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Here's the Character Profile for my OC/MC:
Name: Haruki YuujiAge: 16Hair Color/s: Grey and greenEye Color: GreyLikes: Dueling, People who strive for their childish dreams like himself, Good foodDislikes: Those to take away other's freedom, Losing a duel, Feeling helpless, SweetsPersonality: A bit rough on the exterior, blunt in his speaking patterns. However, under that rough exterior is that of a regular 16-year-old boy who cares deeply for the people who resonate with him.Goal/s: To become the strongest duelist in the world & to fulfill a promise to an old friend.
Scale 01: Pendulum of Destiny
A grey-haired youth sat on the ground in the middle of a volcanic arena. Blood dripped out of his mouth and other wounds that were found on his body. His vision blurred as he felt his remaining life slowly slip away from him.To win.That was his goal in coming here to Maiami City.To become the strongest duelist in the world, he challenges the best.However, in the end, he bit off more than he could. In this underground arena, he would die as nothing more than a forgotten weakling.A failure destined to die here.Earlier…A tall grey-haired teen wearing a white long-sleeve shirt with a blue-collar, dark blue pants, and brown colored boots, gloves, and belt stepped out of the bus—making sure to thank the bus driver before it drove away.Wrapped around the young man's neck was a necklace, which had a shiny silver pendant attached to it.He took a deep breath, taking in the bustling city around him."Looks like I'm finally here. Maiami City," Yuuji said with a smile.The dueling capital of the world, renowned for hosting countless tournaments and thrilling dueling events, is a paradise for duelists. With its vibrant scene and a plethora of prestigious dueling schools scattered throughout the city, it stands as the ultimate haven for aspiring duelists. Yuuji, being one of these aspiring duelists, had come here to prove himself and become the greatest duelist the world had ever seen as a promise to his late father, who had passed a few years back. What to do first? Yuuji wondered. Maybe I should look around to see if I can find some local tournaments. Or maybe he should try out some of the delicacies around here. He had enough money to indulge in something nice at least once."Well, I can't do either of these things if I don't look around," Yuuji said. "I'll just keep going straight in one direction until I find something interesting."Was it practical? No. But he was going to do it anyway.A while later, Yuuji passed by many interesting shops and restaurants, visiting each and every one that he found (even if he didn't end up spending any money at the places). However, nothing really caught his eye as something he just needed to have.Unknown to Yuuji, he had caught the eye of a shady man, who caught sight of his duel disk which was kept in extremely good condition. Not only that, but the pendulum necklace on his neck looked very valuable as well.The perfect person to trick…no, convince to take part in the underground arena.The shady man followed Yuuji from a distance for a few blocks, eventually finding an opportunity to approach the youth when he had decided to take a break by sitting down on a bench."Excuse me, young man. Do you have a moment?" The man asked."Huh? What's up?" Yuuji replied a bit confused at why a man would just suddenly approach him."You seem like a daring young man. Would you be interested in taking a risk?""No." Yuuji flat-out said, making the man sweat a bit."Ahem," The man cleared his throat. "What I meant was that you look like a talented young duelist. I was curious if you wanted to compete in a little match. You'll be compensated heavily of course.""Sounds suspicious. What's the catch?""There is no catch. We…no, I've just been feeling a little generous today, and—""—I pass," Yuuji interrupted. "Sounds like a pain.""You didn't let me finish," The man said in a slightly annoyed tone. "I've been feeling a little generous today, so I wanted to allow someone to compete for a prize.""..." Yuuji remained silent, a bit intrigued at the proposal."If you happen to win this match against our champion, you would be rewarded with ¥150,000 ($1000 in USD). Along with the cash prize, you would also be given free entry into the Maiami Championships even if you haven't fulfilled the requirements."Now he was interested."When and where?" Yuuji immediately asked."Just follow me," The man said. "The match will take place in a secluded area, away from the public eye. We don't want the police to butt in on our fun, right?"Major Red Flag, though Yuuji just didn't care. The prospect of dueling against strong opponents was the reason he came here in the first place. The stronger the opponent, the more the duel would help him grow as a duelistIf this guy even tries to pull something funny, I'll just knock his lights out. Yuuji thought as he followed the man.The man brought Yuuji into an alleyway towards a door that a tall security officer guarded. After saying some sort of a secret password, the security officer let them through the door, which led into a massive underground room, with a stadium at its center surrounded by large cage walls.Above it all was a massive high-tech machine—a Real Solid Vision Projector."Just make your way into the arena. Your opponent will be here shortly." The shady man instructed, pointing towards an area that led to one side of the arena."Got it," Yuuji nodded.Following the man's instructions, Yuuji made his way to the arena. As he walked onto the arena, he noticed the countless people streaming into the spectator area just beyond the caged arena. So many people. Yuuji was surprised. And all of them are here to watch this match. He couldn't deny that it made him a little hype to have this many people watching him duel, even if they all looked like shady no-lives.—KRRCH!Yuuji covered his ears as he heard the static of a microphone."Welcome to the Underground Duel Circuit, dudes and dudettes!" An announcer, wearing punk-like clothing greeted the crowd. "I'm your host, MC VampVamp, here to commentate an absolute doozy of a match!"The ground began to shake around Yuuji.
What the hell?
A massive cloud of smoke soon filled the opposite end of the arena."In the right corner, standing at 198 cm (6 feet 6 inches), the Champion of the Underworld who had never lost any of his fifty duels. The one, the only, Black Death!"The roars of the crowd were deafening as a tall, muscular, tan-skinned man with countless tattoos covering his arms and neck appeared from the smoke. He looks strong. Yuuji thought as he examined his opponent."In the left corner is today's challenger, Haruki Yuuji!" MC VampVamp announced. "Will he be able to finally dethrone the reigning champion, or will he end up falling short just like all of the other challengers before him!?""A soft-looking little man like you has some nerve coming into the Underground Arena," Black Death said as he looked down on Yuuji. "You'll end up the same as everyone else who has challenged me.""Soft looking? I think you need to get your eyes checked, old man," Yuuji confidently smirked. "I'm not just any run of the mill challenger. Don't be surprised when I destroy that streak of yours with this duel.""Many have said such arrogant lines before," Black Death states. "I'm sure a kid like you has had many duels in the past but…"Black Death pressed some buttons on his duel disk, which sent out a glowing red wire that wrapped around Yuuji's left arm."...this isn't going to be like any duel you've ever had before.""Huh? What's this?" Yuuji wondered out loud as he tried to rip the red wire off of his arm. "Why can't I take it off?""That's a duel anchor, a staple here in the underground," Black Death explained. "It's to make sure naive challengers like you can't flee until the duel concludes.""It's not like I was planning on running anyway," Yuuji scoffed. "I have no reason to run away from somebody like you.""That's not the only feature," Black Death replied. "Whenever either of us lose Life Points during this duel, we'll receive an electric shock. The more Life Points lost, the stronger the shock.""So, it's a way to up the stakes of this duel," Yuuji assessed."Correct, you caught on quick," Black Death commented."Neat," Yuuji simply replied, seemingly unphased by the supposedly concerning news. "When are we starting? A champion like you should obviously know that you shouldn't keep your crowd waiting too long now.""We'll begin now," Black Death stated as he snapped his finger.The Real Solid Vision Machine above them began whirring as the area around them transformed into a volcanic wasteland. Chunks of rocky islands floated right above a giant pit of lava. Countless Action Cards were generated above them before being dispersed all throughout the arena."It looks like today's duel will be taking place on the Action Field, Volcanic Hell!" MC VampVamp announced. "Black Death's favorite Action Field!"Yuuji could feel his body beginning to sweat due to the sudden increase in temperature around him. That's weird. Is it normal for the temperature to change in an Action Field? Yuuji wondered.He couldn't think much about it as Black Death spoke."You better be prepared, Haruki Yuuji. Or else this duel may be your last.""That won't be enough to scare me off," Yuuji replied as he activated his duel disk. "I've come too far to back off because of a threat like that.""Your funeral," Black Death responded as he too activated his own duel disk."It looks like the two of them are ready to begin!" MC VampVamp announced. "The duel will begin in three…two…one!"The two drew their first five cards as the duel began.[DUEL!] The two shout in unison.Yuuji — LP: 4000Black Death — LP: 4000[Turn 1: Yuuji] [H: 5]"I'll take the first turn!" Yuuji declared. "I summon Antique Light Bulb (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 3)!"A floating lightbulb appeared on Yuuji's field."I set two cards, and end my turn," Yuuji concluded with two face-downs."Summoning a weak monster with 0 ATK and DEF Points against me?" Black Death frowned. "How arrogant.""If you have that much of a problem with it, why don't you deal with it then, champion?" Yuuji retorted with a sly smirk."I'll cut your tongue, worm," Black Death threatened before beginning his turn. "My turn! Draw!"[Turn 2: Black Death] [H: 6]"From my hand, I summon Ally of Justice - Core Destroyer (Dark/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 200/LV: 3)!"A four-legged yellow machine with a red eye on the center of its head appeared on his field."Battle!" Black Death immediately moved into his Battle Phase. "Core Destroyer attacks Antique Light Bulb!"The red eye of the machine begins to glow as it shoots an energy beam towards Yuuji's monster."Core Destroyer's effect activates!" Black Death continued. "When this monster attacks a Light Monster, during the damage step that monster is destroyed!"The energy beam destroys Yuuji's monster, causing him to wince from the sheer force of the shockwave produced by the attack. That shouldn't be normal either. Yuuji thought. It's like the Real Solid Vision Machine was cranked up to the max. To make things worse, Black Death's deck seems to be a direct counter to his own, due to him having only Light Monsters incorporated into his deck."Now go Core Destroyer, attack him directly!" Black Death shouted.Core Destroyer shoots another energy beam, its target this time being Yuuji.I need to find an Action Card. Yuuji thought as he looked around to see if there were any Action Cards nearby. He notices one out in the open on a platform close by, deciding to make a break for it. However, he fails to get close as Black Death suddenly tugs on the duel anchor, pulling Yuuji back and almost making him fall in the lava.
Damn, that was close.
However, he wasn't out of the clear yet as Core Destroyer's attack landed nearby, blowing up the ground and sending Yuuji flying away.—Z-Zap!Electricity began flowing through the duel anchor before shocking Yuuji, making him scream out in pain as his Life Points dropped.Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 2800"And would you look at that! Black Death has drawn the first blood!" Mc VampVamp announced. "As expected from the champion, he sure doesn't pack his punches!"After what seemed like forever, the shocking ceased."Hah…hah…hah…" Yuuji began panting, still slightly shell-shocked by the pain he had just endured."That was just a little taste of what you had gotten yourself into. Main Phase 2," Black Death concluded his Battle Phase. "I set three cards and end my turn!"Three face down cards appeared on Black Death's field."You better step up your game, Haruki," Black Death stated. "Otherwise, you'll just end up hurting yourself.""R-Right," Yuuji replied as he moved his trembling hand to the top of his deck. "My turn! Draw!"Yuuji drew a card as he began his turn.[Turn 3: Yuuji] [H: 3]When Yuuji saw the card that he drew, he smiled. His body stopped trembling as he regained his composure."I summon the Tuner Monster, Antique Resonance Mirror (Light/Fairy/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 2)!"A pristine-looking floating mirror appears on Yuuji's field."You just don't learn," Black Death frowned. "You'll never stand a chance against me by summoning weak monsters like that.""That's what you think," Yuuji replied. "Antique Resonance Mirror's effect activates! When this monster is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon another 'Antique' Monster directly from my deck! Appear, Antique Forgotten Mask (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!"A floating spirit wearing an old, black mask appeared."Now let's battle!" Yuuji declared as he moved into his Battle Phase. "Antique Forgotten Mask attacks Ally of Justice - Core Destroyer!"The floating spirit begins flying towards Core Destroyer."Have you gone mad!?" Black Death shouted. "Your monster has no ATK points!""Antique Forgotten Mask's effect activates," Yuuji stated. "When it battles, the ATK points of itself and the monster that it's battling are swapped during the damage step!""What?" Black Death's eyes widened.(Core Destroyer — ATK: 1200 → 0)(Forgotten Mask — ATK: 0 → 1200)"Core Destroyer's effect activates, destroying your attacking monster due to its attribute also being Light!" Black Death countered."Not this time!" Yuuji declared as he took out a card from his graveyard. "I activate Antique Light Bulb's graveyard effect! By banishing it from my graveyard, I can negate the activation of an effect that targets an 'Antique' Monster I control!"Yuuji sent the card to his banish zone as Core Destroyer tried to shoot an energy beam at the floating spirit. A golden barrier then appears around the spirit, shielding it from Core Destroyer's attack. The spirit then surrounds Core Destroyer, enveloping it with its ghastly body which begins crushing down on the machine monster—destroying it.Black Death winced from the shockwaves of the attack.—Z-Zap!The burly man then braced himself as he was electrocuted by the duel anchor.Black Death — LP: 4000 → 2800(Forgotten Mask — ATK: 1200 → 0)"Incredible! The challenger has actually managed to damage the champion!" MC VampVamp shouted. "It looks like this kid has some bite in him after all.""Tch…" Black Death clicked his tongue as he wiped the tiny bit of blood that dripped down from his mouth."How was that, champion?" Yuuji wondered with a sly smile. "You still think I'm messing around?""You only got a little hit in and you're acting all happy," Black Death replied as he cracked his neck. "This duel of ours has only just begun.""You're right about that," Yuuji agreed. "I end my turn."Black Death placed his hand on the top of his deck."It looks like I'll have to take you a little more seriously now," Black Death stated in a cold tone. "My turn! Draw!"[Turn 4: Black Death] [H: 3]"From my hand, I activate the effect of Ally of Justice - Crimson Eye!" Black Death announced. "When my opponent controls a Light Monster, I can Special Summon this monster to my field!"A quadrupedal machine with a red coating and blue wings outstretched on its back appeared.[Ally of Justice - Crimson Eye (Dark/Machine/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 600/DEF: 400/LV: 2)]"Crimson Eye's effect activates!" Black Death continued. "When this card is Special Summoned by its effect, I can target a Machine-Type Monster in my graveyard and Special Summon it onto my field. Arise once again, Ally of Justice - Core Destroyer (ATK: 1200/DEF: 200/LV: 3)!"The yellow-coated quadrupedal machine with a red eye appeared once again. He managed to bring that monster back so easily. Yuuji frowned. No wonder they call him champion. "Now, the Level 2 Ally of Justice - Crimson Eye tunes the Level 3 Ally of Justice - Core Destroyer!" Black Death declared."A Synchro Summon!?" Yuuji cried out in shock.The aforementioned monsters turned into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up as a massive green pillar of light shot through its center."Machines flock together, and give birth to a new power!" Black Death chanted. "Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 5! Ally of Justice - Catastor (Dark/Machine/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1200/LV: 5)!"A four-legged spider-like machine with a white body and golden head with a red dot at the center appeared."Would you look at that!" MC VampVamp exclaimed. "Black Death has performed a fantastic Synchro Summon, summoning the very monster he used to annihilate most of his opponents in the past!" It must have a strong effect. One that's similar to Core Destroyer's. Yuuji assessed. Looking closer, this new monster just looks like a bigger, stronger version of it. "Battle!" Black Death moved into his Battle Phase. "Catastor attacks Antique Forgotten Mask!"The red dot at the center of Catastor's head began to glow."At the same time, its effect now activates! Whenever it battles a non-Dark Monster, that monster is automatically destroyed! Static Vaporization!"A red beam of energy is shot from the dot on Catastor's head, vaporizing the Antique Forgotten Mask completely. Damn, I was right. Yuuji thought as he winced from the shockwaves of the attack. It does have an effect similar to Core Destroyer. "Catastor now targets Antique Resonance Mirror for an attack!" Black Death announced. "And once again, its effect activates, destroying your monster!"Catastor shoots another energy beam, vaporising the pristine mirror and causing Yuuji to wince once again from the shockwaves of the attack."Now for you!" Black Death moved his attention to Yuuji himself. "Ally of Justice - Catastor now attacks you directly!"The machine monster shoots another energy beam, this time targeting it at Yuuji. Yuuji begins running, hopping across multiple floating islands to an Action Card he spotted. At the same time, noticing Yuuji attempting to find an Action Card, Black Death tugs on the duel anchor once again, trying to knock the young man off balance once again."Not this time, bastard…" Yuuji muttered with gritted teeth.Yuuji shifts his own body weight sideways, rolling onto the ground. This made him heavy enough to not get pulled away by Black Death, allowing him to pick up the Action Card he had landed near."I activate the Action Spell, Evasion!" Yuuji announced. "With it, when my opponent's monster declares an attack, I can negate that attack instead!""Tough luck, kid!" Black Death revealed an Action Card in his hand that he had picked up earlier. "I activate the Action Spell, No Action! Negating the activation of your Action Spell!"Yuuji's duel disk rejected his Action Spell, forcing him to send it to the graveyard."Damn…" Yuuji cursed as he sent Evasion to his graveyard. "Then what about this!"One of Yuuji's two set Trap Cards is activated."I activate my set trap, Emergency Barrier!" Yuuji declared. "When my Life Points are less than or equal to that of my opponents, I can reduce the battle damage I receive for the rest of this turn to zero!"A barrier formed around Yuuji, shielding him from the energy beam."You've managed to avoid harm this turn," Black Death stated. "I end my turn." That was way too close for comfort. Yuuji grimaced. I need to change up my gameplan. Yuuji placed his hand over the top of his deck."Let's formulate a plan after this draw…" Yuuji muttered. "My turn! Draw!"He drew a card as his turn began.[Turn 5: Yuuji] [H: 3]He took a moment to look at the cards in his hand before continuing."I activate the Spell Card, Antique Repair!" Yuuji announced. "With it, I can Special Summon back all of my 'Antique' Monsters that were destroyed last turn! Return to my field, Antique Resonance Mirror (ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 0) and Antique Forgotten Mask (ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!"The pristine mirror and masked spirit appeared on Yuuji's field once again."Bringing those weak monsters back?" Black Death frowned. "Don't tell me you plan on making the same plays you've made before.""Of course not," Yuuji smiled. "I actually plan on taking a page from your book."Black Death raised an eyebrow from the statement as Yuuji continued his turn."I now tune my Level 2 Antique Resonance Mirror together with my Level 5 Antique Forgotten Mask!" Yuuji declared."What!?" Black Death cried out, being genuinely shocked for the first time in this duel.Yuuji's aforementioned monsters transform into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up as a giant pillar of light shot through the center."Item of old lost through time. Bring about your legacy!" Yuuji chanted. "Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 7! The statue that stood guard in front of the emperor's tomb, Antique Guardian Statue (Light/Fairy/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 7) in defense mode!"A giant stone statue depicting a man with a shield appeared on Yuuji's field. A faint blue aura could be seen surrounding the statue."Incredible!" MC VampVamp exclaimed. "Haruki Yuuji has managed to respond to Black Death's Synchro Summon with his own!? Just what other tricks does this lad have planned!?""I set one card and end my turn," Yuuji concluded his turn, much to the surprise of Black Death and everyone observing the duel."That's it? No counterattack?" Black Death frowned. "I expected more from an Extra Deck monster.""I may be a little arrogant, but I'm not stupid," Yuuji stated. "I know that with what I have right now, I can't win with only brute force.""It seems like you're not as immature as I made you out to be," Black Death commented as he put his hand over the top of his deck. "However, we'll see if that Synchro Monster of yours will be enough to counteract my assault. My turn! Draw!"Black Death drew a card as he began his turn.[Turn 6: Black Death] [H: 3]"I summon the Tuner Monster, Ally of Justice - Cycle Reader (Dark/Machine/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000/LV: 3)!" A machine spider appeared on his field. "Then, I activate my set Continuous Spell, Swords of Concealing Light! When this card is activated, all monsters on my opponent's field are flipped face-down. Furthermore, monsters you control cannot change their battle positions, nor can they be flipped face-up."Antique Guardian Statue disappears, being turned into a face down card. A dark-chained spirit appeared above the face down card soon after. This is bad! Yuuji grimaced. Antique Guardian Statue's effect only remains active while it is face-up on my field. Now that it's face down, it's just a regular 0 ATK and DEF monster. "That expression of yours tells me that I messed up your plan," Black Death smirked. "A shame, since mine is only just beginning! Battle!"Black Death moved into his Battle Phase."Ally of Justice - Cycle Reader attacks your face down monster!"The machine spider crawls forward, extending its legs to slash through the face down card, destroying it and causing Yuuji to wince."Ally of Justice - Catastor now attacks you directly!" Black Death continues as his monster shoots a red energy beam towards Yuuji."I activate the Continuous Trap, Halve Attack!" Yuuji shouted as the card he had set last turn was activated. "As long as this card remains on my field—woah!"Yuuji trips as he feels a tug on the duel anchor. When he regains his footing, he notices Black Death grab an Action Card that was on top of a small rock hill."I activate the Action Spell, Magma Cremation!" Black Death countered. "When my opponent activates a Spell/Trap Card during the Battle Phase, I can negate the activation of the effect and destroy that card!"Yuuji's Trap Card was suddenly destroyed."Dammit!" Yuuji cursed.With nothing shielding him, Yuuji is hit by Ally of Justice - Catastor's attack. The attack explodes on impact, sending him flying into a rock. The force of him slamming into the rock caused him to cough up blood.—Thud!—Z-Zap!Shortly after the young man fell to his knees, the duel anchor began to send electricity into his body, electrocuting him. Yuuji let out a blood-curdling scream as he could feel his consciousness wane in and out—his Life Points dropping greatly.Yuuji — LP: 2800 → 600The shock went on for well over a minute, before eventually subsiding."Blerg!" Yuuji covered his mouth as he coughed up even more blood, most of it spilling onto the ground. I-I bit off more than I can chew. Yuuji finally realized the gravity of the situation he was in.He thought he could handle it, and he was handling it. So what happened? How did things go so wrong so quickly?"You're suffering isn't over yet, kid," Black Death said in a cold tone. "The Level 3 Ally of Justice - Cycle Reader tunes the Level 5 Ally of Justice - Catastor!"The two aforementioned monsters transform into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up as a pillar of green light shot through the center."Machines flock together once again. Bring about the titan that marks the end of justice as we know it!" Black Death chanted. "Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 8! Destroyer of Justice - Violent Cannon (Dark/Machine/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 0/LV: 8)!"A massive machine tank coated in black and yellow paint appeared. In front of its giant cannon was a red scope that aimed directly at Yuuji."There it is! Black Death ace monster that has never been defeated!" MC VampVamp announced. "It looks like this duel is finally coming to an end!""It's about time!""Kill him!"The crowd of rough spectators began cheering."While Violent Cannon is on the field, during the End Phase of each turn, you take 1000 points of damage!" Black Death declared as a beam of energy was being charged within his monster's cannon. "Prepare to be annihilated. Eradication Ray!"The machine tank shoots an energy beam at Yuuji, packing enough power to eradicate anything in its path."I…activate my set trap…Mirror's Embrace." Yuuji said as he struggled back onto his feet. "When I…When I would take damage by an effect…I can…reduce the damage I receive to zero instead."A barrier appeared around Yuuji, protecting him from the surely fatal attack."You can squirm all you want, your demise is imminent," Black Death stated. "It's your turn now.""..." Yuuji had an unsure expression as he stared at his opponent's field. He was screwed. The sole card in his hand was an Equip Spell that couldn't help him in this situation. Am I…going to die here? Yuuji thought he clutched his beating head.His vision blurred as he began to reminisce on his reason for coming here in the first place. It was to become the strongest right? He planned on throwing himself at the strongest opponents in the room until he eventually won.A naive mindset that had gotten him in this situation in the first place.Thanks to that naive idea, this underground arena would be his grave.Instead of becoming the strongest, he would end up as a forgotten nobody, a statistic on this man's record. Nobody would care if I just gave up right? A dark thought went through Yuuji's mind. My only living relative has died already, my mentor had disappeared to God knows where, and I have no actual friends. His vision blurred, his hearing dulling as he began falling forward—he stopped struggling, accepting his fate.' When times are rough, just smile. 'A phrase echoed through his mind.' You can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it. 'A quote that his father said to motivate him when he was five.' Break free from your doubts, and fight. Just like a Pendulum, if you're pushed into a corner, fight back just as hard. 'One that he didn't understand at first.' All for the sake of… '"…Winning." Yuuji finished the sentence with a mutter, stomping his feet on the ground to stop himself from falling. "To win, let go of any doubts weighing on your mind, and fight…and fight…and fight and fight and fight."It was all making sense now. The final piece of a puzzle he was missing to complete himself.Doubt. That was what was holding him back.While he always tried to act confident, even to the point of sounding arrogant, it wasn't true confidence.It was an act.True confidence isn't like that at all."Having faith in yourself even in the face of adversity. That's what you were trying to teach me, right Father?" Yuuji began laughing, the pendant on his necklace beginning to glow. "How was I dumb enough to not realize this sooner?"He may not be able to get rid of his old habit completely, but that didn't matter.All that mattered now was the present moment."Sounds like you have some loose screws in your head," Black Death frowned. "Did you lose so much blood that you began hallucinating?""None of that matters right now," Yuuji stated, ignoring Black Death's comment as he placed his hand on top of his deck. "This turn, I'll scale that wall put up in front of me!"Elsewhere, on the surface, a young man with a similar face, with tomato-colored hair, had reached a similar epiphany. The blue pendant on his necklace begins to glow brightly."Swing, Pendulum. More and more…" The youth muttered.
[Current Theme Playing: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Sound Duel 1 - Swing! Pendulum of Souls]
"...Become the guiding light that ignites the path to victory!" Yuuji finished the phrase. "My turn! DRAW!"Yuuji drew with all of his might, the top of his deck glowing brightly.[Turn 7: Yuuji] [H: 2]Yuuji looked at the card he drew and smiled."I activate the Spell Card, Final Stand!" Yuuji announced. "In order to activate the Spell, I must first discard all other cards from my hand, and forfeit my next two draw phases.""Forfeiting your next two draw phases!?" Black Death was shocked. "Have you gone mad!?""It's a price I have to pay to win this duel," Yuuji stated. "When Final Stand is activated, I can draw cards from my deck until I have five cards in my hand! I draw!"Yuuji drew five cards. However, he paused for a moment when he noticed that the five cards that he drew were all blank."Blank cards?" Yuuji was confused. "But why?"Soon, his pendulum necklace began to glow, transforming the blank cards in his hand to monster cards. However, unlike regular Monster Cards, half of the cards had the regular Monster Card color, while the other half had the green color of a Spell Card."..." Yuuji was shocked for a moment, but eventually just smiled. "I don't know what the hell is happening, but let's go with it."The people of the arena, no…the whole world would be shocked about the event that transpired that day."I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 1 Antique Maker - Swinging Soul (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2000/LV: 3/SC: 1) and Scale 8 Antique Maker - Mira (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5/SC: 8)!" Yuuji declared as he placed two cards on opposite ends of his duel disk.The words [PENDULUM] appear between them in rainbow font. Two transparent blue pillars appeared beside Yuuji, with a magician in a white robe holding a pendulum and a woman in a black cloak holding a mirror rising into each zone. At the center of it all, a giant, silver pendulum swung above him."What the hell is happening?" Black Death jaw dropped."Now I can summon monsters Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji announced. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my faithful companions!"The giant silver pendulum drew a portal in the sky, as three beams of energy shoot out from it."The item used to store the tales of old, Antique Journal (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 4/SC: 3)!"An old journal with pages written in an unidentified language appeared."The blazing sword that shines in the face of adversity, Antique Dawning Blaze (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 7)!"A fiery blade with a golden hilt appeared."And finally, amber-eyed dragon born from the deep embrace of phantoms, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4)!"A giant, yellow-eyed dragon with purple scales and bone-like armor plated around it appeared. Multiple colorful gemstones could be found scattered around its body.At LDS Tower…Akaba Reiji, a man with grey hair, wearing red glasses and a similarly colored scarf moved with quick strides—a serious expression present on his face. He had just gotten an urgent report about something that had just occurred a few moments ago. After pressing a few buttons on a keypad, the door in front of him opened. He walked into the control room, gazing at the panicking security personnel who were frantically searching for something."What's the report?" Reiji asked as he approached a tall man with dark hair and glasses with dark blue lenses."We've managed to detect two sources of high-level summoning energies," Nakajima stated. "From our findings, the source of the energies is a summoning method called Pendulum—one that we have never seen before.""Pendulum Summoning?" Reiji's eyes widened. A small smile formed on his normally stoic face. "How interesting…"Back in the arena…"He summoned three monsters simultaneously. Not only that, but he also summoned Level 5 and 7 monsters without using tributes!?" Black Death's shoutef. "This can't be legal!""My duel disk says it's just fine, so deal with it," Yuuji stated. "Since the duel didn't automatically end, it means that this summoning method is just as legal as any other summoning method.""Antique Journal's effect activates!" Yuuji shouts. "Once per turn, I can target a monster in my Pendulum Zone, and Special Summon it! However, its effects are negated, and it is banished when it is destroyed! Descend to the field, Antique Maker - Mira (ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5)!"The old journal suddenly swelled, its size increasing rapidly. At the same moment, a portal opened beneath Antique Maker - Mira, pulling her inside. She reappeared seconds later from another portal that formed on one of the journal's pages."Antique Dawning Blaze's effect activates!" Yuuji announced. "It can equip itself to a monster on my field. Furthermore, when a monster is equipped with Dawning Blaze, it gains 500 ATK for each monster currently on the field. Since there are two monsters on my field and one on yours, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon gains 1500 ATK!"Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon caught the hilt of Dawning Blaze in its mouth.(Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon — ATK: 2500 → 4000)"Antique Maker - Swinging Soul's Pendulum Effect activates!" Yuuji continued. "When a Pendulum Monster on my field has its ATK increased, I can increase its ATK by an extra 800!"(Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon — ATK: 4000 → 4800)"4800 ATK!?" Black Death cried out in shock."Now all of my preparations are complete. Here comes the climax!" Yuuji announced as he pumped his fist forward. "Battle! Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, attack Destroyer of Justice - Violent Cannon! Blazing Phantom Rush!"Phantom Dragon charges forward, blade in its mouth which ignites into a massive, fiery blade."I won't falter!" Black Death shouts as one of his face-down traps is activated. "I activate my Trap Card, Supreme Justice! When a Dark Monster I control would be destroyed by battle, I can negate its destruction! With this, your fate is sealed!""Naive!" Yuuji shouts, surprising Black Death. The orbs scattered across Phantom Dragon's body begin to glow. "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon's effect now activates! When it deals battle damage, it deals additional damage equal to the number of Pendulum Monsters on my field other than itself times 600. Meaning on top of the original damage you take already; you take an additional 1200!""What!?" Black Death exclaimed. He quickly turned to search for an Action Spell, finding one on a nearby island. However, before he could reach it, he was stopped by Yuuji who pulled on the anchor to keep the man still."Sucks to be on the receiving end of this, huh?" Yuuji smirked."Dammit, let go!" Black Death cursed as he tried to move. He was so close to reaching an Action Card, but he couldn't get that tiny bit closer thanks to Yuuji's interference."Now finish him, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!"Phantom Dragon slams the massive flame sword down on Violent Cannon, slicing cleanly through it and creating an explosion that tears the duel anchor, and sends Black Death flying into a rock hill.Black Death — LP: 2800 → 0Winner: Yuuji
[BGM (Background Music) Ends Here.]
The Action Field disappeared, returning them to the arena. The crowd was left completely stunned by what had just happened. Yuuji just let out a sigh as he turned the other way, walking out of the arena without a word. However, before he could leave the underground, he was stopped by that same shady man, who greeted him with a smile while clapping."What a fantastic duel," The man complimented. "You put on quite the show for us all. Defeating the Champion is not easy…hey! Where are you going!?""I'm leaving," Yuuji stated as he kept walking towards the exit."Leaving, eh? We can't have that, now can we?" The shady man said with a sinister smirk as five tall men in uniform surrounded him. "I've taken a liking to those cards of yours, so I'll be taking them. I'm sure they'll sell for a good buck in the underground market.""Revealing your true colors now, huh?" Yuuji frowned. "How scummy of you.""It's just business," The shady man said as he took off his sunglasses. "It's nothing personal, kid. We can't have you go around freely after thrashing our champion like that.""Makes sense," Yuuji replied with an uninterested expression as he sized up the five guards surrounding him. "However, you've made one fatal error…""Huh?""If you think I'm about to just come with you quietly…" Yuuji said as he cracked his knuckles. "...I hope you're ready to bite the curb."A guard swings his fist at Yuuji, but he ducks under it, slamming his elbow directly into the guard's side, making him drop almost instantly."One down…" Yuuji turned to the rest. "Five to go."After beating six grown men into a pulp, Yuuji dusts his hands off. That was surprisingly easy. Even the police back home would give me more trouble than them. Yuuji thought as he looked at the six unconscious men around him. I should probably leave now; I doubt that I'd have the stamina to fight off another group of grown men. Yuuji made his way through the exit, finally returning back to the surface. As he walked down the alleyway, he made himself a subconscious promise not to follow a suspicious man anywhere ever again—something that should've been obvious now that he was thinking about it, but he thought he could handle it."Never again…" Yuuji sighed. "I'm exhausted."For now, he would just find a place to stay tonight and call it a day.A while later, he found a decent hotel to stay in. It wasn't too fancy, but it's not like he was complaining. He lived in way worse anyway. After taking a quick shower, he threw himself onto the bed, instantly sinking into it."Those new cards, where did they come from?"His mind drifted off to his new cards. He had never seen cards like those in his life. Not to mention, that entirely new summoning method that he had just done on the blue. He didn't even remember how he did it, as if he had just acted on instinct there. Ah, well whatever. Yuuji casually dismissed these thoughts. I'm too tired to think about weird shit. I'll worry about it tomorrow He felt his vision fade as he began dozing off to sleep.Elsewhere, at LDS Tower…Nakajima walked into the office, with a clipboard in his hand. Akaba Reiji sensed his presence, greeting the man without even needing to turn to him."Nakajima, what's the report?""Reiji-dono, we've managed to identify the two users of this new summoning method," Nakajima informed his employer. "One of the sources came from Sakaki Yuya, a 16-year-old student at Maiami City High School. His duel class is Junior Youth. Here is his tournament record."Nakajima pressed a few buttons, changing the monitor screen in front of them. Reiji analyzed the result with a neutral expression."A win rate of 50%. Where does he study dueling?""He studies at the You Show Duel School.""You Show Duel School?" Reiji seemed to recognize the name of the school. "And his name is Sakaki Yuya, right?""That's right," Nakajima nodded. "As you can tell, he is Sakaki Yusho's son.""Sakaki Yusho, the man who disappeared three years ago, has a son who has used an unknown summoning method…" Reiji muttered. "What about the other user?"Nakajima presses a few buttons, changing the screen to show Yuuji and his win rate."Haruki Yuuji, 16-years-old. A duelist born in the Outpost." Nakajima stated."The Outpost? The area with the highest amount of crime in Japan?" Reiji wondered with a surprised expression. "A place that even the police have trouble keeping under control.""Yes. As for his win rate…" Nakajima pressed a few buttons, showing Yuuji's record. "An overall unimpressive record. Out of the sixty duels he had this year, he has only won twenty.""A 33% winrate…" Reiji muttered. "Is there anything else we know about him?""Nothing," Nakajima stated. "All we know is that he had just arrived in Maiami City today and is currently residing at the Black Lotus Hotel near LDS Tower.""Do a background check on both of them," Reiji ordered. "Especially Haruki Yuuji. I want to know everything about him, from his past, to even the food he likes. Everything.""Right away, Reiji-dono," Nakajima bowed. "I'll get to it now."Nakajima swiftly left the office, leaving Reiji alone with his thoughts."Sakaki Yuya, and Haruki Yuuji…just how are you two connected…"He didn't mention it to Nakajima, but he was sure that he noticed this as well. The two youths have nearly identical faces. If it wasn't for their other features like hair color or choice of clothing, they'd look nearly identical, like brothers. This can't be a coincidence… Reiji thought as he pulled up another file, a secret file that his father had left before disappearing. On it depicted two purple-haired children, a boy and a girl. The purple-haired boy had a face similar to that of both Yuuji and Yuya.
Custom/Altered Cards:

Monster Cards -

Antique Light Bulb
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 3Light/Fairy/EffectMonster Effect: If an Antique Monster you control is targeted by an effect that would destroy it: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; negate that effect.
Antique Resonance Mirror
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 2Light/Fairy/Tuner/EffectMonster Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned onto the field: Target 1 Antique or Antique Maker from your deck, and Special Summon it onto the field.
Antique Forgotten Mask
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5Light/Fairy/EffectMonster Effect: During the damage step, swap the ATK of this monster and the monster it is battling until the End Phase.
Antique Guardian Statue
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 7Light/Fairy/Synchro/EffectMonster Effect: Cannot be destroyed by battle while it is face-up on the field. If this card would be destroyed by card effect; banish one Antique Monster from your graveyard instead. Your opponent can only target this monster for attacks while it is on the field.
Destroyer of Justice - Violent Cannon
ATK: 2800, DEF: 0, LV: 8Dark/Machine/Synchro/EffectMonster Effect: This card cannot be in Defense Position. If this card battles a Light Monster, during the Damage Step (Quick Effect): Destroy that monster, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to its original ATK. You can only use this effect of Destroyer of Justice once per turn. During the End Phase of either player's turn: Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.
Antique Maker - Swinging Soul
ATK: 100, DEF: 2000, LV: 3, SC: 1Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: Once per turn: If a Pendulum Monster's ATK is increased, you can increase its ATK by an additional 800.Monster Effect: If you control an Antique Monster in your Main Monster Zone, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per turn: You can target 1 monster on the field; switch its ATK and DEF until the End Phase.
Antique Maker - Mira
ATK: 2000, DEF: 100, LV: 5, SC: 8Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: Once per Battle Phase: If you would take battle damage, you can negate that damage, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the damage you would have taken.Monster Effect: Once per turn: If this card is Summoned, you can add 1 Antique Card from your Deck to your hand.
Antique Journal
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 4, SC: 3Light/Fairy/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: Once per turn: You can Special Summon this card from your Pendulum Zone.Monster Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster in either Pendulum Zone; Special Summon it to your field. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect have their effects negated, and if they are destroyed, banish them instead.
Antique Dawning Blaze
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5, SC: 7Light/Fairy/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: Pendulum Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle.Monster Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster you control; equip this card to that target. It gains 500 ATK for each monster on the field at the time this effect is activated.
Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon
ATK: 2500, DEF: 2000, LV: 7, SC: 4Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: Once per turn: when an attack is declared involving a face-up monster while you control only Pendulum Monsters on your field: You can make that monster you control gain 1200 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase (even if this card leaves the field).Monster Effect: When this Pendulum Summoned card inflicts battle damage: deal damage to your opponent equal to the number of Pendulum Monsters on your field (excluding this card) x 600. If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect, set it into an empty Pendulum Zone.
Spell/Trap Cards -

Emergency Barrier
Normal Trap CardWhen your Life Points are lower than your opponent's: For the rest of this turn, reduce all battle damage you would take to 0.
Antique Repair
Spell CardWhen this card resolves: Special Summon all Antique Monsters that were destroyed during your previous turn.
Swords of Concealing Light
Continuous Spell CardDestroy this card during your 2nd Standby Phase after activation. When this card resolves: Change all monsters your opponent controls to face-down Defense Position. While this card is on the field, monsters your opponent controls cannot change their battle positions or be flipped face-up.
Halve Attack
Continuous Trap CardHalves the battle damage you receive as long as this card remains face-up on the field
Magma Cremation
Action Spell CardWhen your opponent activates a Spell/Trap Card during the Battle Phase, negate the activation of the effect and destroy that card.
Mirror's Embrace
Normal Trap CardWhen you would take effect damage; reduce the damage you receive to zero.
Final Stand
Spell CardYou must forfeit your next two Draw Phases and discard all other cards in your hand to activate this card's effect. Draw card until you have five in your hand.
Supreme Justice
Counter Trap CardWhen a Dark Monster you control would be destroyed by battle, negate its destruction.
And that's the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. More chapters are coming. As of writing this, there are eight chapters that are already done, and I'll be uploading those over the coming weeks.

That's all I wanted to say. Drop some comments, I like seeing your thoughts on my work 👍. The next chapter will come out at random, so look out for it.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Took me a while to upload since this website was bugging out for a bit, but here is chapter 2.

Be sure to drop some comments. I see all of them so feel free to speak out your mind and drop some suggestions or comments about the story. Criticism is also welcome (as long as it isn't brainless flaming of the story).

Here's a prompt if you have no idea on what you'd like to write a review about.

Question of the day: What are some things that you would like to see in an Arc-V fanfic?

Without any further ado, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Minor spelling, grammar, and other mistakes may be present.

Scale 02: A Steadfast Duel
The next day…Yuuji sat on a couch, staring at a TV intently. Scattered across the table in front of him were a bunch of Pendulum Cards that had just spawned in his deck after his duel against Black Death. On the TV was a video of a youth around his age with tomato-colored hair, performing a Pendulum Summon in front of thousands of onlooking spectators.He was surprised about a few things. The first thing was the fact that he used the same weird summoning method that he used. Secondly, the boy had the same face as himself, which was strange since he didn't remember having other relatives. Third—a minor detail that he somehow noticed—was that the teen had a nearly identical necklace to Yuuji's, the only difference being that Yuuji's was silver, while the boy's was blue."So that's how it works…" Yuuji muttered. "Using two Pendulum Cards, you place them on opposite ends of your duel disk to set a Pendulum Scale."That was how you set it up, but there were also things you had to look out for, like how the Scale Numbers of the monsters determined what you could summon, and how Pendulum Monsters have unique effects called Pendulum Effects.
I have the gist of it understood, so I should be able to replicate it in a duel.
It only took him 30 minutes to understand, after replaying Yuya's Pendulum Summoning against Strong Ishijima a few times. The base idea of Pendulum Summoning was simple enough to understand. Set two scales, then you can summon monsters whose Levels are between the numbers on the two scales.It was a pretty unique summoning method overall. Though, he did find it a little cheap, since it practically gave him an advantage over other opponents who didn't have access to Pendulum Monsters."I can't complain, though—my deck is much stronger now," Yuuji said with a satisfied smile as he started reorganizing his cards. "The deck my father left me always felt incomplete, but with these new Pendulum cards, it finally feels like it has real potential."As he put his deck into his deck holder, an idea popped into his head.
Wait…maybe I should try and find that Yuya guy?
What better way is there to truly put these cards to the test than by dueling another Pendulum user?"They said he was from You Show, right? Guess it's time to go pay it a visit."A while later, after struggling to navigate through the city, he finally arrived in front of You Show. He was surprised to see that many other people had a similar idea as his own, a large line forming outside of the school with odd architecture."Tch," Yuuji clicked his tongue before muttering, "I didn't think there would be a huge ass line like this. What the hell are they here for…""Do you think they'd let me join?" A youth asked another. "Sakaki Yuya's Pendulum Summoning was the greatest.""I hope so. Otherwise, I would've come here for nothing." Another youth replied. "Maybe they'll even lend us some Pendulum Cards of our own."Yuuji silently eavesdropped on the conversations from the excited people around him."Hey, I heard a rumor." A female youth spoke to her friend."A rumor?" Her friend raised an eyebrow. "What kind?""I heard that there was another Pendulum User somewhere in this city.""Another one? That can't be true.""A lot of people were talking about it, with some even saying that they saw it with their own eyes. At least, that's what I've heard."Her friend sighed, "You really need to stop blindly believing these rumors. Most of them are fake anyway."Yuuji's eyes widened at this conversation, but he quickly turned away before the girls noticed his gaze.Rumors from the underground sure spread fast. Yuuji thought. It's expected though. There were a lot of spectators for my duel against that champion. But to think it spread that fast…Luckily for him, the rumor didn't say anything other than the fact that there might be another Pendulum User. Saves him the hassle of people swarming him for info about his cards.
They can just go bother that Yuya guy for them.
After waiting for a good half an hour (there were way too many people), Yuuji finally managed to get inside You Show. What annoyed him was the fact that he had to fill out an application to join You Show, or else he wouldn't even be allowed inside. It made sense, but he didn't want to join a school specializing in entertainment dueling.He dozed off when Shuzo, the principal of You Show, began his speech about the history of You Show and its purpose. Things he wasn't interested in hearing.Others in the crowd seemed to share this same sentiment."How long is he going to talk?" A youth asked another."I want to see a Pendulum Summon now. I can't handle this old man's yapping any longer."
Me too. Me too.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" A voice announced behind the ground, drawing their attention. Under a spotlight in a dark room was a youth with tomato-colored hair. "Welcome to my one-man show today—!"—Smack!A pink-haired girl smacks the youth in the back of the head with a paper fan."What do you mean by one-man show? I'm here too, you know!"Yuuji tuned out after that, leaning on a wall while looking up to see how the duel progressed once in a while. When the duel reached its climax—everyone chanting for Yuya to use Pendulum—Yuuji cringed as he saw Yuya trying to Pendulum Summon during his opponent's turn, resulting in him being defeated shortly after.Yuya — LP: 2400 → 0Winner: YuzuThe crowd's excitement quickly turned to disappointment as they watched the embarrassing display unfold. They had spent the entire morning eagerly anticipating this moment, only to be let down. Their frustration deepened when they discovered that Pendulum Summoning required specific cards—cards that only Yuya possessed. Outraged, the group accused Yuya of cheating in his duel against Strong Ishijima before storming out of the school in a flurry of anger. Once the chaos died down, only two people remained of the original dozens of spectators. Yuuji, and a young boy with short blue hair.The young blue-haired boy, named Tatsuya, expressed interest in joining the You Show School, believing that Yuya hadn't cheated during his duel against Strong Ishijima. The boy declared that he wanted to learn how to duel just like Yuya, making everyone smile at this heartfelt speech. The rest of Yuya's friends chimed in, giving him motivation and reassurance.After this moment, Yuzu then noticed the tall silver-haired teen who was still present—who was tapping his feet impatiently—her eyes widened when she saw the boy's face."Yuya?" She asked aloud before turning to the actual Yuya. "Wait no, that's Yuya?""I'm Yuuji. Though I can see why you would be confused," Yuuji spoke up, alerting everyone. "I was surprised when I found out that there was another person who looked like me too."Shuzo perked up immediately, quickly moving towards Yuuji with fire in his eyes."Since you stayed here as well, that means you must be interested in joining our school, right?" Shuzo excitedly asked."No." Yuuji shut him down, causing the man to fall flat on his face. "I don't resonate with the ideas of this school much.""Then why did you come here?" Yuzu asked."I thought that would be obvious," Yuuji said before pointing at Yuya. "I came here to duel him. One on one."Yuya pointed at himself, "Duel…me?""Yes, you. I want to see what you've got, Mr. Pendulum." Yuuji stated. "Surely you aren't chicken enough to decline my challenge, right?""Now wait just a moment," A tall burly man stepped forward. "You can't just walk in here and rudely challenge someone to a duel.""I was speaking to Yuya, not you, Ogre." Yuuji frowned. "I had to wait for a good hour listening to a bunch of nonsense from you idiots, I'm not leaving here without a duel. If you're so eager to speak for him, you might as well duel for him too.""Gongenzaka, wait…" Yuya tried to speak out to his friend, but Gongenzaka didn't listen."I, the man Gongenzaka, cannot tolerate such disrespect," he said as he activated his duel disk. "I need to discipline this guy.""I'm so scared~." Yuuji mocked as he too activated his duel disk. "Let's see what you've got, big guy.""Principal," Gongenzaka turned to Shuzo. "We'll be using your arena, I hope you don't mind.""Oh…uh, I don't mind," Shuzo said as he stood back up."Good." Gongenzaka then turned to Yuuji. "Let's go.""..." Yuuji silently followed the burly man into the arena.The two stand on opposite ends of the arena, prepping their decks. The rest of the You Show Students watched the events in the spectator booth."That Yuuji guy is so mean." Ayu, a red-haired youth frowned."Yeah." Futoshi, a plump-looking boy with yellow hair chimed in. "Super mean!""I can see where he's coming from though," Yuya solemnly said. "I'd be a little pissed too if I was him. Waiting all that time just to see a pathetic performance.""Don't be like that," Yuzu tried to reassure her friend. "Like we said before, none of this is your fault.""..." Yuya didn't seem to agree, putting on his goggles.In the section above, Shuzo began operating on the new Real Solid Vision machine he had just gotten."Alright, here we go!" Shuzo announced as he pressed a button. "Action Field On! Warrior's Wasteland!"The Real Solid Vision machine began to work its magic, transforming the area around Yuuji and Gongenzaka into a barren wasteland. Scattered throughout the arena were swords that were all stabbed into the ground—each representing a soldier who had passed on during battle."A pretty cool arena," Yuuji commented as he tapped on one of the swords lodged into the ground. "This'll be fun.""Are you ready?" Gongenzaka asked his opponent. "I'll defeat you with my Steadfast Dueling, and make you pay for your earlier comments.""Still upset about me calling you an ogre?" Yuuji smirked. "I hope your anger won't blind you during our duel.""I, the man Gongenzaka, have been taught at a very young age at the Gongenzaka Dojo to be in tune with my emotions at all times during battle," Gongenzaka replied. "Your sly comments won't be effective here."Referring to himself in the third person? That's odd… Yuuji thought."Duelists locked in battle." Gongenzaka suddenly chanted.
What is he saying…oh right, the Action Duel chant. How did it go again?
"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Yuuji chanted.
Nailed it!
"They storm through this field!" Yuzu continued from the sidelines."Behold!" Shuzo said. "This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling!"[Action—!] The three younger You Show youths shouted together.[Duel!] They all shout in unison as Action Cards are dispersed throughout the field.Yuuji — LP: 4000Gongenzaka — LP: 4000[Turn 1: Yuuji] [H: 5]Yuuji looked at the five cards in his hand and smiled.
A solid hand. Let's see if what I've been theorizing is correct.
"I'll start!" Yuuji announced. "Using the Scale 2 Antique Maker - Edison and the Scale 8 Antique Maker - Mira, I set the Pendulum Scale!"Yuuji placed the two monsters on opposite ends of his duel blade, the word [PENDULUM] appearing between them in rainbow font. A well-dressed man with a light bulb in his hand and a woman in black holding a mirror in her hand rose into each of Yuuji's empty Pendulum Zone. A giant silver pendulum swung above him.This action shocked everyone present."Those cards…" Gongenzaka's jaw dropped."Pendulum cards!?" Yuzu cried out.[No way!?] The three You Show youths exclaimed."But how?" Shuzo's jaw dropped as well."..." A stunned Yuya just quietly watched the events unfold with widened eyes."With my currently set scale, I can summon monsters Levels 3 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji announced. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Come forth, my monsters!"The giant silver pendulum draws a portal, with a beam of energy appearing from its center."Appear now, the dragon born within the heart of dark phantoms, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4)!"A giant purple dragon with bone-like armor and sharp yellow eyes appeared."Odd-Eyes…" Yuya muttered as he pulled out his own Odd-Eyes Monster, which was glowing brightly—as if it was resonating with Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon."I set a card and end my turn," Yuuji concluded with a face-down."..."Everyone was frozen, completely stunned from what they had just witnessed. Gongenzaka was the first one to regain focus, realizing that it was his turn now.[Turn 2: Gongenzaka] [H: 6]"My turn! Draw!" Gongenzaka drew a card. "I don't know where you got those Pendulum Cards, but I won't let that distract me. I activate the effect of Superheavy Samurai Fighter from my hand! When only my opponent controls a monster, I can Special Summon it from my hand!"A machine warrior with blue armor and giant gloves on its hands appeared.[Superheavy Samurai Fighter (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 300/DEF: 1700/LV: 5)]"Then, I activate the effect of Superheavy Samurai Hexagon! When I control a Superheavy Samurai Monster, I can Special Summon it from my hand in Attack Position!"A giant machine with red armor, holding a giant pole in its hand appeared.[Superheavy Samurai Hexagon (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 600/DEF: ?/LV: 6)]"Special Summoning two monsters almost immediately…" Yuuji smirked. "He's good.""Now I release my two monsters to Advance Summon!" Gongenzaka announced as his two monsters turned into particles. "Come out, Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 3500/LV: 8)!"A giant machine warrior with blue and orange armor, holding a two-headed lance appeared."When Big Benkei is Advance Summoned, I can change its battle position to defense mode.""Change it to defense mode?" Yuuji raised an eyebrow.A blue aura surrounded the machine monster as he took a closed-off position."Battle!" Gongenzaka moved into his battle phase, shocking Yuuji. "Big Benkei attacks Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!""What!?" Yuuji cried out. "But it's in defense mode?""Big Benkai can attack while in defense mode." Gongenzaka declared. "Furthermore, when it deals battle damage, it uses its defense points for the damage calculation!"Big Benkei's lance begins to glow, as it shoots out golden electricity that is then sent towards Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon."I activate Antique Maker - Mira's Pendulum Effect!" Yuuji announced. "When I would take battle damage from an attack, I can negate that damage; then deal damage to my opponent equal to half the damage I would've taken.""But your dragon is still destroyed!" Gongenzaka shouted as Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon was destroyed by his monster's attack. He shields his face as the shockwaves of the attack are sent towards him thanks to Antique Maker - Mira's effect.Gongenzaka — LP: 4000 → 3500"Alright!" Ayu cheered. "He managed to destroy that jerk's dragon.""But at the cost of some of his Life Points," Tatsuya said.Surprisingly, Yuuji noticed that his Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon didn't go straight to the graveyard like normal monsters, but instead went into his Extra Deck face-up.Wait, if what I'm thinking is true. This summoning method might be the most overpowered bullshit I've ever seen. Yuuji thought."I end my turn with that," Gongenzaka concluded. "It's your move."[Turn 3: Yuuji] [H: 2]"My turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card. "Okay let's try it."Yuuji pulls out Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon from his Extra Deck."With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon!" Yuuji announced as the giant pendant drew another portal, with two beams of energy shooting out from it. "Return from my Extra Deck, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)! And from my hand, Antique Dawning Blaze (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 7)!"A floating, fiery blade and a purple dragon with bone armor appeared on Yuuji's field once again."Huh? Why is that dragon back?" Yuzu wondered. "Didn't Gongenzaka destroy it last turn?""Yeah, how is it back?" Ayu asked.Gongenzaka was just as shocked."How?" Gongenzaka asked aloud."I'm not sure myself," Yuuji shrugged. "But from what I can see, when Pendulum Monsters are destroyed, they return to the Extra Deck. And I'm allowed to summon them back onto the field whenever I Pendulum Summon as long as their levels are within my two Pendulum Scales.""Wait, so that means that he can just continuously bring back monsters that were destroyed," Tatsuya's eyes widened. "And with Antique Mira's Pendulum Effect, he can bounce an instance of damage he would receive back to his opponent.""Meaning that if this duel drags on, Yuuji will eventually widdle Gongenzaka's Life Points to zero." Yuzu completed the thought."That's…" Gogenzaka's jaw dropped."Overpowered, I know," Yuuji said. "But now isn't the time to be in shock, big guy. I activate my set Continuous Trap, Pendulum Trade! Once during my Main Phase, I can either place a monster from my field in an empty Pendulum Zone or Special Summon a monster from my Pendulum Zone onto my field. Descend to the field, Antique Maker - Edison (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1200/LV: 5/SC: 2)!"The well-dressed man in a suit disappeared from his Pendulum Zone, suddenly appearing from a portal onto Yuuji's field."Edison's effect now activates," Yuuji stated. "When he is Special Summoned onto my field, I can target a monster on your field, and destroy it! Say goodbye to your Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei!""I activate the effect of Superheavy Samurai Zen from my hand!" Gongenzaka announced. "When my opponent activates an effect that would destroy a Superheavy Samurai Monster I control, I can Special Summon this card, and negate that effect! Appear now, Superheavy Samurai Zen (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2200/LV: 5) in defense mode!"A machine with white armor, making a meditative pose, appeared on Gongenzaka's field."Tch." Yuuji clicked his tongue. "So you had a response to that. No matter. I now activate Antique Dawning Blaze's effect! With it, I can equip this card to a monster on my field. While a monster has this card equipped to it, it gains 500 ATK for each monster currently on the field. With there being two on your field and one on mine, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon gains 1500 ATK!"Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon catches the blazing sword in its mouth, the flame of the sword burning hotter as its power increases.(Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon — ATK: 2500 → 4000)"4000 ATK?" Futoshi's jaw dropped."Battle!" Yuuji moved into his Battle Phase. "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon attacks Big Benkei! Blazing Phantom Rush!"Phantom Dragon runs forward, leaping into the air as it slams through Big Benkei with its flaming sword and destroys it."I end my turn with that," Yuuji concluded.[Turn 4: Gongenzaka] [H: 4]"My turn! Draw!" Gongenzaka drew a card. "I activate the effect of Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji! When my opponent controls 2 or more monsters, I can Special Summon it from my hand!"A golden machine appeared on his field.[Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 800/DEF: 1800/LV: 5)]"Big Waraji's other effect now activates!" Gongenzaka announced. "When it is used for an Advance Summon, Big Waraji is treated as two tributes!"The golden machine is destroyed as a portal then appears beneath it."Burn bright, warrior with a soul of flames. Stand strong and strike down your enemies with your manly blows!" Gongenzaka chanted. "Advance Summon! Come forth, Superheavy Samurai Enjinmaru (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 4000/LV: 10)!"A giant red machine warrior holding a blazing katana appeared on Gongenzaka's field."Impressive," Yuuji smirked as he saw the giant monster."I'm not done yet!" Gongenzaka shouted. "When Superheavy Samurai Enjinmaru is summoned, I can immediately change its battle position to defense mode. Then, I'll equip Superheavy Samurai Soulshield Wall to my Enjimaru, increasing its defense by 1200!"A green metal shield appeared in the empty hand of Gongenzaka's monster.(Enjinmaru — DEF: 4000 → 5200)"Now Gongenzaka's monster is stronger than Yuuji's dragon." Yuzu smiled with relief. "He can win this.""Ooh, this duel is giving me the shivers!" Futoshi did a little dance of excitement."Battle!" Gongenzaka moved into his Battle Phase. "Superheavy Samurai Zen attacks Antique Maker - Edison!"The meditating machine stopped its practice for a moment, quickly leaping towards Yuuji's monster. In one swift motion, it slashed through Yuuji's monster, destroying it and causing him to wince at the damage.Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 3100"Now, Superheavy Samurai Enjinmaru attacks Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon. Blazing Katana Slash!"The massive machine warrior moves forward, clashing blades with Phantom Dragon. This exchange lasted a few moments before Enjinmaru eventually came out on top—destroying the dragon."Before the damage calculation, Antique Maker - Mira's Pendulum Effect activates, shielding me from the damage and bouncing half that damage back to you!"Gongenzaka winces as his Life Points drop again.Gongenzaka — LP: 3500 → 2900"I end my turn." Gongenzaka concluded.Damn, I didn't think that Dawning Blaze would end up going to the graveyard instead of the Extra Deck. Yuuji frowned. Could it be because it was treated as an equip card?That had to be the case since Antique Maker - Edison and Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon were both sent to his Extra Deck when they were destroyed.Well, that sucks. He was planning on summoning it to easily increase Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon's ATK until it was high enough to defeat Enjinmaru, but now that wasn't much of an option.
Well, let's develop a plan after this next draw.
[Turn 5: Yuuji] [H: 2]"My turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card. Though he cringed when he saw what he drew. "Antique Light Bulb? That is like the last card I needed in this situation."Well, not all hope is lost. There was still one thing he could do."I activate the effect of Pendulum Trade once again!" Yuuji announced. "With it, I'll Special Summon Antique Maker - Mira (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5/SC: 8)!"The woman in all black holding a mirror in her hand disappeared from her Pendulum Zone, appearing in front of Yuuji."Mira's effect activates. Once per turn, when she is summoned onto my field, I can add an Antique Monster from my deck to my hand!"Yuuji thought about it for a moment before adding something to his hand."This'll work…" Yuuji smiled as he looked at the card he added. "I summon Antique Maker - Swinging Soul (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2000/LV: 3/SC: 1)!"A magician in a white cloak, holding a swinger pendulum in his hand, appeared."Swinging Soul's effect activates. Once per turn, I can switch the ATK and DEF of one monster on the field until the End Phase of this turn. I choose to swap your Superheavy Samurai Enjinmaru's ATK and DEF stats!"Gongenzaka was surprised as his massive monster was pacified with a single effect.(Enjinmaru — ATK: 100 → 5200, DEF: 5200 → 100)"Now that Enjinmaru's defense stats are lowered, Gongenzaka's field is now completely bare…" Shuzo muttered as he observed the duel from his post. "And with no cards in his hand, the odds of Gongenzaka making any sort of comeback after his monster is destroyed is slim.""Now let's do this. Battle!" Yuuji pumped his fist forward. "Antique Maker - Mira attacks Superheavy Samurai Enjinmaru! Crystal Beam!"The mirror in the female monster's hand began to glow as it shot a beam of energy directly at the machine warrior."I, the man Gongenzaka, won't go down that easily!" Gongenzaka shouted. "I activate Superheavy Samurai Soulshield Wall's effect! By sending it to the graveyard, I can negate your attack. However, in exchange, the equipped monster's DEF is reduced to zero."Enjinmaru blocks the beam with its shield, however, due to the power of the attack, its shield is mostly vaporized.(Enjinmaru — DEF: 100 → 0)"However, at this time, Superheavy Samurai Zen's effect activates!" Gongenzaka continued. "When a Machine-type Monster I control has its defense reduced, I can increase its DEF by an amount equal to half of its original defense until the End Phase!""Its original defense was 4000, right?" Yuuji calculated before he frowned. "That means…""Enjinmaru's DEF increases by 2000!" Gongenzaka declared.(Enjinmaru — DEF: 0 → 2000)"Dammit." Yuuji cursed. "Now I can't destroy it with Swinging Soul."With nothing left that he could do, he ended his Battle Phase."I activate the Equip Spell, Antique Maker's Will!" Yuuji announced. "By discarding a card from my hand, I can equip it to an Antique Maker Monster I control. I choose to equip it to Antique Maker - Swinging Soul!"A silver aura surrounded the magician."While a monster is equipped with this spell, it can't be destroyed by battle, and its ATK increases by 500 for each Antique Monster in my graveyard. Since there are currently two in my graveyard currently, Swinging Soul gains 1000 ATK!"(Swinging Soul — ATK: 100 → 1100)"I end my turn," Yuuji concluded his turn. "And with the end of my turn, Enjinmaru's defense returns to normal."(Enjinmaru — DEF: 2000 → 4000)"Nice Gongenzaka!" Ayu cheered. "He managed to keep his monster safe!""Now Yuuji's vulnerable," Tatsuya stated. "It's the perfect chance to go for an all-out attack."[Turn 6: Gongenzaka] [H: 2]"My turn! Draw!" Gongenzaka drew a card with all his might."Before you do anything, I activate Pendulum Trade's effect!" Yuuji announced. "With it, I'll move Antique Maker - Mira back into my Pendulum Zone!"A Pendulum Zone forms behind Yuuji, with his monster slowly rising into it."I release my Superheavy Samurai Zen to Advance Summon!" Gongenzaka starts as his monster is destroyed. "Appear now, Superheavy Samurai Tetsukiba (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 2500/LV: 6)!"A wolf-like machine warrior appeared, with sharp metallic claws and blue armor plating."Superheavy Samurai Tetsukiba effect activates! When it is summoned, I can target 1 card on your field and destroy it!""What!?" Yuuji's eyes widened." Say goodbye to your Antique Maker - Mira! Go Tetsukiba!"The wolf-like machine warrior leaped in the air, slashing through Yuuji's monster and destroying it.Dammit, now most of my defenses are gone. Yuuji frowned. This could get dicey."Battle!" Gongenzaka moved into his Battle Phase. "Superheavy Samurai Tetsukiba attacks Antique Maker - Swinging Soul! Fangbreaker Claw!"The iron wolf leaped forward, attempting to slash through Yuuji's monster."Antique Maker's Will prevents the destruction of my monster!" Yuuji declared.A barrier formed around the white-cloaked magician, protecting it from harm's way."But you still take damage!" Gongenzaka shouted.Yuuji braces himself as a shockwave hits him.Yuuji — LP: 3100 → 3000"I'm not done yet!" Gongenzaka announced. "Superheavy Samurai Enjinmaru attacks Swinging Soul! Blazing Katana Slash!"The machine warrior's fiery blade glowed brightly as it jumped forward, swinging it down on Yuuji's monster once again—yet not reaching it as the magician is protected by a barrier once again. However, Yuuji is sent flying away due to the shockwaves of the attack.Yuuji — LP: 3000 → 100"I end my turn." Gongenzaka concluded. "And with the end of my turn, Tetsukiba's effect activates. During the End Phase of the turn it was summoned, Tetsukiba's battle position switches to defense mode!"The iron wolf takes a closed-off position, as a blue, transparent aura surrounds it."Aw man, so close!" Ayu frowned."Why didn't Gongenzaka use his effect to destroy Yuuji's monster instead of his Pendulum Scale?" Futoshi asked. "That would've left Yuuji completely wide open.""Did you forget about Antique Maker - Mira's Pendulum Effect?" Tatsuya replied. "If he did that, he would've only had his attack reflected back to him.""Ow…" Yuuji rubbed his head as he got back on his feet. "That hurt like hell."
This guy is a lot smarter than he looks, targeting my Pendulum Scale like that. If his monster had done even 100 more points of damage, I would've lost by now.
Well, it's not like this position is any better either. He only had Swinging Soul on his field, which while it would be able to destroy Gongenzaka's monster using its effect, Gongenzaka would be able to just finish him off on his next turn."I need to set my Pendulum Scale somehow." Yuuji frowned. "It all comes down to this last draw."Yuuji put his hand over his deck and took a deep breath.
My deck, don't let me down now.
"My turn! Draw!" Yuuji deck began to glow as he drew a card with all his might.[Turn 7: Yuuji] [H: 2]When he looked at what he drew, he smiled. A Pendulum Monster, just what he needed! "The Scale Number is kind of low, but it'll work."Gongenzaka noticed the look on the youth's face, "I can tell from that look that you drew something good.""That's right." Yuuji nodded. "But first, I activate Antique Maker - Swinging Soul's effect, using it to swap Superheavy Samurai Enjinmaru's ATK and DEF stats!"The pendulum in the magician's hand began to swing back and forth, as it used its power to alter the properties of Gongenzaka's monster.(Enjinmaru — ATK: 100 → 4000, DEF: 4000 → 100)"Next, I activate Pendulum Trade's effect, using it to place Swinging Soul into my Pendulum Scale!"A white-robed magician rose into one of Yuuji's empty Pendulum Scales."Alright, guide me to victory, my monsters!" Yuuji shouted as his silver pendant began to glow. "Using the Scale 1 Antique Maker - Swinging Soul and the Scale 6 Antique Compass, I set the Pendulum Scale!"Yuuji placed his cards on opposite ends of his duel disk, the word [PENDULUM] appearing between them in rainbow font as a floating compass rose into Yuuji's other empty Pendulum Zone. A giant silver pendulum swung above him."Now I can summon monsters Levels 3 through 5 all at the same time!" Yuuji announced. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Pendulum Summon! Return from my Extra Deck, Antique Maker - Mira (ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5) and Antique Maker - Edison (ATK: 1300/DEF: 1200/LV: 5)!"A well-dressed man holding a light bulb and a woman in all black holding a mirror in her hands appeared."Antique Maker - Mira's effect activates! When she is summoned onto my field, I can add 1 Antique Monster from my deck to my hand!" Yuuji added a card to his hand. "Then, I activate Antique Maker - Edison's effect! When he is Special Summoned, I can target a monster on your field and destroy it! Say goodbye to your Superheavy Samurai Tetsukiba!""I won't let you!" Gongenzaka counter. "Tetsukiba's effect now activates! When a Superheavy Samurai Monster on my field would be destroyed by battle or card effect, I can banish a Machine-type Monster in my graveyard instead!""Damn…" Yuuji cursed. "Now what?"He was hoping to completely wipe out Gongenzaka's field, but with this effect, now even if he attacks, Gongenzaka will still have a monster strong enough to wipe out his few Life Points.Dammit… Yuuji clenched his fist. What do I do now?His former self would typically just give up in this situation, but that wasn't him anymore. Doubt is the killer of potential. He needs to do away with it right here, like he did in his match against Black Death. The strongest duelist wouldn't give up even if he was backed into a corner.There still has to be a way for him to win right? As long as he had monsters to play, the path to victory was still in his reach.
[Current Theme Playing: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Sound Duel 1 OST: 9 - Swing! Pendulum of Souls]
—Badump!Yuuji felt his heart skip a beat as the image of a monster appeared in his mind.So, this is your answer, my deck. Yuuji smiled. Since you haven't given up, I won't either!"I activate Antique Compass' Pendulum Effect!" Yuuji declared. "Using it, I can Special Summon an Antique Monster from my hand or graveyard! Return from my graveyard, Antique Dawning Blaze (ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!"The fiery blade with a golden hilt appeared on the field once again."When an Antique Monster is Special Summoned onto my field, I can Special Summon Antique Tabletop (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5) from my hand!"A floating, wooden table appeared on Yuuji's field."What will summoning a bunch of monsters do for you in this situation?" Gongenzaka raised an eyebrow. "Even if you managed to raise one of your monster's ATK, it won't help you defeat my manly monsters!""You think?" Yuuji smirked. "Let's put that to the test, shall we?""I overlay my Level 5 Antique Maker - Mira, Antique Maker - Edison, and Antique Tabletop!" Yuuji declared as his three monsters are turned into energy and absorbed into a galaxy vortex that appeared right in front of him. A pillar of light shot out from its center."The will of the oppressed who die on the battlefield burns bright." Yuuji chanted. "They wait for the one who guides the will of the fallen to victory! Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 5! Rise up, courageous leader who fans the flames of rebellion, Antique Maker - Revolution Commander (Fire/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/R: 5/SC: 5/OU: 3)!"A tall, red-haired man with eagle eyes in a black cloak with a black mask over his mouth appeared."An Xyz Summon?" Gongenzaka's jaw dropped."No way," Yuzu gasped.I don't know how I did it either. Yuuji thought, but didn't voice it out loud."Antique Dawning Blaze's effect activates!" Yuuji announced. "By equipping it to Revolution Commander, it gains 1000 ATK since there are two other monsters currently on the field!"Revolution Commander catches the blade in its hand, pulling his mask down to reveal the bottom half of his face. The blade burns bright as the flames wrap around both it and Revolution Commander.(Revolution Commander — ATK: 2500 → 3500)"Now here comes the climax!" Yuuji pumped his fist forward. "Antique Maker - Revolution Commander attacks Superheavy Samurai Enjinmaru! Blazing Revolution!""Tetsukiba's effect activates!" Gongenzaka shouts. "By banishing another Machine-type Monster in my graveyard, I can negate the destruction of my Enjinmaru—!""Naive!" Yuuji's interrupted, surprising Gongenzaka. "Revolution Commander's effect now activates! By detaching one Overlay Unit, when it battles a monster in defense position, it inflicts piercing damage!"One of Revolution Commander's three surrounding overlay units is destroyed. The flames surrounding him began to turn into a deep blue color.(Revolution Commander — OU: 3 → 2)"I'm not done yet!" Gongenzaka shouted. "I activate Enjinmaru's effect! Once per turn, when I would take damage in a battle involving a Superheavy Samurai Monster, I can pay half my Life Points to negate that damage!"Enjinmaru's blocks Revolution Commander's attack with its own blade. The shockwaves of the attack caused Gongenzaka to wince.Gongenzaka — LP: 2900 → 1450"Alright, now that Gongenzaka's Life Points are safe, he'll win!" Ayu cheered."No, with this, your fate is sealed!" Yuuji announced. "When Revolution Commander has Antique Dawning Blaze equipped to it, it can make a second attack during the Battle Phase!""What!?" Gongenzaka cried out."I now detach another Overlay Unit from Revolution Commander, allowing it to inflict piercing damage for this attack as well!" Yuuji shouted as another Overlay Unit was destroyed.(Revolution Commander — OU: 2 → 1)"Finish this, Revolution Commander! Blazing Revolution!"Enjinmaru and Revolution Commander engage in a clash for a few moments longer, before Revolution Commander eventually overpowers it, destroying it and sending Gongenzaka flying from the shockwaves.Gongenzaka — LP: 1450 → 0Winner: Yuuji

