Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains: Advent of New Beginnings

by donkeyboy100

Sequel to Circuit of Smiles. Months have passed since Yuji, Ena, along with their counterparts, Yuya and Zuzu put a stop to Roget's plans and saved LINK VRAINS. However, a new mysterious group has come along that plans to eliminate LINK VRAINS Top 10 to take control of SOL Technologies. Can Storm Rider and his friends stop this new enemy without the aid of their counterparts?

46. Time for Action

"You serious? We're leaving to fight the Syndicate in three days?"

"That's what Varis told me. I would've contacted you earlier, but you were on your date with Kiku, and I figured it would be rude to call you during it."

"Understandable, but seeing that LINK VRAINS and SOL Technologies are on the line, I'm sure she wouldn't mind one little phone call. All that matters is the fight and that we win it."

Such an exchange was occurring between Yuji and Theodore on the phone. The latter had just finished his date with Kiku and returned to their apartment. Upon arrival, Theodore's phone rang, causing him to answer it as he saw the caller was Yuji.

"So what's the plan?" Theodore asked. "Continue training for the next three days?"

"Well, that's part of it," Yuji said. "However, we spent the last few days training nonstop. Heck, even you said you needed a break."

Theodore sweatdropped. "I did say that, didn't I?"

"Indeed you did," Yuji chuckled over the phone. "But remember that no matter how much training we do, it doesn't mean beating the Syndicate will be a walk in the park. It's your decision, but I'd advise you to relax these next three days. You can continue training if you want to, but you don't know when the next time you're going to have a peaceful moment."

Theodore gritted his teeth in frustration. He hated to admit it, but Yuji made a great point. After the war against Lightning and stopping Ai from taking over the world, he decided to stay in Den City to help keep an eye out. Not to mention the fact that every time the Top 10 was one step ahead of the Syndicate, it was revealed to be the other way around. And now that the true and final battle was coming, it meant that he had to bring his A-game.

Theodore sighed. "I'll think about it, Yuji. I think the time for relaxing should be right after we defeat the Syndicate."

"But we can't guarantee that victory will be ours," Yuji stated. "This fight will be tougher than the one with Roget. Just remember that."

And with that, Yuji hung up and ended the call. Theodore sighed as he leaned back against the back of the chair he was sitting in.

Theodore groaned and rubbed his forehead. he muttered. Even if he should use the next three days that he had to relax instead of honing his skills, how would it help him in the upcoming fight? But something was telling him that Yuji was right and he should take a breather…

"What am I going to do?"

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself, for starters."

Theodore blinked, removed his hand, and turned around, looking up at the voice. It belonged to a petite young girl with fair skin, hazel eyes, and navy blue hair tied back in a plait. She was dressed in a blue leather jacket, gray tennis shoes, white pants, and a purple tank top.

"Oh." Theodore blinked. "Sorry Kiku. Kind of forget you were here?"

"Don't sweat it," she said, shaking her head before sitting down next to Theodore. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. And by the looks of it, it made you very upset."

Theodore lowered his head and frowned. "You could say that." He turned to Kiku. "I'm assuming you want me to tell you why I'm upset, don't you?"

"Right on the nose."

Theodore sighed. "Well, as you've already, the others and I are leaving to fight the Syndicate three days from now. And instead of wanting me to use that time to better my skills, Yuji suggests I should use that time to relax instead."

"That doesn't sound bad at all. I mean, after the work you guys have been putting in, you could use a little R&R."

"I know. I know," Theodore admitted as he leaned back into his chair. "But I'm afraid that if I slack on my training, that I'll-"

"Become weaker, resulting in you being one of the first duelists to be defeated by the Syndicate's hands," Kiku finished, shocking Theodore. "You're afraid that you'll be letting down your parents and Flame should you lose so quickly."

Theodore gasped. "How did you k-"

"I've known you since we were kids," Kiku said. "I know how and what you're feeling like the back of my hand."

Theodore let out a small smile. "That's one of the things I like about you," he said, causing his girlfriend to blush. "It's just that ever since I met Flame, my entire life has turned upside down, and there are times that it can't go back to the way it was."

"I understand. But you must remember you're not the only one going through all of this alone." Kiku stated. "Each of your teammates has something worth fighting for. And so long as they have that determination and spirit, they can handle anything the Syndicate throws at them. And the same goes for you."

Theodore's smile widened as he stood up. "You're right, Kiku. I just can't spend the rest of my free time being down in the dumps. Otherwise, I'll be only slowing my comrades down."

"That's the spirit, Teddy!" Kiku cheered. "And I'll definitely support you, so feel free to express all of your emotions and feelings to me as much as you wish!"

"I appreciate it," Theodore replied. "And I have a great idea of what we can do for the next three days."

"Is that so?" Kiku asked. "And what would that be?"

Theodore approached Kiku and whispered something in her ear. The girl raised an eyebrow somewhat at what she heard.

"…You're kidding me, right? Do you seriously have any idea how outrageous that sounds?"

"It may be outrageous, but it's still something of tremendous importance to me," Theodore said with a serious look. "You're welcome to come along. But only if you want to."

"Oh, I'm going," Kiku said. "As I've said before, I'll always be by your side, so if that's how you want to spend your three days, then who am I to judge."

"Much appreciated. In that case, we should get a jump on making preparations." He then turned his gaze towards the ceiling. "I wonder how everyone else is going to spend their three days."

"Well, whatever they decide to do, it's either going to training or relaxing," Kiku answered. "You'll only know come the day you depart with them."

And with that, Theodore and Kiku went to their bedroom, eager to get some good rest in preparation for whatever they had planned…

The next day, in the afternoon at SOL Technologies…

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"The participants were the ones who requested it. They said that they wanted their dueling skills to be keen and sharp and needed a couple of good test subjects to help them achieve that feat."

The ones who spoke were Hayami and Zaizen. The two were inside an observation booth overlooking a duel arena. On one end stood two young men, both cladded in dark green armor. One was a fair-skinned young man with hazel eyes and a light pink afro, and the other one was a fair-skinned young man with brown eyes and spiky brown hair. Their names were Kenchi and Yozaka. On the other end was Magnum and Faris.

"Well, this is interesting." Zaizen turned as Gore materialized next to him and Hayami. "I'm surprised those two came all the way to the big city just for a little test run." He turned to Zaizen. "Why are they doing this?"

"It was their request," Zaizen answered. "In any event, I can't dissuade them from it."

Gore glanced at Zaizen and smirked. "I'm curious. Do you think they have what it takes to hold their own against the Syndicate?"

Zaizen shrugged. "There's no question that these two can hold their own against several Syndicate soldiers," he said. "But when it comes to actually facing their elite duelists is another story. This "test run" is to see how much Kenchi and Yozaka can challenge them."

In the arena, Magnum smirked at the two male youths. "Does Zaizen honestly expect these two amateurs can make us work up a sweat?" he said. "I expected a couple of up-and-coming Celebrity Duelists to be our opponents, but it looks like to me we got the short end of the stick."

Faris placed her hand on her temples and sighed. "So what if our opponents aren't of elite status?" she said. "Remember, the reason we asked for this is to test our skills and see if there's any room for improvement. Plus, SOL was the one who trained them to be strong duelists. But if you don't feel like dueling, it only means more fun for me."

"Oh, I plan on dueling," Magnum stated. "But if they fail to push me even a little, I'm deeming them completely and utterly worthless."

"We can hear you!" Kenchi shouted. "Just because you don't see us as ideal and worthy opponents doesn't mean our skills aren't top-notch!"

"I'll believe it when I see it…" Magnum muttered.

As the two youths continued arguing, Zaizen walked up to a nearby monitor and pressed a button. "I hate to interrupt your little dispute, but I'd like to get a start on things if you don't mind," he stated. "The first duel will be Yozaka against Faris. Once their duel concludes, the second duel between Kenchi and Magnum will commence. Understood."

"Fine with me," Faris said as she activated her Duel Disk and approached the dueling field. "Wish me luck."

"Don't get too cocky, Faris," Magnum stated. "Also, you better put on a good show; otherwise, this duel will end up being boring."

"Whatever," Faris scoffed. "Let's get this duel on the road."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Yozaka said as he approached the dueling field and activated his Duel Disk.

"Duel!" they shouted.

Yozaka: 4000 LP

Faris: 4000 LP

"I'll take the first turn!" Yozaka declared. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Gateway of the Six!" An imposing castle gate made of iron with a glowing symbol on the door rose from the ground behind Yozaka. "Thanks to its effect, whenever a "Six Samurai" monster is Normal or Special Summoned, I get to place two Bushido Counters on it."

"Six Samurai?" Magnum said in surprise, which Faris shared. "That's one of the most powerful archetypes in the game. This guy must be good if he has that."

"Thanks for the compliment," Yozaka said. "I now activate the Spell Card: Shien's Smoke Signal! It lets me add a Level 3 or lower "Six Samurai" monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki to my hand. Next, I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Six Samurai United! Each time I Normal or Special Summon a "Six Samurai" monster, I can place a Bushido Counter on this card! And now I summon Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki!"

A samurai with bronze armor and high boots with yellow lines appeared, carrying a katana in each arm. The samurai had a bronze mask with wires on his helmet. On the samurai's back was a set of mechanical arms, which also had a katana in each hand.

Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki ATK 200 DEF 2000 LVL: 3

"Since I summoned a "Six Samurai" monster, Gateway of the Six gains two Bushido Counters while Six Samurai United gains one."

Gateway of the Six: 0 BC→2 BC

Six Samurai United: 0 BC→1 BC

Yozaka gestured to his field. "Kageki's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower "Six Samurai" monster from my hand. Come to me, The Six Samurai – Zanji!"

A samurai holding a naginata also appeared on his field. Unlike Kageki, Zanji wore dark brown armor and shin guards with orange lines. His helmet was also different, as it was curved at the top.

The Six Samurai – Zanji ATK 1800 DEF 1300 LVL: 4

Gateway of the Six: 2 BC→4 BC

Six Samurai United: 1 BC→2 BC

"Kageki's additional effect! When I control a "Six Samurai" monster with a different name, it gains 1500 attack points!"

Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki ATK 200→1700

"I activate the second effect of Six Samurai United!" Yozaka. "Since the maximum counters it can have is two, I will send it to the Graveyard, and by doing so, I can draw one card for each Bushido Counter that was on it. As there were two Bushido Counters, I get to draw two cards!"

Yozaka's Spell Card disintegrated as he drew. Looking at his new cards, he smiled. Thrusting his hand out, he said, "I activate one of Gateway's many effects! By removing four Bushido Counters, I can add a "Six Samurai" monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand."

Gateway of the Six: 4 BC→0 BC

Yozaka took a card from his Deck and smirked. "Since I control a "Six Samurai" monster, I can Special Summon the card I just added to my hand! Appear! Grandmaster of the Six Samurai!"

An old samurai with a mechanical eyepatch and a scar on the right side of his face appeared in Attack Position. He had long, white hair and a long beard. The robes he wore were an odd mix of silver-grey in the chest area with dark brown at the shoulders. The man also had mechanical arms with white lines and wrapped yellow rope at the joints. He swung his katana, ready for battle.

Grandmaster of the Six Samurai ATK 2100 DEF 800 LVL: 5

"Gateway's effect activates!"

Gateway of the Six: 0 BC→2 BC

"I place a card face-down and end my turn," Yozaka concluded. "Faris. I already started the duel strong. It would be dishonorable if you did anything less."

"The Six Samurai Archetype is very interesting," Gore observed. "From what I've seen, it contains a lot of similarities to Faris' Deck, which is the Fur Hire Archetype. Both archetypes prioritize field control by summoning multiple monsters and leveraging their collective strength through effects that support one another, whether by gaining additional effects or facilitating additional summons. Their strategic emphasis on accumulating multiple monsters and using their combined power for field advantage."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Zaizen said. "When I informed them of their opponents and what Decks they used, they strategically chose a Deck that mirrors their opponent to predict their moves and catch them off guard."

"Is that so?" Gore said before returning his gaze to the duel. "Well, let's see if it pays off in the end."

Faris stepped forward and placed her hand on her Deck. "It's my turn!" she declared. "I draw!" She looked at her hand, then chose a card. "I summon Filo, Messenger Fur Hire!"

A baby duck wearing a blue coat and a bandana around its neck appeared in Defense Position.

Filo, Messenger Fur Hire ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"I activate Filo's effect!" Faris continued. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon a monster "Fur Hire" from my hand with a different name. Come, Bravo Fur Hire!"

An anthropomorphic salamander with red skin and a mane of long, orange hair appeared next to Filo. He wore yellow pants, along with armor parts on his shins and forearms and had three claws on his wrists.

Bravo, Fighter Fur Hire ATK 1900 DEF 200 LVL: 4

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Rookie Fur Hire! I Tribute a monster and Special Summon a monster "Fur Hire" from my hand or Deck whose Level is 1 higher or lower. I Tribute Bravo to Special Summon Sagitta, Maverick Fur Hire from my Deck!"

The humanoid lizard disintegrated, and its particles reformed into a female, anthropomorphic raven armed with a rifle.

Sagitta, Maverick Fur Hire ATK 1200 DEF 2400 LVL: 5

"At this point, the effects of Filo and Sagitta activate in sequence," Faris stated. "First, when a monster "Fur Hire" is Special Summoned to my field while Filo's on my field, I can target one monster "Fur Hire" in my Graveyard and Special Summon it. Return, Bravo!"

The red-skinned lizard reappeared.

Bravo, Fighter Fur Hire ATK 1900 DEF 200 LVL: 4

"And when Sagitta is Special Summoned, you take 500 damage for every other monster "Fur Hire" I control. I control two, so you take 1000 damage!"

Sagitta fired its rifle at Yozaka, making him flinch.

Yozaka: 4000→3000 LP

"I activate the Spell Card: Fur Hire Treasure!" The card showed Donpa, Marksman Fur Hire, Seal, Strategist Fur Hire and Helmer, Helmsman Fur Hire, digging up a buried treasure chest. "This card lets me draw a draw for each monster "Fur Hire" on my field. With three monsters, I draw three cards."

