After her performance on her second round of the Maiami Championship, Yuzu felt delighted. She managed to prove herself as a top contender of the tournament, thanks to her dueling style and prowess, but more than that… She managed to get Yuya back from the clutches of darkness that Kachidoki told him about. Bloom Diva was no less pleased, as she truly believed everyone had grown then, especially her partner in spirit. The other days passed by serenely; still searching for their other missing friend, Sora, but worry for his absence had been cast aside by hope for getting him back. Yuya and Yuzu discussed what really happened during his Duel with Kachidoki, but no definitive answer was ever given. On one hand, it was true that Yuto had something to do with it, as he felt his presence during that dark moment, but it was ultimately that same Yuto who snapped him out of it, his memories reminding him of what dueling is all about: smiles.
The second round eventually ended, and a reporter was about to announce the 16 finalists. Yuzu had "accidentally" left her Duel Disk on a table in the living room all of You Show was in, so that Bloom Diva could participate.
"Perhaps assisting the other matches could have been of use…" The Fairy thought.
"I know, but… It's not like this tournament is everything. In fact, a lot outside of it happened all at once and we're solving it piece by piece. Whatever the challenges ahead, we'll push on." Yuzu answered.
Bloom Diva was quite pleased to hear that, but as she attempted to continue the conversation, the lineup of finalists was about to be announced, so she quieted down immediately as everyone in the room got excited.
Yuzu was the first to appear, and her dad immediately reacted.
"There she is! So cute! My daughter is the best! I'm fired up! My blood is boiling!" He would have probably never stopped shouting, were it not for Yuzu swiping her signature fan on his head. Bloom Diva was quite worried towards Shuzo's excessive excitement, as it was directed towards a thing he already knew.
Yuya was announced next as the Entertainment Duel and Pendulum prodigy, which he was quite flattered about, until he got reminded of his duel with Kachidoki, even though the reporter had just skimmed through it. As he was lost in his thoughts, Yuzu offered her hand, also to shake him out of these thoughts, and declared:
"We're rivals now. As representatives of You Show School, let's reach the top with the best Entertainment Dueling!"
Yuya accepted: "Yeah! Yuzu, your second round Duel was amazing. I'll try hard to duel like that again. I'll do the best Entertainment Dueling!"
Yuzu nodded in approval at his declaration, then both shook hands. Bloom Diva was delighted. This declaration alone shows a beautiful harmony, as they would help each other in bettering themselves. If she were seen, she would have put her hands over her melting heart. However, what was seen was a reaction coming from a burning heart.
"UOOOH! This is what being young is all about! Being young and dueling! Aim for the top!" Shuzo was having another round of burning excitement, bothering the people in the room once again, including the Fairy, as the other finalists were being announced. The trio Knight of Duels was next, followed by Michio Mokota, the Cooking School's top competitor who Yuya had faced a while ago.
Yoko then appeared out of nowhere, unbelievably excited, stunning the whole room.
"It's Michi! He's wonderful!"
"Mom! Why are you here?" Yuya asked, eyes wide open.
Next, Teppei Tairyobata, a fishing duelist, then Gongenzaka, and then Kurosaki, gaining Yuya's attention. The announcer focused on his first duel against Sora, angering the You Show Kids; they believed that he went too far and that it was probably his fault that Sora had disappeared. Bloom Diva couldn't help but feel a hint of the trauma she experienced during the Raptor's Requiem. Shuzo then reassured the group.
"Why not have Sora come back to us? If you try hard to win the championship, Sora will notice! He'll come back because he'll realize he needs to try harder too! Yuya, Yuzu, and Tatsuya, I want you to make Sora frustrated! And go for the championship!" He lastly addressed the remaining participants in the tournament, but Yoko quickly ruined the mood.
"But I want Michy to win it all too."
The room went silent, except for a faint "Mom…!" by Yuya. Bloom Diva was now severely worried about her, as not only did she put him on the same level as her own son, but he is considerably younger than her… They hadn't even heard of the last duelists.
The match to determine the best 8 would begin tomorrow. Yuya and Yuzu had one last handshake before going their separate ways to prepare for the event.
During the evening, Yuzu and Bloom Diva went on to consider their strategies for tomorrow. They could very well be the next ones to compete.
"Honestly… I am not sure how easily I can top what I did last time." Yuzu thought. "I mean… I'll do my best regardless, that's a given, but given what I had to duel for… It will be tough."
