If any of you ever writes a chapter story like this, you really need to make sure it's one you, yourself, are sure to enjoy writing. You also need to be absolutely sure that it's a story you're going to stick with, and not discontinue so abruptly, which would leave your fans outraged.
That's something I've learned the hard way. Multiple times, even.
Ever since I joined this site back in February 2006, most of the stories I have written were stories that only lasted one chapter (to be honest, I thought they were called "oneshots", but it turns out a "oneshot's" completely different). It's mostly because I find writing one-chapter stories easier than writing stories with multiple chapters, mostly because I don't have to worry about what will happen next, and the continuity.
And actually, I did try writing a chapter story as early as 2006 or 2007. It was a crossover between Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and Harry Potter (which, as I've found out, is one of the most popular crossovers I've seen). Alas, it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, mostly because my "writing maturity" wasn't as mature back then as it is now. That, and I suddenly lost interest in it.
And for those of you who are familiar with me and my stories, you may have remembered that I've wanted to write a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan fiction with dueling in it, and I've attempted at it multiple times…and failed each time. I don't know exactly how many times, but I'm positive it was at least ten. I kid you not—I tried writing it at least ten times, and I have failed each time! I'm pretty sure that anyone who's had failed at writing a story like mine that many times would have their reputation ruined.
But I'm losing track of myself. Let me start over:
Hello. This is Psychid, as usual. And welcome to my "newest" project, which I hope to stick with this time: Yu-Gi-Oh! EXELIXI.
This is yet another crack at the Yu-Gi-Oh! dueling story I've always wanted to write ever since I joined this site. But trust me when I say that this story is going to be big. And by that, I mean it's going to be "big" in the sense that I'm going to take one of the biggest risks I don't think anyone's ever taken without being ballyhooed or harassed for it.
I'm actually going to make this a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan fiction with Scientology references in later chapters.
Before you go and pummel me with criticisms, hate mail and rotten fruits and vegetables, I want to make some things perfectly clear: Yes, I acknowledge that Scientology is one of the most controversial religions of today, and I am aware of why it's so controversial. No, I do not acknowledge it as the "true religion". No, I am not a Scientologist, nor do I expect to convert to it (at least not at the moment). And no, I am not trying to shove my beliefs down your throats.
But I'm, strangely enough, one of the few people who's actually interested in it, and I feel that it's gotten so much disrespect these past couple of years, and I feel like I should try and do whatever it takes to get people to have a better understanding of the religion. Even if you don't, I still hope you enjoy what you see.
Again, I'm losing track of myself. Let's talk about what you'll expect to see in the story:
Before I do, however, I want to tell you right away that you'll be seeing some "original" characters and plot elements that you'll find vaguely familiar. In the case of the former, most of you who are like me may find the characters' appearances very similar to those of other characters from cartoons or games, whether the latter be video games or online games. Yes, I know I could do better than that; but truth be told, I never could come up with anything that was "purely" original. Just be thankful I'm not as low as the assholes behind Video Brinquedo. But I will say that I do not own the references most of my original characters are based on, and they therefore belong to their respectful owners.
As for the duels themselves: This story will feature both Ground Duels and Turbo Duels, both of which will be performed via the Augmented Reality Duels featured in Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL. All duels will follow the same rules of the OCG/TCG, with the exception of most of them starting at four thousand (4000) Life Points apiece. I find writing duels that start at four thousand easier than ones that start at eight thousand.
In addition to cards that exist in the OCG/TCG, this story will feature cards exclusive to the anime and manga, along with cards created by other authors on this site, and possibly other sites. Exceptions to cards originating from the anime or manga will be ones whose effects aren't fully accurate, as stated by the Yu-Gi-Oh! Wiki. Nevertheless, all non-OCG/TCG cards featured will be properly referenced and credited at the end of each chapter they debuted in.
Since this story will feature ZEXAL's feature of Augmented Reality Duels, along with D-Pads and Duel Gazers, Xyz Monsters will also be included. However, I promised my beta-reader, Youngbountygirl (whom I'd like to take the time to thank for agreeing to be beta-reader for this story), that I wouldn't include them as often as I originally intended, for the sake of respect to the anime's canon. In other words, don't expect too many Xyz Monsters, dear readers. Also, there will not be any card mentioning the Pendulum Monsters or Pendulum Summoning in the upcoming Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, for the same reasons.
This story will also follow the OCG Forbidden/Limited Lists for February 2014. While I'm on the subject, I will tell you that I find it interesting that ever since September 2013, there are two separate Lists: One that is exclusive to the OCG, and another exclusive to the TCG. As said before, this story will follow the Forbidden/Limited Lists for the OCG, because most of this story will take place in Japan, and I feel like using the OCG Lists would be considered authentic. Two rules I will not follow, however, are the OCG's new rules that are effective next Friday (March 21), in which the player cannot draw a card during the first turn of the Duel, and that there can be two Field Spell Cards on the field at the same time.
One last thing: When reviewing my stories, I would greatly appreciate it if you gave me actual critique. I'm aware I've been asking for praise back then (and even today, I occasionally do). But this time, I'm serious: I would like nothing but critique. I would also appreciate it if you did not include anything that is completely unrelated to either the chapter reviewed, or the story itself.
And now, for my usual 411!
FULL SUMMARY: Mira Oshaki is not your average everyday duelist. She, along with several other duelists of her kind, is destined to save two worlds from a force that threatens both!
STORY RATING: Rated T for mild violence, mild language, religious content and other suggestive material
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL,Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V or any other Yu-Gi-Oh! anime Kazuki Takahashi, the series' rightful creator, may come up with. Though I own the characters exclusive to this story, I do not own the characters they are based on; they are all copyright to their respective owners.
"Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe."
~L. RON HUBBARD (1911 – 1986)
Mira Oshaki—our long-black-haired, red-eyed heroine of this tale—suddenly found herself in her own dream. …At least, that's what she thought it was.
How could it not be a dream? Every dream has at least some form of abnormality. Plus, one would occasionally find themselves in their own dream. But this was nowhere close to the kind of dream Mira would usually have. All she saw were pitches of black and vast areas of sand. There were no other notable people, or any other notable objects for that matter—just the blackness and the sand.
Actually, she did see two objects falling down from the sky and landing in front of her. They were both rather large, ovular rocks. One of them was colored light blue and engraved with a male gender symbol pointing upright, with a small dot in the center of its circle. The other was colored spring green with a circle engraved on the front. Inside the circle was a horizontal line and a vertical one that intersected with each other. Upon both rocks' landing, a light shone around them.
