"DUEL!"

Upon saying the word that started all Duels, Ryoga drew five Cards from his Deck, analyzing them closely to formulate plans right away. Soon, he would hear the Sergey bot declare the beginning of his turn, grabbing a Card from his Hand.

"I activate this Field Magic Card, Earthbound Tundra!" The bot said as the small atmosphere area was enveloped by purple sparks of fire that sprouted from the ground, effectively separating them from the other two pairs of Duelists, something Ryoga would curse his luck for.

Without wasting anymore time, the Sergey clone slammed a Monster onto his Duel Disk, his voice without tone as he announced the Summon of Earthbound Prisoner Ground Keeper.

Ground Keeper: Level 1, 300 Atk, 300 Def

"Now, whenever there is a Field Magic on the Field, I can Special Summon this Monster from my Hand. Appear, Earthbound Prisoner Stone Sweeper." The fishlike Monster with blue markings appeared in front of the Sergey clone.

Stone Sweeper: Level 5, 1600 Atk, 1600 Def

"Next, I will use the Magic Card Harmonic Synchro Fusion. By using Monsters on my Field as Materials, I can Fusion and Synchro Summon two Monsters from my Extra Deck. First is Synchro! I tune the level 5 Stone Sweeper with the level 1 Ground Keeper." The robot declared, beginning to recite a chant. "Spirit bound to the earth, Shake all of creation with your mystic power! Synchro Summon! Come forth! Level 6! Earthbound Servant Geo Gremlin!"

Geo Gremlin: Level 6, 2000 Atk, 1000 Def

"Next is Fusion." 'Sergey' said calmly. "He who is bound by stone, Become one with he who is bound by the earth and grasp the land. Fusion Summon! Come forth! Level 6! Earthbound Servant Geo Gremlina!"

Geo Gremlina: Level 6, 2000 Atk, 1000 Def

Both behemoths appeared to the Field, their respective patterns igniting.

"I set a Card and end my turn."

"My turn!" Ryoga announced, stepping forward, drawing his Card with a single swiping motion. "From my Hand, I Summon the Fish-Type Monster Friller Rabca!"

The yellow big-mouthed fish appeared to the Field, snapping his jaw wide open to bear his teeth in an attempt to scare off the opponent's Monsters.

Friller Rabca: Level 3, 700 Atk, 1500 Def

Immediately after the Summon of his Monster, Ryoga revealed another Card in his Hand to the Sergey bot. "When a Fish-Type Monster is Normal or Special Summoned to my Field, I can Special Summon this guy. Come, Shark Stickers!"

Following Friller Rabca, a purple toned fish with green eyes appeared in a flash of light.

Shark Stickers: Level 3, 200 Atk, 1000 Def

"Now, I have two level 3 Monsters on my Field. This means that I can overlay both of them in order to construct the overlay network!" Ryoga declared, causing a yellow portal to open up in front of him with his two Monsters glowing a yellow hue as well, making their way into the center of the portal. "Xyz Summon! Show yourself! Rank 3! Submersible Carrier Aero Shark!"

The two connected sharks appeared to the Field in place of Friller a Rabca and Shark Stickers. The Monster gave an intense gaze towards the Sergey bot. A stare that didn't faze the bot in the slightest.

Aero Shark: Rank 3, 1900 Atk, 1000 Def

"I activate the effect of Aero Shark! Once per turn, by detaching an overlay unit, I can deal 400 points of damage to you for each Card in my Hand!" Ryoga held up his Cards, showing four for his opponent to see. Aero Shark fired off his guns, zipping past the robot's two Monsters and pelting it, causing the bot to flinch.

Sergey Bot: 4000-2400 LP

"I set these two Cards and end my turn." Ryoga concluded with a satisfied face. He immediately washed it off however when the Sergey bot drew his Card, preparing himself for what was to come.

"I activate the Monster effect of Earthbound Servant Geo Gremlin! Once per turn, when there is a Field Magic Card in play, I can target a Monster you control and give you two options. One is to destroy your Monster and skip the Battle Phase this turn while the other is let your Monster survive and add its Attack to my life points."

Ryoga narrowed his eyes. So no matter what I pick it will go into his favor somehow. If that's the case, then…

"I choose my Monster's survival."

"Then the Attack will be added to my life points!" The Sergey clone reminded Ryoga, a green aura surrounding its body.

Sergey Bot: 2400-4300 LP

"Time to battle! Go, Geo Gremlin, attack Aero Shark!" Geo Gremlin broke free of the chains restraining its arms, immediately rushing forward.

"Not so fast! From the Graveyard, I activate the effect of my detached Friller Rabca! By banishing this Monster from the Graveyard, negate your Monster's attack and decrease its Attack by 500!"

"Nice try, but I won't let you! Counter Trap, Earthbound Effect Sealer! When you activate a Monster effect while there is a face-up Field Magic Card, I can negate the effect and destroy that Card!"

"What?" Ryoga widened his eyes as Geo Gremlin thrusted a fist into Aero Shark's snout(s), destroying the Monster immediately. Ryoga threw his hands in front of him, shielding his face from the ensuing dust cloud as he took damage from the battle.

Ryoga: 4000-3900 LP

"I activate the Trap Card Shark Revenge Splash. However, I will then chain the Quick-Play Magic Surface Rank-Up! When a Water-Type Monster is destroyed, I can add a Rank-Up-Magic Card from my Deck to my Hand." Ryoga took out a Card from his Deck, revealing it to be Rank-Up-Magic High Tide Force. "Next is Shark Revenge Splash! When a 'Shark' Monster is destroyed, I can Special Summon it rom the Grave, but it loses 1000 Attack."