"Indeed. But a performance is not set in stone to be stronger than the previous. Otherwise, it would be quite predictable."
"I guess you're right. There's also the fact that you aren't dealt the same hand every time in a Duel. But… Now just dueling for a tournament feels… Weird?"
"Would you mind explaining, please?"
"You've noticed it too, Bloom Diva. Many duels that we have seen, and all the ones we've had… There really was more at stake than just advancing to the next round. That made me more thrilled, and more eager to do well when I dueled."
"Now, Yuzu… That is true for every Duel, and every performance. As I have said before, each carries a message. But the message is never the same… Each duel, two Operas, in a contest, manage to intertwine and create something new. Worry not to outdo yourself each time, but just perform to your heart's content."
Yuzu took in all that Bloom Diva had to say. That's pretty much what she did, in the end. The reasons for dueling might be different, but she has always dueled the way she believed in.
"You're right, Bloom Diva. Thank you."
"No need to. Um… A new member has joined the Melodious ensemble now. Would you mind checking?"
"Sure thing!" Yuzu then scrolled through her deck to find the new member.
"Solo the Melodious Songstress…" The card displayed a younger-looking girl of fair complexion, wearing a red dress with a short skirt and puffy shoulders, a brown corset covering her body adorned by a gold breastplate. Her blond hair was shaped like wings on the side, and a brown helmet covered the rest of her head. Her forearms and legs were also covered by bandages.
Yuzu stared at the card, a bit curious at how she looked. She then hypothesized: "Wait… this feels like she was themed from my second match, doesn't it?!"
"Perhaps she was… Inspired by it."
Yuzu recoiled a bit at the Choir's pun, but if the Inspiration worked like this… it was reaching a bit, but wing-shaped hair could have been a reference to the butterfly Mikiyo shaped her hair as. She also looks like she'd fit perfectly in the Action Field she last dueled in, the Sanctuary in the Sky. The pinkette could say Mikiyo looked like a Fairy.
"Uh… Just having my memories turned into cards feels so… Bizarre! It's like I'm using my diary to duel!" Yuzu said.
"Any song is a recollection. It may be from a past event or from one's soul. It is derived by Inspiration, and Inspiration is unleashed from one's mind."
Yuzu struggled a bit to understand what Bloom Diva meant, and she decided to dwell no further, focusing on another point that concerned her:
"You know… With more and more people coming in, it feels like I'm running out of space. You can only have so many Cards in a Deck, and I need a balance between the Melodious Monsters, my Fusion Spells and Traps that I recently incorporated into the Deck… But it feels wrong to have anyone just be ignored, now that I know you all better."
Bloom Diva was a bit surprised that Yuzu could concern herself so much about what are, from a human's perspective… Cards that turn into holograms. But maybe… They were companions for Yuzu. She had at least learned it due to the You Show School's teachings. But it feels like they have become so much more. After this bit of reflection, the Fairy reassured her friend:
"Yuzu… Worry not. Due to the nature of a Duel, not all members of the Ensemble would hit the stage in a single one. You just do what you feel is best."
Yes, it was best not to dwell on it any further. Not really a thing that's worth losing sleep over, with what's happened already. Was it weird that her bond with Monsters had deepened like this? Yes… but so are interdimensional travelers, wars and disappearances.
"Right, Bloom Diva! Now… I'm off to sleep."
"Rest well, Yuzu. We will make sure to be ready tomorrow, so please, do so as well. Have a serene night, Yuzu."
"Thanks, Bloom Diva! Good night to you too!"
Yuzu then fell asleep without any problems at all, as Bloom Diva retreated into the Conservatory.
The next day came, and all 16 contenders were invited to the Field, and the audience was hyped for what would come next. Not everyone was present, however.
"Kurosaki isn't here." Yuzu pointed out, Yuya looking around with concern. Nico Smiley then reached to the audience to set the stage.
"All of Maiami City, welcome to the 3rd round of the Maiami Championship! A never-before seen way of dueling will now be unfolded for you to see! The competitors who advanced from the 2nd round will face off… IN A BATTLE ROYALE!"
Everyone dropped dead silent upon hearing that. A battle royale was unheard of.
"It will be a whole day of dueling, starting at noon, fifteen minutes from now! The whole city will be the Action Field Quartet of Quandry, dividing it into four areas! But here's one last spin! Pendulum cards created by Leo Corporation are scattered all over the Action Field! And you won't be able to battle until you get two of them! The duelists will then wager how many Pendulum cards they want, the winner takes all! In the end, they will be ranked on how many Pendulum Cards they have!"
