As promised, Sakuya prepares for a rematch with Yumi using all her strength. Can Yumi keep up with her newfound skill, and how will the result change things between them?
It was hard to imagine just how much things had changed over the course of a single summer. Ever since the death of her mother, Sakuya had felt almost entirely alone in the world. Whether by her own choices or the choices of those around her, she'd gone years without feeling any sort of real connection or tenderness with another person.
Then Yumi came into her life. Somehow this girl had completely transformed her outlook on life as well as her situation. She felt happy – truly happy – for the first time in years. Even her relationship with her father looked to be about to change for the better. Though she wouldn't allow herself to believe confronting him about his drinking the night before would lead to a permanent change, there was still a spark of hope she'd never dreamed could exist.
Checking the cards in her deck one final time, she headed for the door. Sharing a somewhat tense smile with her father (progress in and of itself), she headed towards the park. Towards the duel. Toward Yumi.
By the time she arrived, Yumi was already there. Kazuhiko and Hideo, too. It was kind of funny to watch the other children swarm them, desperately trying to get Yumi's autograph or try to duel her. She wasn't exactly unpopular around here before her tournament win, but it was nothing like it was now.
"Congratulations!" Miyuki greeted her, Michiko nodding enthusiastically beside her. "Your apprentice actually managed to make something of herself. You must have worked extra hard to change her into someone presentable."
"Thanks, I guess," she said, looking straight ahead towards Yumi. "I have some business to take care of right now. We can talk later." As Sakuya advanced, the two accepted their place and resigned themselves to watching. It seemed like that's all they did anymore.
Yumi took notice of her friend as she came closer, but was stopped in place mid-hug attempt when she raised a hand. "You've come far over the last few months," Sakuya said with an almost threatening level of seriousness. "But despite all that, I can tell you're still weak."
This statement shocked everyone. Despite her cold public persona, the kids at the park had all more or less understood Yumi was someone special to their tyrannical leader, so to hear her talk so brusquely towards her again was more than a bit surprising.
"What're you saying all that for?" Kazuhiko asked her with a scowl. The fact that she was suspiciously out of character hadn't yet hit him, so he naturally assumed the worst and figured she'd just decided to put Yumi down for no reason.
"You heard me," she said, not bothering to look at him. "She's weak. Even if she can defeat the likes of you, there's nothing special about winning one tournament." Her lips formed into a haughty smile. "Now, if she were to defeat me, then I'd have to admit I was impressed. But I think we all know that could never happen."
Quickly realizing what was going on, Yumi started to laugh. Pointing confidently at Sakuya, she declared, "I'll show you just how strong I've become. We're going to have a real rematch right here!"
She chuckled, digging her duel disk out of her bag. "Fine. I'll indulge this foolishness one final time. Unlike before, though, I'll use all my strength to crush you."
"That's all I wanted," she replied, activating her brand new disk for her very first duel with it. "Let's finally settle this once and for all."
"Agreed." Sakuya activated her duel disk in turn, taking a position across from Yumi as a crowd gathered. Decks shuffled, they drew their opening hands. "Duel!"
Sakuya took the first move, scanning her hand and considering what her options were. She intended to make good on her promise and not hold back in this duel. "I'll start by summoning Wiener Dragon, using its effect to add a second copy to my hand from my deck."
As quickly as it appeared, though, her dragon was set to leave the field. "Now I activate the Magic Card Fusion, merging the Wiener Dragon on my field with the Chow Chow Dragon in my hand." The familiar vortex swirled behind her as the dragon on the field was pulled into it along with a much larger and fluffier one from her hand.
"Dragon with eyes full of despair, let go of your sorrow in a roar that shakes the heavens! Fusion Summon, Level 8! Sad-Eyes Hound Dragon!" As she pulled her hands down, the monster appeared on the field and landed behind her with a thud.
"You're really going all out today," Yumi said with a confident smile, surprised to see her put so much effort into playing the game.
Sakuya looked down her nose at Yumi, setting a card to end her turn. "If you can't overcome this much, then it was a waste to train you. Show me what you'll do now."
"I'll do more than just show you. My turn, draw!" Taking a card from the top of her deck, she let out an exaggerated sigh. "Or maybe not," she said with a shrug, pretending to be disappointed with what she'd gotten. Ever since the end of the tournament, she'd been trying to practice her acting and performance more. Hyping up the crowd was almost as fun as dueling, so her skills with one had to keep pace with her skills in the other from now on.
"I'll just set a monster, then. And, hmm..." She tapped her chin. "This should do it. I'll set three more cards and end my turn." Even just seeing the backs of her cards, Yumi could already tell just how staggering the improvements were to her new duel disk. Everything was so crisp and vibrant. None of the occasional visual glitches, either, and all the buttons were responsive and easy to use.
"Disappointing," Sakuya said with a frown, drawing a card. "I'll summon another Wiener Dragon, using its effect to add the third copy to my hand." After doing so, she moved to the Battle Phase. "Sad-Eyes, destroy her monster!" Just as she ordered, Yumi's monster was completely blown away by the dragon's attack.
Even so, she was far from unhappy about it. "Since you just destroyed it, I get to activate my Critter's effect. Let's see..." Instinct told her to reach for her deck and manually sift through it, but the fancy new touch screen was far too alluring to pass up. "I'll go with...Crane Crane!" Tapping the card on the screen, it was automatically ejected for her to take, the deck shuffling on its own after it had been retrieved.
"Add all the weak monsters to your hand you want, they won't protect you. Wiener Dragon attacks directly! And since it declared an attack, its ATK will increase by 100 for each dragon in my Graveyard." In total, Yumi took 1900 points of direct damage, dropping her once untouched Life Points to 2100. "Is that all you learned these last few months? How to eat a hit?"
"I wonder about that," she said with a smirk.
Sakuya scoffed. "Fine then. I'll activate my Magic Card, Begging. By releasing Wiener Dragon on my field, I can take a Magic or Trap Card from your hand and add it to mine."
"Looks like you walked into that one," Yumi said, activating a card on her field. "Trap Card, Friendly Fire!" Several members of the audience gasped, legitimately shocked that Sakuya had seemingly overlooked such an obvious set up with no counters. Attacking brazenly was one thing, but this proved she had no plans to stop Yumi's cards should they turn out to be anything of substance.
"When you can activate a card effect, Friendly Fire lets me destroy any other card on your field." Sakuya's dragon let out a weak roar as Yumi pointed towards it triumphantly. "That's the card I'll be taking down, Sad-Eyes!" Her Trap glowed, firing several shots of red energy out of its picture that impacted the dragon and blasted it to pieces.