As he finished explaining, a purple portal opened in front of Ryoga. Out of that portal returned Aero Shark, who immediately gained a red aura as a sign of losing power.

Aero Shark: 1900-900 Atk

"I'm not done just yet." Ryoga stated with a smirk. "Now, damage is inflicted to you equal to the current Attack of my revived Monster. Aero Shark now has 900 Attack, so you'll be taking 900 points of damage!"

The face in the Sergey bot remained expressionless as Aero Shark fired a bullet. The attack connected with the machine's stomach, causing it to double over slightly, seemingly not fazed by the attack at all.

Sergey Bot: 4300-3400 LP

Straightening his posture, the Sergey bot spoke. "Don't think that since you revived your Monster you're in the clear. I still have Geo Gremlina. Attack!"

Upon its command, Geo Gremlina stomped on the ground. The sound of the Monster's foot resounded throughout the room as shockwaves were emitted. Ryoga let out a grunt of pain as he felt his body vibrate. Alongside this, Aero Shark shattered into multiple particles.

Ryoga: 3900-2800 LP

"I set this Card facedown and end my turn." The Sergey bot concluded.

"It's my turn!" Ryoga announced. "I draw! From my Hand, I use this Magic Card called Monster Reborn! With this, I can revive a Monster from either of our Graveyards. I bring back my Aero Shark."

Appearing once again in front of Ryoga, Aero Shark returned with a normal Attack of 1900.

"And now its time to use this! Rank-Up-Magic High Tide Force, activate! Using this a Card and a Water Attribute Xyz Monster as Materials, I can Xyz Summon a Monster whose Rank is 1 higher. Rank-Up Xyz Change! Show yourself! The most powerful ruler of the deep sea! Your sharp fangs shall exterminate everything! Rank 4! Marine Biting Dragon-Shark Drake!"

The large red sea Monster appeared, letting out a ferocious wail.

Shark Drake: Rank 4, 2800 Atk, 2100 Def

"Here we go, old friend. Battle! Shark Drake, attack and destroy Earthbound Servant Geo Gremlina!" The gigantic behemoth let out a wail, rushing forward towards his prey. Shark Drake slammed his body down on Geo Gremlina, destroying it.

Sergey Bot: 3400-2600 LP

"I activate the effect of Shark Drake! Once per turn, when this Monster destroys another in battle, I can detach an overlay unit to Special Summon the destroyed Monster in Attack Position." As he spoke, an overlay unit was crushed by Shark Drake, being used to power his effect. Then, out of thin air, a purple portal formed in front of the Sergey robot. Out of that portal was Geo Gremlina.

"Now, I get to decrease its Attack between the difference of Attack of Shark Drake and the revived Monster." Ryoga said as a red aura appeared around Geo Gremlin.

There was a difference of 800 Attack. So, Geo Gremlin would lose 800 Attack.

Geo Gremlina: 2000-1200 Atk

"Now, 1000 points are deducted from your life!" Ryoga added as Shark Drake released a torrent of water at the Sergey bot.

Sergey Bot: 2600-1600 LP

The Sergey bot still held a face of no emotion on its face. No sign of pain. Nothing. It didn't even seem to be concerned about the fact that it was about to lose.

"It's over." Ryoga proclaimed. "After using his effect, Shark Drake is allowed extra attacks equal to the amount of overlay units he has plus 1. He currently has one overlay unit. Thus, he has two extra attacks!" Punching his fist forward, Ryoga commanded his Monster to attack.

Obeying the order, Shark Drake released yet another torrent of water from his mouth, spewing out the liquid towards the weakened Geo Gremlina. The attack would have ended the Duel had it connected…

Had it connected.

"Trap Card, activate! Earthbound Quake! When you declare an attack that would make my life go down to 0, I can negate that attack and end the Battle Phase!" As the bot spoke, Geo Gremlina leaped out of the way, dodging the water sent its way. "Then, your Monster's Attack is reduced to 0!" The Trap on the Sergey bot's Field lit up with white hue, releasing a ray of light that enveloped Shark Drake. The serpent shriveled up out of pain before slumping downwards from weakness.

Shark Drake: 2800-0 Atk

"Fuck…" Ryoga cursed under his breath, tightening the grip he had on the final Card in his Hand. Sliding it into his Duel Disk, he said, "I throw down this set Card and end my turn."

"My turn, draw." The Sergey bot glanced at the Card it drew, its stoic face not moving a muscle in terms of a reaction. "I activate the Quick-Play Magic Earthbound Fusion! If there is a face-up Field Magic Card, then I can Fusion Summon a Monster from my Extra Deck using Monsters I control. I fuse Geo Gremlin and Geo Gremlina! Demon that rules over the earth! Demon that clings to the land! Become one and rise from the depths of the underground! Fusion Summon! Come forth! Level 10! Earthbound Servant Geo Glasya-Labolas!"

As the summoned beast awakened, a blood red hue trailed its outlines. Strong gusts of wind pounded at Ryoga's face as they bounced off the walls in the closed off room.

Glasya-Labolas: Level 10, 3000 Atk, 1800 Def

"Now, Glasya-Labolas, attack Shark Drake!" Glasya-Labolas rushed forward, its eyes burning with fury as it readied itself to destroy its prey.

