Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing!

The Leo Duel School has come to You Show, with the intent of taking the power of Pendulum. If You Show loses, both Zarc and Yuya will be transferred to LDS. In an attempt to fight back, You Show engages in three one-on-one duels against LDS' top students.

Yuya claimed victory over Hokuto, a student from the Xyz Course. Meanwhile, Sora toys with his opponent Masumi, a fellow practitioner of the Fusion Summoning method. Rather than defeat her, he forces the duel into a draw.

And now, the stage is set. Only one student from LDS has yet to duel. And this person's defeat, or victory, may determine the fate of You Show Duel School.

And so the Pendulum begins to swing once more...!


A Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V Story:

"Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing"


Scale 08: Symphony VS Battle Spirit

As Masumi and Sora returned to the observation deck, Shuzo could only feel a sense of apprehension while preparations for the next and final duel were underway. After the last one, You Show was in the lead and currently was in the draw. This final duel would put an end to this whole farce, but that was also assuming that someone as ambitious as Himika Akaba would allow for a tie. She made it clear to him that the matter of Pendulum's rightful ownership would be decided on today. He still couldn't believe this woman had the gall to demand that he hand over his two best students! Sure, only a handful of people couldn't keep the school afloat, especially since Yuzu and Zarc weren't paying the fees, but people were not meant to be gambled on. He had more than a few words for that woman that were best shared in private, but for now, he would have to withhold his tongue.

He looked at his hands, finding them shaking a little. Whoever was going to duel next was going to have a lot of pressure. They would feel that they had to win this for You Show. In all honesty, though, he was hoping Zarc would step up to the plate. He didn't doubt Yuzu's skills, and she had been improving by leaps and bounds since Zarc should up, but she wasn't ready to face off against these people. Especially when the future of her childhood friend could be at stake here.

As Shuzo waited for the next duelists to appear and settle this wager, he noticed two people standing close by near the dueling arena. He couldn't make them out clearly from inside the control booth, but he was able to make out a few details such as the red scarf around the male's neck. He furrowed his brow. "Who are they?" he wondered. "Spectators from LDS, maybe?"

He didn't have much time to ponder more about it as the final duel was about to begin, its participants stepping out into the field.


Despite the fire that was lit in her chest, her glare leveled at Sora Shiunin's retreating back, Masumi still couldn't help but feel shame as she returned to her fellow duelists from LDS and the Chairwoman. She didn't even dare look at the woman and kept her head bowed. "I'm sorry. I wasn't able to defeat him."

"I would have been surprised if you had." Himika said, much to her surprise. "That boy, as I'm sure you've noticed, is not inexperienced or weak. This isn't me diminishing your skills, little miss, it is simply a fact. Only someone as skilled as Reiji-san could defeat him."

That made Masumi look up at Himika. Her face was serious. Only someone like the President of the Leo Corporation could defeat Sora? Her chest grew tighter and her fire burned hotter. She bowed her head in understanding and joined her comrades. To her slight amusement, Hokuto was still in the corner, pitifully whining about her hurtful words. She supposed she may have been a little cruel, but how couldn't she not poke fun at him? The guy was the weakest of the three of them, but she felt that he could have won against Yuya Sakaki had he planned his moves ahead a bit further. Or understood his cards better. Honestly, she felt that Hokuto would be able to duel better if he understood exactly what course he was in.

'At any rate, You Show now has one win.' Masumi thought. 'And we're now at a draw. This last duel will decide whether or not the Chairwoman's plans will go through.'

She cast a glance at the sole remaining duelist in LDS in this "war." He nodded back when he saw her look his way, understanding what was at stake.

"It seems we're about to reach the finale." Himika said with a small smile as she turned to the students of You Show. "Now then, of the remaining two duelists, who wishes to bring an end to this?"

Zarc was about to step forward, but Yuzu was quicker. "I'll take you on!" she declared fervently, much to his surprise. Himika couldn't help but praise the spirit the girl demonstrated. Of course, she also knew that it wouldn't do much good. Especially considering that, of the three students she had selected from their Advance Courses, her opponent was the one most proficient and understanding in his art. Yuzu, unknown to those thoughts, was determined to score You Show's final victory. 'Up until now, I've been watching everyone fight to protect Yuya, Zarc and the school.' she thought, feeling a little frustrated by herself. She wanted to prove that she was just as capable. That she could stand on equal ground with them all. 'This time... This time, it's my turn to protect them!'

Zarc saw the passionate look in her eyes, and in understanding, stepped back. It was clear that Yuzu wanted to prove herself. Admittedly, he did feel a little sad that he wouldn't get the chance to test his mettle against LDS, but there was always next time. He did notice that Yuya looked a mix between excited and anxious when Yuzu offered to step up to the plate.

Her opponent didn't take long to reveal himself, either. It was the wild-haired boy with the wooden katana at his back, a fanged smile present on his face. "The name's Yaiba Todo, of the Synchro Summon Advance Course." he introduced himself as he sized up Yuzu. "Think you can take me on, girlie?"

Yuzu's response was to snort and put her hands on her hips, pushing her chest out with pride. "You bet I can!"

"Then prove it. Let's settle this!"


"Ray." Reiji turned to his half-sister. "In terms of ability, how would you rate Todo?"

Ray hummed thoughtfully as she folded her arms over her chest. "He's good." she said after a moment of thinking. "Between the three of them, he understands his summoning the most, and his playstyle is also very aggressive. Whereas Masumi-chan would use effects and traps to get the advantage, her Master Dia and Brilliant Spark being a good example, and Hokuto's style of removing monsters from his opponent's defenses, he would flood his field with the strongest monsters he can. He's not as strong as Masumi, but he makes up for it with drive and zeal."

"I see." Reiji nodded in understanding, then turned his attention to the two duelists arriving. Yaiba wore a proud smile on his face, no doubt thinking that this would be an easy win for him. Behind him, Yuzu trailed behind, face etched with determination. He respected the drive she possessed. It was written over her face. She wouldn't relent, not even in the face of such an overwhelming foe. She understood to an extent that Yaiba was better than her, but that didn't stop her from accepting the challenge. Perhaps it was the Duelist within her who pushed her to accept, demanding to face such powerful foes and in turn improve. Or perhaps she was pushed by the desire to protect her friends. Either way, he had no doubt she would put on a splendid performance.

