3Greetings, everyone. I'm back with Chapter 4 today. I thank Divadx for making this story perfect. Second, I would like your thoughts and opinions if I forgot to list them in the other chapters. Feel free to leave a review about what you would like to see.
In LINK VRAINS…
"Well, look what we have here, Glacia," Astro said. "It's our old teammates, Accelrex and Archangel."
"Or should we say Brawler and Seraph," Glacia added. "While the two of us rotted in jail, the two of you became the new members of the Top 10 after Ringmaster's and Maestra's departure."
"Oh, spare us the details," Brawler said. "It's not our fault that we're so loving and easy to forgive."
"Also, we paid for actions by community service," Seraph added. "But let's get back to the topic at hand. You injured our comrades, and for that, you will pay!"
"We'll pay, you say?" Astro repeated. "Don't make us laugh."
"But if the two of you are willing to risk your conscious data, we're more than happy to take it from you!" Glacia stated. "Once we defeat you, we'll go after the rest of your friends!"
"Not on our watch!"
The four individuals blinked and looked up at the familiar voice. "Storm Rider?" Their eyes widened at the group that was behind him.
Storm Rider was in the lead, and Sanctum was behind him. Following behind her Gore, Blue Maiden and Soulburner and a new individual. She was a young woman with long light pink hair and wore a white minidress with purple outlines, and the right and left arms had long baggy sleeves with purple ruffles at the ends. The dress trailed at the back into two tails down to her ankles. She also wore white stockings, heels, and a necklace with a red rose charm hanging from it. Her name was Roselyn.
"Astro and Glacia," Storm Rider said with a cold stare. "How did you two escape from prison?"
Glacia smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She said. "Our new friend was kind enough to break us out."
"New friend?" Storm Rider repeated. "You mean, Desperado?"
"While he's one of our new friends, he isn't the one my partner is referring to," Astro answered. "When you face our new allies, you'll all be finished."
"New allies?" Sanctum repeated. "Who are they?"
"The strongest duelists you'll ever meet," Glacia replied. "And even if some of you don't get the chance to face them, it's too late. The plan is already in motion; you can't stop it now."
"What plan?" Soulburner asked. "What are you talking about?"
Glacia chuckled as she and Astro activated their Duel Disks. "If you want that information, you must force it out of us."
"Fine by me," Gore said as he activated his Duel Disk. "Bring it on!"
"That's enough, you two!"
Storm Rider and the others tensed and turned at the voice. His eyes narrowed as he saw the person standing atop a building. "Desperado."
"You have no idea what's coming, Top 10." The ten duelists watched as Desperado and the bounty hunters turned into data and disappeared.
"They're gone," Roselyn noted. "But what were they talking about? What's coming?"
"I don't know. But we have other problems." Blue Maiden turned to the fallen Charmcaster and Chevalier. "The two of you need to log out and get some rest," she said before turning to Storm Rider and Sanctum. "The rest of us will stay here providing the cure to everyone here who's been affected while the two of you try to hunt these mysterious allies Astro and Glacia mentioned."
"Are you sure, Blue Maiden?" Sanctum asked.
"Yes."
"…Alright."
"Don't worry, Sanctum?" Storm Rider said. "They can handle it from here. Right now, we have focused on finding the location of this new group of enemies and their plan."
Sanctum nodded. "You're right," she turned to the others. "Good luck, you guys. We'll do our very best to hunt this new enemy!"
"We know you will," Brawler said, giving a thumbs-up.
"Make those cretins pay for their sins!" Seraph exclaimed.
Storm Rider and Sanctum nodded in response. Following that, they logged out.
Back in Den City in the evening…
Yuji and Ena woke up in the alley they had hidden earlier to log into LINK VRAINS.
"Ugh..." Yuji said with exhaustion,
"Yuji! Are you okay?" Ena asked with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Yuji answered, still tired. "Though I'll need a minute to get up. Given how I had back-to-back duels."
"You won't need one," Ena said, putting her left arm around his right shoulder as they exited the alley. "Let's head to Kolter's place. I bet he wonders where we are."
"He already knows that we went to LINK VRAINS. But I do bet he wants to know the whole story.
A few minutes later, at Kolter's apartment...
Yuji and Ena finally made it to Kolter's apartment and headed straight inside, hoping they wouldn't be asked too many questions by Kolter when they walked in.
"Kolter, we're home!" The two teens shouted as they entered the apartment and saw a person cooking dinner. It was a young, tall, thin man with green eyes and dark blue hair spiked outwards in the back with light blue bangs with pink accents.
"Yusaku!" Yuji and Ena shouted.
"Hey, you two!" Yusaku greeted the duo. "I'm glad the two of you are okay. If you're wondering where Kolter is, he left to pick up Jin from work. But he did want to know if you got any information regarding that Desperado guy?"
Yuji shook his head as he and Ena sat down at the table. "He retreated before we got an answer, along with Astro and Glacia. The others are currently removing the virus from those affected. I wish we could've done more."
Yusaku joined them at the table. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Yuji. You did all you could," he said, trying to comfort him. "It's no one's fault but the people responsible for causing the incident. Kolter and I will help you guys track them down."
"Thanks, Yusaku," Ena said. "We appreciate it."
"Sure thing. Also, before I forget, I sent a drone into LINK VRAINS to record everyone's duels, and it finished uploading the footage not long ago. Which should we watch first?"
"How about my duel with Desperado?" Yuji said, narrowing his eyes. "Since he hired Phantom and Oranos to spread that virus, it's best to learn more about him."
"Very well," Yusaku pulled up the video while Yuji and Ena watched. And there was a lot to watch.
Ena was rather impressed by Desperado's skills. An archetype that lets him activate Spell and Trap cards from his hand during his opponent's turn, and even though most of his monsters aren't strong, their effects make up for that.
Ena started to comment, but Yuji cut her off. He wanted to watch the rest of the videos first. However, he couldn't hide his surprise at seeing a red and blue emblem on Glacia's forehead.
"I can't believe she used that card on them," Yuji said, tightening his fist. Ena and Yusaku didn't comment but continued to watch the duel. They were shocked to see Glacia Rank-Up her monster into something they'd never heard of. A Chaos XYZ Monster. "Of all the things Glacia has created, she had to use one of the most dangerous cards in the game."
After the duel ended, Yusaku glanced at Yuji. "That card, Rank-Up-Magic Barian's Force; what do you know about that card?"
Yuji closed his eyes before reopening them. "As you already know, during our bout with Roget, I faced Glacia while Maestra went against Mordred, a.k.a. Chevalier. Backed into a corner, she used that card, hoping to win the duel, but she failed and lost to my newly added Fusion Monster. She must've improved her Deck while locked up."
Ena sighed. "Well, looks like we have a new problem on our hands. A new enemy has teamed up with our old foes, who are now stronger than before." she scowled. "Why do these things keep happening in Den City? Can't we have peace after everything that's happened?"
"I know, right," Yuji said. "We already had to deal with one threat not long ago, and right when things were returning to normal, this happened."
"Well, our main objective at the moment is finding out who they are and what they want," Yusaku said. "We know that Desperado, Glacia and Astro are working for someone who wants to eliminate the Top 10, but we don't know why they want to."
"And their objectives don't match," Ena noted. "Astro and Glacia aren't the types of people to work with others unless it benefits them." She narrowed his eyes. "They mostly want revenge on you guys, so they may use Desperado and his allies to get to you."
"While that may be true, I feel like Desperado is using them more than they are using him and his comrades," Yuji stated.
"That tangent aside, we need to focus on all the players, not just Astro and Glacia," Yusaku said, bringing up images of Desperado, Phantom and Oranos.
"No information on Desperado," Ena said, analyzing the data. "No hint of a real name, no appearances before today. It's like he just sprang up into existence."
"And what about the other two?" Yuji asked.
"Luckily, Kolter found information on them," Yusaku noted cheerily. "Phantom is the leader of a gang in LINK VRAINS who ambushed duelists and took their Decks regardless if they won or lost. Oranos was his second-in-command who overseers their targets."
"Even so, we still managed to beat them," Ena said. "So the next time Desperado and his friends decide to attack, we'll just beat them again."
"No, we can't." The other two residents turned to look at Yuji as he scowled at the screen. "Or at least not as easily. Not if they duel seriously against us."
"You think we don't stand a chance against them?" Ena asked. "We've all improved our skills since the fight against Roget."
"I understand that," Yuji replied as he brought up the footage of his duel with Desperado. "I had a hard time dealing with Desperado in our duel. And even though I won, he told me he was holding back."
"Are you serious?"
