Hey, everyone. Sorry for the long wait. I had a list of things to do over the weekend and I finally finished it yesterday. Thank you for your patience.
115Creator: I understand why you would think that Yuzu's jealousy was like a last-minute decision, but there was a reason why Yuzu didn't remember her greater moments like the one with Mieru. When a person becomes jealous, they just keep focusing on the negatives while downgrading some of their own positive memories of that person. Not only that, if people have paid attention to the story so far, Yuzu is the only girl that Yuya has ever had a fight with. This further increases her jealousy that she begins to cloud out anything positive that she has with Yuya. Jealousy is very dangerous and can change a person for the worse.
Now, let's get on with the chapter.
Chapter 21: Pendulum Lockdown
Academia – Rooftop
"Duel!" Sawatari, Reiji, Light and Dark declared.
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 5
Sawatari LP: 4000, Hand: 5
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 5
Reiji LP: 4000, Hand: 5
"You really think you can beat us? With our collection of rare cards, we've come up with the perfect decks to defeat your Pendulum cards and even seal your God cards." Light thought.
"Even with your mastery of the other summon methods, our teamwork will crush you without mercy." Dark thought.
"I'm going first! Draw!" Light drew his card. "I set three cards and end my turn!" Light finished his turn.
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 3
Sawatari LP: 4000, Hand: 5
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 5
Reiji LP: 4000, Hand: 5
"My turn! Draw!" Sawatari drew his card. "I summon Abyss Actor – Sassy Rookie (ATK: 1700, LV: 4)!" Sawatari summoned his actor. "Next, the Continuous Magic: Abyss Prop – Wild Wagon!" Sassy Rookie jumped on the wagon. "With this, Sassy Rookie cannot be targeted by card effects! I end my turn!"
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 3
Sawatari LP: 4000, Hand: 4
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 5
Reiji LP: 4000, Hand: 5
"My turn! Draw!" Dark drew his card. "I summon Melchid the Four-Face Beast (ATK: 1500, LV: 4)!" Dark summoned a mask monster.
"Next, I activate the Equip Magic: Mask of Brutality! I equip it to Melchid the Four-Face Beast!" Melchid gained a mask. "Mask of Brutality increases the Attack Points of the equipped monster by 1000 points, but it decreases its Defense Points by the same amount!"
Melchid the Four-Face Beast (ATK: 1500→2500, DEF: 1200→200)
"Furthermore, I must pay 1000 Life Points during each of my Standby Phases in order to keep Mask of Brutality in play! But that's not a problem with this card!" Dark played another card. "Continuous Magic: Masked Doll! This card will negate the negative effects of my Mask Cards!"
"So, you don't have pay any Life Points to keep them in play." Reiji fixed his glasses.
"That's right. I end my turn!" Dark finished his turn.
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 3
Sawatari LP: 4000, Hand: 4
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 3
Reiji LP: 4000, Hand: 5
"My turn! Draw!" Reiji drew his card and looked at his hand. "Yes…" Reiji grabbed two cards. "Using the Scale 1 DD Magical Savant Copernicus and the Scale 6 DD Cerberus, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Reiji set his scale and his two Pendulum Monsters appeared in blue light. "With this, I can simultaneously summon monsters from Levels 2 to 5! Grand power—"
Hold it right there!" Light shouted, interrupting Reiji. "At this timing, I activate my Continuous Trap: Mask of Forbidden Seal!" Light played his set card and masks appeared on Reiji's Pendulum Monsters.
"What?!" Reiji gasped.
"Mask of the Forbidden Seal, allows me to select two cards in any player's zone! This card destroys those cards and places a seal on them!" Reiji's Pendulum Cards were destroyed and X marks appeared on everyone's Duel Disk where the Pendulum Zone would be.
"As long as this card is active on the field, no player is allowed to use those zones for the remainder of the Duel!" Light revealed.
"With this, you're Pendulum Summon and Pendulum Effects are negated!" Dark added. "Well done, Partner."
"I should be thanking you, Partner. By summoning a strong monster, they hastily would use their Pendulum Summon to gain control of the field." Light complimented.