Behind him, he heard Ray gasp. He looked over his shoulder, finding her looking at Yuzu in surprise. "Is something the matter?"

"That girl...!"

Reiji understood why she seemed so shocked. He and Himika had been shocked as well when they first saw her. Were it not for the fact that Ray was a few years or so older than her, Yuzu Hiragi may very well have been her long-lost twin sister.


Shuzo sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to psyche himself up. This was it. This was going to be the most passionate and emotional-drive field of the day! "Come on, you old tiger, pull yourself together!" he told himself. "Your dear daughter's about to show what she's got!" Nodding to himself, he then spoke into the microphone to address the two. "Are you two ready?!" They nodded. He wasted no time in pressing the button. "Action Field, ON!"

The metallic walls and floor beneath them vanished. Soon, they were no longer standing in a room. Now, they stood in what looked to be an ancient Roman Colosseum. The sky was star-filled, and the world was eerily empty save for the two standing in the ring. "So it's Savage Colosseum this time, huh?" he remarked wryly with a smirk. "Haven't been here in a while! Heh, try to keep up, girlie!"

"I'll do more than that." Yuzu promised him as she pointed a finger at him. "Even if you're one of the best LDS has to offer, I won't go down without a fight! Duelists locked in battle, kicking the earth and dancing in the air with their Monsters!"

"They storm through this Field! Behold, this is the newest and greatest evolution in Dueling! Action...!"

DUEL!

Yuzu Hiiragi - LP 4000
Yaiba Todo - LP 4000

"Since You Show is still in the lead, the first Turn is mine!" Yuzu declared.

Turn 1: Yuzu/Hand: 5

Immediately after, the girl took off in a run. 'I need to find an Action Card!' she thought. Yaiba was also on the move, chasing after her with his kendo sword already brandished, no doubt to use it to interfere with her. 'That's the only way I'll be able to overcome him! I can't lose here, not when everyone is counting on me!' She leaped up into the stands and immediately zeroed in on a card stuck to a pillar. She quickly chased after it. Yaiba only managed to get halfway up the stairs when Yuzu snatched it, making him scowl. Pleased with what she got, the girl then began her turn. "I summon Solo the Melodious Songstress!" The monster appeared on Yuzu's demand, wearing a red dress with a brilliant smile. "And since I have a Melodious monster on the field, I can Special Summon Canon the Melodious Diva from my Hand in Defense Position!" The next monster appeared beside Solo, skin blue and wearing goggles with an elaborate dress and glass-like wings.

[Solo the Melodious Songstress / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK: 1600 / DEF: 1000]

[Canon the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK: 1400 / DEF: 2000]

"Next, I activate Canon the Melodious Diva's Effect! Once per turn, I switch a Melodious monster's position! I change Solo to Defense Position, then I end my Turn!"

Yaiba gave a little 'hmph' as he placed his kendo stick against his shoulder. "What happened to all that bravado earlier?" he challenged before raising his Duel Disk. "It's my Turn! DRAW!" A card popped out from his Duel Disk, allowing him to take it.

Turn 2: Yaiba/Hand: 6

"Before I tear down your defenses, I'll summon XX-Saber Boggartknight!" A silver-armored figure appeared before Yaiba, wielding a glowing blue blade in hand, red cape blowing behind him. "When Normal Summoned, I can summon a Level 4 or lower X-Saber monster from my Hand! I summon X-Saber Palomlo!" A chameleon appeared next, clad in armor and wielding a sheathed saber in its grasp. "Since I've got two X-Saber monsters on the field, I can Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll!" The next warrior to appear was a man clad in red, futuristic armor, a giant sword held in hand and sitting atop its shoulder.

[XX-Saber Boggartknight / EARTH / Level 4 / Beast-Warrior / Effect / ATK: 1900 / DEF: 1000]

[X-Saber Palomlo / EARTH / Level 1 / Reptile / Tuner / ATK: 200 / DEF: 300]

[XX-Saber Faultroll / EARTH / Level 6 / Beast-Warrior / Effect / ATK: 2400 / DEF: 1800]

Yuzu's eyes widened. 'Crap! His Faultroll has 2400 ATK!' she thought. 'He'll be able to take out Canon! And if my guess is right, his Palomlo must be a Tuner Monster!' Tuner Monsters usually had low ATK and DEF, hence her suspicions. And Yaiba had plenty of monsters to use to Synchro Summon.

Something that Yaiba was about to show off. "Hope you're prepared, because I'm about to start the main event!" he called out with a fanged grin. "I Tune my Level 4 XX-Saber Boggartknight with my Level 1 X-Saber Palomlo!" The chameleon's body vanished and turned into a single ring that floated high up above them. The silver-clad warrior leaped up into the ring, body turning transparent before revealing four lights that lined up perfectly. "Marksman of the shimmering revolver, take aim and cut down any who stand in your way! SYNCHRO SUMMONING!" The lights exploded, becoming a pillar that allowed for a new monster to appear, landing on the ground with a thunderous crash, clad in blue with a fancy hat and mask with a revolver in hand bearing a blade at the bottom of the barrel. "Come forth! Level 5! X-Saber Wayne!"

[X-Saber Wayne / EARTH / Level 5 / Warrior / Synchro / Effect / ATK: 2100 / DEF: 400]


"So, that's LDS' Synchro Summon..." Gogenzaka murmured thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "He's certainly not wasting any time. Thankfully, Yuzu's set up a good defense, but is that going to be enough to protect her?"

"She'll be fine!" Yuya assured his friend, having faith in Yuzu. "Yuzu's been pushing herself just as hard as everyone else here in You Show! She won't lose."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Yuya." Sora begged to differ, making the young Dueltainer stare at the young boy in surprise. "Yuzu might be good at dueling, but last I checked, she doesn't know any of the special summoning methods like Fusion or Xyz."

Ayu frowned. "B-but...Yuzu-oneechan..."

Zarc smiled down at her, ruffling her hair. "She'll be fine." he told her. "And even if she does lose, we'll be tied with LDS. And if that happens, we might have to duel again." He glanced over at Himika, who's attention was solely on the duel in progress. "Something tells me she won't accept a tie."

