I apologize for the long wait. I was distracted by my other projects and real life, but I finally finished writing this chapter. It contains another Duel and it's the last one before Yusei and Jack's final Turbo Duel they had in the anime. I'm going to rewrite that Duel, but I promise it will have the same end as the original.
Special thanks to CitrusUnshiu who is my beta-reader!
The chapter is in normal point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 9: The Duel of Queens
Bright fireworks adorned the sky far above the Duel Academy grounds that were gowned by colorful vendors made by the students. Crowds of children and adults were spread out as they visited the open house of Duel Academy's cultural school festival, enjoying themselves with fresh food made by the students and trying out mini games. Of course, a few classrooms inside the main building were open and served as attractions like a haunted mansion, different themed cafés, bands playing their songs in the auditorium and etcetera. One classroom was particularly busy as customers came to their café to try out the menu.
Aki strutted to the secluded section of the classroom where some of her classmates prepared the drinks and snacks. "One pancake and one black tea for table nine!"
"Coming up!" a male classmate was dressed in a chef's uniform with hat and everything and flipped a freshly baked pancake over to a clean plate.
The burgundy girl straightened out the skirt of her maid uniform while she waited for Sakura to finish making the black tea. She twirled a few strands of her freshly trimmed hair and took the time to reminisce the cultural festival last year. Her class made a small game center where people played games and received rewards. The class originally wanted to do something else, but it got outvoted by other classes. So this year they got lucky to host a maid and butler café. Aki and a group of her classmates came over to her home where they made the uniforms from scratch with some help from her mother, but all she did was showing them how to sew some difficult parts. They had to figure out the rest so they could be proud of their work afterward.
Aki giggled as she remembered her parents visiting her yesterday when only families and guardians were allowed to visit the Duel Academy. Like the doting father he was, Hideo had warned her not to go away with a stranger while dressed in her maid costume. Aki reassured him she knew about stranger danger and pushed him out of the classroom before he could embarrass her in front of her classmates.
"Order for table nine is ready!" Sakura announced, snapping the psychic out of her trance.
Aki grabbed the tray with the food and walked out of the drapery, her black maid pumps clicking against the floor. She set her mind into roleplaying as she reached the table with a single male teenager. "Thank you for waiting, master. Here is your order."
"Thanks!" the visitor grinned while Aki placed the plate of triple tier pancakes and tea in front of him.
Aki pulled back and held her tray in front of her before bowing. "Enjoy your meal." She silently walked back to the closed-off section and sat down on a chair to rest a moment.
"You're doing good, Aki", Sakura told her, seeing her friend was a little tired and the time wasn't even noon yet. "Hang on a little more. Your shift is almost done."
"Thank god…", Aki mumbled and fanned herself with the tray, drying the thin layer of sweat on her face. "Your shift ends at the same time too, right?"
"Yeah, and Mei takes over your shift", Sakura replied with a soft sigh while preparing a cup of green tea for the next customer. "I was hoping we could go around the school together…"
"You already did that yesterday", Aki giggled before she leaned forward and popped her right elbow on her lap, resting her cheek against her hand.
"Yeah, but it's a different feeling when you walk around with the one you like at school without your parents following you", Sakura argued.
"I guess so…", Aki trailed off as her thoughts traveled to Sherry. The blonde was doing her best building up a new career from scratch and had no time and money to fly back to Japan. The psychic had hoped Sherry would show up unannounced and surprise her, but life didn't always work like your dreams.
"Excuse me, is this Izayoi Aki's classroom?" a familiar voice caught Aki's attention.
Now suddenly filled with renew energy, she jumped up from the chair and walked out of the staff area, a smile brightening up her face. "Estelle! Yusei!"
The star-crossed couple had heard about the cultural festival from Aki so they decided to take a break from their studies to visit the Duel Academy. "Hi, Aki", Estelle waved her hand. "We came to see you. Hope you don't mind."
"Not at all!" Aki smiled. "I'm so glad you two had time to come here."
"We were also curious to see what Duel Academy looks like", Yusei added before he looked around in the redecorated classroom. He had never been in an actual school as a child, so he wanted to embrace the opportunity and imagine how it was like being a student.
Aki looked over her shoulder to see if there were any vacant tables. "There is a free table by the windows. Is that okay?"
"That's brilliant", Estelle nodded, adjusting the black handbag on her right shoulder.
Aki escorted the couple to the windows and gave them the menu. She noticed how her classmates stared at her in awe. They knew she was friends with the hero of New Domino City, but seeing it with their own eyes was more of a satisfaction to their curiosity.
She took their order and brought the food out to the couple. Straight after she placed a cup of vanilla ice cream with rolled up cinnamon sticks in front of Estelle, the brunette asked her something. "When are you free from your work here, Aki?"
Aki checked the big clock on the wall between the two doors of the classroom. "In ten minutes. I've got a ninety minutes break."
"Do you want to spend time with us?" Yusei asked after he took a sip of his Café au Chocolat. "Like showing us around and stuff?"
"I'd love that", Aki nodded eagerly. "We can visit the twins and their exhibition. I wasn't able to see them yesterday when my parents were here."
"The grammar students host an exhibition? They don't host cafés or vendors like the middle and high schoolers?" Estelle asked before she took a bite of her cold dessert, humming in delight by the sweet treat melting on her tongue.
"Yes, it's for their safety", Aki explained.
"How were the cultural festivals in your country, Estelle?" Yusei asked the brunette.
Estelle slipped her dessert spoon out of her mouth with a pondering expression, checking the busy classroom as new customers walked in. "Well, I want to tell you guys, but I don't want to hold back Aki from her work."
"Ah yes, I'd better go back to work before Mei takes over", Aki said as she spotted the customers taking a seat by an empty table. "I'll be ready soon. Will you wait for me?"
