『 Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Dimensions is a story created based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! Series; please, please, PLEASE support the Official Release! 』
『 Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V is a Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, the fourth main spinoff series, which first aired in Japan in April 2014 and ended March 2017. The series is owned by Kasumi Oto, not myself, if it was owned by me.. The Yu-Salad and the Brace-Girls wouldn't have become just two people in the end. 』
〘 Last Time On Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Dimensions... 〙
"Yes.." Nakajima then raised his eyes from the tablet, eyes behind his blue shades locked firmly on the chair concealing his president's backside. "On a different note, concerning the case with Kotsu Matsumi, Toudou Yaiba and Shijima Hokuto.."
Quickly bringing the case in question to the forefront of his mind, he turned toward Nakajima, a firm gaze on his tinted bifocals.
"The memory erasure procedure has been completed?"
"Yes sir." Nakajima nodded, "Through the follow-up survey, we can confirm that all information on Kurosaki Shun and their duel with him has been promptly stripped from their recollections."
"Good work." Reiji quickly responded. Turning his attention back to the monitors, he folded his hands together, tapping his index finger against his thumbs. "Now we can successfully enter Kurosaki into the tournament without internal conflict."
One of the monitors would then blink to a different area, a boxed room where Shun was in the middle of a duel with a machine installed in the center of the ceiling. Nakajima would then approach Reiji, giving him the tablet he had in hand, which would flash on to an LDS Screensaver, before moving to a symbol of a bronze diamond, which doubled with a logo that featured the silhouette of a knight charging into battle on a horse, lance in hand. The title read in bright yellow, english cursive letters Lancer Duelist Soldiers.
"Now the largest question on my mind.." Reiji leaned back in his chair, "Which of the competitors will be the ones to save our world..?"
Tapping his chin softly, Reiji let out a soft hum. 'And this tournament will be quite the way to discover the answer.'
[ ... ]
"Hey!" The vision came to an abrupt end when Yuji came to his senses at the calling of the male he found eating before. Now having a closer look at him, he had blue hair carefully combed over his scalp, some of that hair escaping from the smoothness with noticeable spikes, including the hinges that framed his left face. Above those bangs were an array of blonde hair that took a sharp turn upward when they intersected with the bangs.
"You alright?!"
"Uh- Yeah.. I'm alright.. Just a headache is all.." Yuji shook his head softly, waving off the stranger's concerns.. Before he remembered the situation. Quickly, he grabbed the guy and put him into a headlock.
"Agh- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"I don't know who you are and I'm pretty sure you're stealing out of my friend's schoolhouse fridge!" Yuji quickly responded, now engaging in a wrestling match with the invader.
"I was enjoying a nice dinner! You got a problem with that?! Lemme give ya som'a this then!"
...the wrestle ended up short, as Yuji in quick succession had the stranger pinned in a deadlock. To that end, he quickly pat the ground in surrender.
"Alright, alright, uncle! Uncle!"
Hearing this, Yuji released his grip on the other, who rose from the ground and dusted off his navy shirt.
"Ok, first off, who are you? Second off, how did you get in?"
. . .
"So your name is Hayai Yuugo, you're from another dimension that has some city where it's basically one half floating over the other: split between the wealthy and the poor, who refer themselves as Tops and Commons respectively.. And you got here thanks to a dimensional transporter you accidentally found while stealing parts for your Dueling Motorcycle from a junkyard.. Chasing after a guy who looked like you.. Only to find another guy who looked like you?"
Yuugo nodded. "Yeah, and I suddenly end up outside the school, go and grab a bite to eat and in the middle of my meal, I saw you having some kinda episode and when I went to help ya ya put me in a headlock!"
[ ... ]
Walking through the halls of LDS was a male whose facial features matched Yuji's exactly. Though, his hair not only faced the opposite direction of Yuji, but his front bangs were orange, curving downwards to frame around his face as opposed to Yuji's upward curve.
He wore a grey dress shirt with a red tie around his neck that bore the LDS Logo, along with a blue-violet blazer that had golden highlights along the shoulders and down the sleeves and around their red cuffs. His pants were a maroon color that fit cleanly atop his black tennis shoes.
"Hey, Ikki!"
Turning his head, his attention was brought to a fellow student in the same attire.
"Hm? What's up?"
"Ikki, look at this! The LDS Roster for the Maiami Championship! You made it, man! Congrats!"
Ikki blinked, his attention turning to the Duel Disk in his classmate's hand. Grabbing it softly, he swiped his finger across the screen to examine the list..
Before long, he found a name he hadn't recognized..
"Hey. Who is this Kurosaki Shun? I don't recognize that name."
"Ya don't know 'em? Weird. Woulda figured you would seeing how much Kotsu-san and them like 'em."
"Masumi?" Ikki quipped a brow, turning his attention to the screen carefully. 'Something's not right..'
[ ... ]
"Dad.. Today's the day I finally take part in the Maiami Championship.. Maybe here's where I'll find my start.."
"You won't be finding any start if you're disqualified, Mister."
His head turned, seeing his mother with her hands on her hips with a soft grin.
"Oh.. Hey, Mom."
"Yuya."
Feeling a pair of hands grasping his shoulder, Yuya quickly relaxed when he realized it was his mother.
"This isn't the place you should be settling this battle of yours.." This piqued Yuya's interest, finally getting the boy to look to his mother who nodded softly. "It's there." Pointing forward, Yuya's eyes followed the direction it went to land on the Maiami Stadium building.
"...you're right." Yuya lifted his goggles, determination filling his eyes.
[ ... ]
"Now, Duelists. On your entry of the stadium, you all were given a card containing the data you need regarding the Championship. On each card, it contains records of your progress in the Championships and some basic data on your next scheduled opponent."
Smiley explained to the contestants, who all on cue drew a card from their pockets.
"If you would please, insert these cards into your Disks and they will inform you of your duel times and your first opponents."
The You Show group all looked to one another, nodding softly before following the instructions.
When Yuji saw his Duel Time, he grumbled. "I don't even get to duel until the third night?! Man.."
"I'm dueling.. Masumi..!" Yuzu's eyes widened at the screen, Yuya and Yuji's heads perking up at the information.
"Well, Yuzu, I'm sure you'll win this time!" Yuya pumped a fist, Yuzu nodding.
"Well, who are you dueling, Yuya."
Yuya then looked over to his own Disk. Seeing the information that covered the screen, he sweatdropped.
"Looks like I'm dueling Sawatari.."
"Well, I just hope he doesn't try and steal your cards again." Yuzu sighed, crossing her arms.
Yuya nodded softly, turning back to Yuji with a quipped brow. "You didn't mention who you were dueling, Yuji."
Yuji then chuckled, "Oh, right! I should check that." Looking down toward his Disk, he examined the screen carefully, reciting the name listed as he examined the picture of the duelist he was to face. "Bakura.. Ryou.."
[ ... ]
Shun examined his Duel Disk's screen after inserting the data card. Reading the time and date, his eyes quickly scanned over to who his opponent was.
"Shiun'in.. Sora."
"That's your opponent, huh?"
Shun raised his eyes from his disk, having met with a pair of blue eyes. These blue eyes were owned by Yuuta, who waved a hand.
"You.." Shun thought back, recalling the records of the duelists he read from the files Reiji gave him on each LDS duelist participating. "You're... Ikki Yuuta, right?"
[ ... ]
"It seems the first victor of the Junior Youth Division of the Maiami Championship is Rebecca Hopkins~!" Smiley called, a cheer erupting from the crowd.
On stage stood a small girl with blonde hair dressed into pigtails. She wore a blue blazer with a white dress shirt beneath and a blue skirt. Making a spin around with a smile, she happily skipped off the stage. Her opponent was laid out on the ground with wide eyes, one twitching.
"How did I.. Lose..?"
"Allllright, folks! Let's get on to the second match of the Junior Youth Division! For this match we have the daughter of Hiiragi Shuzo, the princess of You Show, Hiiragi Yuzu-san~!" Cheers erupted from the crowd as Yuzu stood on one end of the stage, a smile on her face as she looked out to the crowd.
"YOU'VE GOT THIS YUZU~! FIGHT! FIGHT!"
Yuzu let out a sheepish giggle as she rubbed the back of her head, a blush covering her cheeks as she heard her friends cheering for her. "Ahaha.. Um. Guys~, you can stop now.."
"And facing her in battle today is the top representative for the Fusion Course in LDS, Kotsu Masumi-san~!"
On cue, the girl walked onto the stage, giggling at the cheers surrounding her. "It seems you have quite the fans, Yuzu. Most duelists use that as a sign that they've grown." Masumi stated, looking to Yuzu with a smirk.
"I have you to thank for that." Yuzu smiled, "I doubt I could have gotten how far I have without that loss." Then, she softly raised a hand, slowly clutching a fist, and making a smirk. "But that changes here! Today, I'll be beating you as my first step to the finals!"
"Hmhmhm.. Is that so?" Masumi chuckled at the proclamation, "I can't wait to see how you do that, then."
"Now for this duel I believe this Action Field will be perfect for such a duel!"
With a snap, the stadium was encased in light, a beam shooting toward the sky. In the wake of the light, the stage turned into a towering structure made entirely of bridges. Now, Masumi and Yuzu each stood on the two highest bridges, parallel from one another.
