Disclaimer: I do not own the properties of Yu-Gi-Oh franchise or the work of the cards, I only own the OCs that could or may be involved in this series. I own nothing of the real OCG cards, just the formal OC character.
Chapter 12: Hidden Power Unleashed; Yasuko Yukihana vs. Declan Akaba
The same young man who appeared before the You Show Duel School had just challenged a match with Yuya. Nobody doesn't know about this guy who just showed up. For some reason, Yasuko was feeling a strong aura from this guy. He was very different than the rest of the LDS students. The image of him staring at Yuya made Yasuko glare at him slightly, a glare looking like she was determined to do something about this guy.
The students were looking at Yuya, who was unresponsive to Declan's challenge. They were worried about how Yuya is feeling with this strange man is challenging Yuya when he knows their school is at the line.
"Poor Yuya," Allie said. "He must be in a nervous wreck."
"If he doesn't win…" Frederick began, and Tate finishes the last part of the sentence. "Our school's theirs."
Zuzu was staring at her childhood friend with concern. She is worried that Yuya could be feeling the pressure weighing down on him. "Yuya…" said Zuzu.
Gongenzaka was looking at Yuya with disgrace in his face. He felt guilty that this was all his fault for not trying hard enough. "I'm sorry Yuya, I've tried my hardest, but I wasn't enough to be," Gongenzaka pleaded. "Now all the pressure is all on one duel, and it comes to you…"
Yasuko looks at Yuya. She couldn't be sure if he were feeling hurt, upset, or even troubled that this is now all in him. Yasuko was starting to see the way how You Show have dueled. There is strong opposition to what the Leo Institute does that the school is against. Unlike You-Show, who would want to teach, the Leo Institute seizes everything that is deemed worthy to their cause and would do anything in their power to get Pendulum Summon and turn it into profit for their benefits. You-Show isn't much, but they are quite gifted thanks to Yusho and his peers. They deserve to be more than that. This is their school, and they're not going to give it up regardless. She can't let that happen.
"Can I have something to say about this matter," Yasuko called to everyone in the room. They all turn their heads to Yasuko who raised her hand in the air. "I shall Duel in Yuya's place…For the You-Show Duel School."
Everyone got shocked so hard that the jaws may be look broken. The You-Show students and Gongenzaka had their jaws open wide and gaped by her declaration. Even the Leo Institute students are all surprised by this.
Henrietta, on the other hand, was intrigued that Yasuko was displaying something noble.
"I'll say this again... I'll take over Yuya's place and Duel him," Yasuko declared, pointing to her opponent. While everyone except Henrietta was shocked, the mysterious man, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow out of interest by her sudden decision to challenge him.
"Since I was involved in the tag team duel, I think it's fair that I duel him because I was the one who escalated it too far," Yasuko clarified to the students of You Show. She then turns back to Yuya. He blinked in surprise under his goggles.
"If there is a problem that nobody can't solve, then it's my job to solve this mess for them." She turned around and faced Yuya. "Is it alright if I take your place in this duel?" Yasuko asked.
The others watched for Yuya's response to her. He stared at her blue eyes with his red ones. He wanted to say no and decline her to duel in his place, but there was something that didn't let him do so. She was starting to be nice for once a change, well, a little.
Everyone was waiting anxiously for Yuya's response. He stays there, staring at Yasuko until Yuya's mouth turned to a smile that shows her his support for her decision to duel Declan. "Alright then, I'll leave the rest to you," he declared.
"Okay then," Yasuko nodded.
She turns to the gray-haired man. "Will that be alright with you, mister?" she asked if the man agrees with her request. She waited patiently for the man to respond. His purple eyes stare collectively at her blue eyes. His long unresponsive face was a show that she'd be expecting him to decline her offer to duel him; however, something changed inside of him.
"I suppose it's for the best," he said calmly, much to everyone's surprise especially Henrietta.
"So, is that a yes?" Yasuko inquired, which the man nodded in agreement.
"But if you duel me, then you know the terms of the duel, right?" he asked.
"Of course, you win, and the LDS gets You Show; I win, and you leave them alone," Yasuko verifies the terms of the duel.
"Alright, this is going to be good," Tate cheered.
"Your team is strong, but you haven't seen what Yasuko can do," Frederick added.
"With Yasuko on our side, there's no way we can lose," Allie agreed.
"She's going out all the way. The Duel sch—" Before Tate could even finish the sentence, the magenta-haired woman interrupted him.
"You children are incredibly naïve." Yasuko turns her head to glare slightly at the woman. "You think your new friend has what it takes to stand against her opponent?" Henrietta challenged the students, who did not reply. "You have no idea just how strong Declan is."
Like a cat twitching its ears to hear the sound from a distant, Yasuko could've sworn that the woman mentioned the name, Declan. Her eyes widened slightly, looking at the woman with a bizarre expression. She turned her head to face her opponent. If what Henrietta said about the man is true, then this young man standing before her is the CEO of the Leo Corporation Yasuko researched earlier when she was in town.
Her mouth forms a thin line, preventing it from opening it when she realized that her opponent is going to be unlike any of the top-tier duelists from the Leo Institute. The calm face on him shows just how observant he is to her. She needs to be extra careful with this man. "So, shall we begin?" Yasuko asked.
"Lets," Declan replied. "The time for talk is over. I want everyone here to remain silent and watch."
