Yuto rushed into the stadium one his d-wheel, where he was met by a barrage of cheers.
The finals…
Him against Yugo.
He made his way over to the starting line, where he saw his Synchro counterpart waiting for him, his eyes fixated on him. Yuto parked his d-wheel right next to Yugo's.
"Are you alright?" The Xyz Duelist asked with concern.
Yugo nodded in response. "I'll be fine. Besides, I have more important things to worry about…" He grinned, "Like beating you! I need to face the King!"
"It seems we both share the same goal in mind. I wish to face Jack Atlas as well."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to get in a good hit on him for ya."
"Then I'll do the same when I win." Yuto said with a rare smirk.
"If in the unlikely event that you win." Yugo returned with a smirk of his own.
"We never did finish our last match, did we?"
"No, we didn't." Yugo answered as he started up his d-wheel. "But for the record, I would have totally kicked your ass."
Yuto chuckled. It was odd. For some reason, he felt at ease. It was like there were no problems occurring in his life at all. No war. No responsibilities. Nothing.
It was just him and Yugo Dueling.
He put on a stone-faced expression. "No matter the result, one of us must beat Jack Atlas and do it in a way that unites the City."
Yugo nodded his head, voicing his agreement on the matter. "Yeah, that's the plan with me."
Yuto blinked. He turned away to look up at the sky. It was clear. Just like Standard. Just like how Heartland used to be.
Events have transpired and things have changed. I must not let more bad things carve the future. He redirected his gaze over to Yugo.
"I need your help, Yugo. The Lancers as it is now cannot stop Academia. We need more people. And I would like one of those people to be you!"
"Me?" Yugo raised his eyebrows with shock. "But, I killed-"
"You did not kill Yuya!" Yuto interrupted with a loud tone. He quickly realized his loss of composure and calmed himself. "Yuya is alive and well. In fact, he is on his way over to take down Security now."
Yugo narrowed his eyes. As I thought, Yuya is alive. So the voice really wasn't bluffing about that. Even still…
"Yugo." Yuto recited the name of his Synchro counterpart. He met with a hard yet reassuring gaze. "I know Yuya doesn't hold any resentment to you. I felt it while speaking with him. Actually, I'm getting the feeling that he wants to apologize for the misunderstanding between you two."
"He...apologized?" Yugo murmured under his breath with a nearly inaudible tone.
Yugo couldn't dwell on this fact for much longer because Melissa Claire took that moment to speak.
"Now that Yuto has arrived, we can finally begin the finals. The winner of this match will be able to go on to have a chance at our King, Jack Atlas."
She sounded very distressed, evident by the lack of charisma and charm that she usually had when speaking. It was most likely what happened with Sergey. Him falling off the tracks still had Melissa stunned. The audience seemed to be affected by his apparent death as well; even with the announcement of their King and the finals, nobody said a single word.
This surprised Yuto. Before, the audience had no problem with people being stripped of their free will and being forced to work in the underground as a result of losing. But they now start to show traits of humanity in the form of fear when Sergey Volkov supposedly dies? This was a much bigger reaction than what Chojiro had received when he was brutally defeated.
He just could not understand the people of this dimension one bit. These people were completely different from the people of Heartland and Standard. In fact, these people in terms of personality were very similar to those of Academia yet on a smaller and less dangerous scale.
Even then, they were still like Academia. And since that was the case, then what was the point of trying to unite the people of the City? The people didn't seem to listen to reason at all. They are extremely impulsive, acting on their own negative emotions and the hatred of others.
Was there any hope for the City? That was the question that needed to be answered.
And Yuto had a feeling, that he would find the answer in this Duel or the next...assuming if he even beat Yugo. After all, the boy was an exceptional Duelist. Yugo managed to best strong Duelists like Yuzu and Sergey and he had even gave Yuto himself a run for his money during their Duel in Heartland.
Yuto looked up, seeing a clock appearing out of thin air with a big '3' on it. Above him and Yugo, a cluster of Action Cards bursted out of a bubble as the Action Field was activated.
3…
"Riding Duel!"
2…
1…
"Acceleration!"
Yuto quickly braced himself for the sudden burst of speed coming from his d-wheel. Him and Yugo began racing down the stadium neck and neck, neither one passing each other by even a single inch.
Unfortunately, while Yuto did manage to stay even with Yugo for a good while, the latter managed to just overtake him right when they exited the stadium.
"And the first move goes to me. Prepare yourself, Yuto!" Yugo glanced at his hand. He grimaced when he saw what he got. He shook his head. It wasn't much, but he had to make do with what he had. "I'll set this Monster facedown and thrown down three set Cards to follow that up! That will be the end of my turn."
Yuto narrowed his eyes. He didn't bother commenting on Yugo's starting Field. It seemed like a bad start but in hindsight it could have been much worse. He still had to remain cautious.
He placed a hand on top of his Deck. "My turn, draw! I'll start off by bringing out my Phantom Knights Cloven Helm!"
Cloven Helm: Level 4, 1500 Atk, 500 Def
"Next, I will set this Card face down." A Card materialized in front of Yuto before being flipped up immediately after being placed down. "Now, I will activate it!"
"What?!" Yugo gasped out of shock. "You're activating a Trap that you just set?"