Yuji nodded. "He wasn't playing seriously until the very end. He'd been serious initially, but Desperado had played around with him, treating him like a kid. "Who knows how strong he truly is? But we must keep improving our skills because we don't know what strong opponents we might face."
"Guess you have a point," Ena admitted. "But remember what Astro and Glacia said? There are other members stronger than Desperado. Who knows what kind of Decks they use?"
Yusaku interrupted the two teens. "Well, whoever they are, we'll have to wait and find out. Nothing we can do from here."
"We should share this information with Zaizen, "Yuji suggested. "Is that video setup you were working on done?"
"Almost, but there are still a few kinks to work out," Yusaku said, frowning. "Should be ready by tomorrow."
"Good," Yuji said. "We'll first email the rest of the Top 10 to hear their thoughts about our enemies before emailing the final draft to Zaizen. "
"Sounds like a plan to me," Ena said, reassuringly smiling. "Now, I don't want to be rude, but I'm getting a bit hungry, so is dinner almost done, Yusaku?"
"I believe it's another fifteen minutes, but I promise it'll be worth it," Yusaku told her.
"While we wait, let's have a quick study session before tomorrow's first day of school," Yuji suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Ena said as she and Yuji went to the other room to study.
In the Syndicate Stronghold...
Desperado, Glacia, and Astro emerged into a portal as the trio approached the gate to the Syndicate's Stronghold. The doors opened, allowing the trio to enter inside. Whereas the latter two were disappointed with not getting the chance to duel against the other Top 10 duelists, the former was pleased with how the mission turned out. For now, the Syndicate had an idea of how strong the Top 10 were and what needed to be done next.
"I still don't see why you told us to leave like that, Desperado," Glacia complained. "I was looking forward to crushing Brawler and Seraph."
"Now, now, Glacia. We'll get our chance to crush that traitor and his ally in due time. If we could defeat two Top 10, it shows how strong we've become in such a short period." Astro told her. That part was true, for Priscilla provided him and Glacia with enhancements to their Deck before they left with Desperado.
"Astro makes a valid point. The whole point of the mission was to test the strength of the Top 10. There was another point in the mission, believe it or not." Desperado explained to the duo.
"Oh? And what would that be?" Glacia asked Desperado.
"Her Holiness will explain," Desperado replied as the trio entered the circular room where the others were waiting.
"Welcome back, Desperado. Glacia. Astro. How did the mission go?" Priscilla asked the trio.
"Everything was fulfilled to the letter, your Holiness," Desperado responded. "Storm Rider, Sanctum and the others were just as strong as you have expected."
"Excellent. And what of Phantom and Oranos?"
"Defeated. Then again, you didn't expect them to defeat Storm Rider and Sanctum.
"Obviously. Then again, they'll get another chance in due time." Priscilla turned to Glacia and Astro. "From what Desperado told me, you two had fun, yes?"
"Of course. Crushing two of the Top 10 proved a great stress relief, though I must ask why you had us retreat like that." Glacia requested.
"Again, the whole point was to test the Top 10 to see if we need to strengthen our forces. And now that you and Astro have appeared, the enemy will certainly be intrigued by what happened." Priscilla explained.
"So you've been using us as bait?! Is that-?"
"Enough!" Galerius yelled at Glacia. "You dare question Her Holiness' wisdom?!"
Glacia backed down upon hearing that comment. She didn't respond, knowing fully well what would happen to her and Astro if they barked up the wrong tree.
Umbra, upon seeing this, laughed at Glacia. "Seeing you pout and complain like that is quite amusing. At least in my opinion, anyway."
"Easy, Glacia. We've been given a great chance to get revenge on those who wronged us. The last thing we need right now is to make a mistake we'll regret." Astro gently told Glacia, the latter calming down.
"Now that we understand how strong our enemies are, we'll have to proceed with the next part of the plan," Priscilla informed everyone.
"And what exactly would that be?" Lumine questioned.
"There's an old saying, Lumine. An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumples from within? That's dead, forever. You and the others will see that soon." Priscilla assured Lumine.
"What of Ladon and Natura's progress regarding the factory?" Desperado asked. "I'm assuming they're done soon?"
"Correct, Desperado. They'll inform us of their progress once they return. And in the meanwhile, let's see how our enemies react to what comes next." Priscilla replied, the others nodding in compliment and understanding.
The next day, on the way to Den City High School...
Yuji and Ena were running down the street on their way to school. Since it was the first day of the new school year, they had to arrive early for new student orientation. Ena was reviewing the new material for one of her classes while Yuji was eating donuts from his favorite donut shop, Do-nuts.
"Did we have to stop for donuts, Yuji?" Ena asked.
"If we have to wake up early just because of something, even though we were already exhausted trying to find this new mysterious enemy, causing me to miss breakfast since Kolter had to drive Jin to work, then yes, we're stopping for donuts," Yuji answered. "How's your studying going?"
"Great," Ena answered. "You know you have the same class too. Shouldn't you be studying as well?"
"I don't have World Language until after lunch, so I have plenty of time to study," Yuji replied.
"You said that the last time and you failed the class," Ena pointed out.
"That was then. And this is now," Yuji rebutted.
"Even so, you should study so you already have it out of the way."
"Can't you relax? I said I have enough tim-"
BONG!
Yuji was too distracted arguing with Ena that he didn't notice someone in front of him and bumped into them as they fell, and his school materials fell out of his book bag.
"I'm sorry!" The boy bumped into immediately apologized as he got up. He sounded like he was around Yuju and Ena's age. He then quickly helped Yuji up as well.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't looking alright!" Yuji apologized. "Here, let me help you."
Yuji helped the boy gather their stuff from off the ground. He dusted a few pebbles from his books before handing them to him. He stood up and saw that the stranger had finished picking up the rest of their items. The boy was light-skinned with short orange hair and blue eyes. He was also wearing the Den City High School Uniform.
"Here…" The boy offered Yuji the box of donuts he had dropped. Luckily for him, none of them fell out.
"Are you okay?" Yuji asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. But thank you for your concern." The boy replied.
"Are you okay, Yuji? I saw you fell to the ground," Ena said worriedly.
"I'm fine," Yuji answered. "I bumped into… Sorry. I didn't catch your name."
"It's ok. The name's Taigen Ebina." the boy answered.
"Nice to meet you, Taigen. I'm Yuji, and this is my friend Ena.
"I can see you're wearing the Den City school uniform," Ena noted. "However, I don't recognize you. Are you an incoming freshman?"
"No, I'm a transfer student," Taigen answered.
"Is that so?" Yuji said. "Well, as much as we would love to get to know you more, we're nearly late for school."
"Late, you say?" Taigen repeated. "Not a problem. I was exploring Den City yesterday, and luckily for us, I have a great memory. There's a shortcut nearby. If we take it, we'll make it to school in no time."
"Really? Thank you, Taigen!" Ena said. "What do you say, Yuji?"
Yuji frowned as he looked at the time on his Duel Disk before deciding."Alright, let's do it!"
Taigen smiled. "Awesome! Let's go through here!" He grabbed Yuji and Ena's arms and pulled them to the left.
"H-Hey! Slow down a little!" Yuji, as Taigen, led him and Ena into an alleyway.
"Are you nuts, Taigen? Whenever someone goes into an alleyway, it never ends well." Ena mentioned.
"Oh, come on, you two scaredy cats." Taigen teased, "That's just superstition. Besides, this path will get us to Den City High quickly."
"Sorry, but I'm afraid the three of you are out of luck."
The trio stopped at the center of an intersection in the alley. Sure enough, there were four thugs, two in front and two behind them.
The one with a small bearded ponytail spoke. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Two boys and a girl enjoy a nice walk on a weekday."
"What's your point?" Ena asked the thug as she crossed her arms. Her expression showed no fear but something else instead. "Not that it's any of your business, but we're on our way to school and running late. So if you don't mind, we'd like to pass on by."
"Late for school? Why didn't you say so?" The thug said. "I'm a nice guy. We can figure something out, although it will cost you.
Yuji just sighed. "Why don't you just tell us what you want?" he asked, slightly annoyed. "I think it saves everyone a lot of time."
"Oh, we have a wise guy here, boys," the bearded ponytail thug said to his cohorts, causing them to snicker. "That attitude of yours is just going to cost you more. Although," he leered at Ena as he looked her up and down, "I can think of an alternative form of-."
The next thing the thug knew, Ena snapped. She punched him in his solar plexus. As a result, the bearded ponytail thug fell onto the floor, unconscious.
"Boss!" one of the thugs cried out as they approached their leader.
