Fun Fact: The other Yu boys each get one hour of internet a day, more or less. Yugo watches his shows, Yuri gets into Twitter wars, and Yuto chats with Ruri. Yuto also looks into conspiracy theories, and has quite a few of his own.
Chapter Summary: Yuya and Sawatari continue their duel. While Sawatari tries his hardest to win, Yuya tries his hardest to understand Sawatari's pain.
"My turn! Draw!"
Sawatari drew a card from his deck. He glanced at it, and his eyes widened in surprise. Wa it fate to have drawn this card?
This is it, Shingo, Sawtari thought as he looked at his cards. Lady Luck has given me a chance to style all over Yuya, once and for all.
"Sakaki!" he called out. "I haven't just been slacking this past month. I've been training really hard! And now... you'll see my... You'll see my..."
Crap, he didn't think this speech out.
"I'm going to win!"
Freaking saved it.
"With my Scale 2 Abyss Actor - Wild Hope, and my Scale 8 Abyss Actor - Funky Commedian, I set the Pendulum Scales!"
Sawatari placed the cards on either end of his Disk's blade, and the monsters appeared in blue columns of light on either side of him - Wild Hope on his right, and Funky Commedian on his left.
"With these Scales, I can summon monsters Level 3 through 7. So I Pendulum Summon!"
Sawatari raised a finger to the sky, towards the circling pendulum above. Three lights rained down to the field, turning into three Abyss Actors: Sassy Rookie, Leading Lady, and Twinkle Littlestar.
"Next, I summon a monster from my hand," Sawatari continued. "Level 1! Tuning Gum!"
Sawatari placed another card on his blade. A floating pack of gum materialized before him. One stick slid slightly out of the back, and the wrapping around it started to unfold itself. A thick, goopy blog of pale-green gum slithered upwards and floated above the pack.
The gum's body changed, making it look like a grotesque, skeletal face. It gave the crowd a fiendish egao and laughed.
"Tuning?" Gongenzaka repeated.
"What?" Yuzu asked. "Does that mean...?"
"It could be that Sawatari was busy all this time, training his mind and deck to master Synchro Summon."
"So he was away just to train?"
Gongenzaka shook his head. "I don't think so, Yuzu. That can't be everything. It still wouldn't explain why he was so aggressive, or why he hid it from us."
"Eh? You can Synchro Summon too now?" Yuya called out. "Come on! Do it, Sawatari! I wanna see!"
"Well, I can't disappoint my fans!" Sawatari said proudly.
But then he paused, then bit his lip again. He shoudn't have been so proud then. Not in front of Yuya, of all people. He was the reason why...
Sawatari snapped his fingers. "I activate Tuning Gum's effect: Fresh Tune Breath!"
The grisly gum opened its mouth. It hocked a huge, geen loogie at the monster by its side, Leading Lady. The goop landed on the monster's cheek, causing her to look at Tuning Gum in absolute, disgusted horror.
"Tuning Gum can turn one other monster into a Tuner monster," Sawatari explained. "But only Synchro monsters can attack this turn."
"You have two Tuners, and two non-Tuners," Yuya said. "That condition's not going to matter soon."
"That's right, Sakaki. I tune my Level 4 Sassy Rookie with my Level 1 Tuning Gum!"
Tuning Gum's body and pack extended and shaped itself into a disgusting, dripping green ring. Sassy Rookie jumped into the ring, turning into four orbs of light.
"Twin-headed Fiend that prowls the roads. Behold, this is the power of authority! Synchro Summon! Level 5! Stygian Sergeants, get in the spotlight!"
The rings and orbs joined together, giving birth to something entirely new. A a demonic, two-headed monster appeared on the field, riding a motorcycle with flashing lights. (ATK 2200)
"The first act's not done!" Sawatari announced. "Now I tune my Level 4 Twinkle Littlestar with my Level 4 Leading lady!"
Second verse, same as the first. Leading Lady's body wave way to four green rings. Twinkle Littlestar jumped into the ring and turned into four balls of light.
"One born from the darkness of the heart, come forth at the price of a good soul! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Blood Mephist, take to the stage!"
The circles and rings descended back to the field. Rising up from them was a green-skinned phantom in tattered clothes and a top hat. Its lower body had no legs, but rather a long train of mist. Blood Mefist held up his cane and pointed it straight at the enemies. (ATK 2800)
"Battle! Blood Mefist attacks your Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"
Sawatari grabbed hold of his monster's hand, and the two floated across the rooftops at a surprising speed.