Yuya nodded in agreement. "Got that right." The boy then had a pensive expression on his face, looking at the LDS students thoughtfully. "But would she have us duel her students again? I mean, we know what to expect from their Decks now."

"Who can say? For now, let's just see how Yuzu does."


"So, he's brought out his Synchro Monster already..." Yuzu bit her lower lip. "This might be difficult."

"I'm far from done, girlie!" Yaiba told her. "When X-Saber Wayne is Synchro Summoned, I can bring out a Level 4 or lower Warrior monster from my Hand out to the field! I summon XX-Saber Ragigura!" Another chameleon appeared, only this one was clad in a tattered red cloak and wielded twin daggers, both of which were glowing.

[XX-Saber Ragigura / EARTH / Level 1 / Beast-Warrior / Effect / ATK: 200 / DEF: 1000]

"If Ragigura is summoned normally or is Special Summoned, I can return an X-Saber monster back to my Hand from the Graveyard! I retrieve XX-Saber Boggartknight!" Yuzu frowned heavily at this. Based on what she was seeing, his strategy was returning monsters and bringing them out, swarming the field. Not too different from Yuya and Zarc's Pendulum Summoning, but whereas Pendulum opened up a lot of possibilities, he was busting out powerful monsters on top of Tuners, allowing him to summon even stronger monsters. And judging by the fierce look in Yaiba's eyes, he was far from finished. "Then I activate XX-Saber Faultroll's Effect! I can summon a Level 4 or lower X-Saber in my Graveyard once per turn! Welcome back to the battlefield, X-Saber Palomlo!"

Her eyes widened. "That's the Tuner monster from before!"

"That's right, so you should know what comes next!" Yaiba flicked his nose before continuing his turn. "I Tune my Level 6 XX-Saber Faultroll with my Level 1 X-Saber Palomlo!" Once more, Palomlo's body became a ring that sat in the air while the red-clad warrior leaped up into the ring, body turning transparent to reveal six orbs of light, all lined perfectly. "Wielder of crossed blades of light, trample over this mountain of corpses! SYNCHRO SUMMONING!" From the pillar of light that exploded within the ring came a towering warrior, face rugged and smirking as it wielded two large broadswords, both as long as itself. "Come forth! Level 7! XX-Saber Souza!"

[X-Saber Souza / EARTH / Level 7 / Warrior / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 1600]

"Two Synchro Monsters..." Yuzu whispered, now intimidated. "And both of them have a higher ATK than Canon and Solo's DEF...! This is bad!"

"I'll set two cards face-down, though before I move on to the main event, I'll tribute XX-Saber Ragigura to activate X-Saber Souza's Effect!" The chameleon warrior bowed its head as its body shattered into golden shards, cloaking the towering behemoth's blades in light. "With this, any monster that it battles will be destroyed at the start of the Damage Step! And now, let's move on to the main event! BATTLE!" Yaiba pointed at Yuzu's monsters. "I attack Solo the Melodious Songstress with X-Saber Wayne! Double Light Pierce Shot!" The Synchro Monster took aim and opened fire, the bullets cloaked in blue light that exploded upon impact. Yuzu had to shield her face from the smoke that kicked up in the process, lest it get in her eyes. "And next up, X-Saber Souza!"

Yuzu scowled and acted quickly. She couldn't afford to lose Canon. Not yet! "If Solo the Melodious Songstress was destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can summon a Melodious monster from my Deck! Come to me, Prodigy Mozart the Melodious Maestra!" A beautiful figure appeared beside its blue-skinned compatriot, large green fairy wings spreading out from behind its back and wearing a crimson red dress.

[Prodigy Mozart the Melodious Maestra / LIGHT / Level 8 / Fairy / Effect / ATK: 2600 / DEF: 2000]

Yaiba's eyes narrowed. 'She brought out a monster with a higher ATK than X-Saber Souza, even though it can destroy it before it has a chance to destroy mine? What's your game, girlie?' He could attack the girl's only monster in Defense Position, but he didn't want to risk losing Souza. Even though his face-down would heal up the damage quick and let him counter her, he didn't want to lose his best monster as part of a gamble. So instead, Yaiba decided to play it safe. "X-Saber Souza! Attack Prodigy Mozart the Melodious Maestra! Cross Slash!" With a battle cry, the hulking warrior leaped forward and swung both of its blades at once, cutting down Yuzu's monster in a second. "Since X-Saber Souza's Effect destroyed your monster during the Damage Step, I don't take any damage! I'll finish my Turn here."

Yuzu breathed a heavy sigh of relief, a hand on her chest. "Whew..."


"Yes! She avoided taking any damage!" Yuya cheered, pumping a fist in the air. "Nice going, Yuzu!"

"Don't forget, the only reason she didn't lose any Life Points was because Souza's ATK was lower than Prodigy Mozart's." Zarc reminded Yuya. "That was probably a conscious decision on Yaiba's part. He didn't want to risk losing his strongest monster."

Gongenzaka nodded strongly in agreement. "I, the manly Gongenzaka, feel the same. His skills are impressive."

"Whoo~ I'm getting the shivers~!" Futoshi wriggled on the spot, much to the amusement of the rest of the You Show students.

Meanwhile, on the LDS' side, Masumi was gauging the duel carefully. "For someone who doesn't know any unique summoning methods, she's not bad." she said in earnest praise before scoffing. "Of course, that won't matter against Yaiba. She can defend all she wants. Sooner or later, he'll break through and take some serious damage."

"Yeah." Hokuto nodded in agreement. "Once Yaiba gets fired up, there's not much that will stop him. Unless she pulls off something that can turn things in her favor or she snagged a good Action Card, she isn't going to last very long."


"It's my Turn again! DRAW!"

Turn 3: Yuzu/Hand: 4

Yuzu tore the card from the top of her deck. She looked at it before her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. 'It's here!' she cheered in her mind before she added it to her hand. 'I might have a chance at winning this after all!'