"How do you like that, you piece of trash?" Ena said. "PERVERTS LIKE YOU, ALL OF YOU, SHOULD NEVER EXIST!" She then glared daggers at rest, who then charged right at her. "TAKE THIS!" She exclaimed as she slammed one of the thug's faces into the wall and delivered a low kick on another thug's feet, sending him crashing. The last thug tried to roundhouse kick her, but she dodged and drove his fists into their solar plexus, knocking them out cold.
"Woah, Ena!" Yuji said, shocked. "When and where did you learn to fight like that?"
"I took karate classes as a kid," she said. "My parents thought it would be best for me to learn self-defense at a young age."
"Well, I'm glad you did because you saved our butts," Taigen said. "Now, with these thugs out of the way, we should arrive at the school in about two minutes."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Following Yuji's words, the three teens exited the alleyway and continued to Den City High.
A few minutes later, at Den City High School…
The trio made it to school quickly and headed inside for orientation. Right after that, they split up from one another. Yuji and Ena headed to their classroom while Taigen went to the principal's to finalize his paperwork. Once that was done, he headed to the classroom Yuji and Ena had entered, with the teacher making him wait outside for introductions. When they sat down, Yuji heard a beep from his Duel Disk. Looking down, he saw Kolter had displayed a message to keep the other students from overhearing anything.
"Kolter sent me a message from Zaizen. He wants all members of the Top 10 to meet at SOL Technologies later today at 3."
Ena blinked. "At SOL and not LINK VRAINS? What do you think is his reason behind that?"
"Probably, he assumes the enemy is tracking our data trail in LINK VRAINS, hoping to find any trace that will help them figure out our real-life identities," Yuji answered. "Luckily for us, we make not to leave ours behind, but I can't say the same for Sabrina and Roselyn."
"You do have a point. Everyone already knows who Chevalier is. As well as Brawler. But Seraph, Roselyn, and Charmcaster are sitting ducks."
"This is why at this meeting, they realized they must make major precautions to ensure their safety, friends, and family."
After their conversion, the rest of the class became settled. Yuji and Ena were sitting in the second-to-front row on the left side, with Skye behind Ena, Roselyn in the far back, and Shima in the middle. The teacher then walked in at the bell.
"Good morning, class. I'm delighted to inform you we have a new transfer student joining us from now on. Come in, please."
Taigen walked into the classroom and greeted everyone with a smile. "Hello. My name is Taigen Ebina. Please take care of me."
Yuji looked around the room as he introduced herself, gauging everyone's reactions. Lily looked forward without much interest, and a girl with a light brown bob cut and yellow eyes smiled encouragingly at Taigen, which was expected given her nice and polite nature. Another student looked down at his tablet, blatantly ignoring everyone else, but they were sure he was reading some article about the Top 10 helping fix yesterday's incident again. The rest of the class, though…
The boys and girls were divided in their reactions. Most girls showed the same polite interest as Taigen, while others seemed indifferent. A couple also seemed to have what some would call "wingding eyes" as they stared at Taigen. The rest of the boy looked at Taigen with mild… was that envy? Yuji and Ena could understand why; almost all the girls were staring at him, and more than a few were… looking a little south of his face.
Well, they couldn't blame him. Taigen appeared to be an attractive teenage boy and gave off a warm and endearing vibe than the other male students.
While contemplating their thoughts, the teacher assigned Taigen to the seat next to Yuji, to both boys' delight. After class, a few other girls started crowding Taigen, not that he didn't mind, but it was becoming a bit much until Yuji helped him escape and guided him to his next class, with Ena following some distance behind, making sure no girls were following them. They made it to his classroom and promised to meet later at lunch.
A while later, in Den City High Cafeteria…
It was finally lunchtime, and one person was happy that it was. Yuji. Since he didn't have a chance to eat breakfast this morning, he was forced to stop for donuts, knowing that he had to show up at school earlier than normal, but that didn't stop him from being full. Ena ignored the stares she got from every student they passed by. Why did Yuji have to get a giant plate of food instead of a regular size like everyone else? It's not like she wasn't used to him doing this, but she hoped he would eventually grow out of it.
"Yuji! Ena! Come sit with us," A voice yelled out.
Yuji and Ena stopped after hearing someone call their names. Speak of the devil. The person was Skye sitting at a table with Taigen and other students. The teens accepted Skye's invitation to sit at their table.
"Hey, Skye! Thanks for inviting us to sit down." Ena said.
"No problem. Taigen informed me that the two of you promised to meet up with him during lunch, and as luck would have it, we were in the same class last period. So I decided to invite him."
"That's great to hear," Yuji said. "I remember when Ena and I arrived, it was just her and me. Luckily for us, the Den City High School Duel Club members were more than welcome enough to allow us to not only sit with them but join their club as well."
"Duel Club?" Taigen asked, wondering what it was. "What's that?"
"What!? You don't know what Duel Club is?" A chubby boy with small eyes, a largemouth, and green hair said with shock. "Skye, how could you invite someone to have lunch with us if you didn't plan on telling them about Duel Club?"
"You must remember, Shima, that they're new here so they wouldn't know about Duel Club."
The words were accompanied by a young boy with glasses and black hair sitting beside Shima.
I'm sorry about that. Allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Hosoda, and I am a fourth-year and the Club President."
"I'm Tanaka, a fourth-year, also." A short boy with red hair pulled into a ponytail said.
"I'm Sato, a third-year." A boy who was even fatter than Naoki with slicked teal black hair and spectacles said.
"I'm Suzuki, a third-year, too." A tall boy with brown hair in a bowl cut said.
"And you already know Yuji, Skye and I. We're third-years as well. But you'd probably knew that already," Ena said.
"It's okay. But thank you, and nice to meet all of you." Taigen said. "But seriously, I am curious about Duel Club."
"It's an extracurricular group where we discuss tactics and strategies," Shima explained. "If you're interested in becoming a better duelist. We can help you expand your skills."
"We are always looking for new members," Hosoda added.
Yuji raised an eyebrow. "Ena, is it just me, or are you also getting deja vu?"
"It's not just you," Ena answered. "This is what happened last year."
"That sounds incredible!" Taigen exclaimed. "Where do I sign up?"
"Hold on, Taigen. Don't you want to think about it for a minute first?" Skye asked.
"What's to think about, Skye?" Taigen asked. "Back in my hometown, I worked daily to strengthen my skills as a duelist, and I don't plan on stopping now."
"I felt the same when I first heard about it," Yuji mentioned. "When I was a kid, I wasn't very good at dueling, but my skills dramatically improved after meeting Ena and with her help." He then frowned. "But deep down, I felt that if I truly wanted to become the best duelist I could be, there were going to be some things I had to do on my own."
"So you're saying I shouldn't join the Duel Club?"
"No, I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that it's nice to accept help from others, but later down the road, you will have to take your path and follow it."
Taigen narrowed his eyes. "I think I understand what you're saying." He turned to Hosoda. "Count me in as a new member of the Duel Club."
"Alright, we got a new member!" Hosoda cheered. "At the end of the school day, meet up with Yuji and Ena, and they'll navigate you where the club room is."
"Thanks for the heads up," Taigen said. "I can't wait to experience it."
At Den City High School, 2nd Floor...
After their last class, Yuji and Ena met with Taigen and walked down the hallways to the Duel Club. Taigen was excited about what awaited him. After a few minutes, they finally made it to the Duel Club.
"Yuji! Ena Taigen!"
A new voice managed to catch the trio's attention. They looked around the corner to see Shima standing beside Hosoda as he called out their names.
"Judging by the door the two of you are standing near, I can assume that this room holds the Duel Club, right?" Taigen asked.
"You are correct!" Shima said to Taigen. "This is the room the Duel Club meets every week!"
"Don't be so smug to him, Shima," Skye said as she appeared from around the corner. "While I didn't mention to him about Duel Club, I did mention some clubs he could join. Ones that meet once a week and others that meet twice weekly."
"Anyway, this way, please," Hosoda said, gesturing for them to enter the classroom. As Taigen walked into the room with Shima, Ena, and Yuji, they quickly recognized all of the members they met earlier in the cafeteria, except for one who was a boy with straight white hair with red highlights and blue eyes behind green-framed glasses.
"Who's that, Hosoda?" Ena asked.
"That's Theodore Hamilton, a third-year," Hosoda answered.
"Really? Does that mean you're a transfer student also?" Yuji asked.
"Yes and no," Skye replied. "He transferred to this school for the first half of last year but returned to his old school for the second half before finally deciding to return to finish his education." She narrowed her eyes at the white-haired youth. "Hey, Theo, we have two new members we'd like you to meet!"
After getting his attention, Theodore got up and walked over to Taigen, Yuji and Ena.
