Chapter 2: Heroes Unite Part 2
Last Time on Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal…
"What is this place?" Yuma asked, as he was standing on the edge of the roof of Le Grand Paris.
""If I had to guess, we're in some alternate world, specifically in Paris." Astral said as he spotted the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
"Huh? Why do you think we're in an alternate world?" Yuma asked, confused.
"When we fell overboard, we went through some interdimensional rift. The odds of it bringing us to our world would be very slim." Astral explained.
"Well, what do we do?" Yuma asked.
"I believe it would be best if we familiarize ourselves with our surroundings." Astral said, he looked towards the stairs.
(Scene Change To Judges not liking Wang Cheng's Celestial Soup)
"I'm sorry, Cheng Shifu, but I'm giving you a zero too, which brings your score to zero point eight on ten—the lowest ranking so far," Alec says apologetically. "Your Celestial Soup will therefore not be in the hotel's menu this year, and you will not be named World's Greatest Chef!"
Marinette runs up to her disheartened relative. "Uncle Cheng? I'm sure it's not your fault. In fact, I know it's not. I'm pretty sure Chloe's behind all this," she says, and her shoulders droop guiltily. "It was actually because of me. I provoked her, and—"
"Shame is on Celestial Soup. I shall never be World's Greatest Chef," Chef Cheng says sadly, walking back into the kitchen to pack up his ingredients.
(Scene Change To Wang Cheng in the Kitchen, holding Chloe's bottle)
"Marinette was right. It was evil act by that brat! No respect for Cheng Shifu! No respect for Perfect Soup!" He yelled angrily, as he was about to leave, before a small blinking light was caught by the corner of his eye. "Huh?" he asked out-loud, looking over towards the source of the sudden light.
The light was coming from the top of a cabinet. He walked over to the cabinet to see what it was. He then saw that the object was rectangular-shaped, but that wasn't all; the object seemed to be a blank white card. The moment he picked it up, a shadowy mist appeared around the blank card, which then surrounded Wang Cheng. When that happened, he began to feel very strangely. "Urk! Wh-what's going on...?!" he asked in distress. "Head…hurts...!"
"Yes..." said a vicious-sounding voice, as a symbol that resembled the number 59 appeared on his forehead. "Let the Number take hold…"
(Scene Change to Rooftop Pool)
"Surprise ingredients?" Kung Food asked himself, seeing Ladybug and Cat Noir from one of his dumpling drones, before grinning. "Hah! Delicious! Brat Soup will be even more powerful with superhero flavor."
"I will not eat your soup!" Chloe yelled, as she was hanging above the boiling broth..
"Foolish girl. You are not eating soup, you ARE soup!" Kung Food grinned, causing Chloe to scream.
"Someone help! Let me down!" She desperately cried.
(Scene Change to Ladybug and Cat Noir talking to Yuma and Astral in Elevator)
"To make a long story short, this villain known as Hawkmoth is after magical jewels known as Miraculous. He uses his powers to create Akuma's and corrupt the people based on their emotions. We use the two particular Miraculous he wants in order to defeat the civilians and purify the objects used to convert them into the villain of the day."
"And you're saying that Cheng guy is one of them?" Yuma asked in clarity, getting a nod in response.
(Scene Change to Rooftop Pool, the Heroes confronting Kung Food)
"Cheng Shifu, don't let Hawkmouth control you! I know you're more honorable than this!" Ladybug pleaded.
"I am not Cheng Shifu, I am Kung Food — the Greatest Chef in the World! And nobody will stop me from finishing my Brat Soup!" Kung Food exclaimed.
Just then, the 59 mark that Kung Food had on his head began to glow bright again, causing Yuma and Astral to gasp in shock. "That symbol…! He's not under the control of Hawkmoth…!" Astral said.
"He's been possessed by a Number!" Yuma finished.
"Huh? What are you talking about? What exactly are Numbers?" Ladybug asked.
"Numbers are extremely powerful and dangerous cards, as they can easily amplify the darkness and desires of their holder user, and possess them." Astral explained, causing the duo's eyes to widen. "But how did a Number get here in the first place?"
"I don't know, but there's only one way to stop and save him!" Yuma said, as he then pointed to the chef. "Kung Food, I challenge you to a Duel!"
Smirking, Kung Food then said to the duelist, "Fine then. I'll beat you, take your Number card, and then use its power to make sure my soup is perfect in all ways!"
"I hope you know what you're doing, Yuma." Ladybug said, not sounding confident.
"Don't worry Ladybug, because I'm feeling the flow!" Yuma shouted, as he activated his Duel Gear, while Ladybug and Cat Noir's left eyes changed color, Ladybug's becoming red and Cat Noir's became orange-yellow, with his Irise being golden, as holographic effects appeared everywhere.
"LET'S DUEL!".
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal: Halfway to Forever)
The music starts up with Yuma activating his gear like in the original opening, before a blue vortex sucks Yuma and Astral into Paris.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
Yuma then landed on his feet, as Astral floated next to him, before he drew a card and summoned Utopia.
So don't stand in our way
You know we ain't afraid
This is our time, we're in control!
Tikki was then sucked into Marinette's earrings, as she was transformed into Ladybug
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
Plagg was about to eat a piece of Camembert, before he was sucked into Adrien's ring, as he was transformed into Cat Noir.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
The four heroes then came together, as they all charged towards Hawkmoth.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The Giant Shadow of Don Thousand appears over both worlds as Vector goes from his human form to Barian mode, devastating the land.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral then fuse into Zexal II as Yuma Summons Utopia Ray Victory as it uses an overlay unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were then shown, as their monsters appeared and joined Utopia Ray Victory's attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawkmoth smirked, as he held his arm out, ready to take the Miraculous's, while Vector prepared to counter-attack.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
The Numeron Code was then shown, all of the Miraculous were spiraling around it. Astral and Yuma smile at each other and touch hands as they all come together with their aces standing out, with the title below them.
Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal: Halfway to Forever)
As Yuma and Kung Food drew their opening hands, Ladybug and Cat Noir just looked around in confusion, before suddenly, transparent versions of Tikki and Plagg came out of their Miraculous.
"Tikki?!/Plagg?!" Both heroes exclaimed in confusion, before turning to their new friends, while the Kwami's examined themselves.
"Yuma, Astral, what's happening?" Ladybug asked, seeing all the holographic effects around them.
"Your Miraculous's must have given you both the ability to see Augmented Reality." Astral theorized, seeing their left eyes now a different color.
"Augmented Reality?" Ladybug asked, not understanding.
"It is a virtual copy of everything around us. This allows the monsters and cards to appear to directly interact with the environment, but without actually damaging the real world." Astral explained.
"But how is that-" Ladybug was about to ask.
"Ladybug, I don't know what's going on either, but I think questions are gonna have to wait! Right now, Yuma needs you!" Tikki interrupted.
"But…" Ladybug stuttered, as she turned to Yuma, who looked determined. Knowing that her Kwami was right, she sighed in defeat and nodded. "Okay."
