What's up, everyone? This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-G!
Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V, Gundam, or other fictional material. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!
Chapter 10: Reiji vs Yusuke! Extra Deck Locked?!
After our little staredown with each other, Reiji and I entered the SVS Arena and prepared our Duel Disks.
"Just to be clear. If I win this Duel, you and LDS will never bother the You Show Duel School or Yuya again." I reminded the Akaba president.
"Agreed. I give you my word as President of the Leo Corporation and as a Duelist." Reiji nodded, his expression stoic and firm.
"He's serious. To make such a vow on those stakes? He is my little brother." Ray commented with pride in her voice.
I almost snorted in amusement. I'm glad Ray can see the positives in a Duel, even if it is rather serious.
In the observation room, all eyes were on myself and Reiji.
"The whole room feels tense," Yuzu said with a grimace.
Gongenzaka nodded, "It's as if we are watching two apex predators about to battle to the death."
Yuya gave his best friend a sheepish look, "Uh, maybe not that serious, okay, Gongenzaka?"
Ayu held onto Yuzu when she looked at the two Duelists' eyes, "Yusuke-niichan's eyes look scary."
Tatsuya and Futoshi, on the other hand, looked quite excited. "I don't know why but I feel like this Duel will be amazing!" The former commented.
"It's giving me massive shivers!" The chubby boy did his weird dance yet again.
The LDS group also watched the proceedings with the lone two boys already having their answer to the outcome.
"This is already over. Reiji-san will beat this chump easily." Hokuto remarked.
Yaiba scoffed, "Yeah. No one has ever beaten the President. And some no-named loser ain't going to do that."
"Idiots," Masumi interjected as she looked at Yusuke. "You don't see what I see right now."
"Oh yeah? And what aren't we seeing?" Hokuto retorted, still a bit miffed at the Fusion User for calling out how he lost the first round of the 3-on-3.
"His eyes," Masumi stated. Her gaze locked onto the silver orbs of Yusuke. "His eyes are just like diamonds."
Okay, this should be a good test of my skills against one of the toughest duelists in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise. Who is essentially a mixture of Seto Kaiba and Jack Atlas without the arrogance and ego of either of them; this is going to be swell.
"Are…you nervous?" Ray asked me.
Nervous? Who's nervous? Me? Not nervous! I'm not nervous about Dueling one of the most powerful Duelists in this freaking dimension! Nope! Not me!
I could feel the amused grin from Ray even when she didn't have a physical body.
Shut up.
"I didn't say anything."
You didn't have to. I could already tell that you're trolling me.
"You said it, not me."
I hate you right now.
"No, you don't."
Dammit, she's right…
I shook my head and focused on Reiji. "Do you have any preferences for the Action Field?" I asked him.
"Choose whichever you want." He told me.
"Well, I don't know much about them so…" I looked up at the control room window. "Shuzo-san, I leave the decision completely up to you."
"If that's the case, let's try this one!" Shuzo commented with an enthusiastic expression. "Action Field, on!"
As the Real Solid Vision generator initialized, the barren arena was covered by a blinding light. When the light died down, Reiji and I found ourselves standing in a rather bizarre setting. Although at first, it seemed like a futuristic city straight out of a sci-fi film, the buildings were also suspended in the sky, looking like they would fall on top of them at any moment. Finally, the small patches of sky could be seen between the buildings that looked like a kaleidoscope.
"Field Spell, Different Dimension City!" Shuzo declared loudly. "For a sci-fi fan like you, this should be the perfect battlefield, Yusuke! Use it to send your opponent flying across the cosmos!"
…
…
…
I'm seriously gonna kill this guy.
"Why?" Ray asked me.
He doesn't know anything about Reiji's Deck. This is the perfect battlefield for him!
To make matters worse, Himika laughed.
"Are you people seriously trying to win here? If you had done your research, you'd know Different Dimension City is Reiji-san's favorite Action Field. He's never lost an Action Duel in that field." She mocked the man.
"Ehhhhhhhh!?" Shuzo cried out in shock. "Not again!"
"Yuzu," I called out to the pink-haired girl.
"Yes?" She replied, already knowing my response.
"Remind me to beat your dad over the head with that fan after this Duel," I said, dryly.
Yuzu nodded in understanding, "I'll keep it ready for you."
"In any case, let's get started!" Yuya began the Action Duel chant. "Duelists locked in battle!"
"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Yuzu continued.
"They storm through this field!" Gongenzaka delivered the next line.
"Behold!" Sora resumed the chant. "This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling!"
The three young You Show students then spoke in unison.
"Action!"
"DUEL!" Reiji and I declared in unison as our Life Point meters activated.
Yusuke LP: 4000
Reiji LP: 4000
"Seeing as the field is advantageous to me, how about I let you take the first turn in exchange?" Reiji suggested.
"Fine by me," I remarked, checking my current hand. I grabbed a card and slapped it on my Duel Disk. "First, I summon Strike Gundam!"
Appearing on my side of the field is a Gundam resembling the RX-78-2 but a bit more streamlined and colored a dull grey with yellow optic eyes. At the same time, it wielded two combat knives it pulled from hip holsters embedded in the skirt armor (4/ATK: 1200/DEF: 400).
