Author's notes: The next chapter may take a month to complete. It may be an extra story due to Christmas coming around the corner. I will try to post it by Chirstmas... or maybe both. This could be interesting... for me.
A2 C2: Shadows of the Past
Earlier that day…
Yuuya's Point of View
Many things had happened in a flash.
Firstly, I was accused of something I did not do.
We even had a duel to clear my name, which ended up having us wining in the end. It was also at this very same, I learned that our sensei, Kyou Yuuki, was once an LDS professor. Not only that, he was also a very famous one at that.
But the most shocking thing was Akaba Reiji, the teen who came in the last minute, as well as the teen who challenged Kyou-sensei was able to use Pendulum Monsters.
I was honestly shocked to learn that someone else was using a card type I was using. They were the cards that made me into who I am now! Yet…
It took Hiiragi-sensei, Yuzu's father, to snap me out of my own slump. He was right. Eventually, Pendulum cards will become a staple in our lives. Soon, everyone will start using them. When the time comes, I will need to be prepared.
…
Looking back at the previous day, I also noticed how Kyou-sensei was able to hold his ground against Akaba Reiji. In short, the duel was jaw-dropping. Now that I think about it, throughout my lessons with Kyou-sensei, he had never once gotten serious with me. Not even in our practice duels.
Although I would appreciate it if he would stop yelling at me all the time.
Back to the present, the day began like any other, only this time I was fully prepared to face what would happen. Recess came and both Yuzu and I were sitting next to each other on a bench in our school yard.
Giving a silent prayer to my father, I vowed to improve myself and my skills to become a pro duelist like him. Someone who can bring smiles to everyone through entertainment dueling.
"Itadakimasu!" I said before digging into my lunchbox that my mother had prepared for me. It had my favourites, as usual, rice, tempura, some salad dressings and some ganmodoki.
"Yuuya, slow down." Yuzu said as I chewed. "Here."
Eh?
I paused and Yuzu had taken out a handkerchief to wipe away my face. She did it so delicately too.
"Having dreams is fine and all, but for now you should be savoring your food rather than talking." She said and I was once more taken aback by her rather gentle disposition.
This was… surprising. The Yuzu I would know would most likely reprimand me for this behavior. Did something happened that changed Yuzu?
"Well, looks like someone's enjoying the life." We heard a third voice. Yuzu's treatment stopped and we turned to see a familiar face.
The third voice belonged to a person who had stole my Pendulum cards and had also put Yuzu and the others into danger. Sawatari Shingo. Like me, he was wearing our uniform. His blond hair was just as recognizable. Yuzu's first reaction was to pout and turn away.
"I deserve that anyways. Then again, at least I'm not the one who was disgusting in front of a lady. The way you eat and duel are both disgusting." He said as his eyes locked onto mine. It was clear who he was aiming at.
"Disgusting! Well, you are right about my eating, but what was so disgusting about my dueling?"
"Hmph. You attacked someone, AGAIN!" He said and a few dots had started connecting. Like the reason why Akaba Reiji had decided to end the duel by surrendering. That and their panicked expressions. "Someone using Xyz Summon attack an LDS teacher."
"But, Yuya is-" Yuzu tried to defend me like always but she was immediately cut off.
"I know. I was just joking when I said Yuya assaulted someone. I've heard that you were defeated by Aoi Nekoro, so you are cleared. She's our strongest ace after all. Besides, if you cannot defeat her, then there's no way you would be able to defeat an LDS teacher. Even with your unfair Pendulum Summons."
"How is using Pendulum Summon unfair!" I argued.
"It's unfair that only you have Pendulum Cards!" He was right… I had no counter argument to that. Even so…
"But… Kyou-sensei… he…"
"Kyou-sensei? Ah, Kyou Yuuki right." I guess Kyou-sensei WAS popular, "He's a separate story. Besides, he was the one who created OUR decks."
"Wait what?"
Even Yuzu was at a disbelief.
"Yeah, you hear me right. Kyou Yuuki was the one who created our cards. He had spent his entire career creating and teaching us how to use them when he was in LDS. I've only joined last year so a majority of the information was by word of mouth. But get this, I was also told that he had single handedly destroyed a Duel School."
"What did you say? No, Kyou-sensei wouldn't do that!"
"Not according to the source of the rumours. He was once a student there and was also a witness who then transferred to LDS soon after. If I were you, I would suspect him first since he is my biggest suspect right now."
But…
"And of course, Kyou Yuuki is also innocent. He had an alibi." Sawatari backed away. His body posture had relaxed significantly. "In any case, that's all I want to say. You can savour your Pendulum Monsters for now because rumour has it that Leo Corporation is developing Pendulum Cards. I will get those cards first and use them to defeat you!"
