Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains: Advent of New Beginnings

by donkeyboy100

Sequel to Circuit of Smiles. Months have passed since Yuji, Ena, along with their counterparts, Yuya and Zuzu put a stop to Roget's plans and saved LINK VRAINS. However, a new mysterious group has come along that plans to eliminate LINK VRAINS Top 10 to take control of SOL Technologies. Can Storm Rider and his friends stop this new enemy without the aid of their counterparts?

36. Catching Up

At SOL Technologies...

Akira arrived at his office. The meeting with the Kings was finally over. He finally thought things were slowly returning to normal. After his sister had informed him that she and her comrades had destroyed the Syndicate's factory, which was responsible for mass-producing their soldiers and cards for their best duelists, all that relief would slowly disappear and be replaced by new stress after receiving the news he had just been given.

Flashback: Thirty minutes earlier...

Akira walked into the holographic room and sealed the door behind him. Then he waited. You did not summon the Kings; you waited for them.

After about thirty seconds, the room changed. It became a digital scape, with three stars, colored red, blue, and yellow, off in the distance.

"Zaizen," the red star said. "We received word of the break-in."

"What data was taken?" the blue star asked.

"No data was taken, sirs," Zaizen said shortly. "But I'm afraid the program that allows the use of Action Fields has been contaminated by a virus, making it unusable."

"Troubling," the yellow star said. "Whoever's responsible for this must have a vast knowledge of coding and programming."

"Zaizen, do you suspect this was an inside job?" Blue King asked.

While deep down Zaizen wished it was an inside job, he knew it wasn't. "While I haven't had the time to investigate our staff, I assure you it wasn't any of them. I believe this was all the Syndicate's doing."

"You believe the Syndicate were the ones who implanted the virus?" Red King wondered.

"While I have no evidence to prove it was them, I have been informed by my sister and her friends that the leader of the Syndicate wants to take over SOL Technologies."

"If the Syndicate did have a hand in this, then we require evidence to prove it," Yellow King said. "However, given their recent actions and all the terror they caused in LINK VRAINS, they're likely the culprits."

"Then what would you have me do?" Zaizen asked. "Should we inform the public of this matter?"

"As for the time being, no," Blue King said, "The people of Den City believe they're safe now. And if any word of the Syndicate gets out, they'll panic."

Akira nodded. "I understand. In that case, I'll inform everyone that Action Fields will be down for a while due to a security update."

"Good idea, Zaizen. For now, SOL should keep this info hidden from the public until fixed," Blue King stated.

"But in case the Syndicate does something like this again, we should strengthen our security," Red King said. "As for you, Zaizen, do everything you can to destroy this virus."

Akira nodded. "I will, sirs." He then left the room and started walking back to his office.

Flashback End: Present Day...

"Mr. Zaizen, sir?"

Akira turned his head, only to see Hayami run over to him. He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't notice her enter his office.

"You seriously intend on not telling the public of the break-in? Hayami asked out of disbelief, surprised that the security chief would do something like that.

"It's the only way to prevent the city from panicking. At least for now." Akira answered. "Besides, while I promised the higher-ups I wouldn't inform the public, they never said anything about the Top 10. I shared the news of the break-in already with my sister. And she'll likely tell the other members of the Top 10."

"You've thought of everything, huh?" Hayami smirked. "As expected of the CEO, you're quite resourceful."

"I wouldn't go that far," Akira said. "I've also informed Playmaker and the Knights of Hanoi, who informed me that they're currently working together to erase the virus. I hope their skills are enough, though."

"Me too," Hayami said.

At the Den City Shopping District...

Yuji and Ena arrived at the Den City Shopping District, walking towards a place known as Starbucks Coffee. It was a simple coffee shop that contained coffees, Frappuccinos, teas, and small meals and desserts. After Yuji and Ena finished their last class, Skye contacted them and the others, requesting to meet her after school.

Eventually, the duo reached the establishment, where they saw Skye, Theodore and Lily sitting at one of the tables.

"Thanks for coming, guys," Skye said as Yuji and Ena sat in the chairs before her. "Sorry, this is last minute, though."

"It's no problem," Yuji replied. "Have you guys recovered from the exhaustion those kids handed us the other day?"

Theodore nodded. "Sure have. Thanks to Kiku's amazing massaging skills."

"Me too," Lily said. "Except I took a nice long hot bath."

"I'm fine too," Skye added. "Though the reason I brought all you guys here wasn't to recall last night's events. Last night, somebody broke into SOL's mainframe and implanted a virus into their systems that disabled the use of Action Fields."

The four teens' eyes widened in shock. "You serious!?"

Skye nodded in confirmation. "Positive. My brother contacted Yusaku and Varis to see if they could eliminate the virus from their ends. Though we haven't received any results from them."

"This isn't good at all. Action Fields were the only advantage we had over the Syndicate." Ena said with an angry look. "So, does the rest of Den City know about this?"

Skye shook her head. "They do not," she said. "While my brother wanted to inform everyone, the higher-ups believed the city would've gone into a panic after things have finally calmed down since the Syndicate attacked."

"That makes sense," Theodore said with a frown. "But even so, if something like this were happening back in my hometown, I would still want to know."

"So what can we do now?" Lily asked. "While Playmaker and the Hanoi are busy fixing things, what will we do in the meantime?"

"There's only one thing we can do," Yuji said, causing everyone to turn to him. "Recruit more allies to join us."

"Recruit more allies?" Theodore repeated. "You mean duelists like Ginger and Na'amah?"

"Correct," Yuji confirmed. "But instead of dueling them to see whether or not they can handle their own against the Syndicate, we look for duelists we know since we've seen their skills in action."

"I see..." Skye responded. "Did you have anyone in mind? I assume you must, given it's your idea."

"I do," Yuji replied. "I was thinking of asking Xander to assist us in fighting the Syndicate."

Ena's eyes widened at Yuji's words. Xander!? Of all the people you want to ask to help us, you want to ask my cousin? Why?"

"Three reasons." Yuji held up a finger. "One: The first time we meant, he successfully defeated three duelists in a single turn, meaning he's very skilled at dueling." He held up a second finger. "Two: You mentioned he's been asked several times to go pro, though he's declined every time. Meaning his skills are that of a top pro duelist." He held up a third finger. "Three: You never managed to beat him in a duel."

Ena growled. "That's not even a valid reason!"

Yuji chuckled. "I know. I just thought it was funny to mention," he said, angering Ena even further.

"He's not wrong, Ena," Theodore said. "I mean not about you losing to Xander. I mean that he's strong enough to hold his own against the Syndicate. And we're going to need all the help we can get."

Ena sighed. "You're not wrong. Yuji did make a lot of points. I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask him."

"That's the spirit!" Lily said. "Since we're looking for strong duelists, why don't we ask Triton and Hornet? They gave Gore and Ena a tough time."

"That's not a bad idea," Yuji said as he rubbed his chin. "You think you could have your brother message them, Skye, and see if they would be willing to help us?"

"Sure can," Skye replied as she took out her phone and began typing away. After a few minutes, she put her phone away." Just sent the message. Now, all we have to do is wait."

"Perfect." Yuji cheered as he checked his watch. "If we leave now, we can make it to the bus station to take the last ride to Amosis City."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Theodore said. "Let's go!"

Following Theodore's words, the five teens left the shopping district and headed straight to the bus station.

Two hours later...

[Next stop, Amosis City. I repeat, next stop, Amosis City.]

"That's our cue," Yuji said as he stood up from his bus seat. "Let's go, guys."

The others nodded, standing up as well. Once the bus came to a stop, the five teens disembarked, finding themselves outside Amosis City.

"We're here!" Yuji exclaimed as he looked around.

"It took long enough inside that bus," Theodore added.

"No kidding, it was getting cramped there," Skye sighed.

"But it's well worth it once we find Xander," Lily said.

"'If we find him,'" Ena stated. "Knowing Xander, he's a pretty busy guy. So it might take us a while to find him."

"If that's the case, why don't we get a bit to eat?" Yuji suggested. "That long bus ride surely worked up my appetite."

"Same here," Theodore said as he turned to Ena." You know this place better than us. Know any good spots to eat at."

Ena nodded. "I do. Let me lead the way."

Nodding wordlessly, Yuji and the others followed after Ena.

A while later...

Shortly after entering the city, Ena and the others went to a restaurant called Burger World and sat inside. The boys were eating a burger while the girls had a salad.

"So, where would be the best places to start our search for Xander?" Skye asked Ena.

"Hmm... well, I thought we could check the library," Ena answered, "When Xander's not busy dueling, he's mostly there reading or helping kids with their studies."

"Wow. I never pictured Xander as a bookworm," Lily said before taking a bite from her salad. "Any other places we can check?"

"Should the library be a bust, we can check the arcade," Ena suggested. "He loves playing this game called Pac-Rat. He even holds the world record for the highest score."

"That's impressive," Theodore said. "He's not only a great duelist but a great gamer, too."

"Tell me about it," Ena said with an annoyed look. "Ever since I was little, everyone's told me how lucky I am to have a cousin like Xander. Can you imagine how irritating it is to hear that repeatedly?"

"Yeah..."

Yuji replied as he rubbed his chin and ate his burger, grabbing his friends' attention.

"Something on your mind, Yuji," Lily asked. "You look more deeply into thought than you usually do."

Yuji shook his head, "It's nothing too bad. I'm just wondering how the Syndicate created a virus strong enough to prevent using Action Fields."

"I have a theory," Theodore said. "It must've been the work of that weird doctor guy you dueled."

"You mean Dr. Willow?" Yuji asked, with Theodore nodding in confirmation. "Now that you mention it, right before our duel began, he informed me that he installed some program within the room to prevent the activation of Action Fields." He slammed his fist into the table. "If I only remembered that, I could've had Kolter create a program that would've countered the virus."

Ena placed her hand on Yuji's shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself. None of us could have expected this to happen."

Skye nodded. "Ena's right. We have to focus on the here and now. And right now, we have to focus on finding Xander!"

Yuji smiled. "You're right. Sorry for getting carried away a bit there."

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's find Xander!" Ena exclaimed as she quickly finished her salad, got up from her chair and ran out the front doors.

"Girl's got some speed on her," Theodore said as he and the others chuckled. "Let's go catch up to her before we lose her."

The four teens got up from their seats, paid for their meal and walked out the food joint's doors when...

"Aaaaahhh!"

Yuji gasped and turned to the right. "Ena!"

"We gotta hurry," Skye shouted as she and the others ran down the street and around the corner. But only to find that Ena was okay. She was happily hugging two strange people. One was a tall man with spiky brown hair. He wore an open red jacket, a black shirt underneath, white sweatpants, and black boots. Beside him was a fair-skinned woman with blonde hair wearing a purple dress down to her ankles and white high-heels.

