Cat: Yeah, hi. It's late. I know. You know. Nothing is going to change that now.

Rena: This is such a long chapter!

Cat: We are sorry. We started this chapter on Tuesday, in the back of an English class (the episode was on mute) and i was writing straight on to the Fanfic document manager and i went to save it, only the internet cut out. I lost 1000+ words. So, i've been sulking and refusing to write it.

Rena: We will get onto Chapter 40 ASAP. Thanks for your understanding.

Cat: Seeing as my chapters are so infrequent, how about following my story, so you'll be alerted about when i actually bother to post! Favouriting helps me out and it means a lot! Also, all reviews are read! I tend to PM my reviewers if they demand answers!

Don't want to do any of that? That's ok! Just people reading it makes me happy! Please, enjoy.

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 39- Wrathful Awakening

Kachidoki. How strong was he? Yuya wasn't a wimp but he wasn't the biggest person around. One kick from that guy and Yuya would fly half-way across Japan before we could blink. The only hope he had right now was that he was, I don't know, light? Faster on his feet?

The two duel styles clashed immensely. It had me wondering who was going to win. Yuya, with his entertainment? Or Kachidoki with his... bullying?

However, Yuya looked fairly confident. He barely said anything during Gongenzaka's duel. Gongenzaka had covered his eyes with his headband and continued to announce that he wasn't going to be fooled by his opponent's tricks. The headband was probably another way of Steadfast duelling, which I think was confusing the crowd in many ways. He won quickly, taking his 'magical' opponent down to zero in under ten minutes.

"Next is Yuya-niichan's turn!" Tatsuya muttered, shifting in his seat. Sure enough, Nico announced the two opponents onto the field, Yuya and Kachidoki Isao.

The crowd went wild for Yuya. They were still hyped over the new Pendulum summoning he performed and after his nail-biting duel with Sawatari, everyone knew he was one to watch. Yuya smiled and waved as the crowd went wild, thanking them for their support.

Despite having one night to prepare, I wondered how ready Yuya was for this duel. Less than 24 hours before, he had been in an unresponsive sleep for 48 hours! He wasn't firing from all cylinders and he was up against the favourite to win.

It hit me that Yuya had a chance of being knocked out right now, at only the second round of the tournament. I shook my head, inwardly scolding myself for the thought. But I couldn't help staring after Yuya as if he was heading away for war.

"Why are you guys getting nervous just watching?" my dad asked, staring at us.

"Because his opponent is that Kachidoki Isao!" I tried hard not to shout, feeling my anxiety rise in my stomach. "Weren't you watching yesterday's match?"

I closed my eyes and saw Yaiba take several blows to the stomach as he fell through the air, then landed in an unceremonious heap, not moving. Then, being carried off on a stretcher, just like… Like…

"Fusion. Synchro. XYZ. And the one we live in, Standard." Yuya nodded. "Sora came from Fusion."

I shook my head again ("If you want to take your pigtails out, use your hands!" Tatsuya cried, as I continued to move my head in a blur.) It wasn't the time to think about Sora. Wherever he was.

"Kachidoki is the favourite to win this year!" I whispered, after I stopped moving. "He was the runner up last year."

Then, we heard familiar, clunky footsteps as Gongenzaka re-appeared and took Yuya's seat (who was probably not going to be very happy about it). "The winner already moved up to Youth class, that's why he's so popular." He said.

I glanced over at the rough group, who were apparently the 'school' Kachidoki was enrolled at. They looked more like Samurai street thugs than anything else. I noticed that no one in the crowd had dared to sit next to them, leaving a wide berth and about 50 seats for them. Not that they were using them. They all stood side by side, in a creepy military-style way. One of the students bashed a gong along to every step Kachidoki took as he approached Yuya.

The crowd sat silently and stared. He may be a favourite to win but he wasn't a favourite with the crowd. They all sat there, looking confused and some a bit angry. They had probably seen his duel with Yaiba, who was still in hospital.