He turned.
"Later. I'll see you in the Junior Youth Championship."
And he left.
There were more things on top of my concerns now. Firstly, more information about our sensei. Sure, that guy is mysterious and barely even talk to us about himself. Secondly, he was the one who designed our cards… I looked at my deck. If so, that would explain why he was able to know and predict all of our moves. Then, he was also the one who assaulted another school and destroyed it.
The last one… it did not sit well with me. After all, Kyou-sensei was the one who taught me and encouraged me to be myself. To duel for the sake of fun. I can't even imagine how… or why he would destroy another school.
Turning back to my lunch again, this time the food did not taste as good…
…
Hang on. Junior Youth… OH NO!
Yuzu's Point of View
"You cannot participate in the Junior Youth Championship?"
Yuuya's back was hunched forward as we walked back to my home, You Show Duel School. Yuuya told us about his win rate of 21% and how it made him unable to participate. This left him with the other criteria to fulfill, which is to win 6 duels in a roll.
I even told them about what transpired at school. We went around asking for help but none of them were eager. After all, Yuuya had defeated Strong Ishijima, the previous champion. That and he had a free pass to the championship, or so they claimed.
"But I didn't get a free pass!" True… considering the match wasn't official. That and Yuuya was not even a pro. "Sigh, I kept losing to Kyou-sensei so it affected my win rate."
He wasn't wrong on that.
We continued our walk back to our duel school all while sharing our motivations. Yuuya shared with us how he plans to get stronger without help from others. How he cannot always rely on Kyou-sensei and Gongenzaka all the time. This does make me want to improve myself. Kyou-sensei would definitely help me on this. He did mention how he is always there and open to help us improve. It was a no brainer.
I… will ask him about what he did another time… maybe when he teach me how to Fusion Summon but still I am sure everyone should at least know what and why he did to that school.
As we reached You Show, the person that greeted us was none other than Kyou-sensei.
"Welcome home, good students." Sometimes he would just use random greetings to us. The words he uses are often times colourful but they were theatrical at best. Sometimes it would appear melancholy and monotonous at worst. It was almost as if he was reciting from a script of is just roleplaying. Then again, he did teach Yuuya how to Dueltain. I'm not against it since it was a lot of fun.
His greeting in this instance however, was monotonous, almost doll like.
"We're back sensei." I replied, followed by the kids. Each time we come back, he would greet us in a unique way so it was entertaining in a way. I actually love that one time he came with a silver briefcase filled to the brim with cards. It was also the time when we got some cards to add to our decks.
I then noticed that Yuuya was not moving from his spot… I guess he was still disturbed by what we have learned this morning at school.
"What is it that you desire?" he said in a doll like fashion. He even had a doll like stare with little to no emotions and even with half lidded gaze.
"Well, a good wash up will do." True to the kids' words, we often clean our hands, legs and face whenever we enter the building so we did exactly that after putting our shoes away into our respective shoe cabinets.
"Um…" Unsurprisingly, Yuuya was the one who spoke up and I could tell what he wanted to say, "Sensei, I was told that you once destroyed a school."
…
The kids were obviously shocked at the revelation. I looked at Kyou-sensei's reaction to the allegation. His role playing crumbled away as he exhaled in a tired sigh, "Honestly, had LDS stop that school, I wouldn't have to dirty my hands for them…"
We were more confused at that commentary.
"I'll tell you more inside, clean yourself first, lemme grab a cup of tea." He said and without any further delays, we cleaned ourselves.
Yuuki's Point of View
How long has it been since that time… two years ago? Or maybe three. I had my reasons for why I decided to pay that damned school a visit…
There is a saying. One which I despise a lot. But even so, I must agree with. It's a saying that describes how futile it is to forget one's embarrassing and darkest past no matter how hard one may try.
I looked towards my audience as I poured my freshly boiled tea. The kids on one couch, Yuuya and Yuzu in a shared couch while Shuuzou at my side. The only absentee is Sora, who gave me a shoddy excuse to be absent in order to stalk Akaba Reiji.
His lost, especially when I used a Fusion monster to destroy them. He would have loved to hear all about it but alas here we are.
"Now then… where to start…" I began. "There was a saying. It goes by the shadows of the past. After all, it happened around-
Three years ago
Work came in as usual and I had successfully created another batch of cards ready to be tested and mass produced. Combined with my job as a teacher, I had a full schedule ahead of myself. Besides, once I am done with these batches, I can declare that my job as the card creator is over. I will then return to teaching full time.
As I finish up my post here, I head out to my space and sat next to my junior whom had started earlier this month. She was new to the job.