"Of course, Aki", Yusei nodded with an understanding glance. "We'll stay here and wait."
"Thanks, guys", the high schooler smiled. "I'll be back shortly."
XXXXXXXXXX
Keeping her promise, Aki ended her shift and caught up with the couple outside of her classroom before she showed them around. She also carried a small pile of printed posters of her classroom's café and randomly gave some away to guests. The trio stopped by a few attractions and tried out mini games, which they barely won a prize. When Yusei had to make a quick visit in the washroom, Aki suggested Estelle to visit a haunted mansion with him. The brunette instantly rejected the idea, refusing to enter the attraction no matter what. Her reaction made Aki laugh hard, which in turn made the Blue-Eyes Duelist pout like a child and gave her friend the silent treatment until Yusei came back.
They visited a few more classrooms before they walked to the grammar school's building. The first thing that greeted the visitors were paintings and other artwork made by members of the art club. It was all from charcoal sketches to oil paintings and even small sculptures of historic people and Duel Monsters. Estelle checked out some of her favorite pieces and studied them to get a better understanding of the different methods the students had used to make them.
Aki led the couple to the twins' classroom where they displayed their artwork of their favorite Duel Monsters. Their drawings were framed for extra protection as the students had put all their heart and spirit into making the best picture. Leo yawned just before the trio stepped into the classroom. When he spotted them, his bored expression vanished and was replaced with a big smile. "Yusei! Estelle! Aki!"
His classmates exploded into cheers and immediately ran to Yusei, crowding around him like crazy little admirers. He embraced the situation and calmly greeted the twins' classmates and answered their questions. Estelle and Aki watched amusingly from the background with Luna and Miyuki. The young girls were calm compared to their classmates and even Leo who had pushed himself to the front of Yusei.
In the midst of chaos, Aki barely heard the ringtone of her smartphone, but she caught the sound and stepped out of the classroom to take the call. She fished the device up from a secret pocket on her skirt and saw it was Sakura calling. Thinking there was an emergency, she immediately answered. "Hello? Sakura?"
"Where are you, Aki?!" Sakura's panicked voice made the Signer pull her phone away from her ear, wincing by the sudden loud shriek.
"I'm visiting the twins' classroom with my friends", Aki replied after she finished soothing the light pain in her ear. "What's wrong?"
"You've been called to the auditorium for the popularity contest! You're a nominee for the Queen of Queens title!"
"What?" Aki frowned in disbelief. She was aware of the annual popularity contest the Duel Academy hosted every year alongside the cultural festival. Every student in high school grades could vote for one boy and one girl and the two with most votes for each gender would receive the title of King of Kings and Queen of Queens with a surprise prize. She didn't have that much interest for the contest, so she had scribbled down two random names on her voting ticket both last year and this year. What she hadn't expected was to get enough votes to become a nominee. She had a strong feeling her participation in the Grand Prix had affected her popularity and made it grow tenfold.
"It's true, Aki", Mei responded after she took Sakura's phone since her girlfriend had a hard time standing still. "Somebody from the student body council showed up by the classroom and asked us to inform you about this. They're soon going to make an announcement about the contest, so they want the nominees to gather in the auditorium as quickly as possible."
Aki exhaled a sigh through her nose. She didn't want to participate, but she couldn't say no now and crush people's expectations. "Alright. I'll go to the auditorium right away."
She heard a shuffle before Sakura spoke in the phone. "We'll be there as soon as we can! The whole class is freaking out, Aki!"
"Please tell them to calm down. I'm just a nominee, not the winner."
"You are a winner in our eyes, Aki. See you soon!"
"Thank you, Sakura. See you soon", the Signer chuckled and ended the call. Her schedule got changed now and she couldn't show the couple around anymore, so she went back to the classroom and informed them about the change of plans.
XXXXXXXXXX
The auditorium was full of spectators, students and visitors, who cheered and applauded when this year's King of Kings was crowned. He received a band strapped across his chest with the year and title embroidered and a bouquet of flowers carefully handpicked by the members of the garden club. He proudly waved to the audience as colorful confetti rained upon him and the nominees who clapped for him in respect along with the host who was a member of the student body council.
The three young men walked to the backstage where Aki and the two other girls were waiting for their entrance. It was quite dark behind the curtain, so she couldn't see who her rival contestants were. She didn't have time to change out of her maid costume, but it was the same for the two girls as they had been called out without a warning.
"And now, let's welcome the three nominees for the title of Queen of Queens Year 2031! Rin Kaiho from class 3-C, Izayoi Aki from class 3-A and Megumi Rein from class 2-B!"
The crowd exploded into cheers and whistles as the girls walked out onto stage and stood in a nice line with one spotlight shining upon each one of them. Aki cast a side glance at Rein on her right. She was a petite girl with silver grey hair tied into two pigtails with a pair of oak brown eyes and peach skin wearing her school uniform. She held herself in an elegant way and gave the audience a soft smile, welcoming the support from her fans. Kaiho had a totally different attitude when people chanted her name. She was a popular J-pop singer who topped the weekly charts with her songs, so she stood with her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out with a proud smirk and glare in her green eyes, like she was expecting to win the contest. She had hot pink hair tied into a Chinese-style updo with a pair of yellow ribbons that matched her short hot pink qipao with yellow diamond embroidery, elevating her soft yellow skin. She was the reigning Queen of Queens since first year of high school so she had quite the winning streak.
"These three contestants shall soon become one winner, but the question is… Who will it be?" the host said as she accepted an envelope from a random staff member. She opened it and pulled out a piece of folded paper. "Before I reveal the winner, let's see who came in third place. It is… Megumi Rein! Congratulations!"
The crowd applauded for Rein who gracefully bowed to them. Aki clapped her hands to show her respect. Kaiho clapped her hands with little enthusiasm, having no interest in her rivals. The only thing her eyes were set on was the prize.
