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

The Maiami Championship looms ever closer, and You Show Duel School is preparing for the competition. While everyone looks forward to the tournament, others lurk in the shadows in pursuit of their targets.

Serena and Berrett, members of Academia, arrive in the Standard Dimension to investigate the unusual Fusion readings. Their activities are shortly discovered by Zarc and Yuzu, who engage them in a duel.

Zarc and Yuzu defeat their opponents, but just as Kurosaki and Reiji's men arrive to apprehend them, Berrett and Serena make their escape.

Just as it seems things have started to quiet down, a new danger makes itself known!

Where will the Pendulum swing now?


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


Scale 14: The Rare Hunter's Assault

The Maiami Championship was less than a month away, and Yuya couldn't have felt more bored in his life. He was excited to finally test his skills and see what mass-produced Pendulum cards could do to ramp up the entertainment and excitement factor in the duels to come when the tournament arrived, but the wait was killing him.

Training had gone well all things considered, and at last Yuya now had Synchro and Xyz Summoning under his belt, with Fusion soon to follow.

Buuut before he could do anymore dueling, he had to complete the most grueling challenge before him yet.

Completing the first semester of school.

"That will be all for today," the teacher announced. "Your homework for tonight is on page 427. Be sure to answer all the questions on the page, and I expect your essays to be no less than three pages long with complete sentences. Understand?"

"Yes, sensei!" the class replied obediently.

With that, class was over. Yuya let out a great big yawn and slumped in his chair. He felt more tired than he had in days. "Ugh, English class sucks. Remind me again, why do I have to take this class?"

"Because if you don't, you won't have the units you need to graduate, Yuya." Naturally it was the Class Representative and his own childhood friend who told him that in her usual stern tone. "I know dueling is important to you, but don't forget your schooling is just as important!"

Oh how Yuya wished he could just ignore school and pursue his dream of becoming an entertainment duelist, but that was only in his dreams. As with most things you had to have a decent education and a college degree if you wanted to seriously pursue a career. Duel Monsters may be a children's card game with plenty of competitions offering money and millions of people playing competitively, but playing a card game and winning competitions and events wouldn't provide you a sustainable income unless you scored a job that involved the game.

Entertainment Duelists and duelists who would impart their knowledge to the next generation had to go through the motions of normal everyday life. They would have to study in school and attend special colleges or academic facilities that would allow them to enter Duel College and obtain the credits and units needed they needed to obtain the credentials required to become a teacher in dueling or an official Entertainment Duelist.

In laymen's terms, school was a necessary evil, but damn did Yuya despise it. It wasn't that the teachers were bad and he was a bad student; his grades were pretty average for the most part except P.E., it was just that school just felt so boring for him. He couldn't sit still for the life of him and wanted to get out of that stuffy classroom and do something else. He wanted to duel, unleash his talents and do what he did best!

"Speaking of," Yuya's thoughts were dispelled immediately when he sensed killing intent radiating from Yuzu's form. Behind her stood the mighty King Yama, ready to deliver judgment if it found him wanting. "You have been studying for finals, right?"

Yuya bobbed his head frantically. "Yes!"

The Yama seemed pleased and disappeared as Yuzu smiled sweetly. Once more, the young Sakaki boy was terrified by how quickly his childhood friend could change at the drop of a hat. "Good! In that case, I'll leave you off the hook." For now were the unspoken words. "Anyway, I have to meet up with the Student Council President about something. I'll see you and Gon at the front gate, okay?"

"Sure thing!" Yuya promised and watched her leave the classroom. After packing his things he pushed his chair into his desk and stepped out into the hallway, only to pause when he noticed something unusual.

Near the stairway leading down to the first floor were two students, one Yuya easily recognized as Shingo Sawatari. The other was an upperclassman, maybe a third year with handsome features; chin-length dark-blue hair with lime-green streaks and indigo bangs covering his right eye. The eye that was visible was aqua. Judging by the gold studs on the lobe of his ear and the bangle around his wrist, Yuya assumed he lived a very comfortable life if he could afford things that looked rather expensive.

Ever since the incident at LDS when the Tatsuya, Futoshi and Ayu were taken hostage, Sawatari hadn't approached Yuya with any malicious intent whatsoever. Granted he heard from Yuzu, Gongenzaka and Zarc that he planned on ambushing him in some manner, but that plan had been thwarted by Yuto, and even then the mayor's son never came up to him and asked for a rematch. Now that he thought about it, Sawatari kept his distance and seemed rather scarce as of late. Maybe he was preoccupied with something important?

Judging by the look on Sawatari's face, however, the conversation between him and the upperclassman(?) was anything by pleasant.

"I already told you, whatever it is you're scheming, I don't want any part of it!" Sawatari snapped at the blue-haired teen before storming away.

The upperclassman(?) seemed disappointed in Sawatari's decision before turning on his heel and descending down the stairs.

'What was that about?' Yuya wondered before he went to meet up with Gongenzaka at the front gate and wait for Yuzu so they could return to You Show together.

Unfortunately for Yuya Sakaki, the person he saw talking with Sawatari had other plans in mind for him and Yuzu Hiiragi…


"How come I hafta be the freakin' pack mule?!"

Zarc stifled a laugh as he and Ayu walked side-by-side with a struggling Joey behind them, the latter's torso being almost entirely covered by stacked paper bags of groceries.

It had been three days since Zarc and Yuzu's encounter with the girl in the red jacket and her hulking friend, as well as the arrival of You Show's newest student. In that time, Joey had begun to integrate himself into the daily life of You Show with surprising ease. He more or less hit it off with Gongenzaka on their first meeting alone, what with them having a duel to see who was the more "manly" between them. It was hilarious thinking back on it, but it was also rather enjoyable. The trio also seemed to like Joey, though Zarc suspected it was because Joey spoiled them by giving them candy he had stashed away in his pocket.

Candy, mind you, he snagged from Sora. Oh, the Fusion expert had been utterly livid when he found this out and swore unholy revenge on him.

With the exception of Sora, pretty much everyone in the school accepted Joey in their ranks. It also probably helped that he admitted he was a fan of Yusho Sakaki, courtesy of his younger sister who was an even bigger fan. At first, Zarc was worried Joey only joined because You Show was founded by Yusho or wanted to become friends with Yuya solely because he was Yusho's son, but thankfully Joey himself nipped those concerns in the bud. He told them he didn't care about either of those facts, admitting that he accepted the application to join You Show because it was in Maiami City, and the Maiami Championship was right around the corner.

'If I remember right, there are two prizse for winning the Maiami Championship the winner can choose from,' Zarc thought. 'The first is thirty million yen reward money and all-paid expense cruise, while the second prize is to challenge the Maiami City Champion. In that case, whoever wins would challenge Yuya.'

On that thought, Zarc couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the champion himself won the championship. Would he have to duel himself or just accept the prize money?

"Sorry, Joey-nii-chan!" Ayu giggled at Joey's plight. "But you drew the short stick!"