The duelists took some time to discuss these rules. This ruleset meant that everyone could use Pendulum now, and that the arena was huge… Anyone could fight anyone, and would probably duel multiple contestants. The countdown would eventually end.
"OK NOW! Open the gates!"
A whole section of the stands then was raised to reveal a gate to the city. Curiously, many spectators were still there.
"On your marks!" Nico Smiley said as each duelist had their duel disks ready.
"ACTION…
DUEL!"
With a snap of his finger, he declared the beginning of the battle royale, the Action Cards scattering throughout the city. All the duelists then ran off to different parts of the city, yet Yuya and Yuzu stuck together as they were searching for the first cards.
"Kurosaki didn't show up yet…" Yuzu said as she was searching in a bush.
"But he's one of the sixteen contestants. I'm sure he'll show up." Yuya deducted. Yuzu then turned to face him.
"Well, we'll split up and search then! See you!" Yuzu started to run, but Yuya held her up.
"Yuzu… Be careful."
"You too, Yuya. Ok?" They then went separate ways.
Shortly after, Yuzu spotted a lot of red light orbs emerging from the buildings. They then lit up the whole area to transform it into the Action Field. Yuzu ended up in a Glacial area… And it got quite cold.
"YIKES!" Yuzu shivered and covered her arms, rattling like mad due to the sudden drop in temperature. Bloom Diva sang a dulcet tune to help her out, but unfortunately, it was not very effective.
"Not that I doubt your abilities, Bloom Diva, but you have some song that could work against this stupid cold?!" Yuzu hastily asked.
"Unfortunately not." The Fairy answered. "The Melodious' songs are to bring spiritual relief… That was my best attempt at warming up your body."
"I-it's fine… It's not like you are responsible for this! …Phew." Yuzu gradually got more used to the cold. At least Bloom Diva managed to soften the freeze shock. "OK now… Let's find those Pendulum cards!"
It didn't take them long to find a card stuck in a crack on the cliff. Yuzu went to check it.
"Pendulumstatue White Butterfly… This has to be it! Scale 3 is good for us… If we find one higher, we could Summon at least Level 4 Monsters… which we have a lot of! Sonata has no problems getting out of the hand either! Still, this looks fairly weak… Its pendulum effect doesn't even help us, but Insect monsters."
"Perhaps we may find one that could help Fairy Monsters…" Bloom Diva added. " Well, it is of no use to us unless we find another, as we may not even duel."
"Yeah, let's see if I can find any… I'll go up there." Yuzu then went to the peak to try and scout some more, but all she could find was cold.
"So hot…" Yuzu and Bloom Diva heard a curious voice from behind. "It's gotten so hot from me running around, it's almost like in my country." The two turned to see a black-haired boy wearing a red vest with a black undershirt, yellow and orange garments to form a long skirt, a red fez and a large pair of earrings. The pinkette wasn't really familiar with him… But the boy sure was with her, as he ran towards her excitedly.
"Ah! You're Hiiragi Yuzu!" The boy said, then presenting himself. "I'm Halil from LDS Anatolia, an exchange student in the Fusion course! Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you!" Yuzu said back as they exchanged bows.
"You're the Fusion user who defeated Masumi. I want to duel you!" Halil said, enthusiastic, but Yuzu:
"That's fine, but I don't have a second Pendulum card with me."
"I ran around and picked up three! Here, I'll give you one so we can duel!" Halil then offered Pendulumstatue White Flower to Yuzu, surprising her and Bloom Diva. Still, it would be silly to refuse.
"Thank you. You're too nice!" Yuzu said, taking the card.
"But I won't lose the Duel!"
"We'll see about that!" Yuzu assumed a determined expression. "I'm no ordinary Fusion user. I'm an Entertainment Duelist who uses Fusion!"
"Woah! That means I'll learn a lot!" Halil said, replying to that daring look with kindness, throwing Yuzu off.
"Ah… Yeah."
The two then distanced themselves properly and declared to wager one Pendulum Card each. A cure for the cold just could be this red hot…
DUEL!
YUZU VS HALIL
"He is almost too kind…" Bloom Diva thought. "Regardless, do not hold back. He wished for you to show your prowess, you must not disappoint him."
"You don't need to say that! Now… If all the pieces come into place… I can start off with a bang!" Yuzu thought back.
