"We are back! The second round of Duel Battlers can now begin!" M.C. announced as the tournament was starting back up. The second round was going to begin with Yukina and her friends facing the three remaining members of the Black Ace. As for Diego, he just comfortably watched.
'Henry might have escaped, but that's not a problem. I just didn't expect he still had so much fight in him.' Diego thought. 'No matter. I think I know who he will run to.' He thought as he stared down at Yukina.
"Now, I believe it's time we see who is facing who in the second round!" M.C. said as they all turned to the screen. all of them watched for the pairings to show until they finally saw them. It was going to be Cray vs. Kent, Yukina vs. Takato, Cindy vs. Hebi, and Raika vs. Felix.
"I'm up against Takato in the second match. Looks like he'll be getting a rematch" Yukina said. She looked at Takato, but Takato kept a firm stare without breaking. 'That works for me. I need to understand why someone like him joined the Black Ace. When we dueled, I could tell he was a good guy. I just don't get it.'
"Oh boy. I'm up against Hebi." Cindy said as she was rather nervous about that.
"And I'm up against Raika." Felix said. Both of them needed to be ready for what could be their most dangerous duels.
"Come on! Don't sound like a bunch of chickens! Let's show them no fear!" Kent claimed.
"You're right, but you are aware you're going against Cray in the first match? Right?" Felix questioned as he didn't understand Kent's current attitude. When Kent took a look, he almost couldn't believe it himself.
"You're right! I have to duel Cray?!" Kent said as he almost couldn't believe it.
"Well, no matter who we face, we have to beat these guys. Let's give it everything we got." Yukina said with the others agreeing. They have to fight.
'Can I really do this? Can I really duel Cray?' Kent thought as he wasn't so sure he can.
"Kent!" Cray called with Kent getting stiff like a soldier meeting with his admiral. "You and I are in the first duel. Better get ready. You of all people should know that I won't be going easy, so you better be ready for one tough duel."
"Uh... Right..." Kent said as he knew he was in for something like that.
...
Kent
Moments before his duel, Kent was getting himself ready for it. Considering how Kent views Cray, he has to make sure he's ready for a duel like this.
'I finally have a chance to show Cray what I can do.' Kent thought as he was anxious and excited. 'When I first met Cray, I kept challenging him again and again. Nothing I did could help me beat him. Ever since that day, I've always looked up and admired him. Now, it's time to show what I can really do.' "Yeah! I'm getting all fired up!"
...
The Duel Field
"It's now time we get the ball rolling, or in this case the cards decking, for the second round of Duel Battlers!" M.C. announced as the first duel was about to start. "Our first match features the powerful wind storm known as Cray going up against Kent, duelist that literally contains a heated soul." The two of them faced each other and got themselves ready like it was any other duel.
"This should be an interesting match." Sylvia said.
"I wonder how this is going to go." Cindy said. "Kent always admired Cray. He thinks Cray is the best and can't be defeated, but now he has to duel him."
"Regardless of how Kent feels towards Cray, he's got to try to win this duel. At the very least, he needs to put up a fight." Yukina said. "I just hope he understands that."
"No more waiting! Come on, duelists! Let the first match of the second round begin!" M.C. announced.
"Let's duel!" Both of them said as they were now starting with 4000LP.
"Cray, I never thought a moment like this would actually come." Kent said. "I know I'm no match for you, but I will try my best in this duel. I'll start by setting the pendulum scale with Scale 3 Heatsoul Lighter and my Scale 9 Healsoul Furnace!" He said as he set the scale. "Now, I pendulum summon!" He said as streams of fire flowed through the air. "I pendulum summon Heatsoul General!" He said as his signature monster emerged with 2400atk points. "I'm also bringing out Heatsoul Sniper!" He summoned out another robotic soldier with it having a large rifle like a sniper would with 1500atk points. "I now activate Heatsoul Sniper's ability! One random card in your hand is sent to the graveyard! If it's a monster, you lose 100LP for each of it's level! Fire away!" His sniper aimed right at Cray's hand and fired a shot that pierced through one of Cray's cards.
"Nice shot. It looks like you hit my Gale Beast." Cray said as he showed a monster card was hit.