"They haven't even started and I'm already scared!" Ayu wailed, voicing the exact words that described my feelings. Was every one of Yuya's duels going to stress me out like this? Because I wanted his to win and achieve his goals, it felt as, if not more, stressful than my duels.

"Smiling and duelling don't belong together." My dad said darkly. "That is the teachings of the Ryouzanpaku Martial Arts School. To them, winning is everything."

They couldn't possibly clash anymore before a duel began. Their very beliefs were the exact opposites of each other. This was not going to be a pretty duel, I already knew. Dad continued to tell us how the headmaster is continually scrutinised for his ways of teachings and yet, nobody has done anything about it because they have produced so many Pro-Duellists.

"The students aren't allowed outside unless it is to go to class. I've also heard that they're not allowed to see their parents until they've become a Pro."

I wondered how true that story was. It felt too unbelievable. But so did everything else. It had me wondering when Kachidoki last saw his parents. Why would they let him attend, if they were never going to see him again for many years? Did he even have parents?

"But even with their strict training regime, they have countless people wanting to join! They're second to LDS when it comes to creating Pros!"

Duelling and winning means so much to them, they are willing to throw their life and freedom away. I vowed that today would be the last day I ever thought Gongenzaka's training was over the top.

"And the one who stands head and shoulders above the rest of that school is Kachidoki Isao." Gongenzaka nodded.

"Action Field on! Field Magic: Bamboo Forest of the Immortals activate!" Nico announced, as the stadium lit up in the centre and the lights around the audience died down.

"I saw your duel yesterday," Yuya said. Kachidoki's response was to throw some air punches and a kick, which looked so strong I was surprised the air wasn't hurt. "I won't accept your form of duelling! That wasn't duelling!"

The Action cards were sprinkled across the field, signalling the beginning of the duel and the beginning of the end of my manicured nails. Kachidoki smirked and gestured for Yuya to start.

"Right, my turn!" Yuya announced. "I summon Entermate Silver Claw from my hand!" the grey wolf appeared and was off, Yuya jumping on its back and shooting across the field. The crowd cheered. He waved back, grinning.

"Yuya-niichan!" Futoshi cried.

"In front of you!" Ayu warned, too late.

I moaned and squinted as I heard Yuya collide with the thick bamboo forest and charge through it, only to arrive at the other side, with a mouthful of leaves. The stands roared with laughter, including Futoshi, Ayu and Tatsuya, as they giggled that Yuya had turned into a red and green panda.

"Yuya is always himself, no matter who he fights!" my dad chuckled.

"Always himself…" I repeated his words. That night he met Yuto, he learned about unbelievable things, like inter-dimensional conflicts. There is no way that isn't bothering him. "Despite that… Yuya is still standing up to face what he needs to."

"What are you talking about, Yuzu?" Gongenzaka looked at me quizzically.

"Nothing! I was just thinking… A Sakaki Yuya fanclub! We'll make loads of money!" I grinned, looking around the swarms of excited people.

"Who would you be? The Number 1 Fan?" Gongenzaka smirked.

"No. I would be the bodyguard." I said, as if it was the most obvious thing. It would be the perfect excuse to finally hit Mieru over her stupid red-head.

"I end my turn," Yuya called.

"My draw," Kachidoki muttered. "If my opponent controls a monster while I do not, I can summon Soaring Earth Star Hayate from my hand without release!"

He had summoned a level 5 monster with 2100 attack points in the first seconds of his turn. I knew he was good but…

"Battle. I attack Silver Claw with Hayate."

Yuya ran into another thicket of bamboo and we all craned our necks so we could see his movements on the Duel Vision. He suddenly picked up speed when he suddenly moved to the right. And then to the left. What was he doing? He must have seen an Action card, so why?

"That was close…" Yuya gasped. It then occurred to me that Yuya hadn't gone mad, he had been dodging.

Then, Kachidoki stood out from beside a tree, laughing. How did he get there!?

