Yuya's Treat

by Fenghuang0296

It's the perfect storm as forces converge on Fusion Dimension. The Lancers are backed up by powers and allies new and old alike, but will it be enough to take down Leo Akaba once and for all? And is he even the biggest threat? AU from episode 63 onwards. Rated T for occasional profanity and mature (violent) themes.

39. Dark Dragon's Rebirth! Come, Aztec Wind!

Chapter 38: Dark Dragon's Rebirth! Come, Aztec Wind!

"You wanna meet up, Shun?" Yuya blinked, looking at his comrade's face on his Duel Disk.

"Yes. I need your advice," the man nodded.

"Okay. Where are we gonna meet?" the boy nodded, deciding explanations could wait.

"I'll send you the coordinates," Shun replied, cutting the communication.

X

"He gave me the slip," Kaze hissed. He balled his fists, sharp, blackened claws digging into his tough palms. "Doesn't matter. This city isn't big enough for the both of us,"

The man paused, running his tongue over his lips as he stared down at the city from his perch atop a mostly intact building. "Gee, and I thought my old place was a dump,"

"What did you say?" someone growled from behind him.

Winds picked up for a second as Kaze whirled to face the speaker.

Kite Tenjo stood before him. "You think this place is a dump? Wait until you see what I do to your Academia, fusion scum,"

Kaze raised an eyebrow. His emerald green eyes flickered blue for a second as he squinted at the blonde, and he shook his head. "You are unimportant. Get out of my way," he snorted.

"Say that again," another new voice hissed. Both men turned to see a third newcomer, tall with light green hair and wearing an Obelisk Force uniform that was partially covered by a navy blue blazer, and lacked the headpiece. "An entire buffet of Obelisk Force scum," Kite glared at the two as though he couldn't decide which of the people who he had never seen before he hated more. "My name is Anakin," the man growled. "I'll make sure to put it on your tombstone," Kite responded.

While they were conversing, once again Kaze's eyes flickered blue as he stared at Anakin. "You are of no importance either,"

Both the blonde and the green-haired Duelists were staring at the insolent auburn-haired man in anger now. "Say that again," Anakin demanded.

"I don't have to. Both of your power is worthless," Kaze shook his head. "You're boring," And with that, he jumped off the two-storey building.

Anakin looked at Kite. "Look, I don't know who you are, but how about we pound him into the ground before settling our own differences?"

Kite frowned for a second, then curtly nodded. "Works for me," And with that, the two dashed after their aggressor.

X

The words of a song Ruri had once liked drifted to Flare on the wind as she walked through the city. "It feels like I'm a lone survivor," True enough, she thought. This place was desolate. "Forgotten in a dark and deadly world,"

"And on my own, I walk alone," Sounds right.

"To see the sun again, I'd give anything," Ryuna stared up at the sky, perpetually covered in clouds ever since Obelisk Force had arrived. It was almost as though sunlight itself had forsaken Heartland City. Yeah. She probably would.

The song continued to play in the back of her mind as she walked. "But life demands a final chapter, a story that we all must leave behind," the redhead hummed the rest of the song's chorus to herself. "It's do or die, and this is my, the anthem of a bird with a broken wing,"

The dragon in her chest snarled at the very thought, and for a second Ryuna was tempted to assume her true form and prove her own strength. Preferably by burning every Fusion bastard in the city to cinders.

"I need a little stress relief," she decided, looking around. After a few second she sighed to herself. "The one time I actually want to have an Ancient Gear Chaos Giant around,"

The girl paused, realising that Bird With A Broken Wing was still playing in the back of her mind. "No. I need something nicer, something catchy," she decided.

Flare strolled off, humming to herself. "If there's something strange, dan-dun, and it don't look good, dun-dan, who ya gonna call?"

"Ghost-busters!"

X

Yuya walked through the ruins, looking around. "Obelisk Force," he fumed, looking around at the desolation in his vicinity. "It's horrible," Yuto agreed, the boy's spirit sliding out of Yuya's body.

"I can't believe anyone would do this," Yuya sighed as he stopped, realising he had reached the place where he had agreed to meet Shun. As he looked around, to which end there was no sign of his friend, he remembered his father's face, his cocky, joyful smile. "I'll make you proud, dad,"

"I know you will, Yuya," his counterpart reassured him. "Your Duelling will bring smiles back to this city, just like it did in Synchro Dimension. Just like it did for me,"

"How entertaining," a voice snorted. Yuya looked up in surprise, seeing an unfamiliar man. Kaze stood in front of him, staring him down, green-and-brown Duel Disk at the ready. "You have something I want, boy,"

"And what's that?" Yuya frowned. In his pockets, Junior and his black sibling cowered in fear. Kaze's eyes lit up at the sight of the two. "Them,"

The boy blinked as his Duel Disk switched on. Didn't that Shinsei guy say something about wanting Junior as well? It had been a little while, was he remembering wrong?

The weight in his pockets lessened, and Yuya expectantly pulled out two cards. Odd-Eyes Baby Dragonet and - he paused for a second to read the card that Rebellion Junior had become. "Dark Rebellion Baby Dragonet," Yuya nodded, adding both cards to his Deck.

"There you are!" a voice shrieked. Yuya and Kaze both turned to see Kite and Anakin dashing after the Unknown Duelist. "No one screws with me, bastard!" Anakin shrieked, arming his Duel Disk. "Prepare to repent," Kite growled, doing likewise.

"Battle Royal mode engaged," the four Duel Disks declared in unison.

"Not without me," a voice that was familiar to one of the assembled Duelists barked. "Oh, not him," Anakin groaned.

Edo Phoenix smirked down at the assembled Duelists. "Now, now. Anakin, as much as I appreciate you helping instigate my authority in this region," he addressed the green-haired man, who saluted to him, "I think that taking on three Duelists powerful enough to evade capture for this long by yourself might be a little much. Allow me to assist," Anakin groaned, but obeyed, moving to stand closer to his commanding officer.

"Who's he?" Cyril asked, cool green eyes fixed on Anakin.

