This story was done in collaboration between me, Jriddle41 (Sodormatchmaker on DeviantART), and DaveMan1000 (both here and on DeviantART), and we own the OCs that are used in the story. AaronCottrell97 (known as stevecottrell on DeviantART) provided the Duel Layouts and additional ideas. Everything else belongs to their respective owners:
Thomas and Friends (c) Hit Entertainment and Mattel
The Railway Series (c) Rev Wilbert Awdry
Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Konami
Gundam SEED characters, Orb, Blue Cosmos, M1 Astray, Strike Rouge, Murasame (c) Sunrise
Character of Lisa Drake (c) DaveMan1000
Character of David Xadashi (c) DaveMan1000
WARNING: Once again, this story is rated T for violence, some blood, suggestive themes, and some language. Reader discretion is advised.
WARNING 2: If you haven't read "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 2", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 4", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles (Pyramid of Light", "David Xadashi", "Lisa Drake", or "Team 4D's", you might want to do so before reading this story
On a stage inside the Orb Duel School, five face-down cards were lined up on a large blackboard. On cue, David Xadashi and Lisa Drake both showed up and began speaking to the audience.
"Greetings, everybody!" greeted David, "You all know what time it is, right?"
"'This week's noteworthy cards'!" The audience cried out.
"You bet it is!" winked Lisa, giving a thumbs up. She then turned to look at the nearby blackboard with the five cards (still showing their backing) lined up, "Now, let's see what five cards we have to show in this possible duel!"
The five face-down cards on the blackboard all automatically turned over and revealed themselves to be:
-'Assault Blackwing - Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow' (Synchro Monster Card)
-'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' (Effect Monster Card)
-'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison' (Tuner Monster Card)
-'Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North (Tuner Monster Card)
-'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' (Synchro Monster Card)
"H-Hey! This is amazing!" cried David, looking at the middle card ('Battlewasp - Sting the Poison'), "Lisa-chan, I do not believe this is a card I'm familiar with!"
"Say, this here is part of the 'Battlewasp' archetype!" remarked Lisa, "Apparently, this one's capable of negating the effects of enemy Effect Monsters by just Tributing an Insect monster."
"'Battlewasps'? Negate enemy Effect Monsters?" repeated David, before he resumed talking to the audience, "Well, this is a real treat for you guys. You're going to witness a new archetype in action!"
"Just try not to freak out if you're afraid of bees, wasps, and the likes," finished Lisa jokingly, also talking to the audience once more. She waved goodbye, "Have a good night, everybody!"
The audience cheered and clapped in response.
Title: The Approaching Swarm
Opening up aboard an Industrial Illusions private jet currently making its long trek across the Atlantic Ocean from its departure of origin in the United Kingdom, the occupants of said flight were none other than the Xadashi family, alongside both Sean Smith and Janice Kings, who were the long time best friends of David's. Ren and Futaba were sat on one aisle, engrossed in a game of chess, while the other four youths were on the opposite aisle, with David and Gabriella sat next to each other, and Sean and Janice both sat opposite to them.
"How great is this?" Janice was saying, gesturing to their surroundings onboard the plane, "Not only are we going back to the United States for summer, but we're traveling in style!"
"It was so nice of Discord to organize this whole thing for us," added Sean, "This kind of luxury is way out of our league," He (Sean) reached over and started ruffling David's hair, "Boy, you must've really impressed him in a way, Dave."
"That's because (お兄ちゃん) O nīchan (Big Brother) is special!" Gabriella chirped in, "He's a Signer, and Signers are the best duelists 'ever'! I wanna be just like him!"
David rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly in response to the praise he was getting from both Gabriella and Sean.
"Heh… Honestly, Gabriella, as exceptional as my dueling prowess is, I wouldn't view myself as one of the best of 'all time'," David said modestly, feeling a bit pleased, "As for you wanting to become a duelist, I admire your enthusiasm very much," He then looked a little bit firm as he briefly lectured Gabriella, "But you have quite the ways to go before getting into Duel Monsters. We have discussed this prior, have we not?"
"Oh, I know…" pouted Gabriella, but then got hopeful, "But you will teach me how to play the game, won't you?"
David smiled and nodded, before using his right hand to kindly ruffle the top of Gabriella's head. From there, he looked out the window in deep thought.
(outside…)
Outside the plane, David stared out into the vast blue sea as the plane went on its way. Any trace of land had long since faded out of view.
"As fun as this vacation will be, and the fact I'll be seeing Fudo-san, Atlas-sama, Lisa-chan, and everyone else, I can't help but wonder…" thought David, "There is still the matter of the Dark Signers, of whom we are destined to confront in combat. No such activity from them has been recorded since the siege of Orb. One can only speculate when they will strike next…"
(inside…)
"Dave?" pressed Sean, breaking David's train of thought, "Hey, you okay there? You were kind of spacing out."
"Ah, yes… I was merely reflecting on our previous time with the others…" David replied, before flicking a small switch on his right gauntlet and projecting a small screen towards the center of the room from a single panel. The screen showed a photo taken of Team 6D's, Discord, the Astray trio, Sean, Janice, and Gabriella not long after the Orb Duel School was reclaimed from Sergey Volkov, "…and finally seeing them again."
The three teenagers, plus Gabriella, glanced warmly at the picture. In it, Matt Fudo was being tightly embraced by a lovestruck-looking Asagi Caldwell, much to his humorous dismay (he had a big sweatdrop on the left side of his face). Michael Atlas and Juri Wu Nien were shown standing side-by-side—although Michael had his arms folded and looked more serious than the blushing, shy-looking Juri did. James R. Hogan was seen locking arms with Mayura Labatt, who was seen rolling her eyes in amusement. Carlie Izayoi and Zack Ruaka were shown standing triumphantly in the center. Sean and Janice both stood beside David and Lisa Drake on the left and right respectively with Gabriella in the middle. David was seen smiling at the camera, with Lisa's arm wrapped around his shoulder as the latter was giving a thumbs up. And Discord was also shown being, well, Discord. Very quickly, Janice noticed David staring lovingly at a particular person in the photo, and, with a cheeky smirk, flicked his ear, causing him to jolt back in shock.
"In your case, Dave, seeing a 'very specific' someone again," she joked.
"Hm?" pondered David.
"She's right," agreed Sean, "You're more excited to see, in your words, 'Lisa-chan' than the others, aren't you?"
"Tee hee hee! (お兄ちゃん) O nīchan (Big Brother) has a crush!" giggled Gabriella.
"(な-なに?!) Na-Nani?! (Wh-What?!)" cringed David in Japanese, starting to blush, "P-Perish the thought!"
But Sean and Janice both were too smart to be fooled by the obvious lie; they continued to grin at their intelligent best friend. Realizing his friends weren't fooled, David simply sat still in his seat, subdued. Regardless, he was not going to let the teasing keep him down or prevent him from being happy to see Lisa again. Nearby, Ren and Futaba, still having their chess match, glanced over at the commotion in amusement.
"Reminds you of how the others acted when they found out 'we' were dating?" Ren asked his wife.
"Yeah, Ryuji would 'not' let up," recalled Futaba lightly.
This was going to be a long, exciting trip back to the United States.
(elsewhere…)
Outside a hotel in the city of Hartford during the mid-later morning, the voice of Sherry LeBlanc could be heard coming from inside the building…
"Bonjour, Shinji, this is Sherry calling."
(inside…)
In one of the hotel's fancier rooms, Sherry was shown laying on one of the two beds clad only in her bra and panties while talking on the phone, having just gotten out of the shower but before getting dressed. Although her guardian, Elsworth, had a room of his own, he often visited Sherry whenever he was able to. Currently, Elsworth was out for the moment, and this alone time allowed for Sherry to relax in a barely dressed state and talk on the telephone in order catch up with an old friend of hers. As she spoke to whoever it was, Sherry appeared to be warm, smiling, and enjoying herself despite often being cold and hostile towards most people with an exception to Elsworth and a few others she genuinely respected like Matt and Michael.
