Chapter 21: Intermission: A Meeting
Summary: We take a quick break for our Semifinalist to rest and get ready for their duels. During the break a chance encounter with another student leaves Takashi a little stunned.
As the holograms fade away a silence falls over the room before applause fills the air as the students begin cheering. Bastion and Takashi walk to the center of the field and clasp hands. Bastion smiles.
"That was a marvelous duel Takashi! I am looking forward to seeing you in your next duel." Takashi smiles back.
"Thanks, you really gave me a pummeling at the start, and I was a little worried I wasn't going to bounce back in time." They continue their chat as they make their way to the participant booth.
/RFSXPL/
Up with the staff they are discussing the newly revealed summoning method. "It certainly adds a new component to the game that could throw the unprepared for a loop." Professor Banner nods at Dr. Fontaine's words.
"Indeed, a relatively easy way to summon a powerful monster, but it seems to have a small drawback." Satyr crosses his arms as he closes his eyes in thought.
"Yes, it seemed like to use Utopia's effect he had to use one it's 'overlay units', presumably comprised by the number of monsters used in its summoning to activate it. Is it only Utopia or do all Xyz Monsters have effects powered by a limited resource." Dr. Crowler hums, looking both intrigued and frustrated by this new development.
"These new summoning methods all seem powerful in their own right, and now that he's shown a second new summoning method, he could have even more. I will probably have to request Takashi to set me up with someone or something to give me a crash course on these new cards and summoning methods before they are released publicly."
Crowler huffs. "After all, it wouldn't do for the Duel instructor to be behind his students in terms of education." Chancellor Sheppard chuckles at that.
"I'm sure we can get something set up for you Crowler." Leaning into his microphone Sheppard makes an announcement. "We will be going on a brief intermission while our semi finalists prepare for their duels! Please stretch your legs, use the restroom, and enjoy some snacks from the concession stand!"
/RFSXPL/
In the balcony of the stands, Zane had been watching the duel in silent contemplation. "So, he has more than one new summoning method." Zane smirks. "I wonder what other surprises you have for us Takashi."
/RFSXPL/
Over in the participant booth, Takashi is being bombarded with questions from the excited Mindy and Jaden.
"Do you have any more dashing men like Utopia!?"
"Are you holding onto anymore secret summoning methods!?"
"When are cards like that being released to the public!?"
"Can I see them!?"
"Can we have some as an early release and help test them!?"
"Are there any Hero monsters using these new summoning methods!?"
Takashi looks like an overwhelmed parent as he frantically tries to answer each question before he's cut off with a new a question that he starts answering. Alexis, Bastion, Brier, and Syrus stand off the side chuckling at the sight. Brier turns to Bastion with a smile.
"Tough break, Bastion. It looks like us Ra students are out of the running for school representative." Bastion chuckles with a playful shrug.
"I suppose it wasn't in the cards for us." Alexis gives Bastion an encouraging look.
"You may not have won, but you did have an impressive showing. Against a lot of other decks, your strategy would have worked." Bastion chuckles.
"Yes, but at the end of the day I implemented it against an unknown deck. A valuable lesson was learned." Syrus nods.
"Yeah, I've learned you can always take something away from a duel, win or lose." Walking up to Jaden, Syrus taps his shoulder. "Give Takashi a break bro. Don't you want to go and get some food and prep your deck for our duel?" Jaden's eyes widen.
"That's right!" Jaden runs out of the booth. A second passes and Jaden appears back in the entrance, running in place. "Oh yeah, we'll talk more later, Takashi!" Jaden takes off again. Takashi sighs in relief as he has a chance to catch his breath.
"I don't know how much more of that I could've took." Mindy chuckles sheepishly realizing the part she played in that.
"Oopsie, sorry about that, Takashi." Alexis, Bastion, Brier, and Syrus laugh at that. Syrus then starts making his way out.
"I'm going to go prep my deck for my duel with bro too." When Syrus leaves Takashi speaks up.
"I'm heading out too." Takashi makes his way out, and the others decide to head out to before the next duel. Alexis and Mindy going off together while Bastion and Brier going off to meet with Beauregard.
