After making a 10K word chapter, scrapping it, and then rewriting an entirely new chapter just as long all within 6 days, I've finally managed to put out Chapter 3.
For those who skipped straight to this, I decided to change the story to many Yuuji not duel in the Maiami Championships, I put my reasoning at the bottom of the second chapter, so go read that if you're curious or confused.
One more thing, if you haven't already, I recommend making a playlist of your favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! Songs from all the different series, and playing them while reading any fanfic duel on this website. It makes the experience a lot better especially when you time and match the audio in the right spots.
Without any further ado, enjoy! (Minor Spelling, Grammar, other mistakes may be present since it is a large chapter, I can't spot them all, but I'll be going back and fixing as many as possible.)
Chapter 3: Wings of Revolution
Yuuji was going on an afternoon run through the city of Maiami City. He had recently been getting in the habit of doing so, thinking it would help him with Action Duels and other similar scenarios. But after doing so for a few days, he eventually got hooked and turned into some running junkie, going for a run in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
Thanks to his newfound addiction, he's been outside a lot and learned a lot more about his surroundings through the bits and pieces of gossip he would hear with his sharp ears as he passed by people. There were a lot of conversations about the Maiami Championships, which made sense since it was a big thing, but also annoyed him greatly because all of these conversations made him reconsider his decision of not wanting to participate in the tournament.
However, he was resolute in his decision. The idea of him dueling in front of a large crowd made him shudder, though he didn't know why. The idea itself didn't sound that bad, but it was like his entire being was against the idea of going out in front of a crowd that large.
"Thinking about it now, I did kind of feel this way before. During my duel with Yuya and Hokuto…" Yuuji muttered. "Though, it was so small that it didn't really affect me like this is."
Most likely, it was a trauma response. Something that happened in his unknown past that made him like this.
Well, there's no use trying to theorize about it now. Yuuji thought. I'll just have to wait until I recover some of my memories.
Or if he had some more of those weird visions like the one he had a few days ago.
"Sakaki Yuya! There you are!" A voice shouted, causing Yuuji to turn.
His eyes met with a group of four boys around his age, three of which he recognized from the day LDS tried to take over You Show. However, he didn't seem to recognize the new addition, who was the one that called out to him. The youth had brown hair with styled yellow highlights that really made his stick out. Yuuji had to admit, he would look pretty cool if he wasn't yelling at him like that.
"What do you bastards want now?" Yuuji frowned.
"What else? I want to challenge you to a duel, Sakaki Yuya!" The youth continued.
"Um, Sawatari-san. That's not Sakaki Yuya," One of his friends said.
Sawatari-san? Wait, isn't he the one that supposedly was attacked by someone who looked like me a Yuya? Yuuji realized. With the say can call him -san, they must be his lackeys or something. This could be annoying.
"What do you mean he isn't Sakaki Yuya? That's literally him," Sawatari replied.
"His hair is different, Sawatari-san," Another lackey sighed. "Can't you tell? And I'm pretty sure his hand was Haruki Yuuji from what I heard."
Sawatari looked Yuuji up and down before his eyes widened.
"Okay, this was not how I thought my afternoon would go," Sawatari said with an exasperated expression.
"Neither did I," Yuuji's expression turned serious. "You caused us a lot of trouble a few days ago due to your 'injury.' Though you seem to have made a quick recovery."
"Whatever do you mean?" Sawatari feigned ignorance. "I don't even know you."
"Sawatari-san, he's a friend of Sakaki." The final one of his lackeys chimed in. "And from what I heard about the incident, he had access to Pendulum Summoning just like him."
"Pendulum!?" Sawatari cried out. "That can't be true."
"Believe what you want, but…" Yuuji approached Sawatari, gripping down on his shoulder hard. "...if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll give you an injury to worry about."
"I'm the son of the soon-to-be mayor, you can't threaten me."
"Your status means nothing to me."
"I'll threaten the You Show Duel School."
"You already tried that."
"I'll…"
"You know what?" Yuuji interrupted. "I don't have the energy to deal with you right now. I'm just going to go."
"I won't let you go now! Since you've disrespected me, I'll have to teach you a lesson on why I, Neo New Sawatari am the best! When you face my new deck granted to me by LDS, you'll…hey don't leave!" Sawatari shouted as he noticed Yuuji walking away.
"I don't want to hear you go off about how great you are," Yuuji responded without even looking back at Sawatari.
Sawatari's lackeys block Yuuji's path. When Yuuji walked sideways to avoid him, they followed. This continued for a good few seconds before Yuuji eventually became pissed off.
