254. Reality of connections!

[Alternative Bloodlines: Arc 12]

Earlier that day, Tim and Kyou finally came to a collision of combat, Tim seemed to have had mastered Kyou's combat style but at the end, he realized that he was unable to match Kyou bare handedly, to the last second of where Tim would lose the duel, the unexpected event prevented it.

At last, the dueling exam ended up one test earlier due to Ko's cheating and villanous compositions. The duelists who had remained at the final test have all been sent into 'Fortune City' to where they'll finally obtainted their licenses.

[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune City - Sunday 5:30 p.m.]

The duelists have gathered in Fortune City, and they were caught in the most surprising moment.

"Wow, this city is so populated and technologically heavy, the modern buildings, I understand why they call it 'Fortune City'. It must have taken them so much yen to build this entire thing." Kylin answered, while in the middle of civillians and duelists. "So where exactly is the 'Dueling License Confirmation'? The examiner said that it was around this area, just through the Southern End tunnel." Kanji claimed, scratching the top of his head. "If you ask me, all I could answer was 'I don't know'." Codey looked around while quite unamused. "It would be great if we were to live here, wouldn't you say, Codey!" Ellie leaned onto Codey's right shoulder with a smile, but without patience, Codey instantly smacked him aside. "Get off me, and stop acting like we're buddies now."

As Codey complained, besides him, Tim was quite focused onto Kyou. ("The movements I've made were precise and I even needed to be checked before entering the city.") Looking at his palm that was burn from 3 hours ago, Tim sighed quietly. "Hey, you've harmed your own body, was it correct?" Wondered Codey, interested at what had happened in the last event. "Yeah, I might of have, but I didn't expect that attack to put such a heavy wound, it melted my skin." While Tim spoke he saw Codey instantly in the distance, puking and getting looks from among the people. "The hell is wrong with you?" Questioned Kanji, confused. "Melted skin, ugh. It gives me thoughts, it must of have had been skin liquid!" As Codey claimed, Kanji reached for his mouth. "Shut up, I don't wanna hear it, that's disgusting!"

("Either way, I hope this mark won't be there for ever, hopefully it heals better than expected.") Tim wondered and continued to walk through the street with the rest of the examinees.

"See, at the end, all of us made it! We were given great achievements tis week, wouldn't you say, Ayuka?"

With a late answer, Ayuka confirmed with a nod and given look at Kylin's face. "I suppose, but I'm a bit upset that the ones who didn't manage to obtain their badge, got a report to only be rewarded with them for a year, then they'll have to take on the 'Dueling Exam' again."

"Well, that was just there fault! But all that matters is that we all got it, you, Codey, Ellie, Sakami, Tim, Kylin, myself, Yasu, Kanji, Shin, even Kazuko and Yutaki got it." Giggled Midori, had a pumped up position. "Yeah, but those two are just, them... They still argue over each other, even if they've both achieved what they wanted." Ayuka told, and looked at Kazuko and Yutau arguing. "There is just no help to those two, they're probably always going to be like that, while around each other." Sighed Shoji and fixed his glasses. "Oh, talking about them, you didn't manage to get your badge, correct? Who was your target anyway?" Wondered Kylin, giving a curious look. "It was that rockstar girl with her guitar, once I found her, she beat me down to a pole, but she managed to get Kaori's badge, the girl who was free, as well as Maita." Explained Shoji, embarrassed. "Don't worry, at least you'll be able to have your Dueling Licenses for another year, all you'll need to do is finish next year's exam and you'll finally have them for as long as you live, or lose it." Sighed Kylin, scratching her front of the hair.

"Man! Come on! I was so sure I would be able to get your badge! At the end, I just failed! Unfair!" Hideki was complaining toward Kanji, who felt uncomfortable. "D-don't worry, ehehehem.... You'll have another chance next year, just use that one year time and don't waste it, good?" "Ugh! Guess you're right! But this means that next year I won't be hunting you down, so that's a waste of time."

"Well, look at ya! You managed to-" Maita instantly transformed into a feminine's body and leaned next to Tim's chest. "Shut the hell up!" With no reverts, Tim slammed Maita into the face and made him to drop down. "C-come on, you don't hit a lady!" But due to the inefficient event, Maita transformed back into a male.

At that moment, Kaori stepped behind Tim, which resulted him in carefulness. "Are you still here to question me about that Ginken called Nensho? If it's so, you can forget it, I don't know much about it." Tim spoke, looking at her. "I already know that you're the one with it, I've figured it out at the climbing test, due to the pressure you've released when summoning it." Tim's eyes opened widely and whitened. ".....Oh.... is that.... so...."ž

"Either way, I believe your point of hiding it was due to Ko, correct?" After Kaori questioned Tim confirmed. "But of course! How's your lovely friend doing?!" Ume instantly came leaning onto Kaori's left shoulder and interested into their conversation. ".... Ume, quit being like that, you'll making too big of curiousness, among the civilians." "Oh, don't worry, they'll forget it it eventually, either way, may I hear it as well to why you have hid it, apart, because of Ko?" Wondered Ume.