Tikki smiled, as she and Plagg flew next to their chosen, while Astral floated next to Yuma. "Be careful Yuma. He is not like any of the possessed duelists we faced. We must be vigilant." Astral stated.
"Right." Yuma said, turning his attention back to his opponent.
Kung Food: LP: 4000
"Before we officially begin, allow me to explain the rules of how this duel works before you lose. See the numbers written next to where the brat is?" Kung Food asked, as he pointed to Chloe, as there was now a vertical number line, with 0 being where the top of the broth was, and counted up by 500 until it reached to 4000, where Chloe was currently hanging.
"Those are my Life Points." Yuma glared, rationalizing what would happen every time he lost life points.
Yuma: LP: 4000
"Precisely. The closer they get to 0, the closer you can say goodbye to the brat." Kung Food smirked, "Now, I will let you have the first move."
"Fine by me." Yuma said, as he examined his hand. "I set one monster face-down in Defense Mode. And that's all for now." Just as he said that, a card materialized onto the field, sideways.
"That means it's my turn." Kung Food said to him, drawing a card. After looking at it, he said to himself, "Fairy Meteor Crush... I'll save this for later..." Putting the Spell Card in his hand for the moment, he took a different card and played it, saying, "I activate the Spell Card Cost Down! After I discard one card from my hand, I can lower the Levels of all Monster Cards in my hand by 2 until the end of the turn!"
"No... That means he can Summon his monsters more easily..." Astral noted.
"And knowing him, he probably has a Level 5 or a Level 6 monster ready to bring out." Yuma added.
"That's right, Yuma!" Kung Food confirmed as he sent one of the cards in his hand to the Graveyard slot of his Duel Disk. "So now that my Level 5 monster is Level 3 for this turn, I don't have to release any monsters to Summon it!" Playing the monster from his hand he shouted, "I Summon the Catapult Turtle, in Attack Mode!"
The chef's first monster was a giant turtle creature, colored mostly green and black, with a large launching device built into its shell. The creature had mechanical-like properties, but it didn't appear to be fully-machine.
Catapult Turtle
Attribute: WATER
Monster Type: Aqua
Level: 5 - 2 = 3
ATK: 1000
DEF: 2000
Taking out two more cards from his hand, he then stated, "Since I can't see how strong your Defense monster is, I'll just end my turn with two face-down cards." After that, two more card images appeared on his side of the field. "Your move."
Catapult Turtle
Level: 3 + 2 = 5
'Hmmm…' Yuma thought as he looked at Kung Food's first monster. 'Catapult Turtle... I remember Yugi Moto having that monster.'
"If I recall, it has a powerful special ability." Astral's voice said, causing Yuma to turn to him. "By releasing one of his monsters, his turtle can deal damage to your life points equal to half the attack power of the released monster."
"Then I have to destroy that monster before it can hurt me, but the problem is that he put it in Attack Mode, even though its defense points are much higher..."
Yuma looked back at the man, noticing that he didn't seem too worried. This led the boy to suspect that he was up to something. 'He must want me to attack him…' he noted to himself. 'But I have to at least try and take out his monster... Here goes…'
"Alright Kung Food! Get set to get decked! I draw!" Yuma said as he drew his next card. Placing the card into his hand, he then declared, "I Summon Gagaga Magician in Attack Mode!" In an instant, a robe and cloak-wearing man appeared on his field, ready to battle. He wore a mostly blue outfit with an orange flame pattern along the bottom. He had bronze shoulder pads on his coat and a large, crooked hat on his head. a long chain with a gold plate connected to it wrapped decoratively around his outfit, and a long red scarf covered the bottom half of his face.
Gagaga Magician
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Spellcaster
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1000
"Not only that, I'll also Flip Summon my face-down monster, Gogogo Golem!" he declared as he revealed his second monster, which was a large creature that seemed to be part-human and part-fortress came out of the ground to stand proudly next to Gagaga Magician. The monster flexed its blue and silver-colored mechanical arms as it showed off its olive green stone body. As it stood intimidatingly in front of Kung Food, its single red eye began to glow brightly.
Gogogo Golem
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Rock
Level: 4
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1500
"Wait, he's not going to try and attack, will he?!" asked Plagg. "That's just what his opponent wants!"
"Maybe so, but he should try and attack that Catapult Turtle anyway." Tikki told her Kwami friend. "Worst case scenario, he can at least force him to use one of those cards he placed."
Taking out another card from his hand, Yuma then told his opponent, "Now, I play the Spell Card Wonder Wand! By playing it on a Spellcaster-Type monster, I can give that monster 500 extra Attack Points! And I choose to play it on Gagaga Magician!"
After the card was played, the magic-using monster was given a long staff-like wand with a large, green jewel on the top. Gagaga Magician then swung the staff in front of himself, ready to display its power.
Gagaga Magician
ATK: 1500 + 500 = 2000
"Now, go! Gagaga Magician! Attack Catapult Turtle!" shouted Yuma as he pointed to his attack target. The magician then leapt forward, charging up the energy in his new wand so that it could strike down the giant turtle.
"I don't think so!" Kung Food shouted. "I activate Zero Gravity! When this Trap Card is played, all face-up monsters on the field are changed to Defense Mode!"
After the Trap was activated, Yuma's Gagaga Magician and Gogogo Golem, along with Kung Food's Catapult Turtle, all switched to Defense Mode, which also succeeded in stopping the spellcaster's attack. "I knew it..." Yuma said to himself with a slight scowl. "But at least he used up one of his cards... I still have a chance. Just to be sure, though, I'll use this to protect myself." Shoving one of his cards into the Spell/Trap Zone slot, he told the possessed Cheng, "I'll set a face-down card and end my turn."
"My turn, then!" the chef said, drawing a card from his Deck. After looking at it, he played it, saying, "I Summon The Bistro Butcher in Attack Mode!" Kung Food's new monster was a vicious-looking chef with dark-blue skin, sharp teeth, and pointed ears. It wore a red-tinted chef outfit that was in tatters, had a large hook on its right hand, and wielded a long knife in the other.
The Bistro Butcher
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Fiend
Level: 4
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1000
"Bistro Butcher...? That's unusual..." Astral said, "What's he up to now?"
"Now I equip my butcher with my Fairy Meteor Crush card!" Kung Food told his foe. "Now my monster can deal piercing damage when he attacks one of your defense monsters!"
"Huh? Piercing Damage? What does that mean?" Cat Noir asked.
"Normally if a monster in Defense Mode is destroyed by battle, my Life Points are safe, but since his monster can deal piercing damage, he can damage my Life Points, no matter how I position my monsters on the field!" Yuma responded, getting worried.
"Yuma! Don't worry about that too much!" Astral said. "Even though he can damage you more easily, it's not necessarily a bad thing!"
"How come?" asked Yuma.
"When Bistro Butcher damages your Life Points, you get to draw two more cards from your Deck." Astral pointed out. "You might be able to make a comeback afterwards."
"Really? That's weird." said Ladybug. "Why would he let him draw more cards? Something smells rotten around here..."
"Really? All I smell is soup." Cat Noir jokes.
Ladybug just sighed to herself from hearing her partner's response.