"Okay, I'll duel you," Yuuji conceded, "This is the only time though."
"Perfect," Sawatari smirked, "Though this setting isn't good enough for a duelist like me, let's take it to the abandoned harbor."
Taking me to a place where there'll be no eyes on me. Yuuji thought in his mind. Sure, this doesn't seem suspicious at all.
But, he doubted that Sawatari was the type of guy who would try and do something to harm him in any serious way other than a simple duel. He seemed too prideful to do something so low.
However, it doesn't mean that he planned to keep his guard down since you never know with people like him.
After a good half an hour of silent walking—where Yuuji realized that Sawatari's friends honestly might have only been friends with him for his status. They didn't have much chemistry with each other aside from a few moments and also seemed to hate it whenever Sawatari boasted about himself in conversations (which anyone would hate since he brings up how great he is every five minutes or so in some way)—they finally arrive at the harbor.
Yuuji found a good spot for himself, where he was going to stand while he dueled against Sawatari, who did the same himself. Sawatari's three "friends" are all on some steps near the center.
"Are you ready to meet defeat at the hands of the great me?" Sawatari asked as he pompously flicked his hair.
"In your dreams, rich boy," Yuuji scoffed, "I would be impressed if you even last two turns against me."
A tick mark formed on Sawatari's face.
"Is that so…" He replied. "Let's see if you're right about that then."
The two simultaneously activate their duel disks.
[Duel!] The two shout in unison.
Sawatari — LP: 4000
Yuuji — LP: 4000
"I'll start!" Yuuji announced. "I summon Antique Flower Pot (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 1/SC: 6)!"
An antique flower pot appeared on his field.
"Antique Flower Pot's effect now activates, allowing me to Special Summon a Level 5 or lower Pendulum Monster from my deck! Appear now, Dark Mirage (Dark/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100/LV: 2/SC: 2)!"
A phantom wearing a dark cloak appeared on Yuuji's field.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card, Pendulum Call!" Yuuji declared. "With it, I can place a Pendulum Monster from my deck directly into my Pendulum Zone! However, during the End Phase, it is destroyed! I place the Scale 7 Alya, the Hope Valkyrie (Light/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1300/LV: 4/SC: 7) into my Pendulum Zone!"
A beautiful warrior with long pink hair, dressed in silver armor rose into the Pendulum Zone.
"So Yuya wasn't the only one with Pendulum…" Sawatari muttered.
"Alya's effect now activates!" Yuuji continued. "Once per turn, I can target a Light Monster on my field, and change its level until the End Phase! I choose to change Antique Flower Pot's Level to 6!"
(Antique Flower Pot — LV: 1 → 6)
"Now I activate the Ritual Spell, Dawn of the Crest!" Yuuji declared. "By sacrificing monsters whose levels equal or exceed their level, I can Ritual Summon a Light Ritual Dragon from my hand or graveyard! I sacrifice the two monsters on my field to Ritual Summon a Level 8 Monster!"
A golden altar appears behind Yuuji, with his two monsters transforming into particles and being absorbed into the altar. Soon, a large pillar of light erupted from the altar as Yuuji began to chant.
"Brilliant dragon who has reached the peak of enlightenment. Burn all to ashes as you bring heavenly judgment to your enemies!" Yuuji chanted. "Ritual Summon! Arise, Level 8! Nirvana Crest Ritual Dragon (Light/Dragon/Ritual/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2000/LV: 8)!"
A shining dragon with blue scales and bright, ethereal wings that ignited like golden flames appeared behind Yuuji.
"I set a card and end my turn." Yuuji concluded, "And with the end of my turn, Alya the Hope Valkyrie is destroyed."
Yuuji's only Pendulum Zone is destroyed.
"Quite the impressive dragon you have there," Sawatari commented, still full of confidence. "Though, it shouldn't be something that I couldn't handle. My turn! Draw!"
Sawatari drew a card.
"I activate Yosenju Training Grounds! While this card is active, every time I Normal or Special Summon a Yosenju Monster, one Yosen Counter is added to this card, which I can exchange for a specific effect." Sawatari explained as a shine with candles appeared behind him. "Next, I summon Yosenju Kama 1 (Wind/Beast-Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1600/DEF: 500/LV: 4)!"
A silver-haired tanuki warrior dressed in a kimono and holding a sickle appeared on Sawatari's field. At the same time, a candle was lit on the shrine behind him.
(Yosen Counter: 0 → 1)
"Thanks to Yosenju Kama 1's effect, I can Normal Summon another Yosenju Monster from my hand!" Sawatari declared. "Appear now, Yosenju Kama 2 (Wind/Beast-Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 200/LV: 4)!"
