Starting Notes:
Welcome back! This is a bit of a shorter chapter—I ended up splitting it into three, because the original length was terrible and I wanted to take a break for a while. So enjoy anyway!
Chapter 77: Blow You Away
"Here, lady." Shinji, who had been helping a lady to her seat, held out her bag to her. The dark-haired woman smiled at him, nodding in thanks. "Are you alright?"
"Ah, yes. The cane was to help me—I'm heading back to the hospital after this."
"Hospital?" Frank peeked around Shinji's leg. "Are you sick, madam?"
"Oh, just a small injury," the woman waved things off.
Shinji looked at her, concerned. "Shall we sit together today?" He offered. "I think we have a good view of the match from here."
"Of course! I always enjoy company."
They introduced themselves to each other—the woman's name was Martha, and she apparently ran an orphanage in the Commons.
"So what made you decide to come here to watch? You could easily have watched from the hospital."
"Ah." The woman smiled to herself. "My children are dueling in the Friendship Cup today, so I came to watch them in person."
Her…
"Yugo and Rin?" Shinji guessed. After all, those two were from an orphanage, right?
"Ah, you know them?" Martha smiled brightly. "Yes, and Jack too."
… what?
"You're Jack Atlas's foster mother?" Shinji exclaimed.
Martha smiled.
How did such a nice person raise that guy? Geez.
A figure brushed past Shinji, sitting down next to Martha. Shinji gave a start—it was that terrifying, pale figure again—the Ghost. And yet she seemed every bit the quiet, dutiful child, immediately turning to Martha and clearly asking about her comfort.
Wait. So this woman had raised Jack Atlas, Yugo, Rin and the Ghost?
… she might be the most terrifying woman in this city.
"You're vibrating in your seat, Yugo," Yuya said, holding back a laugh. Yugo had an enormous grin on his face, and right now, he looked like he was about to jump out of his seat and challenge the world. Next to him, Rin was trying and failing to hide her amusement—her attempt at a severe expression was foiled by the fact that she couldn't stop smiling.
"I can't help it! It's you, Rin or Jack!" Yugo bobbed his head. "How can I not be excited about it? I just want to duel, and duel, and duel—"
"And duel, and duel, and duel," Rin parroted, rolling her eyes. "You can duel me any day, Yugo. Is there a need for this?"
"Hah, but you're happy too, aren't you?" Yugo grinned at her. "If I get to face off against you—"
The door opened. Jack walked in.
"—then I'll be the happiest man alive!"
"I have good news then," Jack said, trying and failing to hide a smile, though he did still appear mostly stoic.
It took Yugo a moment to understand, but when he did, he leapt up, grinning. "Really, really?"
"Yes. You're the first match."
Yuya spotted Rin's hand slowly close into a fist, as the green-haired girl smiled to herself.
"Yes! Let's go, Rin!" Yugo grabbed Rin's other hand, pulling her out of the room.
And then, it was just Yuya and Jack.
… wait.
If Yugo was facing Rin…
"I hope that in today's duel, Yuya Sakaki," Jack said, "I get to see your conviction." He turned around and walked out of the door."
Yuya was finally able to breathe.
Back then…
Back then, he'd lost.
"Borrowed ideals, borrowed words, everything about you is a copy of someone else's conviction!"
But he refused to believe that.
He would be entirely himself. He would see if he could turn these borrowed ideals into something more. Those words that he'd spoken to Arisu Kirijo. Those painfully human words. Weren't they his own?
Enough. He'd just watch Yugo and Rin's duel for now.
"Their dream is to duel each other on a stage like this, huh?" Chiaki watched the two faces on the screen—Yugo and Rin hadn't come out yet, but the match-ups had already been announced. "Can't relate." She and Yuji were currently sitting on a rooftop—not in the noisy stadium, but in a place where no one would disturb them. From up here, they could still see things clearly—and with the speakers, the announcer's voice would carry.
"... do you remember where we started?"
Chiaki turned to look at Yuji. "In dueling? Yeah. Ruin and Demise, right?"
Yuji nodded.
They had come across a duelist flinging away some of their old cards. Ruin and Demise had been among those cards, when they'd been searching. An angelic goddess and a hideous demon—both rulers over destruction. Later, Chiaki would learn that the original Ruin and Demise had become outdated, due to being weaker than most other Ritual Monsters. Perhaps that was why someone would throw away those cards—to use a 'better' deck, perhaps?
But that was what had convinced Chiaki to use Fairy monsters in the first place. That was what had convinced Yuji to stick firmly to Fiends.
Ruin and Demise—those monsters had stayed firmly in their decks for so long. And now, they were no longer there—Chiaki's old deck was with Asuka, while Demise simply couldn't fit into Yuji's deck anymore, not if he wanted to fight more optimally.
"I cannot imagine my dream ever being to compete with you," Chiaki admitted. "Hey, tell me, Yuji. Have I done right by you?"
"... huh?"
"I see all of them." Chiaki waved out a hand. "Rin pushes Yugo to be more responsible and holds him accountable for everything. Yuzu encourages Yuya to stand up when he falters. Ruri and Kamisoka are lovebirds through and through, and they encourage each other's kindness. And clearly, Kogami-san is part of the reason why Sugisaki, that cheerful guy, is so sweet. The creepy guy who kidnapped me is an exception, obviously, as is Serena. It's not like she'd be enough of an idiot to still harbour hopes that he'll defect now, after being given so many opportunities."
She turned to look at him.
"Do you wish that I did more for you?"
"... that would be too entitled of me," Yuji said.
"That's not a 'no'."
Yuji cast a look at her. "... I always wish for more from you." He contemplated his words for a moment. "But anyone who says that you didn't help me… is wrong."
"What more do you want from me then?" Chiaki said.
"I… don't know." Yuji looked at her. "You already chose to give me everything. I just always want more. Does that make me greedy?"
"It does," Chiaki said. She sighed. "I guess that makes me greedy too. You know, they all asked me the same question, and I gave them my answer. But I don't know yours." She cast a look at him. Those silver eyes were still staring at her. "Why do people always assume that there has to be something romantic between us?"
"You're not a romantic person," Yuji said.
"Neither are you." Whether it was 'romantic', as in love, or 'romantic', as in idealistic, neither of those terms applied to them.
"Let's clear that up." Chiaki had never been one to look away from reality, after all. "What I told them is that it's never been like that between us. You are the most important person in my life, Yuji. But I don't love you in that way. Nor do I ever have the intention of loving you."
There was a silent question in those words. What about him? Did he have those feelings?
"That depends on what your definition is," Yuji answered. "What… does it mean to love someone?"
… a fair question. After all, Yuji barely understood what it felt like to be a comrade. To ask him to make any further distinction on his own…
"Loving someone in that way…" Chiaki shook her head. "I've never felt it myself. I can't tell you. You'd be better off asking someone else. But I guess it would be… always wishing that person is safe. Acting to ensure that they're safe." She glanced at the sky. "Taking their intentions into account with every move you make. You would be happy to see them. You would be sad when they're not around. And even the smallest things make you think of them. And when you look at them, it becomes so overwhelming—you feel all kinds of things at once. You want that person to stay by your side, to choose you over everyone else in the world. I guess that's what love is like."
Yuji looked at her. For once, she couldn't quite tell what his expression was. "I don't," he finally said. "Love you, I mean. I don't love you. I'm not… capable of that."