"Now that the stage is set, it's time, everyone, for a second spectacular duel!"
"You heard him, Yuzu. It's time to get this show on the road." Masumi raised her wrist, the device expanding to Disk mode before protruding its blade.
Yuzu followed suit, presenting her arm forward as the Disk shuffled her cards. "You're right. This is gonna be one to remember! Let's go!"
"DUEL!"
〘 Let the Fun Begin! 〙
【 OPENING CUE: CLOSER〚 INOUE JOE 〛】
「Michika ni Aru Mono..」
Yuji drew a card from the top of his Deck, looking to it with a smile. Sliding it onto the blade of his Disk, Masked HERO Ruby appeared behind him, alongside Emerald and Topaz. The three of them leaped forward as Yuji watched them with a smile. Beginning to walk forward, he watched as crystals flew across the sky in streams made of their respective colors.
「Tsuneni- ki wo tsu-ketenai to..」
Yuya raised his hand toward the sky, Stargazer and Timegazer Magician on either side of him lifting their hands in the same direction. On cue, three beams shot down from the sky, the red one being the one followed by the camera as it struck the earth with a burst. Emerging from it was Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, who let out a roar.
「Ama- rini chi-ka sugite..」
Yuzu put her hand to her chest as three girls with outfits that had musical notes on them flew above her. They entered a fusion vortex and arriving from it was one in a large dress.
「Miu-shinatte shi-masou..」
Yuji stopped when he met up with the two of them, watching them walk ahead slightly as he turned his head to look behind him. From there, he could see many duelists of varying outfits and styles to them, including Yu and Joichi who both turned their gaze in either direction to different contestants in the same line. On Yuya's end, he stepped to the front of the stadium, raising a fist. Confetti would fly out from the stands as the camera moved upward to the bright blue sky above.
「Instrumental」
Yuji spun around, his eyes landing on a figure in a brown trench coat walking away. Trying to chase after them, he reached out his hand to grab at their coat, but when it seemed to make contact, the figure vanished. A swing of a pendulum cut to Yuya with a bright smile as he walks on stage. Just as his foot touches the stage, though, a black miasma shot up from his feet and swallowed his entire form. Raising a hand to block what of the miasma obscured view of him, he emerged with a purplish black aura that outlined his frame. His pupils emit a bright red glow that dimmed his irises to a dark crimson, while his mouth slowly curled into a malicious grin.
「Anata ga sai~kin tai~ken shita..」
The Action Card scattering sequence being the next transition, it turns to Yuji walking down the road. On his walk, he stopped by You Show Duel School. Staring at the school for a moment, he was startled and jumped out of the way of Sora, who dropped to the ground in front of him with a lolipop in hand. Behind him approached Yuya and Yuzu, the latter of which carrying a sheepish smile on her face. After a laugh from the other three, Yuji entered into the conversation.
「Shiawase wa ittai nandesu ka?」
Another break. This time, it transitioned to Yu and Joichi walking up a hill just beside a High School courtyard. When they reached the top of the hill, they stopped by a tree, where they both sat against it. Looking up, joining them from not far ahead was Hiroto and Anzu, who both smiled to them. Together, they shared a laugh during the midst of their conversation, until Joichi made a comment in the middle of it that earned him a punch across the jaw from the girl.
「Megumare su-gi-te ite..」
A lolipop would spin, heading for the skies. Though, before it reach too far up, gravity would take its toll and bring it downward. Saving it once again from going to far was a swipe from an arm, Sora's to be exact. The boy would give off a grin and place it into his mouth. Ayu, Futoshi, and Tatsuya spectated, quipping their brows as they looked to Sora with a sweatdrop. Next to the boy in question was a trashcan that carried a box that used to be filled with lolipops.
「Omoi-dase-na~i ka-mo..」
Behind Yuji came a collection of silhouettes that clashed with fellow silhouettes on Yuya's side. While the silhouettes on Yuya's resembled elements, the ones Yuji stood by were colored in outlines of green, purple, indigo, and red respectively. Breaking the feud between the figures were Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Ruby, who clashed fist to claw. As they all flew upward, the camera lowered to Yuji and Yuya, who looked toward one another with a grin. In a flash, the two jumped forward, clashing their Duel Disk blades against one another.
「Ima koko ni iru koto..」
A tan male with sand blonde hair stood next to a female of similar height who wore an Egyptian Priestess-like dress. The two looking to one another, they spoke briefly before nodding, turning to head in opposite directions. As they left, the screen shattered and suddenly the coloration of the environment went to negative. Standing in the center of this was Aigami, his golden eyes gleaming in the reflection of the object floating between his hands. It was a large orange cube that emit a bright light that outlined itself. Behind him was a female figure in a skin-tight white sight with a coat over it that was also white, but with black undertones and red highlights. Her face was covered with a white mask that shared blue lights in lines across it with the rest of her outfit.
「Iki wo shite iru koto..」
Sora, who clicked at the lolipop in his mouth with his teeth, began walking forward with his face slowly becoming more and more sinister. On the other side of him was Shun, whose glare was unwavering as he followed in this gesture. As the two got closer to one another, two figures would arise behind them. On Sora's side, he had a giant mechanical behemoth that had the upper bodies of several stuffed animals attached to its three springs. For Shun, he had his trusty Raidraptors - Rise Falcon.
「Tada soredake no koto ga..」
Yuzu's smiling face quickly turned to a somber frown. Bursting from beneath her was a purple mist, one that quickly formed the shape of a cackling evil grin that grew massive behind her. Leaping upwards to try and escape, gravity began to pull her down into the mist's core. As she was falling, she reached up to the skies above, a white gloved hand reaching for her.
「Kiseki dato kidzuku-」
Reiji would lift his hand, showing he carried in it three cards, sliding all three of them down onto his Duel Disk's blade. Looking upward soon, three copies of Hell King Armageddon emerged from a light just above, beams firing down toward the nearby Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon. The dragon moved swiftly to gracefully dodge the beams it moved closer. Once it drew in a close vicinity, it vanished in a blur before the next beam could strike. Reappearing right in front of the center Armageddon, it threw forward its head ready to stab into it with its jaw blades.
「Michika ni aru mono..」
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and another Dragon of similar features became shrouded in light of red and green respectively. Afterwards, they would swirl over one another and form a vortex, all before exploding into blue light that would become ice, revealing underneath a sky blue dragon with a red and green eye as well. Pushing the entire scene aside had been Ruby, who crossed his arms as he backflipped into a vortex. Emerging from the vortex was a masked figure whose armor split into two distinct sides. Emerald-green jadeite with yellow streaks for highlights, and a jet-black onyx with purple streaks for highlights. Moving further up, their could be seen that around its neck was a silver scarf that flowed in the wind, and a black fedora with a green hat sash on top of its helmet. In their hand they held a lapis gun with topaz streaks around its center. Raising the gun toward the screen, it shot a green beam forward.
「Tsuneni- ki wo tsu-ketenai to..」
Yuugo raced forward on a white motorcycle with black undertones, yellow highlights, and red streaks. Flying not far behind was a black dragon covered in white and blue scales that shone a bright green as it flew freely in the air. Yuugo then revved his engine as he screeched to a halt with a spin, the dragon following in this action. When it did, the trail it had spun into a massive gust of wind that covered the screen.
「Ama - ri ni chi-ka sugite..」
A boy who looked alike to Yuji, though his hair faced the opposite direction and his bangs were orange rather than dirty blonde, raised a hand and swiped it over his Duel Disk's blade.
「Miu-shinatte shi-masou..!」
Shun would land atop of his Rise Falcon, standing up as he crossed his arms. The wind blowing over him as the mechanical bird dashed through the air. Raising his hand forward, he would leap forward as Rise Falcon would engulf itself in flames and push forward.
「You know the closer you get to something..」
Joichi ran over to a girl with a similar hairstyle to his, though longer and brown colored, who met eyes with him and smiled back. Though, after they spoke a bit, the girl lowered her head with a somber expression, turning away. This caused Joey to watch her walk off with a small frown that transitioned into a glare as it changed to him being on a stadium. On the other side was a shorter boy wearing a green jacket and a red beanie who laughed as a giant red armored tyrannosaurus emerged before him, ready to strike at any moment.
「The TOUGHER it is to see it..」
Tatsumi held his arm, looking at the crimson cubical behemoth that stood before him. Commanding the monarch was Aigami, who carried a confident demeanor over his face. Raising a hand, Aigami pointed forward as his monster raised its three tendril claws and fired a golden beam from each toward the foe.
「...and I'll never take it for granted..」
Yuya held his head, the dark aura returning over his body. As it did, a silhouette took shape behind him. The figure was inhumane, seeming to have several spikes protruding from its body. The most notable part of its appearance was that it had a red and green eyes gleaming through the obscurity.
「O-i tsud-zu-kete kita yume..」
Yuto pulled a pendant out of his pocket in the shape of a spade, clutching it tightly. Turning, he saw Ruri running to escape from a mechanical foot dropping down toward her. In quick reaction, Yuto raced over to Ruri, reaching out for her. Just as their hands seemed to meet, she disappeared from view. Finding himself in an alleyway, Yuto punched the wall in anger.
