"And then he had the nerve to call my Speedroids weak toys!"
"Can you hand me a wrench?"
"That swirly-haired jerk thinks he's sooo great with Ancient Gear cards! They don't even look like Ancient Gear monsters!"
"Are you gonna help me, or…?"
"I swear, the next time I see him, I'll shove my fist into his face! That outta show him!"
"Yugo, wre-"
"Cardfighters are the wor-"
Fed up with Yugo's rant, Rin leaned over and kissed his lips without taking her eyes off the Duel Runner. With the Team Duel Tournament approaching, Cardfighters have been showing up more frequently across the Original Dimension. In a way, it was understandable why the Clear Wing-eyed Synchro user was upset. His squabble with one of said Cardfighters really put him in a bad mood. Good thing he had something else on his mind thanks to Rin.
Ultimately the two parted. "Now will you shut up?" Rin asked.
But Yugo was love-struck. "That was our first kiss…" he realized.
Rin rolled her eyes. "Just hand me the wrench, you moron," she repeated.
Now sidetracked from ranting, Yugo handed the wrench to Rin, using it to tighten the bolts. After the mishap with the engine, she and the rest of the Synchro crew wasted no time with fixing the Duel Runner and adding modifications to make it battle-proof. Crow and Shinji were looking at the blueprints and the constructing Runner to see if there were any more parts that may be included. Rin soon wiped off any sweat that may have formed on her forehead after she finished tightening the last bolt.
"Not bad!" Shinji remarked. "It looks just like Yugo's previous Duel Runner."
"Then what are these blueprints for?" Crow asked, revealing blueprints for a completely different Duel Runner.
"Oh, those?" Rin asked. "They're for my own Duel Runner."
She explained how her Duel Runner will look different from Yugo's and how it have a design based off of Crystal Bell. So far, its color scheme will be white and purple with purple crystals. She planned on drawing out and listing more parts to deduce which ones will work best for the design before finalizing the blueprints. Despite Crystal Bell being a corrupted version of Winter Bell, Rin knows there is true beauty within the card, so using it as inspiration for her Duel Runner was an indicator. She also figured that she should build one of her own since she won't have to share one with Yugo.
"This looks pretty cool," Yugo complimented, looking at the blueprints. "You really know how to bring out the best in everything."
"Yep," Rin agreed. "Even hot-headed Turbo Duelists with loud and rude behaviors."
It took Yugo a few seconds to realize who Rin was referring to. "Hey, wait a minute!"
Rin let out a small laugh and gave Yugo another kiss. "But I still love you," she said.
Yugo blushed at Rin's second kiss. Usually, he would say that he prefers being called "energetic and short-tempered", but not this time. Ever since his sleepover with Rin, he was gradually improving on his behavior… Well, he still has his moments here and there, such as his rant, but at least he's trying his hardest to take Yuya, Yuto, and Yuri's advice seriously. Obviously not become a different version of himself like last time, but applying it to good use. It was actually quite amazing to be in love with a tomboy… Is she a tomboy?
A few moments later, the Synchro crew went on their break. They decided to pass the time by playing a couple rounds of Duel Monsters. Right now, Yugo and Crow were spectating Shinji's duel against Rin, who was about to start her turn.
"Nice Battle Wasps," Rin said. "But let's see if you can face my icy spells!" She drew a card. "Since I summoned Windwitch - Ice Bell on my previous turn, I think I'll summon a second one to join her on my field! So you lose another 500 life points!"
Ice Bell's effect deducted Shinji's LP by 500 before Rin continued with her turn.
"Now that I have my two Ice Bells, I can bring out Windwitch - Snow Bell to tune them together!" Rin continued. "Midwinter wind, make ice and snow my power and appear in all your wintertime glory! I Synchro Summon Windwitch - Winter Be- What the?!"
Rin noticed her En Winds marking starting to glow on her left hand just as she was about to Synchro Summon Winter Bell. She wasn't the only one because Shinji, Crow, and Yugo also saw the light green glow, leaving them a little shocked. Unlike her counterparts, who didn't quickly learn what their markings did when they performed a distinct special summon since they were on body parts they easily can't see, she was the only one who caught on to her marking reacting during a duel. At least they all managed to get a bit of an understanding of what was going on.
"Why is my hand glowing?!" Rin asked, alarmed. "Why is my hand glowing?!"