"I- Uh, well. I didn't want to show it to the rest, if the two of you knew, I believe that, Kyou.... Probably knew as well..." Tim straightened up his body, looked up and exhaled. "Ume told him." Kaori spoke. "What?!" Tim instantly reached at Ume's face. "Well, he would figure out eventually, so I just told it, besides, he isn't there to hunt down your Ginken, he was like... 'How fascinating, such a remarkable duelist'." Ume tried to reenact Kyou's voice, but was useless. "And he got turned on, that's all." To what Ume finished saying, Tim and Kaori both became unamused with a sweat slowly coming from the side of their faces. "And you recall that as a good thing?"

"Nope, but what can you do, he's just that type of guy. Besides, he doesn't seem to be 'that' evil, he's kinda fun guy, apart from his unnatural acting toward teenagers. That's all." In that second, Kyou put his finger onto his lips and looked behind Tim, staring him, once Tim got chills up his body and quickly turned around. "Kyou! Can you go in front of me rather?!" Tim asked, uncomfortable.

Few seconds later, Kyou stood in front of him a few meters. "So, what about your Ginken, how did you get it. You're not the son of that 'Godess' are ya?" Giggled Ume, looking at him. "No, I inherited this Ginken from Giovanni, a guy who I've met a year ago in Tokyo City." Claimed Tim. "Oh, so you're a Substitue-Duelists, just like Kaori." In that instance, Tim looked at Kaori who remained embarrassed. "C'mon, Ume, stop giving away so much information!" Claimed Kaori. "Another Substitue-Duelist, but I've heard there was one before me, it wasn't you, was it?" Tim asked, surprised. "Well, not. I became Substitue-Duelists 3 years ago, but I was not the person you were mentioned about." Claimed Kaori. "In fact, there is rumor going on, that there are Two Substitue-Duelists with the same Kineticism, meaning, for each Kineticism, there are two, it's expected that Substitue-Duelists have connected blood and once coming in contact may provide the two of them with inner paralysis." In that moment, Tim's eyes shook. "Inner paralysis?!" In that moment, Tim's mind realized. ("Wait, if she's talking about 'Inner Paralysis' does this mean that the moment when I came in contact with Ayuka and Kylin, it provided us with that? Impossible, are the two of them Substitue-Duelists as well?!") Wondered Tim. ("Wait, that would mark it up, both of them were born on Earth, which means that they mustn't have gotten Ginkens from birth! I get it! 'Connected Blood'! That's what caused those paralysis effects! But if Codey was born on Earth and inherited his mother's Ginken, does that make him a Substitue-Duelists as well?") Tim faced his gaze at Codey who was smiling and making conversation between Kanji. "Huh, did you get something on your mind, is there something about 'Connected Blood' between Duelists?" Wondered Kaori.

"Do you think you could tell me more about Substitute-Duelists? I really need as much information as I can get." Tim asked polietly. "Well, sure, what do you intend to know?" Wondered Kaori. "If it's not problematic, could you tell me everything about them, that you know, of course?" With no regrets, Kaori confirmed.

"Substitue-Duelists are known to inherit one's Ginken, they take over that Ginken's control and have abilities that many others do not, they are usually based on one Kineticism and throughout the entire world, there is known - as rumor - to be twenty in total, for each type different sex, male and female. If the two of us are both 'Substitue-Duelists' that control Pyro Kineticism, that means there cannot be any more, but there are still nine other Kineticisms that Substitute-Duelists remai;

- Electro, better known as Lightning,

- Aero, better known as Wind

- Hydro, better known as Water

- Flyro, better known as Force

- Terra, better known as Earth

- Holy, better known as Light

- Cryo, better known as Ice

- Umbra, better known as Darkness

and finally,

- Sono, better known as Sound.

The rest Elemental abilities do not fall under the category of Kineticism, and as you probably know, 'Substitute-Duelists' have the ability to shift and take form of a Spiritual Duelists, but were in absolute birth on Earth and use their Human form, this is why several people may maintain their sight on them. These type of duelists have 'Aristocratic Blood' which mean their parents were once Duelists as well, however, a Duelist who inherited Ginken from their parents is not considered as Substitue-Duelists and can only be called as Half-Duelists, but the Connection between their blood, presents their similarities and in random events, once coming in contact they'll be provoked with 'Inner Paralysis' effect, this tells the two that each of them are from the same 'race'. Unlike Spiritual Duelists, Substitute-Duelists are more likely to have different abilities and better chance of controling it, but if our race comes in contact with another while in Human Form, they won't feel any connections, so there is always a chance that there are other Substitue-Duelists who you came in contact, but both of you were unable to come into realization, this 'Inner Paralysis' effect, usually appears three times over someone's life, so it's hardly to feel it, but if you feel 'Inner-Paralysis' effect, there is a high chance they are a full-on Substitute-Duelists, it is rarely that this happens between Spiritual Duelists, and because they have connection between each other's blood, they are able to hold other Ginkens and won't die due to its effect, however if Substitute-Duelists comes in contact with Spiritual Duelist's Ginken, they are still considered to have high chance of dying." Explained Kaori.

("So I thought right! Back at climbing test, Ayuka managed to hold my Ginken, this must mean that she falls under 'Substitute-Duelist category, but how can that be?") "So, that doesn't mean they are known to be some kind of a family?" Wondered Tim, interested. "No, it does not, it only presents their connection and are seen to be tougher than most of the Spiritual Duelists." Explained Kaori. "This answers so many questions that I had, unbelivable!" Tim spoke, holding his chin. "Either way, that's as much as I know about them. But it's mostly a rumor, apart from the 'Connected Blood' part, we should get ready to receive our Dueling Licenses."