"Nice to meet the three of you," he said. "As you heard from the president, my name's Theodore. But you can call me Theo."
"Nice to meet you too," Ena greeted. My name's Ena, and this is my friend, Yuji. The guy with orange hair is named Taigen. He's the newest member of the Duel Club."
"Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you and be a brand new member of Duel Club," Taigen said.
"Well, I can promise you, it'll be a great experience," Theodore said as he sat back down in his seat.
"Now then, before we begin, I must say that we try to encourage our new members to talk about themselves a bit. Would you care to tell us more about yourself, Taigen?" Hosoda said.
"Of course," Taigen said. "My name is Taigen Ebina," he started. "I'm 16 years old, I like to duel and hang out with friends, and my favorite food is Shoyu ramen. Is there anything else you'd like to know about me?"
"No, you're good. Thanks for sharing, Taigen," Hosoda said.
After introducing himself, Taigen interacted with the other members to get to know them a little better.
"So Taigen, how many duels have you said you have won?" Sato asked him. "About 10 or 15?"
"Not really," Taigen said. "More about between forty and fifty duels."
"WHAT!?" Shima yelled. "You're telling us you've won at least fifty duels. I haven't even won half of that."
"If it impresses you more, all those I've won were in a complete row.
Everyone's eyes widened. A COMPLETE ROW!?"
"You heard right," Taigen confirmed.
"So if you're that strong, why join Duel Club?" Suzuki asked.
On cue, Taigen replied, "Well, while it's true, there's barely anything you can teach me. I believe that to be false. Just because someone has mastered a skill doesn't mean they're perfect. There's something hidden in everything, so I truly feel that you guys can help me become a better duelist than I already am."
"Wow. That was a great answer," Sato said.
"It sure was," Suzuki added.
"If we're all done greeting and meeting one another, then let's start the meeting," Hosoda said. Everyone sat at their desks, with Taigen sitting in the corner near Yuji and Ena.
"Let's brush up on the new rules regarding Master Duels," Hosoda said. He pressed a button towards the projector, which showed a Duel Monsters board. "The main difference between the old Master Rules and the new one is that Extra Deck Monsters besides Link Monsters can be summoned to the Main Monster Zone instead of the Extra Monster Zone. Taigen, could you please tell me the other differences?"
"Sure thing. The far-left and far-right Spell & Trap Zones are also treated as Pendulum Zones," Taigen said. "This means duelists are allowed to Pendulum Summon should they have Pendulum Cards in their possession."
"Correct!" Hosoda said, looking impressed. "You sure have a wide knowledge of Duel Monsters, Taigen. Can we see your skills in action, if you don't mind?"
"In action?" Taigen repeated. "You mean like a duel?"
"It's not going to be in LINK VRAINS, right?" Shima asked with concern. "While the Top 10 did stop the threat, yesterday, SOL Technologies stated that anyone with an account should wait a few days before reentering LINK VRAINS."
"Relax, Shima, it's not going to be in LINK VRAINS," Hosoda reassured him. He narrowed his eyes at Yuji. "Yuji, you're known to be the best duelist of all of us, so do you mind dueling Taigen?"
Yuji nodded. "Fine with me. When Taigen said he had a 50-win streak, I was interested in dueling him. Glad the opportunity came sooner than later."
"Perfect. Follow me, everyone."
Hosoda walked out of the club room with everyone else following him. However, Taigen needed clarification about what was happening.
After walking for a bit, the entire Duel Club made their way outside the school towards the courtyard facing the building. "This is where the two of you will be dueling!" Hosoda stated.
"Oh, now I get it," Taiga commented as he looked around. "It wouldn't be as fun if we dueled with just our Decks and not our Duel Disks."
"If the two of you are ready, feel free to take your positions," Hosoda said.
The two teens nodded as they headed over toward the soccer field. The field was huge and only needed a little room. Only enough to move around. Ena, Skye, Theodore, Hosoda, Shima, Sato, Suzuki, and Tanaka sat in the bleachers, equal to Taigen and Yuji. Sato, Suzuki and Tanaka sat in the back row, far enough away from the others. Hosoda and Shima sat in the middle row. And lastly, Skye sat in the front row with Theodore and Ena.
"So, it seems luck has decided that you will be my next opponent," Taigen remarked. "I must confess that the moment we first met, I could tell you were a strong duelist. As you said, I'm glad the opportunity came sooner than later."
"Hoh, that's rather unexpected," Yuji commented with evident surprise. "I was certain you'd look down on me and proclaim your superiority over me, given that you have a winning streak of 50."
"Just as the president said, you are the best duelist out of all the members of Duel Club," Taigen said with a serious expression. "There's no way I will underestimate your strength."
"Remember, this is a friendly duel, not a serious one," Hosoda said. "Are you two ready?"
"I'm ready!" Taigen said.
"Me too!" Yujo said, ready to go.
A light purple outline of a dueling field appeared before them. Yuji and Taigen swiped their hands, and five cards materialized before them.
"Let's Duel!" They both shouted, and a large screen displaying their names with their Life points appeared above them.
Taigen: 4000 LP
Yuji: 4000 LP
"I'll take the first turn," Taigen announced. "I summon Satellarknight Procyon!"
A small armored warrior surrounded by a ring appeared on Taigen's field.
Satellarknight Procyon ATK 1300 DEF 1200 LVL: 4
"Satellarknight…?" Yuji murmured in confusion.
"I activate Procyon's effect!" Taigen continued. "I can send "tellarknight" monster from my hand to the Graveyard to draw a card from my Deck. I'll send Satellarknight Vega from my hand to the Graveyard to draw one card. Then, I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn with that."
"In this case, it's my turn!" Yuji stated. "I draw! First, I activate the Field Spell Card: World Legacy's Discovery! This card increases the attack and defense points of all "World Chalice" monsters by 300. Next, I activate the Spell Card: Card Destruction! We now must discard our hands and draw cards from our Decks equal to the number previously in our hands."
Upon checking out his new cards, Yuji grinned.
"Perfect. I summon Chosen by the World Chalice!"
A young blonde teen wearing golden armor parts on his right calf and upper body appeared on Yuji's field. He had blonde hair that flowed back. Around his head were a pair of golden goggles, while a long red scarf was around his neck. The young teen swung his short sword, ready for battle.
Chosen by the World Chalice ATK 1600→1900 DEF 0→300 LVL: 3
"I'll now build my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared in the sky above Yuji. "Link Arrow authorized! The summoning condition is one Normal monster, except Tokens. I'll set Chosen by the World Chalice into the Link Arrow!"
Chosen went into the top arrowhead, turning it red.
"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Imduk the World Chalice Dragon!"
A green dragon with blue eyes, medium-sized wings and four legs appeared on Yuji's field in the Right Extra Monster Zone. He had medium-sized black horns and white fur around his neck and on his medium-sized tail. On the dragon's collar, as well as his thighs, were small pieces of armor. Imduk let out a growl, ready for battle.
Imduk the World Chalice Dragon ATK 800→1100 LINK-1 ↑
"Thanks to Imduk's effect, I'm allowed to Normal Summon one "World Chalice" monster in addition to my Normal Summon or Set," Yuji added. "Therefore, I summon Crowned by the World Chalice!"
A young female teen with long, purple hair, a ribbon tied to it, and green eyes appeared on Yuji's field. She wore ornate robing on her arms and a small skirt around her waist. A sash with an ornate jewel in the center covered her upper body. In her hands was a wand.
Crowned by the World Chalice ATK 0→300 DEF 2100→2400 LVL: 2
"I'll now build my circuit for a second time!" A Link Portal appeared in the sky. "The summoning conditions are two monsters. I'll set Imduk the World Chalice Dragon and Crowned by the World Chalice into the Link Arrows!"
Imduk went into the left arrowhead, while Crowned by the World Chalice went into the bottom-left arrowhead, turning them red.
"I Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Lib the World Key Blademaster!"
A young woman with long, purple hair, green eyes, and a small tiara appeared in the Extra Monster Zone, which Imduk had previously vacated. She wore a long brown scarf around her neck with ornate patterns. She also had gold and black armor pieces on her forearms and calves. Covering her upper body was a purple breastplate with a jewel on it. Lastly, she wore a purple skirt to complete her attire. In her right hand was a sword with a golden handle that rapiers usually had.
Lib the World Key Blademaster ATK 2000 LINK-2 ←↙
"I activate Lib's first effect!" Yuji continued. "Once per turn, I can place one "World Legacy" Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my Spell & Trap Zone face-down, but I can't activate it this turn if I have no "World Legacy" monsters in my Graveyard." A card popped out of Yuji's Deck, which he took and set in his Spell & Trap Zone. "I now activate World Chalice Guardragon's effect from my Graveyard! By banishing him from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon one Normal monster from my Graveyard to a Main Monster Zone a Link Monster on my field points to. I banish World Chalice Guardragon to Special Summon Beckoned by the World Chalice from my Graveyard!"