"Now, Reiji Akaba, if you want to save your sister, hurry up and finish your turn. Otherwise, you forfeit the match and your life!" Dark ordered.
"I…summon DD Brownie (DEF: 0, LV: 3) in Defense Position." Reiji summoned a small fiend. "I end my turn." Light and Dark chuckled at Reiji's irritated expression.
"Don't worry, Reiji. We have more than Pendulum." Sawatari said.
"I know…" Reiji said. "But with Pendulum sealed, Sawatari and I are unable to do consecutive summons."
"Even if we can't summon a lot of monsters, we still have Fusion, Synchro, Xyz and even Ritual. But getting the monsters on our field will be tough especially with Melchid being that strong." Sawatari observed the field.
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 3
Sawatari LP: 4000, Hand: 4
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 3
Reiji LP: 4000, Hand: 3
"My turn! Draw!" Light drew his card. "Now that we sealed their Pendulum Zones, they can't bring back their Pendulum Monsters from the Extra Deck. But what Sawatari said is right, they can still use the other summon methods."
"The easiest ones to deal with are Xyz and Synchro since they need monsters on the field. But with Fusion and Ritual, they can just use materials in their hand." Dark thought. "But knowing, Partner…" Dark smiled at Light and Light nodded.
"This is just the start of our Guardian Lockdown decks." Light thought. "I summon a monster! Masked Witch Doctor, Cursed Gyura (ATK: 1500, LV: 4)! Then I set one more card and end my turn!"
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 2
Sawatari LP: 4000, Hand: 4
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 3
Reiji LP: 4000, Hand: 3
"My turn! Draw!" Sawatari drew his card. "Yes, this card can help us take control of the Duel!"
"From my hand, I activate the Ritual Magic: Abyss Absolute Advent! I release Sassy Rookie on my field along with Wild Hope in my hand! The two actors appeared on the altar and became eight blue flames.
"Actor that has become a legend to countless generations, now is the time to prove that you are still the true star! Ritual Summon! Descend! Level 8! Abyss Legend – Emmy Star (ATK: 3000, LV: 8)!" Sawatari summoned his Ritual Monster.
"Next, I activate the Magic Card: Abyss Script – Legend of Knight!" Sawatari played his script and Emmy changed into a knight.
"Excellent. With Legend of Knight's effect, when an Abyss Actor attacks a monster, all Magic and Trap Cards on the opponent's field are negated!" Reiji thought.
"And those effects will stay negated so we can use our Pendulum Zones again." Sawatari smiled.
"So predictable!" Light giggled.
"What?!" Sawatari exclaimed.
"I activate my Trap Card: Mask of the Cursed Sacrifice!" Light played another mask card and a mask shot towards Emmy Star's face, causing him to grunt in pain.
"Emmy Star!" Sawatari exclaimed.
"This card is specific for Ritual Monsters and monsters that are Advance Summoned! This card becomes an Equip Card for your monster and as long as it's equipped with this mask, you cannot attack with it or use its Monster Effect. Furthermore, you take damage equal to half of one of your monster's Attack Points that were released to summon your monster!" Light revealed.
"Are you kidding me?!" Sawatari couldn't believe how broken these Mask cards were.
"Sassy Rookie's Attack Points are 1700. So, you take 850 points of damage!" Dark aura emerged from the mask and hit Sawatari, making him grunt.
Sawatari LP: 4000→3150
"Damn it…I should've placed Emmy Star on Wild Wagon first before I started to attack! I was so desperate to take control of the Duel, I made a rookie mistake."
"We Ghouls have prepared cards that are the perfect counter for you Dimension Guardians." Light said.
"We know your every move and by limiting them bit by bit, we can easily predict your next move before you do yourself." Dark added.
"I…end my turn." Sawatari reluctantly ended his turn.
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 2
Sawatari LP: 3150, Hand: 1
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 3
Reiji LP: 4000, Hand: 3
"My turn! Draw!" Dark drew his card. "I activate the Magic Card: Defense Seal! I switch DD Brownie from Defense Position to Attack Position!" Reiji's monster was forced into an attacking position.