Chiaki breathed out—somewhat relieved, and yet… no, she was probably mistaking her own feelings. There was no way that she was disappointed by that.
She knew very well that Yuji had no idea what it meant to love someone. And with his inability to comprehend relationships, and his stunted emotions, he would never develop those kinds of feelings, anyway.
She knew it very well. That was why she had been so confident when she told Rin and Ruri that it wasn't like that between them.
Someday, Yuji would get his library, rest there, and properly retreat from people. He had no want, or need for connections. Perhaps even someday, he would decide to retreat from her too.
That was all.
There was no love there.
As Chiaki looked away, Yuji breathed out slowly, glancing back at the track.
There was one important thing that he had omitted from his response.
"What I told them is that it's never been like that between us. You are the most important person in my life, Yuji. But I don't love you in that way. Nor do I ever have the intention of loving you."
"I don't. Love you, I mean. I don't love you. I'm not… capable of that."
What he had intentionally avoided addressing was that last statement.
"Nor do I ever have the intention of loving you."
Yes. He felt… he felt. But not quite enough.
He did not care about forming connections to others. But that did not mean that he did not sometimes wonder what they were like. He'd read so many novels. That fire that he read about in the books—where was it in his own heart?
Sometimes, he felt like less of a person for it. And yet, he could only stand the people who would look at him and not judge him for it.
And yet… intentions. What were intentions?
Yuji looked at the track.
He did not know if he quite cared enough. It was always that word, 'enough'.
How could he put his feelings in words?
If Chiaki Katsuya was in the deepest parts of hell, he would dive in without hesitation to find her, so that he could keep her by his side. He wanted—he wanted—
He wanted more from her. Even though he knew that she would lay down her life for him without hesitation, and he would do the same for her… even though he knew that they would both destroy worlds for each other… so much of her was invested in him, and so much of him in her. Their existence had been intertwined since they were children. And yet, he still wanted more. Not just the past, not just their present.
Perhaps he wanted to carve out the future too, and keep it with him.
So when Chiaki asked him if he loved her in that way…
How was he supposed to answer?
I wish that I could. I wish that you loved me. I wish that I knew how to love you.
But wishes are wishes. They do not change reality.
The reality was that they did not love each other in that way. That was all there was to it. And Chiaki was right about that.
To try and force emotions on themselves for the sake of staying together… it defeated the purpose.
It would be foolish to ask for more when he could not currently give more.
So, this was it.
Why would they need to love each other, anyway?
Wasn't it enough to be the most important person to someone?
"Hey, Yugo."
Yugo turned to smile at Rin. "Yeah?"
"Let's do our best." Rin smiled. "I want to see everything that you've learned since we've been apart." She raised a hand, waving to him, and then—she was off.
Yugo rode after her.
He'd always follow her, after all.
The crowds cheered.
Yugo felt the wind blow past his face.
Wasn't this the air that they'd fought so hard to breathe, the air so high up in the City, more light and free?
And yet, didn't it still feel the same as the air down below?
"Let's go, Rin," he said, cracking a smile.
Above, the announcer called out.
Three.
Two.
One—
They rode forward along the track.
They raced each other—Yugo, for a moment, couldn't see anyone except Rin, he couldn't hear anything except for the engines of the D-Wheels. They moved forward, dashing around each other.
And—
They both crossed the corner.
Above, Melissa Claire exclaimed. "That was so close!" She called out. "Did anyone see who crossed first? They were practically in sync!"
Both Yugo and Rin drew their starting hands.
After all—
It may have been by a sliver, but they both knew who had crossed the corner first.
Yugo lifted his head and grinned at Rin confidently. "I'm going first, then!"
[DUEL!]
Yugo Kirijo: 4000LP
Rin Izayoi: 4000LP
[Turn 1: Yugo] [H:5]
"I'll Normal Summon Speedroid Ultra Hound!" The red dog-like monster with a body made of criss-crossing lines appeared on his field. It let out a sharp bark, a rattling sound.
[Speedroid Ultra Hound (3*/800/800/WIND/Machine/Effect)]
"When Ultra Hound is Normal Summoned, I can send a "Speedroid" card from my deck to the graveyard!" Yugo declared. "Then, since I control a WIND monster, I can Special Summon Speedroid Taketomborg from my hand! Along with Speedroid CarTurbo!" The two monsters appeared on the field as well—the spinning blue and yellow monster, along with the strange, battery-like monster.
[Speedroid Taketomborg (3*/600/1200/WIND/Machine/Effect)]
[Speedroid CarTurbo (3*/800/1200/WIND/Machine/Tuner/Effect)]
"I'll activate Speedroid Taketomborg's effect! By tributing it, I will Special Summon a "Speedroid" Tuner monster from my deck!" Taketomborg dissolved into blue and gold dust. "Come—Speedroid Fuki-Modoshi Piper!" The white clay doll appeared, floating between Ultra Hound and CarTurbo.
[Speedroid Fuki-Modoshi Piper (4*/1000/1000/WIND/Machine/Tuner/Effect)]
"Fuki-Modoshi Piper's effect," Yugo continued. "I control two other WIND monsters. So I can excavate the top two cards of my deck and add one of them to my hand!" He picked up the two cards, glancing through them, before picking the one on the left.
"But that's all very conventional," Rin said. She was watching him expectantly. "You're not going to tell me that you're just Synchro Summoning Clear Wing and passing now, are you?"
"Nah!" Yugo grinned. "I'm not holding back on you—no way! Open, circuit of optimistic futures and dreams! Arrowhead confirmed! The conditions are two WIND monsters! I will set Speedroid CarTurbo and Speedroid Ultra Hound in the Link Markers! Missile that flies through the air and opens the path to my dreams! Crash forth! Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Link 2! Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter!" The blue and silver metallic rocket appeared, floating in Yugo's Extra Monster Zone—orange flames bursting out behind it. It shot through the air, doing a few loops, before landing in front of him again.
[Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter (L2/1000/WIND/Machine/Link/Effect/↙, ↘)]
"Rubber Band Shooter's effect! I'll banish the Level 6 Hi-Speedroid Kendama from my Extra Deck to reveal two "Speedroid" monsters from my deck with a total Level equal to Kendama's Level. I'll reveal the Level 3 Speedroid Terrortop and the Level 3 Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice! One is randomly sent to the graveyard, and the other is added to my hand! You pick!"
In front of him, two cards appeared, constantly swapping positions.
"The one on the right," Rin said.
Yugo grinned, revealing Terrortop in his hand and dropping Tri-Eyed Dice into the graveyard.
"Once per turn, Rubber Band Shooter lets me perform another Normal Summon of a WIND monster! Come—Speedroid Terrortop!" His usual searcher appeared on the field.
[Speedroid Terrortop (3*/1200/600/WIND/Machine/Effect)]
"When Speedroid Terrortop is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add a "Speedroid" monster from my deck to my hand." He picked up the card. "And I'll tune the Level 4 Speedroid Fuki-Modoshi Piper to the Level 3 Speedroid Terrortop! Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings, and strike down your enemies at the speed of light! Synchro Summon! Appear now! Level 7! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" Clear Wing appeared, its bright wings shimmering under the sun.