"No way! Are you serious?!" asked Sherry, sounding slightly surprised.
(elsewhere…)
On the other line inside a hotel in another city, the person, a young man, was talking on the phone to Sherry.
"That's right," The young man confirmed, "I'm leaving Boston and coming to Hartford later today. I'd like to see what that Duel School Orb is like, and maybe even battle it out with a few of its best students."
"I'm so happy to hear that," The voice of Sherry said pleasantly.
(elsewhere…)
In the hotel room…
"You don't know how glad I am that you're coming to Hartford later on," continued Sherry, sitting up and waving her long blonde hair about with her right hand, "The last month has been not so pleasant, and I need someone to help cheer me up."
"I'm taking it you're not feeling any better from your loss in Rex Godwin's tournament?" The young man's voice pressed.
"Oh, who cares about that tournament?" dismissed Sherry.
"Apparently, you seem to care enough about it. I know you all too well, after all."
The blonde-haired young French woman chuckled, "I guess you do," she said weakly, "To be honest, I've been thinking more about what that idiot James said to me."
(elsewhere…)
Back on the other line…
"Really?" The young man pondered in amusement, "Well now, it sounds to me like James hasn't changed very much since I last saw him."
(elsewhere…)
Back on the hotel line…
"For better or worse," Sherry seemed to agree. She soon lost her smile and became a bit more serious-sounding, "You know… I really missed you."
"I missed you, too," The young man's voice admitted, "But now that I'm coming back, there will be plenty of time for us to catch up and for you to get that high amount of stress off your chest."
"Oh?" wondered Sherry, as she resumed smirking and started sounding more seductive, "As much as I'm excited to see you, I cannot help but wonder if you will be able to satisfy my needs after we have been apart for sometime."
(elsewhere…)
On the other line, the young man couldn't help but laugh slightly.
"I've always satisfied you," he reminded, "Tonight really won't be any different. If anything, you should be worried about how you'll be able to satisfy 'my' needs."
(elsewhere…)
On the hotel line, Sherry herself couldn't contain her laughter over that statement, having genuinely missed this type of banter between her and her friend.
"If you weren't partly right about that," retorted Sherry playfully, once she stopped laughing, "then you wouldn't have anything to be so smug about."
"I guess you're right," The young man's voice agreed, "Well, I'm heading out, now. I should arrive at Hartford in about two hours or so if traffic isn't bad."
"Okay, I'll see you soon," acknowledged Sherry, "Au revoir, Shinji."
She then hung up the phone and continued to lay on the bed while looking up at the ceiling in silence, looking forward to seeing her old friend again. Of course, Sherry wasn't the only one who was going to see an old friend, soon.
(elsewhere…)
Inside her room, Lisa Drake was sitting on her bed looking over her yearbook filled with signatures from many of her friends from school. Studying for, and especially taking, the exams had been a huge pain, but she passed them with good marks. She then attended prom, and attended her graduation ceremony. No longer in school, Lisa was able to put her full attention to attending Orb and hanging out with her friends from there. Upon finishing looking over her yearbook, she heard her computer beeping up a storm.
"What now?" pondered Lisa, putting her yearbook down and approaching her computer. She sat down on the chair and started checking her email before finding a new one, "Oh, it's only an email—wait, this is from Dave? Well, it's about time! I've been waiting days for a response from him!" She folded her arms, shut her eyes, briefly looked away, and acted all pouty-like, "Ugh… That lazy nerd…!"
The pink-haired girl then started silently reading the email from David. At first, she simply read with a neutral or bored expression on her face. That all changed when she got to the last bit of the email, which caused her eyes to widen with shock at first—before a blush appeared on her face upon finishing reading the email. She closed her eyes and smiled with clenched teeth before she started raising her voice in sheer excitement.
(outside…)
Outside the house and throughout most of the block, Lisa's shrill, husky voice echoed throughout the area.
"Yes! YES! HELL YES!" she screamed happily.
Wow, whatever David wrote to Lisa, it seemed to have really made her happy.
(elsewhere…)
A few hours later inside a classroom of the Orb Duel School, Lisa was speaking to the other members of Team 6D's and telling them the news that David wrote to her.
"You're kidding!" gasped Carlie.
"There's no way in hell I'm kidding!" insisted Lisa, "Dave, his friends, and his family all are coming back to Hartford for the summer!"
"Then what you're saying is true!" gawked Zack.
"Discord was the one who invited them and even paid all of the expenses," The voice of Lisa revealed. She closed her eyes and cheerfully brought both hands together, "Oh my God! We're all gonna be seeing him again so soon!"
"Oh man, this is great!" smiled Matt.
"It sure is! We'll be seeing our new buddies again!" cheered James R..
"There's more," cut in Zack, which brought all eyes towards him, "Dave's return will be just in time for Discord and I to reveal the latest project we're working on."
This sparked even more interest in Dave's return. Just then, before anything else could be said, the speakers started up.
"Attention duelists of Orb! Attention duelists of Orb! This is Headmaster Zimmerman speaking," The voice of Patrick Zimmerman spoke, "Will everyone please report outside to the parking lot? We have a visitor. I repeat, will everyone please report outside to meet with a visitor in the parking lot?"
This got the attention of Team 6D's, wondering if the visitor might be David.
(outside…)
Outside, various people, be they teacher, student, staff, etc., were coming outside until a large circle had formed in the middle of the parking lot. Coming out of the main entryway were Matt, Michael, James R., Carlie, Lisa, and Zack.
"I wonder who the visitor could be?" wondered Michael.
"Maybe it's Dave!?" figured Lisa, "If it is, he got here earlier than expected!"
"Only one way to find out," replied Zack, as he continued walking forward, "Let's go and see for ourselves."
Over at the circle of people, amongst those wanting to meet with the visitor were Asagi, Mayura, and Juri, and the three of them seemed to be more excited than usual.
"I can't see who the visitor is," complained Juri, being unable to get through the crowd.
"Oh, I hope whoever it is is a super handsome guy!" squealed Asagi, blushing.
"Same here!" added Mayura, also blushing, "Especially if he's single!"
As Team 6D's walked up to the circle of people, a frown appeared on James R.'s face as he got the idea the visitor was not David. However, despite his suspicions, he still remained optimistic and eager to see and meet with whoever it was.
"Although it might not be Dave, I still can't wait to see who this visitor could be," said James R. positively.
"The visitor's not Dave?" peeped Lisa, growing disappointed, "Crap…"
Before anything more could be said…
"No way! James Hogan, is that really you?!" A male voice echoed.
This caused James R. to gasp, believing the voice to belong to somebody he hadn't seen or heard from in ages. Sure enough, the crowd began pushing away, and a young man with spiky purple and aqua-colored hair, a pair of small earrings on both ears, and wearing a motorcyclist suit, brown gloves, and brown/black boots walked up to the members of Team 6D's with a broad, jovial grin on his face.
"Hey, man, it's been a long time," The young man greeted.
"Shinji…Weber?" stammered James R., looking as though he knew who the young man was, "Is that…you?"
He wasn't the only one who was very surprised who the visitor was; Carlie, Michael, and Zack each also recognized who the purple and aqua-haired young man was.
"What?" teased Shinji (as he was named), "Don't tell me you forgot all about your old friend and dueling rival."
James R. still remained silent initially, but, after realizing it was his old friend and rival, smiled big at seeing Shinji again.
"Shinji!" cried James R. happily, approaching and clasping right hands with the visitor, "It's really you! I can't believe I'm seeing you again!"
"Same here, man!" agreed Shinji, before suddenly getting his old friend into a rough neck hold and beginning to give him a noogie, "Noogie attack!"
