Night - You Show Duel School - City - Fusion Dimension
All of the You Show students were asleep after they had finalized their plans to infiltrate Duel Academy in the morning. All but Zuzu, who was sitting alone in the training room, rearranging her deck.
She was nervous, but that wasn't even the reason she couldn't sleep. "I don't get it. Just when I thought I was rid of that horrible feeling that Yuya was in danger, it came back even stronger. I wish it was just my imagination, but it feels so real."
"Yuya..." Zuzu uttered his name while holding her hands together in prayer. "Please, Yuya. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing right now, please be safe!"
"Can't sleep either, Zuzu?"
Zuzu nearly jumped when when she turned and noticed that Alexis and Sora were behind her.
"Alexis! Sora! Umm... yeah."
"We were already trying to get your attention, but you didn't respond." Sora retorted.
"It took you a while to notice us. Guess you must be that worried about Yuya." Alexis' remark caused Zuzu to blush.
"W-why-y would you t-think that?!" Zuzu asked in a stuttering way.
"Aren't you?" Alexis and Sora said together, tilting their heads at each other.
Zuzu's blush deepened as she looked down and muttered, "... Well... maybe a little..."
Alexis and Sora shared an amused grin before sitting down with her, forming a circle of three. Since Zuzu was rearranging her deck, they decided to join her by taking out their own decks and showed it to each other so they could discuss strategies that were suitable for tomorrow's battles. When each of them took turns seeing each other's cards, Zuzu and Sora noticed that true to her statements about her beliefs that she made during her duel with Zuzu, there was no fusion monster in her Extra Deck, even though she had Fusion-related cards in her deck.
"Alexis, if you don't mind me asking, what'd you do with your fusion monster?" Zuzu asked the older girl out of curiosity.
"It's right here." Alexis then pulled out a fusion monster that she kept in her pocket and showed it to them. Cyber Blader. Alexis wore a sad smile as she looked at it. "I've chosen not to use it until this is all over."
"By the way, when did you learn how to Ritual Summon? I never heard of any courses in the curriculum that taught it while I was attending the Academy." Sora then remembered that since Fusion Summoning was the main way to bring out monsters in the Fusion Dimension, he had only heard of Ritual Summoning here and there in the Academy.
"Our former chancellor, Mr. Sheppard, taught me how. He was fascinated by the subject and became my teacher in learning how to do so." Alexis then remembered how she and the former chancellor of Duel Academy met.
Alexis was about 13 years old when she enrolled in the Academy. "One day, not too long after I had come to the school, I found one of Mr. Sheppard's Ritual Spell cards and returned it to him when I noticed that he was looking for it. We then started to talk about Ritual Summoning, which piqued my interest. I was delighted when Mr. Sheppard offered to be my teacher in the matter."
"You mean... someone other than the Professor was in charge of Duel Academy?" Zuzu was surprised by the information.
"Yeah. Before the Professor took over, Mr. Sheppard was our principal. He was a kind, sweet guy who cared about the students. But, didn't he have to retire due to health issues?" Sora raised his brow questioningly to Alexis for clarity.
"No. That was a lie." Alexis replied with a sad look on her face. "After I escaped, I learned that it was just a lie that the Professor made up so he could take over the school. He's actually a prisoner in Duel Academy now. And very few people know that he is." Alexis then remembered how she came across this information. "I had caught wind of the information from a couple of the Duel Academy soldiers that visited the town once and while and after I did my own digging around."
"If that's the case, we have to save him too!" Zuzu added another goal to their agenda tomorrow.
Sora nodded. "Since the Professor hasn't carded him yet, it can be assumed that he sees that he might still be valuable. If we can rescue him, we may be able to know more about the Professor's agenda."
"That reminds me." Alexis shuffled through her deck case and pulled out a card. "Mr. Sheppard is also a researcher himself. He gave me this spell card that he was using in his research, but I can't use it."
"You can't? Why?" Sora asked.
"I don't have the cards that are necessary to activate it. Mr. Sheppard told me to keep it and never tell or show it to anyone else. It's somehow important." Alexis showed it to Zuzu and Sora.
When Zuzu and Sora saw the card and read the conditions to activate it, their eyes widened, and their mouths formed an 'O' before they nodded as if they understood the card.
"What is it?" Alexis asked the two of them.
"It's possible... only Yuya can use this card." Zuzu told the ritual duelist.
Alexis raised her brow. "Really? Why's that?"
"He's got the cards needed to activate it." Sora answered.
Alexis looked at the card in her hand one more time before giving it to Zuzu. "If that's the case, then you should give this to him. The chances that you will meet him are better than mine. This card may be helpful to him."
Zuzu was hesitant to take the card. "Are you sure? Didn't Mr. Sheppard entrust you with it?"
Alexis nodded, assuring the pink-haired girl. "There's no real point for me to keep it if I can't use it. And I'm sure that Mr. Sheppard wouldn't mind. Besides, Yuya is Yusho's son, and I trust Yusho, so I'll trust him too. I know I can."
Zuzu looked into Alexis' eyes and saw that she truly meant every word. There was not a single ounce of doubt in her words. This showed how much she trusted Yusho, extending all the way to his son.
Zuzu finally took the card from Alexis. "Thank you. I'll make sure that Yuya gets it."
Sora leaned back a bit, supporting his back with his hands. "Tomorrow's the big day. Never thought that things would happen like this."
"I know. I'm sure nobody expected this would happen." Alexis knew, being an honor student of Duel Academy herself, that she never expected to go against the Academy.
"Before meeting anyone here, I thought that I could only rely on myself and no one else. I thought I had no time for such things as friendship. That to be the best of the best, you had to be cold and calculating."
Sora remembered that he went to rough harsh training to be a strong duelist. He didn't have time to make any friends.
"But then I realized that there are more important things than just being the strongest. Like the smaller things in life that make you, and those around you, happy."
