What the-!? A chapter, in less than a year? What sorcery is this?
Seriously, though, sorry for the delay. I started writing this back in September, but the duel in this chapter was suprisingly complicated to write in parts, and I needed a long break before tackling this chapter again. Not to mention that I just didn't like this mini arc that I created.
Sorry if it's bad, but I at least hope that the duel is good enough to make up for the rest. It's one of my favorite duels that I've written.
Chapter Five - Rage Against the Machines
The mood in the Slifer Red… well, to call it a dining room would be generous. Regardless, dinner in the Silfer dorm wasn't an upbeat event at the best of times. The general gloom that hung over the dorm was magnified that night on account of the exam they would be taking in the morning.
As per usual, one table wasn't so badly affected, yet gloom still tainted the air. Yasuhiro and Shou tried to hide their nerves, but the ashen tone of their skin gave it away.
"I can't believe that you're not even slightly nervous, Aniki," Shou said, looking at Judai. Judai blinked as he chewed on a shrimp, the tail sticking out of his mouth. "I keep thinking about the test, and…" Shou shuddered.
Judai swallowed his food. "Hey, no need to sweat it, Shou. It's no biggie. I just need to win, right?"
"Of course you'd say that, Aniki," Shou sighed. "You're so great at duelling. But aren't you at all worried about the written portion?"
"Eh, things will work out," Judai shrugged, shoving some rice in his mouth. Shou sighed, exasperated but unwilling to push the issue.
"How about you, Naruto-san?" Yasuhiro said. "I think you'll be fine with the duelling segment, too, but what about the written part?"
Naruto grimaced around his rice. He swallowed. "Well, you know, we've been studying and everything, but usually written tests just make my brain go blank, so…"
"Eh, you've been studying, Naruto-san?" Shou said, eyes wide behind his glasses.
"What's that meant to mean?" Naruto said, scowling.
Shou gulped. "N-Nothing! I just didn't realise you studied…"
Naruto shrugged, dropping the expression. "Well, yeah, I wanna get to Obelisk Blue one day, and with my grades where they are…" He shook his head. "Besides, if I didn't study, then Asuka-chan would kick my ass."
Judai swallowed. "You want to get into Blue, Naruto?"
Naruto blinked. "Uh, yeah. Have I never mentioned that?" Shou and Judai shook their heads. "Yeah, well, doesn't everyone? They get way better dorms and food, and it's where the best duellists are."
Judai chuckled. "Yet here I am, in Red!"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because your grades suck. Not like I can talk. Anyway, from what I hear, Obelisk Blues tend to have a better chance to hit the pro scene straight outta school, especially if they're number one in the whole school. I wanna become a pro as soon as possible, so I'm aiming for Blue."
"Huh, how about that," Judai said, leaning back in his chair. "Well, if that's what you wanna do, go for it! Just make sure you remember to have fun, too. What's the point in duelling if it isn't fun?"
Naruto's brow twitched down. "It's not always about having fun, you know. There's more important things than just enjoying yourself."
Judai shrugged and carried on eating. "Whatever you say, man. All I know is, I wouldn't duel if it wasn't fun. Good job it's like, the most fun thing in the world, eh?" he said, grinning as he chewed.
Naruto hummed. Not that didn't enjoy the game as well, but he couldn't really agree with what Judai was saying. There was more to duelling for Naruto than just a fun pastime. Not wanting to sour dinner, however, Naruto just shrugged. "I guess. But what about you, Yasu? Worried about the exam?"
Yasuhiro sighed. "Pretty much, yeah. I mean, Tenjoin-san has been really kind with going over stuff with me, but I'm not really all that smart. I'm also not that confident with the duelling part…"
Naruto shook his head. "You'll be fine! You pick all that stuff up way quicker than I do. Don't start becoming Sumi 2.0 or something." Naruto glanced across the room at said roommate. Naruto's brow twitched when he saw him at the same table as Hazama. Of course the two assholes would sit at the same table. Table of assholes.
Despite offering Sumi to join them in their studying session, the floppy haired boy had turned them down each time. He seemed more than content with studying in their room. Well, Naruto assumed he was studying. He wouldn't put it past Sumi to not bother, though, likely not seeing the point.
Hazama glanced up and made eye contact with Naruto. And then there was that guy. Naruto scowled and turned back to his friends. "God, those guys piss me off," he muttered.
"Hey, Naruto, I just realised; we haven't duelled yet, have we?" Judai said, pointing his chopsticks at Naruto. "Wanna duel after dinner?"
Naruto blinked, but shook his head. "Nah, I want to get an early night tonight. Be fresh for the exam, and all that."
Judai pouted, but bounced back quick enough. "Eh, alright, guess me and Shou will duel instead." Shou paled, but didn't bother objecting.
The rest of dinner was spent in casual conversation, three of them trying to keep their minds off the exam, with the fourth not even thinking about it.
