Duel 29: Brother and Sister In Need!

Hiroto's POV

My duel against Kazuto's older brother, Kurosaki Shun, ended in a near bloodshed as I was nearly taken out by Shun's ruthless attacks, only to be saved thanks to Kazuto forcing the duel to end in a draw. With Shun still angry for the loss of his two younger siblings, it was going to be harder to prove that I'm truly a comrade to him...

Now that I dueled him, though... I just don't know whether if it's right to make an opponent smile anymore if they were filled with hate and vengeance against the ones that tormented them. If Yusho-sensei was still here, then what would he say to me after my duel with Shun? Would he keep suggesting me to smile even in tough situations?

I just don't know what to do anymore... Yuto had promised that he would try to control Shun's actions, as his current actions scarred both me and Kazuto as he was turning LDS members into cards, just like how Academia did to the people of the Xyz Dimension.

But with the way I am right now... how could I fight against Academia when I nearly lost against an elite Xyz Duelist that fought against the Fusion Dimension more times than I did?

End POV


(Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 1: Believe X Believe (English Subbed))

(Pictures of Yuya reveals themselves, with different colors)

Believe X Believe Be-Be-Be-lieve Buddies!

(Two colors show two of Yuya's shadows while the other two shows Hiroto's)

Believe X Believe

(The Japanese opening title reveals itself; with two pendulums swinging across each other)

Believe x Believe

(Yuzu and Gongenzaka's picture reveals themselves)

Believe x Believe

(Yoko, Tatsuya, Ayu, Futoshi and Shuzo's pictures replace Yuzu and Gongenzaka's)

(YOU)! The strongest Card ain't winnin' or losin'

(Yuya prepares to duel with his Duel Disk; he summons Performapal Hip Hippo)

(YOU)! At FULLSPEED, my heart's a poundin' - On the game

(Yuya rides on his hippo, like he was in an Action Duel)

Dan Dan Dan Dan Done! Done! Done! Done!

(Performapal Whip Snake, Sword Fish, Skeeter Skimmer appears)

Dan Dan Dan Dan Done! Done! Done! Done!

(Performapal Turn Toad, Cheermole, and Kaleidoscorp appears)

Swing, ma-ma-mah mind!

(Yuya's pendant glows as he prepares to Pendulum Summon)

(Hiroto's pendant glows with Light End Dragon and Dark End Dragon besides him)

The Pendulum of Souls, The Ultimate Confusion

(A Pendulum Summon occurs, with Timegazer Magician and Stargazer Magician in the Pendulum Scale)

(Three monsters come out of the portal)

Impulses - Got it, got it

The game's so intense, it's a serious revolution

(Sawatari appears sneering while holding two cards)

(Reiji appears, adjusting his glasses)

(Hiroto blinks, with his pendant and his cards glowing)

(Yuya and Hiroto's monsters appear together)

(Just breakin' the wall...)

(Just breakin' the wall...)

(Yuya's Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon appears along with Hiroto's two dragons; Light End Dragon and Dark End Dragon)

(Yuya lands on his dragon, Hiroto floats with his two dragons)

Ride on now

Believe x Believe

Everybody's goin' ta break down that wall

(Yuya rides on Odd-Eyes, as Hiroto flies with his two dragons, along with Twilight End Xyz Dragon, the dragon he rides on)

(Hippo Carnival and Scapegoat has been activated)

You're gonna beat, beat it

Let's race towards an infinite future without hesitatin'

(Scapegoat Token cheers for Hiroto as the Hippo Tokens blows kisses towards Yuya)

Make it, Make it, Show your courage (Break it now)

(Yuzu and Gongenzaka offer hands together)

Step ahead! Let's take a step forward (Do it now)

(Sora, Futoshi, Tatsuya, and Ayu jumps up together)

Here comes the fun part! So, everyone, be a Believer!

(Yuya and Odd-Eyes run on a rainbow, with Hiroto, Light End Dragon, Dark End Dragon, Twilight End Xyz Dragon flying together)

Believe X Be-Be-Be-Believe Buddies!

(Yuzu, Gongenzaka, Shuzo, Sora, Tatsuya, Ayu, Futoshi's pictures appear)

(Yuya and Hiroto leads their friends in front of You Show Duel School)

[Opening Ends]


"Just how did this happen to him?" Yuya asked worriedly with a frown on his face. He had arrived at the hospital when he heard Hiroto there, as he heard about the Synchro-Xyz Duelist being brutally beaten up after a Duel with some crazy Duelist as he and the others rushed to the hospital to check up on Hiroto.

"It occurred after when he disappeared from my bracelet again..." Yuzu said as she looked at her bracelet with a frown on her face. "Hiroto-niichan..." Ayu said in worry as Tatsuya and Futoshi were worried for their friend as well.

"Will he be alright? He looks very hurt..." Futoshi asked as Tatsuya folded his arms with a frown. "If Hiroto-niichan's lucky, then he should be able to recover enough to enter the Maiami Championships..." Tatsuya said as Gongenzaka placed his big hands on both Tatsuya and Futoshi's shoulders with a determined look on his face.

"You two do not need to worry! This is Hiroto we're talking about, correct? From the way I saw him, I, the man Gongenzaka, can see that he will recover fast enough to be standing on his feet again to continue on dueling!" Gongenzaka said confidently as Yuya sheepishly smiled at his rival speaking for Hiroto.

