Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing

by SkyRig

One day, Yuya and Yuzu discover a boy, unconscious in the park. Strangely, the boy has the same face as Yuya. When he awakens, he reveals he remembers nothing. Only his name: "Zarc."

16. Scale 16 (Part 1)

A Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Fanfiction:
"Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing"

---

Scale 16: Supreme King's Wrath

As Yuya and Gongenzaka expected, when Shuzo learned what happened, he was understandably terrified and refused to let Yuzu out of her sight for even a minute. Yuzu protested of course, saying she didn't need to be coddled, but her father was adamant. It was not just her, either; Shuzo refused to allow any of his students to participate in any duels outside of You Show until the Rare Hunters were dealt with. The students were instructed to head straight home and take no detours.

A week had passed since then, and so far, no further incidents had transpired. Aside from the occasional challenges, there had been no sign of the Rare Hunters whatsoever. It seemed as though they had retreated for the time being, or perhaps they were laying low for now and were waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

Either way, Sora found himself immensely bored.

"Sora, get off the console!" Shuzo scolded him from below as he worked. The panel on the main console was removed, revealing numerous circuits and wires and machinery that let the machine function. Though a new Solid Vision engine was installed, he still regularly performed maintenance to ensure there was nothing wrong. "I don't want you pushing anything by accident!"

"But I'm so booored~ There's nothing exciting going on right now, and Yuya-sensei or Zarc-sensei is here!"

If he were being honest, Sora felt disappointed he missed all the action. He had been busy entertaining two of the three ankle biter trio that he was unable to accompany Joey on his errand with Ayu and Zarc, nor visit Yuya, Gongenzaka or Yuzu while they were at school. If he had, he would have had the chance to duel these so-called Rare Hunters for himself.

He was mildly curious about these duelists and looked them up in his spare time. They were somewhat interesting, given their willingness to resort to any means necessary to get the cards they wanted, but other than that, they weren't anything to write home about. At best, he imagined that Academia might be willing to recruit them into their ranks and offer the cards they desired as an incentive. There was remarkably little information about their leader, unfortunately. All anyone knew about him was that he possessed a card that existed only in rumor. One of three cards, said to be among the most powerful in all of Duel Monsters.

Sora wanted to laugh at the idea that such a card existed. All one needed were decent cards, a good understanding of their effects, and a good mind to work out a strategy. Even the most worthless of cards could become invaluable in the hands of a genius.

All in all, he marked the Rare Hunters as a low priority. He would ignore them, but he would not dismiss the opportunity to put them in their place if he ever got one. In truth, a small part of Sora felt outraged by what they had done to Yuzu. He was not as close to her as the others, at best viewing her as a potential rival. She was entertaining at some times, especially when she acted as though she were the voice of reason in Yuya's antics up until she busted out with the paper fan. Like the others, she believed that dueling was meant to bring smiles to everyone, opponents included, but she had that fierce competitor spirit all Duelists had by nature.

Sora considered her a mere acquaintance, but when he saw her bandaged and bruised, he felt a burning rage and indignation. The thought that someone dared to harm her infuriated him and wanted nothing more than to card them on the spot, then tear the cards apart to ensure there was no hope of them ever coming back.

It was an odd thing to feel, and something he didn't quite understand. It was partially the reason why he had been so listless as of late, wanting to find something to do to keep his mind off things.

"If you want something to do, then why don't you try helping me out here?" Shuzo asked.

Sora snickered. "Sorry, sensei, but I don't know the first thing about maintaining a machine unless it's my Duel Disk."

"Really do love dueling, don't you?"

"Doesn't everyone?"

Shuzo shrugged. "Fair point." For a short while, silence fell back in the control room as Shuzo worked on maintenance before he suddenly asked Sora, "Say, I've been meaning to ask, but did you have any friends before you came to our school, Sora?"

The blue-haired boy shook his head. "Nope. I spent all my time dueling my classmates and instructors. I didn't really see the point."

"Really? You never had a single friend in your old school?" Shuzo looked disturbed. "Well, what about rivals?"

Sora pursed his lips and stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I didn't have anyone like that, either. There is one person I've never been able to beat, but he scares the hell out of me than anything else." And he prayed to god he would never have to duel Yuri again within the foreseeable future. "Now, if you asked about if there was anyone I respect, there's the guy who taught me everything I know about Fusion in the first place."

"Oh?"

The blue-haired boy nodded. "Mm-hm. He's a pro when it comes to Fusion; he knows every possible way to summon a Fusion monster, using either Spell Cards, Monster Effects or even the effects of the Fusion Monster he wants to bring out. Pop Quiz for you, Shuzo-sensei: How do you perform Contact Fusion?"

"Eh? Contact Fusion?" Shuzo scrunched his brow and looked up at the ceiling. "Er, I-I don't know… Actually, I don't think I've ever heard of that one before."

Sora snickered. "I'm not surprised! Compared to back home, people around here don't know much about Fusion Summoning as they think. Contact Fusion is kind of an advanced method. Basically, it uses the effect of a Fusion Monster in your Extra Deck to summon itself without the use of Spell or Trap Cards. So long as you have the monsters that match its requirements, you can summon it with no strings attached."

"R-really?!" As Sora expected, Shuzo looked amazed. "That sounds amazing…"

"Yup, and Teach specializes in it. He's something of a legend back in my old school." As he recalled his memories at Academia, Sora remembered the last duel he ever had with him and frowned. "He was pretty weird, though. He always went on about how dueling should be for fun and make friends."

"And what's wrong with that?"

"In a duel, all that matters is whether or not you lose, right?"

That was all Sora knew in Academia; in fact that was all they needed to know. In a duel—in a battle, all that mattered was whether it was you or your opponent lying on the ground in defeat. The winner was the one in the right, and the loser had to accept whatever the victor decided. Of course, defeat was utterly shameful and should be avoided at all costs as far as he was concerned. All that should matter in a battle was victory and nothing more. So what if someone lost? It was their own fault for being weak.

Besides, it wasn't like they would complain forever. Once they saw the world the Professor wanted to create for them, the Utopia that awaited once the dimensions were united, they would accept their defeat.

Even the guys at You Show would understood. They had to.

Or at least, that was what Sora kept convincing himself.

"I don't think that's right, Sora." Shuzo's words brought Sora out of his daydreams. Looking at the Principal, he found a rare serious look on the man's face as he stood up, having finished with his maintenance. "While I won't deny that there are a few duelists who think like that, that isn't to say that winning or losing is all that matters in a duel. Having fun is the most important part in dueling, just as it is enjoying dueling with someone you like."

Sora blinked. "Someone I like?"

"Yeah, like a rival or a friend. A family member, a classmate, a lover, a teacher; someone you can have fun dueling with, regardless of who wins and who loses." To Sora's annoyance, Shuzo put his hand atop his head and rubbed it as he would a child. "I'm sure you know that, being a student of You Show and all. I mean, you enjoy dueling with Yuya and the others, right?"

The man's words gave Sora pause. It was true that he enjoyed his duels with the other students of You Show Duel School, but that was only because of the data he was getting. Pendulum Summoning was very interesting, and it was only a matter of time before Academia would use it for themselves. That, and the more skilled members of the school like Zarc, Yuya and Joey satisfied his hunger for challenging battles. He was a little frustrated that Zarc refused to indulge in some of his more "passionate" moments when it was clear he could do so much more, though.

That said, he did notice that, every now and then, this unusual feeling would bubble deep in his chest while he was dueling. A feeling that wasn't excitement or fulfillment of facing a challenge.

Is that what Shuzo-sensei is talking about? Sora wondered for a moment before shaking his head. No, can't be. No way I'm getting so soft so easily. Ugh, if Teach was here, he'd be bouncing up and down and congratulating me for getting some friends.

The mere thought of finding himself in one of his Teacher's glomps was enough to make him shudder. To his relief, the mental image faded fairly quickly when a buzzer went off in the room.

"We've got a guest!" Shuzo exclaimed excitedly. "Maybe we're getting a new student?! Hold on a minute, I'll be right there!"

Sora sweatdropped as he watched Shuzo bolt out of the room, unsure what to make of his antics before shrugging. He hopped off the console and went over to the main hall to go greet their mystery guest.

When he reached the main lobby, he saw that their guest was already inside. It was a young man in his early twenties; dark skin with unruly silver hair, gold bangles around his neck and wearing a sleeveless hoodie with faded worn-out jeans and sneakers. Strapped to his left wrist was a Duel Disk, an older model by the look of it with a physical "blade" attached to the side.

When the young man and Sora made eye contact, the latter felt something inside him shiver. A wave of pure dread not unlike his meeting with Yuri washed over him.

W-what the hell is this? This sense of murderous intent… I haven't felt anything like this in Standard!

"Welcome!" Shuzo greeted jovially from behind Sora. "I'm Shuzo Hiiragi, Principal of You Show Duel School! What can I do for you?"

The young man smiled slightly. "Truth be told, I was hoping if you would be willing to accommodate me with a duel?"

"Oh? May I know the reason why?"

"It's a little embarrassing to say, but I'm falling slightly behind on my win-lose ratio. I'm hoping I can get it up to where I can participate in the preliminaries for the Maiami Championship."

"I can understand that. Unfortunately, almost all of our students are out." Shuzo looked at Sora. "Unless Sora here wants to give it a go. You haven't had a chance to stretch your legs since the whole thing with LDS, right?"

The blue-haired boy nodded. "I wouldn't mind," he replied before extending a hand towards the young man. "I'm Sora Shiunin, You Show's resident Fusion expert. Try not to cry when I pound you into the dirt."

The young man smiled back as he wrapped his hand around Sora's and squeezed. "I'll try and endure, Sora-kun."

Sora narrowed his eyes. The young man was smiling, but his eyes were not. He could see it clear as day, shadows of malignant intent that promised danger. The Fusion duelist felt his lips curve into a scowl, almost bearing his fangs. He did not know who this man was or what he intended to do, but if he thought he could walk in here and think he could try something, he had another thing coming.

It didn't matter what the Principal was going to say to him afterwards, he was going to enjoy ripping this bastard to pieces!

---

Reiji found himself frowning. He stared at the document in his hands, rereading every line on the page in case he missed something before he looked up at the woman who handed it to him.

"Is this information legitimate?"

"It is, President," the woman bowed her head respectfully as she answered. "The Duel Monsters Committee is just as baffled as you are. We've reached out to the programmers and developers of the Duel Disk models matching the ones used by the Rare Hunters, but they've yet to find anything substantial."

"I see…" He sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose. He expected to run into a few hurdles, but he did not think he would meet one this confusing. "Please continue the good work and inform me if anything changes."

"Understood," the woman bowed again and left the room.

Left to himself, Reiji stared at the document in his hand once again as though he hoped a new clue would unveil itself to him. When it did not, he shook his head and set it on his desk before turning his chair to look at the scenery of Maiami City stretching out below him. It was a spectacular view, found only in the office of the President of the Leo Corporation. He idly wondered if his father used to look at this view when he was still President before turning such thoughts away to more important matters.

As he expected, when word reached the DCM that the Rare Hunters were using illegal cards in duels, they launched a full-scale investigation. Programmers were asked to inspect the Dueling System software used in the Duel Disks confiscated from the Rare Hunter's persons to see if the Duel Disks themselves had been hacked. Manufacturers were contacted as well, specifically those responsible for designing the Duel Disks in question and see if they were any illegal modifications done to them. The investigation was still ongoing, but there was a bit of progress these last couple of days.

A week had passed since the incident involving the Rare Hunters at Maiami Academy. While other duelists reported having dealt with Rare Hunters of their own, they were but fodder and did not possess any illegally made card on their person. This suggested that only high-ranking members used such cards or at least those who caught the leader's attention enough that they received an illegal card. Alternatively, these members created their own illegal cards, though Reiji doubted that given the profile of the Rare Hunters caught.

In any event, the fact that the Rare Hunters were capable of using illegal cards in spite of the many safeguards that prevented such things from happening.

"If it isn't the software or the Duel Disk, then the problem must be within the cards themselves," Reiji muttered. "But how is that possible?"

As he pondered for the answer, the phone at his desk rang. He picked up the receiver and held it against his ear. "Akaba speaking…"

Reiji's eyes widened, lunging to his feet. "What did you just say?!"

---

In a contrast to the lively day Zarc, Yuzu, Gongenzaka and Yuya had been having after finally having some downtime to themselves, the sight they were greeted with upon returning to You Show Duel School was nothing short of horrific. The front entrance was cracked apart, the walls scorched and marked with black soot. The inside was far worse when they entered in fear of finding a corpse. The source of the fire was the Duel Arena, which was upended and cracked to pieces as though something with tremendous force caused the ground to break apart upon impact. Fires raged inside, slowly encroaching the building.

The fire department arrived fairly quickly and went to work putting out the fires. Meanwhile, the students of You Show were all gathered near an ambulance, watching as paramedics took an unconscious and seriously injured Sora inside the van.

They did not speak during the entire time, too worried about their friend. They waited for hours in the hospital, waiting to hear from the doctor in charge of Sora's condition. After three hours of waiting, a nurse came by and told them that Sora was stable and conscious.

No sooner had they heard the news did they barrel inside. The blue-haired boy was wearing white medical garbs, bandages wrapped around his arms and face. Were it not for the seriousness of the situation, they would have laughed comically at him for looking like a mummy.

"Thank god you're okay!" Yuzu sobbed. "W-when we saw You Show, we-!" She wrapped her arms around Sora, tears openly spilling down her face. "I-I thought we lost you!"

Initially stunned by the open show of concern, Sora awkwardly and stiffly returned the hug.

"What on earth happened in there?" Gongenzaka all but demanded. "Who did this to you, Sora?! I, the manly Gongenzaka, swear to make them pay!"

As Yuzu pulled away, Sora frowned and turned away from the group in shame. A feeling of worthlessness and regret formed in his stomach as he recalled the duel and how it ended.

