Yes, I know that a long time has passed since the last update. A lot has happened since the last time, I have been working on some things, my studies, the pandemic, among other personal problems. I don't promise that there will be another next update any time soon, but maybe I can publish more than two chapters this year.
Thanks to Antimattering, Pure Red Crane, Crimson Dreams, haohryuzarc for helping me write this chapter.
Chapter 8:Duel against the rebellion duelist
A lone figure ran down the street in Miami. The girl's face was hidden. Despite the effort to hide, her yellow hood stood out. Her heart was pounding as she ran down the street. She was exhausted and, against her better judgment, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath in a nearby alley.
As she had been running for hours, she was sure that she had already lost her pursuer.
She longed for when things were simpler, when she didn't have to worry about fighting for her life, when the worst of her problems were daily and silly issues. Although everything back then wasn't perfect, now everything seemed like a fairy tale.
A sudden sound brought her to her feet. In an instant, her duel disk was activated. Her legs screamed for her to sit down again, but her brother's teachings overcame the exhaustion. Now, dueling was about life and death, even a moment of hesitation could spell the end.
"I've been watching you for quite some time. If I were your enemy, I would have eliminated you a long time ago, Ruri." She recognized his voice and disappointment. Perhaps an enemy would have been better after all.
The figure she saw was dressed in dark glasses and a thick scarf meant to keep up his disguise. However, there was still an air of familiarity about him. Why else would she be so afraid of disappointing him?
There was no one who held a spot in her heart like Shun, her older brother.
Not being able to keep a stern face, her voice sounded weaker than expected. "I was looking for you." She felt surprised by her own whisper. "I can do better next time."
They both knew there was no chance for the next time. She wasn't prepared for this mission, as he always told her.
Any kind of mistake was bound to ruin everything. They had seen it firsthand with the loss of their former comrades. Despite Yuto's words of encouragement, Shun used to be more cynical and correct. She was aware that she wasn't strong enough to protect those around her.
Shun reached into his long coat, pulling out a paper. "I need you to spy on this duelist. He calls himself Phantom."
Taking the paper, Ruri let out a gasp. She was struggling to process what she was seeing.
"Why does he look so much like Yuto? Why does this girl look like me?"
Even with a mask, she could recognize her boyfriend's distinctive face. The girl he was with also bore a striking resemblance to her. It was weird, like looking in a funhouse mirror.
Shun remained silent. He could understand the shock of seeing the double of his sister and his best friend. Even now, he was having a hard time processing this strange situation. However, he wasn't like Ruri. He couldn't express his emotions openly. Confusion, worry, sadness; those feelings remain within him, but his vulnerability would never be exposed. It was something that Ruri had to learn, Shun thought.
Ruri could read her brother. As expressionless and strong as he tried to appear, she wished she was as impassive as him sometimes. Although, she was of the opinion that you don't always need to show a tough side when your loved ones surrounded you. Ruri hoped that Shun would be a bit more open with her, that he would share his shock as openly as she was doing now.
That wasn't going to happen.
"While you keep an eye on them, I'll get more information about LDS."
Shun had no interest in dealing with the recent revelations at the moment.
"Please tell me you haven't been using the Academy's tactics…" Ruri asks, fully knowing her brother's volatile personality. "These people aren't the same. We can't put anyone at risk just because we're not sure."
"There's no time for sentimentality. We have a lot at risk right now, and Reiji Akaba is the answer to all of this." Shun stated forcefully. "If you keep being so compassionate, you will never be able to protect your loved ones." It was the last thing he said before turning his back on her.
"And if they are innocent?"
He didn't answer, though he stopped, giving Ruri hope that they could discuss his actions.
"They attack innocent people. I don't." Shun took out some cards from his coat and dropped them near Ruri's feet.
The girl looked stunned at the three people trapped inside those cards. Ruri couldn't recognize them, but they were LDS teachers.
Shun told her without saying it outright that he was willing to do the unforgivable to avenge their comrades.
She still insisted and tried to make him have some kind of common sense. "Please don't go down this path."
He met her eyes one last time, clenching his fists together and saying, "It's the path we chose. Do as I tell you."
Shun's words resonated painfully inside Ruri, who helplessly stood there, watching, unable to call her brother's attention as always. Any attempt to reason with him would end badly.
When they were at home, Yuto was the person who comforted her, but now Shun was the only one she had. Ruri couldn't wait for more comfort. She had to face her older brother. At the moment, Ruri had no choice but to do as Shun asked, even though his methods were not reciprocated.
"Shun, please be careful." Ruri whispered, hoping her words would reach her brother as she ran in the opposite direction, heading into a dark alley.
A tear inevitably ran down her cheek.
…
In recent weeks, LDS had faced mysterious attacks against its students and staff. Mainly the teachers were the ones who disappeared, but the students were starting to panic. Suspicions turned to rival schools, but the attacks were too violent and ended in kidnappings. That was why Reiji had chosen to send one of his best duelists to investigate what was going on.
"The attacks are connected. I think I've got the next one figured out." Masumi was talking to her boss on the phone. She had been working since the first incident at Reiji's request.
