Haruko Matsuoka looks down at the card in her hand, letting out a depressed sigh, "I'm sorry, Kyubi. I let you down…" she mutters under her breath. Upsetting the person she looked up to most had left her shattered. She was now just sitting in the shade, talking to her favorite card in an attempt to find comfort. It wasn't long however until her wallowing was cut short, as she heard footsteps rapidly approaching her.

Yuya Sakaki quickly made his way over to Haruko, panting from how much running he did just to get there, "There… y-you… are…" Sweat dripped from his nose and chin as he attempted to catch his breath in spite of the scorching summer heat beating down on him.

Worried for her idol, Haruko immediately got up and led him onto the bench that was shielded from the sun thanks to a nearby tree, "Are you alright, Y-Yuya…? This is all my fault…" She was panicking at the sight of him so exhausted, having to expend so much energy just to track her down.

Haruko's thought process is then forced to a screeching halt once Yuya places a hand on her shoulder, "Don't… Hrrk… worry about it…! N-Now… You wouldn't h-happen to have any water on you…?" he chokes out, desperately gasping for air. Haruko shakes her head, much to Yuya's dismay.

The two of them were then approached by a trio of boys that were around Yuya's age based on their appearance. They all adorn matching jackets, a shining pin attached to each of them, but none of it is as eye-catching as their smug grins. One of them walks up to Yuya, leaning over, giving him a good view of the guy's brown hair and short ponytail as their smirk grows even more uncomfortably large, "Aren't you Yuya Sakaki? That guy with the fancy-schmancy new summoning method? What's a guy like you doing here? Don't tell me you finally realized that dump of a school isn't the place to put cards like those to good use!"

Pushing past the heat, Yuya stood up, meeting the boy face-to-face, "I'll have you know that You Show has integrity that whatever your elitist snob school is will never have!"

The boy then forms a more toothy grin as he stared Yuya down, appearing to have taken particular issue with that last statement, "Snob school, huh? You do realize you're talking about Leo Duel School when you say that, right? Kind of a big institution, so I dunno if you should really be calling it snobby."

Yuya flinches, it just registering that the pins all of the boys had on their jackets had the initials 'LDS' hidden in their intricate design. Before he could retort, he was interrupted by the sound of a unique voice that stole his attention, "Now, now, Ootomo, that's no way to treat guests! After all, we have to make a good impression of our school, especially for someone as esteemed as Yuya Sakaki!"

Along with Yuya, the everyone else there had also turned towards the voice, and were met by a suave boy with brown hair and blond bangs, a sharp, piercing gaze, and a matching jacket to that of his apparent companions. The one who was apparently named Ootomo froze up for a moment before responding to him, "S-Sorry about that Shingo! You wanna handle this then?"

Shingo softly laughed under his breath, "Oh, it'd be my pleasure!" He walked over to Yuya, smiling in a way that was more restrained compared to that of his friends, but still just as eerie, "So you're the one who created that new summoning method? It truly is an honor to meet you, Yuya Sakaki!"

Yuya let out a nervous laugh, flustered at being complimented so much, especially for the second time today. Good thing Yuzu wasn't here to ruin it this time, "Um, thanks, haha…" He wasn't used to such unfiltered praise, and was unsure how to respond, "So, uh, I think I heard your name if Shingo, right…?"

Shingo's smile grew, nodding as he reached out and grabbed Yuya's hand, "Yes, Shingo Sawatari! I'm glad we can save ourselves the trouble of making introductions!" He then snapped his fingers, gesturing to the others, "Well don't be rude, make them feel at home! We're representing Leo Duel School after all!"

Ootomo and the others stood to attention upon hearing this, and promptly shook Yuya's hand, one at a time, "Um, sorry about that…" Ootomo muttered as he did so. Yuya was astonished at just how quickly of a turn around that was.

Shingo noticed that Yuya was feeling awkward, and tried to put him at ease, "I'm terribly sorry for the horrible first impression my friends have given you. I can assure you that they're good people, just unable to maintain themselves when in a bad mood."

Yuya shook his head, sweating nervously in response to Shingo's overbearingly polite attitude, "Don't worry about it, it's fine…!" He then let out a laugh, in an attempt to lighten the mood, though it ended up coming out quite forced.

Haruko was unsure how to feel about this development. She was happy that Yuya was enjoying himself, but she was hoping they could be alone again soon so that she could properly apologize to him… Unfortunately, Haruko's train of thought would be abruptly cut short when attempting to interject during Yuya and Shingo's conversation, only to find herself unable to speak.

Nakajima was rushing to his boss's office, envelope in hand, panic flooding his thoughts as he pushed past co-workers. He forcefully opened the door upon reaching his destination, his concerns refusing to die down even as he bursted into the room, "Mr. Akaba! We have a major problem on our hands!" He couldn't bring himself to speak at a reasonable volume when attempting to get his boss's attention, ignorant of how he had already managed to.

