Disclaimer: I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise. Also, like with my last YGO fic, I will end up breaking quite a few card rules for story-related purposes (Most of these violations will come closer to the end), but also like last time, I'm gonna try and keep this to a bare minimum. Unlike last time, though, there will be XYZ summoning in this. Not so sure about Synchro summoning. I'm considering it, but I might just leave it at XYZ. Also, the main character is slightly based off of Yuya from Arc-V.

Tomorrow was a big day for a young woman who had just reached the age of eighteen, a woman by the name of Izy. Since the age of twelve when her parents decided she was ready, she had been a circus performer and entertained millions. But while she certainly enjoyed this, she had another dream, one she had tried to obtain many times.

This woman wished to be a knight so that she may protect the kingdom with the best of them. She would sport the royal armour, wear the ancient duelling gauntlets and wield talismans that contained creatures and spells within them. And tomorrow would be that day as she swore to herself that without a shadow of a doubt, tonight's performance would be her last.

Though one could tell why it had been so difficult. She was a rather cute woman with short brown hair, bright blue eyes and a very slender build. Sure, she was quick and nimble on her feet, but her physical strength was a mystery as sometimes, she would be seen lifting very heavy objects and other times, she would struggle with that sort of thing for no reason. But despite this, she was certain that knighthood was for her.

As she got dressed up in her performing outfit, a middle-aged man with a pointy black beard and a rather long nose, the ringleader to be exact, looked at her and sighed, "Are you sure about this, Izy?"

"Positive," the brunette replied with a smirk as she did up a bow tie to go with her bright-red and white sleeveless top, "With that new talisman you gave me last night, I just know I can finally convince them to let me in."

This man, one by the name of Edward, shook his head and sighed, "It's not that I doubt you're ready. It's just, we all love and respect you here. You're the best performer we have. Choosing a new path is one thing, but you'll be risking your life on a regular basis!"

"Yeah, I know," Izy replied with a childish grin as she turned to face him, "I appreciate the concern, but I'm gonna do it," Edward taking a deep breath and giving her a warm smile, saying, "Well, if you're leaving us tomorrow, you'd better make this the best show on Earth."

"You know it," Izy replied with a smirk before she stepped out into the ring and waved her hands to the adoring public.

A cute smile formed on her face as she soaked up the attention, thinking, 'Some day, the people will cheer for a different reason. I'll no longer be a performer but a hero, something no one else in my family has ever been.'

The show went great as Izy performed all kinds of aerial flips, balancing acts and many stunts that wowed the audience greatly. She even had the other performers come in and form an upside-down human pyramid with her leaping from the tightrope and landing perfectly in the middle of it, balancing herself on the shoulders of the performer being held in that spot. Needless to say, the audience was impressed.

One would think this would change her mind, hearing the roar of the crowd after pulling off what should have been impossible, but it only made her want to be a knight even more. It was great giving the public something to look forward to during times of war, but she wanted to give them something else to cheer about, a sense of hope.

The following morning, Izy was prepared as she was no longer dressed like a performer and instead sported a more professional outfit, or at least as professional as someone like her could manage. She had no armour of her own or any suits for that matter, but she did have a dark-red tunic that her mother gave her for her sixteenth birthday. This was the outfit she would always wear at the castle as it was the best clothing she had for a job application.

While walking through the streets of the town known simply as Duel Kingdom, the citizens looked at her as a nearby merchant chuckled and whispered to a customer, "There she goes again."

"I don't know why she keeps humiliating herself," a nearby woman whispered while a child with his parents pointed at Izy and squealed, "Hey, it's the crazy clown lady!"

Izy continued to look straight ahead with a serious look on her face. She had heard this noise before and refused to let it get to her. Sure, these same people loved watching her perform, but even they could not take her desire to be a knight seriously. It just seemed like a hopeless dream to them. After all, how could a circus performer be a knight?

Whatever the case, she was not going to back down as she soon approached the castle and took a deep breath. She then slowly made her way toward the front gate where two guards stood.