"Next, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Phase Shift Armor!" I declared, playing my next card while the dull greys of the Strike suddenly changed to reveal the white, blue, and red coloring of its true form. "By equipping it to Strike Gundam, its ATK and DEF are raised by 1000. Furthermore, this Equip Card prevents my monster from being destroyed in battle but I have to discard a card from my hand whenever my opponent attacks the monster equipped with this card."
Strike Gundam (ATK: 1200-2200/DEF: 400-1400)
"Then I activate another Spell Card: Gunbarrel Ambush!" I added, playing a card that had an image of the Moebius Zero unleashing its wired gun barrels on the Buster Gundam. "By sending a Moebius Zero from my Deck to the Graveyard, I can deal you damage equal to half its total ATK. Moebius Zero has 1000 ATK, meaning you take 500 damage."
As I said this, the Moebius Zero flew out of nowhere in the futuristic city, unleashing its remote-controlled weaponry to unleash a linear rifle barrage around Reiji, who didn't even flinch as his Life Points went down.
Reiji LP: 3500
"Yosh, Yusuke-niichan drew first blood!" Tatsuya cheered.
"Keep going like that, Yusuke-niichan!" Futoshi added, "Give him the shivers~!"
While the kids were cheering me on, I was setting myself up for an early lead. "I place one card face-down and end my turn," I stated. After setting my fourth card into the Duel Disk, I glared at Reiji. "Your turn now, Akaba Reiji."
"As you wish," Reiji responded. "My turn! Draw!"
After checking out his cards, Reiji began scrutinizing me. It was like he was trying to decipher what I was.
"Oi, quit giving me that look. I'm not interested." I joked.
"I'm just curious," Reiji spoke, ignoring my taunt. "I half-expected you to refuse charity from the enemy when I offered you the first turn."
"Because I'm such a nice guy?" I asked, frowning. "Sorry to say, but learning about me won't be as easy as you think."
"I see…" Reiji said with a neutral expression. "I suppose I'll have to see what kind of person you are in this Duel."
Your brother is trying to psycho-analyze me.
"I mean, can you blame him? You are rather mysterious." Ray pointed out.
I'd like to think that my mysterious background makes me approachable to the ladies.
Reiji interrupted my thoughts as he placed two cards on his Duel Disk. "I activate two copies of the Continuous Spell Card: Contract with the Hellgate. Their effect enables me to add one Level 4 or lower D/D Monster from my Deck from my hand, but in exchange, I will receive 1000 damage during each of my Standby Phases."
"Since he activated two of these, doesn't that mean he'll receive 2000 damage in his next turn?" Ayu wondered. "What is he thinking?"
"I'm not sure," Yuya admitted. "However, it has to be part of his strategy."
"Also, what on Earth is that D/D he's referring to?" Futoshi asked.
"It stands for Different Dimension," Sora explained. "No wonder the lady over there said that Action Field is his favorite. It matches the theme of his Deck perfectly."
"Using the effect of Contract with the Hellgate, I add D/D Lilith and D/D Cerberus from my Deck to my hand." Reiji continued. "Then, I activate Contract with the Swamp King. Like the other two Contracts, this will inflict 1000 damage to me during my Standby Phase. However, its effect allows me to perform a Fusion Summon without using a Fusion Spell Card."
"What did he say!?" Sora cried out in surprise. "To think that such a Fusion was possible!"
"The ones I choose to fuse are the D/D Lilith and D/D Cerberus in my hand!" Reiji began chanting as the two monsters were absorbed by a multicolored vortex.
"Hellhound flashing your vicious fangs! Enchantress seducing beings in the dead of night! Amidst the light swirling in the Netherworld, join together as one and give birth to a new king! Fusion Summon! Be born, Level 6! D/D/D Raging Inferno King Temujin!"
Following his words, an imposing warrior wreathed in flames and holding a large crimson broadsword and shield appeared on the field (6/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1500).
"D/D/D?" Yuzu wondered. "What does the extra D mean?"
"I have no idea," Sora said while observing the Duel with narrowed eyes. "I've never seen such a Monster before… And that Fusion Summon… Don't tell me it's the real thing…?"
Futoshi, however, doesn't see the danger. "But that monster is weaker than Yusuke-niichan's Strike Gundam. Even if it is a Fusion Monster."
"Fusion Summon…" Shuzo muttered as he checked Reiji's record of past Duels. "There isn't any mention of him using Fusion Summoning in previous matches. Was he so overwhelmingly strong that he didn't have to? If he's taking this Duel so seriously, Yusuke might be in trouble…"
"Not bad," I complimented my opponent. "But your Fusion Monster is 200 points weaker than my Gundam. Unless you have another trick up your sleeve?"
"Indeed, I do," Reiji answered, bluntly. "I activate the effect of D/D Arms Master! By sending this card from my hand to the Graveyard, one D/D or D/D/D monster on my field gains 500 ATK until the end of my turn. Naturally, I select my Temujin."
A spectral image of a fiendish-looking warrior appeared in front of Temujin before it faded inside the Fusion Monster, shrouding it in an aura of malicious violet.