「Akiramezu ni susumeyo nante..」
Leaping out into the air was Masked HERO Ruby. Leaping after them were a collection of other beasts that snapped their jaws toward them. With a swift punch and kick, he knocked them back down to the direction they came. Turning their head, they saw Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon charging an attack, before firing it to obliterate the creatures that were knocked down.
「Kirei goto wo ieru hodo..」
The sand blonde walked away from the stadium. Slowly, his face grew into a wide smirk as behind him a blonde girl fell to the ground. In the stands, Joichi let out a scream in response. Afterwards, it transitioned to the boy who hung out with Yu and Joichi falling in the same manner, triggering screams from both Yu and Joichi.
「Nanimo dekicha inai kedo..」
Yuji stood parallel to a white haired male on the stadium. The two of them smiled to one another before drawing each of their first cards. With that, it transitioned to the white haired boy having a malicious grin as he stood on a pillar much higher above Yuji, who was on a knee with several burns and bruises.
「Hito nigiri no yuuki wo mune ni.. Ashita wo ikinuku tame ni..」
Yuya walked forward slowly, narrowing his eyes as they met with a male with brushed blonde hair, dressed in a flamboyant bull fighter-esque outfit. The two stopped at each edge of the field they stood upon, grasping a card from the top of their decks. Upon the cue of their draws, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and a trio of ninja-style dressed ferrets sprung forward from either side, clashing their blades with the former's claws. At the clash, a massive gust of wind would form.
「..and I'll never take it for granted..」
Yuzu had stood firm before Masumi, both challenging the other with their confident smirks. The blue haired doppelganger of Yuzu shot a glare in Seiji's direction, who had three Blue-Eyes Lunar Dragons hovering behind him. Her backup was a large woman who bore feline features and wore a Shrine Dancer outfit, carrying two fan shaped blades in either hand.
「Let's go!」
In a cheer, Yuya jumped to the sky as his Duel Disk's screen read WIN across it, and just behind him an explosion of red light. Making his landing, Yuya would stand in the center of the Miami Championship stage, all the characters in the opening were standing around him. Soon, all of the characters' Ace Monsters would emerge, flying into the air above them.
『 Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Dimensions: ARC-V 』
【 Fourth Duel: Encore! The Fusion Concert! 】
【 BGM CUE: I'LL FACE MYSELF (BATTLE) 〚SHOJI MEGURO〛 】
〖 Yuzu: 4000 〔Hand: 5〕〗
〖 Masumi: 4000 〔Hand: 5〕〗
"I'll be making the first move, Yuzu." Masumi looked at her hand carefully, pulling a card from it and presenting it. "I hope you haven't forgotten my specialty, Yuzu-san."
"Of course not." Yuzu stood firm, "I wouldn't be dueling you if that card wasn't in play."
"That's good, you recall one of my favorite cards." Masumi smirked, "I activate Gem-Knight Fusion! With its power, I fuse together Gem-Knight Lazuli and Gem-Knight Tourmaline from my hand!"
Leaping out before here were two knights, each made of the gemstone of their namesake.
"Gem tinged with lightning. Green stone of mysterious power. Now, become light and appear!"
Clasping her hands together over her head just the two knights touched palms, she hammered them down clutched tightly together as the two were absorbed into a twister of green and orange light.
"FUSION SUMMON!"
With a burst of energy, the light crackled the ground as the twister spun in the air. All before striking the ground.
"Level 5! Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli!"
The monster summoned emerged from the twister, swiping her arm to dispel the winds, which broke apart with a force that shook the tower of bridges below their feet.
《 Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli 》
〘 Rock/Fusion/Effect - EARTH | Level: 5 | ATK: 2400 〙
"Because Gem-Knight Lazuli was sent to the graveyard by a card effect, I'm allowed to use her effect to add a Gem-Knight normal monster from my graveyard to my hand. So Tourmaline returns to my hand."
Masumi reached to the front of her disk, a card sliding from the graveyard compartment that she pulled to her hand with a smirk.
"Now I'm sure you're familiar with the power of my Gem-Knight Fusion! I can banish 1 Gem-Knight in my graveyard to add it back to my hand, so I'll do so with Lazuli!"
Once again, she pulled a card from the graveyard compartment.
"Now I activate my fusion card once more! This time I'll be combining Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli with my Gem-Knight Tourmaline!"
The lady on his field floated up, as Tourmaline once again leapt out from Masumi's hand.
"Gem tinged with lightning. O noble graced with the mysterious power of lost stones. In a whirlpool of light combine to form a new dazzling radiance!"
Once again, she clasped her hands together, before hammering them down as the twister emerged.
"Fusion Summon!"
Once again, a figure emerged from the twister, this time adorned in golden armor.
"Behold! The warrior who pursues only victory! Gem-Knight Paz!"
《 Gem-Knight Paz 》
〘 Thunder/Fusion/Effect - EARTH | Level: 6 | ATK: 1800 〙
"Now I'll activate Monster Reborn from my hand! This card will let me Special Summon the Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli from my graveyard back to the field!
A patch of crystals shooting out of the ground next to her, they would shatter as Lady Lapis Lazuli reemerged.
"Two Fusion Monsters at once.." Yuzu narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not quite finished yet!" Masumi then raised a hand, "I activate the effect of Lady Lapis Lazuli! Once per turn: I can send a second Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli directly from my Extra Deck to the graveyard in order to inflict half the Lady Lapis on the field's current attack + 100 per monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck on the field!"
"Wha-" Before Yuzu could brace herself, she was struck by the overwhelming force of Lady Lapis Lazuli's bright blue aura that shot out at her. Losing her balance, she felt herself fling off from the edge of the top bridges.
"YUZU!" Cried out the You Show group (plus Gongenzaka) as they all watched from the seats on the sidelines.
Yuya stood with his eyes widened as he saw his childhood friend dropping from where she once stood.
"YUZUUU!"
Falling down toward the ground, she quickly swung an arm out. Just in time, her hand caught onto the rope at the edge of a bridge on the lower level. Pulling herself up, she grunted as she repositioned herself, following up by dusting off her clothes.
"WOOOOOOOOW~! Hiiragi Yuzu nearly had a terrible fall, but gracefully recovers by catching onto the railing of a lower bridge~!"
"Woah.. I've never seen Masumi go for such an aggressive attack on the first turn." Hokuto looked with a brief look of shock.
Yaiba, on the other hand, simply shrugged and sat back, resting his arm over the top of the empty chair between the two of them. "Maybe Matsumi just decided a quick victory's what works best here."
"Two Fusions at once.." The only comment Shun gave.
"Yeah, and knowing Masumi, there's more where that came from."
"Phew.. That was a close one."
〖 Yuzu: 1400 〗
"A close one it was." Masumi said, letting herself give a quiet sigh of relief to Yuzu's safety. "Now I'll set one card face down. It's your move, Yuzu."
Sliding a card down into the back slot of her disk, the facedown card appeared as a hologram next to her.
〖 Masumi:〔Hand: 0〕〗
"Masumi's taking this one serious." Yuji had his arms crossed as he sat in a line of the seats with the You Show group. "Normally she'd wait to Fusion Summon again until the next turn and drag the duel on, but.."
Yuya let out a sigh of relief as he sat back in his seat. "Well, Yuzu's ok. She's still got Life Points and a full hand. We just gotta trust that she's got this."
"I, the man Gongenzaka, agree with what Yuya's saying!" Gongenzaka gave a nod, giving Yuya a thumbs up.
Turning their attention back to the duel, both Gongenzaka and Yuya took a deep breath.
"COME ON, YUZUUUU~! YOU GOT THIIIIIIIIS!"
"It's getting intense, folks! With just the first turn, Masumi has taken a massive lead with two Fusion Monsters on her side of the field, and a 2600 LP gap! Can Yuzu-san turn the odds in her favor?!"
『 Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V 』
"Took more than half of my life points out and all on your first turn.. Well! I'll be sure to make a spectacle of my own first turn, too!" Yuzu grasped the top of her Deck, swiftly pulling a card from it. "Draw!"
〖 Yuzu:〔Hand: 6〕〗
"I'll start by playing my Ostinato from my hand! Because I control no monsters: I can Fusion Summon a Melodious monster by using 2 monsters straight from my Deck!" Yuzu presented a card forward. In its glow emerged a yellow sheet that slowly filled itself with musical notes.
"Fusion Summon?!" Masumi quipped a brow at the development.
'Yuto was right.. This girl.. Couldn't possibly be Ruri..' Shun refrained from speaking his thoughts on the matter aloud.
"Wow.. I definitely wasn't expecting that.. Masumi described her to be a pushover." Yuuta chuckled, sitting back in his chair as he watched.
"That's right! And the two monsters I will be fusing are Melodious Maestra - Prodigy Mozarta and Melodious Diva - Elegy!"
On her call, two women with musical note shaped wings and elaborate dresses with musical shapes in red for Mozarta and purple for Elegy emerged. In unison they both began to sing, as their bodies slowly compressed into musical notes that further filled out the yellow sheet summoned by Yuzu's spell.
"Now that the piece is complete! It's time to play it for everyone!" Yuzu began to slowly raise her hands. "Enchanting voice! Melodical genius! By the guidance of the baton, gather your power!" Soon, the notes on the page gained an orange glow while the lines glew green.
