Hello, and welcome back to a new part of Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V: Unity Between Dimensions! Yup, managed to get the next part done. Hoping to have completed both this and the next part before I have to worry about how to go about the You Show vs. Leo Institute matchups afterwards.
Shorter part than before, but I hope it'll still do. For now, enjoy.
Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V
Unity Between Dimensions
Part 3: Toying Around
It was another beautiful day at Yuya's home. Yuya had just woke up and was leaving his room. He had just had a dream where he became the new Dueling Champion only to be awaken rudely by Sora appearing in said dream. He groggily wiped his eyes awake.
"Man, ever since that Sora kid appeared after my and Rin's duel with Sylvio, he's been hounding me non-stop..." he spoke to himself, "He even started appearing in my dreams..."
His train of thought was interrupted by a nearby bark as he turned and saw his pet dog and cat next to him, En and Core respectively. Well, Yoko's pet dog and cat to be more precise. Yoko had a habit of taking in stray dogs and cats whenever she find them. Yuya didn't really know what was up with that, but he did find it amusing that, out of all the pets she took in, she took in a cat that had heterochromia eyes like his Odd-Eyes.
Yuya greeted the two pets before turning his attention to a nearby pole going to the lower floor.
"Yuya! Breakfast is ready!" Yoko called from the floor below. Yuya headed to the pole and slid down. As he reached the bottom, he heard that someone else was eating.
"Mom, did you happen to pick up another stray?" Yuya asked as he faces Yoko... only to find Sora sitting on the table as well, eating pancakes.
"Hey there, coach!" he greeted with a smile. Yuya, however, gave a frustrated sigh.
"I'll take that as a yes..." he answered his own question before narrowing his eyes at Sora, "What are you doing here!?"
It was Yoko that answered. "I happen to see Sora wandering outside the house," she explained as she placed a plate of pancakes by Yuya's chair, "He looked lost so I couldn't help but give him some food."
"You should have given him food to go..." Yuya retorted, taking his seat at the table, "I know you have a habit of taking in stray cats and dogs, but stray humans as well?"
"But isn't he your student?" Yoko wondered aloud, prompting Yuya to slam a fist on the table.
"No he is not!" he argued, "I've never agreed to be his teacher or anything! He just showed up, started calling me 'coach', and I practically had no say in the matter!"
Sora sighed at the display. "You don't really have a lot of manners, coach," he commented before turning to Yoko, "Why can't you be more like your sister here?"
Yoko blinked at what Sora called her. "S-sister...?" she repeated in surprise.
Now it was Sora's turn to blink. "Huh, but aren't you two related?" he asked, only to widen his eyes once he realized who Yoko actually was, "Oh! I'm so sorry for calling you that! It's just you looked so young and beautiful that I thought-!"
As Sora panicked at his mistake, Yoko took in what he said before smiling. "Well, aren't you an honest child," she responded, "How about you have some more pancakes!"
As she said that, she grabbed Yuya's uneaten pancakes and handed them over to Sora, much to Yuya's shock. Sora, seeing more pancakes, smiled brightly at more food.
"Hey, those were mine!" Yuya argued.
"Don't worry, Yuya. I'll make more," she reassured, prompting Yuya to give a frustrated sigh in response.
"That's not the point!"
On the way to school, Yuya met up with Zuzu and Rin as the three walked together. Yuya, as expected from what occurred at his home, wasn't in a good mood, and the two girls could guess why that was.
"Let me guess. Sora?" Rin guessed, earning a frustrated nod from the Dueltainer-in-training.
"Did he really came all the way to your house?" Zuzu asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, though I don't really know how..." Yuya responded with a sigh, "Seriously, no matter how hard I tried, I can't shake him off. He even started appearing in my dreams."
Zuzu's and Rin's eyes widen at that last statement. Just then...
"Coach!" Sora called out as he rushed over to the trio.
Yuya, hearing the call, gave another frustrated sigh. "You see what I mean...?" he said before turning around and glaring at Sora, "Why do you keep following me!?"
"Don't you remember? I'm your student!" Sora answered as if it was obvious, "We haven't had our first lesson yet!"
"I told you before! I never agreed to be your teacher!" Yuya argued, "I don't see you pestering Rin about this; she was in that duel too!"
"Simple: it's because you have that Pendulum Summon thingy!" Sora explained, "After seeing it in action in that duel, I've wanted to know how it works!"
"Well, it won't work for you, Sora!" Yuya retorted, "You need Pendulum Cards to even attempt it."
"Oh, just show me how it works, coach!" Sora practically begged before turning to Rin, "Maybe you could convince him."
Rin blinked at that. "Huh? Why me?" she questioned.
"Because I'm sure he'll listen to whatever his girlfriend says," Sora reasoned, prompting shocked reactions from Rin and Yuya and a twitching eye from Zuzu that went unnoticed.
"WHAT!?" Rin and Yuya screamed as the former started frantically arguing, "Nonononono, I'm not his girlfriend! I had enough craziness from Sylvio and his lackey calling me that!"
"You're not?" Sora asked in confusion before turning to Zuzu, "Then are you perhaps his girlfriend?"
Now it was Zuzu's turned to be shocked as she started blushing, "WHAT!? N-no, you got it all wrong!" she argued, just as frantically as Rin, "I'm not his girlfriend either! I already have enough grief with Rin teasing me about that! I don't need you joking about it either!"
"Really?" Sora responded before gazing at the shocked faces of both Zuzu and Rin. Just then, he developed a sly smile.
"Oooooh! I know what's going on!" he said with a chuckle, "Coach, you sly dog, you!"