"Okay, who the heck are those people?" Yuji wondered.

"Wait a second, Yuji," Skye said, getting Yuji's attention. "They're saying something..."

"... It's been a long time since I've seen you guys," Ena said, releasing the man and woman from the hug.

"Well, we heard before that you came here on a field trip not long ago," the man said.

"We were out of town celebrating our wedding anniversary but wished we were here to see you," the woman added.

"That's okay. I completely understand," Ena replied with a smile.

"So, you're by yourself?" the man asked.

"No, I'm here with a few friends of mine. Come on. I'll take you to go see them."

The woman suddenly looked up, spotting Yuji and the others and said, "Do your friends consist of two boys and two girls?"

Ena raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, they do," she answered. "How did you know, though?"

"Over there," The main pointed ahead of him as Ena followed, seeing the four people in question.

"Oh, Yuji! Skye! Theodore! Lily! Come over here!" Ena exclaimed, waving them over. "There are some people I'd like you guys to meet!"

"Wow, Ena, you're a lot happier than ever," Skye claimed as she and the others walked over.

"What can I say? I'm thrilled to see my aunt and uncle!" Ena replied ecstatically.

"Your aunt and uncle?" Yuji repeated, looking at the man and woman.

"Isaac and Daisy Johnson, nice to meet ya," The man waved. "And you must be Yuji, right? Ena says a lot of nice things about you."

"Really?" Yuji said. "I find that a bit hard to believe."

"It's true," Daisy replied, wrapping her arm around Yuji. "Every time she's here, she'll just go on about how a great friend you are."

"Aunt Daisy, you're embarrassing me," Ena said, blushing. "You're making it sound like he's my boyfriend."

"Yeah, if anything, he's like that because of his parents," Lily added, "They taught him to be a gentleman and to not hurt a lady's feelings."

"Thank you, Lily," Yuji sheepishly grinned as he turned to Daisy, "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but can you remove your arm?"

"My apologies, dear," Daisy said as he released Yuji, "So if you guys aren't here visiting, why are you here?"

"This may sound silly, but we're looking for Xander," Theodore answered.

"Xander?" Isaac repeated. "What for?"

"We heard he was this town's best duelist," Skye replied, "So we decided to check out his skills for ourselves."

"Do the two of you know where we can find him?" Lily asked.

Daisy frowned. "I hate to tell you, but Xander isn't here right now."

"He isn't," Ena said with a shocked face. "Well, where is he then?"

"Right after your field trip ended, he took it upon himself to go on some training journey," Isaac informed her. "He didn't explain why, though."

"He just got up and left without notice," Yuji said. "But what about the thugs and criminals that attack this city from time to time? Who'll handle them if Xander's not here?"

"It's funny you mentioned that," Daisy said. "We haven't had a single threat ever since Xander left. It's like his presence is still here even though he isn't."

"Even so, it looks like the trip was a bust," Theodore said with a frown.

"Guess we'll have to head back to Den City and try again next time," Lily said.

"Nonsense, "Isaac waved off. "You guys just got here. And I can tell you're still exhausted from the rider over here. If you'd like, you guys stay here over the weekend should Xander return from his training."

"Oh no. We wouldn't want to be a burden to you," Skye said.

"It's no trouble. We have plenty of room," Daisy said. "Please. We insist."

Yuji turned to Ena. "You okay with this?" he asked.

"I don't see it as a problem," Ena replied. "Plus, I haven't crashed at their place in years. So it's a win-win for all of us." She turned to Isacc and Daisy. "We would love to stay with you guys."

"Splendid!" Daisy cheered. "You'll love our place. I'm sure of it."

Following Daisy's words, Ena and her friends followed her and Issac down the street before making a couple of turns and reaching a house. It was a three-story building with white walls and a black roof. It also had a stone walkway leading up to the porch through the yard. After admiring the house's design, the five teens entered and went to the living room.

"Make yourself at home," Isaac said as he and Daisy removed their shoes, with the others doing the same. "Is there anything you need? Don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks again for allowing us to stay here for the weekend," Lily said with a smile. "We're very grateful for your kindness."

"Well, that's our job, after all," Daisy said. "We run a bed-and-breakfast after all."

"I can see why," Theodore said. "Given your place's beauty and space, it would be dumb not to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast."

"Still, I feel like we're impeding," Skye said. "I know we're your guests, but is there anything we can do to help?"

"There are a few things," Daisy said. "First, do any of you know how to garden?"

"I do!" Lily shouted as she raised her hand. "Both my parents are botanists, and they taught me all about plants and how to garden each of them properly since I was a kid."

"That's perfect!" Daisy cheered. "If you're ready, go to the backyard."

After saying so, Lily and Daisy left the living room and went straight outside.

"Is there anything you'd like us to do, Mr. Johnson?" Yuji asked.

"Please, call me Isaac," he said. "I need some help moving things in and out of the attic. Do you think you and your friend can carry a lot of heavy boxes?"

"Of course," Theodore replied with a confident tone. "Me and Yuji work out at least three times a week. So lifting heavy boxes is child's play for us."

"Alright then. The entrance to the attic is on the 2nd floor. You can start when you get there or wait for me. But if things become too much for you, feel free to tap out."

"Thanks. But I think we'll be alright," Yuji said as he and Theodore descended the stairs.

"Guess the leaves the two of us," Ena said. "Got anything for us?"

"Around the house, no," Isaac answered. "You see, Daisy forgot to go to the market after her morning run to pick up some fruits for dessert. If you girls don't mind, can you quickly run to the market? I'll even give the money to pay for it."

"We'd love to," Skye said. "Can you also provide us a list of what we need to get?"

"Sure thing."

Isaac went to the kitchen a grabbed a paper pad and pen. He soon wrote down the items Ena and Skye needed to get. He then took out his wallet and gave them $20.

"Alright. We're heading out then." Ena said as she and Skye left.

An hour later...

"That didn't take too long," Ena said as she and Ena walked down the harbor.

"It sure didn't," Skye agreed. "Normally, back home, most stores are busy around this time. But we got lucky."

"Not that lucky," Ena countered. "While inside the store, they started doing construction, forcing us to take the long route back to my folks' place."

"Even so, we still managed to get everything on the list," Skye stated. "And the best part of it all, they were all on sale."

Before Ena could say anything, a loud explosion was suddenly heard from a nearby warehouse. Curious, Ena and Skye quickly headed to the sound's location.

"Stop that! Give it back!"

"Those are our cards!"

Skye and Ena put down the bags of groceries and looked forward and saw six people in front of him. One of them was a red-haired young boy wearing a purple jacket, brown pants and gray shoes. His name was Xander. In front of him were four rough-looking boys in coats who looked around Skye and Ena's age. The one on the far left was short, with a long front bang sticking out of his hair. His name was Kyle. The guy beside him had flat brown hair and a thin mustache. His name was Bob. The guy beside Bob had long brown hair, glasses and a white blazer. His name was Jack. And the last guy beside Jack wore a brown coat and had spiky green hair. His name is Rick. The young boy jumped up to get the cards one of the older guys was holding. But he just kept those cards away from him.

"What's the matter? Can't you boys reach them?" Kyle asked mockingly.

"Come on, give them back!" Xander said. "My dad gave me those cards!"

Ena gave the bullies an angry look and walked to the group with Skye behind her. "Hey!"

The boys stopped what they were doing and turned to her. Bob scoffed. "What do you want?"

"From starters, I want you to return those cards to that kid. Second, stop bullying him."

Jack sneered. "No way, princess. These cards are ours. This kid challenged us to a duel and wagered his Deck should he lose. And we won them fair and square. So mind your own business and back off!"

"As if. Those cards belong to that boy and him alone." Skye stated. "Cards are a duelist's soul, a part of themselves. You have no right to take the cards away from him!"

"Heh. Spare us the philosophical junk." Rick replied. "To us, cards should only be used by strong and worthy duelists. And this little brat here doesn't deserve these cards."

"If you jerks think you're as worthy as you think, how about you prove it and duel us?" Ena challenged.

The four bullies raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously challenging us? Who do you think you are?"

"My name is Ena Yamashio," she answered. "And this is my friend Skye Zaizen. "We're citizens of Den City."

The small young boy gasped at the words 'Den City'. The four bullies widened their eyes for a moment before smirking.

"Den City, eh?" Kyle said. "If I recall, they're known for creating LINK VRAINS and Speed Duels. And the two of you are from there, you say. I always wondered if people from there are as skilled as I hear they are. Very well. We accept your challenge. Although, I would like to make our duel more challenging."

Now, it was Skye's turn to raise one of his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Here's the deal," Bob began to speak. "Each of you will face two of us."

"In other words, it'll be a 2 vs. 1 duel," Jack continued.

"But should either of you lose, the other loses as well," Rick added. "Oh, and you have to put your Decks on the line. Do you accept or not?"

Just follow me." The bully gestured as he started to walk away.

Skye hesitated at the thought of losing her Deck but deeply wanted to win the little boy's Deck back. She turned to Ena. "What do you do?"

"There's only one thing we can do," she said. "We duel, win and get this kid's Deck back. Simple as that."

The four bullies placed their Duel Disks on their hands, but at that moment—

"Hold your horses!"

Everyone turned to see the source of that voice. It was a girl who had just entered the warehouse. She had long purple hair with blue highlights and amber eyes. She wore a black leather jacket, white biker shorts, dark brown boots, and a bright yellow shirt with a skull. Around her neck was a small golden locket.

"Huh? Who the heck are you!?"

Instead of answering, the female stranger shook her head in disappointment.

"Four guys ganging up on two girls and a child… What has the world come to? If the four of you call yourselves strong and worthy duelists, how could you resort to underhanded methods to defeat their opponents? Well, I guess it's to be expected from street thugs with sub-par skills like you people."

The four teenage boys were outraged by the woman's words.

"Don't worry. Leave this to me."

"Are you sure?" Skye asked. "We can provide backup."

"Thanks. But no thanks." The purple-haired woman said. "I dealt with guys like these before. So I should handle them just fine. But you're more than welcome to watch if you want."

"Sure thing," Ena said, putting her Duel Disk away and walking to the side.

"You sure this girl can handle these jerks, Ena?" Skye asked as she and Xander joined her. "It's four against one. And if she loses, she will also lose her Deck and ours."

"Trust me," Ena replied with a smirk. "I'm confident she'll take them down without breaking a sweat."

"How can you be so sure," Xander asked.

"Just watch, and you'll see."

"Oh? So you're challenging us? How cocky and stupid of you." Kyle said mockingly at the mysterious woman.

