Starting Notes:
Welcome back! This chapter is kind of like Chapter 25, it's just getting itself out of the way for more interesting things. We have a few shorter duels here today, though that's just to psych myself up for next chapter's duel, since that's going to take forever to do. Don't expect any hype out of these duels—two out of the three in this chapter are just here to get them out of the way more quickly. No duel outlines in this chapter, I have an essay due, but I had to get this out so I would stop thinking about it, lmao.
Chapter 34: Segment Break
When an hour passed and Yuya didn't come back to the living room, Yuno stood up, ready to go and search for him in the stadium. However, Yugo stood up at the same time, and they looked at each other.
"I'll go!" Yugo declared, charging out of the room. Yuno looked after him, mildly baffled, before he sat back down.
Outside, the blue and yellow-haired boy searched around, finally finding Yuya sitting by the edge of the corridor that led to the stadium. He was clearly staying out of sight.
"Yuya!" Yugo called, and he practically charged over. "Come on! We're all waiting for you!"
"... sorry, Yugo," Yuya said after a moment. He held out Clear Wing, and Yugo took his dragon back. "I let you down."
"What?" Yugo chuckled, sounding baffled. "You don't need to apologise for that. For your first Synchro Summon, you made me very proud!"
Yuya looked a little discouraged, so Yugo continued talking.
"And hey, let's promise this, alright? We're both only going to get stronger, so let's make it so that we defeat Jack! One of us has to be the one to take him on, alright? Don't let anyone knock you out except me!"
Yuya cracked a smile. "You really believe in me, huh?" He said. "Alright, it's a deal, Yugo."
Yugo held out a fist. Yuya returned the fistbump. As Yuya headed back, Yugo glanced out at the track beneath them.
… I hope that you'll forgive me for this. I know we always promised that we'd do this together.
Please don't think that I've forgotten you, even for a moment. But I don't want to keep chasing after you on my own, so please forgive me for slowing down just to get more allies. I promise that I'll find you though. No matter what, I'll never stop looking for you.
Rin. I'm going to save you soon!
The night passed. Day came, and with it, the first eight matches of the Friendship Cup.
The people within the Friendship Cup residence compound were told to separate into their rooms, though it wasn't like they were locked up. They were just told that it would be easier to find them and get the match started in time if they were all in their rooms, which actually made sense.
So Yuno simply sat there, glancing out of the window.
Who would be sent out first? Considering how performative all of this was, they would likely pick two people that they thought would put up a good fight for the first round. In that case… if they wanted a flashy duel…
The door to his room opened. A short boy was looking at him with a frown.
"Excuse me," he said quietly. "You're Yuno Sugisaki, right?"
"Ah, yes?" Yuno blinked. "Wait, me?"
His surprise seemed to genuinely amuse the boy, who nodded. "You're part of the first match," he said. "You were going to be ninth, but orders from higher ups moved you to the first match with your opponent, to build up some hype."
"Well, I'm honoured! I'll do my best."
A few minutes later, the blonde-haired announcer, Melissa Claire, spoke up loudly as her helicopter flew over the track. "Sorry for the long wait!" She called cheerfully. "For our first match-up, we have one of the people from another dimension—and I know it sounds wacky, but they're definitely from other worlds! You'll see that in their dueling! So first, Yuno Sugisaki!"
Yuno rode out, wearing a skintight blue riding suit that was uncomfortably close to his actual bodysuit as Boundless Sea. However, that suit was just AR, meaning that he didn't actually have to deal with the feeling of a skin-tight suit, whereas now, he definitely felt how odd it was to wear.
From above, Yuya blinked. "Yuno's next?" He murmured. "That's…"
In another room, Miharu barely batted an eye, but she did move closer to the TV monitor so that she could see the duel more clearly.
"Well, they definitely picked the best opening act," Hitoda said, sounding very smug and satisfied.
"It seems that our first participant, Sugisaki, has a very similar name and face to Yuya Sakaki!" Melissa Claire declared. "Well, perhaps they're brothers! Or perhaps cousins, or—either way though, it's an uncanny resemblance! And next up…"
Meanwhile, in the Council building, Azul turned to Reiji, who was seated there and watching with them as an honoured guest. "You said that this was the best Lancer to show off first, correct?"
"Yes," Reiji said. "He is one of the most skilled Lancers, and more importantly, he can put up a good performance." He had considered bringing up Kurosaki first, but the way that he dueled might not be a fit for what they wanted.
"I hope that you're correct. After all, his opponent is one of our most prized participants."
"As his opponent, it's an old face!" Melissa Claire called. "Though we all know who he is, he certainly deserves recognition and an introduction! Returning to the stage—Chojiro Tokumatsu, also known as—"
"Enjoy Chojiro!" The entire crowd burst out into cheers, and Yuno watched as the old man caught up to him, waving to the crowd and smiling.
"Hello, Yuno-kun!" Chojiro greeted, smiling pleasantly. "I was just thinking that it would be nice to see the dueling of someone who Yuya-kun spoke so highly of, and now, it seems that I'm seeing it firsthand!"
Yuno cracked a smile. "It seems so," he said. "I did say that I'd like to duel you someday, so it's fitting that you're my first opponent here. Let's have a good duel, Chojiro-san!"
At the same time, they both tilted their heads up as the crowd got louder.
"That guy looks like Yuya Sakaki!"
"You're right! He must be just as weak!"
"As if Enjoy Chojiro would lose to him!"
Chojiro leaned forward, speaking into his microphone directly. "Stop it!" He bellowed. "We are here to watch a duel between myself and this young man! Yuya Sakaki is a duelist that has earned my respect, and I'm sure that he'll continue to prove himself throughout the tournament!"
The crowd went silent for a moment.
The lane lit up, and then, the two of them took off before anyone had the chance to say anything else. While Yuno was playing it mostly safe, Chojiro drove forward with the recklessness of a man half his age, taking the first corner with much gusto.
And thus, the turn order was decided.
[DUEL!]
Chojiro Tokumatsu: 4000LP
Yuno Sugisaki: 4000LP
[Turn 1: Chojiro] [H:5]
"I'll start!" Chojiro called. "I'll activate the Spell Card, Super Koi Koi!" He grinned widely, picking up the top three cards of his deck. "I will draw three cards from the top of my deck, and I'll reveal them! Then, if they are "Flower Cardian" monsters, I can Special Summon them, but their Levels become 2 and their attack and defense points become 0! However, if they are not, I must send them to the graveyard and take 1000 damage for each card that I sent to the graveyard this way!"
"Big risk," Yuno commented. "But I'm guessing that you have a lot of Flower Cardians in your deck, so you minimise the chance of not getting one of them."
"Correct!" Chojiro called merrily. "But I've always believed in my draws, young Yuno!" He revealed the first card. "First! Flower Cardian Maple with Deer!" A card with a lovely maple tree and a deer on it—rather self-explanatory, really—appeared in front of Chojiro.
[Flower Cardian Maple with Deer (10*/1000/1000/DARK/Warrior/Effect)]
[Flower Cardian Maple with Deer: 10* → 2*; 1000 → 0ATK/DEF]
He revealed the second card. "Second! Flower Cardian Paulownia!" A card with a large man-eating flower on it appeared, dark blue petals flaring outwards and reptilian tongue flicking through the air.
[Flower Cardian Paulownia (12*/100/100/DARK/Warrior/Effect)]
[Flower Cardian Paulownia: 12* → 2*; 100 → 0ATK/DEF]
As the third card flipped over, Yuno blinked in surprise. Chojiro chortled. "Third! Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher!" A card with a grey willow tree appeared, a man with an umbrella standing directly under the willow tree.
[Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher (11*/2000/2000/DARK/Warrior/Tuner/Effect)]
[Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher: 11* → 2*; 2000 → 0ATK/DEF]
"Nice draws," Yuno said cheerily.
Chojiro nodded. "Willow with Calligrapher allows me to treat all monsters I control as Level 2 monsters this turn, but it does not matter, since they have already become Level 2 monsters! Now, together, let's Enjoy!" He placed special emphasis on the last word. "I'll tune the Level 2 Willow with Calligrapher to the Level 2 Paulownia and the Level 2 Maple with Deer! As ferocious as a boar! As gallant as a deer! As beautiful as a butterfly! Synchro Summon! Level 6! Flower Cardian Boardefly!" A samurai-like figure with Japanese characters floating around it appeared in the Extra Monster Zone.
[Flower Cardian Boardefly (6*/2000/2000/DARK/Warrior/Synchro/Effect)]
"I'll activate Boardefly's effect! By banishing Willow with Calligrapher from my graveyard, I can stop you from Special Summoning monsters from the graveyard until the end of your next turn, and you cannot activate the effect of cards in the graveyard!"
Yuno's eyes widened.
"Oh, that's rough," Yuto said in his room, wincing in sympathy. "He might not depend on the graveyard to the same extent as me, but all of his extenders rely on graveyard effects…"
"Now, I shall set one card facedown! Over to you, young lad!"
[Turn 2: Yuno] [H:6]
"Draw!" Yuno declared. He glanced at his hand. He had Springirl in his hand, but there was no reason to use it while graveyard effects were blocked off. "I will Normal Summon my Marincess Pascalus!" The pink-haired girl appeared in front of him, smiling innocently.
[Marincess Pascalus (4*/1200/2000/WATER/Cyberse/Effect)]
"And with Pascalus's effect, I'll Special Summon a "Marincess" monster from my hand! Come—Marincess Mandarin!" The girl in the orange dress with blue patterns appeared, her coral pink hair curled up.
[Marincess Mandarin (1*/100/100/WATER/Cyberse/Effect)]
"I'll open the circuit of the limitless ocean! Arrowhead confirmed! The conditions are a Level 4 or lower "Marincess" monster! I will set Marincess Pascalus in the Link Markers! Shine, beautiful water creature that dwells in the depths! Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Link 1! Marincess Blue Slug!" Blue Slug appeared in front of him, as usual.
[Marincess Blue Slug (L1/1500/WATER/Cyberse/Link/Effect/↓)]
"I will use Blue Slug's effect. I will add Pascalus from my graveyard to my hand. And once again, I'll open the circuit of the limitless ocean!" Yuno called. "Arrowhead confirmed! The conditions are one Level 4 or lower "Marincess" monster. I will set Marincess Mandarin in the Link Markers! Beautiful angel floating through the ocean, ascend now! Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Link 1! Marincess Sea Angel!" The pale, white-haired girl appeared.
[Marincess Sea Angel (L1/1000/WATER/Cyberse/Link/Effect/←)]
"And Sea Angel's effect activates!" Yuno declared. "I'll add Marincess Battle Ocean from my deck to my hand!" He revealed it. "I'll activate the Field Spell, Marincess Battle Ocean!"
Usually, he would be able to revive Mandarin here, but it wasn't that bad. At least he got to use his usual play to search out his cards.
"Open again, circuit! The conditions are two WATER monsters! I will set Marincess Sea Angel and Marincess Blue Slug in the Link Markers! Appear now, colourful idol of the reef! Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Link 2! Marincess Coral Anemone!" The orange-haired Link Monster appeared.
[Marincess Coral Anemone (L2/2000/WATER/Cyberse/Link/Effect/←, ↓)]
Yuno grinned at her. "Looks like you're going to have to be the main offensive force today!" He called. "Battle Ocean's effect! I will equip both Blue Slug and Sea Angel to Coral Anemone!" The two monsters appeared, blue streaks that attached themselves directly to Coral Anemone. "She gains 600 for each one, and 200 since she's a "Marincess" monster!"
[Marincess Coral Anemone: 2000 + 600 x 2 + 200 = 3400ATK]
"Attack Flower Cardian Boardefly!" He declared. The monster leapt forward, water splashing across the field.
"Trap Card, Fraud Check!" Chojiro called. ""Flower Cardian" monsters cannot be destroyed by battle this turn!"
The attack hit, and while Chojiro's monster was not destroyed, he still took the damage.
Chojiro: 4000 - 1400 = 2600LP
"I'll set a card and end my turn," Yuno said, and then he belatedly realised that he hadn't set the other Trap in his hand. He was far too used to having a Link 3 or higher "Marincess" monster at this point.
[Turn 3: Chojiro] [H:4]
"Draw," Chojiro said. "I hope you'll forgive an old man being a little rusty, haha! I'll activate Boardefly's effect again! I'll banish Flower Cardian Maple with Deer from the graveyard to stop you from activating effects in the graveyard or Special Summoning monsters from the graveyard!"
"Fantastic," Yuno said with a sigh.
"And now, I will activate the Spell Card, Flower Gathering! I will Special Summon 4 "Flower Cardian" monsters with 100 attack points from my deck, but their effects are negated! First—Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom! Second—Flower Cardian Paulownia! Third—Flower Cardian Pine! Fourth—Flower Cardian Willow!" The four cards with different patterns appeared in front of him.
Four monsters at once…
[Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom (3*/100/100/DARK/Warrior/Effect)]
[Flower Cardian Paulownia (12*/100/100/DARK/Warrior/Effect)]
[Flower Cardian Pine (1*/100/100/DARK/Warrior/Effect)]
[Flower Cardian Willow (11*/100/100/DARK/Warrior/Effect)]
"What a surprise!" Melissa Claire called from above them. "Enjoy Chojiro has managed to bring out four monsters at once, with a single card! Unbelievable!"
"I'll then tribute Flower Cardian Willow to Special Summon Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher from my hand!" The Tuner from earlier reappeared. "And with Willow with Calligrapher's effect, I can draw a card, and since it's a "Flower Cardian" card, I can keep it!" He revealed the card. "I will Normal Summon Flower Cardian Pine!" Another copy of Flower Cardian Pine appeared. "And with Willow with Calligrapher's effect, I can treat all monsters used for this Synchro Summon as Level 2 monsters! I'll tune the Level 2 Willow with Calligrapher to the 2 Level 2 Pines, the Level 2 Paulownia and the Level 2 Cherry Blossom! That ritual of the gods is holy light. Now, become the heavens, the earth, the water, the soil, and the metals, and shine! Synchro Summon! Level 10! Flower Cardian Lightflare!"
A gigantic purple-armoured warrior appeared, bright lights and flowers blooming around it.
[Flower Cardian Lightflare (12*/5000/0/DARK/Warrior/Synchro/Effect)]
"5000 attack points!" The crowd gasped as Melissa Claire looked down from her helicopter with a surprised look on her face. "This must be his ace!"
"Lightflare attacks your monster!" Chojiro called. The monster dashed forward, slashing towards Coral Anemone. Yuno shielded himself as his monster was cut down.
Yuno: 4000 - 1600 = 2400LP
"Boardefly attacks you directly!" The other warrior slashed a sword through the air, sending a blast straight towards Yuno.
Yuno: 2400 - 2000 = 400LP
"I will end my turn!"
"Oh no…" Yuzu sighed. "He's in trouble…"
"What's Yuno going to do against that?" Yuya muttered incredulously. "But it's Yuno… I don't think he'll lose that early…"
Miharu leaned back, not bothered by it at all.
After all, bringing out strong monsters against Yuno meant that your own strength would work against you.
