A/N: Part of the "A Multiplayer Chess Game" series, which is a mix of expanded universe (and by that I mean all five dimensions) and alternate timeline/events. The main one to play a role in this fic is that Asuka and Roget are the Synchro equivalent of Edo and Mamoru – until things go south, because they must go south with Roget involved. :)

This is also actually one of the longest fics involved in the series – as it stands, anyway. There'll be a few other long fics, but the rest will be oneshots, drabble collections and small multichaps filling in the blanks so look forward to those.

Written for the

DMWA Big Bang
New Year's Long Haul
Diversity Writing Challenge, k33 - a minor character in canon becomes your MC
Easter Advent 2017: Explore Your World, Day 14 – prompt: appearances

Queen's Promotion
Chapter 1

.

Asuka preferred the wind whipping at her head and hair than the stiff chairs and desks, even if Roget was the indulgent sort and had only brought the most expensive and comfortable seats for them. It's the infancy of their plan and the two of them would be here for years, probably. It's sensible to allow some comfort – but her main concern wasn't the material things. She'd been on the road with her brother before: her eccentric but excitable brother who'd drive from place to place and sing and duel and make people smile and get only meagre coins for it. But he enjoyed that life and they're both happy for it.

She had her own ideas about reaching people and teaching them to smile and she'd get there one day – and maybe soon as well. In the interim that's the calm before the storm – and even in the storm, because changing the hierarchy of the world doesn't mean destroying the world itself. It doesn't have to mean that. What they were heading towards was a happier future for everybody and it'd be even better if they can smile heading towards it.

But Roget didn't agree and they were off to a rocky start already.

And so she was on her duel runner, familiarising herself with the duel lanes of the city and Dennis, however rude, was right. No amount of book study was enough without experience (even if that's not quite how he worded it) and she can feel it: in every curve, every turn – and she's a little shaky in all of them still but practice would get her there. And it was a wonderful breath of fresh air, to be able to drive where she wanted, at whatever speed she wants, and be able to turn or go straight, accelerate or slow down, start or stop and all according to her own whims. And she'd heard that the elite duel circuits of this world allow duels like that as well: not with the autopilot feature that gave the duellists only a small amount of control and kept them from going too fast or stopping in the middle of a duel and kept them bound to the course as well, but relying entirely on one's own driving skills and machine, not bound to the safety restrictions that still didn't manage to stop every crash. It's something her brother would have enjoyed from the beginning and she was starting to see the appeal as well.

See, I'm not just the book-following honours student, she thought, though she wondered who she really had to convince. There was no-one here but her. It's early morning and there's no-one on the roads –

No, that wasn't true. She could hear another engine and it's loud even if she couldn't see its rider. The Tops were all like Roget. They had the best money can buy but Asuka found it's not always practical. She could see the divide, after all, even if they hadn't been here long. The Commons were dat the bottom of the barrel and the Tops were at the top. There was no middleground and she's made her goal for this world already. She'd bring them all together, somehow. And when the time comes, they'd march to the future together.

And that was the source of their disagreement, really. Roget preferred the divide. Said it made them easier to control. The sheep and the wolves, he called them. That's disgusting, she replied, to talk about people like they're livestock to be controlled. But they are, Roget responded. All the Tops need was an alpha to keep them in line and he intended to take that place for himself. And as for the sheep, they were sufficiently cowed by the power over their heads: the sparkling white city they could never come to.

But she thought she was about to stumble upon some proof to the contrary.

She changed lanes and turned into one of the slimmer routes: one of the more unwieldly ones – and this one tested the edges of her control but that was fine. She could still manage it.

And up ahead she saw them: a girl and a boy not much younger than her on a Duel Runner and they were slower. Their engine was spitting out smoke and Asuka coughed as she caught up to them. 'Hey,' she called. They turn to look at her and the driver's good, she noted, to be able to keep a runner with a substandard engine (or a damaged one) straight and steady while twisting in his seat to look back at her. 'You two shouldn't be here, right?'

