Author's Note: Ladies and gentlemen! Ahem. Now that the introduction is out of the way, I would like to formally welcome you to this story – Dimensions of Chaos – and I hope you enjoy your stay.
Before I start, I'm sure you're probably wondering what this story is about. Simply put, it's a new spin on an old classic. While this follows some of the same points in the storyline of the canon, there will naturally be some new twists and deviations – this is Fanfiction, after all! – many of which you'll start to see even in this chapter.
A few of the more technical things: Firstly, the duels in this story will be following the current-most Ban list, and will likely stay rigid throughout the entirety of the story. (Not that I anticipate using Forbidden/Limited/Semi-Limited cards in here.)
Secondly, given the finite amount of cards in certain archetypes/decks, there will be custom-created cards in this story, those created by me or other writers. I mean, imagine writing a full duel with the three cards Futoshi has now. Tough, right?
Thirdly – and this is more of a nitpick – I will be sticking to the Japanese archetype name of Yuya's deck: Entermates. More of a personal preference thing, but most, if not all of the other decks, will be using the TCG name. We'll see on this one.
And last but not least, this story is intended to start at the beginning of Arc-V, pre-Pendulum. As such, Yuya's current Pendulum Monsters will be treated as regular Effect Monsters, until the transformation to Pendulum Cards. Yes, even you, Odd-Eyes.
One last thing: Depending on the type of duel, the Life Points will vary. Exhibition Duels (like Yuya's and Yuzu's from the second episode) will be performed on the basis of 4000 Life Points, whereas all other duels – or at least ninety-nine percent of them – will be played at the standard 8000. I find that it makes more sense, considering the function of each type of duel.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Arc-V (or any of the other series for that matter). But a guy can dream.
I'm rambling now, and you're all probably getting antsy. So, let's get onto it. Without further do, I present to you Dimensions of Chaos.
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Chapter 1: The Fun Has Just Begun
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The lights of the indoor stadium dimmed, prompting the raucous crowd members to change their tones from animated shouts to scattered murmurs to pinched whispers, until, ultimately, the dome became as quiet as a cemetery. The spectators sat in their seats, holding their bated breath in anticipation as they stared into the burgeoning darkness. In the dim light, the lime green arena in the center of the stadium, roughly the size of a primary school gymnasium, donned a more forest green hue.
The entire stadium fell victim to the darkening abyss, causing many to strain their eyes in search of light, in search of something. In spite of the built-in skylight lining the ceiling, the dark storm clouds outside were not particularly helpful aiding them.
From the east came a single spotlight, tinted a sickly yellow. It struck the center of the arena, shedding only enough light to reveal a pattern etched in the field – a perfect circle, horizontally bisected by a white line of paint.
The four stadium speakers, each positioned parallel to each other in the upper four quadrants of the building, resounded together with a fanfare of trumpets, harps, flutes, and gongs. The music was cheesy to most spectators, though some of the younger ones stamped their feet to the beat. The viewers didn't seem to mind, however; by now they knew what the music meant: The show was about to begin.
As if on cue, words rang through the speakers and through ears of each spectator.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and duel enthusiasts of all ages," a disembodied voice called out. It seemed to span across the entire stadium, ricocheting everywhere. 'Of all ages,' the walls seemed to repeat. "It is my pleasure to welcome you to Maiami City's annual entertainment duel tournament, sponsored exclusively by the very makers of Action Duels, the Leo Corporation."
'The Leo Corporation,' the walls parroted twice.
A low wave of applause started among the west and north wing of the crowd, but died down before it reached the other two sectors. Others celebrated with low cheers, hollers, and the stamping of feet.
The voice went on. "It is also with great pleasure that I, Nico Smiley, proud manager of last year's Duel Champion, Strong Ishijima, will broadcast this event as your Master of Ceremonies today as we seek to crown a new entertainment Duel Champion. Are you ready?"
As the walls repeated Smiley's inquiry, an uproarious response surged through the audience all at once, without any buildup. Cheers, claps, stomps, and whistles tore through the speaker echoes. The air was alive with a palpable energy. Outside, the booming thunder competed to be heard over the voices.
Nico, not waiting for the audience to quiet, continued, "Challengers from far and wide have gathered here to earn this most prestigious and elusive title, and many have come close. But here we are, at the finale, where only two young duelists remain. Only one will be able to claim the championship title. But who will it be?"
Smiley managed to stretch each syllable long enough to where each word sounded like its own sentence. The walls doubled the length as they reverberated in cadence.
"The final duel is about to commence; but before we get to the main event, let's meet the two duelists who braved the competition, weathered every trial, and leapt over every hurdle to get to where they are now!"
More applause, quieter now, surfaced among the onlookers.
Nico cleared his throat. "Though he is already the current CEO of the Leo Corporation, he indulges in dueling during his spare time. At the remarkable age of fifteen, he took the dueling world by storm with his sheer talent and ingenuity by becoming the youngest certified participant in the Duel Circuit. Conquering duelist after duelist without a single loss in this competition, he has effortlessly glided through the preliminaries, straight to the finals. It is with great honor that I am proud to introduce the one, the only, Reiji Akaba!"
Thick clouds of fog and smoke wafted onto the left side of the field, and a silhouette emerged through the haze. The fanfare music replayed through the speakers, louder this time to match the cries from the audience. A hand pushed past the smoke, clearing it until the owner was visible.
There he stood, now graced by the embrace of the spotlight's warmth – the infamous Reiji Akaba. He coolly threw a hand through his gray locks of hair, repositioning a few of the downward pointing spikes. He had a look of indifference about him, accentuated by his blank stare and calm purple eyes, hidden under the rectangular frames of his glasses. Attached to his head was a wireless headset that ended with a small microphone.
He lifted a hand to address the audience, giving a halfhearted wave to the throngs of cheering people. As the music came to a close and the audience's voices became too hoarse to cheer any further, Reiji lifted his right hand. He tapped two buttons on the headset, one after the other, and began to speak.
"Good afternoon, everyone." Reiji spoke methodically into the microphone, as though he had practiced his speech to the point of boredom. Thunder boomed in the background, and he recommenced, "It's gratifying to see so many dueling fans gathered here today. In all the years that the Leo Corporation has held this event, I believe that this is the largest turnout that we've received thus far."
More cheers came, mostly male. '…Largest turnout that we've received thus far,' the walls and speakers repeated.
A hint of a smile crossed his lips. "We thank you for your continued support, and for your love of Action Duels. It was always our intention to take dueling to a higher plane, to a new and greater level of evolution, and we have achieved just that through you all. You – no, we should be proud."
Sentimental clapping ensued.
"With the formalities out of the way," Reiji said, as whatever fragment of a smile he had vanished, "I hope that you've all prepared yourselves to witness a passionate duel. Watch closely, because I will be taking this duel to an even higher plane. I ask you all to be a part of it with me, as together we make history through this match. Let's duel!"
Every member of the audience, as was customary, shouted back, "Let's duel!"
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Nico sniffled without missing a beat. It sounded as though he had been crying, perhaps overly moved by Reiji's words. "The essence of profundity, straight from the mouth of our very own Reiji Akaba."
He snapped his fingers. "But let's not forget his opponent. Though he had a bumpy start, he has impressed us time and again with his come-from-behind victories. Against Reiji Akaba, he has his work cut out for him, but making it to the final round certainly proves that he's no dueling slouch. With a love of performance and the strength of his monsters by his side, he should provide quite the show. Please give a warm welcome to the resident dark horse, Yuya Sakaki!"
Smoke poured on the field once again, on the side of the field opposite to Reiji. Coughing was heard as a hand quickly tried to swat the smoke away. The audience clapped – slower and quieter than they had for Reiji, save for one girl.