"Huh...? What are you talking about?" Yuya asked, nervous about what Sora was thinking.
"I didn't think you'd swing that way, coach!" Sora continued, keeping his sly smile, "Two girls pining for you... It's obvious that you have yourself a harem!"
The statement earned very shocked blushes from both Yuya and Rin. Zuzu... responded by quickly whacking Sora into the ground with her paper fan, also sporting her own blush.
"WHAT DID I JUST SAY ABOUT MAKING THOSE KINDS OF JOKES!?" she yelled as she grabbed Yuya's hand, pulling him away, "Let's go, Yuya. I can see what you mean about the kid."
As Zuzu pulled the frantic Yuya along, Rin stood where she was, still shocked at what Sora said.
"... What just happened...?" was all she could say...
Class has started at the Paradise Prep School and many students were busy with their lessons. Well... except for Yuya. He was busy looking at his two magician Pendulum Cards, thinking back to his and Rin's duel with Sylvio.
'Sylvio only had these cards for such a short time... Yet he was able to Pendulum Summon as if he'd always been able to...' he thought, looking back at how Sylvio managed to Pendulum Summon his Dart Strikers, pushing him and Rin into a corner, 'Could anyone be able to Pendulum Summon... so long as they have these cards...?'
Yuya closed his eyes in slight frustration. 'Just what are these Pendulum Cards...? And where did they come from...?'
Just outside the school building, unbenounced to everyone, Sora was hanging upside down on a tree branch. He was currently spying on Yuya with a pair of binoculars.
"Huh... Coach is looking down..." Sora noticed sadly, "Is there something wrong with him?"
He then swung up to the branch he was hanging off of before developing a smile, an idea forming in his head.
"I think I might be able to cheer him up!"
Sora's method of cheering Yuya up, however, was anything but practical. Everywhere Yuya went at school, Sora was always nearby to surprise him. He appeared in the soccer field, a bush next to a bench, one of the bathroom stalls, and even underneath a desk during class where he was promptly escorted out by a very unamused teacher.
Soon, school has ended as Yuya walked alongside Zuzu and Rin once again, heading off to You Show. Unfortunately, Yuya was in an even worse mood than before.
"I know he was being excessive, but he was only trying to cheer you up!" Zuzu attempted to reason with Yuya.
"I know that! Really, I do!" he admitted before giving another frustrated sigh like he been doing throughout the day, "But he's going about this the entirely wrong way!"
"What is going on with you, anyway?" Rin questioned, also looking worried like Zuzu, "Does it has something to do with our duel with Sylvio?"
Hearing that caused Yuya to flinch, something the girls noticed.
"So that's it..." Zuzu guessed, earning an actually less-frustrated sigh from Yuya for once, "Yuya, I know there were times when you were down, but this is a bit much, even for you."
Before Yuya could argue back, Zuzu stopped right in front of him. "You know what you need? A nice duel to cheer yourself back up!" she suggested with a smile.
Yuya was surprised by the suggestion, but Rin smiled as well. "I think that's a great idea! Back where I came from, a good duel always perk me and my friend right up!" she agreed.
Zuzu nodded before continuing. "Yuya, you strive to have fun dueling and entertaining the crowds with your performances, right?" she reminded the Dueltainer-in-training, "That was precisely what you and Rin did at the end of that duel! That's what being a Dueltainer is all about! Isn't that right, Yuya?"
Yuya took in what Zuzu said as he closes his eyes. "Zuzu... You're exactly right..." he agreed before opening his eyes, back to his cheerful self, "I accept!"
Zuzu and Rin smiled at that as the three rushed off to You Show.
The trio soon made it back to You Show, with Yuya hopping off the the elevator and announced his presence.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" he revealed himself as Zuzu and Rin walked out of the elevator, eyes widen at something, "The one and only Yuya Sakaki is ready to take the stage!"
"Coach! Does that mean you'll teach me now!?" a familiar voice exclaimed as Yuya finally noticed that Sora was also here, conversing with Tate, Allie, and Frederick before the Dueltainer-in-training got here.
"SORA!?" he cried out in surprise, "What are you doing here!?"
"He's here for his first lesson, Yuya!" Allie answered for Sora, already informed about the situation from the candy-loving boy, "You sure kept your student waiting."
"Yeah, you're a bit late, Yuya," Frederick added, much to Yuya's exasperation. Before he could argue back, he was grabbed by the shoulder by Skip.
"Yuya, I'm so proud of you for taking in an apprentice," he praised the Dueltainer-in-training, "And for bringing in a potential student for You Show!"
Yuya took Skip's arm off of his shoulder before arguing. "I don't know about Sora joining You Show, but I did not agree to be his teacher!" he retorted, "Why doesn't anyone get that!?"
Sora, however, paid the argument no mind as he made his way to Yuya. "Coach, if you're here to duel, then how about I duel you?" he suggested, "That way, you can show me how it all works!"
"And why should I duel you!?" Yuya questioned. At that, Sora finally realized that Yuya wasn't in a good mood before dropping his head down.
"Look, if it's about me constantly stalking you at school, then I'm sorry..." he apologized, seemingly genuinely, "I was only trying to cheer you up... But I would really like it if you could duel me... Please...?"
As he said that, Sora gave off a look that could only be described as 'puppy-dog eyes'. The three younger kids were taken in by Sora's look, and even Skip, Zuzu, and Rin looked to be affected.
"I don't see what's the problem here, Yuya," Tate reasoned, "It's just one duel, right?"
"Tate is right, Yuya!" Skip agreed before narrowing his eyes at Yuya, "I certainly don't remember teaching you to be a Duelist that refuses a challenge. Doing so would dishonor You Show's teachings!"
