Weeks later after saving Nelson and meeting Rhea, her partner, Tori, Bronk, and Y/n were in class at school. Tori and Bronk were talking about something odd with Yuma, while Y/n was sitting at her desk, looking through her cards and discussing with Rhea about Numbers.
"I'm telling ya, it doesn't make sense, Tori... we both know Yuma can't duel. But all of a sudden out of nowhere, he's rocking his deck! He's winning his duels left and right!" Bronk said
"So, maybe he just got better". Tori replied before Bronk continued
"The only thing that makes sense is that there is an invisible ghost duelist from another universe following him around and giving him advice."
"Hang on, you think that makes sense?" Tori asked
"It's the only explanation where the logic actually adds up."
"But Yuma's invisible partner has no memory of what he is or where he comes from, the same to mine." Y/n remained
"...Oh, right. Forgotten about it." Bronk said nervously
"Who is your partner, Y/n?" Tori asked before Y/n's eyes turned to her and answered, "Rhea, much like Astral, she can't be seen except Yuma and myself."
"Okay." She replied, before Yuma showed up.
"What's up, guys?" he greeted
"Morning, Yu,...Ugh!" Tori yelled, turning around
"Ohh-hh-hh!" Bronk followed, until the h/c haired girl noticed.
"What's wrong...Eh!" Y/n yelled, before clasping her hands to her eyes. Yuma is standing at the doorway, wearing strange clothes except his school tie and key, which made their classmates burst into laughter.
"Hey, what's everybody all worked up about?" Yuma asked, confused.
"I'll tell you what the 'what' is! I don't like to criticize... but I'm sorry, Yuma, I can't say anything anymore, I can no longer hold it in! There was yesterday..." Tori said
The costume that Yuma wore was different.
"Hey, everybody!"
"And the day before..."
Yuma was wearing yellow spectacles, a red cap, normal pants, and a long-sleeved red shirt.
"What's up, people?"
"And the day before that!"
The clothes that Yuma wore the day before were different from the others
"Who wants to duel?!"
"Do you not see everyone laughing?! Do you not hear them?!" Tori asked annoyed.
"I figured someone told a joke." Yuma replied being oblivious
"You're the joke!" Tori yelled, before she grabbed a full length mirror and pulled it in front of Yuma and said, "Look at yourself, Yuma! Look what you look like!"
Then Yuma stared into his reflection and yelled in shock, which threw the coat to the floor, "What am I wearing?!"
"Huh? We were hoping you could tell us." Bronk said, before Tori sighed.
"Speak for yourself! Look, Y/n couldn't even bear to look at you!" She pointed to Y/n's direction, who still has her hands covering her eyes, which made Yuma a bit embarrassed in shame.
"I have no idea! I'm always half-asleep in the morning-- I just throw whatever's on the floor and run out the door!" He exclaimed, before Y/n uncovered her eyes and looked to his direction and asked.
"If you think that is it. Then how are your lunches from five-star restaurants? And remember in gym? Where did you get wires?"before Yuma went pale.
"Uh... to be honest-- I think someone's messing with me, but--"
When suddenly Astral appeared and said, "It seems you do not think about much".
"I think about lots of things." Yuma told him
"Then think about this. For the past several nights, someone has been sneaking around in your room, while you sleep." Astral explained before Yuma yelled with a tick mark
"Someone's been sneaking around in my room and you keep it all to yourself?!"
"You never ask me to keep you informed. How was I to know that someone being in your room is an unusual occurrence?" He asked
"Are you serious right now?! Of course, it's an unusual occurrence! That does it! I'm gonna get to the bottom of this!" Yuma yelled annoyed.
"You might wanna put on a decent outfit.." Tori said.
"I'm not dressed like cause I wanna be!"
"Yeah, you didn't even notice that you were dressed like that. Time to face facts, Yuma, you're oblivious when it comes to Fashion." Tori said with her hands on her hips
"Uh, what about you? It's not like you're a fashion model." Yuma said feeling offended
"Uh! I'm not the one dressed like a 70's has-been!" Tori said
"Well, you're... you're wearing your school uniform!"
"Duh, that's because all of us are wearing uniforms, it's the school policy, genius." Y/n said
"Don't tell me you're taking Tori's side, Y/n!" Yuma exclaimed
"You want a smack, Yuma?" Y/n asked in an annoyed tone, with a anime vein mark on her head side
"Ahhhhh! No thanks." he said in a frightened tone, while Tori and Bronk sighed, and their classmates froze in terror, before she calmed down.