The girl leaned back and hisses something to the driver. He shruged. 'We shouldn't,' he agreed. 'But you've got a neat ride there, even if you're not so hot a driver. Lucky Tops, huh. Can manage without the skills if you have money, right?'

'I'd rather manage with the skills.' Those words grated, but it's the truth in some cases. She didn't however want to be one of those cases. 'Though you're right. I'm still pretty new at this. I am grateful for the lack of crashes while I'm learning, though.'

She slowed down to keep pace with them and now her runner wobbled a little more. That was another thing she needed to practice and be good at, because if she ever wanted to duel in the circuit, she needed to be able to handle their speed limits.

And a duel would be a nice way to practice, too. She hadn't duel the Tops, not yet, because if she lost or fell or crashed, she'd get no respect and she needed to worm her way up. She couldn't go in too fast, too inexperienced, and let it all flop.

These two, on the other hand…

She remembered a very similar situation in her first year at Duel Academia.

.

Asuka wasn't the ideal commander for their squadron. In fact, between her and Edo Phoenix, Roget couldn't decide who was worse. It was probably an academic issue by now anyway, since it was Asuka who'd been sent to the Synchro Dimension with him while Edo Phoenix was in the Xyz World –

And it would be in the Synchro Dimension where Roget would sow the seeds of his rebellion. Ideally, the leader would have been someone more malleable, and less headstrong and set in their ideals. Like the City leaders, he discovered. The Council members who presided in the Hall of Dominion had been, according to hearsay, around for far too long and changed far too little. And their society was full of holes. Like the Friendship Cup who dragged the Commons and the Tops together. It was no better than a gladiator's arena that tossed the seventh prince and a commoner together for a fight to the death. The title of the seventh prince was nothing but decoration after all. But the people couldn't look away regardless. Commoners because they thought they saw hope. The Tops because it was good sport and reminded them of their place – but both were a lie. The Commoners did nothing to break free of their chains and were satisfied by their little useless rebellions and that was the reason they were Commoners to begin with at all. And then the Tops, who watched the ants that crawled below them – a sea of black – and forgot that people presided above them as well.

And then Security who maintained it all – there were no faces amongst them unless it was the face bared with failure. They were puppets of the law and of the need to control: puppets with the same uniform and helmets and visors to cover their faces and the average ones were of pretty similar build as well.

It was easy, so easy, to join their ranks. He didn't plan to stay there for long, of course, and he wouldn't have to either. Duelling was what determined rank amongst the Security. Rather, successful captures. And strategy was what determined duelling and he was a master at both.

Honesty, he didn't know what the Academia was thinking, having sent Mamoru along with Edo Phoenix. He was one of the few exceptions that proved strategy was instrumental for duelling, because he was fine enough in one and completely hopeless in the other. But Edo Phoenix was one of Academia's youngest graduates. Maybe the Professor thought the pair would balance each other. And thought he and Asuka would do the same.

Rather, it was seeming like they'd do things their own way – which was fine with him. They'd cover more ground that way and if she wanted to become a public figure in society without sneaking through the backdoor, then she could be the one to slowly build up her reputation on the track and duelling field and he'd climb through the ranks of Security. They'd be the new Council and Jack Atlas – and, really, that was a very fitting comparison. Because Jack Atlas might be the champion but he was a figurehead. The Tops and Commons alike thought he held the power of the entire City in his hands but he held no power at all.

He looked forward to meeting Jack Atlas one day and seeing whether he knew how much power he held – or didn't hold.

And he looked forward to Tenjoin Asuka sitting in that seat and realising just how much power she'd thought she'd held but didn't.

And it would be the same for the Tops and the Commons alike. And he'd have an entire world at his disposal, in a way even the glorified Professor of Academia couldn't quite manage.

But first, he needed more resources and power. The kind money couldn't quite buy.