Naruto chewed his pen, glaring down at the paper before him. Written exams were the bane of his existence. Sitting in silence for a long ass time and trying to answer hard questions? Not his idea of a good time. But they were a necessary evil if he wanted to achieve his goal.
As he pondered a question, he glanced out of the corner of his eye. Down the aisle, he could see Yasuhiro sweating as he wrote, his pen trembling. He felt for the guy, really. A glance to his left saw Sumi, who would have appeared more calm if not for his notable clenched jaw.
Finally, a glance below showed Shou, who looked more worried than both Yasuhiro and Sumi combined. Next to him was an empty seat, which should have had Judai sat in it. Naruto couldn't help but envy Judai. Sure, the exam was important, but he would have loved to not be taking it. Still, he knew Asuka would never let him hear the end of it, nor would he forgive himself for sabotaging his own goal like that.
Naruto shook his head, clearing other thoughts aside from Duel Monsters. Speaking of self-sabotage, thinking about such things wasn't doing him any favours. Naruto focused for the rest of the time, not even reacting when Judai finally arrived.
Naruto yawned, stretching his arms up.
"So, Naruto, how do you think you did?" Asuka said as she walked over to him. Nearly all the other students had rushed out to the store as soon as the bell rang. Even Yasuhiro. New cards, or something. Naruto wasn't looking for new cards at the moment, so he didn't really care.
"Er…" Naruto looked up at her. His friend was super pretty, he'd known that for as long as he knew her, but sometimes it struck him out of nowhere. Even when she looked down at him with a raised brow, expectant and somewhat demanding. He blinked the thoughts away, trying not to blush. "Okay, I think. I answered all the questions, at least."
"Good," she said, smiling. A pretty smile, which was the norm. Naruto blinked again. Seems it was one of those 'Holy Crap, Asuka is Hella Pretty' days. "You don't want to go and get some new cards?"
"Ah, but that would throw off the delicate balance of his deck, would it not, Naruto?" Misawa said, inserting himself into the conversation. Naruto and Asuka jumped, having not noticed him approach. "Besides, it is an act of desperation to edit your deck this close to the practical exam."
"Y-Yeah, exactly," Naruto said. Naruto joined the other two in standing. He looked down in front, and saw Shou and Judai snoring away. "See, this is why I went to bed early last night."
"Oh, good, you finally got that into your skull," Asuka said, her smile holding a hint of a smirk. "I remember you almost sleeping in on the day of the entrance exam."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "W-Well, you tend to be right about stuff…"
As Asuka smiled contentedly, Misawa chuckled. "Perhaps we should wake those two up. They may wish to acquire some rare cards from the shop."
Asuka's smile slipped as she looked at the sleeping duo. "They really should take things like this more seriously," she said. She sounded almost disappointed. She shook her head and looked at Naruto. "I'm going to go get my Duel Disk for the exam later."
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, same. Mind waking them up, Misawa? The Ra Yellow dorm is closer to here than Red, so…"
"Of course, not a problem," Misawa said, nodding.
Naruto grinned, gave him a thumbs up, and left together with Asuka. "So, Asuka-chan, feeling confident about the exam?"
Asuka nodded. "Yeah, I feel pretty good about it. How about you?"
Naruto opened his mouth, but closed it again, his eyes narrowing. Asuka followed his gaze and saw Hazama walking down the hallway. Hazama walked at a casual pace, not much faster than their own, and Naruto let out a quiet groan. "Ugh, that guy's probably going the same way as me. How annoying."
Asuka looked between the two. "Are you…" she licked her lips, searching for her words. "Are you still upset about what happened in the library the other day?" she said, quiet enough so Hazama wouldn't hear her. She was also hesitant about bringing it up with Naruto, since he hadn't mentioned it since.
But Naruto shook his head. "Nah, not really. Me and Yasu talked afterwards, that helped. But remembering his attitude still pisses me off. So damn superior about it all."
Asuka hummed. She still didn't agree with how Naruto let himself fall into Hazama's pace like that, but she could at least acknowledge why. She put a hand on his arm, and they stopped walking. "Don't worry about him. You've worked hard to be here, to learn how to play Duel Monsters. Don't let what some smarmy smartass says work you up too much."
He looked her in the eyes for a moment. He nodded. "Yeah, you're right." His eyes flickered away.
"Hey," she said, taking a small step closer. "I mean it. You're not stupid, alright? You can act it, sometimes, but you're not a total idiot."
His lips twitched. "Total idiot?"
Hers did too. "Got to leave a little wiggle room. But seriously, you don't need to prove anything to anyone. You just keep doing your best, and I know things will work out."
Naruto stared at her for another long moment. He smiled. "Thanks, Asuka-chan. For telling me I'm not a total moron." His smile turned into a small grin.