[Turn 4: Yuno] [H:5]
"Draw!" Yuno called. "I'll Special Summon Marincess Sleepy Maiden from my hand by targeting Marincess Battle Ocean!" The tired white-haired woman appeared.
[Marincess Sleepy Maiden (5*/500/2500/WATER/Cyberse/Effect)]
"And I'll Normal Summon Marincess Pascalus! Pascalus Special Summons Marincess Sea Horse from my hand!" The blonde-haired girl appeared next to the pink-haired Pascalus.
[Marincess Sea Horse (3*/1400/1000/WATER/Cyberse/Effect)]
"I will open my circuit again! Arrowhead confirmed! The conditions are a non-Link WATER monster! I'll use Sea Horse to Link Summon! Water, flow like humour and shoot into the brightened abyss! Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Link 1! Marincess Clownfish Confit!" An orange and white-haired girl appeared, with some curls around her face. She was bouncing on her feet and winking. She had bright red eyes, with a boa of anemone and coral around her neck.
[Marincess Clownfish Confit (L1/700/WATER/Cyberse/Link/Effect/→)]
"And open one more time, circuit of the limitless ocean! Arrowhead confirmed! The conditions are three monsters with different names, including a Link Monster! I will set Marincess Clownfish Confit, Marincess Pascalus and Marincess Sleepy Maiden in the Link Markers! Cybernetic dragon that crosses into reality! Now, infuse yourself with the ocean waves that crash against the shore, and pull the world into your magnetic field! Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Link 3! Magnetic Current Link Dragon!"
His ace appeared with a loud roar.
[Magnetic Current Link Dragon (L3/2500/WATER/Dragon/Link/Effect/←, ↓, →)]
"I see, this is your ace." Chojiro chuckled. "What will it do to destroy my monster, though?"
"I don't aim to destroy my opponents," Yuno said. "You've surely seen Yuya use my ace, correct? Allow me to repeat history! I will activate Magnetic Current's effect, and target your Level 5 or higher monster. I'll grant you life points equal to your monster's attack points and take control of it until your next End Phase! Magnetism Drive!"
Chojiro's eyes widened—and then his monster was dragged over to Yuno's side of the field.
Chojiro: 2600 + 5000 = 7600LP
"What a turnabout!" Melissa Claire announced from above them. "Enjoy Chojiro's strongest monster has been stolen from him by the challenger!"
Yuno chuckled, somewhat amused by the description—it was reminiscent of how people used to commentate on his duels back at home. Chojiro was looking at him searchingly for a moment.
Then, he laughed. "Oh! I see now, what kind of dueling yours is! You move others with your own heart, without seeking to hurt them!" He reached out a hand towards Yuno. "A shame then, that you've fallen just a hundred points short!"
"Have I?" Yuno asked confidently. "Then I'll have to compensate for that! After all, Chojiro-san—I still have cards in my hand!" He revealed another card. "I'll banish a "Marincess" monster from my graveyard to Special Summon Marincess Springirl!" The girl with dark blue hair appeared.
[Marincess Springirl (4*/1200/1000/WATER/Cyberse/Effect)]
Chojiro stared, and then he nodded with a bright smile. "I see your skill, Yuno-kun," he said. "And it's frankly overwhelming."
"Thank you, Chojiro-san." Yuno gestured forward. "Finish him off! Lightflare, Magnetic Current, Springirl!"
The three monsters charged forward, and Chojiro gracefully accepted his loss.
Chojiro: 7600 - 5000 - 2500 - 1200 = 0LP
Winner: Yuno Sugisaki!
"Oh!" Melissa Claire shouted from above. "It seems that the duel has truly concluded, with a surprising victory for Yuno Sugisaki! Truly, if he and Yuya Sakaki are related, I think it's clear who inherited the talent!"
Yuno stared at her with a deadpan look on his face.
Chojiro clasped his shoulder. "Well done," he said.
"I—" Yuno stopped for a moment. What was he even going to say? 'I wish that duel had gone on for longer?' 'I wish that I could have fought you on more even ground?' 'I'm sorry you didn't have as much fun as you should have?' 'I've forgotten how to hold back, after losing in a war. I don't know if I'll be able to duel the way I used to when I go back.'
"Hey, the winner should smile!" Chojiro grinned. "I'm not that young anymore, youngster. Don't be feeling sad for me now." He patted Yuno on the head. "The future of entertainment is safe with youths like you and Yuya."
"... alright," Yuno said. He then spotted two Security members walking over. "Huh?"
"Oh, those who lose in the Friendship Cup don't go back," Chojiro said. He offered a smile. "I wish you luck."
"... thank you," Yuno said. "I'll see you again then, Chojiro-san."
He watched as Chojiro was led away, and then he walked back towards his room.
He would talk to the rest at dinner. The rule about separating those who had lost from those still in the tournament might be to stop them from getting an additional leg up on their opponents…
He'd figure it out.
"Hey, Reira."
Reira didn't say anything, but she did reach out, hugging Miharu around the waist shyly.
"Did they call you?" Miharu had been heading out to talk to Yuno after his match, but she had seen Reira, so she had stopped by to talk to her.
Reira nodded. Miharu patted the top of her head.
"Good luck then, Reira. I'm rooting for you."
"I won't lose," Reira said, and oh, there was some determination there. Miharu felt her heart stir in something like approval.
"I'll watch you then," she said. She struggled with her words for a moment. "... I'm glad that I'm not your opponent."
What she actually meant was you've found fire, and I do not wish to be the one to snuff it out.
Reira nodded seriously. She let go of Miharu, heading off. Miharu watched her go.
"You're really fond of them, huh?" Yuno had showed up, and Miharu looked over at him.
"... well done," she said.
"Thanks. I know you'll win too." He shrugged. "I can't think of anyone that might defeat you."
Miharu thought about that boy with the violet hair and the same face as Yuno. She wasn't so sure about that. That last duel between the two of them… she hadn't been sure if she would have won, at the end.
"We're going to have to go back to our rooms," Yuno said. "But thanks for coming to see me!" Impulsively, he reached out, taking her hand. "Let's go back together, yeah?"
"O-oh! I didn't know that there were other kids here!"
Reira looked up, seeing a green-haired girl there. The girl was smiling shyly, and she held out a hand. Reira awkwardly shook it.
"I'm Ruka Sagiri," the girl said. "Good luck! I know we're kids, but…" She smiled a little more widely, despite her clear introverted nature. "I'm rooting for you!"
"... Reira Akaba," Reira said, because she really didn't know what to say. "Thank you."
She would win anyway. No matter what.
"So this is Reiji Akaba's brother," Roget said from above. "Interesting. We shall have to see how skilled they are. Then, perhaps we will be able to figure out how to use them."
From below, Reira rode out on the D-Wheel, much to the crowd's confusion.
"This is the youngest participant in the Friendship Cup!" Melissa Claire announced with some incredulity. "Reira Akaba! We as a city are no stranger to child prodigies—it was only last year, after all, that Ruka Sagiri made her debut under the flag of her mentor, Andre of Team Unicorn! However, I look forward to seeing what Reira-chan has to offer!" She gestured to the other participant who was coming out. "And on the other hand, our other participant is Tony Simmons of the Commons!"
As the man rode out, there were some boos coming from the Tops. At the same time, most of the Commons were cheering him on, and booing Reira. Melissa frowned. "H-hey, he's just a child!"
In the High Council's chamber, Reiji pursed his lips. From above the track, Mion frowned, somewhat annoyed.
"Sorry, kid," Tony said. "But I have to get back home."
Reira didn't reply. The two of them drove forward, and Reira lost due to inexperience—which wasn't particularly unexpected. Besides, Reira had always preferred the second turn.
