Fun Fact: Serena doesn't know what a skunk ape is, and she doesn't care.

Chapter Summary: For the good of a Slifer Red, Serena faces off against a bully from Obelisk Blue.

Together, Yuri and Serena walked through the half of Academia. Their goal was simple: reach the dining hall, have a quiet lunch while everyone was in class, and... Well, they didn't think of their plan beyond that point, so they would probably just play it by ear and see where things take them.

As they passed by a hallway, they could hear a soft bang. Something was slammed into one of the stone walls. This was followed by the sound of someone whimpering.

Yuri and Serena stopped in their tracks. They peered down the long corridor to see four humanoid figures.

"Sounds like fun," Yuri said to Serena. "let's go check it out."

The two walked down the hallway. And as they moved towards the people, they could clearly see the situation at hand: a panicked male Red student was pressed against the wall by a boy in Blue. Two other Blue students were standing behind him, chuckling and complimenting their boss.

"Sorry, kid," the main Blue said. "Freshmen Reds need to be hazed. It's just how things work."

"B-but you're a freshmen, too..." the Red wheezed. "I saw you at the-"

"I'm a transfer student!" the boy responded. "I'm from North Academy. I have the experience, but you don't."

"He has experience, alright!" said a blue-haired Blue boy. "How can you not know about Manjome Thunder?"

"Oh, I heard about him!" Yuri exclaimed.

The four kids stopped to look at the newcomers. Yuri and Serena approached them. Yuri looked smug, while Serena crossed her arms and looked serious.

"That's the self-professed 'king' of Obelisk Blue," Yuri went on. "He's supposedly the strongest student in school. After me, of course."

"And who are you?" Manjome scoffed. "I see you're in Obelisk Blue, too. But I don't recognize you."

"He's probably just another transfer," the brown-haired one stated. "But if he was any good, how come we never heard of him."

"Oh, I'm not a transfer," Yuri said sweetly. "Well, you could say that I'm three-fourths of a transfer student."

The four of them looked lost and confused by this statement.

"Surely you heard of Yuri."

The Red student gasped. He started to flail pathetically, trying to break Manjome's hold on him. Now that he knew who this boy was, he was desperately trying to escape the scene.

Manjome scoffed. "That psycho kid? Yeah, I doubt a pipsqueak like you would be Yuri."

Yuri rolled his eyes. "Curse being trapped in an inferior body."

"Now if you two don't mind, we need to get back to hazing."

Manjome pulled the kid from the wall, then slammed him against it even harder. The freshmen's head bounced off of the wall, causing him to scream out in pain.

That was when Serena decided to put a stop to this. She ran over and grabbed hold of Manjome's blazer. She forcefully started to pull on him, trying to loosen him up from the other student.

"Stop it, you ass!" she barked.

Manjome let go of the student, then pulled himself out of Serena's grasp. He looked down at her with cruel, cold eyes. "What do you think you're doing, Yellow?"

"Stopping you!" she responded.

"Don't you know?" Manjome scoffed. "The freshmen Reds get hazed every year! It's very fun."

"Of course it is!" Serena snapped. "But that doesn't mean it's right."

Manjome chuckled. His two friends also joined in the chuckle, even laughing in the same way as him.

"Who are you, a Yellow, to tell a Blue what's right? Might makes right, not being nice and friendly. Because this world is cutthroat; you need to be at the top, or you're trash."

"He's right," Yuri said. "He's a jerk, but he's right."

"I'm not a jerk!" Manjome responded. "I'm Manjome Thunder!"

"MANJOME THUNDER!" shouted both of his minions. "MANJOME THUNDER!"

"Oh dear God, it's another Sawatari," Serena groaned.

"But then again, how do we know he's on top?" Yuri wondered. "He doesn't look like he's anything impressive, and he hasn't dueled either of us."

The Blue duo stopped their chants. They and their boss glare daggers right at Yuri. The tension in the air was coming on thick, though Yuri just egao'd at them like it was no big deal to him.

"Red," Manjome said out loud. "Get a move on. We have more important fish to fry."

The Red student let out a small whimper. He gave Serena and Yuri a small nod, then took off in the opposite direction. Serena watched as he made his way down the hallway, then turned and moved out of sight. So now, he was safe.

But Serena and Yuri were left at the mercy of the three Blue students. Manjome stepped closer to the duo as he activated his Duel Disk.

"So, which one of you am I dueling first?"

"Me," said Serena.

Manjome smirked. "And why do you want to get your ass kicked so bad?"