"A friend of mine," Edo nodded to the boy. "Hang back for now. I think the two of us can handle this, especially since it doesn't seem like any of those three are friends with each other,"

"In that case, I'm going to be backing up my comrade in this Duel!" a familiar voice shouted, and Shun dashed forwards to stand near Yuya. The navy-haired Duelist nodded to his friend, and Yuya grinned back. "Good to see you made it,"

"Likewise," Shun nodded. "I recognise Kite, but what are we dealing with in regards to the other three?"

"Those two are in uniform. I think they're with Obelisk Force," Yuya told him, gesturing to Anakin and Edo. "We both know Kite, and I think that other guy wants Junior,"

"Your pet dragon," Shun nodded. "Got it," He paused, frowning at Anakin. "He has the same face as me,"

"Maybe he's your Fusion Dimension counterpart?" Yuya suggested, shrugging. "Makes sense," the Number Duelist agreed with a frown.

Kaze inched over to Kite. "Hey, you. Since everyone else is teaming up, we'll be at a disadvantage if we fly solo,"

"You propose a temporary truce?" Kite frowned. Normally he'd never accept such an offer, but Edo was eyeing him in a way he didn't like, and Shun didn't seem too happy to see him again either. "I accept," he decided.

"Alright," Kaze grinned. "Let's Duel!" He smirked, running a program on his Duel Disk. "The Yuya guy only managed to beat Shinsei through his Action Card nonsense. Let's see how he Duels without them,"

Yuya and Shun's Action Duel circuitry tried to activate, but froze. Yuya tapped at it irritably, before signing. "The Action Duel's on the fritz," he sighed to his comrade. "No matter. We don't need Action cards to win," he responded, drawing breath.

"The first move is mine!" Anakin and Shun shouted simultaneously. "It's mine! No, mine! Stop doing that! You stop doing that!"

"I will take the first move!" Kaze's voice interrupted both counterparts. "Standard Tag Duel rules. We all draw and no one attacks on the first turn. My turn! Draw!" He looked at his hand and grinned. "I activate Skypent Tlaloc's effect in my hand! By discarding it to the Graveyard, I can add one 'Skypent' monster from my Deck to my hand! I add Skypent Tonat!" he declared, discarding a card and adding a card to his hand. "Now, I play Skypent Fusion, and fuse Skypent Tonat in my hand with Skypent Xipe!" the man declared. A brilliant gold Fusion vortex appeared on his field, and he threw the two cards into it, which metamorphosed into feathery, floating serpents as they vanished. "Mother snake of brilliant bronze, come forth now with power untold! Fusion Summon! Level 6! Rise as the serpent that brings life from death! Descend, Skypent Maya!"

A slim snake covered in shimmering bronze feathers with glowing green eyes, tall plumage and massive wings rise from the Fusion vortex. 2400 ATK. "I activate Maya's effect, which allows me to revive Skypent Tonat from my Graveyard!" A rusty red serpent with short green plumage appeared from the Graveyard, coaxed by Maya, and curled up. 1300 DEF. "I Set a card and end my turn!" Kaze barked.

"My turn!" Shun smirked, drawing his hand. "I Normal Summon Raidraptor - Singing Lanius from my hand!" A small metal bird appeared on the field. "While I control a Raidraptor, I can Special Summon Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius from my hand!" he continued. "Now, I overlay my Level 4 Fuzzy Lanius and Singing Lanius!" The two birds merged into streaks of light, creating an Overlay Network coloured crimson and gold.

"Rise, mysterious monster, master of all that is locked from sight!" In a flash, the network expelled a massive golden question mark, with two overlay units surrounding it. Everyone was taken aback by this. Had Shun just summoned weaponised punctuation? "Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Reveal your true form and grant me access to the hidden power you unlock!" The question mark glowed and began unfolding. Six spindly legs appeared and flexed, as large maroon wings hummed. "Come, Number 66: Master Key Beetle!" Shun commanded, and it was so. The 2500-ATK golden beetle hummed. "I Set a card and activate Master Key Beetle's effect!" Shun commanded, and his monster batted an Overlay Unit at his Set card. The white orb dissipated and treated a glowing, translucent shield on the card. "As long as Master Key's around, that card cannot be destroyed! I end my turn!"

"My move," Edo commanded, drawing his own hand. "I Set a monster, set a face-down and end my turn,"

"I'm up next," Kite declared. "Very flashy," he snorted at Shun's Number.

"We'll talk later," Shun shook his head.

"I have nothing to say to you. I Normal Summon Cipher Knave from my hand," Kite declared, the goblin-like monster appearing with 1300 ATK. "When Cipher Knave is Summoned, I can Special Summon a Cipher from my hand. Come, Cipher Battle Block," A reinforced rock of blue light joined its comrade, 500 ATK. "While I control a Cipher monster, I can Special Summon Cipher Wing from my hand," His jewelled butterfly appeared. "Now, by Tributing Cipher Wing, I can increase the levels of all the Ciphers I control by four," The gem vanished, sprinkling rainbow sparkled over its comrades. "Now, I Overlay my Level 8 Knave and Battle Block!" Veins pushed in Kite's neck as he glared at - well, everyone around him. "Galaxy shining in the darkness!" he shrieked, his anger spiking. "Embody the demon of revenge as my servant! Xyz Summon! Rank 8! Rise now, Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon!" His monstrous blue-and-gold dragon roared as it rose to the field, brilliant light threatening to blind everyone in the vicinity. "I Set one card and end my turn!"

"Then it's my move," Yuya decided, following the established order. "Kite," Yuto whispered, worried.

"Summon a Number if you can," Shun quietly hissed to his comrade. "I have a plan, and it'll work better if we have two of them,"

"Got it," Yuya nodded, scanning his hand. It was possible. "Alright Shun. I'll make you proud," His blue crystal pendulum glinted, swinging back and forth. "Okay! Using the Scale 1 Performapal Monkeyboard and the Scale 5 Performapal Fireflix, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Twin pillars of sapphire light appeared behind him, a monkey with a keyboard in place of its teeth in one spot with a crystalline '1' beneath it, and an orange firefly with a lightbulb in place of its rear and a '5' in the other. "Now, I activate Performapal Monkeyboard's Pendulum Effect! When he's activated, I can add a Level 4 or lower Performapal to my hand! Come, my old friend, Performapal Whip Snake!" Yuya declared, pulling one of his first three Performapal monsters from his Deck. "And now I'll Pendulum Summon! Swing, pendulum of my soul! Carve an arc across the aether!" he declared. A massive pendulum appeared, singing back and forth and drawing a portal in midair. "My monsters are ready to swing into action! Come, Performapal Whip Snake, and Wisdom-Eye Magician!" Yuya shouted. The purple serpent rose with 1700 ATK, joined by a gold-clad magician with 1500 ATK.