"Now… After this long wait, who will be crowned the Queen of Queens! Is it going to be our reigning queen Rin Kaiho or the challenger Izayoi Aki? Drum roll, please!"
The stage turned dark before spotlights danced around the two remaining nominees to the rhythm of the drum roll. Everyone waited anxiously for their favorite candidate to win the popularity contest. Aki had a neutral expression, not really caring about the outcome. Kaiho held back her amusing grin as she prepared herself to accept the trophy.
The drum roll stopped just as the spotlights shone upon the winner. A huge sound of gasp echoed across the auditorium as they found out who had won.
"It's a draw!" the host announced, surprised to see an even result written on her piece of paper.
"What?!" Kaiho exclaimed with a shriek of disbelief. "It can't be!"
Aki was surprised too by the outcome. She hadn't expected to be on par with the reigning queen. Did she really become that popular in such short time after the Grand Prix? It was almost a little humorous to her how she once was treated like an outcast, a witch possessing psychic powers, and feared by the same students who had put their votes on her. Oh the irony!
"Redo the voting! I refuse to accept these results!" Kaiho demanded angrily, her cheeks burning in vibrant red colors.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Rin, but these are the results", the host shook her head. "Unless you two can come to an agreement on who should be crowned the Queen of Queens."
Aki immediately raised her hand to share some words. Another staff dashed to her with a microphone before she could tell everyone her thoughts. "I don't mind being the runner-up. Rin can gladly have the title-"
"No!" Kaiho growled and snatched a microphone out from a third staff member. "I don't want your charity, Izayoi! I have my pride as a singer! If there's a competition, I want to earn the prize! Let's settle this with a Duel!"
"A Duel?" Aki repeated, blinking her eyes.
"Yes! After all, we are students of Duel Academy and we should settle the score with a Duel. What do you say, Izayoi? Do you accept my challenge?" Kaiho asked with a toothy smirk.
A whistle of excitement exploded from the public as they began chanting, encouraging Aki to accept Kaiho's challenge. She knew she couldn't back down now or else she would ruin everyone's expectations. Then again, it might be a perfect opportunity to challenge a new Duelist and their Deck.
"I accept your challenge, Rin Kaiho", Aki responded with a confident grin.
The crowd cheered happily, now looking forward to get entertained by the new main attraction of the cultural festival.
The host cleared her throat and turned to the public with a wide smile. "Well, what a change of events! We're going to decide our Queen of Queens with a Duel! Give us five minutes to prepare the stage and for our nominees to grab their Decks and we'll be right back, dear audience!"
XXXXXXXXXX
Aki and Kaiho rushed to their classrooms and changed their costumes into school uniforms before they hurried back to the auditorium with their Decks. They were provided with default colored Duel Disks as soon as they returned and took their stand on the stage. The public had returned after they got some snacks and drinks during the brief break. Yusei and Estelle sat among the crowd with Aki's whole class. When they learned about the Duel to decide the year's Queen of Queens, they dropped everything and rushed to the auditorium so they could cheer for her.
"Welcome back to the popularity contest!" the host spoke in her microphone. "For a quick recap for people who have missed what happened; the votes came to a draw between the nominees Rin Kaiho and Izayoi Aki for the Queen of Queens title, so they are about to Duel to decide the winner. Girls, are you ready?"
"I am", Kaiho smirked with a playful glare at her opponent.
"Me too", Aki nodded.
"Then… Let's Duel!"
The crowd chanted the two magic words as Aki and Kaiho inserted their Decks into the Duel Disks and activated them to commence the Duel.
Aki: 4000 LP
Kaiho: 4000 LP
The girls drew their first five cards and inspected them quickly as they could feel ideas forming in their heads. "Since I already have been titled Queen of Queens before, I'll let you go first, Izayoi", Kaiho said.
"Thank you, Rin", Aki nodded and drew her sixth card. "Draw! I summon Twilight Rose Knight in attack mode!"
One of her iconic Tuner Monsters appeared on the field, slashing her sword while her mantle ruffled by the violent air current.
Twilight Rose Knight, Level 3, Tuner: ATK 1000
"Twilight Rose Knight's effect! When she's Normal summoned, I can Special summon a Level 4 or lower plant-type Monster from my hand, so I summon Revival Rose in attack mode!"
The rose knight aimed her sword on the floor next to her and summoned a gate for her comrade to join her. A thorny stem with three rose buds sprouted from the gate before they opened their petals, revealing an eye in the middle of each rose.
Revival Rose, Level 4: ATK 1300
"Now I tune Level 3 Twilight Rose Knight with Level 4 Revival Rose! Cherry blossoms, sunflowers, camellias, and maples, spread your petals and dance for the empress! Synchro summon! Appear, Periallis, Empress of Blossoms!"
Twilight Rose Knight transformed into three tuning circle which Revival Rose flew into, releasing a light that engulfed the stage. A large orange flower sprouted on the floor and opened its green petals, revealing a female humanoid being with long hair of grass and a flower crown on her head.
Periallis, Empress of Blossoms, Level 7: DEF 2400
"I set one card and end my turn", Aki finished her turn, passing the baton to Kaiho.
"Izayoi has started her turn with a Synchro Monster in defense mode! It's going to take a lot from Rin to pierce through that. What will she do?"
"Impressive, Izayoi, but things are just starting", Kaiho smirked and reached for her Deck. "My turn! Draw! I play the Spell card Ostinato! When I have no Monsters on my field, I can Fusion summon one Melodious Monster from my Extra Deck using two Monsters from my hand or Deck as Fusion Material! I fuse Aria and Shopina from my hand! The angel's song! The supreme genius! Follow the baton and stack your power! Fusion summon! Take the stage with the song of victory! Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir!"