Faris smiled on seeing what she drew. "I activate the Spell Card: Night Watch Fur Hire!" The card showed Rafale, Champion Fur Hire, Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire, Wiz, Sage Fur Hire, Sagitta, Maverick Fur Hire, and Bravo, Fighter Fur Hire at a campfire. Rafale was awake and keeping an eye out for trouble while the others were resting. "By returning one monster "Fur Hire" from my field to my hand, I can Special Summon one monster "Fur Hire" from my hand or Deck whose level is one higher or lower than the returned monster. I return Filo to my hand to Special Summon Rex, Freight Fur Hire from my Deck!"

A baby yellow dragon appeared in Defense Position.

Rex, Freight Fur Hire ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 2

"Rex's effect activates! When it is Summoned, I add a "Fur Hire" Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Rookie Fur Hire to my hand." She then gestured to her field. "Appear, my circuit!" The Link Portal appeared above her. "Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two monsters with different Types. I set Rex and Sagitta in the Link Arrows!"

The two monsters turned into whirlwinds and entered the bottom and bottom-right arrows.

"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Donner, Dagger Fur Hire!"

A red-furred humanoid dog emerged from the portal at the left Extra Monster Zone, a cloak wrapped around its waist and a dagger in its right hand.

Donner, Dagger Fur Hire ATK 1600 LINK-2 ↓↘

"Bravo's effect activates!" Faris declared. "Since a monster "Fur Hire" was Special Summoned while Bravo is on the field, monsters "Fur Hire" that are currently on the field gain 500 attack and defense points until the end of the turn."

Donner, Dagger Fur Hire ATK 1600→2100

Bravo, Fighter Fur Hire ATK 1900→2400 DEF 200→700

"Battle!" Faris exclaimed. "Bravo attacks Grandmaster of the Six Samurai!"

Following Faris' words, the humanoid lizard struck Grandmaster with its claws and destroyed it, with the ensuing shockwave making Yozaka wince.

Yozaka: 3000→2700 LP

"Next, Donner attacks Kageki!"

Donner dashed forward and struck the armored samurai with its dagger, destroying it and generating yet another shockwave that made Yozaka wince.

Yozaka: 2700→2300 LP

"She's as merciless as always," Magnum commented from the side. "That signature double attack of hers can cause massive amounts of damage to an opponent who's not prepared for it."

"That was a nice attack, but I was one step ahead of you!" Yozaka shouted. "I activate the Trap Card: Miracle's Wake! This card allows me to Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard that was destroyed in battle this turn. So say hello again to Grandmaster of the Six Samurai!"

The elderly man with a mechanical eyepatch and katana reappeared.

Grandmaster of the Six Samurai ATK 2100 DEF 800 LVL: 5

Gateway of the Six: 2 BC→4 BC

"Not bad, Yozaka." Faris praised her opponent. "I place a card face-down and end my turn, which means Bravo's effect ends, and my monsters' attack and defense points return to normal."

Bravo, Fighter Fur Hire ATK 2400→1900 DEF 700→200

Donner, Dagger Fur Hire ATK 2100→1600

"It's my turn!" Yozaka announced. "I draw! First, I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed, drawing two cards from my Deck! Then, I activate the Spell Card: Reinforcement of the Army! With this, I add a Level 4 or lower Warrior monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan to my hand, and since I control a "Six Samurai" monster with a different name, I can Special Summon it from my hand!"

A man cladded in black and yellow-lined samurai armor and an ornate helmet, though his long black hair flowed out of it appeared. He carried a katana in his hands.

Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan ATK 1800 DEF 500 LVL: 4

Gateway of the Six: 4 BC→6 BC

"I activate Gateway of the Six's second effect!" Yozaka continued. "I remove four Bushido Counters from it to add Legendary Six Samurai - Enishi from my Deck to my hand!"

Gateway of the Six: 6 BC→2 BC

"Then, I summon Legendary Six Samurai – Enishi!"

A warrior in yellow samurai armor wielding a large white and orange sword appeared on Yozaka's field in Attack Position.

Legendary Six Samurai – Enishi ATK 1700 DEF 700 LVL: 4

Gateway of the Six: 2 BC→4 BC

"And if you think I'm stopping here, then you're seriously wrong!" Yozaka stated. "Using the Level 4 Kizan and Zanji, I build the Overlay Network!"

A bolt of orange energy burst out of his Duel Disk and traveled upwards. It struck the sky and exploded into a ring of orange energy that traveled downwards, changing the environment to a midnight sky. Streams of orange data traveled downward. A large blue "X" with four red points appeared beneath his two monsters, both of whom broke into orange data and entered two of the dots. The corners of the "X" fired beams upwards, creating a shining galaxy that exploded with power.

"Warrior born into shadow, take up arms and silently vanquish your enemies!" he chanted. "I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Shadow of the Six Samurai - Shien!"

A samurai with long red hair tied in a ponytail, as well as half a samurai mask, emerged from the exploding galaxy onto Yozaka's field in Attack Position. He wore an open orange and purple sleeveless coat along with light crimson armor with golden lines. He also brandished a long katana, and around his neck appeared to be some kind of necklace. Two orange lights circled behind it.

Shadow of the Six Samurai - Shien ATK 2500 DEF 400 RNK: 4 OU: 2

Gateway of the Six: 4 BC→6 BC

"This guy has Xyz Summoning?" Magnum said in surprise.

"You bet I do. And with my Xyz Monster out, this duel is as good as mine." Yozaka stated as he gestured to his field. "I activate Shadow of the Six Samurai – Shien's effect! By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can target 1 "Six Samurai" monster that has less than 2000 attack points, and if I do, its original attack points become 2000 until my End Phase! I choose Enishi!"

As Shien readied his blade, one of the lights behind him went into it, causing both it and Enishi to glow brightly.

Shadow of the Six Samurai - Shien OU: 2→1

Legendary Six Samurai – Enishi ATK 1700→2000

"Now for Enishi's effect!" Yozaka continued. "While I control two or more "Six Samurai" monsters, it gains 500 attack and defense points!"

Legendary Six Samurai – Enishi ATK 2000→2500 DEF 700→1200

"Finally, I activate the first effect of Gateway of the Six! By removing two Bushido Counters, a "Six Samurai" or "Shien" monster gains 500 attack points until the End Phase! And I choose Shadow of the Six Samurai - Shien!"

Gateway of the Six: 6 BC→4 BC

Shadow of the Six Samurai - Shien ATK 2500→3000

Faris gritted her teeth. "This doesn't look good."

"Battle!" Yozaka declared. "Grandmaster of the Six Samurai attacks Donner, Dagger Fur Hire!"

Grandmaster charged forward and delivered an X-like slash attack to the Fur Hire Link Monster, cutting it in half. The monster exploded, and the resultant explosion pushed Faris back a foot.

Faris: 4000→3500 LP

"Next, Enishi will attack Bravo!"

Enishi dashed forward, its blade clad in lightning, and slashed at Bravo, destroying it and generating a shockwave that pushed Faris back.

Faris: 3500→2900 LP

"While I wish we could've prolonged this duel a bit more, this is the end, Faris! Shadow of the Six Samurai - Shien attacks you directly!"

"Not so fast!" Faris yelled. I activate the Trap Card: Offensive Guard! When a monster you control declares a direct attack, I can halve the attacking monster's attack points until the End Phase and draw one card!"

Shadow of the Six Samurai - Shien ATK 3000→1500

Shien evaporated into a shadow before appearing behind and slashing her with his sword, causing her to fall to a knee. She quickly recovered as she drew.

Faris: 2900→1400 LP

"Shame I couldn't make the final push here to claim victory," Yozaka said. "Oh well, at least I get to see more of your interesting tactics. I place one card face-down and end my turn. And at this moment, the effects of Shien, Gateway of the Six and Offensive Guard also end, returning Enishi and Shien's attack points to normal."

Legendary Six Samurai - Enishi ATK 2500→2200

Shadow of the Six Samurai - Shien ATK 1500→2500

"Phew, she really dodged a bullet there." Magnum wiped his brow as he let out a relieved sigh. "However, she still lost more than half her Life Points. It appears her opponent is no slouch when it comes to dueling, even if he's not regarded highly. Don't let your guard down until this is over, Faris…"

"My turn!" Faris announced. "I draw! First, I activate the Spell Card: Final Offguard! As my Life Points are lower than yours and you're the only one with a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, I can draw two cards."

Faris drew and smiled at her cards. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Pinpoint Landing! When I Special Summon exactly one monster from my hand, Pinpoint Landing lets me draw a card. Next, I summon Seal, Strategist Fur Hire!"

A humanoid rat in blue and light brown robes with a large mustache appeared.

Seal, Strategist Fur Hire ATK 1600 DEF 1000 LVL: 4

"I activate the Spell Card: Rookie Fur Hire!" Faris continued. "I Tribute a monster and Special Summon a monster "Fur Hire" from my hand or Deck whose Level is 1 higher or lower. I Tribute the Level 4 Seal and Special Summon the Level 3 Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire from my Deck!"

A bipedal rabbit wielding a sword appeared in Attack Position.

Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire ATK 1200 DEF 500 LVL: 3

"I activate Beat's effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a monster "Fur Hire" from my hand. Come, Filo, Messenger Fur Hire!"

The small baby duck reappeared on Faris' field in Defense Position.

Filo, Messenger Fur Hire ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"Beat's additional effect! Since a monster "Fur Hire" was Special Summoned, I can add a monster "Fur Hire" monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Wiz, Sage Fur Hire. In addition, since I Special Summoned a monster from my hand, Pinpoint Landing's effect lets me draw 1 card!"

She drew, then said, "I activate Filo's effect! I Special Summon Wiz, Sage Fur Hire from my hand!"

An anthropomorphic, pink female octopus wearing a sailor's outfit with a golden rope around her lower waist appeared on Faris' field in Defense Position. In her hands, she carried a large wand.

Wiz, Sage Fur Hire ATK 1600 DEF 2800 LVL: 7

"Wiz's effect! When Special Summoned, I gain 500 Life Points for every monster "Fur Hire" on our my! I have three, so I gain 1500 Life Points!"

A silvery light enveloped Faris following her words, causing her body to glow for several seconds and leaving Magnum shocked due to her momentary sacred appearance, which resembled that of a goddess.

Faris: 1400→2900 LP

She raised her right arm. "Appear my circuit! The summoning conditions are three monsters with different Types. I set the Winged-Beast Filo, the Beast-Warrior Beat and the Spellcaster Wiz in the Link Arrows!"

The monsters entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows.

"I Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Folgo, Justice Fur Hire!"

A humanoid wolf wielding a katana emerged from the portal at the Extra Monster Zone.

Folgo, Justice Fur Hire ATK 2400 LINK-3 ↙↑↘

"Folgo's effect activates!" Faris declared. "When it is Link Summoned, I can Special Summon a monster "Fur Hire" from my Deck in Defense Position, so long as it's a different Monster Type than the ones I used to summon Folgo. I Special Summon the Aqua Hammer, Claw Fur Hire!"

A red humanoid crab with large claws and mechanical legs appeared.

Hammer, Claw Fur Hire ATK 2400 DEF 2100 LVL: 5

"Hammer's effect activates! When Special Summoned, I can add a card "Fur Hire" card from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Rex, Freight Fur Hire to my hand. Then, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Great Blade, Furcalibur and equip it to Folgo!" A long, elegant golden sword appeared. Folgo gripped the sword in his left hand. "The equipped monster gains 1000 attack points, is unaffected by your monster effects and can attack all monsters you control once each!"

Folgo, Justice Fur Hire ATK 2400→3400

"Battle!" Faris exclaimed. "Folgo attacks Grandmaster of the Six Samurai!"

The Link Monster charged forward and slashed Samurai in two with its sword, destroying it in an explosion and making Yozaka grunt in pain from the shockwave.

Yozaka: 2300→1000 LP

"I activate the Trap Card: Wish of Final Effort!" Yozaka abruptly declared. ''When a monster I control is destroyed, I gain Life Points equal to its attack points!"

"Grandmaster had 2100 attack points," Kenchi noted. "Meaning his Life Points increase by the same amount."

Yozaka became enveloped by a golden aura that was emitted from his Trap Card.

Yozaka: 1000→3100 LP

"Not bad," Faris commented. "However, my monster's far from finished. Folgo attacks Enishi and Shadow of the Six Samurai!"

Folgo slashed at the two armored warriors with its swords, destroying them and generating a shockwave that pushed Yozaka back several feet.

Yozaka: 3100→1000 LP

"I can't do anything else for now," Faris said. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Then, it's my turn!" Yozaka announced. "I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Card of Demise, which enables me to draw five cards from my Deck at the cost of discarding my entire hand after five turns. Next, I activate the Spell Card: Card of Adversity, which lets me draw two more cards from my Deck since I control no monsters while you control a monster that was Special Summoned. Then, I activate the Spell Card: The Warrior Returning Alive! It lets me add one Warrior monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I return Kageki to my hand and then summon it!"

Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki ATK 200 DEF 2000 LVL: 3

Gateway of the Six: 4 BC→6 BC

"Kageki's effect! When Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower "Six Samurai" monster from my hand. Come to me, Secret Six Samurai – Kizaru!"

A samurai wearing black robes with silver outlines appeared next to Kageki. His hair was done in a ponytail, and he had golden accessories around his waist and forearms. In his left hand, he carried a katana.

Secret Six Samurai – Kizaru ATK 1900 DEF 1000 LVL: 4

Gateway of the Six: 6 BC→8 BC

"Secret Six Samurai?" Gore repeated. Based on his knowledge, he knew about the regular and legendary Six Samurai monsters. But this... was something he didn't expect.

"Kizaru's effect activates!" Yozaka continued. "When Special Summoned, I can add one "Six Samurai" monster from my Deck to my hand with a different Attribute for every monster I control. There are two monsters on my field, which means I can add two "Six Samurai" monsters."

Yozaka took the cards, then said, "I activate the effect of Legendary Secret of the Six Samurai from my hand. If I summon a "Secret Six Samurai" monster, I can Special Summon this card."

A purple-eyed samurai wearing red armor with a blue flame emblem at the lower center and a long cape appeared on Yozaka's field. His entire body was made up of purple mist, as if the armor was possessed.

Legendary Secret of the Six Samurai ATK 500 DEF 2000 LVL: 4

Gateway of the Six: 8 BC→10 BC

Yozaka. "The time is now. Since I control at least two "Six Samurai" monsters, I can Special Summon this card from my hand. Come forth, Great Shogun Shien!"