[DUEL!]
Reira Akaba: 4000LP
Tony Simmons: 4000LP
[Turn 1: Tony] [H:5]
"I'll Normal Summon Uni-Zombie!" A blue-skinned zombie in a stained tunic appeared, putting his arm around a dark green zombie with a very pronounced ribcage. The two of them were singing, one horribly off-pitch and the other rather brightly melodic.
[Uni-Zombie (3*/1300/0/DARK/Zombie/Tuner/Effect)]
"With Uni-Zombie's effect, I will target itself and send a Zombie monster from my deck to the graveyard to increase its Level by 1!" Tony declared, and the pair of zombies glowed.
[Uni-Zombie: 3* + 1* = 4*]
"I will then activate the Spell Card, Foolish Burial! I can send a monster from my deck to the graveyard. And then, I can banish Mezuki from the graveyard to revive a Zombie monster! Come, Shutendoji!" A blonde-haired zombie appeared on his field, red skin dark like an oni's.
[Shutendoji (4*/1500/800/EARTH/Zombie/Tuner/Effect)]
"I'll use Shutendoji's effect. I will place my banished Mezuki back on top of my deck! And now, I'll set a card and end my turn!"
[Turn 2: Reira] [H:6]
"Draw," Reira said calmly. She reviewed her hand. "I will Normal Summon C/C One-Eyed Past Eye." The cornerstone of her dueling (and her first card) appeared in front of her, letting out a low rumble.
[C/C One-Eyed Past Eye (3*/1400/1000/DARK/Zombie/Effect)]
"I'll activate the Quickplay Spell, Past Tuning." She revealed the card. "I'll change your Uni-Zombie's Level to 1, since it is a Level 4 or lower monster. And I'll Special Summon Past Tuning as a monster with the same Level, Type, Attribute, attack and defense points. Then, I can treat C/C One-Eyed Past Eye as a Tuner Monster and tune it to the Level 1 Past Tuning. Pulsing darkness that rises from the shadows of the world. Synchronise with this eye and give me your power! Synchro Summon! Appear now! The arrow that flies silently through the night! Level 4! C/C/C Shadow Arrow the Embodiment of Tuned Attacks!"
A dark arrow appeared, its tip long and spiked, with trails of shadow streaming behind it.
[C/C/C Shadow Arrow the Embodiment of Tuned Attacks (4*/2000/0/DARK/Fiend/Synchro/Effect)]
"Oh yeah?" Tony called. "Trap Card, Urgent Tuning! I will Synchro Summon using monsters I control! You may have changed my monster's Level, but you didn't make things easier for yourself! I will tune the Level 4 Uni-Zombie to the Level 1 Shutendoji! Appear now in a blast of blue flame—Synchro Summon! Level 5! Shiranui Swordsaga!" A warrior with a blue, wispy spirit behind it appeared.
[Shiranui Swordsaga (5*/1900/0/FIRE/Zombie/Synchro/Effect)]
"With Shiranui Swordsaga's effect, I will change your monster to Defense Position!" Shadow Arrow was forced down. Reira nodded in understanding.
"I will activate the Spell Card, Persona Shutter Layer 3," she said. "And I'll set a card facedown. During the End Phase, the monster Special Summoned with Critical Tuning's effect is destroyed." Shadow Sword vanished from the field. "And since Shadow Arrow was sent to the graveyard, I can draw a card. And since a "C/C/C" monster was destroyed, I can use Persona Shutter Layer 3's effect to revive C/C Critical Eye." The monster reappeared on her field, defending her.
[Turn 3: Tony] [H:3]
"Draw!" Tony declared. "I'll activate the Spell Card, Terraforming. I'll add Zombie World from my deck to my hand and activate it!" Creepy miasma surrounded them. "I'll Normal Summon Plaguespreader Zombie!" A sickly-looking dark zombie appeared, holding out a hand as blue miasma surrounded it.
[Plaguespreader Zombie (2*/400/200/DARK/Zombie/Tuner/Effect)]
"And I'll tune the Level 2 Plaguespreader Zombie to the Level 5 Shiranui Swordsaga! The ruby eyes glance out from the darkness as undead fury surrounds it! Synchro Summon! Level 7! Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon!" The dark, shadowy dragon with red eyes and blue flame surrounding its scales appeared with a ferocious roar, gliding around behind Tony.
[Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon (7*/2400/2000/DARK/Zombie/Synchro/Effect)]
Up in her room, Kyorin blinked. "Red-Eyes," she murmured. "Like Chiaki's brother's cards then?"
"Red-Eyes," Serena muttered in her own room. "Like Fubuki Tenjoin's cards, correct?"
Reira looked up at the card, unflinching.
"Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon gains 100 attack and defense points for each Zombie in the graveyard or on the field! And while Zombie World is on the field, all monsters on the field and in the graveyard are treated as Zombies. So there is one monster in your graveyard and one on your field, while I have four in my graveyard and one on my field!"
[Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon: 2400 + 100 x 7 = 3100ATK; 2000 + 100 x 7 = 2700DEF]
"Attack his One-Eyed Past Eye!"
"Quickplay Spell, Past Overlay," Reira called. "I will change your monster's Level to Level 8. Then, I will Special Summon Past Overlay, and treat it and C/C One-Eyed Past Eye as monsters with the same Type, Attribute, Level, attack and defense points as your monster, and immediately perform an Xyz Summon. I will overlay the Level 8 C/C One-Eyed Past Eye and the Level 8 Past Overlay. Empty shadows that take on the solid form! Reside in this eye and give me power! Xyz Summon! Appear now! The ultimate protection that repels all judgement! Rank 8! C/C/C Shadow Chainmail the Embodiment of Overlaid Armors!" A dark set of armour appeared, chains of shadow drifting through the air around it.
[C/C/C Shadow Chainmail the Embodiment of Overlaid Armors (R8/3200/2700/DARK/Fiend/Xyz/Effect) (OU:2)]
"A monster with 3000 attack points on my turn?" Tony grimaced. "I'll have to end my turn. But your monster destroys itself during the End Phase, right?"
"Yes," Reira said.
The monster exploded, and Melissa let out a sigh from above. "If only Reira-chan's monsters didn't destroy themselves, he would be in a much better situation!"
[Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon: 3100 + 100 = 3200ATK; 2700 + 100 = 2800DEF]
… really? Reira had never thought that way.
Her monsters were transient, yes, but that didn't mean that they were weak in the slightest. Motivation came and went for her. Sometimes, she wasn't even sure if she felt like she existed in the world—some part of her was always trapped in war.
But she didn't need to be focused or strong all the time. If she could muster up strength for even a short moment, wasn't that enough to help her survive?
No one would ever ask anything of her, other than to survive. She didn't need to be anyone else.
She could just be herself, Reira Akaba, and that was enough, wasn't it? She was enough.
"C/C One-Eyed Past Eye is revived with the effect of Persona Shutter Layer 3," she said quietly.
[Turn 4: Reira] [H:4]
"Draw. I will activate the Continuous Spell, Montage Fusion. I will fuse C/C One-Eyed Past Eye and a picture of your Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon."
"... what?" Tony sounded completely confused.
"Supreme ruler of the realm of empty darkness. Dwell in this eye and give me your power! Fusion Summon! Level 8! C/C/C Shadow Halberd the Embodiment of Fused Arms!" A dark halberd appeared, shadows swirling around it as it followed them along the track, seeming to drift eerily despite no support coming from beneath it.
[C/C/C Shadow Halberd the Embodiment of Fused Arms (8*/3000/0/DARK/Fiend/Fusion/Effect)]
"I will then activate Persona Shutter Layer 4," Reira continued. "All "C/C/C" monsters I control gain attack points equal to their Level, Rank or Link Rating times 100!"