Another silver-haired tanuki warrior, this time holding a katana, appeared. At the same time, another candle was lit.
(Yosen Counter: 1 → 2)
"Same as Yosenju Kama 1, Yosenju Kama 2 allows me to Normal Summon another Yosenju Monster from my hand!" Sawatari announced. "Make way for Yosenju Kama 3 (Wind/Beast-Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 800/LV: 4)!"
A third silver-haired tanuki warrior, brandishing a dagger appeared.
(Yosen Counter: 2 → 3)
"He's swarming his field with monsters," Yuuji muttered as he furrowed his eyebrows, "This could be bad, especially if they have some sort of effect that could destroy Nirvana Crest."
"Yosenju Kama 1's other effect now activates!" Sawatari shouts. "If I control another Yosenju Monster on my field, I can target 1 face-up card on your field, and return it to your hand!"
The tanuki warrior slashes the air, creating a whirlwind that surrounds Yuuji's dragon, and returns it to Yuuji's hand.
"Damn…" Yuuji cursed. "I'm facing another deck that sends cards back to my hand? This is bad."
"Battle! Yosenju Kama 1, attack him directly!" Sawatari commanded his monster, who rushed forward to slash at Yuuuji.
"Not so fast!" Yuuji responds as his set trap flips face-up. "I activate the Continuous Spell, Half Attack! As long as this card remains flipped up on my field, the battle damage I receive is halved!"
Yosenju Kama 1 then slashes at Yuuji with its sickle. However, since they weren't in an action field, the damage was rather minimal.
Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 3200
"Yosenju Kama 3's effect now activates! Once per turn, when a Yosenju Monster other than itself battles, I can add a Yosenju Card from my deck to my hand!" Sawatari drew a card. "Now Yosenju Kama 2 attacks you directly!"
Yuuji is slashed by a sword, wincing in pain at the slash.
Yuuji — LP: 3200 → 2300
"Now Yosenju Kama 3 attacks you directly!"
Once again, Yuuji is slashed by one of Sawatari's monsters.
Yuuji — LP: 2300 → 1550
"Now, I activate Yosenju Training Ground's effect, by snuffing out three lit candles, I can add a Yosenju Monster from my deck to my hand!" Sawatari announced as he drew a card. "Then, I set one card and end my turn. And with the end of my turn, my Yosenju Monster's effects activate, returning them to my hand when they were Normal Summoned this turn."
Sawatari's monsters are surrounded by whirlwinds, disappearing from his field.
"I hope you take that as an example of how great I, Neo New Sawatari Shingo, am!" Sawatari boasted.
"Yeah, sure," Yuuji rolled his eyes, "My turn! Draw!"
Yuuji then looked at the card in his hand and smiled.
"I set the Scale 1 Antique Golden Carol (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 1) into my Pendulum Zone!"
A golden bell swayed gently from side to side, filling the air with a soft, melodious chime as it rose into the empty Pendulum Zone.
"Next I activate Golden Carol's effect. When this monster is in my Pendulum Zone while I control nothing in my other, I can place an Antique Monster from my deck to my Pendulum Zone." Yuuji continued as he grabbed a card from his deck. "With the Scale 1 Antique Golden Carol and the Scale 5 Antique Lost Soldier (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 4/SC: 5), I set the Pendulum Scale!"
Yuuji placed his card on the other side of his duel disk. The word [PENDULUM] appeared in between with a rainbow font, as a pristine toy soldier rose into the other Pendulum Zone.
"Now I can summon monsters Levels 2 through 4 all at the same time!" Yuuji declared. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Pendulum Summon! Return from the Extra Deck, Dark Mirage (ATK: 100/DEF: 100/LV: 2), and Alya, the Hope Valkyrie (ATK: 1800/DEF: 1300/LV: 4)!"
Yuuji's formerly destroyed monsters return to his field.
"Alya's effect now activates!" Yuuji announced. "When she is Special Summoned onto my field, I can…wait."
Yuuji came to a realization.
Wait, Alya doesn't do anything to help me in this situation. Dark Mirage doesn't help me either, since Sawatari can just bounce my monsters back to my hand.
Doesn't this mean that he just loses? He was on autopilot the whole time like he was during his other two duels, so he didn't notice the position he put himself in.
"What's wrong, Haruki?" Sawatari inquired with a cocky grin. "Did you mess up your combo?"
"..."
"Wait, you did? Hah!" Sawatari was ecstatic. "This is hilarious!"