Serena held her arm up, showing her now-activated Duel Disk. She and Yuri started to step back, creating distance between them and the Blues.

"Because I want to stop you," Serena responded. "I want to be the one who kicks your ass so hard, you'll never haze anyone again."

"You think you can take on the strongest student in school, girl?"

"It's Serena," she corrected. "And I won't be dueling myself."

"Ooooooh!" Yuri said.

"I don't want to see people get hurt," Serena continued. "And it just so happens that I'm strong enough to put a stop to it."

"Big words from a little girl," Manjome replied. "Let's see you back them up!"

"DUEL!"

"Since I'm of a higher class, I'll go first!" Manjome stated. "I activate the Spell, Polymerization!"

Three monsters from behind him, floating just above the boy's head. Ojamas Yellow, Black and Green levitated above their master, before being sucked into a vortex of orange and blue.

"Vile, disgusting, and strange creatures! Become the greatest of kings, and oppress the world with your will! Fusion Summon!"

From the vortex came a large gross creature. A giant, white Ojama with long eye-stalks, four tiny arms (one of which held a golden staff), and two stubby legs. Its large, sneering head made up the bulk of its body. It wore speedo underwear on its waist, and underneath its large crown. A blue cape flowed from behind it. (DEF 3000)

"Level 6! Neojama King!"

Yuri looked absolutely disgusted. He shuddered at the sight of such a disgusting monstrosity, and seemed to be struggling not to vomit.

"I think I understand how he wins all his duels," he said to Serena. "He makes the opponents want to quit, so they don't have to look at the one thing that's more unpleasant than him."

Serena couldn't help but snort at that, much to Manjome's annoyance.

"Why don't you two shut your faces?" he barked. "Neojama King's effect: when it's first Fusion Summoned, three of my opponent's Monster Zones can't be used!"

Serena looked at her Duel Disk: three red X's occupied the first three Zones. On the field itself, she could see three red X's on the ground before her.

The two Blue students started to clap for their boss. This was, of course, followed by more chants of "Man! Jo! Me! Thun! Der!" and throwing their fists into the air.

"Say my name!" Manjome shouted.

"MANJOME THUNDER!"

"MANJOME THUNDER!"

"MANJOME THUNDER!" Yuri shouted out.

Manjome egao'd. "So you got the spirit, huh?"

"No, not at all," Yuri answered, egao-ing.

"... I set a card face-down, and end my turn."

Manjome Thunder ended his turn with Neojama King and a face-down Spell or Trap on his field, and no cards in his hand.

As Serena drew her sixth card, she let an egao cross her face. Manjome had used his entire hand to bring out his monster, and it was underwhelming. Yeah, she was going to run circles around this fool.

"Trap, activate!" Manjome declared. "Ojamania!"

His face-down card rose up from his Spell/trap Zone. The art depicted red, blue and purple-colored Ojama monsters, posing dramatically on a stage. The card itself shattered, and the Ojama trio now stood posing on the field.

The red and blue Ojamas floated over to Serena's side. They both blew her kisses, then crouched into fetal positions on her side of the field. Ojama Purple instead chose to stay on the other side of the field. (DEF 1000) (DEF 1000) (DEF 1000)

"When this card is activated, I can Special Summon 3 Ojama Tokens anywhere on the field, though at least one must be placed on my enemy's side," Manjome explained. "And now, I've blocked out your use of monsters!"

"Big deal," Serena responded. "I still have my Spells and Traps. I set two cards face-down."

Two set cards appeared on Serena's field, behind her Ojama Tokens.

"That supposed to scare me?" Manjoume said with a sneer.

"No, but feel free to cry and surrender."

"You talk big, but I don't see you backing it up. I've taken control of your Monster Zones, and you just set some cards."

"Look who's talking, Serena!" Yuri responded.

"What's that supposed to mean, kid?"

Yuri turned to Serena. "That guy's such a blow-hard. He's a terrible duelist with terrible cards, so he's compensating with speeches. But unfortunately, he's also terrible at those. It would be heart-breaking, if he wasn't responsible for unleashing such a disgusting creature onto the field."

"Hey, his parents are responsible for the same thing," Serena replied, egao-ing.

Both of Manjome's minions let out surprised gasps. Horror was caught on their faces. Manjome's eyes grew wide, and pure anger ran through them. His unbridled fury ran through the glares he gave Serena and Yuri.

"That was hilarious, Serena!" Yuri said sweetly.

"What can I say?" Serena said casually. "If he can dish it out, he better know how to take it."

