A/N: A few people asked about the other Lancers knowing about Yuya's other personalities. Simply put, only a few of them know. It's only been around a month or so since Yuya's duel with Reiji, so news would travel slow. And since the Lancers don't keep regular contact with each other most of the time (busy live sand alternate dimensions, among other reasons), it never really came up. At this point in the story, I think only immediate family, Sora, Gongenzaka, Sawatari, Himika and Reiji know about Yuya and Yuzu's alternate personalities.
Also, uyigho98 suggested that I bring up a concern. A few comments have come up, wondering why I refer to Reira as a girl. The answer: as confirmed by the Wiki, Reira is canonically female. She was mistaken by fans and most characters as male, but was referred to with gender-neutral pronouns in the original version. Reira's true gender was a secret until the battle with Zarc.
Fun Fact: Ruri's favorite television show is Miraculous Inzektor Ladybug. The other bracelet girls don't like the CGI animation, but Ruri is a fan of it.
Chapter Summary: You Show Duel School vacation on an artificial beach. While there, Yuzu decides to show Yuya her true feelings for him.
Every year, near the end of April, the students of You Show would spend a day at the beach. Instead of attending class, every student would get to enjoy a brief vacation to have fun in the sun. One that would end after about three hours, because the kids would have to go home and have dinner.
April in Japan wasn't the best time to enjoy a beach, however. But thanks to the miracle of Solid Vision, and an improperly-installed furnace that would often make rooms a little too hot, the kids were always able to have a safe, fun outing right inside the school's gymnasium.
Several young children ran around the gymnasium, playing games or pretending to duel. The room was full of life, of screams, and of snot-nosed brats.
Yuya, Yuzu, Gongenzaka and Sawatari all stood in the center of the room, clad in modest swimwear. While Yuzu's father worked the Solid Vision, they were tasked with watching over the nine younger students of the school.
Yuzu held a small carrier bag under her arm, while Sawatari had a duck-shaped flotation device around his waist. Yuya and Gongenzaka were the only ones of the group to wear their Duel Disks; something that Yuzu made note of.
"What's with the Duel Disks?" she asked them.
"I'm going to to entertain the kids," Yuya said confidently. "Who wouldn't love to go swimming with Odd-Eyes?"
"I'll be keeping my Disk ready, in case children need help," Gongenzaka said. "I will summon my monsters to help me deal with any problems in the water."
"Luckily you won't have to worry about drowning," Yuzy told him. "The way Solid Vision works, any water you take in will lose its connection to the projector and break down."
"So we can't drink the water, either?" Sawatari asked. "Laaame. I was going to dare Yuya to drink seawater. But what's the point now?"
"Hey, are you being mean to Yuya?" asked a voice.
The group turned around to see three determined faces. Tatsuya Yamashiro, Ayu Ayukawa and Futoshi Harada looked up at Sawatari and glared daggers at him.
"Oh gross, kids," Sawatari groaned. "At least they're color-coded; it'll be easier to tell them apart from the others, in case we need to punish them."
"If you mess with our friends, you mess with us!" Ayu shouted.
"Pssh! Yeah, I'm not scared of a bunch of-"
Ayu raised her foot and kicked Sawatari in the shin. Sawatari let out a small scream and clutched his poor, injured body part.
The bloodlust and anger are strong in that one, Yuri said. Yuya, let me talk to her. I want to encourage her talents.
It was right then that the gymnasium's speakers sprung to life. Shuzo's voice could be heard amongst its static: "Is everyone ready for some fun?"
All the kids let out excited cheers and screams. Futoshi was overcome with shivers. Yuya and Sawatari even joined in on their cheers, raising their hands and punching at the air.
Now burn down the school, Yuya, Yuri told him.
That would be pretty cool, but don't do that, Yugo advised.
"First off, let's give a round of applause to our volunteer lifeguards!" Shuzo announced. "My lovely daughter Yuzu, upperclassman Yuya, and special guests, Gongenzaka and... blond guy!"
