Cat: ... OMG! Episode 7 was like... WOW!

Rena: Our brains are in meltdown!

Cat: If you haven't seen episode 7, go watch it! RIGHT NOW! Seriously, you'll be mindblown by the end!

Rena: This story is in Yuzu's POV. Please give me some artistic licence. If i put some stuff that isn't in the anime in here, don't flame. There would be no point in reading, if it was just the anime in words.

Chapter 7- Imperial Outrage's Standard of Revolt! Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon!

I jumped slightly as Yuya sneezed slightly.

"Someone's talking about you," I teased, as we strolled into the bathroom.

"Ahhh! This feels great!" Yuya cheered, as he splashed his face in the cold water. We had had a very long day of continuous duelling, thanks to my father's crazy school regime. We were all slightly weak-kneed in exhaustion. I carried towels and handed them out to everyone, as they waited for Yuya and Futoshi to give the sinks to someone else.

"Yuya, you have dirt on the back of your neck!" I pointed out, as he bent down to cup more water in his hands. "Be sure to wash it properly!"

"Yeah, yeah," Yuya muttered, scratching at the spot in question with his wet hand.

I scowled slightly. "You only need to say it once!"

"Jeez, if they wanted ice-cream that much, they should get it themselves!" I complained to Ayu, as we marched back to the duel school. Immediately, my mind was full of the boys shouting 'ice-cream!' over and over and over. It still was giving me a headache.

"But, while complaining, you still bought them a bunch!" Ayu smiled, her red hair glowing slightly in the setting sun. "You're really nice, Yuzu-onee-chan!"

Normally, I would have thanked the young girl for the compliment, seeing as I rarely get them. However, my whole body stiffened and I stopped walking.

"Onee-chan?" Ayu asked, as I bent down to her level and put my finger to my lips and made the 'shhhh' sound, to tell her to be quiet. I stared at the top of the stone steps in the hill, onto the higher path. Ayu followed my gaze and we saw two LDS students, presumably walking back to school after buying stuff at the corner store.

They strolled along, unwise to our eavesdropping. They were discussing Sawatari. The LDS student that had tried to steal Yuya's Pendulum Cards. Then, one mentioned how Sawatari had said 'I'll do whatever it takes to crush Sakai Yuya'.

Ayu and I gasped. Had I heard right? Crush Yuya?

"… Sounds like he's gonna do something awful!" one said, as they vanished out of sight.

"Sawatari!" I spat, standing up, determined to follow those two lackeys. My blood was boiling. Yuya had kicked his butt, fair and square! Why was he going to come back for more?

"Yuzu-onee-chan!" Ayu cried, jogging after me on her much shorter legs.

We followed them to the docks. One of the last places I expected the rich kids to hang. It was dirty and the warehouses were almost at the point of collapse. What was Sawatari doing here?

"Shouldn't we let Yuya-onii-chan know…?" Ayu asked, clasping her hands together.

During the last duel with Sawatari, Yuya desperately tried to save me, so now, it's my turn to protect Yuya! I decided. It had been bugging me for ages that I had no way of repaying Yuya for saving my life. So, this was a good way to do it. However, I couldn't put Ayu in danger, like last time.

"Ayu-chan," I handed her the plastic bag, full of (now melted) ice-creams. "You head back to the duel school!"

"But-" she began, but I was already running. I knew they were in warehouse 52, because of the massive painted sign and because Sawatari's servants had gone straight through. I hadn't seen anyone on lookout or anything, so I didn't bother trying to conceal myself and stood right outside.

Sawatari choked on his cake as I flung the door open. "You coward!" I yelled. One of Sawatari's friends handed him a bottle of water, which he chugged down, coughing and spluttering.

"'I'll do whatever it takes to crush Yuya', you said?" I demanded, trying to look as calm, cool and collected as possible, even though I was two step away from bruising the arrogant student's face. "I will never let you!"

Sawatari was still coughing, water in his eyes from the choking. "Hiiragi Yuzu? What are you doing here!?"