As Sora continue to give Yuya the puppy-dog eyes, the latter merely glared in response. "Sora, that kind of look won't work on me..." he informed, "But if it really is one duel you want, then I accept."
Hearing that prompt Sora to leap up in happiness.
"HOWEVER!" Yuya continued, "If I win, you have to stop following me around and calling me 'coach'! Got it?"
"I got it!" Sora agreed with a hearty nod, "But if I win, you'll be my teacher and I'm allowed to follow you whenever you go!"
Hearing this caused Yuya to flinch, twitching his eye, before sighing in response. "Fine...!"
The two made their way to the arena as Skip headed for the control room. The rest was just outside the arena, watching the situation unfold from the window. Yuya was standing still, poised to start the duel, while Sora was hopping around in excitement.
"Alright, everyone! It's time to get started!" Skip called out, activating the ARC System, "The Duel Field we're going with is Wildest West!"
The ARC System below activated and generated the environment for the two to duel on. This one resembles a desert town modeled after the wild west. With the general appearance of the area, the two Duelists certainly look like cowboys preparing for a showdown. Well, Yuya does; Sora is just looking around, gaining an unamused look.
"Eh, I'm not really feeling this Duel Field..." he admitted before looking up at the control room, "Don't you have anything better than this?"
Skip's eye twitched at the comment. "So you want a better field...? Alright then!" he responded, back to work on the control board, "How about this!? Sweets Island!"
The wild west field quickly disappeared before being replaced with a candy-themed area filled with ice cream mountains, donut structures, a chocolate lake, and even a couple of gingerbread houses. Sora glances around the area in awe.
"Alright, now this is more like it!" he cried out happily, "Thanks, Mr. Boyle!"
Yuya, however, is unamused. "Sora, it's generally not a good idea to be picky about the Duel Fields..." he informed, "Just sayin'..."
After Sora was done thanking Skip, he and Yuya faced each other, ready to begin the duel.
"Alright, Yuya! It's time you show me what you got!" Sora called out.
"Same here, Sora!" Yuya responded with a confident smile, "It's time to..."
"DUEL!"
Yuya LP: 4000/Hand 5
Sora LP: 4000/Hand 5
As the Action Cards scattered around, Yuya prepared to make his first move. "I'll be going first here, and I'll start off by summoning Performapal Hip Hippo!" he called out, bringing out his familiar hippo.
Performapal Hip Hippo/Level 800/DEF 800
With that, Yuya hopped onto Hip Hippo. "That'll do for my turn," he said as he rode his hippo off, searching for Action Cards. Sora smiled as he took his turn.
"Alright then, coach. My move!" he called out, drawing a card and smiling at what he drew, "Nice! I activate the Spell Card, Toy Vendor!"
With the Spell Card's activation, a giant, robotic vending machine holding a cane appeared behind Sora.
"Here's how it works: Once per turn, I can discard a card in order to draw a new card," he explained, "Then, if it's a Fluffal monster, I can Special Summon a monster immediately. Of course, the card'll get discarded if it isn't."
Sora checked his hand before pulling out a card. "You're icky, so buh-bye," he said as he discarded the card before drawing a new card, "The card I drew was Fluffal Penguin! And now I'm able to summon it immediately!"
A capsule popped out of the Toy Vendor and opened up, revealing a penguin wearing earmuffs.
Fluffal Penguin/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1100
"That's not all! Fluffal Penguin can also let me Special Summon a Fluffal monster right from my hand!" he continued, "And I'm going with Fluffal Dog!"
A portal opened up next to Fluffal Penguin, and from it emerged a puppy with small angel wings.
Fluffal Dog/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1000
"And now for Fluffal Dog's ability!" Sora exclaimed, "Because he was summoned from my hand, I can add another Fluffal monster from my deck to my hand!"
Sora took a card out of his deck before showing it to Yuya. "The card I'm going with is Fluffal Leo!" he informed, "And don't forget that I still have a Normal Summon, so I'll summon Fluffal Leo!"
Sora's third monster appeared, revealing itself as a lion that, much like Fluffal Dog, also has small angel wings.
Fluffal Leo/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1200
The audience awed at the amount of monsters Sora summoned. "Sora was able to summon three monsters in a single turn, and all with the help of a single card," Tate commented, "He must be a skilled Duelist to have pulled that off."
"And his monsters are so cute!" Allie gushed over the monsters' cute appearances. Zuzu and Rin both nodded, also gushing over the monsters, though not as much as Ally. Yuya, however, could only stare in bemuse at the girls.
"What's gotten into them?" he questioned, not keeping his eyes ahead as Hip Hippo rushes straight toward the lake, something that Tate and Frederick noticed.
"Yuya! Look out!" they warned too late as Hip Hippo fell right into the lake in a splash, taking Yuya with it. The two soon emerged from the lake and swam over to shore.
"That's quite a trip..." Rin commented, having took her eyes off of Sora's monsters to see Yuya plummet into the lake, "He really should keep his eyes on the road..."
As Yuya and Hip Hippo shook themselves dry, Sora prepares his assault. "Now I'll attack your hippo with Fluffal Leo!" he commanded, "Oh and by the way: Leo here gets 500 ATK during the Battle Phase when it attacks."
Fluffal Leo/ATK 1600 - 2100
Despite the lion rushing toward him, Yuya smirked as he held up an Action Card. "That's what you think! I activate Blinding Blizzard!" he responded, "This card stops all your monsters cold!"