But strategy could. Duelling could. The red of dawn was thinning from the skies and Asuka was enjoying a merry ride and worrying about perfection. The woes of inexperience, really, because anyone who'd been driving for a while wouldn't have that problem but she was young and just out of school. She hadn't had the chance to drive much and to the familiar eye, it made her look almost fragile.

Until she'd found those two Commons kids and coerced them into a duel – and that was the start of her plan, her move: too honest and white, too plain.

And that was why he was here, to play black – and win.

My apologies, Asuka-kun. But I have my own agenda here.

Still, an access to Commons would be useful, when he sat so far above them they couldn't be anything more than ants below his feet.

.

'You're not supposed to be here,' Asuka repeated. 'I could report the two of you right now and there'd be a squadron from Duel Security here in ten minutes. Tops.'

That wasn't quite true, because she wouldn't put it past Roget to be keeping an eye on her – but as long as he doesn't get in her way and as long as he didn't take his surveillance too far, she could deal with it. And as long as he didn't go around making decisions without her say-so – because she's the one who's supposed to be obeyed on the battlefield and for now, this is it.

As the girl scowled and the boy opened her mouth, she continued. 'If you don't want me to turn you two in, defeat me in a riding duel.'

The boy grinned at that. 'You'll be eating your words,' he promised.

The girl however groaned. 'Please don't rush and ruin it,' she pleaded. 'Neither of us need to wind up in the Facility.'

'Relax, Rin,' the boy replied. 'I've totally got this.'

The duel field engaged. Her runner switched to autopilot mode and slowed even further and she grimaced as it wobbled even further. Surely this wasn't the speed people duelled at – and she was right. Her opponent's bike was going faster than hers. She let the deck shuffle automatically and scanned the controls.

Oh, no wonder. It had the beginner's safety lock on. But it probably wasn't a great idea to undo it and the field would force her opponent to slow down before he outstripped her, anyway.

Next time, if I can manage this.

Always slow and steady steps with new things, but she could take risks when she needed to. This wasn't one of those times though. She'd take being called a weakling for playing it safe because her opponents always learned. And that wasn't what made them underestimate her, in most cases.

The boy cast an incredulous look back at her. He would learn, too.

'I may be a new riding duellist,' Asuka warned him, though she'd practiced quite rigorously in the Academia beforehand. It wasn't the same, though, as driving on these tracks made especially for it and against a person accustomed to it. 'But I'm a good duellist overall.'

The boy grinned back. 'We'll see,' he said. 'I'll go first, shall I?'

She gave him a point for that, not saying something like "ladies first" instead. One of the sure-fire ways to make her mad.

'I summon Speedroid Shave Bomerang!' he cried.

'Speedroid,' Asuka repeated thoughtfully, as the boomerang appeared between them, spinning on its axis. 'A deck built for synchros.'

'Surprised even us Commons can Synchro summon?' he asked, grinning back at her. 'Maybe you shouldn't toss your cards so carelessly then.'

'I'm not surprised,' Asuka corrected. 'I'm just thinking out loud.'

'Oh yeah?' He raised an eyebrow, still driving without watching the road head on. Really, how did he do that? 'Gunning for a plan? Well, I can't wait to see. Turn end.'

Rin, on the back of the bike, groaned. 'Yuugo, why didn't you play any sort of defence.'

'What defence?' Yuugo asked. 'Shave Boomerang's got 2000 attack points! Who needs a defence with that?'

I'll be more than happy to make you eat your words. 'I draw.' She glanced at her cards quickly before turning her gaze back to the road. Not the hand she was hoping for, but it could still pack a good walloping. 'I summon Cyber Tutu in attack mode!'

'A ballerina?' the boy asked, surprised.

At least he didn't sound scorning. Too bad he hadn't been in her class back in the Academia, instead of some of those boys. But she'd brought only the best with her. A good mix of boys and girls and all of them with good heads on their shoulders. People she knew she could work with, and who could work with her.

Except Roget. She hadn't exactly had a choice in the matter there.

'Just 1000 attack points?' Rin asked. She sounded suspicious.