However, Ryoga chose to reveal his facedown Card at that moment. "I activate the Trap Card Seaquake! With this, the battle positions of all Monsters on the Field are now switched. In this case, both of our Monsters are switched to Defense Position!"

If the Sergey bot was anything like the original, he would have been grinning madly right now.

That was a foolish mistake…

"The effect of Earthbound Tundra states that face-up Attack Position Monsters cannot switch their battle positions as long as this Card is on the Field. Therefore, your Card has no effect on either of our Monsters, and my attack will go through!"

"What?!" Ryoga's eyebrows raised out of shock. His Trap Card's effect resolved, being sent to the Grave as Glasya-Labolas released a ferocious roar, getting dangerously close to his own Monster. Quickly regaining his composure, Ryoga spoke, "I activate the Graveyard effect of Seaquake! By banishing this Card and a Fish-Type Monster from the Grave, I get to half the Attack of a Monster on the Field. I choose Glasya-Labolas until the end of the turn!"

Glasya-Labolas: 3000-1500 Atk

Despite the successful Attack reduction, Glasya-Labolas' attack would still continue. The Monster rammed its humongous body into Shark Drake, destroying him instantly. Ryoga yelled out in pain as the resounding shockwaves vibrated throughout his body.

Ryoga: 2800-1300 LP

"I end my turn." The bot concluded, waiting patiently for Ryoga to make his move.

Since it was the end of the turn, Glasya-Labolas' Attack returned to normal.

Glasya-Labolas: 1500-3000 Atk

"My turn, draw!" Ryoga beamed at his drawn Card.

Perfect…

"I activate Rank-Up-Magic Surface Force! Using this, I can Special Summon an Xyz Monster from my Graveyard. Then, using this Card and the revived Monster as Materials, I can Xyz Summon a Monster whose Rank is 1 higher! Return to the Field, Shark Drake!" A portal opened in front of Ryoga. Out of it came Shark Drake, who let out a ferocious growl upon arrival.

Both Shark Drake and the activated Magic Card turned into yellow orbs. The orbs flew into the air, circling each other as they converged into the galactic portal that opened in front of Ryoga. The portal imploded. Ryoga slid his desired Monster out of the Extra Deck, slamming the Card onto his Duel Disk.

"Rank-Up Xyz Change! Show yourself! Ancient ruler of the sea! Marine Biting Dragon - Shark Drake Veiss!" A sea behemoth as big as Shark Drake with a white and purple color scheme appeared. He glared towards Glasya-Labolas, ready to destroy the opponent.

Shark Drake Veiss: Rank 5, 2800 Atk, 2100 Def

"Here we go! I activate Shark Drake Veiss' effect!" Ryoga declared as an overlay unit was crushed by the jaw of his Xyz Monster. "Once per turn, by detaching an overlay unit, I can banish a Monster from my Graveyard and lower a Monster you control by that Monster's Attack! I banish the detached Shark Drake."

The Sergey bot narrowed its eyes, "Shark Drake has 2800 Attack…"

"Therefore, Glasya-Labolas will lose 2800 Attack!" Shark finished as Glasya-Labolas was drained of nearly all of its Attack.

Glasya-Labolas: 3000-200 Atk

"That's not all." Ryoga said, motioning towards Shark Drake Veiss. "Like Shark Drake, Shark Drake Veiss gains an attack for every overlay unit he has plus 1 after this effect resolves. Shark Drake Veiss has one overlay unit, so Shark Drake Veiss can attack an extra two times. However, one attack is still enough to finish you off! Attack, Shark Drake Veiss!"

The Monster's eyes glowed a bright yellow as he opened his mouth. A purple wave of energy was released, completely enveloping Glasya-Labolas and destroying it. But the wave did not stop there. Rather, it continued on and connected with Sergey clone's body, frying its circuits and destroying the emotionless machine.

Sergey Bot: 1600-0 LP

Ryoga let out a long sigh as Shark Drake Veiss disappeared from the Field.

It was over…


O'Brien

"DUEL!"

"I'll take the first turn." O'Brien declared, drawing five Cards from his Deck. "I Summon Volcanic Slicer to my Field!" A beast with metal platings appeared to the Field with a ferocious roar.

Slicer: Level 4, 1800 Atk, 1200 Def

In terms of sheer power alone, his Deck far surpasses mine. O'Brien thought to himself. So I must take out all of his life points as fast as I can!

"I activate Volcanic Slicer's effect! Once per turn, I can inflict 500 damage to you at the cost of this Card losing its attack this turn." Upon his explanation, Volcanic Slicer opened its jaw, releasing a stream of fire that scorched the copy of Sergey. He made no reaction at all just like the one Ryoga fought.

Sergey Bot: 4000-3500 LP

"I set two Cards to end my turn." O'Brien finished.

"My turn, draw." The Sergey bot stated, drawing his Card. "I activate the Field Magic Card Earthbound Prison." Upon activation, O'Brien and his opponent found themselves surrounded by dull gray hands sprouting out of the ground, signifying that the Field Magic was in effect. "Next, when there is a Field Magic on the Field, I can Special Summon Earthbound Prisoner Stone Sweeper to the Field."

The Sergey bot looked down at his Cards. Picking one up, he placed it onto his Duel Disk. In a flash of white light, Earthbound Prisoner Line Walker appeared.

