Coffee Targaryen: Glad you like it~ Here's something to help you with that~!
Black48: Thank you~ If you like Shin's Dragon Deck, then I hope you like his second deck as well, which is shown this chapter~
Decoy Dragon: Thank you very much~ I'm glad you liked that little scene~ There's another one this chapter, so I hope you like this one as well
Kurotara: Glad you like them~ It means I'm getting better at writing them~ As for those two, I'm not quite sure myself...Guess we just have to send Shin and Asuka on a date, huh~? (wink, wink)
GHOST1986:Glad you enjoyed the chapter~ But saying this is a masterpiece...Oh you, you're making me blush~ Thanks, I hope you have a great time during the holidays as well~
Atem95: Glad you liked the chapter~ I kept that suggestion in mind~
Dark Lord: Glad you like it~ I asked myself the same question before, but I decided to just leave things be. If people have something to say, then they are welcome to say it, if the don't have anything to say, then that's fine too. I thought of adding Starving Venom to Shin's deck, since DMG and Dark Magician are perfect fusion materials for it. I already have a way to bring the Dimension Dragons into this story, but I won't do it unless you guys want it~ And I'm sorry I updated another story instead of this one last week, but I figured since this story is the most popular, I thought it would be a nice little 'present' for all of you on New Year's~
Guest: I don't know about the reading part, what with all the grammatical mistakes I tend to oversee, but still, a big thank you for saying that~ That's a very interesting suggestion...I honestly hadn't thought of it, so thank you~! Happy Holidays, and another thank you~!
Neo Infinity: Mistake corrected~ Thanks for pointing it out~! Thank you for your suggestion~
And with those reviews out of the way, onto the chapter~
Chapter 9: The Punishment Duel pt. 1
"I'm tired..." Shin mumbled, as he reached the Yellow Dorm.
Stepping inside, he trudged toward his own room, ignoring most students along the way. However, as he turned a corner, he bumped into none other than Misawa.
"Shin?" he asked confused. Recognizing the voice, Shin waved lazily while rubbing his eyes.
"Mornin' Misawa-chan...Sleep well?" he finished his sentence with a yawn, making Misawa raise an eyebrow.
"You seem tired Shin. Everything alright? Where were you anyway?" Misawa asked, while Shin stretched his back and arms, since he carried Asuka for quite a while.
"Oh I was just doing things~" the boy chuckled, scratching his cheek. "As for where I was, we'll turns out Asuka-chan doesn't like being carried around, and she ended up twisting her ankle. She blamed me, so I took her to Emi-san and back to her dorm afterward~"
Misawa looked at Shin blankly. The dual haired boy gaining a little sweatdrop due to this. Ultimately, Misawa sighed.
"I'm not even sure if I want to ask you why you were carrying Asuka-san in the first place" he stated, shaking his head a bit.
"That would be the best decision~" Shin replied, his childish grin appearing on his face.
Seeing said grin, Misawa knew he wasn't getting anything else out of Shin. Thus, he simply patted him on the shoulder.
"Well, I'm going to the Card Shop to see if there's any new pack worth buying. Later, Shin." with a final wave, Misawa left Shin alone in the hallway.
Releasing a breath, Shin began walking down the hallway again, soon reaching his own room. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and threw his jacket on the chair near the bed. Speaking of, the boy almost immediately threw himself on the bed, sinking in it soon after.
"Aaahhhh~" Shin sighed in content. He then grabbed his blanket, covered himself, and snuggled further in the bed, turning on his side.
"Comfy, Shi-chan?" a feminine voice asked from behind Shin.
"Really comfy~" Shin sang, a content smile on his face.
.
.
.
"Wait a minute" he suddenly deadpanned, opening his eyes. Swiftly turning around, he came face to face with partner, looking at him with a cat-like smile. "When'd you come to?" he asked confused.
"A little while ago. Master already told me what happened..." she mumbled, her face turning sheepish, as a blush adorned her cheeks.
"So he did huh..." the boy replied, as the two descended into silence, neither looking each other in the eyes.
"Look Shi-chan. I'm sorry for...coming onto you like that" Dark Magician Girl said, breaking the silence. She then raised her body, looking away. "I don't know what came over me...If you're mad, then I understand...I'll just-"
"Stop that."
Shin's firm voice cut her sentence short, taking her by surprise. She closed her mouth, but still kept looking away. She then heard Shin's release a breath, before he raised his own body.
"Mana, please look at me." she heard Shin say, much more softly. Hesitantly, she turned around, only to feel a soft hand wrap around her frame, before being pulled into Shin's chest.
"I could never be mad at you" he said, keeping Dark Magician Girl close to him. "You and I have been together for so long, we're practically family. You don't get mad at someone who has been with you through thick and thin" he explained calmly. His partner stayed silent for a minute, before he felt her bury her head into the crook of his neck.
"Yeah...Family" she mumbled, sounding a bit sad. "But that kind of love is different...than what I feel. You realized that too...right?" her tone seemed to dip even further, making Shin frown a bit.
"Yeah...I know" he admitted, as his partner's expression fell.
"I figured..." she then laughed a bit. "A Spirit falling in love with a human...her own master at that. Pretty weird huh…?" although she laughed, it was a hollow laugh. Shin sighed a bit, before answering.
"It is a little weird, yes..." hearing his answer, Dark Magician Girl gained a sad, but understanding face. "But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing" Shin added strongly, his partner's eyes opening in surprise.
"If there's one thing I know...It's that love affects everyone who has a heart. And your heart is the one who decides who you fall in love with. That's what makes you human" he told his partner, who simply listened to his words. "If that's how you really feel, then who am I to judge? In fact, I'm happy."
"Y-You are?" his partner asked confused. Shin nodded his head strongly, softly stroking her long blonder hair.
"I am. Because to me, it means that there's at least someone out there, who can truly accept this broken me." he smiled sincerely, peering into his partner's green eyes. Looking at his smile, Dark Magician Girl couldn't help the little smile appearing on her own face.
"Well, you don't turn your back on family, right~?" she mumbled, as her smile grew a little.
"Exactly. Which is why I won't turn my back on you either" he then gently cupped her face, and brought it closer to his, until their foreheads touched.
"You fall in love with the most unexpected person, at the most unexpected time. I won't fault you for something you have no control over. I can't guarantee that I'll end up reciprocating the feeling...but I can promise that you'll always have a special place in my heart, as broken as it is."
At Shin's heartfelt words, Dark Magician Girl felt tears of happiness well up in her eyes. Even though it wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, the simple fact that Shin cared so much for her, was more than enough to satisfy her.
"You know...With killer words like that, I'll only end up falling for you even more~" Dark Magician Girl giggled, seemingly regaining her usual demeanor. Chuckling, Shin straightened his back, looking at his partner with a smile.
"I'm fine with that. It only shows you're that much more human" he said, making DMG giggle cutely.
The two then began gazing at each other in silence, content with each others presence. Speaking of.
"That was truly beautiful, don't you think Eatos-sama?" the two heard a younger female voice, coming from beside them, followed by Eatos' own voice.
"Indeed it was Silent Magician. Leave it to Master to say such words."
Shin and Dark Magician quickly whipped their heads to the side, seeing Silent Magician in her LV4 form and Eatos, looking at the pair with happy expressions.
"H-How long have you two been there?" Shin stuttered, blushing in embarrassment. The two spirits looked at each other, before lightly smirking.
"But...we're like family! Such a love cannot happen~" Eatos imitated Dark Magician Girl's voice in an exaggerated manner. She then turned away from Silent Magician, who grabbed her hand.
