Warning: There will be some cards that I will be changing but won't include the details for like I have done for others.

First, considering that Moon Shadow's Twilight Ninja Nichirin, the Chunin's ability wasn't all that evident, and the effect was used only once in the anime overall, I've decided that I'll be using the TCG/OCG effects instead. Also, I'm gonna do the same with Moon Shadow's pendulum monsters, since I think they're more appropriate.

Secondly, since the duels when Moon Shadow's Ninjitsu Continuous Spells and Traps were on the field ended and he still had Ninja monsters, I don't think the effect of there being "no Ninja monsters, destroy this card" is very accurate. So I'm gonna cut this effect out too.

Third, I'm gonna cut out the part of Acrobatic Tower's effect that lists that "If you take battle damage, tribute one Performapal monster" since I don't think that it was very evident in the anime. Even though it was used for one episode, the English Dub never showed that Performapal Pyrobster was tributed to activate the trap or that a Performapal was needed to activate it, so I don't think this was relevant.

Fourth and final thing, I would like to announce my future plans for cards used in this fanfic. Since there were few cards for some of the decks I'm using to write this fanfic when the anime was aired, I'll be using some of the newer additions to their archetypes. But I am still trying to keep the introduced TCG/OCG cards in the 2017 publication era. But I will probably occasionally include cards that came after 2017.

Training Facility - Duel Academy - Fusion Dimension

Two screams suddenly echoed through the artificial jungle, causing a flock of holographic jungle birds to fly. The screams belonged to Emma and Jacob, who have been turned into cards.

Crow and Moon Shadow looked at the two card-ified students in confusion.

"Moon Shadow, did you see who turned those two into cards?" Moon Shadow answered Crow's question with a simple, "no".

"Whoever did this, come out and face us!" Crow's loud demanding challenge was observed by a hidden figure in the holographic foliage. The figure manically chuckled as it watched the two Lancers.

Meanwhile, an outraged Sanders was bending his riding crop as he voiced his disappointment at seeing the last of his five students fall. "Pathetic, absolutely pathetic. It seems that even my most highly-trained students are no match for what's out there."

The students who were watching the Survival Duel were looking at each other nervously as they listened to Sander's grumbling. "Hope he doesn't send me next!" Student 6 nervously remarked. Student 4 then said, "I hope he does so he doesn't send me instead!"

But then one of the boys made a horrifying realization. "Wait, could this be the... Battle Beast?"

The thought was met with skepticism. "Oh, come on, the Battle Beast is just a rumor." A girl countered Student 4's rebuff. "Yeah, but some rumors are true. What if the Beast is real? And on the prowl?"

Lady Minerva then suddenly chuckled, causing the students and Sanders to look at her. "This little game of 'Hide-and-Destroy' has lost its charm." Pulling out her book computer, the Shadow Hunter sub-commander pulled up the functionality options of the Training Facility's arena on her folding tablet. "Time for a... revision." Pressing a few buttons, a large amount of the holographic foliage surrounding the Lancers disappeared, revealing the mysterious assailant that had been hunting down both sides.

There, in the clearing, crouched tall and rather muscular young man on all fours. He had a lean, well-built frame with a wide chest and large shoulders. His reddish-brown hair was very long, as it passed his shoulders and reached his back, while also sporting two bangs, both of which almost reached his abdomen. He wore very little clothing, leaving most of his frame revealed. The only real clothes he wore were a pair of ragged trousers/shorts, which further emphasized the brutish theme of his design. Around his neck was a very simplistic necklace with three green fangs and two red orbs, with the center fang being visibly the longest of them. He had black wristbands, and a white armband on his right arm's biceps. On the left side of his upper body, he possessed a black armband/gladiatorial-like shoulder pauldron, with orange studs around the circumference. The fact he was barefoot further cemented his barbarian motif.

The students watching nervously gasped upon seeing the seemingly savage-like duelist and looked on in worry. Student 6 realized in shock who it was. "No way, it's really him." Another one of the boys, who had short black hair and brown eyes (known to us as Student 7), also recognized the mysterious combatant. "The Beast!" The boy next to him, who had brown hair with black eyes (Student 8) looked at his comrade in shock. "Huh? He's real?"

"A real pain in the neck is what he is, 'cause he don't care if he takes down one of my students or one of them Lancers." Sanders grumbled in his mind as he gritted his teeth and bent the riding crop he had in anger. He then turned to his students. "What are you all slack-jawed for? Yeah, he's real. I should know, I trained him myself! He's BB, the Battle Beast!"

"This guy is bad news." Crow noted. "That... may be the understatement of the day." Moon Shadow also noted.

BB growled at the two Lancers, trying to intimidate them. "Finally, a face to go with the growl. Looks like this guy needs some taming!" Crow then angrily asked the growling savage. "Why'd you do it?!"

Standing up, BB answered with a crazed smile, "Me like to hunt. And you two up next!"

"Bring it on, Nature Boy!" Without a second thought, Moon Shadow agreed with Crow's acceptance to duel Battle Beast. "That is right! We will not go down without a fight!"

[Let's duel!]

"From hand, me now play Gladiator Beast Laquari(Beast-Warrior/FIRE/ATK: 1800/DEF: 400/LV: 4), ragh!" Battle Beast summoned the very monster he used to destroy Theo with.

As Sanders and the other Duel Academy personnel watched, the Darwinist-idealistic instructor lectured the students on Battle Beast while he patted his riding crop against his left palm. "Of all the duelists I've trained, BB was the best, and the most disappointing. He loved to battle so much, he'd take on enemies and allies alike! A true wild child that simply could not be controlled!" He firmly gripped his riding crop as he made his last sentence clear.

"BB's a savage like no other. I disciplined him over and over. But with every punishment, he became more primal! Now he duels like a crazed animal, with no fear, no mercy!" Sanders then pointed at the students with his crop and yelled at them. "At least that's one good thing about him! So, when you bunch of baby-faced brats face your foes, you better show no mercy either, or you have no place in my squadron!"

"Right!" All the students said in unison.

Battle Beast held up three cards as he made his turn's final move. "Me now play face-downs. BB's turn now over!"

"My draw! And I'm not wasting time getting brutal! To start things off, I summon the tuner monster Blackwing - Kochi the Daybreak(Winged Beast/Tuner/DARK/ATK: 700/DEF: 1500/LV: 4)! And this bird can invite Blackwing - Gladius the Midnight Sun(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 800/DEF: 1500/LV: 3) to join its flock!" The humanoid bird wearing white armor and wielding twin swords was special summoned in Attack Mode thanks to its own special ability.

"Level 4 Kochi the Daybreak will tune level 3 Gladius the Midnight Sun! Brace yourself for a monster that's gonna make it rain with pain! I Synchro Summon! Spread your wings, Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 2600/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)!"

"That monster no scare me." Battle Beast said with a laugh in his tone. "Well, let's see if you still think that after you see this! Raikiri's special ability allows it to destroy one of your cards for each Blackwing on my field! Your Laquari is going bye-bye!" Raikiri unleashed a slash from its katana that went straight toward Battle Beast's only monster.

"Me activate Gladiator Beast's Medusa Shield and use to protect... Laquari! Laquari no go boom!" The shield on the Continuous Trap's artwork appeared in front of Laquari and created a red energy barrier that blocked the special ability.

"Alright, we'll do this the usual way. Go, take down Laquari!" Failing to destroy Battle Beast's monster with a card effect, Crow quickly began his Battle Phase, pointing at the lone Gladiator Beast, sending Raikiri charging with his katana raised.

"Me now play trap, Gladiator Beast Medallion! Gladiator Beasts on field no can be destroyed. Not ever!" A blue barrier surrounded the Gladiator Beast, protecting it from Raikiri's katana strike. Battle Beast then told of the downside of his trap with an intact insane smile. "But damage me take become double."

BATTLE BEAST LP: 4000 = 2200

"Gladiator Beast swap out with another Gladiator Beast from my deck after battle. So come out to play now, Gladiator Beast Secutor(Reptile/WIND/ATK: 400/DEF: 300/LV: 4)!" Battle Beast brought out his green Reptile-Type monster cladded in deep blue armor in Defense Mode.

"I'll end my turn with two face-down cards." Crow observed the situation before him and Moon Shadow. "Man! He can swap Gladiator Beasts in and out. But still, his new monster only has 300 defense points. It doesn't seem like it's worth it taking double the damage for that. If we don't figure out what he's up to soon, then we're in big trouble."

"Moon Shadow, let's get to work!" Following Crow's statement, Moon Shadow agreed. "Right!

It is now my turn! I now use... Scale 1 Twilight Ninja Jogen(Warrior/DARK/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1000/LV: 7/PS: 1) and my Scale 10 Twilight Ninja Kagen(Warrior/DARK/ATK: 0/DEF: 2000/LV: 1/PS: 10) to set the Pendulum Scale. Now I can summon monsters between levels 2 and 9, all at the same time. I Pendulum Summon! Appear!

Twilight Ninja Shingetsu(Warrior/DARK/ATK: 1500/DEF: 100/LV: 4)! And Twilight Ninja Nichirin, the Chunin(Warrior/DARK/ATK: 2300/DEF: 1000/LV: 6)!" Moon Shadow Pendulum Summoned both of his Ninja monsters in Attack Mode, much to the astonishment of the students watching.