[BGM (Background Music) Ends Here.]

The Action Field and monsters dematerialized, returning the two duelists back into the arena. Yuuji walked up to the fallen Gongenzaka and extended his hand."That was a fun duel," Yuuji smiled at his opponent. "Need help?""Yeah," Gongenzaka accepted the hand as Yuuji helped him back onto his feet. "That was some impressive dueling there.""I can say the same thing about you." Yuuji said. "You really backed me into a corner there."Yuuji then remembered something."Oh, and sorry about my rude comments earlier," Yuuji apologized. "Being angry wasn't an excuse for me speaking out of turn like that.""I should be apologizing as well," Gongenzaka said. "I, the man Gongenzaka, should've maintained a more level head, instead of getting worked up over a few targeted comments.""Well, it's all water under the bridge. Hopefully we can start off on a better foot now." Yuuji replied. "Now what I'm really curious about is your deck. That whole duel, you never used a single Spell or Trap Card. You didn't try to search for Action Cards either. What's up with that?""I, the man Gongenzeka, believe in Steadfast Dueling.""Steadfast…Dueling?" Yuuji tilted his head."A dueling style that involves fighting my opponent head on with only the monsters in my deck." Gongenzaka explained as he flexed his massive arm. "I believe in dueling using only the cards in my deck, without receiving outside help from cards not a part of my deck like Action Cards.""Amazing," Yuuji said in awe. "That's an awesome dueling philosophy.""What about you?" Gongenzaka asked. "I noticed you also didn't go for Action Cards throughout the duel.""Oh, that? I thought that since you didn't seem to plan on using them, it would be unfair if I used them against you." Yuuji answered. "Also, I'm trying to become the strongest duelist in the world. How can I make my way to the top if I don't fight with just my own cards?"Gongenzaka smiled at this, "That's a very manly way of dueling. I, the man Gongenzaka, am starting to like your way of thinking."Yuuji smiled back, "Me too, big guy. We have to duel again sometime."The two fist bump each other.At the same time, the door to the spectator booth opened, with the rest of the You Show group entering the arena. Yuuji was then immediately surrounded by the three younger You Show students, who began bombarding him with questions."How are you so good at dueling?" Futoshi asked before doing a silly dance. "That last move of yours gave me the shivers."The shivers? What even is that? Yuuji wondered."Where did you get those Pendulum Cards?" Ayu asked. "I thought only Yuya-oniichan had them?""Uhh…I'm not sure." Yuuji scratched the back of his head. "They just sort of appeared in my deck yesterday while I was in the middle of a duel.""That's the same way Yuya describes what had happened to him when he got his Pendulum Cards." Yuzu said in surprise."What a coincidence that the two people with such similar faces both have access to a never-before-seen summoning method." Tatsuya commented."Not to mention similar dragons as well," Gongenzaka pointed out. "It can't be a coincidence that they both have an Odd-Eyes Pendulum Monster.""I actually never thought about that," Yuuji said. "I thought it just had something to do with both of our pendants and our similar facial features."All of this can't be a coincidence. Yuuji thought. But what kind of connection could the two of us have?Maybe they were secretly long-lost brothers who were separated after a horrible incident?Nah, there's no way that's possible. They both have distinctly different features otherwise. Like how Yuuji was a bit taller than Yuya, or the fact that they had different colored hair and eyes."What do you think about this Yuya?" Yuzu turned to her friend, who had been silent the whole time—his goggles still over his eyes."Oh, uhh…I don't…" Yuya seemed to be struggling to find the right words to say.Yuzu frowned at her friend's indecisiveness, "Why are you acting so off? Don't tell me you still feel bad about what happened earlier. I thought we already established that it wasn't your fault.""But it is," Yuya insisted. "Yuuji was able to immediately understand how to use Pendulum Summoning way quicker than me and even used it to help perform an Xyz Summon. Compared to that, I—""Okay, I'm going to have to stop you right there," Yuuji interrupted. "I didn't immediately know how to do it. I only learned the basics of it by rewatching your duel against Strong Ishijima over and over. Hell, I didn't even know that Pendulum Monsters were sent to the Extra Deck when they were destroyed before this recent duel."Yuya was surprised by this."It has nothing to do with talent," Yuuji continued. "I was just smart enough to actually try and understand how the summoning method worked instead of just assuming that it would come naturally since it's something special that only I have.""Couldn't you have phrased that a bit nicer," Yuzu frowned at Yuuji, only receiving a shrug in response."I can't help it. I'm a blunt speaker," Yuuji stated. "Sometimes, you just need to hear the cold hard truth, without unnecessary words to tone down the message. I can't have the only other person who can Pendulum Summon screw himself over due to self-fulfilling doubts.""..." Everyone present was silent at his words.Yuuji yawned before beginning to walk off, "Well, I'm tired. I already had my fill of dueling for today."Just as he was about to leave the arena, someone called out to him."Wait!" A voice called out. Turning around, he realized the voice came from Yuya."Hmm? What's up?" Yuuji raised an eyebrow.Yuya paused for a moment before continuing, "Teach me.""What?" Yuuji's eyes widened at the request."You have Pendulum Summoning practically figured out right now, while I'm struggling to even use it," Yuya said."Yuya…" Yuzu solemnly looked at her friend."That duel I had against Ishijima," Yuya explained. "The cheers of the crowds after I managed to make a comeback using Pendulum Summoning, the smiles on everyone's faces. I want to be able to recreate that and use it to duel in a way that brings smiles to everyone's face, just like my dad did.""..." Yuuji thought about it for a moment, weighing the pros and cons in his head.
Sounds like a hassle. But, if I can get him up to par, I might get myself a potential rival that can really push me to my limits.
"Hmm… Okay, I'll help you, but you have to promise me that duel I've been waiting for after everything is said and done.""Deal," Yuya agreed to his demands."However, that'll have to wait 'till tomorrow," Yuuji said with a tired yawn, rubbing his eyes. "Right now, I need some sleep."After saying his last goodbye to the You Show Students (plus Gongenzaka), Yuuji left the school, making his way back to his hotel. Once he arrived, he placed his deck and duel disk away before he launched himself onto his bed. Dozing off as he thought back on his duel against Gongenzaka.
I wonder how Revolution Commander ended up in my deck. I don't remember having that card originally when my deck randomly transformed.
It was as if that card had been willed to existence. It didn't help that it had almost the exact effects that he needed for his current situation."Having its effect allow it to deal piercing damage to monsters in defense mode, that can't be a coincidence…" Yuuji assessed.…"Dammit!" Yuuji began furiously rubbing his hair. "None of this shit is making sense!"
Like how was I able to Xyz Summon so well in the first place? The only summoning method that I knew how to use aside from Pendulum was Synchro.
Eventually, he just gave up on thinking about it, shutting his brain off as he began dozing off to sleep. It was already weird enough that he had gotten these Pendulum Cards, this was tamer in comparison.At LDS Tower…Nakajima walked into Reiji's office once again, clipboard in hand."Reiji-dono, we've detected high amounts of multiple different summoning energies earlier today," Nakajima said."Multiple?" Reiji raised an eyebrow."We've detected high amounts of Pendulum and Xyz energies from Haruki Yuuji's duel disk," Nakajima informed. "However, we've also detected sources of Xyz and Ritual Energies coming from other areas.""Xyz and Ritual?" Reiji's eyes widened. "Has the dimensional war already begun spreading over here now?""We're not sure, but we're looking into it," Nakajima replied. "As for what you've wanted me to find on Haruki Yuuji, here is all we've managed to find out so far."Nakajima handed Reiji a clipboard with the data."...He's an orphan child who had lost his father in a riot incident at the Outpost five years ago…His father, Haruki Gin was a former pro duelist who was a rising star in the dueling world before suddenly disappearing ten years ago…Has been arrested multiple times for violence against authority and being caught dueling in illegal circuits…"From what Reiji could tell, Haruki Yuuji always acted in a way to find a way to duel powerful opponents. Most likely the main reason why his win rate was so low.Reiji handed the clipboard back to Nakajima."Keep an eye on him," Reiji commanded. "Also, I'd like you to keep your eyes on the sources of the high amount of Xyz and Ritual Energies.""Yes Reiji-dono," Nakajima bowed. "I'll get right to that now."Nakajima soon left Reiji office, leaving Reiji alone with his thoughts.Things are already progressing at a rapid pace. Reiji thought. It might be time for me to make my move now.A bit earlier…"Argh!" A rough-looking man in sent flying into a fall, falling on top of a pile of other, unconscious men. The perpetrator of the pile looking on with a disappointed expression."That wasn't even worth a warm-up," A youth with pink haired frowned as he deactivated his duel disk. He wore a black cloak the covered the bottom most of his body."Well, I did tell you that Standard was the weakest of the five dimensions by far, Yuga," A girl with scarlet red hair spoke as she was typing away on her laptop. She wore a similarly styled cloak, however unlike Yuga, her hair was cover by her hood."I know that Shizuka. But to be this weak? Come on," Yuga said with an exasperated expression. "Even the weakest from our dimension, who are completely powerless against Academia, can clobber these fools.""Uhuh…" Shizuka half-heartedly replied as she had her complete attention on her laptop. "Just a bit longer…and…done. I've just figured out our target.""About time," Yuga said as he approached her. "Spill it out, who do we have to find?""Akaba Leo's son." Shizuka bluntly stated, surprising Yuga."Akaba Leo's son!?" Yuga cried out. "Don't tell me we're going to…""Yeah, we're going to kidnap him obviously," Shizuka stated. "Then, we can potentially use him as a bargaining chip to get back the people Academia took from us.""Are you sure that's going to work? I doubt some war hungry bastard like him would stop his conquest just because we kidnapped his son.""Well, I don't see you giving me any other good suggestions," Shizuka said as she shut off her laptop. "And no, we are not going to charge into Academia and try to fight them head on, we'll only end up dying like the rest of our people.""I mean, I don't mind either way," Yuga said. "If your confident in this plan, I'll follow along with it."Shizuka smiled, "That's good. Let's start discussing the first phase of the plan."Elsewhere at a similar time…—Thud!"Wait, we can talk about this," A man wearing an LDS Staff Uniform pleaded. "What do you want, info? I have a lot of info, see." He pointed at his badge. "I'm a staff member at LDS, if you want to know all sorts of secrets, I'm your man!""I don't need your shitty info, LDS," A tall man with dark teal hair, wearing a red mask and sunglasses along with a long, dark blue trenchcoat stated. "I won't believe a single lie from the enemy.""E-Eh?" The LDS Staff member began sweating. "Well, I guess there's nothing I do can do for you then. Now, can you please let me go?""There's one thing you can do for me.""Oh really, what is it?""Sit there and pay for your sins, scum." The tall man coldly said as he pointed his duel disk towards the LDS Staff.A bright purple light was emitted from his duel disk that enveloped the LDS Staff. When the light died down, the only thing left of the LDS Staff was a card which had his horrified expression printed onto it."Hmph," The tall man picked up the card, looking at it for a moment before pocketing it."Shun! What are you doing!" A voice suddenly called out for him. Turning around, he found a slightly younger teen with lavender colored hair, wearing punk-styled clothing."Yuto?" Shun removed his sunglasses and pulled down his mask. "What are you doing here?""I can ask you the same thing," Yuto said before pulling Shun by the collar. "What do you think your doing? Killing random civilians like that.""He's not a random civilian, he's just another lackey of Academia," Shun stated as he pushed Yuto off of him. "I'm just doing what has to be done.""Are you serious!?" Yuto asked with an exasperated expression. "We never even 100% confirmed that LDS is associated with Academia. And besides, I thought we agreed on only using force when necessary!?""This is necessary, don't you get it?" Shun clenched his fists. "That guy used Fusion Summoning. That just proves that the two places are connected.""You seriously can't be this dumb, Shun!" Yuto shouted. "The people in this dimension are able to perform every summoning method, just because he used Fusion doesn't mean that he's affiliated with Academia!""Listen, Yuto." Shun said with a dark expression as he walked past Yuto. "I don't care if they're innocent or not. If anybody stands in the way of me and my goal to rescue Ruri, I'll annihilate them. Even you…"Shun walked away after than, leaving Yuto behind.Yuto clenched his fists and grit his teeth, "That guy, can't he tell that this path isn't the one the Ruri would want either of us to go down."Meanwhile, in the Fusion Dimension…A cyan-haired youth with his haired tied into a ponytail, wearing a blue school/military uniform nonchalantly entered the massive room. Sitting on the throne at the room's center is a tan-skinned man with a commanding presence."I'm here, Professor," The cyan-haired youth said as he put a lollipop in his mouth."Good, I have a very important mission for you, Shuinin Sora." The Professor stood up. "I need you to go undercover in the Standard Dimension as a spy. I've gotten report that there were some Xyz and Ritual refugees who have found their way there. I need you to go take care of them."Sora smirked, biting down on his lollipop, "You want me to clean up some trash lowlifes, huh? I can do that.""I'm sure you can," The Professor said. "However, you won't be going on this mission alone. I want you to take Ryouga with you.""That bastard!?" Sora replied with a tense expression. "But why? I can handle things all on my own.""Think of it as insurance, Sora," The Professor answered. "Ryouga has been proven useful in missions like this.""Ugh, fine," Sora accepted this decision. "Don't expect me to work together with him though.""You won't need to. He'll have a different mission from you." The Professor stated. "Now, if you understand your mission, you are dismissed.""Yes, Professor," Sora bowed before taking his leave.The Professor turned around to the massive reactor behind him, which had hundreds of cards spilling into it that fueled the machine.Just a few more pieces, Ray. The Professor thought. Soon, you'll be back, my precious daughter.
Custom/Altered Cards:

Monster Cards -

Antique Maker - Edison
ATK: 1300, DEF: 1200, LV: 5, SC: 2Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: If a Pendulum Monster you control would be destroyed by a card effect, you can destroy this card instead.Monster Effect: When this card is Summoned: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; destroy it.
Superheavy Samurai Fighter
ATK: 300, DEF: 1700, LV: 5Earth/Machine/EffectMonster Effect: This card can attack while in face-up Defense Position. If it does, use its DEF for damage calculation. If your opponent controls a monster and you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.
Superheavy Samurai Zen
ATK: 100, DEF: 2200, LV: 5Earth/Machine/EffectThis card can attack while in face-up Defense Position. If it does, use its DEF for damage calculation. If your opponent activates an effect that would destroy a "Superheavy Samurai" monster you control, you can negate that effect and Special Summon this card from your hand.You can only use the following effect of "Superheavy Samurai Zen" once per turn:—If the DEF of a Machine-Type monster you control is reduced, you can increase its DEF by an amount equal to half its original DEF until the End Phase.
Superheavy Samurai Enjinmaru
ATK: 100, DEF: 4000, LV: 10Earth/Machine/EffectMonster Effect: This card can attack while in face-up Defense Position. If it does, use its DEF for damage calculation. When this card is Summoned, change its battle position to face-up Defense Position. If you would take damage from a battle involving a "Superheavy Samurai" monster, you can pay half your Life Points to negate that damage.
Superheavy Samurai Tetsukiba
ATK: 1200, DEF: 2500, LV: 6Earth/Machine/EffectMonster Effect: When this card is Summoned: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy it. If a "Superheavy Samurai" monster you control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can banish 1 Machine-Type monster from your Graveyard instead. During the End Phase of the turn this card is Summoned, change its battle position to face-up Defense Position.
Antique Compass
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 3, SC: 6Light/Fairy/Tuner/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: Once per turn, you can Special Summon 1 "Antique" Monster from your hand or Graveyard.Monster Effect: You can equip this card to 1 monster your opponent controls. While this card is equipped to a monster, that monster cannot attack.
Antique Tabletop
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5Light/Fairy/EffectMonster Effect: If an Antique Monster is Special Summoned, Special Summon this monster from your hand.
Antique Maker - Revolution Commander
ATK: 2500, DEF: 2000, R: 5, SC: 5Fire/Spellcaster/Xyz/Pendulum/Effect3 Level 5 MonstersPendulum Effect: You can Special Summon 1 "Antique Dawning Blaze" from your hand or Graveyard.Monster Effect: If you can Pendulum Summon Level 5 monsters, you can Pendulum Summon this face-up card in your Extra Deck. If this card has "Antique Dawning Blaze" equipped to it, it can attack twice during each Battle Phase. You can detach 1 material from this card to activate one of the following effects:—Special Summon 1 "Antique Dawning Blaze" from your Deck.—This card inflicts piercing battle damage during its next attack this turn.
Spell/Trap Cards:

Pendulum Trade
Continuous Trap CardYou can target 1 card in your Pendulum Zone; Special Summon it. You can target 1 Pendulum Monster in your Monster Zone; place that Pendulum Monster in your Pendulum Zone. You can only use 1 "Pendulum Trade" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
Antique Maker's Will
Equip Spell CardCan only be equipped to an "Antique Maker" Monster. The card this is equipped to gains 500 ATK for each "Antique" Monster in the graveyard and cannot be destroyed by battle.
And that's the end of chapter 2. Sorry if the protagonist came off as a bit mean in this chapter. It was the only way I could think off to progress the story when I wrote it. He's a bit nicer (not to the point of changing his personality or anything though) starting from the next chapter, so if that was a concern you may have had, rest assured that it's fixed.

Don't forgot to drop some comments, I like seeing what people have to say.

If the next chapter is out, go read it. (If you're interested enough to read through two chapters, you might as well read a third).

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

And here's a third for the readers at home.

Be sure to drop some comments. I see all of them so feel free to speak out your mind and drop some suggestions or comments about the story. Criticism is also welcome (as long as it isn't brainless flaming of the story).

Here's a prompt if you have no idea on what you'd like to write a review about. It's still the same as the last chapter.

Question of the day: What are some things that you would like to see in an Arc-V fanfic?

Without any further ado, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Minor spelling, grammar, and other mistakes may be present.

(A/N: Since I'm Bored, here's the anime opening for the Standard Dimension Arc. Minor Spoilers ahead, though a lot of it is more faint hints at what is to come and may or may not be true.)

(A/N II: Characters you the reader would already know from the series or mentioned prior to this chapter will be referred to by their name.)

Standard Arc Opening Theme (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 1: BELIEVE X BELIEVE):

Birību × Birību biri-biri-biri Badīzu!

(A screen is split into two sides, one half red and one-half green. Yuuji is shown on the green side with a serious expression, while Yuya is shown on the red side with a smile. The screen then splits into six, with four other pictures of Yuya appearing. The colors for each extra Yuya are yellow, pink, blue, and purple. The logo for the series then appears on top of them during the instrumental.)

Yū! Kachi make janai saikyō no Kādo

(Yuuji is seen with a confident smirk on his face, spinning around as he activates his duel disk.)

Yū! Supīdo zenkai harahara On za gēmu

(He then places two cards on his duel blade, with spawn the word [PENDULUM] in rainbow font between them as two Pendulum Zone appear behind him.)
Dan-Dan-Dan-Dan Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan!  Dan-Dan-Dan-Dan Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan!
(The scene shifts rapidly. One screen showing Shizuka and Yuga, who are sitting together at a cafe. Another shows Yuzu, who slams her paper fan into Shuzo's head. The next screen that shows up is Gongenzaka carrying the younger You Show Students on his back as they try to reach a cat that was stuck under a tree. Then the screen shifts to Yuto walking in one direction before splitting to show Shun walking the opposite way.)

Yureru ma ma ma Maindo Tamashī no pendyuramu kyūkyoku no konfyūjon

(The next scene splits into two, as Yuuji and Yuya both simultaneously Pendulum Summoning.)

Shōdō ga Gotto itto gotto itto

(A tall man with long, dark green hair is seen smirking, revealing his teeth which were all sharp and pointy.)

Shōbu wa gachi gachi honki reboryūshon

(Sora is seen smiling for a moment. Then seen shifts to an abandoned harbor, with Yuuji standing in front of the tall, dark green-haired man mention earlier.)

(Jasuto burēkin' za wōru... x2)

(Yuuji and the man both activate their duel disk, as they look at each other with serious expressions on their faces.)

Raido on nau!

(The two draw their cards as their duel begins.)

Birību × Birību Eburibadi gōin' kabe wo tsukiyabure!

(Yuuji summons Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon and Revolution Commander, who clash with a massive machine Gundam. The clash creates a giant explosion that obscures the screen.)
Yua gona bīto itto bīto!  Mugendai no fyūchā mayoi wa buttobase!
(The scene shifts to a duel between Yuya and Yuuji. With Yuya having a spotlight over him as he speaks which causes Yuuji to sweat drop.)

Meiku itto Meiku itto yūki dashite (Bureiku itto nau)

(The scene shifts to an alleyway at night, with Reiji and Shun standing face to face. Shun having a serious, hateful expression while Reiji's was more of a calculated calm.)

Steppu aheddo! Fumidase yo (Du itto nau)

(The scene shifts to another part of the city, where a girl with spikey dark blue hair with lighter bangs is seen walking through the dazzling streets of a city, a resolved expression on her face.)

Otanoshimi wa kore kara da!

(The scene shifts to Yuuji and Yuya, who happily eat food on a bench. In the background, Yuto could be seen leaning on a tree, while Yuga sat on the ground eating cotton candy.)

So daremo ga Birībā!

(The screen filters to grey as an image of a younger Yuuji sitting on a Duel Runner, with a taller woman with grey hair smiling behind him.)

Birību × Birību biri-biri-biri Badīzu!

(In a dark void, the camera zooms in on Yuuji, who has a serious expression on his face. But when he noticed the camera looking at him, he smiles, as the screen cuts to black.)

Scale 03: When Pendulums Clash
The next day…Following his promise that he made yesterday, Yuuji found himself at the You Show Duel School arena with Yuya. The two had their duel disks activated."You sure I'll be able to do it?" Yuya asked, a little unsure of himself."We won't know until we try," Yuuji replied. "Besides, it isn't that hard to understand once you know the mechanics. The only thing you need to remember is how to set up a Pendulum Scale and when you're allowed to Pendulum Summon.""Uhh…you place the Pendulum Cards on opposite…ends of the Pendulum Scale. Then…on your turn you can summon monsters whose levels are…between the Pendulum Scales? It's kind of hard to remember after hearing it once."Yuuji made a thumbs up pose, "That's the gist of it. Don't forget that when Pendulum Monsters are destroyed, they are sent to the Extra Deck face-up as well, and that you can summon them from there if your Pendulum Scale allows it.""Got it," Yuya nodded. "Think I'm ready now."Yuuji then turned up to Shuzo, who was managing the Real Solid Vision, "Yo, Principal! We're ready down here when you are!""Right!" Shuzo nodded as he began fiddling with the machine. "Action Field On! Crystal Mirrorland!"The Real Solid Vision Machine began whirring as the arena around the boys was transformed into a void world, with multiple floating islands of various sizes made of mirrors. Giant crystals protruded from the ground throughout the main island, where the two were standing.What a nice place… Yuuji thought as he admired his surroundings. I feel right at home here."Good luck, Yuya!" Yuzu cheered for her friend from the spectator booth."Yeah, you got this Yuya-oniichan!" Ayu cheered.The rest of the You Show youths and Gongenzaka cheered for Yuya as well."Thank you, guys!" Yuya smiled as he waved back at his friends."Okay, let's do this," Yuuji said before he began chanting. "Duelist locked in battle!""Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Yuya chanted."They storm through this field!" Yuuji chanted."Behold!" Yuya chanted. "This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling!"[Action—!] The three You Show youths shouted.[Duel!] Everyone present shouted as the duel began.Yuuji — LP: 4000Yuya — LP: 4000"You can have the first turn," Yuuji offered as he drew his first five cards. "I want to see what you can do.""Got it," Yuya nodded as he drew his five cards.[Turn 1: Yuya] [H: 5]Yuya smiled when he saw the cards he drew."Let's do this, partners," Yuya said. "I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 1 Stargazer Magician and Scale 8 Timegazer Magician!"Yuya placed the two cards on opposite ends of his duel blade, the word [PENDULUM] appearing in rainbow font as two magicians, one in black and one in white, rose into each of his Pendulum Zones. A giant swinging Pendulum swung right above him."Now I can summon monsters Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuya announced. "Swing, Pendulum of Souls! Draw an arc of light across the ether, and give way to a path full of fun and smiles! Pendulum Summon! Come out, my monsters!"The giant Pendulum in the sky draws a portal, with two beams of energy shooting out of it."Whip to it, Performapal Whip Snake (Earth/Reptile/Effect/ATK: 1700/DEF: 900/LV: 4)!" A purple cobra with a top hat appeared."Come out, the star of the show! Wondrous and beautiful dichromatic eyes! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4)!"A giant, bipedal red dragon with dual-colored eyes, with many pretty orbs scattered around its giant, pale colored horns appeared."He did it, Yuya Pendulum Summoned!" Tatsuya exclaimed."What a shiver-tastic duel!" Futoshi did a little dance."Good job, Yuya!" Yuzu cheered for her friend."See, it wasn't that hard right?" Yuuji smiled. "Good job.""Thanks," Yuya smiled from the praise. "I set a card and end my turn."[Turn 2: Yuuji] [H: 6]"Now the time has come, the first battle between Pendulum Users! My turn! Draw!" Yuuji announced as he drew a card. "I summon Antique Resonance Mirror (Light/Fairy/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 2)!"A pristine looking mirror appeared on Yuuji's field."Antique Resonance Mirror's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned onto my field, I can Special Summon an Antique Monster from my deck to my field. Appear now, Antique Maker - Mira (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5/SC: 8)!"A maiden dress in all black, holding a mirror in her hand appeared."Now Antique Maker - Mira's effect activates, allowing me to add an Antique Monster from my deck to my hand!" Yuuji added a card to his hand. "Now, I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 3 Antique Journal and Scale 6 Antique Compass!"Yuuji placed the two cards on opposite ends of his duel blade. The word [PENDULUM] appears in between in rainbow font as his two monsters rise into each of his Pendulum Zones. A giant, silver Pendulum swings around above him."Now I can summon monsters Levels 4 and 5 all at the same time!" Yuuji announced. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto a path to victory! Pendulum Summon!"The giant pendulum draws a portal, with two pillars of energy falling out of it."From my hand, Antique Maker - Edison (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1200/LV: 5/SC: 2) and Antique Forgotten Mask (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!"A well-dressed man holding a light bulb in his hand and a floating spirit wearing a weeping mask appeared on Yuuji's field."Antique Maker - Edison's effect activates, when he is summoned, I can target 1 monster on your field and destroy it! Say goodbye to your Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"Yuya quickly began running, hopping from crystal to crystal to an Action Card that he had spotted earlier—picking it up."I activate the Action Spell Rapid Reflection!" Yuya announced. "When this spell is activated, I can negate an effect that targets a monster I control and bounce that effect back to you!""What!?" Yuuji exclaimed."I choose to destroy your Antique Maker - Mira!" Yuya announced as he was free falling, landing on his feet as Yuuji's monster was destroyed."Damn," Yuuji cursed. "I forgot that Action Cards existed for a moment."Well, next time he won't let that stop him."Battle!" Yuuji moved into his Battle Phase. "Antique Forgotten Mask attacks Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!""What? But it has zero ATK?" Ayu tilted her head confused. "Why would he do that?""He must have a plan," Gongezaka stated. "From what I, the man Gongenzaka, can tell about him from our duel yesterday, Yuuji isn't the type of guy to make reckless moves without one.""At this time, Forgotten Mask's effect activates!" Yuuji declared. "When it battles, the ATK of both of our monsters are swapped temporarily until the End Phase!""Huh!?" Yuya cried out.(Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon — ATK: 2500 → 0)(Antique Forgotten Mask — ATK: 0 → 2500)"I can't let that go through…" Yuya muttered. "I activate my set Trap Card, Wall of Disruption! For the rest of this turn, if a monster my opponent controls battles, it loses 800 ATK for each monster they currently control!""I control three, so that means my monsters lose 2400 ATK…" Yuuji frowned.(Antique Forgotten Mask — ATK: 2500 → 100)(Antique Maker - Edison — ATK: 1300 → 0)"It still doesn't protect your Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Yuuji declared. "Go and destroy him, Forgotten Mask!"The spirit wraps its body around Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, creating an explosion that destroys it. Yuya winces from the shockwaves as his Life Points are hit.Yuya — LP: 4000 → 3900"I set two cards and end my turn," Yuuji concluded with two face-downs.(Antique Forgotten Mask — ATK: 100 → 0)(Antique Maker - Edison — ATK: 0 → 1300)[Turn 3: Yuya] [H: 1]"Then it's my turn! Draw!" Yuya drew a card. "With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon!"A portal appeared above him, with a beam of energy shooting out of it."Return from my Extra Deck and dazzle the crowd, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)!"The red dragon with dual-colored eyes appeared once again.Yuya then began running, hopping from island to island to search for an Action Card. Yuuji does the same. The two find Action Cards at the same time, before Yuya continues his turn."Battle!" Yuya shouted. "Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon attacks Antique Forgotten Mask!""Did you forget about Forgotten Mask's effect?" Yuuji frowned. "It swaps ATK points with your attacking monster!"(Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon — ATK: 2500 → 0)(Antique Forgotten Mask — ATK: 0 → 2500)"I didn't," Yuya smiled. "I activate Action Spell, Reversion! During the damage step, I can swap the ATK points of two monsters on the field until the End Phase. I choose to swap Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Antique Forgotten Mask's ATK back!""Naive!" Yuuji shouted as he played his Action Spell. "I activate the Action Spell, No Action! With it, I can negate the activation of your Action Spell!""Stargazer Magician's Pendulum Effect activates!" Yuya announced. "Once per turn, when my opponent activates a Spell Card when a Pendulum Monster battles, I can negate the activation and set that card face-down on your field!""Tch." Yuuji clicked his tongue as he's forced to set his Action Spell.(Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon — ATK: 0 → 2500)(Antique Forgotten Mask — ATK: 2500 → 0)"Now go, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, attack Forgotten Mask! Spiral Flame Strike!"Yuya dragon shoots a breath of spiral flame at the spirit."Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's effect activates! When it battles a Level 5 or higher monster, it deals double the damage! Reaction Force!""Double!?" Yuuji's jaw dropped. "That'll wipe out all of my Life Points.""Doesn't that mean Yuya just wins?" Yuzu wondered. "From what I remember from his duel against Ishijima, Timegazer Magician can negate the activation of a Trap Card.""We'll have to wait and see," Gongenzaka replied."Like hell I'll lose when the duel has only just begun…" Yuuji muttered. "I activate my Counter Trap, Emergency Antique Reinforcements! With it, I can prevent the destruction of Antique Monsters I can control, as well as reduce all damage I receive in battles involving Antique Monsters to zero!""Timegazer Magician's effect activates! Once per turn, when my opponent activates a Trap Card when a Pendulum Monster battles, I can negate the activation of that Trap Card, and set it back down face-down!"The trap card is flipped back face-down again. However, at the same time, another Trap Card is flipped face up."I activate my Continuous Trap, Halve Attack!" Yuuji announced. "While this card remains on my field, all battle damage I receive is halved!"Forgotten Mask is engulfed by the dragon's attack, creating an explosion that sends Yuuji flying.Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 1500"Performapal Whip Snake attacks Antique Resonance Mirror!" Yuya shouts as his snake wraps around the floating mirror, squeezing down and shattering it.Yuuji — LP: 1500 → 650"I end my turn," Yuya concluded."Ouch, you really didn't hold back," Yuuji commented as he rubbed his head. "I almost got one-turn killed there.""But I fell short before I could finish the job…" Yuya bitterly smiled."Don't be sad about that, it happens," Yuuji replied. "You just have to keep pushing forward and come up with the next plan."Yuuji then put his hand over the top of his deck as he resolutely looked at Yuya"The best duelist in the world wouldn't give up from something as trivial as that!" Yuuji declared. "If you want to become stronger, you need to keep pushing forward even when the going gets tough. My turn! Draw!"Yuuji's deck glowed as he drew a card.[Turn 4: Yuuji] [H: 1]Yuuji smiled when he saw what he drew."Let's do this partner," Yuuji nodded to the card as he continued his turn. "I activate Antique Compass' Pendulum Effect. Once per turn, I can Special Summon an Antique Monster from my hand or graveyard! Return to my field, Antique Forgotten Mask (ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!"The spirit with the weeping mask appeared on the field once again."With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon!" Yuuji announced as a portal appeared above him, with a beam of energy shooting out from it. "Return from my Extra Deck, Antique Maker - Mira (ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5)!"A maiden in all black holding a mirror in her hand appeared."Antique Maker - Mira's effect activates upon her summon, allowing me to add an Antique Monster to my hand!" Yuuji added a card to his hand. "Now, I overlay my Level 5 Antique Maker - Edison, Antique Maker - Mira, and Antique Forgotten Mask!"A galaxy vortex appeared in front of Yuuji, with his three declared monsters turning into energies that were then absorbed into the vortex. A large pillar of light shot out from the vortex's center as he began chanting."The will of the oppressed who die on the battlefield burns bright." Yuuji chanted. "They wait for the one who guides the will of the fallen to victory! Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 5! Rise up, courageous leader who fans the flames of rebellion, Antique Maker - Revolution Commander (Fire/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/R: 5/SC: 5/OU: 3)!"A tall, red-haired man with eagle eyes in a black cloak with a black mask over his mouth appeared."There it is, the Xyz Monster he used to defeat Gongenzaka…" Yuya muttered."Antique Journal's Pendulum Effect activates, allowing me to Special Summon it onto my field in defense mode (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 4/SC: 3)!" An old floating journal appeared. "Then, I set the Scale 4 Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon into my Pendulum Scale!"A purple dragon with bone armor rose into the empty Pendulum Zone."Antique Journal's other effect activates, allowing me to Special Summon a monster from one of my Pendulum Zone with its effects negated!" Yuuji announced as the old book begins to grow in size, a portal forming on its pages and under Phantom Dragon. "Come forth, the dragon born in the heart of phantoms, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4)!"The purple dragon emerges from the portal onto Yuuji's field.[Gah!] The two lookalike youths clutch their chest for a moment upon the arrival of Yuuji's dragon. Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Phantom Dragon begin roaring, as if they were calling out for each other.What the hell…is this feeling? Yuuji wondered. It's as if the two dragons are calling out for each other.It didn't feel that bad, it only felt a little off. He just chalked it up to some weird shenanigans with these new cards that he has."Revolution Commander's effect activates!" Yuuji announced. "By detaching one overlay unit, I can Special Summon Antique Dawning Blaze (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 7)!"A fire blade with a golden hilt appeared."I equip Dawning Blaze to Revolution Commander, increasing its ATK by 500 for each Monster on both of our fields!" Yuuji shouts. "Since there are 4 monsters total, Revolution Commander gains 2000 ATK!"Revolution Commander grabs the fiery sword, whose flame begins glowing blue as it powered up Revolution Commander.(Revolution Commander — ATK: 2500 → 4500)"Now let's do this, Yuya!" Yuuji shouts. "Battle! Revolution Commander attacks Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Blazing Revolution!"The warrior leaps forward, slashing down its blade towards Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon."Not so fast!" Yuya shouted. "Performapal Hyper Emu effect activates! When a Pendulum Monster is targeted by an attack, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand in defense mode!"A colorful emu with stars all throughout its body, wearing a colorful suit and tie appeared.[Performapal Hyper Emu (Wind/Winged-Beast/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 300/DEF: 2200/LV: 6/SC: 3)]"How does that help?" Tatsuya wondered. "Revolution Commander can attack twice thanks to its effect, and Yuuji can just choose to attack Yuya's other monsters.""Hyper Emu has a very special effect!" Yuya announced. "I can tribute it in order to take control of one of my opponent's monsters! I'll be taking your Revolution Commander if you don't mind, Yuuji.""Say what!?" Yuuji's jaw dropped as Revolution Commander stops its attack, before moving to Yuya's field."Nice going, Yuya!" Gongenzaka pumped his fist."Oh well," Yuuji sighed. "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon attacks Performapal Whip Snake! Phantom Spiral Breath!"Phantom Dragon shoots a breath of purple fire at Yuya monster, which shrieks in surprise before being destroyed. Yuya winces a bit from the shockwaves.Yuya — LP: 3900 → 3100There's not really much I can do. Yuuji frowned. I'm going to need to find an Action Card.Yuuji hopped onto Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon."I end my turn," Yuuji concluded before turning to his dragon. "Let's go Phantom Dragon."Phantom Dragon roars as it begins running forward. At the same time, Yuya hops onto Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon."Two can play that game!" Yuya shouted. "My turn! Draw!"Yuya and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon began searching for Action Cards as he began his turn.[Turn 5: Yuya] [H: 1]"With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon! Welcome back to the stage, Performapal Hyper Emu (ATK: 300/DEF: 2200/LV: 6)! And from my hand, Performapal Silver Claw (Dark/Beast/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 700/LV: 4/SC: 5)!"The colorful emu and a grey wolf with a blue collar appeared on Yuya's field."I activate Hyper Emu's effect! By tributing it, I can take control of a monster on your field. Welcome to my field, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!""Damn…" Yuuji cursed before he leaps off Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon before it moves to Yuya's field. He quickly hops across a few platforms to snag an Action Spell on a lone island."I activate the Action Spell Punishing Grip!" Yuuji announced. "With it, I can negate the effects of a card on my opponent's field! I choose to negate the effects of Timegazer Magician!""Timegazer?" Yuzu was confused. "Why wouldn't he negate the effects of Revolution Commander instead? Doesn't it inflict piercing damage? He'll lose.""He definitely has a plan," Gongenzaka stated. "We'll have to wait and see."The area suddenly turned dark, as a spotlight suddenly appeared pointing at Yuya.How the hell is he doing that? Yuuji wondered."Ladies and gentlemen!" Yuya outstretched his arms. "The climax of this duel is finally upon us! Battle! Antique Maker - Revolution Commander attacks Antique Journal! And at this time, Revolution Commander's effect activates! By detaching an overlay unit from it, it can inflict piercing damage! Blazing Revolution!"The warrior leaps forward, the blue flames around it burning brighter as it swung its sword down on Antique Journal. Yuuji smirked."Don't count me out just yet, Yuya! I'm the one who'll decide when this duel ends!" Yuuji declared. "I activate my Counter Trap, Emergency Antique Reinforcements! With it, I can prevent the destruction of Antique Monsters I can control, as well as reduce all damage I receive in battles involving Antique Monsters to zero!""What!?" Yuya cried out."I forgot about that," Tatsuya's eyes widened. "Timegazer and Stargazer Magician's effect set the Spell/Trap cards they negated back onto the field, meaning that they can be activated again later on. And since Timegazer Magician has its effects negated, Yuya can't stop Yuuji from activating his Trap Card this time!"A barrier formed around Yuuji's monster, protecting both it and Yuuji from harm's way."So, you had an out to that too," Yuya smiled. "I end my turn.""My turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card.[Turn 6: Yuuji] [H: 1]Why do I keep getting myself into situations like these where the odds are stacked against me? Yuuji sighed. Now I have to deal with Yuya without my most powerful monsters.Yuuji took a look at the card that he drew. It was a Quick-Play Spell.
I have Antique Maker - Mira and Antique Forgotten Mask in my graveyard. Though, I doubt that Forgotten Mask will be able to do anything, since Yuya can still use Stargazer Magician's Pendulum Effect in tandem with an Action Card to lock me out of doing anything.
Quite the foolproof plan, taking his strongest monsters and locking him from using his Spell/Trap Cards. Yuya took his advice and went the extra mile with it.Just like I wanted. Yuuji smirked. Now I can really push through my limits here.Right here, without any weird power bailing him out. He'll win this!
[Current Theme Playing: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Sound Duel 1 OST 14 - A Battle That Cannot be Lost]
"I activate Antique Compass' effect!" Yuuji announced. "With it, I can Special Summon an Antique Monster from my hand or graveyard. Return to my field, Antique Maker - Mira (ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5)!"A maiden in all black holding a mirror in her hand appeared."Mira's effect activates, upon its summon I can add an Antique Monster from my deck to my hand!" Yuuji added a card to his hand. "Now, I summon Antique Swinging Soul (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2000/LV: 3/SC: 1)!"A white magician holding a swinging pendulum in its hands appeared."Swinging Soul's effect activates!" Yuuji announced. "Once per turn, I can swap the ATK and DEF of a monster on my opponent's field. I choose to target Performapal Silver Claw with this effect!"(Performapal Silver Claw — ATK: 1800 → 700, DEF: 700 → 1800)"Next, I activate Antique Journal's effect, allowing me to Special Summon Antique Compass (Light/Fairy/Tuner/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 3/SC: 6) to my field!"The pristine compass emerges from a portal that formed on the pages of Antique Journal."Now, I tune the Level 3 Antique Compass to the Level 4 Antique Journal!" Yuuji announced as his monsters transformed into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up in a line as he began chanting. "Item of old lost through time. Bring about your legacy! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 7! The forbidden wand of calamity! Antique Burdened Staff (Light/Fairy/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 7)!"An old, floating, used up wand appeared on Yuuji's field."A Synchro Summon!?" Yuzu exclaimed."But why is it so weak? It has no ATK." Ayu wondered."It must have an effect that can help him here," Tatsuya guessed."Burdened staff's effect activates!" Yuuji declared. "I can equip it to a monster my opponent controls and take control of it. However, during the End Phase, this card is destroyed, and that monster returns to my opponent's field. I choose to take back control of Antique Maker - Revolution Commander!""No way," Yuya was shocked as the withered staff began to glow purple, shooting energy at Revolution Commander that wraps around it and drags it back to Yuuji's field."Now for the climax! Battle!" Yuuji pumped his fist forward. "Revolution Commander attacks Performapal Silver Claw! Blazing Revolution!""Not so fast! I activate the Action Spell, Evasion! With it, I can negate the attack of your monster!""I activate my set Action Spell, No Action to negate that effect!" Yuuji counters."Stargazer Magician Pendulum Effect negates that effect!" Yuya countered back.Stargazer Magician uses its power to set Yuuji's Action Card down on hsi field once again, allowing Silver Claw to dodge Revolution Commander's attack."I hope you didn't forget that Revolution Commander can attack twice, right?" Yuuji stated. "Revolution Commander attacks Performapal Silver Claw once again!"Of course not," Yuya smiled back. Yuya hops on Silver Claw, using it to reach an Action Card quickly. "I activate the Action Spell, Mirror Match! When my opponent declares an attack on my monster, I can make our monster's ATK points match temporarily!"(Performapal Silver Claw — ATK: 700 → 4500)(Revolution Commander — ATK: 4500)"This is it, once Revolution Commander is destroyed, Yuya will be able to win on his next turn!" Ayu cheered."Sorry, but this is where this duel ends!" Yuuji declared. "I activate my Quick-Play-Spell, Damage Launch! By tributing a monster I can control, I can deal damage to my opponent equal to the total ATK points of that monster! I choose to tribute Revolution Commander!""Revolution Commander has 4500 ATK…" Yuya's eyes widened. "That means…""That's right, you take 4500 points of damage!" Yuuji announced as a mystery box appeared in front of him, with Revolution Commander hopping inside of it. The box begins to shake for a moment before a blast of energy is sent towards Yuya, which hits him directly and reduces his Life Points to zero.Yuya — LP: 3100 → 0Winner: Yuuji
[BGM (Background Music) Ends Here.]
The Action Field disperses, returning the two boys back into the arena."Dammit, I lost," Yuya sighed while sitting on the ground. "I really thought I had it in the bag.""You almost did," Yuuji replied. "You surpassed my expectations and then some.""But I still fell short in the end…" Yuya melancholically said."..." Yuuji frowned for a moment before realizing something. "You may be more like me than I thought before.""Huh? What do you mean?""You hate losing, right?" Yuuji asked. "Me too. It's the thing I hate the most, yet it happens to me more than winning does."Yuya was in disbelief, "I couldn't even imagine you losing. You're way too good at dueling to be losing that much.""Thanks for the compliment, but I'm pretty sure my win rate is even worse than yours," Yuuji replied. "Before I received these Pendulum Cards, it was typical for me to lose at least three duels in a row before I could even get a single win."Yuya was shocked by this."I've always received comments from people, telling me to give up and that with a deck like mine, I would never be able to achieve my naive goal of becoming the strongest," Yuuji continued. "But I never gave up. I kept throwing myself at my opponents, learning everything I can about dueling, from different summoning methods to other smaller intricacies."Yuuji then sighed."But, even with a good understanding of dueling, when you don't have a good deck, you will lose. A lot.""Then why didn't you use a stronger deck?" Yuzu asked as the rest of the group entered the room."My father gave me this deck," Yuuji answered. "A bit before he passed. I promised him that I would become the greatest duelist there is with it. That's why I push through even when I keep getting knocked back down.""I, the man Gongenzaka, whole-heartedly agree," Gongenzaka smiled as pumped his fist. "A real man pushes through adversity, even when the going gets tough."Yuuji smiled at that before turning back to Yuya, extending his hand out to him, "Anyway, what I was trying to say is that you shouldn't let a loss get you down. It's only a steppingstone towards your goal of becoming someone who can entertain the crowd just like you father.""You're right," Yuya nodded with a smile as he accepted Yuuji's hand, standing back up. "Next time, I'll show you a dazzling duel that you'll never forget.""Looking forward to it," Yuuji nodded."Yuya! Yuuji! That was an amazingly hot-blooded duel!" Shuzo shouted as he jumped to hug the two of them, however fell face first onto the ground as the two of them moved out of the way. Shuzo just got right back up, turning his attention to Yuuji. "You should really join our school as a student…no, as a teacher!""No thanks," Yuuji declined. "While I do support Yuya in his goal, I don't really vibe with the whole entertaining crowd business. I just duel for my own enjoyment.""Aw, come on. You would fit right in here!" Shuzo pleaded. "Everyone would be happy to have you here.""Mhm," Yuzu nodded. "I thought you were just some mean jerk in the beginning, but I can see that you're just a big softy at heart.""A-A softy?" Yuuji blushed with embarrassment. "I'm not soft at all!""Oh really~." Yuzu teased. "Why did you help Yuya then?""That was just because I wanted a rival who could use Pendulum Summoning," Yuuji crossed his arms and looked away. "I would've done that with anyone if they had the cards instead of Yuya.""Liar," Yuzu bluntly said, surprising Yuuji. "You can't just say that after lore dropping about your past like that to cheer Yuya up. Some selfish jerk wouldn't do that.""..." Yuuji was silent for a moment before replying. "Okay, sure. I may be a little nice. But that still doesn't mean that I'll join your school.""Please," Ayu pleaded. "You're really cool, mister.""Yeah, I want to learn how to duel just like you!" Futoshi said. "Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.""You could really help us out a lot if you're here," Tatsuya added."Yeah," Yuzu agreed. "You could teach us a lot more than this clingy father of mine.""Hey!" Shuzo shouted."U-Um…" Yuuji struggled to say something.[Please!] The four moved closer.This isn't fair, it's like four against one! Yuuji thought"...F-Fine, but give me some personal space first," Yuuji finally agreed."Wahoo! Thank you, Yuuji!" Futoshi cheered."Alright!" Shuzo exclaimed as his eyes lit on fire. "Now that we have two Pendulum Users at our school. The You Show Duel School will be unstoppable!"A few days later…That was how it started. Somehow, his trip to Maiami City resulted in him becoming a Student/Teacher on his third day there. Though he had to admit that it wasn't that bad."It's a nice change of pace," Yuuji said as he walked at a moderate pace toward. "How long has it been since I last joined a school? Five years, right?"There wasn't much a low-funded school like You Show could teach him, but that was fine with him. He wasn't there to learn, he was there to help out his new acquaintances, no, he could probably call them friends at this point. It's been a few days. While he wasn't really a fan of entertainment dueling, it wouldn't hurt to at least try it right?Yuuji walked past an alleyway, though stopped in his tracks when he felt a presence watching him. It was a tall youth, around his age with long dark green, rough-looking hair.The two make eye contact."What are you looking at?" The youth scoffed. "I got no time for a lowlife like you?""Lowlife?" A tick mark formed on Yuuji's head. "Says the shady bastard spending his day staring at people from the darkness of an alleyway.""Oh? So you got a mouth on you, huh?" The youth sneered, revealing his sharp teeth. "You must be looking for a fight?""What a baseless assumption," Yuuji rolled his eyes before noticing a duel disk on the left arm of the duelist. He was surprised when he noticed that it was a different shade from the norm. "You a duelist?"The tall youth seemed to come to a similar conclusion."Yeah," The youth nodded before smirking. "Don't tell me you plan on dueling me? You stand a better chance fighting me with your fists than your deck.""I probably do," Yuuji replied. "But I'd rather duel you. I wouldn't want to put somebody in the hospital during my first week here.""Fine with me," The youth said. "Where do you want to take this.""There's an abandoned harbor nearby. We can take it there," Yuuji suggested."Nice and quiet, just the way I like it," The youth stuck his tongue out. "The perfect place to hide a body."The two make their way to the harbor, with each of them taking post on opposite sides."May I know the name of my opponent?" Yuuji inquired."You can call me Ryouga," Ryouga introduced himself. "You better remember it, since it's the last thing you'll be hearing.""A threat, I'm so scared~." Yuuji mocked before pointing at Ryouga. "I'm Haruki Yuuji. You're going to remember it, since I'm going to give you a good beating that you'll never forget."The two activate their duel disks simultaneously. Nearby, a lavender-haired youth wearing punk-styled clothes and a mask sat on top of a warehouse building, watching the events unfold.[Duel!] The two shout in unison.
Custom/Altered Cards:

Monster Cards -

Timegazer Magician
ATK: 1200, DEF: 600, LV: 3, SC: 8Pendulum Effect: Once per turn, during either player's Battle Step in which a Pendulum Monster you control battles, when a Trap Card is activated: You can negate the activation, then Set that card face-down instead of sending it to the Graveyard, and if you do, it cannot be activated for the rest of this turn.Monster Effect: Once per turn, during either player's turn, when a Spell/Trap effect that targets a card(s) in the Pendulum Zone is activated: You can negate that effect.
Performapal Hyper Emu
ATK: 300, DEF: 2200, LV: 6, SC: 3Wind/Winged-Beast/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: (Quick Effect): You can tribute both monsters in your Pendulum Zones, then target 1 monster your opponent controls; take control of it.Monster Effect: (Quick Effect): If a Pendulum Monster you control is targeted for an attack, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. (Quick Effect): You can tribute this card, then target 1 monster your opponent controls; take control of it. You can only activate each effect of "Performapal Hyper Emu" once per turn.
Antique Burdened Staff
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 7Light/Fairy/Synchro/Effect1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner MonstersMonster Effect: You can equip this card to a monster on your opponent's field; take control of it. During the End Phase, destroy this card, then; return the monster this card was equipped to back to their field.
Spell/Trap Cards -

Rapid Reflection
Action SpellWhen an effect that targets a monster you control is activated: Negate that effect, then apply the same effect, targeting 1 card your opponent controls instead.
Reversion
Action SpellDuring the Damage Step: Swap the ATK of both battling monsters until the End Phase.
Punishing Grip
Action SpellTarget 1 card on your opponent's field; negate its effects.
Emergency Antique Reinforcements
Counter TrapCan be activated when a "Antique" Monster would be destroyed by battle or card effect. For the rest of this turn, "Antique" Monsters cannot be destroyed, and all damage you take in battles involving "Antique" Monsters is reduced to zero.
Mirror Match
Action SpellWhen your opponent declares an attack on a monster you control: During the Damage Step, make your monster's ATK equal to the attacking monster's ATK.
Damage Launch
Quick-Play-SpellTribute 1 monster you control; inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Tributed monster's current ATK.And that makes three! This chapter wasn't as long as the previous chapter, but I hope it was still enjoyable enough. This chapter was definitely a more Yuuji centric chapter, like the other two chapters (don't worry, that won't last too long...hopefully). A bit more of Yuuji's personality has been unveiled. Also, we finally have an anime opening!...
I was super bored.

As always, be sure to drop some comments. I'm interested in what you have to say about the story.

If the next chapter is out, go read that, else; have a fantastic day, and thanks for reading.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter 4 is here, picking up right where the previous chapter ended off.

Disclaimer: Minor spelling, grammar, and other mistakes may be present.