The kids all cheered and applauded. Tatsuya, Ayu and Futoshi were especially loud in their cheers. Sawatari even joined the crowd as they cheered for him (and three others.)
"And without further ado, let's a-Duel!"
Shuzo flipped a switch on his control panel. Instantly, the Solid Vision projector sprung to life. Beams of radiant light rained down and cast images onto the room.
"FIELD SPELL: BEACH VOLLEYBALL FIELD, ACTIVATE."
The floor was immediately replaced by a sea of golden sand. One side of the room transformed into a full, beautiful ocean that stretched as far as the eye could see. enormous palm trees rose from the ground and decorated areas of the beach. A large sun hung over the beach, giving everyone light and warmth.
Before Yuya and company was a materializing volleyball net and ball. A few kids quickly clamored around it to play.
"Alright, kids!" Shuzo shouted. "For the next three hours, let's play!"
Yuya lifted up his Duel Disk, which sprung to life and brought out its blade. He slammed a card onto the center of the blade, which lit up and started to glow.
Materializing beside him was a large body of light. Everyone backed away, giving the monster space to appear before them.
The light took the shape of Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragom, who gave the children a playful, joyous roar.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Yuya announced. "This is another lifeguard, Officer Odd-Eyes. And he wants to play games with all of you!"
The kids looked on in surprise, and some with fear. There was a bit of silence as the kids thought about what they could do.
But Futoshi, Ayu and Tatsuya quickly ran over and started to pat the dragon.
"Odd-Eyes, it's great to see you!" Ayu exclaimed. "Yuya, can we get a ride?"
Yuya nodded. "Sure. Just don't let Odd-Eyes run. He needs to take it easy with you kids."
The three kids cheered, and Odd-Eyes let out another joyous roar. The dragon smiled as Yuya helped the kids climb onto its back.
The other kids in the room seemed more at ease now. One by one, they started to approach the dragon.
"Odd-Eyes likes swimming," Yuya told them. "So how about we all go swimming with him soon?"
While Yuya dealt with the children, Sawatari and Gongenzaka started to make their way to the pool. Yuzu, meanwhile, took a rolled-up towel from her bag and made her way towards a small grove of palm trees.
Rin appeared before her. She lifted her arms up and stretched them to the sky.
I can't wait to get a spin in the body! Rin exclaimed. Oh, I haven't gone swimming in so long~
I can't wait to catch Yuto in a bathing suit again, Ruri said slyly.
Ruri! Rin gasped. Although a small egao briefly appeared on her face.
That's Yuya's body, too... Yuzu growled.
O-oh, yeah... Ruri said quietly. Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it.
You guys focus too much on boys and their bodies, and I'm stuck having to hear about it, Serena scoffed. What's so great about being in love, anyway?
Oh, right, Rin said with a smug sneer. Serena doesn't have a boy.
Th-that doesn't matter. I don't want one.
We all have guys who fawn over us. But it's okay; maybe you can try and hit it off with Eyebrow Boy.
Maybe your face can hit it off with my fist.
Yuzu stopped by the palm trees and unfurled the towel. She placed it onto the ground and straightened it out.
Shouldn't you be watching the kids? Ruri asked.
"I'm just setting up for something later," Yuzu explained to them. "Me and Yuya are going to watch the sunset."
Both Ruri and Rin taunted Yuzu with Oooooohs. Serena stayed quiet, and Yuzu just rolled her eyes.
Why do you all worry so much about my romantic life?
We just want you to be happy, Ruri told her. Yuya makes you happy.
So does ice cream, but I'm not going to go out and make-out with a sundae.
Yuya was right about Odd-Eyes enjoying the water. The dragon sat by the edge of the ocean, letting its feet get splashed by the tide. Two children climbed all over hits body.
Sawatari was actually having a good time with the kids. He partnered with two small children to face Futoshi, Tatsuya and Ayu in volleyball. His athleticism and extra height allowed him to keep the score in his team's favor.