She closed her eyes, thinking back to all the times she dueled Yuya, Zarc and Sora. While the others may not have been aware of it, a small part of her couldn't help but feel jealous behind Yuya's improvement in dueling. Not too long ago, when it was just the two of them, their record of win/loss ratio was usually even. However, since Zarc appeared and the reveal that he too could use Pendulum, perhaps even better that Yuya, he was farther ahead. She felt as if she couldn't catch up. Then Sora appeared and showed off his own skills in Fusion Summoning. With such talented duelists at You Show, Yuzu felt like she was being left behind. It was a horrible feeling. She didn't want to be useless. She wanted to become stronger so she wouldn't have to rely on Yuya. She wanted Yuya to rely on her. That he could trust her whenever he needed her.

To that end, Yuzu studied in secret. It took her days of studying to pull it off. Admittedly, she wasn't quite proficient in the art yet, but she felt that she could use it with confidence. Enough to believe that she could defeat Yaiba!

"I'll kick off my comeback by activating a classic card! The Spell: Monster Reborn!" Yuzu declared. Yaiba whistled, not expecting someone to still use some of the more classic cards from so many years ago. "This revives a monster from my Graveyard back to my Field! Welcome back, Prodigy Mozart!" The red-clad fairy returned from a beautiful white light that spawned beside Yuzu, which the monster stepped out of. "And then I activate the Ritual Spell: Dies Irae Concierto!"


Everyone in the observation deck nearly stumbled in shock. "D-did I hear that right?!" Yuya was gobsmacked, staring at Yuzu in disbelief. "A Ritual Spell?! When did Yuzu learn how to do Ritual Summoning?!"

"That's...unexpected." Hokuto said in surprise. Masumi nodded in agreement. Both had believed that Yuzu Hiiragi was the only person among her peers that didn't know how to use any of the unique Summoning Methods, but it seems that they had judged her too hastily. "Ritual Summoning, huh? It's been a while since I've seen someone use that Summoning."


"Ritual Summoning requires sacrificing monsters from my field and my hand in order to summon an even more powerful monster, whose Level is equal or greater than the monsters that were sacrificed! I sacrifice Prodigy Mozart the Melodious Maestra on my Field and Score the Melodious Diva in my Hand to begin the Ritual!" Yuzu spread her arms open, as if inviting someone forward. A ring appeared beneath her feet, marked with symbols. A phantasmal image of the monster from her hand, a white-wearing girl wielding a book in hand, appeared beside Prodigy Mozart before they both turned into dark red flames that separated and fell outside the ring, creating ten tiny small flickering flames.

The ring beneath Yuzu's feet suddenly lit up. Dark red musical notes then began to swirl around her, as if wreathing her while the sounds of an orchestra began to play in the background. Ghostly figures, each wielding an instrument, appeared behind her, wielding violins to cellos and so on. "Weep and wail revenge, o songstress who sings the retribution of the Man in Gray! Curse the son of god's name and create the Requiem worthy of hell! RITUAL SUMMONING!" The wreath of musical notes dispersed and formed into a new figure, a pale-skinned woman in a jet black dress with butterfly wings stretching out from her back, shimmering in a myriad colors. Lustrous black hair spilled down her shoulders while a Papillon mask over the upper half of her face. "Level 10! Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony!"

[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony / DARK / Level 10 / Fairy-Fiend / Ritual / Effect / ATK: 2500 / DEF: 2500]

Yaiba stared in amazement. Initially, he hadn't thought much of this girl until she revealed she could do a Ritual Summon. As he stared at her, wondering who in the hell she was, he finally took notice of her features and gasped. She looked a little younger than Ray, but aside from that, she looked exactly like her. From the shape of her nose to the burning passion in those blue eyes of hers. For a moment, he imagined he wasn't facing off against this Yuzu Hiiragi girl and was instead fighting Ray Akaba, the star duelist of Leo Duel School and the trio's big sis. It was not a stretch to say that she was the goal everyone was trying to reach her level, and that was not an easy task at all. Not when the only person that was known to force her into a draw was none other than Reiji Akaba.

Without realizing it, a small grin appeared on Yaiba's face. "...I guess you're full of surprises." he admitted. "What'd you say your name was again, girlie?"

"It's Yuzu Hiiragi!" she told him strongly. "And I'm gonna make sure you remember it! Requiem Diva of the Saleri Symphony's Effect! For every monster that was sacrificed to Ritual Summon her, she gains 300 ATK! I used two monsters, therefore she gains 600 ATK! Resonance Opera!" The monster opened its mouth and singed while an orange-red aura began to flow around it. The wings from behind its back grew significantly in size.

[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony - ATK: 2500 + 600 = 3100]

"I activate another effect from Requiem Diva! Once per turn, I can summon a Melodious monster from my deck, but its ATK and DEF are reduced to zero! Furthermore, during the End Phase, the Melodious monster is sent to my Hand! I summon Sonata the Melodious Diva!" A monster appeared in a splash of water, hair lime green while its face was soft, yet stern.

[Sonata the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 3 / Fairy / Effect / ATK: 1200 - 1200 = 0 / DEF: 1000 - 1000 = 0]

"If Sonata was Special Summoned, then every Melodious monster on my field's ATK and DEF is raised by 500! Moonlight Hymn!" Like its companion, Sonata opened its mouth and sang. Its song shimmered across the air, affecting every musician on Yuzu's field. The Requiem Diva's wings grew even larger. "Since I have a Melodious monster on the field, Requiem Diva is treated as a Melodious as well! Meaning she also gains the extra boost!"

[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony - ATK: 3100 + 500 = 3600 / DEF: 2500 + 500 = 3000]
[Canon the Melodious Diva - ATK: 1400 + 500 = 1900 / DEF: 2000 + 500 = 2500]
[Sonata the Melodious Diva - ATK: 0 + 500 = 500 / DEF: 0 + 500 = 500]

"I switch Canon the Melodious Diva into Attack Position!" Yuzu finished her preparations and swung her arm forward. Behind her, the musical orchestra that came with its maestro grew in intensity. "Now, BATTLE! Requiem Diva! Attack X-Saber Souza! Requiem Concierto!" A sphere of dark energy began to form above the Requiem Diva, with musical notes feeding it power before she raised her hands high into the air as if to grasp it. Then she pulled it down and threw it straight at the behemoth, who attempted to defend itself with its twin blades. In the end, it was unable to withstand the attack and was destroyed, exploding on impact. Yaiba stumbled back from the force behind the blow, but remained standing on his feet.