"It's even funnier when you realize he's an orphan."

"... What?"

Serena's egao dropped. She looked at Manjome in absolute horror. Now she was feeling the burn from his gaze. And frankly, it was starting to make her sweat.

Yuri, however, just kept on egao-ing.

Manjome drew a card. His eyes briefly glanced at what he drew, before returning to staring daggers at Serena and Yuri.

"I summon Ojama Purple."

He placed a car on his blade, and a purple Ojama materialized between Neojama King and the Ojama Token. It had an enormous nose, taking up most of its face. It had tiny, beady black eyes, and spindly little limbs. It seemed to be struggling to stand under the weight of its nose. (ATK 0)

"I can tribute Ojama Purple to add a Fusion Spell card from my Deck to my hand.

And then, just as soon as it appeared, Ojama Purple was gone again. It let out a scream and shattered, and its owner drew a card from his Deck.

"Now, I can get behind this strategy, Serena," Yuri stated. "Sacrificing those ugly beasts for your own gain."

"Shut your face, kid!" Manjome roared. "This isn't your fight! SHUT! UP!"

"SHUT! UP!" the cronies added.

"I activate Fusion Recovery!" Manjome said angrily. "I can add Polymerization, and a monster used as material for a Fusion Summon, from my Grave to my hand!"

Two cards were ejected out from Manjome's Graveyard. He snatched the cards and flashed them to Serena: Polymerization, and Ojama Yellow.

"With Polymerization, I fuse my Ojama Token and my Ojama Yellow!" he screamed.

Yellow and the Token monsters from from behind him, floating just above the boy's head. Their bodies contorted and merged as they fell into the orange-and-blue portal behind them.

"Vile, disgusting, and strange creatures! Become the all-knowing hand of the king! Fusion Summon!"

A creature now appeared by Ojama King's side. It was an Ojama Black, wearing flowing white robes and a tall, white papal hat. It sneered at the enemy and stuck out its long, dripping tongue.

"Level 5! Neojama Bishop!" (DEF 2400)

"I can see why he's a Blue," Yuri mused. "Very few people have the talent to bring out such crappy cards in succession. And I use the word talent loosely, but..."

"Neojama Bishop's effect!" Manjome shouted. "When Special Summoned, two of my opponent's Monster Zones can't be used!"

Serena looked back down at her Duel Disk: two red X's occupied the first two Zones. On the field itself, she could see those red X's on the field.

"I see your game," said Serena. "Block off as much of my field as possible. That's why you wanted to go first."

Manjome grinned. "You can't be a Blue if you're not cutthroat. And no, that's not my game, as you'll see soon."

Manjome ended his turn with 4000 Life Points and no cards in his hand. His Neojamas King and Bishop sat on his side of the field.

Serena looked at the card she drew. To her relief, it was the perfect card to get her strategy rolling. All she needed was one free Monster Zone.

"I tribute one of my Ojama Tokens to Tribute Summon Lunalight Wolf!"

Serena moved her hand to the Disk's blade. To her surprise, as soon as she touched the token's card, her Duel Disk started to buzz.

"ERROR. ERROR"

"What the-?"

"Ojama Tokens cannot be tributed," Manjome explained to her. "Did you think Manjome Thunder would ever let it be that easy?"

"MAN! JO! ME! THUN! DER!"

Serena grunted. She stared down her field, to the disgusting creatures that looked at her proudly. She looked back at her hand, trying in vain to piece some sort of strategy together. Sadly, nothing was coming up.

"I end my turn," she sighed.

"Boo," Yuri booed. "Booooooo."

Manjome slammed down the card he drew, onto his blade. "Upstart Goblin, Activate!"

The Spell Card appeared on the field. It featured a grinning goblin in elegant, regal clothing, dropping coins before a starved, destitute human.

"I can draw a card from my Deck, then you gain 1000 Life Points." (Serena: 4000 → 5000)

Manjome pulled the top card from his Deck. He then set it on his Spell/Trap Zone, face-down.

"I'll end my turn here. Be glad I've chosen to be merciful."

"You couldn't get anything good, because you spent all your resources," Serena said. "You blew your load to make this field, and now're paying the price."

"Make your move, Yellow."

"Gladly."

Serena drew a card. She now had 6 cards in her hand. On her field, she had two Ojama Tokens and two face-down Spells and/or Traps.

"... I end my turn."

Serena ended her turn with 6 cards in her hand. On her field, she had two Ojama Tokens and two face-down Spells and/or Traps. So the situation was exactly the same as it was when I last described it.