"Welcome back Kyou-senpai," she said, "I was told that you have finished your card creation for good."
I nodded, "Yeah, now that I am done I will be mentoring everyone's class from now on. How was your day?"
"Well…"
She then proceeded to tell me about how nervous she was teaching in front of everyone. Not surprising considering it was her first time teaching a class. I remember back in my former life when I was a teacher to a bunch of… NOISY, LOUD, EARPIERCING, UNGRATEFUL, and HYPERACTIVE children. They may be kids, but damn do they have some strong pair of lungs.
Those were the days…
Then again, thanks to those brats I was able to acquire a huge buff towards my patience. If I compare to the kids in this world with the ones in my old world, it would be night and day. Then again, it could be because the kids here were designed by Japanese and as such, have a Japanese upbringing. I don't know much about it but I do know that they needed to learn manners for their entire first year of school. I asked my jogging partner, whose daughter had been through her first year, and he confirmed them.
As I gave her some advice, we were suddenly interrupted by one of our colleagues. It was the Xyz teacher, Sakuri Haisu. He's also one of the few teachers in LDS whom I had taught. When I first saw him, I thought he would become one of my antagonists…
He, like Richua and Ai, also originated from the Zexal World Duel Carnival game and appear in Tag Force Special. But his is more… antagonistic. According to the official lore, he had a very inflated sense of self-worth, seeing everyone else around him as stepping stones without a second thought while improving his own status. He is also the least popular teacher in LDS due to this. However, I've also learned that he was actually acting.
I suppose I kind of see myself in him so I decided to take him under my tutelage. I taught him how to Xyz Summon and he became one of the best Xyz teacher in LDS. Oh, and even though he ran his mouth, saying how he plans to overthrow the current CEO, Akaba Reiji, no one actually take him seriously.
But that wasn't important now.
He came in and started spreading some… bad news about a certain school. One that I can easily recognize. It was a school that I actually despise just from their debut. At first, I thought their Chinese aesthetics were cool as it reminded me of a time when I watched some anime that are themed around ancient China. That and my former life was Chinese as well.
Then suddenly, I saw how they assaulted Yuuya in the anime.
Originally, this scenario is like one of those villains where you see them and forget existed. Like a normal Saturday cartoon episode. Only this time, I am a part of it… and I can definitely do something about it. Besides, I could choose to allow things to things play out its natural course. However, my neighbour, a fun loving gal, happens to be one of their many victims.
She came back one day and I noticed a bandage on her arm. Being the busybody and concerned neighbour I was, I inquired and pressed further for information. According to her, her opponent, a student from Ryouzanpaku, who happened to be a boy, brute force their way through the duel and injured her.
I guess anything is fair game with these muscle brains.
A discussion happened soon after during the end of the day. All of us were gathered to discuss the possibilities that will take place. To make a long story short, we are now in a board meeting with the higher managements of the company. All of us teachers, the lower branch of the company is now face to face with a few of the superiors. And no, no one here is worth mentioning. That means our CEO… whoever they are at the moment, is not present in this meeting.
The verdict at the end of the meeting is 99% of the faculty unanimously agree to restrict the school.
Why are we doing this? Apparently, there were reports saying that some of the students of the school has injured other duelists. And no, the injuries were not caused by Action Duels. Rather, these are injuries that the students in Ryouzanpaku personally and knowingly inflict on their opponents. A majority of their opponents, namely random people who happened to duel them, would suffer heavy injuries and bruises. Some were even admitted into hospitals. Their response to these controversies? They are just weak.
How do the masses respond? NOTHING! Can you believe that? It was almost as if they have someone pulling strings.
Complains? Not an echo.
The authorities? Not even dispatched.
If this were to happen in my old world, those 'maniacs' would be sent to an insane asylum for reeducation. Their directors would be jailed for life for brainwashing and grooming children to incite violence.
I voiced my objection. And yes, I am that 1%.
"I have a suggestion." I started, "Rather than restricting them, let's close them down."
The room went silent at the suggestion.
"Oi, Kyou-sensei, now's not the time to joke around." One of my colleagues said. The higher ups, the people in black suits, remained silent.
"Normally I would, but not this time. I want that school shut down. There are already too many cases of them running around injuring people. Rather than giving them a slap to the wrist, wouldn't it be more effective to make all the problems go away in one fell swoop?"
Another pause.
"Are you a fool! If we do that, that would damage our reputation." One of the higher ups stated.
"DON'T GO MENTIONING REPUTATION WHEN YOU YOURSELF BARELY SHOW YOUR FACE IN THE TIME OF NEED!"