Despite the rough fist rubbing the top of his head, James R. couldn't help but laugh since it brought back memories of those days at the orphanage. While watching, Michael, Carlie, and Zack each seemed to smile when they finally realized that it really was Shinji who was visiting and started to approach and speak to him. As Shinji released James R. and started to interact with the old faces, he overheard a pair of squeals of delight and looked over his shoulder. As expected, Asagi and Mayura, with their hands on their pink cheeks, both had hearts in their eyes over the fact the visitor was indeed super handsome in their point of view. Juri remained much more subdued, but was blushing slightly.
"Oh my gosh!" wailed Mayura.
"That guy's really handsome!" added Asagi.
Shinji remained neutral at first before closing his eyes and smiling for only a few seconds before looking towards the three Astray girls and giving them a wink and thumbs up, which caused Asagi and Mayura both to let out high-pitched squeals again before they collapsed onto the ground, with Juri leaning in to look down upon them in confusion. Matt, Carlie, and Zack could be seen smiling sheepishly over the boy-crazy antics of Asagi Caldwell and Mayura Labatt, and Michael merely rolled his eyes. James R., however, narrowed his eyes in annoyance over the fact Shinji just winked at Mayura, considering that he himself had a crush on her. But before anybody could notice the look, he hastily recovered from the moment of jealousy and smiled once more.
"Hey, Shinji!" said James R., motioning his right arm towards the other members of Team 6D's, "You obviously remember Carlie, Mike, and Zack, but these two new faces are Matt Fudo and Lisa Drake."
"Yo," greeted Matt.
"What's up?" smirked Lisa.
Shinji shook hands with the two figures individually, figuring that any friend of James R.'s was a friend of his.
"It's great to finally meet you both," he acknowledged, before directing his attention to Matt, "Congratulations on becoming the country's strongest duelist and one of the strongest overall."
"I appreciate the compliment," nodded Matt.
"Think nothing of it," From there, Shinji turned and faced Michael, "Sorry you lost your crown as the Duel King, Mike, but you're still the strongest in my books."
Michael nodded firmly—despite heavily disliking being reminded of his loss from years ago, he at least tolerated the reminder whenever his friends and loved ones brought it up in a non-malicious sort of way. Shinji then turned to face Carlie, who was happy to see an old face again.
"Ah, Carlie, you're looking well," commented Shinji, "Have you been doing alright since leaving that orphanage years ago?"
"I've never been better, Shinji. Thank you so much for asking," Carlie smiled cheerfully.
Shinji smiled back, "I'm glad to hear that."
"Speaking of which… What brings you out here to Hartford?" asked Zack.
"To see some old friends, of course!" answered Shinji, before looking around the area for somebody but not seeing who he was expecting to see, "Speaking of old friends, where's Sherry? Wasn't she supposed to be here?"
"Huh?" pondered Carlie, "How do you know she's here in the city?"
"I'll answer that," The voice of Sherry responded.
Nearly all eyes were at a nearby part of the parking lot, where standing in that spot was none other than Sherry LeBlanc, and by her side was her guardian Elsworth. The second Shinji saw his best friend, he smiled big.
"Sherry!" Shinji called out.
Sherry, seeing her best friend again, smiled as well—although her smile was smaller and had some hints of sadness in it. She then ran forward, and Shinji started doing the same. The two young adults soon reached each other and hugged, making it very clear in their body language they were very happy to see each other. Nearby, James R., Carlie, Michael, and Zack all smiled at the heartwarming scene, considering they knew that Sherry and Shinji were best friends—having been so ever since they were growing up at that orphanage. Once he and Sherry broke from the hug, Shinji looked towards Elsworth and held his right hand out.
"It's been a while, Elsworth. How are things?" he asked politely.
"Fine, Master Shinji," replied Elsworth, as he and Shinji shook hands and confirmed they were on good terms, "Mistress Sherry was telling me how happy she was when you told her on the phone that you'd be here in Hartford."
As the conversation happened, Team 6D's and the Astray trio all approached.
"Well, anyway, we're all happy to see you, man," commented James R., "Not to mention we have some major catching up to do."
"We sure do," agreed Shinji, before smiling with mischievous intend, "But first… I'm here to tell off the idiot who went on a huge rant on international TV."
James R. looked shocked from hearing that, just as a flashback started up.
FLASHBACK
During Rex Godwin's tournament, Flashback Shinji was sitting on a bed watching the second round on TV. Currently, Flashback Sherry lost to Flashback Lisa, and the former didn't take it too well. Flashback James R., finally fed up, was telling her off for her attitude towards others.
"If anybody is to blame for what happened that day, it's 'you'," accused the image of James R., now pointing a finger towards Flashback Sherry, "If you had just complimented Carlie instead of getting all arrogant and putting her down for losing, none of that would have happened. So what if Carlie has Psychic powers? So what if she at one time used them to hurt people out of anger and sadness for her own parents getting rid of her? Let me make this as clear as I possibly can; NOBODY 'CARES' ABOUT THAT ANYMORE! Everybody has grown up and moved on with their lives. The people Carlie hurt have 'forgiven' her."
Dropping his bag of popcorn, Flashback Shinji watched the scene in deep surprise; he never saw his old friend act this way before.
"As for 'you', Sherry?" The voice of Flashback James R. raged, while the purple and aqua-haired young man listened on, "You're still just as we remember you as—a selfish, inconsiderate, spoiled, rotten brat who never thinks of other peoples' feelings! You claimed one time when we were children that you want to build a road to a glorious future, but how can that happen if you keep obsessively living in the past over something that was an accident? In my eyes, you do not deserve to call yourself a duelist, Sherry LeBlanc. In fact, you do not even deserve our respect!"
On the TV, he was shown finishing off his little "The Reason you Suck" Speech towards Flashback Sherry
"Now listen, if you have even a 'shred' of dignity left in that thick skull of yours, you will go back where you came from, and 'never' come near us again!" ordered the image of Flashback James R. in anger, "Do you understand me, DO YOU?!"
At last, the television set was turned off, compliments of Flashback Shinji holdup up the remote before lowering it and shaking his head in disappointment towards Flashback James R. for his own attitude towards Flashback Sherry.
END FLASHBACK
The flashback ended, and James R. appeared to look a little mad at Shinji for bringing it up. Shinji, meanwhile, appeared to still be grinning over the reaction he was getting from his friend.
"I'm right on the button, aren't I, James?" Shinji pressed.
Nobody else said a word, but Juri, worried that a violent fistfight would break out at any time, was about to step in and get James R. and Shinji both to settle down, but she got stopped by Sherry.
"No," requested Sherry calmly.
"But, Sherry, aren't you worried a fistfight could break out between those two friends?" protested Juri.
"There won't be a fight," Sherry dismissed, shaking her head, "You see, Shinji knows exactly what he's doing."
Juri wondered what that even meant, and turned to face Shinji and James R., with the former having much more to say to the latter.
"James, am I correct to assume you have a dislike towards Sherry?" questioned Shinji.
"What?! Do I dislike Sherry?" spat James R., shaking his head furiously, "No, I don't! The only thing I dislike about her is that she's been acting cold and ruthless towards others including my friends and I, and 'needed' to be called out for it."
Shinji smirked, "I see," he said playfully, "Well, I'll agree with you that Sherry was partially to blame for upsetting Carlie to the point where her at the time unstable powers took effect and created a real-like monster. However… you seem to forget that the incident did traumatize Sherry."
"I know that!" snapped James R., getting closer up to Shinji's face, "But it's still no excuse to act like such a hostile bully towards other people!"
Unfortunately for him, Shinji remained undaunted by the claims his old friend/rival was making about Sherry—James R. might have known Sherry decently, but he (Shinji) still knew her better than anyone else did.
"In case you've forgotten, my stubborn friendly rival, childhood trauma is very delicate and difficult to overcome," reminded Shinji, not letting up, "And you seem to be giving off the impression that you're very insensitive towards people in that area," He shook his head with mock disappointment, "I know you're not really like that, but around Sherry, you kinda are insensitive."