A snowstorm blew from the Action Card and covered all of Sora's monsters. They couldn't help but shiver from the cold, much to Sora's irritation.
Fluffal Leo/ATK 2100 - 1600
The audience wondered about Yuya's out-of-nowhere Action Card. "Where did he even get that Action Card?" Frederick questioned, "I never saw him pick one up."
At that, Tate realized something. "That's because we couldn't see him! He must have found one in that lake!" he explained.
"Honestly, that wouldn't surprise me," Zuzu commented with a smile, "He really does have a knack for finding Action Cards as his duel with Strong showed."
Rin nodded at that, remembering how Yuya had been able to locate so many Action Cards at once.
"Hey! That's not exactly fair, now is it!" Sora pouted.
"Hey, this is an Action Duel. It's all fair play," Yuya responded with a wink, "Besides, I'm not just gonna let you destroy my monster so easily."
"Alright, two can play that game... I'll end it here with a face down," Sora said as he headed off, presumably to find Action Cards for himself.
Yuya LP: 4000/Hand: 4
Sora LP: 4000/Hand: 2
"In that case, it's my turn!" Yuya called out as he drew a card.
Just then, he noticed Sora trying to climb a gingerbread house with the help of his Fluffal monsters. He was standing on Fluffal Penguin, who was being held up by Fluffal Leo and Fluffal Dog. Yuya also noticed an Action Card on the house's weather vane, presumably what Sora was after. Knowing what to do, Yuya rode on Hip Hippo and leaped toward the top of the house, nabbing the Action Card before Sora could even get to it.
"Hey! That was mine!" he cried out, back to pouting
"Sorry, Sora, but you wanted to have a real duel with me, so that's what I'm giving you," Yuya responded, "I never said I'd be going easy."
He then look at the card he drew before smiling. "Speaking of not going easy, it's about time I show you precisely what I can do!"
Hearing that, Sora dropped the pout and went starry-eyed at Yuya. "Does that mean...!?"
Yuya nodded as he held up two of his cards. "I set the scale with the Scale 2 Performapal Camelump and the Scale 8 Timegazer Magician! I'm taking control of this duel starting now!"
As Yuya set the two cards down, two pillars of light emerged on his side. In one of them was the familiar black-garbed magician, but the other had a camel with two humps and a tall bowler hat.
Performapal Camelump/Scale 2
Timegazer Magician/Scale 8
"I'm now allowed to summon monsters from Levels 3 to 7!" Yuya explained, raising his arm upward, "Swing far, Pendulum! Carve the arc of victory! My monsters are ready... TO SWING INTO ACTION!"
A portal opened between the two pillars, and coming out of it were two streaks of light. From one came Performapal Whip Snake, and from another came Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon.
"Whip to it, Performapal Whip Snake!" Yuya introduced his monsters, "And turn up the heat, dragon with wonderous dichromatic eyes! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
Performapal Whip Snake/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 900
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2000
Everyone marveled at the Pendulum Summon, including Sora who couldn't keep his eyes away. "WOW! That's so cool!" he yelled in excitement.
"It gets better, Sora!" Yuya responded, "I now activate Performapal Camelump's Pendulum ability! All monsters you control loses 800 Defense."
Camelump let out an echoing yawn that causes all of Sora's monsters to flinch.
Fluffal Penguin/DEF 1100 - 300
Fluffal Dog/DEF 1000 - 200
Fluffal Leo/DEF 1200 - 400
"Not only that, but one monster I have can deal piercing damage," Yuya continued, gesturing to Odd-Eyes, "And I'm choosing Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
Sora raised an eyebrow at that. "But what's the point? None of my monsters are in Defense Mode..." he informed.
"Not for long," Yuya responded, holding out the Action Card he took before Sora could, "I activate the Action Card, Candy Shower! One monster is changed to Defense Mode, and I'm going with Fluffal Dog!"
A rain of candy showered down on Sora's side of the field. Sora awed at the raining candy, only to realize Fluffal Dog busy eating it all. The girls found the action cute, though Sora just looked annoyed.
"Fluffal Dog, now isn't the time to be eating!" he yelled at his monster.
"Next up, I activate Performapal Whip Snake's ability!" Yuya continued, "He can swap the Attack and Defense of a monster I choose, and I'm choosing Fluffal Penguin!"
Whip Snake whipped out its metronome tail and hypnotized Fluffal Penguin.
Fluffal Penguin/ATK 1600 - 300/DEF 300 - 1600
Seeing all that made Sora widen his eyes in fear.
"Now, Odd-Eyes! Roast Fluffal Dog with Spiral Flame Strike!"
Odd-Eyes prepares to unleash its attack on Fluffal Dog. Before it could, however, Sora frantically activated his face down.
"I activate Punch-in-the-Box!" he called out, sweating a bit, "This card can negate your attack! Then I can send another of your monsters to the Graveyard to lower your Odd-Eyes attack by whichever the sent monster's higher stat!"
Yuya smirked at that. "Sorry, but that won't work with Timegazer Magician around," he retorted, "He can rewind time to negate your Trap. Infinity Gear Reverse!"
Timegazer Magician brought out his gear-shaped ring and unleashed temporal energy that disabled Sora's trap, laying it back face down. Sora was shocked by this as Odd-Eyes unleashed its flaming breath that scorched Fluffal Dog and sent Sora soaring into an ice cream mountain.
Sora LP: 4000 - 1700
"I'm not done! Whip Snake, take a bite out of Fluffal Leo!" Yuya continued as Whip Snake bit into the lion so hard it exploded.
Sora LP: 1700 - 1600
"And now Hip Hippo, take down Fluffal Penguin!" Yuya finishes as his trusty hippo rammed right through the penguin, leaving Sora's field empty.
