Hello, everyone! Sorry to keep you all waiting but this has been a long chapter in the making. I suggest you be prepared because there will be a lot to digest in this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!

Thank you to everyone who read the last chapter. Also, thank you to Vicente Salamanca, Shadow, Roxas Itsuka, rgriffin8999, GUIPA and FrozenLuinor14 for commenting. Here's some of my responses:

Guipa - Thanks.

FrozenLuinor14 - (Thumbs up)

Chapter 27 - Welcome to the Maiami Championship

MAIAMI CITY - LEO CORPORATION (REIJI'S OFFICE)

During the day of the official start of the Maiami Championship, Reiji was in his office with a computer in front of him on his desk. Nakajima stood in front of him with a neutral expression on his face as the morning sun shined through the windows.

Reiji stared at his computer while he was in deep thought, "It is almost time…" Today is the first day for the official selection of the Lancers. He must pay attention to all potential duelists that could help them in their cause.

"President." Reiji raised his head to Nakajima who continued, "What do you make of the data that was given before?" He was referring to the data sent by Reiji's mother, Himika, that revealed much about Mikleo Sakaki.

Reiji didn't say anything for a moment before he reached and grabbed a remote on his desk. He pressed a button and, from the big screen on the wall, Mikleo's picture profile came up on the screen but nothing else on it. Reiji then stood up, "It was interesting to say the least."

He walked over to the window before he turned to Nakajima, "Have you heard anything from my mother?" He sent her a message not too long after receiving this data, wanting to ask her a few questions.

Nakajima shook his head, "No, sir. Although, I'm told that she is personally supposed to be arriving here soon for the Maiami Championship." Reiji soon nodded his head, content that he'll have a chat with her later.

There was another pause for a moment before Nakajima looked a little hesitant as he spoke, "President...what do you make of that man?"

Reiji didn't answer as he wasn't sure how to respond to that. He was surprised with what he read about but the more he thought of it, the more sense it made. From the moment he met Mikleo, he thought he was a little suspicious and had a feeling he had seen him before but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. There were suspicious hints about this man's origins especially since his employees couldn't find much data on him for some reason. Now, he might have an idea on why that might've been the case. Still, to think that the Chrono Emperor and the Hell Emperor were one and the same person. He is probably more intrigued by this man than ever before.

"Sir." Reiji was snapped out of his thoughts by Nakajima who had a suspicious frown on his face. Nakajima knew the expression Reiji had on his face, it was one of intrigue and interest. As Reiji turned his head to him, Nakajima was concerned, "...Are you thinking of recruiting that man to our cause?" He doesn't know if that would be a wise choice especially considering there is still so little they know about this man, even with the data they were given. He wasn't even sure if Mikleo would accept.

Then, to Nakajima's surprise, Reiji grew a small smile on his face, "Who knows." As Nakajima was surprised by this, Reiji turned back to the window with narrowed eyes, "...In this tournament, we'll know for sure as I am certain a lot will be revealed these next few days." Although, if he were honest, from what he had seen, he has a feeling they don't have to worry about that.

MAIAMI CITY - YOU SHOW DUEL SCHOOL (HOURS LATER)

Yuya, Yuzu, Sora, Rin and the kids were standing in front of You Show with Shuzo standing in front of them with a proud smile on his face. Ruri was standing next to him while a blue bus was on the road nearby them. Shuzo looked at everyone else, "Yuya, Yuzu, Rin, Sora, Tatsuya, Ayu, Futoshi. The day has finally come! To think that almost all of our students from You Show Duel School qualified for the Maiami Championship…" He is a little sad that Ruri chose not to participate but he respects her decision. Everyone smiled back at him while Sora just casually licked his lollipop.

Tears were forming in Shuzo's eyes as he was enveloped with emotion, "I...I'm...So proud of all of you!" Shuzo then jumped towards to hug them but, to his shock, everyone else stepped to the side, causing him to miss and fall to the ground. Ruri was surprised by this while the others looked a little uncomfortable by this development. He then groaned in pain as a biker drove over him, "Why did you dodge…?"

Everyone sweatdropped as Yuzu looked at her father a little troubled, "Dad, you're way too excited." Ayu frowned in response, "We're not even at the stadium yet…" Rin smiled a little sheepishly, "We appreciate it but it might be best to save it for later."

Shuzo slowly stood up as he looked at them, "R-Right...sorry about that." He then got back on his feet, "Then allow me to explain again. The Maiami Championship is separated into three different classes: Junior, Junior Youth, and Senior. The duelists are mostly separated by age. Tatsuya, Ayu and Futoshi are in Junior Class." The kids nodded in agreement with all of them having smiles on their faces.

"Yuya, Yuzu, Rin and Sora have all qualified and are entered into the Youth Class." All of them nodded with a smile, "Right!" Shuzo held up a finger, "I'm sure all of you know this. The LDS-sponsored Maiami Championship isn't just all the Duel Schools from Maiami City but also qualifiers from all of Japan, no, the whole world come to attend!"

Shuzo looked at everyone with a smile, "In order to promote our You Show Duel School's Entertainment Dueling style, you should all be aiming to win!" He then held out his hands in an excited manner, "Now, from here on out, you are not only friends who have trained together but also fierce rivals!" A fiery aura surrounded Shuzo as he moved his hand towards them, "Fight with all of your strength! Don't hesitate or be disheartened! Believe in what you've learned and burn brightly! Hot-blooded!"

Everyone ignored that last part as they headed towards the blue bus all except for Ruri who smiled sweetly and clapped her hands in approval, "That was a nice speech." Shuzo almost cried a little more from hearing Ruri liking his passionate speech.

Soon after, everyone got in the bus and put their seatbelts on. Tatsuya smiled in resolve, "Alright!" Ayu, who was next to him, smiled as she held out her fists, "I'll do my best!"

Futoshi looked determined, "I'll shiver them to the bones!" Sora just looked at him while licking his lollipop as usual.

Yuzu, who sat next to her dad, slapped her cheeks before she had a determined look on her face, "I'll definitely win!" Rin was behind her as she had a confident smile on her face, "We're going to go all the way!" Ruri, who was sitting behind Rin, giggled in response as she agreed.

Shuzo turned to everyone with a huge smile on his face, "Alright, you guys all set?" Everyone yelled out in response, "Yeah!" Shuzo then held up his fist in the air, "Then we're off! Burning engine start!" He started the engine and soon started driving towards the Maiami Duel Stadium. However, a few seconds later, Yuzu, Ruri and Rin suddenly screamed in shock, causing Shuzo to stop the bus in shock and turned to them, "Wh-What's wrong, girls?!"

Yuzu was looking behind her with a worried expression on her face, "Dad, Yuya is…!" Both Ruri and Rin shouted in concern, "He's not here!" Shuzo followed their gaze in confusion before he and everyone else realized he wasn't in his seat with it being empty. Shuzo and everyone else shouted out in shock, "What?!"

MAIAMI CITY - MAIAMI DUEL STADIUM

Nearby the stadium that was connected in the middle of the city by various highways, there were many people gathered both inside and outside the arena with others included being at a lot of food and merchandise stands. They were all excited and enjoying themselves, getting hyped up for the Maiami Championship.

A reporter with orange hair and wearing a yellow outfit was nearby the stands as she looked around at them, "Have a look here!" She held out her hand toward the stands and smiled, "Maiami City has truly become a city of duels!" She turned back towards the camera, "That's right! Today, this city's greatest event, the Maiami Championship, is finally about to begin!" The television program shifted to various angles of the stadium and a blimp was flying over it as she continued, "To say the least, Maiami City is home to the developer of the Real Solid Vision System, the pinnacle of the Dueling industry itself, Leo Corporation! This tournament has gained attention as one of the world's largest, drawing in competitors from around the globe! Along with that, many spectators have come here to see the best of the best face off!"

Soon after, the reporter was inside the stands above the roaring crowd from a high vantage point. She had an entire view of the arena filled with large crowds. She was facing the camera with a smile on her face, "Amazing! The stadium for the tournament is already filled!" Then, all of a sudden, the cheers from the crowd started getting louder causing her to turn and she noticed something, "Oh? Could this be?" She wondered in shock before she turned back to the camera with an infatuated smile on her face, "Reiji-sama! It's Reiji-sama!" She waved her hand as the camera zoomed in towards Reiji who arrived in a private skybox with Himika and a little kid wearing a turquoise hooded sweatshirt, gray cargo pants and a yellow and blue striped shirt. The kid appeared to be a boy as he had light purplish hair that was mostly hidden under a cap and he was carrying a teddy bear while running next to Reiji. "The main sponsor of this tournament and the current President of Leo Corporation, Reiji Akaba, has made an appearance!" A lot of fangirls squealed from seeing him arrive. The reporter turned back to the camera, "It is very rare to see Reiji-sama in person!"

Meanwhile, her voice was a little tuned out as many fans in the crowd started chanting, "Reiji! Reiji! Reiji!" Reiji held up his hand as a greeting while he listened to the chants from many people. The little boy next to him gasped a little before he looked unnerved from hearing so many people admire him as he clutched his teddy bear.

One of the kids in the audience pointed at Reiji, "This is the first time I've seen Reiji Akaba too!" Another kid next to him nodded his head, "Well, that's because he almost never comes out in public after all." The kid in the middle had a look of awe on his face, "Yeah, you could even call him a living legend! Isn't it true that he's been the champion of Junior, Junior Youth, and Youth classes of this tournament? Then, they say that he got his pro qualifications at the age of fifteen. He really is a genius." The other two boys looked at Reiji again in awe from how amazing he was.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Reiji had his eyes narrowed as he kept a close eye on his mother who was smiling to the crowd. He was thinking about what she had said to him this morning and questions her decisions.

MAIAMI CITY - LEO CORPORATION (REIJI'S OFFICE)

Flashback (A few hours ago)

"Would you mind explaining yourself, mother?" Reiji gave his mother a questionable look as they were both in his office, standing and facing each other as Reiji wanted to talk.

Himika simply smiled at her son, "What do you mean?"

"Why did you involve yourself in this?" questioned Reiji as he was referring to the information his mother leaked about Mikleo Sakaki.

Himika held out her hand, "Why, I just figured you were so busy with other preparations that I should have helped you out. Besides, I was curious about that." She kept a smile on her face as she said that in a calm manner, though, behind her exterior, Reiji could see that something else drove her to do it.

Reiji stared at his mother questionably before he thought of the last time they met with Yuya and the others. With that theory, Reiji closed his eyes as he adjusted his glasses, "Would this have anything to do with Mikleo's attitude towards you before?" He remembers Mikleo's comments toward his mother and that she was not happy about them especially since she kept complaining about that after the wager with You Show was over.

Himika had her eyes closed as her smile then turned a little innocent, "Oh, not at all." Although, as she had her arms crossed together, her left hand was clenching her arm really tight as if to suppress some hidden disdain within her. Reiji saw this and concluded what he suspected: the main reason she did this was for revenge on how Mikleo talked back to her. With how she is, she couldn't let that slide.

"...I see." Reiji just responded calmly as it wouldn't help to get irritated at something that petty. He then looked at her with narrowed eyes, "Even if that wasn't the case, why did you make that information go public?" Just this morning, he witnessed an article that leaked information about Mikleo's profile and true identity which he wagers that his mother hired someone to do that.

Himika held out her hand gesturing towards the window which made Reiji turn to the city, "As you can see, our Maiami Championship will be broadcasted across the entire globe. With Mikleo Sakaki living right here in Maiami City and being Yuya Sakaki's older brother, more people would be eager to watch this event from seeing how Mikleo's brother holds up as well as the tournament will gain more attraction with his help. His history in the pro circuit as well as from the "other side" will garner more attention on us than ever. And we need as many people to see this event as possible. You know that as well as I." She said all of that with a smile as she explained how revealing Mikleo's history to the world will attract more attention, not just for the Maiami Championship, but Maiami City itself. Many people will be more curious than ever about this tournament especially when it is convenient that Mikleo's younger brother is participating in this event. With Yuya Sakaki being the son of Yusho Sakaki and the younger brother of Mikleo Sakaki, it can be guaranteed that a lot of people will be interested in watching Yuya.

Reiji didn't respond as he just narrowed his eyes, acknowledging that perhaps his mother may have a point. Regardless of what she did, it would benefit them greatly if this attracted more attention to the Maiami Championship.

Flashback End.

Reiji's thoughts turned back to his mother as the information has been leaked so there's nothing else that can be done. However, he does see some benefit to this as this could work to his advantage but he'll need to figure out how to use it though. He just hopes that this reckless move by his mother doesn't cause any negative effects. They'll just have to wait and see, especially with how Mikleo responds to this.

Meanwhile, Ayu, Tatsuya and Futoshi were running through the stadium and met each other in the gathering hall where all competitors gathered before entering the stadium arena. As they all stopped while Futoshi was trying to regain his breath, Ayu looked at both him and Tatsuya, "How'd it go?" Futoshi was leaning down as he looked like he was a little out of breath, "He wasn't there. He really hasn't come here yet!" Tatsuya looked around the area in concern, "I wonder what happened to Big Bro Yuya…?"

At that moment, Shuzo was running around in the spectator stands while holding his duel disk to his ear, "Got it, you guys keep on searching!" He then ended the call before he turned and ran off to a different direction, "Dang it, Yuya! Where did you run off to…?"

Sora was sitting in the gathering hall while holding a sign that said "You Show Duel School." While he was licking his lollipop, he heard someone call out to him, "Sora!" He looked up and saw Yuzu, Ruri, Rin and the kids running up to him. Yuzu looked at him, "Sora, has Yuya…?"

Sora closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders with a frown, "Nope, he hasn't come here yet."

Rin saw what Sora was doing before she had her hands on her hips and muttered, "I don't think you even did anything…" Ruri was the only one who heard her as she sweatdropped, "Now, now…" True, it might look like Sora is being a little lazy but arguing isn't going to help anyone right now.

The kids looked at each other in worry, wondering what they were going to do as the opening ceremony is about to begin soon. Yuzu had a troubled expression on her face, "I called Auntie Yoko, and he hasn't gone back there either. She said she would help search for him." She then lowered her eyes, "Where could he have gone…?"

"What did you say?" They heard a voice before turning to see who it was in confusion. They saw Mieru Hochun, holding a crystal apple in her hand. Yuzu was shocked when she saw who it was, "You're…!" She remembers her as the girl who fell for Yuya during their last meeting.

Mieru narrowed her eyes a little, "Is it true that my darling hasn't come yet?"

Yuzu had her eyes narrowed as she heard that, "My...darling?!" Her voice turned deep before her entire expression changed one of intense anger and jealousy as flames surrounded her, surprising the others around her with Tatsuya stuttering, "B-Big Sis Yuzu!"

Mieru gasped in realization as she had a happy smile on her face, "Could it be…?!" She then had stars in her eyes, "Darling snuck off to meet my mother and father! Oh my, what a surprise!" She danced a little in glee from the possibility.

Yuzu gritted her teeth as she pulled out her fan while being surrounded by a red aura of anger, "Huh?! What are you talking about!? There's no way that could happen!" She was really getting angry with this girl especially with what could happen if she gets near him.

The kids were getting nervous as Yuzu was getting angrier with Tatsuya pleading, "Big Sis Yuzu, calm down!" Rin and Ruri looked distressed as they each held onto one of Yuzu's arms, trying to calm her down and hold her back. They are pretty sure Yuzu would be in serious trouble if she tried to hurt Mieru. Rin gritted her teeth as she pushed Yuzu back a bit, "Getting angry won't help in the slightest…"

Ayu frowned as she held onto Yuzu's arm as well, "But what should we do? The tournament's opening ceremony is about to start…"

Mieru pointed at them with a confident smirk on her face, "Don't worry! I'll be able to tell where my darling is with my fortune telling!" She then went down on her knees and placed a purple handkerchief on the floor. She placed her crystal apple on the cloth before she moved her hands over it, "Darling...Darling...where could you be?"

Yuzu growled even more angrily as she raised her fan, getting ready to smack her with it as the others did their best to hold her back. Mieru didn't pay attention as she continued, "My darling...my sweet darling…!" Yuzu tightened her grip for a second before Mieru then raised her head from the crystal apple with a smile on her face, "I see it!"

Yuzu's anger disappeared as the others looked at Mieru in confusion, wondering if she really did see Yuya. Ayu then spoke up, "Wh-Where is he?"

Mieru pointed in front of herself, "That way!" All of them looked up in the direction she was pointing. "Huh? That way?" asked Tatsuya in confusion as it wasn't very specific.

Mieru looked at Tatsuya a little irritated, "Yes! I just told you he's that way!" She pointed again which showed, in the direction she was pointing at, across the stadium was the river that was separated by many of the bridges, one of them being in that exact specific direction.

MAIAMI CITY - BRIDGE

Yuya was sitting on one of the railings of a bridge that was across the stadium from far away. He had some things on his mind and he chose this place for a reason. It was the place he last spoke to his father before his scheduled match with Strong Ishijima. He was thinking about his dad, "It is finally time. Dad, I wonder where you might be…" He thought of a conversation he had with him the last time they'd seen each other.

Flashback (5 years ago)

A young Yuya was sitting on top of the same railing as his father was standing next to him. He looked at his dad in curiosity, "Isn't Strong Ishijima...the challenger this time, really strong?"

Yusho turned to his son with a smile, "Yeah, but don't worry. No matter how strong he is, Dad will do his best! So, you should do your best in your Junior Youth matches, Yuya."

Yuya then had a happy smile on his face while he raised his right fist, "Yeah! I'll win the next tournament and become a duelist as great as you, Dad!"

Yusho's smile grew a bit as he patted his son's head, "Yuya, you've got that a bit wrong." Yuya was confused as Yusho continued patting his head, "Instead of being like me, it's more important to be yourself."

Flashback End.

Yuya stared at his pendant while swinging it back and forth. He chuckled a little from seeing the memory, "Right. Be myself." With all of the training and lessons he's learned from both his father and brother, he doesn't need to worry about that. A part of him does wish his dad was here so he could show him.

Soon, he looked down at the pendant with a determined expression on his face, "And now, I'm fighting for something more." Even though his original goal was to win this tournament, he now has something more important at stake. Helping his friends, Yuto and Lucine, and getting some answers from Reiji.

Yuya then felt someone near him before he heard a voice, "Hey, if you don't hurry up, you're going to be late!" Yuya turned to see Yoko and Mikleo standing next to him, "Mom. Mikleo."

Yoko looked at him with a smile, "I got a call from Yuzu! Everyone is worried because you went missing!" Mikleo looked at Yuya, "It is a bit rude to leave without saying anything." Though he probably shouldn't talk since he does it a lot of times.

Yuya simply smiled in response, "Sorry. Had things on my mind." He then turned his head toward the stadium with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Mikleo walked up next to him, "Thinking about Dad?" Yuya nodded in response. Yoko sighed before she smiled again and placed her hands on Yuya's shoulders, "Yuya, whatever you want to say to him, you know where you should do it." Yoko gestured towards the stadium where Yuya followed her gaze, thinking the same thing. Soon after, Yuya smiled before he followed Mikleo and his mother towards her car.

MAIAMI CITY - MAIAMI DUEL STADIUM

A lot of participants were in the gathering hall with one of them whispering to his friend, "I heard Yuya Sakaki ran away." His friend turned his head toward Yuzu and the others with narrowed eyes, "Huh? Then he's just like his dad, isn't he?"

Ayu looked at Yuzu in worry, "Big Sis Yuzu, what should we do?" All of them were getting concerned that Yuya might not make it in time.

Yuzu frowned as she looked at the ground, "Yuya…" She wondered where he was and what happened.

However, the next moment, they heard a loud voice calling out to them, "Ah, there you are!" Yuzu, Ruri, Rin, Sora and the kids turned to where the voice was in surprise as they saw Yuya running towards them with a smile on his face while waving his hand, "Hey! You guys!"

The kids smiled in happiness when they saw him, "Big Bro Yuya!" Sora sighed in relief before he gave off a small smile, "Well, looks like he made it. This tournament wouldn't be as fun without him."

Yuzu just looked at Yuya who was running towards them, "Yuya…" She then felt a wave of relief wash over her as her eyes glistened for a bit. Ruri and Rin smiled happily as they felt relief that Yuya was alright.

Yuya stopped in front of them, "Sorry for the wait!" At that moment, Yuzu grabbed Yuya's hands with her own and glared at him, "Yuya! I was so worried about you! Where did you wander off to?" While she felt relief, she was also angry that Yuya left without saying a word to any of them.

Yuya chuckled a little, "Sorry, Yuzu. I just had something to deal with first." He then made her let off before he gestured towards the left, "We can enter the stadium soon, right? Let's go sign up."

Yuya walked away with Yuzu glaring at him, "You really…" She couldn't believe that he just appeared out of nowhere and is trying to brush this off like nothing happened.

Rin felt the same frustration Yuzu was feeling as a tick mark appeared on her forehead while having her hands on her hips, "Geez. You could've at least told us you were doing something." Sometimes, that nonchalant attitude of Yuya's is what annoys her sometimes.

Ruri sweatdropped as she closed her eyes while still smiling nervously, "Maybe. But at least he's here now." She could understand their frustration but it all worked out in the end she supposes.

Yuya looked over his shoulder while smiling, "It's fine. Don't worry about it." However, the next moment, he walked into someone's back which made him stop to look at who it was. It was a large teenager who turned around with a smirk on his face when he saw Yuya, "It's been a while, weakling." He was a tall, muscular man with thulian pink hair in the front.

Yuya was taken aback for a second before he recognized the man in front of him as he narrowed his eyes, "Ankokuji…" He remembers this guy. It was Gen Ankokuji, one of the kids that bullied him about his father "running away" and was also a huge fan of Strong Ishijima. The last he'd heard of him was when he tried to challenge him to a duel before Gongenzaka stepped in. Then, he heard he left the Gongenzaka Dojo on his own terms and hasn't seen him since.

Ankokuji turned to Yuya, "It was right before an important tournament, so I was certain you'd ran away. Just like your old man!" Yuya glared at him, "What was that?"

Ankokuji glared at Yuya with an irritated expression on his face, "I'll never accept that someone like you beat Strong Ishijima!"

Sora looked at Tatsuya confused, "Who's that?" Tatsuya tilted his head in equal confusion, "No idea…" Yuzu watched Yuya in concern as she had never seen this guy before, but from the way he talked to Yuya, it sounded like he was one of the kids who used to bully him for his father's disappearance. Ruri frowned in worry while Rin glared at the boy even though they both aren't exactly sure what their relationship is.

Ankokuji leaned towards Yuya as he was still smirking, "How about I crush you right here and prove what a pushover you really are? Huh?" Yuya narrowed his eyes but stood his ground as he took a step towards Ankokuji, surprising him a little bit.

Ankokuji then felt a cold chill running down his spine before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was caught off guard before he turned to see who it was in confusion. It was Mikleo who was glaring at him while being at equal height. Mikleo's expression looked like a murderous one as a black aura was surrounding him. Ankokuji's eyes widened as he took a step back, "Wh-What is with this guy?" Looking at his appearance, he should be stronger than this man but something about him is showing all kinds of warning signals. Ankokuki then narrowed his eyes, "Who are you?"

"Mikleo Sakaki. Would you mind continuing what you were saying?" said Mikleo as his eyes narrowed but his expression did not change. He said that in amusement as he was curious where he was going with this.

Ankokuji gasped a little when he heard the name, "I-It's him." From hearing his name, that explains this overwhelming aura he was feeling from this man.

Before either Ankokuji and Yuya could respond, Ankokuji felt another hand touch his shoulder that was much larger, "That's enough, Gen Ankokuji." Ankokuji turned his head and Yuya looked behind him to see Gongenzaka standing behind, "Gongenzaka."

Ankokuji closed his eyes and let out a small laugh, "Calling a senior disciple by his name, are we?" He turned his head toward Gongenzaka with his eyes narrowed, "You must be a real big shot now, Gongenzaka!"

Gongenzaka closed his eyes, "You are no longer my senior!" The two tall teenagers stared at each other with intensity in the air. At the next moment, a voice was heard throughout the speakers, "Players can enter the stadium in a moment. All competitors, please line up in front of your respective team placards."

Ankokuji smirked as he pulled his shoulder off Gongenzaka's hand, "At least try and stay in the tournament until I crush you both!" He turned to Mikleo, "And I must say, it was an honor to meet you, Emperor." Mikleo narrowed his eyes as he turned to walk away with Gongenzaka and Yuya looking after him.

Tatsuya heard what he said and was confused, "How did he know who you were?" The fact that this man referred to Mikleo as "Emperor" means that he is aware that he was the Chrono Emperor. The others wondered the same thing as Mikleo didn't say anything but just narrowed his eyes even further.

Gongenzaka had other things on his mind as he narrowed his eyes, "To think we'd meet him here…" Yuya nodded while silently wondering how Ankokuji knows who his brother is. He decided to think about it later as he realized something else while turning to Gongenzaka, "Gongenzaka." Gongenzaka turned to Yuya who smirked, "The fact that you're here means you made it into the tournament, right?"

Gongenzaka smiled in response as he pointed at himself, "Yeah! I, the man Gongenzaka, made the 60% win rate qualification right before the entry deadline!"

Yuya's smirk grew bigger as he felt happy for his friend, "That's great. Congrats!" He held out his right hand to him which he responded by grabbing it with his and shaking it with a smile on his face.

As Sora was chatting with the kids, Yuzu walked up to both Yuya and Gongenzaka. Gongenzaka checked behind Yuya's shoulder before he looked back at both of them with narrowed eyes and whispered, "Any progress, Yuzu?"

As Yuya lowered his eyes, Yuzu shook her head and frowned, "No. Not much." They knew he was talking about Sora. After all, just a few days ago, they filled him in on the whole situation that's been going on these past few days.

MAIAMI CITY - GONGENZAKA DOJO

Flashback (A few days ago)

Yuya, Yuzu, Gongenzaka, Ruri and Rin were all in another room of the dojo that was empty while Sora was occupied with the others. They were telling Gongenzaka about what happened and explaining more about Ruri, Sora and Academia. Gongenzaka was caught off guard by this information but gestured them to continue.

Once they all finished explaining, Gongenzaka had his eyes closed and arms crossed together, looking like he was contemplating all of this at once. Gongenzaka wasn't saying anything and hummed as he was in deep thought. Eventually, Gongenzaka spoke up, "To think that all of this has been happening..."

The others were watching in anticipation as they wondered if Gongenzaka believed them or not. Gongenzaka opened his eyes and looked at Ruri with a serious expression. Ruri, although wondering what he was thinking, stood her ground as her expression stayed firm in her belief. Gongenzaka closed his eyes again for a second, "What happened to your home…" Gongenzaka then had an angry expression as he raised his fist, "Is inexcusable! I cannot believe people would use dueling like that!"

They were all taken aback for a second, except for Yuya who smiled in response, as Rin wondered, "Does that mean you believe us?"

Gongenzaka crossed his arms together, "It is overwhelming. And I could see why you all said that I might not believe you." Gongenzaka then smiled, "But I could see the sincerity in your eyes and that's enough for me." Although he admits the story is a bit far fetched, from seeing their passionate expressions, he can see that they were being genuine about this.

Everyone was smiling in happiness as they were relieved that he believed them. Now, they are on the right track. However, there was still one question that needed to be answered. Ruri looked at Gongenzaka curiously, "So…" She trailed off as she needed to hear what Gongenzaka was going to do.

Knowing what she was asking, Gongenzaka smiled as he pointed at himself, "You can rely on me. I, the man Gongenzaka, will do my best to help you and your homeland, Ruri!" He has decided he will fight for what is right and help out his friends. Everyone else smiled in response, happy to see Gongenzaka is going to help them as well.

Flashback End.

Yuzu sighed in disappointment, "I've tried but he wouldn't budge." Over the past few days, she has been trying to get Sora to talk more about himself but he either didn't answer or just straight up dodge the questions. Yuya and Gongenzaka nodded in acknowledgement, deciding to deal with it a little later since this tournament is going on now. Ruri soon left the gathering hall to meet up with Yoko and Shuzo.

Soon after, Nico Smiley was walking up on a stage with a mike in hand. He turned towards the audience around him with a smile on his face while holding up the mike, "Everyone, we apologize for the long wait! The once a year festival for duelists! The Maiami Championship has begun! And I, Nico Smiley, will be running you through this opening ceremony!" He said all of this as he waved his finger around, the crowd cheering loudly in excitement. He shouted out in the air, "Now then, let the entrance procession begin!"

At that moment, confetti and lighting effects were being thrown around the arena as the audience exploded in cheers again. The reporter spoke up again, "The entry procession has begun! Leading the march is the school that won all classes in last year's tournament, LDS - Leo Duel School!" Himika smiled proudly as a girl was holding up a sign that said "LDS" while leading the students into the arena.

All of the participants in the gathering hall were watching on the monitor, seeing the LDS students walking into the arena as the reporter continued, "As a prestigious school that produces many Pro Duelists every year, they have the most entrants this year once again!"

Yuya and Yuzu were watching, through the monitor, as Shingo, Yaiba, Masumi, and Hokuto walked into the stadium with the other LDS students. Then, their eyes widened when they saw someone else walking with them: Shun. Yuya was surprised when he recognized that person, "This guy…" It was the same man he had witnessed Xyz Summoning during one of his dreams of Heartland. Yuzu looked at Shun with narrowed eyes, knowing who he is, "He's…"

Ruri just arrived at the stands next to Shuzo and Yoko, taken aback for a second before she frowned, "Shun…" She saw him walking with the LDS students but he didn't see her. He really did form an alliance with Reiji. She is honestly hoping maybe he'll notice her eventually as she's been wanting to see him. For now, she'll have to wait before she tries to call out to him as she doesn't want to draw attention to either one of them. Mikleo soon arrived beside Ruri as he was following her before.

Meanwhile, in a color commentary area, the reporter held up her mike again, "Following them...the flagship for the martial arts based school, Ryozanpaku!" Another girl walked out with a sign that said "Ryozanpaku" while a lot of male students followed behind her, "The school's ace, Isao Kachidoki, was the runner-up for last year's Youth tournament! They are determined to take down LDS this year!" She said that as the camera focused on a young man having blue eyes and lined skin on his face, wild purple hair that reaches a third of the way down his back while wearing multiple layers on his upper body; a red sleeveless shirt with gold collar and armholes over a light purple shirt with tattered sleeves, a green bandanna knotted around his neck, and an orange sash attached to a yellow-lined, maroon section of cloth attached at the stomach. He was walking down the arena with the other Ryozanpaku students.

Next, people wearing silver armor and white robes walked out into the stadium with helmets covering their faces, "And now, an international team from overseas, Knight of Duels!"

As other participants walked into the arena with the confetti falling, Shun looked up towards Reiji with their eyes meeting. The reason he is here now is because of the deal he made with Reiji when they met.

MAIAMI CITY - (NEARBY) LDS

Flashback (Around a week ago)

Shun was looking at Reiji who had officers from LDS around him, "Enter a duel tournament? Are those the conditions to duel you?" He wondered what purpose would entering a duel tournament prove.

Reiji looked back at him with his right hand on his hip, "That's right. There, we will be picking the strongest duelists. In order to fight against Leo Akaba."

Shun narrowed his eyes, "Against your father?" Is Reiji saying that he actually opposes his father and isn't with him?

Reiji closed his eyes before he looked back at Shun seriously, "Leo Akaba is my enemy. Simply put, we are fighting against a common enemy." Shun was surprised when he heard that before Reiji continued, "In this tournament, there will be someone who uses real Fusion Summoning." Shun let out a low grunt while frowning before Reiji continued again, "On top of that, there are several individuals who are using a summoning method you don't know of yet. I'd like you to verify it up close. I want to know if they will be useful as lances to fight against Leo Akaba."

Shun pondered what Reiji was saying for a moment before he eventually sighed, "Fine. I'll do as you say for now." He looked up at Reiji, "So, what's next?"

Reiji turned his back to him, "Now, you're going to come with me. We have much to prepare if we're going to enter you in this tournament. Although…" He turned to Shun with narrowed eyes, "There is something you might want to know." Shun narrowed his eyes in confusion, wondering what he was going to say now.

Reiji adjusted his glasses, "There are three girls that share the same face as your sister, Ruri." Shun's eyes widened as Reiji continued, "WIth that mind, I'm certain you will meet two of them in this tournament. And I'm sure your sister will be there as well." Shun was shocked and immediately cautious as he didn't know what to make of all that.

Flashback End.

Shun turned his gaze away from Reiji and walked with the other LDS students, "If Ruri will be here somewhere, I will find her." He's taking that information with a lot of skepticism but regardless if it is true or not, he'll find her no matter what.

Participants from another school entered the stadium that were wearing suits and top hats, "Moving on, a school that specializes in Trick Dueling, Surprise School! This school's ace, Yuzo Tanegashima, has designed a transforming deck…" A young man in a white suit and a black top hat with playing cards was walking with his fellow students.

Yuya looked at Yuzu with a curious expression, "Is that him, Yuzu?" The kids looked at them in confusion while Sora just looked at them. Rin looked at Yuzu in curiosity as well.

"Yes. That's Shun." Yuzu nodded her head as she was the one who first saw him and remembered what he looked like.

Yuya looked down at the ground with a thoughtful expression on his face, "So that's Ruri's brother." He wonders if it was a coincidence that he was the same person he saw in one of his dreams.

The audience was cheering as five boys came skating onto the field, "And with those loud cheers, we welcome a school for active idols who are learning dueling, Duel Girls Club!" Three girls came walking into the arena where one had blue hair, one had green hair and the other had blonde hair, "We have our eyes on the genius Idol Duelist, Mikio Naname!" The reporter announced as the camera showed the blonde girl, whose hair was styled into the shape of a butterfly, waving at the audience and smiling.

A minute later, Yuya, Yuzu, Rin, Sora and the kids walked into the arena field, "Following them, the talk of the town with their Entertainment Dueling, You Show Duel School!"

Yoko smiled as she had her hands over her mouth, "Yuya! Have fun!" Shuzo threw his arms in the air and screamed in excitement, "You Show Duel School! Fight! Fight! Fight!" Yuya waved with a nervous chuckle as all seven of them felt embarrassed by Shuzo's behavior. Ruri and Mikleo both smiled in support as Ruri waved to them.

The reporter then spoke again, "You Show Duel School's Yuya Sakaki is becoming a household name with his new summoning method, Pendulum! We'll be keeping our eyes on him in this tournament!" Yuzu and Rin smiled for Yuya, happy that he was getting a little acknowledged. Yuya, however, noticed Reiji and his mother sitting in the VIP seats as he turned his head towards them. Both Yuya and Reiji's eyes met, narrowed in seriousness before Yuya looked away, content to settle things with him later.

Meanwhile, in one of the corridors leading out the stadium, two people were watching where people were barely paying attention to them. It was Yuto and Lucine who were leaning against the wall, watching from afar.

Lucine turned to Yuto as she wondered, "Is this a good idea to watch from here?" Yuto looked back at her, "Well, we have to see what Shun has been up to along with Yuya and the others." Lucine pondered for a moment before she nodded, accepting that they'll monitor each of their statuses from here.

A few minutes later, all of the participants stood in many lines in front of the stage, showing that there were at least hundreds of participants in this event. A man in a brownish-red suit spoke on stage, "All of you who have gathered here, are the elite, having won your way out of many other duelists! We expect you to duel your best while exhibiting fair play!" Everyone applauded when he finished speaking.

Nico held up his mike with a smile, "Next, we will be conducting the oath of fair play! The players' representative this year is…" He then pointed at Yuya, "You Show Duel School's Yuya Sakaki!"

Everyone turned towards Yuya who blinked his eyes for a second before he looked shocked, "M-Me?" He was really shocked as no one told him about this.

Yuzu turned to Yuya in shock, "Yuya is-?!" Yoko looked at her son shocked as she finished the sentence, "Say the oath?" Shuzo was also shocked, "How did this happen?" Ruri looked surprised as she didn't know this would happen. Mikleo was amused as he just raised an eyebrow at the situation. Gongenzaka watched Yuya with a smile as he was walking, "Yuya, if you're a man, then you'll pull this off in one go!"

After getting over his shock, Yuya eventually walked up to the stage with Nico supporting him to get up onto the stage. When Yuya made it, Nico handed him the mike with a smile on his face, "Here you go, Yuya." Yuya sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as he took the mike. Even though he should do it, he doesn't remember exactly what the oath is.

