Coral: Hello one and all, to my own Zexal story! I originally thought about it starting before the World Carnival after Yuma and Kite's duel ending in a draw, but! Things changed and I decided to have this story start from between Episode 9 and 10, Yuma defeating Cathy and before he and Shark met once more!
Generalhyna: It's going to take time for people to get use to your character anyway. You should know that by now.
DanielJenson: Speaking of, why is the duel in this chapter so long and epic? It seems too early for that.
Coral: *gleam in eyes* Did you two say something just now~?
Generalhyna and DanielJenson: No ma'am!
Coral: Liars! Hissatsu: Merciless Tickle! *mercilessly tickles the two*
Generalhyna: *yelps* wait! Stop! *laughing* Why me?!
DanielJenson: *laughing hysterically* Uncle! Uncle!
Hikaru: Um... Shouldn't the story be starting by now?
Coral: Yes, yes. You just go get in place.
Hikaru: Whatever you say. *leaves*
Coral: Now, while I give my two fanfiction siblings their punishment, the rest of you, enjoy this story~
Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh Zexal. I own Hikaru Vermillia, but I don't own the deck she used, except for one card. Any other OCs belong to their original creators.
Coral: Oh! Speaking of decks, some cards in Hikaru's deck are either cards that are created in real life and have yet to appear in the anime or manga or, in the case with monsters, don't have their full stats revealed. You know which monster I'm referring to with the last part. As for the first part, I want the duel in this to be more exciting. Don't judge me.
Generalhyna: I'm questioning if that's even allowed even for the fanfiction world.
Coral: Hissatsu: Merciless Tickle Level 2! *tickles her even harder*
Generalhyna: *yelps then laughs harder* I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Mercy!
It was a nice day in Heartland City. A limo was driving through the streets. Sitting in the back seats were two teenage girls, one reading a book and one looking out the window. The one reading had short black hair, wore glasses, and was in Heartland Academy's male school uniform, a red scarf around his neck. She also had a green bangs partly covering his left eye and had piercing yellow eyes. Around her neck was a necklace with a glass orb containing a heart with two pairs of wings hugging it. The one looking out the window also had glasses, the lens shaped as a 'D' on one side and a thick 'H' on the other side, and wore Heartland Academy's school uniform, this one for girls. She was petite with dirty blonde hair. Her eyes were brown and she seemed a bit worried. Around her neck was also a necklace, this one with a glass orb containing a star held in a twisted metal, as though it was in a tornado.
"Hikaru," she called. "Are you sure we shouldn't see our new home first?"
"I don't care if they're our relatives. I'm not just going to trust a bunch of strangers, Bella," the male replied. "Besides, don't we have a cousin who goes to the same school we're going to right now?"
"I guess so. And also, why are you wearing a boy's uniform? This isn't going to be like back at home."
"Define home, when we were constantly moving to other orphanages. Also, I thought I told you many times before; these clothes are easier to move in. And if you ever get in any trouble, how am I going to get there in time to get you out of it?"
A small smile was formed on Bella's face. "You're so overprotective."
The rest of the ride was nothing but silence for the two.
Minutes later, the limo stopped in front of a large circular building, which is their middle school, Heartland Academy.
"We've arrived young mistresses," the driver said. "I'll come later to pick you and the young master up. Would 5:00 do?"
"Why 5:00 when, if I remember, the school ends at around 3:00?" Hikaru asked, as she and her sister got off the limo.
"Well, the young master loves to duel, as does his friends. Plus, the two of you may need some time to make some friends and know your way around school. And perhaps have one or two duels, if you're like the young master."
Hikaru sighed, as if slightly annoyed at even the thought of dueling.
"5:00 sounds nice," Bella answered for her. "So right here?"
"Yes," he nodded. "Have a good day, young mistresses." With that, the driver drove the limo away.
"Shall we go, Hikaru?" Bella asked.
"Might as well, I guess," she shrugged.
Some more time later, after receiving their schedule, the two girls stopped by their first class of the day, a teacher standing outside as if waiting for them.
"You two must be the new students. My name is Kitano Ukyo," he greeted.
"Nice to meet you," Bella greeted back.
"You both can wait here until you're called in." The teacher walked into the room.
"What do you think our classmates will be like?" Bella asked.
"Don't care. Just as long as they don't mess with my sister," Hikaru said.
"Again, this won't be like all those other times."
"Still don't trust them. And never will."
Bella looked sadly at her sister, wanting her to open up to people like she used to.
"You may both come in now!" they heard. Hikaru opened the door and walked in, her sister following and closing the door behind them. "These two are Hikaru and Bella Vermillia. Do you two have anything to say?" their teacher asked.
"H-Hi... I'm Bella. And this is Hikaru," Bella greeted. "We may not look like it, but we're twins."
"Hey," Hikaru simply waved.
"Okay. The two of you can take a seat in the back over there." The two girls walked over to the back, where there are empty seats.