A man wearing red spiked armor and a purple cape appeared in Attack Position and swung a katana.

Great Shogun Shien ATK 2500 DEF 2400 LVL: 7

Gateway of the Six: 10 BC→12 BC

"So long as Great Shogun Shien is on the field, you can only activate one Spell or Trap Card per turn!" Faris narrowed his eyes at that. "Time to kick things up a notch!" He gestured to his field."I now perform a Contact Fusion!"

A Fusion Portal appeared above Yozaka. "The summoning conditions are three "Six Samurai" monsters with different attributes. I use the Wind Kageki, the Earth Kizaru, and the Dark Legendary Secret of the Six Samurai as Fusion Materials!"

Kageki turned into red particles, Kizaru turned into blue particles, and Legendary Secret of the Six Samurai turned into green particles, which went into the Fusion Portal before swirling into a vortex. A massive tornado of energy then shot downwards from the portal to the ground on Yozaka's field.

"Wind! Earth! Dark! Three elements of the Six Samurai come together and form the warrior to lead us to victory! Contact Fusion! Come on! Secret Six Samurai – Rihan!"

The portal erupted into fireworks before forming into a male shinobi wearing grey robes and armor pads with neon-yellow lines running over them. The man had a red scarf around his neck, along with a face mask and face visor on his head. He also had spiked-brown hair and a ponytail as well. In his right hand, he carried a Sai, while the brass knuckle on his left hand emitted four translucent blades.

Secret Six Samurai – Rihan ATK 2400 DEF 2400 LVL: 5

Gateway of the Six: 12 BC→14 BC

"A Contact Fusion monster..." Faris said in surprise.

"I didn't know the Six Samurai Archetype had that..." Magnum said, also surprised by what he saw.

"Fusion Summoning," Gore muttered. "Not only did Yozaka learn Xyz Summoning, but Fusion Summoning too?" He then smiled. "Unexpected. And interesting."

"I activate Rihan's effect!" Yozaka declared. "Once per turn, I can banish a "Six Samurai" monster from my hand to target one card on your field and banish it!" Faris' eyes widened. "I banish Secret Six Samurai – Doji from my hand to target and banish your Great Blade, Furccaliber! "

Rihan threw his green Sai at the golden sword, which glowed with green energy before evaporating.

Faris frowned. "Since Folgo's no longer equipped with Furcaliber, it loses 1000 attack points."

Folgo, Justice Fur Hire ATK 3400→2400

"That's not all you have to worry about." Yozaka grinned. "By banishing Zanji and Kizan from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand. Appear, Enishi, Shien's Chancellor!"

A tall, light-skinned man with a goatee appeared in Attack Position alongside Yozaka's other two monsters. He wore a white kimono with a green vest underneath and had a katana strapped to his side.

Enishi, Shien's Chancellor ATK 2200 DEF 1600 LVL: 6

Gateway of the Six: 14 BC→16 BC

"I activate Shien Chancellor's effect!" Yozaka shouted. "In exchange for not attacking this turn, he can destroy one monster on your side of the field! So say goodbye to your Link Monster!"

Enishi pulled out his sword, which shined with green light. The samurai charged and sliced Folgo in half, destroying it in an explosion.

"This is bad…" Magnum seemed concerned. "All Yozaka has to do is use Gateway of the Six's first effect to increase the attack points of one of his monsters. And if that monster's attack goes through, Faris will lose the duel."

"Now, I activate the Gateway of the Six's first effect!" Yozaka announced. "By removing two Bushido Counters from my field, I can target one "Six Samurai" or "Shien" monster I control and increase their attack points by 500 until the End Phase. I choose to remove all sixteen Bushido Counters from Gateway to increase Great Shogun Shien's attack points by 4000!"

The large steel door on Gateway of the Six cast a blue light onto Great Shogun Shien, increasing his power.

Great Shogun Shien ATK 2500→6500

"An attack of 6500!?" Faris had a shocked expression on her face. "Oi, oi, isn't that a bit overkill!?"

"There's no kill quite like overkill," Yozaka smirked. "Now, let's battle! Secret Six Samurai – Rihan attacks Hammer, Claw Fur Hire! Izuna Takedown!"

Rihan teleported behind Hammer before delivering a series of attacks from his Sai and his four translucent blades on the humanoid crab. At first, it appeared as if nothing had happened, but then, the crab's form shimmered, expanded, contracted and abruptly vanished in rapid succession.

"Now, Great Shogun, attack her directly!" Yozaka yelled. "Shogun Sword Strike!"

"I activate the Trap Card: Clean Barrier - Clear Force!" Faris declared. "When your monster declares an attack, this card forces all monsters you control to use their original attack points for the rest of the Battle Phase!"

A light blue energy wave erupted from the Trap Card and suffused Great Shogun, eliminating its boost.

Great Shogun Shien ATK 6500→2500

Yozaka frowned. "Even though you reduced my monster's attack points, its attack continues," he stated. "Take her down, Shien!"

Following its master's command, Great Shogun Shien charged forward and slashed Faris with his sword, causing her to let out a scream of agony as she fell to her knees.

Faris: 2900→400 LP

"And with the Battle Phase now over, Clear Force's effect comes to an end."

Great Shogun Shien ATK 2500→6500

Yozaka narrowed his eyes. "Even if her Life Points are 400, I need to have as large a lead as possible to win." He raised his voice once Faris recovered from the attack. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mystik Wok! Now, by Tributing a monster I control, I gain Life Points equal to either its attack or defense points." He gestured to a certain monster. "I Tribute Shien's Chancellor to gain Life Points equal to its 2200 attack points!"

Enishi disintegrated as Yozaka glowed yellow.

Yozaka: 1000→3200 LP

"The difference in their Life Points is almost 3000 now," Kenchi muttered, smiling as he watched the duel. "One more attack, and Yozaka wins."

Yozaka smirked. "I end my turn," he said. "And because of that, Gateway of the Six's effect ends, and Great Shogun Shien's attack points return to normal."

Great Shogun Shien ATK 6500→2500

"Things aren't looking too good for Faris," Gore said. "So long as Yozaka has Rihan on his field, he can banish one of Faris' cards each turn. Not to mention that she's limited to only playing one Spell or Trap Card per turn."

"That's true," Zaizen agreed. "I wonder how she'll escape this predicament."

"Faris," Magnum said. "You aren't going to win this if you act rashly. You know that, right?"

"…Yeah, I do," Faris said. "But being backed into a corner just only makes the duel more exhilarating for me."

Faris placed her hand on her Deck and shouted, "My turn! I draw!" Looking at her card, she smirked. With this, I'm going to win.

"First, I activate the Trap Card: Panic Wave!" she declared. "By destroying a card on my field, I can negate the effects of all face-up Continuous Spells, Continuous Traps and Effect Monsters until the end of the turn."

"What!?" Yozaka cried out in shock. "Negate all the effects of face-up cards, you say!?"

"That's right!" Faris confirmed. "I destroy Pinpoint Landing!"

The Continuous Spell shattered as Panic Wave glowed and released a blast of energy across the field, striking all cards and causing them to grey out.

"And with Great Shogun's effect negated, I'm free to play as many Spell and Trap Cards as I want," Faris added. "I summon Rex, Freight Fur Hire!"

The baby dragon reappeared.

Rex, Freight Fur Hire ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 2

"Rex's effect! I add a Spell or Trap Card "Fur Hire" from my Deck to my hand. I add and then activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mayhem Fur Hire! I Special Summon a monster 'Fur Hire' from my Graveyard in Defense Position. Come, Donner, Dagger Fur Hire!"

The red humanoid dog reappeared.

Donner, Dagger Fur Hire ATK 1600 LINK-2 ↓↘

"Moving on, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Link Tag, equipping it to Rex! Now, if I use Donpa to Link Summon, it's treated as two monsters." She raised her right arm. "Appear my circuit! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters, including a "Fur Hire" monster! I set Donner and the Rex treated as two materials in the Link Arrows!"

Her monster entered the arrows, with Rex splitting in half. Her monsters made the left, right, bottom and bottom-right arrows as she chanted.

"Swirls of the seas and skies. With your swift and destructive force, leave everything sunk in the ocean! I Link Summon! Now ascend, Link 4! Leviath, Dreadnought Fur Hire!"

A tall female humanoid cerulean-colored sea serpent wielding a sword in each hand emerged from the portal to the Extra Monster Zone. She had long teal green hair with teal blue scales. She wore a pirate commander uniform outfit with wide collars, a long coattail and a pirate hat.

Leviath, Dreadnought Fur Hire ATK 3100 LINK-4 ←↓→↘

"Hoh, a Link-4 with 3100 attack points?" Yozaka raised his eyebrow. "However, even though it's strong enough to destroy one of my monsters, it's still not powerful enough to take me down."

"True, but that's about to change," Faris stated with a confident expression. "I activate Leviath's effect! When Link Summoned, I can target and destroy cards you control equal to the number of monsters used for its Link Summon!"

"What?" Yozaka said, his eyes widening.

"Leviath was summoned using two monsters," Gore noted. "So Faris can destroy up to two cards."

Faris gestured toward her monster. "Go, Dreadnought Destruction!"

Leviath raised its blade with a torrent of water surrounding it. She swung it, unleashing a massive tidal wave that destroyed Yozaka's two monsters, leaving his field bare.

"Finally, I activate the Equip Spell card: Disposable Learner Device!" Faris declared. "By equipping this card to Leviath, it gains 200 attack points for every monster in my Graveyard, in this case, ten. Which means Leviath gains 2000 attack points!"

Leviath, Dreadnought Fur Hire ATK 3100→5100

"Now, the finale!" Faris exclaimed. "Leviath, attack Yozaka directly! Dreadnought Slash!"

Levaith raised its blade high, unleashing a powerful energy slash that struck Yozaka and sent him flying back as he screamed.

Yozaka: 3200→0 LP

After the holograms disappeared, Faris approached the fallen Yozaka and extended her hand to him.

"That was a pretty good duel," Faris said as she helped the brown-haired youth up to his feet. "Plus, that was a nice Fusion Summon back there."

"Thanks," Yozaka said. "Even though I lost, I'm completely satisfied. I was able to make out my strengths and shortcomings, so rest assured that I will refine my skills even further in preparation for a future match."

"You're going to get even tougher?" Faris grimaced. "It was already hard enough to go through your formation as it was. It scares me to think you can improve even further. I guess I shouldn't slack off and make sure my claws are nice and sharp for our next match."

"I'll be looking forward to it."

"Faris!"

Faris turned around. Magnum was running up to her, followed by Kenchi.

"Great job out there!" he said before narrowing his eyes at Yozaka. "Same goes for you, Yozaka. You proved to be quite the challenge for my friend." He turned to Kenchi. "Looks like it's our turn!"

Kenchi smiled. "Good! I welcome a fight!"

The two took their positions on the Duel Field as they activated their Duel Disks while Yozaka and Faris went and stood on the sidelines.

"Do you think your friend can make Magnum break a sweat?" Faris asked Yozaka.

Yozaka remained silent for a while but eventually answered. "I can't guarantee that this duel will end in Kenchi's victory, but I can guarantee that he'll give your friend a good challenge."

"Let's Duel!" Magnum and Kenchi shouted.

Magnum: 4000 LP

Kenchi: 4000 LP

"I'll go first," Magnum said, taking a card from his hand. "I summon a monster face-down, then place one card face-down. With that, I end my turn."

Not much of a beginning, Kenchi thought. This can't be good.

"My turn! I draw!" Kenchi drew and looked at his card. He placed it in his hand and then played a different card. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I can Special Summon Cyber Dragon!"

A white mechanical dragon appeared in Attack Position.

Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5

"Cyber Dragon?" Magnum repeated, narrowing his eyes. "Isn't that one of the legendary Decks?"

"It is," Kenchi answered. "Next, I summon Cyber Dragon Core!"

A smaller mechanical dragon without eyes and a red core in the center of its body appeared.

Cyber Dragon Core ATK 400 DEF 1500 LVL: 2

"Core's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I can add one "Cyber" Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyber Revsystem from my Deck to my hand." Kenchi did so, then gestured to the sky. "Appear, the circuit of mechanical evolution!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Link Arrows authorized. The summoning conditions are two Machine monsters, one of which must be Cyber Dragon. I set Cyber Dragon and Core in the Link Arrows!"

The two monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyber Dragon Sieger!"

A mechanical white dragon with blue circles running over its body emerged from the portal and roared from the Right Extra Monster Zone.

Cyber Dragon Sieger ATK 2100 LINK-2 ←↓

"A Link Summon on his first turn…." Magnum said, narrowing his eyes further.

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyber Revsystem!" Kenchi continued. "This card lets me Special Summon a Cyber Dragon from my hand or Graveyard. Resurrect, Cyber Dragon!"

The machine dragon Kenchi used to summon Sieger reappeared in Attack Position at Sieger's bottom Link Arrow.

Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5

Two monsters with 2100 attack points each, Magnum thought.

Kenchi gestured to his field. "Battle! At this point, I activate Sieger's effect! During the Battle Phase, I can target a Machine monster with 2100 or more attack points and increase that monster's attack and defense points by 2100 for the rest of the turn. But when this effect is used, neither player takes damage from battles involving Sieger I target Cyber Dragon!"

Cyber Dragon ATK 2100→4200 DEF 1600→3700

I see, Faris thought, narrowing her eyes. He's planning to destroy Magnum's face-down monster with Sieger and then attack directly with Cyber Dragon for a one-turn kill.

"Now, Sieger attacks your Set monster!"

Following Kenchi's words, the dragon blasted the card with blue energy.

Magnum frowned. "My Set monster is Ojama Blue!" The card flipped, revealing a small blue-skinned humanoid with a large head, tiny eyes, and a red speedo.

Ojama Blue ATK 0 DEF 1000 LVL: 2

Kenchi blinked. Then burst out laughing. "Ojamas?! You got to be kidding me, right?! Sieger, tear that thing apart!" The energy blast consumed the blue monster, who screamed as it exploded.

"Since Ojama Blue was destroyed, its effect activates," Magnum said, "I can add two "Ojama" cards from my Deck to my hand. I add Ojamagic and Ojama Ride to my hand. Furthermore, I activate the Trap Card: Soul Rope! When my monster is destroyed, by paying 1000 Life Points, I can Special Summon a Level 4 monster from my Deck!" A card was ejected from Magnum's Duel Disk, which he took. "I Special Summon Jade Knight in Defense Position!"

