Yumi and Sakuya struggle to stick to the plan as the odds continue to be stacked against them.
Both Five God Dragons loomed over the field, gnashing mouths filled with razor teeth as they eyed their prey. Unfortunately for them, they would need to wait to attack, as this was still the first turn of the duel.
"It's not too bad," Sakuya said, reassuring herself as much as Yumi. "They're strong and almost immune to battle, but they aren't protected from effects. If one of us can get a removal card, then it doesn't matter how much ATK they have."
"Activate Hellfire Veil," the computer said, just in time to ruin her plans. The card materialized in front of the machine, its effect now protecting its dragons from being destroyed by card effects. What's worse, it even randomly blocked a single attack each turn.
With a long sigh, Sakuya shook her head. "I don't even know why I bother to talk."
"It's a little harder, but it's not impossible," Yumi reassured her. "And if all else fails, we'll just make something strong enough to get over it." That optimism was the only thing keeping them going at this point.
After setting two cards, the machine ended its turn. With a nod between the two of them, Yumi moved her hand to the top of her deck. "I'll go next, draw!" Looking over the cards she had to use, she grabbed two of them and held them out. "I use the Scale 6 Majesty Magician and the Scale 1 Big Bat Knight to set the Pendulum Scales!"
Her monsters materialized beside her, floating up in columns of light with their Scales displayed in front of them. "Now I can Pendulum Summon monsters Level 2 to 5," she said. "But first, I'm activating this! Unexpected Guy!"
Thanks to her new card, she was able to bring out a Scaredy Lion right from the deck. "One's just not enough, though, so I'm going to Normal Summon a second Scaredy Lion!" Another copy of her monster appeared, the two bumping into each other and doubling over in fear. "That activates Majesty Magician's first Pendulum effect, letting me add Premature Burial to my hand."
Adding it to her hand, Yumi pointed towards the sky. "Now, I'm overlaying both my Level 4 Scaredy Lions to construct the Overlay Network!" Her monsters transformed into streams of orange light, swirling together inside the vortex before her new card exploded out of it. "Appear, Rank 4! Castel the Avian Musketeer!"
Castel floated down to the field, holding its gun across its body as it crouched in front of Yumi. Given what it was up against, it was only natural it would be in Defense Position. "I detach both of Castel's Overlay Units," Yumi continued, "to target one of your Five God Dragons. Return it to the Extra Deck!"
Taking aim, Castel shot out a blast of wind from the end of its musket. The dragon roared in anger, though it didn't do much to stop it from disappearing in a shimmer of green light. "That card might be immune from destruction, but other types of removal work just fine!"
"Good play," Sakuya complimented. "Now there's just one left."
"I'll leave that one to you," Yumi said. While it was certainly possible for her to make a play that could take out the second, their plan required that they match each other blow-for-blow. If she took one dragon, Sakuya had to take the other.
That didn't mean her turn was over, though. "Since Castel lost all its material," Yumi explained, "I've got monsters in the Graveyard. That means I can pay 800 Life Points to activate Premature Burial, bringing back one of my Scaredy Lions, plus draw another card with Majesty Magician's second Pendulum effect!"
As soon as her monster returned to the field, Yumi was already playing another card. "Now, Scaredy Lion gets to hold the Leaky Umbrella," she explained. "But neither of them are going to be here for long. I overlay my Level 4 Scaredy Lion and both its Equip Cards to construct the Overlay Network!"
Only one card could do something like that. From out of the portal appeared Telos, its effect negating Five God Dragon's abilities for the rest of the turn. Like Castel, though, it was also played in Defense Position. As much as she wanted to keep advancing, they had to stick to the plan.
That aside, the computer still had two set cards waiting for her. Rushing in could just lead to disaster if she wasn't careful with her attacks. "I set one card, then end my turn," Yumi decided. "It's up to you now, Sakuya."
"I won't let you down," she said. "Draw!" Her hand was already shaping up to end things on this turn. "First, I Normal Summon Moonlight Yorkie." A small, brown dragon scrambled onto the field, barking in a shrill yelp as it ran in a circle on Sakuya's field. "When I do that, I can add a copy of Dog Mill to my hand from my deck."
Collecting the card, she replaced it in her hand with another. "Next, I activate Foolish Burial, letting me send Greatest Dane from my deck to the Graveyard. That means I can now Summon Sky Terrier from my hand, using its effect to bring back Greatest Dane once I do."
Just as she said, three monsters now crowded her field, all of them making a ruckus as they barked and snarled like a real pack of animals. "I'm not done," Sakuya said, something that drew quite a few sighs from the people observing them who really wanted all of the noise to stop. "By paying 1000 Life Points, I get to activate Dog Mill, which Summons itself as a copy of Moonlight Yorkie that counts as two materials."
Clenching her fist, she threw it into the air. "Get ready, because I'm overlaying my Level 4 Moonlight Yorkie, Greatest Dane, and Sky Terrier to construct the Overlay Network!" After a quick howl in unison, all three of the monsters blasted into the portal, an Xyz Monster returning in their place. "Shiny-Eyes Dingo Dragon!"