"I don't care! Love is out of our control~" the Loli magician said, imitating Shin. "Forbidden love is what I live for!" she dropped down on one knee, making 'Dark Magician Eatos' gain a blush. And she wasn't the only one.
"I-I never said such a thing!" Shin exclaimed, blushing beet red. He then jumped from the bed, heading for the acting duo, only for them to move out of the way, causing Shin to fall on the floor with a 'thud!'. The spirits began giggling at his embarrassment.
"Let's go Shi-chan! Your alter ego is trying to pull us apart~!" Eatos giggled, taking Silent Magician's hand, while Shin stood back up, rubbing his nose.
"Yes let's go! Let us start our secret Duelist/Duel Spirit relationship and start working on some hybrid babies~!" she exclaimed, making Dark Magician Girl sputter, before outright laughing while rolling around on the bed. Shin on the other hand began growling, his blush turning even darker.
"A-Alright, that's enough you two! Get back here!" and thus, he began chasing the two duel spirits around the room, Eatos and Silent Magician always evading every time Shin was about to catch them. Dark Magician Girl simply remained on the bed, laughing her butt off at her friends antics.
"Haahh..." Shin sighed, collapsing back on the bed.
After chasing the acting duo around for a few minutes, he realized it was pretty pointless, and gave up. Since it was their win, Eatos and Silent Magician decided to leave Shin alone for now, and returned to the Spirit World, followed by Dark Magician Girl, who wanted to let Shin have some peace and quiet.
"They were barely able to stand just yesterday...And now it's like they just got new batteries" the boy mumbled, throwing the covers back over his body.
'Alright, enough of the crazy stuff. This week has been pretty loaded already...I just want to spend this weekend relaxing~'
And so, Shin closed his eyes, sleep overtaking him soon after.
However, it didn't last, as Shin woke up to the sound of knocking coming from his door mere moments later.
"Nnghh...Who is it?" he mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes. Even though he didn't speak loud enough to be heard from the hallway, he received an answer nonetheless.
"Shin it's me, open up!"came Judai's voice, knocking on the door again. Raising an eyebrow, Shin got out of bed, and trudged toward the door.
As soon as he opened the door, a hand wrapped around his shoulders, as he found himself getting dragged through the hallway.
"Let's go to the Card Shop!" Judai exclaimed, dragging Shin behind him.
"Why don't you take Sho or Hayato with you…?" the dual haired boy mumbled, almost falling back asleep.
"They both went straight to sleep" Judai pouted, before perking back up again. "Since you brought Asuka back, I figured you had to still be awake. And since I don't want to go to the shop all alone, you're stuck with me now~" he grinned, while Shin looked up at him with a blank look, bags beginning to form under his eyes.
"How in the world are you still so energetic while I'm over here about to drop…?" he mumbled, getting back on his own two feet, walking beside Judai.
"I dunno, I just don't feel sleepy yet" Judai shrugged, before a lightbulb seemed to light up above his head. "Oh wait, it's probably because I didn't get to battle that guy last night!" he exclaimed, before playfully glaring at Shin. Said boy rolling his eyes amused.
"Glare all you want, Judai. It was only natural that I kick his ass for kidnapping Asuka-chan" he shrugged, as the two entered the academy, walking the halls in search of the Card Shop.
"Speaking of, how is Asuka? Is she mad at me?" he asked sheepishly. Shin chuckled a bit, patting Judai on the shoulder.
"Nah, she's not mad. You're lucky she's really mellow, so you don't have to worry about her pulling the harisen on you~" Shin assured, as Judai gained a teasing grin.
"Like someone else that we know, right?" he grinned widely, making Shin sweatdrop.
"Yeah, yeah, I messed up. Just keep rubbing salt in the wound why dont'cha?" he mumbled, as the took a right, the Card Shop coming into view.
As they did, they just so happened to have passed Chronos, who was humming a merry tune, a large grin on his face. However, that changed, upon hearing Judai's voice.
'What is this no ne?!' Chronos whipped his head around, his eyes opening wide at seeing Judai still present. He then quickly got around the corner, and watched as the two boys entered the card shop.
'Why is that dropout boy still in the academy?!' he raged, biting into his handkerchief. He then took in a deep breath, releasing a long sigh. 'So Titan failed is that it…?' he then quickly sneaked around to the card shop, observing from the shadows as Shin gave Judai advice on how to improve his deck, suggesting the occasional Booster Pack.
'That must be it! There's no way that dropout boy could beat Titan on his own...That must mean Signore Shin was there to help him!' he then punished his poor handkerchief again by biting into it. 'No, no, no! Signore Shin is getting more and more attached to the dropouts! At this rate, my plan is going to fall apart!'
Chronos then sneaked back out of the card shop, walking down the hall with a contemplating expression on his face.
'Looks like I will have to take more drastic measures no ne?' he thought, trying to think of a way to remove Judai from the picture.
"Hey Shin, come look at this" Judai called over from the Structure Decks section. Shin, who was casually chatting with Seiko, raised an eyebrow, before going over.
"What's up Judai?" he asked, as his friend pointed at one of the packs. Curiosity got a hold of Shin, upon noticing the picture of Red Eyes Darkness Dragon on the cover.
"Dragon's Roar?" Shin read the packs name out loud. Grabbing the pack, he began reading the list of cards displayed on the back. And as he did, he began frowning. "This...is my deck!" he exclaimed surprised.
"So it wasn't just me" Judai nodded, as Shin put the deck back on the shelf.
"Hey you two. You're in the way. Move" a male voice came from behind the two.
Turning back, they saw a young man with black hair tied, his fringe covering his right eye. He was wearing a slightly altered version of the Obelisk blue uniform, meaning he was probably a second or third year.
"Who are you?" Shin asked the boy, who didn't even seem to acknowledge him.
"None of your business. Now move aside. I'm trying to get some cards" he stated blankly, pushing Shin out of the way, before grabbing a Dragon's Roar deck and leaving.
"Geez and here I thought Judai could be rude" Shin mumbled, shaking his head. Judai seemed to be sharing the feeling.
"What's up with all these Obelisk Student acting all high and mighty like that? We're all duelist here aren't we?" the brown haired boy stated, sighing a bit. Shin nodded his head, about to respond, before the two heard a little hiccup, coming from Shin's deck.
Raising an eyebrow, Shin reached into his holster, and grabbed the culprit.
"S-Shin-samaaa!" Silent Magician sobbed, latching onto Shin's head, surprising both him and Judai.
"S-Silent Magician? What's wrong?" he asked, sweatdropping as the small spirits kept sobbing a little.
"T-That boy...He's the one that threw me awaayy!" she cried, making both Shin and Judai open their eyes in surprise.
"Wait, threw away?" Judai asked confused, as Shin and his Duel Spirit nodded their heads simultaneously.
"I found Silent Magician inside an old well in the forest. She was one of many duel spirits that were just thrown away in there" he stated, before glancing behind him, seeing the Obelisk leave the Card Shop, shoving some Slifers out of his way. "So he's the one who think it's okay to just throw away your deck whenever it suits you huh…?" he growled a bit, his eyes flashing red for a moment.
"Crappy mannerism, and crappy personality to boot? Now that's a scumbag if I've ever seen one" Judai stated, glancing back at Shin. "What do you want to do Shin?"
"Tch. I'm too tired to deal with punks like him now. But tomorrow, after a few hours of sleep...Now that's a different story" he declared, narrowing his eyes a bit.