"…I have no idea who he was, but a weird guy came by You Show Duel School. He asked the Principal if he could set up a duel so he could bump up his win-loss ratio for the Maiami Championship."

Zarc frowned. "Wait, Shuzo-san was there? But, we didn't see him anywhere nearby…"

"That's because the bastard took him." They gasped in shock at Sora's words. Wordlessly, the blue-haired boy leaned over, taking a slip of paper from the desk next to him that had his Duel Disk, and handed the paper to Yuya. "The doctors found this on me while I was unconscious."

Yuya unfolded the paper. As he and Yuzu read it, their faces twisted into anger once they saw what was written.

"The Rare Hunters…!" Yuzu hissed, fingers coiling into a tight fist. The skin of her palms threatened to break from the pressure of her nails. "First they kidnap me, then they attack our school and take my Dad?! Ooh, wait until I get my hands on them!"

"I thought they were being too quiet, even after all that happened." Zarc looked at Sora for answers. "You dueled the guy who kidnapped Shuzo-san. What can you tell us about him?"

"He's Egyptian, I think. Dark skin, gold necklace, white hair," Sora recounted the details. "His deck is unlike anything I've seen before. He has a monster I've never even heard of up until now. Every time it seemed like I had him on the ropes, he managed to regain his Life Points and wiped out my field in minutes while buffing his ace monster like crazy. From what I get, his main strategy is to beef his monster with his Life Points, and if his monster gets destroyed, regain his Life Points while getting ready to bring it back."

"If he managed to give you trouble, he's no ordinary duelist…" Gongenzaka grunted.

Yuya scowled and glared at the floor. "I'm sorry, Sora. If we had been there, then maybe we would have…!"

"Eh? You're worried about me?"

"Of course we are! You are our friend. Friends look out for each other," Yuzu smiled.

Sora stared at the group wide-eyed before he shook his head, suddenly finding his bed sheets to be more interesting.

"Stay here and rest for now," Zarc told him. "We'll deal with this bastard and get the Principal back, no sweat."

"…be careful, Zarc. He's no pushover."

"Don't worry, we'll be careful!" Yuya promised him before he looked to his friends. "Let's go!"

Gongenzaka, Yuzu and Zarc nodded and left Sora's room. They made it ten steps out the door when Yuya collided into somebody. "Whoa, hey! Where's the fire?" To the group's surprise, they ran into none other than Joey. Trailing behind him were Futoshi, Ayu and Tatsuya, all of whom looked concerned. "What's got you guys in a rush?"

"Sora told us what happened while we were gone! Dad's been kidnapped by a Rare Hunter!" Yuzu told them immediately.

The trio gasped in horror, no doubt thinking back to when they learned of how Yuzu had been kidnapped not too long ago. Joey's face darkened at the mention of the group. "Those assholes are causing trouble again?! Tch! They never learn to give up, do they? Where are they?!"

"They're holding him hostage at Maiami Aquarium! If you're coming, shake a leg! We don't have much time!"

---

The students of You Show made a mad dash through the city until finding a bus stop whose schedule matched with their time window. The ride on the bus to the aquarium was full of tension and dread, all of them fearing for Shuzo Hiiragi's safety. Though her time with the Rare Hunters was brief, Yuzu recalled how terrified she had been when they ganged up on her. She could still feel the bite of a taser against her neck and the harsh blow of knuckles coming down over her face when she attempted to escape from their clutches. The thought of her father going through something similar, or worse, only made her grow more concerned.

It must have shown on her face because as they neared their destination, Yuya put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry," he assured her. "We'll get him back."

Yuzu looked into Yuya's eyes and knew everything would be fine. She smiled slightly and nodded, grateful for his help.

The bus arrived at Maiami Aquarium. No sooner had the doors opened had the students of You Show spilled out, making an immediate bee-line towards the front door. They paid no heed to the security guards at the front who called out to them, more concerned about their school principal than about something as trivial as an entry fee. They made it pass the main lobby, entering a hallway lined with large fish tanks full of fishes of all sizes when they came to a stop.

In the middle of the hall were a group of thugs, all wearing Duel Disks on their arms. Each had a smug look as if they knew their victory was assured. It did not take them long to figure out who these people were.

"We do not have time for this crap!"

Joey and Yuzu rushed forward. The thugs raised their Duel Disks, but screamed in shock and pain when instead of a Duel they received knees to the face, knocking them down to the ground. None of them had any patience to deal with the Rare Hunters after what they did, nor did they want to Duel at the moment. All they wanted was to break a few bones and find Shuzo.

To their credit, the Rare Hunters were not as unprepared for such an event as they seemed. Once they got over their shock, they swarmed the two. One Rare Hunter tried to swing a punch at Yuzu, but found Gongenzaka blocking his way, grabbing his fist and retaliating with a haymaker. The thug fell to the ground with a yelp, cradling his now broken nose. Another thug was backhanded by Joey, who then followed up with a knee to the gut and a kick to the head.

"We got this covered!" Joey shouted at Yuya, Yuzu and Zarc. "Just leave this to us! Go look for the Chief, yeah?!"

"We'll come back for you!" Yuzu promised.

A Rare Hunter barred their path. "I don't think so, kids!"

He lunged at Yuzu in the hopes of making her into a hostage of his own. Instead, he found himself facing down the wrathful pink-haired asura. She ducked beneath his swing and retaliated with a flurry of punches to his midsection, pounding away at his stomach before delivering a roundhouse kick to his jaw that sent him flying. He hit the tank next to him face-first, cheek practically glued to the glass before he slumped to the ground. Yuzu glowered at his fallen form before following Yuya and Zarc.

Gongenzaka and Joey stood with their backs facing each other, one assuming a karate stance while the other held up his fists in front of his face as though he were a boxer. The Rare Hunters glared at them, a few brandishing what looked to be brass knuckles and pocket knives.

"Haven't been in a good ol' fashion brawl since me and Tristan had to deal with that asshole Trudge," Joey grinned fondly at the memory before he looked at Gongenzaka. "How 'bout you, big guy? When's the last time you fought a group of leathered pansies?"

The burly teen grunted. "I never involved myself in such juvenile affairs, to be honest. For these lowlifes? I, the man Gongenzaka, will make an exception!"

"Glad to hear that, cuz it looks like we're gonna be here a'while!"

With a roar, Joey and Gongenzaka leaped into the fray.

---

Although two of their friends stayed behind to deal with the Rare Hunters blocking their path, they were far from the only ones. Other Rare Hunters stood in their way, and unlike their compatriots, they knew the You Show students weren't in the mood to duel and instead came at them in full force.

Unlike Yuzu, Yuya had no formal self-defense training and mostly relied on his athletics and acrobatics to evade his attackers, using the environment to his advantage. One Rare Hunter attempted to strike him from behind with a metal bat. Yuya dodged under the swing and knocked him to the ground by sweeping him off his feet, then proceeded to bash a nearby folding chair over the Rare Hunter's head, knocking them out instantly.

Yuzu was on the warpath, showing that what Gongenzaka said when she had been kidnapped earlier had not been an exaggeration. She was punching and kicking her way through the crowd, sometimes sending them flying with a haymaker or a roundhouse kick. One poor sap found his face buried in the ground when he found himself on the receiving end of a very heavy ax-kick to the head. Another attempted to grab her and pin her down, but she snatched his wrist and threw him straight into a group of oncoming Rare Hunters, creating a tangled mess of limbs that she was all too happy to crush.

Zarc was fairing slightly better than Yuya, having found himself being a natural brawler. His attacks weren't as strong or as quick as Yuzu's were, but he was handling himself very well. Some managed to get a few hits on, striking him on the back with a bat or slugging him in the stomach or face, but he recovered quickly enough to pay them back tenfold.

After ten minutes of fighting and struggling, all obstacles standing in their way were removed. By the end of it, Zarc was sporting a nasty bruise on his left cheek and a split lip, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. Yuzu was untouched by the violence but appeared winded, while Yuya was cradling his side, wincing in pain.

"First time I've been in a fist fight before…" Yuya grimaced. "I think I'll stick to dueling if you don't mind?"

"Amen to that," Yuzu nodded in agreement. "Come on, let's go! Dad's waiting for us!"

The boys nodded and followed after Yuzu. They went further inside the aquarium. Thankfully there were no more Rare Hunters waiting to stall them. Eventually they reached their destination, arriving in the eastern wing of the aquarium. It was a large circular room with two levels, one right at the top of the tank and the other at the bottom. The tank in question was home to at least four sharks. Fixed over the tank was a platform, suspended by black cords hanging from the ceiling. Standing atop the platform was a man with white-hold hair, a Duel Disk strapped to his wrist.

"Dad!" Yuzu cried out when she saw her father.

Shuzo, who must have been unconscious up until now, stirred awake. At first confused, he soon grow frightened and screamed when he realized he was hanging over the shark tank, stringed up like a turkey and fresh meat for the sharks.

Yuzu was about to leap until the platform and get him down, but Yuya stopped her. "Yuya, what are you doing?! Let me go! Dad's-!"

"You can't!" Yuya hissed. "Take a look at that platform!"

Zarc looked at the platform and immediately saw why Yuya stopped her. The cords holding the platform up were too thin and looked fragile, and the platform itself did not appear to be very sturdy or heavy.

"You're smarter than I pegged you to be," the Rare Hunter remarked. "I've made it so if more than two people stand on this platform, the cords holding it up will snap. If this platform goes down, we'll be fish food. I'm confidant in my ability to get out before that happens, but are you?"

Yuzu scowled and looked ready to charge in. Before she could force Yuya away, Zarc leaped out and jumped onto the platform. When he landed, it swayed and groaned. It took him a moment to steady his footing.

"Zarc?!"

"I got this, don't worry!"

'I can't let them face this guy,' Zarc thought as he glared at the Rare Hunter, feeling a bead of sweat drip down his forehead. 'This is the guy Sora warned us about.' The moment he laid eyes on this man, he instantly knew he couldn't allow either Yuya or Yuzu to fight him.

If they did, the sharks would be the least of their worries.

An overwhelming, intense heat radiated off the man. Staring him down, Zarc felt as if he stood before the sun. From within his deck he heard the cautious growls of his monsters, also feeling a great danger from this man.

"Z-Zarc, be careful!" Shuzo cried out. "He's crazy strong! He wiped out Sora!"

"I know!" Zarc called back.

The Rare Hunter smirked. "Zarc, is it? I've heard of you… The only other person in Maiami City to possess Pendulum Cards. I think I'll enjoy prying them off you."

"You can try!" Zarc raised his Duel Disk and inserted his deck. Moments later, the hard-light board formed across his forearm. His opponent did the same, only right as the board formed, something shot out of his Duel Disk and latched on to his. "What?!" Looking down, he saw an anchor of some sort latched on to his Duel Disk. He recognized it almost immediately. "A Duel Anchor?!"

"It's a bit more than that," the Rare Hunter told him. "As you'll soon find out. I am Marik Ishtar, leader of the Rare Hunters. You'd do well to remember that name as you writhe in agony."

Zarc glared back in defiance. The two stared each other down before crying out in unison.

"DUEL!"

---

"Uuuuooooogh!"

Gongenzaka bellowed as he grabbed a Rare Hunter by the face and threw him straight down into the ground. The force of the slam knocked him out instantly. With a grunt, the teen rose to his full height and rolled his neck. Off to the side, Joey rolled his shoulders.

"That looks like the last of 'em!" Joey called out. "Phew! Hadn't had this much trouble since high school… Not going to lie, kind of miss this."

Gongenzaka frowned. "I don't usually participate in such brutality. I prefer the honorable approach of dueling, but scum like this doesn't deserve it."

"No kidding. Man, I thought I was done with these assholes after Duelist Kingdom…"

The burly teen quirked a brow upon seeing the dark look Joey cast upon one of the fallen Rare Hunters. It was a look full of bitterness and anger. 'Does Katsuya have some sort of history with these people?' he wondered idly before his eyes spotted movement. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the beaten Rare Hunters get on their feet, sliding their deck into their Duel Disk with a cruel glint in their eyes.

"Katsuya, watch out!"

Gongenzaka rushed forward to intercept as he saw something lash out from the Rare Hunter's duel disk. He reached his friend just in time for something to wrap around his Duel Disk.

"What the-Gon!" Joey's eyes widened. "A Duel Anchor?!"

"That's right, asswipe…!" the Rare Hunter coughed. "You ain't goin' anywhere…not until you beat me!"

"Why you sonnuva…!"

Joey was about to march up and pummel the bastard to within an inch of his life until Gongenzaka raised a hand. "I will be fine, Katsuya. Scum like this will be no problem for the man, Gongenzaka! You should go and help Yuya and the others!"

"You sure?" Gongenzaka nodded. Joey still looked concerned, but nodded and turned on his heel. "You better kick his ass, otherwise I'm hangin' this loss over yer head for the rest of yer life, ya hear?!"

Well, if that wasn't motivation to win, he didn't know what was. Gongenzaka smiled sheepishly and watched Joey leave before turning his attention to the Rare Hunter before him. He took his head deck and loaded it into his Duel Disk.

"I haven't had the chance to test myself properly since the brief time I trained with You Show at LDS, but it would appear this is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate my abilities!" Gongenzaka snorted steam from his nostrils. "Now, let's begin!"

"DUEL!"

Gongenzaka - LP 4000
Rare Hunter - LP 4000

"I will take the first turn!" Gongenzaka declared. "I'll start by summoning Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler." A bulky, blue armored humanoid machine appeared on his field and roared.

Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler / EARTH / Level 4 / Machine / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 2000

"That weakling? You serious?" the Rare Hunter scoffed.

"Blue Brawler's effect!" Gongenzaka ignored the banter and continued. "When it is summoned, I can switch it to defense position!" Blue Brawler sat with its legs folded and arms crossed. "I end my turn."