"You're too slow," he smirked, pulling the Action card out of the branch and inspecting it. "The battle is still underway."

"Yuya! Behind you!" I shrieked, pointing at the large monster as it appeared from nowhere, even though I knew Yuya couldn't see what I was pointing at and I doubted he could even hear me over the crowd.

He screamed as he was thrown violently off Silver Claw by the butt of the opponent's monster's great staff and skidded away several metres, as his life points dropped slightly and Silver Claw was destroyed.

"Destroyed Pendulum monsters go to the extra deck." Yuya stood up, placing the card of the faithful wolf away.

"I end my turn." Kachidoki announced.

"Are you going to keep duelling like that, no matter what?" Yuya demanded, as the martial artist beckoned Yuya again to play. "If so… Then I will continue to duel in the way I believe in! My turn!"

"I, using the Scale 4, Entermate Trump Witch and the Scale 8, Magician of Chronomancy, set the Pendulum Scale! With this I am able to summon any monster between the levels of five and seven! Come forth! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

The crowd screamed and hollered, seeing the sight that they had come to see. Yuya's Pendulum summoning was obviously back in favour, even after all the ridicule it had originally received. I guess we had to thank Sawatari for having a Pendulum deck too, to change everyone else's minds.

"The fun has just begun!" Yuya shouted, making the crowd go wilder.

"The fun?" Kachidoki said it as if he had never heard of the word before in his life.

"Yeah!" Yuya smiled. "Duels are supposed to be fun!"

"I'm only here to win," he told Yuya.

"I also want to win," Yuya said, surprisingly calm. "But that isn't all there is to duelling!"

Kachidoki looked very unconvinced, as Yuya continued to play. "I normal summon Entermate Cameldown from my hand!"

"Battle! I attack Hayate with my Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

"I activate Hayate's effect!" he called. "If he is the only monster I control, I can negate one attack per turn!"

"We didn't think it would be that easy to beat you. Right?" Yuya looked up at the Trump Witch.

"Since Trump Witch is in the Pendulum zone, that means…" Ayu whispered.

"Just like with his first duel with Sawatari!" Futoshi agreed.

"I activate Trump Witch's Pendulum effect!" Yuya announced. "Once per turn, I can use monsters on my field to perform a Fusion summon!"

"Fusion Summon!" Sora cackled with glee. "Come forth! Des-Toy Mad Chimera!"

No, Yuzu. Stop it.

"I'll use Entermate Cameldown and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon as Fusion material!" Yuya continued.

"It's coming," I said urgently, just as Beast-Eyes appeared on the field. The crowd went mad as the Pendulum Fusion displayed its 3000 attack points.

Kachidoki stood in silence. What was he planning? He looked… Confused and yet, miserable. "It must have been fated since that day that I would duel you…" he said quietly.

"What are you talking about?" Yuya asked.

"Face me!" he snarled. I blinked. Well, that made no sense… Except to Yuya, obviously, who grinned back, as if Kachidoki had asked him 'do want an ice-cream?'

"Battle! I attack Soaring Earth Star Hayate with Beast- Eyes Pendulum dragon!" Yuya pointed at the monster.

"I activate the Action Magic: Evade!" Kachidoki announced. "It negates a monsters attack."

I groaned. "Yuya nearly had him! Stupid Action card…"

"What's wrong?" Kachidoki glared at Yuya. "Are you done with your fun, care-free duelling yet?"

"What!?"

"If you're done, end your turn already!"

"Next time, I'll make sure you have fun!" Yuya smiled. It was weird… It was like he was trying to persuade Kachidoki into changing his ways of duelling. "I end. My turn." He said slowly.

"Draw! If I control an Earth monster, I can special summon Rising Sky Star Tenma without a release! With Tenma and Hayate as materials, I can play the magic card, Fusion!"

"Yuya's gonna be in a pinch if he can't stop this summoning…" my dad muttered.