Shinji was concerned about Rin's freak out. "Should we call it a draw?" he asked, ready to take his deck out of his Duel Disk.
"No!" Rin blurted out. "I-I Synchro Summon Windwitch - Winter Bell!"
Winter Bell appeared on Rin's side of the field while the apple green-haired girl was still alarmed by the current situation. Her ace has two effects that either can be used once per turn. By targeting one of her Windwitches from her Graveyard, she can inflict damage to her opponent equal to the target's level x 200. She can also target a Windwitch she controls to special summon a monster with a Level less than or equal to the target's Level, but it isn't allowed to attack during that turn. Desperately trying to find a way to get rid of the glowing marking, Rin chose Winter Bell's first effect.
"I activate Winter Bell's special ability!" Rin announced. "By targeting one of my two Ice Bells, you lose 600 life points!"
Winter Bell took out 600 of Shinji's LP thanks to her first ability; Rin checked her marking, only to find it still glowing. She would declare an attack, but she figured he endured enough damage for this turn. Besides, it would only prolong the glow if she doesn't figure out a way to stop it. For now, she stated she'll end her turn, which caused the light green luminosity to fade away. She was slightly confused as to why ending her turn was the solution to this dilemma, but mostly glad that it was over as she let out a sigh of relief. Shinji and Crow had to ask what that was all about.
"I don't know!" Rin admitted, looking at her marking. "But it seemed to happen when I Synchro Summoned Winter Bell!"
"Wait… I think I know what's going on!" Yugo asked.
"Really?" Rin happily asked.
Yugo proceeded to run over to Rin and tightly hug her. "You must be growing out your hair!"
"What?!" Rin asked, surprised at Yugo's suddenly statement.
"Don't play dumb with me!" Yugo said, separating from the hug. "Last time I checked, your hair was a half inch shorter. You're already cute with short hair, but you'll probably look extra cuter with long hair!"
Where the heck did that idea come from? And how did Yugo spot Rin's slightly longer hair? Regardless, it had nothing to do with her marking, but Crow and Shinji also remembered seeing her hair shorter. They never noticed until now although their reactions were slightly delayed than Yugo's. Rin was pleased that her friends were thrilled with her growing hair, but she needed to figure out why her marking glowed when she Synchro Summoned.
After calming down, she looked at her marking on her left hand, deducing the cause of what happened less than a minute ago. She knows she's one of Ray's four reincarnations, specifically her Synchro reincarnation, "created" by the En Winds Natural Energy Card. A theorization quickly struck her; when Ray was split a second time, she was given her respective Natural Energy marking, with the same applying to her counterparts, on a certain body part to help symbolize their main personality trait. Maybe that's what the reason behind the light green glow during her turn.
Rin clenched her left fist. "That's why my marking is on my hand," she realized.
"What?" Shinji asked as he drew a card to indicate he was starting his turn.
"I'll explain later!" Rin said.
With that said, everyone focused back to the duel as Shinji began his turn. Although he lost Life Points thanks to Rin's Windwitches' effects, she didn't attack him. This was perfect for him to swarm his side of the field with his Battlewasps to Synchro Summon his ace, decrease Winter Bell's ATK/DEF, and use his burn strategy. Looking at his cards, he made his move.
"I'll activate the Spell card Revival Swarm to recover Azura the Spirit Bow from your attack!" Shinji said. "Beat your wings, bring your sting, unite and fight! I Synchro Summon Battlewasp - Hama the Conquering Bow!"
Hama has an effect where it can attack a second time during each Battle Phase, which can be determined if Shinji activates its other two effects: if battle damage was inflicted, he can target one of his opponent's monster to make it lose ATK equal to the battle damage until the end of the Battle Phase; however, if no battle damage was inflicted, he can deal damage for every Battlewasp in his Graveyard x 300 to his opponent. He knew what he will do for this turn.
Shinji used Hama to attack Winter Bell, causing Rin to use her ace's second ability. Since Hama was Synchro Summoned, she can target Winter Bell to special summon a monster from her hand with a Level less than or equal to the target's Level, but the summoned monster can't attack; in other words, she special summoned Windwitch - Glass Bell. Shinji knew she would do that; after Winter Bell was destroyed and Rin lost 400 LP, he activated one of Hama's effects, resulting in Glass Bell to decrease her ATK from 1500 to 1100. Now he can attack a second time as his ace sent his target to the Graveyard, making Rin lose 1700 LP.