"Nice!" Yumi said. "If we can't get past its monster, we'll just do damage directly!"
"That's the plan," Sakuya confirmed. "Which is why I'm now detaching all three of Shiny-Eyes' Overlay Units to inflict 300 damage for each one. Go!" All three of the orbs surrounding her monster flew into the dragon's mouth, a blast of swirling energy shooting out to hit the duel machine directly. Its Life Points were now at 3100, putting it right between the girls.
"Let's keep this going," Sakuya said, already placing another card on the field. "I activate Resurrection of the Dead to bring Greatest Dane back to life!" The swole canine rose up from the underworld, flexing as if it hadn't just been dead moments before. "After that, I activate this – Fusion!"
Placing her hands together, both Greatest Dane and the Dog Mill copy were drawn into a swirling vortex behind her. "I'm fusing both of these monsters, with Dog Mill counting as two materials. Appear, Feral-Eyes Wolf Dragon!"
Impressive as her two monsters were, neither of them could overcome Five God Dragon yet. Even so, Sakuya was undeterred. "Greatest Dane's effect activates," she declared. "Hellfire Veil has its effect negated until the end of the turn, and none of your cards can activate in response to this."
"And with that, Five God Dragon is vulnerable to destruction again," Yumi said. "Go for it!"
With a smile, Sakuya used Shiny-Eyes' effect to add Moonlight Yorkie back as material. That was just the precursor to her real play, though. "I activate Rank-Up-Magic Dragon Beast's Force!"
Raising a hand, the portal opened once again above the field. "I reconstruct the Overlay Network using the Rank 4 Shiny-Eyes Dingo Dragon. Xyz Change, Rank 5! Splendor Mastiff!" Bounding forth from the portal was a wingless, golden-coated dragon, letting out a deep bellow as it floated behind Sakuya.
Despite the flashy entrance, its 0 ATK and DEF left a lot to be desired. Of course, that wouldn't be an issue for long. "I detach Shiny-Eyes from Splendor Mastiff to activate its effect. And because I activated Dragon Beast's Force this turn, none of my monsters' effects or attacks can be interrupted by an opponent's cards."
Essentially, there was nothing the computer could do to stop what would happen. "Splendor Mastiff can destroy an opponent's monster, then add half its ATK to its own ATK and DEF. And without Hellfire Veil, there's nothing to protect Five God Dragon from this." Her monster began to howl, its volume increasing until it shook the walls around them. This proved to be too much for the enemy, eventually forcing it to break apart.
Splendor Mastiff's stats grew to 2500, Sakuya's field now having a combined 6000 ATK between her two cards. "This is the end!" she declared. "Battle!"
"Trap activate," the computer announced. Cleverly, it used its card as soon as the Battle Phase began and before Sakuya fully declared an attack. As such, Dragon Beast's Force couldn't prevent it from making a play.
"Needlebug Nest. Send the top five cards of the deck to the Graveyard." Conveniently, it dumped another five dragons – Lance Lindwurm, Hell Dragon, Alexandridragon, Sapphire Dragon, and Genesic Dragon. As one might be able to predict, that now meant it was far from defenseless.
"Trap activate, Necro Fusion." This card banished all five of the monsters that were just sent to the Graveyard face-down. Like its name would indicate, this led to yet another Fusion Summon, and only one card had these conditions.
Five God Dragon slammed into the field, the second copy once again staring down Splendor Mastiff and Feral-Eyes as they prepared to launch an attack. Obviously, that plan would have to be amended now.
Gritting her teeth, Sakuya looked to Yumi for an indication of what to do next. She received a nod in response, letting her breath a sigh of relief knowing that they would at least make it through the next turn. "I end my turn," she said, visibly annoyed at not being able to do more.
"We'll get it next turn," Yumi said. "At least we're making it waste more cards."
"Let's just work on surviving first," she replied, watching as Hellfire Veil's effect returned. Not only were they still stuck with a Five God Dragon to deal with, it was yet again immune to destruction. Things couldn't get any worse.
Whichever one of them had that thought really needed to take accountability for it, since the computer was very much intent on making things so much worse. "Activate Ten-Headed Advent," it declared, a Magic Card materializing in front of it. It featured two pentagrams stacked on top of each other, making a ten-pointed star with plumes of fire at every point.
This symbol materialized out of the car and began to spin. "Special Summon 1 Five God Dragon from the Graveyard and 1 Five God Dragon from the Extra Deck, ignoring Summoning conditions."
"That's not fair!" Yumi shouted. "How is a card like that able to exist? It makes no sense!"
"At least it costs half its Life Points," Sakuya said, though this did little to help them now. Even with 1550 Life Points, three monsters with 5000 ATK meant they were thoroughly outclassed. No matter which of them it targeted, the computer could blast through their monsters and attack directly for the win. And with the Solid Vision settings in this room, that attack would likely do a lot more than just win the duel, too.