Sakuya waved an arm to clear the dust, saving any kind of congratulatory words for later. "Then without further interruption, my card will resolve." The two walked towards each other, Yumi smiling at her as she exposed her hand. Trying her best not to break character, Sakuya grabbed the only option among them (Expert Heart) and returned to her side of the field.
"Since Sad-Eyes has left the field, I'll get to use its effect. I'll add my first Wiener Dragon and Chow Chow Dragon back to my hand." The cards ejected from her Graveyard. "Next, I'll show you just how fruitless your flailing truly is. I activate Gospel of Revival!"
A shimmering statue of a Sad-Eyes from seemingly millennia ago rose from the ground. "With this, I can summon a Level 7 or 8 Dragon-Type monster from my Graveyard. Return to my field, Sad-Eyes!" Suddenly, the statue began to move as if it was breathing. With a flash of light, it transformed back into the original dragon it was based on. "And that ends my turn."
Yumi couldn't help but start to laugh. "You're amazing," she said with a shake of her head. "It's like you planned everything three turns ahead. None of my cards even worked on you. Even after this long, I still don't think I've ever dueled someone as strong as you."
Fighting back a blush, she looked off to the side and crossed her arms. "I-if you're surrendering, then just go ahead and do it. I don't have time for praise from someone like you."
"Why's she being like this?" Kazuhiko asked to Hideo. "Did they have a fight we don't know about, or something?" Hideo informed him they'd made some kind of plans to duel without holding back a little after the end of the tournament, figuring this was part of the performance. "I guess that explains it. So she's just acting like an asshole again? Miss Yumi seems into it, so I'm not going to put a stop to it."
Yumi began her turn, activating the card she drew immediately. "It's time to turn things around with Pot of Greed! This card lets me draw two more cards from my deck." Taking her cards, Yumi smiled. "I'll set two more cards, then summon my Rusty Swordsman in Attack Mode!"
As her monster appeared on the field, she ended her turn. "I draw," Sakuya declared. "Your plan is obvious, but I'll indulge you. Use whatever traps you want; it won't matter." The first play Sakuya made was summoning Wiener Dragon once more. Then, however, she used something entirely different.
"I pay 1000 Life Points to activate the card Dog Mill." This rather grizzly card featured a number of dogs stuffed as comically as possible into a single miniature cage. "By targeting a monster on my field that's both a Dragon and a Beast, I can summon this card as a new monster with its same Level." The cage from the picture appeared on Sakuya's field, the dogs barking and trying to escape their prison.
"That's only the beginning, though. If I were to use Dog Mill for the summon of a monster in my Extra Deck, it can be counted as two materials with the same Level instead of just one." This explanation naturally preceded the announcement that she would be summoning a new monster.
"I overlay my Level 4 Wiener Dragon with my Level 4 Dog Mill counting as two monsters." The two monsters transformed into orbs of light and flew into the galaxy forming overhead, Dog Mill splitting off into two at the last moment. "Eyes brimming with hope, descend and tear through your enemies with relentless passion! Xyz Summon, Rank 4! Shiny-Eyes Dingo Dragon!"
A lengthy dragon covered in immaculate white fur appeared on Sakuya's field, flapping two sets of wings and standing tall on four lanky legs. Two yellow orbs circled its body as it awaited its orders. "I knew it!" Yumi shouted while hopping up and down. "I knew you could Xyz Summon, too! That's why you taught me so well and had those cards extra for me!"
Sakuya only smiled, proceeding with her turn. "Once per turn, I'm allowed to attach a monster from my Graveyard to Shiny-Eyes. I'll choose another Wiener Dragon." A third sphere joined the first two in their orbit as she said this. "Now that that's finished, I'll move to my Battle Phase. Sad-Eyes, attack!"
Despite the twin beams of energy racing towards her monster, Yumi seemed unfazed. In fact, she seemed quite pleased with herself, the reason why soon becoming clear. "First, I activate Emissaries of Reconciliation, which means I won't be taking any battle damage this turn and Rusty Swordsman will get to stay on the field. Then, I'll use my other Trap Card, Unbreakable Spirit!"
"Hey, that's the card she used to kick my ass in our first duel," Kazuhiko said on the sidelines. "Not sure why she's using both cards, but go for it!"
"When I only control one monster, it gains ATK equal to the lowest ATK on your field until the end of the turn. Since your Shiny-Eyes has the lowest, Rusty Swordsman will go up to 4000 ATK while battling Sad-Eyes!"
"If that's the case, then I'll use Sad-Eyes' effect to lower your monster's ATK by 1000 until the end of the turn." Now both monsters matched at 3000 ATK.
"She planned for that!" someone in the crowd shouted as they began to realize the extent of Yumi's forethought. It had been her intention all along to have Sad-Eyes use its effect, matching the two monsters' ATK and using her first Trap to prevent the swordsman's destruction. She protected herself from another direct attack through this plan, as well, making for a nearly ironclad defense.
The two monsters clashed, Rusty Swordsman beating the odds and deflecting Sad-Eyes' blasts into the sky. As it began to redirect the beams towards the attacker itself, Sakuya raised her hand. "If my monster would be destroyed, I can banish Gospel of Revival in my Graveyard to stop it from happening." Though the attack made contact with its user, a shimmering turquoise aura protected the monster entirely.
Ultimately, their scrap had been entirely pointless. For the monsters at least, though for the players, Yumi had taken a heavy blow to resources attempting a plan that simply didn't work out. Even so, she wasn't planning to surrender any time soon.
"Since you avoided damage by battle, I'll just have to do this." Shiny-Eyes began to roar, all three of its materials flying into its mouth before it chomped down on them. "By detaching at least three Overlay Units from Shiny-Eyes Dingo Dragon, I can inflict 300 damage to you for each one."
Another blast of energy came from one of Sakuya's dragons, this one headed straight for Yumi and her Life Points. She was prepared for this too, however, as the white light was captured inside a dark circle that appeared to block Yumi from the damage, neutralizing it entirely. "Too bad. I use my Trap Card, Majesty Eclipse, to negate all the effect damage I take this turn, too."
"That was almost impressive," Sakuya said, a small smile appearing on her lips. "Even so, you won't win. I'll end my turn here."
"No matter what it takes, I'm going to beat you this time! And I have a feeling the next card I draw is going to help me do just that." She'd started to become good at predicting when her deck would give her something to help a reversal, and this was no exception. Yumi began by summoning Crane Crane from earlier, reviving Critter before making her move. "Xyz Summon, Rank 3! Gurensaurus!"
The dinosaur appeared on the field, flames spewing from it excitedly. "Remember when you gave this card to me? I thought it would be appropriate if I showed you how far I've come by using it to help me beat you."
"That's a confident statement about a monster that can't overcome either of my dragons."