"That monster is level three! That means you lose 300LP!" Kent said as Cray's life points dropped to 3700. "We both also to get draw one card." He said as they both drew a card. "I end my turn." He ended his turn, but Cray didn't look satisfied.
"That's it? I thought Kent would have put more of a fight on his first turn." Cindy said.
"You're right. He didn't use the pendulum abilities of Lighter and Furnace." Felix said. "Lighter's ability would have given his monsters a boost in power. That might have only lasted until the end of his turn, but Furnace's ability would have allowed more damage to be dealt."
"I was afraid of this. Kent isn't dueling at his best." Yukina said.
"And it looks like Cray knows that. Kent better get his head in the game or he doesn't stand a chance." Sylvia said.
"It's my turn!" Cray said as he drew his next card. "You might have shot one of my cards at random, but blasting my Gale Beast actually works to my advantage! If my beast is sent to the graveyard due to an effect, it howls it's way on the field!" He claimed as a twister appeared on his field and a white and green lion emerged on the field with 1300atk points. "Of course, he'll just be going back to the graveyard! I tribute him to bring out Storm Boraes!" Cray summoned out a new monster this time. It had dark menacing armor with metal wings for arms and some kind of metal fin for legs. It also had a menacing-looking smirk. This monster had a total of 2300atk points. "Next, I'm activating my Ghost Wind spell! By sending a monster from my deck to the graveyard, my Storm Boraes can copy that monster's ability! I choose to send my Thunder Tempo to the graveyard!"
"That means that Boraes can attack twice!" Kent said as that was bad for him until he realized something. "Hold on. My Heatsoul General is still stronger."
"That might be true, but Boraes gains 200atk points each time it destroys a monster!" Cray said. "Storm Boraes, attack his Heatsoul Sniper with Furious Windstorm!" Boraes flew around like a fast moving aircraft. It came straight down at his sniper and tore it to shreds with Kent's life points dropping to 3200. Since Boraes still had its own ability, it gained 200atk points and now had 2500. "Now attack his Heatsoul General!" Boraes came back around and did the same to Heatsoul General with it destroyed and Kent's life points dropping to 3100. That also increased Boraes power to 2700.
"That was one fierce attack, but since Kent's Heatsoul General was a pendulum monster, it is sent to his extra deck instead of the graveyard."
"I place three cards facedown and that ends my turn!" Cray claimed.
"Wow, Cray. I always knew you were strong." Kent said. "Even from the day we met, I had nothing but absolute respect for you. Cray, I always thought that you were the best and that I be no match for you. I've worked to get stronger like you, but I'm still no match for you after all this time. Cray, I..." Cray this! Cray that! Give me a break!" He interrupted as he sounded mad. That isn't what Kent wanted
"Why do you care so much about what I think?" Cray said. "You should be more focused on yourself right now! You should be focused on trying to beat me! After all, you and I are just two duelists that want to win! If you're a duelist, act like a duelist and try to beat me! If you really have respect for me, come at me with everything you've got! You surely aren't doing that right now!" When he called out to Kent like that, it snapped Kent back to his senses.
'That's right! I learned from watching Cray and the others that no matter how tough the opponent is, no matter who they are, you have to go at them with all you can!' Kent thought as he was finally getting his head back in the game. "You got it, Cray! It's my turn now!" He said as he drew his next card and it was a spell that could help. "I activate Pendulum Transference! By returning one monster I have in the pendulum scale, I can replace it with another pendulum monster as long as it has the same scale value. Take my Heatsoul Lighter for example! I have to replace it with a monster that's scale value is three."
"I don't get it. How does that help?" Cindy questioned. "The scale isn't wider or shorter, so what would be the point?"
"The point is that he's going for a monster with a different pendulum ability." Yukina said.
"I switch my Heatsoul Lighter with Heatsoul Sparker!" Kent said as he switched out his monster and brought a scrawny robot with two red balls for hands. "I'm now going to pendulum summon two monsters!" He said as the portal opened up again and two streams of fire flew out. "I'm bringing back Heatsoul General!" He said as his general came back to the field. "I'm also bringing out Heatsoul Sergeant Major!" He summoned out a new giant robotic soldier that was massive with it holding a flaming broad sword with it also having 3000atk points.