Before long, the page burst into a puff of smoke that spun through the air and collected into the shape of a demisemiquaver.
"Fusion Summon!"
As Yuzu's hands clasped together, the note burst, emerging from the smoke a woman in an elaborate black and orange dress with pink fabric decorated across with golden edges and a gold horn-like wrapping around her waist. Her collar was at an exaggerated height and nearly aligned with the golden tiara adorned on her head. The tiara was what kept the wavy ginger hair the woman had frow flowing over her face as it blew in the wind. True to her chant, she held a golden handled baton in hand, one she waved to either side as musical notes began to appear around her body.
"Welcome to the stage! Melodious Maestra - Meisterin Schubert!"
Cheers roared from the crowd as Schubert took a bow.
《 Melodious Maestra - Meisterin Schubert 》
〘 Fairy/Fusion/Effect - LIGHT | Level: 6 | ATK: 2400 〙
"Impressive.. You managed to Fusion Summon, something I wasn't expecting of you, Yuzu." Masumi chuckled at the development.
"Well, I'm only going to continue from here! I activate the Spell Sforzando from my hand! When the only monster I control is a Fusion Melodious monster, I can destroy cards on my opponent's field depending on the number of Fusion Materials used to summon it!" Pointing forward, she grinned. "With it, I'll be destroying your Lady Lapis Lazuli and that set card in your back row!"
Masumi grit her teeth as another yellow music sheet appeared. The notes on it then emit a sudden red glow. With this glow, the notes grew comedically gigantic, flopping over both Lady Lapis Lazuli and Masumi's facedown card before her.
"Now with those both out of the way, I'm free to activate Schubert's effect! On the turn she's summoned: I can banish cards from my opponent's graveyard that were used for a Fusion Summon! So I'll banish your Lady Lapis Lazuli, Tourmaline, and Gem-Knight Fusion!"
"If Schubert does that, then that means she won't be able to recycle Gem-Knight Fusion anymore!" Ayu cheered.
Sora shrugged, licking at her lollipop. "Of course she'd think of a contingency plan for that. She was taught Fusion by yours truly." Leaning back in his chair, Sora twirled the lollipop in his hand, "Aggression isn't a factor when it comes to Yuzu.. I've made doubly sure she can handle a small thing like that."
"Wow.. She got rid of Lady Lapis Lazuli in order to set up her next move." Yuuta crossed his arms as he nodded thoughtfully, "Gotta say, that's definitely a commendable move."
"Agh! Masumi's losin' her grip on this!" Hokuto gripped onto the edge of the armrests on his seat.
"Because 3 cards were banished by Schuberta's effect: She gains 600 ATK until the End Phase!"
《 Melodious Maestra - Meisterin Schuberta 》
〘 ATK: 3000 〙
"Tch..!" Masumi clenched her teeth as she saw Schuberta waving her baton more.
"Now I'll activate the Equip Spell: Sword of Dagla! Any Fairy-Type monster equipped with this card gains 500 ATK!"
《 Melodious Maestra - Meisterin Schuberta 》
〘 ATK: 3500 〙
"Incredible! Not only has Yuzu-san eliminated the majority of Masumi-san's forces, but she's also increased her monster's battle power to over 1000 points higher!"
"Yuzu! Go for it!" Yuya cheered, raising a fist.
"SHOW HER YOUR HOT BLOODED SPIRIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Screamed her father, waving a You Show Duel School flag.
"As much as I want to cheer for Yuzu, I'm kind of embarrassed sitting next to this man.." Yoko placed a hand over her face softly.
"Battle!" Schuberta, focused her gaze on Paz, who remained firm in his stance. "Meisterin Schuberta, attack Gem-Knight Paz!" Schuberta twirled her baton as she pointed it upwards. "Wave of the Great!"
Bringing her baton down at Yuzu's call, a massive gust of pink light swirled in a twister heading in Paz's direction. The knight, unable to hold back the force, soon found himself swallowed by it, disintegrating as the gust cut forward, Masumi leaping out of the way from it as the bridge she once stood upon snapped.
With a flip, Masumi landed on the bridge just below, parallel to Yuzu once again.
〖 Masumi: 2300 〗
"The second effect of Sword of Dagla now activates! When the equipped monster inflicts battle damage to my opponent, I gain LP equal to the damage inflicted!" Schuberta spun, her baton sprinkling droplets of gold light over Yuzu's body. The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath as her LP began to revitalize.
〖 Yuzu: 3100 〗
"You're quite resilient now, I see.." Masumi chuckled, looking at her opponent with a smirk. "However, what you've shown won't be enough to stop me."
"You say that, but there's no more options left for you." Yuzu pulled two cards from her hand.
"I set 2 cards face down. Turn end." Raising her hand, Schuberta then suddenly glewed in pink light as the yellow sheet from Ostinato appeared once more. "At this moment, Ostinato's second effect activates. Schuberta is destroyed. But in her place comes the two monsters used as material to summon her!"
With a final bow, Schuberta was converted into musical notes for the sheet. After the transfer was complete, orange and green light shot out from the sheet's back in either direction. Emerging from either light were both Mozarta and Elegy, who floated firmly in front of Yuzu.
《 Melodious Maestra - Prodigy Mozarta 》
〘 Fairy/Effect - LIGHT | Level: 8 | ATK: 2600 〙
《 Melodious Diva - Elegy 》
〘 Fairy/Effect - LIGHT | Level: 5 | ATK: 2000 〙
"While Elegy is on the field, Melodious monsters cannot be destroyed by battle. Another bonus from her is that all my Fairy monsters gain 300 ATK."
To emphasize her point, Elegy sang and held a C Major note, Elegy and Mozarta's bodies being quickly encompassed in golden auras.
《 Melodious Maestra - Prodigy Mozarta 》
〘 ATK: 2900 〙
《 Melodious Diva - Elegy 》
〘 ATK: 2300 〙
"Incredible, folks! With just one turn, Yuzu-san has not only turned the tables, but has gotten out two powerful monsters just as Masumi-san had in her last turn! What will happen next folks?!"
Yu, Joichi, Anzu, and another male with brown hair dressed in a military cut with what length of his hair pointed outward were all sitting in a line with one another, spectating the duel.
"So, whaddaya think, Yu?" Joichi looked to his shorter friend, "These two pretty evenly matched, eh?"
"Every card can make a huge difference, Joey." Yu straightened his glasses, "We'll just have to wait and see."
"It's my turn." Masumi grabbed at the top of her Deck, drawing the top card from it. "You may have learned Fusion, but it's not going to be enough to stop me."
"Don't put on the tough act! You only have 1 card in your hand, and you have no access to your Gem-Knight Fusion! That's hardly enough to turn things around." Yuzu furrowed her brows at Masumi's proclamation.
"Oh..? Is that so?" Slowly, Masumi turned the card in her hand, presenting it to Yuzu across from her. "This card says otherwise.. Brilliant Fusion!"
"What's that card?" Yuzu cocked a brow.
"Your Ostinato's effect is quite similar to Brilliant Fusions. Now I can also Fusion Summon using monsters straight from my Deck. Benefit to me though is that there's no limit to the number of monsters I use for a monster this card creates."
Finding the audible gasp Yuzu gave in response amusing, Masumi smirked as she looked down. Seeing three cards sticking out from the card stack, she grabbed at them and presented them to Yuzu.
"The monsters I choose to fuse are Gem-Knight Obsidia, Gem-Knight Lapis, and Gem-Knight Emerald!" Throwing the three cards into the air, beams shooting up from the Spell projection. "Brilliant emerald of good fortune! Jet-black stone of darkness! Lavender gem of wisdom! In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth the brightest gem!" Raising her hands, she clapped her hands together tightly, hammering them down as per usual. "Fusion Summon!"
Colliding into one another, three streams of blue, red, and yellow raced towards the sky. In a burst of light gleaming from the sky, the streams were absorbed into a spherical collection of green and orange light swirling violently. The sphere soon exploded with a silver light. This silver light soon coalesced into the shape of a tall figure.
"Take a look! Here is the embodiment of my radiance! Level 10, Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Dia!"
《 Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Dia 》
〘 Rock/Fusion/Effect - EARTH | Level: 10 | ATK: 0 〙
With a swing of her giant sword, the gemstones covering her body all shone brightly. Though, in all her luster, quickly her brightness toned down.. Entirely.
"While Brilliant Fusion is quite the incredible card, the drawback to using its power is that any monster I summon with it is immediately brought to 0 ATK and DEF." Masumi then gestured her hand toward her graveyard compartment. "Though, before I get to that, we'll be covering Obsidia's effect! Because she was sent to the graveyard via a card effect: Obsidia allows for me to Special Summon a Gem-Knight normal monster from my graveyard. Now return to the field, Gem-Knight Lapis!"
Leaping from a portal to the abyss was a blue armored knight who stood next to Brilliant Dia.
"You brought that out, but what exactly are you going to do with it..?" Yuzu quipped a brow, having seen no use in the maneuver.
"What I'm going to do with it is activate Brilliant Dia's effect!" Masumi gestured to her Fusion. "With its power, I can send a Gem-Knight monster I control to the graveyard in order to Special Summon a Gem-Knight fusion monster from my Extra Deck without the need of Fusion Summoning it."
