Following the end of the relay, CHS was in a tough spot. With the first event's loss and Sunny's team losing the Wargames match, their uphill battle seemed even harder. And it wasn't just her that felt the weight and pressure. Celestia was in her office, her head in her hands as she thought about what happened.

It'll be easy for you to tell your school you lost. You're so used to it that they probably expect it to happen.

Celestia reclined in her chair, her head held high, but her gaze was distant. She swiveled her chair, facing the window. The sun, a fiery ball, descended on the horizon, mirroring her dwindling chances of victory. With a heavy sigh, she turned her attention to a photograph, a relic from the past, featuring Mario and Roll's father.

"I thought I could replicate that same magic," said Celestia as she held the photo of Isaac and the Rainbooms, representing CHS. "But I guess… I was wrong."

Mario was in the locker room as he finished freshening himself up. The boy was looking to return to his dorm as he felt exhausted. He grabbed his bag and exited the room, coming face-to-face with Zipp.

"Hey."

"Sup."

"Mind if I tag along?"

"Sure."

The girl smiled as she walked alongside her friend.

"Can't believe we lost!" said the heiress.

"You still regret giving me that position?" asked Mario.

"No. I did what was best for the team instead of being selfish. At this point, we can't afford to let our personal issues get in the way. We need to stick together if we even stand a chance of winning."

The pair approached the Synchro dorm as Mario figured he'd at least walk Zipp to her room. They entered the building, climbed the stairs to the second floor, and arrived at the girl's door.

"Mario… be honest… do we stand a chance against your cousin?"

The boy sighed as he could only look Zipp in the eyes. The girl could decipher that, as it was clear they needed some kind of miracle.

"Well… thanks, at least. For walking me to my room," said the heiress. "And for… not being mad at me for how I acted."

"Eh, it's fine," responded Mario.

The girl smiled, glad there was no bad blood between them. She looked at Mario as the boy kept his eyes on the girl as she got closer and put her arms around his neck. The heiress pulled him in as their lips touched. The boy put her arms around Zipp, pulled her closer as he walked forward, and had Zipp's back against her door. The heiress once again began to have her hands roam about the boy's chest, but this time, she slipped them under his shirt to actually feel his muscles and felt weak at the touch of them. As for Mario, he had his hands roaming about Zipp's hot body as he felt her curves, which got a reaction from the girl. Eventually, the pair pulled back as they needed some air. Their eyes gazed into the other as Zipp's heart began to beat faster than before.

As much as she wanted to continue to kiss the boy, she regained control of her senses and removed herself from him. She kept her gaze on Mario as she turned to unlock her door and slip in, closing it with a thud. Mario looked at it for a moment before he turned to leave. On the other side, Zipp was leaning against her door as she had her head pointed up. The girl wrestled with her thoughts about her last two moments alone with the boy. The memory of their Christmas date came into her mind as she was reminded of that night's conversation. How she told him that she needed time to sort out her feelings toward him, but… what if she already knew her feelings toward him?

A sea of people were lined up. Several had tons of photos, and some even had posters, as the entire line wrapped around the entire building. A few camera people were outside getting some shots at the people lining up for this special event as they waved and made some hype comments. Inside the building, a table was set up with several markers, and there was a chair behind the table. Some security was near the door and all over the room as they waited for things to start. In a private room, Isaac was shown as he was getting ready for a signing. The World Champion had four prior media appearances before this… and was still raring to go.

A knock on the door was heard, and Juniper came in.

"Alright. Everything is ready. Are you all good?" asked the woman to her client.

"Yeah," responded the World Champion as he grabbed his cap and put it on.

He took one look in the mirror and smiled before following Juniper. The doors to the place opened, and the guards made sure the line was intact as the people got even more excited. Juniper was the first to come out and got everyone's attention.

"Everyone. I'd like to welcome you all for coming out. Please put your hands together for the World Champion, Isaac!" said the woman.

The song of the World Champion played as he came through a small curtain. A small roar from the people inside occurred as Isaac played to them. He gave some small waves as he made his way to the table and sat beside Juniper. The staff told him some things as he grabbed the markers and quickly tested each one to see if they worked. Once he was ready, the staff and security began to let the people approach the table to meet and greet the champ.

"Hey."

"Hey! How are you doing?" responded Isaac, sticking his hand out to shake the person's before taking the print he had and signing it. "I'm so glad you could come out, man."

Once he finished his first signing, Isaac moved to his next, which consisted of a woman and her two kids.

"How are you folks doing today?" asked the World Champion as he signed and made small talk with the family before taking a picture with the kids.