James R., defeated, was left unsure on how to counteract that argument, wondering if he really was insensitive towards people who have such a condition. Meanwhile, the other members of Team 6D's along with the three Astray girls were all left surprised on how badly Shinji defeated James R. in a debate.
"Damn… Shinji completely destroyed James in that argument," muttered Lisa.
Unfortunately, James R. was left very unhappy; Shinji had always been doing this to him back when they were living at the orphanage, messing with him in nearly everything. Well, he was sure there was one thing his old friend/rival couldn't beat him in, and that was a game of Duel Monsters. He also knew Shinji would never turn down such a challenge.
"Oh yeah?!" exclaimed James R., "Well… why don't we settle things here and now with a Turbo Duel?!"
"A Turbo Duel?" repeated Shinji.
"That's a brilliant idea, James-boy!" The voice of Discord J. Crawford accepted, just before he walked into the area and stopped near James R. and Shinji, "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something important?" James R., Shinji, and a few members of the group simply listened, "No? Well then, let me say that you and Shinji-boy here dueling is an excellent way for you both to test out the newest project Zack and I…" He continued to smile jovially as he finished his sentence, "…have been hard at work on for the last little while."
"You know what, why not?" accepted Shinji., before turning and slapping James R. on the back, "I accept your challenge, James," Meanwhile, in his mind… "Although I can't help but wonder what the new project could be?"
(elsewhere…)
Inside Orb's Turbo Duel Stadium, it had been fixed up since the Astray trio defeated the Extended trio a month ago. The seats were filled with teachers, students, and staff—including Matt and the likes, even Sherry. On the track, Discord and Zack were in the process of making some modifications to Blackbird (James R.'s Duel Runner) and Killer Wasp (Shinji's Duel Runner) respectively. Soon, they were finished.
"So, um, what did you both do?" asked James R..
"Well, since you asked, why don't you both announce the phrase 'Field Spell, 'High Speed World'(!), set on' for starters?" offered Zack.
"Huh?" peeped James R..
"'High Speed World'?" added Shinji, before telling something to himself, "Is that a new card or something?"
Zack smirked, waiting for James R. and Shinji to do as he wanted. After a few seconds, both Turbo duelists did what they were told to do.
"Field Spell, 'High Speed World', set on!" James R. and Shinji announced at once, before they pressed a button on the dashboard of their respective Duel Runners.
On the monitors of Blackbird and Killer Wasp, a whole new Spell Card materialized and activated.
"Duel Mode, engaged," came a computerized voice aboard the two, respective Duel Runners, "Autopilot activated."
From there, both Duel Runners became surrounded by a purple dome as autopilot activated and the crowd gasped in surprise. Figuring everyone else was very confused about this development, Discord took hold of a microphone provided to him by Mr. Zimmerman and began speaking to the crowd.
"Hello, duelists!" began Discord, "As of today, Turbo Duels are about to evolve further than ever before!"
The audience was left puzzled over the announcement. Turbo Duels were about to evolve some more? How would that happen? And what was with that new card 'High Speed World'? They all listened as the explanation proceeded.
"After the events of last month, Zack and I have decided to work on a special something," The voice of Discord explained, "This special something will help make Turbo Duels more elaborate and complex than ever before, and the something in-question is a card we'd like to call 'High Speed World', which is programmed into the Duel Runner's system and is activated by both players when a Turbo Duel starts," He then handed the microphone to Zack, "Now, I will have Zack take over the explanation of the card."
"Thanks," said Zack, before addressing the audience with the microphone, "I'll explain how this card works. At the start of the second turn-onward, both players will receive a Speed Counter," As he continued speaking, a large image of the 'High Speed World' Spell Card rose from behind him in the background, "They are used for many different effects for 'High Speed World', and you can only carry a max of 12 Speed Counters at a time," The background returned to normal as he neared the end of his explanation, "As for the different effects of 'High Speed World', why should I spoil them now? Rather, it's better to find them out for yourself!"
"Works for me," accepted James R..
"Same," added Shinji.
From there, both players put their helmets on and started revving their respective Duel Runners up as the countdown started up.
"Turbo Duel!" began James R. (LP: 4000).
"Acceleration!" finished Shinji (LP: 4000).
Both Blackbird and Killer Wasp took off down the track as the timer ran out. The audience cheered as the race for the first turn went without a hitch. Because Blackbird was faster than Killer Wasp, James R. won and was awarded the first turn of the duel.
"And James-boy gets the first turn!" The voice of Discord announced.
"Here I go! It's my turn!" declared James R., drawing a card.
Turn One: James R. Hogan (LP: 4000)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "Blackboost", "Blackwing - Jetstream the Blue Sky", "Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall", "Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North", "Blackwing - Gust the Backblast", and "Black Thunder"
Speed Counters: 0
His drawn card was the 'Black Thunder' Trap Card, which he added into his hand—it contained 'Blackboost', 'Blackwing - Jetstream the Blue Sky', 'Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall', 'Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North', and 'Blackwing - Gust the Backblast'.
"From my hand…" The voice of James R. said, taking a card ('Blackwing - Gust the Backblast') from his hand, readying it in his right hand, and then placing it onto his Duel Runner, "…I'll Special Summon 'Blackwing - Gust the Backblast' in Attack Position!"
Appearing onto the field was a humanoid birdman with two large black wings (Level: 2/ATK: 900/DEF: 1400).
"If I control no cards, I can Special Summon this card (from my hand)," explained James R., going over his monster's first effect. He then held up another card ('Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall'), "Next, if I control a 'Blackwing' monster other than 'Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall', I can Special Summon this card (from my hand)."
Appearing onto the field was a black bird with a large red waddle (Level: 1/ATK: 400/DEF: 600).
"I tune Level 2 'Gust the Backblast' into Level 1 'Oroshi the Squall'!"
'Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall' flew upward and turned itself into a single Synchro Ring, which 'Blackwing - Gust the Backblast' flew into before turning into two orbs of light as a Summon Chant from James R. echoed throughout.
"Ebony wings, pierce through the skies and soar!" chanted James R., as the symbols 2 + 1 = 3 were shown briefly just before the two orbs of light within the lone Synchro Ring turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Appear now, 'Assault Blackwing - Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow'!"
Appearing on the field, as the Synchro Summon sequence ended, was a humanoid bird with a robotic left ring, wearing a cool gi, and wielding a small katana in the right wing (Level: 3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000).
"'Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow's' first effect!" announced James R., "If this card is Synchro Summoned using a 'Blackwing' monster as material, it is treated as a Tuner while face-up on the field."
"That's a familiar monster, but James no doubt has more he wants to show me," thought Shinji, unconcerned.
"Next, I'll activate my monster's second effect!" continued James R., while sending a card ('Blackwing - Jetstream the Blue Sky') from his hand to the GY. The card sank into the darkness (GY) as the explanation went on, "Once per turn: I can send 1 'Blackwing' monster from my hand to the GY; I must inflict 300 damage to my opponent."
'Assault Blackwing - Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow' raised his katana and swiped it forward, sending a wind blast out that struck Killer Wasp and pushed it back slightly as Shinji took the first amount of damage in the duel (LP: 4000 → 3700).
"And then, I'll Normal Summon 'Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North'!" announced James R., placing his next card onto his Duel Runner.
Appearing onto the field was a white/blue-colored bird monster (Level: 2/ATK: 1300/DEF: 0).
"I activate 'Blizzard the Far North's' monster effect!" As he spoke, James R. took a card ('Blackwing - Jetstream the Blue Sky') from his GY and held it out for a few seconds before raising it upward, "When this card is Normal Summoned: I can target 1 Level 4 or lower 'Blackwing' monster in my GY; I must Special Summon that target in Defense Position," He placed the card onto a Monster Zone on his Duel Runner (sideways), "Resurrect, 'Jetstream the Blue Sky'!"
