Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing!
As the Maiami Championship looms ever closer, a dark shadow descends upon You Show. The Rare Hunters, a group of duelists who pursue individuals in possession of powerful, unique cards, have set their sights on Yuya and Zarc's Pendulum cards!
One such rare hunter, who had been chasing Mieru Hochun of the Unno Divination Academy, encounters Katsuya Jonouchi and Zarc. Joey combats the hunter, driven by personal feelings and emerges victorious.
However, while Zarc and Joey deal with problems on their end, an unexpected event happens in Maiami Junior High. Yuzu Hiragi has been kidnapped, and unless Yuya gives up his Pendulum cards, he may never see her again!
Where will the Pendulum swing now?
A Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Fanfiction:
"Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing"
Scale 15: Yuzu Hiragi: Kidnapped
Inside Maiami Junior High, what few students remained after school couldn't help but stare in confusion as they happened across Yuya Sakaki, current Maiami City Champion and creator of Pendulum Summoning, running across the school like as though as ghost was chasing him. His face was pale, sweat dripping down his skin while his feet pounded against the floor.
His mind was in complete disarray. His thoughts were incoherent, unable to think of anything but the picture of Yuzu bound and gagged someplace. Fear and anger were rushing through him. Fear of what Yuzu's kidnappers would do to her and what he would do once he got his hands on the ones responsible.
Try as Yuya might, his search was proving to be in vain. He already combed half the campus, thinking of every possible place Yuzu could be held, but all he found was empty rooms.
The kidnapper had yet to contact him again and gave no indication of a time limit, but that didn't stop him from worrying.
"Where are you, Yuzu?!" Yuya hissed as he slid across the floor and rushed further into the hallway in search of Yuzu. All he could think about was finding her before-
"Ack!"
"Gah!"
Someone stepped out from a classroom, putting him in Yuya's path. The boy was running too fast to stop or had the time to move and found himself colliding with the student. He hit the student full on and both fell to the ground across from each other.
"Sonuva-who the hell ran into me?!" Yuya shook off the shock from the collision and looked up. Across from him, Shingo Sawatari stared and gaped. "S-Sakaki Yuya?!"
'I do not have time for this!' He had no time to waste on Sawatari or whatever grievances he had. Yuya scrambled up to his feet and was about to take off to resume his search, but a pair of burly arms swept under his arms and lifted him up off the ground. "Wha-hey! Put me down!"
"Calm down, Yuya!" Gongenzaka scolded him. "I have no idea what's gotten into you, but there's no reason for you to act so unmanly!"
Sawatari nursed the back of his head, having smacked it against the floor tiles while glaring at Yuya. He wondered whether or not he should give him a piece of his mind before he noticed the cell that Yuya had been holding on the ground, open and revealing a rather peculiar picture and message attached.
"Let me go, Gon!" Yuya begged. "You don't understand! Yuzu's-!"
"Oi oi, Sakaki."
Yuya and Gongenzaka looked at mayor's son, face devoid of irritation and replaced by confusion and seriousness while holding up his cell phone, showing off the picture of Yuzu bound and gagged.
"Care to explain what this is?"
Later…
"To think that Yuzu had been taken without us knowing…!" Gongenzaka slammed his fist into the wall next to him, face overtaken with fury. "How shameful! If only we had known earlier!"
"I've checked over half the school, but I can't find her anywhere!" Yuya's hands balled into fists. "Whoever sent that photo hasn't said anything else, but at this rate…!"
Sawatari studied the image carefully. Aside from the bruise on her forehead Yuzu seemed to be fine. She lacked any injuries he could see, but that didn't mean she was hurting. The room was dim but still lit, barely enough to make out certain details. He could see metal shelves and padded mats in the background. Behind her was a poster, though he couldn't quite make out the details. It looked like an advertisement with a man wearing a duel disk, but that was all he could find.
"Looks like a storage room," Sawatari said. "I see a few mats tied up in the photo, but not much else."
Gongenzaka frowned deeply. "If I remember right, there are two storage rooms here on the campus. One's near the gymnasium, the other's on the other side of the school."
"Then she's gotta be in one of them!" Yuya exclaimed. "But which one?"
"We'll divide and conquer. I'll check one storeroom and you go to the other!"
"Right!"
"I'll come with," Sawatari said.
Yuya and Gongenzaka stared at him in shock. "Y-you are? Why?!" the boy asked. "I thought you-"
"Oh, don't misunderstand!" the mayor's son grunted and pointed a finger at him. "I still want to settle the score. I just refuse to allow some nobody beat you before I do. And if the guy responsible is who I think its, all the more reason to come with."
"Wait, you know who took Yuzu?!"
Sawatari nodded. "I got a good idea. The name Takeda Houjou mean anything to you?"
"The class representative for Class 3-B?" Gongenzaka's eyes widened in shock. "W-wait, don't tell me he's the one behind all this?!"
"He talked to me earlier, asking if I was still interested in getting Sakaki's Pendulum cards. He said he had a wicked idea to get them."
"And you didn't take up his offer?" Gongenzaka raised a brow. "I thought you would have agreed to such a plot, seeing as how you kidnapped the children not too long ago."
Sawatari cringed. Gongenzaka wasn't wrong since he was guilty of doing the same thing. He had taken those kids hostage so Yuya wouldn't run away from him. Granted, the Leo Corporation contacted him to get the cards to study them, but Sawatari had planned to get the cards himself with his own means. The company just gave him the means to do it sooner.