"Better luck next time, Joey~" Zarc grinned.

Behind the wall of groceries, Joey scowled. "You're cruisin' for a bruisin', Zarc! When we get back to You Show, your ass is mine!"

Zarc laughed at the challenge, but was otherwise looking forward to it. After watching Joey in action when he dueled Gongenzaka, he wanted to duel him if only to see whose dragons were better. That, and he hadn't had a good opportunity to test out the rest of the cards Reiji made for him.

The three rounded around the corner just in time for a red ballistic missile to collide headfirst into Joey, knocking him straight to the ground and scattering their groceries all across the street.

"Ah! J-Joey-nii-chan, are you okay?!" Ayu exclaimed in worry as she rushed over to him.

Zarc stared at first, too stunned to move. Joey was laid flat on the ground, groaning and rubbing the back of his head on account of having smacked it against the curb. He would be lucky if he didn't bust open his head in the process, but he saw no blood so he assumed he was fine. The missile that rammed into him, on the other hand, was nursing the large bump on her head. She was rather young-looking and looked to be the same age as Ayu, if maybe a little older, hair curly and colored light red with curls. She wore a frilly black dress over a white shirt, a purple bow fashioned atop her head. Oddly, a crystal ball sat next to her.

"Augh…" Joey groaned. "Anybody got the number of the Blue-Eyes that ran me over?"

"Speak for yourself!" the girl snapped. "Owwie, my head hurts! Where did you even come from?!"

'That's what I want to know!' Zarc shook his head and helped the girl up. "You okay?"

"Just a bruised head," the girl replied while tenderly nursing the lump on her head. She noticed the crystal ball on the ground and picked it up, holding it close to her chest. "Whew, it's not cracked. I'd hate to explain to the headmistress why my crystal ball broke!"

"I'm the one with a cracked skull here!" Perhaps incensed by the fact that the girl who knocked into him was more concerned about her crystal ball than about the guy she ran into, Joey leaped to his feet. "You're lucky I didn't bust my head open! Why were you even running that fast anyway?! You trying to set the world speed record or somethin'?!"

"Calm down, Joey. I'm sure she didn't mean it!" Zarc tried to placate the angry blonde.

The girl stared at Joey and Zarc for a moment before her eyes widened in panic. "Oh no, that's right! I have to-!"

"Tch. There you are."

Zarc and Joey stilled immediately after recognizing the vulgar tone. Their expressions hardened as they turned around to find a stereotypical thug approaching them with anything but good intentions. His hair was greasy and utterly messy, eyes narrow with a rather round nose that looked like it had been caved in and didn't heal properly. His shirt was wrinkled with a bandanna wrapped around his left bicep, and his jeans were covered in tears. His Duel Disk looked as though it had been tampered with immensely, what with the wires sticking out of it and warped edges.

Seeing someone dangerous when she did, Ayu immediately sought refuge behind Zarc and Joey. The girl that ran into Joey froze up.

"Do you have any idea how friggin' hard it is trying to keep up with you, you little brat?" the thug growled. "I'm so freaking mad right now, I want to break your damn head with that stupid ball of yours."

Joey stepped between him and the girl, previous grievances with her gone now that he better understood the situation. "Lay a finger on her, pal, and the only thing being broken is yer fingers," he warned, cracking his knuckles for emphasis.

The girl stared at him in surprise. "Y-you-"

"Butt out of this, bro, unless you want to get a beating!" the thug warned. "This is between me and that kid."

Zarc stood next to Joey. "Sorry, but that's not gonna happen. What're you even chasing after her for, anyway?"

"H-he wants my cards!" The older boys glanced down at her. The girl bit her lip while mustering a defiant glare at the thug, who in turn glared back angrily. "H-he's one of those card hunters!"

"Card hunters?"

Ayu gasped in recognition. "I've heard of them before! T-they hunt down people who they think have a rare card and try to take it from them!"

Joey's face darkened. A sneering face loomed over him as they held the card they stole from him in front of his face. His hand tightened into a fist.

"That's right, I'm a Rare Hunter." The thug grinned as though he was proud. "And if you know what's good for you, brat, you'll just hand over those cards like a good girl. If you do, I promise I won't bust your head open."

Zarc's anger skyrocketed. Red began to seep into his irises. "You son of a… And here I thought Sawatari was a piece of work! You're scum!"

"Like I care what you think, bro! Now step aside or…" The thug trailed off and stared at him. He scrunched up his face, scrutinizing and staring at Zarc for a few seconds before his eyes lit up. A wicked grin formed across his face as he started to laugh. "Oh, this is just perfect! I recognize you. You're that Zarc guy, aren'tcha? The only other person in this city besides that Sakaki brat whose got those rare Pendulum cards, right?"

The thug stepped closer while opening the pouch strapped to his leg, producing a deck from his person and inserting it into his Duel Disk. A black hardlight board materialized immediately afterwards.

"If I beat you, I can take your rare Pendulum cards for myself! I hit the jackpot!"

Zarc was about to reciprocate the gesture and teach this punk a lesson when Joey suddenly stepped up to the plate, brandishing his own Duel Disk and deck. His anger faded in place of confusion and surprise. "Joey?"

"Let me handle this one, Zarc."

There was no room for argument in his voice. His face looked like it was carved from stone and his eyes were cold. Whatever anger Zarc had for the hunter, it paled in comparison to Joey's. It almost looked as if his hate was personal.

He looked at his friend for a moment and conceded, stepping away. The thug looked at Joey for a moment before snickering. "You? You think you can beat me?! Oh, I'm gonna enjoy kicking the crap out of you! After I'm done with you, I'm coming after the Pendulum guy next! And when I'm done with him…" He glowered at the girl hiding behind Zarc. "It's your turn, girlie."

"Keep dreaming, asshole," Joey scoffed as he inserted his deck into his Duel Disk. In contrast to the sleek and phone-like design other duelists in the city had, Joey's Duel Disk looked rather outdated with a red-and-silver bracer and LED screen. The moment the deck was inserted, a board emerged out from the bracer and extended outward, sliding along Joey's forearm. "I've dealt with guys a whole lot worse than you back home. Now we gonna duel or what?!"

The hunter scowled. "Bring it!"

"DUEL!"

Joey – LP 4000
Hunter – LP 4000

"It's my move!" Joey announced quickly. "I'll start off by activating the Spell, Pot of Greed and drawing two cards. Then I activate the Spell, Red-Eyes Insight!"

The thug blinked in surprise. "Red-Eyes? That's…"

"I send a "Red-Eyes" monster in my hand or deck to the Graveyard, but in exchange I get to add a "Red-Eyes" Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand. I send Red-Eyes Black Dragon to the Graveyard and get myself a snazzy new Spell Card. I'll also activate Cards of the Red Stone! Cards of the Red Stone has me send a Level 7 or lower "Red-Eyes" monster in my hand to the Graveyard. After that, I draw two cards, then I get to send another Level 7 or lower "Red-Eyes" in my deck to the Graveyard to keep the other guy company."