Manjome drew a card. He was about to place it when-

"Boo," Yuri booed. "Boo, Serena. Booooooo."

"Shut up, Yuri!" she barked.

"Show him your Entertainment Dueling."

"I'm trying!"

"Oh. Try harder then. Booo."

"I activate the Fi-" Manjome began.

"Booo."

"... The Field Spe-"

"Booo."

"Yuri, shut up," Serena told him. "You're holding up the duel."

"Both of your shut up!" Manjome screamed. "I activate the FIeld Spell, Ojama Country!"

The second the Field Spell hit the blade, a glowing pulse of light poured over the floor. The floor of the hall became coated with sand. Small, mushroom-like buildings sprouted in various places on the ground, the walls, and even the ceiling. Windmills rose from between Manjome's friends, forcing them to dash backwards to dodge them.

"When I control an Ojama monster, the original ATK and DEF points of all monsters are switched. And now, I'll switch my monsters to Attack position"

(Ojama King DEF 3000 → ATK 3000) (Ojama Bishop DEF 2400 → ATK 2400) (Ojama Tokens DEF 1000 → 0)

Serena looked at the field. Now, she was starting to piece together the big strategy Manjome had been working on: get his monsters powered up, and then go on the offensive. Too bad, though; once she had her Monster Zones freed, she planned on taking control of the duel from.

"Even after you little switch, I could easily destroy your field," Serena told him, egao-ing. "Maybe you should be in Ra Yellow, and me in Blue."

Yuri ooooooooo'd, then threw two of his fists into the air and pumped it. Manjome looked to his friends, who knew to start chanting their boss's name in response. This lead to Yuri getting louder, and the duo trying to shout over him.

Now Manjome was shouting, "Neojama Bishop attacks your Ojama Token!"

The great bishop glided through the air, waving its staff wildly. Once it reached an Ojama Token, it smacked it hard in the face. (Serena: 5000 → 4700)

"How'd I take damage?" she asked.

"When Ojama Tokens are destroyed, you take 300 points of damage," Manjome explained. "Now face the wrath of the king!"

Neojama King waddled over to the field, each step it made making a wet squeak. It took the remaining Ojama Token into its arms and squeezed tight, shattering it. (Serena: 4700 → 4400)

When the smoke cleared, Serena was staring at her two now-empty Monster Zones. She egao'd, instantly seeing an opportunity for something great. Too bad the space wouldn't last.

"Trap, activate!" Manjome declared. "Ojamania!"

A familiar, ugly Trap reared its ugly head(s). Two hideous Ojama Tokens appeared on Serena's formerly-free Monster Zones, while another took its spot by the Bishops side. (DEF 0)

"So you're going for a slow burn, then?" Serena asked. "You can't keep that up forever - you'll run out of cards, or I'll draw something good.

"This match is just getting started," Manjome told her. "You can't bottle thunder."

Manjome ended his turn with his Neojama Bishop, Neojama King, Ojama Token, and Ojama Country on his field. He had no cards in his hand, and his Life Points were still at 4000.

Serena drew a card from the top of her Deck. Her eyes looked at it sadly. Unfortunately, Lunalight Crimson Fox wouldn't help in this situation.

She now had seven cards in her hand. And per the rules of the game, the max amount of cards she was allowed to have was 6. So she would have to play a card, or she'd have to discard one at the end of her turn.

Not helping was the fact that Manjome's goons keps cheering. Their obnoxious calls were very distracting for Serena. But at least Yuri was now quiet; he was glaring at her with a wicked little egao, patiently waiting for her to make a play.

"I'm going to place Scale 1 Lunalight Wolf in my Pendulum Zone," she explained.

A blue column of light rose to her right side. Her monster appeared at the base, before rising higher and higher. Not too high, though; Duel Academia's hallway ceilings weren't that high up.

Manjome raised an eyebrow. He seemed genuinely focused on the column of light before him. "Pendulum, eh? I suppose I can't block those Zones, though you can't Pendulum Summon, either."

"I'll end my turn here," she told him.

Serena sighed. Frankly, it was a bit of an embarrassment, not being able to do anything. Her opponent trapped him in a world of his own design; she was just there, waiting to be picked off when Manjome was ready.

Right now, all she could hope for was for him to get rid of her Tokens, so she could summon something. A little damage wouldn't hurt in the long run; especially when she would try and win the duel with one big maneuver.

Manjome sneered as he drew another card. He snapped his fingers, signalling for his two friends to get back to their chants and cheers. And they did, quite eagerly.