Line Walker: Level 3, 800 Atk, 1100 Def

"Following this I will activate Harmonic Synchro Fusion. Using Monsters on my Field that meet their summoning requirements, I can Fusion and Synchro Summon two Monsters. First is Synchro. I tune the level 5 Stone Sweeper with the level 3 Line Walker. Revive from the depths of the earth. Gigantic beast with wings of punishment! Synchro Summon! Come forth! Level 8! Earthbound Servant Geo Gryphon!"

Geo Gryphon: Level 8, 2500 Atk, 1500 Def

"After that is Fusion." The robot said as the Materials swirled toward each other like a vortex. "Prisoner that crawls across the earth. Become one with the prisoner that walks the path of execution and become a gigantic beast that delivers out punishment! Fusion Summon! Come forth! Level 8! Earthbound Servant Geo Kraken!"

Geo Kraken: Level 8, 2800 Atk, 1200 Def

"Using two Monsters to use two methods of Summoning at once…" O'Brien murmured in awe. If this was a mere prototype droid, just how strong would the real Sergey Volkov have been had his potential not been stunted by Roget's influence.

Just the thought of Sergey having his own free will sent chills down O'Brien's spine.

"Time to battle. Go, Geo Gryphon, attack his Volcanic Slicer." Geo Gryphon opened its mouth, gathering energy in the gap formed by his mouth. A purple ball was formed and launched toward O'Brien's Monster, who was eradicated instantly.

O'Brien let a grunt of pain escape his lips, his body shaking from the ensuing shockwaves.

O'Brien: 4000-3300 LP

Damn it, I'm wide open! The Volcanic user widened his eyes.

"Now, Geo Kraken, attack him directly!" The Monster let out a growl of obedience, and the next thing O'Brien knew he had crashed into the wall. All breath escaped his lips as a sharp pain ran through his back.

O'Brien: 3300-500 LP

"I set a Card and end my turn." The Sergey bot droned O'Brien straightened his posture, wincing from the sharp pain in both his gut and his back.

Had this been the real Sergey Volkov, he would have been relishing this moment, calling it beautiful. As crazy as it sounded, it was the truth. Frankly, O'Brien was glad that this droid didn't have any emotions. It didn't creep him out as much as Sergey's both sadistic and masochistic nature did.

Quickly throwing the comparison between the prototype and the original out of his head, O'Brien announced the beginning of his turn. Drawing his Card, he released a rare grin when seeing what he had gotten.

It seems the Goddess of Luck was still smiling down on him…

"I activate the Continuous Magic Card Blaze Cannon!" Upon activation, a metal cannon appeared in the space where the Magic Card was activated. However, this cannon quickly disappeared from the Field as O'Brien replaced Blaze Cannon with another cannon that had the color of silver with three missiles in it. "By sending Blaze Cannon to the Graveyard, I can activate its upgraded version. It's called Blaze Cannon - Trident!"

"Blaze Cannon - Trident…" The Sergey bot mumbled with no inflection in its tone at all.

This my chance to turn things around. I can't afford to screw it up. I have a responsibility to the Lancers to help carry out this mission and free Security from Roget's control.

"I activate the effect of Blaze Cannon - Trident! Once per turn, I can send a Pyro-Type Monster from my Hand to the Grave in order to destroy a Monster you control and deal 500 points of damage to you." O'Brien revealed a Card in his Hand to his opponent. "I send Volcanic Scattershot to the Graveyard in order to destroy Earthbound Servant Geo Kraken!"

The three missiles locked into the blaze cannon were released. Speeding over to Geo Kraken, the Monster was destroyed on impact.

Sergey Bot: 3500-3000 LP

"That's not all." O'Brien said with a smirk. "I activate Volcanic Scattershot's effect! When this Card is sent to the Graveyard, I can deal 500 more points of damage to you."

Rising from an open portal to the Grave, Scattershot reappeared. However, as soon as the Monster appeared, he was turned into a ball of fire. This newly formed ball of fire hurled itself towards the Sergey clone, making contact with its stomach. The Sergey bot hunched over slightly as a reaction to this.

Sergey Bot: 3000-2500 LP

"Now, it's time to activate Volcanic Scattershot's second effect. If this a Card was sent to the Graveyard by the effect of a 'Blaze Cannon' Card, I can send two more copies of Scattershot in my Hand or Deck to my Grave in order to destroy all Monsters you control!" O'Brien took the two copies of Scattershot out of his Deck. As his stack of Cards reshuffled itself, O'Brien inserted the Cards into the Graveyard slot.

A torrent of flames suddenly began to rid the Sergey bot's Field, incinerating Geo Gryphon and enveloping it's owner as well.

Sergey Bot: 2500-1500 LP

"Oh yeah," O'Brien said with fake surprise. "I almost forgot about that. Since they were put into the Graveyard, both copies of Volcanic Scattershot inflict 500 points of damage to you each."

His opponent made no response. It was starting to feel weird to O'Brien. A normal opponent would have started boasting about their skills at this point declaring that they wouldn't lose to someone like him. But with this tool, that was not the case.

It was almost sad honestly…

"I end my turn." O'Brien concluded with closed eyes.

"Fool, you have left yourself open for attack. For that, you will pay dearly with your life. Trap Card, activate! Earthbound Revival! The effect of this Card is that by banishing the Materials needed for a Card's Summon, I can Special Summon a Fusion or Synchro Earthbound Monster from the Graveyard. I banish both Line Walker and Stone Sweeper to revive Geo Kraken."

A portal opened in front of Sergey. The two declared Monsters sprouted, before vanishing to little particles. In their place rose Geo Kraken, who had seemed to come back with a vengeance, as evident by the look of hate it was sending O'Brien.