Despite how Nakajima charged into his office, Reiji Akaba still maintained a calm disposition. As he stood up from his desk, he eyed his employee with a judgmental glare. Nakajima couldn't tell how much time had passed before his boss decided to finally speak, his mind having frozen alongside his body due to the sheer tension in the air. Regardless, Reiji Akaba eventually let out a sigh, "I see. Now what would this problem be, Nakajima?"

Nakajima quickly stood to attention, pulling the contents out of the envelope in his hand, "Take a look at these cards, sir!"

Reiji raised his eyebrows, more so once he actually saw the cards in question, "Hm…?" Staring back at him were the faces of several LDS students, each printed on one of the cards handed to him. He then looked back up at Nakajima, being direct with his next words, "Nakajima, what is the meaning of this?"

Nakajima gulped, his throat going dry as he attempted to answer, "According to the letter that these cards were sent to us with, they appear to be… the trapped souls of students here at LDS…" He then handed Reiji the envelope, who wasted no time pulling out the aforementioned letter.

Reiji began reading it to himself, while also scanning it methodically for every little detail. Minutes passed with complete silence hanging over the room, until he finally placed down the paper, and began to walk out of the room without warning, "Nakajima, keep an eye out for additional spikes in Xyz Energy while I'm out."

Nakajima nodded, not having time to question his boss's orders before Reiji left the room.

Quite some time had passed before Yuya and Shingo's conversation had finally ended. The sun had begun its slow descent over the horizon, as an orange tint had been applied to everything within sight. Yuya took notice of this, and realized that he should probably be getting back to You Show by now, "Oh, uh, thanks for having me Shingo! Been great meeting you!"

Shingo nodded in agreement, "I'm glad to have finally met the pioneer of Pendulum Summoning himself! Perhaps I could see it in person next time, rather than on-screen!"

Yuya smiled, nodding back before reaching up to wipe the sweat off his forehead. Despite how the sun was descending, it was still beating down on him just as hard. It then occurred to Yuya that Haruko probably wasn't enjoying how hot it was either. He decided it would be best to help her get home, but found himself unable to once he saw that there was no sign of her, "Huh…?" He began turning his head in all directions, scanning the area for any sign of her, only to find nothing, as if she had completely vanished.

Shingo heard Yuya's concern as he was turning to leave, and immediately backed up to see what was wrong, "Hm? Is everything alright, Yuya?"

Yuya let out a sigh, unable to spot Haruko anywhere, eventually turning back to Shingo with a worried look on his face, "Sorry, but did you happen to see where my friend wandered off to while we were talking?" Shingo responded with a smile, nodding just like he did before, which instantly filled Yuya with a sense of relief as his new acquaintance led him in the direction that Haruko supposedly went.

The optimism Yuya felt somewhat started to fade as he and Shingo suddenly turned and entered an alleyway. He looked around, rather confused, "Huh? Why did we come here? I really don't think Haruko would wander in here on her own…" His thought process was cut short however once he heard an unsettling burst of laughter coming from right in front of him.

Much to Yuya's shock, Shingo turned to him with a horribly stretched out smirk, looking at him with an unbearably strong aura of self-satisfaction, "You're right, she wouldn't wander in here on her own! But she didn't!" With a snap of his fingers, Ootomo and the other two boys from earlier appeared into view.

Before Yuya could ask what was going on, he noticed Haruko in the middle of the three boys, struggling to break free from their combined grip. He then realized Shingo was still laughing at him, and his expression turned sour, "Okay, how about you tell me what's going on here?!"

"Wow, so angry!" Shingo mocked, "Not what I expected from the happy-go-lucky Entertainment Duelist who's always putting on a brave face for the audience! Imagine how scared the girl must be, knowing you're not feeling confident in a situation like this!"

Yuya was losing his cool as the situation progressed, just wanting this whole thing to be over with, "What do you even plan on getting out of this? Whatever it is, just let Haruko go already and I'll do whatever it is you want!"

Upon hearing Yuya's response, Shingo's grin grew even more, extending across his smug face, "Ah, perfect! Glad to see you're willing to be reasonable!" he replied, "You see, the fact of the matter is, you're unworthy, Yuya Sakaki."

Yuya froze up, unsure if he was hearing that right, "I'm what?"

Shingo then leaned forward before continuing, "Unworthy! A brand new summoning method was discovered by some complete charlatan! I'm at the top of the highest ranking school in the country! My family has more power and influence than you could ever dream of! Yet somehow you managed to discover a completely new summoning method before it had even shown up on my radar!" In a sudden movement, Shingo then pulled out a Duel Disk from what appeared to be thin air, "... So now I'm going to prove which one of us is truly worthy of praise!"

Yuya instinctively got into a dueling stance, pulling out his own Duel Disk as well, "Fine! If you want a duel, then that's what you'll get!" Yuya was turned to Haruko to provide her a reassuring smile, but for now he had to deal with Shingo, and make sure he wouldn't pull a stunt like this again.

"Duel!" "Duel!"