"You might have gotten rid of my X-Saber Souza, but if you think I'll let you off the hook with that, you're mistaken!" he countered as he revealed his face-down. "If I take damage while I control an X-Saber monster, I can activate the Quick-Play Spell: Saber Reflect! I gain Life Points equal to the damage I took, and then I inflict the same damage back to you! An eye for an eye!" A mirror appeared in front of Yaiba, which had the same image of what transpired earlier: the Requiem Diva throwing a massive black sphere of darkness. That same sphere shot out from the mirror and hit Yuzu dead on. Her body was sent flying through the air, but she recovered surprisingly quickly and flipped around to land on her feet, skidding to a halt. "Afterwards, I add either a Saber Spell/Trap or a Gottoms card from my deck to my Hand."

Yuzu Hiiragi - LP 4000 - 1100 = 2900

Yaiba Todo - LP 4000 - 1100 + 1100 = 4000

Yuzu gritted her teeth, powering through the pain and pushed herself back up to her feet. "I'm not through yet!" she said with a roar, shocking Yaiba. He had expected a blow that powerful to keep her down on the ground at least a while longer. Just how strong was this girl's willpower?! "By tributing a Melodious monster on my Field, I can activate Requiem Diva's other Effect and attack again!" Yaiba's eyes widened in shock as another dark sphere appeared above its head, this one primed to destroy his weaker monster. "One more time, Requiem Diva! I tribute Sonata the Melodious Diva so Requiem Diva can attack again! However, since it's left the field, the 500 ATK and DEF increase gained by my monsters is lost!"

[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony - ATK: 3600 - 500 = 3100 / DEF: 3000 - 500 = 2500]
[Canon the Melodious Diva - ATK: 1900 - 500 = 1400 / DEF: 2500 - 500 = 2000]

"Requiem Diva! Attack X-Saber Wayne! Requiem Concierto!" The second sphere struck without delay. Though it lacked the same intense power as the one that destroyed its companion. the gunman couldn't withstand the attack and was promptly destroyed. Yaiba had to shield his eyes from the smoke. "Now, Canon the Melodious Diva! Attack Yaiba directly!" Before the smoke cleared, Canon was already moving, aiming to deliver a powerful attack to her duelist's opponent. Yaiba narrowed his eyes and raised his kendo stick, defending against the attack. Canon delivered a flying kick that was defended via the wooden sword, though the force behind the blow pushed Yaiba back quite a ways. It was impressive how, despite being on the stairs, his footing remained solid and skidded all the way down back to the bottom of the Colosseum floor.

Yaiba Todo - LP 4000 - 1000 - 1400 = 1600


Zarc's eyes widened in surprise. "He blocked Yuzu's monsters attack with his sword?!"

"And he's still standing!" Gongenzaka bellowed in amazement. "How manly! He's barely even phased by that attack, even after receiving such a heavy blow!"

"I'm getting the shivers again!" Futoshi cheered. "Go go, Yuzu-oneechan!"

"You can do it, Yuzu-oneechan!" the little ones all cheered, with Yuya leading the charge.

While Masumi and Hokuto looked worried for their companion, Himika couldn't help but lean forward with interest. 'That Ritual Summon she performed... It looked quite different from the ones I've seen performed, however few there have been.' Even from inside the observation deck, she could feel it. There was power coming from that monster. Great power. It reminded her of the recordings of the duels they had of Zarc and Yuya Sakaki. 'Though Standard initially lacked the Xyz, Synchro and Fusion Summoning methods, we made up for that lack of diversity with Ritual Summoning. Of course, since we introduced Standard to the three Summoning Methods of the other dimensions, Ritual Summoning has become a bit of a rarity. To see someone use it now, and so flawlessly...'

It was worth considering, but perhaps this Yuzu Hiiragi... No, she was getting ahead of herself. She could confirm such thoughts after this matter was settled. At the rate things were going, Himika already knew the outcome of this match.

And when it came to its conclusion, the real show could begin.


"I activate Canon the Melodious Diva's Effect and switch it back into Defense Position, then end my Turn!" Yuzu finished as she took a moment to calm herself down. As she looked at Yaiba's Life Points on her Duel Disk, she couldn't help but smile slightly to herself. 'I bet Yuya, Zarc or even Sora could have mopped the floor with this guy by now. If I didn't have Requiem Diva, I wouldn't have stood a chance against him. But, with this...' The image of Yuya and Zarc appeared in her head, their backs facing her as they walked forward towards some unseen destination. 'Just wait, you two. Soon, I'll catch up!'

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Yaiba laugh. Looking at the wild-haired boy, he had his head reared back and a hand over his face. He continued to laugh heartily, making her worry. "Maybe I overdid it... Did he hurt his head?"

"I gotta admit, it's been a while since anyone managed to push me back this much!" Yaiba calmed down and looked at Yuzu with respect. She was good. Very good. Not as good as her friend Yuya or even as strong as Ray, but she was definitely strong. Only someone strong could make his blood boil like this. "You're good." His grin expanded, showing off his sharp canines. "But...not good enough! It's my Turn! DRAW!" Yaiba practically kicked up a gale of wind as he tore the card out from his Duel Disk, but didn't so much as glance at it before he continued forward.

Turn 4: Yaiba Todo/Hand: 3

"You remember XX-Saber Boggartknight? Well, guess what? He's coming back to my field!" The silver-armored warrior returned, equally as fierce as when he first appeared. "And with his effect, I'll bring in XX-Saber Fulhelmknight from my Hand!" Another monster appeared, this one humanoid with long blonde hair and dressed in armor with a red cloak, a segmented sword that extended into some sort of whip held in its grasp.

[XX-Saber Fulhelmknight / EARTH / Level 3 / Warrior / Tuner / Effect / ATK: 1300 / DEF: 1000]

Yuzu was immediately wary upon seeing the new monster at Yaiba's disposal. "Another Tuner?!"

"I Tune my Level 4 XX-Saber Boggartknight with my Level 3 XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!" The blonde warrior disappeared. In its place were three rings that the silver-armored warrior threw itself into, becoming four starry lights that lined up. "Stalker of the battlefield, step forward and bring down your sword of destruction! SYNCHRO SUMMONING!" From the pillar of light came a towering being, its face bleached white with horns sticking out from either side with twin blades sitting behind its back, just begging to grab them and cut down Yuzu. "Come forth! Level 7! X-Saber Urbellum!"

