Every year, at Duel Academia, there were many different events and festivals to keep things fresh for everyone. One of those events, and arguably one of the most famous ones, was the Duel Monster Spirit Day Festival. Created to celebrate the day that cards were first made and introduced into the world by their creator, it was packed to the brim with different events and festivities. Many of those included dueling. Others...
"You're telling me," Yuto said slowly, "that you all signed up Serena of all people for the contest. I just want to make sure I heard this correctly."
Two Kurosakis shuffled their feet uncomfortably. Rin nodded.
"Why?"
There was a contest being held to determine "Miss Duel Academy", the best duel idol on the island. Mainly, it was to encourage potential duel idols to compete and try to show off their ability to entertain while dueling. It was the kind of event that was normally taken part in by cutesy or incredibly traditionally feminine girls, which Serena was not.
"We thought that it would be a way to get her out of her comfort zone," Ruri said, fidgeting. "She took it badly... we can't find her right now. I'm worried."
Yuto closed his eyes, sighing. "Fine," he said. "I'll find the others and we'll help you all look. But you should probably talk to her after this, ok? I get that you wanted to get her to try and be a bit less boyish—but it was still..." he hesitated before he reluctantly finished his sentence. "Rude. It was quite rude of you guys."
Rin nodded. "We'll talk to her afterwards." She turned to walk away, leaving Yuzu and Ruri giving her worried looks as the other three of them stood there.
"It'll be fine," Yuya said, trying to comfort them. "Siblings argue all the time, so just talk things out, alright?"
Yuzu smiled. "Yeah..."
No one there seemed really certain of that fact, however.
"Wait a minute," Yugo said. "Where'd the smug bastard go?"
The beaches of Academia were often quite cooling at night. However, they weren't too brightly lit either, with there being almost no artificial lighting and the majority of light there being moonlight. The waves crashed against the shore, being loud enough to mask the sound of feet touching sand as footsteps slowly formed in the sand.
A boy approached a girl under a tree.
"Knew it."
Serena looked up. Yuri looked down with a small frown on his face. There was a moment of silence before Serena spoke up. "How'd you find me?"
"Does it matter?" Yuri seemed to consider something for a moment, before he took out his duel disk. "You have yours too, right?" He didn't wait for her reply, instead holding it out. "Everyone else is searching the other side of the island, so probably no one will come here for a while. You win, I keep my mouth shut. You lose, I message your location to your sisters."
Serena sighed.
No reason to decline. And not like she had a choice anyway, right?
"You're not just going to force me to go back there and participate?"
Yuri snorted. "As if. Come on. We can call this the rematch for that match on the boat, just the two of us."
"Well, if you put it that way..." Serena jumped up. "I'm going to win against you this time!"
"No chance," Yuri said. "But prove yourself right if you want to."
Serena Kurosaki: 4000LP
Yuri Sakaki: 4000LP
"So, you want to start first?"
"I'm fine either way."
"Then I'll give you the advantage of the second turn." Yuri reached out his hand. "I'm not that easy to sweep away though. Normal Summoning Evil Thorn (1*/100/300/DARK/Plant/Effect) from my hand." A strange sapling appeared, one side holding a delicate pink flower and the other being a dark fruit that seemed to bulge. "And then I will activate Evil Thorn's effect. By tributing it, I can deal you 300 damage!" The sapling shot out a dark burst of energy at Serena, the flower and fruit separating from the sapling and falling onto the ground as the energy collided with Serena.