Appearing onto the field was a red/aqua-colored bird with black on the wings (Level: 1/ATK: 100/DEF: 800). On cue, 'Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North' turned itself into two Synchro Rings.
"I tune Level 1 'Jetstream the Blue Sky' into Level 2 'Blizzard the Far North'!" The voice of James R. went on, as the above scenario played out.
'Blackwing - Jetstream the Blue Sky' then flew into the two Synchro Rings, turning into a single orb of light as another Summon Chant followed.
"Ebony wings, slash the skies in tandem with a flash of light!" chanted James R., as the symbols 2 + 1 = 3 were shown briefly just before the two orbs of light within the lone Synchro Ring turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Appear now, 'Assault Blackwing - Kunisada the White Rainbow'!"
Appearing onto the field, as the Synchro Summon sequence ended, was another humanoid bird. Like 'Assault Blackwing - Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow', it had a robotic left wing, but also a robotic left leg. Instead of a katana, it wielded a knife-like weapon (Level: 3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000). In the stands…
"Wow, James really is going all out in his first turn," Carlie remarked, rather surprised, "But James isn't the type who would take his duel so seriously unless it was against evil like Sergey and his group."
"His argument with Shinji must be making him duel his absolute hardest," figured Michael, "We'll see how far it will get him."
Back on the track…
"'Kunisada the White Rainbow's' effect!" explained James R., "Once per turn: I can target 1 Level 3 or lower 'Blackwing' monster in my GY; I must add it to my hand, and if I do, all 'Blackwing' Synchro Monsters I currently control gain ATK equal the ATK of the monster added to my hand until the end of my opponent's next turn. I cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn I activate this effect," He held up a card ('Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North') he took from his GY, "By adding 'Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North' back to my hand, both my 'Assault Blackwing' monsters gain 1300 ATK!"
'Assault Blackwing - Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow' (ATK: 1000 → 2300) and 'Assault Blackwing - Kunisada the White Rainbow' (ATK: 1000 → 2300) grew stronger. Over with Sherry in the stands, she was busy thinking about James R.'s 'Assault Blackwing - Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow' and overall strategy.
"'Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow's' effect lets James inflict 300 damage to the opponent once per turn by discarding a 'Blackwing' monster, and then he can use 'Blizzard the Far North's' effect to Special Summon it," mused Sherry to no one in particular, before smiling with approval, "It's an extremely efficient summoning method, but nothing that Shinji can't handle."
Back on the track, two face-down cards materialized on the field in-front of Blackbird before fading away for later use.
"By Setting two cards face-down, I'll end my turn right here!" finished James R., before looking over his shoulder at his opponent, "Now, Shinji, it's your turn!"
"I'm impressed, James," said Shinji, "You've dealt me damage on the first turn. If you ask me, 'Blackwing' monsters and 'Assault Blackwing' monsters really do suit you well," He returned his focus towards the road, "However, even they will not be able to defeat me!"
"Bring it on!" dared James R..
The audience cheered as both Duel Runners turned the corner and Shinji's turn finally came up.
"It's my turn!" cried Shinji, drawing a card.
With it being the second turn-onward, both duelists gained a Speed Counter.
-James R.: 0 → 1
-Shinji: 0 → 1
Turn Two: Shinji Weber (LP: 4000)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye", "Battlewasp - Desperation"(!), "Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire", "Battlewasp - Nest", "Revival Swarm", and "Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye"
Speed Counters: 1
Shinji stared at the monitor of Killer Wasp and saw the Speed Counter boost.
"That will come in handy a little later," he thought to himself, before looking at his drawn card, "And this card of mine is definitely a good start."
However…
"Face-down card, open!" The voice of James R. cut in, causing Shinji to look up briefly. Over on his field, one of his Set cards reappeared on the field, flipped face-up, and revealed itself to be… "'Blackboost', activate!" The brown-haired young man drew two more cards, "If I control 2 or more 'Blackwing' monsters: I must draw 2 cards!"
Both cards were 'Black Feather Reversal' (Spell Card) and 'Black Feather Hope' (Trap Card), and both were quite good to have in serious situations. Was Shinji worried? Of course not. He just smiled.
"Hey, James! I know your bond with your cards is strong, but it pales in comparison to bonds I share with my own cards!" warned Shinji, before placing his drawn card onto a Monster Zone (sideways) on his Duel Runner, "I Summon 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' in Defense Position!"
Appearing onto the field was a small bee-like monster with a rocket pack for a backside (Level: 1/ATK: 200/DEF: 300). The appearance of that monster caused some surprised reactions from the audience.
"A 'Battlewasp' monster?" wondered Matt, "I've heard of this archetype plenty of times before, but not many people appear to play it."
"You're telling me," agreed Lisa, "It's one archetype that Orb has students sometimes use for testing, but they are rarely seen in serious or competitive duels."
"Maybe so, but I'm interested in seeing how a duelist like Shinji uses it in battle," remarked Michael, arms folded.
Back on the track, both Blackbird and Killer Wasp turned the corner as Shinji's turn continued on.
"The first effect of 'Pin the Bullseye'!" he declared, holding out a card ('Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye') for a few seconds before placing it onto his Duel Runner, "If I control an Insect monster: I can Special Summon this card from my hand."
Appearing onto the field was a second copy of 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye', flying alongside the first copy (Level: 1/ATK: 200/DEF: 300).
"Next, I'll activate the second effect of my first copy!" continued Shinji, "During my Main Phase: I can inflict 200 damage to my opponent for each 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' I control," He pointed forward, "Since I control two of them, you'll take 400 damage!"
Both 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' fired off a bright yellow stinger from their mouths, striking Blackbird and causing James R. to wince and sustain damage (LP: 4000 → 3600).
"Then I'll Set two cards face-down and end my turn!" finished Shinji, making two face-down cards appear in-front of Killer Wasp before fading away for later use, "As a result, the effect of 'Kunisada the White Rainbow' wears off!"
With that, 'Assault Blackwing - Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow' (ATK: 2300 → 1000) and 'Assault Blackwing - Kunisada the White Rainbow' (ATK: 2300 → 1000) had their respective ATK stats returned to normal.
"It's my turn!" yelled James R., drawing a card.
As expected, both duelists gained another Speed Counter.
-James R.: 1 → 2
-Shinji: 1 → 2
Turn Three: James R. Hogan (LP: 3600)
Deck: 51
Current Hand (4): "Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North", "Black Feather Reversal", "Black Feather Hope", and "Blackwing - Harmattan the Dust"
Speed Counters: 2
Without wasting a second, James R. placed the drawn card onto his Duel Runner.
"I Special Summon 'Blackwing - Harmattan the Dust'!" he belted out.
Appearing onto the field was a bird-like monster with a long beak (Level: 2/ATK: 800/DEF: 800).
"If I control a 'Blackwing' monster other than 'Blackwing - Harmattan the Dust', I can Special Summon this card (from my hand)," explained James R., going over the first effect of his monster. He then held his right hand out, "Next, I'll activate 'Harmattan the Dust's' second effect!"
In the darkness (GY) a card started rising from it as a card explanation ensued.
"When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: I can target 1 other 'Blackwing' monster I control; I must increase this card's Level by that monster's," The voice of James R. went on, before, outside the darkness (GY), he briefly held up his 'Assault Blackwing - Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow' Synchro Monster Card, "By targeting my 'Assault Blackwing - Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow', 'Harmattan the Dust' will have his Level increased from 2 to 5!"
The Level of 'Blackwing - Harmattan the Dust' was increased (Level: 2 → 5).
"And there's more!" As he spoke, James R. placed another card ('Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North') onto his Duel Runner, "I'll Summon 'Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North' again!"
Reappearing on the field was 'Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North' (Level: 2/ATK: 1300/DEF: 0).
"Once more, I'll activate this guy's effect!" frowned James R., holding up a card ('Blackwing - Gust the Backblast') from his GY, "This time, I'll bring back this monster… 'Blackwing - Gust the Backblast'!"