However, that had been when he did so with the intent of using others. As much as he hated to say it, Zarc was right. He was relying too much on his father and others to get rare cards with high ATK, never bothering to take into account the strengths and weaknesses of their effects. The way he saw it, if a card was sparkling and looked cool, it was worth getting no matter the price. When he heard about the power of Pendulum Summoning, a summoning method that could summon monsters straight from your hand regardless of level, he knew he had to have them.
Things had changed since then. Sawatari was still ambitious and craved the power of Pendulum, and the chance to settle the score between him, Yuya and Zarc, but he understood the power of effects better than he did before. Every card, no matter its rarity, had value. All it took was knowing how to use it.
And more importantly, if you wanted to grab hold of something your heart truly desired, you have to grab it with your own two hands. Shingo Sawatari swore he would take Yuya Sakaki's Pendulum cards, but it would be by his own efforts and abilities this time. No trickery, no outside help; just two duelists vying for a prize.
"You aren't wrong," Sawatari admitted his faults. "Except compared to what I did to those brats, Houjou would have done a lot worse." At this, Yuya and Gongenzaka's expressions turned both cold and fearful. The mayor's son elaborated, "Houjou's like me. He likes collecting rare cards. The difference is that, before, I used my pop's money and connections to score myself some of the best, most rare cards out there. And if somebody had something I wanted really bad, I'd just buy it off them or get them a card they wanted in exchange for it (i.e. Ootomo, Kakimoto and Yamabe, all three of which followed him primarily out of loyalty and awe, even helping him search out for worthwhile cards). Houjou? When he wants something, he'll take it by force."
Yuya gulped. "W-what do you mean?"
"I don't know if it's true or not, but supposedly, Houjou's part of a group called the Rare Hunters. Heard of 'em?"
Gongenzaka's face looked as if it were carved from stone; his expression was calm, but his eyes were raging. "I have. My father has spoken of them, and not a word worth of praise or goodness."
"And for good reason. Extortion, blackmail, even hunting and beating down their targets; if you got a card they think is worth having, they will hunt you down, find you, and do whatever it takes to grab that card from you."
The more Sawatari described the actions of the Rare Hunters, and the possibility of the lengths Houjou would go to get Yuya's Pendulum cards, the more frightened and worried the two grew for Yuzu's safety.
There wasn't any need to discuss the matter further. The three split off into two groups; Gongenzaka rushing to the storeroom on the other side of campus and Yuya and Sawatari making their way to the storeroom near the gymnasium.
"Hang on, Yuzu!" Yuya swore. "We're coming!"
"I see. Thank you, Nakajima. Please make sure everything is settled on your end." Once the call ended, Reiji sighed and rubbed his brow. "I was anticipating the hunters to be making their move, but this was too sudden for my tastes."
"I'm more impressed by the fact that they believe they can act so brazenly," Himika remarked off-handedly while looking over the report that had been forwarded to the Leo Corporation regarding the incident. "Creating and using illegal cards out in the open? Hmph! They're asking to be caught."
"I believe it was more out of arrogance and being cocky than anything, mother," Ray suggested. "The duelist that was apprehended earlier, Masuo Jikou, has several misdemeanors on his D-Card."
D-Cards were a form of identification and registration form everyone who owned a Duel Disk and deck had. They not only kept a record of the duels the duelist participated in, what cards they used and their win-loss ratio, but also helped DM Officials determine whether or not the duelist met certain criteria whenever they entered into tournaments and events. Due to the sensitivity of this information, aside from DM Officials, only major companies and organizations involved in Duel Monsters were allowed to view this information.
Jikou's record was displayed on the screen for everyone in the room to see. Looking at the numerous infringements and incidents the hunter had been involved in, Shun couldn't help but whistle. "A guy like this would have fit right at home in the Slums."
"The Slums?" Reira asked curiously. "What's that?"
"Heartland's version of Underground Dueling, and it's every bit as brutal as you would expect."
"Still, I'm surprised by who was involved in Jikou's capture." Ray looked at the photograph attached to the document; a blonde young man wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt with an outdated Duel Disk, grinning at the camera and giving whoever was behind it a thumbs up. "Katsuya Jonouchi, one of the Duelist Kingdom finalists. He's one of the top ten ranked duelists in America, and in the top fifty globally. And I can't help but notice he had recently transferred to You Show Duel School, per recommendations from the Leo Corporation." Ray glanced at Reiji, grinning. "Ambitious, aren't you, little brother?"
Reiji shrugged. "His skills are undeniable, tendency to act on emotion aside. I'm considering him a candidate for the Legionis program."
"Legionis?" Himika seemed surprise. "Not Lancer?"
"We require more than strength to win us the day, mother," Reiji replied smoothly. "In the meantime, we should keep an eye on this situation. Something about this affair reeks, and I do not like it."
"Neither do I," Yuto agreed.
Everything was going smoothly, all things considered. Kidnapping Yuzu Hiiragi had been something of a rush job and lacked the finesse and speed he had hoped for, but everything was salvageable in the end. Sure, the grunts and worthless rejects barely worth a damn ended up with more than their fair share of lumps and bruises, maybe even a couple broken bones, but in the end, you could always place your trust in a taser gun.