"It's time, Yuya," Yuto smiled.

"You're right, Yuto," Yuya nodded, standing up straighter. Shun started at the mention of the name. 'What?'

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Yuya declared, passion and excitement entering his eyes as he grinned broadly and swept his arms out wide. "As you can see, the opening act of my performance has concluded! The Pendulum Scale has been set and my monsters have been Summoned to the field! So now, it's time for the main event! Who's excited?"

Anakin raised a curious eyebrow. "Pendulum. So he's a Lancer, huh?"

Kaze's jaw had fallen to the ground in shock. A single thought was looping over and over in his mind; 'This clown is the guy who she bestowed her power on? He's a goddamn joke!'

Edo had frozen, a spark of anger lighting in his eyes. "Performapals," he hissed.

"Quit showboating and Duel!" Kite snapped.

"Okay, not quite what I was going for, but we can work with that. Now, I overlay my Level 4 Performapal Whip Snake and my Level 4 Wisdom-Eye Magician!" the entertainer continued. A bright pink Overlay Network blossomed into being in front of him. "Behold, the adorable dragon, born through the power of emotion and love! Xyz Summon, Rank 4! Now, young dragon, the stage is yours! Rise, Number 82: Heartlandraco!"

A large pink marble appeared on the field, rising out of the Overlay Network. A set, of small wings unfolded, as arms and legs flexed and stretched. The chubby pink dragon squealed as it lifted its head out of its chest and flexed its tail. The golden key in its chest whirred, creating a barrier between it that reached out to the Pendulum Scales. "Heartlandraco cannot be targeted for attacks as long as I control a Spell Card! And Pendulum Scales are Spells!" Yuya declared as a glowing magenta insignia of a runic '82' appeared on the back of his hand, which perfectly matched the brand on Heartlandraco. "Now, everyone, I end my turn! It's time for you to continue the show!" the boy exuberantly declared, looking straight at Anakin.

Shun blinked. Was it just him, or was Yuya acting even more . . . ridiculous than usual?

"Stop clowning around," Anakin sighed. "My turn! Draw!" he declared, taking a card from his Deck, his gaze firmly fixed on Yuya. "You will tell me what I want to know, green-hair. By discarding a T.A.D.P.O.L.E. from my hand, I can Special Summon Swap Frog from my hand," he declared, and a yellow frog with red markings appeared with 1000 ATK as a black-and-red baby frog swum into the Graveyard.

"When Swap's Summoned, I can send a Level 2 or lower WATER monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. So I send another copy of T.A.D.P.O.L.E.," A second tadpole drowned in the Graveyard. "I activate the effect of Swap Frog. By returning him to the hand, I can Normal Summon a Frog in addition to my Normal Summon this turn," Anakin declared. "So once again, I Normal Summon Swap Frog, and activate his effect, which lets me send Treeborn Frog from my Deck to the Graveyard," The yellow frog reappeared, and a tiny frog with wings was drowned into the Graveyard this time.

"Again, I return Swap to the hand, Normal Summon him once more, and send another Treeborn to the Grave!" Anakin continued. A smile crept across Edo's face as Anakin repeated his combo.

"He's milling his Deck. Why?" Kaze frowned.

"Once more!" Swap was Summoned a fourth time, and the third and final Treeborn Frog was sent to the Grave. "And once again, I return Swap to the hand! But this time, I'm going to use his effect to Summon Poison Draw Frog fm my hand!" Anakin grinned, as Swap was replaced by a squat orange frog with merely 100 ATK. "Now, everything is in place," Anakin smiled. "Well done," Edo nodded.

"I'll now Tribute Poison Draw to Tribute Summon!" Anakin declared, and his monster vanished. "Come, my Des Frog!" As Poison Draw vanished, it's tongue whipped out and latched onto Anakin's Deck, pulling a card free, which Anakin snatched. "When Poison Draw is sent to the Graveyard from the field, I draw a card," And as he did, a large green frog, with an aura of purple energy, appeared on his field with 1900 ATK. As it did, the ground rippled like water and the two T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s that were in his Graveyard appeared and began to grow. "And when Des Frog is Summoned, I can Summon other Des Frogs from my Deck, equal to the number of T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s in my Graveyard!" Anakin narrated, leaving his field with three Level 5 Frogs.

"Are you done yet?" Kite rolled his eyes.

"No. I play Frog Fusion!" Anakin declared, sliding a Spell into his Duel Disk. "This allows me to Fusion Summon a WATER Fusion monster from my Extra Deck! I fuse my three Des Frogs!" A pale blue and green Fusion vortex sucked in the three frogs, as a large, hulking silhouette appeared. "Come, from your aquatic throne in the depths of the wetlands! Fusion Summon! Level 8!" A massive frog leapt out of the vortex and crashed into the field, towering over everything else. Arise, behemoth frog, king of the swamp! Appear now, D.3.S. Frog!" The dark green monstrosity had beady red eyes and warts speckled across its body. A pop-up displayed its 2500 ATK, but the Graveyard portal opened and the three Treeborn Frogs appeared from it, circling around the King frog. Each one granted it an additional 500 ATK. "D.3.S. Frog gains 500 ATK for every Treeborn Frog in my Graveyard," Anakin commented.

"That's why he did that combo with Swap Frog so many times over," Shun realised. "Yes! To get all three Treeborn Frogs in my Graveyard to grant D.3.S. Frog its full 4000 ATK!" Anakin crowed with a grin. "I end my turn!"

"Very well," Kaze nodded, eyeing the frog suspiciously, as was everyone else. It was obvious that that frog was the biggest threat on the field. "My turn, draw!" A grin crossed his face. "Feel the fury of my winds!" he declared, lifting his hand to the sky. Skypent Maya roared. "I activate Maya's effect! Once per turn, I can Summon a Skypent Pendulum monster from my Graveyard!"

"Pendulum?" Yuya blinked. Anakin was shocked too. "Does that mean he's also a Lancer?" the Frog duelist blinked.