Reappearing on the field was 'Blackwing - Gust the Backblast' (Level: 2/ATK: 900/DEF: 1400).
"Everything's ready," uttered James R., before finally holding his right hand out, "I tune Level 5 'Harmattan the Dust' into Level 2 'Blizzard the Far North'!"
Just like before, 'Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North' turned into two Synchro Rings, which the now Level 5 'Blackwing - Harmattan the Dust' flew into before turning into five orbs of light as James R. echoed yet another Summon Chant.
"Spread your ebony wings, and storm forth in tandem with the roaring thunder! A slash of lightning!" chanted James R., as the symbols 5 + 2 = 7 were shown briefly just before the five orbs of light within the two Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Cascade, 'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower'!"
Appearing out of the beam of light and onto the field, while swinging his sword briefly, was a rather mighty-looking humanoid bird-like swordsman (Level: 7/ATK: 2600/DEF: 2000). In the stands, Sherry frowned upon seeing one of James R.'s ace monsters show itself. Over with the Astray trio…
"Girls, I can't help but notice something with James," commented Mayura, "He seems to be taking this duel really seriously."
"I noticed it, too," acknowledged Juri.
"Actually, I wouldn't worry too much about it," reassured Asagi, "It's probably just a phase that will pass through quickly. Trust me."
And so nothing else was said. Back on the track, Shinji appeared to be concerned over seeing 'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower'.
"'Raikiri the Rain Shower'," he thought to himself, "Since it was Synchro Summoned using a 'Blackwing' as material, it's treated as a Tuner monster, too, but that's not what worries me; it's the second effect and the number of monsters James currently has out… However… Even that won't work against me."
Sure enough…
"I activate the second effect of 'Raikiri the Rain Shower'!" announced James R., "Once per turn: I can target cards my opponent controls, up to the number of 'Blackwing' monsters I control; I must destroy them."
'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower' flew into the air and slashed his wing four times, sending four rippling waves towards Killer Wasp. The power of that effect would likely destroy four of Shinji's cards. However, as the ripples closed in, a triumphant smile appeared on his face.
"I got you good, James!" declared Shinji.
"What?!" gasped James R..
On cue, one of Shinji's face-down cards reappeared on the field in-front of Killer Wasp, flipped face-up, and revealed itself.
"Counter Trap, 'Battlewasp - Desperation'!" began Shinji, "If a card or effect is activated that would destroy a card(s) while I control a 'Battlewasp' monster: I must negate the activation, and if I do, draw 1 card," He swung his right arm about, "The effect of 'Raikiri the Rain Shower' will be negated!"
The face-up 'Battlewasp - Desperation' Trap Card fired a yellow stinger, striking through the ripples and vaporizing them before impaling 'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower' in the stomach, causing him to yell out in pain.
"'Raikiri the Rain Shower'!" called James R., worried for his monster.
"Now, I'll draw a card!" concluded Shinji, drawing a card.
The card was a Trap Card known as 'Battlewasp - Vengeance'; it was also a good card to use against James R. in a little while.
"Ngh…" grunted James R. in frustration, but was far from being done, "Battle! 'Assault Blackwing - Kunisada the White Rainbow', attack one of the 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye'!"
'Assault Blackwing - Kunisada the White Rainbow', flying towards the much weaker monster on Shinji's field.
"Sorry, James, but I remain a step ahead of you!" retorted Shinji, as a final Set card rematerialized on the field, flipped face-up, and revealed itself, "Continuous Trap, 'Battlewasp - Nest', activate!" He then began to explain what his new card did, "When my 'Battlewasp' monster is targeted for an attack: I must Special Summon 1 'Battlewasp' monster from my hand or Deck, and if I do, place 1 counter on this card, then end the Battle Phase."
"No way!" objected James R. in shock.
"Sorry, man, but you know it's true," said Shinji, before taking a card from his Deck and placing it onto his Duel Runner, "Now, I'll Special Summon 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison' from my Deck in Defense Position!"
Appearing onto the field was an orange wasp-like monster (Level: 2/ATK: 400/DEF: 800). 'Assault Blackwing - Kunisada the White Rainbow' tried to strike at one of the two copies of 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye', but it simply flew out of the way in time. This forced 'Assault Blackwing - Kunisada the White Rainbow' to back off and return to James R.'s field as his Battle Phase came to a forced close.
"Then comes the first effect of 'Sting the Poison'!" announced Shinji, drawing a card ('Battlewasp - Dart the Hunter'). He added the card into his hand while explaining the effect, "If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: I can add 1 'Battlewasp' monster from my Deck to my hand, except 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison'."
Back in the stands…
"Oh man, James is getting his clock cleaned by a swarm of wasps!" gawked Lisa, awestruck.
"And Shinji hasn't even gone on the offensive yet," Michael pointed out, "He's mostly playing defense until he can get a strong enough monster out to fight."
"So, that's how Shinji duels?" said Matt thoughtfully.
Back on the track, 'Assault Blackwing - Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow' flew into the sky and turned itself into three Synchro Rings.
"I tune Level 3 'Kunisada the White Rainbow' into Level 3 'Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow'!" The voice of James R. proclaimed, as the above scenario played out.
'Assault Blackwing - Kunisada the White Rainbow' was shown flying into the three Synchro Rings, turning into three orbs of light as the latest Summon Chant from James R. echoed throughout.
"Brandish the great blade of myth, heroic raptor!" chanted James R., as the symbols 5 + 2 = 7 were shown briefly just before the three orbs of light within the three Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! 'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight'!"
Appearing onto the field, as the Synchro Summon sequenced ended, was a humanoid bird-like warrior with a muscular appearance while wearing bits of armor and wielding a large sword (Level: 6/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1600).
"'Nothung the Starlight's' first effect activates!" James R., while motioning his right hand upward at his new monster, commanded, "If this card is Special Summoned: I must inflict 800 damage to my opponent, then 1 face-up monster my opponent controls loses 800 ATK/DEF."
'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight' readied his sword and hurled it with all his might like it was a boomerang towards Killer Wasp.
"Eat this!" The voice of James R. yelled with determination, as the above scenario played out, "Homing Sword!"
When it looked like he would be hit and take 800 damage, Shinji immediately made a move.
"I activate 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison's' second effect!" The purple and aqua-hhaired young man announced, as 'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison' started doing something to one of the copies of 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye', "(Quick Effect): I can Tribute 1 other Insect monster, then target 1 Effect Monster my opponent controls; I must negate its effects until the end of this turn," While speaking, 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' dissolved into dust, "By Tributing one of my 'Pin the Bullseye'…" He held his right hand out, "…your 'Nothung the Starlight's' effect is negated!"
The dust left behind by 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' fell onto the boomerang-like sword thrown by 'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight', causing the attack to miss Shinji and return to the owner.
"Nuts! I missed!" whined James R., before taking a card from his hand and readying it for a few seconds before placing it into his Duel Runner, "I Set one card face-down and end my turn!"
Both Blackbird and Killer Wasp crossed the finish line again and began another lap.
"It's my turn!" announced Shinji, drawing a card, "Draw!"
Once more, both duelists gained another Speed Counter.
-James R.: 2 → 3
-Shinji: 2 → 3
Turn Four: Shinji Weber (LP: 3700)
Deck: 51
Current Hand (5): "Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire", "Revival Swarm", "Battlewasp - Vengeance"(!), "Battlewasp - Dart the Hunter", and "Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye"
Speed Counters: 3
Shinji's drawn card was a final copy of the 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' Monster Card, which made him smile big.
"Hey, James! I'd be careful if I were you," joked Shinji, which got his opponent's attention, "When wasps build their nests close to the ground, it means a hurricane is coming. With my current resources, I'm about to sting you until you swell up like a balloon."
"Say what?!" gasped James R..
To prove his point, he made a third and final copy of 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' appear on the field (Level: 1/ATK: 200/DEF: 300).