Later, it was lunch break. Many students in Hikaru and Bella's class all gathered around the two, all wanting to get to know them.
"Where are you two from?"
"What are your favorite food?"
"Why did you move here?"
Questions kept coming and piling up. Bella couldn't keep track of them all as she tried to answer. Hikaru just ignored them, wanting to have some peace and quiet. She got especially annoyed when she heard one question from one classmate to her sister.
"You're so cute. Do you have a boyfriend?" Hikaru instantly got up and knocked the boy down to the ground. "Ow! What was that for?!"
Hikaru grabbed the boy by his collars and lifted him up to his face. "You stay away from my sister."
"H-Hikaru! It's okay! He doesn't mean any harm at all!" Bella said.
At her voice, Hikaru released the boy.
"You're crazy!" he cried as he ran out the room.
Everyone remaining just stared at Hikaru in shock and slight fear, all except for one that is.
"So you two are my cousins, huh?" The two of them looked up and saw a boy their age.
The boy had smooth blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore Heartland Academy's male uniform.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Seth," he introduced.
"I don't care," Hikaru instantly said in reply. She then grabbed Bella's hand. "Let's go, Bella. I'm already sick of this school."
"But, Hikaru!" Bella tried to reason with her, only to be dragged away.
The two sat at the rooftop, enjoying some lunch they brought with them.
"Did you really have to make a scene like that?" Bella asked Hikaru.
"That guy was being too forward with you. I don't like him," she reasoned.
"Man. You're always so overprotective."
"And remind me whose fault is it that I am overprotective?"
Bella let out a nervous chuckle, considering it was because of her that Hikaru had to be so protective of her.
"Hey! Aren't you two...?" The twins turned and saw a group of seven kids by the door, Seth being one of the seven.
"Whoa! Who'd have thought you two would be up here too?" their claimed cousin said.
'And there goes the peace and quiet,' Hikaru thought.
"In any case, this is a good timing. I haven't introduced you to my friends," Seth continued.
"I'm Todoroki Takashi, a class president," one of them, a boy with blue hair, introduced.
"My name's Takeda Tetsuo," the biggest of the group followed.
"I'm Hyori Tokunosuke-ura," the shortest of the group followed after.
"I'm Cathy Katherine. Nice you meet you-nya," the girl with cat-like appearance greeted.
"I'm Yuma Tsukumo! Hey, are you two duelists?!" the loudest of the group asked.
The girl with green hair hit Yuma on the head. "Yuma! You don't just ask someone if they're a duelist! Oh! And I'm Mizuki Kotori."
"Nice to meet all of you," Bella greeted back.
"Yeah. Whatever," Hikaru simply said.
"Hey. Give them a proper greeting," Bella scolded.
"The day I do that will be the day 'they' come back." Bella flinched slightly at Hikaru's response.
"Hey! I may not know either of your history, but I know that's not how you treat your sister!" Yuma said.
"And what are you going to do about it?"
"Duel me! I win, you show respect to your sister!"
"And if I win?"
"Then we'll leave you alone." Hikaru seemed to be considering the options.
"Yuma, are you sure?" Kotori asked.
"It's fine. I'll do this with a kattobingu! Besides, I have Astral guiding me," he replied, saying the last part in a whispered tone.
"Very well. During recess, I'll duel you," the male-dressed twin accepted.
"Why not now?!" The moment Yuma asked that, the sound of a stomach growling was heard. Yuma blushed in embarrassment while his friends all stared at him.
"That's why." At Hikaru's response, the red streaked boy let out a nervous laugh.
It was recess. As promised, Hikaru was waiting at the school's central field area for Yuma Tsukumo. As she wait, she was reading a book. By her side was her sister and on the other side of the field were Seth and his friends.
"So, this is your first time meeting your cousins?" Kotori asked Seth.
"Yeah. I heard my aunt and uncle move around a lot, so I never knew or met Hikaru or Bella before. My parents and I just heard of them a few days ago and decided to take them in," he answered.
"'Take them in'?" Takashi repeated in a questioned tone.
Tetsuo widened his eyes in slight shock. "You mean their parents are-!"
"They're not dead. At least, that's what some people are assuming. They just disappeared one day," Seth cut off.
Yuma came running. "Sorry for the wait!"
"What took you so long?" Hikaru asked, closing her book.
"I had to hand in some school work. Now then!" Yuma threw his Duel Pad in the air. The pad transformed into his duel disk and attached itself onto his arm. "Let's duel!"
Hikaru did the same with her Duel Pad. Unlike Yuma's red standard Duel Pad, her's was purple and had a wing-like piece on the side. The wing part raised up and extended, revealing three more monster zones.
"Whoa! That's a cool Duel Pad!" Seth stated.
"It's a gift," Hikaru simply said. "Now are we dueling or what?"
"Duel Disk Set! D-Gazer Set!" she and Yuma shouted in unison. While Yuma had a Duel Gazer on, the lens on Hikaru's glasses flashed, kicking in the Augmented Reality system. "AR Vision, Link Established!"