I did not know what came over me. But I must yell that fact. My impression of our higher ups was at rock bottom. After all, within our lower circle, we have a circulating rumour that mentioned how our superiors bought their positions. In other words, bribery and corruption. I did not care for those kinds of rumours but what I do care dearly was how dueling was a form of violence. If this is left unchecked, more and more duelist will pick up this style of dueling.
I won't allow it.
"How dare you!" Of course, it was the higher ups, the people in black suits, were the angry ones. My colleagues, on the other hand, had mixed reactions. Some impressed as I have done something they had always wanted to do. Others disapprove of my blatant disrespect.
"We'll have you fired for this!"
"Oh really? Then I will burn away the rest of my creation. I'm sure the media would love to hear how their long-awaited supports are canceled. And in an act of spite, I go to a separate company to mass produce my creations there." Have I mentioned how I have leverage over my superiors? Because those threats instantly silenced them. Oh, and I did it all in a chilling tone. Not those loud ones that stresses my throat.
Once more the room fell into silence. I panted from the adrenaline rush that I had incited. Once I had taken a breath, I changed the topic. Sitting down, I restarted our conversation.
"Now that I have everyone's attention, we will do things MY way. I will need three things. First, the higher ups, which is you, will run damage controls. You will all control what goes out to the media. The story will be this. An inspector, ME, was sent to Ryouzanpaku to inspect their dueling standards. The results are 'insufficient' as they lack the dueling standards needed to be a school!"
"Are you telling us to manipulate their achievement scores so that we have a legitimate reason to close them down? That's fraud!"
"It's not fraud if we evaluate them. Think about it. I will be sent there to evaluate their performance. Then, I will inspect how proficient they are in a duel. If they are found to be incapable, I will reduce their evaluation score and we will have a reason to close it down."
Each and every Duel School in Maiami City has a score we keep track of. These scores have many names like evaluation score, achievement scores, record scores and so on. The maximum score is 10. Each school must have reached a certain threshold to keep up appearance. For example, LDS, the progenitor and pioneer has a perfect score of 10, sometimes 9.5. To earn points, that school must achieve certain milestones like winning in a tournament. However, losing points is much easier. One of this method includes having a representative of the school dueling the inspector. This is what I am focusing on. However, instead of one representative, I will have the entire school duel me.
Of course, my superiors, ever the sly snake they are. Having heard of such proposal, they agree to my terms. However, they had an additional condition to it.
"Very well," one of them said, "BUT! If you are unable to do that, your employment with us will be immediately terminated! That also includes the rights to the cards you've created! Seriously, why would you sign someone else's name on it. Who in the world is Kazuki Takahashi anyway?"
You have no idea peasant.
Also, this the least I can do for you.
You will be remembered.
"What about the second and third?" Another superior asked.
The second thing will be something that makes my job easier… and dueling as a whole more interesting and faster. But the third… will be a sure-fire way to close that school for good.
I arrived at the front gate of the school. The school had an oriental aesthetic. The stairs leading up to the entrance were made of polished stones. To their sides, oriental greeneries like bushes and long bamboos filled my vision along with small mountain carvings. The entrance to the school is connected to a red wall surrounding the area. It had a green roof. On top of the doorway was the name of the school that is written in Chinese, "Ryou Zan Paku" or "Liang Shan Bo" depending on which language one speaks.
I am here on business.
Knocking on the door and stating my business, I was greeted by a youngster. He gave me a palm hold fist salute and showed me in.
As I travel through the school, I was able to see their training regime. Each and every student did not say a word. Their entire being are only focusing on what they are doing. Training. Training. Training. Training.
I entered the main building and was greeted by a lone figure at the opposite end of the room. The room had a standard Dojo like appearance. The only things that stood out in the room are the motivational calligraphy on the walls. I walked in at a leisurely pace as I approached the cushion… slowly but casually.
"Goudagawa Ryouzan," I started as I critiqued the man. His greying hair is an indication of his age. His moustache is just as long as his beard. His forehead had a cross shaped scar. Overall, if his face was red, he would remind me of a certain Chinese God of War, minus the scars. "I will not say that the pleasure is mine because I definitely do not like you."
If it is one thing that I take pride in, it is my blunt honesty due to my strength.
"How arrogant. No matter how many times I silence the protestors, another would always come back for more." He said in his wizen old tone.
"Bah, put a sock in old man. If you had kept your kids on a tighter leash this wouldn't have happened. After all, you restricted them from doing anything else but train, train and train. Yeah, you did allow them to attend school but still all work no fun would make anyone a dull boy. They can't even meet their parents. Can't even talk or write to them. So, what do you expect?" I then proceed to list down the things he did.