Gongenzaka stood in shallow water, arms crossed. A little girl sat on his shoulders and peered out in the ocean in search of artificial seagulls. A small boy swam close by.
With all of the children busy, Yuya and Yuzu were free to talk. They pressed their backs against a palm tree and watched ocean together.
"What time is it?" Yuya asked her.
Yuzu checked the watch on he wrist. "4:45. We're going to initiate the second phase soon."
Second phase. The Action Field had three settings. The first, which they were in now, was a sunny afternoon. After an hour, the field would shift into the second phase: a beautiful sunset that lasted six minutes, before shifting into night. Not only was this a beautiful display, but this was also the time everyone got to play Suikawari. The third phase was a midnight bonfire in front of an artificial fire.
Suikawari, for those who didn't want to Google it, was a game in which competitors attacked a watermelon, with wooden swords or clubs while blindfolded. Whoever split the watermelon open was the winner.
This was yet another cherished tradition for the school. Gongenzaka was usually the one who won, but last year marked a Yuzu victory.
"It'll be a lot of fun," Yuya said with an egao. "Except the part where I get by someone who misses the watermelon."
Yuzu frowned. "That only happened like, what, once? And I apologized."
"Just once? It felt like thirty times," Yuya laughed bitterly.
The two were so busy talking that they didn't realize a child had walked over. The boy pulled on Yuya's wrist to grab his attention.
"Yuuuuya!" the boy cried. "Everyone's on Odd-Eyes! Can you make another one so I can ride it by myself?"
Yuya egao'd. "How would you like to meet Officer Odd-Eyes's best friend, Lieutenant Dark Rebellion?"
And with that, Yuya and the boy ran off. Two monsters - Performapals Gold Fang and Silver Claw- were summoned to their sides.
"Yuya really is a sweet guy," Yuzu said to herself.
He is, Rin agreed. And if you don't snatch him up, girl, someone might take him.
Wh-what are you saying? Yuzu gasped. Internally.
The three girls appeared before Yuzu, each showing very different emotions. Rin had her hands on her hips. She leaned forward and gave Yuzu a serious look.
You know what I mean, she said sternly. You need to be pro-active. Make the first move, or he'll think you're not interested. For example, I make sure Yugo knows I'm interested by managing his life for him. Meanwhile, Yugo made me the muse of a beautiful picture.
Serena kept her arms folded. She seemed rather confused and uncomfortable, unsure of what to do or say.
If you want something, you fight for it, Rin continued. And if you don't fight for what you want, you don't deserve it.
Ruri put a finger to her bottom lip. She seemed to be reserved in thought until Rin spoke. When Rin spoke, her eyes filled with life.
That's a bit harsh, but I can agree with you a bit, Ruri said sweetly. Yuzu, Yuya is a great boy, like Yuto or Yugo.
Yuzu raised her hands dismissively. Girls, girls! Yuya and I are just friends.
...They have a point, though, Serena muttered. Yuya is a great fighter, he cares about the people around him, and he's always does his best to make everyone feel good.
See? Rin scoffed. Even Serena, of all people, knows that Yuya's a catch!
What's that supposed to mean, Rin? Serena snapped. Are you calling me stupid?
No, no! ... Just socially awkward.
Serena took a deep breath, then sighed. She let the anger inside her flow out freely, keeping herself centered and calm before she answered.
Rin, I have carded people, Serena said calmly. I don't have a problem ending believe me, I'm capable of doing it. So how about you take back what you said, and say something nice instead?
Rin gave Serena a sheepish smile, the started to back away from her. Y-you're right. I meant to say that you're just... inexperienced. Any guy would love to have you.
Yeah, I agree, Yuzu said to her. Or girl. I mean, I won't judge, but it's girls you like, right?
I was taught that romance is unnecessary, Serena said quietly. Never act on your feelings; falling in love will just distract me from me goals and make me miserable.
Is that how you really feel? Yuzu asked. I think that having someone who makes you happy, just by existing, is beautiful. When you find someone like that, you have to act.
Look who's talking! Rin said with a sly smirk.