"Yes, I don't like any cheering coming from all of you," Yasuko agreed. "It's the actions of our decks that counts, not with words."
Yasuko and Declan enter the duel arena with their duel disks on. Yasuko's green duel disk remains fast in her left arm just like Declan's pure white duel disks. Neither one of them makes a sudden movement, leaving their eyes to stare at their opponents.
Declan was studying her like she was a rare animal as Yasuko studied Declan back from head to toe like a cop was inspecting him. His jacket was removed to show a very long red scarf around his neck with the navy-blue sweater and white jeans that stops above his ankles. His shoes were ankle sized, which reveal much of the ankle.
"Declan was just around my age when he earned the pro duelist title. Not to mention that he is also the current CEO of the Leo Corporation." She reminds herself who she is facing. An opponent who has earned the title of being a professional duelist at a young age and becoming the CEO takes a lot of work and mind to get into a position of power.
"Considering that this may be my miserable mistake in taking Yuya's place to duel someone who knows all about the special summons, I must be on my toes," she thought. "I have to be very careful with what he does."
Yasuko's glare narrows even further. She breathes in as much air as she could to cool her head from overthinking before exhaling out heavily. Her expression starts to grow calmer, but she still had the same glare on her face. She's going in for a long duel with this guy.
Everyone in the watch room starts to notice a reaction from Yasuko. They spotted her fist clenching so tight that her knuckles turned white. They grew even concern when Yasuko's eyes are scowling at Declan. "I've never seen Yasuko reacting this way," Allie said, worried over Yasuko's behavior. "She's starting to look scary."
Zuzu holds Allie like she was a lost child and looks concern too. Zuzu stared at Yasuko, and not once did she see Yasuko grew so angry. "Don't worry Allie, she'll be okay," she reassured to the red-haired girl.
Gongenzaka does not like where Yasuko is at. "I hope so," he said. "From what she's thinking, I'd say that she's completely focused on him."
Without making a delay, Yasuko calls up to Declan. "So, which field shall we duel? Because I don't know what to decide."
"You're free to pick," Declan replied.
Yasuko scratched her head to think of what kind of field should they all duel. There are so many kinds of Action Fields that her head couldn't decide which one. Yasuko turned to the audience in the watch room. "Hey, you guys, I can't think of which one, so do a vote and call it for me."
The You-Show students were confused with Yasuko's request to make a vote among themselves to see which map is suitable. They never knew which one of the Action fields are her specialty. They didn't even know what kind of Acton field would be better for Yasuko.
"Uh…" Allie began. "You want us to choose?"
"Yep."
"Umm…" Tate was uncertain about letting them vote for Yasuko. "Well… it's just…"
"We don't know which field you'd like the best," Frederick added.
Giving a heavy sigh to the indecisive vote over the field, Yasuko turns to the Mr. Shuzo at the controls room. "Mr. Hiiragi, can you please choose a field that is suitable for parkour."
"Parkour?" Shuzo repeated. He knew about parkour, the free-running training where people dodge objects while running and moving from one location to another as fast as possible. She wants him to choose a field that is suitable for parkour. The teacher looks at his duel disk. He was concern who Declan is and who Yasuko is dueling.
"Does this girl have any idea who she's up against?" He saw the photos of the younger Declan with his duel disk in the past headlines in tournaments, holding rewards, trophies, and recent inauguration certificate of his status as the new CEO.
"She's dueling against a pro... He even earned the qualifications of a pro at a very young age, so this girl needs something to her advantage to save the Duel School Alright, let's see now. Parkour...parkour…parkour…" Shuzo thought what kind of fields that can use parkour. An idea came to his head like a bell and thought of one area that can match an environment that requires a lot of movement.
"I've got it!" Shuzo stands from his stand to announce the field that is best suitable in parkour. "Get set to duel to the big top! I activate the Action Field Spell, Battleship's Graveyard!"
With the push of a button, the field changes to the Action Field Spell; Battleship Graveyard, illuminating the sky crystal blue and the ground shifting to have so many discarded or destroyed battleships to the field. The field forms so many warships that could stretch for miles with pieces missing. All forms of battleships: cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and even an aircraft carrier, were all cramped together in one shipyard.
Declan and Yasuko stand on top of an aircraft carrier, never leaving the glares off form each other. Surrounded by rows of battleships, the duel could get interesting.
"A shipyard, huh?" Yasuko inquired. "Now that's interesting." She surveys the area around her, seeing how many sunken battleships there are. The field is perfect to her taste. She is going out in her parkour training and dueling at the same time.
"Let's get this duel going," Yasuko declared. She activates her duel disk, and the deck pops out with the blue disk blade forming in front of her. She stands ready and waiting for Declan. He takes his duel disk in front of him and a crimson red disk blade forms from the white duel disk. One thing that made Yasuko raise her eyebrows is that the red blade is in the shape of a parallelogram instead of a rectangular angle.
"Duelists locked in battle!" Zuzu started the chant.
"Kicking against the earth and dancing in the air alongside with their monsters!" Tate chanted.
"They storm through the field!" Frederick added.
"Behold! The newest and the greatest generation of Dueling is here!" Allie joined. "Action…"
DUEL:
Declan Akaba: LP 4000
VS
Yasuko Yukihana: LP 4000
"DUEL!" Declan and Yasuko exclaimed together.