"Go! Bistro Butcher! Attack his Gagaga Magician! Butchering Blade!" The mean-looking cook then snarled and ran towards Yuma's monster, brandishing its sharp knife.
"I activate my Trap Card!" Yuma quickly shouted, tapping his Duel Pad's screen.
The butcher swung its knife at Gagaga Magician, destroying it and sending him to the Graveyard. However, it seemed that the excess power from the attack had been weakened, as the boy did not take as much damage as he would have, as Chloe didn't lower that much.
Yuma: LP 4000 - 400 = 3600
"Hey! What gives?!" Kung Food protested. "How'd you cut the damage?!"
Yuma let out a sigh and answered him, saying, "Because I played my Trap Card before your attack hit." He then pointed at the card and told his opponent, "Thanks to Damage Diet, all the damage done to me this turn is halved. Which means your attack did only 400 points of damage instead of 800." Kung Food growled a little after hearing that.
"Phew..." said Plagg, wiping his forehead. "He saved himself from taking a huge hit there."
Grumbling a little, Kung Food then told Yuma, "Due to my Bistro Butcher's effect, you get to draw two more cards. So go ahead and draw your cards." Yuma nodded and picked the top two cards of his Deck. "But now that you've done that," the chef added, "I get to use this! I activate the Trap Card Appropriate! Now every time you draw cards outside of your Draw Phase, I can draw two more cards from MY Deck!" He then took two cards from his Deck as well.
"Rrrgh! So that's why he let him draw more cards!" Plagg grumbled. "As long as he has that butcher out, they'll both keep drawing more cards out of their Deck every time he attacks with it!"
Chuckling a little to himself, Kung Food then took one of the new cards that he drew and played it onto the field, saying, "I'll set a face-down card and end my turn." After saying that, the boy thought to himself, 'I was going to use Catapult Turtle's effect to damage him even more, but because his Trap Card's effect was still present, it wasn't worth sacrificing my monster just to give him a measly 450 points of damage…' He grumbled a bit, annoyed that Yuma threw off his plans.
Yuma looked over towards his opponent and thought, 'Alright, good... My plan worked; my Trap Card persuaded him not to use Catapult Turtle's ability. But I have to get rid of his butcher before he draws too many more cards…' Putting his middle and index fingers on the top card of his Deck, he then said, "It's my turn now!" After drawing his card and looking at it, he continued his inner monologue, saying to himself, 'This card could help me... I need to show Mr. Cheng that he's only hurting himself with the way he is thinking…'
Playing another card from her hand, Yuma declared, "I activate the Spell Card Dodododraw! I send my Dododo Swordsman from my hand to the Graveyard, and then draw two more cards from my Deck! Deck, don't fail me now!" And he did just that. After looking at his new cards, he grinned when he saw what one of them was. 'Yes!' he thought happily to himself.
"Ha! Go ahead and draw more cards!" Kung Food taunted his foe. "You're only helping me out! Did you forget my Trap Card? Thanks to Appropriate, I ALSO get to draw cards from my Deck!" He then drew two cards as well and placed them into his hand. He then snickered a little to himself after seeing what he picked up.
"Aw man... Why'd Yuma do that?" asked Cat Noir. "Now that guy has even more cards to use against him!"
"Perhaps..." Ladybug began. "But if he drew the cards that he needed right now, it may have been worth the risk. I suppose we'll see very soon if Yuma made the right move or not." They continued to watch the game, anxious to see what would happen next.
"Next," Yuma began to say, "I'll Summon this monster in Attack Mode... Go, Zubaba Knight!"
In a flash of lightning, Yuma's next monster revealed itself as a knight wearing shiny gold armor with bits of red and silver in some places. It wore a red cape and wielded a pair of swords with jagged blades. It leapt onto the field from the sky above and shouted, "Zubaba KNIGHT!", after it took its place in front of its controller.
Zubaba Knight
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Warrior
Level: 3
ATK: 1600
DEF: 900
"Next, I'll switch my Gogogo Golem to Attack Mode," Yuma continued, "and then play Blustering Winds! It's one of the cards that I drew with my Dodododraw! Now my Gogogo Golem gains 1,000 attack and defense points until my next turn!"
"What?!" shouted Kung Food.
Gogogo Golem
ATK: 1800 + 1000 = 2800
DEF: 1500 + 1000 = 2500
"Aw yeah! Now his monsters can take down both of Kung Food's this turn!" Plagg said, pumping his fist into the air. "And he'll even give him some damage, too!"
Yuma then pointed ahead and shouted, "Zubaba Knight! Attack his Catapult Turtle!" The Warrior-Type monster then jumped forward and slashed its swords across the giant reptile. Even though the knight's attack points were lower than its target's defense points, its special ability allowed it to destroy Catapult Turtle anyway. "And next, my Gogogo Golem attacks your Bistro Butcher!" the young duelist declared. And with that order, the giant rock monster moved towards Kung Food's remaining monster and slammed its fist down on it, crushing it into a pancake.
"Aaack!" grunted Kung Food as the force of the attack hit him hard.
Kung Food: LP: 4000 - 1000 = 3000
"Yes! Yuma's in the lead now!" exclaimed Cat Noir.
Yuma then said to his opponent, "Alright, I'll now end my turn."
Getting up, Kung Food seemed to be angry for some reason. "How... how dare you..." he snarled as the mark on his forehead began to glow even brighter. "You... you ruined my chance... at a perfect victory... So now I'll ruin you!" Tapping on the screen of his Duel Disk, he then shouted, "I activate my Burst Rebirth Trap Card! By paying 2,000 of my Life Points, I can bring back one monster from my Graveyard and set it in Defense Mode!" He then selected his monster and placed it face-down on his field.
Kung Food: LP: 3000 - 2000 = 1000
"Yeesh, what got under his skin all of a sudden?" asked Plagg. "Is he mad 'cause Yuma damaged him?"
"It seems so..." Ladybug said, looking at Yuma's opponent, who seemed to still be a bit angry about it. "From the look on his face, it seems as though he didn't want to use that Trap Card." the young heroine noted. "If my hunch is right, then I know for sure why he feels that way... We'll keep on paying close attention to his moves, just to make sure."
"My turn! I draw!" shouted the possessed chef. After placing the card in his hand, he then said, "I now Flip Summon my face-down monster! Hiita the Fire Charmer!"
The monster was revealed to be a young red-haired girl with a tan hooded coat, worn over top an open shirt with a black garment worn over-top her chest area, along with a short, black skirt. In her hand was a long staff with a burning torch on the top of it.
Hiita the Fire Charmer
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Spellcaster
Level: 3
ATK: 500
DEF: 1500
"Hiita the Fire Charmer..." Astral began. "One of the six Charmer monsters. When Flip Summoned, it can take control of any opposing monster that matches its Attribute. In Hiita's case, she can take any one of Yuma's FIRE-Attribute monsters..."
"But..." Ladybug chimed in, "Yuma doesn't have any FIRE monsters on his field, so it doesn't work, right?"
"Perhaps, but I think Cheng played that card for another reason." Astral answered.
"What's that?" asked Cat Noir.
