Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V Academy of Chaos

by scififan599

In Tokyo, the International Duel Academy, run by the Akaba Corporation, teaches students from all over the world how to become pro duelists. Fujita Yuzuki and Sakaki Yuya both enter the Academy, hoping to follow in their fathers' footsteps. But as the year goes on, events conspire to bring them to the center of a massive conspiracy involving ancient powers and lookalikes.

7. Chapter 7: Eye of the Hurricane

Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V: Academy of Chaos

Fan Fiction by: scififan599

Yu-Gi-Oh! (Including GX, 5D's, Zexal, and Arc-V) original creator: Kazuki Takahashi

Chapter 7: The Eye of the Hurricane

Yuzuki took the card from her hand and placed it on her Duel Disk. "I activate Polymerization! By using monsters in my hand or on my field, I can perform a Fusion Summon!"

Two monsters from her hand – Aria the Melodious Diva and Canon the Melodious Diva appeared on the field. A portal of energy appeared behind Yuzuki as she spread her arms. Aria and Canon disappeared into the portal. As it erupted with light, Yuzuki chanted.

"Angel's song! Supreme genius! With the guidance of the baton, gather your power!" She brought her hands together in front of her. "Fusion Summon! Now come to the stage! Sing the song of victory! Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir!"

The monster that had almost defeated Yuzuki in her duel with Milly appeared on her field, singing a high note.

Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir ATK 1000 DEF 2000 LVL: 6

"I think that's enough practice," Milly said, shutting down her Duel Disk. Bloom Diva disappeared from the field. "You seem to have Fusion Summoning down perfectly. I don't think I can teach you anything else."

"Now all that's left is me getting my own Fusion Monster," Yuzuki said. She walked over to Milly and handed her deck back to her. Milly in turn handed her deck back to Yuzuki.

"Until then, why don't you hold onto this," Milly said, offering Yuzuki a card. Yuzuki took it. It was Polymerization. "Even if you can't use it, maybe it will give you luck."

Yuzuki smiled. "Thanks Milly, I appreciate that." She added Polymerization to her deck.

"Still no email from Fudo Yusei?"

Yuzuki's smile disappeared. "No, no word."

Ever since she'd asked Yusei to duel and he'd accepted, she'd been nervous with anticipation for when he would message her with a time to duel. That had been a week ago. She was still nervous, but now it was because she was afraid he'd forgotten.

"I looked Fudo Yusei up," Milly said after Yuzuki confessed this fear to her. "He's always been on time with things on campus. Clubs, homework, appointments, the guy never forgets a thing or is late for anything. He's probably just busy. He is a senior after all."

Yuzuki knew that. She knew seniors had responsibilities freshmen didn't. And being the number one duelist in his year, Yusei probably had more than his share. Unfortunately, she couldn't shed her impatience with him. Once she'd considered going up to him in person and asking him when they would duel, but she'd abandoned that almost as soon as she thought of it. She didn't want her duel with Yusei to be broadcasted to the entire school.

"I guess the only option I have is to wait for him to message me," Yuzuki said.

---

In the academic building, Rio handed her paper in to her teacher.

"Thank you, Kamishiro-san," they said. She nodded in return and left the classroom.

Yusei was waiting for her outside. He'd been the first to finish the test, but he tended to stay until Rio and Damon were finished.

"How do you think you did?" Yusei asked her. "It was harder than I thought it would be, but not by too much."

Rio smiled at him. "What you just said," she told him. "Honestly though, this is getting exhausting. We're only two months into the year, and the last free time we had was that Turbo Duel."

"I think that's intentional," Yusei said. "Akaba Reiji told me that the event later this year would take up a lot of time. I think we're doing a lot of stuff now to make time for that event."

Rio sighed. "I hope you're right. I'm not sure I can handle the workload if it's this intense the entire year."

"Of course, you can," Yusei said. "Your brother wouldn't have sacrificed his dream for you if he didn't think you could handle it."

Rio frowned at that. Back when she'd entered IDA, her parents could only afford to send either her or her brother Ryoga. Instead of competing with her like he usually did, Ryoga dropped his application and gave up dueling. She knew it had been a big sacrifice for him. Perhaps the even bigger sacrifice for him was when he gave her his cards. She didn't use all of them, but she'd incorporated a lot of them, including Aero Shark, into her deck.

"I don't think Ryoga knew the workload I'd be facing," Rio said. Sighing again, she pulled herself together. "But you're right; if I want to make his gift mean something, I have to pull through."

Yusei offered her his hand. She took it.

It wasn't long before Damon joined them. When he did, he let out a long-suffering groan.

"Finally," he said. "That was the last test for the next week. Now we can actually relax for a little."

"You can," Yusei said. "Akaba Reiji asked for mine and Rio's help with his little project. And I still need to message Fujita Yuzuki for a time to duel."

"You're not still going to duel her, are you?" Rio asked Yusei, looking concerned. Yusei raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't duel her?" he asked.

"She's a freshman," Damon said. "She has a famous dad who might overreact when you beat her. She has a very large friend who might take it badly when she loses."

"If she loses," Yusei corrected him. Now Rio raised an eyebrow.

"I know you like to be humble, Yusei," she said. "But be realistic – you're the best duelist this academy has seen in a long time. Even if she has Pendulum Summoning, the odds of her beating you are small."

"I like to consider possibilities," Yusei said. "Even if the possibility is small, she could defeat me. Besides, I haven't dueled anyone besides the two of you all year, and I've never dueled a Pendulum duelist before. It should be refreshing."

Rio and Damon looked at each other. It was true that they were the only ones who would regularly duel Yusei, but that was because most of their class, and the rest of the school, were too intimidated by his winning streak to challenge him. If they weren't his friends, Rio and Damon might've been in the same boat.

"And anyway," Yusei continued. "Years don't mean as much as you think. I defeated a senior when I was a freshman."

"That was near the end of the year," Damon said. "Not two months into it. And that senior was an idiot, nowhere near our current levels."

"And I get the feeling Fujita Yuzuki is at a higher level than we were when we first came here," Yusei retorted. He reached into his backpack to get his Duel Disk, but paused. He opened his bag wider and looked inside. "Damn it," he said.

"What?" Rio asked curiously.

"My Duel Disk is missing," Yusei said, an angry expression on his face. "I must have left it in the garage. Or maybe my dorm."

"Finding it shouldn't be hard," Rio assured him. "I just need to run my tracking program."

Yusei shook his head. "No point if I just left it somewhere. I'll check my room and my station at the garage. If I don't find it there, then you use your program."

Rio shrugged. "Alright," she said.

---

At around lunch time, Yuzuki got a message on her Duel Disk. Taking it out, she grinned. "Guys!" she said to Yuya, Milly, Gongenzaka, and Leila. "I got a message from Fudo Yusei!"

She showed the message to them. "Come and duel me at Duel Field 3 at 7pm tonight," Yuya read. "Are you sure you want to do this, Yuzuki?" he asked.