[Clear Wing Synchro Dragon (7*/2500/2000/WIND/Dragon/Synchro/Effect)]
Yugo turned to grin at Clear Wing. He was dueling Rin in the Friendship Cup, and Clear Wing was here too! Everything was so perfect!
"I'll set a card!" He declared. "I'll end my turn! All yours, Rin!"
"... you have a lot of preparations for attacks, but let's see if you prepared for me at all," Rin said. Yugo chuckled. Of course Rin would remember Tri-Eyed Dice's effect.
"You don't have to worry about that!" Yugo called out. "Hit me as hard as you can, and we'll see whether I can survive your cold winds!"
"Don't need to tell me twice. I'll freeze you alive, Yugo!"
[Turn 2: Rin] [H:6]
Rin picked up a card, barely giving it a glance. "I'll Special Summon Wind Witch - Ice Bell from my hand, since I control no monsters! Then, with her effect, I can also Special Summon Wind Witch - Glass Bell from my deck!" The two monsters appeared on the field—Rin's favourite opening move.
[Wind Witch - Ice Bell (3*/1000/1000/WIND/Spellcaster/Effect)]
[Wind Witch - Glass Bell (4*/1500/1500/WIND/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect)]
"Ice Bell and Glass Bell's effects trigger!" Rin declared. "Ice Bell inflicts 500 damage to you! Glass Bell lets me add a "Wind Witch" monster from my deck to my hand." The glittering ice shot forward, carried by the wind—blowing past Yugo.
Yugo: 4000 - 500 = 3500LP
"I'll tune the Level 4 Wind Witch - Glass Bell to the Level 3 Wind Witch - Ice Bell! Midwinter wind. Make ice and snow my power and blow through! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 7! Wind Witch - Winter Bell!" Rin's beautiful ace appeared—an answer to his Clear Wing.
[Wind Witch - Winter Bell (7*/2400/2000/WIND/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect)]
"Are you going to activate her effect?"
"I'm not afraid of you gaining attack points," Rin said. "My deck has only ever been about one thing—burning, burning, and if that's not enough, burning again! I'll activate the effect of Wind Witch - Winter Bell! I will target the Level 4 Wind Witch - Glass Bell in my graveyard and inflict 200 damage to you times its Level! Hypothermic Subzero!"
… oh, Yugo had missed those declarations so much.
Even so, the duel was the duel.
"Clear Wing Synchro Dragon's effect!" Yugo declared. "Since a Level 5 or higher monster activated its effect, I can target that monster, negate its effects and destroy it! Dichroic Mirror!" Clear Wing shimmered, and then it roared. Winter Bell let out a sharp, chiming response—before she was destroyed by the sharp winds.
[Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: 2500 + 2400 = 4900ATK]
That felt too simple though…
"I'll Normal Summon Wind Witch - Hail Bell from my hand!" As expected, Rin had something else in mind. The quiet, more composed grey-haired witch appeared, adjusting her green hat.
[Wind Witch - Hail Bell (4*/1300/1000/WIND/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect)]
"And now, you're going to take even more damage! Wind Witch - Hail Bell's effect! I'll target a monster on the field and inflict 100 damage to you times that monster's Level! I'll target Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" Hail Bell flew up on her bell-like broom in front of Rin, swinging it through the air and sending a barrage of ice towards Yugo, who swerved around the track. (Well, he'd still take the damage, but he'd avoid taking the ice straight to the back of his head.)
Yugo: 3500 - 100 x 7 = 2800LP
"Then, since I targeted an opponent's monster, I can inflict an additional 400 damage to them!" Hail Bell sent a second wave of ice towards him.
Yugo: 2800 - 400 = 2400LP
"I'll then Special Summon Wind Witch - Freeze Bell from my hand, since all monsters I control are "Wind Witch" monsters!" Another of Rin's witches appeared on the field, her light purple hair drifting through the air.
[Wind Witch - Freeze Bell (3*/1200/1200/WIND/Spellcaster/Effect)]
"Sheen Bell or Clear Bell?" Yugo guessed.
"No," Rin said. "This one's special. I'll tune the Level 4 Wind Witch - Hail Bell to the Level 3 Wind Witch - Freeze Bell!" The two monsters shot up again. "Let the winds gather above us in the lovely air of autumn! She who scatters the leaves, make yourself known now! Synchro Summon! Level 7! Maple Maiden!"
A brown-haired girl wearing a pink blouse and long blue skirt appeared. She was holding onto an enormous pair of scissors, wielding it like a weapon. A gust of wind erupted around her, blowing maple leaves around her in a bright, colourful vortex.
[Maple Maiden (7*/2100/2600/WIND/Fairy/Synchro/Effect)]
"Special? I've never seen that monster before…"
"I…" Rin sighed. "Do you remember how we got our decks?"
Huh?
Well, it was a little strange, but…
"Martha gave them to us, didn't she?"
"Yes, but why us? There were so many other kids at the orphanage. Why did we get these decks for ourselves, along with the chance to build on them?" Rin shook her head. "Before we got these decks, we went to pick for cards in the trash together. You always liked Machines, I wanted female monsters. Warriors and witches. So, this card… it was the only Synchro Monster I ever picked up in the years that we spent there. But I was never able to actually summon it. Even so, I couldn't let go of it. So it's been in my Extra Deck this entire time."
"I see," Yugo said. He grinned. "Sure! But what does it do?"
"It locks both of us off from the future," Rin declared. "When Maple Maiden is Special Summoned, I can declare one Attribute, and all monsters on the field become that Attribute while I control her! It doesn't matter what Attribute I choose—as long as it's not the one that we both prefer!"
Yugo's eyes widened. "But you're hurting your own field too, Rin!"
"To share the wind in harmony right now, and build up our fields to match the speed of this duel…" Rin turned to him, determination in her eyes. "That doesn't suit us, Yugo! That doesn't suit the Friendship Cup! That doesn't suit this city! Even if it becomes fair, we were still a city built on competition—and as Commons, we started from the bottom-up! So let's turn this field to something that's far less suited to both of us—so that we can adapt and overcome! I'll declare WATER!"
Maple Maiden wove her scissors through the air, and a blue aura surrounded the field. Clear Wing, Rubber Band Shooter and Maple Maiden herself were all affected by it. Holographic water formed on the track, making it far more slippery—but both of them handled the change with ease.
"Maple Maiden's other effect! By targeting a monster in a Main Monster Zone, I can force you to send a card from its adjacent Monster Zones or Spell and Trap Zones to the graveyard! I'll target Clear Wing Synchro Dragon! And the only applicable target is your set card!"
With a gust that carried autumn leaves on it, Yugo's set card vanished from the field.
"Like I thought, it was Burning Sonic," Rin commented. "I'll activate the Field Spell, Harmonious Church of the Wind Witch!" The sound of a crystal clear bell rang out—around them, a holy light surrounded the field. Rin's Field Spell featured a church of white marble that had an open roof and with walls that were essentially just rows of pillars—allowing wind to flow straight through. "When this card is activated, I can target a "Wind Witch" monster in my graveyard and Special Summon it! Return to the field—Wind Witch - Winter Bell!"
Of course Rin wouldn't let Winter Bell go either! In the end, her ace reappeared on her field.
At the very least, Rin had already tried to use Winter Bell's effect once this turn, so Hypothermic Subzero wouldn't work!