"It is for their own good."
"Really now? How many times do you tell yourself that? These children have a life of their own and YOU take them away for what reason? Without knowing what to fight for, power means nothing! For what reason do they train? To become professional duelists? Then what happens next? Once they have reached the top and the best, what happens next?"
He raised a palm silencing me. A typical behavior for people in authority to silence other as a means to exert their power… or to hide their own cowardice.
"I will hear no more of your ceaseless rants. If you wish to prove your point then you only need to win!" he stood up from his cushion and retrieved his duel disk.
I sigh.
"People these days. It's about the lessons learned not the victory. You've confused your role with your ambition and it's affecting everyone around you."
"Are you done yet?" Without any further delays, he activated his duel disk.
"…" I stopped my monologues and stare at the old man, "Fine, interrupt me why don't you. Oh, it doesn't matter. And honestly, I pity you and for that I will grant you mercy." If I am able to look in a mirror, I would expect my eyes to dilate along with a wide grin. "Anyways," I took a seat on the cushion in the middle of the room that had been prepared beforehand, "Let's make this 'fun' why don't we. And don't worry, by fun I mean a huge advantage for you."
"…"
"Let's see. Hmmmmmm," I did a mocking sound to mimic my thoughts, "Ah yes, let's start with my first rule. I cannot enter the battle phase. In other words, none of my monsters can attack."
"The next rule… I can only summon monsters with 0 Attack and Defence Points to the field! Even more advantage for you, considering how weak my monsters would be."
"The third rule… I will go… last. And don't worry, about battle phase, oh no, since I had my first rule up. That and because my fourth and final rule is that I will duel with EVERYONE in Ryouzanpaku Duel School and by everyone, I'm talking about the teachers, students and the owner will partake."
"…" another silence but let's see if I can get a reaction from him.
"Hmmm, no reaction. Then what about one more rule then? I will duel everyone… in a battle royale AT THE SAME TIME! Just me vs the ENTIRE school!" I did the corresponding hand gesture as I emphasize the me and the entire school by first tapping my chest and then raised my arms up to the sky as I emphasize my point. "After all, Goudagawa Ryouzan is someone who would do ANYTHING for victory am I right? Or was I wrong?"
Once more, he did not say anything. Only thing he did was pick up a mallet and hit the gong. It reverberated loudly throughout the whole school… and then I find myself surrounded by the locals. All of whom had their duel disks drawn.
"DUEL!"
…
…
To make a long story short, imagine facing against a combo deck. Now imagine a new player facing off against said opponent. What would they do in this situation? Would they sit around patiently and wait for their turn? Would they tune out everything that is going on in favour of their own hand? Or would they stare around blankly, confused as to what was actually going on?
That was basically me, minus the latter.
I essentially tone out each and every single thing that is going on. Because it makes no difference in the end. When the final faceless mob runs their turn, it is now time for the man himself to go.
As for the decks that the school is using and thanks to my involvement or interference, they are now focusing mostly on Synchro Summonings instead of Fusion Summoning. And by Synchro Summoning, they use a mixture of Yang Zing, Tenyi and of course… Swordsouls. Unfortunate for them, two out of three of these archetypes are incomplete but they don't need to know that.
"I will now Synchro Summon Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan (Level 6/FIRE/Wyrm/1200/2300) with Swordsoul Token (Level 4/WATER/Wyrm/Tuner/Level 4/0/0) to Synchro Summon Level 10 Swordsoul Supreme Soverign – Chengying (Level 10/WATER/Wyrm/Synchro/Effect/3000/3000)."
Ah yes, the same old Swordsoul combo. A damn shame he doesn't know of its full combo because then he would have Swordsoul Grandmaster – Chixiao alongside his level 10 Synchro Monster. As for why he brought out Chengying, I may have decided against releasing that specific Level 10 synchro monster yet. Even if I did release that card, I doubt people in this world understand her value and what she can bring. Not my fault they are stuck in easy mode.
"When Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan is sent to the Graveyard as a Synchro Material, I can inflict 1200 damage to you." He declared.
"Ohohoho! What a combo… but it's a shame that I have a counter to that! From my hands, I activate Skull Meister. When my one of my opponent's card effect is activated in their graveyard, I can send this from my hands to the graveyard and negate that effect."
"Did he activate a card effect during his opponent's turn?"
"You can do that?"
I heard the confused voices of the students.
Alright then, I guess I have a new compulsory lesson plan in store for my students, both new and old.
…
Why do I get the feeling that this lesson is going to be the hardest thing to teach? This had better not be a horrible premonition.
"Very well, I will end my turn! Since this is a battle royale, we are not allowed to conduct our battle phase." He reminded.