"Entering Battle Phase," the computer announced, all three dragons roaring as they moved in for the kill. By the looks of things, they were preparing to take out Sakuya first.
That would have to wait, though. "Trap activate!" Yumi said, her card flipping up. "Overlay Award lets me detach an Overlay Unit from Telos, then attach it to Splendor Mastiff. When I do that, the Battle Phase is skipped this turn!"
"Thank you," Sakuya said, Yumi sticking her tongue out in response. "I guess I've made it another turn."
"I just thought Mastiff could use another Overlay Unit, and Leaky Umbrella looked like a good one to use. In fact, I think you could use it right now." She winked at her to drive home her point.
After taking a moment to process this, Sakuya scoffed. "Very subtle," she said. As the computer ended its turn, their plan went into action. "I'm detaching the Leaky Umbrella from Splendor Mastiff to activate its effect." Pointing towards Yumi's field, she declared, "Destroy Castel and absorb half its ATK!"
Like before, Mastiff launched an attack, only this one was headed towards her partner's monster. It was easily destroyed, raising its ATK to 3500. All according to plan, it seemed.
"And sending Leaky Umbrella to the Graveyard means its effect activates," Yumi added. "The next damage I take will be turned into nothing."
Sakuya nodded. "In two turns, Splendor Mastiff will have more than enough ATK to beat Five God Dragon."
"Well, in that case," Yumi said, "I might as well help you out a little." Starting her turn, she immediately played a new card. "I use Pot of Greed, letting me draw two new cards from my deck." With that, she was ready to make her move.
"I Normal Summon Rescue Rabbit and use its effect to banish itself. That lets me bring out two copies of Hat-Trick Magician!" Almost as soon as the diminutive wizards made it to the field, they were already flying off into another portal. "Xyz Summon, Rank 4! Take the stage, Great Blackstone!"
Her magician took a bow, one of its hovering Overlay Units starting to glow. "Next, I activate the effect of Overlay Award, sending one of Great Blackstone's Overlay Units over to Splendor Mastiff for safekeeping."
"In that case," Sakuya responded, "I'll detach Moonlight Yorkie in order to destroy Great Blackstone and absorb half its ATK." Like before, Yumi's monster was sacrificed to power up Sakuya's, raising its ATK to 4750. It was just shy of what was needed to overtake Five God Dragon.
"It's a real shame that Great Blackstone had to leave the show so soon," Yumi pouted. Snapping her fingers, she raised a hand. "So maybe he can give us an encore. Pendulum Summon, Great Blackstone!"
With both her monsters firmly in Defense Position and the effect of Leaky Umbrella still poised to protect her from damage, Yumi ended her turn confident that she would be completely fine. Not that she expected to need all of that extra defense, considering Sakuya was planning to win them the game in short order.
"Draw!" she said, though she didn't expect to need this next card. "I detach an Overlay Unit from Splendor Mastiff to destroy my own Feral-Eyes!" Her monsters howled in unison, the Fusion transforming into a wispy, purple mist and draping itself over Splendor Mastiff like a cape. "With that, my monster's ATK is now 6500!"
Pointing forward, she declared, "Battle! Splendor Mastiff, destroy the middle Five God Dragon! Splendid Howling!" Channeling its collected power inside its mouth, the dragon let loose a burst of rainbow-colored energy headed straight for the ultimate dragon. Unfortunately, the attack wouldn't connect, a torrent of flames exploding from the ground to encircle it and deflect Splendor Mastiff's attack.
"Hellfire Veil effect," the computer announced. "Once per turn, an attack can be negated." In all the commotion, that strange addition to the computer's protection card caught the two of them by surprise.
"Sorry, Yumi," Sakuya said, clicking her tongue. "I couldn't finish it this turn."
"That's fine!" she said, giving her a thumbs up. "We've got this won. All we have to do is hold the line until we get a card to take care of Veil."
"That's true," she agreed, though that didn't stop her from doubting their success. She wasn't going to accuse Yumi of being naive at this point, but she was all too familiar with how quickly one card could change the outcome of a match. Letting the computer take another turn could very well cause some problems even with their considerable offensive and defensive advantage at this point.
There wasn't much point in stalling just to worry, though. "I end my turn," Sakuya declared, having done everything she could now. If nothing else, they'd just about destroyed the enemy's deck. The moment Veil was no longer an issue for them, Splendor Mastiff would make short work of all three of those dragons. They also had another two uses of Xyz Award at minimum, which meant more ammunition for Mastiff's effect should the computer get any ideas about increasing its monsters' ATK.
As the machine began its turn, both girls grew more confident that they'd won. The worry that popped up once it activated Pot of Greed and Riches quickly passed, as well, after it banishing six cards from its Extra Deck to draw two just resulted in it setting a pair of cards. It attempted an attack only for Yumi to pass another of Telos' Overlay Units over to Mastiff, skipping the Battle Phase. Things looked to be thoroughly locked down now.
"Draw!" Yumi declared. Her newest card wouldn't help much, but it never hurt to have some insurance. "Hey, I think your monster could use some more ATK," Yumi said, giving up all pretense of subtlety now.