"Return, Skypent Tonat!" Kaze commanded, and a bright red serpent with white plumage erupted from the golden portal Maya had created, with 1300 ATK. "My goal is to be the one to defeat Yuya," he muttered, looking around at the others. "But I don't like the look of those Number things," the man continued, gazing at Master Key Beetle and Heartlandraco. "And I have to contend with that Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon, not to mention that D.3.S. Frog, and whatever tricks that Edo guy has up his sleeve," he continued, eyeing the others on the field suspiciously. "Kite and I have an arrangement, but I don't think he likes the fact that I use Fusion Summon," Kaze added to his observations. "Even so, that frog is more threatening than the dragon,"

He went into the Battle Phase, looking around. "Tonat! Attack the frog!" Kaze commanded, and his smaller Skypent whirled and charged. "I activate the effect of Skypent Chalci in my hand! By discarding her to the Grave, Tonat cannot be destroyed by this battle, I take no battle damage, and your monster is destroyed at the end of the Damage Step!" Cyan light surrounded his monster as it charged.

The man gulped in surprise. "Er, I -" But he was too late, and his monster was destroyed. "Continue the assault, Maya! Attack Anakin directly!" Kaze barked, and the Fusion monster obliged, charging and landing a direct strike as Anakin's LP dropped to 1600. "Turn end," he finished.

"Very well," Shun nodded, as the turn order passed to him. He drew and consulted his hand, scouring the field. "That Obelisk Force bastard's mine," Kite spat.

"You're welcome to finish off Edo, but I'm not willing to take the chance," Shun shook his head and his Number hissed. "Master Key Beetle. Attack Anakin," The golden insect complied, charging on spindly metal legs, but he was blocked. "Battle Fader!" Anakin barked, thanking the gods that he had had a contingency. A small monster wielding clock hands appeared and cut through Shun's Battle Phase, teleporting Number 66 back to his field. "Battle Fader is Summoned and your Battle Phase is ended!"

"He bought himself a turn," Shun shook his head. "Fine. I Set a second card and end my turn!"

"I see," Edo smiled, drawing. "I do believe my beloved Field Spell can be used to greater advantage in a situation such as this," he noticed. "I activate my Field Spell, Clock Tower Prison," he declared. A tall, dark building rose into being behind him, in stark contrast with the ruins around him. More walls and roofs erupted around it until Edo was standing just inside the gateway to an auditorium, lorded over by the massive tower. "Turn end," With that, he took the opportunity to produce a platter, bearing teapot and several cups, from the inside of the archway, all made from Solid Vision. "Tea, anyone?" he cordially offered, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. "Sounds delicious, but I'll decline," Kaze snorted.

Behind him, Gong slowly crawled through the rubble. Shun had seen Cyril with Edo, and realised that he was the boy Flare had been worried for. Their plan had been that Shun would provide a distraction while Gong quietly went to rescue the boy from Edo's clutches. The martial artist started as a wall appeared in front of him, blocking his passage. "Oh no you don't," he growled, quietly scouring the edges of Clock Tower Prison for a back way in.

"Does no one take this Duel seriously?" Kite demanded in frustration as he drew.

"Says the person that has a light show with wings on his field," Anakin chuckled.

"Every time one of my opponents conducts a Standby Phase, Clock Tower Prison gains a counter," Edo narrated, the hands on his tower swinging to 11:15.

"Oh, you'll get yours," Kite hissed. "Right now! First, I play Galaxy Cyclone!" A Spell appeared on his field. "This lets me destroy a Set card. I destroy Anakin's!" he declared, pointing to the green-haired boy, who sighed as his card was destroyed. "Now, I activate the effect of Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon! I take control of an opponent's monster until the End Phase, its ATK becomes 3000 and its name becomes Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon! I'm going to take," he paused, making up his mind. "Edo's face-down!" he decided, seeing a golden opportunity.

Edo frowned as his monster was snatched away. "How uncouth," he frowned.

"I Normal Summon Cipher Knave," Kite declared, the glowing goblin appearing, with 1300 ATK. "It's time to wipe you out. Facedown turned Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon, attack Edo directly!"

Edo almost smiled at the audacity of the attempt. Kite was attacking him with his own monster. Ingenious . . . but it had to be prevented. "I activate my Trap, Destiny HERO - Doppelgänger. I take no Battle Damage for the rest of the turn, and during the End Phase, I Summon the Trap as a Normal Monster," he declared. A slim butler appeared out of the Trap card as it vanished, who produced a set of make-up. Seconds later, a duplicate of Edo appeared as the butler transformed itself, and defensively stood in front of him, blocking the dragon.

"Fine," Kite spat. "Knave, destroy Anakin's Battle Fader, and Galaxy-Eyes, attack him directly!"

Anakin blanched. Why was everyone targeting him? He . . . had no defences planned as his 0-DEF monster was obliterated and the dragon wiped out his LP. "Wait, wait," he frantically stuttered.

"Are you ready to repent?" Kite demanded, raising his Duel Disk and staring at the downed Obelisk Force soldier.

"No - no, I'm not ready to die! I need to find my sister first!" Anakin frantically stammered.

Kite stopped dead, ice permeating his glare. "Your sister? Your sister?" he hissed, his anger burning like every single sun in the galaxies of his dragon's eyes. "Y-yes. Selena. She's missing, and I'm going to find her," Anakin declared, shivering under the blonde warrior's intensity, but still managing a note of resolve.

"What. About. Mine?" The hatred in Kite's voice was sharp enough to cut through the stone walls of Edo's tower. The soldier blinked, uncomprehending. "You Academia bastards took my home, my family, everything from me!" the man shouted, fury mixing with anguish in his eyes as he raised his weapon, pointed at Anakin's throat. "So repent your sins, you monster! Because I, Kite Tenjo, shall take it all back!"

Edo sighed. He had had quite enough of the melodramatics. "Get Anakin out of here," he snorted into his Duel Disk. At the advance base of Obelisk Force in Fusion Dimension, the staff triggered the teleporters, and Anakin vanished in a flash of light.

Kite huffed, storming back to his position. "I end my turn with a face-down," With that, Edo's face-down monster returned to the Academia commander's control. As it did, the Doppelgänger appeared on Edo's field. 1000 ATK.