DD Brownie (ATK: 0, LV: 3, PS: 2)
"Battle! Melchid, attack DD Brownie!" Melchid charged towards DD Brownie.
"From my hand, I activate DD Magical Savant Darwin! By sending this card to the Graveyard, I can negate an attack on a DD monster!" A Magical Savant stopped Melchid's advance.
"Next, I can release a DD monster on my field to add a Contract card from my deck to my hand!" Reiji added another card to his hand.
"Tch…lucky bastard." Dark cursed. "But don't think you're getting out of this unharmed. I activate the Continuous Magic: Mask of Burning! Once per turn, one player takes 400 points of damage for every Mask card on my field! I have two so you take 800 points of damage, Reiji!" The Mask unleashed fireballs at Reiji, striking him and making him grunt.
Reiji LP: 4000→3200
"I set one card and end my turn!" Dark finished his turn.
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 2
Sawatari LP: 3150, Hand: 1
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 1
Reiji LP: 3200, Hand: 3
"My turn! Draw!" Reiji drew his card. "I activate the Continuous Magic: Forbidden Contract with the Devil King! Using this effect, I can Special Summon the Level 7 DDD Ultimate Wisdom King Chaos Apocalypse (ATK: 2700, LV: 7, PS: 4) from my hand with its effect negated!" Reiji summoned a DDD monster.
"Tch…he got a strong monster out." Light got irritated.
"When Chaos Apocalypse is Special Summoned using the Forbidden Contract with the Devil King, I can perform a Fusion Summon with it as material with another monster in my hand! I fuse DDD Chaos Apocalypse with DDD Oblivion King Abyss Ragnarok!" Reiji's monsters entered the spiraling vortex.
"Crush the twilight gods, and with the chaotic king who watches over this world's fate, open up a new world! Fusion Summon! Come before me, autocratic god of limits! DDD Wave Oblivion King Caesar Ragnarok (ATK: 3200, LV: 10)!" Reiji summoned one of his strongest Fusion Monster.
"Alright! That's what I'm talking about!" Sawatari smiled.
"Battle! DDD Wave Oblivion King Caesar Ragnarok, attack Melchid the Four Face Beast! The End of Judgement!" Caesar Ragnarok unleashed its attack.
"Again, so predictable!" Dark smiled. "Continuous Trap: Demon's Chain!" A chain trapped Caesar Ragnarok, stopping his attack. "This card negates the effects of one monster on the field, also it cannot be attack or released for an Advance Summon.
"Damn it! They stopped us again!" Sawatari cursed.
"I set one card and end my turn!" Reiji set a card. He was just as irritated as Sawatari.
"That's right, keep losing your composure, destroy yourselves." Light thought.
"The more we stop your attacks, the more mental pressure is placed on you." Dark thought.
"By doing so, you keep falling more and more into our trap." Light thought.
"Eventually you will use up your entire hand, leaving us with a chance to strike you down in one shot." Dark thought.
"Damn it…this Duel should be over with already." Sawatari thought.
"Why are we having such a tough time with them? We've faced stronger opponents than the Ghouls." Reiji thought.
Academia – Lifting Platform
Yuya and Cobra stared each other down. "Oh, how long I have waited for this day. I look forward to making you suffer." Cobra smirked.
"Cobra…I know you were just trying to bring back your son, but you don't have the right to take the lives of everyone else." Yuya said. "I know it hurts to lose somebody important to you."
"But that's where you and I are different." Cobra said. "You have a spiritual connection to them, but I have none. So don't talk like you fully understand me." Cobra pressed a button in his hand and the platform that he, Yuya, Serena and Atem were on started to rise.
It kept ascending and ascending until eventually becoming the tallest part of the Academia. "Now then…it's time for me to make you suffer, unable to do anything as you watched the people you love pay the cost of your actions." Cobra reached into his pocket and pulled out a Millennium Item.
"A Millennium Item!" Atem's eyes widened.
"That's right, this is the Millennium Eye. This item's power allows me to read your mind so I can see through your strategies!" Cobra revealed.
"So, you're gonna cheat?" Yuya glared.