It was as he said. However, I must once more review the battle royale rules. This is a new dueling rule that I have proposed to the card makers. They found some of my ideas appealing and thus it has been implemented. Now, to start, Battle Royale has the same rule as a normal duel, or as I call it, Master Duel.
The only difference between the two is that Battle Royale Duels have addition rules to Master Duel.
First: Duelists can treat everyone as an opponent. This also means they may create a team with other opponent(s). If the team wins the Battle Royale, they may end the Battle Royale or dissolve the team and continue the duel until only one remains.
Second: During each player's first turn, they are not allowed to attack or conduct their draw phase. In a Master Duel, the player who goes second may draw a card and attack. However, in a Battle Royal if it is your first turn, you are prohibited from doing either of them.
Third and Lastly: Card effects that somehow affects the opponent can now be applied as many opponents as the player wants. For example, the spell Hinotama inflicts 500 damage to the opponent. Instead of 1 opponent, you can now affect as many opponents as you want.
The third addition of the Battle Royale rule was done last minute… and my second necessity. I mean, we made this sudden announcement two days ago. A school like Ryouzanpaku, which is also the runner up for top Duel School in Maiami City, should be aware of current events if they wanted to be at the top.
"Battle phase… no battle phase…" I began, "it makes no difference to me. Because, I will show you and let you understand the pain you have inflicted on others."
"My turn. First, I activate the field spell Black Garden. When a monster is Summoned, that monster's ATK is halved, then a Rose Token (Level 2/DARK/Plant/800/800) is Special Summoned to my opponent's field. Since its not summoned to my field, that's fine!"
"You are willingly giving us more monsters!"
"What is this guy doing?"
"He must be mad."
"People these days. Next, I will summon, Samsara Regenerating Lotus (Level 1/DARK/Fiend/Effect/0/0). And of course, when I summon a monster, due to Battle Royale rules, I can apply its effect to as many opponents as I want… I chose to summon 1 for everyone." And of course, there were a lot of roses in the dojo.
"Eh? Why are there so many?"
"Even on my field?"
"Not my fault you all are too busy training and not reading the new changes. Continue, I activate Samsara Regenerating Lotus's effect. By tributing it, I can special summon 1 Yubel monster from my deck. Come forth, Spirit of Yubel (Level 10/DARK/Fiend/0/0)"
Ah yes… one of my favourite monsters whom had acquired an upgrade. The fiend appeared to my field and sure enough another set of roses appeared.
"When Spirit of Yubel is Special Summoned, I can add 1 Spell or Trap that mentions Yubel and either sets it… or add it to my hand. I add the continuous spell Nightmare Pain to my hand then activate it. Next, Nightmare Pain's effect allows me to destroy a DARK monster in my hand or on my field, then add 1 Yubel monster or a card that mentions it. I add the Continuous Trap Eternal Favourite. Then, Spirit of Yubel activates.
When Spirit of Yubel is destroyed, I can Special Summon 1 Yubel monster that was banished or from my hand, Deck or Graveyard! Come." The very same Yubel appeared and she had the same stats as the former, only this time she is solid (Level 10/DARK/Fiend/0/0). That, and another set of Rose token appeared.
"I will finish this by setting 2 cards and end my turn. Then, during the End Phase, Samsara Regenerating Lotus's effect Special Summons itself back to my field if I control a Yubel monster. Next, Yubel's effect forces me to tribute another monster if I want her to remain on the field. I will tribute Samsara Regenerating Lotus to retain her."
"That's game."
Speaking of game, some were already counting their chickens before they hatch. After all, in their eyes they had the clear advantage. I don't blame them. It's exactly like ancient warfare where numbers grant you a clear advantage. Only this time, quality will beat quantity.
"My turn."
But before he can even draw his card… its already game for them.
"I reveal my continuous trap card Eternal Favourite. When activated, I can activate one of its two effects… the first effect allows me to Special Summon a Yubel monster that is banished or in my Graveyard. No… I'm not using this. I'm using the second effect.
If I control Yubel, I can discard 1 card and send this card to the Graveyard. Then I can Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck."
And now comes the part where everyone is confused and by everyone, I also meant the owner of Ryouzanpaku himself. The reason being, if there is an error or a misplay, or when you use the card wrongly, a resounding buzz would echo loudly. The reason why they are confused is that there was no buzz and the system accepts the effect, meaning it was correct.
"Fusion Summon? What's that?" Some of my opponents are also as confused.
"What manner of trickery is this! In order to Fusion Summon, you must have at least 2 monsters to Fusion Summon!" said Goudagawa. Of course he's the one who is aware of it.