Shun looked up at the stage towards Yuya, "So that's Yuya." Though his expression didn't show it, he was surprised when he saw Yuya did indeed have the same face as Yuto's. He didn't know what to make of it and was full of questions but Reiji mentioned to him that he was the main one he should keep an eye on when it comes to this Pendulum Summoning, a new summoning method he had never heard of before.

For the moment, Yuya wasn't saying anything as he was staring down at his mike. He isn't sure what he should say. After processing it, he decided to just speak from his heart. He then smiled as he raised his mike, "Hello everyone. For those of you who want to hear me say the oath, I would like to...but I can't recall it." Everyone in the stadium face-faulted from Yuya's honesty.

As everyone was confused by what Yuya was doing, Yuya sighed before he had a determined expression on his face, "Everyone one of us has gotten to this point because of how much we care about dueling. Whether we have gotten stronger, have a goal or just through sheer coincidence, it does not matter. I believe that dueling helps determine what kind of people we are!" Yuya held up a fist as he smirked, "We are all duelists! In this tournament, we all are fighting for what we believe in! Everyone one of us is expected to give it our all and support each other through sportsmanship, as will I! No matter what background we all come from, what matters is how you play the game! So, to everyone standing here, give it all you've got while respecting the game whether you win or lose!" Yuya's family and friends all looked at him with proud and amazed smiles on their faces.

For a moment, no one said anything as they weren't expecting this kind of speech. Then, Reiji started clapping his hands while letting out a small smile on his face. Soon after, everyone else in the arena applauded Yuya, not expecting a passionate and great speech from him. Even Shun, for a moment just stared at Yuya, closed his eyes as he began clapping for Yuya, a little impressed by the speech. Yuto and Lucine even smiled a little bit as they clapped silently for him.

Nico was crying tears of joy from hearing that passionate speech before he quickly rubbed away with his sleeve. Yuya sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed that people are actually liking his speech. After getting rid of his tears, Nico took back the mike and smiled, "Excellent! That was Yuya Sakaki's oath of fair play as well as his declaration to all duelists!" Nico gestured his hand to Yuya as he said that last part. Yuya bowed in gratitude before he turned and walked off the stage.

Himika was the only one who wasn't clapping as she stared down at Yuya with a frown on her face while holding a hand to her cheek.

Mikleo smiled a little proudly, happy for his little brother's passion. Ruri smiled sweetly as she felt really moved by that speech and could tell it came from Yuya's heart. At that same time, Shuzo could barely contain his excitement as he clenched his fists, "Well said, Yuya!" Shuzo turned to Yoko, "Yoko! Yuya, right now, is catching up to the famed duelist Yusho Sakaki!"

Yoko held up a hand, "Don't be ridiculous." As Shuzo was confused, Yoko held up a finger, "He's not catching up to Yusho Sakaki, he's going to surpass him!" Shuzo looked back at Yoko in minor surprise, "Yoko." He then nodded in agreement. Yoko turned to look down towards Yuya who was walking back to his friends, "If he doesn't have that much spirit, then he won't be able to win this."

Mikleo watched the exchange between the two for a moment before he turned his eyes back to Yuya, "I think there is a much bigger picture, Mom. Yuya is simply going to become his own kind of duelist." That's all that matters. In his opinion, you shouldn't become just like someone else, just be yourself.

There was another person watching from a different entranceway. It was Kyo, who was watching the whole thing while leaning on the railing with her arms crossed together. She stared at Yuya for a moment after he finished his speech before she smiled a little, impressed by that boy's passion.

Meanwhile, watching in his own company building, Albel was watching the event through a monitor in his office with Falin standing beside him. Albel had an amused smile on his face as he was leaning his cheek on his right fist, "...Very amusing speech." He lowered his eyes, "But that kind of passion won't matter in the slightest." He turned towards Falin, "Are the preparations complete?"

Falin nodded and bowed his head, "Yes, Albel-sama. Our sentries have arrived at their positions. They're at your command when ready." Albel nodded his head in satisfaction, before he turned back to the monitor. He was smiling as he was going to watch this event unfold and work to his advantage, whether anyone is aware of it or not.

Back at the arena, Nico held up his hand as he was on the stage, "Before we begin, I'd like to announce a few new things regarding the rules of this tournament." Everyone was confused and wondered what Nico was talking about. Nico had an excited smile on his face as he pointed up into the sky, "In this event, even though these duels will have Action Fields, there will be no Action Cards scattered around! Also, duelists will have an increased starting life gauge! Instead of 4000 life, you all will have 8000 life at the start of a duel!" At first, nobody said anything as they were taken aback and confused by what they heard before everyone in the arena yelled in surprise. None of them were expecting something like this.

As there was a lot of chatter going on throughout the arena, Yuya and the others were surprised by this news. Futoshi tilted his head in confusion, "Wait, we'll all have 8000 life instead of 4000?" Tatsuya had a curious expression on his face, "What's the reason for this?" Ayu shrugged her shoulders as she was confused just as much as the other two. Sora looked intrigued by this while Yuya, Yuzu and Rin were taken aback by this and wondered where this came from. There was chatter amongst the whole stadium, a lot of people discussing this new change and questions they have regarding them. Hokuto, Shingo, Masumi, Yaiba, and Shun were the only ones who didn't react like the others as Shun narrowed his eyes, being told this information by Reiji before the event started.

As there was a lot of chatter in the area, Nico held up his mike again, "Now, I understand your confusion but there are a few reasons for this change." The chatter slowly stopped right after as they soon listened to what Nico had to say. "One reason we did this was because this is a tournament for strong duelists, we felt the need to take Action Cards out of the duels so that the competitors can use their own cards and skill to win! Also…" Nico gestured his hand towards everyone in front of the stage, "Since the life point start has increased, duels can be more exciting and competitive as you all will be trying harder to win more than ever! We've been planning this new rule for awhile so we decided to announce it right here at this event! Now, do you all approve?" Nico said that last part with curiosity in his voice before the arena exploded in cheers, showing everyone their approval for this new change. Everyone in the audience was going crazy at the fact that the duels might be more competitive and exciting.

Sora smiled a little as he ate a small chocolate bar, "Interesting. These duels might be more exciting with more life points." Rin nodded in approval, "I think I'm fine with just the life increase." Yuzu nodded her head as well, "Yeah!" Yuya smirked in excitement, "This is getting interesting."

As Shuzo was getting fired up from hearing all of this, Ruri wondered how the duels will play out now that there is more LP for each player. Mikleo narrowed his eyes and looked down at the ground, "This is too convenient." The timing is just too perfect to announce something this big and Mikleo wondered what could have caused this change. If they wanted to change something like this, they could have announced it earlier than usual so why the sudden wait until the tournament started. He suspects that there is an ulterior motive for this but he's not sure what for now. After some thinking, he wagers maybe he'll get answers or theorize something as this tournament goes along.

After the cheering died down, Nico held up his hand, "Now then, we will announce the first matches! All competitors, please place your registration card into your duel disk!"

Yuya pulled out a white card from his pocket, "This is it, right?" Rin and Sora pulled out theirs and looked at them in curiosity. Yuzu took out hers and looked at it, "Yeah. We got this before we came to the stadium."

Nico spoke up again, "The registration card receives communication from the tournament operator's computers, and will guide you to your opponent. And, of course, it will update when you qualify for the next round of the tournament!"

Yuya tilted his head as he looked at the card, "Huh. That's convenient." Yuya, Yuzu, Rin and Sora soon inserted their cards into their duel disks. Yuya was watching his duel disk for any change, "Let's see, my opponent is…" The screen changed to where it showed his profile for a moment before a second one appeared next to him. Yuya narrowed his eyes when he saw who it was, "Sawatari." Shingo's profile was shown next to him as his opponent for the first round.

Yuzu looked surprised as she looked at her duel disk, "My opponent is Masumi?" Her profile was shown next to her's, signaling that she is Yuzu's first opponent.

Yuya looked down at his duel disk again, "Looks like my match is later tomorrow…" Yuzu commented while looking at hers, "Mine is today in the afternoon…"

Then, they heard Gongenzaka's voice, "Mine is also tomorrow." Everyone turned towards Gongenzaka who was holding up his duel disk. Yuya wondered, "Who's your opponent?" Gongenzaka flipped his duel disk around to show the image and Yuya's eyes widened in surprise, "Ankokuji…" Ankokuji was shown as Gongenzaka's first opponent. Gongenzaka lowered his duel disk, "This must be fate…" He had a look of resolve on his face when he said that.

Futoshi looked at his duel disk, "Mine is right after the ceremony." Ayu looked at hers with a smile, "Mine's after that!" The others nodded as they were going to cheer on today's matches for each other.

Yuzu turned to Rin who looked at her duel disk in curiosity, "What about you, Rin?" Rin lowered her eyes, "Mine is someone named Ashley." Yuya and Yuzu moved closer to take a look as Yuzu wondered, "Ashley?" The profile next to Rin's was a male around the same age as them who had black hair and was wearing knight armor. Yuya noticed something on the profile, "It says here he's from the Knight of Duels." Rin nodded before she smiled in excitement, "Yeah. My match is tomorrow also."

At that moment, Tatsuya looked at Sora with a smile on his face, "What about you, Sora?" Everyone turned to Sora who was looking at his duel disk while not saying anything. He looked up for a moment before he looked down at his duel disk again, "It's tomorrow. My opponent is from LDS."

Yuya moved a little closer as he was curious, "Who is it?" Sora narrowed his eyes as he read the name, "Shun...Kurosaki…" Yuya, Yuzu and Rin gasped when they heard that before Sora turned his duel disk around to show them, "It's him!" His duel disk did indeed show that Shun is Sora's first opponent.

Yuzu stared at the image in shock, "Sora's facing off against him?" Yuya narrowed his eyes while Rin frowned in concern. They weren't expecting Sora to fight Shun so soon and wondered what to do or how to tell Ruri about this.

Sora, however, narrowed his eyes as he felt something seemed suspicious, "Kurosaki?" He pondered if he heard the name before he realized something and turned to where Ruri was in the audience. Sora narrowed his eyes at Ruri who saw him and frowned in response.

However, at the next moment, Yuzu heard footsteps nearby and noticed someone was standing near her before she turned to see who it was. It was a young girl that had short light blue hair with purple tips and hazel eyes while wearing a blue leather jacket, gray tennis shoes, white pants, and a purple tanktop underneath. She had small pink headphones hanging around her neck. As the others noticed her and wondered who she was, she looked at them with a neutral expression on her face.

Yuzu felt a little awkward as this girl wasn't saying anything before she decided to wave at her, "Uh, hello." Yuzu wondered who this girl was.

While her expression didn't change, the girl moved her eyes up and down, as if to get a closer look at Yuzu which confused her even more. Eventually, she turned her gaze back up to Yuzu, "...You must be Yuzu."

"Uh...Yes. How do you know that?" said Yuzu with a perplexed expression on her face. Even though she's in this tournament, she isn't well known in Maiami City as much as Yuya so how does this girl know who she is?

The girl ignored the question as she turned to Yuya standing beside her, "And you're Yuya." Yuya blinked his eyes before he nodded in acknowledgment. The girl turned her head to look at everyone from You Show before she turned back to Yuya and Yuzu. She lowered her head as she appeared to be greeting them, "...Name's Ryuka." She then smiled a little for some reason, "...I look forward to facing either one of you next round." Before they could respond, the girl named Ryuka put her hands in her jacket pockets and walked away from them, out of their sight. Yuzu and Yuya looked at each other in confusion, wondering who that girl was and what that was about.

Meanwhile, Shun was looking at his duel disk with narrowed eyes, "Sora...Shiunin…"

After some time passed, there was a small court area outside the arena on top of the riverbank. As the camera panned over it, the reporter announced with her mike, "Now then, in the third court, our first match of the Junior Championships, You Show Duel School's Futoshi Harada versus Smiling Duel School's Takeshi Shimizu is going on now!" In the court area, one of the five different colored fields had a block playground and Futoshi was having his first duel in the Maiami Championship.

Futoshi was sitting on a 2-dimensional paper monster that was drawn and colored as a yellow stegosaur. He had his duel disk out and activated while staring back at his opponent who was a boy wearing a green shirt, red cape and hat, almost dressed like a superhero.

At the side lines, Shuzo, Gongenzaka who was holding up a sign with the word "Fight" on it, Futoshi's parents, Mikleo, and the rest of the You Show students were cheering Futoshi on. Takeshi's parents were on the other side as they cheered for their son.

Takeshi threw out his arm, "Let's go! Battle! I attack Sketch Beast - Stego (ATK: 1200, LV: 5) with Red Mask (ATK: 1600, LV: 4)!" A small superhero warrior wearing red and white armor as well as a red cape flew towards Futoshi's Stego. The reporter watched as she announced, "Takeshi declares an attack with his ace monster!"

Futoshi smiled as he held out his hand, "I activate the Trap Card: Sketchbook - Blocking the Way! It negates an attack directed at a "Sketch" monster!" A pair of hands came out of the trap and blocked Red Mask's path, stopping it in its tracks.

Futoshi's parents smiled as they had their hands over their mouths and shouted, "Nice one, Futoshi!"

Takeshi gritted his teeth in frustration, "I end my turn here."

Futoshi smiled as he placed his fingers on his deck, "I'll make you shiver! My turn!" He drew his next card and smiled when he looked at what he drew, "Got it!" He held out the card he drew, "I can tribute 1 "Sketch" monster in order to Tribute Summon the Level 8 Tyranno! I release Sketch Beast - Stego!" Stego vanished from the field, making Futoshi land on the ground which then launched him into the air.

The reporter looked up after him with a smile on her face, "The Solid Vision in the Junior Class is the softest and most sponge-like of the three classes."

"Come! Sketch Beast - Tyranno (ATK: 2400, LV: 8)!" Futoshi landed on top of his monster as it just appeared. It was a 2-dimensional paper green tyrannosaurus, drawn with a fierce look on its face and his red tongue sticking out.

Futoshi's parents got excited as they cheered, "Futoshi! You're so cool!"

Futoshi held out his hand, "I activate Tyranno's effect! When this card is successfully Tribute Summoned, it can destroy one monster my opponent controls and gain half its ATK until the end of this turn!" Tyranno swung his thin tail and slapped Red Mask, destroying the monster after it connected.

Sketch Beast - Tyranno (ATK: 2400→3200)

Futoshi smiled as he looked directly at his opponent, "Battle! I attack directly with Tyranno!" Tyranno ran forward and slammed Takeshi with his tail, sending him flying as he soon landed on the bouncy floor, "I got...the shivers…"

TAKESHI LP: 2200→0

FUTOSHI: WIN
TAKESHI: LOSE

The reporter threw out her arm as she smiled, "And the match is decided! The winner is Futoshi Harada!" Futoshi jumped in the air with a fist raised in excitement, "I did it!"

Shuzo looked at Futoshi with a proud smile, "Well done, Futoshi! This will be a victory to remember at You Show!" Yuya smiled as he had a fist raised, "Yeah. You gave me the shivers." Futoshi chuckled as he rubbed under his nose, "Heheh, no problem!"

Gongenzaka looked at Futoshi with a serious expression on his face as he held up a finger, "Don't let your guard down, Futoshi. There's a proverb that says: Don't let your guard down even after a victory. That is a warning to victors from the deceased."

Sora laughed a little as he waved his hand, "Gon-chan, you're like an old man!" Gongenzaka glared at Sora, "Don't call me old!" Rin sweatdropped as she smiled, "Still, it is good advice not to get too overconfident."

Yuzu turned to Ayu with a smile on her face, "Ayu is up next." Ayu looked at Yuzu and smiled back, "Yep!" She then held out her duel disk to look at it, "I think my opponent is from LDS…"

Shuzo looked at her, "LDS?" He then looked behind him along with everyone else and saw a small kid wearing a cap and blue hood over it while holding a teddy bear. It was the same kid that was with Reiji and Himika before.

Yuya turned to Ayu in curiosity, "Is that your opponent, Ayu?" Ayu nodded her head before she took out her deck and shuffled it. She then held it up with a smile on her face, "Alright, charge complete!"

Yuya smiled when he saw how excited Ayu was getting, "Ayu's really getting into this." Futoshi placed a hand on his chin as he smirked, "Well, that's because of my shiver-inducing victory! Of course she'd get into it!" Yuzu and Ruri both giggled a little when they heard that.

They then heard a voice near them, "Sensei!" All of them turned to see Ayu's parents nearby them with Ayu's mom walking towards them while her dad was holding up a camera that was recording Ayu. Ayu's mom, who looked like an older version of Ayu, bowed to Shuzo, "Thank you for taking care of our daughter!" Ayu's dad smiled happily as he watched his daughter, "Ayu's cute today as well." Ayu's mom looked troubled before she turned to her husband, "Hey! You need to say at least hello to Sensei as well!"

Shuzo waved it off as he wasn't bothered by it, "No, it's quite fine. Film all you want, sir!" He then got excited, "This is Ayu's big moment. With the Action Duel training she's received from our You Show Duel School, Ayu will be a star one day for sure!" He imagined how popular Ayu might become one day before he waved his arms in excitement, "When that happens, footage from this match will be a national treasure!"

Ayu's dad chuckled, "Ayu is already our star." Ayu's mother smiled as he waved his hand, "Ayu! Look this way!" Ayu turned around and saw her parents before she waved to the camera with a happy smile on her face.

Everyone began cheering loudly for Ayu except for Mikleo and Sora with Mikleo's expression staying solemn as usual while Sora licked his ice cream and wondered, "What the heck is this?"

The reporter then spoke up, "Now, unto our next match for the Maiami Championship in the Junior Class! The next players are making their first appearances in the Junior Championship, Ayu Ayukawa and Reira Akaba!" She called out while holding out her mike with a smile. "I look forward to what kind of duel they will show us! Especially since Reira is LDS' treasured child! Our expectations can only go up!" Ayu smiled in excitement while Reira just stared at her with a blank expression.

Yuya heard what the reporter announced and was taken aback, "Wait, Akaba? Is that kid Reiji's little brother?" Yuzu looked at Yuya in surprise, "It seems like it. However, I don't remember ever hearing he had any siblings."

Mikleo narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "He's not supposed to." Based on things he has read and seen, Reiji is supposed to be an only child and he had never heard of this kid. He then wagers that maybe he was recently adopted. Although, he wonders why that was the case.

Shuzo held his hand over his mouth, "Ayu! Don't lose to those jerks from LDS! Win, no matter what! Hot-blooded!" Ayu nodded before she raised a fist, "Yeah! Alright!" Her dad got a happy smile on his face, "She's even cute when she gets serious!" Ayu then walked to the field while having a determined look on her face.

The reporter watched Ayu with a smile on her face, "As Ayu heads to the field full of energy, Reira is..." However, she got quiet when she noticed that Reira was just standing there. She tilted her head, "I wonder what's wrong?" She then walked over to him before she stopped and bent down to look at him, "Could it be that you're nervous?" Reira gasped in surprise but didn't say anything in response.

Yuzu looked at Reira in confusion, "I wonder what's wrong with him…"

Gongenzaka looked at Reira, "It looks like he's afraid of something, doesn't it?" Yuya nodded his head, "Yeah. But I wonder what? I don't think it could be Ayu." Futoshi looked a little troubled, "Well, an angry Ayu is scary enough to give anyone shivers…" Tatsuya was watching Reira very carefully, feeling that something felt strange about the way he was acting.

As Reira was staring down at the ground, the reporter looked at him with a kind smile, "Reira, are you ready to start?" He didn't answer and just looked up slightly before he gasped in shock and fear as he saw Himika looking at him from a window above them. His eyes were full of fear as he saw her saying something to him even though he couldn't hear it.

Mikleo noticed the fear in Reira's eyes before he turned to see what he was looking at. He eventually noticed Himika looking at Reira and narrowed his eyes, "That woman again…" He'd honestly hoped he didn't have to see her again. He turned back to the field, not saying anything and having an idea of what's going on.

The reporter looked at Reira a little troubled, "Umm…" Reira turned around and held out his teddy bear to her, confusing her for a second before she took it and Reira walked off to the field. The reporter looked after him in confusion, "Huh?"

Ayu nodded her head when she saw that he was ready to fight her, "Alright, I'll do my best!" All of her friends and family were cheering for her as the duel was about to start.

Eventually, Ayu and Reira started their duel as the field around them turned into a rocky canyon. Ayu began with introducing her Aquaactress monsters and cards. Reira was surprising her by using cards that are able to copy monster effects and others. Even though Reira dealt a lot of damage to her, Ayu managed to push back by using Arowana and almost reducing Reira's life to 0. However, Reira managed to surprise everyone by using a card to take a picture of Arowana, copying the monster's stats and effects while using it to fuse with C/C One-Eyed Past Eye into Water Sword. By using its effects, Reira was able to make Water Sword stronger as it cut through Arowana, sending Ayu flying as she cried out and landed on the floor while bouncing for a bit.

AYU LP: 1900→0

AYU: LOSE
REIRA: WIN

The Action Field soon disappeared before Reira sighed in relief that he won. Ayu's parents looked horrified and turned towards Shuzo, "Sensei!" Shuzo looked at them troubled, "Don't worry! The Junior Class has the softest Action Fields of the three classes which means she didn't really get hurt by that fall."

Yuya, Yuzu, Rin, Ruri, Gongenzaka, Tatsuya and Futoshi ran up to Ayu who sat up with her eyes closed. Yuya knelt down as he looked concerned, "Ayu, are you okay?"

Ayu just sat there with a sad expression on her face, "I'm sorry everyone, I…" She then had trouble smiling for them, "I tried my best, but I lost." Tears started forming in her eyes as she felt really sad that she couldn't win for her friends.

Rin knelt down next to her and hugged her from behind, trying to comfort her while patting her on the head. Yuya suddenly smiled softly at her, "Ayu, you can't always win." Ayu raised her head to look at Yuya in confusion while tears were still flowing. "If you lose one time, you can win next time. It's that simple."

"That's right." Ayu turned to see Ruri bent down next to her, looking at her with a reassuring smile. "Don't you remember, Ayu, it is important to enjoy dueling whether you win or lose."

Ayu pondered what they each said before she wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled, "Thank you, Big Bro Yuya. Big Sis Ruri." Everyone smiled as Ayu was feeling a lot better.

The reporter then walked over towards Reira, "Now, if we can get an interview with our amazing victor, Reira, shall we?" She leaned down and held her mike out to Reira who stood there with an emotionless expression on his face. "Reira, how are you feeling right now?" However, he didn't answer and she got troubled by this, "Umm...this is an interview for the winner, so…" Reira suddenly took his teddy bear from her and walked away, leaving her looking after him a bit more troubled.

Tatsuya noticed Reira walking towards them before he held up a hand with a small smile, "H-Hey, you use Fusion Summoning too? That's really...cool..." Reira, however, just ignored him and walked past him while Tatsuya watched him with a confused expression on his face.

Reira walked into the arena, out of the others' sight, and soon approached Reiji who was waiting for him. Once Reira reached him, Reiji held up his right hand and placed it on top of Reira's head, "Well done, keep it up." Reira finally grew a small smile on his face, "Okay, Brother…"

Shuzo walked over to the kids with his arms crossed, "To think that we'd lose to an LDS duelist…"

Yuzu turned towards her father with a determined expression on her face, "Dad, I'll definitely avenge Ayu." Shuzo turned to her in shock as Yuzu held up a fist, "This time I'll definitely defeat LDS...and Masumi Kotsu!" Yuya placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded to her in agreement. Everyone then prepared and walked over to the arena to start Yuzu's match soon.

As the first matches for the first round started an hour ago, the LDS tower was broadcasting an advertisement for the event as a commentator was speaking, "Maiami Championship! A festival of duelists and a gateway to becoming a pro duelist! Now, all of their burning feelings gather here! Let's blast it!" The monitors that were displaying the event showed the matches that were currently starting in different blocks, Yuzu's match with Masumi being one of them.

After a brief moment, a gate to the center court opened and Yuzu walked into it with a determined expression on her face. Yuzu's friends and family cheered her good luck in the match as they sat in some of the spectator seats.

Masumi walked into the center court while taking out her duel disk and placing it on her arm. Yuzu stopped in the center as she held out her arm which had her duel disk strapped on. She thought back to the time Masumi confronted her at the harbor and was hostile towards her and Shun Kurosaki. She narrowed her eyes in wonder, "I wonder what Masumi thinks of all of this." Given her behavior from before, Yuzu thought she wouldn't be okay with Shun cooperating with LDS.

Masumi narrowed her eyes as she saw Yuzu's expression, "Seems you've found your luster again."

Yuzu didn't respond right away as she seemed to ponder something before she decided to ask it anyway. She looked up at Masumi, "...Masumi, are you seriously okay with Shun being in LDS?" She knows that Shun is supposedly forming an alliance with Reiji according to Yuto and Lucine but she wonders if Masumi is alright with that considering what happened to Marco.

Masumi's eyes widened a little before she gritted her teeth in response, "...That does not concern you." She then glared at her as she held out her duel disk, "Now, let's get this done!" She didn't seem to be in the mood to talk as her gaze was full of anger and frustration for some reason. Yuzu frowned, not sure if she's going to get some answers right now, before she decided to respond back as she activated her duel disk and was ready to start the match.

Nico Smiley appeared on the big screen inside the stadium while he held up his mike, "Everyone! Thank you all for waiting patiently!" He held out his hand as he smiled, "Now then, the match between Yuzu Hiragi from You Show Duel School and Masumi Kotsu from LDS begins now!" The audience cheered in excitement as they were ready for the match to start.

Shuzo held his arms with an excited look on his face, "Hot-blooded!" Yuya smiled as he held a hand to his mouth, "Get your revenge, Yuzu!" Rin raised a fist, "You can do it!" The kids cheered together, "Do your best, Big Sis Yuzu!"

At another section of the spectator seats, Hokuto and Yaiba were watching Masumi, hoping that Masumi could win this one like last time even if she isn't in a good mood. The last time they talked to her was last week, when she didn't want to talk to anyone while in class and gave hateful glares to anyone who asked her what's wrong. She's been more aggressive than usual though they couldn't really blame her, considering what happened with Reiji. They just wished she would calm down soon enough. They might not like Kurosaki either but he isn't causing problems anymore for them so it is fine at the moment.

"Mind if I drop in?" Hokuto and Yaiba turned to see Shingo with a smirk on his face, standing right beside them. Hokuto raised an eyebrow, "Sawatari?" Shingo waved his hand dismissively, "Now, now. Don't mind me. I just thought I'd stick around to watch this." He then sat down next to Yaiba and Hokuto without hearing their say in this. They turned to each other in confusion before they shrugged their shoulders, not really caring either way.

Sora was licking his lollipop when he suddenly spotted Shun at one of the lower entrances of the spectator sections. He then smirked very smugly, knowing he's going to enjoy this. Ruri, out of her corner of her eye, noticed where Sora was looking and frowned as she saw Shun. As much as she wants to see him, she can't give anything else away to Sora. She just hopes that maybe Shun will see her eventually.

Nico held up his hand, "First up is the Action Field selection! The field card selected randomly by the machine is…!" Everyone looked up at the glowing cards in the sky before a giant field magic flipped face-up. The Solid Vision system right below the field then activated while Nico continued, "Action Field on! Field Magic: Infinite Bridge activate!" The field materializes into an infinite amount of bridges connected to each other, high above the stadium floor. It almost appeared to be endless as it was hard to see the floor with so many bridges in the area.

Nico appeared on the screen with a smile on his face, "One misstep and it's a headfirst drop into the abyss! Which of these budding Youth duelists will bloom in this unnerving field?" Yuzu and Masumi stared at each other intensely, ready to begin before they both shouted out.

[DUEL!]

YUZU LP: 8000
MASUMI LP: 8000

Masumi started first by drawing a card, "I'll go first. Draw!" After she drew her card, she held up a different one from her hand, "I activate the Magic Card: Gem-Knight Fusion!" Yuzu narrowed her eyes when she saw the card as Masumi held up three cards from her hand, "With this card, I can Fusion Summon a "Gem-Knight" monster using monsters in my hand or field! I fuse Gem-Knight Brook, Crysta and Ganet in my hand!"

Crysta, Ganet and a brownish-red knight that was wielding a sword were sucked into the colorful vortex as Masumi held her hand up in the air, "Brittle land guide, gemstones of the burning flames and mighty crystal knight! In a whirlpool of light, combine together to bring forth a dazzling new radiance! Fusion Summon! Appear, the supreme radiance that illuminates everything! Level 9! Gem-Knight Master Dia (ATK: 2900, DEF: 2500, LV: 9)!" Master Dia appeared in its gem armor in front of Masumi with its sword on its shoulder.

Yuzu narrowed her eyes, "So, you're already starting with one of your aces?" She already knows about Brilliant Dia which is Masumi's true ace according to her. At least, she was right about Masumi starting off with a Fusion Summon on her first turn.

Masumi ignored the comment as she threw out her arm, "Gem-Knight Brook's monster effect! When this card is sent to the Graveyard as Fusion Material, I can send a "Gem-Knight" monster from my Deck to the Graveyard." She took out a monster and showed it, "I send Gem-Knight Larim to the Graveyard." Larim was sent to the Graveyard as a result.

"Master Dia then gains 100 ATK for every "Gem-" monster in my Graveyard." Masumi pointed out as there were currently four Gem-Knights in her Graveyard, making Master Dia gain more strength.

Gem-Knight Master Dia (ATK: 2900→3300)

Masumi placed a card in her duel disk, "I set a card and end my turn."

Nico held up his mike and called out, "Masumi has opened up with a Level 9 Fusion Monster! How will Yuzu respond to this?"

Gongenzaka narrowed his eyes with his arms crossed, "It's going to be tough trying to get past a monster with 3300 ATK." Yuya smirked as he nodded, "Yeah, but I'm sure Yuzu can get it done." Sora raised his head and smiled very highly, "Well, she was trained by me so it is to be expected." Ruri sweatdropped at Sora's confidence though she didn't disagree with him.

Masumi narrowed her eyes at Yuzu, "Whether she has gotten stronger or not, I'll still come out the victor." After she failed to avenge Professor Marco, it didn't matter to her. She has to win this event; otherwise, she doesn't know what she'll do with herself.

Yuzu saw Masumi's expression and saw that there was anger and desperation in it which confused her. She shook her head and decided to ask about it later as she needed to win this duel. With these thoughts in mind, Yuzu placed her fingers on her deck, "It's my turn!"

She looked at Sora, who nodded his head at her, before she turned back and picked up a card from her hand, "First, I'll start by activating the Magic Card: Polymerization!"

Masumi was shocked when she heard and saw what Yuzu played, "What? Polymerization?"

Nico shouted out in excitement, "What a shock! Yuzu Hiragi is using Fusion on her own!" As Nico said that, Yuzu placed the card in her duel disk.

"With this card, I fuse Violeta the Melodious Maestra and Serena the Melodious Diva in my hand!" Violeta and Serena appeared on the field before they went into the colorful vortex as Yuzu chanted with her hands spread open, "Powerful violist, honorable singer of the stage! With the guidance of the baton, gather your power! Fusion Summon! Appear on stage, Level 6! Schuberta the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000, LV: 6)!" Schuberta appeared on the field with her sword in hand.

Shun's eyes widened in shock before he glared at Yuzu, angry at seeing what she did, "So, she did learn Fusion Summoning." He had heard from Yuto and Lucine how this girl was trying to learn how to Fusion Summon. Reiji told him that this girl is one of the participants he should watch especially since she's expected to use this "Pendulum Summoning." He is now having more doubts especially if that girl is using that destructive method.

Lucine clenched her fist unconsciously from seeing that summoning method. She felt a hand on her shoulder which made her turn to Yuto who nodded in acknowledgement. She paused for a moment before she nodded back. They may not accept Fusion Summoning but it is what Yuzu chose to learn. Ruri also clenched her fist but put on a brave face as she looked resolved to not be sad at it, trying to tough it out for Yuzu and Yuya.

Ayu cheered with a happy smile on her face, "Alright! Big Sis Yuzu managed to pull off a Fusion Summon!" Futoshi jumped up and danced a little in excitement, "Shivers!" Tatsuya nodded in agreement as he was excited from seeing too. Although they had heard Yuzu learned Fusion Summoning from Sora, they had actually never seen her do it before until now. Sora smiled in satisfaction from seeing Shun's response to Yuzu Fusion Summoning.

Shuzo held up his arms with proud tears in his eyes, "That's it, Yuzu! You're truly shining today!"

Yuzu held out her hand towards her monster, "I activate Schuberta's monster effect! Once, when this card is on the field, I can banish up to 3 cards in either of our Graveyards!" Masumi was shocked when she heard that before Yuzu continued, "I choose to banish Gem-Knight Brook, Larim and Gem-Knight Fusion from your Graveyard! Then, Schuberta gains 200 ATK for each card that was banished! Chorus Break!" Schuberta waved her baton sword around which banished two of Masumi's monsters and her Fusion magic, making Masumi pocket the three cards away.

Schuberta the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 2400→3000)
Gem-Knight Master Dia (ATK: 3300→3100)

Masumi looked at Yuzu, "When Gem-Knight Brook is banished, I can add a "Polymerization" or "Fusion" Magic Card from my Deck." She added a second Gem-Knight Fusion to her hand thanks to the effect.

Tatsuya had a huge smile on his face, "Alright! She managed to weaken Master Dia's ATK while also powering up Schuberta's!"

Sora waved his lollipop as he smirked, "That's not all." The kids turned to him in confusion as he looked back at them, "Even though she added another Gem-Knight Fusion to her hand, by banishing one of them from the duel and two other Gem-Knights, she can't use it as frequently as she can if she banishes another Gem-Knight from her Graveyard to add it back to her hand." He is saying that there is less opportunity to use it many times since there aren't a lot of Gem-Knights in the Graveyard now.

Sora then turned his eyes towards Shun and smirked, "But you already know this much, don't you?" He whispered it out so no one heard him except for Ruri, who frowned in response.

Yuzu then held up a card from her hand, "Since I control a "Melodious" monster, I can Special Summon Sonata the Melodious Diva (ATK: 1200, DEF: 1000, LV: 3) from my hand!" Sonata appeared next to Schuberta.

"Sonata's monster effect! As long as this Special Summoned card is on the field, all Fairy-type monsters on my field gain 500 ATK and DEF!" Yuzu pointed out as Sonata sang a song which powered up all of Yuzu's current monsters.

Schuberta the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 3000→3500, DEF: 2000→2500)
Sonata the Melodious Diva (ATK: 1200→1700, DEF: 1000→1500)

Yuzu looked at Masumi, "Battle! Schuberta attacks Master Dia! Wave of the Great!" Schuberta's hair caught on fire as she held out her arms and the patterns on her dress unleashed pink sound waves towards Master Dia, destroying the monster as it was overwhelmed by the waves. Masumi gritted her teeth while having her arm raised to protect herself from the explosion.

MASUMI LP: 8000→7600

After moving her arm down, Masumi pressed a button on her duel disk, "I activate the Trap Card: Excavation Gem Search! Since my "Gem-Knight" monster was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower "Gem-Knight" from my Deck! I summon the Gemini Monster, Gem-Knight Sanyx (ATK: 1800, DEF: 900, LV: 4)!" After Master Dia left, an orange knight wearing red and sandy brown armor appeared on the field as it carried a spiked ball and chain, or flail, made out of red onyx crystals in its hands.

Ayu tilted her head in confusion, "Gemini Monster?" She had never heard of that type of monster before and it looked like neither Futoshi nor Tatsuya knew what it was either.

"It is a type of monster that's treated as a Normal Monster." The kids and everyone turned to see Mikleo with his arms crossed together, "They are Effect Monsters but while they are on the Field or in the Graveyard, they are treated as Normal Monsters. However, they can be summoned again to "unlock" their effects." He said the word unlock as he gestured his fingers in air quotes. Rin nodded with a smile as she is a little familiar with Gemini Monsters.

Tatsuya looked at Mikleo in curiosity, "Unlock their effects? What do you mean?" Mikleo, however, just shrugged his shoulders and pointed at the field, "Well, you might find out what I mean soon enough. Just watch."

Yuzu looked at Masumi, "I end my turn."

Shingo had an amused smile on his face while having his hands behind his head, "Heh. She started out strong but now she got too overconfident. Wonder how she'll respond." Yaiba had an excited but surprised expression on his face, "Wow, that Yuzu girl isn't doing too bad. I didn't expect this." Hokuto clenched his fist in frustration, "Damn. Masumi better hope she has the cards to counterattack on her next turn."