"My turn! Draw!" Halil's thick accent, while not that noticeable before, was more pronounced. Still quite impressive that he was multilingual like that.
"I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp!" A familiar looking green, mustachioed genie emerged on the field.
La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp (Level 4/DARK/Fiend/1800/1000)
"I set two cards and end my turn!" Halil concluded.
Halil: 2 Set Cards
"My turn! I draw!" Yuzu started, not missing a beat. "I got it! Now I can…" Enthusiastically, she was about to make her new debut.
"I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 3 White Butterfly and Scale 9 White Flower! It's finally time for my Pendulum debut!"
"I activate the Continuous Trap Absorbing Lamp! It negates your Spell Card's activation and adds it to my hand! Please give me your White Flower." Halil countered, earning a look of sheer disapproval from Yuzu. Her first Pendulum summon and she already bombed on stage.
"My first ever Pendulum Summon failed…" She then gave back the White Flower Halil had given her, demoralized.
"Do not get discouraged. The Concert is far from over, Yuzu." Bloom Diva reassured.
"Well, it's really not ideal…" Yuzu thought, as Halil gloated on his studying paying off. "But fine, I'll just have to get my ideas together now."
"I Summon Opera the Melodious Diva, making her debut right here!" Right after Yuzu declared it, the little Fairy ascended into the air, twirling and singing an operatic note, ending with a giggle.
Opera the Melodious Diva (Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/2300/1000)
"Good entrance, Opera!" Bloom Diva privately whispered to the kid, as if Yuzu could hear her anyway,
"Thank you, Bloom Diva! Yuzu… Um… I'll do my best!" Opera shyly replied.
"This card can't attack the turn it's Normal or Special Summoned. I end my turn!" Yuzu declared to a smiling Halil.
"My turn! I draw!" Halil became overly excited when he saw what the Card was.
"WOO! A Pendulum Card!"
Yuzu retaliated, annoyed: "Don't tell me the card that you drew!" Opera assumed the same pose, as to join her in her annoyance.
"Ah, I accidentally said it out loud because I was happy!" Halil said, a bit embarrassed.
"I want to be brave like him…" Opera thought.
"It is best that you do not." The Choir bluntly replied.
"I'm nervous, the time has finally come. Here I go! I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 1 Red Fiend and Scale 9 White Flower!" Halil gleefully put the cards on his Duel Disk to set the Scales… but all that he got in return was an error message.
"P-Pardon me?" Bloom Diva couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Yuzu could only stare dumbfounded in response.
"He knew of Pendulum Cards being treated as Spell Cards… Yet he knows not how to set them? After he observed you?" Bloom Diva asked, now also annoyed.
"Is this kid for real? By any chance, have you ever seen anyone like him?" Yuzu asked the Fairy, who explained as Halil kept placing the Pendulum Card in the wrong spots.
"As Mozarta, I have taught quite a few in the art of music, but never have I seen anyone so… Clueless." All explained in a disappointed tone.
"Entertainment Dueling is hard. I want to make it popular in my country, but it's really difficult." Halil said, then he kept placing the card in the same spot, still seeing the Error Message.
Bloom Diva and Yuzu let out an exasperated sigh almost simultaneously.
"Look… I gotta help him out." Yuzu said, then approached the boy.
"Towards the edge." She whispered, as if to not let anyone else hear them.
Halil did not quite catch that, and the two awkwardly stared at each other for a couple of seconds.
"You have to put the Pendulum Cards in the Pendulum Zones that are towards the edges!" She explained frantically, immediately losing her cool.
"Placing them towards the edges?" Halil asked as he did so. He finally placed the two cards correctly. He finally saw the huge "PENDULUM" writing on the disk.
"WHOA! I'm learning a lot!"
"I've paid you back for giving me a card."
After the exchange ended, Halil proceeded with the Summoning Chant.
"Now I can Summon Monsters between Level 2 and 8 simultaneously! Pendulum Summon! Appear, Red Lamp! Purple Lamp!" A classical shaped Red Lamp and hand-shaped purple lamp then joined La Jinn.
Red Lamp (Level 3/FIRE/Fiend/900/200)
Purple Lamp (Level 4/DARK/Fiend/1600/800)
"Woohee! I managed to Pendulum Summon! It's Entertainment!" After gleaming, Halil declared:
"Red Lamp's effect! When this card is Special Summoned, you take 600 points of damage!" Yuzu couldn't do much but take it.