The bubble holding the Action Cards burst open with a loud pop. Action cards spread everywhere on the field, signifying the beginning of the long duel that will determine the fate of the You-Show Duel School. They draw five cards in their hand and waits to see who will go first in the match.
"Since you've allows us to choose a field, why not you go first?" Yasuko offered, holding a hand to the young man.
Declan looked offended by Yasuko's generosity. "You expect me to believe you're doing me a favor?" he questioned.
"Not really," Yasuko answered. "I'm just giving you a head start." Declan made a small laugh that causes Yasuko to frown at him. "Find that funny?"
"Nah, its nothing," Declan dismissed. "I just think that this is how you do…" Yasuko's frown gets even narrower to where she is scowling back. She watched him adjusted his red rectangular glasses. "Alright then, I shall accept your offer. I'll be going first."
Turn 1: Declan (5x cards)
Instead of drawing, he immediately starts his move with one card from his hand."To begin, I shall activate three Spell Cards from my hand." Declan announced. "First is this one…" Instead of drawing a card from his deck, Declan picks out a card from his hand. "This legal binding contract is a Continuous Spell Card called Dark Contract with the Gate!" Declan places the card in his duel disk to activate the Continuous Spell card; Dark Contract with the Gate. "This spell card deals me 1000 points of damage at the beginning of my next Standby Phase," he explained.
Yasuko's eyes narrow suspiciously. Unlike her reaction, everyone else was shocked that Declan activated a card that deals himself damage.
"So, on his next turn…" Zuzu began.
"He takes 1000 points of damage?" Gongenzaka finished.
"That doesn't make any sense," Zuzu confirmed.
"Yeah, it's like he's trying to throw the duel away when it's just started," Gongenzaka added.
"However, there is a benefit." Declan begins to explain the card's effect. "Once per turn, I can add one "D/D" monster that is Level 4 or below from my deck to my hand." A card pops out of his deck and Declan takes it to show Yasuko what kind of card he just drew; D/D Cerberus. "I'll add D/D Cerberus to my hand."
Fredrick was confused with the cards they Declan is using. "D/D?" he repeated.
"It stands for "Different Dimension"…" Sora revealed to him. All the kids watched him with surprise in their faces. "It also means alternate plane; those cards are out of this world."
"For my second move, I will activate this Spell card." Declan picks out another spell card and plays it on the field. To everyone's shock, it's the same spell card that Declan used earlier. "It's the same spell card from before." Declan activates another Dark Contract with the Gate.
Yasuko could tell that it's getting a lot more suicidal with those cards. "But if you do that, you'll receive 2000 points of damage," she informed him.
"Which is why I play it so that I can add another "D/D" monster that is Level 4 or below," Declan reminded. Another card pops out again, and Declan takes the card to show Yasuko the monster. "In this case, the monster I add to me hand is D/D Lilith." He adds D/D Lilith to his hand and takes out his third spell card. "And for my third, I activate the Continuous Spell Card; Dark Contract with the Swamp King." Declan plays Dark Contract with the Swamp King on the field. "And like all my other "Contract" spells, once per turn, I get hit with 1000 points of damage during my next Standby Phrase."
Yasuko looks at all three spell cards. She realizes that for every 1000 points of damage in his next Standby Phase, Declan gets to pick any D/D monster that is level 4 or below, but what made her wonder was the third spell card.
"Three "Dark Contract" spell cards?" Yasuko ponders her head to think until she glares at her opponent. "With that many spell cards, you'll take 3000 points of damage," she speculated. "Why take such a big risk to activate a special effect?" she asked Declan the reasons for his suicidal plan. "You got something under your sleeve?"
"It's not under the sleeve, Yasuko," Declan stated. "But in my deck. Dark Contract with the Swamp King allows me to Fusion Summon 1 Fiend-type Fusion monster from my Extra Deck without using any Fusion Spell cards."
Yasuko and, surprisingly, Sora gasped together in shock. "What? You mean that you can Fusion Summon without a Fusion Spell?" she inquired.
"Don't kid yourself, watch as I fuse D/D Cerberus and D/D Lilith together." The spell card glows brightly. Declan holds a smirk and draws two of his monster cards he is using to Fusion Summon. The two monsters appear in front of Declan before the disintegrated into the swirling vortex.
"Hellhound which bares its fangs! Seductress of the night! In the whirlpool of light from the realm of the netherworld, become one and give birth to a new king!" Declan begins to chant as his monsters disappear into the vortex to fuse one monster coming out of it. "I Fusion Summon! D/D/D Flame King Genghis!" Declan Fusion Summons D/D/D Flame King Genghis (ATK 2000/DEF 1500). From the vortex comes out a massively armored warrior with a giant red club and a shield appearing in front of Yasuko.
She was a bit disbelief by the appearance of the monster. She thought that Sora and Julia were the only Fusion Summoners in the town, but from Declan mastering the summoning method with ease, shows just how powerful the man can be.
"A Fusion Monster on his first turn?" Yuya inquired.
"So, he's a Fusion Master!" Gongenzaka assumed.
"But why would he take such a risk to Summon that monster?" Zuzu wondered.
"This one must be powerful," Allie said.
"And it's a D/D/D…" Tate pointed out.
"What does it mean?" Frederick inquired.
Sora had this concerned look that shows he's disturbed by the Fusion Summon. "I can't pin it down, but something is completely different," he said. "But if it's just as powerful as it is terrifying, then Yasuko's got herself a huge problem."