And so it went as Isaac signed several dozen prints, met some fans, and even made small talk with some people. As for them, they were all but ecstatic to meet the World Champion. Some mentioned being fans, and a few even talked about his upcoming match with Aj, which they were looking forward to.

"I can't wait to see you kick that farmer's ass," said a person.

"Oh, believe me. I'm gonna tap that ass and then some," responded Isaac with a smile as he finished signing the person's print and did a quick photo before shaking hands and departing.

Eventually, the signing ended as Isaac stood up and gave one last wave to the sea of people who came out. They cheered and waved goodbye to the champ as he left through the curtain. Isaac was returning to his room as Juniper left her client alone to get their ride ready to return to the hotel. The World Champion plopped onto his couch as he grabbed an apple, and bit into it while tipping his cap just a bit to cover his eyes with his left hand behind his head. As he took another bite of the fruit, his phone rang; he set the fruit down and grabbed his mobile device.

"Hello?" said the man as she sat upright, hunched over. "Hey, sweetie. How've you been? How's it going with your Friendship Games?"

It was the next day, and the vibe at CHS was clear. Many students felt a sense of dread and defeat given yesterday's event. Many were already considering accepting defeat as they didn't see any way for Sunny and the others to return from their two losses. As for Sunny, she certainly had a lot of doubt in her mind, given their recent loss. Yet, the girl still had hope they could turn this around. However, it was a small sliver, and that hope was fading fast.

Sunny approached her mirror, and instead of reaching for her red jacket, she reached for something. The girl wore her usual attire: short jeans, a rainbow-colored skirt with her mark in the center, white socks with sky-blue stripes, and yellow sneakers. However, she grabbed a different piece of clothing instead of her signature jacket to complete her usual look.

Mario is shown sitting on a bench in a room with a single spotlight shining over him. The boy is shown sitting seriously with his head down. He lifted his head and opened his eyes as his duel disk and phone were beside him. The boy then touches his phone's screen as music began to play.

Look, if you have one shot or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?
Yo

Mario began to put on his duel disk and strapped it on his wrist. The boy reached into his deck box on his side and looked at his deck before spreading them out to sift through them. Once he finished, he slotted them into the deck slot of his device as he stood up. The boy also looked at a piece of clothing on the bench as he grabbed it.

He's nervous, but on the surface, he looks calm and ready
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgetting
What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud
He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out
He's chokin', how? Everybody's jokin' now
The clock's run out, time's up, over, blaow

The boy wasn't the only one getting ready; the others were all getting into the moment. Zipp was shown with headphones on, and the girl was getting herself focused as she began to lip-sync the words of the song she was listening to. Hitch was currently doing some pushups as he tried to center his mind. Izzy was putting together a small project, which helped relieve her fears. With Pipp, she took some deep breaths, trying to calm her worries and fears. Roll was jumping rope as she counted off, getting her mind right. Sunny was currently writing in her journal, expressing her troubles and doubts. As well as getting any nerves out, she knew this upcoming event was big. All teens were then shown with a split across the screen as they all began to grab their duel disks like Mario and strap them on. The six slotted in their decks as their devices came online and ready for war.

Mario was still looking at the clothing he had in his hands as he debated wearing it. Izzy had gone out of her way to create outfits for her friends to show their unity. The boy was holding a red blazer, and on the back was not only the boy's name but also a special mark. Mario's blazer had a golden star with a silver heart in the center and a gold ribbon underneath, giving the star a majestic appearance. The boy questioned why Izzy gave him such a special mark, but he couldn't deny that it looked cool and impressive. Ultimately, he sighed and began slipping on the red blazer as he adjusted it to fit him perfectly.

As he turned around, Roll came in, wearing a similar outfit. Compared to her brother's, it was yellow. Her name was written on her back like her brother's, but her mark was a blue swirl. Soon, the rest of their friends came in; they, too, wore the special blazers that Izzy had made for them. Zipp wore a white blazer with her name on the back and her lightning bolt with a crown mark under it. Pipp had an aquamarine blazer as she had her musical note with a crown mark on the back. Sunny donned a lavender blazer with her name and mark on the back, as did Hitch and Izzy, the former having a green blazer while the latter had a blue one.

"Uh, not to toot my own horn, but… these costumes are spectacular!" said Izzy, even more impressed by her designs as she circled around. She cheered with a wide smile and sparkles in her eyes.

"You outdid yourself, Iz. I love it!" said Roll.

"Yep. Now everyone can see us and know how equally #Perfect we all are!" said Pipp as she pulled Izzy in for a selfie. She cheered with a smile with sparkles in her eyes as she and Izzy smiled at the phone.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" said the girl as she reached behind her. "I made caps for Zipp, Hitch, and Mario."