"Hopefully that shouldn't case too much of a problem," Shinji said as he concluded his turn.
"It won't," Rin said. "During the end of your turn, I activate the Trap card Miracle's Wake to bring back Winter Bell!"
A portal opened up from the Graveyard as Winter Bell flew out of it and landed on Rin's side of the field. She then drew a card to indicate the start of her turn.
"And since I have my Winter Bell back, now I can unleash the full power of my icy spells!" Rin continued. "So I'll start things off with Polymerization, fusing Winter Bell with my Glass Bell! Maiden of snow and ice, become one with the magic of crystals and shed your ragged disguise to reveal the princess within! I Fusion Summon Windwitch - Crystal Bell!"
But the Fusion Summoning was different than the last time Yugo remembered. Instead of emerging from a block of ice, Glass Bell sprinkled Winter Bell with magic, causing her to transform into Crystal Bell in a sparkly display. "RinRin…" the banana-banged Duelist said, completely in awe.
Rin looked what was in her hand while reading Crystal Bell's effects, in which each can be used once per turn. Her Fusion ace can target a monster in either her Graveyard or Shinji's, resulting in her gaining the target's name and effects until her End Phase. If she was destroyed, Rin can special summon Winter Bell and a Level 4 or less Windwitch. After some strategizing, she figured out how to turn the duel in her favor.
Rin raised her left fist. "Now, with the power of the great Northern winds, I will strengthen my Crystal Bell!" she announced.
With a strong wind appearing on Rin's field, her marking began to glow light green once again as the En Winds symbol appeared on Crystal Bell's forehead, giving her a 500 ATK boost. Shinji, Crow, and Yugo were left confused on what Rin did and how it even worked on her first try. With the power boost granted, she proceeded to carry out the rest of her strategy for this turn.
"I activate Crystal Bell's special ability!" Rin said. "With Winter Bell lending her power from the Graveyard, you lose 800 more life points thanks to Glass Bell!"
Crystal Bell, now under the name Winter Bell, dealt 800 points of damage to Shinji. She them initiated her Battle Phase; normally, both her monster and Battlewasp - Hama the Conquering Bow would both be destroyed, but with the ATK boost, Hama gets sent to the Graveyard as Shinji loses 500 more Life Points.
Shinji was baffled. "How did you even do that?!" he asked.
"Through the power of my marking," Rin answered, showing Shinji the glowing marking on her left fist. "I figured the previous time it glowed meant it has some kind of special power that only triggers when I first Synchro Summon. And since the glowing stopped at the end of my previous turn, it probably works during only my turns."
A couple minutes after ending her turn, Rin ended up winning the duel. The plans of having a couple duels were dimmed down to one because of her marking, so with their break nearing its end, the Synchro crew discussed about its abilities. They were determining if what happened to her also happens to Zuzu, Lulu, and Celina. Yugo interrupted because he was wondering if his Clear Wing eye color also has a unique special power and if it's similar to Yuya, Yuto, and Yuri.
"Excuse me?" Rin asked.
"That has to be it!" Yugo insisted. "After Zarc separated, me and the guys had our eye colors changed. And since you and the other girls have special powers connected to the Natural Energy Cards, I probably have a cool power connected to my dragon!" He proceeded to activate his Duel Disk.
"What do you think you're doing?" Crow asked.
"Just unleashing my cool new dragon powers!" Yugo answered. He proceeded to summon the needed Speedroids for the Synchro Summon. "Beat your wings to whip up a whirlwind of destruction! I Synchro Summon Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"
Clear Wing flew into the field, bellowing out her roar. Once the Synchro Summon was complete, Yugo suddenly fell to the ground, passing out in the process. A startled Rin, Crow, and Shinji ran over to him; Rin shook his body to help him regain consciousness, but there was no response. She resorted to CPR to revive him; with each failed attempt, the Synchro crew grew more concerned, especially Rin. She didn't want to end up suddenly losing him…until something else unexpected surprisingly happened.
"Uh… Guys?" Crow asked. "Is it me, or did Clear Wing become more sluggish?"
Shinji and Rin turned around to see that Crow was right. Clear Wing seemed to have gained a sluggish posture; she also rose her head up and looked at her surrounding to get an understanding of what happened. Rin was about to ask the dragon if something was wrong when she stopped moving, almost as if she heard something. With a slight glance over her shoulder, her became happy to see her and flew over to nuzzle her as she growled softly. This left Rin a bit speechless and Crow and Shinji stunned about what Clear Wing was doing.