A young blue-eyed man with violet hair to the back of his neck and wearing a light-brown headband around his head appeared on Yuji's field in the Main Monster Zone Lib pointed to. Around his neck was the same long brown scarf that Lib wore, only tied around various areas. Like Chosen by the World Chalice, he wore golden armor on his forearms and legs. His attire also consisted of brown clothing and multiple sashes around his waist. In his right hand, he wielded an elaborate blue lance.
Beckoned by the World Chalice ATK 1800→2100 DEF 0→300 LVL: 4
"Time to battle! Lib the World Key Blademaster attacks Satellarknight Procyon!"
Lib leaped forward, intent on striking Procyon with her sword.
"Before that, I activate my Quick-Play Spell Card: Satellarknight Skybridge!" Taigen declared. "Through its effect, I can shuffle Procyon back into my Deck and Special Summon another "tellarknight" monster from my Deck. Come, Satellarknight Deneb!"
Another warrior surrounded by a ring and holding a caduceus materialized on Taigen's field in Defense Position.
Satellarknight Deneb ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 4
"Deneb's effect activates!" Taigen stated. "When this card is summoned, I can add one "tellarknight" monster from my Deck to my hand! I choose Satellarknight Altair!"
"In that case, attack Deneb, Lib!" Yuji ordered his monster. Lib raised and swung her sword, easily slashing through Deneb's body.
"At this moment, I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Stellarnova Wave!" Taigen announced. "Through its effect, I can Special Summon one "tellarknight" monster once per turn during my Main Phase or my opponent's Battle Phase!"
"Eh!?" Ena exclaimed in shock. "Special Summoning a monster during the opponent's Battle Phase!?"
"The monster I will summon is Satellarknight Alsahm in Defense Position!"
Following Taigen's statement, a child-like warrior surrounded by a ring and holding a small bow appeared on his field.
Satellarknight Alsahm ATK 1400 DEF 1800 LVL: 4
"At this moment, Alsahm's effect activates!" Taigen declared. "Since it was summoned successfully, it inflicts 1000 damage to you!"
Alsahm aimed his bow at Yuji and shot an arrow that struck him directly in his chest, causing him to stumble.
Yuji: 4000→3000 LP
"You may have damaged me, but I still have an attack left." Yuji. "Beckoned by the World Chalice attacks Satellarknight Alsahm!"
Beckoned leaped forward and slashed Alsahm using his lance, causing an explosion as he returned to Yuji's field.
"With that, end my turn," he concluded.
"Then, it's my turn!" Taigen announced. "I draw! As expected, you're a strong opponent. Summoning two Link Monsters on your first turn with ease. In that case, I think warm-up time is over. From here on out, I will show you the true extent of my strength, Yuji!"
"Bring it on, Taigen!" Yuji responded with a wide grin. "I'll take everything you can throw at me and retaliate with ten times that amount!"
"It seems both duelists are finally getting serious here," Theodore said with evident enthusiasm.
"Let's start with this first," Taigen said. "I summon Satellarknight Altair!"
An armored winged warrior surrounded by a ring appeared on Taigen's field.
Satellarknight Altair ATK 1700 DEF 1300 LVL: 4
"Altair's effect activates! When this card is summoned, I can Special Summon one "tellarknight" monster from my Graveyard in defense mode. I choose the previously discarded Satellarknight Vega!"
A priestess with a ring surrounding her materialized next to Altair.
Satellarknight Vega ATK 1200 DEF 1600 LVL: 4
"Since Vega was summoned successfully, its effect activates, allowing me to Special Summon a "tellarknight" monster from my hand. Come, Satellarknight Betelgeuse!"
Another armored warrior holding a short sword surrounded by a luminous ring appeared on Taigen's field.
Satellarknight Betelgeuse ATK 700 DEF 900 LVL: 4
"We're not finished yet!" Taigen announced. "Betelgeuse's effect activates! Since it was summoned successfully, I can send it to the Graveyard to return Deneb to my hand from the Graveyard! Then, through Stellarnova Wave's effect, I will Special Summon Deneb!"
Satellarknight Deneb ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 4
"Deneb's effect activates!" Taigen stated. "I add Satellarknight Altair to my hand!"
"Amazing!" Shima exclaimed. "Through a string of effects, Taigen has brought out three monsters simultaneously without needing a Pendulum Summon! It's like he's an elite pro duelist!"
"Not only that, but all of them are Level 4," Hosoda remarked. "This can only mean one thing naturally."
"An Xyz Summon," Ena stated. "But what kind of monster will he summon? I'm getting nervous just thinking about it…."
"A smart guy like you is surely aware of what's coming next, right?" Taigen said with a grin. "I overlay my Level 4 Altair, Vega and Deneb!"
A bolt of golden energy shot out of his Duel Disk. The bolt created a massive blue "X" with four red dots at the corners. The three monsters disintegrated into data particles and entered two dots, lighting them up. The ends of the "X" fired light beams, creating a galaxy. The galaxy exploded with power as Taigen chanted.
"Radiant stars that shine in the summer sky! Unite as one and unleash a new luminescence upon the world! I Xyz Summon! Appear now, Rank 4! Stellarknight Delteros!"
Emerging from the vortex was another armored knight with three orbs of light circling his body. Its armor was mostly white and gold but very regal in design. The monster wielded an ornate sword with a silver blade and golden helix design down it, a golden hilt with a triangular-shaped shield with a white star symbol on the front, and three golden hoops around it its arm. The monster's helmet was white, with golden details on its head resembling horns. On its back, the monster had a pair of glowing golden wings.
Stellarknight Delterois ATK 2500 DEF 2100 RNK: 4 OU: 3
"I activate the Spell Card: Cup of Ace. It lets me flip a coin, and depending on the result, one of us gets to draw two cards."
A coin appeared above Taigen's head, which he grasped and flipped. When the coin landed in his hand, he smiled.
"It landed on heads, so I get to draw two cards."
He drew his cards and played one of them. "I activate the Equip Spell Card: Big Dipper Sword and equip it to Delteros!" Taigen announced as a new broadsword appeared in Delteros's hand. "Through its effect, Delteros's attack points by 300 and becomes unaffected by your monster effects."
Stellarknight Delterois ATK 2500→2800
"That's not all." Taigen continued. "Big Dipper Sword has one more effect. But first, I activate Delteros's effect! I can destroy one card on the field by detaching one Overlay Unit! I choose your Lib! Triangle Blaster!"
Upon consuming one of its Overlay Units, Delteros unleashed an energy blast from its shield at World Legacy Discovery, destroying it.
Stellarknight Delteros OU: 3→2
Yuji gritted his teeth. He couldn't bring back his monsters from his Graveyard without that card. "As World Legacy Discovery left the field, Beckoned by the World Chalice's attack points revert to normal."
Following his words, a red aura surrounded Beckoned by the World Chalice, returning his strength to normal.
Beckoned by the World Chalice ATK 2100→1800 DEF 300→0 LVL: 4
"Battle!" Taigen declared. "Stellarknight Delteros, attack his Beckoned by the World Chalice! Big Dipper Slash!"
Following its master's command, Delteros flew forward, bisecting Beckoned. The ensuing explosion threw Yuji a few meters back.
Yuji: 3000→2000 LP
"Now, the final effect of Big Dipper Sword activates!" Taigen announced. "When the equipped monster destroys an opponent's monster through its effect or battle, the opponent's monster is banished!"
"Eh!?" Skye exclaimed in alarm. "Banished? But that means—"
"It means Yuji won't be able to summon back any of his destroyed monsters," Ena commented seriously. "That was smart play Taigen made."
"I end my turn with that," Taigen concluded. "Now, let's see you top that, Yuji."
"You know what they say, Taigen," Yuji smirked. "Ask, and you'll receive! My turn! I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two cards. Next, I activate the Trap Card: World Legacy Landmark! By banishing a "World Legacy" monster from my hand or field, I can target two monsters in my Graveyard and Special Summon to my field. However, they can't attack this turn. I banish World Legacy – World Chalice in my hand to bring back Imduk and Beckoned Chosen by the World Chalice!"
As a card disappeared from Yuji's hand, Imduk and Chosen reappeared on his field.