"What?!" Yuzu's eyes shot wide as Brilliant Dia placed her sword over Lapis's head.
In a burst of light, Lapis was encased in diamonds, before it soon shattered to reveal a larger figure that held their sword toward the ground.
"I believe you're familiar with this monster. Its name is Gem-Knight Master Dia!" Masumi grinned.
《 Gem-Knight Master Dia 》
〘 Rock/Fusion/Effect - EARTH | Level: 9 | ATK: 2900 〙
"Don't forget. Master Dia gains 100 ATK for each and every Gem monster in my graveyard. If I recall correctly, there are 6 in the graveyard."
《 Gem-Knight Master Dia 》
〘 ATK: 3500 〙
"While she does have a really powerful Master Dia.. How exactly does she plan to win if she only has 1 monster that can make an attack." Sora nibbled on his lollipop.
"What's she going to do with that..?" Yuya raised a brow, tilting his head softly.
"I can assure you that Masumi is about to answer your question." Yuji said with a frown, attention focused on the duel. "As I've known her, she always has a plan no one expects."
Masumi looked down, then began to rush forward. Leaping off the bridge she stood upon grabbing onto the rope of the bridge above to swing down. Letting go of the rope just in time to launch herself toward the bridge below, she did a tumbleroll on the landing.
"WHAT'S THIS?! Folks, Masumi-san just made an incredible leap onto a bridge below! What could possibly be the reason for such a maneuver?!"
Cries of shock and awe sprung out from across the stadium as the crowd seemed mixed on the action.
"Masumi! Why did you do that?!" Yuzu looked down at her with wide eyes.
"Well.. Perhaps explaining this will shed some light on the matter." Masumi slowly stood from her crouch, turning her head towards Yuzu. "By discarding a Spell from my hand, Brilliant Fusion permits the monster summoned through its effect to have its original ATK power until the end of my opponent's next turn."
《 Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Dia 》
〘 ATK: 3400 〙
"That's the way, Masumi!" Hokuto cheered, raising a fist.
"Two monsters with over 3000 ATK, Hmph. If Yuzu can't defeat this, then she lacks the ability to achieve the goal she boasted at the start." Shun crossed his arms.
"Wow, you managed to say something." Yuuta quipped. Then, he turned toward the duel. "But, yeah, you're right. If Hiiragi-san is gonna win.. She'll have to figure out a way around that."
"I activate Gem-Knight Master Dia's effect. By banishing one of the Lady Lapis Lazuli's in my graveyard: Master Dia gains its effect!"
"Oh no! If that effect goes through, Yuzu's gonna lose..!" Ayu held her mouth with a shriek.
"C'mon, Yuzu..!" Yuya grit his teeth as he saw what was about to occur, "You can do this.."
"C'MON, YUZUUUUUU! YOUR HOT BLOODED SPIRIT WON'T LET YOU LOSE LIKE THIIIIIIIIS!"
"Here it comes, Yuzu." Pointing toward Yuzu, "Master Dia's new effect activates! By sending a Lady Lapis Lazuli from my Extra Deck to the graveyard, I can deal you damage equal to half Master Dia's current attack +100 for every monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck currently on the field!"
Raising his sword, Master Dia slashed down toward Yuzu, sending a massive wave of rainbow energy toward Yuzu.
"Not so fast!" Swiping the screen of her Disk, one of the two card projections flipping upward. "I activate Ritardando! By discarding a Melodious monster, all damage I take this turn is halved!"
As the wave struck Yuzu, she was flung over the railing, throwing her off and breaking through the bridge she once stood on. Quickly, Yuzu grabbed onto the rope of the bridge half swinging downwards. Leaping off with a somersault, she landed with a crouch onto the next bridge below, her weight causing it to bounce briefly.
〖 Yuzu: 1250 〗
"It's impressive you managed to survive that. Let's battle!" Masumi threw a hand forward. "Master Dia attacks Melodious Diva - Elegy!"
With a leap, the behemoth leapt out and slashed across Elegy's chest, causing her to burst in light that struck Yuzu's side, throwing her back against the bridge's railing. The girl grunted as she threw her head down, letting out a groan.
〖 Yuzu: 700 〗
"Urgh.. It's a good thing.. I played Ritardando.." Yuzu breathed heavily, as she slowly stood.
"Now, Lady Brilliant! Attack her Mozarta!" Raising her sword, Lady Brilliant Dia slashed down toward Mozarta, cutting through her as the gust flew toward Yuzu, who raised an arm to guard burst, a few bruises emerging over her wrists.
〖 Yuzu: 300 〗
"When all my monsters are destroyed, and they were all "Melodious" monsters: I can activate my Continuous Facedown Rubato!" Yuzu weakly threw a hand out, the second facedown flipping face up. "Though.. I'll get to more about its effect later.."
"You're holding onto a tiny shred of hope. I'm shocked you can still have such optimism. Next turn, you will be completely destroyed." Masumi crossed her arms, shaking her head softly. "But.. If you can't accept that for yourself, then go ahead."
"Geez.. Way to lay it down for her." Hokuto cringed, feeling sorry for Yuzu, who was at the receiving end of that statement.
"Well.. How harsh it is doesn't really matter when it's all true.. If Hiiragi doesn't make this next move count, Masumi's gonna wipe her out."
"Geez, Masumi.." Yuuta winced, the twin having seen the events of the duel thus far, "I know we gotta win, but not that badly!"
"Pfft! Winning's all she's gonna do!" Hokuto swiftly changed gears.
"Yeah! Get her Masumi!" …it seemed Yaiba followed suit.
"Tch.." Yuzu glared up toward Masumi. "No matter how bad this gets.. I'm not giving up! It's my turn!"
〖 Yuzu:〔Hand: 1〕〗
"During my Standby Phase, for Rubato to remain on the field, I must sacrifice half my Life Points."
〖 Yuzu: 150 〗
"But, in exchange, I can also draw a card for each Melodious monster that was destroyed last turn!" Slowly, Yuzu grasped at the top of her Deck, closing her eyes softly. 'This next draw.. Has to be the one that changes everything..!' Opening her eyes, her face steeled with determination. "I'll place everything on this.. I draw!"
Reiji and Himiko both watched the Duel silently,
Reiji's hands were shuffled over one another beneath his chin as he examined each move carefully. Through his mind, he was breaking down each action either Duelist took to their cores: running them back in his mind based on what information of them he had filed in his recollection.
"I see no point in watching the inevitable." Sighing, Himiko got up from her chair. Beginning to turn away, Himika began walking back into the building just beyond.
"We might as well call off the match here. Hiiragi has nothing to offer that will change the obvious outcome of this duel." She turned to Reiji, who remained stationary, "Do you hear me? This is Masumi's victory. Call the mat-"
"Wait."
The word her son finally spoke cut the woman off, spawning silence from her.
"You may think you have an idea how this Duel's going to go.. But it seems it's about to go differently than you would expect."
"What on Earth are you talking abou-" Himika turned fully to face him, but then her attention instinctively moved to the field. And as she saw.. Her eyes bulged out of her skull.
『 Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V 』
【 BGM CHANGE: TAKE OVER〚 LYN INAIZUMI 〛 】
Yuzu pulled at the top of her Deck with a powerful swing of her arm. At the draw, a pulse of energy soon rippled out from her Disk. This ripple was coated in musical notes as it brushed over the entire stadium. In response, the crowd gave audible gasps in shock and awe.
"Impressive light show.. But does it have anything to do with how you'll turn this around?"
"Well.." Yuzu smirked, oblivious to her bracelet now beginning to exude a bright glow. "I bet these will help you see what I'm up to!" Presenting two cards in her hand, she smirked. With a twirl of her wrist, she slid the two across the blade of her Duel Disk. "With Scale 3 Melodious Composer - D'Arezzo and Scale 9 Melodious Composer - Beethova, I set the Pendulum Scale!"
Pendulum Scale
《 Melodious Composer - D'Arezzo 》
〘 Scale 3 〙
《 Melodious Composer - Beethova 》
〘 Scale 9 〙
"What?! A Pendulum Scale?!" Masumi's eyes shot wide, stepping back as two emerged from pillars of light that shot up from the ground next to Yuzu.
"What.. The..?!" Shuzo's eyes bulged out of his skull.
"Y-Y-Yuzu-oneechan set a Pendulum Scale just now!" Ayu screamed.
"I'm feeling.. The.. The shivers~!" Futoshi wiggled to either side in his seat.
"Yuya, did you know about this?" Yuji looked at the tomato haired boy, who shook his head, unable to look away from the duel.
"No, not at all! I have no idea how she even got those!" Yuya shook his head to either side.
"Before we continue, allow me to give you an idea as to what my Melodious Composer - D'Arezzo can do!" Yuzu raised a hand toward the girl on her left.
The woman was adorned with several golden rings hanging around her wrists, ankles, and ears adorned with musical sheet designs mimicking ancient scriptures. Over her body was a black dress that split into red down the waist. Gold lining along her skirt, musical notes tattered the line. Her exaggerated collar was shaped after a pair of headphones, wire strings protruding out of the collar and ring around the back of her head.
"When she's set in the Pendulum Scale and I control no monsters: I can add a Melodious monster from my Graveyard to my hand! So I add Melodious Maestra - Prodigy Mozarta!"