Suddenly, a third rock fell; this one was a black jagged rock with a symbol resembling a cross with a squiggle attached to its bottom right corner. Upon its landing, the light blue rock began to crack until it crumbled into dust. The spring green rock simply faded away, for reasons unknown. Afterwards, seven smaller versions of the black jagged rock emerged from the sand, surrounding their original counterpart. Each of them had a different symbol carved in the front; one of them had the same symbol as the rock that had crumbled earlier.
Just when things couldn't possibly get even stranger for Mira, another rock fell. This one was a white rectangular rock with a symbol resembling the number four with a curve on its far left side—strangely enough, the same symbol as one of the smaller jagged rocks. Upon its landing, six small ovular crystals—each of which were amethyst, amber, ruby, pearl, sapphire and emerald—began floating around the rectangular rock, then floated around the small jagged rocks, causing them to crumble. The original jagged rock eventually crumbled along with them.
"Mira Oshaki!" a female voice spoke from out of nowhere.
"Wh-who said that?!" Mira demanded, hastily turning her head back and forth as she slowly stepped back in fear.
"You are one of Earth's inhabitants who are destined to save both your own planet and ours!"
"W-wait a minute! I don't even know what's going on!"
"All will be explained in due time, Mira Oshaki! In due time!"
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
No sooner had she said those words when she abruptly woke up and began looking around the room, breathing heavily and sweating almost uncontrollably. Much to her relief, she didn't see any areas of sand, or any falling rocks for that matter. All she saw was an old mirror hanging above a clothes drawer, some slightly tattered curtains covering a broken glass window, and her two friends sleeping in a room across from her own.
Mira wanted to go back to sleep; but with the dream she just had, she decided to try and do something else to calm her nerves. Not wanting to disturb her friends, she carefully pulled herself out of the covers, wrapped a black robe over her dark purple midriff and black sleep shorts, and crept down the rusty iron stairs to step outside. As soon as she did, she began to smile, knowing that the cool night air was comforting her.
Mira Oshaki was pretty much your average everyday duelist of nineteen. Like most duelists around her age, she had dreams. And her biggest dream was most likely the same as most duelists': To become one of the greatest duelists who ever lived. Unlike most people, however, she did not expect herself to be better than the King of Games, Yugi Muto; that was a goal even she knew was virtually impossible to accomplish.
"That was one of the weirdest dreams I've ever had," she said, stretching. "I don't even know if there was any meaning to it!" She went back inside to get her needed rest.
Little would she soon realize that there was a meaning to the dream she just had. And little would she expect that she, along with several other duelists of her kind, would be destined to save not only her home planet, but another planet in another universe, as well.
This is that story.
YU-GI-OH! EXELIXI
CHRONICLE 001
JUSTICE OF PROPHECY
On the morning after her dream, Mira was having breakfast with the two friends mentioned earlier in this chapter. Allow me to properly introduce them to you: Homanu Ishako and Kero Nobuyuki.
Upon first meeting him, one might expect Homanu to be the stereotypical street thug. It would make sense, noting his medium-cut brown hair, his brown eyes, and his tall, muscular physique. In truth, he was much more kindhearted than one might expect, and would do anything to protect his friends from any harm, even if he did occasionally push the limits to do that. At this moment, he was dressed in a gray undershirt and brown boxers.
Although of average height, Kero Nobuyuki was always the shortest of the three friends when compared to each other. He had long, magenta-colored hair with a strand hanging over the forehead, green eyes, and a cheerful look on his face. He was a good friend to almost anyone, but he was occasionally immature. In fact, he was the least mature of the three friends. But what he lacked in maturity, he more than made up for with a passion to never give up in his duels. At this moment, he was dressed in a white long-sleeved sleep shirt and red sweatpants.
"Today's the big day, Mira!" Homanu told her. "Today's the final match of the Neo Domino Summer Dueling Championship!"
"I so can't wait for it!" Kero squealed. "I can't believe Mira is actually going up against England's top duelist, Arthur Rutherford! This is gonna be so schweet!"
"Yeah, great…" Mira said, laughing nervously as she continued eating her breakfast of two tamagoyakis.
Hearing this, Homanu immediately knew something was wrong with his female friend. "Mira…are you okay?" he gently asked her.
"Ah, she's probably getting nervous about the match," Kero assured him. "I mean, she is going up against a professional like Arthur, after all! These things happen to everyone; it's normal!"
"It's not that," said Mira, "it's…it's something else…"
"What is it?" asked Homanu.
"See, I had this dream last night-"
"So you had a nightmare about losing to Arthur in the finals?" Kero quickly assumed. "Don't worry; it's not like it'll actually happen, even though youare gonna be up against a professional!"
"Kero!" Homanu harshly scolded him.
"I'm just saying!"
"It's not that," said Mira. "The thing is…I don't know what my dream was about last night…"
"Well, what happened?" asked Homanu.
After taking a deep breath, she explained everything that happened in her dream last night, including the vast areas of sand and the falling rocks that eventually crumbled away. "And the strangest part is," she said, "there was this voice that told me I was one of Earth's 'destined inhabitants' to 'save my own planet and theirs'…"
"Man, that is strange!" Kero said.
"I probably wouldn't worry about it right now," Homanu suggested. "You have more important things to worry about, remember?"
"You're right," said Mira, getting herself up from the table. "I gotta get ready for the final match!"
"Yeah!" said Kero, leaping out of his seat and wildly running around the living room that was located next to the dining room. "I can see it now: Satellite's Mira Oshaki versus England's Arthur Rutherford! It's all gonna be 'DT-DT-DT-DT-DT-DT-DT-DT-DT!' and 'PYEW-PYEW-PYEW-PYEW!' with some 'TRAP CARD, ACTIVATE!' and-"
"Okay, let's not pop any blood vessels," said Mira as she headed upstairs to change. Homanu and Kero eventually followed her to do the same.
A couple of minutes later, the three friends were dressed in their everyday attire. Mira was dressed in an onyx riding jacket over a dark purple T-shirt with a platinum 'D' decorated on the front, fingerless gloves in the same color as her T-shirt, slender black riding pants, and purple riding boots. A black Wrist Dealer—the same gauntlet-like object worn by all Turbo Duelists everywhere—was also worn on her left wrist.
Homanu was dressed in a brown jacket over a red T-shirt with a meteor surrounded by bright blue flames decorated on the front, brown fingerless gloves, gray riding pants, and black riding boots. Of the three friends' attire, Kero's was the most plain: a white, long-sleeved shirt, black jeans, and white sneakers.