"Well, if you insist," Sakuya said. "I'll detach an Overlay Unit to use Splendor Mastiff's effect again!" Great Blackstone was once again chosen as the offering, boosting Mastiff's ATK to 7750. One connected attack would now end the game.
Like before, Yumi Pendulum Summoned Blackstone to boost her defense, ending the turn after setting the card she'd drawn. What happened next would all depend on Sakuya's next card.
And what a card it was. With a smirk, she placed it on her duel disk. "This will end it! I activate Stamping Crush and target Hellfire Veil to destroy!"
"That's it!" Yumi cheered. "This duel is over!"
That celebration proved to be premature, the computer's response sending a chill down their spines. "Trap activate," it declared. "Infinite Impermanence negates a monster effect until the end of the turn. Additionally, it negates the effects of any Magic or Trap Card in its same column when activated while set face-down."
This revelation completely turned the duel on its head. As the target of Impermanence's effect, Splendor Mastiff just lost all its collected ATK and DEF. It fell to the ground, limp and whimpering as its stats dropped to zero.
What's worse, Sakuya had been careless. Stamping Crush had been placed in the middle zone, just like Impermanence. That meant it was also negated by the Trap, preventing the destruction of Hellfire Veil. It was the worst possible outcome to this situation.
Sakuya went quiet, hanging her head in shame as she began to castigate herself. How could she have been that reckless? While she may not have expected a card like that, she should have considered it as an option. Losing Mastiff's power was bad enough, but now they had absolutely nothing to show for it. This might have even lost them the duel.
"I switch Splendor Mastiff to Defense Mode," she finally spoke, adding a weak, "and end my turn," right after. Looking to Yumi, she forced out a quick, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," she reassured her. "We've still got a chance. Just hang in there." Even in this situation, Yumi refused to give up. "I'll protect you through this turn, so protect your monster. I have a feeling we're going to need it to win."
"I will," Sakuya nodded. She wasn't sure what they could do to recover from such a devastating loss, but she'd believe in Yumi.
The duel machine began its turn by activating a Trap. "Dragon's Imperial Wrath."
"Damn it," Sakuya cursed. "Now all of three of them can do piercing damage."
"It's fine," Yumi said, already activating her card. "I send Telos' last Overlay Unit to Splendor Mastiff to skip the Battle Phase this turn." As she'd promised, Yumi had protected the both of them on this turn, but future turns were now up in the air. Her monsters were completely stripped of their Overlay Units, meaning the Trap was now sitting useless on the field with nothing to do. Unless she could make another Xyz Monster, they'd lose once the computer got another turn.
It set another card before switching all three dragons to Defense Position and ending its turn. It seemed to have shifted to a more cautious approach now, hedging its bet by protecting against any further shenanigans the girls might conjure up until its next turn. Given that the monsters' all had the same DEF as ATK, it was the safer play.
Yumi took another card to start her turn. Her brow furrowed as she looked over the cards in her hand, carefully considering what she could do to win before the next turn rolled around. "It sure would be good if you could just Rank Up again," she said, seemingly without reason. "Don't you think, Sakuya?"
She blinked, then asked, "Excuse me?"
"Yeah, if you could Rank Up, like before," Yumi repeated. She separated the cards in her hand, looking from one to the other. "If you could do that, I think you have a monster that could win this for us." Raising an eyebrow, she added, "What do you think?"
After a moment, it finally clicked. Sakuya smiled, responding with, "Maybe that one was a little too subtle." Standing tall once again, she finally said, "You're right. I think that would win us the duel."
With a grin, Yumi took one of the cards in her hand. "That's all I needed to hear! I activate Overlay Regeneration! This card attaches itself to an Xyz Monster as an extra Overlay Unit, and the monster that gets that Overlay Unit will be…Splendor Mastiff!"
While the more logical choice would be to attach it to Telos or Blackstone for use in dodging another Battle Phase, both of them had decided to end things on the next turn. Yumi's turn came to a close after switching her monsters into Attack Position, Sakuya drawing immediately after. No matter what, she needed to draw something useful.
"I Summon Wiener Dragon and use its effect to add a second copy to my hand," Sakuya said, quickly moving on to the main thrust of their plan. "Now, I activate the Magic Card, Begging, and release Wiener Dragon as the cost."
Only one "opponent" had a hand right now, and both of them knew exactly what card was needed in this situation. Yumi held it up, both her and Sakuya calling out, "Rank-Up-Magic Emerald Force!" A glow shone from the face of the card, quickly spreading to Sakuya's Xyz Monster. "We can activate this by banishing Begging, then use it to Rank Up by reconstructing the Overlay Network with Splendor Mastiff!"
Sakuya took the rest from there as her monster flew back into the portal above the field. "Eyes of unflinching resolve, rain destruction down upon your enemies! Xyz Change, Rank 6! Cruel-Eyes Coyote Dragon!"