"S-Shin-sama?" Silent Magician asked, a little concerned about Shin's serious expression. Hearing her voice, Shin's expression softened a bit.
"Don't worry Silent Magician. I'm not going to hurt him or anything~ I'm just going to show him just how strong you really are~" he smiled with confidence.
Silent Magician wanted to retort and deny it, before she remembered the battle against Jinzo, and how strong she became. Then, a small smile appeared on her face.
"O-Okay! I'll do my best, Shin-sama!" she declared strongly, making a proud smile appear on Shin's face.
"That's the spirit~" he said, giving her a thumbs up.
However, before anything else could happen, he suddenly grabbed her cheeks, and began pulling. Judai, who was watching everything unfold, opened his eyes wide at the sight of Shin grabbing a spirits cheeks.
"You thought I forgot about that little stunt you and Eatos pulled, didn't you~?" he grinned 'evilly', pulling on Silent Magician's cheeks.
"I-I'm sowwy Shin-sama! I'm sowwey~!" the spirit apologized with little tears in her eyes, as Shin just pulled on her cheeks harder.
All the while Judai watched on, confusion clear on his face.
A while later, Shin and Judai left the Card Shop. In the end, Judai decided to get some more Elemental HERO Fusions for his Deck, while Shin got some Booster Packs.
"So, what did you get in those Booster Packs Shin?" Judai asked curiously, as Shin looked through the cards he pulled out of the pack.
"Meh. Mediocre cards at best. Good for starting a new deck, but kind of useless for adding in either of my current two" he replied, stuffing the cards in his back pocket. He then pulled out a final Booster Pack, and opened it.
It didn't take long for Shin's eyes to open in surprise. Curious, Judai looked at the cards Shin's hand, noticing two sparkling cards. Looking closer, he was able to make out their names.
White Night Dragon (3000/2500) -LV8-
Blizzard Princess (2800/2100) -LV8-
"Huh. And here I thought the saying 'third time's the charm' was just something to help cheer kids up. Looks like I was wrong..." Shin mumbled, studying the two rare cards.
"Those cards any good?" Judai asked, Shin taking his two decks out of their holsters.
"They are. Dragon and Spellcaster, just like my decks. There aren't many High-Level monsters in my decks with good effects, so these two are definitely good additions" he noted, placing the cards in their respective decks.
Shin then released a big yawn, the bags under his eyes becoming more evident.
"Okay, I think I'm gonna let you get some sleep Shin" Judai stated, scratching the back of his head. "You look pretty damn tired~"
"That's cuz I am" Shin deadpanned, glancing at Judai.
After that, the two ended up in front of the school, where Judai gave his farewells, before going back to his dorm. Shin remained in front of the school for a while, checking some things on his PDA.
"You seem pretty tired Shin" a familiar voice came form behind Shin. Turning his head around, Shin noticed none other than Ryou walking toward him.
"Ah, Ryou. Nice to see ya~" Shin greeted, extending his fist. Ryou smiled a bit, before giving Shin a fist bump.
"You alright? Those bags under your eyes look pretty serious" Ryou noted, making Shin pull out a hand mirror of all things.
"Oh crap, you're right" Shin sweatdropped, glancing at his reflexion. "Well, I haven't had a chance to get some shut eye yet, so maybe that's why, ahaha~" he laughed, scratching the back of his head.
"And what kept up the entire night?" Ryou asked curiously. Shin looked around, making sure no one was present, before looking back at the senior Obelisk.
"Well, Asuka's probably still sleeping, so no wonder she didn't tell you..." Shin mumbled, drawing a curious look from Ryou. "Let's go for a walk" motioning for Ryou to follow, the two began walking away from the academy building.
The two kept walking for a while, until they reached the port. Shin sat down on the pier overlooking the horizon, while Ryou decided to remain standing.
"Okay, we're as far from other people as it gets" Ryou remarked, looking around. "So, what happened last night Shin? And how is Asuka involved?" he glanced down at Shin, who yawned a bit, before answering.
"We went to the Abandoned Dorm last night" he said, making Ryou raise an eyebrow. "Well, not me and Asuka. Me, Judai, your brother and another friend of theirs. We just happened to run into Asuka there."
"Wait a sec" Ryou interrupted, looking at Shin confused. "Sho went with you? The same scaredy Sho that I know went to the Abandoned Dorm?"
"Well, if it helps, he clung to me everytime we heard something in the woods" Shin shrugged, not really caring. Ryou wanted to say something, before shaking his head slightly.
"Nevermind, that's Sho alright. Continue" he said, motioning for Shin to continue explaining.
"But then this creep showed up, and kidnapped Asuka-chan." at that, Ryou's eyes widened. "He took her in some sort of cave under the Abandoned Dorm, and used her as a bargaining chip to duel Judai. He even tried to make us believe the duel would be a Game of Darkness~" Shin chuckled a bit, before continuing. "But I took care of him before anything could happen~ Though Asuka-chan did end up twisting her ankle on the way back, so she probably won't come out for the day."
Ryou remained silent for a bit, feeling a sense of Déjà Vu from Shin's story. And then, a flashback of last night appeared in his mind.
"Did this guy happen to have a black coat?" he asked, glancing down at Shin. Said boy quickly looked at Ryou, raising an eyebrow.
"Uhh...yeah?"
"And was there mist around him?" at that, Shin's eyes opened in surprise.
"Okay how do you know all of that?" he asked cautiously, as Ryou reached into his pocket, fishing out his PDA.
"I think you should see this" Ryou said, showing Shin the video he recorded last night at the lighthouse.
After the video finished, Shin's eyes narrowed.
"So it was Chronos all along..." he mumbled angrily, as Ryou put his PDA back. "He's really trying to get rid of Judai at all cost, huh? Well, too bad cuz I won't let that happen."
"You don't seem to fancy Prof. Chronos" Ryou stated, hearing the venom in Shin's voice.
"I was going to give him a chance, but after he tried to set Judai up as a pervert, I began doubting it. And now this, gives me all reasons to hate him" he stated, his eyes flashing red again.
"Asuka told me about that incident. So it was Chronos behind that as well?" earning a nod from Shin, Ryou's own eyes narrowed a bit. "Seems to me like Chronos has some sort of personal vendetta against Judai."
"It's been just over a week. The only thing Judai did was beat him in a duel-!" and then, the gears in his mind clicked. "That son of a...He's trying to expel Judai because he beat him in the entrance Duel! How low can you get?!" he exclaimed, truly hating Chronos right about now.
"Because of one duel…?" Ryou mumbled confused, shaking his head while frowning. "I was well aware of his ego before...but this is just ridiculous."
"Mind sending me that video? I think about time someone put Chronos on a leash before he can try anything else" he said, glancing at Ryou, who nodded his head and got his PDA out.
A few hours later, Shin found himself back in his dorm room, sitting at his desk. Leaning back in his chair, he looked at the video he managed to create with pride.
"With this, Chronos will think twice about trying to expel Judai ever again" he smirked, putting his PDA on his nightstand, before he sat himself on the bed. "What time is it anyway?" he wondered, releasing a yawn. Glancing at the clock, his eyes widened as it read 22:30 PM.
"That late already? What the heck did I do all day…?" he wondered, beginning to recount his day.