She snorted, and gave his arm a light whap. "And don't you forget it." She looked down at her hand, and blushed. Removing it, she took a small step back. "A-Anyway, let's get going. Looks like Hazama's long left." She moved on ahead, her pace a bit faster than before.
Naruto followed behind her, watching her with a small smile. Thanks, Asuka-chan, you're a great friend. His expression sobered. You and your family have done so much for me… His fist clenched, and his eyes narrowed in determination. One day, I'll make sure to pay you all back for everything. That includes you...Fubuki-nii...
Naruto grinned as Asuka's duel came to an end. Naturally, Asuka had passed her practical exam with aplomb, ending it with a daring play of Doble Passe. He wanted to congratulate her, but it was time for his duel.
As soon as he stood opposite his opponent, his brow twitched. "Oh, that's just typical."
"Uzumaki-san," Hazama said, adjusting his glasses. "It seems we are to clash once more. I hope to see if your practical abilities surpass your intellectual prowess or not."
Asuka, having just returned to the stands, grimaced. "Talk about not ideal," she muttered.
"What isn't?" Ryou said, stepping up next to her. Asuka sighed, but started to fill him in on the Hazama Incident.
Naruto scowled at Hazama. But Asuka's words from earlier crossed his mind and he took a deep breath, letting out slowly. "You better believe it," he said, and paused at the strange sense of nostalgia that passed over him. He shook it off. "You may have beat me in that little pop quiz, but don't think I'll be beaten when it comes down to the real thing."
Hazama hummed. "We will see…" He raised his duel disk. "Shall we proceed?"
"Fine by me. Let's get this over with."
"DUEL!"
"I'll go first," Naruto said.
"Go ahead, you doing so was in my plans."
"Right," Naruto said, deadpan. "Draw!" He looked at his hand and bit back a grimace; it was pretty dire. Still, there was one thing he could do. "I summon Charming Resort Staff in defence mode."
Holding a tray in front of her as a meagre replacement for a shield was a young, ordinary looking woman dressed like a waitress. She peeked around her tray with a friendly, customer-service ready smile. Despite her expression, a bead of sweat was trailing down her cheek at being left out on her own to fight.
#Charming Resort Staff—Fairy—300/200#
"Wow, she's really cute!" Shou said, sitting in the stands and staring at the 'monster' with a dopey smile. His expression snapped into an indignant glare. "Hey, Naruto-san, how could you put such a cute girl on the front line like that!? She's defenceless!"
Judai scratched his cheek. "Geeze, calm down Sho, it's just a monster…"
Yasuhiro, a few seats down, looked away out of second-hand embarrassment as Shou laid into Judai for his 'careless words'.
"Next, I set one card face down and end my turn."
"Hmm, a meagre defence," Hazama said, drawing a card. "I summon Robotic Knight in attack position."
Robotic Knight manifested, looking like a robotic version of one of the three musketeers.
#Robotic Knight—Machine—1600/1800#
"Robotic Knight will attack Charming Resort Staff."
Robotic Knight raised its sword and marched forward. Charming Resort Staff gulped, cowering behind her tray. It didn't help much.
"You jerk!" Shou cried. Judai had to hold him back from charging onto the field.
"Shou! Calm down!"
"I don't know them. I don't know them," Yasuhiro muttered, sinking into his seat.
Once the dust died down, Naruto said, "Since Charming Resort Staff was destroyed, I can special summon a particular monster from my deck."
"Oh?" Hazama tilted his head a tad.
"Come on out, SPYRAL Super Agent!"
SPYRAL Super Agent appeared in a swirl of light. He shot the machine monster a dirty look.
#SPYRAL Super Agent—Warrior—1900/1200#
"It never takes long for SPYRAL Super Agent to arrive, that's for sure," Asuka said.
"It's what makes it so annoying for people to deal with," said Ryou. "Partly, anyway."
"Ah, so you do understand how such effects work. Yet, you couldn't answer that quiz question the other day?" Hazama said.
Naruto glared. "Yeah, yeah, just finish your turn already, jerk," he said, muttering the last word.
Hazama hummed. "Very well. I set one card face down and end my turn."
"My turn, draw!" Naruto looked at the card he drew and put it in his hand. He grabbed another. "I activate the Continuous Spell, SPYRAL MISSION - Assault. When one of my SPYRAL monsters destroys a monster, I can draw a card. But for now, I'll just have SPYRAL Super Agent avenge Charming Resort Staff!"
SPYRAL Super Agent grinned and whipped out his gun and aimed it at Robotic Knight.
"I think not," Hazama said. "I activate my trap card, Rare Metalmorph. By equipping this card to my Robotic Knight, its attack points increase by 500." A metallic coating covered Robot Knight.
#Robotic Knight—Machine—2100/1800#
"Oh, no!" Yasuhiro gasped.
"Nice try, but I activate my trap card," Naruto said. "The counter trap, Wiretap! I negate your trap card and return it to your deck."