Takeda Houjou, rank four of the Rare Hunters, always dreamed of hitting it big. He couldn't stand the average, boring, everyday life that he had been forced to endure since he was a kid. Dueling brought him little enjoyment, nothing more than a mere distraction. Then, one day, someone came and changed all that. They showed him how he could enjoy the game, and more importantly, how to dominate.
The normalcy in Houjou's life vanished when he joined the Rare Hunters, and he couldn't be more happier. He had everything he could hope for; status, prestige, the best cards money could be, and so much more.
And if this job went well, then he was going places. The plan to get the Pendulum cards, the first-edition ones in the hands of Yuya Sakaki and Zarc of You Show Duel School, was going to launch him through the ranks. And once he had enough resources and power, then he could finally take the organization for himself.
Houjou was nothing if not ambitious; he would never settle for being someone else's lackey. Yes, he owed the boss a great debt for bringing him into this life, but at the same time he craved the power he held. He would do everything in his power to get his hands on it.
Pendulum was just the first step to that goal.
While Houjou waited patiently for news to arrive, such as whether or not Yuya Sakaki arrived at where Yuzu Hiiragi was being held or where he was, his phone went off. The ringtone was bland, but recognizable. He didn't even need to look at the caller ID as he answered it immediately.
"Houjou speaking. Have things gone sideways?"
"Not quite," the Boss denied. "But we did run into some complications. That idiot Jikou lost a duel while he was after Mieru Hochun's cards and is now in the custody of the Duel Monsters Committee."
Houjou scoffed. "With all due respect, Jikou was chump change that couldn't break into the double digits. I'm honestly surprised he lasted this long. I'm guess it's not the fact that he lost and got found out he was using our specialty that's the problem and more to due with who beat him?"
"Katsuya Jonouchi, one of the Duelist Kingdom finalists, is in town."
Houjou was silent. "…fuck."
"Oh, I'm afraid we are well past that point, Houjou. Jonouchi is part of You Show Duel School, which means that he's affiliated with Yuya Sakaki and Zarc."
Houjou gulped as the Boss growled in his ear. "Once Sakaki tells his school what's happened, your plan is going to turn into a shitshow of epic proportions, so for your sake, you had best hope your idea of getting the Pendulum cards goes off. Otherwise…don't bother coming back."
The call ended. Houjou stared at his phone, face pale. If the boss was serious about his threat, then he needed to step things up a notch. He wasn't going to fail. He was going to get those Pendulum cards, without fail.
Because if he didn't, he was screwed.
Gongenzaka arrived at his destination. The storeroom was within sight, as were the students standing in front of the doors. Guards, no doubt posted to ensure no one got too curious or knew who was inside and kept anyone from trying to free her and mess up their plans. They were lounging about, totally laxed but not unprepared. Some were carrying weapons in the form of steel bats. The burly teen even spotted one tossing a swiss army knife up and down in his hand.
"Scum!" Gongenzaka felt anger like never before rush through his veins. His fingers curled into fists. Each step he took felt more like trees falling than stomps.
He approached the group that just noticed him. Not a single one wore a Duel Disk.
"I hoped to do this as a manly duelist," Gongenzaka growled out. "but I can settle for a good old-fashioned brawl!"
Sawatari and Yuya stopped when they saw the storeroom that may or may not be housing Yuzu. It was well within their reach, but as they expected, Houjou had set up guards to defend it.
"There's three of them," Sawatari counted. "I recognize at least two. They're from Houjou's class."
"Do they duel?"
"That a trick question, Sakaki?" Sawatari scoffed. "The better question is, what kind of cards do they have?"
The mayor's son scanned the area, mapping it out and thinking up ways they could deal with this situation. There was plenty of equipment and wooden boxes laying around to give them cover and sneak their way inside, but this raised the problem of how they would deal with any surprise guests inside. They could easily just waltz right-up and deal with the guards the old fashioned way and duel them, but there was the possibility they would lose or get ganged-up on.
"Any ideas?" Yuya asked.
Sawatari nodded. "We could duel them up front, but that's a bad idea if there ever was one. There's plenty of stuff to hide behind and sneak around to the back, but I got no idea if they got people inside watching Hiiragi."
"What if we split up?" Yuya suggested. "One of us draws those guys away while the other takes a quick look inside? If Yuzu's inside, one of us can rush back to help the other and we can take out the guys out front on both sides, then go in to save Yuzu together."
"Sounds decent enough, so long as neither of us get's caught," Sawatari shrugged. It was as good a plan as any. "So, which one of us is gonna be the bait?" Despite asking that, he knew full well he was the one that would be the one running distraction. There was no chance Yuya was going to trust him with Yuzu's safety, not when he kidnapped the anklebiter trio and nearly got them killed.
To Sawatari's surprise, Yuya volunteered whole-heartedly. "I'm pretty fast. And even if I lose the duel, I can always turn the other way and run like hell." The red-eyed boy paused and stared up thoughtfully. "Never thought I'd see the day when I would become a coward to save my friend. Sheesh, things have gotten weird."
"Y-you-" Sawatari gaped. "W-what the heck is wrong with you?! Did you forget I kidnapped those three brats from your school not too long ago?!"
"I haven't."
"Then why-?!"
"Because right now, I trust you."
The words died in his throat. Sawatari just stared at Yuya, not knowing what to say or what he could say. His mouth opened and closed before he shook his head.