"So we came back from the Abandoned Dorm at around six in the morning. Then I had to take Asuka-chan to the nurse, so that's about one extra hour, so 7:00 AM. Another hour by the time we returned, so 8: something AM. 9 AM by the time I came back here, and another hour until Judai came around. We spent around two hours in the Card Shop, plus the walk to and from the school, soo...around 12:30. My talk with Ryo lasted around an hour and something minutes, so that's around 2 PM..." and then, he sweatdropped. "Crap. I spent eight hours walking around and chilling on the beach? What is time today…? Goes so fast..." he mumbled.
And then, he laid back into his bed, throwing the covers over himself.
"But at least now I can finally go to sleep~" he sighed in content, turning the light off, and drifting off to sleep.
.
.
.
Or that was the plan.
Yet again, Shin waited to fall asleep, to no avail. He opened his eyes, and glance at the clock, which read 00:00.
"Oh for fucks sake..." Shin grumbled, shoving his face in the pillow, trying to go back into the sweet world of dreams. Still nothing.
Violently throwing the covers off, Shin laid sprawled on the bed, sighing deeply. He remained motionless for a while, before he remembered the first day. Deciding that repeating the knock out method isn't advisable.
"Let's try something else..." he mumbled, grabbing his PDA off his nightstand. He then decided to pass the time by doing some Duel Puzzles, until he fell asleep.
Of course, he did that after being blinded by the PDA's bright screen.
"Duel Puzzle number one...Win this turn huh? Aight'"
And so, around thirty minutes passed.
.
.
Which turned into an hour.
.
.
.
...Which turned into three…
"Okay, let's see the next puzzle" Shin mumbled, checking the list of Duel Puzzles. Only to realize there weren't any left. "Wait I did all of them? How long did that take?" he glanced at the clock on his nightstand.
It was almost 6 AM.
Shin stared blankly at the clock for a moment, before rolling on his back, uttering one word.
"...Crap."
Sighing, Shin got out of bed, releasing a long yawn.
Deciding to go outside and get some fresh air, he threw on his Ra Yellow jacket, put on his shoes, and left the dorm.
Outside, Shin was surprised to see fog cover the island. Interested, he began walking along the cliffside, enjoying the cool breeze. As he walked, he ended up near the lighthouse again, where he could barely make out someone standing on the pier. Interested, he quickly jogged over to the docks, wanting to see who was up so early.
"Dawn still seems so far away, huh?" Ryou asked, as Asuka appeared on the pier, going over to his side.
"Yes. But I believe there's no night without dawn" the girl answered, looking at the waves crashing against the rocks.
"Those are some deep words, Asuka-chan~" the pair heard a familiar voice, as Shin appeared from the fog, his signature grin present on his face. "Sup?" he greeted, raising a peace sign.
"Shin-kun? What are you doing here?" Asuka asked confused, as Shin plopped back down on the pier.
"Couldn't sleep again. Spent all night doing Duel Puzzles and still nothing" he mumbled, yawning again. Raising an eyebrow, Ryou glanced at Shin.
"Did you get some sleep after we met?" he asked, and to his surprise, Shin shook his head.
"Nope! I took a walk around the cliff and chilled on the beach for eight hours~" he grinned, making both Asuka and Ryou look at him weirdly.
"And you're not tired at all?" the girl asked confused.
"Oh no, I'm tired as hell. I just can't fall asleep~" Shin grinned, making Asuka sweatdrop.
"I don't think that's supposed to happen Shin-kun" she said, seeing the obvious bags under Shin's eyes. "Are you sure you don't want Emi-san to give you some insomnia pills or something?"
"Nah, it's fine. This happened before~" Shin waved her concerns off.
"And what happened then?" Ryou wondered, a little curious at Shin's current predicament.
"I fainted~!" Shin exclaimed happily, making Ryou and Asuka do a double take, looking at him worriedly. "It's definitely gonna happen, and it'll happen at a random point in time today, so there's no reason to start worrying now~" he smiled, a bigger sweatdrop appearing on the other two's heads.
"...I highly doubt that's healthy Shin" Ryou remarked awkwardly, Asuka nodding her head in agreement. Shin simply shrugged.
"Meh. People all over the world suffer from constant insomnia. I'm lucky that this kind of thing happens on very few occasions~" he replied simply, standing back up, as the sun began appearing on the horizon.
Stretching his arms, he looked at his two companions.
"Well, I think I'm gonna head back to my dorm. Maybe I can catch some shut eye before I drop down~" he chuckled a bit, cracking his neck to relieve the tension. "You two going back as well?"
"I need to get back to my own dorm, so I think I'll join you Shin-kun" Asuka said, going over to Shin's side, before looking back at Ryou. "Ryou? Are you coming too?" she asked.
Ryou glanced out toward the horizon again, before releasing a breath and joining the other two. They then left the pier, walking along the cliffside as the fog began to lift.
After walking for a while, the three ended up a little further away from the Slifer Dorm, where they saw an interesting sight.
"Is that..." Shin began, his eyes opening in surprise.
"The Ethics Committee?!" Asuka exclaimed shocked, as she watched the Ethics Committee drag Judai and Sho out of their rooms, before throwing them inside a military vehicle. "They must've found out we were at the Abandoned Dorm!"
"How? I was sure they didn't check the Abandoned Dorm that ni-iaaghh...Crap" Shin deadpanned, taking out his PDA and checking the Committee's schedule. "Yup, they checked it last night..."
"Something must've been amiss inside then. That's the only thing that would tip them off" Ryou said, Asuka glancing back at Shin.
"What exactly happened during your duel with that guy?" Shin seemed to think for a little while, before a sudden look of realization crossed his face.
"Shit, there was an earthquake during our duel! That must've left the interior of the dorm even more wrecked than before" he surmised, before suddenly perking up, confusion on his face. "But wait, if we didn't notice it when we left, then how the heck did the Ethics Committee notice something amiss? For that matter, how did they even know they needed to question Judai and Sho?! Unless-!" his confusion disappeared instantly, as a look of anger crossed his face. "Chronos must've told them!"
"Wait, professor Chronos?" Asuka asked dumbfounded. "How could professor Chronos know that you were there?" Shin swiftly pulled out his PDA, and showed her the video recording Ryou got at the lighthouse.
"I did some research on the guy who kidnapped you. He was a duelist for hire, who could hypnotize the people he beat in a duel into believing they were in a coma" he explained, Asuka's eyes opening wide while watching the recording. "Chronos hired him to go after Judai! He was trying to get rid of Judai through a third party. But since I stepped in, his plan failed. And he must've realized that yesterday when he saw Judai and I while we were on our way to the Card Shop" he said, as the video recording finished.
"But how do you know for certain that it was Chronos that alerted the Committee?" Asuka asked, giving the professor the tiny benefit of the doubt. However, Shin was confident.
"He must've checked the Abandoned Dorm after we left" Shin declared strongly. "He knows going into the Abandoned Dorm grants expulsion, so he probably gave the committee an anonymous tip to search through the Dorm" and then, his eyes opened widely, as well as Asuka's.
""They're going to be expelled!"" they both exclaimed in unison.
"Craaap! What do we do?!" Shin panicked, looking at Asuka, who wasn't fairing any better.
"I-I don't know!" she then looked at Ryou, who was calmly standing by. "Ryou, do you have any idea? Sho-kun is your little brother. Are you just going to stand by?"
"Of course I don't want to just stand by. But if the Inquiry board decides to expel them, then they will get expelled. Even Principal Samejima can't change that" Ryou said, lightly shaking his head.
"Then what do we do…?" Asuka mumbled, looking at the ground.
"Even Samejima can't change the decision..." Shin wondered. However, his head suddenly shot up, as an idea formed in his head. "I got it!" he exclaimed, making Asuka and Ryou look at his surprised.