"Keeping a high card count in exchange for sending monsters to the Graveyard," the girl frowned. "That doesn't seem like a good strategy."

"Maybe not," Zarc shrugged. "But you shouldn't underestimate the Red-Eyes archetype. Especially in the hands of somebody like Joey."

"Next up is the Spell, Dragon's Connection! I reveal a Dragon-type monster in my hand, then shuffle it into my deck and add a Dragon-type monster in my deck with the same level as the monster in my hand." Joey took one of the cards in his hand and revealed it to the thug. "I shuffle Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon back into my deck and add a new monster to my hand."

Joey smirked. "But enough with the Spells, how about we move on to the monsters? I summon Red-Eyes Baby Dragon in Defense Position!" Appearing in front of Joey was a dragon half his size, clad in jet-black scales and piercing red eyes.

Red-Eyes Baby Dragon / DARK / Level 3 / Dragon / Effect / ATK 1200 / DEF 700

Since there's a Dragon-type monster that's Level 4 or lower on my field, I can Special Summon Red-Eyes Burst Dragon straight from my hand!" Another black dragon appeared, this one slightly bigger than Baby Dragon with red-tinged scales and red wings, steel decorating the tips of its appendages.

Red-Eyes Burst Dragon / DARK / Level 4 / Dragon / Effect / ATK 2000 / DEF 0

"When Burst Dragon's Special Summoned, I target a "Red-Eyes" monster in my Graveyard and add a "Red-Eyes" whose level is the same or lower as the monster in my Graveyard! I choose Red-Eyes Black Dragon who's a Level 7 monster!" Joey took the card that popped out from his deck. "I'll wrap up my turn by setting two cards face-down."

"Looks like Joey's playing defensively," Zarc noted. "Not that it's a bad move. If that guy makes a living by hunting after rare cards, who knows what that guy has."

Ayu bobbed her head in agreement.

The hunter scoffed. "You a scaredy cat or something? This'll be a piece of cake. It's my turn! Draw!"

He took the topmost card of his deck and glanced at it. A wicked smile formed across on his face. 'Hehehe, talk about a lucky draw. With this combo, winning this duel is gonna be a piece of cake!'

"I play the Field Spell, Machiners Assembly Line!" As soon as the field spell was employed, the surrounding area was overlayed with that of what looked like an industrial factory; conveyer belts carrying machines lined both sides of the street while a crane hoisted up large boxes filled to the brim with scrap. Behind the hunter was what looked like a furnace with steam pouring out from its lid. "While Assembly Line is on the field, all Machine-type monsters on my field gain 100 ATK and DEF for every card in my hand."

"Machiners?" Joey frowned heavily as unpleasant memories began to flash by in his head. "You, uh, wouldn't happen to be related to a guy by the name of Bandit Keith now would ya?"

The hunter ignored him and continued. "I summon Machiners Gearframe!" A robot appeared out from the boiling furnace and landed in front of the hunter, clad in orange-and-white metal armor with a silver face and red eye in the center.

Machiners Gearframe / EARTH / Level 4 / Machine / Union / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 0

"When Gearframe is Normal Summoned, I can add a "Machiners" monster from my deck to my hand." The hunter grinned as he performed his first major play. "I send Machiners Force in my hand to the Graveyard and Special Summon Machiners Fortress!" Another machine appeared out from the furnace and slammed straight down into the ground. It was far larger than the first one, looking more like a tank with arms and a head with a turret next to its head.

Machiners Fortress / EARTH / Level 7 / Machine / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 1600

"Machiners Fortress can be Special Summoned by discarding Machine monsters whose total Levels equal 8 or higher, and it can be summoned from either my Graveyard or my hand."

The furnace let out a warped groan as two metal rods suddenly pulled out from its sides.

"W-what's that?" Ayu asked, not liking what she saw.

The hunter smirked. "Whenever I Normal or Special Summon a "Machiners" monster, Assembly Line gains a counter. Speaking of, I activate Assembly Line's effect! Once per turn, I use two of its counters and add a "Machiners" card from my Graveyard back to my hand."

"Lemme guess, the Machiners Force you sent to your Graveyard to summon that big pile of scrap?" Joey asked.

The hunter laughed. "What do you think, punk? I set a card face-down. And now, battle! I hope you haven't forgotten that Assembly Line also makes my monsters stronger thanks to the card in my hand!"

Machiners Gearframe: ATK 1800 2000
Machiners Fortress: ATK 2500 2700

'He'll probably hit Burst Dragon first with Machiners Fortress, then gun for my Baby Dragon,' Joey thought while hiding his grin. 'Jokes on him, though! When Baby Dragon gets smoked in battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a "Red-Eyes" that's Level 7 or lower from my Graveyard, then equip Baby Dragon to that monster and bring its ATK up by 300 points! Plus, I got Red-Eyes Retro Dragon in my hand, which Special Summons itself if a monster on my field gets canned. I can bring back Burst Dragon easy afterwards!' The blonde giggled to himself, barely able to hide his satisfaction with this plan. 'If only the guys back home could-'

"Machiners Gearframe! Attack Red-Eyes Burst Dragon!"

Joey blinked. "Wait, what?" He stared, utterly dumbstruck, as Machiners Gearframe latched itself onto the black-and-red dragon and self-detonated, taking itself and his monster with it. "Why the heck…?"

'Is this guy a moron?' Zarc shared Joey's thoughts. 'He could have dealt Joey damage by going after Burst Dragon with Machiners Fortress, but he goes for mutual destruction instead? That doesn't make sense.'

"Now, Machiners Fortress! Destroy Red-Eyes Baby Dragon! Hardware Vapor Bomber!" The cannon lowered and took aim. It opened fire and hit its mark, destroying Baby Dragon and covering the field in smoke.

Joey recovered from his dumbfounded shock and made his move. "When Red-Eyes Baby Dragon is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 7 or lower "Red-Eyes" monster from the Graveyard!" The smoke suddenly dispersed as a wave of black-and-red energy overtook the field. A dragon emerged from the demonic light, easily towering over those present and releasing a mighty war cry upon arrival, red eyes glowing like fire amid the demonic light. "Say hello to my good old friend and partner! The one and only Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Red-Eyes Black Dragon / DARK / Level 7 / Dragon / Normal / ATK 2400 / DEF 2000

The girl's eyes widened. "T-that's…!"

"Red-Eyes Black Dragon," Zarc nodded in affirmation while smiling as the mighty beast stood in front of Joey. "One of the legendary monsters to exist in all of Duel Monsters. It surprised us too when we saw him use it."

"Joey-nii-chan has three of those guys!" Ayu added excitedly. "He's super strong! He might be as strong as Yuya-nii-chan and Yuzu-nee-chan too!"

"Joey?"