Rin's eyes widened. "Did you hear that?" she asked.
"Hear what?" Shinji asked.
"It sounded like Clear Wing said 'RinRin'," the mint green-haired girl said. She looked at the dragon. "Yugo?!"
Clear Wing nodded her head, confirming that she was indeed Yugo. Rin, Shinji, and Crow were stupefied at what their Speedroid user did. She placed her hand on her forehead in order to try and comprehend everything. How on earth can a simple Synchro Summon result in something bizarre like that?! Was it due to him having his ace dragon's eye colors? Was Yugo also given a special power too?
So many questions were flying into Rin's head that she may needed a moment. Shinji and Crow tried to ask their companion how he ended up in Clear Wing the moment he passed out, but their answer was in growls. Apparently, he can't speak like a human and can only respond with dragon sounds.
"Hold on," Crow said. "We can't understand what you're saying." He proceeded to remove Yugo's deck from the Duel Disk, causing the dragon to disappear as Yugo bolted awake.
"What the heck was that?!" Yugo asked. "How did I end up in Clear Wing's body?!"
"We're not sure," Crow replied. "But apparently you and the other guys can somehow become one with your dragons."
Yugo became dumbstruck at this revelation. He was having difficulty finding the right words to express how ecstatic he is about having an ability of his own. Rin had to remind him to relax with a smack at the back of his head. He quickly apologized as he rubbed his head, but he knew what he was going to say. He said he's enthusiastic about discovering his ability, which soon turned into another thought and question. Does Yugo being able to become one with Clear Wing have something to do with Zarc?
"Wait a minute…" Yugo said. "Since Zarc was able to become one with his dragons…" He smiled wide. "Does that mean my new power is the same way?!"
"Probably," Rin answered.
"This is so cool!" Yugo exclaimed. "I have to tell the others! They're gonna be so happy!"
It was clear that the powers of both dragon-colored eyes and the Natural Energy markings were becoming the main focus for the Synchro crew. Right as Yugo was about to find his counterparts, he quickly realized their break was over and that they needed to continue with Duel Runner construction. He yelled out a "Dang it" before heading back in the apartment/garage to help out.
Several hours later, the gang decided they were done for today and will continue tomorrow. Crow asked what time is was and Rin answered, after taking a glimpse at the clock, that it was 5:40 PM. It was evening already? Yugo looked outside the window to see the sun was starting to set. He remarked on how time can move so fast when they were busy working. Just then, the sound of a microphone was heard across the city; an important announcement was about to be made.
"Attention all Duelists. There will be a festival tonight at Heartland Park to promote the upcoming Team Duel Tournament. All Duelists are welcomed to attend and the festival will allow teams to register."
Rin's eyes lit up in utter delight. "A festival?"
"Sweet!" Yugo exclaimed. "We can register our team!"
Yugo and Rin were both excited about the Heartland Park festival tonight. From the sounds of things, it was going to be a more casual event than a formal one, so it makes picking out clothes easier. Crow asked Yugo what he'll be wearing, with the latter replying he's fine with what he has on right now…right after mentioning that he needs to wash up. He does have a point; after all the hard work everyone did, they needed to get clean for the festival. As for Rin, she said she'll shower once she finds nice and comfortable clothes to wear at the city's local donation center.
"Aww, you don't have to dress fancy, RinRin," Yugo said, hugging her from behind. "You're already adorable."
"I appreciate the compliment, but I smell like Duel Runner oil," Rin insisted, but Yugo proceeded to give her multiple cheek kisses.
As Yugo's kisses made Rin giggle, Crow and Shinji were surprised at her behavior. From what they have seen, she is always tough, hangs out with boys, and typically does stuff guys do. This was the first time they saw her act rather girly. They also could have sworn Yugo said something about shopping and her being a fashionista, but they weren't sure that was what they heard. They wondered if she really was a tomboy, but they also don't want to be rude about it; besides, they recently met her. Maybe her boyfriend may know if she's a tomboy or not.
Shinji cleared his throat, causing the two lovebirds to look at him and Crow. "What?" Rin asked. "Can't a girl have a moment with her boyfriend?"
"Yeah, but…" Shinji started to say. "Who are you and what have you done with Rin?"