As they entered the garage, Mira fastened something onto the left side of her face. It was the Duel Gazer: the eyepiece-like object used in Augmented Reality Duels. You'll see how it works later on in this chapter; but note right now that it is an eyepiece-like object comprised of a microphone and a lens. In this case, Mira's microphone was black while the lens was tinted magenta.
She also picked up a dark purple helmet lying on a shelf nearby and fastened it on her head; part of her long hair went through in the form of a ponytail. She then walked over to her Duel Runner: the motorcycle-like vehicles used in Turbo Duels. Hers was one resembling the Giganto L: the Duel Runners used by the once infamous Dark Signers; only it was dark purple, less threatening in appearance and could now take as much punishment as the typical Duel Runner. In place of the Duel Disk system underneath the Duel Field screen, however, was a dashboard with a row of five violet Monster Card Zones with two horizontal slots underneath. Another Duel Runner was parked across from Mira's Duel Runner; but you'll learn more about it later.
"Well, guys," she announced as she climbed upon her own Duel Runner, "I'm heading out!"
"We'll be rooting for you all the way!" Homanu encouraged her as he pressed a nearby button that opened the rusty garage door.
"Good luck, Mira!" Kero cheered.
Mira only smiled at her friends as she pressed a button on her helmet that caused a clear-tinted visor to slide down, which only went down to her eyes. After turning on her Runner and shifting its gears, she rode out of the garage and towards her destination.
"C'mon!" Kero said to his male friend as soon as their female friend was gone. "Let's get our own Duel Gazers before the final match starts! I don't want to miss a minute of this!" Almost without thinking, he dashed out of the garage and up the stairs to get what he needed.
"Oh, Kero…will you ever learn to calm down?" Homanu playfully sighed as he followed his friend upstairs.
Mira's destination was the Memorial Circuit: Neo Domino's most famous tournament, and the same location where historical tournaments such as the Fortune Cup and the World Racing Grand Prix were held.
On the floor of the center of the inside stadium itself, there were two rectangular platforms, each one colored light brown with a Duel Field engraved on the floor in white. Around both platforms was some kind of a racetrack, with part of it connecting to a nearby garage. And, like every other stadium in the world, there were rows and rows of bleachers for those who wanted to see the events taking place. And seeing how most of those bleachers were filled with excited people, we could easily tell something excited was about to take place.
Meanwhile, inside the garage mentioned earlier, we see a boy in his early-to-mid-twenties tuning up a Runner of his own.
He had spiky, medium cut blond hair, blue eyes, and had a muscular physique similar to Homanu's. He was dressed from head to toe in a one-piece riding suit that was gold with shoulder pads, kneepads and boots, all of them platinum. He also wore a chrome Wrist Dealer resembling a knight's gauntlet on his right arm, along with a Duel Gazer whose microphone was white and lens was turquoise. Another notable feature was a watch with a platinum band; there was a piece covering the bezel that was the same color as the band, with an octagon-shaped shard of amber inside.
The Runner he was tuning was the same color as his suit, whose hood resembled a unicorn, complete with a horn. His own Runner's Card Zones were platinum. The helmet lying beside him was the same color as both his jumpsuit and Runner, and included a white grill to make it resemble a knight's helmet.
As he kept tuning his Runner, the faint sound of someone else wheeling their Runner caught his attention, and it seemed to keep growing by the second. The 'someone else' who was wheeling their Runner was none other than Mira, who had entered the same garage he was in.
"Ah," the boy spoke in a cocky but authentic English accent, "I see you're my final opponent in the tournament."
"Yep," Mira replied. "And I'm assuming you're Arthur Rutherford, am I correct?"
"That is correct, Miss…um…"
"Oshaki. Mira Oshaki."
"Ah. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Oshaki. I'm sure that I shall find you to be a worthy opponent."
"Likewise, I'm sure."
You certainly are lucky to duel a professional such as myself, Arthur thought. But I'm afraid it is I who shall be the victor of this tournament. I always have, and I always will!
Suddenly, the garage door slowly opened as the sounds of the audience cheering, along with traditional ceremony music, entered the garage. Arthur and Mira both stopped what they were doing, fastened on their helmets and climbed upon their Runners, for they knew this was the first sign of the final match getting closer to commencement.
"Hello, duel fans of Neo Domino!" a brown-haired man in his forties excitedly announced in a comment booth also located in the stadium. He was sitting next to a red-haired man who was about the same age as him. "I'm Jimma, and this here's my pal, Bobba. We are coming to you live from the Memorial Circuit, where we are about to witness the final match of the annual Neo Domino Summer Riding Championship! And it is most certainly a beautiful day for an exciting duel such as this; don't you agree, Bobba?"
"I certainly do, Jimma!" Bobba, the red-haired man, happily replied. "What really excites me is the fact that one of the finalists is England's very own Arthur Rutherford, who has been champion of this tournament for four years straight! Just the very thought of him and his dueling skills makes me excited for this tournament even more!"
"And it looks like you'll be getting even more excited, Bobba; for here comes the man who's not only the beloved president of KaibaCorp, but also the arranger of this annual tournament! Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for the one and only…
"Seto Kaiba!"
The audience cheered even more as a spotlight shone upon Seto Kaiba—everyone's favorite wealthy, brown-haired, violet-eyed man—who proudly walked down the stairs dressed in a fancy blue Italian suit and carrying a portable microphone in his hand. As soon as he got to the center of one of the Ground Duel platforms, he turned his microphone on and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! This is the final match of the annual Neo Domino Summer Riding Championship!" The audience cheered even wilder to this.
"So far, we have seen a series of Turbo Duels performed by some of the most talented duelists from all over the world! And after a series of such battles by such duelists, only two remain; but only one of them will be crowned champion of the tournament! The question is: who will that lucky duelist be? You're just in time to find out, as we announce the names of our finalists!
"Our first finalist comes all the way from England, and has been the reigning champion of this tournament for four years straight! And he hopes that today will mark his fifth! Please, put your hands together for…Arthur Rutherford!"
The audience cheered even more as smoke blasted in front of the garage, right from the floor. Riding through the smoke was Arthur, with a determined smile crossing his face. After making about one lap around the racetrack, he halted his Runner at the racetrack's starting position.