Seriously, and this was the guy he tried to steal from?
Yuya's plan went off without a hitch. A few theatrics went a long way in getting someone's attention. The guards practically ran like demons possessed to get at Yuya, who gleefully taunted at them while running. No one left the storeroom, so Sawatari wasn't sure if anyone was inside watching Yuzu. Just to be on the safe side, Sawatari went on the other side and used the boxes to hide just to make sure no one left the storeroom from the front door and caught him approaching.
Luckily for him, the window was open. He slipped inside and found himself staring at a rather empty space. Mats and miscellaneous equipment were neatly piled away on metal shelves. The walls were barren and didn't have any posters. Nothing seemed to match the picture showing Yuzu Hiiragi in captivity.
Worse still, Yuzu was nowhere to be found.
In the silence of his search, Sawatari heard footsteps. Light and shallow, barely audible. Small cackles and a flicker of tiny light came behind him. At the exact same time the would-be ambusher moved, Sawatari swirled on his heel and performed a picture-perfect roundhouse kick that struck the ambusher in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. The taser in his hand fell out of his hand.
"Here's a thought, dumbass," Sawatari snapped. "How 'bout you don't push the button on the taser when you're sneaking up on someone."
"Preach it. I swear, good help is so hard to find these days."
Sawatari turned and saw the last face he wanted to see. Takeda strolled out into the open, looking as smug and as condescending as ever. His hands were in his pants pockets and walked about as if he owned the place, Duel Disk strapped to his wrist. As usual, he was wearing that overconfident smile that annoyed the mayor's son to no end.
"I'm surprised, though!" Houjou remarked. "I knew Sakaki was going to get himself some help in saving that girl of his, but I didn't expect you to help him. If I recall, you tried taking his Pendulum cards not too long ago."
"That idiot is far too trusting for his own good if you ask me," Sawatari scoffed. "Now where's Hiiragi?"
"Not here, in case you couldn't tell. To be honest, I was hoping Sakaki would be the one to pop up, but hey. You can't have everything," Houjou shrugged. "Since you're here, that must mean Sakaki is at the other storeroom. A shame for him. None of the guys there aren't interested in dueling and prefer a more, shall we say, rough approach."
Sawatari's blood turned cold. The meaning in Houjou's words weren't lost to him. 'Gongenzaka is in danger. Shit!'
"So, how shall we deal with this problem?" Houjou smiled. "Sing a song or two? Or maybe play a game of chess?"
Sawatari produced his Duel Disk. "I got a better idea. You call off your boys and you hand over Hiiragi."
"I have a better idea." Houjou looked more amused than anything as he produced his own Duel Disk. "I beat you, take Sakaki's Pendulum cards, and all those rare cards you've been hoarding all this time."
"Bring it!"
"DUEL!"
Shingo Sawatari – LP 4000
Takeda Houjou – LP 4000
"I'll begin the first turn and summon Formula Athlete Whip Crosser." Appearing at Houjou's command was a man riding atop an advanced-looking motorcycle with an abnormally large rear wheel and yellow trims.
Formula Athlete Whip Crosser / WIND / Level 4 / Machine / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 1000
Sawatari stared in surprise. "Formula Athlete? What archetype is that?!"
"A group of daredevils, whose true strength lies in their Levels. A fact you're about to discover," Houjou promised. "Since Whip Crosser is Level 4, its ATK becomes 1200."
Formula Athlete Whip Crosser: ATK 0 + 1200 = 1200
'Wait, its ATK is dependant on its Level?' The gears in his head starting to turn. 'Where have I heard of that before? I swear, Kakimoto was talking about it the other day…'
"Then I activate the Field Spell: Formula Athlete Circuit Grand Prix." Large racing tracks began to manifest around them, overlapping the storeroom. "Since I activated a Formula Athlete Spell Card, Whip Crosser's Level is increased by 1 and its ATK is increased by 300."
Formula Athlete Whip Crosser: ATK 1200 + 300 = 1500
"Its Level increases every time a Spell Card's used…? What kind of archetype is this?" Sawatari muttered under his breath.
Houjou continued. "I set three cards face-down and end my turn."
Sawatari felt a bout of déjà vu, recalling his duel with that Xyz Duelist Yuto. Shaking it off he began his counterattack. "My Turn! Draw! Since you've got two or more cards in the Spell/Trap Zone, I can Special Summon Escher the Vassal of the Ice Monarch!" A whirlwind of ice appeared before Sawatari, dispersing and revealing a warrior clad in light-blue armor with yellow eyes beneath their visor.
Escher the Vassal of the Ice Monarch / WATER / Level 4 / Aqua / Effect / ATK 800 / DEF 1000
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Formula Athlete Downforce," Houjou interrupted. "Until the end of this turn, I increase the Level of a Formula Athlete monster on my field by two. I raise Whip Crosser to Level 7. Whip Crosser's own effect increases its Level to 8, bringing its ATK to 2400."
Formula Athlete Whip Crosser: ATK 1500 + 900 = 2400
Sawatari gritted his teeth. "I think I get it now… The longer those monsters are on the field and the higher their Levels are, the more powerful they get. Is that right?"
"You catch on fast, Shingo," Houjou smirked. "If I were you, I would hurry. I'd hate for this duel to end so quickly. We're only on the first lap, after all."