"Now how about this? Tomorrow the both of you hit the mall, you each pick an outfit, post different pictures on Space nook, then we let our class decide who's hot and who's not." Y/n suggested
"It's on!" Tori and Yuma agreed in unison
"City Center, 3 PM-- don't be late!" Yuma said told Tori
"Says the guy who's never on time!" Tori answered
"Oh, do both of you want a smack?" Y/n said with two anime vein marks and a dark gaze which made Yuma and Tori freaked out.
"Uh... No thanks." They said in unison before Y/n relaxed.
"Y/n, are you going?" Yuma asked
"Nah. Grandpa needs me to run some errands around the shrine." She answered as Yuma went to a gloomy state.
"Right." he said
"But I'll ask him when I'm done." Y/n said before Yuma returned from his gloomy state to his usual cheerful self
"Really?" He asked
"Yep." She said, glanced at Rhea who stared curiously.
They didn't notice that a cat-like girl with gray hair and glasses is staring at them with her green eyes.
~The Next Day~
Tori was in town running to the mall because she was late, she wore a white dress and a light blue jacket.
"Who's late to a fashion off? When she couldn't decide what to wear?" She muttered before noticing a group of cats in front of her meowing.
"Uh.. Nice kitties." Tori said, until they pounced at her from each direction as she let out a scream.
(At the L/n's residence)
Y/n finished the errands around the shrine, when she decided to changed into a light pink dress that reach her knees, a light purple jacket, and a pair of sandal heels which belongs to her late mother, and has a handbag, also she stills has her bracelet, pendant, and hair pin behind her h/c hair. In the corner is an old man wearing a shrine white kimono, he had white hair tied into a ponytail, and has a white beard, he was drinking some tea. He's Retsu L/n, the head of the shrine, and Y/n's grandfather
"Bye, Grandpa!" She said to him.
"Goodbye, Y/n, and don't stay before dark." He told his granddaughter.
"I won't." Y/n said before starting to run until suddenly another group of cats were in front of her.
".... Where did all of you come from?!" She exclaimed, and then they pounced from each direction and Y/n shrieked.
~At the mall~
"Man, and Tori said I'm never on time." Yuma said with his arms crossed and tapped his foot, before sighing.
"Maybe she's forfeiting." Then he heard meowing and saw a group of different cats. Until his key glowed and Astral appeared.
"What are these? That awful noise they're making is making my spine tingle. Ah! It is terrifying." Astral said as he looked at the cats
"Hang on a sec-- Are you trying to tell me that you're scared of cats?" Yuma asked, amused, before explaining about how cats were looking for invisible ghosts, which almost made Astral horrified.
"Actually, Yuma- these creatures appear to be staring at you." Astral told him, as Yuma looked at them. Then two of them walked up to him, one had a note in their mouth, Yuma grabbed the note and read it.
"We have your friends. Follow us to get them back."
Then the cats started to leave, and Yuma ran after them.
"Yuma! Wait!" Astral called out, but he didn't listen, and kept going. Suddenly, they lead Yuma to a large mansion, as he bursts through the door.
"Tori!!! Y/n!!!" Are you in here?! Whoa...!" Yuma looked around the house, everything was cat related. "It's like a cat mansion...! Everywhere you turn, it's cats, cats, cats! Huh?" He looked to see a cat-like girl with grey hair and green eyes, walking down the staircase.
"Thank you for coming, Yuma. I'm Cathy Katharine." She greeted, while holding a mask.
"Cathy Katherine?" Yuma asked, confused.
"Yup..." Before she removed the mask, "But you can just call me 'Cat'!"
"W-whatever you say..."
"I believe that I recognize this girl. She attends your school. She is often alone. Standing off to the side." Astral said as Yuma looked at the girl closely.
"Oh yeah, you're..." Yuma trailed off trying to figure out who she is.
"That's right, I'm..." Cathy said happily
"Never seen ya before!" Yuma said honestly as Cathy felt disappointed.
"It's fine-- I'm used to it." She said.
"Look let's just get to the point here! What've you done with Tori and Y/n?" Yuma asked.
"Tori, Tori, Tori! Is she all you think about? Or is it Y/n?" Cathy asked annoyed.
"No, I think about lots of stuff, but... aaah! Whatever! Just let them go!" Yuma demanded, not wanting Cathy to know about his feelings for Y/n.
"Only if you defeat me in a duel." Cathy said.
"A duel?!" He asked.
"You're not a scaredy- cat, are you?" She asked with a giggle.