"The Charmers have another power," Astral replied, "and I'm sure that he's going to use it right now...!"
Taking another card from his hand, Kung Food then said, "Next, I'll Special Summon Inari Fire from my hand, which I can do if I control a Spellcaster-Type monster, in this case, Hiita the Fire Charmer." His next monster was a large, orange fox with a white mane and flaming tail.
Inari Fire
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Pyro
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 200
"And now, I'll release them both to Special Summon a monster from my Deck! Come forth, Familiar-Possessed - Hiita!"
After making that declaration, Inari Fire began glowing red as it turned into pure energy. It then phased into Hiita, causing her to gasp as her irises shrank. She then began to grow taller, her body changing to that of an 18-year-old girl with empty, red eyes. The flame on her staff grew as well, burning even brighter than before.
Familiar-Possessed - Hiita
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Spellcaster
Level: 4
ATK: 1850
DEF: 1500
"I thought so." Astral told the others. "By releasing a Charmer, along with another monster that matches its Attribute, you can Summon their Familiar-Possessed forms from your hand or your Deck."
"So he got a tough monster out, so what?" asked Cat Noir. "The only monster he can attack is Yuma's Zubaba Knight, and it's not gonna do much damage to him."
"Heh heh... too bad that's not what I'm planning to do." Kung Food told him. "I'm planning something even worse in mind... to teach your friend never to get in my way again!" Playing another two cards from his hand, he then said, "Now, since I have a Spellcaster out, I can Summon these monsters as well! I play Nefarious Archfiend Eater of Nefariousness and Jigabyte, both in Attack Mode!"
The chef's first monster was a fiendish-looking marmot-like animal that had a large, red horn on its forehead, what appeared to be three pairs of eyes, large bat wings, and messy brown fur. It was busy chewing on a sinister-looking skull with its fanged teeth.
Nefarious Archfiend Eater of Nefariousness
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Beast
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 200
The second monster was a large-sized, bipedal lizard with green scales, a long tail, clawed hands and feet, and radiating a powerful energy all around itself.
Jigabyte
Attribute: WATER
Monster Type: Reptile
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 200
"No... he just Summoned three Level 4 monsters onto his side of the field." Yuma noted, getting a little concerned. "He's going to play his Number card!"
"I overlay Hiita and Jigabyte, both Level 4, and create an Overlay Network!" The two monsters then transformed into pure energy, one red and one blue, and flew up into a galaxy portal up above. "Unleash your flames upon my enemy! Scorch them and turn them to ashes!" Kung Food chanted, as the portal exploded, creating a mark on the ground that looked like a 59. "I Xyz Summon, My perfection! Number 59: Crooked Cook!" Kung Food finished, playing his Number card.
At that moment, a large, brown propane tank began to rise from the ground where the 59 mark was. The tank then opened up and revealed a human man inside of it. The front of the tank became the apron wrapped around his body, and other parts of it transformed into a frying pan, an arm-mounted flamethrower, and a silver propane tank that was worn on the man's back, and attached to the flamethrower with a long, thin hose. The top of the tank compacted itself and turned itself into a chef's hat, which prominently displayed the same yellow 59 mark that Kung Food had on his head.
Number 59: Crooked Cook
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Warrior
Rank: 4
ATK: 2300
DEF: 200
Overlay Units: 2
Everyone stared at the powerful monster that Kung Food had Summoned to his field. "His Number card is... a chef?" asked Yuma.
"Well, since the Numbers reflect the personalities of those who hold them, it makes sense." Astral noted. "Since Wang Cheng is so good at cooking, his Number became a chef... But I wonder why it's called 'CROOKED Cook'...?"
"What the heck is that thing?!" Chloe's voice shouted, as everyone turned to her looking at the Number Monster in absolute fear.
"They've been dueling this the whole time, and she just notices how strange this whole thing is?" Plagg asked in confusion.
"That's because she doesn't have a Duel Gazer to see the virtual world." Yuma explained, before his eyes widened in realization, "But wait, if she can see Crooked Cook, then that must mean…" He then took off his Duel Gazer and gasped in shock, still seeing Crooked Cook. "His Number is real!" Yuma shouted in panic, causing Ladybug and Cat Noir to gasp in horror.
Meanwhile, in a shop, a small chinese man was enjoying his tea until his brown eyes shot open, sensing a strong and dangerous power. This was Wang Fu, Great Guardian of the Miraculous's. His hair was medium gray, and he had a mustache, eyebrows, and goatee. He wore a red Hawaiian shirt with a white hibiscus flower pattern, tan capri pants, dark brown shoes, and a bracelet with triangular carvings and shaped like a turtle, with a black string tied through holes in the turtle's head and tail to make a his right wrist.
His eyes still widened with alarm, he ran to the window, seeing Crooked Cook in the distance, with its number-like symbol visible. His eyes then narrowed as he then said, "So, the time has finally come."
"Now I use Crooked Cook's effect! By removing one Overlay Unit, I can eliminate every other card on my side of the field!"
"And why would you want to do that?" asked Yuma.
"Because for every monster card that I destroy with his effect, Crooked Cook gains 300 extra attack points!" Kung Food answered.
"Oh no!" gasped Yuma.
The chef then sent one of his Number card's Overlay Units to the Graveyard, triggering its ability and destroying all of Kung Food's cards, which included his Trap Card, Appropriate, and his Nefarious Archfiend monster. As a result, his Number card became more powerful.
Number 59: Crooked Cook
ATK: 2300 + 300 = 2600
Overlay Units: 2 - 1 = 1
"You destroyed your own monster just to power up your Number card?" asked Yuma, who seemed shocked by the move, and not because of the advantage that it gave him. "How could you...?"
"That's the way this world works..." Kung Food told him. "The weak are discarded so that only the perfect can thrive! And now I'll show you just how perfect my Number is! Go, Crooked Cook! Attack his knight! Searing Oven Torch!" The chef monster then, quite literally, fired up his arm-mounted flamethrower and shot out a red-hot flame that incinerated Yuma's Zubaba Knight.
"Rrrgh... so... hot...!" Yuma said, as he could feel the heat from Kung Food's monster, while Chloe struggled, trying to escape while she was lowered.
Yuma: LP: 3600 - 1000 = 2600
"Now do you see?" asked Kung Food. "Those that are imperfect will never succeed in this world! And with this Number card, along with all of yours, I WILL become one of the flawless elite!"
"Rrrgh..." Yuma groaned as he got back up onto his feet.
"Yuma! Are you okay?" asked Ladybug, concerned for her new friend.
"I'll... be fine, Ladybug." the duelist told her. "I promise."
"Oh dear... this does not look good..." Tikki stated. "At this rate, Yuma won't last much longer..."
"My turn's now over." Kung Food told his enemy. "Are you going to do the wise thing and give up, or are you foolish enough to continue this flawed Duel of yours?"
"Rrrgh... I'm still here, aren't I?" Yuma asked him back. "I'm not giving up! As long as I keep feeling the flow, as long as I high five the sky, I'll always get back on my feet and keep dueling to the very end!"
"Yuma…" Ladybug muttered.