"If Hiroto were to hear you saying that, he would probably be embarrassed, Gongenzaka..." Yuya said sheepishly as Yuzu gave a sad smile as well. She looked back to where Hiroto was lying on the hospital bed, with bandages wrapped around his chest and arm, due to the injuries he gained from his duel against Shun.

"Am I the reason why he's hurt like that...?" Yuzu asked as Yuya turned to her before he shook his head.

"No... It's not your fault, Yuzu. I'm sure Hiroto would also think that way, too. He wouldn't blame you for the mess that he got caught up in." Yuya said as the Melodious Duelist gave a face like she was going to protest. "But-!" Yuzu started to say until the Entertainment Duelist gave a serious look to her.

"Trust in Hiroto. He will be fine after a bit of rest. The doctors said so, didn't they?" Yuya said seriously as the Melodious Duelist frowned, before she nodded in agreement. "Yeah..." Yuzu said as she sighed, before she looked back to where the Synchro-Xyz Duelist was sleeping in the hospital bed.

Yuya also looked back and frowned. "Hope you stay well, Hiroto..." Yuya said silently.

Later...

The You Show Duel students left, leaving the Synchro-Xyz Duelist alone on the bed, recovering from his injuries as he groaned silently before he opened his eyes slowly to see himself in a hospital room. "Where... am I?" Hiroto groaned as he managed to sit up as Kazuto floated next to him.

"Looks like we're in the hospital room. Someone must've brought us here for medical attention..." Kazuto said as the Synchro-Xyz Duelist turned to his young Xyz friend. "Medical... attention? Oh yeah..." Hiroto started as he remembered on why he was here.

Recalling his duel against Kurosaki Shun left the Synchro-Xyz Duelist to grit his teeth in frustration, as he soon realized he had failed to convince the Raidraptor Duelist that he was not an enemy, hit a comrade to his younger brother, even when Kazuto came out to him several times.

"Kurosaki Shun... That older brother of yours was really merciless... Merciless like a falcon hunting for prey... Even Yuto couldn't stop him from going berserk on us when he saw your Deck..." Hiroto said darkly as the Scar Lion user narrowed his eyes with having sadness and bitterness in his eyes.

"Yeah..." Kazuto agreed sadly as Hiroto lied down, looking up at the ceiling.

"Was your brother always like that, or was this the first that you saw him like that?" Hiroto asked as the Scar Lion user smiled, before he shook his head in denial, as he answered Hiroto's question. "No... Nii-san was rather a nice Duelist who liked seeing other kids smile. He was the kind of guy who dueled for fun." Kazuto explained.

The statement left the Synchro-Xyz Duelist surprised as the Scar Lion user continued on with the story, as he thought back the time when he and his brother dueled at Heartland, with Ruri being involved in the duel.

Flashback

"Go! I attack you directly with Revolution Falcon! Revolutionary Air Raid!" Shun yelled as his Rank 6 Xyz Monster defeated his opponent, knocking him away! "No way!" The opponent yelled as he was defeated from the last attack, ending the duel.

Opponent LP 0 x0

WIN: Shun

As the children watched to see the duel end, they all cheered to see that the Raidraptor Duelist had won as they all ran over to him. "Wow! That's amazing, Kurosaki-san!" One of the children cried out in both amazement and joy. "Your opponent had that coming!" One of the other kids exclaimed happily.

At seeing the children crowd around him, Shun smiled, as he laughed at the children complimenting him for his dueling skills with the duel he had won just now. "Thank you... Would you all like to duel like that someday?" Shun asked as the children all let out a loud "YES!" answer, causing the Raidraptor Duelist to laugh again.

Distance away, Kazuto was watching to see his brother being idolized by the children who had watched his duel just now. He sighed, wishing one day that he would be praised like that as he felt someone tapping onto his shoulder.

He turned to see who it was, only to see a sweet smile from his older sister, Kurosaki Ruri. "Is something wrong, little brother?" Ruri asked as the Scar Lion sheepishly smiled before he explained. "You see those children over there, Ruri-neechan? They're praising nii-san like he's some sort of celebrity..." Kazuto explained with a sigh.

"Well, of course! Your brother is one of the strongest Duelist in our Duel School, remember? That goes for you and Yuto, too!" Ruri explained as the little brother looked at her sister with surprused look. "You think... I'm one of the strongest Duelist, nee-chan?" Kazuto asked, causing Ruri to giggle again.

"Of course! Even if you may not be as strong as your brother, your talent as a Duelist and passion for your monsters is what counts! You believe in your Deck, which is what makes me believe that you're strong." Ruri said comfortingly, earning a sad smile from her little brother as the Scar Lion user sighed.

"Thanks, nee-chan... I guess I really needed to hear that, especially since I'm feeling kind of envious for nii-san." Kazuto said, sighing as Ruri smiled as she looked to see her older brother teaching the kids the basic ways of dueling.

Looking back at him and his little brother, an idea popped up into her head as she made a suggestion to her little brother. "If you want to be as strong as your brother, then why don't you duel him?" Ruri asked, catching Kazuto by surprise. "You mean, as a brother duel with those children watching?" Kazuto asked.

"Mm hm! You haven't dueled him in a while, so I think it would be a good idea for you to see how much your skills have changed since the last time you dueled him. Maybe there's a slight chance that you could defeat him for once and take the children's attention away from him!" Ruri said mischievously.