"Don't you even think about losing in front of me, Yuya!" she shouted from the north wing of the audience, cupping her hands in front of her mouth. Her elegantly-parted cherry hair bounced as she winked a big blue eye. "I'll be watching!"
The vapor cleared to reveal the coughing young boy, beating on his chest to remove the excess smoke from his lungs. Considerably shorter in comparison to Reiji, he sported the same microphone headset.
Anyone could see it as the light enveloped his body – it was clear to see by his ensemble – why, he had chosen entertainment duels out of all the possible categories. A choker fashioned as a belt buckle wrapped around his neck, goggles strapped to his head, a bracelet constricting his right wrist, and a blue crystal pendant around his neck were among his many accessories. Compared to that, his red-green combination hair seemed commonplace, even with the single spike on top. His plain red tee-shirt and green cargo pants seemed to compliment his coiffure.
"Don't worry about a thing, Yuzu!" he shouted back to the girl. He turned in her direction, offering a thumbs-up gesture. "Leave everything to me!"
"Right," she nodded, returning his smile. "Good luck."
Yuya nodded too, then turned to Reiji. He could feel his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He reached down and clutched his pendant to reassure himself.
"How about it, Yuya?" Nico asked. The microphone, too close to his mouth, sent shockwaves of feedback through the speakers, causing many of the fans to cover their ears as their announcer scrambled to apologize. When he regained his composure, he continued, "Are there any words that you'd like to tell the audience?"
"Umm…" Yuya fidgeted with his headset, desperately struggling to affix the mouthpiece over his own mouth. He gave a nervous chuckle as he finally completed the task, after seventeen seconds – a number recorded by most of the audience members, who had been counting in their heads.
With an "Ahem" clear of his throat, Yuya began, "Ladies and gentlemen! My name is Yuya Sakaki!" He moved his body around in a circle to face every part of the audience.
"They already know that," Yuzu muttered in her seat, speaking into the hand that was now pressed against her face in secondhand embarrassment.
"Please keep your eyes peeled. Today I intend to show you what a classic Action Duel is supposed to like. Everyone, let's make a fun duel!"
Nico applauded, prompting the audience to follow his lead, albeit to a lesser degree than they had for Reiji.
"I can't believe this," Yuya said, clutching his pendant to his chest. His breathing started to accelerate. "I'm really going to duel Reiji Akaba. I just can't believe it! This feeling is incredible."
"Hmm?" Reiji pushed his glasses up closer to his face, scrutinizing Yuya as if he were inhuman. After a while, he finally said, "You're my opponent?"
"Eh?" Given the tone of the question, Yuya wasn't sure whether he should have been offended or flattered.
"I expected more from someone who managed to make it this far in the tournament." Reiji's head tilted up and down as he sized Yuya up.
Offended, Yuya decided in his head.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he huffed, his eyebrows drawing closer to his eyes. "You're still young yourself, right?"
"I suppose." Reiji shrugged. "But there's a difference between you and I."
"And what's that?"
"Our skill levels. Even if you managed to scrape and claw to get here, you won't be able to win against me."
"You sure seem confident in yourself."
Reiji shrugged again. "I have no reason not to be."
"Well, now," Yuya continued, "if you think you're going to have such an easy time defeating me, why don't we put it up to the test?"
Reiji pushed his glasses up again. "That's what we're here for, isn't it?"
"Oh my!" Nico's voice boomed through the speakers. "Now that the introductions are finished, it appears that we're finally coming to the main event. Duelists, ready your Duel Disks and decks!"
Yuya and Reiji looked at one another, the former with a gaze of passion and the latter with one of indifference. Yuya hooked a boxy red device to his arm that looked like a rectangular pad. Reiji mirrored the movement with his white Duel Disk. Both of the disks read "Standby" before a boomerang shape shot forward, revealing the Monster and Spell/Trap Zones.
"Action Field, on!" Nico said, snapping his fingers again. A hologram projection machine at the top of the stadium poured pockets of light onto the stadium floor. "Field Magic! Coy Pond Temple!"
All at once, the stadium faded. Sprinkles of glowing light brought a new battlefield. The stadium floor transformed entirely into ponds of water, which reached Yuya's knees. Giant Lily pads appeared every so often, like stepping stones. A light breeze pushed them from side to side, making ripples in the otherwise still water. Behind Reiji stood a large stone temple with fifty marble steps leading to its portico.
Yuya felt a chill as the water soaked his pants, but ignored it. If Reiji had responded to the water, he hadn't shown it through his facial expression or body gestures.
"Say it with me!" Nico shouted, and he and the audience chanted:
"Duelists locked in battle! Kicking against the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters! They storm through this Field! Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling! Action…"
The two duelists readied themselves as they picked up five cards apiece from the deck holsters in their disks.
"Duel!" they shouted together.
With a final snap of Nico's fingers, a sphere of golden energy burst above the heads of both duelists. Hundreds of glowing rectangular objects – Action Cards – rained down, scattering across the playing field.
(Yuya Sakaki: 8000 LP/Reiji Akaba: 8000 LP)
"The first move belongs to challenger Yuya Sakaki," Nico declared. "The player who goes "first cannot draw a card," he reminded the audience.
"Perfect," Yuya smirked. He looked back to Reiji, saying, "I'll show you not to underestimate me. My turn!"
Yuya looked down at the five cards in his hand, his eyes fixing on one in particular. Entermate Discover Hippo, he thought to himself, reading the card's name. Hold on, partner. Here we go.
"In the meantime, I'll kick things off with a bang," Yuya proclaimed. "I'll begin the show with a classic. I Normal Summon Entermate Discover Hippo in Attack Position!"
A high-pitched squeal reverberated through the speakers. The creature producing the noise was a pink hippo dressed in a fuchsia tuxedo that cut off just before its stomach. Orange and yellow polka dots adorned the bowtie around its neck. Standing on its hind legs, the circus animal struck a pose, removing its black top hat and flashing a smile that revealed all four of its teeth. The water underneath Discover Hippo's feet sloshed as it landed. (800 ATK)
As Discover Hippo lowered its stance, Yuya leapt into the air. The hippo, arching its back, waited until Yuya fell on top of it to completely return its four hind legs into the pond water.
With a not-so-sturdy grip of his left hand on Discover Hippo's neck, Yuya nodded his head as if agreeing with an unspoken comment. "All right, it's good like this."
He looked to Reiji, aiming a finger at the young professional.
"The player who takes the first turn cannot attack. As such, I'll end my turn here."
As if instinctively understanding the meaning of Yuya's words, Discover Hippo took off, running forward and pushing the warm air against Yuya's flowing hair.
"Catch me if you can!" he yelled as he shot past Reiji.
"That shouldn't be too difficult," the scarf-wearing duelist retorted. "It's my turn. Draw."
Reiji drew his card, as Yuya leapt from Lily pad to Lily pad on his monster. The grey-haired teenager turned to face his opponent.
"Now prepare yourself, Sakaki Yuya..."
Yuya…Yuya…Yuya!
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"Yuya!"
This time the cry was accompanied by another sound: the slap of a paper fan hitting hair. The pink-haired girl who had just struck Yuya quickly folded the fan and placed it inside her pocket, folding her hands on her desk.
Yuya was instantly stirred from his dream. He clumsily rose from his wooden chair, his feet wobbling and stumbling, as his schoolbooks dropped to the gray tile below. Dazed and confused in his half stupor, and still holding the back of his stinging head with one hand, Yuya blurted out the only thing that he could think of, the very same thing he was going to say in his dream:
"Everyone, the fun has just begun!"
The exclamation prompted a myriad of reactions, which ranged from laughter and snickers to eye rolls to one stony glare, from the teacher, and finally to Yuzu smacking her forehead with the palm of her hand, in much the same way as she had in Yuya's dream.