"That's it? Well, if you're not taking this seriously, it will be all the easier to beat you down. Draw!" The Rare hunter added his sixth card to hand before selecting another one. "I summon Vylon Stigma!" On his field, a gold, legless robot with two, four-pronged arms appeared.

Vylon Stigma / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1600 / DEF 1000

Gongenzaka furrowed his brow. "Vylon… If I recall, that archetype specializes in Equip Cards."

"Next I activate the Equip Spell, Vylon Material and attach it to Vylon Stigma!" Another card appeared right behind Stigma. It depicted a giant crystalline spike topped with two ringed orbs with curved blades encircling the edges. "With this, Stigma gains 600 ATK!" It then attached itself to Stigma's right claw, raising its power.

Vylon Stigma / ATK 1600 ~ 2200

"Now, battle! Stigma, tear down that overgrown trashcan! Swift Impalement!" The machine whirred to life before it shot toward Blue Brawler. However, just as its claw struck, it immediately bounced off without leaving a scratch. "What?!"

"Blue Brawler's special effect," Gongenzaka announced. "It cannot be destroyed by battle. And since it was in defense position, I take no damage. In your hastiness, you did not account for such a thing, did you?"

"Grgh! Fine! I'll end my turn."

"Very well. Draw!" Gongenzaka started his turn before placing a card on his duel disk. "Now I shall summon Superheavy Samurai Magnet!"

Appearing to the left of Blue Brawler was another armored robot. The armor was blue with several rivets and tubes. Its left palm had the minus symbol while the right had the plus sign. Its helmet was featureless save for the 2 pairs of green eyes and the U-shaped magnet bar that acted as horns.

Superheavy Samurai Magnet / EARTH / Level 4 / Machine / Effect / ATK 900 / DEF 1900

"When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one level 4 or lower Superheavy Samurai from my hand. I call forth Superheavy Samurai Swordsman!" Gon continued.

Appearing to the right of Blue Brawler was another heavily armored, humanoid robot. Its plating resembled red samurai armor with several bladed weapons on its back. In its right hand was a naginate while it's left arm resembled a heavy press.

Superheavy Samurai Swordsman / EARTH / Level 3 / Machine / Effect / ATK 1000 / DEF 1800

"When Swordsman is summoned, I can change its battle position. I change it to Defense Position. Magnet's effect allows it to do the same." The robots then sat in a cross-legged position like Blue Brawler. "And with that I end my turn."

"Tch. You're pretty boring, you know that? Sure you set up a wall, but it's only a matter of time before I tear it down!" The Rare Hunter sneered before he started his turn. "Draw!" With the fifth card in hand, he selected the one next to the latest addition. "I'll summon Vylon Soldier!"

In a flash of light, another mechanical being appeared. It had a legless, white, triangular body while having a pair of large golden gauntlets and shoulder pads that resembled wings for arms.

Vylon Soldier / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1700 / DEF 1000

"Now I equip Vylon Soldier with a second Vylon Material!" Another equip spell appeared and the armament attached itself to Soldier on its back.

Vylon Soldier / ATK 1700 ~ 2300

"Now! Battle! I attack Swordsman with Stigma!" The first android shot towards the red robot, but it quickly changed course towards Superheavy Samurai Magnet. "What?!"

"Magnet's effect! You can't attack any other Superheavy Samurai monster as long as it is face up!" Gongenzaka explained.

"Grgh! Fine! Stigma, destroy that Magnet!" Stigma shot its claw out to grab the magnet-themed robot before skewering it with its other arm. Magnet groaned before breaking paper into pixels. But as it did so, Superheavy Samurai Swordsman glowed a red aura before it shot forward and struck Stigma. "What? What's going on?!"

"Since you battled a Superheavy Samurai monster, Superheavy Samurai Swordsman's effect activates! After damage calculation the opponent's monster's ATK and DEF become zero!"

"Are you kidding me?!"

Vylon Stigma / ATK 2200 ~ 0 / DEF 1000 ~ 0

The thug grit his teeth. "Grgh, fine! Vylon Soldier, attack Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler! Shining Rush!"

Gongenzaka hummed in confusion. Why would he do that? Vylon Soldier would just end up succumbing to Swordsman's effect and Blue Brawler couldn't be destroyed by battle. A better target would have been Swordsman.

"I activate Vylon Soldier's effect! When it attacks, I can change the battle position of any number of monsters you control equal to the number of equip cards attached to it. So with one, I change your Blue Brawler to Attack Position! Forced Decree!"

Now covered in a golden aura, Blue Brawler reluctantly stood back up. Vylon Soldier flew in and collided with Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler. While the latter was not destroyed, the attack created shockwaves that buffeted Gongenzaka. However, since the duel wasn't an Action Duel, he felt no real impact. After the destruction of his monster was registered by the Duel Disk, Gongenzaka felt his body burn in agony as he felt an electric shock travel through his body.

"Ghrgh!" A testament to his school's Steadfast Dueling, Gongenzaka braced through the pain and gritted his teeth.

Gongenzaka LP 4000 ~ 1700

Once the battle phase ended, the electric shock ceased. The Rare Hunter looked irritated by Gongenzaka being seemingly unfazed while the latter was glaring back angrily. "That shock just now... What was that?!"

"Oops. Did I forget to mention that thanks to this little Duel Anchor, every time either of us takes damage, we receive a nasty jolt? Must have slipped my mind~!"

"Despicable!" Gongenzaka spat. "Not only do you Rare Hunters use illegal cards to steal victory, but you also use deplorable tactics like this to cheat?!"

"Whoa there! This ain't cheating. This anchor just gives duels a little more kick. You know, more excitement! Not like it's breaking any hard rules, right?"

Gongenzaka gritted his teeth angrily. As much as he wanted to yell further, actions spoke louder than words. He would continue this duel and win on his own terms. "...Swordsman's effect. Since you attacked Blue Brawler, Soldier's ATK and DEF are reduced to zero. Gravity Press!" A red aura surrounded the legless monster before it sunk down as if weighed down by gravity.

Vylon Soldier / ATK 2300 ~ 0 / DEF 1000 ~ 0

"Then I guess I'm done for now. I'll set two cards and end my turn." Two face down cards appeared next to the first Vylon Material.

"Then it is my turn." Gongenzaka declared with resolution. "Draw!"

"I shall start by summoning another Superheavy Samurai Magnet!" Another magnet-themed robot appeared on his field. Due to its effect, it fell into Defense Position. "Now I switch Blue Brawler to Defense Position while switching Swordsman to Attack Position!"

Blue Brawler sat back down in a cross-legged position while Swordsman stood up and armed itself.

"Next, by targeting a Superheavy Samurai I control, I shall equip Superheavy Samurai Swordsman with Superheavy Samurai Soulclaw from my hand!" He placed down an additional card that depicted a blue gauntlet with a gray hand with red, sharp claws propelled by rocket jets. It manifested before flying and attaching itself to Swordsman's unarmed hand. "The monster can only be equipped to a Superheavy Samurai Monster and increases its ATK by 500."

Superheavy Samurai Swordsman / ATK 1000 ~ 1500 / DEF 1800 ~ 2300

"Battle! Superheavy Samurai Swordsman, attack Vylon Soldier with Spinning Blade Slam!" The newly armed Samurai charged forth while swinging its naginata.

"Naive, twerp! I activate my facedown Trap, Draining Shield!" One of his facedown cards revealed itself, depicting a green and yellow barrier stopping a monster's attack. "Thanks to this, the damage is canceled and I gain life points equal to your monster's ATK. Thanks for the treat~!" The energy collected by the barrier rained over him in a rejuvenating drizzle.

Rare Hunter LP: 4000 ~ 5500

Gongenzaka growled. "I end my turn...!"

"But before you do, I'll activate my other facedown. The Continuous Trap, Vylon Assembly Formation!"

"What? I have never heard of that card! What does it do?!"

"Oh, you're about to find out. Now that it's my turn, draw!" The Rare Hunter declared with a smug grin. "Now thanks to Assembly Formation, I gain 1000 Life Points during each of my Standby Phase for every Vylon monster I control."

"What?!" Gongenzaka gaped as his opponent preened from the healing green aura brought about by his card.

Rare Hunter LP 5500 ~ 7500

"Next, Assembly Formation lets me search my deck for one Vylon monster and add it to my hand. And I choose the Tuner Monster Vylon Cube." The card shuffler of his duel disk activated until it popped out his desired card. "Now for Assembly Formation's third effect. I can Special Summon one level 4 or lower Vylon monster from my hand. So I'll summon my newly acquired Vylon Cube!"

Appearing next to the weakened Vylon Soldier was a large white cubic robot rimmed with gold. It had a pair of golden arms and a single extrusion beneath it to resemble a leg.

"Such recovery, swarm, and search power... That is an illegal card, is it not?" Gongenzaka glared.

The Rare Hunter smiled mockingly. "So? What if it is? Doesn't really make a difference now that we're in the middle of a duel."

"Sawatari told me how you Rare Hunters use illegal cards to cheat your way to victory. How disgusting!"

"You can take your honor schmonor nonsense and stick it up the ass of someone who cares. News flash kid, the world ain't fair. So why should we do the same? All that matters is winning."

"It does not! What use is victory if you use such vile methods? A true duelist would achieve victory with their skill and deck!" Gongenzaka retorted from the depths of his heart, fists clenched with furious rage. "But you... Your are nothing more than scum!"

"Scum that will beat you to the ground. Now, where was I?mOh yeah, winning! I Tune my Level 4 Vylon Stigma with my Level 3 Vylon Cube!"

Both monsters flew into the sky. Vylon Cube broke apart into three balls of light before they expanded into green rings that aligned around Vylon Stigma, whose body broke apart into four balls of light. A pillar of light manifested from the encircled rings.

"Master of the sky kingdom's armaments, descend now and arm yourself with your troops! SYNCHRO SUMMONING! Level 7, Vylon Sigma!"

A new monster appeared from the light. It was another machine-like being that appeared more angelic compared to the monsters used to summon it. Its body was sleek and lacked any legs aside from the blade-like appendage on the lower half of its body. It's arms were encircled with golden wings. Another golden ring was on its back, lining a pair of metal wings.

Vylon Sigma / LIGHT / Level 7 / Fairy / Synchro / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 1000

"A Synchro Monster?!" Gongenzaka gaped.

"You're right to be afraid. Because this guy's gonna end you! Especially since I'll equip him with the Equip Spell, Mage Power!" Another spell card appeared behind Sigma, causing it to be enveloped in energy. It depicted three robed figures channeling power. "Now Sigma gains 500 ATK and DEF for every spell and trap I control!"

"What?!"

Vylon Sigma / ATK 1800 ~ 2800 / DEF 1000 ~ 2000

"Next I'll Normal Summon Vylon Pentachloro." Another monster appeared next to Sigma. It was a gray and gold triangular pyramid with the tips capped off with golden pyramids surrounded by triangular rings. Its head was a golden loop filled with intersecting lines connected to two tendril-like arms.

Vylon Pentachloro / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Union / ATK 500 / DEF 400

"But he won't stick around for long, because I'll now equip him onto my Vylon Sigma!" Vylon Pentachloro attached itself to Vylon Sigma's back. "And since Union monsters are treated as Equip Spells, Sigma's power rises even more!"

Vylon Sigma / ATK 2800 ~ 3300 / DEF 2000 ~ 2500

"Now I set one more card." Another set card appeared, raising its power even more.

Vylon Sigma / ATK 3300 ~ 3800 / DEF 2500 ~ 3000

"Now, let's battle!" the Rare Hunter cried. "I attack your Superheavy Samurai Magnet with Vylon Sigma!" The synchro monster levitated higher before charging up power. "And now its effect activates! When it declares an attack and it's the only monster I control, I can equip one Equip Spell of my choice directly from my deck! Armor Call!"

"From the deck?!" Gongenzaka gasped.

"I equip Sigma with the Equip Spell, Vylon Component!" A white ring with two sharp prongs appeared before it manifested and attached itself to Vylon Sigma. "With this, Sigma can inflict piercing damage and tear through those scrap bots you got for a wall! Sigma! Attack Magnet with Angel Blades!"

The winged android gathered energy with the rings all over its body before it unleashed a volley of glowing, sharp laser rings. But before it could reach Superheavy Samurai Magnet, Gongenzaka quickly acted.

"I activate the effect of Superheavy Samurai Helper from my hand!" Gongenzaka countered. "During the damage step, if a Superheavy Samurai Monster on my field in Defense Position battles one of yours while I have no spell or trap cards in my graveyard, I can target one non-battling Superheavy Samurai Monster and add its DEF to the battling monster's!"

"Wait, what?!"

"I target my Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler and add its DEF to Magnet!" Magnet glowed with power as its defenses rose.

Superheavy Samurai Magnet / DEF 1900 ~ 3900

Sigma's attack struck Magnet's body, engulfing it in a massive explosion. But thanks to the bolstered defenses, Gongenzaka saved more of his life points. Unfortunately, it did not stop the pain from the ones he lost.

Gongenzaka LP 1700 ~ 1300

Gongenzaka braced himself for another painful electric shock, though he noted the one he was experiencing now was weaker than the first one. Was the voltage of the shock equal to the total damage he took?

"Tch. So you survive for now...! Don't think this is over!" the Rare Hunter sneered.

"Even so, Swordsman's effect activates. Your Sigma now loses all of its strength! Gravity Press!" Vylon Sigma was surrounded by a red, depressive aura as its power waned.

Vylon Sigma / ATK 3300 ~ 0 / DEF 2500 ~ 0

"Damn it! Fine! I'll activate Vylon Pentachloro's effect, then! Since the equipped monster destroyed one of your monsters by battle, I can target and destroy another of yours! I'll destroy that damn Swordsman! Exterminate Ray!" A golden laser shot from Pentachloro's body, tearing through both Swordsman and Soulclaw, destroying them both. I end my turn there!"

