Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-Vrains: The Circuit Of Smiles

by donkeyboy100

A year after the Dimensional War and the revival of Zarc, and everything in Paradise City had seemed to die down. Until one day a mysterious group called the Arbiters came and invaded the Pendulum Dimension to capture Declan Akaba and Yuya Sakaki. It's now up to Yuya and his friends to travel to this unknown dimension in search for the answers to their questions.

15. Hunter Vs Predator

Last time in Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-VRAINS The Circuit Of Smiles, Zuzu and Ena decided to visit Skye for a few days, but secretly she was avoiding everybody due to the ongoing debate between her and Maestra. After bumping into Skye on their way to her house, she invited the two of them to dinner and to stay the night. After being motivated by Zuzu, Skye decided to take matters into her hands and settle the dispute by challenging Maestra to a duel. It was a very tough match for both of them, but Maestra was the winner in the end.

Somewhere in LINK VRAINS…

"Crusader!" the man's chaser shouted. "This ends now!"

The man – a curly blue-haired guy in a red jumpsuit with grey armored shoulder pads, chest armor, metal boots, and a red cape.

Crusader's pursuer was a woman wearing a small dark grey mantle over a blue, white, and black one-piece outfit that ends in short shorts and short sleeves. Dark grey gloves that extended down her arms, with straps around the wrist and pink backs. She also had boots, stockings, and a pack that was dark grey.

"Get back here!" The woman shouted as she chased her prey.

"Never! You will never catch me, Ghost Gal!"

The pursued zigzagged through the bushes while Ghost Gal gained on them. She didn't notice the noise level or how her target ran with a clear purpose in mind…

The woman and the one she was chasing ended up on a trail in the woods where the target changed course. Ghost Girl did the same, lifting her left arm as she did so. If she just got a clear shot-.

SNAP

Ghost Gal blinked and looked down. She had a brief second to note the odd pattern on the ground before she felt compressed on all sides and suddenly dizzy. After blinking and shaking her head, she realized his predicament; she had stepped into a trap and was suspended in a net hanging from a tree.

Ghost Gal felt like growling. "Dang, it! How could I've been so careless?" Her irritation with herself soon found itself a new target as laughter reached her ears. Carefully twisting the net, she could move and see that the hacker she had been chasing was standing about ten meters away from her.

"Not bad, huh?" Crusader said with a sneer. "Figured you didn't realize that I detected you once you entered my domain, did you? Guess your partner didn't tell you that."

Ghost Gal frowned. "Partner?" he repeated. Internally, she chastised herself for not considering that the hacker would realize she had been found.

"Don't play dumb with me, lady!" Crusader shouted, taking a step closer. "I picked up two intrusions, and I know one of them was you! They happened almost simultaneously, so I know you're not the only one who entered my domain at the same time! Now fess up! Where is your partner?"

"I don't have a partner."

Ghost Gal's and the Crusader's eyes both widened as a bolt of yellow energy pierced the air and slammed into Crusader's back. Crusader screamed in pain as he was knocked down into the dirt. He tried to pick himself up, but a second shot was fired, this one taking the shape of a bola that wrapped itself around his feet, making him fall over again.

Ghost Gal twisted her neck around, looking in the direction the shot came from. Another figure stepped out of the bushes. This man was wearing a purple cape over a black jacket, a mask, and a hat and had a mechanical arm.

"Who are you?" Crusader asked.

The man walked up to the prone hacker and raised his right arm as energy gathered in his palm. "I'm The Shepherd," he said. "And you're my prey." He fired another blast that made Crusader scream until he passed out. And yet, he didn't log out. It must have had some kind of stasis effect.

Shepherd picked the man up and hoisted him over one shoulder. He then aimed his mechanical arm at the net Ghost Gal was trapped in and blast it, releasing her.

"Thanks for settings me free, Kenneth, and for capturing our target," Ghost Gal said.

"Don't mention it, Emma," Shepherd replied as he placed Crusader next to a tree.

Ghost Girl walked up to the hacker and quickly scanned his Duel Disk. A message saying "FILES RETRIEVED" appeared on his Duel Disk, followed by another saying, "ACCOUNT VERIFIED."

"Thank you for the business," Ghost Gal said before she and Shepherd logged out before Crusader regained consciousness.

The man growled to himself. "Beaten by a lady ninja and a cowboy! I can't believe this!"

At an apartment in Den City, during the evening…

A blue sphere surrounding Kenneth and Emma dissipated, confirming that they successfully returned to the real world.

Emma wore a black and dark-violet motorcycle jumpsuit with a pink t-shirt and purple stripes going across her body, along with a black belt at the waistline, a black choker, black and purple boots, and fingerless gloves. She had fair skin, long pink hair with lavender bangs, pink eyes, and reddish-pink lipstick.

Kenneth had pink and purple hair with lilac eyes and wore a blue trench coat over a white shirt, white pants.

Emma laid on the couch in exhaustion. "Man. All that chasing tired me out. How come I have to chase down the bad guys while you get to capture them?"

"Because I have the element of surprise plus, they least expect me," Kenneth answered.

"Well, next time, can we do it the other way around?" Emma asked. "I mean, we're supposed to be a team, meaning everything should be fair and equal."

"Alright, If you're going to make a big thing about it, then fine. Next time, I'll chase down the hacker while you catch them."

"Thanks, bro."

Suddenly, Emma's phone beside her began to ring. After picking it up and recognizing who was calling her, she put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Emma said.

"Hi, Emma. It's Akira," he said on the other end.

"Hey, Akira. Didn't expect you to call at this time of the day." Emma got up from the couch and went over to the fridge to get a juice box. "What's up? Another problem with Skye?"

"No. Everything's fine with her," Akira answered. "I'm calling because I have a favor/job from you and Shephard."

"A favor?" Emma wondered. "Do you mind if I ask what it is?"

"Have you and your brother log into LINK VRAINS tomorrow morning, and I'll explain everything," Akira said as he hanged up.

"Guess we're going back into LINK VRAINS. Zaizen says he has favor/job he wants us to do," Emma explained.

"What do you suppose he wants from us?" Kenneth asked.

"Who knows? We'll get answers once we're there."

"Guess so," Kenneth said as he and his sister went to their rooms to get some sleep for tomorrow.

The next day at Den City's Airport, in the morning….

"Did we have to get up early to come to the airport?" Yuya asked as he stifled his yawn while waiting near the gate with Zuzu and their counterparts.

"Kolter's flight arrives at 8, so of course we had to wake early to beat the traffic," Zuzu explained.

"Zuzu's right, Yuya," Ena added. "Didn't you went to bed early?"

"I did, but I'm not a morning person like the rest of you," Yuya answered. "Couldn't we at least stopped for breakfast?"

"Did you forget that we'd planned to have breakfast with Kolter and brother?" Yuji asked.

"No. But it wouldn't hurt if we got a little snack beforehand," Yuya replied.

"He's right. You know."

A voice said, causing the four teens to turn around to see Kolter, and standing next to him was his brother Jin.

"Kolter!" The four teens shouted as they ran over to their friend.

"How was your trip?" Yuya asked.

"It was amazing! And it was all thanks to Yuji and Ena," Kolter said.

"He's right. It was very nice of you to do that for my brother and me," Jin added.

"Your welcome," Ena said.

"I mean, it's the least we could do after everything Kolter's done for us," Yuji added. "Speaking of, Yuya and Zuzu have something for the two of you."

"They do?" Kolter said.

"Yep. Yuya and I decided that we should also thank you for letting us stay with you ever since we got to Den City," Zuzu said before reaching into her pocket to grab the gift. "Here you go."

Zuzu handed Kolter the gift as he opened it up and a smile formed on his face.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"Indeed it is. It's SOL Technologies latest product. A necklace/locket where you can photos, videos, listen to music, and best all, call and chat with people," Yuya answered.

"We thought it was the perfect gift for you two since you're both busy with work, and this will communicate even when you're not together," Zuzu added.

"Well, believe me when I say that I love it," Kolter said.

"That was very thoughtful of you. Now I can communicate with my brother," Jin added.

"Now, if we're done with our little reunion here, we have a big day planned for you two," Yuji said as the group started working towards the exit.

"You do?" Kolter asked.

"Yep. First, we're going to have breakfast at my family's cafe," Ena said. "Then after that, Yuji and I are going to head down to the plaza and work the truck while Yuya and Zuzu are going to hang with you for the rest of the afternoon."

"Then what happens after that?" Jin asked.

"Then Zuzu and I will trade spots with Yuji and Ena," Yuya said.

"So you'll take over the evening shift while Yuji and Ena hang with us for the rest of the evening?" Kolter deduced.

"Bingo!" Yuji stated.

"It took us the entire day yesterday to plan all of this out for you two," Zuzu said.

"Well, we appreciate you guys doing this for us, and I'm pretty sure we're going to enjoy it," Kolter said as Jin nodded in response.

"Perfect! Now before we start this fun day, let's get some breakfast," Ena said.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Yuya said as he sped up towards the exit.

"We better catch up, or else we'll lose him," Zuzu suggested as the rest of the group ran after Yuya.

Meanwhile, in LINK VRAINS...

Ghost Gal and The Shepherd logged into the network inside a dark alley, waiting in the designated spot they agreed to meet Akira at.

"Glad you two are here," Akira said, approaching the two bounty hunters. Both had looks of suspicion of what he was going to inform them about.

"Well, we here like we'd promise. "So, what is it that you need our help with?" Ghost Gal asked.

Perhaps you're here to inform us that you received new information regarding the new threat that attacked LINK VRAINS?" Shepherd asked.

"I'm afraid not," Akira replied. "The reason I called you here is because of these two individuals."

Akira snapped his fingers, and a large screen appeared that showed an image of Ringmaster and Maestra.

"Ringmaster and Maestra? Aren't they two of the seven finalists who became a part of the Top 10?" Ghost Girl asked.

"Not only that, but after witnessing your sister's latest duel against Maestra, they both also specialize after multiple summoning methods. Especially, Ringmaster's Pendulum Summon," Shepherd added.

Akira simply smirked in response, "You both are correct," he responded. "As you know, they've both became popular in LINK VRAINS overnight and have proved to be excellent duelists."

"So, what does that have to do with us?" Shepherd asked.

"I agree with my brother. They don't pose so much as a threat," Ghost Gal added.