"Whoa!" "Two monsters just like that?" Student 4 asked in astonishment. Sanders just gave an unimpressed scoff. "Hmph..."

"Next, I shall activate the spell Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Shuriken." Moon Shadow then instantly activated his go-to Continuous Spell card.

"Hey Moon Shadow, be careful." Crow cautioned. "I think BB's up to something, I just don't know what that bad is yet."

"Well, Crow, we won't know until we find out. Nichirin, spring into action and attack!" Moon Shadow's Nichirin drew its sheathed blade and moved in to attack. "Me not worried. Go ahead and attack Gladiator Beast, 'cause Gladiator Beast Medallion prevents you from being able to destroy Gladiator monster."

"Who said anything about your monster? I activate the spell Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Kunai! Now, my Nichirin gains the ability to attack you directly!"

"Now that's the way! Way to maneuver around BB's roadblock, Moon Shadow!" Crow cheered.

Battle Beast sneered before he used one of his remaining face-downs. "Me now using second trap! Gladiator Beast Valor, activate! Your Twilight Ninja Nichirin, the Chunin now forced to attack Gladiator Beast instead of me!" "What?!" Moon Shadow was surprised. "And you still can't destroy my monster!" Rather than finishing Battle Beast off, the strike from the Twilight Ninja instead hit a barrier in front of Secutor.

"But that is useless if you no longer have any life points. Thanks to Jogen's Pendulum Ability, when my Ninjas attack your monster, you will still take damage even if your monster is in Defense Mode!" Jogen's hair glowed yellow as it swung the chain on its kusarigama around, preparing to strike Battle Beast with the handle weight on the end.

"Your monster no hurt me!" Battle Beast roared. "Once per turn, Gladiator Beast Valor turn battle damage into life points!"

BATTLE BEAST LP: 2200 = 6200

"How utterly pathetic." Sanders mocked as he watched the battle on his holographic monitor. "Those weak moves won't work against the battle-tested techniques of my Battle Beast."

"You thought you were going to hurt me, but with attack, you put yourself in worse position."

"Then it is a good thing I am not finished yet. Shingetsu, slice down Battle Beast's life points!" Pointing to the pendulum monster in his right Pendulum Zone, Moon Shadow activated its Pendulum Ability. "And to help him, I shall activate... Kagen's Pendulum Ability! When a ninja is in need, their brothers aid them with the swiftness of the wind. Kagen shall raise Shingetsu's attack points by 1000!" Kagen brought its two weapons together, creating a downward crescent moon, as its Pendulum Ability was activated. Meanwhile, Shingetsu's upper left arm drew its blade as it charged at the Gladiator Beast. And once again, the Moon Shadow's monster was blocked by a barrier, but this time it made damage.

Twilight Ninja Shingetsu(Warrior/DARK/ATK: 1500 = 2500/DEF: 100/LV: 4)

BATTLE BEAST LP: 6200 = 1800

Twilight Ninja Shingetsu(Warrior/DARK/ATK: 2500 = 1500/DEF: 100/LV: 4)

"Since Gladiator Beast Secutor battled, me allowed to summon two more Gladiator Beasts from deck. Gladiator Beast Augustus(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 2600/DEF: 1000/LV: 8)! And Gladiator Beast Murmillo(Fish/WATER/ATK: 800/DEF: 400/LV: 3)!" Battle Beast brought his humanoid bird-like monster with huge tail and wings in black and silver armor in Attack Mode, while his blue fish-like humanoid monster was in Defense Mode.

"One Gladiator Beast was tough enough, but now Beast has three?" Crow thought in annoyance.

"And Augustus' special ability lets me summon another Gladiator Beast from hand." Augustus' red orb in the center of its armor glowed along with its eyes as it activated its special ability.

"Great, another Gladiator Beast?" Crow groaned in annoyance.

"Me now summon second Murmillo to field!" The second Murmillo shrieked as it arrived in Defense Mode as well.

Battle Beast snarled as he then gleefully activated his two copies of Murmillo's special ability. "And by summoning Gladiator Beast Murmillo, its special ability destroy one of your monsters." Battle Beast pointed at the monster he chose. "Monster me want to destroy is... Nichirin!" Murmillo shot torrential blasts of water out of the shells on its shoulders that destroyed Nichirin.

"Me like when monster go kaboom, but me like this much, much more! Me activates trap card Thumbs Down! Your card go poof, squish your points down 500." Moon Shadow looked up and saw that Battle Beast's Continuous Trap had created a giant thumbs-down hand that shot lighting out of its thumb and shocked him, causing him to lose life points as he was painfully electrocuted.

MOON SHADOW LP: 4000 = 3500

"Second Murmillo, destroy Crow Blackwing." The same thing that had happened to Moon Shadow's Nichirin was repeated on Crow's synchro monster. "Don't think so! 'Cause I'm activating my Black Feather Cursed Guard trap card! It shields my Raikiri from destruction!" Even though Raikiri was battered by the dual torrents of water, the synchro monster survived.

As Crow activated his trap card, Moon Shadow quickly moved to get an Action Card. Looking at the card he picked up, Moon Shadow saw that he had picked up Evasion. "Just like the scorpion lying in wait, I shall strike hard for Nichirin's dishonor! By sending the Action Card I picked up to my graveyard, I can deal you 300 points of damage." Three purple energy shurikens flew from the Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Shuriken card and struck Battle Beast, each depleting him of a 100 life points.

BATTLE BEAST LP: 1800 = 1500

Moon Shadow closed his eyes as he momentarily regretted his moves that made Battle Beast stronger. "I simply desired to discover our opponent's strategy, but now I'm sorry I actually did. I shall now end my turn."

"Gladiator Murmillo go bye-bye, return to deck." The Murmillo that was summoned by Augustus was then sent back into the deck, causing it to be shuffled.

"I'm sorry. We have lost Nichirin. I vow that I shall make amends for this." Crow just calmly assured Moon Shadow, despite his loss. "No worries! We're still in this."

"And now, me turn to draw! Me can return three cards to deck to Fusion Summon with no using Polymerization." Battle Beast declared as he shuffled his three monsters out on the field into his deck.

The act of a Contact Fusion surprised Crow and Moon Shadow. "What?"

"Like supreme predator, me done it again — snuck up and caught you unaware. You suffer for it now! Me fuse Gladiator Beast Augustus, Murmillo, and Secutor to make predator. Me Fusion Summon Gladiator Beast Andabata(Beast-Warrior/DARK/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2800/LV: 8)!" Battle Beast summoned a green-skinned monster that resembled a hadrosaurid in blue winged armor that carried a shield in its left hand and a sword in its right. The markings on both the shield and the sword glowed a pinkish hue as the monster was summoned. It them banged the two armaments together as it roared and assumed a battle stance in Attack Mode.

"When Andabata is summoned, me is allowed to summon another fusion monster. Me choose Gladiator Beast Gyzarus(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1500/LV: 6)!" The fusion monster that resembled an evolved Gladiator Beast Bestiari in green armor that resembled Secutor's arrived in Attack Mode and had its eyes momentarily glow red before roaring.

Battle Beast snarled eagerly as he activated Gyzarus' special ability. "Two cards on field go kaplooey! Me like when Gyzarus shoot laser blasts and destroy." Bringing its wings inward, Gyzarus unleased a volley of laser dart blasts at Crow and Moon Shadow, who gasped in shock. "Now say goodbye to Kagen and Raikiri!"

"Don't count your eggs before they hatch! My Cursed Guard trap is still protecting Raikiri! But now it comes with a price... my Raikiri loses 400 attack points and one level."

Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 2700 = 2300/DEF: 2000/LV: 7 = 6)

Battle Beast laughed after the blasts destroyed the Ninja monster. "That be no problem. Thumbs Down now shock with 500 damage points for each monster destroyed." Moon Shadow was shocked again, falling to his knee as his life points fell.

MOON SHADOW LP: 3500 = 3000

"Moon Shadow! You alright?!" Crow asked, worried about the pain the ninja was going through. "I'm alright. Which is more than what I can say about our current situation. Not only do we have a never-ending horde of Gladiator Beasts to deal with, his combo is devastating life points as well." Crow agreed with the problematic situation. "If we don't figure out a way to break this combo, it's game over for good!"

Battle Beast gloated at the obvious advantage he had over the Lancers. "You stand no chance against me! Who will me pick to attack?"

"Man, the only way out of this mess is to get an Action Card." Crow gasped as he then realized a problem with that idea as he looked at Moon Shadow's field. "But Moon Shadow doesn't have anything to protect his Shingestu while he looks for one! So, I need BB to focus on me!"

Crow loudly taunted Battle Beast so he would be aggravated enough to focus only on him. "Hey, Wild Kingdom, why'd they let you out of the zoo, good behavior?" The provocation worked.

"I pick Gyzarus attacks Raikiri!"

Moon Shadow and Crow split up to look for Action Cards while Gyzarus swooped in to clash with Raikiri, who flew to meet its challenger. As Crow neared an Action Card on a fallen piece of a stone pillar, he was surprised to find Battle Beast suddenly in front of him, swiping at him like an animal. Luckily, Moon Shadow was able to grab an Action Card sitting on the edge of a floating platform. "Do not worry, Crow. You are part of my clan, so I have your back! By activating the Action Card Miracle, Crow's monster avoids destruction and the damage is cut in half!" Gyzarus and Raikiri violently clashed midair, eventually backing off seeing that they couldn't destroy each other.