"All right. Get into position then." Her voice was grim and annoyed. "I want to know who is massacring my school."
Each attack hadn't been far from the others. The culprit apparently wanted to get Reiji's attention. But why kidnap the teachers? The answer was baffling to both Masumi and Reiji.
"Everything is going as planned. I have the perfect bait."
The plan was simple: a teacher's decoy would wait on the east side of the school. The attacks were always on the last teacher to leave the grounds.
"What a coward," Masumi thought, but the predictability came in handy. She wasn't worried about defending herself, so there was no need for more people to get involved.
"Are you still talking on the phone, Masumi?"
"Oh, yeah! Professor Marco, I was just finishing up." Masumi mentioned before getting ready to hang up. "I will call you later."
"I see your new job has you busy," Marco said cheerfully, oblivious to the fact that she would use him as bait.
"Yes, Mr. Akaba has put a lot of work on me," she said, trying to hide her guilt. Actually, she didn't want to use Professor Marco, but hard times required her to put her feelings aside.
"Logically! You were my best student and a true fusion-summoning prodigy. He recognizes your talent!"
Masumi blushed in embarrassment. It had been years since she last spoke to her former instructor. To her, this man was the most fantastic fusion master in LDS. Not to mention, at the time, she had a crush on him like a silly innocent schoolgirl.
"Tell me, Masu-chan, have you been talking to Yaiba and Hokuto?" Marco asked with a worried look on his face. "They told me they haven't seen you recently." He was worried.
Since she couldn't reveal anything about her work, Masumi made the first excuse she could think of: "Work has been keeping me busy. But you're right. I'll try to talk to them as soon as possible."
Marco smiled and put his hand on Masumi's head. She blushed, embarrassed.
"Remember that it's important to spend time with your friends. Not everything is work"
His smile was genuine, which hurt Masumi even more. Embarrassment aside, she hated the fact that she couldn't be honest with him. Even though she had cut ties with everyone in her past, she didn't dare to do the same with Professor Marco.
"Thank you, Professor."
Ending the moment, a loud explosion was heard.
"Take cover!" she yelled, leaping to shield her mentor from the debris raining down from the now-decimated roof. Fortunately, nothing hurt the two.
As the dust cleared, Masumi saw a strange figure riding a mechanical winged beast. It was a solid vision projection, but the building was still very much in pieces. Either it was the members of the clan or a new threat to LDS.
The intruder was watching them with a predatory gaze. Masumi couldn't help feeling that she the prey and he was some kind of hunter. She perceived that the subject was looking for something. His aura was extremely aggressive, so she remained alert. Masumi couldn't afford to let down her guard in front of such a person.
His duel disk glowed announcing that it was still active. The subject placed a card on the blade of the disk, thus summoning a metallic winged creature. The creature obeyed the silent commands of the mysterious duelist and shot a blaze of fire directly at Masumi and the professor.
Masumi pushed Marco out of the fireball's path, but this didn't stop the man from continuing to ask nervously. "What's going on, Masu-chan? Why is that young man's Solid Vision so real?"
Masumi didn't reply immediately. She looked at the person in front of her. This was completely unexpected. This person didn't give any reason to attack and reading him seemed impossible since he had his face covered and made no sound. Her teacher's questions could wait for now. This person's attitude told her that he was a duelist who was willing to give his all. This meant that he wouldn't say no to a duel, so she had every intention of facing him.
After all, this was her job. Masumi stood up, determined. Marco took her arm and murmured, "Masu-chan, what are you doing?"
Masumi released herself from his grasp with an abruptness that was unintentional.
"Get behind me," she demanded, activating her own duel disk, "As a member of the LDS, I can't let you continue to do these barbaric acts at school." She strode toward the intruder. "Without suffering any consequences."
Her outfit glowed as the field changes, her outfit turning into some sort of yellow French military officer suit. On the left side of her vest, crystallized lilac manifested, moving her hair which changed to a white color. Various flowers of different colors made their presence.
Shun could conclude that these people were somehow related to the Academy. He immediately observed the presence of the same advanced technology that they used when the stage turned into what seemed to be a huge desolate dark place. The structures had different types of non-human faces. He was in a castle with a mouth-shaped entrance.
What caught Shun's attention the most was the outfit of the girl. Her uniform was similar to the ones they wore at the Academy. All this evidence only led Shun to not hesitate in accepting the challenge.
"If a duel is what you want, I'll give it to you," Shun said, finally making his voice heard to accept Masumi's challenge, who was surprised to hear it, shuddering at the heaviness of his voice covered by a mask.
They both yelled at the same time "Duel!"
Shun took the first turn. He activated a Continuous Spell Card, Raidraptor - Nest.
Masumi carefully observed her opponent's movements. This person proved to be quite aggressive when facing someone whom he could consider his enemy. However, Masumi swam in a sea of uncertainty, not knowing why he hated her. She didn't know who this man was. She couldn't recognize his cards, and therefore she couldn't think of a reason why they should be attacked with this level of anger.
She would find out the source of this anger with this duel. The priority, however, was to stop him. Masumi didn't know if his plays would be as aggressive as his attacks.