"It's useless to use against you. You have the spirits of your brothers, mother and father within you, they can just block me from reading your mind. However, there is one power that all Millennium Items share." The Millennium Eye glowed in Cobra's hands. "I declare…A Dark Game!"
"A Dark Game?!" Atem's eyes widened.
"My prince, the Dark Games are about to be revived. Should these Dark Games revive, the gate which separates this Human World from the world of Duel Monsters will shatter and the monsters will attempt to take this land and only you can stop them and their leader, Zorc." Atem remembered Hasan's words.
Darkness started to cover the area and Yuya looked around. "This darkness…"
"Because I initiated the Dark Game, I decide the penalty." Cobra declared. "And that penalty is…well, you'll see soon enough." Cobra activated his Duel Vest.
"I don't like this Dark Game he's planning. And judging from Atem's reaction, it's not good. I have to be careful…" Yuya looked at the bruised Serena. "Especially if the penalty involves Serena and the other Guardians." Yuya activated his Duel Disk.
"Duel!" Yuya and Cobra declared.
Yuya LP: 4000, Hand: 5
Cobra LP: 4000, Hand: 5
"My turn! Draw!" Yuya drew his card. "Using the Scale 2 Dharma-Eye Magician and the Scale 5 Wisdom-Eye Magician, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Yuya set his scale and his two magician monsters appeared in columns of blue light.
"I activate Wisdom-Eye Magician's Pendulum Effect! If I have a Magician card in my other Pendulum Zone, I can destroy this card and place a different Magician Pendulum Monster in my Pendulum Zone. I choose the Scale 8 Dragonpit Magician!" Wisdom-Eye disappeared and Dragonpit took its place.
"With this, I can simultaneously summon monsters from Levels 3 to 7! Swing, Pendulum of my soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Appear! My monster comrades!" The pendulum created a portal and three monsters came out.
"Odd-Eyes Magician (ATK: 2500, LV: 7, PS: 8)! Odd-Eyes Magician Girl (ATK: 2000, LV: 6, PS: 1)! And with your wondrous and beautiful dichromatic eyes, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (ATK: 2500, LV: 7, PS: 4)!" Yuya summoned his ace monster and magicians.
"Odd-Eyes…" Cobra glared at the dragon with hatred.
"I end my turn!" Yuya finished his turn.
Yuya LP: 4000, Hand: 1
Cobra LP: 4000, Hand: 5
"My turn! Draw!" Cobra drew his card and chuckled. "The Professor has given me the perfect tools to take my revenge on you! I won't let this chance slip by! Using the Scale 1 Dimension Snake and the Scale 12 Dimension Viper, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Viper set his scale.
"With this, I can simultaneously summon monsters from Levels 2 to 11! Pendulum Summon! Appear! Three copies of Venom Viper (ATK: 1700, LV: 3, PS: 6)!" Cobra summoned three vipers with venomous fangs.
"I activate Venom Viper's effect! Once per turn, one monster gets one Venom Counter for every Venom monster on my field! I use these three and target your monsters!" The three vipers shot three blasts of venoms on Odd-Eyes, Magician and Magician Girl. "When they use this effect, they cannot attack."
"Next, I activate the Field Magic: Venom Swamp!" Cobra changed the field into a swamp. "For every monster with a Venom counter on it, they lose 500 Attack Points! With three counters on each of your monsters, they lose 1500 Attack Points!" All of Yuya's monsters felt weaker.
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon/Magician (ATK: 2500→1000)
Odd-Eyes Magician Girl (ATK: 2000→500)
"He weakened Yuya's monsters so easily…" Serena weakly watched the Duel.
"I end my turn! At the End Phase of every turn onwards, Venom Swamp places one more counter on non-Venom Monsters!" The three monsters got more venom injected into them.
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon/Odd-Eyes Magician (ATK: 1000→500)
Odd-Eyes Magician Girl (ATK: 500→0)
"Furthermore, any monster whose Attack Points are reduced to 0 are destroyed!" Viper declared as Odd-Eyes Magician Girl screamed in pain as she was destroyed.