YUZU LP: 4000 - 3400
"Yes! I'm learning a lot!"
"T-that's nice…" Yuzu responded to the boy, still not entirely pleased.
"I also activate Purple Lamp's effect!" He declared. "When this card is Special Summoned, I can add the Spell Card Polymerization from my deck to my hand! I activate it right away!"
"Uh-oh!" Yuzu might have realized that it might just beat Opera at this rate.
"I fuse La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp and Red Lamp! The spirit called from the darkness, be reborn carrying a soul of flames! Fusion Summon! Please show up, Fire Jinn the Flame Genie of the Lamp!" A scarlet-colored genie, his mustache, hair, wrists, belt and tail on fire, appeared onto the field.
Fire Jinn the Flame Genie of the Lamp (Level 7/FIRE/Fiend/Fusion/2400/2200)
"U-um…" Opera froze, staring at the significantly bigger Fire Jinn. Meanwhile, Yuzu was looking for an Action Card somewhere.
"Fire Jinn's effect! When this card is Special Summoned, you take 600 points of damage!" Fire Jinn blew a stream of fire, engulfing Yuzu, but thankfully without a burn.
YUZU LP: 3400 - 2800
"Due to Red Fiend's Pendulum effect, Fire Attribute monsters on my field gain 300 ATK points!" The genie was pumped up due to the effect.
Fire Jinn the Flame Genie of the Lamp ATK 2400 - 2700
"This is bad!" Yuzu immediately ran for an Action card after getting stopped by the streams of fire, panicking slightly.
"Battle!" Halil declared. "Fire Jinn attacks Opera the Melodious Diva!"
As Fire Jinn blazed towards the little fairy, she got immobilized and started tearing up… but then the Genie stopped right in front of her, apparently finding hitting a young kid… awkward. He scratched his cheek, thinking of how best to handle it.
"U-uhm… Mr. Jinn…? …Help?" Opera trembled.
"You tried your best, Opera…" Bloom Diva tried to reassure her as she got delicately flicked on the head by the Genie, poofing out of the field. Yuzu staggered a bit as she kept running for Action Cards.
YUZU LP: 2800 - 2400
"Then Purple Lamp attacks you directly!" The monster followed Halil's command by shooting a dark ray out of its mouth. It hit Yuzu directly, flooring her and making her slide across the ice.
YUZU LP: 2400 - 800
As she slid, she spotted an Action Card on a patch of ice, and managed to catch it, but…
"Yes! I got it!"
"Yuzu, be careful!" Bloom Diva warned, but it was a bit late as the pinkette started falling down an ice slope.
"My god! Wait up! YUZU!" Halil said, quite worried at what he had done. He had his Fire Jinn carry him through his arms.
…
Somewhere near, Gongenzaka was also dueling with an Exchange Student of LDS. This time, it was Olga, a disciple of the Synchro School. They seem to be on a somewhat even playing field, and Olga is about to take her turn.
OLGA VS GONGENZAKA
OLGA LP: 2600
Glacial Beast Blizzard Wolf (Level 4/WATER/Aqua/1400/700)
Glacial Beast Polar Penguin (Level 3/WATER/Aqua/Tuner/800/1000)
1 Set Card
GONGENZAKA LP: 2400
Superheavy Samurai Blowtorch (Level 1/EARTH/Machine/500/300)
"My turn! Dra-" Olga attempted to declare before being interrupted by a yelling Yuzu, who landed right on top of her.
"O-Ow…" Yuzu's head was hurting.
"Yuzu! Are you well?" Bloom Diva asked.
"Eh… Could have been worse…" Then she faced her friend, surprised to see him. "Gongenzaka?"
"HEY!" Yuzu heard a voice from below, who was an angry Olga. "What's with you? Get off of me or I'll make you pay!"
"S-Sorry!" Yuzu got up instantly, then noticed an alert from her Duel Disk.
"Battle royale mode joining. Tag Duel." Yuzu and Gongenzaka were a bit confused.
As Olga got off the ground, she noticed Halil fly to her.
"Uh, Excuse me! What does this mean?" Indicating his duel disk.
That meant they were all now involved in a Tag Duel. Gongenzaka and Yuzu stood side by side, facing the LDS Exchange duo.
YUZU & GONGENZAKA VS HALIL & OLGA
"That was quite unexpected… Yuzu, have you managed to hold on to the Action Card?" Bloom Diva worriedly asked.