Sora LP: 1700 - 1200
Back with the audience, they were impressed by Yuya's showing.
"Wow! Yuya managed to empty out Sora's field!" Rin commented with a smile, "And score some big damage in the process!"
"Yuya really has gotten much tougher in these past couple of days," Zuzu added, before gazing at Sora, who was still lying on the mountain, "But is Sora gonna be alright after this?"
"And with that, I'll end my turn," Yuya finishes before noticing that Sora wasn't moving, "Er, hello?"
"Yuya, maybe you shouldn't have went all-out there," Zuzu pointed out from outside the field.
"Hey, he wanted a real duel!" Yuya argued, before hearing laughter coming from Sora.
"That was awesome, coach!" he complimented as he hopped out of the ice cream mountain, "That was such an impressive Pendulum Summon! Now I'm even more determined to be your student!"
As Sora drew a new card to signal the start of his turn, he gazed at Yuya and let out a slight smirk. "Now it's time for me to show you the true strength of my deck!"
"Wait, what do you mean by that? Yuya questioned, "Are you saying you've been holding back?"
"That's right, and it all starts with this! I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!" Sora started, activating a Spell Card, "I'll be destroying one Spell or Trap on the field."
"So you're going for my Pendulum Cards?" Yuya guessed, only to be answered by a shake from Sora.
"Nope. I'm destroying Toy Vendor!" he explained as the windstorm shredded the vending machine to bits, surprising everyone.
"Why would you do that!?" Yuya questioned, shocked that Sora would destroy his own Spell Card.
"Because I can add an Edge Imp Sabres to my hand if Toy Vendor is sent to the Graveyard," Sora explained, taking out a card from his deck, "And now I activate the Spell Card, Polymerization!"
"Polymerization!?" Yuya cried out in shock, "You're a Fusion Duelist!?"
"That's right, Yuya! I'll be fusing together my Edge Imp Sabres I've recently gotten and my Fluffal Bear that I had on standby!" Sora called out as a merging portal appeared behind him. Two monsters, a bear with angel wings and a cluster of scissors with demonic eyes, appeared and went into the portal, merging together. Sora slammed his palms together as he chanted.
"Edge of sharpness and fury of bear! When the two come together, you had better beware!" he chanted, "I Fusion Summon the horrifying beast that shreds all! Frightful Bear!"
From the fusion portal emerged what appears to be a gigantic teddy bear with multiple stitches, a pair of scissors connecting its paws to its body, a bigger pair of scissors coming out of its belly, and the same demonic eyes Edge Imp Sabres had coming from its open mouth.
Frightful Bear/Level 6/ATK 2200/DEF 1800
Everyone, not just Yuya, were shocked at Sora's move.
"I never would have imagined that Sora was a Fusion Duelist!" Rin commented.
"And that monster...! Whatever it is, it certainly looks menacing..." Zuzu added as Allie cling onto her, deeply scared of the Fusion Monster Sora summoned.
At the control room, Skip was also surprised by the stunt.
"To think that Sora is capable of Fusion Summoning..." he commented, "I wonder... I've heard that the Leo Institute has recently begun teaching Fusion Summoning. Could this kid be a Leo student?"
Back at the field, Yuya stared at the newly summoned Frightful Bear, sweating a bit.
"Now you'll see what I'm like when I'm serious, coach!" Sora said, "And I'll start by taking out your Performapal Whip Snake!"
As ordered, Frightful Bear slammed its paw right toward Whip Snake, giving Yuya no chance to counter as his monster was sent right into the lake.
Yuya LP: 4000 - 3500
"And that's not all! Because Frightful Bear sent a monster to the Graveyard, he can equip that monster to himself!" Sora continued, "And he gets 1000 Attack for each monster equipped to him by this effect!"
Frightful Bear dipped its arm into the lake, pulling out an unconscious Whip Snake before literally swallowing it whole with its mouth, much to everyone's horror.
Frightful Bear/ATK 2200 - 3200
"That monster... It's so scary...!" Allie barely spoke in fear.
"Yea, and it has the potential to be dangerous..." Rin added, worried for Yuya, "If this thing keeps destroying Yuya's monsters, it may become too strong for Yuya to handle..."
"I'll be ending it here," Sora said, "So, coach. How do you plan to deal with my Frightful Bear?"
Yuya LP: 3500/Hand: 1
Sora LP: 1200/Hand: 0
Yuya stared at the Fusion Monster with narrowed eyes, gritting his teeth. 'I need something that can help me against that stuffed bear...' he thought as he drew a card look at it, 'Maybe... It's my best shot...'
"I'll lay one card face down..." Yuya said as he set his card down, "And call it there..."
Sora didn't look too amused by it. "Playing defense? How disappointing..." he commented with a sigh, "I was hoping to have a more interesting duel with you, coach."
He then drew a card. "Nothing for it, I guess. Frightful Bear, take out Performapal Hip Hippo!"
Frightful Bear lunges toward Yuya's hippo, though before it could strike, Yuya activated his face down.
"I activate Command Performance! Because I have a Performapal out, your Frightful Bear shifts into Defense Mode!" he called out as Frightful Bear kneels down. Sora blinked at that.
"That's it? I would have thought it'd be something more spectacular," he said, before remembering Camelump's ability, "Ah, I see. You're banking on your camel to help you."
He then glanced at his sole card before setting it in his Duel Disk. "Guess I'll end with another face down."