"State your name and-" one guard said before taking a good look at the woman and slapping his forehead, sighing, "Oh no, not you again."

Izy grinned childishly and said, "Yep, it's just little old me," the other guard groaning, "Alright, just go ahead, but don't be too upset when the king has you booted out for wasting his time."

Izy smirked and remarked, "Shows what you know," before placing her hand against the side of her face and whispering, "I have a secret weapon."

She then gave the two guards a wink and replaced her childish smile with a more professional look, making her way through the gate and toward the main entrance. She breathed in the fresh air, beyond pumped. She just knew she would pass the test this time.

During this time, the king and queen seemed a little too busy to be dealing with guests. The king was a forty-year-old man with a bulky build and short orange hair named Henry. The queen was a tall thirty-seven-year-old woman with and average build and long violet hair named Esmeralda.

As for what they were doing, the two were currently in the room of their son, a young man with blue hair and the nicest green eyes anyone could ever gaze upon named Eric. Currently, he was having a similar conversation with his parents that Izy had with her ringleader last night.

"Son, you know how dangerous this is," Henry pleaded while looking his son deep in the eyes, "What if something happens to you?" Esmeralda sighing, "I'm sure he'll be fine," the woman resting a hand on the king's shoulder.

Eric nodded with a serious look and replied, "Father, I know you're concerned, but come on, we have so many people in this kingdom going off and fighting wars and protecting their people while I sit around all day reading books and learning about etiquette and things I really couldn't care less about!"

"Eric, those things are very important!" the king retorted as the prince rolled his eyes and remarked, "They're also boring and unnecessary. What good is being polite at the table? Does it end wars?"

"Well, no, but it can sometimes prevent them," Henry remarked before Esmeralda rested a hand on the king's shoulder, saying, "Let me handle this."

The king stared at his wife briefly before taking a deep breath and sighing, "Fine, you go ahead," giving the two space as Esmeralda smiled at her son and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Mom, look, you understand where I'm coming from, right?" Eric asked as the woman nodded and said, "Believe you me, I know. I grew up during a time when women weren't allowed to be knights, but I always wanted to be one. I think it would be unfair to rob you of such a chance," Henry's eyes widening. But after a few seconds, he placed a finger against his chin and uttered, "You know, I hadn't thought of it that way."

"I just want you to assure me of one thing," the queen stated with a serious look on her face, "I want to know that you are fully aware of what being a knight entails. It's not some game where the best fighter wins some kind of prize. We are talking about life-threatening situations. If you lose to the enemy, it could cost you your life. Not only that, but thanks to the talismans and our duelling gauntlets, knights no longer fight with swords and shields but instead rely on monsters and magic as their weapons, making combat even more dangerous than it used to be. I just want you to assure me that you are, indeed, aware of this."

Eric took a deep breath and nodded his head, saying, "Trust me, Mother, I know exactly what I'm asking for."

With all said and done, Esmeralda smiled and turned to Henry, saying, "Well, I'm okay with this," Henry letting out a sigh and uttering, "Well, if you're sure you can handle this, son, I guess I can no longer try to stop you."

Eric tried his best to contain his excitement but could not help himself as a big, childish grin formed on his face, the prince giving his father a hug and exclaiming, "THANK YOU SO MUCH!" before letting go and clearing his throat, saying, "I mean, I am most grateful, father," Henry rolling his eyes and sighing, "Just don't act like that in public, okay?"

However, before anything else could be said and done, there came a knock on the door as Henry answered and noticed a knight, a young boy with short blond hair taking many deep breaths while uttering, "Your highness, that crazy girl is back."

Henry and Esmeralda both looked at one-another before the queen smiled and said, "How interesting. I wonder if she'll actually pass this time," all three members of the royal family exiting the area to head to the throne room.

"HEY, BACK OFF!" Izy snapped as she stood before the commander of the guard, a tall woman with red hair in a ponytail named Celeste, "I need to speak to the king to take the test, right!?" Celeste retorting, "Yes, but there is no chance in Hell that he will want to speak to you!"