"Odd-Eyes Magician Girl!" Yuya cried out.
"Dimension Snake's Pendulum Effect! When a Pendulum Monster on my opponent's field is destroyed, instead of going to the Extra Deck, that monster is banished!" Cobra shouted.
"What?!" Yuya gasped as his Odd-Eyes Magician Girl card disappeared.
"Furthermore, Dimension Viper's Pendulum Effect! When a Pendulum Monster is banished, the opponent takes 300 points of damage!" Viper shot out a ball of poison and it hit Yuya, making him grunt.
Yuya LP: 4000→3700
"And now the penalty…" Cobra waved his arm and a screen showed Jonouchi, Asuka, Rua and Rio in their prison. The chairs they were tied to released an electric shock making them scream in pain.
"Everyone!" Yuya cried.
"Of course, you two won't be spared!" Cobra pointed to both Atem and Serena. Snakes jumped from the swamp and they bit both of them, making them scream.
"Serena! Atem!" Yuya shouted.
Atem fell forward and his whole body twitched. "I…I can't move…"
"P-Paralysis…" Serena moaned.
"Whenever you lose Life Points, your friends in the prison will get a shock that will intensify depending on the number of Life Points you lose, and these two will get bitten by a snake, with each time, injecting a venom with side effects." Cobra said. "Of course, you won't be spared pain as you will feel the damage that the monster's inflict on ya."
"Damn it…this was just 300 points. If I lose a lot in one blow…everyone…" Yuya looked at Atem, Serena and the screen with Jonouchi, Asuka, Rua and Rio.
Yuya LP: 3700, Hand: 1
Cobra LP: 4000, Hand: 0
"It's not safe to have my Pendulum Monsters destroyed. If they're destroyed Dimension Snake's Pendulum Effect will banish it and Dimension Viper's Pendulum Effect will deal me damage." Yuya thought. "I can use Dragonpit Magician's Pendulum Effect to destroy one of them, but I don't have a Pendulum Monster in my hand."
"My turn! Draw!" Yuya drew his card. "I release Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Odd-Eyes Magician!" Yuya's two monsters disappeared. "Come forth, dazzling light of salvation that shines in the darkness of despair! Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon (ATK: 2800, LV: 7)!" Yuya summoned Saber Dragon.
"Battle! Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon, attack Venom Viper!" Saber Dragon unleashed a blast that destroyed one of the Venom Viper's and that damaged Cobra.
Cobra LP: 4000→2900
"Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon's Monster Effect! When it destroys a monster in battle, it can destroy another monster on the field! I destroy your second Venom Viper!" Cobra's second monster was destroyed.
"I set one card and end my turn!" Yuya finished his turn.
"At the End Phase, Venom Swamp's effect injects your monster with a Venom Counter and it loses 500 Attack Points!" Cobra pointed out as Saber Dragon got injected with venom, making it weaker.
Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon (ATK: 2800→2300)
Yuya LP: 3700, Hand: 0
Cobra LP: 2900, Hand: 0
"So, Odd-Eyes has evolved, huh? That'll make destroying it much more satisfying." Cobra smiled. "My turn! Draw!"Cobra drew his card.
"With my current scale, Pendulum Summon! Revive from the Extra Deck! Venom Vipers (ATK: 1700, LV: 3, PS: 6)!" Cobra brought back the two vipers. "The other effect of Venom Viper activates! When it's Pendulum Summoned from the Extra Deck, if I have a Venom monster already on the field, I can draw one card! Since I summoned two of them from the Extra Deck and one was already on the field, I draw two cards!" Cobra drew two more cards.
"I activate the Magic Card: Fusion! I fuse my three Venom Vipers on my field!" The three monsters entered the spiraling vortex.
"Snakes filled with a poison to kill hundreds of soldiers, merge together to bring forth an even deadly snake! Fusion Summon! Appear! Level 9! Primordial Snake God Nehebkau (ATK: 3400, LV: 9)!" Cobra summoned a snake god to the field.
"What is that monster?" Yuya felt a very dark power coming from it. "Continuous Trap: Starlight Force! I can only activate this card when a monster is Special Summoned from the Extra Deck! Its effect is negated and their Level becomes 4!" Yuya played his card.