Yuya LP: 3500/Hand: 1
Sora LP: 1200/Hand: 0
"Alright, it's my move now!" Yuya exclaimed as he drew a card before gesturing toward Camelump, "I'll use Performapal Camelump's Pendulum ability once more, lowering your Frightful Bear's Defense!"
Camelump let out another echoing yawn that destabilized Frightful Bear.
Frightful Bear/DEF 1800 - 1000
"Alright, Odd-Eyes! Blast away that stuffed animal with Spiral Flame Strike!" Yuya commanded as Odd-Eyes unleashed its flame breath toward Frightful Bear. However...
"I activate my Punch-in-the-Box!" Sora exclaimed, activating his trap once more.
"Sora, I told you that it won't work!" Yuya responded, gesturing to Timegazer Magician, "Show him why, Timegazer. Infinity Gear Reverse!"
Timegazer unleashed another wave of temporal energy to shut off Sora's trap once more. Sora, however, smirked.
"I knew it wouldn't. That's why I came prepared this time," he said as he activated his second face down, which was... another Punch-in-the-Box!
"Huh!?" Yuya cried out in surprise.
"Yup, I just set another Punch-in-the-Box to bypass your Timegazer Magician's ability," Sora explained, "So now I can stop your attack, and your Odd-Eyes loses Attack equal to Hip Hippo's Attack!"
A large rubber hand popped out of the card and grabbed Hip Hippo before tossing it at Odd-Eyes. The Pendulum dragon was startled by the hit, its attack canceled.
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon/ATK 2500 - 1700
Yuya gritted his teeth at that. "I'll... end my turn..." he said as he hopped on his Odd-Eyes.
Frightful Bear/DEF 1000 - 1800
"Then I guess it's my turn!" Sora said as he drew a card, "I'll switch Frightful Bear back into Attack Mode."
Frightful Bear stood back up, ready to strike again.
"And now to take out your Odd-Eyes!" he yelled out.
Frightful Bear prepares to pounce on Odd-Eyes. Meanwhile, Yuya was looking for an Action Card. He soon spot one stuck to a giant candy cane.
"Over there, Odd-Eyes!" he gestured his monster toward it. Sora took sight of where Yuya was going.
"So that's what you're up to..." he commented, hopping onto Frightful Bear's paw, "I don't think so! Go, Frightful Bear!"
Frightful Bear launched Sora forward toward one of the giant lollipops. Then, to the surprise of everyone, he started leaping from one lollipop to another in rapid succession. Just as Yuya was about to grab the Action Card, Sora swoop by and nabbed it before leaping back onto Frightful Bear's paw.
"What...!? How did he do that!?" Zuzu questioned, surprised by Sora's acrobatics.
"Is he secretly a ninja!?" Frederick pondered.
Yuya was surprised by this turn of events, especially since he can't protect Odd-Eyes anymore.
"I had a feeling you'd try to get more Action Cards. That's why I tried to go after your Hip Hippo once Whip Snake was gone," Sora explained, "Without Hip Hippo's speed, I knew you wouldn't be able to reach them as quickly as you could."
He then hopped off of Frightful Bear. "And now to finish what I started! Frightful Bear! Take out Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
Without anything to stop it, Frightful Bear delivered a punch towards Odd-Eyes, knocking Yuya off and sending the dragon into the lake. Yuya got up to his knees and stared at the lake frantically.
"ODD-EYES!" he yelled out in fear, tears forming in his eyes.
Yuya LP: 3500 - 2000
"And with that, your Odd-Eyes is equipped onto Frightful Bear," Sora said before turning to his Fusion Monster, "So, go ahead and fish it out!"
As ordered, Frightful Bear extended its paw into the lake to search for Odd-Eyes. As this was happening, Yuya was still on his knees, almost as if he already lost. Something that the others noticed.
"Yuya doesn't look too great..." Tate commented with a frown.
"No surprise... Odd-Eyes was one of his favorite monsters, especially after he created Pendulum Summons..." Zuzu informed, looking worried for her friend, "Having something like that destroyed right before his eyes..."
Rin stared at Yuya in sorrow. She may not fully understand it, but she did have a friend back where she came from that also had a close bond with their monster, so she couldn't help but be reminded of her friend.
Yuya continue to gaze downward in sorrow. As he kneeled there, he thought back to the last time he lost something important...
(Flashback)
A younger Yuya was crying in the middle of a park, having lost his pendant. Just then, someone approaches him.
"Yuya? Is something wrong?" the person asked. This person was Yusho Sakaki, Yuya's father.
"I... I lost my pendant..." Yuya cried, "I don't know where it is..."
"That is certainly a problem," Yusho commented before kneeling to Yuya's level, "Listen, Yuya. If you keep being sad and crying, nothing good with come of it. Keep your chin up and you'll be able to move forward. And if you feel the need to cry, laugh. I promise you'll feel better afterwards."
Yusho patted his son on the shoulder with a smile. Soon, Yuya managed to calm down and raise his head. Just as he did that, he found something.
"Dad! Look!" he said, pointing behind him. Yusho turned around and saw Yuya's pendant dangling in the nearby tree. He turned back toward his son with a smile.
"There you go, Yuya!" he said, "Just keep what I said in mind, and things will hopefully work out for you."
Yuya nodded with his own smile before heading off to get his pendant.
As Yuya recalls a memory of his father, he stood back up and gave a slight laugh before looking up at the pillars of light and the pendulum between them.
'You're right, dad. I can't keep myself down like that...' he thought, 'If I can't bring myself to enjoy these duels, then I wouldn't be able to make people happy. I just got to keep my chin up and move forward.'
He soon gained a determined smile. 'I'm still in this duel, so I'm not going to back out!'
