Italics indicate thinking


Yuki's POV

"Remember this important lesson you two, it's the most important thing I have to teach. When you trust your partner you can be a truly great duelist" I said looking across the counter at Yuma and Astral "A truly powerful duelist can shape the outcome of a duel. They can even generate the very card the need to draw, you must trust in your deck at all costs. Now…"

"What the hell are you so depressed for you brat!" Cleo snapped at Yuma "Oh I know it's because you lost to that Shark kid isn't it!"

"Cleo relax." I sighed.

He looked surprised.

"Tori and Luna mentioned it." I said "Also I could have just totally read your mind to figure it out but that feels intrusive. Look Shark is a good duelist, he won a tournament I ran here once, smart and skilled kid. But…you've lost every duel against my practice decks."

"At this rate the two of you won't be helping anyone and certainly won't collect the numbers." Cleo warned.

"That's not true I can do it!" Yuma yelled.

"Don't scream." I sighed "Astral…you tell me what you think is wrong?"

The strange spirit thought for a bit "Normally Yuma would at least have some basic strategy, but now he simply rushes in attacking over and over, not listening to any advice."

"I thought the same thing." I nodded "Was the first thing I told you to listen and trust your partners?"

"You've gotten obsessed with Reginald." I told him "I've looked at Tori's memories of that duel, I can assure you it's not that Shark is simply better than you…He planned, studied and thought up a way to defeat you. He knows you, but you don't know him, knowing is half the battle."

"I'll tell you the truth so you understand." Cleo said.

"Shark was disqualified from the National tournament for looking at his opponent's deck without permission." I explained "It's considered bad practice to look at someone's deck without their okay, even more so in the semi-pro circuits, he 'cheated' and was fairly disqualified."

"That's it…" Yuma looked a little confused.

"Come on there's somewhere we need to go." I got up "There's a deck on display and I want you to see it, it's important to me. Luna, Tori let's go!"


Later

"Okay here we are." I parked outside and got out "Don't worry I've got permission to show you this early."

To think that deck is here again.

"Yuki…" Cleo paused.

"Yeah, I see them." I looked into the window to see people walking up.

"You can't come in here." I called back "But then again…you just want to steal so me saying that won't stop you."

I turned around to face the men, two were older, one with dreadlocks and one with a buzz cut, the other I recognized as Shark.

"They have number cards." Luna told me.

"I know." I calmed her "REVELATION!"

I scanned the one's mind, the plan was simple, they'd steal that deck and make shark take the fall.

"I'll settle this the old-fashioned way." I looked at them "You'll duel us, win and I'll let you in, lose and you go home okay. Oh you can have mine and Yuma's number cards too."

"Wait what?!" the boy yelled.

"So that's what this is called." The darker skinned man held up a card "We're this strong with two, we'll be even stronger with more."

That's if, come and take on something you don't understand.

"Yuma you'll be my partner okay." I told him "You know how to Tag Duel right?"

"Uhh, yeah." He nodded,

"Then let's go!" I slid a Gazer on that looked like an Egyptian Eye.

The Scanner showed me my two opponents, Scorch and Chills.

"Let's go!" Cleo laughed.

"I'm ready." I drew a hand.

"I'll take the first turn." Scorch said setting a monster and two facedowns "I end my turn."

That was quick…

"Yuma go before us." I said.

"Okay…" he nodded "I summoned Zubaba Knight!"

Zubaba Knight: LVL 3 ATK 1600 DEF 900

"Now attack his face down monster." He said.

"MORON!" Cleo snapped "No one can attack on the first turn of a tag duel; didn't you say you knew that?!"

"Oh…Uhh…" he tired laughing it off "In that case I end my turn."

Chills went next, setting two cards and summoning Pompadour Blizzardon.

Pompadour Blizzardon: LVL 4 ATK 1400 DEF 1400

"Then it's my turn." I drew "Let's go Cleo!"

"Right." She nodded "We summon Madolche Mewfeuille!"

Madolche Mewfeuille- LVL 3 ATK 500 DEF 300

A small plushy pink cat appeared.

"It's effect activates and allows me to summon another Madolche monster from my hand!" I said "Madolche Messengelato!"

Madolche Messengelato: LVL 4 ATK 1600 DEF 1000

A post man like fellow appeared.

"Now his effect activates." I smiled "Since there's a beast type Madolche monster on the field I can add a Madolche spell or trap to my hand, so I'll add and then play Madolche Ticket! But it won't do anything for now."

"Now the Spell Double Summon!" Cleo smiled "This let's us conduct another normal Summon, we summon Madolche Magileine!"

Madolche Magileine: LVL 4 ATK 1400 DEF 1200

"When she's summoned we add another Madolche monster from our deck to our hand." I drew a card "It's set! The condition is Two Level Four Madolche monsters, we overlay Magileine and Messengelato to XYZ summon Madolche Queen Tiramisu!"

Both my monsters were sucked into the swirl and out emerged a regal white hair cake queen.

Madolche Queen Tiramisu: Rank 4 ATK 2200 DEF 2100

"I set two cards face down and then end the turn." I smiled "Oh did things not work out like you planned?"

Both men looked flustered.

"You figured at least one of us would trigger effect damage and make you be able to use your face down cards, the cards that would allow you to summon cards for your partner and set up your Numbers." Cleo looked up.