Sora then remembered the times he had spent with You Show Duel School in the Standard Dimension, Zuzu and Yuya. Possibly the only happy times he ever had.
"When this horrible campaign started, I thought I was unlucky to be not chosen to go to the Xyz Dimension. But after learning the truth, and seeing how horrible the Academy was becoming, I'm glad I wasn't. I shudder to think how I would have to deal with those scars and trauma."
"So, what are you guys going to do after this is over?" Zuzu asked.
Alexis was the first to answer that question. "I'm going to help rebuild Duel Academy. I want it to help the school remember what dueling is truly for."
"As for me... I think the first order of business is to go back to the Standard Dimension and visit the You Show Duel School there. I kinda need to explain myself to everyone there." Sora remembered how quickly he left the Standard without even giving a single explanation.
Zuzu pouted and teasingly pinched Sora's nose. "Don't worry, Sora. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind you visiting us now and again. You're as much as a You Show Duel School student as I am."
Zuzu then turned to Alexis. "The same goes for you, Alexis. Why don't you come and visit us in my dimension?"
"Yusho often talks about his school back in his dimension, so I am quite curious. Consider me invited."
Zuzu extended her hand to the center of the circle. Knowing what she meant by the gesture, Alexis and Sora also put their hands in. Sora put his hand over Zuzu's, and then Alexis placed her hand over his. The three of them smiled at each other as they stayed that way for a while.
"It's a promise then."
Secretly watching the three of them from a distance was Yusho, who had woken up after hearing their voices. He also made a promise silently in his mind.
"It's a promise... Yuya... Yoko..."
Next Day - Sheppard's Room - Duel Academy - Fusion Dimension
Yuya and Rin woke up early in the morning after they smelled the breakfast that was delivered for them. Sheppard allowed them to eat first since he was occupied with his research. Apparently, Sheppard had pulled an all-nighter on researching Yuya's pendant. Yuya and Rin were surprised how much he was able to get done. Research papers Sheppard had written about the pendant were scattered across the floor.
"Sorry for the mess." Sheppard apologized, scratching his head in embarrassment.
"No, it's fine..." Yuya said while he and Rin munched on some biscuits. "Did you find something, Mr. Sheppard?" Rin asked.
"Maybe, but I can't be sure. I've managed to take a sample of the pendant's power at least." Shepherd pointed to a small tube containing the white energy from Yuya's pendant. When Shepherd's stomach growled, he stopped his research for a moment to eat. He also returned Yuya's pendant since he now had a sample of its mysterious power.
"I'm not 100% sure, but I believe I am close to finding a way to return everyone that was turned into a card on a large scale." Sheppard's information caused the kids to nearly choke on their food.
"Really?" Yuya and Rin stood up from their seats.
"It's not finished, but I'm pretty sure." Then, Sheppard told them the bad news. "The problem is that I need more advanced equipment that I have here, but they're in the labs."
"Which the Professor won't give up since he needs it to finish the Arc Area Project, right?" Yuya asked even though he knew what the answer would be.
Sheppard's silent nodding meant that the guess was right. "Figures." Rin grumbled.
"I almost forgot. Before you woke up, Yuya, I took a look at your deck." Sheppard admitted. "Apologies for looking at it without your permission, but it spilled out of your case, and I picked it up."
"It's okay. Nothing's missing or broken, so all is fine." Yuya assured the man as he finished his breakfast.
Sheppard continued after he and Rin also finished their breakfasts, wiping his mouth with a cloth. "I would like to let you know that I created a spell card that is specifically for your deck."
"You did? Just for my deck?"
"Before I was forced to retire, I found a certain file that Leo had. I wasn't able to get it all, but from what I was able to gather, it had information on Odd-Eyes Dragon." Shepard showed them his copy of the file that he had filled out himself.
"Odd-Eyes Dragon?!" Yuya looked at his ace monster card, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, which used to simply be known as Odd-Eyes Dragon.
"In the file, Leo wrote it as a monstrosity." Sheppard pointed at the part where it was mentioned.
Yuya read it in disbelief. "Why would... my Odd-Eyes be that? Why?"
Sheppard's expression showed that he was just as confused as Yuya. "I don't know. But it also says that your dragon is evil because it is fueled by humanity's darkness or something along those lines."
"What does that even mean?" Yuya was now completely at a loss. Sheppard shrugged, indicating he was the same.
"Anyways, back to the subject at hand, I thought that even if I didn't fully understand the meaning, it gave me the idea to create something with the opposite power. I gave that card to a student of mine, Alexis Rhodes, before I was imprisoned here so Leo wouldn't find it."
"Is Alexis still here in Duel Academy?" Rin asked.
Sheppard shook his head. "No. She ran away from the Academy and is now wanted by Leo. She's a good duelist, so I know I can have faith in her that she can take care of herself."
"What kind of card was it?" Yuya was getting curious about the spell card that Sheppard had made for his dragon.
Unfortunately, before Sheppard could tell them about it, they were interrupted by a group of the Chaos Inquisition that arrived. One of them pointed to Yuya and Rin.
"Get up. You're leaving." The Buster Brigadier motioned them to stand. The two behind him seemingly ready to act if they refused.
Knowing that resistance would be pointless, and they didn't want to cause trouble for Sheppard, Yuya and Rin stood up as they were told, and got their things before letting the Chaos Inquisition handcuff them. Yuya wore his jacket on his shoulders as he normally did before he was handcuffed. They silently gave hand gestures and eye contact to tell Sheppard it was okay.
"See you soon, Mr. Sheppard." "Take care of yourself."
Those were Yuya and Rin's last words before they were led out of the room, leaving Sheppard the only occupant of the room once more.
You Show Duel School - City - Fusion Dimension
The students were having quite the discussion with each other as they sat on benches in the building in the mountainside while Yusho was sitting in a chair in front of them, seemingly like a king on his throne.
"Is everyone ready?" Yusho stood from his chair. His question was enough to silence everyone in the room who nodded with determination in return. Seeing the response from his students, Yusho nodded in satisfaction.