Yasuko didn't seem surprised since he did earn a pro-duelist status. She speculated that he could do a Fusion Summon. Shuzo told everyone that the Leo Institute just started teaching Fusion Summon, so it's no surprise that someone like Declan knows it too. Her eyes narrowed to get ready as she saw him grab his last two cards from his hand. "I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." Declan Sets two face-down cards.
Turn 2: Yasuko (5x cards)
It's her turn to make the draw, and Yasuko remains observant to the layout of her opponent's field. She was thinking deep in her mind. "Three Continuous Spell cards, one Fusion monster, and two face-down cards," she thought to herself. "The next turn he takes 3000 points of damage, but those two face-down cards…" She looks at the two set cards from her Duel Disk.
Yasuko stares back at her opponent. He doesn't seem unfazed that it is her turn and he was observing her like she was a unique item which irritates Yasuko. She holds herself to lashing out against him.
She wasn't the only one who's annoyed. All the little kids were being annoyed with Declan's attitude too.
"Why does he act so high and mighty?! Allie exclaimed. "He's so full of himself!"
"He's all relaxed and that, even though he's just a fourth-rate substitute player?!" Fredrick added angrily.
"Relaxed? Yeah, he could be," Sora answered. The kids all looked over to Sora. "Declan seems to be underestimating Yasuko because he's practically spotting himself 3000 points at the start."
"That's…!" Zuzu gasped.
"Inexcusable!" Gongenzaka exclaimed. "A sportsman… that scrub! A Duelists who underestimates his opponents!" he growled. "He deserves to get his deck demolished!" he roared with all his fury.
The kids started to cheer on to Yasuko, much to her irritation.
"Beat that guy to the pulp!"
"Yeah! Kick his butt!"
"Knock him down until I feel the shivers!"
Yasuko's right eye twitches so much that she turned her head to the war room. "Would you please just…Shut! Up!" she exclaims, putting in emphasis for each word to the people at the watch room to be silent. "I'm trying to think!" Everyone remains quiet to let her think about the setup. She kept repeating the same technique over her head.
"Three Continuous Spell cards, costing 3000 points of damage, two face-down…" Yasuko stated calmly. She repeats the strategy over again until a bell chimed in her mind. "Now, I'm starting to see where this is going."
Declan got interested in what Yasuko could see that the audience cannot. "You activated those Dark Contract Spell Cards to buy yourself a Fusion Summon legally, but they all have a cost, and here I'm thinking… what would be the point of all that? Unless you're planning to cheat your way out of those Contract Spell cards to keep your life points," Yasuko explained what Declan's strategy is.
She pointed at Declan's two face-down cards. "You're going to use one of those face-down cards to find a loophole, aren't you?" Yasuko questioned. When her explanation became clear, everyone started to see Yasuko's picture.
"Oh, now I get it!" Tate was the first to realize. "He did put himself at risk, but he set two face-down cards at the end of the turn."
"But if one of those face-downs can negate the effect damage," Fredrick began as Allie finishes the theory, "then he gets to keep all his life points."
"That makes total sense!" Gongenzaka exclaimed. "He wasn't willing to sacrifice all of his life points! He wants his Fusion Monster and then cut down the contract!"
Staring at the cynical girl, Sora was rather impressed how Yasuko managed to figure it out Declan's strategy. "Guess I was wrong about him underestimating Yasuko," he shrugged.
Declan stares at Yasuko with a very intrigued look. Seeing how his opponent managed to figure out his strategy makes him smirk. He adjusts his glasses. "I'm impressed," he said. "No one has ever seen this through. I didn't expect you to come up with the solution that quickly."
"Buddy, if there's one rule about how I Duel… is that I never underestimate my opponents," Yasuko declared. "Whether they are old or young, big or small, pro or an idiot, I never see things smaller, so if you were underestimating me, then I'm insulted."
"Learn to cope," Declan replied.
"It's my turn! I draw!" Yasuko draws a card from her deck and looks at her hand. She puts the card in her hand and takes out a monster. "I Summon Blizzard Dragon!" Yasuko Normal Summon Blizzard Dragon (ATK 1800/DEF 1000). A blue scaled dragon with a white underbelly appears on the field.
"And now, I activate its special effect! Once per turn, I can select one monster on the field, and that monster cannot attack or change battle positions until the end of your next turn, so I choose Flame King Genghis!" She points at the flaming warrior as the blue dragon blows a powerful ice breath to freeze the fire demon king.
Yasuko takes out another card from her hand. "Next, I activate the Spell card; Stamping Destruction!" Yasuko activates Stamping Destruction. "This card allows me to destroy one Spell or Trap card that you control as long as I have a Dragon-type monster on the field, so that means the one on the left is destroyed!" The blue dragon hops over and smashes the card out of the field like it was a plate. Declan held the same calm face, but Yasuko could've sworn that his mouth twitched,
"And that's not all! When the Spell or Trap card is destroyed, I can inflict 500 points of damage!" As explained, the blue dragon blows a strong icy wind to freeze some of the silk on Declan's shirt, costing him life points on the start.
(Declan: LP 4000 → 3500)
"Wow, that's so amazing," Zuzu said. "She figured out his gaming strategy quickly and smashed it like it was nothing."
"But it still not enough," Gongenzaka added. "Blizzard Dragon's attack points won't take down the king."
"Is that enough to stop him?" Yuya asked.