Liking his sister's idea, the Scar Lion user shot up as he stood up straight. "ALRIGHT! I'll do it!" Kazuto yelled out as he turned to his sister for some assistance. "But... could you come with me as well? I'm kind of... nervous to face nii-san alone..." Kazuto said nervously as his cool part disappeared.

The sudden change of her little brother's personality caused Ruri to giggle as she nodded in agreement. "Sure." Ruri said as she accompanied her little brother to confront the Raidraptor Duelist.

Once they got to him, Shun noticed them coming as he approached his two siblings with a small smile on his face. "Kazuto? Ruri? What is it?" Shun asked as Kazuto turned to his older sister, who nodded to him. The Scar Lion user nodded back as he cleared his throat before he made the request to his older brother.

"Nii-san, please duel with me!" Kazuto said quickly, catching his older brother by surprise. The kids were also surprised to hear their celebrity's younger brother making a duel request to him.

"A duel? And your reason is...?" Shun asked as the Scar Lion stuttered to explain, causing her older sister to back up for him. "He wants to see how much stronger he got in dueling ever since the last he fought against you. Since you're being adored by the kids here, he wants to test his strength against you, nii-san." Ruri explained.

Understanding now, the Raidraptor Duelist smiled before he agreed to the request, until he made one condition for their duel.

"Alright... I'll accept your duel challenge. But... it won't be just you and me, little brother." Shun said as this surprised Kazuto, while briefly surprising Ruri as well. "What do you mean?" Kazuto asked as the kids watched as their celebrity explained the condition.

"It's been a while since I've dueled against you and your older sister. So, because of that... why don't we make this a Battle Royale Duel? You and me are going to duel, with your sister being involved in this duel as well." Shun explained, as this condition surprised his younger siblings as Ruri sighed at her brother's words.

"I thought this was supposed to be you accepting Kazuto's challenge, nii-san..." Ruri said, until one of the kids agreed to the Battle Royale Challenge. "I'd like to see you duel, onee-chan!" The young boy cried out as this caused the other kids to agree with this battle, causing Ruri and Kazuto to blink before they smiled together.

Glancing at each other knowingly, they turned to their older brother as Ruri stepped in. "Alright then. I'll join the duel, nii-san. This might as well be our first family duel, correct?" Ruri asked as Shun nodded, as both his sister and brother took out their Duel Disks.

Then, the three Kurosaki siblings distanced themselves from each other to prepare for a three way battle. With their Duel Disks set and on and the cards in the Deck, their Battle Royale began.

"DUEL!"

Kazuto LP 4000 x5

VS

Ruri LP 4000 x5

VS

Shun LP 4000 x5

TURN 01

"As the youngest, the first turn goes to me! My turn!" Kazuto called as he looked at the cards in his hand.

"From my hand, I activate the Continuous Spell, Scar Lion Tribe Force! Once per turn, with this card's effect, I can discard one card from my hand to Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Scar Lion monster from my Deck!" Kazuto explained as he activated his Spell's effect to make his first Summon.

"So, with this card's effect, I'll discard Scar Lion - Kula (1200/1300) to Special Summon Scar Lion Apprentice (1300/0800)!" Kazuto cried out as the young apprentice lion swordsman appeared for battle.

"Next, I Normal Summon Scar Lion - Nuka (1900/1000) in attack mode!" Kazuto called as the rogue lion roared, hungry for battle. Shun narrowed his eyes, noticing the similarities between his brother's monsters on the field.

"Two Level 4 monsters..." Shun said as one of the kids noticed this, too. "It's coming! That Scar Lion Xyz Monster!" A girl cried out as some of the kids began to cheer for Kazuto, as the youngest Kurosaki member called for his ace monster. "I Overlay my Level 4 Scar Lion Apprentice and Nuka!" Kazuto called as the two monsters merged together in the Overlay Network.

"With fangs like a lion, and the power of a dragon! Roar to all those that defy your intimidating power! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 4! Scar Lion Xyz Dragon (2500/2000)!" chanted Kazuto as his ace monster appeared first, causing the kids to awe at the monster the Scar Lion summoned out.

Ruri smiled, seeing how her younger brother summoned his Xyz Monster right off the bat with his usual combo. "Next, I'll set two cards facedown and end my turn!" Kazuto called as he passed the turn to his sister.

TURN 02

Ruri LP 4000 x6

"My turn!" Ruri called as she drew her card before she gave some thoughts for her first move. Then, with a strategy in mind, she began her move, before giving a small glance at her little and older brother.

"From my hand, I Summon Lyrical Luscinia - Cobalt Sparrow (0000/0000)!" Ruri cried as a young female sparrow appeared, as some of the girls were ecstatic to see the young sparrow. The female Kurosaki member wasn't done yet as she had a few more tricks up on her sleeve with her Level 1 monster.

"Next, when I have a Lyrical Luscinia monster that's not a Sapphire Swallow (0100/0000) on the field, I can Special Summon a Level 1 Lyrical Luscinia from my hand along with Sapphire Swallow! Come forth! Sapphire Swallow! And my second Cobalt Sparrow!" Ruri cried out as she called forth two more Lyrical Luscinia monsters.

"When Cobalt Sparrow is Special Summoned, I can add a third Cobalt Sparrow from my Deck to my hand and Special Summon it along with a second Sapphire Swallow from my hand!" Ruri called as the third Cobalt and the second Sapphire monster appeared to join their three other feathered comrades.