[X-Saber Urbellum / EARTH / Level 7 / Warrior / Synchro / Effect / ATK: 2200 / DEF: 1300]

"Then I activate my face-down Trap: Gottoms' Emergency Call! If I've got a X-Saber on the Field, I can summon up two X-Saber monsters from my Graveyard! I'm inviting X-Saber Wayne and X-Saber Souza for Round 2!" On cue, the two other Synchro monsters returned, standing side-by side with its fellow companion.

Even so, Yuzu felt confident. "They're pretty strong...but none of them can overcome Requiem Diva's ATK!"

"You're right about that." Yaiba nodded in agreement before dropping the bombshell. "But who said I was going to use them to attack? Take another look at my monsters, Hiiragi. I've got three Synchro monsters on the field, but two of them are going to be the tools I need to take down that singer of yours!"

"What?" Yuzu looked at his monsters again. She didn't see anything special about them, unless he was talking about their effects. She looked long and hard, reading each card carefully. 'I don't get it, what's he talking about? Maybe if one of them was an XX-Saber monster that I've never seen before, I might get it, but they're just Synchro Monsters. One of them's at a lower Level than the other two, but... Wait!' She looked at the cards again. Specifically, she looked at their levels. Then realization dawned on her. "N-no way... Don't tell me-!"

"There's someone in LDS that me and the two up there look up to. Someone so strong that she's never lost a duel. And the strongest Duelist in this whole freaking city's the only person that forced her into a draw. You could say she's the standard we all want to reach." Yaiba said as he waved a hand. "And to reach that standard, I'll push myself further than I've ever gone! A duelist's only as good as his cards, but sometimes you just need to change up the formula! I ain't no expert, but I know enough to know that it's got the power I need to bring you down!

"So take a good look, Hiiragi...because I'm constructing the Overlay Network with my Level 7 X-Saber Urbellum and X-Saber Souza!"


"WHAT?!" Hokuto cried, pressing his face up against the window. "YAIBA, YOU BASTARD! WHEN THE HELL DID YOU LEARN HOW TO DO XYZ SUMMONING?! THAT'S CHEATING DAMMIT!" Masumi was equally as shocked. She had absolutely no idea that her friend had secretly studied on using another summoning method. Still, Hokuto's reaction was rather embarrassing so she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back.

Meanwhile, in the shadow behind the arena, Ray couldn't help but smile proudly upon hearing Yaiba's words. She felt a little embarrassed upon being called the standard that everyone in LDS wanted to reach. In her opinion, there were other duelists who were just as good, if not better, than she was. Even they had the potential to succeed her. That said, she never would have expected one of them to study a summoning method that was outside their course. Even so, she felt an immense sense of pride in the boy for going above and beyond. A good duelist needed to adapt, and an even better duelist needed to think on the fly.

Reiji himself also smiled, impressed by what he was seeing. 'Interesting... It seems both Zarc, Yuya Sakaki and Ray are pushing those around them to become better.' he thought. 'This is the sort of determination we need. The power to adapt and grow stronger. Yes... The strength necessary to overcome my father's ambitions.'


A nebula opened up at Yaiba's feet. His two monsters lost shape, becoming dark brown bodies of light that fell into the swirling nebula before it exploded. From within this explosion of light, a powerful beast was being made. "Blistering fangs that hunt all without distinction! Relentless in your objective, swallow your foes in burning flames! XYZ SUMMONING!" The monster appeared and in grand fashion, slamming into the Colosseum stands and rearing its head, releasing a resounding roar. Its body was dark purple, head serpentine while the rest of it was humanoid, save for its dragonic wings that stretched out from its back. Jagged red blades protruded from its arms, steam floating off of them. Its blue eyes locked on to its prey before it opened its mouth, revealing sharp rows of fangs. "Tear on through! Rank 7! XXX-Saber Hannibal!"

[XXX-Saber Hannibal / LIGHT / Rank 7 / Beast-Warrior / Xyz / Effect / ATK: 2500 / DEF: 0]

Yuzu stared at the ferocious beast in awe and shock. Her previous confidence was beginning to drain away. 'You gotta be kidding... S-since when can someone from the Synchro Course at LDS know about Xyz Summoning?!' Part of her wanted to call it unfair, but that would just her being a sore loser. Especially when she realized that Yaiba was taking her seriously. He was coming at her with full respect, and the intent to defeat her.

"I hope you're prepared, Hiiragi, because Hannibal's a beast unlike any other!" Yaiba warned her. "But before I show you what he can do, I activate the Spell: Saber Slash! For every X-Saber monster on my field, I can destroy a card you've got on your field! I've got two X-Sabers, so I'll be destroying your Requiem Diva and Canon the Melodious Diva!"

Immediately, Yuzu countered his move. "Not so fast, Yaiba! I activate Dies Irae Concierto from the Graveyard! If my Melodious monsters would be destroyed in battle or by an effect, I can banish it from the Graveyard and negate their destruction!"

"Like that will save you!" Yaiba smirked. "When Hannibal is successfully Xyz Summoned, I can attach an X-Saber monster in my Graveyard to it and make it an Overlay Unit! I'll give that honor to XX-Saber Faultroll!" The phantom image of the red-clad warrior appeared in front of the dragonic beast before it became an orb of yellow light that danced round it. "Then I activate XXX-Saber Hannibal's Effect! By using two Overlay Units, I can make the ATK of a monster you've got on the field zero!" Yuzu's eyes widened when she realized exactly who Yaiba was targeting as his monster crushed two of the orbs surrounding its body in its claws, then proceeded to release a hellish howl that made her wince and clasp her hands over her ears. The power that Requiem Diva had suddenly dissipated. The orchestra behind Yuzu fell dead silent and vanished like the ghosts they were while their maestro kneeled on the ground, head bowed.

"Requiem Diva!"

[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Requiem - ATK: 3100 - 3100 = 0]

Yaiba flicked his nose. "A'right, time for the grand finale! BATTLE! XXX-Saber Hannibal! Attack Requiem Diva of the Salieri Requiem! Blaze Wrath War Strike! !" The monster reared its head and resounded a war cry as its wings suddenly became encased in flames. Four wings made of flame pulled out from its back and it raised into the air, its burning swords extending and becoming the size of guillotines. With another war cry, it shot forward in a blazing trail, intending to wipe out the last of Yuzu's life points.

