Disclaimer: I do not own the properties of the 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 28: Inner Peace; Yasuko Yukihana vs Arielle Akanawa
The morning sun shines brightly above the sky down toward Yuya and Zuzu who were walking over to Yasuko's house. Lately, Yuya's been anxious to find out what happened to Yasuko at her last exhibition match. Yasuko was normally calm, but her last outburst gives him a sign that is concerning him. He asked Shuzo if he knows any more about Yasuko like if she has medical conditions, incidents that could've happened to her, or anything that may be related to some injuries. Of course, the principal doesn't know anything about Yasuko. Yuya has more questions popping in his head than receiving the answers.
Yuya is walking to Yasuko's place. Zuzu insisted on coming with him because she, too, is worried about Yasuko. It'll be a lot harder for both of them to understand Yasuko's feelings in the exhibition duels if she doesn't open up.
"What's happened to Yasuko yesterday?" Yuya wondered. "Doesn't she know that if she wins her fifth match today, she'll be able to have all six matches by tomorrow?"
Zuzu glances at her childhood friend with a questionable expression. "The way how Yasuko reacted yesterday is disturbing," she said. "This isn't like her to be yelling out like that unless it is something that annoys her."
Yuya turns to Zuzu with a raised eyebrow of curiosity. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Zuzu had a hurtful look. "I think…I think Yasuko has stage fright."
Yuya blinks in surprise. "Stagefright?" he inquired. "How can you be sure? I never saw Yasuko get stage fright." Yuya gazes up in the sky to think about the past few days when he watches the duel against all of her opponents. If he can recall, Yuya never saw any hesitations from Yasuko before. "Yasuko seems to be relaxed in every match I've been to."
Zuzu turns up to Yuya. "Yuya, I know she has stage fright," she affirmed. "Diana once said that Yasuko doesn't like being in front of huge crowds."
Yuya scrutinizes his eyebrows, recalling if he saw Yasuko strange. In all the four matches, Yasuko did it seem to look stressed, but also normal. She was never quivering from any kind of fright; in fact, she wasn't even scared. "But that doesn't mean that Yasuko has never been nervous," said Yuya.
Yuya and Zuzu come to the front door of Diana's home. The boy knocks twice at the door and waits.
A few minutes later, Diana opens the door and greets the kids. "Hi," said Diana. "Are you here to see Yasuko?"
Yuya nodded. "Yeah, is she here?"
Diana points a thumb to upstairs. "Oh, she's upstairs, getting ready," she answered. "She's talking to her mother on a video chat."
Yuya and Zuzu exchange looks at each other. "Uh…mind if we wait?" Yuya asked.
Diana nodded. "Of course," she replied. "Come on in." Yuya and Zuzu both walk inside and remove their shoes before entering the living room. "Can I get you something?" she offered. "Tea? Beverage? Water?"
"Uh…sure, tea sounds fine," Zuzu replied.
"Yeah, uh, tea's good," Yuya responded.
Shortly after ten minutes, Diana comes back with a set of tea for Zuzu and Yuya to take. They each had small sips as Diana takes a seat in the large chair while the teens sit at the couch. "I'd take it you must be classmates, right?" Diana inquired.
Yuya nodded. "Yeah, we all go to Maiami Prep, and You-Show Duel School with her," he said.
"Has Yasuko behaved?" Diana asked out of curiosity.
Zuzu makes a small smile. "I think she's well adjusted," she responded. "But she's still the same girl that we met."
Diana smiles in satisfaction. "Of course." She then looks up at the stairs. "That girl sure does have her things kept close," she said. "I just hope that she'll get over with this Arc League Championship; otherwise, as she would say it, could choke up like the last time."
Zuzu and Yuya look at each other with confusion in their faces. When Diana mentioned 'last time,' it was clear to them that Yasuko did enter a big dueling event like the Arc League.
"Choke up?" Yuya inquired.
"What does she mean last time?" Zuzu asked.
Diana's eyes revert to the teacup in her hand. "I thought Yasuko might have talked over with you guys since you two have been with her when she moved here," she said.
From the expression on Diana's face, it was clear to Yuya that it had to do something about her last tournament that she participated in. "The Tokyo Regional Frontier Games," Yuya announced which cause the two females in the room to turn to him in surprise. "Yasuko mentioned that she was in the Frontier Games three years ago."
Zuzu's eyes widened in shock and lean forward closer to Yuya. "Wait a minute!" she gasped. "Are you saying that Yasuko was in the Tokyo Regional Frontier Games?!"
Yuya looks at Zuzu. "Uh…yeah?"
The thought of Yasuko being in the Tokyo Regional Frontier Games is making Zuzu feel bombshell. She is going to faint after hearing about Yasuko's participation in the second biggest event in the country. "No way!" she exclaimed. "How?!" Zuzu turns to Yuya for answers.
"It was an invite from the dueling club at her old school," Yuya answered.
"So then…" Zuzu is puzzling her mind regarding the event. If Yasuko was in the Tokyo Regional Frontier Games, then she must be wondering how come she never knew anyone named Yasuko before when they announced the roster. "Why didn't I hear anything about her?" Zuzu inquired.
"Because she didn't get in," Diana answered.
The two duelists turn their heads to the guardian. Diana had a sad look. "Tell me, do you two duelists trust each other?" she asked a question to them. "I mean, do you trust each other?"
Yuya and Zuzu were caught off guard from the last question. When they look at each other, Yuya's gaze was met with a slightly blushing Zuzu.
"Of course," Yuya replies. "I trust Zuzu completely."
In return, Zuzu nodded. "And I trust Yuya."
Diana sighs. "How sweet. I understand how Yasuko is always hard about what's around her." She looks back upstairs. "It's just…she usually keeps this to herself mostly." She places the teacup down on the counter. "I don't know exactly how it went down, but I can tell you, kids, this," Diana explained. "Three years ago, Yasuko was the top duelist in Horyuji Academy, and she was the best there was, until the Frontier Games. When she lost during the preliminaries, she quit playing for the dueling club."
Zuzu was surprised at how Yasuko, who is can use all four Extra Deck techniques, would quit from her dueling club. "She quit dueling for her dueling club?" she repeated. "But why?"
Diana shrugs. "I honestly don't know, but I do know that during the Frontier Games, she had someone to watch her back, and that person turned on her right at the last half hour of the preliminaries," she revealed. "And after that, she and the duel club had a falling out."
"Really?" Yuya inquired.
Diana nodded. "Yasuko had a hard time making friends of her own, especially after she cut all ties to her dueling club."
Yuya can't believe someone would betray Yasuko in the Frontier Games just to get inside the main tournament event. Yasuko should've entered the Frontier Games because she was a strong duelist who can beat against anyone who throws at her.
His eyes seem to harden, thinking about how someone would backstab a girl like Yasuko and causing her to be rough and cold. He wanted to do something for her. He wanted to make Yasuko feel like she is worth something.
"Uh, do you have a bathroom?" Yuya asked.
"It's upstairs, to the left," Diana instructed, pointing at the stairs.
"Thank you," said Yuya before getting himself standing and walk the flight of stairs.
As the boy disappeared up on the second floor, Diane swiftly turns to the girl with a mischievous smile. "Tell me, are you somewhat dating him?" she asked, eager to hear her response.
Like a thermostat, Zuzu's head suddenly turns bright red from all the blushing in embarrassment and her only response was a loud, "Ehhhh!?"
Yuya walks down the hallway to find the bathroom. As he passes a closed door, he heard someone else's voice behind the doorframe.
"Congratulations on your fourth match yesterday, Yasuko." Yuya knew right then that it was a woman, and he stops to lean closer to the door. Eavesdropping onto the conversation between Yasuko and her mother is bad, but the least he can do is listen to Yasuko's story and maybe he can understand her better.
On the other side of the door, Yasuko is using Diana's computer to do a video chat with Chloe, who is still working on a photograph trip in Tasmania.
"Thanks, mom," Yasuko responded. "And uh…thank you for the package that you send me."
The short black-haired woman stares at the camera to talk with her foster daughter. "So, I hear you are now attending a duel school," she informed, giving the girl a very big smile.
"Yeah, I did," Yasuko responded bluntly. "It's called the You-Show Duel School."
Yasuko can see how big Chloe's eyes grew from the moment she spoke about the duel school. "Oh my god! That is so cool!" she beamed. "I cannot believe you are now in Yusho Sakaki's You-Show Duel School!"
Yasuko gives a weird look. "Mom, please don't say anything like that. Saying 'Yusho' and 'You-Show' is almost as confusing as saying something like 'feet and 'feat'," she replied.
Chloe gives a small chuckle of amusement: "I think it's funny," she commented.
"I think it's confusing," Yasuko commented back.
Chloe seems very pleased to see the news from her daughter. "But to be honest…" Chloe paused. "I'm glad that you finally get to join a duel school," she said with a blissful smile. "Hearing you being in a duel school after your fallout with your old dueling club when you lost your entrance to the Frontier Games made me feel happy for you."