"Aw, sweet! Thanks, Iz!" said Zipp as she put on her cap, which had her mark on it. The girl felt like adding the cap made her look ten times cooler with her sick blazer.

"I like it!" said Hitch, putting his cap on.

Izzy approached Mario with his cap in her hands as she smiled.

"Uh, yeah, thanks, Izzy," said the boy as he took the cap from the girl's hands.

"Oh, wait. There's something on the inside. Read it."

"Seriously?" said Mario as he looked at Izzy, who eagerly smiled.

The boy rolled his eyes at the girl's weird and eccentric behavior as he looked at the inside rim of his cap.

"To Mario. Being one of the first few people to become a real friend to me. Thanks. I won't ever forget it."

The message was short and sweet to the point as it got the meaning across. Mario glanced at Izzy as the girl touched her fingers and bounced on her heels as if waiting for his response.

"It's uh, yeah. It's nice."

"Yippee!" said Izzy, glad Mario liked it. The girl lunged and hugged her friend, to which Mario just kept his hands up, caught off guard by her desire to hug him. Eventually, he raised a hand to pat her head as the others giggled gently.

A sound then went off as they knew what that meant.

"Alright, everyone. Let's do this!" said Sunny as the others all nodded, with Izzy still holding onto Mario.

The girl took a deep breath and began leading her team out of the room.

"Izzy, you can let go now!" Mario shouted a bit annoyingly.

"Sorry," smiled Izzy as she looked at the perturbed boy. "It's just… I was afraid you'd be upset or didn't like it."

"I said it was nice, didn't I!" responded the boy.

"Well… I'm glad you're my friend."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. I'm glad you're my friend, too," said Mario dismissively as he put on the cap. He saw Izzy going for another hug and stopped her with his hand out. "If you try to hug me again, I will bonk you on the head."

"Duly noted," smiled Izzy as she zoomed away.

"Oy. Idiot," groaned Mario, adding that to Izzy's list of stupidity/non-stupidity.

The boy refocused his mind as he looked to catch up with his friends.

Out on the field, an entire transformation took place. One side was split down the middle with CPA colors, while the other half was CHS colors. The two crowds of students roared and cheered excitedly as they sought to humiliate the other side. Sombra, Cadance, Luna, and Celestia stood before the large audience in the middle of the playing field. The Vice-Principal then stepped forward and got everyone's attention.

"Welcome everyone to the second day of the Friendship Games! And welcome to the second event!"

The Vice-Prinicpal got a cheer from both sides.

"As of yesterday, Crystal Prep holds the lead. And this second event is sure to change things up. In this event, both teams will compete in several battles of Duel Monsters. So, without further ado, let's welcome both teams!"

The doors opened as some music began to play.

Target on my back, lone survivor lasts
They got me in their sights,
No surrender no
Trigger fingers go
Living the dangerous life

Flurry led her team as they wore special Crystal Prep blazers Sombra gave them. The girl led her court to stand before the crowd as they looked serious and ready to destroy the girl's cousins and their friends. Flurry caught Sombra's glance as he nodded; the girl understood what her principal was telling her and looked not to let him down. The girl closed her eyes and then shot them open before lifting her left leg and stomping on the ground before her as fireworks went off around them.

"Let's go!" shouted Flurry with intensity.

You make me feel invincible
Earthquake, powerful
Just like a tidal wave
You make me brave
You're my titanium
Fight song, raising up
Like a roar of victory in a stadium
Who can touch me 'cause I'm (I'm made of fire)
Who can stop me tonight (I'm hard wired)
You make me feel invincible

The girl began to walk down the ramp with her group following behind her in a V formation. The teens were cheered by their school as they made their way to the field. The intensity the seven had was written on their face as the pep talk by their captain before got them focused and unlocked their killer instincts. Once they stepped onto the field, they glanced about as the atmosphere around them was energizing; they began to take it all in as they stood before their principal. Their attention was then turned back to where they came from as the field's lights dimmed, and their music ended before switching to another song.

Oh
(Legendary)

Oh
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh
Oh
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh

Seven different spotlights shined down. Soon, a dark figure stepped under one of the lights, then another. Eventually, seven figures were shown under the spotlights. They all lifted their heads, and it was revealed to be Sunny and her team. The lights came on, showcasing the group standing in a straight line as a united front. Their school cheered, and Celestia smiled, seeing her team was still willing to fight given their circumstances.