"Yes, I am! The Card I just activated is called Phantom Knights Shade Brigandine! If I have no Traps in my Graveyard, I can activate this Card the turn it was set. Now, I Special Summon this Card to the Field as a level 4 Normal Monster!" Yuto motioned to one of the empty spaces in front of him, and filling its place was a metal brigandine with ghostly blue eyes and a fiery blue aura surrounding it.
Shade Brigandine: Level 4, 0 Atk, 300 Def,
"Dark Rebellion on your first turn?" Yugo muttered out of disbelief at the sight of Yuto's two level 4 Monsters.
"Not quite. It's time to do some quick damage! I overlay the level 4 Phantom Knights Cloven Helm and Phantom Knights Shade Brigandine!" A purple light shot upwards in front of Yuto as his Monsters flew into the vortex that opened in front of him. "Ghostly souls who haunt the battlefield! Transform your spirits into that of the deceased archer, and break the darkness with your arrow of silence! Xyz Summon! Show yourself! Rank 4! Phantom Knights Silent Bow!" A ghostly blue Monster in black armor and blue lining holding a misty bow appeared just then alongside his owner.
Silent Bow: Rank 4, 2400 Atk, 1600 Def
Yugo raised his eyebrows out of interest as he looked back at the new Monster. Yep, this was definitely not Dark Rebellion he was seeing. He has never seen Yuto use this new Monster once in his life.
But something about the Monster already didn't give him a good feeling.
This ill feeling was confirmed by the next words that left Yuto's mouth. "I activate Silent Bow's Monster effect! Once per turn, I can detach an overlay unit from this Card to negate the effect of a Monster on the Field until the end of the turn. However, for the turn, that Monster can attack directly! Unfortunately, any damage inflicted to you from a direct attack is now halved for the rest of the turn. Using this effect, I grant Silent Bow the ability to bypass your Monster!"
"Shit!" Yugo cursed as his opponent declared battle with the Phantom Knights Monster shooting an arrow that went right over his set Monster, hitting in the back. Yugo squirmed in his seat, seething in an attempt to ease the pain as he put his concentration on keeping his d-wheel under control.
Yugo: 4000-2800 LP
With a satisfied smile on his face, Yuto slid two Cards into his Magic and Trap Card Zone. "I will finish with these two set Cards. Now, hurry on with it, Yugo!"
To his surprise, the response he was given was the sound of Yugo slapping his cheeks. He hit himself so hard that his face was slightly red in the areas where his hands were.
"Yugo…" Yuto murmured the name of his counterpart out of confusion.
"Okay!" Yugo shouted, raising his head with a fire burning in his eyes. "I'm getting pumped up now, Yuto. Prepare yourself, cause I'm not letting you win this!" He placed a hand on the top of his Deck, drawing with vigor. "I flip up my facedown Monster, Speedroid Taketonborg!"
Taketonborg: Level 3, 600 Atk, 1200 Def
Yugo then placed the Card he drew onto the Monster Zone on Taketonborg's left. "Now I Summon the Tuner Monster Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice!"
Tri-Eyed Dice: Level 3, 300 Atk, 1500 Def
"Here we go!" Yugo declared, his Tri-Eyed Dice turning into three rings with Taketonborg turning into three bright stars. "I tune the level 3 Speedroid Taketonborg with Tri-Eyed Dice! Magical sword with the form of a cross. Use your power to rend all enemies! Synchro Summon! Appear now! Level 6! High-Speedroid Magical Sword Dama!"
Magical Sword Dama: Level 6, 2200 Atk, 1600 Def
"I activate Magical Sword Dama's special effect! Once per turn, by banishing a Speedroid Monster from the Graveyard, I can dish out 500 points of damage! I banish Taketonborg to do just that!" A blue energy shot itself out of Magical Sword Dama, hitting the ground right next to Yuto. The ensuing shockwave caused him to help out of surprise, nearly falling off his d-wheel in the process as he struggled to maintain control.
Yuto: 4000-3500 LP
"Time to battle!" Yugo declared with excitement. "High-Speedroid Magical Sword Dama, attack Yuto's Silent Bow!" Once again, Magical Sword Dama began to charge a blue beam.
Yuto sharpened his gaze out of realization, His facedowns!
On cue, Yugo flipped over one of his set Cards. "I activate the Trap Card Speed Turn! When I control a Speedroid Monster, I can switch an Attack Position Monster on the Field to Defense Position and decrease its Defense by 500 points!"
"What?!" Yuto gasped.
"That's not all." Yugo said with a triumphant smile. "When High-Speedroid Magical Sword Dama attacks a Defense Position Monster, piercing damage is inflicted!"
Silent Bow took a knee, bringing its bow in front of itself.
Silent Bow: 1600-1100 Def
Immediately after seeing the Defense of his Monster decrease, Yuto flipped over one of his set Cards. "I activate the Trap Phantom Wing! If a Monster I control would be destroyed, I can negate the destruction and give that Monster 500 Attack!"
Magical Sword Dama fired its beam at Silent Bow. The Phantom Knights Monster was struck, the shockwaves that occurred from collision nearly blew Yuto off the road, and as a result falling to his death as they were now riding outside the stadium.
Yuto: 3500-2400 LP
Silent Bow: 2400-2900 Atk
"I end my turn." Yugo said as he glanced back at his opponent, who already had his hand on the top of his Deck.
"Draw!" Yuto exclaimed, marking the beginning of his turn. He glanced at the drawn Card.