"His opponent is a girl that comes all the way from the once infamous Satellite. Some people refer to her by titles such as the 'Mistress of Mayhem', the 'Duelist of Darkness' and the 'Heroine of Hell'! Ladies and gentlemen…Mira Oshaki!"
The audience continued cheering as more smoke blasted in front of the garage in the same manner as before. Riding through the smoke was Mira Oshaki, who, like Arthur, made a single lap around the stadium before halting her Runner at the same starting position Arthur was at.
"Alright, finalists," Seto directed, "start your Runners!"
Both duelists pressed a button on their Runners, causing both their Duel Field screens and Card Zones to light up. Each screen displayed a virtual copy of a Field Spell Card appearing in the center, from the bottom screen. Its artwork was one of Neo Domino City's Turbo Duel Lanes in the center of a rainbow-colored background. A few seconds later, the screens displayed the duelists' opponents' currently empty Duel Fields. "Duel Mode engaged," a cybernetic female voice announced as this happened. "Autopilot standing by." A wave of light purple energy flowed out of the Runners and shrouded the entire stadium, exciting the audience even more.
"For those of you who are new to Turbo Duels," Jimma announced, "every Turbo Duel, including this one, will be performed with the Speed World Two Field Spell Card! With this card in play, both players will be gaining one Speed Counter apiece during each and every Standby Phase, starting on the second turn of the duel!"
"Speed Counters are very important in Turbo Duels," Bobba added, "because you're gonna need them to activate 'Speed Spell' Spell Cards! But unlike its predecessor, the original Speed World, neither player will lose any Speed Counters for every one thousand points of damage a player takes. Instead, both duelists will keep their Speed Counters for them to also use one of Speed World Two's three additional abilities!"
"That's right, Bobba! With Speed World Two, a player can remove four of their own Speed Counters to inflict eight hundred points of damage to the opponent for every Speed Spell that player reveals!"
"By removing seven of their Speed Counters, a player can draw an additional card!"
"And by removing ten Speed Counters, a player can destroy any card on the field!"
"I wonder if we'll see any of those additional effects in action, Jimma?"
"One can only hope, Bobba!"
Both duelists pressed a button on the side of their helmets, activating their Duel Gazers' lenses and making them flash for a split second. Everyone else—including the entire audience, Jimma and Bobba, and even Seto Kaiba himself—pressed a button on their Gazers that caused them to do the same. A wave of green digital energy flowed around the dueling area. Virtual screens displaying both duelists' currently empty Duel Fields also popped open in various locations of the bleachers. "Augmented Reality Vision Link established," the same female voice from earlier spoke as this second process occurred.
Finally, a virtual rectangular screen popped in front of both duelists. It displayed a red light on top of a green light, with the red light currently glowing. Next to the lights, on the right, were ten small, vertical, lit-up rectangles. "Attention, turbo duelists," the female voice announced, "ten seconds until Turbo Duel commencement." One by one, as the voice announced the countdown, the ten vertical rectangles began to dim.
"Nine…eight…seven…"
The decks inside both duelists' Wrist Dealers automatically shuffled.
"…six…five…four…"
Both duelists drew five cards apiece and slid them through the hand-holding devices also installed in their Wrist Dealers.
"…three…two…one…
"Duel!"
"And they're off!" Jimma excitedly announced. No sooner had he said that when the sound of an air horn was heard across the stadium. Almost immediately, both duelists tore off around the racetrack, ready to begin their duel.
"With that, the final match of our annual tournament commences!" Seto Kaiba announced to keep the audience excited. "Just what kinds of moves will we be seeing from our finalists? That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we're about to find out!"
Meanwhile, at the apartment, Homanu and Kero were already downstairs in the living room, watching the final match on their plasma screen television. As Kero had suggested earlier, he and his male friend were wearing their Duel Gazers. Homanu's Gazer's microphone was black while the lens was yellow-orange in the shape of a flame. Kero's Gazer's microphone was white while the lens was red.
"Man, I thought this would never start!" Kero exclaimed. "Now we can finally see Mira totally kick Arthur's butt!" Suddenly calming down, he corrected himself, "If she even can, anyway…"
"Yeah; remember, she's up against a professional, here," Homanu reminded him. "So who knows what she could be up against?"
ARTHUR: 4000 LP / MIRA: 4000 LP
ARTHUR: 0 SPC / MIRA: 0 SPC
"I shall start this duel!" Arthur declared as he drew his card. "I summon my Field-Commander Rahz in Attack Mode!" After slapping a card from his hand onto one of his Runner's Monster Card Zones, a light blue portal appeared beside his Runner. Emerging out of the portal was a medium-length, brown-haired warrior dressed in a red bandana over his forehead, shining silver armor, and a dark blue tattered cape. Upon his appearance, he pulled his sword out of his sheath and shouted out a battle cry. [ATK: 1600; LV: 4]
"When I summon Rahz to the field, I'm allowed to take one Level Four or lower Warrior-Type monster in my deck, and place it right on top!" Through his Gazer, he saw rows of the possible cards he could choose from. After pressing his right index finger on the one he desired most—which, to everyone who didn't have a Gazer, was merely him putting a finger on air—the deck inside his Wrist Dealer automatically shuffled.
"I place a card face-down and end my turn!" He took another card from his hand and slid it vertically through the upper slot located underneath his Monster Card Zones. Afterwards, a vertical backing materialized beside his Runner, and then faded away from sight. Mira, however, could see the vertical backing, along with Field-Commander Rahz, on both her Runner's Duel Field screen and through her Gazer. Those cards could also be seen on the screens before the audience.
"It's my turn!" shouted Mira, placing her right hand on her deck's top card. "I draw!" After she quickly drew her card, both duelists' Runners slightly increased in speed.
ARTHUR: 1 SPC / MIRA: 1 SPC
"I summon my Destiny Hero Devil Guy!" Another light blue portal appeared, this one beside Mira's Runner. Flying out the portal was a warrior clad in demonic attire, complete with black demonic claws, a tattered red cape, and a white, skull-like mask. [ATK: 0600; LV: 3]
A user of Destiny Heroes, I see, Arthur murmured in his mind. I'm almost surprised someone like her has managed to acquire them… Seeing as how people rarely use them these days, becoming champion for five years in a row shouldn't prove to be difficult after all!
"I activate Devil Guy's ability!" Mira continued. "Since he's in Attack Mode, I can send one of your monsters two turns into the future! Destiny Road!" The demonic-costumed hero flew towards the knight and thrust his left claw into the knight's chest. Without warning, the knight found himself being sucked into the great unknown.