"Dammit…" Yuuji facepalmed. "Of all the people to mess up against, it just had to be him."
Quite possibly the worst person he could've lost to.
Well, let's just get this over with. He sighed.
"I battle. Alya attacks you directly." Yuuji said with less vigor than he usually had. His monster seemed confused at his sudden change in attitude but nodded her head anyway as she went and slashed at Sawatari.
Sawatari — LP: 4000 → 2200
"Dark Mirage now attacks you directly."
Sawatari — LP: 2200 → 2100
"I end my turn," Yuuji concluded.
"Well, it looks like it's my turn!" Sawatari happily announced. "Draw! I activate…"
Yuuji zoned out as he watched Sawatari pull out the same combo as he did before, this time summoning a giant, green canine made of a fiery wisp alongside his other monsters. He then completely wiped all of the cards from Yuuji's field.
"Now to end this! Mayosenju Daibak (Wind/Beast/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 300/LV: 10/SC: 7) attacks you directly!"
The canine emits a typhoon of wind from its horn, blowing Yuuji away and depleting his Life Points to zero.
Yuuji — LP: 1550 → 0
Winner: Sawatari
"I've done it!" Sawatari cheered. "I've beat a Pendulum User! I really did it!"
Sawatari then cleared his throat.
"Ahem…I mean this was expected," Sawatari said with confidence, "Why would I, Neo New Sawatari Shingo, ever lose to a third-rate duelist with such a fourth-rate deck?"
"That was anti-climactic…" One of Sawatari's lackeys said from the side.
"You think he just gave Sawatari the win because he felt sorry for him?" Another lackey chimed in.
"Definitely. There's no way that Sawatari would beat a duelist who was able to beat a top student from the LDS Xyz Course." The third lackey spoke.
"Hey! I hear you guys!" Sawatari shouted at his lackey, who quickly changed their act.
"We didn't mean anything by that," Lackey 1 said nervously, "We just think that you're incredibly cool for beating someone on the level of a top-tier LDS Student."
"Yeah, that's right," Lackey 2 confirmed, "We would never speak I'll about you, Sawatari-san."
"That's what I like to hear," Sawatari flicked his hair, "Keep up the praise."
This is kind of sad. Yuuji thought as he watched from the side. He needs new friends. However, who would want to be friends with someone who had an ego as big as his? I know I wouldn't.
—Thud!
Yuuji was alerted as he heard someone land near the five of them. It was a tall, teal-haired man wearing a blue coat, a red mask over his mouth, and sunglasses over his eyes. However, the man quickly removed them, revealing his yellow, eagle-like eyes.
"You four, you're from LDS, right?" The man addressed the four LDS youths.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" Sawatari asked back. "Do you want to become a student or something?"
"Good," The man ignored Sawatari's question, activating his duel disk, "Hurry up and grab your duel disk, Academia scum!"
Scum? I mean, it's true, but jeez. He said it with such hatred, you'd think he was saying a slur. Yuuji thought. Also, what's this about an Academia? I've never heard of such a school, even when I researched all of the relevant schools a few days back.
"Why would I need to duel you?" Sawatari frowned before turning to his lackeys. "You three, go and teach this guy a lesson."
The three lackeys move in front of Sawatari, attaching this duel disks onto their arm and activating it. Soon after that, their duel began.
[Duel!]
Lackey 1 — LP: 4000
Lackey 2 — LP: 4000
Lackey 3 — LP: 4000
Mysterious Duelist — LP: 4000
However, using a monster that worked against Special Summoned monsters…
"GAH!" Lackey 1 cried out in pain as he was sent flying into a crate, being knocked unconscious immediately upon impact.
Lackey 1 — LP: 4000 → 0
He easily dispatched one of the lackeys with ease.
"N-No way!?" Lackey 2 cried out in shock. "The d-damage is just like an Action Duel…no, worse!"
"You're next, scum!" The Mysterious Duelist shouted as he commanded his falcon, slashing through Lackey 2's monsters and sending him flying as well.
Lackey 2 — LP: 4000 → 0
"Hmph." The Mysterious Duelist walked forward, ignoring Lackey 3, who was cowering away from the man in fear. He approached the two unconscious duelists, pressing a few buttons on his duel disk, which then emitted a blinding purple light. When the light faded, the two lackeys were gone—in their place were two cards. "Nothing but worthless idiots."
He tossed the cards away, giving Yuuji and Sawatari a better look at the cards. However, what was depicted on the cards shook them to their very core. The horrified expressions of the lackeys were printed onto them, revealing that they didn't just disappear, but were sealed into the cards.