In turn, Yuya and Clear Wing turned away from them, and Dark Rebellion joined them. The three of them flew through the air and over the rooftops at a quick pace. Dark Rebellion lagged behind Yuya and Clear Wing, showing that it wasn't built for speed quite like the other dragon.
"If you want to attack, you have to catch me!" Yuya laughed.
Yuya turned his head back to watch Sawatari. Both he and his monster were closing the distance between them. But most importantly, he spotted the vague, rectangular outline sicking out from the eaves of a roof.
"Clear Wing!" Yuya said to his ride. "We need to go back, grab that Action Card."
Clear Wing started to slow down, though it seemd to struggle with having to suddenly change its course. The dragon slowly turned its body around to face the opponents directly. And then it charged forward, toward the card.
Yuya climbed up Clear Wing's back. He pressed one hand down on Clear Wing to help steer it, while his right hand reached out. They closed in on the house and flew towards the eaves.
Just as they were in range of the card, Yuya took a swipe at the card. But a painful smack to his wrist knocked him back.
Blood Mefist floated before him, raising his cane to smack Yuya again. Sawatari loosened his monsters hold on him and jumped to the roof. He knelt down and grabbed the card from the eaves.
"Too slow, Sakaki," Sawatari said. "Blood Mefist, attack Clear Wing now!"
Yuya and Clear Wing turned around and flew higher into the air. But they weren't able to outrun Mefist again; the monster extended out its cane and smashed it onto the side of Clear Wing. Yuya was thrown off, and he could only watch as his dragon was destroyed.
(Yuya: 3600 → 3300)
But luckily for Yuya, Dark Rebellion was behind him. It opened its arms and caught Yuya in a bridal carry, saving him from a dangerous fall.
Yuya straightened himself out. His head was pounding from the throttle, but he was tarting to gain his composure. He looked at Sawatari and his monter, and to the monster hopping on roof tops behind them. Starving Venom, it was coming to join him!
Starving Venom doesn't like being left out of the fun, Yuri said. Stygian Sergeants is weak, so he won't be able to destroy it.
But we can't just beat him next turn, Yuya told him. We need to stall until Sawatari can-
So he can win? Yuya, I don't want my dragon to lose for your little game. It's unddignified, and a disrespect to my talent as a duelist.
"Sakaki!" Sawatari called out.
Yuya blinked, then turned his focus back on Sawatari. "O-oh, yes! I'm listening!"
"My turn isn't over yet," Sawatari said. He placed a card in his hand on his blade. "I use Action Card - Cloak Dagger on Stygian Sergeants!"
Stygian Sergeants came riding, bouncing from rooftop to rooftop on its motorcycle. They landed on the same roof Sawatari stood on. They started to glow a bright red, and a small dagger appeared in the mouth of their right head. (ATK 2200 → 2700)
"Cloak Dagger boosts my monster's attack by 500 points, until the end of the turn," Sawatari explained. "Yuya, I'm going to overcome your dragons this time. I refuse to lose!"
Losing.
Yuya's eyes widened. It was as if pieces of a complex puzzle started to fall into place. Now he could start to see the bigger issue right now.
But an attack was imminent, and he didn't have time to waste. Yuya and Dark Rebellion flew away from the fight to search for another Action Card.
This time, Sawatari struck first. The wheels of the motorcycle dug into Dark Rebellion's back. The dragon was weight down by Stygian Sergeants and their motorcycle, forcing it onto a flat rooftop. Yuya jumped from its grasp and rolled onto the roof, just in time to watch Dark Rebellion be destroyed before his eyes.
(Yuya: 3300 → 3100)
"Two dragons down, one to go," Sawatari mused. He was now standing on a rooftop across the street, glaring daggers at Yuya. "And when Stygian Sergeants destroys a monster and sends it to the Graveyard, it gains 800 Attack Points and can make a second attack." (ATK 2700 → 3500)
"Wait, before you attack!" Yuya called out. "I want to know, how did you learn to Synchro Summon? You couldn't do that earlier, even after Zarc's defeat."
The Black Fallen Lord Sawatari put an outstretched hand to his face, covering the right side of his face. If nothing else, it seemed like a dramatic and mysterious move to use.
"That's right, Sakaki," he explained. "At first, when I didn't know about the war, I was content with what I had. But when our memories returned, I remembered everything."
Sawatari turned away, dramatically pulling off his sunglasses. "I remembered Crow's sacrifice to protect me from the Battle Beast. I remembered how I and him fought you together. He did so much for me, and with me..."
"So you learned to Synchro Summon in honor of him," Yuya finished.
"Don't interrupt!" he snapped. "But yes. I transferred out of our regular school and devoted my free time to training. I only stayed in LDS to learn as much as I could about Synchro Summoning, which I'd then use whenever I could."