Yuya LP: 4000 Shingo LP: 4000

"My turn!" Shingo shouted, refusing to allow his opponent to get the drop on him so easily, "I start by summoning Triamid Hunter!" A sarcophagus then appeared from the ground, tilting upwards before it slowly opened, revealing the monster inside. It stood clad in gold plating and a helmet that resembled a jackal, while also wielding a silver relic in each hand (Lv 3/Earth/Rock/1400 Atk/1100 Def), "Unfortunately, Hunter doesn't gain his effects unless there's a Field Spell, so it looks like I'll have to correct that issue!" Shingo then opened an additional slot on the side of Duel Disk, slipping a Spell Card inside, "I activate the Field Spell, Triamid Fortress!"

The ground beneath everyone began shaking as sand suddenly began to fill the alleyway. The cascading sand eventually revealed that the buildings lining the sides had been replaced with bricks, stained yellow with sand as they continued to surround the duelists and their spectators. Once the rumbling had finally ceased, the alley instead resembled a proper Egyptian tomb.

"Oh thank goodness!" Yuya cried out, collapsing onto the decorated ground, only to be met with burning hot concrete, instead of the sand he was promised, "Gyack…!"

"This isn't an Action Duel…" Haruko muttered softly, not actually wanting to be the one to break the news to him.

"Oh come on!" Yuya whines, as the sun burns through the fake walls that surround them.

Shingo was amused by his opponent's displeasure, figuring he would have a lot of fun messing with him. Not wanting to let up, he decided to take full advantage of the cards he had available, "Since I now have a Field Spell active, Triamid Hunter allows me to Normal Summon an additional Rock-Type monster! Now come to me, Triamid Master!" Upon Shingo placing the card down, a whirlwind was then suddenly whipped up from the sand, blinding everyone. It suddenly halted once the sound of the blunt end of a staff striking the ground was heard, the sand dropping out of the air in an instant, leaving behind a figure in a multi-colored cloak, with its face hidden behind a mask with a blank expression (Lv 4/Earth/Rock/1800 Atk/700 Def), "I end my turn with a face-down!" Shingo shouts boisterously.

Yuya leaped up from the ground, wiping the dirt off his face before drawing, "Alright, I summon Performapal Silver Claw!" A mound of sand then began to rise, then beginning to move forward until Silver Claw leapt out, landing in the middle of the field (Lv 4/Dark/Beast/1800 Atk/700 Def).

This move only caused Shingo to smirk however, letting out a barely audible laugh before starting his true gameplan, "Now that you have a monster on the field, I activate the Trap, Rivalry of Warlords! With this, every monster you control must share the same Type!" Yuya flinches in response, caught off-guard by a card like that, which of course Shingo relishes in, "I really did watch your matches, it's just that I did so to learn your decks weaknesses! You might be showy with all those different types of monsters, but it's far too impractical!"

Yuya grimaced at this remark, looking down at Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon in his hand. How was he supposed to bring it out like this…? Turning back to Silver Claw, Yuya bit his lip, figuring he wasn't able to summon Odd-Eyes at the moment anyway, since he only had Stargazer in his hand. For now, he'd just deal with the monsters in front of him, and get Odd-Eyes on the field once an opportunity presented itself, "Silver Claw, attack Triamid Master!"

On command, Silver Claw ran directly towards the masked monster. Its claws then became coated with light, imbued with the extra power it was granted due to its own effect, giving it the strength needed to take down its foe (1800 2100 Atk). Silver Claw leapt on top of Triamid Master's chest, then dug its claws straight into the opposing monster, causing its body to shatter.

Shingo LP: 4000 3700

Shingo sneered in response to the destruction of his monster, not about to take that laying down, "I activate the effect of Triamid Hunter! With it, I'm able to send Triamid Fortress to the Graveyard in order to activate another Triamid Field Spell in its place!" The sandy walls that surrounded them suddenly began to collapse, as the ground beneath them lifted them above the buildings they once stood between, "This is the Triamid Cruiser! I hope you enjoy the ride, because it'll be a very rocky one for your dueling career!" Shingo cackles.

Yuya and Haruko were looking at Shingo, rather confused, until he snapped out of it. He then looked around, realizing that the Egyptian tank wasn't moving, "... O-Oh, right, not an Action Duel… A-Anyway…! I'm still going to crush you Yuya Sakaki! No matter what type of duel it may be!" A card then popped out of Shingo's Graveyard, allowing him to transition back to talking about his game plan, "Because Triamid Fortress was sent from the field to the Graveyard, I get a Triamid monster back to my hand! Meaning Triamid Master is right back where he started!"

Because Shingo managed to retrieve Master in an instant Yuya accomplished nothing this turn. Disappointed, he set one card face-down before ending his turn with a disgruntled sigh. With how wound-up Yuya was getting, Haruko couldn't help but feel the urge to try and help somehow, feeling that she still owes it to him because of earlier. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like she'll be able to do anything from her current position, with Ootomo and the others clutching her arms with an unreasonable amount of force.

Now that it's back to Shingo's turn however, he'll pick up right where he left off, as he brings Triamid Master back to the field. That won't be all though, as this time he'll be getting additional benefits out of the deal, "Since I summoned a Rock-Type monster, Triamid Cruiser grants me 500 Life Points!"