D/D/D Raging Inferno King Temujin (ATK: 2000-2500)
"I spoke too soon!" Futoshi cried out in shock.
"Battle!" Reiji announced. "Temujin attacks Strike Gundam! Fire Stroke!"
The Fusion Monster lunges towards the Gundam, the Strike bringing up its knives to prepare for a fight. Meanwhile, I scan the area for any Action Cards and spot something twinkling in the distance.
"Strike, throw me over there!" I told my monster as it holstered one knife, offering its hand to me and allowing me to climb before it threw me through the air like a baseball. Reaching out with my hand, I snagged a card that had been sitting on the edge of a cliff and looked ready to fall. "With the effect of Phase Shift Armor, I send one card in my hand to the Graveyard to prevent my Strike Gundam's destruction!" I sent my newly acquired Action Card to my GY Slot as my lone monster brought up its arms to block Temujin's blazing sword.
"You still take damage." Reiji reminded me.
Yusuke LP: 3700
Reiji gave me a look before continuing his turn, "I place two cards face-down and end my turn. At this time, the effect of D/D Arms Master ends."
D/D/D Raging Inferno King Temujin (ATK: 2500-2000)
"My turn then. Draw!" I drew my next card and looked at what I had drawn. Perfect.
"Yusuke! Showcase You Show's Entertainment Dueling!" Yuya called out.
Sorry, Yuya. However, I'm not exactly doing this for entertainment. I'm doing this for myself, as a true test of my skills as a Duelist.
"Since I have a Machine-Type Monster on my Field, I can Special Summon Gundam Astray Red Frame!" I declared, placing the card mentioned on my Duel Disk.
A new Gundam landed in a kneeling position appears from the distance. The latest Gundam looked like a samurai version of the Strike but colored entirely white and red while wielding a single-edge katana known as the Gerbera Straight (4/ATK: 1700/DEF: 1200).
"Battle!" I declared. "Strike Gundam attacks Temujin!"
Said Gundam took off by igniting its thrusters toward Temujin with knives prepped for skewering Reiji's monster.
"Continuous Trap activate! Covenant with Valkyries!" Reiji declared.
"Another Covenant!?" Gongenzaka cried out.
"Then that means…" Yuzu trailed off.
Reiji explained his Trap's effect. "I will take 1000 points of damage during my Standby Phase and all Fiend-type monsters I control gain 1000 ATK."
D/D/D Raging Inferno King Temujin (ATK: 2000-3000)
"Then Strike Gundam's attack won't go through!" Futoshi cried out.
"3000 ATK. Impressive. You managed to halt my monster's attack." I complimented my opponent.
Reiji nudged his glasses back up. "It is still your turn."
I guess he doesn't care for compliments at the moment.
"Well, since you want to activate an effect, I'll activate one. During the Battle Phase, Gundam Astray Red Frame lends half of its ATK to one Gundam on my field until the End Phase! Naturally, that goes to the Strike!" I declared as Red Frame threw its katana towards Strike Gundam, who caught it and wielded it with both hands.
Gundam Astray Red Frame (ATK: 1700-850)
Strike Gundam (ATK: 2200-3050)
"The battle continues!" I shouted.
Strike Gundam dashed towards Temujin just as the Fusion Monster sent Reiji flying towards an Action Card while he subtly tapped the screen on his Duel Disk.
D/D/D Raging Inferno King Temujin (ATK: 3000-2000)
Both monsters engaged in a vicious sword fight before Strike Gundam deflected Temujin's blade and slashed down with the Gerbera Straight, engulfing the area in smoke from an explosion.
"He did it!" The kids exclaimed with joy.
When the smoke cleared, instead of seeing an empty field, Temujin was still alive. This surprised the kids. Yet Himika smirked at the sight without a shred of doubt.
"Huh?" Ayu gasped.
"What happened?" Futoshi exclaimed.
"No way!" Tatsuya cried out.
The blazing aura around Temujin seemed to intimidate Strike Gundam, forcing it to return to my field but not before returning the Gerbera Straight to the Red Frame.
"I knew it." I narrowed my eyes at my opponent. "An Action Card?"
"Indeed," Reiji answered, "Action Magic: Evasion, that is."
"Hmph, I should've expected as much from the youngest CEO in Maiami City." I complimented the young man. My eyes looked at his field, if he played the card I think he played then the effects of his Covenants wouldn't mean anything.
Yuya watched this with a frown, "They look pretty even right now."
"No, they're not!" Yuzu interjected.
"His opponent has four Covenants active right now!" Gongenzaka added. "He'll take 4000 damage during his next Standby Phase! That means…"
"If Yusuke ends his turn right now, his opponent's life will become zero!" Yuzu finished.
"Doesn't that mean that Yusuke-niichan has won?" Ayu asked with a smile.
"That's pretty anticlimactic," Futoshi said, smiling as well.
"It was a mistake in his opponent's strategy!" Tatsuya added.