"Once I use Devil Guy's ability, I'm not allowed to attack this turn. I'll place two cards face-down, and end my turn!" She slid two cards vertically from her hand into her own Runner's upper slot underneath her Monster Card Zones, and the two vertical backings appeared and disappeared in the same manner as Arthur's.
"'Tis my turn! I draw!" Arthur boldly declared. After quickly drawing his card, both duelists' Runners increased in speed a second time.
ARTHUR: 2 SPC / MIRA: 2 SPC
"I now call forth the monster I put on top of my deck through the use of Rahz: Heroic Challenger, Spartan!" He took his drawn card and, almost ruthlessly, slapped it onto one of his Runner's Monster Card Zones. Another light blue portal appeared beside his Runner. Out of the portal emerged a warrior dressed in a red cape, and golden gladiator's armor—including a helmet—over his silvery white armor. His main weapons were a sharp-tipped javelin in his right hand and a gold-and-red-colored shield in his left. [ATK: 1600; LV: 4]
"Heroic Challenger Spartan, attack Destiny Hero Devil Guy! Straight Javelin!" The golden-armored gladiator warrior aimed his javelin towards the demonic-costumed hero and began to rapidly fly towards it.
"I activate the Trap Card, A Hero Emerges!" Mira shouted, quickly stretching her right arm out towards the audience. A card picturing Zombyra the Dark—a purple-suited, skeletal hero clad in a red cape—in a position that pictured his left fist reaching out quickly turned open. "This card only works when you declare an attack. Now you have to pick one card in my hand. If it happens to be a Monster Card, I can Special Summon it to my side of the field, no problem! Otherwise, it goes immediately to my Graveyard!" Through their Gazers, both duelists saw three cards. However, Mira could see her own cards through her Gazer, while Arthur only saw their backings.
"Let's see… I'll pick…this one!" He pressed his right index finger on the middle virtual card. Through Mira's gazer, she could see the middle card flashing.
"Big mistake! The card you picked is a Monster Card—in this case, my Destiny Hero Diehard Guy!" Another blue portal appeared beside her Runner. Out of the portal emerged a muscular, long-orange-haired warrior clad in black rocky thigh-high boots, black shorts, and two large rocky gauntlets.[ATK: 0800; LV: 3]
"And to think I was worried you'd summon a monster that was more powerful than that! But it makes no difference—I'm still going to attack Devil Guy with Heroic Challenger Spartan!" The golden-armored gladiator warrior continued to fly towards the demonic superhero. When he was close, he thrust his javelin into the hero's chest, shattering him into pixels. The force of the explosion nearly caused Mira to lose control of her Runner. [LP: 4000 – 3000]
"Doing so activated my Destiny Signal Trap Card!" Mira shouted as a card picturing a spotlight with a demonic black 'D' in the center over a city of black buildings that resembled the ones used as studio props turned open. The same spotlight appeared high in the sky, and was surprisingly visible even though it was broad daylight.
"Since you've destroyed one of my monsters in battle, I can Special Summon a Level Four or lower Destiny Hero from my hand or deck! Come on out, Destiny Hero Diamond Guy!" Another portal appeared beside her Runner, and a white-haired, purple-suited, dark-green-caped hero flew out of it and knelt defensively. Akin to his name, he had crystals growing out of parts of his body—namely his right leg, knees, arms, and back. He also wore a visor made of crystals. [DEF: 1600; LV: 4]
I guess I underestimated her quite a bit, Arthur thought, trying to remain calm as he slid another card into the same slot just below the Card Zones.But there's no way I'll let this newcomer get in my way of becoming five-time champion! "Your skills are impressive, if I do say so, myself. But it'll take more than that to defeat a professional such as myself! I'll end my turn!"
"Then it's my turn!" Mira shouted, quickly drawing her card.
ARTHUR: 3 SPC / MIRA: 3 SPC
"And let's welcome back Destiny Hero Devil Guy! Go, Wonder Life!" A spinning black gear with the same demonic 'D' as the one pictured in Destiny Signal appeared. The gear then turned into a magenta-colored portal, and the demonic-costumed hero emerged from it. [ATK: 0600; LV: 3]
"How…how is this possible!?" Arthur demanded.
"Destiny Hero Diehard Guy's ability, of course!" his opponent explained through a virtual screen that popped in front of him, which only he could see. "If one of my Destiny Heroes is destroyed and sent to my Graveyard by battle, Diehard Guy can revive that monster from my Graveyard during my Standby Phase! That was your 'big mistake', in case you're wondering!" Arthur only grumbled, now fully aware of the kind of opponent he was up against.
"And with that said and done, Destiny Hero Devil Guy will activate his ability once again! Say goodbye to Heroic Challenger Spartan! Destiny Road!" The demonic-costumed hero flew towards the golden-armored gladiator warrior and thrust his left claw into the gladiator warrior's chest. As with the brown-haired knight, the gladiator warrior found himself to get unwillingly sucked into the great unknown.
"And now I activate Diamond Guy's ability!" The crystals on the diamond-covered hero began to shine. "Once a turn, I can look at the top card of my deck. If it's a Normal Spell Card, it goes right to my Graveyard, but I can activate its effects during my next turn! Otherwise, it goes right on the bottom of my deck! Now, let's see what I've got!"
She quickly drew her deck's top card and looked at it. "Lucky me—it's the Speed Spell known as The End of the Storm! Now it goes right into my Graveyard!" She slid the card in the slot underneath the slot where Spell and Trap Cards would be inserted. She also inserted two more cards from her hand into the slot just above it. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn!"
"Jeez, Arthur isn't putting up much of a fight, is he?" Kero observed as he and Homanu were watching the duel. "I mean, look—he's just letting his monsters get removed like that! This'll be easy for Mira!"
"A little too easy, perhaps…" Homanu said with concern.
"Whaddya mean by that?"
"From what I've seen from his duels, Arthur likes to let his opponents take the upper hand. But once they do, he manages to go in for the kill! Let's just hope that's not what happens with Mira…!"
This wench is really starting to get on my nerves! Arthur angrily thought as he drew his card.
ARTHUR: 4 SPC / MIRA: 4 SPC
But I'm going to end things right here, right now!
"I activate the Speed Spell, Angel Baton!" A Spell Card picturing an angel resembling the one pictured on 'Graceful Charity', with an orb of light between her hands, appeared. "Because I have at least two Speed Counters, I'm allowed to draw two cards! But then, I'm forced to send one from my hand to the Graveyard." He quickly drew two extra cards, and then slid one from his hand into the lower slot beneath his Runner's Monster Card Zones.