"You have a plan, Shin-kun?" the girl asked, as Shin nodded his head with a big grin on his face.
"If Samejima can't change the decision..." he then took out a slick object from his pocket, showing it to the two. "Then maybe we should call someone in a higher position~" he stated, unlocking his smartphone, before swiping the screen a few times, before finally placing the phone to his ear.
""Expelled?!"" Judai and Sho exclaimed in unison, looking at the many screens inside the room they were currently being held up in.
"Judai Yuki, along with three other accomplices, broke school regulation by trespassing and entering the special dormitory, which is closed-off and strictly off-limits, and wrecked havoc inside. The investigation has commenced!" the Chairwoman of the Ethics Committee said.
"We'll do anything you say, but please just give us a chance or something!" Judai asked, putting his hands together.
"Then I have a proposition!" Chronos spoke eagerly, bringing attention to him. "Since we're at Duel Academia, I suggest your penalty be a Punishment Tag Duel!"
"A...Punishment Tag Duel?" Judai wondered confused.
"Exactly! Judai Yuki and Sho Marufuji shall team up to duel no ne! Should you win the Tag Duel, you will be cleared of all charges. However, should you lose, you will be expelled immediately!" Chronos declared. Simply hearing 'duel' was all it took to make Judai interested.
"A Tag Duel, huh? Sounds like fun!" Judai grinned excitedly, making Sho turn to him panicking.
"No it doesn't Big Bro! It sounds bad!" Sho exclaimed, but was ignored.
"Even the culprit seems to be fine with the idea" Chronos remarked, glancing at Samejima's screen image. "What do you say Principal?"
"Well...If both party's agree, then I guess I have no choice-"
"That's where I have to step in" a new voice called, taking everyone by surprise. That surprise grew even further, as Samejima's screen split in two, a new face appearing next to his.
[K-Kaiba-san?!] the faculty exclaimed, as Seto Kaiba appeared on the screen, his poker face ever present.
"O-Oh boy...now we're definitely in trouble..!" Sho mumbled scared, clinging to his big brother figure.
"Sorry for the unannounced appearance" Seto said, glancing at the faculty images, before his eyes landed on the two students. "I just received the news on a short notice myself."
"If I'm not mistaken, these two boys were caught entering the Abandoned Dorm, right?" he asked, with the Chairwoman answering.
"We didn't catch them in the act, but we were given an anonymous tip, and found their fingerprints on the site" she explained, making Seto nod his head.
"And how exactly did this 'anonymous tipper' know they were there?" Seto asked, making Chronos open his eyes wide in panic, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek.
The Chairwoman wanted to retort, only to find out she had no response. As the faculty fell silent, Judai and Sho felt some hope for their predicament.
"Hm. As I thought" Seto noted, nodding his head once. "So you can simply haul away two students, who haven't even been here for a week, but you don't even care to look into who exactly was so eager to rat them out." at his cold remark, the Chairwoman fell completely silent. "I highly doubt these two even knew the repercussions of trespassing there. To them, it's simply an old building inside a giant forest. Am I wrong you two?" he looked back at the two Slifers.
"U-Uh, yes! We didn't even know that was there! We simply stumbled across it while looking for our friend!" Sho said quickly, before Judai could accidentally say something he shouldn't. Though his answer was suspicious as hell, so the Chairwoman didn't buy it.
"Exactly" Seto declared, cutting the Chairwoman off, before she could say anything. "Which is why I see no reason to outright expel these two" he said, making everyone present raise an eyebrow at his statement.
"Not 'these' two? So someone still needs to be expelled?" the Chairwoman asked, voicing everyone's thoughts. To their surprise, Seto nodded his head.
"You two didn't think you got off just like that, did you?" Seto asked Judai and Sho, who simply looked confused. "The squirt was the one that filled me in on such a short notice. And he was the one that vouched for all of you, taking all the blame and repercussions unto himself" he said, making the Slifers' eyes widen in surprise.
"Shin did…?" Judai mumbled, before realizing what that meant "Wait, don't expel Shin in our stead! We'll take that Punishment Duel!" he declared, making Sho panic even further, while the faculty was now displaying confusion on their faces.
Seto simply assumed the Gendo Position, a barely visible smirk on his face.
"Well it looks like we've reached an impasse, haven't we?" the CEO wondered, glancing at the confused staff. He then straightened his back, before looking back at the students. "Then how about this? All three of you have to face the punishment. Shin will go first, and if he wins, then you two won't face expulsion anymore. Instead you will be given three times the amount homework for the rest of this month. If he looses, he will be expelled, and you your duel will proceed as planned, consequences and all." he stated, his blue eyes peering down at Judai and Sho.
"I agree!" Judai answered immediately, giving Sho no chance to voice his doubt.
"Hm! Then so be it" Seto stated, looking at the two with a satisfied grin. "You two will duel as a planned. Chronos shall choose your opponents, and you will duel as a Tag Team."
"And what about Shin? Will he get a partner too?" Judai asked, to which Seto shook his head.
"I'm afraid the squirt won't get it as easy" he said, making Judai raise an eyebrow. "He's got enough skill to take on two opponents at the same time, which is why he will duel two different opponents, one after the other." Seto then turned to Chronos, who seemed a little startled, due to Seto's constant stare. "You're the headmaster of Obelisk Blue, aren't you?" receiving a sharp nod, he continued. "You will choose Shin's first opponent. A strong senior Obelisk should do."
"U-Understood, mister Kaiba!" Chronos replied, even saluting in a military fashion.
"And who will choose Shin's second opponent?" Samejima asked curiously, glancing at Seto. Everyone else became curious as well.
"Me personally" he stated, surprising those present. "I have known Shin for years, so I know who would pose a real challenge for him. It wouldn't be a punishment otherwise" he explained calmly.
"Then it's decided" Samejima nodded. "And when will they duel?"
"These two will duel in two days. That should give them enough time to prepare to act as team" he said, glancing at the two students, particularly Sho.
"And Signore Shin?" Chronos wondered.
"The squirt will duel today" he declared, shocking everyone present. "He was ready to be expelled for these two, so he should be ready to duel as well. With this, I'd say this 'meeting' is adjourned. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get in touch with someone." and as soon as he finished his sentence, his image disappeared, Samejima's filling the screen once again.
"Um...Well, that happened" the Principal said, just as confused as the rest of the people present.
"Sometimes you have the worst timing Seto-chan..." Shin mumbled, sitting on the edge of the Duel Arena, waiting for Chronos to come back with his opponent.
After the punishments were decided, Judai and Sho were let go, the two immediately searching for Shin. Fortunately for them, he was just about to enter the academy along with Asuka.
They then explained everything, with Sho thanking Shin for the aid, and practically begging him not to loose. Shin then got a message from Samejima, telling him to head toward the Duel Arena and wait for Chronos.
"Are you alright Shin-kun?" Asuka asked a little worried, as her and the Slifer's stood behind Shin.
"I'm just fine" he reassured, before yawning tiredly. "Though now I'm a little worried about that fainting thing I told you about this morning..." he mumbled, scaring Sho a bit.
"Fainting? You can't faint Shin-kun! You're our only lifeline! If you loose, we'll definitely be expelled too!" he exclaimed, before being bopped on the head by Judai.
"Stop being such a downer Sho. I doubt that's what Shin needs right now" Judai said, glancing back at Shin. "Why did you even do that Shin?"
"Don't take it personally, but you two are better off staying at the Academy more than two weeks. I don't actually need to be here" he explained, making Asuka raise an eyebrow.