Never gonna keep me down (never keep me)
Still the one that standin' now (never falling)
Destiny is callin' me
Go down in history
Everyday I fight to be
Legendary

Sunny looked to her left and right as they all traded nods. The seven began to walk together together as they descended to the field. Confetti cannons went off as they passed certain points as they kept their gaze on Flurry and her crew. They soon reached the field and remained in line as the two sides were now eye to eye with their rivals. Pipp staring down Roxanne as their last duel came flooding to them, Hitch looking at JD as both boys looked ready to fight, Roll eyeing Athena, Flurry standing with her arms crossed and a smug smile as she looked at Sunny, who did her best to put on a serious face. Mario stood next to the girl's side as he had Axiom in his sights, Zipp stood next, looking at Shirai as their last duel came flooding to their mind, and at the end were Izzy and Phin as the girl now had a serious expression compared to her usual laidback attitude.

The shot of all fourteen duelists staring each other down was captured as it flashed on the screens around the arena for all to see. The visual image spoke words as Sombra and Celestia soon stood behind their respective teams. The woman looked at the man as she held his cocky smile, never wavering.

"Enjoy it while it lasts, Tia. Because you can't win," boasted Sombra.

"Kiss my ass," barked Celestia.

"Gladly," responded the principal of CPA as his smile grew even more for several reasons.

"Now… time to find out what the second event will be!" said Cadance as she pointed at one of the screens. The many options appeared on a wheel.

It began to spin as neither of the teens took their eyes off their opponent. The wheel spun fast, and then it began to slow down. The arrow landed on what it had chosen.

"King of the Hill!" said Cadance. "And so, in this event, both teams will have two duelists. Once one of them is eliminated, another team member steps forward. This will continue until one side has lost all of their duelists. So… let's start the second event!"

"Come on, everyone!" said Celestia as she led her team away, and Sombra did the same. "I trust you all know what you're doing."

Sunny nodded at their principal as she gave them a hopeful smile before leaving.

"Alright, guys. What's the plan?" asked Zipp.

Sunny put her hand on her chin as she began thinking about who they should select to start it off for their team. The girl soon got her answer as Pipp approached her.

"I'll be the opener."

"Huh?" said Izzy and Hitch in unison.

"Pipp, you sure?" asked Zipp.

"Positive," said the stylish as she looked at the field.

The others turned as they saw Roxanne was on the field, waiting for whoever CHS would send out. The girl already felt who was coming out as she glared at the pop star. The CHS group saw the Crystal Prep girl as Pipp was dead serious about facing Roxanne.

"Good luck, chica."

"Mario!" shouted Zipp as she turned to look at the boy.

"Right," smiled Pipp as she began to walk out before Zipp could try to convince her, not that it would help, given she made up her mind.

Zipp growled and sneered at Mario, encouraging her little sister to get revenge for her personal vendetta against Roxy. The boy held his smile as they all began to retreat to their bench and prepare to watch their comrades battle.

Roxanne smiled as Pipp came into view. The girl knew Pipp's personal quest would make her disregard her team as she looked to disrupt them even further. The pop star entered the field and looked at the Crystal Prep girl. Roxy's smile grew even more, looking at her rival.

"Hello, little Pipp. You planning on losing to me again?"

The pop star growled as she felt like an anvil fell on her head to show how ticked off she was.

"Don't count on it, Roxanne!" yelled the stylish. "I've been training hard ever since you beat me, and now… I'm ready to even the score. I'm not the same duelist as last time!"

"Could've fooled me, based on your performance in Wargames!" countered Roxanne as she pointed at the livestreamer.

"If you underestimate me, you'll be sorry!" responded Pipp.

"Alright, then. I'll give you a chance to prove yourself even though I doubt anything has changed," the Crystal Prep teen smirked, eager to embarrass the girl again.

"You won our last duel, Roxanne, but you're going down this time!"

"The only person taking a dive is you, little songbird!"

"If both duelists are ready… then…" Cadance held an airhorn as she blared it.

"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said their duel disks as they came online. Pipp's duel disk projected an aquamarine card tray, while Roxanne projected a citrine-colored card tray.

"Let's duel!" shouted both girls.

Roxanne's Life Points: 8000-
Pipp's Life Points: 8000-

Their portraits were on the screens for all to see, and Roxy's portrait was highlighted in gold to signal that she would get the first turn.

Turn 1: Roxanne (Hand 5)

"I'm going first!" said the girl as she drew her top card. "And I'll start my onslaught by activating the spell card, Gem-Knight Fusion! So now I can fuse 'Gem-Knight' monsters together in my hand."

Roxy's not wasting any time. Just like in our last duel, she's already summoning fusion right away.

"Feast your eyes on this!" said Roxanne as she held out three cards to show Pipp. "I fuse Gem-Knight Sapphire, Crystal, and my Garnet! Now watch! My three Gem-Knights will meld the blue glow of power, the red fire of truth, and the silver gleam of clarity, recombining their strengths to make way for an even more powerful monster!" All three monsters appeared above the girl as they stuck their hands out in a highfive and began combining their powers. "I Fusion Summon… the mighty Gem-Knight Master Diamond(2900/2500)!" A large warrior burst onto the scene. It towered over the field in silver and beige armor, a large sword on its back. It brought an arm back, gripped the handle, and swung it forward, seven colored gemstones on the sides of the blade lighting up.