"My turn," Yuya nodded, worry entering his eyes after seeing Kite. The bell tower chimed as the hands swung from 11:15 to 11:30. But his mind was still focused on one thing. "That Anakin guy . . . knows Selena? He said he was her brother," he muttered to himself.

"Don't take his word for it, Obelisk Force will say anything," Shun told him.

"I suppose," Yuya nodded, his mind still in turmoil.

"Come on, Yuya," Yuto whispered to him. "Duel with . . ." Yuya heard his counterpart's voice break before he could say the word 'smiles'. "Kite's sister," he said instead. Yuya felt Yuto's anger start to rise. "She was so sweet, so kind . . . last I saw her, she was alive,"

"Yuto, remember the tournament in Standard Dimension. Remember our Duel with Flare. Control your anger," the entertainer tried to calm his friend down, but Yuto's mood had turned inconsolable. "If I had stayed . . . if I hadn't abandoned everyone . . ."

"You went to get help. You thought it was the best thing you could do," Yuya consoled him. "And look how that turned out!" Yuto spat, his anger surging through Yuya's body. "Duelling with smiles . . . it is noble, and I can respect that. But Obelisk Force . . ." A burning sensation enveloped Yuya's body, and he screwed his eyes shut tight. It felt all too similar to when the darkness took over him.

-Y-

Yuto stared at Edo with angry grey eyes. "Obelisk Force deserves punishment," He scanned the cards in Yuya's hand. Two of his favourites numbered among the four cards, and were exactly what he needed. The boy barely even realised that he had taken control of Yuya's body for the second time. "I activate my Spell, Xyz Stream! By Tributing an Xyz monster I control, I can Xyz Summon an Xyz monster from my Extra Deck with no Overlay Units that has the same Type and Rank! Begone, Heartlandraco, and rise, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" Yuto commanded. A stream of energy obliterated the little pink dragon and when it dissipated, Dark Rebellion stood in its place. "Unfortunately, Dark Rebellion has no Overlay units," the boy admitted.

"Then what use is it?" Kaze asked rhetorically, but paused. For the second time, his green eyes flashed blue as he scanned Yuya - and he gulped. Suddenly, something had changed in the boy. Seemingly in an instant, he had gone from a clown to a dark-seeming warrior with who knew how much hidden power at his fingertips. "Maybe that's why he was chosen," the man commented. His cloak rippled in the breeze.

"Now for another Spell! I play Rank-Up-Magic Phantom Knights' Launch!" Yuto barked. "For the pain of my comrades, for the horrors done to my city, you shall pay!" he continued, as a team of various Phantom Knights gathered around Dark Rebellion, lending it strength as dark energy swarmed around the dragon. "By targeting a DARK-Attribute Xyz monster, I can use it and my Spell as Xyz Material for a monster one Rank higher!" the possessing spirit declared.

Somewhere, buried deep in the back of his own mind, Yuya was dimly aware of what was happening. He froze, drawing a foregone conclusion of Yuto's plan. "Yuto, no. There's a better way to do this than by Summoning that monster again,"

But Yuto disregarded his counterpart's advice. In a swift movement, he drew Dark Revenge Chaos-Xyz Dragon from Yuya's Extra Deck. His grey eyes shone with dark blue light, and energy coursed through his body, sweeping through the Rank 5 dragon. "Fiendish destructive beast, appear from the netherworld. Be reborn once more and take on your true form, to rain down hell upon our enemies!" The card transformed in his hand as power flowed from his fingertips. "Rank-Up Xyz Change!" Yuto shouted, the team of Knights launching Dark Rebellion into the air as the dark energy surged and transformed it. "Rise, Rank 5! Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon!" he declared, and the true form of Dark Rebellion's evolution graced the field, massive colourful wings extended from a slim body. The reformed dragon roared, its 3000 ATK dominating the field.

"Fusion will pay!" Yuto declared through Yuya's lips. "I activate the effect of Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon! I target one monster on the field, reduce its ATK to 0, and Dark Requiem gains that lost ATK! I target Skypent Maya!" he barked, and his dragon fixed its glare on Kaze's monster.

"What? But I'm not even with Academia!" Kaze gasped. But his words fell on deaf ears, and Dark Requiem sucked the energy from Maya, increasing its own ATK to 5400. "He's gonna manage a one-turn-kill," Shun breathed in surprise and awe.

"Dark Requiem! Attack!" Yuto commented, and his dragon obeyed, charging forwards to attack the defenceless monster.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" the mysterious Duelist barked. Winds built around him, causing his cloak to rise and flap as his Set card flipped open. "I play Half Unbreak! Maya cannot be destroyed, and the battle damage I would take is halved!" he declared. Bubbles appeared around his monster, shielding it.

"There will be no escape for you!" Yuto declared, anger sparking in his eyes. "I activate the other effect of Dark Requiem! By using his other Overlay Unit, I negate your effect, and then Special Summon an Xyz monster from my Graveyard! I detach Dark Rebellion from Dark Requiem to negate your effect and immediately revive him from my Graveyard!" he responded. Requiem's multicoloured wings flared with energy as Dark Rebellion reformed next to it. Shun watched Kaze's eyes widen in shock and - was that a hint of admiration?

The attack carried through and Maya was obliterated, the single blow reducing the man's LP to 0. Oddly, Kaze didn't look too disappointed. The man rapidly picked himself up and smiled genuinely for the first time. "That was very impressive," he observed, looking at Yuto with newfound admiration.

His smile slid away like butter as the possessed boy raised his Duel Disk in an obvious motion. "I'll, uh, be going now," he decided, leaving before Yuto could complete the action that would seal his soul into a card.

After a second's thought, Yuto let him go, deciding that his efforts would be best focused on defeating Edo instead. "Dark Rebellion. Attack Edo's face-down," he commanded, and the original dragon agreed, charging the other monster.

"My monster is Destiny HERO - Defender," Edo narrated as a hulking golem appeared on the field. "There's something you should know," he commented, a smile crossing his face as he sipped the Solid Vision tea. "Defender holds the record for the printed DEF of a Level 4 monster," The pop-up revealed an impossible 2700 DEF, and Darl Rebellion staggered back, bouncing off the rocky monster. Yuto fumed in anger. "I end my turn,"

-Y-

The turn order passed to Anakin - who had been defeated - then it passed to Kaze - who had also been defeated, and eventually ended up reaching Shun. "My turn. Draw," he frowned. The Duel had been reduced to him and Yuya versus Edo versus Kite.