The metallic coating shattered, leaving the regular Robotic Knight in Super Agent's sights.
#Robotic Knight—Machine—1600/1800#
Yasuhiro sighed in relief.
Super Agent shot Robotic Knight in the green gem on its chest. In a shower of sparks, Robotic Knight exploded.
#Naruto—4000#
#Hazama—3700#
"Thanks to the effect of SPYRAL MISSION - Assault, I can draw a card," Naruto said, doing so. Putting his new card in his hand, he grabbed another one. "I set a monster face down and end my turn."
"Nice, Naruto has the life point and hand size advantage," Asuka said, smiling.
Ryou said nothing.
"My turn, draw," Hazama said. He looked at Naruto. "Your trap was impressive, I will give you that. But it's time I kicked things up a notch, I believe. I summon Heavy Mech Support Platform in attack mode."
In a flash of light, a small, spaceship looking machine materialised on Hazama's field.
#Heavy Mech Support Platform—Machine—500/500#
"Next, I play the spell card Machine Duplication. When I control a machine type monster with 500 or less attack points, I can special summon as many of them from my deck as possible."
Two more copies of the machine appeared on either side of it.
#Heavy Mech Support Platform—Machine—500/500#
#Heavy Mech Support Platform—Machine—500/500#
"Wow, he summoned a bunch of monsters just like that," Shou said.
"Hey, not bad at all," Judai said, grinning.
"Next I play the spell card, Card Advance," Hazama said. "First, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and then return them in any order."He drew five cards and, after taking a minute to think about it, put them back. "The secondary effect of this card is that I can perform a tribute summon in addition to my normal summon this turn."
"Oh," Naruto said. "That...could be bad."
"A droll, although not inaccurate, statement," Hazama said. "I tribute one of my Heavy Mech Support Platforms to summon the Machine King in attack position."
The middle Heavy Mech Support Platform was replaced by a large, thin looking, humanoid robot.
#Machine King—Machine—2200/2000#
"Machine King gains 100 attack points for every machine type monster on the field."
#Machine King—Machine—2500/2000#
"Oh man, so he not only summoned those Heavy Mechs so he could summon Machine King, but also so they could power it up," Yasuhiro said.
"You're not wrong, but Machine King hasn't finished powering up just yet," said Misawa as he sat next to Yasuhiro.
"Huh, Misawa-san? You finished your duel?"
"Yes… Did you not see me do so?"
Yasuhiro looked away, rubbing the back of his head. "Er…Sorry."
"Next, I activate the effects of my two remaining Heavy Mech Support Platforms," said Hazama. "They shall proceed to dock onto Machine King so they may increase its power further."
"Eh?"
"Observe!"
The two Support Platforms rose from the ground and flew up on either side of Machine King. They landed on its arms, and a mechanical shifting noise indicated them attaching themselves to the King.
#Machine King—Machine—2300/2000#
"Each Heavy Mech Support Platform increases Machine King's attack points by 500 each," Hazama said, adjusting his glasses.
#Machine King—Machine—3300/2000#
Naruto gulped and took a step back. "Oh dear."
"Indeed," Hazama said. "Machine King, destroy his SPYRAL Super Agent."
Machine King raised its arm at Super Agent. The arm flew forth in a burst of rocket flames, smashing into SPYRAL Super Agent.
#Hazama—3700#
#Naruto—2600#
Naruto blew away the smoke with his arm. With a growl, he said, "Charming Resort Staff's effect activates in the graveyard! By banishing it, I can return SPYRAL Super Agent to my hand." Two cards ejected from his graveyard slot, and he put one in his pocket and the other in his hand.
"And there's the other part of what makes SPYRAL Super Agent so irritating," Ryou said, smirking. "It's tendency to keep coming back, over and over again."
"I end my turn," Hazama said, adjusting his glasses. "So, Uzumaki-san, how will you get around my Machine King? Perhaps you have a method to summon SPYRAL Super Agent again? Alas, even with its destruction effect that I've heard about, destroying a single Heavy Mech Support Platform won't weaken my Machine King enough to defeat it."
Naruto smirked. "Let's see about that, huh? Draw!" He looked at his hand, especially the card he just drew. Big Red...that doesn't really help right now. Oh, well, let's give this a shot! "I declare that the next card on your deck is a monster card, and if I'm right, I can summon SPYRAL Super Agent."
Hazama shook his head. "Incorrect," he said, taking the top card of his deck and revealing it to be a spell card.
Naruto clicked his tongue. "Shoot. Well, it was bound to fail eventually. In that case, I summon SPYRAL Super Agent in defence mode."
#SPYRAL Super Agent—Warrior—1900/1200#
"I end my turn," Naruto said. He looked at his face down monster. I didn't want to have to use this at all, since I knew Ryou would be watching. But I'm glad I set it when I had the chance.