As the red dragon descended, the rest of Emerald Force's effect kicked in, giving Sakuya two extra cards. "Perfect," she smirked. "Equip Magic, Dragon Beast's Rampage!" Cruel-Eyes howled as a violet aura came over it. "This grants my monster the ability to attack every opponent's monster once each during the Battle Phase. It also increases its ATK by 500 every time it destroys one."
On the surface, this didn't seem like it would matter much. Her dragon was significantly weaker than the computer's trio. Even if it wasn't, they were all currently in Defense Position, giving it at least one additional turn to potentially recover.
That's only when looking on the surface, however. At present, Cruel-Eyes had three Overlay Unit, meaning it had unlocked three of its effects. The second of these would increase its ATK equal to the Level of the monster it battled, putting it at 5200 when attacking any of the Five God Dragons. Its third, though, was the key to their victory, as it would inflict piercing battle damage when crashing into all of them.
"Battle!" she declared, only to falter a moment later. In the back of her mind, she knew what she'd have to do in order to get the win. In a normal duel, it would be a simple enough decision. However, this duel had stakes, and those stakes meant a sacrifice.
She looked to Yumi. "I'm sorry, I just…" She swallowed hard. "I didn't realize it until I'd already played the card. I'm just…"
Yumi only smiled. "You've got this," she reassured her.
"But I can't!" she pleaded. "The only way to increase Cruel-Eyes' ATK enough to win is by destroying your monsters. If I do that, then your Life Points will go down, and then you'll be…"
"It doesn't matter what I am," Yumi said, determination burning in her eyes. "Let them assign me wherever they want. The important thing is that we can still support each other, even if I do have to be support to do it."
Sakuya remained silent, still feeling unable to go through with the attacks needed for the win. She was sure Yumi hadn't expected Dragon Beast's Rampage in particular to be the key card for this combo. She hadn't, had she? But if she didn't… why would she switch her monsters' positions? Cruel-Eyes would do piercing damage if she didn't, and unless she expected to be attacked, there wouldn't have been a point to that.
Her head snapped towards Yumi, who just laughed. "Did you realize?" she asked, trying to quiet herself. "We did go over our strategies together before."
With a sigh, Sakuya just shook her head. "You just keep getting better and better," she said, a smile working its way across her face. "Fine, I'll do as you asked. Cruel-Eyes, attack Great Blackstone first! Torment Stream!" A blast of white energy cascaded from the dragon's mouth, Great Blackstone barely having time to cry out before being destroyed.
Yumi was spared any of the damage from this, Leaky Umbrella materializing long enough to block the spillover from the attack. Nodding, she shouted, "Keep it up!"
"Dragon Beast's Rampage effect," Sakuya declared. "Cruel-Eyes destroyed a monster, so its ATK increases by 500." That put it at 3300 as it began its second wave. "Again, Torment Stream!" This time, Telos fell under its might. In addition to the Equip Card's boost, the dragon's own effect gave it another 800 ATK during the battle, putting it at 4100 and taking away 1300 of Yumi's Life Points.
"Again, Cruel-Eyes gains another 500 ATK." Now Sakuya's monster stood at 3800. It was time to finish this. "Cruel-Eyes, attack the first Five God Dragon! Torment Stream!"
"Trap activate," the computer announced, its final set card flipping up. "Holy Barrier – Mirror Force destroys all opponent's Attack Position monsters."
"I don't think so!" Yumi announced, her own set card activating. "Xyz Trivals prevents any Xyz Monster from being destroyed by a card effect as long as it has two or more Overlay Units!"
"Which means," Sakuya continued, "that nothing can stop this attack!" With another howl, Cruel-Eyes let loose a burst of energy at the middle dragon. As it was battling a Level 12 monster, its ATK increased by 2400, making it 6200 by the time it connected. "It may not be destroyed, but you still take the damage!"
1200 damage, to be precise. That left the computer with only 350 Life Points and little in the way of defense. "Attack the second Five God Dragon!" Sakuya commanded, her monster complying a moment later.
"Activate Hellfire Veil," the machine announced, a torrent of flames forming around its monster to block the attack.
Sakuya scoffed. "That might have worked before, but my monster still has another attack this time." Looking to Yumi, she asked, "Would you like to help?"
Nodding like mad, Yumi practically sprinted over to Sakuya, both of them holding their hands out towards the final Five God Dragon. As one, they declared, "Cruel-Eyes Coyote Dragon, attack! Ultimate Torment Stream!"
Spreading its multiple wings wide, the dragon gave a final howl and charged its attack. Energy crackling from its maw, it fired another 6200 ATK blast straight at the last remaining monster. While it still couldn't be destroyed, the piercing damage was more than enough to finish it off. Sweeping through all three of the opposing monsters, they exploded in unison, the entire room shaking as the computer's Life Points finally fell to 0.
As soon as the win was confirmed, both girls immediately pulled each other into a hug. "That was so cool!" Yumi shouted, swaying back and forth so hard that she caused the two of them to fall to the floor.