The girl stared at Ayu for a moment, then stared at the blonde and his monster. The gears in her head were starting to turn. She swore she recognized the teen dueling the hunter, but she couldn't remember where. She opened up the search engine on her Duel Disk and typed in 'Joey' and 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon.'

The results popped up almost immediately. She gasped and stared at Joey in awe. "N-no way…"

"Red-Eyes Baby Dragon also equips itself to the monster summoned by its effect, raising its ATK by 300!" Joey continued. Behind the towering beast, the phantom image of Red-Eyes Baby Dragon appeared behind it before seemingly vanishing into the older dragon, causing it to be enveloped in a dark-blue hue.

Red-Eyes Black Dragon: ATK 2400 2700

"Since you destroyed my Red-Eyes Baby Dragon, I can Special Summon Red-Eyes Retro Dragon in Defense Position!" A red-armored dragon identical to Red-Eyes Black Dragon appeared at Joey's side, seemingly mechanical in nature with gears rotating on its hips.

Red-Eyes Retro Dragon / DARK / Level 4 / Dragon / Effect / ATK 1700 / DEF 1600

"Retro Dragon's effect also lets me summon any monsters that were destroyed by battle from my Graveyard! Come on back, Red-Eyes Burst Dragon!" The red-clad dragon reappeared, standing proudly alongside its scaly brothers.

The hunter frowned, not expecting Joey to summon reinforcements or pull out one of the big-names in the game. Not that it would help him, anyway. After all, he had his ace in a hole. This may as well have been a futile struggle for the idiot.

"I'll end my turn here," the hunter conceded while silently smirking to himself.

Zarc noticed the smirk and grew concerned. 'Why is he so confident? Does it have to do with that card he set face-down on his field earlier? Now that I think about it… Why didn't he set it until after the battle phase? If he waited until then, he would have enough ATK to destroy Red-Eyes Burst Dragon instead of going for mutual destruction and inflict damage to Joey, so why? Given how confident he seems, I don't think it's an amateur move. But what is it? What's he scheming?'

Whatever it was the hunter had in mind, it was anything but good.

"Alright, my turn again!" Joey declared. "Draw!" He looked at the girl and stared at it for a moment before smiling. 'Figures it'd be this one.' "I activate my face-downs! The first is the Trap, Red-Eyes Spirits! This lets me summon a "Red-Eyes" monster in my Graveyard to my field! I summon a second Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" A shimmering white light poured out from the ground. Emerging from the light was another jet-black dragon with burning red eyes, eager to sink its claws into the hunter. "The second face-down is the Continuous Trap, Return of the Red-Eyes! This Trap works so long as I've got a "Red-Eyes" monster on my field and lets me Special Summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard once per turn. I summon the last Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

As the third black dragon emerged on the field, the hunter started to grow nervous as he felt the piercing glares of the monsters bearing down on him. Zarc on the other hand whistled. "Dang, all three at once? I'd hate to be him right now."

"I'm activating the Spell, Glory of the King's Hand! I excavate the top five cards from my deck and show them to ya." Joey took five cards from his deck and proceeded to reveal them. Upon seeing them, the hunter grew concerned. "Then I send two of the cards I showed off to the Graveyard and put what's left in my hand. I'm pretty sure you can guess what's coming, right?! I activate Black Flame Blast!"

Ayu winced. "Should I be glad this isn't an Action Duel?"

"Red-Eyes, let'r'rip!" Hellish red flames burned in the maw of one of the trio of dragons. Releasing the flames, the dragon breathed out a torrent of dark red-and-black flames that proceeded to wash over the hunter. Though this was not an Action Duel and therefore no pain was inflicted, that did not stop him from flinching or raising his arms in front of him as though bracing for impact.

Rare Hunter - LP 4000 → 1600

'And there's reason number one why you should be wary of the Red-Eyes archetype,' Zarc thought. 'Not only can someone who knows their way around the deck revive their monsters from the Graveyard, but they specialize in effect damage also. Black Flame Blast in particular is brutal since it uses Red-Eyes Black Dragon's original ATK to deal damage to the opponent. The only downside is that Red-Eyes Black Dragon can't attack once it's been used.'

However, since Joey had three of those monsters, having only two of them capable of attacking was not a problem.

"Next up is the Ritual Spell, Red-Eyes Transmigration! By tributing monsters on my field or hand and banishing "Red-Eyes" monsters in my Graveyard with a total Level of 8 or higher, I can Ritual Summon! I'll offer up my Red-Eyes Retro Dragon and Red-Eyes Burst Dragon as sacrifices!"

A magic circle formed beneath Joey's feet, glowing dark red and cackling with energy. The aforementioned monsters bowed their heads as they were consumed by the energy, losing shape and reduced to dark-red flames that began to swirl together. Amid the amassing flames, the faint shape of a man could be seen smiling wickedly before the flames encroached their form.

"Let's turn up the heat! RITUAL SUMMON!" The flames dispersed after the energy reached its apex, exploding and kicking up a gust of wind. In front of Joey was a man clad in pitch-black armor resembling scales, a helm shaped after the head of a dragon adorning his face. Large wings sprouted from behind his back, matched by the swishing tail that struck the ground. "Introducing the Level 8 Lord of the Red!"

Lord of the Red / FIRE / Level 8 / Dragon / Ritual / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 2100

"Next up, I'll use two of my Red-Eyes Black Dragons to construct the Overlay Network!" A swirling galaxy opened up at Joey's feet. His monsters cried out as their willingly dived into the nebula. Moments later, the galaxy erupted into raw power. A dragon emerged from it, clad in black steel rather than scales, blue lines running across its body and sporting four red wings. It reared its head and let out a resounding roar. "XYZ SUMMON! Rank 7! Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon, on stage!"

Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon / DARK / Rank 7 / Dragon / Xyz / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 2400

The girl with the crystal ball gasped. "That is…a very intimidating dragon."

"And it's pretty damn brutal, too." Zarc told her. "So long as it has its Overlay Units, Flare Metal Dragon can't be destroyed by card effects. "

Joey grinned. "Alright, let's battle! Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon, send Machiners Fortress to where it belongs: the Scrap Heap! Blaze Flare Blast!"

The metal dragon released a blazing red ball from its maw and sent it straight at the tank. It made contact. Machiners Fortress was consumed by the flames, though the hunter would obviously not take this lying down. "When Machiners Fortress is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can destroy a card on your field! You took out Machiners Fortress, so it's only fair you lose your Lord of the Red!"

Joey scowled as Machiners Fortress' last act was to fire off a shell that hit his monster dead center in the chest, causing it to shatter into gold pieces. He had hoped he could use his Ritual Monster to destroy Assembly Line, so it wouldn't come back to bite him later on, but obviously that wasn't going to happen now.

Now that it mattered at this point. After all, he had just dealt a blow to the guy's Life Points, and it was about to get worse.

"After a card or effect you activate resolves, Red-Eyes Metal Flare Dragon can dish out 500 points of damage so long as its got an Overlay Unit or two!" A burst of flame erupted from one of the flying orbs of lights, hitting the hunter.