"We'll see if you still think that when I use this!" Yumi placed her newest card onto the field. "Equip Magic, Power of Unity! With this equipped, Gurensaurus gains 800 ATK for every face-up monster I have." Now at 3600, her dinosaur rushed forward to attack Shiny-Eyes.
"Sad-Eyes, use your effect!" Sakuya declared, Gurensaurus being hit with two blasts of energy in the side mid-charge. Though it stumbled, it continued onward to bite into its target's neck, ripping it apart and doing only 100 damage.
"Since Gurensaurus just did damage," Yumi began, "I can detach an Overlay Unit to inflict 1000 more to you." Removing Critter, Sakuya's total loss put her at 1900 Life Points.
Undeterred, Sakuya activated a Trap. "When one of my Beast-Type monsters is destroyed, all my others on the field gain its ATK until the end of my turn."
Yumi wagged her finger in response. "I'm not done yet, but having that out of the way will definitely make things easier for me later. I activate the Instant Magic Order to Charge! When I use this, I pick a Normal Monster to release in order to destroy one of your monsters."
The choices were obvious, Rusty Swordsman taking on a white glow before charging into Sad-Eyes. Both monsters were subsequently destroyed, leaving Sakuya with an empty field and Yumi beaming with pride. "I'll let you have your turn now."
"You'll realize it was a mistake not to figure out how to beat me right there," Sakuya said as she began her turn. "I won't forgive any second chances." She took a monster from her hand and summoned it, declaring, "I use my Tuner monster, Pit Biter." A pit bull-like creature appeared, standing on two legs and howling through a steel muzzle.
"That's my thing!" Kazuhiko shouted, shaking his fist like a disgruntled old man.
She ignored him and proceeded. "When I Synchro Summon with Pit Biter, I can only use one other monster. A Dragon-Type in my hand, just like Wiener Dragon." She flipped the card around to confirm. "I'm tuning my Level 2 Tuner monster, Pit Biter, with my Level 4 non-Tuner monster, Wiener Dragon! Stern eyes of harsh silver, rip your enemies asunder without concern! Synchro Summon, Level 6! Cold-Eyes Dhole Dragon!"
Sakuya's newest monster graced the field, a lithe brown dragon with two slim wings and an unexpectedly friendly face despite its unfeeling and vaguely threatening eyes. "When I Synchro Summon Cold-Eyes, I can send a dragon from my deck to the Graveyard to make one of your monsters lose 200 ATK equal to its Level."
Her selection was Terrier Dragon, a 6 star monster. Because of that, Gurensaurus' 2800 ATK fell to 1600, more than palatable for the Synchro Monster. "Now attack! Jet Stream of Destruction!" The dragon soared into the sky, tilting back its head before releasing a whirlwind of blue and green energy that cut straight through Yumi's dinosaur.
"I end my turn," Sakuya declared after, Yumi's Life Points now at 1700. Despite how dire things seemed, she couldn't help but feel excited. Finally getting to face Sakuya's true strength while she used three different summoning methods was a dream come true (literally, considering she'd dreamed about this kind of scenario more than once).
"I'll draw!" she declared, forced to bet the rest of the duel on a single card. "Looks like I've still got another turn in me," she said, revealing her card to be Common Fusion. The crowd began to cheer for her, having grown significantly larger than when they first started. Not just children but several adults had come to watch, either because they recognized her from her tournament win or to simply see what all the commotion was about.
"This situation calls for something a little stronger than what I usually summon, so this time I'm going to be fusing Invader from Another Dimension and Djinn of the Lamp from my deck. Fusion Summon, Level 6! Soul Hunter!" The nightmarish creature appeared on the field, its mount letting out a roar. "With 2200 ATK, it's just strong enough to win against your Cold-Eyes."
She was correct in saying that, Soul Hunter cutting through the dragon with a single swipe of its scythe. Sakuya and Yumi now had the same number of Life Points remaining, the tide having turned rather quickly. "Your turn," Yumi said.
Sakuya couldn't help but laugh. A small chuckle, but a laugh all the same. "You never give up even in the worst situations," she said. "Let's see just how far I have to push you to win, then!" After drawing a card, she activated it. "I play Hand Obliteration, meaning we both discard out entire hands and draw the same number we had before. Unfortunately for you, I'm the only one with cards right now."
Tossing Expert Heart back to its owner...expertly, Sakuya discarded Chow Chow Dragon and added two new cards to her hand. With a frown, she set one of them and summoned the other. "I'll play Sharpei Wyvern and end my turn."
Despite her instincts telling her to rush in, Yumi knew better than to simply attack. Sakuya didn't make mistakes, so there had to be a reason to summon such a weak monster in Attack Position. The obvious answer was her set card, though exactly what it would do wasn't clear.
The possibility of it simply being a feint also crossed her mind. Real or fake, though, it was better to hang back this turn. "I'll play Arms Hole," she declared, sending the Justi-Break on top of her deck to the Graveyard in order to search out Rusty Sword. Though losing that Trap Card was rather unfortunate, it would likely be worth it in the long run. "I guess I end my turn."
"I draw, then." Setting her newest card, Sakuya smiled. "Your instincts were impressive. If you'd attacked, you wouldn't be able to last the turn. I activate Castle of Dragon Souls!" Yumi was expressly familiar with that card given that it was the one that beat her the first time the two of them had dueled.
"I'll attack with Sharpei Wyvern, then use my card's effect." The decrepit tower that had erected itself behind Sakuya began to hum with an otherworldly energy. "By banishing Sad-Eyes Hound Dragon in my Graveyard, I can increase Sharpei Wyvern's ATK by 700 until the end of the turn." The departed soul of her Fusion Monster traveled out of an opening in the castle, empowering her attacking dragon just enough to match with Soul Hunter.
It was mutual destruction, both monsters exploding once they clashed. Fortunately for Sakuya, this activated the wyvern's effect, letting her add Wiener Dragon back to her hand. "I'll summon it after that," she declared, her poorly named monster making another reappearance this duel. "I end my turn."
"You always make the best use of all your resources," Yumi said as she began her turn. "I can really tell I've still got a lot to learn when you do that. You take all this time to plan stuff, but whenever I'm in a pinch, I just have luck to fall back on."
"Is that your way of saying you got a dead draw?" she asked with a sly smile.
Yumi was silent for a moment, though she couldn't hold it for much longer due to her own impatience. "Not yet! I'm summoning Scaredy Lion, then equipping it with Rusty Sword!" The cowardly monster materialized on the field, nearly pulled to the ground by the weight of the weapon it was forced to hold. "Now battle! Scaredy Lion attack your dragon!"
Since Wiener Dragon wasn't the one declaring an attack, it wouldn't be able to gain anything from its effect. Even so, Sakuya was unconcerned. "I'll banish Pit Biter in order to activate my Castle's effect," she declared, her monster's ATK raised to 2400, making it 100 higher than Yumi's.