Imduk the World Chalice Dragon ATK 800 LINK-1 ↑
Chosen by the World Chalice ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3
"Lib's effect activates! Once per turn, I can set one "World Legacy Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my Spell & Trap Zone, but I can't activate it this turn if I have no "World Legacy" monsters in my Graveyard." A card popped out of his Deck, which he then set face-down. "I'll now build my circuit! The summoning conditions are two or more Link monsters. I'll set Imduk the World Chalice Dragon and Lib the World Key Blademaster in the Link Arrows!"
Lib split into two tornadoes of energy that went into the left and right arrowheads, while Imduk went into the top arrowhead.
"I Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Ningirsu the World Chalice Warrior!"
The young blue-eyed man with violet hair and a long brown scarf around his neck from before reappeared on Yuji's field in the right Extra Monster Zone, with many differences. First, like Auram, a blue crown rested around his head. Second, he wore white and black armor with blue highlights. In his hands was a long lance that glowed with blue light.
Ningirsu the World Chalice Warrior ATK: 2500 LINK-3
"At this point, Lib's second effect activates!" Yuji continued. "Since it was sent to the Graveyard as Link material, I can shuffle one card on the field into the owner's Deck. I shuffle Big Dipper Sword."
A silhouette of Lib appeared beside Ningirsu as she leaped forward and slashed the Equip Spell, turning it into particles.
"Next up, I activate Ningirsu's effect! Once per turn, I can send one card from each player's fields to their Graveyards. I'll send Chosen by the World Chalice on my field to my Graveyard and your Stellarknight Delteros on your field!"
Ningirsu spun the lance in front and behind him before slamming it to the ground, causing a surge of energy that went towards Chosen by the World Chalice and Stellarknight Delteros, sending both of them to their owner's Graveyards.
"Moving on, I activate the Spell Card: Trap Pause!" Yuji announced, "This card negates the effects of all Continuous Trap Cards until the end of the turn!" Taigen gasped as Stellarnova Wave turned grey.
"The second effect of Trap Pause lets me draw a card for each Continuous Trap affected. In this case, one. "Battle! Ningirsu the World Chalice Warrior attacks you directly, Taigen! Shining Lance Slash!"
Ningirsu leaped forward and slashed Taigen with his lance before retreating to Yuji's side.
Taigen: 4000→1500
"I place two cards face-down and end my turn," Yuji concluded. "Since it's now the End Phase, the effect of Trap Pause wears off. You're up."
"My turn! I draw!" Taigen declared. "I activate the Spell Card: Final Offguard! As my Life Points are lower than yours and you're the only one with a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, I can draw two cards."
Taigen drew and smiled at his cards. "I summon Satellarknight Unukalhai!"
An armored warrior with an elongated helmet, a tail and a ring around it appeared on Taigen's field.
Satellarknight Unukalhai ATK 1800 DEF 1000 LVL: 4
"Unukalhai's effect activates! When this card is summoned successfully, I can send one "tellarknight" monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I will send Satellarknight Rigel to the Graveyard and activate its effect, allowing me to draw one card. Next, I activate the effect of Stellarnova Wave to Special Summon my second copy of Satellarknight Altair from my hand!"
The armored winged warrior emerged once more on Taigen's field.
Satellarknight Altair ATK 1700 DEF 1300 LVL: 4
"You remember Altair's effect, correct?" Taigen showed a sly smile. "It allows me to Special Summon one "tellarknight" Monster from my Graveyard in defense mode. Return once more to my side, Satellarknight Alsahm!"
The small archer materialized once again on Taigen's field.
Satellarknight Alsahm ATK 1400 DEF 1800 LVL: 4
"Alsahm's effect activates, dealing 1000 points damage once more!"
Alsahm shot another arrow at Yuji, striking his shoulder and causing him to wince.
Yuji: 2000→1000
"Now, it's time for a new Stellarknight to take the stage!" Taigen declared. "I overlay my Level 4 Alsahm, Altair and Unukalhai!"
A bolt of golden energy burst out of his Duel Disk and traveled upwards. It struck the sky and exploded into a ring of purple energy, changing the environment to a midnight sky. Streams of blue data traveled downward. A purple "X" with four red points appeared beneath his two monsters, who broke into blue data and entered two of the dots. The corners of the "X" fired beams upwards, creating a shining galaxy.
"Luminous stars glittering in the winter sky! Unleash your transcendent power as one and illuminate a world drowning in darkness! I Xyz Summon! Appear now, Rank 4! Stellarknight Triverr!"
A warrior clad in silver armor, which held a sword in its right hand and a triangle-shaped energy shield in its left like Delteros, appeared on Taigen's field.
Stellarknight Triverr ATK 2100 DEF 2500 RNK: 4 OU: 3
"Triverr's effect activates!" Taigen declared. "When this card is summoned, all other cards on the field return to our hands!"
"What!?" Yuji exclaimed. "All cards on our fields!?"
"Do it, Triverr! Cosmic Wind!"
At Taigen's command, Triverr raised its sword and unleashed raging winds. Yuji gritted his teeth and gestured to his field.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Forbidden Chalice! I can target one face-up monster on the field and increase its attack points by 400 until the end of this turn. In exchange, until the End Phase, its effects are negated. I target Triverr!"
Taigen's monster was surrounded by a white veil for a few moments, increasing its strength before changing color to red and draining its effects.
Stellarknight Triverr ATK 2100→2500
"That was insane!" Sato exclaimed with evident enthusiasm. "If Yuji didn't have his Spell Card ready, his field would've been left bare and would lose to a direct attack."
"Not bad. But I'm not done. I activate the Equip Spell Card: Xyz Unit!" Taigen said. "By equipping this card to Triverr, it increases its attack points by 200 multiplied by its Rank! Since Stelarknight Triverr is Rank 4, it gains 800 attack points!"
Stellarknight Triverr ATK 2500→3300
"Even after having your monster's effect negated, you still find a way to pull through," Yuji commentated. "As Shima said, your skills are that equivalent to a Pro Duelist."
"Wouldn't be the first time someone has told me that," Taigen mentioned. "While my Deck might be seen as strong, the right cards and combos can compensate for that. But enough talk! Time to battle! Stellarknight Triverr, attack Ningirsu! Orion Saber!"
As Triverr charged at the Link Monster with its sword held high, Yuji smirked.
"I activate the Trap Card: World Legacy Devotion!" Yuji exclaimed. The card showed Ib the World Chalice Priestess placing her hands on each side of Auram the World Chalice Blademaster's face as if to assure him that everything would be okay. It also looked like Ib and Auram were close enough to lean in and kiss each other for the first time. "By targeting one Link Monster on my field, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn!"
Ningirsu blocked Triverr's sword with his lance, pushing him back before he regained footing. However, the ensuing shockwave sent Yuji skidding backwards.
Yuji: 1000→200
After recovering from the attack, Yuji continued his move. "Since I took damage this turn, the second effect of World Legacy Devotion activates. I can Special Summon one Link Monster from my Graveyard whose attack points are less than or equal to the damage I took. Return, Imduk!"
At Yuji's command, Imduk reappeared on his field in the Main Monster Zone.
Imduk the World Chalice Dragon ATK 800 LINK-1 ↑
"Phew, talk about a close call." Ena let out a relieved sigh. "Honestly, watching Yuji duel is not good for my heart with all these narrow escapes he makes."
"I know how you feel." Skye nodded and then let out a smile. "However, because of that trait of his, it keeps us captivated."
"That's the mark of a true duelist!" Theodore exclaimed.
"Not only did you protect your monster, but you also got another monster on top of it," Taigen smiled. "In any case, I place a card face-down and end my turn. Since it's now the End Phase, Forbidden Chalice's effect wears off."
Stellarknight Triverr ATK 3300→2900
"It's my turn!" Yuji announced. "I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure Ticket! This card lets me draw cards equal to my Link Monster's Link Rating, so long as I send the same number of cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard. Ningirsu is Link-3, so I draw three cards!"
Yuji drew, then sent three cards from his Deck to the Graveyard.
"I activate the Spell Card: Link Reborn!" Yuji continued. The card showed Auram the World Chalice Blademaster, Ib the World Chalice Priestess, and Imduk the World Chalice Dragon in a dark cave. Ib was pointing to a bright light signaling the cave's exit. "This card lets me Special Summon 1 Link Monster from my Graveyard! However, it can't attack for the rest of this turn! Appear once again! Lib the World Key Blademaster!"
Soon, Lib reappeared on Yuji's field in the Main Monster Zone.
Lib the World Key Blademaster ATK 2000 LINK-2 ←↙
"I now perform a Contact Fusion!" A Fusion Portal suddenly appeared above Yuji, which glowed various colors. "The summoning conditions are three Link monsters. I'll therefore tribute Ningirsu the World Chalice Warrior, Lib the World Key Blademaster, and Imduk the World Chalice Dragon to Fusion Summon!"