He had some nerve, acting dumb. "I don't have to explain to you! You have pie crumbs on your face!"

And I killed the mood. Great, Yuzu, just great. I mentally slapped myself as the egotistical student wiped his face with a pink satin facecloth, then threw it into the air and watch it float down several meters away.

"Hiiragi Yuzu!" How did he know my name? "It looks like you've fallen into our-"

"Duel me!" I pointed at him. I don't know what I was thinking, but it seemed like a good idea. He tried to say something else, but I interrupted him. "I'm gonna beat the crap out of you!"

Once again, he tried to say something, but I yelled over him. I honestly had no interest in what he had to say. He had said enough. He was going to duel me and I was going to kick him butt, just like Yuya but without Pendulum cards. "Are you afraid of losing to me!?"

"Will you just let me talk!?" he demanded, comically. Once again, I mentally slapped myself. Sawatari wasn't Yuya, who would never dream of interrupting me without knowing the consequences.

"I don't plan on listening to you!" I shouted back. "You coward, sore-loser, second-rate duellist!" His eyebrow twitched slightly. Now I had done it. All boys were the same; call them a few names and they demand a duel.

"No, you're even below that! Third rate! Forth! One-hundred rate duelist!" Once again, I pointed at him, to make sure there was no mistake over who I was talking about. In a way, I was trying to get him riled up but in another way, I was letting out pent-up anger I still contained about the duel we had at LDS last week.

"Now you've done it!" he hissed.

My heart plummeted as the light from outside vanished. One of the students had shut the door, my only mean of escape. I was immediately regretting my decision. I should have challenged them outside!

Then, he had the guts to ask me if I wanted to take back what I said. In a way, I did, not because I didn't mean it, but to save my skin. But I refused. He had dangled me from a tower and almost killed me, he stole Yuya's cards and was now threatening to crush Yuya. I was not taking back my words.

Then, I really began fearing for my life when I heard a blood-curdling scream from the door. The student who had shut the door was on the floor, not moving. Light flooded back in, to reveal a silhouette of a figure. His hair stuck up in all directions and his clothes were hidden by some cloak-thing.

He was obviously not one of Sawatari's crew, as the remaining members huddled behind him, as the intruder slowly walked inside. I moved aside, to let him walk past me but he stood where I had just been standing.

"Back down," was all he said.

"Huh? What's with you?" I asked. I was about to duel Sawatari, why was he interrupting?

"Showing up all of a sudden," Sawatari hissed. "Are you supposed to be a knight come to rescue the princess?"

I do not need rescuing, thank you very much!

Then, he threw back his arm, revealing a very odd duel disk, as Sawatari pointed out. Wait, was he going to duel in my place!?

"Hold on! What are you doing, butting in like this!?" I demanded. I couldn't see his face because of his really freaky mask. "This is my duel!" I yelled, as I tried to slap my disk on my arm, only to have his hand stop it.

I could just make out grey eyes through the lenses on his mask. "I don't want you to get hurt anymore…" he said. The world pulsed slightly. What? I wasn't hurt, what was he harping on about?

Apart from those words, he didn't say a thing. Even when Sawatari mocked him and told him he was going to make an idiot out of himself.

"I'll crush you!" Sawatari bragged, beginning the duel.

Hey, it's supposed to be me you're duelling! I yelled in my head, however I could do nothing now. The duel had begun and all I could do was watch as a complete stranger, in a mask, duelled in my place.

I blinked as the stranger set his whole hand face down. Five cards appeared on the field. He didn't play any of them either, he just ended his turn. My little faith in my replacement shrunk even more. What was with this guy? Announcing that he didn't want me hurt but doesn't duel seriously!?

Sawatari acted as if he had never heard something so ridiculous. He was laughing his head off. He was, once again, mocking him.

Perhaps… His deck is built that way… And he doesn't use monsters… I thought.

"Didn't you hear me? I end my turn," the stranger said.