"That's not going to work this time. With Rusty Sword's effect, I can have Scaredy Lion gain 500 ATK by paying the same number of Life Points." Despite its terrified screaming, Scaredy Lion continued to charge forward, swinging the sword with 2800 ATK and cleaving Wiener Dragon in half.
"How was that?" Yumi asked with a grin. "Can't use your Trap Card to boost ATK if there's no monsters left for you to attack with. I'll end my turn."
Their Life was nearly the same now, 1200 and 1300 in Sakuya's favor. Drawing a card, she had to admit she'd found herself in a fairly precarious position. "You've actually managed to corner me," she said. "I'll give you a little credit for that, but that's all. I summon Boxer Lizard and attack!"
Her monster appeared on the field, making a few jabs at the air before launching forward towards Yumi's lion. "I'm using my Castle's effect to banish Terrier Dragon, meaning our monsters have the same ATK." They clashed in the middle of the field, Scaredy Lion slashing into Boxer Lizard's side as it landed a straight punch into its nose.
Sakuya ended her turn as the dust settled, the only card left on the field with the potential to make any drastic changes being her one face-down. Yumi seemed poised to change that, though, as her next card completely changed the gamestate on its head. "I activate Treasure Cards from the Heavens, which lets us both draw six new cards."
"It's pretty risky to reset things like that," Sakuya said, secretly feeling a bit of pride to see Yumi use the card she gave her once again. "Neither of us have a hand, so we'll both get the full effect."
"If there's no risk involved, then where's the fun?" Sakuya finally laughed heartily, drawing her cards in time with Yumi. "See? That risk just opened a path for me to win." She placed a Magic Card into her duel disk. "I'll activated Unexpected Guy! When I don't have any monsters on my field, I can summon a Level 4 or below Normal Monster from my deck."
Wallrus appeared on the field, though it wouldn't stay there for long. "Now, I'll release Wallrus and use it to Advance Summon!"
It was obvious what came next. "Yeah, do it!" Kazuhiko cheered. "You can win!" The rest of the crowd joined in, predicting Yumi's favorite card.
"It's time to bring out the real star of the show! Let's go, Majesty Magician!" The monster shot down in a beam of light towards the ground, standing up from a kneeling position and tossing its cane into the air for dramatic effect. Expertly catching it, it twirled it around and did a spin before bowing to Sakuya.
"And now I'll equip my magician with this card, Golden Fiddle!" The instrument itself materialized in Majesty Magician's hand, its cane turning into a bow to play with. At the same time, Yumi discarded something. "Since I just used an Equip Card, I can activate Komboriboh next, letting me put Rusty Sword back in my hand and activate it!"
With another twirl, Majesty Magician's violin merged with the bow, transforming into an enormous golden sword. With a total ATK of 6100, victory seemed assured. "You're just showing off now," Sakuya said with a smile. She'd started to enjoy herself too much to stick to her old persona.
"When things end, you want to go out with a bang, right? Majesty Magician, direct attack! Harmony Cutter!" Raising the sword into the air, it started to hum a single, silky note. Slashing into the ground, a shockwave tore through the field headed towards Sakuya.
An explosion rocked the park as the attack impacted. The crowd held their breath, as did Yumi, while they waited to see whether or not the damage took. "I told you there was risk," Sakuya said, the view opening up to reveal Rottwyvern with its ATK and DEF lowered by 500. "When I'm attacked directly, I can summon this card from my hand, then lower its ATK and DEF to prevent destruction."
With a sigh, Yumi kicked at the dirt. "I thought I had you that time." To end her turn, she set a card, then activated Supremacy Berry to regain 2000 Life Points. Regardless of being stopped, it still seemed like Yumi had the upper hand. How long would that last, though?
"Draw!" Sakuya declared, playing a Magic Card shortly after. "Sorry, but your over extension turned out to be a waste. Heavy Storm!" A tornado appeared in the middle of the field, sucking up Majesty Magician's equipment as well as pulling Sakuya's Castle into it brick by brick. Additionally, her set Trap, Beast Riser, was blown away, seemingly having been a wash the whole time.
"Majesty Guard, activate!" At the last moment, Yumi's Trap went off. Whether or not it would be necessary remained to be seen, but there was no reason to let it go to waste. If Sakuya was planning something to turn the duel around, it would at least guarantee Majesty Magician would get to stick around for another turn.
A huge amount of spectral energy came flooding onto the field shortly after that, seemingly beginning to take shape into a monster. "When my Castle of Dragon Souls is sent to the Graveyard, I get to summon one of my banished Dragon-Type monsters back to my field. Return to me, Sad-Eyes Hound Dragon!"
The spirit took the shape of Sakuya's dragon, eventually solidifying until it reappeared on the field in all its glory. "I'm far from finished, though. Now, I summon Beagle Drake from my hand, and use its effect to summon Cold-Eyes Dhole Dragon from the Graveyard!"
The shrimpy, wingless dragon appeared on the field, its floppy ears hiding the true danger of its abilities. Beside it was Cold-Eyes, revived from the dead in Attack Position without an effect and 0 ATK or DEF. "Additionally, if I don't use Beagle Drake to Synchro Summon by the end of this turn, I'll take 2000 damage and lose the duel."
Avoiding that consequence immediately, Sakuya quickly began to summon another monster from her Extra Deck. "Now, I'm tuning my Level 2 Tuner monster, Beagle Drake, with my Level 6 non-Tuner monster, Cold-Eyes Dhole Dragon. Eyes overflowing with grief, gaze upon this rotten world and exact vengeance for its sins! Synchro Summon, Level 8! Bleary-Eyes Jackal Dragon!"
It was the most impressive dragon yet, stripes of white running up each side of its grey body as it towered over the field. On either side of its head were miniature wings, dwarfed by the two enormous ones on its back. Streams of red tears seemed to fall from its face like a gushing wound, only serving to make it look that much more intimidating as it snarled into a roar.
"And lastly, I'll activate Poison Fang, which means I do an extra 500 points of damage whenever one of my Beast-Type monsters inflicts battle damage to you." Thrusting her arm forward, Sakuya ordered her cards to battle. "Sad-Eyes Hound Dragon, activate your effect and attack!"
Majesty Magician's ATK fell to 1500 as the dragon's beams struck it. Though it withstood the attack, Yumi still took heavy damage. Falling to 2450, she was hit with another 250 for the reduced damage on Poison Fang, leaving her at 2200. "Now, Bleary-Eyes, attack! Bloody Stream of Destruction!" With an unearthly screech, her dragon channeled the twin streams of tears into its mouth before firing them as a singular blast. Yumi took another 1000 damage altogether, though it wasn't over just yet.