"That's so cool! She has all five monsters on the field!" The young girl cried out as one of the boys knew what this meant. "All of her monsters are the same level! This could mean..." The boy started as Ruri made the action for him!

"That's correct! Now, I Overlay my three Level 1 Cobalt Sparrow with my Sapphire Swallow!" Ruri cried out as the five Lyrical Luscinia monsters merged together in the Overlay Network.

"Bird with beautiful wings! Come and nobly shine on the battlefield! Xyz Summon! Dance in the sky! Rank 1! Lyrical Luscinia - Assembly Nightingale (0000/0000)!" chanted Ruri as her ace monster appeared on the field, to be alongside with Scar Lion Xyz Dragon as the girls were in awe while the boys were dumbfounded.

"There it is... Nee-chan's ace monster..." Kazuto whispered out as her sister reminded him and his brother about her monster's Summoning effect.

"Assembly Nightingale gains 100 ATK for every Overlay Unit attached to it! There are five Overlay Units, giving it a total of 500 ATK points!" Ruri called out as her monster powered up, thanks to the sparrows that were used to Summon it!

(Lyrical Luscinia - Assembly Nightingale ATK: 0 to 500)

"I set one card facedown and end my turn!" Ruri called as she passed the turn to her eldest brother, who got ready to face his younger siblings' monsters.

TURN 03

Shun LP 4000 x6

"My turn!" Shun called as he drew his card, which caused the young kids to cheer for the Raidraptor Duelist. "You can do it, Kurosaki-san!" "Show us your dueling skills!" The kids cried out, causing Kazuto to pout as he didn't get as many cheers as his older brother did as the eldest Kurosaki member chuckled.

"From my hand, I Summon Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (1300/1600)!" Shun called as his main monster appeared first, allowing the Duelist to activate its special ability.

"When this monster is Summoned to the field, I can Special Summon another Vanishing Lanius to the field! The Retrofit Lanius (0800/1200) in my hand can count as any Raidraptor monster that is needed to Summon to the field! So, with Vanishing Lanius' effect, I Special Summon Retrofit Lanius to the field!" Shun explained.

A different Raidraptor monster took place in the battle as Shun continued on with his moves to Summon his ace monster.

"Also, Retrofit Lanius can count as two Xyz Materials for a Raidraptor Xyz Monster! With Level 4 Vanishing Lanius and Retrofit Lanius, I Overlay!" Shun called as his two raptors merged in the Overlay Network, causing both Ruri and Kazuto to prepare themselves for the Xyz Monster they knew.

"Obscured falcon, raise your sharpened talons in front of adversity, spread your wings of rebellion! Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 4! Raidraptor - Rise Falcon (0100/2000)!" Shun cried as the Rank 4 Xyz Monster appeared on the battlefield.

"Rise Falcon... This is nii-san's ace monster." Kazuto whispered out as his brother wasn't done yet. "This is just the beginning, you two! I activate Rank-Up-Magic: Raid Force from my hand!" Shun cried as this surprised the two as they weren't expecting a Rank Up this early in the duel.

"Using this card and a Raidraptor Xyz Monster I control as Material, I Xyz Summon a Raidraptor that's one Rank higher!" Shun cried as Rise Falcon merged itself in the Overlay Network once more to call forth yet another familiar Xyz Monster.

"Ferocious falcon. Break through this fierce battle and spread your wings! Destroy our gathering foes! Rank Up: Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 5! Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon (1000/2000)!" Shun chanted as his Blaze Falcon appeared in place of Rise Falcon.

This made the kids even more awed while leaving Ruri and Kazuto bewildered as their eldest brother smirked, as he knew on how to deal with his sibling's monsters in his first turn.

"Blaze Falcon's effect activates! Once per turn, by using one Overlay Unit, it can destroy all Special Summoned monsters on the opponent's side of the field, dealing 500 points of damage for each of them!" Shun explained as the Falcon shot missiles at Scar Lion and Assembly Nightingale, forcing the younger siblings to defend their monsters.

(Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon OU: 3 to 2)

"I activate Assembly Nightingale's effect! By using one Overlay Unit, I negate Assembly Nightingale's destruction by battle or card effect!" Ruri cried as a glowing barrier appeared to block the small missiles, as Kazuto defended his monster as well.

(Lyrical Luscinia - Assembly Nightingale OU: 5 to 4)

(Lyrical Luscinia - Assembly Nightingale ATK: 500 to 400)

"Continuous Trap, activate! Xyz Veil! As long as my monsters have Overlay Units, they can't be targeted by card effects from the opponent's side of the field!" Kazuto cried out as the explosion occurred, only to leave Nightingale and Scar Lion unscathed by the damage, as this amused Shun a little.

"Not bad... I set one card facedown and end my turn!" Shun called as the true battle began between the three Kurosaki siblings.

TURN 04

Kazuto LP 4000 x2

"My turn!" Kazuto called as he drew his card. Looking between his two older siblings, he knew one thing about their monsters as he gave some thought on who to target first for the battle.

"Ruri-neechan's Nightingale can negate any destruction by using one Overlay Unit, and it can turn all damage to 0... Nii-san's Blaze Falcon on the other hand, could be dangerous if it stays on the field since it still has Overlay Units... So, the correct response for the first battle would be..." Kazuto thought as he turned to his brother.