Yasuko supports her head with her elbow while giving her mother a blank look. "I'm…just trying it out, mom," she stated. "See what they have to offer." The slight sadness on her mom gives Yasuko the sign that tells her the disappointment Chloe is making to her decision.
"Try out?" Chloe questioned. "Don't tell me you're not going to be with them any time soon?"
Yasuko sighed, looking at the box of her Pendulum cards. "That…depends…" she hesitated, uncomfortable with talking about her feelings in the You-Show. Closing her eyes, Yasuko is trying to say something to her mother without disappointing her expectations. "Mom…I'm only going to You-Show because…" she paused. Yasuko opens her eyes and looks at her mother. "They're pretty much all that I've got in this city," she continued. "The duel schools here are crap; I'd rather take a ballet class than be in a school full of degenerate students who are thinking about meeting their expectations to do something that will make them feel proud of themselves."
Chloe seems hurt after her last comment. "Yasuko…" she began. "I know you don't think of them highly, but I'm asking is at least give them a chance."
The girl is skeptical about her mother's plea to take some time with the You-Show people. "Mom, I don't think they have a chance in this Arc League Championship," she pointed out. "They could barely stand their feet against the Leo Institute let alone to kindergarteners."
Chloe scowls. "Then why did you join the You-Show in the first place?" she asked. Chloe makes the same posture as Yasuko's to make her point. "I know you. I've been raising you since I brought you here. You never even once try to join a duel organization."
"Mom, the You-Show is all about freedom," Yasuko answered. "They all have the freedom to make their own rules and boundaries, and I want to keep that freedom."
Chloe decreases her scowl and gives her a pleased expression on her face. "I'd think it's wonderful that you've chosen a school like the You-Show. Diana told me they're good people, and they can help you understand things that you don't know about."
Yasuko has doubts about what her mother is trying to point out. "But what happens if they start to expect better of me?" Yasuko questioned. "They're no different from my old dueling club in Horyuji Academy. They're expecting me to win all six matches to get into the Arc League. They don't know that all my win streaks have gotten me too much pressure. It's nerve-racking. I'm only doing this because there is a person on my list that I want to get back at."
Yasuko slouches back against the chair and looks at the box of her Pendulum cards. It's been weeks since she put away her Pendulum cards. She hasn't even seen her monster card in ages, and Yasuko felt it is very pressuring from the audiences who are watching her matches to see what she is more than what she is capable of.
Over the past few days, since she started to earn her six consecutive wins, Yasuko starts to question if she should use the Pendulum cards that she had or not. She became aware of how popular the Pendulum Cards are becoming since Yuya's debut? But if she starts using them in public, it will cause more problems than she'll have.
"Why don't they understand that not everyone likes to be in front of the spotlight? The stress from the open crowds is getting back to me?" Yasuko asked. "It's just so stressful."
"It didn't seem stressful for you when you duel in front of twenty people," Chloe pointed out.
"And that's because I was always dueling random people, and some spectators somehow spotted my duels," Yasuko replied. She gives a heavy sigh and leans forward to look at her mother. "Mom…this is way out of my hand. I have too many things on my plate. This whole six consecutive official wins, and then teaching this Yuya Sakaki about Extra Deck is taking too much of my time."
Chloe raises an eyebrow at her daughter. "So why are you teaching this kid the Extra Deck then? Didn't he learned it at the duel school that you are going?"
Yasuko makes a sigh of disillusionment. "Shuzo did, and I don't think he's doing it right," she stated. "It's rather better to learn it on the floor rather than a classroom."
Chloe seems to have a satisfied smile on her face. "Well, this is unexpected. You, teaching someone the Extra Deck? It's not like you to be teaching someone an Extra Deck technique without a good reason."
Yasuko shrugs. "I'm only doing this out of favor. Yuya and I are practically the only two duelists who have Pendulum Cards and can Pendulum Summon," she said. "Except Declan," she muttered quietly under her voice.
Chloe smiles at her daughter. "I should be thankful for him," she admitted, catching her daughter by surprise.
"You mean Yuya?" Yasuko questioned.
Chloe lets a small snicker out of her mouth. "It's wonderful that you and this Yuya kid are bonding," she chuckled.
Despite getting the positive energy from her mother, Yasuko isn't sure about what she is implying. "So?"
"So…" Chloe began. "I think he should be your friend; your real friend."
Yasuko adjusts herself and twirls her crystal keychain in her finger. "Out of all the people that I've met in this city, Yuya seems to be sticking to me like glue" she stated. "All I could say is...I just hope he doesn't end up backstabbing me like the last person in the Frontier Games."
Chloe understands what Yasuko meant. "I know what you mean, darling," she responded. "At least give him a chance to be something amazing for you."
"How am I to know if he trusts me?" Yasuko asked.
"I don't know sweetheart," Chloe replied. "The least you can do is let him decide."
Yasuko nodded with little obedience. "Anyways, I better go, my fifth match is about to begin," she reported.
"Right, well…take care baby girl," Chloe chimed.
"Mom, I'm not a little girl anymore," Yasuko said flatly.
Chloe gives a wink. "But you still are to me," she said sarcastically. "I love you, sweety."
Yasuko nodded. "I love you too, mom." She places two fingertips on her lips and pressed on the screen as if she is kissing her mom on the cheeks like she usually does. In return, Chloe did the same thing. And with that, Chloe disconnects herself from the web, cutting the signal.
After getting her gym bag and her duel disk holster, Yasuko walks out of the computer room and opens the door to exit. At the same time, someone else seems to be upstairs. The sound of the toilet flushing comes to the right behind the door and Yuya emerges from the bathroom.
"Oh, Yuya," said Yasuko, surprised. "When did you get here?"
"Just about ten minutes ago," Yuya responded quietly. "Uh…should we get going? I mean, to your fifth match." The girl had to assume if Yuya was eavesdropping, but she may assume that he did and would probably give a bat on his head for overhearing her conversation with her mother.
"Yeah, let's go," Yasuko said bluntly and wheeled herself to get downstairs.
Taking the bus to the duel school to a remote location in the area near the city can be strange. The duel school happens to be something similar to the Tokyo Imperial Palace, only it is wider and taller at the castle in the center. On top of the bridge, a gate has a bold sign that tells visitors the name of the duel school.
Mystic Fighters Duel School
The three duelists are on top of the hill that sees the north side of Maiami City. Yasuko looks and reads the sign over again to make sure that it is the right school where Nico has sent her. "This must be the place," said Yasuko. The girl makes her way inside the gate.
Yasuko was adjusting herself to the sigh of the Japanese garden that is in front of her. There are students here who wear garbs like resembles a lot like the ones that monks wear in Tibet. Some of them seem to be meditating on boulders in the middle of a pond. Some were training on balancing themselves on top of bamboo poles. Several other students were working on drawing card workouts.
As Yasuko walks forward, she spots a beautiful woman with long black hair that goes down to her waist with long decorative fingernails in a kimono dress garb. Her hazel eyes sparkle under the sunlight and look at the people around the arena.
Upon seeing Yasuko's appearance, the woman smiles at her. "Hi there," she responded. She wheeled herself to fully face the girl. "I'd take it…you are Yasuko Yukihana of the You-Show Duel School?" she guessed.
Yasuko raises an eyebrow of confusion. "Uh…yeah, how'd you know?" she asked.
"I can read minds," she commented.
Yasuko makes a skeptical expression. "What?" she inquired bluntly.
The young woman chuckles with amusement. "I'm only kidding, I got an email from Nico Smiley saying that a girl name Yasuko is supposed to be dueling today at 3," she said. "I am Ayala Sumeragi, the current headmistress of the Mystic FightersDuel School." The headmistress bows her head to Yasuko as a sign of respect.
Yasuko makes a small bow in return. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Miss Sumeragi."
Aline brings her head up and she gestures her hand to the stone pathway. "Come, we have much to do," she said.
Yasuko follows the woman through a narrow stone path as she watches the students around her perform various meditation moves and balancing themselves with rocks in their backhand.
"I am told that you are the opponent for Arielle Akanawa, right?" Aayla asked.
"Uh…yeah," Yasuko replied. "Where is she?"
Ayala stops as well as Yasuko. She points at the tea house in the pond with one bridge connecting to the land. "She is right there."
Yasuko follows the direction of where the girl is and spots the sixteen-years-old with long silky black hair and bright blue eyes. Her light pale skin shines under the bright blue sky. She also appears to be wearing a decorative white kimono with red and pink pattern lines streaming down to the sleeves. Unlike sandals in traditional kimonos, she is wearing dark grey shoes. Arielle notices her and stands up to walk around the tea house and the pond to greet her.
Arielle bows her head to the headmistress. "Headmistress," she said quietly.
Ayala bows in return. "Hello, Arielle, I have news," she informed. "Your opponent is here."
Arielle looks up and turns to set her gaze at Yasuko. "Greetings, Miss Yasuko Yukihana, I am Arielle Akanawa, and I am the Senior member for this year's Arc League Championship."
Yasuko felt her shoulders sagged in disappointment. She can't believe that she is dueling another senior member from a different duel school who is going to the Arc League Championship. "It's…nice to meet you, Arielle Akanawa," she replied.