"I wonder about that…" Sora pointed out, getting looks of confusion from the others. "I get the feeling that he isn't the type of guy to make such a simple mistake." His thoughts drifted back to the last attack. "And also, the fact that right before Strike Gundam's attack connected…Inferno King's 3000 ATK went back down to 2000 has been bothering me…"
My eyes locked on the D/D/D Fusion Monster remaining on Reiji's field. Evasion was something I counted on but the ATK strength lowering made me suspicious. Then I heard him chuckle in amusement. "Something funny?" I asked.
"Pardon me," Reiji said, losing his brief smile before pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. "I was simply remembering your words from earlier about how it would not be easy to get a read on you. So far, you are correct."
"I'm sensing a 'but' there," I stated.
"But throughout this Duel, I've gotten a decent understanding of your character," Reiji remarked as he focused on me. "There's a kindness in your eyes but you have the mindset of someone willing to dirty their hands."
"So what if I do?" Glaring at my opponent, I waited for him to get to the point of why he stopped me from ending my turn.
"That sort of mindset is exactly what I need on the battlefield. The mindset of a soldier." He stated. "So why are you hesitating? You could end this Duel by simply ending your turn."
This time, I smirked, "Who says I am? I end my turn. At this time, Strike Gundam and Astray Red Frame's ATK returns to normal."
Gundam Astray Red Frame (ATK: 850-1700)
Strike Gundam (ATK: 3050-2200)
"Your move, Reiji," I told my opponent.
"Oh? Not going to announce my Contracts dealing me damage?" Reiji inquired.
I shrugged, "Why bother? After all, you already shredded those Contracts, didn't you?"
"Eh?" The You Show kids looked at me in confusion.
"What does he mean by that?" Gongenzaka pondered.
"Wait," Yuzu paused before her eyes widened in realization. "Of course! That's what he meant!"
"Huh? Meant what, Yuzu?" Yuya asked his childhood friend.
"It's the end of Yusuke's turn. So why haven't Akaba Reiji's Life Points gone to zero?" She pointed out, gesturing to the LP meter which remained up.
"Yuzu-neechan's right!" Ayu exclaimed.
"But how?!" Futoshi cried out.
Reiji looked at me momentarily before smirking, "Hmph, very observant." Suddenly, all four of his Contract cards appeared in front of him before they promptly shattered into particles. "The covenants were nullified. I had already activated the Trap Card: Lease Laundering! Lease Laundering is activated by negating the effects of all "Covenant" cards, and destroys all affected "Covenant" cards during the End Phase."
"Now I get it!" Sora realized. "With that, Covenant with Valkyries was negated and Temujin's ATK returned to 2000!"
"Then that means he negated all 4000 points of damage?!" Gongenzaka exclaimed in surprise.
Reiji continued the explanation of his card, "And now I can draw cards equal to the amount of "Covenant" cards destroyed by this effect!" As he said this, he drew four new cards from his Deck, replenishing his hand.
"You knew this wasn't going to be easy." Ray reminded me.
I know. But I always wanted it to be challenging.
"Why's that?"
Just because I know what he'll play, doesn't mean the outcome could change. That's what's got me so excited. Reiji is one of the toughest Duelists to go up against. Hardly anyone has been able to beat him.
That's why…
"I should thank you, Akaba Reiji," I told the teen with a smirk.
"Hm? How so?" He gave me a look that I couldn't quite describe. Interest? Confusion?
"Well, it wouldn't be fun if I beat you by such a cheap method. Burning yourself down to zero like that." I shook my head, a smirk forever present on my face. "No… I want to defeat you at your best. To crush you beneath the strength of my Gundams! That is the Duel that I'm looking for!"
"Eh?!" Yuya looked at me in shock. "That's why he's dueling?!"
"That…sounds so…" Yuzu started, a bit frightened by the look in my eyes.
"Bloodthirsty…" Sora finished as he snacked on his lollipop, his eyes gleaming with interest at my declaration.
Reiji seemed amused in a sense, "Oh? I thought you were doing this as an Entertainment Duelist."
I scoffed, "Sorry, but that's not my style. Entertainment Dueling is for dreamers and children." This got a surprised gasp from all of You Show. "There's nothing wrong with it but when I Duel…" I leveled a challenging glare at my opponent. "I do it to face off against tough opponents and win!"
This time, Reiji smirked, "A good mindset. But do you have what it takes to beat me?"
"Won't know until we find out!" I declared with a toothy smirk.
"My turn! Draw!" Reiji declared, his smirk remaining as he drew his card, making his hand at five now. "I summon the Level 3 Tuner Monster, D/D Night Howling!"
Appearing on the young CEO's field is a demonic pair of jaws with razor-sharp teeth and ghostly eyes (3/ATK: 300/DEF: 600).
"A Tuner, eh?" I gave the newly summoned Fiend a mild look of interest.
The You Show group on the other hand all gasped in shock, with Gongenzaka saying, "He can't be-"
However, Himika finished for him with a wicked grin on her face, "Oh, but he is. From here on is the main act."
Reiji continued his turn, "When this card is successfully Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower "D/D" monster from my graveyard, but its ATK becomes 0." He explained Night Howling's effect. "The monster I choose to revive is D/D Lilith!"
The feminine demon reappeared once more on Reiji's field right beside Night Howling.