"We won't hold back just because you're a girl and felt foolish enough to play the role of a hero," Bob said condescendingly.

"Me, a knight?" The woman pointed at herself after placing her Duel Disk on her right hand. It was an old-model colored teal blue with an ebony base. "Nah, I'm more like the scoundrel who's come to stir up some chaos! So, shall we duel already, or will the four of you keep standing there looking like complete dorks?"

"Running off that foul mouth of yours non-stop…" Kyle said with an angry expression, "Very well! We'll show you the difference in our skills and have you beg for mercy afterward!"

"What a coincidence. I was planning to do the same!" The woman said. "By all means, please come at me everything you got. It won't be fun if I defeat the four of you so easily."

All five duelists activated their Duel Disks.

"Duel!"

Mysterious Woan: 4000 LP

Kyle: 4000 LP

Bob: 4000 LP

Jack: 4000 LP

Rick: 4000 LP

"To show that we're fair duelists, as an additional rule for this duel, players who haven't taken a turn yet cannot be attacked." One of the bullies suggested. "Is that acceptable?"

"That's completely fair," the woman answered. "Let's begin as soon as we can."

"Then, I'll start!" Kyle announced. "I summon Marauding Captain!"

A blonde warrior in green armor wielding two swords appeared on his field.

Marauding Captain ATK 1200 DEF 400 LVL: 3

"When Marauding Captain is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or below monster from my hand," Kyle continued. "I summon a second Marauding Captain!"

Marauding Captain ATK 1200 DEF 400 LVL: 3

"With that, I end my turn," Kyle concluded. "You're up, Bob!"

"Thanks, Kyle! My turn! I draw!" Bob announced. "I'll also start my turn by summoning Marauding Captain!"

The same armored warrior appeared on Bob's field.

Marauding Captain ATK 1200 DEF 400 LVL: 3

"And just like before, my captain lets Special Summon a Level 4 or below monster from my hand," Bob continued. "I summon a second Marauding Captain!"

Marauding Captain ATK 1200 DEF 400 LVL: 3

"I end my turn," Bob turned to Jack. "Do your thing, Jack."

"With great pleasure," Jack said with a smile. "My turn! I draw! I summon Marauding Captain, whose effect lets me summon another from my hand!"

Marauding Captain ATK 1200 DEF 400 LVL: 3 x 2

The woman frowned. "You know, it's very lame and cowardly for all of you to use the same strategy."

"As long as it ensures your defeat, it doesn't matter to us," Bob replied.

"That's right!" Jack agreed. "I'm done for now. Take it away, Rick!"

Rick stepped up, following Jack's words. "My turn! I draw! Like my teammates, I summon Marauding Captain and summon another from my hand through its effect!"

Marauding Captain ATK 1200 DEF 400 LVL: 3 x 2

"Oh, and in case you forgot, rookie," Rick grinned, "When there are two or more Marauding Captains on the field, you can't attack any of them! Or any other Warrior monster that occupies the field along with them!"

Kyle laughed. "Nah, she couldn't have forgotten that because she probably never knew it in the first place!"

"Good point, and now he'll suffer for it!" Jack sneered.

The woman smiled. "Please, the only way you four could ever make me suffer is if you all keep talking like you are now. My turn! I draw! First, I'll play two cards face-down. Then, I summon Giant Rat."

A very large, blue-furred rat holding a bleached white skull in its paws appeared.

Giant Rat ATK 1400 DEF 1450 LVL: 4

"All you're throwing in is an overgrown rodent?! Bob laughed. "Not to mention you summoned it in Attack Position. What a joke!"

The woman chuckled. "Perhaps, after all, the four of you see it as a weak card. But a true duelist would know that every card has a use. No matter how weak or worthless it is."

"Sorry, but we beg to differ. Duels are all about winning through any means necessary," Kyle stated. "Get your heads out of the clouds. Now, back to the duel. My turn! I draw!" He drew a card and played it. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: The A. Forces! Now, every Warrior monster on the field gains 200 attack points for each Spellcaster or Warrior monster on the field. There are eight Warrior monsters, so they all gain 1600 attack points! Which means each of our Marauding Captains now has 2800 attack points!"

An aura surrounded the warriors, increasing their strength.

Marauding Captain ATK 1200→2800 x 8

"Battle!" Kyle exclaimed. "Marauding Captain No.1, attack her Giant Rat!"

One of the captains jumped in the air and swung his sword at the giant rat, destroying it in an explosion that sent the woman back several feet.

Mysterious Woman: 4000→600 LP

"Oh no!" Andrew cried out, worried for the lady.

"I'm fine," the woman said, getting back up.

"Putting on a brave face for the brat?" Jack taunted her. "We all know you'll lose once Kyle's second Marauding Captain attacks you directly."

"And once your Life Points hit 0, your Deck and those two girls' Decks will be ours," Rick added.

"Don't be so sure about that." the woman said with a grin. "I activate my Giant Rat's effect! When destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, it lets me Special Summon an Earth Attribute monster with 1500 or fewer attack points from my Deck!" She slapped a card from her Deck onto her Duel Disk. "So c'mon out, Gyaku-Gire Panda!"

With a roar, a large, angry-looking panda with a bamboo stick appeared on the field, teeth bearing down on the others.

Gyaku-Gire Panda ATK 800 DEF 1600 LVL: 3

"Aw, look it, the big teddy bear. It looks cuddly," Bob sneered.

"You may not think so after this," The woman retorted, confusing Bob. "I activate Gyaku-Gire Panda's effect. For every monster on my opponent's side of the field, he gains an extra 500 attack points."

Gyaku-Gire growled as it glowed with a red aura and grew much bigger.

Gyaku-Gire Panda ATK 800→4800

"Not so cuddly now, is he?" the woman smirked. "Now, I activate the Trap Card: Ring of Destruction!" she declared as a large ring of red grenades appeared around the large panda's neck. "This card destroys one monster, and all players take damage equal to the destroyed monster's attack points!"

"But why?" Rick asked. "We'll all end up losing!"

"Not me..." the woman shook her head as she gestured to her remaining face-down card. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Quick Summon! This card allows me to perform a Normal Summon regardless of whose turn it is! So come on out, Des Wombat!"

Answering the woman's call, a brown, docile-looking animal appeared, scratching its fur with its back legs.

Des Wombat ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3

"And with this little guy out, I take no effect damage."

The four duelists watched in horror as the grenades glowed, and the wombat stood up, glowing before the red-haired woman, shielding her.

"You...go...bye...bye!" the woman waved at the four boys before Gyaku-Gire exploded, causing not only the Marauding Captains to be destroyed but a huge cloud of smoke to envelope the area. The woman's Des Wombat forced the smoke away from her, and as the smoke cleared, she and everyone else saw every one of the four other duelists on the ground, moaning in pain.

Kyle: 4000→0 LP

Bob: 4000→0 LP

Jack: 4000→0 LP

Rick: 4000→0 LP

"Wow!" Andrew said in awe.

"Beating four opponents in one turn? That was impressive." Skye commented.

Ena then turned to Skye and addressed her. "So, how do you feel? I told you she wouldn't break a sweat dueling those chumps."

"I know, but seeing that she won is still a relief," Skye said.

Following the duel's conclusion, he slowly approached one of the fallen duelists, who seemed unconscious like the others and reached into his coat pocket, grabbing Xander's Deck. She then walked over to the young boy.

"I believe this belongs to you."

"Thanks, miss," Andrew said with a smile as he took his Deck. "Thank you for helping me and getting my Deck back."

The woman nodded. "No problem. Are you alright, though? You're not hurt or anything, are you?"

Andrew nodded. "I'm fine, thanks for asking." He turned to Skye and Ena. "I should be heading home. My parents are probably wondering where I am."

"That's probably a good idea," Ena said. "Better leave now, or they'll send out a search team."

Xander nodded and exited the warehouse, waving at the three girls, who waved back. "Thank you so much!" I hope we can meet each other again!"

Skye smiled at the boy's comment before turning to the mysterious woman. "That was impressive," she said. "You performed an OTK and defeated all four of them."

"Thanks. Though if I hadn't drawn the right cards, it would've been lights out for me," the woman said. "As always, my Deck's there for me."

"You would've found a way to win even if you did get a bad hand," Ena commented. "Still, it was a pretty good duel. "I expected nothing less from you. After all, you did teach me the ropes of Duel Monsters. Isn't that right, Zoey?"

The woman nodded. "Sure is Ena."

"Sorry to interrupt, but how do you two know each other?" Skye asked.

"Sort of. Like me and Yuji, she's Xander's childhood best friend," Ena revealed, shocking Ena. "As for the teaching part, after losing to Xander so many times, she took it upon myself to help improve my skills and develop various plays and strategies." She turned to Zoey. "I didn't get to say this before I moved, but thank you for your support. I wouldn't be the duelist today if it weren't for you."

"You're too modest, Ena," Zoey said with a smile. "How have you been, though? Last I heard about you was from Xander before he left for his training journey," she mentioned, catching Ena's attention. "Is it true the two of you dueled, and you almost beat him?"

"Sadly, yes," Ena admitted. "I seriously thought I had him beat when I brought out my Deck's ace. I still have much to learn before I can reach you and Xander."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Zoey said gently. "Tell you what. Why don't we have a duel to take your mind off your loss against Xander?"

"That would make me feel better, Ena said. "But I'm afraid I must take a rain check."'

"Aw, that's a shame," Zoey pouted. "After giving those four boys a whooping, I was in the mood for an exciting and intense duel."

"If that's the case, why don't we duel instead?"

The three girls turned on their heels at the source of the voice only to see a familiar face approaching them.

"Xander?" Ena said upon identifying her cousin. "What are you doing here? Uncle Isaac and Aunt Daisy said you left to go on some training journey."

"I finished it early this morning, so I decided to return home," Xander said, crossing his arms behind his head. "What about you and your friend? What brings you back to Amosis?"

"We came here to see you," Skye said. "It concerns a…personal matter."

"Is that so?" Xander said. "It must be pretty important if you guys came all this way. In that case, I'll listen to whatever you need to tell me after my duel with Zoey." He narrowed his eyes at her. After all, we have a score to settle, don't we?"

"But of course," Zoey responded to Xander's question. "A promise is a promise. And I plan to deliver and win!"

Xander smiled as he took out his Duel Disk and placed it on his arm. "Right back at you!"

Skye turned to Ena. "Do you know what they're talking about?"

"I do," she confirmed. "This will be the 100th duel between Zoey and Xander. Each of them has a record of 49 victories. Xander would've won the 99th one, but Zoey caused the duel to end in a draw, which upset Xander."

"So this duel would count as a redo?"

"Kind of. This duel will count as two wins instead of one. That means whoever wins will have a record of 51 wins instead of 50."