Yuma: 4000 LP
Hikaru: 4000 LP
"I'll start first. Draw," Hikaru drew her card. "I summon Raid Raptors - Booster Strix." A blue mechanical bird appeared on the field in attack mode.
Raid Raptors - Booster Strix: Level 4/DARK/Winged-Beast/100 ATK/1700 DEF
"Huh?! Why did he summon out that monster in Attack Mode?!" Tetsuo asked in a shocked tone.
"He must be new at dueling," Takashi assumed.
"I set three cards face-down and end my turn," Hikaru ended.
"This will be easy then!" Yuma claimed.
"Wait Yuma," came a voice. Yuma looked to the side and a spirit of some kind appeared next to him. "There's something off about those face-downs. Be careful."
"Calm down, Astral. I got this. My turn! Draw!" Yuma drew his next card. "I summon Gagaga Magician!" A brown clothed magician appeared on the field.
Gagaga Magician: Level 4/DARK/Spellcaster/1500 ATK/1000 DEF
"And when I Normal Summon a monster, I Special Summon Kagetokage from my hand!" A shadowy lizard appeared from the summoned monster's shadows.
Kagetokage: Level 4/DARK/Reptile/1100 ATK/1500 DEF
"Double Continuous Trap, activate!" Hikaru shouted, surprising Yuma and his friends. "Raid Raptors - Reactor and Raid Raptors - Chain Lock. With Chain Lock's effect, once per turn, when my opponent special summons a monster, I can choose to change that monster's Battle Position." Chains appeared and wrapped themselves around Yuma's lizard. "And with Reactor's effect, if the monster with ATK higher than the total ATK of all 'Raid Raptor' monsters I control had its Battle Position changed, that monster is destroyed and my opponent take damage equal to that monster's ATK!"
"What?!" Yuma gasped, as his monster was destroyed and a strong wind blew.
Yuma: 2900 LP
Hikaru: 4000 LP
"No way-ura! That guy set Yuma up-urayo!" Tokunosuke shouted in shock.
"He must've predicted that Yuma would either summon out a really strong monster or Xyz summon and had those set just in case," Takashi assumed.
"So, unless if something is done with those cards, Yuma-kun can't do anything-cat?" Cathy asked.
As though listening in to their conversation, Yuma then said, "Then I just don't Special Summon until I get rid of one of those cards or he summons out a horde of monsters, right? And besides that we can still destroy Booster Strix!"
"Wait, Yuma!" Astral tried to warn.
"Battle! I attack Raid Raptors - Booster Strix with Gagaga Magician!" Yuma ignored his call and went to attack.
"I activate the Trap Card, Raid Raptors - Readiness," Hikaru defended. "With this card's effect, I take no battle damage." A barrier appeared around her, protecting her from the damage.
"In that case..." Yuma looked at his hand.
"Set those two Trap cards," Astral advised.
"Got it. I set two cards face down and end my turn!" he ended.
"Then it's my turn. Draw." Hikaru drew her next card. "I summon out Raid Raptors - Vanishing Lanius." A green and white mechanical bird appeared on the field
Raid Raptors - Vanishing Lanius: Level 4/DARK/Winged Beast/1300 ATK/1600 DEF
"When this card is summoned, I can Special Summon another 'Raid Raptors - Vanishing Lanius' from my hand. And from my hand I activate Raid Raptors - Retrofit Lanius' effect. I can make its name and Level become the same as one 'Raid Raptors' monster on my field. The only one I have is Vanishing Lanius. And since Retrofit Lanius is considered as Vanishing Lanius, I can Special Summon him with Vanishing Lanius' effect in Defense Mode." A green mechanical monster that seemed like a featherless-winged bird appeared on the field. Its appearance changed slightly until it looked like the original Vanishing Lanius.
Raid Raptors - Retrofit Lanius: Level 4/DARK/Winged Beast/800 ATK/1200 DEF
"And if I control a 'Raid Raptors - Vanishing Lanius' on my field, I special summon Raid Raptors - Fuzzy Lanius from my hand." Next to that bird was a mostly purple mechanical bird.
Raid Raptors - Fuzzy Lanius: Level 4/DARK/Winged Beast/500 ATK/1500 DEF
That kind of play did nothing but surprise Yuma and his friends.
"That's amazing-nya!" Cathy claimed.
"In one turn, he summoned three monsters!" Kotori followed.
"But even so, their ATK are all lower than Gagaga Magician," Takashi pointed out.
"I wonder about that," Hikaru spoke, listening in to their conversation. "I now overlay my Level 4 Raid Raptors - Vanishing Lanius and Fuzzy Lanius!" A portal appeared and the two monsters became dark energies and jumped into it. "With these two monsters I build an Overlay Network! Avian hunter of the afterlife, seek the truth with your dark eyes, and grasp glory with your sharp talons! XYZ SUMMON! Now take flight! Raid Raptors - Force Strix!" A brown and black owl-like monster appeared on the field.