Serena Kurosaki: 4000 - 300 = 3700LP
"And then I can bring out two more Evil Thorn in attack position, but they can't activate their effects." The flower and fruit enlarged, turning into two new saplings. Serena frowned. He got two monsters for the price of one and even burned her a little, huh? "Now, I will activate Polymerization to fuse my first Evil Thorn with Predaplant Cordyceps (1*/0/0/DARK/Plant/Effect) in my hand. These plants combine to form the deadliest of poisons! Fusion Summon! Level 7, Predaplant Chimerafflesia!" (7*/2500/2000/DARK/Plant/Fusion/Effect) The large flower appeared on the field in front of him. "I'll activate the Spell, Super Solar Nutrient. This card allows me to tribute a Level 2 or lower Plant monster I control to Special Summon a Plant monster from my deck with a Level equal to or lower than the tributed monster's Level plus 3! I will tribute Evil Thorn to bring out Lonefire Blossom!" (3*/500/1400/FIRE/Plant/Effect) A bright flower with embers dripping from its bud bloomed on his field.
"I haven't seen you use half of these cards," Serena said. "Been holding out on us?" The thought brought her more displeasure than she would have expected, considering that she hated people who held back in duels. Yuri shrugged.
"Not really. I got them at the shop recently. Was never able to afford this card in the past. Now... I will activate Lonefire Blossom's effect to tribute itself and bring out a Plant monster from my deck. Come on out, Tytannial, Princess of Camellias!" (8*/2800/2600/WIND/Plant/Effect) A pretty woman with bright green leaves covering her hair and a dress made of red petals appeared in front of him, next to the rafflesia. "I'll set a card and end my turn. Over to you. Do your best."
"Don't be condescending!" She swiped a card off the top of her deck. "I will activate the effect of Lunalight Black Sheep (2*/100/600/DARK/Beast-Warrior/Effect) in my hand to discard it and add Polymerization from my deck to my hand!" She remembered seeing him duel during his exam. This monster... if she didn't get rid of it, it would be troublesome to deal with.
She knew what she had to do. Step one, get rid of the set card. Step two, get rid of the monster. And probably the princess too, considering that she had no clue what its effects were. Step 3, win.
Or, alternatively, she could go for the one-step solution. "I will activate Luna Light Perfume to bring back Black Sheep from my graveyard." The dancer dressed in black did a curtsy as it materialised on her field. "Next, I will activate Perfume's effect! By banishing it from the graveyard, I can discard one card and add a "Lunalight" monster from my deck to my hand! I will add Lunalight White Rabbit (2*/800/800/DARK/Beast-Warrior/Effect) to my hand and Normal Summon it! And with its effect, I can bring back a "Lunalight" monster from my graveyard in Defence Position!" She confidently slid the card that she just discarded out of her graveyard. "Come back to my field and bring me my victory! Lunalight Kaleido Chick!" (4*/1400/800/DARK/Beast-Warrior/Effect) The dancer in a translucent cape appeared on her field as well.
"I see that one of your dancers has decided that skydiving is a better profession," Yuri said snarkily. "So that card is supposed to bring you victory?"
"It will be bringing me victory! I will activate its effect. Once per turn, I can send a "Lunalight" monster from my deck or Extra Deck to the graveyard and have her gain that monster's name until the End Phase! I will send Lunalight Panther Dancer (8*/2800/2500/DARK/Beast-Warrior/Fusion/Effect) to the graveyard and Kaleido Chick will gain its name!"
"So you do Fusion laddering?"
"Yeah, duh. How much have you already seen me duel?"
"Not that much."
"Oh, that's a lie."
Yuri grinned. "Oh? Then maybe it was so unmemorable that I can't focus on it. Shame on you for making me so bored."
She rolled her eyes. There was no reasoning with Yuri. "I will activate White Rabbit's effect! Once per turn, I can return Spells and Traps on your field to your hand, up to the number of "Lunalight" monsters you control! So your set card returns to your hand! I will activate Polymerization and fuse Lunalight Kaleido Chick treated as Lunalight Panther Dancer, Lunalight Black Sheep and Lunalight White Rabbit!" She clasped her hands together. "Elegant beast dancing on the moonlit wilderness! The beast lurking in jet-black dress! The lively white rabbit illuminated by moonlight! Swarm in a vortex of the moon's gravity and revive with a new power! Fusion Summon! Come forth! The king of beasts dancing atop the summit of the moonlight wilderness! Lunalight Leo Dancer!" (10*/3500/3000/DARK/Beast-Warrior/Fusion/Effect)
She once called Lunalight Leo Dancer her "ace beyond aces", which she supposed still made sense in this context. Cat Dancer may have been her favourite and Cat Songstress its back-up, but Leo Dancer was the furthest evolution, the one she turned to when she needed to pursue victory.