"I ask you to please give me about ten minutes; I have to teach these youngsters there one more lesson." She gestures to a group of younger kids who are meditating on mats.
Yasuko's eyebrows rose in question and glances over her shoulder to find it surprising to see the three little kids from You-Show meditating with the other youngsters. While Tate and Allie are focused, Frederick looked like he could fall asleep any time if he stays in his sitting position longer.
"Alright kids, that will be all for today," Arielle announced. "Now remember what we taught you; focus your mind and body, and you will flow in the current."
As the youngsters disperse, the three kids all got up and saw Yasuko standing behind Arielle.
"It's Yasuko!" Tate called and everyone else comes over to the girl.
Allie hugs Yasuko as always. "Hi, Yasuko!" she beamed, giving a cute smile around the corner of the mouth.
"It's so nice to see you here," said Frederick.
Yasuko stares at the three little kids. "I'd take it you were all waiting for me?" she inquired.
Tate nodded. "We all are," he said. "We were here early, and this girl, Arielle, offered to be a part of her meditation class."
"I felt like my brain's been massaged," Fredrick commented.
Allie's little gold eyes look up to Yasuko. "So, are you ready to win your fifth match?"
Yasuko lightly pushes the little girl away. "I will be." Yasuko turns around and realizes that Yuya and Zuzu enter the duel school palace already.
"And what are you two been?" Yasuko asked. "Have you decided to kiss and make up?"
Zuzu's face gets blushing red. "Yasuko!" she exclaimed. "Don't say something like that!"
"I'd take it you and your friend of a boy were staying behind to see if the kids are all present," Yasuko assumed.
Zuzu gives a dull look. "I'd take it you were thinking of a joke," she countered.
"Like I have jokes," Yasuko replied.
Sora appears from behind the three kids with licorice in his mouth. "But mind if I ask," he called. "What are you gonna do once you get inside that arena?"
Yasuko didn't seem to care about how Sora manages to get himself inside when the front entrance was right behind Yuya and Zuzu, not to mention the thirty feet wall that surrounds the school. "What I always do…" she answered. "I'm gonna win."
Over at the school's big stadium, the You-Show students and the Mystic Fighter apprentices stand around the arena with Yasuko and Arielle at the center.
The senior duelist has a smile on her face. "I can see how serious you must be in this match," she said.
Yasuko narrows her eyes at her. "People tend to be serious about things like this," she commented. "You don't seem to be serious at all."
Arielle closed her eyes and said, "We are all different from how we keep our heads cool." Her eyes open and it shows the calm atmosphere around her. "But what's bothering me is that you're thinking…I am hard and have some kind of powers that are indeed possible," she said sincerely. "That's a good trait of you, Yasuko Yukihana."
Arielle smiles gracefully and takes out her white duel disk. "Alright then, we shall begin the duel," she declared.
Everyone at the stadium is giving screams of delight to the star duelist of Mystic Fighters
"Ah, Arielle Akanawa is dueling!"
"I'm so star struck!"
Yasuko can't believe that she is dueling another popular member.
The female spectator had a kimono on with a microphone on her ear. "Alright, are you people ready to shine!" She gets a loud response of screaming from the audiences in the Mystic Fighters' side. "Alright then, let's get this duel underway!" she announced. "We all have two days left until the Arc League Championship! Duelists everywhere all have two days to make the mark before the deadline, so let us do our best and be on the game! Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, allow me to introduce to you, the Senior class duelist for this year's Arc League Championship. She was on top of the chain in last year's Junior Class Arc League Championship, so let's give it up for Arielle Akanawa!" The girls are probably screaming out of their lungs at the sight of the most beautiful duelist in the school.
Arielle waves back at the audience with a smile on her face before she stares back at Yasuko. "And now, please welcome, our guest star, the aspiring duelist from the You-Show Duel School, the one and only duel school of Yusho Sakaki! Yasuko Yukihana!"
Yasuko is having a hard time trying to block out the noise coming from the crowd. Even the You-Show kids are rolling along with it.
"Alright, Yasuko!" Allie cheered.
"Go get 'em!" Tate called.
"You got this!" Frederick added.
Unlike the three little kids who were energetic enough to see her win, Yuya and Zuzu were holding back on the cheering and watches their classmates worriedly. "Yasuko…" Zuzu whispered.
Yuya set his eyes at the girl. He wanted to support her, but how can he if she is taking in the pressure from him and the other students.
"Alright then, may I present to you, the headmistress of Mystic Fighter Duel School, the former pro-duelist representative of the Kyushu region, Headmistress Ayala Sumeragi!" The spotlights shine up from the stage to Ayala Sumeragi.
"Welcome, fellow people of Maiami City, and thank you for attending the Mystic Fighter Duel School exhibition match," she pronounced. "The Mystic Fighter Duel School is built to help students find their center and learn to be one with their mind and body. If one student can learn to be one with their spirit and their mind, then they will achieve a state of peace and calmness in any stressful situation. That is the way of the Mystic Fighter Duel School. When the spirit and thoughts become one, the synthesis will give way to true inner peace."
Ayala spreads her arms wide for her audiences. "Now that introductions are done, it is time to bring together the duel!" She points up in the air. "I activate the Action Field Spell, The Enchanted Forest!" Ayala activates the Action Field Spell Card: The Enchanted Forest.
The ARC system is activated and the whole glass arena is transformed into a world of autumn where the tall oak trees tower over the two duelists, surrounding them with a mixture of red bushes and leaves on the ground while the trees have orange leaves above the trees. The two duelists appear to be standing in the middle of a sacred ground where four giant stone tablets take up the corner into a square inside a stone circle. The fogs were so thick that Yasuko could barely see anything that is two feet in front of her. Arielle stands with her glowing purple blade from her white duel disk
"Now then, shall we begin the duel?" Arielle asked.
"Let's," Yasuko replied.
Yasuko's green duel disk glows out her blue blade. The blade colors from each duelist illuminate the field around them.
"Two duelists locked in an epic battle for judgment!" Arielle chanted.
"But only one shall be the winner of the match!" Yasuko recited.
"With the monsters set and ready for battle…"
"Which one will conquer all!"
"Behold! The greatest evolution of dueling!" They both chorused together. "Action…"
DUEL:
Arielle Akanawa (LP: 4000)
VS
Yasuko Yukihana (LP: 4000)
"DUEL!" They shouted.
The Action Card bubble in the air pops and falls anywhere on the field. With five cards in their hand, they start the duel with Arielle taking the turn.
Turn 1: Arielle (5x cards)
"I shall go first!" Arielle declared.
Arielle takes out a card from her hand. "From my hand, I activate the Field Spell, Shiranui Style Synthesis!" Arielle activates the Field Spell Card: Shiranui Style Synthesis. "Next, I Normal Summon Shiranui Squire!" Arielle Normal Summons Shiranui Squire (ATK 1500/DEF 0). On Arielle's field, a samurai boy wearing a pink shirt and a long red hakama pants wearing a naginata from his palm appears from the leaves below the ground. "Now, Squire's special effect activates!" Arielle exclaimed. "When this card is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Shiranui Spectralsword Tuner monster from my deck!" A card pops out of Arielle's deck and takes it out to Special Summon Shiranui Spectralsword (ATK 800/DEF 0). "I Special Summon Shiranui Spectralsword!" The leaves right next to Arielle start to fly upwards before creating a small tornado to form a ghost samurai figure with a katana sword that is projecting spectral energy from the blade.
The You-Show people are all shocked that Yasuko's opponent has a Tuner monster out on the field.
"What? She's got a tuner monster out already?" Tate inquired.
"But that means…" Allie began.
"She can Synchro Summon," Frederick finished.
Arielle's smile never left her face as she makes her next move. "Now, I tune the level 2 Spectralsword with my level 4 Squire!" The ghost samurai holds the spectral sword before slashing it to turn itself into two green rings. The rings scan the squire until he is nothing but four glowing orbs in the center. Once the orbs are aligned, the rings shoot out a long beam of white light.
(2 + 4 = 6)
"Spirits of the fallen samurai, rise and take up arms with the powers of the most legendary swordsman that ever walked this earth! I Synchro Summon! Rise, level 6! Shiranui Samuraisaga!" Arielle Synchro Summons Shiranui Samuraisaga (ATK 2500/DEF 0). From out of the white light is a samurai wielding the same energy samurai katana that is emitting spectral energy coming from the ghost samurai.
"Next, I set a card face-down, and end my turn," Arielle concluded as she Sets a card. The Shiranui girl makes a small smile over to Yasuko. "Now, we shall begin the fight of the life," she said. "I want to see what you are made of, Yasuko Yukihana."
Turn 2: Yasuko (5x cards)
Yasuko is narrowing her eyes at her opponent. She has dealt with older opponents who've talked too much and had a lot of pride in themselves, and that's why she tends to use that to her advantage. "I'm about to show some surprises," she said. "It's my turn! I draw!" Yasuko draws a card from her deck.