"It's my turn, I draw!" Masumi drew his card before she looked at Yuzu with narrowed eyes. Since the last time she saw her, there wasn't much shine to her dueling before but now she's seeing something more. It was almost like she was hiding a hidden potential that is recently being unlocked which surprised her. Masumi turned to her cards, "Even so…" She's not backing out of this duel. She'll prove that she's still stronger than her.

Masumi held up a familiar card from her hand, "I activate the second Magic Card: Gem-Knight Fusion!" She held up the other card in her hand, "With it, I fuse Gem-Knight Obsidia in my hand and Gem-Knight Sanyx!" Obsidia appeared next to Sanyx before both were absorbed and sucked into the colorful vortex.

"Gems of jet-black darkness!" Masumi chanted. "Be engulfed in flames for a rainbow rebirth! Fusion Summon! Appear, guardian of refraction! Level 6! Gem-Knight Lady Rainbow Obsidia (ATK: 2100, DEF: 900, LV: 6)!" A female black, stone knight that illuminated rainbow colors around its armor appeared on the field. She had an orange cape draped around her shoulders. The armor was entirely black with it being gray at the joint areas. She wore a black flat helmet that covered most of the top while the rest had her rainbow crystal hair flowing through the helmet. Lastly, she wore gauntlets that were caramel colored as she punched the air with them, ready to fight.

As Yuzu looked at the new monster cautiously, Masumi pulled out a card from her Graveyard, "Since Gem-Knight Obsidia was sent from the hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Graveyard! I bring back Gem-Knight Sanyx (ATK: 1800)!" Sanyx appeared back next to Rainbow Obsidia.

Masumi then threw out her arm, "Now, I Gemini Summon Gem-Knight Sanyx!" A blue energy circle appeared below Sanyx's feet momentarily before the knight gripped his ball and chain more tightly.

Futoshi looked confused, "Gemini Summon?" The kids were taken aback by this again before Mikleo spoke which made them turn to him, "In order for a Gemini Monster to become an Effect Monster, they have to be Normal Summoned when they're on the field." He turned his head to everyone, "This is called a Gemini Summon. It uses your Normal Summon while also granting a Gemini Monster its effects." Mostly everyone, except for Yuya, Mikleo, and Shuzo, looked at the duel in wonder, not having seen that type of summoning before. "Now, Sanyx is treated as an Effect Monster while it is on the field."

Masumi pointed at her monster, "I activate Rainbow Obsidia's monster effect! Once per turn, I target a monster you control by halving its ATK while inflicting damage equal to the amount that was lost! Refraction Drain!" Rainbow Obsidia gripped her right wrist with her left hand before refracting a light from her right gauntlet fist that drained Schuberta's strength. The light blast also bounced off of Schuberta to hit Yuzu, pushing her back a few feet near some stairs as she gritted her teeth.

Schuberta the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 3500→1750)
YUZU LP: 8000→6250

Yaiba grew a smirk on his face as he held up a fist, "That's it, Masumi! Show her your power!"

"Battle! I attack Schuberta with Rainbow Obsidia!" Masumi called out as Rainbow Obsidia held out her hands and gathered stone energy in them, creating a giant sphere of obsidia before launching it at Schuberta and destroying her.

YUZU LP: 6250→5900

"Sanyx, attack Sonata!" Sanyx twirled his spiked ball around before hurling it at Sonata, knocking her out of the field in an explosion. Yuzu was pushed back for a second before she landed into some railings with a thud.

YUZU LP: 5900→5800

Masumi took out a card from her deck, "When Gem-Knight Sanyx destroys a monster by battle, I can add a "Gem-Knight" card from my Deck to my hand." She added the card to her hand. "I end my turn with that."

"It's my turn!" Yuzu drew her card before she picked up a different one, "I activate the Continuous Magic: Ensemble!" A face-up magic card appeared next to Yuzu. "Once per turn, I can send a LIGHT-attribute monster from my Deck to the Graveyard then Special Summon a "Melodious" monster from my hand!" She sends Soprano to the Graveyard before she holds out a monster, "I summon Pendulum Mozart the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 2600, DEF: 2000, LV: 8, PS: 5)!" Mozart appeared on the field in a grandeur fashion.

Masumi frowned in confusion, "Pendulum?" Last time she saw that monster, it was "Prodigy" instead of "Pendulum" so she wondered what the name change was about.

Yaiba gasped in surprise and looked shocked when he heard that. Hokuto and Shingo looked at him in confusion as Hokuto wondered, "What's wrong?" Yaiba's eyes were widened as he thought back to his second duel with Gongenzaka when he revealed he had Pendulum Monsters, "It can't be...Does she have some too?" If it was what he thinks it is, Masumi might be in trouble soon.

Yuzu held out her hand, "I activate Pendulum Mozart's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a LIGHT Fairy-type monster from my hand or Graveyard! I summon back Schuberta the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 2400)!" Mozart pointed her baton at the ground, creating a portal at that exact location where Schuberta appeared back on the field.

"I activate the Magic Card: Spellbook Inside the Pot! With this, the both of us have to draw 3 cards!" Yuzu and Masumi both drew their cards before Yuzu held out another one, "Then, I activate the Magic Card: Singer's Anchor! Since I have at least 2 "Melodious" monsters on my field, I draw two cards!" Yuzu drew two more cards from her deck as a result.

Nico had his foot on the railing as he looked excited, "Yuzu Hiragi managed to add many more cards to her hand but will it be enough?!" The audience was watching in anticipation from hearing Nico's commentary.

Yuzu looked at Masumi, "I activate Schuberta's effect in order to banish your second Gem-Knight Fusion, Gem-Knight Obsidia and Master Dia! Chorus Break!" Schuberta waved her baton sword around which banished the three cards, making Masumi grit her teeth in response.

Schuberta the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 2400→3000)

"Battle! Schuberta, attack Rainbow Obsidia! Wave of the Great!" Schuberta held out her arms and unleashed pink sound waves that destroyed Rainbow Obsidia.

MASUMI LP: 7600→6700

After she winced a little from the damage, Masumi narrowed her eyes at Yuzu, "Rainbow Obsidia's effect activates! When this card is destroyed, I can negate the effects of 1 face-up card my opponent controls! I negate Schuberta's effect!" The fragmented remains of Rainbow Obsidia glowed and floated around Schuberta, draining some of her energy before disappearing.

Schuberta the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 3000→2400)

Yuzu held out her hand, "Pendulum Mozart attacks Gem-Knight Sanyx! Graceful Song!" Mozart waved her baton before she started singing, creating a big blast of blue energy that connected and destroyed Sanyx.

MASUMI LP: 6700→5900

Yuzu placed two cards in her duel disk, "I set two cards and end my turn!" Two set cards appeared in front of her.

Masumi raised her hand and was about to draw before, out of the corner of her eye, spotted Shun watching their match at the spectator entrance with his arms crossed together and narrowed eyes. Masumi's eyes were full of hate as she glared at him, "I hate this. Why? Why did you have to take him away?!" Ever since she lost to Reiji, she has felt a mixture of anger and depression as she felt she couldn't do anything about this. She failed to defeat Shun, failed to defeat Reiji, and worse of all, she failed to save Professor Marco, the only person left that actually cared about her. Now, all she cares about is taking her anger out on Yuzu and maybe wanting to get revenge on Shun in this tournament if she gets the chance. She has to win this for her own sake.

As Masumi's expression was full of anger, she drew her card a bit forcefully, "My turn!" Masumi picked up a card from her hand, "I activate the Magic Card: Compound Fusion! By banishing Rainbow Obsidia and Crysta from my Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon a "Gem-Knight" monster by using them as Fusion Materials!" Rainbow Obsidia and Crysta both appeared and were banished as they were then absorbed into a colorful vortex.

"The black stones of rainbow joy, mighty knight of crystal!" Masumi chanted. "In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance! Fusion Summon! Appear, crystal knight of balance! Gem-Knight Tanzan (ATK: 2600, DEF: 2000, LV: 6)!" Tanzan appeared next to Masumi after spinning its halberd in hand.

She frowned as she then showed another card from her hand, "Then, I activate the Magic Card: Embedded Fusion! By shuffling Fusion Materials that are banished or from my Graveyard into the Deck, I can Fusion Summon a Rock-type Fusion Monster! I shuffle Gem-Knight Brook, Larim, and Master Dia back into my Deck in order to Fusion Summon!" Brook, Larim, and Master Dia all were absorbed into the colorful vortex as they fused together.

"Dark metallic crystals and ancient gems of the sea!" Masumi chanted. "In a whirlpool of light, combine with the supreme diamond to bring forth a new dazzling radiance! Fusion Summon! Come forth, Level 10! Dazzling lady, Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Dia (ATK: 3400, DEF: 2000, LV: 10)!" Brilliant Dia finally appeared on the field with her sword in hand.

Yuzu looked at Masumi's monster cautiously, "Here it is. Masumi's true ace." Before, she lost to her because of this monster but now she's ready for it.

Masumi held out a monster, "I Normal Summon Gem-Knight Iola (ATK: 1300, DEF: 2000, LV: 4)!" Masumi summoned a deep blue knight that had a ring built around the helmet's design and crystal blades attached to the end of the armored gauntlets.

"I activate Brilliant Dia's effect!" shouted Masumi as she looked at Yuzu. "Once per turn, by sending a "Gem-Knight" monster I control to the Graveyard, I can summon a "Gem-Knight" Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck while ignoring the summoning conditions! Doublet Illumination!" Brilliant Dia pointed her sword at Iola, making her break into tiny pieces before they combined and gathered into a ball of illuminating light as Masumi took out a monster from her Extra Deck, "Appear, prism warrior of lightning! Gem-Knight Prism Aura (ATK: 2450, DEF: 1400, LV: 7)!" From the ball of light that slowly vanished, a silver white warrior that had armor made out of prisms appeared on the field. It had a yellow ponytail hanging from the back of the helmet, a red cape draped over its shoulders, and gold outlined on the shield, spear, and armor it wielded.

The crowd started to get excited as they cheered from seeing Masumi having three Fusion Monsters. Nico held up his mike in excitement, "Oh my! Masumi managed to bring out three Fusion Monsters in one turn! Is this the power of an elite from LDS' Fusion Course!?"

Masumi held up a card as she looked at Yuzu, "I activate Prism Aura's monster effect! Once per turn, I send a "Gem-Knight" card from my hand to the Graveyard to target a face-up card my opponent controls and destroy it! I send Gem-Knight Lazuli and choose Schuberta on your field!" She sent the monster to the Graveyard before Prism Aura pointed its spear and launched a lightning blast that destroyed Schuberta, making Yuzu frown in response.

"Since Lazuli was sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can add a Normal Monster from my Graveyard to my hand." Masumi added Iola back to her hand as a result of an effect.

Masumi pointed at Yuzu, "Battle! Brilliant Dia attacks Pendulum Mozart!" Brilliant Dia flew towards Mozart and swung her sword when she got close, destroying Mozart with Yuzu grunted as she was pushed back into a railing again.

YUZU LP: 5800→5000

Yuzu, however, got back up and retaliated by pressing a button on her duel disk, "I activate the Trap Card: Stage Replacement! When my monster is destroyed, I can summon a "Melodious" monster from my hand or Graveyard! I revive Schuberta (ATK: 2400)!" Schuberta appeared in Mozart's place after she vanished from the field.

Masumi narrowed her eyes before she continued, "Gem-Knight Tanzan, attack Schuberta!" Tanzan spun its halberd around before flying towards Schuberta with his weapon ready to be swung.

Yuzu looked back at Masumi, "I activate Schuberta's effect by banishing Compound Fusion, Gem-Knight Sanyx and Ganet from your Graveyard! Chorus Break!" Schuberta waved her baton sword around which banished three more cards Masumi had before.

Schuberta the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 2400→3000)

"So what?!" Masumi retorted before she picked up a card and revealed it. "I activate the effect of Gem-Squire by discarding it from my hand!" A silhouette of Gem-Squire appeared next to Masumi. "During the Damage Step, when a "Gem-Knight" monster I control battles, I can send this card from my hand to the Graveyard and my monster gains ATK equal to half of the monster it is battling!" Masumi sent the card to the graveyard as Tanzan gained more gem armor around his body now.

Gem-Knight Tanzan (ATK: 2600→4100)

Tanzan raised his halberd and swung it down onto Schuberta which destroyed her, sending shockwaves that made Yuzu grunted a little in pain.

YUZU LP: 5000→3900
Gem-Knight Tanzan (ATK: 4100→2600)

Masumi had a look of intense anger as she held out her hand, "Prism Aura, attack her directly!" Prism held back his spear before lunging it and unleashing a lightning blast at where Yuzu was while creating an explosion.

YUZU LP: 3900→1450

Unfortunately, the shockwaves and the blast energy knocked Yuzu off her feet as she was knocked off her bridge and sent flying into the air as she screamed. Everyone of her friends and family looked horrified as Yuya stood up in shock, "Yuzu!" However, carefully looking around her surroundings, Yuzu quickly grabbed the nearest railing while she stopped ascending, just in time for her to stop falling which made everyone else relieved. Yuzu slowly climbed over the railing and stood on the next bridge, sighing in relief from being unharmed.

Nico also looked relieved as he was still on the big screen, "That was a close one. Hiragi managed to hang on by grabbing the nearest railing."

Hokuto looked a little overwhelmed as he nervously smiled, "Man, Masumi is not playing around." Yaiba looked down at her with a frown, "Can you blame her? At least, she's doing well now." Shingo smirked in response, "She needs to calm down a bit but I guess it doesn't matter." Yaiba and Hokuto nodded in agreement, confident that Masumi can win against her.

Yuto was leaning against the railing as he frowned in worry, "Yuzu doesn't have much life left. I hope she can come back from this."

"I don't think we have to worry about that." Yuto turned to see Lucine watching the match with an unconcerned expression on her face. Yuto narrowed his eyes before turning back to see how the match would go on.

Masumi looked at Yuzu, "I banish Embedded Fusion from my Graveyard in order to return my banished Gem-Knight Fusion to the Graveyard." Embedded Fusion was banished before Gem-Knight Fusion returned as Masumi took it out, "Then, by banishing Lazuli from my Graveyard, I can add Gem-Knight Fusion to my hand!" Lazuli was also banished as Masumi finally added the magic card back to her hand.

"I set a card and end my turn." said Masumi as she placed a face-down.

Yuzu placed her fingers on her deck, "It's my turn, I draw!" She looked at the card she drew before immediately placing in her duel disk, "I activate the Magic Card: Pot of Greed! This allows me to draw two cards from my Deck!" Yuzu drew two more cards as a result.

Yuzu stared at her current hand for a second before she raised her head and smiled, confusing Masumi for a moment. Yuzu slowly picked up two cards from her hand and revealed them, "Now, I'll show you my new power! I use the Scale 1 Concerta the Melodious Diva and Scale 9 Contralto the Melodious Songstress to set the Pendulum Scale!" Yuzu placed the two cards which made the two monsters appear along with the pillars of light around them. Contralto was in one of them while the other had a young blue humanoid female with short brown hair while wearing a dark red shirtwaist dress with black clothing underneath and dark red loafers.

Masumi looked at Yuzu's cards in shock, "What?!" The audience were surprised and confused by this.

Yuzu's smile grew bigger as she pointed at her monsters, "With this, I can summon monsters with Levels 2 and 8 at the same time! But first, I activate the Concerta's Pendulum Effect! When this card is activated in the Pendulum Zone, I can add a "Melodious" monster from my Graveyard to my hand!" Yuzu chose Soprano as she added it back to her hand.

Hokuto, Yaiba, and Hokuto were shocked by what they were seeing as Hokuto said, "She has Pendulum Monsters...Is she actually going to…?" Yaiba gritted his teeth as his suspicion was confirmed to be true. Shingo didn't say anything as he looked on in shock, almost like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Yuzu raised her head in resolve as she chanted, "Musical melody songs that reach people's hearts! Awaken to Pendulum on this grandeur stage! Pendulum Summon!" She held up her hand as a portal appeared above her, "Appear, my monsters!" Two orbs of light appeared from the portal and morphed into monsters, "From the Extra Deck, Pendulum Mozart the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 2600)! And from my hand, Soprano the Melodious Songstress (ATK: 1400, DEF: 1400, LV: 4)!" Mozart appeared on the field along with a monster resembling a green skinned woman that had long red hair with her eyes covered by a yellow handkerchief, wearing blue and orange colored armor with a long white dress beneath it.

The audience stared in surprise as Nico announced over his mike, "What a surprise! Yuzu Hiragi managed to bring out her Pendulum Monsters!" Even though he already saw it, he knew that many others did not know that Yuzu possessed Pendulum Monsters of her own.

Meanwhile, in the LDS control room, Reiji, Reira and Nakajima were in front of the main computer watching this whole event on the big screen across from the field. They had just witnessed Yuzu Hiragi Pendulum Summoning. Several employees were on their computers looking at the graphs and data from the Pendulum Summoning. One of them yelled out, "Energy reading confirmed! It is Pendulum Summoning!"

Reiji nodded in response before clasping his hands together and leaning them under his chin, "Now, how will Yuzu Hiragi use her Pendulum Summoning?" He wonders if Yuzu can evolve Pendulum Summoning even further just as he and Yuya are trying to do.

Back in the arena, the kids were getting excited from seeing this as Ayu smiled happily, "Big Sis Yuzu finally Pendulum Summoned!" Tatsuya nodded in agreement as Futoshi danced a little in his seat, "Shivers!"

Shuzo was yelling while standing up from his seat with a fiery aura around him. Shuzo held out his fists, "That's the way, Yuzu! Your own Pendulum Summon! Hot-blooded!" This was the first time he'd seen his daughter Pendulum Summon as he was getting fired up just from seeing it. It made him so proud. Yuya, Rin, Ruri and Mikleo sweatdropped from Shuzo's excitement but they didn't blame him. Yoko smiled at seeing both Shuzo's behavior and Yuzu's determination.

There was chatter amongst the audience as they were very surprised by this. One of the kids asked, "Wait, so does this mean that Yuya Sakaki isn't the only one who can Pendulum Summon?" Another one looked confused as she asked, "I thought he was. But Yuzu just did it right in front of us." However, after a few seconds of questioning, many in the audience started cheering as they felt this duel was getting more intense and exciting, showering the arena with loud screams and cheers.

Shun narrowed his eyes, "So that's a Pendulum Summon…" This was the first time he had seen this summoning method and wasn't sure what to make of it.

At an entranceway a few levels above, Kyo also had her eyes narrowed as she witnessed it, "Pendulum Summon…"

Yuzu smiled as she held out her hand, "This is just the beginning! I activate Contralto's Pendulum Effect! Since I Pendulum Summon at least 2 "Melodious" monsters..."

However, Masumi interrupted her as her eyes were narrowed, "Not so fast!" She then pressed a button, "I activate the Trap Card: Gem-Break! By discarding a "Gem-" card, I can target two monsters my opponent controls and destroy them!" Yuzu was caught off guard for a moment before Masumi discarded Gem-Knight Iola from her hand. Then, the trap unleashed a lightning blast that engulfed and destroyed Mozart and Soprano as soon as they arrived on the field.

"Oh my! Even though Yuzu Hiragi performed a Pendulum Summon, Masumi already had a trap ready for them!" shouted Nico from the big screen.

At first, Yuzu was frowning for a moment before she smiled, "Since that effect is now resolved, I can resolve my effects now! Contralto's Pendulum Effect and Soprano's monster effect!" Yuzu held out her hand, "Let's start with Soprano's first! When this card is Special Summoned, I can target a "Melodious" monster in my Graveyard and add it to my hand." She added Violeta back to her hand as a result of the effect.

"Then, Contralto's Pendulum Effect resolves! With it, I can Special Summon a Level 6 or lower "Melodious" monster from my Graveyard since I Pendulum Summoned at least 2 or more "Melodious" monsters! I revive Soprano (ATK: 1400)!" Soprano returned back to Yuzu's side, making Masumi grit her teeth in frustration.

Ayu looked confused, "Huh? How was she able to summon Soprano back? I thought Big Sis Yuzu activated her monster's effects first." Futoshi was feeling the same as he looked confused as well.

"She did." They turned to Tatsuya who was still looking at the field, "But Masumi also immediately activated her Trap Card before Big Sis Yuzu's cards can resolve." Tatsuya turned to everyone else with a finger held up, "Since their effects were negated and they left the field before their effects resolved, she was able to summon her back all because Masumi destroyed them first before they could do anything." Basically, because of a chain link, Yuzu was able to use that to her advantage.

Yuzu held out a card, "And now, I activate Ensemble's effect! By sending a Light monster from my Deck, I can Special Summon Violeta the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 2500, DEF: 1900, LV: 7, PS: 4)!" She sent March the Melodious Diva to the Graveyard before Violeta appeared on Yuzu's side of the field. "Violeta gains 100 ATK for every "Melodious" card I control!"

Violeta the Melodious Diva (ATK: 2500→2900)

Masumi scoffed at Yuzu, "I will admit I was surprised that you can Pendulum Summon. But even though you can, your monsters aren't strong enough to take on all three of my Gem-Knights." She gestured toward her field where she had three Fusion Monsters beside her.

Yuzu didn't pay that comment any mind as she held her hand towards Soprano, "I activate Soprano's other effect! Once per turn, I can Fusion Summon a "Melodious" monster using monsters in my hand or Field as Fusion Material including this card!" Masumi was caught off guard by this as Yuzu continued, "So with Soprano's effect, I fuse Soprano and Violeta on my field together in order to Fusion Summon!" Soprano held out her arms and created a shining light that illuminated the entire arena as Violeta floated behind her.

A brown haired girl in the audience had a happy smile on her face, "So pretty…" The black haired girl beside her nodded in agreement as she was in awe from how beautiful it was.

Soprano and Violeta both went into the colorful vortex as Yuzu chanted, "Angel's song, grand violest of the opera! By the guidance of the baton, gather your power! Fusion Summon! Now, come to the stage! Level 6! Bloom Diva the Melodious Floral Saint (ATK: 1000, DEF: 2000, LV: 6)!" An angel-like monster appeared on the field with silver hair and blue eyes wearing blue sleeveless and neckless dress and pink colored shawl with her feet covered by a giant flower.

Yuya smiled in excitement, "That's Yuzu's new Fusion Monster…" Gongenzaka looked happy that Yuzu is finally showing off more of her new power. Ruri lowered her eyes as she was trying to not be bothered by it, although she admits that the monster looks pretty.

Hokuto had a shocked expression on his face, "A Fusion Summon without a Fusion Magic card…?!" Yaiba watched in surprise, "To think that she's evolved this much in such a short time!" Shingo's eyes widened before he gritted his teeth, angry that Yuzu seemed to be showing off more so than before his match would start.

Yuzu then took a card from her duel disk and held it up, "I activate Ensemble's other effect. Once per turn, when I Fusion Summon a "Melodious" monster, I can Special Summon a Level 5 or lower "Melodious" monster from my Graveyard! Revive, Sonata (ATK: 1200)!" Sonata appeared back on the field as Yuzu continued, "Since Sonata was Special Summoned, all Fairy-type monsters on my field gain 500 ATK & DEF!"

Bloom Diva the Melodious Floral Saint (ATK: 1000→1500, DEF: 2000→2500)
Sonata the Melodious Diva (ATK: 1200→1700, DEF: 1000→1500)

"And since I control a "Melodious" monster, I can Special Summon Ballet the Melodious Diva (ATK: 1700→2200, DEF: 1100→1600, LV: 4, PS: 7) from my hand!" shouted Yuzu as she summoned Ballet to her field next to Bloom Diva and Sonata.

Yuzu then held out her hand, "Battle! I attack Brilliant Dia with Bloom Diva!"

Futoshi had a shocked expression on his face, "What? Even though Brilliant Dia is stronger?"

Bloom Diva sang a song which created a sound wave that headed towards Brilliant Dia. Brilliant Dia swung her sword at Bloom Diva but was blocked by a sound barrier as Bloom Diva was blocking the attack while still singing. Yuzu looked at Masumi, "Bloom Diva cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects and I take no damage from battles involving her. Also, when she battles a Special Summoned monster, my opponent takes damage equal to the difference between that monster and Bloom Diva's original ATK! Then, that monster is destroyed!" Masumi was shocked when she heard that before Yuzu held out her hand, "Since Bloom Diva's original ATK was 1000 and Brilliant Dia's is 3400, you take 2400 damage! Reflect Shout!" Bloom Diva's sound waves became more powerful as she produced a green tornado from her mouth before it completely destroyed Brilliant Dia. The shockwave of the explosion made Masumi fly for a moment before crashing to the floor on her back while yelling in distress.

MASUMI LP: 5900→3500

Ayu had a huge smile on her face, "She did it!" Tatsuya nodded in agreement, "Yeah! She inflicted a good amount of damage to Masumi." Futoshi danced a little in happiness, "Shivers!"

Masumi slowly got up to her knees as she glared at Yuzu, "Now you've done it…" She then stood up and narrowed her eyes in confusion, wondering why Yuzu's dueling has more shine to it than the last time she witnessed it.

Just then, she heard something nearby and turned to see all of the You Show students cheering Yuzu on with a bright expression on each of their faces. She narrowed her eyes even further, "Do friends really help her that much?" Could that be the reason she's gotten better and shining brighter? Because of friends? She doesn't know. She's never had friends before and she's never really needed them before. All she had was Professor Marco and that was fine with her, but now she doesn't have anyone supporting her anymore. Without her teacher, what was she to do now? All she had was her anger and frustration driving her.

"Go, Masumi!" "You're still in this!" Masumi's eyes widened before she turned to see Yaiba and Hokuto holding their hands to their mouths and cheering her on while Sawatari was with them for some reason. Masumi was surprised by this as she didn't expect them to support them like this. Even after it was clear that she didn't consider them friends, they're still cheering her on. It felt very weird to her but it wasn't unpleasant.

While contemplating on this, Masumi had a thought come to mind as she turned to Yuzu, "Alright, if that's really what gives you strength, then show me!"

Yuzu didn't notice Masumi's behavior as she held out her hand, "Ballet, attack Prism Aura!" Ballet danced towards Prism Aura as Yuzu announced, "At this moment, Ballet's monster effect activates. When this card attacks, all "Melodious" monsters on my field gain 500 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase!" A pink aura surrounded Ballet as she danced across the arena with the aura being transferred to Yuzu's other monsters.

Bloom Diva the Melodious Floral Saint (ATK: 1500→1900)
Sonata the Melodious Diva (ATK: 1700→2100)
Ballet the Melodious Diva (ATK: 2200→2600)

Ballet soon was a few feet apart from Prism Aura before she lunged and kicked Aura in the chest, destroying the monster and making Masumi shield herself from the blast.

MASUMI LP: 3500→3350

"Sonata attacks Gem-Knight Tanzan!" Yuzu called out as Sonata flew in Tanzan's direction, confusing Masumi as Sonata doesn't have enough ATK to take on Tanzan.

However, Yuzu then took a card out from her duel disk and showed it, "I activate the effect of March the Melodious Diva in my Graveyard! By banishing this card when my "Melodious" monster battles an opponent's monster, it gains 500 ATK!"

Sonata the Melodious Diva (ATK: 2100→2600)

As soon Sonata was a few feet away from Tanzan, she unleashed a single sound wave while Tanzan swung its sword in retaliation. Both of them collided with each other before the equal forces of both attacks caused them both to be destroyed in a double explosion. Yuzu and Masumi frowned as they shielded themselves from the blasts.

Bloom Diva the Melodious Floral Saint (ATK: 1900→1400, DEF: 2500→2000)
Ballet the Melodious Diva (ATK: 2600→2100, DEF: 1600→1100)

Masumi soon moved her arm away, "Tanzan's effect activates. When this card is destroyed, I can add up to 2 banished "Gem-" cards to my hand." She held out the two cards and showed them, "I add Gem-Knight Obsidia and Ganet to my hand." Since it was the end of the Battle Phase, Ballet's stat increase effect was gone as well.

Bloom Diva the Melodious Floral Saint (ATK: 1400→1000)
Ballet the Melodious Diva (ATK: 2100→1700)

"I'll end my turn." said Yuzu before she looked up at Masumi, "Masumi, what happened to you?" As Masumi was confused and narrowed her eyes, Yuzu held out her hand, "You're not the same person I fought before. It's like you're using your anger just to fight back." She said that in a low whisper so that only the two of them would be able to hear each other through their duel disks' intercoms.

Masumi gritted her teeth as she whispered back, "So what if I am? You don't know what's been going on these past few days!"

Yuzu lowered her eyes in sadness, trying to imagine what might have been happening with LDS lately especially with Shun joining up with them. Yuzu looked up at Masumi, "No, I don't. But I do know what happened to Marco." Masumi processed what Yuzu said before her eyes widened in shock. Before she could question that, Yuzu continued as she held a hand to her heart, "And I'm very sorry about what happened to him." She then had a look of determination on her face, "But I assure you one thing, there is a reason for that and they feel bad for doing that to him. There is a lot more going on than a lot of us realized beforehand." She was mostly speaking from her heart. Although she isn't sure about how Shun feels, she knows for sure that Yuto and Lucine felt bad about turning innocent people into cards. She's not justifying what they did but she understands why they did it.

Masumi was confused before she narrowed her eyes and frowned at her, "Is...Is she bluffing or telling the truth?" Even if it was true, what good reason can there be for turning Professor Marco into a card? She can't imagine why Yuzu is trying to defend them but, from her experience, seeing Yuzu's expression is telling her that she is telling somewhat of the truth. Now, she was more confused. There is something going more so than she knows, even though she had a feeling since Reiji didn't tell her or the others much about the reason for the cooperation.

While trying to question it in her head, she drew from her deck, "My turn! Draw!" She then held out a card, "I activate the Magic Card: Gem-Knight Fusion! With this card, I fuse Obsidia and Ganet in my hand!" Obsidia and Ganet appeared momentarily before they went into the colorful vortex.

"Gemstones of molten lava and burning flames!" Masumi chanted. "In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a dazzling new radiance! Fusion Summon! Come forth, strong knight of heroism! Level 8! Gem-Knight Zirconia (ATK: 2900, DEF: 2500, LV: 8)!" Zirconia appeared on Masumi's side of the field.

Masumi held out her hand, "Since Obsidia was sent from my hand to the Graveyard, I summon back Gem-Knight Iola (ATK: 1300)!" Iola was brought back to Masumi's side next to Zirconia.

"I banish Obsidia from my Graveyard in order to add Gem-Knight Fusion back to my hand!" Masumi shouted out as Obsidia was banished before she took out the card and immediately placed it in her duel disk. "I activate Gem-Knight Fusion again! I use Gem-Knight Zirconia and Iola on my field in order to Fusion Summon!" Zirconia and Iola both flew in the air and were absorbed into the colorful vortex.

"Zircon knight of heroism!" Masumi chanted. "In a dazzling new form, absorb the illumination gemstones and evolve in a whirlpool of light! Unbind the chains of the stars! Fusion Summon! Appear, sapphire knight reborn in the astral! Level 10! Gem-Knight Lady Star Saphire (ATK: 3000, DEF: 2200, LV: 10)!" Emerging from the portal was a female knight that wore beige-colored armor, boots and helmet that was embedded with big sapphire gems and a huge sapphire in the middle of the chest area, having a needle-like inclusion of a star transparent inside the gem. Under the armor, she was wearing blue clothing underneath while a navy blue cape was draped around the soldier's shoulders. The warrior held out a rapier in her right hands as she gazed around the field with her sapphire gem eyes.

Most of the audience were in awe as the monster's appearance was radiating a shining light throughout the arena with some of the little girls admiring it, "So pretty…" Nico looked at the monster with an interested look on his face before he shouted into his mike, "Even though Masumi was pushed into a corner, she managed to summon a powerful and elegant Fusion Monster! Can she come back from this?!"

Masumi had her eyes closed for a moment before she opened them and had a look of determination on her face, "Here I go...Yuzu!" She held out her hand, "Battle! Star Saphire, attack Bloom Diva!" Star Saphire took out her rapier before flying towards Bloom Diva with her rapier pointed at it.

Yuzu was confused by what Masumi was doing before she narrowed her eyes, "Bloom Diva cannot be destroyed by battle and if it battles a Special Summoned, that monster is destroyed instead!" Bloom Diva sang a song which caused some sound waves to create a barrier that blocked Star Saphire's charge as she was a few feet away from Bloom Diva while not stopping the attack.

"You think I don't know that!" Masumi retaliated as she threw out her arm. "Due to Star Saphire's effect, when a "Gem-Knight" monster battles my opponent's monster, that monster's effects are negated during the Battle Phase!" Yuzu was surprised by this as the sound waves were getting weaker, causing Star Saphire to push through and slowly get closer to Bloom Diva.

The kids looked shocked and worried when they heard Bloom Diva's effects are negated. Yuya looked at the duel with a mixture of surprise and unease, "This is bad! If Bloom Diva's effect is negated, Star Saphire can destroy it and deal 2000 damage." Since Yuzu only has 1450 life, if she takes this attack, she'll lose. Rin and Gongenzaka were in suspense as they were both concerned for Yuzu.

"Don't worry." Everyone turned to see Sora holding his lollipop up and smiling, "She should be able to endure this much. After all, she's been thoroughly taught the fighting style of a Fusion Summoner by yours truly." Ruri lowered her eyes before looking towards Yuzu, a little concerned for her.

As Star Saphire charged right through Bloom Diva's sound waves, Yuzu held out her hand, "I activate the Trap Card: Holy Life Barrier!" Star Saphire lunged her rapier at Bloom Diva but was currently blocked by a transparent barrier as Yuzu continued, "I discard a card from my hand and all damage I would take from my opponent this turn becomes 0! Also, my monsters cannot be destroyed by battle!" Yuzu sent Baila to the Graveyard before Star Saphire was forced to stop her attack and retreat back to Masumi's side with Yuzu not taking any damage from it.

Masumi frowned before she placed a card in her duel disk, "I set a card and end my turn with that." A face-down materialized in front of Masumi.

"My turn!" Yuzu drew her card and looked at it before she smiled. She raised her head towards Masumi and held her hand up into the air, "With the set Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon!" The sky portal appeared before two lights materialized into monsters, "From the Extra Deck, Pendulum Mozart (ATK: 2600) and Violeta (ATK: 2500→3100)!" Mozart and Violeta, who powered up thanks to every one of Yuzu's Melodious cards, appeared back on the field next to Yuzu's other two monsters.

"Because I Pendulum Summon at least 2 "Melodious" monsters, Contralto's Pendulum Effect lets me bring back a Level 6 or lower "Melodious" monster from my Graveyard." said Yuzu before she held out her hand. "Appear, Baila the Melodious Diva (ATK: 1300, DEF: 1700, LV: 4)!" Baila appeared on the field as it was the card Yuzu discarded earlier.

"I activate Baila's monster effect!" shouted Yuzu. "When this card is Special Summoned, I can add a "Melodious" monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand." Yuzu added a monster to her hand due to Baila's effect.

Yuzu then held out a card, "I equip Mozart with the Equip Magic: Saint Instrument!" A metal string instrument with multiple brass pipes and two large tuba-like ones attached itself onto Mozart's back.

Yuzu had a determined look on her face as she held out her hand, "Violeta, attack Star Saphire!" Violeta played her violin which caused musical notes to orbit around Star Saphire, trapping the monster in a vortex and destroying it. Masumi shielded herself from the explosion as a result.

MASUMI LP: 3350→3250

However, after moving her away, Masumi smiled for some reason as she looked at Yuzu, "Now, you've done it…" She then held out her hand, "But it will be your downfall! I activate the Trap Card: Brilliant Spark!" A trap flipped face-up as Masumi continued, "Since my "Gem-Knight" monster was destroyed, it deals damage to my opponent equal to its original ATK!" The trap sent a pink beam of energy towards Yuzu that contained Star Saphire's power.

Gongenzaka gritted his teeth as he had his fists out, "This is bad. Star Saphire's original ATK was 3000." Yuya narrowed his eyes in concern, "If she takes that…" Yuzu only has 1450 life left.

Everyone watched in suspense as the pink beam was a few feet away from Yuzu before she held out her hand, "I activate the effect of Saint Instrument! When a player would take effect damage, I can make the damage become 0 and the equipped monster gains ATK equal to the damage that would've been inflicted!" Mozart activated her device in which the tubas produced sound waves that blocked the pink beam and made it vanish entirely.

Pendulum Mozart the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 2600→5600)

"5600 ATK?" exclaimed Masumi in shock.