Without any further ado, enjoy!
[ Standard Arc Opening Theme (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 1: BELIEVE X BELIEVE) ]
Scale 04: The Phantom Calling for Rebellion
Elsewhere…"Are you seriously going to keep following me?" Yuya asked."Yup," Sora replied as he followed behind Yuya. "You promised that you'd teach me, right?""But I didn't," Yuya sighed. "You're the one who suddenly went and proclaimed that I was your teacher yesterday.""Yeah, but that Pendulum Summoning of yours was so cool," Sora happily said. "You sent that Sawatari guy packing. You're the best.""I can't really be the best if I'm not the best Pendulum User," Yuya said with a bitter smile."What? You're not?" Sora was a bit surprised. "From what I heard from others, you're the only Pendulum User, right?""Nah, there's someone else with cards just like mine," Yuya corrected. "He's actually the one who taught me everything I know about Pendulum Summoning.""Really?" Sora was intrigued. "I want to meet him! Maybe he will be more willing to teach me!""..." Yuya was a bit surprised at Sora switching up. But if it meant that he would leave him alone, Yuya was fine with it.He's your problem now, Yuuji. Yuya sweatdropped.[Duel!] Yuuji and Ryouga shout in unison.Yuuji — LP: 4000Ryouga — LP: 4000[Turn 1: Ryouga] [H: 5]"Achoo…" Yuuji sneezed. Rubbing his nose, he frowned. "Who the hell is cursing me in their mind right now?"Maybe it was one of those security guards that tried to attack him after his duel against Black Death?"I'll start since you're taking too long!" Ryouga declared as he drew his first five cards, Yuuji doing the same. "I summon X-Head Cannon (Light/Machine/Normal/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1500/LV: 4)!"A blue machine with metallic fists, with two small cannons pointing out from its shoulders appeared."I set a card and end my turn," Ryouga concluded. "Your move.""Kind of weird for a guy whose name means 'Enduring Fang' to use a machine monster like that." Yuuji commented."Don't judge me," Ryouga sneered. "I go for the strongest deck there is, I don't care for something as dumb as using a deck that's on point with my theme.""You do you I guess," Yuuji shrugged.It's not my place to judge a guy's deck choices. Yuuji thought. Let's just start my turn.[Turn 2: Yuuji] [H: 6]"My turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card. "I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 1 Antique Maker - Swinging Soul and Scale 8 Antique Maker - Mira!"Yuuji places the two cards on opposite ends of his duel blade, the word [PENDULUM] appearing in between in rainbow font as a magician in white holding a swinging pendulum in his hand and a maiden in black holding a mirror in her hand rose into each of his Pendulum Zone. A giant, silver pendulum swung above him."Pendulum?" Ryouga was confused. "What the hell is that?"From his spot on the roof of an abandoned warehouse, Yuto's eyes widened."I'll show you! Thanks to my Pendulum Scale, I can summon monsters Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji announced. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Pendulum Summon!"The silver pendulum draws a portal as two beams of energy shoot out from it."From my hand, welcome to the field Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4) and Antique Wondrous Globe (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 4) in defense mode!"A bipedal purple dragon with bone-like armor and a floating globe appeared on Yuuji's field."A Level 5 and 7 monster, all at the same time?" Ryouga said in awe before smiling widely, fully showing his sharp teeth. "How interesting…""Wondrous Globe's effect activates!" Yuuji announced. "Once per turn, I can banish this monster along with a monster on your field until the End Phase! I choose to banish your X-Head Cannon!"The globe begins to spin, glowing brightly as it caused Ryouga's monster to glow. The two glowing monsters then sucks into a dark portal that appeared beneath them."Now that your field is empty, battle!" Yuuji moved into his Battle Phase. "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon attacks you directly! Phantom Spiral Breath!"Phantom Dragon shoots a breath of purple fire towards Ryouga, who smirks as his set Trap Card is activated."I activate my Trap Card, Union Online!" Ryouga shouted. "I can Special Summon up to two Union Monsters directly from my deck! Come forth, Z-Metal Tank (Light/Machine/Union/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1300/LV: 4) and Y-Dragon Head (Light/Machine/Union/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1600/LV: 4) both in defense mode!"A yellow crab-like machine and a red wyvern-like machine monster appeared with a faint blue aura surrounding them."Union Monsters summoned by this effect cannot be destroyed by battle the turn they are summoned," Ryouga declared. "Meaning, my Life Points are completely out of your reach.""Tch." Yuuji clicked his tongue. This guy is a lot smarter than he looks, for sure. "I set a card and end my turn." A face-down appeared on his field. "And since it's the End Phase, Antique Wondrous Globe and your X-Head Cannon return to our field."Two dark portals appeared, one on each duelist's field, with their respective monsters rising from each.[Turn 3: Ryouga] [H: 4]"My turn! Draw!" Ryouga drew a card. He then smirked. "How convenient, all three of my monsters are here. With this, all of the pieces are now in place."What does he mean by that? Yuuji wondered."I banish my X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank in order to perform a Contact Fusion!" Ryouga announced."..." Yuto's eyes narrowed upon hearing that."A contact what now?" Yuuji wondered as Ryouga's three monsters rose into the air, fusing together as he began chanting."Weapons of mass destruction, come together to create the ultimate monster!" Ryouga chanted as he clasped his hands together. "Contact Fusion! Appear now, Level 8! XYZ-Dragon Cannon (Light/Machine/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2600/LV: 8)!"A massive machine, being a combination of the different features of the monsters used to Fusion Summon it, appeared. A yellow bottom with cannons that stick out from its side, a red wyvern cannon at its center, and a machine head that had two large cannons protruding from it."I now activate XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect," Ryouga shouts as he sends two cards from his hand to the graveyard. "For each card I discard, I can target a card on your field and destroy it. I plan to destroy that Pendulum Scale of yours!"Dragon Cannon shoots two beams of energy at each of Yuuji's Pendulum Scale, annihilating them and creating shockwaves that cause Yuuji to wince.Wait, that felt like the damage I'd feel from an Action Duel. Yuuji realized. Does that mean that there's some sort of Real Solid Vision Machine around here?Wait, no…that wouldn't make any sense. Why would you place a Real Solid Vision Machine all the way out here? This had to be something else."Now's not the time to zone out, Haruki!" Ryouga shouted. "Battle! XYZ-Dragon Cannon attacks Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon! Draconic Railgun!"Dragon Cannon points all of its cannons at Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, shooting multiple energy beams that pierce through and destroy Yuuji's dragon. Yuuji is sent flying from the shockwaves into a crate behind him.Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 3700"I set a card and end my turn," Ryouga concluded. "You're going to have to try harder than that if you want to beat me.""Is that so," Yuuji wiped the blood from his mouth before smiling. "I hope you won't eat those words, bastard."Yuuji then began his turn.[Turn 4: Yuuji] [H: 2]"My turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card. "I activate the Spell Card Pendulum Call! Thanks to it, I can summon a monster directly from my deck and place it into one of my Pendulum Zones! However, during the End Phase, that monster is destroyed. I place the Scale 8 Antique Golden Carol into my Pendulum Scale!"A golden bell rose into one of Yuuji's empty Pendulum Zones. A faint festive carol could be heard from the bell's ringing."Antique Golden Carol's Pendulum Effect activates! If my other Pendulum Zone is empty, I can place an Antique Pendulum Monster from my deck into one of those zones!" Yuuji adds a card to his hand. "With the Scale 2 Antique Maker - Edison and the Scale 8 Antique Golden Carol, I set the Pendulum Scale!"Yuuji placed the card on the opposite end of his duel blade, the word [PENDULUM] appeared in between once again as a well-dressed man rose into his other Pendulum Zone."With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I can summon monsters Levels 3 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji announced. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Pendulum Summon!"A portal appears above as four beams of energy are shot out from it."Return from my Extra Deck, Antique Maker - Mira (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5/SC: 8) and Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)! And from my hand, Antique Journal (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 4/SC: 3)!"Yuuji's monsters swarm his field."Antique Journal's effect activates, allowing me to Special Summon a monster from my Pendulum Scale with its effects negated!" Yuuji announced as the floating journal grows in size, a portal forming on its pages. "Appear, Antique Golden Carol (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 8)!"The golden bell emerges from the portal."Woah, a full field of monsters. Impressive," Ryouga complimented."I'm not done yet!" Yuuji declared. "I overlay my Level 5 Antique Maker - Mira, Antique Wondrous Globe, and Antique Golden Carol!""Hoh?" Ryouga smirked upon hearing that declaration.Yuuji's three aforementioned monsters transform into energy as they are then absorbed into a galaxy vortex that appeared in front of him. A pillar of light shot out from the vortex's center as he began chanting."The will of the oppressed who die on the battlefield burns bright. They wait for the one who guides the will of the fallen to victory! Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 5! Rise up, courageous leader who fans the flames of rebellion, Antique Maker - Revolution Commander (Fire/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/R: 5/SC: 5/OU: 3)!"A tall man with striking red hair and sharp, eagle-like eyes appeared, cloaked in black with a matching mask covering his mouth."Revolution Commander's effect activates! By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can Special Summon Antique Dawning Blaze (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 7) to my field!"A fire sword with a golden hilt appeared.(Revolution Commander — OU: 3 → 2)"Revolution Commander is then equipped with Dawning Blaze," Yuuji said as Revolution Commander grabs onto the sword, being encased in the sword's fire which soon turns blue. "Increasing its ATK by 500 for each monster currently on the field. Since there are three in total, Revolution Commander gains 1500 ATK!"(Revolution Commander — ATK: 2500 → 4000)"Battle!" Yuuji moved into his Battle Phase. "Revolution Commander attacks XYZ-Dragon Cannon! Blazing Revolution!"The warrior leaps forward, preparing to swing its sword down on the massive machine."I activate the effect of the Trap Card A-to-Z Armory from my graveyard!" Ryouga countered. "I can Special Summon it to my field as a monster card in defense mode, and force you to only target it for attacks!"A solid-looking machine appeared. Revolution Commander switches its target, aiming for the newly summoned machine instead.[A-to-Z Armory (Light/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1700/LV: 4)]"Revolution Commander's effect activates! By detaching one Overlay Unit, its next attack inflicts piercing damage!"(Revolution Commander — OU: 2 → 1)"I activate the Trap Card Damage Negation from my graveyard. By banishing it and one other card from my graveyard, all damage I receive on this turn is reduced to zero!""But your monster is still destroyed!" Yuuji shouts."Is it now?" Ryouga smirked. "A-to-Z Armory can't be destroyed by battle, meaning your attempts to harm me have been foiled again!"Revolution Commander swings its blade down on the armored machine, but fails to pierce through its armor with his sword."Damn…" Yuuji cursed. "I end my turn."[Turn 5: Ryouga] [H: 2]"My turn! Draw!" Ryouga drew a card. "I activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards." He drew two more cards. He smirked when he saw what he drew. "It looks like the gods want your demise.""That's ominous," Yuuji frowned. "What? Did you draw the exact card you needed to win.""Not yet, but it's close," Ryouga replied as he sent three cards into the graveyard. "I send my entire hand to the graveyard to activate XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect once again! Hmm…"Ryouga looked over Yuuji's field for a moment, trying to decide on what to destroy."I think…" Ryouga smiled. "I'll destroy that Revolution Commander, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, and that remaining Pendulum Zone of yours! Annihilate, XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"Three lasers are shot from the massive machine, engulfing the aforementioned monsters and destroying them. Yuuji braces himself this time, but is still sent flying from the shockwaves. However, before he could hit a crate, he repositions himself in the air, allowing him to hop off the crate and land safely on the ground."Dammit…" Yuuji cursed."Neat acrobatics…" Ryouga complimented. "I wonder if you can keep that up."What now? Yuuji frowned."I activate the Spell Card Unionization from my graveyard!" Ryouga announced. "By banishing it and tributing one monster from my field, I can summon a Normal Monster along with its respective Union Monster. I release my A-to-Z Armory to Special Summon V-Tiger Jet (Light/Machine/Normal/ATK: 1600/DEF: 1800) and W-Wing Catapult (Light/Machine/Union/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1500) to my field!"An orange and green jet with the head of a tiger and blue aircraft appeared on the field."Now, I banish the two of them in order to perform another Contact Fusion!" Ryouga declared."Another one!?" Yuuji cried out."..." Yuto furrowed his eyebrows.Ryouga's two monsters rise into the air, fusing together as he begins chanting."Wing jets that soar through the skies, rain down bombardment onto your enemies!" Ryouga chanted. "Contact Fusion! Appear now, Level 6! VW-Tiger Catapult (Light/Machine/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2100/LV: 6)!"A hovercraft-like aircraft, with a machine tiger attached directly on top of the base appeared."The Trap Card Union Pot activates from my graveyard," Ryouga stated. "When an A-to-Z monster is Fusion Summon onto my field, I can draw 1 card."Ryouga drew a card."I then discard that card I drew to activate XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect again!" Ryouga smiled. "Say goodbye to your last line of defense!"Dragon Cannon shoots another lazer, annihilating Antique Journal. Yuuji is sent flying away from the shockwaves again. However, this time he doesn't manage to catch himself, slamming into a crate."Blerg!" Yuuji coughs up blood from the impact as he drops to the ground."What a beautiful expression you have on your face," Ryouga smiled with his tongue out. "However, it's missing a bit of despair in it. I know just the solution to that."Yuuji grit his teeth as he stood back up."Battle!" Ryouga shouts with a crazed expression. "VW-Tiger Catapult attacks you directly!"The hovercraft shoots through the air at sonic speeds directly towards Yuuji. Thinking quickly, Yuuji falls to the ground, narrowly avoiding the hovercraft that flies into a crate, ripping through it completely. Yuuji winces from the shockwaves.Yuuji — LP: 3700 → 1700Holy shit! This guy is really trying to fucking kill me!? Yuuji thought with a horrified expression."Now to finish you off!" Ryouga shouts as Dragon Cannon begins charging its attack. "XYZ-Dragon Cannon attacks you directly! Annihilate him! Draconic Railgun!"The massive machine shoots multiple beams of energy at Yuuji, who stares at them with determination."Not so fast!" Yuuji shouts as his set trap is flipped face-up. "I activate my Trap Card, Mirror Barrier! With it, I can negate 1 instance of an attack! Meaning my Life Points are still safe!"A barrier formed around Yuuji, shielding him from energy beams."Tch," Ryouga clicked his tongue. "I end my turn.""Finally…" Yuuji said as he wiped the blood from his mouth, only to find more seeping out from it. "Dammit, that hurts like hell."Once again, backed into a corner. Yuuji thought. Just another day at this point.No cards on his field or Pendulum Zones, and no cards in his hand. It was looking completely hopeless.Yuuji put his hand over his deck and took a deep breath.My deck, don't let me down now… Yuuji thought. It all comes down to this![Turn 6: Yuuji] [H: 1]"My turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew with all his might. However, when he saw the card he drew, he froze. "This…"…wasn't what he needed at all. Not even close. Antique Tabletop was a monster he couldn't summon right now, nor would it be helpful in this situation.With bated breath, Yuuji spoke, "I…end my turn."Ryouga began laughing, "It seems the lords above aren't on your side after all. How sad.""..." Yuuji clenched his fists. He hated this feeling of powerlessness. It always brought his mind back to the day his father died, a day that he kept locked away in his head to retain his sanity.This was his strongest strategy, and this guy was able to deal with it so easily.I have a long way to go before I become the strongest, even with these cheat cards, huh? Yuuji bitterly smiled."Well, this has been interesting and all, but I think it's time I end this. Draw!" Ryouga began his turn as the massive machine behind him began charging its energy beams. "Battle! XYZ-Dragon Cannon attacks you directly! Draconic Railgun!"Dragon Cannon shoots its energy blasts at Yuuji, who looks at the oncoming attack with a shaken expression before he is hit directly by it. An explosion could be seen as Yuuji was sent flying back, hitting the ground a few times as his consciousness hung in limbo.Yuuji — LP: 1700 → 0Winner: RyougaAt You Show…Yuya entered the You Show Duel School with Yuzu. However, his jaw drops when he sees Sora there just mingling with the other students. Sora lights up when he sees him."Yo, Sensei!" Sora waved happily. "I'm here for my first lesson!""You've got to be kidding me…" Yuya rubbed his face."Aw, Sensei. Don't be like that," Sora pouted. "You should be happy to have a lovable, cute student who is excited to learn under you.""I thought you were going to go ask Yuuji instead," Yuya frowned."I was going to, that's why I came here," Sora replied. "But he wasn't here when I got here.""He wasn't…here?" Yuya was confused. "Usually, he gets here before us.""Do you think something happened to him?" Yuzu asked with a little concern."Maybe…" Yuya was deep in thought. Shuzo then suddenly barged into the room."Say what!?" Shuzo yelled. "Yuuji's missing!?""Yeah, but did you have to be so loud dad?" Yuzu covered her ears."Oh right, ahem," Shuzo cleared his throat."What should we do?" Ayu asked. "Should we go look for Yuuji-senpai?""That's a good idea, Ayu-chan!" Shuzo yelled with a fire in his eyes.—BAM!Yuzu slams her paper fan into his head, which knocks him to the ground."I told you to not be so loud!" Yuzu angrily shouted."S-Sorry…" Shuzo apologized. His body was twitching from the pain.Yuzu sighed, "Well, I guess it's decided. We'll go look for Yuuji."Sora didn't seem to like this idea."That sounds boring though," Sora pouted. "I want to duel right now.""Duel? Duel who?" Yuya asked.Sora pointed at him, "You of course. Since that other guy is off doing god knows what, I have my sights set on you now.""But…""Please." Sora asked with puppy dog eyes that charmed everyone in the room."But what about Yuuji?" Yuya asked."One duel wouldn't hurt, Yuya," Yuzu said. "We can go look for Yuuji after.""Yeah, let him duel you." Futoshi agreed."..." Yuya felt the pressure of all their gazes. After a few moments, he eventually gave in."Fine, but only one duel," Yuya stated. "If I win, you forget about all of this teacher nonsense and come help us find Yuuji.""And if I win, both you and this Yuuji guy will be my teacher," Sora smirked.Back at the abandoned harbor…Ryouga's monsters dematerialize as he began walking towards the down Yuuji, who couldn't even move a muscle. Bruises could be found all over the youth's body, with a small stream of blood streaming down from his mouth."Oh how the mighty have fallen," Ryouga commented. "You were talking so highly of yourself before the duel, and yet you end up in this condition.""...""What did you say before?" Ryouga took a moment to think before something came to mind. "Oh right. You said that I should remember your name, since you would give me a beating that I would never forget.""...""I'm perfectly fine as you could see, you couldn't even reach my Life Points," Ryouga grinned. "I thought you would give me a good challenge with your confident declarations and that weird Pendulum Summoning thing you did, but you weren't even a good warmup.""Just shut up…" Yuuji grit his teeth and clenched his fists as he looked up at Ryouga. "I don't want to hear it from a bastard like you.""You know why you're so weak?" Ryouga asked, confusing Yuuji. "It's because you use that weak ass summoning method. Not Pendulum, that was kind of cool, though since you just suck it couldn't do much. I mean Xyz Summoning. I've only ever seen Xyz Summoning be used by weakling bugs that I could squash in an instant."He made a gesture to symbolize the squashing, making Yuto flare up from his spot. He jumped down from the rooftop onto the ground."You…" Yuto addressed him."Huh?" Ryouga turned to him. "What do you want? Can't you see that I'm busy here.""You're with Academia, right?" Yuto then activated his duel disk. "Duel me.""Academia…oh!" Ryouga smiled. "Looks like today really is my lucky day. One of my targets has come straight to me."Who is this new guy? Yuuji wondered. It's like they know each other. And what does he mean by target?"So I was right," Yuto said."Congrats," Ryouga clapped. "You want a cookie, Masked Hero?""I'll defeat you Academia and force you to spill the details on where you're keeping Ruri!" Yuto declared."Ruri? Is that your girlfriend or something?" Ryouga inquired. "If so, how would I know where she is? If she's a friend that you lost to us, she is definitely dead by now."Oh yeah, this is some actual deep shit. Yuuji frowned. He began slowly crawling away while Ryouga was distracted by the newcomer.Yuto clenched his fists, "Maybe so, but I don't plan on giving up, for the sliver of a chance where she is still alive.""Well, I don't really care," Ryouga replied while picking her ear. "But I do need to kill you, since that's what I've been sent here to do. So I'll humor you with a duel."He then activated his duel disk as he took his post a dozen meters away."Hopefully you'll be more of a challenge than that Pendulum guy." Ryouga smirked. "Otherwise, this'll be boring."I swear, the next time I get to duel this bastard, I'll wipe that smug smirk from his face. Yuuji thought as he got on his feet, leaning against a crate as he spectated from the sidelines.For now, he would just watch. Analyze everything about these two's duel and find ways to take those techniques for himself. He was also a little interested in whatever the hell they were talking about before."I'm not here to entertain you," Yuto frowned."Sure, sure," Ryouga waved him off.[Duel!] The two shout in unison.Yuto — LP: 4000Ryouga — LP: 4000[Turn 1: Yuto] [H: 5]"I'll start," Yuto declared as he drew his first five cards. Ryouga does the same. "I set five cards and end my turn."Five face-down cards appear on Yuto's field.He set five cards. Yuuji was surprised. Not even a single monster was summoned. How can you win with such a tactic, especially against someone as strong as this bastard, as much as I hate to admit it."Setting five, not a strong start," Ryouga smiled. "Did you have a bad hand?""No comment," Yuto replied. "Just start your turn, Academia."[Turn 2: Ryouga] [H: 6]"Alright then, I draw!" Ryouga started his turn. "I activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards" He drew two more cards. "Then I summon Y-Dragon Head (Light/Machine/Union/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)!"A red machine wyvern appeared."Next, I equip Z-Metal Tank (Light/Machine/Union/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1300/LV: 4) to my monster, which increases its ATK and DEF by 600!"A yellow tank-like machine appeared, detaching into parts that wrapped around the machine wyvern like armor.(Y-Dragon Head — ATK: 1500 → 2100, DEF: 1600 → 2200)"Battle!" Ryouga moves into his battle phase. "Y-Dragon Head attacks you directly!"A machine wyvern's mouth opens, revealing a cannon that shoots an energy blast directly at Yuto. Yuto doesn't react to this as two of his set cards are flipped face up."I activate my two copies of my Trap Card, The Phantom Knights of Lost Vambrace!" Yuto declared. "For each, I can reduce the ATK of one monster on my opponent's field by 600. Furthermore, the two Trap Cards are summoned as Monster Cards onto my field!"(Y-Dragon Head — ATK: 2100 → 900)[The Phantom Knights of Lost Vambrace (Dark/Warrior/Normal/ATK: 600/DEF: 0/LV: 2)][The Phantom Knights of Lost Vambrace (Dark/Warrior/Normal/ATK: 600/DEF: 0/LV: 2)]Two floating chest plates with blue flames spilling out from the holes in the armor appeared."Tch, so what?" Ryouga clicked his tongue. "I'll still destroy one of those weird monsters that you summoned.""Lost Vambrace has a third effect!" Yuto announced. "For the rest of this turn, The Phantom Knights Monsters that I control cannot be destroyed by battle!""You're no fun," Ryouga scowled. "But you still take damage."A barrier forms around Yuto's monsters, protecting them from Ryouga's attack. The shockwaves cause him to wince, but he stands his ground, not being knocked back at all.Yuto — LP: 4000 → 3700"I set two cards, and end my turn," Ryouga concluded. "Looks like you aren't as bad as I thought."[Turn 3: Yuto] [H: 1]"My turn! Draw!" Yuto began his turn, ignoring Ryouga's comments. "Using my two The Phantom Knights of Lost Vambrace, I construct the overlay network!""An Xyz Summon?" Yuuji gasped."Ohoh?" Ryouga smiled as he watched the events unfold.A galaxy vortex appears in front of Yuto, with his two monsters transforming into energies that are then absorbed into the vortex. A giant pillar of light shoots out from it as Yuto begins chanting."Piercing through ten thousand warriors, the cursed spear of rebellion entombed in darkness, descend now!" Yuto chanted. "Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 2! The Phantom Knights of Cursed Javelin (Dark/Warrior/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 1600/DEF: 0/R: 2/OU: 2)!"A skeleton warrior with a skull shield and spear appeared on Yuto's field."Cursed Javelin's effect activates!" Yuto declared. "By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can reduce the ATK of a monster on your field to 0!"Cursed Javelin's staff begins to glow with electricity, before it sends the electricity towards Y-Dragon Head, enveloping it and reducing its ATK.(Y-Dragon Head — ATK: 900 → 0)(Cursed Javelin — OU: 2 → 1)"Battle!" Yuto moved into his Battle Phase. "Cursed Javelin attacks Y-Dragon Head!"The skeleton warrior runs towards Ryouga's monster."I activate my Trap Card, Defensive Retreat!" Ryouga counters. "It switches my monster to defense mode!"The red machine wyvern takes a defensive stance."That masked guy's effects didn't lower Y-Dragon Head defense stats at all…so, if he lets that attack go through, he'll only be taking unnecessary damage…" Yuuji muttered.(Cursed Javelin — ATK: 1600)(Y-Dragon Head — DEF: 2200)"That bastard…" Yuuji frowned. "He has so many defensive measures to keep his monsters safe, it's crazy."Yuto doesn't do anything, as Cursed Javelin tries to pierce through Ryouga's monster with its spear. However, the attack easily bounces off of it, making Yuto lose Life Points.Yuto — LP: 3700 → 3100"I end my turn," Yuto concluded."I would say I'm impressed, but I'm not," Ryouga sneered. "As expected of an Xyz bug, you can't even break through the simplest of our defenses. No wonder your people were annihilated so easily by mine."Yuto clenched his fists, "Just start your turn, Academia. I don't plan on letting you get away with speaking ill of my comrades like that.""How arrogant of you," Ryouga frowned. "I'll cut that tongue of yours off before I seal you into a card, Xyz bug."What the hell are they talking about? Yuuji wondered. Are these guys in the middle of a gang war or something? They definitely look the part.[Turn 4: Ryouga] [H: 4]"I draw!" Ryouga started his turn. When he saw what he drew, he smiled widely. "Ohoh, it's my lucky day.""Here it comes…" Yuto muttered."I summon X-Head Cannon (Light/Machine/Normal/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1500/LV: 4)!"A silver machine with large arms and cannons sticking out of its shoulders appeared."Now, I banish X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank in order to perform a Contact Fusion!"Yuto furrowed his eyebrows as the three aforementioned monsters rose into the air, fusing together as Ryouga began chanting."Weapons of mass destruction, come together to create the ultimate monster!" Ryouga chanted as he clasped his hands together. "Contact Fusion! Appear now, Level 8! XYZ-Dragon Cannon (Light/Machine/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2600/LV: 8)!"A massive machine, being a combination of the different features of the monsters used to Fusion Summon it, appeared on the field."I discard three cards from my hand to activate XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect!" Ryouga announced. "Now I can destroy three cards from your field! And I choose to destroy all of your set trap cards!"Dragon Cannon shoots three energy beams from its cannons, destroying all of Yuto's set cards and causing him to wince from the heavy shockwaves."I'm not done yet! Battle!" Ryouga moved into his Battle Phase. "XYZ-Dragon Cannon attacks Cursed Javelin! Draconic Railgun!"Dragon Cannon shoots energy beams from all of its cannons, indiscriminately aiming for Yuto's Monster."I activate Cursed Javelin's effect!" Yuto announced. "By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can reduce your monster's ATK to 0!""Hell no you won't!" Ryouga countered. "I activate the effect of Damage Breaker from my graveyard! By banishing it from my graveyard, during the damage step, if my monster's ATK would be altered by an effect, I can negate that effect, then increase my monster's ATK by an extra 500 during damage calculation!"(XYZ-Dragon Cannon — ATK: 2800 → 3300)"Now vaporize Cursed Javelin, Dragon Cannon!" Ryouga shouts with a crazed expression.The attacks hit the skeleton warrior, vaporizing it and creating an explosion that sends Yuto flying.Yuto — LP: 3100 → 1400(XYZ-Dragon Cannon — ATK: 3300 → 2800)"I think that's enough suffering for now, I'll end my turn." Ryouga concluded. "Now your field is completely bare, Xyz bug. I don't see a way you can come back from this with just a single card in your hand."He's right about that. Yuuji thought. But, there's always a chance for a comeback when you still have Life Points."Don't worry about me, I'm doing just fine," Yuto replied. "Draw!"[Turn 5: Yuto] [H: 2]"I summon The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves (Dark/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 500/LV: 3)!" A floating armored spirit with giant gloves appeared. "Then, I activate the effect of The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots, which allows me to Special Summon it from my hand when I control a The Phantom Knights Monster!"A spirit wearing a leather cloak and boots appeared on the field.[The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots (Dark/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 200/DEF: 1200/LV: 3)]That's two more monsters of the same Level. Yuuji's eyes widened. That means, he's going to…"I overlay my Level 3 The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves and Silent Boots!" Yuto declared as his two monsters are turned into energy and absorbed into the galaxy vortex that appeared in front of him. A massive pillar of energy shooting out from its center as he began chanting."The souls of the fallen knights on the battlefield, resurrect and become the light that cuts through the darkness!" Yuto chanted. "Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 3! The Phantom Knights of Break Sword (Dark/Warrior/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1000/R: 3/OU: 2)!"A headless, humanoid armored monster on top of a metallic mount, with a giant greatsword in its hand and blue flames erupting from the open sections of its body, appeared on Yuto's field."What will a weak monster like that do to me?" Ryouga frowned."The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves effect activates!" Yuto announced. "When a Dark Xyz Monster is summoned using it as one of its materials, its ATK increases by 1000 until the end of this turn!"Break Sword's greatsword begins to glow purple as it powers up.(Break Sword — ATK: 2000 → 3000)Nice! Now it has more ATK than XYZ-Dragon Cannon! Yuuji smiled."Battle!" Yuto shouts as his monster gallops forward. "The Phantom Knights of Break Sword attacks XYZ-Dragon Cannon!""Not so fast!" Ryouga shouts as his set Trap Card is flipped face-up. "I activate my Trap Card, Fusion Safeguard! When this card is activated, for the rest of this turn, Fusion Monsters I control cannot be destroyed—!""I activate the Trap Card, The Phantom Knights of Tomb Shield from my graveyard!" Yuto interrupted. "This card can only be activated during my turn, and not on the turn when it was sent to the graveyard. By banishing it from my graveyard, I can negate the effects of a face-up Trap Card until the end of the turn. Meaning your Fusion Safeguard is useless!"Ryouga's Trap Card is destroyed."Dammit!" Ryouga cursed."Now destroy it, Break Sword!" Yuto shouts as his monster slashes through the massive machine with its giant blade, destroying it and creating an explosion that causes Ryouga to wince from the shockwaves.Ryouga — LP: 4000 → 3800He managed to destroy that bastard's monster, even through all of his defenses. Yuuji was in awe."I end my turn," Yuto concluded. "And with the end of my turn, Break Sword's ATK returns to normal."(Break Sword — ATK: 3000 → 2000)"How does it feel to be exposed, Academia? I'm sure you've never felt this vulnerable before, right?" Yuto inquired."You shut your mouth, you damn Xyz bug!" Ryouga lashes out, a crazy smile forming on his face which reveals his sharp, fang-like teeth. "I swear, before I seal you into a card, I will make you suffer greatly!"[Turn 6: Ryouga] [H: 1]Ryouga then places his hand over the top of his deck."My turn! Draw!" Ryouga drew with all his might. "I activate Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three more cards. However, in exchange, I must discard two cards from my hand."Ryouga draws three cards, and sends two of them to his graveyard."I activate the effect of Banish Warden from my graveyard!" Ryouga declared. "With its effect, I can banish it along with one other card in my graveyard! I choose to banish my XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"Ryouga takes out two cards from his graveyard, placing them into his banish zone.Why would he banish that? Yuuji wondered. This can't be good.Yuto seemed to come to the same conclusion, a serious expression on his face."XYZ-Dragon Cannon can't be Special Summoned from my graveyard." Ryouga stated. "But now that it's not in my graveyard...""Wait…" Yuto realized what Ryouga was implying, his eyes widening. "That means…""That's right, Xyz scum! I activate the Spell Card, Rise of the Banished from my hand!" Ryouga continued. "By paying half of my Life Points, I can Special Summon up to two Monsters directly from my banish zone onto my field! Return to my field, XYZ-Dragon Cannon (ATK: 2800/DEF: 2600/LV: 8)! Arise, Banish Warden (Light/Machine/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100/LV: 1)!"The massive machine that was destroyed on the previous turn returns to Ryouga's field once again. Next to it was a humanoid machine, holding a police baton in its hand.Ryuga — LP: 3800 → 1900"It's back?" Yuto was surprised."I'm not done yet, Xyz!" Ryouga sneered. "I activate the effect of the Spell Card Unionization from my graveyard! By banishing it and tributing one monster from my field, I can summon a Normal Monster along with its respective Union Monster. I release my Banish Warden to Special Summon V-Tiger Jet (Light/Machine/Normal/ATK: 1600/DEF: 1800) and W-Wing Catapult (Light/Machine/Union/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1500) to my field!"An orange and green jet with the head of a tiger and blue aircraft appeared on the field."Now, I banish my V-Tiger Jet and W-Wing Catapult in order to perform another Contact Fusion!" Ryouga announced as the two aforementioned monsters rose into the air, fusing together as he began chanting. "Wing jets that soar through the skies, rain down bombardment onto your enemies! Contact Fusion! Appear now, Level 6! VW-Tiger Catapult (Light/Machine/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2100/LV: 6)!"A hovercraft-like aircraft, with a machine tiger attached directly on top of the base appeared."You have no card in your hand, meaning you can't activate either of your monster's effects," Yuto stated. "Don't tell me you're banking on an all out assault to try and finish me off.""I could, but I can tell that's what you would want me to do, right?" Ryouga smiled. "I'll show you something that I've never shown any of the Xyz or Ritual scum that I've come to face! My ultimate monster!"Ultimate monster? Yuuji's eyes widened. Does that mean that Dragon Cannon isn't his strongest monster? He was holding back against me!"I banish my XYZ-Dragon Cannon and my VW-Tiger Catapult in order to perform a Contact Fusion!" Ryouga declared with a crazed smile as his two aforementioned monsters rose into the air, fusing together as he began chanting."The machine hearts combine into one," Ryouga chanted. "From it arises the ultimate weapon that annihilates all in its path! Contact Fusion! Come forth, Level 8! VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon (Light/Machine/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2800/LV: 8)!"A giant Mecha Gundam with giant yellow claw-like arms, massive red wings, and a giant blaster attached to its chest appeared on Ryouga's field.This guy is insane! Yuuji's jaw dropped. Getting his destroyed Fusion Monster back onto his field while avoiding its summoning condition, summoning materials to summon another Fusion Monster, then using those Fusion Monsters to perform a Contact Fusion.Only a skilled duelist with immense dueling knowledge could pull off a combo like that."Dammit…" Yuuji clenched his fists. "He wasn't just holding back, he was barely breaking a sweat against me…""Dragon Catapult Cannon's effect activates!" Ryouga declared. "Once per turn, I can target a card on your field and banish it! Say goodbye to that detestable Xyz Monster of yours, Xyz scum! Catapult Launch!"The massive Gundam shoots a missile of Break Sword, which explodes into a net that wraps around it. Then, the monster is suddenly shocked by massive volts of electricity, which cause the horseman to explode."Break Sword's effect activates!" Yuto shouts. "When it is destroyed, I can Special Summon the materials used to Xyz Summon it back onto my field as Level 4 Monsters. Return, The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves (ATK: 1000/DEF: 500/LV: 3 → 4) and The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots (ATK: 200/DEF: 1200/LV: 3 → 4), both in defense mode!"Yuto's two monsters appear on his field, with faint blue aura surrounding them."I just destroy one bug, and two more come crawling out from the depth of hell," Ryouga frowned."That's how the duelists of the Resistance fight," Yuto declared. "Academia may knock us down, reduce our numbers. But we'll always push through and bounce back, no matter how many times we fall!""Save me your melodramatic speech for after you win, as slim as that chance is," Ryouga scoffed. "Battle! VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon attacks The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves! Obliteration Beam!"The massive Gundam soars into the air, charging a massive energy beam with its cannons. It fires the energy directly at Yuto's monster, which gets vaporized in an instant. The explosion of the attack sends Yuto sliding back, but he stands his ground."I end my turn with that," Ryouga concluded. "That Xyz Monster of yours bought you one turn, but on my next turn, I'll surely wipe out the rest of your Life Points!""That's definitely true, however…you've made one fatal mistake, Academia," Yuto stated."Huh?" Ryouga frowned. "Oh please enlighten me Xyz, what mistake did I make?""You won't be getting another turn," Yuto said with a serious expression. "Because this turn, I'll be reducing your Life Points to zero."[Turn 7: Yuto] [H: 1]
[Current Theme Playing: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Sound Duel 1 OST 23 - A Cornered Duelist]
"My turn! Draw!" Yuto drew a card. "I summon The Phantom Knights of Cloven Helm (Dark/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 500/LV: 4)!"A spirit wearing a broken knight's helmet appeared."So what if you summon another monster? It won't make a difference!" Ryouga shouted."It won't make a difference?" Yuto said with a dark expression, unnerving Ryouga. "Why don't we put that statement to the test, Academia?"Yuto then extended his hand outwards."Using my Level 4 The Phantom Knights of Cloven Helm and Silent Boots, I construct the overlay network!" Yuto declared as his two aforementioned monsters were turned into energies that are then sucked in the galaxy vortex in front of him. The ground began to shake violently.What the hell is happening? Yuuji almost fell from the sudden shaking, catching himself on the crate behind him.A massive pillar of light shot out from the center of the vortex as Yuto began chanting."Formed from pitch-black darkness, to fight those foolish enough to oppose it with its treacherous fangs!" Yuto chanted. "Xyz Summon! Now descend, Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/R: 4/OU: 2)!"A massive dark purple dragon with jagged wings, and horns—with a similarly jagged tusk on its chin—appeared on Yuto's field. Yuuji clutched his chest as he set his sights on the terrifying dragon.This…is the same sensation I felt during my duel against Yuya. Yuuji realized. And that dragon, its name contains a summoning method in it, just like Yuya's Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon.Ryouga had a nervous expression on his face when he looked at Yuto's new dragon. However, he then smirked upon seeing its ATK points."Only 2500 ATK? That dragon of yours isn't threatening at all!" Ryouga sneered."It may not be right now, but that's about to change," Yuto stated, surprising Ryouga. "Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon's effect activates! By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can half the ATK of a Level 5 or higher monster on the field! Treason Discharge!"The sections on Dark Rebellion's wings expand, as a wave of purple lighting is emitted from it that wraps around Ryouga's Dragon Catapult Cannon—sapping away the monster's strength while bolstering its own.(Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon — ATK: 2500 → 4000)(VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon — ATK: 3000 → 1500)"N-No way!?" Ryouga took a step back. "This can't be. I can't lose! To Xyz scum of all people?! My pride as an Academia Elite won't allow it!""The flames of rebellion burn bright in our hearts. This is justice for my people who you've slaughtered!" Yuto declared, pumping his fist towards the sky as Dark Rebellion soars into the air. "Battle! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon attacks Dragon Catapult Cannon! Lightning Disobey of Rebellion!"The tusk on Dark Rebellion's chin begins to glow as it flies down towards Ryouga's Gundam, who flies into the sky to confront it. The two monsters clash in the air, trading blows as they move closer to the ground. Dragon Catapult Cannon shoots an energy beam at Dark Rebellion who narrowly avoid it, using this chance to fly in closer and pierce through the Gundam with its tusk, creating a massive explosion which created shockwaves that sent Ryouga flying, concluding the duel.Ryouga — LP: 1900 → 0Winner: YutoYuto's dragon roars in triumph, before it disappears.
[BGM (Background Music) Ends Here.]
Yuto walks towards the down Ryouga, grabbing him by his collar."Tell me! Where the hell is Ruri!?" Yuto demanded."I already told you before, Xyz. I don't know where the hell that girlfriend of yours is," Ryouga growled. "Like I said before, she's probably dead.""Tch," Yuto clicked his tongue. "Fine, then tell me about Academia's plan.""Our plan?" Ryouga was confused for a moment before smiling, sticking his tongue out at Yuto. "I'm not telling you nothing Xyz."A tick mark formed on Yuto's forehead."Even if I did want to tell you our plans, I'm being sent back to Academia anyways, since I just lost a duel," Ryouga stated as his duel disk began to glow. He smiled. "Right on que. You've impressed me a lot Xyz, but don't think you've won just because you've defeated me. Next time I see you, I'll definitely turn you into a card."Yuto let go of Ryouga's collar, making the young man drop to the ground, "I'll be sure to defeat you again, Academia."Ryouga is then enveloped in a blue light as he disappeared from the area.What the hell, he just up and vanished? Yuuji was surprised. Oh shit, that masked guy is leaving!"Wait!" Yuuji called out to Yuto who had already begun walking away."Hmm?" Yuto turned to him. "What is it?""Who are you, and what is your affiliation with that bastard?" Yuuji asked."That bastard? Oh…" Yuto realized who Yuuji was talking about. "He's an enemy, that's all you need to know."Yuto began walking. Yuuji followed him"You can't just leave me with no info here, I literally watched the whole duel.""It's for your safety," Yuto responded, not even turning back to Yuuji."My safety?""These are conflicts beyond your comprehension. Being aware of it will make you a target for the enemy, who won't hesitate to kill you."Okay, so some massive gang war, huh? Yuuji guessed. I definitely wouldn't want to be a part of it."May I at least know your name? That shouldn't be classified info, right?" Yuuji asked. "You helped me out a lot by stepping in earlier."Yuto stopped in his tracks, removing his mask and turning around. Yuuji was shocked when he caught sight of the guy's face."Yuya!?" Yuuji cried out."It's Yuto," he corrected. "If that's all you wanted to know, I'll be on my way now.""Oh, bye, I guess?" Yuuji said as Yuto walked off.He's definitely the loner-type. Yuuji thought. Though he doesn't seem to be much of a bad person."Gah!" Yuuji clutched his head. He then noticed the blood spilling from his mouth.Damn, that hurts like hell. Yuuji thought. Should I even make my way to You Show at this point? I think I need the go to the hospital.…"I don't have the kind of money to pay for the hospital bill. I'll just go to You Show." Yuuji decided.A while later, at You Show…Yuya and Sora's duel had just concluded, with Yuya managing to emerge victorious. The Action Field dispersed, returning the two back into the arena. Yuya notices Sora on the ground, with a downcast expression on his face. He approaches."Do you remember your promise?" Yuya said with a smile. "Since I won, you're no longer my apprentice, and you have to come help find—!"Yuya was interrupted by Sora's sudden laughing."That was fun!" Sora happily said. "Dueling you was really fun, Yuya!""Huh?" Yuya was surprised. "You didn't call me Sensei this time?""You said you won't let me become your apprentice," Sora replied. "Then I've decided that I'll become your friend instead, Yuya!""That's not your choice to—""I see. I see. You two have become friends," Shuzo suddenly arrived. "A student's friend is also a student to me."Shuzo then put his hands on Sora's shoulders."So why don't you enroll here at the You Show School?" Shuzo asked."Sure!" Sora said with an excited expression. "This place seems much more fun than LDS!""Yosh!" Shuzo said with fire in his eyes. "I'll go get you an enrollment form right now!"Shuzo darted out of the room, causing Yuya to sigh before turning to Sora."Wait, but if you're not an LDS student, where did you learn Fusion Summoning?" Yuya asked."Oh, where I used to live, it was normal for everyone to do Fusion Summoning—" Sora began to delve into a bit of his past when…"WHAT THE HELL!?" Shuzo could be heard screaming in the other room, alerting everyone. They all quickly run to the scene, a horrified expression on their face when they see Yuuji, who didn't look to be in the best condition at all, walking in."Yo!" Yuuji casually greeted them. "Sorry for being late. I ran into some trouble.""Trouble is an understatement," Yuzu frowned. "You look like you've just been through a war."His clothes were in tatters, his hair was a mess. Smears of blood could still be seen on the bottom parts of his lips."I guess you could say that, but it's nothing you guys should be worried about," Yuuji lied. "I'll be fine.""Are you sure, Yuuji?" Shuzo asked, concerned. "You should really go see a doctor.""Yeah, I'm sure. I'm used to getting wounds like these," Yuuji replied, which wasn't a lie this time. He does get hurt pretty often, though usually not this bad. He was pretty sure that he was bruised in a few parts of his body. "More importantly, who's this new guy? Did you guys manage to peer pressure another person into joining?""So, you're the Yuuji that everyone was talking about," Sora excitedly said. "I'm Sora, your new apprentice, it's nice to meet you!""Oh, uhh…it's nice to meet you too," Yuuji smiled back before pausing. "...Wait, new apprentice? I never agreed to this?""He said the same thing to me. I had to beat him in a duel to get him to leave me alone about that," Yuya sighed.That's annoying. Yuuji thought."Speaking of dueling, I want to duel you now, Sensei!" Sora excitedly proposed."No," Yuuji instantly declined."Please," Sora tried to plead with puppy dog eyes."I'm not in the mood for dueling right now," Yuuji stated. "Maybe another time.""Aw, you're no fun!" Sora pouted."Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to rest my head somewhere," Yuuji said before walking away towards the common room. Everyone looks at him with a concerned expression but doesn't say a word.He throws himself onto the couch and begins to think back to his conversation with Yuto."That guy, he mentioned this, Academia. Is that a school?" Yuuji wondered. "And that school kidnapped his girlfriend, and now they're fighting in a war? What part of that fits the 'conflicts beyond my comprehension' criteria. I've seen a lot of crazy shit back at the Outpost."Oh well, it wasn't his business. If he saw that guy again, he would definitely ask some more questions, but it's not like he's going to go out of his way to look for them."That loss still stings though…" Yuuji muttered before closing his eyes. "I'm going to have to sleep it off."A few hours later, at the base of LDS Tower…Yuga and Shizuka stood at the base of LDS Tower, wearing LDS Uniforms as disguises."Are you sure this plan of yours is going to work?" Yuga asked. "If they catch us, we'll surely be arrested.""I'm confident," Shizuka reassured, or at least that's what Yuga assumed she was doing. "If it doesn't work, prison will be the least of your worries.""How reassuring of you…" Yuga frowned and shook his head. "Whatever, let's just get this done.""Right," Shizuka nodded. "Operation LDS Infiltration begins now."
Custom/Altered Cards:

Monster Cards:

Antique Wondrous Globe
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5, SC: 4Light/Fairy/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: Once per turn, target 1 card on your field; destroy it.Monster Effect: Once per turn, you can banish both this card and 1 monster on your opponent's field until the End Phase.
Antique Golden Carol
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5, SC: 8Light/Fairy/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: When this monster is in one of your Pendulum Zones while you control none in the other, you can place 1 Antique Monster from your deck into the empty Pendulum Zone.Monster Effect: If this monster is Special Summoned from the deck, add 1 Ritual Spell from your deck to your hand.
Banish Warden
ATK: 100, DEF: 100, LV: 1Light/Machine/EffectMonster Effect: During your turn: You can banish this card and 1 other card from your Graveyard.
Spell/Trap Cards:

Union Online
Normal TrapSpecial Summon 2 Union Monsters from your Deck. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect cannot be destroyed by battle during the turn they are Summoned.
Pendulum Call
Spell CardPlace 1 Pendulum Monster from your Deck into your Pendulum Zone. During the End Phase of this turn, destroy that card. You can only activate 1 Pendulum Call per turn.
A-to-Z Armory
Normal TrapDuring either player's turn: You can Special Summon this card as an Effect Monster (LIGHT/Machine/Effect/ATK 1200/DEF 1700/Level 4) (this card is NOT treated as a trap). While this card is in your Monster Zone, it must be the target of all attacks, and you take no damage for the rest of this turn. This card cannot be destroyed by battle.
Damage Negation
Counter TrapFor the rest of this turn, you take no battle damage. You can banish this card and 1 other card from your Graveyard; for the rest of this turn, you take no damage.
Unionization
Normal SpellSpecial Summon 1 Union Monster from your deck. You can banish this card from your graveyard along with tributing one monster on your field, you can Special Summon a Normal Monster and Union Monster from your deck.
Union Pot
Normal TrapWhen an A-to-Z Monster is Fusion Summoned while this card is in your graveyard, you can draw 1 card.
Mirror Barrier
Normal TrapWhen an opponent's monster declares an attack: Negate that attack.
Damage Breaker
Trap CardIf your monster's ATK would be altered by an effect during the Damage Step: Negate that effect. You can banish this card from your Graveyard; if your monster's ATK would be altered by an effect during the Damage Step, negate that effect, then increase that monster's ATK by 500 during damage calculation.
Fusion Safeguard
Normal TrapFor the rest of this turn, Fusion Monsters on the field cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects.
Rise of the Banished
Normal SpellPay half your Life Points; Special Summon up to 2 monsters from your Banished Zone.
And that's the end of chapter 4. A pretty eventful chapter, and is the first double duel chapter of many, as well as the first chapter of many to have a duel that doesn't have Yuuji as one of its participants. I want to try and give other characters their chances to shine from time to time, since many of them were done dirty in the anime.

It also features Yuuji's first loss, meant to show Yuuji that he still has a long way to go before he grows. You can definitely expect Yuuji to end up losing a few times in this, when I feel as though it would fit the story I'm trying to tell.

The next chapter won't have Yuuji involved in it much at all, as we'll be switching over to see what Yuga and Shizuka have been up to the past few days.

If the next chapter is out, go read that, else; have a fantastic day, and thanks for reading.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Not much to say here since I'm in the middle of mass releasing chapters up to eight.

Disclaimer: Minor Spelling, Grammar, and other mistakes may be present.

Enjoy!

[ Standard Arc Opening Theme (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 1: BELIEVE X BELIEVE) ]