Unlike her sisters, it was very easy for her to skip the stages in that evolutionary process.
Thinking about her sisters still brought back the frustration and the hurt, so she simply looked back to the pale-haired feline dancer, nodding at her.
"Not bad," Yuri said. "A three card Fusion? And if this card is better than your Cat Dancer... now you've got me interested."
"Not that I wanted to interest you," she shot back.
"Oh, but mademoiselle..." Yuri grinned, showing teeth. "I remain, as always, waiting to be interested by you."
"Any girl who you ever flirt with will probably walk away disappointed," Serena said, rolling her eyes. "Take me seriously."
"I am, don't worry. So, what does that card do?"
"You'll see now! First, I will activate the effect of Lunalight Black Sheep. Since it was used for a Fusion Summon and sent to the graveyard, I can return a "Lunalight" monster from my Extra Deck or my graveyard to my hand. I will return White Rabbit to my hand. Then, I will activate the effect of Lunalight Purple Butterfly! (3*/1000/1000/DARK/Beast-Warrior/Effect) By discarding it from my hand, I will increase Lunalight Leo Dancer's attack points by one thousand! So her attack points become 4500! (Lunalight Leo Dancer: 3500 + 1000 = 4500ATK) Lunalight Leo Dancer will attack Predaplant Chimerafflesia!"
Yuri raised an eyebrow. "Chimerafflesia's effect. It will decrease your monster's attack points by one thousand and increase its own by that amount. Rotting Drain!" The flower shot out twin vines towards the approaching dancer. "Are you alright? That's the most suicidal move I've ever seen."
"Nope."
"So you're not alright," he said in a deadpan tone. "Now that explains a lot about you."
"That—that's not what I meant!" She shook her head. Leo Dancer deflected the vines with a swing of her blades. "Leo Dancer cannot be targeted or destroyed by my opponent's card effects, so your effect can't affect it!"
Yuri stared at her, before he let out a laugh.
"What?"
"Sorry, just appreciating the semantics in this card game," he said, continuing to sound amused. It was one of the most terrifying tones that Serena had ever heard from him. "Chimerafflesia's effect states that "until the end of this turn, that opponent's monster loses 1000 ATK, and if it does, this card gains 1000 ATK". Nowhere in that effect does it target or destroy." A vine looped around Leo Dancer's ankle. "So I'm afraid we're both going down together!" Chimerafflesia glowed as it sapped the other monster's strength, as Leo Dancer let out a loud, clearly offended roar. (Lunalight Leo Dancer: 4500 - 1000 = 3500ATK) (Predaplant Chimerafflesia: 2500 + 1000 = 3500ATK) Serena gritted her teeth.
"I'm not going down without a fight that easily! Leo Dancer's effect! If it attacked a monster, at the end of the Damage Step, all your Special Summoned monsters are destroyed! And the end of the Damage Step occurs before our monsters are destroyed—so I'm clearing away your entire field as well!"
"Semantics," Yuri said as the entire field blew up around them. "Truly the best part of this game."
"Don't think you're safe—I'll be taking on the lead the next turn! I'll activate Purple Butterfly's effect in the graveyard to banish itself and Special Summon a "Lunalight" monster from my hand! I will Special Summon Lunalight Emerald Bird." (4*/1200/1000/DARK/Beast-Warrior/Effect) Yet another dancer appeared on the field, this one crouching in Defence Position. "I'll activate its effect to discard a "Lunalight" card and draw one card." She paused. "What are you doing?" Yuri was pointing forward with a single finger, in a style rather similar to some of those murder mystery video game protagonists that Rin and Ruri played as so much.