Yuzu pointed at Masumi, "This will be the final blow. Pendulum Mozart attacks you directly! Graceful Song!" Mozart waved her baton which created a sound blast that went towards Masumi as Mozart started singing. Masumi screamed as the sound wave hit her and sent her flying off the bridge she was on.

MASUMI LP: 3250→0

Yuzu looked worried as she watched her fall, "Masumi!" She held onto the railing near her before she turned to Bloom Diva, "Please!" Bloom Diva nodded her head before she flew to where Masumi was. Bloom Diva flew through many bridges before she stopped and managed to catch Masumi in time with her arms. Masumi, who had her eyes closed for a moment, was shocked as she looked at the monster, "You...saved me?" Yuzu saw this and smiled in relief from seeing Masumi safe. At that moment, Yaiba, Hokuto and even Shingo sighed in relief, all three of them were worried when they saw her fall but then they relaxed when they saw she was safe.

YUZU: WIN
MASUMI: LOSE

An image of Yuzu appeared with the word win under it as the action field was disappearing, "It's over! This neck and neck fight ends with You Show Duel School's Yuzu Hiragi's victory!"

The kids cheered in happiness, "Big Sis Yuzu!" At the same time, Shuzo stood up with a proud expression on his face as he cried, "You did it, Yuzu! As expected of my daughter! Hot-blooded!" Yoko sighed a little while the kids sweatdropped from Shuzo's excitement.

Yuya looked at Yuzu with a soft smile, "You did it, Yuzu." Ruri smiled happily for her while Rin had her hands to her mouth, "Great job, Yuzu!"

Sora smiled as he held his lollipop up, "Now you understand how amazing I am, don't you?" He turned toward the entranceway before he was shocked as he saw Shun was no longer there. He then got a frustrated expression on his face, "What's wrong with him!? Don't tell me he left at the most important part!" He said the last part in a quieter tone while Tatsuya looked at him confused, having no idea what Sora was talking about. Ruri sheepishly smiled and sweatdropped from seeing Sora like that before silently wondering and worried how tomorrow is going to turn out especially with his duel.

Mikleo, while he was happy for Yuzu, heard some people talking nearby in the stands, "Is that him?" "Could he really be the one?" Without turning his head, he shifted his eyes to where he saw some people whispering while cautiously looking directly at him. They looked like they were trying to hide it as they looked over their shoulders. Then, some other boys and girls whispered, "Is that rumor really true?" "Oh no! It is real! Someone posted...!" The chatter was getting more quiet as Mikleo could barely hear them anymore. He had an idea of what they were talking about as he sighed, "Well, guess it was bound to happen eventually." He frowned a little as he knows the others will find out about this eventually. He just wonders how they will take it.

Yuzu walked up to Masumi who was getting up from off the ground. Masumi had her head lowered with a frown on her face with Yuzu being unable to read her expression at the moment. Yuzu frowned in confusion, "Masumi?"

Masumi was staring at the ground for a second before she raised her head, showing she had a depressed look on her face. As Yuzu was taken aback and wondered what's wrong, Masumi gave off a sad smile, "...Good job...Yuzu." She then turned and walked away from Yuzu who tried to reach out to her with her hand but hesitated as Masumi was soon out of sight.

Meanwhile, Albel was in his office and slowly clapping after witnessing that match, "Impressive performance by the both of you." He was caught a little off guard by what Yuzu Hiragi did in the match but it is an unexpected surprise nonetheless, one that can work in their favor. He narrowed his eyes, "Now…" His attention was turned to Masumi who was walking out of the court and into the hallways of the arena. He looked down and pressed a button on his desk before speaking to someone on his computer, "...Do it." He released the button and smiled as he looked at the screen.

Masumi stopped as she was in a secluded hallway connected to the center court with no one around as it was mainly for competitors going through them. She had her head down with a frown on her face while also looking thoughtful for a moment. She had some things on her mind right now. Since the duel was over, she's decided to finally calm down and think this through with a clear head. She thought about what Yuzu said: how there was a specific reason why Kurosaki did what he did. She wondered how Yuzu would know that and what reason it could be. She thought about the times she's had with Professor Marco as her teacher. After a minute or two of pondering, it occurred to her that she never really found out the reason Shun did turn Professor Marco into a card or why it happened. She suspects Reiji knows the reason but he was being very vague about it and didn't tell her or the others anything; he said to wait a while if they want to hear the full story eventually.

Masumi lowered her eyes as another thing came to mind, "What should I do?" Now that she's out of the tournament, she's out of options and wondered what she can do from here on. Then, her thoughts turned to Yaiba and Hokuto who have been supportive of her since they've met and she's sort of pushed them away cause she didn't need friends before. She recalls Yuzu's friends supporting her including Yuya which might have helped her shine more as a duelist. With a mind in mind, Masumi sadly smiled, "Maybe it's time I try to accept them."

However, the next moment, Masumi was so focused on her thoughts before she felt an excruciating pain in her back as she screamed, "Aaaahhhh!" She felt like she was getting shocked from behind and didn't have time to react before the pain made her fall to the floor and pass out unconscious. Behind where she was standing, a male with spiky dark green hair, brown eyes, and wearing a red uniform while he was holding a taser in his right hand, showing that he shocked Masumi into unconsciousness. A cold smile was shown on his face.

MAIAMI CITY - GONGENZAKA DOJO (A DAY LATER)

The next day, Gongenzaka was sitting on the floor in his family dojo with his shirt off and ashes on his shoulders as he was meditating. He looked concentrated as he summarized the situation, "My first opponent is my former senior disciple, Gen Ankokuji. Not only did he humiliate Yuya, but he dissented against the teachings of the Steadfast Dojo and left disgracefully!" He remembers the look Ankokuji had when he left the dojo, like he didn't care and was happy to be gone.

He opened his eyes before he had a determined expression on his face, "I cannot lose this match!" He imagined the flames burning on his shoulders as his spirit was on fire from being given an opportunity in this match.

At that moment, the doors flew open and his father was standing there, "That's what I like to hear!" Gongenzaka looked up at his father, "Father!"

Mr. Gongenzaka held out a long black sash, "Noboru! As you tighten this new sash, you must also temper and tighten your Steadfast spirit in preparation for the next battle!"

Gongenzaka soon put on his shirt before tightening his sash around his shoulders, forming a X shape on his back. He looked determined as he headed for the door, "Understood!"

MAIAMI CITY - MAIAMI DUEL STADIUM

Yuya was standing by himself in the gathering hall with his arms crossed together, "Yuzu had her victory against Masumi yesterday so now it is my turn." He then closed his eyes, "I'm sure Gongenzaka and Rin will win their next match." He frowned as he thought about the next person, "But Sora…" He isn't sure what's going to happen with his match against Shun.

However, as he was occupied with his thoughts, he was caught off guard by a bald teenage boy running into him and made both of them fall to the floor in surprise. The boy sat up with a troubled expression on his face and moved his hand out, "That's the young master's...Noboru Gongenzaka-san's sash for today's match!"

Yuya blinked his eyes before he turned to where the boy was looking. He saw a white sash lying on the floor. He narrowed his eyes in confusion, "This is his sash?" He remembers that Gongenzaka usually wears a sash around his chest and back but why does this guy have it with him? He knew Gongenzaka would prefer looking over his own sash rather than have a student take it to him.

However, a teenage boy with a row of red hair in the middle, tied into a small ponytail, ran up to the sash and grabbed it. He then ran away with a smirk on his face. Yuya narrowed his eyes before he got back up on his feet, "Hey, hold it!" He ran after the boy that took the sash with the bald headed boy following after him.

Yuzu, Ruri, Rin, Sora, Shuzo and the kids were running nearby into the hallway, "Hurry up!" Ayu shouted while Futoshi nodded his head, "Gongenzaka's match is going to start soon!" However, when they stopped, Yuzu looked around the area with confusion written on her face, "Huh? Where's Yuya?" He said that he'd be here waiting. The others wondered the same thing as they didn't see Yuya anywhere in the room.

Tatsuya turned to see Yuya running and pointed in his direction, "Over there!" All of them looked to where he pointed and saw Yuya chasing after some guy carrying a sash in his hand. Sora was confused as he had his hands behind his head, "Looks like he's chasing someone at full speed to me…" Rin lowered her eyes in scepticism from seeing this.

Yuya looked at the bald boy while they were chasing the guy holding the sash, "Why is that guy taking Gongenzaka's sash?" The bald boy spoke as he ran, "He's probably one of Ankokuji's friends. They'll use any cowardly methods to win."

Yuya narrowed his eyes, "Ankokuji…" He had a feeling that Ankokuji was involved in this and that made it more suspicious in his opinion. What would he gain by stealing Gongenzaka's sash?

The bald headed boy looked at Yuya with a troubled expression, "You're the young master Noboru's friend Yuya Sakaki, right? Don't you have a match soon as well?"

Yuya had a determined expression on his face as he kept running, "I'm not letting that stop me. I'll get Gongenzaka's sash back and give it to him before the match ends." Even if it is suspicious, he couldn't risk not getting it back if it actually was Gongenzaka's old sash. If it is a trap, he'll deal with it when it happens. Yuya didn't notice that the bald headed boy grew a smirk on his face as he ran with him.

As the audience cheered, Nico was in the center court while also appearing on the big screen with a mike in his hand, "My dear audience! Thank you for coming to see the even more exciting second day of the tournament!" He bowed a little before he held out a hand towards one of the entrances of the center court, "Now, let's introduce our duelists for our first match of the day! While he doesn't belong to any school, this duelist qualified for the Youth Championship with a six-game win streak, Gen Ankokuji!" Ankokuji walked into the area with a smirk on his face.

"His opponent is the successor of the Steadfast Dueling style of the Gongenzaka Dojo, Noboru Gongenzaka!" Nico announced as Gongenzaka walked up and stood in the center court with his back facing Ankokuji, showing the black sash around his back while looking at his former senior disciple over his shoulder.

Ankokuji chuckled as he looked at what was on Gongenzaka's back, "That's a nice sash you have there. Did you get that from your father?" Gongenzaka looked back at him, "The master of our dojo gives us a new sash before a pivotal match. That is the tradition of the Gongenzaka Dojo!" His father was watching from an entranceway nearby.

Ankokuji's smirk suddenly grew bigger, "Well, I've taken advantage of that so-called tradition." Gongenzaka was confused when he heard this, "What?"

Nico held out his arm, "Let's start off by selecting the Field Magic!" The sphere of glowing cards appeared in the sky. "Now this match's Field is…" The cards scattered before it revealed a Field Magic that had an image of an island in the middle of the ocean, "This! Now then without anymore delays, Action Field on! Field Magic: Solitary Island in a Faraway Sea, activate!"

The Solid Vision system under the field activated before it materialized the center court into an island surrounded by water with Gongenzaka and Ankokuji surrounded by dense trees in the middle. Ankokuji looked around the field with a smirk on his face, "A dense forest, huh? What a coincidence. I'm sure your dear friend is inside of a forest right now, too..."

Gongenzaka was shocked when he heard and turned to Ankokuji while looking angry, "What did you say?!"

Yuya and the bald boy ran far into a forest before stopping into a clearing. Yuya looked around, wondering where that guy went before he heard a chuckle. He saw the red haired boy appeared from behind the tree along with a brown haired teenager and a green haired one behind other trees nearby. Yuya narrowed his eyes as he saw the three boys surround them, "An ambush?" He didn't have time for this as he needed to get the sash back. However, he heard the bald headed boy beside him chuckle before he walked over to the other three's side, making him feel more suspicious about this.

Once he reached the other three, he turned toward Yuya and pointed at him with a smirk on his face, "Idiot! You fell for it!" The red haired boy chuckled as well, "You're going to be keeping us company for a while."

Yuya frowned as he narrowed his eyes further, "It was a trap." He had figured it seemed too suspicious but it didn't matter now as the four boys brought out their duel disks, itching to fight him. Regardless, he had to get that sash back so he'll have to end this as fast as possible.

"Wait!" Yuya heard someone before he turned to see Rin walking up to him with a determined look on her face, surprising Yuya as he didn't expect her to follow him. The four boys were caught off guard by this but still looked cocky enough to allow this as they wagered they'll duel her as well.

Gongenzaka gritted his teeth as he glared at Ankokuji and raised a fist, "You bastard! How could you do something so underhanded!?"

Ankokuji laughed in response, "What's this? What happened to your unshakable spirit? You're already shaken with rage!" Gongenzaka growled as Ankokuji smirked back at him, "That's all your so-called Steadfast spirit is worth. Using any methods in order to win, that's what the strong truly do! That's why I cut my ties with the Gongenzaka Dojo!"

Gongenzaka gritted his teeth even harder, "Damn you…" Ankokuji's smirk grew more menacing, "I wonder if Yuya Sakaki is alright...?" Gongenzaka gasped in shock when he said that and was worried for Yuya.

Ankokuji pointed at Gongenzaka, "If you want to save him, then you'd better hurry up and defeat me! Or are you going to spout some crap about your friend being more important than this match and surrender right now?" Gongenzaka was shaking in anger as he felt helpless to assist Yuya.

Yuzu was looking down at Gongenzaka with a concerned expression, "What's going on? Gongenzaka looks really worried and angry down there." She picked up her duel disk, "And where has Yuya gone? I hope Rin has found him yet."

She dialed Yuya's duel number on her duel disk before she held it to her ear and heard a voice, "Yuzu?" Yuzu felt relieved when she heard Yuya before she asked, "Yuya, are you alright?"

Yuya stood across from Ankokuji's friends and looked down at his duel disk, "I'm fine, but I'm kinda stuck at the moment. Just tell Gongenzaka not to worry about me right now!" Rin stood next to Yuya as she looked at the duel disk, "We'll be back as soon as we can!"

Yuzu was confused by this, "Huh?" However, before she could ask further, Yuya hung up which led her to wonder what happened. Mikleo narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he was listening to Yuzu's call before he turned back to the duel, certain that Yuya can take care of himself for now.

Gongenzaka stomped his right foot into the ground before he looked determined, "On the honor of my dojo, I cannot surrender without a fight!"

Ankokuji chuckled in response before he stomped his foot hard into the ground as well and held up his left arm, "Then struggle all you want!"

As Gongenzaka's duel was going on, Yuya had to duel four of Ankokuji's friends while getting some help with Rin. Eventually, later in the duel, Yuya held out his hand, "Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Rin held out her hand, "Winter Bell!" They both yelled out, "Attack them directly!" Both Odd-Eyes and Winter Bell unleashed their fiery blast and icy wind storm respectively at their opponents. All four guys appeared to be dazed as they were launched into the air by the attacks before they landed on their backs in defeat.

YUYA & RIN: WIN

Yuya sighed in relief as the duel was over before he walked over to the four boys. He saw that they were lying on the ground and passed out. He knelt down and grabbed the white sash that the red haired boy was carrying. He looked at the white sash he was holding with a smile, "Well, that's done."

*BAM* However, to his surprise, he was knocked over the head by somebody which made him stumble a bit before regaining his balance. He rubbed his head as it stinged a little before looking up to see Rin with an angry expression on her face with her fist raised as she was the one who punched him. Yuya groaned a bit while rubbing his head, "Oww….What was that for?!"

"Damn it, Yuya! Why did you have to run off like that?" Rin shouted as she wasn't too pleased. "Do you know how worried we were?! You could've been seriously hurt!" She was angry with him for not being just a little more careful.

Yuya chuckled as he fully stood back up, "Maybe. I had a feeling it was a trap." He held up the white sash, "But I had to at least get Gongenzaka's sash back."

A tick mark appeared on Rin's forehead as she frowned back at him, "That makes it even worse! You should've at least told us what you were doing!"

Yuya sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry. It was kinda on short notice." Rin stared at Yuya while looking peeved off before she sighed in exasperation and smiled a little, "Geez." She wasn't angry at Yuya for trying to get Gongenzaka's prized possession back, she was angry cause Yuya could have gotten hurt without telling anyone. Well, he is alright so she is relieved but it was still a little reckless. She then grabbed his arm, "Come on. Let's hurry up before Gongenzaka's match is over." Yuya nodded in agreement before she pulled Yuya back to the stadium with him running nearby her.

Back at the stadium, Ankokuji started off by summoning Barbarian monsters inspired by Strong Ishijima. Gongenzaka proceeded to summon Ben-K and Horaga-E before Ankokuji managed to take control of Horaga-E to prevent him from Synchro Summoning. Then, he managed to steal Ben-K from Gongenzaka and almost depleted all of his life points. However, Yuya and Rin arrived just in time as Yuya threw the white sash towards Gongenzaka, who accepted it and replaced the black one that was just torn from the recent attacks. Using an effect of Tama-C, Gongenzaka managed to Synchro Summon Susano-O and cut through all of Ankokuji's life, sending Ankokuji flying as he yelled before he landed on the ground with a thud.

GONGENZAKA: WIN
ANKOKUJI: LOSE

As the Action Field disappeared, the audience cheered as Nico shouted into his mike, "The first Youth Championship match victory of the day goes to Gongenzaka!" Gongenzaka appeared to be satisfied before he proceeded to walk off the center court.

Yaiba had his fists out as he sighed in relief, "He finally won...Making me sweat like that." He was a little annoyed that Gongenzaka could have lost after all of the trouble he went through to teach him the best Synchro Summoning. He then looked around the arena, "Where the heck is Masumi at a time like this?" Hokuto frowned and shrugged his shoulders as he didn't have any idea either. They haven't seen Masumi since yesterday.

Gongenzaka ignored the cheers he was getting and walked straight towards Yuya who was at the bottom of the spectator section and near the railing. Gongenzaka smiled as he held out a hand towards Yuya, "I believed that you would come, Yuya." Yuya smiled in response, "And I believed that you would definitely win, Gongenzaka." He reached out and accepted Gongenzaka's handshake as the two smiled at each other.

"Big Bro Yuya!" Yuya turned to see the kids and everyone else coming up towards him. Futoshi asked after they stopped, "We were worried about you! Where did you go?"

Yuya chuckled a little, "Sorry. I kinda got sidetracked." Rin walked up so she was next to Yuya, "We'll tell you all you later." Although they wondered what happened, everyone was happy to see Yuya made it with Rin's help.

A little bit after an hour later, Rin was walking up towards the railing with an excited smile on her face, "Alright, it's my turn now." It was finally time for her first match to start. She had been looking forward to this as it was like preparing and participating for the tournaments in New Domino City. With that and determination in her mind, Rin entered the arena amongst the loud cheers from the crowd around her. Her opponent, Ashley, was already standing in the center court, ready for the match to begin. He was a black haired and black eyed young man that wore a full suit of armor with a green cape draped around his shoulders. He seemed to be smiling with pride as he watched Rin walk to the arena.

Nico was holding up his mike with the same excitement as before, "Now, everyone! It's time for the third match of the day! First up, let's introduce our competitors!" He held out a hand towards the field, "In one corner, he is an ace of Knight of Duels, one of the most prestigious duel schools in the world! Ashley!" A lot of people in the audience cheered as Nico gestured to the other side, "And his opponent is a recently new addition to You Show Duel School and Maiami City! She has also made into this event with a six-game win streak, Rin!" The crowd cheered even more from hearing this as Rin smiled with resolve while looking at Ashley.

Shuzo was standing with his fists raised, "Go, Rin! Show them You Show's hot-bloodedness!" A fiery aura surrounded him as he was finally going to witness Rin dueling. Yuzu sweatdropped and sighed from seeing her dad's enthusiasm.

"Eh, don't be too hard on him, Yuzu." Yuya shrugged his shoulders before he raised a fist. "Still, I've been wanting to see Rin duel again for some time."

"Same here." Sora replied before he looked at Rin with an intrigued expression, "Come to think of it, I've never actually seen Rin duel before. Is she any good?" Yuya smiled in response, "I think it might be better if you watch for yourself."

"I am also interested in seeing Rin's dueling skills." stated Gongenzaka as he had his arms crossed together.

Meanwhile, back in the LDS control room, Reiji was sitting in his section and observing the duel as it was about to begin with Reira standing next to him. He was watching the screen before he heard someone, "Why did you call me here?" Reiji turned to see Shun walking into the room with a cold expression on his face, "I don't particularly like being interrupted by trivial manners."

"I assure you that this is no trivial manner." said Reiji in a calm tone before he gestured toward the screen. "I thought you'd be interested in this next match. Or more specifically, the person that is participating."

Shun narrowed his eyes before he looked up at the giant screen and his eyes widened in shock by what he was seeing. He was seeing a girl with green hair but had the same face as his sister. At first, he thought it was Yuzu but upon closer inspection, she is a different person. He then narrowed his eyes in confusion, "...Who is she?"

Reiji looked at the screen, "Her name is Rin. She is participating in this event with Yuya and Yuzu." Reiji narrowed his eyes, "I am interested in her abilities as well as her origin."

Shun turned to Reiji, "What do you mean?" Reiji turned his head around to look at him, "I am aware of the fact that she shares the same face as your sister. But more so the fact that I suspect she originated from the Synchro Dimension."

Shun was shocked for a moment before he pondered the suspicion and narrowed his eyes, "Synchro Dimension…" He doesn't have a good opinion about the Synchro Dimension especially with that encounter with the Pawn of Fusion. This made him more doubtful about this girl.

Reiji noticed the doubt in Shun's expression but ignored it as he turned around again to look at the screen, "Regardless, I have a feeling this duel will give me some answers regarding her." He paused for a moment before adding, "And whether or not she'll be of use to us." Shun furrowed his eyebrows a little more as he didn't say anything.

Nico held up his hand in excitement, "Now, why don't we begin with…!"

"Hold on!" interrupted Ashley as he held up a hand which confused Nico upon being interrupted. Ashley frowned as he was looking at Rin, "Before we start, I have a question for this young maiden in front of me." Rin frowned and narrowed her eyes at being called a "young maiden."

Nico had a confused expression on his face as he looked at Ashley, "Eh, a question? Can't it wait after the match is over, Ashley?" The audience seemed to share the same confusion as most of them didn't know what Ashley wanted to say.

"It cannot because this involves her as well." replied Ashley before he held out a hand towards Rin, "Young maiden, are you aware of the people you surround yourself with?" Rin narrowed his eyes even more in confusion, "...I'm not sure what you mean."

Ashley scoffed in response, "I was afraid of that. Then, another question may I ask?" His expression turned hateful for some reason as he pointed in Rin's direction, "Are you aware of the disgrace that your school, You Show, inhabits?"

While they didn't know what he was talking about, Yuya, Yuzu, Ruri and the kids appeared to be not too pleased by whatever Ashley's implying. A tick mark appeared on Rin's forehead as she kept a straight face, "What are you talking about?" She said that in a low tone as she didn't like this guy's attitude. Also, Mikleo narrowed his eyes as he had a feeling what Ashley was referring to.

Ashley sighed in response for some reason, "It cannot be helped. Therefore, I shall take pity on you, fair maiden, and try to end this as quickly as possible!" He brought out his duel disk before he activated it on his arm.

Rin's tick mark grew bigger as she gritted her teeth and was fighting the urge to punch this guy in the face. It sounded like this guy was taking pity on her and easily believing he can beat her. Well, she'll show him. With her spirit fired up, she activated her duel disk in response.

Nico looked uncomfortable as he looked at both Ashley and Rin before he smiled again, "Well then, let's start by choosing the Action Field for this stage!" He held up his hand as the sphere of glowing cards appeared in the sky. "Now, the Field for this match is…" The cards scattered before it revealed a Field Magic that had an image of a metal skyscraper tower. "This! Action Field on! Field Magic: Sky Tower, activate!" The field materializes where Rin and Ashley were on top of a roof of a metal skyscraper tower; so tall in fact, that they were surrounded by clouds around the metal arena.

As the crowd cheered in excitement, Rin and Ashley both had their duel disk activated, staring at each other as they were ready to begin before they shouted out.

[DUEL!]

RIN LP: 8000
ASHLEY LP: 8000

"I'll go first! Draw!" Rin called out as she drew her card before she took a look at her entire hand for a moment. She saw two specific cards and smiled at them, "Alright, time show off your training, Yuya!" She has been wanting to try these out for a while.

Rin held up the two cards from her hand, "I set the Pendulum Scale using the Scale 1 Wind Witch - Spring Bell and Scale 7 Wind Witch - Autumn Bell!" Rin placed the cards in before two pillars of light appeared along with two monsters. In the leftmost first pillar, there was a female witch with coral pink hair and blue eyes while, instead of a jumpsuit, wearing a sunlight yellow dress with a mosaic blue flounce, collars, and bowtie. While she was riding a broom made of ice with a gold and scarlet bell on the end of it, she also had a wand made of ice in her right hand and wore a sunlight yellow witch hat. In the rightmost second pillar, there was another female witch except this one had caramel brown hair, red eyes, and a burgundy colored witch hat. She was wearing a maple jumpsuit dress while riding an ice broom with a lime green bell attached to the end.

As the audience were in awe from seeing this, Rin threw out her arm, "With this, I am able to summon monsters with Levels 2 and 8 simultaneously!" A portal opened up as Rin chanted, "Witches connected to the essence of life! Through the eye of the storm, a path drawn by the Pendulum manifests into the Earth itself! Pendulum Summon!" Rin held out her hand, "Appear, my monsters!" Two lights appeared from the portal and morphed into monsters, "From my hand, Wind Witch - Glass Bell (ATK: 1500, DEF: 1500, LV: 4) and Wind Witch - Rain Bell (ATK: 1100, DEF: 1100, LV: 3)!" Glass Bell appeared next to Rin alongside another witch who had purple hair with green highlights. She was wearing a deep blue hat, light green suit and riding an ice broom with a blue bell attached to the end.

The audience were in awe again as Nico looked excited and shouted into the mike, "Rin has opened up with a surprising Pendulum Summon!" He knew of Yuya, Yuzu, and Gongenzaka but to see Rin do it as well was a pleasant surprise.

In the LDS control room, while the employees looked over the data of the summoning, Nakajima looked surprised by this as he held a tablet in his hands, "She also possesses Pendulum Monsters?" Shun narrowed his eyes while Reira just watched in silence.

Reiji smiled a little, "Oh? This is unexpected but can work in our favor." He then narrowed his eyes to watch the match closely, "Now, let's see how someone from the Synchro Dimension utilizes Pendulum." This could be another chance to gather more valuable data, including an opportunity on how strong the residents of the Synchro Dimension are.

Meanwhile, the audience were cheering for this as some people looked surprised, "She also has them?" "Man, the You Show Duel School is amazing!" "Does every student of You Show get Pendulum cards?" "I want Pendulum cards too!" The cheers were getting louder as they were getting more accepting of Pendulum Monsters than ever before.

The kids were happy to see Rin finally Pendulum Summon as Tatsuya raised a fist in excitement, "Big Sis Rin finally did it!" Ayu smiled happily, "A new Pendulum Summon!" Futoshi danced a little in his seat, "I'm getting the shivers!"

Shuzo shouted into the air while raising a fist in excitement as well, "That's it, Rin! Show them more of You Show's Pendulum Summon! I'm so proud!" He started crying dramatically a bit after saying the last part. Ruri sweatdropped but smiled a little in happiness. Ever since Shuzo took both her and Rin, he almost treats them as though they were his own daughters similar to Yuzu which she thinks is sweet and very generous but she doesn't know how Rin feels about it. Personally, besides having Shun as a brother, they never really had a father before so to have Shuzo take care of them like family felt different but nice all the same.

Yuya smirked as he raised his own fist, "Good job, Rin!" Yuzu smiled as she held her hands to her mouth, "Keep it up!" Sora raised an eyebrow at their excitement before he simply licked his lollipop and watched the match, not saying anything right now.

"Pendulum Cards, huh?" said Ashley with a distasteful expression. "Did you acquire them through special privileges or something immoral? If that is the case, then there is less honor in you than I thought, young maiden."

Rin frowned a bit before she pointed at Ashley, "I don't know what you're implying but you should be more concerned about yourself. I activate Rain Bell's monster effect! When this card is Special Summoned, it deals 500 damage to my opponent!" Rain Bell twirled her ice wand around before launching a water blast that hit Ashley and took him aback for a second.

ASHLEY LP: 8000→7500

"Now, Glass Bell's effect activates!" said Rin as she looked at her deck. "When she is Special Summoned, I can add a "Wind Witch" monster from my Deck to my hand." She added a monster to her hand thanks to the effect.

Rin held out her hand, "I tune my Level 4 Glass Bell with my Level 3 Rain Bell (4 + 3 = 7)!" Glass Bell flew into the air and chimed her broom bell before turning into four green energy rings in which Rain Bell flew into them. She turned into three stars as they gathered inside the force of the rings.

"Winds of winter, snow, and ice!" Rin chanted. "Become a power to blow everything away! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 7! Wind Witch - Winter Bell (ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000, LV: 7)!" Winter Bell appeared on Rin's side of the field.

"Oh!" exclaimed Nico. "Rin has executed a Synchro Summon on her first turn!"

Yaiba and Hokuto were surprised by this as Hokuto commented, "She just Synchro Summoned…" Yaiba narrowed his eyes as he wasn't aware of You Show having another Synchro user but is now curious of how good of a one Rin is.

Gongenzaka smiled as he had his arms crossed, "Oh! I wasn't aware that Rin could Synchro Summon as well. I want to see how well she uses it."

"Huh." commented Sora with a intrigued smile while licking his lollipop. "This could be more interesting than I thought."

Ashley smirked as he looked at Rin, "A Synchro Summon? Well, you may reside in that disgraceful school of yours but your skills are impressive, young maiden." He may have unestimated her just a little bit especially since she Synchro Summoned on the first turn.

Rin ignored what he said and smiled at him, "I activate Winter Bell's monster effect! Once per turn, I select one "Wind Witch" monster in my Graveyard and it inflicts damage to my opponent equal to its Level times 200!" A silhouette of Glass Bell appeared above Winter Bell as she continued, "Glass Bell's Level is 4 so you take 800 damage!" The silhouette disappeared as Winter Bell twirled around and unleashed a blizzard storm at Ashley, making him grit his teeth and pushed back an inch.

ASHLEY LP: 7500→6700

"I end my turn." said Rin.

Nico looked over at the field with an excited smile, "Even though it is her first turn, Rin managed to strike first by inflicting damage without attacking! Ashley better be careful!"

"Then, it's my turn!" announced Ashley as he drew a card, "I draw!" However, for some reason, a fair amount of people started cheering Ashley's name over and over like they want him to win.

Rin looked around the crowd in confusion, "What is going on?" She wasn't expecting to be cheered on much other than her friends but most of these people really are on Ashley's side which confuses her. Yuya and the others wondered the same thing as they noticed a lot of people cheering for him as well. Is he really well liked or something?

"I see the confusion written on your face, young maiden." Rin turned to Ashley who had a satisfied smile on his face as he held up his hand toward the crowd, "It is quite simple. The hearts of the people believe in justice and righteousness such as myself. It is in that justice that I should take pity on you and end this as quickly as possible for you being associated with the Hell Emperor." He bowed a bit before he held out his duel disk, ready to continue with his turn.

Rin narrowed her eyes in confusion, "Hell Emperor?" She had no idea who or what Ashley was talking about and she wondered why it sounded similar to Mikleo's own title, the Chrono Emperor.

"Now, it is time to begin the path of righteousness!" said Ashley before he held out a card. "When you have monsters on your field and I don't, I can Special Summon Gaia Lord the Dark Knight (ATK: 2300, DEF: 2100, LV: 7) from my hand!" A crimson armored knight carrying two oversized spears in its hands appeared on Ashley's field while riding a brown dragon that wore red armor as well.

"Next, I Normal Summon Galloping Gaia the Dark Knight (ATK: 2300, DEF: 2100, LV: 7)!" A knight similar to Gaia Lord appeared on Ashley's side of the field except it had blue armor and was riding a purple horse instead that had a yellow mane. Ashley looked at his monster, "Through its effect, Galloping Gaia can be Normal Summoned without Tributing but its original ATK becomes 1900."

Galloping Gaia the Dark Knight (ATK: 2300→1900)

Ashley then held up another card and showed it, "When I control a Light-attribute monster, I can Special Summon, the Tuner Monster, Chaos Apprentice Knight (ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 1) from my hand!" Since Galloping Gaia is a Light Monster, Ashley brought out a young, small knight that had blue armor while wielding a small sword and shield.

He held out his hand, "My Level 1 Chaos Apprentice Knight tunes my Level 7 Galloping Gaia (1 + 7 = 8)!" Apprentice Knight flew into the air and turned into a single green energy ring, surrounding Galloping Gaia as the knight turned into seven stars that soon gathered in the forces of the ring.

"When the light of the heavens reaches the chaos, a new door opens on the path of victory! Synchro Summon! Appear! Heavenly Soldier - Chaos Soldier (ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500, LV: 8)!" A tall, white armored male soldier appeared on the field with shield and sword in hand. There were red outlines on the armor while the helmet covered most of the head except for the face and a yellow ponytail sticking out from the back.

Nico held up his mike as he announced, "Ashley has opened up with a Synchro Summon of his own! Will it be enough to counter Rin's Synchro Monster?!"

"Chaos Apprentice Knight's effect activates!" announced Ashley. "When this card is sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Monster, I add a Level 8 Light or Dark monster or 1 "Gaia the Dark Knight" monster to my hand." Ashley added a monster to his hand from his deck.

Ashley held out his hand, "Battle! Heavenly Soldier, attack her Winter Bell!" Heavenly unsheathed his sword before charging forward and jumping straight towards Winter Bell with his sword out.

"I won't let you take me out that easily!" said Rin before she held out her hand. "I activate Autumn Bell's Pendulum Effect! Once per turn, when a "Wind Witch" monster I control is attacked, it negates your attack and inflicts 500 damage to you! Seasonal Shift!" Autumn Bell rang the bell on her broom by hitting it with her wand before autumn leaves appeared out of nowhere and blinded Heavenly Soldier. Heavenly was forced to retreat as the leaves swirled around Ashley and was then pelted by them.

ASHLEY LP: 6700→6200

Ashley grunted a little before he replied, "You may have dodged that attack but Heavenly Soldier can attack twice each Battle Phase! Heavenly Soldier, attack Winter Bell once more!" Heavenly lunged with his sword and cut through Winter Bell, destroying it as Rin frowned and was pushed back an inch.

RIN LP: 8000→7400

She then held out her hand, "I activate Spring Bell's Pendulum Effect! Each time a "Wind Witch" monster is destroyed, it inflicts 500 damage to my opponent!" The sun shined on Spring Bell as she ranged the bell on her broom as well, making spring flowers grow around Ashley before a beam of light struck him from the sky.

ASHLEY LP: 6200→5700

Ashley frowned as he brushed some dust off his armor. He then smirked at Rin, "Impressive that you're able to be this resourceful in damaging me without attacking." He then held out his hand, "But it won't matter in the end as justice always wins! Gaia Lord attacks you directly!" The dragon flew above Rin as the knight hit the ground in front of her with its spears, causing a fissure that erupted and hit Rin as she winced in minor pain.

RIN LP: 7400→5100

Ashley looked at Rin with a satisfied smile, "While I would love to settle this quickly so that you don't lose more honor, I'll settle for now by setting a card." He placed a face-down before he remarked, "I end my turn."

While still questioning what honor he was talking, Rin brushed it off as she drew, "Then, it's my turn! I draw!" After she drew, she picked up another card from her hand, "When I don't have any monsters on my field, I can Special Summon Wind Witch - Ice Bell (ATK: 1000, DEF: 1000, LV: 3) from my hand!" Ice Bell appeared on the field in front of Rin.

"When summoned this way, I can also Special Summon a "Wind Witch" monster from my Deck!" said Rin as she took a card out from her deck. "So, I summon the Tuner monster, Wind Witch - Draft Bell (ATK: 1200, DEF: 900, LV: 3, PS: 6)!" A light blue, humanoid monster that had a small body but had a bell attached at the bottom with a thin green dress, replacing the lower body instead of using legs.

Rin looked at Ashley, "Since Ice Bell was successfully summoned, it deals 500 damage to my opponent!" Ice Bell chimed her broom bell before it unleashed an icy wind onto Ashley, making him shiver for a second.

ASHLEY LP: 5700→5200

Rin held out her hand towards her monsters, "I tune my Level 3 Draft Bell with my Level 3 Ice Bell (3 + 3 = 6)!" Draft Bell shook the bell on its lower body before turning into three green energy rings that surrounded Ice Bell as she flew in the air. She turned into three stars as they gathered inside the force of the rings.