A white and green space fighter appeared on Magnum's field.

Magnum: 4000→3000 LP

Jade Knight ATK 1000 DEF 1800 LVL: 4

Kenchi chuckled. "I suppose that's to be expected as well. Alright then, Cyber Dragon attacks Jade Knight! Strident Blast!"

The mechanical dragon released a blast of white energy, striking the fighter jet and destroying it.

"Jade Knight's destruction triggers its effect!" Magnum revealed. "I can add a Level 4 Light Machine monster from my Deck to my hand. I choose X-Head Cannon."

"It looks like I can't do anything else for now," Kenchi remarked. "I place a card face-down and end my turn, meaning Sieger's effect ends, and Cyber Dragon's attack and defense points return to normal."

Cyber Dragon ATK 4200→2100 DEF 3700→1600

"It's my turn!" Magnum announced. "I draw! First, I activate the Spell Card: Graceful Charity! I now draw three cards, then discard two!"

He drew again, then discarded Roll Out and Ojamagic.

"That's not the only effect I can activate. Since Ojamagic was sent from my hand to the Graveyard, I can add Ojama Green, Ojama Yellow, and Ojama Black from my Deck to my hand." He took three cards from his Deck and showed them to Kenchi. "Then, I summon X-Head Cannon."

A blue-and-yellow machine with no legs and two cannons on its shoulders appeared.

X-Head Cannon ATK 1800 DEF 1500 LVL: 4

"Following that, I activate the Spell Card: Ojama Ride!"

"Ojama Ride?" Kenchi repeated. "What does that do?"

"Funny you should ask," Magnum replied as he held up the Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black cards. "To use it, I have to get rid of Larry, Moe, and Curly here…" He discarded the three cards. "In return for that, I get to Special Summon up to three Level 4 or lower Machine Union Monsters from my Deck in Defense Position. Come forth, Y-Dragon Head and Z-Metal Tank!"

A red mechanical dragon and a large yellow and blue tank appeared on Magnum's field.

Y-Dragon Head ATK 1500 DEF 1600 LVL: 4

Z-Metal Tank ATK 1500 DEF 1300 LVL: 4

"You probably know what's coming next. But before that, I activate the Spell Card: Triple Triples!" The card showed Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green and Ojama Black playing poker at a dimly lit table. Ojama Green's hand can be seen, consisting of three threes and two Jacks. "Because I control three monsters that share the same Type, Level, and Attribute, I get to draw three cards. However, they'll be destroyed when I end my turn. But that's not going to happen because I banish all three of them to Fusion Summon XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

Y-Dragon Head's wings popped off as X-Head Cannon connected to its back. The two monsters then set themselves into Z-Metal Tank's body. The resulting Fusion Monster was summoned to Magnum's field in Attack Position.

XYZ-Dragon Cannon ATK 2800 DEF 2600 LVL: 8

"Next, I equip the Equip Spell Card: Hyper Cannon to Dragon Cannon!" The cannon barrels on X-Head Cannon's shoulders changed, becoming more streamlined and turning silver, with violet lights on the inside. "While Hyper Cannon is equipped, your card effects can't target or destroy Dragon Cannon. Nor can its control be changed, and if it battles your Special Summoned monster, it gains 1000 attack points during damage calculation!" Kenchi's eyes narrowed. "Battle! Dragon Cannon attacks Cyber Dragon! Hyper Destruction!"

The cannon barrels charged and fired violet energy at Cyber Dragon. "At this moment, Hyper Cannon's effect activates!"

XYZ-Dragon Cannon ATK 2800→3800

The beams struck and destroyed Cyber Dragon. Kenchi grunted as the attack's shockwave pushed him back.

Kenchi: 4000→2300 LP

XYZ-Dragon Cannon ATK 3800→2800

"I place one card face-down and end my turn," Magnum concluded. "Now, make your move, Kenchi, and make it count as well. The longer this drags on, the worse it's going to get for you."

"I was about to say the same thing to you," Kenchi said. "But as you requested, I'll bring out one of my big guns. It's my turn! I draw! From my hand, I activate the Spell Card: Cyber Repair Plant! If I have at least one Cyber Dragon in my Graveyard, I can activate one of two effects. I can choose to either add a Light Machine monster from my Deck to my hand or shuffle a Light Machine monster in my Graveyard into my Deck." Kenchi's smirk widened. "However, if I have three or more Cyber Dragons in my Graveyard, I can activate both effects!"

"Eh?" Magnum said, confused. "You only have one Cyber Dragon in your Graveyard!"

"No, Faris said, narrowing her eyes. "He doesn't."

Kenchi shuffled. "It seems your friend realized it, Magnum. I have three monsters in the Graveyard: Cyber Dragon, Cyber Dragon Core, and Cyber Dragon Sieger. And while the latter two are on the field or in the Graveyard, they are treated as Cyber Dragon!"

"Eh!?" Magnum gasped. "That means he can use both effects!"

"Exactly! I'll use Cyber Repair Plant's first effect to add Cyber Dragon Nächster from my Deck to my hand. Then I'll use its second effect to shuffle Sieger back into my Extra Deck." After doing so, Kenchi gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Core in my Graveyard! Since you control a monster and I don't, I can banish Core to Special Summon a "Cyber Dragon" monster from my Deck. I summon a second Cyber Dragon!"

Another white mechanical dragon appeared on the field in Attack Position.

Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5

"And now I summon Cyber Dragon Nächster!"

A small silver dragon with short wings appeared and roared in Attack Position.

Cyber Dragon Nachster ATK 200 DEF 200 LVL: 1

Nächster's effect activates! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a Machine monster from my Graveyard with 2100 attack or defense points. Resurrect, Cyber Dragon!"

The first mechanical dragon reappeared and roared in Attack Position.

Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5

"Three monsters…" Gore muttered. He turned to Zaizen. "You think he'll try to Fusion Summon Cyber End Dragon? Nächster's effect does treat it as Cyber Dragon while on the field."

"Perhaps," Zaizen answered. "Let's just see what Kenchi does next."

Kenchi chuckled. "Per your earlier request, Magnum, I'll now call forth one of my most powerful monsters! With both Cyber Dragons, Nächster and your XYZ-Dragon Cannon, I'll perform a Fusion Summon!"

"What!?" Faris said, surprised. "He can't use Magnum's monster to Fusion Summon!" Magnum was just as surprised, but Faris had beaten him to the punch.

"Normally, that's true," Yozaka stated. "But the Fusion Monster he's about to bring out can be Fusion Summoned by sending its materials to the Graveyard. And its materials are Cyber Dragon plus one or more Machine monsters."

And since it doesn't target, it bypasses Hyper Cannon's effect, Magnum thought, a small frown on his face.

"I fuse my two Cyber Dragons, Cyber Dragon Nächster and XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

Following Kenchi's declaration, all four monsters disintegrated into red, blue, green and orange particles. The particles swirled together into a vortex before bursting forth as four whirlwinds of energy that combined to form a purple whirlwind as he chanted.

"Apostle of evolution ruling over mankind! Consume the potential of your enemies and be reborn into an unstoppable juggernaut! Contact Fusion! Appear! Chimeratech Fortress Dragon!"

A massive silver metal dragon, whose body was comprised of several spheroids with gates on them, emerged from the whirlwind. It roared from its mechanical mouth as it was summoned to Kenchi's field in Attack Position.

Chimeratech Fortress Dragon ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 10

"To think he could Fusion Summon using his opponent's monster…" Gore muttered, his eyes narrowed. "This could be problematic for Magnum."

"It has 0 attack points?" Magnum let out a nervous chuckle. "I suppose it's too much to hope that it just seems intimidating…"

"When Fortress Dragon is summoned by its effect," Kenchi said. "Its attack points become equal to the number of Fusion Materials times 1000."

Chimeratech Fortress Dragon ATK 0→4000

"Not only did you use my monster to summon your own, but you also powered it up even further through it." Magnum grimaced. "Not to mention, you prevented me from using Hyper Cannon's secondary effect, which lets me add it from my Graveyard to my hand when the equipped monster is destroyed. It looks like I was wrong to underestimate you."

"Since you still appear somewhat unconvinced, perhaps a demonstration will better showcase my strength." Kenchi declared. "Battle! Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, attack Magnum directly! Evolution Result Artillery – Quadruple Shot!"

The gates placed on the spheroids comprising the dragon's body opened, with several smaller dragons emerging from them and shooting a barrage of energy blasts that engulfed Magnum. But when the smoke cleared, Magnum was still standing without a scratch on his body.

"Hoh?" Kenchi raised his eyebrow. "You dodged this?"

"Yeah, all thanks to the Continuous Trap Card: Direct Border," Magnum revealed. "Through its effect, monsters with 1000 or more attack points are prevented from making direct attacks."

"I see," Kenchi said. "Well, I guess I have no choice but to end my turn with a face-down."

"Then, it's my turn!" Magnum announced. "I draw! First, I activate the Spell Card: Spellbook Inside the Pot, allowing both players to draw three cards. Next, I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Different Dimension Hangar!"

A swirling black vortex with two mechanical arms appeared above Magnum.

"When this card is activated, I can banish up to 3 Level 4 or lower Union Monsters from my Deck. And If I summon a monster that any of the banished Union Monsters can hook up with, then I can Special Summon them." Pulling his Deck out, Magnum selected his three cards and showed them to everyone. "I remove W-Catapult Wing, Beetron-2 Beetleturbo and Beetron-3 Spider Base!"

He quickly threw them into the portal, still staying due to its effect. He then took a card from his hand. "I activate the Spell Card: Unexpected Dai, which allows me to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck as long as I don't control any monsters! Come, V-Tiger Jet!"

A fighter craft with a tiger head attached to its front appeared on Xander's field.

V-Tiger Jet ATK 1600 DEF 1800 LVL: 4

"Next, the effect of my Hangar activates!" Magnum continued. "Come, W-Wing Catapult!"

A blue machine with engines and wings appeared in Attack Position.

W-Wing Catapult ATK 1300 DEF 1500 LVL: 4

"Following that, I banish V-Tiger Jet and W-Wing Catapult! Come, VW-Tiger Catapult!"

W-Wing Catapult split down the middle, allowing V-Tiger Jet to attach itself to the top of the other monster.

VW-Tiger Catapult ATK 2000 DEF 2100 LVL: 6

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Re-Fusion! By paying 800 Life Points, I can target one Fusion Monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it! Return, XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

After he paid the necessary cost, Dragon Cannon returned to Magnum's field.

Magnum: 3000→2200 LP

XYZ-Dragon Cannon ATK 2800 DEF 2600 LVL: 8

Kenchu gritted his teeth as he gestured to his field. "I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Dimension Guardian!" Scarlett abruptly shouted. "Thanks to its effect, I can target one Attack Position monster on my field and prevent it from being by battle or card effects! I choose Chimeratech Fortress Dragon!"

"I see," Magnum said while rubbing his chin. "You expected me to use Dragon Cannon's effect, so you played a card that protects your monster from it." He smirked. "Clever move. But I'm afraid it will be all for naught. I banish VW-Tiger Catapult and XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

The two Fusion Monsters broke apart into their component monsters and began reassembling.

"Come, VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!"

Xander's newest Fusion Monster had W-Wing Catapult as legs, Y-Dragon Head's body at its waist, X-Head Cannon as its torso and head, while X-Head Cannon's arms held Z-Metal Tank's treads. V-Tiger Jet was on its back, with its head covering X-Head Cannon's head as a cowl. Y-Dragon Head's wings spread behind it, held in place by Z-Metal Tank's main body. The massive Fusion Monster was summoned to Xander's field in Attack Position.

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon ATK 3000 DEF 2800 LVL: 8

"I activate VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon's effect, which allows me to banish a card my opponent controls once per turn!" Magnum pointed at Kenchi's field. "I'll get rid of Chimeratech Fortress Dragon!"

Dragon Catapult Cannon's blasters fired blue energy at the Cyber Dragon Fusion Monster, making it disintegrate.

"This is where I would attack you directly with my monster, but I can't due to the effect of my Trap Card," Magnum sadly stated. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Then, it's my turn!" Kenchi announced. "I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Graceful Charity, which allows me to draw three cards from my Deck at the cost of discarding two cards from my hand. Then, I activate the effect of the Cyber Dragon Core I just sent to the Graveyard, banishing it to Special Summon a "Cyber Dragon" monster from my Deck. Come, Cyber Dragon Herz!"

A thin and dark gray mechanical dragon with blue hexagons on its body appeared in Attack Position.

Cyber Dragon Herz ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1

"I summon Cyber Dragon Drei!"

A streamlined white dragon with yellow markings on its body appeared and roared.

Cyber Dragon Drei ATK 1800 DEF 800 LVL: 4

"Drei's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, all Cyber Dragons I control become Level 5. And due to Drei's and Herz's effects, they're treated as Cyber Dragons while on the field or in the Graveyard."

Cyber Dragon Drei LVL: 4→5

Cyber Dragon Herz LVL: 1→5

"He changed their Levels?" Magnum said in confusion.

"Two Level 5 monsters," Faris mused. His eyes widened. "Can it be…?"

"With my two Level 5 monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" Kenchi declared, his Duel Disk releasing a bolt of orange energy. The bolt created a massive "X" with four red points. The two mechanical dragons turned into data and entered the red dots, which glowed with light. The ends of the "X" fired beams that created a miniature galaxy, which exploded with power.

"The mechanical dragon that ascended to new heights!" Kenchi chanted as a stream of DNA formed before turning into a purple sphere. "Let your power create a new world! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 5! Cyber Dragon Nova!"

A large silver, black, and red mechanical dragon with wings and a long tail with a spoiler at the end formed from the sphere. The dragon roared from the left Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position while two orange lights circled it.

Cyber Dragon Nova ATK 2100 DEF 1600 RNK: 5 OU: 2

"Oh! Xyz Summoning!" Magnum said in surprise.

"Your shock is understandable, I suppose," Kenchi stated. "But I'm far from finished. Using Cyber Dragon Nova as an Xyz Material, I reconstruct the Overlay Network!"

"What!?" Magnum cried out in shock. "You're performing a Rank-Up without using a Rank-Up-Magic!?"