"What is that?!" Cray said as he didn't expect that.
"My newest monster is going to help me win! I activate Heatsoul Battle Charge!" Kent said. "This continuous spell grants all Heatsouls 200atk points, but my sergeant major can double all attack points boost!" He said as both of his monsters grew stronger to 2800 and 3400atk points. "Next, I activate my general's ability to give Major 500atk points, but that increases to 1000!" He said as his monster now had 4400atk points. "And now I'm activating the pendulum ability of Heatsoul Furnace to deal you damage equal to the attack points he just gained!" His furnace blasted Cray with some fire as his life points dropped to 2700. "It's all over now, Cray! Heatsoul General, attack his Storm Boraes!"
"Not so fast, Kent! I activate Wild Wind Destruction!" Cray said as he used one of his face-downs.
"I knew you would use something like that! That's why I'm using Sparker's pendulum ability! It can negate one face-down and have it be set back down!" Kent said as his robot brought its arms together and created some sparks that negated his trap. That meant that the general's attack went through and destroyed Cray's monster and Cray's life points dropped to 2600. "It's all over, Cray! Heatsoul Sergeant Major, attack Cray directly!"
"Oh boy! This could be it! Has Cray actually lost?!" Everyone was wondering if Cray really won.
"Strike now with Major Blaze Slash!" Kent called as it seemed like his attack was going to work.
"Not quite!" Cray said as two of his drones came on the field in defense mode.
"What?!" Kent said as he didn't expect that. His monster had no choice, but to slash through one of them and destroyed it. With it being in defense mode, Cray took no damage. "How did that happen?"
"It's because I activated Tempest Demise." Cray claimed as another one of his traps activated. "This trap allows me to add a level five or higher wind attribute monster to my hand, like my Storm Dragon, but it also allowed me to summon my Gale Drones to block your attack."
"Darn. I thought I had you that time." Kent said as his turn ended and his monster's attack points returned to normal.
"Not even close!" Cray said as he drew his next card. "First, I'm activating my third trap! I play Ominous Wind of Return! It resurrects a wind monster that is in my graveyard by negating it's special abilities! Welcome back Boraes!" He said as Boraes returned. "Now, I tribute both my monsters to bring out...Storm Dragon!" He discarded Boraes and his drone with his mighty dragon emerging on the field with 3000atk points. "And since your pendulum cards are considered spells, I activate Heavy Storm! This destroys all the spell and traps on the field!" When he played that spell, a powerful windstorm blew through the field and destroyed a total of four cards. "Since four cards were destroyed by an effect, Storm Dragon's special ability causes you to lose 400LP for each one!"
"That's 1600LP!" Kent said as his life points dropped to 1500.
"And now I activate Vast Gale to give my dragon 1000atk points!" Kent said as his dragon now had 4000atk points. "Storm Dragon, attack Heatsoul General and end this!" Storm Dragon unleashed it's power in a powerful blast of wind. It destroyed Kent's monster and that caused his life points to drop all the way to zero.
"It's done and over! Cray wins and will be advancing to the semi-finals!" M.C. announced with the crowd cheering for him.
"Oh boy... I still lost..." Kent compalined.
"Kent!" Cray called and got his attention. "You did good, but you'll have to get stronger if you want to beat me next time." He said as he turned around and walked as the winner.
"Next time? Does that mean...he'll duel me again?" Kent said as he loved how that sounded and couldn't hold back his shout of delight. "Cray said he'll duel me again! I could die happy now!" He said as everyone laughed with delight on how he loved that he lost.
"That didn't go the way I expected." Diego said. "I thought a duel like this would have torn friends apart. That's the probelm with the world these days, no one's selfish anymore. Well, I suppose now it's your turn." He said as he looked at Takato knowing Takato was now afraid of defeat. "You know what will happen if you are defeated, Takato, but I've got good news. If you actually manage to defeat Yukina, our biggest threat, I just might have Raika spare you." Takato was amazed that Diego would offer that. Takato is in a bind now. He either wins or he will perish.