It was then that he realized that his Duel Disk has been beeping for a while. Yuya wondered what that was all about.
"Huh? My Extra Deck...?" he said to himself, "But I don't have any monsters there..."
He checked his Extra Deck and was surprised by what he saw. Meanwhile, Frightful Bear was still searching for Odd-Eyes.
"Frightful Bear? What's taking so long?" Sora questioned, "You should have found that dragon by now!"
It was there that Yuya turned and faced Sora. "Sorry, Sora, but you won't be finding Odd-Eyes there," he said.
"Huh!? Why not!?" Sora replied in confusion, "Where did he go!?"
Yuya then showed his Extra Deck to Sora, surprising him with what was in there.
"Odd-Eyes is right here! Right in my Extra Deck!"
Everyone was surprised by this. "Odd-Eyes'... in the Extra Deck...!?" Zuzu repeated, "How did he get in there!?"
"Could this be another quirk of these Pendulum Cards?" Rin pondered.
Sora stared at Yuya's Extra Deck for a bit before he suddenly burst out laughing.
"Wow, that's crazy! So Pendulum Monsters get sent to the Extra Deck instead of the Graveyard!" he laughed, "Since he wasn't sent to the Graveyard, Frightful Bear can't equip him, meaning he can't get another boost!"
Sora soon calmed down. "Man, this duel just got more interesting. I'll leave it there, so show me what you got, coach!"
Yuya LP: 2000/Hand: 2
Sora LP: 1200/Hand: 2
'Alright, this might be my last chance to take down that monster,' Yuya thought as he prepares to draw.
"It's my turn! I draw!" he called out as he drew a card. As he looks at the card he drew, his eyes widen before facing ahead.
"For my first move, I'll summon Performapal Sword Fish!" he said as he summoned his bladed-pompadour eel.
Performapal Sword Fish/Level 2/ATK 600/DEF 600
"So what's this one gonna do?" Sora questioned.
"He'll be providing support for our big star alongside one other," Yuya answered, gesturing toward his Pendulum up above, "Speaking of which, here they are now! I Pendulum Summon!"
The portal opened between Yuya's pillars, and with it emerged two more streaks of light. One revealed the familiar dragon, but the other revealed a coiled rattlesnake with a glove at the end of its tail.
"Lend a helping hand, Performapal Partnaga! And turn up the heat, dragon with wonderous dichromatic eyes! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Yuya introduced his two monsters.
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2000
Performapal Partnaga/Level 5/ATK 500/DEF 2100
Everyone was surprised that Odd-Eyes managed to appear once again.
"So Pendulum Monsters can be Pendulum Summoned from the Extra Deck as well!?" Sora cried out in excitement, "Man, this Pendulum Summon is getting cooler and cooler by the minute!"
"It is pretty neat," Yuya agreed, "And now all the stars of our show has gathered!"
"Oh, what're they gonna do?" Sora questioned, "In case you haven't noticed, Frightful Bear is still the strongest monster on the field."
"You'll see. First off, I'll use Performapal Partnaga's ability!" Yuya called out as Partnaga extended and grabbed hold of both Odd-Eyes and Sword Fish, "When Partnaga is summoned, one monster I control gains 300 Attack for each Performapal monster I have out. That's both itself and Sword Fish, so that's 600 Attack going straight toward Odd-Eyes!"
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon/ATK 2500 - 3100
"That is pretty strong, but not enough to beat my Frightful Bear!" Sora pointed out.
"For now, but that's why I have Performapal Sword Fish!" Yuya continued, "Once per turn, Sword Fish can slice 600 Attack from a monster you control for the rest of this turn!"
Sora was surprised as Sword Fish multiplied and sent its clones to skewer Frightful Bear's feet, pinning it to the ground.
Frightful Bear/ATK 3200 - 2600
"Now then, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Yuya called out, ready to finish this duel, "Blast away that stuffed animal once more! Spiral Flame Strike!"
Odd-Eyes unleashed its attack on Frightful Bear. This time, the attack succeeded in incinerating the bear on the spot.
"And if you have been watching my and Rin's duel with Sylvio, you'll know that Odd-Eyes deals double damage when battling a Level 5 or higher monster," Yuya added, "Show 'em, Odd-Eyes! Reaction Force!"
The flame breath continued on and blasted Sora away.
Sora LP: 1200 - 200
"And don't forget about my other stars!" Yuya said with a smile, "Partnaga, finish Sora off!"
Partnaga did just that and, letting go of Odd-Eyes and Sword Fish, slithered over to Sora to deliver a hardy slap with its gloved tail, knocking him to the ground.
Sora LP: 200 - 0
WINNER: YUYA!
With that, the duel was over, much to the relief of Yuya's friends. The Duel Field soon disappeared as Yuya walked up to the fallen Sora.
"I gotta say, Sora, you were quite an opponent," he complimented, "If you ask me, I don't think you need any coaching."
Just then, Sora leaped up in excitement, fully recovered from the attacks. "Oh, man! That was a great duel, Yuya!" he yelled out, surprising Yuya.
"Not 'coach'?" he questioned.
"Of course! I did lose, after all. A deal's a deal!" Sora responded.
"But you still had that Action Card in your hand," Yuya reminded, "Surely that could've helped you back there."
Sora's response was a mere shrug. "Eh, not really. It wouldn't have helped in that situation," he admitted, much to Yuya's bemusement. By then, the others showed up to congratulated the two.
"That was an impressive duel, you guys!" Tate praised the two.
"Yea, it was so fun to watch!" Allie added before gaining a sheepish smile, "Well, aside from that creepy bear..."