"Then it is now my turn. Draw!" Gongenzaka began. "Since I have no Spell or Trap cards in my Graveyard, I an Special Summon Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji from my hand!"

Another robotic monster appeared on his field. This time it was a limbless, golden body with gray metal straps around it. It's head was featureless save for the red eyes and straw hat-like helmet.

Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji / EARTH / Level 5 / Machine / Effect / ATK 800 / DEF 1800

"If it is Special Summoned this way, I cannot Special Summon other monsters except for Superheavy Samurai monsters. Furthermore, it counts as two tributes for a Machine type monster. Now I shall use him to Advance Summon Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei!"

Big Waraji vanished into a vortex of light before a new monster took its place. It was a white, heavyset humanoid robot clad in orange and black samurai armor. In its right hand was a spear with the blade resembling a tuning fork. On its back were two exhaust pipes while a red-eyed gas mask made up its face.

Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei / EARTH / Level 8 / Machine / Effect / ATK 1000 / DEF 3500

"When Big Benkei is summoned, I can change his battle position." He switched Big Benkei to defense position. "And with him on the field, all my Superheavy Samurai Monsters can attack while in face up Defense Position, using their DEF for damage calculation!"

The Rare Hunter's eyes widened in shock. "Say what?!"

The white-clad teen did not bother to explain further and instead continued. "Next, I activate the effect of Superheavy Samurai Soulbang Cannon. I can equip it to one Superheavy Samurai monster I control and increase its DEF by 1000!"

Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei / DEF 3500 ~ 4500

Big Benkei roared as a container housing an energy core with two yellow cannon barrels attached integrated itself on the back of the monster. "Battle! Big Benkei, attack Vylon Sigma with Heavy Soul Crush!" The cannons on the monster's back aligned themselves before charging up. They then shot out twin bursts of plasma energy that impacted and ripped through Vylon Sigma with ease. The Synchro monster was then destroyed along with the cards equipped to it.

"I activate my Trap, Defense Draw!" the Rare Hunter countered quickly. "I draw a card and reduce the damage I take from your attack to zero!" A translucent barrier protected him from the backlash that resulted from Sigma's destruction.

"Very well." Gongenzaka grunted. "Then I shall attack you with Blue Brawler!" While in its seated position, Blue Brawler raised both its arms before slamming them on the ground. The resulting shockwave traveled forth until it struck the Rare Hunter.

Rare Hunter LP 7500 ~ 5500

Gongenzaka's opponent proceeded to scream in pain as the electric shock traveled to him. For a moment, the burly teen swore he saw the man's skeleton. "I see the effects truly are both ways." He assumed the rogue had rigged it so only he would feel the effects of the anchor, but it looked like the hunter had some sliver of honor. That or he was confident. "I end my turn here."

After the electric shock ended, the Rare Hunter rose to his feet with a face of utter anger. "You piece of shit! That fricking hurt! You'll pay for this! I'll show you true hell and beat you to a bloody pulp!"

Gongenzaka scoffed in contempt."You're eager to inflict pain unto others, but you cannot handle pain yourself? Your endurance and will are lacking!"

"Shut it! Don't get cocky just just because you drew blood! I'll make sure you suffer slowly! DRAW!"

Since there were no Vylon Monsters on his field, the Rare Hunter did not obtain a bonus from Vylon Assembly Formation. "I activate Assembly Formation and use it to search a Vylon card from my deck." The cards in his deck shuffled before the one of his choosing popped out for him to take. "The card I chose is the Continuous Spell ,Vylon United Front, which I activate! With this in play, none of my Vylon cards can be targeted by your card effects!"

"What?!"

"That's right! My cards are not protected from whatever shit you'll pull! Next I'll use Assembly Formation's effect to summon another Vylon Soldier!" A new Soldier appeared on his field. "Then I Normal Summon Vylon Prism!" Next to Soldier appeared a Vylon monster whose body resembled a white and gold shield with arms and concentrated electric energy on its shoulders and lower torso.

Vylon Prism / LIGHT / Level 4 / Thunder / Tuner / ATK 1500 / DEF 1500

"Another Tuner monster?!" Gongenzaka paled. "Don't tell me…!"

"Yes! I Tune my level 4 Vylon Prism with my Level 4 Soldier!"

Vylon Prism's body broke apart into four balls of light before becoming green rings. They surrounded Soldier's body, revealing four shining balls of light. Once everything was aligned properly, a pillar of light was formed.

"Archaism of the sky that protects the golden gates! Descend to smite with your radiance! SYNCHRO SUMMONING! Level 8, Vylon Epsilon!"

From the pillar, a new monster descended. It was a white, legless, mechanical being. Its body was sleek while its upper torso was lopped with several golden rings. It had a pair of sleek, metal wings on its back with a larger golden ring surrounding them.

Vylon Epsilon / LIGHT / Level 8 / Fairy / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 1200

Sweat dripped down Gongenzaka's face. He had enough trouble with his opponent's last Synchro Monster, and this one looked even more troublesome. "Another Vylon Synchro monster…"

"But that's not all!" the Rare Hunter declared. "I activate the effect of Vylon Prism in my graveyard. Since it was sent from the field to the graveyard, I can pay 500 Life Points and target one monster I control and equip it. Naturally, I'll equip it on Vylon Epsilon!" A black void opened up behind Vylon Epsilon, allowing Prism to appear on the field once more before it attached itself to its arm to form a shield.

Rare Hunter LP 5500 ~ 5000

The shock didn't seem to bother the Rare Hunter all that much, even smirking slightly as he set his sights on Gongenzaka's ace: Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei. "Before the fight, let's do something about that big oaf over there! I activate Vylon Epsilon's effect! Once per turn, I can send one Equip Card equipped to it to the grave to target one monster you control and destroy it!"

"What?!" Gongenzaka gasped.

"I send Prism to the graveyard to send that oaf packing! Epsilon, Holy Smite!" Prism transformed itself to a ball of energy that Epsilon channeled before shooting at Big Benkei. The attack struck true, completely disintegrating the monster and the Soulbang Cannon equipped to it in a massive explosion.

Gongenzaka shielded his face from the backlash with his arms. "No! Big Benkei!"

"I'd worry more about yourself," his oponent advised with a sneer. "Now, battle! Epsilon, attack Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler with Shining Plasma Blast!"

'Why would he attack Blue Brawler?' Gongenzaka thought, troubled by the Rare Hunter's choice. 'It can't be destroyed in battle so long as it's in Defense Position, and his monster can't inflict piercing damage. What is he planning?!'

Vylon Epsilon charged up another blast of energy before it unleashed it on Blue Brawler, who weathered through the attack.

"I end my turn with that," the Rare Hunter announced with a wicked looking grin. The look troubled Gongenzaka and made him realize his monster's decision to attack his monster wasn't random. "And now the final effect of Vylon United Front kicks in! Whenever my Vylon Synchro Monster attacks an opponent's monster, but that monster isn't destroyed, your Life Points are cut in half during my End Phase!"

Gongenzaka paled. "By half, you said?!" A moment later, the electric shock came. It was far stronger than the previous ones, tearing through his body. Unlike before, he couldn't hold back his cries of pain.

Gongenzaka LP 1300 ~ 650

Gongenzaka fell to a knee, panting and breathing heavily. His body was shaking, feeling as if he could barely stand. Seeing this, the Rare Hunter couldn't help but let out a mad laugh and clutch his stomach to prevent himself from doubling over.

"KekekekeKYAHAHAHAHA!"

'T-this...' Gongenza winced, finding it difficult to breathe. His vision was slightly blurry. 'I can hardly move...'

"So that's it, twerp! One more turn and it's game over for you! You, your friends, and that old man too! Hahaha!" the thug cackled before calming down with a smug grin. "Might as well throw in the towel, kid. Make it easier for me. Give up and I'll spare you a merciless beatdown."

Listening to the Rare Hunter made a burning fire soar in Gongenzaka's chest. The way this man acted, it was far too much like the boy his father expelled from the dojo for his actions in using dueling for the sole sake of tormenting the weak. The only difference was that this bastard was far, far worse than the likes of Gen Ankokuji. The thought he might hurt his friends served to fan the flames in his chest. Yuya, Yuzu and Zarc's faces flashed in his head.

"Oh? Ready to get up and give up, brat?"

The Rare Hunter mistook Gongenzaka's trembling silence as defeat. "I…REFUSE!" With a mighty roar worthy of a Steadfast Duelist, Gongenzaka smashed his fist into the ground and rose to his feet. "I, the man Gongenzaka, refuse to yield to the likes of you! How can I even succumb to defeat while my friends and comrades are still fighting?! I will not stop fighting until my last breath! You Rare Hunters and your unmanly ways of deception, theft, and fraud end here!"

"Go ahead with your big honor and perseverance spiel. It won't change a thing! You don't even have a card in your hand! It won't matter what you draw next! Keahahah!"

"We shall see! It is my turn!"

Gongenzaka placed a hand over his deck and closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath. He thought once more to his friends at You Show. 'Yuya, Yuzu, Zarc, Katsuya, Sora... Please, guide my hand and help me fulfill this Destiny-!'

"DRAW!"

Gongenzaka ripped the top card off his deck in a perfect arc, even kicking up a gust of wind. Gongenzaka looked at the card, and his eyes widened. "T-this is...!"

"Oh? A bad draw?" the Rare Hunter grinned.

The grin faded upon seeing the determined, shark-like smile on the burly teen's face. "No. In fact, I have just what I need to emerge victorious!"

"Y-you're bluffing. Thanks to my United Front, no effects can target my cards, and my life points are too high to be taken down by whatever you got!" the Rare Hunter rebuked.

"Then we shall see who is right during this turn! I shall start by banishing three Superheavy Samurai Monsters from my Graveyard! I banish Superheavy Samurai Soulbang Cannon, Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei, and Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji!"

"And what's the point of getting rid of useless monsters?"

"My monsters are not useless. And it is thanks to them that I can now Special Summon Superheavy Samurai Soul Magatama from my hand!" The new monster Gongenzaka summoned resembled a limbless, comma-shaped robot with red armor plating and glowing green eyes.

Superheavy Soul Magatama / FIRE / Level 10 / Machine / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"Since Soul Magatama was Special Summoned, I add one Superheavy Samurai card from my deck to my hand, and I choose Superheavy Samurai Soul Yata!" He searched through his cards before adding the designated one to his hand. "Furthermore, once per turn, I can special summon two level 4 or lower Superheavy Samurai Monsters from my Graveyard. I resurrect Superheavy Samurai Magnet and Superheavy Samurai Swordsman!"

Appearing next to Soul Magatama were the previously destroyed red and blue robots.

"Next I shall send them both to the Graveyard once again to Special Summon Superheavy Samurai Soul Yata!" Magnet and Swordsman glowed brightly before vanishing. In their place was a large, mechanical robot that resembled a three-legged crow. It's body was plated with black armor and had a large pair of bladed wings. Its talons were sharp and its eyes glowed red. In the clutches of its talons was a beautiful, ornate mirror.

Superheavy Samurai Soul Yata / DARK / Level 10 / Machine / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"And now I shall activate its effect! Since it was Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one Superheavy Samurai from my Deck! I summon Superheavy Samurai Soul Kusanagi!"

The fourth monster to take a spot on the burly teen's field was a massive, mechanical, double-edged longsword. The blade was white as snow while the handle was bright crimson lined with gold. At the pommel was a jewel that seemed to hold the storm.

Superheavy Samurai Soul Kusanagi / WIND / Level 10 / Machine / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

The Rare Hunter stared at Gongenzaka's field before doubling over in laughter. "That's it?! Those monsters don't have a single point in ATK or DEF! All you did was set up another wall for me to tear down! Come next turn, I'll-!"

"There will be no next turn for you!" Gongenzaka cut him off. "You've missed a common trait among my monsters in your arrogance, one of which you will pay dearly for!"

"Oh? And just what...common…trait..." He trailed off, eyes widening upon finally making the connection. "W-wait, they're all Level 10? But that means-!"

"The Magatama, the Mirror, and the Sword... The Sacred Regalia that will carve my path to victory!" Gongenzaka declared as he raised his hand to the heavens. "I construct the Overlay Network using Superheavy Samurai Soul Magatama, Yata and Kusanagi!"

A galaxy opened up at Gongenzaka's feet. His aforementioned monsters all formed into lights that descended into the nexus. Moments later, an explosion of light erupted within the galaxy, giving rise to a truly incredible power.

"Creator of the Land of the Rising Sun, raze all malice with your heavenly sword!"

It was a large, mechanical warrior, far larger than any he summoned previously. It was clad in steel gray armor with majestic white plating lining it. Wrapped around its shoulders was a gleaming white trench coat. In its hands was a massive longsword with a golden handle that was wrapped within a gold ring. Its hands were clawed and its feet had blades pointed upward. Its helmet was white and had four, glowing, red eyes. Orbiting around it were three golden lights.

"XYZ SUMMONING! Descend from Tenkai! Rank 10! Superheavy Samurai Kami Izanagi!"

Superheavy Samurai Kami Izanagi / EARTH / Rank 10 / Machine / Xyz / ATK 2800 / DEF 4000

The Rare Hunter gaped at the monster, watching as it sat down cross-legged, yet never releasing its grip on its sword. "W-w-w-what the hell is that?!"

"This is Kami Izanagi! The God of all Superheavy Samurai Monsters! And you shall face its wrath first hand!" Gongenzaka promised. "Battle! Superheavy Samurai Kami Izanagi, attack Vylon Epsilon! Just like Big Benkei, Kami Izanagi uses its DEF for damage calculation and can attack while in Defense Position!"

"Are you retarded?!" the Rare Hunter rebuked. "So what if your monster has 4000 DEF?! I still have 5000 Life Points! Even after your attack, I'll still survive! And come next turn, you're as good as-!"