By looking at her hand, she found herself to be in a good spot to finish her opponent as quick as she can. "I activate Schwarzschild Limit Dragon's special effect from my hand!" Yasuko declared. "When my opponent controls a monster with 2000 or more ATK points, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand!" She takes out the card and Special Summons Schwarzschild Limit Dragon (ATK 2000/DEF 0). From the portal above Yasuko, a long serpent dragon with bronze scales and orange underbelly skin flies in the air, giving a hollow roar with one claw from each limp sticking out.
"Next, I activate the Spell, Melody of the Awakening Dragon!" Yasuko activates the Spell Card: The Melody of the Awakening Dragon. "By discarding one card, I can add two dragon monsters with 3000 or more ATK points and 2500 or less DEF points from my deck to my hand!" She discards one card to add two dragon monsters: Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon and White Night Dragon. "I add White Night Dragon and Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon." She looks over at her cards that are in her hand.
"Now, I can activate Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon's special effect!" Yasuko declared. "I can tribute summon Odd-Eyes by tributing one level 5 or higher monster!" She throws her arm out to demonstrate the ability. "I tribute my Schwarzschild Limit Dragon to Tribute Summon Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon!" Yasuko tributes her limit dragon to Tribute Summon Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon (ATK 3000/DEF 2500). The limit dragon bursts into millions of tiny dust particles before reforming back together into the red-scaled dragon with red and green heterochromia eyes flapping its grayscaled wings from the backbone while it gives off a roar.
The You-Show audiences are all very excited about how Yasuko is going to earn her fifth victory fast.
"Alright, that means Odd-Eyes can use its effect," said Tate. "When it is Tributed Summoned, Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon can destroy one monster on Arielle's field and deal damage equal to its original ATK points!" He exclaimed at the end of the sentence.
"Ha, that wasn't so tough," Frederick laughed; but unfortunately, he may be proven wrong as Arielle makes a counter maneuver against the effect.
"I activate my Continuous Trap! Shiranui Style Samara!" Arielle flips up her face-down Continuous Trap Card: Shiranui Style Samara. "Once per turn, I can banish one face-up Zombie monster that I control and for the rest of the turn, I take no damage!" She points at the samuraisaga. "I banish my Shiranui Samuraisaga!" The samuraisaga monster disappears into thousands of particles, leaving Arielle exposed but safe from any damage. "Now, Samuraisaga's special effect activates!" she added. "If Samuraisaga is banished, I can target one monster on your field, and it loses 500 ATK points!" She points at the advance dragon. "I target your Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon!" The ghost of the samurai appears as a mirage before colliding with the advance dragon, weakening it by only a small portion.
(Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon: ATK 3000 → 2500)
Yasuko's eyes narrowed in annoyance after her opponent manages to save herself from any further damage. "I Set a card face-down, and I end my turn." Since Arielle is immune to damage this turn, Yasuko Sets a card.
Allie raises an eyebrow. "What? That's it?" she asked.
"Well, yeah," said Tate. "Arielle banishes her monster so that she cannot take any damage this turn."
"And to think that Yasuko was about to win the match so easily," Frederick responded with a bit of disappointment.
Yuya is focused on the duel. Lately, he's been hoping that Yasuko might do something that will even the odds against Arielle, but from the way how she tried to end the duel so quickly tell that Yasuko is rushing. He's seen Yasuko duel, but this was different.
"This is strange," said Yuya, catching Zuzu's attention.
"What do you mean?" Zuzu asked him.
"Out of all the duels that I've seen with Yasuko, this one is not like the other matches before," Yuya stated. "I've never seen Yasuko getting rushed like this before."
"Well," Zuzu began. "It's because the deadline is tomorrow, and Yasuko has to get into the Arc League Championship."
There was something else for Yuya to understand. When he heard Yasuko explaining to her mother about expecting her to do something, he asked himself what does that mean? What does Yasuko mean when she said what if they're starting to expect better of her? He is having more questions popping into his mind than before. The least he can do is wait and see.
Turn 3: Arielle (2x cards)
Arielle was watching Yasuko across from her with a frown on her face. Clearly, the girl shows some sort of disapproval of the way how Yasuko is acting in the duel. "You are distressed," she stated which caught Yasuko by surprise.
"What?" Yasuko inquired.
Arielle takes a look at Yasuko from head-to-toe like she is inspecting a uniformed soldier. "When you try to take my life points in one swift blow, I felt something deep inside of you," said Arielle. "You harbor a hidden power that exceeds even my own." She closes her eyes to start explaining to the annoyed Yasuko. "There is a stronger power in that deck of yours. I know I can feel it." She makes eye contact with Yasuko and asked, "Why are you holding back from using this power of yours?"
Yasuko's narrowed eyes turned into a frown. "It's none of your business," she retorted. "Now, make your move, stop wasting my time."
Arielle can see the attitude that Yasuko is displaying toward her in front of the audience. "Such manners like that will not be tolerated here in the Mystic Fighter Duel School," she stated. "Perhaps, I need to show you what it means to be one with body and mind." She places a finger on top of her deck. "My turn!" She draws a card from her deck.
"Since I control no monsters on the field, I activate Shiranui Style Synthesis's effect!" Arielle began. "Once per turn, I can send one card from my hand to the graveyard to activate one of these effects; either I target one Zombie monster that I control to the graveyard and Special Summon it or return one banished Zombie monster to the graveyard." She takes the Shiranui Samuraisaga and returns it to the graveyard. "I return my Samuraisaga back to the graveyard." She then takes out a card and activates the Continuous Spell Card: Shiranui Style Solemnity.
"From my hand, I activate the Continuous Spell, Shiranui Style Solemnity!" Arielle exclaimed. "And then, I summon Shiranui Samurai." In addition to the spell, Arielle Normal Summons Shiranui Samurai (ATK 1800/DEF 0). A samurai wielding a magic katana sword with blue energy emitting from the blade-like steam appears on the field. "Now, I activate the second effect of Solemnity!" Arielle added. "This card lets me target one Zombie monster that I control, and banish it, then send one Zombie monster with 0 DEF points from my deck to the graveyard." She points at the samurai. "I banish my Samurai and send Shiranui Solitaire from my deck to the graveyard!"
Arielle banishes her Shiranui Samurai and then a card pops out for Arielle to send her Shiranui Solitaire from the deck to the graveyard.
"So, wait a minute?" Allie inquired. "Why would she banish her monster to send one monster from her deck to the graveyard?"
"I have no idea," Tate answered.
Arielle continues with the move. "Now, I activate Samurai's special effect," said Arielle. "When Samurai is banished, I can add one Shiranui monster from my graveyard back to my hand." A card pops out from her white duel disk and adds Shiranui Squire. "I add back my Shiranui Squire from my graveyard back to my hand." She adds it, and Arielle makes an impossible move that no one ever thought would be possible.
"Now, I activate the Spectralsword's special effect that is in my graveyard," Arielle declared. "I can banish one Non-Tuner Zombie monster from my graveyard and Spectralsword to Special Summon one Zombie Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck whose Level is equal to the total of levels from the monsters that are banished by Spectralsword's effect!"
"What?!" Yasuko gasped. "You can Special Summon from your Extra Deck without a Synchro Summon?"
"No way!" The three kids gasped too.
"This is not looking too good," Sora added
Arielle raises her hand to point at Yasuko. "I felt a strong presence of power that lies underneath that mask you've built, and I will exploit it using the full potential of my deck," she said. "Take this as a warning, Yasuko! I banish my Spectralsword and my Samuaisagafrom my deck to Special Summon Shiranui Shogunsaga!" The spectralsword and the samuraisaga appear in the air Arielle before the orange and red leaves swirls around them like a tornado. The two monsters disappears upon being sucked into the tornado as Arielle uses the effect of her Spectralsword to Special Summon Shiranui Shogunsaga (ATK 3000/DEF 0). The tornado grows rapidly before Yasuko as the winds picked up from everywhere. The tornado vanishes instantly to reveal a monster that is a male samurai warrior with long lavender hair wearing a long red jacket with black flames decorated at the bottom holding two swords: one that is flaming out the fire and the second is the spectral sword weapon.
"Whoa," said Yuya. "Did Arielle Special Summoned a monster from the Extra Deck?"
"Amazing," Zuzu commented. "She didn't even do a Synchro Summon just to get a Synchro monster on the field."
Sora licked his lollipop while giving a chastised look to Yasuko. "Yeah, I don't think she's going to make it this far," he commented.
Yuya and Zuzu are getting worried about the match. If Arielle can Special Summon an Extra Deck monster without using the requirement of a Synchro Summon, then it could be trouble for the girl.
"If Yasuko doesn't find something fast, she'll lose this match," said Zuzu, worried.
Arielle raised a hand over her head. "Now, Shogunsaga's special effect activates!" she exclaimed. "When this monster is Special Summoned, I can banish one Zombie monster from my graveyard, and it gains ATK points equal to its original!" She chooses one monster to banish, and the monster is Shiranui Solitaire. "I banish my Solitaire to have my monster gain 500 ATK points!" The solitaire shaman appears as a mirage before the monster merges with the shogunsaga to give the monster a small power boost.