Perfect…
He made eye contact with Yugo. Then, while holding out his drawn Card, he said, "I'm going to finish this in one shot! I Summon Phantom Knights Fragile Armor to the Field!" With a bright flash of light, Fragile Armor appeared next to Silent Bow.
Fragile Armor: Level 4, 1000 Atk, 2000 Def
"Next, I'll activate this!" Yuto slid a Card into his Magic and Trap Card Zone, revealing a Magic Card named Cross Xyz, a Card that Shun was known for using. "I can conduct an Xyz Summon using one Xyz Monster and one regular Monster that have the same number of levels and Ranks as each other. I use both Silent Bow and Fragile Armor to construct the overlay network!"
"This is new!" Melissa reported with wide eyes. "Yuto seems to have used an Xyz Monster as one of the Materials for an Xyz Summon!"
As she spoke, a galactic portal opened on the ground in front of Yuto. His Monsters glowed a bright yellow as they circled around each other, eventually going inside of the portal. The portal released an explosion of light from which Yuto's desired Monster was formed with the corresponding chant being recited alongside the summoning.
"Formed from pitch-black darkness, to fight those foolish enough to oppose it with its treacherous fangs! Now, descend! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" Yuto shouted, slamming the Card of his ace onto the Duel Disk.
Dark Rebellion: Rank 4, 2500 Atk, 2000 Def
Upon the dragon's summon, Yugo felt a pang in his chest. A burning urge and desire he was all too familiar with. The desire to bring out Clear Wing Synchro Dragon.
It seems like I have no choice but to try. Yugo thought to himself as he glanced down at the set Card inserted into his Duel Disk. He returned his attention to Yuto when he heard him declare the activation of Dark Rebellion's effect.
"By detaching an overlay unit, Dark Rebellion can halve the Attack of a level 5 or higher Monster you control!" In accordance to Yuto's statement, Dark Rebellion opened his wings, electricity being unleashed at the opposing enemy's Monster, who flinched upon contact. "And then, Dark Rebellion gains the lost amount! Treason Discharge!"
Magical Sword Dama: 2200-1100 Atk
Dark Rebellion: 2500-3600 Atk
Yuto held his fist up in the air triumphantly. "Once again, I use Dark Rebellion's effect! Treason Discharge!" Letting out a loud roar, the Xyz Monster released electricity, once again weakening Yugo's Monster.
Magical Sword Dama: 1100-550 Atk
Dark Rebellion: 3600-4150 Atk
"4150 Attack?!" Melissa cried out of surprise. "Umm…4150 minus…" She murmured the rest of the expression, racking her brain for an answer to determine just how much damage Yugo would take.
Her quizzical expression soon contorted into one of utter incredulity as the answer lit up in her head.
"A difference of 3600 Attack!" She blurted out as sweat rolled down her face. "If this next attack connects…"
"Battle! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, attack High-Speedroid Magical Sword Dama!" Dark Rebellion took off, flying forward with purple glowing fangs surging with lightning. "Rebellious Lightning Disobey!"
"I expected a situation like this." Yugo said, revealing the facedown Trap he had hidden. "I activate the Trap called Re-dyce-cle! This Card makes me select a Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck to Special Summon! Of course, that Monster will be Clear Wing Synchro Dragon! Next, I can revive a Dice Monster in my Graveyard. This Monster will be Tri-Eyed Dice! Then, a die is rolled! Tri-Eyed Dice's level becomes the number on the die. After that, I Synchro Summon using Monsters on my Field as Materials including Tri-Eyed Dice. If I am unable to Synchro Summon Clear, then all the Monsters on my Field get destroyed!"
"So it's a one of six chance gamble then." Yuto deduced.
"Yeah." Yugo affirmed. "However, with the result I'm getting, it'll seem like a six out of six chance! Roll, dice of destiny! Determine my fate in this Duel!" Appearing in front of Yugo's Trap was a six-sided die that was immediately launched up into the air. Everyone watching couldn't help but look up as the dice tumbled through the air.
The atmosphere became deathly quiet, fitting the suspense that the situation brought to the table. Yuto was so mesmerized by the die falling through the air that he almost jumped out of fear when he heard the sudden rap of the die rolling across the ground.
He looked down at the ground slowly, with Yugo looking back, his eyes fixated hard on the die. His focused face soon sported a wide grin when he saw the result.
One.
"Hell yeah!" Yugo shouted to the sky as he sent his two Monsters to the Graveyard. "I tune the level 6 Magical Sword Dama with the now level 1 Tri-Eyed Dice! Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings, and strike down your enemies at the speed of light! Synchro Summon! Appear now! Level 7! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" A flash of light rushed past Yugo as Clear Wing flew out of it, going for a glide striding near her owner.
Clear Wing: Level 7, 2500 Atk, 2000 Def
Immediately after the dragon's summon, Yuto and Yugo felt sharp pains in their chest. They both let out cries of pain as they applied pressure to the area they felt pain in to reduce it.
"Whenever a Monster is Special Summoned to my Field, I can Special Summon Speedroid Rubberband Plane!" Yugo yelled, fighting through the pain while gritting his teeth. He was not going to lose control again. He was not going to let this Duek end up like it did with Yuya.