"Then why are you here, exactly?" she asked, Shin watching as more and more students began entering the Duel Arena, keen on watching the duel.
"A promise." was Shin's simple answer.
Before she could question it any further however, the door opened fully, revealing Chronos along with someone else. Someone Shin and Judai knew.
"Hey Shin, isn't that…?" Judai asked, as Shin stood back up, staring the Obelisk down.
"Yeah. It's the same guy from yesterday. What luck" he noted, his eyes narrowing a bit.
Chronos stepped on the stage, followed by Shin's opponent.
"Good luck" Asuka said, before her, Judai and Sho left the stage, going to watch from the stands.
Shin nodded his own head once, before stepping unto the field, going over to Chronos. As he reached the middle of the field, him and the Obelisk student began staring each other down with intense gazes. Something Chronos picked up on.
"Okay, since this was on such short notice, I must ask you two if you're really ready to do this" Chronos stated, glancing at the two. However, he stopped upon noticing the heavy bags under Shin's eyes. "Signore Shin, are you sure you're ready? You seem...quite exhausted already" he said.
"I'm fine" Shin immediately brushed him off, not taking his eyes off his opponent.
"O-Okay then" Chronos mumbled, a little sweatdrop rolling on his forehead. He then cleared his throat, assuming a formal tone. "If both contestants are ready, then Signore Shin's Punishment Duel will begin with his first opponent, Signore Ren. Anything you two have to say to one another before the duel starts?" he asked the two.
"You may have won against Kenji, but don't think that luck will save you from a true duelist like me." Ren said blankly, looking at Shin with disdain. Something Shin reciprocated, which was evident in his own response.
"A true duelist?" Shin laughed, before glaring at Ren. "A true duelist doesn't throw away his cards because he thinks they're useless" he spat, making Ren widen his eyes in surprise for a moment, before settling into a blank expression again. "I'll never lose to a hypocrite like you."
And with that, Shin turned on his heel, and walked to his designated spot on the other side of the field.
"Humph!" Ren scoffed, before doing the same.
Left alone in the middle, Chronos was confused by the apparent mutual distrust between the two, but decided it would be best to just ignore it for now.
"Alright, then! Let the duel...commence!" he declared, as the two activated their Duel Disks.
""DUEL!"" the two declared, drawing their starting hands with force.
Ren: 8000 LP
Shin: 8000 LP
"I'll start things off" Ren declared, drawing his sixth card, without even giving Shin time to reply. "First, I'll summon Twin-Headed Behemoth in ATK mode. Then I set one card face down and end my turn" he said, and the two cards appeared on the field.
Twin-Headed Behemoth (1500/1200) -LV3-
TURN END: Ren 8000 LP
"Then it's my turn. I draw!" Shin drew his card strongly, followed by a little gust of wind. Glancing at his cards, Shin began forming his plan.
"First, I discard one card from my hand" he began, pushing one card into his GY slot. "In order to Special Summon The Tricky!"
On the field, a black portal appeared, from which a puppet like monster appeared, wearing jester clothing and a cape.
The Tricky (2000/1200) -LV5-
"The Tricky, attack Twin-Headed Behemoth!" Shin ordered.
His monster obeyed, and gathered a blob of black magic in it's hand, which it then launched toward Twin-Headed Behemoth, destroying it almost immediately.
Ren: 8000 → 7500 LP
"I set one card, and end my turn. You're up" Shin said, inserting the card in his Magic Card slot.
TURN END: Shin 8000 LP
"Since your turn ended, I can activate my monster's Special Effect!" Ren stated, as Twin-Headed Behemoth appeared on the field once again. "If my monster was destroyed by battle this turn, I can Special Summon it back to the field, but it's ATK and DEF become 1000."
Twin-Headed Behemoth (1000/1000) -LV3-
"Now, I sacrifice Twin-Headed Behemoth, and Tribute Summon Luster Dragon #2, in ATK mode!" Ren declared, as his monster exploded into pixels.
Those pixels then transformed into a massive crystal. The crystal then cracked, before a giant green dragon emerged from it, emerald plating around various parts of it's body.
Luster Dragon #2 (2400/1400) -LV6-
"Time to repay that damage you did" Ren stated, entering his Battle Phase. "Luster Dragon, attack The Tricky!" he commanded, as his dragon reared it's head back, before shooting a blast of green flames toward Shin's monster.
"Too bad" Shin stated, pressing a button on his Duel Disk. "I activate the Trap, Magic Cylinder!" he announced, as the card raised up.
Then, two giant cups appeared in front of The Tricky. Luster Dragon's fireball entered on of the cups, before exiting through the other one, heading straight toward Ren. And it didn't take long for it to reach him, exploding upon impact.
Ren: 7500 → 5100 LP
"As you can see, Magic Cylinder redirects your attack and sends it right back at you" Shin explained calmly, as the smoke cleared from Ren's side of the field
"Tch. It's only a matter of time" Ren mumbled, taking one card and inserting it into the slot on his Duel Disk. "I set one card and end my turn."
TURN END: Ren 5100 LP
"My turn then. Draw!" Shin didn't even need to look at the card he drew, to know which one it was. She announced it herself.
"I-I don't think I'm ready for this after all, Shin-sama..." Silent Magician mumbled, hugging onto Shin's head, the boy having an unamused expression on his face.
"If that's your first response to everything, then you'll never gain the confidence you want" Shin explained, studying his current hand.
"B-But! I-I feel much more comfortable when I'm in my mature form!" she exclaimed, making Shin raise an eyebrow.
"Then why don't you just turn into your LV8 form?" he asked confused, to which Silent Magician looked a little sheepish.
"I've realized I can only stay in that form after it's played..." she admitted, making Shin sigh a bit.
"Are you going to get a move on already?!" Ren exclaimed exasperated. "If you're done talking to your cards, make your move! We don't have all the time in the world!"
"We never agreed on a time limit for our turns" Shin replied blankly, making Ren grit his teeth a bit in frustration. "But, since I'm getting quite tired, I'll try my best to win this duel as soon as possible" he reassured.
"First, I summon Magician's Valkyria in ATK mode!" Shin announced, placing the card on his energy disk.
On the field, a seemingly older version of Dark Magician Girl appeared, though with a more revealing costume, and brown hair instead of blonde.
Magician's Valkyria (1600/1800) -LV4-
"Next, I activate the Equip Spell, Black Pendant, and equip it to The Tricky!" Shin declared, as a necklace with a black gem appeared around The Tricky's neck. "Black Pendant give the monster it's equipped to an extra 500 ATK."
The Tricky (2500/1200)
"The Tricky, attack his Luster Dragon!" Shin commanded, as his monster gathered magic in it's hand once again, throwing it toward Luster Dragon. The dragon shot a fireball in retaliation, however it was consumed by the black magic, which continued it's way toward Luster Dragon, destroying it on impact.
"Now, Magician's Valkyria! Attack Ren directly!"
The female Magician gathered dark magic at the tip of her scepter, before launching it toward Ren, causing a little explosion in his face, as his LP dropped even further.
Ren: 5100 → 3400 LP
"I set one card and end my turn" Shin said, placing the card in the designated slot. "Hurry up~" he smirked, referencing Ren's earlier outburst.
TURN END: Shin 8000 LP
"Then I draw!" Ren announced, drawing his card. Glancing at his hand, Ren smirked a bit. "It's time to show you why I'm the better duelist!" he grabbed a card from his hand, and slammed it on his Duel Disk.