CROW LP: 4000 = 3950

Battle Beast grabbed the Action Card on the fallen pillar for himself before making his next move. "Me not done yet. Gyzarus returns to Extra Deck, and Andabata gains its attack points!" Andabata had a purple aura around it as its special ability activated.

Gladiator Beast Andabata(Beast-Warrior/DARK/ATK: 1000 = 3400/DEF: 2800/LV: 8)

"So, now it has 3400 attack points? Not good. That's enough attack points to defeat Moon Shadow!"

Sadly, Crow wasn't the only one to notice the observation. "Who do me take down?" Battle Beast roared as he began making his choice.

Moon Shadow once again started moving around, searching for an Action Card. "Huh, you make second go for Action Card?" Battle Beast then declared his target as he moved to intercept the ninja. "Fine, me finish you first! Attack!" Andabata was directed to attack Moon Shadow's remaining Twilight Ninja, while Moon Shadow was continuously cornered by Battle Beast until Andabata was right on top of his monster.

Crow quickly activated his trap before the attack could destroy Shingetsu. "Now it's my turn to have your back, Moon Shadow! I activate my trap Blackwing - Bodyguard! It forces you to attack my Raikiri instead!" Raikiri moved in-between Twilight Ninja Shingestsu and Andabata and blocked the blade with its own.

CROW LP: 3950 = 2850

Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 2300 = 1900/DEF: 2000/LV: 6 = 5)

"Just now you think you help friend out?" Battle Beast sarcastically asked. "You only make things badder! Andabata return to deck, and two new Gladiator Beasts show up in place." Battle Beast then summoned the two Gladiator Beasts from his deck that he chose. "These... Gladiator Beast Murmillo and Bestiari!" Both Gladiator Beast Murmillo and Gladiator Beast Bestiari(Winged Beast/WIND/ATK: 1500/DEF: 800/LV: 4) were special summoned in Attack Mode.

"Ninja think life points all safe from the hunt because Raikiri can't be destroyed. But Shingetsu not safe from special ability." Murmillo once again activated its special ability, firing at the Ninja monster, this time destroying it.

MOON SHADOW LP: 3000 = 2500

Battle Beast laughed manically at the action. "Bestiari ability destroy Illusion of Hazy Shuriken!" In a similar fashion to its fusion counterpart, Bestiari unleashed a volley of feather-shaped laser projectiles that destroyed Moon Shadow's Continuous Spell.

"And when your card goes boom, Thumbs Down cause life points go boom too! Things not look good for you, ninja!" Another round of lighting painfully shocked Moon Shadow, who cringed at the pain.

MOON SHADOW LP: 2500 = 2000

"BB, pick on somebody your own size, ya mangy mutt!" Battle Beast growled at the demand from Crow, which only seemed to worsen his already bad mood. "Me no take order from anyone! Bestiari, attack Ninja!"

"Wrong!" Crow interjected. Raikiri then appeared in front of Twilight Ninja Shingetsu, ready to intercept the attack. "My trap also forces you to only target Raikiri for attacks this turn. Face it, BB, Moon Shadow's no longer in season for you to hunt! From here on out, for the rest of this turn, I'm your prey!"

Battle Beast viciously growled as he was forced to end his Battle Phase. "There are other ways me can hurt you! Me can return Bestiari and Murmillo to deck to fuse together! Me now bring back bestest Gladiator Beast! Me Fusion Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!"

Battle Beast then used his fusion monster's special ability. "Gyzarus, destroy Crow trap and monster." Battle Beast's monster's special ability first took out Crow's trap, then his monster.

"Because of Thumbs Down trap card, life points get to go away. So, Crow now gonna take massive damage!" Lightning was created from the thumbs-down hand that headed straight for Crow, who braced for the impact that would rob him of 1000 life points.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a figure leapt into the air with an Action Card in hand. Crow and Moon Shadow recognized the figure immediately. "Iggy!" "Mind if I drop in?" Iggy asked cheekily. He then landed and played the Action Card he had. "I play... the Action Spell Acceleration! So now, Crow won't take any damage from your trap!" With that, a barrier protected Crow from the lightning. The moment Iggy landed after he played his Action Card, he took the Intrusion Penalty and lost half his life points.

INTRUSION PENALTY: 2000 LIFE POINTS

IGGY LP: 4000 = 2000

"Where have you've been? We've been looking for you everywhere!" Crow asked while he smiled in relief.

"So have I. This jungle is vast and hard to navigate. But finding you was easier when I followed the lightning and the screams." Iggy explained, trying to keep his explanation short. "But it's time we put a stop to this, now!"

Battle Beast flinched from Iggy's declaration, before resuming his insane smile. "No one stop me, not ever."

"Well, then, let me show you how Bandit Warrior Academy remedies that starting right here, and right now!"

"Is that so?" Unlike Lady Minerva, Sanders showed that he wasn't amused at Iggy's announcement. "This Kungfu maggot's got a big mouth that needs some shuttin' ASAP! Go primal, BB! Smash this 'Acro-brat-tic' and send him to the loser's circle!"

Battle Beast then held up the only card in his hand. "Me now end turn with face-down... Now go you."

Before Iggy began his turn, Moon Shadow warned him. "Be careful. This foe is quite formidable."

"Don't worry. His style of dueling might unnerve others... but not me! I draw! Because I don't have any monsters on my field, I get to summon Itsuki the Purge Star(Warrior/LIGHT/ATK: 1800/DEF: 100/LV: 4) from my hand!"

Iggy summoned a monster that wore purple Asian martial art warrior armor that had a white headcovering of an eastern dragon with two antlered horns and golden taxidermized eyes. The warrior carried a meteor hammer with the weights resembling dragon heads, which were whirled around on the connecting chain as it was special summoned in Attack Mode.

"I tribute Itsuki so I can bring out something with a bit more power! Emerge, Kaiza the Hidden Star(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2100/LV: 5)!" Kaiza brandished its sword with various swings as it and the demonic mouth on its left pauldron emitted sparkling blue energy.

"When I summon Kaiza, it gains the attack points of the monster I used to summon it!" Itsuki's spirit appeared and glowed blue before it entered Kaiza's blade and the mouth on its pauldron, powering the Warrior-Type monster up with its attack points. The Duel Academy students gasped as the monster that Iggy had summoned gained attack points.

Kaiza the Hidden Star(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 1000 = 2800/DEF: 2100/LV: 5)

"It's time to take your monster down with my spell, Star Supremacy! Now, all monsters you have out that have fewer attack points than Kaiza are destroyed!"

"His monster has 2800 attack points!" Two of the Duel Academy students, Student 1 and Student 4, looked at each other as they realized what that meant. "That's way more attack points than what BB's monster has! What a move!"

Battle Beast flinched as he was faced with the destruction of his monster and taking damage from Thumbs Down. "Me use Medusa's Shield to protect Gyzarus from kaplooey!" Battle Beast once again used his Continuous Trap to protect his monster from effects.

"Wrong! Since I used Itsuki to summon out Kaiza, it gains another special ability."

"What?" The moment right after Battle Beast uttered his question, Sanders scolded him, much to the annoyance of Lady Minerva, who groaned in irritation. "No what! I trained you to deal with any adversity!"

"Kaiza's power now destroys Medusa's Shield, leaving your monsters unprotected!" Kaiza quickly slashed the Continuous Trap to pieces with a few quick strikes from his sword, effectively destroying it. Then it proceeded to take out Gyzarus with a massive energy slash from its weapon.

BATTLE BEAST LP: 1500 = 500

"All right!" Crow cheered. "Thumbs Down deals 500 points of damage for every card that's destroyed! And since both Medusa's Shield and Gyzarus were both destroyed, BB's life points just took a whopping 1000 points of damage!"

A furious Sanders tightened his grip on his riding crop and asked Iggy, "You just jumped in this duel a few minutes ago, how'd you know to play that monster?"

"I didn't." Iggy simply replied. "But if BB's good enough to leave my friends without monsters down and keep a powerful monster around, then I knew that I needed to start somewhere to even the odds. Don't you get it? We work as a team, while you're all alone, so you don't stand a chance!"

"Me... lose?" Battle Beast twitched his hand as he snarled at the possibility.

"BB only has 500 life points left!" Student 6 exclaimed. Student 2, added, "If Iggy attacks, it's going to be game over." "I can't believe BB's been bested." Student 7 said with disbelief. The disbelief was shared with Battle Beast, who gave an incredulous grunt before resuming his growling.

"I wish that I could end this right here and now, but due to Star Supremacy's additional effect, my Kaiza isn't allowed to attack this turn. In other words, you're a very lucky duelist." Battle Beast gasped at the fact before he gave a relieved smile.

Seeing Battle Beast smile infuriated Sanders. "Wipe that grin off your face..." Then he swung his riding crop in anger, catching the attention of everyone as he ranted. "Better still... Why don't I come on down there and do it for you?"