"That's exactly it, Ghost Gal," Akira stated. "At first, when I first saw them duel in the tournament and as well as their dueling abilities, I didn't give it much thought about them whatsoever. But after witnessing Ringmaster's duel against Gore and Maestra's duel against my sister, it made me think."

"And what exactly was that thought you had?" Shepherd questioned.

"My thought was they possibly could be an ally of the Arbiters or even another enemy," Akira answered. "Seeing on how most of the Top 10 have already accepted them as their comrades, I decided to call you two up and have to check to see if my theory is right or not."

"So you want us to hunt them down and bring them to you for interrogation?" Ghost Gal asked.

"Not quite," Akira replied. "You see, a few days ago, I received a video from Maestra. Take a look at this." A screen then opened up, which revealed Ringmaster's duel against Specter.

"That's Specter!" Ghost Gal stated.

"He's part of the Knights of Hanoi," Shepherd added.

"I assume that Varis watched Ringmaster's duel against Serpah in the tournament and saw his Pendulum Summon technique and had Specter duel not only to see if he was a threat as well but to test his dueling skills."

"So you want us to do the same thing and duel him?" Shepherd asked.

"Correct," Akira responded. "Question is, which one of you will do it?"

"I'll do it!" Ghost Gal exclaimed.

"Sorry, sis, but no," Shepherd said.

"What? But you said I could take the lead next time," she rebutted.

"That's if we're hunting down a hacker or thief," he replied. "And as I recall, they're neither. Plus, ever since seeing Ringmaster duel, I wanted to go head to head with him."

"Ugh. Fine. As always, you get to the fun stuff. I'll send a message to Ringmaster and Mestra, pretending to be Akira saying there's an emergency meeting. Once they arrive, you'll trap Maestra, leading Ringmaster being forced to duel you."

"Sounds perfect to me," Shepherd said. "Is that it, Zaizen?" If that's all, then we might as well-."

"I'm not done, Shepherd." Akira interrupted, glaring at him and telling him to wait. "There's one last thing I need to do." He showed three more screens, which showed one individual each. One screen showed Gore, the second showed Blue Maiden, and the third showed Soulburner. "I need you guys to also informed them about my suspicions and have them log into the Charisma Castle so that they can watch the duel as well."

"What about the other three?" Ghost Gal asked.

"I know that Cavalier and Charmcaster have no intention regarding Ringmaster and Maestra, and I haven't heard anything from Black Rose ever since the last meeting."

"Alright. I'll notify Skye, and Shepherd can notify Gore and Soulburner," Ghost Gal replied.

"If we're done here now, let's head home and get started on catching our prey,' Shepherd added.

The two of them logged out while Akira stayed.

I hope my suspicions on Ringmaster and Maestra are wrong, he thought. If not, then we're going to need a miracle to stop the Arbiters. Akira said as he then logged out.

Sometime later, at Green Park...

Skye walked to the pavilion of Green Park, as per on time. A half-hour earlier, Emma messaged her to come to Green Park and told her that Gore and Theodore would be there also. After the whole incident with AI, Theodore went back home to his family and friends, but there were times where he missed being in Den City. After pulling some strings, Skye had her brother got a place for Theodore and his girlfriend Kiku to live while attending their classes over the computer. Even though it was nice seeing everyone, she wondered what the real reason was for all of them being here?"

"So, you're the first to arrive here, huh, Skye?" Emma said, coming from behind a nearby tree, turning her head towards Aoi. "How've you been?"

"I've been fine, thank you very much," Aoi replied. "Is there a reason why you called me here?"

Emma nodded in response. "Yes, there is. But I rather wait until everyone else shows up."

Soon, a taxi pulled into Green Park. "And it looks like another one has arrived." The two of them watched as Gore stepped out of the taxi and paid the driver before walking over to where they were.

"Emma. Skye." Gore said as he walked up to the two.

"Hey, Gore," Skye said. "How you been?"

Gore turned to Skye, with a smile on his face, offering his hand. "I've been good. Sorry about your loss against Maestra the other day."

"It's ok. That was my plan after all," Skye replied.

"You mean you lost on purpose?" Gore asked.

"Not exactly. I didn't care if I won or lost. My goal was to entertain the audience, so everyone enjoys the duel, and forget about the whole debate, and everything returns to normal."

"I see," Gore said. "I bet Ringmaster was doing the same thing in our duel."

"Probably," Skye said. "I bet Emma didn't inform you on why she wanted to meet us."

"No, she didn't," Gore answered. "So why are we here?"

"I'll tell you once the last person arrives," Emma said.

Before Gore could respond, all three of them heard a black car drive along the road before parking at the entrance of Green Park. Isomaki, Akira's chauffeur, was Stepping out of it, who opened the back door to let Theodore out of the car.

"Thank you," Theodore said with a pleased smile to Isomaki, who bowed before walking Theodore into the park and reached the pavilion where everyone else was. When they saw Theodore walking towards them, they all smiled.

"Hey, Theodore," Skye said, happy that her comrade who helped stopped Bohman and Ai was able to make it despite having a serious girlfriend.

"I didn't think you'd make it," Gore admitted. "I thought you'd be stuck at the mall with that little girlfriend of yours."

"I was about to be before I mentioned I was called up to meet with you guys and allowed me to come," Theodore explained.

"Well, we're glad that you're here, and thanks for coming, everyone," Emma replied gratefully as the others gathered around her.

"I never thought the day would come when I would see all you guys," Theodore admitted. "Nor did it occur to me that it would happen outside of LINK VRAINS."

"What did you want to talk to us about, Emma?" Skye spoke up rather curiously.

"Ringmaster and Maestra, to be exact," Emma answered Skye.

"What about them?" Gore asked.

"After Akira witnessed their duels against you and Skye, he started to wonder if they might be an ally of the Arbiters or even another enemy we should be cautious of," Emma explained.

"What would make him think that?" Theodore asked.

Emma then reached into his pocket and took out a small handheld device. "Look at this." She pressed a button on it, which then projected a large display screen almost as tall as a grown man, depicting the duel between Ringmaster and Specter.

"Isn't that Specter from the Knights of Hanoi?" Theodore asked.

"Why's he dueling Ringmaster?" Gore questioned.

"Because Varis watched Ringmaster's duel against Seraph in the tournament and saw his Pendulum Summon techniques and had Specter duel him to see if he not only poses as a threat but to test his dueling skills also," Emma answered.

"So did my brother had you call the three of us because he wants us to duel Ringmaster?" Skye asked.

"If that's so, then bring it on!" Gore exclaimed, "I'm down to have a rematch with him."

Sorry to burst your bubble Gore, but my brother is going to be the one dueling Ringmaster," Emma informed him.

"What!? That snarky cowboy? Why him?"

"Before calling the three of you, Akia called Kenneth and me and hired us to lure the two of them into Charisma Castle and trap Maestra, so Ringmaster will be forced to duel my brother."

"So you want our help to lure them in?" Theodore asked.

"Nope. We already have our trap ready," Emma replied. "Zaizen wants the three of you to watch the duel secretly to see if you guys feel that Ringmaster and Maestra could be a potential enemy."

"Interesting..." Gore muttered. "So, when's this whole going down?"

"I'm about to send the invite, posing as Akira saying that there's an emergency meeting," Emma explained.

"And what happens after the duel, regarding if Ringmaster wins or not?" Skye asked, wondering want the answer was, while Theodore and Gore looked to Emma, waiting for her answer as well.

Putting it aside, Emma turned off the screen before turning to the three of them. "Should Ringmaster win or lose, we plan on cornering him and Maestra and have them explain to us who they are and where they came from."

I can't believe Akira's considering taking drastic measures to ensure he gets an answer from Ringmaster and Maestra, Skye thought, paying attention to the ongoing conversation. Normally this sounds like something Emma's brother would do or even Varis.

"So, what do you guys say?" Emma asked.

"Anything that has to do with Ringmaster, you can count me in," Gore replied.

"I've never met them personally, and knowing this something I wouldn't be down with, I won't refuse the opportunity of learning more about them. I'm in as well," Theodore replied.

"So that's two of you. What about you, Skye?"

Skye was silent for a few seconds before giving a response. "If Akira's doing this for the safety of LINK VRAINS, then I'm also in."

"Great to hear!" Emma said. "I'll inform Akira and let him know that you guys are on board. See you guys there."

Emma got on her motorcycle and left the park while everyone else did the same.

Elsewhere, in Den City…

Yuya was walking downs the street along with Zuzu, Kolter, and Jin with an upset look on his face while holding his stomach.

"Never again," Yuya said.

"You mean never again will you order such a big entree for breakfast and lunch?" Zuzu rhetorically asked.

"Exactly,"

"We all tried to warn you, Yuya, but you wouldn't listen," Kolter stated.

"Luckily, Yuji and Ena order their lunch in advance to bring with them to Cafe Nom, so they wouldn't have to watch Yuya gobble down all that food," Jin added, causing everyone else to laugh.

Yuya's face turned red from embarrassment, "Yeah, yeah. Very funny. Thank god we stop by that pharmacy to get some Tums, and in a few minutes, my stomach will feel much better, and I can eat again."

"Just promise you won't go overboard this time," Zuzu said.

"Speaking of which, where are you guys taking us?" Kolter asked.

"Well, we learned from Yuji and Ena thought your guy's favorite movie series is "Dinosaur Ninja," and Zuzu's friend Skye was able to pull some strings and get us tickets to an early showing of Dinosaur Ninja 8: Return of the Jurassic Overload," Yuya answered.

"No way!" Are you serious?" Jin said with an excited tone.

"This is your day, remember. Why would we joke around?" Zuzu rhetorically asked before stopping. "And it looks like we've reached our destination."

The four of them reached the movie theater, noticing the long line in front of it.

"Looks like they're trying to get tickets for the early premiere," Kolter pointed out.

"Unfortunately for them, we had help getting ours, and we're going to enjoy ourselves and have a great time," Yuya stated. "Now, let's on in!"

The four walked up to the ticket booth and showed their tickets to the employee who scanned them and let them into the theater, but before Yuya and Zuzu entered inside, their duel disks started to buzz.

"It looks like we got a message," Zuzu said.

"You guys want us to wait," Jin asked.

"No. You guys go on right ahead. We'll be there in a minute," Yuya replied as Jin and Kolter continued inside the theater.