"Bringing out your heavy hitter right away, huh?" stated Pipp as Roxanne chuckled.

"It's a cut above the rest, so why wouldn't I? Especially when it beat you last time and cut you down to size!" stated the Crystal Prep girl as Pipp gritted her teeth. "Let's hope your stud of a boyfriend will still want you after I crush your hope and dreams. Master Diamond gains 100 attack points for every 'Gem' monster in my graveyard."

"She's taking advantage of the three knights she just fused," commented Hitch.

"I hate to say it, guys, but that diamond's shining," remarked Sunny as Roxy's Master Diamond now had 3200 attack points.

"Since my diamond's all polished now, I'll let you take over!" said Roxanne as she set a card facedown and called her turn. "I've been hoping you'll show a little improvement since our last duel. You'll probably disappoint me, but try to keep this close."

"I'll do better than that!" remarked Pipp as she had her hand on top of her deck. The girl peered her eyes to Mario as the boy saw it. He smiled and nodded as Pipp knew what to do.

Turn 2: Pipp (Hand 5)

"Hah!" exclaimed Pipp as she drew. "I'll start off with a spell. Check it out. This should look familiar to both of us. Polymerization!"

Roxanne merely growled at Pipp, trying to copy her.

"I'm going to beat you at your own game! I fuse Aria the Melodious Diva with Sonata!" said the songstress as she slotted her card into her duel disk, and it began to take effect. "This is your biggest performance yet, ladies! Harmonize your voices 'til they form a perfect musical blend!" Pipp's two monsters appeared and were sucked into a swirling vortex emitting orange and purple lights. "I Fusion Summon! Make your entrance, Schuberta the Melodious Maestra(2400/2000)!" Out came a woman dressed in black with rims of orange at the bottom and a white musical note in the center of her dress. She had blond hair and wielded a baton after making her fairy wings appear.

"Now that's music to my ears!" said Izzy at Pipp, bringing out her own Fusion monster to combat Roxy's.

"I'm activating Schuberta's special ability! Once per turn, my Melodious Maestra can banish up to three cards in either player's graveyard. That means your gem collection is about to get a lot smaller! You're losing Sapphire, Garnet, and your Crystal!" stated Pipp. "Chorus Break!"

The girl's monster made the cards appear before they vaporized into oblivion, inciting Roxy angrily.

"That's not all. Maestra will also get stronger. She gains 200 attack points for each of your banished cards."

"Nice! She knocked off 300 attack points off of Roxanne's monster and gave her monster a power boost!" said Zipp, proud to see her sister outwit their opponent.

"I don't know what she had for breakfast, but I need some before my duel," said Izzy.

"She did even better than you all think," remarked Mario.

"Huh?" said the rest of them, minus the boy's little sister.

"Remember how Gem-Knight Fusion works? Normally, she could return it to her hand and then use it to fusion summon a monster repeatedly. But thanks to Pipp's plan, she can't do that, meaning she can't fusion anymore." the boy smiled as their training paid off.

"Hold your ears, 'cause Schuberta is about to unleash her latest composition, and it's gonna rock your world!" proclaimed Pipp. "Sonic Surrender!" Her monster waved her baton about, creating a sonic soundwave around her before bursting it towards its foe. It collided with Gem-Knight Master Diamond, who swung his sword to block the soundwaves but was destroyed by them.
Roxanne's Life Points: 7900-

"Now that I've demolished your diamond, I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn! That means my Maestra's attack points drop back to 2400, but she'll be ready for anything you throw her way."

"Go figure. Ms. Popstar might not be half bad," said Axiom as they all watched and evaluated Pipp's move.

"Oh, primo… I hope you know what you did by helping her," muttered Flurry to herself, knowing Pipp's newfound confidence and moves were all because of her cousin.

Turn 3: Roxanne (Hand 1)

"That was a one-hit wonder! I draw!" Roxanne smirked as she looked at the card she had drawn. "Oh, it's so adorable that you think you can go fusion to fusion with me, but it's painfully clear you'll never be on my level, Pipp!"

"That's right, Roxy! 'Cause I just made sure you can't fusion summon anymore, so I'm not on your level; I'm at the top looking down!" said the stylish, confident in her tone, and pointed at her rival.

"Oh, you're so naive. Now, watch a master in action!" proclaimed the Crystal Prep girl. "I activate Brilliant Fusion! With this spell, I can fuse monsters in my deck!"