Still, that Field Spell… was it one of the cards that Reiji had made for her? Nice!
"Then, once per turn, I can pay 500 life points, and all non-WIND monsters that my opponent controls lose 1000 attack points until the End Phase!"
… hold up.
So Reiji Akaba made Rin a card that solved her issues with being unable to remove monsters with high attack points from the field?
Geez.
The winds swept across his field—his two monsters were no longer immune to them, and so, under the chill—
They trembled.
Rin: 4000 - 500 = 3500LP
[Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: 2500 - 1000 = 1500ATK]
[Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter: 1000 - 1000 = 0ATK]
"Battle Phase! Wind Witch - Winter Bell attacks your Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter!"
"... you're so mean, Rin!" Yugo declared. "I'll banish Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice from the graveyard to negate the attack!"
Yes, right now, Rin was just being plain mean.
They had both known that Yugo still had Tri-Eyed Dice in the graveyard. As such, he could negate one attack. As such, since Rubber Band Shooter now had 0 attack points and Winter Bell had 2400 attack points, Yugo had been forced to negate the attack, or he would have lost the duel. However, in doing so…
"Maple Maiden attacks Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"
Autumn leaves shot forward, burying his dragon.
Yugo: 2400 - 600 = 1800LP
Usually, when a WIND Synchro Monster Synchro Summoned with Hail Bell destroyed a monster by battle, it would inflict 500 damage to the other player. However, with Maple Maiden's own effect, the effect no longer applied.
That was fine though, because without that effect, Rin wouldn't have been able to weaken his monsters anyway.
"I'll set a card and end my turn," Rin said. "Over to you, Yugo."
… Rin was still just so overwhelming.
He'd have to be careful not to freeze then.
[Turn 3: Yugo] [H:4]
Yugo swerved around a corner, hearing a cheer from the crowd as he drew his next card.
"That's what makes dueling you so good, Rin!" He declared. "You never drag things out!"
A duel with Rin was always on a timer. Yes, Rin was terrible at defending herself, but she was extremely good at burning her opponent with damage—Yugo had already lost half his life points in the first turn, and in their current state, Rin would be able to burn them all away in another turn. So it was always a race to defeat her before she could burn away the rest of his life points.
Of course, the fact that Winter Bell's effect would likely trigger during the Battle Phase was troublesome, but Yugo had never been the type to run from challenges.
"I'll activate the effect of Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter!" Yugo declared. "I'll banish the Level 5 Hi-Speedroid Hagoita from my deck! Then, I can reveal the Level 4 Speedroid Double Yoyo and the Level 1 Speedroid Maliciousmagnet from my deck, and you randomly pick one for me to add to my hand!"
Most of his extenders required WIND monsters. These two were the first two ways that he could think of to break this lock.
The two cards spun around.
"Left," Rin called out. She cracked a smile. "I can't believe that your love for gambling has influenced not just all your battle traps, but also your searches."
"Hey, blame Miharu for that!" Yugo exclaimed. "Or actually… don't. It's a pretty good effect though, isn't it? But you make me sound like a gambling addict!"
"Am I wrong though?" Rin laughed—Yugo couldn't help but grin at the sound of her laugh.
"Well, luck always makes things more exciting! Life is a bet, after all!" He plucked the card that Rin had chosen from the air, and the other card slipped into the graveyard. "We don't need luck, but it makes things more fun! I'll Normal Summon Speedroid Double Yoyo!" The electrified green yoyos appeared, bouncing around his field.
[Speedroid Double Yoyo (4*/1400/1400/WIND/Machine/Effect)]
"I'll use the effect of Double Yoyo! I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower "Speedroid" monster from my graveyard! Return to the field—Speedroid Maliciousmagnet!"
After all, no matter what, Maliciousmagnet was his way to break Rin's board.
"When Maliciousmagnet is Normal or Special Summoned, I can target a face-up monster my opponent controls and perform a Synchro Summon of a Synchro Monster using Maliciousmagnet and that monster as material! I'll target Maple Maiden! I'll tune the Level 1 Speedroid Maliciousmagnet to the Level 7 Maple Maiden!"
He could bring out Kitedrake now, but…
It was probably better to bring out that monster, since the requirements were slightly harder.
"Shine the wings that store the holy light, and strike down your enemies with its radiance! Synchro Summon! Come forth! Level 8, Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon!" Crystal Wing appeared, its shining white body reflecting light across the field.
[Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon (8*/3000/2500/WIND/Dragon/Synchro/Effect)]
"I know that you want to make all of this harder for both of us," Yugo said. "To challenge ourselves. But who cares about trying to send a message, or anything like that? I just want to duel you at my best, and your best. That monster is the past. I appreciate it, but it represents a time when things were harder for us, and I want to move on! It's not the same as back then!"
And he didn't want it to be the same as back then.
Just once, could they duel each other without having to worry about anything else?
The water parted.
"Well, when you assert it like that," Rin said with a sigh, "I guess you've overruled me. You better do your best to win then, if you don't want to lose next turn!"
"I will!" Yugo said with a wink. He now controlled Double Yoyo, Crystal Wing and Rubber Band Shooter, while Rin still controlled Winter Bell, her Field Spell and her set card. "I'll use the effect of Rubber Band Shooter! I'll perform a second Normal Summon this turn, of a WIND monster! Come—Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice!" The spinning golden dice appeared.
[Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice (1*/100/100/WIND/Machine/Tuner/Effect)]
"I'll tune the Level 1 Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice to the Level 4 Speedroid Double Yoyo! Lively soul of swordplay. Synchro Summon! Come, Level 5! Hi-Speedroid Chanbara!" The half-red, half-green monster appeared, dancing through the air.
[Hi-Speedroid Chanbara (5*/2000/1000/WIND/Machine/Synchro/Effect)]
"Battle Phase! Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon attacks Wind Witch - Winter Bell!"
"I'll activate the effect of Wind Witch - Winter Bell!" Rin countered. "Once per turn, during the Battle Phase, I can Special Summon a "Wind Witch" monster from my hand!"
"I'll activate Crystal Wing's effect! I'll negate that effect and destroy that card!"
"I wouldn't be foolish enough to not know about Crystal Wing's effect! Trap Card, Icy Breeze Refrain! When my opponent activates a card or effect in response to the activation of a "Wind Witch" monster's effect, I can negate it!" Cold winds shot out, blowing Crystal Wing backwards.
… to be honest, Rin used that card as a Monster Reborn so much that Yugo had genuinely forgotten its other effect.
"So Winter Bell's effect resolves! I'll Special Summon Wind Witch - Muffler Bell!" A bell-shaped monster appeared, its body dark blue, with a yellow-green scarf wrapped around the middle of its body.
[Wind Witch - Muffler Bell (1*/0/0/WIND/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect)]
"When Wind Witch - Muffler Bell is Normal or Special Summoned, I can target a monster on the field and negate its effects!" Rin declared. Muffler Bell let out a tinkling sound. "I'll target Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon!"
Muffler Bell flew forward, and smacked the dragon's face with both ends of its scarf.
Yugo stifled a laugh.
"Crystal Wing's attack still continues!" He said. "Destroy Winter Bell!"
Yet again, Rin's ace was destroyed. And as usual, it didn't bother her.
After all, she was just waiting to continue burning his life points, wasn't she?