The two Melodious Monsters began chanting a melody as they flew toward the ceiling where their bodies were fused together like liquid, transforming into a flower bud. The melody was still echoing as the bud opened its petals and revealed the Fusion Monster. It was a female fairy clad in a dress of pastel colors and big crystal blue eyes blinking, matching her soft lilac hair.
Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir, Level 6: ATK 1000
"A Fusion Monster with only one-thousand attack points…?" Aki mumbled to herself as she raised a confused eyebrow at Bloom Diva.
Kaiho grinned at the Signer's puzzled expression. "It sounds like you're not familiar with my Deck, so let me show you what my Monsters can do", she commented. "Battle! Bloom Diva, attack Periallis!"
Bloom Diva hummed in response and flew toward the crouched plant queen. The flower beneath her spread yellow petals around her before she tackled Periallis, attempting to throw her off balance. Periallis grunted at the impact, but she held herself straight.
"Bloom Diva cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, and I take no battle damage from attacks involving her!" Kaiho explained as her Monster remained on the field after the battle. "Also, when she battles a Special summoned Monster, after damage calculation, I can inflict damage to you equal to the difference between the original attack points of both Monsters and destroy your Monster, Izayoi!"
"What?!" Aki exclaimed in disbelief.
"Bloom Diva, use Reflect Shout!" Kaiho yelled.
Bloom Diva took a deep breath before she released a green soundwave from her mouth, engulfing Periallis. The plant queen shrieked by the loud noise enveloping her and covered her ears to endure the pain. Unfortunately for her, the effect overwhelmed her sense of hearing and forced her to leave the field, exploding into orange flower petals that went toward Aki, mixed with Bloom Diva's yellow flower petals.
"I activate my Continuous Trap; Doppelganger!" she quickly called out. "When I take effect damage, it will also inflict the same amount of damage to you, Rin!"
The whirlwind of petals blew past Aki as her Life Points were decreased by a small amount before it changed its course and went toward Kaiho. The pop singer shrieked and shielded her face with her arms as the wind screeched in her ears. The petals caressed her body with a soft touch before they faded away together with the air current.
Aki: 4000 LP – 3400 LP
Kaiho: 4000 LP – 3400 LP
"Revival Rose's effect!" Aki called as she snatched the Monster card that got ejected from the Graveyard slot. "When a Level 5 or higher plant-type Monster is destroyed while it's in the Graveyard, I can Special summon it! Return, Revival Rose!"
A gate appeared on the field and allowed the three-eyed rose bush to return to the field, hissing lightly while it took a defensive stand.
Revival Rose, Level 4: DEF 1300
"What a splendid comeback! While Bloom Diva was able to destroy Periallis and inflict damage to Izayoi, she returned the favor with Doppelganger, making their Life Points even, and Special summoned a Monster to protect herself! The question is; how long will the defense work?"
"That won't stop me", Kaiho smirked and grabbed another card from her hand. "Main Phase 2! I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Doppelganger! I won't go down together with you, Izayoi! We're going to have an even match with a winner!"
Said card appeared on the field with the artwork coming alive, sending a tornado toward Aki's face-up Trap card. She bit her lower lip and held back a growl when Doppelganger was shredded into pieces.
"End Phase! Because I used Ostinato to Fusion summon, Bloom Diva is supposed to be destroyed and replaced by the Monsters I used as Fusion material, but thanks to her effect, she's indestructible, so she stays on the field! I end my turn!"
"Okay…", Aki nodded as she touched her Deck. "My turn. Draw!"
"Izayoi is quite in the pickle right now. Bloom Diva cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, so she can't get rid of her that easily. And she lost Doppelganger that could've given her the advantage of sending the same effect damage back to Rin. What will she do?"
Aki checked her four cards, trying to come up with a strategy against Bloom Diva. She had some experience against Monsters like her, like Crow's Blackwing Armor Master. There were only two ways of getting rid of Bloom Diva, and she had one of those options available in her Deck. The problem is, though, she needed to gather the cards for the plan to work. Even if it meant she had to do some sacrifices.
"I play Fragrance Storm!" she shouted. "I destroy my plant Monster Revival Rose to draw one card. If it's a Monster, I can reveal it and draw another card."
The Spell card flipped up onto the field and fired a tornado of flower petals at Revival Rose. The rose bush got clipped as Aki drew the top card of her Deck. She smiled in relief and showed Kaiho the Monster card of Queen Angel of Roses.
"Izayoi got lucky with her draw and got Queen Angel of Roses! This means she can draw another card."
The Signer drew the next card and added both of them to her hand before grabbing one of the cards she drew for her start hand. "Since you control a Monster and I don't, I can Special summon Rose Princess from my hand! When she's summoned this way, she's treated as a Tuner Monster!"
A female humanoid Monster flew out from gate summoned in front of Aki and giggled happily, her magenta dress flowing around her with a deep v-cut. Her black petals served as wings, but now they were folded so they acted as a mantle. Her red-pink hair was shaped like a rose like the corsages on her shoulders and wrists.
Rose Princess, Level 3, Tuner: ATK 1200
"Since I control a plant Tuner, I can Special summon White Rose Dragon from my hand!"
A dragon clad in brown armor and white petals appeared next to Rose Princess, standing on its hind legs as it had no front paws like an ostrich. It flapped its wings with a chirp, spreading its petals around the field.
White Rose Dragon, Level 4: ATK 1200
"I think what's coming next", Kaiho smirked confidently. "But it can't destroy Bloom Diva."
"I know, but I have other plans", Aki retorted. "I tune Level 3 Rose Princess with Level 4 White Rose Dragon! Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! Synchro summon! Appear now, Black Rose Dragon!"