Yuzuki sighed. "No," she admitted. "But I challenged him, and I have to go through with it now!"

"Your honor as a duelist hangs in the balance," Gongenzaka said. "The man, Gongenzaka, approves!"

"Thanks, Gongenzaka," Yuzuki said. "Let's get through classes today, huh?"

---

At around 7, the five of them headed to Duel Field 3. As Yuzuki looked around it, she realized her theory was right; all the Duel Fields, except Field 9 with the Turbo Duel track, were identical. They were the first ones there, with no one else being there.

"This is kinda rude," Leila said. "He invites her, but doesn't show up?"

Suddenly, Yuzuki heard a whistling sound. She turned towards the entrance. Someone was walking in, wearing a straw hat, blue robe, and sandals, and blowing on a leaf.

"Is that cosplay?" Milly asked. "What is that?"

"Its 'Mabuta no Haha' by Hasegawa," Yuzuki answered. "It's from an old film by father likes."

The man in the cosplay walked onto the stage, stopping opposite Yuzuki.

"I feel I must apologize for the deception," he said. Yuzuki's eyes widened. She knew that voice. "But I wasn't sure you'd duel me if you knew it was me."

"Sawatari?" she said, surprised. The man threw off his costume, revealing it was Sawatari in his school uniform and his Duel Disk on his arm.

"What are you doing here?" Yuzuki asked, now angry. "I was supposed to duel Fudo Yusei!"

"Oh, I know," Sawatari said, pulling out another Duel Disk from his jacket. It was a white model. "That was the message I sent, wasn't it?"

Yuzuki's eyes widened again, but out of scorn instead of surprise. "You stole Fudo-san's Duel Disk?" she said. "Even for you, that's low!"

"I didn't steal it!" Sawatari exclaimed dramatically. "My friend Kakimoto found it and gave it to me."

"What do you want, Sawatari?" Yuya asked him. Sawatari glared at him.

'What I want is to pay you back for that embarrassing defeat you handed me!" he shouted at Yuya. "But before I do that, I have a promise to fulfill." He turned back to Yuzuki. "You want Fudo Yusei's Duel Disk? Then duel me! Right now!"

"Why should I?" Yuzuki said. "Fudo-san's a smart man, he probably already knows you have it!"

"Maybe," Sawatari said. "But I've been given new cards to defeat you, Fujita Yuzuki!" He smirked. "Don't tell me you're scared of a challenge?"

Yuzuki glared at him. She came here intending to duel Yusei, but if she had to, she'd settle for Sawatari.

Before she could answer him, Yuya spoke up. "Why are you doing this, Sawatari?"

Sawatari looked at him in shock. "Because I want revenge," he said slowly. "Because defeating Fujita-san is a stepping stone to defeating you." He suddenly shouted, "Because you embarrassed me! That's why I hate you!"

"Hate me?" Yuya said in surprise. "But we dueled together! That means we have a bond! It means we can be friends!"

"Friends?" Sawatari said, disgusted. "With you?"

Yuzuki herself had to admit it was hard to believe. What Yuya was talking about was one of his dad's teachings – the goal of Entertainment Dueling was so that everyone, the victor, the loser, and the audience, enjoyed the duel. This meant forming connections between them. Yuzuki didn't buy it as easily as Yuya did, but something Sawatari said annoyed her.

"Stepping stone?" she said softly, glaring at Sawatari. "I am not a stepping stone, Sawatari! If you want to duel me, fine! But if I win, you leave Yuya alone! Got it?"

"Don't get angry at him, Yuzuki!" Yuya said. "Remember what our fathers taught us?"

"I remember, Yuya," Yuzuki said. "But sometimes, people cross lines, and they have to answer for it!"

Sawatari ignored this, and gave Yuzuki a smirk. "I saw your duel at the entrance exam," he told her. "You use Pendulum, just like Sakaki. Pendulum Summoning may have led you to victory against Crowler, but today, it will be the path to your defeat!"

"The path to my defeat?" Yuzuki repeated. "What does that mean?" She shook her head. "It doesn't matter." She activated her Duel Disk. "Ready, Sawatari?"

"Of course," he said, activating his own Duel Disk.

"Duel!" they shouted.

Fujita Yuzuki: 4000 LP

Sawatari Shingo: 4000 LP

"Because I am a gentleman," Sawatari said. "I'll let you go first."

"How kind of you," Yuzuki said. She took a card from her hand and placed it on her Duel Disk. "Since there are no monsters on the field, I can summon Performapal Drummerilla by making it a Level 4 monster!"

Drummerilla was a gorilla in a tuxedo with a drum set for a chest, cymbals on his shoulders, and mallets for hands.

Performapal Drummerilla ATK 1600 DEF 900 LVL: 5 PS: 2

"I place one card face-down, and end my turn," Yuzuki said.

"This is the beginning of my Legendary Revenge Duel," Sawatari muttered to himself. "My turn! Draw!" He drew, but before he could do anything, he was interrupted.

"Hey look, there's a duel going on in there!"

Sawatari and Yuzuki turned to look. A crowd of people had appeared at the entrance, similar to the crowd Yuya's and Gongenzaka's duel had attracted. Sawatari smiled at them.

"If you wish to watch, feel free to join the stands," he told them. "I hope you enjoy yourselves!"

"That's Yuzuki's line!" Yuya said as the crowd entered the stands. Sawatari turned back to the duel.

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card Yosen Training Grounds!" he shouted. Behind him, an altar with twelve unlit candles appeared. "When I Normal or Special Summon a 'Yosenju' monster, I can light up one 'Yosen Counter' on this altar," he explained.

Taking another card from his hand, he placed it on his Duel Disk. "And now I summon Yosenju Kama 1 from my hand!"

Yosenju Kama 1 appeared in a whirlwind. It was a Beast-Warrior wearing a blue robe and carrying a chain whip.

Yosenju Kama 1 ATK 1600 DEF 500 LVL: 4

"Yosenjus?" Yuya said in surprise. "I've never heard of that archetype."

"Me neither," Leila said. "He did say something about new cards." She narrowed her eyes. "He keeps changing his Deck; he must not have much confidence in himself as a duelist."

On Sawatari's field, another whirlwind started to go off. "When Kama 1 is Normal Summoned," Sawatari said, "I can immediately Normal Summon another 'Yosenju' monster from my hand!" He took a third card and placed it on his Duel Disk. "I summon Yosenju Kama 2!"

Yosenju Kama 2 appeared out of the second whirlwind, wearing what looked like a samurai outfit and carrying a sword. Its appearance set off another whirlwind.

Yosenju Kama 2 ATK 1800 DEF 200 LVL: 4

"Kama 2 also allows me to immediately Normal Summon another 'Yosenju'," Sawatari said with a smug grin. "I summon Yosenju Kama 3!"