[C/C/C Shadow Halberd the Embodiment of Fused Arms: 3000 + 100 x 8 = 3800ATK]
"What?" Tony's eyes widened.
"What a surprise!" Melissa Claire called from above. "Reira-chan has shown that his monsters are certainly no joke!"
"Attack Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon!" The halberd shot forward, destroying the dragon by piercing through it.
Tony: 4000 - 600 = 3400LP
"And Halberd has a second attack," Reira continued. "Finish him off! Shadow Halberd!" The halberd shot forward, eliminating the rest of her opponent's life points.
Tony: 3400 - 3800 = 0LP
Winner: Reira Akaba!
"It seems that Reira-chan has pulled forward after all! What an overpowering effect!" Melissa called.
However, Reira heard different voices in the crowd. People mocking Tony for losing, for being a Common, all sorts of things that she hated hearing.
But she didn't have the strength to try to defend her opponent—not when she was already shaking from the attention that had been on her.
So all she could do was go.
When the third match was announced, absolutely everyone knew what the result would be. The result was so clear, in fact, that there was no suspense to the duel itself at all, and it was barely worth mentioning. A duel between Damon Lopez, one of Crow and Shinji's friends, and Kiryu Kyosuke.
Did anything else really need to be said?
Yuto watched the duel from above. He already knew Kiryu's skill. He was pretty sure that this wouldn't take long.
And he was right.
Kiryu boredly let Damon go ahead, giving him the first turn.
[DUEL!]
Kiryu Kyosuke: 4000LP
Damon Lopez: 4000LP
[Turn 1: Damon] [H:5]
"I will Normal Summon Alien Shocktrooper!" Damon declared, a reptilian humanoid appearing in front of him, swinging a long sword through the air with a hiss.
[Alien Shocktrooper (4*/1900/800/EARTH/Reptile/Effect)]
"And since I Normal Summoned a "Alien" monster, I can Special Summon Alien Dog from my hand!" A white-furred dog with green eyes appeared, staring forward with an unholy look, blue flesh under the white metallic fur.
[Alien Dog (3*/1500/1000/LIGHT/Reptile/Effect)]
"I will set a card facedown and end my turn!"
"And it's mine," Kiryu said. "I won't hold back on you, Damon, even if we're old friends. And with the cards in my hand, you've already lost."
[Turn 2: Kiryu] [H:6]
Kiryu drew, barely glancing at the card. "I'll Special Summon Infernity Wildcat by sending another "Infernity" monster from my hand to the graveyard." The bloody red cat appeared, licking at its flaming paws.
[Infernity Wildcat (3*/1400/0/DARK/Fiend/Tuner/Effect)]
"I will then activate the Continuous Spell, Wave-Motion Inferno! And I'll Normal Summon Infernity Necromancer." The familiar green-haired fiend appeared.
[Infernity Necromancer (3*/0/2000/DARK/Fiend/Effect)]
"By sending Wave-Motion Inferno to the graveyard, I will send all cards from my hand to the graveyard." He smirked. "I will use Infernity Necromancer's effect. I will revive a "Infernity" monster. Come back—Infernity Beetle." A black beetle appeared on the field, letting out a buzzing sound as its mandibles twitched.
[Infernity Beetle (2*/1200/0/DARK/Fiend/Effect)]
"I will tribute Beetle and Special Summon two copies of it to the field!" Two copies of the bug appeared on his field. "I'll tune the Level 3 Wildcat to the Level 3 Necromancer! Darkness that lays low any mortal being. Flames that burn through purgatory. Take on the form of the demonic creature, and let no person escape your gaze. Synchro Summon. Level 6—Infernity Doom Archfiend." The colourful but deadly horned demon appeared with a loud cackle.
[Infernity Doom Archfiend (6*/2200/1600/DARK/Fiend/Synchro/Effect)]
"I will use Doom Archfiend's effect," Kiryu said with a sigh. "I'll negate your Alien Shocktrooper's effect and destroy it, since I have no cards in my hand." Flames surrounded the thin reptilian creature, setting it on fire and destroying it. "Since I have no cards in my hand, I revive Infernity Conjurer with its own effect, but it is banished when it leaves the field. A red-robed figure with grey-blue spiky hair appeared.
[Infernity Conjurer (3*/1200/900/DARK/Fiend/Effect)]
"Conjurer lowers your monster's attack points by 800 since I have no cards in my hand!"
[Alien Dog: 1500 - 800 = 700ATK]
"I'll have Doom Archfiend attack your monster. And it deals doubled battle damage while I have no cards in my hand."
Infernity Doom Archfiend charged forward, destroying Alien Dog.
Damon: 4000 - 1500 x 2 = 1000LP
"Beetle," Kiryu said dismissively. The black beetle charged forward, bopping against Damon.
Damon: 1000 - 1200 = 0LP
Winner: Kiryu Kyosuke!
The duel concluded unceremoniously. Not even Melissa Claire seemed to know what to say, and she normally had something to say about everything.
It was just over.
Meanwhile, Shinji was grimacing. "Tony and Damon lost, huh? Don't worry, I'll avenge both of you." Although to be fair, the fact that Damon had lost to Kiryu made that loss feel a little more complicated to his heart.
After all, while he didn't want to perform for the Tops, he was certainly going to make them regret forcing him into this. By doing this, they had given him a platform.
And he certainly intended to make himself heard.
In the Fusion Dimension:
"You're sulking."
Sora glanced up at his cousin, who had found him hiding on the rooftop of the school. Shino smiled.
"Well, what's the problem?"
"Nothing," Sora said tersely. "Leave me alone."
Shino raised an eyebrow. A moment passed, and then Sora folded under the look on her face. "I was thinking about You Show again," he said quietly, as though his very words were treason. And they were—after all, they had already heard that the defected forces had taken on the banner of 'You Show' for themselves.
"Your friends there, huh?" Sora grimaced. Shino reached out, patting his head.
"I know that I shouldn't think of them as friends," Sora muttered. "We're on opposite sides."
"Nonsense," Shino said. "If they made you happy, even for a while, isn't that worth holding onto?"
"It's treasonous to even think about it," Sora said. He folded his legs in, hiding his face behind one of his arms. "Because they're enemies to Academia, right?"
"But are they enemies to you?" Shino replied, and her words struck Sora like a hammer to the head. "What Academia wants and what Sora Shiun'in wants. The two things can be the same, but they can also be separate. No one can ever completely detach from their own individual longing."
"I'm loyal to Academia," Sora said. "And anyway, Shino, aren't you loyal to Academia too?"
Shino smiled, looking a little sad. She reached out, gently patting Sora on the top of the head. "I'm loyal to you," she said softly. "Oh, little cousin. You're still a little naive, even after so many years."
Sora scowled. "Don't treat me like a child! What do you mean?"
"I mean that you're still seeing things in black and white." Shino said. She poked him in the side. "You're thinking that maintaining your friendship with Yuzu Hiiragi, Yuya Sakaki and Noboru Gongenzaka is mutually exclusive with following Academia's goals. That you must pick one or the other. But things aren't always so clear, Sora. If you'll worry about your powerlessness to change things, find yourself a way that does not forsake either."
"But what if I—"
Sora stopped talking, but what he was about to say was very obvious.
What if I end up believing in them so much that I can no longer stand in the middle?
"If you fear that," Shino said gently, "then you already know how important they are to you, don't you?"
"They're not supposed to be," Sora murmured.
"And yet they are." Shino said. "Trust me, I understand that feeling very well, loving people who you have been told that you shouldn't." She looked Sora directly in the eyes. "I do love you very much, Sora. No matter what, you're my family. You know that, right?"