"Since I control an Insect monster, I've Special Summoned my final 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' in Defense Position," As he spoke, Shinji then held up another card ('Revival Swarm'), "Then, from my hand, I'll activate 'Revival Swarm'!"
The mentioned Spell Card materialized face-up on the field.
"I must target 1 'Battlewasp' monster in my GY; I must Special Summon it," explained Shinji, before holding his right hand out, "Resurrect, 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye'!"
The second copy of 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' returned to the field (Level: 1/ATK: 200/DEF: 300). Soon, all three copies were flying in formation, ready to attack James R. on command—even though none of them were even in Attack Position.
"It's time! I activate the second effect of 'Pin the Bullseye' again!" hollered Shinji, "During my Main Phase: I can inflict 200 damage to my opponent for each 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' I control!"
The three copies of 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' fired yellow stingers from their mouths at once, striking Blackbird and making James R. grimace as his LP took another decent hit (LP: 3600 → 3000).
"There's more!" continued Shinji, just as the first 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' dissolved into dust, "I activate the second effect of 'Sting the Poison'!" He pointed forward, "By Tributing a copy of 'Pin the Bullseye', your 'Blackwing - Gust the Backblast' will have its effects negated until this turn ends!"
The yellow dust washed all over 'Blackwing - Gust the Backblast', much to James R.'s dismay.
"You know something, James?" The voice of Shinji remarked, getting the attention of the brown-haired young man, "'Gust the Backblast' has an effect where it can decrease the ATK of a monster it's battling by 300 during the Damage Step. It's pretty helpful. Too bad you can't use it for the time being."
James R. gritted his teeth in annoyance. Darn that Shinji; he always teases and messes with him! Far from being finished doing just that, Shinji took and placed a new card onto his Duel Runner.
"Come forth, 'Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire'!" he ordered.
Appearing onto the field was a wasp monster with a purple body and yellow stripes (Level: 4/ATK: 1800/DEF: 800).
"My monster's first effect activates!" announced Shinji, just as the remaining copy of 'Battlewasp - Pin the Bullseye' reappeared on the field (Level: 1/ATK: 200/DEF: 300), "When this card is Normal Summoned: I can target 1 Level 3 or lower Insect monster in my GY; I must Special Summon that monster in Defense Position."
The audience waited in suspense, since they figured out that Shinji was about to go on the offense at last. Sherry, folding her arms, simply waited for the end results. Back on the track, Shinji was ready to pull out the big guns.
"I tune Level 4 'Arbalest the Rapidfire' into Level 2 'Sting the Poison'!" he ordered fiercely.
'Battlewasp - Sting the Poison' turned itself into two Synchro Rings, which 'Battlewasp - Arbalest the Rapidfire' flew into and turned itself into four orbs of light as a Summon Chant from Shinji was heard throughout.
"Flap your wings to stir up a shockwave, and let your sting open up the road of truth!" chanted Shinji, as the symbols 4 + 2 = 6 were shown briefly just before the four orbs of light within the duo of Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Come, 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge'!"
Appearing from the beam of light and within the sky, was a large wasp-like monster with mechanical qualities and a large axe-like weapon (Level: 6/ATK: 2500/DEF: 800).
"An ATK of 2500!" cried Juri.
"That's not all, I'm also activating the second effect of the 'Revival Swarm' in my GY!" boomed Shinji, as the mentioned Spell Card reappeared face-down on the field beside Killer Wasp (on its right), flipped face-up, and revealed itself, "I can banish this card from my GY, then target 1 Insect monster I control; it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, until the end of the next turn."
The face-up 'Revival Swarm' Spell Card dissolved into yellow dust, which washed all over 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge', enhancing its fighting power for the time being and making it unable to be taken down through normal means.
"Heh! Although your 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' is indestructible, it's still not a match for my 2600 ATK 'Raikiri the Rain Shower'!" reminded James R..
"Battle!" interrupted Shinji, entering his Battle Phase—which surprised James R., "'Halberd the Charge', attack 'Raikiri the Rain Shower'!"
The audience gasped, wondering why Shinji would order an attack so recklessly. The only one not surprised was Sherry, who was smiling to herself. She was absolutely confident 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' would be able to defeat 'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower'. Sure enough, back on the track, Shinji made another move.
"As of now, I'm going to activate 'Halberd the Charge's' first effect!" proclaimed Shinji, "Once per battle, during damage calculation, if this card attacks an opponent's monster with equal or higher ATK (Quick Effect): I can halve the ATK of that opponent's monster…" As he finished his explanation, 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' flew towards 'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower' while firing off a stinger, "…during that damage calculation only."
The stinger struck 'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower' again, weakening his ATK by half (ATK: 2600 → 1300). With the enemy monster weakened enough, 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' raised its axe and swiped it at 'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower', hitting him and, after a few seconds, exploded from destruction. The backlash of the attack caused James R. to cry out as he sustained major damage from the battle (LP: 3000 → 1800).
"Next, I'll activate 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge's' second effect!" warned Shinji, as 'Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge' flew around before slashing its axe and firing off what appeared to be a stinger-like beam, "When this card inflicts battle damage to my opponent: I can inflict 200 damage to my opponent for each 'Battlewasp' monster I control."
"200 damage per 'Battlewasp' monster?!" panicked James R., staring at the reality behind him, "You control four of those monsters, and that means…" He started glowing red as he took more damage (LP: 1800 → 1000), "…I take 800 more damage!"
In the stands, the audience was amazed at how well Shinji was dueling against James R..
"Man, that Shinji is not only super handsome, but also an extremely skilled duelist," admired Asagi, "He's a match for James and so much more."
"Yeah," agreed Mayura softly.
Back on the track, Blackbird started falling behind, allowing for Killer Wasp to pass by. Despite taking massive amounts of various damage, James R. started to smile weakly.
"I'm gonna…bring you down a notch…" he grumbled, before pointing upward and pressing a button on the dashboard of Blackbird, "I activate a Trap, 'Black Thunder'!" While still talking, another Set card on the field flipped face-up and revealed itself, "When a 'Blackwing' monster I control is destroyed by battle and sent to the GY: I must inflict 400 damage to my opponent for each card my opponent controls."
"This is bad; since I have five cards, that means I'm gonna be hit for 2000 damage!" realized Shinji.
As expected, a black/purple bolt of lightning fired from the face-up 'Black Thunder' Trap Card, striking Killer Wasp and causing Shinji to yell out in pain as his LP dropped just as significantly as James R.'s LP did just minutes ago (LP: 3700 → 1700).
"Furthermore, I'll also activate the effect of the 'Battlewasp - Dart the Hunter' in my hand!" As he said that, Shinji held out a card ('Battlewasp - Dart the Hunter') before discarding it, "When my 'Battlewasp' monster destroys a monster by battle that is owned by my opponent: I can discard this card; I must inflict damage to my opponent equal to that destroyed monster's original ATK."
"No way!" cried Mayura, "'Raikiri the Rain Shower' had an ATK of 2600! That's more than enough to defeat James!"
Appearing onto the field was a bee-like monster with a black body and green stripes. Without wasting a second, 'Battlewasp - Dart the Hunter' flew straight towards James R. and collided with Blackbird, causing an explosion to cloud that part of the track as everyone in the stands watched anxiously, wondering if James R. actually lost the battle this soon.
"Sorry, James, but it looks like I'm the winner of our duel!" said Shinji in a state of triumph.
"Says who?" retorted the voice of James R..
"Huh?"
A few seconds later, a pair of glowing red-eyes appeared in the smoke, and, after a few more seconds, Blackbird, 'Blackwing - Gust the Backblast', 'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight', and another 'Assault Blackwing' monster emerged from the thick smoke cloud.
"James is okay!" rejoiced Juri.
"And isn't that his-?" realized Asagi.