"Tch, cocky bastard! In that case, I'll activate the Continuous Spell: Unearthing of the Monarchs! Unearthing of the Monarchs prevents me from Special Summoning monsters from my Extra Deck, but in exchange, I can activate one of two effects when I Advanced Summon! Speaking of, I release Escher and Advance Summon Mobius the Ice Monarch!" Escher vanished in a flurry of ice. In its place was a towering armored figure with ice-blue armor and azure eyes glowing beneath its helm.
Mobius the Ice Monarch / WATER / Level 6 / Aqua / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 1000
"Since I Advance Summoned, Unearthing of the Monarchs' effect activates! I choose the second effect, adding a monster with 2800 ATK from my deck to my hand with a different name than Mobius the Ice Monarch! Now, I activate Mobius the Ice Monarch's effect and-!"
Houjou laughed. "I'm afraid doing that comes at a cost, Sawatari. As Formula Athlete Whip Crosser is at a higher Level than Mobius the Ice Monarch, you have to pay 300 Life Points to activate its effect. This effect still applies even if you raise your monster's Level through other effects."
Sawatari scowled. "Talk about a nasty effect… I'll activate Mobius the Ice Monarch's effect regardless!"
Shingo Sawatari – LP 4000 – 300 = 3700
"I activate my remaining face-downs." Houjou countered. "The Continuous Traps: Level Overclocker and High Level Protection, Level Overclocker increases the Level of a monster on my field by 12! I choose Whip Crosser."
"What?!" Sawatari's eyes widened. "You mean you can go past Level 12?!"
Formula Athlete Whip Crosser: ATK 2400 + 3600 = 6000
"High Level Protection gains effects depending on the difference of Levels between our monsters," Houjou explained. "If the difference is one Level, my monsters can't be destroyed by battle once per turn. If the difference is four Levels, face-up cards on my field can't be destroyed once per turn. If six Levels, I don't take any damage. If eight Levels, my monsters are unaffected by your card effects. If the difference between our monsters is ten Levels, High Level Protection is unaffected by your card effects."
Sawatari choked. "W-what the hell… How can cards like that even exist?! That's way too overpowered!"
'I can't believe he prepared for that!' Sawatari thought irritably. 'If I want a chance to deal some decent damage, I have to destroy his monster. Not only that, but unless I get rid of his monster, I'll have to start paying Life Points just to use my own monster's effects.'
"Even so…! I activate the Spell: Advance Carnival! Advance Carnival lets me Advance Summon again! I release Mobius the Ice Monarch and summon Mobius the Frigid Ice Monarch!" The Ice Monarch vanished and in its place stood a similar-armored figure, only larger and more menacing with spikes jutting out from its body.
Mobius the Frigid Ice Monarch / WATER / Level 8 / Aqua / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 1000
"Mobius the Frigid Ice Monarch can be Advanced Summon by tributing a monster that was Advanced Summon instead of using two monsters! I'll pay 300 Life Points and activate Mobius the Frigid Ice Monarch's effect, destroying up to three of your Spell/Trap cards! And since it was Advanced Summoned using a WATER Attribute monster, you can't activate any effects in response to its activation!"
Shingo Sawatari – LP 3700 – 300 = 3400
"I'll destroy your face-down card, Level Overclocker and High Level Protection!"
"High Level Protection can't be affected by Mobius the Frigid Ice Monarch's effect." Houjou reminded him.
"But its effect doesn't apply to your face-down cards, and you can't stop Level Overclocker from being destroyed this time! Icy Burst!" The Frigid Ice Monarch let out a warped growl as it released a burst of icy winds that encompassed Houjou's field, destroying the aforementioned cards. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
Houjou chuckled as though he were amused. "Not going to try and fight my monsters? I would have thought you had at least one good card that might've let you get a shot in." Sawatari scowled, wanting oh-so-badly to just rush up their and punch the smug bastard in the face. "My turn. Draw." Houjou glanced at the card in his hand before he shrugged and proceeded to the battle phase. "Battle. Formula Athlete Circuit Grand Prix raises the Level of all Formula Athlete monsters on my field by two!"
Formula Athlete Whip Crosser: ATK 6000 + 600 = 6600
"Whip Crosser, destroy Mobius the Frigid Ice Monarch! Wild Whiplash!"
The motorcycle revved up, electricity sparking across its wheels before it charged at Mobius. Just as it reached the towering ice knight and spun around to slam its rear wheel into it, it found itself deflected by a group of monks clad in robes.
"What?!" Houjou's composure broke and stared in shock. "That's-Waboku?!"
"Oh, you know it?" Sawatari took great pleasure in successfully wiping the smirk off the bastard's face. "Saves me the trouble of explaining what it does. To be honest, I was a little hesitant adding this thing to my deck, but I'm glad I did."
As much as it pained him to admit it, he owed Zarc and Yuya. Back then, all he really cared about was whether or not his monsters had decent effects for dealing damage and had high attack. If the cards were rare, he would want them too. The old him would have balked at the idea of using cards like Waboku, but even he couldn't deny the use it had. Having a card like this was certainly helpful, especially in situations like this one.
Houjou glared at Sawatari in anger for being denied an opportunity to destroy his monster and deal huge damage, if not potentially end him then and there. "I set a card face-down and end my turn."