"Why does he have such a fandom?" Yuri wondered. "I mean, his cards are disgusting-"

"He's a great duelist!" the blue-haired friend countered.

"... his duels are slow as hell-"

"No one can beat him!" said the brown-haired one.

"And he has the charisma of a Fusion Parasite."

"MANJOME THUNDER!"

"You hear that, kid?" Manjome scoffed. "That's the sound of my adoring crowd. They know who to call when they want a good time."

Yuri shut up right there. Frankly, he was above going for such low-hanging fruit. And far be it from him to try and correct such eloquent words.

Serena was about to say something, but Yuri shook his head.

Manjome tapped his Ojama Token's card, then slid it into Attack position. The red Token grinned at its opponent and stared at her with hungry eyes. (ATK 1000)

"My Ojama Token and Neojama Bishop attack your Tokens!"

The two monsters floated over to Serena's side of the field. The bishop whacked one token, while the Ojama Token bit into another. After an uncomfortably awkward, long time of chewing on the Token's face, Serena's other Token shattered. (Serena: 4400 → 4100 → 3800)

"Neojama King, attack directly."

"No!"

Everyone turned to the source of the screaming, even the monsters on the field. The shout came from Yuri, who was looking on with tears in his eyes.

"Don't touch Sabrina with that thing!" he sobbed. "Please! Spare her that disgusting monster's touch!"

"I won't show mercy for your girlfriend," Manjome responded, smug as ever. "My monster will attack-"

"I was talking about you," Yuri said with an egao.

Manjome's smug little egao turned right into a frown. Not helping were the surprised "ooooooooooooohs" coming from his own minions. But a quick glare in their direction shut the other two Blues right up.

Neojama King, meanwhile, wrapped Serena into its many arms. With a tight squeeze, Serena could feel the life being mashed out of her boy. (Serena: 3800 → 1800)

The monster let go and retreated to its side of the field. To her horror, she could see that the Ojama suffered a disturbingly big case of hungry butt. And it was right then that Serena fully agreed with Yuri on his utter disdain for the Ojama archetype.

"So you used up your Tokens," said Serena. "Unless you have an Ojamania in your hand, you've just sealed your own death warrant."

"No, I don't have an Ojamania in my hand," Manjome said to her. "But I can activate Neojama King's effect!"

"What?!"

"One per turn, I can banish two Ojama monsters from my Graveyard to add an Ojama Spell or Trap from my Grave to my hand. I banish my Ojama Black and my Ojama Purple. King's Consonance!"

Neojama King knelt down, then threw his fists into the ground. He slowly raised them back up, revealing the two mentioned Ojamas; one in each hand. The monsters squirmed in their king's hands, trying to break free before the inevitable happened. But alas, its hands squeezed down on their heads, shattering the monsters.

A card was ejected from Manjome's Graveyard. He pulled the card up and set it in his Spell/Trap Zone.

"Now you understand my strategy?!" Manjome hollered. "I can keep controlling the field! Tokens let me have more Fusion Material! When I fuse, I block your field! When I use Tokens, I can keep you from summoning!"

"With the opponent unable to do anything to stop him..." Yuri added, "... he can recuperate from his costly summons."

"And you can keep bringing back the Tokens, so I won't be able to move on my turn," Serena concluded.

Manjome looked at her with a deranged, devilish look. "Exactly! This is what it's like when Thunder brings down the lightning! I'm an unstoppable force of nature!"

"MAN! JO! ME! THUN! DER! MANJOME THUNDER!"

Serena bit her lip. Unfortunately, this strategy had her good. She could completely understand why this boy was such a notable figure among the Obelisk Blues. He had her cornered so efficiently, and made it nearly impossible for her to come back from it.

Nearly impossible, she told herself. She wasn't going to stop trying to overcome this.

"With this, I end my turn," Manjome finished. "Make your next move quick; I don't have all day to watch you squirm."

Thunder Boy ended his turn with a Neojama King, Neojama Bishop, and an Ojama Token on his field, along with a set Ojamania. He had one card in his hand, and his Life Points were still at a pristine 4000.

Serena closed her eyes and held her hand on her Deck. She could hear her heart pumping in her ears. The pressure to draw a good card was too much for her. If she failed, she'd be humiliated, and the Blues would just continue their torment of others. She'd be letting that kid down.

"Ey, Sabrina," Yuri said.

Serena opened her eyes. "What do you want?"

"Stop being such a wuss and draw a damn card," he said flatly. "Where's the cat who wanted to fight anyone who tried to her?"