Shingo LP: 3700 4200

"In addition to this…" Shingo continues, "Since the monster in question was a Triamid monster, I'm also allowed to draw a new card, in exchange for discarding one right after!" Replacing one of the cards in his hand, his smile grew upon seeing his next draw, "I summon Triamid Dancer!" Then, from the sandy floor, a swirl of sand spun about until it formed the shape of a woman, eventually collapsing, revealing the figure clad in an outfit of gold, and a similar mask to the other two before it, while also donning a flowing red dress (Lv 3/Earth/Rock/600 Atk/1900 Def). With the extra Rock-Type on the field, this also brought Shingo's Life Points up by another 500.

Shingo LP: 4200 4700

Still, Shingo wasn't even close to done yet, "I activate Triamid Dancer's effect! By shuffling the Triamid monster I sent to the Graveyard thanks to Cruiser back into the deck, all Triamid monsters on the field gain 500 Attack and Defense!" All three of the Triamid monsters were then absorbed by an ominous blue aura, resonating within each of them as the discarded Triamid was returned to from where it once came (600/1900 1100/2400) (1400/1100 1900/1600) (1800/700 2300/1200). With his monsters powered up, Shingo was ready to finally begin his assault, "Triamid Master! Get your revenge on that mut!" Then with a command to go by, Master used its staff to jab Silver Claw before Yuya had a chance to react.

Yuya LP: 4000 3500

Now Yuya was left without any monsters to defend himself, but unfortunately, Shingo had two more to attack with, "Triamid Hunter! Attack Yuya directly!"

Thankfully for Yuya though, he still had one last option remaining, "I activate my Trap Card, Performapal Pinch Helper! With this, your direct attack is negated, and I get to bring out a Performapal from my deck with its effects negated!" That begged the question though: Which monster should Yuya summon? He's still restricted by Rivalry of Warlords, so he would only be able to summon monsters whose Type matched that of the one he chose. However, his end goal was to summon Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, so that meant he only had one real choice, "I summon Performapal Coin Dragon!"

Among the dry sandy rock, moisture then suddenly began to fill the air, bringing much relief to Yuya, as a long yellow dragon with short arms, a large snout, and antlers that were decorated with a large coin appeared from the mist (Lv 4/Water/Dragon/1700 Atk/1000 Def), "Now I'm glad I picked you for a completely different reason…" Yuya stated, letting out a sigh of relief… only to realize after a few seconds that he wasn't cooling off, "Oh for the love of… Why couldn't this have just been an Action Duel?!"

Ootomo and his pals laughed at Yuya's expense, only for Haruko to sigh, still trying to break free from her captors. She hated seeing Yuya struggle like this… At least his troubles seemed to be lightening up, since Hunter's attack was negated, and Dancer didn't have enough attack to beat Coin Dragon, Shingo had no choice but to end his current turn.

Yuya was finally able to launch his counterattack, and as if that's exactly what fate wanted him to do, Timegazer Magician arrived in his hand during the Draw Phase. A large smirk was now plastered across his face as he raised his arm with Pendulum cards in hand, "I'm sorry to say this Shingo, but I just haven't been able to give this duel my all up until this point. Fortunately, that's all about to change! I use Scale 1 Stargazer Magician, and Scale 8 Timegazer Magician to set the Pendulum Scale!"

Placing his two Magicians down opposite of each other, Yuya watched as the word 'PENDULUM' lit up across the Duel Disk's blade. Looking back up at Shingo confidently, he then spread out his arms once more, as two pillars of light appeared on each side he gestured towards. One Magician appeared in each pillar, rising to the top, with their Pendulum Scale above them. It was then that Yuya continued speaking, "You said earlier that you wanted to see Pendulum Summoning up close, Shingo! Turns out I'll be able to grant that request!" Yuya's expression then loosened up, suddenly becoming much more lighthearted, "Now, onto the main event! With this, I'm able to summon multiple monsters between Levels Two and Seven!" Raising his arm up once again, Yuya commences his Pendulum Summon.

"Sway, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw your arc of light across the ether!

PENDULUM SUMMON!

Come forth, my monster!

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

Finally, Odd-Eyes had managed to arrive onto the field, in all of its glory (Lv 7/Dark/Dragon/2500 Atk/2000 Def), meaning Shingo no longer controlled the strongest monster. As expected, Odd-Eyes then launches an attack on Triamid Master, asserting its dominance over the field, and blasting away the cloaked figure in a blazing spiral. As Shingo watched his monster get destroyed a second time over, he couldn't help but grow angry at how he felt his opponent was making a mockery of him.

Shingo LP: 4700 4500

As it turned out however, Shingo wasn't out of tricks yet, "I activate Triamid Hunter's ability once again, swapping out the current Field Spell for another!" Once again, they all feel themselves rising higher into the air as the ground rised up. Their ascent suddenly came to a stop after a few moments, only for the sides of the platform they stood on to detach, and form fists! "This is the Triamid Kingolem! With it, my Rock-Type monster gain an addition 500 Attack." (1100 1600 Atk) (1900 2400 Atk) "Plus, thanks to the effect of Triamid Cruiser, since it was sent to the Graveyard, I get to add a Triamid monster to my hand from my deck!" Shingo then flashes a card that depicts a mechanical beast of somesort, leaving it a mystery for the time being. For now, Yuya has to focus on the monsters in front of him.

