables. He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Okay, Yugi. That name sounds really interesting. It has the character for 'Game', doesn't it? Is it the 'Yugi' I'm imagining?"
Perhaps it was the warmth of the lighting, or the gentle scent of timber and tea that filled the air, or simply Ren's unthreatening demeanor, but Mutou Yugi felt his shoulders relax. The overwhelming fear of the unknown began to recede, replaced by the comfort of hospitality.
"Yes, that's what it means," Yugi admitted, scratching his cheek bashfully. "My grandfather gave it to me. He's a huge game fanatic. He runs a game shop back home."
"I see. A legacy of games," Ren nodded. "Don't be so nervous, Yugi-kun. No one here will hurt you. Look, even our guests are just relaxing."
Ren gestured to the table where Lucifer and Cerberus sat. Cerberus, the three-headed demon girl, was currently licking a spoon with intense focus, looking completely harmless (and slightly silly). Lucifer sipped her tea with elegance, though her crimson eyes were sharp.
"You look very hungry," Ren noted. "Would you like to order?"
Yugi patted his pockets and pulled out a small wallet. He opened it, revealing a few Japanese Yen notes and coins. He looked up anxiously.
"Shopkeeper-san... um, can we use our money from over there? I only have Yen..."
Ren glanced at the currency. Standard Japanese Yen.
"Yes, that works perfectly fine here," Ren said. "You don't need to worry about exchange rates or magical currency."
"That's great..." Yugi breathed a sigh of relief. He looked around the shop, checking for a menu, but then decided to ask directly. "Shopkeeper, do you have hamburgers here?"
"Of course," Ren replied instantly. "It's a classic. What kind of hamburger would you like?"
"Beef, please!" Yugi said, his eyes lighting up. "With cheese if possible. And... um... a soda."
"Is cola alright?"
"Eh?! You actually have cola?!" Yugi exclaimed, surprised that an interdimensional restaurant would stock his favorite carbonated beverage. "Of course! Cola is perfect!"
"Then please wait a moment," Ren nodded, jotting down the order mentally. "One Beef Cheeseburger and a Cola. Hamburgers are made very quickly."
Yugi nodded and moved to take a seat at the table nearest to the counter.
As Ren turned and walked toward the kitchen, his tall figure seemed to stretch even higher in Yugi's perspective. The Shopkeeper moved with a purposeful stride, carrying the tray of cleared dishes from the previous customers effortlessly.
"So tall..." Yugi whispered to himself, his eyes wide.
He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, realizing he had spoken his thought aloud. It was rude to comment on someone's height like that!
But the silver-haired woman at the next table had heard him.
Lucifer looked up from her phone. Her crimson eyes locked onto Yugi, examining him like a specimen under a microscope.
"That's right," Lucifer said, her voice smooth and laced with a hint of amusement. "Ren is indeed very tall. Taller than most humans, I'd say."
Yugi flinched slightly, intimidated by her overwhelming presence. She was beautiful—undeniably so, with her pale skin, crimson eyes, and the white horns protruding from her hair—but she carried an air of regality that made him feel very small.
"Y-Yes..." Yugi stammered.
Lucifer didn't look away. Her gaze dropped from his face to his chest.
"What is that thing hanging around your neck?" she asked.
Yugi instinctively touched the cold metal of the golden pyramid.
"Ah, this?" He looked down at it. "This is a gift from my Grandpa. It's a puzzle... the Millennium Puzzle. I spent eight years trying to solve it."
"Eight years?" Lucifer raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow.
"Yes," Yugi smiled, a genuine, soft expression appearing on his face. "It was really hard. But when I finished it, I made a wish. It's... my most precious treasure."
Lucifer narrowed her eyes.
She was the CEO of Hell. She dealt in souls, sins, and ancient contracts. As she stared at the artifact, she didn't just see gold. She saw a swirl of ancient, powerful energy.
Inside that golden pyramid, deep within its labyrinthine structure, a soul was sleeping.
It wasn't a normal soul. It was a King. A presence that felt old, authoritative, and incredibly powerful. And it was sharing the body with this timid, small boy.
Two souls in one body, Lucifer thought, intrigued. And the boy seems to think it's just a puzzle. How fascinating.
She decided not to reveal this. It would only frighten the poor child further. Instead, she smirked playfully.
"I see," Lucifer said, putting her phone away on the table. She propped her chin on her hand, leaning forward slightly. "Well, just as Ren said, don't worry. No one here will bully you. I'm just more interested in things from your world, not that puzzle."
Hearing this, Yugi took his hand off the puzzle and visibly relaxed. Lucifer's observation skills were sharp; she could tell that the moment Ren had assured him of his safety, Yugi's guard had dropped significantly. He seemed like a child who was used to being picked on, someone constantly on edge.
"My world?" Yugi blinked.