"Kami Izanagi's effect!" the pompadour-haired teen announced. "Once per Battle Phase, by removing one Overlay Unit, its DEF doubles for that battle!"

The explanation froze the arrogant Rare Hunter. "D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-DOUBLE?!" He stammered.

One of the lights phased into Kami Izanagi's body, imbuing it with power.

Superheavy Samurai Kami Izanagi / DEF 4000 ~ 8000

The Rare Hunter desperately tried to stop the attack, looking to see if he had anything to stop the attack. His face paled when realized he had nothing, not a single card, that could stop what was about to come next. It was the end of him. The only sound that escaped from his mouth was a pathetic whine. "Hiiiiiii!"

"Kami Izanagi! Destroy Vylon Epsilon! Blade of Totsuka! ! !" The massive metal samurai bellowed as it raised its weapon. With a mighty, earth-shattering swing, it cleaved Vylon Epsilon in half and produced a shockwave that nearly sent the Rare Hunter flying.

And when the damage kicked in, so did the Duel Anchor's penalty.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Rare Hunter LP 5000 ~ 0
WINNER: Gongenzaka!

For several seconds, the Rare Hunter's skeleton was clearly visible before ending, standing and swaying, looking horrendously burned. In Gongenzaka's opinion, however, he hadn't suffered enough. He charged at the dazed Rare Hunter and delivered a vicious arrow kick to the face. The metal footwear struck dead on, and the force of the blow sent him flying through the air before he crashed into the wall. The Rare Hunter, cheek horrendously swollen, eyes vacant, and missing teeth, collapsed in an unconscious heap.

He removed the man's deck from his Duel Disk and searched for the illegal cards. Once he found them, he proceeded to rip them apart after carefully storing the stolen cards away. "Dishonorable people like you do not deserve the right to be a duelist, much less victory!" Gongenzaka grunted.

Just as he was about to leave the man behind and go in search of his friends, the adrenaline in his systems faded. He collapsed to the floor, landing on his hands and knees. The pain he endured from those electric shocks proved to be worse than he expected as he found it difficult to rise from the ground. He could feel his muscles twitching and spasming as if reacting to the shocks. Eventually, he lost all strength and fell onto his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"How shameful..." Gongenzaka gritted out with a sigh. "Sorry, everyone. Looks like you'll have to finish this on your own..."

At the very least, he was glad to have dealt with such a horrendous character. He was happy that his feelings had reached his friends as he was sure it was thanks to them that he drew the card he needed to declare victory.

He would have to thank Kurosaki for his instructions once he saw the man again.

---

"DUEL!"

Zarc – LP 4000
Marik Ishtar – LP 4000

Just as the duel between the two began, Joey finally arrived. "Freakin' finally!" the young man panted, stumbling towards Yuya and Yuzu. "S-sorry I'm late, had more trouble than I thought with those guys…"

"What about Gon?" Yuya asked when he saw his friend wasn't with him. "Isn't he here with you?"

"He's busy dealing with some asshole who went and chained his Duel Disk with a Duel Anchor," he explained before noticing Marik and Zarc. As soon as he saw the former, his eyes threatened to pop out from their sockets. "W-what the…!"

"Joey?" Yuzu frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no, it's nothing…"

'What the hell is going on here?' In contrast to his words, Joey's mind was a whirlwind of troubled thoughts. The person standing across from Zarc was different from the one he remembered, eyes cold and unforgiving. 'What's Marik doing here? Did he join the Rare Hunters or something?!'

Just as the duel was about to begin, Marik raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Mult-colored platforms began to form around them, followed by several cards descending down from the air and landing around them.

"Is this an Action Field?" Yuzu asked.

Yuya nodded. "Crossover. It's a beginner Action Field that can be used without implementing mass into the holograms of the monsters."

"I'll take the first turn," Marik announced. "I start by summoning Hell Musician to your field!" Rising out from a dark portal in the ground was a writhing monster, skin red and torn open by countless whip lashes.

Hell Musician / DARK / Level 6 / Fiend / Effect / ATK 2000 / DEF 1600

"Once per turn, I can Special Summon Hell Musician to my opponent's field in Attack Position. Next, I summon Didrillago!" Appearing before Marik was a metal monster, consisting of only a yellow metal torso and silver limbs. The rest of it had drills poking out from every inch of its form. It sported two heads, vaguely shaped like drills and steel-traps for jaws.

Didrillago / DARK / Level 6 / Machine / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 1100

Yuya panicked for a moment, worried that the platform would drop before he remembered that this was an ordinary duel and not an action field. His panic faded in favor of disbelief when he realized the nature of Marik's new monster. "Wait, Level 6?! How'd he summon it without Pendulum or Tribute?!"

Marik smirked. "If my opponent controls a monster with 1600 ATK or higher, I can Normal Summon Didrillago instead of having to release monsters on my field."

'So that's why he summoned Hell Musician to my field,' Zarc thought. 'But that's not all he has planned, is it?'

"I activate Didrillago's effect! When Normal Summoned, I can destroy a monster on your field in Attack Position, then inflict half that monster's ATK to you as damage if it's sent to the Graveyard!"

Zarc's eyes widened when he saw Didrillago roar and shoot several its drills like missiles, skewering Hell Musician on the spot. Moments later, he screamed as white-hot pain erupted all over his body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Zarc – LP 4000 ~ 3000

"ZARC!" the You Show students cried out in shock and concern.

Marik, on the other hand, smiled cruelly as he watched Zarc writhe in pain. Once the shock ended, the teen stumbled and nearly fell to the ground on his knees.

"What-" Zarc gasped for air. His body felt as if it were on fire. "What was that just now?"

"Thanks to the Duel Anchor, whenever one of us takes damage, we'll suffer a rather nasty electric shock. It's actually a favored way of dueling in the underground circuits," Marik chuckled. "Unlike underground duels, however, the Duel Anchor's modified to give us an extra kick. Ten times worse than what you'd experience in the underground circuit."

Yuzu's face paled in horror. "T-then that means…whenever Zarc takes damage, he'll get shocked?!"

Yuya slammed a fist down on the guard rail. "What the hell kind of dueling is that?!" A burning fury ignited deep in his chest. "That's no way to Duel at all! Inflicting pain onto others… There's no way that kind of dueling can make people smile!"

"Spare me your lecture, Sakaki," Marik snorted. "I could care less about your worthless ideology."

"Worthless?!" It was not just Yuya who felt angered by Marik's words. It was also Yuzu, who glared at Marik venomously. It had been Yusho who taught them to duel for the purpose of bring smiles to everyone, so to hear him refer to his teachings as worthless fueled her with anger. "How dare you?!"

Marik scoffed and chose to ignore the two, focusing on defeating Zarc. "When Hell Musician is destroyed while in my opponent's possession, we both Special Sumon 1 Level 4 monster from our deck. I summon Reactor Slime!" Appearing next to Didrillago was what looked like a metal cauldron sitting atop a gun-metal gray goop.

After recovering from the painful shock, Zarc glared at Marik and promised to repay this pain tenfold. "I summon Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkwhelp!" The black-scaled baby dragon appeared before him, staring menacingly at Marik as if reflecting its master's anger.

Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkwhelp / DARK / Level 4 / Scale 6 / Dragon / Pendulum / Tuner / Effect / ATK 400 / DEF 400

"I activate Reactor Slime's effect and summon 2 Tokens." Two blue blobs jumped out from Reactor Slime's cauldron, bearing red eyes and a thin line representing a mouth. "I can activate this effect once per turn, but in exchange, I can't Normal or Special Summon any monsters, except Divine-Beast monsters."

Zarc frowned. "Divine-Beast…?" He didn't recognize the type, but given he was facing a Rare Hunter, he assumed it was some sort of illegal card.

"I end my turn," Marik finished with a mocking smile. "Do you have the courage to attack me, Zarc? Or will you hide behind You Show's foolish ideology and try to bring a smile to my face?"

"The only way you'll smile is if you smash someone into the ground," Zarc spat. "My turn! Draw! I set the Scales of the Pendulum using the Scale 3 Supreme King Royal Knight – Clarity and the Scale 5 Supreme King Royal Knight – Supremacy!"

The cracked pendulum appeared above Zarc alongside two pillars of light. To his left was a monster clad in black armor with neon-green markings wielding a battle-ax in one hand a tower shield in the other. To his right was a similar-armored knight but more menacing with spikes decorating its armor and carrying a flaming zweihandler.

'Okay, Reiji, let's see what these cards can do!' Zarc thought resolute as he began. "With this, I can summon any monsters with a Level of 4! Rather than Pendulum Summon, however, I instead Normal Summon Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkwurm!" Descending next to the smaller infant dragon was a familiar silver-and-black dragon with neon-green markings. "Appear, Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkwurm!"

Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkwurm / DARK / Level 4 / Scale 5 / Dragon / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 1200

"When Darkwurm is summoned, I add a Supreme King Gate to my hand. I now release Darkwurm and Darkwhelp to Advance Summon! Servant of the Supreme Dragon that bears the illustrious dichromatic eyes! Supreme King Servant Dragon Odd-Eyes!" With a triumphant roar, the red-and-green dragon appeared and glowered at Marik, dark green flames blowing from the corners of its mouth.

Supreme King Servant Dragon Odd-Eyes / DARK / Level 8 / Scale 4 / Dragon / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 2000

"Reactor Slime's effect!" Marik interrupted. "I tribute it and set Metal Reflect Slime!"

Zarc frowned as the cauldron-bearing monster dissipated into a puddle of silvery goo, reforming into a face-down card. 'It could be a monster or a Trap, but I can't tell,' he thought.

"I discard Supreme King Gate Infinity from my hand and activate the Magic Card Servants of the Supreme King! Once per turn, I summon two Supreme King monsters from my Extra Deck! I can only Special Summon Supreme King monsters the turn I activate this card! Return at once, Darkwhelp! Darkwurm!" The two dragons reappeared at his command. "I now activate Darkwhelp's effect, using both it and Darkwurm to Fusion Summon!"

A portal filled with myriad colors opened up behind Zarc, swallowing his monsters whole and giving rise to a greater power. "Servants of the Supreme King Dragon! Let your powers be reborn and give rise to a gluttonous beast! FUSION SUMMONING! Insipid dragon who bears the ravenous fangs! Level 8! Supreme King Servant Dragon Starving Venom!"

Emerging from the portal came a purple-and-green dragon, orbs decorating its body and roaring out as it appeared.

Supreme King Servant Dragon Starving Venom / DARK / Level 8 / Dragon / Fusion / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 2000

"And now, I enact my Pendulum Summon! Swing, Pendulum of Eternity! Back and forth, towards the unseen future! PENDULUM SUMMON! Come forth, my Monster servants! Appear, Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkwurm! Darkwhelp! And with them, Supreme King Royal Knight – Aurora!" Alongside the familiar dragons was another armored knight, brandishing a polearm with its shield strapped to its back.

Supreme King Royal Knight – Aurora / DARK / Level 4 / Scale 3 / Warrior / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 1500 / DEF 1200

"I tune my Level 4 Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkwurm with my Darkwhelp!" At Zarc's order, the two monsters leaped into the air. One became four rings that the other passed through, revealing four lights within their body that soon exploded into a pillar of light. "Beautiful luminous wings, that which soar at the speed of light! Spread them, and wipe away your foes! SYNCHRO SUMMON! Level 8, Supreme King Servant Dragon Clear Wing!" A beautiful white dragon with neon-green markings and glowing green wings descended unto his field, joining the ranks of Zarc's monsters.

Supreme King Servant Dragon Clear Wing / DARK / Level 8 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 2000

"Clear Wing's effect! When successfully Synchro Summoned, I negate the effects of all face-up monsters on your field and destroy them! Dichroic Mirror!"

Clear Wing's wings glowed brightly as wind began to gather around it. Just as it flapped its wings to destroy Marik's cards, the latter countered without breaking stride. "I activate the effect of Absorption Slime from my hand! I tribute any number of monsters on my field and Special Summon it to my field! I tribute my Slime Tokens and Didrillago to summon it!" The Slime Tokens trembled and latched themselves onto Drillago, seemingly dissolving it and expanding in size until it reformed into a larger ball of slime, similar to the slimes summoned by Reactor Slime.

Absorption Slime / WATER / Level 10 / Aqua / Effect / ATK ? / DEF 0

"On the turn it's Special Summoned, Absorption Slime is unaffected by your card effects! Furthermore, it gains the ATK of the monsters tributed to summon it, as well as an additional 500 ATK for every monster I tributed with its effect!" The harsh winds conjured by Clear Wing blew against the giant slime, unfazed as though it was merely experiencing a breeze in the wind. "Didrillago's ATK was 2600, and including it, I tributed three monsters! Therefore, Absorption Slime's ATK becomes 5100!"

Absorption Slime / ATK 5100

"5100 ATK?!" Yuzu gasped.

Yuya grimaced. Despite its intimidating size, it was certainly a daunting obstacle for Zarc. "It'll be fine," he reassured her. "Don't forget, Starving Venom's effect will let it take on Absorption Slime's ATK!"

"That'll just make it worse." Yuzu and Yuya blinked and looked at Joey, who looked as if he was swallowing a lemon. "Absorption Slime can't attack, and when it's destroyed, it gives Marik Life Points equal to the ATK it had when it gets capped."

"What?" Yuya's eyes widened. "B-but, wait, how do you know that, Joey?!"

Joey said nothing and continued to stare at Marik intensely, wondering whether or not he really was who he thought he was.

"I activate the Pendulum Effects of Supreme King Royal Knights – Clarity and Supremacy!" Zarc continued. "If I Special Summoned a Supreme King Pendulum Monster from my Extra Deck, Clarity's effect allows me to Special Summon a Supreme King monster from the Extra Deck once per turn! Supremacy's Effect also allows me to Special Summon a Supreme King monster, but its effects are negated! I summon Darkwurm and Darkwhelp respectively!"