(Shiranui Shogunsaga: ATK 3000 → 3500)
"Ah, that doesn't look too bad," Frederick assured. "It won't do much damage to Yasuko."
Frederick may prove wrong when Arielle makes her next move. "Now, Shiranui Solitaire's effect activates!" she exclaimed. "When the monster is banished, I can target up to two banished monsters if I control a Shiranui Style Synthesis and Special Summon them!" She targets the two monsters that are banished and, with the effect of her solitaire shaman, Arielle Special Summons Shiranui Spectralsword in Defense Position and Shiranui Samuraisaga in Attack Position. The solitaire shaman and the ghost samurai wielding the sword appears back on the field.
"Oh no!" Allie cried out. "If that monster attacks Odd-Eyes, then Yasuko will be wide open for a direct attack!"
"Battle!" Arielle declared. "Shiranui Shogunsaga, attack Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon!" The shogunsaga monster readies his two sword and leaps on over to make two swift slashes at the advance dragon. They were so fast that the slashes were like winds that cannot be seen. The advance dragon explodes, pushing Yasuko back from the aftershock, but still stands with some damage to her life points.
(Yasuko: LP 4000 → 3500)
"I activate my Trap! Defense Draw!" Yasuko activates her first face-down Trap Card: Defense Draw. "This card lets me take no further damage this turn and lets me draw a card!" Due to the effect of her trap card, Yasuko is safe from taking damage, and she draws a card.
Arielle's eyes raise one eyebrow out of interest. "Impressive," she commented. "You've managed to save yourself, but I still want to know the conflict that you are experiencing."
Yasuko's head lifts, perplexed by how a girl like Arielle knows what she is feeling. "What?"
Arielle narrows her eyes slightly. Her eyes show a sign of disappointment. "Yasuko Yukihana," she addressed which caught the girl by surprise. "I can see how conflicted you are right now."
Yasuko glares at her opponent. "What are you talking about?" she inquired.
"Your anticipation of my attacks exceeds what I thought," said Arielle. "But your mind is too sluggish to keep up with that reaction speed; therefore, your heart is not one with your mind."
The girl didn't seem to like how she is lecturing her. Her lower jaws tightened to hear her discourse. "What do you know about my mind? Trying to play the role of a psychic?" she questioned.
"I am not a psychic," Arielle admitted. "I was taught to understand my opponent and learn their way through dueling. I came to realize something about you…" She closes her eyes and said, "Your resolve is gradually weakening."
Yasuko's eyes had a fixed look at her opponent. "Shut up!" she retorted. She makes a run across the field for Action Cards. She can feel the eyes of Arielle staring at her back.
"You think running away will be enough?" Arielle called off from somewhere. "I will exploit this power that I am sensing, and I will make you do it." Arielle takes out one card and Sets it. "I Set a card face-down and end my turn," she concluded. "Which means Shogunsaga's ATK points return to normal."
(Shiranui Shogunsaga: ATK 3500 → 3000)
As the winds blow the leaves below her feet, Arielle disappears like a ghost, probably pursuing Yasuko to find herself some Action Cards.
Turn 4: Yasuko (2x cards)
Yasuko keeps running into the auburn forest area. She gets inside a thick fog as it shrouds around her. The fog is so thick that she cannot see two feet in front of her.
"You are rushing into things," said Arielle. "You are trying to keep your mind cool, but you seem to be having a struggle now. Why is that?" Yasuko turns to find Arielle and her monsters in a clearing. "Why?" Arielle asked. "I would like to know."
Yasuko grits her teeth. "It's none of your business," she rebuked.
"Your mind is troubling your heart, and if you cannot sync yourself with all two components, then pain and suffering will come to you," said Arielle. "By harmonizing your thoughts, you can achieve peace and that gives you the true edge over the duel."
Yasuko gets into the clearing and looks frantically for Arielle, but the red and orange leaves around her make it difficult to find Arielle. "It's my turn," said Yasuko. "I draw!" Yasuko draws a card from her deck.
"I activate the Return of the Dragon Lords Spell!" Yasuko activates the Spell Card: Return of the Dragon Lords. "This card lets me target one level 7 or 8 Dragon monster from my graveyard and Special Summon it!" She chooses to find herself one monster and Special Summons Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon. "I Special Summon Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon!" Once again, the red dragon with heterochromia red and green eyes with grayscaled wings reappears back on the field.
"Now, I activate the Spell, Trade-In!" Yasuko activates the Spell Card: Trade-In. "This card makes me discard one level 8 monster from my hand to draw two cards!" Yasuko discards White Night Dragon to draw two cards.
"I summon Assault Wyvern!" Yasuko Normal Summons Assault Wyvern (ATK 1800/DEF 1000). On her field, a blue wyvern appears on the field. She starts to run again and after several minutes later, Yasuko spots an Action Card hanging onto an ice statue. She swipes it to activate the Action Spell Card: Powerize. "I activate the Action Spell! Powerize!" she exclaimed. "This card gives Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon 1000 ATK points until the End Phase!" The Action Card perfumes a strong yellow scene that makes the advance dragon sniff into the aroma and gives it a power boost.
(Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon: ATK 3000 → 4000)
"Battle!" She points at the auburn mixed bush. "Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon, attack Shiranui Shogunsaga!" The advance dragon powers up its red helix beam before unleashing it over to an auburn bush where the shogunsaga is located; unfortunately, Arielle had an Action Card in her hand and activates the Action Spell Card: Miracle.
"I activate the Action Spell, Miracle!" Arielle shouted. "This turn, my monster isn't destroyed in battle, and I take to halve the damage this turn!" The red helix beam was blocked by the Action Card that popped up from out of nowhere, but Yasuko was prepared for that.
Quickly, Yasuko sprints over to a tall rock cliff and makes a wall-run where she swipes yet another Action Card and activates the Action Spell Card: No Action. "I activate the Action Spell, No Action!" Yasuko exclaimed. "This card negates an Action Card that was activated this turn!"
Arielle's duel disk makes a loud beep to reject the activation of the Action Card, thus negating its effect. Arielle grits her teeth as she prepared to take the damage. The red helix beam punched through the Action Card and makes a direct hit on the shogunsaga monster, dealing damage to Arielle.
(Arielle: LP 4000 → 3000)
"Now, I activate Odd-Eyes' special effect!" Yasuko declared. "When this monster successfully destroys a monster in battle, I can Special Summon one Level 5 or higher monster from my hand or graveyard in Defense Position!" She picks one monster that is in her graveyard and Special Summons White Night Dragon (ATK 3000/DEF 2500) in Defense Position. "I Special Summon White Night Dragon from my graveyard!" From the portal in front of Yasuko, an ice dragon made of pure ice appears on the field.
"Assault Wyvern, attack Shiranui Spectralsword!" The blue wyvern makes a zip past in the air and slashes the ghost samurai with its chin bone, destroying the monster. "Now Assault Wyvern's special effect activates! When this card destroys a monster in battle, I can tribute it to Special Summon one Dragon monster from my hand!" The blue wyvern bursts into particles before it reassembles to Special Summon Pandemic Dragon (ATK 2500/DEF 1000). The particles form a biohazard dragon with a biohazard shaped wings and a sharp tail.
"Wow!" Tate gasped. "Yasuko was able to Special Summon two dragons in one turn! This is going to be it!"
"With three monsters out, Arielle doesn't have a monster left on the field to even withstand those three," said Allie.
"This is so going to give me the shivers," Frederick added.
Zuzu makes a beam toward Yasuko's comeback. "If Yasuko can keep this up, she'll be able to win," she said.
Sora nodded. "Looks like this will be easy picking for Yasuko," he stated, chewing on some marshmallows.
Yuya, on the other hand, kept silent, watching every move that Yasuko makes. She had three strong monsters on the field and one face-down. He is sure that Yasuko is going to win this match, but for some reason, he can't get this uneasy feeling from his gut.
"I end my turn," Yasuko concluded. "And now, the Action Spell Card wears off, returning my Odd-Eyes' ATK points to normal." Since Yasuko ended her turn, the effect of the Action Card resolves to have the monster return to its original ATK points.
(Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon: ATK 4000 → 3000)
Turn 5: Arielle (2x cards)
Arielle was still not convinced that Yasuko has achieved anything. "Was that all that you've got to offer?" she questioned the field. "Because I don't think that is everything you've got."
Yasuko narrows her eyes. "And why do you care about this hidden power that I have?" The cynical girl was getting onto the topic of what Arielle was referring to. If she can guess the hidden power that she has, it had to be something related to the Extra Deck methods.
"Because the deck is at your best, but it is never complete without embracing the hidden power that you have," said Arielle. "I know this for the fact that everyone has learned to use the powers of Synchro, Fusion, and Xyz Summons, and I believe that you too possess this power, but you're holding yourself back from seeing your true potential."
Yasuko was getting tired of someone lecturing on to her in her matches. It was annoying in her taste. "I don't need to make some Synchro, Fusion or Xyz Summon to beat my opponents," said Yasuko. "I've met tons of people who can do all those Extra Deck stuff, and in the end, most of them always lose without me going into the Extra Deck."