"N-Noooooooo!" Lackey 3 cried out, deactivating his duel disk and running away from the scene as fast as he could.
"..." The Mysterious Duelist deactivated his duel disk as well.
"W-What did you do to my friends!?" Sawatari struggled to ask, his legs shaking rapidly. He was completely terrified.
"I don't have to answer someone on borrowed time," The Mysterious Duelist responded, "You'll be joining them in hell soon enough."
"May we at least know you're name," Yuuji asked a bit calmer, though he seemed to be visibly shaken from what had just transpired as well.
"Kurosaki Shun," The Mysterious Duelist, Shun, surprisingly answered, removing his red mask and revealing his whole face.
"Wait, you actually answered that!?" Yuuji said with a shocked expression.
"It's courtesy," Shun responded, "I'll at least give you the minimum respect before I take your life, an honor your people did not grant to mine."
There's probably a lot of meaning to those words that I'm not getting. Yuuji thought. But one thing is for sure, he's dangerous. Really fucking dangerous. Somehow, whenever he duels, the Real Solid Vision in monsters is pushed to the max, to the point where they can even destroy the environment.
Sawatari still seemed to be frozen in fear, so Yuuji gave him a little pep talk.
"Sawatari, you need to focus," Yuuji stated, "If you don't, neither of us will make it out of here today."
"B-But…he defeated them like they were nothing."
"I can't believe I'm going to say this," Yuuji sighed, "Didn't you just defeat me in a duel, you should have more confidence. If I'm able to stand here and duel him, you should be able to as well."
A bit of a lie, but Sawatari didn't seem to be a bad duelist in Yuuji's opinion. Just overconfident. Very overconfident actually. If he was just a little more humble, he would honestly have what it takes to be someone Yuuji could respect as a duelist.
"You're right!" Sawatari seemed to regain his confidence. "It wouldn't do good if I, the Great Neo New Sawatari Shingo, walk away as a duelist who was weaker than myself fights for his life."
A bit too much confidence.
"Very well, I'll take you both on!" Shun announced as he activated his duel disk, with Yuuji and Sawatari doing the same.
"Prepare to face the might of the strongest duelist at LDS!" Sawatari boasted.
"Self-proclaimed strongest," Yuuji corrected.
Only a moment later, the duel began.
[Duel!] The three shout in unison.
Shun — LP: 4000
Yuuji — LP: 4000
Sawatari — LP: 4000
"I'll start by summoning Raidraptor — Vanishing Lanius (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)!" Shun began by summoning a green mechanical falcon. "Then I activate Vanishing Lanius' effect, when it is Normal Summoned onto my field, I can Special Summon another Vanishing Lanius from my hand!"
Now a second Vanishing Lanius appeared on Kurosaki Shun's field.
"I now activate my second Vanishing Lanius' effect, allowing me to summon a third Vanishing Lanius to my field!" Shun announced as a third Vanishing Lanius appeared. "Now with my three Level 4 Vanishing Lanius, I construct the Overlay Network!"
"Here it comes…" Yuuji muttered as a vortex appeared in front of Kurosaki, which absorbed the energy forms of his three metal falcons before emitting a pillar of purple light from its center.
"Obscured falcon," Shun chanted, "Raise your sharpened talons in front of adversity; spread your wings of rebellion! Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 4! Raidraptor - Rise Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2000/R: 4/OU: 3)!"
Bursting out of the vortex was a mechanical falcon with a body coated in blue and silver. The monster let out a loud shriek, announcing its presence.
"I set two cards and end my turn!" Kurosaki concluded.
"My turn! Draw!" Sawatari announced. "I activate Yosenju Training Grounds, which grants me certain effects depending on the amount of Yosen Counters I have!"
Appearing behind Sawatari was a shrine with an assortment of unlit candles inside.
"Sawatari, remember that his monster's effect relied on dealing with Special Summoned Monsters," Yuuji said, "You should make use of that combo you used against me to remove the threat of that monster."
"I don't need back seating from a lesser duelist, I know," Sawatari dismissed him, much to Yuuji's annoyance, before continuing his turn, "I summon Yosenju Kama 2 (Wind/Beast-Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 200/LV: 4)!" A tanuki warrior with a sword appeared. "When he is summoned onto my field, I can Normal Summon another Yosenju Monster from my hand, appear now, Yoseju Magat (Wind/Beast/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 300/LV: 6)!"
A dark-furred weasel with jagged curved daggers appeared.