"I know," Sora said. And I know I shouldn't leave. I just—
"And as your family," Shino continued, "I want you to find a way to be happy with the person that you are right now. I don't want you to look back someday and regret the person that you have become."
"Why does it sound like you're telling me to betray Academia?" Sora snapped. "Because I'm not a traitor—I won't—the Professor saved me—"
"I'm not telling you to do anything, Sora," Shino replied, her smile growing slightly despite Sora's aggressive response. "I told you to do what makes you happy. You're the one that thought that meant leaving Academia."
Sora froze.
"Your heart has already decided," Shino coaxed. "And I already knew that—I practically raised you, didn't I?" She smiled sweetly. "In the end, it's up to you. I'll always love you, no matter what."
"Then, if I go—" Sora swallowed. "If. If I go. Will you come with me?"
And he knew the answer before Shino even said it. He had known the answer this entire time.
"There's some others that I still have to take care of," Shino said.
"So you mean Yuri," Sora said, his voice caught between harshness and jealous fury. Because who else would Shino want to take care of? Who else could she talk about in such a tender tone when explaining why she would abandon him?
"… yes, Sora," Shino said with a sigh.
"He's a monster!" Sora shouted. "He's a monster, and I won't allow you to forget that! He's as much of a monster as his father was, he crippled you with his own hands, and he doesn't think of people as more than helpless victims for him, and god forbid that he thinks about you as more than that! How can you sit there and tell me that you're picking him over me as though that's any kind of reasonable choice at all?"
"… if he's a monster," Shino whispered, her gaze painfully far away from him. "Didn't our world make him one?"
Sora frowned.
"Because I remember a small boy that was put on camera to answer for the crimes of his family, when he was only six," Shino said. "I remember the Professor saying that he would make sure that the boy would turn out useful to our society, unlike his father. I remember people hitting the boy in corridors and mocking him and breaking him down. I remember the Professor telling that boy that the only way to become more powerful was to cast away the person that he cared for the most."
Sora's blood ran cold, because he had seen those things, but he had never looked at them with this compassionate lens—only with the feeling that Yuri deserved it—
"And for what?" Shino continued, far more serious and honest than she normally was. "For the sin of being an evil man's son? For the sin of crimes that were committed before he was even able to write his own name? What exactly about him made the rest of our world mistreat him so much?… no, that's the wrong question. What could ever justify treating a child like that?"
Her emerald green eyes met Sora's own. Her next words shattered his perception of the Professor completely, because if it was true—and it had to be true—
"Everything that Yuri is today is because the Professor wanted him to end up this way. Anything that you despise about him is something that the Professor inculcated in him for the sake of him being useful. They are the same traits that he finds valuable in you." Shino sighed. "What does that say about the man we follow?"
"But if Academia is wrong," Sora said, scarcely baring to breathe the words. "If they are wrong, then what have we been doing all this time?"
"Whatever you believed in," Shino said. "So all you have to do now is to keep on doing what you believe in. You can hate me if it makes you feel better about leaving. But I can't leave him behind."
"But it's the Professor's fault," Sora said. "Why should it have to be your responsibility?" He knew that he sounded like a whiny child, but at the same time, he couldn't help it. This was his cousin—someone that had always been there for him. Even if he still felt a pang in his heart at the very idea of challenging the Professor, he still didn't want her to let him go.
"It's not!" Shino leaned back and giggled, completely at odds with the current situation. "It's really not, Sora. None of us should have to deal with this—not the killing, nor the guilt when we inevitably realise that we're in the wrong. Not the responsibility, nor the fear of death. I could easily choose not to care, and I might be much better off. But I wouldn't be as happy, I think. So, do what you want."
She patted him on the head, heading off.
Sora felt a sharp pang of shame.
(He didn't allow himself to think about what he had done to the others, in the name of Academia. The shame and frustration that came with that would come later, when he could finally bring himself to make a decision.)
For now, he just sat there, wondering what he should do. About what would make him truly happy.
He thought for a very long time.
("Let me go to Synchro and retrieve Serena," he would lie through his teeth to the Professor, who would look at him and allow him to go.)
(Somehow, it made him feel far less guilty to lie to this man, than it had for him to duel Yuya back in Standard, those weeks ago.)
"Hey! Would you like one?"
The violet-haired boy looked up. The girl in front of him was holding out a lollipop. Hesitantly, he took it, waiting for a laugh or an insult—a twist to something that seemed too good to be true. However, the girl did not reject him. Instead, she sat down on the ground next to him.
"I'm Shino!" She introduced herself. "I saw you dueling the other day. That dragon of yours was really cool!"
Yuri blinked a few times in confusion.
"Let's be friends," the girl declared, and she grinned so widely that he couldn't say no.
"Hey!"
"Gitsune-san," Yuri greeted irritably. Why was she approaching him? He tried not to look at the wheels of the wheelchair. (I did that? I must have. I don't remember.)
Shino met his gaze with a confident smile. "I want ice cream," she said. "And I forgot my wallet, so you're buying it for me. Deal?"
Why—
He swallowed down the confusion. If she wanted to pretend that nothing had happened to her, he could pretend too. That was the least that she deserved. So despite the guilt eating through his chest, he said, "fine. You're annoying, you know that?"
"I know I am," she said with a laugh.
Ever since Serena had left Academia, Yuri had found himself walking to her tower quite often. He didn't know why. He didn't know if he could ever put those feelings into words.
The familiar sound of wheels rolling over stone could be heard. "Hey!"
Yuri rolled his eyes. "I heard your argument with the candy eater," he muttered. "What do you want with me?"
"Oh, you heard!" Shino grinned widely. Yuri found it hard to go into his faux-friendly attitude around her, considering that she did it much better, and it wasn't even fake. "Well, do me a favour and don't report him?"
Yuri swallowed down the complicated feelings that had been boiling up at the conversation that the two had been having.
"Whatever," he scoffed. "I hope you don't expect me to not card him though, if he ends up going through with defecting."
"I hope it doesn't come down to that, but I will understand," Shino promised. "But you heard everything else?"
"… I am not a pawn," Yuri finally said, the words coming out in a growl. "I chose who I became. No matter what, it was still my own choice—"
"If a lamb is led to a cliff and made to choose whether to fall or be slaughtered, is there really a choice at all?" Shino replied.
"In that case, aren't we both pawns?" Yuri said tensely. "You follow the orders of others for your own survival as well."
"It is true," Shino said, her lip curling up into a smile. "We shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another."
"… I've read that somewhere before."
"Frankenstein," Shino supplied. "I read it once. It reminded me of you."
"Reminded you of me?" Yuri thought about the words, and then he remembered the book that Shino had once lent him. He had gotten bored halfway through and given it back to Shino, however. "A scientist creates life and makes a monster, right? Are you calling me a monster?"
"Yes."
The blunt answer surprised him.
"In the novel, Frankenstein's Monster is intended to be beautiful, but is instead born disfigured and hideous," Shino said. "It has a good heart initially—it longs to befriend others, and it is not aware of its own ugliness. However, when it discovers its own appearance, it is afraid. It approaches a blind man that he has been helping and hopes to make friends with him, but is rebuffed by the man's son and family."
Yuri thought about his father, about how people had never seemed to see him, but attacked him for something else that they seemed to see in him.