"Yuya…" Yuzu huffed into her hand.
"Yuya Sakaki," said the boy's teacher, pushing glasses up the bridge of his nose. He took a step forward, remaining stoic as his shoe scuffed against the floor. "Sleeping in class again?"
A bead of sweat traveled down Yuya's face. "Well, you see, the thing about that is…"
Yuya instinctively took a step back as he saw his teacher's frown deepen, causing unsightly wrinkles to mar his otherwise smooth face.
"Is?" he said, repeating the word with a clear lack of patience.
Yuya closed his eyes and gave a sheepish smile, which was immediately accompanied by nervous laughter.
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"Jeez," Yuya huffed as he walked out the entrance of Maiami Second Middle School, Yuzu at his side. The sun seemed to beat down on the entire city, and Yuya held a hand over his eyes to shield them from the piercing rays. He and Yuzu navigated through the throngs of students, as they always did after school was finished. The boy threw his arms back, resting his hands on the nape of his neck, and added, "You have to admit, giving me detention like that was pretty harsh."
"You weren't exactly undeserving of it, Yuya," reminded Yuzu. "You did fall asleep in class…again."
"It couldn't be helped," Yuya said, his shoulders lifting in a nonchalant motion. "He was lecturing on the basics. And besides, it was a dream about dueling. I thought that qualified as a good enough excuse."
"The teacher certainly didn't think so," Yuzu huffed. She had grown quite accustomed to the consistent dueling reveries of her best friend, so much so that she wasn't even fazed by the notion. "Who was it this time?"
"Reiji Akaba," Yuya replied. "I guess I should have known it was a dream – he was acting totally weird. But I had a good feeling about it, too. Like I could have won."
The two walked through the pillared entrance of their normal school. Instantly, in a motion that was almost robotic in nature, they turned to the left and walked, in the direction of You Show Duel School.
"No offense, Yuya, but Reiji Akaba is a major league, professional duelist. I'm not sure it'd be that close."
Yuya just chuckled and nudged his friend a little in the arm. "C'mon, Yuzu, that's not how you were in the dream."
A faint splash of pink painted Yuzu's cheeks. "I was in your dream?" she stammered.
"Sure," Yuya said with another shrug. "Every show needs a faithful cheerleader, right?"
The pink blush that had come across Yuzu was instantly replaced by a fiery red. Before Yuya could react, Yuzu reached behind her back, extracted her paper fan, and gave the back of Yuya's head, as well as his hands, a violent smack.
"A 'cheerleader?' Is that what I am to you?" she cried, shaking her fists as Yuya, who was repeating his mantra of "Ow, ow, ow!"
"Y-Yuzu," Yuya called out to the girl, now stomping in front of him. "Come on, I didn't mean it like that!"
Yuzu only grumbled under her breath as she made her way to You Show, Yuya behind her, keeping a considerable distance. The two remained quiet from then as they walked down the cement sidewalks, only hearing the noise from one another's footsteps.
Yuzu stopped at the corner of the sidewalk, allowing Yuya to catch up to her as cars sped past in front of the two. Birds chirped and flitted above in the hot afternoon sky. Yuya panted and tried to regain his breath. He wiped his brow with the sleeve of his shirt, instantly drenching the fabric in sweat. Now that he had time to stop and think, he had only just realized how quickly Yuzu had been walking.
As she waited for the walk sign on the pedestrian signal appear, Yuzu shifted her body to the left. In the distance, amidst the sea of billboards and the ocean of glowing neon signs, she could make out what one of the most prominent buildings in the city, and what was the most prominent building in terms of schooling: the Leo Duel School.
It was almost impossible for anyone in the city to miss it, regardless of their location. The building was shaped like an hourglass and stood a massive fifty stories tall. Near the fortieth floor of the building, on the outside of the structure, were four blue diamonds. Emblazoned in gold only a few yards above them were the initials "LDS," the school's abbreviated moniker.
Unconsciously, Yuzu gave a defeated sigh.
Silently praying that it was all right to talk again, Yuya took the spot near his friend. "Eh? What is it, Yuzu?"
"You know, I heard that the students of the Leo Duel School are able to take specialized courses in dueling mechanics. Classes like Fusion Summons and Synchro Summons. I've even heard that they recently started to integrate Xyz Summoning courses, too."
Yuya followed Yuzu's gaze to the massive edifice. Unknowing of what to say, he waited for Yuzu to continue, and she did.
"I don't know," she said. She rubbed her left arm sheepishly. "It's just…sometimes I wonder what it would be like to go to an actual duel school."
"What are you talking about, Yuzu?" Yuya smirked with a flick of his hand. "You Show Duel School is the best! What do we need that other stuff for?"
"We wouldn't be there if my father wasn't the principal," Yuzu retorted matter-of-factly, primarily because the statement was true. When You Show Duel School had been founded, long before the Leo Corporation had franchised, she'd had no choice in the matter of which to attend. Even after the influx of bigger – and better – schools, her father had bound her to You Show.
Yuzu shrugged, shaking off her memories. "I don't know. Maybe we could have been LDS students instead."
Yuya's reply was instant: "Not a chance."
Yuzu turned in his direction, a little surprised by the disagreement. It was no surprise that You Show paled in comparison to Leo Duel School. To hear Yuya defending it so readily, even knowing this, was a response she hadn't assumed.
"It's true that the courses and technologies that Leo Duel School has are nice and fancy, but it doesn't have the heart of You Show," he said, beating a fist on his chest. "And it certainly doesn't have our spirit. That's something that money will never be able to buy."
Yuzu's eyes moved toward the ground as she mulled over the words in her head.
Yuya smiled. "Think of it this way. Would you rather be rich or would you rather have everyone smile?"
"Uhh…" Yuzu began.
Yuya shook his hand quickly to retract the statement. "Wait, wait…Maybe that was a bad simile."
"It was an analogy," corrected Yuzu.
"The thing is," huffed a flustered Yuya, raising his voice in an attempt to erase his error, "You Show has a passion that LDS will never have, and you can't put a price on that. Your dad's worked his hardest to maintain the school and make it work, and I think we owe it to him to show how awesome he's done by supporting our school and everyone in it. Don't you think?"
Yuzu looked up, into Yuya's warm, compassionate eyes. "I guess you're right," she smiled.
Yuya nodded his head, basking in the words. It was a rare event to hear them from Yuzu.
As the streetlight turned colors, so did the pedestrian signal. Yuya marched forward, throwing his hands back again and staring upward at the cloudless sea of blue.
Yuzu followed, taking one more look westward, at Leo Duel School. She gasped as she saw something – or rather, someone – that hadn't been there before.
Though it was but a blip in the distance, there was a clear figure standing on the edge of the building's roof. Dressed in almost all black, the figure stood on the ledge as their clothes fluttered in the day's slight breeze. A shock of hair was barely visible, and Yuzu questioned if it even was hair. She thought she saw purple.
She turned back to her friend and called out, "Hey, Yuya!"
The boy instantly stopped, already on the other side of the street, and turned to her.
"Did you just see that?" she asked.
"See what?"
"That, right there," she said, pointing to the LDS building. "There's someone on the rooftop ledge of the Leo Duel School."
Yuya turned, squinting and straining his eyes to look for something that wasn't there. After a couple seconds, he stopped.
"I give up," he said. "What am I supposed to be looking for?"
"What do you mean, what am I supposed to be looking for?" Yuzu cried. "That, right…"
She turned, instantly becoming silent. Whoever or whatever had been on top of the building had vanished now. For a split second, she assumed the worst – that the person had voluntarily jumped off the building. She shook her head, slowly rationalizing against that.