The blue "X" reappeared, and Nova disintegrated and entered the top red dot. The ends of the "X" shot lasers that formed the exploding galaxy. A chain of DNA appeared before reintegrating into a purple orb.

"The drive to pursue evolution will become the foundation of a new power!" Kenchi chanted. "Ascend the stairway to infinity and be reborn as a true ruler! Rank-Up Xyz Evolution! Appear, Rank 6! Cyber Dragon Infinity!"

A moment later, the dragon reappeared in a new and larger form. It had a sleeker build, and the side of its silver body had turned black. A row of golden spines ran down the length of its back all the way to the end of its massively long tail, which seemed to have an almost satellite dish-like weapon with gold spikes attached. The sides of its head had gained golden horns, and it had a silver face with four glowing orange eyes. Above its two massive metal wings were two golden fin-like blades, which were beside a pair of large blade-like fins on its back. Its torso contained a large glowing red orb, and orbiting around the dragon were three orbs of red light.

Cyber Dragon Infinity ATK 2100 DEF 1600 RNK: 6 OU: 3

"Due to its effect, Cyber Dragon Infinity gains 200 attack points for every Overlay Unit attached to it," Kenchi said. "Since it currently has three Overlay Units, it gains 600 attack points."

Cyber Dragon Infinity ATK 2100→2700

"Then, I activate Cyber Dragon Infinity's effect. Once per turn, I can attach an Attack Position monster you control as an Overlay Unit. Of course, I select none other than your Dragon Catapult Cannon! Imperial Commander!"

"Think again! I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Hyper Coat!" Magnum exclaimed. "Thanks to it, I can target a face-up "V", "W", "X", "Y", or "Z" Machine monster I control and equip this card to it. By doing so, It gains 500 attack points and becomes unaffected by your Spell, Trap, and Effect monster effects. In other words, it won't become your monster's Overlay Unit!"

"That's what you think." Kenchi sneered. "I activate Cyber Dragon Infinity's effect! Once during either player's turn, I can detach an Overlay Unit from this card to negate the activation of a card effect and destroy that card!"

Magnum gasped as his Trap Card shattered. At the same time, Cyber Dragon Infinity opened its mouth wide and consumed Dragon Catapult Cannon, turning it into another Overlay Unit orbiting it.

Cyber Dragon Infinity OU: 3→2→3

Cyber Dragon Infinity ATK 2700→2500→2700

Kenchi took another card from his hand and played it. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Direct Border!"

"What?" Magnum said, startled as a blast of wind struck his Trap Card and destroyed it. "Curse you!"

"Now then, let's see how you'll escape from this bind," Kenchi stated. "Battle! Cyber Dragon Infinity, attack Magnum directly! Infinite Evolution Burst!"

"I activate the Trap Card: Counter Gate!" Magnum yelled. "Through its effect, if I'm about to receive a direct attack, I can negate it! Then, I will draw a card from my Deck, and if it's a monster, I can Special Summon it!"

Magnum drew his card and smirked as he revealed it.

"The drawn card is Beetron-1 Beetletop. That means I can Special Summon it!"

A portal appeared in front of Magnum, out of which a yellow and black mechanical beetle with four legs and two wheels on its back side emerged and landed on his field.

Beetron-1 Beetletop ATK 1700 DEF 1400 LVL: 4

"Moreover, since Beetron-1 Beetletop was summoned, Different Dimension Hangar Special Summons Beetron-2 Beetleturbo and Beetron-3 Spider Base!"

Soon, the hangar's claws appeared from the portal, sending down a green mechanical stag beetle with a small horn and a red mechanical spider that stood rather tall and had two levels of legs.

Beetron-2 Beetleturbo ATK 1500 DEF 1800 LVL: 4

Beetron-3 Spider Base ATK 800 DEF 2000 LVL: 4

"It looks like you were able to withstand yet another assault that should have surely finished you off," Kenchi commented. "Most impressive indeed. But merely surviving won't allow you to win this Duel. I place one card face-down and end my turn."

"My turn!" Magnum announced. "I draw! First, I merge my three Beetrons to bring out Assault Cannon Beetle!"

Beetletop began spinning its wheels, causing smoke and rubber to fly. Soon, it let off its brakes and ran straight toward Beetleturbo. Using it like a ramp, it leaped into the air and landed on Spider Base. Slowly, a locking sound was heard as the two merged. Not to be left out, Beetleturbo leaped into the air with its thrusters and attached itself to the back end of Beetleturbo, making it look like a large tail with scissors sticking out.

Assault Cannon Beetle ATK 2400 DEF 2800 LVL: 8

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Grave Arm!" Magnum continued. "This card allows me to send one monster on the field right to the Graveyard, and I choose your Xyz Monster!"

"Afraid not," Kenchi stated. "I detach an Overlay Unit from Cyber Dragon Infinity to negate the activation of your Spell Card and destroy it!" The Spell shattered at his words. "But with one less Overlay Unit, Infinity loses 200 attack points."

Cyber Dragon Infinity OU: 3→2

Cyber Dragon Infinity ATK 2700→2500

However, instead of being upset, Magnum smirked. "Why, thank you for doing that, because I'm now free to activate the Spell Card: Emergency Recharge, whose effect lets me draw four cards since my hand is empty. Then, I activate the Spell Card: Front Change! This card allows me to swap my Assault Cannon Beetle out for a much better and stronger monster! Come forth! Combat Scissors Beetle!"

Assault Cannon Beetle suddenly began to break apart into the three original monsters. Beetletop came to a stop while Spider base stepped onto it. Its body lowered into Beetletop but left its legs standing. Beetleturbo then landed on the waiting legs, sticking up and docked, with four legs sticking out to the sides, two holding Beetleturbo up, one in the front and one in the back sticking out.

Combat Scissors Beetle ATK 3600 DEF 1800 LVL: 8

"Battle!" Magnum announced as he gestured to his field. "Combat Scissors Beetle, attack Cyber Dragon Infinity with Scissor Missile!"

The mechanical beetle launched a set of scissors from its top half, striking the mechanical dragon and destroying it in an explosion.

Kenchi: 2300→1200 LP

"Furthermore, Combat Scissor Beetle's second effect activates!" Magnum declared. "When it destroys a monster in battle, you take 1000 points of damage!"

"You're the one who will be taking damage!" Kenchi stated. "I activate the Counter Trap Card: Barrel Behind the Door! When a card effect that would inflict damage to me is activated, I can redirect the damage back to you!"

Magnum's eyes widened in shock at his opponent's counter. Soon, Scissors Beetle fired a beam from its horn cubic purple beams at Kenchi, which instead went into Barrel Behind the Door before the card fired it back at Magnum, causing him to hiss due to the pain.

Magnum: 2200→1200 LP

"They're now both equal in Life Points," Yozaka noted.

"Meaning that this duel is almost near its conclusion," Faris stated.

"I can't do anything else for now," Magnum said. "I place a card face-down and end my turn."

"It's my turn!" Kenchi announced. "I draw! Since you saw fit to get a bit more serious, allow me to respond in kind. I activate the Spell Card: Card of Demise, whose effect allows me to draw cards from my Deck until I have five in my hand. Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Cybernetic Fusion Support! I pay half my Life Points, and once this turn, if I would Fusion Summon a Machine Fusion Monster, I can banish monsters from my hand, field, and Graveyard as the Fusion Materials."

Kenchi: 1200→600 LP

"Following that, I activate the Spell Card: Power Bond, banishing Cyber Dragon Herz, Cyber Dragon and Cyber Dragon Drei to Fusion Summon!"

The three dragons he spoke of all reappeared on his field before disintegrating into red, blue, and green particles. The particles swirled into a vortex before three different-colored tornados burst out. The tornados merged into a single violet twister.

"The mechanical dragon that rules the world. Become one with your brethren and take flight!" Kenchi chanted. "I Fusion Summon! Rise! Cyber End Dragon!"

A massive three-headed silver mechanical dragon emerged from the tornado. The dragon spread its wings with a roar in Attack Position.

Cyber End Dragon ATK 4000 DEF 2800 LVL: 10

Magnum gritted his teeth. "4000 attack points," he muttered. "This is bad."

"Since I used Power Bond to Fusion Summon Cyber End, its attack points are doubled!"

Cyber End Dragon ATK 4000→8000

"But in exchange for this power-up, I will receive damage equal to the original attack points of the summoned monster during the End Phase."

"So you're betting the outcome of this match in an all-or-nothing final attack?" Magnum wondered. "Are you that certain that your monster can take me down with its next attack?"

"Only one way to find it," Kenchi said. "Now, let's battle! Cyber End Dragon, attack Combat Scissors Beetle! Super Strident Blaze!"

"It looks like your estimation was spot on after all," Magnum said as a massive energy wave was fired from Cyber End Dragon's three mouths. "I activate the Trap Card: Massivemorph! Through its effect, I can target and double the attack points of a monster on the field. I target my Combat Scissors Beetle!"

Combat Scissors Beetle ATK 3600→7200

The energy blast consumed Scissors Beetle, destroying it and engulfing Magnum in an explosion that sent him flying back.

Magnum: 1200→400 LP

"Oi, you still alive in there, Magnum?" Faris asked with a seemingly indifferent expression. "Whimper if that's the case."

"Relax, will you…" Magnum said while coughing as he slowly stood up. "An attack like that isn't enough to keep me down."

"Big talk, but can you back it up?" Kenchi questioned. "If so, then I'm looking forward to seeing how you can entertain me any further. I move to my Main Phase 2 and summon Cyber Kirin!

A small mechanical dog with green energy lines appeared.

Cyber Kirin ATK 300 DEF 800 LVL: 3

"Next, I Tribute Kirin! The mechanical dog disintegrated. "And because I did, all damage from card effects this turn is reduced to 0. Meaning I don't have to worry about Power Bond's damaging effect. Finally, I place a card face-down and end my turn."

"Then, it's my turn!" Magnum announced. "I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn, which lets me Special Summon a monster from the Graveyard. Resurrect, VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!"

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon returned to Xander's field from a portal that appeared on the ground.

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon ATK 3000 DEF 2800 LVL: 8

"Now I activate Dragon Catapult Cannon's effect, allowing me to banish a card my opponent controls once per turn!" Magnum pointed at Cyber End Dragon. "I'll get rid of the irksome Fusion Monster of yours for good! Ultimate Destruction!"

Two blasts of energy erupted from VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon's hands, obliterating Cyber End.

"Now, it's time for the finish! Dragon Catapult Cannon, attack Kenchi directly!"

"Unfortunately, I cannot let you end things here," Kenchi stated. "I activate the Trap Card: A Hero Emerges! When an opponent's monster declares an attack, my opponent must choose a random card in my hand, and if the chosen card is a monster, I can Special Summon it. If not, I must send it to the Graveyard. But seeing as I only have one card in my hand, it's your only option. And unfortunately for you, it's a monster. Appear, Cyber Valley!"

A small mechanical serpent with red orbs on its sides appeared in Defense Position.

Cyber Valley ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"It appears I won't be able to damage your Life Points like I thought." Magnum frowned. "In any case, Catapult Cannon attacks Cyber Valley!"

"Cyber Valley's effect activates! When it's targeted for your attack, I can banish it to draw a card and end the Battle Phase."

The serpent disappeared, causing the Fusion Monster's attack to miss and letting Kenchi draw.

"Tch, I was so close…" Magnum cursed. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Then, it's my turn!" Kenchi announced. "I draw!"

Upon checking out his drawn card, Kenchi let out a confident smirk.

"This is just what I needed. First, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Burial from a Different Dimension! This card lets me return up to three banished monsters to the Graveyard. I return Cyber Dragon, Chimeratech Fortress Dragon and Cyber End Dragon to my Graveyard. From there, I activate the Spell Card: Overload Fusion. Through its effect, I can Fusion Summon a Dark Machine Fusion Monster by banishing Fusion Materials from my field or Graveyard. I banish my two Cyber Dragons, Cyber Dragon Nächster, Fortress Dragon, Nova, Infinity and Cyber End Dragon from my Graveyard to Fusion Summon!"

The seven monsters joined Kenchi on his field before they turned into streams of different colored data and swirled into a vortex. Seven twisters shot upwards before merging into a single violet tornado.

"Apostles of evolution ruling over mankind!" Kenchi chanted. "Merge those seven heads and unleash the twisted construct of chaos to wreak havoc upon this world! I Fusion Summon! Descend now! Chimeratech Overdragon!"

A mechanical dragon with a thick, serpentine body, which had nine heads emerging from its neck, appeared on Kenchi's field in Attack Position. It let out an ear-splitting roar that caused Magnum to cover their ears.

Chimeratech Overdragon ATK ? DEF ? LVL: 9

Yozaka narrowed his eyes. "This must be Kenchi's ultimate monster," he surmised.

"Unknown attack and defense points?" Faris noticed.

"When Chimeratech Overdragon is Fusion Summoned, its attack and defense points are equal to the number of Fusion Materials used for its Fusion Summon multiplied by 800," Kenchi revealed. "Since seven monsters were used as Fusion Materials to summon it, Overdragon gains 5600 attack and defense points."

Chimeratech Overdragon ATK 0→5600 DEF→5600

"5600 attack points, you say?" Magnum let out a humorless laugh. "Oi, oi, that's a bit absurd, don't you think?"

"Due to its effect, Chimeratech Over Dragon can attack a number of times equal to the number of Fusion Materials used for this card's Fusion Summon." Kenchi let out a small smirk. "However, I'll only need one. Here comes the first and final attack! Chimeratech Over Dragon, attack Dragon Catapult Cannon! Evolution Result Burst!"

Following Kenchi's words, one of Chimeratech Over Dragon's heads opened its maw wide, unleashing a wave of energy that destroyed Dragon Catapult Cannon and created a large explosion that enveloped Magnum.

"Looks like I win," Kenchi said with a smirk. "I commend your skills. But—"

"But nothing. This duel isn't over. Far from it."

Much to Kenchi and everyone's shock, the smoke cleared, showing Magnum, still standing, a Trap Card on his field.

"What happened?" Kenchi asked. "What is that Trap Card?"

"It's called Iron Resolve," Magnum answered. "I take no damage by paying half my Life Points, and it also ends the Battle Phase."

Magnum: 400→200 LP

"So close, and yet so far." Kenchi let out a self-deprecating smile. "Still, I hold the advantage over you. I end my turn!"