"Have you ever wondered," Yuri said, "why that card isn't a Winged Beast? It clearly has the wings for it. It's on the wrong career path."
She decided to not comment on his words, even though that was more mercy than he actually deserved. What was with him and saying stupid things—no, things that were almost Yugo-ish in stupidity—today?
She looked at the card she drew and nodded. This card would lead her to victory. "I'll set one card facedown. Over to you."
"Draw!" Yuri gave the card a passing glance before nodding. "During the Standby Phase, Chimerafflesia will add a "Polymerization" or "Fusion" card from my deck to my hand. I will add the normal Polymerization. Now, I will activate Predapractice. This spell allows me to Special Summon a "Predaplant" monster from my hand, and add a "Predap" card from my deck to my hand, but I can't summon monsters from the Extra Deck except Fusion Monsters." He sticks out a finger. "Which, considering that I do specialise in Fusion, means nothing to me. I will Special Summon Predaplant Spinodionaea (4*/1800/0/DARK/Plant/Effect) from my hand and add Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio (3*/1200/800/DARK/Plant/Effect) to my hand." The large lush green flytrap appeared on the field, teething and ready to bite. "And when Spinodionaea is Normal or Special Summoned, I can put a Predator Counter on a card on the field, like your Emerald Bird!"
The flytrap spat out a glob that hit the bird-like dancer. As it looked up in disgust, it suddenly fell down, the glob forming a small sprout on its body.
Ok. Serena had only seen him use Predator Counters once, and that was to revive his monster. So...
"What does that do?"
"Oh, just lowers your monster's Level to 1. (Lunalight Emerald Bird: 4* - 1*) No big deal, right? Regardless, now I will Normal Summon Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio from my hand. And with its effect, I will discard a monster to bring out a "Predaplant" monster from my deck except itself. I will Special Summon Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra!" (3*/1000/1500/DARK/Plant/Effect) The beautiful plant snake with a pink and purple flower blooming on its tail appeared. "And when Darlingtonia Cobra is Special Summoned, I can add a "Fusion" or "Polymerization" card to my hand. I will add Polymerization from my deck to my hand once again!" He then smirked. "Shall we then? I'm activating Polymerization! I will fuse Ophrys Scorpio with Darlingtonia Cobra! These plants combine to form the deadliest of poisons! Fusion Summon! Level 7, Predaplant Chimerafflesia!" The large red flower reappeared on the field in front of him, though it was a slightly different shade for the duel disk to indicate that it was a different copy. "And now, I will have Spinodionaea attack your monster!" The flytrap swallowed the dancer whole.
Serena held out her hand. "Activating my—"
"Nope!" Yuri clapped his hands together. "Semantics again! Your effect is going to activate after mine because it's my turn, so it will resolve first. I will activate Spinodionaea's effect. Since it battled a monster with an equal or lower Level, I can Special Summon a "Predaplant" monster from my deck!" He nodded to her. "And yours?"
"Activating my trap card, Lunalight Reincarnation Dance! When a monster I control is destroyed by battle, I can add two "Lunalight" monsters from my deck to my hand." She took two cards out, already prepared for this exact result.
"And with Spinodionaea's effect, I will Special Summon Predaplant Heliamphorhynchus (8*/1200/2400/DARK/Plant/Effect) from my deck in Defence Position. Now, Chimerafflesia will attack directly!" The monster flew forward—landing the first direct damage of that duel.
Serena Kurosaki: 3700 - 2500 = 1200LP
"Come on, Kurosaki, you're slipping."
"Yeah, laugh it up. I'm taking this victory back next turn."
"Sure. I'll end my turn, so give it your best shot." He smirked. "You'll need it."
"As if. Draw." I glanced at the next card. "I will activate another copy of Luna Light Perfume! Return! Lunalight Leo Dancer!"
"The result will be the same if you attack though."