"We've been around a long-time boys." I said "Rigging the Auto-shuffle is one of the oldest tricks in the book."

"It doesn't matter, we can still kick your ass!" Scorch drew "I flip summon Flamesaurus and since it was flipped face up it's level increases by one!"

Flamesaurus- LVL 4-5 ATK 1800 DEF 1200

"I play the trap Secret Barrel!" Cleo yelled.

Bring it out…

"This trap deals 200 damage to an opponent for each card in their hand and on the field!" I explained targeting Chills.

"GAH!" he was blasted and his life points dropped.

Chills- 4000 to 2800

"Hmph you activated what you knew was there!" he laughed "My trap Blizzard Egg LVL 5! This lets me choose a player to special summon a level 5 monster from their hand or take 500 damage, Scorch!"

"Oh lucky me, My Baggy-Pants Lavasaurus is a level 5 monster." He smirked "And now that I have two level 5's I'll overlay them and XYZ summon Number 61: Volcasaurus!"

Number 61: Volcasaurus: RANK 5 ATK 2500 DEF 1000

"Since you're such an annoying old woman I'll start with you!" he yelled.

"Hey I'm only thirty…well at least there's a thirty in my current age I think" I pouted.

"By detaching a material I can destroy a monster on the field and deal damage to the owner equal to it's attack, so Volcasaurus destroy Madolche Queen Tiramisu!"

"I play my other trap!" I smirked "Madolche Nights! When I monster effect activates and I have no monsters in my graveyard I can negate the effect."

"But since you activated your effect you can attack this turn, so my Queen is safe." I smiled as he ended his turn.

"I'll go." Yuma drew "I summon Goblindbergh!"

A goblin in a plane flew out.

Goblindbergh: LVL 4 ATK 1400 DEF 0

"When he's summoned I can special summon a level 4 or lower monster from my hand and change him to defense mode, so I summon Gagaga Magician!"

Gagaga Magician: LVL 4 ATK 1500 DEF 1000

He's going for it already…

"I overlay my two monsters and summon Number 39: Utopia!"

The hulking swordsman flashed out.

Number 39: Utopia- RANK 4 ATK 2500 DEF 2000

"I trigger Avalanche!" Chills said "When and XYZ monster is summoned I can trigger this to freeze it solid, now it can't attack and using it's ability means you take 500 damage!"

"It's fine." Cleo told them "No reason to panic, but do be more careful Yuma, you walked into the trap."

"I go now." Chills drew "I switch Blizzardon to defense mode and then play Frozen Ice Cave to increase its level by one. Next I play a face down monster and end the turn."

He wants to summon his Number soon.

"Then it's my turn." I drew a card "I tribute Madolche Mewfeuille to summon Madolche Puddingcess!"

A cute blond princess girl twirled around.

Madolche Puddingcess: LVL 5 ATK 1000 DEF 1000

"Next I detach my Messengelato from Queen Tiramisu to return up to two Madolche monsters in my graveyard to my deck, and when I do that I can return cards on your field to the deck equal to the number of cards I returned, so I'll send Pompadour Blizzardon and Volcasaurus back to your decks while putting Mewfeuille and Messengelato back in our deck!" Cleo and I said "And we can also use the effect of Madolche Ticket, when a Madolche card is returned to the hand or deck by card effect I can add a Madolche monster in my deck to my hand and if I control a Fairy Type Madolche monster I can summon it, so I'm bringing out another Madolche Puddingcess!"

"Now the real show starts!" we laughed "First since there are no cards in my graveyard both my Puddingcess gain 800 ATK and DEF points!"

Madolche Puddingcess- ATK and DEF 1000 to 1800

"Now we overlay one Puddingcess with our Rank 4 Queen Tiramisu to summon the Rank 5 XYZ Madolche Puddingcess Chocolat-a-la-Mode!"

A Puddingcess in a brown dress speared.

Madolche Puddingcess Chocolat-a-la-Mode – Rank 5 ATK 2500 DEF 2200

"You can do that?" Yuma asked.

"Puddingcess Chocolat-a-la-Mode has the special ability that lets you use a Rank 4 Madolche XYZ as material." I explained playing one last card "Madolche Chateau, this makes it so all my Madolche monsters gain 500 attack and defense."

Madolche Puddingcess: ATK 1800 to 2300 DEF 1800 to 2300

Madolche Puddingcess Chocolat-A-La-Mode: ATK 2500 to 3000 DEF 2200 to 2700

"Now it's over!" I smiled "Madolche Puddingcess attack Chills' facedown monster!"

My basic Puddingcess attacked to reveal his facedown monster, another Pompadour Blizzardon which was destroyed.

"Now finish this Madolche Puddingcess Chocolat-a-la-mode!" I commanded "Direct attack!"

Chills- 2800 to 0

"The duel is over." I took my gazer off "You lose."

Astral took their number cards back, restoring a small portion of his memory.

"You see Yuma, you've watched a pro now, so don't get lax, I carried you though that duel, but I won't always be able to do that." I said "You should remember that too Reggie."

Something big is coming, I don't know what but I need to prepare Yuma, he needs to progress faster.


AN

Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.

Pick Up- EP 13

Till Next Time!