[Ito Makoto, LP 0]
The Elemental Heroes launched a fierce assault, and how could the old manager's frail limbs withstand such turmoil? The heroes, with flames and storms, effortlessly cleared the manager's monsters from the field, broke through The Grand Jupiter's defenses, and wiped out the rest of the old man's LP in one go.
The duel ends here.
Everyone had guessed the outcome, but no one anticipated the process, not even the manager himself.
Lost so easily...?
In such a favorable situation, with complete dominance in both LP and the field, how could he lose in just one unexpected turn?
I even had Jupiter riding in my face, and I still lost!?
The manager claimed that the whole thing happened quite suddenly. He closed his eyes and opened them again, and his full 4000 LP had instantly dropped to zero. By the time he realized it, he was already done for.
If he had to describe the feeling, it was a bit like a girl eagerly and nervously closing her eyes, asking shyly after a moment, "Is it starting now?"
Only to hear the other side say, "No, it's already over."
"..."
...quite sudden indeed.
The bystanders finally came to their senses.
"This... can't be real, right? So many high-attack monsters on the field, full Life Points, and even a top-tier rare card like 'Divine Protective Shield'... and it all ended just like that?"
"One-Turn Kill! A real One-Turn Kill!"
"So strong, is this the power of the Duel King?"
"If it were me, I'd surely be instantly killed..."
These were the musings of the local onlookers. As for the players, they were already used to such things.
Of course, that didn't stop them from finding ways to keep asserting their presence.
"Youyu-san is unbelievably strong!"
"Youyu-san, I want to have your babies..."
"...hey, the guy before me, you're a dude, what are you shouting about?"
"What... What's wrong with being a dude?" That player blushed, "Look at Aniki, he's a guy and doing just fine! What if Youyu-san has some peculiar interests?"
Hearing this, Youyu almost fell over, a surge of impulse rising from within—
—Osiris, blast him for me!
Ahem, just kidding. After all, he's sort of a public figure now, so he needs to keep up his image.
So, Youyu decided to be the bigger person and pretend he didn't hear it. He secretly noted down that player's ID, planning to give them a discount at the shop later — they'd be thrilled!
The game wrapped up, and the bystanders eventually dispersed.
Chinai was probably the most complex in her feelings around this time.
Before the game, she thought her grandpa was just causing trouble and meddling unnecessarily. But now that he actually lost, she suddenly felt a little disappointed, and surprisingly realized that deep down, she still hoped he would win...
...No, she couldn't get discouraged.
Isn't there a saying that goes something like?
Opportunities aren't found, they're made!
The young lady made up her mind, her gaze growing resolute, and silently headed off.
Before long, Youyu heard quite a commotion from upstairs at the shop.
Youyu went upstairs to check it out, somewhat puzzled to find the maid panting heavily, moving things from upstairs.
"Let me help you."
Encountering such a scene, Youyu couldn't just stand by. He took the heavy shoulder bag from Chinai and wondered aloud, "What are you moving?"
The maid's expression turned a bit peculiar and she looked away, "Moving... moving a bedroom."
Moving a bedroom?
Youyu looked down and quickly saw that the room next to his was open, with various packages scattered on the floor...
Youyu: "..."
This girl... wants to move in next to me?
Could be that today it's next door, and tomorrow she'd move in entirely?
Maybe she just has a crush? Plain and simple!
After Youyu returned with a Duel King title, he became quite the celebrity in the Duel Monster Realm worldwide. And with that entourage of bizarre fans trailing behind him, Chinai realized her competition was fierce!
Now was not the time for discretion! In such a critical situation, if she didn't make a move, it'd really be dangerous!
She was clearly here first!
If she couldn't win him over, it would be understandable. But if she lost to a guy in the end, that'd be too stifling!
Yes, that's right, she's talking about Xue Lang!
Look at him, he just realized Youyu was helping Chinai with the move and came running enthusiastically. If anyone believed he had no ulterior motives, Chinai definitely didn't buy it!
With this all-purpose tool around, Youyu was more than happy to have some help. He quickly edited a "Help with Moving" task for Xue Lang, then went off to do his own thing.
After the moving, Xue Lang even enthusiastically offered to help clean up the room. For someone uninformed, they might actually think he was just a super nice guy who helps others without expecting anything in return.
However, Chinai maintained a frosty demeanor, coldly refusing him.
Rejected, Xue Lang didn't mind, as he hadn't taken it seriously anyway.
After all, any slightly knowledgeable player knows not to miss any chance to get tasks from NPCs, even if it's just fetching water or running errands—there might be experience points to gain, or at the very least, increase favorability.
But now the problem was...
...Why did completing a task actually decrease favorability!?
With a look of horror, Xue Lang realized the cute maid in the shop had a conspicuous "Favorability -5" mark on her forehead. Although her face didn't show much expression, her eyes felt terrifyingly dark...
Xue Lang was stunned—
—What did I do wrong? I just wanted to do a task?
Wouldn't it be better to just say no instead of dropping favorability out of nowhere?
And since he was living under the same roof as Youyu, many silly netizens already considered Chinai the game's default heroine.
Her role was much like Mazaki Anzu's in the anime—pretty but not skilled at dueling, mainly cheering during duels, and adding flavor to everyday life with occasional romantic moments when not dueling...
Thinking of this, Xue Lang couldn't help but take a deep breath—
—Would the maid's favorability affect Youyu's side?
Oh man, that'd be a disaster! I licked up my favorability to 40; it can't just disappear, can it?
Thinking of this even made his waist feel strained, and his thighs a bit sore...
...from moving things.
Xue Lang racked his brains, suddenly slapping his forehead.
Right! Maybe it was because I entered her room without permission?
Thinking about it, casually entering and leaving a girl's private space was quite wrong, so Xue Lang couldn't help but start reflecting.
So he stepped back two paces to leave Chinai's room: "Then... I won't disturb you anymore. I'll go see if Youyu needs any help..."
Immediately, he saw the words "Favorability -15" pop up on Chinai's forehead again.
Xue Lang's face was dumbfounded: "???"
What the heck! Good sister, please just say something, what am I doing wrong, I'll change, isn't that okay?