Arielle furrows her eyebrows. "So, you admit that you can do at least one of them, but you refuse to do them, even to me," she confirmed. "Why? Why must you be locking yourself from using even one Extra Deck monster that is your ticket to victory."
"I don't need to answer to someone like you," Yasuko snapped.
Arielle makes an exhausting sigh over Yasuko's stubbornness. "Very well then, if you refuse to even use one monster from the Extra Deck, then I shall end this duel right now," she vowed. "My turn!" Arielle draws a card. "I activate Spectralsword's special effect!"
Throwing her hand over to the field, Arielle makes her move. "I banish my Spectalsword and my Shogunsaga to Special Summon one Zombie Synchro monster from the Extra Deck whose Level is equal to the monsters' that I banished!" The ghost samurai and the shogunsaga monster appears before Arielle. Unlike the tornado, there was purple fire erupting from the ground and consumes the two monsters to Special Summon Shiranui Sunsaga (ATK 3500/DEF 0). "I banish Spectralsword and my Shogunsaga to Special Summon Shiranui Sunsaga!" The fire disappears with a new samurai warrior monster who is on a white ghost horse with a red flaming mane holding one spectral katana sword in his palm.
"Shiranui Sunsaga's special effect activates!" Arielle declared. "When this monster is Special Summoned, I can return any number of Zombie Synchro monsters that are in the graveyard or banished and destroy cards that my opponent controls equal to the number of cards that I returned." She lists down the monsters that are Shiranui Samuraisaga and Shiranui Shogunsaga. "I return Samuraisaga and Shogunsaga to destroys Odd-Eyes Advance Dragon and White Night Dragon!" The ghost samurai rider makes one slash that sends a slashing motion beam across the field to vaporize the ice dragon and the advance dragon.
Arielle suddenly disappears from Yasuko's view. "Yasuko, if you cannot sync your heart and mind into one, then it will be the downfall in this match," said Arielle, sound off from somewhere close by.
The girl starts to realize that Arielle is more familiar with the field than her and knows her ways around the obstacles. "Damn it, I hate it when she does that," she murmured.
Yasuko makes a run into the auburn bush to find herself more Action Cards before Arielle does. The further she ventures into the autumn forest, the harder it is for the girl to find Action Cards. The entire area is laced with thick fog around the trees. Yasuko looks around her opponent, but there was no sign of Arielle or the ghost samurai horseman.
"I activate the Action Spell: Attack and Defense Exchange!"
Yasuko turns to the Arielle shouting off from the middle of a clearing with the Action Spell Card: Attack and Defense Exchange. "This card switches one monster's ATK and DEF points!" She points at the biohazard dragon. "I switch your Pandemic Dragon's ATK points!" The attack power from the biohazard dragon decreased to be its defense power.
(Pandemic Dragon: ATK 2500/DEF 1000 → ATK 1000/DEF 2500)
"Oh shit," Yasuko cursed.
"Battle!" Arielle declared. "Shiranui Sunsaga, attack Pandemic Dragon!" The ghost samurai horseman charges forward with his sword ready. The horse gallops fast as the leaves underneath the hoofs fly up with every step it takes. The horseman swings his sword over and slashes the biohazard dragon before the monster explodes, knocking Yasuko off her feet. She shouted as her body hurdles her over to a nearby cliff. Her feet were stopping the moment, dragging Yasuko until her body gives a heavy lurch where the girl was hanging by the cliffside.
"Yasuko!" Zuzu gasped, calling out to her.
"Oh no!" The three kids inhaled together, shocked that Yasuko was hanging onto the cliffside with only her life points hanging on for a moment.
(Yasuko: LP 3500 → 1000)
Yasuko is hanging, making herself start dragging back up with her fingernails digging into the dirt and leaves to pull herself back up. On her knees, Yasuko pants from exhaustion. The situation is now turning grim. Her life points are running very low, and she doesn't have any a lot of cards left on the field, but there was something that she can do to slow down her opponent.
"Pandemic Dragon's special effect activates," said Yasuko. "When the monster is destroyed, all other face-up monsters lose 1000 ATK points!" The mirage of the biohazard dragon reappears before spreading green acid all over the field, effectively burning off some leaves and tree barks around Arielle and her monster.
(Shiranui Sunsaga: ATK 3500 → 2500)
"I end my turn," Arielle concluded.
Turn 6: Yasuko (1x card)
Yasuko slowly gets back up and steps forward to make sure that she doesn't make a mistake of stepping near the cliffside. Her breath can be seen from the mist that was surrounding her. "It's my turn," said Yasuko. "I draw…" She draws a card from her deck. The only cards that Yasuko has drawn are the Pot of Desires Spell Card and the Quick-Play Spell Card: Concentrating Current.
The You-Show audience is getting worried Yasuko has drawn a card, and that maybe it for the girl.
"Oh no," said Allie. "This is bad."
"She's got to think of something fast," Tate replied.
Her eyes looked down at the hand with hate. She is starting to have the hardest time in her life. She can feel her right-hand trembling now. The sound of the crowd cheering on is making her focus go haywire. Its making Yasuko tighten her jaws in anger. "This is friggin' stupid!" Her mind is racing so fast that she cannot think straight. "Damn it, Mom, you shouldn't have sent to this goddamn place! I never wanted to duel in front of this so many people!"
The look on her angry face is attracting the attention of the You-Show students. Most kids were wondering why Yasuko has the furious emotion coming out of her eyes. The way Yasuko is feeling must be frightening the little kids.
"I don't like that look on her face," said Allie, startled. "It's kinda scaring me."
"Me too," Zuzu added, also frightened by the angry scowl on Yasuko's face.
"What's going on?" Tate inquired. "Why isn't Yasuko using her Extra Deck?" He wasn't the only one who is wondering about Yasuko's methods to duel. Mainly, everyone in the You-Show was starting to wonder why Yasuko isn't going to uses her Extra Deck. She was able to do Pendulum, Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Summon in her duel with Yuya, and yet, she didn't use any of her Extra Deck over the past five days.
"Now that you've mentioned it," said Sora. "I didn't even see her do Synchro or Pendulum."
Yuya glances at the boy before gazing back at the girl with a worried expression. "Yasuko…" he muttered.
Yasuko can feel her fingernails digging into the skin of her palm. She looks at the arena and it was clear that the audiences behind the hologram were all screaming their mouths out to the star duelist of the school.
"Why are you screaming?" Arielle suddenly called.
Yasuko looks up and spots the girl in front of her with her monster. "I'm telling you the truth," she proclaimed. "You need to synch your reflexes and thought to be one." Her eyes are shunning Yasuko and her monster. "I can feel something different in that deck of yours, and if I'm guessing correctly, you are harboring such strength that even surpasses mine."
Arielle turns her eyes away and stares at the fog. "You feel lost, and you are refusing to use something precious."
The more Arielle talks about her, the angrier Yasuko gets. "Shut up!" she snapped. "You don't know anything about me!"
Arielle didn't flinch from her retort and focuses back on the girl. "You're pushing your emotions further down into the abyss," she said. "You have the power that you alone possess, and you yet refuse to do one thing that can be your salvation."
"Why should I?" Yasuko snapped. "All I will get is people to keep on asking me to do something more." Her eyes set at the ground. "They're just too stupid enough to understand that not everybody wants to be in the spotlight! And that is the one thing I hate!" Yasuko looks back up at the mystic fighter duelist. "I HATE HOW PEOPLE EXPECTS ME TO DO SOMETHING THAN WHAT I'M GOOG AT!"
From the moment she said her words, Yuya's head chimes like a bell ringing to his ears. He now understands something that is bothering Yasuko. At first, he thought that it may be some sort of stage fright or doesn't like being in front of large crowds but hearing Yasuko's words out loud became vividly clear to him. It wasn't because of showing in front of the crowd; it was the pressure to listen to the demand from him and everyone watching her duel to meet their expectancy.
Because of how gifted Yasuko is with her talents and how the audience reacts to her duel, she feels more stressed to do the impossible beyond her limits. Yuya finally understands why Yasuko isn't using her Extra Deck in front of the big audience. Her talent would only attract unwanted attention that would make her feel more stressful.
And then, there was something else that came to his mind. He recalled how Diana said that she and the former duel club that she used to go had a fallout. "So, that's why Yasuko never used her Extra Deck in all those matches," he thought. By looking at the crowd around him and the You-Show people, it felt like it was his fault for making Yasuko do something that she doesn't want to do. Yuya's heart starts to maim in response. Surely, Yasuko may have learned to openly use her Extra Deck cards in nonpublic spaces, but to see her not using her Extra Deck in front of a lot of public is a feeling that needs to be assisted by someone.
"People expect of me to be something better than what I'm good at," Yasuko explained. "Come on, I wasn't going into the Arc League for the fun and the fame, I just want to get back at someone, and I wasn't going to waste that chance. And once that was done, I'm through. I don't want any part in this whole pro-duelist crap because people would always put their trust in you until you're used up and throw away like a cloth. That's what I think of the duel schools here." Her narrowed eyes frown on the girl. "Everybody is the same! They expect you to do something more and then when you are at your limit, they just dump you away!" Yasuko retorted.