"My turn, draw. Battle!" The Sergey bot declared without even looking at the Card it drew. "Earthbound Servant Geo Kraken, attack my enemy directly and end this Duel."

Geo Kraken roared as it launched one of its tentacles towards O'Brien.

The Volcanic user narrowed his eyes, revealing one of his two facedown Cards. "I activate the Trap Card Volcanic Force! I can only activate this Card by sending Blaze a Cannon - Trident to the Grave. Now, with this Card, I can Special Summon Volcanic Doomfire from my Hand, Deck, or Grave ignoring its summoning conditions. Now, rise from the depths of Hell, Volcanic Doomfire!"

As he spoke, O'Brien's ace Monster appeared on the Field. The flame on top of his head shining even brighter, glaring towards Geo Kraken.

"Very well. In response to that, I will activate the effect of Geo Kraken. When a Monster is Special Summoned to your Field, I can destroy all Monsters you control that were Special Summoned this turn and inflict 800 damage to you for each destroyed Monster." The Sergey bot said blankly. "You only have 500 life points. Therefore, the destruction of a Volcanic Doomfire is enough to deplete the rest of your life. You...lose."

"Kgh! I don't think so!" O'Brien exclaimed with a grunt, activating his last facedown with the wave of his hand. "I activate the Trap Card Volcanic Rush! Until the end of the turn, Volcanic Monsters I control cannot be destroyed by either Card effects or battle. I choose Card effects, so Doomfire is now safe."

"In that case, I call off Geo Kraken's attack."

"I'm afraid you can't do that." O'Brien interjected with a triumphant smile.

"What?" The Sergey bot murmured, confusion being the emotion it would feeling if it could feel at all.

"You see, one of the effects of Volcanic Doomfire states that during your Battle Phase, any Monster you control that is in Attack Position must engage in battle with Doomfire."

Had this been the real Sergey, a look of shock would have been drawn on his face right now. But this was a droid. A droid who wasn't meant to feel anything. The lack of emotion on its face as Geo Kraken was destroyed further solidified this notion.

Sergey Bot: 1500-1300 LP

With an emotionless tone, the Sergey bot ended its turn. It didn't feel anything at the prospect of failure. Hell, it didn't even flinch at the threat of being destroyed. After all, that was exactly how it was programmed.

"My turn, draw! Battle!" O'Brien declared immediately after the beginning of his turn. "It ends here! Volcanic Doomfire, attack directly!"

Volcanic Doomfire let out a roar of compliance, releasing a surge of flames that completely torched the Sergey bot, destroying it completely with cracks forming on its body. The entire robot's system was fried, making it completely nonfunctional.

Sergey Bot: 1300-0 LP

And so ended the short and wasted life of another prototype of the Duelist Crusher Sergey Volkov.


Sora and Roget

"DUEL!"

The two former Academia members stared each other down. It was funny. Although they were on different sides, they both made the same choice. Leave Academia. Albeit Roget's reason for leaving was much more selfish but regardless the action was the same nonetheless.

It was kind of scary for Sora. To see a rat who made the same choice as him in leaving Academia reflected off him. He could see a part of himself in Roget, and he detested himself for that very fact.

That mirror...I'll have to shatter that through this Duel. Only by defeating Roget can I truly come to terms with my choice…Sora thought to himself with a determined gaze.

"Alright then, how about we begin? As per the rules of chess, the righteous white king shall go first. My turn! I Summon Chess Servant: White Pawn to the Field!" A white pawn chess piece appeared on the Field. However, Roget chose to Summon his Monster on the zone left (Roget's left) of the middle. This was an action that left Sora very confused.

White Pawn: Level 4, 1500 Atk, 200 Def

"To support this pawn, I will set these two Cards and end my turn." Roget laid his Cards down with a confident smile on his face. "Now, treacherous black knight of the Lancers, make your move."

"How hypocritical." Sora said aloud.

"What did you say?" Roget narrowed his eyes out of annoyance.

"Hypocrite. You, accusing me of being a traitor when you yourself have also turned your back on Academia. Call me treacherous?" Sora scoffed. "You have no such right, Roget. At least I'm trying to do good from my defection. You? You're doing this all for yourself."

"And? Why is that such a bad thing?" Roget questioned. He let out a chuckle as he covered his face. "You know, it's funny how us humans draw the line between selfless and selfish. From what I have seen in my life, humans only claim that others are selfish if their agendas don't meet their own. Through accusations of another being selfish, they themselves are truly being the vain ones indeed. Now, enough banter! Make your move, Shiunin Sora!"

"Very well. My turn, draw! From my Hand, I Summon Furminal Mouse!" Sora swiped his drawn Card onto his Duel Disk, releasing a cute winged-mouse holding a donut.

Furminal Mouse: Level 1, 100 Atk, 100 Def

"If Furminal Mouse is in Attack Position, I can Special Summon two more copies of this guy from the Deck." After this declaration, two more winged-mice appeared to the Field. Next, holding out a Magic Card, Sora continued. "I'm not done yet! I activate Fusion, fusing together the three Furminal Mouse on my Field with the one Edge Imp Sabres in my Hand. Demonic claws! Merge with the three sneaky mice and show us a new form and power! Fusion Summon! Show yourself! Ferocious beast that will tear any victim apart! Death-Toy Scissor Wolf!"

A purple torn-up wolf appeared in place of Sora's three mice. A low growling sound was emitting from the creature's open mouth.