"Kite. Join us. Together we can defeat him," Shun plaintively requested of his former friend.

The glare Kite turned on his former friends was deadly. "I work alone," he spat.

Shun glanced at Yuya, who was also looking at the blonde, then looked back to his old friend. 'There has to be a way for me to show Kite that he's better off with us,' he thought to himself.

"Take your turn," Edo demanded.

"Is there a Number that can help me?" Shun quietly asked his Extra Deck. The impossibly large pile of cards crammed into the tiny space rippled and shuffled, until a single card ejected from it. Shun took it and looked, Number 49: Fortune Tune gazing up at him. "This will not be sufficient to get through to Kite. Anything else?" he quietly asked, quietly gazing at his Extra Deck.

There was no response.

"Very well," Shun nodded, looking away and setting his gaze. "I shall do this with my own strength. My turn! Draw!" He took his card and looked at it with interest as Clock Tower Prison's bells rang once again, gaining its third counter. Rank-Up-Magic Double Doom Force. An insane plan came to mind.

The golden key around his neck glowed, a throb not dissimilar to a heartbeat echoing through Shun's skull. Insane plans were often the best kind.

"I Normal Summon Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius from my hand, and activate its effect! This allows me to Special Summon Raidraptor - Booster Strix from my hand!" The two meal birds appeared on the field, and seconds later, a purple Overlay Network blossomed into being. "I immediately Overlay my two Raidraptors together to Xyz Summon! Soar, Raidraptor - Force Strix!" The large metal owl rose into being with 100 ATK and two Overlay Units. "I activate the effect of Force Strix to add Raidraptor - Sharp Lanius from my Deck to my hand by using an Overlay Unit!" Shun continued, taking a card from his Deck as Force Strix ate one of the two orbiting orbs. "Now, Battle Phase! Force Strix, attack Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon!" he commanded, the 100-ATK Xyz monster embarking on a suicidal charge.

Everyone gasped. Kite shook his head, Edo raised an eyebrow, and Gong had to stop himself from crying out to give away his position. In a flash, the Raidraptor was destroyed, and 2900 points were scored from Shun's Life.

"What was the point of that suicidal charge?" Kite shook his head.

"This. I play Rank-Up-Magic Double Doom Force," Shun smirked as his Quick-Play Spell appeared on the field. "I revive Force Strix from my Graveyard and use him as Material for the Summon of a monster with a Rank double that of Strix!"

"You plan to Summon your Sattelite Cannon Falcon," Kite surmised.

"No," Shun shook his head as a brilliant golden Overlay Network, rimmed with red, absorbed Force Strix. "I shall show you the origin of the power you wield, and bring forth the one card that I feel will break the shell you have built around your heart! Now, brilliant dragon, come forth to show your errant child the error of his ways! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Reach through time and space to bring forth the true power of our world! Appear, Number 62: Galaxy-Eyes Prime Photon Dragon!" The Overlay Network expelled a massive crystal, which instantly unfolded. The Emperor's Key around Shun's neck glowed with intense might, as arms and legs unfolded from the crystal, wings glowing with brilliant blue energy and a long head emerging. 4000 ATK.

Kite was stunned. Shun's monster . . . it was similar to his own Galaxy-Eyes. Too similar. His mouth set in a determined line.

"If this is what it takes to prove to you that I am not messing around, so be it!" Shun declared. "Galaxy-Eyes Prime Photon Dragon! Attack! Prime Photon Stream of Destruction! And now the effect of my Galaxy-Eyes activates! By using an Overlay Unit, he gains ATK equal to the total ranks of all Xyz monsters on the field multiplied by 200!" Shun declared. 8+8+5+4 made 25. That meant that Prime Photon Dragon's ATK grew to 9000.

"I -" Kite cut himself off, frantically scouring his resources for something, anything that could save him. "I hope that this registers with you," his friend told him.

"I play Cipher Cracker!" Kite barked. Shun's eyes widened. He had a counter for that move? "When a Cipher monster that I control battles, I destroy all monsters on the field!" A maelstrom of blue energy erupted from his Trap, smashing through every monster on the field. Shun frantically tapped at his Duel Disk. "Master Key Beetle's effect! By sending the Set card I targeted with his effect before to the Grave, I prevent his destruction!" One of the two Set cards on Shun's field vanished in a blaze of golden light, and, when the energy Kite had created vanished, Number 66 was the only monster left standing. "Master Key! Attack!" Shun commanded. Kite bared his chest as his LP was reduced to 1500, and shook his head. "I end my turn," Shun decided with a sigh.

Yuya wrestled with his own thoughts, barely paying attention to anything that was happening. "No! Obelisk Force will pay!" Yuto shouted at him. "This isn't the way to do it!" Yuya protested.

Edo smiled as the turn order passed to him. "How interesting," he noticed. "Infighting between Xyz scum,"

Kite turned his glare on him, and Edo met him evenly as he drew. "Now," he thought to himself with a slight smile, looking up at the tower above him. "I Set one card and end my turn,"

"He left his own field empty?" Kite blinked in surprise.

"It's a trap," Shun observed.

Kite paused. "I'll take that chance! My turn! Draw!"

The clock above Edo tolled loudly as the hands swung to 12:00. "The bell tolls, Xyzians!" he crowed. "Now that Clock Tower Prison has four counters, I will take no battle damage as long as it is on my field!"

Kite fumed. "Good to know," he spat through gritted teeth, scanning his hand. A thought struck him. "I activate the effect of Galaxy Cyclone in my Graveyard! By banishing it from my Grave, I destroy a face-up Spell or Trap on the field! I'm getting rid of that clock!" he barked, and a galactic cyclone erupted from the Graveyard, destroying the Field Spell.