"He travels to find the man who made him, who he believes owes something to him. He saves a child, but is attacked by the child's father, who thinks he is attacking the child. Out of rage, he murders his creator's brother and frames their nurse for the crime. He blackmails his creator into building a female version of himself. "I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other."" She hummed. "He longed to not be alone. However, the creator ended up destroying the female Creature that he was creating. And out of rage at being told that he would be alone, he decided to take out his rage on the world instead. To kill, if he could not indeed be loved. And so, what the scientist, Frankenstein, feared the most became true through his own actions. He molded his Monster with his own hands, he cast his Monster out with his own hands, he condemned the Monster to loneliness out of fear of what it would become, and he created a self-fulfilling prophecy. The monster killed the people that Frankenstein cared about, and fled to the north. Frankenstein followed, died from the cold through his refusal to give up the chase, and the Monster mourned him, before leaving to kill himself."
Shino concluded the tale. Yuri looked at her.
"Do you know why I'm telling you this?" Shino said gently.
A person who started out good, but was tarred with a brush from birth that caused it to be despised by everyone. Rejected by the people who would torment him, until he lost the one person that he cared for the most. And so he took his rage out on everyone, and became what they had feared all along. And when there was nothing left, it killed itself.
Yuri understood very well what she meant.
"I'm not going to—" Yuri held up a hand, as though to shield himself from her kind gaze. "I'm not going to like—fucking kill myself, or anything—"
"I know," Shino said. "But I see the path that you're heading down, and I don't want this to be how you end up, Yuri. Find yourself something that you can hold onto, something that will sustain you beyond violence and revenge."
"There is nothing," Yuri snarled. Because—because he had something once, but it hurt so much to think about it, to think about that person who he had loved so much—
A hand grabbed the collar of his shirt, dragging him forward.
"Do not just be a mindless monster," Shino said sternly, voice soft as a ghost. Her hands were surprisingly strong for someone who seemed so frail. "You are Academia's Monster, Yuri Kaiba. In every way, they made you and they fear you. But there is no need to fear yourself. If you only feel alive through war, then keep on waging war until you find a way to feel at peace with yourself, until you find something that you can do which will make you truly, truly happy. Something that will prove to you that they were all wrong about you from the start. Because if you keep going on like this, you'll only ever prove that they were all right, and I know they're wrong about you."
She let go. Yuri remembered how to breathe again.
"I hurt you," he said, still barely able to look at her wheelchair at all.
"You didn't," Shino replied. "I always tell you that. It was never you."
"Then who was it?"
Shino pressed a hand to her knee. "I hope for your sake that you never find out," she said.
"… you're weird when you get serious," Yuri muttered. It's rubbish. All of this is rubbish. I don't need anything except dueling and carding others.
Shino beamed. "I'd dare say it's part of my charm!" She said, and just like that, the tension was lifted.
Yuri scoffed, and he forced himself to stop thinking about it.
OC Cards:
Marincess Clownfish Confit
(L1/700/WATER/Cyberse/Link/Effect/→)
1 non-Link WATER monster
This card cannot be destroyed by battle. You can Tribute this card; target 1 non-Link monster in your GY, Special Summon it. You can only activate this effect of "Marincess Clownfish Confit" once per turn.
Magnetic Current Link Dragon
(L3/2500/WATER/Dragon/Link/Effect/←, ↓, →)
3 monsters with different names, including a Link Monster
Once per turn: You can target 1 Level 5 or higher monster your opponent controls; negate its effects, then, place that opponent's monster in a Main Monster Zone this card points to and take control of it until your opponent's next End Phase, and if you do, your opponent gains LP equal to the original ATK of the targeted monster. If this card is sent to the GY: You can Set 1 Trap from your GY to your field. It can be activated this turn.
C/C/C Shadow Arrow the Embodiment of Tuned Attacks
(4*/2000/0/DARK/Fiend/Synchro/Effect)
"C/C One-Eyed Past Eye" + 1 non-Tuner monster
When this card declares an attack: You can have this card gain ATK equal to the Level of all DARK monsters currently on the field x 100. If this card is sent to the GY: You can draw 1 card. You can only activate this effect of "C/C/C Shadow Arrow the Embodiment of Tuned Attacks" once per turn.
Persona Shutter Layer 3
(Spell/Continuous)
If a "C/C/C" monster you control is destroyed: You can Special Summon 1 "C/C One-Eyed Past Eye" from your GY.
C/C/C Shadow Chainmail the Embodiment of Overlaid Armors
(R8/3200/2700/DARK/Fiend/Xyz/Effect)
2 Level 8 monsters
During either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; this card gains ATK equal to the total DEF of all DARK monsters on the field other than itself. If this card destroys a DARK monster by battle: It can declare a second attack in a row.
C/C/C Shadow Halberd the Embodiment of Fused Arms
(8*/3000/0/DARK/Fiend/Fusion/Effect)
"C/C One-Eyed Past Eye" + 1 Level 7 or higher DARK monster
This card can make a second attack during each Battle Phase, and if your opponent controls a DARK monster, it can also make a third. If this card is Special Summoned: You can activate this effect; this turn, this card cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects.
Persona Shutter Layer 4
(Spell/Continuous)
All "C/C/C" monsters on the field gain ATK equal to their Level/Rank/Link Rating x 100. If a "C/C" monster is Special Summoned from the GY: You can add 1 "Montage", "Shutter" or "Past" Spell/Trap Card from your GY to your hand.
Different Card Effects from TCG:
Super Koi Koi - Anime effect.
Flower Cardian Maple with Deer - Anime effect.
Flower Cardian Paulownia - Anime effect.
Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher - Anime effect.
Recardination - Anime effect.
Flower Cardian Pine - Anime effect.
End Notes:
Dum dum dum!… Yes, Yuri Kaiba. Now that I've finally got that out, I hope we all understand why I've been so cagey about Seto Kaiba in this story. Seto Kaiba is dead, he is the brother that was killed in riots while trying to convince his father to change his mind. Yuri essentially took the place of Mokuba in this universe. Kaiba was born into the Fusion Dimension, not the Ritual Dimension. For those asking why, I'd say that the GX and DM cast overlap a little, and I needed a logical reason for KaibaCorp not to exist in the Ritual Dimension. Also… I just really wanted Kaiba to be Yuri's older brother. That's it, really, it's just a fun idea I liked.
Credit to DSpaceZ, who guessed that Viper was the dad, because that theory actually made a lot of sense with the crumbs that I left back then and made me go "yeah, I can see that". But yeah, KaibaCorp were the ones making weapons and stuff and sending them to other countries for war, just like they canonically did under Kaiba's father.
Sora, Yuri and Dennis are kinda foils in this story. All three of them are going through the same journey at different stages—fanatical loyalty to Academia, denial of the fact that they're losing faith, and eventually coming to terms. Of course, we all know that Yuri is still in Stage 1, Dennis is in Stage 2, and Sora is approaching Stage 3. And that makes a very big difference in what eventually happens to them in canon.
Anyway, feel free to speculate about the other matchups in the reviews. I'll give a shout-out to anyone who gets any of them right and gives a good reason for their guess! :D
Yuno vs Chojiro is one of the best match-ups I came up with for this first round, for obvious reasons, namely them both dueling to entertain, and Yuno getting to see firsthand how Yuya's ideals have managed to save someone's spirit. And I also kind of obviously showed that it was going to happen when Yuno and Chojiro met in the Facility. Also, to Chojiro, the idea of the loser being sent underground is so normal to him that he just forgets to tell Yuno, lmao. The duel is intentionally short, because if we do power scaling again, Yuno Yuya & Yuzu Chojiro, so having Yuno struggle wouldn't make sense, especially considering that Chojiro has very little actual effect protection. However, I still wanted them to talk, which is why the duel happened. And well, to be honest, Kiryu and Reira just drew the short straw, but I wanted to give Reira an OTK against someone, and I wanted to give Kiryu an OTK too. Plus, they were just unlucky, along with some others, to get a slightly underwhelming duel. That's what happens when you have to come up with 16 matches with uninteresting minor characters involved though. I hope no one was expecting me to write full duels for Damon and Tony of all characters. I need to save my energy somehow. Next chapter, on the other hand, has actually interesting characters to write about, with four fun decks to write! :)
Review responses!