"Here it comes…" I muttered under my breath.
"I Tune the Level 4 D/D Lilith with the Level 3 Night Howling!" Reiji declared as the demonic jawed fiend transformed into three Synchro Gates while D/D Lilith jumped into the center, becoming a golden outline of itself while four stars were present. A beam of light emerged from the Synchro Gate as Reiji began his summoning chant.
"Howls that tear through the night with the swiftness of a gale give birth to a new king! Synchro Summon! Be born! Level 7! D/D/D Alexander, the King of Gales!"
Emerging from the tunnel is an armored being wreathed in gales with a cleaver-like sword wielded in its right hand (7/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000).
Yuya looked at the newly arrived beast with surprise, "A Synchro Monster…!"
"He wasn't just a Fusion User?!" Gongenzaka exclaimed in shock while the rest of the You Show group watched with equal expressions of surprise.
"It's not over yet." Reiji told me. "I activate D/D/D Temujin, the Raging Inferno King's monster effect! When a "D/D/D" monster besides this card is Special Summoned: I can Special Summon any "D/D" monster from my graveyard! Be reborn once more, D/D Lilith!"
A dark purple aura surrounded Temujin as it raised its sword into the air before calling up the fiendish succubus once more.
"Additionally! I activate Alexander, the King of Gales' monster effect!" Reiji declared as his newly summoned Synchro Monster began to release a typhoon of winds. "When a "D/D" monster is Special Summoned: I can Special Summon one "D/D" monster from my Graveyard! Be reborn, D/D Cerberus!" This time, the three-headed demonic hellhound appeared beside D/D Lilith.
"Two monsters with the same Level…" Ray said with worry.
"His third Summoning Method…" I muttered under my breath.
Reiji continued, "I choose the Level 4 D/D Lilith and D/D Cerberus and Overlay them!" At his declaration, both Level 4 Fiends turned into purple motes of light before flying up into the sky until they entered the Overlay Network. "I use the two monsters to construct the Overlay Network!"
"In order to subjugate all that resides in this world descend now onto the peak of the world! Xyz Summon! Be born! Rank 4! Caesar, the King of Surging Waves!"
A third monster, this one clad in dark blue armor and holding a giant broadsword, appeared alongside the other two kings (R: 4/OU: 2/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1200).
"No way…" Yuzu muttered in shock.
"Even Xyz Monsters…" Sora added, focusing on Reiji's lineup.
"It's…just like Yusuke," Yuya said with awe. "Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz…"
"Akaba Reiji has also mastered different summoning methods?" Gongenzaka commented with a surprised expression. "I, the man Gongenzaka, hate to admit this, but Yusuke might be a bit over his head there."
"D/D/D stands for Different Dimension Demon." Reiji abruptly stated as he straightened his glasses. "Prepare to have a good taste of the power of the kings who subjugate alternate planes, Fujimura Yusuke. Now then, will my kings topple your mechanical toys or will they surprise them?"
I narrowed my eyes on what he meant. Did he know? That I wasn't part of this dimension?
"Battle!" Reiji declared. "D/D/D Caesar, attack his Strike Gundam! Tidel Torrent!"
Shit! Can't afford to use my hand. Need to find an Action Card and- Yes! "Red Frame, fastball special! Over there!" I gestured at a high-tech building that had an Action Card resting on the roof. Astray Red Frame picked me up then tossed me right at it, my hand already reaching out to grab the card and-
"That will not work a second time. Alexander!" Reiji declared. No sooner than I could blink, Reiji's Synchro Monster stood in my path, unleashing its control over the wind to push me away.
"Son of a bitch!" I cursed, trying to regain control of my body in the air until the Red Frame managed to catch me and bring me back to the ground.
However, since I had been stopped from grabbing an Action Card to send to the Graveyard to activate Phase Shift Armor's effect, Caesar had no obstacle in bringing up its sword and bringing it down, cleaving Strike Gundam in half.
Yusuke LP: 3500
I gritted my teeth at seeing Strike Gundam's destruction. "Since a monster equipped with Phase Shift Armor was destroyed, it also goes to the Graveyard," I said, slotting both cards into the GY Slot.
"D/D/D Temujin attacks Gundam Astray Red Frame! Fire Stroke!" Reiji declared as his Fusion Monster lunged towards my sole remaining monster and slashed the Astray in half, leaving my field empty.
Yusuke LP: 3200
"Oh, no! Yusuke-niichan is open!" Futoshi cried out in shock.
"And now, D/D/D Alexander attacks the player directly!" Reiji declared as his Synchro Monster flew towards me with its sword raised to cut me down.
"YUSUKE!/YUSUKE!" The You Show group (and Ray) cried out in unison just as the D/D/D Alexander was about to hit me.
"Reverse Card open!" I declared as my lone face-down flipped up to reveal the Hyperion Gundam with his shield activated. "Armure Lumiere! This card is activated when I have no monsters on my field and I'm the target for a direct attack! First, I can Special Summon from my hand or Deck, Hyperion Gundam!" A card emerged from my Deck Slot, which I used.