An impatient Sanders then leapt from his and Lady Minerva's arena overlook using the floating platforms as connecting footholds. "Don't you realize that everything you do reflects on me?" As soon as he reached the ground, he hit it with his riding crop. "Guess I'm gonna have to set an example of how you're supposed to duel!" Battle Beast growled as he watched in surprise at Sanders scolding him.

The Duel Academy instructor then slapped on his black-trimmed, dark red Duel Disk and activated his light green blade as he entered the duel. "Now watch and learn how victory's guaranteed to be achieved!"

INTRUSION PENALTY: 2000 LIFE POINTS

SANDERS LP: 4000 = 2000

"Oh, good..." Crow sarcastically said. "For a moment, I thought this would be too easy."

Iggy then concluded his turn. "I place two cards face-down... and end my turn!"

Battle Beast growled as he activated another effect of his destroyed Continuous Trap. "Me now gonna activate the Medusa Shield that be in the graveyard of mine! Me select one Gladiator Beast trap in me deck!" He briefly grinned at the card he chose before setting it on the field. "End turn!"

Sanders scoffed at the move before he began his Draw Phase. "It's my turn!" The instructor then activated the card he just drew. "I'm gonna educate you grunts on battling by activatin' Test Fusion! Due to its effect, I can send Test Ape(Beast/EARTH/ATK: 700/DEF: 300/LV: 2) and Test Tiger(Beast/EARTH/ATK: 600/DEF: 300/LV: 3) to the graveyard... So that I am now able to fuse these wild beasts together! Since my student can't take control of this duel, I'll bring out something that can! I Fusion Summon! Front and center, Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor(Beast-Warrior/DARK/ATK: 2400/DEF: 3000/LV: 8)!" Thunder rumbled as Tamer Editor arrived and gained its antlers and back decorations from the lightning. It then twirled its staff around and assumed a pose in Attack Mode.

Sanders punched the air in front of him as he activated his monster's ability. "I activate Editor's ability! I can recruit one Gladiator Beast from the Extra Deck and summon it to my field!" Editor condensed its polearm and turned it into a whip with a green energy rope. "BB, I summon Gladiator Beast Andabata from your Extra Deck onto your field! You're welcome!" Tamer Editor lashed at the ground and brought Battle Beast's monster back in Attack Mode.

"Not that cold-blooded brute again!" Crow groaned in annoyance. Iggy agreed. "Sanders isn't messing around. He's double-dippin' from BB's deck."

"With my Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor out on the frontline, he can tame any beast and in any deck!" Sanders said with confidence.

He then turned his attention to Battle Beast. "What, BB? No 'thank you', you wannabe neanderthal? Well, I didn't want no thank-yous anyway! Now let's see if you can actually put your Gladiator Beast to good use the second time around, 'cause you sure didn't do it the first time!"

"Huh..." Iggy took notice that Battle Beast was shaking and growling. In a different manner than he had with them previously.

"What's up?" Crow asked Iggy. "Uh... Well, don't think Sanders is riding BB a bit too hard?"

"Well, what're you waiting for, BB? Permission? Well, I give you permission to make a good move, because you sure haven't so far! So do what you've been told and crush those Lancers!"

After he gave his orders to Battle Beast, Sanders pointed at Iggy with his riding crop. "Since you interfered before, why don't we eliminate you first?" The ruthless instructor then directed his riding crop at Tamer Editor as he activated its ability. "Now, when there are two Gladiator Beasts on the field, I can use Editor's special ability to destroy one monster and then its controller takes damage equal to its monster's attack points!" Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor glowed purple as it activated its special ability. Sanders pointed his riding crop at the target of the ability. "And the monster I choose to destroy is your Kaiza the Hidden Star!"

"Kaiza's attack points are higher than Iggy's life points!" Student 2 shared an elated look with Student 3, who was next to her. "The Sarge totally has this. Iggy is a goner."

"You monkey pugilist runt! You're eliminated!" Tamer Editor swung its whip and launched its attack.

"I don't think so!" Moon Shadow yelled as he activated an Action Card he picked up nearby him. "Thanks to the Action Card I just picked up, Mirror Barrier saves Kaiza the Hidden Star from destruction!" A barrier of mirrors encased Kaiza, knocking the whip away.

"I don't know what's more annoying, your constant defiance or your blasted cards. Well, let's see how high and mighty you are when you see one of your friends crushed before your eyes!" Tamer Editor launched a yellow burst of energy from its chest armor at Crow, tearing up the ground as it approached him. "Editor! Attack Crow directly!" Crow barely leapt out of the way of the incoming blast.

"Maggot! You cannot escape my attack!" True to Sanders' words, the discharged energy swiftly made a U-turn.

Iggy noticed an Action Card nearby, close to Battle Beast. He then made a dash for it, an action Sanders noticed.

"Stop him now, BB!"

Instead of following Sanders order, Battle Beast just stood there in shock and growled, allowing Iggy to pass by him, uninterrupted.

"This is insubordination!" Sanders yelled.

Iggy retrieved the Action Card that he found embedded in the trunk of the tree. "I activate... the Action Spell Evasion so that Crow can sidestep that blast of yours!" Crow was barely able to dodge the blast after he got up.

Sanders became more infuriated as his grip on his riding crop's handle tightened. "BB... I'm talking to you! You simpleminded savage! Snap out of it! Respect the chain of command! The Professor wants the Lancers incapacitated for his Arc-Area Project, and I say sir, yes sir! So you respect my superiority and follow my orders! Because that's what we're all here for! To follow orders and never question authority! Understood?" His lecture was not only directed to Battle Beast, but to the students who were watching the duel. Unlike Battle Beast, the students seemed to listen as they saluted their instructor. "Sir!"

"You have the dishonor to say that...?" Moon Shadow angrily asked. Crow backed up Moon Shadow's statement. "All your orders did was get five of your best students card-ified!"

Ignoring the rebuke he was getting from the Lancers, Sanders set a card face-down. "I now end my turn."

"Then it's my turn!" Crow declared as he began his Draw Phase. "And I'll kick things off by activating the ability of Blackwing - Gofu the Vague Shadow(Winged Beast/Tuner/DARK/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)! I can summon this when I have no monsters on my field!" Gofu emerged from a tornado that buffeted the area with strong winds.

"When I summon him, Gofu the Vague Shadow also brings out two Vague Shadow Tokens(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 1) in Attack Mode! And I'm not gonna waste any time in usin' 'em! I tune Gofu the Vague Shadow with my two Shadow Tokens! And here's something they don't teach ya in this school, Gofu lets me Synchro Summon a monster in my graveyard instead of my Extra Deck!"

"From the graveyard?!" The students were in shock at Crow's move.

"Watch as my birds unite to take flight! I Synchro Summon! Return to the skies, Raikiri the Rain Shower! Raikiri's ability activates! For every Blackwing I have on my field, Raikiri can destroy one of your cards! Say goodbye to Tamer Editor!"

"I'll counter your act of insurrection by activiatin' Gladiator Beast War Chariot! It negates the special ability of your Raikiri and eliminates it!" Sanders' Counter Trap fizzled out the Raikiri's slash and destroyed Raikiri.

"Big deal! This isn't over! From my hand, I activate the spell Black Feather Illusion! I have to negate its special abilities, but I can bring Raikiri back from my graveyard!" Three illusions of Raikiri, each one colored differently than the other, shouted as they held their blade to the sky and merged into one. The illusions were colored blue, red, and green.

"And Raikiri's ready to take off! Go! Attack Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor!"

"He's not attackin' anything! Because Editor's got another special ability, one that cancels out your featherbrain's attack!" Editor used a whiplash to knock Raikiri back into the sky, stopping its attack.

"Well... so much for that plan." Crow grumbled as he was forced to end his turn. "I place one card face-down and end my turn."

"It is now my draw!" Moon Shadow declared. He then looked at the two cards he had in his hand before selecting one. "I tribute Twilight Ninja Jogen from my Pendulum Zone to activate the spell Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Ambush! Now, one of your monsters loses their special abilities! And the monster I select is Andabata!" Moon Shadow pointed at the target of his spell's effect.

"Nice!" Crow joyfully commented. "Andabata's special ability can summon extra Gladiator Beasts when it returns to the Extra Deck, but not anymore."

"Now, Shingetsu, strike as swift as the wind! Slash down Andabata!" Shingetsu once again charged at the Gladiator Beast as it drew its katana.

"Me no fear that! Gladiator Beast's Medallion protect Andabata." The red barrier once again surrounded Andabata. "And Gladiator Beast Valor turn damage into life points!"

BATTLE BEAST LP: 500 = 1500

"But that effect can only work once. Due to the other effect of Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Ambush, Twilight Ninja Shingestsu gets two attacks this turn! So you will take damage!" Shingetsu charged into battle, its katana drawn once again. This time, no red barrier appeared. So this time, Battle Beast did take damage and was knocked back from it, but he remained standing the entire time he was skidding backward.

BATTLE BEAST LP: 1500 = 500

"Me activate trap card Gladiator Beast's Assault Fort! When me take damage, me must destroy me Thumbs Down on me field. Then all me Gladiator Beast spell and trap cards turn into Gladiator Beast Forts!" With the new Continuous Trap's effect, the current traps, Gladiator Beast's Medallion and Gladiator Beast's Valor, both turned into Continuous Spell cards, Gladiator Beast Fort. The Gladiator Beast Forts seemed to resemble wolf statues as a fort with wooden spikes jutting out of the walls appeared behind them. "Gladiator Beast's Valor and Gladiator Beast's Medallion now both set up stronghold." Everyone gasped in astonishment at the massive acropolis Battle Beast had created. Sanders and Lady Minerva on the other hand, just silently chuckled as they observed Battle Beast's moves.