Noticing his brother's turning to him, the Raidraptor Duelist prepared himself as Kazuto entered the Battle Phase. "Battle! I attack Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon with Scar Lion Xyz Dragon! Scar Fang Pride Slash!" Kazuto yelled as his ace monster aimed to strike Blaze Falcon down.

That was, until Shun decided to counter his brother's attack with his Trap Card on the field. "I activate my Trap! Adversity! With this card's effect, Blaze Falcon isn't destroyed and I take no Battle Damage! Furthermore, it gives Blaze Falcon an extra 1000 ATK points!" Shun called as his Trap defended himself and his Xyz Monster.

(Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon ATK: 1000 to 2000)

The kids were awed at this combo, as Kazuto smirked. "Is that so? I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, Rank-Up-Magic: Pride Force from the field!" Kazuto called as his own Rank-Up-Magic card appeared to evolve his ace monster. Both Ruri and Kazuto watched as Kazuto prepared to Summon his stronger monster in battle.

"I can only activate this card during the Battle Phase! When a Scar Lion Xyz Monster's attack is negated this turn, I can use this card and a Scar Lion Xyz Monster as materials to Summon a Scar Lion monster that's one Rank higher!" Kazuto explained as this surprised his two older siblings.

"What!? Kazuto has a Rank-Up-Magic card!?" Shun gasped as Ruri went speechless.

"Eyes like a savage lion! With the power and strength you have, make all your enemies repent with your intimidating roar! Rank Up: Xyz Change! Come forth! Rank 5! Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon (3000/2500)!" chanted Kazuto as his ace monster grew into a more stronger Scar Lion monster as it roared with pride.

While some of the boys were amazed with the new monster, some girls were scared as they thought that this monster was even scarier than the normal Scar Lion Xyz Dragon.

Noticing this, Ruri frowned as Shun glanced back at her little brother. She knew how determined Kazuto was, wanting to defeat his older brother, but with the way he was going, this wasn't making all of the kids smile at all! Shun watched as the Rank 5 Scar Lion monster growled at him and Blaze Falcon.

"The battle continues on! I attack Blaze Falcon with Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon! Chaos Crushing Fang!" Kazuto yelled as Blaze Falcon took the hit this time, causing Shun to wince as he felt the shockwaves nearly knock him down as he was amazed with how much power his little brother was giving off.

Shun LP 3000 x2

"Ah! Kurosaki-san's Life Points is...!" One girl cried out in worry as the boys assured her that it will be fine. "Don't worry! Kurosaki-san isn't going to lose that easily, especially against his little brother!" One cocky boy cried out, which ticked Kazuto off as he gave a small glare at the cocky boy that seemed to have insulted him.

"I... set one card facedown and end my turn." Kazuto said as he passed the turn to his sister.

TURN 05

Ruri LP 4000 x3

"My turn!" Ruri cried as she saw how open her brother was. "There are no monsters on nii-san's field now, thanks to Kazuto... This is my chance!" Ruri thought as she made her move to fight against her elder brother.

"Battle! I attack nii-san directly with Assembly Nightingale! Due to having four Overlay Units, Assembly Nightingale can attack four times!" Ruri cried as her Xyz Monster flew up in the air before it blew a strong, sharp wind at Shun, causing him to take damage!

Shun LP 2600 x2

"The second attack!" Assembly Nightingale blew another sharp wind, catching Shun off guard.

Shun LP 2200 x2

"The third attack!"

Shun LP 1800 x2

"The fourth attack!"

Shun LP 1400 x2

With the attacks he took multiple times, the eldest Kurosaki member fell on one knee, smirking in amusement to see that his younger siblings are ganging up against him. The kids grew even more worried on the other hand, as Ruri wasn't done yet.

"I'm not done yet! When a Lyrical Luscinia inflicts battle damage against an opponent, I can activate this! Quick-Play Spell Card: Lyrical Luscinia - Bird Song! With this card's effect, I can Special Summon a Level 1 monster in defense mode! Come forth! Lyrical Luscinia - Turquoise Warbler (0000/0000)!" Ruri cried out.

A young warbler appeared alongside Nightingale as its effect was activated. "And when this monster is Special Summoned to the field, I can Special Summon a Level 1 Lyrical Luscinia monster from my hand! Come forth! Sapphire Swallow!" Ruri cried out as her third Sapphire Swallow appeared for battle.

With her battle ending, the Lyrical Luscinia user turned to her two Level 1 monsters for another Xyz Summon!

"And with this, I Overlay my Level 1 Turquoise Warbler with my Level 1 Sapphire Swallow!" Ruri called as the two monsters merged in the Overlay Network for a new monster!

"Sing in the night, with the stars guiding your voice! Dance in the air as you show your true form! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 1! Lyrical Luscinia - Recite Starling (0000/0000)!" Ruri cried out as a new Rank 1 Xyz Monster appeared besides Assembly Nightingale.

"At this moment, when Recite Starling is Xyz Summoned, it can give a Lyrical Luscinia monster 300 ATK and DEF for every Overlay Unit it has right now! I choose Assembly Nightingale! Since Starling has two Overlay Units, Assembly Nightingale gains 600 ATK points!" Ruri called as her ace was powered up by Recite Starling.

(Lyrical Luscinia - Assembly Nightingale ATK: 400 to 1000 / DEF: 400 to 1000)

"With this, I end my turn." Ruri said as she passed the turn to her eldest brother.