"Wrong!" She flung out her hand. "I have more targets to attack now! But anyway, I'll show you. I'll set the Scale 1 Lunalight Wolf (6*/S1/2000/1800/LIGHT/Beast-Warrior/Pendulum/Effect) and the Scale 5 Lunalight Tiger (3*/S5/1200/800/LIGHT/Beast-Warrior/Pendulum/Effect) in the Pendulum Scale!"
Yuri raised an eyebrow. "I may not be Yuya, but I'm pretty sure that having only one card in your hand—White Rabbit, which relies on Normal Summoning—and no cards face-up in your Extra Deck means that you can't Pendulum Summon. An effect then?"
"Correct! In fact, did you forget me using this during our first duel? Lunalight Wolf—"
"No."
She blinked. "What?"
"No, I didn't forget you using it." Yuri grinned. "This should be interesting."
"Whatever. Lunalight Wolf lets me banish materials from my field and graveyard to Fusion Summon. I will banish Lunalight Emerald Bird and Lunalight Kaleido Chick to Fusion Summon! And since Leo Dancer was Special Summoned from the graveyard, it doesn't take up an Extra Monster Zone!" Serena clasped her hands together. "Swirl in the darkness and become a new power! Fusion Summon! The quiet one who watches over the dancers in the moonlight! Lunalight Cat Songstress!" (7*/S1/2000/1500/DARK/Beast-Warrior/Fusion/Pendulum/Effect) The quiet shaman-like dancer appeared on the field, her face covered in a pale white veil. She saw Yuri frown, but decided not to address that. "Since I Fusion Summoned her while I control at least one other "Lunalight" Fusion Monster, she gains her first effect! Next, I will activate Lunalight Tiger's Pendulum Effect! I can Special Summon a "Lunalight" monster from my graveyard and its effects are negated, furthermore, it cannot attack and it is destroyed during the End Phase. Return, Lunalight Black Sheep!" The black-clothed dancer reappeared. "And next, I will tribute it with Cat Songstress's effect to allow Leo Dancer to attack every monster you control twice this turn, and they are not destroyed on the first attack!"
"Seems a bit redundant when her effects will already clear them out."
"For all I know, you are going to have some special effects that allow you to bring out more monsters. I want to be prepared."
"What's the ruling on that anyway? Does it overlap with Leo Dancer's own ability?"
Serena smirked. "I guess you'll have to wait and see, right?"
Yuri whistled. "Damn."
"Next, I will halve Lunalight Cat Songstress's attack points to 1000 until the End Phase with her first effect to allow her to attack you directly." That would be so that she could deal out some kind of damage this turn. (Lunalight Cat Songstress: 2000 / 2 = 1000ATK) "Go, Cat Songstress! Melody in the Moonlight!" The supportive monster leapt forward, hitting Yuri and pushing him back.
Yuri Sakaki: 4000 - 1000 = 3000LP
"Next, Lunalight Leo Dancer will attack Predaplant Spinodionaea." Her strongest dancer leapt forward, striking at the flytrap as it was torn apart.
Yuri Sakaki: 3000 - 1700 = 1300LP
"And with her effect, all your Special Summoned monsters are destroyed!" All the monsters on Yuri's field shattered and he raised an eyebrow when she didn't say anything else.
"Well?"
"Not summoning anything?"
"Well, you do have a monster that can attack every monster I control twice, so I'm... not going to bring out anyone else."
"But Leo Dancer..."
"Well, if you're so confident that it'll finish me off—" Yuri took a step forward with a confident smirk, inclining a finger. "Then why don't you give it your best shot instead of hesitating?"
Serena rolled her eyes. "Please, you know me. I don't hesitate when victory is in sight. Lunalight Leo Dancer, attack him directly now! Feral Sword Dance!"
Leo Dancer leapt forward, doing a pirouette in the air and swinging out her blade, dramatically leaping down with the moonlight behind her as she prepared to deal the killing blow.