"My turn! I draw!" Magnum looked at his card and smiled. "I'm sorry, Kenchi, but this is the last turn."

This news surprised Kenchi. "What? I have a 5600-attack monster on my field. How are you going to win this turn?"

"Like this," Magnum said. "I activate the Trap Card: Return from the Different Dimension! By paying half my Life Points, I can Special Summon as many banished monsters as possible."

Magnum: 200→100 LP

"Return to me, V-Tiger Jet, W-Wing Catapult, X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank!"

A rift in space appeared above Magnum, with his five monsters emerging from it and coming to hover beside him.

V-Tiger Jet ATK 1600 DEF 1800 LVL: 4

W-Wing Catapult ATK 1300 DEF 1500 LVL: 4

X-Head Cannon ATK 1800 DEF 1500 LVL: 4

Y-Dragon Head ATK 1500 DEF 1600 LVL: 4

Z-Metal Tank ATK 1500 DEF 1300 LVL: 4

Magnum narrowed his eyes. "Now, bear witness to the advent of one of my mightiest beasts. I will banish all Light Machine monsters from my field and Graveyard, which are seven in total, to Special Summon this monster from my hand! Come before us! Cyber Eltanin!"

The five monsters disappeared as an imposing mechanical monster, whose body consisted of a massive dragon head with seven smaller dragon heads extending from it, appeared on Magnum's field, letting out a resonant roar that shook the area.

Cyber Eltanin ATK ? DEF ? LVL: 10

"He has a "Cyber" monster too!?" Yozaka gasped.

"It would appear so," Faris said. She smirked. "He never fails to amaze me."

"Cyber Eltanin…?" Kenchi muttered. "Not to mention its attack points are also undetermined like my Chimeratech… What are you planning to do with it?"

"I'm planning on defeating you with it, obviously," Magnum responded. "But first things first. Cyber Eltanin's attack and defense points are equal to the number of monsters banished multiplied by 500. Since seven monsters were banished, Cyber Eltanin gains 3500 attack and defense points."

Cyber Eltanin ATK ?→3500 DEF ?→3500

"Furthermore, Cyber Eltanin's second effect activates!" Magnum continued. "When this card is summoned successfully, all other face-up monsters on the field are sent to the Graveyard. Constellation Siege!"

Following his words, the seven dragon heads extending from Cyber Eltanin's main body opened their maws wide, unleashing streams of energy that vaporized Overdragon.

"My monster…was wiped out just like that." Kenchi seemed astonished.

"Battle!" Magnum exclaimed. "Eltanin attacks you directly! Evolution Explosion!"

Cyber Eltanin's main head opened its mouth and charged up. A few seconds passed before a large energy beam shot out and engulfed Kenchi, knocking him off his feet.

Kenchi: 600→0 LP

"Ow, ow, ow…." Kenchi grimaced as he stood up while grasping his side. "Just great. Even with my new Deck, I still lost. Hopefully, the outcome next time will be different."

"Hoh, so you intend to duel me again?" Magnum raised an eyebrow as he approached the fallen duelist and helped him up.

"Huh?" Kenchi wondered. "What are you talking about? Of course, I intend to duel you again. Next time, I'll be even stronger than I am now and defeated for sure."

"So you're saying that the two of us are officially rivals?" Magnum said. "If that's the case, I look forward to the day we duel again."

"Me too," Kenchi said with a small smile. However, at that moment, his and Magnum's stomachs growled loudly.

"Looks like that duel of ours caused you two to work up an appetite," Faris commented as she and Yozaka approached the duo. "How about we take a lunch break, and in an hour or two, we'll have another practice match?"

"Sounds good to me," Magnum said. "How about we make it more interesting and have it be a Tag Duel?"

"Now you're speaking my language!" Yozaka stated. "What about you, Kenchi?"

"I'm up for it," Kenchi answered. "As for lunch, where should we go to eat?"

"I heard there's this great tempura place nearby," Yozaka suggested.

Faris shook her head. "Absolutely not. Last time Magnum and I went out for tempura, he ended up having too much, which resulted in him having a stomachache."

"Oh, come on," Magnum complained. "There's no such thing as too much tempura."

Yozaka and Kenchi laughed as the two friends continued arguing.

The next day, in the afternoon…

"Well, that was boring. When the trailer said it was a horror movie, I was expecting to be scared, but honestly…"

"I know. I guess fighting the Syndicate has jaded us a bit. Or it's scarier in English?

"Maybe. Not every word can be translated exactly. Or it could be it just hasn't aged well."

Standing outside a movie theater, Yuji and Ena were sharing their opinions on the movie they had just seen. However, they spoke in a low tone since they didn't want to offend or shock the people around him, all of whom were talking excitedly or shaking from fright.

Yuji sighed and looked at his watch. "Well, we still have an hour to kill before heading to Central Plaza to help Kolter at the food truck. What do you want to do till then?"

"I'm not sure." Ena crossed her arms before looking to the side, causing her eyes to widen. "Oh! Perfect!"

"Huh?" Yuji turned to where Ena was looking and saw a familiar building. "Wait, isn't that the Duel Arcade where we saw Shima get his butt kicked by Scarlett?"

"It sure is," Ena said as she and Yuji entered the building. The duo noted that the place was, surprisingly enough, packed with people, given that it was a quarter past 2 o'clock. They figured the place was so busy because SOL Technologies announced temporary closures of different areas in LINK VRAINS due to recent events, resulting in the arcade getting flocked with more people than usual so they could still duel. But even with the majority of LINK VRAINS being temporarily closed, the duel arcade was recently given access to temporary areas of LINK VRAINS for those who prefer to duel in VRAINS.

"This is wild," Yuji said as he looked around the area. "It's a lot more packed than it was the last time we were here." He turned to Ena. "But we aren't here to watch other people do, are we?"

"Of course not," Ena replied. "I know we agreed to take a break from dueling, but that only applied to practice duels." She then frowned. "Besides, who knows whether or not we will have a normal duel again."

"That is a good point," Yuji thought about it, then smiled. "Very well. We can duel."

"Awesome!" Ena cheered before running over to an employee. "Excuse me. But are there any private areas in LINK VRAINS that we can access today? My friend and I want to duel and hone our skills."

"Let's see," the woman said as she looked at the booklet. "Good news, miss. Section 1AB has a spot for a duel in LINK VRAINS. I'll have to give you wristbands for access."

Yuji and Ena received their wristbands before the lady directed them to the arena. After entering it, walls began to lower down, giving the four teens their space and privacy.

The two youths stared at each other with intense looks in their eyes as they raised their Duel Disks. "Time to link into the VRAINS!"

Seconds later, at an area in LINK VRAINS….

Yuji looked around the area he and Ena were in. They were standing on an island of grass, trees and waterfalls.

"It's not much, but for a private booking, it makes sense," Ena said as she activated her Duel Disk and ran to the other side of the island. She turned and faced Yuji. "Ready?"

Yuji activated his own Duel Disk and said, "Ready."

"Duel!" they shouted.

Ena: 4000 LP

Yuji: 4000 LP

"I shall start!" Ena said, taking a card from her hand. "I summon Cyber Diver!"

A light-skinned woman with pink hair wearing a one-piece swimsuit appeared.

Cyber Diver ATK 800 DEF 200 LVL: 3

"When Cyber Diver is summoned, I can add a "Cyber Angel" Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand," Ena explained, taking a card from her Deck. "Now, I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Machine Angel Ritual, Tributing the Level 5 Cyber Tutubon from my hand to Ritual Summon!"

A large, mechanical pillar emerged from the ground following Ena's words, with a young woman with short teal hair clad in a skintight green, light-blue and red bodysuit turning into particles and being absorbed by it. As a towering blaze erupted from the top of the pillar, Ena chanted.

"Angel of light hiding healing powers. Bring recovery with your lovely form. I Ritual Summon! Descend! Cyber Angel Natasha!

A four-armed, four-legged female resembling a centaur and holding a whip appeared on Ena's field in Defense Position.

Cyber Angel Natasha ATK 1000 DEF 1000 LVL: 5

"Since Tutubon was Tributed for a Ritual Summon, I can add a Ritual Spell from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Machine Angel Ritual back to my hand." She took the card, then said, "I activate the Spell Card: Cards of Rites, letting me draw two cards since I control a Ritual Monster. From there, I activate Machine Angel Ritual again, Tributing Diver along with the Level 2 Cyber Egg Angel from my hand to Ritual Summon!"

A small glass-scaled egg with green metal wings appeared on Ena's field as it and Diver were enveloped in pink flames and were consumed by the mechanical pillar that emerged from the ground.

"I Ritual Summon!" Appear once more, Cyber Angel Natasha!"

A second copy of Natasha appeared on Ena's field next to the first one.

Cyber Angel Natasha ATK 1000 DEF 1000 LVL: 5

"Two Ritual Monsters in a single turn, eh?" Yuji smirked. "She sure is motivated."

"I activate the effects of my two Cyber Angels!" Ena declared. Once per turn, I can target a face-up monster I control and gain Life Points equal to half its attack points. By having one target the other and vice versa, I gain 1000 Life Points!"

The two Ritual Monsters raised their hands high, causing rays of light to descend from the sky and envelop Ena's body.

Ena: 4000→5000 LP

"I place one card face-down," she said. "That ends my turn."

"That was a good start, Ena," Yuji said with a smile. "Allow me to respond in kind. It's my turn! I draw! First, I activate the Spell Card: Foolish Burial. This card lets me send a monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send Darkblaze Dragon to the Graveyard. Then, I activate the Spell Card: Return of the Dragon Lords! It lets me Special Summon one Level 7 or 8 Dragon monster from my Graveyard to the field. I Special Summon back Darkblaze Dragon!"

A portal surrounded by flames appeared on the ground, from out of which came a large four-winged dragon with black and red scales.

Darkblaze Dragon ATK 1200 DEF 1000 LVL: 7

"At this moment, Darkblaze Dragon's effect activates!" Yuji declared. "Since Darkblaze Dragon was Special Summoned from the Graveyard, its attack and defense points are doubled!"

Darkblaze Dragon ATK 1200→2400 DEF 1000→2000

"Not bad," Ena commented. "However, it will be all for naught. Due to Cyber Angel Natasha's effect, it can negate one of your attacks. And with two copies of it on my field, I can negate two of your attacks." She grinned. "Looks like I was one step ahead of you."

"I beg to differ," Yuji stated. "I activate the Equip Spell Cards: Archer's Volley and Fog of Concealment and equip them to Darkblase Dragon!" The first card showed Junk Archer firing several arrows at a horde of monsters. The second card showed Fog King enwrapping itself with its wings, causing its body to turn translucent. "Due to the effect of Archer's Volley, it increases the equipped monster's attack points by 400 and allows it to attack all my opponent's monsters once each!"

Darkblaze Dragon ATK 2400→2800

"Furthermore, due to Fog of Concelmeant's effect, whenever the equipped monster battles, it negates the effects of the monster it's battling until the end of the Damage Step."

"What?" Ena said, shocked.

"Battle!" Yuji declared. "Darkblaze Dragon, destroy her two Ritual Monsters! Dark Flame!"

The large dragon reeled back and let out a stream of black flames from its maw, incinerating both of Ena's monsters and leaving her field bare.

"I activate the Trap Card: Card of Last Will!" Ena declared. "Since my monster was destroyed, I can draw five cards!"

"Not bad," Yuji said. "However, you're not the only one who can activate an effect." He gestured to his field. "Darkblaze Dragon's second effect activates! Since it destroyed a monster in battle and sent it to the Graveyard, you take damage equal to that destroyed monster's original attack points! Both your monsters had 1000 Points, meaning you take 2000 points of damage!"

A stream of flames erupted from Darkblaze's wings, enveloping Ena's body and causing her to let out a cry of pain.

Ena: 5000→3000 LP

"Moving on, I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Mirage of Nightmare," Yuji said. "Then, I activate the Spell Card: Aurora Draw, whose effect lets me draw two cards since I have no other cards in my hand. Finally, I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"It's my turn!" Ena announced. "I draw!"

"At this moment, the effect of Mirage of Nightmare activates, allowing me to draw cards until I have four in my hand," Yuji stated. "In exchange, I must discard the same amount of cards in my next Standby Phase. As such, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Emergency Provisions, whose effect allows me to send any number of Spell or Trap Cards I control to the Graveyard and gain 1000 Life Points for every sent card. I will send Mirage of Nightmare to the Graveyard to gain 1000 Life Points."

Following his words, Yuji was surrounded by a green aura.

Yuji: 4000→5000 LP

Ena looked at her card and smiled. "It's time to take this seriously, Yuji," she told him. "I activate the Field Spell Card: Cyber Arena!" The card showed an arena filled with marble columns and statues depicting female armored soldiers. Blue mats laid across the center as a grass field circled the sides. The center court was circular and made of stone as white lines divided the area. "While this card is on the field, my Warrior and Fairy monsters gain 500 attack and defense points. Next, I summon Cyber Coach!"

A muscular woman wearing a black sleeveless jumpsuit with brown boots appeared on her field. She had blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, a brown visor that covered her eyes and a whistle around her neck. She held a clipboard in her left hand.

Cyber Coach ATK 900→1400 DEF 600→1100 LVL: 2

Ena gestured to her field. "Cyber Coach's effect activates! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a "Cyber" Earth Warrior monster or 1 Level 4 or lower Light Fairy monster from my Deck. Come, Cyber Skater!"

A woman wearing a purple and gold bodysuit with a white skirt appeared in Attack Position. Blades were attached to the bottom of her feet and from the elbows to the wrists.

Cyber Skater ATK 1400→1900 DEF 1500→2000 LVL: 4

"Skater's effect now activates," Ena smirked. "Since she was successfully summoned, I can either add Machine Angel Ritual or Polymerization from my Deck to my hand. I'll add the latter to my hand."

"What?" Yuji said, his eyes widening. "Since when does your Deck incorporate Fusion Summoning?"

"Since right now," Ena said, taking Polymerization from her Deck. "And now I'll show it to you! I activate the Spell Card: Polymerization to fuse Cyber Coach and Cyber Skater!"

Her monsters broke apart into red and blue particles that swirled into a vortex. Two whirlwinds of energy shot upwards from the vortex before merging into a violet tornado.

"Maidens of battle, cross your souls and become the powerful heavenly kicker! I Fusion Summon! Descend! Cyber Kicker!"