"Well, after seeing Zoey mop the floor with those bullies, I can't wait to see what else she has in store," Skye said.

"Well then, prepare to be amazed," Ena stated as she narrowed her eyes at the two duelists. 'Sorry, Aunt Daisy. But your groceries will have to wait.'

Meanwhile...

Issac, Yuji and Theodore were relaxing in the living room on the couch, watching TV. Lily was helping Daisy wash the dishes. As she was scrubbing a plate, she glanced at the clock on the wall, and apparently, it had been almost two hours since Ena and Skye left.

"I wonder why Ena and her friend are taking so long?" She said.

"I'm sure everything is fine," Issac said, still sitting on the couch.

"If you're starting to worry, we can go out and look for them," Yuji suggested. "C'mon, you guys!"

Following Yuji's words, the two teens joined him as they exited the house and started running down the street as they searched for their friends.

Elsewhere...

"Let's get this duel started, Xander," Zoey said, attaching her Duel Disk to his wrist and activating its purple blade.

"Right back at you, Zoey!" Xander said as he attached his Duel Disk to his wrist and activated it. It projected a red blade.

"Duel!" they shouted.

Xander: 4000 LP

Zoey: 4000 LP

"Because I am a gentleman," Xander said. "I'll let you go first."

"How kind of you," Zoey said. Looking at her hand, she picked one card and played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Akashic Record. This card lets me draw two cards. However, I must banish them if I played either of those cards during the duel."

"Clever little…." Xander annoyingly muttered. That.. was a very clever card if used on the first turn. It practically guaranteed that Akashic Record's second effect would not banish the drawn cards.

Zoey drew her cards before looking at each one and grinned. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Pinpoint Landing! Once per turn, I can draw a card from my Deck whenever I Special Summon exactly one monster from my hand. Next, I summon Seal, Strategist Fur Hire!"

A humanoid rat in blue and light brown robes with a large mustache appeared.

Seal, Strategist Fur Hire ATK 1600 DEF 1000 LVL: 4

"Fur Hire…?" Skye wondered. "I'm unfamiliar with this archetype," she stated. "You know anything about it, Ena?"

"Sure do. The Fur Hire archetype is Zoey's signature," Ena answered with a wide smile. "The archetype is primarily a Swarm Deck that aims to quickly fill the field with monsters from the hand by using the shared effects of the low-Level monsters "Fur Hire" to Special Summon more monsters "Fur Hire", who can keep the Summoning going. They also have unique Trigger Effects to maintain momentum and provide protection."

"I activate the Spell Card: Rookie Fur Hire!" Zoey continued. "I Tribute a monster and Special Summon a "Fur Hire" monster from my hand or Deck whose Level is 1 higher or lower. I Tribute the Level 4 Seal and Special Summon the Level 3 Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire!"

A bipedal rabbit wielding a sword appeared in Attack Position.

Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire ATK 1200 DEF 500 LVL: 3

"I activate Beat's effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a "Fur Hire" monster from my hand. Come, Filo, Messenger Fur Hire!"

A baby duck wearing a blue coat and a bandana around its neck appeared in Defense Position.

Filo, Messenger Fur Hire ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"Beat's additional effect! Since a "Fur Hire" monster was Special Summoned, I can add a "Fur Hire" monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Rex, Freight Fur Hire. In addition, since I Special Summoned a monster from my hand, Pinpoint Landing's effect lets me draw 1 card!"

She drew, then said, "I activate Filo's effect! I Special Summon a "Fur Hire" monster from my hand. Appear, Rex, Freight Fur Hire!"

A baby yellow dragon appeared in Defense Position.

Rex, Freight Fur Hire ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 2

"Rex's effect activates! When it is Summoned, I add a "Fur Hire" Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Training Fur Hire, Fur All Your Training Needs to my hand."

"Filo's additional effect! When a "Fur Hire" monster is Special Summoned while I control Filo, I can Special Summon a "Fur Hire" monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position. Return to me, Seal!"

The humanoid rat reappeared.

Seal, Strategist Fur Hire ATK 1600 DEF 1000 LVL: 4

"From there, I activate Donner's effect!" Zoey declared. "I Tribute a monster to Special Summon a "Fur Hire" monster with a different name from my hand or Graveyard. I Tribute Filo to Special Summon Sagitta, Maverick Fur Hire from my hand!"

A humanoid bird in leather appeared in Defense Position, a sniper rifle propped on one knee.

Sagitta, Maverick Fur Hire ATK 1200 DEF 2400 LVL: 5

"Sagitta's effect activates! When it is Special Summoned, you take 500 points of damage for every other "Fur Hire" monster I control. I control two, so you take 1000 damage!"

Sagitta fired its rifle at Xander, who grunted in pain.

Xander: 4000→3000 LP

Xander smirked. "Damage on the first turn; you sure are taking this seriously."

"Seal's effect activates!" Zoey continued. "When a "Fur Hire" monster is Special Summoned while Seal is on the field, I can add a "Fure Hire" monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I'll add Beat to my hand. I place three cards face-down and end my turn."

"That was a very good start for Zoey, who built up a strong field and reduced her opponent's Life Points by a good amount," Skye said.

"It sure was," Ena agreed. "Now, let's see how Xander will respond!"

"My turn!" Xander announced. "I draw! I can't afford to fall behind if you're doing your best from the start. First things first, I activate the Field Spell Card: Union Hangar! Through its effect, I'll add Y-Dragon Head to my hand. Then, I summon A-Assault Core!"

A small yellow tank with a tail-shaped cannon attached to it appeared on Xander's field.

A-Assault Core ATK 1900 DEF 200 LVL: 4

"And since I summoned a Light Machine Union Monster, Union Hangar's effect activates!" Xander continued. "I can now equip a Light Machine Union monster with a different name from my Deck to that monster, but the Union monster I equip cannot be Special Summoned this turn. I equip A-Assault Core with Union Driver!"

A man in a white armored bodysuit appeared and landed on Assault Core's center.

"I activate the effect of the equipped Union Driver! While it's equipped to a monster, I can banish it to equip a Level 4 or lower Union monster from my Deck to that monster. I banish Union Driver and equip A-Assault Core with B-Buster Drake!"

The man in a bodysuit disappeared and was replaced by a mechanical green dragon with shoulder cannons.

"I activate the equipped B-Buster Drake's effect! I Special Summon it in Attack Position!"

The green mechanical dragon detached itself from A-Assault Core.

B-Buster Drake ATK 1500 DEF 1800 LVL: 4

"Following that, I activate the Spell Card: Fusion Deployment!" Xander declared. "I can reveal a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck. Afterward, I can Special Summon one of the listed materials to my field from my hand or Deck! I reveal ABC-Dragon Buster, so I can Special Summon C-Crush Wyvern from my Deck!"

A violet-colored, mechanical dragon appeared on the field in Attack Position.

C-Crush Wyvern ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 4

"A, B, and C," Zoey muttered, her eyes narrowing. She recognized this combination. "You're going to summon Dragon Buster, aren't you?"

"Not quite," Xander answered. "I have something different in mind. Let me show you. I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Frontline Base from my hand! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Union monster from my hand. Come, Y-Dragon Head!"

A red mechanical dragon appeared in Attack Position.

Y-Dragon Head ATK 1500 DEF 1600 LVL: 4

"Now I'll combine my Y-Dragon Head with my A-Assault Core! Come forth! AY-Dragon Core!"

The pieces were pulled together in a swirling vortex, linking and snapping in seemingly impossible ways. It held the basic frame of A-Assault Core but had the Y-Dragon Head's wings on its wings, the tail for a new spoiler and the head as the new front end.

AY-Dragon Core ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 6

Ena's eyes widened. "Dragon Core? He never had that monster before."

"It must be one of the new cards he mentioned earlier," Skye deduced. "We'll probably see more of them as the duel continues."

Zoey narrowed her eyes at Xander's new monster. "I'll admit it looks very impressive, but in terms of attack power, it can only inflict 500 damage."

"You and I both know that attack points aren't everything," Xander stated. "I activate the Spell Card: Shield Crush! It lets me destroy a Defense Position monster. So say goodbye to your Sagitta!"

A blast of green energy erupted from Xander's Spell Card, destroying Sagitta.

Zoey gritted her teeth. "I see you didn't forget Sagitta's effect that prevents you from targeting monsters besides it," she said. "However, I expected that! I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Training Fur Hire, Fur All Your Training Needs! "Once per turn, when a "Fur Hire" monster is destroyed, I can Special Summon a lower Level one from my Deck! I Special Summon the Level 2 Donpa, Marksman Fur Hire!"

A humanoid fennec wearing goggles and wielding a slingshot appeared.

Donpa, Marksman Fur Hire ATK 500 DEF 1000 LVL: 2

"A this moment, Seal's effect activates! I add Sagitta, Maverick Fur Hire from my Graveyard to my hand."

"That won't help you now! I activate Dragon Core's effect! By discarding a card from my hand, I can reduce the attack points of a monster you control to 0. And my target is none other than Donner!"

As Xander took a card from his hand and inserted it into his Graveyard, the eyes on the head of the dragon lit up like headlights, focusing on the Fur Hire Link Monster, who dropped his dagger and stared into them dumbly.

AY-Dragon Core ATK 2100→0

"I'm not finished yet, Zoey," Xander smirked. "Since the card I discarded was Cards of Compensation, I can draw two cards from my next Deck. Next, I combine Buster Drake with Crush Wyvern to form BC-Buster Wyvern!"

The two monsters broke apart into their respective pieces, swirling and whirling together. What resulted was a humanoid version of Buster Drake, the rear legs of Crush Wyvern forming boots with wheels, the wings becoming a jetpack with turrets and its head becoming an outrageously large visor for the fusion's head.

BC-Buster Wyvern ATK 2400 DEF 1800 LVL: 6

"So this time, he fused Buster Drake and Crush Wyvern," Skye noted. "Wonder what its effect is."

"In case you're wondering what my new monster's effect is, it lets me negate the effects of one of your monsters in exchange for discarding a card from my hand," Xander revealed. "However, there's no point in activating it." He gestured to his field. "Battle! Buster Wyvern, attack Donner, Dagger Fur Hire! Revved-up Slugger!"

"I activate the Trap Card: Ground Capture!" Zoey abruptly declared. "Due to its effect, the damage I take from this battle is halved!"

With the screech of tires on and the smell of burning rubber, Buster Wyvern dashed forward toward Donner. Winding up a fist, it delivered a powerful haymaker to the Link Monster's chin, throwing it high up into the air as it exploded.

Zoey: 4000→2800 LP

"Furthermore, since I took at least 1000 damage from your attack, I get to draw a card."