"I was only able to win because of you," Sakuya told her, squeezing her even tighter. "This whole duel would have been for nothing if you didn't plan the final few turns so well." She pulled away then, worry washing over her face. "But are you sure that was the right move? Your Life Points were lower, and you didn't even get the winning blow."
"It'll be fine," she reassured Sakuya. "Whatever happens, happens. If they want to assign me to support, then let them." She crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks, adding, "Unless they try to add me as support to someone else. If they do that, I'll go on strike."
In the observation room, Yamada scoffed. While he expected a win from the two of them, he'd hoped to sew at least a little division between those two. He'd observed how chummy they'd been since getting here and, still sore about getting taken for a ride by Yumi when they met, wanted nothing more than to antagonize them through this process. Turns out whatever bond they had was a lot stronger than he expected.
Tossing his cigar stub to the ground, he turned to the rest of the room. "I guess that decides it," he said, smirk forming across his lips. "Takano Yumi is support."
"Is that wise?" Nagato asked. "She's still the only one of them who's actually gone up against a Constellation before. And she beat it without any help."
"Rules are rules," Yamada said, mockingly shrugging his shoulders. "We can't be making exceptions. The worst performers in these tests are assigned as support. Her performance was lacking, so she'll be support."
"This is ridiculous," a voice piped up from the back. Wheeling in was Rafael, a scowl on his face. "Why bother hiring me if you won't even let me observe this last duel?"
"We can't risk someone showing favoritism to our recruits," Yamada answered, clearly annoyed that so many of these people under his command were talking back to him. "As I understand it, you two are some kind of acquaintances. Personal feelings have no place in these assignments."
"Then it's a good thing that isn't an issue," Rafael told him. "I wasn't even aware it was her until this moment. You kept me outside until just now. And following along in the play-by-play without identifying information, I can say that Takano Yumi more than met the criteria for becoming a member of the infantry. Her strategic planning was impeccable and was the key to winning this duel."
"That's all well and good," Yamada said, narrowing his eyes, "but we don't have time for people who can't seal the deal against an enemy. Besides, all that planning and strategy just sounds like another word for 'support' to me. She'd fit best as one of the expendables." That slip of the tongue more than exposed his true intentions to the room.
Wheeling closer, Rafael pointed a finger right at Yamada's face. "I'm telling you as this program's main strategist that Takano Yumi is too valuable to have her skills hampered by a support deck. I don't know what kind of grudge you have against this child, but you're jeopardizing the mission because of it." The general was taken aback and tried to speak, but Rafael continued. "You can take my consultation into account, or you can dismiss me now. Make the choice, because I can't watch you endanger everyone on this planet because of personal drama."
A tense and heavy silence hung in the air. To the various members of the military gathered here, it was completely unthinkable for any of them to talk to their commanding officer like this. That said, they all more or less agreed with what Rafael had said, Nagato and the other analysts coming to a similar conclusions as they watched the duel unfold.
In the end, though, Yamada had final say, protocol be damned. His eye twitching, he looked about ready to launch into a tirade at the man before him. Instead, though, he grit his teeth and forced himself to regain composure. Inhaling sharply, he finally said, "Perhaps you're right."
Walking past Rafael, he turned around briefly to say, "I leave final assignment to all of you." Without another word, he walked out of the room.
After a moment of pause, all eyes fell to Rafael. Not missing a beat, he quickly took command of the operation. "Well, you heard the general," he said. "Let's go over these results and see where we end up."
Later that day, the final assignments would be announced. Six names made the cut as infantry, the remaining twelve assigned as support. They were:
Kanekura Ren
Matsuyama Shigeo
Takahiko Hotaro
Minerva Almánzar
Ishikawa Sakuya
Takano Yumi
Cards Used in Order of Appearance
Hellfire Veil
Continuous Spell Card
Face-up Dragon monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects. Once per turn, when a Dragon monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can negate that attack.
Majesty Magician
DARK
Level 8
Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
6/4
2500 ATK/2000 DEF
P: When you Normal Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK/DEF: You can add 1 Equip Spell from your Deck or GY to your hand. Once per turn, if you activate an Equip Spell: Draw 1 card.
M: 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/DEF while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard (its Level and ATK/DEF do not change).
Big Bat Knight
EARTH
Level 3
Warrior/Pendulum/Normal
7/1
1100 ATK/500 DEF
P: Once per turn, when a Pendulum Monster you control destroys an opponent's monster, after damage calculation: You can send 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from your Deck to the GY; inflict 800 damage to your opponent.
Unexpected Guy (Unexpected Dai)
Normal Spell Card
If you control no monsters: Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from the Deck.
Scaredy Lion
EARTH
Level 4
2/8
Beast/Pendulum/Normal
1300 ATK/1000 DEF
P: Once per turn, if a monster is Special Summoned from the Extra Deck with a Level/Rank between the Pendulum Scales of cards in your Pendulum Zones: You can add 1 Normal Monster from your Deck to your 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.
Premature Burial
Equip Spell Card
Activate this card by paying 800 LP, then target 1 monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in Attack Position and equip it with this card. When this card is destroyed, destroy the equipped monster.