Even with Shingo's strongest monster out of the way, Yuya isn't done yet. He wanted to get rid of that Dancer so that it couldn't make his opponent's monsters even stronger, "Performapal Coin Dragon, attack Triamid Dancer!" With that, Coin Dragon made like its larger brethren, and made an assault on the opponent, only it did so by ramming straight into them with its large head, destroying the feminine Rock in a single strike.

Shingo LP: 4500 4400

It was then however that Shingo revealed the card in his hand, "Thank you for that. Since a Triamid card was destroyed, the effect of Triamid Sphinx in my hand activates, allowing me to Special Summon it!" He then forcefully placed the card in question down on his Duel Disk, triggering a new round of quakes surrounding the field. Eventually, heavy footsteps were heard approaching the arena, prompting everyone to turn in the direction of the sound, only to be met by a giant mechanical sphinx, glaring at Yuya with intense eyes (Lv 10/Earth/Rock/2500 Atk/2500 Def).

Yuya froze up, once again forgetting that it wasn't actually physical, too distracted as he locked eyes with the beast, "Scared, I see?" Shingo taunts, "Well unfortunately for you, Sphinx is about to get a whole lot scarier! Its ability makes it so while another Triamid card is on the field, it gains 500 Attack and Defense for every Field Spell in the Graveyard! Plus Kingolem also grants it another 500 Attack on top of that due to its own effect!" (2500/2500 4000/3500) "Triamid Sphinx! Blast away that Coin Dragon! Eroding Electrosands!" Shingo shouted, followed by his Sphinx firing out a stream of crackling sparks, all pouring down in a bright display.

Despite the insanely powerful behemoth standing before him, Yuya was able to regain his composure. He was sweating nervously in fear of the oncoming attack, but thankfully, he was prepared for it, "I activate the effect of Performapal Pinch Helper, negating the damage I take from this battle!" Unfortunately for Yuya, in truth, his Life Points were not as safe as he would have hoped.

"Sorry to disappoint you!" Shingo interjected, "While Triamid Kingolem is on the field, card effects cannot be activated while a Triamid monster is attacking! So I'm afraid you still take the damage!" Upon finishing his statement, lightning began to rain down on Coin Dragon, until the sound of its destruction could be faintly heard beneath a bout of thunder.

Yuya LP: 3500 1200

Haruko is watching it all unfold from her restrictive position, but seeing her idol in this losing situation only grows more painful as it goes on. She desperately wants to do something to get him out of this, especially since it's her fault this is happening in the first place…

Shingo places a face-down card before ending his turn, leaving Yuya in a tight position to get out of. Yuya groans, not having many options available to him, all because of that Rivalry of Warlords Shingo had on the field… As he looked over his hand though, Yuya noticed the card Pendulum Storm. With this, he could destroy one of his opponents Spell or Trap Cards, but even if he were to get rid of Rivalry of Warlords… what would that accomplish now? He's still staring down a monster that's being boosted to 4000 Attack by a powerful Spell Card, "... Wait…" Yuya mutters to himself, finally realizing the answer right in front of him. Now having a clear idea of how to approach this, he raises his arm to Pendulum Summon for a second time, "With Scale 1 Stargazer Magician, and Scale 8 Timegazer Magician, I'm able to summon multiple monsters between Levels 2 through 7!"

"Sway, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw your arc of light across the ether!"

PENDULUM SUMMON!

Come forth, my monster!

Performapal Coin Dragon!"

Coin Dragon arrives back onto the field in a flash of light, as if it has never even left. Plus with Performapal Pinch Helper no longer restricting its effect, Odd-Eyes now receives an additional 500 Attack (2500 3000 Atk). Shingo, however, was just left in a fit of confusion, "Wait, why is it back now?!"

Yuya simply smiles, "When a Pendulum Monster is destroyed, it goes to the Extra Deck instead of the Graveyard, where it's free to be brought back!"

Shingo stares at the dragon, baffled, "So you can just summon the same monster over and over again?! I don't remember this from the matches I saw! How is this fair?!"

Yuya promptly retorts back, "More fair than kidnapping at least!" With that, he leaves Shingo in a corner with no way to respond, and sweat dripping down his forehead. Now Yuya is free to climb back out from the position he was put in earlier, "Now! I activate the Spell Card, Pendulum Storm!" Wind rose from the sands once again, up the pillars of light until they absorbed the two Magicians at their peaks, "By destroying all monsters in the Pendulum Zones, I can then destroy one Spell or Trap you control!"

