Italics indicate thinking
Luna's POV
"You guys encountered someone else hunting the number cards?" Yuki said as we arrived at the shop.
"Yeah, at the mall." Yuma told her.
"But, time stopped when he showed up." I told her "It was strange. The guy who lost, looked like a husk afterward."
"May haps his soul was taken with the card?" Cleo posited.
"Regardless if there's a dangerous guy out there hunting the Number Cards you'd best be extra careful Yuma." Yuki warned "Don't hesitate to call if something is going bad."
"But now we know we're not the only people looking for those cards." I said.
We sent Yuma home and closed up shop for the night.
"Keep an extra close eye on him okay." She told me.
"Will do."
The Next Day
I was walking home with Yuma the next day when it happened, it got dark and started to downpour out of the blue…and then it all stopped, time frozen in space. This other number hunter this…Kite, in just one turn he had summoned two Numbers and nearly defeated Yuma.
I need to get him out of this duel…
I was about to use a godly power to force the duel to end, but then Kita just ran away saying something had come up, but those few turns had been enough to shatter Yuma's confidence again.
"It's a problem." Yuki told him "If you constantly live in fear of dueling you will never succeed. Come on to the training room."
To think there was a boy that young at that level of skill, though now that I thaink about it Akiza was probably that age during the Signer times so it's not that odd.
"We already know you are above our level." Astral said "What would dueling you accomplish in this case."
"You're not dueling me." She said "You're dueling a friend of mine."
She gestured across the duel ring at an older man, I didn't recognize him but I figured if Yuki knew him it must be fine. He was kinda ratty, a bit hobo like if I had to admit, his coat was tattered and his face looked pale white, his hair and long beard as well.
"He was kind enough to come over here and duel you, so don't put on a poor show." She said.
"Please treat me kindly, let's see what you can do." He smiled "Shall we?"
"Who is that guy?" I asked.
"You'll see." She smiled at me.
"…okay." Yuma nodded.
"Humor and old man, let me go first would you." He smiled with yellow teeth.
"Okay." Yuma nodded.
"…I set five face down cards." The old man said "That's all.'
"Seriously?" Yuma and Astral were both surprised.
"Be careful Yuma." Astral warned.
"So…that's it." Cleo hummed.
Yuma seemed to be studying his hand, thinking.
"I-."
"Careful." Astral warned.
"I know." Yuma growled.
They're afraid of the trap…no…he's afraid of the traps.
"I summon Gagaga Magician!" Yuma said
Gagaga Magician: LVL 4 ATK 1500 DEF 1000
"I activate a trap!" the man said.
"No." Astral hissed.
"Paleozoic Pikaia!" the man said "I discard a card and then draw two cards."
"Wait that's it?" Yuma blinked.
"Yes." The man smiled.
"Well then Gagaga Magician attack!"
"Paleozoic Eldonia!" The old man said "You should have been warier, this trap means your monster loses 500 ATK and DEF for the rest of the turn, and I play Paleozoic Marrella! Which allows me to discard a trap from my deck. Now you'll see the fear in this deck! I trigger the effects of Pikaia and the Paleozoic Leanchoilia in my graveyard to summon them to the field as monsters!"
Paleozoic Pikaia: LVL 2 ATK 1200 DEF 0
Paleozoic Leanchoilia: LVL 2 ATK 1200 DEF 0
That was enough to get Yuma to stop his attack "I play Swords of Revealing Light!"
"You should be more nervous about things in the unknown." The man said "Humans fear the unknown and there's nothing more unknown than the least explored place on the planet, the deepest depths of the sea."
"This man…he's-!" I gasped.
"Yes." Yuki smiled as the old man started his turn.
"You…didn't." I said "That's too much for him."
She didn't answer for a bit "He needs challenges to grow, he's too weak now."
"I overlay both my Paleozoic monsters to XYZ summon Paleozoic Opabinia!"
A massive orange anteater like crustacean appeared.
Paleozoic Opabinia: RANK 2 ATK 0 DEF 2400
"While this card is face up on the field I can activate traps from my hand, so I'll play Paleozoic Canadia which flips your monster face down!"
Gagaga Magician was forced down.
"Then I the face down Paleozoic Pikaia to once more discard a card and draw two." He told Yuma "Now I play Paleozoic Dinomischus which banishes a face up card, so your Swords of Revealing Light! Now I trigger a chain with my graveyard monsters to summon Pikaia and Canadia from the graveyard as monsters!"
Paleozoic Pikaia: LVL 2 ATK 1200 DEF 0
Paleozoic Canadia: LVL 2 ATK 1200 DEF 0
"Now I overlay them and summon Paleozoic Anomalocaris!"
A giant black and purple crab beast snapped its claws.
Paleozoic Anomalocaris: RANK 2 ATK 2400 DEF 0
"Now I detach Pikaia from Anomalocaris to trigger its ability and destroy a card on the field, your facedown Gagaga Magician!" the old man destroyed Yuma's card "Now attack directly!"
"GAH!" Yuma yelled as his life drained.
Yuma- 4000 to 1600
"That's all for my turn." The man said.
"Hmm." Yuma drew a card and got ready "I play Monster Reborn to bring back Gagaga Magician and then summon Gagaga Girl!"
Gagaga Girl: LVL 3 ATK 1000 DEF 800
"She has an ability that makes her the same level as Gagaga Magician!" he yelled.
"Yuma he still has traps." Astral warned.
"It's fine I overlay Gagaga Girl and Gagaga Magician to summon Number 39: Utopia!"
Number 39: Utopia- RANK 4 ATK 2500 DEF 0
"That's it." Yuki smiled.
"Since Gagaga girl was used as XYZ material Utopia gains an ability, by detaching a unite a monster you special summoned has it's attack lowered to zero." Yuma said pointing at Anomalocaris.
"Sorry but Anomalocaris isn't affected by monster effects." The old man smiled.
"Still…Utopia attack!"
"Yuma wait!" Astral tried to stop him.
"HMPH!" the old man's monster was destroyed.
Old Man- 4000 to 3900
"That's it." Yuma smiled.
"Wonderful, facing it head on." The old man drew "I set a card and end the turn."
"I'll summon Zubaba Knight!" Yuma drew "Now Utopia attack Opabinia!"
Zubaba Knight: LVL 3 ATK 1600 DEF 900
"Paleozoic Hallucigenia!" the old man flipped a trap "This halves your monster's attack."
The monster's battles and the old man lost again to Utopia.
Old Man 3900 to 2650
"And then Zubaba Knight!"
Old Man 2650 to 1050
"I think that's all, you agree?" Yuki asked the old man.
"Yes, my hand is not sufficient to counter attack, no point in wasting time." He smiled "You attacked the fear in your heart without issue, it's not you who's afraid to lose, but him."
He pointed at Astral.
"The simple fact that you did not know worried you, the idea that you might not be the strongest but fear in your heart." He said "Fear is normal, as is not wanting to lose, but you can not let fear overwhelm you."
"You'll be fine if you work together." Yuki told Yuma and Astral "Know each other and know your limits, be afraid but use that to catalyze your strength."
"Well I should be going." The old man fixed his coat "Till we meet again."
"Wait who are you?" Yuma asked.
The man let out a creepy laugh "That's not a worry you need to bother with."
AN
Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.
Pick Up- EP 15
Till Next Time!