Gazing at the other monster, she smiled at the woman floating beside her. The woman was quite tall compared to D'Azerro, wearing an illustrious white Victorian styled dress. Musical note patterns around her dress in silver, her skirt was designed after a piano. On her collar, there were two dials in place of the buttons.
"With you both by my side.. I know I can win this."
"Now hold on. This new development is interesting and all.. But how is it going to make you win?" Masumi quipped a brow.
"Hold on just a moment folks.. We've got ourselves a Pendulum Scale.. It looks like Pendulum's Founder, Sakaki Yuya, isn't going to be the first one to-"
"With my set scale.. I can simultaneously summon monsters from Levels 4 through 8!"
Yuzu placed her hands together as D'Azerro and Beethova floated higher into the air. Both of them slowly raised their hands toward the sky as the gleaming of Yuzu's bracelet shone brighter.
"Swing far, my melodic pendulum.. Play the calling tune that will bring my Divas to the stage!" Next to them, a portal slammed open, sparks emerging from it.
"I… Is this for real?!" Sora's jaw went unhinged, the lollipop in his mouth dropping to the ground.
"No way..!" Gongenzaka was unable to hide his shock.
"Is Yuzu about to..?!" Yuya's jaw dropped at the realization.
"Pendulum Summon!" Yuzu's eyes snapped open, a pair of beams striking the earth behind him as an explosion of colors followed. "This piece's performers are.. Level 4, Melodious Diva - Tamtam, and Level 8, Melodious Maestra - Prodigy Mozarta!"
《 Melodious Diva - Tamtam 》
〘 Fairy/Effect - LIGHT | Level: 4 | DEF: 2000 〙
《 Melodious Maestra - Prodigy Mozarta 》
〘 Fairy/Effect - LIGHT | Level: 8 | ATK: 2600 〙
"On her Special Summon, Melodious Diva - Tamtam allows me to add the Spell Fusion directly from my Deck to my hand!" Yuzu reached her hand over her card stack. Soon, a card shot out from her Deck into her hand. In a fluid motion, Yuzu twirled her wrist in a circle and slid the card she grabbed into the Disk. "Now, I immediately follow up by activating it! With its power, I can fuse Prodigy Mozarta together with Tamtam!"
At her command, the two monsters that appeared beside her leapt toward the twister projecting from the Fusion card.
"Melodic spirit! Supreme genius! Join your talents together to create a beautiful piece for all to enjoy, and summon forth the perfect songstress to perform it!" As the two were absorbed into the spell's effect, the twister soon grew in size. At its force, the entire Action Stage began to rattle, Masumi falling to a knee at the development. "Fusion Summon!" Yuzu then clasped her hands together with a loud pop at contact.
"Pendulum straight into Fusion?!" Sora's eyes shot wide at the development.
"She's taking control of this duel!" Yuya cheered, "Go Yuzu!"
"YUZUUUUUUU!" Shuzo stood once more, waving the Yusho Flag high in the air. "SHOW HER YOUR HOT BLOODED SPIRIIIIIIIIIIT!"
"I'd be cheering too if I weren't embarrassed.." Yoko looked to the others with a sweatdrop as the You Show group, excluding Yuji who was subbed with Gongenzaka, were all following Shuzo's motion, all carrying mini-You Show flags.
"YUZUUUU! YUZUUUU! YUZUUUU!" They all cheered, waving their flag to either side each time they called their classmate's name.
"Er.."
"Aw, don't be like that, Sakaki-san." Yuji looked toward his friend's mother with a soft smile, "I think it's great that they cheer like this. You really get a feeling of support."
"Now, come to the stage!" Yuzu raised a hand, the twister shattering in its wake. "It's time to sing for us the song of victory!"
Emerging from the vortex was a petit woman with large cerulean eyes. Her violet hair was dressed into three curls, one on top and two at the sides. Interestingly, her hair splits off into three different colors when approaching the curls. The top curl transformed into a blue with a hint of yellow undertone. The one on the right became completely pink. While the one on the left initially turned purple, but gradually returned to its original color at its edges.
She wore a blue dress that started darkening as it got to the bottom. So much so, it blended in with the pink flower pedals that sprouted from the golden hovering platform she stood upon.
"Here she is! The symbol of my radiance! Level 6! Floral Melodious Saint - Bloom Diva!"
With a spin, the now named Bloom Diva raised her arms as she sung a short tune.
《 Floral Melodious Saint - Bloom Diva 》
〘 Fairy/Fusion/Effect - LIGHT | Level: 6 | ATK: 1000 〙
"Because I used Tamtam to Fusion Summon, I can target the monster summoned with it as material and lower its ATK by 500!" Bloom Diva's body was submerged in orange light, grunting a bit as her power was drained.
《 Floral Melodious Saint - Bloom Diva 》
〘 ATK: 500 〙
"But in exchange, I get to deal 500 damage to you!" Yuzu pointed toward Masumi, who seemed unimpressed.
Bloom Diva threw up her hands as the orange aura surrounding its body, coalescing into an orb above her head. Throwing the orb in Masumi's direction, it started off slowly. Then, in a sudden burst of wind, the ball shot in blinding speeds at Masumi.
Losing sight of the orb, Masumi doubled over at a force striking her stomach. Looking down, she noticed the orange orb she just saw move. Before she could say anything, the orb spread to cover her entire body. Once encased in the orb, golden streams lined along the sides of the orb, music notes traveling along them as Masumi was submerged in electricity.
"GAAAGH!"
〖 Masumi: 1800 〗
"Agh.. Urgh.." Masumi shook her head, looking up toward Yuzu with a glare. "Am I supposed to be intimidated by this..? You Pendulum Summoned just to Fusion Summon a monster with barely the strength to stand up to any of my Knights, let alone my two most powerful." Dusting herself off, she narrowed her eyes. "Just as I thought. Your radiance is nothing but a frail gem incapable of shining alongside the others!"
"It's that thinking right there that's sealed your fate, Masumi." Yuzu smirked, "Now, Bloom Diva! Make your attack on Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Dia!"
"Wait, what?!" Futoshi blinked.
"Isn't Bloom Diva's attack 500?! Why would she attack Masumi's monster with 3400?!" Ayu placed a hand over her mouth.
"Don't worry guys, Yuzu's got this." Yuya smiled toward the field, "Yuzu wouldn't call this monster her ace for nothing."
"Tch-" Masumi furrowed her brows, raising her hand forward, "Lady Brilliant Dia! Attack!"
Lady Brilliant Dia raised her own massive sword, leaping toward Bloom Diva, who took a deep inhale.
"It's over, Yuzu! Take thi-"
"The power of Bloom Diva! Conventional battle doesn't apply to her! No battle damage or destruction!" Bloom Diva paused as Lady Brilliant Dia's sword struck her shoulder. "But I'd be concerned about what goes on after: See, your monster is going to be the topic of Bloom Diva's song!"
With a snap of her fingers, Yuzu watched as Bloom Diva began singing. Soon, her pink aura shot out from behind her and swallowed Lady Brilliant Dia.
"What the- What did you do to my monster?!"
"With Lady Brilliant Dia's destruction, Bloom Diva's final measure is to deal you damage equal to the difference between her current ATK and Brilliant Dia's ATK!"
Masumi's eyes shot wide, looking as Bloom Diva began to sing. The pink aura surrounding Bloom Diva's body swirled around her body, before spinning in a circular formation before her gathering energy.
Masumi quickly turned her head, jumping down to the bridge below. Amidst her jump, she grabbed a card leaning against a pole holding up the bridge she jumped from.
"I activate the Action Spell: Flame Guard! It allows me to reduce an instance of effect damage to 0!"
"Nice recovery, Masumi!" Hokuto cheered.
"Get heeerrr!" Yaiba cheered.
"That's not happening! I activate the Pendulum Effect of Melodious Composer - Beethova! When a Melodious Fusion monster activates an effect, Spell/Trap card effects cannot be activated until after it resolves!"
"What?!"
"YUZUUUUU! YOU'VE GOT THIIIIIIIIIS!" Shuzo waved his flag even faster.
"Masumi's gonna lose.." Yuji blinked, a smile building on his face. "Nice job, Yuzu.."
"It.. It can't be..!" Masumi braced herself as pink light began to overtake the Action Field.
"It can!" Yuzu pointed forward. "Curtains down! Floral Melodious Saint - Bloom Diva! Unleash your true power!" Beginning to sing once more, the circular floating before her shot out a blast that shot out. In its wake, it swallowed the entire Action Field as it flew toward Masumi. "Reflect Shout!"
Masumi let out a scream as her entire body was covered in a pink light. As the beam curled over her body, it soon burst into a beam shooting straight into the air.
【 BGM END 】
Yugo dropped his bowl of popcorn as his eyes were wide, glued to the television.
"I-"
Yugo raised a hand, about to comment, but the words didn't escape from his throat.
"What on-"
Yugo closed his eyes, shaking his head and opening them again. As he did, he looked to the TV again.
"Nah.. I ain't dreamin'.. She turned that duel around in an instant!"
"Yugo? You alright up there?" Yugo paused as he heard Emi's voice from downstairs.
"Oh- Uh. Yeah, I'm fine!" Yugo quickly ran over, peaking his head out the door as he called back.