Ningirsu broke into blue particles, Lib broke into red particles, and Imduk broke into green particles, which went into the Fusion Portal before swirling into a vortex. A massive tornado of energy then shot downwards from the portal to the ground on Yuji's field.
"Young dragon amplified by the power of life, unveil your strength to protect those you care about!" Yuji chanted. "I Fusion Summon! Emerge! World Chalice Guardragon Almarduke!"
In the Right Extra Monster Zone, a massive green dragon standing on his hind legs appeared on Yuji's field. He had blue eyes and a set of two whiskers on each side of his face, one longer than the other. He also had large black horns and white fur on his head, neck, and long tail. Almarduke spread his large wings wide and roared, ready for battle.
World Chalice Guardragon Almarduke ATK 3000 DEF 2600 LVL: 9
"Fusion!?" Suzuki shouted. "He can use Fusion as well!? Most duelists excel in mastering one form of Special Summoning, and he knows two out of six?"
"This is my opinion, but this could be the day Taigen's winning streak ends?" Tanaka said.
"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Extra Tag and equip it to Triverr!" The card showed Summoned Skull wearing a pendant around its neck with pictures of Archfiend's Manifestation, Archfiend's Call, Archfiend's Ascent and Linkmail Archfiend. "Through its effect, by equipping this to an Extra Deck Monster, I can change its summoning type to a different one. I change Triverr from an Xyz Monster to a Link Monster!"
"What is the meaning of that?" Taigen sounded curious.
"Since you're so anxious, I won't keep you in suspense any longer," Yuji smirked. "Since Triverr is now treated as a Link Monster, its Link Rating equals the number of monsters used to summon it. In this case, three. Now, time for battle! World Chalice Guardragon Almarduke attacks Stellarknight Triverr!"
Almarduke was soon surrounded with a green aura as he flew forward at Triverr.
"At this point, I activate Almarduke's second effect. If he battles a Link monster, I can banish one Link monster from my field or Graveyard with the same Link rating as that monster to instantly destroy it!"
"What?!" Taigen exclaimed in surprise.
"I banish the Link 3 Ningirsu to destroy Triverr, whose Link rating is also Link 3!"
Almarduke's body became bathed in a fiery blue aura before striking Triverr, turning him into particles. Almarduke then suddenly flew away before gathering energy in his maw.
"I now activate Almarduke's final effect! Since his previous effect destroyed your monster, you take damage equal to its original attack points! Triverr originally had 2100 attack points, which means you take 2100 points of damage!"
"This might be it, everyone!" Shima shouted. "If Almarduke's effect goes through, Taigen will lose the duel and his winning streak!"
"Go, Virtuous Testament!"
Almarduke then fired a green blast of energy at Taigen.
"If you think that's enough to take me down, think again!" Taigen shouted. "I activate the Trap Card: Dodge Roll! One instance of damage becomes 0!"
A barrier formed around Taigen, shielding him from Almarduke's effect.
"An unexpected reversal!" Hosoda commentated. "Although Yuji's victory seemed certain, Taigen stopped it thanks to his Trap Card. With all these constant shifts, you can't predict how this duel will turn out!"
"Ngggh!" Ena groaned in frustration. "Yuji almost had him there!"
"Almost, but not quite," Theodore said with a frown. "Still, that was quite the strategy Yuji had there. If been used against a regular duelist, he would've won then and there."
"Maybe…" Skye commented. "However, I feel his opponent has more tricks up his sleeve."
"I activate Stellarknight Triverr's effect!" Taigen declared. "If this card was destroyed while having Overlay Units, I can Special Summon one "tellarknight" monster from my Graveyard! Revive once more, Satellarknight Alsahm in Defense Position!"
Satellarknight Alsahm ATK 1400 DEF 1800 LVL: 4
"And now, Alsahm's effect activates once more, inflicting 1000 damage to you! In other words, you lose!"
"I don't think so!" Yuji yelled. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Spell of Pain! Any effect damage I would have taken is now inflicted to you instead!"
As Alsahm launched its arrow, it hit a purple shield that appeared from Spell of Pain. The shield then reflected the arrow right back at Taigen, going through his stomach and causing him to fall to one knee.
Taigen: 1500→500
"Tch." Taigen clicked his tongue. "I should have expected that you wouldn't be finished off by something so simple."
"Of course not, Taigen," Yuji smirked. "You should know by now that I'm as hard to crush as a cockroach. And don't forget that it's still my Battle Phase! Thanks to Almarduke's effect, he can attack all your monsters. Go, Worldy Roar!"
A green energy sphere erupted from Almarduke's wand and enveloped Alsahm, easily vaporizing it.
"Finally, I place two cards face-down and end my turn."
"My turn!" Taigen announced. "I draw! Heh, you truly are as formidable as the others said you were. However, I absolutely won't lose to you here! I activate the Spell Card: Card of Demise, whose effect allows me to draw cards until I have five in my hand. However, during my fifth Standby Phase, I must send all cards in my hand to the Graveyard. Next, I summon Satellarknight Sirius!"
A warrior clad in wolf-shaped armor and surrounded by a ring appeared in Attack Position.
Satellarknight Sirius ATK 1600 DEF 900 LVL: 4
"Sirius's effect activates!" Taigen declared. "Since this card was summoned successfully, I can shuffle five "tellarknight" monsters from my Graveyard to my Deck to draw one card! I choose Delteros, Triverr, Altair, Deneb and Vega!"
After drawing his card, Taigen smiled.
"You did pretty well holding out this long, Yuji. The last few opponents couldn't last five turns. However, it all ends now! But first, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Living Fossil! Its effect allows me to Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated and its attack points reduced by 1000. Resurrect, Procyon!"
A wide crack appeared on the ground following Taigen's words, which emerged Satellarknight Procyon.
Satellarknight Procyon ATK 1300→300 DEF 1200 LVL: 4
"Furthermore, through its effect, I activate Stellarnova Wave and Special Summon Satellarknight Capella from my hand through its effect!"
Another armored warrior surrounded by a ring and riding a chariot appeared next to Taigen's other two monsters.
Satellarknight Capella ATK 1100 DEF 2000 LVL: 4
"He's got three Level 4 monsters once more," Ena remarked. "Is he going to summon Delteros or Triverr again? Either one is bad news for Yuji right now."
"I activate Capella's effect!" Taigen announced. "If this card was summoned successfully, I can treat all Level 4 or lower "tellarknight" monsters as Level 5 for the Xyz Summon of a Monster requiring three or more monsters!"
"What did he say!?" Skye exclaimed. "Since Taigen has three Level 4 Satellarknight monsters on the field, that means—"
"It means he can treat them all as Level 5 and Xyz Summon a Rank 5 with them." Theodore finished Skye's sentence. "This doesn't bode well for Yuji."
"I overlay my Level 5 Sirius, Alsahm and Capella!" Taigen declared as he waved his arms before a spark of blue electricity shot out of his duel disk and into the air. The spark exploded and turned into a blue X in the sky. The three monsters turned into blue particles that flew into the X, causing it to glow vibrantly. The blue X shot light beams from each of its four corners, causing a blue cybernetic overlay network to appear. The particles of the three monsters inside the overlay network merged, causing a monster to manifest.
"Clustering stars of the celestial cross! Become an unmatched radiance that will illuminate the path to victory! I Xyz Summon! Appear now, Rank 5! Stellarknight Cygnus!"
A golden-armored warrior, which held a cross-shaped energy shield in its left hand and a spear in its right, appeared on Taigen's field.
Stellarknight Cygnus ATK 2500 DEF 2400 RNK: 5 OU: 3
"Hoh, so that must be your ace monster?" Yuji remarked. "However, its attack points are lower than my Almarduke's."
"Maybe for now, but that will change soon enough," Taigen said with a sly smile. "To ensure victory is certain, I also activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mystical Space Typhoon from my hand! This card lets me target one Spell or Trap Card on the field and destroy it. I target your set card on the left!"
"...!" Yuji gritted his teeth as a gust of wind erupted from Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying his face-down card, revealing it to be Battle Rush.
"Battle! Stellarknight Cygnus, attack World Chalice Guardragon Almarduke! At this moment, Cygnus's effect activates! By detaching an Overlay Unit, Cygnus's attack points increase by 1000 until the End Phase!"
Stellarknight Cygnus OU: 3→2 ATK 2500→3500
"Go, Cross Thrust!"