They probably just went back down the stairs, she thought to herself. She figured it was the only way to access the rooftop.
The neon white pedestrian on the crosswalk signal began to flash, indicating that it was going to change soon.
Yuya cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, "C'mon, Yuzu, or we'll be late!"
Giving the LDS building one final glance, Yuzu nodded, quickly dashing across the street and joining Yuya as they made their way to You Show.
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The walk had taken the two longer than it usually did to complete, so by the time Yuya threw open the doors to You Show and felt a burst of stale air fill his nostrils, he and Yuzu were nearly trampled by the two figures rushing toward them. The two, a boy and a girl, stopped just inches from Yuya and Yuzu, respectively.
Yuya smiled as he looked at the boy standing in front of him, a slightly overweight boy with bright orange overall pants, teal bracelets on each wrist, and a yellow-green sweater covered underneath his suspender straps and tucked into his overalls. Yuya affectionately ruffled the top of the boy's spiked brown hair with a hand, just as his father had done to him when he was younger.
"Big bro Yuya!" the boy called out excitedly. He grinned in a way that accentuated a gap in his upper teeth where a bicuspid should have been.
"How's it going, Futoshi?" Yuya grinned, dropping to one knee to get on eye level with the boy.
To their left stood Yuzu with the redheaded little girl in front of her. The latter managed her hair with a headband that looked more like a finger trap than an accessory. The little girl held her hands up in an excitement that paralleled Futoshi's, revealing her magenta and pink long-sleeved undershirt.
"Good afternoon, Ayu," Yuzu greeted with an inviting smile. "I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long."
The girl – Ayu – shook her. "Not at all, big sis Yuzu. We were waiting with Gongenzaka the whole time, so it was all right."
At the mention of the name, Yuya and Yuzu exchanged a glance, first with each other and then to the figure standing on the opposite side of the foyer. As the person – clearly male – rose from his position, he turned in the direction of the four You Show students. Wooden sandals clicked with each step as the boy in the white trench coat came only a few feet away from Yuya.
"Hey, Gongenzaka," Yuya greeted with a small smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Something came up and it couldn't be helped."
"That detention couldn't have been helped?" Yuzu muttered, her eyes sliding to the right to catch a now-flustered Yuya.
"I didn't give me the detention," Yuya replied, stammering through the words. "It was–"
"To think that you would relegate the man, Gongenzaka, successor to Gongenzaka Dojo, to the status of babysitter is unforgivable!" Gongenzaka boomed over Yuya's excuse for an excuse. "And it's unforgivable to make a commitment only to break it!"
Yuya, who had covered his ears partway through Gongenzaka's miniature diatribe, massaged both his eardrums with his index finger, then bowed. With his face to the ground, he said, "Gongenzaka, as my best friend, please accept my apologies. I'll even throw in an IOU."
Gongenzaka's frustration melted at the kindheartedness of his friend. It wasn't often that Yuya apologized for something – not often enough, anyhow. And on top of it all, he was offering a duel, too?
Tears began to well in Gongenzaka's eyes as he furiously tried to stave them off. A man wasn't supposed to cry. "I accept your apology, Yuya," Gongenzaka said, his voice cracking slightly as he slammed his hands on Yuya's shoulders, the customary sign of his forgiveness. "And about that IOU…"
"Say no more," Yuya said, holding a hand in front of Gongenzaka's face. Yuya straightened his back once again, taking note of Gongenzaka retrieving a Duel Disk from behind his back. At the sight, Yuya flashed a bright smile that revealed all thirty-two of his teeth.
After what seemed like a minute of Yuya doing nothing but smiling, which was starting to get awkward not only for Gongenzaka but for the rest of the You Show duelists, Gongenzaka finally broke the silence. "Yuya, what do you think you're doing?"
"Giving you your IOU, of course," Yuya answered matter-of-factly. "That is, I owe you one smile. The debt is repaid now, right?"
Gongenzaka nearly fell over, as if the wind had suddenly been knocked out of him. His eyebrows drew closer together. "Yuya!"
"At any rate," interrupted Futoshi, moving in front of the fallen Gongenzaka, "we're glad you two are here. Principal Shuzo said that there's a prospective new student that could be joining You Show."
Ayu nodded, pointing to Yuya. "And the principal says he needs you and big sis Yuzu, as the star duelists of You Show, to put on an exhibition duel that will convince his mother to let him come here."
"I had forgotten all about that," Yuzu gasped. Then she sighed. "If you hadn't made us late today, Yuya…"
"I told you it couldn't be helped," the boy laughed. "Anyway, we should probably prepare if we're going to put on a good duel." He turned to Gongenzaka. "Thank you again for watching these two for us."
"As your best friend – no, as a man – it would be unforgivable of me to shirk my responsibilities to You Show," Gongenzaka replied. "I was only acting with honor."
"In any case, we appreciate it, Gongenzaka," Yuzu said with a smile. She began to walk onward. "Now, let's get ready," she said over her shoulder to Yuya. "My dad is waiting for us."
"Right," Yuya said, speed walking behind her, with Ayu, Futoshi, and Gongenzaka in tow.
0-0-0-0-0
"Ah, there they are now!" said a man, pointing to Yuzu and Yuya, who had, with Futoshi, Ayu, and Gongenzaka, just entered the spectating room outside the dueling area. He wore an orange track suit and sweatpants, the same color as his hair. The two people who the man, who had introduced himself to them as Shuzo Hiragi, was talking to, a woman and her blue-haired son, turned to look at the You Show crew.
"Sorry we're late, dad," Yuzu apologized, bowing her head. She gave a sharp, critical glance in Yuya's direction.
"No, no," Shuzo said, shaking his head repeatedly. "You're just on time. Isn't that right, Mrs. Yamashiro?"
"I suppose," replied the boy's mother – Mrs. Yamashiro.
Yuzu moved forward, crouching down to meet Mrs. Yamashiro's son eye-to-eye. "Are you the new prospective student?"
"Y-yes," the boy said, a little nervously. "My name is Tatsuya Yamashiro."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Yuzu Hiragi. Welcome to You Show."
After and the rest of the group introduced themselves to Tatsuya, Shuzo looked at Gongenzaka. "Gongenzaka, do you mind working the Action Field generator for this duel?"
Gongenzaka nodded, taking his leave to go upstairs, to the control panel.
"Are you two ready?" Shuzo asked, looking from Yuya to his daughter. Both nodded, and stepped into the dueling room.
"Watch closely," Shuzo told Tatsuya and his mother. "This is the very entertainment duel that our school prides itself on."
Yuya and Yuzu strapped their Duel Disks onto their arms and looked at each other. The word "Standby" appeared on the disk's screen, and their card slots ejected from the devices.
"Just watch," Futoshi said, putting a reassuring hand on Tatsuya's shoulder. He pointed to Yuya through the one-way glass screen with his free hand. "Big bro Yuya's gonna win for sure!"
"Nuh-uh," Ayu contested, placing a hand on Tatsuya's opposite shoulder. "Big sis Yuzu will be the winner!"
Tatsuya looked from Futoshi to Ayu to the older two duelists before him.
"Ready, Gongenzaka!" Yuya shouted.
From the control panel above the dueling field, Gongenzaka sat looking at the numerous Action Fields. Eventually deciding on one that was appropriate for Tatsuya and his mother, he pressed a button.
"Action Field, on!" he shouted, his deep voice seeming to resonate throughout the entire school. "Field Magic! Plain Plane!"
The real-solid Action Field projector on the ceiling spat out portholes of light, magically transforming the field. The ceiling was replaced with endless blue sky. The hard tiled floor became a soft bed of grass that stretched on indefinitely. A few oak trees were littered throughout the otherwise unremarkable plane. The most noteworthy segment of the Action Field was the giant yellow-brick platform in the center of the field, surrounded by a moat of water.