Shingo looks down, only to see the Field Spell slot of his Duel Disk slide open, "H-Huh…?!" The giant stone golem began fading from view, eventually becoming nothing but dust in the wind, leaving Yuya as the one who was smiling now. Shingo angers at the mere sight of this, demanding an explanation, "Why not Rivalry of Warlords?! That card shuts down your whole strategy!"

Responding in tune once again, Yuya chimes back, "Sure, but destroying that Kingolem shuts down yours!" He then points his arm towards Sphinx, bringing attention to the sparks flying out from it haphazardly, "Without another Triamid card on the field, it loses its additional Attack and Defense!" (4000/3500 2500/2500) Shingo stares in disbelief, but while his back is turned, Yuya prepares to launch his attack, "Go, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Spiraling Strike Burst!"

Odd-Eyes charges towards the towering Sphinx, not holding back as it unleashes a powerful stream of fire. Sparks rain down towards the mechanical beast, before eventually coating it in a blaze that quickly spreads across the machine's body, triggering a multitude of explosions across its surface as metal plating is blown off in a glorious display. Unfortunately for Shingo, even as he helplessly watches his deck's best card get snuffed out, Yuya still interrupts to inform him of one additional detail, "Also, since Triamid Sphinx is at least Level 5, all damage dealt to you by Odd-Eyes during this battle is doubled!"

"Wh-What?!" Shingo is caught off-guard by Yuya's statement, but isn't given time to process it, as an explosion near the base of his Sphinx causes him to fall onto his back from the surprise.

Shingo LP: 4400 3400

Once his head stops throbbing from colliding with the concrete, Shingo is able to stumble back up. He takes a moment to regain his vision, as his eyes shake within their sockets from the impact. His sight does return to him fairly quickly, only for him to freeze as he sees Coin Dragon barreling towards him, "Gyack…!" Again, Shingo is met with the asphalt as the startling sight causes him to once again lose his balance.

Shingo LP: 3400 1700

Yuya smiles, feeling like he's finally taking the lead in this duel! Behind him, Haruko has a similar expression, relieved that he's alright after all of that… Much to their dismay, however, it wasn't quite so simple, as the two of them heard a round of cackling that they wished they weren't already familiar with.

Both Yuya and Haruko look ahead, only to be met with Shingo, standing there, unfazed, having faked the whole panicked display, "Did you seriously think I'd let you win that easily?!" The card that Shingo had set the previous turn flips face-up, as he continues to grin wildly, "I activate the Trap, Triamid Pulse! By banishing two Rock monsters from my Graveyard, I can summon a Triamid monster from the Graveyard in Defense Position!" Just as Yuya had done unto him previously that turn, Shingo brings back his monster in all of its glory, Triamid Sphinx rising from the ground as the pavement around it shatters. A massive crater was left behind as a powerful roar escaped its maw, reverberating with such power that the sound waves can be seen traveling across the spectrum.

Yuya grits his teeth, unable to do anything but set a card face-down before ending his turn anticlimactically. As for Shingo, he couldn't be enjoying himself more, loving when he can relish in his win before the duel is even over. After all, his victory is practically assured at this point, especially with Triamid Pulse granting Sphinx back its stat increases. Plus the boost from Kingolem now also provides an additional boost to Defense due to being a part of Sphinx's own effect, instead of the single Attack buff it gave on the field (2500/2500 4000/4000)! Shingo has everything he needs to end this right now; all he needs to do is give the command. "Triamid Sphinx! Why don't you show that Coin Dragon how much I appreciate its little attack earlier, by showing it what a real onslaught looks like! Eroding Electrosands!"

With this, Sphinx unleashes a flurry of desert winds, electricity jumping across every grain of sand among it, all hurtling down toward Coin Dragon. Yuya could only watch as it cascades ever closer. Not having the time to process anything, flips up his Trap Card, "I activate Pendulum Switch! With this, Performapal Coin Dragon is able to be taken out of the fray, and placed safely into my Pendulum Zone!" Upon activation, Coin Dragon vanishes right before it can be electrocuted by the storm. Shingo has to blink to make sure he's seeing this right, only to have it reaffirmed once the lights that previously held Stargazer and Timegazer, now reappear, but only one of them now contains a monster, that being the rematerialized Coin Dragon.

Regardless, Shingo still has this duel won already! No matter which way he actually ends up securing that victory, "I suppose this will just make for a more climactic finale! Now that your little lizard is gone, it no longer gives your precious Odd-Eyes the boost it needed to protect the last of your Life Points!" (3000 2500 Atk) Sphinx then changes its target, the sand picking up once more as Odd-Eyes is surrounded by a brutal sandstorm from which it cannot escape.

Meanwhile… Yuya simply sighs. He seriously did it again. Odd-Eyes is in harm's way because of him. If he had just let Coin Dragon be destroyed, at least Odd-Eyes wouldn't have to be.

Instead of trying to resist, Yuya reaches for his goggles, wanting to cover his eyes so that he didn't have to look. On the other hand, Haruko couldn't bear this painful sight any longer, and had to do something, or else she would always regret it. Using all the energy in her muscles one last time, she breaks free from Shingo's goons while screaming to get Yuya's attention. As Ootomo and the others lose their balance, Haruko puts all her remaining strength into her vocal chords, "YUYA!"