"As the magic descends into the skies, the air pressure becomes higher and takes form!" Rin chanted. "Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 6! Wind Witch - Baromet Bell (ATK: 2100, DEF: 1900, LV: 6)!" Rin summoned a sky blue humanoid bell that had arms and red eyes but no legs. It had green lines running around the lower body. It also had a long tail attached at the bottom with a measurement gauge machine inserted at the very end of it.

Yaiba suddenly smirked as he looked at Rin, "Heh, interesting. She's actually not bad." So far, he is impressed with how much she has mastered Synchro Summoning. Now, maybe someday he'll want a match with her soon enough.

"I activate Baromet Bell's monster effect!" declared Rin as she pointed at Ashley's monster. "Once per turn, I can target a face-up card on the field and negate its effects until the end of this turn! Also, it deals 500 more damage to my opponent! Pressure Bind!" Baromet aimed its left arm at Heavenly Soldier, while the meter on its tail increased in pressure, before launching a wind blast from its hand towards Heavenly, stunning the soldier and negating its effects. The wind blast also connected against Ashley, launching him in the air for a moment before he regained his balance and landed back on his feet with a frown on his face.

ASHLEY LP: 5200→4700

Ruri smiled as she had her hands clasped together, "She's managed to deplete almost half his life even with not attacking much." Sora didn't comment on that but he felt slightly impressed from what he was seeing.

"Battle! Baromet Bell, attack Heavenly Soldier!" Rin called out as Baromet Bell floated in Heavenly Soldier's direction.

Ashley was taken aback for a second before he smiled in both nervousness and confidence, "Huh? What are you thinking? Heavenly Soldier has more ATK!" Heavenly Soldier has 3000 ATK while Baromet Bell only has 2100. Heavenly unsheathed his sword before intercepting Baromet Bell as the soldier thrusted his sword with Baromet blocking it with one of its hands.

Rin smiled in response before she pointed out, "When Baromet Bell attacks a monster that was Special Summoned, that monster's ATK is halved until the end of the Damage Step! Ascent Freeze!" As it was blocking the sword with one hand, Baromet aimed its other hand at Heavenly before unleashing an icy blizzard from it, pushing Heavenly back a bit and knocking the soldier off balance as he shivered a little.

Heavenly Soldier - Chaos Soldier (ATK: 3000→1500)

Heavenly was then taken aback as the soldier was punched in the stomach by Baromet before it flew in the air and was destroyed. Ashley was pushed back again before he shielded himself with his arm and was forced to kneel down on one knee.

ASHLEY LP: 4700→4100

After moving his arm away, Ashley looked at Rin, "At this moment, I activate Heavenly Soldier's effect! When this knight is destroyed, I can add a "Chaos Soldier" monster from my Deck to my hand!" He added Sacred Soldier - Chaos Soldier to his hand as a result.

Rin held up her hand into the air, "Now, with the current Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon!" One light appeared from the portal and morphed into a monster, "Appear, Wind Witch - Draft Bell (DEF: 900)!" Draft Bell appeared back on the field from the Extra Deck.

"I set two cards on my field and end my turn." said Rin as she placed two face-downs on her field.

Ashley stood back up and looked at Rin for a second before he frowned, "To see you trying so hard is almost sad when you are oblivious about who you are siding with. Especially when it's on the wrong side of justice!" He feels that he should say something to try and get this young maiden to listen to reason.

Rin frowned in confusion, "What are you talking about?" She still had no clue what this guy was talking about with this "justice."

Ashley scoffed at her, "For you to understand this…" He then pointed in Rin's direction but it didn't appeared to be directly at her, "I'm speaking of the heinous criminal that your school, You Show Duel School, harbors!" When she heard this, Rin was shocked and confused by this as she didn't know what he was talking about.

Mikleo narrowed his eyes when he heard that and closed his eyes, "Well, here it comes." He had a feeling it would get brought up sooner or later ever since yesterday. Ever since that article came out, he had been preparing for someone doing a background check on him.

As most of the audience and Nico were confused by what Ashley was saying, he looked around the entire audience, "In this case, allow me to elaborate for the sake of everyone watching us. Some of you all might be aware of an article that was leaked concerning a certain individual. And that person..." He pointed again behind Rin which made her turn around to see who he was pointing at, "...would be Mikleo Sakaki! Also known as the Chrono Emperor!" In the direction he was pointing at, Mikleo was sitting on the sidelines with his arms crossed.

At first, the audience was in silence as some of the people nearby Mikleo looked to his direction in confusion. As Nico was surprised by this, a lot of the audience were talking amongst each other, "What is he talking about?" "Is he referring to what was posted yesterday?" "Wait, so it is actually true?!" "That guy is really the Chrono Emperor?!" "Is it actually real?" "Wow! That's so cool!" Some of them were anxious and confused while others were just surprised as they whispered among another. Surprisingly, there were a few people that looked amazed to be seeing Mikleo, though he didn't notice nor pay much attention to them.

The kids were taken aback by this as Futoshi turned to Mikleo, "How does this guy know who you are?" Tatsuya looked around the arena as he listened in to other people talking, "I don't think it's just him." As everyone else was confused, aside from Mikleo who said nothing, they looked around and noticed that everyone was talking about Mikleo and having an idea as to who he is.

Yuya turned to Mikleo in concern, "Mikleo?" Although he questioned how this information got out, he was more concerned about his brother, who wasn't saying anything in response still. Yuzu, Ruri, and Gongenzaka frowned as they didn't know how this happened. Yoko was a little surprised but frowned in deep thought while Shuzo was perplexed and didn't know what to think.

Rin was taken aback and confused by this as she lowered her eyes, "Why is he bringing up Mikleo's past?" She also wondered how a lot of people knew about this. From what she's hearing, it sounded like some article showed information about Mikleo for some reason.

Ashley held out his arms as he addressed the crowd again, "As I'm sure you all are aware more or less, there was a big scandal around two years ago that shocked the dueling world." There was silence for a moment before some people in the crowd exhaled in shock as Ashley continued, "Yes, I speak of the disgraceful Underground Circuit!" A lot of people looked surprised as this was being brought up.

Yoko and Shuzo were surprised by this as Shuzo's expression then turned grave while the others were confused by what he was saying. Gongenzaka narrowed his eyes, "Underground Circuit? What is he talking about?"

At first, no one answered before Shuzo spoke up which made everyone turn to him, "The Underground Circuit…" He hesitated for a moment before his expression turned grave, "You could call part of the dark side of dueling as that knight fellow pointed out. It was an illegal tournament sponsored by various crime syndicates. A large number of duelists were either forced or volunteered to participate while the event gave up large amounts of money to whoever kept winning in these matches." Yuya, Yuzu, Ruri and Gongenzaka were taken aback as they had never heard of matches taking place in grim circumstances such as this.

Sora, who was the least affected by this aside from Mikleo, turned to Shuzo with an interested expression, "Oh? And what exactly made them illegal apart from being hosted by criminals?"

Shuzo lowered his eyes while looking more hesitantly, "Well, that's…" He doesn't know if he should bring this part up or not especially because of the kids. Yoko then spoke up, "Shuzo." He turned to her as she had a serious expression on her face, "They're going to find out eventually." He was still hesitant before relenting as he nodded.

Yoko turned to the others with a frown on her face, "These Underground duels were conducted in Real Solid Vision systems much like regular arenas. However, unlike normal duels, the Real Solid Vision system there was set to maximum capacity with the safety protocols turned off. As a result, many duels that occurred there often resulted in varying degrees of injuries whether you won or lost. In other cases...some people have even died in these duels." As soon as Yoko was finished, everyone was stunned by her revelation. Yuzu, Ruri, and the kids looked disturbed from hearing this while Gongenzaka and Yuya gritted their teeth. Mikleo still had his eyes closed and arms crossed as he wasn't saying or showing any reaction in response.

Sora, again looking the least affected, turned to Shuzo as he asked, "So, what happened to this event?"

"Eventually, the authorities caught wind of it and proceeded to shut down the event. They also arrested a lot of organizers and participants." said Shuzo before he looked toward Ashley in confusion. "But, why is that guy bringing this up?" He pondered it for a second before he turned to Mikleo in shock, "Could it be…?!" Yuya's eyes widened in shock as he had the same suspicions Shuzo had, almost looking at his brother in disbelief.

"Among the participants in this abysmal event, there was one person who actually won the whole tournament. The one called the Hell Emperor, known for his ruthlessness and pro skills displayed!" said Ashley before he pointed straight at Mikleo, who remained unresponsive. "And he is the same person who is the Chrono Emperor! The other identity of Mikleo Sakaki!" Collective gasps were heard around the arena as some of them looked towards Mikleo in shock.

The kids gasped in shock when they heard that before they turned to Mikleo in disbelief. Yuya was still looking at his brother in disbelief, trying to understand if what Ashley's saying is the truth, while Yuzu, Ruri and Gongenzaka were looking at Mikleo with the same expression on each of their faces. Once again, Mikleo was unresponsive as he had his eyes closed and arms crossed together.

Tatsuya was at a loss for words as he looked shocked, "It can't be...Big Bro Mikleo, you were a part of this tournament?" Ayu frowned as she couldn't believe it either, "That can't be true! You aren't someone who would hurt others like that!" Futoshi looked nervous and confused as he shivered a little in his seat.

Sora looked at Mikleo with a curious expression, "But that Ankokuji guy did call him "Emperor" before, right?" He pointed out that time they met Ankokuji the day before Gongenzaka's match where he somehow knew Mikleo's title. "He and that knight seemed to know who he was." If Ashley was the only one saying this stuff, it'd be easy to think that he was lying but since Ankokuji and the majority of the audience seemed to recognize Mikleo for unknown reasons, maybe he is telling the truth.

Shuzo held a hand to his chin while looking down with a pondering expression, "The Hell Emperor...It does sound similar to Mikleo's own title. Come to think of it, I have heard that the person with that title was rumored to be 16 years old but I brushed it off as ridiculous. Could that mean…?" Shuzo looked at Mikleo questionably as he seemed to ponder if it coincides with Mikleo's history.

"Then…" Yuzu frowned as she looked at Mikleo with a doubtful expression, "Is...what he's saying true?" Gongenzaka and Ruri didn't know what to make of this as they stayed silent but looked surprised as all of the others. Yuya frowned as he stared at his brother, not sure what to say especially since he still hasn't said anything.

As Rin was shocked and confused while looking at Mikleo, she still doesn't quite understand the circumstances surrounding Mikleo since she couldn't hear what they were saying but it sounded like it was a very touchy subject for the public. While she wonders if it is really bad, she looked at Mikleo who kept a straight face for the longest time, trying to understand if it really is as bad as it sounds like.

However, she then heard Ashley speak behind her, "It seems I was correct in assuming you did not know about this information, young maiden." As she turned back to him with narrowed eyes, Ashley smirked at her, "That man you call your friend is nothing but a disgrace as a duelist! For showing up in this event where only the noblest of duelists participate, it brings shame upon your school!" He held out a hand to her, "But since you were not aware of this, I offer you the one chance to show some shame or humility. If you do not approve of this, you should walk away from this duel to show that you have the honor of a young maiden. Would you kindly?" He said all of this in a sly manner as he refused to acknowledge someone associated with that disgrace of a duelist. If she were to give up now, it would help bring more honor to this event.

Rin looked down at the ground as she was processing what the knight was "offering" to her before looking back in the stands toward her friends. She stared at Mikleo, who looked at her neutrally, and was thinking about what to do before, after a moment later, she made her decision.

"I may not fully understand what happened…" Rin turned back to Ashley before revealing that she had a look of resolve on her face. "But I will believe in Mikleo! I refuse to surrender because of your peer pressure!" She pointed at Ashley as she said the last part while glaring at him.

Ashley was taken aback by this and looked at her shocked for a moment before he nervously smiled, "Come now, young maiden. Do not be so foolish as to fall for that criminal's lies…!"

"You say he's a criminal but that's your point of view." Rin interrupted while narrowing her eyes at him. She then pointed at Ashley, "Whether or not these Underground duels were wrong, I know Mikleo is a good person. If it is bad, I want to hear it from his point of view, not from a ridiculous guy like you."

"R-Ridiculous?!" exclaimed Ashley.

She narrowed her eyes even more at him, "And would you quit it with this "maiden" nonsense! You might be trying to be polite but all I see is someone who is ignorant!" Yuya, Ruri, Yuzu, Gongenzaka and the others were a little surprised how Rin stood up for Mikleo before feeling the same way and smiled in approval. Mikleo smiled in amusement as he watched Rin burn that wannabe knight as he put it.

Ashley was shocked for a moment as he wasn't expecting such audacity from this girl before he looked up at her with gritted teeth, "It seems that I was mistaken once more. I thought you were an innocent and naive maiden but now it seems that you support that disgrace of a duelist. To see someone fallen from such grace..." He placed his fingers on his deck, "Then, on my honor as Knight of Duels, I shall vanquish you right now for siding on the wrong side of justice! Draw!" He then drew his card and began his turn.

After he drew, several amounts of people were cheering Ashley while booing both Rin and Mikleo. A lot of people were saying, "Don't lose, Ashley!" "Take her down!" "Get out of the tournament, You Show!" However, there were also some people cheering for both Rin and Mikleo, "I believe in you, Chrono Emperor!" "I never stopped being your fan, Mikleo!" "Rin-san, take down that slandering knight!" "No matter what, you're a legend!" Then, it seems a lot of people were arguing amongst each other on whether or not they should support Mikleo as collective boos and cheers were heard around the entire arena.

As most of You Show were overwhelmed by both the cheering and booing, Mikleo couldn't help raising an eyebrow in amusement. From what he is hearing, at least half the crowd hates him and the other half is cheering for him. Honestly, he did not expect to get that much support from other people. He expected to get booed because of his former status in the Underground Circuit. In most cases, it was common knowledge that most duelists who participated in that event were banned from regular tournaments because a lot of participants either injured, or even killed, a substantial amount of people; except he was one of the exceptions. He imagined that, since Ashley probably found out about it due to the leak, he was trying to corner Rin psychologically by revealing part of his past in order to make her surrender which didn't obviously work. On the other hand, he remembers how much people liked and cheered for him when he was wearing the mask as the Chrono Emperor. Being a top duel champion inspired a lot of young duelists and kids, even adults to some degree. He wasn't expecting this much cheering but he wasn't complaining.

"It looks like most of the hearts of the people are with me." Ashley said with a pleased expression though he also looked a little annoyed, probably because not everyone agreed with him. "Now then, it is time for you to suffer the consequences for siding with the wrong people, fallen maiden!" As Rin narrowed her eyes in response, Ashley held up a card, "I activate the Magic Card: Trade-In. By discarding a Level 8 monster in my hand, I draw two cards." He sent Sacred Soldier - Chaos Soldier to the Graveyard before he drew two cards from his deck.

"Next, by banishing the Light monster, Galloping Gaia, and the Dark monster, Chaos Apprentice Knight, from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Chaos Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning (ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500, LV: 8) from my hand!" A blue armored soldier with gold outlined on the armor and shield appeared on the field while also carrying a sword in its other hand.

Yuya was standing up and out of his seat before looking at Mikleo with a frown, "Mikleo…is what he was saying true?" Mikleo remained unresponsive with his eyes closed. The others looked on in anticipation, confusion and concern for both Yuya and Mikleo. After a few seconds, Yuya got a little irritated as he stepped closer to his brother, "Say something!" He really wanted to know if his brother was involved in something like that and the fact he's not saying anything is telling him that maybe he is. If it is, he wants to hear the truth from him.

Mikleo still remained unresponsive but opened his eyes to look at his brother. Yuya looked at his brother's expression for a moment before he sighed, "...Whatever happens, you're still my brother." Yuya smiled a little encouragely, "You've always supported us when it comes to You Show or anything for that matter." Mikleo smiled a little from hearing his brother saying that.

"Background doesn't always matter." Mikleo and Yuya turned to see Gongenzaka with a firm expression on his face. He then smiled as he held out a fist, "You already revealed to us your history as the Chrono Emperor and I've accepted it. I, the man Gongenzaka, will reserve judgment until I hear your side of the story!"

Yuzu turned to Mikleo with resolve written on her face, "That's right. You were kind enough to teach me Ritual Summoning. For as long as I've known you, I believe in you." Ruri had the same look Yuzu had as she nodded in agreement.

"Go, Big Sis Rin!" The trio of Tatsuya, Ayu and Futoshi shouted enthusiastically at her. It appears that they agreed with everyone else as they started cheering for Rin again. Shuzo and Yoko smiled from seeing everyone's faith in him.

Mikleo kept his gaze on everyone for a moment before turning back to the duel with a neutral expression, "...I'll tell you everything after this duel." That was all he was willing to say which was fine with everyone as they'll hear his side after Rin's duel is over.

Ashley held out his hand toward his monster, "Envoy of the Beginning's effect! Once per turn, I can activate one of its two effects. Of course, I select the first one where I target a monster my opponent controls and banish it!" Envoy pointed his blade before slashing with it and launched a dark wave of energy that engulfed Draft Bell entirely, making it leave the field. Rin frowned as it is a weakness for Pendulum Monsters; when they are destroyed on the field, they go to the Extra Deck but it is different when it is banished.

"Now, it is time to begin the comeback of victory!" Ashley declared before revealing a card in his hand. "I activate the Ritual Magic: Super Soldier Ritual! This allows me to Ritual Summon any "Chaos Soldier" monster from my hand by tributing monsters in my hand or Field whose total Levels equal exactly 8!" He held up two monsters in his hand, "I release the Level 7 Awakened Gaia the Dark Knight and the Level 1 Super Soldier Soul in my hand!" Another armored soldier carrying a spear in his hand while riding a purple horse appeared on the field except the fact that this one wore dark armor than the other knights. The second monster that appeared was an empty blue armor frame that gold outlined on the design along with wings designed on the back of it. After they appeared, a large magic circle appeared on Ashley's field and surrounded the two monsters before a large blue flame erupted from the circle and consumed them both.

"Almighty knight that has obtained the power of chaos!" Ashley chanted. "Heed my prayer and ascend to this world for righteousness! Ritual Summon! Appear, Level 8! Super Soldier - Chaos Soldier (ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500, LV: 8)!" Appearing from the flames, an intimidating warrior clad in purple armor with cerulean blue metal, outlined on both the armor and the large shield it was carrying, landed on the field. There were two red gems embedded on the shield as well as around the entire armor. The soldier carried a large sword that was shaped like a spear but was also a double edged blade.

"Oh!" Nico exclaimed with an excited smile on his face. "Ashley has executed a splendid Ritual Summon! This could be the beginning of his counterattack!" There was still both cheering and booing from a lot of sides of the audience, each showing different support for Ashley or Mikleo and Rin.

"Rest assured, fair audience, for this is only the beginning!" announced Ashley before he looked at Rin. "I activate the effect of Awakened Gaia! Since this card was Tributed, I can Special Summon a "Chaos Soldier" monster from my hand or Graveyard! The monster I select is the one I previously discarded, Sacred Soldier - Chaos Soldier (ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500, LV: 8)!" A soldier clad in white and gold armor, similar to that of Super Soldier, appeared from a portal in the ground.

"Sacred Soldier's effect activates!" Ashley declared. "When this card is Special Summoned, I can target one of my banished Light or Dark monsters and one card you control! The first target returns to the Graveyard while the other is banished!" He pointed at one of Rin's Pendulum Zones, "I choose to return my Galloping Gaia to the Graveyard and banish your Autumn Bell!" After Galloping Gaia was returned to the Graveyard, Sacred Soldier swung his sword, unleashing a stream of energy that engulfed Autumn Bell and made it disappear from the field.

Tatsuya looked at the field in concern, "That guy has three monsters with 3000 ATK…" The odds weren't good as both Tatsuya and Futoshi were concerned for Rin right now. Ayu frowned in worry, "Is Big Sis Rin going to lose?" She said that in a trembling voice as she felt the same as the other two.

"It's ok, Ayu." Ayu turned to see Ruri with a comforting smile. "I don't believe Rin would lose that easily. We have to have faith in her." Ayu pondered what she said before she firmly nodded.

Ashley held out his hand towards Rin, "Battle! Super Soldier, vanquish her Baromet Bell!" Super Soldier pulled back with his sword for a second before lunging straight to Baromet Bell and cutting through the monster, destroying it which pushed into a pillar nearby. Rin felt a little pain as her back crashed into the pillar for a moment.

RIN LP: 5100→4200

Rin then immediately jumped away from the pillar and threw out her arm, "Since Baromet Bell was destroyed, Spring Bell's Pendulum Effect activates!" Spring flowers grew around Ashley again before a beam of light struck him from the sky, making him wince a bit from the blast.

ASHLEY LP: 4100→3600

Ashley stood straight up and scoffed at Rin, "It matters not. Your downfall begins now, tainted maiden!" He held his hand up into the air, "Super Soldier's effect activates! When it destroys a monster in battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you take damage equal to that monster's original ATK!" Super Soldier pointed his sword up at the sky before slashing a wave of energy that hit Rin and pushed her back a few feet, almost close to the gate barricading the outline of the roof.

RIN LP: 4100→2000

Rin exhaled a small breath for a bit before she pressed a button, "I activate the Trap Card: Wind Witch - Healing! I banish a "Wind Witch" Synchro Monster in my Graveyard and gain LP equal to its ATK! Then, I also get to draw a card." Winter Bell was banished from Rin's Graveyard as snowflakes fell and surrounded her, bathing her in a warm light before she drew another card.

RIN LP: 2000→4400

"You may be more resilient than a cockroach." Ashley grumbled before he looked at his monster. "Sacred Soldier, attack her directly!" Sacred Soldier flew up into the air before he descended towards Rin with his sword reached out.

However, Rin then held up a card from her hand, "When my opponent attacks me directly, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand! Wind Witch - Chilly Bell (ATK: 1000, DEF: 1000, LV: 3)!" Rin summoned a dark blue, humanoid spheric bell that had little metal arms and two small angel wings attached to its back.

"When summoned this way, Chilly Bell forces the attacking monster into Defense Position! Then, you take 500 damage!" Rin declared as Sacred Soldier was just a few feet above her before Chilly Bell shook its entire body and produced a cold wind from it, pushing Sacred Soldier back up into the air and forcing it to retreat. Ashley raised his right arm to shield himself while Sacred knelt down on one knee.

Sacred Soldier - Chaos Soldier (ATK: 3000→DEF: 2500)
ASHLEY LP: 3600→3100

Rin then held out her hand, "I activate Chilly Bell's effect! During either players' turn, I can target a monster on the field and change its Battle Position! Of course, I'm choosing the one that hasn't attacked yet, Gaia Lord!" Chilly Bell spun its entire body before a blizzard enveloped the arena and was slowly forcing Gaia Lord into a defensive stance.

Ashley smiled in a smug manner, "Don't think you can easily slow down my offenses. Counter Trap, Super Soldier Shield!" As he said the last part, he held out his arm before a trap revealed itself on his field. "When an effect activates that targets a monster while I control a "Chaos Soldier" monster, that card is negated and destroyed!" Super Soldier unleashed a bolt of lightning from his sword and destroyed Chilly Bell. Then, Spring Bell's effect activates again as Ashley is pelted with spring flowers though he doesn't look concerned.

ASHLEY LP: 3100→2600

Ashley shrugged it off as he smiled at Rin, "There's more where that came from! Gaia Lord, attack her directly!" Gaia Lord charged forward with his riding dragon before he stabbed the ground Rin was at and created a big explosion. Rin winced a little as she was flown backwards and landed into the railing that surrounded the roof.

RIN LP: 4400→2100

The kids screamed when they saw Rin in danger and were then worried for her. Tatsuya cried out, "Big Sis Rin!" Futoshi held his cheeks anxiously, "This is bad! She doesn't have any monsters left!" There is still one monster left on Ashley's field which made them all concerned.

"It's fine." The kids turned to see Sora licking his lollipop in a calm manner. "That guy can't attack anymore this turn." They were confused by this before they noticed the others looked worried as them but not as anxious as them, so they turned to see what the deal was.

"Regretfully, your defeat will be delayed a bit longer. Since Envoy of the Beginning activated its first effect, it cannot attack this turn." said Ashley before he smiled and placed a card in his duel disk. "I set a card and end my turn." He looked up back at Rin, "No matter what you do, your defeat is imminent. You will face the consequences for siding with that disgraceful Hell Emperor!" Massive cheers and boos were heard as the audience immediately reacted to Ashley both positively and negatively.

Rin brushed the dirt off her jacket before she fully stood back on her feet. She narrowed her eyes at him, "I'm not gonna apologize for believing in my friend. You seem so quick to judge him and the outcome of this duel that your so-called "justice" is nothing but a joke!" Ashley gritted his teeth as he felt mocked and insulted by that statement.

"This fight isn't just for me but for Mikleo's honor as well! I swear I will defeat you right then and here!" Rin declared before she drew her card. "I draw!"

Rin held out her hand, "I activate the effect of Wind Witch - Healing in my Graveyard! By banishing this card, I can Special Summon a banished "Wind Witch" monster to my field. Return, Winter Bell (ATK: 2400)!" Winter Bell was brought back to Rin's side as a result of the trap being banished.

Ashley clicked his tongue before he suddenly smiled, "It is useless to bring her out. I activate the effect of Gaia Lord!" He turned to his monster, "Once per turn, when a monster with higher ATK than this card is Special Summoned to my opponent's field, it gains 700 ATK until the end of the turn!" The dragon Gaia was riding on roared as a fiery aura surrounded the knight, granting it more power.

Gaia Lord the Dark Knight (ATK: 2300→3000)

Ashley then pressed a button and held out his hand, "Then, I activate the Continuous Trap: Super Soldier Shield! As long as I have a "Chaos Soldier" monster on my field, I take no damage!" A thin transparent barrier surrounded Ashley for a moment, with it being generated by Super Soldier and Sacred Soldier.

Ruri looked at the field with a frown on her face, "He's trying to prevent Rin from inflicting more effect damage to him rather than battle damage." It was a smart move as Rin could've possibly defeated him without attacking much anymore.

"Even so, she can turn this around." said Yuya as he had faith in Rin for her to be able to counter that strategy. Yuzu nodded in agreement as she felt the same.

"That's right!" Shuzo shouted while raising a fist in excitement and determination. "Don't despair, Rin! Give it all you got with your hot-blooded passion!"

Rin nodded and smiled from hearing his cheering, though still felt a little embarrassed. She looked down at her hand for a second before picking up a card, "I Normal Summon the Tuner monster, Wind Witch - Snow Bell (ATK: 100, DEF: 100, LV: 1)!" Snow Bell appeared on the field next to Winter Bell.

Rin held out her hand, "Now, I tune my Level 1 Snow Bell to my Level 7 Winter Bell (1 + 7 = 8)!" Snow Bell shook its lower body, which rang the bell and created a chime noise, before turning into a single green energy ring that surrounded Winter Bell as it flew in the air. Winter Bell turned into seven stars while gathering into the force of the ring.

"Magical being of the wind!" Rin chanted. "Gather in the eye of the storm and ride the electrical current! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 8! Wind Witch - Turbine Bell (ATK: 2700, DEF: 2500, LV: 8)!" Appearing from a tornado in the sky, a large gray, humanoid bell appeared on the field that had green eyes, dark blue wind patterns painted on its lower legs and spheric bell that was located where the middle body would be, and metal wings attached to its back along with turbine engines inside of them. On the lower body, its feet appeared to be shaped like skates while, on the upper body, the arms were just shaped like normal human ones. There was another engine that was attached to the witch's back and it was larger than the other two, shaped like a booster rocket instead of a normal engine.

"Oh?" remarked Reiji as he smiled a little while sitting in the control room. "Impressive that she is able to utilize Synchro Summon this much. As expected from someone from the Synchro Dimension." Shun didn't comment about that statement and just watched in silence.

"Turbine Bell's monster effect!" Rin declared as she looked at Ashley. "When this card is Synchro Summoned, all monsters that were Special Summoned on your field are destroyed! And for every one destroyed, it deals my opponent 500 points of direct damage!"

"What?!" Ashley cried out in alarm. "It destroys all of my Special Summoned monsters?!" As he was in shock, the engines in Turbine Bell's wings activated before they each generated a tornado that whirled around the arena. The two tornados then engulfed all of Ashley's monsters (Gaia Lord, Envoy, Super Soldier and Sacred Soldier) and destroyed them. Ashley yelled as he was pushed back and lifted off the ground before his back hit a pillar that was nearby. He then fell to the ground while feeling a little dazed.

ASHLEY LP: 2600→600

"This might decide it, everyone!" Nico announced. "If Rin attacks directly with her Turbine Bell, Ashley will take 2700 damage and lose this duel!" Cheers and boos were heard again amongst the crowd, though there were more cheers this time than before.

Ashley quickly got back up before he narrowed his eyes in resolve, "I shall not fall here!" He held out his hand, "Super Soldier's effect activates! When it is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a "Gaia the Dark Knight" monster from my hand, Deck or Graveyard! Take heed, Gaia Soldier the Dark Knight (ATK: 2600, DEF: 2100, LV: 8)!" Ashley summoned a dark blue armored knight that had a similar appearance to his other Gaia monsters, except the armor had crimson spikes built around the joint areas, a dark purple cape draped around the soldier's shoulders and it held a three-pronged spear instead of a sharp one.

"I activate Gaia Soldier's effect!" Ashley announced as he looked towards Rin with a sarcastic smile. "When this knight is Special Summoned, I switch one Attack Position monster you control into Defense Position!" Gaia Soldier swung his spear which caused a shockwave that forced Turbine Bell to hover down and change into a defensive maneuver.

Wind Witch - Turbine Bell (ATK: 2700→DEF: 2500)

Rin frowned in response before she took a quick look at the last card in her hand and placed it in her duel disk, "I set a card and then my turn is over." A set card appeared next to Rin's other one.

Nico held up his mike with an excited smile on his face, "Unbelievable! Ashley managed to stop Rin from inflicting more damage onto him but will it be enough? He is in a tight pinch!"

Ashley took a step forward and gritted his teeth while glaring at Rin with annoyance, "This has gone long enough! On my honor as a knight, you will fall right here and now!" He then drew his card with a lot of determination, "Draw!" Ashley's expression turned into a huge grin as he looked at the card he drew, "It seems the goddess of victory is shining upon me today. She has given me strength to deal your absolute punishment, tainted maiden!" Rin narrowed her eyes in response.

While still smiling, Ashley held out the card he drew, "From my hand, I activate the Magic Card: Spiral Fusion! It allows me to Fusion Summon a Dragon-type Fusion Monster using monsters in my hand or field as Material!" He then held up the other card in his hand, "I fuse Gaia Soldier with the Curse of Dragon in my hand!" A yellow dragon with spikes all around the middle body and claws on its head appeared next to Gaia Soldier before both floated in the air and were absorbed into the colorful vortex.

"Champion dragon knight, granted the power of magic, take flight upon the darkness! Fusion Summon! Appear! Gaia the Dragon Magical Knight (ATK: 2600, DEF: 2100, LV: 7)!" Ashley summoned a blue armored knight that appeared similar to other Gaia Knights while it holded a red spear with golden edges. The knight was riding a dragon that had red skin with yellow armor and claws covering most of its body.

"Ashley has pulled off a Fusion Summon!" Nico announced amidst some of the crowd cheering for the knight. "Things aren't looking well for Rin right now!"

"Spiral Fusion's effect activates!" Ashley announced. "When the monster summoned by this card is "Gaia the Dragon Knight", it gains 2600 ATK! Gaia the Dragon Magical Knight also counts as Gaia the Dragon Knight!" The dragon roared as a fiery aura surrounded both it and the knight as it gripped the spear more fiercely.

Gaia the Dragon Magical Knight (ATK: 2600→5200)

Ashley pointed at Rin, "I activate Gaia the Dragon Magical Knight's effect! Once per turn, I can make this card lose 2600 ATK in order to target and destroy a card on the field!"

"Too bad for you but Turbine Bell cannot be destroyed by my opponent's card effects since Snow Bell was used as Synchro Material." Rin clarified as she stated that her monster can't be destroyed by that effect.

Ashley didn't seem fazed in the slightest, "In that case, I'll choose one of your other cards! I select your face-down on the left!" He pointed at the second set card Rin had when he said that part. Gaia gathered magical energy in his spear and charged it up, "Magical Javelin!" Gaia then threw his spear while it was covered in fire and stabbed Rin's set card, revealing it to be Weather Guard and destroying it.

Gaia the Dragon Magical Knight (ATK: 5200→2600)

"This will be the end of you, tainted maiden!" Ashley said with a smug smile on his face before he held out his hand. "Battle! I attack Turbine Bell with Gaia the Dragon Magical Knight!" The dragon roared as the knight flew in Rin's direction and sliced through Turbine Bell, causing an explosion that made Rin fly in the air as she screamed.

"Rin!" The members of You Show and Gongenzaka shouted in unison and in concern. Rin landed on the roof railing as her ascentment was stopped, making her exhale when she hit it.

Ashley's smile grew more cocky as he held out his hand, "That's not all! When Gaia the Dragon Magical Knight destroys a monster by battle, it gains 2600 ATK!"

Gaia the Dragon Magical Knight (ATK: 2600→5200)

"With Spiral Fusion, Gaia the Dragon Magical Knight can also attack twice this turn!" Ashley announced as he pointed at Rin. "This duel will end on the side of justice!"

As she got back up, Rin's bangs covered her expression so that it was unreadable, "You're right. It is over…" She lifted her face to reveal she had a look of resolve on her face, "For you!" Ashley was confused by that before Rin held out her hand, "I activate the Trap Card: Weather Blast!" Rin's other set card revealed itself just now. "Because my "Wind Witch" Synchro Monster left the field, you take damage equal to that monster's ATK!"

When he heard that, Ashley was in disbelief as the trap enveloped a blizzard storm with Turbine's silhouette riding inside it. It headed towards him in a blink of an eye. "N-No way...A knight of justice can't lose…!" Ashley was stuttering as he was in shock that was happening and, before he knew it, he was blinded by the snowstorm and was thrown backwards as he screamed in distress. He landed on his back in defeat.

ASHLEY LP: 600→0

RIN: WIN
ASHLEY: LOSE

As the duel ended, the Solid Vision disappeared and returned to its normal stadium form. The audience was in shock for a second before a lot of people cheering in happiness and excitement. Ashley, however, was staring off into space as he was lying on the ground, unable to accept what just happened.

Rin's image was shown around the stadium as Nico held up his mike, "It's decided! The winner of the third match is You Show's Rin!" The crowd's boos were almost gone entirely as there were a lot more cheers than before. Guess it was cause Ashley failed to win against her.

Rin felt a little awkward as she looked around the audience, not used to hearing such cheering from a lot of people. She eventually waved back to the audience as she smiled sheepishly. After a few seconds, she decided to take her leave as the employees of the Maiami Stadium were helping Ashley up.

While she walked inside one of the stadium's entrance corridors, she found Yuya, Yuzu, Ruri, Shuzo, Mikleo, Gongenzaka, Yoko and the kids waiting for her. As she stopped in front of them, all of them had happy smiles on their faces. Shuzo held out his fist with an excited expression on his face, "Well done, Rin! That's another win for You Show!" He felt really proud that she managed to win.

Ruri smiled sweetly at her, "Congratulations." Yuya walked up to Rin with his arm raised for some reason while Rin responded by walking closer with hers raised as well. They both held their hands up and high-five each other. They both smiled cheekily at each other, clearly both supporting one or another but more so Yuya showing his congrats to Rin. They both let go of their hands before Rin turned to everyone else, "Thanks everyone."

However, as everyone was happy for Rin's victory, they all told Rin what was going on with Mikleo during her match and soon felt awkward right now as they turned to see Mikleo with his arms crossed and had a neutral expression on his face. Mikleo knew what they were thinking. They didn't know what to say or ask right now since this is all so sudden.

Mikleo sighed as he turned to everyone with curiosity in his expression, "Well, guess you guys want some answers, huh?" He figured he might as well get this over with since it is already out in the open. He would have to explain sooner or later anyway.

At first, there was silence as no one said anything before, eventually, Shuzo stepped forward with a hesitant expression on his face, "Is...Is what that knight fellow said true, Mikleo?"

Mikleo stared at Shuzo for a moment before closing his eyes, "Yes. That's right. I was once a participant in the Underground Circuit." After confirming it, Tatsuya, Ayu and Futoshi looked a little unnerved from learning about this.