"Now it's my turn! I draw!" Yuma then drew a card from his Deck to begin his turn.
"Yes, but don't forget: Since it's your Standby Phase, the effect of your Blustering Winds Spell ends." the chef reminded him. "So Gogogo Golem returns to its original attack and defense."
Gogogo Golem
ATK: 2800 - 1000 = 1800
DEF: 2500 - 1000 = 1500
Yuma grumbled a bit, wishing that his card's effect could have lasted longer. Looking at the card he drew, he placed it into his hand and said, "I'll switch Gogogo Golem to Defense Mode and end my turn."
"Hmph. That was a waste of time, Yuma." Kung Food taunted. "Nothing will save you now, so just admit that you cannot beat someone as perfect as I am!" He then drew his next card and smirked saying, "And if this won't convince you otherwise, nothing will! I play the Spell Card... Stop Defense!"
"No! Not that card!" Astral exclaimed.
"Now I can switch your golem to Attack Mode, making it and you completely vulnerable!" Kung Food told him as the Rock-Type monster switched positions.
'No... I was planning to use Gogogo Golem's effect to stall until I could counterattack…' thought the duelist. 'But it doesn't work if he's in Attack Mode!'
"Now, Crooked Cook! Destroy his monster!" ordered the possessed chef. The chef monster then fired its flames at Gogogo Golem, destroying it and sending out more damage to Yuma, making Chloe lower even more as she started to panic.
Yuma: LP: 2600 - 800 = 1800
After making his move, Kung Food taunted him further, saying, "Just face it: I learned that only the perfect can survive, and the flawed mean absolutely nothing! There is no hope for those that are imperfect, and there is no hope for you as well!"
But Yuma wasn't about to show any fear in front of his opponent. "That's where you're wrong, Kung Food." He told him. "While I'm not sure exactly where in the world you learned that from, thinking like that is never going to help you succeed at anything."
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked the chef.
"You keep saying how you want to be perfect, and that I and everyone else around you is flawed and worthless..." the duelist explained to him. "But I think that in itself is an imperfection that YOU have!"
"How dare you say that! I can be perfect at everything! And I will prove it by crushing you!" Kung Food said in a rage.
"You'll have to wait to do that, since your turn's over. It's my turn now!" Yuma then drew his next card and looked at it, causing him to smile. "You said that there was no hope for those that have flaws... but that's not quite true. I believe that there is hope for anybody that seeks it!"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" asked Kung Food, not understanding what she meant.
"Yuma... I know what you are planning to do. I am ready when you are…" said Astral.
Yuma nodded and played the card he had just drawn from his Deck. "I play the spell card, Monster Reborn, to bring back Gagaga Magician!" And with that, his blue robe-wearing magician returned to his field.
Gagaga Magician
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Spellcaster
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1000
"Next," he continued, "since I control a Gagaga monster, I can also Summon my Gagaga Child to the field!" He then placed his next monster in Defense Mode, and it appeared on the field as a young boy with a hat and robe similar to Gagaga Magician, but also wearing a school uniform, a pair of red sneakers, and carrying a blue popsicle.
Gagaga Child
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Spellcaster
Level: 2
ATK: 800
DEF: 1200
"Summon whatever you want!" Kung Food shouted at her. "Nothing you play can stand up to my Number card!"
"...Nothing except ANOTHER Number, of course." Yuma smirked, causing the chef to gasp in surprise. "I activate the effect of Gagaga Child!" Yuma declared. "By Special Summoning him with his effect, I can make his Level match that of another Gagaga monster I control. So I target Gagaga Magician, causing Gagaga Child's Level to change to four!" Gagaga Child then ate his Popsicle, as the stick showed his new level.
Gagaga Child
Level: 4
"This can't be!" protested Kung Food. "Now he can Summon an Xyz Monster!"
"I overlay my Level 4 Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Child to build the Overlay Network!" shouted Yuma as his two monsters became a pair of purple lights that flew into a galaxy-like portal in front of him.
"Wh-what's going on?!" asked Ladybug, shielding her eyes from the bright lights that were emitting from the portal.
"If I had to guess, Yuma's gonna Summon HIS Number card!" Cat Noir said with a smile on his face.
As the portal swirled in front of him, Yuma exclaimed, "That's right, Cat Noir! I'm Xyz Summoning, Number 39: Utopia!" The portal then exploded into a powerful light, leaving behind a red 39 mark on the floor. From high above, a large, white and gold object began to descend to the floor in front of them. After it stopped coming down, the front parts of the object unfolded, revealing themselves to be incredibly large wings.
It then began to unfold into a human-like being that was covered in bright, shiny armor that was white and gold in color, with some sort of green "core" on its chest, and armed with a pair of large swords sheathed at both sides of its hip area. Its head was mostly covered by a similarly-colored helmet that had a pair of golden scythe-like protrusions coming out of the sides. Only a pair of small, red eyes could be seen underneath it. On its left shoulder pad, there was a red symbol resembling the number 39.
Number 39: Utopia
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Warrior
Rank: 4
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Overlay Units: 2
"N-n-n-n-no way...!" said Kung Food, trembling a little. Even Crooked Cook seemed to be intimidated by Utopia's presence.
"So that's Yuma's Number..." said Cat Noir, in awe of the powerful monster his new friend had Summoned. "It's AWESOME!"
Kung Food grumbled a bit and told his foe, "You may have a Number on the field, but his attack points are less than mine! So next turn, I'll eliminate your Number and defeat you for good!"
"If you're so sure of that, then attack me." Yuma told him.
"What's he thinking?" asked Chloe. "He doesn't have anything to protect that…thing from his attack!"
Ladybug hummed a little to herself and pondered, 'Hmmm... He doesn't seem like he's making a mistake to me... I wonder what he's up to?'
"My turn! I draw!" said Kung Food as he drew his next card. "Perfect... as always." He then played the card he drew and said, "I Summon another Jigabyte in Attack Mode!" The boy then Summoned another humanoid lizard to his field.
Jigabyte
Attribute: WATER
Monster Type: Reptile
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 200
"And next, I'll use Crooked Cook's remaining Overlay Unit and power it up even more!" He then sent the remaining Overlay Unit to his Graveyard, allowing him to destroy the monster that he had just Summoned and give his Number card even more power.
Number 59: Crooked Cook
ATK: 2600 + 300 = 2900
Overlay Units: 1 - 1 = 0
"Next, since Jigabyte was just destroyed and sent to my Graveyard, I can now Special Summon a new monster from my Deck; one that has 1500 attack points and 200 defense points! So I'll bring out Inari Fire!" He then Summoned a second copy of his fiery fox monster to the field in Attack Mode.
Inari Fire
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Pyro
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 200
"Oh no... If he attacks with both of those monsters, Yuma's Life Points' will drop to zero!" said Tikki.
'C'mon Yuma... you can't let him beat you... I know you can win!' Ladybug mentally urged her friend.
"Now, Crooked Cook! Show him just how imperfect he truly is! Destroy his Utopia!" Kung Food ordered his monster. The chef then fired its flames directly at Utopia. "You never had any hope against someone as flawless as me!" the chef shouted at Yuma, so sure that he would win.