Descending from a small whirlwind, Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius took the form of a mechanized bird of prey, heavily armored with green plating and flying on a trail of fire formed by the jets that form its wings. The monster let out a deafening scream as it landed.
Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius ATK: 1300/1600.
Thanks to Vanishing Lanius's effect, Raidraptor Necro Vulture was summoned as well.
This new monster dove onto the field with a similar design to the previous one, but now with a heavy purple body and a dark aura radiating from its wings.
Having darkness attribute monsters on the field, Shun met the requirement to summon Raidraptor-Strangle Lanius, another robotic bird that flew into view. Though noticeably thinner than the others, the creature's angular head focused intently on Masumi, waiting for its opportunity to attack.
Raidraptor Necro Vulture ATK: 1000/1600.
Raidraptor Strangle Lanius ATK: 1600/1100.
The silent duelist activated his spell card, Raidraptor Sanctuary, so he could draw two cards from his deck. After this, he activated Raidraptor Nest's effect and added Fuzzy Lanius to his hand. A purple and gold galaxy formed above Fuzzy Lanius and Vanishing Lanius. Both of them became spheres of light heading towards that galaxy.
Masumi shuddered, able to hear the voice of her opponent again, who pronounced the summoning chant of his XYZ monster in a soft but heavy tone.
"Avian hunter from beyond, seek the truth with your dark eyes and seize the glory with your sharp claws – XYZ Summon! Take flight. Rank 4: Raid Raptor - Force Strix!"
As he finished his summoning chant, the galaxy exploded, giving life to another mechanical bird in the form of an owl. Its metallic brown feathers gleamed with sharp edges, though its overall size was smaller than the two raptors used to summon it.
Raid Raptor - Force Strix: 100/2000
Masumi's uncertain surprise was evident on her face. Although XYZ Summoning wasn't particularly rare, only LDS was known to have duelists who pulled it off that easily, and this person didn't seem to be a student.
"Who are you? And where did you come from?" Masumi dared to intervene with questions.
Shun ignored her question, continuing in disturbing silence. He saw her as an enemy, and therefore, he didn't intend to give her any explanation of his intentions. The girl could be an ally of the Academy. He didn't care. His main goal was Leo Akaba's son, and Shun would take advantage of all his puppets until he reached his goal.
Force Strix's effect was activated, which allowed Force Strix to gain 500 attack and defense points for each winged monster on the field. Then he activated its effect, which allowed it to detach a material to add another Raidraptor monster to Shun's hand.
Raid Raptor - Force Strix ATK/DEF: 600/2500.
Raid Raptors - Force Strix OVU: 2-1.
Strangle Lanius's effect activated to summon Vanishing Lanius from Shun's graveyard with its effects negated. Fuzzy Lanius was also Special Summoned from his hand. Once again, the dark green war machine stormed onto the field, screaming again with its revival.
Raidraptor Vanishing Lanius 1300 / 1600
Raid Raptor Fuzzy Lanius: 500/1500
The Duelist again built the Overlay to XYZ Summon a second Force Strix using Fuzzy and Vanishing Lanius. Rising from the galactic spiral, another Strix took flight. With Strix, he used another overlay unit to add a second Raidraptor card to his hand.
Raid Raptor - Force Strix ATK/DEF: 1100/3000. x2
Raid Raptors - Force Strix OVU: 2-1.
"Amazing, this young man shows great skill! He clearly is a master at XYZ summoning. I've never seen someone so young be so talented in the method!" Marco commented, acknowledging Shun's style, but taken aback by his caliber. "Masumi, be careful not to underestimate him. His heart may be filled with unknown anger, but this doesn't stop him from being quite a strong opponent."
Marco's words reached Masumi, helping her stay focused.
Shun glanced sideways at Marco for a moment. He then continued with his turn, summoning Raidraptor Singing Lanius to the field since he controled an XYZ monster. A small golden bird appeared in the field.
Raidraptor Singing Lanius ATK/DEF: 100/100.
The new Level 4 monster only stated the obvious. His next move would be a third XYZ Summon. For the third time in a row, he performed an XYZ Summon using Singing Lanius and Strangle Lanius to summon a third Force Strix. He reactivated the effect of his third Force Strix, adding another Raidraptor to his hand.
Raid Raptor - Force Strix ATK/DEF: 1600/3500. x2
Raid Raptor - Force Strix OVU: 2-1.
Satisfied with his line of monsters, he activated the continuous spell card Raptor's Intercept Formation. He then placed a card face-down and finally ended his turn.
Shun held an attitude of victorious smug, seeing how he was able to create his impenetrable defense from monsters on his first turn, which could be a big problem for his opponent.
"Show me what you got, LDS duelist."
It was the last thing he said before continuing in his indecipherable silence.
The obstruction of seeing his face didn't prevent Masumi from reading her opponent. His abilities showed his talent. This wasn't the first time that Masumi had faced a powerful opponent. She even witnessed Reiji Akaba's abilities first-hand and his particularity of performing multiple summons. That strategy reached a whole other level than what this guy could do with his XYZ.
"I will summon Gem Armadillo to the field first."
An armored animal fell into the field, covered with gems of a brilliant shine.