Yuya and Zuzu then pushed a few buttons and saw the message was from Akira Zaizen.

"Akira Zaizen? Isn't he Skye's older brother and also the CEO of SolTech?" Yuya asked.

"He is," Zuzu answered. "And it says he's calling us along with the rest of the Top 10 to an important meeting at Charisma Castle to discuss the Arbiters."

"You think he got the video you sent him of my duel against that Specter guy?"

"It could be. Maybe Zaizen thinks he might be an ally of them or even another possible threat, just like we thought."

"While we need to attend this, what do we do about Kolter and Jin?"

"We can say that Yuji and Ena need our help because they're swamped with customers. Kolter will understand and won't ask questions."

"That's brilliant! Let's head on in and tell him."

Yuya and Zuzu entered the theater and informed Kolter and Jin why they couldn't stay to watch the movie.

"Sucks you guys have to go. You sure we can't come and help?" Kolter said.

"Thanks for the offer, but you and Jin should stay and spend time reconnecting and reliving your childhood," Zuzu replied.

"Zuzu's right. Stay and enjoy yourselves," Yuya added.

Alright. If you guys insist. Come on, Jin. Let's head to our seats."

"Right behind you, bro," Jin said as he and Kolter headed off to watch the movie.

"Looks like he bought it. Time for us to head to Charisma Castle."

"Let's go!"

Zuzu and Yuya left the theater and headed to a nearby alleyway before checking to see nobody was around.

"It's time to link into the VRAINS!" The two teens shouted as they logged into the network, causing a blue sphere to surround them.

In LINK VRAINS…

Yuya and Zuzu, now Ringmaster and Maestra, appeared in front of Charisma Castle before heading inside.

"Well, we're here, but I don't see anyone," Ringmaster said.

"Says here that they're meeting in the dining area," Maestra informed him.

"Then let's head there."

The two walked down the hall before entering the dining area.

"And just like before, we're here, but no one else is," Ringmaster stated.

"You think they're running late?" Maestra asked.

"I don't think so," Ringmaster answered. "Cavalier and Charmcaster only care about themselves, so I doubt they'll show up. Black Rose says she wants time to think about helping out, so she's 50/50. And Storm Rider and Sanctum, along with the other three, would already be here."

"So then, where is everybody?" Maestra wondered.

"They're not here because I only sent you two the invite."

Ringmaster and Maestra turned around to see Akira Zaizen behind them.

"Zaizen!" The two shouted.

"Thanks for meeting with me," he said as he walked towards them.

"Why did you only invite us and not the others?" Ringmaster asked.

"Is this about the video I sent you regarding Ringmaster's duel against Specter?" Maestra added.

"Yes and no," he replied. "It's actually about the two of you."

"What about us?" Ringmaster said.

"Instead of telling you, why don't I show you?" Akira said as he pulled a rose out of thin air and threw it at the two.

"Look out!" Maestra shouted as she pushed Ringmaster out of the way.

The rose landed at her feet before it started to glow and created a circle around her. It exerted a huge pressure on her that forced her to her knees.

"What the-?" Ringmaster watched as the light spread, trying to get as far away as possible. Once he reached a safe distance, he turned around. He watched as vines of energy reached out from the circle and wrapped themselves around Maestra before transforming into a ghoul's hand.

"Maestra!" Ringmaster shouted. "Let her go, Zaizen!"

"Don't take this personally," Akira said as he snapped his fingers, "but this is all part of the job." As he spoke, his voice changed.

"So then you're working for someone," Ringmaster said, putting two and two together.

"Ya. And I'm pretty good at what I do," the man said, his Zaizen avatar peeling away, showing his true appearance. The man was dressed in a black coat, blue shirt, black pants and boots, and a purple and green hat. He wore a red and blue mask with pink eyes in the center, and unless Ringmaster was mistaken, his right arm was prosthetic with a gun barrel just above the wrist.

"The name's The Shepherd. I'd love to talk more, but you seem all tongue-tied after seeing your friend get trap."

"Who would hire you to catch us?" Ringmaster demanded.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Shepherd replied. "And the only way you're going to get the answer is by beating me in a duel."

"A duel, huh?"

"That's right. Win, and I'll tell you everything as well as letting your friend go. Lose and suffer the consequences. What do you say?

"I say you got yourself a duel!" Ringmaster answered.

"Glad to hear it," Shepherd said. "Just so you know, I have data on all of your previous duels, so I know your Deck inside out. Meaning I have a counter for every one of your moves."

"So basically, he knows all my strategies?" Ringmaster muttered. "This duel may be harder than I thought."

"Good thing you have me to help you."

Yuya turned around to the nearby voice belonging to Yuri.

"Yuri?"

"Seeing on how you can't use your Deck along with Yugo and Yuto's and I'm the only one whose Deck you haven't used so far, I'm the best candidate to help you," Yuri exa[lained. "Also, I see a little bit of my old self in him, and who knows how to beat someone who hunts down others."

"Can't argue with you there," Yuya admitted. "Alright, Yuri. Let's take this guy down together!"

"You don't have to ask twice," Yuri replied.

Ringmaster closed his eyes before reopening them as they were now purple.

"Ready to lose, Shepherd?" Ringmaster asked as he activated his Duel Disk.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Shepherd as he activated his Duel Disk.

"DUEL!" They both shouted as the Master Duel layout appeared.

Ringmaster: 4000 LP

The Shepherd: 4000 LP

"Go, get him, Ringmaster! You got this!" Maestra shouted.

Elsewhere, in another area of LINK VRAINS...

Unbeknownst to Ringmaster and Maestra, Zaizen, along with Ghost Gal, Gore, Blue Maiden, and Soulburner, were watching their duel on a large screen.

"I still can't believe you had your brother trapped, Maestra," Blue Maiden said. "Isn't that the same trap you used on Playmaker?"

"The exact one." Ghost Gale answered

"You think the Shepherd has what it takes to beat Ringmaster?". Gore asked.

"Well, knowing from experience, I can tell you he's a very skilled duelist," Soulburner replied. "But after watching Ringmaster's last few duels, it can go either way."

"Regardless of who wins the duel, the important thing is that hopefully, in the end, we'll see if Ringmaster and Maestra are potential allies or not," Akira stared.

At the duel…

"Since you decided to gang up on us, allow me to go first!" Ringmaster announced. "From my hand, I summon Predaplant Dragonksii!"

A small plant with a body shaped like a dragon's appeared on Ringmaster's field. Its mouth was filled with leaves and had white flowers decorated on its back, giving the beast some beauty to its beastly appearance.

Predaplant Dragonksii ATK 1400 DEF 300 LVL: 4

"Predaplant? He possesses another archetype within his Deck?" Shepherd said.

"I activate Dragon Banksii's effect!" Ringmaster declared. "By sending one "Predaplant" monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can inflict 400 damage to my opponent! I choose to discard Predaplant Cordyceps and Predaplant Lilizard to inflict 800 damage to you! Go! Seed Bombardment!"

Dragon Banksii opened its mouth as numerous seeds shot it, hitting The Shepherd in the chest and causing him to grunt in pain.

The Shepherd: 4000→3200 LP

"How unexpected. Nobody has ever dealt damage to me on their first turn." Shepherd remarked. "However, that won't stop me from winning this duel!"

"Whenever my opponent takes damage by a card effect, Dragon Banksii gains one Seed Counter," Ringmaster explained. "Since I dealt you damage twice, it gains two counters.

Predaplant Dragon Banskii: 0 SC→2 SC

"I set one card and end my turn. You're up."

"Three." Shepherd raised three fingers. "It will take three more turns from now to defeat you."

"Three, you say...?" Ringmaster's eyebrows furrowed. The hunter didn't reply but snapped his fingers.

"The first; My turn! I draw!" Shepherd declared. Six cards materialized in front of him, and he tapped one, making the rest vanished. "I activate the Spell Card: Drone Mass Production! The card showed several Drone Pawns being made in a factory. "Through its effect, if I control no "Drone" monsters when this card is activated, I can add one "Drone" monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Quick Striker Drone to my hand and summon it!"

Flying down from the sky was a very light and small glider aircraft colored entirely grey and didn't have a cockpit area and windows, meaning it was a drone. One propeller allowed the aircraft to fly, and a crimson-colored missile aimed at the enemy inside each of its wings.

Quick Striker Drone ATK 1400 DEF 300 LVL: 4

I activate Quick Striker Drone's effect!" Shepherd declared. "The turn Quick Striker Drone is summoned, during my Main Phase, I can Special Summon one "Drone" monster from my hand. Appear, Spy Drone!"

Quick Striker Drone's fired missiles into the sky, which exploded after a short amount of time, creating a bright red explosion of particles. To answer that signal was another drone that flew down from the sky. It was even smaller than Quick Striker Drone, but its body had more mass, and it continued to faze out of existence every two seconds as if going invisible.

Spy Drone ATK 600 DEF 100 LVL: 2

"When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Drone" card, its effect activates! Allowing me to destroy one card in either player's Spell and Trap Zone. I chose your set card. Vanish!"

The spy drone went invisible upon those words, and it flew over to his side, unknown to the hacker. The drone's back split into two, and a gun emerged from it, firing a round of bullets at the set card, which shattered into particles from the attack. Spy Drone reappeared seconds later beside Quick Striker Drone.

"Summoning a monster with only 1400 ATK in attack mode was a great mistake." Shepherd pointed out. "By placing a face-down, I knew you were ready to counter my attacks with it."

Ringmaster remained silent for a little until his lips curved into a wide grin. Upon seeing this, the hunter made a loud "Tch!" knowing his plan was a backfire.

"Did you think I would make such a clear mistake?" Ringmaster rhetorically asked. "I activate the effect of Booby Trap Mk-II!" The card depicted Mask of Restrict being caught by a bear trap instead of Call of the Haunted. "When my opponent destroys this set card, I can banish it to draw one card! Then, I can set one Spell or Trap Card from my Deck. I can also activate that set during this turn."

After drawing his card, Ringmaster swiped a card into his Duel Disk, and a Set card materialized on his field before vanishing.

"The one who made a great mistake was you, Shepherd!" Ringmaster chuckled.

"My turn isn't over yet." Shepherd coldly reminded him. "I'll now forge my circuit!"

Following his words, a bright beam was fired from his right palm and shot into the sky, where it created a Link Portal.

"Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two "Drone" monsters! I set Quick Striker Drone and Spy Drone in the Link Arrows!"

His two monsters turned into twisters of grey wind with green trims and launched into the portal, causing its arrows to lit up.

"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Deploy! Link 2! Battledrone Twin-Marshal!"

Flying out of the portal was another drone that four wings crossed in an "X" shape over its front. The plane was colored primarily dark-blue with light-blue highlights, and within its posterior side, there was a propeller. The aircraft pointed two guns to its upper and underside at the enemy, levitating in the right Extra Monster Zone.

Battledrone Twin-Marshal ATK 1000 LINK-2 ←↓

"When Quick Striker Drone is sent from my field to the Graveyard, its additional effect activates. Letting me summon one Battledrone Token to my field!"

A monster with the appearance of a missile that had a camera lens attached to its front flew down from the sky.

Battledrone Token ATK 300 DEF 300 LVL: 2

"I'll now forge my circuit for a second time!" A Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning condition is one "Drone" monster. I set my Battledrone Token in the Link Arrow!" The token went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.

"I Link Summon! Deploy! Link 1! Battledrone Sergeant!"

Zooming out of the portal was an aircraft, colored white with a blue front and wings, with missiles attached to the underside of these wings, ready to be fired. The drone levitated under Twin-Marshal's bottom arrow.

Battledrone Sergeant ATK 800 LINK-1 ↓

"So you managed to bring out two Link Monsters, huh? Too bad you won't get the chance to use them!" Ringmaster declared with a smirk. "I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Dark Seed Planter! All of my opponent's monster's attributes become DARK, and if they battle a DARK type monster I control, their attack is negated!"

Both of Shepherd's monsters became surrounded by a dark aura.

"Try getting over that!"

"Oh, I can. You see, thanks to "Twin-Marshal's effect, if I have another "Drone" monster on my field, it can attack my opponent directly. And when a fellow "Drone" monster inflicts direct damage to my opponent, Sergeant's effect activates, allowing it to attack directly as well," Shepherd explained.

"What?" Ringmaster gasped.

Shepherd narrowed his eyes, glaring at Ringmaster. "I can now bypass your Trap card, as well as your monster, and inflict damage to you. Battle! Battledrone Twin-Marshal attacks you directly!"

Twin-Marshal launched its missiles at Ringmaster. They impacted around him, creating small explosions and making him wince.

Ringmaster: 4000→3000 LP

Battledrone Sergeant's effect activates. When my "Drone" monster inflicts battle damage by a direct attack, Battledrone Sergeant can attack you directly."

The plane fired missiles at Ringmaster, which exploded and made him wince again.

Ringmaster: 3000→2200 LP

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

"Then it's my turn! I draw!" Ringmaster shouted, drawing his card. Before he could do anything, Shepherd snapped his fingers again.

"Two; because I control a "Drone" monster, I can activate the Continuous Trap Card: Drone Grid!" The card showed an army of Drone monsters blocking an army of goblins from entering their base. he said. "Through its effect, Special Summoned Monsters my opponent controls cannot declare an attack. If I control no "Drone" monsters, this card is destroyed."

Ringmaster narrowed his eyes. "Your limiting not only my Extra Monsters from attacking, but also monsters I Pendulum Summon as well, aren't you?"

"Who knows?" Shepherd replied. "Getting cold feet?"

"Every summoning method, except Tribute Summoning, counts as Special Summons. The Sheperd knows that much info." Ringmaster thought as he placed a hand against his chin. "He mentioned that he watched all my previous duels, so he knows about my Odd-Eyes Wing Dragon's effect, which can destroy all his monsters and trigger Drone Grid's effect to destroy itself. Even so, he must have a way to counter it with his other face-down. But luckily for me, I'm going down a different route."

"First, during my Standby Phase, by releasing Dragon Banksii, I can activate its effect! For every Seed Counter, it had on the field, I can bring back one Level 4 or lower "Predaplant" monster from my Graveyard. Be reborn, Cordyceps and Lilizard!"

Dragon Banksii suddenly roared as its back split into two, and Ringmaster's new plants emerged. Seconds later, the body of Dragon Banksii vanished as an eerie-looking cordyceps and a plant with a body shaped like a lizard took its place.

Predaplant Cordyceps ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

Predaplant Lilizard ATK 1200 DEF 1200 LVL: 3

"When Lilizard is Special Summoned from my Graveyard, its effect lets me draw one card." Ringmaster continued. "Next, I place one card face-down and activate the Spell Card: Parallel Twister! By destroying a Spell or Trap on my field, I can destroy another card on the field. So I'll destroy my set card to destroy your Drone Grid!"

A purple tornado burst from Parallel Twister and moved to swallow up both Ringmaster and Shepherd's cards.

"Since a Spell Card destroyed my set card, which was Dummy Maker, I'm allowed to draw two cards!" Ringmaster declared. I now activate the Spell Card: Magic Planter to destroy my Dark Seed Planter to draw two more cards."

After drawing his cards, Ringmaster smiled after seeing one of them.

"Time for some action! I activate the Spell Card: Polymerization and fuse Cordyceps and Lilizard!"

The Fusion vortex appeared as he spread his arms and his two monsters swirled into the vortex.

"Two sweet-smelling flowers that invite the abyss! Become one, and give birth to a new terror!" He brought his hands together. "I Fusion Summon! Appear! Predaplant Pinguiculacobra!"

Emerging out from the Fusion Portal was a giant plant as it anchored itself onto the field. The monster seemed a cross between a Pinguicula plant and a giant cobra, its head being the flower and its body the plant's veins. It roared at Shepherd as it landed in the opposite Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

Predaplant Pinguiculacobra ATK 2400 DEF 2100 LVL: 7

"I activate Pinguiculacobra's effect!" Ringmaster shouted. "Once per turn, I can place one Predator Counter on all other monsters on the field! Gland Injection!"

The giant plant/cobra bared its fangs as a clear substance was fired from them, spraying every other monster on the field. As the substance vanished, small, snapping plants were attached to the monster's bodies.

Battledrone Twin-Marshal: 0 PC→1 PC

Battledrone Sergeant: 0 PC→1 PC

"Level 2 or higher monsters with Predator Counters have their Levels changed to 1, but since both monsters on your field are Link Monsters, it doesn't apply."

"So, what was the point of doing that?" Shepherd asked.

"I'll show you. I activate the Continous Spell Card: Predator Grounds!" The card depicted Predaplant Chimerafffelisia protecting a garden from several Pinch Hoppers. "For what it does, you'll find out soon enough. For now, let's battle! Pinguicula Cobra, attack Battledrone Sergeant!"

"Not so fast! I activate my Trap Card: Drone Hedge!" The card depicted Quick Striker Drone firing a net at Rocket Warrior. "When a "Drone" Link Monster I control is attacked, all battle damage I would take by that battle is negated. Too bad for you."

The plant/cobra swallowed Sergeant with one big "GULP" while a barrier shielded Shepherd.

"At this moment, the effect of Predator Grounds activate! When an opponent's monster with a Predator Counter is destroyed, they take 300 damage per Counter!"

Seconds later, the snapping plant attached to Sergeant reappeared on the field and bit Shepherd's shoulder.

The Shepherd: 3200→2900 LP

"The other effect of Pinguiculacobra activates." Ringmaster continued. "When a monster with a Predator Counter is destroyed, I gain 500 Life Points per Counter."

Ringmaster: 2200→2700 LP

"Pinguiculacobra's last effect activates! When it destroys an opponent's monster with a Predator Counter, it can attack again! Go, Pinguiculacobra! Attack Battledrone Twin-Marshal with Brutal Onset!"

Ringmaster's Fusion Monster lunged itself again towards Twin-Marshal as it ate and swallowed the Link Monster, and Shepherd hissed in pain as he was then bitten by the snapping plant, while at the same time Ringmaster's Life Points increased.

The Shepherd: 2900→2600 LP

Ringmaster: 2700→3200 LP

"Twin-Marshal's effect activates When Twin-Marshal leaves the field by an opponent's card, I can Special Summon a different "Drone" monster from my Graveyard and raise its ATK by 600. Revive, Quick Striker Drone!"

A GY Portal opened on the ground as the small glider aircraft flew out of it.

Quick Striker Drone ATK 1400→2000

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

"Looks like your brother isn't doing too well," Gore commented.

"He'll bounce back. He always does," Ghost Gal rebutted.

"My turn! I draw!" Shepherd said, drawing the top card of his Deck and adding it to his hand. "Three!"

SNAP!

"Three; as I said, this turn will be your last," Shepherd stated. "First, I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Greed! "It lets me draw two cards from my deck!"

"Pot of Greed is a really old card, you know," Soulburner commented. "With the arrival of Link Monsters, people managed to find new ways of adding the cards they wanted to their hand, to the point where..."

"Pot of Greed no longer found a place in any deck." Blue Maiden finished for him. Rather, it instead became an antique card.

"Antique or not. I still include it in my Deck whenever I need the right cards," Gore added.

"I'll now forge my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning condition is one "Drone" monster. I'll set Quick Striker in the Link Arrow!" Striker Drone went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.

"I Link Summon! Deploy! Link 1! Battledrone Sergeant!" A white and blue plane appeared on The Shepherd's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.

Battledrone Sergeant ATK 800 LINK-1 ↓

"Since Striker left the field, its effect summons one Battledrone Token to my field!"

Another missile drone appeared on his field.

Battledrone Token ATK 300 DEF 300 LVL: 2

"I activate the other effect of Drone Mass Production in my Graveyard," Sheperd continued. "By banishing this card from the Graveyard, for every "Drone" monster I control, I can summon that same number of Drone Tokens in Defense Position to my field. Come forth!"

Two more tokens appeared beside the Battledrone one.

Drone Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1 x 2

"But why stop there? Watch me as I forge my circuit again!"

A second Link Portal appeared above The Shepherd.

"The summoning conditions are two or more "Drone" monsters. I'll set my three Drone Tokens in the Link Arrows!" The three tokens went into the left, right, and bottom arrowheads, turning them red.

"I Link Summon! Deploy! Link 3! Battledrone General!"

Zooming out of the portal was a jet-black-colored, futuristic aircraft with missiles attached to the underside of these wings. The lens on the drone glowed red as it levitated under Sergeant's bottom Link Arrow.

Battledrone General ATK 2400 LINK-3 ←↓→

"That must be his ace monster," Ringmaster noted.