Everyone else was wary and confused by Mikleo's statement. He watched their hesitant expressions for another moment before he decided to speak again, "Two years ago, back when I was known as the Chrono Emperor, I was also called the Hell Emperor in that tournament. Guess I was quite infamous." He said that sarcasm in his voice as he smiled at the last part.

No one said anything at first before someone eventually spoke up, "...Why?" Everyone turned to see Yuya with a wary and uneasy expression on his face as he looked at his brother, "Why, Mikleo? Why would you participate in that...abysmal tournament?" He was trying not to yell or be upset as he wanted to hear what reasons Mikleo could have for doing that. Regardless, he'll never approve of dueling being used for violence or killing.

Mikleo didn't answer right away as he turned to Shuzo, "Shuzo." As Shuzo was confused, Mikleo looked at him curiously, "Do you remember what happened two years ago? About You Show?" Shuzo didn't know what Mikleo was talking about for a moment before, after remembering a certain thing, his eyes widened in realization.

The others didn't have a clue what they were talking about as Rin turned to Yuzu, "What's he talking about?" Yuzu shrugged her shoulders and frowned as she didn't have any idea either. Yoko seemed to be the only one who knew what they were saying as she narrowed her eyes.

Mikleo leaned on the wall nearby and put his hands in his pockets, "Back when I was training you, Yuya, while also dueling as the Chrono Emperor, I learned about the debt problems You Show was harboring." He had his eyes on Shuzo, who had a sorrowful expression when he heard that, as he said the last part.

Yuzu frowned in concern, "Debt?" She turned to her father in confusion as she didn't know You Show had any problems before, except some problems with the Solid Vision system before Yuya's duel with Strong Ishijima.

Shuzo lowered his head as he frowned, "It happened around two years ago. You Show was under a lot of pressure recently from debt collectors."

"Honestly, I found this out by accident when I stumbled upon Shuzo talking to some representatives in his office." said Mikleo before he turned to Yuya. "Apparently, our father disappearing had more consequences than we thought." Yuya narrowed his eyes in confusion, wondering where he was going with this. "When he disappeared, it also violated a lot of contracted deals he made with many duel promoters. Since he didn't show up to many events he was scheduled for, it cost them a lot of money as so many people were disappointed and wanted to see him." Back when Yusho Sakaki was one of the great Entertainers, he was also a pro first and foremost. Pros are usually represented a lot whether commercials or tournaments for promoting the dueling industry.

MAIAMI CITY - YOU SHOW DUEL SCHOOL

Flashback (2 years ago)

An 16-year-old Mikleo was walking up to Shuzo's office as the others were occupied with training in the arena. He raised his fist to knock on the door when he suddenly heard a loud thud in the room which made him stop for a moment. As he narrowed his eyes, he wondered what that noise was and decided to investigate.

He opened the door slightly so that nobody would hear it and, through the door crack, Mikleo saw three men in black suits with one of them grabbing onto Shuzo's collar forcefully. Shuzo looked distressed as he didn't resist being grabbed by that man.

Mikleo could hear one of the men speaking angrily, "This is your last chance, Hiragi. You better have the money ready for us the next time we come back or else." Shuzo didn't answer as he looked even more distressed before the man released him by pushing him and making him land on the ground. Mikleo heard that as he frowned while wondering what these men were doing here. Before he could decide to enter and intervene, he quickly closed the door quietly as he saw the men turning around to leave the room, deciding to wait until they left to do anything. He then sidestepped and hid next to a bookcase near the door. The door then opened before the three men quickly walked away and left the room. They were soon out of sight altogether after a few seconds. As Mikleo relaxed and moved away from the wall, he narrowed his eyes as he turned back to the door to see if Shuzo was alright.

When he entered the room, he found Shuzo lying on his knees while being right next to his desk. As he approached him, he heard Shuzo speak while sighing, "...What am I going to do?" He said that in a distressed tone as he seemed to have lost hope.

"Shuzo." Shuzo heard someone speak and quickly turned to see Mikleo with a wary and worried expression. As he was shocked Mikleo was here, he wondered if he heard any of that exchange and was immediately more worried.

Mikleo knelt down to look at Shuzo directly while having a concerned expression on his face, "What happened here?"

Flashback End.

Mikleo held up a hand, "A lot of higher-ups in the dueling business wanted to use him for promotion and sponsorship. However, when he vanished and didn't show up to any more events, it violated his contracts with them. So they turned to the one thing that could save them from losing money. By suing us. And because he was no longer here, they turned to the one place they knew he had ownership over: You Show Duel School." The others gasped in shock, save for Shuzo and Yoko, as this was the first time they'd heard about this. Although from a business perspective, it would make sense they would try to get some money back after investing a lot in Yusho.

Shuzo hung his head down in shame, "I didn't have the heart to tell you all back then. I didn't want you all to worry." He honestly thought that he wouldn't have to bring that up again as he took the blame for those violations since he took over ownership of You Show. He never wanted to make his daughter, Yuya, or any other person worried or concerned about You Show potentially going bankrupt because of this. Yoko looked at Shuzo in concern as she placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. Yuya, Yuzu, Ruri, Rin, Gongenzaka, Tatsuya, Ayu, Futoshi and even Sora all frowned as they didn't know Shuzo had to deal with something like this.

"By the time I found out about it, they said they couldn't wait any longer for their compensation so they gave us around two weeks to pay all of their demands or risk bankruptcy with lawsuits. And when Shuzo told me what was happening with You Show, I decided to do something about it." stated Mikleo with a slight disdain in his voice which was noticed by everyone else, causing them to frown in understanding as it seemed unfair to them. "I heard rumors about the Underground Circuit long before I decided to help Shuzo out. Since we only had two weeks to pay them, I couldn't rely on working a job in mechanics or dueling as the Chrono Emperor in order to earn money as there wouldn't be enough time to earn that much. With lots of research and hacking, I managed to find a way to enter the Underground Circuit and where it was held. So, with not many other options left, I chose to enter myself in that tournament seeing that it was the fastest way to earn money to save our school." Everyone, save for Sora who just licked his lollipop with interest, was stunned by this revelation as they had no idea Mikleo did this for them and You Show.

Mikleo grew a sarcastic smile on his face, "Now, was it the only choice I had? Probably not, but it is one I chose to do. I fought in whatever nonsense I had to go through in order to win the tournament and earn the money." Mikleo raised his head toward everyone, "Eventually, authorities showed up and arrested most of the participants and organizers."

Shuzo frowned in confusion, "But you weren't arrested along with them, weren't you?" If Mikleo had been arrested, he and Yoko would have surely heard about that.

Mikleo shook his head, "Nah. They only arrested people who were intentionally involved in organizing and supporting that event. I wasn't one of them. Besides…" He smirked as he pointed a finger at himself, "They were grateful to me since I did them a favor."

"What do you mean?" wondered Ruri.

"I'm the reason the cops knew where the events were being held." stated Mikleo which surprised the others. "While I was gathering money from winning the duels, I also leaked information to the authorities little-by-little as the event was going on." Even though he earned money from them, he didn't hesitate in sharing information to the authorities. It would've angered him so much if he let the people in charge get away with using dueling like that. "When they caught up, they agreed to keep the information about this event on a tight leash and didn't release me or other participants' names or their involvement in this matter. At least as much as they could. Finally, with the money I saved, I was able to give it all to Shuzo to pay all of the legal fees indebted to us and the rest is history."

Shuzo looked down at the ground in deep thought, "...I had a feeling something strange happened during the day you presented me with all of the money." He remembered when he received a lot of money from Mikleo, he was caught off guard and confused as to how he got that much in such a short amount of time. He wanted to ask before but he was just so grateful and relieved that You Show was saved that time that he didn't mind or question what Mikleo did to do it. He then brushed it off and imagined that Mikleo was just saving a lot of money from working. To finally hear the truth behind it was a little overwhelming.

"Is that really true?" Mikleo turned to see Tatsuya, Ayu and Futoshi looking at him in concern with Ayu asking, "You entered that tournament to save our school, Big Bro Mikleo?" She and Futoshi were enrolled at You Show around three years ago and they had no idea that this happened.

Mikleo nodded in response, "Yep." As the kids seem to ponder all of this, Yoko smiled a little as she bends down and puts her hands on Tatsuya and Futoshi's shoulders, "Come on, let's get back to our seats." They nodded their heads as they allowed Yoko to guide them back to their seats, deciding to think about all of this for a moment.

After Yoko had left with the kids, Mikleo turned back to see the others with each having a conflicted expression on their faces. He had a feeling why they were hesitant once again but decided to stay quiet for a moment.

"Mikleo." Everyone turned to see Ruri speaking with a frown on her face, "About those duels, did you ever…?" She was hesitating to ask that last part. Even though he did it for You Show, that part is still bothering her as he hasn't cleared that up yet.

Mikleo suddenly gave off a small smirk, "What? Did I ever kill anyone in those duels?" There was silence in response as everyone acknowledged it without saying anything. He was expecting that type of question especially since the kids just left and the fact that it can happen in those duels.

No one said anything for a moment before Sora asked rather implacably, "So, did you?"

When he heard that, Mikleo couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, "Heh. No tact at all, Sora. No, I didn't. Despite what that idiotic knight was implying, even though I am ruthless, I didn't have a reason to kill anybody in that tournament." His expression then turned harsh as he crossed his arms together, "Though it is true that I was the winner of that event, he's spreading misinformation. For one, he left out some important facts like that I was one of the few people that didn't kill or actually shared information with the authorities." He let out a tired sigh while placing a hand on his forehead, "For crying out loud, it was so obvious…"

Everyone else seemed to ponder all of this and wondered what to make of it. Eventually, Yuzu frowned in confusion, "But wait…" Everyone turned to her as she continued, "If the authorities didn't release information on this event, how did everyone find out about it?" That question was on everyone else's minds as it seemed like everyone in the arena had heard about this beforehand but they didn't see or hear any news outlets talking about this.

Mikleo didn't answer at first before he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his duel disk. He activated it and typed some keys in before showing the screen to the others. They all got closer to look at it to see what it was. It appeared to be an article presenting information on Mikleo including information on how he's both the Hell and Chrono Emperor along with some never-before-seen photos of him wearing a mask or not.

"This was posted around a couple days ago." Mikleo revealed with a frown on his face. "Somehow, the information got leaked and it spread like wildfire throughout the world. It managed to put together a lot of information about my history as both identities." He remembered how he was surprised when he saw the article the morning the Maiami Championship started. It didn't bother him that much since he's now over it but it still definitely surprised him.

MAIAMI CITY - SAKAKI RESIDENCE

Flashback (A day ago)

During the morning of the day when the Maiami Championship officially started, Mikleo was in the garage going over some of his new duel runner's performances as he was searching through the statistics on his laptop. The vehicle was still covered in a white cloth so that nobody could see what it looked like yet. As he made some final adjustments, he knew that it was time to leave soon in order to support You Show at the Maiami Championship.

He eventually decided to look over to see if any interesting news happened over the week. However, an article immediately caught his attention as he noticed a very suspicious title involving "Chrono Emperor". He decided to look over it.

As he read over it, he was surprised by the information and photos it was showing before he realized what the article's purpose was for. He was in shock for a moment before he looked over the page with narrowed eyes while double checking the information.

Once he was done looking at it, he stared at his laptop in silence for a few seconds before he suddenly punched the wall nearby him. He felt a little pain from that punch but he didn't care. He was a little angry at this.

Mikleo sarcastically smiled as he looked at the wall, "Damn it…" After all of this time of trying to cover it up, this crap had to happen now. He wagered this could be a problem potentially.

Flashback End.

"But how did it get leaked in the first place?" wondered Rin.

While the others didn't notice, Mikleo shifted his eyes in suspicion towards one of the monitors on the wall, "I have an idea who was responsible…" The screen was showing Himika and Reiji waving to the crowd during the opening ceremony. He turned back to everyone, "It doesn't matter." He suspects that woman might have been responsible but he's not gonna let the others worry about that.

Mikleo turned back to the others and leaned back on the wall, "Alright, that's it. Now you know everything." He said with a neutral expression as he gazed at everyone's responses.

At first, no one said anything to Mikleo before, eventually, Gongenzaka walked up to Mikleo with an unwavering expression on his face. They stared at each other for a moment before Gongenzaka closed his eyes, "I, the man Gongenzaka, will believe in your words as I always have for a friend." He then opened his eyes to show a look of resolve, "You did what you had to do to help us and You Show. I may not agree much with how you did it, but I understand it."

Yuzu looked at Mikleo with an unwavering expression as well, "I believe in you as well." As Mikleo raised an eyebrow, Yuzu held a hand to her chest, "Mikleo, you were nice enough to support not just You Show but also all of us." He was also the one who taught her how to Ritual Summon which he didn't have to, showing further proof of how kind hearted he is for as long as she had known him, despite his tactless exterior.

Sora nodded in response, "Same here." Ruri and Rin nodded in agreement as they both felt the same. Shuzo, although still perplexed by all of this, smiled in reassurance at him.

While smiling a little, Mikleo turned to his brother in curiosity, "Yuya." He had a feeling what his little brother was going to say as he wasn't saying anything and just stared at him with a conflicted expression.

Eventually, Yuya spoke up, "...I understand why you did it but why didn't you tell us all of this before?" He said that with narrowed eyes as that was the thing that questioned him the most out of everything he said.

Mikleo was silent for a second before he declared rather implacably, "You never asked." Everyone else face-faulted from the simple but ridiculous answer from him. Then, Mikleo crossed his arms together, "Joking aside, there were a few reasons why I didn't." Yuya got over his surprise as he frowned in confusion.

Mikleo held up a finger, "One, if this all got out sooner, it could've caused problems for not just You Show but you guys as well, so I decided to wait until it died down." He lowered his head towards Yuya, "Second, since we're both sons of Yusho, I imagined it could've also caused more problems for you in terms of the other kids."

At first, Yuya didn't know what he was talking about before he thought about it for a moment and remembered the mocking and bullying he had to deal with for being Yusho's son. As soon as he thought that, it made sense. If people found out a son of Yusho participated in the Underground Circuit without much else to go on and he was related to him, he could have had to deal with a lot worse than what he had to go through as a child.

"I wanted to make sure you can take care of yourself." Mikleo stated as he looked at Yuya with a soft expression. "That was actually another reason why I stopped training you." And with everything that has happened, he knows Yuya doesn't need much protection anymore, even though he's still going to offer it a little bit.

Yuya had a hesitant expression on his face as he was pondering all of this at once. After a few seconds of thinking, Yuya raised his head with a look of a resolve on his face, "I'll admit. I'm mad at you for at least not telling us all of this right away but I understand it." He then smiled sincerely, "You did it all to save You Show." Even though he doesn't exactly agree with the fact that his brother participated in that type of event, he's not upset about it anymore since he understands the circumstances behind it.

Mikleo smiled a little as he patted his brother on the head and ruffled his hair, annoying Yuya a little but he still smiled back. Soon after, everyone was content with everything as they all went back inside the stadium arena while leaving Yuya and Mikleo.

While everyone was out of sight, Yuya turned to his brother in curiosity, "Tell me, those other training methods you taught me. Did you learn them in the Underground Circuit?" Besides actual dueling training as in card combos and such, he also went through physical training from his brother. He did a lot of various exercises such as pushups, long runs, reflex and reaction time training. It was probably more strenuous than some of the Principal's training.

"Some of it." stated Mikleo with a neutral expression. "Though they did come in handy, later down the road. I started doing them long before I entered that thing."

Yuya frowned as he was now confused, "But...why did you train me in those things in the first place?" This is something that had questioned him since he took that training years ago. He gets the importance of staying in shape but it felt like there was an ulterior motive when it came to this training especially since Mikleo was in an event that might require advanced reflexes in order to survive.

Mikleo stared at Yuya for a moment before he gave off a small smile and patted Yuya's shoulder, "...I think you already know the answer to that, little brother." After he said, Mikleo proceeded to walk past him and went off in the direction of the inside arena, leaving Yuya to ponder about that statement. He soon turned around and followed behind to catch up.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone as they were returning to their seats, Kyo was at an entranceway a few levels above where they were sitting. She watched the whole thing with Rin's duel and looked down at the place where Mikleo was sitting. As he was talking with his friends, Kyo looked down at him with intrigue in her expression, "Mikleo Sakaki." Soon after, she smiled a little, "How interesting."

Back in the LDS control room, Reiji and Shun just watched the entire duel including what Ashley was talking about.

"Well, that was an impressive display of dueling from her." Reiji commented before he turned his eyes to Shun. "Wouldn't you say?"

Shun didn't answer right away as his eyes were narrowed, his thoughts were on something else as he commented, "I'm more skeptical of the man that was mentioned."

Hearing Shun's statement, Reiji reached out and pushed a button on the keyboard in front of him, showing a profile of Mikleo Sakaki on the big screen. Reiji looked up at the screen with interest, "Mikleo Sakaki. A former pro who went by the name of both the Chrono Emperor and Hell Emperor." He placed his hands under his chin, "Today's match allowed me to confirm my suspicions on this man's past. It is good as he might be a worthy ally to have."

Shun narrowed his eyes even further and turned to Reiji, "You intend to recruit this man in your Lancers? That is a huge risk you're taking and I don't think that's advisable." Considering what he had heard about Mikleo in this duel, that man seems a little too mysterious, maybe shady even, to have as an ally of the Lancers. There might be greater risk if even he joins which is why he is skeptical of this man.

Reiji adjusted his glasses, "I believe the benefits outweigh the risks as far as I'm concerned." He raised his head to look at Mikleo's profile, "He is undoubtedly a strong duelist, but I need to verify whether he's strong enough to hold those titles. If he is, then it would help us greatly as we need as much strength as we can gather to oppose our mutual foe." He has been intrigued by Mikleo since he first met him and now he needs to find a way to test his skills to see how strong he is. If he were honest, it also intrigues him more that Mikleo might be on par with him in terms of actual dueling skills if what he had seen is true.

"Even so, there's also the possibility that he might be affiliated with Academia." Shun insisted with narrowed eyes. "Have him join the Lancers if you wish, but I will be keeping my eye on him." With his shady history coming out, it is making him think that there also more they don't know about him. There is also a chance he could be an ally of Academia which makes him skeptical as you never know who you can trust in this dimension.

"You let me worry about that possibility for now." Reiji stated before he pushed a button. Yuya and Sora's profiles were then shown on the big screen. "In the meantime, Yuya's match is coming up and you should be focused on your opponent who we know is affiliated with them." Shun's gaze turned to both pictures on the screen with his eyes narrowing even further on Sora's.

A few minutes had passed before it was time for the fourth match of the day which was Yuya going up against Shingo. Yuya was standing beside his mother and Mikleo while the rest were talking amongst themselves about Yuya's upcoming match.

While they were occupied, Yuya turned to Yoko in curiosity, "You knew, didn't you mom?" He was referring to Mikleo's past as he noticed his mother was the only one unfazed by Mikleo revealing more of his dueling history.

Yoko closed her eyes in response, "Yes, I did." She then turned to Yuya with a small smile, "But I also knew that he did it for all of us." Yuya pondered it for a moment before he smiled and nodded in content before he walked towards the gate nearby. He then entered through the center court with a determined expression on his face.

Meanwhile, Nico appeared on the big screen with a smile on his face as he held out his hand, "Next up, we have our fourth match of the day! You Show Duel School's Yuya Sakaki versus Leo Duel School's Shingo Sawatari!" Both images of Yuya and Shingo appeared on the screen as he said that with the audience cheering in excitement.

Tatsuya, Futoshi and Ayu cheered with their fists raised, "Do your best!" Yuzu watched with resolve in her expression, "Yuya!" Gongenzaka raised his fists while sitting beside Ruri and Yuzu, "Stick with it!" Ruri held her hands to her mouth, "You can do it!" Rin nodded as she smiled in support while sitting next to Ruri and Yuzu.

"Burning! Hot-blooded!" shouted Shuzo in excitement.

Yoko smiled at her son, "Alright, Yuya, this duel will be your first step in surpassing your father. Put your all into it!"

As Yuya was walking into the center, other people in the audience were looking at Yuya, "Is he the rumored creator of Pendulum?" Another boy in the audience commented, "Some people thought the rumor of Pendulum Summoning wasn't real but it is!" They all saw it during Yuzu and Rin's duels. A third boy in the audience nodded, "Yeah. I guess that rumor about his duel with Strong Ishijima being bogus is wrong as well..." A girl in the audience wondered, "Wait, isn't he related to Mikleo Sakaki?" Some of them were silent on that as they looked at Yuya with wary expressions.

Yuya was waiting for Shingo to show up in the center court also before he started hearing some music in the distance. Then, he was taken aback as he watched Shingo walking into the center dressed as a wandering samurai while playing music on a leaf and having a hat covering his upper face. Yuya looked at him confused as Shingo stopped, "What the…?"

The others watched in confusion as Tatsuya wondered, "What kind of cosplay is that?" Shuzo looked at it for a moment before he smiled, "Mabuta no Haha by Hasegawa, isn't it?"

Shingo had his hood hiding part of his face as he spoke, "The cards are calling to me…" He held out his right hand, "They are telling me to draw! Another star has risen into the heavens! Behold! Dueling's greatest star!" He then pointed up at the sky as he said that last part. Yuya had a dumbfounded expression on his face while the audience was looking on in confusion, not knowing what to say to this.

Shingo chuckled a bit as he raised his hat up, "Do you know I am?"

"Sawatari, right?" Yuya deadpanned.

Shingo grabbed his samurai outfit, "Wrong!" He then threw it off and revealed himself in his normal outfit with a smirk on his face. He waved his arm around dramatically as he spoke with a smile, "I'm Neo New Sawatari!" At that moment, his three friends in the audience were clapping their hands and cheered, "Neo New Sawatari is the best!"

The others were in stunned silence as Yuzu muttered, "Neo New…?"

Yuya looked at Shingo with a tired expression, "You know they mean the same thing, right…?" However, Shingo wasn't listening as he had a satisfied smile on his face, "I nailed it!" He was satisfied that his entrance had gone as he had hoped.

Shingo then turned towards Yuya while he narrowed his eyes, "Yuya Sakaki, I have a grudge against you!" Yuya narrowed his eyes as Shingo held up a finger, "You humiliated me by stealing my Pendulum Cards and defeating me with them!"

"Those were my cards in the first place…" muttered Yuya with slight irritation in his voice.

Shingo looked troubled when he heard that before he looked determined and held up a fist, "I'll repay that disgrace a hundred times over right now!" He pointed at Yuya while having a cocky smile on his face, "Mark my words, Yuya. You will lose this duel and experience the greatest disgrace ever!" Yuya just frowned in response and didn't say anything while looking back at him.

Nico had an excited smile on his face as he announced, "What's this?! Sawatari is already declaring his victory!"

"His introductions are always so long-winded…" commented Hokuto with a smirk on his face.

Shingo looked at Yuya with a smirk, "Pendulum Summoning may have led you to victory up until now but today, it will be your path to defeat!"

Yuya narrowed his eyes in confusion, "I'll lose to Pendulum Summoning?" As Shingo's smirk grew bigger, Yuya's eyes widened in realization as he remembered Sawatari mentioning that LDS were developing their own Pendulum Cards. He then had a cautious expression on his face, "Could he have Pendulum Cards now…?" If he does, he might have to be more careful as he is aware of how powerful they can be.

Nico held up his mike with a smile, "I wonder how this match will turn out?!" He then pointed at the sphere of glowing cards in the sky, "Now, let's select the Action Field! Come on!" The glowing cards scattered before revealing a Magic Card containing an image of a japanese castle, "We have it! Action Field on! Field Magic: Ruined Castle of the Sunset, activate!"

The Solid Vision system activated before it materialized the center court into a mountainous land surrounded by abandoned japanese castles that were either ruined or unfinished. Yuya looked around the field in curiosity for a moment before turning back to Shingo with a serious look on his face.

Shingo waved his arm around, "Let's go!" He then brought out his duel disk and activated it. Yuya nodded before he activated his duel disk and placed it on his arm. They both looked at each other intensely for a moment before they shouted out in unison.

[DUEL!]

YUYA LP: 8000
SHINGO LP: 8000

"I'll take the first turn! Shingo Sawatari's Legendary Revenge Duel has just begun!" declared Shingo before he drew a card and looked at it. He raised his head back towards Yuya, "I Normal Summon Abyss Actor - Sassy Rookie (ATK: 1700, DEF: 1000, LV: 4, PS: 2)!" Shingo summoned a dark, demonic clown that had blue afro hair while wearing dark blue leather pants and hand gloves that covered part of his claws with each having one eye designed on them. The monster had only one eye on its head as it striked a pose in a sassy manner.

Yuya narrowed his eyes, "Abyss Actor?" He never saw Sawatari use this before. He imagined he must've gotten a new deck maybe.

Shingo moved his arm away before he had a smirk on his face, "I'll end my turn with that." His smirk grew bigger as he gestured his hand towards Yuya, "Now, bring out your best, Yuya Sakaki!"

"Sawatari is taunting his opponent without a care in the world!" announced Nico.

Yuya narrowed his eyes in response before looking down at his deck, "My turn, draw!" After drawing his card, he then proceeded to pick two of them from his hand and show them, "I, using the Scale 1 Stargazer Magician and the Scale 8 Timegazer Magician, set the Pendulum Scale!" He placed them in the Pendulum Zones which made both Stargazer and Timegazer appear in pillars of light. Yuya looked up at his field, "With this, I am able to summon Level 2 to 7 monsters simultaneously!"

The kids smiled in excitement, "Here it comes!" Tatsuya and Ayu said before Futoshi waved his arm up into the air, "Pendulum Summon!" The audience looked on in amazement and some of them cheered, eager to see the wondrous Pendulum Summon again. In one of the entranceways, Shun was watching the whole thing while having his arms crossed together while Kyo was watching from another one, a few levels higher.

The giant pendulum swung back and forth as Yuya chanted, "Swing, my soul's Pendulum! Draw an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my monster!" Yuya raised his hand into the sky as one light appeared from the portal and morphed into a monster. "Appear, Odd-Eyes Swordsman (ATK: 2000, DEF: 1200, LV: 5, PS: 3)!" Odd-Eyes Swordsman appeared on Yuya's side of the field.

"There it is! The Pendulum Summoning that Sakaki used to beat Strong Ishijima!" Nico announced with an excited smile on his face as the crowd cheered even louder from seeing it again.

Yuya smirked as he held out his hand, "Battle! Odd-Eyes Swordsman attacks Sassy Rookie!" Odd-Eyes Swordsman flew in Sassy Rookie's direction with his swords brought out.

"It's useless! Sassy Rookie cannot be destroyed by battle once per turn!" Shingo declared before Sassy Rookie stepped forward and retaliated with his arms, with both the sword and right arm clashing together.

Yuya looked back at Shingo, "But you'll still take the damage!" Swordsman pushed Sassy Rookie back a few feet before he lunged with his sword and slashed right through him. The cut didn't destroy him but the slash also connected with Shingo's shoulder as he grunted a bit.

SHINGO LP: 8000→7700

Yuya smirked again as he held out his fist, "Your monster won't be safe for long! Odd-Eyes Swordsman can attack twice each Battle Phase!" Shingo was surprised for a moment before he frowned in annoyance. Yuya looked at his monster, "Odd-Eyes Swordsman, attack Sassy Rookie once again!" The warrior nodded his head before jumping up a few feet and slashed Sassy Rookie as it was dazed, destroying it and sending Shingo flying for a moment as he yelled a little. He then landed on the ground on his back.

SHINGO LP: 7700→7400

"Sakaki managed to break through Sawatari's defenses!" Nico announced in excitement.

Shingo stood back up while he narrowed his eyes, "I activate Sassy Rookie's effect! When this card is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or below "Abyss Actor" from my Deck!" He held his hand up in the air, "Come, Abyss Actor - Wild Hope (ATK: 1600, DEF: 1200, LV: 4, PS: 2)!" A fiendish cowboy in dark armor and yellow accessories appeared in Rookie's place as it carried a toy gun in his hands.

"When Odd-Eyes Swordsman destroys a monster in battle, once per turn, it gains 500 ATK until the End Phase." Yuya clarified.

Odd-Eyes Swordsman (ATK: 2000→2500)

Yuya placed a card in his duel disk, "I set a card and end my turn." As a face-down was placed, Odd-Eyes Swordsman's strength returned to normal.

Odd-Eyes Swordsman (ATK: 2500→2000)

Shingo chuckled as he walked up on a stone wall that was a few feet high. He looked down at Yuya with a smirk, "From now on is the real deal! Shingo Sawatari's Legendary Revenge Duel!" He then pointed at Yuya, "Yuya Sakaki! Now, you will come to fear the power of Pendulum Summoning!" Yuya frowned in response when he heard that.

Yuzu looked a little troubled as she held up her hand, "Fear the power of Pendulum Summoning?" She doesn't have a good feeling about this.

"That idiot just likes to monologue everything doesn't he?" commented Mikleo with a bored tone in his voice.

Shingo looked at Yuya, "Behold, Yuya! My turn! Draw!" Shingo chuckled a little when he saw what he drew before he looked at his field, "First, I switch Wild Hope into Attack Position!" Wild Hope shifted out of its defensive stance and posed with his gun aimed at Yuya.

Abyss Actor - Wild Hope (DEF: 1200→ATK: 1600)

Shingo's smirk grew larger as he took out two cards from his hand and showed them, "With the Scale 1 Abyss Actor - Devil Heel and Scale 8 Abyss Actor - Funky Comedian, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Yuya gasped in surprise as the two pillars of light appeared on Shingo's field now. From the first pillar, a large, monstrous purple devil appeared that had its right arm enlarged compared to his normal left while also wearing lavender sweatpants and boots. In the second pillar, a yellow overweight demon appeared that wore an orange dancer outfit, had four arms and no eyes but was wearing a small funky mask on top over where they should be.

Yuya narrowed his eyes when he saw the Pendulum Monsters, "So, he does have them…" He had a suspicion about it, especially when Sawatari gave a lot of hints about them.

Yuzu had a worried expression on her face, "He did get Pendulum Monsters!" Gongenzaka was almost in disbelief, "No way!" Ruri and Rin gasped a little in surprise as well. Shuzo and Mikleo looked serious when they heard this. The audience were in shock as well as they were witnessing this.

"Yuya Sakaki, I told you before! Pendulum Summoning will be your path to defeat!" Shingo declared as he looked towards the field. "With this, I am able to summon Level 2 to 7 monsters simultaneously!" He pointed up at the air, "Entertainers of the underworld! Take the stage upon the grand light inside the abyss! Pendulum Summon!" Purple lightning appeared from the portal before two lights emerged from them and morphed into monsters. "From the Extra Deck, Abyss Actor - Sassy Rookie (ATK: 1700)! And the mysterious star that steps into the cast and mesmerizes the audience! Come forth, Abyss Actor - Big Star (ATK: 2500, DEF: 1800, LV: 7, PS: 3)!" As Sassy Rookie appeared, a tall, thin man with swirly pink hair also materialized while wearing a black suit. Big Star took a bow as it floated next to Shingo.

The whole audience stared in shock as well as Nico before he got over it and spoke into his mike, "W-What a shocker! Sawatari has performed a Pendulum Summon!"

In the LDS control room, various screens displayed the profiles of Yuya and Shingo, the energy readings of the duel, as well as a live feed of the actual duel, especially capturing the moment Shingo performed a Pendulum Summon. Reiji was sitting at his desk with Nakajima and Reira standing next to him as they were watching the duel as well. As the employees monitored the situation, one of them spoke up, "Pendulum energy detected! Physical image levels are normal!" Another one soon spoke, "Power balance and the mass are stable as well!"

After hearing that, Nakajima looked at Reiji, "President, it's a success!" Reiji didn't respond as he just continued to watch the duel with a stoic expression.

As the crowd was getting riled up, all of Sawatari's friends were smiling proudly with Yamabe getting excited, "Neo New Sawatari is amazing!" Kakimoto nodded in agreement, "Abyss Actors are the best!"

Some of the audience were in awe as a boy carrying a green flag spoke, "I never thought there would be so many people who could Pendulum Summon." Another boy in the audience then spoke, "But Sawatari just did so LDS also has Pendulum as well, don't they?"

Shuzo narrowed his eyes, "We knew this would happen someday, but to think someone else learned it this soon…!" Yoko was in agreement as she was just as surprised as Shuzo. Mikleo looked at his brother, "Well, Yuya, how will you respond to someone else using Pendulum?"

Shingo looked satisfied as he looked around the audience that was cheering for him with his arm out, "That's it! Scream! Cheer more!" He looked up into the air with a smirk, "I truly am the chosen man, Neo New Sawatari!" He moved his head back down to look at Yuya, "And I don't just have Pendulum in my arsenal! I'm going to go beyond it!"

Yuya frowned in confusion, "Beyond it?" He didn't have a good feeling about this and wondered what Sawatari meant by that.

Shingo pointed at his monster, "I activate Big Star's monster effect! Once per turn, this card can select an "Abyss Script" Magic from my Deck and set it onto my field!" Big Star held up his hand which made a script book appear in it as Shingo showed the card he picked, "And with it, I set Abyss Script - Rise of the Demon King!" He placed it in his duel disk and made it appear face-down.

Shingo smirked as he held out his hand, "I activate the Magic Card: Abyss Script - Rise of the Demon King that I set on the field!" The magic card flipped face-up as Big Star read the script book and flipped through the pages. "For every "Abyss Actor" I control in Attack Position, I can target and destroy that many face-up cards on the field!" Yuya was surprised by this as Shingo continued, "Scatter from the field!" The card released a purple blast of energy that connected and destroyed Odd-Eyes Swordsman, Timegazer and Stargazer Magician. Yuya gritted his teeth before he reluctantly picked up all three cards and placed them in his Extra Deck face-up.

Shuzo looked a little concerned for Yuya, "This is bad! Yuya's field is left wide open!"

"Not completely. He's still got one set card left." commented Rin in reassurance though still felt worried for Yuya.

Shingo held out his hand, "Battle! I attack directly with Big Star!" Big Star ran in Yuya's direction and was ready to strike at him.

Yuya, however, retaliated by throwing his arm out and pressing a button, "I activate the Continuous Trap: Entermate Pinch Helper! Once per turn, this card negates an opponent's direct attack!" Big Star stopped his charge but Shingo still had a smile on his face. Yuya continued while having his eyes narrowed, "Then, I can Special Summon an "Entermate" monster from my Deck with its effects negated! I summon Entermate Kaleido Scorpion (ATK: 100, DEF: 2300, LV: 6, PS: 4)!" Kaleido Scorpion appeared in a defensive stance for Yuya.

Shingo didn't look concerned as he chuckled while picking up a card, "It wouldn't be fun if I ended this so soon, so I set a card and end my turn!" He placed a face-down on his field in front of him.

Nico threw out his arm while he looked excited, "Sawatari opened up with his own Pendulum Summon and wiped most of Sakaki's field! Can Yuya recover from this?!"

Yuya looked at Shingo cautiously for a moment before he placed his fingers on his deck, "My turn, I draw!" After looking at the card he drew, he turned his attention back to Shingo's field. He narrowed his eyes, "The fact that he has Pendulums means I have to be more careful with my moves, especially knowing how powerful they can be." Regardless, he will admit that it is thrilling to fight against Pendulum Monsters again other than Reiji.

Yuya picked up a card from his hand and showed it, "I activate the Magic Card: Amazing Pendulum! When I have no cards in my Pendulum Zones, I can add 2 face-up Pendulum Monsters from my Extra Deck to my hand." He reached out and revealed two cards he picked up, "I add both Stargazer and Timegazer back to my hand."

Yuya threw out his arm, "When I have a Pendulum Monster on my field, I can Special Summon this card! Balance Retainer (ATK: 1800, DEF: 2200, LV: 5)!" Since Kaleido Scorpion is a Pendulum Monster, Yuya was able to bring out a silver-armored warrior that wore a spiked helmet and wielded a silver shield and sword that were both gold lined on the outside of them. The warrior had a fierce gaze as he had the sword stabbed into the ground while holding the shield in place.

"I activate Balance Retainer's effect!" Yuya declared as he held up Kaleido's card. "Once per turn, I can tribute a Pendulum Monster to add another Pendulum Monster with the same original Pendulum Scale from my Deck." Balance Retainer tapped the ground with his sword and Kaleido Scorpion was released from the field as Yuya held up a monster card, "And since his Scale was 4, I add Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon to my hand." Yuya was able to add his ace since it has the same scale as Kaleido's.