Nehebkau (LV: 9→4)
"You negated its effect…clever move." Cobra complimented. "But that means I can move forward with sealing your defeat! I target Nehebkau to activate the Magic Card: Venom Pandemic!"
"Venom Pandemic?" Yuya questioned.
"Battle! Nehebkau, attack Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon! Venom Disease!" Nehebkau bit Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon, causing it to get a disease and be destroyed and Yuya felt his pain.
Yuya LP: 3700→2600
"Don't forget who else suffers, Yuya!" Cobra added as Serena and Atem were bitten with by another snake hard leaving purple marks on them while Jonouchi, Asuka, Rua and Rio were once again shocked with the intensity increased.
"E-Everyone…" Yuya grunted.
"At this moment, Venom Pandemic's effect activates! When the monster that I targeted with this card destroys a monster in battle, it banishes all monsters in my opponent's hand, deck, Graveyard and Extra Deck of the same type of the monster destroyed! Cobra revealed.
"What?!" Yuya's eyes widened.
"Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon is a Dragon-type. Therefore, all Dragon-type monsters you have are banished!" Cobra shouted. Nehebkau unleashed a poison mist that covered the field and Yuya's Dragon-types were marked with the poison and were all banished.
"No! Everyone!" Yuya called out as he saw Odd-Eyes, Dark Rebellion, Clear Wing and Starve Venom get banished.
"With this, your main battalion is gone." Cobra smiled. "And Dimension Viper's Pendulum Effect activates! When a Pendulum Monster is banished, you take 300 points of damage!" Yuya took more damage while more snakes bit Atem and Serena and the four main Guardians were electrocuted again.
Yuya LP: 2600→2300
"I set one card and end my turn." Cobra finished his turn.
Sawatari and Reiji vs Light and Dark
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 2
Sawatari LP: 3150, Hand: 1
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 1
Reiji LP: 3200, Hand: 0
"My turn! Draw!" Light drew his card. "Time to go on the offensive. I summon Melchid the Four Face Beast (ATK: 1500, LV: 4)!" Light summoned a copy of Dark's monster.
"Then, by releasing two monsters that includes Melchid or Curse Gyura, I can Special Summon this monster! Appear! Masked Demon Beast Death Guardias (ATK: 3300, LV: 8)!" Light summoned a demon more powerful that Caesar Ragnarok.
"3300 Attack Points?!" Sawatari exclaimed.
"Battle! Death Guardias, attack DDD Wave Oblivion King Caesar Ragnarok!" Death Guardias charged towards the King and ripped his head off his shoulders, destroying it instantly.
Reiji LP: 3200→3100
"I end my turn!" Light smiled.
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 1
Sawatari LP: 3150, Hand: 1
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 1
Reiji LP: 3100, Hand: 0
"Damn it, I can't let them gain the lead!" Sawatari cursed. "My turn! Draw!" Sawatari drew his card.
"At this moment, Mask of the Cursed Sacrifice activates its effect! During your Standby Phase, you take damage equal to half of the Attack Points of the monster in your Graveyard that was used to Ritual Summon your monster!"
Sawatari LP: 3150→2300
Sawatari looked at his hand. "I release Emmy Star—"
"No can do! Continuous Trap: Mask of Sacrifice Sealing! As long this card is on the field, monsters cannot be release!" Light played his last set card.
"Are you kidding me?!" Sawatari shouted. "Just when I thought I could get out of this stupid mask combo, he pulls me into a bigger one! There's nothing I can do this turn."
"I end my turn!" Sawatari finished his turn.
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 1
Sawatari LP: 2300, Hand: 2
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 1
Reiji LP: 3100, Hand: 0
"My turn! Draw!" Dark drew his card. "I activate Pot of Greed! I draw two cards!" Dark drew two more cards. "Thanks to the Continuous Magic: Cursed Doll, I'm not affected by the negative effects of Mask Cards! Which means I can activate this card! I activate Ritual Magic: Ritual of the Masked Demon Beast!"