"I activate General's effect!" Blood Sheperd stated. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon one "Drone" monster from my Graveyard to a zone it points to. Revive, Spy Drone!"

The aircraft with 600 ATK emerged from a GY Portal beside the General's left Link Arrow.

"Since it was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Drone" card, Spy Drone's effect activates!" Shepherd shouted. "Your Continuous Spell is history!"

The spy drone went invisible and fired a round of bullets at Predator Grounds, causing it to break apart.

"I activate General's other effect! By targeting Spy Drone, which has 600 ATK, it can now attack you directly.

"What?" Ringmaster gasped.

'Not only that, but I equip General with Drone Engineer from my hand!"

A turrent launcher appeared above General before equipping itself on the Link Monster.

"Thanks to its effect, General gains 200 attack points for each of its Links," Shepherd explained. "General is Link 3, so it gains 600 points!"

Battledrone General ATK 2400→3000

My army's formation is complete. Time to end you. Battle! Spy Drone, attack Ringmaster Directly!"

"Hold on a sec! I activate the Trap Card: Predator Scheme!" Ringmaster declared. The card depicted Predaplant Moray Nepenthes setting up a trap. "By banishing one "Predaplant" monster from my Graveyard, all battle damage I take this turn is halved. I banish Dragonksii."

"This way, he can survive Shepherd's assault," Maestra stated.

"However, he won't leave unscarred!" Shepherd shouted as he continued his attack.

The spy drone flew over to the Ringmaster's side and unleashed a wave of bullets at him, causing him to cry out in pain. Even then, he still didn't move.

Ringmaster: 3200→2900 LP

"Battledrone General's additional effect activates! As my "Drone" monster inflicted battle damage from a direct attack, I can tribute Spy Drone to inflict its attack points as damage to you!"

Spy Drone turned into a sphere of green energy, which shot forward and hit Ringmaster in the head, causing the youth to fall.

Ringmaster: 2900→2300 LP

"Due to Battledrone Sergeant's effect, it will attack you directly as well!"

"But due to Predator Scheme's effect, the battle damage is halved!" Ringmaster reminded them.

Following his words, the missiles attached to the aircraft's wings were fired at Ringmaster, creating an explosion that further blew him back.

Ringmaster: 2300→1900 LP

"General's effect activates! I release Battledrone Sergeant!"

Battledrone Sergeant turned into a green missile and launched towards Ringmaster, striking him and knocking the teen down.

Ringmaster: 1900→1100 LP

"Don't think you're out of the woods yet. General attacks your Cobra!"

The black jet fired missiles at the plant-like Cobra, destroying it and making Ringmaster wince.

Ringmaster: 1100→800 LP

"I end my Battle Phase, but I still have plenty of moves to perform. I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Drone Unity! If you attack my Attack Position "Drone" monster, that monster's attack points become equal to the combined attack points of all "Drone" monsters I control."

"Eh? But you got rid of all your other monsters when you used General's effect," Ringmaster pointed out.

"Not for long. Since I control a "Drone" monster, I can Special Summon Scud Drone from my hand!"

Three missiles connected by a tripod appeared in Attack Position.

Scud Drone ATK 800 DEF 1100 LVL: 3

"Now, if I attack either monster, their attack points will become 3800," Ringmaster muttered.

"I set one card face-down and end my turn," Shepherd concluded. "You're somehow better at evading my moves than every other opponent I've faced."

"Seeing on how my friend's life is on the line, there's no way I can afford to make a mistake." Ringmaster replied.

"Regardless, you still won't win this duel!. So make your next turn count!" Shepherd warned him.

Meanwhile, in another area of LINK VRAINS…

Little over an hour and a half later, Kolter and Jin left the movie theater alongside their fellow moviegoers, with smiles on both of their faces.

"That was amazing!" Jin exclaimed, "That might be the best "Dinosaur Ninja" movie I've ever seen, and that's been made."

"No doubt," Kolter said, also feeling happy. "If they ever decide to make another, they're going to do a great job to top this one."

"Guess so," Jin agreed. "I'll be back, bro. I just have to run to the bathroom real quick."

"Go on ahead. "You've been holding it in ever since we got through half of the movie, so it's no trouble," Kolter stated. "I'll call Yuya and Zuzu to let them know we're on our way to the plaza.

"Got it, and thanks." Jin ran back inside the theater to use the theater.

Kolter took his phone out of his jacket pocket and called Yuya, but he didn't pick up. He then called Zuzu, but she didn't pick up either.

"That's weird. Normally teenagers can't go five minutes without their phone," Kolter said. "Let's see if the tracker device I installed to their phones and their Duel Disks knows where they are.

After turning on the tracker, Kolter noticed that Yuya and Zuzu's location was within LINK VRAINS. "LINK VRAINS? Why are they there?" Kolter wondered. "Luckily, I also installed cameras within their Duel Disks, so I can see what they're doing.

Kolter then pressed a button on his phone, activating the camera from Yuya's Duel Disk, which showed his duel against The Shepherd.

"What? Yuya's dueling The Shepherd?" Kolter said, surprised as he then noticed who was beside Yuya. "And Zuzu's been trapped? I need to help them, but how?

Kolter struggles to come up with an idea before finally figuring one out. "That's it! I can have Yuji and Ena rescue them. They don't know Yuya and Zuzu are Ringmaster and Maestra, but there's no way they won't go and rescue them. "I'll use Yuya's account send them a message as Ringmaster with the coordinates on where they are. Hope they get this quickly."

Elsewhere, in Den City...

"Thank you. Come again," Yuji said as he handed a customer their order and waved goodbye. "Looks like that was the last one."

"Seems so," Ena agreed. "I'm surprised we weren't so busy today, given that it's a Saturday."

"Same here," Yuji said. "It's close to Yuya and Zuzu's shift, so about we start cleaning up?"

"Sounds good."

The two closed down the truck and started cleaning it up for Yuya and Zuzu until Yuji's Duel Disk started going off.

"Looks like you got a message," Ena pointed out.

"Yeah. But from who?" Yuji asked as he took his Duel Disk out of his pocket to check the message. "It's from Ringmaster."

"Ringmaster? What about?" Ena asked.

"He says he and Maestra are in LINK VRAINS, and they need help," Yuji answered. "There's also a video attached to it."

He pulled up the video, which showcased Ringmaster's and Shepherd's duel along with a trapped Maestra.

"Oh no! Maestra's trapped!" Ena shouted. "Who's that guy Ringmaster's dueling?"

"I heard about him while in LINK VRAINS. He's called The Shepherd, a bounty hunter," Yuji replied. "Someone must have hired him to capture them."

"You think it was the Arbiters?"

"Highly unlikely. Shepherd's the type of guy who likes to work alone."

"Well, regardless, they're our comrades, and we have to go help them."

"Already with you. Let's notify Kolter about our situation before we log in."

"Good idea. I'll also install a camouflaging program so The Shepherd won't see or track us.

"Perfect!"

After notifying Kolter and installing the program, Yuji and Ena put on their Duel Disks and entered the truck's backroom.

"You ready, Ena?" Yuji asked.

"Always," she replied.

"It's time to link into the VRAINS!" They both shouted as they logged into the network, causing a blue sphere to surround them.

In LINK VRAINS...

Yuji and Ena, now Storm Rider and Sanctum, whose bodies were now transparent, logged into the Charisma Castle's dining hall and landed on a nearby balcony as they observed the duel in progress.

"According to how things are going, Shepherd's in the lead now," Storm Rider mentioned.

"But you know Ringmaster. He always finds a way to help him get out of tough situations like this, and I'm sure on his turn, he'll have one," Sanctum replied.

"Tch. Things don't look too good for us," Yuri said. "With Drone Unity's effect, his monsters essentially have 3800 attack points."

"Are you giving up already?" Ringmaster asked curiously.

"Hmm! Of course not! A difficult challenge like this just makes our victory more exciting!"

"I don't know about more exciting, but," Ringmaster's eyes narrowed, "I do intend to turn this duel around this turn! My turn! Draw!"

Ringmaster drew his card and smiled after seeing it. "Shepherd, you think I'm predictable just because you know all my strategies after watching my duels. Well, let me show you something. That you are just as predictable as me!"

"Hmm?"

"First, I activate the Trap Card: Fusion Potion!" The card showed an older man pouring two vials of liquid – one red and the other blue – into a beaker and making a violet mixture. "When I control no monsters, Fusion Potion lets me gain Life Points equal to the attack points of a Fusion Monster in my Graveyard. I increase my Life Points by Pinguiculacobra attack points!"

Ringmaster: 800→3200 LP

"So all that work I did to reduce your Life Points was for nothing?" Shepherd said.

"I'm afraid so," Ringmaster replied. "Next, I activate the Spell Card: Predator Fertilizer!" The card depicted Squid Drosera releasing its spores over a garden of Predaplants. "If I have a "Predaplant" monster on my field or in my Graveyard, I can banish up to five "Predaplants" from my Deck to draw an equal number of cards. I'll banish Stapeliaworm, Banksiogre, Cephalotusnail, Pterapenthes, and Flytrap to draw five cards!"

Upon checking out his drawn cards, Ringmaster smiled. "With Scale 1 Predaplant Bicorphyllum and Scale 8 Predaplant Spider Orchid, I set the Pendulum Scale! I'm taking control of this duel starting now!"

The word " Pendulum " appeared on it upon placing his cards on his Duel Disk, the word "Pendulum" appeared on it, while two columns of light appeared on the field, and a large Pendulum also appeared between them. One of them contained a monster that was a cross between a moon orchid and a spider, while the other had a monster that was a cross between a bicorn and an epiphyllum.

Predaplant Bicorphyllum Scale 1

Predaplant Spider Orchid Scale 8

"So this archetype also has access to Pendulum Summon?" Shepherd said.

"I activate Spider Orchid's Pendulum Effect!" Ringmaster pointed upward. "During my Main Phase of a turn in which I activated this card, I can target one other face-up card in the Spell & Trap Zone and destroy it! My choice is your Drone Unity!"

Spider Orchid spitted out silk-like vines at Drone Unity, wrapping it up in a cocoon before bursting into particles.

"Now, with that out of the way, I'll now use my Pendulum Scale to summon monsters from Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time," Ringmaster stated. "Swing far, Pendulum! Carve the Arc of Victory! My monsters are ready to swing into action!"