A wicked grin split Edo's face. "Thank you very much," he smiled. "When Clock Tower Prison is destroyed, I can Summon a very powerful monster form my Deck," he smiled. The blonde frowned, raising a suspicious eyebrow. "So come forth, dark lord! Make my enemies tremble with fear as they gaze upon your visage! Rise, Destiny HERO - Dreadmaster!" he shouted. The ground split open, and a hulking goliath of a man tore forth, with a chain around his neck that was a horrible match for the steel mask that obscured his face. "When Dreadmaster is Summoned, I can revive two Destiny HEROes from my Graveyard!" Edo continued. Dreadmaster reached into the Graveyard, and pulled Defender and Doppelgänger from the Graveyard. 2700 DEF and 1000 ATK. "Oh, and Dreadmaster's ATK and DEF become equal to the total ATK and DEF of all Destiny HEROes I control!" Edo declared.

"Not much," Kite snorted as his monster's ATK grew to 1100.

"I agree," Edo sighed, tapping a button on his Duel Disk. "So I activate D - Fusion, and fuse together Destiny HEROes Defender and Doppelgänger!" he declared, the golem and butler merging in a multicoloured fusion vortex. "Heroes who block all assault and serve tea to the helpless!" Edo paused, realising that the part of his Fusion Summon chant referring to Doppelgänger might need work. "Become one now and reign supreme in the pitch-black future! Come on! Destiny HERO - Dystopiaguy!" His Fusion monster appeared, wielding 2800 ATK. Dreadmaster growled as he drew on the power of his teammate, his own ATK rising to 2800. "And now, when Dystopiaguy is Summoned, I can target a Destiny HERO in my Graveyard and inflict damage to my opponents equal to its ATK. I choose Doppelgänger," he declared. Black energy hit all three of his opponents, and Yuya and Kite were cut to 3000 LP each. Shun was reduced to merely 100.

"Two powerful monsters, and during my turn," Kite observed, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. He had two cards in his hand, and everything he needed to achieve victory. His anger spiked, thinking back to exactly where he had gotten the card his plan revolved around.

X

"You know, you're a good Duelist, but you're too focused on high ranks. You need more low-rank options," his friend Kana commented to him.

"Just because your Deck is focused on spamming Rank 4s, doesn't mean that all of them are," Kite snorted.

"Still, 4 is the most common Rank," Kana commented, fishing in her pockets, before pulling out a card. "Here, keep it. For me?" she asked, grinning.

Kite took the card and scanned it. "Isn't this one of your dad's cards?"

"It's a spare. He won't miss it," the green-and-black-haired girl giggled.

"Okay, but if this gets out it's your fault," Kite smirked.

X

"Kana," Kite hissed. Her memory was painful, but necessary. "I Normal Summon Cipher Twin Raptor from my hand," he declared, the dragon-like being appearing on the field. "Twin Raptor's effect. By discarding a card, I Summon a Cipher from my Deck. I Summon Cipher Mirror Knight," A pale knight joined the dinosaur. "You were right, Kana. Rank 4 is good," he coldly smiled. "I Overlay my Level 4 Twin Raptor with my Level 4 Mirror Knight, and Xyz Summon!" An orange and brown Overlay Network absorbed his monsters. "This is for my home! Rank 4! Appear, Gagaga Cowboy!" he shouted, and a warrior dressed in a poncho and wide hat, wielding a pair of pistols, backflipped out of the portal as it evaporated, landing with a battle cry. "I activate Cowboy's effect! He gains 1000 ATK, and if he battled this turn, the monster he battles loses 500 ATK!" The cowboy shot an Overlay Unit out of the air, grinning at the D-HEROes.

"Now, Cowboy! Attack Dystopiaguy!" Kite declared. With the stat changes, Dystopiaguy's ATK was 2300 and Cowboy's 2500. It was no contest.

Edo snorted in contempt. "When Dystopiaguy's ATK is different to his original ATK, I can destroy a card on the field and make his ATK become his original ATK," he snorted. Dystopiaguy cackled, lobbing a ball of energy at Shun's Master Key Beetle, as his ATK overpowered the Cowboy's. Kite staggered back as his monster was destroyed, taking 300 damage. But more damaging was the realisation that he had nothing left. No cards in his hand or on his field. Short of a miracle . . . he was dead. "I end my turn," he spat. If nothing else, his death would be delayed by Yuya and Shun taking their turns.

-Y-

As he drew, Yuya felt Yuto surge forwards once more to take his turn. "No -" he spluttered, but could do nothing to resist as Yuto took over.

"Now, you die," Yuto spat at Edo.

Shun blinked. That wasn't like Yuya, he noticed.

Yuto looked at the card he drew - and blinked in surprise. Dark Rebellion Baby Dragonet gazed up at him.

He felt his mind clear of his anger, and, in the calmness that remained, he realised what he had been doing. "Yuya . . I'm so sorry," he sighed to his counterpart, sinking back and letting the owner of the body they shared retake control. "Thanks. And don't worry, I understand," Yuya smiled as his eyes returned to their natural red. "Now, let's win this Duel," he smiled.

"Yuya?" Shun asked, eyeing his comrade.

"Yeah?" the boy looked at his comrade.

"Summon a weak monster in defence position. I have a plan, but I need to destroy something in battle and those two aren't gonna help with that," Shun requestedm gesturing at their opponents, and Yuya nodded. "On it,"

"I Normal Summon Dark Rebellion Baby Dragon from my hand!" he declared. The tiny black dragon appeared on the field, squealing cutely. "I activate the effect of Dark Rebellion Baby Dragonet! I Special Summon a Rank 4 or lower Dragon-Type Xyz monster from my Graveyard and attach my Dragonet to it as an Xyz Material!" the entertainer declared.

"Dark Rebellion?" Yuto smiled, but Yuya shook his head. "Sorry, my friend, but I have a better idea. Return, Number 82: Heartlandraco!" he declared. The pink '82' brand appeared on his fist once more as the squat dragon returned with 2000 ATK, and Dark Rebellion Baby Dragonet became a circling Overlay Unit. "And now I activate the effect of Rank-Up-Magic Phantom Knights' Launch in the Graveyard! By banishing it from the Grave, I can attach The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak from my hand to Heartlandraco as an Xyz Material!" The card shot out of Yuya's hand, briefly appearing as a monster, before turning into a second Overlay Unit. "I activate the effect of Heartlandraco! By using an Overlay Unit, Heartlandraco can declare a direct attack this turn," Yuya grinned, and the dragonet swallowed one whole with a cheeky smile. "Now, my Number! Attack Edo! Exhaust Blast!" The key in Heartlandraco's chest shot out in a plume of steam and arced towards Edo, soaring over his monsters and hitting him in the chest, where it bounced off his armour and cut his LP in half.