"But that's not all, is it?"
"... What do you mean?"
Yuya held out his hands. "If you were training, I know you'd come and show us your progress. You'd run up and challenge me to a duel the second you could Synchro Summon."
Sawatari looked back to him curiously.
"But this isn't just about training, it it?" Yuya continued. "You cut yourself off for a reason. You're in pain, but you won't tell us why. But we understand you, Sawatari! Let us in!"
"WRONG!" Sawatari roared. "That's the point! You don't understand! You never can!"
Sawatari tightened his fist, squeezing his glasses. He pointed a finger accusingly at Yuya. "You stopped Yuri! You brought peace to the City! You saved Heartland! You made people egao! It was all you, you, you!"
Yuya's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. His hands slowly fell back to his sides. He was left staring at Sawatari like a deer caught in the headlights.
"You could never understand, Sakaki," Sawatari growled. "I could never be as good as you. AS Akaba, or Kurosaki, or Gongen... Okay, not him. Not all of us can be winners."
From the audience, Gongenzaka frowned. He was frowning so hard that one would pracically hear it.
"But I lost. All I did was lose," Sawatari continued. "I wasn't a hero, like you guys."
"That's not true, Shingo," Yuya said softly. "You fought off Security in the Synchro Dimension. You helped to defeat the Obelisk Force in the Xyz Dimension-"
"I was clean-up duty," Sawatari hissed. "I wanted to be a superstar. I wanted to be a hero, like you. I wanted to protect my city, and my dad."
"You were the one who was able to push through Zarc. If it wasn't for you, we might not have been able to defeat-"
"Enough platitudes!" Sawatari shrieked. "Stygian Sergeants, attack Sakaki's Starving Venom!"
The Sergeants revved up their motorcycle and turned themselves around. They drove off the roof and rode through the air.
Yuya's skates sprung to life, and the sidewheels glowed and whirred. He jumped from the roof and landed his feet on the side of the closest building, then started to skate down the wall and onto the street. He rode through the roads and off to the distance.
Its front lights shone bright, though their color was tained by the glow of the red moon. But the moment Starving Venom was spotted in their light, the Sergeants had the dragon in their sights. They bounced from rooftop to rooftop, heading towards the dragon.
But Starving Venom wasn't one to back down. It jumped towards the fiend an open mouth and bared claws. Though the tide was against it, the dragon reveled in the thrill of battle.
Stygian Sergeants ran its bike right into the center of the dragon. Starving Venom claws caught the tire that pressed against its abdomen. Its mouth bit down on the front lights, which started to crack and flicker from the pressure.
But the power of the motorcycle overcame the dragon. It pushed on through Starving Venom's grasp and drove right through its body, destroying it.
"Action Card - Cloak Dagger!"
Sawatari turned his head toward the direction of the voice. He looked down at his Duel Disk's screen and saw a display of the field: a Spell Card was placed on Yuya's Spell/Trap Zone, and Starving Venom's attack was raised. (ATK: 2800 → 3300)
Sawatari looked around once more, finally spotting Yuya as he came skating through the roads towards him.
(Yuya: 3100 → 2900)
"I should have known you'd go for an Action Card, Sakaki!" Sawatari yelled out. "But your field is empty now. What are you going to do now?"
"Starving Venom's effect activates!" Yuya announced. "When it's destroyed, I can destroy all Special Summoned monsters my opponent controls."
My dragon will still feed, Yuri said.
Sawatari turned and looked around his roof. His eyes furiously scanned the area for an Action Card, something to help him out of this situation. If he let his field be cleared, he'd be open for a direct attack next turn.
No, he couldn't lose. Not again.
Wait, there! Dangling off the side of the next roof over was an Action Card. Sawatari ran towards the edge of his roof. He leaped off the edge and jumped onto the flat roof below him, landing flat on his face.
But then he rose up, dashed over to the card and picked it up! "Action Card - Invisibility!"
From the ground around them, the transparent, clawed hands of Starving Venom rose up to grab hold of Sawatari's monsters. The hold grew tight, and the monsters groaned in pain.
Blood Mefist's body was pulled down into the ground, destroying it. But the Stygian Sergeants' body turns transparent, and it slipped through the hand's grasp. Starving Venom's hand slowly retreated into the ground without its prize.
"The Battle Phase is over, and my monster's attack returns to normal," Sawatari announced. "And the effect of Cloak Dagger wears off." (ATK 3500 → 2200)
"I..." Sawatari bit his lip again. "I end my turn, for now."