Rubberband Plane: Level 5, 1800 Atk, 0 Def
Sawatari, who was watching the Duel, stood up out of familiarity. "That Card…"
"This Card when Special Summoned allows me to decrease the Attack of a Monster on the Field by 600!" Yugo unknowingly spoke what was running through Shingo's head. "Of course, I'll choose my Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"
"And then you'll activate Clear Wing's effect…" Yuto muttered under his breath, sweat rolling down his face from the excruciating pain he was feeling, which was now starting to settle.
"That's right! Dichroic Mirror!" Clear Wing released green shards of light from her wings, crashing into Rubberband Plane and destroying it. Clear Wing's eyes glowed yellow momentarily as Yugo spoke, "As you know, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon gains the Attack of the destroyed Monster, meaning that he'll be receiving 1800 Attack until the end of the turn!"
Clear Wing: 2500-4300 Atk
Immediately, Yuto halted his attack. He already knew that Clear Wing's 4300 Attack was superior to Dark Rebellion's 4150. He had nothing to boost his ace's Attack now and he didn't even have anything to decrease Clear Wing's Attack.
"I end my turn." Yuto finished with a frustrated sigh. "At this moment, Dark Rebellion's effect ends, and his attack returns to normal."
"Likewise, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon's effect has also ended." Yugo added as the two dragons lost their boosted attack.
Dark Rebellion: 4150-2500 Atk
Clear Wing: 4300-2500 Atk
"It's my turn, now! Draw!" Yugo glared back at Dark Rebellion. "Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, attack and destroy Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! Whirlwind Helldiving Slasher!" Clear Wing flew up into the air, spinning like a table top with winds as fast a tornado. She burst downwards, heading right for Dark Rebellion.
"What are you doing?" Yuto questioned his counterpart's actions. "Both of our Monsters have the same attack! If you do this, they will both be destroyed!"
"Normally, that would be true. However, with the activation of this Trap Card, that won't be happening! Follow Wing, activate!" Yugo roared, revealing his Continuous Trap and equipping to Clear Wing, causing her wings to glow brighter. "This Card prevents the equipped Monster from being destroyed in battle! That means that only Dark Rebellion will be going to the Grave!"
"I don't think so, Yugo! You think you're the only one with tricks up his sleeve? Continuous Trap Card, activate! Phantom Fog Blade! I target an opponent's attacking Monster—in this case Clear Wing—and negate its attack!" Yuto declared as a giant foggy sword was formed, the blade extending to form a wall, preventing Clear Wing from reaching Dark Rebellion. "Then, as long as this Card remains on the Field, the targeted Monster has its effects negated, it cannot attack nor can it be targeted for an attack."
Yugo clicked his tongue out of annoyance. However, his grim outlook of the situation quickly changed when he realized a weakness that Phantom Fog Blade seemed to have.
That will certainly buy me some time, but it won't last for long. Who knows what Yuto will pull next. Yugo thought to himself.
"I end my turn. You're up, Yuto!"
Said boy gave a nod, placing his hand on his Deck, drawing a Card with the declaration of the start of his turn. He glanced at the Card he now had in his right hand. A scowl formed on his face. It wasn't the best draw, but it would do for now.
"I set this Card face down and end my turn." Yuto concluded, sliding the Card he drew into his Duel Disk.
"That's it?" Yugo questioned. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to beat me, draw! Alright!" He cheered, immediately slamming his Card onto his Monster Zone. "I activate the Magic Card Speedroid Scratch! By discarding a Speedroid Monster in my Hand, I get to fish out another one from my Deck!"
Yugo grabbed the last Card in his Hand, sending to the Graveyard. It was Speedroid Den-Den Daiko Duke. Grabbing a Monster from his Deck as a result of fulfilling the cost, the Speedroid user grabbed Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice, immediately Summoning it to the Field.
Red-Eyed Dice: Level 1, 100 Atk, 100 Def
"My next plan of action will be tuning the level 7 Clear Wing Synchro Dragon with the level 1 Red-Eyed Dice!" The usual process for a Synchro Summon occurred wile Yugo recited the chant for his desired Monster. "Shine the wings that store the holy light, and strike down your enemies with its radiance! Synchro Summon! Come forth! Level 8! Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon!"
Crystal Wing: Level 8, 3000 Atk, 2500 Def
"Battle!" Yugo suddenly paused. He squinted, trying to make out something in front of him. His face lit up when he saw what he thought he saw. With a burst of speed, Yugo zoomed forward letting out an exclamation of "Hell yeah!" Reaching out his hand and leaning over, he managed to grab the Action Card on the ground.
Damn it! Yuto thought to himself out of frustration, seeing Yugo snatch the Card with relative ease. I was too careless to count Action Cards as a factor in this…
"Action Magic! Wonder Chance, activate!" Yugo yelled, triumphantly jabbing a finger towards Crystal Wing. "Using this Card, Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon can now attack twice this turn!"
Yuto let out a grunt of frustration in response.
"Now then!" Yugo grinned, holding his hand up. "Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon, attack and destroy Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! Whirlwind Krystallos Edge!" He shouted as his dragon rammed into Dark Rebellion with astounding force, destroying the Xyz Monster immediately upon contact.
Yuto flinched from the ensuing shockwaves, slowing down so he wouldn't lose balance.
Yuto: 2400-1900 LP
"Time for this to end! Crystal Wing, finish this Duel off with a direct attack to the opposing player's life points!" Crystal Wing turned around, setting her sights on Yuto.
However, before the dragon could make any action for attack, Yuto revealed his set Card.