Yuya smirked as he held up two monsters from his hand, "I reset the Pendulum Scale with Scale 1 Stargazer Magician and Scale 8 Timegazer Magician!" Stargazer and Timegazer reappeared back into their respective pillars of light along with their scale numbers.

"With this, I can summon monsters with Levels 2 to 7 at the same time!" The giant pendulum was swinging as Yuya chanted, "Swing, my soul's Pendulum! Draw an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my monsters!" Yuya raised his hand into the sky as three lights appeared from the portal and morphed into monsters. "From the Extra Deck, Odd-Eyes Swordsman (ATK: 2000) and Entermate Kaleido Scorpion (DEF: 2300)! And with its radiant colored eyes, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (ATK: 2500, DEF: 2000, LV: 7, PS: 4)!" Odd-Eyes appeared alongside Swordsman and Kaleido as it let out a mighty roar.

Futoshi raised his arms in excitement, "Alright!" Tatsuya smiled in happiness as he looked at Yuya, "Big Bro Yuya is fighting back with his own Pendulum Summoning!"

"It does look like it could be a trap, though. But you already figured that, didn't you, Yuya?" commented Sora who had an intrigued smile on his face before he licked the lollipop he was holding up.

Yuya pointed at his monster, "I activate Kaleido Scorpion's monster effect! Once per turn, I can target a face-up monster I control and it can attack all of my opponent's Special Summoned monsters once each! Kaleido Mirage!" Kaleido Scorpion unleashed a beam of light from its tail towards Shingo's monsters, causing each of them to glow a rainbow aura which also surrounded Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon as Yuya chose him. Shingo gritted his teeth in annoyance as he faced this effect before.

"Battle!" declared Yuya as he held out his hand. "I attack Abyss Actor - Sassy Rookie with Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Spiral Strike Burst!" Odd-Eyes roared as he launched a fiery blast from its mouth and connected with Sassy Rookie, who was blocking the attack with its arms. "When Odd-Eyes battles a monster, battle damage dealt to my opponent is doubled! Reaction Force!" The blast got larger and stronger as Sassy Rookie wasn't destroyed still due to its effect, but the blast caused Shingo to wince a little while being pushed back a few feet.

SHINGO LP: 7400→5800

"Next, Odd-Eyes attacks Abyss Actor - Wild Hope! Spiral Strike Burst!" Odd-Eyes then launched another fiery blast towards Wild Hope who was engulfed by it and destroyed. Shingo was sent flying into the air as he screamed for a moment before landing back on the ground on his knees.

SHINGO LP: 5800→4000

"That one hurt! Sawatari has taken a whopping 3400 points of damage from both attacks!" announced Nico.

Shingo frowned as he kneeled back on one knee, "I activate Wild Hope's effect! When this card is destroyed by battle, I can add an "Abyss Actor" card from my Deck to my hand!" Shingo stood fully back up on his feet before holding out a card, "I add Abyss Actor - Stunt Double to my hand!" It shows that it was a monster he added to his hand.

Yuya narrowed his eyes before he gestured towards Odd-Eyes, "Odd-Eyes, attack Big Star!" Odd-Eyes nodded his head before the dragon jumped forward while Big Star intercepted by jumping in front of him as well and collided into each other, destroying both monsters of equal strength and leaving the field altogether.

After shielding himself from the explosion, Shingo moved his arm away and smirked as he held out the monster from before, "I activate Abyss Actor - Stunt Double's effect from my hand! When my "Abyss Actor" monster is destroyed, I can Special Summon this card from my hand!" Stunt Double (ATK: 1500, DEF: 1500, LV: 4, PS: 6) appeared on the field who was a teenage humanoid dark teal-colored boy who wore a safety jacket around his dark blue clothing, visor goggles around his head, some purple padding on the shoulders and kneecaps and black boots.

"Next up, I activate Stunt Double's other effect!" Shingo declared as he held out his hand. "When this card is Special Summoned by its own effect, I can Special Summon an "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster from my Extra Deck face-up in Defense Position and gain LP equal to its ATK! Return to the stage, Big Star (DEF: 1800)!" Stunt Double conjured up a mini stage with a red curtain before tearing it away quickly so that Big Star made a grand return as it stood in a defensive stance. Confetti then rained from out of nowhere which pleased Shingo who smirked in triumph.

SHINGO LP: 4000→6500

Yuya pondered his options for a moment as he looked at Shingo, "If I destroy Sassy Rookie, he'll be able to get another Abyss Actor on his field." Instead, he decided to go with the safe option as he held out his hand, "Odd-Eyes Swordsman, attack Big Star!" Odd-Eyes lunged forward with his swords out and stabbed Big Star in the chest, destroying him once again. Since it destroyed a monster by battle, a red aura surrounded the swordsman's weapons as he clanged them together.

Odd-Eyes Swordsman (ATK: 2000→2500)

"Odd-Eyes Swordsman attacks Stunt Double!" The swordsman then quickly cut through the stunt monster and made him vanish in a fiery explosion.

"I end my turn." stated Yuya before he hopped around some logs nearby as he climbed the wall behind him, trying to get up to higher ground.

Odd-Eyes Swordsman (ATK: 2500→2000)

Two boys in the audience looked amazed as one of them commented, "I just wanted to see a Pendulum Summon, but this is turning out to be amazing!" The other one nodded his head, "Yeah. Who would've thought that both of them would Pendulum Summon!"

Shingo smirked as he was watching Yuya climb higher and higher, "Now, it is time for the second display of Sawatari's Revenge Duel!" He placed his fingers on his deck as he drew, "My turn!"

He then looked up at the field, "With the set Pendulum Scale, I will Pendulum Summon!" This time four lights appeared from the portal and morphed into monsters. "Welcome back to the stage! Abyss Actor - Wild Hope (ATK: 1600), Abyss Actor - Stunt Double (ATK: 1500) and Abyss Actor - Big Star (ATK: 2500)! And introducing from my hand, Abyss Actor - Mischievous Manager (ATK: 2200, DEF: 1800, LV: 5, PS: 1)!" All three monsters appeared back next to Sassy Rookie, along with a purple adult female who had green eyes and wore glasses while also wearing a black business outfit and high heels. Her black hair was bundled up into a ponytail. She had an expression full of mischief on her face as she carried a clipboard in one hand.

Shingo then held up another card from his hand, "And on top of that, I activate the Magic Card: Abyss Script - Opening Ceremony! I regain 500 LP for each "Abyss Actor" monster I control!" Since there are currently five Abyss Actors, all of them glowed blue which then transferred over to Shingo's life.

SHINGO LP: 6500→9000

Shingo held out his hand, "I now activate Wild Hope's effect! Once per turn, for each "Abyss Actor" I control with different names, this card gains 100 ATK until the end of the turn." Every other monster on Shingo's field took a bow as they faced Wild Hope who loaded his gun with more plasma bullets.

Abyss Actor - Wild Hope (ATK: 1600→2100)

As soon as he stopped climbing, Yuya was at a vantage point above a wall to where he was at Shingo's level and facing him by a few feet away. Yuya narrowed his eyes in caution as he wondered what Sawatari was planning to do with all of these monsters.

Shingo looked at his monster, "Next, I activate Big Star's effect!" Big Star held up his hand which made a script book appear in it as Shingo showed the card he picked, "This time I select a second Rise of the Demon King from my Deck!" He placed the card in his duel disk which made a face-down appear in front of him.

Yuya was a little taken aback, "Again?"

Shingo smirked as he threw out his arm, "I now activate the Magic Card: Abyss Script - Rise of the Demon King! With five "Abyss Actor" monsters in Attack Position, I target and destroy five of your face-up cards!" Shingo's smirk grew bigger as he continued, "And don't even think of responding to it." As Yuya was confused by what he meant by that, Shingo gestured towards Big Star, "While I control a Level 7 or higher "Abyss Actor", you can't activate cards or effects in response to Rise of the Demon King!" Yuya's eyes widened a little as the card launched a purple blast towards Yuya's cards. "Disappear from the field! Kaleido Scorpion, Odd-Eyes Swordsman, Entermate Pinch Helper, Stargazer and Timegazer Magician!" The blast engulfed all of those cards and destroyed them from the field. Yuya frowned as he put most of his cards that were destroyed into the Extra Deck. Balance Retainer was the only one left at Yuya's side of his field.

"Oh my! Sawatari managed to destroy more of Sakaki's cards! Furthermore, since his scales were destroyed, Sakaki's Pendulum Summoning has been sealed off as well!" announced Nico in shock and exhilaration.

Yuzu looked at Yuya with a worried expression, "More and more cards are being wiped from Yuya's field!" Gongenzaka looked towards Yuya as well, "Only Balance Retainer is left."

Hokuto looked somewhat impressed by what he saw, "So, he sealed Yuya Sakaki's Pendulum Summoning by also destroying his scales while also getting rid of his other monsters." Yaiba agreed in response, "That's pretty good, coming from Sawatari at least." He then looked around the area for a moment, "Seriously, where the hell is that girl?" He would think that Masumi would've at least shown up to watch most of the duels today.

Shingo had an arrogant expression on his face as he looked at Yuya, "I am Neo New Sawatari! The man who will give birth to a legend!" Yuya narrowed his eyes and didn't respond to that statement.

Back in the control room, Nakajima was looking at the big screen displaying the duel, "He is using the strategy you told him about, President."

Reiji looked at the screen curiously, "Pendulum allows cards to revive themselves on the next turn whether they are returned to your hand or destroyed. That is their greatest strength. But that is also their greatest weakness. For how easy they can be destroyed, if you no longer have any Pendulum Scales, you can't bring them back…" He made that observation during his duel with Yuya over the strengths and weaknesses of Pendulum. As Reira was watching the duel as well with a blank expression, Reiji wondered what Yuya can do in this situation.

Nico had a shocked expression on his face as he announced, "Almost all of Sakaki's field has been laid bare! Only one monster is left on his field! And with only one card left in his hand, he's truly in a do or die situation!"

Yuya had his bangs hiding his expression with a lot of people not seeing what he's thinking though it would appear that he's getting depressed. While he noticed Yuya's expression, Shingo pointed at him while having a confident smirk on his face, "It's time we settle this once and for all! You're done on this turn!"

"Settle this?" Yuya said before he raised his head, showing that his expression unwavered as he smirked in response, "Don't be ridiculous! We're just getting started!" This duel is honestly getting more exciting which is getting him hyped up even more. He's not done yet.

Shingo was taken aback and shocked by seeing how Yuya was still smiling despite the overwhelming disadvantage he is in right now. After a few seconds, Shingo scoffed in response as he smirked, "We'll see if you're still smiling after this!" He pointed up into the air, "I activate Devil Heel's Pendulum Effect! Once per turn, I tribute an "Abyss Actor" monster on my field and have my opponent's monster lose ATK equal to the released monster's original ATK until the end of the turn! I release Sassy Rookie!" Sassy Rookie laughed for a moment before he vanished from the field as Devil Heel raised his hand and launched a purple blast that hit Balance Retainer, making the knight kneel and weaken his power.

Balance Retainer (ATK: 1800→100)

"Next, I activate Funky Comedian's Pendulum Effect!" said Shingo as he held out a hand towards his monster. "Once per turn, I tribute another "Abyss Actor" monster on my field and have my monster gain ATK equal to the released monster's original ATK until the end of the turn! This time I will release Stunt Double!" Stunt Double did a backflip before disappearing from the field as Big Star flexed his arms while gaining a strength boost.

Abyss Actor - Big Star (ATK: 2500→4000)

Yuya was confused as he frowned, "Why didn't he keep them on the field?" The ATK increase didn't bother him as much as Sawatari giving up more monsters. If he had more monsters, he would have had more chances to attack. So, now he's wondering what his plan is other than increasing or decreasing stats.

Shingo had a confident smirk as he held out a hand towards Yuya, "Here I go! Battle! I attack Balance Retainer with Big Star!" Big Star quickly ran and jumped over the mountainous gaps before unleashing a dark blue blast from his hands that engulfed and destroyed the knight, with Yuya gritting his teeth as he held up his arm in protection.

YUYA LP: 8000→4100

"Now, I attack you directly with Mischievous Manager!" Shingo declared as Manager flew up and started writing something on her clipboard before turning it to Yuya with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Watch out, Yuya!" cried Ruri with a worried expression.

Yuya, however, had an unwavering expression on his face as he held up a card, "We're not done here! When I'm attacked directly, I can Special Summon Guidance Seer (ATK: 1000, DEF: 0, LV: 6) from my hand!" Yuya summoned a young woman with curly blonde hair dressed in a white cloak with blue clothing in the middle and a hood hanging over the top of her head, making Manager pause for a moment as her attack was halted.

"When Summoned this way, Guidance Seer's effect allows me to Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position. Return, Balance Retainer (DEF: 2300)!" Yuya held out his hand as Guidance Seer held out her arms for a second before clasping her hands together, creating a portal that allowed Balance Retainer to return.

Yuya looked at Shingo, "Guidance Seer also gains DEF equal to the total DEF of other Defense Position monsters on my field!" A yellow aura surrounded the knight as he knelt down before the same aura surrounded the garbed woman.

Guidance Seer (DEF: 0→2300)

Shingo was still smirking as he held up a card, "You can struggle all you want, but I will finish you for sure on your next turn!" He was fine with waiting for another turn as long as he's still standing on top and Yuya isn't. He then placed a card in his duel disk, "I set a card and end my turn." As another set card appeared, Shingo wasn't finished as he held out his hand, "But my turn doesn't just end here! I activate Mischievous Manager's effect! Once per turn, during the End Phase, I can target an "Abyss Script" Magic in my Graveyard and set it onto my field!" He held a familiar card from his duel disk, "I set Rise of the Demon King from my Graveyard!" Another set card appeared which is revealed to be one of the magic cards Shingo activated earlier. Since it was the end of the turn, the effects of Funky Comedian and Wild Hope are no longer active.

Abyss Actor - Big Star (ATK: 4000→2500)
Abyss Actor - Wild Hope (ATK: 2100→1600)

Yuya narrowed his eyes, "He has Rise of the Demon King again…" He knows it is a problem since he can't respond to it and it can destroy many of his face-up cards. Even if he could take out his Abyss Actors, Shingo could just bring back because of Pendulum Summoning. He needs to counter that card somehow. After a few seconds of having an idea in mind, Yuya looked down at his duel disk and placed his fingers on his deck, "My turn!"

After drawing and looking at the card, Yuya immediately held it out, "I Normal Summon Precision Magician (ATK: 1500, DEF: 1800, LV: 4, PS: 6)!" A young blue-haired male magician dressed in a dark robe that had a collar around the neck area appeared on the field. In one of his hands, he was carrying a wooden staff by holding it as a walking stick while having his other hand being actually made of metal parts.

Yuya held out his hand, "Precision Magician's effect! When this card is Normal Summoned, I can add a "Magician" Pendulum Monster from my Deck…!"

"You won't be doing any of the sort." Shingo interrupted with a smirk which took Yuya aback for a moment. As he wondered what he meant, Shingo pressed a button before throwing out his arm, "I activate the Continuous Trap: Abyss Actors' Shady Deal!" A trap flipped face-up as Shingo continued, "Once per turn, while I control an "Abyss Actor" monster, I can activate this and change a card or effect activated! It now becomes my opponent destroys a set Magic/Trap on their field!"

"Wait, you're changing the effect?" wondered Yuya as he didn't understand why he Sawatari was doing that. From what he's hearing, since it is his card's effect being changed, it sounds like Sawatari would be destroying his own card on purpose.

As a purple aura surrounded Yuya's magician, Shingo pointed his finger at one of his cards, "Since it was your card effect that was changed and I'm your opponent, I select the set card on the far right!" Shingo's rightmost set card was destroyed as it left the field.

Tatsuya looked at the field in confusion, "Why would he destroy his own set card?" Futoshi and Ayu were wondering the same thing as they have no idea what purpose it serves.

Shingo's eyes flared up a little as his smirk grew bigger, "Now, I activate the effect of my destroyed set card, Abyss Prop - Escape Wagon!" A silhouette of a carriage pulled by two horses and surrounded by purple fire appeared on the field while he continued, "When it is destroyed by my opponent's card effect while it is set, since I have a face-up "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster in my Extra Deck, it returns all cards my opponent controls to the hand!" Yuya's eyes widened in surprise as the horses galloped and dragged the carriage around the whole field, drawing the purple fire with them before they disappeared and enveloped all of Yuya's cards (Precision Magician, Guidance Seer and Balance Retainer) which forced them to disappear as well.

"Sawatari has countered another of Sakaki's moves and made his field wide open again!" Nico announced as some of the people in the audience were in awestruck at this duel so far. "This isn't looking good for Player Sakaki!"

As the kids were shocked by this, Futoshi's expression then changed into one of confusion, "Wait, I'm confused. Wasn't it Sawatari's card that destroyed his own?" Since he changed the effect, wouldn't it be considered his effect instead? He wondered how that can happen.

"No. It was still Yuya's card effect." The kids turned to Sora looking at the field before he turned his head to them, "True, Sawatari did activate his card effect but it didn't negate the effect. It only changed the effect and not who owned the card." He smiled as he turned back to the field, "This is getting interesting."

As Yuzu heard all of this and was worried, she held out her hands toward her mouth, "Yuya! You're still in this!" Gongenzaka's expression unwavered as he held out a fist, "Open a path with your new strength!"

"Don't give up!" shouted Ruri in worry.

"Keep on fighting!" shouted Rin in reassurance with her hand out.

Tatsuya looked determined as he held out his fists, "Big Bro Yuya!" Futoshi and Ayu shouted in assurance as well, "You can do it!"

Yuya frowned as he looked down at his current hand to consider his options. After staring at them for a moment, he picked up a card, "I discard Guidance Seer from my hand in order to add a Pendulum Monster face-up from my Extra Deck to my hand." He sent the monster to the Graveyard and, through its effect, he was able to add Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon from his Extra Deck as he showed it momentarily.

He held up Odd-Eyes and Precision Magician, "I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 4 Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Scale 6 Precision Magician!" He placed the card in the zones, making Odd-Eyes and Precision appear in their respective pillars of light. "With this, I can summon Level 5 monsters at the same time!" Yuya held up his hand in the sky, "Pendulum Summon!" Three lights appeared from the portal and morphed into monsters, "Appear from the Extra Deck! Odd-Eyes Swordsman (DEF: 1200) and Stargazer Magician (ATK: 1200, DEF: 2400, LV: 5, PS: 1)! And from my hand, Balance Retainer (DEF: 2300)!" All three monsters appeared next to Yuya's side in a defensive stance while keeping their guard up.

Yuya held out his hand, "Balance Retainer's effect activates! I tribute a Pendulum Monster in order to add another Pendulum Monster with the same Pendulum Scale from my Deck!" Stargazer was released from the field as Yuya added a monster to his hand, "With Stargazer's Scale being 1, I add Entermate Monkeyboard to my hand."

He then pointed at one of the pillars next, "At this moment, Precision Magician's Pendulum Effect activates! Once per turn, when a Pendulum Monster I control leaves the field, I draw a card!" He drew a card and looked at it before immediately showing it, "I activate the Magic Card: Resolve Draw! I draw a card for each Special Summoned monster on my field!" Both Balance Retainer and Odd-Eyes Swordsman were Special Summoned which allowed Yuya to draw two more cards.

After looking at the cards drawn, Yuya looked back at Shingo, "I set two cards and end my turn." Two face-downs appeared as Yuya wasn't done, "At this moment, I activate Odd-Eyes' Pendulum Effect! During my End Phase, I destroy this card in order to add a Pendulum Monster with 1500 or less ATK from my Deck!" Yuya looked at his dragon, who nodded before letting out a proud roar and destroyed itself. He added a monster to his hand before momentarily showing it, "With it, I add Chain Veiler from my Deck to my hand." He put the card in his hand since he was done for now.

Shingo chuckled a bit as he watched Yuya being calm under all of the pressure, "I commend you for not giving up and still having hope." He then smirked as he continued, "But all that remains for you is despair!" He placed his fingers on his deck and drew, "My turn!"

Shingo's smirk grew bigger as he was watching Yuya keeping his guard up, "I know what you're scheming." He turned his attention to Yuya's set cards, "You're trying to bluff or trick me with those two face-down cards you have, but that's not happening! I can't destroy face-down cards with Rise of the Demon King, but…" He had another strategy in mind to take care of those cards.

"I activate Big Star's effect! Once per turn, I set an "Abyss Script" on my Field from my Deck!" Big Star held out his script book again as Shingo showed and set Fantasy Magic on his field face-down.

Shingo held out his arms as he yelled, "With the set Pendulum Scale, I'm able to simultaneously Summon monsters from Levels 2 to 7!" As the crowd was getting excited, he held his hand up into the air, "Pendulum Summon!" Two lights appeared from the dark portal and morphed into monsters. "From the Extra Deck, Abyss Actor - Sassy Rookie (ATK: 1700) and Abyss Actor - Stunt Double (ATK: 1500)!" Stunt Double and Sassy Rookie both appeared back on Shingo's side of the field.

As Yuya stiffened a little for he knew what was coming next, Shingo threw out his hand while flipping a card face-up, "I now activate my set card, the Magic Card: Abyss Script - Rise of the Demon King! I target and destroy face-up cards on the field up to the number of "Abyss Actors" on my field in Attack Position! And because Big Star is Level 7, you can't respond to it!" He had five Abyss Actors in Attack Position as they all gathered around the field and each launched a dark blast that destroyed nearly Yuya's entire field, save for his face-down cards. Yuya narrowed his eyes as he watched all of his monsters getting destroyed but still had a look of resolve in his expression.

"This is bad! He wiped nearly all of Yuya's field again!" shouted Shuzo in concern. Yuzu had a concerned expression on her face, wondering if Yuya has a plan or not. Mikleo, however, grew a small smile on his face that nobody else saw, having a feeling that they don't have to worry about Yuya much.

Shingo was still smiling as he pointed at his field, "I activate Funky Comedian's Pendulum Effect! I tribute an "Abyss Actor" in order to increase Big Star's ATK by the released monster's ATK!" Stunt Double left the field before Big Star flexed his thin muscles again, feeling even stronger than last time.

Abyss Actor - Big Star (ATK: 2500→4000)

Shingo then had a crazed smile on his face as he looked up at Yuya, "This will be the end for you! I attack you directly with Big Star!" Big Star flew towards Yuya with one of his hands glowing purple.

Yuya, however, stood his ground as he pressed a button and threw out his arm, "I activate the Trap Card: Pendulum Reborn! I Special Summon a Pendulum Monster from my Graveyard or that's face-up in my Extra Deck!"

"Useless! Did you already forget about Shady Deal's effect?" Shingo's expression didn't change as he held a hand out towards his trap. "With it, I change the effect of the card you activated into destroying a set Magic or Trap on my field!" Shingo's other set card, Fantasy Magic, was also glowing for a moment.

As the both traps were glowing and were resolving, Yuya suddenly smiled before he looked down at his hand and quickly showed a monster, "I send Chain Veiler from my hand in order to activate its effect!" Black chains appeared out of thin air and started binding all around Shingo's trap, making him taken aback and surprised.

A silhouette of a devilish little purple boy with black wings while wearing white suit and chains appeared next to Yuya as he clarified, "During either players' turn, I can discard this card to target a Magic or Trap on the field and negate its effects until the end of the turn." He waited until the right moment in order to use that effect perfectly.

When he heard all of that, Shingo gritted his teeth in response, "Why you…!"

"Since your trap is negated, the effect of Pendulum Reborn hasn't changed. And that means I can use this card's original effect!" said Yuya with a smile as he held out a hand. "Appear, Precision Magician (DEF: 1800)!" Precision appeared back on the field from the Extra Deck as Yuya continued, "Precision Magician's effect activates! When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add a "Magician" Pendulum Monster from my Deck to my hand!" He added Dragonpit Magician to his hand as he showed it only for a few seconds.

Shingo was still gritting his teeth for a moment before his expression changed into a smirk and whispered, "Not too shabby." His smirk grew bigger afterward, "But that little stunt won't save you! I still have enough monsters to take you out!" He held out his hand, "Big Star, redirect your attack onto Precision Magician!" Big Star raised his glowing hand and unleashed a big violet blast that engulfed the magician and destroyed it.

Shingo still felt confident even after he was caught off guard a bit by the move Yuya just pulled. He has three monsters on his field with enough ATK to wipe out the rest of Yuya's life. With that in mind, Shingo pointed at Yuya, "Mischievous Manager attacks you directly!" Manager flew in Yuya's direction with clipboard in hand as the audience was suspenseful since this might be the end.

Then, after a moment of suspense, Yuya retaliated by pressing a button on his duel, "Trap Card, open! Drowning Mirror Force!" Shingo's eyes widened in shock when he heard that as the trap flipped open and Yuya continued, "When my opponent declares a direct attack, this card shuffles all of your monsters in Attack Position back into the Deck!" Shingo could only watch in shock as Sassy Rookie, Wild Hope, Mischievous Manager and Big Star were all pushed back by a gravitational force before disappearing and being removed from the field entirely.

Nico had a shocked expression on his face, "Oh my! Sakaki used a surprisingly powerful card to return all of Sawatari's monsters to the Deck and stop his assault!" The audience reacted in cheers and awe as they didn't expect that type of move from Yuya.

Meanwhile, in the control room, Rejii watched the exchange on the screen and gave off a small smile, "Oh? I didn't expect you to have a powerful card like that, Yuya. Impressive." Reira made a small gasp in surprise though nobody heard it, a little surprised since it is one of the few times he rarely hears his brother praising someone as he looked at Yuya on the screen in wonder.

At the stands, most of Yuya's friends looked surprised as Shuzo raised his fists in the air with an excited expression, "That's the spirit! Nice counter!" Yoko, who was surprised as well at first, smiled proudly at seeing Yuya pull a move like that.

"Where did he get that card?" wondered Yuzu as she looked at Gongenzaka, Rin and Ruri who all shrugged in response, feeling curious as well. Mikleo, however, gave off an amused smile but didn't respond to Yuzu asking as he just watched the duel.

A video image of Shingo showed up on Yuya's duel disk as Yuya raised his arm to look at the image. He was calling Yuya as he had an irritated expression on his face, "Why you…! You were trying to do this from the start!" He felt upset since he realized Yuya baited him into that trap.

Yuya nodded as he smirked a little, "That's right. With Pendulum Monsters, no matter how much they are destroyed, they can be revived again and again when returned to the Extra Deck. But…!"

Yuzu smiled as she realized what Yuya was saying, "I see now!" Tatsuya had a look of realization before he got excited, "Now that his "Abyss Actor" monsters have been shuffled into the Deck…" Sora smiled as he raised his lollipop and finished the sentence, "They'll be harder to bring back especially since Sawatari has to get them back in his hand again." They weren't returned to his hand or Extra Deck like before so it will be more trouble for Sawatari to summon them back to the field.

Shingo gritted his teeth as he was still annoyed at being tricked like this. However, after a couple seconds, he calmed down and chuckled a little. He then smiled at Yuya, "You're not half bad…" He has to admit that it was a smart and impressive move Yuya made. He may have underestimated him a little.

"You as well." replied Yuya as he held up his finger. "It is fun dueling against you."

Shingo scoffed in response, "But I will be the one to last in the end." He then frowned as he looked at the one card in his hand. He says that but his options are very limited at the moment since his monsters are gone. He clicked his tongue before shaking it off, knowing full well he didn't come this far just to willingly lose. With resolve in his expression, he placed a card in his duel disk, "I set a card and end my turn." He looked up at Yuya, "Since it is the End Phase, the set card placed by Big Star is sent to the Graveyard." The face-down Fantasy Magic disappeared as he was unable to use it this turn with it being his backup plan.

"It is my turn!" Yuya drew a card and looked at it before looking back at the field, "I activate the Magic Card: Pendulum Call! I discard a card in order to add 2 "Magician" Pendulum Monsters from my Deck to my hand!" He sent Monkeyboard to the Graveyard before holding out two Pendulum Monsters, "I add Treasurer Magician and Barrier Magician to my hand!"

Yuya placed one of them back in his hand before picking up a different one, "Now, with the Scale 0 Treasurer Magician and the Scale 8 Dragonpit Magician, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Treasurer and Dragonpit appeared in their respective pillars of light with their scale numbers.

"With this, I can summon monsters with Levels 1 to 7 at the same time!" The giant pendulum was swinging as Yuya chanted, "Swing, my soul's Pendulum! Draw an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my monsters!" Yuya raised his hand into the sky as five lights appeared from the portal and morphed into monsters. "From the Extra Deck, Odd-Eyes Swordsman (ATK: 2000), Stargazer Magician (ATK: 1200), Timegazer Magician (ATK: 1200, DEF: 600, LV: 3, PS: 8), Precision Magician (ATK: 1500), and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (ATK: 2500)!" All of five monsters materialized to Yuya's side with Odd-Eyes roaring in triumph.

"I activate Treasurer Magician's Pendulum Effect!" Yuya called out as he looked at his monster who opened his book and flipped the pages. "When I successfully Pendulum Summon, I draw a card for each monster summoned!" All five monsters glowed which allowed Yuya to draw five cards before he continued, "In addition, Precision Magician's effect allows me to add a "Magician" Pendulum Monster from my Deck! I add Odd-Eyes Magician to my hand!" Thanks to his other monster, Yuya was able to add Odd-Eyes Magician as he showed it for a moment.

Yuya then held up Entermate Cheermole from his hand, "Now, I activate Dragonpit Magician's Pendulum Effect! By discarding a Pendulum Monster, I can target a Magic or Trap Card on the field and destroy it! I select your Abyss Actors' Shady Deal!" He sent his Cheermole to the Graveyard as Dragonpit generated a beam of light from his staff, destroying Shingo's trap which made him grit his teeth as he didn't have a way of countering it.

"I now release Timegazer Magician in order to Tribute Summon Odd-Eyes Magician (ATK: 2300, DEF: 1500, LV: 6, PS: 8)!" said Yuya as he brought one of his favorite monsters, Odd-Eyes Magician, to his field. Yuya looked up at his monster, "When Odd-Eyes Magician is on the field, all Pendulum Monsters on my field gain 500 ATK!" Odd-Eyes nodded his head towards his friend before raising his staff and granting everyone more energy.

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (ATK: 2500→3000)
Odd-Eyes Magician (ATK: 2300→2800)
Odd-Eyes Swordsman (ATK: 2000→2500)
Stargazer Magician (ATK: 1200→1700)
Precision Magician (ATK: 1500→2000)

Shingo gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes, "So you're going on the attack, huh?" He looked at his cards on his duel disk before he yelled out and pressed a button, "I can't back out now! I activate the Trap Card: Abyss Actors Back Stage! When I have two "Abyss Actor" cards in my Pendulum Zones, I add two "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monsters with different names from my Deck to my Extra Deck face-up!" He picked up Big Star and Avid Intern from his Deck and placed them both face-up in his Extra Deck.

While he was wondering why he did that, Yuya shrugged it off as he decided to hold out his hand, "I'll now battle! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon attacks you directly!" Odd-Eyes charged forward with a smile, "You got it!" The dragon swung at Shingo with his tail, knocking him into the wall nearby as he yelped in surprise, even though he was only pushed back a little.

SHINGO LP: 9000→6000

Shingo quickly got back up on his feet before holding out his duel disk, "I won't let it end that easily! I activate the effect of Abyss Actor - Avid Intern in my Extra Deck!" A silhouette of a small green boy that was dressed with purple glasses over his head, blue shirt, black denim jacket and pants appeared over Shingo's head as he continued, "When I take battle damage, I banish this card to draw a card and end the Battle Phase!" Odd-Eyes retreated to Yuya's side as Shingo drew a card afterwards.

"Sakaki has managed to turn around from a near-death situation and has now managed to deal damage to Sawatari!" announced Nico, much to the crowd's hype and excitement.

Yuya narrowed his eyes before he smirked and placed a couple cards in his duel disk, "I set two cards and end my turn."

Shingo placed his fingers on his deck, "My turn! Draw!" He looked up at his field, "With the set Pendulum Scale, I can Pendulum Summon monsters with Levels 2 to 7 at the same time!" He pointed up at the air, "Entertainers of the underworld! Take the stage upon the grand light inside the abyss! Pendulum Summon!" Purple lightning appeared from the portal before three lights emerged from them and morphed into monsters. "From the Extra Deck, Abyss Actor - Stunt Double (ATK: 1500) and Big Star (ATK: 2500)! And introducing from my hand, Abyss Actor - Mellow Madonna (ATK: 1800, DEF: 2500, LV: 7, PS: 0)!" Rookie and Big Star appeared back along with a purple woman that had long, flowing pink hair with one of its locks being yellow while wearing a black dress made for dancers and singers. She also had big, monstrous hands that were in contrast to her elegant image.

"Mellow Madonna gains 100 ATK for each "Abyss Script" in my Graveyard." Shingo clarified as there were four Abyss Scripts in his Graveyard currently.

Abyss Actor - Mellow Madonna (ATK: 1800→2200)

Shingo pointed at his field, "I activate Funky Comedian's Pendulum Effect! I tribute an "Abyss Actor" in order to increase Big Star's ATK by the released monster's ATK!" Stunt Double left the field before Big Star flexed his thin muscles again.

Abyss Actor - Big Star (ATK: 2500→4000)

"Big Star's monster effect! Once per turn, I can set an "Abyss Script" Magic from my Deck!" Big Star held out a script book which made a set card appear on the field. Shingo then threw out his arm as that same card flipped face-up, "I activate the card I set, the Magic Card: Abyss Script - Cognitive Scan! I destroy both "Abyss Actors" in my Pendulum Zones…" Funky Comedian and Devil Heel were destroyed as Shingo pointed at Yuya, "And I declare the name of a card and if you happen to have that card in your hand, you have to discard it! And since I control the Level 7 Big Star, you can't activate cards or effects in response to this card's activation!" Yuya lowered his eyes as Shingo continued, "I declare that you have Barrier Magician in your hand!" Yuya looked down at his hand with his Barrier Magician card actually glowing red, meaning Sawatari called it right. He wasn't surprised since he did add and show the card earlier. While frowning a little, Yuya was forced to discard the monster by sending it to the graveyard. As Cognitive Scan left the field, it was another Abyss Script that allowed Mellow Madonna to gain more ATK.

Abyss Actor - Mellow Madonna (ATK: 2200→2300)

Shingo looked towards his monster with a smirk on his face, "I activate Mellow Madonna's effect! Once per turn, when an "Abyss Script" Magic is activated, this card allows me to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster from my Deck! Appear, Abyss Actor - Extras (ATK: 100, DEF: 100, LV: 1, PS: 3)!" As Mellow Madonna brought a cast list, Shingo summoned a monster that were three thin blue guys standing on top of a spaceship with each wearing a bowler hat and a different colored jacket.

Yuya was surprised when he saw what was summoned, "That monster…" He isn't surprised by how it was summoned as what did surprise him was the stats of that monster. He was confused as he thought Sawatari hated "weak" cards and that should count as one according to his standards.

Shingo didn't see Yuya's confusion as he was focused on his turn by holding up a card, "I activate the Magic Card: Abyss Script - Stage Preparations! With this card, I can draw a card for each "Abyss Actor" I control!" Since he had three on his field, it allowed him to draw three cards from his deck.

Abyss Actor - Mellow Madonna (ATK: 2300→2400)

"I activate Abyss Actor - Extras' effect!" Shingo declared as he looked at Yuya. "I tribute this card in order to place an "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster in my Pendulum Zone from my Deck!" All three Extras acted in applause before vanishing as Shingo yelled while holding out a fist, "I set the Scale 2 Abyss Actor - Pretty Heroine!" Inside one of the pillars of light, a pretty green-haired, purple lady with cat claws and wearing a purple witch hat and dress appeared on the field.

He then held up another monster from his hand, "Then, I also set the Scale 8 Abyss Actor - Eccentric Composer in my other Pendulum Zone!" As he placed the card in the other zone, a fiendish adult male appeared that had white hair covering his left green eye while wearing a dark blue suit with collars, purple boots and white gloves. He was carrying a composer baton in his hands while having a crazed look on his face.

Shingo smirked as he pointed up at his new monster, "I activate Eccentric Composer's Pendulum Effect! Once per turn, by paying 1000 LP, I add a Magic or Trap Card that includes "Abyss Actor" in its text!" Eccentric Composer waved his baton around like there was music being played before Shingo showed a card he added, "I add Abyss Actors' Costume Chest to my hand!"