Marik raised a brow as the dragons appeared on his field. "Do you have some sort of fondness for those monsters?"

Zarc ignored him. "Using the Level 4 Supreme King Servant Dragons Darkwhelp and Darkwurm, I construct the Overlay Network!" At Zarc's feet was a whirlpool of stars. His monsters cried out and became bodies of darkness, falling into the nebula and opening the door for an even more powerful monster to appear. "Fangs of pitch-black darkness, that which crushes the foolish oppression! XYZ SUMMON! Come forth and descend! Rank 4, Supreme King Servant Dragon Dark Rebellion!"

A black dragon with neon-green markings roared out, thunder crackling across its body and joining the ranks of its fellow dragons. It was a grand sight, seeing the strongest of the Supreme King Servant Dragons together. Even they seemed to be delighted to be standing together on a united front.

Supreme King Servant Dragon Dark Rebellion / DARK / Rank 4 / Dragon / Xyz / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 2000

Yuya couldn't help but smile upon seeing the four dragons in attendance. "Now that's cool!"

Zarc smirked. "I activate Starving Venom's effect! I target a monster on the field or in the Graveyard. For the rest of the turn, Starving Venom's name becomes that monster's and it gains that monster's effects as its own! I choose Supreme King Royal Knight – Aurora! Toxic Boost!"

The orbs on Starving Venom's body glowed as an aura encompassed both the armored knight and Starving Venom, the latter glowering menacingly.

"Aurora and Starving Venom increase the ATK of all Level 7 or higher Pendulum Monsters by 1000. In addition, Aurora and Starving Venom gain 500 ATK for every Pendulum card I control! I also activate Aurora's effect, targeting Odd-Eyes and giving it Aurora's ATK! With this, Odd-Eyes cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effect, but in exchange, Aurora cannot battle this turn!"

Both Starving Venom and Aura released a multi-colored glow that seemed to pour out from their bodies, washing over both themselves and Odd-Eyes. The red dragon in particular seemed to be the most affected as the markings on its body glowed brighter than before.

Supreme King Royal Knight – Aurora / ATK 1500 ~ 3000
Supreme King Servant Dragon Starving Venom / ATK 2800 ~ 4800
Supreme King Servant Dragon Odd-Eyes / ATK 2500 ~ 7500

"Battle! I attack Absorption Slime with Odd-Eyes! Spiral Strike Burst!"

Marik was already on the move long before Zarc began his move. He leaped up to one of the platforms in the air and snatched the Action Card on its surface. "I activate the Action Magic Evasion and negate your attack!"

Zarc clicked his tongue when he saw Absorption Slime shudder and change shape, bending to avoid the blistering flames his monster shot at it before grabbing an Action Card of his own, finding one hanging off the edge of another platform. "I activate the Action Magic High Dive and increase Starving Venom's ATK by 1000!"

Supreme King Servant Dragon Starving Venom / ATK 4800 ~ 5800

"I attack Absorption Slime with Starving Venom! Ravenous Poison Flare!" The dark violet flames spewed by his dragon consumed the slime before it could react, reducing it to cinders. Zarc would have cheered had he not read the display on his Duel Disk showing Marik's health. "What?!"

Marik – LP 4000 ~ 8400

"What the hell's going on? Why did his Life Points go up instead of go down?!"

"It's because of his monster!" Yuya called out to him. "Joey said it gives Marik Life Points equal to its ATK once its destroyed!"

Zarc looked over his shoulder and looked at Joey. "Are you serious?!"

"It ain't the first time I've seen that card, Zarc!" Joey responded before he gritted his teeth. "Though last I checked, Marik wasn't such a flaming douchebag!"

Marik smirked. "I thought I recognized that face… It's been a while, Wheeler."

"Wish I could return the sentiment!" Joey roared back. "Would ya mind explainin' to me what the heck's going on?! Why are you with the Rare Hunters?!"

"With them?" Marik smiled as if Joey just said a joke. "I think you're mistaken… I didn't join them, Wheeler. I'm their boss!"

The blonde's eyes widened. "Say what?!"

Yuzu looked back and forth between them, looking incredibly confused. "Joey…do you know him?" she asked quietly.

"We know each other quite well, Yuzu Hiiragi. The two of us were participants and finalists in the Duelist Kingdom tournament," Marik explained. "In fact, I was the one who defeated Wheeler in the semi-finals."

Joey gritted his teeth. "Enough with this ancient history crap, Marik! What in the hell made you decide to become these guy's chief?! I thought you said you starting dueling to help Ishizu! Or was that just some steaming pile of crap story you fed to me and Bakura?!"

The moment Joey mentioned the name "Ishizu," an overwhelming pressure fell upon him. Marik's mocking smile faded in favor of a look of utter malice, eyes manic and full of murderous intent.

"I have no connection to that woman, nor to you," Marik said coldly. "The moment I regained this power, I cut off all ties to this new life in order to claim what its rightfully mine!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Rather than answer, Marik chose to continue the duel. "When I take damage from battle or by an effect, I can Special Summon Guardian Slime from my hand in Defense Position!" A black body of slime erupted from the ground and stood before Marik, vaguely resembling the Egyptian god Anubis and clad in gold armor over its chest.

Guardian Slime / WATER / Level 10 / Aqua / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

Zarc narrowed his eyes. 'It has zero ATK and DEF? I've got a bad feeling about this… Even so-!'

"I attack Guardian Slime with Clear Wing!"

"When Guardian Slime battles an opponent's monster, it gains DEF equal to that monster's ATK!"

Guardian Slime / DEF 0 ~ 2500

"Clear Wing's effect! When it battles a monster, I can destroy it and inflict damage equal to that monster's ATK!" Given that Guardian Slime's ATK was 0, Zarc knew the attack wouldn't do much. It would, however, leave Marik open for a direct attack.

Marik leaped over to another platform and activated the card he found. "I activate the Action Magic Mirror Barrier! This prevents Guardian Slime from being destroyed by card effects!"

"Oh, hell no!" Zarc jumped up to a platform above his head, landing atop it and snatching the Action Card lying on its surface. "I activate the Action Magic No Action! I negate Mirror Barrier and destroy it! Clear Wing's attack continues! Hell Whirlwind Dive Slash!" Clear Wing spun around and formed into a tornado, smashing straight down into Guardian Slime and tearing it to shreds.

Marik didn't react to the destruction of his monster. "When Guardian Slime is sent to the Graveyard, I add a certain Magic or Trap Card from the deck to my hand."

'A certain Magic or Trap Card?' That didn't sound good. Whatever it was, it was bad news. He had to finish this and quickly. "Dark Rebellion! Attack Marik Ishtar directly! Revolt Lightning Disobey!" Thunder cackled around the dark dragon as it charged straight at Marik.

He didn't flinch at its approach and calmly countered. "I activate the Continuous Trap Metal Reflect Slime!" To Zarc's chagrin, his monster's attack was repelled by a steel gray slime monster shaped after a bull, standing in front of Marik defensively. "Metal Reflect Slime can be Special Summoned as a monster with 3000 DEF, but when summoned like this, it cannot attack."

"Tch!" Zarc cursed under his breath. "I end my turn."

Marik smirked. "In that case, I activate the effect of Hell Musician from my Graveyard. If it was destroyed by battle or by card effect while in my opponent's possession, you must banish 1 monster from your Extra Deck when your Battle Phase concludes!"

Shuzo balked. "What did you just say?!"

"So that's why he summoned Hell Musician to Zarc's field!" Yuzu paled at the realization. "It wasn't so he could deal damage to Zarc, it was to attack his Extra Deck!"

Yuya grimaced. "When Pendulum Monsters leave the field, they go directly to the Extra Deck… With Hell Musician's effect…!"

Zarc gritted his teeth, infuriated by Marik's ploy. Nonetheless, he followed it. "…I banish Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkwhelp."

"My turn. Draw!" Marik tore the card out from his deck, then smiled wickedly at Zarc. The smile sent shivers down his spine. "Before we begin, allow me to thank you for bringing out the tools I need to send you to the depths of despair, Zarc…" Marik's smile widened, turning almost crazed as his hair suddenly flared up, eyes turning molten gold. "It's time to show you the power of a god! I tribute Metal Reflect Slime!"

The air changed. It suddenly became harder to breathe as an oppressive presence made itself known. The slime in front of Marik suddenly broke apart, splattering into pieces. Its remains fell into the pool. Moments later, streams of water began to break out from the water and into the air above, forming into a ball of liquid that spilled out onto the platform. The puddle then pulled itself up, expanding and reshaping until it reached a gargantuan size that towered over Zarc and his monsters. A pale imitation of a frightening monster bearing horns and a cruel fanged smirk, giant hands coiled into fists.

"The image that envokes the Tormentor! Behold, Egyptian God Slime!"

Egyptian God Slime / WATER / Level 10 / Aqua / Fusion / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 3000

Sweat poured down Shuzo's face as he stared at the towering monstrosity in fear. "W-w-w-what in the heck is that thing?!"

"A-A Fusion Monster?" Zarc whispered, fear creeping over him. "But how?"

"Egyptian God Slime can be Special Summoned from the Extra Deck by tributing a Level 10 Aqua Monster with 0 ATK," Marik explained. "And this beast is far from the one you should fear. Let me show you why! I tribute Supreme King Servant Dragons Dark Rebellion, Clear Wing and Starving Venom to summon forth a power that incinerates even the heavens!"

"What?!" Joey cried out. "You can't do that! Those are Zarc's monsters!"

"A god is not picky about its sacrifices. With these dragons, I summon forth The Winged Dragon of Ra – Sphere Mode!"

Before Zarc could stop him, three of his four dragons were consumed by golden fire. Despite them not being on an Action Field, he could feel the intense heat from the flames. The flames joined together and formed into a beautiful golden sphere sitting in the air, though its design implied it was more of an egg than anything.

The Winged Dragon of Ra – Sphere Mode / DIVINE / Divine-Beast / Effect / ATK ? / DEF ?

Sweat dripped from Zarc's face as he eyed the sphere warily. Something inside him was reacting to it. A sense of overwhelming danger that told him to run.

"DIVINE Attribute…?" Yuzu whispered, unsure whether to be amazed or terrified. "What kind of attribute is that? A-and what's Divine-Beast?!"

Yuya was about to ask that question himself until something inside him began to react. The pendant around his neck released a soft glow and his eyes began to glow red. He clawed at his chest, overcome by an intense pain and finding it difficult to breathe. He fell to his knees, gasping for air.

"Yuya!" Joey kneeled down and looked at the boy in worry. "Hey, Yuya, what's wrong?!"

'Something's not right,' Yuya thought through the pain. 'Something inside me… It's reacting to that monster! This… Is this hate I'm feeling right now? But who's is it? Is it mine?'

"The Winged Dragon of Ra – Sphere Mode is summoned to the field of the player whose monsters were tributed. However, during the next turn's End Phase, it returns to my control! It cannot attack, nor can it be targeted by card effects! Next, I activate the Magic Card I gained through Guardian Slime's effect: Ancient Chant! Ancient Chant allows me to perform an additional Advance Summon as well as add one of the most powerful creatures in all of Duel Monsters to my hand!" Marik's eyes gleamed with malice as he raised his hand high into the air. "When used for Advance Summoning, Egyptian God Slime can be considered as three tributes!"

The titan of slime descended upon the golden sphere, wrapping its body around it. Seconds later, it was expelled and reduced to little more than vapor as golden flames poured out from the sphere, rising high into the air and forming into a single shape. Before Zarc was golden avian beast, eyes burning red like fire and seemingly made of metal. An intense heat poured out from its very being. He felt as though he was standing beneath the sun.

"The golden beast of providence who reigns supreme! Reduce the mortal world to ashes and create it anew! The Winged Dragon of Ra!"

The Winged Dragon of Ra / DIVINE / Level 12 / Divine-Beast / Effect / ATK ? / DEF ?

"There's two of those things?!" Shuzo squawked. "The hell kind of monster is that?!"

In contrast to the confusion the others felt, only two people seemed to recognize the monster. Although Joey didn't know why, he felt as if he had seen that monster before. His body heated up just by looking at it. His insides felt like they were burning. Looking at the so-called god, a face he could barely remember popped into his head. The face he associated with the card he had lost.

Zarc's reaction was much more pronounced. Even with the cloud of amnesia, he knew this monster.

It filled him with dread.

"That can't be…" Zarc paled. "An Egyptian God Card?!"

Marik chuckled. "So, you recognize it? How interesting! It seems my guess was correct! You're from that world also, aren't you?! Then you should know what's about to happen! Thanks to Ancient Chant's effect, The Winged Dragon of Ra gains the ATK and DEF of the monsters used to summon it! As only Egyptian God Slime was used, The Winged Dragon of Ra gains 3000 ATK and DEF!"

The heat radiating from the golden beast grew in intensity. Zarc swore he saw bubbles and steam starting to rise up from the shark tank's surface below them.

The Winged Dragon of Ra / ATK 3000 / DEF 3000

"I activate The Winged Dragon of Ra's effect! By reducing my Life Points to 100, I increase its ATK equal to the amount of Life Post I paid through its effect!"

Despite the absurd amount of Life Points he lost equal to the intense shock that coursed through his body, Marik gave no indication he felt any of it. It was as if he didn't feel a single ounce of pain running through him at that moment. The Winged Dragon of Ra released a war cry as the flames spewing from its body began to engulf its wings and claws.

Marik Ishtar – LP 8400 ~ 100

The Winged Dragon of Ra / ATK 3000 ~ 11300 / DEF 3000 ~ 11300

"11300 ATK…?" Yuzu whispered in horror. "I-I didn't even know that was possible…"

"Feel free to use your Aurora's effect. It won't save you!" Marik declared. "BATTLE! The Winged Dragon of Ra! Reduce Supreme King Servant Dragon Odd-Eyes and Zarc to ashes!"