Two beams of light erupted from the Pendulum portal, solidifying into the forms of monsters.

"Say hello to Predaplant Colura Piranha!"

"And Predaplant Drosophyllum Hydra!"

Two monsters appeared on Ringmaster's field. One was a cross between a carnivorous plant and a hydra, and the second was between a carnivorous plant and a piranha.

Predaplant Colura Piranha ATK 900 DEF 100 LVL: 2

Predaplant Drosophyllum Hydra ATK 800 DEF 2300 LVL: 5

"Looks like I was right. Ringmaster did pull off a miracle," Sanctum said.

"And something tells me it's going to get even better," Storm Rider added.

"I activate Bicorphyllum's Pendulum Effect!" Ringmaster. "For every "Predatplant" monster I successfully Pendulum Summoned, I can distribute Predator Counters among your face-up monsters. Since I two "Predaplant" monsters, I'll have both your Scud and General gain one Counter!"

Two green spores with fangs appeared on the field before attaching to Shepherd's monsters.

"In addition, any monster that is Level 2 or higher becomes Level 1."

Scud Drone: 0 PC→1 PC LVL: 3→1

Battledrone General: 0 PC→1 PC

"I activate Bicorphophyllum's second Pendulum Effect! Once per turn, I can perform a Fusion Summon by using "Predaplant" monsters on my field or in my hand! Both of the bicorn plant's horns glowed and generated a fusion portal on the ground, "I fuse Colura Piranha and Drosophyllum Hydra!"

The Fusion vortex appeared, and Ringmaster's two monsters swirled into it as he chanted.

"Watch as these two monsters will merge and create the most diabolical botanical ever seen! I Fusion Summon! The vicious, voracious, and venomous Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!"

The dragon that emerged from the portal had a green body covered in purple armor with numerous red and yellow orbs across its body. It had green eyes and a set of yellow horns curved downwards on the sides of its head. The dragon roared as it appeared on Ringmaster's field into the Right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon ATK 2800 DEF 2000 LVL: 8

Storm Rider gasped and clutched his chest. It didn't hurt as much as before, but it made him clench his teeth. He turned to look at the new dragon. Starving Fusion Dragon. Storm Rider had never seen this monster before in his life. So why? Why did this dragon feel familiar to him? Like he knew it but didn't know it at the same time?

"Are you ok? You look like you did when Yuya dueled Shima and summon Dark Rebellion," Ena said.

"I'm fine. But for some weird reason. I feel a connection with Ringmaster's dragon," Storm Rider answered.

"A connection? What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not sure how to explain it, but I just feel like I know that dragon from somewhere, and I have some sort of past with it."

"Well, after we're done with this, we'll have Kolter do some research on these dragons, and maybe that'll help give you some answers."

"I sure hope it does."

Shepherd narrowed his eyes at the deadly dragon. "So you decided brought out your ace Fusion Dragon?"

"Yes. And I'll have you taste its power now. I activate Starving Venom's effect activates! When it is Fusion Summoned using monsters on my field, it gains attack points equal to the combined attack points of all Special Summoned monsters you control until the end of the turn."

Shepherd's eyes widened as the armor on the dragon's shoulders, and knees opened, revealing fang-filled mouths. The dragon glowed violet as pink energy was emitted from the mouths, creating its wings.

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon ATK 2800→6600

"6600 attack points?" Shepherd whispered, stunned at such an effect.

"It has enough ATK to help Ringmaster win the duel!" Maestra pointed out.

"Battle! Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, attack and destroy Scud Drone!"

"Not so fast! I activate the Trap Card: Drone Reinforcements!" The card depicted Battledrone Sergeant and Warrant equipping themselves onto Battledrone General. "By tributing a "Drone" monster I control, I can have another "Drone" I control gain its ATK as well as preventing the targeted monster from being destroyed in battle."

Scud Drone exploded into particles as they then surrounded General as it gained a green aura.

Battledrone General ATK 3000→3800

"That changes nothing! You don't have enough Life Points to survive my dragon's attack!" Ringmaster pointed out. "Battle! Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, attack and destroy Battledrone General!"

The mouths attached to Starving Venom's back opened to release crimson electricity, tying Battledrone General and not letting it escape. Moments later, a green beam erupted from the orbs generated by the electricity, hitting General and causing it to explode, enveloping Shepherd's field in a cloud of smoke.

"Yosh! Looks like I won!" Ringmaster exclaimed. "It seems you underestimated me a bit too much after—"

"Who says this duel was over?"

Ringmaster's words were drowned once the smokescreen died down, and he saw The Shepherd, stunning him, Maestra, Storm Rider, and Sanctum.

"If that was supposed to be your best, I'm afraid to say that I'm a bit disappointed."

The Shepherd: 2600→1200 LP

"Impossible!" Ringmaster cried out in astonishment. "Your Life Points should have become zero from my monster's attack! How did you survive!?"

"I activated the effect of Drone Hedge in my Graveyard, which I used during your last turn," Shepherd said. "Through it, I can banish it to halve all battle damage I take from battles involving "Drone" monsters for the rest of the turn."

"So that's how you did it…." Ringmaster grimaced. "However, I'm not finished yet! I activate the Spell Card: Fusion Shuffle!" The card showed a stream of light, with Elemental Hero Flame Wingman amid it, headed towards a white Duel Disk. "This card returns a Fusion Monster that is either banished or in the Graveyard to the owner's Extra Deck. Then I draw cards depending on that monster's Level. I shuffle my Level 7 Predaplant Pinguicula Cobra back into my Extra Deck to draw two cards."

"I see," Shepherd mused as Ringmaster drew. "A card to take advantage of not only your Fusion Monsters but the opponent's as well. Rather clever of you."

Ringmaster ignored the praise. "I set one card face-down and end my turn! Since it's now the End Phase, Starving Venom's attack points return to normal."

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon ATK 6600→2800

Even though I halved the damage I took, you almost took out all my Life Points," Shepherd remarked. You may be No. 5 Charisma Duelists, but what I've seen so far, your dueling skills are equivalent to that of a hunter."

"Thanks for the compliment, but flattery won't distract me from winning!" Ringmaster stated.

"Very well. "My turn. Draw. I activate the Spell Card: Graceful Charity! This card allows me to draw three cards, then send 2 to the Graveyard." He drew his three cards, then discarded Card of Compensation and an unknown Spell Card.

"Card of Compensation's effect! As I sent it from my hand to the Graveyard, I get to draw two cards from my Deck." Shepherd drew the top two cards of his Deck, then said, "I now summon out Drone Federal!"

Zooming down from the ceiling and landing on his field was a light blue and colored aircraft.

Drone Federal ATK 1200 DEF 600 LVL: 3

"I now activate General's effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a "Drone" monster from my Graveyard to its Link Arrow. Resurrect, Scud Drone!"

The tripod with missiles reappeared at General's left Link Arrow in Attack Position.

Scud Drone ATK 800 DEF 1100 LVL: 3

"Scud Drone's effect activates! I draw one card when it's Special Summoned from the Graveyard by a "Drone" monster's effect."

"He brought out two more monsters," Ringmaster muttered. "Is he planning on Link Summoning another monster?"

"Time to show a taste of my power! I tune the Level 3 Drone Federal with the Level 3 Scud Drone!" Shepherd declared.

"What?!" Ringmaster and Maestra gasped.

"Tuning?" Storm Rider and Sanctum both said, their eyes wide.

A bolt of green lightning struck Shepherd as the world greyed out, and his two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, one blue and one green, appeared before turning blue and merging. Six blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "3 + 3" in front of them. The screen changed to "6" as light surged through the rings.

"Watch as I construct a helo that rains a shower of fiery destruction onto any target! I Synchro Summon! Level 6! Commandrone Double Sniper!"

A futuristic helicopter with missiles and guns attached to its wings emerged from the portal, which pointed at Ringmaster. The helicopter hovered beside General's left Link Arrow.

Commandrone Double Sniper ATK 2000 DEF 2600 LVL: 6

"A Drone Synchro Monster..." Ringmaster muttered.

"Battle! Double Sniper attacks Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!"

"Why would you attack Starving Venom when it has more attack points?" Maestra wondered.

"I did it so I can activate the effect of the Spell Card: Stealth Drone Attack in my Graveyard," Shepherd answered. "By banishing it, I can negate the attack of a "Drone" Monster and draw one card."

"He negated your own monster's attack...?" Sanctum said in confusion.

"Double Sniper's effect activates!" Shepherd declared. "Each time a card or effect negates a monster's attack or the activation of a Spell or Trap Card, one Drone Counter is placed on this card!"

Commandrone Double Sniper: 0 DC→1 DC

"So he did it to activate an effect?" Storm Rider said.

"Due to its effect, Double Sniper can attack my opponent directly if it has a Drone Counter, but the battle damage you'd take becomes 1000. Go, Double Sniper! Attack Ringmaster directly!"

The helicopter fired missiles at Ringmaster, which exploded and made him wince.

Ringmaster: 3200→2200 LP

"I now activate General's effect to release Double Sniper with General's effect to inflict you damage equal to its ATK! "

Following Shepherd's words, Double Sniper turned into a sphere of green energy that hit Ringmaster in the stomach, making him fall to the ground in pain.

Ringmaster: 2200→200 LP

"Ringmaster!" Maestra shouted.

"I still have one more attack to go." Shepherd pointed out. "Go, Battledrone General! Attack and destroy Starving Venom Fusion Dragon! Missile Barrage!"

General fired its missiles at Starving Venom, intent on destroying the Fusion Monster.

"I activate my Trap Card: Card Defense!" Ringmaster's face-down flipped up. "Now, by sending one card in my hand to the Graveyard, your attack is negated!"

A wall of cards appeared around Starving Venom, shielding it from the attack.

"Not only that, but I also get to draw another card to make up for the one I just got rid of!"

"Clever, but lucky. I place one card face-down and end my turn."

It's my turn! Draw! I activate the Equip Spell Card: Predapruning, which lets me Special Summon a 'Predaplant' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Resurrect, Lilizard!"

The green-skinned plant-like lizard reappeared in Defense Position.

Predaplant Lilizard ATK 1200 DEF 1200 LVL: 3

"When Lilizard is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, its effect lets me draw one card. Next, I use Bicorphyllum's Pendulum Effect to perform a Fusion Summon! I fuse Lilizard and Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!"