Raid Raptors - Force Strix: Rank 4/DARK/Winged Beast/100 ATK/2000 DEF
"Huh? Wait a second! Aren't you going to summon out a strong monster?" Yuma asked. "Because earlier you said you have something that can destroy Gagaga Magician!"
"Yes. I did say that. However that doesn't mean I'm attacking now. With Force Strix's effect, he gains 500 ATK and DEF for each other Winged Beast type monster I control."
Raid Raptors - Force Strix: 100 + 500 = 600 ATK/2000 + 500 = 2500 DEF
"And I activate his other effect. By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can add one Level 4 Winged Beast type monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Raid Raptors - Singing Lanius to my hand. And from my Graveyard, I activate Fuzzy Lanius' effect, whom I sent using Force Strix's effect. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can add another Fuzzy Lanius to my hand."
"Now he has two more monsters in his hand-ura!" Tokunosuke shouted in disbelief.
"From my hand I activate Singing Lanius' effect. When I control an Xyz monster, I can Special Summon him." A dark brown and yellow mechanical bird appeared on the field.
Raid Raptors - Singing Lanius: Level 4/DARK/Winged Beast/100 ATK/1800 DEF
"And I also activate Fuzzy Lanius from my hand. Since I have a Vanishing Lanius on the field, I can Special Summon it!" Another copy of Fuzzy Lanius appeared on the field. And with more Winged Beast on her field, her Force Strix gains more power.
Raid Raptors - Force Strix: 600 + 1000 = 1600 ATK/2500 + 1000 = 3500 DEF
"Hold up! Where is the other Vanishing Lanius?!" Yuma asked.
"Have you forgotten? While on the field this turn, Retrofit Lanius is treated as Vanishing Lanius," Bella reminded for her male-dressed sister.
"That's right," Hikaru confirmed. "And now I once again overlay my Level 4 Raid Raptors - Singing Lanius with Fuzzy Lanius!" The portal appeared again as her two monsters jumped into it. "With these two monsters I build the overlay network! Avian hunter of the afterlife, seek the truth with your dark eyes, and grasp glory with your sharp talons! XYZ SUMMON! Take flight again! Raid Raptors - Force Strix!" Another copy of Hikaru's Xyz monster appeared on the field. With one less Winged Beast, though, the first Force Strix's power went down.
Raid Raptors - Force Strix 1: 1600 - 500 = 1100 ATK/3500 - 500 = 3000 DEF
Raid Raptors - Force Strix 2: 100 + 1000 = 1100 ATK/2000 + 1000 = 3000 DEF
"And now I will activate the second Force Strix's effect. Detaching one Overlay unit to add a Level 4 DARK Winged Beast monster from my deck to my hand. I add another Raid Raptors - Singing Lanius. And since I detached Fuzzy Lanius, I activate its effect to add the third and last Fuzzy Lanius to my hand." Hikaru added the two same cards to her hand.
"Can he be-?!" Kotori began to ask.
"And now I activate their effects to Special Summon them." Hikaru summoned out the two cards she just added. "And I will also overlay them! Avian hunter of the afterlife, seek the truth with your dark eyes, and grasp glory with your sharp talons! XYZ SUMMON! Take flight once more! Raid Raptors - Force Strix!" The third and last copy of Force Strix had appeared.
Raid Raptors - Force Strix 2x: 1100 + 500 = 1600 ATK/3000 + 500 = 3500 DEF
Raid Raptors - Force Strix 3: 100 + 1500 = 1600 ATK/2000 + 1500 = 3500 DEF
"And now I activate the third Force Strix's effect. Detaching one Overlay Unit to add another Singing Lanius to my hand and Special Summon it." The third and last copy of Singing Lanius appeared on the field in Defense Mode.
Raid Raptors - Force Strix 3x: 1600 + 500 = 2100 ATK/3500 + 500 = 4000 DEF
"That's so many monsters..." Tetsuo spoke in disbelief.
"Not once, or twice, but three times, that guy Xyz Summoned..." Takashi said, also in disbelief. "To summarize, is there really a duelist that good at our age?"
"And not only that, but his Force Strixes got additional boost from their own effect. Unless if those face-downs can protect Gagaga Magician or Yuma's Life Points, he'll lose," Seth pointed out.
"Hey, Astral," Yuma whispered to his spirit friend, who seemed to be as shocked as him. "Tell me you have an idea to get me out of this."
"Our top priority right now is to defend ourselves from whatever he has in store for us. Besides, Chain Lock's effect only works if the monster we summoned has a higher ATK than the total ATK of all monster he controls, isn't it?" he recalled.
"Now that you mention it... Then that just means we have to survive this turn!"
"If you're done talking to yourself, I'll commence the battle! Raid Raptors - Force Strix! Attack Gagaga Magician! Force Revolution!" One of the Xyz monsters went in to attack.
"I activate my trap card! Gagagashield! This turn, a Spellcaster monster I control won't be destroyed by battle twice!" Yuma defended. A bubble appeared and protected his monster from destruction.