Yuya makes you light up like a lamp whenever you think about him, Ruri told him.
Okay, you guys are just getting weird! Yuzu complained. I'll think about what to do later, okay? But right now, I want to enjoy my day at the beach.
You're right, Ruri said. I guess it's unfair to put all of this on you.
We just wanted to help, Rin sighed. Sorry.
Yuzu nodded politely. Well, thanks. Really. It's really nice knowing that you guys have my back.
For the next little while, everyone got to play and have their fun in the sun. But the sky above was slowly transitioning to a soft gray, signalling that the second phase would soon begin.
Yuzu had gathered the kids around a watermelon. Now all she had to do was summon Sawatari and Gongenzaka to help them.
She approached them and Yuya, discussing something by the ocean. Behind them, Odd-Eyes still sat by the water and let its feet get hit by the tide.
"You see, my floatie is completely filled with Prismatic Secret Rare cards," Sawatari explained to the boys. "This makes its contents alone worth more than this entire school."
"That's very... neat, Sawatari," Yuya lied.
"Can it float?" Gongenzaka asked.
"Certainly... Probably," Sawatari said wistfully. "But that's not the point of it."
"... Then what is the point?"
"Looking better than everyone else here! Granted, that wouldn't have been difficult in the first place."
"The floatie isn't transparent, though," Yuya said. "We can't even see the cards."
"What's your point?"
"Gongenzaka, Sawatari," Yuzu interrupted. "You can go help the kids now. The swords are in a box in the left corner of the room; my dad'll drop the Solid Vision around there to let you see it."
Sawatari and Gongenzaka nodded. Not because they wanted to go split some melons, but because Yuya had told them about his plans with Yuzu. And they had no problem keeping the kids busy while they got to be alone.
"Ready, Yuya?" she asked the remaining boy.
"I'm always ready," Yuya replied.
And deep within Yuzu, Rin resented that she didn't get a chance to go swimming. But she absolutely did not want to stand in the way of Yuzu's time with Yuya. At least she'd be able to talk to Yuzu all about it later.
Yuya and Yuzu walked side by side, passed the children and towards the blanket. They quickly sat down beside each other and looked towards the horizon.
Yuzu leaned against Yuya, resting her head on his shoulder. Together, they watched as the artificual sun slowly started to go down.
"It's beautiful," Yuzu said softly.
"It is," Yuya agreed. He hesitated before adding, "I'm glad that I could share it with you."
Yuzu blushed. She rose her head to look at Yuya. He turned to her, bright as a tomato himself, and egao'd.
"I really... love spending time," Yuya continued nervously. "With you, I mean."
And the girl thought about what her counterparts told, and all the words of encouragement she received.
Maybe it was time to listen to them.
She put a hand to his left cheek and brought her lips closer to his. Yuya reached out and held her right cheek. Both of them closed their eyes and brought their lips together.
The pounding in their chests was palpable. Both of them were filled with intense, overwhelming feelings. Familiar feelings, long buried in their hearts. Their hearts were fluttering wildly.
Finally, the two parted their lips. They opened their eyes and stared deep into the eyes of the one they kissed.
Yuzu's eyes were green.
"S-Serena?" Yuya stammered. "Serena?!"
Serena! Yuzu gasped.
Immediately, the world around them started to dissolve. The sand beneath them vanished in a sea of sparkles. The ocean evaporated. The palm trees left the field, causing a tree-climbing Sawatari to fall backwards onto the floor.
Everyone looked up to the control booth. They could see a furious-looking Shuzo glare down at them.
He picked up a small microphone and spoke, "Yuya Sakaki! Yuzu Hiiragi! Come to my office!"
A/N: I didn't want to just make a chapter devoted to teasing and romance, since I want comedy and character development to be the main focuses of the story. But I feel that pushing for romance has been long overdue, and it'll have an impact on the story and characters in the long run.
Next time: What's ARC-V without suffering? A love triangle is the last thing anyone needed, but here we are. It all comes tumbling down in Scale 13: Tip the Scales.