Scale 05: Operation LDS Infiltration
A few days ago…Shizuka and Yuga walked down the streets of Maiami City, the bustling sounds of the city filling the air. Shizuka had a serious expression on her face, while Yuga appeared more relaxed. As they walked, Yuga began to lag behind, spotting a cotton candy stand up ahead. Just as he was about to wander off..."Oh no, you don't!" Shizuka pinched Yuga's ear, making him yelp in pain."Ow, ow, ow! Fine, no sweets!" Yuga cried out, trying to free himself.Shizuka sighed and released his ear, putting one hand on her hip. "You need to focus. We were in the middle of planning something important.""Isn't planning your job?" Yuga asked. "You know I'm terrible at this kind of thing.""Yeah, but I still value your input," Shizuka replied. "Kind of."Yuga nodded, "Alright then, what've you come up with so far?"Shizuka's expression shifted to one of concern. "Well, I've been trying to figure out a way to get into LDS Tower without drawing attention, but I've hit a roadblock. This place is a multi-billion dollar corporation that controls nearly everything in the city. How do we even begin to break into something like that?"Yuga frowned. "You're the one who thought kidnapping Akaba Leo's son was a good idea."Shizuka shrugged. "Yeah, but it's safer to try and kidnap the president of a massive corporation than face off against those warmongers directly. This is the less dangerous option."Yuga mulled that over for a moment. "True… Okay, I think I have an idea."Shizuka raised an eyebrow. "What is it?""Why don't we just put on disguises and walk right through the front entrance?" Yuga suggested."That's a stupid idea," Shizuka quickly dismissed. "LDS's security would instantly figure out we're not part of the organization. They have a system that checks all their members against their databases."Yuga smiled slyly. "Well, what if we hacked their database and made it look like we're part of LDS?"Shizuka blinked, clearly surprised. "That's... actually a solid idea. Not all of it, though. If we just appear in their database as members out of nowhere, they'd notice right away. But if I tamper with the IDs and add in some fake ones to cover our tracks, it could work."Shizuka then spotted a nearby cafe and pointed toward it. "Let's stop there for a bit. You can buy whatever you want while I get to work on the plan."Yuga's face lit up. "Nice!" Without another word, he darted into the cafe, ordering two caramel lattes at the counter—one with extra sugar for himself.Shizuka took a seat at one of the empty tables, and Yuga joined her shortly after. A few minutes later, the waiter appeared with their ordered lattes, placing them down at the table."Thank you," Yuga said, giving a small nod of gratitude to the waiter before taking a sip of his latte. His face lit up from the sweetness. Shizuka smiled softly at her best friend's antics before enjoying her own latte. She then set her cup down and began getting to work.The first task was creating fake IDs, so Shizuka started looking for references, which she found easily by infiltrating LDS's database through one of their stationed computers as a proxy from afar. Once she had a reference, she made a copy and began creating the fake IDs. The process was tedious, but after about 30 minutes of trial and error, she managed to create twenty-five IDs.She shut her laptop, stretching her arms. "Finally done. That took a lot longer than I thought it would.""Done?" Yuga looked surprised. "That was fast.""I only made the fake IDs," Shizuka yawned. "That's the easy part. Now I need to make our IDs and add them to their database without getting caught. Then, I need to make sure our fingerprints are in there as well in case they check security. But… I'm too tired to do all of that right now.""We can do other stuff in the meantime, like get those LDS uniforms," Yuga suggested."How do you suggest we do that?" Shizuka asked with groggy eyes."We could just beat up two LDS members and steal their clothes," Yuga proposed casually."No, we are not doing that," Shizuka dismissed the idea quickly. "That'll just alert Leo Corporation about our plans. You already messed up by dueling those thugs earlier.""You can't blame me for that," Yuga defended himself. "They were hitting on you, so I had to teach them a lesson.""And I'm grateful for that," Shizuka replied. "But my point still stands. We need to keep a low profile before our plan kicks off.""I got nothing then," Yuga sighed and leaned back in his seat. "I doubt there are any fake LDS uniforms lying around the city."Shizuka frowned, "If you can think of a better way, I'm all ears."Yuga went silent for a moment, deep in thought. "I'm… not sure. Maybe we can buy them? Like, maybe Leo Corporation has a merch shop where we can just buy uniforms?"Shizuka quickly opened her laptop, typing away for a few moments before finding something. "They do have a shop, and they sell uniforms there. But…""But what?" Yuga asked."They're ¥24,000 (about $150 USD) each," Shizuka replied, her voice flat."¥24,000!?" Yuga's jaw dropped. "We don't have that kind of funding, do we?""We do," Shizuka said. "But it'll definitely put a dent in our budget.""Damn… maybe we should just steal them after all," Yuga grumbled."We're not stealing them," Shizuka said, her tone firm. "I already placed an order for them."Yuga froze. "M-My candy money…"2 days before the operation…Yuga and Shizuka sat in an alleyway, a cardboard box beneath their feet. Shizuka opened it, revealing two fresh LDS uniforms. She handed one to Yuga."This looks a bit big, don't you think?" Yuga asked, holding up the uniform. It was a whole size larger than what he usually wore."Beggars can't be choosers," Shizuka replied, comparing the uniform to her own. "I got one a size too big too. There weren't any other options."Yuga slipped the uniform on, surprised by its high quality."Isn't it weird they're selling near-identical replicas of their uniforms?" Yuga wondered. "It's almost like they're asking for someone to use them for shady purposes.""Probably why they're so expensive," Shizuka said, adjusting her own uniform. "They probably figured no one would be dumb enough to waste money like that."Once she got a feel for the uniform, she took it off and pulled out her laptop."Now, we just need to make our IDs and upload them to the database," Shizuka said, starting to type.A while later…Yuga and Shizuka were at a clothing shop. Yuga held a bag, stuffed with products and items."Do you really need all of this?" Yuga asked, looking exhausted. "You said our budget was tight.""It's all necessary," Shizuka replied. "For the disguises."She picked out a hair tie, using it to tie her long scarlet hair back."This one's good," Shizuka said with a smile. "Let's pay."They went to the counter, paid, and then Shizuka handed Yuga some items, telling him to go change while she did the same. Afterward, they came out wearing LDS uniforms.Shizuka had more makeup on than usual, with red lipstick, eyeliner, and light powder. Yuga wore a pair of fake square glasses."You actually look smart with those glasses," Shizuka teased. "Kind of cute."Yuga blinked, awkwardly blushing. After a moment, he just accepted the compliment. "Thanks?""You're welcome." Shizuka grinned and pulled out a camera. "Let's take a photo for our IDs.""Right."They left the shop and found an empty spot in the city to take photos."Make sure you get my good side," Shizuka said, striking a pose."Does it really matter?" Yuga asked."Of course it does," Shizuka said. "I need to look decent in every photo."Yuga sighed and snapped a few photos of her.They swapped places, and Shizuka took the camera."Okay, smile," she said, snapping a photo. She frowned when she saw it. "You look too serious. I said smile, didn't I?""I don't like taking photos," Yuga muttered. "You know this. If I smile, it'll look awkward."Shizuka sighed. "Fine, this one works. Let's upload these and get to a cafe."1 day before the operation…The two of them had already planned out most of what needed to be done. Shizuka yawned as she typed away at her laptop, finishing the final details for their preparations. Meanwhile, Yuga went over both his deck and Shizuka's, running different strategies through his mind.Once Shizuka finished, she shut off her laptop and leaned back in her seat, stretching her arms."With that, everything is set in place," Shizuka said, a satisfied smile on her face. "We'll be ready to carry out the plan tomorrow.""I've gone over some dueling strategies as well," Yuga replied, handing Shizuka her deck."Good," Shizuka said, tucking her deck into her holder. "Preparations for 'Operation Kidnapping Akaba Leo's President Son by Infiltrating LDS' are now complete."Yuga stared at her, blinking in disbelief."What?" Shizuka raised an eyebrow."That name is way too long. Operation names are supposed to be short and sweet.""So what? It covers everything we need to do tomorrow.""That can be shortened to something like 'Operation LDS Infiltration.' It rolls off the tongue way better."Shizuka paused, considering it. "That does sound better," she admitted. After thinking a moment more, she nodded. "Okay, we'll go with your name then. From now on, this'll be called 'Operation LDS Infiltration.'"Disguised as regular employees, Yuga and Shizuka confidently made their way to the entrance of LDS. They approached the security checkpoint, where a guard stood ready, holding a tablet with a hand sensor on the screen.Shizuka stepped forward without hesitation. She placed her hand on the sensor, and within seconds, her ID appeared as a hologram. The guard studied it for a moment before nodding, granting her access.Yuga, on the other hand, felt a slight knot in his stomach but managed to keep his composure. He stepped forward and placed his hand on the sensor. The guard glanced at the hologram, his eyes lingering a moment longer before he waved Yuga through as well. Yuga followed Shizuka inside, his nerves simmering beneath his calm exterior.Once inside, Shizuka subtly gestured for Yuga to follow her. She led him toward the stairwell, and they attached their duel disks to their arms. As they ascended the stairs, they typed on their interfaces to communicate, careful not to attract attention as people descended past them.{So what's the plan now? We've managed to avoid detection so far.} - Yuga{We keep going up. According to the map, Akaba Reiji's office should be on the top floor.} - Shizuka{Couldn't we have taken the elevator? It's much faster.} - Yuga{We could, but I doubt there's a way to go directly to his office from there. Plus, there are fewer people going up the stairs. It's a super tall building after all.} - Shizuka{Yeah. But what if they catch on to what we're doing and send people after us?} - Yuga{If they send one or two people, we duel them. Otherwise, we just run.} - ShizukaThey reached the halfway point of the stairwell and decided to take a short breather.Elsewhere…Akaba Reiji sat in his office, his gaze fixed on the cityscape outside the windows as he pondered over his next moves. The soft hum of the air conditioning was the only sound in the room until the doors to his office swung open.Nakajima stepped inside, his footsteps sharp and precise, "Reiji-dono, we've let the intruders in just like you asked," he reported.Reiji turned his head slightly, his expression unreadable, "Good. Keep an eye on them," he replied. "While I don't mind them snooping around, I don't want them breaking anything here."Nakajima nodded. "Understood. I'll also call for two of our duelists to be positioned outside your office."Reiji's lips curled into a faint smile, his curiosity piqued, "I'm interested to see how those two fare against our duelists.""Yes, President," Nakajima responded with a bow. He pulled out his duel disk, making a quick call as he left the office.Reiji silently watched his subordinate leave before returning to his silent thinking."Finally…" Yuga collapsed to the ground as they reached the top floor of LDS Tower. "Why the hell did I agree to do this?""Maybe…the elevator wasn't such a bad idea after all," Shizuka said, her legs trembling from all the walking. "But we made it. Just a little longer before we reach Akaba Reiji."Yuga shot her a sideways glance. "What about when we reach Akaba Reiji? How are we…you know…going to kidnap him? You never actually told me the plan for that."Shizuka shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know."Yuga's jaw dropped, but Shizuka ignored him, already walking down the dark hallway. With a sigh, he quickly got his act together and followed. They walked for a minute before Shizuka came to a sudden stop, raising her hand to signal Yuga."Huh? What's wrong?" Yuga asked."Someone's coming," Shizuka said, her expression turning serious.Footsteps echoed through the hall, growing louder as they approached. Before long, two men in LDS uniforms stepped out of the shadows."I was surprised to hear a report from the supervisor about intruders. Looks like the reports have some truth to them after all," one of the youths smirked."And a cute one at that," the other youth added, whistling. Shizuka felt a chill run down her spine. "What's a pretty lady like you doing snooping around the Leo Corporation?""Who are you guys?" Yuga immediately stepped in front of Shizuka."I'm Friedo, a top student from LDS's Fusion Course," the youth who'd flirted with Shizuka introduced himself."And I'm Baron, a student who takes both the Fusion and Synchro Courses," the other youth added. "We were ordered by our supervisor to deal with intruders.""Judging by the fact that you both are duelists, I'm assuming we settle this with a duel, right?" Yuga asked."That's right," Friedo replied, strapping a duel disk to his left arm. Baron did the same, but with his right arm."Since there are two of us, I suggest we have a tag duel," Baron proposed. "Both players share the field, graveyard, and Life Points. We can't attack each other or draw for the first two turns of the duel. We can also activate the Spell/Trap Cards our partner places, as if they were our own. The only thing we don't share is our hands.""That's fine with us," Shizuka said, activating her duel blade."Yeah," Yuga agreed, his eyes narrowing. "I'll pay you back for those flirtatious comments you made toward Shizuka!""Right down to business," Friedo grinned. "That's just the way I like it."Friedo and Baron both activated their duel blades in unison.[Duel!] All four of them shout in unison.Yuga & Shizuka — LP: 4000Friedo & Baron — LP: 4000[Turn 1: Yuga] [H:5]"I'll start!" Yuga announced. "I summon Gravekeepers - Skeleton Guard (Dark/Fiend/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 3)!"A skeleton with a rusty helmet and a sword appeared."When Skeleton Guard is Normal Summoned, I have to discard a card from my hand."Yuga sends a card from his hand to the graveyard."Next, I tribute Skeleton Guard from my field to activate its second effect!" Yuga declared. "I can add a 'Gravekeepers' card from my deck to my hand!"Yuga added a card to his hand."I now set two cards and end my turn," Yuga concluded."That's it?" Friedo couldn't contain his laughter. "So much for fighting for that girlfriend of yours.""Worry about yourself," Yuga rolled his eyes."I'll take the next turn if you don't mind," Baron said to Friedo."I don't mind," Friedo shrugged.[Turn 2: Baron] [H:5]"I summon Naturia Marron (Earth/Plant/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 700/LV: 3)!" A brown, puffy pollen puff monster with cute eyes appeared on his field. "When this monster is summoned onto my field, I can send 1 'Naturia' Monster from my deck to my graveyard!"Baron sends a card from his deck to the graveyard."Naturia Bumblebee's effect activates! If a card is sent from my hand or deck to the graveyard, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand!"A large, cute bumblebee appeared on his field.[Naturia Bumblebee (Earth/Insect/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 700/DEF: 1100/LV: 2)]"When Naturia Bumblebee is summoned onto my field, I can place a Trap Card from my deck directly onto my field!"Baron added a card to his hand and placed it face down on his duel blade."Now the Level 2 Naturia Bumblebee tunes Level 3 Naturia Marron!" Baron announced as his monsters transform into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up. "Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 5! Naturia Beast (Earth/Beast/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1700/LV: 5)!"A green lion monster with legs made of tree wood appeared."I set a card and end my turn," Baron concluded with a face down."Then it's my turn now! Draw!" Shizuka drew a card.[Turn 3: Shizuka] [H:6]"I activate Cyber Star Cherry's effect!" Shizuka declared. "By discarding it from my hand, I can add a 'Cyber Star' Monster from my deck to my hand! I add Cyber Star Nova Princess!"Shizuka added a card to her hand."Next, I summon Cyber Star Jade (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 700/LV: 4)!"A girl with long green hair, wearing a pair of black glasses appeared. In front of her was a floating block which had a computer resting on top."When I only control Light Monsters, I can summon Cyber Star Saturn (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 400/DEF: 600/LV: 4) from my hand!"A girl with short yellow pigtails, wearing a dazzling yellow dress and a cybernetic purse appeared."Next, I activate the Ritual Spell, Cyber Star Ritual! Which allows me to Ritual Summon a 'Cyber Star' Monster from my hand as long as I pay the appropriate tributes!""Ritual!?" Friedo was surprised at the use of such an outdated summoning mechanic.On a tablet, Akaba Reiji watches the ongoing duel with interest."Naturia Beast's effect activates!" Baron announced. "When a Spell Card is activated, I can send the top 2 cards from my deck to my graveyard to negate that effect and destroy that card!""Not so fast!" Yuga counters as his set Trap Card is flipped face-up. "I activate my Trap Card, Wandering the Border! When a monster activates an effect that negates the activation of a card, I can negate that monster's effects for the rest of this turn instead!""Nice going, Yuga," Shizuka smiled at her friend before continuing her turn. "I sacrifice Cyber Star Saturn in order to summon a Level 8 Monster!""What!? But that monster is only Level 4?" Baron was surprised."When Cyber Star Saturn is used to Ritual Summon a Light Ritual Monster, it can be used as the entire requirement!" Shizuka announced.A cybernetic portal appeared in front of her. Her monster is turned into energy as it is then absorbed into the portal as she begins chanting."Radiant princess whose grace shines as bright as a supernova," Shizuka chanted. "Arise from the cybernetic world! Ritual Summon! Come forth, Level 8! Cyber Star Nova Princess (Light/Fairy/Ritual/Effect/ATK: 2300/DEF: 2100/LV: 8)!"A beautiful woman with long, blonde hair wearing high-tech armor that has circuits built into it appeared. Surrounding the female monster is a brilliant light that illuminates the dark hallway completely."Nova Princess' effect activates! When she is Ritual Summoned onto my field, I can add a 'Cyber Star' Monster from my graveyard to my hand. I add Cyber Star Saturn," She takes a card out of her graveyard. "Once again, I activate Cyber Star Saturn's effect, allowing me to Special Summon it onto my field!"[Cyber Star Saturn (ATK: 400/DEF: 600/LV: 4)]The pigtail girl with yellow hair appeared once again."Battle!" Shizuka moved into her Battle Phase. "Nova Princess attacks Naturia Beast! Brilliant Supernova!"The female monster charges a giant ball of energy, sending it towards Baron's monster and destroying it. The two of them wince at the shockwaves.Friedo & Baron — LP: 4000 → 3900"Cyber Star Saturn's effect activates!" Shizuka announced. "When a 'Cyber Star' Monster I control destroys one of your monsters via battle, you take 200 points of damage!"The pigtail monster digs into her purse, pulling out weird balls that it then throws at the two duelists, hitting them in the face.Friedo & Baron — LP: 3900 → 3700"Whenever my opponent takes effect damage, Nova Princess' ATK increases!"(Nova Princess — ATK: 2300 → 2500)"Next, Cyber Star Saturn attacks you both directly!"Friedo & Baron — LP: 3700 → 3300"And I'm not done yet! Now Cyber Star Jade attacks you both directly!"Friedo & Baron — LP: 3300 → 2000"I set a card and end my turn!" Shizuka concluded."Damn she's relentless…" Friedo rubbed his head. "I'll pay you back for that! I draw!"[Turn 4: Friedo] [H:6]"I summon Ojama Red (Light/Beast/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 1000/LV: 2)!" A red, small gremlin-like monster appeared."Ew, it looks almost as hideous as that guy," Shizuka's face was green with disgust."Shut it, you wench!" Friedo sneered. "Ojama Red's effect activates, allowing me to Special Summon up to four 'Ojamas' from my hand! Appear, Ojama Green (Light/Beast/Normal/ATK: 0/DEF: 1000/LV: 2), Ojama Yellow (Light/Beast/Normal/ATK: 0/DEF: 1000/LV: 2), Ojama Black (Light/Beast/Normal/ATK: 0/DEF: 1000/LV: 2), and Ojama Blue (Light/Beast/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 1000/LV: 2)!"Four more gremlin-like monsters appeared on his field."I'll be using your Trap Card, Baron!" Friedo declared as the set trap is flipped face-up. "Emergency Fusion! With this card, I can Fusion Summon a monster from my Extra Deck, using monsters from my field as materials! From my field, I fuse Ojama Green, Ojama Yellow, and Ojama Black!"The aforementioned monsters rise into the air, fusing together."Fusion Summon! Appear, Level 6! Ojama King (Light/Beast/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 3000/LV: 6) in defense mode!"A large egg-like monster, smiling widely with its teeth appeared.Shizuka covered her mouth, "I feel like I'm going to throw up.""Me too…" Yuga agreed."Ojama King has a very special effect!" Friedo announced. "While it's on the field, I can select three Monster Zones. From now on, you cannot use those selected Monster Zones!"Ojama King begins to glow as three zones light up."Locking Monster Zones?" Shizuka was surprised. "What a nasty effect…""I'm not done yet!" Friedo announced. "I activate the Fusion Spell Polymerization! I fuse the Ojama Blue on my field with Ojama Red!"The two monsters rise into the air and fuse."Fusion Summon! Appear, Ojama Knight (Light/Beast/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 2500/LV: 5) in defense mode!"An armored monster with a yellow body and long loose eyes sticking out appeared."Ojama Knight has a similar effect to Ojama King, allowing me to lock two more of your Monster Zones!"Ojama Knight raises its sword that soon begins to glow, as two more of their monster zones light up."I end my turn with that," Friedo concluded with a smirk. "Too bad for you two, now you won't be able to do anything!""He's right…" Shizuka muttered as she glanced at Yuga. "Now neither of us can play any more monsters until we deal with that guy's monsters.""We still need to try, otherwise, all of this preparation will be for nothing," Yuga responded. "My turn! Draw!"[Turn 5: Yuga] [H:3]Yuga looked at the card he drew briefly."I set a card and pass," Yuga ended his turn."Hah! How tragic…" Friedo laughed as he wiped a tear from his eye. "You can't even do anything anymore. It's only a matter of time before you lose!""Impressive as always, Friedo," Baron complimented. "Allow me to join in the fun too! I draw!"[Turn 6: Baron] [H:3]"I activate the Spell Card Double Summon!" Baron announced. "Instead of one Normal Summon, I can conduct two Normal Summons during this turn!"Baron then plays a card."I summon Naturia Sunflower (Earth/Plant/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 0/LV: 2)!"A happy-looking sunflower appeared on his field."Next, I tribute Naturia Sunflower to Advance Summon!" Baron shouts. "Appear, Naturia Bamboo Shoot (Earth/Plant/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2000/LV: 5)!"Two brown, chibi bamboo shoot monsters appeared."While this monster remains on the field, neither of you can activate Spell or Trap Cards!" Baron declared."What?" Yuga was stunned."Tch," Shizuka clicked her tongue."Battle!" Baron moved into his Battle Phase as his chibi bamboo monster ran forward. "Naturia Bamboo Shoot attacks Cyber Star Saturn!"One of the chibi bamboo launches the other into the Shizuka's monster, causing both her and Yuga to wince at the shockwaves.Yuga & Shizuka — LP: 4000 → 2400"As long as Cyber Star Jade remains on the field, 'Cyber Star' Monsters we control cannot be destroyed by battle!""I end my turn with that," Baron concluded.[Turn 7: Shizuka] [H:2]"My turn! Draw!" Shizuka drew a card. There wasn't much else she could do so she decided to move into her Battle Phase. "Battle! Cyber Star Nova Princess attacks Naturia Bamboo Shoot! Brilliant Supernova!"Her monster sends a bright ball of energy towards the bamboo shoot monster. The monster is annihilated by the attack which caused Baron and Friedo to wince from the shockwaves.Friedo & Baron — LP: 2000 → 1500"Cyber Star Saturn's effect deals an extra 200 points of damage thanks to it destroying one of your monsters!"Saturn's digs into her purse, pulling out colorful balls that it then hurls towards her opponents. However, this time they manage to step away before the attacks could hit them.Friedo & Baron — LP: 1500 → 1300"Thanks to Nova Princess' effect, her ATK increases by the amount of effect damage you took!"(Nova Princess — ATK: 2500 → 2700)"Not so fast!" Baron interrupted. "I activate the effect of Nature's Calling from my graveyard! When a 'Naturia' Monster I control is destroyed, I can draw one card and Special Summon it to my field! Return, Naturia Bamboo Shoot in defense mode!"[Naturia Bamboo Shoot (ATK: 2000/DEF: 2000/LV: 5)]"Tch," Shizuka clicked her tongue. "I switch both Cyber Star Jade and Cyber Star Saturn to defense mode, and end my turn!"[Turn 8: Friedo] [H:1]"Draw!" Friedo began his turn, a smug grin spreading across his face. "I set a card and pass."He then let out a loud, mocking laugh. "You guys might as well give up. There's no way you're winning this!""This guy is really annoying..." Shizuka frowned, her patience wearing thin. "Their combination has completely locked us out of playing. At this rate, we'll just fizzle out. We need to do something, and fast."Yuga glanced down at his hand, his expression darkening. "I've got nothing in my hand that can do anything. If we could make use of our Trap Cards, we'd be able to carve a path to victory. But this...""Then you'll just need to draw them out, Yuga," Shizuka said, her voice steady with resolve. "Otherwise, we'll never be able to save our loved ones."Yuga remained silent for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in. He then nodded, a determined look crossing his face. "Right. I'll try my best. Right here and now! Draw!"[Turn 9: Yuga] [H:3]Yuga's deck glowed for a moment as he drew a card. When he saw what he drew, he smiled.
[Current Theme Playing: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Sound Duel 1 OST 23 - A Cornered Duelist]
"I activate the effect of Gravekeepers - Sinister Curse! By tributing a monster on your side of the field, I can Special Summon it to your field in defense mode! I tribute Naturia Bamboo Shoot!""What?" Baron was shocked as his monster was replaced by a dark skeleton wearing an even darker cloak.[Gravekeepers - Sinister Curse (Dark/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100/LV: 5)]"Since that monster of yours is out of the way, we can finally activate Spell and Trap Cards!" Yuga announced."So what?" Friedo scoffed. "As long as my Ojamas stay on the field, you can't summon any more monsters!""That's if they stay on the field," Yuga stated. "I still have monsters on my field that can battle!""Huh!?" Friedo cried out."I switch Cyber Star Jade to attack position! Then I will battle!" Yuga declared as Shizuka's Nova Princess rises into the air. "Cyber Star Nova Princess attacks Ojama Knight! Brilliant Supernova!"Friedo's monster is vaporized by the attack. Two of Yuga and Shizuka's monster zones stopped glowing."Cyber Star Saturn's effect activates once again," Shizuka jumped in. "Since your monster was destroyed by Nova Princess, you take 200 more points of damage!"Friedo is hit in the face by a colorful ball, while Baron narrowly avoids being hit.Friedo & Baron — LP: 1300 → 1100(Nova Princess — ATK: 2700 → 2900)"Tch," Friedo clicked his tongue. "I won't go out like this!" His set trap is flipped face up. "I activate my Trap Card, Ojama Reborn! During the End Phase, Ojama Monsters I control that were destroyed this turn will be revived once again! This pointless last ditch struggle will be meaningless!""Meaningless, huh?" Yuga said with a dark expression. "Nothing we do is meaningless.""Eh?" Friedo was surprised as one of Yuga and Shizuka's set cards was activated."Cyber Star Jade attacks Gravekeepers - Sinister Curse!"The green-haired female monster begins typing at her keyboard, digitising a giant block of text that says "BOOM!", which is then sent shooting towards the cloaked skeleton on the opponent's field, destroying it.Shizuka smiled as she snapped her fingers, "Once again, you take 200 points of damage since a 'Cyber Star' destroyed your monster."Friedo & Baron — LP: 1100 → 900"Next, I activate my set Trap Card, Ritual Trade!" Yuga announced. "By tributing 1 Ritual Monster currently on the field, I can add a Ritual Spell or Ritual Monster directly from my deck to my hand! Sorry, Shizuka, but I need to sacrifice your ace monster.""That's fine with me," Shizuka nodded resolutely. "Just make sure you defeat them this turn."Yuga smiled as a card slipped out of his deck. He grabbed it and placed it onto his duel blade with a swift motion."I activate the Quick-Play Ritual Spell Gravekeeper's Ritual from my hand!" Yuga declared. "By tributing monsters from my field, I can Ritual Summon a Dark Monster during the Battle Phase!""A Ritual Summon during the Battle Phase!?" Baron gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief."N-No way!?" Friedo stammered, taken aback."I sacrifice the Level 4 Cyber Star Saturn and Jade in order to Ritual Summon a Level 8 Dark Monster!" Yuga shouted.An altar materialized behind Yuga, its surface glowing with an eerie light as Cyber Star Saturn and Jade transformed into blue flames, which spiraled around the altar, lighting the candles placed around it."The forgotten records, buried deep within the eternal stream of memories, shall now awaken!" Yuga chanted, a dark aura rising from him as his voice grew louder. "Ritual Summon! Be reborn, the teller of these ancient texts, Gravekeeper's - Solemn Tales (Dark/Fiend/Ritual/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100/LV: 7)!"A massive, skeletal figure in a black coat appeared behind Yuga, holding an ancient, dusty book. The figure was so large it filled nearly the entire hallway, casting a menacing shadow."H-Holy—!?" Friedo's jaw dropped as he stared at the enormous monster."Solemn Tales gains 500 ATK for each Dark Monster in my graveyard," Yuga said, his expression dark and focused. "Since there are two in my graveyard, Solemn Tales gains 1000 ATK."[Gravekeepers - Solemn Tales — ATK: 100 → 1100]"That was surprising and all, but that pathetic attack stat won't make a difference," Friedo said, regaining his composure with a smug grin. "Even after all of that, you still failed to keep your promise. You even destroyed your only possible win condition. What a failure of a partner you are—""Shut it, imbecile!" Yuga snapped. The sudden outburst made Friedo freeze, his words getting caught in his throat. Even Shizuka flinched, startled by her friend's abrupt shift in demeanor."You're so dumb it makes me sick!" Yuga continued, his piercing gaze locking onto Friedo. "Do you seriously not understand the situation you're in?""Eh?" Friedo tilted his head in confusion."Battle! Gravekeepers - Solemn Tales attacks you directly! Knowledge of the Forsaken!" Yuga shouted.The giant skeleton opened its book as a dark ball of energy slowly emerged."What!? But we still have a monster on our field! You can't do that—!?""Solemn Tales' effect allows it to deal damage to you directly!" Yuga declared. "Now finish this, Solemn Tales!"A dark orb of energy shot out from the monster's book, hurtling straight toward Friedo and Baron. Their eyes widened in shock, but they couldn't react in time. The attack struck them head-on, triggering a massive explosion that shook the entire area. The force sent both duelists flying, their bodies ricocheting violently between the roof and ground in rapid succession.Friedo & Baron — LP: 900 → 0Winner: Yuga & Shizuka
[BGM (Background Music) Ends Here.]
Yuga panted heavily as his monster dematerialized. He clutched his head briefly, the faint dark aura surrounding him dissipating shortly after."Yuga, are you okay?" Shizuka asked, concern evident in her voice."Y-Yeah, I just need to catch my breath. Nothing to be worried about," Yuga replied, waving her off."You did it again.""Huh?—OW!" Yuga yelped as Shizuka pinched his ear sharply."You lost control of yourself for a second," Shizuka said, frowning. "This is the third time it's happened now.""I'm fine—OW!" Yuga protested as her grip tightened."You're not," Shizuka insisted firmly. "The first time, I chalked it up to the built-up trauma from Academia's invasion. The second time, I thought it was just a fluke." She let out a frustrated sigh. "But three times? This isn't a coincidence anymore, Yuga."Shizuka then let go of Yuga's ear."We can discuss this later; we're still in the middle of our operation," Shizuka said, her fingers deftly tapping the buttons on her duel disk. "Akaba Reiji's office is at the far end of this hallway. We need to move before those guys we defeated wake up—or worse, reinforcements show up.""Right," Yuga nodded, though Shizuka could notice that his mind was drifting off somewhere."..." Shizuka suddenly grabs Yuga's arm."W-What?" Yuga blinked, taken aback by Shizuka's unexpected gesture. His cheeks flushed slightly.Shizuka didn't respond, instead pulling Yuga with her toward the entrance of Reiji's office. She let go of his hand as she pushed the door open. Inside, Akaba Reiji sat behind his desk, a calm smile on his face as he stood to greet them."I've been expecting you," Reiji said smoothly. "You've done well to make it this far.""You've been expecting us?" Yuga asked, surprised."We were literally stopped by two LDS members just before getting here," Shizuka replied, exasperated. "Of course, we were expected.""Well, since we were expected…" Yuga said, activating his duel disk. "...guess we'll just have to kidnap you with force. Maybe that'll give us a chance to one-up Akaba Leo."Reiji smiled faintly, unphased, "I doubt my father would halt his plans just because you threaten my life."Shizuka frowned. "What kind of father wouldn't care about his own son's life?""A horrible one, which my father certainly is," Reiji replied. "That's why I plan on stopping him.""You plan on stopping him?" Yuga's eyes widened in surprise. "Aren't you two in cahoots?"Reiji's expression darkened slightly, "Aside from blood, I have no affiliation with that man," he said, his voice tinged with bitterness. "He selfishly abandoned me and my mother to fend for ourselves while he chased after his own dimensional ambitions.""Neat sob story, but don't think that'll stop us from kidnapping you, Akaba Reiji," Shizuka regained her composure, her voice firm. "You're our only leverage against Akaba Leo."Reiji's expression remained calm. "I have a better idea. Why don't you join me?""Join you?" Shizuka raised an eyebrow, confused."I plan on gathering a group of powerful duelists," Reiji explained, his tone steady. "We'll fight against my father's elite forces. I call them the Lancers."Odd naming choice. Yuga thought to himself"So, you plan on directly confronting your father?" Shizuka asked, skepticism laced in her voice. "That's literal suicide.""It may be," Reiji responded, his gaze sharpening with determination. "But for the safety of Maiami City's people—and for my own personal grudge—I will follow through. Even if it means making sacrifices to achieve this goal."Reiji extended his hand with a slight smile. "He's taken from you too, right? Join me, and together we can stop my father's plans."Yuga and Shizuka exchanged uncertain glances.Reiji's smile remained, and he added, "I'll also give you a lifetime supply of sweets."Yuga's eyes lit up at the mention of sweets, his expression turning eager. "Sweets!? Deal!" he immediately agreed.—BAM!Shizuka slammed her fist onto Yuga's head, sending him tumbling to the ground in pain. She shot him a glare before turning her attention back to Reiji."As much as I dislike your offer, seeing how a direct confrontation could end badly, I'll agree to join your plan," Shizuka said. "But don't get any ideas. I don't trust you. You still have his blood in your veins."Reiji's smile remained calm, but the intensity in his eyes remained, "Fair enough," he said, acknowledging her words. "Trust is earned, not given. But I assure you, I'm not my father.""I hope you're right about that." Shizuka shot him a glance before picking up Yuga from the ground."Glad you've agreed without much of a fuss," Reiji smiled as he returned to his seat, crossing his fingers as he spoke. "Let's have a chat."In the Fusion Dimension…Akaba Leo looked down from his throne coldly. Kneeling beneath him was Ryouga, who was slightly sweating at the Professor's intense glare."May I ask why you've come so early? And with no refugees captured at that?" Leo asked."I had him! I swear I did!" Ryouga shouted. "He just surprised me, that's all. The next time I see him, I'll—!""Silence!" Akaba Leo shouted, shutting Ryouga up. "You've made a mockery to Academia's honor by losing to a mere Xyz Refugee." He then facepalmed. "Honestly, I should just demote you just for this, but I'm willing to give you another chance.""R-Really—?" Ryouga smiled before Akaba Leo spoke again."However, you will not be deployed right now," Leo explained. "For now, you'll be stationed here at Academia until the next major operation." Akaba Leo than narrowed his eyes at Ryouga. "Am I clear?""Very." Ryouga replied."Good," Akaba Leo released his glare. "You may leave now.""Y-Yes, Professor." Ryouga said before scurrying off.Once Ryouga left the Professor's throne, he slammed his fists into the wall, making a dent in it as he gritted his teeth in anger."That damn, Xyz scum!" Ryouga sneered. "I swear, the next time I get my hand on him, I'll make him pay!"In the Standard Dimension…The scene unfolded in a large, empty alleyway at night, suddenly illuminated by a bright blue light. From within the light emerged a young woman with long, spiky dark blue hair, her lighter bangs falling just in front of her face.Most of her attire was concealed beneath a rough cloak, leaving little visible."Sorry, Yuto, Shun," she said, her voice firm. "I don't plan on sitting idly by while you two go off and fight."With that, she turned and walked away.
Custom/Altered Cards:

Monster Cards:

Gravekeepers - Skeleton Guard
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 3Dark/Fiend/Tuner/EffectMonster Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned; discard 1 card from your hand. You can tribute this card from your field, add a "Gravekeepers" Card from your deck to your hand.
Naturia Bumblebee
ATK: 700, DEF: 1100, LV: 2Earth/Insect/Tuner/EffectIf a card is sent from your hand or Deck to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is Summoned: You can Set 1 Normal Trap Card directly from your Deck to your field. You can only use each effect of "Naturia Bumblebee" once per turn.
Cyber Star Cherry
ATK: 700, DEF: 900, LV: 4Light/Fairy/EffectMonster Effect: If you Ritual Summon exactly 1 Light Ritual Monster with a card effect that requires use of monsters, this card can be used as the entire requirement. (Quick Effect): You can discard this card from your hand, add 1 "Cyber Star" Monster from your deck to my hand.
Cyber Star Jade
ATK: 1300, DEF: 700, LV: 4Light/Fairy/EffectMonster Effect: If you Ritual Summon exactly 1 Light Ritual Monster with a card effect that requires use of monsters, this card can be used as the entire requirement. "Cyber Star" Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle.
Cyber Star Saturn
ATK: 400, DEF: 600, LV: 4Light/Fairy/EffectMonster Effect: If you Ritual Summon exactly 1 Light Ritual Monster with a card effect that requires use of monsters, this card can be used as the entire requirement. If you control only Light Monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. When a monster your opponent controls is destroyed by battle, deal 200 damage to your opponent.
Cyber Star Nova Princess
ATK: 2300, DEF: 2100, LV: 8Light/Fairy/Ritual/EffectMonster Effect: You can Ritual Summon this card using "Cyber Star Ritual." If this card is Ritual Summoned: You can add 1 Light Monster from your GY to your hand. Once per turn, when your opponent targets a "Cyber Star" monster you control with an effect (Quick Effect): You can negate that effect, and if you do, inflict 200 damage to your opponent. Each time your opponent takes effect damage, increase this card's ATK by the same amount.
Gravekeepers - Sinister Curse
ATK: 100, DEF: 100, LV: 5Dark/Fiend/EffectMonster Effect: You can Tribute 1 monster your opponent controls; Special Summon this card to your opponent's field in Defense Position.
Gravekeepers - Solemn Tales
ATK: 100, DEF: 100, LV: 7Dark/Fiend/Ritual/EffectMonster Effect: You can Ritual Summon this card with any Ritual Spell. This card can attack your opponent directly. This card gains 500 ATK for each DARK monster in your GY. (Quick Effect): Once per turn, when your opponent activates a card or effect, you can banish 1 DARK monster from your GY; negate that activation, and if you do, destroy that card.
Spell/Trap Cards:

Cyber Star Ritual
Ritual SpellThis card can be used to Ritual Summon any "Cyber Star" Ritual Monster. You must Tribute monsters from your hand or field whose total Levels equal or exceed the Level of the Ritual Monster you Ritual Summon. You can tribute one monster on your field, and return this card to your hand.
Wandering the Border
Counter TrapWhen a monster activated an effect that negates the activation of a card; negate that monster's effects for the rest of this turn instead.
Emergency Fusion
Normal TrapFusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters you control as Fusion Materials.
Ojama Reborn
Normal TrapDuring the End Phase: Special Summon all "Ojama" monsters destroyed by battle or card effect this turn.
Ritual Trade
Normal TrapTribute 1 Ritual Monster on the field; add 1 Ritual Spell or 1 Ritual Monster from your Deck to your hand.
Gravekeerper's Ritual
Quick-Play Ritual SpellThis card can be used to Ritual Summon any Dark Ritual Monster. During the Main Phase or Battle Phase, Tribute monsters from your hand or field whose total Levels equal or exceed the Level of the Ritual Monster you wish to Ritual Summon, then Ritual Summon that monster.
And that's chapter 5. I thought about doing much more in this chapter and make the duel shown quite a bit longer but decided to save myself the hell of writing that. Wasn't going to add much to this chapter anyway.

On the topic of the duel, I didn't really like writing it at all, but I hope you guys thought it was bearable. It was more to showcase Yuga and Shizuka's capabilities a bit before they take a sideline for another few chapters (don't worry, they'll participate in the main story soon enough).

Baron and Friedo might make one more appearance, though it won't be much of a major one at all. (If you like Naturia or Ojamas, I'm sorry, this is the only time they'll have a little spotlight).

Yuga and Shizuka's decks are both custom archetypes. Yuga keeps the same Gravekeepers Archetype that he had in the original version of this story that is still up on Fanfiction.net, while Shizuka uses Cyber Stars (basically just Ritual Trickstars but slightly less broken so it doesn't invalidate the 4000 Life Point format of this fanfic).

…wait I didn't even realize how similar the two archetypes actually are. Oops…

As for Yuga's character, he's like a Yuya (minus the entertainment dueling) who had experienced Academia's ruthlessness firsthand. They both are crash outs when affected by Zarc's influence, however unlike the other Yu-boys, Yuga is more likely to go berserk just because he does (a real reason will come…in like 50 chapters or something, so don't think too much about it).

The next three chapters will be all be related to my version of the LDS Invasion Arc, the first major arc of ARC-V (we're finally reaching the actual story of ARC-V now).

Since you finished this chapter, you might as well read the next. If not, thanks for reading.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

And here is a sixth. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Minor spelling, grammar, and other mistakes may be present.

[Standard Arc Opening Theme (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 1: BELIEVE X BELIEVE)]

Scale 06: The Path to Surpassing One's Limits (I)
A day later.You Show Duel School.Yuuji sat on a couch in the common area, his eyes closed as he rested. Bandages wrapped tightly around his arm and torso, a reminder of his last duel. Nearby, Sora knelt with both hands clasped together in a pleading gesture."Please, Yuuji! You said before that we could duel later!" Sora begged."No," Yuuji replied flatly, not even bothering to open his eyes. "Like I said, I don't feel like dueling right now."Sora frowned, crossing his arms. "You're acting completely different from what everyone told me. They said you're always up for a duel.""They've only known me for a few days," Yuuji muttered. "It's not like they know me enough to understand how I act.""..." Sora was silent for a moment before turning around, pouting. "Fine then, be that way. I'll go duel with somebody else instead!""Have fun.""Hmph." Sora stomped out of the room, leaving Yuuji alone once more.The silence lingered as Yuuji finally opened his eyes, his expression darkening.
Okay… what happened yesterday is messing with me more than I thought.
(A/N: The last chapter took place on the same day as Chapter 4 for those confused about the timeline.)He had been in a bad mood ever since he woke up today. Every time he thought about dueling, it reminded him of what happened yesterday.More specifically, Ryouga's smug expression."You're honestly the most pathetic duelist I've ever faced."He never said that, but it was something Yuuji imagined he would've said if Yuto hadn't gotten in the way earlier.He's right though. I am being pathetic.Sitting around sulking over the past, doing nothing to improve himself. He knew better than to act like this."...""Okay, I got it."Yuuji got up from his seat and grabbed his duel disk that he had placed on a nearby desk. Instead of sulking around all day, he might as well try and grow stronger so he wouldn't have to face an embarrassing loss like that again."Maybe Sora will still be up for a duel? It was kind of rude of me to put him off like that." Yuuji muttered before leaving the commonplace room.Sure enough, just as Yuuji predicted, Sora was there. The younger duelist sat alone, a deep frown on his face as he stared at a card in his hand, his expression unusually serious.Yuuji approached, raising a hand in greeting."Yo, Sora! You still up for that duel—""No."Sora turned away with a huff, arms crossed. "You made me wait too long."Seriously? Yuuji blinked. It's been, like… three minutes. How did he switch up so fast?In situations like this, apologizing and backing off would probably be the smarter choice."..." Yuuji scratched the back of his head before speaking once again. "Look, I'm sorry about putting you off like that. I've just been feeling…off since yesterday. I'm feeling better now though, so if you're up for a duel later, I'm up for it."Just as Yuuji was about to leave…"You know what? I've changed my mind," Sora said with a smirk. "Since you've finally decided to be nice, I'll indulge you in a duel, Sensei~."A vein bulged on Yuuji's forehead."If I win, you're never calling me that again," Yuuji snapped."And if I win, you'll have to teach me everything you know," Sora replied, crossing his arms confidently."Fine by me," Yuuji said, turning and walking toward the opposite end of the arena.Suddenly, Sora called out, glancing toward the control room above. "Hey, Principal! Can you give us an Action Field like the one you used yesterday!?""Principal?" Yuuji echoed, confused as he followed Sora's gaze. In the control room, Shuzo nodded as he pressed a series of buttons on a machine."You got it, Sora! Action Field, on! Field Magic – Candy World!"With the press of a button, the Real Solid Vision Machine began to whirr as the arena transformed around them. The floor rippled and shifted as a whimsical candy landscape unfolded. Lollipop trees sprouted from the ground, and hills of colorful gumdrops rolled across the terrain."Good luck to both of you!" Ayu cheered from the spectator booth."Huh?" Yuuji blinked in surprise, noticing the rest of You Show gathered in the spectator area. "Why is everyone here?""I invited them," Sora said, flashing a grin. "It'd be boring without an audience."Yuuji narrowed his eyes. That still doesn't answer my question. When did he even invite them? Did he somehow know I'd end up dueling him?It didn't make sense, not after how hard he'd been trying to avoid this duel.But it seemed like no answers were coming his way. He sighed, shaking his head.Guess I'll just roll with it."Let's start then. Duelists locked in battle!" Yuuji began chanting."Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Sora chanted."They storm through this field!" Yuuji continued."Behold!" Sora chanted. "This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling!"[Action—!] The two activate their duel disks as they draw their first five cards.[Duel!] The two shout in unison as the duel begins. Action cards are soon dispersed around the candy arena.Yuuji — LP: 4000Sora — LP: 4000[Turn 1: Sora] [H: 5]"I'll start!" Sora announced. "I summon Edge Imp Saw (Dark/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 1000/LV: 3)!"A floating saw monster with blood-red eyes appeared."When Edge Imp Saw is Normal Summoned, I can send 1 'Fluffal' Monster from my hand to my graveyard and draw 2 cards."Sora discards a card from his hand and draws two cards from his deck."Nice!" Sora smiled when he saw what he drew. "I activate the Continuous Spell, Toy Vendor!"When he played the card, the ground around them began to shake as a giant gumball machine appeared behind him."What the hell?" Yuuji's jaw dropped."I must first discard a card to activate this Continuous Spell." Sora explained as he discarded a card from his hand. "Once per turn, I can draw 1 card. If the card I draw is a Level 4 or lower monster I can Special Summon it to my field. However, if the card I draw isn't a monster, I have to discard it from my hand. Draw!"Sora drew a card and revealed it."I drew the Level 3 Fluffal Bear, which means that I can Special Summon it! Come out, Fluffal Bear in defense mode."A large, pink teddy bear with white wings appeared on his field. Surrounding the monster was a faint, blue aura.[Fluffal Bear (Earth/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 800/LV: 3)]"Next, I activate the effect of Fluffal Wings in my graveyard!" Sora announced. "Since I currently have two of them in my graveyard, I can banish them both from there to draw two more cards!"Sora drew two more cards."I set two cards and end my turn," Sora concluded.He managed to draw like five extra cards in only a few moves. He's good. Yuuji thought. I can't underestimate him."My turn! Draw!" Yuuji began his turn.[Turn 2: Yuuji] [H: 6]"I activate the Spell Card, Pendulum Call!" Yuuji announced. "I can use its effect to place a Pendulum Monster from my deck directly into my Pendulum Zone! I set the Scale 4 Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon into my empty Pendulum Scale!"Yuuji adds a card to his hand and places it on one end of his duel blade. A Pendulum Zone appears behind him, as a massive purple dragon with bone-like armor rises within the zone."Next, I'll complete my Pendulum Scale by setting the Scale 3 Antique Journal into my other Pendulum Zone!"Yuuji places another card on the other end of his duel blade, the word [PENDULUM] appearing between the two cards in rainbow font as an old, worn-out journal rises into his other Pendulum Zone."Why would he do that?" Yuzu was confused. "He can't summon anybody with that Pendulum Scale.""I then activate Antique Journal's Pendulum Effect, allowing me to Special Summon it directly from my Pendulum Scale in defense mode!" A portal appeared behind the old journal, and it soon appeared on Yuuji's field with a faint blue aura surrounding it.[Antique Journal (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 4/SC: 3)]"Then I activate Antique Journal's Monster Effect, allowing me to Special Summon a Pendulum Monster in one of my Pendulum Zones with its effects negated! Descend, dragon born within the heart of phantoms, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4)!"The old journal begins to grow in size, as a portal appears on its pages as well as underneath Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon. The purple dragon soon emerges from the portal and onto Yuuji's field."Battle!" Yuuji moved into his Battle Phase. "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon attacks Edge Imp Saw! Phantom Spiral Breath!"Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon shoots a breath of purple fire from its mouth towards Sora's monster. Just before the attack connects, one of his set Trap Cards is activated."I activate my Trap Card, Punch-in-the-Box!" Sora countered. "When my opponent declares an attack while they control two or more monsters, I can negate that attack, then send another monster on your field that isn't being targeted by this effect to the graveyard."Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon stops its attack as a purple chest appears in front of the Antique Journal, which then opens to reveal a fist that rockets out of it, punching the floating journal and destroying it."He managed to stop Yuuji-senpai's attack so easily." Ayu was surprised."Just like when he dueled against me," Yuya said. "Sora isn't pulling any punches.""Damn…" Yuuji cursed. "That's all I can do. I set three cards and end my turn.""Then it's my turn! Draw!" Sora drew a card.[Turn 3: Sora] [H: 4]Sora looked at the card he drew and smiled."Right on cue," Sora said. "But first, I activate Toy Vendor's effect once again, allowing me to draw another card!"Sora drew a card and revealed it to be a monster card."I now Special Summon Edge Imp Sabres (Dark/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 800/LV: 3)!"A floating monster with a body made up of scissors and blood-red eyes appeared."When Edge Imp Sabres is summoned, I can return 1 'Fluffal' Monster I control to my hand, and then Special Summon a different 'Fluffal' Monster instead!" Sora stated. "Come out, Fluffal Leo (Earth/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 1600/DEF: 1200/LV: 4)!"Edge Imp Sabres begins snipping away at the fur of Fluffal Bear. After it was done, a fluffy yellow lion with small white wings appeared."Now here comes something special!" Sora announced. "I activate the Fusion Spell, Polymerization!"He can Fusion Summon!? Yuuji was surprised. Just like Ryouga."From my field, I fuse my lovable Fluffal Leo with my Edge Imp Saw!" Sora declared as the aforementioned monsters rose into the air and fuse as he began chanting. "Steel blades possessed by demons. Become one with the fanged beast, and show us a new form and power! Fusion Summon! Show yourself, Level 7! King of the hundred beasts that tears everything to pieces! Frightfur Leo (Dark/Fiend/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)!"A menacing bipedal lion with razor-sharp metallic claws appeared. Its face was split apart by a multitude of blood-red saws that enhanced its dangerous appearance.How do you go from a cute lion to this? Yuuji thought as a bead of sweat flowed down his face."So scary!" Ayu yelped as she hit behind Yuzu."That monster gives me the shivers," Futoshi said with a terrified expression."I now activate Frightfur Leo's effect!" Sora announced. "Once per turn, I can target 1 monster my opponent controls and destroy it! Tear it apart, Frightfur Leo!"The saws on Frightfur Leo's head shot off from it, soaring through the air at sonic speeds towards Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, who couldn't even react to it. The saws tear through the dragon completely."When a monster is destroyed by Frightfur Leo's effect, you take damage equal to its ATK!" Sora declared."Not so fast!" Yuuji shouts as one of his set traps flips face up. "I activate my Trap Card, Mirror's Embrace! When I am about to take damage from an effect, I can reduce the damage I receive from that effect to zero!"A barrier appears around Yuuji, protecting him from the shockwaves of the attack.Sora shrugged, pulling out a lollipop from his pocket and placing it in his mouth, "Whatever. I summon Fluffal Bear (ATK: 1200/DEF: 800/LV: 3)!"The pink teddy bear appeared on his field once again."Next, I activate Fluffal Sheep's effect!" Sora shouts. "When I control a 'Fluffal Monster' I can Special Summon it from my hand in defense mode!"A cute yellow sheep with small white wings appeared with a faint blue aura.[Fluffal Sheep (Earth/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 400/DEF: 800/LV: 2)]"I now activate the Spell Card Springboard!" Sora continued. "When this card is activated, I can target 1 card on my field and return it to my hand. I choose to return Fluffal Sheep!"A mystery trap door appeared beneath the yellow sheep. A spring shoots out from it, blasting the monster into the sky. The monster then returns to its card form and slowly floats down towards Sora, who catches it in his hand."Huh? Why would you summon it and return it to your hand?" Yuuji asked."Fluffal Sheep's effect!" Sora answered. "When Fluffal Sheep is returned to my hand from the field or graveyard, I can add another Polymerization from my deck to my hand!""Another one!?" Yuuji's jaw dropped as Sora added another Fusion Spell to his hand."I now activate Polymerization once again!" Sora announced. "Fusing my Fluffal Bear with my Edge Imp Sabres!"The two aforementioned monsters rise into the air as they begin fusing."Claws of the demon! Fangs of the beast! Become one and reveal a new form and power!" Sora then clasped his hands together. "Fusion Summon! Appear, Level 6! Horrifying beast that shreds everything in its path! Frightfur Bear (Dark/Fiend/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1800/LV: 6)!"A giant pink bear with its body ripped apart and attached by a multitude of scissors appeared.Two Fusion Summons in one turn? Yuuji frowned. He definitely isn't an amateur."This is only the beginning!" Sora announced. "Battle! Frightfur Leo attacks you directly!"The lion monster roars as it begins frantically running towards Yuuji. Yuuji began running up a gumdrop hill as he looked for an Action Card. Sora began moving just as fast for his own Action Card.
There!
Yuuji finds an Action Card at the base of a lollipop tree, picking it up from the ground. At the same time, Sora finds an Action Card sticking out from a different lollipop tree's branch."I activate the Action Spell Evasion to negate your monster's attack!" Yuuji shouts as he swiftly evades a direct slash from Frightfur Leo which ends up destroying the lollipop tree behind him."Don't think you're safe yet! I activate the Action Spell Sugar Rush!" Sora cuts in. "When one of my monsters has had its attack negated this turn, it can attack a second time during the Battle Phase, and gains an extra 500 ATK!""What!?" Yuuji cried out.A giant gumdrop appears in the sky, falling down towards Frightfur Leo, who grabs and quickly eats it. Its body contorts for a moment before a red aura appears around it.(Frightfur Leo — ATK: 2400 → 2900)Frightfur Leo roars as it begins charging towards Yuuji. Yuuji leaps away from his spot, barely saving himself from being slashed. However, the shockwaves from the attempted attack send him flying back a few meters.Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 1100"This is bad. If Sora's other Fusion Monster attacks Yuuji directly, he'll lose before he is able to do anything." Tatsuya grimaced."Now to finish this!" Sora declared. "Frightfur Bear attacks you directly!"The large pink bear leaps into the air, extending its arm towards Yuuji."I activate my Trap Card, Emergency Barrier!" Yuuji counters. "When my Life Points are lower than my opponents, all battle damage dealt to me is reduced to zero for the rest of this turn!"A transparent barrier forms around Yuuji, protecting him from the attack."He managed to survive that," Yuzu said with some relief. "That was close.""Aw, no fair!" Sora whined as he continuously stomped his foot on the ground. "I was supposed to win there!"That was a little too close for comfort. Yuuji thought.Sora eventually stops his mini tantrum and sighs."I end my turn." Sora reluctantly concluded."Then it's my turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card.[Turn 4: Yuuji] [H: 2]Yuuji looked at the card he drew and smiled.
Okay, I can work with this.
"I'll start by summoning Antique Resonance Mirror (Light/Fairy/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 2)!" A pristine floating mirror appeared on Yuuji's field. "Resonance Mirror's effect activates, allowing me to Special Summon an 'Antique' Monster directly from my deck! Appear, Antique Maker - Mira (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5/SC: 8)!"A woman in all black holding a mirror in both of her hands appeared."When Antique Maker - Mira is summoned, I can add one 'Antique' Card from my deck to my hand!" Yuuji continued as he added a card to his hand, revealing it. "I added an Antique Golden Carol to my hand!"Yuuji then paused for a moment, thinking about his next play. Once he thought of something, he continued."I now tune the Level 2 Antique Resonance Mirror to the Level 5 Antique Maker - Mira!" Yuuji announced as the aforementioned monsters transformed into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up together as a green pillar of light shoots through it."Item of old lost through time. Bring about your legacy!" Yuuji chanted. "Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 7! The forbidden wand of calamity! Antique Burdened Staff (Light/Fairy/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 7) in defense mode!"An old, floating, used up wand appeared on Yuuji's field. A faint blue aura surrounded it."A Synchro Summon?" Sora was surprised."Before I use Burdened Staff's effect, I set the Scale 8 Antique Golden Carol into my Pendulum Zone!"A Pendulum Zone appeared behind him, as a golden bell slowly rose within it."Antique Golden Carol's Pendulum Effect activates!" Yuuji shouts. "When I only control a card in my Pendulum Scale, I can place another 'Antique' Monster in my remaining Pendulum Zone!"Yuuji adds a card to his hand."Using the Scale 1 Antique Mimic Chest and the Scale 8 Antique Golden Carol, I set the Pendulum Scale!"Yuuji declared as he placed the card on the opposite end of his duel blade, the word [PENDULUM] appeared between them in rainbow font as a wooden chest with razor sharp teeth rose into the Pendulum Zone. A giant silver pendulum swung above.Sora smiled widely when he saw it, "Here it comes!""With my current Pendulum Scale, I can summon monsters between the Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji announced. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Return from the Extra Deck, my monsters!"A portal appeared, with three beams of energy shooting out from it."Item used to store the tales of old, Antique Journal (ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 4)!""Fair maiden who lives in the reflected palace, Antique Maker - Mira (ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5)!""And finally, the amber-eyed dragon born from the deep embrace of phantoms, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4)!"Yuuji's monsters swarm his field. Sora's eyes widened in excitement."Finally!" Sora cheered. "This is exactly what I've been waiting for!""Huh?" Yuuji was confused as Sora's remaining Trap Card was flipped face-up."I activate the Counter Trap, Frightfur Stampede!" Sora declared. "When my opponent Special Summons more than three times, I can destroy cards on their field equal to the number of Frightfur Monsters on my field! I choose to destroy Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon and Antique Burdened Staff!"Sora's two monsters frantically run forward, attacking the two aforementioned monsters and destroying them."Damn…" Yuuji winced from the shockwaves. "I should've used Antique Burdened Staff's effect earlier…"He didn't expect Sora to have a counter to his combo.I should've accounted for that. Yuuji clenched his fists. But…His mind felt cluttered. He wasn't sure if it was because he was facing a Fusion User, or something else.Focus, idiot! Yuuji slapped his cheeks. Sora isn't the same as that bastard. Just forget about that loss already and duel! Not all hope is lost just because I lost those two."I activate Antique Journal's Effect!" Yuuji continued his turn. "From my Pendulum Zone, I'll Special Summon Antique Golden Carol (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 8)!"A portal appeared under Golden Carol and on the pages of Antique Journal, as the former was brought out and onto Yuuji's field."Next, I activate Antique Mimic Chest's Pendulum Effect!" Yuuji announced. "Once per turn, I can target a monster on my field and make its Level equal to that of another monster! I choose to make Antique Journal's Level the same as Antique Maker - Mira's!"(Antique Journal — LV: 4 → 5)"Changing the level of your monster?" Sora raised an eyebrow before realizing something. His eyes widened. "Wait, you're going to…""Using my Level 5 Antique Journal, Antique Golden Carol, and Antique Maker - Mira, I construct the Overlay Network!" Yuuji announced.The three aforementioned monsters transform into energy and are absorbed into a galaxy vortex. A giant pillar of light shot out from the center of the vortex as Yuuji began chanting."The will of the oppressed who die on the battlefield burns bright. They wait for the one who guides the will of the fallen to victory!" Yuuji chanted. "Xyz Summon! Rise up, Rank 5! The courageous leader who fans the flames of rebellion, Antique Maker - Revolution Commander (Fire/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/R: 5/SC: 5/OU: 3)!"A tall man with striking red hair and sharp, eagle-like eyes, cloaked in black with a matching mask covering his mouth appeared."Revolution Commander's effect activates!" Yuuji announced. "By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can Special Summon Antique Dawning Blaze (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 7) from my deck!"(Revolution Commander — OU: 3 → 2)A fiery sword with a golden hilt appeared."Next, Dawning Blaze is equipped to Revolution Commander, increasing its ATK by 500 for each monster on the field excluding itself.""Since there are two monsters on the field other than Revolution Commander, it gains 1000 ATK!"Revolution Commander grabs onto the fiery blade. The flames spread around its body, surrounding it like an aura.(Revolution Commander – ATK: 2500 → 3500)"Battle!" Yuuji pumped his fist forward. "Revolution Commander attacks Frightfur Leo! Blazing Revolution!"Revolution Commander leaps towards Frightfur Leo, who tries to slash away at the warrior with its claws. Revolution Commander parries these attacks, before landing a clean clash on Frightfur Leo which slices it in two. Sora is sent flying back from the shockwaves.Sora — LP: 4000 → 3400"I'm not done yet!" Yuuji announced. "When Revolution Commander has 'Antique Dawning Blaze' equipped to it, it can make a second attack during the Battle Phase!""What!?" Sora cried out. He quickly turned around and began looking for an Action Card.Yuuji also began running for an Action Card as he commanded his monster, "Revolution Commander attacks Frightfur Bear! Blazing Revolution!"Sora uses his athleticism to hop off from a gumdrop onto the branch of a lollipop tree. In a swift motion, the hops from branch to branch towards the top, where he managed to find an Action Card."Nice!" Sora smiled at what he found. "I activate the Action Spell, Candy Crumble! When your monster declares an attack, I can temporarily decrease its ATK by the difference between our Life Points during the Damage Step! Since I have 3400 and you have 1100, Revolution Commander loses 2300 ATK!""Not so fast!" Yuuji cuts in. "I activate my own Action Spell, Extreme Sword! Targeting 1 monster on the field, I can increase its ATK by 1000 for the rest of the Battle Phase! I choose to increase Revolution Commander's ATK!"(Revolution Commander — ATK: 3500 → 1200 → 2200)(Frightfur Bear — ATK: 2200)The two monsters clash, with Frightfur Bear using its extendable arm to try and bludgeon Revolution Commander into the ground. However, the warrior swiftly avoids these attacks and goes in for a deadly slice. Revolution Commander succeeds in slicing through Frightfur Bear with its fiery blade, but ends up being hit hard during the process, resulting in both monsters being destroyed. Both duelists wince from the ensuing shockwaves.
Revolution Commander ended up being destroyed, but at least I managed to clear Sora's field.
Yuuji then looked at his remaining set card and the monster in his hand.
These two cards should be able to protect me until the next turn.
"I end my turn," Yuuji concluded."The two of them managed to completely clear each other's fields." Yuzu said in awe. "They're completely even right now."Not for long. My turn! Draw!" Sora drew a card.[Turn 5: Sora] [H: 2]"Once again, I activate Toy Vendor's effect!" Sora announced as he drew a card, revealing the card to be another monster card. "Today's my lucky day, cause I drew Edge Imp Chain!"Sora places a card on his duel blade, as a machine monster made up of chains with blood-red eyes appears.[Edge Imp Chain (Dark/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1800/LV: 4)]"Next, I activate Frightfur Fusion!" Sora declared. "By banishing materials from my field or graveyard, I can Fusion Summon a 'Frightfur' Fusion Monster directly from my Extra Deck! I banish Edge Imp Sabres along with Fluffal Bear and Fluffal Leo in order to Fusion Summon!""A Fusion Summon by banishing materials?" Yuuji frowned. "The similarities are uncanny."Edge Imp Sabres, Fluffal Bear, and Fluffal Leo appear on Sora's field for a moment before rising into the air and fusing as he begins chanting."Demonic claws, sharp fangs! Become one in the mystic vortex and show us a new form and power!" Sora chanted as he clasped his hands together, an intense expression forming on his face. "Fusion Summon! Show yourself, Level 6! Mystical jungle beast that rips everything to shreds! Frightfur Tiger (Dark/Fiend/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 1900/DEF: 1200/LV: 6)!"A blue bipedal tiger monster with its limbs being connected by scissors appeared."I hope you're ready, Sensei!" Sora smiled. "When Frightfur Tiger is summoned, I can destroy cards on your field equal to the number of monsters used to Fusion Summon it. With it, I'll destroy your set card along with your remaining Pendulum Zone!"Frightfur Tiger begins laughing as it leaps forward, slashing through Yuuji's Mimic Chest and his set Trap Card."That's not all. While Frightfur Tiger is on my field, 'Fluffal' and 'Frightfur' Monsters gain 300 ATK for each 'Fluffal/Frightfur' Monster on the field!"A red aura surrounded Frightfur Tiger as it powered up.(Frightfur Tiger — ATK: 1900 → 2200)"Now Yuuji has nothing to defend himself," Yuya was shocked. "He'll lose!"Sora bit down hard on his lollipop, biting off a chunk from it as he smiled, "This has been fun, but I think it's time I end this! Battle! Frightfur Tiger attacks you directly!"Frightfur Tiger leaps towards Yuuji, its claws enlarging in size as it attempts to wipe out the rest of his Life Points."Not yet!" Yuuji shouts. "I activate Antique Twilight Shield's effect! When my opponent declares a direct attack while I control no monsters, I can Special Summon this card from my hand in defense mode!"A large purple shield appeared on Yuuji's field.[Antique Twilight Shield (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 4)]"That won't save you. I'll just destroy it and finish you off with my other monster.""Is that what you think?" Yuuji smiled."Huh?""Twilight Shield's effect activates." Yuuji stated. "On the turn that this card is summoned via its effect, it gains DEF equal to the monster with the highest ATK's attack stat!"(Antique Twilight Shield — DEF: 0 → 2200)Twilight Shield blocks Frightfur Tiger's attack, shielding Yuuji from harm."Tch," Sora clicked his tongue. "I end my turn."(Antique Twilight Shield — DEF: 2200 → 0)"Phew," Yuya sighed a breath of relief. "He survived."A vein on Sora's face twitched at the comment."Hey, Yuya! Don't be relieved!" Sora whined. "I invited you guys here to cheer for me, not him!""R-Right. Sorry." Yuya said with an uneasy smile.[Turn 6: Yuuji] [H: 1]It all comes down to this draw. Yuuji thought as he put his hand over the top of his deck. If I don't draw what I need right here, it's all over.Yuuji took a deep breath."My turn! Draw!" Yuuji began his turn. When he saw what he drew, he smiled. He could work with this. "I set the Scale 6 Antique Compass into my Pendulum Scale!"A pristine compass rose into an empty Pendulum Zone behind Yuuji."Antique Compass' effect activates, allowing me to Special Summon an Antique Monster directly from my graveyard!" Yuuji announced. "Return to my field, Antique Maker - Mira (ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5)!"The woman in all black with a pristine mirror in her hand appeared."Mira's effect activates!" Yuuji continued. "When she is summoned, I can add another 'Antique' Card from my deck to my hand!"Yuuji added a card to his hand."I now activate the Equip Spell, Antique Maker's Will!" Yuuji announced. "When an 'Antique Maker' is equipped with this card, it gains 500 ATK for each Antique Monster currently in my graveyard! I currently have 4 'Antique' Monsters in my graveyard, which means Mira gains 2000 ATK!"A purple aura erupted around Yuuji's monster as her ATK doubled.(Antique Maker - Mira — ATK: 2000 → 4000)"4000 ATK!?" Sora was shocked."I'm not done yet!" Yuuji declared. "I activate the effect of my Trap Card, Antique Restock from my graveyard! By banishing it and paying half my Life Points, I can Special Summon an 'Antique' Monster directly from my graveyard. Return to my field, Antique Burdened Staff (ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 7)!"The old, battered and bruised wooden staff appeared on Yuuji's field.Yuuji — LP: 1100 → 550(Antique Maker - Mira — ATK: 4000 → 3500)"Burdened Staff's effect activates!" Yuuji announced. "I can equip this card to a monster you control and take control of it until the End Phase! I choose to equip Burdened Staff onto Frightfur Tiger!"The staff shoots a beam of purple energy that surrounds Frightfur Tiger, dragging it from Sora's side of the field all the way to Yuuji's side of the field."Hey no fair! You can't just take my monster like that!" Sora cried out."You should've protected it better then," Yuuji smiled. "Now it's about time I end this. Battle!"Frightfur Tiger roars as it runs forward."Frightfur Tiger attacks Edge Imp Chain!"Frightfur Tiger slashes cleanly through Sora's monster, creating a shockwave that sends him flying back.Sora — LP: 3400 → 2400"Now here comes the climax! Antique Maker - Mira attacks you directly! Crystal Beam!"Yuuji's monster shoots a beam of light from its mirror towards Sora."Not yet!" Sora quickly began looking for an Action Card. Yuuji does the same, quickly running in the opposite direction.—Rumble!The ground shakes as a geyser of candy water shoots out from the ground in front of each of them, an Action Card being found on top of it. Sora swiftly hops up a lollipop tree and propels himself off of it, snagging the Action Card easily."I activate the Action Spell, Candy Cushioning, which reduces the battle damage I receive from an attack to zero!"A large amount of cotton candy forms around Sora, which protects him from the energy beam for a moment. At the same time, Yuuji uses Frightfur Tiger as a ramp, jumping off the monster and snagging his own Action Card from the geyser."I activate the Action Spell No-Action!" Yuuji countered. "Your Action Card is destroyed thanks to it, and all of its effects are negated."The cotton candy surrounding Sora suddenly disappears, leaving him wide open. Yuuji's monster's attack hits him directly, creating an explosion that sends him flying and concludes the duel.Sora — LP: 2400 → 0Winner: YuujiYuuji hits the ground, yelping in pain for a moment from how far he fell. The Action Field then disperses, returning the two of them back to the arena."Ow, ow, ow…" Yuuji rubbed his bottom as he stood up on his feet.That hurt like hell, but at least he won in the end. Though…I didn't find any hint that'll help me evolve further. Yuuji frowned.He was able to make use of graveyard effects a bit in that duel, but that alone wouldn't help him defeat someone like Ryouga.He needed to go against someone stronger than him.Not that Sora was weak or anything, but Yuuji could tell from that duel that Sora himself was holding back. He didn't think about it much during the duel since his mind was solely focused on winning, but after the fact, it was obvious.Yuuji turned to his opponent, who was sulking on the ground after his loss.You're hiding something, aren't you? Yuuji thought. Not just any random duelist can perform that many Fusion Summons in quick succession like that."Yuuji, Sora! That was amazing!" Shuzo interrupted Yuuji's thoughts as he barged into the arena. "That hot-blooded duel of yours really got my heart pumping!""Dad, you're being too loud." Yuzu frowned as she walked in with the rest of the You Show Students."He's right though, the two of them were neck and neck," Tatsuya said."Mhm," Ayu nodded. "I couldn't tell who was going to win."Sora eventually stood up and congratulated Yuuji for winning the duel, saying that he would definitely get stronger and defeat Yuuji the next time they duel. Yuuji just responded by saying that Sora should hold up his end of the bargain and stop calling him Sensei. Sora reluctantly agreed to the terms. Afterwards, he went off to talk to the rest of the You Show Students and Shuzo, who were all discussing the recent duel with happy expressions.The only people left in the arena were Yuuji and Yuya. Yuuji noticed that Yuya had a solemn expression on his face and spoke up first."You okay?" Yuuji asked."Huh?" Yuya was surprised by the question. "Uh…yeah, I am.""Then why are you clenching your fists so hard like that?""I am?" Yuya looked down at his hands, which were balled up into fists. "Oh…""Are you mad about something?" Yuuji asked."No.""Don't lie.""Yes…" Yuya reluctantly admitted."What's wrong?""It's about Sora," Yuya said.Sora? What problem would Yuya have with Sora? Yuuji wondered. Wait…I remember hearing that he and Sora had a duel yesterday."You dueled him, right?" Yuuji asked. "Did you lose?""No, I won. But…" Yuya bit his lip. "...I didn't at the same time."
That sounds so backwards.
"During our duel, he only made use of Frightfur Bear." Yuya continued. "While in your duel, he used two other Fusion Monsters.""Oh…" Yuuji finally got what Yuya meant. "You're mad that he held back against you, right?""Yeah.""Well, I'm also mad.""Huh?" Yuya was surprised. "Why?""Because he held back against me too," Yuuji said."..." Yuya was stunned."It may not have looked that way from how close our duel was, but I can tell for sure that Sora was just messing around.""Oh…" Yuya sort of deflated. If Sora was messing around during his duel against Yuuji, what was he doing during their duel?"But, don't let that discourage you Yuya." Yuuji reassured him. "It just means that we have new heights to surpass.""New heights?""We just need to find our own way to surpass our current limits," Yuuji stated. "We need to evolve.""And how do we do that?" Yuya"We can't just rely on Pendulum Summoning to win our duels," Yuuji said. "We need to learn other summoning methods as well. I already knew how to use Synchro Summoning before getting these Pendulum Cards, and somehow learned Xyz Summoning during my duel against Gongenzaka.""Somehow?" That was new information that Yuya didn't know. "Are you saying that you just suddenly manage to use Xyz Summoning somehow?""I'm not really sure how it happened myself," Yuuji thought. "But it probably was a similar phenomenon to how we got our Pendulum Cards in the first place."...""I originally wanted to evolve in my own way without some weird mysterious force granting me the exact card I need to win," Yuuji continued. "But thinking back on it now, it may just be the key for us to grow stronger. A way of going beyond Pendulum.""..." Yuya wasn't sure how to respond to this new information."I'm not sure about how this power works, so I can't say for sure that it'll work, but it's worth a shot." Yuuji said. "So, I'll keep trying and failing until I unlock that same sensation once again."Yuuji then stretched for a moment before turning around and walking off."I'm going off to do some private thinking," Yuuji said. "Be sure to tell me if you learn something new about what we discussed here.""R-Right." Yuya replied as Yuuji left the arena.Yuya thought about Yuuji's words for a moment.Finding a way to surpass Pendulum? Yuya frowned. Just how the hell am I supposed to do that?
Custom/Altered Cards:
Monster Cards:
Antique Mimic Chest
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5, SC: 1Light/Fairy/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster on the field; make its Level equal to the Level of another monster on the field until the end of this turn.Monster Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster on the field; this card's Level becomes equal to the targeted monster's Level until the end of this turn.
Antique Twilight Shield
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5, SC: 4Light/Fairy/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: The monster with the highest DEF on the field cannot declare an attack during the Battle Phase.Monster Effect: When your opponent declares a direct attack while you control no monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is Special Summoned by this effect, it gains DEF equal to the ATK of the monster with the highest ATK on the field until the end of the turn.Spell/Trap Cards:
Toy Vendor
Continuous SpellTo activate this card, you must discard 1 card. Once per turn: You can draw 1 card. If the drawn card is a Level 4 or lower monster, you can Special Summon it. Otherwise, discard it.
Pendulum Call
Spell CardPlace 1 Pendulum Monster from your Deck into your Pendulum Zone. You can only activate 1 Pendulum Call per turn.
Springboard
Spell CardTarget 1 monster on your field: return it to your hand.
Sugar Rush
Action SpellIf one of your monsters had its attack negated this turn: It can make a second attack during this Battle Phase and gains 500 ATK.
Frightfur Stampede
Counter TrapWhen your opponent Special Summons three or more monsters in a single turn: Destroy a number of cards your opponent controls equal to the number of "Frightfur" monsters you control.
Candy Crumble
Action SpellWhen your opponent's monster declares an attack: During the Damage Step, you can temporarily decrease its ATK by the difference between your opponent's Life Points and your own.
Candy Cushioning
Action SpellWhen you would take damage from an opponent's monster's attack: Reduce that damage to 0.
And that's the first part of the LDS Invasion Arc, though there wasn't much invasion going on in this chapter (my fault). I was intending on making this just one big chapter but thought it would be better to just save the rest for the next chapter.

As for me nerfing Antique Revolution Commander a little bit, it's just to balance out the fact that it basically gains ATK points and gets to attack twice literally for free, and you can't defend yourself against it with monsters in defense position since its effect inflicts piercing damage (yes, it's a little overpowered and still probably will be).

The next chapter will begin the main part of the LDS Invasion Arc that you the reader may not. This chapter was more of setup for what's to come.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Part 2 of the LDS Invasion Arc. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Minor spelling, grammar, and other mistakes may be present.

[Standard Arc Opening Theme (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 1: BELIEVE X BELIEVE)]

(A/N: New Opening coming soon. I'd give it about five to seven more chapters. Whenever the Maiami Championships starts.)

(A/N II: I didn't think this arc would be as long as it was, but I'm not complaining much since that means I have to worry less about putting too little substance like I did with the original version of this story.)