Formula Athlete Whip Crosser: ATK 6600 - 600 = 6000
"Alright, my turn then! Draw!" Sawatari looked at the card he drew and grinned. "Alright, now we're talking! Time for some payback! I release Mobius the Frigid Ice Monarch and Advance Summon Caius the Wicked Monarch!" The ice surrounding Mobius shattered as its form turned tainted. Its armor warped and twisted, its cloak becoming tattered and black wisps of flame radiating from the gaps in the armor. Horns sprouted from its helm, eyes burning blood red.
Caius the Wicked Monarch / DARK / Level 6 / Fiend / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 1000
"I add a Monarch with 2800 ATK from my deck to my hand with Unearthing of the Monarch's effect." Sawatari smirked. "Now, let's see you take some damage for once! I activate Caius the Wicked Monarch's effect and pay 300 Life Points! When Caius is Advance Summoned, I can banish a card on the field! Afterwards, you take 1000 damage! Your Whip Crosser can't be destroyed by battle or by card effect, but unless I'm mistaken, it doesn't have any protection against banishment, right?!"
Houjou's eyes widened for a moment before he laughed. "You're right about that, but unfortunately for you, it's the other way around!"
"Excuse me?!"
"I activate the Counter Trap: Oppressive Judgment! If my opponent activates a card or effect, or summons a monster, not only can I negate that card or effect's activation or summon and destroy that card, but you pay 2000 of your Life Points!"
"WHAT?!"
Just as Caius was about to send forth a black ball of darkness, a distorted wave ran through the field, dispersing the shadows and obliterating Caius. Sawatari stumbled slightly, though it was more out of shock than from feeling the effects of the reversal itself.
Shingo Sawatari – LP 3400 – 300 – 2000 = 1100
"What do you think, Sawatari?" Houjou said mockingly while running a hand through his hair. "Quite a vicious effect, don't you think? A gift from my employer. You might have gotten yourself such an incredible card if you accepted my offer. Quite a shame! I actually considered you a fellow collector, but it seems like you just don't have the stomach to-"
"You goddamn cheater!" Houjou reeled back. Sawatari's glare was murderous to the point where if looks could kill, he would definitely be dead. "That card just now-! No, even Level Overclocker and High Level Protection! Those aren't legal cards, are they?!"
Level Overclocker was the first red flag, but it was barely noticeable once he figured out Formula Athlete's gimmick by raising its Levels to get stronger and access more versatile effects. High Level Protection was the second flag. It practically relied on the huge Level difference between players' monsters, and its defenses were too strong in spite of the requirements. But that card just now? It was the last strike. The second it was played, Sawatari knew that those cards were definitely not legal in any capacity. Strong cards like that, with so little drawbacks?
"So what if they are?" Houjou didn't see the problem in using such cards. "Unlike the rest of you do-gooders, I play to win."
Blood dripped from Sawatari's knuckles. "…I end my turn," he said in a rather quiet tone, his body trembling with anger.
"This will be it, then. I'll be sure to finish you off this turn! Draw! I activate the Spell: Double Trap Reset. I can set two cards face-down from my Graveyard, and I can activate them this turn. I set Level Overclocker and Oppressive Judgment. Then I activate Level Overlocker, raising Formula Athlete Whip Crosser's Level by 12!"
Formula Athlete Whip Crosser: ATK 6000 + 3600 = 9600
"As they say, second time's the charm! Battle! Whip Crosser attacks you directly! Circuit Grand Prix increases Whip Crosser's Level by two!"
Formula Athlete Whip Crosser: ATK 9600 + 600 = 10,200
"Wild Whiplash!"
There was no stopping it this time. Houjou was confident that this would finish him and put him one step closer to getting Yuya's Pendulum cards. Whip Crosser revved its engine and rushed towards Sawatari and wipe out the rest of his Life Points.
In response, the mayor's son leveled a defiant glare and swung out his arm. "I activate the Continuous Trap: The Monarchs Ascend! Once per turn, if I have no cards in my Extra Deck and there are no monsters on my field, I can Special Summon a Monarch monster from my Graveyard and add a Monarch monster in my deck with a different name than the Monarch summoned from the Graveyard!"
Houjou stared at Sawatari for a moment before erupting into laughter. "Are you serious? You do remember what I set earlier, right? I activate Oppressive Judgment!"
Whip Crosser leaped into the air and brought its electrified wheel down upon Sawatari-
CLANG!
-only to find itself halted by a familiar armored figure in dark armor, standing in front of Sawatari protectively with its arms crossed in front of it. The attack connected and destroyed the resurrected Monarch.
Houjou's eyes widened in shock. "W-what?"
"Looks like you don't know much about your own cards as well as you think you do," Sawatari sneered. "Even if your cards are illegal, they still have to obey the rules. Oppressive Judgment would have negated and destroyed The Monarchs Ascend and I would have had to pay 2000 Life Points. Pay." The blonde grinned. "Pay attention to the wording, Houjou. If I don't have the requisite Life Points to pay, your card can't activate. In other words, your illegal card can't do jack shit since I don't have at least 2000 Life Points."
It was oh so satisfying to see Houjou's face turn atomic red. He looked as though he was about to explode.
"Y-you…! I end my turn. You get to keep your cards another turn, Sawatari, but come next turn, you're mine!"
Sawatari scoffed. "Keep dreaming, asshole. It's my turn!" He drew the card and smiled viciously, baring his canines. "Well, what do you know? Sorry, Houjou, but it looks like the goddess of victory favors me this time!"