Yosenju Kama 3 appeared out if own whirlwind. It was the smallest of the three monsters, wearing an orange shirt and black baggy pants while carrying a short sword.

Yosenju Kama 3 ATK 1500 DEF 800 LVL: 4

"He summoned three monsters to the field at once?" Milly said in surprise.

Sawatari laughed. "Being able to Summon multiple monsters at once isn't unique to Pendulum Summoning," he said to Yuzuki. "Since I summoned three 'Yosenju' monsters, my Yosen Training Grounds gains 3 'Yosen Counters'!"

Three of the candles on the altar lit up.

Yosen Training Grounds: 3 YC

"Sawatari's improved himself since I dueled him," Leila said.

Yamabe, who with Kakimoto had entered the stands, cheered Sawatari on. "Yes, Sawatari-san is amazing!"

"Sawatari-san is the best!" Kakimoto added.

"I activate the effect of Kama 1!" Sawatari said. "Once per turn, when I control another 'Yosenju' monster, I can return one card you control to your hand!"

"What?" Yuzuki said in surprise. Kama 1 lassoed Drummerilla with his whip, causing Drummerilla to dissolve. Yuzuki clenched her teeth in frustration as she returned Drummerilla to her hand.

"Yuzuki's field is wide open now!" Yuya said.

"Battle!" Sawatari declared. "Kama 1, attack her directly!"

"Yuzuki!" Yuya cried out.

"I activate the Trap Card Performapal Pinch Helper!" Yuzuki said, her Trap Card rising. "This Trap Card negates a direct attack, then allows me to Summon a 'Performapal' monster from my Deck with its effects negated!"

Kama 1 stopped short as Yuzuki looked through her Deck before picking 1 and placing it on the field.

"I summon Performapal Kaleidoscorp in Defense Position!" Yuzuki said. "It's 2300 defense points are higher than any of your monsters' attack points!"

Performapal Kaleidoscorp ATK 100 DEF 2300 LVL: 6 PS: 4

Sawatari narrowed his eyes. That was one of the monsters Yuya had used to defeat him. "I'll get around that insect," he said. "I activate Kama 2's effect! He can attack you directly by halving his attack points!"

"Oh no!" Yuzuki said. Kama 2 let loose a blast of wind that caused Yuzuki to cover her head.

Yuzuki: 3100 LP

"Now I activate the effect of Kama 3!" Sawatari said. "Since another 'Yosenju' monster inflicted battle damage, I can add a 'Yosenju' monster from my Deck to my hand! I add Yosenju Oyam!" He showed the card to Yuzuki before adding it to his hand.

"Next, I activate the effect of my Yosen Training Grounds!" Sawatari said. "By removing 3 'Yosen Counters' I add a 'Yosenju' monster from my Deck to my hand! I add Mayosenju Daibak to my hand!" Unlike before, he didn't show Yuzuki the card.

Yosen Training Grounds: 0 YC

"It would be boring if I ended things so quickly," Sawatari said. "I set one card face-down, and end my turn. Now that my turn has ended, my Kama 1, Kama 2, and Kama 3 all return to my hand!"

Sawatari's three monsters disappeared in a whirlwind as he returned their cards to his hand. This left Yuzuki confused.

He must be planning something, Yuzuki thought.

"Let's continue the show, Fujita-san," Sawatari said. "The audience is waiting."

Even if this is a trap, Yuzuki thought, I'll do everything I can with my Dueling! "Draw!"

Looking at the card she drew, Yuzuki smiled. After watching Yusei's duel with Rio, she'd decided to add a few new cards to her Deck. She took two cards from her hands.

"With the Scale 2 Dharma-Eye Magician and the Scale 8 Odd-Eyes Mirage Dragon, I Set the Pendulum Scale!" She placed the cards on the edges of her Duel Disk, causing the word "PENDULUM" to appear on it. Her Odd-Eyes Mirage Dragon appeared in the left column, but the monster in the right column was a new one.

Dharma-Eye Magician was a man in black and green robes carrying a giant prayer wheel as a weapon.

Dharma-Eye Magician ATK 2000 DEF 2500 LVL: 7 PS: 2

Odd-Eyes Mirage Dragon ATK 1200 DEF 600 LVL: 3 PS: 8

"Magician?" Yuya said in surprise. "I didn't know Yuzuki had any Magician Pendulum Monsters! I thought she just had Performapals and Odd-Eyes."

"She must have done some switching around," Milly said. Back on the field, Yuzuki was chanting.

"With this, I can Summon monsters with Levels 3 through 7! Pendulum Summon! Appear now! Performapal Drummerilla! And the dragon with eerie hidden eyes, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!"

Performapal Drummerilla ATK 1600 DEF 900 LVL: 5 PS: 2

Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon ATK 2500 DEF 2000 LVL: 7 PS: 4

"That was Pendulum Summoning!" someone in the audience shouted. "The method that defeated Dr. Crowler!"

"It's amazing!" someone else said.

More people had entered the arena and joined the audience, but three people held back in the entryway watching the duel. The first two wanted to go in and talk to Sawatari, but the third held them back. He wanted to watch the duel.

"If Yuzuki attacks with Odd-Eyes and Drummerilla, she'll win!" Milly said.

"It looks like a trap though," Gongenzaka said.

"Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, attack Sawatari directly!" Yuzuki shouted. Before Odd-Eyes could do so, Sawatari placed a card on his Duel Disk.

"I activate the effect of Yosenju Oyam in my hand!" he said. "By discarding a 'Yosenju' monster from my hand, I can Special Summon it!"

Sawatari discarded Yosenju Kodam, which made Yosenju Oyam appear on the field as a pillar of rock with hands and a face at the top, which in turn caused Yosen Training Grounds to gain a counter.

Yosenju Oyam ATK ? DEF ? LVL: 6

Yosen Training Grounds: 1 YC

"It has unknown attack points?" Yuzuki said in confusion.

"Yosenju Oyam's attack points are the same as the original attack of the monster that it is battling," Sawatari explained.

Yosenju Oyam ATK 2500 DEF 2500

"Will you crash your monster into Oyam?" Sawatari asked Yuzuki.

"I activate Drummerilla's effect!" Yuzuki shouted. "Once per turn, I can increase a monster's attack by 600 during the Battle Phase!"

Drummerilla pounded his chest, which made Odd-Eyes glow as its attack increased.

Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon 3100 ATK

"Battle!" Yuzuki said. "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, destroy Yosenju Oyam! Phantom Spiral Strike!"

Phantom Dragon blasted a hole in Oyam, destroying it as Sawatari flinched from the damage.

Shingo: 3400 LP

"Phantom Dragon's effect activates!" Yuzuki declared. "When this card inflicts battle damage, you take an additional 1200 points of damage for each 'Odd-Eyes' in my Pendulum Zones! Odd-Eyes Mirage Dragon is in my Pendulum Zone, so you take 1200 points of damage!"

Phantom Dragon let loose a second burst of blue energy, which pushed Sawatari back even further.