Rare Hunter - LP 1600 → 1500 → 1000

"This'll end it!" Joey aimed a finger at the hunter and hammered the final nail in the coffin. "Red-Eyes Black Dragon, hit him directly with your Flash Flare Blast!"

"Joey-nii-chan's won!" Ayu exclaimed excitedly while Zarc smiled, both watching in anticipation as the black dragon let loose a dark red fireball.

Their joy evaporated when the hunter developed a vicious smirk. "Sorry, but the show ain't over just yet, bro! I activate my face-down! Machiners Overhaul!"

Just as the fireball was about to connect, it was unceremoniously halted by the sudden tilting of the ground. More specifically, the metal tiles overlayed atop the street were torn open. Joey and the kids gasped as several machines crawled out from the gaping hole. Among them was Machiners Gearframe and Fortress. Alongside the two were new machines; one clad in pale-green armor and wielding a sword with a single red optic, the second being a blue turret system with rocket launchers and the last being a gold-armored machine wielding what looked like a rifle.

Machiners Soldier / EARTH / Level 4 / Machine / Effect / ATK 1600 1800 / DEF 1500 1700
Machiners Defender / EARTH / Level 4 / Machine / Effect / ATK 1200
1400 / DEF 1800 2000
Machiners Sniper / EARTH / Level 4 / Machine / Effect / ATK 1800
2000 / DEF 800 1000

"H-how the heck?!" Joey stared in shock. He didn't understand what had happened. One moment he was this close to wiping the thug's clock, and the next, he filled his whole field with monsters! "Where'd these guys come from!"

The hunter sneered. "Machiners Overhaul, idiot. It activates if I took 2000 or more damage the turn it's activated. When you destroyed my monster and I've got two or more "Machiners" monsters in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon up to two "Machiners" from my Graveyard, plus three Level 4 or lower "Machiners" monsters from my deck. I also gain 500 Life Points for each monster that was Special Summoned by Machiners Overhaul's effect. Neat little trick, don't you think?"

"Neat little-that's way too freaking OP!" Joey howled. "Who the hell made a card like that?! Even with its restrictions, that's still too damn broken! Agh, whatever! You're still taking 500 damage from Metal Flare Dragon!"

Unlike before, the thug was smiling even as he took the hit.

Rare Hunter – LP 1000 → 3500 → 3000

'That's why he was acting so confident before!' Zarc cursed himself for not realizing it sooner. 'To think he had a card like that!'

Joey gritted his teeth, fists clenched in anger. "Ngh…! In that case! Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

"While Machiners Sniper is on the field, you can't attack any monsters except Sniper!"

"Flash Flare Blast!"

The black dragon roared in fury and released a dark red fireball that destroyed the sniper easily. The hunter continued to smile confidently.

Rare Hunter – LP 3000 → 2300

"I end my turn." Joey said angrily.


The girl with the crystal ball grimaced. This had been an unexpected turn of events. Joey, the young teen who stood up to defend her, had been moments away from victory until the rare hunter revealed the card he had set during the second turn of the duel. She suspected it was one of the cards he obtained in his conquest, but something didn't feel right. She also couldn't shake this foreboding sense of danger quickly approaching. It was a feeling she knew all too well; the sensation of impending disaster.

She held her crystal ball in both hands, staring deep into its reflection. Seeing as how her most precious cards were more or less on the line, as well as her safety, she didn't want to leave things to chance. If the situation turned dire, she would sneak away. It would leave a bitter taste in her mouth, but she treasured her cards more than she did her life.

"Oh crystal ball, show me the path…" she murmured and watched as the future unraveled itself before her eyes. Ayu glanced at her curiously, wondering what she was doing before becoming dazzled by the mysterious phenomenon happening inside the crystal ball.

The outcome of the duel was revealed to her.

Mieru Hochun smiled.


"My turn! Draw!"

Machiners Fortress: ATK 2700 2800

"I construct the Overlay Network using Machiners Gearframe, Soldier and Defender!" The swirling galaxy opened at his feet, followed by his monsters diving straight in. Moments later, a new monster emerged. "The true forged steel of progress! Press forward until everything has succumbed to rust! XYZ SUMMON!" A towering behemoth of metal appeared behind the hunter. The main body was nothing more than a torso with a glass case in the middle of its chest, housing what looked like a brain wired into the machine. Attached to the torso by sparks of electricity were large arms, twice the size of the torso and with gun barrels for fingers. "Come, Rank 4! Machiners Cyber Brain!"

Machiners Cyber Brain / EARTH / Rank 4 / Machine / Xyz / Effect / ATK 3000 3300 / DEF 2000 2300

Ayu looked at the large mechanical monster in slight fear. "Is-is that his strongest monster?"

"Looks like it," Zarc frowned. "And I do not like where this is going."

'This must also by why he had Machiners Gearframe attack Red-Eyes Burst Dragon earlier. He was going to use Machiners Overhaul to bring it back while getting enough monsters to Xyz Summon.'

"Battle!" The hunter wasted no time in going straight into the battle phase, eyes radiating mania. "Cyber Brain! Destroy Red-Eyes Metal Flare Dragon!" The glowing blue markings on the monster's steel chasis began to glow and raised its hands, pointing the tips of its fingers at the steel-clad dragon. "When Cyber Brain battles with material, the battle damage is doubled during damage calculation! Revolver Gatling Fist!"

Joey watched in anger and frustration as his monster was promptly gunned down by the opposing monster, kicking up a cloud of dust and smoke in the process. When the smoke settled, only Red-Eyes Black Dragon stood between and his opponent.

Joey – LP 4000 → 3000

"And now, Machiners Fortress! Destroy Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

All it took was a single cannon volley to destroy his sole remaining monster.

Joey – LP 3000 → 2900

Joey grimaced and stared at his field, now devoid of monsters. The hunter took in the sights with glee and smirked as though he already won. "Well, would you look at that? Guess the Red-Eyes isn't all its cracked up to be!"

"Bastard!" Joey growled. It was one thing to insult him and his friends, but it was another thing to insult his monsters.

"Cry all you want, bro, it ain't gonna change the fact that I've got this thing in the bag! I activate the effects of Machiners Cyber Brain and Assembly Line! Since I summoned five monsters last turn, I got five Assembly Counters on Assembly Line." He gestured to the furnace behind him, which now had five rods sticking out from its sides. "Using an Overlay Unit, Cyber Brain can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower "Machiners" monster from my Graveyard. I summon Machiners Defender!"

Cyber Brain raised its hand and crushed one of the floating orbs of light. The rocket turret appeared seconds later, the panels on the floor sliding open and the monster emerging from the floor.

Machiners Defender: ATK 1200 1500

"When I used Machiners Overhaul, I got five Assembly Counters for Assembly Line. With this, I have six. I remove two Assembly Counters and add a "Machiners" card to my hand. I think I'll end my turn here."