"Whoa," Tatsuya said in a voice so low it made Ayu and Futoshi question if he'd even said it. "So this is an Action Field."
"It gets even better," Futoshi said.
"Watch this," Ayu added, pointing to Yuzu and Yuya.
"Duelists locked in battle!" Yuya began, spinning around.
"Kicking against the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Yuzu continued, following Yuya's lead.
"They storm through this Field!" Yuya added.
"Behold!" Ayu and Futoshi finished. "This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling! Action…"
"Duel!" Yuya and Yuzu shouted.
On command, the golden sphere floating above their heads broke, littering the Action Field with Action Cards.
(Yuya Sakaki: 4000 LP/Yuzu Hiragi: 4000 LP)
Yuya smiled. "Let's make a fun duel, Yuzu."
Yuzu nodded, returning the smile.
"I'll be the one to start things," Yuya said. He looked down at the five cards in his hand and added, "The person who goes first doesn't draw," more to himself than to Yuzu. "As such…"
He grabbed a card from the left of his hand.
"I summon Entermate Silver Claw in Attack Position!"
A howl built up and slowly filled the plain, low at first before it covered every inch of the air. Appearing before Yuya was a silver eastern wolf with an orange star tattoo on its left cheek, a polka dot bowtie under its chin, and two piercings on its left ear. It snarled at Yuzu, howling again as the steel chains, which dangled from the dark patch of navy fur on its neck, jangled and clanked. For a moment, it propped itself on its back legs, revealing its dangerously sharp claws – three on each paw. (1800 ATK)
"Let's go, Silver Claw!" Yuya called. Yuya ran forward a couple feet before jumping in the air. With expert precision, he landed on Silver Claw's back, and the monster instinctively dashed forward. Yuya smirked and flashed a peace sign as he raced past Yuzu, her pink hair fluttering in the wolf's breeze.
"The player who goes first isn't able to attack, either," Yuya said. "My turn is over like this. Now come at me, Yuzu!"
Yuzu turned around to face Yuya, who was getting further and further away as he traversed the field.
"Very well. Get ready, Yuya. Here I come!" she shouted, to make sure that he could hear her playful threat. "It's my turn. Draw!"
Yuzu yanked a card from her pink Duel Disk. Wasting no time, she selected another card from her hand.
"I summon Aria the Melodious Diva!"
From somewhere above the plain, the sound of harp strings filled the ether. A holy golden light appeared through the puffy clouds, and from it descended a young girl with pink skin. She had a sole angel wing attached to her back with an orange frame, which extended to her left arm and the top of her purple bobbed hair. She clasped her hands together in prayer, stretching her plum bodysuit, and sang a single C-Sharp note. (1600 ATK)
"Then, while I control a Melodious monster," Yuzu continued, holding another Monster Card up to Yuya, "I can Special Summon this card from my hand. You're up, Sonata the Melodious Diva!"
Illusory eighth notes digitalized in the air as another angel descended from the clouds. Like Aria, this one had one wing hanging from her back, albeit this one green with blue edging. Intertwined with it were locks of sea foam green hair from the left side of her hair. On the right side was a patch of blue that extended to the bottom of her eye, the same color as the girl's sundress. The yellow-skinned female clasped her hands together, too, and hummed an E-Flat. (1200 ATK)
"Shivers!" Futoshi cried from the spectator room outside the door. "Big sister Yuzu summoned two monsters on her first turn!"
"That may be," said Ayu, "but they can't beat brother Yuya's monster."
Tatsuya, overhearing the conversation, turned to the two You Show Students. "Actually, that's not necessarily true."
Ayu and Futoshi both gave him a quizzical look, then looked at each other before turning their attention back to the duel.
Yuya looked behind his back and laughed. "A nice opener, Yuzu, but neither of those monsters is strong enough to defeat my Silver Claw on their own."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Yuya," Yuzu said, wagging a finger. "I activate Sonata the Melodious Diva's monster effect."
Sonata held out her right hand, and as Aria took it, they began to ascend. Instantly they sang together, harmonizing perfectly with one another. A blue aura the color of Sonata's dress washed over both of the angels.
"When Sonata is on the field after being Special Summoned, all Fairy-Type monsters automatically gain 500 ATK and DEF!"
Aria and Sonata released their hands, but their auras still remained. (1600 – 2100 ATK and 1200 – 1700 ATK, respectively)
"So that's what you meant!" Ayu said to Tatsuya, hitting her left palm with her fist. "Big sis Yuzu still had the effect of her monster."
"That's right," Tatsuya confirmed with a smirk and a nod. "Like this, she can now overpower his monster."
"Not good," Yuya muttered. His eyes began to scan the field for any signs of Action Cards.
"Prepare yourself, Yuya," commanded Yuzu. She threw a hand forward in Yuya's direction. "Battle! I attack Entermate Silver Claw with Aria the Melodious Diva. Sharpness Voice!"
Aria flew higher into the air and opened her mouth. With an inaudible exhale, she began to sing. Her tone became alive as pink musical notes began to cluster. Without warning, the notes combined together to create a sharp burst of air that was launched at Yuya and his monster.
As Silver Claw raced through the barren grassland, Yuya took a quick glance over his shoulder just in time to see the blast coming for him. Turning forward again, he noticed something out of the corner of his left eye: A brown rectangular piece of paper with a monogramed "A" on the center, sitting right there in the shrubbery.
Action Card!
Sliding to Silver Claw's side, Yuya angled himself to the left. His body dropped down as he desperately clung to the monster's mane of neck fur. Almost there, he thought as he strained against the aches of his body to reach the Action Card. He felt the paper graze his fingers.
Then, an involuntary scream tore itself from Yuya's lungs as Silver Claw exploded underneath him. He felt as if time was moving in slow motion as he saw the Action Card moving further and further away from him. He hadn't reached it in time; Aria's attack had been successful.
(Yuya: 3700 LP/Yuzu: 4000)
Yuya unceremoniously landed "thud." He lay supine on the artificial grass, groaning and nursing his sore back. Quickly he rose to his feet, knowing that the next attack would be coming any minute. His gaze drifted back to where the Action Card had been.
On command, Yuzu shouted, "Now it's your turn, Sonata. Give Yuya a direct attack!"
Sonata cupped her hands to her mouth. Like Aria, all she had to do was croon a one-note melody and an airy barrage spiraled toward Yuya. A high-pitched noise traveled with the attack as it honed in on the young duelist.
Yuya wanted nothing more than to cover his ears as the shrill sound assaulted his eardrums, but he had to focus on the matter at hand. He sprinted in the direction of the shrub, his breaths becoming louder than the oncoming attack. He could practically feel the air kiss his neck as his fingers once more touched the Action Card.
"Eh? What happened?" Futoshi asked, squinting to see past the ensuing smoke from the attack. "Did he get the Action Card?"
Ayu and Tatsuya exchanged a look, then diverted their gazes to the dying smolders. Their tension was alleviated as they saw Yuya standing on his two feet. Though his Life Points were lower, somehow the damage had been mitigated.
(Yuya: 2850 LP/Yuzu: 4000)
"Action Magic, Miracle," Yuya huffed, holding the card up for Yuzu to see. "By using this card, I can target one monster. Then, for the remainder of the battle, that monster can't be destroyed and all damage I take from it is halved."
"Huh? But he didn't have a monster," Futoshi said, scratching his head. "How could he use that Action Magic?"
"The targeted monster can be any monster on the field," Tatsuya replied. "That includes the opponent's field. By choosing Sonata as the target of Miracle…"
"I was able to reduce the damage by half," Yuya finished, grinning at his move.