"I'll show you my perfect duelling!" Sawatari bragged, as he drew. I really hated to admit it, but Sawatari's game was good. Even better than the last time I saw him duel. His deck was different and he had successfully managed to advance summon on his first turn. And, then of course, my 'saviour' was doing nothing!

Using his monsters effect, he managed to destroy two of the five face downs that the masked man had and he still hadn't played a card. Did that mean that those cards weren't as important? Or that he was totally bluffing?

"He's going to release his 2400 attack point Mobius and Advance Summon another monster?" I asked, why didn't he summon the monster he wanted instead of Mobius, seeing as he didn't even attack with him?

He showed us the card, explaining that he would normally have to use two monsters to summon the card he had just advanced summoned, but seeing as his released monster was already advanced summoned, he didn't need to. I wasn't really paying attention, I was too dazzled by the shining card. It was super rare. Once again I wondered how Sawatari afforded all of these cards.

And the effect of this monster was that it could destroy three face downs. Great, just great. The cards were swept away in a gust of wind that ruffled my hair. Wait a second!

"How come I feel the wind when this isn't an action duel?" I asked, however no-one paid me the slightest bit of attention.

Sawatari enjoyed explaining the obvious odds to us. How the intruder had no cards in his hand and none on the field, meaning he was helpless. What was this guy planning? Did he have a plan at all?

"Hey, you need to get it together!" I told him, still determined to get back into the duel I challenged. "If this is all you can do, then it'd be better if you let me-"

He gave me a look with his grey eyes and silenced me.

I started panicking as Sawatari announced a direct attack, his monster creating a blizzard, an actual blizzard in the warehouse. What was going on? I gazed around. I saw no action duel gear. How could this be happening?

"I activate my magic card from the graveyard," the purple haired man said.

"You're going to activate a magic card from the graveyard, you say?" Sawatari wailed. This was the second time I have seen him so confused. For some reason, if Sawatari can't pull of a certain move, he acts like he had never seen it before.

Now, he had three defence monsters on the field.

"You set those cards intending to use their special abilities to special summon them, then?" I held a hand up to my face, to protect my eyes from the fast snow.

Sawatari continued his attack, destroying one of the monsters and set a face-down, ending his turn.

"I see you lived to the next round," Sawatari taunted.

"There won't be a next round for you!" Mr. Mask replied. Wow, that was brave, seeing as he was the one losing here.

After drawing, he started talking to Sawatari, saying that he thought he would put up more of a fight. I'm sorry, was I missing something here? Or was this guy delusional?

"All the conditions have been met," he whispered. "I have two monsters of the same level on my field."

I stared, hardly believing what I was thinking. Was he about to…? No way!

"I use my level four Shadow Veil to construct the Overlay Network!" he announced, as the two horses disappeared in a purple swirl.

"That's-" I cried, barely believing it. This was the second time in a week I had seen a super rare summon.

"XZY Summon! Rank four! Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon!"

"XZY summon?" I whispered. I couldn't believe it. It was huge and powerful and I had never seen anything like it. Sure, it wasn't as rare as Sora's Fusion monster, but that dragon would have cost a lot.

I was amazed at Sawatari's bravery (or was it stupidity?) as he applauded. He was up against an XYZ monster and didn't look a bit worried? I looked over, wondering what the intruder was planning because Shingo was right, his dragon had less attack points.

"It seems your XYZ summon was just a bluff!" Sawatari smirked, playing with his hair.

"I activate Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon's effect!" the XYZ summoner said. "By using one of its overlay units, once per turn, it can half the attack of one level five or higher monster on the field-"

Wow, what an effect!

"-And Dark Rebellion XYZ dragon's attack increases by that amount!"

Then, he used the effect again, sending his dragon's attack points up to 4600. This was crazy.

"I attack Mobius the Mega Monarch with my Dark Rebellion XYZ dragon!"