"Correct, if I am fusion summoning any other fusion monsters, that would be the case. But not this time." I gave a knowing grin as I said that. "The summoning condition is 1 Yubel monster and 1 or more Effect Monsters on the Field."
"Wait…"
"But-"
"But you only have 1 monster on your field!" one of the many faceless mobs said.
"How can you bring that Fusion Monster out when you only have 1 of its materials!" Another clarified.
To that, I gave the same sigh.
"People these days. They just never read. Oh well, might as well play my role as a teacher and teach you all why this is legal. Eternal Favourite's second effect, allows me to use monsters from EITHER field as materials, including a Yubel monster. This means I can also use my opponent's, but in this case, since this is a Battle Royale and all, ALL of my opponents' monsters as its Fusion Material.
…
…
Cue the uproars of disbeliefs.
"WHAT!"
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
"Your opinions doesn't matter. Because like it or not. This." I said as I point towards the fusion rift that appeared and it has sucked in all the effect monsters on the field, leaving the roses untouched. "Is real." I continued as the last monster is absorbed. "Release! The ultimate power of darkness that envelops the world. Super Polymerization! Yubel - Das Ewig Liebe Wächter (Level 12/DARK/Fiend/Fusion/0/0)"
From the rift, comes a fiendish figure with large bat like wings covering its body. It spreads them, revealing its similar appearance as its non-fusion form. The only difference here is that the fiend now has a long dragon head for its entire right arm along with a tail slithering behind its back.
"That's it?"
Some started sneering at the monster I brought out. Others laughed. But whatever the case, each and everyone of them are assuming a fighting stance.
"Aren't you all impatient… what have you been teaching them old man? I thought the essence of martial arts are betterment of oneself. Oh well. My monster's effect activates, when this card is Fusion Summoned, I can inflict 500 damage to my opponents… for each material used for its Summon."
Once I have said that, the room fell into a silence.
They knew the implications, especially when they have experienced these kinds of effects a few times.
"I think I will…" I stood up and approached Yubel and place my face over her left shoulders. Then, I threw my arm over her shoulders and with glee, raised a finger and paused it directly at the owner. At this point, his disposition and character had showed a significant change. Gone was his ruthless and stern expression and in its place, a fearful old man who is now witnessing perhaps his life flashing. "… you and only you."
Right on cue, Yubel points her draconic arm at Ryouzan, a purple beam was charged…
But as soon as it was done, I inched Yubel's draconic arm upwards ever so slightly. Due to the sudden change in trajectory, the beam that was intended for Ryouzan had missed him albeit barely.
As for why I decided to do that… was because Ryouzan had finally showed his true face. After all, in their last moments, people show who they really are.
Goudagawa Ryouzan was only given a simple lore as he only plays an insignificant role in the anime. The only information we know about him was how forceful he was in Dueling and that winning is everything. How they walk the path of darkness… just to win. However, much to my delights, the Ryouzan I have here, is just a coward hiding behind brute strength and intimidation. Like a bully. Evidently so as he is now holding one of his students before him as a shield. This makes it easier for me to close this school.
Ohnononono… I think I will make sure this school never recovers instead.
"And so it is… the whole smokes and mirrors are now lifted."
"Damn you… CURSE YOU! YOU INSOLENT BASTARD!"
Whoa, I actually felt that. They way he lost his composure. The way he yelled. It echoed throughout the dojo. My heart skipped a beat even.
A series of slurs and strings of foul languages were subsequently thrown in my direction. I tune them out in favour of his students' reaction. Suffice to say, the respect they once held for him was stagnating.
"Yes, yes, can we just skip the entire shouting match. We still have a duel here." I then turn to the one who was supposed to draw his card, "You… continue your turn!"
"Eh… but… I…" I can already tell, he had lost his reason to continue.
"What? You surrendering? Hmmmm, now that's a problem." I said, "I was told that the students in Ryouzanpaku had been injuring other people in their duels." They got the memo and knew now exactly what I intended to do, "My cute little neighbour was injured by one of you, y'know."
"I activate the Trap card, Final Attack Order." This is an old trap card that has been forgotten. I recreated this card for the sake of filling in the blanks. However, I added a little erratum to the card. "All monsters my opponent controls are changed to Attack Position and cannot change their battle position. While this card is in play, they cannot surrender!"
"Why tho?"
"At least it's an easy win."
"Next… Nightmare Pain has another effect. While I control any Yubel monsters, all of my opponent's monsters must attack them at all cost. That's not all, any battle damage I would take are dealt to the attacker instead. Oh and… did I mentioned that my Yubel cannot be destroyed by battle and card effects? And that she also reflects the damage she would take? And that I don't take any battle damage from battles involving her? Yeah, I'm told she's strong."