Gem Armadillo: 1700/500.
"When Armadillo is summoned, I can add a Gem-Knight monster to my hand. Then I'll activate the Gem-Knight Fusion spell card." She recounted as she clasped her hands together. "I'll fuse Gem-Knight Obsidian and Gem-Knight Lapis in my hand."
When her knight's monsters appearing behind her, she began to recite the summoning chant.
"The blue and green stones hide a mysterious power. Now, become light and appear! Fusion Summon! Level 5! Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli!"
A new monster descended on the field, dressed vaguely like a nun, but well-armed with typical Gem-Knight brilliance. Lapis Lazuli gracefully stood before her duelist protectively.
Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli: 2400/1000.
Seeing that Fusion Summon right before his eyes, Shun furrowed his brow, digging his nails into his palms.
Masumi raised an eyebrow, noticing this man's annoyance, unable to help but consider that it probably isn't irrational anger. There must be something specific that caused him this level of hatred. This man came from somewhere in particular. He must be carrying some kind of story she didn't know about. What would it be? That was what she had to investigate. Until now, from that brief comment, she could imagine that his problems were related to LDS. Could it be that Fusion Summoning was also one of his dislikes? He couldn't just feel threatened by the monster in front of him. There had to be something else.
Masumi continued her turn despite wanting to delve deeper into the identity of this person. She couldn't afford to continue pondering and the information was scarce.
"When Obsidian is sent to the Graveyard, I can target a Gem Knight monster from my Graveyard and summon it back to the field."
A smaller version of the Lapis Lazuli materialized on the field, noticeably less armored and in a less combative stance.
Gem-Knight Lapis Lazuli: 1200/100
"I activate the effect of Lapis Lazuli. I send a card from my extra deck to the graveyard, and at the same time, I can deal 500 damage for each Special Summon monster on your field."
The monster's center gem ignited with energy and fired a bolt of lightning at Shun, sending him flying in what could be described as a very hard crash to the ground.
Shun LP: 1500-8000 = 6500.
"Will he be okay?" Marco asked, concerned for the man. Masumi wouldn't have shown too much concern about it if it weren't for the fact that her teacher woke her up from the indifference that her armor had created in her...
Marco looked at her again. It was true that Shun attacked them first, but it seemed strange that Masumi acted so violently. "You went a bit too far, Masumi."
"Maybe…" Masumi answered without showing much concern about it.
They saw Shun get up from the ground. This time, he had a clear expression of hate on his face, one that shocked even Professor Marco.
"You there, young man." The teacher paused and then, in an act of sympathetic concern, asked, "Are you okay?"
Shun clicked his tongue at the question, angry that his enemies had shown a brief moment of humanity. "I don't need sympathy from any of you," he muttered.
Marco gasped, but Masumi seemed to be barely phased by the resentful words the man spat out. He reminded her of Yuzu in a way, but her tantrums were a far cry from the pure hate that was being thrown here.
Masumi continued with her duel.
"I then activate the second effect of Gem Knight Fusion, banishing the Obsidian to add it to my hand. After that, I activate the Gem-Knight Castle field card."
Surrounding the two duelists rose the vibrantly colored halls of a glass castle. The mirror on the walls reflected the duel from every angle.
"When this card is activated, I can add a Gem Knight monster to my hand, so now I will activate Gem-Knight Fusion again."
Shun clenched his fists tighter, somewhat confirming Masumi's suspicions that the Fusion summoning might have to do with the hate.
For now, Masumi ignored his anger and continued to make her fusion formation. "I fuse the Gem-Knights Amber and Lazuli in my hand to summon Gem-Knight Prismaura."
Another knight ran out onto the field, wielding a spear and shield made of similar material to the castle. The knight stood up triumphantly and pointed the spear at the three mechanical birds before him.
Gem-Knight Prismaura: 2450/1400.
"Then Lazuli's effect in the graveyard activates, allowing me to add Amber back to my hand. I then activate Prismaura's effect, discarding Lazuli to destroy your Intercept Formation."
The warrior lunged forward and embedded its long spear into Shun's card, completely destroying it.
"I banish Lapis from my graveyard to add Gem Knight Fusion back to my hand, then use it for the third time in a row to fuse Armadillo and Lapis on my field to summon Gem-Knight Zirconia."
Breaking through the stone floor, a burly knight crawled out. His heavy armor was adorned with white gems. He let out a battle cry that sounded hollow, like the sound of a great bell.
Gem-Knight Zirconia: 2900/2500.
"Now in my battle phase, Lapis Lazuli attacks the first Force Strix!"
The monster jumped back and fired another prismatic blast of energy straight through the bird, completely destroying it and sending a sizable shockwave towards Shun, who just stood there, taking the damage like it didn't matter.
Shun LP 6500-1300 = 5200.
Force Strix ATK/DEF: 600/2500.X2
Shun smiled, making Marco and Masumi worry. Moving his hand to the side, his face-down card appeared. "I activate the quick spell card Raidraptor Doom Double Force. When an XYZ Raidraptor monster is destroyed, I can revive it and then immediately rebuild an overlay to summon a new monster whose range is twice that of my Force Strix," he explained with the utmost calm and determination despite his obvious contempt.