"As your teacher, there is nothing more that makes me proud to see how much you've all grown. Let us use what we've learned to finally put an end to these atrocities. Let's remind everyone what dueling should always be for."
Yusho's word had the intended effect on his students; raising their morale, lighting their spirits to fight. All of them raised their hands up while letting out a battle cheer like soldiers do before they go into a battle. Alexis, Zuzu, and Sora, however, simply smiled at the strong resolve the students showed.
"Oh, no, you won't. To stop us, you must get to Duel Academy first, and the only way to get there is through me."
Everyone stopped their cheer as they looked toward the door as it suddenly exploded inward. From the smoke, familiar figures started to become visible. The figure of someone that Zuzu and Sora both knew well, had two of the Chaos Inquisition, blades drawn, and their division's signature fusion monster on both of his sides.
"It's you!" Zuzu exclaimed. Sora growled. "Dennis!" "Hi there, guys! Long time no see. I've been looking for you."
"Hello there, Mr. McField." Yusho acknowledged. "You know him?" Zuzu asked, surprised. "It's been a while... teacher." "Teacher?!" Alexis, Sora, and Zuzu asked in shock.
Dennis chuckled. "That's correct. Oh, how I admired you when I first saw you duel on the street corners of Heartland. That's where my passion for dueltaining was born. But it's the old story, the one where the student's superior skills overtake those of his teacher." "Don't be so sure." Yusho retorted with a smile.
"Then why don't we find out? I've got a few friends would love a good show." A huge battalion of red blazer Academy duelists and Buster Brigadiers stood behind the former student of Yusho and his two bodyguards.
"How did you find us here?" Alexis whispered, but it was still audible for Dennis to hear. Dennis calmly answered with closed eyes, "Oh, quite easily. We have eyes everywhere. But asking the townsfolk for when they last saw you did narrow it down.
You know, Teach, I think it was destiny that brought you here to the Fusion Dimension." Dennis' tone turned ominous and threatening. "Now I can take the stage and steal the spotlight from you."
"Hey! If you're looking to put on a show, I'm all for playing the guy who bangs up the bad guy!" "You tell 'em, Sora!" "Shut your mouth, Dennis, or we'll shut it for you!"
Dennis' challenge also infuriated the You Show students, prompting them to stand in front of their teacher, to defend him. Several of them even activated their Duel Disks and fearlessly faced him and his platoon while the rest stayed close to Yusho.
Seeing the display front of him, Yusho pulled out a card and activated his purple Duel Disk. For second, they thought that Yusho was going to take Dennis' challenge, but they were quickly proven wrong when he activated a trap card, Miraculous Hats. Yusho and his students were covered by giant colorful top hats while the room became a space filled with brightly colored stars. The hats exploded, and when they did, Yusho and his students were gone.
"They pulled a fast one on us!" "We got runners!"
Turning towards his troops, Dennis gave his orders. "They're heading towards Duel Academy! Find them now!"
Town Square - City - Fusion Dimension
Through a secret passage, Yusho and his students got outside and made their way toward the harbor as fast as they could. But it wasn't long before Duel Academy was on their heels, with Ancient Gear Soldiers, White Wyvernbusters, and Black Collapserpents blasting at them. Of course, they retaliated by using their own monsters to fire back, but they soon found themselves trapped in the town square.
As they were trapped, they reached a domed stone pergola. There was a figure underneath, hidden in its shadows. Zuzu and Yusho gasped they recognized some familiar features on the figure. A familiar pair of goggles with stars on the lens set on top of the head along with a cape-like feature on the back.
"Is that Yuya?" Yusho asked. Zuzu couldn't help but other the name of the person she and Yusho thought and hoped it was. "Yuya?"
A familiar sinister snickering from the figure dashed her hopes quickly. "That's not Yuya." Sora growled as he defensively put his arm in front of her.
From the shadow of the pergola, Yuri revealed himself as he walked out of the shadows with a snickering smile and Yuya's goggles on his head. "Hello there, Zuzu. Are you ready to have some fun?"
"You know him?" Alexis asked Zuzu and Sora. Zuzu answered, "We do. That guy's been chasing me from dimension to dimension. What's your problem, creep?"
"This "creep" does have a name, you know." Yuri then promptly introduced himself to them. "It's Yuri, and I would suggest you call me that rather than using insults, Zuzu." Yuri softy cackled. "Good to see you, but you know who will be more thrilled to say hi? The Professor." The group of You Show students and their teacher gasped and took a step back at Yuri's suggestion. In Yusho's case, it was because Yuri resembled his son whom he hadn't seen in years.
Zuzu's shock quickly wore off as she demanded something that got her questioning something. "Where did you get those goggles?" Yuri touched them as he answered with a smirk. "Oh, these? Just a little memento from my latest victim. You like?"
Zuzu, Sora, and Yusho gasped at what Yuri just told them. "You... beat Yuya?" Zuzu nervously summarized, hoping it wasn't true. Yuri snickered, confirming her fears.
"Bingo. But don't worry, I didn't turn him into a card. Don't know why, but it just doesn't seem to work for him. No matter what we try." Yusho, Zuzu, and Sora breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that.
"However, we do have him locked up at the moment and I'm not allowed to duel him. Who knows? Maybe if I bring you back with me, the Professor will let me duel him again!" Yuri smiled hopefully in a sinister way as he took off and tossed the googles over to Zuzu's feet. Zuzu's eyes widened as she realized what Yuri meant. "One way or another, you're coming with me!"
"Not on our watch!"
Yuri disappeared in a bright pink light as Zuzu's bracelet lit up as three familiar Duel Runners leapt into the air from the nearby stairway. They drifted to a stop right where Yuri was a moment ago. That surprised Yusho and the You Show students. "Where did he go?" Alexis wondered.
"No! He vanished again!" The white rider on the Duel Runner in the middle exclaimed in an irritated manner.