"Quick-Play Spell, 'Black Feather Reversal'!" James R. declared, as the mentioned card materialized face-up on the field in-front of Blackbird, "If a monster battles, during damage calculation, or when a card or effect is activated that would inflict damage to a player(s): I must make the damage from that battle or effect 0, then Special Summon 1 'Blackwing' Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck with the same ATK as the original damage," He gestured the thumb of his right hand at himself while grinning broadly, "That 'Blackwing' Synchro Monster is 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling'!"
Sherry frowned, "Since 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' has an ATK of 2600, he can be Special Summoned from the Extra Deck," she told herself, before adding in begrudgingly, "Good move, James… Good move…"
On the track, James R. was still smirking grandly. Now that he had 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' out and with even higher ATK than normal, things were going to be getting much better for him starting now.
"The second effect of 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling'!" he explained, "It gains 300 ATK for each 'Blackwing' monster in my GY," While speaking seven different cards ('Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall', 'Blackwing - Jetstream the Blue Sky', 'Blackwing - Harmattan the Dust', 'Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North', 'Assault Blackwing - Kunisada the White Rainbow', 'Assault Blackwing - Kuniyoshi the White Rainbow', and 'Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower') emerged from the darkness (GY) as the explanation went on, "I have seven 'Blackwing' monsters in my GY; this will raise my monster's ATK by a whopping 2100!"
'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' raised his sword and, with a loud cry, allowed white lightning to strike the weapon. He then got supercharged with power as his ATK went up considerably (ATK: 2600 → 4700).
"Normally, an attack from 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' would defeat Shinji," comments Michael, "However, Shinji still has his Trap Card, 'Battlewasp - Nest', out. He can use it to negate an attack, Special Summon a 'Battlewasp' monster, and end the Battle Phase."
"But it won't last forever," cut in Matt, which caused his best friend/rival to look at him curiously, "If 'Battlewasp - Nest' gains a second counter, it will be sent to the GY during the End Phase. That would result in Shinji losing his best defense against an attack by James."
"James… Shinji…" muttered Carlie.
Back on the track, Shinji took the last card from his hand and slotted it into a Spell & Trap Zone on his Duel Runner.
"I Set one card face-down and end my turn!" he finished.
A face-down card materialized on the field before fading away for later use.
"Listen to me, Shinji! My comrades and I are not going to lose to you!" vowed James R., "As long as I believe in them and they believe in me, we can overcome any strategy you try to use against us!" He then drew a card, "It's my turn!"
From there, both duelists gained yet another Speed Counter.
-James R.: 3 → 4
-Shinji: 3 → 4
Turn Five: James R. Hogan (LP: 1000)
Deck: 50
Current Hand (2): "Black Feather Hope" and "Pot of Greed"
Speed Counters: 4
James R. looked at his drawn card for a second, but, realizing how many Speed Counters he now had, decided to delay activating his card in favor of something else.
"Time to see what else 'High Speed World' can do," thought James R., before speaking aloud, "I'm gonna remove all four of my Speed Counters!"
Beside the track, both Zack and Discord grinned, eager for James R. to show off what else the 'High Speed World' Spell Card did.
"Once per turn: I can remove 4 Speed Counters of my own, then reveal any number of Spell Cards in my hand; I must inflict 800 damage to my opponent for each card revealed," The voice of James R. explained, as the Speed Counter gauge on the monitor of Blackbird depleted itself fully (SPC: 4 → 0). He then held out his drawn 'Pot of Greed' Spell Card, "By revealing a single Spell Card, you, Shinji, will take 800 damage!"
Shinji, glowing red for a few seconds, grimaced as he took some more damage (LP: 1700 → 900). Both players were nearly even in scores.
-James R.: 1000 LP
-Shinji: 900 LP
"We're nearly even, but only one of us is going to fall in this duel," said James R. firmly, before holding his drawn card ('Pot of Greed') out, "Spell Card, 'Pot of Greed', activate!" He then drew two more cards, "I must draw 2 cards!"
Both cards were 'Assault Blackwing - Kunai the Drizzle' (Effect Monster Card) and 'Chaos Life' (Trap Card), and they were exactly what James R. had been waiting for.
"I offer 'Gust the Backblast' as a Tribute!" declared James R., just as 'Blackwing - Gust the Backblast' faded away in a blue streak. He then held his next card ('Assault Blackwing - Kunai the Drizzle') up, "Appear now, 'Assault Blackwing - Kunai the Drizzle'!"
Appearing onto the field in the place of 'Blackwing - Gust the Backblast', was a 'Blackwing' monster with two sharp claws for wingtips (Level: 5/ATK: 2100/DEF: 1600). Also, with another 'Blackwing' monster going into James R.'s GY, 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' gained more power (ATK: 4700 → 5000).
"I can Special Summon this card (from my hand) by Tributing 1 'Blackwing', monster," explained James R., going over his monster's first effect, "If Summoned this way, this card is treated as a Tuner," He then cast a quick glance to his supercharged 'Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling', "Most importantly, since another 'Blackwing' monster got into my GY, 'Chidori the Rain Sprinkling' has gained 300 more ATK!"
"Although your monster now has 5000 ATK, don't forget that I still have my Trap Card, 'Battlewasp - Nest', activated," reminded Shinji, "You're not gonna be defeating me this soon!"
"Not right now, but don't forget that I'm not actually finished preparing for your defeat," retorted James R., "And it all starts with the second effect of my 'Kunai the Drizzle'! Once per turn: I can target 1 Synchro Monster I control, and declare a Level from 1 to 8; it becomes that Level until the end of this turn."
'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight' started to glow, appearing as though he had been targeted for the effect.
"By choosing 'Nothung the Starlight'," The voice of James R. went on, just as the Level of his monster was modified (Level 6 → 2), "I declare Level 2, which makes him into a Level 2 monster!" He then added in one more thing for the heck of it, "I tune Level 2 'Nothung the Starlight' into Level 5 'Kunai the Drizzle'!"
Flying into the sky, 'Assault Blackwing - Kunai the Drizzle' turned himself into five Synchro Rings. Before long, 'Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight' flew into the five Synchro Rings before turning into two orbs of light as another good old Summon Chant from James R. echoed throughout.
"Flap your wings of valor, and let loose the gale force winds of justice!" chanted James R., as the symbols 2 + 5 = 7 were shown briefly just before the two orbs of light within the five Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Fly down, 'Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe'!"
As the last words were heard, the beam of light burst apart, revealing the body of a humanoid birdman wearing golden torso armor and armguards, red feathers for hair, tribal feathers, a birdman's claw for a right hand, a human's hand for a left hand, and several large black feathers sticking out of his back (Level: 7/ATK: 2600/DEF: 2000). The audience watched silently, wondering how much more James R. and Shinji were going to push the other before a winner could be decided upon. Speaking of which, in a freeze frame on the track, both Duel Runners were completing another lap—but while James R. commanded a number of extremely powerful 'Blackwing' and 'Assault Blackwing' monsters, Shinji commanded several 'Battlewasp' monsters with very low ATK and DEF.
"Get ready, Shinji! My Synchro Monsters are going to end the duel here!" promised James R..
"You're wrong, old friend! This duel is far from being over!" rebutted Shinji.
Who would be the winner of this intense, exciting exhibition duel? Stay tuned to find that out.
As of now, we have a new secondary character joining the cast, and it's Shinji Weber of "Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V"—in this series, he has history with James R. and Sherry, and will make recurring appearances throughout the second arc. Oh yes, and we have a new gameplay gimmick for Turbo Duels starting from this chapter; "High Speed World" is basically based on the "Speed World"/"Speed World 2" gimmick from "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's", what with Speed Counters and all. Thing is, while Speed Counters are used for "High Speed World", Speed Spells are absent, and instead have been turned into Normal Spells with either similar, modified, or completely new effects.
To finish off this little A/N (Author's Notes), be ready for the exciting conclusion of the Turbo Duel (with the new gimmick) between Shinji and James R.! And, as before, stay safe in these troubling times.