"Next, I summon Heroic Challenger Double Lance in Attack Mode!" Yet another light blue portal appeared beside his Runner. Out of the portal emerged another gladiator-themed warrior. This one was clad in silvery white armor, and held a sharp-tipped black lance in each hand. [ATK: 1700; LV: 4]
"When I summon him, I'm allowed to Special Summon another copy of himself from my hand or my Graveyard! Therefore, I Special Summon another copy of Heroic Challenger Double Lance from my Graveyard!" This time, a dark purple portal appeared beside his Runner, and a copy of the silvery-white-armored gladiator warrior appeared and knelt defensively. When he did, his entire body was shrouded by a light shade of blue. [DEF: 0900; LV: 4]
He must've sent it to his Graveyard with Angel Baton… Mira dully thought. How predictable… But somehow, I'm still worried about what I think he's going to do next…
"I overlay my two Level Four Double Lances!" Arthur boldly declared. Both of his gladiator warriors transformed into orbs of orange-colored light. The two orbs spiraled into the air and flew into a crimson-colored portal that formed above both duelists.
"With these two monsters, I construct the Overlay Network and Xyz Summon! Now come forth…HEROIC CHAMPION, EXCALIBUR!"
Floating down from the portal was a knight-like warrior clad in armor whose main colors were black, red, and a little gold. He also wielded a sword whose golden hilt almost resembled a phoenix's wings. Upon his appearance, two yellow-colored orbs were orbiting around him. [ATK: 2000; RANK: 4; ORU: 2]
"And there you have it, folks!" Jimma excitedly announced. "Just when you thought you weren't going to expect any excitement in the final match, Arthur calls out one of his ace cards to the field!"
"Or should I say 'his ace card'!" Bobba corrected his partner. "Think about it—Excalibur is likely the most powerful card in his deck, because it has a very powerful ability!"
"You could be right there, Bobba—how silly of me not to realize that!"
"And for those of you who are new to what Arthur did to summon this monster, it's what is called an 'Xyz Summon'. To Xyz Summon a monster, you simply take two or more monsters whose Levels are the same as the Rank of the Xyz Monster you want to Summon!"
"But instead of sending those monsters to the Graveyard, you place them on top of each other before you Summon the monster—this is called 'overlaying'. And these monsters—now known as 'Overlay Units'—act as 'fuel' for Xyz Monsters, and can be detached when activating Xyz Monsters' effects!"
"I activate Excalibur's special ability!" Arthur declared. "By using both of his Overlay Units, his Attack Points instantly becomes twice his original Attack Points!" Both of the red-armored knight's orbs of light were absorbed into his sword. [ORU: 2 – 0] Afterwards, a golden aura began to shroud the knight's entire body. [ATK: 2000 – 4000]
"Four thousand Attack Points!" Mira gasped.
"Yes, four thousand Attack Points—that's more than enough to defeat you!" To the knight, he commanded: "Heroic Champion Excalibur, attack Mira's Destiny Hero Devil Guy!" The knight, almost ruthlessly, charged towards the demonic-costumed hero.
"Cut in Two! Finishing Attack of True Sword!"
The knight sliced his sword across the demonic-costumed hero's chest, shattering him into pixels. The attack caused an explosion that shrouded Mira.
"It looks like Arthur's done it," Bobba announced. "He's officially become the champion of the Neo Domino Summer Riding Championship for the fifth year in a row!"
"Who'd have thought that he'd acquire that title so easily?" Jimma announced.
"Bobba, he's a professional! It shouldn't come as no surprise! …Wait a minute, folks—what's this?!"
As the smoke cleared, everyone, including Arthur, were surprised to see that Mira was still in the duel, and that her two remaining heroes were standing. [LP: 0400] Clearly, the duel was not over yet.
"But…but…but how?!" Arthur demanded. "How could you have saved yourself like that?!"
"Using Destiny Hero Dagger Guy's ability, of course!" Mira replied. A slightly transparent version of a warrior appeared behind Mira. It had long lavender hair and was dressed in a yellow visor, a dark red suit supported by a belt with a golden 'D' for its buckle, and silver armor covering his legs, arms, shoulders, and chest. Each piece of the wrist armor had a blade on both sides, and there was a blade on each shoulder pad. "During your Battle Phase, I can send Dagger Guy from my hand to my Graveyard. By doing so, all Destiny Heroes on my field gain eight hundred Attack Points this turn!"
"So what if I didn't defeat you with Excalibur? I can still defeat you with the first effect of Speed World Two!" Arthur announced as soon as Mira regained control. "By removing four of my Speed Counters, you'll be inflicted with eight hundred points of damage for every Speed Spell that's in my hand! Unfortunately, one is all I have—but one is all I need!" As he shifted gears on his Runner [SPC: 4 – 0], he quickly turned his Runner around in almost a split second. Then, while riding backwards, a golden laser shot out of his Runner's hood and headed straight towards Mira.
"This could be it, folks!" Bobba announced. "Once this attack lands, Arthur will be champion of the Neo Domino Summer Riding Championship for the fifth year in a row!"
"I activate the Trap Card, Energy-Absorbing Monolith!" Mira quickly shouted. A Trap Card picturing a black rectangular tablet with a burst of blue energy shooting through it turned open. "I can activate this card in response to an effect that would inflict me with damage. Now instead of taking damage, I gain Life Points equal to the damage I would have taken!" The same tablet pictured on the card appeared in front of Mira, which the golden laser passed through. Though the laser still struck Mira's shoulder, it didn't hurt as much as she had expected. [LP: 0400 – 1200]
Arthur just stared at Mira with his eyes wide open and his mouth agape. He could not believe that someone like Mira would be prepared for one of his moves for another time. He angrily turned his Runner back forwards as he continued, "It looks like you've outsmarted me again! But don't think you've won just yet—my Excalibur's boost will remain effective until the end of your next turn! Now, make your move!"
"I will!" Mira shouted as she drew.
ARTHUR: 1 SPC / MIRA: 5 SPC
"And since two turns have been up," Arthur reminded her, "Field-Commander Rahz returns to my field!" Sure enough, the brown-haired knight reappeared next to the red-armored knight. [ATK: 1600; LV: 4] "And speaking of which…I'm assuming you're going to revive your Devil Guy with Diehard Guy's ability?"
"Actually, I'm not going to do that!"