"Oh, no!" said Pipp, causing Roxanne to smile.

"I take three Gem-Knights… Alexandrite, Emerald, and Obsidian... and fuse my trio together!" the girl stated as her duel disk ejected the three cards she held up to show her rival.

"No way! Roxanne still found a way to fusion summon!" said Izzy.

"It's unreal how nothing fazes her," said Sunny.

"That's how Crystal Prep is," said Roll. "My cousin is the same way. She's been taught and pushed by Sombra not to let anything disrupt her focus. No matter what, you have to be calm, collected, and calculated if you want to crush your opponent. And no doubt the others all know that."

"I wonder what other tricks she's got up her deck?" questioned Zipp.

"Magicial rock of dark and light, join the gleaming green knight of good fortune and the black knight of chaos and combat! Combine your brilliance to forge a blinding new brightness!" proclaimed Roxanne as her three monsters appeared above her before joining together their powers. "I Fusion Summon! Now make way for… the strongest and most precious of my knights… Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond(3400/2000)!" The vortex widened, and Roxy's monster lowered to the ground, arms crossed. Armored in pale gold and silver, a red cape fluttered below a crest of spikes emerging from its shoulders. It raised its head, light shining off a helmet and breastplate made of diamond, and shouted, thrusting a sword into the air.

"Now it's time for Roxy to shine," smirked Flurry at her teammate's move.

"Unfortunately, when I use Brilliant Fusion to bring out a monster, my fusion monster's attack and defense points drop to zero," said the Crystal Prep girl.

"Zero?! Then why play that card?" asked Pipp if it hurt Roxy more than it helped.

"Here's the catch. If I send a spell card to my graveyard, its attack points return to normal until my next turn. And I just so happen to have one." smiled Roxanne as the last card in her hand was indeed a spell. "But… I'll play it instead. I activate Card of Demise! Now I draw until I hold five cards in my hand, but… I have to discard my entire hand in five turns. Not that you'll last long enough because this duel will be over before then."

"Well, while you draw cards, I'm going to activate my facedown. Musical Mayhem!" said Pipp as her facedown flipped up. "This card will give you a jolt for 800 points of damage!" A northern light effect occurred before it concentrated into a single beam of energy and rained down on Roxanne, who had no choice but to drop to a knee.
Roxanne's Life Points: 7100-

The others, minus Flurry, were surprised that Pipp managed to bring Roxanne down as the girl growled. She hated that the stylish made her crumble, but it motivated her to fight back and crush Pipp's spirit.

"Now… I send a spell card in my hand so that my Brilliant Diamond gets all her attack points back!" said Roxanne as she discarded a card and pumped her monster's strength. Lady Brilliant Diamond's armor gleamed brighter, standing straighter with a white aura.

"Time to shine! Unsheathe your sword and silence Pipp's Maestra!" shouted Roxanne. Lady Brilliant Diamond jumped up and descended in a two-handed cleave, slashing apart Schuberta. The songstress shrieked as it lit up in white light and shattered.
Pipp's Life Points: 7000-

"Ahh!" screamed Pipp as she was taken off her feet by the attack and crashed to the floor hard.

"Pipp!" shouted Zipp for her sister's concern.

"Roxy had me worried, but it looks like she's right back into the swing of things," smiled Phin.

"You said you've been training hard since our last duel, but from what I can tell, I'd say you need a lot more practice!" Roxanne said as Pipp got on her side to look at her rival taunt her. "But feel free to try and change my mind!"

"Oh, I will!" said Pipp as she fought to stand up and not let Roxy's insults get to her.

Turn 4: Pipp (Hand 1)

I have to find a way to stop her, or else I'll be playing catch-up from behind.

The pop star drew her card as she looked at it. She gave a light grimace expression.

"I'm placing a monster facedown in defense mode!" said Pipp.

"Really? You'll never beat me by playing it safe," mocked Roxanne at Pipp's pathetic turn.

You know what, Roxanne? I'm not playing it safe. I think I know what you're gonna do, but if I'm wrong… it's over for me.

Pipp looked at the last card in her hand as she had an idea. It was a long shot, to say the least, but it was her best option.

"I'm placing another facedown and ending my turn."

"What?!" said the rest of her friends, minus Mario.

"That's all she can do?" exclaimed Zipp as she felt her sister was screwed.

"No need to get riled up, rich girl."

The girl turned to look at Mario, who had his eyes closed, arms crossed, and a cocky smile. "Sure, Roxanne's got skills, but Pipp's got an enormous advantage over her."

"What's that?" asked the heiress.