Rose Princess spread her arms before her body transformed into three tuning rings in which White Rose Dragon flew into, its body turning transparent with its Level Stars shown. The light from the Monsters imploded and was replaced by Aki's Signer Dragon. She screeched so it echoed in the auditorium, taking her stand behind her mistress, glaring at the tiny Fusion Monster in front of them.
Black Rose Dragon, Level 7: ATK 2400
"There is Izayoi's ace Monster! Black Rose Dragon has entered the field! But even with its destructive effect, it cannot harm Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir. So what was the meaning of Synchro summoning it?"
"White Rose Dragon's effect!" Aki declared. "When she's sent to the Graveyard as Synchro material, I can send a Level 4 or higher plant Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I choose my Level 7 Fallen Angel of Roses. I set one card and end my turn."
"Good choice of you for not attacking Bloom Diva with your dragon, Izayoi", Kaiho commented with narrowed eyes. "I have no idea what you're planning against my Monster, but it's going to take a lot more than what you think. My turn! Draw! And I'll go straight to Battle Phase! Bloom Diva, attack Black Rose Dragon!"
Bloom Diva flew toward Black Rose Dragon who threw her vines toward her, trying to stop the fairy from reaching her. Bloom Diva dodged each move and floated right in front of the Signer Dragon before she took a deep breath and unleashed her Reflect Shout. Black Rose Dragon screeched as her body shattered apart, her rose petals flowing toward Aki together with Bloom Diva's to inflict a large amount of damage.
"I activate my Trap; Nature's Reflection!" the burgundy girl called out. "Any effect activated by my opponent that would inflict damage to me is reflected back to them! So you take the damage, Rin!"
A stone tablet raised up from the floor in front of Aki in the nick of time. The swirl of colorful petals bounced onto the smooth surface and went straight at Kaiho. She screeched in surprise and shielded her face for the second time before she was engulfed by the wind and flower petals, her Life Points taking a big hit.
Aki: 3400 LP
Kaiho: 3400 LP – 2000 LP
"Ouch! That must have hurt for Rin! Who would've thought that Izayoi had another reflective Trap card in her possession? Sadly, it came to the cost of her Black Rose Dragon getting destroyed."
Kaiho coughed softly as she recovered from the effect damage, brushing her jacket to straighten it out after it got wrinkled by the Solid Vision. "You managed to inflict my own effect damage onto me twice now, Izayoi", she smirked. "I'm very impressed."
"Thank you, Rin", Aki replied with a nod.
Kaiho checked her hand and nodded to herself. "I'm going to save my cards for later, so I end my turn."
"Okay. My turn. Draw!" Aki drew her next card before subsequently activating it. "Rose Paladin's effect! I send this card to the Graveyard to add a Level 7 or higher plant Monster from my Deck to my hand. I choose Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel!"
The transparent figure of Rose Paladin briefly appeared on the field. She aimed her lance at Aki's Deck and fired a tiny laser beam at it, allowing her mistress to add the selected card to her hand. Once Rosaria was added to her hand, Rose Paladin retreated to the Graveyard.
"I've got the cards I need to defeat Bloom Diva, Rin!" Aki warned her. "I Special summon Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel from my hand by banishing my Level 7 Fallen Angel of Roses from the Graveyard and Level 7 Queen Angel of Roses from my hand! Come forth, from the sacred land of the world's beginning, Rosaria!"
The two rose angels showed up on the field with red, pink, black and purple rose petals raining around them. They touched each other's hands before they ascended to the ceiling where they imploded into a white light. A choir of angels singing echoed from the light as a white male angel with red and purple wings made out of rose petals descended, illuminating the stage while spreading petal across the auditorium.
Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel, Level 8: ATK 2900
"Wow… What a beautiful angel… It's like the king of roses has gifted us with his presence."
Kaiho was also in awe of the angel, but she snapped out of her trance and shook her head to clear her mind. "I had no idea you had such a powerful Monster in your Deck, Izayoi, but I'm afraid he cannot defeat Bloom Diva with his impressive twenty-nine hundred attack points."
Aki responded with a tiny smirk. "That's where you're wrong, Rin. I activate Rosaria's effect! Once per turn, the effects of every face-up card currently on the field are negated until the end of this turn!"
"What?!" Kaiho shrieked in surprise.
"Let silence fill the field! Fallow Winter!"
Rosaria's body glowed as a cold wind blew across the area, making many people in the stand freeze as Aki had accidently leaked some of her power. Snow appeared out of nowhere and blew around as Rosaria aimed his freezing power at Bloom Diva. The fairy Monster shrieked as she got immobilized by getting frozen into an ice block.
"But that means…Bloom Diva's protective effect is negated!" Kaiho panicked as she realized what had just occurred.
"Exactly, and she can't destroy my Monster in battle!" Aki yelled determinedly. "Battle! Rosaria, attack Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir with Valhalla Harvest!"
Rosaria grunted as he aimed his palms at Bloom Diva who managed to blink her eyes beneath the ice. The angel unleashed a dual beam of ice and rose petals at his opponent, causing the ice block to shatter into pieces. Bloom Diva's body split apart with the ice block and dispersed from the field. Ice shards rained onto Kaiho as her Life Points took a massive hit, leaving her alive with only one-hundred points.
Aki: 3400 LP
Kaiho: 2000 LP – 100 LP
"Oh my lord! Izayoi has turned the table around with Rosaria! Rin is barely holding on with only one-hundred Life Points left! This could be it, unless she can make a comeback on her next turn!"
"Are you okay, Rin?" Aki asked concernedly, realizing her powers had gone a little out of control.
Kaiho brushed the frost off her clothes and rubbed her face, accidently smearing some of her makeup, her red lipstick smudging her cheek. "I underestimated you, Izayoi…", she panted lightly, sensing the aftermath of Aki's psychic powers affecting her body. "You and your team didn't come in third in the Grand Prix for nothing. But… I won't go down like this! I swear to you I will win with my melody!"