Serena took a deep, long sigh. The beating in her ears was still as strong as ever, but it was as if some sort of veil was pulled off of her heart.

He was right. What was she doing, worrying so much? She had a lot on the line, sure. But she wasn't going to cower with her tail between her legs. Least of all to the stupid Ojama kid.

"DRAW!"

Serena threw her hand up, pulling out the top card of her Deck. As she brought the card into her hand, her eyes lit up with joy. This card, this one card was completely perfect for her.

"Trap, activate!" Manjome announced. "Ojamania Special Summons two Ojama Tokens to your field, and one on mine!"

Third verse, same as the first.

"I set a card face-down!" she announced. "And I end my turn."

With Serena's face-down, her field now consisted of three face-down Spells or Traps, and two Ojama Tokens in Defense position. With her hand at 6, her Life Points at 1800, and with her field entirely full or unusable, she was confident in her victory now.

Manjome looked at his opponent. Despite the name-calling, the bad blood, and the very one-sided duel, he still chose to give her a small egao.

"I have to hand it to you," he said calmly. "You stood up to me, even though you knew the risks. You're facing defeat, but you're not cracking."

"You're not too bad yourself," Serena responded.

"But it's time to end this. I activate the Spell, Yugojama!"

Manjome's two Ojama Tokens floated towards their master, then jumped into the swirling portal behing him. Their bodies swirled and merged together as the portal's light enveloped them.

"Fusion Summon! Level 5! Neojama Bishop!"

A creature now appeared by Ojama King's side. It was an Ojama Black, wearing flowing white robes and a tall, white papal hat. It sneered at the enemy and stuck out its long, dripping tongue. (ATK 0 → 2400)

"Shameful and disgusting," Yuri commented.

"Since all of your Zones are already filled, I guess I can't take control of any more," Manjome explained. "But I don't need to take any more control; I have the power to bring down the thunder! MANJOME THUNDER!"

"MANJOME THUNDER!"

"My Neojama Bishops attack your Ojama Tokens!"

The two bishops floated through the air, waving their staffs around. They approached the two Ojama Tokens, then bashed them in the heads. The two Tokens let out pained, terrified screams before their bodies were destroyed. (Serena: 1800 → 1500 → 1200)

Manjome egao'd. "Now, Neojama King-"

"Trap, activate!" Serena declared. "Lunalight Soul Dance!"

Serena's third face-down rose up. The art depicted Lunalights Black Sheep and White Rabbit, meeting on a hill at night. The two monsters held hands, their backs turned as they faced the full moon in the background.

"When one of my monsters is destroyed, I can Special Summon a Lunalight from my hand or Deck!"

The bottom card of Serena's deck was ejected. She snatched it up and placed it on her Disk's blade. Lunalight Blue Cat materialized on the field, crouching down and baring her claws. (DEF 1200 → 1600)

"Hmmph," Manjome scoffed. "So you'll avoid your loss this turn. But Neojama King will still attack."

The big king brought Blue Cat into its arms and hugged her. The smaller monster meowed in agony as it was slowly squeezed by four arms. Its soon body couldn't handle any more, and it was destroyed.

However, the shattered pieces of Blue Cat reformed on her Monster Zone. Now, Lunalight Kaleido Chick had replaced it. (DEF 800 → 1400)

"What the hell?" Manjome asked politely.

"When Blue Cat is destroyed, I can Special Summon another Lunalight monster from my Deck.

"That card won't stop me, though. It's not strong enough."

"My, he's dense!" Yuri giggled. "News flash, Sparky: now you can't occupy that Monster Zone with Ojama Tokens."

"That's right!" Serena said.

Manjome grunted. "... Fine, fine. Hopefully now, you can prove that this match wasn't a total waste of my time, kid. Now, Neojama King's effect! King's Consonance!"

Neojama King knelt down, then threw two of his fists into the ground. each hand pulled up a panicking Ojama; the left one had Yellow, while the white held Green. The king's hands squeezed down on the two monsters' heads, destroying them.

And once again, Ojamania was ejected from the Graveyard. He set the card on his side of the field, behind his Neojama King.

"I'll end my turn here," he told Serena. "You better get ready to grovel for forgiveness when you lose, though."

Manjome ended the turn with two Neojama Bishops, a Neojama King, and a set Ojamania on his field. He had one card in his hand, and his Life Points were still the same as they have been throughout this entire duel.

As Serena drew a card, Yuri was shaking his fists excitedly. His wide-eyed, childish expression brought both fear and worry to everyone around him.