Yuugo, on the other hand, sounded pleased. 'Then my Shave Boomerang can take it out!'

'Geeze, it's not even your turn yet.'

'Right,' Asuka agreed. 'It's still mine, and my ballerina is going in for an attack.'

They both stared at her. 'What?'

She smiled as Cyber Tutu vaulted over the boomerang and towards the runner ahead of it. 'Cyber Tutu's special ability,' she explained. 'When there isn't another monster on your field with less attack points, she can direct attack the player. Go!'

Rin ducked, letting Yuugo take the full force of Tutu's kick. 'Ouch, that smarts,' he grumbled, as his life point meter dropped to 3000. 'But I'll deal you that much damage plus more next turn.'

'We'll see,' Asuka smiled and waited until she'd cleared the curve before finishing her move. 'Two face-down cards. Turn end.'

Yuugo drew his card with a gusto that reminded her of her brother. 'I summon the level three Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice, and then tune it with the level four Shave Boomerang. Spread those shining wings and dive into the sky and strike down your prey before their eyes clear from your glamour! Synchro summon! Level seven, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!'

Rin was smiling. Yuugo was flat out proud and grinning. Asuka looked away from the road longer than she was comfortable doing to read its effect – and it was a troublesome one, to boot. She wouldn't be able to use her monsters' abilities to defeat it. Not very easily, anyway.

'Impressed?' Yuugo called back to her.

'Just plotting ways to take it down,' she quipped back.

'Yeah, right. No-one's ever beaten Clear Wing, you know.'

Asuka raised an eyebrow at that. Really? No-one?

'You still lose.' Rin nudged him with his elbow.

'That's because of your Ice Witch's stupid ability.'

'Hey, don't call my Ice Witch stupid!'

Asuka laughed. They were fighting just like she and Fubuki would. And that reminded the pair they were still in a duel.

'Attack!' Yuugo ordered. 'Take down that ballerina!'

Perfect. 'Doble Passé, activate! Your monster's attack becomes a direct attack!'

'If you'd played that face-down last turn –' Rin hissed – but whatever card she was talking about, it was too late now.

'Second trap card, open: Hallowed Life Barrier.'

'Figures,' Yuugo grumbled, as Asuka discarded a Cyber Angel Nasateiya to the graveyard to pay its cost.

'I take it you know what happens, then?'

'Nope. I just know you've played a combo and those things are tricky, you know!'

Yes, I know. That's why I like them.

Rin sighed. 'Yuugo, you could just read the effects if you don't recognise the cards.'

But Asuka explained her move anyway. 'Hallowed Life Barrier negates all damage this turn after I pay the cost of a card from my hand,' she explained, 'and Doble Passé changes an attack targeting a monster on my field to a direct attack, and then allows the original target to attack you directly.'

Yuugo frowned. 'So with Hallowed Life Barrier, you don't take any damage when my Clear Wing attacks you, but I –'

'Will take another thousand points of damage.'

'Focus!' Rin cried, as Yuugo swerved and fought to maintain control of his bike. 'You're down to half your life points already.'

'Relax, relax.' But Yuugo sounded a little out of breath. 'The stage is still set. One face-down. Turn end.'

And Asuka could guess what it was, but… We'll see. 'Draw! And I play the magic card Pot of Greed to draw two more cards.' Divine Punishment and Cyber Petit Angel. Almost there... But first… 'I activate the field magic: The Sanctuary in the Sky!'

It was actually quite disconcerting, she realised a moment after, having a riding duel with the road made out of clouds. Her brother would have loved the stage, though. He always did.

Yuugo and Rin were staring at the clouds too. 'These holograms never cease to amaze me,' Yuugo mumbled.

Me neither, she thought. 'I summon Cyber Petit Angel – whoa.'

Driving in this field magic was tough work and it seemed like the autopilot was doing more work than her in stopping her from driving into the wall.

'Cyber Petit Angel?' Rin repeated. Yuugo looked equally mystified. Maybe the archetype didn't exist in this dimension. Or maybe they were wondering why she'd summoned such a small monster.