"You're not?!" the astonished Arthur exclaimed. "Art thou dense?! Don't you realize that had you did revive Devil Guy, you would've removed my Excalibur from play through its own ability?!" Calming down, he continued, "Then again, it makes no difference; my deck is still one of the most powerful decks in existence. It always has, and it always will!"
"Is that so? Well, there's one thing you've kind of overlooked: the End of the Storm Speed Spell that's in my Graveyard!" The diamond-covered hero's crystals began to shine as a slightly faded version of the said Spell Card floated up besides Mira. "And thanks to Diamond Guy's ability, I can activate its effect right away!"
"That doesn't scare me! I know that card all to well—and you need ten Speed Counters to activate it! Right now, you only have five!"
"I know about that. But Diamond Guy activates the card's effect, not its cost. That means I can still activate this card, no matter what!"
"No!" Arthur wailed. No sooner had he said those words when a black hurricane formed around the entire racetrack; the knights and the heroes were doing their very best to fight it.
"With the End of the Storm's effect," Mira said, "all of our monsters will be destroyed, and we will lose three hundred Life Points for every monster destroyed by this effect!" Without warning, both duelists' warriors were shattered into pixels by the hurricane, and the duelists themselves were trying to withstand the force of the explosion. [LP: 4000 – 3400] [LP: 1200 – 0600] They managed to regain control as the storm quickly died down.
"If you thought you could outsmart me again by pulling a stunt like that, you're sadly mistaken!" Arthur shouted. "At this moment, I activate the Trap Card, Xyz Reborn!" A Trap Card picturing a light gold artifact with four pairs of wings appeared. "This card immediately revives Heroic Champion Excalibur from my Graveyard! Plus, this card instantly becomes attached to it as an Overlay Unit!" Another dark purple portal appeared beside his Runner, and the red-armored knight reappeared from it. Afterwards, the activated Trap Card transformed into a yellow orb of light as it orbited around the knight. [ATK: 2000; RANK: 4; ORU: 1] "So much for that trick!"
"Actually, my 'trick' was something I wanted to do!" Mira said. This left Arthur bewildered. "I activate the Trap Card, Dread Ritual!" A Trap Card picturing the silhouette of a muscular, long-haired hero with broken chains attached to his wrists turned open. The card also pictured both the diamond-covered hero and the orange-haired muscular hero in front of the silhouette. "This card only works when at least two of my Destiny Heroes are destroyed and sent to my Graveyard during the same turn. Now I can Special Summon my ultimate weapon!"
A shadowy portal appeared above both duelists. Dropping down from the portal was the same muscular warrior pictured on the card Mira just activated. The warrior had long gray hair and broken shackles attached to his wrists and ankles. He also wore purple shorts held up with twine, a necklace with a rusty gold lock that had a 'D' carved on it, and an iron grill on his face. His landing caused the ground to shake as he let out an intimidating scream. [ATK: ?; LV: 8] Afterwards, he appeared to be leaping beside Mira as if he was trying to catch up.
"Dread Guy's effect now activates! When he's summoned, all monsters on my field that aren't Destiny Heroes are destroyed; but then, I can Special Summon two more from my Graveyard!"
"You can't do that!" Arthur shouted. "It hasn't been summoned by the effect of Clock Tower Prison, which is impossible to activate in Turbo Duels such as this!"
"Normally, that would be the case. But thanks to Dread Ritual, Dread Guy's summon is automatically treated as one by Clock Tower Prison! With that said and done, I revive Destiny Heroes Diamond Guy and Diehard Guy! Dread Roar!" The hero unleashed another ear-piercing cry as two more dark purple portals appeared next to the muscular chained hero. Out of one portal reappeared the diamond-covered hero and the orange-haired muscular hero. [ATK: 1400; LV 4] [ATK: 0800; LV: 3]
"And thanks to his other ability, Dread Guy's Attack and Defense Points are equal to the combined original Attack Points of all other Destiny Heroes on my field!" A sinister violet aura shrouded the muscular chained hero. [ATK: ? – 2200]
"There's still one more trick left up my sleeve: The Speed Storm Speed Spell!" A Spell Card picturing two tornadoes surrounded by lightning in the background of Speed World materialized. "Because I have at least three Speed Counters, this card inflicts you with one thousand points of damage!" One of the same electrical tornadoes pictured on the card shot out and struck at Arthur's shoulder. [LP: 3400 – 2400]
No…I'm done for! Arthur panicked in his mind, staring at the details of Dread Guy through his Duel Gazer. During the turn Dread Guy's Special Summoned, none of her Destiny Heroes can be destroyed by battle or by effects! That means I can't use my Mirror Force to destroy all of her monsters! In turn, that means…I lose!
"This duel's over!" Mira announced. "Destiny Hero Dread Guy, attack Heroic Champion Excalibur! Predator of Dreadnought!" The muscular chained hero leapt up and swung his fists at the red-armored knight, shattering him into pixels. [LP: 2400 – 2200]
"Destiny Heroes Diamond Guy and Diehard Guy, attack him directly and finish this duel! Diamond Blow and Death Boer Fiat!" The diamond-covered hero shot a barrage of diamond shards directly at Arthur while the muscular orange-haired hero shot a burst of dark energy from the shells attached to his wrists. Both heroes struck directly at Arthur, resulting in an explosion on his field. The force of the explosion resulted in Arthur greatly losing control of his Runner. [LP: 2200 – 0000] As soon as all of his Life Points were depleted, a crimson-colored 'DEFEAT' began flashing on his Runner's Duel Screen as steam began to come out of it. After a virtual screen displaying Mira's face with 'WIN' written underneath in gold popped open, the same wave of green digital energy that occurred when the duel commenced occurred again, causing the virtual screens to fade away.
"And the winner of the duel—who, from this day forward, will be crowned the newest champion of the Neo Domino Summer Riding Championship…MIRA OSHAKI!" Seto dramatically announced. Even as he made the announcement, the audience was cheering and whistling at their wildest.
Back at the apartment, Homanu and Kero were just as excited over Mira's victory.
"I can't believe it!" the amazed Homanu said. "She…she actually beat a professional like Arthur!"
"SHE WON!" Kero cheered, repeatedly making rapid punching moves out of complete excitement. "SHE WON! SHE WON! SHE WON! SHE WON! SHE-" He accidentally punched his right fist at a nearby wall, causing him to grasp it as tears trickled down his whimpering face. Homanu only sighed in embarrassment.