Then, her blade slammed into a tiny plant.
Yuri briefly thought that the shocked look on Serena's face at that moment was one that he wanted to memorise forever. It was also mirrored on her monster's face as the plant dangled off its blade and it was frozen there.
Cat, he thought with an amused smirk, meet weed. Be careful that you don't get tangled up.
"What is that?" Serena said after a moment.
"When you declare a direct attack on me, I can activate the effect of Predaplant Sarraceniant (1*/100/600/DARK/Plant/Effect) in my hand to Special Summon itself. I Special Summoned it in Defence Position. Anyway, you get a replay now. I'll take no damage due to your own stacking effect counting the second attack that Leo Dancer gets as the first attack that does not destroy. Sarraceniant also destroys any monster that it battles with, although since your Leo Dancer is immune to destruction effects, that effect won't come in. So either you attack twice and destroy Sarraceniant while dealing me no damage, or you end your turn here." Yuri winked, though it was as sinister as ever despite the friendly tone. "You got greedy, miss."
"Tsk." She flicked out her hand. "Take it out, Leo Dancer." Her monster obliged, crushing the monster. "Over to you, Sakaki."
"When Sarraceniant is destroyed, I can add a "Predap" card from my deck to my hand. Draw. During my Standby Phase, Chimerafflesia will add my favourite Fusion spell to my hand."
Well, if anything was Yuri's favourite, that was bad news for everyone else.
"I will then Normal Summon Predaplant Squid Drosera (2*/800/400/DARK/Plant/Effect) from my hand. Then, I will activate Super Polymerization! By discarding a card, like the original Polymerization, I can Fusion Summon using monsters from both our fields! And this effect doesn't target or destroy either."
Using her monsters as material?
"So I will fuse your Lunalight Leo Dancer with your Lunalight Cat Songstress!" He snapped his fingers as her two monsters were sent to the graveyard. "Two beautiful dancers gleaming with the blessing of the moonlight! Now become one, and with the feral nature of your origin, give birth to a new terror! Fusion Summon! Appear! Poisonous dragon with hungry fangs—Level 8! Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!" (8*/2800/2000/DARK/Dragon/Fusion/Effect) His ace appeared on the field with a loud roar, before leaning on Yuri and nuzzling him as he gave it a slightly annoyed but affectionate look. "Yes, yes, good to see you too when we're not fighting for our lives for once." He patted its head. "If I'm not wrong, you don't run any hand traps, right? So this is my victory. Starving Venom! Toxic Spore!"
The dragon lowered its head towards her as Serena braced herself for impact. Then, it did something surprising.
It merely clapped its jaws above her, and moved away as its hologram began dissolving.
Serena Kurosaki: 1200 - 2800 = 0LP
She stared, before she laughed.
Then, the consequence of the duel dawned on her and she froze.
Yuri sighed. "Why do you mind it so much, anyway?"
Serena paused. "I just... why do they always try to push me into girly things? Like, this isn't the first time. And they're all already so girly, and meanwhile, I solve all my problems with fists and I don't act the way they do. Yuzu and Ruri are pretty much the traditional nice girls, and Rin... anyway, it always makes me feel so inferior."
Yuri nodded, leaning on the tree. "Makes sense." He didn't reach for his duel disk to message the others. Serena frowned.
"You aren't messaging them?"
He scoffed. "I never intended to. I just wanted you to calm down, and with your dueling-obsessed head, I thought that was the best way to solve that problem."
"I thought you would agree with them."
"And that's why you're stupid."
"Hey!" Then, she paused as Yuri turned to her, rolling his eyes.
"There's no need for you to be more feminine if you don't want to be, Serena Kurosaki. And if you forced yourself to be more feminine for the sake of others, I think I'd actually grow to hate you."
Serena stared at the water. The fact that it was Yuri of all people saying this, when she had expected him to mock her...