"Now when Gladiator Beast battles, Gladiator Beast no go kaboom and me also no take battle damage once per turn. And you can no use effects to kaboom me Gladiator Beast either!"

"What? So his monsters are basically indestructible?" Iggy frowned as he saw that it would be pointless to attack with only his Kaiza next turn.

"Gladiator Beast's Assault Fort's power lets me place one Gladiator Beast in each fort!" Battle Beast chose a Gladiator Beast in his deck to place in each fort, making a total of two new Gladiator Beasts on the field.

"First, Gladiator Beast Augustus!" After placing his level 8 Winged Beast in the Gladiator Beast Fort on the right, Battle Beast then placed his second in the left. "Next, Gladiator Beast Laquari!

When me return monster from Fort to deck..." After he placed a Gladiator Battle Beast in each of the Gladiator Beast Forts, Battle Beast explained another effect of his statues as he ran. He then jumped into the fort, and looked down on his opponents from above on the wooden catwalk. "... me inflict 1000 points of damage on you!"

"That's not good!" Moon Shadow agreed with Crow. "Not at all!"

"There! Sergeant happy now?" Battle Beast then gripped the railing and began uncontrollably grunting, snarling, and shaking once again. "Maybe Sergeant now keep mouth closed!"

Iggy stilled again as he saw Battle Beast's behavior. But then he gasped softly and widened his eyes as he began remembering the harsh training at Bandit Warrior Academy as a child. Odd feelings began to swell within him as he began to make a connection. "He's so upset... He reminds me... of me."

"It's... my draw." After Iggy conducted his Draw Phase, he looked at his drawn card and closed his eyes. Then he put it with his other card and did nothing. "I choose to end my turn without playing a card."

Sanders chuckled. "It's more than the end of your turn! It's the end of the line! BB! Now, bury them! That's a direct order! Well?" However, instead of immediately doing what he was ordered, Battle Beast just stood there gripping the rail as his grunting behavior started to quicken.

"Just what are you waiting for? Finish them! Do you hear me? Finish them! That's an order!" Sanders grew more impatient, ignoring the fact that Battle Beast's growling was getting worse. "I am losing patience! If you don't do as I say, then, BB... you're going two-dimensional!"

The threat from Sanders caused something hit Battle Beast from inside. As if something had finally snapped. Battle Beast ceased snarling and became quiet as he looked at Sanders.

"Yes, you heard right. So cease your brainless snorting and get on with it already! Do as I command!"

With a grunt, Battle Beast began his turn. "Draw! Since me have two Gladiator Beasts, me now can activate Sergeant's Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor's special ability."

Sanders smiled, pleased that victory was in sight. "About time you made a good move, BB! Now use that ability to destroy Iggy Arlo's Kaiza the Hidden Star, so he'll take 2800 points of damage and be finished for good!"

"Me no destroy Kaiza the Hidden Star. Me destroy Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor itself!" Battle Beast pointed at Sander's own monster as the target of its own special ability. This act of betrayal shocked everyone, except Lady Minerva, who just sinisterly chuckled as if she was expecting it.

"So Sergeant now be the one taking the damage from crack of Editor's whip!" Battle Beast said as Editor began to thrash its whip.

"Have you lost your pea-sized mind?!" Sanders questioned as his own monster began beating the ground underneath him, causing it to glow. Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor quickened its pace until it became a flurry of green lashes. Sanders screamed as the effect destroyed all his life points and his monster.

"Gwahahaha! BB's completely out of control!" Lady Minerva laughed out loud as if she found the situation completely hilarious.

The Lancers watched as Sanders groaned as he took the damage from his own monster's special ability. "Whoa! He's toast!" Crow exclaimed in shock.

SANDERS LP: 2000 = 0

They all watched as Sanders fell to his knees and elbows as his life points dropped. From the ground, Sanders looked furiously at Battle Beast, who was breathing heavily from his fortess. "Why, you... Have you gone rabid?! Why did you attack me?"

Unlike Sanders, Iggy realized the reason why. "Sanders pushed him too far."

The students overlooking the duel were stunned. "Whoa, did you all see that? I don't think that was in the lesson plan!" The feeling of stunned shock in Student 4's comment was shared with Student 1. "I knew BB wasn't tame, but to suddenly go and turn on your own teammate like that?"

"Oh man, that takes a special kind of savagery!"

"The kind Sanders is always telling us to use!" Student 2 noted with a raised fist. "Although I'm not exactly sure that he meant against him."

"I dunno. He always told us that in a duel, only the strongest should prevail." Student 7 argued. "I looks like the Sarge finally met his match with BB!"

With a mighty roar, Battle Beast jumped from the catwalk. With a couple of leaps, he moved across the base of the right Gladiator Beast Fort, which used to be Gladiator Beast's Medallion, and pinned down Sanders with a wild grin.

"Wait, BB, no!" Iggy rushed toward Battle Beast to stop him from card-ifying anymore people.

Seeing Iggy coming, Battle Beast knocked Iggy back with a swipe from his Duel Disk's blade. But Iggy intercepted it with his own.

"Iggy!" Crow exclaimed.

As they struggled against each other, both unwilling to budge from their positions, Iggy attempted to talk to Battle Beast. "Listen. I know you're mad. But you can't let it control you!"

"What?" Crow and Moon Shadow were confused on what Iggy meant by that.

Iggy continued, "You can't let your wild side overwhelm you. I know that deep in your heart, you really don't want to fight."

"You wrong!" Battle Beast snapped. "You know me not!"

"Yeah, I do! Because I used to be a lot like you!" Iggy countered. "What, you didn't bathe for months?" Crow asked rhetorically. Backing down from the struggle from him and Battle Beast, Iggy gave an embarrassed glance to Crow. "I'll admit... maybe I did that during training... once or twice..." He muttered.

Quickly brushing off the embarrassment, Iggy directed his attention to the Gladiator Beast Forts Battle Beast created. "Maybe not exactly like you, but I know why you built this fort. See, I know because it's the exact same reason that I focused so much on getting revenge on Yuya. It's a way for both of us to shield ourselves from the outside world... a world that we believe that doesn't always understand who we are. Like how Sanders doesn't understand you, so you lash out at because you're sick of him barking orders!"

"So then... BB's wild side is a result of Sanders always yelling at him?" Crow asked Moon Shadow for confirmation on what Iggy was trying to say. Moon Shadow answered, understanding what was actually the truth. "Makes sense. Like a dog driven by the fear the master inflicts on it, one will eventually bite back in defense."

"And that means Sanders is gonna get a major beatdown!" Crow summarized. "This could get ugly!"

Battle Beast and Iggy both relaxed their struggle against each other as Battle Beast let out a conceding breath. As the Duel Disk blades were withdrawn from each other, Battle Beast admitted in a soft, auditable tone, "Iggy, you right. You do know BB."

But then his tone resumed its aggressiveness. "But just because you and me have stuff in common do not mean Sanders walk away! Me have taken all me can take! Now Sergeant pay!"

"Don't do it!" Iggy yelled.

"Do not interfere!"

Iggy gasped as he looked at the students watching, who objected to his attempt to save Sanders.

"Yeah, this is between the Sarge and BB!" "And only the strongest one of them deserves to fight another day!" Student 3 added. "That's what we were taught and that's what we believe!" The stockily-built Student 6 affirmed.

"That's right!" Student 3 and Student 2 both backed their colleague, Student 4, on his confirmation. "That's right!" "Only the strongest survives!"

Student 1 then said with a salute, "Only the strongest survives!" The rest of the students mimicked the same response he gave and began chanting, "Only the strongest survives!".

The Lancers stared at the students with utter disbelief. "To think... I was almost the same as you." Iggy muttered. "Wow, those guys... sound like they really need a hug." Crow's words were countered by an equally astonished Moon Shadow. "I am not sure a hug would solve anything."

"They're right. Do it!" Sanders finally said, surprising the Lancers. "What are you waiting for? You getting lily-livered on me? You know exactly what you have to do, so go ahead and turn me into a card already!"

"You want me to?" Battle Beast asked, confused at Sanders' request. "But not before I give you one final order." "Order?"

"That's right, so you better listen up, soldier. I locked you in cage to toughen you up. My job was to turn a carded little mouse of a man into a lion. And I outdid myself. I made you better than any other cadet this school has ever seen. You were trapped in a cage, but you'll be free. Free to do whatever you like! After you do one final thing. Show them you're the best, BB! Show them you're the best by beating everyone! Put that ferocity to good use! Defeat the Lancers and turn them into cards!"

"Defeat Lancers..." Battle Beast questioned.

"The time for action is now, soldier! The only way you'll truly be free is if you defeat your enemies, the Lancers!"

"Defeat Lancers." Battle Beast widened his eyes at Sanders' words, becoming unnerved.

"That's correct! Now then... quit wasting time with me already! The Lancers are right there! Now go and destroy them!" Even at the possibility of being turned into a card, Sanders' conviction didn't waver.