"I wouldn't say that..." Yuma told him.
"Huh? What?" The chef was confused by what he meant.
"Your Number may have a powerful ability, but so does mine!" Yuma then took out a card from underneath Utopia and yelled, "I activate Utopia's effect! By using one Overlay Unit, I can negate your attack!" Everyone watched in surprise as Utopia drew one of its swirling orbs into his chestplate.
Number 39: Utopia
Overlay Units: 2 - 1 = 1
"Go, Lightwing Shield!" Afterwards, he then used one of his wings to block the flames being shot at him by Crooked Cook.
"Alright!" cheered Cat Noir. "He blocked the attack!"
"Phew... that was a close one." Tikki added, wiping her forehead.
'No... I can't let him... win... Can't let him!' the chef thought as he took another card from out of his hand. "I-I-I activate Book of Moon and use it to switch Inari Fire to Defense Mode!" He then flipped his monster face-down and placed it horizontally on his Duel Disk.
"I see..." Astral began. "If he had left that monster in Attack Position, he could have destroyed it and won the Duel." Ladybug stayed silent, but continued to root for Yuma in her mind, trying to send as many good vibes his way as possible.
"Rrrgh... I won't let you defeat me...!" snarled Kung Food. "I'll never become truly perfect if I don't beat you!"
"Sorry, Kung Food, but I'm afraid that you couldn't be 'perfect', as you say, even IF you defeated me." the duelist told him.
"What do you mean?!" asked the chef.
"...Because no one can be perfect." Yuma answered.
The chef gasped when he heard that. "Th-that's a lie! It has to be!"
"No, Yuma's right." Ladybug spoke up. "No matter how hard you try, achieving true perfection is impossible. And there's a reason why: It's because everybody's idea of perfection is totally different from another's. What you might see as perfection, others may see as completely flawed. There's no way that you can live up to anyone else's idea of becoming perfect, and trying to do so will leave you forever unsatisfied and unfulfilled."
"Shut up! What would YOU know about something like that?!" asked Kung Food. "How do you know how I feel?!"
"Because I used to think just like you did, that not being as good as possible would make me worthless." she answered him. "But then I learned that wasn't true: Like I said, what you may see as perfect, others may see it as a flaw. But it also means that what you might think is flawed and imperfect, someone else might see as unique and special. It's all of our unique attributes that make us who we are. And besides, why would you want to be what someone else wants you to be, when you can just be yourself instead?"
Kung Food said nothing in response. What Ladybug had told him seemed to affect him mentally. 'Be... myself...?' he thought as the number symbol on his head began to dull its light.
"I agree. You should never have to be anyone else but you, Cheng." Yuma told his opponent. "And my cards will help to convey those feelings! Now I draw!" After drawing his card, he smirked at what he drew, "Just what I needed! Go, Utopia!" Yuma shouted with a smile. "Attack Crooked Cook!" The mighty warrior nodded as he pulled out his sword. He then leapt forward and charged towards Kung Food's Number card.
"What the-? He's attacking him?!" Cat Noir exclaimed . "But his monster's weaker! It'll get clobbered!"
Ladybug said nothing in response to Yuma's shocking move. But his face seemed to suggest that she knew what Yuma was doing, and that her new friend wasn't making a mistake.
"Ha ha ha! So you HAVE given up!" the chef cackled. "After that big speech, this is the best you can do?!" He then pointed ahead and yelled, "Crooked Cook! Counterattack! Searing Oven Torch!" His monster then shot its fire attack once more.
"Not so fast! I use Utopia's effect once again!" Yuma shouted. "I remove his last Overlay Unit and negate my OWN attack!" And once more, Utopia absorbed his last Overlay Unit and put up his shield to block his own sword attack, along with Crooked Cook's flames.
Number 39: Utopia
Overlay Units: 1 - 1 = 0
"I don't get it... why the heck would he wanna do that?" Cat Noir asked, confused. "That move did him no good at all."
"Not quite, Cat." Ladybug told her. "I think this is part of his plan."
"So... he negated his attack on purpose...?" asked Cat Noir. "But why?"
Kung Food, however, figured that Yuma must have blundered. "So you realized that your monster was weaker than mine, and as a result, you stopped our attacks before they hit." he said to him. "You may have saved yourself, but without any more Overlay Units, I can destroy your monster! Your mistake this turn will lead to your failure! Something that never happens to someone as perfect as me!"
"Failures and mistakes are two very different things. After all, mistakes can be corrected!" Yuma responded, as he then held up the card he drew and said, "I play the Spell Card, Double or Nothing!"
"Wh-wha...?" the chef stuttered.
"This card has an incredible power, but I can only use it if my monster's attack is negated." the young duelist.
Kung Food gasped. "N-no! You negated Utopia's attack on purpose to play that, didn't you?!"
"Exactly." Yuma confirmed. "I guess your so-called 'perfect plan' didn't account for this little..." After shoving his card into his Duel Pad, he then told him, "Now, thanks to this Spell Card, I not only give Utopia a second attack, but now his attack doubles this turn if he DOES attack! Which is exactly what I'm going to do right now!"
Number 39: Utopia
ATK: 2500 x 2 = 5000
"F-F-FIVE THOUSAND ATTACK POINTS?!" Kung Food cried out.
"Alright, Yuma!" cheered Ladybug. "Now end this!"
"You've got it, Ladybug!" Yuma then gave out his order to his monster. "Go, Utopia! Attack Crooked Cook and end this Duel! Rising Sun Slash!" The warrior nodded, rushing towards the enemy Number card once more, as he took out both of his swords and slashed them at Kung Food's Number card, destroying it in one mighty blow.
"NOOOOOOOO!" screamed the chef as he took the massive blow, which succeeded in depleting all of his Life Points.
Kung Food: LP 1000 - 2100 = 0
WINNER: Yuma
"He did it!" cheered Cat Noir.
"Yes he did." Ladybug nodded, before gasping as both of the heroes left eye's returned to normal, the holographic effects and the transparent Kwami's disappearing in the process.
Yuma then took off his duel gazer, as Astral then thrust his right hand out, in the direction of where Kung Food (who fell unconscious after being defeated) was, as a card-shaped light phased out from the chef's chest. The light then flew towards Astral himself and into his right hand, as the number symbol on Kung Food's head exploded into thousands of golden particles, as he then turned back to Wang Cheng. At that moment, all the damage that was done to the hotel vanished, as if it never happened.
"Man..." said an impressed Cat Noir. "I never thought that a card game could get so intense."
"Are all of these 'Duel's' like that?" Ladybug curiously asked Yuma.
"Aside from the whole 'Number Card possessing people' thing, basically." Yuma smiled, right before his Duel Gazer beeped. Confused, he pulled it out, seeing a notification.
"What is it?" Ladybug asked.
"I…got a message." Yuma said, confused, as he opened the message. "'Dear Yuma, Astral, Ladybug, and Cat Noir, meet me at this address as soon as possible. There are important matters we must speak of.'"
"Does it say who sent it?" Astral asked.