"Expectations are so damn boring," Yuri finally said, when she did not respond to his words. "And—I will not repeat this again, so listen carefully. You are not boring in the slightest, so be who you want to be. You can satisfy everyone else in the world, but if you are not satisfied, that's pointless."
She looked back at him with wide eyes.
"I doubt your sisters would ever have done that if they knew it would hurt you," he said. "But in the end, you're the one that has to live with your choices. Everyone else will get over it, but you never will." He smirked. "Lighten up, you feral cat."
She slowly grinned at him, before jumping up. "Feral cat, huh? I'll show you a feral cat! I haven't paid you back for that loss on the first day, have I? Not that day, not today! I'll defeat you someday, I swear! So don't go being cocky around me!"
He looked away. "Unlikely," he said. "No one's ever beaten me."
"Won't stop me from trying!"
He grinned at her, a genuine one this time. "Yeah, because you're thick-headed." Before Serena could yell at him, he walked towards her. "I don't hate it. I'll be waiting for your challenge any time." He held out his hand. "Let's go back. I'll back you up when you talk to them or make your decision, Kurosaki."
"Serena," she said. "You... you can call me Serena."
"Then call me Yuri," he said, as though he had expected her to say that. Probably did, the smug bastard...
She didn't hate that either.
"Serena!" The moment they got back, Yuzu gave her a quick hug. The others were already there, so that meant that Yuri had probably told them about it after she agreed to go back.
Ruri placed her hand on Serena's. Serena glanced to the side, where Yuri had already retreated to the trees, quietly talking with Yuto. She turned back to Ruri, who was now smiling knowingly at her. "I'm sorry, Serena. We should have thought more about your feelings."
Rin was standing behind Yuzu awkwardly. Yuzu turned around and jabbed her in the side, and she sighed. "Sorry, Serena. Let's talk things out."
Serena nodded, before she cleared her throat. "I'm going to take part," she said. "But on the condition that you guys sign up to take part too, alright? Let's do it together, not just because you want me to get out of my comfort zone."
Yuzu smiled. "Sounds like a good idea," she said cheerily. "All of us, then!"
Serena nodded. "All of us," she said.
She turned to Rin. (Even now, she would admit that she still sought Rin's approval sometimes. It was part of the territory that came with having a cool older sister, especially one as... icy as Rin.) Her green-haired sister nodded. "Sounds good," she said. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."
Serena smiled.
She felt like...
She felt like she had finally gotten something very important off her chest.
"Helping her? That's not very much like you, Yuri."
Yuri shrugged. "They looked anxious and I had time. It's not much, and Serena is..." he clicked his tongue, slightly hesitant. "My friend, I guess. I thought I would help."
Yuto snorted. "That must have hurt you to say, huh? Can't believe that you actually managed to make a friend this time."
Yuri raised an eyebrow. "And you? Are you going to be asking out Miss Nightingale any time soon?" Yuto sputtered and at the side, Yugo snickered. Yuya was still smiling. "You alright there, Yuya?"
"Yeah," Yuya said. "I'm just glad they're smiling."
"Aren't we all," Yuri said.
"Yeah." Yuto gave Yuri a crooked grin. "After all, they're our friends, aren't they?"
"Please," Yuri said with a scoff. "Of course they are. I'll have you know that Rin and Serena are my new best friends."
Yugo choked.
"Breathe properly, banana boy. Serena is... well, Serena, and Rin? I bet that the two of us could probably take over the whole world together." He grinned. "World domination."
"That's it," Yuto said with a sigh. "Keep him on his leash."
"I have no leash!" Yuri announced dramatically.
"Yuya."
"... tch. You win."
They all watched the Kurosakis talk, feeling slightly warm.
Behind the trees, a tall teenager observed the group of girls, smiling.
Guess I don't have to step in after all.
Those boys though...
They bother me.
Shun Kurosaki shook his head, and walked away through the trees. Two seconds later, Yuto Sakaki looked towards the trees, only to see nothing there.
A/N: So, this was a conversation I had with myself while I was writing this chapter.