"Not bad yourself," Yuzu said, though her smile had vanished. "I end my turn."
"Back to me," Yuya said. "It's time to step up my entertainment duel. My turn, draw!"
He added a fifth card to his hand.
Right now, the monster's on Yuzu's side of the field are Aria, whose ATK is 2100, and Sonata, whose ATK is 1700.
He looked at the three monsters in his hand: Entermate Sword Fish, Entermate Discover Hippo, and his newest draw, Odd-Eyes Dragon.
It's true that I don't yet have anything that can stop them, but…
"I summon Entermate Sword Fish!"
Emerging before Yuya was left was a teal fish with a body in the shape of a sword. A hilt replaced the fish's tailfin, and two sharp gray razor blades were in place of its pectoral and dorsal fins. It wore a glare behind its black and red polka-dotted sunglasses, intensified by its glinting teeth. A third blade, much sharper than the other two, lay on the top of the fish's head in the form of a pompadour hairpiece. (600 ATK)
Yuya grabbed the tailfin hilt in one hand and pointed it at Yuzu's monsters. "I activate Entermate Sword Fish's monster effect. When this guy is Normal Summoned, all monsters you control lose 600 ATK and DEF!"
Before Yuzu's very eyes, Sword Fish multiplied, then multiplied three more times. Soon there were tens of different Sword Fish monsters all lined up next to the original. On Yuya's command, they replicas catapulted themselves at Yuzu's two monsters, lodging themselves into the ground where Yuzu stood. She gawked as Aria and Sonata lost their blue glow. (2100 – 1500 ATK and 1700 – 1100 ATK, respectively)
"However," she said slowly, "Sword Fish still doesn't have enough power to defeat either of my monsters."
Yuya's eyes searched high and low for an Action Card around him, but to no avail. "In that case, I set one card facedown and end my turn."
A facedown card momentarily appeared behind Sword Fish before blending into the Action Field's scenery.
Without missing a beat, Yuzu said, "It's my turn, draw!"
She drew her card, and selected another one.
"I summon another copy of Aria the Melodious Diva. Now, Aria, it's your stage!"
On the opposite side of Sonata, a second Aria appeared. It was an exact carbon copy of the first Aria, except the clothing was a shade darker. (1600 – 2100 ATK)
"By Sonata's effect, my newly summoned Aria gains 500 ATK. Then, I'll have it attack your Entermate Sword Fish. Sharpness Voice!"
Aria's singing inspired the creation of another airy blast, this one aimed at Yuya himself. In response, the boy quickly dropped his monster and clicked a button on his disk.
"My faithful fans," he called out, motioning to the three children behind the one-way mirror, "we're sorry to interrupt the main event, but we have a special attraction for you that I hope you'll enjoy. Now, it's show time! I activate my Quick-Play Spell, Hippo Carnival!"
Cackling laughter erupted as three hippopotamuses dressed like showgirls materialized in front of Yuya. The first was dark green with a purple brassiere and a yellow Miami feathers and a matching tail. The second was goldenrod with a similar blue brassiere and a pink feathers and tail. The third orange hippo had on the same feather and tail combination, but with a floral brassiere. Each one blew a lipstick-stained kiss at Yuzu, much to her revulsion. (0 DEF x 3)
"Hippo Carnival, when activated, Special Summons three Hippo Tokens to my field," Yuya explained. "Moreover, during the turn that this card was activated, the only monsters you're allowed to attack are my Hippo Tokens."
"In that case, I'll change Aria's attack to one of the Hippo Tokens," said Yuzu.
"Before you do," Yuya added, retrieving his monster from the ground, "the secondary effect of Entermate Sword Fish activates. When I Special Summon another monster – or monsters, in this case – Sword Fish reduces the ATK and DEF of all monsters you control by another 600 points!"
Another brigade of Sword Fish monsters bombarded Yuzu's monsters with their assault. Sonata and the old and new Aria duplicates cried out as their power once again plunged. (500 ATK, 900 ATK, and 1500 ATK, respectively)
That did not stop Aria from attacking, however. Her aerial blast collided with the green Hippo Token, who only squealed as it was incinerated.
"I attack your remaining Hippo Tokens with Sonata and my second Aria," Yuzu declared.
The golden hippo and the orange hippo were destroyed in unison as the Melodious monsters delivered swift but effective dropkicks to each one.
Yuzu looked to her right, noticing an Action Card a couple of yards away. In a slow jog, she made her way over to the card and added it to her hand. Seeing what it was, she decided to forgo using it. Instead she grabbed another card from her hand.
"I set one card facedown. My turn is finished."
The card appeared underneath the first Aria's levitating body.
Yuya turned his head to the right, noticing the giant platform in the distance. There had to be an Action Card there somewhere, he figured, but the only monster he had was Sword Fish. By the time he ran there, Yuzu could have already taken it. Luckily, he had a faster way of reaching the location.
"Draw!" he shouted, doing just that.
Yuya cleared his throat, causing Yuzu's body to rigidify. She knew all too well what came next.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Yuya shouted, donning his best English accent. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, but our main performer needed time to prepare for his act. But don't worry, because we have a special show planned for today that you won't want to miss."
Tatsuya stood behind the window, completely transfixed by Yuya's performance. His mouth started to gape as he took a step closer.
"But before we can present him," Yuya proceeded, taking a card from his hand, "we have to give another supporting cast member a spot in the limelight! I summon Entermate Discover Hippo!"
A squeal ricocheted through the battlefield, just as it had in Yuya's dream. Accompanying the sounds was the same hippo as well, still dressed in its tuxedo, bowtie, and hat. It stood eagerly on its four legs, waiting for Yuya to jump on its back. (800 ATK)
The boy had other plans, however.
"On the turn that Discover Hippo is Normal Summoned," said Yuya, "in addition to my regular Normal Summon, I can Tribute Summon a high-Level monster from my hand."
"Is it coming?" Ayu asked.
"Big bro Yuya's ace monster," Futoshi cried, his body shaking as he hugged himself. "I'm getting shivers already!"
Discover Hippo and Sword Fish looked at each other, nodding their heads. Their bodies started to glow a furious white.
Yuya bowed to his monsters. "Thank you both, Sword Fish, Discover Hippo. But now it's time to bring out today's main attraction!" He took the middle card in his hand and held it high over his head. "I sacrifice my monsters for an Advance Summon!"
Both Entermate monsters dissolved into granules of light, and taking their place was a twelve-foot dragon. It roared, spinning its massive, scaly red body around to give Yuzu and the spectators a good look. Red spikes ran down its long purple neck, starting from its sharp golden beak. Two gems, one diamond shaped and one spherical, were implanted in the creature's head. The serrated claws on its hands were cream-colored, elegantly matching the pointy horn-like growths on its back. Wrapped around the dragon's torso was a similarly colored chest plate, bound together with two more lavender gems. Splashes of red and green glinted in the artificial sun as the monster's eyes illuminated. (2500 ATK)
"Introducing the main attraction, the rare dragon with differently colored eyes! Show yourself, Odd-Eyes Dragon!"
Up in the control room, Gongenzaka smirked at Yuya's performance. "Yuya."
Odd-Eyes Dragon lowered its body, allowing Yuya to climb into it. When the boy secured and maintained his footing atop the monster, he looked directly at Yuzu and shouted, "Everyone, the fun has just begun!"
"Amazing…" Tatsuya whispered, taking in the sight. Ayu and Futoshi smiled at the boy's exhilaration.
Yuzu couldn't help but smile, either. Seeing Yuya this happy wasn't uncommon for her, but she enjoyed it every time. His attitude was utterly infectious.