"Astral-- you think she's got a Number card?"
"If she does have a Number, then you have to win this duel." Astral answered.
"I was planning on winning either way! Let's do this!" Yuma said as he equipped with his duel gazer and duel disk, including Cathy, except her gazer has purple lens.
Cathy:4000 Yuma:4000
"My claws are sharp, and I've got all my lives! So get ready! I draw!" Cathy moved a card from her extra deck, and continued, "First, I'll activate the Inviting cat card from my hand!"
"So she's kicking things off with a spell." Yuma said.
"Thanks to Inviting Cat, I can add a Stray cat to my hand. But that's not all! Next I'm activating the continuous spell, Cat Meeting!" Cathy said as a spell card appeared on her field.
"A continuous spell...?!" Yuma asked confused
"As long as she meets the conditions, she can activate that spell over and over." Astral explained
"Here, kitty,kitty! First, I summon Stray Cat in attack mode!" Cathy said as a cat with white fur and black spots appeared.
Stray Cat (Level:1, Atk/100)
"And when I summon a cat monster, Cat Meeting activates, allowing me to summon another stray! After all-- no kitty likes to be alone." Another stray cat with grey fur appeared on the field.
Stray Cat (Level:1, Atk/100)
"Maybe not-- but those mangy alley cats only have one hundred attack points, they're totally harmless!" Yuma exclaimed as he wondered why Cathy would summon monsters with less attack points
"You think so?" She asked
"Huh?" Yuma became confused
"You're probably right, I'm not sure what I was thinking, silly me! I'll just place a card face down and end my turn. Well? It's your move,Yuma." Cathy said before a card materialized in front of her.
"All right then-- get set to get decked! I'm summoning Achacha Archer!" Yuma said as he drew a card from his extra deck and then a warrior with a bow and arrows appeared on the field.
Achacha Archer (Level:3, Atk/1200)
"And when Achacha Archer is successfully summoned, he can instantly dish out five hundred points of damage!" Achacha fired his arrow at Cathy, who yelped now and made her life points decrease.
Cathy:3500 Yuma:4000
"And there's more where that came from!"
"Yuma, wait. Let us talk this through." Astral said.
"What's there to talk about! Achacha Archer, attack!" Yuma commanded, instead Achacha narrowed his arrow at one stray cat and the other, then back to the first.
"Well, what's the hold up, big guy! Just take out one of the Stray Cats! That white one over there! No, maybe the grey one!" Before Yuma clutched his head, "Daaah, I can't decide!"
"My, my, my. I've just remembered that when Stray Cat is in attack mode, you can't target any monster." Cathy said.
"So wait, but-- I mean, if..." Yuma trailed off in confusion
"Interesting tactic. This poses a bit of a dilemma." Astral said, as he observed.
"Huh?" Yuma stared at him.
"Both of her monsters are Stray Cats." he answered
"Well-- yeah. And?" Yuma asked him
"If you target one, then the other one will leap in and become the target in your attack. This cycle will go on and on and on." Astral explained
"So basically, I can't attack! Rrghh-- this isn't good... Ugh, I don't know what to do here...! Yuma said in frustration about the situation.
"Yuma, I think I know a method that will get us out of this situation." Astral said, except Yuma didn't want to hear it.
"Stop talking! I'm trying to concentrate! I know I can do this! I know I've got what it takes to save Tori and Y/n! Maybe if... oh no-- 'cause then..."
"I bet you're thinking about them!" Cathy snapped.
"Yeeaaah! All right! I think I got it! I've got a little Flip Flop spell card action for you and your strays! With this card, I can now change the battle mode of one monster on the field! Let's go with the white one! All right, Archer-- you're up! Target that grey one!" Yuma commanded as Achacha fired his arrow at the grey stray cat.
"My kitty!" Cathy exclaimed as her life points decreased.
Cathy: 2400 Yuma:4000
"Cat-- you're gonna wish you hadn't messed with Tori and Y/n! Just you wait!!"
"It's not fair! I'm standing here right in front of you, and all you care about is Tori or Y/n instead? Just forget about them-- you're supposed to be focusing on me!" Cathy yelled jealous
"Ahh! What is with you?!" Yuma asked
"Before you even think of making another move, I'm activating a spell card! Since you destroyed my cute little Stray Cat, I can use the Mysterious Cat Transformation spell card and summon Monster Cat!" Cathy said as she revealed a spell card on the field, and a cat-like monster appeared with very sharp fangs.