"Quick-Play, activate! Rank-Up-Magic Phantom Knights' Retaliation! When a direct attack is declared, I can Special Summon an Xyz Monster from my Grabe and negate that attack! Revive, Dark Rebellion!" Yuto called out, a portal opening in front of him, with Dark Rebellion rising out of it.
"ARGH!" Both Yuto and Yugo cried out, gripping their chests once more from a sharp pain. Regardless, Yuto kept fighting it, and he continued on with his turn.
"Next, I can Xyz Summon a Xyz Monster who has one more Rank than the Special Summoned Monster!" Dark Rebellion was enveloped by a wave of darkness. Yuto recited a chant to go with the Summon of his Monster. "From the depths of purgatory, dedicate to the unsinking souls your song of rebellion! Appear and echo forevermore! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 5! Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon!"
Dark Requiem: Rank 5, 3000 Atk, 2500 Def
"What a Duel this has turned out to be!" Melissa commentated with wide eyes. "Both Duelists's ace Monsters have had the same amount of Attack! Who knows where this will go thanks to the new Monster that Yuto brought out."
"Damn it!" Sawatari cursed from the sidelines as Yugo declared the cancelling of his attack and the end of his turn. "Come on, Yugo! Don't give up so easily, you need to beat the crap out of Yuto for me!" While it was true that he didn't both boys very well, Yugo seemed like a more fun guy than Yuto. He immediately liked him from their first encounter and could see many similarities between him and Yugo. As opposed to his first meeting with Yuto where the guy literally pinned him to a wall with a fucking spear.
Needless to say, Sawatari still held some ill will towards Yuto because of that Duel, which was another reason why he was rooting for Yugo.
"It's my move now, Yugo!" Yuto announced. "Draw! Here we go, I activate Dark Requiem's special ability! Once per turn, by detaching an overlay unit, I can decrease the Attack of a level 5 or higher Monster's Attack 0! Then, Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon gains the lost amount until the end of the turn! Requiem Salvation!"
Electricity oozed out of Dark Requiem's body, darting towards Crystal Wing in an attempt to drain the Monster.
However, Yugo was not on board with letting that happen.
"I activate Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon's effect! Once per turn, when a Monster activates its effect, I can negate the effect and destroy that Monster!" Yugo explained as Crystal Wing released a stream of clear shards towards Dark Requiem. However…
Yuto raised his hand, "I activate Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon's second effect! By detaching another overlay unit, I can negate the effects of a Card that would destroy a Card and then Special Summon one Xyz Monster in my Graveyard. Special Summoning Dark Rebellion back from my Grave, I negate Crystal Wing's effects!"
As he spoke, Dark Rebellion rose up from a portal that formed next to Dark Requiem. As this happened, the purple electricity overtook the clear shards and Yugo's Crystal Wing was weakened to the point of no Attack. Dark Requiem released a fearsome roar, signifying his power boost.
Crystal Wing: 3000-0 Atk
Dark Requiem: 3000-6000 Atk
"Let's battle! Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon, attack Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon!" Yuto's dragon flew up high into the air, letting out his wings as they glowed with a stained glass pattern usually found in church. "This is where it ends! Requiem of Disaster, Disobey!" Dark Requiem soared down, pointing his fangs right at Crystal Wing, ready to impale the opposing dragon.
"It seems you're forgetting the Graveyard effect of Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice!" Yugo interjected, removing said Monster from his Graveyard compartment. "By banishing this Monster from the Grave, I can negate an attack that you declare!"
Crystal Wing flew upwards, causing Dark Requiem to miss. The Xyz Monster quickly rebounded, flying back to his owner just as fast as he had attacked.
"Don't forget that I still have Dark Rebellion!" Yuto shouted, his ace beginning to charge.
Immediately, Yugo accelerated, making a move for one of two Action Cards that he saw in front of him. This time, however, Yuto saw the attempt, and he sped up as well, barely behind Yugo.
Unfortunately for the Speedroid user, you could only hold one Action Card at a time. Therefore, no matter what happened, Yuto was getting one of the Action Cards, which is exactly what happened.
"Action Magic, activate! Miracle! Crystal Wing is not destroyed in this battle, and the damage I would take is now halved!" Yugo declared.
"Action Magic, Over Sword!" Yuto followed with his own Card. "Until the end of the Battle Phase, this Card will boost Dark Rebellion's Attack by 500!"
Dark Rebellion: 2500-3000 Atk
"Nothing is stopping this attack, Yugo!"
Dark Rebellion's fangs skewered Crystal Wing, protruding out of the dragon's body. The particles that broke off of Crystal Wing rained down on Yugo. The boy let out a cry of pain, slowing down to regain stability. By the time he began speeding up, Yuto had caught up. They were now riding next to each other neck and neck.
Yugo: 2800-1300 LP
"I end my turn." Yuto concluded with Dark Rebellion's Attack returning to normal in the process. The same going with Crystal Wing and Dark Requiem's Attack.
Dark Rebellion: 3000-2500 Atk
Dark Requiem: 6000-3000 Atk
Crystal Wing: 0-3000 Atk
"Damn it!" Yugo cursed out loud, drawing a Card. "Well then, I think it's time for a little payback if that's how it's going to be, Yuto! I Summon Speedroid Pachingo-Kart!"
Pachingo-Kart: Level 4, 1800 Atk, 1000 Def
"Upon Normal Summon, Pachingo-Kart's effect activates! I can target a Monster on the Field and destroy it!"