As the flames began to surge through the monster's body, as if it was charging up to deliver the final blow, Zarc began running. He jumped over to one of the platforms floating above the shark tank.

'If that thing hits me, I'm done for!' Zarc snatched the first Action Card he saw and played it quickly. "I activate the Action Magic Choice of Miracle and half any battle I damage I take! I also activate Supreme King Royal Knight – Aurora's effect and raise Odd-Eyes' ATK equal to Aurora's and prevent it from being destroyed by battle or by card effect!"

The Winged Dragon of Ra opened its maw and released a ball of golden hellfire that clashed with Zarc's dragon's own set of flames. The two opposing forces clashed before the Spiral Strike Burst was consumed. Before the attack could connect, Zarc found himself being taken into Aurora's arms and leaped to another platform for safety. To his surprise, Shuzo was also in its arms as well.

Before he could question how or why his monster was acting on its own, The Winged Dragon of Ra's attack connected. To the shock of everyone present, save for Marik who now rode atop his monster's shoulder, the platform was utterly incinerated, leaving no trace of it behind. A cloud of steam filled their vision.

As the steam dissipated, their vision cleared up.

Shuzo choked. "What in the name of…"

The shark tank was gone. The water in its confines was gone, almost as if it had been drained in a split second. The sharks that once occupied it were lying on their sides, burnt and reduced to being little more than lumps of charcoal. The insides of the shark tank were also scorched, the glass partially melted as well.

"If Zarc's monster hadn't pulled them out of the way, they would've been a goner…" Joey paled. "But how the hell did it do that? I thought they weren't on an Action Field!"

'This is just like with Yuto…' Yuzu realized. 'When he and Sawatari dueled back then, even though it was a normal duel, we could feel the effects of the monsters clashing with each other…'

"If that had hit us…!" Zarc paled before he looked down at his Duel Disk. The Duel Anchor was severed and dangling limply from his wrist. Despite that, he was still registered as participating in it.

Zarc – LP 3000 ~ 600

'If the anchor was still connected when he hit me with that attack…' He shuddered to think what he would have experienced. 'There's no way I can destroy that thing with what I have. What I can do, however…!'

"I activate the effect of Supreme King Gate Inferno from my Graveyard!" Zarc countered. "If I took damage, I can banish it and tribute a Level 8 or higher Supreme King monster! Afterwards, you take half the damage I took! I release Odd-Eyes!"

Marik scoffed. "Useless! I activate the Quick-Play Magic Journey of the Sun God! It can only be activated once per turn and only during the Battle Phase. I return a Winged Dragon of Ra on my field to my hand and gain Life Points equal to its current ATK. In addition, I draw 2 cards and add a Spell or Magic Card that lists The Winged Dragon of Ra in its text!"

"Damn!" Joey cursed as Odd-Eyes charged at Marik and became a charging beast of green flame, only to be snuffed out by The Winged Dragon of Ra's own, leaving Marik unharmed and landing atop one of the platforms remaining after the assault. "He almost had it!"

Marik Ishtar – LP 100 ~ 7200

"I set two cards face-down and end my turn!"

Zarc gritted his teeth. This was not going to be an easy battle in the least. Before he began his turn, he looked to Shuzo. "Principal, are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, all things considered…" Shuzo admitted. "A-anyway, we have to get out of here right now! This guy is way too dangerous!"

"I don't think that's possible…" Zarc looked back to Marik, the latter smiling evilly. "I don't think he'd let us go that easy."

'That, and I can't back down now.' Gingerly, he touched his chest, where something inside him was writhing. 'Something is telling me… No, it's screaming at me to fight. It wants me to continue fighting. To win! If I back down now and turn tail…it'll be like giving up!'

Zarc didn't understand it at the time, but the prospect of giving up—no, the thought of losing a duel made him sick to his stomach and filled him with fear.

"Do you hear yourself?! You saw what he did!" Shuzo flailed his arms. "Listen, if you remove your deck and shut down your Duel Disk, you'll-hey!" Aurora grabbed Shuzo by the collar of his jersey and threw him over to Yuzu and Joey, the latter being unfortunate enough to become the man's cushion.

With Shuzo now out of harm's way, Zarc put his full attention to the man in front of him. He looked to Aurora, the knight nodding its head and moving to stand in front of him, polearm raised.

"It's my Turn! Draw! Now, once more! PENDULUM SUMMON! Come forth, my Monster Servant!" A new knight was called forth by Zarc's pendulum. In its left hand was a heater shield bearing spikes, and its right was a flamberge. "Supreme King Royal Knight – Insurrection!"

Supreme King Royal Knight – Insurrection / DARK / Level 4 / Scale 5 / Warrior / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 1500 / DEF 1200

"I construct the Overlay Network using Supreme King Royal Knights Insurrection and Aurora!" Once again, the nebula of stars opened up at Zarc's feet. His knights ventured forth, becoming the foundation for a new otherworldly power. "You who have sworn fealty to the Supreme King Dragon! Rise forth from the pitch-black darkness and rend my enemies asunder! XYZ SUMMON! On your feet! Rank 4, Supreme King Imperial Knight – Revenge!"

A towering armored knight landed in front of Zarc, clad in pitch-black armor with spikes jutting out from its body. Its armor was decorated in neon-green markings and purple highlights and wielded a giant sword that was as long as itself, the blade wreathed in violent purple thunder.

Supreme King Imperial Knight – Revenge / DARK / Rank 4 / Scale 3 / Warrior / Xyz / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 1900

"I activate Revenge's effect! When Xyz Summoned, I can destroy my set Pendulum Scale and set Revenge in the Pendulum Zone! Revolt Disorder!" With a swing of its giant sword, the Pendulum Monsters were destroyed, leaving Revenge free to assume his new post. "Afterwards, I can Special Summon one Pendulum, one Xyz, one Synchro and one Fusion Supreme King monster from either my Graveyard or Extra Deck to my field! Return at once, my dragons!"

A rift opened from the bottom of the shark tank. Shooting out from it were none other than SKSD Odd-Eyes, Dark Rebellion, Clear Wing and Starving Venom, all of who roared and snarled and growled at Marik, all the while promising swift retribution.

"The effect continues! I can convert two Pendulum Monsters in my Graveyard or Extra Deck into Overlay Units, then attach them to the Xyz Monster summoned with Revenge's effect! I turn Supreme King Royal Knights Aurora and Insurrection into Overlay Units and attach them to Dark Rebellion! I now activate the Pendulum Effect of Supreme King Imperial Knight – Revenge! For every Supreme King monster that's face-up on my field, I gain 1000 Life Points! Furthermore, the ATK of all Supreme King monsters on my field is raised by 500!"

Zarc – LP 600 ~ 4600

Supreme King Servant Dragon Odd-Eyes / ATK 2500 ~ 3000
Supreme King Servant Dragon Dark Rebellion / ATK 2500 ~ 3000
Supreme King Servant Dragon Clear Wing / ATK 2500 ~ 3000
Supreme King Servant Dragon Starving Venom / ATK 2800 ~ 3300

Yuzu pumped a fist. "Yes! Not only did he get Life Points back, but he even got all his dragons back on the field too!"

"That's great and all…!" Joey grunted and peeled himself off the floor, rudely shoving Shuzo aside. "But in case you forget, Marik can use his monsters to summon that giant ass flaming chicken!"

"It-it'll be fine…" Yuya panted. The pain was still present, but he was able to power through it. He put on his best smile and looked on assuringly, confident his friend could win. "Zarc…he can win this!"

"I activate Starving Venom's effect and target the Egyptian God Slime in your Graveyard!" Zarc glared. "Battle! I attack directly with Starving Venom!"

Marik countered. "I activate the Continuous Trap Slime Regeneration! I Special Summon an Aqua Monster in my Graveyard and ignore its summoning conditions!"

A familiar titan of slime blocked Starving Venom's path. The dragon continued regardless as it released a violet purple ball of flame from its mouth.

"While Starving Venom is on the field, any monster of mine that battles any of your monsters in Defense Position can inflict piercing damage! Ravenous Poison Flare!"

Although the monster was unaffected by the flame blast, embers still managed to breach through its body and impact Marik, who otherwise seemed annoyed by the fact that Zarc was able to deal some damage to him.

Marik Ishtar – LP 7200 ~ 6900

"I attack with Clear wing!" Zarc continued. "I activate Clear Wing's effect! Thanks to Starving Venom taking on your monsters name and effects, Egyptian God Slime's effects are negated!"

"I think not! If the monster summoned by Slime Regeneration would be destroyed, Slime Regeneration is destroyed instead!"

The ferocious gale Zarc's monster conjured destroyed the trap card instead of its intended target. Zarc wasn't disappointed as the blow of wind had an added benefit of throwing an Action Card his way. "I activate the Action Magic! Clear Wing can attack again! Once more, Clear Wing! Destroy Egyptian God Slime! Hell Dive Whirlwind Slash!"

Clear Wing roared and spun itself around, becoming a ferocious whirlwind that tore yet another monstrous slime to pieces.

"Dark Rebellion!" Zarc continued with his assault. "Attack Marik directly! Revolt Lightning Disobey!"

"I activate the Action Magic Damage Vanish!"

Zarc clicked his tongue when Dark Rebellion's charge was repelled, wondering when he could have gotten that Action Card before dismissing it. "In that case, I attack you directly with Odd-Eyes! With those dual-colored eyes, lay waste to all you see! Spiral Strike Burst!"

Unlike before, Marik couldn't defend against this attack and instead braced himself for the stream of fire that came his way. He raised his arms to defend himself against them, even finding himself skidding back. He would have fallen off the platform had Odd-Eyes' attack continued. Given how far up he was, a fall into the shark tank at that height would have proven fatale.

For once, Zarc wasn't horrified by that prospect as he otherwise would have been. Instead, he was disappointed that Marik hadn't gone splat.

Marik Ishtar – LP 6900 ~ 3900

"I end my turn!" Zarc finished his assault before grimacing, remembering Hell Musician's troublesome effect. "I banish Supreme King Royal Knight – Supremacy."

Marik grunted. "My move, then. Draw! As The Winged Dragon of Ra – Sphere Mode has returned to my field, I now activate its effect! By tributing it, I summon The Winged Dragon of Ra back to the field!" Flames seeped out from the grooves in the golden sphere's body. To the shock of You Show, its body unfolded and revealed the blazing form of the Winged Dragon of Ra. "When summoned from Sphere Mode, it gains 4000 ATK and DEF!"

The Winged Dragon of Ra / ATK 4000 / DEF 4000

"I set Sun God Unification face-down, then activate it!"

Joey frowned. "The heck? How do ya activate a card you just set?!"

"If The Winged Dragon of Ra is present on my field, then I can activate it the same turn I set it. If The Winged Dragon of Ra was Special Summoned, I offer my Life Points to increase its ATK and DEF until I reach 100 Life Points!"

Yuzu grimaced. "So it has the same effect as that thing?!"

"Correct! The increase remains even if Sun God Unification leaves the field! I offer my Life Points and increase The Winged Dragon of Ra's power even further!" Once more, the avian beast roared as the flames burning across its body burned even hotter.

Marik Ishtar – LP 3900 ~ 100

The Winged Dragon of Ra / ATK 4000 ~ 7800 / DEF 4000 ~ 7800

'This must be the strategy he used to take down Sora…' Zarc thought warily, recalling the blue-haired boy's story from earlier. 'Using his own Life Points to boost The Winged Dragon of Ra's power, as well as summoning it through other means to give it 4000 ATK and DEF… By doing all of this, he can increase that monster's power, and at the same time, set up a contingency plan to restore Life Points even if we manage to find some way around the damn thing.'

It was fearsome, if not awe-inspiring. How much time and effort must it have taken to master this power? The ability to tame one of the Egyptian God Cards?

'Still, even if he's mastered it, isn't this level of playing ridiculous?!'

Marik continued as a malevolent smile formed across his face. "I now activate the Continuous Spell, Hieroglyph Sunblight!" A miniature sun composed of dark violet flames formed above their heads. In contrast to the flames produced by The Winged Dragon of Ra, only a cool frigid heat bathed Zarc. "While this card is on the field, The Winged Dragon of Ra gains 4000 ATK and DEF!"

In addition to its golden flames, the violet purple flames began to encroach its golden body.

The Winged Dragon of Ra / ATK 7800 ~ 11800 / DEF 7800 ~ 11800

'I've got a bad feeling about this…!' Zarc wasted no time in moving, leaping atop of Odd-Eyes and bouncing across platforms in search of an Action Card.

Marik did the same, albeit using his own strength instead of relying on his monster. "Battle! The Winged Dragon of Ra! Destroy Supreme King Servant Dragon Odd-Eyes!"

Zarc leaned to the left and scooped up an Action Card. "I activate the Action Magic Di-Attack! I halve the ATK of one monster on the field until the end of the turn! I choose The Winged Dragon of Ra!" The Action Card became a bolt of light that struck the avian monster, but it didn't seem very affected by the attack.

The Winged Dragon of Ra / ATK 11800 ~ 5900

"Useless!" Marik grabbed his own Action Card from the edge of the platform he was on. "I activate Action Magic Extreme Sword and raise The Winged Dragon of Ra's ATK by 1000!"

The Winged Dragon of Ra / ATK 5900 ~ 6900

"Zarc!" Yuzu cried out, as she feared the worst.

"Begone! Prominence Golden Burst!"

Once more, The Winged Dragon of Ra gathered all of its power into a singular focal point, and upon reaching maximum power, released a massive fireball that hit Odd-Eyes dead on, obliterating it completely. Zarc screamed in pain as he found himself thrown off his dragon and smashing straight into the wall behind him. The surface shattered upon impact, creating a small crater in which his body laid in before he slumped to the ground, falling on all fours, blood dripping from his mouth.

'M-my ribs…!' Zarc gasped desperately for air, finding it difficult to breathe. 'What the hell was that just now? Compared to before… Even an Action Duel isn't that violent…!'