Recognizing the riders, Zuzu called out to them. "Yugo! Crow! Jack! What are you doing here?"
"Zuzu! Glad to see ya!" Yugo looked happily at his pink-haired friend.
"Friends of yours and Zuzu's?" Yusho asked Sora who simply smiled at him with assurance.
"Yep." Sora nodded before he spoke in a loud voice to the You Show students. "No need to worry! These guys are the Lancers! They've come with reinforcements to help us!"
Sora's announcement managed to not only disturb their enemies, but also raise their allies' morals as they fought with the turbo duelists helping them. The battle cries as they were dueling and several shockwaves made the nearby civilians run out of the square, leaving only the You Show Duel School and Duel Academy, allowing them to wreak havoc as they dueled. It didn't take them very long before they defeated the Duel Academy duelists and forced them to retreat, the guess was that it was most likely to inform Dennis of the recent developments. Thanks to the turbo duelist trio, none of the students were turned into cards.
"Yugo!" Zuzu approached the turbo duelists. She pulled out her fan when it seemed Yugo was going to try and hug her, prompting him to stay on his Duel Runner.
"You guys sure made the dramatic entrance." Sora commented.
"We came in the nick of time, didn't we?" Crow replied.
"Yugo!"
A new voice that Zuzu recognized that came from the top of stairway got her attention. Running toward her group with the rest of the Lancers was another familiar person with an identical face as Yugo and Yuya, but wore black clothing, Yuto. As Yuto closed in, Zuzu's bracelet started to glow.
Yugo facepalmed, remembering what happened the last time any of the boys with identical faces were together with Zuzu.
"Oh, for the love of... Yuto wait - !"
By the time Yuto halted, it was too late, and Yugo was teleported away, leaving Yusho and his students flabbergasted at the disappearance of one of the turbo duelists. Crow and Jack inwardly scolded themselves for forgetting about Zuzu's bracelet's power, even though they were warned about it.
"Great. We were so caught up in the dueling that we forgot about that." "Don't wrap me up with your idiocy, Crow." "Hey!"
"Yuto!" Zuzu shifted her full attention to the Phantom Knights duelist while Sora explained what he knew to Yusho, who nearly mistook the boy for his son.
Before Zuzu could say anything, she saw that there was another girl who looked like her next to Yuto. The said girl also had the same reaction when she saw Zuzu.
"You're..." Zuzu said as she looked at her lookalike.
"This is Lulu." Yuto introduced, surprising Zuzu, since the last time she heard that name, Lulu was supposed to be a prisoner of Duel Academy.
"Lulu?! But I thought you were locked up in Duel Academy! How did you escape?" Zuzu asked the dark purple-haired girl.
"I have Yuya and Celina to thank for it." Lulu glanced at Celina, who wasn't too far away from them and smiled at Zuzu.
"We meet again, Yusho." Declan acknowledged as he walked up to Yusho. "I hope you've had time to realize there's only one way to get through to my father, and that's with force."
"Well, I still believe I can get through to your father with words and not war."
"You greatly underestimate my father, Yusho. If we are to stop him, we must bring the fight to him."
"That might be easier said than done, Declan!" Shay yelled, getting the others' attentions. He was on top of the roofs of the square's buildings with Kite and Moon Shadow. "We won't be able to do anything if we can't get to Duel Academy!"
"Yes, and it may be much harder now." Moon Shadow said as he looked in the direction of the harbor, where smoke was starting to come from.
Docks - City - Fusion Dimension
When the Lancers and the You Show Duel School students got to the harbor, they were met with a horrible sight. There, they saw that the Buster Brigadiers were using their White Wyvernbusters and Black Collaserpents to obliterate the boats.
"Looks like Duel Academy wants to make sure that we don't get to their island by any means necessary." Kite observed, as he looked at the burning wreckage of ships that were sinking into the water.
"Please! Have mercy!" Yelling caught the Lancers' and the You Show students' attention and they saw what was causing it. An old man was begging some of the Chaos Inquisition as he protected his boat.
"This boat is the only thing I have left! I beg you! Please spare it!"
A female Buster Brigadier then placed her hand on the old man's shoulder before firmly gripping it and tossing him to the pier floor like a rag doll.
"The will of the Professor is law! All ships in this harbor are to be sunk! No exceptions!" The Buster Brigadier stated, coldly and strictly.
"Prepare to fire!" With that command, the Black Collapserpent she controlled prepared to blast the boat, much to the old man's horror.
"Smash it, Rise Falcon!" Shay's interference destroyed the dragon and defeating its duelist and her comrades before the damage could be done, much to the shock of the elderly man.
"What's gotten into these youths?! It's almost as if they've gone mad!"
"We know, that's why we're trying to stop 'em!" Gong replied as he knelt to the old man, making sure that he was okay.
"Are there any ships left?" Alexis asked the elderly man. "A yacht would do!" Sylvio suggested.
The old man nodded in fright. "T-there's a cruise ship that's in port right now, y-you might be able to catch it, if they haven't sunken it already."
"Thank you. You should get out of town while you have the chance with your boat." The old man nodded quickly and got his boat running and was soon speeding as fast as it could out of the harbor and away from the town.
The Lancers and the You Show students then began running to the cruise ship, after the old man gave them directions. As they did so, they defeated as many of Duel Academy's forces as they tried to stop them and blast the ships.
"Didn't think you'd show your true colors to the townsfolk." Alexis disapprovingly told the Duel Academy duelists who laid beaten on the ground.
"It doesn't matter... what they think of us... anymore." One of Buster Brigadiers said weakly, causing Alexis to stop and fall behind her allies as she looked at him. "The Arc Area Project... is now..." The member of the Chaos Inquisition fainted before he could finish his sentence, causing some worried confusion in Alexis, as she was the only one to hear that.
Cruise Ship - Fusion Dimension
Soon, the Lancers and the You Show students were sailing on the cruise ship. There, Zuzu got what she was wondering since Yuri's information...