Xander narrowed his eyes as Zoey drew her card. "My Battle Phase isn't over. Dragon Core attacks Donpa! Laser Rain!"

"I activate the Trap Card: Cursed Guidance Armor!" Zoey shouted as the card showed a sinister-looking piece of armor with the image of a skull engraved on it. "Due to its effect, I can target one monster on my side of the field and force you to attack only it until the Battle Phase's end! I choose Seal, meaning your Dragon Core's attack is redirected to it!"

The machine launched into the air as several machine guns swiveled out from under the wings before unleashing an endless barrage of energy bullets at Seal, destroying it.

"I activate Cursed Guidance Armor's second effect!" Zoey said. "If the targeted monster is destroyed, I can pay 600 Life Points to draw one card from my Deck!"

Following her words, Zoey was surrounded by a crimson aura as she winced and drew again.

Zoey: 2800→2200 LP

"I can tell you've become a lot stronger as well as strategic since our last duel, but not that enough, I'm afraid," Xander said. "Now then, let's continue. I place a card face-down. And then I activate the Spell Card: Aurora Draw, which lets me draw two more cards since it's the only card in my hand. I place two more cards face-down and end my turn."

"Ena! Skye!"

A voice that the two girls and Xander identified as Yuji's was suddenly heard. Immediately afterward, the boy himself arrived, accompanied by Theodore and Lily.

"Yuji?" Ena questioned. "How did you find us?"

"Are you kidding me?" Yuji had a deadpan expression on his face. "You do know we can track each other through our Duel Disks. Plus, your Aunt and Uncle were wondering why you were taking so long getting the groceries, so we offered to look for you guys."

"And luckily, it didn't take as long as we expected," Theodore said.

"Are you guys alright?" Lily asked.

"We're fine," Ena replied. "We were on our way back, but we had to take a detour due to construction and ran into a couple of bullies who stole a kid's Deck."

"We planned to take them on to win the Deck back, but Ena's friend faced the bullies instead and defeated them in a single turn," Skye added.

"Is that so?" Yuji said as he narrowed his eyes at Zoey." I'm assuming that girl is the friend you're referring to."

"Sure am," Zoey answered, surprising Yuji and everyone, shocked that she could hear them." You must be Yuji. The name's Zoey. Ena's told me a lot about you. Like how you two are childhood friends like Xander and me."

"She and Xander are childhood friends?" Lily said.

"Indeed we are," Xander confirmed. "A little fun fact: this canal we're standing in was our first meeting place."

"First meeting place?" Theodore repeated. "So this is where Xander and Zoey met for the first time?"

Ena smiled and nodded. "That's right. And they were as close as friends could be. Especially since the day we met…"

Flashback: Thirteen years ago...

A young boy, who was at least 8 years old and wore a light blue shirt, black shorts and white shoes, walked around the neighborhood until he came to a playing ground with a slide and two swings. He sat down on one of them and looked up to the sky with a bored look.

"Ugh, how boring." he sighed.

"Hey there!"

The young boy turned to see someone standing in front of him. It was a girl who was also 8 years old, wearing a T-shirt with white and red stripes, gray pants and brown shoes.

The young boy blinked twice before responding. "Um, hello. Who are you?"

The girl smiled. "My name is Zoey. What's your name?"

"Xander."

"Xander, huh? Can I sit here?

"Go ahead. I don't mind."

"Great!" Zoey walked over to him and sat on the other swing. "So, what are you doing here all by yourself?"

Xander looked down toward the ground before answering. "Nothing. I'm just enjoying the weather, that's all."

Zoey blinked and looked at him curiously. "Really? You don't have any friends to play with?"

"Well, I do. But they're rather with me at school than anywhere else. So I hardly spend time with them anywhere else. But that's fine."

However, Zoey pouted at Xander's explanation. "Nu-huh. That's not okay. Being all alone is not okay at all."

Xander turned to her. "Well, what else can I do?"

At that, Zoey smiled, got off her swing and stood before him with her hands on her hips. "You can have fun with me."

Xander's eyes widened. "What?"

"You heard me. You can't just sit here all alone and do nothing." She held out her hand. "Come on. Let's go."

Xander was a little surprised. Zoey, a girl who hardly knew him, wanted to play with him. He hesitated for a moment before he took her hand and smiled. "Okay." That is what he said before Zoey dragged him away.

Flashback End: Present Day...

"And that's how it began." Ena finished.

"Ohh, so the two of them became friends quickly?" Yuji asked.

"If you ask me, I think that was a little straightforward of her," Theodore commented.

"Many people say that when we share that story," Zoey said. "Anyway, since that day, we have always played together whenever possible. And then, during two years, I've learned the basics of Duel Monsters and thought I could teach Xander the game."

"No way. Did Xander learn how to duel from you?" Skye asked, amused.

"Yeah, it's true," Xander replied. "After seeing Zoey duel a few times, I was, of course, interested…"

Flashback: Eight years ago...

Xander and Zoey found themselves inside the kitchen of the Wilson residence, sitting at the table and playing Duel Monsters, using game mats instead of a Duel Disk.

"Okay, here goes." Xander as he drew a card. He stared at it for a moment and then glanced at the other cards in his hand before he smiled. "First, I summon Elemental HERO Wildheart in attack mode." He placed the named warrior monster card on the table. "Then I'll equip him with the Equip Spell Card: Fusion Sword Murasame Blade." He placed the card in the same column as the monster card. "With that done, I'll attack your Axe Dragonute."

Zoey smirked as she flipped up a face-down card. "I'll use the Trap Card: Sakuretsu Armor to destroy your monster."

Xander smirked back. "Sorry, but Wildheart is immune to all trap cards."

Zoey's eyes widened before she pouted as she placed her two cards in the Graveyard.

"And that's all for me," Xander concluded.

Zoey stopped her pouting and smiled again. "Not bad. You're getting better."

"Thanks."

Meanwhile, two people were sitting on the couch in the living room. One of them was Xander's mom, Daisy. The other was a woman with green eyes and dark brown hair that reached her shoulders. She wore a white T-shirt with two yellow stripes in the middle and a pair of jeans. This woman was Lucy Penn, Zoey's mom.

"It's nice to see them play together, right?" Lucy asked.

Daisy smiled as she nodded. "Yeah. Xander didn't have anyone to spend so much time with. I'm so glad he found a friend."

"More like Zoey found him." Lucy chuckled.

Before they could talk further, they heard a 'ding dong' from the hall.

"Oh! Coming!" Daisy called out as she went to the hallway and opened the door. The person who rang the doorbell was a six-year-old young girl. She wore a gray T-shirt, black shorts and dark blue shoes. Daisy was pleased upon seeing her. "Oh, Ena! So nice of you to come."

"Hi, Aunt Daisy." She greeted back with a smile.

Xander, who heard them both, rushed out of the kitchen and smiled brightly. "Ena!"

"Hey, Cousin Xander. Nice to see you." Ena approached him, and Xander ruffled her hair a little. "How've you been?"

"I've been fine."

Zoey got curious and came out of the kitchen as well. Ena glanced at her. "Oh. Hello there."

"Hey. My name is Zoey." She greeted back with a smile.

"I'm Ena, Xander's cousin."

Zoey turned to Xander. "That's your cousin?"

"Yeah. It's her first time visiting Amosis," Xander revealed. "She also started learning how to play Duel Monsters."

Zoey then grabbed Xander's right arm. "Speaking of which, we haven't finished our match." At that, she dragged him into the kitchen.

Phillip followed them and saw them pick up their cards before Zoey drew a card from her Deck. "Oh, you also play Duel Monsters, Xander?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yup, and Zoey has taught me how to duel."

"Alright, here I go." Zoey declared as she took a card from her hand and placed it on the table. "First, I'll summon Marauding Captain. And with him summoned, I can summon another monster to the field, like D.D. Warrior Lady." She placed another card on the table. "And with her, I'll attack your Wildheart."

"What? But he has more attack points." Xander said, confused by her move.

"I know, but my Warrior Lady has a special ability. When she battles a monster, I can banish both monsters."

Xander gasped.

"And that leaves you wide open for a direct attack from my captain, and that's the end of our duel." She said with a big smile.

"Aww, I lost," Xander said disappointedly.

Ena placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't feel bad. Just because you lost doesn't mean the end of the world. All that matters is to learn from your loss and better yourself. I have no doubt you can be a great duelist someday."

Xander looked at her. "You think so?"

Ena smiled and nodded. "I know you will."

Xander smiled back. "Thank you."

Flashback End: Present Day...

"How ironic that Ena was the one to make me feel better, but she throws a tantrum every time I beat her," Xander chuckled, angering Ena. "However, shortly after, I started to win more duels. Even beating Zoey sometimes when we dueled in our free time."

"Man, that's cool," Theodore commented.

"You're lucky to have such a nice cousin," Lily added.

"Thanks," Xander replied. "But that's enough reminiscing. Let's continue with the duel."

"Agreed. It's my turn!" Zoey announced. "I draw! First, I activate the Spell Card: Graceful Charity, whose effect allows me to draw three cards and discard two from my hand. Next, I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two more cards. Then, I summon Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire!"

The humanoid rabbit reappeared.

Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire ATK 1200 DEF 500 LVL: 3

"And now I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon! This card lets me perform a second Normal Summon this turn. Emerge, Recon, Scout Fur Hire!"

A humanoid fennec carrying a sniper-like telescope appeared on Xander's field.

Recon, Scout Fur Hire ATK 1000 DEF 500 LVL: 2

"I activate Beat's effect!" Zoey continued. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon a "Fur Hire" monster from my hand. Come, Sagitta, Maverick Fur Hire!"

The humanoid bird reappeared in Attack Position.

Sagitta, Maverick Fur Hire ATK 1200 DEF 2400 LVL: 5

"First, Pinpoint Landing lets me draw a card," Zoey stated as she drew. "Then, Sagitta's effect activates! You take 500 points of damage for every other "Fur Hire" monster I control with a different name." The bird fired a shot from her sniper rifle, making Xander stumble.

Xander: 3000→1500 LP

"In addition, Beat, Recon and Donpa's effects activate when another "Fur Hire" monster is Special Summoned!" Zoey declared. "With Beat's effect, I add Seeker, Escort Fur Hire from my Deck to my hand. Second, Donpa's effect lets me destroy a face-up card on the field. Finally, with Recon's effect, I destroy a Set card! I destroy Buster Wyvern and the Set card on the left!"

Donpa launched a rock with its slingshot and shattered the Fusion Monster, while Recon aimed with its telescope and shot a blast from its lens toward Xander's face-down card.