"When Bleary-Eyes Jackal Dragon inflicts damage to you, I'm allowed to draw a card once per turn. If it turns out to be a monster, I can attack a second time." Drawing a card, she smirked. "Sharpei Wyvern. I'll attack again!"
Yumi was forced to take another 750 battle damage, banishing Majesty Eclipse from her Graveyard to halve the effect damage from Poison Fang this one time. With 325 Life Points left now, there didn't seem like there would be a better opportunity to use it going forward. "I set one card and end my turn."
"Draw!" Yumi declared. "Your cards are pretty strong. It's going to be tough getting over dragons that big."
"Don't think you'll be able to overcome them with a low Level monster and Equip Cards, either," she told her. "Bleary-Eyes has another effect which cuts the ATK and DEF of any monster with a lower Level or Rank than it by 100 points for each. Your Magician just barely passes the threshold."
"And that's most of my strategies, too," she replied, scratching her head to try and think of a better plan. "Well, in the meantime, I can still do this. I'll equip Majesty Magician with Shield Bash." Its ATK grew by 1000, though it wouldn't be of much use. If Yumi tried to attack either of Sakuya's biggest cards, Sad-Eyes' effect would return Majesty Magician's stats to their original value and destroy it. There was, however, another target available.
"Battle! I attack Rottwyvern with Majesty Magician!" Though it connected, there was little it could do against the dragon's survival effect. With 0 ATK, though, it couldn't survive another hit. Whether or not this did any good was still up in the air. "Turn end."
"If that's all you have left, then this duel is about to end. Draw!" Sakuya began her turn by discarding a Pointer card in her hand to summon another copy of Terrier Dragon, proceeding with her real plan after that. "I equip Rottwyvern with the Magic Card Synchro Hero. With Synchro Hero, Rottwyvern gains 500 ATK and 1 Level."
She now had two Level 6 monsters on the field, though that wasn't all. "Now I activate Call of the Living Dead, reviving Chow Chow Dragon, as well." It was clear what came next. "I overlay my Level 6 Terrier Dragon, Rottwyvern, and Chow Chow Dragon! Eyes of unflinching resolve, rain destruction down upon your enemies! Xyz Summon, Rank 6! Cruel-Eyes Coyote Dragon!"
Letting out a high-pitched howl, the slender scarlet dragon appeared on the field. It lacked limbs, floating in the air with six furred wings attached across its long body. The cruelty reflected in its eyes truly lived up to its name, seemingly imagining destroying Majesty Magician the moment it came to the field. "It's over! Sad-Eyes, use your effect and attack!"
"I don't think so, since I still have Komboriboh!" Sad-Eyes' beam attack was blocked by a collection of furry balls materializing in front of Majesty Magician. "When you attack a monster equipped with something, I can banish it to stop destruction and damage for the rest of the turn."
She smiled, nodding her head. "Then it seems like you've bought yourself one last turn. Will you be able to beat me in that time?"
"We'll let my next card decide that," she replied. They each held their breath as it was drawn, the crowd falling silent to see if Yumi could pull off a miracle. With a smile, Yumi played her card. "I'll equip Majesty Magician with Burning Slugger," she said.
"In exchange for giving up an attack this turn, Majesty Magician can destroy a monster you control and inflict damage equal to its Level, and then I send that many cards from my deck to the Graveyard." It was unclear what the purpose of that would be. None of Sakuya's monsters had a high enough Level or Rank to finish her off. That effect would leave Yumi with close to no cards left, too. The only plan that made sense would be to hope for something that could activate from the Graveyard.
"My target," she said, "is Sad-Eyes Hound Dragon!" Launching a flaming baseball at the dragon, it shattered to pieces, taking 800 Life Points from Sakuya with it. Before destruction, though, it made sure to lower Majesty Magician's ATK down to 2500 again to prevent any kind of shenanigans just to be safe.
Mirror Force, Broken Wand, Butter Fly, Violentist, Armored Block, Trakodon, God's Providence, and Big Bat Knight. Those were the cards eliminated by her own effect. Knowing her deck inside and out, this meant the most valuable card Yumi had left was Resurrection of the Dead. It wouldn't come, though. This was her last turn.
"One last gesture of resistance before I win?" Sakuya asked, her expression softening slightly.
"I wanted to at least destroy Sad-Eyes once and for all," she said. "Majesty Magician wanted revenge for last time, so now we have no regrets."
"I see." They stood in silence after that before Sakuya spoke once more. "I'll begin my turn, then." Drawing a card, she activated it. "I use Pet Cemetery, banishing my three Wiener Dragons in my Graveyard and sending Rottwyvern, Pointer, and Pit Biter from my deck to the Graveyard, letting me summon Feral-Eyes Wolf Dragon from my Extra Deck."
Her monster appeared on the field with little fanfare. The spectators had died down somewhat after any remaining hope for Yumi's victory vanished. Sensing this, she closed her eyes and took a breath, then pulled her goggles down over her eyes. "I'll fight to the very end. Come on!"
With a small laugh, Sakuya smiled. "Fine, then that's how we'll end this. Feral-Eyes, attack Majesty Magician! Primal Inferno!"
The dragon let loose a blast of purple flame from its mouth, swooping in to claw at the wizard as it hid behind its shield. "I banish Armored Block from my Graveyard, which prevents Majesty Magician's destruction once this turn!" As Feral-Eyes approached, the magician slammed into it, destroying it while remaining unscathed.
"In that case, I'll attack with Cruel-Eyes Coyote Dragon! When it has at least two Overlay Units, it gains 200 ATK x your monster's Level while it battles. At Level 8, that means 4400! Torment Stream!" Launching a blast of white light, Majesty Magician and its shield were both pierced through and exploded.
"I won't take any damage from battles with the monster equipped with Shield Bash. I told you I wasn't going down without a fight!" Everyone assembled began to cheer for her. Kazuhiko, Hideo, the kids from the park, and even total strangers. Though they knew the duel was over, they couldn't help but admire her tenacity when faced with certain destruction.
Looking across the field to Sakuya, Yumi smiled. "You have one more monster. Let's finish this."
With a nod, she wiped at the side of her eye. "Then so be it. Bleary-Eyes, attack Yumi directly!" Her dragon reared up, letting out one last roar before sending its attack towards Yumi. As she closed her eyes, the beam connected, sapping away the last of her Life Points in one fell swoop.
Sakuya was the winner, holograms fading from the field. As the crowd clapped, she approached Yumi and held out her hand. "You've gotten better," she said with a smile.
"I've still got a long way before I can beat you, though." She took Sakuya's hand in hers, lifting her goggles up again with the other. "It's going to be a lot of fun getting there with you!" They didn't have much time to celebrate together before Kazuhiko picked both of them up in a hug, both him and Hideo immediately jumping to try and duel the both of them after seeing how far they'd come. Half the crowd had the same reaction, wanting a shot at the two unquestioned queens of the park.