"What?" Yuto gasped out of shock.
"Obviously, with this effect, I'll be destroying Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon!" Upon that statement, Pachingo-Kart rammed into the Rank 5 Xyz Monster, destroying him instantly. Yugo then directed his attention towards a Dark Rebellion. "Now that he's gone...Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon, attack Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" The advanced form of Clear Wing flew so fast that when she hit a Dark Rebellion, it looked like she went right through him. However, the evidence of collision could be seen by the ensuing explosion.
Yuto: 1900-1400 LP
"Fortunately for you, Pachingo-Kart can't attack the turn he uses his effect." Yugo said with a tone of disappointing. He was so close to finishing Yuto off. If only Pachingo-Kart didn't have that restriction. "That marks the end of my turn."
"Then it's my turn again, draw!" Yuto took a strong gaze to his drawn Card, his eyes widening slightly when he saw it. "Here we go! I, using the Scale 3 Phantom Knights Deceased Comrade and the Scale 8 Phantom Knights Paladin, set the Pendulum Scale!"
With the swipe of his hand, the two Cards were now on his Duel Disk, his two scales being set up next to him.
"Pendulum is next, huh?" Yugo looked at Yuto's Field with awe.
"With this I can simultaneously Special Summon Monsters with levels from 4 to 7! And, the Pendulum effect of Deceased Comrade allows me to Pendulum Summon 2 Monsters from the Grave if there are two Phantom Knight Pendulum Cards in my scales."
"What did you say?!" Yuto gasped out of shock.
"Swing! Pendulum of my soul, carve an arc of hope across the ether! Pendulum Summon! Appear! My Monsters!" Yuto raised his hand to the sky, where a blue portal formed with two streams flying out. "Both from the Graveyard, Phantom Knights Cloven Helm and Fragile Armor, both in Defense Position!"
"I see. At this point you're just stalling, Yuto. I hope you have something up your sleeve." Yugo said with a smile.
Yuto grinned. What was this feeling? Was he...having fun?
"Yes, indeed I do. However, that will have to wait for next turn. It's your move now, Yugo."
"With pleasure! My turn, draw!" Yugo glanced at the two Cards on his Hand. His lips curled up into an even wider grin. "Alright! Let's kick some ass! First off, I'm going to activate the Magic Card Speed Rebirth! Using this Card, I can Special Summon a Speedroid Monster from my Graveyard!"
"Not so fast! I activate the Pendulum effect of Phantom Knights Paladin!" Yuto countered almost immediately, earning an irritated grunt from Yugo. "Once per turn, when you activate a Card effect when there is a Phantom Knights Pendulum Card in my other Zone, then I can negate the activation of your Card and destroy it!"
Yugo's Magic Card turned gray before being erased off the board completely. The banana-haired boy cursed under his breath. He could have easily ended the Duel at that moment. Oh well, it seems like he'll have to go with a different approach.
Yugo glanced at the last Card in his Hand, the one that he didn't draw this turn. He held it up, announcing its activation. "I activate the Continuous Magic Card Speedroid Insurance! As long as there is a Speedroid Monster lying in my Graveyard, Monsters on my side of the Field cannot targeted by Card effects and once per turn each can't be destroyed. Furthermore, all damage I would take when my Monsters battle is halved."
"What?!" Yuto raised his eyebrows out of shock after hearing all of the information.
"However, there is a cost. During every one of my Standby Phases, I am required to shuffle a Speedroid Monster from my Grave into my Deck. If I ever unable to fulfill these conditions, then this Card will be destroyed." Yugo explained. He then threw his fist out forward energetically, "But it won't ever have to come to that! Crystal Wing, destroy Fragile Armor! Pachinko-Kart, take out Cloven Helm!"
Both Monsters did as they were told and in a flash, both of Yuto's Monsters were back in the Graveyard where they came from.
"And just like that, Yugo has once again pushed Yuto into a corner!" Melissa exclaimed. "Could this be the end of our final Xyz user?"
"I end my turn." Yugo finished with a satisfied expression. "It's now or never, Yuto. If you don't get something now, I'll most likely win on my next turn!"
Yuto only smiled in response. "Win or lose, I'm glad our Duel turned out like this."
"Huh?" Yugo voiced out of confusion, giving his counterpart an intrigued look.
"Over the course of this Duel," Yuto started, reminiscing the past. The good old days in Heartland. "I feel like an old part of me has been resurfaced. Over the past couple of weeks, my Duels were all for nothing but survival. After Academia attacked Heartland, that's all the fighting was for. Survival. We were always living in fear, knowing that if we slipped up once, we could die. And that feeling...it consumed me. It consumed all of us. And soon, we forgot what it meant to have fun. Even when I was filling in Yuya's shoes, I felt a little bit of that old feeling again, but in the end I still felt empty and on guard. It was as if I was eternally struggling for my life."
Yugo couldn't help but empathize with Yuto. He knew that feeling of fighting for survival all too well. Living in the Commons all his life, he felt like he was stuck. Fighting just to try and stand up, always facing the fear of being attacked by a gang or being arrested for no reason at all by Security. He, like all the other Commons, were fighting an invisible fear of insecurity.