Scale 07: The Path to Surpassing One's Limits (II)
A few days later…Maiami City Airport.Under instructions from Akaba Reiji, Nakajima awaited the arrival of the sole person who held just as much authority at LDS next to a luxurious, white limousine.After waiting several minutes, Nakajima heard the sounds of a jet engine as a private jet slowly descended onto the landing pad before coming to a complete stop. The side door of the jet opened, as a woman with magenta, heart-shaped hair, and blue eyes stepped out of it. She wore a tailored dark pink blouse and skirt, with a set of golden earrings in each of her ears.Nakajima bowed his head as he went to greet her."Chairwoman Akaba, it's been a while."This woman was Akaba Himika, Akaba Reiji's mother and the Chairwoman of the Leo Corporation."It has," She smiled at the greeting. "The negotiations took a lot longer than I was expecting.""I'm guessing from your good mood that the negotiations were a success?""That's correct. With this successful negotiation, LDS is now one step closer to its goal of extending its influence worldwide," Himika answered. "Reiji-san and I will now have a much easier time scouting the most powerful duelists around the world to prepare for 'that' day.""Speaking of 'that' day, there are a few incidents that happened here in Maiami City over the past week while you were busy," Nakajima informed. "I didn't want to bring them up since you were busy, but now that you're back, I feel that you should be made aware of them.""Incidents?" Himika was surprised. "Just how much could happen in the week that I was away?""I'm not informed about all the details for most of the incidents," Nakajima explained. "But, the one I felt would be the most relevant to tell you about right now is the appearance of a completely new summoning method."Himaka was shocked."A new summoning method? How could that be possible?""I'm not too sure myself," Nakajima said. "For more details, you should speak to Reiji-dono.""Then what are waiting here for?" Himaka asked as she began walking to the limo. Nakajima opened the door to let her inside, before taking his post in the driver's seat, and driving out from the airport.Upon arriving at LDS Tower, Akaba Himika quickly made her way to the top floor with Nakajima following behind, not stopping to greet the other personnel around her. Once they reached the top floor, she barged into Reiji's office without knocking. Reiji sat in his seat with a calm expression on his face, not seeming to be phased by the sudden intrusion of his mother.Himika was surprised to see two other people in the room. A young man with pink hair who was currently taking a nap on a random couch, and a young woman with long scarlet hair that was tied into a ponytail sitting beside him—typing away on her computer."Welcome home, Mother," Reiji greeted her. "You seem to be in a hurry.""Reiji-san, is it true?" Himika decided to ignore the two youths for not, addressing Reiji with the main question on her mind. "That a new summoning method apart from Ritual, Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz has appeared?"Reiji adjusted his glasses and nodded."That is correct, Mother," Reiji answered. "It first appeared around a week ago.""A new summoning method?" Yuga perked up upon hearing that."I've seen it a lot on the web," Shizuka answered. "Apparently, you can summon a lot of high-leveled monsters using it, ignoring the need to Advance Summon them."Reiji then pressed a button on his remote, which turned on a large screen in his office that showed a playback of Sakaki Yuya's Duel with Strong Ishijima, where Yuya used Pendulum Summoning to make a dramatic comeback."From what our systems have gathered, this new summoning method is called Pendulum.""Pendulum?""By placing two special Monster Cards called Pendulum Cards on opposite ends of your duel disk, you can Special Summon multiple high-level Monsters whose Levels are within the Pendulum Scale without being any higher or lower," Reiji explained. "It's something that had never been seen until now.""Never before seen until now…" Himika muttered. "Could he be related to it?""Possibly, but unlikely." Reiji stated. "If it was a weapon that he created, he wouldn't be flaunting it around for everyone to see. That would be counterintuitive.""That's true," Himika nodded. "Well then, Reiji-san. Do we have any leads on the potential origins of this form of summoning?""None have been found so far. We're still working on that," Reiji answered. "However, thanks to all the data we've collected and several tests, we've pretty much grasped the mechanics of the summoning method. Furthermore, we've even managed to create the first prototype Pendulum cards.""As expected from you, Reiji-san. A quick worker as always." Himika complimented with a smile. "You truly fulfill the mantle of the title President.""Thank you for your graces, Mother. However, our more pressing concern currently are the duelists who utilize this Pendulum Summoning.""Duelists?" Himika was surprised. "There's more than one?""That's right," Reiji nodded as he pressed another button on his remote, bringing up Yuya's profile on the screen. "The first Pendulum user we found is named Sakaki Yuya. He's a sixteen-year-old boy in the Junior Youth class. He attends the You Show Duel School, a small Duel School which mainly focuses on Entertainment Dueling.""It says here that his win rate is a poultry fifty percent." Himika commented. "How was such an average duelist belonging to Junior Youth able to bring forth a brand-new summoning mechanic.""That important thing about this boy is that he is the son of Sakaki Yusho." Reiji stated with a serious tone."Sakaki Yusho…" Himika's expression turned serious. "That boy is the son of the famous Duelist who vanished three years ago and could have possibly joined the enemy?""It's too soon to rush to conclusions. We don't know if Sakaki Yusho has actually joined forces with our enemy, or if Sakaki Yuya would be involved in such plans," Reiji commented. "Now for the other duelist."Reiji pressed another button, with Yuuji's profile now appearing on the screen."The second Pendulum user we found is a boy named Haruki Yuuji. He's sixteen-years-old just like Yuya and thus is also classed at Junior Youth." Reiji stated. "He originates from the Outpost and arrived here in Maiami City around two weeks ago. From recent scoutings, it seems that Haruki Yuuji has also ended up joining the You Show Duel School.""This kid has an even lower win rate than Sakaki Yuya," Himika was shocked."That's the first thing you noticed?" Shizuka scoffed from the side, annoying Himika. "There are more glaring issues with this guy other than his horrible win rate.""You…" Himika seethed with anger. "Reiji-san, I was willing to overlook these people before, but now I must know. What are they doing here in your office? As the Chairwoman, I shouldn't be treated this disrespectfully!""They're guests that'll help us in our battle. And she's right, Mother," Reiji stated. "Take a look at the boy's face closely.""That boy's face?" Himika turned back to the screen, looking at Yuuji's face. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized. "I-Impossible. They…have the same face?""That's right. One might write it off as a coincidence, or think that the two of them are twins, but…" Reiji glanced at Yuga, who was a little startled by the sudden gaze. "...it's unlikely that this many coincidences could occur all at once. Multiple boys with the same face, two of them unlocking a new, never before seen summoning method at the same time. This can't be a coincidence.""So, what's your plan?" Himika wondered. "How can we be sure that these boys could be our allies or not?""We'll just need to keep an eye on them. Whether they're ally or foe, that'll be revealed with time." Reiji replied. "However, there's one other issue that we need to address, one that may pique your interest.""Another issue? What do you mean?""A mysterious duelist assaulted Sawatari Shingo along with the students present with him yesterday," Reiji informed her. "Furthermore, the attacker was an Xyz user whose summoning energy was also abnormally high."Himika had a thinking expression, "Did the students assaulted say anything about this mysterious duelist?""Now here's the interesting part," Reiji commented. "Sawatari Shingo and the other students present insist that the perpetrator was none other than Sakaki Yuya.""Sakaki Yuya…you say? That is interesting…" Himika said with a sly smile on her face.Reiji knew exactly what this face meant. His mother only ever had this expression when she had her sights on a potential business opportunity."...I know that expression, Mother. What are you planning?" Reiji inquired."Reiji-san, while it is horrible that some of our precious students were attacked so brutally, this has just granted us a golden opportunity here." Himika stated. "And I know just the way to capitalize on it. I'll be leaving now Reiji-san."With that, Himika exited Reiji's office almost as quickly as she came.Reiji sighed, "That mother of mine, once she has her greedy eyes set on something, nothing stands in her way.""She sounds like a handful," Shizuka commented."True that," Reiji agreed. "Though it's thanks to that greediness of hers that LDS has grown to what it is today."In Maiami City…Yuuji is currently shifting through a card shop, looking for any new cards to add to his deck. He was currently here with Yuya, who also wanted to see if he could find any new cards to power up his deck.
I did say that I wanted to try and go for that weird phenomenon again. But this is also a good way to upgrade my deck a little.
The question is are there any "Antique" Monsters here? Or maybe other monsters that fit into his deck."Hey, Yuya!" Yuuji called out to Yuya. "I'm going to go check out the Extra Deck Monsters.""Alright!" Yuya replied.Yuuji moved out of the Main Deck Monster area and made his way to the Extra Deck Monsters. There were plenty of good options for him to choose. All that he had to look for were ones that synergized with his deck."Hmm…" Yuuji thought heavily. "Maybe I can try monsters from the summoning methods I haven't used yet?"Yuuji stopped scanning when his eyes met a specific card."No way…" Yuuji's eyes widened. "It's an 'Antique' Monster!?"Antique Golden Kaiju, a Level 8 Fusion Monster with 0 ATK and DEF, but pretty neat effects."This is just what I was looking for." Yuuji smiled.Yuuji picked out the card and put it in a bag where he placed the rest of the cards he was going to purchase. An extra bonus for him getting an 'Antique' Monster is the fact that they aren't worth much of anything, since the archetype is in low demand due to how weak the monsters are.A problem that is fixed due to Yuuji's Pendulum Cards and a whole other Archetype that supports these 'Antique' Monsters that only he has (at least as far as he knew).
Alright, let's keep it pushing and find some more.
Yuuji kept looking, this time moving to the Xyz and Ritual Section. He tried to see if there was another lucky find in either of these sections, but in the end found nothing like what he had found before.
I mean, it doesn't hurt to get some more Extra Deck Monsters. Even if they're not Antique Monsters.
Something more generic would do for now. Like…"This." Yuuji picked out an Xyz Monster.Accel Hacking Spider, a Rank 5 Generic Xyz Monster with a simple yet unique effect that could get him out of a pinch.This would definitely help with my deck diversity a bit for sure. Yuuji thought. Okay, now let's get myself a Ritual Monster.Yuuji managed to snag another Antique Monster, a Level 6 Ritual Monster. He also made sure to pick up a copy of Polymerization along with an Antique Ritual Spell Card as well.After he was done, Yuuji soon met back up with Yuya at the counter."Hey, Yuuji. What did you get?" Yuya asked."Just some Extra Deck Monsters along with some other cards to support them. What about you?""I just bought some Spell and Trap Cards as well as a few monster cards." Yuya replied."You didn't get any Extra Deck cards?""No. I don't know how to use those summoning mechanics like you, so I didn't see the point.""I've never Fusion or Ritual Summoned before, yet I still grabbed some cards." Yuuji said. "I could teach you how to Synchro and Xyz Summon if you really need somebody to teach you.""Thanks, but I want to try and figure this out on my own." Yuya said. "To find my own answer.""..." Yuuji was silent for a moment before smiling. "Well, good luck with that. I'm sure it won't take you that long to find that answer. But before that, let's go pay.""Right." Yuya nodded.The two pay for their items and put their new cards into their decks before leaving the card shop. They begin making their way to You Show, exchanging dueling ideas and potential strategies with each other to pass the time.Eventually the two arrive back at You Show, entering the school and making their way to where the rest were gathered, which was the classroom."Ah, Yuya. Yuuji. Glad you guys could join us." Shuzo greeted them. "You're just in time for today's lesson.""Nice," Yuya smiled. "We made it just in time.""I was kind of hoping we didn't…" Yuuji muttered. "I hate classes.""What was that?" Shuzo asked."Nothing, Principal." Yuuji innocently smiled. "I'm just so ready for class right now.""That's the spirit!" Shuzo smiled.Yuya finds a seat right in front of Yuzu, while Yuuji takes a seat in between Sora and Tatsuya. Shortly after, Shuzo began his lesson."Alright, class," Shuzo addressed his students, "Today we'll be going over the different summoning methods."Shuzo began explaining the basics about Normal, Special, and Advanced Summoning to his students, all things that Yuuji already knew, so he sort of tuned out what he was saying. His attention was drawn to the nearby Yuzu, who seemed to be acting sort of weird today.Yuzu and Yuuji accidently made eye contact, with Yuzu making a face of discomfort for a moment before looking away from him.Huh? Did something happen while I wasn't looking? Yuuji wondered. Is it something about my face? It's like she had seen a ghost.He had never seen her act that way before. Granted, he had only known her for two weeks now, but that's long enough to figure out how someone normally acts."If I fuse this donut together with my ice cream…" Sora began fusing different sweets together. Once he took a bite of what he had just concocted, his face melted in bliss. "Mhm! This is so good."At least Sora's acting normal, even if he is disturbing the class. Yuuji thought."Sora! What did I tell you about eating in class!" Shuzo reprimanded the youth."You're lecturing about things that I already know, so I'm bored," Sora replied before taking another bite of his snack. "Maybe if you taught something interesting, I wouldn't be so bored.""Hey! I'm trying my best here!" Shuzo yelled. "It's not my fault I can't teach you the summoning methods I don't know about."It kind of is… Yuuji and Sora both thought at the same time.Shuzo returned to his lecture, finishing up a few last points. While Yuuji, Sora, and Yuzu were all off in their own world, the rest of the students made sure to take good notes (in the case of Tatsuya), or listened intently to what Shuzo had to say."...and that's all. Any questions?"Nobody raised their hands. Just when Shuzo was about to change the subject, Yuzu suddenly stood up and raised her hand."Dad, what about Xyz?" Yuzu asked.Xyz? That's a weird thing to suddenly bring up? Yuuji thought. She didn't seem that interested in it before."Xyz? Yuzu, you know we don't teach Xyz here at this school." Shuzo answered."Oh, right…" Yuzu was about to sit back down when Yuuji raised his hand."I can explain Xyz Summoning for her, Principal," Yuuji volunteered."That would be great, Yuuji," Shuzo approved.Yuuji stood up and made his way to the front of the class. All of their eyes locked onto him, which sort of made him nervous for a moment, but he calmed his nerves and began speaking."Okay, you've all seen me Xyz Summon a few times so I'm sure you know the basic principle of how it works," Yuuji began. "You need to use at least two monsters with the same Level as materials in order to perform an Xyz Summon."Everyone nodded."In order to Xyz Summon using your materials, you must first overlay them. To overlay, you must put your Xyz Materials underneath the Xyz Monster you are trying to summon like so…" Yuuji took out Revolution Commander from his deck along with three other monster cards and stacked them on top of each other. "When the monster is Xyz Summoned, these stacked monsters are treated as Overlay Units, and are the keys that allow Xyz Monsters to use one of their effects."He pulled out one of the cards from the stack."Detached overlay units are always sent to the graveyard. Even Pendulum Monsters.""Pendulum Monsters as well?" Yuya was surprised."Yup, their effects don't apply here since they aren't being destroyed." Yuuji explained. "This doesn't apply for when they are used for Fusion, Synchro, or Ritual Summoning however, this is a unique interaction of Xyz Summoning only."Yuuji then picked up the cards from the table."When an Xyz Monster is destroyed, its unused materials are still sent to the graveyard as well."Yuuji then put away the other monster cards he pulled out, only leaving Revolution Commander out."Now there's one last thing that you need to know about Xyz Monsters, and its Ranks.""Ranks?" Ayu wondered. "What are those?""They're an Xyz's Monster's equivalent of Levels," Tatsuya explained."That's partially correct. The two concepts are similar but are not the same thing," Yuuji corrected. "Effects that only work on monsters with Levels won't work on monsters with ranks, and vice versa. For example, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's effect doubles the battle damage from battles involving Level 5 or higher monsters. If Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon attacks a Rank 5 monster, the battle damage won't be boosted by its effect since the Rank 5 monster doesn't have a Level.""Wait, so it's not Level 0?" Yuzu asked."Nope, like I said before, Xyz Monsters have no Level," Yuuji stated.Yuuji then put Revolution Commander away."There are more complicated facts that surround Xyz Monsters, but those are the basics I've been able to figure out so far," Yuuji concluded. "Any questions?"Yuuji waited for a moment to see if anybody would raise their hands. For a while, nobody did. Just as he was about to finish up and return to his seat, Sora raised his hand."I have a question," Sora said. "How do you know so much about Xyz Summoning?""I just did some research," Yuuji simply answered."Oh…" Sora seemed a little disappointed, as if he hadn't just got the answer he wanted.
Weird…
"I have a question," Tatsuya raised his hand next. "Could you teach us about Synchro Summoning next?""I can do that," Yuuji said. "In order to Synchro Summon, you…"However, just before he could begin his next lecture…"There's no way Yuya would do such a thing!" Gongenzaka's voice suddenly rang from outside the school."Gongenzaka!?" Yuya shot up and quickly made his way outside, with the rest following shortly behind. When they arrived outside, they immediately noticed Gongenzaka, who was standing in front of three male youths."What's all the fuss about?" Shuzo asked Gongenzaka."I was just going on my daily stroll when I noticed these three hanging around the Duel School," Gongenzaka explained, "I decided to confront them, and they said that Yuya had ambushed them yesterday night! It's complete blasphemy!""Ambushed!?" "I did!?" Shuzo and Yuya respectively shouted."That's right," One of the three male youths said, "I hope you didn't forget!""We saw it with our own eyes after all!" Another youth continued."There are four…no, five witnesses!" The final youth announced. "Sawatari-san, us, and that girl over there."Everyone turned to see where he was pointing, locking eyes with Yuzu."Isn't that right, Hirragi Yuzu-chan!" The three said in unison."Uh, I…" Yuzu had an unsure expression on her face after being put on the spot."Is that why you were acting so weird today?" Yuuji asked with a concerned expression. "Did you really see Yuya?"There's no way, right? Yuya isn't that type of guy. That guy wouldn't even hurt a fly if he had to. Yuuji thought.Shuzo was absolutely horrified, "This can't be, there has to be some kind of mistake!""There's no mistake," One of the males said, "Sawatari-san, the son of the soon-to-be Mayor, was assaulted by none other than Sakaki Yuya!""Stop lying!" Futoshi cried out."Yeah, there's no way Yuya-oniichan would do that!" Ayu protested."There isn't any other possibility," Another male said. "It has to be Sakaki Yuya.""It's not me though!" Yuya cried out. "There has to be some kind of mistake.""I agree," Yuuji nodded, "Maybe it's a lookalike of Yuya." Yuuji then pointed at himself as he continued. "If it's happened once, who is to say it can't happen again?"Like Yuto, he looks just like Yuya and me. Yuuji thought before realizing. Wait, it has to be him right? If Yuzu was there at the scene and she suddenly asked about Xyz Summoning, the only Yuya lookalike aside from me that could possibly fit the description would be Yuto, right?He couldn't just come to conclusions now, but it's much more plausible then Yuya being the culprit."Such a thing isn't possible, it's either Sakaki Yuya or…" The third male pointed directly at Yuuji, "...it's you! Those are the only two possibilities!""Huh?!" Yuuji's eyebrows shot up, his mouth slightly agape in disbelief. "Don't pin the blame on me now!?"Of course they would immediately jump to conclusions."You're the most suspicious out of the two options, we've never seen you around!" The third male continued. "A mysterious duelist suddenly appeared with Yuya's face, only you could fit that description.""I don't even know who this Sawatari guy is," Yuuji rebuked. "I couldn't have attacked him.""Likely story, that's just what a suspicious person would say!" The third male declared.Or maybe a person who doesn't want to be accused for absolutely no reason. Yuuji thought with veins forming on his face."I feel so sorry for poor Sawatari-san," The first youth said with a mournful look. "All four of us were attacked, but he got the worst of it. He was so severely injured that he was even hospitalised! We even heard that his life may be at risk!""We can't even be sure if Sawatari was really injured," Yuuji stated. "How can we be sure that you are telling the truth? If he was as injured as you say, the cops would be here talking to us instead of you.""Yeah, that's right!" Yuya agreed. "You would have nothing to gain by confronting us yourself. Knowing Sawatari, he's probably having the time of his life right now enjoying himself."Meanwhile, at the Maiami City Hospital…Sawatari Shingo sat in a hospital bed, his cast beside him as he chowed down on a bowl of pineapples."A–Achoo!"He suddenly sneezed."Is somebody talking about me?" Sawatari wondered with a cocky expression on his face. "Hah! What am I saying? Is that even a question? Of course they are. What else could one be spending their time doing?"He stabbed his toothpick in another pineapple and ate it, his face melting from how good it was.Yuuji stepped forward, towering over the three youths just enough to cause them to sweat."So, if you bastards are done wasting our time with these stupid accusations, move along and scram."The three youths tried to retort, claiming that Yuuji wasn't even there, and that they have witnesses who could prove that Sawatari was assaulted, however Yuuji managed to tear down these arguments with nothing but facts and logic, along with some words from Yuzu, who was convinced that neither Yuya or Yuuji could've assaulted Sawatari. Soon enough a white limo pulled up right in front of the school. Stepping out of the limo were Akaba Himika and Nakajima."It seems we have come to a standstill," Akaba Himika said."You're…from LDS," Shuzo immediately recognized the woman."That's correct." Himika confirmed. "I'm Akaba Himika, the Chairwoman of LDS. May we take this inside?"
It's not like we have much leverage in this situation to say no.
Shuzo takes the group inside You Show, moving their conversation to the commonplace room. Himika took a seat on her own chair, while Shuzo sat on one opposite from her, the rest of the You Show students behind him with a variety of expressions. Some were serious, while others held a little unease.The two sides were completely silent."Please feel at ease," Himika spoke up first. "I only want to talk.""What brings a woman of your stature all the way here to our little school?" Shuzo immediately asked the important question that was on all of their minds."Straight to the point, just how I like handling things," Himika smiled. "I've come here to resolve an issue revolving around your student, Sakaki Yuya. One of our valuable students was recently hospitalized in a confrontation involving him.""It wasn't Yuya, you have no proof of it," Yuuji stated with a ticked-off expression. "Just because a bunch of your students say that they saw him doesn't mean that they did.""That's right!" Yuya agreed. "Just like Yuuji said, I didn't assault Sawatari!""And you expect us to believe your word over our students who were at the scene?" Himika inquired."I, the man Gongenzaka, believe in my friend Yuya," Gongenzaka declared with conviction. "The same goes for everyone else here.""That's right!""Yuya would never hurt somebody.""I'm with Yuya-oniichan!"The three younger You Show students all agreed."..." Yuzu was hesitant to answer, which prompted Gongenzaka to ask her."What about you, Yuzu?""Me? Umm…."Yuzu had an unsure expression plastered on her face, something that slightly pissed Yuuji off, though he didn't show it. Yuzu eventually mustered up the courage to turn to Yuya and ask him something."Yuya…is it true that it truly wasn't you back there?" She asked. "That the person I saw really wasn't you?""Huh?" Yuya was surprised for a moment before answering resolutely. "I'm not sure what you experienced on that day, but I know for sure that I wasn't the one who attacked Sawatari."Seeing Yuya's honest declaration, Yuzu nodded and smiled."Then I'll believe you, Yuya."—Clap. Clap. Clap.Himika began applauding them with a smile."My, what a beautiful showing of friendship. You must have formed very strong bonds with each other." Himika commented. A tick mark formed on Yuuji's forehead upon hearing her sarcasm. "It's a shame that you can't hand over Sakaki Yuya to us without a fuss."Her expression soon turned serious."However, we cannot back down here. If word got out that the students from LDS were defeated by duelists from some unknown school, our reputation would receive a major blow.""But we've told you already that Yuya didn't—!" Shuzo tried to speak before being interrupted again."That's not what this is about anymore!" Himika declared with a furious expression. "LDS's prestige has been dragged through the mud due to this! As such, the only possible way for us to clear this disgrace on our name is through a showdown between our schools!""A…showdown?" Shuzo asked aloud in disbelief."If your school manages to win, we will ignore this case and clear Sakaki Yuya from suspicion." Himika stated. "However, if we win this, then this school of yours will become a part of our LDS.""..."Everybody present was absolutely appalled by this announcement."So, this is your plan," Yuuji frowned. "You wanted to stage an incident in order to force us to submit, allowing you to eventually take Pendulum Summoning for yourself once you do. Since we're just a tiny school, you know that we would have no other choice but to fall in your greedy hands."Himika was stunned by Yuuji's words for a moment. She didn't expect some kid to nearly perfectly grasp her intentions like that."...It seems that there's more to you than I thought, Haruki Yuuji," Himika admitted, albeit reluctantly."If what Yuuji said was correct, then…" Shuzo began thinking. "...does that mean that you orchestrated the attack on Sawatari on purpose!?""Don't jump to conclusions! That's not the case at all!" Himika strongly denied the accusation. "While it's true that I took advantage of what had happened to further my goals of obtaining Pendulum Summoning for LDS, I would never stoop so low to hurt my students."X to doubt. Yuuji rolled his eyes."With the addition of Pendulum, LDS's curriculum will have four pillars supporting it. Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Pendulum." Himika explained. "The number of applicants at our school would end up soaring exponentially as a result due to all of the aspiring duelist who would want to make use of Pendulum.""But it's impossible," Tatsuya stated. "You can't Pendulum Summon unless you have Yuya-oniichan and Yuuji-senpai's Pendulum Cards.""LDS has the power to easily resolve that thanks to the technology of the Leo Corporation," Himika stated. "All that is necessary is our unionization. Our two schools will duel, and when you eventually lose, LDS will acquire its final piece.""She's getting on my nerves…" Yuuji grit his teeth, his anger bubbling up. "To just waltz in here and threaten to take over this school just to further her own corporate greed."It made him sick to his stomach.Just before he could say something that he may very well regret, Yuya beat him to it."Dueling isn't a tool for fighting!" Yuya declared as he began grasping on his pendulum. "But…I don't want the You Show Duel School and Pendulum Summoning to be taken by somebody else! This school was created by my father to teach and spread the idea that duels are to be enjoyed and how to bring smiles to people's faces through dueling. There's no way I'll ever give it to someone like you, who thinks they can put their greedy hands on anything they want just because they have a lot of money and power!"While he didn't exactly agree with the sentiment of duels are only made to bring smiles, the rest of Yuya's speech resonated with Yuuji heavily."I will fight as well!" Yuuji declared. "While this school may be small, the ideas this school brings are ones that deserve to be spread. And as a student of this school, I refuse to let somebody waltz in on her and strip this school of its freedom to spread its positive message!"Gongenzaka patted the two on the back, "Well said, Yuya, Yuuji! I, the man Gongenzaka, wholeheartedly agree! I'll also fight alongside you all to defend You Show!""But aren't you an outsider?" Sora pointed out, speaking up for the first time. Gongenzaka turned white and froze with his jaw hanging open. "This challenge is being directed to You Show, so it's only Yuya, Yuzu, Yuuji and I who should fight as its students, right?""To exclude a man such as I, the man Gongenzaka!" Gongenzaka was heartbroken. "T-That's absolutely unforgivable!""You heard everyone's piece, Chairwoman," Shuzo said with a determined look. "Our feelings all align here. The You Show Duel School—!"[We won't hand it over!] They all declared in unison."Haha…hahahahaha," Himika let out a small laugh from this declaration. "Well then, shall we begin this battle?"Following Himika's words, everyone made their way to the Real Solid Vision Arena. There, they were introduced to the LDS Students who would end up being their opponents. Shijima Hokuto, a tall boy with purple hair and a student of the Xyz Course. Kotsu Masumi, a girl with a darker skin tone, long black hair that reached her shoulders, and red eyes. She was a student of the Fusion Course. Todo Yaiba, a short teen with long spiky brown hair and is a student of the Synchro Course. All three of them were students at the top of their classes in their respective course which made each of them a formidable threat."So, who's going first?" Yuuji asked the group."I want to go first!" Sora immediately volunteered.However, Yuya stepped forward in front of Sora."I'll go first," Yuya stated with a determined look on his face.Yuuji was a bit surprised by how serious Yuya was, but it made sense. The fate of the You Show Duel School was on the line after all."Hey, no fair! But I wanted to duel these guys!" Sora whined. "They all look so strong.""Think about how I feel…" Gongenzaka muttered while sulking on the ground, still upset by what Sora said earlier."Hey, it's okay big guy, you can duel another time," Yuuji patted Gongenzaka on the head. "I'm always up for a duel with you if you want.""But I want to duel now!" Sora shouted. "Now, now, now—!"Yuzu suddenly grabbed Sora by the hand and began dragging him away."Just let Yuya have this one, Sora," Yuzu told him. "He's serious about this.""Hmph, fine," Sora reluctantly said."Good luck, Yuya!" Yuzu waved to Yuya."Thanks, Yuzu!" Yuya happily waved back, completely losing his serious demeanor for a moment.And he says that he doesn't like her. Yuuji sweatdropped before he began to leave too."Good luck, Yuya," Yuuji wished him luck as he walked off, dragging the disappointed Gongenzaka with him. He joined the rest of the group in the observation room, waiting for the duel to begin. Yuya's opponent was determined to be Hokuto, LDS's Xyz Duelist.The duel soon began off on the wrong foot as Shuzo ended up using an Action Field that only ended up benefiting the opponent. Yuya tries his best to do what he could under these circumstances, which he does succeed in doing at the start after he successfully performed a Pendulum Summon. However, things took a turn for the worse when Hokuto used his Xyz Monster's effects to prevent Yuya from making any plays. Yuuji was disgusted by how Hokuto would wait for Yuya to be in a vulnerable position before activating his monster's effect, putting Yuya's life at risk.However, in the end, using a combination of the fact that Xyz Monsters do not have Levels (a fact he learned through Yuuji's lesson earlier) and a combination of Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, Stargazer Magician, Entermate Trampolynx and Magical Star Illusion, Yuya eventually managed to win the first match for You Show.[He did it!] The three younger You Show students cheered."Now that's what I'm talking about!" Yuuji pumped his fist. "Yuya has really upped his game!""My blood is boiling!" Shuzo exclaimed from his spot in the operation room.Yuya eventually returned to the observation booth, being immediately trampled by the young You Show Students who all surround him and congratulate him. Gongenzaka approaches shortly after and tightly hugs Yuya with tears in his eyes, almost crushing Yuya in his grip."Yuya, that was amazing," Yuuji commented with a smile."It was?" Yuya was surprised by Yuuji's praise."Yup." Yuuji nodded. "I knew you would find a way to win against that guy, but I didn't expect you to take advantage of the fact that Xyz Monsters don't have Levels to win. That Magical Star Illusion play was incredible.""Well, I only have you to thank for that victory," Yuya admitted. "Magical Star Illusion was one of the cards I bought when we went shopping earlier today, and those pointers you gave about Xyz Monsters really helped me formulate that plan in the end.""I had nothing to do with that victory," Yuuji stated. "You're the one who picked out the cards and you're the one who figured out a way to take advantage of the basic information that I provided about Xyz Monsters. I barely had a part in that. That was your total victory.""I guess you're right," Yuya said with a smile. "Though it sucks that I couldn't find an answer to going beyond Pendulum in that duel.""That's fine. The security of You Show is more important than that right now anyway," Yuuji stated.The group continued celebrating their victory for a while longer before the time of the next round soon arrived. Akaba Himika had already sent Kotsu Masumi onto the arena, so all that was left was deciding who You Show would send to go face her."Who's up next?" Yuuji asked the group. "I don't really want to duel another Fusion User so soon.""Me neither," Sora said. "Facing another Fusion User sounds boring.""I'll go next, then," Yuzu declared with determination, though to the keen eye, one could notice a bit of hesitation in her eyes. "I'll make sure to win this one and secure our victory.""Go for it, Yuzu," Yuya encouraged. "I know you have what it takes to take it home."She does have the skill, but her mind seems a little distracted. Yuuji thought. Dueling while your mind is distracted never ends well.As much as he didn't want to be, he was right. The duel began with Yuzu being pushed into a corner early on by Masumi. It was clear that she wasn't in her right mind throughout the duel. The duel eventually ended in Yuzu's defeat when she failed to grab an Action Card due to not seeing that the one she was going for was nothing but a reflection.Yuya was the first one to rush to her side after her defeat. Yuzu immediately buried her face into his chest, tears falling down her face as she apologized for failing You Show with her loss."You two are giving us quite the show," Masumi commented."Oh, ah!" Yuzu quickly broke off from Yuzu, her face beat red in embarrassment.—BAM!—THUD!She pushed Yuya away from her, which caused him to tumble onto the ground."Ow!" Yuya yelped before standing back up, rubbing his pained back. "What was that for?""Sorry!" Yuzu apologized."Instead of apologizing, don't push me like that in the first place."Yuzu's frown grew deeper as she was lost in her thoughts again."It was an important duel, but I…lost.""Don't worry about it," Yuya put his hand on her shoulder. "We just have to win the next one.""He's right," Yuuji joined in the conversation. "It won't be easy though." Yuuji took a glance at their final opponent, Todo Yaiba. "Just like the other two, that guy is at the top of his class. He won't be an easy opponent to defeat.""Glad you know your place," Yaiba smirked. "Which of you guys will be my opponent?"Yuuji turned to Sora who shook his head."I don't feel like dueling right now," Sora said as he put a new lollipop in his mouth. He then turned to Gongenzaka. "What about you, do you still want to duel? You can take my place.""I, the man Gongenzaka, will happily take your place," Gongenzaka perked up, full of fighting spirit. "I, the man Gongenzaka, will get revenge for Yuzu!""You can take my place too," Yuuji said. "You sound like you want to duel way more than me."Once that was decided, everyone except Gongenzaka and Yaiba cleared out of the arena. After Shuzo chose the wrong Action Field for the third time in a row, the duel soon began. The duel looked grim at first, with Yaiba swarming his field full of 'X-Saber' Monsters and Gongenzaka refusing to go for Action Cards, but Gongenzaka managed to hold his own relatively well with his Steadfast Dueling. In one last climactic showdown, with the two of them going back and forth, the duel eventually concluded in a draw thanks to a key effect from one of Gongenzaka's monsters.One win, one loss, and one draw. Yuuji thought. It's a tie game.Doesn't that mean that You Show Wins? LDS would only take over if they won the clash between schools, not if they drew.Shuzo seemed to have the same idea as she soon addressed Akaba Himika."In the end, the results of the battle are one win, one loss, and one draw a piece," Shuzo stated. "The end result of our battle was a draw, which means that LDS can't take over You Show. It's your loss.""You seriously think I'll just stop right here?" Himika replied with disdain. "Like I told you before, LDS's reputation is on the line here. As such, this battle cannot end in a draw!""Then what do you suggest we do then?" Shuzo inquired."We will have a tiebreaker match," Himika suggested. "The duelists from each school who had won their matches will due each other to settle this!"That would mean Yuya would have to face Kotsu Masumi, the Fusion Duelist. Yuuji thought. Guess I won't be getting a duel after all.Oh well, he did forfeit his position to Gongenzaka and Sora, so it is what it is."I'm ready when you are, Sakaki Yuya," Masumi said with a smirk."I'm ready too," Yuya said resolutely. "Let's do this."Just before they could decide to follow through the the match—"Wait."—a new voice rang through, drawing this attention. A tall grey-haired young man with a commanding presence stepped forward. Most of his figure was obscured by his hoodie, so they couldn't quite make out his features. However, once the man removed his hoodie, the three LDS students and Yuuji gasp in surprise."That's…Akaba Reiji!?" Masumi said in surprise."What? Is he famous?" Yuya asked."Is he famous? Have you been living under a rock, Yuya?" Yuuji was appalled by Yuya's lack of knowledge. "This man is Akaba Reiji, the current President of the Leo Corporation and the youngest duelist to ever obtain the qualifications of a pro. He's a man who stands at the pinnacle of dueling in this world. There's no way you haven't heard of him before."Everyone was stunned by this sudden revelation aside from Sora, who eyed Akaba Reiji with keen interest in his eyes."That saves me the trouble of introducing myself," Reiji smirked before turning to his mother. "Mother, I would appreciate it if you let me handle the rest.""Reiji-san…" Himika was surprised by her son's sudden request. "Very well, I'll let you take things from here."After receiving the approval from his mother, Reiji then turned to the rest."It seems our two schools have come to an impasse regarding this battle," Reiji started. "However, with everything that you all have shown me today, I am inclined to back down and forget about this whole Sawatari business."They're backing down? Yuuji was surprised."That's…awfully generous of you, President," Shuzo commented."Of course, there is a catch to me turning a blind eye to this," Reiji stated as he turned to Yuuji. "I request a duel between me and Haruki Yuuji here. If he manages to win, I promise that LDS will retreat without a fuss.""A duel…with me?" Yuuji was surprised to be put on the spot like this. He knew this probably had something to do with his Pendulum Cards, though this only raised more questions in his mind. "Why me specifically? Yuya seems like a better option to duel. It's not like there's much to me that would put me apart as a duelist.""I've already seen the capabilities of Sakaki Yuya's Pendulum Summoning," Reiji stated. "You on the other hand, I have little to no information on. And that fact intrigues me." Reiji then fixed his glasses before extending his hand. "Now what do you say? Are you up for the challenge?"Not like I have much of a choice. Yuuji thought. Winning this will guarantee that You Show won't be taken over by LDS.Yuuji accepted Reiji's hand with confidence, "Let's do this. However, don't be surprised when you eventually end up losing.""Quite the confidence there, Haruki Yuuji," Reiji smirked. "Let's see if you have what it takes to back that claim up."Once the final duel was decided, the two of them make their way to the arena where they'll eventually duel for the fate of You Show. Everyone present watched from the observation room with bated breath."You got this, Yuuji!" Yuya cheered for his friend. "Do your best!""We'll be here cheering for you!" Ayu chimed in. "Win this is all of us!""I, the man Gongenzaka, know that you have what it takes to win!" Gongenzaka commented."How naive," Hokuto scoffed from the sidelines. "Cheering for your friend when he has literally no chance of winning.""What was that?" Tatsuya frowned. "I don't want to hear that from someone who lost after boasting about how good he is.""Gah!" Hokuto turned to stone and collapsed onto the ground."They got you there," Masumi commented. Yaiba shook his head disapprovingly in the background at Hokuto's antics.Meanwhile, in the arena…Yuuji silently walked up to his spot on the opposite end of the arena, his hand over his chest. He could feel his heartbeat slowly getting faster as the anticipation of the upcoming duel washed over him.What the hell? Why do I feel so…nervous? Yuuji wondered. I've never felt like this before a duel. I didn't even feel like this right before my duel against Black Death.Could it be because he actually has people counting on him this time? Prior to this, he had never had to worry about other people's fate when he dueled; only his own. Now all of a sudden everybody's hopes, and the fate of this school rested on this duel."Okay, deep breaths…" Yuuji calmed himself down. "Nothing good will come from me being nervous like this."He needed to focus. This is the moment that he had been waiting for. A high-stakes duel that could potentially bring about the phenomena that he had been looking into recently. The catalyst for him to truly find a way to surpass his limits.Yeah, that's what this was. That's the mindset he needed to keep his nerve at bay.Once Shuzo saw that both duelists were ready, he decided to choose an Action Field for the two to duel in."How about this!" Shuzo enthusiastically pressed a button on the machine, causing the Real Solid Vision Machine to turn on and change the arena. "Action Field, on!"Their surroundings transform into that of a dark void. Floating in the middle of this dark void were glowing, floating islands which illuminated the otherwise pitch-black dual field. The two duelists found themselves on their own floating island, which were connected to other islands by paths of floating islands."Field Spell, Different Dimension Dark Void!" Shuzo declared. "These floating islands are difficult to traverse around, the perfect arena for a You Show Student to shine!"Suddenly, Himika laughed out loud."You people seriously aren't trying to win here. If you had done your research, you would figure out that Different Dimension Dark Void is one of Reiji-san's favorite Action Fields. In his many duels on this field, he has never lost!""WHAT!?" Shuzo cried out in shock. "This can't be!"Yuuji facepalmed, "I can't believe he went 4-for-4 on bad Action Field choices. It's like he's doing this on purpose.""I'm not!" Shuzo yelled from his spot. "I just got unlucky, that's all!""One could only be so unlucky…" Sora sweat dropped from the side."Whatever, sulking about a bad Action Field won't do me any good. Let's get this start," Yuuji began the Action Duel chant. "Duelists locked in battle!""Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Yuya continued."They storm through this field!" Gongenzaka chanted."Behold!" Sora announced. "This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling!"[Action—!] The three younger You Show declare in unison.Yuuji and Reiji both activate their duel disks.[Duel!] They shout in unison.
Not going to say much since this chapter picks up right where it ended in the next chapter. Go read that now :).

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Part 3 of the LDS Invasion Arc.

The chapter is quite long, being the longest one I've written so far, as to make up for the lack of updates in January. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Minor Spelling, Grammar, and other mistakes may be present. I tend to fix most of them when I go back to look at the chapter during a reread, but there will always be some that I miss out on since I'm a solo writer.

[Standard Arc Opening Theme (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 1: BELIEVE X BELIEVE)]

Scale 08: The Path to Surpassing One's Limits (III)
[Duel!]The Action Cards dispersed around the arena as the duel began.Yuuji — LP: 4000Reiji — LP: 4000"Since I am dueling you to see your capabilities firsthand, you can take the first turn," Reiji suggested. "I expect you to duel me with your very best.""That's fine with me. I'll show you exactly what I can do!" Yuuji announced. "My turn!"[Turn 1: Yuuji] [H: 5]Yuuji drew his first five cards and examined them closely.Nice! Now this is the hand that I wanted to see! Yuuji smiled. Let's do this right!"I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed!" Yuuji started. "With this card, I can draw two more cards!"Yuuji drew two cards and smiled."Okay, it's time. You wanted me at my best, so I'll show you just what I can do!" Yuuji declared. "I set the Pendulum Scale with the Scale 1 Antique Maker - Swinging Soul and the Scale 8 Antique Maker - Mira!"Yuuji places his two cards on opposite ends of his duel blade, the word [PENDULUM] appeared in between in rainbow font as a magician in all white with a swinging pendulum in his hand and a woman in a black gown holding a pristine mirror rose into each of his Pendulum Scales. A giant, silver pendulum swung in between."Now I can summon monsters between Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji announced. "However, I won't be Pendulum Summoning at this moment.""He won't be Pendulum Summoning?" Yuya was confused. "Then why would he set up his Pendulum Scale?""He must have a plan," Gongenzaka replied. "We'll just have to wait and see."Yuuji then looked at one of the cards that were in his hand. Polymerization.If I remember from my duel with Sora correctly, all I need to do is activate this card and tribute two appropriate materials. Yuuji rehearsed in his mind. Okay…let's do this. My first Fusion Summon!"I activate the Fusion Spell, Polymerization!" Yuuji declared. "From my hand, I fuse Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon together with Antique Ignition Pot!""Oh?" Reiji raised an eyebrow.The two aforementioned monsters rise into the air, fusing together as Yuuji begins chanting."Blazing pot. Fuse together with the phantom dragon and give birth to a new power!" Yuuji chanted before clasping his hands together. "Fusion Summon! Appear, Level 8! The golden dragon forged by the hammer of a god, Antique Golden Kaiju (Light/Dragon/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 8)!"A brilliant, serpentine dragon with a body of gold appeared on Yuuji's field."No way, that guy knows how to Fusion Summon?" Masumi's jaw dropped."You're amazing, Yuuji-senpai!" Ayu cheered."Oooh, that Fusion Summon is giving me the shivers!" Futoshi said while doing his signature dance."That's quite the impressive Fusion Summon there, Haruki," Reiji commented. "I wasn't aware that you were able to use this form of summoning.""Oh, this is actually my first time ever doing it," Yuuji casually admitted. "I was afraid for a moment that I would mess it up since I was only going off of what I knew from a duel against a Fusion User."This fact shocked Reiji and the rest of LDS greatly."He was able to pick up a new summoning method by only seeing it once before?" Hokuto commented. "That guy, he's a monster.""You're telling me," Yaiba frowned. "Even the most skilled duelist would need a few lessons from LDS before they're able to use Fusion. And this guy just did it without any help."Yuya turned to Sora to ask him something."Hey Sora, did you help Yuuji at all with this?""Nope, not at all," Sora replied. "He never approached me about this."Yuya was shocked by this. Just when he thought he could potentially close the gap between them, Yuuji widened the gap further."Just how much stronger could he become…?" Yuya muttered."If you're all done being shocked, I'll continue my turn now," Yuuji stated. "With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon!"A portal appeared in the sky as a beam of energy shot out from it."Return from my Extra Deck, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4)!"A large purple dragon with bone-like armor appeared on Yuuji field."Huh? But wasn't Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon just used as Fusion Material?" Hokuto wondered. "How is it back on his field?""Pendulum Monsters are sent to the Extra Deck when they are destroyed or tributed as material to summon another monster," Yuuji answered."I see," Reiji said while rubbing his chin. "That's a useful piece of information to know.""Since it's the first turn of the duel, I can't attack, so…" A facedown appeared on Yuuji's field. "...I set one card and end my turn! It's your move, Akaba.""Very well," Reiji said as he began his turn. "My turn! Draw!"[Turn 2: Reiji] [H: 6]"I'll start by activating the Continuous Spell, Dark Contract with the Gate!" Reiji began. "While this card remains activated on my field, during each of my Standby Phases, I receive 1000 points of damage.""He's willingly taking damage to activate this effect," Yuzu gasped. "It must be powerful.""Dark Contract with the Gate allows me to add 1 'D/D' Monster from my deck to my hand!" Reiji announced. "I choose to add D/D Berfomet to my hand!"Reiji added a card to his hand."D/D?" Tatsuya asked aloud. "What's that?""Different Dimension," Sora answered. "I've heard of an archetype like this before, though this is the first time I will see it in action.""Next, I activate another Continuous Spell! Dark Contract of the Swamp King!" Reiji declared. "Just like with my other Dark Contract, during each of my Standby Phases, I'll receive 1000 points of damage while this card remains on my field.""Again? Now it's 2000 points of damage." Gongenzaka stated.What is he planning? Yuuji wondered. It must be something big if he's willing to take that much damage."Since you've shown me a Fusion Summon, it's only right if I respond with my own," Reiji said as he fixed his glasses. "Dark Contract with the Swamp King allows me to Fusion Summon a D/D Monster from my Extra Deck without the need for Polymerization!""What!?" This seemed to shock Sora, who then quickly turned away and muttered. "It seems like not all of the duelists here are bad after all…""From my hand, I fuse my D/D Necro Slime together with my D/D Berfomet!" Reiji declared as his two monsters rose into the air and fused together. "The scavenger of the dark night meets the one cursed as a fallen. Fuse together and give way to a new power! Fusion Summon! Be born, Level 6! D/D/D Flame King Temujin (Fire/Fiend/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1500/LV: 6)!"A red-armored warrior with a giant red sword and shield appeared on the field."D/D/D? What does that mean?" Futoshi asked Sora."I…don't know. I've never seen it before." Sora said.Shuzo frowned as he typed away on the monitor, searching through Reiji's dueling records, "I don't see anything in his dueling record about him being able to Fusion Summon. Could that mean that he was holding back even in his official duels? This could be bad.""A Fusion Summon?" Yuuji was surprised for a second before smiling. "Of course you'd be able to do that.""I'm not done yet, Haruki," Reiji stated. "I activate the Spell Card, Foolish Burial and use its effect to send 1 card from my deck to my graveyard."Reiji picks out a card from his deck and sends it to his graveyard."I then activate D/D Necro Slime's graveyard effect. By banishing it along with another monster in my graveyard, I can perform another Fusion Summon using those banished monsters as materials. Once again, I fuse D/D Necro Slime together with D/D Berfomet!"Another one!? Yuuji gasped.The two aforementioned monsters rise into the air and fuse together as Reiji begins chanting."The cursed slime, and the fallen one. Awaken the sinister maiden who rests in the land of the forgotten!" Reiji chanted. "Fusion Summon! Be born, Level 7! D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc (Dark/Fiend/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)!"A feminine monster with a set of black wings, wearing silver armor and holding a blade appeared on the field."Incredible," Masumi said in awe. "Two Fusion Summons in quick succession of each other. Is this the power of a pro?""Temujin's effect now activates!" Reiji announced. "When a "D/D" monster is Special Summoned onto my field, I can Special Summon a "D/D" monster from my Graveyard. Arise, D/D Lilith (Dark/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2100/LV: 4)."A humanoid monster with a rose plant aesthetic appeared."Next, I summon the Tuner Monster D/D Night Howling (Dark/Fiend/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 300/DEF: 600/LV: 3)." A floating mouth with razor sharp teeth appeared. "Now I tune my Level 3 D/D Night Howling to my Level 4 D/D Lilith!"The two monsters turn into green energy rings and orbs respectively, the energy orbs phasing through the green energy rings as the duelist chanted."Howls that tear through the night. Gain the swiftness of a gale and become the cries of a newborn king!" Reiji chanted. "Synchro Summon! Be born, Level 7! D/D/D Gust King Alexander (Wind/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)!"An armored paladin with a green cape and a curved blade appeared on the field."Nice! Now a Synchro Summon too!" Yaiba cheered. "This win is guaranteed.""First two Fusion Summons and now a Synchro Summon…" Yuuji grimaced. "This guy…he's definitely on a whole other level compared to everyone I've faced so far.""Temujin's effect activates again, allowing me to summon D/D Lilith (ATK: 100/DEF: 2100/LV: 4) back to my field from my Graveyard in defense mode," The rose-themed monster appeared once again. "Lilith's effect then activates, allowing me to add D/D Night Howling back to my hand."Reiji added the card back to his hand."Next, I activate Dark Contract with the Singing Waves," Reiji stated. "Just like my other Dark Contracts, during each of my Standby Phases, I receive 1000 points of damage. In exchange, once per turn I can Special Summon a 'D/D' Monster from my hand and make it's Level equal to that of another monster on my field. Return to my field, D/D Night Howling (ATK: 300/DEF: 600/LV: 3)!"The floating mouth with razor sharp teeth appeared on his field once again.(D/D Night Howling — LV: 3 → 4)"Now he has two monsters of the same Level on the field," Hokuto commented. "That means…""Using my two Level 4 Monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" Reiji declared as his two monsters transform into beams of energy that are then absorbed into a galaxy vortex in front of him. A giant pillar of light shot out from its center as Reiji began chanting."In order to subjugate all that resides in this world, now, descend onto the peak of the world!" Reiji chanted. "Xyz Summon! Be born, Rank 4! D/D/D Wave King Caesar (Water/Fiend/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1200/R: 4/OU: 2)!"This time, a burly warrior in purple armor, with a giant claymore in its hand appeared."No way…" Yuzu muttered in awe."He just summoned…" Tatsuya began a sentence."...a monster from every Extra Deck Summoning method all in the same turn," Yuya completed the thought."..."The whole atmosphere of the You Show group turned sour."Um…are we sure that Yuuji-senpai can win this?" Ayu wondered. "That guy's field is full of powerful monsters, while Yuuji only had Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon and a monster with no attack points.""Don't say that. Yuuji can definitely win this," Yuzu said, though even she didn't seem to buy her own words. "Right?""I, the man Gongenzaka, still have faith in Yuuji," Gongenzaka said with similar unease. "However, it'll take a miracle to get him out of this situation."The mood on the field wasn't much better.I may have bit off more than I could chew once again. Yuuji began sweating with unease."Battle!" Reiji moved into his Battle Phase. "D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc attacks Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!"The female monster leaps forward, using its blade to slice through Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon who roars in pain as it is destroyed."Damnit…Sorry, Odd-Eyes…" Yuuji cursed. But he couldn't mourn the destruction of his monster for long, as he played a card effect. "Antique Maker - Mira's Pendulum Effect activates! When I'm about to take damage from battle, I can negate that damage, then you take half the damage I would've taken! Pristine Reflection!"Mira's mirror begins to glow as a beam of light is shot out from it, aiming directly towards Reiji. Reiji extends his arms outward, inviting the attack that hits him head on. However, instead of doing any damage, the attack results in Reiji gaining Life Points.Reiji — LP: 4000 → 4150"What?" Yuuji's jaw dropped. "How did you recover Life Points?""Oracle King d'Arc's effect," Reiji stated. "Whenever a player would take effect damage, I can activate Oracle King d'Arc's effect to instead allow me to gain Life Points equal to the total damage that effect would deal."Yuuji's eyes widened.This is bad. Yuuji thought. Bad. Bad. Bad! He recovers Life Points every time he takes effect damage!? Antique Golden Kaiju's effect literally does that whenever my opponent battles it.To make things worse, neither Golden Kaiju nor Oracle King d'Arc's effects are once per turn. Which means that Reiji can attack with all of his monsters and just gain a large amount of Life Points for free.
The only saving grace is that I take no battle damage thanks to Golden Kaiju's effect. But being this behind in Life Points is basically a death sentence.
"D/D/D Wave King Caesar attacks Antique Golden Kaiju!" Reiji declared as his monster swung its greatsword towards Golden Kaiju. However, the blade fails to connect as a transparent golden barrier formed around it, protecting the dragon from the attack."Antique Golden Kaiju cannot be destroyed by battle, and I take no battle damage in battles involving it," Yuuji stated. "However, whenever my opponent battles Golden Kaiju, they take effect damage equal to their attacking monster's ATK points.""Thanks to Oracle King d'Arc's effect, I regain Life Points instead," Reiji stated as he extended his arms once again, being enveloped by a golden aura as he regained Life Points.Reiji — LP: 4150 → 6550"D/D/D Gust King Alexander now attacks Golden Kaiju!"The warrior in white leaps forward, slamming its blade onto the shield that protected Golden Kaiju. Reiji extends his arms once again as his Life Points rose.Reiji — LP: 6550 → 9050"Finally, D/D/D Flame King Temujin attacks Golden Kaiju!"Reiji's final monster attacks Golden Kaiju, resulting in Reiji gaining Life Points once again.Reiji — LP: 9050 → 11050"11050 Life Points!?" Futoshi turned blue with shock."I've never seen that many Life Points before," Yuzu gasped.If things looked grim before, this situation looked impossible to come back from."It's settled, this duel is over," Sora commented as he bit down on his lollipop.Akaba Himika smiled, "As expected from Reiji-san. A flawless victory. With this, Pendulum Summoning is as good as ours.""With this, I end my turn," Reiji concluded. "This is quite the precarious situation you have found yourself in, Haruki Yuuji. Your monster's effect has ended up backing you into a corner.""Yeah, I know that. Thanks for rubbing it in," Yuuji rolled his eyes before his set Trap Card flips face up. "Before your turn ends, I activate my Continuous Trap Card, Pendulum Trade! Then, I'll use its effect to Special Summon Antique Maker - Mira (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5/SC: 8) from my Pendulum Zone to my field!"A portal appears behind the maiden in black, which teleports it onto Yuuji's field."Antique Maker - Mira's effect now activates!" Yuuji announced. "When she is summoned onto my field, I can add 1 'Antique' Card from my deck to my hand! I add Antique Mimic Chest to my hand!"Yuuji adds the card to his hand."Oh, so you still plan on dueling?" Reiji wondered with intrigue."Well, duh," Yuuji replied. "I'm not going to give up just because one thing went wrong for me. As long as I still have Life Points, this duel isn't over!"Reiji smiled, "Then show me, Haruki Yuuji. Show me just how far your resolve will take you.""Oh, I will alright!" Yuuji declared. "My turn! Draw!"[Turn 3: Yuuji] [H: 2]Yuuji looked at the card he drew with a mixed expression.
Final Stand…the same card that won me the duel against Black Death.
By sacrificing his next two draw phases and discarding this card along with the rest of his hand, he could draw five cards from his deck. Something that could really benefit him in the short term.
But…if I were to do that, I risk the chance of losing if the cards I draw aren't useful or if I fail to win during this turn. The latter being extremely likely since this guy has over 11000 Life Points. There's nothing that I have access to currently that can take out that many Life Points at once.
It was too risky, especially since he didn't need to do that right now.Yuuji shifted his attention to Antique Mimic Chest. By using its Pendulum Effect in conjunction with Pendulum Trade's effect, he could get Revolution Commander out on his field.
Reiji has no trap cards on his field to protect his monsters. If I manage to destroy Oracle King d'Arc, I can use Antique Golden Kaiju's effect to deal big damage to Reiji.
But what if Reiji does have a way to protect his monsters?Yuuji glanced at Wave King Caesar and Gust King Alexander. He still hasn't revealed their effects. One of them could totally have an effect that brings back Oracle King d'Arc even if I do manage to destroy it.If that's the case, keeping Antique Golden Kaiju on the field at all was a no go. He should opt to use it as material to summon Revolution Commander instead.
Okay…I've been thinking too long. Let's see if this'll work.
"Using the Scale 1 Antique Maker - Swinging Soul already set in my Pendulum Zone and the Scale 8 Antique Mimic Chest from my hand, I rebuild my Pendulum Scale!" Yuuji declared as a chest with sharp teeth rose into an empty Pendulum Scale. "Now with my newly reformed Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon!"A portal appeared in the sky as a beam of energy shoots out from it."Return from my Extra Deck, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)!"The purple dragon with bone-like armor appeared on Yuuji's field once again."Next, I activate Antique Mimic Chest's Pendulum Effect!" Yuuji continued. "Once per turn, I can make the Level of a monster on my field equal to that of another. I choose to make Antique Golden Kaiju's Level equal to that of Antique Maker - Mira!"(Antique Maker - Mira — LV: 5)(Antique Golden Kaiju — LV: 8 → 5)"Next, I activate Pendulum Trade's effect once again, allowing me to Special Summon Antique Mimic Chest (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 8) to my field!"Mimic Chest appeared from a portal."Now Yuuji has three Level 5 Monsters on his field," Yuya smiled. "That means he's going too…""I overlay my Level 5 Antique Golden Kaiju, Antique Mimic Chest, and Antique Maker - Mira!" Yuuji declared that the aforementioned monsters are absorbed into a galaxy vortex. A pillar of light shot out from its center as Yuuji began chanting."The will of the oppressed who die on the battlefield burns bright. They wait for the one who guides the will of the fallen to victory! Xyz Summon! Rise up, Rank 5! The courageous leader who fans the flames of rebellion, Antique Maker - Revolution Commander (Fire/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/R: 5/SC: 5/OU: 3)!"A tall man with striking red hair and sharp, eagle-like eyes, cloaked in black with a matching mask covering his mouth appeared."An Xyz Summon?" Hokuto's jaw dropped. "This guy, he isn't giving up even when his opponent has such a lead in Life Points!?""I can honestly respect that," Yaiba nodded approvingly. "A duel doesn't end until someone's Life Points hit zero after all. As long as you have Life Points, there's always a chance for victory.""That changes when you go against someone with 11000 Life Points though," Masumi commented. "You can't deal that much damage even if you do make use of this never give up mentality. It's impossible.""You seem really confident, I assume this monster has an effect that can help you in this scenario, right?" Reiji inquired."Why don't you see for yourself," Yuuji smirked. "I activate Revolution Commander's effect! By detaching one overlay unit, I can Special Summon 'Antique Dawning Blaze' from my deck!"(Revolution Commander — OU: 3 → 2)[Antique Dawning Blaze (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 7)]A fiery sword with a golden hilt appeared on Yuuji's field."Next, by using Antique Dawning Blaze's effect, I can equip this monster to Revolution Commander!" Revolution Commander grabs onto the fire sword's hilt, soon being enveloped by the monster's flames as it powers up. "When a monster is equipped with Dawning Blaze, it gains 500 ATK for each monster on the field aside from itself. Since you have four monsters on your field while I have one other monster on mine, Revolution Commander gains 2500 ATK!"(Revolution Commander — ATK: 2500 → 5000)"Furthermore, Swinging Soul's Pendulum Effect activates!" Yuuji announced. "When a Pendulum Monster I control has its ATK increased by an effect, it gains an additional 800 ATK!"The magician in white swings its pendulum as a purple aura soon surrounds Revolution Commander, increasing its attack even further.(Revolution Commander — ATK: 5000 → 5800)"5800 ATK!?" Himika was shocked. "To think he was able to create a monster this powerful!?""Alright, Yuuji! Show him just what you're made of!" Gongenzaka cheered."Battle!" Yuuji pumped his fist forward. "Revolution Commander attacks D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc! Blazing Revolution!"Revolution Commander leaps forward, its blade igniting into even hotter flames as it slashes through Reiji's monster, destroying it and causing Reiji to wince.Reiji — LP: 11050 → 8050"My attack isn't done yet!" Yuuji announced. "While Antique Dawning Blaze is equipped to Revolution Commander, it can make a second attack during the Battle Phase!""What an absurd effect," Hokuto commented with sweat dripping down his face."Revolution Commander now attacks D/D/D Wave King Caesar! Blazing Revolution!"Revolution Commander sets its sight on the large warrior, engaging in a clash with it for a few moments. In the end, Revolution Commander manages to overpower the Xyz Monster, destroying it. However, before it manages to destroy it, Wave King Caesar detaches one of its Overlay Units from itself to activate its effect.Reiji — LP: 8050 → 4650"Now Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon attacks D/D/D Flame King Temujin! Phantom Spiral Breath!" Yuuji commanded his dragon, who shot a breath of purple fire at the red warrior. The orbs on its body begin to glow as its effect activates. "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon's effect now activates! When it deals battle damage, you receive an additional 600 points of damage for each Pendulum Monster on my field aside from itself. Since Revolution Commander is a Pendulum Monster, you take an additional 600 damage! Phantom Burst!"Flame King Temujin is engulfed by the purple flames, which create a large explosion that covers the arena in dust. However, when the dust soon settles, Reiji field is once again filled with his monsters that were previously destroyed by Yuuji's barrage of attacks.Reiji — LP: 4650 → 3550"How?" Yuuji was surprised. "How did all of your monsters return?""D/D/D Wave King Ceaser's effect," Reiji stated. "I made sure to activate it before you destroyed it. During the end of the Battle Phase, I can Special Summon as many monsters that were destroyed this turn as possible. However, during my next Standby Phase, I receive 1000 Points of damage for each monster brought back by its effect.""And thanks to Oracle King d'Arc's effect, you'll regain Life Points instead of losing them," Yuuji grimaced. "I was right to be wary about you having an effect that can bring back destroyed monsters.""An extremely smart choice on your part," Reiji stated. "If you had kept Antique Golden Kaiju on your field, I could've used it to regain all the damage you've dealt to me this turn and thensome."He'll still regain a good amount of Life Points from his contracts though. Yuuji thought. Enough to erase the impact of the damage I dealt to him this turn."I end my turn," Yuuji concluded. There wasn't much else he could do in this situation."Then it's my turn. Draw!" Reiji drew a card.[Turn 4: Reiji] [H: 1]"During my Standby Phase, my card's effects now activate, dealing me 6000 points of damage in total," Reiji stated. "However, since Oracle King d'Arc is still on my field, I gain 6000 Life Points instead."Reiji — LP: 3550 → 9550"Aw man, there goes all of Yuuji-senpai's hard work," Ayu frowned."But now that he has Revolution Commander on his field, the state of the field has changed dramatically," Tatsuya assessed. "He now has an extremely powerful monster protecting him from damage. And on his next turn, Yuuji can wipe out even more of Reiji's Life Points with Revolution Commander.""I activate Dark Contract with the Gate's effect, allowing me to add 1 D/D card to my hand," Reiji drew a card.Reiji stopped playing for a moment, staring at the card he drew with intrigue for a moment before continuing."I set one card," Reiji placed a card facedown. "Next, I'll battle! D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc attacks Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!""Not so fast!" Yuuji cut in. "I activate Pendulum Trade's effect! This time, I place Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon from my field into my empty Pendulum Zone!"A portal appeared under Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, teleporting it into his only empty Pendulum Zone before Oracle King d'Arc's attack connected."..." Reiji remained silent for a moment. "There's nothing else I can do this turn. I end my turn.""My turn! Draw!" Yuuji began his turn.[Turn 5: Yuuji] [H: 2]"I set one card facedown," Yuuji placed a facedown card. "Battle! Revolution Commander attacks Oracle King d'Arc! Blazing Revolution!"Revolution Commander leaps forward, preparing to slice through Oracle King d'Arc with its fire sword."Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon's Pendulum Effect now activates!" Yuuji announced. "When a Pendulum Monster battles, it gains 1200 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase!"(Revolution Commander — ATK: 5800 → 7000)"Once again, Swinging Soul's Pendulum Effect activates, increasing Revolution Commander's ATK by another 800!"(Revolution Commander — ATK: 7000 → 7800)The flames surrounding Revolution Commander turn purple as it powers up."It's ATK points just keep getting more absurd each time," Yaiba commented in awe.Reiji quickly reacts by hopping from island to island, grabbing an Action Card that was on one of the islands."I activate the Action Spell Miracle!" Reiji declared. "Targeting Oracle King d'Arc, this card can't be destroyed by battle, and battle damage I receive from this attack is halved!"The attack connects, creating a heavy shockwave that almost blows Reiji away. However, a transparent shield appears around Oracle King d'Arc, protecting it from harm.Reiji — LP: 9550 → 7050"No matter! Revolution Commander has a second attack!" Yuuji announced. "Revolution Commander now attacks D/D/D Wave King Caesar! Blazing Revolution!"This time, the attack connects before Reiji has the time to find another Action Card, destroying Caesar and leaving a heavy dent in Reiji's Life Points as he is sent flying from the shockwaves from the attack.Reiji — LP: 7050 → 1650"Reiji-san!" Akaba Himika cried out for her son, who managed to stand back up from the attack with only minor injuries."I'm fine, Mother," Reiji reassured her. "Don't worry about me.""Reiji-san…" Himika still seemed worried. Her lurking worries were justified as Yuuji continued his turn."I activate Pendulum Trade's effect once again, Special Summoning Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon back onto my field!" Yuuji announced as his dragon returned to his field. "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon now attacks D/D/D Flame King Temujin! Phantom Spiral Breath!"Phantom Dragon shoots a breath of purple flames at Reiji's monster."Once again, Phantom Dragon's effect activates, dealing an extra 600 points of damage! Phantom Burst!"The blast explodes, destroying Temujin and causing Reiji to wince from the shockwaves.Reiji — LP: 1650 → 550"With that, my battle ends. Along with my turn." Yuuji concluded.(Revolution Commander — ATK: 7800 → 6600)Reiji brushes the dust off his clothes as he fixes his glasses."An impressive display of power," Reiji stated. "If I hadn't managed to find that Action Card, I would've lost this duel by now."Reiji's expression hardened."It appears that it's time for me to get serious," Reiji stated.That shocked Yuuji to his core, "What do you mean, 'it's time to get serious?' Are you telling me that this whole time, you haven't been trying?""I wanted to test your abilities," Reiji stated. "To see if you were as strong as I expected. You've managed to greatly surpass my expectations, Haruki. And because of that, it's only right that I respond back similarly. My turn! Draw!"Reiji drew a card.[Turn 6: Reiji] [H: 2]"During my Standby Phase, thanks to Oracle King d'Arc's effect, I gain 3000 Life Points due to my Dark Contract's effects."Reiji — LP: 550 → 3550"So annoying!" Futoshi whined. "He just needs to stay down and let Yuuji-senpai win!""Next, I activate Dark Contract with the Gate once again, allowing me to add another 'D/D' Monster from my deck to my hand!"Reiji added a card to his hand. His set Trap Card then flips face-up."Now, I activate the Trap Card, D/D Redraw. By destroying all the cards on my field, I can draw 5 cards from my deck."All of Reiji's monsters and Continuous Spells were destroyed as he drew five more cards from his deck."Destroying all the cards on your field?" Yuuji was surprised. "Why would you do something like that?""They've all served their purpose," Reiji stated in a calculated tone. "By discarding them, it grants me a chance to change my game plan going forward."Reiji then revealed two cards from his hand. The words he uttered next shook Yuuji, Yuya, and the rest of You Show to their very core."Allow me to demonstrate!" Reiji declared. "With Scale 1 D/D Savant Copernicus and Scale 10 D/D Savant Kepler, I set the Pendulum Scale!"[What!?] The You Show Duel School members exclaimed.Behind Reiji, two monsters rose into their respective blue columns, with the numbers 1 and 10 appearing on each scale respectively."Now I can summon monsters Level 2 through 9 all at the same time!" Reiji declared. "Grand power that shakes my very soul, arise within me and become a new light that rends the darkness. Pendulum Summon! Come before me, my monsters!"A portal appears between the two Pendulum Zones, as three beams of energy are shot out of it."Appear, my three copies of D/D/D Doom King Armageddon (Dark/Fiend/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 1000/LV: 8/SC: 4)!"Three monsters with bodies made out of a giant diamond with a sphere of dark energy within their center appeared."..."Everyone was stunned silent by what had just happened. Reiji…had just Pendulum Summoned? The idea of someone other than Yuya or Yuuji Pendulum Summon was an idea that they all knew would happen someday…but, to think it would happen so soon.Yuuji was the first to speak up, albeit barely, "H-How? How did you get those cards?""I hope you didn't think that Pendulum would be solely yours alone." Reiji smiled. "Not when it could be used to bring a new evolution to dueling as we know it.""Tch," Yuuji clicked his tongue."Battle!" Reiji moved into his Battle Phase. "D/D/D Doom King Armageddon attacks Revolution Commander! Doom Ray of Armageddon!"Reiji's monster rises into the air, shooting a beam of dark energy at Revolution Commander, who leaps in the air in order to counter that attack."What? But if that attack connects, you'll lose?" Yuuji was shocked."I activate the Quick-Play-Spell Attack Down from my hand!" Reiji announced. "You're monster loses 500 ATK for each monster in my graveyard. Since there are a total of 6 monsters, your monster loses 3000 ATK!"(Revolution Commander — ATK: 6600 → 3600)"But Revolution Commander's ATK is still higher than Doom King Armageddon! Destroy his monster! Blazing Revolution!"Revolution Commander slices through the beam of dark energy, reaching Doom King Armageddon and slicing through it with its flame sword. Reiji winces from the shockwaves of the battle.Reiji — LP: 3550 → 2950(Doom King Armageddon — ATK: 3000 → 6000)(Doom King Armageddon — ATK: 3000 → 6000)However, as a result of the battle, Reiji's other two monster's ATK increase."Doom King Armageddon's effect activates!" Reiji announced. "Once per turn, when a monster is destroyed by battle or card effect; this monster gains ATK equal to the destroyed monster's original attack until the End Phase of this turn!"Damnit. Yuuji grimaced. This is bad!"The battle continues! Doom King Armageddon attacks Revolution Commander! Doom Ray of Armageddon!"The second Doom King Armageddon rises into the air, shooting a dark beam of energy at Revolution Commander. However, unlike its predecessor, its attack succeeds, destroying Revolution Commander and sending Yuuji flying from the shockwaves. Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon runs towards Yuuji, catching him on its back before he ends up flying off the islands.Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 2600"And now for the third and final attack! Doom King Armageddon! Attack Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon and end this duel!" Reiji commanded his monster. "Doom Ray of Armageddon!""Not yet, bastard!" Yuuji countered. "I activate Pendulum Trade's effect, Special Summoning Antique Maker - Swinging Soul (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2000/LV: 3/SC: 1) to my field in defense mode!"A portal appeared on Yuuji's field as Swinging Soul emerged from it."What's the point of doing that?" Masumi wondered. "Reiji can just choose to target Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon when he replays his attack.""I activate my Trap Card, Pendulum Friends!" Yuuji followed up as his set card was flipped face-up. "When I only control Pendulum Monsters on my field and not in either of my Pendulum Zones, all Pendulum Monsters I control gain 500 ATK for each Pendulum Monster currently on my field until the End Phase!"Yuuji hops off Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon as it and Antique Maker - Swinging Soul begin to dance together. Both of their ATK stats increase as a result.(Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon — ATK: 2500 → 3500)(Antique Maker - Swinging Soul — ATK: 100 → 1100)Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon is soon engulfed by Doom King Armageddon's attack, destroying it and sending Yuuji flying away as his Life Points drop.Yuuji — LP: 2600 → 100"I set two cards and end my turn," Reiji concluded two with facedowns.(Doom King Armageddon — ATK: 6000 → 3000)(Doom King Armageddon — ATK: 6000 → 3000)(Antique Maker - Swinging Soul — ATK: 1100 → 100)"Guh…" Yuuji struggled to stay on his feet until…—Thud!…he collapsed to the ground. His consciousness waning."Oh no, Yuuji!" Yuya cried out for his friend."What happened? Why did Yuuji-senpai suddenly fall?" Ayu asked with concern."It must be his injuries," Sora stated. "The ones he received mysteriously a few days ago.""Oh no. He never went to the hospital to treat himself either." Yuzu's eyes widened in realization. "The injuries he had were serious as well.""He needs to forfeit this duel," Gongenzaka stated. "As much as it pains me to say it, a man must know when he must fight and when he must rest…"Yuuji couldn't hear the rest of his friend's conversation as he ended up blacking out.
Flashback…