"I've got it right here!" Yuzu answered, now having fully recovered. "Great… I get two turns in a row against me…!"
They stood at the ready. As it was before, Olga now begins her turn.
"I'll take on both of you. My turn! I Draw! Level 3 Glacial Beast Polar Penguin tunes Level 4 Glacial Beast Blizzard Wolf!" The Penguin assumed its position to turn into 3 light orbs while the Wolf jumped through the generated loops howling.
"Underestimating it will be fatal as it stabs with an iceberg horn! Synchro Summon! Come out, Level 7 Glacial Beast Iceberg Narwhal!" A creature made of ice, body of a golem, and tail and right hand of a Narwhal, drilled through the ice to make its grand entrance.
Glacial Beast Iceberg Narwhal (Level 7/WATER/Aqua/Synchro/2600/1600)
"Okay! Iceberg Narwhal attacks Yuzu directly!" Olga declared, spinning around a bit as the drill of the Narwhal did.
Yuzu, In a bit of shock, prepared her defense: "Action Magic, Blinding Blizzard! It ends the Battle Phase!"
Olga retaliated: "Iceberg Narwhal's effect activates! When a Spell or Trap Card activates during its attack, the effect is negated, and your Card is destroyed!" The Narwhal pierced through the Action Card, having her Duel flash before her eyes as the drill was coming straight for them. Bloom Diva gasped for the pinkette, feeling as if that drill could pierce through her too, but…
"I activate Superheavy Samurai Blowtorch's effect! When your monster attacks, I can change the attack target to this card!" Gongenzaka declared, surprising Olga as the Narwhal swiftly changed direction, heading towards Blowtorch after regaining its aim.
"Once per turn, Superheavy Samurai Blowtorch can't be destroyed by battle!" Gongenzaka said, standing his ground admirably.
"But you can't avoid the damage!" Olga rebutted, as Blowtorch was in ATK position. The attack briefly knocked Gongenzaka back, but he was able to regain his balance and not fall over.
GONGENZAKA LP: 2400 - 200
"Gongenzaka!" Yuzu ran towards the Man, worried about his condition.
"I'm fine, Yuzu! Don't panic!" He responded.
"Why did you sacrifice yourself for me?"
"This is a team battle! Don't worry about it!"
"Gongenzaka…"
"Yuzu, he is right. This was the right performance from him!" Bloom Diva remarked. "He is fighting for you both, and he can take considerable punishment. If you let your duels flow in harmony… You may just be able to perform your Grand Finale!"
"My turn! Draw! I Summon Superheavy Samurai Gigagloves in Attack Position!" The Monster which saved Gongenzaka against his duel with Ankokuji had hit the field.
Superheavy Samurai Gigagloves (Level 3/EARTH/Machine/100/1000)
"I discard a Superheavy Samurai monster to Special Summon the Tuner Monster Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter!" His trusted trumpeter blew the war horn to prepare for the Synchro Summon.
Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter (Level 2/EARTH/Machine/Tuner/300/600)
"Here I go! Level 2 Trumpeter tunes Level 1 Blowtorch and Level 3 Gigagloves! Roar, god demon! Arrive at the raging battlefield of ice and snow! Synchro Summon! Come to the front lines, Level 6 Superheavy Samurai Ogre Shutendoji!" The crimson automaton, with golden pipes emitting steam from its back, and wielding a massive spiked club, assumed the sitting position the Superheavy Warlords are known for.
Superheavy Samurai Ogre Shutendoji (Level 6/EARTH/Machine/Synchro/500/2500)
"When Ogre Shutendoji is Synchro Summoned and I have no Spells or Traps in my graveyard, all Spell and Trap Cards on your fields are destroyed!" The effect resolves, displeasing both of the Exchange students.
"Oh no!" Halil said, as the two Scales disappeared off the field. "Since the Continuous Trap Absorbing Lamp is destroyed, the card that I took using its effect returns to your Hand. That is unfortunate." White Flower switched sides again, in the hands of Yuzu this time.
"All right! I got my Pendulum Card back!" She gleefully addressed Gongenzaka.
"Red Fiend's Pendulum effect ends, so Fire Jinn's attack points return to normal." Halil explained.
Fire Jinn the Flame Genie of the Lamp ATK 2700 - 2400
Shutendoji wildly rotated its spiked club, awaiting the directives of his commander, Gongenzaka.
"Shutendoji can attack while in defense position! Battle! Attack Fire Jinn!" The club revealed itself to be hanging from a massive chain, and it slammed into Fire Jinn's belly, obliterating it.