"Must destroy Lancers! Me must destroy Lancers. Only way me be free." Battle Beast let out a bloodcurdling scream, shocking all the combatants in the arena.

Instead of doing what Sanders wanted and turn him into a card, Battle Beast jumped back into his castle. "Me return one monster in Gladiator Beast's Fort to deck to deal you 1000 points of damage. Me say bye-bye to Augustus, so Iggy go bye-bye!" As Battle Beast sent the Gladiator Beast back to his deck, the eyes of the Gladiator Beast Fort that housed it glowed. Iggy ran for an Action Card to avoid the shockwave that was shot out of the mouth of the Gladiator Beast Fort at him.

Jumping across the platforms like a stairway, Iggy grabbed an Action Card and activated it after taking a quick glance at it. "Perfect! With Acceleration I take no damage!" Iggy barely avoided the blast thanks to his Action Card.

"Nuh-huh!" Battle Beast interjected as he returned to the catwalk. "Me return Laquari from second Fort to strike again! You still take damage!" The second Gladiator Beast Fort shot another yellow blast of energy at Iggy.

Landing, Iggy realized he wouldn't be able to evade the damage. "Not good! Need another Action Card!"

"How about a trap?!" "A trap?" Crow's words frightened Battle Beast and made him leap into his fortress for protection.

"By giving up half my life points..."

CROW LP: 2850 = 1425

"I can banish Blackwing - Bodyguard so that Iggy is allowed to keep all of his!" After Crow banished his trap card from his graveyard, a massive bird made of energy arose out of the Graveyard Portal and intercepted the blast from Battle Beast's Gladiator Beast Fort. "Thanks! I owe ya!"

Inside of the central fort, Battle Beast pounded his fist against the viewing wall in frustration as he looked at Crow. "No! Not fair! Not fair!"

A groaning Sanders, who clutched the injured right side of his torso with his left hand, made his way to a column and slumped against it. "I can't believe that neanderthal messed things up again — just pathetic." Sanders then slid down to the ground after he finished grumbling.

"You may have survived this turn, but you won't next turn!" Battle Beast once again activated his Forts' effect. "When no monsters in me Forts, me can assign new Gladiator Beast to man forts." A light shone above each fort as the effect activated. "Augustus, go right Fort! Laquari, go left Fort! Me end turn!"

Meanwhile, the students who were watching were not pleased with Battle Beast's abandonment of turning their own instructor into a card. "What happened to turning Sarge into a card?" Student 3 inquired. Student 2 also voiced her complaint. "Yeah, turn him into a card!"

"A card!" "A card!" The students began chanting the same thing as they demanded that Sanders to be turned into a card.

"Man. And people said Bandit Warrior Academy had a problem." Iggy mused in horror as he looked on at the students.

"Their blood's boiling, and snapping out of their fever won't be easy. They've been barked at for who knows how long, so simple words will not work." Moon Shadow noted.

"Then it's up to us to bring them to their senses." Crow said as he began his Draw Phase. "My turn!" Crow saw that the card he drew was a Blackwing Quick-Play Spell. "But it definitely won't be me, though. I don't have anything to blow 'em away with. Guess I'll just have to leave to you guys now." Crow set his spell face-down and ended his turn.

"Then I shall do my best not to let you down!" Moon Shadow declared as he drew a monster. ''And I have just the monster to do so! I tribute Twilight Ninja Shingetsu so I may summon a ninja who is just as graceful as she is beautiful... Behold, Twilight Ninja Mikazuki, the Kunoichi(Warrior/DARK/ATK: 3200/DEF: 2700/LV: 9)!"

Moon Shadow tribute summoned a female Twilight Ninja monster dressed in a dark green haori robe with a V-neck with white trimming. There was a aquamarine obi sash with a fringed tail wrapped twice around her waist. Black platoon sandals with the straps being the same color as the kimono adorned her feet. She also wore a teal scarf that covered her mouth. Most of her long white hair was gathered in a bun holder in the shape of a crescent moon, while a loose lock framed each side of her face. Each of them were bound with a silver metal hair cuff that were engraved with a yin-yang symbol. Her weapons of choice were ninja hand claws, with the curves resembling elongated crescents.

"Do not underestimate her. Twilight Ninja Mikazuki, the Kunoichi is very special. By returning two Twilight Ninjas to my hand, I can bring forth a new Twilight Ninja from my deck. Return, Twilight Ninja Jogen and Kagen... and welcome, Twilight Ninja Getsuga, the Shogun(Warrior/DARK/ATK: 2000/DEF: 3000/LV: 8)!" Moon Shadow special summoned Getsuga from his deck in Attack Mode.

"Now, I shall activate another one of her talents. Mikazuki returns three Ninjitsu cards in my graveyard to my deck so I may destroy an equal amount of cards. So that means Battle Beast's fortress is no more!" BB grumbled as Twilight Ninja Mikazuki twirled about gracefully, before she unleashed three massive slashes from her claws that created crescent blade energies that destroyed BB's Continuous Spells and Continuous Trap. BB screamed as his Assault Fort was destroyed.

"Look at that firepower!" A student commented. All the students let out an amazed "whoa..." as they were speechless. "Look at it, it's incredible!" Sanders and Lady Minerva just let out angered grunts.

"BB is completely defenseless!" Iggy declared as he watched the fortress go down. But this was interrupted when the ground suddenly started rumbling.

The Lancers looked at the cloud of smoke where the Gladiator Beast's Assault Fort once stood as an even larger citadel with a massive stallion-shaped statue arose out of the ground. The fortified stone walls now possessed cannons on the lower walls, four in total.

"Whoa. It looks like BB's hut got an upgrade!" Crow said in surprised shock.

Battle Beast announced from within the structure, "When me Gladiator Beast's Assault Fort blow up, me can destroy all my cards to activate Gladiator Beast's Great Fortress!"

"Great Fortress?" Moon Shadow questioned.

Iggy then noticed something. "Hey, where is BB?" "Not sure." Crow answered.

"When Great Fortress activate, me can place all Gladiator Beasts from me graveyard inside!" Laquari and Augustus entered the two cannons on the left of BB's new fortress, while Gyzarus and Andabata went into the right cannons. Then the gigantic mustang statue's eyes glowed as another ability was activated. "And your monsters lose their special abilities!" A purple aura each surrounded Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower, Kaiza the Hidden Star, Twilight Ninja Mikadzuki, the Kunoichi, and Twilight Ninja Getsuga, the Shogun and caused them to flinch in pain. Kaiza the Hidden Star, on the other hand, lost the attack points it gained from its special ability.

Kaiza the Hidden Star(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 2800 = 1000/DEF: 2100/LV: 5)

"Such a powerful wall. But like any challenge, it can still be overcome." Moon Shadow declared. Iggy nervously told him, "I'm glad you think so, Moon Shadow, because... that thing looks pretty unbreakable!"

"Well, just ninjas, looks can be deceiving. Mikazuki, attack!" Mikazuki charged, claw weapons drawn, at the citadel.

"Me don't think so!" Battle Beast declared as he activated a third effect of Gladiator Beast's Great Fortress. "With power of me Great Fortress, your monster forced to battle one of me Gladiator Beasts instead!" One of the cannons raised upward and shot out the Gladiator Beast monster it had inside. "Go, Gladiator Beast Andabata! Andabata's attack points now be 1000, but grow 1000 for each monster me have in fortress!" Even though it had lost its special abilities, Andabata was stronger than Moon Shadow's monster.

Gladiator Beast Andabata(Beast-Warrior/DARK/ATK: 1000 = 4000/DEF: 2800/LV: 8)

"4000 points?!" Iggy was bewildered at the massive attack points Andabata now had. Crow exclaimed, "It's stronger than Moon Shadow's Twilight Ninja!"

"And when your monster go bye-bye, Gladiator Beast Fortress blast you for 500 points more damage. So that mean you lose!" Battle Beast announced.

"I don't think so!" Crow then revealed one of his two face-downs. "By activating Blackwing - Last Will, Twilight Ninja Mikazuki isn't destroyed!" The trap card created a massive bird made of energy that quickly cloaked Mikadzuki. When Andabata brought its blade down on the Ninja monster, Twilight Ninja Mikadzuki, the Kunoichi was able to block the strike as she was covered by the bird-like energy.

MOON SHADOW LP: 2000 = 1200

Now that the Battle Phase was over, Battle Beast revealed another effect of his Great Fortress. "Me Gladiator Beast returns to me Fortress now." Andabata turned into blue energy and re-entered Gladiator Beast's Great Fortress through the door covered by a steel-like metal door, which slid to the right to open and close. "Moon Shadow... you lucky you no lose."

Twilight Ninja Mikazuki returned to Moon Shadow's side, next to Getsuga, the Shogun. "I end my turn."

"And that means the second effect of my Blackwing - Last Will trap card kicks in." Crow declared. "So now, my Raikiri gets destroyed and I take damage equal to its attack points."

Iggy and Moon Shadow gasped as they realized what that meant. "That means..." "Crow loses!"