Five Years Ago, The Outpost…

A young boy with striking silver hair could be seen walking through the streets of the rundown city, tears streaming down his eyes. Just a few days ago, he had lost his father in some sort of incident. He wasn't aware of the details since he wasn't there personally. He has only heard about his father's death from others who were there at the scene.

"Dad.*Sob* Why did you leave me?" The young Yuuji cried. "You promised *Sob* that you would *Sob* be there to watch me *Sob* become the greatest duelist there is."

He thought his father was invincible. He always seemed to be. Whether it was a duel or a fight, his father would always come out on top. His father had a major influence on Yuuji as he was growing up.

To have him taken away at such a young age, it was bound to leave a scar on the boy that could never be healed.

Yuuji walked past an alleyway, where a group of three thugs could be seen smoking and chatting. Upon noticing the weak and defenseless boy walk past them, the three of them share a look with each other.

"Easy prey," Thug 1 said.

"Look there, he has a complete deck and a duel disk," Thug 2 pointed out. "That's sure to go for a big buck around here."

"Then what are we waiting for," Thug 3 sneered. "Let's pay that little twerp a visit."

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to Yuuji, though that was probably due to his swirling emotions. If he was in his right state of a mind, he would've probably noticed the three thugs tailing behind him.

His fate was sealed when he turned into an alleyway. Unluckily for him, it was an alleyway that led straight to a dead end. The perfect opportunity for the three thugs to strike.

They cornered the young Yuuji, forcefully taking his duel disk and deck from him. When Yuuji tried to fight back for his stuff, Thug 1 responded by punching Yuuji in the face. The other two shortly followed, pushing the youth to the ground before stomping him out on the pavement.

"S-Stop!" Yuuji cried out in pain as the thugs continuously stomped him out, not planning on stopping anytime soon. Blood spilled from his mouth as he felt his life flash before his eyes after the beating. "P-Please!"

"Aw, would you look at that? The little twerp wants us to stop," Thug 2 mocked before kicking Yuuji's head in, making the youth fade in and out of consciousness. "How naive!"

Just as Thug 2 was about to kick Yuuji again…

"That's enough!"

…a feminine voice suddenly rang through the alleyway, along with the sounds of wheels spinning. A woman with long silver hair rode into the alleyway on some sort of motorcycle.

"Who the hell is this bi—?" Thug 3 wondered aloud before being kicked in the face by the woman.

"I don't want to hear it," The woman said as Thug 3 fell to the ground, being knocked unconscious instantly.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Thug 2 shouted at the woman.

"Bringing justice to this unlawful place," The woman stated. "Especially against bastards like you, who think wailing on a little kid is a good use of their time. It's just pathetic."

"Pathetic, huh?" A crazed smile formed on Thug 2's face as he pulled out a knife from his pocket. "I'll be sure to leave a mark on that pretty face of yours to make you pay for that comment!"

Thug 2 ran towards the woman, attempting to gouge her with his blade. However, in a swift motion, she parries the man's strike and lands a heavy punch to the man's gut, causing him to wheeze before falling to the ground.

—Thud!

Thug 1 was left in shock as both of his allies were knocked out in quick succession. Before he could do anything to fight against the woman, he shrieks in pain as he feels something hit in private hard, causing him to drop to the floor instantly from the pain and drop Yuuji's duel disk and deck on the ground.

The culprit of this was none other than Yuuji, who had used all of the strength he could muster to kick the man in the private as hard as he could.

The woman was surprised by the youth's action, but chuckled afterwards.

"Nice going, little guy," She praised him. "You really hit him where it hurt."

"Ah, t-thank you," Yuuji said with a faint blush.

"Aw, you're blushing. How cute~," The woman teased.

"..." Yuuji's whole face turned red as his brain failed to deliver a response. Instead, Yuuji just quietly picked up his duel disk and deck before walking away.

"Hey, wait. Where are you going?" The woman asked.

"I…don't know. Somewhere," Yuuji simply responded.

"Do you…uh…have a place to stay? Any caretakers?"

"Ye—no," Yuuji solemnly corrected himself after remembering the fact that his father is now dead.

The woman seemed to pick up on this before making a suggestion.

"I can tell you lost someone important to you recently," The woman solemnly smiled. "I can relate to that. I've lost a lot of things and people in my life. I'm sure of it. Though I can't really remember what the thing I lost was."

"..." Yuuji was a bit confused about what she meant.

"Oh sorry." She awkwardly waved her hands. "What I meant is that I can relate to how you're feeling. You must be feeling lost, right? Until you can find your own footing, I can give you a place to stay for a while."

"No thank you." Yuuji rejected the offer, causing the woman's jaw to drop.

"Huh? But why?"

"Stranger danger," Yuuji said as he made an "X" with his hands. "My dad always told me to stay away from weird strangers who try to take me with them."

"Oh. I guess he's right?" The woman sighed. "Oh well, I guess you won't be getting any help from me."

The woman began walking to her motorcycle, getting on it and preparing to ride off. However she stopped when she noticed the young Yuuji's stare. The youth was staring at her motorcycle with stars in his eyes.

"So cool. What is that?" Yuuji asked.

"Oh this? It's a Duel Runner. A vehicle from my hometown."

"A Duel Runner?" Yuuji tilted his head. "Is that something you can duel with?"

"It actually is."

Yuuji's eyes lit up for a moment before he began awkwardly asking something.

"Um…Miss. I…uh…take back what I said…before," Yuuji said while not even looking her in the eyes, his eyes locking onto her Duel Runner. "Can you…uh…take me with you?"

"..." The woman laughed at the youth's antics. "Sure. But before that, I want to know your name."

"Yuuji," The youth introduced himself. "Haruki Yuuji. And…uh…you, miss?"

"You can call me Tanako," The woman, now known as Tanako, replied. "Now get on. We have to leave before these guys wake up again."

"O-Okay!"

Yuuji got on the Tanako's Duel Runner, sitting right behind her.

"You better hold on tight, this baby of mine is quite fast."

Tanako revved up the engine of her Duel Runner before driving away from the scene with Yuuji.

A while later, the two find themselves in an old building. While the outside of the building looked like that of an abandoned complex, the inside of the place looked surprisingly livable, albeit small.

"Welcome to my abode," Tanako said as she pushed her Duel Runner into a corner. "Feel free to make yourself at home."

"Okay," Yuuji nodded as his eyes scoured the room with enthusiasm.

One thing that immediately piqued his interest was a Monster Card that was set alone on a table. He approached the card and picked it up to get a better look at it. It was a white monster card, something that Yuuji had only seen once in his life.

"Like what you see?" Tanako asked as she gently took the card from Yuuji's hand. "This right here is called a Synchro Monster."

"A Synchro Monster?"

"It's one of the three Extra Deck Summoning methods. You know about them right?"

"I've heard of them from my father," Yuuji replied. "But I've never seen them before."

"Hmm," Tanako began thinking for a few moments before an idea suddenly popped into her head. "Hey, I know. Since you have a deck and Duel Disk, why don't we have ourselves a little duel? That way, I'll be able to show you an authentic Synchro Summon."

"A duel!?" Yuuji's eyes lit up. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Yuuji quickly ran out of the house, with Tanako sighing briefly. A small smile creeped on her face.

"That kid…he forgot about what was troubling him almost instantly upon hearing the word duel," Tanako chuckled for a moment. She then went and grabbed her duel disk before joining Yuuji outside.

Yuuji — LP: 400

Field:

[Antique Forgotten Mask (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)]

Tanako — LP: 4000

Field:

[Centur-Ion Primera (Light/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1600/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)]

[Centur-Ion Gargoyle II (Dark/Dragon/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 3000/LV: 8)]

2 Set Trap Cards

It was currently Yuuji's turn.

"Battle!" Yuuji moved into his Battle Phase. "Antique Forgotten Mask attacks Centu-Ion Gargoyle!"

A spirit monster wearing an old, black mask began flying towards Tanako's monster.

"At this time, Forgotten Mask's effect activates!" Yuuji declared. "Our monster's ATK points are swapped!"

(Antique Forgotten Mask — ATK: 0 → 2000)

(Centur-Ion Gargoyle II — ATK: 2000 → 0)

"Quite an impressive effect you have there, Yuuji-kun," Tanako commented. "However, I have an answer to that! I activated my Trap Card, Battle Shield! For the rest of this Battle Phase, neither of our monsters can be destroyed!"

A barrier formed around Tanako's monsters, protecting them from harm.

"But you still take damage!" Yuuji declared.

Tanako winced a little from the shockwaves as her Life Points dropped.

Tanako — LP: 4000 → 2000

"I did it!" The young Yuuji cheered. "I managed to lower your Life Points!"

"Good job," Tanako praised. "I can hardly tell that I'm dueling a child. You've been taught well."

Yuuji smiled at the praise, "Thank you. I'll end my turn with one facedown."

A facedown card appeared on his field.

"My turn! Draw!" Tanako began her turn. "You've impressed me a lot in this duel. But I think it's time to wrap it up. Just like I promised, I'll show you a true, authentic Synchro Summon. The Level 4 Centur-Ion Primera tunes the Level 8 Centur-Ion Gargoyle II!"

The two aforementioned monsters transform into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up together as a pillar of green light shot through it.

"Machine engines burn bright! Command the brigade and eradicate your enemies before you!" Tanako chanted. "Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 12! Centur-Ion Legatia (Light/Machine/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 3500/DEF: 2000/LV: 12)!"

A humanoid machine monster in white armor appeared on Tanako's field. Two floating constructs floated above each of the monster's shoulders, emitting flames that wrapped all around the monster's armor.

"...So pretty," Yuuji said in awe.

"Don't be too entranced now, Yuuji!" Tanako shouted. "Legatia's effect now activates! When it's Synchro Summoned onto my field, I can draw 1 card; then I can destroy the monster on your field that currently has the highest ATK. Since the only monster you control is Forgotten Mask, that monster is destroyed! Blazing Vortex!"

"What!?" Yuuji cried out in shock as his monster was engulfed in a flaming vortex, dispersing into particles as it was destroyed.

"Now it's time for the climax!" Tanako declared as she moved into her Battle Phase. "Legatia now attacks you directly! Hellfire Breaker!"

Tanako's monster erupts into flames, soaring towards Yuuji who tries to protect himself before the attack connects. However, before it does, Legatia stops. Instead of attacking Yuuji head on, the monster opts to end the duel by flicking the youth on the forehead.

Yuuji — LP: 400 → 0

Winner: Tanako

All of their cards disappear as the duel ends. Tanako approaches Yuuji, who was sobbing as he soothed his forehead.

"Hey, are you okay?" Tanako asked, a little concerned.

"Y-Yeah. It just hurts a little," Yuuji regained his composure. He was bummed out about the loss, but losing to something as cool as that Synchro Monster made up for it. "That Synchro Summon of yours was so cool, Tanako-san! I want to learn how to do it just like you."

"There's not really much of a point in me teaching you," Tanako stated, much to Yuuji's disappointment. "Especially if you don't have your own Synchro Monster."

"I do, look," Yuuji pulled out a Synchro Monster from his deck. Antique Guardian Statue. "So could you please teach me now?"

Tanako was a bit surprised by Yuuji suddenly revealing a Synchro Monster. She didn't think much of it though since this would make teaching him a lot easier.

"Okay, then. I'll teach you," Tanako agreed. "You'll become the greatest duelist to ever use Synchro Summoning when I'm done with you."
Yuuji woke up, his mind in a daze. He struggled back onto his feet as he finally began to digest what was happening."What happened?" Yuuji wondered.He immediately noticed that he was still in the Different Dimension Action Field, which meant that he was likely still dueling against Reiji.I must've blacked out for only a few seconds then. Yuuji guessed. Which is weird, since I had a whole flashback sequence about when I first met my teacher.Tanako was the one who saved him when he was younger and practically raised him after his father passed away a few years ago. It was thanks to her teachings that led Yuuji to learning how to Synchro Summon.Enough with the reminiscing on the past. Yuuji shook his head. I need to focus on what is happening here in the present first.He was losing. That much was obvious. Even with the help of his strongest monster, he still wasn't able to settle this duel thanks to how far behind Antique Golden Kaiju's effect set him back in this duel.
I only have two cards on my field. I could possibly place Swinging Soul into my Pendulum Scale, but I would need to draw a monster with a high Pendulum Scale in order to make use of it. The only card in my hand is Final Stand. And while this card will allow me to draw five new cards by discarding my whole hand, if the five cards I draw aren't able to get me a win, I'll definitely lose this duel.
Yuuji tried to clench his fist, but he couldn't as he felt his hands shaking violently.
What the hell? Why are my hands shaking?
Was he scared? Anxious? Why? Even in his duel against Black Death, he had never felt this nervous before.
Damnit. I wanted to protect You Show. That's why I've been playing it safe and not relying on luck to bail me out. Yuuji thought. But thanks to that, I managed to achieve the opposite and back myself into a corner.
…—Smack!Yuuji slapped himself in the face as hard as he could with his free hand, to the point of even leaving a slight red bruise on his cheek."What the hell am I doing?" Yuuji berated himself. "I got too caught up in the stakes that I forgot everything that I had learned."Playing it safe like this, this wasn't how he dueled. Sure, he made safe plays sometimes, but he never relied on the safe plays to win his duels."Are you okay there, Haruki?" Reiji inquired. "If you aren't feeling well, we can call off this duel of ours.""No. I don't plan on backing down," Yuuji said. "I still have a chance for victory.""A slim chance," Reiji stated. "You've lost both of your strongest monsters, your Pendulum Scale has been broken, and you're down to only 100 Life Points. You would need a miracle to win from this position.""Hah, I've been through worse scenarios than this," Yuuji smiled. "And besides, even if I have only 1 Life Point left, there's still a chance for victory!""Prove it to me then. Bring about that one-in-a-million miracle, Haruki Yuuji," Reiji said as he extended his arms outward. "Otherwise…this school of yours will be no more.""Guide me to victory, my deck…" Yuuji muttered as his pendulum necklace began to glow. "My turn! Draw!"[Turn 7: Yuuji] [H: 2]
[Current Theme Playing: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Sound Duel 1 - Swing! Pendulum of Souls]
Yuuji didn't even look at the card he drew. He knew that whatever it was, it wasn't the key that would let him win this."I activate the Spell Card, Final Stand!" Yuuji announced. "To activate this card, I must discard all other cards from my hand and forfeit my next two Draw Phases.""Forfeiting his next two Draw Phases!?" Hokuto cried out in shock. "Has he gone mad!?""The bigger the sacrifice, the greater the return," Yuuji said. "Thanks to Final Stand's effect, I get to draw cards until I have five cards in my hand!""Oh?" Reiji raised an eyebrow.Yuuji placed his hand over the top of his deck and took a deep breath."Everyone's hopes and dreams are riding on this duel. I can't let them down," Yuuji steeled his resolve. "With this draw, I'll pave a path to freedom! Draw!"Yuuji drew his five cards. Upon looking at what he drew, he paused."Not a single Pendulum Monster?" Yuuji grimaced. "I guess lady luck is not on my side after all—"—Badump!Yuuji felt his chest skip a beat as the image of a new monster appeared in his mind.This feeling…it's just like what I felt when I first summoned Revolution Commander. Yuuji smiled. It looks like lady luck hasn't given up on me this time either."I activate the Quick-Play-Spell, Trap Whirlwind!" Yuuji announced. "By tributing cards on my field, I can destroy an equal number of Trap Cards on your field! I tribute Antique Maker - Swinging Soul along my Continuous Trap Card in order to destroy both of your Trap Cards!"A massive whirlwind roared through the arena, sweeping up Yuuji's two cards along with Reiji's two Trap Cards and destroying them all."Getting my two Trap Cards out of the way early, smart move," Reiji commented."I'm not done yet!" Yuuji declared. "I summon the Tuner Monster, Antique Maker - Tuning Witch (Dark/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 300/LV: 1)!"A female monster with long blonde hair, wearing a black witches cloak and holding a black staff with a yellow gemstone at its tip appeared."Tuning Witch's effect activates upon its summon. I take 100 points of damage for each Pendulum Monster on my field or in either of my Pendulum Zones!""100 points of damage?" Ayu was confused. "Doesn't that mean that he loses?""That's only if he has a Pendulum Monster on his field," Tatsuya replied. "He made sure to get Antique Maker - Swinging Soul off his field first before he summoned Tuning Witch, so he won't be taking any damage.""Tuning Witch's other effect activates!" Yuuji continued. "After its summoning effect is activated, I can immediately Special Summon an Antique Monster directly from my hand! Appear, Antique Maker - Wrenchworker (Dark/Spellcaster/Effect/ATK: 300/DEF: 400/LV: 2)!"A young man in apprentice clothing appeared."Now, when an Antique Monster is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon Antique Tabletop (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5) directly from my hand!"A floating wooden table appeared."He summoned three monsters at once without the use of Pendulum Summoning," Hokuto commented."Not to mention, he also has a Tuner Monster on his field," Yaiba pointed out. "Judging from how he made use of the other two summoning methods, I think I know what's about to happen next.""This is it, Reiji! My key to winning this duel!" Yuuji announced. "Level 1 Antique Maker - Tuning Witch tunes the Level 2 Antique Maker - Wrenchworker and Level 5 Antique Tabletop!"Tuning Witch twirls her staff, the gemstone at its tip glowing as it turns Wrenchworker and Antique Tabletop into green orbs. Tuning Witch herself transforms into a yellow ring which lines up together with the green orbs. A pillar of green light shot through the ring as Yuuji began chanting."Sonic gale winds that move at the speed of sound. Ride the speeding current as you pave a path to victory!" Yuuji chanted. "I Synchro Summon! Accelerate, Level 8! Antique Maker - Freedom Rider (Wind/Spellcaster/Synchro/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1500/LV: 8/SC: 1)!"Driving across the air was a man riding a grey and green colored Duel Runner. He wore similarly colored gear. Freedom Rider had a wide smirk on his face as he revved up the engines of its Duel Runner in anticipation."Alright, Yuuji!" Shuzo cheered. "Show him You Show's burning spirit!""You got this, Yuuji!" Yuya cheered him on as well."A Synchro Summon this late into the game," Hokuto was stunned."To think he still had a monster like this in the back," Masumi commented."Hmph, it's no issue," Himika scoffed. "That monster has a measly 2000 ATK points. It won't be doing anything to Reiji-san's Pendulum Monsters.""Antique Maker - Freedom Rider's effect activates!" Yuuji declared. "When this monster is Synchro Summoned, I can destroy cards on your field equal to the number of monsters used to Synchro Summon it to my field! I used three materials to summon Freedom Rider, which means I can destroy three cards on your field!""What!?" Himika cried out in shock."..." Even Reiji had a shocked expression on his face."I choose to destroy your two D/D/D Doom King Armageddons, along with the D/D Copernicus in your Pendulum Scale! Freedom Gale!"Freedom Rider begins riding in circles at sonic speeds, creating a green tornado that threatens to suck Reiji's monsters into it."I activate the effect of D/D/D Launch in my graveyard!" Reiji announced. "By tributing a D/D/D Monster on my field, I can negate the activation of your monster's effect that targets a D/D/D Monster I control!"One of Reiji's Doom King Armageddons floats towards the tornado. Once it made contact with it, Doom King Armageddon suddenly exploded, dispersing the tornado."Furthermore, since a monster on my field was destroyed by card effect, my final Doom King Armageddon gains ATK equal to my destroyed monster's ATK!"(Doom King Armageddon — ATK: 3000 → 6000)"I was worried for a moment," Himika smiled. "It seems that worry was unwarranted. This duel is settled now.""Oh no…" Ayu said with worry. "Is this the end?""..." Yuzu remained silent, a guilty expression on her face. If only she hadn't lost that duel against Masumi."No, it's not," Yuya reassured. "Look at Yuuji's expression. He still hasn't given up."Directing their attention back to the field, they were surprised to see that Yuuji still had a smile on his face."I now activate Freedom Rider's second effect!" Yuuji shouted. "By banishing an Antique Monster from my graveyard, Freedom Rider temporarily gains its effects, along with 1000 ATK! I banish Antique Golden Kaiju from my graveyard!"Yuuji sends a card from his graveyard to his Banish Zone, as a green aura surrounds Freedom Rider and his Duel Runner.(Freedom Rider — ATK: 2000 → 3000)"Now here comes the climax! Battle!" Yuuji declared as he pumped his fist forward. "Freedom Rider attacks D/D/D Doom King Armageddon!"Freedom Rider revs up its engine as it accelerates towards Reiji's monster at breakneck speeds."Is he insane!?" Hokuto cried out. "His monster has way less ATK points than Reiji's!""Have you even been focusing on the plays?" Masumi wondered. "His monster copied Antique Golden Kaiju's effects, which deal damage to his opponent equal to their monster's ATK points when it battles. If he attacks Reiji's monster now, he'll win!""I-Impossible…" Himika muttered in disbelief."Go, Freedom Rider! Hyperstream Rush!"Reiji also had a shocked expression on his face for a moment before his mouth curled upwards into a smile."So this is the kind of duelist that you are, Haruki Yuuji…" Reiji said as he closed his eyes. "You've won this battle."A barrier forms around Freedom Rider as it crashes into Doom King Armageddon, creating a shockwave that sends Reiji flying away—concluding the duel.Reiji — LP: 2950 → 0Winner: Yuuji
[BGM (Background Music) Ends Here.]
The Action Field dissipates as the two duelists return to the arena. Akaba Himika quickly rushed out of the spectator booth, quickly making her way to her son, who had just managed to stand up on his two feet."Reiji-san! Are you okay?" Himika asked."I'm okay, Mother," Reiji stated.Himika breathed a sigh of relief, "Well, that's good." She then turned to Yuuji, who was surrounded by his You Show friends. "That boy. I didn't expect him of all people to defeat you.""I honestly didn't expect to lose as well," Reiji admitted. "However, in a duel, not everything will always go according to plan."With the You Show group…"Yuuji! That was an incredibly hot-blooded duel!" Shuzo shouted with fire burning in his eyes. "That duel had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.""Mhm," Tatsuya nodded. "I was worried a few times, but you managed to pull through even with the odds stacked against you.""Yeah. Thanks to you, You Show has been saved," Yuya added."You stood strong and fought him like a true man," Gongenzaka commented. "I, the man Gongenzaka, approve.""Haha, thanks guys," Yuuji smiled happily.However, he soon stopped when he noticed Yuzu's expression."Hey, what's wrong?" Yuuji asked. "What's got you so down.""I'm..." Yuzu bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Yuuji, Gongenzaka. If I hadn't completely flunked my duel against Masumi, you guys wouldn't have had to duel your hearts out to protect You Show.""Yuzu…" Yuya muttered."Don't beat yourself up, Yuzu," Gongenzaka said with a smile. "You shouldn't feel guilty about this.""Gongenzaka's right," Yuuji stated. "You, me, and the rest of us. We all wanted to fight for the safety of You Show. And in the end, we've succeeded in defending this school.""But…" Yuzu wanted to say something else, but decided to just keep quiet, not wanting to ruin the bubbly atmosphere. "Okay…"—Clap! Clap! Clap!Their attention shifted to Akaba Reiji, who was applauding as he approached Yuuji."Congratulations, Haruki Yuuji. You're the first person in a long time who has actually managed to defeat me. " Reiji congratulated him with his usual calm demeanor. "As promised, LDS won't bother you lot about this Sawatari Shingo matter anymore."After he was done speaking, he turned around to leave. However, just before he did, Yuuji spoke."...Wait.""Hm?" Reiji raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you wanted to ask me?""I just wanted to say thank you.""Eh? Why would you be thanking him?" Futoshi wondered. "He threatened to take over You Show.""Your little friend is right. There's nothing you should be thanking me for," Reiji said."There's two things that I can thank you for," Yuuji smiled. "The first is for keeping your word about leaving You Show alone after you lost. And the second is for pushing me to the brink in that duel of ours.""Oh, well in that case, you're welcome," Reiji simply stated. "If that's all you wanted to say. I'll be going now.""Just one more thing. The next time we duel, I want to duel you at your best. I can tell in that duel that you were treating it more like a test rather than an important duel. As a duelist, I can't accept a win unless I defeat my opponent at their very best.""I'll think about it," Reiji replied before walking off. Akaba Himika and the three LDS students soon followed shortly behind. After they left, Yuuji breathed a heavy sigh of relief."Thank goodness that's over with," Yuuji said. "That duel was exactly what I was looking for, but it made me tired as hell.""You should go rest," Yuya suggested. "You deserve it anyway, after winning a duel against a pro.""I'll do just that," Yuuji said before he began walking off. "I'll see you guys later, then. Take care."After saying his goodbyes, Yuuji made his way back to his hotel. After placing his duel disk and deck on his countertop and changing into his night clothes, Yuuji threw himself onto his bed."I'm way too exhausted from today. I never knew that dueling could be that stressful," Yuuji remarked. "But at least I've managed to achieve my goal. There is a way for me to grow stronger."By pushing himself to the brink and reconstructing himself, he managed to find the key to unlocking a new power for himself.Yuuji let out a long yawn, tears forming in his tired eyes, "I'm too tired to think about this. Right now, I just want…to…sleep…"Struggling to maintain his wake, Yuuji's eyes close as he falls into a deep sleep.Meanwhile, LDS Tower…Reiji is sitting in his office, staring at a list of all the current qualified participants for the Maiami Championships that will be happening around a week from now. Soon, he hears the door to his office open as Nakajima walks in, a serious expression plastered on his face."Ah, Nakajima," Reiji addressed him. "What brought you here on such short notice.""Reiji-dono, I've come bearing bad news," Nakajima states as he digs into his suit's pocket, taking out a few cards. Reiji's eyes widen in surprise when he sees a familiar face imprinted onto one of the cards. "Just today, we received a report that Professor Marco, along with other personnel, were attacked today by a mysterious assailant. The only things left from the scenes were damaged buildings, along with these cards with the attacked personnel's faces."Reiji tried to maintain his calm demeanor, succeeding mostly aside from him squeezing his palms a bit."What else do you know about the perpetrator," Reiji inquired."We noticed around the time of the attacks that there was a surge in Xyz Summoning Energy," Nakajima answered. "However, aside from that and the fact that this assailant can deal real damage to his surroundings through dueling, we know nothing."Reiji fell into deep thought.Could this incident be linked to the Sawatari Shingo Incident? Reiji wondered. There's too little information for us to go off of right now to know for sure."I want you to alert the security branch about his matter, along with the elites," Reiji stated. "Raise LDS's security and send out a search team to look for this mysterious assailant. The sooner we find him, the less casualties there will be on our side.""Right away, Reiji-dono. I'll be taking my leave," Nakajima bowed before walking out the room, leaving Reiji alone with his thoughts. Once he was sure that there was nobody in sight, he let out a deep sigh and clutched his head with his hands."Damn," Reiji grit his teeth. "I can't let this war go on for long."Luckily, the assailant seems to only be targeting LDS Members. But what would happen if they decided to go after innocent civilians. As the President of the Leo Corporation, he couldn't let that come to pass.
Father…I swear, I'll bring an end to this tyrannical war that you created. I'll open your eyes to all the pain that you've caused to us, along with the people of the five dimensions.
But for now, he would bide his time. Building up his forces along with finding strong duelists who could join his cause.Elsewhere, Maiami City…Yuto could be seen walking in an alleyway. He was currently staring at a wall, which had large claw markings engraved into it. The rest of the alleyway wasn't in a much better state, garbage bins were knocked down, with trash and other throwaway objects being scattered across the area. Walking further in, Yuto eventually stopped in his tracks as he noticed a card on the ground. Picking it up, he could see the horrified expression of an LDS Personnel printed onto the card."Looks like I'm too late again," Yuto frowned as he pocketed the card.For the past few days, he had been trying to track down his friend Shun. However, it seems that Shun has caught onto this, as he had been purposely avoiding his detection, only leaving behind a path of carnage for Yuto to find."When will that guy learn that this isn't the right way to go about this," Yuto said. "This is the last thing the Ruri would want.""I can't blame him for his actions though. I can see where he's coming from. If I was just a little more impulsive, I'd do the exact same thing."Yuto quickly moved into a defensive stance upon hearing the voice. The source of the voice being a cloaked figure."Who's there?" He asked."It's me," The person said before removing their hoodie, revealing her face along with her long, dark blue hair."Rio!?" Yuto was shocked upon seeing a familiar face. "But how? I thought you were going to stay in the Xyz Dimension to look for your brother?""Ryoga's not there. I know he isn't," Rio solemnly said. "I've looked everywhere I could, but he was nowhere to be found.""..." Yuto remained silent.He knew what it meant, as much as he wished he didn't. The last time Rio saw him, he was protecting her from a powerful Academia Agent who single-handedly annihilated the Diamond Branch, the strongest branch of duelist from their school. Most likely, he had been carded, just like the rest of them."Anyway, enough about that," Rio quickly changed the subject. "What do you plan on doing about Shun? Are you just going to keep following him or what?""It's the only thing that I can do," Yuto said. "I have to find Shun and talk him out of this bloody path that he's walking down.""I'll help you then," Rio said. "We can cover more ground that way."Yuto was surprised by the suggestion, smiling gratefully, "Thanks, Rio.""Don't sweat it, the Resistance needs to stick together after all," Rio smiled back.A few hours later…—Crackle!Dusk soon arrived as a thunderstorm swept through Maiami City. Most of the residents have already made their way into safe shelter in order to avoid the storm. Shun stood on a rooftop, arms crossed as he stared daggers at LDS Tower, the current target for his rage."Just wait for me Ruri, I'll bring you back," Shun said with determination. "No matter the cost."—Crackle!Thunder flashed behind him, illuminating the area. When the light died down, Shun had disappeared.
Custom/Altered Cards:

Monster Cards:

Antique Ignition Pot
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5Light/Fairy/EffectMonster Effect: If you would take effect damage: You can banish this card from your GY; your opponent also takes damage equal to the amount you take.
Antique Golden Kaiju
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 8Light/Dragon/Fusion/Effect1 Dragon Monster + 1 "Antique" MonstersMonster Effect: This card cannot be destroyed by battle, and you take no battle damage from battles involving this card. If this card battles a monster: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK.
Antique Maker - Tuning Witch
ATK: 100, DEF: 300, LV: 1Dark/Spellcaster/Tuner/EffectMonster Effect: If this card is Summoned: Lose 100 Life Points for each Pendulum Monster you control on both your field and in your Pendulum Zones, then you can Special Summon 1 "Antique" monster from your hand.
Antique Maker - Wrenchworker
ATK: 300, DEF: 400, LV: 2Dark/Spellcaster/EffectMonster Effect: Once per turn: You can target one card on your field; increase or decrease its Level by 1.
Antique Maker - Freedom Rider
ATK: 2000, DEF: 1500, LV: 8, SC: 1Wind/Spellcaster/Synchro/Pendulum/Effect1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monstersPendulum Effect: If a monster you control would have its effect negated by a card effect, you can discard 1 card; negate that effect instead. Once per turn: You can banish 1 Tuner monster and other cards from your field or Extra Deck whose total Levels equal this card's Level; Special Summon this card from your Pendulum Zone (this Special Summon is treated as a Synchro Summon).Monster Effect: When this card is Synchro Summoned: Destroy cards on the field equal to the number of "Antique" monsters used for this card's Synchro Summon. Once per turn: You can banish 1 "Antique" monster from your GY; this card copies that monster's effects and gains 1000 ATK until the End Phase. If this card is destroyed, you can place it in your Pendulum Zone. If both Pendulum Zones are occupied, you can destroy both cards in your Pendulum Zones, then place this card in your Pendulum Zone.
Spell Cards:

Dark Contract with the Singing Waves
Continuous SpellDuring each of your Standby Phases, take 1000 points of damage. Once per turn, Special Summon a 'D/D' Monster from your hand and make its Level equal to that of another monster on your field.
D/D Redraw
Normal TrapDestroy all cards on your field, then draw five cards.
Attack Down
Quick-Play-SpellWhen this card is activated, target one of your opponent's monsters; that monster loses 500 ATK for each monster in your graveyard.
Pendulum Friends
Normal TrapIf you control only Pendulum Monsters and have no cards in your Pendulum Zones: All Pendulum Monsters you control gain 500 ATK for each Pendulum Monster you control until the end of this turn.
Trap Whirlwind
Quick-Play-SpellTribute any number of cards from your field; destroy an equal amount of Spell/Trap Cards on your opponent's field.
D/D/D Launch
Normal TrapTribute 1 "D/D" or "D/D/D" monster you control; negate the activation of a monster effect. If this card is in your GY: Once per turn, you can Tribute 1 "D/D/D" monster you control; negate the activation of a monster effect that targets a "D/D/D" monster you control.
And that's the end of the LDS Invasion Arc. I hope you enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun writing this duel especially. Is it the best duel I've written for this fanfic so far? I'm not really sure. I feel a bit critical about how I handled the duel, but that might just be my writer mind speaking. Typically, when I go back and read the duels I wrote a few days later, I like them a lot more.

As for the duel result. I was torn between either having Yuuji draw against Reiji or ending up winning this duel. I originally planned to have him lose while first brainstorming this chapter around a month ago, but decided against it, since having him lose so soon (especially after having some plot armor moment and gaining a new monster) felt pointless. It lessens the impact of the flashback and the new monster greatly in my opinion. These two will be dueling a few times in this fic, so this result isn't that bad in the long run.

On the topic of the flashback, it isn't much, but it gives a slight glance into Yuuji's past. I plan on delving into this backstory a bit more in the coming chapter, since I didn't want to make the flashback too long and completely mess up the flow of the chapter.

I definitely have some devastating losses (and some less devastating losses) planned for Yuuji later on, so for those who don't want to read a story about a protagonist who always wins, don't worry. We're getting closer and closer to the juicier parts of the story that I'm excited to write about, so stay tuned.

I plan on releasing a few more chapter in February, so be on the lookout for that. With the arrival of winter break, I have way too much time on my hands now.

That's all I wanted to say. Be sure to drop some comments, I like seeing that number go up. If the next chapter is out, go read it when you have time. Since you're already so deep into the story, you might as well continue 👍.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter 9 is here. I've been so hyped to write this chapter and I've finally got around to it (mainly because Sawatari, my favorite character in ARC-V, is finally making an appearance).

[A/N: Sorry if the first 25% of the chapter feels a little recap-esque, it's needed since while I'm pretty sure most people reading this have already watched ARC-V, they may not remember how certain plot-points progress, especially in the earlier bits.]

Be sure to drop some comments, suggestions, questions. I see all of them so feel free to speak out your mind and drop some suggestions or comments about the story. Criticism is also welcome (as long as it isn't brainless flaming of the story).

Here's a prompt if you have no idea on what you'd like to write a comment about.

Question of the day: What's your favorite summoning mechanic and why?

Without any further ado, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Minor spelling, grammar, and other mistakes may be present.

[Standard Arc Opening Theme (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 1: BELIEVE X BELIEVE)]