"But in this Duel…" Yuto continued, opening his eyes to make contact with Yugo to fully express his feelings. "Seeing the way you are now reminds me of how I used to be, and it made me remember what gives me strength. Thanks to you I feel like I've woken up. I feel like a little part of the old me has returned, and I regret losing sight of who I used to be. And thinking about that only makes me want to defeat Academia even more, so we can regain the smiles that were once lost...so we can laugh and have fun at least one more time! So we can all move forward into the future! It's my turn, draw!"
Yuto pulled, the fresh and suspenseful feeling of drawing an unknown Card that could turn the tides to his favor once again. It was a familiar feeling. However, this time it wasn't for the fight of survival. It was for the thrill of a fun Duel.
He eyed his drawn Card, seeing it to be Phantom Knights Silent Boots. Perfect. He glanced at the other Card in his Hand, and then to his Extra Deck. He narrowed his eyes when he saw it glowing.
Again? Just what could you have in store for me this time, sweet Goddess of Fate.
Yuto wasn't very religious. This was mostly due to how he was raised in a family full of people who were also not very religious. Recently however, Yuto's beliefs have been tested. Recently, he's felt like something has been watching over him. Making sure that he would be able to win when all seemed lost. Rarely has it ever failed him.
And it seemed like it wouldn't now.
Yuto's smile grew wider. "That's an impressive Field you have there, Yugo. I was worried that I would not have been able to beat it. You are strong. Very strong."
"Damn straight!" Yugo responded with a happy-go-lucky grin.
"However, just cause you have the advantage doesn't mean that I'll be letting up. In fact, I'll be letting out everything I have left against you at full power!"
"I wouldn't have any other way! Bring it on, Yuto! Let's finish this! After all, I have a match with the King to get to and a promise to fulfill!"
"Both Duelists are getting fired up as they enter what feels the final phase of this intense Duel! I wonder who will be emerging victorious…" Melissa wondered, truly interested in the possible results.
"First, I'll start by using the already set Pendulum Scale to Pendulum Summon! Returning from the Graveyard is Phantom Knights Fragile Armor!" Yuto exclaimed, slamming the Monster's Card onto his Duel Disk.
"What the…" Yugo gaped at the sight of the lone Monster. "You only brought out one Monster?"
Yuto ignored this statement and continued on with his turn. "As I control a Phantom Knights Monster, I can Special Summon Phantom Knights Silent Boots!"
The ghostly Monster with dark shoes appeared, staring at Yugo with a blank stare.
Silent Boots: Level 3, 200 Atk, 1200 Def
"Yugo, it seems to me that you're not the only one who can keep evolving! From my Hand, I Normal Summon Tuning Magician!" The familiar Monster from Yuto's Duel with Aki appeared to the Field with a smile.
Tuning Magician: Level 1, 0 Atk, 0 Def
"Tuning Magician…" Melissa murmured. "Could it be…"
"Enlightenment Paladin…" Jack said blankly from his throne, his cold eyes watching the Duel with moderate interest.
"When Tuning Magician is Summoned, 400 life points are deducted from me while 400 are added to yours."
Yugo glanced at Crystal Wing, briefly thinking about activating the Monster's effects before quickly going against it and letting Tuning Magician's effect go through.
Yuto: 1400-1000 LP
Yugo: 1300-1700 LP
"I tune the level 4 Phantom Knights Fragile Armor and level 3 Silent Boots with the level 1 Tuner Monster Tuning Magician!" Seven bright stars travelled into a single green ring while Yuto recited a chant. "Souls of warriors that fell on the battlefield! Resonate your spirits here and now to give birth to a new soldier! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 8! Phantom Knights Silent Paladin!"
A ghostly Monster draped in white robes fitted with a large black sword appeared to the Field.
Silent Paladin: Level 8, 2500 Atk, 2000 Def
"Phantom Knights...Silent Paladin?" Yugo mumbled the name of the new Monster with awe. He was expecting Enlightenment Paladin, not this…
Melissa Claire and the audience members were apparently just as shocked as he was as well, judging from the numerous gawks in the crowd and the stupefied silence of the commentator.
"This is the end of our battle Yugo, I'm hitting you with everything! Silent Paladin's effect activates! When this Card is Synchro Summoned, I get to negate the effects of all Monsters you currently control until the end of the turn. If I succeed, Silent Paladin gains half the Attack of the Monster who has the highest Attack!" Silent Paladin held out his blade, the tip glowed a bright yellow. "Silent Persecution!" A small beam was fired from the blade, eventually expanding in an attempt to envelop Yugo's Monsters.
"Idiot! Have you forgotten about Crystal Wing? Once per turn, I can negate your Monster effects and destroy them!" Yugo rebutted with Crystal Wing letting out a loud roar, releasing light from her wings as a means of counterattack.
"I haven't forgotten. However, it seems you have already forgotten the Pendulum effect of Phantom Knights Paladin! Crystal Wing's effect activation is negated and he is now destroyed!"
Phantom Knights Paladin pointed its own blade at Crystal Wing, who received a gray outline. The light she released dissipated, with Silent Paladin's beam enveloping Pachingo-Kart and Crystal Wing. Due to Speedroid Insurance, Yugo managed to have Crystal Wing survive.
"Of those two Monsters, Crystal Wing has the highest Attack with 3000. That means that Silent Paladin gains 1500 Attack!" Yuto said as his Monster gained a boost.