The dragon attacked and Sawatari Shingo was sent flying as his glacier exploded, shaking the whole room. The masked man ran and grabbed me, shielding me from flying debris. I heard a quiet shatter, as one of the lenses of his mask broke because of a small flying stone.

The ground shook and smoke erupted out of the warehouse. Small flames had begun on the floor, but they were no danger to us. Sawatari lay on the floor, with only 100 life points but he was not hurt.

"I will only ask once and you must answer properly!" the masked man called to Sawatari. "Is this badge from LDS?" He held up a shining badge, identical to the one Sawatari had on his collar.

I almost fell over. He interrupted my duel, took my place and caused the impacts of attacks real without Action Duel machines, all to find out what a little badge signified? He could have stopped him on the street and asked!

"What is your connection to the Academia?" he continued.

"A-Academia?" Sawatari asked. "What're you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb!" the purple haired man spat.

"I mean it! Anyone who's enrolled in LDS gets that badge! I don't know anything about this Academia or whatever!" Even though Sawatari was a liar I knew he was telling the truth. "I swear!"

"Then, I have no business with you," and with that, the masked man turned and began to leave.

I was about to demand a duel again, when I heard Sawatari chuckle. Something was up. "Idiot! This duel isn't over yet!"

Seriously, he still wanted to continue? Sheesh, he was as bad as Yuya! He activated a trap but the masked man continued walking, not even glancing back.

I gasped as Sawatari told us that, because his water-type monster had been destroyed, he could destroy the XYZ dragon and deal the owner the dragon's attack points as damage. That meant that the masked man was going to lose the duel!

"Such cheap tactics…" the purple haired person muttered, just loud enough for us all to hear. "It's child's play."

"What?" the LDS student demanded.

Still with his back turned, the intruder activated another card he had in his graveyard. And, as if it was nothing, he destroyed Sawatari's spell.

"And then! It deals 100 points of damage to my opponent!" he announced.

Sawatari's face of unbelieving made him look like a pig. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" he cried, waving his hands in the air and jumping slightly. He obviously had no means of escape.

The spear was so close to impaling Sawatari, I shivered. I didn't like Sawatari but I didn't want to see him impaled. Sawatari was defeated.

Then, the masked man pulled his mask off, to reveal his face.

I could have sworn my stomach hit the floor, the second I saw his face.

"Yuya!" I cried. It was Yuya. But how could it be? I was so confused, I didn't even notice that the LDS students had supported Sawatari out of the building and were running like mad.

Then, my bracelet began glowing brightly (small note, that has never happened before) and then, he was gone.

"Wait, what?" I cried. Where was Yuya? Why was Yuya wearing the mask? How did he get here so fast? Why did he ask about the badge? How did Yuya change his hair? Why did Yuya have a XYZ monster!?

"Yuya?!" I called, staring around. He couldn't just vanish, that was impossible!

"Yuzu!" a familiar voice called back. Oh, it was Yuya! So he didn't just disappear! …But it was coming from outside. There he was, in the door way.

In the same uniform, the same hairstyle, no mask, no purple hair. What was going on? Was this his idea of a joke?

"Are you ok?" he asked, running in.

"You're Yuya, right?" I asked, pointing at him.

"Huh, what are you talking about, Yuzu?" he asked, his brown eyes full of puzzlement and fear.

"Then… That wasn't Yuya…" I said, placing my finger on my chin in thought.

"What!?" Yuya was perplexed. "Why does this room smell like smoke? Were you having a bonfire or something? Man, it reeks!"

I don't know whether it was because of the shock, or the confusion or if I was just tired but I suddenly felt the dying urge to burst into floods of tears. Images of the purple-haired-Yuya floated in my mind. I was desperately trying to make a connection. Something to explain what was happening. It felt like my brain had just gone through a blender.

"Hey, Yuzu," Yuya said, grabbing my arm lightly and dragging me out the building. "I'll walk you home. And, while I do that, tell me what happened."

Cat: asdfghjkl!

Rena: Please review!