"Wait, you're telling me that he'll XYZ Summon using a spell card, is that even possible?" Masumi gasped in surprise. She had always been told that XYZ summoners were only capable of using monsters of the same level, but this was a new dimension for her that she couldn't understand.
"It's possible. There's only one place in this world with that capacity, only in one city." Professor Marco stood up seriously. "Are you from Heartland, young man? Are you a survivor of that explosion that stole the lives of its inhabitants?"
"Heartland?" Masumi asked puzzled.
In her XYZ Summoning studies, there were mentions of how the origins of the summoning method corresponded to a single major city. It was Heartland, along with the satellite island from which Synchro Summoning originated.
Things were starting to make a bit of sense to Masumi.
Shuddering at the mention of his home, Shun narrowed his eyes on Professor Marco, answering his question, "Where I come from, we've perfected XYZ Summoning. But we face a constant battle against an army from a place called the Academy, which is run by a man they call the Professor."
"Does this teacher have a name?" Masumi spoke, curious to know more about the young man in front of her and his people. Surprisingly, he didn't treat her with his usual contempt, as if she feigned ignorance.
"From the little information my people have managed to gather, we know that it's Leo Akaba," Shun's voice filled with anger as he spoke. His non-threatening voice rose to almost a scream as he said the name out loud.
Masumi and Marco looked at each other in surprise. Although this development only served to raise more questions, Masumi managed to stutter, "Leo Akaba...is that man Reiji's father?" she heard herself say. The attacks on the LDS establishment began to make more and more sense.
"Focus on the duel. I will destroy anyone who opposes me and my mission!" Shun suddenly yelled. "Intrepid Falcon. Raise the flames of anger, and become the flash of light that turns the earth to ash! Rank up XYZ Change! Fly! Rank 8! Raidraptor - Satellite Cannon Falcon!"
The clouds above had light shining through them. Slowly appearing, Masumi saw a giant white machine emerging from the sky. It roared with a passion similar to that of its owner and deployed two huge cannons that pointed out onto the field. As it did so, a strong gust of wind shook the stage, nearly throwing Professor Marco backwards.
Raidraptor - Satellite Cannon Falcon ATK/DEF: 3000/2000.
Marco looked on in amazement. Masumi's opponent's passion would be contagious if it weren't for the fact that this duel was a matter of life and death.
After this summon, Masumi's spell and trap cards were destroyed. The monster's armor shifted to reveal a barrage of missiles that were rapidly launched and decimated the crystalline walls of the castle.
Her huge monster didn't change the fact that he still had his two Force Strix on the field and she still had extra attacks left.
"Zirconia will attack your second Force Strix."
The monster went straight to destroy Shun's monster.
Shun smiled again, worrying Masumi. Her monster stopped in midair when she noticed that its attack points had dropped to zero.
Gem-Knight Zirconia ATK: 0.
"How is that possible?" Masumi wondered, upset to see one of Cannon's overload units disappear.
"Thanks to the help of its fallen comrades, your monster's attack dropped by eight hundred for each of them," Shun explained.
Zirconia was immediately destroyed. Masumi clenched her teeth. She lost a powerful monster, a clumsy move that couldn't be done again if she wanted to win this duel.
"Alright then, I'll attack your second Force Strix with Prismaura!" With a sweep of her arm, Masumi's monster lunged forward to destroy her target, piercing it and sending its fragmented scrap hurtling towards Shun. Although, the duelist didn't even blink at the loss of life points.
Shun LP: 5200-1350 = 3850.
Force Strix: 600/2500.
"I put a card face down and end my turn," Masumi declared, trying to hide her confidence. If all went according to plan, her victory would be quickly assured, regardless of her opponent's powerful monster.
"I send Lazuli to the graveyard so I can add Gem Knight Amber to my hand."
With haunting certainty, he started his turn. He detached another overlay unit from his Force Strix Ultimate to add Raidraptor-Skull Eagle from his deck to his hand.
He then activated his Rairaptor's Nest to add Vanishing Lanius to his hand as well, which he summoned without any hesitation.
Vanishing Lanius's effect kicked in the Special Summon of Skull Eagle. Turning back again, Vanishing Lanius let out a scream, signaling the summons and a red flying creature engulfed in flames.
Raidraptor - Skull Eagle: 1000/500.
Raidraptor- Vanishing Lanius: 1300/1600.
Gathering the necessary conditions, he summoned Raidraptor-Heel Eagle. It noticeably appeared with a more streamlined appearance and was supported by two large wings and no thrusters.
Raidraptor-Heel Eagle: 700/700.
He was preparing for another XYZ summons in his next move. This scenario was all too familiar from the last duel Yuzu had. Masumi was in the same situation as her, which was ironic. But she wasn't Yuzu. She didn't discover another summoning method from anywhere. All she had was her training, her skills and her trust in her deck. Nothing more. That was the only thing that would bring her victory in this duel.
With his Level 3 Heel Eagle and Skull Eagle, Shun again imposed a spiral of energy that gave way to a new war machine, albeit not as immense as the previous one: Raidraptor Fiend Eagle.