"Er.. I'm not exactly sure how it just happened.. But in an instant.. Yuzu-san turned this duel around! With it, she made this her victory!"
〖 Masumi: 0 〗
In the dissipating light, the Infinite Bridge stage came brumbling down. Yuzu looked down, eyes wide with shock as she saw Masumi dropping toward the ground fast.
"Oh no.. Bloom Diva!" Yuzu called, her fusion nodding as it flew down in blinding speeds.
Yuzu herself, quickly took a leap, D'Arezzo and Beethova flying after her.
As Bloom Diva flew down, she spun in the air to increase her pace. Swinging around Masumi, she managed to stop just below her and grasp onto Masumi before she hit the ground. The girl who was caught opened her eyes slowly, gasping lightly when she saw Yuzu's monster smiling to her.
"Why.. Are you..?"
"Masumi!" The call of her name grasping her attention, Masumi looked over to see Yuzu diving toward her. Before she fell to the ground, though, Beethova waved her hand toward her. Soonafter, a platform of pink light appeared for her make a swift landing on.
Yuzu crouching down to lower the impact, musical notes floating around her to keep her afloat. "Are you okay?!"
"Hiiragi.. What are you worried about me for?!" Masumi shot a glare in Yuzu's direction, "You won the duel! Why are you concerned about someone who lost?!"
"I don't know how LDS goes, but You Show Duel School respects our opponents." Yuzu smiled softly as the two floated to the ground below. As they did, the monsters surrounding them fading. "Besides.."
Yuzu then raised out a hand toward the confused Masumi, her wide smile ever present.
"If it wasn't you I lost to on that day, I don't think I ever would've gained the strength I needed to beat you today." Yuzu smiled brightly, "So thank you for everything, Masumi!"
Masumi hesitated, thinking over how the Duel went. 'I.. I said some terrible things..' Turning her head away, Masumi's face gained a bright hue of red. Embarrassed at her behavior, she couldn't look Yuzu in the eyes as she took her hand.
"AAAAAAAAAAND THERE YOU HAVE IT, FOLKS! THE VICTORY OF THE JUNIOR YOUTH DIVISION'S SECOND ROUND IS… HIIRAGI YUZU-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAN~!"
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause as Yuzu shook Masumi's hand.
『 Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V 』
"Was that enough to dissuade you?" Reiji's attention turned back to Himika.
"How can you be so cold..? You should be infuriated, a representative of our school, the most prestigious Dueling Institute in the country, lost to a student, no, the daughter of the Principal of that run-down You Show Duel School!"
"LDS's image cannot be weighed the same as what we are looking for, Mother." Reiji stood from her chair. With a huff, he turned to walk inside the building. "Now, to run an analysis on the Duels we've seen thus far."
"Alright, folks! Before we move on to the Youth Division's first two duels this evening, we'll be having a 15 minute break!"
The crowd broke up, separating into the main building as the Stadium grew empty, leaving Yuzu and Masumi standing alone at the Stadium with just the You Show group, plus Gongenzaka, and Masumi's group of friends, plus Yuuta and Shun, in the stands.
"Yuzu!" The pinkette turning her head, she saw Yuya hop over the railing and rush over to her. "That was incredible! Where'd you get those Pendulum cards from?"
Hearing the question, Yuzu tilted her head, "I.. Actually don't know." Looking to her Duel Disk, she narrowed her eyes. "When I drew the cards.. They just appeared.. And.. It was instinctive. I just knew how to use them."
"That's like when I first Pendulum Summoned.." Yuya muttered to himself, tapping his chin.
"Well, whatever the big mystery is, we can figure it out later." Yuji shrugged as he walked over. "After all, the thing that matters most for now is that Yuzu won her Duel." Reaching over, he pat Yuzu on the back, smiling toward the others.
"Yuzu won, that's for sure." Yuji turned, hearing a familiar voice and smiling at who he saw walking over. "But I can assure you LDS is not out of the fight." Yuuta smirked toward his brother, placing a hand on his hip.
"Well, You Show's still standin' strong, ya hear? We got Duelists in every division!" Yuji raised a fist toward his twin.
"You're sure gung-ho." Yuuta chuckled, shrugging. "But, hey, at least you finally joined up with a Duel School.. Even if it's the lowest one in rank."
"I didn't like any of the other ones. But You Show I do like, so I'm hangin' out with them." Yuji chuckled.
"Uh- Sorry to interrupt, but.." Yuya raised a hand slowly. "Yuji.. Who is that?"
Yuji turned around, blinking. Then he threw an arm around Yuuta's neck and gave a toothy grin.
"This is my twin brother, Yuuta! Well? We almost look the exact same, eh?!"
Yuuta's brows drooped as he looked to Yuji, a sweatdrop. "Well, um, yes. I'm Yuji's twin. Ikki Yuuta. Please, take care of my brother for me?" Yuuta raised a hand with a chuckle.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Yuuta-san." Yuya smiled, "I'm Sakaki Yuya. If Yuji wasn't right next to me I don't think I would've recognized you as any different."
Yoko blinked, staring at the two boys for a moment. With a deep inhale, she clapped her hands together as her eyes became hearts.
"Oh my gosh, there's two of you~! That's so freakin' cute~!" Yoko leapt toward them and hugged the both of them tightly. Both Yuji and Yuuta flailed their arms at her grip.
"Mom.. I was trying to make a good first impression.." Yuya deadpanned.
Yuzu looked over to them with a soft smile, about to walk over when she heard a grunt behind her. Spinning around, she saw Masumi clearing her throat.
"Yuzu. I want you to have this." Opening Yuzu's hand, Masumi placed a card into it. "Consider it my apology for how I acted.. And a good luck charm for when you win."
"Win?" Yuzu quipped a brow.
"Yes. Win. I refuse to accept my loss unless it's to the Duelist who won the Championship." Masumi looked to Yuzu with a glare, "So you'd better do it."
Yuzu, looking to the card, softly nodded, "I will, Masumi. I'll keep the wins coming, and win the Championship!"
"That's the spirit." Masumi then turned, beginning to walk away with Hokuto and Yaiba.
This left just Shun, standing alone as the wind blew his coat along its path.
"Kurosaki.." Yuzu looked to him with furrowed brows. Shaking her head softly, she turned back to her friends. 'I don't know what's going on with that guy, but.. Winning this tournament is what I'll do.. Because then, I can confront Akaba Reiji about this.'
Noticing his chance, Shun swiftly turned away, closing his eyes as he left the scene.
In the food court, Yu's face was locked in a deadpan expression as Joichi was wolfing down two platefuls of Niku-Dango.
"Aw, man! I haven't eaten this good in a while!" Joichi pat his stomach after swallowing all of what he ate down, giving a hearty laugh. "Nothin' like some good meats to fill a hungry boy up!"
"You sure filled up.." With a huff, Hiroto threw his head to the side, puffing a cheek as he leaned away from Joichi.
"Well, of course I did, Hiroto!" Joichi raised a fist, smirking, "I may not be duelin' today, but I'm the first Youth match tomorrow! So I gotta fuel 'em for that while the clock's still tickin'!" Joichi gained a smirk, "After all, if I fill up, my energy'll be too high for me ta lose!"
"Well, I believe in you, Joey." Yu smiled to his friend, who responded with a nod.
"Thanks, Yu!" Joichi smiled to his friend.
"Never mind on that." Anzu shot a glare in Yu's direction, slapping a hand on the table. This caused Hiroto and Joichi to both jump. "Yu! It's time you told us where you've been!"
Yu, looking a bit dejected, lowered his head. "I promised them I'd keep everything a secret but.. I couldn't lie to you guys.." He slowly closed his eyes.
"I getcha, Yu." Joichi nodded, looking to Anzu. "Look, Anzu, here's the rundown.."
Yuto leaned back, now sitting alone in Joichi's apartment Shun and himself were using as a base of operations. Looking around, he saw the empty couch and kitchen. Just a few days ago, Shun and Joichi were in the kitchen arguing over the former's methods at approaching LDS. It was filled with unnecessary tension between the two, but it was something he greatly preferred to.. This loneliness.
"Our only lead was with LDS.. But now it seems like I'm back to square one.." Yuto raised his hand, reaching into his breast pocket. Drawing from its content, he produced a necklace with a spade-shaped crystal hanging from it. Focusing his gaze on it, he clenched the jewel tightly.
Yuto held the necklace in hand, a brow quipped. "A.. Necklace?" Looking up, he met eyes with Ruri, who smiled brightly to him.
"Mhm. Think of it as a good luck charm. You're going to be participating in the Duel Carnival coming up, right?" Ruri tilted her softly a bit.
Yuto, blinking, turned his head slightly to hide the red hue building across it. "Oh, uh, yes. As a matter of fact, I am." He then blinked, realizing how she worded the answer, "Wait. Ruri, does that mean you're not participating in the Duel Carnival?"
"As much as I'd love to, I can't. My Aunt and Uncle are coming to town, and Oniisan plans to use the Carnival as a way to avoid them. So, I'll be keeping them company while the tournament's going on." After that, the both of them shared a laugh.
"I guess I can't say that surprises me." Yuto thought about it, imagining how Shun would respond if asked on it. "I can imagine him going on a tangent about how annoyingly clingy they are." Another laugh between them.