"What does that mean?!" Houjou demanded angrily.
Sawatari clicked his tongue. "Patience, cheater! I have to set the stage first! I activate The Monarchs Ascend and summon Caius the Wicked Monarch once more while adding a new Monarch to my hand!" The darkness-shrouded Monarch reappeared at Sawatari's side. "Caius the Wicked Monarch isn't the star of our show, however. The Monarchs Ascend treats the monster Special Summoned by its effect as two tributes! Therefore, I release Caius the Wicked Monarch and Advance Summon Caius the Grudge Wicked Monarch!" The dark flames surrounding the Monarch grew exponentially, swallowing it and reshaping it. Its armor turned more menacing, flames spewing out from the gaps in its armor and scythes jutting out from its body.
Caius the Grudge Wicked Monarch / DARK / Level 8 / Fiend / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 1000
"After The Monarchs Ascend is activated, I can't Special Summon any other monsters for the rest of the turn. Let's try this again, shall we?!"
He swung his arm out and aimed a finger at Whip Crosser. "I pay 300 Life Points to activate Caius the Grudge Wicked Monarch's effect and banish Formula Athlete Whip Crosser! Afterwards, you take 1000 damage! Shadow Despair Wave!" There was nothing to stop Caius from sending its orb of darkness forward. Its path was unobstructed and made contact with Whip Crosser, consuming and destroying it in a fiery explosion that clouded the area in smoke. Houjou shielded his eyes before he remembered that this wasn't an Action Duel and the smoke had no real substance or effect on him.
Takeda Houjou – LP 4000 – 1000 = 3000
Shingo Sawatari – LP 1100 – 300 = 800
"I'm not done just yet! I activate the Continuous Spell: The Monarch's Alliance! I send a Monarch with 2400 ATK and 1000 DEF in my hand to the Graveyard, then equip a Monarch monster on my field with a Monarch in my hand of the same Attribute as that monster so long as its name is different! I send Zaborg the Thunder Monarch to the Graveyard and equip Zaborg the Roaring Thunder Monarch!" Lightning began to cackle around Caius' form that increased in intensity with each passing second. "Caius also gains the ATK of the Monarch equipped to him. Zaborg the Roaring Thunder Monarch has 2800 ATK."
Houjou paled. "T-that means…"
Sawatari's smile turned feral. "5600 ATK. And since you don't have Whip Crosser anymore… High Level Protection isn't going to do jack shit to save you!"
Caius the Grudge Wicked Monarch: ATK 2800 + 2800 = 5600
"Caius the Grudge Wicked Monarch!" Sawatari roared. "Attack Houjou directly! Dark Oblivion!"
Black flames engulfed the Monarch's hands as it brought them together, increasing the size and power of the flames before sending it forward. The flames consumed Houjou, who out of reflex shielded his arms and braced himself for the incoming wave of pain.
Takeda Houjou – LP 3000 – 5800 = 0
WINNER: Shingo Sawatari!
A moment passed before Houjou opened his eyes. "Oh, right. This isn't an Action Field," he remembered and looked up. "Huh? W-wait, where's-!"
Houjou cried in pain when something bit into his neck and proceeded to shock him. His body spasmed and shook before he collapsed to the ground in a twitching mess.
Above his fallen body, Sawatari glared at him with obvious disgust and tossed the taser he picked up from Houjou's lackey away. "You want to know something pretty funny, Houjou?" He knelt down and took Houjou's deck out from his Duel Disk, searching for a certain number of cards before proceeding to rip them apart. "I may be a piece of shit, but at least I play by the rules. I'm a duelist. You? You're just a cheating piece of crap who deserves everything he's got coming to him!"
After Houjou was defeated, Sawatari tied him and his lackey up and left them in the storeroom. He called both the authorities and the Leo Corporation about Houjou's actions in Yuzu's kidnapping and his usage of illegal cards. In his opinion, Houjou was getting off lightly, but he was satisfied knowing that his duel license was going to be revoked and his ass sent straight to Juvenile Hall. With his job done, Sawatari exited the storeroom. To his surprise, Yuya Sakaki was there waiting for him.
"Sawatari, you're alright?" Yuya asked. He nodded. The red-eyed boy smiled in relief before he noticed something off. "Wait, Yuzu isn't with you?"
Sawatari clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Bastard put her in the other storeroom. He was waiting here just in case along with someone that had a taser. He was using illegal cards too."
"Illegal-are you serious?!"
"I wouldn't bother giving him a second thought. I already called the cops and the Leo Corporation. After all this, he ain't gonna be dueling for a long time."
"Glad to hear it, Sawatari!" The mayor's son jumped and whirled around to find Gongenzaka approaching. To both boys' relief, Yuzu was trailing behind them with a bandage applied to her temple. Gongenzaka was covered in several bandages of his own, mostly around his forehead and jaw. His blazer and coat were missing, revealing the undershirt he wore as well as bandages wrapped over his shoulder and left bicep. "It would seem I, the manly Gongenzaka, owe you an apology!"
"Holy shit Gon, what happened?!" Yuya cried in shock. "You look like you went through a meat grinder!"
"I dealt with my own share of Houjou's lackies, and none of them wanted to duel. It's disgraceful!" Gongenzaka snorted. "I will say this, however. They were quite tenacious, but nothing I was not unable to handle."