A blue-skinned woman with black hair tied in a ponytail wearing a light jumpsuit with red plastered in a wavy pattern on her arms and waist emerged from the whirlwind onto Ena's field in Attack Position. She wore light purple gloves and a white belt around her waist. Below her waist, she wore purple leg armor with a blade protruding from each of her shins. She also worethat obscured her eyes and nose.

Cyber Kicker ATK 2400→2900 DEF 2000→2500 LVL: 7

"I must admit, I didn't expect you to Fusion Summon," Yuji said. "But I'm kind of glad that you did."

"If I impressed you, then it was worth it." Ena smiled. "But before I do anything else, I'll activate Cyber Skater's effect from my Graveyard. Since it was as Fusion Material for a Fusion Summon, I can target a card on the field and destroy it." She pointed at Yuji's field. "I destroy your Darkblaze Dragon!"

Yuji watched impassively as his monster shattered. "Well played, Ena," he praised his opponent. "However, since a card effect destroyed my monster, I'm allowed to activate the Trap Card: Puzzle Reborn! It lets me revive the monster you just destroyed. Return to me, Darkblaze Dragon!"

The large black and orange dragon appeared once more on Yuji's field.

Darkblaze Dragon ATK 1200 DEF 1000 LVL: 7

"And since Darkblaze was Special Summoned from the Graveyard," Yuji said. "Its effect activates, doubling its attack and defense points!"

Darkblaze Dragon ATK 1200→2400 DEF 1000→2000

"Furthermore, the second effect of Fog of Concealment activates from my Graveyard!" Yuji continued. "When it's sent there while equipped to a monster, I can target a monster I control and have it gain 800 attack points." He pointed to his field. "I target Darkblaze Dragon!"

Darkblaze Dragon ATK 2400→3200

"An impressive but ultimately futile move," Ena stated. "I activate Cyber Kicker's effect! Once per turn, I can shuffle a "Cyber" monster or "Cyber Angel" monster in my Graveyard into my Deck to activate one of three effects. I shuffle Cyber Tutubon into my Deck to activate Kicker's first effect!"

Yuji narrowed his eyes. "And that is…"

Ena smirked. "Cyber Kicker gains attack points equal to the shuffled monster's until the end of the turn!" Yuji's eyes widened. "Tutubon's had 1800 attack points, so Kicker's attack points increase by that amount!"

Cyber Kicker ATK 2900→4700

"Following that, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Fusion Sword Murasame Blade, and equip it onto Cyber Kicker!" A jagged katana that glowed with purple energy formed in the Fusion Monster's right hand. "While equipped, Kicker gains 800 attack points!"

Cyber Kicker ATK 4700→5500

"Battle!" Ena announced. "Kicker attacks Darkblaze Dragon! Swift Sword Strike!"

Following its master's command, Kicker charged forward and bisected Darkblaze with its sword, destroying it and generating a shockwave that sent Yuji tumbling back several feet.

Yuji: 5000→2700 LP

"Ow, that was quite nasty…" Yuji grumbled as he rubbed his aching limbs. "As expected from Strong Ena. Your brute strength knows no bounds."

"Oi, why are you making me sound like a barbarian!?" Ena complained with an indignant expression. "Want me to come over there and deck you, Yuji!?"

"You just answered your question…

"I place a card face-down and end my turn," Ena said. "With that, Cyber Kicker's effect ends, and its attack points return to normal."

Cyber Kicker ATK 5500→3700

"It's my turn!" Yuji announced. "I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Greed, whose effect allows me to draw two cards from my Deck. Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Hand Destruction. This card forces both of us to discard two cards and then draw two new ones. I will discard Cards of Compensation and Keeper of the Shrine."

Ena narrowed her eyes. "In that case, I'll discard Samsara and Ritual Buster."

The two then drew, and Yuji smirked on seeing what he drew. But before that… "I activate the effect of Cards of Compensation that was sent to the Graveyard! Due to it, I get to draw two more cards." He drew his cards, then said, "I activate the Spell Card: Polymerization! With its effect, I fuse the Lord of D. and Divine Dragon Ragnarok in my hand!"

Two monsters – a dark-skinned man in a blue cape wearing dragon-shaped armor and a white dragon made of energy appeared on his field. His monsters dissolved into red and blue particles that swirled into a vortex. The particles turned into streams of energy that soared upwards before merging into a violet whirlwind.

"Protector of dragons, become one with the instrument of the gods and give birth to a new dragon!" Yuji brought his hands together in front of him. "I Fusion Summon! Come forth! King Dragun!"

The monster that appeared was a light brown dragon with black wings, but instead of a head, it had the upper body of the Lord of D. Its entire body shone with rainbow light.

King Dragun ATK 2400 DEF 1100 LVL: 7

"I activate King Dragun's effect!" Yuji continued. "Once per turn, I'm allowed to Special Summon one Dragon monster from my hand. Appear, Rhodonite Dragon!"

A large dragon with pink scales, curled horns and heart-shaped appeared on the field with a deafening roar.

Rhodonite Dragon ATK 2600 DEF 2200 LVL: 7

"Cool new dragon," Ena commented. "Kind of makes me wonder what it can do."

"Let me show you," Yuji said as he gestured to his monster. "I activate Rhodonite Dragon's effect! When summoned, I can target and destroy one card on your field. So say goodbye to your Cyber Kicker!"

Rhodonite unleashed a wave of flames from its maw that vaporized the Cyber Fusion Monster with apparent ease.

"Let's see you escape from this!" Yuji exclaimed. "Battle! King Dragun, attack Ena directly! Twilight Burn!"

"Unfortunately, that won't happen!" Ena shouted. "I activate the Trap Card: Nutrient Z! Since I'm about to take 2000 or more points of damage, I gain 4000 Life Points first!"

Ena was surrounded by a violet aura following her words.

Ena: 3000→7000 LP

A stream of fire erupted from King Dragun's mouth, enveloping Ena and sending her skidding back several feet.

Ena: 7000→4600 LP

"Next, Rhodonite Dragon attacks you directly!" Yuji exclaimed. "Crystal Calamity!"

Rhodonite dragon roaread as several spear-shaped crystals appeared around it and shot forward, striking Ena, causing her to double over in pain.

Ena: 4600→2000 LP

"That will do for now," Yuji said. "I end my turn."

"My turn!" Ena announced. "I draw! I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands!"

A grotesque monster with a green body and several hands attached to it appeared.

Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands ATK 1400→1900 DEF 1000→1500 LVL: 4

"Manju's effect activates!" Ena continued. When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned, I can add one Ritual Spell or Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Machine Angel Ritual to my hand. Next, I activate the Spell Card: Monster Slots! With this card, by targeting the Level 4 Manju and banishing the Level 4 Cyber Skater from my Graveyard, I can draw a card, and if it's also a Level 4 monster, I can Special Summon it."

A goblin-like slot machine appeared, projecting three images, two of which are both Manju and Cber Skater. The other one rapidly changes to all sorts of cards in Ena's Deck.

"C'mon, mama needs a Level 4!" Ena begged as she placed her hand on her Deck. "I draw!"

Ena drew as the slot machine stopped on…

Cyber Gymnast.

"Yeah!" Ena cheered. "I Special Summon Cyber Gymnast!"

A muscular blonde woman wearing a white mask and blue and black leotard appeared.

Cyber Gymnast ATK 800→1300 DEF 1800→2300 LVL: 4

"Following that, I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Machine Angel Ritual, offering Manju and Gymnast as Tributes to Ritual Summon again!"

The mechanical pillar emerged from the ground once more, with the two monsters becoming particles and absorbed by it. As a pillar of fire erupted from the top of the pillar, Ena chanted.

"Angel of light hiding mighty power! With the force of a million earthquakes, shake the earth to its very core! I Ritual Summon! Cyber Angel Dakini!"

A blue-skinned woman with four arms, cladded orange armor, and curved swords in two of them, and a staff in its other two appeared from the flames onto Ena's field in Attack Position.

Cyber Angel Dakini ATK 2700→3200 DEF 2400→2900 LVL: 8

"Cyber Angel Dakini's effect activates!" Ena declared. "When she's Ritual Summoned, I can make my opponent send one monster they control to the Graveyard!"

"Tch…" Yuji clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I choose to send King Dragun to my Graveyard…"

Ena grinned. "With him gone, you won't be able to summon any more of your strongest monsters with ease, she stated. "Next up, I activate the Spell Card: Emergency Recharge, whose effect lets me draw four cards since my hand's currently empty. Then, I equip Dakini with the Equip Spell Card: Cestus of Dalga!" Two curved hand blades replaced Dakini's swords. "Due to its effect, the equipped monster gains 500 attack points. Furthermore, if the equipped monster inflicts battle damage, I gain Life Points equal to the damage."

Cyber Angel Dakini ATK 3200→3700

"Battle!" Ena exclaimed. "Cyber Angel Dakini, attack Rhodonite Dragon! Vicious Dance!"

Dakini launched herself into the air, unleashing several slashes that severed the pink-scaled dragon's limbs before cleanly bisecting it with a powerful blow that caused a large explosion and sent Yuji skidding back a few inches. At the same time, Ena was enveloped by a golden aura.

Yuji: 2700→1600 LP

Ena: 2000→3100 LP

"At this moment, I activate the effect of Keeper of the Shrine in my Graveyard!" Yuji declared. "When a Dragon monster I control is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect or is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon it!"

An old human with a grey beard and dragonic features appeared on Yuji's field in Defense Position.

Keeper of the Shrine ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 4

"I place a card face-down and end my turn with this," Ena concluded. "What's wrong, Yuji? Is this really the best you can do? I've barely started trying. Not to mention that you've already lost more than half your Life Points."

"Believe me, I'm just getting started!" Yuji declared with a smile. "My turn! I draw! I summon Alexandrite Dagon!"

A winged, majestic dragon with jewels embedded in its scales appeared in Attack Position.

Alexandrite Dragon ATK 2000 DEF 100 LVL: 4

Ena narrowed her eyes. "There are three Level 4 Monsters on the field…" she noted. "Don't tell me…"

Yuji gestured to his field. "I overlay the Level 4 Keeper of the Shrine and Alexandrite Dragon! With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"

Following his declaration, Yuji's Duel Disk released a bolt of red light, summoning the Xyz cross.

"Queen of the dragons!" Yuji chanted. "Come on out and play a burning melody that will laminate all the dragons with your notes!" I Xyz Summon! Arise! Rank 4! Queen Dragun Djinn!"

From the summoned galaxy, a monster whose upper half was one of a beautiful woman with blonde hair clad in dark blue armor and whose lower half was that of a dragon body made of fire appeared in Attack Position, two purple lights circling behind it.

Queen Dragun Djinn ATK 2200 DEF 1200 RNK: 4 OU: 2

"I knew it…" Ena muttered. "He was setting up an Xyz Summon after all…"

"I activate Dragun Djinn's effect!" Yuji shouted. "By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Dragon monster from my Graveyard!" " One of the lights lit up and then disappeared. "Resurrect, Darkblaze Dragon!"

A portal appeared on Yujii's field, with Darkblaze Dragon emerging from it.

Darkblaze Dragon ATK 1200 DEF 1000 LVL: 7

Queen Dragun Djinn OU: 2→1

"And just like before, Darkblaze's attack and defense points double since it was Special Summoned from the Graveyard!"

Darkblaze Dragon ATK 1200→2400 DEF 1000→2000

"However, it won't be around for long because I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Adamantine Sword Revival!" Yuji continued. "Through its effect, I can Tribute Darkblaze Dragon to Special Summon Diamond Head Dragon from my Deck!"

As the orange and black dragon disappeared, a large green dragon wearing crystal armor appeared in Attack Position.

Diamond Head Dragon ATK ? DEF 2800 LVL: 8

"Sure, this monster's attack points are undetermined at the moment, but surely you remember its effect," Yuji said. "Its attack points become equal to the Tributed monster's plus 1000!"

Diamond Head Dragon ATK ?→3400

"Even so, your monster is still far weaker than mine," Ena stated.

"Then let me change that. From my hand, I activate the Spell Card: Gift of the Martyr! I send a monster on my field to the Graveyard, and another monster gains attack points equal to the sent monster's original attack points until the end of the turn. I send Dragun Djinn to the Graveyard and increase Diamond Head's attack points!"

Diamond Head Dragon ATK 3400→5600

Out loud, Yuji said, "Battle! Diamond Head attacks Dakini!"

"Not happening! I activate the Trap Card: Lumenize!" Ena shouted. "This card negates your attack and then increases the attack points of a Light Attribute monster I control equal to the attack points of the monster whose attack was negated!"

A semi-transparent barrier appeared around Dakini, shielding it from Diamond Head's attack.

Cyber Angel Dakini ATK 3700→9300

"So you had a countermeasure already prepared, huh?" Yuji narrowed his eyes. "Lucky for me, so did I." He took a card from his hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Double or Nothing! Since an attack was negated, this card allows the monster to attack again, but with double its attack points!"

"What?" Ena said, her eyes widening. At the same time, Diamond Head glowed as its attack points increased.

Diamond Head Dragon ATK 5600→11200

Ena gritted her teeth. "He baited me," she muttered. "Yuji was planning to do this to inflict more damage!"

"Let's do this again!" Yuji shouted. "Diamond Head Dragon, attack Cyber Angel Dakini! Diamond Devastation!"

Diamond Head Dragon breathed literal diamond dust onto Ena's Ritual Monster, vaporizing it with ease. The ensuing shockwave caused a cry of pain to escape from Ena's mouth.

Ena: 3100→1200 LP

"Well played, but I won't fall just from this!" Ena exclaimed. "I activate the second effect of my Field Spell Cyber Arena. Whenever a Warrior or Fairy monster I control is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can add a monster of the same Type as the destroyed monster but with a lower Level from my Deck to my hand."

Yuji narrowed his eyes as Ena took a card from her Deck. "In that case, I end my turn," he said. "And since it's now the End Phase, the effects of Gift of the Martyr and Double or Nothing wear off, and Diamond Head's attack points return to normal."

Diamond Head Dragon ATK 11200→3400

"Then, it's my turn!" Ena announced. "I draw! First, I activate the Spell Card: Fusion Recovery! I add Polymerization and a monster that was used as Fusion Material from my Graveyard to my hand." Ena took the two cars, placed them in her hand and played a different one. "I summon Marauding Captain!"