Sawatari's turn was over. His hand was empty, and his field consisted of his two Pendulum Scales, and Stygian Sergeants. His Life Points remained untouched, at 4000.
Now it was Yuya's turn. He drew a card from his deck, and added it to his hand. Though honestly, being the only card in his hand, it seemed rather lonely to him.
He paused and thought about his choices. Between all his cards, he would be able to win that turn. Which went against his plans. He had to play it slow and keep the match drawn out.
You're not going to win this turn, are you? Yuto asked.
Of course not, Yuri sighed. If he does, little Shingo will have his little feelings hurt. And Yuya wouldn't let that happen.
Yuya, you need to push through and win! Yugo yelled. A real man doesn't go easy. And if you really respect your opponent, you go hard!
Yuya doesn't respect people! Yuri cackled. He entertains them! Do you honestly think he cares about them?
"What do you mean, Yuri?" Yuya growled.
Isn't it obvious? You only came to help Sawatari because you like being a hero. No wonder he hates you!
"Shut up, Yuri!" Yuya snapped. "You don't understand-"
"Stop talking to yourself, Sakaki!" Sawatari called out. "It's creepy and weird!"
Yuya, tell Sawatari that it's not as weird as his disfigured face, Yuri said.
"My move, Sawatari!" Yuya announced. "With the Pendulum Scales I've already set, I'll Pendulum Summon!"
No, Yuya. Tell him what I said.
"Pendulum Summon! Let's go, my monster friends!"
From the swirling Pendulum in the sky came two lights, which shot down to the field. Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Performapal U Go Golem appeared before Yuya.
Yuya looked up at the roof above him. Sawatari knelt down, disappearing from Yuya's field of vision.
"I found an Action Card!" Sawatari shouted. "Action Card - Vampiric Drain!"
A shiver ran down Yuya's spine. He could feel a cold, foreboding presence around his body. A small stabbing sensation could be felt at the base of his neck, near his left shoulder.
(Yuya: 2900 → 2500)
"Vampiric Drain sucks the life out of you," Sawatari continued. "And I gain 200 Life Points for it."
(Sawatari: 4000 → 4200)
The oppressive presence left Yuya. Not that Yuya cared much; he couldn't help but egao at Sawatari's maneuver.
Hey, Sawatari's doing pretty good! Yugo said. Yuya, he's trying his hardest. You should do the same.
I don't know if that's right, Yuya admitted. Let's just let the match play out for a little longer.
I don't think that's right...
"Battle Phase!" Yuya announced. "Odd-Eyes attacks your Stygian Sergeants! But first..."
Yuya pointed a finger to his Odd-Eyes Unicorn. The monster's horn let out a soft glow, and an array of stars poured from its tip. They fell to the field below, coating both Odd-Eyes and U Go Golem in stars and sparkles.
"Odd-Eyes Unicorn's effect: "When an Odd-Eyes monster declares an attack, I can target a Performapal monster I control, and Odd-Eyes gains that monter's original ATK power. So Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon gains U Go Golem's original ATK."
Sawatari was biting his lip harder now, watching in horror as Odd-Eyes Penndulum Dragon started to glow bright. The stars on U Go Golem's body rose up and drifted around Odd-Eyes's body, like a ring around Saturn. (ATK 2500 → 4100)
"Now, continue the attack!" Yuya ordered. "Spiral Strike Burst!"
"Tch!" Sawatari tch'd. "That would be... Uh..."
Okay, he wasn't so good at math. But he knew that 4100 ATK would hurt him bad, especially when its effect meant that battle damage was doubled. Would it be enough to make him lose? He wasn't going to wait or do the math to find out.
"Odd-Eyes," Yuya whispered to his dragon. "Hold off on the attack for a moment - give Sawatari some time to run."
The dragon let out a small, deep roar. Yuya knew this roar as one of understanding; Odd-Eyes' heart resonated with him, and he could tell that the dragon approved of his plan.
"Thank you, Odd-Eyes," Yuya said softly.
Time to take off. Sawatari rose back up and started to run. He leaped from his roof and jumped towards the house next door: a house with a sloped roof that was one story higher. He was able to grab hold of the ends of the roof, then groaned as he tried to pull his body up.
"Just need to get-"
His hand grasped slipped from the roof, and he started to fall down. He let out a screeching yell as he fell down several feet.
A/N: The battle should be over in Scale 7 or 8. And we're about halfway done with the Scales in general. Scale 13 will mark the end of the story's first volume.
If I'm not lazy enough to end the fic there, the story will go in a new direction. You could say that it will go on to take on a new dimension.
Get it? Dimension pun.