Shingo: 2200 LP

"I activate the last effect of Oyam!" Sawatari said. "Since it was destroyed, I can add another Yosenju Oyam to my hand!" Sawatari held the card high.

If I attack with Drummerilla, Sawatari will just summon that, Yuzuki thought. "I end my turn."

"From now on, it's the real deal," Sawatari said to himself. He then said to Yuzuki, "Just like I told you before, Pendulum Summoning will lead to your defeat!"

"What does he mean by that?" Yuya asked, while Leila sniffed disdainfully and asked, "Why does he keep narrating?"

"My turn! Draw!" Sawatari looked at the card he drew and smiled. "As I did before, I summon Yosenju Kama 1, Kama 2, and Kama 3!"

His three monsters reappeared on the field.

Yosenju Kama 1 ATK 1600 DEF 500 LVL: 4

Yosenju Kama 2 ATK 1800 DEF 200 LVL: 4

Yosenju Kama 3 ATK 1500 DEF 800 LVL: 4

"Since I summoned 3 'Yosenju' monsters," Sawatari said. "Yosen Training Grounds gains 3 'Yosen Counters'!"

Yosen Training Grounds: 4 YC

"If he does the same move as before, he'll bounce Phantom Dragon back to Yuzuki's hand!" Milly said.

"Battle!" Sawatari declared, which confused everyone. "Yosenju Kama 2 attacks you directly!"

Yuzuki grunted as Kama 2 let loose a burst of wind that hit her.

Yuzuki: 2200 LP

"Why would he attack?" Leila said. "There must be a reason for it."

"I activate the effect of Kama 3," Sawatari said. "to add a 'Yosenju' card from my Deck to my hand." He added the card to his hand, and dramatically displayed it as he shouted, "The Pendulum Monster Yosenju Shinchu L!"

"Pendulum Monster?" Yuzuki said in surprise. She wasn't the only one. The entire crowd broke into whisper about this as Yuya and his friends watched in stunned surprise.

"I activate the effect of Training Grounds!" Sawatari said. "I remove 3 'Yosen Counters' to add a 'Yosenju' monster from my Deck to my hand!"

Yosen Training Grounds: 1 YC

"I add the Pendulum Monster Yosenju Shinchu R to my hand!" Sawatari shouted. Now he has two Pendulum Monsters, Yuzuki thought. This isn't good.

Sawatari took the Pendulum Monsters from his hand. "With the Scale 3 Yosenju Shinchu L and the Scale 5 Yosenju Shinchu R, I'll set the Pendulum Scale!" he cried out, placing the cards on the edges of his Duel Disk, which made "PENDULUM" to light up. Two pillars of light appeared on either side of his field, each one containing what appeared to be half of a Torii gate with a red face on one and a blue face on the other.

Yosenju Shinchu L ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 4 PS: 3

Yosenju Shinchu R ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 4 PS: 5

"He actually did it," Yuya said in shock. "But with a scale of 3 and 5, he can only summon Level 4 monsters."

Sawatari heard this and laughed. "I'm sorry, Sakaki Yuya, but that's not the case!" he told Yuya. "I activate the Pendulum effect of Shinchu R! Since I have a 'Yosenju' card in my other Pendulum Zone, he can increase Shinchu R's Scale to 11 until the end of the turn!"

"That's not good," Yuzuki said.

Yosenju Shinchu R PS: 11

"Now I can Pendulum Summon monsters with Levels 4 through 10!" Sawatari shouted. "Pendulum Summon! Appear, my monster servant!"

Out of the portal between the pillars, a giant green tornado appeared as Sawatari chanted. "Oh wind-clad chief of phantoms! Gouge those lands with your raging cloak! Come forth, Mayosenju Daibak!"

Mayosenju Daibak took the physical shape of a giant weasel made out of green wind and roared.

Mayosenju Daibak ATK 3000 DEF 300 LVL: 10 PS: 7

At the top of the arena, there was a technician's box that no one save the staff had access to. In that box, Dr. Crowler was laughing.

"Yes! Very good, Sawatari!" he said. "Use those cards I gave you to defeat Fujita!"

It had been relatively easy to get ahold of the Yosenju cards – ever since Fujita and Sakaki had passed their entrance exams, the director had been working on making new Pendulum cards. The Yosenju were experimental, but they were the first to work properly. Judging by Sawatari's performance, they worked perfectly.

Crowler's thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. He turned around in annoyance. "Excuse me, but this space is reserved for faculty! You'll have to join the audience-." He stopped short. The man in the doorway was Director Akaba.

"D-Director," Crowler stuttered. "I wasn't expecting you. I thought it was a student. My apologies."

Reiji ignored Crowler and walked up to the window, looking down at the duel. Crowler panicked. If the director believed he had given Sawatari his Yosenju cards, he would be fired!

"An excellent idea, Dr. Crowler," Reiji said. Crowler was shocked. "It was about time those cards had a test run. And what better subject than a renowned Pendulum duelist?"

"Ah, yes, of course, that was my thinking," Crowler said. He wasn't stupid enough to ignore the fact that the director was giving him an excuse. Though, now he had another reason for wanting Sawatari to win. If he lost, the director might fire Crowler out of the cards' failure.

Back at the duel, Yamabe was saying, "Neo Sawatari is amazing!" which made Kakimoto say, "Yosenjus are the best!"

"Since I summoned Mayosenju Daibak, Training Grounds gets another Yosen Counter!" Sawatari reminded the audience.

Yosen Training Grounds: 2 YC

"Where did he get Pendulum cards?" Yuya said in shock. "To that matter, where did he get ones I haven't heard of before? I thought Yuzuki and I knew all the Pendulum archetypes!"

Yuzuki was thinking the same thing. She'd never heard of Yosenjus, or of these particular Pendulum cards. Still, she would win this duel.

While she and Yuya were thinking this, the crowd was cheering on Sawatari, which made get energized. "Yes, cheer more!" he yelled. "The real fun's just getting started!"

"Hey!" an annoyed Yuzuki yelled at him. "That's Yuya's line!"

Sawatari didn't react to her, drunk on his excitement, but eventually he did turn back to her. "I don't have just Pendulum Summoning in my arsenal," he told her. "I am going to go beyond it!"

This surprised Yuzuki. "Beyond it?"

"I activate Daibak's effect!" Sawatari shouted. "When it is Special Summoned, I can return two cards on the field to the hand! I choose Dharma-Eye Magician and Odd-Eyes Mirage Dragon!"

Daibak let loose a tornado, which forced the monsters in the pillars back into card form, and made Yuzuki add them to her hand.

"Next," Sawatari said. "I activate the Continuous Trap Card Dizzying Winds of Yosen Village!" The Trap Card showed winds heading towards a small town. "Since I control Daibak, any non- 'Yosenju' card that is sent back to the hand is instead sent back to the Deck!"