Yuzu gritted her teeth. 'If that hits me, it's all over!' She would not allow that to happen! "I activate the Action Magic: Choice Choice! I can activate one of two of its effects! I choose its second effect! Any damage I take from battle is halved!"

"Nice try, but no dice!" Yaiba yelled. "I activate XXX-Saber Hannibal's last Effect! By using its last Overlay Unit, I can negate the activation of any effects until the End Phase!" Yuzu's eyes widened as the monster bit down on the last orb. Suddenly, its body became a blazing comet that was coming straight down on Yuzu, and it showed no signs of stopping. Yaiba followed up by revealing the last card he needed to end the Duel, making Yuzu gasp. "I also activate the Action Magic: Bi-Attack! During each Battle Phase, it's ATK is doubled!"

"What?! But when did you have time to-!" Then it hit Yuzu. 'Wait, could it have been then?! When he sent Requiem Diva's attack back at me with Saber Reflect?! But how?! That was way too short a time to find one! Unless... Don't tell me! He used his own sword to kick the sword up into the air?! Is that even possible?! How much strength would you even need to do something like that?!'

Regardless of what she thought, with great frustration and sadness, Yuzu knew one thing as Yaiba's monster came crashing down atop her Requiem Diva.

She had lost.

She failed You Show Duel Academy. And more importantly, she failed Yuya.

[XXX-Saber Hannibal - ATK: 2500 + 2500 = 5000]

Yuzu Hiiragi - LP 2900 - 5000 = 0

WINNER: Yaiba Todo!

Yuzu screamed as she found herself being flung back, soaring through the air. Her back collided with the ground, bouncing off of it for a few moments before coming to a stop and lying flat on her back. The Action Field then began to disperse into golden flakes of light, revealing the metallic room they started in. Yuzu stared up at the ceiling, lying completely still. She didn't register what happened. Not at first. When she did, she put her arm over her face, as if trying to hide it from the world.

'I lost...' she thought sadly. 'I lost... I failed.'

"Oi oi. If you lay on the ground like that, you're gonna be hurting in the morning. Trust me on that." She heard Yaiba's voice calling out to her and heard his footsteps coming closer. She dared to peel her arm away, and to her surprise, she found Yaiba smiling. It wasn't a smug smile belonging to someone who had just won a duel, but rather someone who had the time of his life. The sort of smile she had seen on duelists who accepted their defeats with grace and the crowd who had watched a duel come to a satisfying conclusion.

The smile of someone who enjoyed their Entertainment Duel.

"Here, gimme your hand."

For a moment, Yuzu didn't know what to do. Was this for real? They were supposed to be enemies. Her opinion of LDS wasn't very high, not since Himika Akaba openly declared that she wanted to take Yuya and Zarc away from their school. After a moment, though, she realized that she had misjudged them. Yes, they may have belonged to LDS, but they were still duelists. They were the same as everyone else, looking for strong opponents to test themselves against. Soon, Yuzu smiled and accepted his hand, wrapping it around her own and was pulled up to her feet.

"Been a while since somebody made me break a sweat." Yaiba grinned. "You're good, girl."

She giggled. "Same to you. Kind of sad that I lost, though. I guess this means we're tied now."

"Yeah, well, no offense to you guys..." Yaiba glanced up at the observation deck, where Himika was watching them. "But something tells me the boss woman ain't gonna accept this."


Reiji watched the duel come to an end. Against his expectations, Yaiba Todo had claimed victory by showing the sort of skills he believed were necessary for the coming battles ahead. It was a sign that, perhaps, things were heading in the right direction. That they just might be prepared for Academia after all.

But, for now, there was something else to attend to. The scenario he had predicted was here. You Show and Leo Duel School had one victory each. They were now tied. And Himika had not yet ascertained whether or not Yuya Sakaki and Zarc were prepared for what was to come. The only option left now was to settle things in one final duel.

And this one, Reiji knew, would be his most important duel yet.

"Ray." he called to his sister as he turned on his heel. "Let's go."


Yuzu and Yaiba returned to the observation deck where everyone was waiting for them. Yaiba was greeted with a nod of approval from Himika while Hokuto, still in a shaken stupor, demanded answers as to when and where his fellow duelist had learned Xyz, and more importantly, why he didn't come to ask him for pointers. The answer he received had once again put him in the corner of the room, sulking while Masumi congratulated him for his skills.

"You did great, Yuzu!" Yuya told his childhood friend when she returned. "That was awesome! I gotta agree with Futoshi-chan, that duel gave me the shivers!"

"I still lost, though."

"Who cares?! Didn't you see how Yaiba was smiling back there?" Yuzu nodded. "That was exactly the kind of dueling You Show-no, what dad would have liked to see! Who cares if you lost!"

Yuzu stared at Yuya in surprise. That had been the first time that he mentioned how his father would have loved to see a duel like that. It took her a moment to realize that, indeed, that kind of dueling was the dueling Yusho Sakaki was known for. The thought made both her and Shuzo smile.

"I have to admit, that was a pretty cool duel." Zarc said with earnest praise. "I had no idea you were studying Ritual Summoning."

"I didn't want to fall behind or have to rely on you guys to do everything, so I looked up some guides and went to a nearby card game shop." Yuzu told him. "It was kind of a pain to find the cards that fit with my Melodious deck, though."

"Why don't we save the pleasantries for later?" Shuzo suggested, looking over his shoulder. The group realized why shortly after as Himika Akaba approached, her face eerily calm for someone who should have known that their wager was now in a tie. Putting on his game face, Shuzo met Himika, stern-faced and arms folded. "Looks like this comeptition's ended in a tie."

"So it would seem." Himika agreed. "You Show Duel School claimed victory, and we have claimed a victory as well."

"And I don't suppose you'd be willing to just drop the matter?"

"She won't." Zarc said, eyes narrowed at Himika, who in turn smiled back at him, realizing that he was quite the sharp one. "She came here to get Pendulum Summoning. Even though we've barely met her today, she's hardly the woman who would accept this kind of outcome. To her, this is no better than a loss, or at the very least a stalemate."