"I activate the Trap Card: Sixth Sense!" Xander abruptly declared as the targeted card revealed itself. "It works like this. I declare two numbers from one to six. Then, a die is rolled. If it lands on one of the numbers I said, then I draw that many cards. If it's anything else, I have to send an equal number of cards from the top of my Deck to my Graveyard instead. I declare 5 and 6!"

"You're relying on luck again?" Zoey asked with a raised eyebrow. "You sure you don't have a gambling problem?"

"Of course not," Xander replied with an annoyed look. "Not let's see if fate is on my side. Go, dice roll!"

The dice shot out of the Trap Card briefly rolled before landing on six.

"Yes! As always, my luck is strong!" Xander cheered. "Since I successfully rolled a six, I can draw six new cards!"

"You just got lucky, that's all," Zoey said. "Here's something that you won't enjoy."Appear, my circuit! The summoning conditions are two "Fur Hire" monsters. I set Recon and Donpa in the Link Arrows!"

The two monsters entered the right and bottom-left arrows.

"I Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Rex, Assaulter Fur Hire!"

A monster resembling a grown-up version of Rex, Freight Fur Hire, with claws and fangs cladded in armor, emerged from the portal at the Extra Monster Zone.

Rex, Assaulter Fur Hire ATK 1800 LINK-2 →

"Rex's effect! For every "Fur Hire" card on my field, all "Fur Hire" monsters I control gain 200 attack points," Zoey revealed. "I have four, so Rex, Sagitta and Beat gain 800 attack points!"

Rex, Assaulter Fur Hire ATK 1800→2600

Sagitta, Maverick Fur Hire ATK 1200→2000

Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire ATK 1200→2000

"Now she has a monster stronger than Xander's," Skye noted.

"Not a bad comeback," Ena commented.

"Battle!" Zoey exclaimed. "Rex, destroy his Dragon Core!"

The Link Monster roared as it charged forward and slashed the Fusion Monster with its claws, causing it to explode.

Xander: 1500→1000 LP

Zoey narrowed her eyes. "One more attack will finish this!" she stated. "Sagitta attacks you directly!"

"Not so fast! I activate the Trap Card: Cyber Gateway!" Xander declared. "Through its effect, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Machine-type Monster from my Deck if a Machine monster on my field was destroyed during this turn. Come, Cyber Valley!"

A small mechanical serpent with red orbs on its sides appeared in Defense Position.

Cyber Valley ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"Then, I will attack your Cyber Valley!" Zoey shouted. "Take that monster down, Sagitta!"

"Cyber Valley's effect activates! When it's targeted for your attack, I can banish it to draw a card and end the Battle Phase."

The serpent disappeared, causing Pigeon's attack to miss and letting Xander draw.

"Not bad." Zoey praised her opponent. "However, I still hold the advantage over you, so don't think for a second that you're safe. I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"That was well-executed." Lily praised Zoey. "She drove Xander into a corner by depleting his Life Points and destroying all his monsters. Although I fear Ryo won't remain silent."

"It's my turn!" Xander announced. "I draw! It's time to show you my new strength. First, I activate the Trap Card: Dimension Reversion! Through its effect, all monsters that are banished return to the Deck. Then, I activate the Continous Spell Cards: Soul Absorption and Different Dimension Hangar! Through Soul Absorption's effect, I gain 500 Life Points each time a card is banished. And thanks to Dimension Hangar's effect, I can banish up to 3 Level 4 or lower Union Monsters from my Deck!"

Xander removed W-Wing Catapult, Y-Dragon Head and Z-Metal Tank from his Deck and pocketed them as a swirling black vortex appeared over his head.

"Sounds like he got another way to use his Union monsters," Skye stated. "Then again, he said he added new cards to his Deck."

"I summon V-Tiger Jet!"

A fighter craft with a tiger head attached to its front appeared on Xander's field.

V-Tiger Jet ATK 1600 DEF 1800 LVL: 4

"Next, the effect of my Hangar activates!" Xander continued. "When I summon a monster compatible with a Union Monster removed from the game, the Union Monster returns to the field. Come, W-Wing Catapult!"

A blue machine with engines and wings appeared in Attack Position.

W-Wing Catapult ATK 1300 DEF 1500 LVL: 4

"I banish V-Tiger Jet and W-Wing Catapult!" Xander declared. "Go, Combination Summon! Come, VW-Tiger Catapult!"

W-Wing Catapult split down the middle, allowing V-Tiger Jet to attach itself to the top of the other monster.

VW-Tiger Catapult ATK 2000 DEF 2100 LVL: 6

"Soul Absorption's effect!" Xander exclaimed. "Since two cards were banished, I gain 1000 Life Points!"

Xander: 1000→2000 LP

"Next, I activate Tiger Catapult's effect! By discarding a card from my hand, I can switch the Battle Position of one of your monsters. I choose to change Sagitta to Defense Position. Suppressive Missile Strike!"

VW-Tiger Catapult let loose missiles at the humanoid bird, causing it to crouch on one knee.

"What was the point of that?" Theodore seemed perplexed. "Sagitta's Defense Points are higher than its attack points."

"I bet Xander is aware of that," Yuji said. "It must be part of his strategy."

"I activate the Spell Card: Swing of Memories, whose effect allows me to Special Summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard!" Xander stated. "However, the summoned monster is destroyed during the End Phase. Be revived, X-Head Cannon!"

A blue-and-yellow machine with no legs and two cannons on its shoulders appeared.

X-Head Cannon ATK 1800 DEF 1500 LVL: 4

"That card…" Zoey narrowed her eyes at this. "Was it sent to the Graveyard through Tiger Catapult's effect?"

"Exactly," Xander confirmed Zoey's speculation. "Moreover, since X-Head Cannon was summoned, Different Dimension Hangar Special Summons Y-Dragon Head and Z-Metal Tank!"

Soon, the hangar's claws appeared from the portal, sending down Y-Dragon Head and a blue and yellow tank.

Y-Dragon Head ATK 1500 DEF 1600 LVL: 4

Z-Metal Tank ATK 1500 DEF 1300 LVL: 4

"X, Y and Z have all assembled on your field," Zoey smirked. "Naturally, what follows next is…"

"Now, it's time to join forces together, X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head and Z-Metal Tank!" Xander said as his three monsters combined into one within a sphere of light. "Combination Summon! Appear! XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

Once the light died down, the combined form of Xander's monsters appeared on the field.

XYZ-Dragon Cannon ATK 2800 DEF 2600 LVL: 8

"Thanks to Soul Absorption's effect, I gain 1500 Life Points."

Xander: 2000→3500 LP

"I activate Dragon Cannon's effect!" Xander declared. "By discarding Ojamagic and a second copy of Cards of Compensation, I destroy Training Fur Hire, Fur All Your Training Needs to my hand and Sagitta, Maverick Fur Hire!"

The cannons on X-Head Cannon gathered energy and fired at the two designated cards, destroying them in an explosion and making Zoey shield her eyes.

When the girl lowered her arm, she gave an annoyed grimace. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. That's a rather annoying effect."

"It gets worse," Xander promised. "Since I sent Ojamagic to the Graveyard, I now add Ojamas Black, Green, and Yellow from my Deck to my hand. Plus, I get to draw two cards thanks to Cards of Compensation. Since two of your "Fur Hire" cards, your monsters lose 400 attack points."

Rex, Assaulter Fur Hire ATK 2600→2200

Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire ATK 2000→1600

"And so long as I have cards in my hand, I can continue using Dragon Cannon's effect," Xander stated. "I discard Ojama Black, Ojama Green, Ojama Yellow and Roll Out to destroy your two monsters and face-down cards!"

The Fusion Monster's cannons fired again, destroying Zoey's cards.

"Bad move, Xander," Zoey said. "Since one of my destroyed face-down cards was Dummy Marker, I get to draw a card from my Deck through its effect."

"That won't save you," Xander stated!" Battle VW-Tiger Catapult attacks you directly!"

"As if you'd take me down that easily!" Zoey bellowed. "I activate the effect of Electromagnetic Turtle from my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can automatically end the Battle Phase!"

A semi-transparent barrier appeared before Zoey, blocking Tiger Catapult's attack.

Yuji narrowed his eyes. "That must've been one of the cards she sent to the Graveyard through Graceful Charity."

"Of course, bringing you down would take more than that." Xander let out a self-deprecating smile. "In that case, I'll resort to Plan B. I banish VW-Tiger Catapult and XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

The two Fusion Monsters broke apart into their component monsters and began reassembling.

"Come, VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!"

Xander's newest Fusion Monster had W-Wing Catapult as legs, Y-Dragon Head's body at its waist, X-Head Cannon as its torso and head, while X-Head Cannon's arms held Z-Metal Tank's treads. V-Tiger Jet was on its back, with its head covering X-Head Cannon's head as a cowl. Y-Dragon Head's wings spread behind it, held in place by Z-Metal Tank's main body. The massive Fusion Monster was summoned to Xander's field in Attack Position.

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon ATK 3000 DEF 2800 LVL: 8

"Since two cards were banished, Soul Absorption increases my Life Points by 1000."

Xander: 3500→4500 LP

"Moving on, I activate VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon's effect, which allows me to banish a card my opponent controls once per turn!" Xander pointed at Zoey's field. "I'll get rid of Pinpoint Landing!"

Dragon Catapult Cannon's blasters fired blue energy at the Continuous Spell, making it disintegrate.

"Soul Absorption's effect activates again!"

Xander: 4500→5000 LP

"Finally, I place a card face-down and end my turn."

"My turn! I draw!" Zoey announced. "I activate the Spell Card: Card of Adversity. It lets me draw two cards since I control no monsters while you control a Special Summoned monster. Then, I summon Seeker, Escort Fur Hire!"

A humanoid seagull wearing a sailor's hat and wielding a dagger appeared.

Seeker, Escort Fur Hire ATK 2200 DEF 200 LVL: 1

"Seeker's effect activates!" Zoey declared. "When this card is summoned successfully, I can check the top card of my Deck, and if it's a "Fur Hire" monster, I can Special Summon it. Any other card is sent to the Graveyard. Let's see whether Lady Luck will smile at me or not."

Zoey drew a card from her Deck and showed it to Xander with a small smile.

"I drew Bravo, Fighter Fur Hire," Zoey said. "As such, I will Special Summon it!"

A red-skinned humanoid lizard with three claws on its wrists appeared in Attack Position.

Bravo, Fighter Fur Hire ATK 1900 DEF 200 LVL: 4

"Moving on, I banish Rex, Freight Fur Hire to activate its effect!" Zoey continued. "Since I control a "Fur Hire" monster, I target a "Fur Hire" card in my Graveyard and either add it to my hand or Special Summon it. I target and Special Summon Donpa, Marksman Fur Hire!"