HALIL LP: 4000 - 3900
Yuzu and Gongenzaka celebrated, but Halil made them immediately turn to his attention.
"When Fire Jinn is destroyed, I can destroy the monster it battled by tributing one Lamp monster. And you take 600 points of damage!" This shocked Gongenzaka, as it would finish him off.
"I tribute Purple Lamp to activate Fire Jinn's effect!" The ghost of Flame Jinn inserted itself into the Purple Lamp, only its head sticking out. They launched themselves at Ogre Shutendoji, detonating and wiping out it, as well as Gongenzaka, in one swoop. The man finally fell to the ground.
GONGENZAKA LP: 200 - 0
"Gongenzaka!" Yuzu shouted, immediately running towards her friend, but was immediately interrupted by Olga.
"Iceberg Narwhal's effect activates! Whenever there's effect damage, you take damage equal to that amount!" The Beast shot ice shards out of its hand-mouth, Yuzu barely holding on.
YUZU LP: 800 - 200
"Yuzu…" Gongenzaka got up to talk to the pinkette: "I passed the baton to you, a baton known as a Pendulum Card. I leave the rest to you!"
"Ah, he seems to understand your methods very well, Yuzu…" Bloom Diva remarked. "Now… You know what to do."
"Understood!" Yuzu said to both Gongenzaka and Bloom Diva, her smile regained.
"I'm learning a lot from your wonderful friendship." Halil told Yuzu. "But you only have 200 like points left. When it's my turn, it's over!"
"Well, it's not your turn yet! Watch my show!" Yuzu confidently said to the boy.
"All the members are in place, ready to hit the stage!" Yuzu thought to herself. "I know of a song that will lead us to victory, but I need just the final music sheet!" Bloom Diva proudly listened, as now Yuzu was also thinking like she was, indeed, THEIR Maestra.
"My turn! I draw!" Not a flashy final draw like the other two were in this tournament, but a quiet rip, light as a feather. She then knew that it was exactly what she needed. Confidence at her maximum, she was about to drop the bass.
"I set the Pendulum Scale with the already-placed White Butterfly and Scale 9 White Flower! Now I can Summon monsters between Level 4 and 8 simultaneously! Pendulum Summon! You're up!" The two rays of light, one blue and one orange, shone through the pendulum portal. "Soprano the Melodious Songstress! And Mozarta the Melodious Maestra!" The two trusted members of the Ensemble meet together for the first time in the Field.
Soprano the Melodious Songstress (Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/1400/1400)
Mozarta the Melodious Maestra (Level 8/LIGHT/Fairy/2600/2000)
"Ah, it has been quite some time since I last stretched my wings!" Mozarta gleefully told Soprano. "Enough time to witness our Yuzu's growth in person!"
"Indeed. Now we shall sing as one, Mozarta!"
Yuzu directed her hand now like it was a baton, pointing it at Soprano. "Thanks to Soprano's effect, I can Fusion Summon without using Polymerization! I Fusion Summon Soprano and Mozarta! Angel's song! The supreme genius! Follow the baton and stack your power! Fusion Summon! Take the stage with the song of Victory! Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir!" Bloom Diva twirled onto the stage as she did best, her whirlwinds sure to stand up against this arena's blizzard.
Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir (Level 6/LIGHT/Fairy/Fusion/1000/2000)
"Halil… This is the last lesson we may offer you: the Maestra's Minuet!" Bloom Diva thought.
"Battle! Bloom Diva attacks Glacial Beast Iceberg Narwhal!" Bloom Diva prepared her signature song, petals swirling in front of her in a circle. As the Glacial Beast charged, she defended herself impressively, clearly awaiting her Maestra's command.
"Bloom Diva can't be destroyed by battle with a Special Summoned Monster! Instead, your monster is destroyed, and you'll take the damage instead!"
"But I'll have Life Points left!" Olga retorted dismissively.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Pianissimo! Bloom Diva's original ATK becomes 100 now!"
"WHAT?" Olga shouted, realizing that meant that she was done for.
Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir ATK 1000 - 100
"Now, the stage is set!" Yuzu continued, petals now filling the frigid airs of the Field. "Bloom Diva, sing with all your might! Reflect Shout!" The Choir finally sung her tone, turning the wind wall into a petal tornado to destroy Narwhal and knock Olga out of the duel.