"So Yuya is really Duel Academy's prisoner now?" Zuzu asked in worried disbelief after Yuto and her lookalikes filled her in on what happened when they attempted to bust both Lulu and Rin out.
"Yuya..." Yusho covered his eyes as he worried for his son.
"I'm so sorry, Zuzu. If I was able to, I would've helped him." Celina bowed her head, truly regretting her inability.
"Us too! We weren't able to do anything for Yuya even though he has done so much for us!" Yuto and Lulu also bowed and apologized.
Yusho smiled softly at seeing how concerned every one of the Lancers were for his son. It proved how much his son's friends cared for his wellbeing.
"There is no need to apologize. I'm sure you all did the best you could." Yusho told the three apologizing Lancers, causing them to raise their heads.
"It's just like Yuya. Putting others first before himself." Sora remarked.
Yusho agreed with Sora. "Nothing will change by dwelling on what has happened. Right now, we have to focus on getting to Duel Academy. I promise we will save Yuya."
"And I can promise you something, Yusho. You're never getting to Duel Academy."
They looked up and saw that Dennis had somehow snuck up to them and was now looking at Yusho. "You may have been able to elude once, but now, you're mine!"
Alexis, Kite, and the other disciples of Yusho stepped protectively in front of their teacher.
"If it's a duel you want, it's a duel you'll get, Dennis!" Alexis told the Duel Academy duelist.
"Oh, I do want to duel, just not with you." Dennis brushed off his fellow disciples as his focus remained on his former teacher.
"So, Teach, tell me. You up for putting your razzle against my dazzle?"
"Stand aside, all of you. I can handle this." Dennis eagerly smiled when Yusho accepted his request. Despite the protests his students gave out of concern for his condition, he motioned them to stand back.
"But first, an observation. You disappoint me, Dennis. After all this time, you still haven't changed a bit." "That's a bad thing?" Dennis asked.
"Yes. You were always fascinated by flashiness: the showy, shallow things. I was hoping that someday you'd understand the part of dueling that can truly move the human heart. That's why you can never put on a real show."
"Blah, blah, blah, blah. I had to endure your mind-numbing lectures when I was your student, but not anymore, Teach!
Now, Yusho, enough of all this chitchat. Let's get to dueling. After all, schooling you in front of your students will be so much fun!" Noticing that there were civilians still on the cruise ship, Dennis got an idea.
"Come to think of it, why stop there? I think I'll make a point of embarrassing you in front of each and every passenger on this ship! I'm going to put on a duel-stravaganza!"
Soon, Yusho and Dennis were in different positions on the bow and had enough space between them so they could duel. Dennis then started to attract the passengers to watch the duel.
"Come one, come all! Watch as I put on a dueltaining performance that you'll never forget! And it won't cost you a thing! However, my opponent will pay most dearly! Hurry up now! You won't want to miss a thing!"
Dennis then introduced the duelists as spotlights shone on them. "Please, get off your seats and ride to your feet. And welcome the hero who's no zero — me! Dennis McField! And now let's shed some light on the villainous Yusho Sakaki! Now, on with the show!"
[Let's duel!]
"I'd let you go first, but this crowd deserves a big opener! So I'm going to give them one, with a Pendulum Summon! I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 2 Performage Bubble Gardna(ATK: 800/DEF: 2000/LV: 4/PS: 2) and Scale 5 Performage Candy Crafter(ATK: 500/DEF: 1000/LV: 2/PS: 5)! Now, I can summon monsters between level 3 and 4 all at the same time! I Pendulum Summon! First up is Performage Hat Tricker(ATK: 1100/DEF: 1100/LV: 4). Then the red-hot performer Performage Flame Eater(ATK: 1200/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)!"
"With two level 4 monsters, he can Xyz Summon!" Kite commented.
"But ladies and gentlemen, don't you bat an eye, because before you know it, these will be gone, bye-bye! Now, watch as I overlay these two monsters and build the Overlay Network! Direct your eyes to the skies, as I present you a swinging star performer! Here he comes! I Xyz Summon, Performage Trapeze Magician(ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/RK: 4/OU: 2)!
I think that'll do for my turn, which means it's your time to shine, Teach, unless you have stage fright."
Jack stared at Yusho with his arms crossed. "So he's Yuya's old man. I've been wondering what kind of a duelist he was when Yuya told me that he was his inspiration. Let's see if he can live up to the expectation."
"You have nothing to worry about. Yusho Sakaki is one of the greatest duelists in my dimension." Declan stated with certainty.
"That's right! He won't lose to Dennis!" Zuzu supported her teacher.
Yusho smiled. "Trust me, I can certainly razzle the dazzle of this duel. I draw! First, since I have no monsters on my field but there is on your field, I can summon Performapal Revue Dancer(ATK: 800/DEF: 1000/LV: 3) to take her playful place on stage."
Revue Dancer giggled as she appeared. "This gal danced her way into my heart the moment I found out she counts as two monsters instead of one when I tribute summon. So I'm using her to summon the mystical and magical Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)!"
"That monster..." Kite stated as he saw the Magician.
"Thats Yusho's ace." Alexis added.
Dennis smiled, expecting that the Magician would be summoned. "We both have our aces out right on the first of our turns. It will truly be a magical show."
The spotlight focused on Yusho. "Ladies and gentlemen! Get ready! It's showtime! Keep your eyes to the field as I activate the spell, Rope of Hope. This wonderful spell card will cause my Magician's attack points to soar by 300!"
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 2500 = 2800/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
"Next, I activate Sky Magician's special ability. So now he gains another 300 attack points!"
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 2800 = 3100/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
Yusho then held onto the rings as Sky Magicain took flight.
"Now, Sky Magician will attack your magician and show our audience he's not all that he's cracked up to be. Sky Magician, attack Trapeze Magician!" Sky Magician's rings then glowed before they shot a bolt of lightning at Trapeze Magician.