However, it seemed the woman was wrong when Henry entered the area and said, "Enough, Celeste. Anyone who wants to be a knight is allowed to take the entrance exam at the start of the month. You know that."

"But sir, with all due respect, this immature brat does not deserve to be a knight," the commander stated as Izy snapped, "SAY THAT TO MY FACE!"

Celeste rolled her eyes and pleaded, "She has tried thirteen times to be accepted as a knight here and failed every single time. You have always been called away from important matters to watch her make a fool of herself. All I'm saying is that it seems pointless to waste your time on someone so unworthy."

Izy simply smirked and remarked, "For your information, I've got something that'll guarantee my acceptance into this army," Celeste sighing, "You're not fit to be a knight. You should just remain in the circus where you belong!"

Eric was about to cut in when Esmeralda stated, "Celeste, who are you to dictate what path one should pursue with his or her life?" the commander turning to face the queen as she added, "Did you know that before you were born, women weren't allowed to be knights? It was believed that our kind was weak and unfit for battle. And yet look at where you are. Not only are you one of our knights, but you are also their commander. If it's possible for a woman to rise up to such status, surely a circus performer could have that kind of potential as well."

"But she doesn't take this seriously enough!" Celeste retorted, "She fights with the dumbest-looking demons I have ever seen!" Izy scowling as Eric now felt that he had to intervene. Therefore, he stepped forward and exclaimed, "Cease and desist, commander! If this young woman wishes to take the entrance exam, so be it!"

Celeste took a deep breath and folded her arms, pinching her forehead. She knew that with all three members of the royal family against her on this matter, she really had no choice as Izy beamed. It seemed she still had a shot at this after all and she was going to prove her worth, whether the commander liked it or not.

With all said and done, Izy was led by a couple of knights to the training facility where the test would take place, the brunette sighing, "I don't know why you have to accompany me. I know where the training facility is."

"We are fully aware of that," the blond knight replied with a sigh, "And trust me, if it wasn't our job to escort every potential recruit there, we wouldn't bother."

Izy nodded and asked, "By the way, have you been getting better lately? Last time I came here, you didn't have that great of a track record," the blond man groaning, "Unfortunately, I'm still considered okay at best."

With that, Izy was let into the facility as Celeste had already gone ahead to check up on the army, one knight whispering, "Oh my god, it's her," another adding, "I wonder if she'll use that snake with the top hat again. I love that thing."

"Attention, everyone!" Celeste exclaimed while trying her best to treat this like it was the first time Izy had attempted this, "This young woman has come to take the test that, if passed, will allow her to become a knight and join our ranks! I'm sure I don't have to remind anyone of how the test works, right?"

"Oh, I know!" Izy stated with a childish smile, "I face one of your ten top-ranked knights and if I do a good job, I pass the test!" Celeste sighing, "Yes," before asking, "Does anyone wish to volunteer?"

However, she then looked around and noticed that the only knights present in the facility were her lower-ranking allies. With this in mind, she had a nervous look on her face and uttered, "Where are my top soldiers?"

"Don't you remember?" one of the knights asked, "You sent them all off on a really important mission today," the commander groaning and slapping her forehead.

Izy's eyes sparkled as Celeste turned and sighed, "In that case, the only one with a rank high enough to test your skills is me. In that case, I shall be your opponent for the entrance exam!"

Though while the woman had a serious look on her face, she was cursing her rotten luck in her mind. She had so many better things she could have been doing than wasting her skills on a circus performer who could not fight to save her life.

Izy, on the other hand, was beyond ecstatic. Not only did she now have the means with which to pass the test, but she was going up against the strongest of Duel Kingdom's knights. She could not have asked for a more fitting opponent. If she could beat the commander, she would be more than worthy of being a knight.