Yasuko runs to the opened catapult door on the carrier and slides herself to fall in. Grabbing on the ledge, she swings herself to land at a railing before running to pick an Action Card hidden behind the support beam. "I activate the Action Spell; Hive Dive!" Yasuko plays the Action Card; Hive Dive.
"Hive Dive gives one monster an extra 1000 attack points until the end of the turn, so Blizzard dragon gains those attack points!" Yasuko explained.
She continues to run until she comes back to the catapult door and lifts herself to climb back outside. "And now Blizzard Dragon is going to freeze that monster until its flames are out," she commented. The blue dragon screeched when it was given a boost from the Action Card.
(Blizzard Dragon: ATK 1800 → 2800)
The kids all reacted so excitingly to see another new monster.
"With that monster's attack points higher than the Flame king, she can attack!" Allie cheered.
"That means if she attacks, it's another 800 points, and that will enough to beat him on his next turn!" Tate added.
"Shivers…" Fredrick cheered, making shivering movements.
"Battle! Blizzard Dragon attacks Flame King Genghis!" Yasuko points at Declan's only monster on the field. "Go, attack with Ice Shard!" The blue dragon flaps its wings, and aerobatic turns to dive down at the warlord monster. The dragon forms a very sharp ice shard as it comes down like a bomber.
Declan saw it and jumps on the club weapon. The flame king manages to break the ice with his club and lifts it high enough to send Declan flying. While in the air, he took an Action Card stuck between two antennas of the bridge. He swiped the Action Card in his disk and activated the last face-down card on the right. Giving a satisfying smirk, he lands on the carrier platform.
As fast as a bullet, the ice shard dragon makes an impact at the flame king and the monster. The explosion produces so much smoke around the area that it is hard to see anything from inside. The blue dragon retreats from the smoke and stands beside the cynical duelist. Yasuko's hair waves from the shockwaves, but her face remains unfazed. She waits to see what happened until smoked cleared.
From the watch room, the three children all jumped together and cheered for the final victory. "All yeah!"
"She did it!" Yuya cheered.
All of the students from You-Show and Gongenzaka had satisfied smiles and cheers that the victory was already in their favor. The students from the Leo Institute held a surprised face, seeing someone like Yasuko could beat the CEO of the Leo Corporation so quickly.
Henrietta wasn't surprised; however, she was calm. Her smile gives a proud face when the smoked cleared. To everyone's shock, Flame King Genghis is still standing tall.
"What?" Fredrick gasped.
"What happened?" Tate gasped too.
Yasuko's eyes frowned deeper that Declan stands in front of his monster with an adequate smirk of amusement. "Impressive," he commented. "That was pretty close right there. If that Spell Card would've sent the card on the right and not the left, you would've already won."
Yasuko gritted her teeth in frustration. "Could've guessed," she said. "You stopped the destruction?" she questioned.
"Yes, I used an Action Card of my own," Declan informed. "It was the Action Spell Card, Miracle." Declan's field shows Yasuko the Action Spell Card; Miracle. "It negates the destruction of my monster, and I take halve the damage."
(Declan: LP 3500 → 3100)
Yasuko sighed with a heavy heart. She thought she had him, but she was wrong. She looks up at her opponent. "But on the next turn, you can't use that Flame King to attack, and you'll be taking 3000 points of damage. To savior yourself from humiliation, I give you something to draw since you didn't draw a card on your first turn. I play the Spell Card, One Day of Peace." Yasuko comes to close her turn when she activated the Spell card; One Day of Peace. "This lets us both draw a card." Altogether, Declan and Yasuko draw a card from each of their deck. She looks at it and places it in her disk.
"I Set a face-down." Yasuko Sets a card face-down, ending her turn. "And at this moment, the Hive Dive spell ends, and Blizzard Dragon's attack points return to normal."
(Blizzard Dragon: ATK 2800 → 1800)
Turn 3: Declan (1x Card)
It was Declan's turn, but he wasn't going yet. He was staring at Yasuko with an intention in his eyes. He smiled softly and made a loud, "Hmph."
Yasuko finds that to be very offensive and to her confusion. She had already beaten him when he is in his Standby Phase and takes 3000 points of damage for each Dark Contract Spell cards he has on the field. "Something funny again?" she asked.
"Pardon me," Declan answered. "But I was just remembering when you are doing me a favor by letting me go first."
Yasuko was confused when Declan recalled the first moment before they began to duel. "What?"
"I'm amazed how you keep your head strong and make quick thinking decisions, it all became clear to me based on your personality," Declan stated. "You lack any social skills, give cold-shoulders to anyone you've encountered, and you show how much you ignore your surroundings, but you seem to have a good-heart inside, just like when you took over Yuya's place in dueling me."
Declan adjusted his glasses once more. "But at last, that kind of ego would only drive someone to lose control in a duel," he continued. "And that is just one of the quickest ways to defeat."
Yasuko does not like to be lectured on herself. She understood what she is doing and how she feels and does not need a lecture from him. "I don't do kind things because it'll make them feel better," said Yasuko. "I do them because it's how I show my trust."
"You thought you earned their trust?" Declan challenged. "By the end of the turn, you thought it would be game over with just a few life points I have, and yet, you decided to end your move that quickly? Why is that?"