Yuma: 2300 LP
Hikaru: 4000 LP
"I still have two more attacks. Go! Double Force Revolution!" The other two Force Strixes struck Gagaga Magician head on. The last attack destroying Gagaga Magician.
Yuma: 1100 LP
Hikaru: 4000 LP
"Yuma's down to half his Life Points now-ura!" Tokunosuke exclaimed.
"And not only that, but Gagaga Magician was destroyed!" Takashi added.
"But even so, with how high his monster's ATK are, his remaining monsters in Defense Mode, and with no cards in his hand, this is Yuma's chance!" Tetsuo said.
"Yuma! You can do it!" Kotori cheered.
"Okay. Now to make a comeback! My turn! Draw!" Yuma drew his next card.
"Yuma," Astral called.
Just that one call, Yuma knew what he was thinking. "I know. I summon Goblindbergh!" A goblin piloting a plane appeared on the field.
Goblindbergh: Level: 4/EARTH/Warrior/1400 ATK/0 DEF
"And I activate Goblindbergh's effect! By switching it to Defense Mode, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster from my hand! I Special Summon Ganbara Knight!"
Ganbara Knight: Level 4/LIGHT/Warrior/0 ATK/1800 DEF
"I now overlay my Level 4 Goblindbergh and Ganbara Knight!" A portal appeared on Yuma's field and the two monsters jumped right into it. "With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! XYZ SUMMON! Come forth! Number 39: King of Wishes Hope!" Yuma's ace monster appeared on the field.
Number 39: King of Wishes, Hope: Rank 4/LIGHT/Warrior/2500 ATK/2000 DEF
While most people were excited to see Yuma's Xyz monster, Bella seemed shocked or surprised while her twin narrowed her eyes in a glare at the sight of it.
"Yes! Yuma's ace monster!" Seth cheered.
"Now's a good time for a counterattack!" Tetsuo said.
"To summarize, win!" Takashi followed.
"Go, Yuma-kun!" Cathy cheered.
"I'm doing this with a kattobingu! Battle! King of Wishes, Hope! Attack one of his Raid Raptors - Force Strix! Hope Sword Slash! And while he's battling, I activate my Trap Card, Just Desserts! For each monster my opponent controls, they take 500 points of damage!" His monster took out one of his swords went it to attack. At the same time, Yuma's remaining face-down was activated and five rays were shot out of it to Hikaru.
"From my Graveyard, I activate Raid Raptors - Readiness' second effect. If I were to take effect damage, by banishing this card and reducing my Life Points to ten, that damage is negated," the 'Raid Raptors' duelist countered, as a barrier appeared and protected her from the effect of Just Deserts.
Yuma: 1100 LP
Hikaru: 10 LP
"You made a big mistake doing that! Because now one attack is all I need to defeat you!" Yuma declared. "Kattobingu!" Hope and Force Strix duked it out and eventually, it was Hikaru's monster that was destroyed. Despite that, for some reason, Hikaru's Life Points weren't reduced, to everyone's confusion, except Bella.
"When Readiness's second effect is used, Hikaru doesn't take any more damage this turn," she explained.
"Then that attack was for nothing?" Kotori asked.
"That's not true. With one less Winged Beast monster, the other Force Strix's power goes down," Tetsuo corrected. As if to prove him right, the two Xyz Monsters' power were reduced.
Raid Raptors - Force Strix 2x: 2100 - 500 = 1600 ATK/4000 - 500 = 3500 DEF
"And not only that, Hope's ATK is higher than that guy's monsters. Even if he summons out another Winged Beast, neither of those Force Strix has the power to take down Hope-urayo," Tokunosuke pointed out.
"And let's not forget that 'Numbers' can only be beaten by other 'Numbers'-cat," Kotori added.
"So to summarize, Yuma will win!" Takashi said.
"I set one card face-down and end my turn," Yuma ended, setting the last card in his hand.
"My turn. Draw." Hikaru drew her next card. "Who'd have thought I have to go serious in this duel? After all, it's because of those cards that life became harder for me and my sister. And now, I shall liberate you from them."
Yuma couldn't help but be confused. "Hey, what are you saying?"
"Let me tell you something; Raid Raptors - Retrofit Lanius is treated as two monsters when being used to Xyz Summon a 'Raid Raptors' Xyz monster. I overlay my Level 4 Raid Raptors - Retrofit Lanius and Singing Lanius! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! Obscured falcon! Raise your sharpen talons in front of adversity and spread the wings of rebellion! XYZ SUMMON! Appear! Raid Raptors - Rise Falcon!" A blue and green mechanical falcon appeared on the field.
Raid Raptors - Rise Falcon: Rank 4/DARK/Winged Beast/100 ATK/2000 DEF
Raid Raptors - Force Strix 2x: 1600 - 500 = 1100 ATK/3500 - 500 = 3000 DEF
"An ATK of 100?" Takashi questioned.