"That's a relief," Yuya sighed. He had been worried about his friend's safety, and seeing him wounded like this only solidified those worries. It seemed like Gongenzaka was okay, though. Now that he thought about it, how tough was Gongenzaka in a fight? A guy of his size, plus martial arts training, dealing with a couple of thugs wouldn't have been a problem. For the moment, Yuya turned his attention to Yuzu. "A-anyway, are you alright, Yuzu? They didn't hurt you too badly, did they?"
Yuzu shook her head. "Aside from the nasty blow to the head, they didn't touch me. All they did was toss me into the storeroom and lock the door. By the time I woke up, Gon-chan was already fighting them."
"Yuzu helped out when they brought reinforcements." Gongenzaka added, grinning all the while. "Suffice to say, they will not be moving anytime soon!"
Sawatari raised a brow, now curious. "How badly did you beat the crap out of them?"
"Oh god, the paaaiiin..."
"Is-is my bone sticking out? I think my bone is sticking out!"
"H-hey, guys...? Can anybody see how my leg is...?"
"So many colors~"
"Whhhyyyy...!"
Gongenzaka only gave them the abridged version of what transpired, yet it was enough to make Sawatari and Yuya both pale. They stared at Yuzu in dread and horror while the girl herself was mildly blushing. "You're exaggerating, Gon-chan! All I did was break a couple bones."
"...Sakaki?"
"Yes, Sawatari?"
"You're girlfriend is fucking terrifying."
And THIS was the girl he planned on kidnapping when Yuto came into his life?! Seriously, was everyone in You Show Duel School some sort of monster?!
"...Houjou lost."
"Not unexpected, really. I mean, he was only a step better than Jikou. So, what now, boss?"
"It's just like the old saying. If you want something right, you have to do it yourself."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Call up your boys. Tell 'em I've got a job for them."
In the shadows of Maiami Bay Aquarium, a man with white-gold hair and purple eyes smiled darkly while twirling a Duel Monsters card bearing the image of a golden winged beast in his hand.
"One week from now, we hit You Show Duel School. And after that... Yuya Sakaki and Zarc will hand their Pendulum cards over to me."
You act high and mighty...
But insects...
WILL ALWAYS BE INSECTS!
Next Scale: Supreme King's Wrath
Double Trap Reset / Spell / Normal / Target 2 Trap Cards in your GY. Set those targets face-down. (You can activate those cards this turn).
The Monarch's Alliance / Spell / Continuous / Activate this card by discarding 1 "Monarch" monster with 2400 ATK and 1000 DEF. Equip 1 "Monarch" monster with the same attribute as the monster discarded with this effect but a different name to 1 "Monarch" monster you control. The equipped monster gains ATK equal to the equipped monster's ATK. Also, once per turn, the equipped monster can apply the effect the equipped monster had when it is Tribute Summoned, treating it as if it was Tribute Summoned that turn using a monster with the same attribute as the equipped monster.
Oppressive Judgement / Trap / Counter / If your opponent would activate a card or effect, or summon a monster(s): Pay 2000 of your opponent's LP; Negate the activation of that card or effect or summon, and if you do, destroy it.
The Monarchs Ascend / Trap / Continuous / Once per turn, if you have no cards in your Extra Deck and control no monsters: You can Special Summon 1 "Monarch" monster from your GY, and if you do, you can add 1 "Monarch" monster with a different name but the same attribute from your deck to your hand. The monster Special Summoned with this effect can be treated as 2 tributes for a Tribute Summon. You cannot Special Summon other monsters the turn you activate this effect.
Level Overclocker / Trap / Continuous / Increase the Level of 1 monster you control by 12. During each of your Standby Phases: Increase the Level of 1 monster you control by 12.
High Level Protection / Trap / Continuous / While your opponent does not control a monster with an equal or higher level than any one of your monsters, apply the following effects depending on the difference in levels between your monster with the highest level and your opponent's monster with the highest level. 1+: Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle once per turn. 4+: Face-up cards you control cannot be destroyed by card effect once per turn. 6+: You take no damage. 8+: Monsters you control are unaffected by your opponent's card effects. 10+: This card is unaffected by your opponent's card effects.
A/N: Holy shit I'm early! And big thanks to Donny for helping me with this duel. After realizing the mistakes I made with the last one, I decided I would need the help of a professional.
If you can't tell by the preview, the next chapter will be the last in the Rare Hunters mini-arc, as well as the debut of what is, in my opinion, one of the most kickass dragons in all of Yu-Gi-Oh. FIGHT ME!
Jokes aside, the next chapter will probably be my longest one to date, and it will be a huge turning point for Zarc's character in this story as well. It was only a matter of time before the Demon Duelist finally reared his head, no? Pushing our MCs to the side, this chapter finally gave Sawatari the spotlight, and as you can see, he's still rocking the Monarch deck. I always thought he was better suited with it, what with it being a good way to counter Pendulum Cards and all that. We're also getting to see some nice character development on his side too, and I'm hoping I can expand on it a little more.
The next chapter is going to be a long ways off, but when it does come, I hope you will all enjoy it. Especially considering the Supreme King Dragon gets to bare his fangs against one of the Egyptian God Cards.
Oh, this is going to be so much fun!
That's all for now! Fresh reminder than this fanfic has a TV Tropes page, so maybe you could go check it out and add to it?
See You~