"So predictable. You've played right into my hands! Thanks to your attack, I can now summon Performage White Tamer(ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 1)! He gonna give me a real hand with this." Dennis summoned a Performage monster that resembled a white-suited circus tamer that had a whip. White Tamer caught the energy of the attack with its whip, capturing the energy in it. It then used the whip to launch the energy into the sky as a ball and create colorful fireworks that captivated the passengers. "Trés magnifique! Not only did White Tamer bring some flash to our clash, but he gets to stick around for the fireworks! Sweet, right?" White Tamer took a bow with his hat off.
"Well, things are about to get even sweeter, because I'm activating Candy Crafter's Pendulum Ability which gives me 1000 life points!" Dennis opened his arms wide and sang as Candy Crafter cause candies to rain down on him, causing his life points to increase.
DENNIS LP: 4000 = 5000
"Candy Crafter can only give me those sweet treats because I have a Performage monster on my field. So thanks a whole bunch, Teach!" Dennis thanked his opponent.
"So you've prepared that much. I place one card facedown and end my turn." Yusho concluded his turn.
"Here I go!" Dennis then drew a card, starting his turn. "First up, I summon Damage Juggler(ATK: 1500/DEF: 1000/LV: 4)! And now, I'll activate White Tamer's ability! With it, I can fuse monsters together without having to use Polymerization! So, without further ado, Damage Juggler... and White Tamer... let your magic and majesty mix, mingle, merge and become one! One with the power to both delight and destroy! I Fusion Summon! Performage Trapeze Witch(ATK: 2400/DEF: 1800/LV: 7)!"
"That's the fusion monster he used against me in Heartland!" Celina remembered the fusion monster that gave her a hard time in their rematch.
"You fought Dennis again?" Zuzu asked her indigo-haired counterpart.
"Yeah, and I barely won." Celina said it with a hint of both of pride and worry. Pride in defeating Dennis for real, unlike their duel in the Arc League Championship, and worry for Yusho. "Be careful! Those two monsters are a force to be reckoned with!"
"You're right about that, Celina! And this tandem of highflyers are gonna swing me to victory! Next, I'll use an Overlay Unit to activate Trapeze Magician's special ability! And this ability is not all smoke and mirrors. You see, it allows Trapeze Magician to attack two times in one turn! But why stop at one? I'll use his last one too!" Trapeze Witch then glowed as the special ability was used on her. "So his high-flying partner can swing way high in the sky and attack twice!"
"But since you have another Spellcaster, my Sky Magician's attack points increase by another 300 points."
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 3100 = 3400/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
"And because my Sky Magician was stronger than your Trapeze Magician before you played your witch, you'd lose those battles. So one can only assume that she has a trick or two up her sleeve - one that gives you the clear edge."
"Exactly right! I sure can't sneak anything past you! So let me guess, you have something all set to offset this, right?" Dennis held his right hand up when he asked his question as if he was whispering to Yusho.
"Maybe... but where is the fun in knowing what's going to happen?" Yusho kept his smile as he responded with a question.
"Got me there. My duo is ready to attack... And it's going to make for a swing-tacular show!" The two Spellcasters then jumped into the sky and used their staffs like trapeze and swung past each other.
"Trapeze Magician, why don't you clear the skies and show Sky Magician who is allowed to fly in this airspace! And Trapeze Witch lends a helping hand by lowering the attack points of Sky Magician by 600!" Trapeze Witch launched stars at Sky Magician, lowering its attack points.
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 3400 = 2800/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
"But I don't have to worry about your Magician having more attack points than mine, because by banishing Performage White Tamer from my graveyard, I can lower your monster's attack points by another 600!"
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 2800 = 2200/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
"Don't bet on it, McField. Thanks to Sky-High Rings, my Magician will keep on flying so it can make an encore performance in the next turn." Four rings appeared in front of Sky Magician and Yusho, creating a blue spherical barrier that protected them from Trapeze Magician's attack.
"Aah! I sure didn't see that coming! Actually, if we're being completely honest, I totally did. In fact, I've got all the deets on your deck, Teach. See, back at Duel Academy we have the best database in this or any dimension, and it's got info on duelists from everywhere; duelists like you, Yusho. So I did my research and memorized each and every one of your duel tactics. In other words, I know every move you can possibly make! And because I do, there's no way you can out-strategize me!" Dennis sneered.
"A duel where you know what will happen deprives it of any fun. It's much better to have the unexpected happen, so that everyone enjoys it." Yusho reprimanded.
"Doesn't matter to me. Either way, you're still taking damage!" The shockwave from the damage then came blasting at Yusho.
YUSHO LP: 4000 = 3800
"Granted, it's only 200 points, but that number will continue to grow. And now, Trapeze Magician will make an encore performance by attacking your Magician for a second time!" Trapeze Witch laughed as she caught Trapeze Magician as he dismounted from his trapeze.
"Throw him harder this time so that Sky Magician loses even more attack points!"
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 2200 = 1600/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
"Oh, no, Yusho's poor monster keeps getting weaker and weaker." Alexis voiced her concern for her teacher.
"Since your monster is weaker, you take damage! And with Trapeze Witch still having all two of her attacks left, you'll keep taking more and more damage! Especially since you're losing your Magician right now!"
YUSHO LP: 3800 = 2900
"Now Trapeze Witch takes her turn! First things first! Swing the attack points of Sky Magician down another 600."
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 1600 = 1000/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
Trapeze Witch moved in to attack after launching her stars at Sky Magician. "Now, Trapeze Witch, let that Sky Magician have it with all your toe-tapping might, and kiss Yusho's life points away!" Trapeze Witch blew heart-shaped bubble kisses after she kicked Sky Magician's barrier, the shockwave becoming stronger.
YUSHO LP: 2900 = 1500
"How was that for you? Because I must admit, it was a real day at the circus for me!" Trapeze Witch giggled as she swung from Trapeze Magician and grabbed her staff again. "That was seriously one of my top moves ever - a big top move! And just like our audience, I can't wait to see how this ends. So now, on with the show! Attack Performapal Sky Magician! But don't forget to dock it 600 attack points first!"