Castel the Avian Musketeer (Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer)
WIND
Rank 4
Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect
2000 ATK/1500 DEF
2 Level 4 monsters
You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 face-up monster on the field; change it to face-down Defense Position. You can detach 2 Xyz Materials from this card, then target 1 other face-up card on the field; shuffle it into the Deck. You can only use 1 "Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
Leaky Umbrella
Equip Spell Card
Equip only to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK/DEF. If this card is sent to the GY: Reduce the next instance of damage you take to 0. The equipped monster gains this effect: Halve all damage you take.
Chasm Queen – Telos
DARK
Rank 4
Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect
2800 ATK/2200 DEF
3 Level 4 monsters
You can Xyz Summon this card by using Equip Spell Cards equipped to monsters used as Xyz Material for this card's Summon. When this card is Xyz Summoned: Negate the effect of all face-up monsters on the field besides this card until the End Phase. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster while it has an Equip Spell Card as Xyz Material, inflict piercing battle damage. When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; inflict 400 damage to your opponent x the number of Equip Spell Cards in both players' Graveyards.
Moonlight Yorkie
WIND
Level 4
Dragon/Effect
1300 ATK/1000 DEF
This card is also treated as a Beast monster while on the field or in the GY. If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Dog Mill" from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Moonlight Yorkie" once per turn. When an attack is declared involving a monster that is both a Dragon and Beast-Type you control and an opponent's monster: You can banish this card from your GY; your monster cannot be destroyed by that battle, also you take no damage from that battle.
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.
Foolish Burial
Normal Spell Card
Send 1 monster from your Deck to the GY.
Greatest Dane
EARTH
Level 4
Dragon/Effect
1800 ATK/1200 DEF
This card is also treated as a Beast monster while on the field or in the GY. If this card is sent to the GY as material for the Fusion Summon of a monster that is both Dragon and Beast-Type: You can target face-up Spell/Trap Cards your opponent controls equal to the number of other cards used for this Fusion Summon; negate their effects until the end of this turn. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect's activation.
Sky Terrier
WIND
Level 4
Dragon/Effect
1300 ATK/1100 DEF
This card is also treated as a Beast monster while on the field or in the GY. If you control a monster that is both a Dragon and Beast-Type, you can Special Summon this monster (from your hand). You can only Special Summon "Sky Terrier" once per turn this way. If this card is Special Summoned: You can target 1 monster in your GY that is both a Dragon and Beast-Type; Special Summon that target, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use this effect of "Sky Terrier" once per turn.
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.
Resurrection of the Dead (Monster Reborn)
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 monster in either player's Graveyard; Special Summon it.
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.
Rank-Up-Magic Dragon Beast's Force
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 face-up Beast Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 Dragon Xyz Monster that is 1 Rank higher than that monster you control, by using it as the Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon. Xyz Materials attached to it also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned monster.) During the turn this card is activated, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to your monster's effect activation or attack declaration.
Splendor Mastiff
LIGHT
Rank 5
Dragon/Xyz/Effect
0 ATK/0 DEF
2+ Level 5 Beast monsters
This card is also treated as a Beast monster while on the field or in the GY. During the Main Phase (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 material from this card; destroy 1 monster your opponent controls, and if you do, this card gains ATK/DEF equal to half the destroyed monster's ATK. If this card has no material: You can target 1 of your banished Dragon monsters; attach that target to this monster as material. You can only use each effect of "Splendor Mastiff" once per turn.
Needlebug Nest
Normal Trap Card
Send the top 5 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.
Lance Lindwurm (Lancer Windwurm)
WIND
Level 4
Dragon/Effect
1800 ATK/1200 DEF
If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.
Hell Dragon (Infernal Dragon)
DARK
Level 4
Dragon/Effect
2000 ATK/0 DEF
Once per turn, during the End Phase, if this card attacked this turn: Destroy this card. When this card on the field is destroyed and sent to the GY: You can Tribute 1 monster; Special Summon this card from the GY.
Alexandridragon (Alexandrite Dragon)
LIGHT
Level 4
Dragon
2000 ATK/100 DEF
Sapphire Dragon (Luster Dragon)
WIND
Level 4
Dragon/Normal
1900 ATK/1600 DEF
Genesic Dragon (Genesis Dragon)
LIGHT
Level 6
Dragon/Effect
2200 ATK/1800 DEF
Once per turn, you can send 1 Dragon-Type monster from your hand to the Graveyard to add 1 Dragon-Type monster from your Graveyard to your hand. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can return all Dragon-Type monsters from your Graveyard to your Deck.
Necro Fusion
Normal Trap Card
Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, by banishing Fusion Materials listed on it from your GY face-down, but it cannot attack this turn.
Five God Dragon (Five-Headed Dragon)
DARK
Level 12
Dragon/Fusion/Effect
5000 ATK/5000 DEF
5 Dragon monsters
Must be Fusion Summoned. Cannot be destroyed by battle with a DARK, EARTH, WATER, FIRE, or WIND monster.