"Is that what you think?" Arielle inquired, appalled. "You think duel schools are a waste of time? I call it BS! Duel schools are built not for the sole purpose of dueling in competitions but for a way to express trust to anyone with similar interest."
"Trust?" Yasuko repeated. "Who is there to trust? They expect me to do something higher than what I'm good at. And if I lose my way to the Arc League, they'll just dump on me like how my dueling club members did to me."
Yuya then suddenly had another realization. By looking at the crowd around him and the You-Show people, it felt like it was his fault for making Yasuko do something that she doesn't want to do. Yuya's heart starts to maim in response. "Now, I see…" he pondered. "She never uses the Extra Deck because we were expecting her to do more."
Yuya didn't know how Yasuko was thinking if he and the rest of the You-Show duel school would ridicule her if she ever does something appalling to them. He thought of how Diana said that she quit the dueling club. Yasuko trusted her dueling club members to watch her back during the Frontier Games, but after she didn't get in, they scorn her for losing and that is why she quit. She only trusts people who can accept her for who she is.
Yasuko makes her move and activates the Spell Card. "I activate the Pot of Desires Spell!" she exclaimed. "This card lets me banish the top ten cards from my deck to draw two cards!" She banishes the top ten cards from her deck and draws two more. She finds herself infuriated when she drew White Dragon Wyverbuster, and her Tuner monster: Destrudo, the Lost Dragon's Frisson. "Out of the cards that I have to draw, why does it have to be these two of all times?" she thought.
As Yasuko was lost in her frustration, someone called to her name. "Yasuko!" The girl turns her attention toward the stands. She spots Yuya standing on top of the seat with both hands to his mouth calling out to her.
"Yasuko!" Yuya called again.
"Not now!" Yasuko responded, giving a slightly irritated tone.
"Listen, I know why you don't use them! I know why you never used your Extra Deck!" Yuya exclaimed. "I know why you quit your dueling club! You think you're expecting us to do want something even better, but you don't have to believe in that! You are not alone! I know it must be hard for you! Everything! The stress! The people! You didn't want to do anything with that!" Yuya is going to make sure that Yasuko can come through to her senses. "Yasuko! I know what it feels like to be stressed and be forced to meet everyone's expectations! But Yasuko, what I want to say is you don't have to worry about any of that in You-Show! No matter what happens after this, even if you don't win this match, you're still a friend and student of the You-Show Duel School, my dad's duel school! I trust you completely, Yasuko Yukihana! I trust you because you are my friend!"
Yasuko makes a small gasp. She is sure that her heart may have skipped a beat after Yuya proclaims his words. The rest of the spectators and the You-Show students around him were confused. Soon, Zuzu starts to understand what Yuya was trying to say and comes to join him.
"Yasuko!" Zuzu called. "We are the You-Show Duel School, and everyone at the You-Show supports each other! We are like a family! No matter what happens after this match, we will still accept you!" Saying those words makes Zuzu feel a lot more than just relieve; she was supportive.
And then, three little kids join with their older members.
"That's right!" Tate called. "We will always be here for you!"
"Yeah!" Allie rooted. "We are here for you, Yasuko!"
"Even if you're aren't nice at most time," Frederick added. "We accept you, Yasuko!"
Sora gives a nod. "I guess I could say that I am in for you, Yasuko," he responded. "So, no matter what, just give it your all!" He makes a thumps-up for the girl.
Yasuko is completely taken back by the You-Show students. She cannot tell what she is feeling right now. It felt like her spirit was lifted from the depths of the abyss and transcended into the sky.
She closes her eyes and lets the words from Yuya sink deeper into her body. "That's right," Yasuko thought. "I wasn't sure of who to trust because I trusted someone from the Frontier Games…"
Her brain reminisces to the memories of when she and Melania teamed up in the Frontier Games. She thought that she can trust Melania to watch her back as she covers her during the Tokyo Regional Frontier Games. In the last half hour, Yasuko was deceived and lost to Melania who was only using her to get herself in the main tournament. After losing her way inside to the tournament, Yasuko can remember the scolds her club members give her after she lost.
That's why she quit in the first place. The dueling club wanted Yasuko to take her place in the Tokyo Regional Frontier Games so that they can get more members, but she lost because she made a partnership with her enemy. Yasuko vowed to stay away from competitions and only duels solo, promising to never make the same mistake again until she started getting involved with competitions again after moving into Maiami City.
However, unlike the duel club, the You-Show are different. They may always and will be coming back to her no matter how many times she scolded them, mostly at Yuya. Somewhere inside, there was a blissful feeling that soothes her body to be more peace. She can think a lot clearer. Her heart rate is slowing down, and her mind is calming. Yasuko felt like she is in a state of relaxation. Her nerves are now straight. Her head becomes more open. It is the feeling that she longed for. The hand that trembles all the time during her duel in big crowds have ceased.
"You say that reflexes and thought must be one," Yasuko proclaimed. "Now I see what Ayala meant when she said that both reflexes and thought must create a peaceful synthesis between each other." Her eyes scan the cards that are in her hand. "And now that I still have a chance, that would mean I have to beat you!"
Arielle was surprised by Yasuko's quick recovery. She thought at first Yasuko was about to break, but then the girl regained her true composure. Arielle can see the calm demeanor that Yasuko is displaying. Arielle is somehow glad. Her graceful smile shows how satisfied she is.
"I see that you have found your inner peace," Arielle said gracefully. "Here, in the Mystic Fighter, those who have achieved their inner peace are gratefully accepted in the institute." She makes a small bow to Yasuko before getting back up. "You may have achieved stability inside your mind, Yukihana, but how are you going to beat me with no cards on the field?"
Yasuko narrows her eyes at her opponent. "I just have to think outside the box, that's how," she answered. "I activate White Dragon Wyverbuster's special effect!" Yasuko declared. "By banishing a DARK monster from my graveyard, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand!" She activates the effect of her monster by banishing her Schwarzschild Limit Dragon to Special Summon White Dragon Wyverburster (ATK 1800/DEF 700). "I banish my Schwarzschild Limit Dragon to Special Summon White Dragon Wyverburster!"
From the field, a portal opens to let out a blue dragon with silver armor and a crystal orb at the center of its chest with red eyes beating out and an orange glowing outline from the center.
"Now, I activate Destrudo, the Lost Dragon's Frission's special effect!" Yasuko added. "When this monster is in my hand or graveyard, I can pay half of my life points and target one level 6 or below monster that I control, and Special Summon it with its level reduced by the monster that I targeted!"
Yasuko throws her hand over to the wyverburster dragon. "I target my White Dragon Wyverburster to reduce Destrudo's level by 4 to Special Summon the Tuner monster; Destrudo, the Lost Dragon's Frisson!" By paying half of her life points and reducing the level of her dragon, Yasuko was able to Special Summon Destrudo, the Lost Dragon's Frisson (ATK 1000/DEF 3000). From the portal, the grotesques dragon with half bones and muscle meat shows up on the field with its level reduced because of its effect.
(Destrudo, the Lost Dragon's Frisson: Level 7 → 3)
Zuzu and Allie got purple pale from the moment they saw Yasuko's tuner monster. "Oh…that is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen; I think I'm gonna be sick," said Zuzu, holding her mouth to prevent her from vomiting.
"It's creeping me out," Allie added.
The two boys, on the other hand, are very amazed that the girl was able to summon a tuner monster.
"Alright!" Tate cheered. "She brought out her Tuner monster!"
Despite seeing the appearance of a tuner monster, Yuya is worried that the girl paid a high price for her monster to appear. "But she paid half of her life points," he stated. Statics spark around the girl at the cost of half of what remains for her life points.
(Yasuko: LP 1000 → 500)
Arielle raises an eyebrow of interest. "You would pay half of your life points to summon a Tuner monster?" she inquired. "Why put yourself at such a risk?"
Yasuko glowers at the girl. "To win this duel and get into the Arc League," she declared. "I tune my level 3 Destrudo, the Lost Dragon's Frisson with my level 4 White Dragon Wyverburster!"
The grotesque dragon transforms into three green rings. They scan the wyverburster dragon until it was left with nothing but its four glowing orbs. With all the orbs aligned, it shoots a light that shines over Yasuko from behind.
(3 + 4 = 7)
"Dragon of fire! Come to the earth and blast away my enemies who stand before you! I Synchro Summon! Rage on! Level 7! Exploder Dragonwing!" Yasuko recited before she Synchro Summons Exploder Dragonwing (ATK 2400/DEF 1800). The dark back-deformed violet-red dragon with red-orange wings and flappy scales, and forearms and calves that are two times bigger than the limbs with sharp claws and orange tail appears from the light and right behind Yasuko. It roars after being sealed for so long.
The audience goes wild after seeing Yasuko do a Synchro Summon, the same summoning method as Arielle. The You-Show are happy to see Yasuko being able to do a Synchro Summon in front of a large crowd.