"You guys think I wasn't prepared for this?" Crow asked with a smirk. "And now, I activate the spell Black Feather Reversal! Instead of taking damage when my monster is destroyed, I get to summon a Blackwing from my Extra Deck whose attack points are equal to the damage I would've taken! C'mon out, Assault Blackwing... Chidori the Rain Sprinkling!" Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 2600/DEF: 2000/LV: 7) quickly took Raikiri the Rain Shower's place in Attack Mode. "And Chidori the Rain Sprinkling gains 300 extra attack points for every Blackwing in my graveyard."

Blackwing - Chidori the Rain Sprinkling(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 2600 = 3500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)

"Talk about a close call!" Iggy exclaimed in relief. Crow replied, "Hey, you don't worry about me. You focus on what you need to do."

"You got it, Crow." Iggy then turned toward the citadel that Battle Beast created. "It is up to me to bring Battle Beast out of there and show him something better. Just like Yuya showed me."

"Here goes. I draw!" Iggy saw that it was just the card he needed. "Just what I was hoping for!" Iggy then took two of his three cards. "It's my turn to strike. For I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 3 Saotome the Cascade Star(Warrior/LIGHT/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1000/LV: 5/PS: 3) and Scale 8 Yakumo the Brandish Star(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2100/LV: 5/PS: 8)!"

Iggy's pendulum Star monsters were both tall, muscular men clad in armor. Saotome had light blue eyes, brown-red bangs of hair that spilled from his bear-themed headgear pelt, and wore armor similar to Hayate the Earth Star, but was turquoise-colored. He wielded dual spiked vajra that went with the color scheme that had golden spikes. The attire under the armor were brown pants and a black shirt. On his back was a ornamental circle like Hayate's, but had blue crystalline triangular pendulum-like projections on it and resembled water. Yakumo's armor resembled a spiky version Kaiki's, but was crimson and black. His martial art weapons were two massive demonic lower arms with sharp-clawed hands. Red energies were consistently discharged from the sharpened fingertips and the opened evil mouths were filled with white, razor-sharp teeth. The chest armor he wore had a closed demon mouth, which showed no signs of being a part of him, and his crimson helmet had two black triangular prisms that resembled pendulum weights sticking out. His eyes were a dark purple and he had a mouth of pointed teeth.

"Now I can summon as many monsters between levels 4 and 7 as I please! I Pendulum Summon!

Come forth, Tenma the Sky Star(Warrior/LIGHT/ATK: 2100/DEF: 0/LV: 5)." Iggy Pendulum Summoned only one monster in Attack Mode.

"I activate Yakumo the Brandish Star's Pendulum Ability! I can Fusion Summon without using Polymerization. I fuse Tenma the Sky Star with Kaiza the Hidden Star! And from these two... will come one... and the righteous end to this duel! I Fusion Summon, Idaten the Conqueror Star(Warrior/LIGHT/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2200/LV: 10)!

And now that I have a fusion monster, I can activate my trap Rising Stars! Now, by negating their abilities, I can summon some Warrior-Type monsters to join the duel! All these monsters are allowed to attack you directly!" Tenma, Kaiza, and Itsuki all returned to the field in Attack Mode in a splendid acrobatic display, ending in a human pyramid formation.

The Duel Academy students gasped in astonishment that Iggy had brought back all his monsters from the graveyard.

"Now I play Saotome's Pendulum Ability! I can summon another Star monster to join the party. And here he is... Hayate the Earth Star(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 2100/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!" Iggy special summoned Hayate from his deck with its effect negated.

"And now, Hayate, show us what you can do! Attack BB directly!"

The students were astonished. Student 1 exclaimed, "Is he nuts?! BB's just gonna shoot out another Gladiator Beast to intercept the attack! A Gladiator Beast that's much stronger than Hayate!"

Once again, true to the student's words, Battle Beast launched a Gladiator Beast from his Fortress. "Go, Gladiator Beast Andabata! And Andabata gains 1000 attack points for each monster in fortress for total of 4000 attack points!"

Gladiator Beast Andabata(Beast-Warrior/DARK/ATK: 1000 = 4000/DEF: 2800/LV: 8)

"But it won't make any difference for me! Thanks to Saotome's other Pendulum Ability! Hayate survives and I don't take any damage!" Andabata violently clashed its blade with Hayate's polearm, but it wasn't destroyed and Iggy took no damage.

"So that means his monsters can't be destroyed either and no one takes damage?" Student 3 questioned. Student 2 added to the questioning, "What's the point of doing that?"

"Now, it's Tenma's turn to battle. Go!" Iggy pointed toward the Fortress with a smile as his monster charged in.

"You still no learn you can't attack me directly?" Battle Beast asked as he activated the effect of Gladiator Beast's Great Fortress again. "Crush that Sky Star, Gyzarus!"

Gladiator Beast Gyzarus(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 2400 = 1000/DEF: 1500/LV: 6)

Gladiator Beast Gyzarus(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 1000 = 3000/DEF: 1500/LV: 6)

"Only 3000 attack points this time?!" The male student next to the Student 1's right answered his colleague's question. "That's right, because there is one less monster in BB's Great Fortress."

"Oh, I didn't attack to hurt you." Iggy corrected Battle Beast's assumption. "I just wanted to bring out more guests for this match's finale! So instead of busting my monster, they'll bust out an opportunity to test each other... instead!" Tenma sheathed his blade and instead grappled Gyzarus in a hand-to-hand struggle before they were forced to push each other back to their controllers' fields.

"Itsuki the Purge Star, why don't you find yourself a sparring partner too?" Battle Beast responded to Iggy's action by shooting out another Gladiator Beast. "Go, Laquari!"

Gladiator Beast Laquari(Beast-Warrior/FIRE/ATK: 1800 = 1000/DEF: 400/LV: 4)

Gladiator Beast Laquari(Beast-Warrior/FIRE/ATK: 1000 = 2000/DEF: 400/LV: 4)

"Don't think so! My Saotome's ability is still goin' strong, which means these guys get to test their metal!" After putting his meteor hammer away, Itsuki and Laquari sparred in a friendly manner, Kungfu-style.

"Next, Kaiza wages a direct attack!" Kaiza spun its blade around as it charged at the Great Fortress.

"Go, Augustus!" Battle Beast launched the last Gladiator Beast he had left in his garrison to intercept Kaiza.

Gladiator Beast Augustus(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 2600 = 1000/DEF: 1000/LV: 8)

"It's attack points didn't grow!" Crow noted happily. "'Cause there is no more monsters in his Fortress!" Moon Shadow clarified.

"Sadly, Augustus won't be sticking around with us for sparring practice. Since Kaiza's got the same amount of attack points, Augustus has to depart!" After clashing blades with one another, Augustus was defeated by Kaiza in a dramatic swordfight. It ended with them passing each other as the combatants slashed their opposing side. Kaiza kneeled in pain and Augustus smirked as if it had known it would've won regardless, before it fell to the ground in shock and exploded.

"Iggy still has one monster left — Idaten!" Crow acknowledged. Moon Shadow then made another observation. "And the Battle Beast doesn't have any left in his Fortress!" "And thanks to Yakumo's Pendulum Ability, Idaten can attack him directly! The downside is that Idaten's attack points will be cut half when it does this."

Student 6, along with the rest of the spectating Duel Academy students, realized in shock at what was happening. "These ridiculous moves of his..." "They're working!" The student next to him, Student 7, exclaimed.

"Now do your thing, Idaten!" Iggy told his monster as they shared a glance of trust with each other before the fusion monster began his attack. "Attack BB to win this!"

Idaten the Conqueror Star(Warrior/LIGHT/ATK: 3000 = 1500/DEF: 2200/LV: 10)

"Aw yeah! This is all over!" Crow cheered.

"Yes. Over for Iggy." Battle Beast uttered. "You thought me had no monsters left, but me still do! Because when you attack me directly, me allowed to summon Gladiator Beast Noxious(Beast-Warrior/DARK/ATK: 0/DEF: 1000/LV: 5)!" Battle Beast special summoned Noxious from his hand in Defense Mode. The humanoid leopard caught Idaten's trident and used it to throw the fusion monster back.

"Aww man!" Crow groaned in irritation. "I thought that this duel was over? What a bummer!"

"Not exactly." Iggy quietly told them with smile.

"Me stopped all five of your monster attacks. Now you can't attack me no more." Battle Beast laughed manically in victory, certain that he had won the duel.

"Really now?" Iggy asked with a cheeky grin. "Notice anything?"

Battle Beast then realized that the three monsters he summoned with Gladiator Beast's Great Fortress that were now on his field weren't coming back. "What go on? Battle over. So my monsters should return to fortress! But me no see my monsters anywhere!"

Battle Beast let out a frustrated groan before he opened a hatch on the forehead of the mustang monument to get a better view of what was going on. "What the deal?"

Battle Beast then gasped as he saw his monsters become brightly lit by colorful flares of light, along with everyone else's monsters. He also noticed that monsters that were in his opponents' graveyard were rising out of the Graveyard Portals and also had blazes of the same colorful lights as the monsters that were already on the field. Some of them even cheered as if they were ready for what was coming next. "Why all this crazy? Hey! Come home!"

Battle Beast then watched as a tall black and blueish-green spiral patterned tower with a five-pointed star on top erupted out of the ground. The monsters seemed to cheer and eagerly excited about what would happen next. "Me seen everything now."

"Sorry, BB, not everything I'm afraid! I activated my trap Acrobatic Tower! By playing this card, all our monsters are brought back and the battle continues!"