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 1000 = 400/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
"Ah, how the mighty have fallen. And now, it's your time to fall!" Trapeze Witch uncurled from a ball before she assaulted Sky Magician with an overhead kick.
"If this attack hits..." Alexis trailed off, knowing what would happen. The other You Show students shared her concern. Zuzu frowned as she finished Alexis' sentence. "Yusho will lose."
But, despite the grim outlook, Yusho was not perturbed by the development, acting as if nothing had happened. "Once again, you have been focusing so much on the flashiness that you have let your vision become shallow."
"Huh?" Dennis raised his brow in confusion.
"My spell card Rope of Hope has another effect! Once per turn, I can reduce the amount of damage I take to zero if I have Performapal Sky Magician on my field!" Sky Magician performed a magic trick and covered himself with a magical barrier that kept him and his master safe.
"Oh well, a job well done! Take a bow!" Dennis' monsters landed on the deck of the ship and took a bow with him.
"It's almost like my duel. He had a countermeasure to everything I threw at him." Celina thought in annoyance to how Dennis cornered her with knowledge of most of her cards.
"Dennis... when I first met and dueled him, it was fun. To think he's actually this..." Lulu was saddened by how Dennis' duel was different from hers. "It feels like a hopeful dream now."
"What did you expect from a crony of Duel Academy?" Shay asked bitterly.
However, Yuto, for once, disagreed with his friends' thoughts. "I don't think that's the case." His statement was a surprise for everyone, particularly for Shay and Lulu.
"Back in the Xyz Dimension, when he visited Yuya, Yuya thought that Dennis does have fun dueling. It's just that he is just trying to convince himself otherwise."
"I think I get what you're going at." Sora supported Yuto's opinion. "He might just be trying to cover up his actual feelings on the matter."
"You mean... he's like Aster...?" It wasn't hard for Celina to realize what they were getting at.
"Let Gong get this straight, are you saying that Dennis is at a crossroads between what Yusho and the Professor both taught him?"
"It's possible..." Yuto simply replied.
Yusho then landed so he could start his turn. "It's my turn. I draw!" Yusho then saw what card he drew and the remaining cards in his hand, before he looked at Dennis with excitement, which unnerved the boy.
"It's showtime!" Yusho raised his arms wide up. "Please direct your attention to the sky as I summon Sky Magician's own student!"
"What student?" It was obvious from his tone that Dennis was confused.
"This one! Performapal Sky Pupil(ATK: 800/DEF: 800/LV: 3)!" A small, childlike brown-haired boy in a circus outfit and carrying two rings somersaulted onto the field as he laughed.
"This can't be. The database never said you had that card." Dennis was purely shocked.
"I actually planned to show this to you, but the invasion of the Xyz Dimension started before I could." Yusho revealed. "But thanks to him, I can turn things around!"
"Turn things around? I have 5000 life points and both of my monsters are stronger than your two, Teach. How will you pull it off?" Dennis asked with skepticism.
"Don't you mean one?" Yusho asked with a smile.
"Huh?" Dennis was confused, before he saw that Sky Magician was flying off and away from the duel, right back into Yusho's hand.
"Sky Pupil's special ability returned his teacher to my hand and allowed him to swap places with him on the field.
And now, for my next step, I activate... the mystifyingly magical spell card known as Magician's Restage! When I have a Spellcaster out on my field, I can bring back another Spellcaster from my graveyard. So Performapal Revue Dancer, take the stage!
And as you know, she has a special place in my heart because she counts as two monsters. So I can tribute her to bring back... Sky Magician!" Yusho raised his right arm to the sky as he resummoned his ace, attack points restored to normal.
"Now class is officially in session, and both teacher and student will give you a lesson you won't forget anytime soon!" Yusho then grabbed the rings of his two monsters as they dragged him into the sky.
"And it starts with the spell Rope of Hope! It allows my Sky Magician and my Sky Pupil to gain 600 attack points! Courtesy of your monsters."
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 2500 = 2800/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
Performapal Sky Pupil(ATK: 800 = 1100/DEF: 800/LV: 3)
"Now then, one of the most painful lessons to learn is the best lessons are the ones where you have to fail. So I activate the spell Falling Sky Lessons! It lowers the attack points of your Trapeze Witch by the difference between my teacher and student's."
Performage Trapeze Witch(ATK: 2400 = 700/DEF: 1800/LV: 7)
"And since I activated a spell, my Sky Magician's special ability allows him to gain another 300 attack points!"
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 2800 = 3100/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
"Sky Magician... attack Trapeze Magician!" Sky Magician then became a drill with two of his rings surrounding him and two off to the side. Then it descended and destroyed Trapeze Magician.
DENNIS LP: 5000 = 4400
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 3100 = 2800/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
Performapal Sky Pupil(ATK: 1100 = 800/DEF: 800/LV: 3)
Yusho landed as the attack finished. "Next, Sky Pupil, it is time to attack as well! Show him that you're no mere apprentice either! Especially when you attack when your teacher's on the field."
Performapal Sky Pupil(ATK: 800 = 1600/DEF: 800/LV: 3)
Sky Pupil jumped into the air and lunged at the fusion monster with his right foot. With his attack higher than Trapeze Witch, the acrobatic female monster was destroyed.
DENNIS LP: 4400 = 3500
Performapal Sky Magician(ATK: 2800 = 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)
Performapal Sky Pupil(ATK: 1600 = 500/DEF: 800/LV: 3)
Dennis sighed in disappointment. "That was your best top move? I'm not impressed. You don't have another monster to attack me with, and even if you do, I can use my Bubble Gardna's Pendulum Ability to cut the damage I take in half."
"So you're saying that even if I attack you, you'll still have life points left." Yusho clarified what Dennis was implementing, which the latter agreed, hands on his hips. "Exactly right." "Exactly wrong." Dennis was unnerved by the statement and that Yusho's face remained unchanged.