But just as she and Celeste were about to get ready, Eric entered along with his parents and asked, "You weren't going to start without us, were you?" Henry nudging the boy as he cleared his throat, sporting a serious look and saying, "We are here to witness the exam unfold."

The other knights immediately stood up straight and gave an army salute while Eric took a seat on the floor, eager to see how this would play out. Celeste then nodded and said, "Now that the royal family is here, we may prepare for our duel."

Izy nodded, excitement filling her as she was handed a suit of armour, a thin one to fit her figure to be exact. After suiting up, the brunette was handed a pair of gauntlets. One was silver, the colour of the armour, but the other was made of pure gold. This was a gauntlet all knights had to wear, and it was known as a duelling gauntlet.

What differentiated it from the other gauntlets was not so much its colour but its design as it had a round shield-like attachment on the top of the wrist. Attached to the sides of the rounded part were blade-like features, one longer than the other. The long attachment had three squares like those one would see on a grid while the short attachment only had two, and behind each square was a slot long and wide enough for a playing card to fit inside. But why were they designed like this? That would be revealed soon.

"So, you know how these duels work, of course," Celeste stated as Izy smirked and replied, "Of course I do. Our gauntlets allow our armour to take in a certain amount of damage and if damaged enough, the armour shatters and leaves the knight defenceless."

"Yes, you didn't have to actually say it," the commander replied, "I was just making sure you remembered," Izy grinning as the blond knight from earlier sighed, "I wish I could be as carefree as her. It must be so easy not letting failure get to you."

"She has determination, I'll give her that," another knight said with a shrug of his shoulders while Celeste and Izy stood across from one-another, each holding her hand up against a round gem inserted into the top of the duelling gauntlet, the long attachment swinging to the side with the small one and latching itself onto it. This allowed them to use the magic of the gauntlets to fight as a magical field formed around them. Though with this field came a set of rules that if broken resulted in the loss of the violator's arm. Needless to say, figuring out the rules required a lot of sacrifices in the past.

"As is the rule with magical duels, since you are the challenger, you may decide whether to go first or second," Celeste stated as Izy bowed her head and replied, "How kind of you. Normally I'd go first, but I feel generous, so you can go instead."

Celeste took a deep breath and tried to remain professional as she replied, "If that is what you wish," the two knights pulling out sheets of flattened gemstone from satchels they had been carrying by their sides.

These were the talismans that had been spoken of, magical items that contained spells, formerly evil warriors, sorcerers and demons that once threatened the world before being sealed up. Thanks to the power of the gauntlets, knights were able to harness their powers and use them for combat, though the first rule with the gauntlets was that only the talismans could be used for combat and it was not completely up to the owners to decide which ones to use as the gauntlets chose a selection for them.

As the talismans were inserted into a slot located on the side of each round attachment, the gauntlet magically shuffled them to decide the order of which they could be drawn, Izy grinning and saying, "No matter how many times I see this, it's still so cool! To think these beauties replaced swords and shields!"

To truly start the duel, both women drew talismans until each one held five and thus the duel could truly begin as Celeste sighed, "Izy, I suggest that when you fail for the fourteenth time, you give up on trying to be a knight," the commander then slapping a talisman onto the middle square of her gauntlet.

With that, a great magic went through the talisman as the demon sealed inside of it took form. This demon in question was a humanoid ox wielding an axe and sporting a red suit of armour, Celeste saying, "And to begin this duel, I present to you my mighty Battle Ox!"

Izy blinked and said, "That's a good monster to start with," Celeste adding, "Since the rules state that I can't attack on the first turn, I will end with this," placing another talisman into one of the slots as what looked like a large black sheet of paper formed above the ground. This happened when a talisman was in the magical field but not in use.

Izy simply smirked and said, "Well, as intimidating as your ox is, I'm afraid I'm more than ready for this," the brunette then drawing as she added, "And since I'm going second, I get to draw an extra talisman!"

But did Izy have anything in her hand that could help her in this duel. Would she have the means with which to pass? After all, she was up against the commander, so to win this duel would likely require a miracle.