"Hurry up! Hurry up! Hurry up!"

"Watch this, Yuri!" Serena told him. "I'm going to win, and I'm not going to be gentle."

"Serena Thunder!"

"MANJOME THUNDER!" came the cries of Manjome's friends.

"Serena Thunder!" Yuri declared. "Wait..."

"MANJOME THUNDER!" Manjome shouted. "Trap Activate! Ojamania!"

"Wait..."

Three Ojama Tokens rose from the card. Ojama Tokens blue and purple immediately planted their butts on Manjome's side of the field, and the red cartwheeled onto Serena's last open Monster Zone. (DEF 100 → 0)

"My defenses are stronger now," Manjome explained. "Now, tell me how you plan on destroying five monsters at once?"

"Kaleido Chick's effect!" Serena declared. "By sending Lunalight Cat Dancer from my Extra Deck to my Graveyard, Kaleido Chick is treated as that monster."

Serena pulled up the first card in her Extra Deck, then dropped it in her Disk's Graveyard slot. The image of Lunalight Panther Dancer briefly appeared before Kaleido Chick, embracing the little monster in a hug, before dissolving into a light purple mist around it.

"Next, I play Polymerization! I fuse my Lunalight Kaleido Chick with the Lunalight Crimson Fox in my hand."

Kaleido Chick and Crimson Fox appeared behind her, staring menacingly at their enemy as the swirling vortex of blue and orange grew around them.

"The wise and wily predator! The beautiful, wild beast dancing under the moonlight! Swarm in the vortex of the moon's gravity and revive with a new power! Fusion Summon! Come forth, Lunalight Panther Dancer!"

A new creature backflipped out of the vortex and over Serena, landing on Kaleido Chick's old Monster Zone. Lunalight Panther Dancer stood tall and bared its sharp claws at the enemy. (ATK 2800 → 2500)

"You're in for it now, Manjome Thunder!" Serena exclaimed confidently. "I'm going to destroy everything you hold dear."

"Wait..." Yuri said again.

"What is it, Yuri?" Serena asked.

"I got it..."

"What? You got what?"

"Thunder Pussy."

"I activate Panther Dancer's effect: it can attack each monster my opponent controls, twice, but the first time they're attacked, they aren't destroyed."

Manjome raised an eyebrow. "So you can destroy by Bishops and free your Spell/Trap Zones up? Your best efforts still won't be good enough to beat me."

"Battle! Panther Dancer attacks one of your Ojama Tokens!"

Panther Dancer leapt across the field. It pounced on the blue Ojama Token, forcing it to the ground. Although this attack wasn't enough to destroy it, a claw to the face was.

"When Lunalight Panther Dancer destroys a monster, it gains 200 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase." (ATK 2500 → 2700)

The second Ojama Token was sweating now. It could feel Panther Dancer eyeing it. But as it tried to run to its master, it was jumped and clawed. Another scratch to its back was able to destroy it. (ATK 2700 → 2900)

"Panther Dancer, rip apart his Neojama Bishop!"

Both of the Bishops were sweating. They turned to each other and started to whimper, wondering which one of them would be destroyed. Just as they were about to hug each other one final time, Panther Dancer pounced on one and attacked. (Manjome: 4000 → 3500)

Panther Dancer sat on top of the panicking Bishop. The other Bishop desperately swung its staff in the air, trying to grab the enemy monster's attention. But Panther ignored it, instead opting to jam sharp claws into the second Ojama's face, destroying it. (Manjome: 3500 → 3000) (ATK 2900 → 3100)

"This girl's brutal," said one of the Blue boys.

"Again!" Serena called.

The second Bishop stopped waving its wand and started to run across the field. But Panther Dancer ran forward and ran its long nails through the monster's chest. (Manjome: 3000 → 2300)

Another nail through the head would spell the end of Neojama Bishop. The Blues watched in horror (and Yuri, with glee) as the attack pierced through the monster. The Bishop fell to the ground and shattered. (Manjome: 2300 → 1600) (ATK 3100 → 3300)

"Now for the king," Serena said.

"No..." Manjome muttered.

"... Yes!" Yuri exclaimed.

Neojama King let out a sharp yell. It held out his four arms in front of its torso, trying to avoid a direct hit. But a kick to the crown forced the monster to its knees. (Manjome: 1600 → 1300)

Neojama knelt on the ground, staring at its fallen crown. It shattered. Tears were falling from the king's eyes. It let out a sad, mournful sob for its accessory, before the neck attack shattered it, as well. (Manjome: 1300 → 1000) (ATK 3300 → 3500)

By now, all of the Red X's were cleared from Serena's side of the field. Manjome's oppressive influence was gone, and Serena was finally free to do as she pleased.