"I've known Rin my whole life," Yugo said, snuggling close to her from behind. "Sure she's tough, but she's the cutest and most adorable girl I know."
Rin let out a small laugh as she pulled away from Yugo. "Okay, that's enough," she said, turning to face her boyfriend. "We need to get ready for tonight, so you should go shower."
"Sure thing, RinRin," Yugo said. He gave Rin one last kiss before he headed for the bathroom.
While Yugo was taking his shower, Rin visited the donation center. Even after the Original Dimension returned, it was still there. She always went there to get a variety of clothes because she didn't had a lot of money when she was growing up as an orphan. She and her boyfriend were also saving up to purchase parts for their first Duel Runner. As she was browsing the clothes that were either in boxes or on hangers, she stumbled across a blue-pink strapless sundress. She instantly knew this was perfect to wear for tonight's festival, but a good outfit isn't complete without shoes. She headed over to the shoe section to see which goes well with the dress until she spotted a pair of pale pink sandals. Her attire for the Heartland Park festival was found.
"Rin? Is that you?"
Rin knew that voice anywhere. She turned around to see Akiza Izinski, the owner of the donation center. She always loved the days when the Windwitch user stopped by to shop. This was the first time seeing her since the night Yuri abducted her.
"Akiza!" Rin happily exclaimed. "It's so good to see you again!"
"Where have you been?" Akiza asked. "I haven't seen you in months."
"I'll explain another time when I'm not busy," Rin said. "Right now I'm getting ready for tonight's festival."
"The one at Heartland Park?" Akiza asked. "Say no more. I already have the right accessories for you."
"Really?" Rin asked.
"Sure," Akiza answered, bringing her over to the jewelry section. "I got these in this morning and I had a feeling you would like them."
Rin stared at a pair of light blue rose earrings and a pink rose necklace that were in Akiza's hand. These were perfect to wear for the festival; she had a little feeling she was forgetting something, so it was a good thing Akiza was there to help.
"Thank you so much, Akiza," Rin said.
"You're quite welcome," Akiza replied. "So why did you chose such a lovely dress?"
"Well, I'm meeting Yugo and-" Rin began.
"Hold on, did you say Yugo?" Akiza asked. "Did you two finally hooked up."
Rin simply grinned in response, happily nodding. "Then you're going to need some help," Akiza said. "Since you're a great customer, how about I help you with hair and makeup?"
"You would?" Rin happily asked.
"Of course," Akiza answered. "Anything for a friend."
As Akiza was preparing to do Rin's hair and makeup, Crow, Shinji, and Yugo arrived at Heartland Park where the festival was taking place. Booths were all set up—games, food, shopping stands, you name it. The park was also decorated with lights, streamers, balloons, and banners. Yugo commented on how amazing everything looked and how it was going to be a fun night. Crow reminded his Clear Wing-eyed friend that their first order of business was to register for the Team Duel Tournament. Yugo reassured the Blackwing user that he still remembers what they have to do. As they waited, he spotted his counterparts and ran up to tell them about his newfound ability.
"Hey guys!" Yugo exclaimed, running over to his other-dimensional twins. "Glad you could make it. Although…" He paused to muffle a laugh. "Nice monkey suit, Yoot."
Yuto simply glared at Yugo. "I finished my work at ObsidianCorp before coming here," the eggplant-haired teen said, explaining why he was wearing his dark grey business suit. "I work there now. Remember?"
"Oh…" Yugo realized. "Right…"
"So what did you want to tell us?" Yuya asked.
"I figured out why our eyes match the eye colors of our dragons," Yugo explained. "Turns out we can transfer our minds into their bodies, allowing us to actually fight in duels!"
Yuri was intrigued. "Are you saying we become our dragons?" he asked.
"Yep," Yugo answered.
"So…we can't speak when we're in our dragons' bodies," Yuri realized.
"Guess not," Yugo said.
A familiar yet oddly creepy face appeared on Yuri's face. His eyes went wide and he made an eerily big grin, complete with a rather amusing chuckle. Yuya looked at his Fusion counterpart to see what was so funny when he was stunned silent at his face. It was the exact same face the tomato-haired teen made when his initial plan to register for the Arc League Championship was to duel Zuzu, Frederick, Allie, and Tate. No doubt Yuri was scheming something…
"Alright, what's going on?" Yuya asked.
"Oh, nothing," Yuri answered. "I just figured out a loophole in Sora's ridiculous training methods."