Rin: 3500 - 600 = 2900LP
"Rubber Band Shooter attacks Muffler Bell!"
The small bell was destroyed, but since it was in Defense Position, Rin didn't take any damage.
"When Wind Witch - Muffler Bell is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon a "Wind Witch" monster from my deck!" Rin declared.
Yugo grimaced.
"Come from the deck! Wind Witch - Tear Bell!" The cheerful witch with white hair in braids appeared, twirling around.
[Wind Witch - Tear Bell (3*/900/900/WIND/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect)]
Yugo frowned.
On the turn that she was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Wind Witch" monster, Tear Bell couldn't be destroyed by battle or card effects. The ultimate stall card that Rin used to buy time for herself. And while Yugo had been planning to attack twice with Chanbara to increase its attack points, attacking Tear Bell would cause him to take 200 more damage for each attack.
It wasn't worth it.
"Main Phase 2," he said. Rin's eyes widened in surprise. "I'll set two cards facedown and end my turn!" This left him with just one card in his hand.
"... before this, you were always so reckless." Rin smiled to herself. "You know how to retreat now. Congratulations."
[Turn 4: Rin] [H:2]
"Draw." Rin glanced at the new card that she'd drawn. "I'll Normal Summon Wind Witch - Ice Bell!" Another copy of the dark-haired witch appeared on her field. "When Ice Bell is Normal or Special Summoned, I can inflict 500 damage to you!" Winds and ice crystals shot out towards Yugo, pelting him again.
Yugo: 1800 - 500 = 1300LP
Crystal Wing's effects, now negated, could not stop her.
"I'll then tune the Level 3 Wind Witch - Tear Bell to the Level 3 Wind Witch - Ice Bell! The ice, the snow, absorb everything into the chilling wind! Synchro Summon! Level 6! Wind Witch - Chill Bell!"
Chill Bell was a practically translucent bell woman, made out of what seemed to be clear ice. She had pale blue swirls that were forming intricate patterns all over the surface of the ice. She had two large wings made out of purple-tinted ice, though the wings weren't actually attached to her—she was just floating in place.
[Wind Witch - Chill Bell (6*/1400/1000/WIND/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect)]
"When Wind Witch - Chill Bell is Synchro Summoned while I control no non-WIND monsters, I can add a "Wind Witch" monster from my deck to my hand!"
But Chill Bell… he couldn't let Rin use Chill Bell's other effect. He would take 1400 damage and lose.
"I'll activate the Trap Card, Breakthrough Skill! I'll target Wind Witch - Chill Bell and negate its effects until the End Phase!" He cut off Rin's search, while also stopping her from activating its burn effect again this turn.
"You'll have to do it again," Rin said after a moment. "I'll activate the Spell Card, Spellbook of Knowledge. I'll send a Spellcaster monster I control to the graveyard to draw two cards."
Hmm. That seemed to be generic Spellcaster monster support. Had Reiji given it to her too, to help her out?
"I'll send Chill Bell to the graveyard!" Rin swiped up two cards from her deck, glancing at them. "I drew my third copy of Ice Bell! Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon her from my hand, along with a "Wind Witch" monster from my deck! Come—Wind Witch - Snow Bell!"
Ice Bell reappeared, along with a small, pale bell that floated next to her.
[Wind Witch - Snow Bell (1*/100/100/WIND/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect)]
"I'll tune the Level 1 Wind Witch - Snow Bell to the Level 3 Wind Witch - Ice Bell! Let the midwinter wind shake mountains and trees, returning the snow to the natural state of drifting! Synchro Summon! Level 4! Wind Witch - Fall Bell!" The small, pink-tinted witch monster appeared, ribbons floating through the air all around her.
[Wind Witch - Fall Bell (4*/1700/1000/WIND/Spellcaster/Synchro/Tuner/Effect)]
"Oh, come on," Yugo groaned.
"I'll activate the effect of Fall Bell. By banishing a "Wind Witch" monster from the graveyard, I can Special Summon a "Wind Witch" monster of the same Level from my deck! I'll banish Glass Bell from the graveyard to Special Summon another copy of Glass Bell from my deck. And with the new Glass Bell's effect, I'll add a "Wind Witch" monster from my deck to my hand!" She plucked up the card from the deck. "I'll add and Special Summon Wind Witch - Freeze Bell from my hand!" The girl in a blue dress and green hat appeared on the field.
Level 4, Level 3…
"I'll tune the Level 4 Wind Witch - Glass Bell to the Level 3 Wind Witch - Freeze Bell! Light glints off the surface of the ice. Quiet, unseen sprite of the winter ice, come forth now! Synchro Summon! Level 7! Wind Witch - Sheen Bell!" The pretty silver bell appeared on the field, spinning around, a soft, echoing sound leaving her.
[Wind Witch - Sheen Bell (7*/1000/1000/WIND/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect)]
"Sheen Bell's effect! I'll banish three of my Wind Witches from the graveyard to draw a card! I'll banish Ice Bell, Snow Bell and Muffler Bell from the graveyard!" Rin drew the card. "However, since it's not a "Wind Witch" monster, you don't take the additional effect." She gestured forward. "Fall Bell's effect. I'll lower her own Level by 1!"
[Wind Witch - Fall Bell: 4* - 1* = 3*]
"I'll tune the Level 3 Wind Witch - Fall Bell to the Level 7 Wind Witch - Sheen Bell! Beautiful white sharpness that cuts through the cold wasteland. Let the toll of your echoing bell signal the coming of a brand new ice age! Freeze to absolute zero! Accel Synchro Summon! Level 10! Wind Witch - Winterfell Bell!" The icy blue bell woman appeared, her purple-tinted crown of ice glinting brightly on the top of her head. Her cloak swept through the air behind her, distorting the light around her. Her wings split the light into colours, casting a rainbow sheen across the ground.
[Wind Witch - Winterfell Bell (10*/3000/2500/WIND/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect)]
"Unbelievable!" Melissa Claire declared. "So this is the fabled Accel Synchro Summon! I can't believe we're seeing it in a situation like this!"
Yugo blinked, raising his head.
His first exposure to this evolved form of the Synchro Summon was through Arisu. Was there anything more to it? It couldn't be such a big deal, right?
"For those who don't know," the announcer declared, "the first recorded use of the Accel Synchro Summon was by Dr. Ryuushi Fudo, around twelve years ago now. It's a Synchro Summon that only uses Synchro Monsters as material! However, it is extremely difficult, and cards that use this evolved form of Synchro Summoning are hard to make—almost as hard as Jack Atlas's Double Tuning!"
Oh. Interesting. How had it gotten into Arisu's hands then?
Well, he could always ask later.
"And now, you'll have to pay the toll for any monster effects that you activate on the field, Yugo," Rin said. "I'll have Wind Witch - Winterfell Bell attack Hi-Speedroid Chanbara! Apocalyptic Chill!"
Yugo's eyes widened. "Wait—you're planning on finishing me off now?"
"Hi-Speedroid Chanbara's effect is compulsory, Yugo," Rin declared—after all, they had both already realised her intentions. "When it activates, Winterfell Bell will inflict half of its attack points as damage to you! After that, the battle damage will finish you off!"
"Then I can't let that happen, Rin!" Yugo raised his head. "I'll banish another copy of Tri-Eyed Dice from the graveyard to negate this attack as well!"
