Disclaimer: Minor spelling, grammar, and other mistakes may be present.
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[Standard Arc Opening Theme (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 1: BELIEVE X BELIEVE)]
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Scale 04: The Phantom Calling for Rebellion
Elsewhere, a few minutes earlier…
Yuya could be seen walking near the You Show Duel School. Behind him, a short light blue-haired youth wearing a slightly darker blue uniform could be seen trailing him. This continued for a few moments longer before Yuya eventually came to a stop, turning around and crossing his arms at them.
"Are you seriously going to keep following me?" Yuya asked.
"Yup!" Sora replied with energetic tone. "You promised that you'd teach me, remember?"
"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 so easily. But if it meant that he would leave him alone, Yuya was fine with it.
He's your problem now, Yuuji. Yuya sweatdropped.
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With Yuuji...
[Duel!] Yuuji and Ryouga shout in unison as their duel began.
Yuuji — LP: 4000
Ryouga — LP: 4000
[Turn 1: Ryouga] [H: 5]
"Achoo…" Yuuji suddenly 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, with 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.
"My turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card as he began his turn.
[Turn 2: Yuuji] [H: 6]
Yuuji then revealed two cards in his hand.
"I set the Pendulum Scale with the Scale 1 Antique Maker - Swinging Soul and the 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. The numbers 1 and 8 appear on each of the zones in rainbow font as a giant, silver pendulum swung above it all.
"Pendulum?" Ryouga was confused. "What the hell is that?"
From his spot on the roof of an abandoned warehouse, Yuto's eyes widened in surprise.
"I'll show you!" Yuuji shouted. "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! I Pendulum Summon!"
The silver pendulum draws a portal in the sky, with two beams of energy shooting 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) along with 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 with a faint blue aura surrounding it 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 are then sucked 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. Yuuji thought.
"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.
"My turn! Draw!" Ryouga drew a card.
[Turn 3: Ryouga] [H: 4]
Ryouga then smirked. "How convenient, all three of my monsters are here. With this, all of the pieces for your demise 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 aloud 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. "I Fusion Summon! 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!" Yuuji adds a card to his hand, revealing it before placing it on one end of his duel blade. "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 and reveals it. "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. The numbers 2 and 8 appear on each of the zones in a strange golden font.
"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! I Pendulum Summon!"
A portal appears above the field as three 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) in defense mode!"
Yuuji's monsters swarm his field. Among them is an old, worn-out journal which floated in the air with a faint blue aura surrounding it.
"Antique Maker - Mira's summoning effects allows me to add 1 'Antique' Card from my deck to my hand! I'll add the Trap Card, Emergency Antique Reinforcements to my hand!" Yuuji declared as he added a card to his hand. "Next, 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) in defense mode!"
The golden bell emerges from the portal with a faint blue aura surrounding it.
"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 set one card and end my turn."
A face-down appeared on Yuuji's field.
"My turn! Draw!" Ryouga drew a card as he began his turn.
[Turn 5: Ryouga] [H: 2]
"I activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards." Ryouga drew two more cards. He smirked when he saw what he drew. "It looks like the gods yearn for 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. "I Fusion Summon! 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 banish it from my graveyard to draw 2 cards."
Ryouga drew two more cards.
"I then discard the cards I had just drawn to activate XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect again!" Ryouga smiled. "I'll target your last monster along with the Trap Card that you had just set with this effect!"
Dragon Cannon shoots another lazer, annihilating Antique Journal and one of Yuuji's set Trap Cards. Yuuji is sent flying away from the shockwaves once again. However, this time he doesn't manage to catch himself, with his back slamming into a crate hard.
"Blerg!" Yuuji coughs up blood from the impact as he drops to the ground.
"Now that's a fitting look," 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 → 1700
Holy 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 final 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!
"My turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew with all his might as he began his turn.
[Turn 6: Yuuji] [H: 1]
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.
[Turn 7: Ryouga] [H: 1]
"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 before coming to a stop. A puddle of blood could be seen growing beneath him as he bled from his head and mouth, his consciousness hung in limbo.
Yuuji — LP: 1700 → 0
Winner: Ryouga
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At 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 covered 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. "That's odd. 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. "Don't worry, Yuuji! We'll come save you—!"
—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, visibly frowning at the idea.
"That sounds boring though," Sora pouted. "I want to duel right now!" Sora began kicking his feet and whining.
"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.
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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 and head which created a puddle of it beneath him.
"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 sneered. "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 at dueling, 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, glaring at Ryouga with hatred.
"You…" Yuto addressed him.
"Huh?" Ryouga turned to him and frowned. "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's definitely long 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 his 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, Academia," Yuto frowned.
"Sure, sure," Ryouga waved him off.
A few moments later, their duel began.
[Duel!] The two shout in unison.
Yuto — LP: 4000
Ryouga — 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."
"Fine with me. I draw!" Ryouga drew a card as he started his turn.
[Turn 2: Ryouga] [H: 6]
"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 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 with two face-downs. "Looks like you aren't as bad as I thought."
"My turn! Draw!" Yuto began his turn, ignoring Ryouga's comments.
[Turn 3: Yuto] [H: 1]
Yuto extended his hand outwards, "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. "I 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 spins its spear around as it leaps 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…" Yuuji muttered. "So, if he lets that attack go through, he'll only be taking unnecessary damage…"
(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.
"I draw!" Ryouga started his turn.
[Turn 4: Ryouga] [H: 4]
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. "I Fusion Summon! 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!"
(Cursed Javelin — OU: 1 → 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 transformed into balls of energy which are then absorbed into the galaxy vortex that appeared in front of him. A massive pillar of energy shooting out from the vortex's 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. "I 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 → 3800
He 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!"
Ryouga then places his hand over the top of his deck.
"My turn! Draw!" Ryouga drew with all his might, his deck glowing in response as he does.
[Turn 6: Ryouga] [H: 1]
"I activate Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three more cards!" Ryouga shouted. "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! I Fusion Summon! 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 in shock. 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! I Fusion Summon! 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 limitations, summoning materials to summon another Fusion Monster, then using those Fusion Monsters to perform a Contact Fusion all in the same turn.
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…"
That was something that was already quite obvious, but the reality of it all was finally registering in his mind.
"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 asked with a dark tone, 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 produced devastating shockwaves that sent Ryouga flying, concluding the duel.
Ryouga — LP: 1900 → 0
Winner: Yuto
Yuto's dragon roars in triumph, before it turns into golden particles and disappears
[BGM (Background Music) Ends Here.]
Yuto walks towards the down Ryouga, grabbing the young man 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 surprised me, 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, "And 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 of mine, 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 head as his palm was stained in his own blood.
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 with a cheery smile.
"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, horrified expressions on their faces 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, along with his forehead.
"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 something similar to a gang 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: 4
Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum 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: 8
Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum 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: 1
Light/Machine/Effect
Monster Effect: During your turn: You can banish this card and 1 other card from your Graveyard.
Spell/Trap Cards:
Union Online
Normal Trap
Special 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 Card
Place 1 Pendulum Monster from your Deck into your Pendulum Zone. You can only activate 1 Pendulum Call per turn.
A-to-Z Armory
Normal Trap
During 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 Trap
For 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 Spell
Special 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 Trap
When an A-to-Z Monster is Fusion Summoned while this card is in your graveyard, you can draw 1 card.
Mirror Barrier
Normal Trap
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Negate that attack.
Damage Breaker
Normal Trap
If 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 Trap
For the rest of this turn, Fusion Monsters on the field cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects.
Rise of the Banished
Normal Spell
Pay half your Life Points; Special Summon up to 2 monsters from your Banished Zone.