Scissor Wolf: Level 6, 2000 Atk, 1500 Def

"Each Battle Phase, Scissor Wolf can attack up to the number of Fusion Materials used for its Summon!" Sora declared with a smile, earning a panicked look to force itself onto Roget's face.

"What?!"

"Four Fusion Materials. That makes four attacks. That's enough to finish you off! Go, Death-Toy Scissor Wolf, attack and destroy Chess Servant: White Pawn!" Sora shouted, his frightening wolf beginning to make a mad dash for Roget's chess piece.

"I will counter you with this Continuous Trap Card! It's called Zone Switch! Once per turn, I can move a Monster to an open Zone on the controller's side of the Field." Roget explained as he jabbed a finger toward the charging wolf. "I will move Scissor Wolf one space to the right!"

The charging toy disappeared for a brief moment before reappearing a Zone to the right as instructed by Sora.

The wolf was now diagonal to the pawn…

Roget smirked. He's got him right where he wanted him…

"White Pawn's Monster effect!" Roget yelled, thrusting his hand out. "For each Monster in a Zone diagonal to this Card's position, this Monster gains 500 Attack. Your wolf is now diagonal to my pawn, meaning that White Pawn will now have an Attack of 2000!"

White Pawn: 1500-2000 Atk

"I choose to halt the battle." Sora ordered his Monster, who immediately obeyed by turning around and dashing back to its Zone on the Field.

As expected of the chief of Security and former member of Academia. He will not be an easy opponent to defeat...Sora thought to himself as he eyed Roget's second set Card cautiously. This man is an experienced tactician. I must not take his Monsters at first glance lightly…

"I set two Cards and end my turn." Sora concluded with a frown.

"It's my turn again. Draw! Let's see…" Roget trailed off as he glanced at the Cards currently in his Hand. "Oh, this will be perfect. I activate this Magic Card. It is called Promotion! If I control a Chess Servant Monster with 'Pawn' in its name, then I send it to the Graveyard and either Special Summon any Chess Servant Monster I choose from my Hand, Deck, or Graveyard, or I could pay 1000 life points in order to Special Summon Chess Master: White Queen! I will choose the second option. Appear, now! Ruthless madame that rules alongside the king!"

A white queen chess piece appeared in place of the pawn as Roget lost his life points.

Roget: 4000-3000 LP

White Queen: Level 8, 2800 Atk, 2000 Def

"To join my queen in battle, I will Summon Chess Servant: White Knight!"

Appearing next to the queen was a white horse chess piece.

White Knight: Level 4, 1600 Atk, 200 Def

"It is time. Battle! White Queen, crush Shiunin Sora's Scissor Wolf!" Upon Roget's command, the chess piece rose into the air, releasing beams of energy from its crown.

"Hold on! I reveal one of my facedown Cards. It's the Quick-Play Magic Card called De-Fusion. I can send a Fusion Monster I control to the Extra Deck and Special Summon its Materials back to the Field." Scissor Wolf glowed green as it disappeared from the Field. White Queen's attack went right through the now empty space as a result of this.

Then, out of nowhere, three copies of Furminal Mouse and a single Edge Imp Sabre's was brought out onto the Field in place of this Fusion Monster.

Edge Imp Sabres: Level 3, 1200 Atk, 800 Def

Roget scoffed. "A futile attempt. White Queen has the special ability of being able to attack all Monsters on your Field once each."

"What?" Sora gasped out of shock after hearing this revelation.

"This time, without any interruptions, wipe out his Monsters!" Roget commanded his White Queen, who released four beams of energy from the crown. Each beam connected with one of Sora's Monsters, destroying them all. "I am not done just yet. White Knight, attack directly!"

The next thing Sora knew, the chess piece had appeared right in front of him. It rammed into his body, thus sending him stumbling backwards.

Sora: 4000-2400 LP

"Fuck!" Sora hissed out of pain, sliding a hand over his stomach.

Relishing the look of pain and anguish on the boy's face, Roget announced the conclusion of his turn.

Quickly recovering from the damage dealt by the attack, Sora drew his Card.

"To start off, I will activate the Magic Card Fusion Recovery! With this, I can target a Fusion Card and one Monster used as Fusion Material in my Graveyard, and add them back into my Hand."

"Oh? How interesting." Roget murmured under his breath, a confident smile on his face. "It no longer matters what you drag back from the Grave. Your defeat is inevitable. Now, I will only say this once. Give. Up."

Despite the negative comments his opponent threw at him, Sora continued with his turn. He grabbed two Cards from the Graveyard, a copy of Fusion and Edge Imp Sabres, and added them back into his Hand.

"Now I will activate the Fusion that has just been added to my Hand. I choose to fuse Edge Imp Sabres with Furminal Penguin! Demonic claws! Fluffy warrior! Become one in the mystic vortex and show us a new form and power! Fusion summon! Show yourself! Mystical jungle beast that rips everything to shreds! Level 6! Death-Toy Scissor Tiger!" Sora chanted as yet another Fusion Monster appeared on his side of the Field.

Scissor Tiger: Level 6, 1900 Atk, 1200 Def

"I now activate Scissor Tiger's effect! But then, I'll chain the effect of Furminal Penguin. When this Card is sent to the Grave as Fusion Material for the Summon of a Death-Toy Fusion Monster, I get to draw 2 Cards. However, I'll have to discard a Card as well."