(Yosen Counter: 0 → 2)
"When Yosenju Magat is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon another Yosenju Monster from my deck!" Sawatari announced. "Appear now, Yosenju Izna (Wind/Beast-Warrior/Effect/ATK: 800/DEF: 1200/LV: 4)!"
A brown-haired tanuki with a rope for a weapon appeared.
(Yosen Counter: 2 → 3)
"When I control another Yosenju Monster, I can activate Izna's effect, allowing me to draw one card!" Sawatari drew a card. "Now battle! Yosenju Magat, attack his Raidraptor - Rise Falcon!"
A weasel leaps forward with a crazed expression, twirling around its daggers as it runs toward Kurosaki's Falcon.
"I activate the Quick-Play-Spell, Rank-Up-Magic Skip Force!" Shun declared as one of his facedowns was flipped face up. "I can target an Xyz Monster I control, and Xyz Summon a Raidraptor Xyz Monster 2 ranks higher, using it as material!"
"A Rank-Up Spell!?" Yuuji cried out in shock.
"With my Rise Falcon, I rebuild the Overlay Network!" Shun declared as his monster was absorbed into the black vortex once again. "Prideful falcon. Spread your wings, dyed in the blood of heroes, and charge through the path of revolution! Rank Up Xyz Change! Appear, Rank 6! Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 3000/R: 6/OU: 4)!"
Appearing on the field now was a falcon coated in grey and yellow paint, with many compartments on its body that could open up to rain bombardment on its enemies.
"So, what?" Sawatari frowned. "I continue my attack!"
Magat leaps forward with its daggers, slashing at the mechanical falcon. However, due to the two monsters having equal attacks, Revolution Falcon manages to fight back, leading the two monsters to a stalemate that ultimately destroys each other.
"Alright!" Sawatari cheered. "Did you see that, I just dealt with the threat with ease. You can start praising me now—"
"Not so fast!" Shun interrupted. "I activate the Quick-Play-Spell, Rank-Up-Magic Raptor's Force! When a Raidraptor Xyz Monster I control is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon it onto my field, and Xyz Summon a monster 1 Rank higher, using it as materials!"
"What!?" Sawatari exclaimed.
"With my Revolution Falcon, I construct the Overlay Network!" Shun declared as for a second time, a black vortex appeared, absorbing his monster as he began chanting.
"Valiant falcon that leads the hunt," He chanted, "Lead your allies to victory as they fan the flame of revolution that has been festering in their hearts! Rank Up Xyz Change! Come forth, Rank 7! Raidraptor - Arsenal Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/R: 7)!"
A giant falcon with a darker colored coating, with a little Raidraptor monster appearing in the air around it, appeared.
"Two Rank-Ups in quick succession," Yuuji said with concern, "To think someone was capable of such a thing."
"Tch." Sawatari clicked his tongue. "I activate Yosenju Training Ground's effect! By tributing three candles, I can add a Yosenju Monster from my deck to my hand!"
(Yosen Counter: 3 → 0)
Sawatari adds a card to his hand.
"I end my turn with that," He concluded, "And with the end of my turn, Yosenju Kama 2 is returned to my hand."
A typhoon appeared around Sawatari's monster, returning it back to his hand.
"Then it's my turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card. When he noticed what he had drawn, he smiled.
Let's not mess up this time. Yuuji thought as he continued.
"I set the Scale 1 Antique Golden Carol into my Pendulum Zone!"
A pristine golden bell rose inside the Pendulum Zone.
"Pendulum?" Shun raised an eyebrow. "What kind of technique is that?"
"I'll show you! Golden Carol's Pendulum Effect now activates!" Yuuji declared. "If I don't control any other monster in my Pendulum Zone, I can target a monster from my deck and place it into my Pendulum Zone!"
Yuuji picked out a card from his deck.
"Now, with the Scale 1 Antique Golden Carol already set in my Pendulum Zone and the Scale 8 Antique Grandclock, I set the Pendulum Scale!"
The words [PENDULUM] appear in the middle of his duel disk in rainbow font as a grandfather clock rises into the empty Pendulum Zone, completing Yuuji's Pendulum Scale.
"Next, I activate the Fusion Spell, Starving Fusion!" Yuuji shouts, causing Kurosaki Shun to grit his teeth at the mention of Fusion. "With it, I can Fusion Summon a monster, using Pendulum Monsters from my hand, field, and face-up in my Extra Deck as materials! From my hand, I fuse Dark Mirage with my Antique Lost Solider!"
Yuuji's two monsters appear on the field, rising into the air and fusing as he begins chanting.
"Hateful fiend, fuse with the brave soldier and become the most sinister of dragons! Fusion Summon! Descend now, Level 7! Starve Venemy Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Fusion/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 1)!"