Back at the Memorial Circuit, Mira halted her Runner on the racetrack, climbed off of it, and then walked up to meet Seto on one of the Ground Duel platforms. "Mira Oshaki," he said solemnly, "as new champion of our annual summer tournament, I hereby award you with this medal signifying your newest title!" He placed around her neck a golden medal with a carving of his famous Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the front, with a blue ribbon attached to it. The two then waved at the crowd with proud smiles on their faces. Everyone was truly happy about what they just witnessed.
Everyone except Arthur, that is.
How… he angrily thought as he enviously stared at the waving victor. How could some…some newcomer such as Mira defeat a champion such as myself?! How could she easily ruin my one chance at becoming the champion of this tournament for the fifth year in a row?! …Wait a minute; perhaps it is I who is at fault. A true professional like the great Yugi Muto always observed his opponent's deck and tactics before he actually faced off against them in tournaments like this! How could I have not done the same?!
Mark my words, Mira Oshaki; we will duel again someday. And when we do, I will be ready!
FEATURED CARD – CHRONICLE 001
Destiny Hero Dread Guy
DARK/Warrior – Effect/8/?/?
If this card was Special Summoned by "Clock Tower Prison", destroy all monsters you control (except for face-up "Destiny Hero" monsters), then you can Special Summon up to 2 "Destiny Hero" monsters from your Graveyard. During the turn this card is Special Summoned, "Destiny Hero" monsters you control cannot be destroyed, and you take no battle damage when they battle. This card's ATK and DEF are equal to the combined original ATK of all other "Destiny Hero" monsters you control.
EXCLUSIVE CARDS
Speed World 2
Spell/Field
If a player activates a non-"Speed Spell" Spell Card, they take 2000 damage. Except during the 1st turn of the Duel, during each player's Standby Phase, each player places 1 Speed Counter of their own on this card (max. 12 each).
You can remove any number of your Speed Counters from this card to activate an appropriate effect:
●4: Reveal any number of "Speed Spell" Spell Cards in your hand, and inflict 800 damage to your opponent for each card revealed.
●7: Draw 1 card.
●10: Destroy 1 card on the field.
Image: One of Neo Domino City's Turbo Duel Lanes in the center of a rainbow-colored background
Origination: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's anime – Episode 65 – A New Threat
Speed Spell – The End of the Storm
Spell/Normal
Activate only while you have 10 or more Speed Counters.
Destroy all monsters on the field and inflict 300 damage to each player for each of their destroyed monsters.
Image: A cloaked skeletal figure resembling Nightshroud from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX in a stormy red background
Origination: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's anime – Episode 5 – Clashing Ace Dragons! Stardust VS Red Demons
Speed Spell – Angel Baton
Spell/Normal
Activate only while you have 2 or more Speed Counters.
Draw 2 cards. Then, send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard.
Image: An angel bearing resemblance to the one pictured on "Graceful Charity", with an orb of light between her hands
Origination: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's anime – Episode SP1 – Evolving Duel! Stardust VS Red Demons
Dread Ritual
Trap/Normal
Activate only during a turn 2 or more face-up "Destiny Hero" monsters you control were destroyed (either by battle, by card effect, or by being destroyed) and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 "Destiny Hero – Dread Guy" from your hand or Deck. (This Special Summon is treated as a Special Summon by "Clock Tower Prison".)
Image: A silhouette of "Destiny Hero – Dread Guy" raising his fists in the air, with Destiny Heroes Diehard Guy and Diamond Guy in front of him
Origination: Psychid
Speed Spell – Speed Storm
Spell/Normal
Activate only while you have 3 or more Speed Counters.
Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent. During your Standby Phase, if this card is in your Graveyard, you can remove 3 of your Speed Counters to add this card from your Graveyard to your hand.
Image: Two tornadoes surrounded by electricity flying in the background of Speed World
Origination: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's anime – Episode 75 – Aki Izayoi, Acceleration!
Next time, on Yu-Gi-Oh! EXELIXI…
A dethroned duelist swears revenge against his victor!
"Uh…Lancelot?" the slightly worried Gawain asked his partner. "Is Arthur, like, going through one of his phases again?"
"I'm afraid he might be…" Lancelot replied, shaking his head in disbelief. To Arthur, he said, "Arthur, I understand that at times you have a thirst for vengeance, and I respect that. But if you truly were to get your revenge against this 'wench', how exactly are you going to get her to duel you again?"
"I don't know," Arthur replied. "But once I find that opportunity, I won't rest until I defeat Mira Oshaki once and for all!"
Meanwhile, Mira and her friends are having a fun time celebrating! That is, until a trio of female thugs spoil it!
"HEY, YOU BASTARDS!" Homanu shouted at the thugs. This indeed caught their attention and they turned towards him and his friends. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"C'mon, now," the yellow-haired thug said in a squeaky voice. "Is that the way to treat us ladies?"
"That's not the kind of word I'd use to describe you…"
Now Mira has to duel the leader to save the life of a distressed elder, or lose her entire deck trying!
"If you're really that eager," the yellow-haired thug taunted, "then you'll have to duel Hawk right here!" With her thumb, she pointed to the red-violet-haired girl. "She's the one who calls the shots, after all!"
"Fine! Then Hawk, it's time to duel!"
"And what makes you think I'm gonna duel you?" Hawk sternly asked. "You're not strong enough!"
"'Not strong enough'? What does she mean by that?" Kero wondered.
"What I mean is that I want to duel someone who's as strong as I am. And there's only one person who fits the bills—Mira Oshaki!" Almost ruthlessly, she pointed at the perplexed Mira.
"And why do you want to duel me? How do you even know I'm as strong as you?"
"Are you kidding? The whole town's crazy about you beating someone as strong as Arthur! So it's obvious you're as strong as I am! And don't think I'm scared about what's in your deck!"
"And what if I refuse?"
"I was expecting you'd say that. So why don't we make things a little more interesting? If you win, then I'll leave granny here alone. But if I win—and I will—then your entire deck is mine! If you don't agree to the bet soon, Granny's gonna get it!" Each of her goons grabbed the elderly woman by the arm.
"Fine—let's duel!"
But when Mira's opponent has a powerful deck used by someone else before, she'll be in for one of the biggest duels of her life!
Oh my God! the astonished Homanu thought. I knew Hawk's monsters looked familiar! "Mira!" he warned her. "She's using the same cards used by Crow Hogan!"
"She is?!" Mira said back.
Can Mira win the duel and rescue this woman? Or will it all be for the birds?
Stay tuned for the next Chronicle: "Icarus Attack"!