Joey gritted his teeth. "My turn! Draw!" Joey looked at his card and scowled. It wasn't the card he was hoping for, but it would have to do. "I activate the Spell, Monster Reborn and revive Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon from my Graveyard! I also use Return of the Red-Eyes and Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon from the Graveyard also!" The two dragons appeared on his field with their wings folded in front of them, clearly placed in defense position.

"Wait, why is he summoning them that way?" Ayu asked in confusion. "Can't he attack that rare hunter's Machiners Defender since its ATK is lower than Fortress and Cyber Brain's?"

Zarc sighed. "He could, but that wouldn't help Joey much. That guy is pushing him against the wall. The way I see it, Joey's playing smart by being cautious. If he can get a card that can bust him out of this mess, it would help. But as it stands, that bastard has him in a vice grip."

'God, this freaking sucks! I don't have anything on me right now that can get me around those pieces of scrap!' Joey cursed. 'Even if I attack his Defender, I'll be leaving myself open for damage. But if I don't do something, this guy is just gonna build up more monsters and add cards to his hand! I just gotta wait it out and hope I draw something good! Ugh, this really is the pits. So glad Téa or Tristan are here to see this…'

"I…end my turn."

The hunter stared and laughed at him, much to his annoyance. "Got nothing, huh?! Sucks to be you! My turn again then! Draw! I summon Machiners Sniper!"

Machiners Sniper: ATK 1800 2200

"I activate Assembly Line's effect and add a "Machiners" card to my hand, removing two counters." As two rods were pulled into the furnace, the hunter smirked and grabbed the card that ejected from his Duel Disk. To the group's surprise he actually went and revealed it to them. To Joey's dismay, it was the card that screwed him over. "Remember this, bro?"

"Okay, now he's just being an ass!" Zarc growled.

The hunter set the card face-down alongside another card.

Machiners Sniper: ATK 2200 2100

"I think I'll end my turn here." If Joey wasn't angry before, he was now. It was becoming increasingly clear that this guy was just toying with him. His face was as red as his dragons' eyes. "Careful, bro! If you get any redder, you might blow a gasket!"

"You meanie!" Ayu yelled angrily at the hunter. "Stop being so mean to Joey-nii-chan!"

'Why that sonnuva…! He's not attacking on purpose! I didn't think it was possible for there to be someone worse than Kaiba, but here he is! Tch! If I attack his weaker monsters, I'd just be dealing damage he could fix easy with that damn Trap Card of his.' Joey thought as he glanced at his deck. His palms felt sweaty. 'On top of that, I gotta worry 'bout that Cyber Brain thing. Come on, deck. Gimme something good!'

"DRAW!"

For a moment, Joey swore flames trailed behind his hand as he tore the top card from his deck. He almost didn't dare to look at the card he drew out of fear of what it might be. When he saw the card, a small glimmer of hope began to beat in his chest.

"Second times the charm, huh?" he muttered before playing the card. "I activate the Spell, Card of Sanctity! We both draw until we have six cards!"

Machiners Cyber Brain: ATK 3300 3600
Machiners Sniper: ATK 2100 2400
Machiners Defender: ATK 1200 1800
Machiners Fortress: ATK 2500 3100

'In the end, it all comes down to luck, huh?' Zarc thought anxiously, wondering how this duel would end. If Joey lost, he would definitely make sure this hunter would pay. On the other hand, he really didn't want to see his friend lose this duel either.

"Please get something good, please get something good, please get something good!" Ayu prayed for Joey's success.

The girl with the crystal ball giggled. "Don't worry. Your friend is going to be fine." The two stared at her in confusion and wondered where this confidence was coming from. "This duel has been decided from the first turn alone."

Zarc and Ayu shared a look before turning to Joey as he drew the maximum amount of cards. He took a look at the hand he had and broke into a wide smile. The hunter saw this and scoffed. "The hell's with that stupid look for? You don't honestly think you're gonna win this, do you?!"

"That depends!" Joey replied cheekily. "You feelin' lucky, punk?"

"…did you seriously just quote Dirty Harry?!"

"You're damn right I did, because right now I feel lucky! And guess what, pal?! This is the turn where I beat your ass!" Joey declared as he mounted the counterattack. "I activate the Spell, Red-Eyes Rising! I summon a Level 7 "Red-Eyes" monster in my Graveyard, but its effects are sealed and its ATK and DEF are reduced to zero. I summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" A second black-scaled dragon appeared at Joey's side. "Then I summon The Black Stone of Legend!" Rather than a dragon, what appeared on his field was a dark red crystal shaped like an egg surrounded by rock.

The Black Stone of Legend / DARK / Level 1 / Dragon / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

"I release The Black Stone of Legend and one of my Red-Eyes Black Dragons to Advance Summon Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!" One of the black-scaled dragons was engulfed in flame and crept into the red stone. It cracked apart and exploded, giving rise to a black dragon encased in steel, flames burning across its body.

Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon / DARK / Level 7 / Dragon / Gemini / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 2000

The hunter scoffed. "What? You think having more dragons is gonna beat me?"

"Not these guys. That honor goes to this guy!" Joey answered, causing the hunter to pause in confusion. The blonde smirked as he began to explain. "Why don't I introduce you two? I banish Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon and Red-Eyes Metal Flare Dragon!"

The three dragons' eyes glowed as they reared their heads and roared and dispersed into black motes. Without warning an even stronger beast emerged, initially covered in shadows that gradually broke apart. Beneath the shadows hiding its form were blazing orange-red eyes, bearing greater intensity than any dragon that came before it and rivaling the size of the hunter's Cyber Brain.

"Let's turn up the heat!" Joey roared. "Level 10! Red-Eyes Shining Dragon!"

The shadows dispersed and revealed the beast Joey had unleashed. A towering dragon covered head-to-toe in jet-black steel, blood-red lines carved into its body and wings outstretched, made out of streams of fiery-red flames. Its maw was angular and narrow, fangs akin to daggers than actual teeth. Scattered across its body were red diamond-shaped jewels, the most prominent being the ones on the tip of its wings, chest, hips and forehead.

Red-Eyes Shining Dragon / DARK / Level 10 / Dragon / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 3000

Red-Eyes Shining Dragon released a powerful roar that shook the air, even without the use of a Solid-Vision system. The hunter stumbled back, briefly overtaken by fear while Ayu and Zarc stared at the impressive beast in awe.

Joey smiled at his monster in appreciation, feeling as though it had answered his call when he needed it. He really couldn't have found a better way to beat the crap out of his creep than with his best monster.

"Red-Eyes Shining Dragon gains 300 ATK for every "Red-Eyes" monster in my Graveyard." Joey took great pleasure in watching the hunter's face pale, now starting to realize what was about to happen. "I've got two Red-Eyes Black Dragons, Red-Eyes Baby Dragon, Retro Dragon and Burst Dragon. That's five monsters. In other words…"

Zarc grinned savagely. "1500 ATK."