The Fusion vortex appeared, and Ringmaster's two monsters swirled into it as he chanted.

"When you combine the viciously voracious Venom of a dragon with the cunningness of a carnivorous plant, the result is toxically terrifying! I Fusion Summon! Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon!"

A massive new dragon emerged from the portal. Its main body was white, but it was covered in violet armor with red attachments, along with yellow and red orbs. As with Starving Venom, the armor on its back and legs formed extra mouths. The dragon's eyes gleamed yellow as it roared from the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon ATK 3300 DEF 2500 LVL: 10

Sanctum's eyes widened. "Greedy Venom…? His dragon evolved?"

BA-BUMP

Storm Rider gritted his teeth and clutched his chest once again like before. What was it with these dragons? This feeling of familiarity despite his certainty that he had never seen the monsters before?

I activate Greedy Venom's effect! Once per turn, II can negate the effects of one monster on the field and change that monster's attack points to 0 until the end of the turn! Of course, I choose Battledrone General as the target for Greedy Venom's effect! Invasive Saturation!"

The protrusions on Greedy Venom's back shot forward following Ringmaster's words, attaching themselves to Battledrone General's body and causing it to start corroding.

Battledrone General ATK 3000→0

"Now that Shepherd's monster ATK is now at 0, all Ringmaster has to do is attack it and win," Maestra pointed out.

"And that's what I plan on doing!" Ringmaster exclaimed. "Battle! Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon attacks Battledrone General! Avaricious Venom!"

The mouths on Greedy Venom's shoulders and legs opened and produced wings made of pink energy. A ball of violet energy gathered above the dragon, which launched itself at Battledrone General.

"Not happening," Shepherd defied. "I activate the Trap Card: Drone Controller!" The card showed a black joystick in front of a computer screen that showed an aerial view of a desert. "When this card is activated, it is equipped to Battledrone General!"

The black jet's red windows turned blue as it was enveloped in a blue aura.

"Now, since General is battling a non-Link Monster, it isn't destroyed by battle, and I take no battle damage."

"What?" Ringmaster gasped as a blue barrier formed around Shepherd's field, shielding him and his monster.

Ringmaster frowned before looking down, taking the last two cards in his hand, "I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Since it's now the End Phase, Greedy Venom's effect wears off, and General regains its abilities and attack points," Shepherd stated.

Battledrone General ATK 0→3000

"My turn! Draw!" Shepherd drew as he then gestured to his field. "I activate General's effect! Resurrect, Double Sniper!"

The futuristic helicopter with gun and missiles attached to it reappeared next to General's left Link Arrow.

Commandrone Double Sniper ATK 2000 DEF 2600 LVL: 6

"I activate the Spell Card: Card of Burial Magic! By banishing three Spell Cards from my Graveyard, I can draw two cards! I banish Pot of Greed, Graceful Charity, and Card of Compensation to draw!"

Shepherd looked at his new cards and smirked. "Alright, time to stop holding back and go all out against you. First, I unequip Engineer from my General."

Drone Engineer unequipped itself from General's body as it then landed next to its right Link Arrow

Drone Engineer ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"I then activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Reflect Energy! By sending Drone Engineer to the Graveyard, all my other monsters are allowed to attack you directly!"

"What?" Ringmaster gasped.

"After attacking directly with Double Sniper, I can use General's effect to deal you damage equal to its ATK. Winning me the duel," Shepherd pointed out.

"I won't let you! I activate the Trap Card: Baton of the Hero!" Ringmaster revealed his set card. "For the rest of the turn, I'm now allowed to choose the target of your monster's attack!"

Shepherd gasped, "So that means-"

"That your Double Sniper will end up attacking Greedy Venom!" Ringmaster finished for him.

"So you had a counter-strategy ready for me? Guess I have to pull out the big guns then. I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Drone Force Fusion!"

"What!? A Fusion card...!?" Ringmaster said, surprised. "Not just Synchro, but Fusion as well...?"

"I'm full of surprises, just like you," Shepherd stated as he gestured towards his field. "With Drone Force Fusion's effect, using Double Sniper and General that I control, I perform a Fusion Summon!"

As the two Monsters turned into particles of red and blue light that swirled together, he chanted.

"I forge metal and steel together to engineer the command post of my aerial armada! I Fusion Summon! Fortressdrone Beehive!"

A twister of purple wind erupted from the whirlpool of particles. A massive drone with eight propellers, hexagonal openings attached to its underside, similar to a honeycomb structure and colored orange, and a single and ominous red glowing lens on its front emerged from it. It levitated in the Left Extra Monster Zone.

Fortressdrone Beehive ATK 0 DEF 3000 LVL: 8

"That monster is the one that almost gave him the victory against Lightning," Soulburner noted.

"Indeed." Ghost Gal agreed, then he frowned. "But I don't think he's gonna have any problems like the ones Lightning gave him this time around."

"Fortressdrone Beehive's effect activates!" Shepherd continued. "When it's Fusion Summoned, I can place Drone Counters on it equal to the Level of the "Drone" monster used as Fusion Material. Double Sniper was Level 6, so my Beehive gets 6 Drone Counters."

Fortressdrone Beehive: 0 SC→6 SC

"Nextactivate Fortressdrone Beehive's second effect! I can remove any number of Drone Counters to Special Summon the same amount of Drone Tokens. I remove 5 Drone Counters to summon five Drone Tokens!"

Five Drone Tokens emerged from the Fusion Monster's honeycomb structure.

Drone Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1 x 5

Fortressdrone Beehive: 6 SC→1 SC

"And that's not all! Beehive gains 1000 ATK for each "Drone" monster I control, excluding itself!"

Fortressdrone Beehive ATK 0→5000

"5-5000 attack points!?" Ringmaster said, his eyes wide.

"Now The Shepherd once again has the stronger monster," Sanctum pointed out.

"If Shepherd's attack connects with Greedy Venom, Ringmaster will take 1700 damage and will lose the duel," Storm Rider added. "I don't see how he'll get out of this."

Battle! Fortressdrone Beehive, attack Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon! Barraging Bombardement!'

A barrage of missiles was fired from the Fusion Monster's honeycomb structure, heading straight towards Greedy Venom.

"Ringmaster's Life Points are only 200! If this goes through, it's Shepherd's win!"

"But it won't!" Ringmaster exclaimed. "I banish Predaplant Pterostylis Armadillo from my Graveyard to activate its effect! When I'm about to receive damage from a battle involving a DARK Monster, that damage is reduced to 0, and I gain Life Points equal to the amount of damage I would have taken!"

The barrage of missiles suddenly struck a barrier made out of thick vines, dispersing harmlessly. Immediately afterward, the vines turned into golden particles that enveloped Ringmaster's body.

Ringmaster: 200→1900 LP

"You never played that monster. So how did it get in your Graveyard?" Shepherd wondered. "Unless that's the card you discarded through Card Defense."

"Exactly," Ringmaster answered. "And that's not the only trick I have up my sleeve. I activate Greedy Venom's effect! When it is destroyed, all monsters on the field are destroyed, and the controllers of those monsters take damage equal to the combined original attack points of the destroyed monsters!"

An acid pool appeared and launched streams towards Fortressdrone Beehive, but Shepherd gestured to his field.

"Fortressdrone isn't going anywhere!" Shepherd abruptly stated. "Since I Fusion Summoned it with Drone Force Fusion, it can't be destroyed by card effects!"

A massive barrier appeared around Beehive as it deflected the stream of acid.

"No!" Ringmaster gritted his teeth.

"The Shepherd has a counter for everything Ringmaster does," Gore stated.

"I'm starting to believe he may beat Ringmaster," Blue Maiden added.

"With your dragon no longer on the field, I once again have the advantage!" Shepherd stated.

"Is that so?" Ringmaster said, confusing Shepherd. "Greedy Venom's final effect activates. Once during either player's turn, when this card is destroyed, I can banish one of its Fusion Materials to Special Summon it. In exchange, it cannot use its other effects for the rest of this turn. I choose to banish Lilizard to revive Greedy Venom!"

A lake of acid appeared on the ground, with Greedy Venom emerging and landing on Ringmaster's field.

Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon ATK 3300 DEF 2500 LVL: 10

"Ringmaster revived his dragon," Soulburner pointed out.

"And if I'm correct, he's planning on using its effect next turn to destroy Beehive and defeat Shepherd," Akira added.

"That creepy dragon has returned once again…" Shepherd muttered. "Even so, I'll just slay it once again. By banishing Battledrone Twin-Marshal from my Graveyard, I can have Fortressdrone Beehive attack again."

"What?!" Ringmaster said, shocked.

Battle! Beehive attacks Greedy Venom!"

Fortressdrone Beehive launched another series of missiles at Greedy Venom. The missiles struck the Fusion Monster, destroying it and sending Ringmaster slamming into a wall as he grunted from the pain.

Ringmaster: 1900→200 LP

"He's back down to 200 Life Points," Sanctum commented.

"And Ringmaster has no cards in his hand," Storm Rider added. "Time for us to intervene."

"Hmm. As I thought," Shepherd said as he saw Ringmaster struggle to get up. "Ultimately, without Ghost Girl or your support, you are nothing more than a failure."

"That is enough!"

"Shepherd, Ringmaster, and Maestra all turned around to the voice belonging to Storm Rider with Sanctum by his side.

"Storm Rider and Sanctum," Shepherd said, staring at the two Charisma Duelists.

"Storm Rider and Sanctum," Ringmaster muttered, looking at the two youths with surprise.

"Had they been watching this duel the entire time?" Maestra wondered.

"Storm Rider and Maestra," Gore muttered, resting his hand in his chin.

"This is unexpected," Blue Maiden said.

"What are the two of you doing here?" Shepherd asked.

"As I said, that is enough," Storm Rider said. He turned to Ringmaster. "You've done well, Ringmaster. But even with your skills, you stand no chance against The Shepherd. Cancel this duel and leave it to me."

"He's right," Sanctum added. "Let Storm Rider take over for you."

"Don't be absurd!" Shepherd shouted. "You think we'll cancel this duel just because you said so!"

Storm Rider and Sanctum turned towards Shepherd with a glare in their eyes. "Yes, we do."

"No."

The two Charisma Duelists turned to Ringmaster in response to his words, surprised at them. "But Ringmaster-."