Appearing in a flash of light is a new Gundam colored similarly to the Red Frame but it carried a backpack that resembled a prong as well as a beam submachine gun (5/ATK: 1900/DEF: 1400).
"Finally, the Battle Phase of my opponent comes to an end and I can draw a card from my Deck for every monster on my opponent's field! You have three, so I can draw three!" As I said this and drew my cards, the Hyperion activated its special gear, the Armure Lumiere, which generated a sphere-shaped shield that blocked Alexander's strike and sent it flying back to its master.
Reiji gave me an almost approving glare. "Well done. You managed to avoid taking major damage and even gained new resources. Impressive."
Glaring right back, I didn't bother to give him a response.
"I set one card and end my turn." Reiji ended his turn after placing a face-down.
"My turn then! Draw!" I declared after drawing my next card and looking at the five cards in my hand. "It's finally here."
"Oh! That look!" Tatsuya gestured.
"Could it be-?" Ayu beamed happily.
"It's showtime!" I declared, bringing up two cards with a smirk. "I, using the Scale 0 MS Pilot - Kira Yamato and the Scale 1 MS Pilot - Athrun Zala, set the Pendulum Scale!" I slap both cards on the far sides of my Duel Board. The word 'PENDULUM' appeared in a rainbow of colors.
Two pillars of light appeared behind me. On my right, a brown-haired boy dressed in a dark blue-white pilot suit with purple eyes appeared with a kind smile. On my left, a boy with dark blue hair and green eyes, dressed in a magenta-white pilot suit, appeared with a determined scowl. The numbers '0' and '1' appeared below the feet of the duo.
"Eh?! 0 and 1?! What kind of Pendulum Summon can he even do with that?!" Gongenzaka exclaimed in shock.
"Did he misplay?" Yuzu pondered.
Yuya, however, shook his head, "No, Yusuke wouldn't make an error like that. There must be a reason why he used those specific cards."
"Ha! What an idiot!" The LDS side, on the other hand, wasn't entirely convinced. This is evident by Hokuto mocking my current Pendulum Scale. "This loser is so scared by the President that he played the wrong Pendulum cards!"
"Guess he really was all talk." Yaiba agreed with the Xyz Duelist, snickering in amusement.
"Idiots," Masami scoffed.
I smirked at the comments, "It's true. My current Pendulum Scale is not exactly proficient in Pendulum Summoning. However, these have a unique power when paired together. For instance, when Athrun Zala is paired with an 'MS Pilot' with 'Kira Yamato' in its name on the Pendulum Scale, its Scale Number is raised to 10! Bonds of Brotherhood!"
MS Pilot - Athrun Zala [Scale Number: 1-10]
"Say what!?" The LDS group, except Himika, exclaimed in shock.
"Alright!" The kids cried out with joy.
"That means he can summon high-level monsters now!" Yuzu said with joy.
"Such a hot-blooded friendship!" Shuzo cried out, wiping tears of joy.
"And now, with these two, I can simultaneously summon Monsters between Levels 1 and 9!" I declared before beginning the chant.
"Sway, to-and-fro sway! Let the potential of humanity reach its epoch and unveil its light! Pendulum Summon! Appear before me, my Gundams!"
A portal opened in the sky above me and from out of the portal came two different trails of light that formed into two new Gundams.
"Introducing the newest stars of the show! First up, I present Freedom Gundam!" Appearing first is a white Gundam with a pair of blue-black mechanical wings on its back, wielding a beam rifle and a shield as its yellow eyes flared with untapped power (7/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1500). "And its sibling unit, Justice Gundam!" Appearing beside the Freedom is a mostly magenta and dark red Gundam with a flight unit for a backpack, wielding a magenta-colored version of the Freedom's rifle and a shield with a similar color scheme as its green optics flared to life (6/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1700).
"Those Gundams look so cool!" Tatsuya cried out with sparkles in his eyes.
"The Freedom looks like an angel!" Ayu squealed happily.
"Shivers~!" Futoshi once again did his butt-shaking dance.
"Freedom Gundam's effect activates! When he's successfully Pendulum Summoned: If Kira Yamato is part of the Pendulum Scale, I can Special Summon a Monster from my Deck or Graveyard based on the difference of the Pendulum Scale Numbers! Both of which are currently 0 and 10! So I can Special Summon a Monster from Levels 1 and 9!" I searched through my Deck and found the card I wanted. "I Special Summon the Tuner Monster: Build Booster!"
A brief twinkle appeared in the sky overhead before an object flew down to reveal a blue fighter with beam cannons and white details (3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 100).
"Next, Justice Gundam's effect activates! When he's successfully Pendulum Summoned: If Athrun Zala is part of the Pendulum Scale, I can draw two cards! If any cards are monsters, I can Special Summon them without Tribute!" I drew my two cards and smirked. "My lucky day! I Special Summon to the field, Aegis Gundam! Additionally, if the monster Special Summoned to the field is the Aegis, its Level is raised by 1!"
Another Gundam appears bearing a strong resemblance to the Justice Gundam but it doesn't possess a flight unit, its beam rifle had a longer barrel, it had blades on its feet, and the shield it wielded seemed geared for goring foes (4-5/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1400).