"My turn, draw. I summon Machine King Prototype, in attack position."
Machine King Prototype looked like how it was called, a prototype version of Machine King. It was smaller, and thinner looking. The main difference was how it sat in a metal chair, with various wires connecting into the machine.
#Machine King Prototype—Machine—1600/1500#
"Machine King Prototype gains 100 attack and defence points for every machine type monster on the field, except for itself."
#Machine King Prototype—Machine—1700/1500#
"And of course, Machine King also gains 100 attack points from the presence of another machine type monster."
#Machine King—Machine—3400/2000#
"Next, I activate the spell card, Iron Draw. Since I control exactly two machine type effect monsters, I can draw two cards. However, in exchange I can only special summon once for the rest of this turn." Hazama drew two cards. "Machine King Prototype will attack your SPYRAL Super Agent."
The antenna on MK Prototype's head sparked with green electricity, which shot into the kneeling Super Agent. It exploded on contact.
"And now, Machine King will attack your face down monster."
Machine King fired its fist at Naruto's face down monster. The holographic card exploded, and Machine King's fist returned. Hazama opened his mouth, but he flinched as Machine King was surrounded by red lightning. "What? What's happening?"
Naruto grinned. "The monster you just destroyed was a special computer virus monster, and it has infected your Machine King. Electromagnetic Bagworm! When it's destroyed by battle, it weakens the monster that destroyed it by 500 attack and defence points."
#Machine King—Machine—2900/1500#
"And not only that, but it lets me take control of one machine type monster you control until my next end phase. Guess who I've picked?"
Hazama grimaced as his Machine King walked over to Naruto's side of the field, still coated in the red sparks. "Fine, but Machine King loses another 100 attack points since you have no machine monsters."
#Machine King—Machine—2800/1500#
"Sure, but also don't forget that Machine King Prototype loses its attack bonus, as well," Naruto returned.
#Machine King Prototype—Machine—1600/1500#
"Alright! That was great!" Yasuhiro cheered.
"Impressive indeed," Misawa nodded.
Ryou raised a brow. "Did he put that in his deck to use against me," he asked Asuka, who only smiled.
"Who knows?"
"I think you might know more than you're letting on," Ryou said, tone flat.
Asuka chuckled.
"How's that for a move, huh?" Naruto said, crossing his arms.
"Not bad, but don't get too cocky," Hazama said, a slight frown edging on his lips. "I set a card face down and end my turn."
"My turn, draw. First, I activate my equip spell, SPYRAL GEAR - Big Red. This lets me special summon SPYRAL Super Agent from my graveyard and equip it with this spell."
SPYRAL Super Agent returned, sitting in his red sports car.
#SPYRAL Super Agent—Warrior—1900/1200#
"Since SPYRAL Super Agent was special summoned by the effect of a SPYRAL card, I can target a spell or trap card on your field and destroy it. I choose your face down card."
"Then I'll activate it. Roll Out!" Hazama said, pressing the button. "I target one Union monster in my graveyard and equip it to an appropriate monster. I equip Machine King Prototype with Heavy Mech Support Platform!"
#Machine King Prototype—Machine—2100/1500#
Naruto shrugged. "Okay. Next, I summon White Ninja in attack mode."
A ninja clad in white appeared in a burst of smoke.
#White Ninja—Warrior—1500/800#
"Alright, I'll use Machine King to attack Machine King Prototype."
Machine King aimed its fist at its counterpart and fired. The fist collided with Machine King Prototype, and instead of it exploding, the Heavy Mech Support Platform attached to it did.
#Hazama—3000#
#Naruto—2700#
With the Union monster gone, Machine King Prototype's attack points returned to normal.
#Machine King Prototype—Machine—1600/1500#
"Next, SPYRAL Super Agent attacks!"
SPYRAL Super Agent shot Machine King Prototype in the head, causing the prototype to explode.
#Hazama—2700#
#Naruto—2700#
"Thanks to SPYRAL MISSION - Assault, I can draw a card," Naruto said, doing so. "Finally, White Ninja attacks you directly!"
White Ninja blurred out of sight. Hazama took a step back, looking around. The ninja appeared behind him and stabbed him in the back. Hazama grunted and took a few shaky steps forward.
#Naruto—2700#
#Hazama—1200#
Naruto ginned. "And with that, I end my turn." As soon as Naruto said this, two things happened. First, Machine King lumbered back to Hazama's side of the field, and second, SPYRAL MISSION - Assault exploded. "Oh, yeah, SPYRAL MISSION - Assault is destroyed during the third end phase after it's activated."
"Wow, that was an awesome turn!" Judai said, grinning. "Naruto totally turned things around."
"What a scary card," Sho said, thinking about Electromagnetic Bagworm. Certainly not something he'd want to face, considering his Droid monsters.