"No, it doesn't. All there is is a map and addre- hey wait a minute! How did this guy even message me?!"
"Can someone get me down now?!" Chloe yelled, as the heroes turned to her, seeing she was still tied up.
"Here". Ladybug said, as she took a picture of the map and address. "You go ahead, we'll catch up." She and Cat Noir went to help Chloe, as Yuma nodded and went towards the elevator, before anyone could ask him questions.
Meanwhile, in Hawkmoth's lair, the villain smirked, as he had witnessed the entire duel. "How interesting..." he said, as the Akuma came back right before the window to his lair closed.
Later, inside of the Le Grand Paris' kitchen, Wang Cheng was making more Celestial Soup, as the jury decided to give him a second chance after learning about Chloe's sabotage.
"Could you teach me how to make Celestial Soup, Cheng Shifu?" Marinette asked as she brought her great uncle more flowers.
"With pleasure, Marinette." Wang said.
"Cooking needs no words." Adrien smiled, as he was watching from the door.
"Seriously?" Chloe's voice said, as she walked up to him. "Still making soup? I told you I hate soup! You think the jury is going to approve of this?" She said, annoyed.
"Didn't your father kick you off the jury?" Adrien asked in irritation.
"No he didn't! I... er... I... resigned." Chloe said in a nervous tone.
"I think Cheng Shifu and Marinette have got this covered. Why don't we let the real jury decide?" Adrien said as he pointed to the exit.
"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" The brat said as she stomped out of the kitchen, causing the blonde to scratch his head.
"Cheng Shifu's delicious Celestial Soup has received the highest marks overall, making you the final winner!" Alec announced, as "World's Greatest Chef was back on the air, with the jury tasting the real soup.
"Ah, and it will soon be the Mayor's Special on the restaurant menu of my prestigious hotel!" Andre said.
"Rock n' Roll! I can't wait to get home and write a song about soup!" Jagged Stone shouted.
"Thank you, but no longer Celestial Soup. Now called: Marinette Soup." Wang said with a bow.
"谢谢! (Thank you!)" Marinette smiled.
"You're welcome." Wang replied as Alec walked over to the bluenette.
"Come over here and stand alongside your uncle, the "World's Greatest Chef"!" He said as Adrien gave her a thumbs-up. Marinette then went up to Wang and hugged him.
A little while after the show finished, Yuma and Astral had found the address they were given, as they were waiting for Ladybug and Cat Noir to arrive. They were snapped out of his thoughts by the distinctive whining sound of a yo-yo launching out and wrapping around something. They turned around as the two heroes of Paris landed in front of them.
"Sorry we took so long." Ladybug apologized. "Had some things to do in our civilian lives."
"I guess that's the blessing and curse of a superhero. Having to live a double life." Yuma grinned, as he entered what seemed to be a Massage Shop, where they then stood in front of an apartment door, and double checked the address. "Well, this is the place." He then stepped up and opened the door, revealing Wang Fu on a rug in the middle of the room.
"Welcome, Yuma, Astral, Ladybug and Cat Noir." He said, as the group walked in the room.
'Wait, isn't that…?' Both Ladybug and Cat Noir thought, and got a good look at the man, recognizing him.
"I've heard many things about you from your father, Yuma." Fu smiled.
"You know my dad?" Yuma asked in shock, causing the elder to nod.
"I'm guessing that you're not an ordinary senior citizen." Astral said.
"Not really. And your arrival here was not by chance either." The old man admitted. He got up from the floor, and walked over to the gramophone behind him. The heroes followed him with rising curiosity.
Once he reached it, the man pressed the eyes of the decorative dragons, revealing a set of hidden buttons and pressed some of them, imputing a code. The gramophone then opened up, revealing a black wooden box with a red symbol on top, leaving everyone speechless.
"Master Fu is the last known member of the Order of the Guardian, Guardian's of the Miraculous." A voice explained, as a small, light green creature that was about 4 inches tall flew out of the Gramophone. Its appearance includes yellow eyes, green pupils, and an antenna on its head. It also has a slightly darker green turtle shell on it's back and a short pointed tail. "I'm Wayzz, Master Fu's Kwami. It's a pleasure to meet you Yuma," The turtle Kwami introduced as he floated closer to Yuma, causing the duelist to back up a bit in surprise.
"Uh, you too," Yuma greeted with a nervous smile, a little taken aback by Wayzz's excitement.
"We guardians are responsible for protecting and distributing the miraculous. For the good of all humanity," Master Fu began as he lifted the box out of the gramophone, and opened it to reveal the remaining two Miraculous inside.
"We are chosen in childhood, and trained for many years, especially for this mission. But when we were much, much younger, we… no, I made a mistake. The Guardians temple was destroyed, all because of me," The Guardian revealed as he vividly remembered his time in the Order of the Guardians, both the good and bad memories.
"Two of the Miraculous were lost that day. The Butterfly, and the Peacock," Master Fu explained as he pointed to the respective empty spots in the box, where the two Miraculous would have sat. But all of this left everyone speechless… which didn't last very long.
"We've all made mistakes. I've had my fair share. All that matters is how we go on from there," Ladybug comforted with a smile, making him return her kindness with a small laugh as he put the Miracle Box back into the gramophone.
"Sit, there are matters that need to be discussed." Master Fu said as he gestured to a small table to the side of the room. Everyone then walked over to the table and sat down, with him soon sitting across from them. Once he was comfortable, he grabbed the teapot sitting on the table.
"Yuma, your father foreseen everything from the moment he went to Astral World, and wanted to guide you on your mission, which he knew would bring you here." Master Fu revealed, shocking the boy.
"But why?" Yuma asked.
Master Fu sighed, before pulling what seemed to be a Duel Pad from underneath the table. "I believe it is best to see for yourself." He said, as he set the device down, before a hologram of a man wearing an adventurer's outfit appeared. This was Kazuma Tsukumo, Yuma's Father. He had dark tan skin, brown eyes, black spiky with a smaller version of Yuma's red hair and black beard.
"Dad?" Yuma asked as everyone stared in disbelief.
"Yuma, if you get this message, then the situation is much worse than I had hoped." Kazuma stated. "Inside of seven ruins are the Seven Mythyrian Numbers. These cards are unlike any you have ever seen, and if they fall into Barian hands, an ancient evil will destroy everything you have been fighting for. That is why you must get those numbers before the Barians do. But these ruins aren't just anywhere. Their entrance's are hidden within an alternate world inside the city of Paris. Go to these coordinates. There you will find a young man named Alvis. He can give you the clues you need to find the Numbers. Be careful my son. I know you can do it. In fact...I am counting on it." Yuma's father spoke as the message ended, leaving everyone speechless.
"Dad, I can't believe he knew this would happen." Yuma spoke, breaking the silence.
"Master Fu, did he tell you what was special about these Numbers?" Ladybug asked.
"Yes. He believed that obtaining these seven card's would reveal the location of the Numeron Code." Fu explained, causing Yuma and Astral eye's to widen and gasp in disbelief.
"Numeron Code?" Cat Noir tilted his head.