'That's not like your Ice Bell, right?' Yuugo asked.

Rin shrugged. 'You're the one who can read the card effect. I can't from here.'

Asuka wasn't familiar with Ice Bell either, but it didn't matter right then, unless Ice Bell was in Yuugo's deck. It could just as easily be in Rin's.

'Cyber Petit Angel allows me to add the Machine Angel Ritual magic card from my deck. And now I play it to tribute the level three Cyber Tutu and the level two Cyber Petit Angel. Angel of light who hides within herself a shield and elixir of life, bring recovery with your lovely form. Ritual summon! Level five, Cyber Angel Nasateiya!'

They were entranced by her monster, glimmering as brightly as the dragon that flew above them. Had they never seen a ritual monster before? It was a rarity at Duel Academia as well – but still, she'd come to love them. Or maybe they only saw the limitations of ritual monsters.

It was a shame she couldn't bring out her second Nasateiya this turn as well though. But soon.

'One face-down card. Turn end.'

.

Asuka was easy enough to find, when he knew where to look. Sadly predictable, though it looked like the two Commons were planning the route so he couldn't drop his opinion of her based on that.

He could, however, be decidedly unimpressed with how she'd played her castle in the clouds because it looked ridiculous. Though she tended to plan several steps ahead and take counter-measures, even in the first turn where she could only rely on statistics that spelled out the average duellist to plan her course.

By the next turn though, it was clear she was walking all over her opponent. It was also clear her opponent had a clear fondness for his Clear Wing Synchro Dragon and would waste other cards to embellish it. Even if Asuka had planned it out so that she didn't need to rely on a slip-up on the part of her opponent – but even that could be circumvented by a duellist who thought outside the box.

Though Asuka was right. Counter Traps were hard to stop once they'd started. Still, Nasateiya was an easier trap to escape and a harder one to maintain. Asuka chose the difficult road and she chose to stick with it. It was inspiring to fools who flocked towards such things but it was unnecessary, in his view. Why hypnotise the crowd when you could control them with an iron fist instead? The iron fist was better, still, because hypnosis was too fleeting and too easy to break.

Wasn't he living proof himself that ones in the mass could turn against the crowd and the one who reigned above them?

The three drove on. The boy was toast and he didn't even realise it, fight fruitlessly when he tried to use a Continuous Trap against a Counter Trap to no avail, and then again when he used his Tri-Eyed Dice's effect. But Asuka didn't laugh derisively at the boy like many others in her place would have done. She duelled on like it didn't matter whether her opponent was completely incompetent or not. And maybe it didn't. Her goals lay elsewhere after all.

But he'd have to lead those two alone, if that was the case. For now, in any case. Until he had a better working relationship with Asuka – or at least a way to keep a tighter leash on her. She wasn't trouble yet. Not particular trouble, anyway.

But he wasn't going to chance her turning him into the Academia when the fruits of his labour were exposed.

So he left the duel wrapping up and drove off. Those two – three, really – were off limits, but there was an entire city of people and no doubt a few more rats snuck in before the dawn.

He was very good at sniffing out rats, after all.

.

'You didn't attack.' Yuugo seemed to almost pout and that cinched it for Asuka. His face-down was a trap that would have ensnared her monster – or powered up his own. Tri-Eyed Dice could negate an attack as well. 'You've also used up every card in your hand.'

'It's a risk worth taking,' she replied. 'Sometimes.'

'We'll see.' He grinned and drew his card. 'My turn! Draw! I summon Speedroid Double Yoyo! And Speedroid Double Yoyo allows me to summon Shave Boomerang from my graveyard. Next, Shave Boomerang's monster effect –'

'Hang on!' Rin cried.

But Yuugo wasn't listening. 'By switching it into defence mode, I can decreases the attack power of a monster on the field by 800.'

Which was pointless with Nasateiya in defence mode, Asuka thought, which meant he was aiming for his Clear Wing's monster effect. Unnecessary on his part, but perfect for me.