To Unlucky-Fausto, yeah, I decided to remove Speed Counters once I moved to actually writing the Friendship Cup. It felt a lot like I was just stalling out the duels in order to gather Speed Counters—essentially, I was making the duels worse in order to try and fit in another mechanic, and in the end, I gave up. Sorry if you were looking forward to it. I'll be trying my best to give Carly good duels—definitely nothing like the OTKs here.
To DSpaceZ, thanks for pointing them out—I unfortunately mess up card stats sometimes when I'm writing. Yeah, Sherry and Aki dating is a ship that came from a different fic that I read once, and I never stopped thinking about it. Yup, Rua and Ruka are not going to be major characters either, but considering how many others I brought back, leaving out two major characters seemed a bit odd.
To naminexriku2468, I'm not sure what you mean by using their full power, but if you mean having them manifest their cards in real life, there's probably only one instance of that which I can think of. After all, for a Riding Duel to take place, both sides have to have D-Wheels, and unless the stakes are high enough, I don't think Psychic Duelists will actively try to hurt others. The only situation I can think of is a spoiler, so I won't talk about that.
To T.V. 2000, yeah, I don't intend for Arisu to participate in the Friendship Cup. I think there are like… three canon duels, but I'm rewriting all three, so yeah, basically all original.
To the Guest going by Lia E Fairy Tail (since I don't know if this is the actual one), I have mentioned this before, but yes, the main pairings are Yu Boys/Bracelet Girls. I know it's mainly Yuno/Miharu right now, but I'm setting things up for the others in the background. My opinion on Rush Duels is that the archetypes they've made are phenomenal. Psychic Musicians, Chemical Cures, Music Princesses and especially Flowerfang made me shriek the first time I saw them. At the same time, the ruleset doesn't appeal to me, so I don't intend to use any parts of those series in this fic.
To the Guest going by mpena23, whether or not the manga dragons show up, at the very least, it won't be in this arc.
To the Guest asking about Yuji vs Asuka… anything like that will be too far in the future to think about. I completely wiped out the Honor Student deck from this story planning, because unlike Konami, I don't need to sell a Structure Deck. So Reactor Dragon, etc will probably go to Obelisk Force instead of being used by Yuri.
To LHOCIN, it's definitely just Yugo wanting to see his dragon face Jack Atlas, but yeah, I do intend for Yugo and Yuya to be friends. Yeah, I always thought that synchronisation should happen when they're thinking in the same way, and in a sense, all three other Yu Boys also wanted him to win.
To the Guest asking about Miharu and Yuzu, Miharu doesn't see Yuzu as a younger sister, they're just friends. She's not nearly nurturing enough to see anyone as a younger sibling.
To the Guest asking about Twin Dragons, that fic was posted for the sake of getting it out of my system. Six Dimensions will remain the main project for a very long time. Considering life things, I most likely won't update it for a long time. I was thinking of updating it after the Facility here, but I feel like I'd burn out.
To the Guest asking about duels I'm looking forward to in the future, I really don't want to spoil things. I guess some safe things I can say though (that aren't spoilers) are definitely everything involved in the finale of the Synchro Arc. Some duels that no one should really be surprised about and I can thus reveal my clear excitement for are Yuji vs Yuri (if you didn't already know, yeah, I think that's obvious) and Rin's next duel.
To cardfan135, interesting matchup guesses! I won't comment on whether they're happening, but I'll agree that I don't really like repeat duels if they don't serve a narrative purpose. Like, I'm fine with Sora vs Shun/Yuya vs Reiji/Yuya vs Jack being repeated for plot, but it really depends. For example, if Yuya won against Jack, and then won against Jack again in the finale, it would have been a really bad repeat duel. Plot and narrative significance. Yeah, Silver Selkie was made a long time ago, and I was surprised at how well it worked out in the duel.
To donkeyboy100, I already answered your question in PM, so good luck with your fic!
To the Guest asking if Yuji will use Beatrice… would I really give someone Burning Abyss without Beatrice?
To phantomdragons, that's a very flattering review! Both of them. There's a reason that I left this until last, because this answer is going to have to be very long. Uh, I always have a certain tone and rhythm that I intend to go for in fics, and I adjust how I write narration/sentences with them. If I were to try and describe the difference between my two current fics, it's definitely about the style of narration. If you look at the dialogue itself, you'll realise that characters speak the same way in both fics. But the reason that the vibe is kind of different is because the narration of Six Dimensions is written to be very self-aware of itself. The narration blends with the actual thoughts of the characters. Since three of the four protagonists—Yuji, Yuno and Miharu—are not the kind to directly say a lot of things, the narration is often their own dialogue. So yeah, a lot of the style of Six Dimensions is the way that it is so that I can convey certain characters' thoughts without dialogue well. Of course, it might not work for other fics. For a louder character like Yugo, I would use a far more direct style (i.e. the Twin Dragons one), so it really varies based on perspective.
Any advice for other fic writers? Uh, I don't think I'm that qualified to give advice, but from my personal experience, firstly, keep your chapters short. Now, I know this is a hilariously hypocritical statement from me, the king of 10k chapters per week, but hear me out. As much as I love my literature references and analysis, most readers probably don't. People are much more drawn to short chapters, especially at the start, if they give a good premise immediately. I still want to go back to Chapter 1 of this fic eventually and rewrite the Yuji-Chiaki duel there. But yeah.
Secondly, don't make your duels drag out. This is for several reasons. While epic duels where people summon big monster after big monster are hype in the anime, in a fanfic, it's very easy to screw up long duels in writing. Furthermore, if you're writing a deck that your audience knows, having the duel drag out for super long makes your characters seem incompetent, because you'll inevitably have to either make a lot of OC cards to stop the decks from flatout winning, or you'll have to make your character avoid using good combos, and that makes them look incompetent to the reader. For example, I once read a review on another fic about how they always skip the duels because they're too long and/or that they skip duels because Link Summoning is boring. And I kinda agree with that. After a while, if you normalise making overpowered OC cards for characters as your solution to 'balancing duels', you'll end up with ridiculous overpowered and yet too specific cards. While I agree that OC cards are fine—I like them a lot of the time—sometimes they're just made to extend the duel more, and it makes the duel tiresome. My example for this is Yuno. It's really, really difficult to write Yuno's duels in this fic because Marincess is insane. Therefore, for power scaling, I immediately sealed off his Link 4s, because then I could never justify him not bringing out Aqua Argonaut Turn 1 and wrecking shit. In general, long duels are fine, but be aware of how it feels to read those duels. And don't try to make every duel have a minimum amount of turns or something. Sometimes, characters are just stronger than other characters, and the fic can benefit from not dragging them out. Save your energy for things that matter. One small thing that I try to do is establish what to expect from the chapter at the start (i.e. whether or not it's a dueling chapter.) Yes, it might feel too short, yes, people might complain, but you won't be miserable.
Thirdly, let yourself breathe. If you don't feel up for writing, that's fine. Take a break, write outlines, etc. Never allow yourself to be pressured to write more than you want to. If you don't want to write duels for a while, just chill. Write a shorter chapter with just character interactions. Sometimes, your readers get tired from reading duels too. If someone gets toxic about a lack of updates, delete their review or block them for being an asshole, because either way, their presence is only making you less motivated.
That was a long response. Hope that helps though! See you next time!