"I summon Red Eyes B. Chick, in ATK mode!" he declared, as the familiar dragon baby appeared on the field, releasing a tiny flame, while roaring cutely.
Red Eyes B. Chick (800/500) -LV1-
"Now I activate it's effect!" his monster suddenly became engulfed in flames, which formed into a fire pillar.
Shin and his friends narrowed their eyes a bit, knowing full well what was coming next, as Shin did the same just the other day.
"I Special Summon Red Eyes B. Dragon!" Ren declared.
From the fire pillar, the iconic black scaled dragon emerged, roaring loudly. Most of the audience were looking at the monster in awe, but Shin kept a constant poker face.
Red Eyes B. Dragon (2400/2000) -LV7-
"Now it's Shin-kun that's staring Red Eyes down, and not his opponent..." Sho mumbled, looking at the current predicament.
"Don't worry Sho! Shin's got The Tricky who has more ATK points, so he's fine~" Judai replied, grinning widely.
"Is that so?" Ren wondered, having heard Judai from the stands. "Then what about this? I sacrifice Red Eyes B. Dragon!" he announced, as his dragon became enveloped by the familiar black flames.
"Using it's special effect, I summon Red Eyes Darkness Dragon!"
The black flames, grew in size, before forming into Red Eyes' stronger version. Landing behind Ren, Red Eyes Darkness Dragon roared loudly.
"And here's my monster's second effect! For every Dragon-type in my GY, Red Eyes gains an extra 300 ATK!" he exclaimed, as Red Eyes became enveloped by a black aura, releasing an ear deafening roar.
Red Eyes Darkness Dragon (2400 → 3600/2000) -LV9-
"Oh shoot...I forgot about that one~" Judai laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Asuka glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, before shaking her head slightly.
"Maybe you should try not to jinx the rest of this duel, Judai-kun" she sighed, focusing back on the duel in front of her. 'Come on Shin-kun. You are a user of Red Eyes as well. You can definitely win' she thought, keeping her faith in Shin.
Not like she needed to be worried, as Shin was completely calm right now.
'Oh, I love it when the guys think they can actually take me by surprise with cards that I myself used at one point~' he thought, a tiny smirk appearing on his face.
"Let's bring this duel to an end. Red Eyes, attack Magician's Valkyria!" Ren declared, as Red Eyes began charging a black fireball in it's mouth, which it then shot toward Shin's monster.
*DOON*
The fireball collided with Valkyria's staff, only to shatter it immediately, destroying the magician right after. Surprisingly, the shockwave from the explosion actually caused Shin to loose balance and fall on his back with a thud.
Shin: 8000 → 6000 LP
"Oww..." Shin groaned, standing back up on shaky legs.
Up in the stands, Judai cocked an eyebrow, confused as to why Shin seemed so weak all of a sudden. Meanwhile Asuka's face began displaying actual concern.
'No...Stay awake Shin-kun! If you faint now it will count as a loss by default!' she thought, her and Sho looking on concerned.
"There's plenty more where that came from" Ren stated, as Shin shook his head to keep himself awake.
"You don't say…?" Shin mumbled, finally regaining his balance.
"I end my turn" the Obelisk stated simply, crossing his arms.
TURN END: Ren 3400 LP
"Then it's my turn again...I draw!" Shin announced, drawing his card. As he looked at it, Silent Magician appeared once again, concern clear on her face.
"Are you alright Shin-sama? You look exhausted already..." she said, worried due to Shin's tired expression.
"I'll be fine...It's all the more reason to finish this duel as soon as possible…!" he stated, activating the card he just drew.
"I start my turn, by activating Pot of Greed!" he declared, as the smirking green jar appeared on his side of the field, producing two cards. Looking at them, Shin smiled, before glancing at Silent Magician. "Time to shine Silent Magician" and before she could reply, he quickly placed her card on his Duel Disk. "I summon Silent Magician LV4!"
Silent Magician LV4 (1000/1000)
Ren's eyes widened in recognition, upon seeing the Loli magician. He then began to chuckle, which turned into a laugh.
"Ahaha~ So, I take it you went to the Reject Well, huh? That's the only place you could have gotten that! Hahaa~" he laughed, as Silent Magician seemed to get sadder with every word he said.
"You're laughing now, but I can assure you it won't last" Shin replied, causing Ren to stop laughing, and Silent Magician to look back him with small tears in her eyes.
"I will show you just how strong the card you threw away can be! And to make things interesting.." he smirked, raising his hand above his Duel Disk, as if he was about to surrender.
"Silent Magician will be the one to deliver the finishing blow! If she's destroyed before it happens, then I will surrender immediately!" he declared, making everyone's eyes open wide in shock.
"Did you hurt your head from Red Eye's blast?" Ren wondered, genuinely confused. "That weakling only has 1000 ATK, while my Red Eyes has 3600! You'll loose the duel next turn!" he declared, but Shin didn't look the least bit concerned.
"If you're so sure, then why don't you try it" he smirked, inserting his remaining cards in the slot on his Duel Disk. "I end my turn with these. I'll even give you a hint. One of these can stop one attack~"
TURN END
"I'm really beginning to think you hit your head when you fell earlier" Ren stated, drawing his card. He then smirked. "But I won't refuse a free win! I activate, Double Attack!" he exclaimed, as the card flipped up on his field.
"I send Armed Dragon LV10 to the GY, and my Red Eyes gains another attack, as well as an extra 300 ATK!"
Red Eyes became enveloped in the same black aura, releasing another roar.
Red Eyes Darkness Dragon (3600 → 3900/2000)
"I'll give you a few more second to come to terms with going home. In the meanwhile, Red Eyes Darkness Dragon, attack The Tricky!" the black dragon launched a big fireball toward the jester, destroying it immediately.
Shin: 6000 → 4600 LP
"When a monster equipped with Black Pendant is destroyed, you receive 500 points of damage" Shin remarked offhandedly, as Ren felt a sudden jolt of electricity.
Ren: 3400 → 2900 LP
"500 Damage is nothing! Have a nice trip home! Red Eyes, attack that weakling!" Ren commanded, as Red Eyes reared it's back once again, charging a fireball big enough to consume Silent Magician entirely.
Said spirit, looked back at Shin, panic clear on her face. However, Shin simply gave her a reassuring smile, he himself being as cool as s cucumber. Even though it was just a smile, Silent Magician could feel herself become much calmer as well.
But then, she heard as Red Eyes launched the fireball, and whipped her head back, eyes opening wide as she saw the fireball heading toward her at high speeds.
"You knew this was coming!" Shin announced, as one of his cards flipped up. "I activate the Trap, Negate Attack!" he announced, as Ren opened his eyes wide in surprise.
Just before the fireball could destroy Silent Magician, a white portal appeared before her, red Eyes' attack vanishing in it.
"Negate attack stops one of your attacks, and ends your Battle Phase~" Shin stuck his tongue out, making Ren grit his teeth lightly. "But, I can't let your Battle Phase end just like that, so I chan this!" he declared, as his second facedown flipped up. "Silent Burning!"
Silent Magician scepter suddenly light up, startling the spirit in the process, before a ring of blue flames appeared around Ren and Shin, burning soundlessly.
"If I control a 'Silent Magician' during the Battle Phase, I can activate this card. Then, we both draw until we're holding six cards each, so start drawing boy!" he declared excitedly, drawing six cards.
"How will that help you anyway?" Ren asked, drawing six cards as well. But then something happened.