The small stature of the kite-shaped beast made Masumi worry.
Raidraptor Fiend Eagle: 1000/0.
Skull Eagle's effect increased Fiend Eagle's attack by 300 since it was used as XYZ material.
Raidraptor Fiend Eagle: 1300 + 300 = 1300.
By using one of Fiend Eagle's materials, she could deal damage equal to one of her monster's attacks, so he used Prismaura's attack to hit Masumi back.
The bird quickly snatched one of its flying materials and broke it in its beak. Then it shot a stream of fire directly at Masumi, who was blown backwards by the force of the explosion, just like Shun was thrown earlier. Her back slammed into a solid vision tree.
Masumi LP: 8000-2450 = 5550
"Masumi!" Marco yelled in concern, before turning on Shun in anger. "What kind of duel is this?! How can you enjoy hurting your opponent like this?!"
"When you duel, it's always life or death. I doubt someone as soft-spoken as you can understand." His short response said a lot about how callous his life had made him.
Marco was speechless. He wanted to help this boy, but he couldn't think of any way at the moment. Instead, he focused on praying for his student's safety.
"Don't worry, Professor... I'm fine." Masumi finally managed to stand up. Bruises were visible on her through the damage to her suit. "I have to stop him from hurting others."
Shun sighed in what might sound like a light laugh.
He continued his turn by banishing Skull Eagle from his graveyard to add Raidraptor-Sanctuary to his hand, which would help him draw two more cards. Masumi could see the wrinkles of a smile on the covered face of her opponent.
"I activate the magic card Rank-Up-Magic Raid Force!"
"Another rank up card," Marco mentioned in surprise.
The same galaxy appeared again, swallowing the form of the Fiend Eagle and Shun's chant resounded again.
"Darkened Falcon, raise your sharp talons in the face of adversity, spread your wings of rebellion! XYZ Summon! Appears! Rank 4! Raid Raptor - Rise Falcon!"
As the summoning concluded, a beast covered in thrusters and burning with power revealed itself. All six of its eyes frantically searched the field before fixing its attention to look ahead.
Raidraptor-Rise Falcon 100/2000.
By detaching one of Rise Falcon's materials, it gained an attack equal to the combined total of all of Masumi's Special Summoned monsters. One of the overlay units crashed into the center of the XYZ and its body ignited into an inferno.
Rise Falcon VUE: 2-1
Rise Falcon ATK: 4950.
"Four thousand nine hundred and fifty attack points! I can't believe this!" Marco exclaimed, covering his mouth.
He was worried about Masumi. He had never taught his student to give up, but he was really uneasy about the outcome of this duel considering how violent it had become.
Masumi merely clenched her fists and teeth, and chewed a few words full of annoyance:
"I won't lose… I can't afford to lose…no matter what."
Marco could observe the determination of his student, of which he would be proud if it weren't for the fact that he could perceive a stress similar to the one that Shun showed in his duel.
Shun continued and banished Heel Eagle from his graveyard to activate its effect, allowing him to add Raid Force again. This let him rank up his last Force Strix again.
"Invisible bold falcon, reveal the unknown power of your wings here and now! Cross XYZ Summon! Forward! Rank 5! Raidraptor - Stranger Falcon!"
The explosion created a new creature in Shun's field. Glowing with red and blue lines running the length of its body, the oddly shaped creature hummed with energy.
Raidraptor Stranger Falcon: 2000/2000.
Altogether, Shun already had three powerful XYZ monsters in his field that looked intimidating enough to make Masumi even more stressed. Her opponent became more difficult with each move he made, but she wouldn't lose her composure.
Shun detached a material from his Stranger Falcon to activate its effect, he selected Prismaura to destroy it. The creature unleashed a bolt of energy directly from the cannon on its back, destroying Masumi's knight and simultaneously catching Masumi in the explosion.
Masumi LP: 5500-2450 = 3100.
Equip Card Raptor's Ultimate Mace card was activated on his Rise Falcon, granting 1000 attack points.
Rise Falcon ATK: 4950+1000=5950.
The bird caught fire. Its appearance was now similar to that of a flaming phoenix preparing to destroy Lapis Lazuli.
"Masumi!" Professor Marco yelled.
A smile spread across Masumi's face. Shun's eyes widened in surprise as he remembered that his opponent still had a face down card.
A magical glass-like barrier was created around Masumi's field, protecting her from not only the monster's attack, but also creating a ricochet effect, returning Shun's fire to his own monsters, clearing his field.
"I activated my trap card, Mirror Force. When a monster on your field attacks, I can stop the attack and destroy all the monsters on your field at the same time."
Marco was glad that his former student survived this attack. "One of the oldest cards in the game and also a powerful trick. Well done, Masumi."
However, apparently no move she made would shake Shun's confidence. "When Stranger Falcon is destroyed, I can use its effect to revive an XYZ Raidraptor monster from my graveyard. A monster like my Cannon Falcon Satellite! Whose effect reduces the attack points of Lapis Lazuli."
Gem Knight: Lapis Lazuli: ATK 0.