"My turn, draw," Hazama said. He smiled at what he drew. "Ah, I'm not a fan of the concept of luck, but I could say that I'm feeling rather lucky right now. I play the spell card, Mystical Space Typhoon. I use it to destroy SPYRAL GEAR - Big Red."
A typhoon swept Big Red into the air. Moving fast, Super Agent opened the door and dived out, rolling on the ground. He stood back up just as his car exploded.
Hazama frowned. "SPYRAL Super Agent is still on the field?"
Naruto grinned. "Destroying SPYRAL GEAR - Big Red doesn't destroy the monster equipped to it. Better than Premature Burial, huh?"
Hazama huffed. "No matter. With this card I shall still turn this duel around. I equip Machine King with the equip spell card, Air Cracking Storm."
What looked like a giant, futuristic cannon appeared on Machine King's arm.
Naruto gulped. "That looks bad. Uh, what does it do?"
"Observe. Machine King shall attack White Ninja."
Machine King fired a giant energy blast at White Ninja from the giant cannon on its arm. White Ninja vanished in the blast, which carried on through to Naruto, who yelped as it hit.
#Naruto—1400#
#Hazama—1200#
"Now, Air Cracking Storm's effect activates," Hazama said, pushing his glasses up. "When the machine type monster it's equipped on destroys a monster by battle, Air Cracking Storm allows that monster to make a second attack."
Naruto took a step back. "Wait, seriously?"
"Indeed. Machine King, attack SPYRAL Super Agent."
Machine King fired again, erasing Super Agent and hitting Naruto with the blast again.
#Hazama—1200#
#Naruto—500#
"I end my turn," said Hazama.
"Wow, that turn was awesome, too," Judai said, thoroughly enjoying the duel. It had been a real back and forth, and that kind of excitement was exactly what Judai loved in a duel.
"I wonder if Naruto-san can turn it around again," Shou said, frowning a little.
"Hmm, this isn't good," Misawa said, staring down at the duel with a frown, his arms folded.
"Naruto-san…" Yasuhiro said, chewing his lip.
"This next turn will decide everything," Ryou said, narrowing his eyes.
Asuka nodded, watching intensely. It might not mean much, this duel, in the grand scheme of things, but she knew that it was important to Naruto. Especially considering who he was up against. She feared that if he lost, then Naruto's self-esteem would take a hit.
She knew how much he struggled with academic things. He had a hard enough time studying when his motivation was high. If he lost and his spirit was damaged…
She clenched the railing. No. She wouldn't even consider it. She knew he could, and would, win.
"My turn, draw," Naruto looked at his hand. The card he just drew was SPYRAL GEAR - Drone. Combined with the copy of The Warrior Returning Alive in his hand, he could use Drone's effect to power up SPYRAL Super Agent and destroy Machine King.
Drone can give SPYRAL Super Agent 500 extra attack for each card on Hazama's side of the field. Looking at the field, Naruto counted the cards on Hazama's side. Four times by 500 made 2000. Giving Super Agent 2000 more attack points —making its attack 3900– would make this duel over in a single attack once Agent's effect destroyed one of the Heavy Mech Support Platforms. Machine King's attack would become 2300, creating a 1600 point difference between Super Agent and Machine King. More than enough to win.
Still, unless Naruto was even worse at maths than he thought, then destroying Machine King with it's attack points as they were, with a Super Agent with 3900 attack points, Hazama would only take 1100 damage, 100 away from winning. And even if he used Super Agents effect to destroy the single Heavy Mech Support Platform that was keeping Machine King above 2300 attack points, that would only leave three cards on Hazama's field, leaving Super Agent to have 3400 attack points, and that would still only result in 1100 damage.
But then again, Naruto doubted that Hazama would be able to deal with a monster with 3900 attack points. And any of the monsters in Naruto's deck could finish Hazama off if Super Agent destroyed whatever defenses Hazama put out, so long as he drew one.
"I summon SPYRAL GEAR - Drone in defence mode," Naruto said, and the little drone appeared. "When SPYRAL GEAR - Drone is summoned, I can look at the top three cards of your deck and rearrange them in any order I wish."
SPYRAL GEAR - Drone flew over to Hazama. Two small arms extended from it and grabbed the first three cards from atop Hazama's deck. It flew back to Naruto, who took the cards and spread them out in his free hand. Naruto's eyes widened at what he saw.
Pot of Greed.
Cannon Soldier.
Jinzo #7.
...Holy crap. Any of these three cards could end me next turn! Naruto could feel sweat rolling down the back of his neck. Jinzo #7: a monster with 700 attack points that can attack directly. Cannon Soldier could tribute itself and wipe out the rest of Naruto's life points, and Pot of Greed would let him do either by drawing two additional cards from his deck!
Naruto gulped. He had to win this duel this turn, or else it'd be over. But how? Damn it! If only Hazama had just one more card on the field-
Naruto gasped.