"He has Ritual Monster?!" Sawatari's eyes widened while Reiji gritted his teeth.
"I release Melchid on the field and Holy Doll in my hand!" The two monsters jumped on an altar and turned into eight flames. "Ritual Summon! Appear! Level 8! Masked Demon Beast - Masked Hellraiser (ATK: 3200, LV: 8)!"" Dark summoned a fiend that was half man, half scorpion.
"3200 Attack Points…" Reiji tensed up.
"If that monster attacks, Reiji…no, no way. Reiji will get a way out of this." Sawatari looked at Reiji.
"Partner, may I?" Dark asked.
"Hm…hold on, we should wait for another turn." Light suggested.
"That will be your biggest mistake! You're better off attacking!" Reiji shouted. "Hurry up and attack me and you will be one step closer to defeat."
"Hm…he's got a point." Light said.
"Very well, Reiji Akaba. Battle!" Dark shouted.
"I got him…" Reiji smiled.
"Masked Hellraiser, attack Abyss Legend – Emmy Star!" Dark pointed at Sawatari's monster.
"What?!" Sawatari and Reiji exclaimed.
"Mask of the Cursed Sacrifice has one more effect! When it is involved in battle, its Attack Points are lowered by 1000!" Light revealed.
Emmy Star (ATK: 3000→2000)
Masked Hellraiser fired a blast form his staff and it burned the star alive and destroying it and damaging Sawatari.
Sawatari LP: 2300→1100
"I end my turn." Dark smiled.
Light LP: 4000, Hand: 1
Sawatari LP: 1100, Hand: 2
Dark LP: 4000, Hand: 1
Reiji LP: 3100, Hand: 0
"My turn. Draw." Reiji drew his card. "During my Standby Phase, Forbidden Contract with the Devil King inflicts 2000 points of damage to me." Reiji's own card damaged him and he grunted in pain.
Reiji LP: 3100→1100
"You're terrible at bluffing." Dark insulted. "I knew that set card was going to help you get rid of your contract cards while also trying to destroy my monster! But it's activation requirement must be that I have to attack you directly!"
"But there are more participants in this Duel!" Light smiled. "If it means helping your partner, I'm more than willing to let my cards be destroyed if it means victory!"
"And I am more than willing to take an attack should it help my partner achieve victory! For being the best Duelist of the famous LDS, you two have no teamwork experience!" Dark said. Both Reiji and Sawatari growled.
"Something isn't right. Big Brother and Sawatari shouldn't be making so many mistakes. They're much better than this." Reira thought.
Professor's Chamber
Leo was sitting on his throne watching as the two Duels were taking place. "The Pendulum Lockdown decks are working perfectly. And Cobra has eliminated those pesky dragons. With them out of the way, their chances for victory have gone higher."
"But most of the credit goes to you all, Reiji, Shingo, Yuya." Leo looked at the boys.
"Reiji, you may possess and genius level of skill and intellect, but you are still a child. You only think of one absolute strategy without preparing anything else in advance. That simple minded way is why you will be nothing more than a second-rate Duelist. That's why it was so easy for the Ghouls to take over your Battle Royal during the Maiami Championship." Leo analyzed.
"Shingo, you possess both talent and hard work. That has helped you evolve your Dueling to this point. But, deep down in your heart, you feel tremendous pressure considering you have the strongest God Card, The Winged Sun Dragon of Ra! You feel the need to be the best, but seeing Yuya and Reiji still ahead of you, you keep pushing yourself to become stronger, missing important and basic knowledge along the way." Leo said.
"Yuya, the power of the Four Heavenly Dragons is beyond our comprehension, especially when all four of them gather together. But those dragons are more than that to you, it's your anchor of belief that you can revive Yuto, Yugo and Yuri. When they are removed from the equation and adding to the safety of your dear friends, the pressure you feel starts to overwhelm you and you become scared to make a move as one mistake could cost them their lives." Leo smiled.
Yuya vs Cobra
Yuya LP: 2300, Hand: 0
Cobra LP: 2900, Hand: 0
"This Duel is mine. Without your dragons, you have no chance of defeating me." Cobra laughed.