TURN 06

Shun LP 1400 x3

"Tch... You two are my youngest siblings, yet you're aiming for me? What a riot you two are... My turn!" Shun said playfully as he drew his card to make his move. "From my hand, I activate Rank-Up-Magic: Soul Shave Force! By paying half of my Life Points, I can Special Summon one Raidraptor Xyz Monster from my Graveyard, and use that monster to Xyz Summon!" Shun cried out.

Shun LP 700 x2

"What did you say!?" Kazuto said in shock as Ruri just watched to see her brother summoning another Xyz Monster, by using Rise Falcon as the Overlay Unit!

"Prideful falcon. Spread your wings, dyed in the blood of heroes, and charge through the path of revolution! Rank Up: Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 6! Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon (2000/3000)!" chanted Shun as his Rank 6 monster appeared to take the kids' attention and some other people that took notice of the duel.

"Revolution... Falcon... At this moment, Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon's effect activates! By using one Overlay Unit, it can gain the ATK of one Special Summoned monster on my opponent's side of the field that's been summoned from the Extra Deck until the End Phase!" Kazuto said as he recognized the monster that defeated Shun's previous opponent just now.

(Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon OU: 3 to 2)

(Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon ATK: 3000 to 5000)

"That effect won't help you now, little brother!" Shun called out, bewildering the young Scar Lion user. As he could only watch in bewilderness, his older brother turned to Revolution Falcon to activate its effect.

"Revolution Falcon's effect activates! When this monster is Xyz Summoned by Ranking up a Raidraptor Xyz Monster, I can destroy one Special Summoned monster my opponent controls, and deal damage to half of that monster's ATK!" Shun called out, surprising both Ruri and Kazuto as they knew which of them could be going down.

Turning to Kazuto's Rank 5 Xyz Monster, he pointed to Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon with his choice. "And of course, the monster that I choose to destroy... is Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon!" Shun called out until Kazuto piped up in protest, reminding his brother of his Continuous Trap's effect.

"But you can't! As long as Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon has Overlay Units, thanks to Xyz Veil's effect, he can't be targeted by your card effects!" Kazuto called out until Shun countered with another card in his hand. "Quick-Play Spell Card, Mystical Space Typhoon, activate! Xyz Veil is now destroyed, making your protection useless!" Shun called out.

Kazuto could only watch in horror to see his Trap destroyed as Revolution Falcon rose up to demolish his Dragon. "Go! Revolution Falcon! Revolutionary Air Raid!" Shun yelled as missiles began to drop down towards Scar Lion until Kazuto countered to protect his evolved ace monster.

"I won't let you! I activate a Trap! Pride Sacrifice! By paying half of my Life Points and sending my whole hand to the Graveyard, I can negate Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon's destruction in this turn!" Kazuto called as his hand was sent to the Graveyard as he paid the price to defend his strongest monster on the field.

Kazuto LP 2000 x0

"Big mistake! Did you forget that when Revolution Falcon attacks, all Special Summoned monsters it battles has their ATK dropped to 0? Go! Revolution Falcon! Attack Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon!" Shun yelled as his monster once again attempted to destroy Scar Lion as Ruri watched in horror to see her brother targeted again.

(Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon ATK: 5000 to 0)

"Kazuto doesn't have any more cards in his hand! If this attack goes through, then he will lose!" Ruri thought in worry until Kazuto made one more move to defend himself and his Dragon.

"Pride Sacrifice's second effect activates from the Graveyard! By banishing it and paying 800 Life Points, I can make all Battle Damage cut in half and prevent any Scar Lion monsters from being destroyed by card effects or battle this turn!" Kazuto called as a barrier formed once again, taking some of Kazuto's Life Points in the process.

Kazuto LP 200 x0

Everyone watching the duel were awed to see Kazuto defending his Dragon while sacrificing a huge amount of Life Points he had. The kids were amazed too as they watched Kazuto like he was some sort of dragon hero. Ruri was amazed too, to see that her little brother would go all the way to protect his ace monster from his opponents.

Shun on the other hand, only smiled as he knew that with his love of lions, it wasn't surprising that his little brother would go all the way to defend his evolved ace monster from his assaults.

"I set one card facedown and end my turn. At this moment, Revolution Falcon's effect ends, returning Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon's ATK to normal. Now... Come, little brother!" Shun said as he passed his turn to his little brother, who smirked at the challenge the Raidraptor Duelist was giving.

(Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon ATK: 0 to 3000)

TURN 07

Kazuto LP 200 x1

"Here I come, nii-san! Nee-chan! My TURN!" Kazuto cried as he drew his card. Then, knowing what to do next, he made his move by using the last card in his hand to support his Dragon.

"From my hand, I activate the Equip Spell Card, Pacifist Supreme Wings! I equip this card to Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon!" Kazuto called out as he played a Spell no one has ever seen before. The wings that were given to Scar Lion were like dragon wings, but more peaceful and soothing asot gave off a soothing aura to those that were watching the duel.

"What is that card? I've never seen a card like that or see Kazuto play something like that before..." Shun thought as Kazuto continued on with his turn. "Battle! I attack Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon with Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon! Chaos Crushing Fang!" Kazuto yelled as this confused both Ruri and Shun.

"What!? But when any Special Summoned monster battles Revolution Falcon, then that monster's ATK will be 0! What is Kazuto thinking!?" Ruri said in surprise as Shun braced himself, believing that his brother had something planned to attack his monster like this, when he was well aware of the situation.