"Satellite Cannon, aim and fire! Eternal Revenge!" Following the orders of its master, the massive plane unleashed a powerful and blinding explosion, erasing Lapis Lazuli and placing Shun firmly in the lead.
Masumi LP: 3100-3000 = 100.
"I banish the Raid Force in my graveyard to add Tribute Lanius and another higher-rank card to my hand." Shun said confidently, "I put two cards face down and end my turn."
Although Masumi was in a bad position, she still stood up with the strength to continue the fight. Her suit looked visibly broken due to the different attacks she has received. For a moment, she wanted to faint, but she continued to get up even with visible injuries.
Going through her mind were the people she should keep fighting for. She couldn't just give up and let this man hurt more people.
With new determination, Masumi's turn began with drawing a card.
"I activate Brilliant Fusion, which allows me to Fusion Summon using monsters from my deck. I send Crystal Rose and Gem-Knight Garnet to the graveyard to Summon Gem-Knight Seraphinite!" She took the cards from her deck and looked at Crystal Rose.
"Why did I put this in my deck?" She thought to herself. "Perhaps out of nostalgia?" Whatever the reason, this card was necessary now.
Taking to the field, a knight in pristine white armor stood at peace in the face of Shun's attack. The field glowed with the cosmic power that the warrior radiated. "When I use Brilliant Fusion, the attack of the monster I summon becomes 0."
Gem knight Seraphinite ATK/DEF: 2300/1400
Gem knight Seraphinite ATK: 0
"Crystal Rose's effect activates, I banish Prismaura to summon Crystal Rose onto the field."
Crystal Rose: 500 ATK /500 DEF
"I activate Gem-Knight Fusion's effect. I banish Zirconia to add this card to my hand." Masumi declared, "Then, I summon Gem-Knight Amber onto the field."
The Amber Knight appeared on the field.
Gem Knight Amber: 1600 ATK /1400 DEF
"Now I can summon my Gemini monster, Amber, again to activate its effect. Return a banished Gem-Knight to my hand for the price of discarding a card."
Masumi revealed Gem-Knight Fusion in her hand, replacing it with Prismaura and placing the monster back in her extra deck.
"Then, I activate the other effect of Crystal Rose that allows me to send a Gem-Knight monster from my deck to the graveyard so that my Rose takes its name. I'll send in Lapis Lazuli and activate its effect to add Gem Knight Garnet to my hand. Continuing this, I can banish Lazuli to get Gem-Knight Fusion back again."
Using her spell card, she summoned Gem-Knight Prismaura using Crystal Rose and Gem-Knight Amber.
"I now banish Lapis Lazuli to retrieve my Gem-Knight Fusion. I'll discard it so Prismaura's effect will destroy your precious Satellite Cannon."
Prismaura reached back and, in a blur of motion, fired its spear at the XYZ's center chassis, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Now I banish Amber to add Gem-Knight Fusion."
Shun intervened. "I activate Doom Double Force Rank and select Force Strix in my graveyard to summon a second Satellite Cannon." The monster reappeared on the field again. "I will not use the effect of the Satellite Cannon. You made a very clumsy move out of desperation. My chances of finishing you off on my next turn are favorable."
"Right, even if Masumi managed to summon a monster with a higher attack, it would easily lose its attack points the moment Satellite Cannon activated its effect," Marco mentioned.
Ignoring Professor Marco, Masumi continued with her turn. "I think I'll show you the power of my fusion monsters. I activate Gem-Knight Fusion for the last time! I fuse Garnet, Seraphite, and Prismaura!"
Masumi put her hands together. "Gem faceted by day and night! Brilliant emerald of good faith! Lucky! Sharp jet-black darkness! In a whirlwind of light, combine them for a dazzling new glow! Fusion Summon! Dazzling lady, gem knight, brilliant diamond lady!"
Gem Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond: 3400 ATK / 2000 DEF.
Shun frowned.
"If you had activated the effect of Satellite Canon, it would have been another story. But you made the mistake of just trusting yourself, a move that will cost you the duel" Masumi declared.
"Even if you can destroy my Satellite Cannon, it will not be enough. I'll summon another stronger monster next turn!"
Masumi calmly placed her hand on her fusion monster card. "I activate the effect of Lady Brilliant Diamond. By sacrificing, I can Special Summon another Gem-Knight directly from my Extra Deck."
Disappearing in a flash of light, a green knight took the diamond's place. Its jagged armor was complemented by a large, cruel-looking sickle in its hand.
Gem-Knight Lady Malachite 0 ATK/0 DEF
"I banish Apatite from my graveyard to my hand in order to add Gem Knight Fusion one last time. I now activate the Gem-Knight Lady Malachite effect, which requires me to discard Gem Knight Fusion and banish Seraphinite into my graveyard, then deal 700 damage for each Gem-Knight currently banished!"
"Impossible..." Shun mumbled.
"Get ready, my Gem Knights." All the monsters that had been banished in previous turns materialized. All the knights stood behind the last warrior, raising their weapons. "Finish him."
Lunging forward in a valiant charge, each of the Gem-Knights speared and slashed at Shun. Behind him was Lady Brilliant Diamond, who struck directly at Shun's chest on Malachite's command. Throwing the XYZ duelist backwards and slamming him into a wall.