"That's it, Yuya!" Shuzo shouted from the sidelines. "Burn it up! Show them the hot-blooded dueling that we teach here!"
That, however, was enough to dampen Yuzu's mood. She turned in the direction of the voice and put a hand on her hip. Frowning, she cried, "Dad! Just whose side are you on?"
A nervous chuckle from Shuzo was the only response the question elicited.
Yuya turned his attention back to the platform. "All right, Odd-Eyes," he said. "Let's go that way!"
He pointed, and Odd-Eyes instantly took off. Stomping on the ground with enough force to create miniature tremors, Yuya found himself at his destination within a few seconds. And it was just his luck that there was, as he had hoped, an Action Card near the edge of the platform, next to the water. He leapt off his monster's back and scooped the card up.
"Oh, lucky!" Yuya laughed as he slid the card into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Action Magic, Nanana, which increases the ATK of a Level 7 monster by 700 until the end of the turn. Naturally, I'll being using it on Odd-Eyes Dragon!"
As Yuya played the card, a two foot banana appeared at his feet. The yellow fruit twisted itself in the shape of the number seven, and a golden glow coated Odd-Eyes. The dragon roared again as it siphoned the energy from Nanana. (2500 – 3200 ATK)
"Battle!" Yuya stated. "I send Odd-Eyes Dragon to attack Sonata! Spiral Flame!"
Odd-Eyes Dragon opened its mouth, and a flicker of dark red appeared at the back of its throat. The flames started to burn brighter, emitting a low heat and the sounds of crackling. When the energy filled every empty horizon in the monster's jowls, it unleashed the torrent at the yellow-skinned fairy. However, before the attack landed, Sonata disappeared from the line of fire, only to reappear next to Yuzu.
"Action Magic, Avoid," Yuzu said as the attack died down. She held the Action Card she had found above her head. "It allows me to negate the attack of one monster."
Yuya frowned, lowering his head. To his luck, he noticed something trapped underneath a rock in the blue water surrounding the platform. Is that…
With a deep breath, Yuya jumped into the six feet of water. Chills ran down his spine as the cold liquid embraced him, but he ignored them. Swimming to the bottom of the pond, he pressed his body against the miniature boulder. The Action Card loosened just enough to where Yuya was able to pry it from underneath the weight of the rock. He placed the card in his mouth and swam back to the surface.
The sound of spluttering and gasping resonated as Yuya savored the oxygen. Dragging himself back onto the platform, his clothes soaking wet and dripping on the tile, Yuya took a look at the Action Card. A smile illuminated his face.
Bingo.
"Action Magic, Redo, activate!"
Before the eyes of the three children, Gongenzaka, Shuzo, and the two duelists, time seemed to reverse. As if someone had pressed a rewind button, the images of Sonata appearing behind Yuzu, Odd-Eyes' assault, and Yuya's attack declaration all appeared in reverse chronological order.
"Redo is activated when an attack is negated," Yuya stated. "When used, it allows me to make the attack again on that same attack target."
He pointed to Sonata.
"One more time, Odd-Eyes, with feeling! Spiral Flame!"
Odd-Eyes obliged, sending another blast of red and black fire at the fairy. This time, however, Sonata didn't move as the attack impaled her. She cried out as the beam hit her chest, then exploded.
Yuzu covered her face as some of the lingering debris swept past her, but maintained her defensive stance. She knew what was coming next.
"And that's not all!" Yuya exclaimed. "Odd-Eyes Dragon, when it destroys an opponent's monster, will deal damage equal to half the destroyed monster's original attacking power to my opponent. Sonata's original ATK is 1200; therefore you'll receive 600 points of damage, Yuzu!"
A second, smaller torrent of flame came Yuzu's way. She flinched as the heat crossed her body, but her foothold remained steady.
"Furthermore, without Sonata, your monsters lose their boost," Yuya added.
Indeed, both the old and new Aria seemed to fall silent after Sonata's disappearance. (400 ATK and 1000 ATK, respectively)
Yuya, climbing atop Odd-Eyes Dragon, took a bow. "With that," he said, "I end my turn. During the End Phase, the effect of Nanana disappears, so the ATK of Odd-Eyes returns to normal."
(3200 – 2500 ATK)
(Yuya: 2850 LP/Yuzu: 1400)
"Odd-Eyes Dragon," Yuzu said. She looked the monster up and down so as to size it up. "So you've gotten serious."
"As a fellow Entertainment Duelist, I'll fight you with my full strength, Yuzu," Yuya replied, smiling.
"Then let me give you the same honor. Draw!"
Yuzu picked up the top card of her deck, and her eyes flashed. Perfect!
"Now the real concert begins! I release my two copies of Aria the Melodious Diva. Advance Summon!"
Both Arias flew to the heavens, linking arms and becoming one with the clouds. Motes of bright light gathered as Yuzu chanted:
"Enchanting melody echoing in the heaven. Awaken the sleeping virtuoso."
Pallid white hands and arms with red cufflinks emerged from the cluster of light, sprinkling purple fairy dust. In a brilliant flash of light, the arms started to move as their master appeared. Hovering twenty feet in the air was an angel with grandiose butterfly wings made of piano keys. Her brunette hair was neatly arranged in curls and kept in place by a red crown. She wore a beautiful, billowing dress, imprinted with golden eighth note symbols and pink frills, that seemed two sizes too big at the bottom. She threw her right hand around erratically, motioning every which way with a conductor's baton. (2600 ATK)
"Come! Level 8, Mozarta the Melodious Maestra!"
"That's the way, Yuzu!" encouraged Yuya, seeming not to understand his predicament.
"I'm not done yet. Mozarta's monster effect activates!" continued Yuzu. "Once per turn, Mozarta can Special Summon a LIGHT monster from my hand."
She held a card up to the sky.
"Now, join us! I Special Summon Canon the Melodious Diva!"
Mozarta's fingers danced as though she were playing a piano. Then they began to turn teal as a light started to wash over them. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the beam of light forward, to Yuzu's right.
Appearing in the teal ray was a slender woman with purple skin and spiked blue hair. She wore a golden masquerade mask over her eyes that extended up to the middle of her hair and back behind both of her ears. The shoulders of her shirt were pink and puffy, and her dress was checkered and cut sharp. She closed her eyes, sang a couple notes, and a rainbow flurry of musical notes encircled her, in the shape of a neutron. (1400 ATK)
"You're up, Mozarta! Attack Odd-Eyes Dragon. Graceful Wave!"
Yuya's eyebrows perked up as he watched Mozarta swing her conductor's baton in loops, forming a makeshift infinity symbol. The piano keys on her wings lit up. The grass began to sway as Mozarta's preparation began to gain wind. Faster and faster, she swung the baton, until all at once she sent a spiraled ring of wind at Yuya's monster. Blades of grass were violently ripped from the Action Field as the attack neared.
"Odd-Eyes!" Yuya shouted, grabbing the horns of the dragon trying to steer it away from the attack. It had barely started to run before Yuya felt himself being thrust forward. Odd-Eyes roared loudly before exploding under the weight of the attack, leaving Yuya to fly ten feet forward. He landed prone on the grass. "Damn…"
(Yuya: 2750 LP/Yuzu: 1400)
"I'm still going," Yuzu shouted from across the battlefield. Though she felt a bit guilty, she knew better than to let Yuya recover in time to get an Action Card. "Canon the Melodious Diva, direct attack!"
Like Aria, Canon opened her mouth and produced a stream of nearly-invisible energy. The blast shot forward, directly aimed at the fallen Yuya.
Wincing, Yuya sprang to his feet and rushed forward. Before he had hit the ground, he'd seen an Action Card underneath the oak tree to his right. He darted for it, listening to the sound of his panting competing with Canon's attack. Then he screamed as the strike hit his back, forcing him to drop to his knees.