No, I haven't.
Well… let's say I made a lot of kids cried that day. Then again, they kind of had it coming for them. I am sure that only some of them did it and not everyone. But even so, they are all still guilty by association so they each receive a beating of their own. In my defence, I have lowered the pain output of my powers to its bare minimum. But the sting should hurt enough to match the damage that Yukari, the neighbour I talked about, and some other victims had suffered. If anything, think of it as another punishment… for not reading. Because if they had read their own card effects… they would've had a way of defeating me. I mean, some of them are using a Tenyi deck and they have hand and graveyard effects… yet they aren't using them.
Sigh…
Once the last faceless NPC has been defeated, I then drop my final bombshell to the students. This was my last method to ensure that the students leave the school. They were the messages and logs that the students parents had sent them. The very same logs that they were told by their 'master' to ignore in favour of training.
"You all should really consider your schools properly next time. Because remember, some people will not have a next time." I said the last part as I turned my gaze to the owner as it was intended to be for him.
"Wait." A student called and I turned to the caller. He was rather young, with purple hair and wore the typical Chinese attire. "…Who are you?"
"Who am I? Let's see… just an inspector sent from LDS. You can just call me… the Machine Emperor? Hmmm, maybe I should play that deck in future."
Or maybe some villainous decks too? Like say…
The Floodgate Stuns?
The Infinite Omni Negates?
Or maybe the Floowandereeze Wind Barrier Statue?
…
Naaaaaaaaah…
End Flashback
"And after all of that, when I return, the school was officially closed down under the reports of, inadequate dueling standards and scandals. More than hundreds of witnesses came out against the school and lawsuits were filed against the owner… thus ends the once great duel school that disguises its bullying duel style with 'art'."
I sip the green tea as I finished my story. While I only tell them parts of the story, it conveyed the messages I wanted. Like how it all started with my neighbour, Natsume Yukari, who was around 14 or 15 at that time, was also a victim. How the owner is only a disgraceful old bully. And of course, the summary of the aftermath.
What they don't need to know is the amount of politics that were involved during the process. While I did get a scolding from my superiors… they immediately dropped my case soon after as I am an unknown force that they do not want to tempt with. They could not control me even if they wanted to.
I may sound a bit contradictory with myself sometimes, but I've never been big on what I wanted. Discovering the other four dimensions doesn't really interest me. Neither does wealth, honor, influence…
The only thing I wanted… is the climax of the whole canonical Arc-V series.
"I still don't understand one thing sensei. Why are you sharing everything with us now?" asked Yuzu.
"Ah right, that. Well you see kids, if I say I came from a completely different world, would you believe me?" I said as I slouch against the chair, throwing my hands over the headrest.
Some of them tried to open their mouths but no words came out. No doubt they are already familiar with the things I've mentioned to them in the past. Like how I have never once been defeated, and was proven to be true just yesterday in our duel against LDS's ace. Or how I've mentioned that I had been an LDS teacher before retiring. All of which were truths that I told them, which they do not believe until now.
"Precisely, because you wouldn't believe me," I answered them in a matter-of-fact tone, "Now that you all know me a bit better, I can at least give you all bits and pieces of Yuuki's Bizarre Adventures, heheh!" Maybe if I manifest a random card into a spirit, it would make for a good STAND in. "Alright, story time's over, I believed I told you all that we have a test today right?"
"Ah! OH NO!" To no surprise, only a certain person would say that. "No wait, more importantly sensei!"
"Yes, yes, you are worried about your qualifications for the Maiami Championship." I shut him up instantly, "Listen, it won't go anywhere for now and so worry about your test first."
"But-"
"But nothing Yuuya, relax." I calmed him down, "Besides, did you forget who I am? I was once in LDS and since I am still popular there, I can pull some strings."
"Hey, does Kyou-sensei feels different somehow?" I heard Ayumi's whisper into Futoshi's ears.
"Me too…"
"W-Well," Shuuzou tried to change the topic, "Isn't that great Yuuya, that way you can get into the Championship without any problem!"
"…" Yuuya's expression became dejected. He must have heard some commentaries about how he will be getting a free pass. And before he could decline, I interrupted once more.
"Oh and, don't worry, you are not cheating your way straight into the Championship. Rather, I will be calling a certain sponsor and have him set up your six duels." I explained. "Remember, you have only 1 chance for this."
The rest of the students turned to Yuuya. His dejected look is turning upside down and so were everyone's reaction to it.
"Oh and with that said, Yuzu, if you are asking me for help with practice then I am sorry to say that I will be unavailable for the entire week."
End Chapter 2