'Next I activate Clear Wing Synchro Dragon's monster effect. Once a turn, it destroys a monster who actives an ability against a level five or higher monster, and gains its attack points. Dichromic Mirr –'

'Counter trap, activate!' Asuka interrupted. 'Divine Punishment! When The Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field, this card negates a trap card, magic card, or monster effect that activates and destroys the card involved.'

'Tch,' said Yuugo, before activating one of his face-downs. He had a Counter Trap too? Asuka wondered. But no. It was a continuous trap. 'Burning Sonic, activate! I can target Clear Wing and then send this to the grave –

'You can't,' Asuka and Rin both spoke together. Asuka continued: 'Counter Traps, once they've been activated, can only be countered by other Counter Traps.'

'Damn,' Yuugo muttered, as his trap was destroyed along with his monster, lacking a target. 'At least I can still get rid of your angel. Bamboo horse, attack!'

'Nasateiya's monster effect: if a ritual monster I control is targeted for an attack, I can negate that attack. And Nasateiya is a ritual monster.'

'Those are trickier than I would've thought.' Yuugo looked impressed.

Rin, on the other hand, looked annoyed. 'Focus,' she scolded Yuugo. 'If you hadn't used your Shave Boomerang's ability, you would've had two monsters to defend your life points next turn.'

'And you would have needed them,' Asuka agreed. 'I draw, and activate the monster effect of Nasateiya in my graveyard. I select Speedroid Bamboo Horse, and then banish Cyber Petit Angel from my graveyard to special summon Nasateiya.'

'Why select Bamboo Horse then?' asked Yuugo, confused.

'Another of Nasateiya's abilities,' Asuka explained. 'By summoning Nasateiya in this way, I can take control of the monster I selected. So if you had left Shave Boomerang on your field, you would have had a monster on your field still to protect you.'

'Oh.' Yuugo blinked, before waving a fist. 'Hey, how was I supposed to know your monsters had convoluted abilities like that?'

'By reading the text,' Rin muttered.

Asuka smiled. He reminded her of a few classmates. They both did. 'Nasateiya's final monster effect. I can select a monster on my field once per turn, and increase my life points by half its attack points. Both my Cyber Angels target Bamboo Horse.'

'So now you're reaping its rewards as well.' Yuugo scratched as his helmet. 'Darn it!'

'Battle!' Asuka declared. 'Bamboo Horse, direct attack!'

'Tri-Eyed Dice's monster effect,' Yuugo countered. Asuka had to give him credit. It was hopeless but he was still fighting. Or maybe he just wanted to avoid the shame of being hit by his own monster. 'I banish it to negate your attack.'

'Cyber Angel Nasateiya, direct attack!'

And the second one finished off his life points. The duel runner screeched to a halt and the field magic disappeared, as well as the clouds it brought with it. Rin was biting her lip now. Yuugo was grinning. 'Wow, you're strong.'

'Did you forget she'd report us if we lost?' Rin hissed.

His face dropped immediately. 'Darn it, I did.'

'Relax,' Asuka said, parking her runner and coming up to them. 'I won't. I just wanted a duel. That's all. You know how the Tops are. I can't show any weakness in front of them. Any inexperience. Even if everybody needs to start from somewhere.'

'Yeah.' Yuugo looked at her bike. 'The bike could be top notch and you didn't crash once, but you're still no natural at it. Nowhere near ready for the big leagues.'

'I intend to be,' said Asuka, and she did. 'But I want to do more than that. I don't like looking at this too bright overpass and the too dark land that lies beneath it. The Tops and the Commons need to come together.'

Yuugo snorted at that. 'The Tops need to get off their high horse first.'

'Do you intend to change the world?' RIn asked dryly. 'We might believe you if we make it back safely.'