A savage dragon with a purple and green color scheme, a tendril-like bottom half, and massive arms appeared on the field.
"Damn, Fusion…" Shun cursed under his breath.
"Now, with my currently set Pendulum Scale, I can summon monsters between Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji announced. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Shine an arc across the ether and reflect onto me a path to victory! Pendulum Summon! Return from my Extra Deck, Dark Mirage (Dark/Spirit/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100/LV: 2/SC: 2) and Antique Lost Solider (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 4/SC: 5) in defense mode!"
A ghastly purple spirit wearing a dark cloak and a pristine toy soldier appeared on his field.
"Starve Venemy's effect now activates!" Yuuji declared. "Once per turn, I can target one monster on your field, negate its effect while Starve Venemy takes it, and lower its ATK and DEF by 500 until the End Phase. On top of that, you take 500 points of damage!"
Vines erupt from the ground, entrapping the giant falcon in the sky. At the same time, smaller vines appeared in front of Kurosaki, smacking the duelist away.
(Arsenal Falcon — ATK: 2500 → 2000, DEF: 2000 → 1500)
Shun — LP: 4000 → 3500
"Nice plays, Haruki," Sawatari complimented from the side, "Now he won't have any way to stop us after you destroy his monster."
"Battle!" Yuuji moved into his Battle Phase. "Starve Venemy Dragon, attack his Raidraptor - Arsenal Falcon! Savage Sinning Slashes!"
The purple-scaled dragon flies forward, using its large, meaty claws to slash through Arsenal Falcon, creating an explosion and shockwave that sends Shun flying back. However, before he could hit a crate, he readjusts himself, allowing him to propel himself off the crate and back onto the ground safely.
Shun — LP: 3500 → 3000
"Arsenal Falcon's effect now activates!" Shun declared, much to Sawatari and Yuuji's surprise. "When it is destroyed, I can Special Summon another Raidraptor Xyz Monster directly from my Extra Deck!"
"But its effect is negated, how can he do that?" Sawatari cried out.
"Starve Venemy's effect only applies while the monster is face-up on the field," Yuuji explained, "Since it was sent to the graveyard, my dragon's effect isn't applicable anymore."
"Now I build the Overlay Network once again!" Shun declared as a vortex appeared in front of him, with the energy form of Arsenal Falcon falling into it. "Supreme falcon. Carry on the wishes of your fallen friends, and fly off to the sky of victory! Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 10! Raidraptor - Ultimate Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 3500/DEF: 2000/R: 10/OU: 1)!"
A giant machine falcon with large golden wings appeared on his field. It let out a terrifying screech from its mouth, forcing the two teens to cover their ears.
"That's concerning," Yuuji sweated, "I end my turn with that."
"Then it's my turn. Draw!" Shun drew a card. "I summon Tribute Lanius (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 400/LV: 4)!"
A smaller machine falcon with blue wings that floated around it appeared.
"Now I activate Ultimate Falcon's effect!" Shun announced. "By detaching one material from it, I can negate the effects of all monsters on your field until the End Phase, and decrease all of their ATK by 1000!"
"I activate Starve Venemy effect!" Yuuji countered. "With it, I'll negate the activation of your effect!"
However, when Yuuji's dragon tried to trap the giant falcon with its vines, the falcon burst through it, destroying the vines.
"What!?" Yuuji cried out. "How did it break free like that!?"
"Ultimate Falcon is unaffected by card effects!" Shun declared. "Now go, my magnificent falcon! Fan the flames of the rebellion with your presence!"
Ultimate Falcon flies into the air, emitting a light that blinded Yuuji and Sawatari's monsters.
(Yosenju Izna — ATK: 800 → 0)
(Dark Mirage — ATK: 100 → 0)
(Starve Venemy Dragon — ATK: 2500 → 1500)
(Antique Lost Solider — ATK: 0)
"Luckily for me, my weaker monsters were already in defense mode, but…" Yuuji muttered as he turned to his partner. Sawatari didn't have any form of defense now. All Kurosaki would have to do is attack him with his two monsters to defeat him.
"I activate Tribute Lanius' effect, allowing me to send a monster from my deck to the graveyard," Shun places a monster in his graveyard, "Then I activate the effect of the monster I had just sent to the graveyard, Mimicry Lanius (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1100/DEF: 1900/LV: 4)! By banishing it from my graveyard, I can add a Raidraptor Monster from my deck to my hand!"
Shun picked out a card from his deck.