"Can it be that it also has an effect-ura?" Tokunosuke guessed.
"And from my hand, I activate Dimension Xyz. If my Life Points are 1000 or less, and I have three monsters with the same name in my hand or Graveyard, I can perform an Xyz summon using those monsters!" Hikaru continued and explained.
"What?!" Yuma and Astral gasped.
"An Xyz Summon from the Graveyard?!" Kotori followed.
"That shouldn't be possible!" Takashi claimed.
"I overlay my three Level 4 Raid Raptors - Fuzzy Lanius! With these three monsters I build the Overlay Network! Great leading falcon! Rise to the revolution and soar to victory! XYZ SUMMON! Soar sky high! Number 26: Raid Raptors - Twilight Falcon!" A white and black mechanical falcon appeared on the field.
Number 26: Raid Raptors - Twilight Falcon: Rank 4/DARK/Winged Beast/1000 ATK/2000 DEF
Raid Raptors - Force Strix 2x: 1100 + 500 = 1600 ATK/3000 + 500 = 3500 DEF
(Number 26: Raid Raptors - Twilight Falcon: Xyz Monster: 3 level 4 monsters: This card cannot be destroyed by battle except by battling another 'Number' monster. Once per turn, when an attack is declared involving a monster you control and an opponent's monster, you may detach one Overlay Unit from this card: target one monster on your field besides your battling monster; that monster monster gains ATK equal to the target's ATK until the end of the Battle Phase.)
Out of all the excited people in the audience, the only ones who were shocked were Yuma's friends.
"A 'Numbers'?!" Seth gasped.
"No way!" Cathy shouted.
"To think a transfer student has one too!" Tetsuo said.
"But that means that Yuma is now dueling for his 'Numbers' and Astral's soul!" Kotori pointed out.
Yuma gritted his teeth at the predicament he was in. "Damn it. Now I actually have to be more careful," he muttered to himself.
Astral was also uneasy. But for some reason, he didn't feel any different than when the duel first began. 'Why? Is it because his Life Points is very low?' he wondered.
"And now I activate Raid Raptors - Rise Falcon's effect. By detaching one Overlay Unit, he gains the ATK of all Special Summoned monster my opponent controls." Hearing that shocked everyone. "Soaring Revolt!" The first newly summoned falcon used its unit and activated its effect, as flames surrounded its body.
Raid Raptors - Rise Falcon: 100 + 2500 = 2600 ATK
"It's ATK went up-cat!" Cathy said in shock.
"But even so, it can't destroy Hope," Kotori pointed out.
"Battle! I attack King of Wishes, Hope with Raid Raptors - Twilight Falcon! Vengeance Claw!" Hikaru declared, much to their shock until- "And I activate Twilight Falcon's effect! Once per turn, when an attack is declared involving my and my opponent's monster, by detaching one Overlay Unit, I can target one other monster on my field! My battling monster gains that monster's current ATK! The monster I'm targeting is Rise Falcon! United Revolution!" The flames surrounding Rise Falcon transferred over to Hikaru's 'Number' monster.
Number 26: Raid Raptors - Twilight Falcon: 1000 + 2600 = 3600 ATK
"Now Twilight Falcon has the higher ATK-ura!" Tokunosuke shouted.
"Yuma has to use Hope's effect!" Tetsuo said.
And use it he did. "I activate Hope's effect! By detaching one Overlay Unit, this battle is negated! Moon Barrier!" Yuma's monster used his wing to shield himself from the attack.
His friends all sighed in relief at the action.
"That was a close one," Seth said. "But man. My cousin sure is strong. He could be the youngest pro duelist we ever knew."
"Don't forget that your cousin also has a 'Numbers' card!" Takashi reminded. "And not only that, Hope's Overlay Units are now zero. To summarize, Yuma's in a big pinch."
"By the end of the Battle Phase, Twilight Falcon's ATK returns to normal," Hikaru said, as his monster's power returned to normal.
Number 26: Raid Raptors - Twilight Falcon: 3600 - 2600 = 1000 ATK
"I switch both Force Strix to Defense Mode and activate their effects. Detaching their last units to add two Level 4 DARK Winged Beast monster to my hand. I add Raid Raptors - Sharp Lanius and Raid Raptors Booster Strix to my hand. And I will summon out Sharp Lanius." A red and white mechanical bird appeared on the field.
Raid Raptors - Sharp Lanius: Level 4/DARK/Winged Beast/1700 ATK/1000 DEF
Raid Raptors - Force Strix 2x: 1600 + 500 = 2100 ATK/3500 + 500 = 4000 DEF
"When this card is summoned, I can target two monsters on the field and switch their Battle Position. I'll use this effect on itself and Rise Falcon and switch them both to Defense Mode. I end my turn. At this time, Rise Falcon's ATK returns to normal," Hikaru ended, as her 'Number' monster was now the only monster left in Attack Mode.