"You sent two copies of Tri-Eyed Dice to the graveyard?" Rin exclaimed. "But…"
"I dueled alongside you against Roget!" Yugo grinned. "You've gained some terrifying monsters, Rin. If Chanbara's effect activated, you'd burn me and defeat me. If I just negated battle damage, you'd use Winterfell Bell's effect to bring back Winter Bell and defeat me. So that was the only way—to shut it off completely."
Rin grinned. "I guess so. I'll set a card and pass. Congrats—you survived that."
Yeah. There were around four different ways that he should have lost there.
Still, he hadn't. Wasn't that the most important part?
[Turn 5: Yugo] [H:2]
"Draw," Yugo said. "I'll banish Breakthrough Skill from my graveyard to seal off Winterfell Bell's effect!"
Rin nodded. "So you won't accidentally burn yourself while using your effects, huh?"
"I'll activate Rubber Band Shooter's effect! I'll banish another copy of Kendama from my Extra Deck to reveal the Level 3 Speedroid Den-Den Daiko Duke and the Level 3 Speedroid Taketomborg from my deck!"
"Left one."
Yugo plucked up the card. "With the effect of Den-Den Daiko Duke, by banishing it from my graveyard, I can Special Summon a "Speedroid" Tuner from my hand or graveyard! Return to the field, Speedroid CarTurbo!"
He could bring out Crystal Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, but it wouldn't work against Winterfell Bell.
What he needed was not to match Rin directly. And besides, if what Melissa Claire was saying, this was an achievement for Rin, who had learned it after so much hard work.
He would let her achievement be her achievement—bringing out Crystal Clear Wing just to show off wouldn't allow him to win.
Instead…
He'd much rather win.
"Five turns," Yugo said cheerfully. "Between you and I, that's the longest that this ever goes, right?"
"It is," Rin said. "Let's see if I can make it six."
"Do your worst! I'll tune the Level 3 Speedroid CarTurbo to the Level 5 Hi-Speedroid Chanbara! Metal dragon with the power of the shining, free winds, take flight with the ideals of those who wish to rise! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake!" The dark blue metal dragon appeared, bright green wings glowing in the air as it roared loudly.
[Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake (8*/3000/2800/WIND/Machine/Synchro/Effect)]
"Kitedrake's effect." Yugo gestured forward. "I'll destroy all other cards on the field! Leisure Hurricane!"
The entire field was shredded by Kitedrake's winds, once again. However, Rin picked up a card from her graveyard. "I'll banish Fall Bell from the graveyard to protect all my "Wind Witch" cards from destruction this turn!"
Of course. Yugo had expected that.
But it was necessary. He'd have to deal with Fall Bell eventually anyway. And by doing that, he'd also removed Rin's set card from the field.
"Since Hi-Speedroid Chanbara was sent to the graveyard, I can add a banished "Speedroid" card from my deck to my hand." Yugo picked up the card.
Winterfell Bell was the main obstacle right now, but its effects were negated.
Yugo needed to inflict 2900 damage to her after accounting for Winterfell Bell…
"Rin," Yugo said, raising his head. "You can only negate destruction once!"
Rin frowned.
"You know, people have already figured out my Clear Wing and Crystal Wing's weaknesses. And well, if they can use Spells and Traps against me, I can use it against them too. Spell Card, Shock Surprise! I'll banish Chanbara from the graveyard and destroy your monster!"
Rin's eyes widened.
"You know, Rin," Yugo said, feeling overly impulsive, "I've been waiting for this for so long! I searched so long for you. And getting stronger was what I had to do to find you too. You came back on your own—but I'll never let you feel scared again. And I'll make sure that I'm always, always able to protect you!"
… sometimes, Yugo could be a little odd.
But Rin liked that.
She smiled to herself.
"You don't need to protect me," she said. "I'm fine on my own."
But she didn't want to be on her own, either.
"Maybe I shouldn't have used Winterfell Bell against Roget," she said—teasing him slightly. "Now you know all my tricks. What am I supposed to do with you?"
"I'm sure you'll win next time," Yugo said. "But we have time now. On this biggest stage—I'll defeat you, and fulfil our dream, and then we'll go and see the rest of these worlds together!"
Rin smiled.
And then, she felt a strange heartbeat echoing in her chest—something not quite her own.
They're so compassionate. They can look at your fragments and feel genuine care for them.
Living in their souls… I'd almost forgotten.
Because they know nothing about the reason that we still exist. The reason that we all still exist.
Within Rin's eyes, there was a strange glint as she looked forward at Yugo's smiling face.
But I will not allow myself to forget. The terror that I felt that day. The terror that we all felt that day. You destroyed everything. So the mission is to defeat you. No matter what, devil, I will kill you.
… even if they can't bear it.
As long as those six exist… no matter what they do…
There's a chance that they will still become you.
Rin blinked. Had she just blanked out for a moment?
"Here goes, Rin!" Yugo declared. "Attack directly!"
Rin breathed out. She felt a little dizzy.
But…
The attack went through. She smiled to herself.
Well done, Yugo.
This time, you can take the win.
Rin: 2900 - 3000 = 0LP
Winner: Yugo Kirijo!
Rin turned to look at him as they came to a stop. She smiled at him.
Yugo dashed forward and pulled her into a hug. Rin raised her leg, about to kick him—
And then she sighed.
Fine.
Fine, he could have this, just today.
"If that man could see them now," Martha murmured to herself, "he would be very proud that they did it, too."
Shinji looked at her. "Huh?"
"Oh, I was just thinking to myself." Martha folded her arms. "I'm very proud of them. I've always been proud."
She watched the two teenagers embracing on the track.
Somehow…
It felt a little like destiny.
"So he won after all." Yuno sighed, leaning back. "I'm glad for him, but I can't help but wonder if he would have still won if it was you down there."
Mm. The thought had crossed Miharu's mind too, just once. She'd dismissed it though.
The amount of emotions, the dream in the hearts of the two down there…
It would be a waste to consider herself in that position, because it would devalue their dreams.
"You're not interested in being a king, though," Yuno said with a laugh, leaning on her shoulder. The words struck an odd chord in Miharu, who turned from her laptop's screen to look at him. (She was done, anyway—just doing a quick check on the code.)
"What about you?" She said. "Would you ever be interested in being a king?"
"H-huh? Me?" Yuno chuckled, responding without any hesitation. "No way. Do you see how much work Jack Atlas does? And Reiji Akaba, who is pretty much his equivalent in Standard, does a lot of work. Not to mention the Grandmaster Council back home. Not that I know King personally, but he manages so much of the city. Must be an amazing guy."
"You have no clue," Miharu said wryly.
"Hmm? You've met him?"
"Once. Maybe twice. He's not as nice as you might think."
"Ah." Yuno shook his head, still smiling. "Well, that's another thing! To be a king and a leader, you need to be able to control your emotions well, right? Efficiency, thinking about the bigger picture. I don't think I'd be very good at that."
"You're very emotionally in-touch with others. It's one of your best traits."
"You think so?" Yuno beamed.
"You don't need me to tell you that," Miharu said.
"Yes, but it's nice to hear it from you."
… he was getting far more shameless about it recently, huh?