"She learned to fusion summon from the best- me!" said Mario, opening his eyes. Zipp felt like Mario was stroking his ego by saying that, but she hoped that whatever one-on-one lessons he taught Pipp might come in clutch.

Turn 5: Roxanne (Hand 4)

"It's my turn again! I draw! Due to Brilliant Fusion's effect, my Brilliant Diamond's points drop back to zero, but not for long. But before I do that, I'm summoning Crystal Rose(500/500)!" said the girl as a crystallized version of the flow appeared. "And this flower can take the place of another monster when I fusion summon, such as Gem-Knight Tourmaline! Brilliant Diamond now's the time to use your special ability! It lets me fusion summon using only one monster!"

"You only need one monster to fusion!?" said Pipp in a surprised tone.

"Yes. I'm outplaying you on every level, Ms. Popstar! I'm the only true gem that shines the brightest when the lights are on!" proclaimed Roxanne. "I use Crystal Rose to fusion summon one of my most treasured monsters! I Fusion Summon! If you want to beat me, you'll need to get past my Gem-Knight Zirconia(2900/2500)!" A massive knight rose from the vortex, its body covered in silver and white armor. It threw back its fists and bellowed.

"That's not good," said Hitch as Pipp had to deal with two monsters.

"I now send another spell card to the graveyard to boost my Diamond's attack points!" Roxy said.

"It feels like we've been to this movie before, and I definitely did not like how it ended last time!" said Izzy.

"Zirconia! Take to the skies and take out Pipp's facedown monster!" Zirconia jumped into the air and reeled back one of its fists as it came down and pummeled the girl's hidden monster. Pipp felt the attack as she tried to hang on, and her heels skidded along the floor, pushing her back a bit.

"So… how will you survive with no monsters left to protect you?" mocked Roxanne. "The answer is that you won't because my Lady Diamond will now attack you directly!" The warrior came down as she put her sword out. Pipp looked up and saw the tip of the blade coming at her, as she was overcome with fear. She quickly shook that off to initiate her plan.

"I activate a trap! Fusion Cycle!" shouted the stylish as her facedown flipped up. "This trap lets me summon a monster that was used to fusion summon in attack mode, and the best part is, I can summon it from your graveyard!"

"From my graveyard!?" said Roxy surprisingly.

"Hmm!" smiled Mario at Pipp's move.

"And the card I want is Crystal Rose! And this monster can't be destroyed in battle!" said Pipp as the flower appeared on her field.

"It might be safe, but your Life Points aren't!" said Roxanne as her monster's sword collided with Crystal Rose. It didn't shatter, but the attack was enough to take Pipp off her feet, and she tumbled to the floor, this time harder as she now suffered scuff marks along her clothes and skin.
Pipp's Life Points: 4100-

"Don't bother getting up, 'cause you're down for the count!" stated the Crystal Prep girl as Pipp lay on her stomach before her. "You caught a lucky break. You couldn't have used Fusion Cycle to save yourself if I hadn't fusion summoned. You're so lucky that I did." Roxanne smiled as she enjoyed kicking around the phony duelist before her.

Pipp began to stir as she fought against the pain she felt. She got to her hands and knees and looked at Roxanne, the stylish, not letting her comments get to her like their last duel as she rose defiantly.

"No, Roxanne, luck had nothing to do with it!"

"Hmm?"

"In fact… I outthought and outplayed you! I played Fusion Cycle to protect myself because I knew you'd try to end this duel with a fusion monster! You're so predictable." said Pipp as she looked at her rival. "You played right into my hands and right out of this duel!"

"Don't flatter yourself. You make one lucky move and think your skills make you shine like a diamond? Please. I grew up around gems with my family's jewelry store. I know what it takes to shine the brightest. And you don't have it! Your knowledge about fusion summoning is as worthless as that pathetic school of yours!" barked Roxanne.

"I'll prove you wrong, starting here and now!" yelled Pipp.

Turn 6: Pipp (Hand 0)

Pipp placed her hand on top of her deck. She began to recall the tips and advice that Mario gave her.

All the prep work I did to help my friends will be for nothing unless I make this draw count!

"I… draw!" shouted Pipp as she drew her card and flipped it over. "I play Pot of Greed to draw two more cards."

"You can't beat me, songbird!" said Roxy.

"You might think you have the upper hand, Roxanne, but this card will have you singing a new tune in no time! Soprano the Melodious Songstress(1400/1400), take the stage!" shouted Pipp as her monster appeared, with Mario smiling off to the side. "In a performance, you'll never forget, my Melodious Songstress's special ability lets me fusion summon without using Polymerization!"

"So that's why you took my Crystal Rose!"