"I... I can still win this..." Manjome grunted. "On my next turn, I-"

"There won't be another turn!" Serena declared.

Manjome and his cronies all gasped. Yuri looked on with an excited egao on his face. Serena was sporting a proud, fierce egao of her own.

Serena pulled a card from her hand and presented it to everyone. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion!"

Lunalight Panther Dancer's body started to wobble and contort. Its body was engulfed in a swirling light of blue and orange. The body split into two, smaller forms: Lunalights Kaleido Chick (ATK 1400) and Crimson Fox. (ATK 1800)

"No!" screamed the minions.

"Do it!" Yuri screamed excitedly.

"My monsters attack directly!" Serena announced. "Gotcha, Manjome!"

Manjome's hands grabbed the sides of his head. He could only watch and shout out, accusing Serena of cheating. Kaleido punched him in the forehead, knocking him to the ground. Crimson Fox finished him off by bringing its foot down on his stomach.

(Manjome: 1000 → 0)

Manjome was on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. The mushroom houses were disappearing as the Solid Vision was shutting down. All that's left was him and his own failure.

Meanwhile, Serena and Yuri got together and started talking. Manjome could hear Yuri excitedly tell Serena how impressed he was with the fight.

"You were great, Thunder Pussy," Yuri told her.

"Don't call me that," Serena responded. "Don't ever call me that."

"Eh? But you earned the nickname! You utterly destroyed your opponent, and you horribly mutilated all of those deformed Ojama monsters."

"It was pretty satisfying," she admitted.

Manjome held up his hand, waiting for his followers to help him up. But after a moment, he could see his friends walk on by and head towards Serena. They were flocking towards her, praising her for her utter skill and expertise.

Anger was running through Manjome's veins now. Those jerks saw him on the floor, but they didn't even help him?

"Hey, idiots!" he called out. "Aren't you going to help me?"

He could hear footsteps approach him. But to his surprise, it was Serena and Yuri who walked up to him. The duo stared down at him, with Yuri held out his hand to the other boy.

"What do you two want?" Manjome groaned. "I'm going to kick your ass in a rematch, kid! You just got lucky this time."

"Whatever," Serena scoffed. "I'll take you up on that rematch, if we both agree to play it cool."

Yuri nodded. "We're all great duelists; we should be treating each other with respect."

Manjome grumbled. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he had to agree with Yuri. Serena was skilled; she'd have to have been if she beat Manjome Thunder.

He held his hand in front of Yuri's, reaching out to grab his hand. But then Yuri pulled his hand away.

"Psyche!" Yuri said. "Like I'd help you!"

Yuri let out a long, howling cackle. After a second of hesitation and thought, Manjome's former friends joined in on the laughter. Manjome and Serena just looked on at them in absolute shock.

"That's not funny, Yuri!" Serena lied.

"I mean, it was pretty funny," said Asuka.

Asuka had appeared on the scene, walking down the hallway. A wicked grin on her face, she clapped for Serena as she moved closer. She stepped right on Manjome on her way over to Serena.

"Asuka?" Serena wondered.

"Th-the queen of Obelisk Blue..." Manjome said under his breath.

"I was looking for you, Serena," Asuka told her.

"What do you need?" Serena responded. "If this is about class, I'm not going back right now."

"No, it's not about that," Asuka responded. "I need you to come with me. The Chancellor wanted to talk to you about something. Alone."

Serena looked to Yuri. He just gave her a shrug.

"Alright, Asuka," Serena said. "Lead the way."

Asuka smiled. She turned her back to Serena and started walking down the hallway. Serena followed her, while the two Blue minions started talking to Yuri about something. Manjome was still on the floor, looking up at the ceiling.

Shame no one noticed the parasite in Asuka's ear.

A/N: Since legacy characters generally get a deck overhaul, I thought it would be good to give Manjome's deck one. I wanted it to stand out as a deck, so I built on the field-blocking strategy. The end result is an archetype that would be impractical and mediocre in real life, but very powerful in a fictional setting.

Manjome's a jerk in this fic. Unlike his GX counterpart, he never had the losses and experiences that would shape his character and movehim forward. He does use Ojamas, but they were a deck he had from he start. Hopefully now, he'll start the journey to improvement.

Next time: Parasites!