/RFSXPL/
Takashi makes his way to the roof of the main academy building and flops down on the ground. Letting out a small breath, Takashi begins leaking out his excess psychic energy that built up during his duel with Bastion. As he does this, the headache that had started forming lessens. Takashi is broken from his trance as a voice speaks up.
"Woah man, those are tense vibes you're giving off." Takashi's eyes snap open as he turns to see a scrawny looking kid with a relaxed look, laying on his back with his arms behind his head looking up into the sky. Takashi berates himself in his head.
"I was so distracted I didn't even notice there was someone else up here and almost exposed myself, so stupid!" The boy turns his head to look at Takashi.
"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself man; we all make mistakes. I'm sure whatever you did isn't that bad. Ok?" Takashi's eyes widen.
"Just who are you? And how do you know what I'm feeling?" The boy chuckles.
"My names Mokeo Motegi, though my friends call me Belowski." Belowski chuckles. "As for how, I feel vibes and auras man, and yours was real tense when you got up here, and then it got all self loathing there for a minute when you noticed me. Ok?" Takashi blinks at Belowski confused at his way of talking.
"I'm Takashi Mirai, and that's a unique talent you have there." Takashi looks at Belowski deep in thought as he considers his words. "He can feel people's feelings. Is he like me?" Belowski just laughs again.
"Man, you're like an open book. Ok?" He looks back up at the sky. "Just relax and watch the clouds man, let all your tension flow on out. Ok?" After a minute, Takashi decides to take his advice and rolls back over to stare at the clouds and lets out a slow steady stream of his powers.
/RFSXPL/
"The first Semifinal match will start in 10 minutes! Jaden and Syrus, please make your way to the Duel Field for your duel!" As the announcement goes off Jaden is at a table scarfing down a fourth bowl of noodles and his third tray of rice balls. Hearing the announcement, his eyes widen, and he quickly shoves his last three rice balls in his mouth and runs off with his to-go bowl of ramen, slurping it up as he runs to the field. "It's a good thing I swapped the cards in my deck before I started chowing down." Finishing his noodles, he gulps down the the remaining broth and dumps his container in a trash can right by the entrance for the Duel Field.
Seeing Syrus making his way up to the field, Jaden runs faster to catch up to him. "Hey, wait up, Sy!" Syrus turns to look at Jaden and chuckles, pointing at a noodle and stray bits of rice stuck to his face.
"Eating down to the wire, bro?" Jaden catches up and laughs, wiping the stray food of his face.
"You know it, Sy! Gotta get all the fuel I can for a duel with my best bud!" Syrus chuckles before getting a slightly anxious look on his face. Jaden looks at him curiously. "You ok, man?" Syrus lets out a deep breath.
"I'm just a little nervous. I know I've improved as a duelist, but to go up against you, bro? I'm not sure I'm ready for this." Jaden slaps his back with an encouraging grin.
"Don't worry so much, Sy! You've always been a good duelist; you just recently got the attitude you needed to bring out your skills!" As they walk up the steps and meet in the middle of the field Jaden holds his fist out to Syrus.
"Now come on bro, let's have a great duel, and show everyone what we can do!" Syrus's anxiety fades away to excitement. He looks at Jaden with a determined smile, meeting Jaden's fist with his own.
"You got it, Bro! Come at me with everything you got, and I'll do the same!" Jaden smiles, and with a nod, they split up, making their way to their ends of the field. Everyone had settled back into their seats, an excited energy filling the air as Sheppard's voice rang throughout the field.
"This time, we have an exciting battle between two of the Shining Stars in Slifer Red! Jaden Yuki, who has firmly cemented himself as one of said Stars, versus Syrus Truesdale, a young Rising Star who has shown an incredible improvement in skill, joining his peers at the top! Will Syrus continue to rise, or will he meet his match against his Jaden?!"
The two boys in question continue to stare across from each both with determined smiles. "Well let's find out! When you two are ready commence the match!" Without another word both boys activate their Duel Disks and shout.
"DUEL!"
Like I said a shorter chapter this week as we get ready to enter the next round of the tournament. I'll try my best to get the next chapter out next week but I am a little under the weather, as always happens during the transition period of Winter and Spring and Summer and Fall. The constant changing of the weather as it decides to be hot Summer or chilly Fall reeks havoc on my sinuses and body.