Scale 09: Rebellious Falcons (I)
A few days later…Yuya sat on a park bench alone. His eyes were covered by his goggles that he had always brought with him. While children played together on the playground, Yuya was deep in thought."First Yuuji, Sawatari, and now even Reiji…" Yuya muttered. "How are so many other people able to use Pendulum Summoning?"When he first received these cards, he thought he would be the only one with them at least for a good while. However, that dream was crushed in only a day when Yuuji showed up. Yuya eventually got over it, since Yuuji helped him learn how to Pendulum Summon and got these cards in a similar way to him.But not even half a month later, Akaba Reiji shows up with Pendulum Cards that he manufactured himself. And with this, brings a devastating reality that Yuya had to face.Pendulum Summoning is no longer something unique to him.It didn't help that Sawatari also accused him of assaulting somebody else as well yesterday, along with reminding him that soon enough everybody would have Pendulum Cards.—Ring! Ring! Ring!His duel disk suddenly began to ring as he received a call. When Yuya picked up, he nearly turned to death and Sora shouted at him.[Yuya! Where are you! We were supposed to go looking for opponents to help me qualify for the Maiami Championships today!]"Yeesh, you don't have to yell so loud!" Yuya covered his ears. "I'll come meet you soon."[You better not be late! Unlike you, I actually have plans today.] Sora said."Plans? Since when?"[That doesn't matter.] Sora dodged the question. [Just hurry up and get back.]Sora abruptly ended the call, causing Yuya to sigh as a result."Why is he always like this?" Yuya wondered as shook his head. "Hah…whatever. I guess this is better than sulking around all day about things out of my control."Meanwhile…Yuuji stood in an alleyway, leaning against the wall. His expression sour as he continuously tapped his foot on the ground. Much like Yuya, he was in a bad mood today, although for a different reasonYesterday, the topic of the Maiami Championships was brought up, mainly due to Nico Smiley's appearance at You Show. While Yuuji wasn't there for that, he did hear from those present that he was there on the behalf of the Duel Association to give Yuya a free pass into the Maiami Championships. Yuya ended up declining this offer, wanting to complete his qualifications for the tournament with his own efforts instead of just being handed a free pass.This ended up reminding Yuuji of his own reasons for even coming to this city. The Maiami Championships was his main reason for coming here, and the main reason he ended up getting into the deathmatch with Black Death a while back. All of the weird stuff happening recently made him forget about it completely.It's the perfect place for someone like him who wants to duel as many powerful opponents as he can. However, there was one major issue.His win rate.Currently, he had around a 35% win rate and had participated in over 60 duels. To enter the Maiami Championships, he would need a win rate of 60% or higher. To qualify, he would most likely need to participate in around 30 or more duels, and win every single one of them within the deadline of a week and a half. A feat that is practically impossible.—Ring! Ring! Ring!His duel disk began to ring, when he picked up, his ears were assaulted by the shouting of a certain Shiunin Sora.[Yuuji! Where the hell are you!?] Sora shouted."An alleyway. Why are you asking?"[You're supposed to be helping me look for opponents to help me qualify along with Yuya!]"You never told me that."[Well I am now! Just hurry up and meet us at You Show.]"Wait, who said that I was going to—"—before Yuuji could finish his sentence, Sora abruptly hung up the call."...""That guy…" Yuuji muttered with a tick mark forming on his face.A while later, Yuuji arrives at You Show. Sora and Yuya were waiting for him outside, turning their attention to him when they noticed his arrival."Finally…" Sora said as he addressed Yuuji. "What took you so long?""I don't know? Maybe the fact that I was halfway across the city." Yuuji rolled his eyes. "If you hadn't just brought it up today, maybe I wouldn't have taken so long.""Whatever," Sora waved him off. "At least you're here now.""Why did you bring us out here anyway?" Yuya asked."I told you on the call already, it's to help me find matches to help me qualify for the Maiami Championships." Sora replied."How many matches do you need?" Yuuji asked."I thought that I would need at least twenty to fix my faulty win rate, but apparently after looking into it, I only need to win six matches in a row." Sora said."Huh? That's a rule?" Yuuji was surprised."Yeah, you didn't know? If you have six official documented wins in a row, while having participated in over 50 duels this year, you're automatically qualified for the Maiami Championships." Sora explained."I've heard of that rule too," Yuya said. "Though it's a pretty impractical feat to go for since things go wrong in duels all the time. The highest win streak I've ever had was four wins."
Why have I not heard of this?
"Well how do I check?" Yuuji asked."You just check your duel disk's battle record," Yuya answered. "There's a neat feature in it where you are able to check your progress in qualifying."Yuuji quickly pulled up his battle log, pressing a few buttons to bring up a screen with info on his qualifications.
Maiami Championships Qualifications
A 60% Win Rate (the duelist must have participated in fifty Official Duels for this to count):—Incomplete (Current Win Rate: 35%)ORWin Six Official Duels in a Row (the duelist must have participated in fifty Official Duels for this to count):—Incomplete (Current Winstreak: 4)"That's so useful!" Yuuji said in awe. "If I had known about this sooner, I would've tried to duel more often."This meant that all he would need to do is find two more opponents who would be willing to duel him which shouldn't be too difficult.Though, it's weird that my loss against Ryouga wasn't counted. Yuuji thought."Now that that's settled. Let's get going." Sora began walking. "I have plans later so we'll need to be fast."Yuuji turned to Yuya, "Do you have any idea why he's in such a rush?""No idea. He never told me what his plans were." Yuya answered."Weird," Yuuji said as he walked off after Sora. Yuya did the same.Later…"Go, Frightfur Bear! Attack him directly!" Sora commanded.Frightfur Bear's arm extends outward as it smacks his opponent, a widely-built sumo wrestler, into one of the Action Field walls, concluding the duel.Sumoshi — LP: 1800 → 0Winner: Sora"Hurray! That's one down!" Sora cheered as the Action Field dispersed."That was probably the fastest duel I've ever seen," Yuya commented.Sora's opponent barely even managed to put up a fight. The opponent's whole field was wiped out by Sora on his very first turn with the use of his Fusion Monster and Action Cards."It's expected though. It's Sora we're talking about after all," Yuuji stated.Sora made his way over to the two of them with a wide smile on his face."What'd you guys think? Pretty cool right?" Sora gloated."You just brought us along to watch you show off," Yuuji sighed."Did not!" Sora denied as he turned away."Uh huh." Yuuji was not convinced."Whatever," Sora rolled his eyes. "We're done here. Let's get going."The three You Show students make their way out of the dojo, deciding to go stop by a food stand to get a bite to eat. Once they finished eating and chatting together, they decided to call it quits."I'm late!?" Sora cried out in shock as he checked the time. "She's going to kill me!""Late for what?" Yuya asked. "You've been on a time crunch the whole day, but you never told us why.""I can't tell you that now. I promised not to." Sora said before quickly running off. "I'll talk to you guys later! Thanks for the help today!"Before they could say anything else, Sora was already out of sight.Yuuji sighed, "That guy can be so mysterious sometimes.""You can say that again," Yuya agreed."I think it's about time I head out too," Yuuji said. "I want to look over my deck some more before I go find my qualification matches.""You just reminded me that I need to look over my deck as well.""You have a duel tomorrow, right?" Yuuji asked."Mhm," Yuya nodded. "It's right before noon.""That early?" Yuuji sighed. "I probably won't be able to watch it then.""That's fine. I'll have Ayu, Futoshi, and Tatsuya there to cheer me on," Yuya said."Well, that's good," Yuuji smiled. "Good luck.""Thanks," Yuya smiled back.The two fist bump each other before parting ways.Sora arrives at the abandoned harbor, panting heavily. Staring at him with her arms crossed was Yuzu. Based on her expression and body language, Sora could tell that Yuzu was pissed at him right now."What took you so long?" Yuzu asked. "You promised me that you would be on time today.""Finding a duel took a little longer than expected," Sora explained. "I rushed here as quickly as I could when I realized I was running late."Yuzu's expression softened up upon hearing his excuse, "Well, whatever. Since you graciously agreed to teach me, I'll let you off the hook this time."Sora let out a breath of relief."Oh, thank goodness. I was worried you would hit me with that harrison of yours.""Why would you think that?""You don't want me to answer that.""Uh huh?" Yuzu frowned.Sora then decided to quickly change the subject."Let's get started. I need to teach you a bunch of the ground rules of Fusion Summoning first before we could put it to practice.""Right," A motivated Yuzu nodded.Unknown to the two of them, a certain onlooker was watching them from the shadows."..." Yuto observed quietly as Sora began teaching Yuzu the basics of Fusion Summoning.A few days later…Yuya was at a convenience store, reading a magazine as his mind drifted off to think of the events that had been happening recently. In the past three days, he had managed to win 2 out of the 4 duels he needed to qualify. His first duel was against Michio, a strong duelist who also happened to be a popular cook, while his second duel was against Eita Kyuando, a quiz-game enthusiast who had won many trivia tournaments in his life. However, weird things occurred during those three days as well.First of all, right before his second qualification match, he was chased by three men from LDS on the orders of Mr. Sawatari, Sawatari Shingo's father and a candidate for mayor. He tried his best to explain to him that he wasn't the one who attacked his son, but Mr. Sawatari ignored everything he said. To get away, Yuya turned into an alleyway.Which is where he encountered…him.A tall man with teal-colored hair, wearing a blue coat, sunglasses, and a red mask standing with one of his monster cards already summoned. The man engaged in a duel against the three LDS Personnel who were chasing Yuya, swiftly defeating them after performing an Xyz Summon. Yuya was horrified when he saw that the mysterious man's monster could inflict real damage to their surroundings, without there being any Real Solid Vision Machine in the area.Yuya wasn't sure what happened after that since he had blacked out, only waking up once Nico Smiley found him. Though he couldn't think much about what had just happened, since his second qualification match against Eita Kyuando was starting soon. He decided to push that matter to the back of his mind so he could worry about his upcoming duel.Another weird thing was Yuzu. Ever since a few days ago, Yuzu stopped coming to You Show altogether. While she always ended up back at home when it was curfew, Shuzo was extremely heartbroken by his daughter's absence.Not too long ago however, they learned that the main reason for Yuzu's absence was because she was training with Sora to learn how to Fusion Summon, which also explained why Sora only made minimal appearances at You Show the past few days as well. Her father tried to convince Yuzu to continue her training at You Show, but she always declined the offer.Yuya supported his friend's decision to grow stronger wholeheartedly since it was something he was working on as well, but he also wished that she could at least drop by at You Show sometimes.Damn…this is reminding me that I still haven't found my own answer to surpassing Pendulum. Yuya thought.Everybody had already found their own answers to improving themselves, while he still hasn't. Yuzu by learning Fusion. Yuuji by finding his own way of surpassing Pendulum. Even Gongenzaka seems to know what he needs to do to get stronger (even if he still hasn't told Yuya just how he was going to do it)."What should I do?" Yuya anxiously rubbed his head when…—BAM!Somebody runs right into him, causing them both to fall onto the ground."Ouch!" Yuya hissed in pain as he looked up to see who ran into him."Don't suddenly get in my way!" Hokuto shouted before getting a better look at who he ran into. The two of them begin pointing at each other when they find out.[You're—!?] They both cried out at the same time."Sakaki Yuya!?" Yaiba cried out."Why aren't you apologizing for crashing into me!?" Yuya shouted"You're one to talk! It's your fault!" Hokuto shouted back."Now's not the time, Hokuto! We have to go!" Yaiba reminded him."You're right!" Hokuto said as he quickly stood back up.Yuya stood back up as well before asking, "Did something happen?""We found the culprit," Yaiba explained. "The mysterious duelist who had been attacking people associated with LDS!""What!?" Yuya was shocked. "Where?""The abandoned harbor," Hokuto stated.That's where Yuzu is! Yuya grimaced."Then what are we waiting for, let's go!" Yuya shouted as he began running off to the harbor."H-Hey! Wait up!" Yaiba cried out as he and Hokuto began running to catch up with Yuya.At the abandoned harbor…So much had happened in just the span of a few moments, to the point where Yuzu herself could barely keep up.First, Masumi showed up with an intense expression on her face before yelling at Yuzu to tell her where the mysterious duelist she met when she confronted Sawatari was. This nearly led to them dueling, with Masumi wanting to force Yuzu to talk through a duel. However, this duel didn't come to pass as Yuzu was pushed to the ground after a new person arrived at the scene. The cards in her deck scattered across the floor.A tall teal-haired man with a blue trench coat, sunglasses, and a red mask which covered the bottom half of his face. The man immediately began challenging Masumi, seemingly targeting the girl due to her association to LDS.If this wasn't wild enough, that same mysterious duelist that she met a while back actually appeared shortly after, calling the tall mysterious newcomer Shun. The two exchange cryptic talk about whether or not this was their battlefield, along with the mention of someone called Ruri, who Yuzu assumed to be someone close to the two of them.Masumi began trying to call for backup, prompting Yuzu to try and tell her that it wasn't guaranteed that these two were the culprit she was talking about, which prompted Shun to be surprised once he got a good look at Yuzu's face, to the point of calling her Ruri. However, the mysterious duelist managed to shut that thought down in only a few moments by punching Shun in the gut, knocking him out cold.Not even a few moments later, Yuzu's bracelet began to glow a bright pink, surprising everyone present. The mysterious duelist was completely engulfed by this light, shortly disappearing once the light died down, just like he had done the other two times Yuzu had encountered him. Similarly to before, when the mysterious duelist disappeared, Yuya showed up shortly after, with Hokuto and Yaiba following closely behind him."Masumi!" Hokuto shouted as he and Yaiba ran up to her. "Are you okay?""Where's the culprit?" Yaiba asked."He vanished..." Masumi, still shocked by what had just happened, muttered.[Vanished?] They wondered with perplexed expressions.Yuya ran up to Yuzu with a worried expression on his face."Yuzu, are you okay?""He disappeared again," Yuzu, who was still looking at her bracelet, responded."Huh?""They looked at me and said that I'm Ruri and that I'm not Ruri.""What the hell are you talking about?""I…don't know," Yuzu said as she covered her face with her hands, beginning to break down. "I don't understand anything at all! Why does my bracelet glow? Why do they vanish only when you arrive?""Yuzu…" Yuya frowned at his friend's plight, before noticing her cards scattered across the ground. He kneeled down, picking up the cards from the ground. "Your cards are all over the place."Sora just silently licked his lollipop as he observed from the side. Once Yuya finished picking up Yuzu's dropped cards, he sorts them neatly before handing them along with her duel disk back to Yuzu, who's solemn expression didn't change at all when she received them.Soon, they could hear vehicles arriving not too far away, as Hokuto mentioned that LDS had arrived. As Masumi ran off to explain the situation to LDS, Sora began ushering Yuzu and Yuya away."It's going to get annoying soon if we stay here," Sora said as he began guiding Yuzu away. "Yuya, let's hurry up and get out of here while we still can!""R-Right!" Yuya said as he began running to catch up, at least until he was briefly stopped by Yaiba, who was about to walk off to catch up with Masumi and Hokuto."Hey, Yuya," Yaiba addressed him. "I heard that you have to win two more times to qualify for the Maiami Championships.""How did you know?" Yuya asked.Yaiba didn't answer Yuya's question as he began walking away, "Try your best to win. Even if it might be impossible for someone like you.""Impossible? What's that supposed to be? Hey!" Yuya tried to confront Yaiba about what he had just said, but quickly remembered that he was supposed to be getting out of here.He quickly turned around to go follow Sora and Yuzu, but was surprised when he couldn't find them anyway."Yuzu! Sora! Where did you guys go!?" Yuya tried to cry out for them, to no avail. "Strange. I guess they already went on ahead. I should catch up."Before he ran off after them, he noticed something on the ground that caught his eye.
That's…Yuzu's card!
The Fusion Spell that Sora had given to Yuzu. It looks like he had forgotten to pick it up while he was sorting Yuzu's cards. Yuya picked up, being lost in thought while he looked at the card."Polymerization, huh? I should keep it safe until I get the chance to return it to Yuzu."Yuya placed the card in his side deck before running off to try and catch up with Yuzu and Sora.The next day…A blue jay landed on the porch of a hotel, deciding to rest there for a moment. Just as the blue jay was about to doze off to take a short nap—"GODDAMMIT!"—the sudden loud shouting of a certain teen scared the blue jay back awake, causing it to fly away in a panic. The source of the yelling was from Yuuji, who had bags under his eyes as he ran his hands through his disheveled hair."I just want to duel! Why won't anybody duel me!?" Yuuji whined.He wasn't usually the type to act this immature, but he just couldn't handle it."The past three days, I kept challenging people like I normally would. But…"Every…single…time, without fail, he would get rejected. Which is weird, because this city was the dueling capital of the world, yet nobody was willing to duel. The fact that more people were willing to duel in the Outpost, a place where finding a duelist should be more difficult since almost nobody had both a working duel disk and a deck was absurd to him."What was the point of me coming here if I don't get to duel anybody?"He did try to join some duel tournaments like Sora had been doing, but his win rate was so low that he wasn't even allowed to register. After facing so many rejections, he even considered participating in one of those underground duel circuits like the one he had dueled in when he faced Black Death. But his rational mind pushed off that thought, at least for now.To make things worse, every night since his duel against Reiji, he had been having the same weird nightmare.The nightmare went as follows…A ruined city ignited in flames, the screams of suffering people in the background as they were annihilated by a giant being with the body of a dragon, along with the same line of words that repeated over and over."He's coming. The Supreme King of Destruction will be revived once more." Yuuji repeated the phrase as his body began shivering.He had no idea what this phrase meant, but he was definitely unnerved by it. Whenever he thought about it, his body would begin to shiver in fear, even when he himself wasn't feeling afraid. Like it was some sort of automatic reaction that his body had to that phrase."What time is it anyway?" Yuuji wondered as he looked at his digital clock. "Eight!? I'm late!"Yuuji quickly got up from his bed, making his way to the bathroom to fix himself up. He had promised Yuya that he would come watch his match today since he missed Yuya's previous two, so he didn't want to be late. Once he finished washing up and making himself look as presentable as he could, he grabbed his duel disk and left the hotel, making his way to the location where Yuya's duel would be held, hoping to at least get there before the duel had ended.He managed to get there right when Yuzu and Sora had arrived, just having come back from Sora's sixth and final qualification duel. The three briefly chatted, with Sora and Yuzu both inquiring about Yuuji's baggy eyes. He quickly dismissed their worries, saying that he just went to sleep a bit late yesterday. The three then quickly make their way inside, arriving just in time to see Yuya's final play.Yuya revealed a card, causing Yuzu's eyes to widen when she saw what it was."That's…my card," Yuzu gasped."I activate the spell card Polymerization from my hand!" Yuya declared."What!?" Nico Smiley cried out."Yuya is Fusion Summoning?" Sora was similarly shocked.Yuuji just smirked at the revelation, "So, you've found your answer too, Yuya."Using Stargazer Magician and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, Yuya Fusion Summoned a new monster, Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon—the very proof of Yuya's resolve to grow stronger. By making use of its effect to attack a certain number of times depending on the Level of the "Spellcaster" Monster used to summon it, Yuya was able to wipe out the rest of Mieru's Life Points, winning him his third of four qualification matches.The Action Field dispersed as everyone went over to congratulate Yuya."You did it, Yuya-oniichan!" Ayu congratulated him."That Fusion Summon right after you Pendulum Summoned was the coolest!" Tatsuya commented."That duel gave me the shivers!" Futoshi said as he did his little dance."You guys…" Yuya smiled at the praise."That was incredibly impressive, Yuya!" Sora complimented as he, Yuzu and Yuuji joined them. "You were able to Fusion Summon even though I didn't teach you!""Mhm," Yuuji nodded. "Most impressive indeed.""Sora, Yuuji, and Yuzu, when did you guys get here?" Yuya asked."Just now," Yuzu said."Oh, sorry…" Yuya then remembered something, pulling out Polymerization and handing it back to Yuzu. "I used your card without your permission.""Giving it back to me? Are you sure?" Yuzu asked."Of course, it's your card after all," Yuya said. "With that card, you're working hard to change. And thanks to you, I was able to get a hint on how to grow stronger. Soon, I'll discover my own way beyond Pendulum myself.""Right," Yuzu nodded and smiled. The two share a nice moment for a few moments before Mieru comes out of nowhere and tackles Yuya to the ground, pinning him to the ground and hugging him while claiming him to be her soulmate.Yuuji sweatdropped as he noticed Yuzu's expression darkened besides him. He took a few steps away as he saw Yuzu pull out her giant harrison, preparing for the moment when she would eventually snap and go berserk.The scene resembled a wild goose chase as Yuzu chased Yuya who was both trying to escape Yuzu's wrath and Mieru's affection. Yuuji could only sigh at his friend's plight.—BAM! BAM! BAM!Once everything was settled, everyone went their separate ways. Yuzu and Sora left to go get Sora registered for the championships, while Yuya, Ayu, Futoshi, and Tatsuya decided to make their way back to You Show. Yuuji decided to go off on his own, adamant on trying to find somebody to duel, even in his sleep deprived state.However, being as sleep deprived as he was, he wasn't fully aware of his surroundings. After a few minutes of walking, he ends up bumping into somebody, causing them to fall to the ground."Ouch, ouch, ouch!" A teen with brown hair that had striking yellow highlights at the front hissed in pain. "Hey, what's your deal!? Watch where you're going!""Huh? Oh sorry." Yuuji apologized as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm just…*yawn*...a bit tired.""Being tired isn't an excuse," The teen said before turning to his lackeys. "Help me up."The three lackeys help the youth up, dusting off dirt and dust from the teen's uniform for him. Yuuji almost immediately recognized the three as Lackey 1, Lackey 2, and Lackey 3, the three guys that showed up in front of You Show and started spouting blasphemous accusations towards him and Yuya."Hey, I recognize this guy," Lackey 1 said."I do too," Lackey 2 agreed."What was his name? Baruki Buuji?" Lackey 3 tried to recall.The three began to laugh as a tick mark formed on Yuuji's face at what he was called, but he tried to maintain his composure."I don't care who this guy is. Doesn't he know who he just bumped into?" The teen then began posing, with his lackeys throwing rose petals in the air as he did so. "I'm stylish, beautiful, and great. The son of the next mayor of Maiami City and entertaining extraordinaire, Neo New Sawatari Shingo!"[Hurray! Hurray!] The lackey's cheer as they had rehearsed many times before.Perfect introduction, just like we rehearsed. Sawatari gloated. I'm sure he's completely stunned quiet from my greatness.Yuuji cringed heavily at Sawatari's introduction."How long did it take you to rehearse this?" Yuuji asked. "I think it's time to go back to the drawing board.""Eh?" Sawatari turned to stone."I mean, who wrote that script? It sounds like something a snobby fifth grader would write to boost his own fragile ego.""Gah!" Sawatari felt himself being stabbed through the chest multiple times at Yuuji's comments."I mean, it's expected from someone who hides behind his daddy's money and fame since he can't do anything himself.""Pfft." Lackey 1 almost burst out laughing."He's got you there, Sawatari-san," Lackey 2 commented."H-Hey! Keep that to yourself!" Sawatari reprimanded his lackeys with an embarrassed look on his face before turning back to Yuuji. "And you, Baruki Buuji. How dare you talk about I, Neo New Sawatari Shingo like that.""First of all, my name is not Baruki Buuji, it's Haruki Yuuji. Get it right," Yuuji corrected. "Secondly, how many times are you going to repeat that stupid nickname you gave yourself. Neo and New literally mean the same thing, you dumbass.""T-They do!?" Sawatari was actually surprised by this.[That idiot.] Sawatari's lackeys all facepalmed at his stupidity."W-Whatever!" Sawatari changed the subject to save face. "I won't tolerate this disrespect any longer! I, Sawatari Shingo, challenge you to a duel to regain my honor!"What honor did he have in the first place? Yuuji thought.Jokes aside, this is exactly what he had been waiting for. After over half a week of searching, he has finally found another opponent to help him qualify."A duel, huh? You're on!" Yuuji accepted the challenge. "I'll teach you a lesson or two about the consequences of trying to get You Show taken down because of your little grudge against someone better than you, AKA Yuya.""Yuya is not better than me!" Sawatari shouted. "And I'll prove it to you with this duel. Let's take this to the abandoned harbor down south. It'll be the perfect setting for me to beat you down senselessly and pay you back for all those incredulous comments you've made about my competency."Incredulous, what the hell does that even mean? Yuuji wondered. How does he know words like that, but not know that Neo and New mean the same thing?Probably just a rich person thing."Fine with me," Yuuji agreed to the terms. "However, I won't be the one getting beat down."After around twenty minutes of walking, the five made their way to the abandoned harbor. Sawatari's three lackeys took their post on the side to spectate, while Yuuji and Sawatari each took their post away from each other."I'm ready when you are," Yuuji said as he placed his deck in his duel disk, prompting the auto shuffling system to activate."I'm ready too," Sawatari said. "With these custom cards I've personally received from LDS, I'll finally be able to defeat Yuya and his cheap Pendulum Summoning.""Beat me first before you can even think of challenging Yuya," Yuuji stated as he activated this duel disk."That's just what I'll do," Sawatari smirked as he too activated his duel disk.The two of them each drew their first five cards.[DUEL!] The two shout in unison as the duel begins.[Turn 1: Yuuji] [H: 5]"I'll take the first turn!" Yuuji declared as he began his turn. "I activate the Spell Card, Relic of the Antique! By discarding a Level 5 or higher 'Antique' Monster from my hand and paying 1000 Life Points, I can add two different 'Antique' Monsters from my deck to my hand!"Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 3000"Lowering your Life Points right at the start, not a very smart choice, Haruki," Sawatari commented."It's not like I need the Life Points anyway…" Yuuji stated as he drew his two cards. "...because with these cards, my path to victory is already in sight."Yuuji then revealed the two cards."Using the Scale 1 Antique Mimic Chest and the Scale 6 Antique Compass, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Yuuji announced as he placed the two cards on opposite ends of his duel blade, the word [PENDULUM] appearing between them in rainbow font as two Pendulum Zones appeared behind Yuuji."P-P-Pendulum!?" Sawatari cried out in shock. "Sakaki Yuya wasn't the only one!?""I only heard rumors that there was another guy who was able to use Pendulum Summoning," Lackey 1 commented. "But I thought they were fake.""To think they ended up being true…" Lackey 2 said."Sawatari-san might have picked the wrong guy to pick a fight with." Lackey 3 said."You guys shut up!" Sawatari reprimanded them. "I can handle this just fine! It's all within my expectations."You were just shocked when I used these cards. Yuuji rolled his eyes at the blatant lie."Let's see if this is within your expectations as well," Yuuji continued. "With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I can summon monsters Levels 2 through 5 all at the same time! Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Come out, my monsters!"A portal appeared in the sky, with two beams of energy shooting out from it."From my hand, welcome Antique Maker - Mira (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5/SC: 8) and Antique Maker - Edison (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1200/LV: 5/SC: 2)!"A woman in all black holding a pristine mirror in her hand and a well dressed man in a suit appeared on Yuuji's field."When Antique Maker - Mira is summoned onto my field, I can add 1 'Antique' Card from my deck to my hand!" Yuuji added a card to his hand. "Then, using my two Level 5 monsters, I construct the Overlay Network!"A galaxy vortex appears in front of Yuuji, as his two monsters transform into energies that are then absorbed by the vortex. A massive pillar of light shot out from the vortex's center as Yuuji began chanting."Appear from the digitised world, eight-legged vessel of information!" Yuuji chanted. "Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 5! Accel Hacking Spider (Dark/Cyberse/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100/LV: 5/OU: 2) in defense mode!"A machine spider with a body covered in countless blue circuits appeared on Yuuji's field."Now an Xyz Summon?" Sawatari was stunned. "Just how much do you plan on doing.""Quite a bit more, thank you very much. Accel Hacking Spider's effect activates!" Yuuji announced. "By detaching one Overlay Unit from it, I can Special Summon a Level 5 or lower monster from my deck! Appear, Antique Ignition Pot (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!"(Accel Hacking Spider — OU: 2 → 1)A large red jar with flames shooting out from the opening on its top appeared."Next, I summon the Tuner Monster, Antique Resonance Mirror (Light/Fairy/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 2)!" A floating mirror in pristine condition appeared on Yuuji's field. "And when Resonance Mirror is summoned, I can Special Summon another 'Antique' Monster from my deck! Appear, Antique Tabletop (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!"A floating wooden table appeared."And with Antique Mimic Chest's Pendulum Effect, I can make Antique Resonance Mirror's Level equal to that of both Antique Tabletop and Antique Ignition Pot."(Antique Resonance Mirror — LV: 2 → 5)(Antique Tabletop — LV: 5)(Antique Ignition Pot — LV: 5)"Now that I have three more monsters with the same level, care to guess what I'm about to do?" Yuuji inquired."Three monsters of the same level…" Sawatari thought about it for a moment before his jaw dropped. "Don't tell me, you…""Yup. Doing it once isn't enough for me," Yuuji smirked. "With the now Level 5 Antique Resonance Mirror, Antique Tabletop, and Antique Ignition Pot, I construct the Overlay Network once again!"Yuuji's three aforementioned monsters are sucked into a galaxy vortex, with a large pillar of light shooting out from its center as Yuuji begins chanting."The will of the oppressed who die on the battlefield burns bright. They wait for the one who guides the will of the fallen to victory! Xyz Summon! Rise up, Rank 5! The courageous leader who fans the flames of rebellion, Antique Maker - Revolution Commander (Fire/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/R: 5/SC: 5/OU: 3)!"A courageous man with striking red hair and sharp, eagle-like eyes, cloaked in black with a matching mask covering his mouth appeared."I now activate Revolution Commander's effect!" Yuuji continued. "By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can Special Summon Antique Dawning Blaze (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 7) from my deck!"(Revolution Commander — OU: 3 → 2)A floating, fiery blade with a golden hilt appeared on Yuuji's field."Next, Dawning Blaze's effect activates!" Yuuji declared. "I can equip this card to Revolution Commander, increasing its attack by 500 for each monster on the field. Since the only other monster on the field is Accel Hacking Spider, Revolution Commander only gains 500 ATK."Revolution Commander grabs onto the hilt of Dawning Blaze, whose flames surround the warrior as it powers up.(Revolution Commander — ATK: 2500 → 3000)"I set one card facedown and end my turn," Yuuji concluded with a facedown. "You're up, Sawatari.""...O-Oh right." Sawatari dropped his stunned expression after realizing it was now his turn. "That was quite the impressive turn, Haruki. However I, the Neo New Sawatari Shingo, won't be deterred just from that!"He went back to using that stupid title again. Yuuji sweatdropped."My turn! Draw!" Sawatari drew a card as his turn began.[Turn 2: Sawatari] [H: 6]"I activate Yosenju Training Grounds! While this card is active, every time I Normal or Special Summon a Yosenju Monster, one Yosen Counter is added to this card, which I can exchange for a specific effect." Sawatari explained as a shine with candles appeared behind him. "Next, I summon Yosenju Kama 1 (Wind/Beast-Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1600/DEF: 500/LV: 4)!"A silver-haired weasel warrior dressed in a kimono and holding a sickle appeared on Sawatari's field. At the same time, a candle was lit on the shrine behind him.(Yosen Counter: 0 → 1)"Thanks to Yosenju Kama 1's effect, I can Normal Summon another Yosenju Monster from my hand!" Sawatari declared. "Appear now, Yosenju Kama 2 (Wind/Beast-Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 200/LV: 4)!"Another silver-haired weasel warrior, this time holding a katana, appeared. At the same time, another candle was lit.(Yosen Counter: 1 → 2)"Same as Yosenju Kama 1, Yosenju Kama 2 allows me to Normal Summon another Yosenju Monster from my hand!" Sawatari announced. "Make way for Yosenju Kama 3 (Wind/Beast-Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 800/LV: 4)!"A third silver-haired weasel warrior, brandishing a dagger appeared.(Yosen Counter: 2 → 3)"Yosenju Kama 1's other effect now activates!" Sawatari shouts. "If I control another Yosenju Monster on my field, I can target 1 face-up card on your field, and return it to your hand! I plan to send that Revolution Commander that you worked so hard to bring out right back to where it came from!"The weasel warrior slashes the air, creating a whirlwind that surrounds Revolution Commander and removes it from the field."Damn, that sucks…" Yuuji muttered as he placed Revolution Commander back to his Extra Deck facedown."All that effort just to lose it, I'm glad I'm not you right now," Sawatari mocked. "But don't think I'm done yet, Haruki! Now here comes my Battle Phase!" Sawatari smiled as Yosenju Kama 2 leapt forward. "Thanks to Yosenju Kama 2's effect, by halving its ATK points, I can attack you directly with it!"(Yosenju Kama 2 — ATK: 1800 → 900)Yuuji braced himself as he was slashed by Sawatari's monster, wincing a bit from the pain as his Life Points dropped.Yuuji — LP: 3000 → 2100(Yosenju Kama 2 — ATK: 900 → 1800)"Yosenju Kama 3's effect now activates," Sawatari announced. "When I inflict battle damage to my opponent using a 'Yosenju' Monster, I can add one 'Yosenju' Monster from my deck to my hand!"Sawatari added a card to his hand and smiled."Next, Yosenju Kama 3 attacks Accel Hacking Spider!" Sawatari commanded as his third monster leapt forward, slicing cleanly through the Xyz Monster."Now that guy's field is completely bare of monsters," Lackey 1 was shocked."Maybe Sawatari-san wasn't lying when he said that he found a way to counter Pendulum users," Lackey 2 commented."Now go, Yosenju Kama 1! Attack him directly!" Sawatari commanded."Yeah, no," Yuuji simply said as his Trap Card was flipped face up. "I activate the Trap Card, Special Antique Delivery! When I'm about to be attacked while I control no monsters on my field, I can Special Summon an Antique Monster directly from my deck in defense mode! Appear, the Tuner Monster, Antique Maker - Tuning Witch (Dark/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 300/LV: 1)!"A female monster with long blonde hair, wearing a black witches cloak and holding a black staff with a yellow gemstone at its tip appeared."When Tuning Witch is summoned onto my field, I take 100 damage for each Pendulum Monster on my field and in my Pendulum Zones. Since there are currently two, I take 200 points of damage."Yuuji hisses in pain as his duel disk begins to shock him slightly.Yuuji — LP: 2100 → 1900"I'll just destroy your monster then, go Yosenju Kama 1!" Sawatari continued his attack."That won't work!" Yuuji announced, much to Sawatari's dismay. "When a monster is summoned via the effect of Special Antique Delivery, it can't be destroyed by battle for the rest of this turn!"A barrier formed around Tuning Witch, protecting it from Sawatari's attack."Tch," Sawatari clicked his tongue. "I activate Yosen Training Ground's effect. By exchanging three of my Yosen Counters, I can add 1 'Yosenju' Monster to my hand."Sawatari added a card to his hand."I set one card facedown and end my turn," Sawatari concluded. "And with the end of my turn, Yosenju Kama 1, 2, and 3's effects all activate. If these cards were Normal Summoned this turn, they return to my hand during the End Phase."Yosenju Kama 1, 2, and 3 are surrounded by tornados before they return back to Sawatari's hand."It's my turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card as his turn began[Turn 3: Yuuji] [H: 1]Yuuji looked at the card in his hand. It was a Trap Card, something he couldn't really make use of right now.That's fine though, since I have other options. Yuuji thought."I set one card," Yuuji began by setting the card he had just drawn. "Then, I activate the effect of the Antique Compass in my Pendulum Zone, allowing me to Special Summon an 'Antique' Monster from my graveyard. Return to my field, Antique Maker - Mira (ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5)!"The woman in all black with a mirror in her hand appeared once again."Antique Maker - Mira's effect activates, allowing me to add an 'Antique' card from my deck to my hand," Yuuji added a card to his hand. "Now, with my currently set Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon!"A portal appeared above him as a beam of energy shot out from it."Appear, Antique Maker - Wrenchworker (Dark/Spellcaster/Effect/ATK: 300/DEF: 400/LV: 2)!"A young man in apprentice clothing appeared."Now the Level 1 Antique Maker - Tuning Witch tunes the Level 2 Antique Maker - Wrenchworker and the Level 5 Antique Maker - Mira!"Yuuji announced as the aforementioned monsters transform into a yellow ring and green orbs respectively, lining up as a pillar of green light shot through its center."Sonic gale winds that move at the speed of sound. Ride the speeding current as you pave a path to victory!" Yuuji chanted. "Synchro Summon! Accelerate, Level 8! Antique Maker - Freedom Rider (Wind/Spellcaster/Synchro/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1500/LV: 8/SC: 1)!"Appearing on the field now was a man riding a grey and green colored Duel Runner, wearing similarly colored gear."Now a Synchro Summon?" Lackey 3 said with surprise. "I can't believe he still had a way to bring out a powerful monster like that.""I'm not done yet!" Yuuji announced. "Freedom Rider's effect now activates! When this card is Synchro Summoned, I can destroy any amount of cards equal to the number of monsters used as material to summon this card. Since I used three cards to summon it, I can destroy up to three cards on your field! I choose to destroy your Yosen Training Ground, along with that card that you set on your turn! Freedom Gale!"Freedom Rider drives around in circles, creating a cyclone that sucks up the aforementioned cards and destroys them."Now that your field is completely bare, I activate Freedom Rider's second effect! Once per turn, I can banish a card from my graveyard in order to temporarily raise Freedom Rider's ATK by 1000, as well as grant it that monster's effect until the end of this turn! I choose to banish Antique Maker - Wrenchworker in my graveyard!"A green aura erupts around Freedom Rider as it powered up.(Freedom Rider — ATK: 2000 → 3000)"3000 ATK!?" Sawatari cried out in shock."Now go, Freedom Rider! Attack Sawatari directly! Hyperstream Rush!"Freedom Rider revs up its engine as it accelerates straight towards. Sawatari had a worried expression on his for a moment before it soon contorted into a sly smirk."Kidding~," Sawatari said. "I activate the effect of Yosenju Oyam in my hand! When you declare a direct attack, by sending one 'Yosenju' from my hand into the graveyard, I can Special Summon it to my field!"A giant monster with a body cloaked in darkness appeared.[Yosenju Oyam (Wind/Beast/Effect/ATK: ?/DEF: ?/LV: 6)]"A monster with an unknown ATK and DEF?" Yuuji was surprised."While it's on the field, its ATK and DEF are equal to the original ATK of the monster it's battling!"(Yosenju Oyam — ATK: ? → 2000, DEF: ? → 2000)However, once the numbers were calculated, Sawatari's jaw dropped."Wait? Why does it have 2000 ATK instead of 3000!?" Sawatari said in shock."Your effect only copies a monster's original ATK," Yuuji stated. "Freedom Rider's original ATK is 2000, not 3000.""Oh right!" Sawatari realized as Freedom Rider crashes into Yosenju Oyam, ripping right through the giant monster and creating a shockwave that causes Sawatari to wince.Sawatari — LP: 4000 → 3000"Damn…" Sawatari cursed. "When Yosenju Oyam is destroyed, I can add one 'Yosenju' card from my deck to my hand!"Sawatari added a card to his hand."I end my turn," Yuuji concluded. "And with the end of my turn, Freedom Rider's ATK returns to normal."(Freedom Rider — ATK: 3000 → 2000)"My turn! Draw!" Sawatari began his turn.[Turn 4: Sawatari] [H: 6]Sawatari looked at the cards in his hand and smiled."I've been meaning to take these new cards on a test run. You've just given me the perfect chance to see what they can do!" Sawatari declared as he revealed two cards in his hand, causing Yuuji's eyes to widen in shock once he recognized the cards.No way. He has them too!? Yuuji thought."I set the Pendulum Scale with the Scale 3 Yosenju Shinchu L and the Scale 5 Yosenju Shinchu R!" Sawatari announced. "Make way for their dazzling debut!"Sawatari placed the two cards on opposite ends of his duel blade, as the word [PENDULUM] appeared between them in rainbow font. Two Pendulum Zones appeared behind him, with two stone statues rising into each of them."Yosenju Shinchu R's Pendulum Effect activates," Sawatari stated. "While I have a 'Yosenju' Monster placed in my other Pendulum Zone, this card's Scale Number becomes 11!"(Yosenju Shinchu R — SC: 5 → 11)"Now with my Pendulum Scale, I can summon monsters Levels 4 through 10 simultaneously!" Sawatari announced as he began chanting. "Glorious power born within the abyss, grant me your strength! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my monster!"Four beams of energy shot out from the portal."Appear, Yosenju Kama 1 (ATK: 1600/DEF: 500/LV: 4) and Yosenju Kama 2 (ATK: 1800/DEF: 200/LV: 4)!"Two silver-haired weasel warriors holding a sickle and katana respectively appeared."Next, I summon Yosenju Kama 3 (ATK: 1500/DEF: 800/LV: 4)!"A third silver-haired weasel warrior, brandishing a dagger appeared."When Yosenju Kama 3 is summoned, I can Normal Summon another Yosenju Monster from my hand!" Sawatari declared. "Appear, wind-clad chief of phantoms! Mayosenju Daibak (Wind/Beast/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 300/LV: 10/SC: 7)!"A giant green canine with a wisp-like body appeared."He managed to get so many monsters on his field all at once," Yuuji grimaced. "This could get dicey.""Mayosenju Daibak's effect activates!" Sawatari announced. "When this monster is Normal or Special Summoned onto my field, I can target two cards on the field and return them to your hand!""Before that, I chain my Trap Card, Emergency Barrier!" Yuuji cut in. "I can only activate this card when I have less Life Points than my opponent. For the rest of this turn, all battle damage I would take is reduced to 0!""And he chained it right after I activated Mayosenju Daibak's effect, so it will activate before mine. So much for a stunning victory," Sawatari frowned. "Using Mayosenju Daibak's effect, I choose to return that Synchro Monster of yours, along with one of your Pendulum Zone back to your hand!"Mayosenju Daibak uses its horn, creating a whirlwind that returns the aforementioned monsters back into their card form. Yuuji added Antique Compass to his hand, while he sent Freedom Rider to his Extra Deck facedown."Yosenju Kama 1's effect now activates as well, sending your final Pendulum Scale back to your hand!" Sawatari declared that as Yosenju Kama 1 slices the air in front of it, creating a whirlwind that destroys Yuuji's remaining Pendulum Zone.Yuuji added Antique Mimic Chest back to his hand."I end my turn," Sawatari concluded, with Yosenju Kama 3 returning to his hand. "You may have managed to buy yourself one more turn, but I don't see a way for you to make a comeback in this scenario.""I'm sort of a specialist in this kind of thing," Yuuji smiled. "I hope you won't be too surprised when you lose the next turn."Yuuji placed his hand over the top of his deck and took a deep breath.
It all comes down to this, I lose here, my chances to enter the Maiami Championships will fade away.
"My turn! Draw!" Yuuji's deck began to glow as he drew with all of his might.[Turn 5: Yuuji] [H: 3]When Yuuji saw the card he drew, he smiled."I set the Scale 8 Antique Golden Carol into my Pendulum Scale!" Yuuji announced as a golden bell rose into an empty Pendulum Zone. "Golden Carol's effect than activates! When I don't control anything in my other Pendulum Zone, I can place a 1 'Antique' Pendulum Monster into that empty zone!"Yuuji added a card to his hand."With the Scale 1 Antique Maker - Swinging Soul and the Scale 8 Antique Golden Carol already in my Pendulum Zone, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Yuuji declared as he placed the cards on opposite ends, the word Pendulum appearing between in rainbow font as a magician in white holding a pendulum in his hand rose into his other Pendulum Zone."Tch," Sawatari clicked his tongue."Now I can summon monsters Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji shouted. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Come forth, my precious monsters!"A portal appeared above him, with three beams of energy shooting out from it."From my hand, Antique Mimic Chest (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 1) and Antique Compass (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 3/SC: 6)! And from my Extra Deck, Antique Maker - Mira (ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5)!"Yuuji's monsters swarm his field."When Antique Maker - Mira is summoned onto my field, I can add an 'Antique' card from my deck to my hand!" Yuuji added a card to his hand. "Now, the level 3 Antique Compass tunes the Level 5 Antique Mimic Chest!"Yuuji's two aforementioned monsters transform into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up as Yuuji begins chanting."Sonic gale winds that move at the speed of sound. Ride the speeding current as you pave a path to victory!" Yuuji chanted. "Synchro Summon! Accelerate, Level 8! Antique Maker - Freedom Rider (ATK: 2000/DEF: 1500/LV: 8)!"Appearing once again on the field was a man riding a grey and green colored Duel Runner, wearing similarly colored gear."That guy again?" Sawatari frowned. "Can't you come up with anything new.""If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Yuuji replied. "Freedom Rider's effect activates! When this card is Synchro Summoned, I can destroy cards on your field equal to the number of cards used to summon it. Since I used two cards, I can destroy up to two cards on your field! Freedom Gale!"Freedom Rider begins spinning around in a circle at sonic speeds, creating a large vortex of wind that threatens to suck up Sawatari's cards."Not so fast, Yosenju Shinchu L's effect activates!" Sawatari countered. "By tributing it from my Pendulum Zone, I can negate the destruction of my 'Yosenju' Monsters!"A barrier formed around Sawatari's field, protecting him and his monsters from the winds produced by Freedom Rider."That won't matter. This duel is over!" Yuuji announced. "I activate the Spell Card, Antique Reborn! Thanks to this card, I can Special Summon an 'Antique' Monster directly from my graveyard. Be reborn, Antique Dawning Blaze (ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!"The fiery sword with a golden hilt appeared once again."Dawning Blaze now equips itself to Freedom Rider, increasing its attack by 500 for each monster on our field excluding itself!" Yuuji declared as Dawning Blaze transformed into pure flames that then surround Freedom Rider completely. "Since there are three on yours and one on mine, Freedom Rider gains 2000 ATK!"(Freedom Rider — ATK: 2000 → 4000)"And since a Pendulum Monster had its ATK increased this turn, Antique Maker - Swinging Soul's Pendulum Effect activates!" Yuuji announced. "Increasing Freedom Rider's ATK by an extra 800!"(Freedom Rider — ATK: 4000 → 4800)"Next I activate Freedom Rider's second effect!" Yuuji announced. "By banishing Antique Maker - Edison from my graveyard, I can both copy its effect and increase Freedom Rider's ATK by an extra 1000!"The flames surrounding Freedom Rider turned blue as it powered up even further.(Freedom Rider — ATK: 4800 → 5800)"5800 ATK!?" Sawatari took a step back. "B-But how? There's no way.""Now for the climax! Battle!" Yuuji pumped his fist forward as he moved into his Battle Phase. "Antique Maker - Freedom Rider! Attack Sawatari's Yosenju Kama 1 and finish this duel! Hyperstream Rush!"Freedom Rider revs up its engine, accelerating towards Sawatari's monster. The attack makes contact, destroying Yosenju Kama 1 and creating an explosion that sends Sawatari flying away—concluding the duel.Sawatari — LP: 3000 → 0Winner: YuujiThe cards on both of their fields all disappear as the duel ends. Yuuji let out a sigh of relief after the tense duel ended.I didn't expect him to be as strong as he was. Yuuji thought. I guess he does have at least a bit of skill to back up his boasts."Dammit, I was so close this time too," Sawatari sighed as he stood back up and dusted himself off. "That makes the third Yuya lookalike in a row that beat me so far."While Sawatari was off sulking, Yuuji pulled out his duel disk to check whether or not this duel counted for his qualification.
Maiami Championships Qualifications
A 60% Win Rate (the duelist must have participated in fifty Official Duels for this to count):—Incomplete (Current Win Rate: 35%)ORWin Six Official Duels in a Row (the duelist must have participated in fifty Official Duels for this to count):—Incomplete (Current Winstreak: 5)"Nice, it counted," Yuuji smiled. "I'm one win away from the Maiami Championships now."—Thud!Yuuji heard somebody drop nearby. When he looked to see who the source of the noise was, he noticed a tall man wearing a blue trench coat, sunglasses, and a red mask which covered the lower half of his face. His attention was locked on the four LDS students nearby."You four are from LDS, right?" Shun asked them."Yeah, so what?" Sawatari replied.Shun activated his duel disk."Duel me. All four of you.""Is this guy crazy?" Lackey 1 wondered."He seriously thinks he has a chance against all of us at the same time?" Lackey 2 scoffed."I think the three of us should go knock some sense into him," Lackey 3 suggested as he activated his duel disk."I like that idea," Lackey 2 agreed as he also activated his duel disk. "I think it's about time we put him in his place."The three get into position, surrounding Shun on all sides. Sawatari moves away from the scene, making his way to the side. Yuuji does the same, leaving them to their duel.Yuuji turned to Sawatari to ask something."You're not going to help them out?""They can handle it just fine. It's a three-on-one."I'm not sure about that to be honest. Yuuji thought as he looked at Shun. That guy…looks incredibly strong.Soon after that, the duel began.[DUEL!] The four shouted in unison.[BATTLE-ROYAL-DUEL]Shun — LP: 4000Lackey 1 — LP: 4000Lackey 2 — LP: 4000Lackey 3 — LP: 4000[Turn 1: Lackey 1] [H: 5]"I'll start!" Lackey 1 shouted. "When I control no cards on my field, I can summon Needle Dart Striker (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 500/LV: 4)!"A humanoid machine with a body made of green, with one of its hands being shaped like a dart appeared."Needle Dart Striker's effect activates!" Lackey 1 declared. "When I don't control any other 'Dart' Monsters on my field, I can Special Summon another 'Dart' Monster from my hand without the need to tribute! Appear, Ultimate Dart Striker (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 300/LV: 7)!"A humanoid machine monster with a body coated in blue, with one of its arms being shaped like a giant dart appeared."I set one card and pass my turn," Lackey 1 concluded."Then I'm up next, draw!" Lackey 2 began his turn next.[Turn 2: Lackey 2] [H: 6]"Since I control no cards on my field, I can also summon Needle Dart Striker (ATK: 1300/DEF: 500/LV: 4) to my field!"Another Needle Dart Striker appeared."Needle Dart Striker's effect activates, allowing me to summon Ultimate Dart Striker (ATK: 2400/DEF: 300/LV: 7) from my hand!"Another Ultimate Dart Striker appeared."Next, I activate the Continuous Spell, Dart Exchange!" Lackey 2 announced. "Once per turn, I can discard 1 card from my hand, and immediately after that, Special Summon 1 'Dart' Monster from my hand! Appear, Rocket Dart Striker (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1900/DEF: 100/LV: 6)!"A red humanoid machine with a bulky arm that had multiple darts sticking out from it and a more feminine look overall appeared."I set one card and end my turn," Lackey 2 concluded."Then it's my go! Draw!" Lackey 3 began his turn.[Turn 3: Lackey 3] [H: 6]"Since the other two have brought it out, I might as well join in on the fun," Lackey 3 said. "Since I control no cards on my field, I can Special Summon Needle Dart Striker (ATK: 1300/DEF: 500/LV: 4) to my field!"A third Needle Dart Striker appeared."All three of them are using the same archetype, and also just happened to have the same cards in their hand," Yuuji frowned and crossed his arms. "Yeah, not buying it.""I don't see anything wrong with it." Sawatari scoffed. "We're not in some tournament game, everything out here is fair game.""So it's not that much of a stretch to think that you were also cheating in our duel then?" Yuuji inquired."Of course not!" Sawatari immediately denied it. "How would I be able to prove just how good I am if I were to do something as low as cheat?""That's surprising," Yuuji simply said before returning his attention to the ongoing duel."Just like its predecessors, Needle Dart Striker allows me to Special Summon a 'Dart' Monster directly from my hand!" Lackey 3 declared. "Appear, Ultimate Dart Striker (ATK: 2400/DEF: 300/LV: 7)!"A third Ultimate Dart Striker appeared."Next, I activate the Continuous Spell, Dart Armory!" Lackey 3 announced as a machine factory appeared behind him. "As long as this spell remains on the field, 'Dart' Monsters can't be destroyed by card effects! I end my turn.""Then it's my turn," Shun said as he removed his sunglasses and pulled down his mask, revealing his face. "Draw!"[Turn 4: Shun] [H: 6]"I summon Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)!"A mechanical falcon with green armor appeared"When Vanishing Lanius is summoned, I can Special Summon another copy of it from my hand!"Another mechanical falcon with green armor appeared.[Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)]"I set four cards and end my turn," Shun concluded."That's all?" Lackey 1 laughed. "I expected more from somebody who was so adamant to challenge us.""..." Shun remained quiet."Well it doesn't matter anyway, we'll finish you off quickly and get this over with." Lackey 1 stated as he began his turn. "My turn! Draw!"[Turn 5: Lackey 1] [H: 3]"Battle!" Lackey 1 moved into his Battle Phase. "Ultimate Dart Striker attacks one of your monsters!"Ultimate Dart Striker's dart hand shoots out from it, piercing through one of the Vanishing Lanius, creating a small explosion that causes Shun to wince.Shun — LP: 4000 → 2900"Needle Dart Striker attacks your final monster!"Needle Dart Striker leaps forward, piercing its dart arm through the final Vanishing Lanius. Vanishing Lanius begins to short circuit briefly before exploding, taking out Needle Dart Striker with it. At the same time, one of Shun's facedown traps is flipped face up."I activate my Trap Card, Raidraptor - Return!" Shun shouted. "When a 'Raidraptor' Monster is destroyed by battle, I can return it to my hand!"Shun added back one of the destroyed Vanishing Lanius back to his hand."I end my turn with that," Lackey 1 then turned to the other two. "You guys make sure you finish him off. I left him completely wide open.""Right," Lackey 2 nodded. "My turn! Draw!"[Turn 6: Lackey 2] [H: 1]"Battle!" Lackey 2 immediately went to his Battle Phase as well. "Ultimate Dart Striker, attack that fool directly!"Ultimate Dart Striker shoots its dart hand directly towards Shun, who watches the attack approach him with any concern."Trap Card, open!" Shun shouts as another one of his set cards is flipped face-up. "Necro Raptor! When I would be targeted for a direct attack, I can reduce the battle damage I would receive to zero, and Special Summon 1 'Raidraptor' Monster from my graveyard! Be reborn, Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4) in defense mode!"One of Shun's Vanishing Lanius reappeared on his field. A barrier formed around both it and Shun, protecting them from Ultimate Dart Striker's attack."So what? I'll just destroy it!" Lackey 2 shouted. "Rocket Dart Striker attacks Vanishing Lanius!"Rocket Dart Striker spins around, shooting multiple darts at Vanishing Lanius. However, before any of them could hit it, another one of Shun's set Trap Cards is activated."I activate the Trap Card, Defense Draw!" Shun announced. "I can draw 1 card. Then, for the rest of this turn, monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle!"Shun drew a card as a barrier appeared around Vanishing Lanius, protecting it from harm."He just keeps finding a way to weasel out of our attacks," Lackey 1 frowned."Whatever, I'll leave it to you," Lackey 2 said to Lackey 3. "I end my turn.""You got it, I'll finish him off!" Lackey 3 declared as he began his turn. "My turn! Draw!"[Turn 7: Lackey 3] [H: 4]"I activate my own Dart Exchange!" Lackey 3 announced. "By discarding a card from my hand, I can Special Summon a 'Dart' Monster to my field! Appear, Power Dart Striker (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 700/LV: 5)!"An orange humanoid machine with a dart hand appeared."Battle!" Lackey 3 moved into his Battle Phase. "Power Dart Striker attacks Vanishing Lanius!"Power Dart Striker leaps forward, using its dart arm to pierce through Vanishing Lanius and destroy it."Ultimate Dart Striker now attacks you directly!"Ultimate Dart Striker shoots its dart at Shun, who stands unphased as his final Trap Card is activated."Trap Card, open! Raidraptor - Readiness!" Shun declared. "When I could take any instance of damage, I can negate that damage!"A barrier formed around Shun, deflecting the dart before it could even get close to him."Tch," Lackey 3 clicked his tongue. "At least I've snuffed out all of your defenses. You're wide open now!"Needle Dart Striker leaps forward towards Shun."Needle Dart Striker attacks you directly!"Needle Dart Striker tried to attack Shun with its dart arm, but Shun deflected it with his duel blade, only being slightly harmed by the recoil of the action.Shun — LP: 2900 → 1600"I end my turn with that," Lackey 3 concluded. "Now you're all out of defenses. Once our next turn comes around, we'll wipe out the rest of your Life Points!""He's right, you've done well to survive all of our attacks so far. But once it becomes any of our turns, we'll be able to easily wipe out your remaining Life Points," Lackey 2 added."You might as well give up now, it'll save you the embarrassment," Lackey 1 suggested.The three begin laughing."...Are you done?" Shun asked, completely unaffected by the three's words. "Because if you are, I'll begin my turn now."Shun placed his hand on the top of his deck, closing his eyes for a moment before forcing them open once again, an intense expression etched on his face."My turn! DRAW!" Shun drew with might powerful enough to create a small burst of wind.[Turn 8: Shun] [H: 3]
[Current Theme Playing: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Sound Duel 1 OST 23 - A Cornered Duelist]
"I summon Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)!"A green mechanical falcon appeared."When Vanishing Lanius is summoned, I can Special Summon a second copy of it from my hand!"Another mechanical falcon with green armor appeared.[Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)]"When I control Vanishing Lanius, I can Special Summon Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 1500/LV: 4) from my hand!"A mechanical falcon with dark purple armor appeared."How scary, you summon three harmless birds," Lackey 1 mocked. "If this is your best attempt at a comeback, you might want to go back to the drawing board."No, they're wrong. Yuuji's eyes widened. That guy, he's planning something big."Using my two Level 4 Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius and Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius, I construct the Overlay Network!" Shun announced as his monsters were absorbed into a galaxy vortex that appeared in front of him. The ground began to shake as a giant pillar of light shot out from the vortex's center."W-What the hell is happening!?" Sawatari asked aloud as he fell to the ground.This is the same thing that happened when Yuto Xyz Summoned. Yuuji assessed. Could the two of them be related in some way?"Obscured falcon," Shun chanted, "Raise your sharpened talons in front of adversity; spread your wings of rebellion! Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 4! Raidraptor - Rise Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2000/R: 4/OU: 3)!"Bursting out of the vortex was a large mechanical falcon with a body coated in blue and silver. The monster let out a loud shriek to announce its presence, sending out a shockwave that caused the three lackeys to wince."What the hell is that?" Lackey 2 wondered, sweat dripping down his face."I don't know…" Lackey 3 responded.Lackey 1 was the most level-headed of the three, though he still was sweating just as much as the other two."Guys…look at its ATK points," Lackey 1 pointed out. "It only has 100 ATK, it can't do anything to us.""R-Right. We'll be fine…" Lackey 2 let out an unsure smile."Raidraptor - Rise Falcon can attack each of your Special Summoned monsters once," Shun stated. "Prepare to face your annihilation, LDS!""So what if you can attack all of our monsters? Your monster is way too weak to even leave a dent!" Lackey 1 sneered. "You have no other cards in your hand or field that can help you out either. You're finished!""I activate Rise Falcon's effect!" Shun announced. "By using one Overlay Unit, it gains the ATK points of all Special Summoned monsters on your field!"Rise Falcon bursts into flames and let out a deafening screech as its ATK increases greatly.(Rise Falcon — OU: 3 → 2)(Rise Falcon — ATK: 100 + 2400 + 1300 + 2400 + 1900 + 1300 + 2400 + 1800 = 13600)"13600 ATK!?" Lackey 1 cried out in shock."H-Hey, does anybody have a way to stop this?" Lackey 2 wondered. "My set card can't do anything.""Mine can't do anything either," Lackey 1 admitted."Then doesn't that mean we just lose?" Lackey 3 turned blue at the realization."Lets battle!" Shun shouted as Rise Falcon soars into the air. "Raidraptor - Rise Falcon, slice down all your enemies before you! Brave Claw Revolution!"Rise Falcon soars down, slicing through all of their monsters brutally, creating countless explosions as a result. The shockwaves from the explosions send the three lackeys flying into a crate—their Life Points all being reduced to zero.Lackey 1 — LP: 4000 → 0Lackey 2 — LP: 4000 → 0Lackey 3 — LP: 4000 → 0Winner: Shun
[BGM (Background Music) Ends Here.]
"W-What power…" Sawatari nervously muttered. "It's just like that other guy…"That monster…it wiped them all out in a single turn. Yuuji was left there stunned. I never knew that a monster could have that much power.Rise Falcon lets out a shrill screech before disappearing. Shun then begins walking towards the three unconscious lackeys.What is he doing? Yuuji wondered.Shun stopped in front of the three for a moment, looking down on them with a hateful expression before pointing his duel disk at them. After pressing a few buttons on his duel disk, a bright, blinding purple light filled the area, forcing both Yuuji and Sawatari to look away for a moment.When the light died down, the two finally looked back. However, Sawatari's three lackeys were nowhere to be seen. Shun pulled out three cards that were just printed from his duel disk, shaking them off a bit before throwing them in front of the two.Yuuji knelt down, picking up one of the cards to get a better look. However, when he did…"N-No way," Yuuji said."What's wrong? What did you…oh my god!" Sawatari jumped back after looking at the card.Printed on the card was the face of the unconscious Lackey 2. Yuuji went to pick up the other two cards Shun had thrown their way, finding Lackey 1 and 3 both in a similar state.He turned them into cards!? Yuuji couldn't believe it. That's possible!?Shun then began walking up to the two of them, not even concerned about what he had just done. He reactivated his duel disk."Three down, one more to go," Shun said in a cold tone."One to go? D-Does he mean me!?" Sawatari pointed at himself. "W-Wait we can talk about this. What do you want, money? Power? I can see if I can arrange that for you. Just turn my friends back to normal and let me go unharmed.""..." Shun didn't say a word as he kept walking closer to Sawatari.However, before he could get any closer, Yuuji stepped in between the two."Hey, bastard!" Yuuji addressed Shun. "I don't know what kind of beef you have with LDS, but I can't let you step any further.""I don't have any business with you," Shun said. "Unless…are you a part of LDS too?""And if I am?" Yuuji inquired."Then you'll share the same fate as those three weaklings," Shun stated.Yuuji activated his duel disk."I dare you to try."Yuuji then looked at Sawatari, who held the carded forms of his lackeys with shaky hands.Sawatari won't be much help here. I'm going to have to duel him myself. Yuuji thought.Not the worst thing in the world, since it saves him the trouble of having to look after somebody else while he duels."Sawatari," Yuuji said. "Go find a good place to hide. I'll handle this."Sawatari was shocked by what Yuuji had just said, "A-Are you sure? This guy is crazy strong.""It's not like you can duel with your hands shaking that much," Yuuji said."O-Oh yeah," Sawatari looked at his hands. "I-I'll get out of your way."Sawatari quickly moved out of the way, finding a hiding spot inside one of the abandoned warehouses. The place had a good enough vantage point, which gave him a good enough view of the duel.Once Yuuji was sure Sawatari was far enough away, he turned back to his opponent."Before we start, may I know the name of my opponent?" Yuuji asked."Shun. Kurosaki Shun," Shun answered, much to Yuuji's surprise."You actually answered? I thought you would be one of the types to say, 'there's no need for me to tell my name to someone who's about to die.'""It's courtesy," Shun responded, "I'll at least give you the minimum respect before I take your life, an honor your people did not grant to mine."
Here comes the cryptic talk again.
"Does the name Yuto ring a bell?" Yuuji suddenly asked."How do you know that name?" Shun turned serious."Oh, so you do know him," Yuuji was surprised. "Guess that explains the similar cryptic jargon you both keep saying.""..." Shun didn't respond, however Yuuji could tell that Shun was even more pissed than he already was."Guess I struck a nerve," Yuuji smirked. "Since you don't feel like talking anymore, let's just start this duel."The two of them drew their first five cards as the duel began shortly after that.[DUEL!]Nearby…"Where did he run off to?" Rio wondered as she arrived at the abandoned harbor.She had finally caught on to Shun's tracks a little while ago, finding the aftermath of one of Shun's duels. Following the path of carnage that Shun left in his wake, she eventually found herself here, at the abandoned harbor.However, she ran into a problem, since the trail that she had been following had gone cold."It would be great if he caused another explosion or something with his duel…" Rio muttered before——BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!Multiple explosions erupted in a distant part of the harbor, along with a familiar screech of a monster that Rio recognized all too well."There you are," Rio smiled as she made her way to the source of the explosions.
Custom Cards:
Monster Cards -
Accel Hacking Spider
ATK: 100, DEF: 100, R: 5Light/Cyberse/Xyz/Effect2 Level 5 MonstersMonster Effect: Once per turn: You can detach 1 material from this card; Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower monster from your Deck.
Needle Dart Striker
ATK: 1300, DEF: 500, LV: 4Earth/Machine/EffectMonster Effect: If you control no cards, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per turn, if you do not control any other "Dart" monsters, you can Special Summon 1 "Dart" monster from your hand.
Spell/Trap Cards -

Relic of the Antique
Normal SpellActivate this card by discarding 1 Level 5 or higher "Antique" monster and paying 1000 LP. Add 2 different "Antique" monsters from your Deck to your hand.
Special Antique Delivery
Counter TrapWhen an opponent's monster declares an attack while you control no monsters: Special Summon 1 "Antique" monster from your Deck in Defense Position. A monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot be destroyed by battle this turn.
Antique Reborn
Normal SpellTarget 1 "Antique" monster in your GY; Special Summon it.
Dart Exchange
Continuous SpellOnce per turn: You can discard 1 card; Special Summon 1 "Dart" monster from your hand.
Dart Armory
Continuous Spell"Dart" monsters on the field cannot be destroyed by card effects.
Defense Draw
Counter TrapDraw 1 card, then, for the rest of this turn, monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle.
And that's the first part of the Kurosaki Arc (I'm not really sure what it's actually called so let's just go with that).

I was planning on having Part 1 and 2 be packed into the same chapter, but this chapter is already super long, so I decided to just break it up. This will be a three-chapter arc, just like the LDS Invasion Arc, though hopefully better since there's more action involved.

I'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as possible, so stay tuned for that.

As always, be sure to drop some comments, suggestions, questions, etc. I would love to hear your thoughts. If the next chapter is out, you might as well go read it.

Edit #1: Changed the name of the chapter. Also corrected the descriptions of Yosenju Kama 1, 2 and 3.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Since this had been done for a while, I decided to just drop it now.

I also have a bit of an announcement to make, which I'll say at the end of the chapter.

Without any further ado, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Minor spelling, grammar, and other mistakes may be present.

[Standard Arc Opening Theme (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 1: BELIEVE X BELIEVE)]