"What?" Yuya said, shocked. "That means he's sealed Yuzuki's Pendulum Summoning!"

"I now pay 800 Life Points," Sawatari said. "To activate the Continuous Spell Card Yosen Whirlwind!" Yosen Whirlwind had an image of horses and wagons caught in a wind storm.

Sawatari: 1400 LP

"I end my turn," Sawatari said. "And now, my three Kama brothers return to my hand!"

As Sawatari's monsters left the field, he grinned. "Now, Fujita Yuzuki, you will bear witness to my perfect combo! Yosen Lost Tornado!"

"Yosen Lost Tornado?" Milly and Gongenzaka said in confusion. Leila narrowed her eyes. "This can't be good," she said.

"Due to the effect of Yosen Whirlwind," Sawatari explained. "When a 'Yosenju' card returns from my field to my hand, I can return one of my opponent's cards to their hand! And with the effect of Dizzying Winds of Yosen Village, your cards will be sent to the Deck instead!"

Three tornadoes appeared on the field and sent Drummerilla, Kaleidoscorp, and Pinch Helper back into Yuzuki's deck.

"He's sent most of her of her cards back to her Deck," Yuya said in alarm.

"Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon is the only one who remains," Gongenzaka said.

"Daibak's effect activates!" Sawatari shouted. "Since it was Special Summoned, it returns to my hand! Go! Yosen Lost Tornado!"

Daibak left the field, which caused another tornado to appear that swept away Phantom Dragon.

That's why he didn't use Kama 1's ability earlier, Yuzuki realized. So he could send Phantom Dragon to my Deck instead of my hand!

"What do you think of my ultimate combo, Fujita-san?" Sawatari asked, a smug grin on his face. "Finally, the Pendulum Scale of Shinchu R returns to normal."

Yosenju Shinchu R PS: 5

"My turn. Draw," Yuzuki said quietly. Hearing Yuzuki so quiet made Milly, Leila, and Gongenzaka worried. Before they could say anything though, Yuya said, "Wait. Yuzuki is smiling."

Indeed, she was. She was in one of the biggest pinches she'd ever been in, and she couldn't stop smiling. Suddenly she started laughing out loud.

"What's so funny?" Sawatari said, still smiling. "Realizing how hopeless it is?"

"No," Yuzuki said, a big smile on her face. "I just realized that I achieved what I wanted to."

"What do you mean by that?" Sawatari asked in confusion.

"One of the reasons I came to IDA was to bring Pendulum Summoning to the world," Yuzuki said. "Just like my father did. And now, here you are, the last person I expected, fighting me with Pendulum cards! It's amazing, Sawatari!"

Sawatari gave a genuine smile at that. "I have to admit, it is," he said. "I'm really having fun with these cards. Which means," he said, his face getting serious, "that you must respond with full force to my skill! I won't accept a mediocre attempt!"

"Neither would I," Yuzuki said, still smiling. "I place two cards face-down, and end my turn!"

Sawatari frowned. "Ah," he said in mock disappointment. "I went out of the way to hype things up only for you to do something so boring, though I guess it couldn't be helped with an empty hand and no Pendulum Scale!"

"It doesn't matter how bad things look," Yuzuki said. "I know I can turn it around!"

"You know," someone in the audience said, "I only came here to see Pendulum Summoning, but this is amazing!"

"I never thought I'd see a duel between two Pendulum Duelists!" his friend said.

"Don't give up, Yuzuki!" Yuya shouted to her. Gongenzaka, Milly, and Leila gave similar encouragements. Meanwhile, in the technician's booth, Crowler and Reiji were watching in anticipation.

"I commend you for not giving up," Sawatari told Yuzuki. "But alas, all that remains for you is despair! I summon Yosenju Kama 1!"

Yosenju Kama 1 reappeared on the field.

Yosenju Kama 1 ATK 1600 DEF 500 LVL: 4

"And due to their effects, I summon Yosenju Kama 2 and Yosenju Kama 3!"

Sawatari's other two monsters reappeared.

Yosenju Kama 2 ATK 1800 DEF 200 LVL: 4

Yosenju Kama 3 ATK 1500 DEF 800 LVL: 4

"And now, my Yosen Training Grounds gains 3 Yosen Counters!"

3 more candles lit up on the altar.

Yosen Training Grounds: 5 YC

"Now everything is set," Sawatari said with a smile. "I activate the Pendulum effect of Yosenju Shinchu R! Since there is another 'Yosenju' card in the other Pendulum Zone, Shinchu R's Scale becomes 11!"

Yosenju Shinchu R PS: 11

"With this, I can Pendulum Summon monsters with levels 4 through 10!" Sawatari shouted. The crowd cheered as Sawatari said, "Pendulum Summon! O wind-clad chief of phantoms! Gouge these lands with your raging cloak! Come forth, Mayosenju Daibak!"

Mayosenju Daibak roared as it reappeared on the field and Training Grounds gained another counter.

Mayosenju Daibak ATK 3000 DEF 300 LVL: 10 PS: 7

Yosen Training Grounds: 6 YC

"Daibak's effect activates!" Sawatari shouted. "2 cards on your field return to your hand! And with the effect of Dizzying Winds of Yosen Village, they go to the Deck instead! I choose those 2 face-downs!"

Daibak blew away Yuzuki's face-down cards. Sawatari sighed. "It's too bad your precious backrow was wasted. But now it's the end!" he shouted.

"That's fine," Yuzuki said, which made Sawatari start. Yuzuki showed him the two cards he'd sent away. "The first card you sent away was Amnesia! When this card is removed from the field, it changes the names of all of my opponent's face-up monsters to 'Anonymous'!"

"What?" Sawatari said. Light struck his Duel Disk, changing the names of his 4 monsters to "Anonymous."

"You wanted me to get rid of your face-down cards!" Sawatari realized, furious. Yuzuki grinned at him. "Yosenju monsters aren't affected by the Dizzying Winds of Yosen Village," she told him. "But since your monsters aren't Yosenju monsters anymore…"

"They'll return to Sawatari's Deck at the End Phase instead of his hand!" Milly realized.

Sawatari almost shouted at Yuzuki, but he calmed himself down. "I have to admit, you're not half bad," he told her.

"Thanks," she said. "It's only because I was able to use your card effects against you."

Sawatari laughed. "Even so, do you think you'll last until the End Phase? You have no cards on the field or in your hand, and my Daibak has 3000 attack points!"

"I do," Yuzuki said. Sawatari's eyes widened. "Because of the other card you sent to my Deck!"

She showed it to Sawatari. It showed a charging monster hitting a stone wall.

"You removed the Trap Card Healing Stop from my field," Yuzuki said. "When this card is removed from the field by an opponent's card effect, my opponent cannot conduct their Battle Phase this turn!"

A bright light appeared in the middle of the field, which erupted into fireworks. The entire crowd cheered at this spectacle.

Sawatari stomped his feet at this. "No fair!" he said. "You aren't the one who's supposed to excite the crowd!"