Monster Cat (Level:1, Atk/0 Def/0)
"When Monster Cat comes to the field, it comes raring to destroy all your weak monsters. And what makes this such a purr-fect combo, is that for every monster that Monster Cat destroys, you get hit for eight hundred points of damage!" Monster Cat destroyed Achacha, which made Yuma's life points decrease.
Cathy: 2400 Yuma:3200
"That's whatcha get for thinking about Tori or Y/n while we're dueling." Cathy sneered
"Yeah, sure lesson learned-- you've got my undivided attention!" Yuma said with sarcasm before continuing, "I place a card face down and end my turn!"
"I hope you like kitties' tricks, cause Monster Cat's got another one! Once every turn, it can rescue one Stray Cat from my deck or my graveyard and place it in my place! And once it's in my hand, I can summon it out to play!" The white cat reappeared on the field.
Stray Cat (Level:1, Atk/100)
"She has three level one monsters on her field. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Astral asked as Yuma nodded.
"She's busting out her Number card!"
"I overlay my two Stray Cats and my Monster Cat, to build the overlay network! I Xyz summon, Twin-Tail Cat Lady!" Cathy said, as her monsters turned into energy and flew into a vortex, and a cat-like woman wearing a red outfit with two tails and claws appeared on the field.
Twin-Tail cat Lady (Rank:1, Atk/1000/1000)
"Careful-- she's a little testy!" Astral said, as he and Yuma were stunned because she didn't summon a number.
"Why did she not use the Number card?" Astral asked.
"I now activate Twin-Tail Cat's special ability! Once a turn, by using an overlay unit, she can increase her attack points by eight hundred points!" Cathy exclaimed
"Whoa! Are you serious?! You've got two more overlay units left, so, uh-- if you use both of those, we're talking uh..." Yuma trailed off
"Sixteen hundred more gives her thirty-four hundred." Astral told him, which Yuma glared at.
"I would've gotten it!" he said annoyed
"It's been fun, dueling with you." Cathy said, as she giggled.
"I don't know who you are-- but you're a great duelist!" Yuma said
"You think I'm... You haven't seen anything yet! Watch this! Stray cats shouldn't have to live in dirty alleys! Meow! I'm gonna activate the Cat World spell card!" Cathy said as the field transformed into a meadow with flowers and petals drifting through the air, with cat statues.
"Whoa! Did we just teleport?!" Yuma exclaimed as he looked around
"Welcome to Cat World, a world where cats can play in the grass and lie in the sun." Cathy introduced. The field has a lake that is glittering by the sunlight, and a giant cat statue standing between them, as a group of cats sprawled around on the grass.
"For them, it's a paradise. For you, it's a nightmare! Here in Cat World, all cats gain attack points equal to their original attack points!" Twin-Tail Cat Lady's attack points increased.
Twin-Tail cat Lady (Rank:1, Atk/2800)
"That Cat Lady just keeps getting more powerful!" Yuma exclaimed
"I've got your attention now, don't I! Ha! Go, Twin-Tail Cat Lady! Attack Yuma directly!" Cathy commanded as her Xyz monster scratched which looked like an attack, and decreased Yuma's life points.
Cathy: 2400 Yuma:400
"Yaaah! I was hoping you would do that, so I could do this! I can activate Pixie Gong, when I take a direct attack, and it's sound wakes up a pixie in my deck, and summons it in attack! Joe the Pixie, report to the front line." Yuma said as a small pixie wearing a military uniform appeared on the field.
Joe The Pixie (Level:1, Atk/100)
"Aww-- he's precious! Let's see what he can do! Your move!" Cathy said.
"Man! This is a great duel! You're awesome!" Yuma said to her.
"Yeah? You think so?"
"You bet!"
"It's just... it's just so nice to hear you say that, because well... in the real world, there's this boy... he doesn't even know I exist. We see each other all the time, but he just looks through me.' Cathy said in a sad tone
"This guy sounds kind of a jerk." Yuma said, feeling bad for her
"I tried playing all sorts of little tricks on him, just to get him to say something to me, but it didn't work. I'm just so shy, I wish I could walk right up to him and tell him I like him."
"You should!" He encouraged
"Huh?"
"He'll never know how you feel if you keep it to yourself! Just go for it! Put it out there for the world to see!"
"You're right, Yuma! I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna go for it! Okay, here goes! Yuma, I think you're really--" But Yuma cut her off
"Okay, it's your turn! I draw!" He drew a card from his deck
"O-oh?" Cathy became confused
"It's time to bring out Acorno! See, by sending Pinecono to my graveyard, I can bring this little guy to the field!" Yuma said as a little monster who has an acorn for a torso appeared on the field.