Yasuko's frown never wavered from his conversation. Declan acts as if he knows her, but what he doesn't know is that she never duels him because it is a kind act to the You-Show people; she wants to get better for herself. "I don't need to answer some riddles from some rich, powerful man like you, so draw already, stop wasting my time," Yasuko retorted.
"Always cutting to the chase? My, you're an impatient one," Declan teased with her a bit.
(Declan: LP 3100 → 6100)
To everyone's shock, they thought that on the next turn Declan would have to pay 3000 life points when in fact he ended up gaining them instead.
"Hey, why didn't he pay 3000 life points?!" Fredrick inquired. "How'd come he gained life points?!"
"It's his Standby Phase, but he doesn't cost two-thirds of his life points," Tate added.
To answer the kid's question, Yasuko pointed out something to remind them of Declan's last turn. "He played two face-downs, and one of them cancels the Dark Contract cards, I missed that other one."
"Indeed, you did," Declan admitted.
"What was that other face-down card?" Yasuko demanded.
"The card on the right was a trap card called Contract Laundering." Declan's face-down at the right revealed to be Contract Laundering he used earlier in the duel."This card destroys all of my face-up "Dark Contract" cards that are on my field and I gained 1000 life points equal to the number of Dark Contracts I destroyed!" Declan announced.
Yasuko starts to understand what that card did to the Dark Contract cards that were on the field. "And since you managed to destroy all those Dark Contract cards on my last turn, that means their effect damages are negated."
"But that means…" Yuya began.
"He doesn't get to pay any of his life points!" Gongenzaka finished.
"And that's not all, I get to draw a card equal to the number of face-up Dark Contracts I destroyed, so I get to draw three cards from my deck!" Declan explained more as he draws three cards from his deck.
This earned Yasuko a gritted jaw from the trap. "You gained life points, and you draw cards?" Yasuko inquired. "I'm starting to think you're holding out against me."
"And if I were?" Declan challenged. "Would you find that to be an insult?"
"I would find that to be offensive," Yasuko answered. "I hate people who think they are superior than others."
Declan's mouth smiled, showing how amused he is to Yasuko's speculation. She did her research and knew who her opponent is. He was impressed with her. "My, you are impressive," he said. "For a duelist like you to observe and confirm your opponent's key strategy, breaks it down into pieces, and makes contact on equal terms. Those are traits worthy to be in the pro-leagues."
"If I wanted to be one of the pro-leagues, I would have to take some lessons from the man who turns duels into a circus act," Yasuko said. "I'd bet they know all about making people watch dueling better than your people here."
Declan takes her word, and the smile on his face disappears from his mouth. His eyes are narrowed, looking at Yasuko like she did something that offended him. "Are you referring to Entertainment Duels?" he questioned.
Yasuko blinked in surprise. "You know what it is?"
"Of course, I know what Entertainment Duel is," Declan said obviously. "I know all of the duel schools in this city including the You-Show Duel School. The very same school that Yusho Sakaki teaches."
Yuya's ears perked up. He heard him like how cats can listen to things. He turned to Declan, staring at him with a bizarre look. "Did…Did he knew my dad?" he wondered. He wasn't the only one who was surprised. Even Yasuko was taken back. Not only did Declan know about Entertainment Duels, but he also knew Yusho Sakaki.
"Yusho Sakaki?" Yasuko repeated. "You know him?"
Yaiba started to laugh hysterically, holding his chest like it was going to burst. "Ahahaha! Of course, we all know him! Hell, everyone does! He's a freakin' celebrity!" he pointed out.
Yasuko's eyes look down and glare at the obnoxious kendo duelist who is making a mock out of the name. Her eyes started to glare even further when Hokuto joins in. "Yeah! As a former champion who is a complete chicken!"
Declan suddenly made one roar, "SHUT UP!"
Yasuko turns back to Declan with surprise. She never knew that he would react so angrily to even his students. This was the first time she's seen him respond emotionally. Does he have something for Yusho Sakaki? Whatever the case, Yasuko was glad that he made his reaction since it silenced both Hokuto and Yaiba at the instant and leaving them shivering from his fury.
Declan turns back to the Duel. "Sorry, please excuse them," he apologized.
"That's okay, I expected to hear some taunts coming from those idiots," Yasuko dismissed. "But you to defend Yusho is a surprise to me." Her glare decreases and stares at him with a usually cold, cynical expression. "Did you knew him in person, or for what he did to Dueling?"
"Both." Declan's answer surprised Yasuko as he continued, "Yusho Sakaki was a very admirable duelist for exploiting the possibility of Dueling. He made Action Duels as popular and exciting as it is today. As one of the pioneers who helped build the foundations for the Golden Age of Action Duels, I sincerely respect him."
Hearing from Declan, Yasuko did not know how much this man respected Yusho Sakaki. Most people in the town would rebuke or scoff who Yusho Sakaki is and for what he did to his son three years ago. Nobody has respect for him anymore until Declan showed up. She thought he would be the same as the others, but when he told her how much he respected Yusho.
"And I thought there weren't many people who share the same respect for the old man," Yasuko conceded.
"Seems like you never heard of him, haven't you?" Declan questioned.
"I've only heard about this guy since I got here two weeks ago and this Yusho guy did made an influence on you," said Yasuko.
"His influence did affect all of us, even his doings have affected me deeply and dueling Yuya was a chance to duel against his philosophy, but then you came and changed the game," Declan explained. "Now it is the time to use all of our skills. I won't hold back."