"This is the Dueling Style my father and Yuya's father taught us!" Yuzuki retorted.

"Maybe, but I'll be getting the cheers in the end!" Sawatari said.

"Healing Stop has two more effects," Yuzuki said. "It requires me to send a Spell Card from my Deck to the Graveyard, and you gain 1000 Life Points."

Yuzuki sent the card to her Graveyard, while a bright light shined on Sawatari. This gift didn't stop him from being annoyed.

Shingo: 2400 LP

"I activate the effect of Training Grounds!" Sawatari said. "I remove 3 Yosen Counters to add a 'Yosenju' monster from my Deck to my hand! I add another copy of Kama 3 to my hand!"

Yosen Training Grounds: 3 YC

"I end my turn!" Sawatari said.

"In that case," Yuzuki said. "Now that your turn has ended, may I ask your monsters to leave the stage?" Daibak and the 3 Kama brothers disappeared as Sawatari shuffled them into his Deck.

"As a 'Yosenju' monster did not return to my hand, Yosen Whirlwind is destroyed," Sawatari said as the card disintegrated. "In addition, the Pendulum Scale of Shinchu R returns to normal."

Yosenju Shinchu R PS: 5

Yuzuki was grinning. "It looks like both of our fields are pretty lonely."

Sawatari grinned back at her. "I'll be making it lively again during my next turn. During the main event, when you will taste defeat!"

"I don't plan on losing, Sawatari," Yuzuki said. "My turn! Draw!"

Looking at her card, she raised her eyebrow. That's convenient, she thought.

"Since neither of us have monsters on the field, I can Summon Performapal Drummerilla by reducing its Level by 1!"

Drummerilla reappeared on Yuzuki's field, beating its drum chest.

Performapal Drummerilla ATK 1600 DEF 900 LVL: 4 PS: 2

"Battle!" Yuzuki declared. "Drummerilla, attack Sawatari directly!"

"I won't back down!" Sawatari shouted. "I discard Yosenju Oyam to Special Summon another Yosenju Oyam!"

As before, a giant pillar with hands and a face appeared on Sawatari's field.

Yosenju Oyam ATK ? DEF ? LVL: 6

"This means I light one Yosen Counter on Training Grounds!" Sawatari said. "And Oyam's attack becomes the same as the attacking monster's!"

Yosen Training Grounds: 4 YC

Yosenju Oyam ATK 1600 DEF 1600

"I activate the effect of Performpal Drummerilla!" Yuzuki said. "Once per turn, I can increase the attack of monster by 600 during the Battle Phase!"

Performapal Drummerilla ATK 2200

Drummerilla attacked Oyam, which caused it to shatter and make Sawatari flinch.

Sawatari: 1800 LP

"Yuzuki's making a comeback," Yuya said in excitement.

"I hope she shows us a Pendulum Summon," someone in the audience said.

"I end my turn," Yuzuki said.

"Aww," the crowd said in disappointment, though one girl mentioned, "Her hand is empty, she can't Pendulum Summon."

"Don't worry, people," Sawatari assured them. "The great Sawatari Shingo will show an alluring Pendulum Summon! My turn! Draw! I remove 3 Yosen Counters from Training Grounds to add Mayosenju Daibak from my Deck to my hand!"

Yosen Training Grounds: 1 YC

As Sawatari waited, the crowd got excited and started cheering for a Pendulum Summon. Sawatari basked in the cheers.

"That's it!" he said. "Cheer even more!" He snapped his fingers. "The set Pendulum Scale is currently 3 to 5! So I can summon Level 4 monsters!"

Leila widened her eyes. "He's not changing Shinchu R's Scale?"

"Pendulum Summon!" Sawatari chanted. "Come forth, wind slicing blades! Yosenju Kama 1 and Yosenju Kama 3!"

Sawatari's two monsters appeared on the field. As it was only a single Special Summon, Training Grounds only gained one Yosen Counter.

Yosenju Kama 1 ATK 1600 DEF 500 LVL: 4

Yosenju Kama 3 ATK 1500 DEF 800 LVL: 4

Yosen Training Grounds: 2 YC

"I'll have that eyesore of a Performapal disappear!" Sawatari exclaimed. "I activate the effect of Kama 1! Since I control another Yosenju monster, I can return 1 monster on your field to your hand!"

Kama 1 sent a blast of wind at Drummerilla, but Yuzuki was prepared for it.

"I activate the effect of the Performapal Transparency in the Graveyard!" she shouted. It was the Spell she'd sent to the Graveyard by Healing Stop's effect. It showed Hip Hippo turning see-through. "By banishing this card, 1 'Performapal' on my field is immune to my opponent's card effects this turn!"

Shining gold and turning see-through, Drummerilla dodged Kama 1's effect.

Sawatari threw a tantrum. "Don't disappear like that!"

"He was the one who said 'disappear' in the first place," Milly said, completely deadpan.

Sawatari grinned. "I still have other options," he said. "I Tribute Kama 1 and Kama 3 to Advance Summon Mayosenju Daibak!"

Kama 1 and Kama 3 disappeared as Daibak reappeared, which made Training Grounds gain another Yosen Counter.

Mayosenju Daibak ATK 3000 DEF 300 LVL: 10 PS: 7

Yosen Training Grounds: 3 YC

"Why Advance Summon Daibak instead of Pendulum Summon it?" Leila wondered.

Sawatari looked at Yuzuki. "Why are you smiling?" he asked, "Don't you realize you're going to lose?"

"Maybe," she replied. "But the audience is excited. It's not just you and me; our show is getting the crowd hyped." She smiled even bigger. "I've waited for a long time to duel against a Pendulum user besides Yuya, and thanks to this, I can see new possibilities with Pendulum Summoning! That's why I can't help but enjoy this."

Sawatari smiled at that. "I can't help but enjoy this either. Even if you aren't Yuya, you're one of the best opponents I've ever faced. That's why it will be so much fun to defeat you before such a large crowd!"

Yuzuki smiled. "Sorry Sawatari, but the show still has more to come!"

"No!" Sawatari said. "This is the climax! Daibak, attack Drummerilla!"

"I activate Drummerilla's effect!" Yuzuki shouted. "It gains 600 attack points during the Battle Phase!"

Performapal Drummerilla 2200 ATK

"That isn't enough!" Sawatari said. Daibak blew Drummerilla away, which caused Yuzuki to take damage.

Yuzuki: 1400 LP

"Because Drummerilla is a Pendulum Monster, when it is destroyed, it's sent to the Extra Deck!" Yuzuki said, placing Drummerilla there. The crowd continued to cheer on the duel.

Yuya was smiling. "I can feel Yuzuki's heartbeat right now," he said. "She's giving everything she's got in this duel!"

"I end my turn," Sawatari said. "And since Daibak was Advance Summoned, it doesn't return to my hand."