(Yuya: 1350 LP/Yuzu: 1400)
"Crap," he muttered, though he took solace in the fact that Yuzu's turn would soon be over. "Heh," he said, picking himself up off the ground. He brushed his jacket and pants, though they hadn't actually been sullied by the virtual grass, and smiled. "You're a pretty tough opponent, Yuzu. But now it's my turn to turn the tables on you!"
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Yuzu returned, clicking a button on her Duel Disk. "Trap Card, activate! Melodious Illusion!"
"Eh?" Yuya cocked his head to the side. If he had seen the Trap before, he was sure he had forgotten it.
"Melodious Illusion," repeated Yuzu, pointing to Canon. "This card, during my Battle Phase, gives one of my Melodious monsters the ability to attack twice. Like this, I can make a second direct attack with Canon the Melodious Diva!"
Like before, Canon opened her mouth and a blast of sharp air was sent Yuya's way. However, unlike before, he was now a lot closer to the oak tree. He picked himself up and sprinted for the Action Card, reaching it with a good window of time to see which one it was. He smiled as he noted the image on the card.
"Action Magic, activate! Miracle!" Yuya shouted. He jammed the card in his Duel Disk. "By targeting Canon the Melodious Diva with this card, I can make her impervious during this battle and halve the damage that I take from her attack!"
"Melodious Illusion's additional effect activates," Yuzu said as the card flashed on her field. "The monster affected by this card's effect is unaffected by the Spells and Traps of my opponent this turn. Continue, Canon!"
"Eh!?" Yuya sweat-dropped, his eyes bulging as he saw the attack coming head-on. The next second he felt his body crash against the oak tree as he dropped to the ground. Stars seemed to be in his eyes as he dizzily watched the Action Field spin out of existence. He heard the triumphant fanfare as a panel with Yuzu's picture appeared in the air, declaring her the duel's winner.
(Yuya: 0 LP/Yuzu: 1400)
Yuzu watched the Action Field disappear into sparkles of light. The dilapidated dueling room returned, with its plain white walls and cracked ceiling. Then she walked over to Yuya. She crouched down, offering the dazed boy her hand.
"Ow, ow. T-thanks," Yuya said, still a little disoriented as he took Yuzu's hand and stood. "You really got me there. You're really a strong opponent, Yuzu."
Yuzu tried and failed to stifle a smile. "Thank you, Yuya."
"Next time I'll get you," Yuya promised, more to himself than to Yuzu.
The two of them found Ayu sticking her tongue out at Futoshi when they entered the spectating room. "See," she said. "I told you she would win!"
Yuya chuckled a little, then looked to Tatsuya. "So, what did you think?"
Tatsuya's eyes couldn't keep still. He held a hand over his chest. "My heart was beating the entire time. Is that the feeling of an entertainment duel?"
"Something like that," Yuya replied, smiling.
Shuzo stepped forward, gazing over Yuya's shoulder at Mrs. Yamashiro. "Umm…Can we sign Tatsuya up, then?"
Tatsuya looked from Yuya to Shuzo to his mother, who was looking at him. Tatsuya eagerly nodded.
"It would appear that way," Mrs. Yamashiro replied.
Shuzo punched the air proudly. "That's the way!" he shouted. "We'll teach Tatsuya to become more hot-blooded in his duel, and then even more hot-blooded! He'll be a fiery entertainment duelist in no time!"
"Yes, well," Mrs. Yamashiro said, clearing growing tired of Shuzo's passionate outbursts, "see to it that you do. He can start tomorrow. Is that all right with you?" she asked.
Shuzo nodded.
"Very well. Come along, Tatsuya," she said, grabbing her son's hand and leading him forward. Before they left, Tatsuya looked over his shoulder, smiled, and waved at his future schoolmates.
"Yosh! Looks like we've got another student joining us!" Shuzo was ecstatic. He marched to the room doors, swinging them open wide enough for Yuzu to catch up. "Let's go finalize the paperwork, Yuzu."
"Me?" Yuzu said, incredulously pointing to herself, but her father was already out the door. With a sigh, she followed him.
"I wonder what the new kid's gonna be like," Ayu said to Futoshi as the trailed behind Yuzu and Shuzo.
"I bet you lose to him before I do," Futoshi snickered. "My dueling will give him shivers!"
"Nuh-uh," Ayu said.
"Yeah-huh," Futoshi replied. Then they, too, were out the door.
Yuya stood alone in the spectating room, looking through the one-way mirror. He took his deck from his Duel Disk and held it in his hands. He thought of his father.
Were you watching my duel there, dad? he wondered. I'll get better and become a true entertainment duelist someday. Just like you. I promise.
Yuya turned his deck over, looking at the bottom card. Odd-Eyes Dragon.
Just you wait, dad.
His arm grazed his pendant as he placed his deck back in his pants' pocket. Then he walked forward, through the doors and into the school foyer where the rest of his friends were waiting.
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OCG/Anime/Custom Cards Shown In This Chapter –
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Entermate Silver Claw (Pendulum Monster)
Beast/Pendulum/Scale 5-5/Effect/DARK
1800 ATK/700 DEF
Pendulum Effect: "Entermate" monsters you control gain 300 ATK.
Monster Effect: When this card declares an attack: All "Entermate" monsters you currently control gain 300 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase.
Note: This card can be found in the V Jump Promotional Cards. It is currently only available in Japan.
Note 2: For this chapter, this monster is only an Effect Monster, and thus only has its second effect.
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Melodious Illusion (Trap)
Normal Trap
Image: Aria the Melodious Diva and twelve illusory copies of her adopting a symmetrical pose.
Effect: Target 1 "Melodious" monster you control; this turn, that target is unaffected by the effects of your opponent's Spell/Trap Cards, also it can make a second attack during each Battle Phase.
Note: This card can be found in the Crossed Souls booster pack. It is currently slated for released in the United States in May, 2015.
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Nanana (Spell)
Normal Spell/Action Card
Image: Yuya Sakaki striking a pose with two Duel Monsters cards in his hands, while Nanana, the TV Tokyo mascot, stands beside him.
Effect: Target 1 Level 7 or Rank 7 monster you control; it gains 700 ATK and DEF until the end of this turn.
Note: This card can be found in the TV Tokyo Festival Promotion card set. It is currently only available in Japan.
Note 2: Despite being an actual card, because of its appearance on the show, this card will be used as an Action Card throughout the entirety of the story (should it appear again).
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Avoid (Spell)
Normal Spell/Action Card
Image: A man in a full-on black body suit leaping out of the way of a blue meteorite.
Effect: Target 1 attacking monster on the field; negate that monster's attack.
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Miracle (Spell)
Normal Spell/Action Card
Image: A man in a full-on black body suit rejoicing as diamonds float around him.
Effect: Target 1 monster on the field; that monster cannot be destroyed by battle during this battle, also halve any battle damage either player takes from attacks involving that monster.
Note: The above two cards were first seen in Episode 1 of "Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V." Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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Redo (Spell)
Normal Spell/Action Card
Image: A man in a full-on black body suit rewinding the hands on his pocket watch.
Effect: When a monster attacks another monster and that attack is negated: Target the attacking monster; this turn, it can attack once again, but it can only attack monsters with the same name as the one attacked.
Note: This card first appeared in this chapter.
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Author's Note: One day, when he arrives at You Show, Yuya is surprised to find a familiar man waiting for him – Nico Smiley, the announcer in his dream. What business does he have with Yuya, exactly? Much to Yuya's surprise, Nico Smiley offers him the chance of a lifetime. But will Yuya accept it or face the same fate as his father, those three years ago? Next time: "The Chance of a Lifetime." Be there or be square.