"I don't know what you're thinking, little brother, but when a Special Summoned monster attacks Revolution Falcon, that monster's ATK will be-" Shun started until Kazuto interrupted with a small mischievous grin on his face.

"I won't let that happen, nii-san! When a monster equipped with Pacifist Supreme Wings attack, the monster it battles is negated, costing Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon to lose 500 ATK points!" Kazuto cried out, shocking Shun as he realized that this meant Revolution Falcon's effect is useless against his brother's monster.

(Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon ATK: 3000 to 2500)

The battle resumed, with Revolution Falcon ending up destroyed! The Raidraptor Duelist stood ground to prevent himself from being blown away by the shockwave of the attack!

Shun LP 200 x0

But just as the attack was done, Shun revealed his last trump card to play! "This duel isn't over yet, little brother! Quick-Play Spell Card: Rank-Up-Magic: Doom Double Force, activate!" Shun yelled as another Rank-Up-Magic Spell Card revealed itself, surprising both Kazuto and Ruri!

"When an Xyz Monster on my side of the field is destroyed, I can Special Summon that monster and Xyz Summon a Raidraptor monster with twice the rank of that monster!" Shun called, bewildering Kazuto as he took a step back in surprise. "What!? Revolution Falcon's Rank is 6... That means..." Kazuto started as Ruri knew way this meant.

"A Rank 12 Xyz Monster..." Ruri said as the kids cheered every louder, as they were excited to see what this duel could show! A new monster was about to be summoned as Revolution Falcon was sent to be reconstructed by the Overlay Network.

"Falcon of my soul! With unwavering beliefs and a compassionate deep love, become the robust final fortress and descend! Rank Up: Xyz Change! Come forth! Rank 12! Raidraptor - Final Fortress Falcon (3800/2800)!" chanted Shun as he called forth his strongest Xyz Monster in his Extra Deck.

Everyone that was watching the duel were in awe to see an Xyz Monster that was giant, and a Rank 12 at the same time! Kazuto gulped before he finished his turn, knowing that he was out of options now. "I... end my turn." Kazuto said as he passed the turn to his sister.

Even if he were to activate Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon's effect now, it would only last until the End Phase.

TURN 08

Ruri LP 4000 x1

"My turn!" Ruri cried as she drew her card. She looked at both her brothers, seeing how they have no cards in their hand, only to have their ace monsters on the field. Not only that, but they each only had 200 Life Points. If she were to attack them both directly with Assembly Nightingale, then she would win.

But Shun's last facedown card was a worry as she knew that if couldn't be trouble if Shun were to stay in the duel.

"Battle! I attack you directly with Assembly Nightingale, nii-san!" Ruri cried as her Rank 1 Xyz Monster blew a strong, painful wind towards Shun, only for Shun to counter it with his last facedown card!

"You're naive, Ruri! Trap, activate! Raidraptor - Readiness! When this Trap is activated, all Raidraptor monsters can't be destroyed by battle this turn!" Shun called as this confused the little sister as she frowned at the flaw of the countermove.

"Hold on! The target that I'm attacking isn't a monster, but you, nii-san! Just what are you planning to do!?" Ruri said in surprise as Kazuto knew the reason. "Readiness can also be activated from the Graveyard, which could be banished to make his Life Points 10 and turn all damage this turn to 0!" Kazuto said in shock.

Ruri widened her eyes as Shun smirked, before his Trap did so, protecting him from elimination of the Battle Royale Duel.

Shun LP 10 x0

Seeing herself cornered despite the LP advantage, the little sister gritted her teeth a little in frustration and finished her turn. "I... end my turn..." Ruri said as she passed the turn to her elder brother.

TURN 09

Shun LP 10 x1

"This is the end, you two! My turn!" Shun called as he drew his card before he played his last card to end the duel. "First, I activate the Equip Spell Card, Raptor's Ultimate Mace! With this card's effect, Final Fortress Falcon gains an additional 1000 ATK points!" Shun called out as his monster was boosted by the Spell's effect.

(Raidraptor - Final Fortress Falcon ATK: 3800 to 4800)

"4800 ATK!?" Kazuto exclaimed in shock as Shun wasn't done yet. "This is just the beginning! Final Fortress Falcon's effect activates! By using all of its Overlay Units, it can attack every time for each Raidraptor Xyz Monster I vanish from my Graveyard!" Shun called as the Falcon prepared to attack.

(Raidraptor - Final Fortress Falcon OU: 1 to 0)

"Battle! I attack Scar Lion Chaos Xyz Dragon with Final Fortress Falcon!" Shun yelled as the Rank 12 Xyz Monster shot multiple missiles to blast the Rank 5 Scar Lion monster out, eliminating Kazuto from the duel! "NO WAY!" Kazuto yelled as he was blown away by Final Fortress Falcon's attack.

Kazuto LP 0 x0

"Final Fortress Falcon's effect activates! By banishing Rise Falcon from the Graveyard, it can attack again! The next target for battle is... Lyrical Luscinia - Recite Starling!" Shun called as the missiles were shot at Recite Starling this time! This caused Ruri to quickly and desperately use her ace monster's powers.

"Assembly Nightingale's effect activates! Once per turn, by using one Overlay Unit, it can turn Battle Damage to 0!" Ruri cried as Nightingale shielded her from the damage costing Recite Starling's existence as she was destroyed in the process.