"It is a powerful card that created the entire universe. It has records of everything and has the power to decide the fate of all reality." Astral explained, causing the duo's eyes to widen.
"Indeed. The Numeron Code is even more powerful than all of the Miraculous combined." Fu added. "Control of the Numeron Code would mean control of the universe."
"So what do we do?" Ladybug asked.
"Due to the Appearance of the Number you just obtained, and aside from the Mythyrian Numbers, I doubt that it is the only one that is in Paris. More are bound to appear, and it is only a matter of time before Hawkmoth discovers their power. We must be ready." Master Fu said, as he then looked at Ladybug and Cat Noir. "With and without the mask."
"Wait, what do you…?" Ladybug said, before she and her partner quietly gasped, realizing what he meant. "But Master-"
"I know it was safer to not know each other's identities, but things have changed. This is a battle we cannot lose." Master Fu said, as the Paris Duo turned to each other.
It had been about half an hour since they left Master Fu's Shop, as Ladybug and Cat Noir were standing on top of the Eiffel Tower, not sure how to reveal themselves, as Yuma sat about 20 feet away from where they were standing.
"M'lady, you know that I've always wanted to know who you are for so many reasons and for so long, but only if you were okay with it. Either way I'll always feel the same about you. You're the most amazing person I've ever known and probably ever will know," said Cat Noir, giving her a smile.
Ladybug smiled back as she quickly tried to process everything. They had been partners for a while now and there was an element of trust between them that couldn't be explained. She trusted her kitty more than she'd ever trusted anyone in her life. "So, how do you want to do this?"
Cat Noir said nothing, as he turned around and faced away from Ladybug. Realizing what he was doing, Ladybug did the same thing, both heroes now facing away from each other.
"Tikki, Spots off./Plagg, Claws in."
With that, Ladybug and Cat Noir dropped their transformation and let Tikki and Plagg float into their hands, giving each of them food to get their strength back. They smiled down at them while they fought the temptation to look over their shoulders.
Yuma and Astral just stared in shock. This whole time they thought Ladybug and Cat Noir were wearing outfits that they made by themselves and they were just gonna take off their masks. They were not expecting their outfits to disappear.
"Kitty, even if this is something we need to do, I think...I think I'm ready for this. I trust you more than anyone and with everything that's happened today, I do think we could be stronger together." said Marinette, looking at Cat Noir's shadow on the ground right beside her.
Adrien smiled at his lady's words. He was feeling so anxious his body was starting to shake a bit. The moment he'd been waiting for for so long was finally here. Learning who the girl he loved was under her mask.
"Ladybug, I just want you to know that I love you no matter what," said Adrien, smiling down at the ground. "You, Plagg, this life, everything has been the best thing to happen to me and I wouldn't trade it for anything."
"Yeah, me too," said Marinette as she closed her eyes and turned around to look at her partner.
Somehow knowing what she was doing Adrien also closed his eyes and turned around, his heart rate climbing rapidly and his cheeks burning.
"On three m'lady?" asked Adrien, smiling.
"Sounds good Kitty...one," said Marinette.
"Two," said Adrien.
"THREE!" both said together as they opened their eyes. Both were instantly overwhelmed with shock and surprise as they froze on the spot, staring into each other's eyes in complete disbelief while they processed what they were seeing, both of their mouths slightly hanging open. For thirty whole seconds neither of them said anything as they just continuously stared at each other.
"I...I can't believe it," said Adrien as a tear trailed out of his eye and down his cheek, smiling at Marinette. This was something he never would have thought possible. And now that he was seeing it it was so much better than he could have possibly imagined. His partner and amazing lady was actually one of his closest friends all along.
Marinette was in more shock than surprise. Never in a million years would she have thought that her pun loving, flirty, silly kitty was actually the handsome and amazingly perfect Adrien Agreste. She wasn't smiling like him but she also wasn't disappointed, just taking it all in and processing it.
Adrien couldn't help himself anymore as he stepped forward and enveloped Marinette into a loving embrace, another tear of happiness running down his cheek as he felt Marinette slowly hug him back after a few moments.
As the shock of Cat Noir being Adrien was slowly fading, it was being replaced by pure joy as she heard him say how happy he was to learn that she was Ladybug. He wasn't upset, disappointed, let down, no...he was happy. And he was hugging her so tenderly which made her feel like she was on cloud nine.
After several more seconds of hugging each other both of the now revealed superheroes pulled back slightly and rested their foreheads against each other.
Tikki and Plagg were both hovering off to the side and both were feeling a huge weight lift off their shoulders.
"Oh man, it's about time. I've been waiting for this for so long and it baffles me that it took you this long to realize who the other was. I mean it was so obvious once you realize it," said Plagg flying around in circles.
"Stop it Plagg, let them enjoy this moment together," said Tikki, frowning at her Kwami companion. "After all, they've both been through so much together both as heroes and in their regular life."
Adrien barely even heard what the Kwamis were saying. He only had eyes for his beautiful partner.
"I can't believe that all this time you were sitting five feet behind me in school and I didn't even know it," said Adrien smiling brightly.
Turning to face Yuma and Astral, Adrien gently took Marinette's hand into his own.
"Well, I guess now we can officially introduce ourselves. I'm Adrien Agreste," said Adrien politely.
"And I'm Marinette Dupain Cheng," said Marinette, giving Adrien's hand a light squeeze of excitement. She was so giddy that the boy she's been in love with for months is holding her hand right now.
"Anyway, we've been good friends for a while now since I was first allowed to start going to school," said Adrien looking at the young duelist and blue being. "I was homeschooled most of my life until recently, and Marinette has become one of my closest and most valued friends. She's been so helpful and supportive of me as I adjust to this kind of life because I've been sheltered for so long by my father. She's made it so amazing and easy to enjoy."
With pure admiration in his eyes Adrien looks right into Marinette's again. Her beautiful blue eyes shining like two sapphires in the sun.
Marinette feels her knees going weak as she looks deeply into Adrien's green eyes. They're glowing like two emeralds as she completely loses herself in them.
"Well then," Yuma said, as he stood up and offered a handshake. "It's great to officially meet you both! I can't wait to start working with you."
Marinette smiled and nodded, as she and Adrien shaked Yuma's hand, while Astral just stared at the scene.
'Miraculous Observation #1: Sometimes, people keep secrets from the ones we care for most to protect them.' Astral thought, thinking of when he found Yuma lied to him. 'When those secrets are revealed, it can either break the trust you have in them, or it can make their bond stronger. The result depends on if you truly understand the person's reasons for keeping it hidden in the first place. To make sure my bond with Yuma isn't severed again, I MUST remember this.'
Author's Note:
This chapter was a little longer than I thought it would be. The duel was fun to write, while I was a little stumped on what to do after the duel, but I managed. Let me know your thoughts on the chapter. The reason why Kung Food's Number was in the world of the Miraculous was because the Number's connection to the Ruins that contain the Mythyrian Numbers. Expect more to appear in the future.
Kung Food was able to speak perfect English due to the Number that possessed him. As for why it gave him powers and became real, is because the Numbers are affected differently in Ladybug and Cat Noir's World than in Yuma's World.
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