"To me, Supreme Victory Star Idaten!" The monster appeared, also flaunting 3000 attack points. Why would Kachidoki summon a monster with the same attack points as Yuya's monster? Did he not have anything stronger? I doubted that immensely. He must have a plan, then.

"It's the same attack as Beast-Eyes…" Gongenzaka murmured. "But knowing Yuya…"

Yuya began sprinting off, in what looked like a blind panic. He needed to find an Action card quickly. "Let me tell you Idaten's effect first…" Kachidoki drawled, as Yuya charged through the green bamboo. "Whenever this card battles a monster with a lower level, the opposing monster's attack becomes… Zero."

"What!?" I demanded, biting down on my pinkie nail, shredding the white tip into a jaggy, thin strip before moving onto another nail and beheading it with my teeth. "If Beast-Eyes' attack gets taken down to zero, Yuya will be hit with 3000 points of damage!"

"He needs an Action Card and hopefully it will be… Yuya!" Gongenzaka rose, as the red-and-green haired boy face-planted the floor, having tripped over a piece of bamboo.

"Kachidoki threw that piece of bamboo!" Futoshi yelled, completely outraged.

"I activate the Equip Magic Card: Magical Star Sword to Idaten!" Kachidoki ran towards where Yuya was. "By sending one Magic card that I've added to my hand to the graveyard, the equipped monsters attack goes up by 100!"

Kachidoki flipped over Yuya's head and landed in another bamboo clearing, pulling out an Action card stuck to the tree. I realised with fury that that was Yuya's closest Action card. Yuya's only hope.

"I send one Action card to the graveyard." Kachidoki said slowly, delaying his response of slipping the card into the graveyard. "Idaten's attack goes up by 100!"

Yuya stood up and began running again. The camera's zoomed in on an Action card, stuck high up on one of the taller bamboo shoots. Yuya dashed towards it but then Kachidoki elbowed him and sent him sprawling once again, as he grabbed it.

"I send a second Action card to the graveyard!" Kachidoki showed Yuya the card before removing it. His monster's attack went up to 3200.

"I send a third Action card to the graveyard!" Kachidoki kicked Yuya in the stomach as he ran towards one on another shoot.

"I send a fourth Action card to the graveyard!" Kachidoki struck Yuya across the face, as he ran for one under a rock.

"I send a fifth Action card to the graveyard!" Kachidoki bent Yuya's arm back around his body, as he jumped over him and grabbed another one stuck on a leaf

"I send a sixth Action card to the graveyard!" Kachidoki pushed Yuya aside and snatched yet another card.

"He's fighting so dirty!" Futoshi complained.

If Kachidoki got one more Action card, Yuya was done. He had 3700 life points left. Kachidoki's monster now had 3600 attack points.

"I will never let you get your hands on Action card!" Kachidoki snarled, as they ran neck-in-neck towards the next card. "Up until now, you've lived your life strolling across a bright path with not a single shadow on it."

"What are you talking about?" Yuya demanded.

"I walked only a pitch-black path of darkness. I will not lose to someone like you! I will attain victory!"

"You don't know that for sure!" Yuya yelled back, as the next Action card appeared before them, resting against some tree roots. "I'll definitely get that!"

"I won't let you! Battle!" Kachidoki shrieked. "I attack Beast-Eyes with Idaten! Idaten's effect activates! Beast-Eyes' attack becomes zero. The winds of victory only blow for those who have seen true darkness!"

"I'm not going to give up!" Yuya screamed, launching himself, his arm outstretched.

Boom! The explosion shook the arena, smoke clouding our vision. "Hey…" my dad said nervously.

"What happened?" Gongenzaka asked.

"Yuya…" I muttered, as the smoke cleared. "Yuya!"

He was lying on the floor, clutching the Action card with the tips of his fingers. Kachidoki had his foot over Yuya's wrist, preventing him from moving. One push, and Yuya's wrist would probably be broken.

"Yuya-niichan's life points are down to 100…" Ayu whispered.