A blonde man in gray armor wielding two swords appeared.

Marauding Captain ATK 1200→1700 DEF 400→900 LVL: 3

"Marauding Captain's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster from my hand. Come, Cyber Coach!"

The blonde muscular woman wearing a black jumpsuit and holding a clipboard reappeared.

Cyber Coach ATK 900→1400 DEF 600→1100 LVL: 2

"And due to Cyber Coach's effect, I can Special Summon a "Cyber" Earth Warrior monster or 1 Level 4 or lower Light Fairy monster from my Deck. Come, Etoile Cyber!"

A redheaded woman in white and red appeared on Ena's field in Attack Position.

Etoile Cyber ATK 1200→1700 DEF 1600→2100 LVL: 4

"Finally, I activate the Spell Card: Polymerization to fuse Marauding Captain, Cyber Coach and Etoile Cyber!"

Her monsters broke apart into red, blue, and green particles that swirled into a vortex. Three whirlwinds of energy shot upwards from the vortex before merging into a violet tornado.

"Warriors of passion and determination. Overlap your souls and become the perfect harmony of skill and potential! I Fusion Summon! Descend! Cyber Rhythmist!"

A red-skinned woman wearing a teal bodysuit with sleeves and a decorated necklace hanging around her neck emerged from the whirlwind in Attack Position. She wore yellow-orange high-heeled boots with pearls attached to the back of the openings. Yellow and red striped rings encircled and floated around her wrists and waistline, with streams of white cloth extending from the latter. Her face had hazel eyes, while one of them was covered by a light green visor, with short blond hair bundled into a bun.

Cyber Rhythmist ATK 2600→3100 DEF 2300→2800 LVL: 8

"Oh, how impressive." Yuji clapped with an excited expression on his face. "I must admit, it seems to me that you've surely mastered Fusion Summoning. However, I'm afraid it doesn't pose a challenge to Diamond Head."

"Save that talk for after you've overcome my monster," Ena said. "Battle! Cyber Rhythmist, attack Diamond Head Dragon! At this moment, I activate Cyber Rhythmist's effect! When it attacks, I can send a monster from either my Deck or Extra Deck to have Rhythmist gain attack points equal to half the sent monster's attack points until the end of the turn. I send Cyber Angel Vrash from my Deck to the Graveyard to increase Rhythmist's attack points by 1500!"

Cyber Rhythmist ATK 3100→4600

Cyber Rhythmist's fist was surrounded by energy as it surged forward, striking Diamond Head and destroying it, with Yuji being sent flying due to the ensuing shockwave.

Yuji: 1600→400 LP

"I place a card face-down and end my turn," Ena said. "At this moment, Rhythmist's attack points return to normal."

Cyber Rhythmist ATK 4600→3100

"That new monster is no joke…" Yuji murmured. "Now then, it's my turn! I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Card of Demise, which allows me to draw cards until I have five in my hand. In exchange, I have to discard my entire hand during the fifth Standby Phase after this card's activation. Then, I activate the Field Spell Card: Gem Underground Palace! When activated, I can add a Dragon monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Luster Dragon to my hand. Following that, I activate the Spell Card: Greater Polymerization! Thanks to it, I can Fusion Summons a Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck by using three or more monsters from my hand or field as Fusion Material. I fuse Luster Dragon, Hyozanryu and Ruby Dragon from my hand!"

Silhouettes of a tall blue dragon with wings covered in sapphires, a diamond-blue dragon with a bright yellow underbelly, claws and horns, and a tall red dragon with wings covered in rubies appeared on Yuji's field. Moments later, the three dragons became a whirlpool of particles that formed into a violet twister as Yuji chanted.

"Through the dark shines of the gemstone dragons, emerge from the pitch darkness to destroy all light and eclipse all in your dark glow! I Fusion Summon! Rise, the Gem Dragon of Darkness! Blackstone Dragon!"

A large black, malicious dragon with glowing, piercing red eyes and lining that emitted a black-red colored electrical aura appeared on Yuji's field in Attack Position and roared at Ena.

Blackstone Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 2400 LVL: 8

"When Blackstone Dragon is Fusion Summoned, I can target cards on the field equal to the number of monsters used for its Fusion Summon and shuffle them back into the Deck," Yuji stated. "Since I used three monsters, I get to target three cards. I shuffle your two monsters and face-down card back into your Deck! Darkness Flash!"

Following Yuji's words, Blackstone's eyes glowed as beams of piercing dark light were emitted from its body and struck the designated cards, causing them to vanish from the field.

"Blackstone's effect activates! When Fusion Summoned, I can target cards on the field equal to the number of monsters used for its Fusion Summon and shuffle them back into the Deck," Yuji stated. "Since I used three monsters, I get to target three cards. I shuffle Cyber Ryhtmist, Cyber Arena and your Set cards back into your Deck! Darkness Flash!"

"I activate my Trap Card!" Ena declared, drawing Yuji's attention. "Mirror Shade! Due to its effect, I can pay half my Life Points to reduce all battle damage this turn to 0!"

Ena: 1200→600 LP

Yuji frowned. "You might've bought yourself another turn, but don't forget that Blackstone's effect continues, returning your two remaining cards to your Deck!"

Blackstone's eyes glowed as beams of piercing dark light were emitted from its body and struck the designated cards, causing them to vanish from the field.

"And since there's no point in attacking, I'll activate Gem Underground Palace's second effect, shuffling Darkblaze Dragon, Rhodonite Dragon and King Dragun to draw a card from my Deck. Finally, I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Then, it's my turn!" Ena announced. "I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Card of Burial Magic! By banishing three Spell Cards from my Graveyard, I draw two cards!"

She looked at her cards and smiled. "I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn! It lets me Special Summon a monster from the Graveyard. I Special Summon Cyber Kicker!"

The blue-skinned, black-haired woman wearing a jumpsuit reappeared.

Cyber Kicker ATK 2400 DEF 2000 LVL: 7

"I'm not finished yet." Ena continued. "I activate the Spell Card: Machine Angel Fusion!" The card had a swirling purple background, with Cyber Tutu and Cyber Petit Angel, colored blue and yellow, circling a vortex. "This card allows me to use monsters from my hand or field to Fusion Summon a "Cyber" Fusion Monster."

Yuji narrowed his eyes. "So you plan on fusing Kicker with the Command Angel in your hand?"

"Not quite," Ena answered. "Since you control a Special Summoned monster, I can use a monster from my Deck as material as well." Yuji gasped. "I fuse Cyber Kicker on my field with Cyber Tutu from my Deck!"

A petite pink-haired girl in a ballerina outfit briefly appeared on the field before she and Kicker broke into red and blue data. The particles swirled into a vortex before surging upwards as tornados that merged into a single violet tornado.

"Maidens of combat," Ena chanted, "Merge your souls to overcome all odds and prevail against all enemies! I Fusion Summon! Appear! Cyber Olympian!"

The monster that emerged from the whirlwind was a tall, muscular woman wearing a dark blue bodysuit with a golden armored chestplate. She wore red boots with purple colors on the heels and dark blue fingerless gloves. Her waistline showed golden armor that reached her knees in the fashion of a dress, with two green gems embedded on the sides. She wore red headgear that covered her forehead, jaw and the sides of her face. The rest of her face showed green eyes, toned cheeks and ash blonde, neatly brushed hair that flowed toward the lower back. She carried a long golden baton in her right hand.

Cyber Olympian ATK 3000 DEF 2400 LVL: 9

"A third Fusion Monster…" Yuji muttered with a small smile. "By the looks of it, it seems to be the strongest one."

"Battle!" Ena exclaimed. "Cyber Olympian, attack Blackstone Dragon! At this moment, Olympian's effect activates! When it battles a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, its attack points are doubled!"

Cyber Olympian ATK 3000→6000

"6-6000 attack points?!" Yuji gasped in shock. He quickly calmed down before gesturing to his field. "I activate the Trap Card: Battle Break! This destroys your monster and ends the Battle Phase!"

Ena smirked. "A dangerous card. A pity it's useless." Yuji's eyes widened. "Cyber Olympian's second effect activates! During the Battle Phase, when a card or effect is activated, I can negate the activation of that card and destroy it!" Yuji gasped as his Trap Card shattered. "This has been fun. But all good things must come to an end. Continue your attack, Cyber Olympian!"

Waving its baton, Olympian created a large golden circle around it, out of which a stream of energy erupted and engulfed Blackstone Dragon, destroying it and causing a massive explosion. Ena waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, Blackstone was gone, but Yuji's Life Points hadn't changed.

"Sorry to spoil your fun," Yuji said. "But I activated the Trap Card: Impenetrable Attack. This card allows me to either prevent a monster's destruction by battle or negate all battle damage I would take. I chose the latter." He gestured to his field. "Futhermore, since a Dragon monster was destroyed, I get to Special Summon Keeper of the Shrine from my Graveyard."

The dragonic monk reappeared in Defense Position.

Keeper of the Shrine ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 4

"Good job enduring my attack." Ena praised Yuji. "However, it's only a matter of time before this duel ends in your defeat and my victory. I end my turn."

"No cards on my hand and only one monster on my field…" Yuji murmured. "This is difficult, but I have no choice but to do it. You haven't failed me yet, my Deck, so please don't start now. Now then…for better or for worse, this is my last turn! I draw!"

Yuji checked his drawn card, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Looks like I'll be able to pull through after all," Yuji remarked. "Due to its effect, if I Keeper of the Shrine for a Dragon monster, it counts as two monsters!"

"Say what?" Ena gasped.

"I Tribute Keeper of the Shrine to Tribute Summon Gandora-X the Dragon of Demolition!"

The monk disappeared and was replaced by a large black dragon with several glowing orbs attached to its body that appeared in Attack Position. The dragon let out a furious howl that resounded across the surrounding area.

Gandora-X the Dragon of Demolition ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 8

Ena raised an eyebrow. "A Level 8 monster with 0 attack and defense points? It must have a strong effect…"

Yuji narrowed his eyes. "Let's settle this, Ena!" he exclaimed. "Gandora's effect activates! When it's summoned successfully, I can destroy all monsters on the field and inflict damage to my opponent equal to the attack points of the monster with the highest attack points!" Ena's eyes widened in shock. "Since the monster with the highest attack points on the field is none other than your Cyber Olympian, you'll receive 3000 points of damage!"

Following Yuji's declaration, the red orbs all over Gandora's body began to glow brightly like Christmas lights. Once the power was fully charged, the dragon unleashed a barrage of lasers that destroyed Olympian. The ensuing explosion consumed Ena's body, sending her tumbling to the ground as a result.

Ena: 600→0 LP

"Ugh... That seriously hurt.." Ena moaned before she got up. "Aw, come on! I was so close to defeating you! So close!"

"At least you can see an opportunity to improve your dueling skills," Yuji said, walking over to Ena. "So, what's the score again? 146 to 59 in my favor?"

"It's 145," Ena said in a sulking manner. "That one we had a couple of months back doesn't count since I was called away in the middle of our match due to a promise I made to one of our classmates that I had forgotten about."

"Whatever," Yuji said. "It doesn't change the fact that I have a steady lead over you. Feel free to look up to me for the rest of your life."

"Mou, you're so mean." Ena pouted. "Anyway, we should get out of here. We only have so much time in here before our usage in this private area runs out."

Yuji blinked before speaking. "You're probably right. Bet some other people want to log in and get their game on. It wouldn't be fair of us to hog them of that."

And with those words, the two youths logged out.

Several minutes later, back in the real world...

"Okay, thank you," Yuji said to a person behind the counter of an ice cream truck as he brought a medium-sized bowl and a large bowl of vanilla and chocolate ice cream back to the table he and Ena were at. After logging out of the network, Ena demanded that he take her for ice cream as compensation for defeating her. When Yuji tried to protest, Ena insisted by saying that friends help cheer one another up after the other is down in the dumps. Knowing that arguing with Ena is pointless, he decided to oblige to her request.

"I'm really we did this," Yuji commented, scooping up a piece of ice cream as he ate it. "After everything that's happened, a simple day of hanging out is a nice change of pace."

"You can say that again." Ena agreed, having also taken a bite of her ice cream. "Hope we'll have more of these once the Syndicate is defeated."

"Me too," Yuji replied with a big grin.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself."

The twp teens stiffened. They slowly turned their heads and saw a young man with white hair.

"I'm sorry, but do we know you?" Ena asked.

"You don't, but I do," Yuji said with a small smile. "Ena, this is Ryoken Kogami, a.k.a. Varis."

"Are you serious?" Ena seemed astonished. "…What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you and the others were doing research."

"We were," Ryoken confirmed. "But we finished sooner than I thought we would. I decided to order some takeout from a nearby restaurant, and on my way there, I saw you two. Don't tell me…is this a date? My, you're a fast worker, Yuji."

"That's not it," Yuji responded with an even tone. "We thought it would be best to spend our free time having fun instead of being cooped up in LINK VRAINS having practice duels with one another. For instance, we went and saw a movie earlier today."

"Hmm. I suppose going to the movies is a relaxing activity. But don't stay out too long; instead of departing two days from now, we're departing tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Ena repeated. "Are you sure that's a wise move to make?"

"I understand your concerns, but you don't need to worry," Ryoken stated. "I have already contacted the others and informed them of the news. They're making last-minute additions to their Decks, and I'd advise you two to do the same."

"It will be alright," Yuji said upon seeing that Ena was still hesitant. "We knew what we got ourselves into the moment we joined the Top 10 and swore to protect LINK VRAINS from any and all threats. No matter who or what stands before me, I'll defeat them and ensure everyone's safety."

Before Ena could say anything, Ryoken received a message on his phone, causing him to sigh.

"Sorry about that. It looks like my order is ready for pickup." He narrowed his eyes at the two youths. "Alright. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Yuji, Ena."

And with those words, Ryoken took his leave. Immediately after that, Ena turned to Yuji.

"The time has finally come, eh?" she said. "While I wish we had a little more time to relax, it seems that stopping the Syndicate is now our main priority."

"Same here." Yuji nodded. "Anyway, we should head back home and get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for us."

"Rest does sound pretty good right now," Ena remarked with a tired smile. "Let's get going."

After throwing away their respective ice cream bowls, Yuji and Ena made their way back to the apartment, eager to get some good rest in preparation for tomorrow's battle.