Acorno (Level:1, Atk/200)
"And now, Pinecono's special ability can activate! When he gets sent to the graveyard, I can summon him straight out!" a little monster with pinecone for hair appeared from the graveyard.
Pinecono (Level:1, Atk/400)
"Hang on a second, don't--" Cathy wanted to say something but was interrupted.
"Alrighty! Here we go! Now I can Xyz-summon too! I overlay my three level one monsters in order to build the overlay network!" The three monsters turned into energy and went to fly into a vortex
"Say hello to Baby Tiragon!" The small cat monster appeared on the field
Baby Tiragon (Rank:1, Atk/900)
"For my next move, I'll be summoning-- Gagaga Magician!" The magician with chains appeared next to Baby Tiragon
Gagaga Magician (Level:4, Atk/1500)
"I activate Gagaga Magician's special ability, so now he's a level one!
Gagaga Magician (Level:1, Atk/1500)
And next, I activate Baby Tiragon's ability-- by using one overlay unit, Baby Tiragon empowers a level one monster to attack you directly!"
"Yuma, wait, I wanted to say that--" Cathy said with a blush but was interrupted again.
"Gagaga Magician, attack! Go, Gagaga Magic!" Yuma commanded as Gagaga was surrounded by purple aura and made his hand into a fist which, send a blast towards Cathy, who yelp and decreased her life points
Cathy:900 Yuma:400
"I'm on a roll! Baby Tiragon, attack Twin-Tail Cat Lady!"
"Do what? It does not have enough attack points!" Astral told him, concerned that Baby Tiragon attack points were only nine-hundred.
"I got that covered-- don't you worry! Because from my hand, I'm activating the Ego Boost spell! It gives my monster one thousand attack points during battle, so Baby Tiragon is getting a power up!" Baby Tiragon's shadow turned big which made Twin-Tail Cat Lady nervous and intimidated.
Baby Tiragon (Rank:1, Atk/1900)
"Yuma, wait! I just wanna say--"
"But-- the fun doesn't stop there! Because Ego Boost lowers Cat Lady's attack points back to their original total!" Cat Lady's attack points returned to normal.
Twin-Tail cat Lady (Rank:1, Atk/1000)
"Yuma, I think that I-- oh.." Cathy was interrupted again
"I am seriously feeling the flow! Go, Baby Tiragon! Time to bring us home!" Yuma said as his key glowed
"Baby Stream!" Baby Tiragon blasted a yellow-orange stream, destroying Twin-Tail Cat Lady, Cathy screamed and was spun, which decreased her life points to zero.
Cathy:0 Yuma:400
"All right! I did it!" Yuma cheered proudly
"She did not possess a Number card." Astral said before Yuma walked up to Cathy
"A deal's a deal. This is the part where you tell me where Tori and Y/n are... Cat." Yuma said
"All right, Yuma."
(With Tori and Y/n)
The Sun was setting to night, Tori was playing red light, green light with the cats, while Y/n petting a small kitten, which the kitten made purring sounds.
"Green light, green light, red light." Tori said as the cats stopped, she giggled, "you guys are great!" Before continuing with the game
"You sure a sweet kitty, aren't you?" Y/n asked, as the kitten turned to face her and meow, before jumping into her arms and purred when cuddling close to her. She gave a small smile and stroked it's fur and watched Tori and the others play.
"Tori?! Y/n?!" Both girls heard their names being called, they turned around to see Yuma
"Yuma!" They said in unison
"Well, I'm glad to see you two not in any trouble." Yuma said, as Tori laughed nervously, he turned to Y/n and blushed bright red when he looked at her dress, Tori noticed it and smirked.
~Day laters at school~
The group in their school uniform were walking around the courtyard, until Cathy walked up to them and greeted, before walking away.
"O..kay, who was that?" Bronk asked confused
"Don't be rude, Bronk! That girl's in our class, her name's, uh... I think it's, uh..." Tori said, trying to remember her name.
"It's Cathy, she goes by Cat. She and I dueled the other other day!" Yuma said
"Oh yeah. If I remember correctly, I worked on a project with her last week." Y/n said
"Wait, you do?" Yuma asked
"You've never asked, anyway let's go before we're late." Y/n said.
"Right." Yuma, Bronk, and Tori said in unison, before walking to class.
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That's the end of this chapter. Hope you enjoy it. See you soon.