Sora followed the explanation of his effect. Drawing two Cards from his Deck, he sent Edge Imp DT Modoki to the Graveyard.

"Now, back to Scissor Tiger's effect! When Fusion Summoned, I can target Cards on the Field up to the number of Materials used for this Card's Summon." Sora explained with a focused gaze. "Those targeted Cards will be destroyed. I target your White Queen and your White Knight!"

Almost immediately after Sora stopped speaking, Scissor Tiger made a huge leap towards White Queen in an attempt to cut the Monster to shreds with its blades.

"I activate my set Card! It's the Continuous Trap Royal Judgement. Once per turn when I control a Chess Master Monster, if a Monster's effect is activated, I can negate it. So, the effect of your Scissor Tiger will have no impact on the fate of my Monsters at all." A smirk found itself crossing Roget's face, satisfied to see his cyan-haired enemy scowl out of frustration as his Monster returned to his side. "What's wrong? Can't think of a move to make? Perhaps it is a checkmate."

"Correction: You haven't even gotten me in check yet!" Sora proclaimed with a determined tone. "Just so you know, Scissor Tiger's effect boosts the Attack of all Death-Toy Monsters I control by 300 for each Furminal or Death-Toy Monster on my Field."

As Scissor Tiger was the only Monster that met those conditions, it boosted itself by 300.

Scissor Tiger: 1900-2200 Atk

"Battle! Death-Toy Scissor Tiger, destroy Chess Servant: White Knight!" The blue toy leaped towards the chess piece, ensnaring it with its blades and destroying it without a trace.

Roget: 3000-2400 LP

"I end my turn." Sora concluded.

"It's back to me, then. I draw! From my Hand, I Summon a second copy of Chess Servant White Knight." Roget smirked as the chess piece was brought out to the Field. "Time to fight. Go, my queen! Attack Scissor Tiger!"

Like last time, the opposing Monster was struck by beams of energy sent by White Queen. Sora let out a cry of pain as the ensuing shockwaves of his Monster shook his body.

Sora: 2400-1800 LP

"White Knight, attack this fool directly!" The chess piece moved in front of Sora. Suddenly, it rammed right into him, the Furminal user let out a yell as he was thrown backwards crashing onto the ground, his body unmoving from the excruciating pain.

Sora: 1800-200 LP

"That will be the end of my turn." Roget finished with an expression that showed a feeling of superiority. "I am going to relish this moment for a long time. I've been sitting around in this dimension for years in preparation for Academia's inevitable invasion. And now, to finally be able to let a member of the organization that wronged me grovel brings me great satisfaction."

"Wronged you?" Sora questioned as he rose to his feet, his body trembling.

"Yes. Academia made me feel insulted and humiliated." Roget spat with a scowl. "I showed great loyalty to that place. And yet, I was treated just like an ordinary member! You cannot imagine how much it frustrated me to be reduced to being treated like the scummy students of Academia! I deserved better! I should have been training my own battalion of troops! I should have a high-ranking officer! But Sanders?! Barrett?! They get recognition for their abilities! They get respect! They are nothing in comparison to me!"

Roget finished his rant with deep intakes of air. He quickly regained his composure and straightened his posture, awaiting Sora's response.

However, he began to lose his cool again when he saw the amused grin that was on the boy's face.

"So you ran away because you were at the bottom?"

"I DIDN'T RUN AWAY!" Roget bellowed at the top of his lungs.

"I know the type of person you are, Roget. You are a power-hungry maniac. If you don't have any sort of control over people, then you'll start to lose your shit! Your inflated ego can't stand the fact that you are too weak to be viewed as worthy of a high position." A malicious smile reminiscent of the old Sora appeared. He may have defected, but his viciousness and pride were still key components of him.

The same goes for Roget about his ego…

The blond-haired man took a deep breath. His lips curled back into a confident smile. "Very well. I can't change how you view me. However, I can completely shatter that view by destroying you! If I can't have any of the girls, then presenting your head in a Card will surely take Academia off my back."

"That is if you defeat. Something you won't be able to do because you won't get another turn. My turn, draw! Perfect!" Sora exclaimed as soon as he laid his eyes on the drawn Card. "First off, I'll activate the Trap Card Death-Toy Custom! With this, I get to target and Special Summon an Edge Imp or Furminal Monster in the Graveyard. However, that Monster will be then treated as a Death-Toy Monster."

Sora chose to bring back Furminal (Death-Toy) Mouse.

"A mouse. This is your last resort? This is your last line of defense? Don't make me laugh!" Roget cried out with a laugh.

"This mouse is going to be one of the reasons for why I win! The conditions are now set." Sora muttered with a smirk before raising his voice to continue his turn. "When on the Field or Graveyard, DT Modoki is treated as a Death-Toy Monster. Finally, I activate the Magic Card Death-Toy Fusion from my Hand! I can now Fusion Summon a Death-Toy Monster from my Extra Deck by banishing Materials from either my Field or Graveyard. On my Field, I banish Edge Imp DT Modoki, Furminal Mouse, and from the Grave Scissor Tiger! Unusual plaything possessed by demons! Root out and destroy the plebeians who dare rebel against you! Fusion Summon! Come forth and appear, chimeric fusion of all toys! Death-Toy Mad Chimera!"

Mad Chimera: Level 8, 2800 Atk, 2000 Def

"Battle!" Sora declared, much to Roget's surprise.

"Have you lost your mind?! If you attack, both of our Monsters will be destroyed, and you will be left with no defense!"