"Well, if we're talking about medieval kings, I certainly don't want to be one!" Yuno shot her a smile. "Even if I was born as a prince, or something like that… I'd much rather run away from all that stuff. Maybe find a cute, clever girl in a village, who makes the best coffee and tea. That'd be far more fulfilling than trying to rule anything—I'll leave it to the capable. You know me, don't you? I have no reason to become a king or anything like that—no need to become any kind of ruler."
"You would be a kind one though." Miharu glanced at him fondly. "... but I'd prefer that too. I suspect that after a while, looking after so many people would tire you out too."
She didn't want to see him so worn-out.
The chat function in their duel disks beeped. Both Yuno and Miharu opened up the chat at the same time. The message was from Reiji Akaba, and it was pretty simple.
They were leaving for the Xyz Dimension tomorrow.
"... he really needed to tell us this so quickly, huh? No time to prepare at all."
"It's good for us, anyway," Miharu said. "Spending too much time in comfort… it might soften us too much."
"Yes, but I thought I had more time…" Yuno reached out, carefully taking her hand. With most other people, she would have shaken off—she still wasn't a fan of physical contact. Still, with him, it was fine. "Hey. Tonight—I know you probably want to sleep, but there's something that I want to show you before we go. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Can you walk with me?"
Something beautiful, huh?
Miharu nodded. "I'd like that," she said.
Just like back then, in Den City—the two of them running from enemies on all sides—they had walked through worlds together.
If they were going to walk to a different world again…
"I couldn't fix the dimensional transportation issue, Yuno," Miharu confessed quietly. "It's a problem with coordinates and things like that—the worlds do not physically align with each other. I don't know how Academia managed it, and Serena and Sora didn't have a clue either—and Academia's dimensional transport program is no different from ours either. If we go to a different world, we'll likely be split up again. I told Reiji Akaba about that this morning. The fact that he's decided immediately that we're heading there… it doesn't sit right with me."
She stood up, squeezing his hand.
"You can carry on watching. I need to talk to him."
"Carry on watching? I'll go with you." Yuno was about to stand up, but Miharu shook her head.
"You should carry on watching," Miharu said. "I know that Yuya would want you to. I'll be back as soon as I can… alright?"
Yuno looked at her, and cracked a smile.
"Okay," he said. "I'll wait for you to come back then."
The prison was eerily silent. After all, most people had gone to watch the Friendship Cup's final duels, and only a skeleton crew had been left to guard it.
The guard in charge rolled his eyes. Why did he have to be the one here, instead of watching the Friendship Cup? Well, at least he could watch it being streamed on his tablet…
He was so distracted that he didn't notice the figure behind him, until he was clocked over the head with a duel disk.
Behind him, the tall escapee watched him with distaste, before they leaned down and swiped up the keycard on the guard's lanyard.
Then, they turned and walked out of the prison, holding up a surgical mask over their face.
They had work to do.
OC Cards:
Wind Witch - Hail Bell
(4*/1300/1000/WIND/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect)
If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can target 1 monster on the field; inflict damage to your opponent equal to the target's Level x 100, then, if you targeted an opponent's monster, inflict 400 damage to them. You can only activate this effect of "Wind Witch - Hail Bell" once per turn. A WIND Synchro Monster that used this card as Synchro Material gains the following effect.
● If this card destroys a monster by battle: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent.
Harmonious Church of the Wind Witch
(Spell/Field)
If this card is activated: You can target 1 "Wind Witch" monster in your GY; Special Summon it. You can pay 500 LP; all non-WIND monsters your opponent controls lose 1000 ATK until the End Phase. If this card is destroyed and sent to the GY: You can add 1 "Wind Witch" monster from your deck to your hand, with a different name from cards you control. You can only activate each effect of "Harmonious Church of the Wind Witch" once per turn.
Wind Witch - Muffler Bell
(1*/0/0/WIND/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect)
If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can target 1 monster on the field; negate its effects. If this card is destroyed by battle: You can Special Summon 1 "Wind Witch" monster from your Deck. You can only activate each effect of "Wind Witch - Muffler Bell" once per turn.
Wind Witch – Tear Bell
(3*/900/900/WIND/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect)
If this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Wind Witch" monster: For the rest of this turn, this card you control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects. If a "Wind Witch" monster is targeted for an attack while this card is in face-up Defence Position: Your opponent takes 200 damage. This effect can be activated once per turn for every "Wind Witch" monster you control.
Wind Witch - Fall Bell
(4*/1700/1000/WIND/Spellcaster/Synchro/Tuner/Effect)
1 "Wind Witch" Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters
If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can target 1 "Windwitch" monster in your GY; banish it, and if you do, Special Summon 1 "Wind Witch" monster with the same Level as that monster from your Deck in face-up Defense Position. Once per turn: You can target 1 "Wind Witch" monster on the field; increase or decrease its Level by 1. If a "Wind Witch" card(s) you control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can banish this card from your GY instead. You can only Synchro Summon "Wind Witch - Fall Bell" once per turn.
Wind Witch - Sheen Bell
(7*/1000/1000/WIND/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect)
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters
If this card is Synchro Summoned while you control the monster with the highest ATK on the field: Destroy this card, and if you do, take 2000 damage. While you control another "Wind Witch" Synchro Monster, this card cannot be targeted for attacks. Once per turn: You can banish 3 "Wind Witch" monsters from your GY; draw 1 card, and if that card is a "Wind Witch" monster, you can reveal it, and if you do, inflict 400 damage to your opponent. You can only activate this effect of "Wind Witch - Sheen Bell" once per turn.
Wind Witch - Winterfell Bell
(10*/3000/2500/WIND/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect)
1 Tuner Synchro Monster + 1 non-Tuner WIND Synchro Monster
Once per Chain, if your opponent activates the effect of a monster on the field: You can negate that effect, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to half that monster's ATK on the field, and if you do that, destroy that card. You can only activate this effect of "Wind Witch - Winterfell Bell" twice per turn. Once per turn, if this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent: You can Special Summon 1 Level 9 or lower "Wind Witch" monster from the GY or banished cards. If this Synchro Summoned card you control is sent to your GY by an opponent's card: You can add 1 WIND monster from your GY to your hand. You can only control 1 "Wind Witch - Winterfell Bell".
Different Card Effects from TCG:
Clear Wing Synchro Dragon - Anime effect.
Burning Sonic - Anime-only card.
Speedroid Maliciousmagnet - Anime effect.
End Notes:
Big note! While I originally set the Q&A date to after I post Chapter 79, my tendency to absolutely wreck my own outline has struck again. So I'm extending this because I've split some chapters, in order to pace myself better. One duel per chapter :) In return, you can get the (pending) chapter titles of every chapter for the rest of the arc. :) So yeah, the new deadline is Chapter 81, because I need to chill for a bit. With that though, there's a high chance that I'll be done with this arc… by the one year anniversary! :)
- Chapter 78: A Duel to Remember
- Chapter 79: An Unwilling King
- Chapter 80: Window To The Soul
- Chapter 81: A Mirror To The Future
Alright, back to the chapter notes.
Disclaimer—when Chiaki absolutely blasts Ruin and Demise here, she is saying that the Level 8 Ruin and Demise are very underwhelming, which they are. Also, yes, it's intentional that she uses different terms to refer to each Yu-boy and Nature Girl.