OLGA LP: 2600 - 0
"I'm learning a lot from your wonderful dueling!" Halil remarked, Yuzu responding:
"You're next, Halil!"
"But you don't have a Monster that can attack now, you're done!"
"No, I can still do something! I activate the Quick-Play Spell De-Fusion! By returning a Fusion Monster to the extra deck, I can Special Summon the Fusion Materials that were used to Summon it!"
"Splendidly done, Yuzu." Bloom Diva thought, saying goodbye to the audience with a bow before vanishing in a blue and yellow portal.
"Soprano, the Melodious Songstress! Mozarta, the Melodious Maestra! Return for our Finale!"
The two were separated once again, to mount a final offensive.
"I attack directly with Soprano, the Melodious Songstress!" Soprano sang a high pitch note directly to the boy.
HALIL LP: 3900 - 2500
"And Mozarta, the Melodious Maestra attacks you directly! Graceful Wave!" Mozarta's wings lit up brightly, generating a wind wave that she conjured with her baton in an infinity shape, then directing it to Halil.
"I'm learning a lot!" Halil's last words before hitting the mat.
HALIL LP: 2500 - 0
Yuzu smiled triumphantly as she pulled off this double K.O. Despite a rather slow start, she managed to have an impressive performance. Halil was quite taken by it too.
"Yuzu! Thanks a lot! I think I've learned enough to show my country how cool Entertainment Dueling is!" He told Yuzu as he gave his wagered Pendulum Card, Red Devil. Olga just tossed hers at Gongenzaka without saying a word, visibly frustrated.
"Right, Halil… Where do you put the Pendulum Scales?" Yuzu asked the surprise question to test him.
"Towards the edge!"
Yuzu nodded at his response, seeing he learned it at last.
"The most beautiful part of teaching is seeing the gradual process your pupils make." Bloom Diva commented. "And for someone as clueless as Halil was… iIt is all the sweeter to see them learn."
"Well, I hope he studies well this time! Seriously, I still can't believe that…" Yuzu thought, to Bloom Diva, before addressing Gongenzaka, who attempted to give her Olga's Card.
"You won the Duel, Yuzu. I can't take them." He said with a meditative look.
"But Gongenzaka, it was a tag Duel! You said it yourself that you passed the Baton! I could not have done this without you!"
"Very well then, I'll keep Olga's Card. The road is long ahead, let's move on."
Yuzu replied with a nod and they went separate ways. Now that she had more than enough cards, she could search more opponents, preferably away from this cold place. Bloom Diva followed her at every step.
DUEL SPIRIT WORLD - CONSERVATORY
Harmonia, the peach-haired girl that Bloom Diva and Yuzu had talked about not too long ago, was seen coming to her room, numerous scripts and projects on her desk, still in the early stages. She was very pleased at the moment, having witnessed.
"AHA! Yuzu did it again! And this time, it was a concert for two! I'm a genius! With all the support I've given her-" She then heard a faint knock on the door, and decided to open it. It was a green-skinned young woman, with darker green hair, adorning her body with purple symbols, wearing a blue and purple dress. She was holding her hand on her chest, as it's customary to her in her performance.
"Harmonia… May I enter, please?" The green fairy asked.
"Sure, Elegy! You come here to raise your morale?" Harmonia responded.
"No, Harmonia, I just… have a bad feeling about the future."
"You're a fortune-teller now? But what you do is sing about the tragedies of the past! I'm sure you've got enough to cover what happened these past few days."
"I do, but…"
"What I believe is that the future will be bright for us! Since Bloom Diva has hit the stage, we have never lost once! They're on a roll!"
"I recognize Bloom Diva as a supremely talented member, but… You do not think that putting all the effort just for her is… Risky?"
"Listen, I've got Slow Tempo to protect her, and Tam-Tam and Pianissimo to make her truly devastating! It's the singer that will lead us to victory! In dueling terms… A Win Condition!" Harmonia explained, hands on her hips and feeling really proud of herself.
*If you say so… Are you working on the Pendulum Cards too?" Elegy noticed the sheets on her desk.
"Yep! Those statues are already pretty, so… All that's left to do is create something melodic out of them! It shouldn't be hard at all."
"Then I'll leave you to your work, as I have to resume mine." Elegy then excused herself.
"I'm sure Bloom Diva will never fail! Every time she came in, she was always the reason Yuzu won!" Harmonia thought to herself, then she gleefully came back to work, certain of Yuzu's bright future.