"So that's why he didn't Pendulum Summon it!" Milly said. "If he did, it would have gone back to his hand and left him defenseless."

"I hate to admit it," Leila said, "but Sawatari has grown a lot since I defeated him. He's shown himself to be much better than I thought he was."

Gongenzaka frowned at that. "Now, if only his ego was deflated a little…"

Meanwhile, the crowd started to talk amongst themselves. "I wonder if Fujita Yuzuki will show us a Pendulum Summon this turn!" "She has too! It's the only way she'll win!" This made the crowd cheer "Pendulum!" over and over again.

Sawatari looked around at the crowd, and then back at Yuzuki. "The entire stadium is cheering on our duel, Fujita-san. It's your turn, and you had better answer them!"

Yuzuki smiled. "Don't worry, I will! My turn! Draw!" She looked at her card, and her smile got bigger.

"I activate the Spell Card Magician Manipulation!" she shouted. The card had an image of a man with a deck of cards traveling between his hands. "Since I control no cards, and this is the only card in my hand, I draw 1 card for each card my opponent controls, then I reveal them! But at the end of the turn, I must banish all cards I control!"

"That means if she doesn't win this turn, Sawatari will win on his turn," Leila said.

"Sawatari has 5 cards on the field! So I draw 5 cards!" Yuzuki shouted. "Draw!"

Looking at her cards, she suddenly stopped. Her focus was drawn to the last card she drew.

Polymerization? She thought. I must have forgotten to remove it before I came here. I can't use this! I can't-.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a roar. "Huh?" she said. She looked at her Extra Deck, and heard that roar again. She saw a silhouette of a dragon. And though she didn't know it, for a split second, her eyes and her bracelet glowed pink.

"Huh?" Yuya said. He swore he felt something, but he didn't know what it was. He didn't notice it either, but for a second, his eyes glowed red.

Huh?" Sawatari said. He felt something too, but it was distant, almost barely a sound. His eyes glowed yellow for a second, but they weren't as bright as Yuya's or Yuzuki's.

"Hey!" he shouted at Yuzuki. "Aren't you supposed to reveal your cards?"

"Huh?" Yuzuki turned back to Sawatari. She then remembered the duel. "Oh right!"

Collecting herself, she revealed her hand. "I drew Dharma-Eye Magician, Dragonpit Magician, Dragonpulse Magician, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, and Polymerization!"

The stadium erupted in whispers over that last card. Yuya and Leila in particular were surprised.

"Polymerization?" Yuya said. "Why does she have that card?"

"Um," Milly said. This made Yuya, Leila, and Gongenzaka turn to her.

"Milly," Leila said slowly. "Why does Yuzuki have a Polymerization card?"

"I've been teaching her Fusion Summoning over the last two weeks," Milly confessed. "She wanted to push herself further, and she wanted it to be a surprise to the two of you. I gave that card as a good luck charm. She doesn't have any Fusion Monsters to summon, though, so it's worthless."

"She wanted to surprise us?" Yuya said.

"Just Yuya and Leila?" Gongenzaka asked, offended. "Then why did she not tell the man Gongenzaka about it?"

"She didn't want you to keep a secret from Yuya," Milly explained.

Back on the field, Sawatari regained his composure. "A Polymerization card," he said with a smile. "I have to admit, I didn't see that coming."

"Neither did I," Yuzuki said. She knew what she'd heard, and she knew he wanted to come out. The only difficulty was getting him there. She took two cards from her hand.

"I'll set the Pendulum Scale with the Scale 1 Dragonpulse Magician and the Scale 8 Dragonpit Magician!" She placed the cards at the edges of her Duel Disk. The two pillars appeared again. In the left pillar was Dragonpit Magician, a man in blue robes carrying an ornate staff. In the right pillar was Dragonpulse Magician, a kid in white robes carrying what appeared to be a bow without a string.

Dragonpulse Magician ATK 1800 DEF 900 LVL: 4 PS: 1

Dragonpit Magician ATK 900 DEF 2700 LVL: 7 PS: 8

Yuzuki's bracelet glowed as she chanted.

"Now I can Pendulum Summon monsters with Levels 2 through 7! Pendulum Summon! Appear, my monsters! From the Extra Deck, Performapal Drummerilla! And from my hand! The dragon with the eerie hidden eyes, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!"

Yuzuki's two monsters appeared on her field, with Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon roaring in triumph.

"You think I'll let you defeat me?" Sawatari said. "Your strategy is obvious: use Phantom Dragon and Drummerilla's effect to destroy my Daibak, then attack me directly with Drummerilla. I'm sorry, but it won't happen."

He gestured to Shinchu L. "Yosenju Shinchu L can destroy itself to negate the destruction of a 'Yosenju' monster! And since you have no 'Odd-Eyes' monsters in your Pendulum Zones, you can't defeat me with Phantom Dragon's effect!"

He pointed at Yuzuki. "At the end of this turn, your Magician Manipulation will banish all cards you control, then I can attack with Daibak, and you lose, Fujita-san!"

Yuzuki smiled. "I wonder about that."

"Huh?" Sawatari said in confusion.

Yuzuki picked another card from her hand. "I activate the Spell Card Polymerization!" she said, placing the card on her Duel Disk.

"What?" Milly, Sawatari, Yuya, Leila, Gongenzaka, Crowler, and the entire crowd said at the same time.

"But she doesn't have a Fusion Monster!" Milly said.

Yuzuki heard the dragon's roar again. She looked at her Extra Deck.

"You want to come out," she whispered. "I'll bring you out right now."

Yuzuki spread her arms. "Polymerization allows me to use monsters on my field or in my hand to perform a Fusion Summon! I'll use Performapal Drummerilla and Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!"

A portal of energy appeared behind Yuzuki. Drummerilla and Phantom Dragon became energy that disappeared into the portal as Yuzuki chanted.

"Chest pounding sage of the forest! Become one with the dragon of phantasms and give birth to a new power!" She brought her hands together in front of her. "Fusion Summon! Come forth! The dragon with the strength of the hurricane! Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon!"

The portal erupted in light as a new monster emerged from it. Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon was larger than Phantom Dragon, with purple skin, green and white armor, and four mechanical-like wings.

Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon ATK 2500 DEF 3000 LVL: 7

The entire stadium was stunned into silence. In the technician's box, Crowler was watching in terror. "A Fusion Summon," he said. "brought about by Pendulum Summoning?"

Next to him, Akaba Reiji didn't say a thing. Instead, he just smiled.

"Yuzuki said she didn't have a Fusion Monster," Milly said in a small voice. "Where did that come from?"

"I don't know," Yuya answered, also in a small voice. "I've never even heard of an 'Odd-Eyes' Fusion Monster."

"It's beautiful," Leila said in the same small voice.

Sawatari started to laugh. But it wasn't a cruel laugh; it was one of genuine surprise and excitement.