Ten-Headed Advent
Normal Spell Card
Pay half your LP; Special Summon 1 "Five-Headed Dragon" from your GY, ignoring its Summoning conditions, and if you do, Special Summon 1 "Five-Headed Dragon" from your Extra Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions.
Overlay Award
Continuous Trap Card
You can detach 1 Xyz Material from a face-up Xyz Monster you control, and if you do, attach it to a face-up Xyz Monster your opponent controls as an Xyz Material, and if you do that, skip this turn's Battle Phase.
Pot of Greed
Normal Spell Card
Draw 2 cards.
Rescue Rabbit
EARTH
Level 4
Beast/Effect
300 ATK/100 DEF
Cannot be Special Summoned from the Deck. You can banish this face-up card you control; Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters with the same name from your Deck, but destroy them during the End Phase. You can only use this effect of "Rescue Rabbit" once per turn.
Hat-Trick Magician
DARK
Level 4
Spellcaster/Pendulum/Normal
3/7
1200 ATK/1500 DEF
P: Monsters you control equipped with an Equip Spell Card cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects once per turn each.
Great Blackstone
LIGHT
Rank 4
Spellcaster/Xyz/Pendulum/Effect
11/5
2500 ATK/2000 DEF
P: Once per turn, if you have no cards in your other Pendulum Zone: You can place 1 Pendulum Normal Monster from your Deck in your Pendulum Zone.
M: 2 Level 4 Normal Monsters
If you can Pendulum Summon Level 4, you can Pendulum Summon this face-up card in your Extra Deck. If this card in the Monster Zone is destroyed: You can place it in your Pendulum Zone. When this card is Xyz Summoned: You can detach 2 Xyz Material from this card; during your Main Phase this turn, you can Normal Summon 1 Normal Monster from your hand, in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. If you Normal Summon a Normal Monster while this card is face-up on the field: Draw 1 card, then discard 1 card. (You can only gain each effect once per turn.)
Pot of Greed and Riches (Pot of Extravagance)
Normal Spell Card
At the start of your Main Phase 1: Banish 3 or 6 random face-down cards from your Extra Deck, face-down; draw 1 card for every 3 cards banished. For the rest of this turn after this card resolves, you cannot draw any cards by card effects.
Stamping Crush (Stamping Destruction)
Normal Spell Card
If you control a Dragon-Type monster: Target 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field; destroy that target, and if you do, inflict 500 damage to its controller.
Infinite Impermanence
Normal Trap Card
Target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; negate its effects (until the end of this turn), then, if this card was Set before activation and is on the field at resolution, for the rest of this turn all other Spell/Trap effects in this column are negated. If you control no cards, you can activate this card from your hand.
Dragon's Imperial Wrath (Dragon's Rage)
Continuous Trap Card
Dragon-Type monsters you control inflict piercing Battle Damage when they attack a Defense Position monster.
Overlay Regenerate (Overlay Regen)
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 face-up Xyz Monster on the field; attach this card to it as an Xyz Material.
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.
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.
Rank-Up-Magic Emerald Force
Normal Spell Card
Banish 1 Spell Card from your Graveyard, then target 1 face-up Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 Xyz Monster with the same Type as that monster you control but 1 Rank higher, by using it as the Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon. Xyz Materials attached to it also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned monster.) It gains this effect.
● If it is Xyz Summoned: Draw cards equal to half the number of materials attached to this card (rounded up).
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.
Dragon Beast's Rampage
Equip Spell Card
Equip only to a monster that is both Dragon and Beast-Type. The equipped monster can attack all monster your opponent controls, once each. When the equipped monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle: It gains 500 ATK.
Holy Barrier – Mirror Force (Mirror Force)
Normal Trap
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls.
Xyz Trival (Xyz Tribalrivals)
Continuous Trap Card
Face-up Xyz Monsters on the field with 2 or more Xyz Materials cannot be destroyed by card effects. After damage calculation, if an Xyz Monster you control battles an opponent's monster: Destroy that opponent's monster. That Xyz Monster must have 2 or more Xyz Materials attached to activate and to resolve this effect.
Now that things have settled down, I can bust these out pretty quick. Hopefully the quality hasn't dropped because of it, but it probably has.
A lot of people have a negative opinion about FGD these days considering it's basically just Big Monster and nothing else, and they're absolutely right, but I still like it. It's a really good shorthand for "unspeakably powerful card" thanks to the show, and I'm hoping I got to replicate some of that with things like Hellfire Veil covering its huge glaring weaknesses.
I realized around the midpoint of the story that I didn't include any true tag duels in this, which made me kind of disappointed. Because of where things are about to go, I don't really have room to rewrite that, either. It's too bad, since having the girls work together like this was a lot of fun. I'll have to do something about that in the future.
That's all I have for now. Next one is A Lot and gives two characters the spotlight who really need it. Hopefully it lives up to the hype.
Thanks for reading. Share if you're enjoying. Always remember to play your cards in the column your opponent hasn't set anything.