Before Yuya could finish pulling his goggles down, he was pulled back up into reality by Haruko's voice. Realizing he still has to save her, he decides to leave feeling sorry for himself for later, and makes use of the cards available to him, "I activate the effect of performapal Pinch Helper! By sending it to the Graveyard, all damage from this battle is reduced to zero!" he shouts. Much to Shingo's annoyance, Yuya refuses to stop struggling. Unfortunately, he can't attack again, so he's forced to end his turn, and wait until the next one to finally end this.

Yuya stands there, motionless, needing a moment to gather his thoughts before proceeding… But while he's busy focusing, he feels a tap on his shoulder, "Yuya… I'm so happy you're okay…" Upon turning, he's met with Haruko, having escaped her captors, "This is all my fault…" She was somber in terms of her tone of voice. Despite the sadness conveyed in Haruko's voice though, Yuya only smiles, and is just glad to see that she's okay. Upon seeing this, Haruko can't help but smile as well, but still can't shake the feeling of guilt within her, "If I was just more careful, you wouldn't have ended up in this mess…"

Although Haruko was truly torn, Yuya still maintains his typical positive disposition, "Like I said before, you don't have to worry about it. All that matters now is that you're safe!" Wanting to reaffirm that statement, Yuya was now determined to win this duel, in order to make sure Shingo didn't mess with either of them after this, "Now just stand back, and enjoy the show!" he states energetically. With that, Yuya stands up, spreading out his arms once again, taking in a deep breath, taking another opportunity to clear his mind. He then turns to Shingo with a confident grin as his outstretched arm points right at him, "Alright, Shingo Sawatari! I hope you're ready to experience a show that can only be provided by an Entertainment Duelist!" Yuya's smirk then tilts slightly upward, "You told me that you wanted to see it in person, so I'll try not to disappoint!"

Shingo grits his teeth, frustrated at Yuya's newfound confidence. Surely there wasn't any way he would actually be able to best him at this point however, "Really now? You're certainly good at running your mouth, but let's see just how you plan on getting rid of my Sphinx!" Shingo taunts back.

Despite the continuous berating from Shingo, Yuya's attitude didn't falter, "It'll be my pleasure!" He then holds up one of the cards in his hand, revealing it to be another Pendulum Monster, "Using Scale 3 Performapal Partnaga, and the already placed Scale 5 Performapal Coin Dragon, I reset the Pendulum Scale!"

As the two monsters rise up through the newly reforming pillars of light, Shingo can't help but make another snide comment, "3 and 5? So are you going to be summoning that wolf from the beginning of the duel? How exactly is that going to help you?"

Yuya shakes his head as he shows his opponent the last card in his hand, "I activate Pendulum Shift! With this, I can alter the Scale of one of my Pendulum Monsters so that it becomes a number I choose that's between 1 and 10 until the end of this turn! Now, I change the Scale of Performapal Coin Dragon to become Scale 8!" With that, it became all too clear what Yuya's true intent is, as he raises his arm toward the sky for a third time.

"Sway, Pendulum of the Soul! Draw your arc of light across the ether!

PENDULUM SUMMON!

Come forth, my monster!

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

Without any need to return his Magicians back to him, Yuya had managed to summon Odd-Eyes once more. But in spite of his ability to weave a way to get his monster back to the field, he was still staring down yet another roadblock, as Shingo is sure to remind him, "Not bad, you brought back your precious dragon. You sure do seem to have an affinity for them, don't you? Either way, the power of loving your monsters doesn't exactly compare to my Sphinx's 4000 Attack!"

"I activate Performapal Coin Dragon's Pendulum Effect!" Shingo's laughing ceases upon hearing his opponent's swift response. Yuya might actually be able to defeat his Sphinx?! "With this, I can grant one Dragon-Type monster on the field the ability to banish a monster it battles after Damage Calculation!"

Shingo's concerns quickly disappear upon hearing this, returning to his original smug disposition, "After? By that time, it'll be too late! Not only will your Odd-Eyes destroyed if you attack, but the difference in their Attack will be enough to end this outright!"

As to be expected, Yuya isn't deterred by Shingo's words, fully aware of the behemoth he has to surmount, "I guess I'll just have to give Odd-Eyes some more attack power then!" Without skipping a beat, he turns toward his Pendulums, "I now activate the ability of Performapal Partnaga, granting Odd-Eyes 300 ATK for every Performapal on the field!" Yuya's monster proudly goes to work, sharing its power, along with Coin Dragon's, imbuing Odd-Eyes with the additional strength it needs. (2500 3100 Atk)

Odd-Eyes runs fearlessly toward the Sphinx, building up heat within the very core of its body. Ready to finally end this duel, Yuya gives his command, "Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Spiraling Strike Burst!" With that, Odd-Eyes makes its final attack, as it goes up in flames along with its foe.