SHINGO LP: 6000→5000

"Now, I activate the Continuous Magic: Abyss Actors' Costume Chest!" declared Shingo as a demonic purple and golden chest with hands designed at the base appeared next to him. "With this card, once per turn, I can equip an "Abyss Costume" Equip Magic from my Deck onto a "Abyss Actor" monster on my field!" The chest opened up as a shuriken popped out of a dark portal inside the chest, "I equip Big Star with Abyss Costume - Shuriken of the Ninja!" Big Star grabbed the shuriken in its hands before spinning around and changing his outfit into a ninja costume.

"Shuriken of the Ninja allows Big Star to gain 300 ATK." said Shingo as Big Star crouched down with his shurikens ready in hand.

Abyss Actor - Big Star (ATK: 4000→4300)

Shingo smirked as he pointed at Yuya, "Let's go, it's time to battle! Big Star attacks Odd-Eyes Magician!" Big Star suddenly was faster than ever as he dashed and jumped across the field, eventually facing Odd-Eyes Magician head on while the magician held out his staff in defense. Big Star threw his two shurikens and slashed through the magician, destroying him which launched Yuya as he yelled a little before doing a backflip and landing on a hill nearby unharmed with resolve still in his expression.

YUYA LP: 4100→2600

As Shingo jumped over to where the hill was in order to face Yuya head-on, Odd-Eyes Magician's effect vanished since it is no longer on the field.

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (ATK: 3000→2500)
Odd-Eyes Swordsman (ATK: 2500→2000)
Stargazer Magician (ATK: 1700→1200)
Precision Magician (ATK: 2000→1500)

After landing a few feet in front of Yuya, Shingo smirked at him, "We're not through yet! I attack Stargazer Magician with Mellow Madonna!" Madonna brought out sheet music and sang the song she was reading, creating musical notes that enveloped and destroyed the magician. Meanwhile, the blast also managed to destroy some rubble behind Yuya, meaning he can't go further on that path if he tried to.

YUYA LP: 2600→1400

Yuya had his arm shielding himself from the explosion before he moved away and smirked in excitement, "Awesome…"

"Even though Sawatari was at a disadvantage, he managed to bring Sakaki's life almost down completely and cut off his escape route!" shouted Nico with an excited smile on his face and holding out a fan in his hand. The crowd was getting more excited from seeing this amazing match as the cheers were getting louder and louder.

Shingo narrowed his eyes when he saw that Yuya was smiling and looked at him, "What are you smiling at? Do you know what kind of situation you are in?" He didn't understand how this guy could still be cheerful under dire circumstances.

Yuya nodded as his smile turned into a smirk, "Yeah, I know. But this is a really awesome duel!" As Shingo was confused by what he said, Yuya continued, "With the way this duel has been going, I've been having a lot of fun! And it is not just me, everyone in the audience is enjoying this as well! I believe I've found new possibilities so that's why I can't stop enjoying this!"

Shingo looked at Yuya for a moment before he closed his eyes and chuckled, "I can't help but enjoy this too." Yuya was surprised by this as Shingo smirked at him, "I'll be able to crush you in front of a huge crowd like this!" If he were honest, this is the most fun he's ever had in a duel before and he didn't expect it. He almost doesn't want this to end but his honor is more important right now.

Yuya stared at Shingo in surprise, "Sawatari…" He feels like Sawatari has changed a lot since he first met him and not just in dueling skills. As he felt excitement in his veins, he smirked back at Shingo, "I told you before, I won't let it end that easily!"

"No, right now is the end!" Shingo replied with a smirk before he held a finger towards his monster, "Since Big Star is an "Abyss Actor", Shuriken of the Ninja allows this card to attack twice each Battle Phase! I attack Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon with Big Star!" Big Star threw his shuriken towards Odd-Eyes, who planted his feet and stood his ground in resolve.

However, Yuya retaliated by pressing a button and holding out his hand, "I activate the Trap Card: Half Unbreak! My Odd-Eyes cannot be destroyed by this battle this turn and the damage I take from battles involving him is halved!" A bubble surrounded Odd-Eyes, acting as a shield as the shuriken bounced off the bubble but it created an explosion. In the midst of the explosion, Yuya shielded himself with both arms while being pushed back and just stopping slightly off the edge as it was over. Odd-Eyes was revealed to be safe as the bubble went away.

YUYA LP: 1400→500

Nico held up his mike as he smiled, "Sakaki uses his trap to lower the damage while also protecting his monster from destruction!" As the crowd got more hyped, one of the boys in the audience held out a fist, "Wow! This is really an intense match!" Another girl in the stands nodded, "Yeah, this is a great fight!" Shingo and Yuya smirked at each other as they were both getting hyped up as well.

Yuzu looked at the field, "I feel like Yuya's evolved again in this duel…" Gongenzaka nodded while holding out a fist, "Yeah, and Sawatari is doing pretty well." Ruri nodded as she smiled, "They both look like they're having fun." Rin nodded as well, "I think it is getting to us as well." Mikleo stared at the field for a moment before letting out a small and amused smile, "Well, who would've thought that guy has gotten this stronger."

Shingo was still smirking as he placed two cards in his duel disk, "I set two cards and end my turn." As two face-downs appeared, the effect of Funky Comedian wears off finally.

Abyss Actor - Big Star (ATK: 4300→2800)

Hokuto had a look of understanding on his face, "It looks like Sawatari is actually making strategic decisions." Yaiba nodded in agreement, "On top of that, he's having quite a bit of fun…" There was a pause for a moment before the both of them had a deadpanned and troubled expression, "Even though he's Sawatari…"

Shingo smiled as he held out a hand towards Yuya, "Come, Yuya! Let's see if you can make this more interesting!"

Yuya smiled in response before he nodded, "Sure." He then placed his fingers on his deck and drew with a lot of resolve in it, "My turn!" After looking at the card he drew, he raised his head and showed a determined expression on his face, "With the set Pendulum Scale, I can summon monsters with Levels 1 to 7 at the same time!" The giant pendulum was swinging as Yuya chanted, "Swing, my soul's Pendulum! Draw an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my monsters!" Yuya raised his hand into the sky as two lights appeared from the portal and morphed into monsters next to the others. "Appear from the Extra Deck, Stargazer Magician (ATK: 1200) and Odd-Eyes Magician (ATK: 2300)!" Both magicians materialized back as they bowed to Yuya in respect.

"Treasurer Magician's Pendulum Effect!" declared Yuya. "With it, I can draw cards equal to…!"

However, Shingo interrupted him with a smirk, "Too bad but I can't allow that to happen!" As Yuya was surprised, Shingo threw out his arm while flipping a card face-up, "I activate the Quick-Play Magic: Abyss Script - Binding Chains! I target face-up cards on the field up to the number of face-up "Abyss Actor" monsters in my Extra Deck and negate their effects this turn!" He pointed at Yuya's field, "I have four in my Extra Deck so I negate the effects of Treasurer Magician, Odd-Eyes Magician, Odd-Eyes Swordsman and Dragonpit Magician!" Transparent purple chains binded themselves around Yuya's monsters before going away immediately, though they looked like they'd been drained of some of their power.

Abyss Actor - Mellow Madonna (ATK: 2400→2500)

"Now, I activate Mellow Madonna's effect! Since I activated an "Abyss Script" Magic this turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster from my Deck! Come, Abyss Actor - Sassy Rookie (ATK: 1700)!" A familiar monster was brought back as Shingo used Madonna's effect in combination with his other card.

"Woah! Sawatari had managed to stop Sakaki's moves by negating some of his card's effects! What will Sakaki do now?!" announced Nico in more excitement.

Yuya looked at Shingo for a moment before he smiled in excitement, "Not bad. But I still have options available to me!" He picked up a card and held it out, "I activate the Magic Card: Pendulum Supply! I can tribute up to 2 Pendulum Monsters and draw a card for each monster released! I release Precision and Stargazer Magician!" Both monsters left the field which allowed Yuya to draw two cards with a lot of determination in them.

Yuya looked down to see what he drew, "This is…" It was Trump Witch along with a monster he hadn't used in a while. He then smiled as he felt more excited than ever since he can now use it. Yuya raised his head to look at Shingo, "By tributing a DARK monster, Odd-Eyes Swordsman, and sending an "Odd-Eyes" monster from my Deck to the Graveyard…" Swordsman vanished from the field and Odd-Eyes Cyborg was sent from the deck to the graveyard before Yuya held up one of the cards he drew, "I can Special Summon this monster from my hand, Odd-Eyes Wizard Dragon (ATK: 2500, DEF: 2500, LV: 7)!" A dichromatic dragon appeared on the field that had metallic scales covering his dark purple skin, armored almost to his entire body except his neck, his jeweled chest and the lower body area of the tail. The dragon also wore armor so that its wings were made of metal themselves while having metal rods attached at the top with a green orb on the right wing and a red orb on the left wing. Finally, on top of the dragon's head is an armored helmet that's shaped like a wizard hat.

The kids were in awe at the new monster they saw as Tatsuya held out a fist in excitement, "A new Odd-Eyes monster!" Futoshi danced a little in his seat, "Shivers!"

Yuya held up a monster, "I Normal Summon Entermate Trampolynx (ATK: 300, DEF: 300, LV: 2, PS: 4)!" He summoned a red-striped purple cat whose upper body was a literal trampoline while wearing a top hat. Yuya then pointed upwards, "I activate Trampolynx's monster effect! When this card is Normal Summoned, I can target a card in either players' Pendulum Zone and return it to their hand! I return Treasurer Magician to my hand!" Treasurer left the field as Yuya added it back to his hand as a result.

As Shingo narrowed his eyes and wondered what Yuya was he up to, Yuya smiled as he showed a different card, "I now set the Scale 4 Entermate Trump Witch in my empty Pendulum Zone!" Trump Witch appeared in the pillar of light before Yuya's smile grew bigger as he continued while holding out his hand, "I activate Trump Witch's Pendulum Effect! Once per turn, I can use monsters on my field as materials for a Fusion Summon!"

Shingo looked shocked when he heard that, "What?!"

Trump Witch held out her wand which produced her beam of spades, hearts and diamonds that hit the ground below, creating a colorful vortex swirling from it. Yuya turned to his monsters, "The monsters I choose to fuse are Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Odd-Eyes Magician!" Odd-Eyes Pendulum and Odd-Eyes Magician nodded as they both floated and were absorbed into the vortex.

"Ardent ally of the mystical arts!" Yuya chanted. "Become a bright light in the eye of the dragon! Fusion Summon! Come forth, arcane dragon wielder of ancient magic! Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, LV: 8)!" A giant ring appeared as a dragon's body morphed around it, making Rune-Eyes appear on the field while roaring.

Shingo looked at the Fusion Monster with a shocked expression before a smirk formed on his face, "Very interesting, Yuya! I didn't think you knew how to use Fusion! Now, let's finish this!"

"Yeah!" Yuya replied with a smirk of his own before throwing out his arm. "Battle! Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, attack Abyss Actor - Big Star! Shining Burst!" The three orbs on Rune-Eyes' back ring attached to themselves as they formed an energy triangle inside the ring. The left orb was glowing as Rune-Eyes was about to fire from it.

Shingo looked at Yuya, "So you attacked with him first." He turned towards the chest near him, "But I activate the effect of Abyss Actors' Costume Chest! I can equip an "Abyss Costume" Magic from my Deck onto an "Abyss Actor" I control!" The chest opened again before something popped out of the portal. "I equip Big Star with Abyss Costume - Dwarf's Shield!" A brown shield, whose design resembled the face of a dwarf, flew to Big Star's side before he placed it on his arm.

Abyss Actor - Big Star (DEF: 1800→2100)

"With Dwarf's Shield, Big Star gains 300 DEF! And since he is an "Abyss Actor", he can't be destroyed in battle once per turn!" Shingo clarified before Rune-Eyes roared as it fired a beam of energy from his left orb, engulfing Big Star but he survived thanks to his shield protecting him. Shingo winced a little as he still took a hit from the blast.

SHINGO LP: 5000→4800

"Woah! Sawatari has managed to prevent the destruction of his ace monster!" exclaimed Nico in excitement.

"It is not over yet! Rune-Eyes Pendulum can attack a number of times based on the Level of the Spellcaster-type used as Fusion Material!" Yuya clarified as he gestured towards Rune-Eyes. "Since Odd-Eyes Magician was Level 6, Rune-Eyes can attack up to three times!" Shingo was surprised by this as Yuya continued, "Rune-Eyes, attack Big Star again! Unending Shining Burst!" Rune-Eyes fired a beam from his right orb which destroyed Big Star this time and Shingo winced again in response.

SHINGO LP: 4800→4600

Yuya held up his hand again, "Here comes the third one! Rune-Eyes, attack Mellow Madonna! Unending Shining Burst!" Rune-Eyes roared as it unleashed a third energy beam from the top orb which made Shingo shield his face with his arm as Mellow Madonna was destroyed by the blast.

SHINGO LP: 4600→4100

Shingo gritted his teeth for a moment before moving his arm away and smirked, "A bit of damage won't faze me! I still have Sassy Rookie on my field and you can't destroy any more of my monsters now." Because of his effect, Sassy Rookie cannot be destroyed by battle once per turn and Yuya only has Wizard Dragon to attack with especially since Trampolynx doesn't have enough ATK to battle Sassy Rookie.

Yuya lowered his eyes as he looked at one of the cards in his hand, "Big Return…" He can activate and use Trump Witch's effect again but he's trying to figure out which one he should summon. As he was comtemplating this, he heard something like a roar before his vision went blank for a moment. In a black abyss, he saw a vision of what looked like a large dragon with four wings along with both a blue and red eye though the other details were shadowed. He stared at the monster in surprise before he smiled in understanding, "I understand. You want to fight too?" The dragon stared at him for a second before it roared into the sky as the vision ended and Yuya's sight returned to normal.

Yuya opened his eyes before he had a look of resolve on his face. As he had a feeling of what to do, he held up a card, "...I activate the Quick-Play Magic: Big Return! This allows me to use a "once per turn" card effect currently on the field!" Shingo narrowed his eyes in confusion before Yuya pointed up into the sky, "The card I choose to reuse is Trump Witch's Pendulum Effect! With it, I can Fusion Summon during the Battle Phase as well!"

Shingo was now completely shocked, "Wh-What?!" He was summoning another Fusion Monster and it is during the Battle Phase?

Ootomo looked surprised while holding out a fist, "A Fusion Summon?!" Yamabe sweated a little in worry, "During the Battle Phase?!" Kakimoto held his hands to his face in shock, "Is that even possible?!"

Trump Witch held out her wand again which created the beam that formed the colorful vortex in the sky. Yuya looked up at the field, "I fuse Odd-Eyes Wizard Dragon and Entermate Trampolynx!" Both monsters were absorbed into the colorful vortex as Yuya chanted, "Feline with the form of bounce, become one with the dragon that mastered the arts of wizardry to form the bursting winds! Fusion Summon! Appear, Level 7! Dragon that carries winds from the eye of the storm, Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon (ATK: 2500, DEF: 3000, LV: 7)!" From a sandstorm conjured in the open, a dragon appeared that was similar to other Odd-Eyes except it had green armor with gold outlined on it, covering most of its dark blue skin. It had four white wings that were used to fly in the air, almost structured in the way of a turbine as lightning formed around the dragon's body while the winds were raging around the arena.

Nico smiled in excitement as he shouted in the mike, "Unexpected! Sakaki has performed a second Fusion Summon and it was during the Battle Phase!" The audience cheered in excitement again as a result.

Yuya's friends were in awe from seeing the new monster as Yuzu muttered, "A new Odd-Eyes Fusion…"

Yuya smiled as he looked up at the field, "Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon's effect activates! When this card is Special Summoned, I can target a face-up Attack Position monster my opponent controls and return it to the hand!" Yuya chose Sassy Rookie as the wings on Vortex's back spun around while resembling the way a windmill turns.

Shingo's eyes widened in shock and gasped before he gritted his teeth, "Damn!" He looked at his cards for a second before he then threw out his arm and flipped a card up, "I activate the Quick-Play Magic: Abyss Script - Romantic Terror! I return an "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster to my hand and then Special Summon another "Abyss Actor" Pendulum with a different name face-up from my Extra Deck!" Sassy Rookie glowed as Shingo chose to return it.

"That's not going to work!" Yuya replied before he smiled. "I activate Vortex Dragon's other effect! Once per turn, when a Magic, Trap or Monster Effect is activated, I can shuffle a face-up Pendulum Monster from my Extra Deck into the Deck to negate and destroy the card! Thunder Burst!" Shingo's eyes widened even more as Yuya shuffled Kaleido Scorpion back into his deck. Vortex Dragon roared before lightning crashed onto Shingo's face-up magic and destroyed it. Since the magic card was negated, Sassy Rookie stopped glowing before Vortex's turbine wings created a gale that blew the monster away from the field and returned to Shingo's hand.

Yuya pointed at Shingo, "Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon, attack him directly! Blustering Gale!" Wind formed in Vortex's mouth before the dragon unleashed a tornado that blew Shingo across the floor by a few feet while he gritted his teeth.

SHINGO LP: 4100→1600

Shingo brushed it off as he raised his head and looked back at Yuya with a smirk, "I still have enough life to last next turn!"

Yuya looked back at him with a smirk, "You won't get another turn!" Shingo was surprised and confused by that before Yuya held out his hand, "I activate the Trap Card: Ethereal Connection! I target Vortex Dragon on my field and send a Pendulum Monster from my face-up Extra Deck to the Graveyard!" Yuya sent Odd-Eyes Swordsman as he continued, "With this card, Vortex Dragon gains ATK equal to half of Odd-Eyes Swordsman's ATK and can attack again this turn!" Shingo's eyes widened in shock as Vortex Dragon gained power while having a blue aura surround itself.

Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon (ATK: 2500→3500)

Yuya pointed at Shingo once again, "Let's end this! Vortex Dragon, attack him directly once again! Blustering Gale!" Vortex sent another wind burst from his mouth and enveloping Shingo, making him scream a bit as he was launched before landing on his back on the ground.

SHINGO LP: 1600→0

YUYA: WIN
SHINGO: LOSE

An image of Yuya appeared with the word win under it as the action field was disappearing with Nico announcing, "And that's it! The winner of the fourth match is Yuya Sakaki!" The cheers got loud again as the match was now over.

Yuzu, Ruri, Gongenzaka, Rin and Sora all threw their right arms up into the air, "He...did it!" All five of them shouted while having excited smiles on their faces.

Shingo grunted a bit as he slowly picked himself back up, feeling frustrated that he lost. He saw a hand reached out to him before he looked up and, to his surprise, Yuya was the one offering it with a smile on his face, "That was a fun duel."

Shingo closed his eyes while he had a frustrated expression on his face, "I hate to admit it…" He then got back up on his two feet, "...But it was fun." He didn't think he would enjoy dueling this much before.

As Yuya stared at Shingo in curiosity, Shingo's eyes widened as he heard the crowd clapping for the both of them. It seems they were happy to see this match unfold between them two. Yuya looked around the arena while smiling to see the crowd showing their applause. Shingo was more surprised as he had never received this much praise before and it was an odd feeling.

Deciding that he likes it, he turned to Yuya with a smile, "I'll face you again anytime. And next time, I won't lose!" Yuya looked back at him in surprise before he nodded with a smirk, "Sure, Sawa...no, Shingo." He corrected himself for a second as he said that with sincerity, gladly welcoming the challenge anytime. Shingo looked surprised again as barely anyone called him by his first name but, strangely, he decided he didn't mind as he smiled back. The both of them then turned towards the audience and waved back at them as the crowd continued cheering for them.

Shun stared in silence as he didn't pay any of the audience much attention, feeling a little impressed with what he saw in the match. He narrowed his eyes, "But..." However, Yuya used Fusion, that accursed method that caused destruction to his home. And the fact that he's related to Mikleo is making him more wary of this guy. He might have to keep an eye out of him as well.

In the LDS control room, Reiji was looking at Nakajima, "Use the data we used for Sawatari's Pendulum Cards and begin production on the others immediately. Also, have Sawatari come here so that his cards can be brought for further analysis." Nakajima nodded as he looked at his tablet, "Understood."

Meanwhile, Albel watched the entire duel through the monitor with Falin standing beside him. Albel smiled in a cold manner, "Very interesting. You're sure full of surprise, boy." He narrowed his eyes as he watched Yuya on the monitor, "But...is he really a threat?" He decided that can wait until later for further clarification as he turned his gaze toward Shingo on the monitor. As his smile grew colder, he looked down to press a button and spoke into the microphone, "Do it."

Fanfiction OC Memo:

Gem-Knight Brook
(LV: 4, Rock, EARTH, ATK: 1400, DEF: 1700)
Monster Effect: If this card is sent to the Graveyard as Fusion Material: You can send 1 "Gem-Knight" monster from your Deck to the Graveyard. If this card is banished: You can add 1 "Polymerization" or "Fusion" Magic from your Deck to your hand.

Excavation Gem Search (Trap Card) - When a "Gem-Knight" monster(s) you control is destroyed by battle or by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard: Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Gem-Knight" monster from your Deck.

Gem-Knight Lady Rainbow Obsidia
(LV: 6, Rock, EARTH, ATK: 2100, DEF: 900)
(1 "Gem-Knight" monster + 1 Pyro monster or 1 FIRE monster)
Monster Effect: Must first be Fusion Summoned. Once per turn, you can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; its ATK becomes half its current ATK, and if it does, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the amount lost by this effect. When this card you control is destroyed: Negate the effects of 1 face-up card your opponent controls.

Embedded Fusion (Magic Card) - Fusion Summon 1 Rock Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, by shuffling the Fusion Materials listed on it into the Deck, from among your cards in your GY and/or your face-up banished cards. You can banish this card from your GY: Target 1 of your banished "Gem-Knight" monsters or "Gem-" Magic/Trap Cards; return it to the Graveyard. You can only use each effect of "Embedded Fusion" once per turn.

Ensemble (Continuous Magic) - You can send 1 LIGHT monster from your Deck to the GY; Special Summon 1 "Melodious" monster from your hand, but you can only Special Summon "Melodious" monsters for the rest of the turn. If you Fusion Summon a "Melodious" monster: You can target 1 Level 5 or lower "Melodious" monster in your GY; Special Summon it. You can only use each effect of "Ensemble" once per turn.

Stage Replacement (Trap Card) - If a monster(s) you control is destroyed by battle or card effect: Special Summon 1 "Melodious" monster from your hand or Graveyard.

Concerta the Melodious Diva
(LV: 4, Fairy, LIGHT, ATK: 1600, DEF: 1300, PS: 1)
Pendulum Effect: When this card is activated: You can add 1 "Melodious" monster from your Graveyard to your hand. Once per turn, when a Level 7 or higher "Melodious" monster you control destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Draw 1 card.
Monster Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Melodious" monster from your Graveyard.

March the Melodious Diva
(LV: 2, Fairy, LIGHT, ATK: 800, DEF: 200)
Monster Effect: During damage calculation, if your opponent's monster attacks directly: You can discard this card; you take no battle damage from that battle. If a "Melodious" monster you control battles an opponent's monster while this card is in the Graveyard, during the start of the Damage Step, you can banish this card; your monster gains 500 ATK.

Gem-Break (Trap Card) - Discard 1 "Gem-" card, then target up to 2 monsters your opponent controls; destroy them.

Gem-Knight Lady Star Saphire
(LV: 10, Rock, EARTH, ATK: 3000, DEF: 2200)
(1 "Gem-Knight" Fusion Monster + 1 "Gem-Knight" monster)
Monster Effect: Must first be Fusion Summoned. This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls, once each. If a "Gem-Knight" monster you control battles an opponent's monster, that opponent's monster has its effects negated during this Battle Phase only. If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can Special Summon 1 "Gem-Knight" Fusion Monster from your Graveyard.

Wind Witch - Spring Bell
(LV: 5, Spellcaster, WIND, ATK: 2000, DEF: 1900, PS: 1)
Pendulum Effect: Each time a "Wind Witch" monster you control is destroyed, inflict 500 damage to your opponent.
Monster Effect: If you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can target 1 Level 4 or lower "Wind Witch" in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.

Wind Witch - Autumn Bell
(LV: 2, Spellcaster, WIND, Tuner, ATK: 1100, DEF: 700, PS: 7)
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn, if a "Wind Witch" monster you control is targeted for an attack by an opponent's monster: You can negate that attack, and if you do, inflict 500 damage to your opponent.
Monster Effect: If you control a "Wind Witch" monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is used as Synchro Material for the Synchro Summon of a "Wind Witch" monster: You can gain LP equal to half of the Synchro Monster's ATK.

Wind Witch - Rain Bell
(LV: 3, Spellcaster, WIND, ATK: 1100, DEF: 1100)
Monster Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can inflict 500 damage to your opponent. Once per turn, you can target 1 "Wind Witch" monster you control; increase or reduce that target's Level by 1 until the end of this turn.

Chaos Apprentice Knight
(LV: 1, Warrior, DARK, Tuner, ATK: 0, DEF: 0)
Monster Effect: If you control a LIGHT monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material: You can add 1 Level 8 LIGHT or DARK monster OR 1 "Gaia the Dark Knight" monster from your Deck to your hand.

Heavenly Soldier - Chaos Soldier
(LV: 8, Warrior, LIGHT, ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500)
(1 DARK Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner LIGHT monsters)
Monster Effect: Cannot be destroyed by card effects. While face-up on the field or in the Graveyard, this card is also DARK-Attribute. This card can attack twice during each Battle Phase. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing damage to your opponent. If this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Chaos Soldier" monster from your Deck to your hand.

Super Soldier Barrier (Continuous Trap) - While you control a "Chaos Soldier" monster, you take no damage. If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 "Chaos Soldier" in your Graveyard; add it to your hand.

Wind Witch - Draft Bell
(LV: 3, Spellcaster, Tuner, WIND, ATK: 1200, DEF: 900, PS: 6)
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn, when you Synchro Summon a "Wind Witch" monster: You can target 1 "Wind Witch" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.
Monster Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Wind Witch" monster or 1 "Wind Witch" Magic/Trap from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Wind Witch - Draft Bell" once per turn. This card can be treated as a Level 2 monster when used for the Synchro Summon of a "Wind Witch" monster.

Wind Witch - Baromet Bell
(LV: 6, Spellcaster, WIND, Synchro, ATK: 2100, DEF: 1900)
(1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Wind Witch" monsters)
Monster Effect: Once per turn, you can target 1 face-up card on the field; negate its effects until the end of this turn, and if you do, inflict 500 damage to your opponent. If this card attacks a Special Summoned monster: Halve the ATK of the attack target until the end of the Damage Step.

Wind Witch - Healing (Trap Card) - Banish 1 "Wind Witch" Synchro Monster from your field or Graveyard; gain LP equal to its ATK, then draw a card. You can banish this card from your Graveyard, then target 1 banished "Wind Witch" monster; Special Summon it.

Wind Witch - Chilly Bell
(LV: 3, Spellcaster, WIND, ATK: 1000, DEF: 1000)
Monster Effect: If an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon this card from your hand; change the attacking monster into Defense Position, and if you do, inflict 500 damage to your opponent. Once per turn, during either players' Battle Phase (Quick Effect): You can target 1 monster on the field; change its Battle Position, inflict 500 damage to your opponent.

Wind Witch - Turbine Bell
(LV: 8, Spellcaster, WIND, Synchro, ATK: 2700, DEF: 2500)
(1 WIND Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Wind Witch" monsters)
Monster Effect: If this card is Special Summoned: You can destroy all Special Summoned monsters your opponent controls; inflict 500 damage for every monster destroyed. At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles a monster: You can destroy that monster, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK the destroyed monster had on the field. This card's ATK must be greater than or equal to the ATK of that monster to activate and to resolve this effect.

Weather Blast (Trap Card) - Activate only when a "Wind Witch" Synchro Monster you control is removed from the field. Inflict damage to your opponent equal to its ATK. This turn, you cannot Special Summon.

Balance Retainer
(LV: 5, Warrior, EARTH, ATK: 1800, DEF: 2300)
Monster Effect: If you control a Pendulum Monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per turn, you can Tribute 1 Pendulum Monster you control; Add from your Deck to your hand, 1 Pendulum Monster with the same Pendulum Scale as the tributed monster's Pendulum Scale.

Guidance Seer
(LV: 6, Psychic, LIGHT, ATK: 1000, DEF: 0)
Monster Effect: This card gains DEF equal to the combined DEF of all other Defense Position monsters you control. You can only use each of the following effects of "Guidance Angel" once per turn.
● You can discard this card; Add 1 Pendulum Monster from your Extra Deck to your hand.
● When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon this card from your hand in Defense Position, then Special Summon 1 monster from your GY in Defense Position.

Precision Magician
(LV: 4, Spellcaster, LIGHT, ATK: 1500, DEF: 1800, PS: 6)
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn, when your Pendulum Monster leaves the field: Draw a card.
Monster Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Magician" Pendulum Monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Precision Magician" once per turn.

Chain Veiler
(LV: 1, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 0, DEF: 0, PS: 0)
Monster Effect: During either players' turn: You can send this card from your hand to the GY, then target 1 face-up Magic/Trap your opponent controls; negate its effects until the end of this turn.

Pendulum Supply (Magic Card) - Tribute up to 2 Pendulum Monsters you control; draw a card for each monster tributed by this effect. You can only 1 "Pendulum Supply" per turn.

Abyss Actor - Stunt Double
(LV: 4, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 1500, DEF: 1500, PS: 6)
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn, if an "Abyss Actor" you control is destroyed: You can Special Summon an "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster with a different name from your hand or GY.
Monster Effect: If an "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is Special Summoned by its own effect: You can Special Summon 1 "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster face-up in your Extra Deck in Defense Position; and if you do, gain LP equal to the original ATK of the monster Summoned by this effect. You can only use each effect of "Abyss Actor - Stunt Double" once per turn.

Abyss Actor - Mischievous Manager
(LV: 5, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 2200, DEF: 1800, PS: 1)
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn, when you Pendulum Summon an "Abyss Actor" monster: You can add 1 "Abyss Actor" Magic/Trap from your Deck to your hand.
Monster Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can send 1 "Abyss Script" Magic or 1 "Abyss Actor" monster from your Deck to the Graveyard. During your End Phase: You can target 1 "Abyss Script", "Abyss Costume" or "Abyss Prop" Magic in your Graveyard; Set that target but destroy it during the End Phase of your next turn. You can only activate each effect of "Abyss Actor - Mischievous Manager" once per turn.

Abyss Actors' Shady Deal (Continuous Trap) - Once per turn, when your opponent activates a card or effect while you control an "Abyss Actor" monster: You can activate this effect; the effect becomes "Your opponent destroys 1 set Magic/Trap they control". If this Set card in its owner's control is destroyed by an opponent's card effect, and you have a face-up "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster in your Extra Deck: Negate the effects of all face-up monsters your opponent controls until the end of the next turn.

Abyss Actor - Avid Intern
(LV: 1, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 500, DEF: 500, PS: 4)
Pendulum Effect: You can destroy this card; Add 1 Level 4 or lower "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only use the Pendulum Effect of "Abyss Actor - Avid Intern" once per turn.
Monster Effect: During your opponent's Battle Phase, if you take battle or effect damage: You can banish this card face-up from your Extra Deck; draw a card, and then end the Battle Phase.

Abyss Script - Stage Preparations (Magic Card) - Draw 1 card for each "Abyss Actor" monster you control. If this Set card in its owner's control is destroyed by an opponent's card effect, and you have a face-up "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster in your Extra Deck: You can gain 1000 LP for each "Abyss Script" Magic in your GY. You can only use each effect of "Abyss Script - Stage Preparations" once per turn.

Abyss Script - Cognitive Scan (Magic Card) - Destroy 2 "Abyss Actor" cards in your Pendulum Zones; then declare 1 card name. If the declared card is in your opponent's hand, send it to the Graveyard. If you control a Level 7 or higher "Abyss Actor" monster, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this card's activation. If this Set card in its owner's control is destroyed by an opponent's card effect, and you have a face-up "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster in your Extra Deck: You can shuffle 1 random card in your opponent's hand into the Deck. You can only activate 1 "Abyss Script - Cognitive Scan" per turn.

Abyss Actor - Eccentric Composer
(LV: 7, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 2200, DEF: 2500, PS: 8)
Pendulum Effect: You can pay 1000 LP; add 1 Magic/Trap from your Deck to your hand that has "Abyss Actor" in its text, also you cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except "Abyss Actor" monsters (even if this card leaves the field). You can only use this effect of "Abyss Actor - Eccentric Composer" once per turn.
Monster Effect: Your opponent's monsters lose 100 ATK for each "Abyss Script" Magic in your GY. You can only use each of the following effects of "Abyss Actor - Eccentric Composer" once per turn.
● When your Pendulum Monster in your Monster Zone is destroyed by a card effect: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.
● If an "Abyss Script" Magic or effect is activated (except during the Damage Step): You can add 1 Level 4 or lower "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster from your Deck to your hand.

Abyss Costume - Shuriken of the Ninja (Equip Magic) - If you activate an effect that would add or target an "Abyss Script" Magic Card from your Deck or GY: You can choose this card. The equipped monster gains 300 ATK. If the equipped monster is an "Abyss Actor" monster, it can attack twice each Battle Phase. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 Magic/Trap your opponent controls; destroy it. You can only use this effect of "Abyss Costume - Shuriken of the Ninja" once per turn.

Abyss Script - Binding Chains (Quick-Play Magic) - Target face-up cards on the field, up to the number of face-up "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monsters in your Extra Deck; negate their effects until the end of this turn. If this Set card in its owner's control is destroyed by an opponent's card effect, and you have a face-up "Abyss Actor" Pendulum Monster in your Extra Deck: You can destroy all Magic/Trap Cards your opponent controls. You can only use each effect of "Abyss Script - Binding Chains" once per turn.

Some OCG, TCG, Anime and/or Manga effects are changed for the sake of convenience

Changes to Actual Cards

Abyss Actors' Costume Chest (Continuous Magic) - Once per turn, during either players' turn, you can take 1 "Abyss Costume" Equip Magic from your Deck; either equip it onto 1 "Abyss Actor" monster you control, or send it to the GY. You can send this card you control to the GY, then target 1 "Abyss Costume" Equip Magic in your GY; add it to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Abyss Actors' Costume Chest" once per turn.

Abyss Costume - Dwarf's Shield (Equip Magic) - If you activate an effect that would add or target an "Abyss Script" Magic Card from your Deck or GY: You can choose this card. The equipped monster gains 300 DEF. If the equipped monster is an "Abyss Actor" monster, the first time it would be destroyed by battle or card effects each turn, it is not. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 monster your opponent controls; change that target's battle position. You can only use each effect of "Abyss Costume - Dwarf's Shield" once per turn.

Odd-Eyes Wizard Dragon
(LV: 7, Dragon, DARK, ATK: 2500, DEF: 2500)
Monster Effect: If this card is in your hand: You can Tribute 1 DARK monster; send 1 "Odd-Eyes" monster from your hand, Deck, or face-up field to the GY, and if you do, Special Summon this card. If this card in your possession is destroyed by an opponent's card and sent to your GY: You can Special Summon 1 "Odd-Eyes" monster from your Deck or GY, except "Odd-Eyes Wizard Dragon".

Alright, I figure some people might be wondering so I'll address this. I did not include the duel between Ayu and Reira as well as Gongenzaka and Ankokuji simply because there was nothing I was going to change in that duel. If I don't need to add or change anything, then I feel I don't have to include the full duels. I basically summarized the duels into a few sentences without them being too long. I apologize if you guys don't like that but it does help in moving this story on a little faster (at least in the starting arc) instead of repeating the exact same duels. This definitely took long to make since this was basically fitting around six anime episodes into one chapter and I'm no stranger to doing that but it is worth it. Now, this is officially the longest chapter I've done. And since Shingo is using Abyss Actors, I figured I should introduce them now rather than using Yosenjus like in the anime. I also wanted to expand more on Abyss Actors than what we were given since I believe it could have been a really fun and powerful archetype.

And that was Chapter 27, I shared a lot of stuff including part of Mikleo's past, who isn't bothered by it much. There's more to come in the next chapter which might tell you all more about what's to come later in the Maiami Championship at least for this story.

On a side note, anybody else happy to see new Phantom Knights and Raid Raptors support for Yuto and Shun in Phantom Rage? I know I am!

Anyway, I hope y'all like the chapter and I'll see you in the next one.

NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW:

The Inner Darkness of the First Round

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