"What training methods?" Yuto asked.
"He has been taking Dennis and I to someone named Ricardo Soprano for training," Yuri explained. "Unfortunately part of this training involves me taking part in 'Opera Duels' in which I am forced to sing all of my moves. Dennis doesn't seem to mind, but as for me… Well…" He cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed.
Yugo grew curious about why Yuri was embarrassed, which made him slightly annoyed in the process. Yuya and Yuto looked at each other, then back at each other to see their Fusion counterpart increasing in annoyance and embarrassment, and asked if it had anything to do with his voice. Letting out a sigh, he responded "Yes"; he explained that he has a high, "flamboyant" voice, so him trying to sing results in it cracking.
Yugo laughed hysterically. "It's not funny!" Yuri exclaimed.
Yuto let out a deep chuckle. "It kind of is," he replied. "If you want, I can give you some vocal lessons."
"No way!" Yuya exclaimed. "You can sing?"
"Sort of," Yuto answered. "I often sing to Lulu in private."
The eggplant-haired blushed a little after finishing that sentence. Whenever he and Lulu were alone at the Obsidian residence, he would sing softly in her ears during cuddles, with a majority of songs being sweet and romantic.
"You sing love ballads to Lulu?" Yuya asked.
"Of course," Yuto answered, smiling as he adjusted his glasses. "She's my girl. I'm proud to have fallen in love with her."
As if on cue, Lulu had showed up and surprised Yuto with a hug from behind. "Guess who?" she playfully asked.
Yuto chuckled as his girlfriend moved to face him, his hands on her waist. "Hey there, beautiful," he said. He gave her a quick yet loving kiss on the lips.
Yugo scoffed. "So what?" he asked. "I would never act like that with RinRin. She's cute, but there's no way I would-"
His sentence was cut off when he saw Rin entering the festival. She wore the sundress and sandals she got at the donation store along with the necklace and earrings Akiza got her. She even had her apple green hair brushed nicely with her mint green side tails clipped back, as well as mascara on her eyelashes and nude lipstick on her lips. In Yugo's eyes, she looked absolutely adorable.
Feeling a burst of adrenaline, Yugo rushed over to Rin and placed his hand on her hip. "Hey everyone!" he called out, pulling her close. "I'm proud to say this lovely lady is my girlfriend!"
Yugo wasn't exactly the romantic type, but when he's in love, he just has to announce it to the whole world, which he just did. After all, he was, how you say, impulsive about his actions; he goes right for it without any thought whatsoever. Everyone looked over at him after he made the announcement, much to Rin's embarrassment.
Crow and Shinji were both surprised. "Rin?" Shinji asked. "You look different."
"'Course she's different," Yugo said. "This is the real Rin. Just an adorable girl with pretty hair and a cute face."
Rin blushed heavily. "That's great…" she said. "But we should really sign up for the tournament."
"Oh, right," Yugo said. "Oopsie…"
The Yu-Salad, Lulu, Rin, Crow, and Shinji walked around the festival to find out where the registrations were. They were given directions about its location, and pretty soon, they managed to arrive at the Team Duel Tournament registration booth. They also found their other companions, whom some of them already signed up. Zuzu, Gong, Shay, Sora, and Dennis were waiting for Yuya, Yuto, Lulu, and Yuri respectively so that they can sign their teams up.
"There you guys are," Shay told Yuto and Lulu. "Did you sneak off somewhere?"
Yuto froze up, but Lulu rolled her eyes. "He's joking," she explained.
"'Bout time you got here!" Sora said. "I hope you're ready for tomorrow's training."
"Of course I am," Yuri said, smiling wide.
"Great!" Dennis said. "Because I finished working on the costumes."
"What took ya so long, Yuya?" Gong asked.
"Well let's just say Yugo helped me figure out how to improve my performances," Yuya replied.
"That's good to here," Zuzu said. "Hopefully what he said also helped improve your self-esteem."
With all that said and done, everyone else began signing up for the tournament. They soon realized that Celina wasn't here; Zuzu asked where she was until her Fusion counterpart showed up with Sylvio and Aura. Talk about an example of "speak of the devil". The pink-haired girl wasn't thrilled to see Aura, mostly because she also had feelings for Yuya ever since her defeat during the Arc League Championship qualifications.
"Oh, quit pouting," Aura told Zuzu. "Did you think I wouldn't find out about the truth behind this world? You and Yuya are obviously fated for each other, so that prediction I made must have been a little hiccup."