Aki liked the determined glare in her opponent's eyes. She was a Duelist who she was starting to respect. "Prove it to me, Rin. I end my turn."
"Oh, I will prove it to you and everybody else! Draw!" Kaiho shouted and commenced her turn. "I Special summon Solo the Melodious Songstress because only you control a Monster!"
A new female humanoid Monster appeared in a red dress with a navy blue petticoat and blonde hair shaped almost like a helmet. She made a pirouette before taking her stand on the field.
Solo the Melodious Songstress, Level 4: ATK 1600
"I summon Crystal Rose in attack mode!"
A rock Monster in the shape of a red rose appeared next to Solo, emitting a glittering shine as its body was polished into perfection. Aki couldn't help but stare in awe at the crystal Monster. For a second, she yearned to have a copy of it in her Deck.
Crystal Rose, Level 2: ATK 500
"Crystal Rose's effect! I send my Tamtam the Melodious Diva from my Deck to the Graveyard to make Crystal Rose's name become that Monster's name for the rest of this turn!"
Tamtam's transparent figure appeared in front of Crystal Rose with her gong musical instrument. She took a bow to the audience before she transformed into energy and enveloped Crystal Rose. The rock Monster glowed as its name became temporarily Tamtam the Melodious Diva.
"Now I activate the Continuous Spell; Fortissimo! It's not staying here for long because I'm sending it straight to the Graveyard to fuse Solo and Crystal Rose into my next Fusion Monster! Let your singing voices ring and the melody flow! Follow the baton and stack your power! Fusion summon! Take the stage! Schuberta the Melodious Maestra!"
Solo and Crystal Rose flew up and merged themselves into a new Fusion Monster. This fairy Monster looked more mature compared to Bloom Diva, wearing an orange and black dress with long flowing orange hair. Her face was hidden by a gold mask as she held a baton in the shape of a thin dagger.
Schuberta the Melodious Maestra, Level 6: ATK 2400
"Rin has just Fusion summoned her second Fusion Melodious Monster! She is definitely not going up on the prize!"
"Schuberta is still weak against Rosaria", Aki pointed out, although she had a bad feeling about Kaiho's next move.
"That's true, so I'm going to equip Cestus of Dagla to Schuberta, increasing her attack points by five-hundred!"
Schuberta's baton glowed in her hand before it transformed into a pair of melee weapons known as wind-and-fire wheels. They had a silver shine and shaped like the capital letter D. She chirped as she sensed her strength growing with the equipment.
Schuberta the Melodious Maestra, Level 6: ATK 2400 – ATK 2900
"Are you going to force Schuberta to crash with Rosaria?" Aki wondered.
"No, not really", Kaiho shook her head before she determinedly pointed at her Fusion Monster. "I activate Schuberta's effect! During either player's turn, I can target up to three cards in any Graveyard and banish them to increase her attack points by two-hundred for each card! I'm removing from play your Black Rose Dragon, Periallis, Empress of Blossoms and Revival Rose, Izayoi!"
"What?!" Aki gasped in surprise.
Schuberta began singing a seductive melody that attracted Aki's Monsters from the Graveyard. They appeared on the field and moved their bodies to the rhythm of the melody, not realizing a wormhole had been summoned above them. They barely registered what happened as they were sucked into the wormhole, their remaining energy getting absorbed by the fairy conductor.
Schuberta the Melodious Maestra, Level 6: ATK 2900 – ATK 3500
Aki bit her lower lip, holding back a frustrated growl. She lost some of her best cards and now she couldn't even use Revival Rose's effect to summon it back to the field when Rosaria gets destroyed by Schuberta.
"Lucky for you, Schuberta's effect can only be activated once while she's on the field, so I can't use it again", Kaiho explained. "Now that she's gained over a thousand attack points, she can attack Rosaria without destroying herself! Schuberta, attack Rosaria!"
Schuberta shrieked as she flew toward Rosaria who crossed his arms to protect himself from the incoming attack. The fairy Monster swung her hands and struck the angel with her melee weapons, forcing him to leave the field with an explosion.
"When a Monster equipped with Cestus of Dagla inflicts battle damage to my opponent, I gain Life Points equal to the damage inflicted! Thank you for the little boost, Izayoi!" Kaiho cackled.
Aki shielded her face with her Duel Disk as her Life Points decreased at the same time as Kaiho's Life Points went up a little, no longer close to one-hundred points.
Aki: 3400 LP – 2800 LP
Kaiho: 100 LP – 700 LP
"I end my turn", Kaiho called out. "How will you get out of this, Izayoi?"
"That is an excellent question. Rin has gotten rid of Izayoi's best Monsters and many of her high Level Monsters are banished after summoning Rosaria. There's very little hope left for her. What will she do?"
"I'll see what I can do", Aki responded and drew a card. "My turn!" She inspected the two cards she currently had in her hand. She couldn't do much with them, but she had to set up the field if she wanted to survive a few more turns. "I summon Lonefire Blossom in attack mode!"
A withered flower with a seed appeared in front of the Signer. The seed was in the shape of a bomb with a fuse, ready to get ignited by command.
Lonefire Blossom, Level 3: ATK 500
"Lonefire Blossom's effect! I Tribute it to Special summon a plant-type Monster from my Deck and I choose Lord Poison!"
The fuse ignited on its own and made the bomb explode. It caused a smokescreen that covered the stage for a few seconds. The smoke cleared up and revealed the new Monster that had taken Lonefire Blossom's place. Lord Poison howled an empty echo from its hollow body, its claws and thorns sharped and ready for battle.
Lord Poison, Level 4: ATK 1500
"I place one card facedown and end my turn", Aki set her final card and passed the baton to her opponent.
"Looks like you ran out of your strong Monsters of your Deck, Izayoi", Kaiho commented and drew her next card. "I'm going to make this fast for you, so I Special summon Sonata the Melodious Diva from my hand in attack mode!"