Marco couldn't help but feel slightly horrified by the violent scene that decorated this duel, although he was also relieved now that Masumi had won. She knew what she was doing.
Shun LP: 4850-5600 = 0
As the field of action faded, the various burns and craters from the attacks remained. The damage would cost a fortune to fix, but for now, Masumi was focused on her victory. She almost fell to her knees before Marco stepped in to catch her.
"Thank you…" she managed to say, struggling to keep her balance after the grueling match. "I need a moment, please."
Although still worried, her former teacher let her go.
Masumi cautiously walked towards Shun, who remained on the ground. Barely conscious, he looked at Masumi's wobbly figure. "You were a worthy opponent, but you have a problem. Your hate doesn't fuel your victory. It affects your judgment and narrows your perspective. Strength is not everything."
Shun spoke softly, spitting out one last and slightly incomplete comment: "I don't need to hear that from you. Everything for my comrades... everything for me... I..." It was impossible for him to complete the sentence as he fell unconscious.
Masumi felt strange seeing Shun fight so much. From what he had just said, it seemed that he had people to protect, people for whom he was fighting for, just as she took refuge in the people who were important to her and felt more determined in her fight. The man was clearly suffering greatly thanks to this supposed academy.
She couldn't help but think that Shun could have been a different person, but that he unfortunately had to become this shell of fury and hate to fulfill his goals, no matter how difficult the decision he had to make.
"She has him." An unknown voice shouts, interrupting Masumi's musings. Appearing, Masumi recognizes one of Reiji's security personnel, flanked by four other men for backup.
"They're a little late," Masumi sneered.
"We were waiting outside, miss, until you defeated this man." One of the men affirmed, Masumi nodded, although the extra help was nice, she preferred they not interfere. Protecting Marco was hard enough. "Mr. Akaba told us to capture him and send him to the personal compound."
Masumi nodded weakly, at which point she heard a slight ping from her duel disk. The name was Reiji's, and the message itself made the gem duelist's eyes widen.
"So, this is what your life is, Masu-chan?" Marco asked. Masumi nodded, but her answer brought no comfort to the teacher. "That man has suffered because of this academy, not because of you. Don't forget that."
"I know. That's not why I'm worried."
"What is it then?"
She shrugged, trying to hide her concern. her former master smiled warmly. Despite what she was capable of now, Masumi was still the same young girl that he loved to teach all those years ago.
"I was never able to properly thank you for all you've done for me. Thank you, Professor." Masumi's pained tone didn't match the smile she had on her face.
Showing him her duel disk, she apologized. "I'm sorry, Professor Marco." Suddenly, a flash of light came from her disk, leaving Marco in a confused and dazed state until everything went black for him. "But this isn't only my life. It is also what I have become."
Even though her teacher couldn't hear her anymore, Masumi had mumbled those words as if she was trying to convince herself that she wasn't doing anything wrong, nothing she should hesitate about.
This was her life.
Leaving the school grounds, Masumi headed towards Reiji to report what had happened. Thinking of the events, she made a face. Masumi never thought that she would end up erasing her former teacher's memory. Thinking about it hurt her deeply.
Working for Reiji Akaba was getting more complicated every day. On top of everything, now she was being linked to some crazy school that was attacking countries? So many questions flew over Masumi's head. They needed answers sooner rather than later.
Oc cards Thanks to Haoryuzarc:
Field Spell.
Card Effect: When this card is activated: You can add 1 "Gem-Knight" card from your Deck to your hand. All face-up "Gem-Knight" Gemini Monsters on the field are treated as Effect Monsters, and gain their effects. If you Special Summon a "Gem-Knight" monster(s) from your Extra Deck: You can Special Summon 1 "Gem-Knight" monster from your GY, but its attack becomes 0, and send it to the GY during the End Phase. You can only use each effect of "Gem-Knight Castle" once per turn.
Gem-Knight Lady Malachite
EARTH
Level 9
Rock/Fusion/Effect
0 ATK/0 DEF
2 Level 7 or higher "Gem-Knight" Fusion Monsters
Must first be Fusion Summoned with the above Fusion Materials. When this card is Fusion Summoned: You can banish 1 "Gem-Knight" monster in your GY, then discard 1 "Gem-Knight" card; inflict 700 damage to your opponent for each of your banished "Gem-Knight" monsters, and if you do, this card's ATK/DEF become equal to half the damage inflicted by this effect. You can only use this effect of "Gem-Knight Lady Malachite" once per turn.
Yuzu: "That was an incredible duel...I mean, I could have done better."
Sawatari: "Obviously, you're saying that to show off. Because here, I'm the best."
Yuya: "Wait, isn't Yuzu the best duelist on You show?"
Yuri: "Who is this clown."
Yuzu: "Stop counting the spoilers for the next chapter. You have to present the title of the next chapter."
Sawatari: "Next chapter in Yugioh Arc v: Lost Pendulum" the debut of the amazing ultra amazing Shingo Sawatari "
Yuzu: "Oh no this is going to be a filler chapter."