Zuzu was surprised to hear that. "What?"
"Declan told me everything that happened," Aura explained. "If your past selves were destined to meet again in another life, who am I to argue with that kind of fate?"
"She's not wrong," Lulu agreed, snuggling close to Yuto. "If it wasn't for the tiny bit of Zarc and Ray who were in love with each other, I wouldn't have found true love."
Was this Aura's way of accepting Zuzu and Yuya's relationship with each other? It sure sounded that way; besides, what she and Lulu said about Zarc and Ray was true. Zarc was a huge Ray fanboy and even developed feelings for her, resulting in those feelings being passed down to Yuya, Yuto, and Yugo. There was also an emotion deep down within Ray's small ego that was in love with the former champion, leading to Zuzu, Lulu, and Rin sharing that same trait. The pink-haired girl learned about this information the Ritual user was telling her and how right she and Declan were. With a nod of her head, it officially meant the two girls were now on good terms with each other.
Rin suddenly remembered the duel she had earlier and how Yugo told his counterparts about their new abilities. She asked Zuzu, Lulu, and Celina if their markings ended up glowing during their duels, with all of them saying "Yes". The Bracelet Girls mentioned how they ended up glowing whenever they perform a Synchro, Pendulum, XYZ, and Fusion Summon with their archetypes accordingly, but Rin indicated that there's more. She discovered during her duel with Shinji that she can give her monsters an ATK boost through her En Winds marking during her turns, which fascinated the other three girls.
"That sounds pretty cool!" Zuzu said.
"I'm not sure…" Celina admitted. "That sounds a bit like cheating."
A newly-discovered power and Celina may have pointed out its biggest flaw. The other girls wondered if they'll get accused of cheating for making their monsters stronger like when Yuya was initially called a cheater for using his Pendulum cards. Rin glanced over at Yugo, who was with the others, and thought about his ability. If the Yu-Salad Boys merged their minds with their dragons, would they be accused of cheating too? She then recalled the discussion she had with the Synchro boys and how Crow pieced together what her marking can do. From the sound of things, he described it as her "Skill". They never heard of a Skill before, but Rin said that it was basically an ability that can either be used once per turn. If that's the case, then could the boys' mind merges with their dragons be their Skill too? Regardless, they may have to tell Declan about it to see what he thinks.
Speaking of Declan, he overheard the girls' conversation. "What's this about Skills?" he asked.
"I think that's what this is," Rin guessed as she and the other Bracelet Girls showed Declan their markings. "We got them when Ray separated a second time."
Declan looked at Rin's marking. "The symbol for En Winds," he recalled. "And it seems you got them in place of your bracelets."
The four girls all agreed that this was their bracelets' replacement. At the same time, they wondered if Declan has seen and heard of Skills before, so they explained to him what their markings can do. They even mentioned the Yu-Salad's ability to become one with their summoned dragons if they concentrated hard enough. These bits of information intrigued the gray-haired teen.
"Fascinating…" Declan said. "So it seems that when Zarc and Ray left this world, they gave each of you a special power. Perhaps these powers are to serve as reminders for who you once were and how you are connected to one another."
"But is it cheating?" Celina asked.
"It isn't as long as you use your powers as basic Skills," Declan explained. "A lot of Duelists have started to use Skills of their own, so you should be able to fit in."
They were relieved to hear that. From the power boosts to the mind merges, the eight boys and girls now had the opportunity to practice their skills starting tomorrow. With the signs up complete, the Yu-Salad, the now called Energy Girls, and their friends spent the rest of the night enjoying the festival. Declan asked the person at the registration booth how the sign up went, with him responding that it went well and a total of 36 Duelists and a stand-in have signed up to participate. That means there will be 12 teams competing, 7 of which are known: Team Smiles (Yuya, Zuzu, and Gong), Team Noble (Yuto, Lulu, and Shay), Team Turbo (Yugo, Rin, and Crow with Shinji as the stand-in), Team Obelisk (Yuri, Sora, and Dennis), Team Lancer (Celina, Sylvio, and Aura), Team You Show (Frederick, Allie, and Tate), and Team Ace (Dipper, Julia, and Kit). Even though the tournament is in a few weeks, each day brings everyone one step closer to the big event, so they'll have to practice their strategies and learn how the Team Duel rules work in order to prepare themselves for the grand day.