"Exactly! Because I can substitute it for any monster I want, and I choose Mozarta the Melodious Maestra!" said Pipp as the flower glowed and a mirage-like version of her monster appeared in the reflection. "Soprano, the Melodious Songstress, this is your moment! Activate your special ability and fuse with Crystal Rose! Together, you'll sing a sensational duet to form an even more melodious monster! I Fusion Summon! Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir(1000/2000)!" A flower bud appeared as it peeled back the pink petals and revealed the small songstress donned in white inside.

"Wow! Pipp's nailing this performance," said Hitch.

"It's time to belt one out, Bloom Diva! Attack Gem-Knight Zirconia!" commanded the stylish.

Blood Diva began to sing harmoniously as Zirconia regained its fist and thrust it out to punch the smaller monster. The soundwaves created a protective barrier, holding it back.

"I forgot to mention that when Blood Diva battles Zirconia, not only is your monster destroyed instead of mine, but you take all the damage instead of me! Vaporizing Vocal!" shouted Pipp. Her songstress now had an energy beam shot out of her mouth, and it surrounded Roxy's monster and was destroyed. The attack was sent to Roxanne; the girl fell to a knee and skidded to a halt.
Roxanne's Life Points: 5200-

"That was a nifty move, Pipp, but it will also cost you big time! By destroying my knight, you walked into a trap! Thanks to Brilliant Spark, you take damage equal to the attack points of the Gem-Knight you just destroyed!" Roxanne smiled as she got up and had her facedown flip up. Her card formed a blue energy beam and fired at the stylish.

"I'll spring my own trap… Melodious Illusion! It negates your trap and lets my Bloom Diva attack again!" said Pipp as her facedown flipped up, causing her monster to split into a mirage-like state to avoid Roxanne's trap.

"No way!" said JD.

"Bloom Diva, I sense another song coming on!" said Pipp. Her monster had flower petals tornadoing around, and she warmed up her voice. "Are you ready, Diva? Then blast Brilliant Diamond! Wrecking Refrain!" The crystal swordswoman rushed forward with its blade out as Pipp's diva opened her mouth and fired another musical beam surrounding the diamond. It shattered, sending another wave of attack toward Roxy and sending her down to both knees.
Roxanne's Life Points: 2800-

"And now… from my hand, I activate Melodious Finale! By splitting my Bloom Diva into the fusion parts I used to summon it, I can bring out a different songstress to close this concert! I Fusion Summon… Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir(1900/2000)!" Out emerged a green flower, and the petals began to fall down. They took the form of a dress, and inside was a girl who had two massive flowers on her shoulders. Her dress now had notes and other musical symbols.

"Bloom Prima's special ability allows her to gain 300 attack points for every fusion material used to summon her. And here's the best part: she can attack twice! Looks like this last number will be your swan song, so enjoy it!" smiled Pipp as her monster opened her mouth to let out a beautiful blend of notes as they flew toward Roxanne.

The Crystal Prep girl gasped as the notes came at her and showed in her pupil. An explosion occurred as Roxy was flung back and screamed before tumbling and crashing to the floor hard.
Roxanne's Life Points: 0-
Winner: Pipp

The screen showed Roxanne's portrait crossed out as Pipp's expanded and was highlighted in yellow with the words winner under it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this duel is none other than Ms. Pipp Petals!" said Luna over the mic as the girl was given a standing ovation.

Pipp was at a loss for words as she couldn't believe what she heard or saw. The girl was amazed as she looked about and took in the cheer from her school. She turned to the side to see her friends clapping and Izzy shouting. Mario just remained his collected self as he smiled at the girl, which warmed her heart.

On the field, Roxanne was coming to as she got up and realized the situation. She looked at her hand as she processed what had happened.

"How… could I have lost?" said the girl.

Footsteps were heard as Roxy looked to see Flurry standing over her with an unsatisfied expression.

"I'm sorry, Cap," said Roxy, being at Flurry's mercy.

Flurry's stare intensified as she forcefully grabbed Roxy's hand to pull the girl up and look her in the eye. Roxanne could see the disappointment in her captain's face as she prepared for whatever Flurry was gonna do to her for losing. Instead, she felt a hard pat on her shoulder, making her look the girl in the eye. Flurry's expression changed as she nodded at her friend.

"It's not over… you did your part," said Flurry as she looked over at Pipp, still soaking in her win, and then at her cousins. The girl smiled as she found it amusing that they thought they had this in the bag. "Oh, primo, prima. This duel isn't even over… it's just begun."

To be continued…

Author's Note: The second event of the Friendship Games has kicked off and it seems not only was Pipp able to get her win back against Roxanne, but managed to score a big-time and much needed win for her team and school. However... it's King of the Hill, and we've only just begun. And even Flurry isn't sweating because she believes they will win this event.