Before she could accept any challenges, though, Sakuya knew there was one last thing she had to do. "Everyone," she began, holding up a hand to quiet them. "I need to make an announcement regarding the future."
She looked to Yumi, smiling briefly before returning to her serious demeanor. "For the past few years, I've frequented this park and commanded absolute authority over all of you. I've realized recently that that time has passed."
Obviously, this was a rather confusing statement to hear. "I no longer have any desire to rule this park. I never did, in fact, but I did it anyway. Starting now, I relinquish my title as strongest in Chiba." There was nearly a solid minute of silence as the group digested her words, unsure at first at how to react.
"Then leave," one boy said. She blinked in response.
"Yeah," another said. "If that's how it is, then just go already." Slowly, the rest began to join in, all calling for Sakuya to simply leave the park.
"Hey, hold on," Kazuhiko said, the first to come to her defense. "Weren't you all kissing her ass before this? What the hell is all this for?"
Michiko scoffed, stepping forward. "None of us actually liked her, you know. We just did what she said because she's strong. If she doesn't want to be strong anymore, then why should we put up with someone that mean?" Others echoed this sentiment, finally airing grievances they'd had for years but were simply too scared or complacent to speak up about.
Slowly, Sakuya nodded. "I see. If that's how everyone feels, then-" She stopped dead in her tracks as Hideo's arm shot out in front of her face to catch a rock someone had thrown at her.
"Just leave!" someone shouted. Kazuhiko immediately started to pick fights, Yumi running to Sakuya's side while Hideo stood guard to deflect any further projectiles. Whether their reaction was justified or not at this point mattered little, as it was clear they wanted nothing to do with her from this point forward.
People actually began to cheer as Sakuya finally walked off, Yumi following close behind her. Kazuhiko and Hideo stayed behind to try and do damage control and prevent a fist fight, respectively. The girls moved down the sidewalk in silence for some time before happening upon the overpass from the day they first met. Heavy handed as it was, they seemed to decide in unison that it was the best place to talk about what had just happened.
"I don't know what that was," Yumi said, shaken to her core at just how spiteful the crowd had turned.
"They have every right to their anger," Sakuya said, following a car with her eyes as it drove down the street below them. "I treated everyone poorly for a while, so it makes sense that they'd turn on me when I no longer had any sort of authority." She chuckled to herself to hide her sadness. "I was actually planning to come clean with all my lies after that, too, but..."
"I guess so, but still. That was just...extreme."
"Not everyone is as forgiving as you, Yumi." She sighed, wringing her hands. "You can still leave, too, if you want. I would understand."
She shook her head. "I don't want to leave. You're being honest now and that's all I asked for." She scratched her head. "I just didn't think it would turn out like this."
"Maybe it's for the best," Sakuya said. "I had this coming, and now they can all go about their lives without me ruining their fun. And, I guess...maybe I can start figuring myself out a little better, too. I know I don't want to be a dictator or a pro duelist, but I don't know what I do want to be."
Yumi thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe you could start by just being my friend." She broke quickly after that and had to laugh. "Sorry, that sounded really weird."
Sakuya shook her head with a smile, taking Yumi's hand. "That sounds pretty nice. I think it's a good place to start." They sat together and looked out at the horizon, processing the events of the day and knowing it would be the last they'd share for a while. "Do you think Kazuhiko's punched anyone yet?"
"I hope not," Yumi said with a sigh. "By the way, what's a dhole?"
"A kind of wild dog from the south of the mainland."
"They must be super cute based on your card!" It seemed like things were about to change again, and neither could be sure whether it was for the better this time. Good or bad, though, they'd see it through together.
Cards Used in Order of Appearance
Wiener Dragon
FIRE
Level 4
Dragon/Effect
1700 ATK/1200 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. When this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 "Wiener Dragon" from your Deck to your hand. While attacking, this card gains 100 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster in your Graveyard.
Fusion (Polymerization)
Normal Spell Card
Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or side of the field as Fusion Materials.
Chow Chow Dragon
WIND
Level 6
Dragon/Effect
900 ATK/2500 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. You can Tribute Summon this card in face-up Defense Position. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can discard 1 Dragon-Type monster from your hand; this card gains DEF equal to that card's level x 100 until the End Phase.
Sad-Eyes Hound Dragon
EARTH
Level 8
Dragon/Fusion/Effect
3000 ATK/2500 DEF
1 Level 6 or higher Dragon-Type monster + 1 Level 5 or lower Beast-Type monster
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can target 1 face-up monster on the field; it loses 1000 ATK until the End Phase. If this Fusion Summoned card is sent to the Graveyard: You can add both cards used as Fusion Material to your hand.
Critter (Sangan)
DARK
Level 3
Fiend/Effect
1000 ATK/ 600 DEF
When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: Add 1 monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck to your hand.
Crane Crane
EARTH
Level 3
Winged Beast/Effect
300 ATK/900 DEF
When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 Level 3 monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target, but its effects are negated. You can only use this effect of "Crane Crane" once per turn.
Begging
Normal Spell Card
Tribute 1 monster that is both Dragon-Type and Beast-Type; add 1 Spell or Trap card from your opponent's hand to your hand.
Friendly Fire (Bad Aim)
Normal Trap Card
When your opponent's card or effect is activated: Target 1 card on the field (other than that card); destroy it.
Expert Heart
Equip Spell
You can only equip this card to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF. The equipped monster gains these effects: Cannot be destroyed by battle once per turn. When you take damage from an attack involving this card: This card gains ATK and DEF equal to the damage you took.
Rusty Swordsman
EARTH
Level 4
Warrior
1500 ATK/1000 DEF
Gospel of Revival (Return of the Dragon Lords)
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 Level 7 or 8 Dragon-Type monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it. If a Dragon-Type monster(s) you control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can banish this card from your Graveyard instead.
Pot of Greed
Normal Spell Card
Draw 2 cards.
Rusty Swordsman
EARTH
Level 4
Warrior
1500 ATK/1000 DEF
Dog Mill
Continuous Spell Card
Activate by paying 1000 Life Points and targeting 1 monster you control that is both Dragon-Type and Beast-Type. Special Summon this card in Attack Position; it is treated as an Effect Monster with the same Level as the target (Beast-Type/EARTH/ATK 0/DEF 0). (This card is still treated as a Spell Card.) This card is also treated as a Dragon-Type while on the field. If used for the Special Summon of a Dragon-Type Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monster, this card can be used as 2 materials with the same Level.
