Take The Risk

While surrendering has its appeal, you only have six cards left so you may as well trying for a Hail Mary play.

"Hey, Harmony," you say, "Can I ask you a question?"

"I suppose," she replies, "but if you're just trying to delay the end..."

"Are you really okay with having sex with me if I win?"

Harmony's face turns a deep red and she bares her teeth angrily. "As if there's any chance of that happening now!"

"Humor me for a second. Say our current situations were reversed and I was about to win. Would you really be okay with me... dominating you?"

If Harmony's face was red before, it is positively crimson now. "I-It's not as if I would have a choice," she stammers, "The loser will be made to submit to the winner. That's how it is. And if I must give up control, give up something that is mine, let it be something that maybe I can... slightly enjoy as well."

You raise an eyebrow.

Harmony squirms and looks away from you as she all but whispers, "For all your faults, Worm, it would be a lie to say you do not have some attractive properties. In a physical sense."

The outer ring of the magic circle pulses again, perhaps in response to a stray thought from Harmony, and you notice Viki craning her neck again before raising her hand and waving it as Selena and Mana. As the twin-like blondes approach your busty ally, you share a look with Amelia. "Don't worry about it for now, Stud," she says, "unless the neutrals tell you to stop, you gotta keep going even if they're investigating something.

You nod and turn your attention back to the match. Either way, this ends in only one or two more turns so hopefully whatever the problem is won't matter.

"I was asking," you say to Harmony, "because as much of a jerk as you can be, even you don't deserve to be **** that way unless you want to be. And there IS still a chance!"

At your deceleration, five of the remaining cards in your hand vanish and before you appears an egg twice as big as you are. Its thin white shell is almost translucent, exposing the jet black yolk within. "The Great Century Egg," you say, fingering your last card, "and that'll be it for my turn."

Harmony seems shocked, both at your words and that you are continuing the match. She recovers quickly enough and then, to your surprise, actually gives you a lopsided grin, "I can respect being willing to fight to the end instead of just giving up. A weakling is still a weakling but at least a weakling who keeps trying is attempting to grow stronger instead of quitting and staying a weakling. Maybe you're more of a garter snake than a Worm at this point."

Over Harmony's shoulder, you notice Selena and Mana have made their way over to the other side of the circle. Selena seems to be having a small argument with Victor while Mana looks closer at one of the runes next to him, though neither seem inclined to stop the match at this point. Zizana is ignoring what is going on behind her as all her attention is focused on the egg you just summoned.

"But then again," Harmony continues, not noticing the commotion, "Dustborne Rider has an attack power of six and your egg only has--"

She stops as she notices something, squinting as she senses the power of the Great Century Egg. She then looks at you quizzically and asks, "It can't... attack? You spent five cards on a summon that can't attack?!"

"Nope," you reply, trying to sound cool but hoping the sweat on your brown is mistaken as a result of the hit you took earlier and not your current nerves, "It's an egg. How would an egg attack?"

Harmony scowls in thought. Since she seems to have figured out that all Void-based monsters have special abilities, she must be wondering what this one's could be and how to respond to it. You know what you need for her to do to pull this gambit off but you wonder if perhaps you could goad her into it.

Then again, it is just as likely that she might see through any attempt at psychology (reverse or otherwise) so perhaps silence might be golden.