"Not can be." Battle Beast said as all the monsters became brightly-colored streams of light that were colored to their Attributes. They then collided together in the sky and went flying all over the arena.

Needless to say, the students were awestruck by the beautifully vibrant colors. "Wow!" "Amazing!" "What a spectacle!"

"Colors make me no want to hurt people anymore." Battle Beast uttered in awe as he watched all the streams fly about.

"Now all our monsters are stacked into the wobbling wonder that is Acrobatic Tower!" Iggy announced before all the streams became various sized balls with cartoonish versions of the monsters' faces, which then stacked on top of the tower.

Iggy spoke as he reminisced about his own experience. "It wasn't too long ago that I believed that as long as I got the win, it didn't matter if I felt joy at all. But Yuya opened my eyes and showed me that wasn't the case. Duels are supposed to be about having fun, BB. You can crack a smile every once in awhile. Dueling isn't about winning or losing. Yuya showed me, as I'm about to show you, that it's about having the most fun you can have!" Iggy directed his speech to not only Battle Beast, but to the Duel Academy students watching too.

They just looked in shock and with wide eyes. "Have fun..." Student 4 quietly wondered. Student 7 asked, "So we've been dueling all wrong?"

"Like I told you earlier, BB, you and I are a lot alike! So I know if I can find the joy of dueling, you can too!" Battle Beast grumbled as his heart thumped in realization of that fact.

The students all let out a confused gasp as the room suddenly darkened and a spotlight each shone on the brawling duelists. "The fun part of this trap is that we don't fight anymore. We let our draws do all the work. All of us now have to draw two cards from our decks. However, if any of us draws a monster card, we got to place it on the wobbling Acrobatic Tower. If someone unbalances it, then that duelist will take 200 points of damage for every monster stacked!"

"So victor now decided by draw?" Battle Beast asked to confirm the effect.

"Yeah. No more battling." Iggy gestured his hand for Battle Beast to come down from his Great Fortress. "Let's have some fun dueling."

Hesitating for a moment, Battle Beast leapt down from the statue and prepared to draw. "Very well. Me ready."

"Draw!" All four duelists declared as they drew their first card once Battle Beast confirmed that he was ready to do it.

"We show what we drew by sending the cards to our graveyard." Iggy explained. They all did so.

"Now let's see what we all drew." The cards exited the graveyards and stacked themselves on the tower. "I drew Hayate the Earth Star!" "I drew Twilight Ninja Shingetsu!" "I got Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall(Winged Beast/Tuner/DARK/ATK: 400/DEF: 600/LV: 1)!" "Me drew Gladiator Beast Alexander(Beast/LIGHT/ATK: 2400/DEF: 600/LV: 6)!" Level 5 Hayate balanced level 4 Shingetsu, who stood on the end of his staff as he held it on his shoulders, while the DARK-Attribute monster balanced level 6 Alexander on its shoulders. Level 1 Oroshi the Squall was standing on one leg as it stood on Gladiator Beast Alexander's head. Then, all four monsters turned into balls like the other ones stacked.

"Huh. Guess since I drew the lowest level, it's a tiny ball." Crow said. "But since Iggy and I drew a level 4 and level 5, ours are just barely as big as BB's." Moon Shadow observed. "But it looks like it's the heaviest on BB's end." Iggy noted as the tower started to lean in the latter's direction, making Battle Beast nervous.

They all drew again. "My second monster is Kaiki the Unity Star(Warrior/LIGHT/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2100/LV: 5)!" "Mine is Twilight Ninja Kagen." "I drew Blackwing - Gust the Backblast(Winged Beast/DARK/ATK: 900/DEF: 1400/LV: 2)!" "Me drawn Gladiator Beast Octavius(Winged Beast/LIGHT/ATK: 2500/DEF: 1200/LV: 7)!" The level 5 Kaiki balanced level 1 Kagen on its head with amazing skill. Gust the Backblast perched precariously on Twilight Ninja Kagen's shoulders as it held Gladiator Beast Octavius' feet with its hands. Despite all the movement, Kagen remained stiff and balanced.

The tower then began to wobble crazily after the monsters turned into balls. "Uh-oh! Looks like this tower is about to come down! Wonder who it's gonna fall on?" Iggy commented.

The totals then added up. With a total of 10, Iggy was in the second place. Moon Shadow had a total of 5. Crow had a total of 3, the lowest of the duelists. But Battle Beast had the most with a total of 13.

"Battle Beast has the highest total of 13! That means Acrobatic Tower will wipe out the rest of his life points!" Sanders watched in immense shock as the tower started to fall toward Battle Beast.

"Me know." Battle Beast said with tears in his eyes as he fell to his knees. He then opened his arms and welcomed the damage. "Due to Acrobatic Tower effect... me now take 200 points for each monster we stacked! Me lose!" With that declaration, the tower fell on Battle Beast, creating a pink explosion with colorful decorations that filled the field.

BATTLE BEAST LP: 500 = 0

With the duel over, the Lancers stood over the defeated Battle Beast, who was crouching on the ground and apologizing to them.

"Iggy... me sorry. Sorry for pain me cause."

"I know you are, BB." Iggy told him as he and the other Lancers walked a little closer. "But now... you can show the world your true nature." Moon Shadow said to the crying duelist.

"My true... nature?" Battle Beast asked.

"Yeah. By helping people that you meet in life... and not... turn them into a card." Crow paused as he and Moon Shadow looked at the five Duel Academy students Battle Beast had card-ified.

"Still... for them, we believe that there still is hope!"

Battle Beast bursted into tears as he held his face with both his hands and kept apologizing. "I'm sorry! It was the beast in me!"

"Curse you, Lancers!" The three duelists then turned their attention to Sanders, who was still slumping against the column. "You've tamed my beast and turned my students into a bunch of starry-eyed turncoats! But mark my words, Duel Academy will get its revenge. The Professor will see to that!"

"Or I will." The Lancers then took notice that Lady Minerva had entered the arena and wasn't too far away from them. She gazed at the Lancers with a sinister look that promised only misery. "Unless you're too scared to have some more fun."

Frost190's OC Cards I Modified:

Saotome the Cascade Star(Warrior/LIGHT/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1000/LV: 5/PS: 3): ? Pendulum Ability: During your Battle Phase, Star monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle, and you take no battle damage from attacks involving them. Once per turn, summon one Star monster from your deck, but negate its special abilities.

Yakumo the Brandish Star(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2100/LV: 5/PS: 8): ? Pendulum Ability: If a monster you control battles, it cannot be targeted by card effects. Once per turn, you can use Star monsters you control to Fusion Summon. The monster summoned with this effect can attack directly, but its attack points will be cut in half.

My OC Cards:

Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Kunai(Quick-Play Spell): Target one Ninja monster you control. This turn, that monster can attack your opponent directly.

Blackwing - Bodyguard(Normal Trap): Select one Blackwing monster you control. Your opponent can only target that monster for attacks this turn. When a card or effect is activated that would inflict damage and this card is in your graveyard, pay half your life points and make that effect damage zero, and if you do, banish this card.

Itsuki the Purge Star(Warrior/LIGHT/ATK: 1800/DEF: 100/LV: 4): If you control no monsters, special summon this monster from your hand. If this card is sent to the graveyard for a tribute summon, your monster gains this effect: Once per turn, if your opponent targets a monster with a spell or trap card, negate that activation and destroy it.

Star Supremacy(Normal Spell): Select one Star monster you control. Then, destroy all monsters that have fewer attack points than the selected monster. You cannot declare your Battle Phase the turn this card was activated.

Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Ambush(Normal Spell): Tribute one face-up card in your Spell & Trap Zone, and select one Ninja monster you control. Then, negate the effects of one monster on the field. The monster first selected by this card's effect gain the power to attack twice this turn.

Twilight Ninja Mikazuki, the Kunoichi(Warrior/DARK/ATK: 3200/DEF: 2700/LV: 9): You can tribute summon this card by tributing one Ninja monster. When this card is summoned, you can return two Ninja monsters from your field, graveyard, and/or Extra Deck and special summon one Ninja monster from your deck. Once per turn, you can destroy cards your opponent controls equal to the number of Ninjitsu cards you have in your graveyard.

Rising Stars(Normal Trap): I you control a Fusion Summoned Star monster, special summon as many Warrior-Type monsters from your graveyard as possible, and if you do, they can attack your opponent directly, but their original effects are negated.

Official Cards I Modified:

Gladiator Beast's Medusa Shield(Continuous Trap): Once per either player's turn, target one Gladiator Beast monster you control, it cannot be destroyed by card effects this turn. Once per turn, during the End Phase, if this card is in the graveyard because it was sent there this turn: You can set one Gladiator Beast trap directly from your deck.

Gladiator Beast's Valor(Continuous Trap): Activate only if you control a Gladiator Beast monster. Monsters your opponent controls cannot attack, except to attack Gladiator Beast monsters. During your opponent's turn, if you would take battle damage from a battle involving a Gladiator Beast monster, gain life points equal to the damage.

Blackwing - Last Will(Normal Trap): Select one monster on the field. That monster can't be destroyed in battle. At the end of the turn this card was activated, destroy one Blackwing you control and take damage equal to its attack points.