Red-Eyes Shining Dragon: ATK 2500 → 4000

"I'm also equipping Shining Dragon with the Spell, Dragon Force!" Silver-plated claws clamped on to the metal dragon's talons and the intimidating aura it radiated grew stronger. "Dragon Force equips only to Dragon monsters and raises its ATK by 1000, bringing my Shining Dragon's ATK up to 6000!"

"WHAT?!" At this point, the hunter was panicking.

Red-Eyes Shining Dragon: ATK 4000 5000

"Battle time!" Joey grinned. "Red-Eyes Shining Dragon, turn his Machiners Sniper into molten scrap metal with your Hellfire Bomb Blast!"

The hunter scrambled to defend himself. "I-I activate the Trap, Mirror-!"

"Not happening! Once per turn during the Battle Phase, Red-Eyes Shining Dragon can negate the activation of a card or effect!" The jewels on Red-Eyes Shining Dragon's body glowed and forced the card back down. The hunter, now terrified at the thought of losing, paid no attention as Joey ran straight into the field and cocked his fist back. "And by the way! He's my attack! A Joey Knuckle Sandwich!"

"HIIII!"

It was a thing of beauty in Zarc's eyes. Right as Joey's monster spat out the biggest fireball he had ever seen, Joey rammed his fist as deep as it could go into the rare hunter's face. Even over the roaring sounds of the flames as they collided with Machiners Sniper and engulfed it in flames, he could still hear the sound of the thug's nose shattering to pieces. The fireball exploded and swallowed the whole field. The rare hunter went flying.

The duel was over.

Rare Hunter – LP 2300 → 0

WINNER: Joey!

The holographic projections of both monsters and the factory vanished without a trace. All that was left was a very satisfied Joey and the downed form of the rare hunter. "And that is how I deal with punks like you back home!" Joey grunted while straightening out his jacket before turning to Ayu, Zarc and the girl with the crystal ball. "Everybody okay back there?"

"We're fine," Zarc affirmed. "Though I was a little worried about you back there. I guess we should be glad that guy was too cocky back there, huh?"

"You're tellin' me!" Joey sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I was sweatin' bullets back there! I'm just glad he's finally down for the count."

"Thank you so much!" the girl with the crystal ball bowed deeply in gratitude. "I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't stepped in. I'm truly in your debt!"

Ayu shook her head. "It was no problem, even if we didn't do much."

"What Ayu said," Zarc smiled. "I'm just glad your cards weren't taken. Do you have all of them?"

"Yes! Fortunately, that brute wasn't able to take a single one." The girl bowed her head. "I never introduced myself properly, have I? My name is Mieru Hochun, second-year student of the Unno Divination School!"

"Unno?" Ayu tilted her head. "Isn't that the school where you practice dueling as a form of fortune telling?"

"Mm-hm. I'm still a novice in the art, but I believe I'm making progress. I saw the outcome of this duel, didn't I?" Mieru said smugly before turning to Joey. "I will say this, though. I never expected to smash into one of the finalists of Duelist Kingdom!"

Zarc frowned in confusion upon hearing this. Judging by how Ayu gasped in shock and stared at Joey in starstruck awe and the Brooklyn-raised teen himself turning sheepish and scratching his cheek, there was obviously something special about what Mieru said. "Sorry, what's this Duelist Kingdom thing?"

Mieru looked scandalized while Ayu, initially sharing in Mieru's shock, soon slapped her forehead. "Oh, right. Amnesia. Forgot about that. Zarc-nii-chan, Duelist Kingdom is one of the biggest dueling competitions in the whole world! It's only held once every two years and draws in duelists from all across the world! It's way bigger than the Maiami Championship!"

"She ain't kiddin'," Joey confirmed. "It basically starts off as a one big ol' free-for-all battle royal where you're scattered all across an island and you have to make it to this castle, and you have to beat enough duelists to qualify. Once you pass, it's on to tournament-style dueling, except depending on what entry card you got when you're given an invitation to the event, you'll either duel for the prize money or a chance to duel the King of Games and take the crown for yourself."

Zarc's eyes widened. "The King of Games I've heard of."

"Wait, does that mean you fought the King of Games, Joey-nii-chan?!" Ayu looked as though she was about to faint. As fun as Entertainment Dueling was, there was no topping the thrill and excitement of dueling a major competitor. A duel against the top player in all of Duel Monsters? She couldn't even begin to imagine it!

To the young girl's disappointment, Joey shook his head. "Nah. I only made it to the semi-finals before I got smoked." He turned his attention to the downed rare hunter and narrowed his eyes. "Speaking of Duelist Kingdom, I ran into one of these freakazoids before. How much you wanna bet he's stolen a bunch of other people's cards too?"

"No bet." Zarc scoffed.

The two shared a look and grinned before they went over to and began to search his clothes for any cards that looked expensive, exotic or had an effect that might make it 'rare'. As it turned out, the thug didn't just have a few. He had decks worth of them, a large majority being from different archetypes or even one-off cards. Zarc even saw a few first-edition cards on the rare hunter's person also. It was sickening to think that people like this existed. He couldn't even begin to fathom how long he had been hunting people for their cards, nor did he want to know. At the very least, he could ensure this rare hunter in particular couldn't steal anybody's cards ever again.

He prepared to dial in the police number and inform them of the rare hunter's activities when Joey's shout caught his attention. "Are you kidding me?!" The amnesiac looked over his shoulder and saw the blonde glaring daggers at the card in his hand. "Of all the dirty, cheap tricks...!"

"Is something wrong, Joey-nii-chan?" Ayu asked in concern.

"Oh, there's something wrong alright! Take a look at this!" He held out the card he was holding. It was Machiners Overhaul, the card the rare hunter seemed to be proud of for whatever reason. "This thing's an illegal card!"

"Wait, what?!"

"Take a look! It doesn't have an ID code anywhere, and I don't see any stinkin' watermark on the back either!"

Zarc examined the card closely. True enough, he saw neither the ID or the watermark showing the manufacturer of the card anywhere.

Mieru gasped. "You mean, he was using an illegal card in an actual duel?! B-but that's...!"

"Bad? Enough to get your Duel Disk and license confiscated?" Joey ripped the card into shreds. "Forget the cops. I'm calling the Leo Corporation. No way in hell they're going to let this past."


"Where the heck is Yuzu?" Yuya wondered as he and Gongenzaka waited by the school gate. "She said she was coming straight here after she got done talking with the Prez. What's keeping her?"

Gongenzaka shrugged. "Who can say? Perhaps something important came up?" Yuya still seemed unconvinced. It wasn't like Yuzu to be late, and if something urgent had come it, she would have messaged him beforehand. "Let's wait a while longer. If she doesn't show up in ten minutes, we'll go looking for her. Would that be acceptable?"

"I guess..." Yuya sighed. "I'm still worried, though."

"She will be fine, Yuya. She does spar with one of the regulars at my father's dojo, after all."