"Yes," Lucifer smiled, a cat-like curiosity in her eyes. "Do you have anything unique over there? Besides burgers and cola."
Yugi frowned in thought. He tapped his chin.
Since this place had hamburgers and cola, and they were called by the same names, his world probably wasn't that different from this one in terms of food.
"Unique..." Yugi mumbled. "Something from my side..."
He was about to shake his head when a thought struck him. He reached into the pocket of his oversized jacket.
"This should be the most unique thing from our side," Yugi said.
He pulled out a card and placed it on the table.
Lucifer glanced at it. It was a paper card with a brown swirl design on the back.
"Playing cards?" she asked. "Poker?"
Yugi shook his head vigorously. "No, these aren't playing cards. These are called Duel Monster cards."
[Akarin's Note: Duel Monsters - A card game in the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe where players summon monsters, spells, and traps to defeat their opponent. In the anime, they use 'Solid Vision' technology to create realistic holograms of the monsters.]
"Duel Monsters?" Lucifer repeated the English words slowly. She leaned in closer to inspect the card. "Is this some kind of game?"
"Yes!" Yugi's eyes lit up. Whenever the topic shifted to games, his shyness seemed to evaporate, replaced by a passionate intensity. "It's a strategy game. The deck is divided into Monster Cards, Trap Cards, and Spell Cards. You battle an opponent using the effects and attack points on these cards."
He gestured enthusiastically with his hands.
"The goal is to deplete the opponent's Life Points to zero. It's a battle of wits and trust in your deck! So, it's also called a Duel Game."
Lucifer noticed the change in his demeanor. The timid rabbit had vanished, replaced by a confident gamer.
"Oh?" Lucifer nodded, her interest piqued. "That sounds a bit interesting. Strategic warfare using familiars... essentially."
She looked at the small piece of cardboard.
"But don't you find it strange to play with such small cards? Where is the thrill?"
"Ah!" Yugi smiled widely. "That's just the physical card. When the actual duel happens, we use a special Battle Disk or a Duel Arena designed by KaibaCorp. It uses Solid Vision technology to project the cards!"
"Project?"
"Yes! Holograms!" Yugi explained eagerly. "The monsters come to life! They roar, they attack, they get destroyed... it looks exactly like the real thing!"
He fumbled in his pocket again. "Ah... I think I have some footage of a match on my portable player."
He pulled out a bulky, clamshell-style media player. He struggled to find the file for a moment.
"Here!"
He stood up to bring it over, but Lucifer waved her hand lazily.
"No need to bother moving. Just stand there. I can see it."
Yugi blinked but nodded repeatedly. He held the device up, angling the screen so the table could see.
Cerberus, who had finished her dessert, leaned over, her three heads crowding together. Lucifer narrowed her eyes, focusing on the small screen.
The video played a clip from a recent tournament. On the grainy display, a massive blue dragon with crystalline scales—the Blue-Eyes White Dragon—erupted from a card, its roar tinny through the small speakers but visually impressive. It unleashed a stream of white lightning, obliterating a demonic warrior on the opposing side.
"Ooh~" Cerberus gasped in unison.
"Big lizard!" the left head cheered.
"Scary!" the right head whimpered.
The video wasn't long, maybe ten minutes of highlights, but Lucifer found it genuinely entertaining. The concept of humans using technology to simulate summoning magic was amusing. And some of the monsters—like the small, round furballs—were undeniably cute, which was a major selling point for the Queen of Hell.
"Interesting," Lucifer mused as the video ended. "So you control these beasts to fight for you."
Just as Yugi put the player away, a rich, savory aroma wafted from the kitchen.
It was the smell of beef searing on a high-heat grill, the fat rendering and caramelizing into a delicious crust. The scent was thick and mouth-watering, cutting through the conversation instantly.
Ren walked out of the kitchen, balancing a tray in one hand.
He placed a tall, condensation-slicked glass of cola on the table, the bubbles fizzing cheerfully. Next to it, he set down a plate.
"Eh?" Ren paused, his eyes falling on the card Yugi had left on the table.
It wasn't the back of the card anymore. The face was visible. It depicted a burly, heavyset warrior crouching behind a massive, impregnable shield.
"This card is very exquisite," Ren commented, looking at the artwork.
"Ah, yes," Yugi picked up the card, smiling fondly at it. "This is Big Shield Gardna. He has very high defense."
He looked at Ren with clear, honest eyes.
"Because they are partners in battle. You have to trust them."
Ren smiled. He understood that sentiment perfectly. Whether it was cooking ingredients or battle partners, respect was key.
"I see," Ren said softly.
He adjusted the plate in front of Yugi. The steam from the burger rose up, carrying the scent of melted cheese, toasted bread, and juicy meat.
"Here's your burger, please enjoy~"
[Akarin Note:
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