The fennec with a slingshot reappeared on her field in Defense Position.

Donpa, Marksman Fur Hire ATK 500 DEF 1000 LVL: 2

Xander smirked."Thanks for doing that. Since a card was banished, Soul Absorptions's effect activates, and I gain 500 Life Points."

Xander: 5000→5500 LP

"Gain all the Life Points you want. They'll be soon wiped out!" Zoey stated. "Bravo's effect activates! Since a "Fur Hire" monster was Special Summoned while Bravo is on the field, "Fur Hire" monsters that are currently on the field gain 500 attack and defense points until the end of the turn."

Seeker, Escort Fur Hire ATK 200→700 DEF 200→700

Donpa, Marksman Fur Hire ATK 500→1000 DEF 1000→1500

Bravo, Fighter Fur Hire ATK 1900→2400 DEF 200→700

"Moving on, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Link Tag, equipping it to Donpa! Now, if I use Donpa to Link Summon, it's treated as two monsters." She raised her right arm. "Appear my circuit! The summoning conditions are three monsters with different Types. I set the Winged-Beast Seeker and the Beast Donpa in the Link Arrows!"

The monsters entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows.

"I Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Folgo, Justice Fur Hire!"

A humanoid wolf wielding a katana emerged from the portal at the Extra Monster Zone.

Folgo, Justice Fur Hire ATK 2400 LINK-3 ↙↑↘

"Folgo's effect activates!" Zoey declared. "When it is Link Summoned, I can Special Summon a "Fur Hire" monster from my Deck in Defense Position, so long as it's a different Monster Type than the ones I used to summon Folgo. I Special Summon the Dinosaur Raptor, Hunter Fur Hire!"

A two-winged bipedal humanoid velociraptor wearing a bandana and mask appeared.

Raptor, Hunter Fur Hire ATK 1500 DEF 400 LVL: 3

"Next, I activate Bravo's effect! Once per turn, I Special Summon a "Fur Hire" monster from my hand. Come forth, Rafale, Champion Fur Hire!"

A green-skinned dragon with armor on its legs and arms appeared in Attack Position and roared, swinging a sword in its right hand.

Rafale, Champion Fur Hire ATK 2800 DEF 2200 LVL: 8

"Raptor's effect activates!" Zoey continued. "Since a "Fur Hire" monster was Special Summoned, I can inflict 400 points of damage to you for every "Fur Hire" monster I control." Xander's eyes widened. "I control four monsters, so you take 1600 points of damage!"

Raptor unleashed a stream of flames from its mouth, causing Xander to grimace as it struck his body.

Xander: 5500→3900 LP

"I activate the Spell Card: Gift of the Martyr! I send a monster on my field to the Graveyard, and another monster gains attack points equal to the sent monster's original attack points until the end of the turn. I send Raptor to the Graveyard and increase Rafale's attack points!"

Rafale, Champion Fur Hire ATK 2800→4300

"Battle!" Zoey exclaimed. "Rafale attacks Dragon Catapult Cannon!"

Zoey's monster charged forward, piercing its sword through Dragon Catapult Cannon's body and destroying it. The ensuing shockwave sent Xander skidding backward.

Xander: 3900→2600 LP

"Next, Folgo attacks you directly!"

"I won't permit that!" Xander bellowed. "I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Direct Border! Through its effect, monsters with 1000 or more attack points can't attack directly!"

"How annoying…" Zoey grimaced. "I place a card face-down and end my turn. During the End Phase, Gift of the Martyr's effect ends, and Rafale's attack points return to normal."

Rafale, Champion Fur Hire ATK 4300→2800

"That was a pretty good play," Lily remarked. "Not only did she find a way around Xander's Life Point strategy, but she also eliminated any threat of having her cards banished by Dragon Catapult Cannon, which will put Xander in a tough spot."

"It was a decent move, I agree," Yuji commented. "But let's see how Xander will react to it."

Xander smiled. "Not bad, Zoey. Your offense game is on point. But let's see if your defense measures up. My turn! I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Monster Recovery, shuffling all the cards in my hand and on my field to draw five cards!"

Upon checking his drawn cards, Xander smiled. It seemed his bet had succeeded after all.

"Here I come, Zoey!" Xander shouted. "I activate the Spell Card: Lightning Vortex! In exchange for discarding a card from my hand, I can destroy all face-up monsters you control!"

Several lightning bolts descended from the sky and struck Zoey's monsters, vaporizing them instantly.

"Now you have no monsters left to protect you," Xander stated. "I activate the Equip Spell Card: Dimensional Catapult! This card lets me Special Summon VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon from my Graveyard with this card equipped to it!"

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon returned to Xander's field from a portal that appeared on the ground.

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon ATK 3000 DEF 2800 LVL: 8

"So long as Dragon Catapult Cannon is equipped with Dimensional Catapult, its effects are negated, but that doesn't matter," Xander said as he gestured to his monster. "Battle! Dragon Catapult Cannon attacks you directly!"

"Not so fast!" Zoey yelled. I activate the Trap Card: Offensive Guard! When a monster you control declares a direct attack, I can halve the attacking monster's attack points until the End Phase!"

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon ATK 3000→1500

The cannon barrels fired yellow energy at Zoey, striking her body and causing her to fall to her knees.

Zoey: 2200→700 LP

"Then, due to Offensive Guard's second effect, I can draw a card!"

"It's a shame I couldn't end you on this turn," Xander remarked. "On the other hand, this means the fun can continue for a while longer, and that's always a good thing. I place one card face-down and end my turn. And since it's the End Phase, Offensive Guard's effect wears off, and Catapult Cannon's attack points return to normal."

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon ATK 1500→3000

"My turn!" Zoey announced. "I draw! From my hand, I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Avarice! I shuffle five monsters in my Graveyard into the Deck, then draw two cards. I shuffle Beat, Filo, Seal, Recon and Donpa and draw!"

Zoey glanced at both of her cards and smiled. "I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn! With this, I'll Special Summon Rafale, Champion Fur Hire!"

The green humanoid armored dragon wielding a sword reappeared and roared in Attack Position.

Rafale, Champion Fur Hire ATK 2800 DEF 2200 LVL: 8

"Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Unexpected Furprise!" Zoey continued as the card showed Recon, Bravo, Donpa and Seal doing a surprise attack on a rival pirate ship atop the Fandora, the Flying Furtress. "For every "Fur Hire" monster I control, I can shuffle the same number of cards in your Spell & Trap Zone into your Deck." She pointed at Xander's field. "I choose to return Dimensional Catapult to your Deck!"

Xander frowned as his Spell Card disintegrated. "Since Dimensional Catapult left the field, the equipped monster is banished," he stated as Dragon Catapult Cannon vanished. "I never expected you to figure out Dimensional Catapult's weakness so quickly."

"Serves you right for underestimating me." Zoey pulled her tongue out at Xander. "In any case, time for battle! Rafale attacks you directly!"

Rafale swung its sword, unleashing a crescent wave of energy that headed straight for Xander.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Half Shut!" Xander abruptly declared. "This card lets me halve the attack points of your monster until the End Phase. However, it can't be destroyed this turn."

Rafale, Champion Fur Hire ATK 2800→1400

The wave of energy struck Xander, pushing him back several feet.

Xander: 2600→1200 LP

"Tch, I was so close…" Zoey clicked her tongue in irritation. "I place a card face-down and end my turn. Since it's the End Phase, Half Shut's effect wears off, and Rafale's attack points return to normal."

Rafale, Champion Fur Hire ATK 1400→2800

"My turn!" Xander announced. "I draw!" Xander looked at his card before narrowing his eyes at Zoey. "This duel has been a lot of fun, Z. But I think it's time to settle things here. I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Extravagance! This card lets me banish three or six cards from my Extra Deck to draw a card for every three banished cards! I choose to banish six cards!"

Xander took and pocketed six cards from his Extra Deck following his words.

Skye's eyes widened. "What?!" she gasped. "He's willing to banish six cards from his Extra Deck?"

"It's not that surprising," Yuji said nonchalantly. "I can tell that Xander's the type of duelist who will take whatever chance he can get to win."

Xandrew drew his cards and looked at them. "Just what I needed. I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Burial from a Different Dimension! This card lets me return up to three banished monsters to the Graveyard. I return Dragon Catapult Cannon and ABC-Dragon Buster, which I banished through Pot of Extravagance's effect to my Graveyard. From there, I activate the Spell Card: Miracle Union! Through its effect, I can banish "A-to-Z" monsters from my field or Graveyard to Special Summon an "A-to-Z" Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck by ignoring its summoning conditions. I will banish ABC-Dragon Buster and VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon from my Graveyard to summon my true ace! Come forth, A-to-Z Dragon Buster Catapult Cannon!"

Following Xander's words, Dragon Buster and Dragon Catapult Cannon reappeared before soaring into the air, each one changing. The wings of C-Crush Wyvern are attached on top of Y-Dragon Head's wings, the parts of B-Buster Drake are attached to the arms and waist of its Z-Metal Tank arms and waist with buster cannons are attached to the waist and forearm of the arms, and A-Assault Core is split, having its bottom tank attached to the legs and its top opens open and attaches around and onto the neck and chest of the monster, giving it bull-like beam horns.

A-to-Z Dragon Buster Catapult Cannon ATK 4500 DEF 4500 LVL: 12

"Ugh, that thing…" Ena grimaced. "I hope Zoey stands a better chance against it than I did."

Xander gestured to his monster. "I activate Dragon Buster Catapult Cannon's effect, which allows me to inflict 500 points of damage for every card on your field. You have two, so you take 1000 points of damage! Finish her off! Omega Destruction!"'

"Don't count me out just yet!" Zoey yelled. "I activate the Trap Card: Two-Fold Barrier! By paying half my Life Points, all damage I take this turn is reduced to 0!"

Following Zoey's words, Dragon Buster charged its blasters and fired three energy beams, only to be blocked by a semi-transparent barrier that appeared around her.

Zoey: 700→350 LP

"In that case, let's battle!" Xander said. "Catapult Cannon, attack Rafale! Full Blitz Barrage!"

The Fusion Monster aimed its cannons and unleashed a massive energy blast that consumed Rafale and destroyed it.

"You may have survived this turn, but against my strongest formation, your chances of victory are rather slim," Xander stated. "I place a card face-down and end my turn."

And if you manage to summon a stronger monster and attack, Xander thought, my Limiter Removal Spell Card will double my monster's attack points. It doesn't matter what you play this turn. You'll still lose either way!

"Zoey barely survived Xander's attack, but her situation remains grim," Theodore stated.

"No joke," Lily agreed. "With no cards on her field or in her hand, how can she hope to turn this situation around? Not to mention that Xander's monster is unaffected by her card effects, which limits options."