"That's where you are mistaken. Only your Monster will be destroyed. Go, Mad Chimera, attack Roget's White Queen!" Upon command, Mad Chimera released a barrage of missiles, all of which homed onto White Queen. "It's over, Roget! From my Hand, I activate the Quick-Play Magic Card Toy Support! By banishing a Furminal, Edge Imp, or Death-Toy Monster in my Graveyard, I can add that Monster's Attack to a Monster I control until the end of the turn."

Reaching into his Graveyard, Sora removed Edge Imp Sabres from his Graveyard. As he did, the Attack of Mad Chimera was boosted significantly.

Mad Chimera: 2800-4000 Atk

"4000 Attack!" Roget exclaimed out of shock.

"Death-Toy Mad Chimera, destroy Roget's White Queen!"

The missiles connected with the chess piece right at that moment, resulting in a massive explosion which blew Roget right into the wall behind him with a cry of pain.

Roget: 2400-1200 LP

"It ends here." Sora stated with a definite tone, raising a hand to his Monster. "When Mad Chimera destroys one of your Monster's in battle, I can Special Summon the destroyed Monster to my side of the Field."

"What?" Roget gawked as he witnessed his Monster being revived next to Mad Chimera.

Mad Chimera: 4000-4300 Atk

"Oh yeah, Mad Chimera gains 300 Attack while the destroyed Monster is on my Field, but that won't matter. Chess Master: White Queen, overthrow Roget with one final direct attack!" Sora shouted.

Roget let out a scream as he was zapped by his own Monster, his body being completely toasted as he fell to the ground face first.

Roget: 1200-0 LP

"Hell yeah!" Sora grinned as his Monster disappeared from the Field. He looked to his left and right to see that both Ryoga and O'Brien were finished, evident by the churning, destroyed mechanical bodies of their opponents.

"We must hurry!" O'Brien said, wasting no time at all. "Restrain him. We could use this bastard for information."

"Right!" Ryoga nodded as he made his way over to the collapsed Roget's body. However, when he reached down to grab his body, he was surprised to see his hand slip through. "The Hell?"

O'Brien and Sora could only watch alongside him in disbelief as the body of what they thought to be Roget disappeared from existence. It was if it was never there in the first place.

"Damn it!" Sora's eyes lit up with realization.

"What is it? Do you know what happened?" Ryoga questioned the boy.

"Maybe. I'm not too sure." The Furminal user replied dryly. "In Academia, there were rumors that the Professor was trying to develop a method of being able to be in two or more places at once."

"Meaning?" The Xyz user pressed further.

Sora paused, somewhat unsure of how to explain what he was going to say next.

"Cloning."

"Cloning, you say?" O'Brien repeated with surprise. "I've never heard of anything like that. I didn't even know it was possible on humans."

"It's not that kind of cloning." Sora immediately shot down O'Brien's thought. "You're thinking of an exact genetic copy. Down to the most singular cell. This is different. Unlike your traditional clone, this copy makes use of Solid Vision."

"Using Solid Vision to clone oneself?" O'Brien muttered with a doubtful tone. "That is something very complicated and complex. It'd take days, months, maybe years of studying and research to succeed in something like that with multiple scientists. But to do such a thing alone…"

"I never said the Professor succeeded." Sora said. "The clones were unstable and they only lasted for ten minutes at best."

"Perhaps Roget finished and refined it." Ryoga guessed. "I bet he was just itching to rub it in the Professor's face of how he finished something he couldn't."

"Again, those were just rumors." Sora reminded his new comrade. "Don't take what I said as fact."

"Still," O'Brien cupped his chin. "We cannot deny the possibility of what you are saying. Roget is a scumbag, but he is not stupid by any means. From what we've seen, he is very adept in many areas. Hell, he managed to work his way to the top and gain literal control over all of Security. By no means is that an easy feat."

"Well, now that we know what we're dealing with, we just have to be more careful." Ryoga said, glancing over to an open section of the room that was originally being guarded by Roget and his Sergey droids. "Come on! We've wasted enough time as it is."

And without any further delay, the trio walked through the open corridor. Eventually, they came into a single room. The room was filled with screens, monitors, and other things.

The control room…All three Lancers thought at the same time.

"Alright, O'Brien." Ryoga called out to the boy. "You're up. Technology like this is your kind of thing."

O'Brien narrowed his eyes. "Got it. You can leave it to me."


Card Catalog

(Update later)


Damn! It's been more than two months since I've last updated. I am very sorry for the long wait, I have just been struggling with this Roget Duel for quite a while now. Coming up with a Deck on my own from scratch was hard as fuck.

That was really the only reason why this chapter took so long to come out. I was stumped on the effects and stuff.

Anyways, next chapter there will only be one Duel I think. It will be the Duel with Aki and Tsukikage. After that, it will be either the Yuya and Yuri Duel or the Yuto and Jack Duel. I'll probably do the Yuto and Jack Duel first so it can be on chapter 100 if this fanfic. Anyways, this arc is finally almost over. We've been here for way too long (almost two years I think). I think this arc will be over in four-five chapters, who knows.

Neonecrodarkman: Thanks for the suggestion. It actually made this less of a pain in the ass. Couldn't really do the L shape with the knight, I'll reveal its effect when my lazy ass actually fills in the effects for this chapter along with others.

Heart of the mem: I make no promises of a Yuri vs Jack Duel. It probably won't happen.

Anyways, that's all for now guys. Hope you enjoyed this little chapter.

Take care, goodbye!