Silent Paladin: 2500-4000 Atk
"Now, I activate Silent Paladin's effect! Once per turn, by banishing a Phantom Knights Monster from my Graveyard, I can grant Silent Paladin the ability to attack twice!" Yuto explained with a smirk, much to Yugo's disbelief. Yuto removed Phantom Knights Fragile Armor from the Graveyard. "It's time to end this, Silent Paladin, attack Speedroid Pachingo-Kart!"
Silent Paladin jumped into the air with a grunt that echoed throughout the air. Clutching the handle of the blade tightly, the Monster slashed downwards, slicing the machine Yugo controlled in perfect halves. An explosion occurred, with the ensuing shockwaves causing pain to ring throughout Yugo's body with a rhythmic pattern.
Thanks to Speedroid Insurance, Yugo only took halve the damage.
Yugo: 1700-600 LP
"It ends here. I activate another one of Silent Paladin's effects! When he deals damage in battle, I get to destroy Cards in your Field up to the amount of Synchro Materials used to Summon this Monster! There were two. So, I destroy Pachingo-Kart and Speedroid Insurance!" Upon his exclamation, both the Magic Card and the machine were destroyed.
Yugo's eyes went wide as he came to a realization.
He was going to lose.
Yugo glanced at Yuto, who met his gaze with direct eye contact. In that moment, there seemed to be a small exchange between them. Despite not uttering a single word, they could tell what they were feeling.
"Do it…" Yugo's eyes spoke.
Yuto closed his eyes and faced forward. With the wave of his hand, Yuto declared, "Phantom Knights Silent Paladin, attack Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon and finish this!"
Silent Paladin stood up, stealing a glare towards Yugo's dragon. With a single swipe of his sword, Crystal Wing was destroyed.
Speedroid Insurance was gone. Therefore, Yugo was taking the full amount of 1000 damage.
Yugo let out a scream as the rest of his life points withered away. And with that went his chance of facing the King, Jack Atlas.
The sound of the steam being released from his d-wheel rang in his ears. The sound that he was afraid of hearing from his d-wheel. It was ringing in his ears...right next to him. It was really happening.
He had failed...
I'm sorry, Rin. It seems I couldn't fulfill that stupid promise after all…
Yugo: 600-0 LP
Meanwhile-Security Bureau
"Damn it!" Roget cursed under his breath as he ran through his secret corridor. He had a secret door installed into his room in the off chance that he would get invaded, and this was one of those times. He entered the password to a locked door with relative ease.
The door slid open and he walked in. Inside the room was four cages. All of them dimly lighted to reveal what was inside of each.
A single figure. One for every cage.
Two of the figures beared a striking resemblance to Sergey except smaller. More . These were prototypes based off the cyborg. They were inferior to the original and at times could be very unpredictable. As a result, Roget never used them that often.
If a common citizen had been in the room with Roget at that moment, they would instantly recognize the other two captives.
They were the missing parents of Izayoi Aki.
This will surely stop the Black Rose Witch in her tracks! Roget thought to himself with a devious smile.
For the past couple of years, Roget has had Aki's parents in his captivity. He had chips implanted in them for mind control purposes. However, the operation didn't seem to work, as once in a while they would temporarily regain control of themselves. Perhaps it was due to their strong love for Aki.
However, with all this time apart and all of the mental torture the two had to go through, it was doubtful that they could break free now.
"Now then, you four...it is time for you all to wake up. Each of you has a job to do…"
Card Catalog
I'll do it later.
Damn. Has it really been more than 2 months. Much apologies, time just seemed to fly by so fast. I genuinely thought that I was only being lazy for a month.
I was planning to add a scene that showed the other group with Yuya, but it took so long to get this chapter out I completely forgot what I was going to do with it. That means it'll have to wait for next chapter. Hopefully, I pulled off a good Duel here. It's nothing like the Yuto and Darkness Duel I did, but I still think I did an okay job here.
So I'd say next chapter is the aftermath of Yuto and Yugo's Duel and then shit with Yuya's group. And don't worry, I'm getting everyone in the group involved with their own thing.
DivadX: Glad you enjoyed it.
Guest: Yuya's personality has changed. However, his inner monologues from past chapters were mostly him overreacting. As for if he hates Yusho, he obviously doesn't. He still loves him, but he holds quite a bit of resentment towards him for abandoning him and his Mother on a very important day.
Bridgey: I have a plan for Roget's Deck. And I agree, him using Ancient Gears was definitely a waste. And honestly, it kinda didn't make any sense. We're told that Roget basically abandoned Academia, yet he's using a Deck that literally all Academia soldiers use. And you'd think that his Deck would be chess based...hint hint.
Heart of the mem: In the official anime? As far as we're concerned, Yugo didn't really suffer that much other than having no parents and also living in the Commons. If we were given more background on Yugo, I'm sure the answer would be him. However, if it were Yuto, it would depend on how long he had been fighting. We got no background on Yuto other than meeting Ruri and getting attacked by Academia. But, I'd say Yuto. He lost everything he had in a matter of days. His friends. His home. His lover. Yugo lost Rin and that's it. It would have been more impactful if it was confirmed that Rin was the only person who actually liked Yugo, but as I said, I cannot say anything for sure cause we got almost no background for both Yuto and Yugo.
Neonecrodarkman: How long is the wait for a chapter of Berserk or Vagabond. Is it a month like most manga?
Anyways, that's all for this chapter. I will try my best to get the next chapter out faster, but I make no promises.
Just giving you guys a heads up, next chapter might not have a Duel.
Hope you guys enjoyed.
Take care, goodbye!