"Very true, Zarc." Himika nodded. "In which case, why don't we settle this with one final duel?"

Shuzo clicked his tongue. "All three of your students dueled three of mine! Unless your saying your willing to duel Zarc, everyone here knows how they all duel! That's a bit of an unfair advantage, don't you think?"

"Agreed, but that's why instead of a one-on-one duel, it will be a Tag Team Duel." Shuzo blinked, not expecting that. "As a matter of fact, there are two people here from Leo Duel School who have yet to participate. They will duel two of your students: Yuya Sakaki and Zarc. A tiebreaker duel!"

Yuya Sakaki frowned. "A Tag Team..." he muttered, recalling the last one he had been in. He glanced at Zarc and grimaced. He had been nothing but a liability in the battle against Sawatari. He had most gotten over it, but a part of him was afraid of repeating his mistakes. He didn't want to cause trouble for his friend like that again. Zarc noticed his stare and he turned away, not willing to let his partner see his shameful face. He then shook off such depressing thoughts before he spoke up. "If we do accept this tiebreaker duel, who are our opponents?"

"That would be us."

Two people approached from behind Himika and the other LDS students. Himika greeted them with a warm, familial smile. A betrayal to the cold and ruthless and cunning display she gave them earlier. The LDS students stared in shock, mouths open and inviting flies to come in. Shuzo spluttered as he stared at the young man standing in front of Yuya, towering over him easily by a few feet. His hair was gray and his eyes were hidden behind his glasses, giving him both an intimidating and intellectual look. The person behind him was a sight that made almost everyone gasp in shock, for standing behind that young man was a woman around the same age as him, hair a dark maroon color and eyes clear blue.

"N-no way..." Yuya gaped.

Gongenzaka stared in disbelief. "She...she looks like Yuzu!"

'What...?' Yuzu's mind was blank. 'What the-how? Who in the heck is she?!'

The young man adjusted his glasses. "My name is Reiji Akaba. President of the Leo Corporation." he introduced himself to You Show, shocking all of them. "And I will be your opponent."

"And I am Ray Akaba." the older girl went next. Zarc's eyes widened, something in his head clicking the moment he heard her speak. "A student of LDS Expert Class. And I will also be your opponent."

"That voice..."

"w...bec...ne...!"

"Forgive me... Zarc."

"Are you-?!"

"Now." The reflective glare in Reiji's glasses faded, revealing steely eyes that bore deep into the two Pendulum users own orbs and challenged them for all that they stood for. "Shall we begin, then?"

-Chapter: END-


Reiji: Every card has a counter. No matter how powerful the effect, there will always be an even stronger card to cut it down to size.

Yuya: No way, they can Pendulum summon too?!

Ray: If you can't overcome this, Zarc, then you won't be able to overcome yourself!

Zarc: What the hell kind of cards are those?!

Yuzu: No way... She can counter their dragons?!

Next Scale: Origins of Pendulum


Card Information

Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony / DARK / Level 10 / Fairy-Fiend / Ritual / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 2500 / You can Ritual Summon this card with "Dies Irae Concierto." If you control a "Meodious" monster: This card is treated as a "Melodious" monster. This card gains 300 ATK for each monster tribute for its Ritual Summon. (Quick Effect): Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 "Melodious" monster from your deck, but its ATK and DEF are changed to 0, also during the End Phase, return it to your Hand. If this card declares an attack against a Special Summoned Monster your opponent controls; Destroy that monster after damage calculation. Once per turn, if this card destroys a monster by battle or its effect: You can tribute 1 other "Melodious" monster you control; This card can make an additional attack in a row.

XXX-Saber Hannibal / LIGHT / Rank 7 / Beast-Warrior / Xyz / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 0 / 2 Level 7 Synchro Monsters
When this card is successfully Xyz Summoned: Target 1 "X-Saber" monster in your GY: attach that card to this card as an Xyz Material. You can detach 2 materials from this card, then target 1 monster your opponent controls on the field: reduce that card's ATK to 0. During the Battle Phase: You can detach 1 material from this card: Negate the activation of card effects until the end of the Battle Phase. (You can only use each Effect of "XXX-Saber Hannibal" once per turn.)

Dies Irae Concierto / Spell / Ritual / This card can be used to Ritual Summon "Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony." You must also Tribute monsters from the field or your hand whose total Levels equal the Level of the Ritual Monster you are attempting to Ritual Summon. If a "Melodious" monster(s) you control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can banish this card from your GY instead.

AN: Okay, so unlike before where my muse is usually uncooperative or I was just lazy or out on break, I actually had a good reason for why this chapter was late.

In the history of this story, which admittedly isn't very long, I've worked with three partners, two of which I go to for help on duels. The first two are Donjusticia and Shimmering-Sky, the former of which had been a great contribution to the early beginnings of this story. My third partner was someone I met up online, and was also the same guy who helped get it off the ground. He usually helped me in certain story directions, like how the chapters would go or where to take the story next.

However, we recently had a falling out. I'm not entirely sure what caused it, and I'm willing to take partial blame, but dammit, what was said should not have been said. I won't repeat what was said, because I'm pretty sure if my mother ever reads this or hears me saying it, she will wash my mouth out with soap. O.O

Anyway, for a long while, I was without a story partner to help push this along. But, lucky for you guys, I had an old friend who was willing to collaborate with me on this and help me in regards to the story. You might know her as the author of the Fate/stay night x Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS crossover: Fate/VRAINS.

That's right. My new partner for the story is TheStrangerThatCameFromNowhere! If you haven't read her content, I highly suggest you do! Especially since she told me she's planning on working on a new YGO story that involved Yugi!

At any rate, special thanks go to Donjusticia who helped create the duel and made the necessary edits to the cards you see in the duel.

Btw, I better expect some dirty jokes about Yaiba having a card with "XXX" in its title.

Anyway, I honestly have NO IDEA when the next chapter will come out. Namely because I'm asking both Donjusticia and Shimmering-Sky for help for the Tag Duel. I want to do this right, so who better to show off the chops of these duelists better than The Don and Sky?

That's all for now, guys! Friendly reminder that this story has a TV Tropes page, so be sure to check it out and add to it! Let me know what you think about this chapter in the reviews and I'll catch you on the next scale.

See You~