"I Overlay the Level 5 Aegis Gundam and Hyperion Gundam!" At my declaration, both Gundams turned into streaks of light: the Aegis being dark purple and the Hyperion being golden yellow before they entered the Overlay Network. "With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"
"Inheriting the name of the metal that forged its blade, become the People's Monarch and reign supreme as the Ultimate! Xyz Summon! Rise, Lord Astray Ω!"
A gleam appeared in the sky before a massive double-edged sword that seemed impossible to lift, landed in the center. A white-armored hand grabbed the blade in a reverse grip until it revealed the new Xyz Monster, a white armored Gundam of the Astray variant with a dark bladed 'crown' on its head, red markings that resembled flames, and black armor plating on the joints as its blue optic eyes flared (R: 5/OU: 2/ATK: 2800/DEF: 1800).
"Wow, look at that!" Tatsuya gawked in awe at the new Gundam with sparkles in his eyes.
"Then by banishing Strike Gundam from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon from my hand or Deck, Build Strike Gundam!" A card pops out of my Deck which I quickly played after removing the Strike's card from my GY Slot. Appearing from a portal composed of data cubes came a modified version of the Strike Gundam with beam sabers on its hips, four Vulcan guns on its head, an aerodynamic golden V-fin blade antenna, and blue markings on its knee and forearm parts (4/ATK: 1600/DEF: 1200).
"He's filled up his entire field…" Yuya said with awe.
"Could he be preparing to…" Yuzu trailed.
"I Tune the Level 4 Build Strike Gundam with the Level 3 Build Booster!" At my declaration, the Build Booster flew into the air as the Build Strike followed behind. The fighter transformed into three Synchro Gates as the Gundam flew in and turned into an orange outline version of itself as four stars appeared as a bright light emerged from the Gates.
"The imagination of a builder is endless! Inherent the dreams of the children and reach the skies! Synchro Summon! Soar high, Build Strike Gundam Full Package!"
From out of the light, green eyes flared as the Build Strike Gundam appeared with the Build Booster on its back and the wings extended into three sections as it wielded a new beam rifle and a Chobham shield (7/ATK: 2500/DEF: 1100).
"Synchro and Xyz plus Pendulum!" Ayu beamed with joy.
"All that's left is…" Futoshi trailed on, equally happy.
"Next, I play a Spell Card from my hand: Astray Fusion! This allows me to Fusion Summon a 'Gundam' Monster with 'Astray' in its name by using materials from my hand or Graveyard so long as one of those materials has 'Astray' in its name!"
"A Fusion that lets you use materials from the Graveyard!?" Hokuto exclaimed in shock.
"That's part of the advancement courses in the Fusion Class!" Masami cried out in surprise.
"I select Gundam Astray Red Frame and Build Strike Gundam as the Fusion Materials!" At my declaration, spectral versions of both Gundams appeared before entering the Fusion Gate.
"Samurai edged in crimson merge with the warrior built from dreams to become a new possibility! Fusion Summon! Roar proudly, Gundam Astray Red Dragon!"
Landing beside the other four Gundams is a new Astray Red Frame that was equipped with three large blades that were attached to the backpack unit like a pair of wings, its scarlet red head crest now released what looked like violet flames, and it had its Gerbera Straight resting on the hip (8/ATK: 3000/DEF: 1800).
"No way…!" Yaiba muttered with both shock and awe.
"Pendulum, Fusion, Xyz, and Synchro…" Hokuto had his jaw comically falling to the ground.
All the while, Reiji stared at my monsters without so much of a smirk or twitch. It was cold and stoic as ever. But there was something in his eyes; a gleam of interest. "I must say, you've managed to summon a line of powerful monsters. Three of which would have no problems contending with my Three Kings." He complimented me while looking at my Extra Deck Summons.
"Thanks?" I replied, a bit unsure of what he meant. Is your brother always this cryptic?
"I don't exactly have a body to make conversation with, y'know." Ray pointed out with, what I guessed, a dry expression.
Okay, fair point.
"But you see, I was waiting for this moment." Reiji interrupted my inner conversation.
"...Excuse me?" I raised a brow in suspicion.
"Wait, he was anticipating this?" Yuya looked gobsmacked.
"But how? Ever since we've met Yusuke, we've never seen him interact with Akaba Reiji." Yuzu pursed her lips in confusion.
However, while the kids were confused, I figured out what he meant, "You were watching my Duels…" I said in realization. "You studied my play style."
"He watched his Duels? But how?" Yuzu gasped, not understanding, "The only way he'd know is if he had… cameras…" She trailed off.
"Not just cameras," I chimed in, glaring at my opponent. "As the CEO of LEO Corporation, you have access to all the Duel Disk systems of every registered Duelist in the world. Mine being no exception."
This time, Reiji smirked. "Quite astute of you. Yes, it is true. I have studied your Decks. But…" He pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. "The data from your cards…always gave me pause. I ran simulations on what would happen if my current Deck ever went up against you. However, the computer program always told me one thing: Inconclusive." He explained.
"What?" That actually confused me.