Yasuhiro looked up, thinking over the duel. "Even so, I don't think I could have done anything differently there. That was the best I could do…"
Naruto shrugged. "With that hand, maybe. I lucked out in drawing both Super Agent and Drone so close together. Getting over that King would have been a lot tougher if I didn't." He sighed. "Still, I could have ended it sooner if you'd had one more card on the field. Shame that Super Agent's effect destroyed your Trap card before Drone could give it the five hundred extra attack points."
Doing some quick maths, Yasuhiro winced. "Ah, yeah." After a minute of silence, Yasuhiro blinked. "Hey, Naruto-san?"
"Hmm?"
"Have you ever read Drone's effect more closely?"
Naruto blinked once the memory finished washing over him. Come to think of it, I never did check Drone's effect more closely… Looking at the card in his hand, Naruto read the text with a careful eye. If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can look at the top 3 cards of your opponent's Deck, and if you do, place them on top of their Deck in any order. During either player's turn:—
Another memory flashed through Naruto's mind.
"Wait, hold up," Naruto held up a hand. His face was scrunched up, forcing his eyes shut. "How do you know what monsters are Spell Speed 1 or Spell Speed 2?"
"Well, usually in their text it will say 'On either player's turn' or, 'On your opponent's turn', followed by a colon. This implies that the effect is a Spell Speed 2, and can be activated during the opponent's turn. And that is where Spell Speed 2 shines. Spell Speed 2 effects are effects that can be activated on your opponent's turn, as opposed to Spell Speed 1, that can only be activated on your turn. Another benefit to Spell Speed 2 effects is that they can be chained to other card effects."
Naruto's eyes widened. His brow twitched. Seriously...HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS!? In that moment, Naruto felt very, very, very stupid.
Asuka smiled. "Looks like he's just figured something out."
Ryou nodded. "Indeed."
Hazama raised an eyebrow. "Is everything okay, Uzumaki-san? Do you need more time to deliberate? Or have you realised that this duel is about to come to an end? In that case, I'm going to need my cards back."
Naruto chuckled, looking up from his cards. "You're right about that, this turn this duel is over!"
"Oh? How so?"
"How about I show ya?" Arranging the three cards that Drone took, he sent the little machine back to return them. Once Drone returned to his side, Naruto grabbed a card from his hand. "I play the spell card The Warrior Returning Alive! This card lets me take a warrior from my graveyard and add it to my hand. I think my choice is pretty obvious!"
Hazama sighed. "There truly is no getting rid of that thing, is there? Very well, let's see what you have left."
"You asked for it! I activate SPYRAL Super Agents effect. I declare, spell card!" Hazama revealed the top card of his deck to be Pot of Greed. "Not that I expected any less! SPYRAL Super Agent, come on back!" SPYRAL Super Agent once again returned to the field, running a hand through his hair.
#SPYRAL Super Agent—Warrior—1900/1200#
"Since SPYRAL Super Agent was special summoned by its own effect, I can target one spell or trap card on your side of the field and destroy it."
"Oh, I see," Yasuhiro said. "He wants to power up Super Agent to take out Machine King with Drone's effect!"
Misawa hummed. "Yes, but if my calculations are correct— and they most assuredly are— then Super Agent won't gain enough attack points to finish this duel, even if he does weaken Machine King."
"Oh no!" Yasuhiro gasped, realising the same thing.
"I target one of your Heavy Mech Support Platforms!" Naruto said. "And then, I chain SPYRAL GEAR - Drone's effect!"
"Chain?" Asuka blinked. "I didn't realise that Drone's effect could be chained."
"I don't think Naurto did, either, until just now," Ryou said, flatly.
Asuka's face went blank. Then, she covered it with her hand. "Oh, Naruto…"
"Drone has another effect?" Hazama said, frowning.
"Yep! I can tribute SPYRAL GEAR - Drone to power up my SPYRAL Super Agent by 500 attack points for every card you have on the field!"
"What!?"
"Of course!" Misawa said. "To think Drone had such an application! He can destroy one of Hazama's cards, while still benefiting from Drones effect!"
Yasuhiro brought a hand to his chin. I see...so Naruto-san… He gasped. Did what I say the other day make him re-read Drone's effect? Does that mean...I helped Naruto-san!?
SPYRAL GEAR - Drone faded away into pixels, which flowed into Super Agent. Super Agent let out a cry as his muscles bulged, pushing his suit to its limits.
#SPYRAL Super Agent—Warrior—3900/1200#
"And now, SPYRAL Super Agent's effect activates!" Super Agent pulled out his gun— which looked out of place in his now larger hand— and shot one of the Heavy Mech Support Platforms straight off of Machine King. Hazama covered his face as his union monster exploded.