(Lyrical Luscinia - Assembly Nightingale OU: 4 to 3)

(Lyrical Luscinia - Assembly Nightingale ATK: 400 to 300)

"Final Fortress Falcon's effect activates again! This time, by banishing Blaze Falcon from the Graveyard, it can attack again! Go! Attack Assembly Nightingale!" Shun roared as his monster shot more missiles at Assembly Nightingale, forcing Ruri to use its effect once again.

"Assembly Nightingale's effect activates again! By using one Overlay Unit, it can prevent itself from being destroyed in battle or by card effect!" Ruri cried out as another shield formed around the Xyz Monster, leaving Ruri vulnerable in the process!

(Lyrical Luscinia - Assembly Nightingale OU: 3 to 2)

(Lyrical Luscinia - Assembly Nightingale ATK: 300 to 200)

"But you still take damage!" Shun called as Ruri played another card to save herself! "I activate a Trap! Half Unbreak! With this Trap's effect, Assembly Nightingale can't be destroyed by battle, and the Battle Damage is cut in half!" Ruri called as a bubble cyclone weakened Final Fortress Falcon's attack!

Ruri LP 1750 x0

The Lyrical Luscinia user sighed in relief until Shun smirked, as he gave his sister a reminder of his monster's effect. "It's too early to relax, Ruri! I still have one more Xyz Monster in my Graveyard!" Shun pointed out, causing Ruri to widen her eyes in shock again as the kids watched to see the final attack unfold.

"Final Fortress Falcon's effect activates once more! By banishing Revolution Falcon from the Graveyard, it can attack once again! Go! Attack Assembly Nightingale once more!" Shun yelled as Ruri could only watch. She had no other way to counter or negate the attack as she frowned, accepting her defeat.

With Assembly Nightingale destroyed, the duel was soon over, with Shun being the victor once more!

Ruri LP 0 x0

WIN: Shun

Both Ruri and Kazuto groaned in frustration, seeing that they have lost against their older brother, who they almost beat together, despite of the duel earlier being a Battle Royale Duel. "Aw, come on! We lost! And we were so close, too..." Kazuto said, complaining as he watched to see the kids congratulating his brother for another win.

Ruri only smiled sheepishly at her little brother's frustration as she stood back up. "Well, that's to be expected of your brother, isn't it? Even if he is caught in a corner, he always finds a way to break through and make the win as a true Duelist." Ruri said as she watched to see the kids complimenting Shun for his win against his siblings.

Seeing the kids smiling and having fun from watching the duel's result caused the young Scar Lion user to soften his face expression and sigh. "Yeah... I guess that's true..." Kazuto said as the day passed by.

Flashback End

"That was the mostly one of the times when nii-san smiled while dueling. Our Battle Royale duel caused the kids at Heartland to smile, while making nii-san smile as well." Kazuto said, as he sighed, having a good memory of his peaceful days at the Xyz Dimension.

"I see... That must've been quite fun for you, even if it was a loss for you and your sister." Hiroto said with a weak smile, as the Scar Lion user nodded in confirmation. "It sure was... Say, what about you? Why did you want to start dueling as an Entertainment Duelist?" Kazuto asked as it was his turn to ask the questions.

The Synchro-Xyz Duelist smiled before he sighed. "For my story, this mostly has something to do with Yuya's father... Sakaki Yusho." Hiroto said as he began his story of his past life when Yusho was still around.

The time when he started dueling was still fresh to his mind as he smiled warmly, remembering on how he was inspired to duel for fun and to make the people and opponents smile.

To be continued...


Hiroto's DM Stats:

Wins/Losses: 11/1

Next duels:

Duel 30: An Entertainment Duel! The First Memory!

Duel 31: The Runaway Fusion Wolf Boy!

Duel 32: The Core of Spirits! The Chaos Duelist!

Duel 33: The Rematch Against the Brother!

Duel 34: The Trust and the Need to Smile

Next chapter preview:

Hiroto: So much is going on... I don't think I can remember much what Dueling is really about.

Past Yusho: Hiroto... Remember what I taught you around the time when you duel against your opponents?

Past Hiroto: I'm sorry, Yusho-sensei... I kind of don't remember... What did you really teach me?

Past Yusho: Ha ha ha... Like I told my son many times, always smile even when you're in a tough situation.

Past Hiroto: But why...? There's a chance that my opponent would never smile if he or she gets rough.

Past Yusho: I will show you the answer right here. Would you like to duel me?

OC Cards:

Rank-Up-Magic: Pride Force / Spell: Quick-Play: You can only activate this card in your Battle Phase. When a Scar Lion Xyz Monster's attack is negated this turn, you can use this card and that Xyz Monster as Xyz Materials to Xyz Summon an Xyz Monster that's one Rank higher than the monster you targeted.

Pride Sacrifice / Trap: Normal: You can pay half of your Life Points and discard your whole hand to prevent a Scar Lion monster on your side of the field to be destroyed by battle or by card effect. You can banish this card from your Graveyard to pay 800 Life Points to make all damages cut in half and prevent any Scar Lion monsters from being destroyed by battle or by card effect this turn.

Pacifist Supreme Wings / Spell: Equip: You can only equip this card to a Special Summoned monster on your side of the field. When the equipped monster attacks, no card effects can activate or target the equipped monster. When the equipped monster were to be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can destroy this card and gain Life Points equal to that monster's original ATK.