Suddenly, Yuya remembered Shun's request. "I activate The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak's effect in my Graveyard. By banishing it, I can add a The Phantom Knights card from my Deck to my hand," he smiled. "I add the Phantom Knights of Ancient Boots," he declared, before sparing a glance for the Set Pendulum Scale above him. "Now, I Pendulum Summon The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots from my hand in Defence Position," A ragged spectre appeared on his field with 1200 DEF. "I end my turn," Yuya smiled.

"My turn," Shun nodded his gratitude to Yuya. "Thanks," he smiled, gesturing to Silent Boots and her 1200 DEF. "That's perfect. I Normal Summon Raidraptor - Sharp Lanius from my hand," A maroon metal bird appeared with 1700 DEF. "Battle Phase. I attack Silent Boots with Sharp Lanius," he declared, and the metal bird obediently charged and destroyed the ghoul. The black Duelist conducted his Main Phase 2, and smiled. "I activate the effect of Sharp Lanius. After it has destroyed a monster by battle, I can Summon a Raidraptor from my Graveyard," he explained. "I revive Booster Strix," The rocketeering owl returned.

"I Overlay my Level 4 Booster Strix with my Level 4 Sharp Lanius and Xyz Summon!" Shun declared, a brilliant golden Overlay Network appearing. "Come, shining paladin, embodiment of hope! Xyz Summon, Rank 4!" A closed cylinder of metallic white segments appeared, with holes in the top and bottom from which small parts of the monster protruded. "Take your sword and cut through all that stands in your way on the path to freedom! Rise, Number 39: Utopia!" Shun invoked the warrior as it unfolded on his field, its great broadsword gleaming like the sun. "I end my turn!" he declared. Utopia would be able to protect Kite until Yuya's next turn, at which point Heartlandraco could take out Edo. Hopefully, after that, Kite could be reasoned with, and if not, he and Yuya could team up against him.

"My turn. Draw," Edo smirked, looking at his card. He checked his wristwatch, but paused as he heard a grunt behind him, and turned.

Cyril was standing atop the hunched form of Gong, who was convulsing in pain at his feet. "What happened?" he frowned, looking at the spectacle.

"He attempted to surprise me. A knowledge of the human body's sensitive pressure points is an extremely useful thing," he coldly observed.

Edo smiled. "It appears that I have run out of time," he sighed. "Attention Obelisk Force, activate my teleportation beacon. I'm bringing a guest," he spoke into the mike of his Duel Disk.

"What?" Kite blinked.

"My sincerest apologies, rebels, but there are things in my life more important than you rabble!" Edo called. He paused, and focused directly on Yuya. "And I am definitely taking a closer look at you, boy," he frowned, a storm of anger crossing his face for the briefest second, before he turned back to Cyril. The boy wordlessly took Edo's hand, and in an instant, the two vanished. With the disruption of the Duel, the monsters vanished. Shun stared at where Edo had been in confusion. Yuya immediately spotted Gong and rushed over. "Gong!" he gasped, dashing to his injured friend.

"Why did he leave?" Shun frowned, trusting that Yuya could take care of the other Lancer.

Behind them, Kite took advantage of his adversaries' confusion to make a quiet escape.

Yuya and Gong moved back towards Shun, Yuya supporting his larger friend. "What happened?" the younger boy asked.

"I tried to pull the kid away . . he did something to my shoulder and next thing I know, I'm on the floor," Gong groaned.

"Pull yourself together. We need to find the others," Shun told the two of them. "Safety in numbers. Especially since we now know the kid we're supposed to be looking for is with Obelisk Force. And by the looks of things, by choice,"

A/N

A/N

Really sorry that the Duel wasn't finished, but . . I've been writing my way through it for the last week and a half. I was sick of it! Urgh, that's the last time I try to combine three separate inevitable conflicts (Kaze vs. Yuya, Anakin vs Yuya, Shun vs Kite) into a single Duel. That was a killer, and this is probably the longest chapter yet.

Speaking of which, if anyone's wondering, Shun had Number Wall set and protected with Master Key Beetle. His plan was to wait until an effect would be activated to destroy Master Key, then activate it. Unfortunately, he didn't get the opportunity and had to get rid of it instead.

New home-made cards!

Cipher Cracker

Counter Trap Card

When a 'Cipher' monster battles: Destroy all monsters on the field.

Xyz Stream

Normal Spell Card

Tribute one Rank 4 or lower Xyz monster you control; Special Summon one Xyz monster from your Extra Deck with the same Rank, Type and Summoning conditions as the Tributed monster.

Destiny HERO - Doppelgänger

Continuous Trap Card

When this card is activated: You take no Battle Damage for the rest of this turn, also during the End Phase, Special Summon this card as a Normal Monster (Level 4/DARK/Warrior/ATK:1000/DEF:0). This card continues to be treated as a Normal Monster while in the Graveyard.

Froggy Fusion

Quick-Play Spell Card

Fusion Summon a WATER Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters on your field or in your hand as Fusion Materials.

Unfortunately, I'm not quite done finalising Dark Rebellion Baby Dragonet's card text, so you'll all get that another time. Sorry! :(

Oh, and there is a perfectly good reason that Yuya has some Phantom Knight cards in his Deck. Beyond the fact that Yuto gave them to him just like he did the Rank-Up-Magic Spell, I have chosen the Phantom Knight cards Yuya has carefully as the ones that have search power and synergy with Yuya's Deck, so it isn't unrealistic that he would use them regardless, especially since they can search the aforementioned Rank-Up-Magic and other useful and generic Phantom Knight cards, such as, say, The Phantom Knights of Shadow Veil.

But now that that's done with, reviews! Yay for the first time in ages we have more than one!

Interesting ideas, Leafeon. I'll keep them in mind.

Wait and see. There's more to Cyril than meets the eye, Aamuet.

So, anything else? No? Then p- wait, wait, the question! Okay, uh, nothing to do with Cyril, I got this. Should the Chaos Numbers be used here, and if so, how? Peace!