Yuya LP: 1200 300

Through all the comebacks Yuya has managed to make throughout their duel, Shingo still upheld his original attitude, "Well, congratulations; my Sphinx is gone. But now, your entire field is empty, and I'm free to wipe out the last Life Points you have remaining!"

As the dust clears, Yuya stands tall, Shingo's words falling on deaf ears, "Sorry, but I'm afraid you won't have the opportunity! I activate the effect of Pendulum Switch!" The Trap Card from the previous turn still remained on the field, allowing Yuya to make use of it a second time. From within the light, Performapal Coin Dragon emerges, appearing on the field one final time, leaving Shingo speechless in the process.

"That… That isn't what you said that card does…!" Shingo stammers out, confused.

Yuya's smile grows, his enthusiasm having finally returned to him, "Just like a Pendulum swings from one side to the other, a switch can be turned on and off at will. As this card can place monsters in the Pendulum Zone, it can also summon them back out! Now, Performapal Coin Dragon! Give us the long-awaited grand finale!"

"This…! This is absurd! I'm a prodigy! There's no way I could possibly lose to such a ridiculous clown like him!" Shingo shouts aloud in protest, yet Performapal Coin Dragon is undeterred, the hologram passing straight through him. Yet in spite of it not being at all physical, the pain of losing causes Shingo to feel every last ounce of it.

Shingo LP: 1700 0

Winner: Yuya

Shingo Sawatari stood up in a rage, unable to comprehend the fact that some complete clown managed to best him! He wasn't going to let this stand, "You…! I will see to it you face the consequences for embarrassing me like this!" Shingo states firmly, hoping to at least get a leg up, but now that the match is over, Yuya's only concern is affirming that Haruko is alright.

Gritting his teeth, Shingo storms off in a furious attempt to escape the situation that was causing him nothing but grief. As his goons follow behind, the three of them can vaguely hear him mutter, "I mean it, Yuya Sakaki… I will have the last laugh…!" Yuya pays this threat no warning though, and focuses on Haruko for the time being. Thankfully, she was unharmed, which is all that matters at the moment.

"I'm just glad that this whole thing is over now!" Yuya states, hoping he would get a break from all the excitement that occurred over the course of that one day. Unfortunately for him, there is one last obstacle for him to overcome, as he turns around, only to be met with Yuzu Hiiragi.

"So this is where you two have been hiding out!" Yuzu yells out angrily, gripping her fan with violent intent. Yuya instinctively flops down, covering his head with his arms as Yuzu stares at him with malice that could be felt throughout the alleyway, "Either you're so incompetent that it took you all day just to find Haruko, or the two of you decided to run off doing who-knows-what! Honestly, I don't know which is worse!" she spouts off, not even giving him a chance to explain what had happened. Before her fan could strike Yuya though, her arm is caught by Haruko, catching Yuzu off-guard, "Oh, Haruko…! Right, I forgot to check and see if you were alright. Yuya didn't do anything stupid, did he?" It isn't until she finishes speaking that Yuzu takes notice of the dead, soulless eyes staring back at her, "... H-Huh…?!"

"Don't hurt Yuya!" Haruko pleas, evoking a reaction of utter shock from Yuzu, leaving her unable to respond with anything other than deafening silence, staring at her as she watches her become more aggressive, "He doesn't deserve this…" she continues, her sudden shift in disposition beginning to sink in, "If you're his friend, why do you treat him so poorly…?"

Yuzu bites down on her lip, steadying herself before dropping her fan, "What the…?!" She stares down at Haruko in disbelief. Within that moment, normality returned to her eyes, giving a look that says Haruko doesn't understand why Yuzu seems to be so flustered, and instead, merely stares at her out of genuine confusion.

The distinct sound of Yuzu's fan hitting the ground catches Yuya off-guard, expecting a smack across the head by that point. He lifts his head back up, only to be met with a bewildered Haruko, who watches as Yuzu dashes off, "What's up with her?" Yuya mutters under his breath. While Yuzu is running though, she happens to pass by a young boy with light blue hair, catching his attention.

As all of this plays out, Reiji Akaba stood atop the building next to where the duel had taken place, looking down at the individuals below with his binoculars, "He defeated the best duelist at LDS… Perhaps Yuya Sakaki actually is worth recruiting…"

Hey everyone. Been awhile, huh? Over two years, in-fact. Quite a long time to go without actually confirming that this has been canceled. Last time I alluded to not uploading here anymore, but even if you checked the other website where I was posting this, it was completely dormant there as well. This is despite the fact that this third chapter has been finished ever since I posted chapter two. The truth is that I didn't feel like this story was coming from the right place.

I love the idea of doing something fun with the Arc-V cast, but it quickly started to feel like doing this didn't feel like a tribute. I was just taking the base plot of Arc-V, and changing a couple of things I didn't like. It made the process feel disrespectful toward the people involved in creating Arc-V. That is not something I want, so I ended up abandoning the project altogether.

I've had other ideas for stories I want to write, yet never took the time to work on, but that's something else entirely. Maybe I'll post something small in the future, but for now, I'm going to disappear again. Thank you to everyone who read this little experiment of mine, and took an interest in it.