Another humanoid Monster joined the other Monsters singing a melody like it came from underwater. She was dressed in an aqua blue dress and had blue and teal hair, and a wing in the shape of a harp attached to her back.
Sonata the Melodious Diva, Level 3: ATK 1200
"She can be Special summoned when I control another Melodious Monster, and while this Special summoned diva is on the field, all fairy Monsters I control gain five-hundred attack points!"
Sonata clasped her hand and began chanting a melody. Colorful sheet music appeared around her and Schuberta as both female Monsters gained a boost of their attack points. Schuberta hummed as her strength increased, eager to release her power and win the Duel for her mistress.
Sonata the Melodious Diva, Level 3: ATK 1200 – ATK 1700
Schuberta the Melodious Maestra, Level 6: ATK 3500 – ATK 4000
"This is your end, Izayoi!" Kaiho declared. "Battle! Schuberta, attack Lord Poison! Finish the Duel!"
The Fusion Monster grunted in response before she flew toward Lord Poison, aiming her weapons at him.
"Schuberta has now four-thousand attack points! This could be it for Izayoi if she doesn't protect her Lord Poison!"
"I activate my Trap; Half Counter!" Aki called out. "When one of my Monsters is targeted for an attack, it gains half the original attack points of the attacking Monster!"
Schuberta was just about to punch Lord Poison when an invisible shield appeared in front of the hollow stump Monster. Lord Poison grunted as he fought against the melee weapon that clashed against the shield with his new strength.
Lord Poison, Level 4: ATK 1500 – ATK 2700
"That isn't enough to protect him from destruction!" Kaiho pointed out.
Schuberta's fist managed to pierce through the invisible wall and struck Lord Poison on his chest. He released a hollowed groan as he exploded into shards, half of them poking Aki while the rest restored Kaiho's Life Points thanks to the fairy's equipment.
Aki: 2800 LP – 1500 LP
Kaiho: 700 LP – 2000 LP
"Lord Poison's effect!" Aki called out after she recovered from the small damage. "When he's destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can target one plant Monster in my Graveyard and Special summon it! Return, Rosaria!"
A portal appeared far above the field with light shining upon the female Duelists and Kaiho's Monster. Rose petals flew around them as the pure white angel with rose wings descended with a choir of angels singing, giving him a majestic entrance.
Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel, Level 8: ATK 2900
"Oh my…! I thought we had seen Rosaria for the last time, but Izayoi brought him back with the help of Lord Poison! She must have a plan that features his freezing effect, so we may be heading to the end of the Duel!"
Kaiho glared at Rosaria, inwardly hoping she wouldn't have to deal with him again. Clearly, Aki refused to give up, but there was little left to do. Even if she got rid of Schuberta and inflict damage, she would still be standing with Sonata. All she needed was drawing the right card on her next turn to get the win. "I end my turn. You better get lucky with your draw, Izayoi. I promise I will destroy Rosaria again."
"We'll see about that", Aki responded and drew a card, starting her turn. "My turn!" She threw a side glance at her card before she added it to her hand. "Rosaria's effect! Negate every current card on the field! Fallow Winter!"
Rosaria grunted with a nod in response before he started flapping his wings, sending snow and rose petals around the field. This time Aki had control over her power, so nobody had to freeze by the rose and snowstorm. Kaiho's Monster froze into ice while the face-up Equip card lost its colors, turning into different shades of grey, before it fell into the same fate as the fairy divas that lost their boost of attack points.
Sonata the Melodious Diva, Level 3: ATK 1700 – ATK 1200
Schuberta the Melodious Maestra, Level 6: ATK 4000 – ATK 2400
Kaiho gritted her teeth irritably, but she remained calm as she knew she was going to survive the battle whatever tricks Aki would use.
"I activate my Continuous Spell; Miracle Fertilizer!" Aki called out, inserting the card she had drawn into her Duel Disk. "Once per turn, I can target one plant Monster in my Graveyard and Special summon it! I cannot Normal summon during the turn I activate this effect, but it doesn't matter because this is the end of the Duel! I Special summon Lonefire Blossom in attack mode!"
The spray can of the Spell card floated to the field before it started spraying the magical fertilizer. The naked flower sprouted from the floor, carrying a new bomb seed.
Lonefire Blossom, Level 3: ATK 500
"Why would you do that?" Kaiho asked with a raised eyebrow. "You've used all your high Level plant Monsters in your Deck…right?"
"When did I ever imply I don't have any more high Level Monsters in the Deck?" Aki replied with a calm voice. "Lonefire Blossom's effect! I Tribute it to Special summon Tytannial, Princess of Camellias from my Deck in attack mode!"
Lonefire Blossom ignited the fuse and dropped the seed so it bounced against the floor. The second it touched the floor did it explode into a large smokescreen. A large red camellia sprouted in the midst before it opened its petals and revealed the plant princess living within it, dispersing the smoke to reveal her grandiose self.
Tytannial, Princess of Camellias, Level 8: ATK 2800
Kaiho let out a silent gasp as the two plant Monsters dominated the frozen field. She did a quick calculation in her head, realizing she wasn't going to survive if Aki decided to attack with both of her Monsters.
"Because Lonefire Blossom was Special summoned by Miracle Fertilizer and now left the field, the Spell card is destroyed", the Signer explained as said card crumbled into pieces. "Battle! Rosaria, attack Schuberta with Valhalla Harvest!"
Rosaria cupped his hands as he charged his energy between his palms. He opened his hands and aimed them at Schuberta, sending ice shards and rose petals at the petrified fairy diva. The ice block frozen around her split in half together with her body before she was forced to leave the field. The shards of her remnants blew onto Kaiho as she shielded her face with her free hand, her Life Points taking a hit.