"Is that so?" Yuya smiled.
"What?" Cobra was surprised that Yuya smiled.
"My Dueling may be about the dragons, but I have more than that. My turn! Draw!" Yuya drew his card. "I activate the Magic Card: Treasure Cards of the Heavens! We both draw until we have six cards in our hands!" Both Yuya and Cobra drew six cards.
"With my Pendulum Scale, Pendulum Summon!" Yuya shouted and the portal opened and three monsters came out.
"From the Extra Deck, Odd-Eyes Magician (ATK: 2500, LV: 7, PS: 8)! And from my hand, Dragonpulse Magician (ATK: 1800, LV: 4, PS: 1)! Harmonizing Magician (ATK: 0, LV: 4, PS: 8)!" Yuya summoned his magicians along with a new female one that looked like Tuning Magician.
"When Harmonizing Magician is Pendulum Summoned from my hand, I can Special Summon one Magician Pendulum Monster from my deck in Defense Position with its effects negated! Appear! Antithesis Magician (DEF: 500, LV: 7, PS: 3)!" Yuya summoned his other magician.
"That's an impressive array of Magicians, but they cannot defeat Nehebkau." Cobra declared.
"My Magicians will defeat you! I'll start with this! I activate the Magic Card: Paladin Fusion!" Yuya played a new card.
"Paladin Fusion?!" Cobra questioned.
"This card allows me to fuse two Magician Pendulum Monsters on my field to Fusion Summon a Paladin Fusion Monster! I fuse Odd-Eyes Magician and Antithesis Magician!" Yuya's two monsters entered the spiraling vortex.
"Magician with dichromatic eyes! Become one with the Magician that contrasts and give birth to the hero's magic staff! Fusion Summon! Appear! Level 8! Insight Paladin (ATK: 2500, LV: 7)! Appearing was a male magician in purple robes and a magic staff with black hair.
"Next, I activate the Magic Card: Paladin Synchro! I can change one Magician monster on my field into a Tuner Monster, and Synchro Summon a Paladin Synchro Monster! I change Harmonizing Magician into a Tuner Monster! I'm Tuning my Level 4 Dragonpulse Magician with my Level 4 Harmonizing Magician!" Harmonizing Magician turned into four green rings and Dragonpulse Magician flew through them and became four stars.
"Hero's blade that sets forth unyielding light! Here and now, along with a flash, awaken! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Enlightenment Paladin (ATK: 2500, LV: 8)!" Yuya summoned his Synchro Monster from the Friendship Cup.
"When Enlightenment Paladin is Synchro Summoned using a Magician-type monster, I can add one Magic Card from my Graveyard to my hand! I add Treasure Card of the Heavens!" Yuya added his Magic Card back.
"Next, I activate the Magic Card: Paladin Xyz! This card allows me to use two monsters in my Pendulum Zones as material to Xyz Summon a Paladin Xyz Monster! I Overlay my Level 7 Dharma-Eye Magician and Dragonpit Magician!" Dharma-Eye turned into a yellow light while Dragonpit turned into a blue light and they both entered the spacelike portal.
"Hero's shield that sets forth unyielding darkness! Here and now, along with a shadow, arise! Xyz Summon! Rank 7! Illumination Paladin (ATK: 2500, RNK: 7, OVU: 2)!" Appearing was a male magician with large twin shields and he wore black robes and hat with blonde hair.
"Behold! The Paladin Trio of Valor, Wisdom and Courage!" Yuya shouted. Insight Paladin raised his staff, Enlightenment Paladin raised his sword and Illumination Paladin raised his shield and the trio's weapons united in the center and created a strong light.
And that is the end of Chapter 21. What did you guys think of the Duels so far. I hope you're excited for the next parts to come.
Thanks for reading and I will see you next time.
Preview: Yuya makes up for his dragons' disappearance by using his magicians, something that neither Cobra or Leo crossed their minds. Meanwhile, Reiji and Sawatari are still struggling against Light and Dark's lockdown decks, getting more frustrated and making more mistakes. But the light from the three Paladins reaches their battlefield and then…
Next Time: Light to Purge the Darkness