"What I want to know is how you learned to Fusion Summon like that," Skip questioned, "Are you secretly a Leo student?"
Zuzu, however, turned to her father, shaking her head. "That can't be it, dad. He said he was about to enroll at the Leo Institute, but Yuya's and Rin's duel with Sylvio changed his mind," she corrected, much to Skip's surprise.
"Really!? Then how did he pick it up?" he questioned once again, facing Sora, "The only other Duel School in Paradise City that teaches Fusion Summoning that I know of is the Bandit Warrior Academy, and you don't really look like you belong there!"
"Eh, where I come from, Fusion Summoning is pretty common," Sora answered, "Nearly everyone I know knows how to do it."
This surprised everyone, in particular Rin, who couldn't help but get a strange sense of deja-vu from this conversation. In particular to when she first met Yuya and Zuzu and had her first duel with the Dueltainer-in-training.
(Flashback)
Rin and Yuya has just finished their duel at You Show. Rin had managed to beat Yuya with the help of her Windwitch - Winter Bell's ability, bypassing Yuya's Odd-Eyes Dragon completely. Rin and later Zuzu approached Yuya, the latter of the two girls looking worried.
"Yuya, are you alright!?" Zuzu called out in worry, only for Yuya to leap back up.
"Never been better, especially after such a great duel!" Yuya answered with an excited smile before turning toward Rin, "You're such a great Duelist, Rin! Especially being able to Synchro Summon like that!"
Rin couldn't help but giggle at the praise. "Thanks, Yuya. You weren't bad yourself," she complimented, "I can see that you have potential to go far."
"Thanks, Rin," Yuya responded, feeling a bit bashful before getting a grip, "But still, where did you learned how to Synchro Summon? Was there a Duel School where you're from that teaches it?"
Rin, however, shook her head. "Not really. Where I come from, nearly everyone knew how to Synchro Summon," she answered, surprising the two.
"Really!? Everyone there knew how to Synchro Summon!?" Zuzu repeated in shock, earning a nod from Rin.
"Yup. It's honestly not that hard to learn," she added before getting an idea, "In fact, I might be able to teach you how to Synchro Summon."
This catches Yuya's attention. "Really!? You'll really do that!?" he exclaimed, feeling more excited.
Rin nodded once more, finding Yuya's excitement amusing. "I might. After all, I'll most likely be attending this school while I'm here. So, might as well make the most of it."
This caused Yuya to leap into the air in excitement, much to the amusement to Rin and Zuzu.
Rin took in what Sora said, finding it extremely similar to her own situation.
"Where you came from? Does that mean you're not from around here?" Yuya questioned, "You're just like Rin, then!"
"Huh?" Sora responded in surprise, "What do you mean by that?"
"Rin also isn't from around here," Zuzu admitted, "She came to Paradise City a couple of weeks ago and, since then, started attending You Show."
"Is that so?" Sora said before getting a look at Rin, thinking.
'I wonder...' was all he thought before his train of thought was interrupted.
"Well, if you're not a student in any Duel Schools, then how about joining You Show?" Skip suggested, "I promise that we'll mold you into a great Dueltainer!"
Sora thought about the offer before letting out a smile. "You got it, Mr. Boyle!" he agreed, "After all, I can't call Yuya 'coach' anymore."
He then turned to face Yuya. "But I would really like it if I could still be your friend!" he added. Yuya stared in bemusement at that, before ultimately letting out a sigh.
"You know what, Sora? You got it," he said with a smile, "Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot earlier. So I'll give you another chance."
Hearing that, Sora leaped into the air in excitement, much to everyone's amusement. Even Rin couldn't help but smile at his excitement, though she couldn't help but wonder about Sora's situation and if it's the same as hers.
"Alright, Yuya! I promise we'll be the best of friends!" Sora said, "And then I'll be able to follow you around, right!?"
Hearing that last part made Yuya's eye twitch in annoyance. "Don't push your luck!"
And that's the end of that. Sorry if the duel wasn't as long or as exciting as the previous duel. I highly doubt it would have held up to the previous 2v2 (I did mentioned that I was particularly proud of that duel), plus this was another tricky duel to deal with, especially since a certain 'someone' was holding back! Kinda leaves me with few options since Fluffals are meant to provide Fusion support for the Frightfuls (was admittedly hard to not just have Sora go Fusion crazy like the archetype would suggest). Hopefully Yuya utilizing different tactics than in canon makes up for it, since I'm still trying to change these canon duels in some way.
Speaking of holding back, there's still the matter of that Action Card Sora had. Was it really something that wouldn't have helped him in that situation? Or could it have helped him and he purposely held it back? Who knows... After all, Sora hasn't even revealed his true strength...
Another thing to mention was that little flashback of Rin's. It revealed that she'd be willing to teach Yuya how to Synchro Summon. I've already got a couple of reviews asking if Rin could teach Yuya Synchro Summon. I admittedly forgot about that possibility back when I first started this, but I've since thought about it, and it might be a possibility. We might see Yuya perform a Synchro Summon soon enough (it may require me to think up some OC cards, but it's possible). Guess we'll see.
And lastly, I couldn't help but make that joke with Sora about Yuya having two girls pining for him, just like how I couldn't help but have Zuzu whack Sora for making that joke. It was either that or have Zuzu whack Yuya for the slight, unintentional insult like in canon. Probably better for Yuya that I went this route, especially since he did kinda crossed the line there... Poor Sora.
Anyway, that's it. Up next is where what I'd like to call 'the rebels' start to make their appearances. Here's hoping I handle it well. Until then, see ya!