Aki: 1500 LP
Kaiho: 2000 LP – 1500 LP
"Tytannial, attack Sonata!" Aki exclaimed determinedly, pointing at the last standing Melodious Monster.
Tytannial hummed before she started spinning her body around, making the red petals come loose of her. The petals swirled around her like a blizzard before she sent them at Sonata. The flower petals slashed the ice block she was frozen into, splitting it apart into thousands of pieces. The ice by Sonata's mouth split apart so she could release a shriek before she left the field, her remnants bouncing onto Kaiho as her points dropped down to the big zero.
Aki: 1500 LP
Kaiho: 1500 LP – 0 LP
"The Duel is over! Both queen candidates fought their hardest and the winner is Izayoi Aki! She's Duel Academy's Queen of Queens Year 2031!"
The crowd erupted into cheers and applauds as Aki and her Monsters waved to them. The burgundy girl spotted her friends and classmates and smiled widely. She had nearly forgotten the main purpose behind the Duel. She had enjoyed it firmly battling against a new archetype that nearly threw her off guard.
Kaiho walked across the stage as Aki's Monsters faded away when she deactivated her Duel Disk. Her expression was unreadable as she approached the Signer. Aki felt a little concerned, but she stood her ground. She had won the match fair and square, so whatever insults Kaiho was about to throw on her, she was going to take it.
"Izayoi…", Kaiho started before she raised her head, revealing a big smile. "That was one of the best Duels I've ever had! I'm glad I lost to you."
That behavior really surprised Aki. She expected Kaiho to act like a spoiled child and throw a tantrum for losing, considering her behavior when she first challenged her. "You're not upset you lost?"
"Why would I be upset?" Kaiho raised an eyebrow with a surprised expression. "I told you before; if I want something, I want to earn it. I was more upset by the fact that you just wanted to give the title to me without settling the score. I have my pride as a Duelist. I can accept defeat. It's just like with music; you just have to do your best to reach people's hearts and charm them to become number one."
Aki relaxed her body as a smile crept onto her lips. Kaiho was actually quite mature compared to her young appearance. "I'm happy I got to Duel you today, Rin", she said and reached her hand out. "Good game, and good luck with your career."
Kaiho glanced at the hand before she shook it, her smile still pasted on her face. "Thank you, and good luck to you too."
The crowd grew wilder as the girls shook hands and waved together before Aki got officially crowned as the Queen of Queens. She received a band wrapped across her chest and a bouquet of flowers before the crowned King of Kings joined her on stage so the staff could take a picture of them together to record the winners of this year's popularity contest.
XXXXXXXXXX – Omake – Sherry's POV
I was done with my morning training, so it was very refreshing taking a nice hot shower. I left the bathroom dressed in a white long-sleeved collar shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants, drying my hair with a towel. It had taken its time, but Mizoguchi and I finally rented our very first apartment after we signed up with a sponsor for our dueling career. It only had two rooms, kitchen and bathroom, but it was adequate. Of course, we had to rent a garage as well to store our Runners, but with that we had everything we needed for our daily basis.
I wrapped the towel around my shoulders before I started combing my hair with my fingers. I loosened some knots that were formed after I had dried my hair. I played with the edge of my hair, noticing several split edges. Now that I thought about it, it had been a while I trimmed my hair. Perhaps I should cut a little more than I usually do and try out a new style?
The vibration of my smartphone on the table indicated that somebody had sent a message to me. I picked it up from the kitchen counter and checked who had contacted me. My lips formed into a smile when I saw a message featuring a picture from Aki. She was wearing a band across her chest and smiled widely at the camera with a bouquet in her hand. I noticed she had grown her hair and trimmed her front bangs, which suited her face-shape very well.
Aki: Just won the Queen of Queens popularity contest in school!
Ah, so she won a popularity contest? It wasn't that surprising, considering her charming personality as well as her achievements in the World Racing Grand Prix.
Sherry: As expected of you!
I wanted to write more, but somehow it's hard to find the right words. There was no doubt that I had fallen for her, which made it difficult to choose the perfect words. Thinking of all the things I've experienced so far with Aki made my heart pound strongly in my chest. Thanks to Aki, I got to experience new feelings, giving me a chance to forget my painful past and continue my life like a normal person. I sighed softly, wondering if the redhead felt the same about me. One thing was certain; I wanted her to be in my life, no matter what!
The smartphone vibrated again in my hand, this time it was a message from Tanaka. I swiped to her message and was surprised to see a picture of Aki in a maid costume.
Sakura: A little treat just for you
I felt heat rising up to my cheeks the longer I stared at the picture. Aki was standing with her legs crossed and carried a silver platter on her right palm winking at the camera. I couldn't help but notice her long legs that just had the perfect shape… I shut down the display of my smartphone and smacked my face with both hands.
"Putain Sherry ressaisis-toi… (Get a grip of yourself, Sherry…)", I mumbled silently to myself. However, smacking my face didn't help. The damage was done and I couldn't restrain myself from falling briefly into a daydream of Aki serving me a cup of coffee in her maid uniform. I was taking a sip of the hot beverage when she pulled a bold move and settled down on my lap, blinking at me with her large innocent doe brown eyes while touching her lips with her index finger.
"Can I fulfill you any other wish, my mistress?"
Even though I tried hard not to think about it, my thoughts for the day were filled with Aki saying ambiguous sentences. I wonder if I'll ever be so lucky to hear her say any of them to me outside of my mind.
XXXXXXXXXX
Kaiho and Rein are two characters from the Tag Force games who I used their Japanese names. Their English names are Rayna and Reyna in case you were curious.
You can find an artwork of Aki in her maid costume and her new hairstyle on my DeviantArt account. Special thanks to CitrusUnshiu who shared her ideas on Aki's new appearance.