Oh, didn't Yuya know it. It still amazed him that she could square off against a guy twice her size and still come out on top. On top of being athletically fit to traverse Action Duels like any self-respecting Entertainment Duelist, she also practiced karate in her spare time. It was bad enough she had the Paper Fan of Doom, but she had to be a kung-fu master on top of that?! Was she gearing for the day she would go to war or something?!

"How are your studies regarding Xyz Summoning, by the way?" Gongenzaka asked out of curiosity.

Yuya smiled slightly. "I think I've got a good grasp on it! I asked someone at LDS about it and he gave me some ideas. Even introduced me to someone who was an expert in the art, you could say."

"Not that Hokuto character, I hope?"

"No, it was someone else." Idly Yuya wondered how Gongenzaka would react if he told his friend that the person he was asking for tips on Xyz Summon was somebody who could be mistaken as his long lost brother before continuing, "I'm thinking of asking Sora about Fusion Summon before the Maiami Championship rolls around. Why do you ask?"

Gongenzaka sighed. "As much as it pains the man, Gongenzaka, to admit it, I feel as though I'm being left behind! Ever since Zarc appeared, you've been learning how to perform other summons so quickly that you inspired Yuzu to start taking up Ritual Summon. I, on the other hand, only practice Tribute and Advance Summons." The burly teen rubbed his chin and stared up at the sky thoughtfully. "Perhaps it is time I too start taking steps to improve myself."

"Really?" The idea of Gongenzaka practicing other Summon methods excited Yuya. The Steadfast Dueling style was always something to see; seeing it done in a brand new way would have be amazing to see in action! "Have you decided what kind of Summoning you're going for?"

"Actually, I have. I believe I will try and attempt the Xyz Summoning style."

Before Yuya could continue, a familiar jingle went off in his pocket. "Aah, that's Yuzu's!" the teen exclaimed and pulled out his phone. "I bet this must be what's keeping her." He opened the message from Yuzu, seeing a picture attached to it.

"Yuya?" Gongenzaka called out. The second Yuya saw what Yuzu sent him, his face turned ghostly white. "Is something the matter?" Yuya didn't answer him. Instead he spun around and sprinted right back into school grounds like a man possessed. "O-oi, Yuya! What's the matter?!" Confused and worried about his friend, Gongenzaka chased after him.

Had Yuya shown Gongenzaka what message he received, the burly teen would have had the same reaction as the young Entertainment Duelist, for the picture included in the message showed Yuzu tied up in a dark room, blood trickling down the side of her face with a dark bruise on her temple, mouth sealed shut with duct tape and her arms and legs bound in rope. At the bottom were a set of instructions:

HAND OVER YOUR PENDULUM CARDS
OR YOU WILL NEVER SEE YUZU HIRAGI AGAIN


Yuya: Yuzu?! Where are you, Yuzu?!

?: I won't fail like him. I'll get the Pendulum cards, no problem.

Sawatari: Care to explain what this is?

Gongenzaka: I hoped to do this as a manly duelist, but I will settle for an old-fashioned brawl!

Yuya: S-Sawatari, you-!

Next Scale: Yuzu Hiragi: Kidnapped


Red-Eyes Burst Dragon / DARK / Level 4 / Dragon / Effect /ATK 2000 / DEF 0 / If you control a Level 4 or lower Dragon Monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand. You can only Special Summon "Red-Eyes Burst Dragon(s)" once per turn this way). During the turn this card was Special Summoned: You can target 1 "Red-Eyes" monster in your GY; Add 1 "Red-Eyes" monster whose level is equal to or lower as that target from your deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Red-Eyes Burst Dragon" once per turn.

Machiners Assembly Line / Spell / Field / Machine monsters you control gain 100 ATK/DEF X the number of cards in your hand. Each time you Normal or Special Summon a "Machiners" monster, place 1 Assembly Counter on this card (Max. 10). Once per turn: You can remove 2 Assembly Counters from this card to target 1 "Machiners" card in your GY; Add that target to your hand.

Glory of the King's Hand / Spell / Normal / Excavate five cards from the top of your deck and reveal them to your opponent, and if you do; discard two and add the remaining three cards to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Glory of the King's Hand" per turn.

Machiners Overhaul / Trap / Normal / You can only activate this card if you took 2000 or more damage this turn. If your opponent destroys a monster you control while have 2 or more "Machiners" monsters in your GY: Special Summon up to 2 "Machiners" monsters from your GY, and if you do, you can Special Summon up to 3 Level 4 or lower "Machiners" monsters from your deck, then, gain 500 LP for each monster Special Summoned with this card's effect.

Machiners Cyber Brain / Rank 4 / EARTH / Machine / Xyz / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 2000 / 3+ Level 4 EARTH Monsters
On the turn this card is Xyz Summoned: You take no damage from battle or card effects. When this card battles with material: Double the damage dealt during damage calculation. Once per turn, when you control fewer than three "Machiners" monsters: Detach 1 material from this card and Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Machiners" monster from your GY.

Red-Eyes Rising / Spell / Normal / Special Summon 1 Level 7 "Red-Eyes" monster in your GY, but negate its effects and reduce its ATK/DEF to zero. You can only activate 1 "Red-Eyes Rising" per turn.

Red-Eyes Shining Dragon / DARK / Level 10 / Dragon / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 3000 / Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned by banishing 3 "Red-Eyes" Dragon monsters on your field with different names. Gains 300 ATK for every "Red-Eyes" monster in your GY. On the turn this card is summoned during your Battle Phase: Once per turn, when your opponent activates a card or effect; you can negate that activation.

Dragon Force / Spell / Equip / Equip only to Dragon-type monsters. The equipped monster gains 1000 ATK. If the equipped monster destroys a monster while this card is equipped: Destroy this card and add 1 Dragon monster from your deck or GY to your hand.


A/N: Aaand we're back with another SP original duel. Fun fact, this had to be revised on account of a few screw-ups involving Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon and card count. A reminder that I suck at making up a duel from scratch and why I hafta ask for help in making them.

Which is why I will ever be thankful for Donny helping me proofread that bitch.

As you can see, this ain't no idiot Joey. This is a smart Joey. Well, as smart as a Joey can get. He's definitely gotten better as a duelist, but he is prone to making a decision that may or may not cost him every now and again.

The Rare Hunter mini-arc is pretty much a neat little callback to the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series, and is going to be just as dark as the manga was. Not Death-T levels, mind you, that shit was crazy, but enough that you can expect these assholes to pull some pretty underhanded moves. This arc is also dedicated to giving some characters the chance to take to the spotlight; namely Joey (doubling as his debut), Sawatari and Gongenzaka when we get to his part.

I'm expecting this arc to be maybe about three or four chapters long. I don't want it to drag on for too long, but chances are it may come out as being kind of rushed or too fast paced. Fair warning about that. It really depends on how I'm going about it.

That will be it for now. Quick reminder that this story has a TV Tropes page, so be sure to visit and check it out and maybe add to it?

See You~