"I now activate... the effect of Sky-High Rings from my graveyard! By banishing this trap, my monsters are allowed to attack for a second time!" As he did so, Yusho's monsters were bathed in a white light. "And as a bonus, you're unable to activate any of your Pendulum Abilities until this turn is over."
"What?!" Dennis was completely taken aback as he wasn't expecting that at all.
"This is the grand finale! Go Sky Magician and Sky Pupil! Bring this duel to a rousing finale!"
Performapal Sky Pupil(ATK: 500 = 1000/DEF: 800/LV: 3)
Following Yusho's command, both Sky Magician and Sky Pupil flew to the sky. Both threw their rings, forming a huge circle of colorful lights. Everyone onboard the ship was astonished and mesmerized by the light show, including Dennis who was only able to watch. The lights accumulated in the center before they exploded, creating equally beautiful fireworks, the light engulfing the area and the duelists dueling.
DENNIS LP: 3500 = 0
Dennis laid on the ground from the attack, motionless, as the duel ended with Yusho's victory. There were a few seconds of silence before one of the passengers clapped his hand, followed by everyone on the ship, including the Lancers and the You Show Duel School students who were cheering for Yusho's victory.
"Bravo!" "Amazing!" "What a show!" "Man, I'm so lucky I got to see this duel."
Dennis clicked his tongue in frustration as he sat back up. "This can't be. I did everything I possibly could... But my best just wasn't even close to being good enough!"
Then he remembered Madame Chaos' harsh words. "We will not tolerate another failure from you a third time." "Three strikes... and I am out...!" He whispered to himself.
Yusho then approached Dennis. "Dennis, don't be rude. The first rule for a dueltainer is to acknowledge the crowd, especially one that's cheering for you. Why don't you take a bow?"
Dennis looked away. "You're wrong. They're not cheering for me. A crowd never cheers for the loser."
"Then I think you need to listen a bit more closely."
"Huh?" Dennis looked up as Yusho gestured to the crowd. "You see, a true dueltainer doesn't focus on winning the duel. A true dueltainer focuses on winning the crowd and making them smile. You and I both did, and that's what makes for a great show." Dennis looked long and hard at the crowd as he listened to the applause.
"Now then, Dennis, join us." Yusho extended his hand for Dennis to take, which he ignored as he silently cried. "Join our side and we can fix Duel Academy together. Bring smiles to the world instead of fear, as a true dueltainer. There's still time to change."
"There's not." Dennis got back up then did a somersault to get back up. When he did, his eyes were overshadowed. "All the things I've done and the friends I've betrayed, there's no coming back from that." A tear glistened in his eye as he made his statement.
"Dennis..." Zuzu approached him out of concern for what he might do.
"Stay back!" Dennis then started walking back to the bow. "Listen, Zuzu, I know where Yuya is, as well as a girl who looks just like you, named Rin."
"Hey, that's who Yugo was looking for!" Crow exclaimed.
Dennis continued to give his information as he continued to walk back, taking a step back for each step that Yusho made towards him. "There are two huge towers at Duel Academy. You can't miss it. Rin is in the East Tower, and Yuya's held in our detention level, which is in the lower levels of the Academy."
The Lancers gave a small, light gasp at that information. "You mean they haven't relocated Rin yet?" Celina asked.
"If the Professor knew I told you that, he'd have me walking a tightrope with no net! But I would never forgive myself had I kept it from you. 'Cause when you're in the business of dueltaining, it's all about leaving the crowd with a smile on their face."
As Dennis brought his Duel Disk to his chest, Celina silently gasped as she seemed to understand what he was going to do. "Many thanks for everything, Teach. I'd really hope you enjoyed the show." Dennis gave his thanks as he turned his Duel Disk toward him.
"Dennis, don't do this!" Lulu exclaimed. The others gasped at the realization that Dennis was planning to turn himself into a card.
"The times I spent with all of you, in Heartland, Paradise City, and New Domino, they really were the greatest highlights of my life.
And now, it's time for my swan song, the grand finale, the final curtain. in other words, goodbye, everyone!"
"No, don't!" "Dennis!" "No!" Zuzu, Yusho, and Alexis told him in horrified shock.
"Until next time!" With that, Dennis then leapt up over the bow's edge as he prepared to turn himself into a card.
However, before he could activate the function on his Duel Disk that would do so, Lunalight Purple Butterfly suddenly grabbed his wrist and threw him roughly back on the deck, far from the edge. As Dennis landed, Celina then rushed in and punched him hard, knocking him out.
Everyone was speechless at what just happened. Celina then turned to her friends, Yusho, and the You Show Duel School students.
"I think we've all had enough of people turning into cards, right?" Celina then looked at the unconscious redhead. "You're not getting off the hook that easily, you clown."
Frost190's OC Cards:
Falling Sky Lessons(Continuous Spell): If you control Performapal Sky Magician and Performapal Sky Pupil, you can select one monster your opponent controls and it loses attack points equal to the between Performapal Sky Magician and Performapal Sky Pupil's attack points until the end of the turn.
Frost190's OC Cards I Modified:
Rope of Hope(Continuous Spell): When you have a Spellcaster-Type monster, increase the attack points of all Spellcasters you control by 300 for each monster that your opponent controls. Once per either player's turn, you can reduce the battle damage to zero if you control a Performapal Sky Magician.
Sky-High Rings(Normal Trap): If you control one Performapal monster, you can select one Spellcaster monster on the field and it can't be destroyed until the end of the turn. If this card is in your graveyard, you can banish this card to allow all the Spellcasters you control to attack one more time this turn. Your opponent can't activate any card effects the turn this effect was activated.
Performage White Tamer(ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 1): If a Performage monster you control is targeted for an attack, you can special summon this card and change the attack to it. This card cannot be destroyed if it was special summoned this turn. You can banish this card from your graveyard, except the turn it was sent there, and lower the attack points of a monster your opponent controls by 600.