Raid Raptors - Rise Falcon: 2600 - 2500 = 100 ATK
"Now is Yuma's big chance-ura!" Tokunosuke exclaimed.
"Yuma-kun, go-cat!" Cathy cheered.
"Let's go! My turn! Draw!" Yuma drew his next card. "Now it's time for a counterattack! I'm doing this with a kattobingu! I attack Twilight Falcon with Hope! Hope Sword Slash!" Utopia charged in for another attack.
"From my hand, I activate Raid Raptors - Booster Strix's effect," Hikaru countered back, to Yuma and his friends' shock. "When an opponent's monster declares an attack on a 'Raid Raptors' Xyz monster that I control, by sending this card to the Graveyard, it gains two effects. First, by detaching one Overlay Unit, the attack declared onto it is negated." One of Twilight Falcon's remaining unit blocked Hope's attack. "Then, using the second Overlay Unit, the attacking monster is destroyed."
"What?!" her opponent gasped, as everyone witnessed Twilight Falcon's last unit hitting Hope straight in the chest, destroying him.
"Hope's been-!" Kotori began, not wanting to finish her sentence.
"Yuma. Use Monster Reborn," Astral continued to guide.
"Yeah! I activate the Magic Card, Monster Reborn! With this, I bring back Hope from the Graveyard!" Yuma's ace card returned to the field. "I set one card face down and end my turn!"
"My turn. Draw." Hikaru drew her next card. "I activate the Magic Card, Raid Raptors - Sanctuary. This card lets me draw two cards if I have three or more 'Raid Raptors' monsters." Hikaru drew more cards. "Looks like this is the end." Yuma and Astral prepared themselves for whatever was coming to them. "I activate the Equip Magic, Raptor's Ultimate Mace! This card gives a 'Raid Raptors' monster 1000 more ATK! I will equip this card to Twilight Falcon!" Hikaru's 'Number' monster grew with power.
Number 26: Raid Raptors - Twilight Falcon: 1000 + 1000 = 2000 ATK
"And likewise, I activate the Equip Magic, Xyz Unit! This gives an Xyz Monster 200 more ATK times its Rank!" Twilight Falcon grew even bigger with power.
Number 26: Raid Raptors - Twilight Falcon: 2000 + 200 x 4 = 2000 + 800 = 2800 ATK
"Its ATK is the higher than Hope!" Seth said.
"Now I activate Rise Flacon's effect! Using its last Overlay Unit to gain Hope's ATK! Soaring Revolt!" Rise Falcon used its last unit to gain Yuma's monster's power.
Raid Raptors - Rise Falcon: 100 + 2500 = 2600 ATK
"Battle! I attack Hope with Twilight Falcon! Vengeance Claw!" The two 'Number' monsters went to duke it out against each other.
"Trap card open! Half Unbreak! This turn, a monster I control won't be destroyed by battle, and I take half the Battle Damage from battles involving it!" Yuma countered, as a bubble barrier appeared and protected his monster from Twilight Falcon's attack.
"I activate Twilight Falcon's effect! By detaching an Overlay Unit, it can gain the ATK of one of its allies!"
"But it doesn't have any more Overlay Units!"
"Xyz Unit can be used as an Overlay Unit to activate the equipped monster's effect! Gain Rise Falcon's power! And I activate Rise Falcon's effect!" As the equip card dissipated, Twilight Falcon gained even more power from its ally.
Number 26: Raid Raptors - Twilight Falcon: 2800 - 800 + 2600 = 4600 ATK
The DARK Xyz monster struck Hope hard. Thanks to Half Unbreak, though, he wasn't destroyed and Yuma was barely still in the game.
Yuma: 50 LP
Hikaru: 10 LP
Watching their duel was getting the audience riled up, none knowing which duelist they want to win. Even Yuma's friends found it exciting.
"This is awesome!"
"This has to be the best duel ever in this school!"
"I don't care which of them wins!"
"Go for it, you two!"
Yuma panted slightly as he realized something. "Hey, Astral." His spiritual friend looked at him. "I don't think this guy is anything like the other 'Number' holders."
Astral looked back at the opposing duelist and found that to be true. "It seems that way."
On the other side, Bella was looking at her sister with a shocked look. 'Those eyes... Is my sister really having fun? That's the first time I've seen her with that look,' she thought.
"I end my turn! You have one turn to end me, Tsukumo Yuma! Next turn will be your downfall!" Hikaru declared, as her monster's ATK returned to normal.
Raid Raptors - Rise Falcon: 2600 - 2500 = 100 ATK
Number 26: Raid Raptors - Twilight Falcon: 4600 - 2600 = 2000 ATK
"Not if I beat you first! My turn! Draw!" Yuma drew his next card. "Battle! King of Wishes, Hope! Attack Raid Raptors - Twilight Falcon! Hope Sword Slash!" Yuma's ace charged him with his swords and cut the falcon down at last.