Me: Wow, this is going on way longer than I expected.
Myself: Well, what did you expect when you decided to include writing four/five duels and so many character interactions into one chapter? This is practically an arc at this point.
I: Yeah, dumbass.
Me: Well, I made my bed and I have to lie in it. Besides, I already put out the previews! It would look really dumb if I was like "sorry guys I messed up when it came to planning out the number of chapters so that awesome Shun vs Yuto duel is going to be pushed back more!"
Myself: You have gotten no sleep, and you have exams soon. Give the people something to chew on.
I: (*steals computer*) Just add the damn previews, moron. Myself, drug Me.
Me: NOOOOO—
So yes. I'll be adding a few previews in between this chapter and the original Chapter 12. Hope that you all will still look forward to it though! And "Wind and Steel" and "Will of the Brother" are still going to happen, they're just going to be pushed back quite a bit. I'm still not sure if the duels for next chapter are going to have to be split into two chapters, but I'm slightly optimistic that I can squeeze them together. Just slightly.
Chapter Preview: Chapter 12—Girl on Fire
The preliminaries of the Miss Duel Academy Contest take place. To make it into the finals of the tournament, Serena and Ruri must defeat the Kushina sisters, Kushina Homura and Kushina Hinote, even when placed under rules that severely handicap their decks! Can they break through their restrictions and claim victory?
Chapter Preview: Chapter 13—Wild Pride
For the other set of prelimnaries, Yuzu and Rin may have gotten far luckier with the rules they were given, but that doesn't mean that things will be easy for them! Facing off against the famous Amazoness sisters, second-year Obelisks, they will have to find out a way to fight without fighting head-on! Luckily, that's something that they've figured out a long time ago...
Chapter Preview: Chapter 14—Dress to Kill
The finals turn out to be a free-for-all, with whoever puts up the best performance being crowned Miss Duel Academy! As the quartet of Kurosaki sisters begin their duel, the school watches with bated breath...
Chapter Preview: Chapter 15—Burden of the Older Sibling
After the Miss Duel Academy contest, Yuto decides that he needs to talk to Rin about their mutual experiences. What starts as a comfortable and normal talk later leads to a full-on clash between them and certain other older siblings in the school, and they start to understand each other's philosophy better.
Chapter Preview: Chapter 16—Wind and Steel
Rin doesn't particularly like it when people insult the way her sisters duel. Sawatari is prone to putting his foot in his mouth. And Yuto and Gongenzaka are just here to watch with popcorn.
Chapter Preview: Chapter 17–Will of the Brother
After spotting them hanging out with Rin and Yuzu, the Kaiser challenges Yuto to a duel. What occurs next horrifies the entire crowd as the two overprotective brothers face off, and Xyz Monsters flood the sky!
Yes, so that's the previews for now, with there being... whoa, six previews now. I'm getting more into the habit of writing again now, so hopefully I'll be able to get out another chapter before my exams, though I'm not promising anything. Either way, the plot will be very character and character development focused until we get to the Duel Monster Spirit Day arc, after which things really start kicking off again. Hope you're looking forward to it—and that you enjoyed this chapter as well! I forgot how much I adored Predaplants and Lunalights. I feel like they're the most 'complete' of the counterpart archetypes, though in general, I'm quite partial to all of the counterpart decks. What are your favourite counterpart decks? Just out of curiosity. (So like: Lunalights (Moonlight in the OCG), Lyrilusc (Lyrical Luscinia in the OCG), Windwitch, Melodious, Predaplant, Speedroid, The Phantom Knights and Odd-Eyes/Performapal Magicians)
Also the Kushina siblings were OCs created out of a need to make opponents for the Kurosaki sisters. I'm not usually a fan of OCs being super important to a story, so rest assured that they won't hijack the plot.
Ok, so I know that this author's note has dragged on long enough. Hope that everyone's been doing fine! Now, time to go and sleep :)
- Blaise