"I activate the Trap Card: Clean Barrier - Clear Force!" Yuji declared. "When your monster declares an attack, this card forces all monsters you control to use their original attack points for the rest of the Battle Phase!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, but that won't be happening!" Taigen exclaimed. "Cygnus's second effect activates! Once per turn, I can negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card during the Battle Phase and destroy it! Cross Revenge!"
A beam of energy was shot out of Cygnus's shield, destroying Yuji's Trap.
"Since your Trap Card was negated, my attack resumes," Taigen said. "Skewer his monster and finish this Duel, Cygnus!"
"Not so fast! I activate the effect of Electromagnetic Turtle in my Graveyard!" Yuji abruptly stated. "By banishing this card, I can end the Battle Phase!"
Following Yuji's words, an electromagnetic barrier appeared around his field, preventing Cygnus from reaching his monster.
"When did you…?" Taigen's eyes narrowed in realization. "I see. It was when you activated Link Treasure Ticket. That was one of the cards you discarded, wasn't it?"
"Indeed it was," Yuji confirmed it.
"In that case, I activate the Spell Card: Xyz Energy! By detaching an Overlay Unit from an Xyz Monster I control, I can target and destroy one face-up monster you control!" Yuji's eyes widened. "I detach one Overlay Unit from Cygnus to destroy your Almarduke!"
A lightning bolt came down from the sky and vaporized Almarduke. One of the blue lights orbiting Zeroth disappeared.
Stellarknight Cygnus OU: 2→1
"Unbelievable!" Hosoda exclaimed. "Yet another chance to end this duel has slipped from player Taigens hands due to Yuji's resilience! However, Yuj's field is once bare, and his hand is also at zero! Can he find a way to get out of this pinch, or did his earlier save only prolong the inevitable?"
"I guess we'll find out soon enough, won't we?" Ena stated.
"I place a card face-down end my turn, with Cygnus's attack points returning to normal."
Stellarknight Cygnus ATK 3500→2500
"In this case, it's my turn!"
Yuji placed his hand on his Deck. Having no cards in his hand, he could only rely on his next draw to turn things around. Otherwise, this duel was over for him. Despite the impossible odds, he believed his Deck would pull through like usual.
"Draw!"
Upon seeing his drawn card—Yuji let out a confident smile. It seemed he was still in the game.
"Let's do this, Taigen!" Yuji declared. "This is the showdown!"
"You seem to have drawn something good judging from your expression." Taigen let out a challenging smirk. "In this case, bring it on, Yuji!"
"Don't mind if I do! I'll start by activating the effect of Breakthrough Skill from my Graveyard! By banishing this card from my Graveyard, I can target a face-up effect monster you control and negate its effects until the end of the turn. I target Stellarknight Cygnus!"
Taigen gritted his teeth as Grysta greyed out, indicating that its effects were negated.
"Let me guess. That was also one of the cards you sent to the Graveyard through Treasure Ticket, right?"
"Correct," Yuji replied. "I activate the Spell Card: Card of Variation! This lets me draw two cards, but during my End Phase, I must discard a card or take 3000 points of damage."
"A risky gambit," Theodore noted.
Upon looking at his drawn cards, Yuji could help but grin. This could win him the duel.
"I activate the Spell Card: Cemetery Link!" The card showed a Link portal embedded in the ground, but instead of arrows, eight tombstones sat around the edges. "By banishing monsters from my Graveyard, I can perform a Link Summon!" Taigen's eyes widened. "Appear, my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Yuji. "Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters with different names. I set Chosen by the World Chalice, Crowned by the World Chalice, Imduk the World Chalice Dragon and Lee the World Chalice Fairy in the Link Arrows!"
Spectral forms of Chosen, Crowned, Imduk and a small, white fairy with blue eyes, long hair and silver wings appeared and went into the top arrowhead, the bottom-left arrowhead, the bottom arrowhead, and the bottom-left arrowhead, turning all four of them red in the process.
"Accursed dragon shackled to the ground's depths! Break free, and unleash your wrath on my enemies!" Yuji chanted. "Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Come forth! Link-4! Saryuja Skull Dread!"
A massive, bipedal dragon with bone armor and chains attached all over its body appeared on Yuji's field in the Right Extra Monster Zone. Spikes were evident on its hands and pieces on its long neck. On top of its head was a green gem and two horns that curved to the back. It also had two large wings with a curved spike tip at the sides.
Saryuja Skull Dread ATK 2800 LINK-4 ↙↑↓↘
"A Link 4 monster..." Taigen muttered. "That's something I didn't expect to face off against."
"Saryuja Skull Dread gains effects equal to the number of monsters used for its Link Summon." Yuji began speaking. "First, when two or more monsters are used for Saryuja's Link Summon, all monsters it points to gain 300 attack and defense points. Second, when three or more monsters are used for Saryuja's Link Summon, I'm allowed to Special Summon one monster from my hand once per turn. Third, when four monsters are used for Saryuja's Link Summon, I can draw four cards before placing three of the cards in my hand at the bottom of my Deck in any order."
He drew his cards, looked at them and returned three to the bottom of his Deck.
"I activate the Spell Card: Back-Up Rider!" Yuji continued. "Until the end of the turn, one face-up monster gains 1500 attack points! I choose Saryuja!"
Skull Dread let out a roar as its power grew.
Saryuja Skull Dread ATK 2800→4300
"Battle!" Yuji declared. "Saryuja Skull Dread attacks Stellarknight Cygnus!"
"Before that, I activate my face-down card!" Taigen announced. "The Trap Card: Trap Hole of Spikes! Through its effect, if a monster you control that was summoned this turn declares an attack, I can destroy it and inflict half of its original attack points as damage to you! This is the end for you!"
"No, it isn't!" Yuji denied. "From my hand, I activate the Counter Trap Card: Arrow Break!"
"What? A Counter Trap from your hand?"
"Arrow Break negates the activation of a Trap Card while I control a Link Monster!" Yuji explained. "And if I control a Link-4 or higher Link Monster, I can activate Arrow Break from my hand! In other words, Trap Hole of Spikes' activation is negated!"
Taigen had a comical expression of shock as his Trap was destroyed.
"Now, the finale! For real this time!" Yuji exclaimed. "Take his monster down, Skull Dread! Shackling Rampage!"
Saryuja Skull Dread charged forward before smashing Cygnus with its arms, which caused a massive explosion that sent Taigen flying back from the ensuing explosion.
Taigen: 500→0
The students watching the duel stare in shock as Yuji deactivated his Duel Disk, and his monsters, along with the duel field, faded into code. Yuji approached Taigen, who had gotten back on his feet.
"That was a great Duel." Yuji honestly said as he extended his hand forward. "You almost had me a couple of times back there."
"Almost, but not quite…." Taigen grumbled before shaking YuJI's hand with a small smile. "Since you were skilled enough to defeat the extremely talented me, I'm not upset you ended my winning streak. But the next time we duel, things will end differently. Mark my words."
"No worries there, Taigen," Yuji said as he returned the other boy's smile. "I was hoping you'd say that."
Although, with what's happening right now, there will not be another chance for us to duel again. So let's enjoy this while we can…
Yuji thought so with a wry smile as he and Taigen rejoined with the rest of the Duel Club and headed inside. Eager to call it a day…
OC Card Memo:
Yuji:
Link Reborn (Normal Spell Card): Credit by Divadx
Target 1 Link monster in your GY; Special Summon it, but it cannot attack for the rest of this turn.
World Legacy Devotion (Normal Trap card): Credit by Divadx
Effect: Target 1 Link Monster you control; it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn. If you take damage: You can Special Summon 1 Link Monster from your GY, with ATK less than or equal to the damage you took. You can only use each "World Legacy Devotion" effect once per turn.
Extra Tag
Equip Spell
Equip this card to a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck. Declare a summoning method. The equipped monster is treated as that summoning method. If you declare Link, the equipped monster gains a Link Rating equal to the number of monsters used to summon it.
Taigen:
Stellarknight Cygnus
ATK: 2500, DEF: 2400, R: 5
Light/Warrior/Xyz/Effect
3 Level 5 Light Monsters
Monster Effect: Once during either player's Battle Phase, you can negate the activation of an opponent's Spell or Trap Card and destroy it. If this card battles an opponent's Monster, you can detach an Xyz Material from it; increase its ATK by 1000. If this card is destroyed, you can Special Summon one "tellarknight" Monster from your hand, Deck or Graveyard in defense mode, and then you can destroy a Monster on your opponent's field.
Big Dipper Sword
Equip Spell Card
Equip this card only to a "tellarknight" Monster you control; it gains 300 ATK and is unaffected by the effects of your opponent's Monsters. If the equipped Monster destroys an opponent's Monster through its effect or battle, banish it.