"Amazing," he said. "Amazing, Fujita-san. Earlier, I said you were one of my best opponents. That's no longer true; you're an even better opponent than Yuya was!" He smiled. "Sadly, though, your efforts were in vain. My Daibak has 3000 attack points, and your Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon has 2500 attack points. You won't win this battle."

Yuzuki smiled. "Don't you remember your duel with Leila?" she asked. "Attack points matter less than you think." She gestured to Vortex Dragon. "I activate Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon's effect! When this card is Special Summoned, I can return 1 Attack Position monster on my opponent's field to their hand!"

"What?" Sawatari said in surprise. Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon roared.

"Go, Vortex Dragon! Force of the Gale!"

Vortex Dragon let loose a wind greater than any that Sawatari's monsters created that forced Daibak back into a card. Sawatari grimaced as he returned it to his hand.

"Battle!" Yuzuki declared. "Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon, attack Sawatari directly! Hurricane Spiral Burst!"

Vortex Dragon let loose a stream of green energy that hit Sawatari in his chest and knocked him to the ground.

Shingo: 0 LP

The entire audience, silent for a moment, started cheering for Yuzuki's victory. No one was louder than Yuya, Gongenzaka, Milly, and Leila. Gongenzaka was so happy he picked Yuya up and hugged him. The only ones not cheering were Kakimoto and Yamabe, who watched in disappointment, and Crowler in the booth.

"Damn it," he muttered. "All that work for nothing!"

"Professor Crowler."

Crowler started and turned to the director. "Yes, director?"

"Make sure you retrieve the Yosenju cards from Sawatari-san," he said, turning to leave. "Obviously, we still need to improve them."

Yuzuki walked up to Sawatari, who was still on his back. He was looking up at the ceiling, a contemplative look on his face. He looked at Yuzuki when she appeared over him. She smiled at him.

"That was one of the best duels I've ever had, Sawatari," she said. She offered her hand to him. Sawatari looked at it, then slapped it aside and got up himself. He looked around in surprise at the audience, who were now cheering on both of them.

Yuzuki looked at the crowd, still smiling. "They sure are excited." She waved at the crowd, while Sawatari bowed at them.

"Fujita-san," he said. She turned to him. "What Sakaki said, about forming friendships through duels, I think I understand that now." He looked at her. "I'm sorry for luring you here. I don't know if I'd ever call you a friend; but I don't despise you."

Yuzuki smiled at him. "I hated you over that trick you pulled on Yuya," she told him. "That anger increased when you insulted him and his father before dueling Leila. But now, I don't think I hate you either."

Their conversation was interrupted by a big "Ha-ha!" They turned to look. It was Damon McCross, who jumped on stage and pulled Yuzuki into a bear hug.

"You did it!" he shouted. "You performed a Fusion Summon! And from Pendulum Summoning, no less! That was one of the most amazing duels I've ever seen!"

"It was very good," someone else said. When Damon put her down and released her, she saw it was Fudo Yusei. He smiled at her, but then he frowned at Sawatari. "I think you have something that belongs to me."

Sawatari looked confused for a second, then his eyes widened. He pulled the white Duel Disk out from his coat. He held it out to him in both hands, bowing low.

"I'm very sorry for taking this, Fudo-san," he said, uncharacteristically respectful. "I believed Fujita-san wouldn't duel me if she knew it was me, so I used your Duel Disk to challenge her. I wouldn't blame you if you told the teachers."

Yusei took his Duel Disk back, then shook his head. "You lost the duel," he told Sawatari. "I think that's punishment enough." He turned to Yuzuki. "Fujita-san, what would you say to a duel tomorrow afternoon at 4?"

"You mean it?" Yuzuki said, surprised. "Of course! Where?"

"The garage," Yusei answered. "It has enough space, and I don't want a spectacle like this one. Your friends can come too, of course." He turned back to Sawatari. "Would you like to come watch, too?"

Sawatari's eyes widened. "Yes, of course, I'd like to," he answered quickly. Pausing for a second, he then asked, "Just out of curiosity, how did you know it was me?"

Rio showed him her Duel Disk, a pale blue model. "My Duel Disk has tracking software," she told him. "If I have the identification number, I can find the Duel Disk in a 10-kilometer radius."

"Oh," Sawatari said. "Again, sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Damon said, still grinning. He looked over Yuzuki's head. "We'll leave you be, Fujita-san. Looks like your friends want to talk to you."

Yuzuki turned around and saw Yuya, Milly, Leila, and Gongenzaka running towards her. While they talked to her, Damon, Rio, and Yusei left.

"That was amazing, Yuzuki!" Milly said. "A perfect Fusion Summon! But where did you get that monster?"

Yuzuki thought about the roar she heard. "I don't know, really," she answered. "It just seemed to appear."

"The man, Gongenzaka, was very moved by your duel!" Gongenzaka declared. "I will endeavor to become stronger to match you!"

"I was surprised to learn you were learning Fusion Summoning," Leila told her. "If you wanted to become stronger, I would have taught you Xyz Summoning."

Yuzuki smiled at her. "It was your duel with Sawatari that inspired me to become stronger. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Milly was right," Yuya told her. "It was an amazing duel. The climax was the best part!" Before Yuzuki could say anything though, he turned to Sawatari, who'd started to walk away. "Sawatari?"

He stopped, and turned around to look at Yuya. His face was impassive, but then he smiled. "Don't worry, Sakaki," he said. "I still plan to beat you one day."

Yuya smiled. "Naturally," he said.

"And you too, Thompson," Sawatari said to Leila. "I owe you that much."

"I look forward to it, Sawatari," Leila said.

Sawatari turned to Yuzuki. "Goodbye, Fujita-san. It's been fun." He turned and left.

Yuzuki watched him leave. "You might've been right, Yuya," she said.

Yuya turned to her. "About what?"

"About how people who duel together become friends," Yuzuki said. "I had my doubts earlier, but now I think I see it." She turned to address all of them. "Guys, Fudo Yusei asked me to duel him in the garage tomorrow at 4!"

"For real, this time?" Milly said. She frowned a little. "I don't know if you're ready to duel Fudo Yusei, but if it's what you want, then I'll support you, Yuzuki!"

"As will I," Leila said.

"So will the man Gongenzaka!" Gongenzaka said.

Yuzuki looked at Yuya. He looked her in the eye. "It doesn't matter to me who you want to duel," he said. "I'll support you all the way."

Yuzuki smiled. "Thanks, Yuya."

---

Healing Stop Trap Card

If this card is removed from the field by an opponent's card effect; your opponent cannot conduct their Battle Phase this turn. Immediately after this effect resolves, send 1 Spell Card from your Deck to the Graveyard; your opponent gains 1000 Life Points.

Performapal Transparency Quick-Play Spell Card

Target 1 "Performapal" monster on your field; until the End Phase, it cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects, and it is unaffected by other card effects. If this card is in your Graveyard, you can target 1 "Performapal" monster on your field and banish this card; the targeted monster cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects, and it is unaffected by other card effects.

---

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