… yes, Chiaki/Yuji is endgame. Unfortunately, they're the most slow-burn of the pairings in this fic. I genuinely did not intend to go as much into their minds as I did in this chapter, but I think I explained pretty well why the two of them are unwilling to use the word 'love'. I can confirm that the scene is a genuine reflection of their feelings currently.
There are only so many WIND Synchros, but I've been saving some specifically for Rin. Maple Maiden is one of them, because it's a nice bit of monster removal that she doesn't have yet.
Rin vs Yugo is honestly a very normal-length duel, but after writing Chapter 67-74, my understanding of how long a duel should be has been irrevocably changed. But yeah, same as last chapter, I didn't want to pad the duels out. Decks that aren't battle-focused are hard to write into longer duels too. Maybe I'll come back once I'm done with the arc to see if I can tinker with it, but it's already my fourth attempt and I'm very sick of Wind Witches. :)
Actually, yeah, I'll make that commitment now. Right now, I will do my best to write the best version of the duels that are left in the arc. But I'm a little burned-out on duel writing, especially for the archetypes that are left in the arc. So I'll do my best now and get through it so that I can get to the end of the arc (aka the part that I have much less writer's block for.) And I'll come back and do some fix-ups and possible rewrites for the duels once I get to a point where I'm ready to revisit them. Who knows? That's just if the duels don't work out as well as I hope though. I'll still put in my best effort to write a good finale.
Review responses!
To TheRealD3lph0xL0v3r, I have no intentions to have my Link Dimension be the same as Fifth Circuit's version—there's far too much fun stuff that I want to do with my main characters and worldbuilding. ('Fun', I say. :D) The Link Arc is actually the arc that has been the most meticulously planned out (large portions of its dialogue, etc, have already been written) amongst all the arcs. Of course, I am invested in seeing how Fifth Circuit plays out, and if we do end up doing anything similar! :) I'll assure everyone that if there's anything similar, it won't be on purpose though, from either of our sides.
To MochiYoshi, totally relate about the PK cards, haha. I kind of wish that instead of giving Raid Raptors so much new support, they gave a bit of stuff to Phantom Knights, who only have two actual Xyz Monsters. And honestly, I really miss writing fluff too. The new Chapter 80 and 81 has plenty of fluff outside of duels… I just have to get there. I'll take note of your question!
To Bryz0n, those two matches actually concluded the quarterfinals! Since we were already halfway through (Sergey vs Reira, Miharu vs Yuno), those two were the remainder of that round. I will confirm that in line with canon, the hybrid dragons are very unique in their usage. And let's just say that Zarc gets more and more screentime as the story goes on, in line with canon! As does someone else. :D Glad you enjoyed!
To CruelDiamond422, don't worry about it! Glad for your excitement, and I'm looking forward to seeing the proper translations too :)
To naminexriku2468, I just don't watch a lot of those shows, so that's my bad! :D You can feel free to have your own headcanons on it though, and during the Q&A, I'll answer whatever questions I can answer.
To phantomdragons, nailed it! I love how the matches have become a lot more predictable in the later rounds compared to the start, when literally no one could guess the matches correctly.
To cardfan135, good point. I guess you'll have to wait and see! This plot point has been boiling since Chapter 2, after all :) If we're talking about a VRAINS!Miharu and Pandor though, Miharu would most certainly be the inventor of Pandor in that kind of AU, and they would get along very well. :D And I totally get the difference between 75 and 76, because it feels jarring for me too, haha. You'll get more character interaction/fluff in a longer chapter in the finale of the arc.
To kikuruhime, thanks for the review! You'll have to wait and see :D
Feel free to drop a review/comment! And if you would do me a favour, give me a bit more feedback on Chapter 75 too, especially Yuya vs Shun. That was a duel I struggled a bit with. :D And while I'm shamelessly shilling, if you like the fic, feel free to favourite or follow! Numbers may not be my motivation for writing, but they do make me happy, and I won't lie—I am waiting impatiently for the reviews to reach 1000 and the favourite/follow counter to reach 100 someday :D
QOTC: What kinds of Xyz archetypes would you be looking forward to seeing when we go to Heartland?
Warning that this isn't me taking suggestions, since I already have the entire plot of Xyz and all its characters settled. Rather, I'm just curious and doing a survey.
Alright, see you guys!
… stinger.
Stinger:
Ten years ago:
"Thank you for your help," the man with the D-Wheel said. He handed over a wad of bills. Martha shook her head.
"It's no issue." She'd found the man and his son in the middle of the Commons, their D-Wheel apparently broken down. Martha, knowing about someone nearby who knew how those D-Wheels worked, had brought them over to get it fixed. The man with dark, spiky hair had insisted on paying the mechanic with more money than either of them had seen in their lives.
"Then, to help to pay the bills." The man cracked a smile. "Just my son alone is difficult to deal with. I don't know how you handle so many children, but it's very commendable."
"You were just praising me for being well-behaved the other day, dad," the dark-haired boy said. He didn't seem like the bratty kind—rather, there was something mature to him for his age. He was probably around Jack's age?...
"Yes, you are well-behaved, but children are always a handful to raise properly," the man teased his son. However, when Martha shook her head again, he sighed and withdrew his hand. "Very well. If you won't accept money, then how about this?" He crouched, opening a compartment in the D-Wheel. From within it, he withdrew two decks.
"That's even more valuable than money," Martha said.
"Yes. And it gives two of your children the chance to compete on an equal level with the Tops." The man turned to his son. "I went through a few prototypes while trying to design a deck for my son and the daughter of a good friend of mine, but I decided not to follow through with them."
"She didn't like the design of that deck," the boy commented stoically. "She prefers knights, anyway."
"Yes, yes." The father, ever-doting, patted his son's head. "But I am designing archetypes for both you and your best friend, after all. I thought that they had to fit together." He turned back to Martha. "Truly, I do not have plans for these decks. It would make me overjoyed if someday, I saw them being used on a large stage."
"But it would be unfair of me to choose two of the children to receive those decks," Martha said. She appreciated it, but… how was she supposed to do so without showing favouritism to anyone?
"Oh? Alright then." The man turned to the door of the orphanage. "Then, the two that come out of that door first. Shall we leave things up to fate?"
And—
It really seemed like it was fate.
At that exact moment, the door opened, and two children stumbled out. Yugo was currently being chided by Rin for not wearing one of their makeshift scarves, and the two of them were talking to each other loudly in front of the door.
The boy turned to his father. "Them?" He said calmly. "I would like them to have those decks. They seem… hopeful."
"It seems that we agree on that then." The man pressed the decks into Martha's hands. "Give those to them then."
"If you're sure." Martha hesitated. "Who should I say they're from?"
"Oh, I don't want them to feel like they owe me anything. Just say I was an anonymous benefactor. Or don't say anything at all."
"I want to duel Sherry, dad," the boy said, tugging at his father's white lab coat.
"Alright, alright." The man turned to look at Martha. "If you ever have something that you urgently need in the future, you can come to the city and ask for Dr. Fudo. Don't be a stranger."
"... alright."
The two of them took off on a D-Wheel. Martha watched them go, before she looked at the decks in her hands.
It would feel strange not giving credit to Dr. Fudo, but…
Martha strangely thought that it might be better that way.
(And so, like ships passing in the night—)
(The hope that shone on another world passed on its blessings to the new hope of this world.)