"I end my turn," Kachidoki sneered, taking his weight off Yuya's wrist and walked back to his monster. "Looks like you lived by the skin of your teeth but your own darkness will be upon you soon."

"Fall into darkness." Kachidoki said nonchalantly. Yuya made a hiss of pain, rolling his head.

"What's going on!?" I urgently. "What does he mean by that!? What's happened to Yuya!?"

"I… I have no idea…" Gongenzaka whispered.

"My turn…" Yuya said quietly. But… It didn't sound like Yuya. It sounded like… I wasn't sure. But it felt like I had heard that voice before. "Draw. I activate the Action Magic: Mad Hurricane. This card returns all cards on my field to my deck."

"Why is he doing that!?" I wailed. "He can't Pendulum summon anymore!"

"Yuya… What are you trying to do?" my dad asked him, even though he couldn't hear him.

"I, using Entermate Flip Toad and Entermate Cheer Mole, set the Pendulum scale." He said in the monotone. "With this, I am able to summon level 4 monsters continuously. Pendulum summon! Entermate Cameldown and Entermate Silver Claw!"

"What is he trying to do!?" Gongenzaka hissed.

"With the level 4 Entermate Silver Claw and Entermate Cameldown, I construct the Overlay Network!"

"I use my level four Shadow Veil to construct the Overlay Network!" The Masked Man announced.

"XYZ summon! Come forth! Rank 4! Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon!"

"Yuya… Summoned Yuto's dragon!?" I gasped, suddenly finding my breathing difficult, stars dancing in my eyes.

"I activate Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon's effect. By using one Overlay Unit, it can half the attack of one monster that is level 5 or higher until the end of the turn. And I can add that to my monster's attack."

Everyone watched in amazement and horror as Kachidoki's monster's attack dropped to 1800 and Yuto's, no, Yuya's dragon's attack increased to 4300.

"By using another Overlay Unit, I activate the effect again." Kachidoki's once powerful monster now only had 900 attack points left. Yuya's –or was it still Yuto's?- monster now had 5200 attack points.

"Battle." Yuya said coldly. "I attack Supreme Victory Star Idaten with my Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon.

"Idaten's effect activates!" Kachidoki said, looking mildly panicked. "If a monster with a lower level attacks my monster, I make the attacking monster's attack zero!"

"XYZ monsters don't have levels." Yuya said icily. "Therefore, the effect is negated."

"What!?" Kachidoki shrieked. "If they don't possess levels, doesn't that make their level zero!?"

"Yuya! Stop it!" I screamed. But it was too late. The monsters collided and Kachidoki flew across the arena and crashed into the floor, metres away from Yuya.

The crowd was completely silent. The sky had turned grey and rain poured from the heavens, soaking us all in freezing cold water.

"G-good job, Yuya…" my dad said weakly.

"Yuya-oniichan feels like a different person." Tatsuya whispered.

Yuya blinked, then ran over to Kachidoki. "Are you ok?" he tried to give him his hand but Kachidoki slapped it away. He ran over to the stand where his teacher and fellow students were sitting and bowed, looking for forgiveness. They walked out, uncaring.

Yuya looked over to us and we stared back.

"What is… This feeling?" he asked.

I suddenly felt stabbing pains in my hands. I looked down to see that I had ripped off all the whites of my nails, including the ones on my thumbs. I had done it so violently, most were bleeding, especially my thumbs.

My tears mixed with the flowing blood on my hands.

Cat: Hope you enjoyed! Please review!

Rena: Today's question!

Following on from the last question: What country do you guys live in? (Don't give me anything more specific than American states. I do not want to know your house address, thank you very much)

I'm not stalking you, i am just sooooo curious! So many people reviewed last week who spoke more than one language!

(To a girl from Britain, that is sooo cool!)

Yeah, curiosity killed the cat.

Cat: ... Great. What a wonderful pun.

Thanks everyone, you guys are my life xx

-animewatchers186