"I activate the effect of Raptor's Ultimate Mace! If the equipped monster was to be destroyed, I take no Battle Damage from that battle and I add a special card from my deck to my hand!" Hikaru defended. At the same time, her Force Strixes' power went down again.
Raid Raptors - Force Strix 2x: 2100 - 500 = 1600 ATK/4000 - 500 = 3500 DEF
"A special card? What kind of card is that?"
"That you'll just have to find out."
Yuma seemed to be trembling in great excitement. "I can't wait! I set one card face down and end my turn!"
"Then it's my turn! Draw!" Hikaru drew her next card. "I activate the Magic card, Rank-Up-Magic Raid Force!"
"'Rank-Up-Magic'?!"
"Hey, what kind of card is that?" Kotori asked Tetsuo.
"I never heard of that card," he said. "What about you, class prez?"
"I never heard of it either," Takashi admitted.
"'Rank-Up-Magic' are Magic cards that evolves Xyz Monsters to the next level, bringing out the full potential of their power," Bella explained.
"I use this effect on Raid Raptors - Rise Falcon!" The Xyz Portal appeared and Rise Falcon jumped right into it. "Ferocious falcon. Break through this fierce battle and spread your wings! Destroy our gathering foes! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! Appear! Raid Raptors - Blaze Falcon!" A red and black mechanical falcon appeared from the portal.
Raid Raptors - Blaze Falcon: Rank 5/DARK/Winged Beast/1000 ATK/2000 DEF
"So that's 'Rank-Up-Magic's effect. However, that's not getting past Hope," Yuma declared.
"I wonder about that," Hikaru smirked. "Blaze Falcon can attack my opponent directly. Now go, Blaze Falcon! Attack Yuma directly! Raptor's Break of Thunderclap!" Blaze Falcon charged past the opposing Xyz monster and headed straight for Yuma.
"I activate the Trap Card, Battle Break! When my opponent declares an attack, I can destroy the attacking monster and end the Battle Phase!" the red streaked duelist countered. "How's that?! Next turn I'll be the one to win!"
"I believe I said this is the last turn for you," Hikaru stated. "And I intend on keeping my word. I summon Raid Raptors - Necro Vulture." A purple and black falcon with purple aura appeared on the field.
Raid Raptors - Necro Vulture: Level 4/DARK/Winged Beast/1000 ATK/1600 DEF
"And I activate Necro Vulture's effect! By releasing this card, I can return a 'Rank-Up-Magic' card from my Graveyard to my hand! I return Rank-Up-Magic Raid Force and activate it! This time I'm using this effect on Force Strix! The unseen bold falcon. Reveal your wings' unknown powers here and now! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! Come forth! Raid Raptors - Etranger Falcon!" A yellow armored mechanical bird-like monster appeared on the field.
Raid Raptors - Etranger Falcon: Rank 5/DARK/Winged Beast/2000 ATK/3000 DEF
"And now I activate Etranger Falcon's effect! By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can destroy one monster my opponent controls and deal damage to them equal to that monster's ATK!"
"What?!" Yuma gasped.
"Yuma's Life Points are 50!" Tokunosuke informed.
"Hope's ATK are 2500!" Kotori followed.
"Yuma-kun will lose!" Cathy shouted.
"This is the end! Revolting Cannon!" Etranger Falcon shot out what seemed like bullets from its cannons on its shoulders and destroyed Hope, as well as ending the duel at last.
Yuma: 00 LP
Hikaru: 10 LP
WINNER: HIKARU!
As the monsters and the reality link dissipated, many students in the audience all gathered around Hikaru, commenting on how strong she was. In the mean time, Yuma's friends all gathered around him.
"Yuma! Are you okay?" Seth asked.
"Yeah. But man, that guy is a strong duelist," Yuma stated.
"But wait, what happens to Astral?" Tetsuo asked.
"I'm still here." Yuma looked to the side and, to his surprise, Astral was still by his side.
"Huh? But why?" he asked.
"I don't know. Now that I think about it, I never had any reaction at all when we were close to losing."
Determined to know why and where Hikaru got her 'Number' card, Yuma got up and approached the crowd. "Hey! Hikaru!"
"What?" she asked, back in her cold, uncaring state.
"Your Number. Where did you get it?"
"The hell should I know. It just appeared in my deck one day." Yuma was surprised at the answer. Hikaru checked the time on his D-Gazer and started to walk off. "Come on, Bella. Sebastian said he's going to get us soon."
"Right!" Bella responded. Before following him, Bella turned to the group and said, "I'll properly explain everything tomorrow. Or in Seth's case, when we get to his house."
At his name, the boy seemed to have realized something. "Oh yeah! You two are going to live with me and my parents. Speaking of which, I have to catch up. Wouldn't want to keep the driver and his passengers waiting." Seth followed Hikaru to the entrance.
"I should go as well. See you all tomorrow! And pardon my sister's attitude!" Bella shouted as she took her leave.
Few seconds after she left, everyone took a moment to realize what she just said.
"That guy is a girl!?" Yuma voiced out their question in great shock.