Scale 010: Rebellious Falcons (II)
[DUEL!]Yuuji — LP: 4000Shun — LP: 4000[Turn 1: Yuuji] [H: 5]"I'll start!" Yuuji shouted before looking at his hand. However, when he saw what he drew, he froze.
I…can't do anything with this hand.
Four Trap Cards plus Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, a Level 7 Monster."I…set four cards, and end my turn," Yuuji concluded."You talk big, but you failed to even summon a single monster," Shun commented."I just got a little unlucky, that's all," Yuuji replied."..." Shun didn't reply after that, placing his hand at the top of his deck. "My turn! Draw!"[Turn 2: Shun] [H: 6]"I summon Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)!"A green mechanical falcon appeared on Shun's field."When Vanishing Lanius is summoned, I can summon another copy of it from my hand!" Shun declared as a second Vanishing Lanius appeared. "And since this second Vanishing Lanius was also summoned, I can Special Summon a third Vanishing Lanius as well!"A third Vanishing Lanius appeared.[Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)][Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)]"Now he has three Level 4 monsters…" Yuuji muttered. "Is he going to bring out that monster again?""Battle!" Shun moved into his Battle Phase immediately. "Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius attacks you directly!"He decided to just attack? Yuuji was surprised.The ends of Vanishing Lanius's wings shoot out from it, flying directly towards Yuuji."I activate the Continuous Trap, Halve Attack!" Yuuji announced. "As long as this card remains on my field, all battle damage I receive is halved!"Yuuji is hit directly by the Vanishing Lanius's attack—his arms and torso being cut slightly as he tries to endure it.Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 3350"Don't think your suffering has ended yet, LDS!" Shun shouted. "My other two Vanishing Lanius attack you directly!"Yuuji is hit by more pieces of shot metal, opening up even more cuts on his body.Yuuji — LP: 3350 → 2050"I set two cards and end my turn," Shun concluded.Okay, I managed to survive that with a decent amount of Life Points. Yuuji thought. But that could've gone better.Yuuji placed his hand on the top of his deck.
Hopefully this card will be able to help me.
"My turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card as his turn began.[Turn 3: Yuuji] [H: 2]Yuuji looked at the card he drew and smiled."This could work," Yuuji said. "I activate the Spell Card, Odd-Eyes Accel! Thanks to this card, I can Normal Summon an 'Odd-Eyes' Monster from my hand without tributing! Appear, dragon bearing my very soul, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4)!"A large purple dragon with bone-like armor that had dozens of colorful orbs scattered around its body appeared. Phantom let out a triumphant roar as it was brought out."Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry for not relying on you as much as I could," Yuuji apologized to his dragon. "...Wait."Did I just understand what Odd-Eyes was saying? Yuuji's eyes widened.It's not like he could hear Odd-Eyes's exact words, but he could…feel them? He wasn't sure how to describe it. It felt too surreal to him."Are you going to keep talking to yourself like that, or are you going to continue your turn?" Shun asked."Can you wait just a second, I'm having a moment here," Yuuji sighed. "You don't have to be in such a rush to kill people.""..." Shun's eyes furrowed."Okay, okay…sheesh, I'll continue," Yuuji said before turning to Odd-Eyes. "Let's do this partner."Phantom Dragon roared as it began charging forward towards Shun's monsters."Battle! Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon attacks one of your Vanishing Lanius! Phantom Spiral Breath!"Phantom Dragon shoots a breath of purple flames at Vanishing Lanius, engulfing the monster completely, and creating an explosion that causes Shun to wince.Shun — LP: 4000 → 2800One of Shun's set cards is then flipped face-up."I activate my Trap Card, Raidraptor Return!" Shun declared. "When a 'Raidraptor' Monster I control is destroyed by battle, it returns to my hand instead of the graveyard!"Shun added Vanishing Lanius back to his hand."I end my turn with that," Yuuji concluded."My turn! Draw!" Shun began his turn.[Turn 4: Shun] [H: 3]"I summon Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)!" Shun started by summoning the Vanishing Lanius that was destroyed last turn. "Next, I activate Spell Card, Raidraptor - Rise! All 'Raidraptor' Monsters on my field have their levels raised by 1 until the end of this turn!"(Vanishing Lanius — LV: 4 → 5)(Vanishing Lanius — LV: 4 → 5)(Vanishing Lanius — LV: 4 → 5)"Now he's changing their level?" Yuuji grimaced. "This could be bad.""Now with my three Level 5 Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius, I construct the Overlay Network!" Shun declared as his monsters were absorbed into a galaxy vortex. A giant pillar of light shot out from the vortex's center as Shun began chanting."Ferocious falcon. Break through this fierce battle and spread your wings! Destroy our gathering foes!" Shun chanted. "Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 5! Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2000/R: 5/OU: 3)!"A large mechanical falcon with red armor appeared on Shun's field, surrounded by three glowing orbs that orbited around it."If that other monster he summoned before is anything to go off of, this monster must have a similarly nasty effect," Yuuji assessed.And unfortunately for him, he was right."Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon can attack my opponent directly during the Battle Phase!" Shun declared. "Battle! Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon, rain down carnage on your enemy!"Blaze Falcon rises into the air as pieces of its wings break off and point at Yuuji. Then, all at once, they all begin shooting lasers at Yuuji."I activate my Trap Card, Mirror Barrier!" Yuuji declared. "When my opponent's monster declares an attack, I can negate it!"A barrier formed around Yuuji, protecting him from Blaze Falcon's assault."Tch," Shun clicked his tongue before setting a card on his field. "I set one card and end my turn."From his hiding spot, Sawatari watched the ongoing duel."Haruki is actually holding on better than I expected," Sawatari commented. "Maybe he can actually win this.""Just holding on isn't enough to best Shun," A feminine voice said, making Sawatari jump in fear."W-Who's there!?" Sawatari asked."Don't be so on edge, I'm not an enemy," Rio said as she appeared from the darkness.Back to the duel…Yuuji placed his hand over his deck."My turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card as he began his turn.[Turn 5: Yuuji] [H: 1]Yuuji looked at the card he drew and smiled."Finally…" Yuuji said. "I activate the Spell Card, Pendulum Call! Thanks to its effect, I can place a Pendulum Monster directly from my deck into my Pendulum Scale! I set the Scale 8 Antique Golden Carol into my Pendulum Scale!"Yuuji added a card to his hand and placed it on one edge of his duel blade. A golden bell that played a jolly tune as it rang rose into one of his empty Pendulum Zones."Pendulum?" Shun was shocked. "Is this a new weapon of Academia?""Antique Golden Carol's Pendulum Effect activates!" Yuuji continued. "When I don't control any cards in my other Pendulum Zone, I can place 1 'Antique' Pendulum Monster from my deck into that zone."Yuuji added a card to his hand."Now, using the Scale 3 Antique Wishing Lamp and the Scale 8 Antique Golden Carol already set in my Pendulum Zone, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Yuuji announced as he placed the cards on opposite ends of his duel disk. The word [PENDULUM] appeared in between them in rainbow font as a golden genie lamp rose into his other Pendulum Zone. A giant silver pendulum began swinging above him."Pendulum? I've never seen something like this before…" Rio muttered."Have you been living under a rock," Sawatari was surprised. "It's the hottest topic nowadays. It's a new summon method that allows you to summon many high-level monsters all at the same time.""That's insane!" Rio said. "If I had something like that, summoning a bunch of monsters as materials would be so much easier.""Only a few people have access to the summoning method right now," Sawatari said before pointing at himself with a proud expression. "I actually happen to be one of them.""..." Rio stared at him silently for a moment before looking back at the duel. "Okay…maybe it's not as cool as I thought it was.""Antique Wishing Lamp's Pendulum Effect now activates!" Yuuji declared. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon an 'Antique' Monster directly from my deck. However, I cannot Special Summon any other type of monster the turn I activate this effect. Appear, Antique Maker - Mira (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5/SC: 8)!"A maiden in all black, holding a pristine mirror in her hands appeared. The monster smiled at Yuuji when it was summoned.So, it's the same with her as well. Yuuji smiled back. Not that I'm complaining, it's kind of cool to be able to communicate with my monsters, at least a little."When Antique Maker - Mira is summoned, I can add 1 'Antique' Card from my deck to my hand!" Yuuji declared as he added a card to his hand. "Next, I summon the Tuner Monster, Antique Resonance Mirror (Light/Fairy/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 2)!"A pristine floating mirror appeared."When Resonance Mirror is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon another Antique Monster from my deck to my field! Appear, Antique Maker - Edison (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1300/LV; 5/SC: 2)!"A well-dressed man holding a lightbulb in his hand appeared."Antique Maker - Edison's effect activates!" Yuuji shouted. "When it's Special Summoned to my field, I can target 1 monster on your field and destroy it! I choose to destroy your Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon!""Naive!" Shun countered as one of his set cards flipped face up. "I activate the Trap Card, Raidraptor - Armory! For the rest of this turn, 'Raidraptor' Monsters I control cannot be destroyed, nor will I take battle damage in battles involving them!""Don't think that'll be enough to save you!" Yuuji smiled. "Level 2 Antique Resonance Mirror tunes the Level 5 Antique Maker - Edison!"The two aforementioned monsters transformed into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up together as a large pillar of green light shot through its center."Item of old lost through time. Bring about your legacy!" Yuuji chanted. "Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 7! The forbidden wand of calamity! Antique Burdened Staff (Light/Fairy/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 7) in defense mode!"An old, floating, used up wand appeared on Yuuji's field with a faint blue aura surrounding it."Burdened Staff's effect activates!" Yuuji declared. "Once per turn, I can equip it to a monster on your field! I obviously choose to equip it onto your Blaze Falcon!"The purple gemstone at the tip of the old wand shoots a beam of purple energy at Blaze Falcon, engulfing it."What's the purpose of your doing that exactly?" Shun inquired."I'm getting to it. Don't be so impatient," Yuuji said. "When a monster is equipped with Burdened Staff, I can temporarily gain control of it. However, during the End Phase of this turn, this card will be destroyed, and you'll regain control of your monster."Using its power, Burdened Staff drags Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon to Yuuji's field."And with that, you no longer have any monster protecting you," Yuuji smiled. "Crazy how things turned out.""..." Shun didn't respond."No response, huh?" Yuuji then sighed. "That's fine. I'll just have to force a response out of you with this! Battle! Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon, attack Shun directly!""I activate the effect of Raidraptor - Armory from my graveyard!" Shun declared. "By banishing it and detaching one Overlay Unit from an 'Raidraptor Xyz' Monster on the field, I can Special Summon the monster contained in that Overlay Unit onto my field! Return to my side, Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4) in defense mode!"A green mechanical falcon appeared on his field."Furthermore, if this effect was activated during the Battle Phase, I can prevent 1 monster on the field from attacking during the Battle Phase!" Shun continued. "I choose to prevent Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon from attacking."Chains appeared around Blaze Falcon, locking it in place."And since you activated Raidraptor - Armory's other effect this turn, I can't destroy your monster with anything else," Yuuji frowned. "I end my turn. And since my turn has ended, Burdened Staff is destroyed, and your Blaze Falcon returns to your field."The old, wooden staff turned into dust as Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon flew back onto Shun's field."Aw man! He was so close!" Sawatari shouted. "If I was down there, I would've finished that bastard off already!""If you could, you'd be the one down there instead of him," Rio commented. "However, it doesn't matter which of you is down there. Neither of you have what it takes to defeat him.""What's that supposed to mean?" Sawatari frowned."I don't know about that guy down there, but I can definitely tell that you haven't dueled in anything remotely similar to the conditions we dueled in," Rio stated."Huh?""You've never been in a duel where winning or losing would determine whether you and your loved ones live or die," Rio continued. "Am I right?""Yeah?""Then you'd never be able to defeat him.""B-But..." Sawatari wanted to say something to combat this, to save his pride, but nothing came out. He then looked down at the carded forms of his three lackeys.Rio noticed this and sighed."Shun did that to them, right?""...""I know this won't make you feel better, but on behalf of him, I'm sorry," Rio apologized."..." Sawatari didn't respond, turning back to look at the ongoing duel. Rio did the same, seeing that he wasn't willing to talk right now.Back to the duel…"My turn! Draw!" Shun drew a card as he began his turn.[Turn 6: Shun] [H: 1]Shun silently stared at the card he drew for a moment before playing it."I activate the Quick-Play-Spell, Rank-Up-Magic Falcon's Double Force!" Shun announced. "Targeting an Xyz Monster on my field, I can Special Summon 1 'Raidraptor Xyz' Monster from my Extra Deck double its Rank! Using Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon as material, I construct the Overlay Network!"Blaze Falcon transforms into an energized form as it is then absorbed by a galaxy vortex. A massive pillar of light shot out from the vortex's center as Shun began chanting."Supreme falcon. Carry on the wishes of your fallen friends, and fly off to the sky of victory!" Shun chanted. "Rank Up Xyz Change! Appear, Rank 10! Raidraptor - Ultimate Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 3500/DEF: 2000/R: 10/OU: 3)!"A giant machine falcon with large golden wings appeared on his field. It let out a terrifying screech from its mouth, forcing Yuuji to cover his ears.Rank Up Xyz Change? What the hell is that!? Yuuji wondered with evident fear. I can't believe he still had something like this in the back.Shun final set card is then flipped face up."Trap Card, open! Overlay Draw!" Shun declared. "Targeting Raidraptor - Ultimate Falcon, I draw cards equal to the total amount of Xyz Materials attached to it. Ultimate Falcon has three Overlay Units currently, so I can draw three cards from my deck!"Shun drew three cards."Next, when I control only 'Raidraptor' Monsters, I can Special Summon Raidraptor - Rebel Lanius (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 400/DEF: 400/LV: 1) to my field!"A small mechanical bird with red and blue armor appeared."Rebel Lanius's effect activates!" Shun continued. "Once per turn, I can declare a Level 1 through 6, this card and another 'Raidraptor' Card on my field's levels become that. I choose to raise both Rebel Lanius and Vanishing Lanius's Levels to 5!"A blue aura erupts around the two monsters as their Levels rise.(Rebel Lanius — LV: 1 → 5)(Vanishing Lanius — LV: 4 → 5)"Now with my two Level 5 Raidraptors, I construct the Overlay Network once again!" Shun declared."Another Xyz Summon!?" Yuuji cried out in shock."The unseen bold falcon. Reveal your wings' unknown power here and now!" Shun chanted. "Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 5! Raidraptor - Stranger Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2000/R: 4/OU: 2)!"A giant machine falcon with thick wings that glowed a bright yellow appeared."Now to finish you!" Shun declared. "Raidraptor - Stranger Falcon's effect activates! By detaching one Overlay Unit from it, it can destroy one monster on your field, and deal damage to you equal to that destroyed monster's ATK! I choose to target your Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!"(Stranger Falcon — OU: 2 → 1)Stranger Falcon creates a massive ball of energy which it shoots towards Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, who tries to counter using its own fire breath. However, it doesn't go well, as Phantom Dragon was overpowered by the attack and destroyed."I won't go down that easily!" Yuuji shouted. "I activate my Trap Card, Mirror's Embrace! When I would take an instance of effect damage, I can reduce the damage I take to 0!"A barrier formed around Yuuji, protecting him from the shockwaves of the attack."That won't save you!" Shun shouted. "I activate Stranger Falcon's effect again! This time targeting your other monster!"(Stranger Falcon — OU: 1 → 0)Once again, Stranger Falcon creates a massive ball of energy, shooting it towards Antique Maker - Mira. Mira tried to act as a shield to Yuuji, but failed as it was destroyed in a massive explosion—the shockwaves of it sending him flying away.Yuuji — LP: 2050 → 50—WHAM!Yuuji collides with a crate, coughing up a bit of blood as he drops to the ground.Dammit… Yuuji clenched his fists. Sorry Odd-Eyes, Mira. I couldn't protect you guys.Yuuji got back up on his feet. He couldn't let his guard down, especially when Shun still wasn't done."You're wide open, LDS!" Shun declared as Ultimate Falcon and Stranger Falcon rose into the air, charging each of their energy blasts. "Battle! Ultimate Falcon! Stranger Falcon! Attack him directly!"The two monsters shoot their respective attacks at Yuuji, who couldn't do anything to defend himself.Both at the same time!? Yuuji began sweating as he tried to back away—something he couldn't do as he felt his back come into contact with a crate behind him. I can't get out of this!Just as the attack was about to hit him, Rio leaped out from the window of the abandoned warehouse, landing in front of him."I activate the effect of Blizzard Harpy from my hand!" Rio declared. "When a direct attack is declared, I can Special Summon this card from my hand and immediately end the Battle Phase!"An eagle with a body made up of blue ice appeared. Soon after, a barrier formed around them, protecting them from Shun's fatal attacks.[Blizzard Harpy (Water/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 400/DEF: 1400/LV: 4)][Intrusion Penalty. 2000 Life Points.]Rio grit her teeth as her duel disk shocked her.Rio — LP: 4000 → 2000Shun's eyes widened upon recognizing her."You're…""It's been a while, Shun," Rio said. "You've been busy.""Why are you helping the enemy?" Shun furrowed his eyebrows. "I was just about to finish him off.""That's exactly why I needed to stop you in the first place, Shun," Rio said. "You can't keep going down this path. This isn't the way you're going to save Ruri.""What else am I supposed to do, just sit back and wait for Academia to bring her back!?" Shun shouted. "You and I both know that the only way to get her back is by taking down Academia!""That still doesn't make what you're doing okay!" Rio shouted back before pointing at Yuuji. "Do you know what you were just about to do!? You were about to kill him with that last attack! Turning people into cards is one thing, but doing something like that is completely inhumane!""Academia didn't show the same mercy to us when they invaded our homeland!" Shun shouted with bottled up hate and rage laced in his words. "They ruined our lives, destroyed our home, turned our people into cards, kidnapped Ruri! They didn't show us any mercy, so why should I show them any!?"Yup, it's confirmed. Yuuji thought. I've unknowingly involved myself in some genuinely deep shit."And I thought I fell off the deep end…" Rio shook her head. "If words won't wake you up, I'll just have to beat these ideas into your head through dueling!""Fine with me!" Shun replied. "I set two cards and end my turn! And with the end of my turn, Ultimate Falcon's effect activates. During the End Phase, all monsters my opponents control lose 1000 ATK. And if my opponent controls no monsters, they take 1000 points of damage!"(Blizzard Harpy — ATK: 400 → 0)"I activate Blizzard Owl's effect now!" Rio announced. "By discarding it from my hand, all effect damage dealt this turn is reduced to zero!"A white owl with wings made of ice appeared in front of Yuuji as Ultimate Falcon shot a laser at him. A barrier formed around the owl, protecting Yuuji from the attack."Tch," Shun clicked his tongue."My turn! Draw!" Rio drew a card and began her turn.[Turn 7: Rio] [H: 4]"I'll start by summoning Blizzard Falcon (Water/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1500/LV: 4)!"A blue falcon with a body made of ice appeared."Then, with my Level 4 Blizzard Harpy and Blizzard Falcon, I construct the Overlay Network!" Rio declared as the aforementioned monsters were absorbed into a galaxy vortex that appeared in front of her. A massive pillar of light shot out from its center as she began chanting."Elegant winged maiden. Use your dazzling crystal wings to unveil the mysteries of the frozen abyss!" Rio chanted. "Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 4! Ice Beast Zerofyne (Water/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2200/R: 4/OU: 2)!"An elegant, feminine monster with two sets of rigid, blue wings which stuck out from its back appeared on Rio's field."Ice Beast Zerofyne's effect now activates!" Rio declared. "By detaching one Overlay Unit, until my next Standby Phase, face-up cards currently on the field have their effects negated! Perfect Freeze!"(Zerofyne — OU: 2 → 1)Zerofyne rises into the air. Its rigid blue wings begin to glow a bright blue as it begins freezing the surrounding area and monsters."Ultimate Falcon remains unaffected by my opponent's card effects," Shun stated."That's fine because Ultimate Falcon wasn't my target," Rio smiled. "For each card that Zerofyne's effect negates, one card on the field loses 300 ATK! I choose to target Stranger Falcon with this effect!""Shun had one card negated, while I had three," Yuuji counted. "So that means, Stranger Falcon loses a total of 1200 ATK.""That's right," Rio nodded.(Stranger Falcon — ATK: 2000 → 800)"I'm not done yet! I now equip Harpies Aura to Zerofyne!" Rio announced.Zerofyne was then surrounded by a shining, golden aura."Now that its attack is way lower than Zerofyne, it's time to battle!" Rio declared as Zerofyne soars forward. "Ice Beast Zerofyne attacks Stranger Falcon! Ice Ray!""Before your attack connects, I activate my Trap Card! Defense Draw!" Shun countered. "I can draw 1 card, then for the rest of this turn, monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle!"Zerofyne's rigid wings suddenly transform into softer wings, as it shoots dozens of ice crystals at Stranger Falcon. The crystals bounce off the monster, landing around Shun who winces as his Life Points drop.Shun — LP: 2800 → 1600"Harpies Aura's effect activates!" Rio shouts. "Zerofyne now gains ATK equal to the amount of damage that you took!"(Zerofyne — ATK: 2000 → 3200)"Now I activate the Quick-Play-Spell, Re-Attack!" Rio announced. "By paying an activation cost of 500 Life Points, I can increase Zerofyne's attack by 500!"Rio grit her teeth as she was shocked by her duel disk.Rio — LP: 2000 → 1500(Zerofyne — ATK: 3200 → 3700)"Furthermore, Zerofyne gains an additional attack during the Battle Phase!" Rio announced.If she attacks Stranger Falcon now, she'll wipe out the rest of his Life Points! Yuuji's eyes widened."Battle!" Rio commanded her monster once again. "Zerofyne attacks Raidraptor - Stranger Falcon! Ice Ray!"Zerofyne rises into the air, shooting dozens of ice crystals at Stranger Falcon."I should've known you would do something like this," Shun admitted. "I activate the effect of Raidraptor - Retreat Eagle from my hand! When a 'Raidraptor Xyz' Monster is targeted for an attack, I can send this card from my hand into my graveyard to switch that monster into defense mode!"Stranger Falcon's begins to close off its body as a faint blue aura appears around it. Thanks to this, it's able to protect Shun from the dozens of oncoming ice crystals."Damn, he had an out for that too," Rio frowned. "I set one card and end my turn."A facedown card appeared on Rio's field."Ultimate Falcon's effect activates once again!" Shun declared. "During the End Phase, all monsters my opponents control lose 1000 ATK! And any of my opponents that don't control monsters take 1000 points of damage!""Blizzard Owl's graveyard effect activates!" Rio countered. "By banishing it from my graveyard, all effect damage for the rest of this turn is negated!"Ultimate Falcon shoots another beam of energy at Yuuji, who is protected by Blizzard Owl."Furthermore, Harpies Aura protects Zerofyne from having its ATK lowered via card effect!" Rio declared.(Zerofyne — ATK: 3700)Rio then turned to Yuuji, "You're up. I managed to exhaust most of his defenses. It's up to you to finish him off…uhm…what's your name?""Yuuji.""Right, it's up to you now, Yuuji," Rio said."Got it," Yuuji nodded. "My turn! Draw!"Yuuji drew a card and began his turn[Turn 8: Yuuji] [H: 1]Yuuji looked at the card he drew with confusion.Polymerization? Why did I draw this of all things? Yuuji wondered.He didn't know much about Shun and Rio's situation. But judging from how Yuto is related to them in some way, and how much he despised Ryouga, who was a Fusion User. Using something like that would be a bad idea.
What makes this worse is that Rio's Xyz Monster negated my effects as well. Yuuji thought. I can't use Wishing Lamp's Pendulum Effect to Special Summon another Antique Monster to my field.
Or in simpler terms, he was stuck. The only play that he could do that may actually do something is Fusion Summon Antique Golden Kaiju, who's effect could potentially win them the duel here."..." Yuuji thought for a moment before he realized something. "Wait, maybe there is a way I can do this without having to do that.""With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I can Pendulum Summon monsters Levels 4 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji announced. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Come out, my monster companions!"A portal appeared above him, as three beams of light shoot out from it."Return from my Extra Deck, Antique Maker - Mira (ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5) and Antique Maker - Edison (ATK: 1200/DEF: 1300/LV: 5)! And finally, the dragon containing my very soul, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)!"Yuuji's monsters all return onto his field. Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon let's out a triumphant roar as it reappeared."Let's do this, partners," Yuuji smiled. "Antique Maker - Mira's effect activates upon its summon, allowing me to add an 'Antique' Card to my hand!"Yuuji added a card to his hand."Antique Maker - Edison's effect also activates upon its summon, allowing me to target 1 monster on your field and destroy it!" Yuuji continued. "I choose to destroy Raidraptor - Stranger Falcon!"The light bulb in Edison's hand begins to glow with a blinding light, engulfing Stranger Falcon and causing it to disappear from the field."Next, I tribute Antique Maker - Edison in order to perform an Advance Summon!" Yuuji announced. "Appear, Antique Dawning Blaze (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 7)!"A floating fiery blade with a golden hilt appeared."Dawning Blaze now equips itself to Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!" Yuuji declared as the sword began growing in size. Phantom Dragon held the blade by its hilt using its mouth. "Phantom Dragon now gains 500 ATK for each monster on the field aside from itself. Since there is one monster on each of our fields, Phantom Dragon gains 1500 ATK!"(Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon — ATK: 2500 → 4000)"Now his dragon has way more attack than Ultimate Falcon," Rio commented, a little impressed. "Maybe he can do it after all.""Battle!" Yuuji pumped his fist forward. "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon attacks Raidraptor - Ultimate Falcon! Blazing Phantom Rush!"Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon begins running towards Ultimate Falcon. Ultimate Falcon tries to fight back by firing a few laser beams at it, but Phantom Dragon easily evades each of the blasts, leaping into the air and using its weapon to slice cleanly through the falcon, creating a massive explosion that sends countless shockwaves towards Shun."Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon's effect now activates!" Yuuji declared. "When it deals battle damage, you take an additional 600 damage for each Pendulum Monster on my field aside from itself. Since I have one other Pendulum Monster, you take an additional 600 points of damage!"Shun is sent flying back from the shockwaves of the attack. Before he slams into a crate, he readjusts himself midair, positioning himself to swiftly bounce off the crate with his feet and land back on the ground safely.Shun — LP: 1600 → 500"Now to finish this!" Yuuji shouted. "Antique Maker - Mira now attacks you directly! Crystal Beam!"Mira's mirror begins to glow, as a beam of pure light is shot out from it towards Shun. However, before the final attack could connect, Shun's final Trap Card is activated."I activate the Trap Card, Copy T!" Shun declared. "This card's effect becomes the same as another Trap Card currently in one of my opponent's graveyards. I choose to copy the effect of Mirror Barrier in your graveyard to negate your attack!""What!?" Yuuji cried out in shock.A barrier formed around Shun, shielding him from Yuuji's attack."He managed to use my Trap Card against me," Yuuji grimaced.He took another look at the card in his hand and sighed.
The result would've been the same even if I did bring it out.
"I end my turn," Yuuji concluded."It's not the end of the world though," Rio replied. "With this, now his whole field is completely cleared, and he doesn't have any cards in his hand. He should be completely neutralized now.""Right…" Yuuji nodded.Why do I have a feeling that she's wrong? Yuuji thought as he looked back to Shun, who had a defiant expression on his face. His fighting spirit hasn't died down one bit.If anything, after all of those attacks, it has grown even stronger than it was before."Ruri, I swore that I would bring you back to me," Shun closed his eyes. "I won't give up here. Not when I can finally see a way to save you."Shun places his hand over his deck. His eyes opened with newfound determination."My turn! DRAW!" Shun's deck began to glow as he drew with all his strength.[Turn 9: Shun] [H: 1]Shun analyzed the card he drew for a moment before speaking."LDS, you may have wiped out my comrades, exhausted my defenses, and reduced my Life Points to nothing but dust…" Shun said. "...but these conditions are nothing new to us. Even when the enemy tries to snuff us out using unstoppable force, we the Resistance always find a way to bounce back!""Shun…" Rio muttered."I activate the Quick-Play-Spell, Rank-Up-Magic Revenge Force!" Shun declared. "Targeting 1 'Raidraptor Xyz' Monster in my graveyard, I can Special Summon a 'Raidraptor Xyz' Monster from my Extra Deck that's 1 Rank higher, using both this card and that monster as its materials! With the Rank 10 Raidraptor - Ultimate Falcon, I rebuild the Overlay Network!"Ultimate Falcon appeared back on Shun's field briefing, before being absorbed into a galaxy vortex. A massive pillar of light shot out from its center, causing the ground itself to tremble around them as Shun began chanting."Hateful falcon, rise from the molten depths! Use your sharp talons as an act of revolution, drag your enemies into the depth of hell!" Shun chanted. "Rank Up Xyz Change! Appear, Rank 11! Raidraptor - Revenge Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 3500/DEF: 2500/R: 11/OU: 2)!"A massive red mechanical falcon with three heads appeared. Three rings of fire surrounded the body of the falcon, molding into sharp crests. The monster let out a deafening screech, forcing the two of them to cover their ears, else they may end up going deaf."What the hell is that!?" Yuuji cried out."I…don't know," Rio said, fear evident in her expression. "I've never seen him use this monster before.""Revenge Falcon can attack all Special Summoned Monsters on the field once each," Shun stated. "Battle! Raidraptor - Revenge Falcon attacks Antique Maker - Mira! Revenge Inferno!"Flames shoot out from each head of Revenge Falcon, engulfing Antique Maker - Mira and destroying it."And for each successful attack during the Battle Phase, it gains an extra 300 ATK!" Shun declared.(Revenge Falcon — ATK: 3500 → 3800)"It just gains attack each time it attacks?" Yuuji's jaw dropped. "And that's all without the use of Overlay Units.""Raidraptor - Revenge Falcon now attacks Ice Beast Zerofyne! Revenge Inferno!"Revenge Falcon shoots even more flames from its mouth, engulfing Rio's monster and creating an explosion that sends her flying.Rio — LP: 1500 → 1400(Revenge Falcon — ATK: 3800 → 4100)"Now to finish this!" Shun shouted as he turned his attention to Yuuji. "Attack Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon and finish him off! Revenge Inferno!"I can't stop this! Yuuji's eyes widen as Revenge Falcon shoots its flames at Phantom Dragon. The flames completely engulfed it, creating an explosion that sent Yuuji flying away as his Life Points depleted to zero.Yuuji — LP: 50 → 0Yuuji hits the ground multiple times as he is sent tumbling into a crate, fading in and out of consciousness.Rio manages to get up on her feet, turning to look at Yuuji, who was looking worse for wear. She then noticed Shun beginning to walk towards the downed duelist, immediately moving to block his path."Don't take a set closer, Shun," Rio said."Move…" Shun glared at her. "Stop standing in my way.""I can't do that and you know it," Rio stood her ground. "I promised that I would knock some sense into you in this duel, and as far as I can tell, I still have Life Points left.""Not for long," Shun stated. "I end my turn."Rio placed her hand over the top of her deck and took a deep breath.Right here, I'll bring you back to your senses. For both Ruri and Yuto's sake. Rio resolved her will."My turn! Draw!" Rio's deck began to glow as she drew a card with all her might.[Turn 10: Rio] [H: 1]Rio looked at the card she drew and smiled."While you've been wrong about most things today, there's one thing you were right about," Rio commented. "Even if you try to snuff us out, we the Resistance always finds a way to bounce back!""..." Shun's eyes widened in surprise as Rio revealed the card in her hand."I activate the Quick-Play-Spell, Rank-Up-Magic Miracle Rebirth!" Rio announced. "Targeting an Xyz Monster in my graveyard, I can Special Summon another Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck that is 1 Rank higher, using both this card and that monster as materials! Using Ice Beast Zerofyne, I rebuild the Overlay Network!"Zerofyne appeared briefly before being absorbed into a galaxy vortex. A giant pillar of light shot out from the vortex's center as Rio began chanting."Dazzling crystal wings that shine bright in the face of adversity. Soar across the blizzard valleys and become a beacon of hope for all who lay their eyes on you!" Rio chanted. "Rank Up Xyz Change! Appear, Rank 5! Ice Princess Zereort (Water/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2100/R: 5/OU: 2)!A burst of icy blue light flashed as freezing winds howled across the field. Shards of ice swirled together, forming the sleek, metallic wings of the harpy lady. With a sharp cry, it spread its bladed wings, sending a chilling gust that covered the surrounding area in frost."I activate Raidraptor - Revenge Falcon's effect!" Shun shouted. "By detaching one Overlay Unit, when my opponent Special Summons a monster, I can negate that summon, then deal damage to my opponent equal to the destroyed monster's ATK! It's over, Rio!"Revenge Falcon shoots a breath of flames towards Rio and her monster."Is that what you think?" Rio smiled as her set card was flipped face-up. "I activate the Counter Trap Card, Subzero! When a Water Monster I control would be destroyed by a card effect, I can pay 500 Life Points to negate that effect!"Rio grit her teeth as her duel disk zapped her.Rio — LP: 1400 → 900A beam of blue energy is shot out from the Trap Card, overpowering the flames and hitting Revenge Falcon right in each of its mouths—freezing them."Tch," Shun clicked his tongue."I'm not done yet!" Rio declared. "I activate Zereort's effect! By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can target 1 face-up monster and make its ATK 0! Arm Freezing!"Zereort points its staff at Revenge Falcon, using its power to completely freeze the body of the giant, three-headed falcon.(Revenge Falcon — ATK: 4100 → 0)"Now to finish this!" Rio shouted. "Ice Princess Zereort attacks Raidraptor - Revenge Falcon! Brilliant Dive!"Zereort rises into the air, erupting into a blue aura as it dives right into Revenge Falcon, piercing through the monster, destroying it, and sending Shun flying away as a result.Shun — LP: 500 → 0Winner/s: Rio, YuujiRio's monster disappears after the duel concludes. However, the area around them is still covered in frozen ice due to Rio's attacks. Rio tries to walk towards Shun, who manages to get back up onto his feet. Before she could reach him to talk, Shun pulls out a smoke bomb from his pocket, throwing it on the ground to momentarily blind Rio as he flees the scene."*Cough*, *Cough*, *Cough*."Rio began coughing as she tried to clear away the smoke. Once the spoke dissipated, she realized the Shun was nowhere to be found."That guy…"Rio frowned before hearing someone cough nearby. She quickly remembered who it was, rushing over to see their condition."Hey, are you okay?" Rio asked."...I'm managing," Yuuji said. "Being hurt like this is nothing new to me.""If you say you're okay, I'll believe you," Rio said.She briefly looked back to the warehouse she was just in. When she noticed that Sawatari was doing fine, she sighed a breath of relief."Sorry about that guy," Rio apologized. "He can be a little intense at times.""I can tell," Yuuji said. "Way more intense than Yuto was."Rio tensed up a bit, "You know, Yuto?""Yeah, he saved me when I was in a pinch, similar to how you did," Yuuji explained."Oh," Rio calmed down."But enough about that, you should probably go find that guy before he gets too far," Yuuji said."Wait, you're right," Rio remembered, putting her hood over her head. "Oh, thanks for the assist in that duel. I wouldn't have been able to beat him if you hadn't found a way to deal with Ultimate Falcon.""You saved me earlier," Yuuji said. "You can just call us even now.""Right," Rio nodded before walking away. "I'll be going now. Be sure to be careful not to get yourself more hurt than you already are.""I'll try not to."Rio turned around the corner, disappearing from sight. Yuuji then let out a heavy sigh."When will I stop getting myself in situations where my life is on the line like this?"A while later…Masumi, Hokuto, and Yaiba could all be seen on the ground on the verge of unconsciousness. The perpetrator behind their condition looking down on them with an indifferent expression on his face as Raidraptor - Rise Falcon lets out a deafening screech.This…wasn't supposed to turn out this way. Masumi thought as she clenched her fists.They had found him, the one who caused the disappearance of Professor Marco, her teacher, and many other LDS officials over the past few weeks. The three of them decided to duel against him together, wanting to deal with the perpetrator before the LDS top team arrived at the scene.Things were going well, they managed to summon all of their strongest monsters, as well as completely wipe out that man's field, hand and left him with only 10 Life Points. It looked like it would be an easy win from there.Oh how wrong they were.Somehow, that man had managed to summon an Xyz Monster with the few cards he had available. And with the use of its effect, it swiftly wiped out all of their monsters and Life Points all at once—a complete reversal.She couldn't believe that one monster was capable of having that much power.Rise Falcon disappeared as Shun deactivated his duel disk. He walked up towards them, pointing his duel disk at them and preparing to finish them off. However, before he could, he heard footsteps approach him. Turning around, he noticed six people (five of which were wearing LDS Uniforms).Shun smiled."You've finally shown yourself," Shun addressed them. "I'm done facing weaklings. Bring out your boss—!""I'm here!" A voice suddenly rang out, surprising Shun.The LDS Personnel and Nakajima moved out of the way as Akaba Reiji appeared, approaching Shun with calm and calculated steps. He eventually came to a stop, as his underlings stood behind him."Who are you?" Shun inquired."Akaba Reiji," Reiji simply stated. "I'm the president of the Leo Corporation."Shun's eyes narrowed upon recognizing the surname, "Akaba…Reiji.""Since Leo Corporation controls LDS, you assaulted people in Maiami City affiliated with LDS," Reiji said. "All so could meet me. Am I correct?"Shun smiled, "So you're Akaba Reiji. Leo Akaba's son. I was waiting for this moment! Bring it on! Duel me!""I want to ask you something first," Reiji said, unfazed by the challenge. "Why do you want to battle me?""I don't have to answer you—!""To save your friend. That's why you want to challenge me, right?" Reiji interrupted, surprising Shun. "According to that girl that you just defeated, this is what you said the last time she saw you: 'Ruri? Why are you here, Ruri? Did you escape by yourself?' I'm guessing that Ruri is a dear friend for you—no, for the three of you. And that you enemies took her."The three of us? Shun was shocked. He even knows about Rio, even though she had just arrived in this dimension recently."Ruri still hasn't escaped from your enemy's clutches," Reiji continued. "Which is why you continue to assault LDS.""I have no doubt that our enemy still has Ruri. But I promise to rescue her." Shun stated before smiling and pointing at Reiji. "And in order to do that, I need you!""I see," Reiji closed his eyes. "You need me for a hostage exchange.""Exactly," Shun confirmed. "I kept attacking LDS and sent you the cards with souls trapped inside so that I could draw you out. Even Leo Akaba won't say no in exchange for his own son!""I wouldn't be so sure," Reiji said."What?""I don't think he cares about me. Even a little bit." Reiji stated."What do you mean?" Shun asked."Well, whatever," Reiji changed the subject. "If you want to battle, I'm willing to accept under one condition.""Condition?""If I win, you must join me," Reiji said."Join you? In what?" Shun inquired."My mission," Reiji answered. "To defeat my father, Leo Akaba."His father? Why would he of all people want to take down his own father? Shun wondered. This has to be some sort of trick of his to get me to lower my guard."And if I win?" Shun asked."You may do whatever you want with me," Reiji stated. "Turn me into a hostage. Seal me into a card. Anything you may like.""Sounds good to me," Shun smiled as he activated his duel disk. "I'll defeat you here, and use you to finally save Ruri from the clutches of Academia!""Reiji-dono, are you sure this is a good idea?" Nakajima asked, a little worried."I am," Reiji confidently said. "I only take gambles I know I can win.""Very well," Nakajima backed down. "Do what you must."Reiji activated his own duel disk and adjusted his glasses. The two drew their first five cards as the duel soon began.[DUEL!]
Custom/Altered Cards:

Monster Card/s -

Antique Wishing Lamp
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5, SC: 3Light/Fairy/Pendulum/EffectPendulum Effect: Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 "Antique" monster from your Deck. You cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except "Antique" monsters.Monster Effect: (Quick Effect): You can Tribute this card; Set 1 Spell/Trap from your GY to your field. You can activate that card this turn.
Raidraptor - Rebel Lanius
ATK: 400, DEF: 400, LV: 1Dark/Winged-Beast/EffectMonster Effect: If you control only "Raidraptor" monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per turn: You can declare a Level from 1 to 6; this card and 1 other "Raidraptor" monster you control become that Level until the end of this turn.
Blizzard Harpy
ATK: 400, DEF: 1400, LV: 4Water/Winged-Beast/EffectMonster Effect: (Quick Effect): If a direct attack is declared: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, end the Battle Phase immediately after this effect resolves.
Blizzard Owl
ATK: 300, DEF: 1200, LV: 4Water/Winged-Beast/EffectMonster Effect: (Quick Effect): You can discard this card; negate all effect damage for the rest of this turn. (Quick Effect): You can banish this card from your GY; negate all effect damage for the rest of this turn.
Raidraptor - Retreat Eagle
ATK: 500, DEF: 700, LV: 3Dark/Winged-Beast/EffectMonster Effect: (Quick Effect): When a "Raidraptor Xyz" monster you control is targeted for an attack, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard to change the attack target to Defense Position.
Raidraptor - Revenge Falcon
ATK: 3500, DEF: 2500, R: 11Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect3 Level 11 Winged Beast-Type MonstersMonster Effect: This card can attack each of your opponent's Special Summoned monsters once. For each successful attack, this card gains 300 ATK. Once per turn, during your opponent's turn (Quick Effect): When your opponent Special Summons a monster, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to destroy that monster, then inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed monster's ATK.
Spell/Trap Card/s -

Raidraptor - Rise
Normal SpellIncrease the Levels of all "Raidraptor" monsters you control by 1 until the end of this turn.
Raidraptor - Armory
Normal TrapFor the rest of this turn, "Raidraptor" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, and you take no battle damage from battles involving them. You can banish this card from your Graveyard, then detach 1 material from a "Raidraptor" Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon the detached material in Defense Position. If you activate this effect during the Battle Phase, you can also target 1 monster on the field; that monster cannot declare an attack for the rest of this turn.
Rank-Up-Magic Falcon's Double Force
Quick-Play-SpellTarget 1 Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck 1 "Raidraptor" Xyz Monster that is exactly twice its Rank, using it as material. (This is treated as an Xyz Summon.) Transfer all of its materials to the Summoned monster.
Overlay Draw
Normal TrapTarget 1 Xyz Monster you control; draw a number of cards equal to the number of Xyz Materials attached to it.
Harpies Aura
Equip SpellThe equipped monster gains ATK equal to the damage it inflicts in battle. Additionally, monsters equipped with this card cannot have their ATK reduced by card effects.
Re-Attack
Quick-Play-SpellPay 500 Life Points to activate this card. Increase 1 monster's ATK by 500. If this card is activated during the Battle Phase, the equipped monster can make a second attack.
Copy T
Normal TrapTarget 1 Trap Card in your opponent's GY; this card's effect becomes the same as the targeted card's effect.
Rank-Up-Magic Revenge Force
Quick-Play-SpellTarget 1 "Raidraptor Xyz" monster in your GY; Special Summon 1 "Raidraptor Xyz" monster from your Extra Deck that is 1 Rank higher, using the targeted monster and this card as material.
Rank-Up-Magic Miracle Rebirth
Quick-Play-SpellTarget 1 Xyz Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon 1 Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck that is 1 Rank higher, using the targeted monster and this card as material.
Subzero
Counter TrapWhen a WATER monster you control would be destroyed by a card effect, you can pay 500 Life Points to negate that effect.
And that's chapter 10. Chapter 11 has already been completed as well, but that'll be releasing a bit later.

As for my announcement, I'll be taking a short break from updating during the month of March. I've been wanting to try and stock up on chapters (as well as ideas for how to progress the plot of this fanfic), as to make it easier for me to upload a bit more consistently. This does not mean that I've abandoned this fic, since I do really want to finish this someday (hopefully in the span of 1 to 2 years).

The next chapter will be releasing on Friday, so be sure to look out for it.

Thanks for reading. If the next chapter is already out, go read it. If not, have a great day.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

And here's the final chapter of the mini-arc for the people at home. Enjoy!

This is also the final chapter before my month-long break. (If you're reading this way after the release of this chapter this doesn't really matter.)

Without any further ado, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Minor spelling, grammar, and other mistakes may be present.

[Standard Arc Opening Theme (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 1: BELIEVE X BELIEVE)]

Scale 011: Rebellious Falcons (III)

[DUEL!]Reiji — LP: 4000Shun — LP: 4000[Turn 1: Reiji] [H: 5]"I'll start," Reiji stated. "I activate Continuous Spell, Dark Contract with the Gate! Once per turn, I can add a Level 4 or lower 'D/D' Monster to my hand. However, as long as this remains on my field, during each of my Standby Phases, I take 1000 points of damage. I choose to add D/D Savant Kepler to my hand!"Reiji added a card to his hand. He then reveals two cards."Using the Scale 1 D/D Copernicus and Scale 10 D/D Savant Kepler, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Reiji declared as he placed both cards on opposite ends of his duel blade. The word [PENDULUM] appeared between them in rainbow font as two monsters rose into each of his Pendulum Zone."So you have access to this summoning method too," Shun commented. "Makes sense for the leader to have access to it.""So, you've encountered this summoning mechanic before," Reiji was a bit intrigued. "Then you must know what happens next. With my current scale, I can Pendulum Summon monsters Levels 2 through 9 simultaneously!"A portal opened above him as Reiji began chanting."Grand power that shakes my very soul, arise within me and become a new light that rends the darkness," Reiji chanted. "Pendulum Summon! Come before me, my monsters!"Two beams of energy shot out from the portal in the sky."Appear, D/D Pandora (Dark/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 1700/DEF: 2100/LV: 5) and D/D Proud Chevalier (Dark/Fiend/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 700/LV: 5/SC: 6)!"A feminine monster with the bottom half of her resembling a purple vase and an armored warrior with dark fabric sticking out from the shoulder blade on its armor appeared."I now overlay my Level 5 D/D Pandora together with D/D Proud Chevalier!" Reiji declared as his monsters were absorbed into a galaxy vortex that appeared in front of him. A massive pillar of light shot out from the portal's center as he began chanting. "Hero of legends, with your profound justice, pierce through all things! Xyz Summon! Descend, Rank 5! D/D/D Marksman King Tell (Dark/Fiend/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2300/DEF: 2000/R: 5/OU: 2)!"An armored archer with green skin and hair, holding a golden crossbow that was attached to its right arm appeared."I set one card," Reiji concluded. "Turn end.""My turn! Draw!" Shun declared as he drew to start his turn.[Turn 2: Shun] [H: 6]Just before Shun could make any plays, Reiji's set card is flipped face-up."During your Standby Phase, I activate Dark Contract with the Eternal Darkness!" Reiji announced. "Just like with my other Dark Contract, during my next Standby Phase, I take 1000 damage. As long as this card remains on the field, you cannot Advance Summon, nor can you use any cards you control as materials for an Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Summon. You also cannot activate Spell/Trap Cards that target a monster."Shun was shocked as the card created a dark fog that filled the alleyway, almost making it impossible to see anything due to it also already being dark outside."Damn…" Shun cursed. "I summon Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)!"A green mechanical falcon appeared on his field."Vanishing Lanius's effect activates, allowing me to Special Summon another copy of it from my hand!" Shun declared. "Appear, my second Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)!"A second green mechanical falcon appeared."Battle!" Shun immediately moved into his Battle Phase. "Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius attacks D/D/D Marksman King Tell!""Attacking using a monster with lower attack…" Reiji muttered. "What could you be planning?"Vanishing Lanius shoots metal pellets at Marksman King Tell, who easily parries them away before shooting an arrow at Vanishing Lanius, piercing through it and causing it to explode. Shun winced a bit from the shockwaves of the attack.Shun — LP: 4000 → 3000"Main Phase 2," Shun moved into his next Main Phase. "I activate the Spell Card, Raidraptor - Symbol! If a 'Raidraptor' Monster I control battled this turn, I can add 1 'Raidraptor' Monster from my deck. I add Raidraptor - Rush Lanius to my hand."Shun added a card."I then activate Raidraptor - Rush Lanius's effect! By tributing 1 Continuous Spell/Trap on either player's field, I can Special Summon this card to my field. I tribute your Dark Contract with the Eternal Darkness!"Reiji's Trap Card disappears, which in turn causes the dark fog to fade away as well. Soon after, an orange mechanical falcon with a red gemstone embedded into its chest appeared on his field.[Raidraptor - Rush Lanius (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 700/LV: 4)]"Now that your annoying Trap Card is gone, I'm free to Xyz Summon with my monsters now!" Shun announced. "Using the Level 4 Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius and Raidraptor - Rush Lanius on my field, I build the Overlay Network!"Shun's two aforementioned monsters transform into energy as they are absorbed into a galaxy vortex that appeared in front of him. A massive pillar of light shot out from the portal's center as Shun began chanting."Avian hunter of the afterlife, seek the truth with your dark eyes, and grasp glory with your sharp talons!" Shun chanted. "Xyz Summon! Take flight, Rank 4! Raidraptor - Force Strix (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2000/R: 4/OU: 2) in defense mode!"A mechanical owl appeared on Shun's field with a faint blue aura surrounding it.Reiji adjusted his glasses, "Impressive play. I didn't expect you to find a way to deal with my Trap Card that quickly.""Please, that was childsplay," Shun responded. "On the battlefield, I've faced a multitude of opponents who tried to lock me out of Xyz Summoning. Your attempt was lukewarm at best."One of Force Strix's Overlay Units is then detached from it as its effect activates.(Force Strix — OU: 2 → 1)"Force Strix's effect now activates!" Shun declared as he continued his turn. "By detaching 1 Overlay Unit from this card, I can add a Level 4 'Dark' Winged-Beast monster to my hand!"Shun added a card to his hand."I set three cards and end my turn," Shun concluded. "Your turn, Akaba.""Very well," Reiji said as he drew a card. "My turn!"[Turn 3: Reiji] [H: 1]"During the Standby Phase, I take 1000 points of damage due to Dark Contract with the Gate's effect!"Reiji clutched his chest as he felt a dark aura sap away part of his strength.Reiji — LP: 4000 → 3000"D/D Savant Kepler's Pendulum Effect activates," Reiji stated. "During my Standby Phase, this card's Scale Number decreases by 2."Savant Kepler began to short circuit as its Scale Number dropped.(Savant Kepler — SC: 10 → 8)"D/D/D Marksman King Tell's effect activates!" Reiji declared. "When I take damage due to the effect of a 'Dark Contract', I can detach one Overlay Unit from it, then deal 1000 points to damage to you!"(Marksman King Tell — OU: 2 → 1)Reiji's Xyz Monster shoots an arrow which glows yellow with energy at Shun. Shun deflects the blow with his duel blade, sending the attack into a nearby building, blowing a tiny piece of it up as Shun's Life Points dropped.Shun — LP: 3000 → 2000"Next, I activate Dark Contract with the Gate's effect once again, allowing me to add another 'D/D' Monster to my hand—!""Not so fast!" Shun interrupted. "I activate my Trap Card, Raptor's Storm! When you activate the effect of a Spell/Trap Card while I control a 'Raidraptor' Monster, I can negate the activation of that effect and destroy that card!"The Trap Card creates a gust of wind that blows away Reiji's Continuous Spell, destroying it."A minor setback," Reiji stated. "I summon the Tuner Monster, D/D Nighthowl (Dark/Fiend/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 300/DEF: 600/LV: 3)!"A floating mouth with razor sharp teeth appeared."When D/D Nighthowl is summoned onto my field, I can Special Summon a 'D/D' Monster from my graveyard," Reiji stated. "Be reborn, D/D Proud Chevalier (ATK: 2000/DEF: 700/LV: 5)!"Proud Chevalier returned to Reiji's field."Now the Level 3 D/D Nighthowl tunes the Level 5 D/D Proud Chevalier!" Reiji declared as his two monsters transform into green orbs and rings respectively, lining up together as a green pillar of light shoots through the center. Reiji began chanting. "Climb over the corpses of heroes, carrying your bloodstained blade! Synchro Summon! Be born, Level 8! D/D/D Cursed King Siegfried (Dark/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2200/LV: 8)!"Appearing on the field now was a man with long, white hair, whose body was completely covered in armor. In his hand, he brandished a giant. silver longsword which had dried blood stains scattered across it.Soon after that, a portal appeared above him as a pillar of light shot out from it."Pendulum Summon! Return from my Extra Deck, D/D Proud Chevalier (ATK: 2000/DEF: 700/LV: 5)!"Proud Chevalier appeared once again on Reiji's field."Tch," Shun clicked his tongue. "He just keeps recycling that monster."Reiji extended his arm forward as he moved into his Battle Phase, "Battle! D/D/D Marksman King Tell attacks Raidraptor - Force Strix!"Marksman King Tell shoots another arrow at Shun's monster, piercing through it and destroying it. After the attack concludes, one of Shun's set cards is flipped face-up."I activate the Quick-Play-Spell, Rank-Up-Magic Raptor's Force!" Shun announced. "When a 'Raidraptor Xyz' Monster I control is destroyed by battle, I can use it as material to Xyz Summon a 'Raidraptor Xyz' Monster 1 Rank higher!""D/D/D Cursed King Siegfried's effect activates!" Reiji declared. "During either player's turn, I can target 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field, and negate its effects!""Trap Card, open! Extra Lock!" Shun countered back with another set Trap. "When a monster from the Extra Deck activates an effect, this card can negate that monster's effects permanently!"Chains appeared around Cursed King Siegfried's blade and arms, locking it in place."Rank-Up-Magic Raptor's Force's effect now remains unimpeded," Shun stated. "Using my destroyed Raidraptor - Force Strix, I rebuild the Overlay Network!"Force Strix appeared temporarily before being absorbed into a galaxy vortex. A massive pillar of light shot out from its center as Shun began chanting."Ferocious falcon. Break through this fierce battle and spread your wings! Destroy our gathering foes!" Shun chanted. "Rank Up Xyz Change! Appear, Rank 5! Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2000/R: 5/OU: 1) in defense mode!"A large mechanical falcon with red armor appeared on Shun's field with a faint blue aura surrounding it."My Battle Phase still continues," Reiji stated. "D/D/D Cursed King Siegfried now attacks Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon!"The warrior brandishing a long sword leaped forward, preparing to slice through Shun's Xyz Monster."I activate the effect of Raidraptor - Emperor Eagle from my hand!" Shun declared. "When an attack is declared on a 'Raidraptor' Monster on my field, I can Special Summon this card to my field in defense mode! Then, this card becomes the target of your monster's attack!"A yellow mechanical eagle appeared with a faint blue aura surrounding it.[Raidraptor - Emperor Eagle (Dark/Winged-Beast/ATK: 1800/DEF: 200/LV: 4)]Cursed King Siegfried's attack shifts target as it slashes its sword cleanly through Emperor Eagle, destroying it.Proud Chevalier has an equal amount of ATK points to Blaze Falcon's defense points. I won't be able to destroy it this turn. Reiji assessed with a calm expression."I end my turn," Reiji concluded his turn."My turn! Draw!" Shun drew a card as he began his turn.[Turn 4: Shun] [H: 1]Shun scanned the card he drew for a moment before continuing."I activate Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon's effect!" Shun announced. "By detaching 1 Overlay Unit from it, I can destroy all Special Summoned Monsters in your field, and deal 500 damage for each card destroyed! Rain down carnage, Blaze Falcon!"(Blaze Falcon — OU: 1 → 0)Blaze Falcon rises into the air, its wings breaking of into floating laser that shoot at all of Reiji's monsters, destroying each one of them and creating countless mini explosions that cause Reiji to wince.Reiji — LP: 3000 → 1500"I switch Blaze Falcon to attack mode."The faint blue aura surrounding Blaze Falcon disappeared."Battle!" Shun immediately moved into his Battle Phase. "Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon attacks you directly!"Blaze Falcon shoots even more laser at Reiji, who tries to deflect some of them with his duel blade. He fails to deflect everything though, as he is hit by a few and sent flying back.Reiji — LP: 1500 → 500"I set one card and end my turn," Shun concluded. "Is this all that you've got, Akaba? I expected more from you."Reiji got back up on his feet, dusting off dust from his clothes and fixing his glasses."Now aren't you being premature," Reiji smiled. "You can't count me out while I still have Life Points remaining.""..." Shun's face twitched as he remembered that Rio said something similar when they dueled earlier."My turn! Draw!" Reiji drew a card as he began his turn.[Turn 5: Reiji] [H: 1]"D/D Savant Kepler's Pendulum Effect activates!" Reiji declared. "Reducing its Scale Number by 2 during my Standby Phase!"Savant Kepler began to short circuit as its Scale Number dropped.(Savant Kepler — SC: 8 → 6)"With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I can still summon monsters Levels 2 through 5 simultaneously!" Reiji declared. "Pendulum Summon! Return from my Extra Deck, D/D Proud Chevalier (ATK: 2000/DEF: 700/LV: 5)!"The armored warrior appeared on Reiji's field once again."Battle!" Reiji moved into his Battle Phase. "Proud Chevalier now attacks Blaze Falcon!"Proud Chevalier leaps forward, attempting the slash through Blaze Falcon with its blade."I activate the Quick-Play-Spell, Rank-Up-Magic Escape Force!" Shun declared. "When my 'Raidraptor Xyz' Monster is targeted for an attack, I can negate that effect, then immediately after this effect resolves, Xyz Summon 1 'Raidraptor Xyz' Monster that is 1 Rank higher! Using Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon as material, I rebuild the Overlay Network!"Blaze Falcon is absorbed into a galaxy vortex as a giant pillar of light shot out from the vortex's center."Prideful falcon. Spread your wings, dyed in the blood of heroes, and charge through the path of revolution!" Shun chanted. "Rank Up Xyz Change! Appear, Rank 6! Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 3000/R: 6/OU: 1)!"A falcon coated in grey and yellow paint, with many compartments on its body that could open up to rain bombardment on its enemies appeared from the vortex."Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon's effect activates!" Shun announced. "When this card is Xyz Summoned using a Rank 5 or lower monster, it can destroy a monster on your field, then deal damage equal to that monster's ATK points! This is the end, Akaba!"Revolution Falcon rises into the air, its many compartments beginning to open up.Reiji turned around to where Nakajima and other LDS Personnel were standing."Evacuate everyone nearby!" Reiji ordered. "This attack is going to be a big one!""Right away, Reiji-dono," Nakajima nodded. The personnel had already gone ahead and picked up the three unconscious LDS students, quickly fleeing the scene along with Nakajima.Revolution Falcon begins dropping bombs around the area, incinerating Proud Chevalier along with the area around them. As the bombs approached Reiji, he played a card effect."I activate D/D Cursed Marybelle's effect!" Reiji declared. "When I would take effect damage, I Special Summon this card to my field in defense mode!"A cursed gothic doll, wearing a dark frilly dress with chains or sigils wrapping around its limbs appeared.[D/D Cursed Marybelle (Dark/Fiend/Pendulum/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 900/LV: 2/SC: 3)]"Furthermore, thanks to Cursed Marybelle's effect, I can reduce the damage dealt by this effect to zero!"Shortly after, a barrier formed around Reiji, protecting him from Revolution Falcon's effect. Once the attack ended and the smoke settled, Reiji addressed his opponent."That was quite the destructive attack that you use there," Reiji commented. "I'm surprised you had the guts to use it, even when there were innocent bystanders nearby.""You guys are not innocent!" Shun snapped, his voice laced with fury. "Academia's soldiers destroyed my home, turned my people into cards, and kidnapped my sister! You all stand with them—so you're just as guilty!""Like I told you before, I have no association with my father," Reiji stated, growing increasingly impatient. "That man left us three years ago, not even saying a word to us before he disappeared. He left me and my mother behind while he went off to start an interdimensional war. Even if he did come back suddenly one day, I can't accept him as my father!""And why should I believe you!?" Shun asked."You don't have to believe me," Reiji stated as he closed his eyes. "I only told you my thoughts. It's up to you to decide whether or not you believe me."Reiji then opened his eyes, his expression showing a bit more emotion than usual."I may not accept him as my father anymore, but it's still my responsibility as his son to stop him from continuing on with his tyrannical mission," Reiji admitted. "And that is why I want you to join me. With your power, that goal of taking down my father is more likely to become a reality.""..." Shun was silent."You don't have to accept right now, I'll give you time to warm up to the idea," Reiji stated. "I end my turn here."Shun paused for a moment, closing his eyes as he began thinking more about what Reiji had just said.He did seem honest, Shun could tell. But at the same time, he shares the same blood as that man. He shouldn't trust what he has to say.Right?
Flashback…

One Year Ago, Heartland City…

Prior to Academia's invasion, Heartland was a peaceful and prosperous city. The most trouble Shun would have to deal with in his life was his younger sister, Ruri, who always went out of her way to help others, even when it would put her own wellbeing in peril. He appreciated how kind and caring Ruri was, reminding him of their late mother who had passed away when Shun was around five (Ruri being three at the time), but he also couldn't him quite a bit of stress for his otherwise uneventful life.

"Ruri, get down from there before you get hurt," Shun told her.

She had climbed up a tree to help a young boy get back his balloon that had flown into it.

"Just give me a second, Shun," Ruri said. "I'm…almost…there—AH!"

Ruri managed to grab the balloon, but a few moments after that, the branch she was on broke as she began falling to the ground.

"Ruri!" Shun shouted as he ran as fast as he could to save her.

He manages to reach right under where she fell, catching her in time before she could hit to the ground.

"Ruri, are you okay?" Shun asked her, a worried expression present on his face.

"Y-Yeah, I think I am," Ruri answered, a little shaken from what had just happened. "Could you put me down now?"

Shun helps her onto her feet. She then walks over to the little boy, giving him the balloon she had gotten from the tree.

"Here you go," Ruri said with a smile.

"Ah, my balloon!" The kid excitedly said as he held it. "Thank you so much, miss!"

"No problem," Ruri said. "Try not to lose it again."

"I won't!"

The kid ran off happily with his balloon. Shun couldn't help but smile at the sweet scene.

Stuff like this wasn't an uncommon occurrence. It's like Ruri would always go out of her way to find and help out those in need. Shun always accompanied her on these little escapades, even encouraging her to help out from time to time.

He was content with this life, and wished that days like this could last forever.

Sadly, that isn't what fate planned for them.

—BOOOOOOOOOOM!

A massive explosion could be heard in the distance, surprising the two of them.

"What was that?" Ruri wondered.

"Don't know," Shun replied. "But judging from that explosion, it can't be anything good."

Soon after, countless more explosions could be seen, along with the appearance of giant, robotic cyborgs that floated in the air, raining down fire on the city below. In just a few moments, the beautiful city that was Heartland is now burning.

…

A few moments later...

Shun and Ruri arrived at the Spade Branch of Heartland Duel School, finding Yuto who was busy helping bring in people who were injured from the initial attacks.

"Ruri? Shun?" Yuto's eyes widened in shock upon seeing them. After helping one last person inside, he hurried over. "Thank goodness you guys are okay."

"What's happening?" Shun asked. "We were just on our way here when giant cyborgs began blowing up the city."

"I'm not too sure myself," Yuto admitted. "It just all happened too fast for anyone to react. And I've been too busy helping injured people nearby to go out and figure out the cause of this."

"Leave the injured people to me," Ruri stated. "You have more important things to be doing, like going to see if your father is okay."

Yuto's eyes widened, "Oh yeah, you're right!"

He quickly put on his duel disk.

"I'll be back," Yuto said 
before running off.

Ruri then turned to Shun, "Shun, you should go join him to make sure he's okay."

"Yuto will be fine," Shun said, shaking his head. "He's strong enough to protect himself. I can't just leave you here alone."

"Why not? Is it because you think I'm weak to defend myself?" Ruri frowned. "You never let me leave home alone unless I'm with someone."

Shun hesitated, his expression softening. "You can't blame me for worrying. You're the only family I have left. I can't afford to lose you… I don't know what I'd do."

"I know," Ruri murmured, looking away. "I just wish you trusted me more."

…

The two of them spent the next few hours tending to the injured, whose numbers only kept rising over time. During this time, they were also made more aware about what, or who was attacking them. Men and women in red uniforms using a new summoning method that they had never seen before called Fusion. They were a group that called themselves Academia.

The fact that horrified Shun the most was what their goal in coming here was.

They treated this invasion as if it were nothing more than a hunting game, using their technology to seal people into cards. Shun had gotten most of this information from defeating an agent from Academia. From what the agent knew, once someone was sealed in a card, they couldn't get out, at least until Academia completed their god-given mission.

Essentially, if you were carded by Academia, you were as good as dead.

What concerned Shun even more was the fact that Yuto still hadn't returned yet. While he was sure Yuto was strong enough to defeat these agent, he couldn't help but be concerned about his friend's safety.

Fortunately, a few hours later, Yuto returned. Unfortunately, he came bearing bad news.

He had a lost expression on his face as he returned back to the Spade Branch. When Shun asked why he had that look on his face, Yuto revealed that he had arrived too late to save his father, watching him get carded right before his eyes.

Shun felt his heart sink upon hearing the news and seeing just how defeated his best friend looked in this moment. He clenched his fist as he felt nothing but rage begin to bubble up within him.

"Academia…" Shun seethed.

Not only did they come here and destroy their beautiful home, but they also hunted them down with nothing but sadistic smiles on their faces—treating their lives as nothing more than entertainment for their horrific hunting game.

It made Shun sick, sick to his stomach. He wanted to go out there and rip the smirks off all their faces. He wanted to go out there and bring back everyone that was sealed into a card. He wanted to go out there and put out the fires that scorched Heartland City.

But he couldn't, not right now. Not when he had to make sure Ruri, Yuto, and the rest of his closed ones were okay.

…

In the blink of an eye, six months had passed since Academia invaded Heartland. So much had happened in just a short amount of time that Shun could still hardly believe it.

Most of Heartland's population was wiped out in the initial stages of the invasion. Most people weren't duelists, so they had no way of fighting back against the Academia agents as they were turned into cards mercilessly.

Heartland's strongest dueling branch, the Diamond Branch, was wiped out in only a single week after the invasion began—by a single man. A man called Hell Kaiser or Ryo Marufugi, who ruthlessly defeated and carded every duelist of the Diamond Branch in only a single day.

After the initial month of Academia's invasion, the number of agents they sent out greatly diminished. After interrogating a few Academia agents that he caught, he learned that the reason why Academia had reduced the number of soldiers that were sent to Heartland was because they were currently in the middle of another invasion—the Ritual Dimension.

This was great for them, as it gave the survivors of Heartland enough time to group together and form some sort of Resistance, giving them more of a fighting chance against the forces of Academia that still remained in Heartland City.

With powerful duelists on their side like Kaito and Shark Kamishiro, they were able to develop a sort of safe haven in this hell that Academia created. Things were finally looking up for the remaining residents of Heartland City.

However, today was when things came crashing down.

Ruri had gone out to gather some more water for the camp. Due to her insisting that she was strong enough to do things on her own all the time, Shun finally cracked today, letting her go do something on her own for once. However, without her knowing, he also sent Saya (Ruri's best friend) to follow her and make sure that she was okay.

Around an hour after they left, Saya returned with tears streaming down her face. When Shun asked her where Ruri was, he was horrified when he heard from Saya that Ruri had been kidnapped.

This was also the moment when Shun finally cracked.

The one person who had kept him sane in this living hell was gone. Without her, Shun felt himself slipping even deeper into his bubbling rage.

Around a month prior, thanks to the help of Kaito's father, Dr. Faker, they had found a way to mimic most Academia's duel disk functions, including the function that allowed them to turn people into cards. Most of the resistance chose not to make use of that function, due to their morals keeping them against killing people. However, some made use of it, including Shark Kamishiro, who believed that their fight against Academia would never end if they just let them go freely.

Shun also agreed with Shark, they shouldn't be letting Academia agents go freely after fighting them off. But Ruri always told him not to use it, since she doesn't want to see her brother become a monster like Academia. Just for her, he decided not to make use of this function.

But now, things have changed.

Academia had taken Ruri, the one person Shun cared for more than even himself.

Shun clenched his fists, "I don't care what I have to do. I'll bring you back, Ruri."

Even if he had to become someone that she hated.
Shun's eyes opened as he felt his fighting spirit burn."My turn! DRAW!" Shun drew a card with all his might as he began his turn.[Turn 6: Shun] [H: 1]"Battle!" Shun moved into his Battle Phase. "Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon attacks D/D Cursed Marybelle!"Revolution Falcon soars into the air, dropping down countless bombs that blow up parts of the alleyway, destroying Reiji's monster in the process."I set a card and end my turn," Shun concluded his turn shortly after that.Akaba, if you're serious about what you're saying—if you truly want to defeat your father. Prove it to me. Shun silently challenged. Show me your resolve—right here, right now—on your next turn. Give me a reason to choose a different path.Reiji seemed to pick up on this silent message through Shun's body language."You want me to prove my resolve to you. Am I right, Xyz?" Reiji smiled. "To give you a reason to listen to what I have to say."Shun remained silent, neither confirming nor denying Reiji's words."Very well," Reiji declared, his expression turning serious. "Then allow me to show you my resolve. My turn! DRAW!"Reiji's deck began to glow as he drew with all his might.[Turn 7: Reiji] [H: 1]Reiji looked at the card he drew and smiled."D/D Savant Kepler's Pendulum Effect activates!" Reiji announced. "During the Standby Phase, its Scale Number decreases by 2!"(Savant Kepler — SC: 6 → 4)"With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I can summon monsters Levels 2 and 3 simultaneously!" Reiji declared. "Grand power that shakes my very soul, arise within me and become a new light that rends the darkness! Pendulum Summon! Return from my Extra Deck, D/D Cursed Marybelle (ATK: 500/DEF: 900/LV: 2)!"The same gothic doll monster that Reiji summoned earlier appeared."Next, I activate the Spell Card, D/D Exchange," Reiji declared. "By shuffling the two 'D/D' Monsters currently in my Pendulum Scale back into my deck, I can add two different 'D/D' Monsters from my deck to my hand!"Reiji's Pendulum Zones vanished as he returned the two cards to his deck. His Duel Disk automatically shuffled the deck before ejecting two new cards, which Reiji swiftly picked up."D/D Arthur's effect now activates!" Reiji shouted. "By discarding a card from my hand, I can Special Summon it to my field! I choose to discard D/D Necro Slime from my hand!"Reiji sends a card to the graveyard as a warrior in golden armor, brandishing a golden blade in his hand appeared.[D/D Arthur (Dark/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1500/LV: 5)]"The Level 2 D/D Cursed Marybelle tunes the Level 5 D/D Arthur!" Reiji announced as the aforementioned monsters transform into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up as a giant pillar of light shot through the center. "Howls that tear through the night. Gain the swiftness of a gale and become the cries of a newborn king! Synchro Summon! Be born, Level 7! D/D/D Gust King Alexander (Wind/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)!"A powerful warrior in white armor, wearing a green cape on his back appeared."Now from my graveyard, I activate D/D Necro Slime's effect!" Reiji stated. "By banishing it along with another monster, I can perform a Fusion Summon using those two monsters as materials!""Fusion!?" Shun tensed up."I fuse D/D Necro Slime with D/D/D Marksmen King Tell!" Reiji declared.The two monsters appeared on the field momentarily, before rising into the air and fusing together. As they fused, Reiji began chanting."Arcane swirl that takes in all forms. Mold together around the cold-blooded archer and give birth to a new king!" Reiji chanted. "Fusion Summon! Be born, Level 10! The king who commands ruin and chaos, D/D/D Cataclysmic Kaiser Apollyon (Dark/Fiend/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2000/LV: 10)!"A towering fiend clad in black and crimson armor, with six spectral wings sticking out from the cracks on the back of its armor appeared."D/D/D Gust King Alexander's effect activates," Reiji stated. "Once per turn, when a 'D/D' or 'D/D/D' Monster is summoned onto my field, I can Special Summon 1 'D/D' Monster from my graveyard. Return to my field, D/D Arthur (ATK: 2200/DEF: 1500/LV: 5)!"The warrior wearing golden armor appeared once again."Immediately after that, D/D Arthur's effect activates!" Reiji declared. "When this card is Special Summoned from the graveyard, I can then tribute this card to Special Summon 1 'D/D' Monster from my Extra Deck. Return to my field, D/D Cursed Marybelle (ATK: 500/DEF: 900/LV: 2) in defense mode!"D/D Arthur sank into a portal under it, and a few moments later, D/D Cursed Marybelle appeared from within it—a faint blue aura surrounding it."Now, all my preparations are complete," Reiji adjusted his glasses before pointing at Revolution Falcon. "Battle! D/D/D Cataclysmic Kaiser Apollyon attacks Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon! Apollyon Judgement!"Kaiser Apollyon's wings extend as it flies into the air. The monster creates a massive ball of dark energy that it then hurls down at Revolution Falcon."Revolution Falcon's effect activates!" Shun declared. "When it battles a Special Summoned monster, that monster's ATK points is reduced to zero!"Revolution Falcon rises into the air, glowing in a bright yellow light as it clashes with the massive ball of dark energy."Naive," Reiji stated. "I've already accounted for that.""What?" Shun was surprised."D/D/D Cataclysmic Kaiser Apollyon's effect activates!" Reiji declared. "When it battles a monster with less ATK points than it, that monster's effects are negated during the Damage Step! Furthermore, it temporarily gains ATK equal to half of your monster's ATK!"(Revolution Falcon — ATK: 2000)(Cataclysmic Kaise Apollyon — ATK: 3000 → 4000)"So what? I still have one last move, Akaba!" Shun declared as his set Trap Card is activated. "I activate the Counter Trap, Raidraptor - Empowerment! When your monster declares an attack, I can detach one Overlay Unit from my 'Raidraptor Xyz' monster to negate that attack, then deal damage to you equal to half your monster's ATK points! It's over!"(Revolution Falcon — OU: 1 → 0)"I've accounted for this scenario as well," Reiji smirked, much to Shun's shock. "D/D Cursed Marybelle's effect activates! By tributing D/D/D Gust King Alexander from my field, I can negate the activation of an effect that would deal damage to me!"Gust King Alexander bursts into particles along with Shun's Trap Card."No way…" Shun muttered in shock."This is the end!" Reiji declared with an intense expression as his monster's attack collided with Revolution Falcon, destroying the massive mechanical falcon and creating a massive explosion."..." Shun stood there quietly, a bitter smile forming on his face before he was sent flying from the shockwaves of the explosion.Shun — LP: 2000 → 0Winner: ReijiReiji's monsters disappeared as he deactivated his duel disk. He turned around to walk away, but not before addressing Shun one last time."I'll be expecting great things from you," Reiji said before walking away from the scene.A few minutes later, Rio arrived at the alleyway where they had just duel."Yup, Shun was definitely here," Rio commented upon seeing the floor and surrounding buildings being damaged, as if multiple explosions have gone off around here.Something big happened here. Something that she was unfortunately too late to see."These were recent though, so I shouldn't be too far…" Rio muttered as she looked around until…—Yawn.She let out a long, exhausted yawn."I think it's time to call it quits for today," Rio said. "I'll continue looking tomorrow."Rio walked away from the scene, deciding to go look for a good place for her to call the night.Unknown to her, standing up on top of the rooftop nearby was Shun, who watched her leave with an unreadable expression on his face for a moment before deciding to leave the scene—going in the opposite direction.

Custom/Altered Cards:

Monster Card/s:

Raidraptor - Rush Lanius
ATK: 1500, DEF: 700, LV: 4Dark/Winged-Beast/EffectMonster Effect: You can Special Summon this card by tributing 1 Continuous Spell/Trap on the field.
Raidraptor - Emperor Eagle
ATK: 1800, DEF: 200, LV: 4Dark/Winged-Beast/EffectMonster Effect:(Quick Effect): When an attack is declared on a "Raidraptor" monster you control, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. While this card is on the field, your opponent can only target it for attacks.
D/D Cursed Marybelle
ATK: 500, DEF: 700, LV: 2Dark/Fiend/Pendulum/Tuner/EffectMonster Effect: (Quick Effect) When you would take effect damage: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, reduce that damage to 0. (Quick Effect) When a card effect is activated that would inflict effect damage: You can Tribute 1 "D/D" monster you control; negate that effect.
D/D Arthur
ATK: 2200, DEF: 1500, LV: 5Dark/Fiend/EffectMonster Effect: You can discard 1 card; Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is Special Summoned from the GY: You can target 1 "D/D" monster in your Extra Deck; Special Summon it.
D/D/D Cataclysmic Kaiser Apollyon
ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, LV: 10Dark/Fiend/Fusion/Effect1 "D/D/D" Monster + 1 "D/D" MonsterMonster Effect: If this card battles a monster with lower original ATK, that monster's effects are negated until the end of the turn, and this card gains ATK equal to half that monster's ATK during the Damage Step only. If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can Special Summon 1 "D/D" monster from your GY, except "D/D/D Cataclysmic Kaiser Apollyon."

Spell/Trap Card/s:

Extra Lock
Counter TrapWhen a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck activates its effect: Negate that effect, and its effects are negated permanently.
D/D Exchange
Normal SpellTarget 2 "D/D" Pendulum Monsters in your Pendulum Zones; shuffle them into the Deck, then add 2 "D/D" monsters from your Deck to your hand.
Raidraptor - Empowerment
Normal TrapWhen your opponent's monster declares an attack: You can detach 1 material from a "Raidraptor Xyz" Monster you control; negate the attack, then inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the attacking monster's ATK.
And that's all. Sorry if it was a bit short, since I didn't really plan on writing anything other than the duel, and it was hard to inflate the word count of it (also the main reason why I decided to add a flashback here).

The next chapter will pick up with the next arc, the Maiami Championships. This is also the point of the story where things will be ramped up, so I hope you, the reader will be looking forward to it.

Don't really have much to say that I haven't said already. If the next chapter is out, you already know the drill, go read it. Otherwise, have a good day.