Silent Magician became enveloped in a white aura, as her body seemed to mature, making the magician look like a grown woman trapped in a child's body. And with her body, her power grew as well.
Silent Magician LV4 (1500 → 3500/1000)
"Wait what?!" Ren exclaimed, seeing Silent Magician's ATK skyrocket. "How did that weakling get that strong so quickly? What did you do?!" he shouted.
"I told you Silent Magician will be the one who delivers the finishing blow, didn't I?" Shin smirked confidently. "You thought Silent Magician was weak, simply because her base ATK is 1000. But you overlooked her special effect, which gives her a Silent Counter and 500 ATK every time you draw a card!" he declared, as five light blue flames appeared above Silent Magician.
"And when she get's five Silent Counters, Silent Magician can unlock her true potential" he explained, as the flames disappeared inside Silent Magician's body, who became completely enveloped in a white glow. "I special Summon, Silent Magician LV8!" Shin declared, as the light enveloping Silent Magician suddenly dispersed, revealing her truly mature body.
As she landed on her card, she looked at Red Eyes and Ren with a confident smirk, as if knowing she will be the one who comes out victorious.
"Tch! Red Eyes still has more ATK than her! Don't get to comfortable, because she's done on my next turn!" Ren stated, as his turn finished.
TURN END: Ren 2900 LP
"I'm afraid there won't be another turn~" Shin grinned the same grin as Silent Magician, the two exchanging silent glances, before nodding simultaneously.
"Time to end this! I activate, Polymerization!" Shin declared, as a sudden vortex appeared above him, next to Silent Magician. "Time to bring forth the ultimate Magical Swordsman by fusing Buster Blader and Dark Magician together!" he declared, making everyone's mouths drop, their eyes becoming wide as dinner plates when the fusion vortex began to actually resonate, meaning the fusion was working.
"But, since I don't have the Dark Magician in my hand, I used The Dark-Hex Sealed Fusion as a replacement~!" he stuck out his tongue childishly, as the vortex began spinning violently, signaling the arrival of Shin's monster.
"Ultimate swordsman, enchant your mighty blade with the ancient runes, and enhance your power with long forgotten magic!" Shin chanted, raising his hands to his side, before bringing them together. "Fusion Summon! Appear before me, ultimate Magical Swordsman! Level 9, Dark Paladin!"
As his chant finished, the vortex released a column of dark magic toward the field. Runes soon began appearing on the column, before it suddenly dispersed in a powerful gust of wind, revealing the fusion of Dark Magician and Buster Blader, the Dark Paladin.
Dark Paladin (2900/2400) -LV9-
Everyone was left in awe, as one of Yugi's finishers landed on it's card in front of Shin.
"T-That's one of Yugi Muto's cards isn't it…?" a Ra student in the stands whispered to his friend, who nodded.
"I heard that's the card Yugi used to defeat Seto Kaiba's Ultimate Blue Eyes White Dragon during the Battle City finals!" one of the first year Obelisks exclaimed.
"I saw that on live broadcast! He actually won the duel with the Dark Paladin!" a third year Obelisk replied, staring at Shin's monster.
"That's so awesome! Just how many of Yugi's cards does Shin have?!" Judai exclaimed, an excited grin on his face. Sho was just happy that Shin seemed about to win the duel, and spare him and Judai from expulsion. Completely forgetting that there was still one more duel to go.
"To think Shin had this up his sleeve...It seems as if he's able to pull these cards out of thin air" Misawa wondered out loud, making Judai, Sho and Asuka suddenly turn to look at him in surprise.
"Misawa-kun, when did you get here?" Sho asked, making Misawa look at him with a sweatdrop.
"I've been here the whole time..." he deadpanned, his sweatdrop being passed onto the other three.
Back on the field, Ren couldn't help but stare at the Dark Paladin like everyone else.
"Since your Red Eyes gains power by the dragons in your GY, I figured it would be poetic justice for me to destroy it with the same kind of monster" Shin said, making Ren snap out of his staring, and look at him wide eyed.
"Dark Paladin's Special Effect activates! For every Dragon-type monster in either GY and on either field, Dark Paladin gains an additional 500 ATK!" Shin declared, as a purple-blue aura enveloped Dark Paladin, who swung his sword-scepter to the side, creating a massive gust of wind throughout the arena.
Dark Paladin (2900 → 5900/2400)
"I told you this was the end! Dark Paladin, attack Red Eyes Darkness Dragon! Mystical Buster Slash!" he ordered, as Dark Paladin sprung high in the air, lifting his sword above his head.
With a mighty cry, Dark Paladin brought his sword down, sending a massive magic energy slash toward Red Eyes, who stood no chance against the swordsman's overwhelming strength.
Dark Paladin's attack cut clean through Red Eyes, and kept heading forward toward Ren. Upon impact, a big explosion ensued, followed by Red Eyes bursting into a mass of pixels.
Ren: 2900 LP → 900 LP
As the smoke cleared, Ren was left standing with little cuts on his body. And his trouble wasn't over yet.
"You know what comes next, don't you?" Shin and Silent Magician smirked, making Ren's eyes open wide as dinner plates. "Silent Magician, show him just how strong you are! Silent Burning!" Shin commanded, with his duel spirit more than happy to oblige.
She then raised her scepter high, where a giant ball on black magic formed. With a confident 'Humpf!', Silent Magician launched her attack toward Ren, who simply close his eyes, accepting his defeat.
*DOOONN*
The attack exploded in Ren's face, depleting his remaining LP, while sending him skidding across the duel field.
Ren: 900 → 0 LP
WINNER: SHIN!
"I hope you've learned your lesson" Shin stated, as the holograms disappeared, Silent Magician remaining next to her master in her spirit form. "Every card can become an absolute tank with enough time and care" he smiled, glancing at Silent Magician, who covered her face with her hat, due to the massive blush she had.
"Guuhh...Fine...You were right" Ren mumbled, standing back up. "My job here is done..." and with that, he simply spun on his heel, and walked out of Duel Arena.
Left alone on the duel field, Shin sighed exhausted, beginning to feel weak in the knees. It was then that Samejima's voice resounded over the intercom.
"Truly well done Shin. You managed to win your first duel in a grandiose way. However, you now have to face your last opponent" Samejima said, as Shin took a deep breath, doing his best to keep himself strong and standing, at least until he finishes his final duel.
"Alright then! I'm ready whenever!" Shin replied confidently, looking toward the faculty box, where Samejima was watching the duels from. "Who's my next opponent? I'm ready for them!" he declared.
"Oh, I certainly hope you are~" a new, but familiar to Shin, male voice called from the entrance, making Shin pale a little bit. Turning his head toward the entrance, his eyes became wide as dinner plates. "It's certainly been a while hasn't it, Shinnie-boy~?" the man asked amused, as Shin's expression turned blank, his right eye twitching.
.
.
.
"...Ah, son of a Toon…!" he grumbled, his shoulders slumping, while most of his earlier confidence suddenly vanished.
And that's a wrap~!
This was Shin's first Punishment Duel! I hope you enjoyed it~
Next up, Shin faces his final opponent, picked by none other than Seto Kaiba~ And it appears it's someone Shin already knows~ You guys can probably figure out who he is~.
So yeah, there's not much to say about this chapter, since the next will be the continuation!
I hope you guys enjoyed it~ As always, tell me what you thought of it in the reviews, and until next chapter.
And to all of you reading this (depending on your time zone/ if you're reading this on the 1. January 2018) then…
HAPPY NEW YEARS TO EVERYBODY! HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A WONDERFUL YEAR~