"Alright!" Yuya cheered.
"There is it!" Allie shrieked.
"Exploder Dragonwing!" Tate added.
"I'm getting the shivers just by seeing her Synchro Summon!" Frederick makes a quaver.
Sora closes his eyes to feel proud that Yasuko has finally Synchro Summon after seeing her delaying her talent.
"You may have brought out the true strength of your deck, but you have still yet to beat me because I have all the cards on the table," said Arielle.
"You sure about that?" Yasuko questioned which cause the senior girl to gasp. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Concentrating Current!" She raises her voice to make a clear statement of the card. "This card gives one monster that I control ATK points equal to its DEF points!"
"What?!" Arielle gasped.
Yasuko points at the deformed dragon. "I give my Exploder Dragonwing!" The spell card showers over the deformed dragon with bolts of lightning to charge up the monster in exceeding its ATK points.
(Exploder Dragonwing: ATK 2400 → 4000)
"No way!" Arielle gasped.
The You Show is now getting more excited after Yasuko Synchro Summoned followed by a major power boost to her monster.
"Alright, this is what I'm talking about!" Tate cheered. "Now that Yasuko's monster is stronger than Arielle's, she can get even with her!"
"And because Exploder Dragonwing has more ATK points, then that means we all know what's coming!" Frederick explained.
"Go, Yasuko!" Allie applauded.
"Battle! Exploder Dragonwing, attack Shiranui Sunsaga!" The deformed dragon opens its jaws and fires off a red laser beam to vaporize the ghost samurai horseman.
"I activate Shiranui Sunsaga's special effect!" Arielle declared. "If a Zombie monster were ever be destroyed in battle or card effect, I can banish one Zombie monster from the graveyard instead!" Arielle chooses to banish her Shiranui Solitaire. "I banish my Solitaire so that Shiranui Sunsaga doesn't get destroyed this turn!" The monster still stands with a force field to prevent itself from being destroyed, but it has effectively dealt with more damage to Arielle.
(Arielle: LP 3000 → 1500)
"Like that's going to stop me!" Yasuko shouted. All of a sudden, she turns around to start running over toward the cliff, much to everyone's shock.
"Where is she going!?" Tate exclaimed.
"There's nothing over there!" Frederick panicked.
Yasuko takes a big leap over the cliff and starts to fall, but then, the deformed dragon comes below to allow Yasuko to hop off its back as a boost to get to the other side of the foggy mist. Her body disappears behind the thick layers of fog. For a few moments, Yasuko was gone into the fog until something shining pops out from the mist.
Yasuko's body starts to become more visible as the glow shines bright enough to evaporate the fog around her with the Action Spell Card: Wonder Chance. "I activate the Action Spell, Wonder Chance!" Yasuko exclaimed. "This card gives my monster an additional attack this turn!" She throws her hand over to the deformed dragon who starts floating at the center of the large gap with the river streaming below. The fog clears up to reveal Yasuko standing on the other side of a riverbank cliff.
"Exploder Dragonwing attack Shiranui Sunsaga one more time!" Yasuko yelled. "Now, Exploder Dragonwing's special effect activates!" When this monster destroys your monster in battle, you take damage equal to its ATK points!"
The You-Show are cheering her on to keep pressing with the attack.
"Go, Yasuko!" Yuya, Zuzu, and Sora said altogether.
"You got this!" Tate and Allie exclaimed proudly.
"Shivers!" Frederick squealed.
Arielle gasped as the deformed dragon fires off a second beam right at Arielle. She takes the hit directly and flinches once. Arielle is entirely shaken. She can't believe how the girl achieves her thoughts together and manages to break through her barrier. She lets out a smile and waits for the beam to hit her monsters and all of her life points with a big—
KA-BOOOOMMMMM!
(Arielle: LP 1500 → 0)
WINNER: Yasuko Yukihana
The audience went wilder after seeing the duel with everyone cheering on for the girl who beat one of the school's top duelist. The Action field disperses and returns to its original state. Even the girls from Mystic Fighters are all applauding for Yasuko.
The girl removes her bangs that are in her eyes. Sweat runs down on the back of her shirt and forehead. She sighs in exhaustion. She is feeling the need for a cold shower. Yasuko spots Arielle approaching her.
"Yasuko Yukihana," said Arielle, staring down at the girl. "You show a lot of potential in there."
Yasuko raised an eyebrow. "And you aren't disappointed?"
Arielle shakes her head. "I am not above thinking about who my opponent is as long as they are truly one with their mind and heart, and you, on the other hand, have finally become one in your mind and your heart."
Yasuko averts her gaze. "I guess you mean to say…I've achieved inner peace," she said. "Just need something to knock my senses."
Arielle smiles wider. "Then I wish you luck for the upcoming Arc League Championship, Yukihana." And with that, she bows her head in respect as Yasuko did the same thing before the two females part ways.
On her way to the stands, Yasuko gets tackled by the three kids, but she is still standing.
"Way a go, Yasuko!" Tate beamed. "You've got your fifth win!"
"Only one more to go, and we'll all going to be in!" Allie smiled.
"You were amazing in there, I was getting the shivers in my goosebumps," said Fredrick.
Yasuko pushes the boys away lightly and pats Allie on her head. "I'm…glad that you enjoyed it?" she said, unsure.
The rest of the gang comes over to the girl.
"You did it though," said Yuya. "Now you need only one more and you're gonna be in."
Zuzu nodded. "And don't worry about us though," she assured. "Even though you don't like to listen to the cheers, we'll all be there for you."
Yasuko's blue eyes stare up to Zuzu's. "Uh…thanks for that," she responded. "But I must get going." She pushes Allie aside to collect her gym bag.
"Already?" Sora inquired. "But your fifth match was today, and we should celebrate in the honor of your victory."
Yasuko makes a cringe. "Don't. Not yet." She adjusts her bag and begins to walk out. "See ya alligators." Before she could exit out of the arena, the girl stops to glance at Yuya. "Oh, and Yuya…" she called to which got his attention.
"Yeah?" Yuya asked.
For a moment, Yasuko and Yuya stared at each other for the longest time. They're not moving away to gaze. There is something that Yuya wanted to tell her what he was thinking, to see her reaction. For Yasuko, she is still working over how Yuya accepts her. She shakes her mouth uncomfortably; thinking he might reach there if she is going to stare at his red eyes when he's already got the gaze from Zuzu.
"Thanks…for uh…knocking my senses…" Yasuko said awkwardly. "But do me a favor though."
"And what's that?" Yuya beamed.
"Never make a speech like that when I'm dueling," Yasuko said flatly. She turns her body forward. "I'll see you tomorrow." And with that the girl walks out, leaving the You-Show behind.
Sora has his arms behind his head. "What's up with her?" he asked. "Isn't she supposed to be—oh I don't know— happy and stuff like that? Doesn't she know that if she wins her next match tomorrow, then she is in?"
Yuya faces Sora. "Yep, but you know Yasuko…" He turns his gaze back at the girl's back. "She likes to keep things to herself."
The sun wasn't gone yet. The orange color sky spreads all over Maiami City after Yasuko earned her fifth victory against Arielle.
The girl is getting close to being in the Arc League Championship. With just one more win around the corner, it will be enough to get her inside. All she has to do is win the next one tomorrow, and she'll be in the Arc League Championship. Somehow, the peaceful feeling never left her. It's been attached to her like staples. Maybe that's what she needs. Yasuko felt that the final match tomorrow will be ease once she makes it past the sixth mark.
The girl exits out of the bus. Her shadow looms over the walkway to Diana's house.
She enters the door and calls to her caretaker. "Diana, I'm home." As Yasuko takes off her shoes, she notices that there was a pair of magenta heels and black shoes at the side. Her raised eyebrow gives her curiosity. Does Diana have guests today? Did she know some people were coming without telling her?
"Yasuko?" Diana called from the kitchen. "Is that you?"
Yasuko turns toward the kitchen. "Yeah, it's me," she responded.
"Could you come in here for a second," Diana requested. "There are some people who would want to see you."
The request only further enhances her confusion. To think there would be someone who in the city would like an audience with her. She puts down her gym bag and heads for the kitchen. She can see Diana looking back at her from the seat.
She smiles at the girl. "Yasuko, I hope you don't mind, but these people would love to talk with you."
"Oh?" Yasuko inquired. "And who would they—" Yasuko suddenly stops right in her sentence when she saw two people at the end of the table. It is as if her life was being sucked out of her body. Her skin pales at the sight of one of the two people she hopes she didn't have to see.
It was Henrietta Akaba and Claude.
Hey readers, I did plan to post this earlier, but things got caught up and I have something to take care of. Anyways, I hoped that you've all enjoyed your holidays, so one more to go, and we'll be coming in the next Arc. I hoped you are all excited. I will be taking the time to review these duels and see it through that it will work out just fine.
Anyways, thank you, readers, for taking the time to read this through. I'll post this sometime next year. Don't forget to give some feedback on what you have thought and what needs to be improved. I will bring it all that I've got. See ya, and a Happy New Years!