"I said no," Ringmaster said, standing up. "I refuse to give up."

But don't you see the situation you're in?" Storm Rider asked.

Ringmaster narrowed his eyes at Storm Rider. "As both a duelist and an entertainer, I wouldn't live with myself if I surrendered just because I didn't stand a chance at winning. Remember that we are teammates and teammates support one another during tough times, especially when it's our job to protect LINK VRAINS. And I will not stand by and let the Arbiters do what they want. I will fight, as hard as I can, to my last breath if need be, to do the right thing."

He turned from Storm to The Shepherd. "Do you hear me, Shepherd? I will not lose! I will defeat you and protect LINK VRAINS!"

Storm Rider looked back until he turned away and sighed.

"Can you win this duel?"

Ringmaster smiled. "Without a doubt," he said.

"Then do it." Storm Rider said as he and Sanctum stepped to the side and leaned against the wall.

Shepherd burst out laughing. "You think you can win this? You're facing down a 5000 attack point monster with only 200 Life Points and no monsters on your field or cards in your hand! What part of that says, 'I can win?'"

"This! Since you destroyed an Extra Deck Monster I controlled, I can activate the Trap Card: Extra Shave Reborn!" Ringmaster declared. "Through its effect, I can Special Summon from my Graveyard a Monster that was originally in the Extra Deck and whose Level is less than the destroyed monster. The one I choose to bring back is Starving Venom."

A portal appeared above Ringmaster, with Starving Venom emerging from it and landing on his field.

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon ATK 2800 DEF 2000 LVL: 8

"An impressive but ultimately futile gesture," Shepherd said. "I activate Parasitic Drone's effect from my hand! If you Special Summon a monster during my turn, I can equip this card to that monster!"

A mechanical insectoid-like drone appeared in front of Starving Venom before attaching itself to the dragon.

"Equip it on Starving Venom?" Ringmaster said, confused.

"As long as Starving Venom is equipped with Parasitic Drone, it can't attack nor activate its effects," Shepherd explained. "Also, if you happen to destroy or target Parasitic Drone with an effect, its effect will destroy your monster and deal you damage equal to its ATK."

"What?"

"Shepherd has successfully trapped Ringmaster," Sanctum said. "Without Starving Venom's effects, he stands no chance at winning."

While that may be true, if he says he's going to win, then I believe him," Storm Rider said, keeping a blank face.

"I place one card face-down and end my turn. Ringmaster, this is your last turn to make a comeback," Shepherd stated. "Better make it count."

Ringmaster breathed a sigh of relief. "That was way too close. This guy's persistent."

"Tell me about," Yuri said as he appeared next to Yuya. "I have to admit that if I were dueling this guy, he'd surely give me a run for my money."

"It's probably a side effect of being a bounty hunter; when your targets almost always run and have a lot of places to hide, you need to be extra determined to chase them."

"I suppose… huh?" Yuri looked at Yuya and blinked. "Yuya… are you smiling?"

The Dueltainer turned towards Yuri with a lop-sided grin. "Yeah. Why not?" He turned his gaze to Shepherd. "Maybe it's the entertainer in me, or maybe it's the duelist, or maybe it's just that I'm human. But dueling like this, being pushed to the edge, it's exciting for me."

"…I'm not sure I understand," Yuri admitted. "You're excited about losing?"

"About losing? No. I'm excited about being pushed. About surviving." Ringmaster's smile became more even. "Don't worry about understanding it, Yuri. It's just a natural feeling."

"Huh. Well, I'll take your word for it. That aside, I'd say we're in a difficult position. Without Starving Venom's effects, as well as it being a ticking time bomb, the only way to get out of this is by using it as Fusion Material for a Fusion Summon."

"Well then, let's hope we draw a monster; otherwise, this duel is over for us."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure; after all, there's no way The Shepherd would make it easy for us."

"Eh? You think so?"

"Of course. I wouldn't.

"Glad to hear that. Now, if we're chatting, we have a duel to win."

"I'm right with you."

"My turn!" Yuri announced through Yuya. "Draw!" He drew, looked at his card, and widened his eyes in surprise.

"When did this card get in my deck?" Yuya asked himself, surprised.

"Thought you might need a hand." Yuya heard Yuri say. "Besides, your Performapals can't have all the fun."

"I activate Drone Reinforcement's effect from my Graveyard!" The Shepherd declared. "By banishing this card, I can select one monster you control and force it to battle this turn. But if it's unable to declare an attack, not only will it be destroyed, you'll also take damage equal to half of its ATK!"

"This situation looks bad," Storm Rider commented. "You sure you can win?"

Ringmaster smiled at him. "Now that I have this, I am." He gestured to his field. With the Pendulum Scale already set, I Pendulum Summon!"

A portal opened up, releasing a single light onto the field.

"Hunt down your prey, Predaplant Performphora Mantis!"

Appearing on Ringmaster's field was a mantis, but its body was entirely made of a stem, with two sun pitchers hanging from its arms, and it wore a black tuxedo over a white shirt with a green necktie and a leaf on its head shaped like a top hat.

Predaplant Performaphora Mantis ATK 500 DEF 500 LVL: 2

"Predaplant Bicorphyllum's Pendulum Effect activates, placing a Predator Counter on your Fortressdrone Beehive." Ringmaster continued.

A fanged spore appeared and attached itself to Fortressdrone Beehive.

Fortressdrone Beehive: 0 PC→1 PC

"And of course, Bicorphyllum's effect makes Beehive's Level become 1."

Fortressdrone Beehive LVL: 8→1

"Then, I activate Bicorphyllum's second Pendulum Effect to fuse Starving Venom and Predaplant Performaphora Mantis. And due to its effect, Performaphora Mantis can be treated as any monster when used for a Fusion Summon!"

"It can?" Shepherd said, surprised.

"Yes, it can," Ringmaster replied. "I'll use Mantis's effect to treat itself as Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and fuse it with Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!"

As his two Monsters swirled inside a multi-colored vortex, Yuya and Yuri chanted together.

"Now the power of Pendulum combines with the forces of Fusion to create a brand new dragon! I Fusion Summon! Odd-Eyes Venom Dragon!"

A new dragon with dichromatic eyes and a body structure similar to Starve Venom's, only colored violet and white with red and green gems attached to its body, which had several bladed protrusions extending from its wings, appeared on Ringmaster's field in the Right Extra Zone as it released a shower of petals.

Odd-Eyes Venom Dragon ATK 3300 DEF 2500 LVL: 10

"How pretty…" Sanctum murmured like she was in a trance.

"So this is the combined power of Yuya and Yuri?" Maestra said.

"This isn't good...!" Shepherd grunted.

"Let's have some fun!" Yuri said with an evil grin.

"You got it Yuri," Yuya said. "Now, watch as my beautiful dragon reveals its true power! Odd-Eyes Venom Dragon's effect activates! Since this card was Fusion Summoned while using only monsters on the field as materials, it gains attack equal to the combined attack of all monsters my opponent controls until the End Phase!"

Ringmaster shouted as his dragon's orbs on its body began to glow brightly. As the yellow orbs on its wings shined, violet energy shot out of the dragon's wings, causing a beautiful spectacle of light.

Odd-Eyes Venom Dragon ATK 3300→8300

"An attack of 8300!?" Shepherd shouted.

"Not only that but since Performaphora Mantis was sent to the Graveyard as Fusion Material for a Fusion Summon, I'm allowed to add a "Predaplant" monster from my Graveyard back to my hand. I select Predaplant Colura Piranha."

The card ejected from Ringmaster's Graveyard Slot as he added it to his hand.

"Battle!" Ringmaster exclaimed. "Odd-Eyes Venom Dragon, attack and destroy Fortressdrone Beehive! Spiral Venom Crusher!"

Venom Dragon opened its maw wide as energy streams from the edge of its wings were emitted, unleashing a massive energy blast at Beehive.

"Sorry. But if anyone's going to be losing this duel, it's you!" Shepherd exclaimed. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Limiter Removal! It doubles the attack points of all Machine monsters I control until the end of the turn."

Fortressdrone Beehive ATK 5000→10000

"10000 ATK!" Ringmaster gasped.

"Shepherd's gonna win..." Soulburner muttered.

"Looks that way..." Akira added.

"Told you," Ghost Gal bragged.

"It's over, Ringmaster!"

"No way. Shepherd!" Ringmaster said. "I activate Colura Piranha's effect from my hand! When a DARK monster I control battles a monster with a Predator Counter, my monster gains attack equal to the battling monster's ATK!"

Following Ringmaster's words, a spectral image of Colura Piranha appeared in front of Venom Dragon before giving it a dark aura as it grew in power.

Odd-Eyes Venom Dragon Dragon ATK 8300→18300

"Impossible!" Shepherd cried out in shock. "An attack over 18000!?"

Go, Odd-Eyes Venom Dragon! Continue where you left off! Spiral Venom Crusher!"

Once again, Venom Dragon opened its maw wide as streams of energy were emitted from the edge of its wings, unleashing a massive energy blast, enveloping Fortressdrone Beehive, and creating a shockwave that sent The Shepherd flying.

The Shepherd: 1200→0 LP

"Looks like I won," Ringmaster stated. "As we agreed, let my friend go.

Shepherd stood up as he turned to Ringmaster. "Very well."

SNAP!

The giant fiend hand encasing Maestra disappeared as she was now free before running over to Ringmaster.

"Congratulations, Ringmaster! I always knew you were going to win."

"Thanks, Maestra," Ringmaster replied. "Also, part of our agreement is that you tell me exactly who hired you to lure us here?"

"That would be me."

Everyone turned around and gasped after seeing who the voice belonged to.

"Zaizen?" Both Ringmaster and Maestra said, surprised.

And that is Chapter 15. Bold are OC's. Thanks to SamushiRyu for name, design, and effect for Performaphora Mantis, dvdryms for letting me use Yuri's cards, a DivadX for giving me the idea to use Yuri's Deck for the duel and not just Yuya's for half and Yuri for the other. As always, like and review. Follow and favorite as well.

Preview: A Fiery Spectacle: Yuya vs. Soulburner

Comment what you think the outcome will be

Titles for the next six chapters: Clash Between Rivals, Blooming Rose, Arbiter Assault Part 1, Arbiter Assault Part 2, Stealing The Spotlight, and Royale Rumble. Let me know your thoughts on what will happen and what to expect in these future chapters.