#Machine King—Machine—2300/1500#
Hazama waved the smoke from his face, coughing. He paused when he saw the hench Super Agent smirking at him. His glasses slipped down his face. "Oh dear."
Naruto grinned and thrust his pointer finger forward. "SPYRAL Super Agent, attack Machine King!"
Super Agent released a battle cry and ran forth, jumping into the air. Pulling back a fist, SPYRAL Super Agent decked the robotic monarch right in the circle on its chest. Naruto and Hazama covered their eyes as bright flashes of electricity burst from the point of impact. With an extra loud cry, Super Agent put more strength into his strike.
The electricity travelled to the one remaining Heavy Mech Support Platform on Machine King. With one final burst of energy the union monster exploded, taking the destruction in Machine King's place. However, it was irrelevant, as the damage had already been done. Quite literally.
#Naruto—500#
#Hazama—0#
Spyral Super Agent and Machine King faded away as the duel disks sensed the end of the duel.
"Alright!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fist.
"He won!" Yasuhiro cheered, throwing his arms up in the air. Down the aisle, Judai and Shou also celebrated.
"Very well done," Misawa said, nodding in satisfaction.
"Thank goodness," Asuka sighed, smiling.
"It seems that this duel has forced Naruto to grow a little as a duellist," Ryou said, smirking lightly.
"Yeah," Asuka said, smiling. How typical, she thought, no amount of studying helped him figure out spell speeds, but back him into a corner with no choice but to figure them out, and he gets it. That's so like him.
Ryou watched her out of the corner of his eye, smirking at the proud smile on her face. His eyes drifted back to Naruto. Fubuki would be proud too, Naruto.
Hazama sighed, pushing up his glasses. "Unbelievable, all of my plans and well-oiled strategies failed me. And to think, I would lose in such a manner."
"Hey, Hazama," Naruto said, walking up to him.
"Hmm? Come to gloat? I wouldn't blame you. I did the same thing, after all," Hazama said, looking away.
"I wanted to thank you."
"...Pardon?"
"If we hadn't had that contest the other day, and if we didn't have this duel, I might not have figured out spell speeds at all," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head and avoiding eye contact. "I still think you're an asshole, but...well, thanks, anyway."
Hazama snorted. "I don't see the need to thank me. I believe this was all you." He made eye contact with Naruto, his eyes clear behind his glasses. "I should be the one thanking you."
"Huh?"
"Before now, I thought that the only way to learn was through studying and books. But now I realise that some people learn in different ways. I let my success in book learning blind me to the experience of others. And, as Tenjoin-san pointed out, I let that affect my attitude and how I treat others."
Naruto blinked. "Asuka-chan did?"
Hazama nodded. "Indeed. I've learned that there's still much for me to learn, if not in school, then in life and how people work." He put out his hand, and a small smile twitched at his lips. "Here's to us both reaching Ra Yellow some day."
Naruto's eyes widened, and he grinned. "Yeah, sure," he said, taking his hand and shaking it.
As Naruto and Hazama left the duel field, they passed Judai. Hazama carried on, while Naruto and Judai stopped. "Hey, Naruto, awesome duel just now," Judai said, grinning.
"Thanks. Guess it's your turn now?"
"You got it. Wish me luck!" Judai carried on, waving over his shoulder.
"Sure thing." A minute later, Naruto sat next to Yasuhiro and Misawa. "Hey guys." He paused, seeing them staring at the duel field with wide eyes. "Huh?" He followed their gaze, and his jaw dropped. "Huh? Why the heck is Judai about to duel an Obelisk Blue?"
Chapter End
So glad this chapter is over. Sorry again if it's akward or bad in places, but I can't bring myself to work on this chapter anymore. Hopefully things can start moving on.
I'm going to pre-empt the "How can Naruto be so stupid comments", by reminding everyone that Naruto's journey in improving in Duel Monsters mirrors my own in competetive Yu-Gi-Oh. It was only when I started competetive duelling back in 2018/2019 that I realised I'd been playing a lot of things wrong in the game.
Maybe I'm just dumb, but YGO can be stupidly complicated at times, and out of all the card games I play (YGO, Pokemon, Magic, and Cardfight Vanguard) I honestly think it's the most convoluted and downright stupid at times.
I mean, I love it, but it also deeply frustrates me at the same time. But yeah, if Naruto comes across as dumb, that's just because I'm dumb.
Right, no point in going on anymore. Tell me what you think, and stuff.
Oh, right, before I go, I've been thinking about writing a GX OC story. I even wrote a chapter for it. I'm refraining from working anymore on it, right now, because I don't want to work on too much at once, but I'm curious if anyone would be interested in reading the first chapter?
I am forever coming up with GX story ideas, so it was an excuse to write something GX that wasn't this story Buuuut if no one cares, and/or wants me to focus more on this, I'll understand. Still, lemme know if you'd want to see the first chapter.
Okay, bye for realz. NinGo out.