"Your cards are not part of a single Deck. Each one had a different look, a different… feeling, so to speak. That's when I came to the conclusion that you have multiple Decks, each centered around a different set of Gundam monsters, which makes you unpredictable in a Duel. Save for one glowing weakness…"
"Uhhhh… what's he talking about?" Futoshi asked, not liking where this was heading. And I couldn't help but agree with that notion. It's as if Reiji had a card made specifically to counter- oh shit, he didn't…!
"I should be thanking you for summoning your monsters. Now I get to play this. Reverse Card open!" Reiji declared as his lone face-down, which I had believed would've been part of the canon Duel against Yuya…was not the card I expected or even knew about. "D/D/D Extra Lock!"
The image of the card revealed D/D/D Alexander, Caesar, and Temujin standing above three monsters that reminded me of Elemental Hero Flame Wingman, Junk Warrior, and Number 39: Utopia but all three of those monsters were… bound in chains.
"This card can be activated when my opponent has a Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monster on the Field while I also have the same. First, this card negates the effects of those Extra Deck Monsters so long as this card is on the field. Since I possess a Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monster, yours have their effects negated." At Reiji's declaration, a dark aura suddenly overtook Lord Astray, Build Strike, and Astray Red Dragon. "Next, those monsters are prevented from entering their Battle Phase nor can they change their battle position." Glowing red chains suddenly emerged from the card, binding my three Gundams and preventing them from moving. "Finally, for every Standby Phase, my opponent must send 1 Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from their Extra Deck to the Graveyard for each monster affected by this card."
"What?!" Yuya cried out, horrified.
"No way! That means Yusuke's Extra Deck is completely useless!" Yuzu gasped.
Himika smirked, "I told you. This is the main act. Your friend is merely a stepping stool for Reiji-san."
I gritted my teeth in frustration. My three new monsters were going to be the spearhead that defeats Reiji's Kings but that new card has made them useless. Still, I can come back from this so long as I-
"Oh, and I would not try destroying my Extra Lock with a Spell, Trap, or Effect. Because you see, it can only be destroyed if my three Kings are bested in battle." Reiji explained after figuring out what I was thinking.
"Oh, man! That's terrible! Spells, Traps, and Monster Effects won't work!?" Tatsuya cried out, looking afraid for me.
"Most of Yusuke's best comebacks revolves around the Extra Deck." Sora theorized, munching on a candy bar. "And for every turn that passes, he'll lose three monsters."
"The rules state that a Duelist can only have 15 Extra Deck Monsters." Gongenzaka grimaced, "He already has three of them out. Meaning in four turns…"
"...Yusuke will lose all his best monsters." Yuya finished.
"So then, Fujimura Yusuke… what will you do now?" Reiji asked rhetorically. "Your Extra Deck has been locked down and I doubt you will be able to summon a strong enough monster to contend with my Kings."
I can't believe I'm thinking this but he's right. Without my Extra Deck, my options for winning are limited. How am I supposed to beat his monsters when most of my strategy is up in flames?!
A/N: And that shall be a good stopping point there.
Now just so you guys are wondering, this whole Duel is a two-parter because the next chapter will reveal our protagonist's True Ace Monster.
Just a brief update: this Duel alone was rather tiresome to deal with. I was banging my head trying to make sure it wasn't entirely like the canon version so I had to make up, plan, and edit several cards to ascertain if they were fit for the Duel or not.
I should also point out this to all of you who believed that this Duel would showcase the IBO Gundams. In case you guys have forgotten or are new to Gundam, the whole "Duel of Devils" refers more than just the IBO ones. It referenced all Gundams! Remember in the One Year War, the original Gundam was known as the White Devil and that tradition kept going with each generation. Never assume which Gundam series will be featured in a Duel. Saves ya the disappointment.
Plus, readers have been begging me to bring up the SEED-era Deck and this was a good opportunity to showcase it. Oh, and before you say anything about the Build Strike not being part of SEED, allow me to make this statement: OC or Buildverse Mobile Suits are part of the era their base was from. So, Build Strike being based on the Strike Gundam belongs here.
The Rush Duel Deck aces are still up if anyone is interested. You just need to provide the effect, appearance, and possible ATK and DEF of them. Here is what is still available.
Blue-Tooth Gundam (Level 7/Effect)
Red-Boost Gundam (Level 7/Effect)
Gold-Access Gundam (Level 6/Effect)
Violet-Delete Gundam (Level 8/Fusion)
Verde-Data Gundam (Level 8/Fusion)
Amber-Code Gundam (Level 8/Fusion)
White-Vaccine Gundam (Level 10/Fusion)
Those are the ace monsters. If you're having trouble on what the aesthetics of the Gundams might be then I'll give you a helpful hint: Their theme is related to Cyberware and color.
Black-Virus Gundam was already taken, and I'm already impressed by both the effect and what they thought up for the appearance.
Anyways, reviewers, be they Guest or otherwise, are free to petition OC Gundam cards for different Decks. If there is a specific Deck you would like a card in, tell me and I will give you a response. However, be sure to add the name, what summoning method is used, the attack and defense points, the effect if it has one, and the appearance.
Review and comment on this chapter. Love it, hate it, but just know that you've read it.
Peace out, everyone!