Unless she draws something really good, it looks like this is it for Zoey," Skye said. She would need a miracle to win here."

Zoey couldn't help but agree with everyone's comments. Everything would depend on her next draw. If she could not turn things around now, the duel would surely end with Xander's victory. However, she had faith in herself and her Deck. Zoey was certain it would respond to her will as always.

"It's my turn!" Zoey announced. "I draw!"

Everyone watching the duel awaited the result of the draw with bated breath. After a few seconds, a small smile appeared on Zoey's face.

"This will work," Zoey remarked. "I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Desires! I can draw two cards by banishing ten cards from the top of my Deck face-down!"

"Whoa, she's betting the farm on this turn," Theodore said with a surprised look.

"If Zoey doesn't get the cards she needs, it's all over for her come Xander's next turn," Skye added.

"And by the end of this turn, we'll have a winner," Yuji figured.

"Trust me, Zoey's won," Ena stated, "Two cards are more than enough to turn a duel around."

After drawing her new cards, Zoey smirked at them.

"Bingo. My counterattack starts here!" she said. "I activate the Spell Card: Cemetery Link! By banishing monsters from my Graveyard, I can perform a Link Summon!" Xander's eyes widened. "Appear, my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Zoey. "Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters, including a "Fur Hire" monster! I banish Raptor, Bravo, Sagitta and Rafale!"

Spectral forms of the four Fur Hire monsters appeared and entered the left, right, bottom and bottom-right arrows as Zoey chanted.

"Swirls of the seas and skies. With your swift and destructive force, leave everything sunk in the ocean! I Link Summon! Now ascend, Link 4! Leviath, Dreadnought Fur Hire!"

A tall female humanoid cerulean-colored sea serpent wielding a sword in each hand emerged from the portal at the Right Extra Monster Zone. She had long teal green hair with teal blue scales. She wore a pirate commander uniform outfit with wide collars, a long coattail and a pirate hat.

Leviath, Dreadnought Fur Hire ATK 3100 LINK-4 ←↓→↘

"A Link-4 Monster," Xander muttered. "Moreover, one that has over 3000 attack points."

"That's an impressive monster, but it still can't match up to Xander's monster," Lily remarked.

"That's true, but Zoey doesn't make wasteful moves," Ena said. "I'm sure her monster has some more surprises in store."

"I activate Leviath, Dreadnought Fur Hire's effect!" Zoey declared. "When Link Summoned, I can target and destroy cards you control equal to the number of monsters used for its Link Summon! And the best part of the effect is that it prevents you from activating any cards or effects in response to it since I used four different Monster Types to summon it!"

"Leviath was summoned using four monsters," Yuji noted. "So she can destroy up to four cards."

"However, Dragon Buster Catapult Cannon's effect makes it unaffected by Zoey's card effects," Skye added. "The only card she can destroy is Xander's Set card."

Zoey gestured toward her monster. "Go, Dreadnought Destruction!"

Leviath raised its blade with a torrent of water surrounding it. She swung it, unleashing a massive tidal wave that destroyed Xander's face-down card.

"So what if you destroyed my face-down card? My monster's still stronger!" Xander stated. "On my next turn, you're finished, Zoey."

"Too bad there won't be a next turn," Zoey smirked. "I activate the Equip Spell Card: Megamorph!" Xander's eyes widened. "And equip it to Leviath! And since my Life Points are less than yours, the equipped monster's attack points become equal to double its original attack points!"

A golden aura materialized around the Link Monsteras she raised her sword.

Leviath, Dreadnought Fur Hire ATK 3100→6200

"Impossible!" Xander shouted in disbelief. "6200 attack points!?"

"Go, Leviath!" Zoey exclaimed. "Attack Dragon Buster Catapult Cannon! Dreadnought Slash!"

Leviath drew both of its swords and slashed Dragon Buster Catapult Cannon with both of them before performing a third slash that destroyed it in a spectacular explosion that engulfed Xander and sent him crashing to the ground.

Xander: 1200→0 LP

"She beat Xander!" Ena cheered. "However, I knew she would win in the win."

"It wasn't easy, though. Especially with all those Fusion Monsters," Skye pointed out. "It would be too easy for someone who doesn't keep a leveled head."

Xander looked up into the sky. "Man, what a turn of events," he muttered before noticing Zoey had approached him and held out her hand.

"That was a great duel, Xander. You almost got me there."

Xand smiled and held out his hand, allowing Xander to help him up. "Thanks. I must say, I never saw that coming. You're much better than before."

"Thanks. But there's one thing I'm wondering, though. What was your face-down card?"

Xander smiled in embarrassment as he took the card from his Duel Disk and held it up. "It was this. The Spell Card Limiter Removal. As you know, this doubles the attack points of Machine-Type monsters."

"So my monster prevented you from using it, huh?" Zoey summarized. "Well, live and learn, as they say."

"But don't think this is over!" Xander exclaimed as he pointed a finger at Zoey with a determined look. "Next time we face off, I'll be the winner!"

Zoey mirrored his expression. "You're welcome to try."

"While I hate to break this touching reunion, we should head back now," Yuji said, catching Xander and Zoey's attention. "If we stay out any longer, they might send out a search party."

"You're right," Xander agreed. "Let's get a move on."

A few minutes later…

Isaac was placing the plates on the table, and Daisy was about to finish the last dishes, save from the turkey, which was about to be done in around 20 minutes. The mother glanced at the clock and realized it had been a while since Yuji and the others had left.

"The kids have been gone for over an hour now." She said, a little worried.

"It appears so." Issac agreed. "I wonder what's…" He stopped mid-sentence when they heard the sound of the door opening.

"We're home!" A familiar voice called out. The parents left the kitchen to see Ena and her friends with a paper bag at his feet. However, they were most shocked to see Xander and Zoey as well.

"Welcome home, Ena." Daisy greeted.

"Where have you been?" Issac asked. "We were just wondering why you took so long."

"Sorry about that. There were so many people in the store." Ena lied.

"Also, construction was happening, so we had to take another route," Skye added.

"And on their way back, I ran into them," Zoey said.

"Well, that's understandable."

"Yeah." Ena nodded. "Oh, here's the fruits." She handed the paper bag to her aunt.

"Thanks, dear. Now, to finish the dinner." She headed back to the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later…

And so, the feast was complete. There were many varieties of dishes, such as steak, mashed potato, fish, and stuff like that.

"And done. Everything looks great." Daisy said as she took off the apron.

"It looks so delicious, honey." Issac complimented.

"I couldn't agree more," Theodore added as he and the others took their seats and started to enjoy the food.

"Delicious!" Xander said.

"Yeah, It's just as tasty as the last time I was here. As expected of you, Ms. Daisy." Zoey complimented.

"You are so sweet," Daisy said, appreciating the compliments.

"No problem," Zoey said before turning to Ena and giving her a teasing grin. "So tell me, Ena, there any boys back home you're interested in?"

Ena suddenly became red in the face. "W-where did that come from!?"

"I just want to know if you got a love interest."

"No, I don't!"

Zoey just kept grinning but decided to leave it for now. And so, everyone continued with the dinner and enjoyed the evening.

OC Card Memo:

Xander:

AY-Dragon Core
Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Machine/Fusion/Effect] ATK 2100 DEF 1600 Level: 6

A-Assault Core + Y-Dragon Head

This card can only be Special Summoned from your Extra Deck by banishing the above cards you control. (You do not use 'Polymerization'.) You can discard one card from your hand, and target one face-up monster your opponent controls. Reduce the targeted monster's ATK to 0 until the End Phase.

BC-Buster Wyvern
Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Machine/Fusion/Effect] ATK 2400 DEF 1800 Level: 6

B-Buster Drake + C-Crush Wyvern

This card any only be Special Summoned from your Extra Deck by banishing the above cards you control. (You do not use 'Polymerization'.) You can discard one card from your hand, and target one face-up monster your opponent controls. Negate that monster's effect(s).

Cyber Gateway

Normal Trap Card

If a Machine-type Monster on your field was destroyed this turn, you can activate this card to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Machine-type Monster from your Deck.

Zoey:

Seeker, Escort Fur Hire
Attribute: WATER Type: [Winged-Beast/Effect] ATK 200 DEF 200 Level: 1

If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can excavate the top card of your deck, and if that card is a monster "Fur Hire", except "Seeker, Escort Fur Hire"; Special Summon it. During the Main Phase, if you control a monster "Fur Hire": You can banish this card from your GY, you can Special Summon 1 monster "Fur Hire" from your hand instead. You can only use each effect of "Seeker, Escort Fur Hire" once per turn.

Raptor, Hunter Fur Hire
Attribute: EARTH Type: [Dinosaur/Effect] ATK 1500 DEF 400 Level: 3

During your Main Phase: You can Special Summon 1 monster "Fur Hire" from your hand, except "Raptor, Hunter Fur Hire". If a monster "Fur Hire" is Special Summoned to your field while you control this monster (except during the Damage Step): Inflict 400 of damage for each monster "Fur Hire" on the field. You can only use each effect of "Raptor, Hunter Fur Hire" once per turn.

Rex, Assaulter Fur Hire

Attribute: EARTH Type: [Dinosaur/Link/Effect] ATK 1800 LINK-2 ↙→

2 "Fur Hire" monsters

This card gains 200 ATK for each card that has "Fur Hire" in its card text you control, except "Rex, Assaulter Fur Hire". During your Main Phase: You can Special Summon 1 monster "Fur Hire" from your hand, except "Rex, Assaulter Fur Hire". If this card is destroyed and sent to the GY: You can Special Summon this card during the start of your next turn, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use each effect of "Rex, Assaulter Fur Hire" once per turn.

Leviath, Dreadnought Fur Hire

Attribute: WATER Type: [Dragon/Link/Effect] ATK 3100 LINK-4 ←↓→↘

2+ monsters, including a "Fur Hire" monster

Cannot be used as Link or Fusion Material. Unaffected by card effects, except cards "Fur Hire", while in the Extra Monster Zone. When this card is Link Summoned: Destroy as many cards your opponent controls up to the number of monster "Fur Hire" used for the Link Summon of this card. If this card was summoned using 4 monsters each with a different Type; your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this card's effect. If your opponent Special Summons a monster or activates a card effect (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 other monster "Fur Hire"; negate the summon or effect, and if you do, banish it, and if you do that, inflict 500 damage to your opponent. You can only use each effect of "Leviath, Dreadnought Fur Hire" once per turn.

Cursed Guidance Armor

Normal Trap Card

Target one monster on your side of the field; your opponent can only target that monster for attacks until the Battle Phase's end. If the targeted monster is destroyed, you can pay 600 Life Points to draw one card from your Deck.