Shiny-Eyes Dingo Dragon
LIGHT
Rank 4
Dragon/Xyz/Effect
2500 ATK/1500 DEF
3 Level 4 monsters that are both Dragon-Type and Beast-Type
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. You can target 1 monster in your Graveyard that is both Dragon-Type and Beast-Type; attach it to this card as an Xyz Material. You can detach any number of Xyz Material from this card (minimum 3) to inflict 300 damage x the number detached. You can only use each effect of "Shiny-Eyes Dingo Dragon" once per turn. If this face-up card would be destroyed, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card instead.
Emissaries of Reconciliation (Waboku)
Normal Trap Card
You take no battle damage from your opponent's monsters this turn. Your monsters cannot be destroyed by battle this turn.
Unbreakable Spirit
Normal Trap Card
If you control only 1 face-up monster: Target that monster; until the end of this turn, it gains ATK equal to the ATK of the monster your opponent currently controls with the lowest ATK (your choice, if tied).
Majesty Eclipse
Normal Trap Card
You take no effect damage this turn. During either player's turn, except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; halve one instance of effect damage you take this turn.
Gurensaurus (Grenosaurus)
FIRE
Rank 3
Dinosaur/Xyz/Effect
2000 ATK/1900 DEF
2 Level 3 monsters
When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.
Power of Unity (United We Stand)
Equip Spell Card
The equipped monster gains 800 ATK and DEF for each face-up monster you control.
Beast Unleashed
Normal Trap Card
Activate only when a Beast-Type monster on your side of the field is destroyed while there is another Beast-Type monster on your side of the field. All face-up Beast-Type monsters on your side of the field gain ATK equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster, until the end of your next turn. Any Battle Damage inflicted to your opponent during your turn is halved.
Order to Charge
Quick-Play Spell Card
Select 1 face-up Normal Monster (except a Token) on your side of the field when you activate this card. When this card resolves, Tribute the selected Normal Monster and destroy 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field.
Pit Biter
EARTH
Level 2
Dragon/Tuner/Effect
500 ATK/300 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. This card cannot be used as Synchro Material except for the Synchro Summon of a Dragon-Type monster. When using this card as a Synchro Material, the other Synchro Material is 1 Dragon-Type monster in your hand.
Cold-Eyes Dhole Dragon
WIND
Level 6
Dragon/Synchro/Effect
2000 ATK/2000 DEF
1 Beast-Type Tuner + 1 or more Dragon-Type non-Tuner monsters
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. When this card is Synchro Summoned: Send 1 Dragon-Type monster from your Deck to the Graveyard, then target 1 face-up opponent's monster; it loses 200 ATK x the Level of the monster sent by this effect until the End Phase.
Terrier Dragon
EARTH
Level 6
Dragon/Effect
2200 ATK/1200 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. You can Special Summon this card from your hand in Attack Position by discarding 1 Level 5 or lower Dragon-Type monster. If this card is Special Summoned by its own effect: Its original ATK and DEF are halved.
Common Fusion
Normal Spell Card
Fusion Summon 1 non-Effect Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using Normal Monsters from your hand, field, or Deck as Fusion Material. When the card Fusion Summoned by this effect battles an opponent's monster: You can banish this card in your Graveyard; negate that monster's effects and apply its original ATK and DEF when calculating damage until the end of the Battle Phase.
Invader from Another Dimension
DARK
Level 4
Fiend
950 ATK/1400 DEF
Djinn of the Lamp (Lord of the Lamp)
DARK
Level 4
Fiend
1400 ATK/1200 DEF
Soul Hunter
DARK
Level 6
Fiend/Fusion
2200 ATK/1800 DEF
Hand Obliteration (Card Destruction)
Normal Spell Card
Each player discards their entire hand, then draws the same number of cards they discarded.
Sharpei Wyvern
WIND
Level 4
Dragon/Effect
1500 ATK/1000 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: Target 1 Dragon-Type monster in your Graveyard besides "Sharpei Wyvern"; add it to your hand.
Arms Hole (Hidden Armory)
Normal Spell Card
Send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard; add 1 Equip Spell Card from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand. You cannot Normal Summon/Set during the turn you activate this card.
Justi-Break
Normal Trap Card
Activate only when your opponent declares an attack against a face-up Normal Monster you control. Destroy all monsters on the field, except face-up Attack Position Normal Monsters.
Rusty Sword
Equip Spell Card
You can only equip this card to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF. The equipped monster gains these effects: This card's original ATK increases equal to its DEF. When this card attacks, during the Damage Step: You can pay Life Points in multiples of 100 (maximum 500); this card gains ATK equal to that amount.
Castle of Dragon Souls
Continuous Trap Card
Once per turn: You can banish 1 Dragon-Type monster from your Graveyard, then target 1 monster you control; it gains 700 ATK, until the End Phase (even after this card leaves the field or the monster becomes unaffected by card effects). When this face-up card on the field is sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 of your banished Dragon-Type monsters; Special Summon that target. You can only control 1 "Castle of Dragon Souls".
Scaredy Lion
EARTH
Level 4
Beast
1300 ATK/ 1000 DEF
Boxer Lizard
EARTH
Level 4
Dragon/Effect
2100 ATK/100 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. If this card attacks: Change it to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase.
Treasure Cards from the Heavens (Card of Sanctity)
Normal Spell Card
Each player draws until they have 6 cards in their hand.
Unexpected Guy (Unexpected Dai)
Normal Spell Card
If you control no monsters: Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from the Deck.
Wallrus
WATER
Level 2
Beast
400 ATK/800 DEF
Majesty Magician
DARK
Level 8
Spellcaster/Effect
2500 ATK/2000 DEF
You can Tribute Summon this card by Tributing 1 monster that was originally a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF. This card is treated as an appropriate target for a card that specifically designates a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard (its Level and ATK/DEF do not change).
Golden Fiddle
Equip Spell Card
You can only equip this card to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF. The equipped monster gains these effects: This card gains ATK equal to its Level x 200 while in Attack Position and DEF equal to its Level x 300 while in Defense Position. If this card is selected as an attack target while in Attack Position: You can switch this card to Defense Position.
Komboriboh
DARK
Level 1
Fiend/Effect
300 ATK/ 200 DEF
When a monster is targeted by an Equip Spell Card: You can discard this card and target 1 Equip Spell Card in your Graveyard that could be equipped to an appropriate monster on the field; add that target to your hand. When a monster you control is targeted for an attack while it it equipped with an Equip Spell Card: You can banish this card from your Graveyard to target that monster; this turn, that target cannot be destroyed by battle and you take no battle damage from attacks involving that target.
Rottwyvern
EARTH
Level 5
Dragon/Effect
1000 ATK/2000 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card would be destroyed: This card loses 500 ATK and DEF instead.