"What?" Yasuko scowled.
"Won't hold back?!" Yuya gasped. "Does he mean that he's not serious until now?"
"Perhaps…" Declan said slowly. "It's my turn! I draw!" Declan draws a card from his deck. "I Summon the Level 3 Tuner Monster, D/D Nighthowl!" Declan Normal Summons the Tuner Monster Card he just drew; D/D Nighthowl (ATK 300/DEF 600).
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise that Declan has a Tuner monster in his deck. "A Tuner monster…" Yasuko inhaled.
The You-Show students were utterly shocked by the Summon. At first, they thought that Declan was a Fusion summoner until he revealed to have a Tuner monster.
"What?!" Yuya gasped.
"No way!" Gongenzaka exclaimed.
Henrietta smirks with satisfaction. Her eyes move to Declan. "Perfect…Now the real show begins…" she said.
"When this card is normal summoned successfully, I can select one Level 4 or below "D/D" monster from my graveyard…and have its attack points reduced to zero," Declan explained. "I have decided to revive D/D Lilith!" A wormhole appears in front of Yasuko, and the female monster with a gorgon body comes out with all its ATK and DEF points reduced to zero.
(D/D Lilith: ATK 100 → 0/DEF 2100 → 0)
"I Tune my Level 3 D/D Nighthowl with my Level 4 D/D Lilith!" Declan declared. The two monsters make a run for the edge of the carrier and Nighthowl disperse into three rings to form around Lilith. The rings scan the monster, and it disappears with only four bright stars in between.
(3 + 4 = 7)
"Howl that cuts through the darkness…Become the first cry of the new King who obtained the speed of the game itself!" Declan chanted. "I Synchro Summon!TheLevel 7! D/D/D Gust King Alexander!" Declan Synchro Summons D/D/D Gust King Alexander (ATK 2500/DEF 2000). The rings bursts into a beam and out came a warrior with a sword wearing a green cape surrounded by a green aura.
Yasuko was staring at the Synchro monster with a stunned look on her face. "So… that's his Synchro Monster?" she inquired.
All the You-Show students and Gongenzaka watched as Declan successfully made a perfect Synchro Summon. "So, this guy can Synchro Summon too? I wonder what else that guy's been hiding." Gongenzaka commented.
"I'm not finished!" Declan announced. "I activate the Flame King Genghis' special effect!" The Flame King's orange aura suddenly turned purple even though the monster was frozen in ice. "When a D/D/D monster other than Flame King is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one "D/D" monster from my graveyard, and that's what I'll do!"
Yasuko narrows her eyes. "What?"
"Arise once again, D/D Lilith!" Declan proclaimed. He uses Flame King Genghis' special effect to Special Summon D/D Lilith (ATK 100/DEF 2100). The same Gorgon plant fiend appears through the wormhole on the field.
"And there's a further twist! D/D/D Gust King Alexander's special effect activates!" Declan stated. "When a "D/D" monster is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon another "D/D" monster from my graveyard! Be reborn, D/D Cerberus!" Declan uses Gust King Alexander's special effect to revive D/D Cerberus (ATK 1800/DEF 600).
From the Special Summon, Yasuko is growing more anxious with every Special Summon. Seeing a Fusion monster and a Synchro monster on the field is giving a dreaded feeling that Yasuko has never felt before in a while.
"Two Level 4 monsters…" Yasuko realized now what Declan was about to do next. "Don't tell me!? You're gonna do a…"
Satisfied with the answer, Declan smirks. "Yes, I intend to Overlay my Cerberus and Lilith," he confirms as he raised his hand high. "With these two monsters, I built the Overlay Network!" The two monsters dispersed into purple lights and combine their energy to the Overlay Network. "To reign over the entire world…Descend now and take what it is yours! I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! D/D/D Wave King Caesar!" From the Overlay Network is Declan's Xyz Monster; D/D/D Wave King Caesar (ATK 2400/DEF 2000), a giant blue armored monster with a glowing blue club. The monster flows behind Declan with all of the other "D/D/D" King monsters.
Yasuko keeps reminding herself to even her head and look at the monsters as a stepping stone to a bigger reward but seeing all three fearsome monsters is building the nervous feeling from the inside. "Okay," said Yasuko. "Now I'm officially screwed." There was no way to deny the monsters in front of her. Yasuko is outclassed by someone who can master all three Extra Deck Summoning techniques.
Declan adjusted his red glasses. "The title, "D/D/D" stands for… "Different Dimensions Demon."" Declan stated. "I should warn you that I have not even begun to unleash the full power of my monsters. The worst is yet to come."
Declan stared at Yasuko's eyes, and he could tell that his abilities may have cracked Yasuko's mental barrier. "Doesn't it sound terrifying that you are going to witness the kings who rule the Different Dimension?" Yasuko's mouth never spoke a word. She carefully examines the monsters that are on the field, knowing that the Duel is starting to get even harder.
"The true battle begins," Declan declared. "Battle! Since Flame King Genghis can't attack, my Gust King Alexander will do it for him!" He points at Yasuko's blue dragon on her field. "I attack Blizzard Dragon with my Gust King Alexander!" The green-caped silver monster rose up and prepares to slay the dragon.