"I suppose so, Oniisan isn't much of the affectionate type." Ruri tapped her chin, her bracelet bouncing against her wrist. "Though, I am going to miss being able to get together like this.. We won't be able to for a while."
"Yeah.." Yuto paused, looking to her free hand. Reaching forward, he stepped closer to her as he grabbed onto it softly. "I will too. So much so it might distract my dueling." He admit, bringing his free hand up to scratch the back of his head.
"Hmm.." Ruri hummed to herself, it seemed she was pleased with the response he gave. She then grabbed his other hand as he brought it down. "How about we make a promise?"
"Promise?" Yuto echoed.
"If you win the Carnival. No-" Ruri shook her head softly, pulling herself closer to pull him into an embrace, lying her head against his chest, "When you win. Why don't we celebrate by going to the Heartland Theme Park together? Just the two of us?"
"Ah.." Yuto thought over Ruri's proposal, wrapping his arms around the girl. Tightening the hug just a bit, he nodded with a toothy grin. "Y.. Yeah. I'd love that!"
"Great!" Ruri smiled as she closed her eyes, keeping her arms around him. The hug lasted a little longer before the two broke up from one another to gaze at each other.
"..it's a shame the Carnival didn't get to happen.. I was looking forward to that trip with you.." Yuto clutched onto the necklace tightly. Standing up from the floor, he began to walk up the stairs. "I will save you, Ruri. No matter what."
Aigami stood in the stands, staring out to the stadium. As he stared, a smile crept onto his face.
"My my~ Things are going as smoothly as I'd have expected.." Chuckling, the man leaned against the wall. "It's almost like this is a regular tournament.."
Lifting his hand, a large cube appeared floating above it. Orange light shined brightly from the cube, illuminating the darkness behind him. Moving his eyes in the direction of the light, he grinned as purple humanoid figures appeared,
Varying in ages and frames, they all shared in common their golden gleaming eyes. In unison, they all looked to him with a nod. Quickly, their attentions moved back to the field. Prompted to do the same, Aigami smirked as he did.
"It seems the preparations will soon be underway.."
A cluster of orange cubes formed a figure behind him, which formed into a silhouette beneath the cluster that gleamed with blue lines. As the cluster split away, that figure soon revealed themselves.
In the skin-tight black bodysuit she wore, her robust figure was expressed by the silk liquid metal construct. This suit was covered over modestly by a pair of robes, the first fit much like a white sleeveless combat dress with offered a ragged hood over her mask. Over it was a sleeveless white coat that shoot up a coned triangular hood that framed the edges of her face.
To match, she wore on her arms and legs pairs of boots that went up to her forearm and knees respectively to shorten the gasp between each article of clothing, somewhat revealing parts of the black bodysuit. A commonality between all of these extra articles of clothing were red markings along them which contained a circle in between to brackets. Over her bosom was a silver ankh, which reflected the blue light emanating from the lines over her mask and brief traces of her bodysuit.
"Soon it will be your turn.." Aigami chuckled, turning his attention to the figure behind him, "..Prana."
She stared blankly at him, no words escaping from within the mask.
The teal haired boy stared down a man with a square chin whose hair made a crown around the circular spiked scalp. All of it was held up by a white headband that read Hiroshima Fuu.
〖 Insector Haga: 3000〔Hand: 5〕〗
〖 Inogashira Goro: 1500 〔Hand: 5〕〗
"Kekekeke~!" The teal haired boy, recognized as Insector Haga wiggled his fingers as he slid over his cards. "Now I attack directly with my Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth!"
"Grgh..! No!" The opponent, Goro, found himself at the mercy of a giant green moth who took him down with a swift slash across the chest. As his Life Points dropped, the teen fell to his knees.
〖 Inogashira Goro: 0 〗
"And that's all she wrote, Ladies and Gentlemen! The first victor of the Youth Division this year is Independent Duelist, Insector Haga-san!"
Haga looked to his opponent with a wide grin, before turning away and heading off the stage. He was satisfied with the broken and defeated look on Goro's face.
"Ah~ A delectable victory for my darling bugs." Haga marched through the halls of the stadium building, bumping into something and falling to the ground. "Wha- Hey! You ever learn to watch where you're going?!"
"That statement would apply to you more than it would me." The figure was a young man with slicked back black hair that coiled to the left. He wore a white button-up uniform with black edges.
Haga grumbled to himself before standing, dusting himself off. "Agh! Whatever." Clicking his teeth, the short boy stormed off.
"Well.. Not much for conversation, I see." The man muttered as he watched Haga leave. Once losing sight of the boy, he turned forward and began walking out toward the stage.
"Agh.. I don't duel until after Sora..!" Yuji groaned, throwing his head back as he slouched into his seat.
"Ah, don't be like that, Yu-chan!" Sora waved his lolipop with a smile. "That just means two wins for You Show in one day!"
"You'll just have to wait patiently, Yuji." Yuzu shrugged, "Besides, I'm plenty sure the tournament will be exciting until it's your turn."
"I guess." Yuji pouted as he looked forward.
"In the meantime, you should be excited for my duel tomorrow." Yuya threw up a peace sign with a toothy grin.
"And mine!" Gongenzaka pumped a fist.
"I'm definitely excited to see Yuya-niichan and Gong-niisan win their matches." Ayu smiled brightly toward the two of them, both nodding and giving each other a high-five.
"Must say, though.. The Youth Division is pretty distinct thus far.. If I remember correctly, last year the only ones in the Youth Division were students from LDS." Yoko noted, cupping her chin.
"I mean, the intrigue of the Pendulum Summon has inspired a lot more people to come." Shuzo rationalized, lifting a hand, "Not to mention, this year the Maiami Championship is open to the entire globe."
"That's definitely true.." Yuya looked down, pondering over the information. "Is there a reason for that..?"
"All that matters is.. Something is going on here." Yuzu muttered to herself quietly. Looking across the stands, her attention landed on Masumi.
"Alright, folks! It's about time to get started with the next match!"
Stepping onto the stage was Prana, who hovered her attention around the stadium.
"The first contestant today is our mysterious duelist, Prana-san!"
Mixed reactions spurred from the crowd, Prana silent as her attention pinned to the sound of footsteps. The owner of these footsteps was the young man that Haga bumped into, who shuffled his Deck in his hands carefully.
"Our second is an independent Duelist, Misawa Daichi-san!"
More cheers roared, mostly in the solace that Misawa's face was visible.
"It seems you're not the one in the favor of the people." Misawa commented, sliding his Deck into his disk.
". . ." Prana turned her attention away briefly, before returning it to him, "The opinions of people powerless to make any effect on my life are of no concern." Her tone was robotic, cold to the touch as Misawa even shuttered a bit when he first heard her speak.
"Well, that's a rather sour view on the matter." Misawa shrugged, raising his arm as his Duel Disk activated. "Well, we shouldn't keep the crowd waiting, now should we?"
Reiji narrowed his eyes at the to. Looking over to Reira, the girl pulled her hat down a bit. Giving a nod, turning back to where his eyes were last.
〖 What Lies in the Cards? 〗
【 In the Next Duel.. 】
"Let the match begin!"
Misawa and Prana both grabbed the tops of their decks, pulling their starting hands out with a swing of their arms.
"DUEL!"
「 March on! 」
"I suspect there is something ominous occurring right before our eyes.." Reiji tapped his finger over the desk on the commentor box.
"You alright, Shun?" Yuuta looked over to the boy, who was tightly clenching a fist.
"I'm fine.." Shun let out with a slight growl.
Yuya shuttered slightly, watching the duel with a frown. "What am I watching right now..?"
「 The fun awaits! 」
"You're quite the formidable foe.." Misawa offered a grin toward Prana, who gazed at him with a blank stare as she set a card facedown.
"You are proving to be quite stubborn.." Responded the masked duelist.
"Hmhmhm.. Regardless." Misawa drew the top card of his Deck, examining it with a grin. "It would seem I've already come up with the formula necessary to win this duel."
「 Who will take the helm?! 」
"Sir, an energy spike has begun to build on the stadium!" Reiji heard from the earcom, looking to the corner of his eye.
"I see.. Nakajima, get the team to run an analysis on the source and on what this energy is." Reiji responded quickly, narrowing his eyes.
"We're already on it, sir."
「 Does desperation create a miracle?! 」
"This pressure.." Shun's clenched fist became tighter.
"Hm..?" Yuuta quipped a brow.
Suddenly, a breeze emerged from the stadium and shot over the entire crowd, screams erupting in confusion on the matter.
"I've felt this pressure before.." Yuya's eyes shot wide.
"That woman.. Could she be..?!"
"Academia..!" Yuto's voice cried.
「 Does the fun begin here?! 」
The massive temple the two were having their duel began to crumble under the force of a massive orange and green twister beginning to tear through the structure. In its wake, the ceiling of the temple was stabbed through by streams of purple light that burst out from within the hurricane. As the building was crumbling, all sound was mute. The screams of the crowd, the bewilderment in Nico's voice carried by the mic, none were heard of. All that was audible was the sound of two hands clasping together in a powerful echo.
"Fusion Summon!"
〘 Jikai! Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Dimensions! 〙
【 Fifth Duel: The Youth Division Begins! A Cubical Nightmare! 】
