The Lawrence estate courtyard was quiet. The echoes of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's last roar had faded, and Eula Lawrence slowly lowered her Duel Disk. Its power core dimmed to a quiet hum. Cracks ran through the marble tiles beneath her feet. Her Cryo Vision glinted faintly at her side as her breath evened out. The dragon's overwhelming presence was gone, but the weight of what she had summoned lingered.
She held the Fusion card for a moment before returning it to her deck. "Stronger than I imagined," she said to herself. The dragon hadn't just looked powerful—it felt real. In her mind, it still loomed overhead, massive and commanding. "The comic made it seem impressive, but not like this," she thought. Now she was curious what even greater cards might feel like—Obelisk, Slifer, Ra. If this was the Ultimate Dragon, what would those be like?
Behind her, Schubert Lawrence finally stood up. He brushed off his coat, adjusting his cane as he recovered from the pressure that had knocked him down earlier. His legs still shook a little, but he was smiling. "Eula," he said with enthusiasm. "All these years, the Knights looked down on you. But look what you've accomplished! That dragon is our ticket—finally, we can cast out the Favonius parasites and return the Lawrence name to power!"
Eula turned to face him, confused. "What?"
Schubert's praise was strange. He had never supported her place in the Knights. Now, suddenly, he was treating her like a symbol of rebellion. Then she understood: he thought the Ultimate Dragon was a real weapon. "He believes I'm staging a coup," she realized.
"It's not real, Uncle," she explained, keeping her tone calm. "The dragon's just an illusion from a card game. No damage, no fire—it's for dueling, not war. I got it at Galehaven Comics."
Schubert frowned. "You expect me to believe that? I could feel that thing. That was no illusion."
She shrugged. "Believe what you want. I'm not fighting your battles." She turned away, leaving Schubert to whatever plots he'd already begun forming in his head.
Schubert watched her go, misinterpreting her words as a clever cover. "She's hiding her strategy—smart girl." Already, he was thinking about letters to old allies and ways to revive the family's influence. He saw a future she didn't plan to be part of.
Back at Galehaven Comics, the shop was busy as usual. Luke and Daryl had just finished reading Cardcaptor Sakura. Their Fatui masks caught the warm lamplight as two beams of light descended on them. Everyone turned to see what they would receive.
The light faded. Daryl now held a sword—elegant and silver, faint runes etched along the blade. Luke, on the other hand, stared at a crimson skirt with lace trim. It didn't match his armored look.
Harlan Flint, behind the counter, explained. "That's Li Syaoran's sword—without the talismans, it's just a blade. And the skirt is a replica of Sakura's outfit. Cosmetic only."
The newcomers to the shop—one clutching Digimon, another One Piece, and the third Yu-Gi-Oh—watched with disbelief. "Wait, the rewards are real?" the tall one asked. "But… a skirt?" the One Piece fan added, laughing.
Luke, flustered, turned red. "I'm a soldier, not a seamstress!" he said, staring at the skirt. But Harlan shrugged. "First time the system gave out a skirt. Just a costume piece."
Luke's attitude changed quickly. "Sakura's skirt?" His embarrassment turned to delight. "That's fine then," he said, already imagining how it would look. Daryl, unimpressed, took a step back. "Keep it on your side," he muttered.
Harlan smiled faintly. The system worked in strange ways, and it kept his shop interesting.
Nearby, the Lady had just finished reading Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai!. When her reward appeared, she looked down at a black eyepatch and a golden contact lens. She looked disappointed.
"This is it?" she asked Harlan. "Where's the overwhelming power you promised?"
Harlan kept his voice level. "That's the Evil King's Eye. Say the chant, and it glows. That's it."
The Lady stared at him in disbelief. She had expected something with power—something dangerous. Not a costume accessory. She dropped the eyepatch on the table. "I'm not a clown," she said, frustrated.
Harlan just shrugged again. "Fischl got the same thing. She liked it."
The Lady sat down, defeated. The shop continued to hum with noise—Luke admiring his skirt, Daryl practicing with his blade, and the others whispering about future possibilities. But for the Lady, the reward felt like a joke, and her interest in the shop was fading.
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Reflection:
Eula's summoning shocked Mondstadt but brought more misunderstanding than clarity. Schubert saw a weapon where there was none. Back in the shop, the rewards system showed its unpredictable nature. Daryl gained a weapon. Luke unexpectedly leaned into his prize. The Lady, however, felt insulted. Trust in Harlan's shop has deepened for some—and broken for others.