'Then a safe journey,' Asuka replied. She knew they wouldn't trust so easily. They didn't need to. She was sincere and that would burn through to their hearts in time – and Roget's too, hopefully. Otherwise he'd only push them all further apart. We're not invaders. We're saviours. 'There are a lot of things I intend to do. I want to teach someday. I also want to gain enough power and respect so people will listen to me, and what I have to say.'

'It's not always as easy as winning a duel,' said Yuugo. 'Is it?'

'No,' Asuka agreed. 'It's not.'

But she watched them ride off as fast as their runner seemed able to go and wondered… What else could she do? She was a duellist, in the end, from Academia.

If she and Roget couldn't see eye to eye, she wondered if they'd wind up solving that conflict with a duel as well. It was their way of communication, and their sword as well. Which will it be, in your case, Roget?

Well, she'd see how things were when she got back to headquarters. She climbed back onto her runner and started the engine.

The rest of the ride was a slow trek testing the limits of her control.

.

They met up later. Asuka didn't mention her duel and Roget didn't mention what he'd seen of it. It wasn't the best example of teamwork but they'd known from the beginning they had different agendas, and different roles to play. And that was fine. They'd planned around that, for now. They'd integrate themselves into this world and pursue their own goals and when the time came, they'd prove which of them would reign supreme.

And Roget was sure it would be him, because Asuka was the sort of role model that people followed when they had peace and indulgence but those wouldn't last. Poor, naïve Asuka who didn't realise what Academia's true goals were but worked hard for them anyway. Asuka who was by the book but clever at using those obscure cards and strategies few thought about, let alone planned against. Who locked people in so they couldn't move their arms and legs and then smiled at them. Who clipped a bird's wings and set them free from a cage and poor, naïve Asuka who didn't realise she was doing that at all. She didn't realise those students who looked up to her became soldiers of Academia and what that would mean. She didn't realise she was a soldier of Academia herself and what she'd be ordered one day to do.

Tame these wild beasts and make them your docile pets. You'll see what happens when someone lets them off their leashes.

And it was a pity too, because if only she'd had a little experienced in the art of warfare, she mightn't have been so naïve and stubborn and set in her own way of doing things and be far more useful as a result.

Oh well. I'll work it out eventually: the way to control them all.

For now, in between crawling up the ranks, he had his little pet project to be working on. And a number of anonymous people he could use to do it, and another of agents waiting to slot themselves into the empty spaces left behind.

Because no scientific advancement was made without sacrifices, and this would kill two birds with a single stone.

Note #1 – using the Arc-V duelling rules here. 4000 life points, 2000 intrusion penalty, players start with five cards and the player who takes the first turn starts straight from main phase 1. Hence why Asuka is out of cards in the second turn.

Note #2 – the summoning chant Yuugo uses for Clear Wing is straight from the subbed anime, just tweaked a bit.

Note #3 – I've added cards to Asuka's deck and mixed the Arc-V and GX ones together too. According to wikia, she already had Synthetic Seraphim in her deck, which is a support card for the Counter Fairy archetype, but she doesn't have enough counter traps to make it worthwhile. So I basically threw in cards from the deck I run in Yugioh World Championship 2011 – because that also supports ritual summoning and gives her a range of synchro monsters too. But you'll see more of that later! I'm still thinking about how to deal with the fact that her only fusion monster across two continuities is Cyber Blader.

Note #4 – Cyber Angel Naseteiya doesn't seem to actually require two copies to create a lock (unless rulings pop up later down the track to negate this) as the anime seems to suggest. It negates any attack that targets a ritual monster, so it can defend itself as well.

Note #5 – for a fun fact, Yuzu's deck also has The Sanctuary in the Sky (it was shown when she dropped her cards – same episode her Polymerisation accidentally wound up in Yuuya's deck). Considering how those two get along, it turns into a nice but somewhat irrelevant (for now anyway…) parallel.

Note #6 – this is set almost two years before the events of Season 2 of the Arc-V anime, so the Yuugo duelling here is far less experienced, Rin hasn't been kidnapped here, and Roget is a new arrival. But things will go south eventually, don't worry.