Zarc – LP 4600 ~ 1600

Shakily, and in spite of his body's protest, Zarc forced himself to stand back up. "I… I activate the A-Action Magic Damage Draw. Since I t-took more than 2000 damage, I-I draw two cards…"

Shuzo rushed over to Zarc, catching the teen just as he was about to fall. Seeing his pitiful state, Marik couldn't help but laugh and palm his face. "What an exquisite sight! To think you have enough strength to stand, even after facing the brunt of that attack! I must give you credit, Zarc. You're more interesting than I thought you were. You truly are worthy of being the first opponent I face in the wake of my return!"

"What…" Zarc coughed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I end my turn," Marik ignored him. "The effect of Di-Attack ends, and thus The Winged Dragon of Ra regains its ATK."

The Winged Dragon of Ra / ATK 6900 ~ 12800

"Now then… What shall you do, Zarc? Will you forfeit the duel now and save yourself some pain? Or will you continue?" Marik questioned before snickering. "Not that it matters… Forfeit or fight and lose your fate is the same!"

For a brief moment, Zarc swore he saw something dark and malevolent hanging over Marik's form—a shadow with burning eyes filled with malice, hate, and greed.

"The Shadow Realm awaits you!"

TO BE CONTINUED

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Cards used in the Gon vs RH Duel:

Superheavy Samurai Soul Yata / DARK / Level 10 / Machine / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0 / Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. You can Special Summon this card by sending 2 or more monsters you control from your field to your GY. (Quick Effect): When this card is Special Summoned: Special Summon 1 "Superheavy Samurai" monster from your deck. If your opponent would destroy a card you control by battle or by card effect while this card is in your GY with no Spell/Trap cards in your GY: Banish this card and negate that card's destruction, then gain 400 LP x number of cards in your hand.

Superheavy Samurai Soul Magatama / FIRE / Level 10 / Machine / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0 / Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. You can Special Summon this card by banishing 3 "Superheavy Samurai" monsters from your GY. When this card is Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Superheavy" card from your deck to your hand. Once per turn: You can Special Summon up to 2 Level 4 or lower "Superheavy Samurai" monsters from your GY. If you have no Spell/Trap cards in your GY: You can Destroy this card and 1 face-up monster you control, and if you do, draw 2 cards.

Superheavy Samurai Soul Kusanagi / WIND / Level 10 / Machine / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0 / Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. You can Special Summon this card by controlling 2 or more Level 7 or higher "Superheavy Samurai" monsters. Once per turn, if you have no Spell/Trap Cards in your GY: You can Equip this card to "Superheavy Samurai Warlord Susanowo." While this card is equipped, "Superheavy Samurai" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects.

Superheavy Samurai Kami Izanagi / EARTH / Rank 10 / Machine / Xyz / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 4000 / 3+ Level 10 Monsters
This card can attack while in face-up Defense Position. If it does, apply its DEF for damage calculation. Once per turn, if a "Superheavy Samurai Warlord" was used as Material for the Xyz Summon of this card and you have no Spell/Trap cards in your GY: You can detach 2 Materials from this card; Destroy up to 3 face-up cards the field. During the Battle Phase (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 Material from this card; Double this card's DEF for that battle only

Vylon Assembly Formation / Trap / Continuous / During each of your standby phases, gain 1000 life points for each Vylon Monster you control. You can only use each of the following effects of "Vylon Assembly Formation" Once per turn: Add one "Vylon" card from your deck to your hand. During your Main Phase: You can special summon 1 level 4 or lower "Vylon" monster from your hand, deck, or GY, but you cannot special summon other monsters except "Vylon" monsters.

Vylon United Front / Spell / Continuous / As long as this card is face up on the field, Vylon cards cannot be targeted by the opponent's card effects. Whenever a Vylon Synchro Monster attacks an opponent's monster, but that monster is not destroyed, reduce the opponent's life points by half at the End Phase.

Cards used in Zarc vs. Marik Duel

Helmusicer / DARK / Level 6 / Fiend / ATK 2000 / DEF 1600 / You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) to your opponent's side of the field in face-up attack position. (You can only Special Summon "Helmusicer(s)" once per turn this way). If this card is destroyed: Both players can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from their deck. If this card in the GY was destroyed by battle or your card effect while in your opponent's possession: You can activate this effect during the end of your opponent's Battle Phase each turn; Your opponent must banish 1 card from their Extra Deck.

Didrillago / DARK / Level 6 / Machine / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 1100 / If the only cards your opponent controls are attack position monsters with 1600 or more ATK, you can Normal Summon this card without Tribute. When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 attack position monster your opponent controls with 1600 or more ATK: Destroy it, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent's LP equal to half that monster's ATK in the GY. This card can attack your opponent's LP directly.

Supreme King Royal Knight – Clarity / DARK / Level 4 / Warrior / Tuner / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 1500 / DEF 1200 / Scale 3
Pendulum Effect / Once per turn, if you Special Summon a "Supreme King" Pendulum monster from the Extra Deck: You can Special Summon 1 face-up "Supreme King" monster from your Extra Deck. You can only use this Pendulum Effect of "Supreme King Royal Knight – Clarity" once per turn.
Monster Effect / Synchro Monsters you control gain 1000 ATK. This card gains 300 ATK for each Pendulum Tuner face-up on your side of the field and Extra Deck. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 "Supreme King" Synchro Monster you control; That target cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect this turn, also, it gains ATK equal to this card's ATK, but this card cannot attack this turn.

Supreme King Royal Knight – Supremacy / DARK / Level 4 / Warrior / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 1600 / DEF 1200 / Scale 5
Pendulum Effect / Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 face-up "Supreme King" monster from your Extra Deck with its effects negated. You can only use this Pendulum Effect of "Supreme King Royal Knight – Supremacy" once per turn.
Monster Effect / Fusion Monsters you control gain 1000 ATK. This card gains 100 ATK for each DARK Pendulum Monster face-up in the Extra Deck. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 "Supreme King" Fusion Monster you control; That target cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect this turn, also, it gains ATK equal to this card's ATK but this card cannot attack this turn.

Servants of the Supreme King / Spell / Normal / Discard 1 "Supreme King Gate" Monster; Special Summon 2 face-up "Supreme King" monsters from your Extra Deck. You can only activate 1 "Servants of the Supreme King" per turn. You cannot Special Summon monsters the turn you activate this effect except "Supreme King" monsters.

Supreme King Royal Knight – Aurora / DARK / Level 4 / Warrior / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 1500 / DEF 1200 / Scale 3
Pendulum Effect / If you Pendulum Summon: You can Special Summon this card from your Pendulum Zone.
Monster Effect / Level 7 or higher Pendulum Monsters you control gain 1000 ATK. This card gains 500 ATK for each other Pendulum card you control. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 Level 8 or higher "Supreme King" Pendulum Monster you control; That target cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect this turn, also, it gains ATK equal to this card's ATK, but this card cannot attack this turn.

Absorption Slime / WATER / Level 10 / Aqua / Effect / ATK ? / DEF 0 / (Quick Effect): You can tribute any number of monsters you control; Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, this card's ATK becomes equal to the total ATK of the monsters tributed for this effect + 500 for each monster tributed. Unaffected by your opponent's card effects during the turn it is summoned. Cannot attack. If this card is destroyed by battle: Gain LP equal to the ATK this card had on the field.

Supreme King Gate Inferno / DARK / Level 7 / Fiend / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0 / Scale 2
Pendulum Effect / You cannot Pendulum Summon unless you control a "Supreme King Gate" Card in your other Pendulum Zone. This effect cannot be negated. Each time a player takes damage: You can target 1 "Supreme King" Monster you control that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck; Increase the ATK of that target by the total amount of damage taken, until the End of this turn.
Monster Effect / You can send this face-up card from your Extra Deck to the GY; Inflict 1000 damage to both player's LP, and if you do, increase the ATK of 1 "Supreme King" monster you control by 1000. If you took damage this turn: You can Tribute 1 Level 8 or higher "Supreme King" monster you control and banish this card from your GY; Inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the damage you took.

Journey of the Sun God / Spell / Quick-Play / Activate only during the Battle Phase of either player's turn. Target 1 "The Winged Dragon of Ra" Monster you control; Gain LP equal to the ATK of that card, and if you do, return that target to your hand. Then, you can Draw 2 cards and add 1 Spell/Trap Card that specifically lists "The Winged Dragon of Ra" in its text from your deck or GY to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Journey of the Sun God" per turn.

Supreme King Royal Knight – Insurrection / DARK / Level 4 / Warrior / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 1500 / DEF 1200 / Scale 5
Pendulum Effect / Once per turn: You can Add 1 face-up "Supreme King" monster from your Extra Deck to your hand. You can only use this Pendulum Effect of "Supreme King Royal Knight – Insurrection" once per turn.
Monster Effect / Xyz Monsters you control gain 1000 ATK. This card gains 500 ATK for each Xyz Material attached to your Xyz Monsters. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 "Supreme King" Xyz Monster you control; That target cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect this turn, also, it gains ATK equal to this card's ATK but this card cannot attack this turn.

Supreme King Imperial Knight – Revenge / DARK / Rank 4 / Warrior / Xyz / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 1900 / Scale 3 /
Pendulum Effect / Once per turn: You can gain 1000 LP for each face-up "Supreme King" monster you control. "Supreme King" monsters you control gain 500 ATK.
Monster Effect / 2 "Supreme King Royal Knight" Monsters
If you can Pendulum Summon Level 4, you can Pendulum Summon this face-up card from your Extra Deck. When this card is Xyz Summoned: You can destroy all cards in your Pendulum Zone and place this card in your Pendulum Zone, then, target 1 each of a "Supreme King" Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Pendulum monster in your GY or face-up in your Extra Deck; Special Summon them, and if you do, you can attach 2 Pendulum Monsters in your GY to the Xyz Monster summoned with this effect, also, you cannot Special Summon other monsters for the rest of this turn.

Slime Regeneration / Trap / Continuous / Target 1 Aqua Monster in your GY; Special Summon it, ignoring the Summoning conditions. You cannot summon other monsters the turn you activate this effect. If the monster summoned by this effect would be destroyed, destroy this card instead.

Hieroglyph Sunblight / Spell / Continuous / 1 "Winged Dragon of Ra" gains 4000 ATK (even if this card leaves the field). Unaffected by your opponent's card effects. Once per turn (Quick Effect): If your opponent controls a monster with higher ATK than 1 "The Winged Dragon of Ra" you control: You can have the ATK of 1 "The Winged Dragon of Ra" you control become equal to the total ATK of all monsters your opponent controls. If "The Winged Dragon of Ra" would be destroyed: You can send this card from your field to the GY; Negate that card's destruction, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to 1 "The Winged Dragon of Ra's" current ATK. You can only control 1 "Hieroglyph Sunblight".

Di-Attack / Spell / Action / Halve the ATK of 1 monster on the field until the end phase

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A/N: So, a few things first.

First thing, apparently some fucker by the name of striberz has been going around and saying that a dear friend of mine, TheStrangerThatCameFromNowhere, is a pedophile. A quick look at his fanfics (if you can even call them that) and his profile immediately tells me he's a troll. And from what I've heard, he's a parasite that roams the Kamen Rider side of fanfiction. It's fucking assholes like these that make me glad I found Sufficient Velocity. Try to steer clear of striberz y'all!

(For the record, his name is spelled striberz. Not be confused with Striberx, who he apparently has a hate boner for.)

Secondly, you people really need to stop asking me to update certain stories. I get that, even after I purged like 70% of my fanfics that I probably never would get back to or just lost interest in writing those fanfics altogether, you all really want to see how I continue those fanfics, but you just need to stop. It's just not healthy for me anymore. Especially not when the new college semester has started.

Third and last thing before I get into the meat of this chapter. As you all know, I recently began migrating over to Sufficient Velocity, the sister site of Spacebattles. Currently, only Pendulum's Fifth Swing is in the process of being transferred over. As a fresh reminder, any new content I make will only be posted on SV from now on. Any content I still have over here on FF will still be updated, however. And for the people who bitch that it's inconvenient…it really isn't. All you have to do is make a profile on SV, and it's just as easy as it is on FF. It only takes a couple of minutes, though based on personal experience, navigating the site does take some getting used to.

Speaking of new content, I recently got into a series called Worm and have already written some new fanfics regarding it, which you can find on SV. Just look for my user profile SkyRig and they should be easy to find. I've even found myself with a small little following there! :)

Okay, with all that done, let's talk about the chapter! Namely how much of an utter bastard I was in ending it there. Originally, I was going to post the whole duel in this chapter, but after seeing the word count, I said "nope!" and am splitting this in two parts.

Don't ask me when part 2 is coming out, cause even I don't know.

The duel with Gon was originally going to be made by me, but I couldn't figure out how to use Gon's deck in any real meaningful way, so I handed it off to Daemon of Wrath, a co-writer of mine. The Marik duel is the love child of Donjusticia as you can tell by the quality. Special thanks do have to go out to Daemon of Wrath, who not only made the duel, but actually went out of his way to write out the whole fucking thing instead of giving me an outline of how the duel will go.

Mad props to the mad lad.

Also, regarding Marik… I never told you people which Marik I was going to include. I couldn't exactly spoil the surprise, now could I? That being said, there is a Marik Ishtar in Arc-V in this fanfic. Unfortunately, he's also being used as a meat suit at the moment.

That'll be it for now! After part 2 is posted, I will be taking a break from writing to focus on school work and personal ventures in writing, specifically me writing my first actual book. The planning of the book is about 80% done, but I've yet to actually start writing it.

Fresh reminder that Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing has a TV Tropes page, so maybe check it out?

See You~

EDIT: Did I ever mention how annoyed I am by the fact that FF, for some ungodly reason, won't let me include arrows in documents? For fuck's sake...