Supremacy Berry
Normal Spell Card
If your Life Points were lower than your opponent's when this card was activated, gain 2000 Life Points. If your Life Points were higher than your opponent's, you take 1000 damage.
Heavy Storm
Normal Spell Card
Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.
Beast Riser (Beast Rising)
Continuous Trap Card
Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 face-up Beast-Type or Beast-Warrior-Type monster you control to select 1 other face-up Beast-Type or Beast-Warrior-Type monster you control. The selected monster gains the original ATK of the monster removed from play for this effect.
Majesty Guard
Normal Trap Card
Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, also halve all damage you take this turn. During either player's turn, except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; halve the battle damage you take from one opponent's monster this turn.
Beagle Drake
EARTH
Level 2
Dragon/Tuner/Effect
750 ATK/100 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. When this card is Normal Summoned or Special Summoned from the Graveyard: You can target 1 non-Tuner monster in your Graveyard that is both Dragon-Type and Beast-Type; Special Summon it in Attack Position with its effects negated and 0 ATK and DEF. During the End Phase of this turn, take 2000 damage if "Beagle Drake" is not used as Synchro Material after this effect resolves.
Bleary-Eyes Jackal Dragon
WATER
Level 8
Dragon/Synchro/Effect
3000 ATK/2500 DEF
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters that are both Dragon-Type and Beast-Type
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. All opponent's monsters with a lower Level/Rank than this card lose ATK and DEF equal to their Level/Rank x 100. Once per turn, when this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent: Draw 1 card, and if it is a monster, you can reveal it; this card can make a second attack during this Battle Phase.
Poison Fang (Poison Fangs)
Continuous Spell Card
Each time a Beast-Type monster inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent, inflict 500 damage to your opponent.
Shield Bash (Bashing Shield)
Equip Spell Card
Equip only to a Normal Summoned/Set monster. It gains 1000 ATK. You take no battle damage from attacks involving it.
Pointer
FIRE
Level 2
Dragon/Effect
800 ATK/500 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. When this card is Normal Summoned: Choose 1 Level 6 or higher Dragon-Type monster from your Deck, and place it on top of your Deck.
Synchro Hero (Synchro Boost)
Equip Spell Card
The equipped monster gains 500 ATK, and its Level is increased by 1.
Call of the Living Dead (Call of the Haunted)
Continuous Trap Card
Activate this card by targeting 1 monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in Attack Position. When this card leaves the field, destroy that target. When that target is destroyed, destroy this card.
Cruel-Eyes Coyote Dragon
FIRE
Rank 6
Dragon/Xyz/Effect
2800 ATK/2000 DEF
2 or more (max. 5) Level 6 Dragon-Type or Beast-Type monsters
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. This card gains effects based on the number of Xyz Materials attached to it. During the End Phase of a turn this card declared an attack: Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card. If this card has no Xyz Material, it is destroyed.
1 or more: When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent: Send the top cards of their Deck to the Graveyard equal to this card's Rank.
2 or more: When this card battles a monster: It gains 200 ATK x the attack target's Level/Rank during the Damage Step only.
3 or more: When this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.
4 or more: Unaffected by opponent's card effects.
5 or more: When this card attacks: Destroy all monsters your opponent controls.
Burning Slugger
Equip Spell Card
You can only equip this card to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF. The equipped monster gains these effects: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls, then send cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard equal to its Level/Rank; destroy it, and if you do, inflict damage equal to its Level/Rank x 100. This monster cannot attack the turn you activate this effect.
Holy Barrier – Mirror Force (Mirror Force)
Normal Trap
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls.
Broken Wand
Equip Spell Card
You can only equip this card to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF. The equipped monster gains these effects: This card's original ATK increases by 500. When this card attacks or is attacked by a monster with higher ATK: You can return this card to your hand and end the Battle Phase.
Butter Fly
WIND
Level 3
Insect
900 ATK/700 DEF
Violentist
LIGHT
Level 3
Fiend
650 ATK/1300 DEF
Trakodon
EARTH
Level 3
Dinosaur
1300 ATK/800 DEF
Armored Block
Quick-Play Spell Card
Target 1 monster you control equipped with an Equip Spell Card; it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn. If a monster you control equipped with an Equip Spell Card would be destroyed, you can banish this card from your Graveyard instead.
God's Providence (Ultimate Providence)
Counter Trap Card
When a Spell/Trap Card or monster effect is activated: Discard the same type of card (Monster, Spell, or Trap); negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card.
Big Bat Knight
EARTH
Level 3
Warrior
1100 ATK/500 DEF
Pet Cemetery
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 Fusion Monster in your Extra Deck; Banish any number of Beast-Type monsters from your Graveyard equal to the number of monsters required to Fusion Summon that card, then send the same number of monsters from your Deck to the Graveyard to Special Summon that monster (this Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon). You can only activate 1 "Pet Cemetery" per turn.
Feral-Eyes Wolf Dragon
DARK
Level 10
Dragon/Fusion/Effect
3500 ATK/3000 DEF
3 monsters that are both Dragon-Type and Beast-Type
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each. When this card destroys a monster by battle: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the original ATK of the destroyed monster.
And that's the last chapter of the first story arc. It took a while to get here, but I had a lot of fun writing the ending. I hope that comes through when you're reading it.
Some of the major themes I wanted to portray in this story are consequences and facing up to the past. Sakuya's had to deal with what happens when you treat everyone around you like an asshole for years and now she's paying the price for that. Hopefully she comes out the other side a better person as a result, but we'll have to see how she develops while away at school.
Sometimes I think about the animated adaption of this gay fanfiction that's never going to happen and wonder what the openings and endings would be. I think I decided to go with StaRt by Mrs. GREEN APPLE and Love Blossoming Flower by /mirto for this first season's worth of episodes, since they seem to get across the general idea of things and could maybe hold some foreshadowing of things to come in a weird way, and also I just like these songs and can make whatever decision I want since I'm writing and don't have to pay royalties for a show that doesn't exist. Audience at home, what do you think? Also open to suggestions for a voice cast. I have my own ideas of who I'd pick to play certain characters, but I like knowing what people think my characters sound like.
Been really looking forward to this next arc for a while, since I get to shake up the status quo a bunch and introduce some new characters that I think are going to be fun. Also get to implement some new ideas I've had with regards to card games that I haven't been in the position to use previously. That'll make more sense when I start doing it, so just consider that a teaser of things to come. Also more suffering, since there's no such thing as a card game anime where people can just play a game and have a nice time with nothing bad happening.
Thanks for supporting this bizarre passion project for 26.5 chapters so far and however many more there end up being in the future. I'll try my best not to let anyone down. Always remember to like, comment, and subscribe. Or don't. I'm not your boss and this isn't a YouTube video. Do whatever you want.