Before it could slice the monster, the girl had prepared a counterattack to prevent that from happening. "I activate my Continuous Trap Card, Spiritual Swords of Revealing Light!" Yasuko declared, much to everyone's surprise as she activates the Continuous Trap card, Spiritual Swords of Revealing Light. "This trap card lets me pay 1000 life points to negate one of your attacks." Yasuko can feel the static electricity shocking her veins after paying her life points.
(Yasuko: LP 4000 → 3000)
The wind warlord attempts to slash at the blue dragon, but a bright sword illuminated from out of nowhere and clashed with the giant one, forcing the green-caped monster to retreat.
"That won't stop my other monster to attack!" Declan reminded. "Let's see if you can use that again when my Wave King Caesar attacks your dragon!" Declan ordered his monster to attack the blue dragon once more. The blue warlord charges before he leaps up and prepares to use the giant sword to slice the monster.
Like before Yasuko pays a toll of her life points to stop his monster from destroying her dragon. "Spiritual Swords let me pay another 1000 life points to negate your attack!" Yasuko uses her trap card to negate the attack like it did with Caesar but at the cost of her life points.
(Yasuko: LP 3000 → 2000)
Everyone was getting worried about Yasuko. She just made a risk of sacrificing her life points to negate every attacks Declan has made. The gap in their life points is vast. Any hope to take down Declan is rapidly dwindling.
"Oh man…" Tate said. "She just used almost half of her life points just to block one attack each."
"Her turn is coming, and she's already throwing away all of those life points just to negate each one of those attacks," Gongenzaka stated. "What was she thinking?"
"I can't believe Yasuko is now in a tight spot," Zuzu said worryingly. "Declan didn't even need to deal battle damage and yet her life points ever lower now."
Yuya gritted his teeth. He was feeling so much from the Duel. Angry. Anxious. Uncertain. He was thinking that having Yasuko Duel for him is a bad idea.
"I've accomplished everything I can do on this turn, and I end when I Set this card!" Declan Sets a card face-down, ending his turn.
Turn 4: Yasuko (3x cards)
Yasuko closed her eyes and let it all in. She thought that the Duel would be quick and easy, but the way Declan has dueled so far, it's clear that Declan is a lot harder to beat. He demonstrates perfect skills and strategic analysis. He also discerns the knowledge of Synchro, Xyz, and Fusion Summon all together in his turn. It's been a while since she faced such a strong opponent like Declan. "It's my turn now!" Yasuko proclaimed. "I draw!" She draws a card. Peeking at what she drew, Yasuko is certain that she draws out a card to even her odds against the three Extra Deck king monsters. "It seems to this guy isn't going down easily. Guess this means I need to cut loose," she thought.
"I admit, you're as good as everyone said you are, and I respect that…" When Yasuko opens her eyes, it shows how much seriousness they are. "But now, the gloves are coming off!"
"What?" Declan asked, confused.
"It's been three years since anyone has ever pushed me to make me do this," Yasuko stated. "So, I'm going to show you what me and my deck can really do!" Swiftly, Yasuko swipes down the card she drew on her duel disk. "I summon the Level 3 Turner Monster, Delta Flyer!" Yasuko Normal Summons Delta Flyer (ATK 1500/DEF 900). From the field is an olive, armless dragon with dragonfly wings and legs as some thrusters that appears on the field.
Upon her declaration, Declan suddenly caught off guard. His eyes widen, and mouth opened in shock. "A Tuner Monster?!" he gasped.
Everyone in the watch room and Shuzo from the control room all gasped suddenly.
"What? It's a Tuner Monster?!" Yuya inhaled.
"So that dragon's a Tuner Monster?!" Gongenzaka exclaimed.
"No way!" All the kids and the Leo Institute students chorused together.
"So, this girl has a Tuner Monster too?!" Sora added.
Zuzu was staring at Yasuko with a shocked look on her face. "Yasuko… is she going to Synchro Summon?" she wondered.
"Now, I tune my Level 3 Delta Flyer with my Level 4 Blizzard Dragon!" Yasuko declared. The olive dragon flies up along with the blue dragon. The smaller one disintegrates into three green rings that scan the blue dragon. The outlines disappear into four glowing orbs inside of the formation.
(3 + 4 = 7)
"Dragon of fire, come to the earth and blast away all of my enemies who stand before you! I Synchro Summon!" Yasuko chanted as the rings shoot a bright beam. "Rage on, Level 7! Exploder Dragonwing!" Yasuko chanted before she Synchro Summons Exploder Dragonwing (ATK 2400/DEF 1600). From the bright beam came a dark back-deformed violet red dragon with red-orange wings and flappy scales. Its forearms and calves are two times bigger than the limbs with sharp claws and orange tail. It roars like a king as it made its appearance known.
For the first time, everyone was shocked. Even Henrietta herself was taken back by Yasuko. She didn't expect the girl like her to be able to do an Extra Deck Summon. Nobody would suspect that a cynical girl like Yasuko to perform a perfect Synchro Summon. Their jaws are wide open.
The light from the sun shines down on the area and flares Yasuko's face. With the deformed dragon on her field, she looked seriously dangerous. "So…shall we begin?"
Alright, here is part one. I sure hope you must be excited just by reading this story so far, and yes, it's going to get more complicated from this point on. Anyways, for now on, I'm just gonna keep my tongue as I hate to give spoilers, but other than a few hints.
I know that you must be very curious right about now, but I will make this whole story better. Thanks for reading the first book so far. Stay tuned, and don't forget to review on what you think of this book so far.