"When I control a face-up Xyz Monster on my field, I can Special Summon Raidraptor - Singing Lanius (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100/LV: 4)!"
A small machine bird coated in yellow paint appeared.
"Another Level 4 Monster…" Yuuji muttered. "That means…"
"With my two Level 4 Monsters, I construct the Overlay Network!" Kurosaki announced as his two monsters were absorbed into the black vortex once again. "Avian hunter of the afterlife, seek the truth with your dark eyes, and grasp glory with your sharp talons! Xyz Summon! Take flight, Rank 4! Raidraptor - Force Strix (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2000/R: 4/OU: 2)!"
A mechanical owl with large wings appeared on his field.
"Force Strix gains 500 ATK and DEF for each Winged-Beast Type Monster that I control other than itself!"
(Force Strix — ATK: 100 → 600, DEF: 2000 → 2500)
"Now I activate Force Strix's other effect!" Shun declared. "By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can add one Dark Winged-Beast Monster directly from my deck to my hand!"
He drew a card.
"Now battle!" Shun moved to his Battle Phase. "Ultimate Falcon, attack Starve Venemy Dragon! Annihilate that detestable Fusion Monster!"
"What!? Me!?" Yuuji was shocked. The better play would've been to just attack Sawatari.
Ultimate Falcon rises into the air, the red orb at its center beginning to glow as a large beam of energy is emitted from it, annihilating Starve Venemy and sending Yuuji flying.
Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 2000
"Now it's your turn!" Shun addressed Sawatari, who froze up once he was singled out. "Force Strix, attack his remaining monster!"
Force Strix flies towards Sawatari's tanuki warrior, slashing through it with ease using its claws. The shockwave from the attack sent Sawatari rolling back comically into a crate.
Sawatari — LP: 4000 → 3400
"I end my turn," He concluded his turn.
"That was harsh," Yuuji spoke as he rubbed his aching back, "Give a warning before you use a nuke attack like that."
"I'll give no such warning to you, Fusion scum," Kurosaki seethed with hatred. "You're sadistic motives are the reason why my homeland was destroyed, and I'll use whatever tactic I can to inflict that same suffering onto you."
"What's this about your homeland?" Sawatari spoke as he rubbed his aching head, "You're acting like it was destroyed in a war zone or something."
"Just play you're pathetic cards, LDS," Shun said with a dangerous look in his eyes, which caused Sawatari to jump a bit in fear.
"R-Right. My turn! Draw!" Sawatari quickly drew his card. When he saw what he drew, he smiled. "This is just what I needed. How did he do it again…"
Sawatari thought for a moment before eventually figuring out what he was confused about.
"Using the Scale 3 Yosenju Shinchu L (Wind/Rock/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 2100/LV: 4/SC: 3) and the Scale 5 Yosenju Shinchu R (Wind/Rock/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 2100/LV: 4/SC: 5), I set the Pendulum Scale!" Sawatari declared, much to Yuuji's shock. Two rock statues rose into each of his Pendulum Zones.
"He can use this bizarre summoning method too?" Shun frowned.
"How the hell…" Yuuji muttered in surprise. "Where did you get those cards?"
"Akaba Reiji made them for me," Sawatari confidently replied.
"Akaba Reiji…" Yuuji thought back to his conversation with Yuzu a few days ago. "If he was able to make himself some Pendulum Cards, it makes sense why others would have then as well. But Sawatari of all people...why?"
"Quit your monologue, Haruki. I'm trying to focus here!" Sawatari lashed out causing Yuuji to just roll his eyes in response. "Thank you."
Sawatari then continued his turn.
"Yosenju Shunchu R's Pendulum Effect now takes effect!" Sawatari declared. "Since I control another Yosenju Monster in my other Pendulum Zone, I can raise this card's Pendulum Scale to 11 till the End Phase!"
(Yosenju Shinchu R — SC: 5 → 11)
"Now I can summon monsters Levels 4 through 10 all at the same time!" Sawatari announced. "Pendulum Summon! Appear from my hand, Mayosenju Daibak (Wind/Beast/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 300/LV: 10/SC: 7), and Yosenju Kama 2 (ATK: 1800/DEF: 200/LV: 4)!"
(Yosen Counter: 0 → 2)
Sawatari's giant green canine with a wisp-like body and his silver-haired tanuki warrior appeared.
"Mayosenju Daibak's effect now activates!" Sawatari declared. "With it, I can return up to two cards on the field, and return them to the hand! I choose to return both of your monsters!"
"Ultimate Falcon is unaffected by your effect," Shun announced as his monsters were absorbed by a whirlwind of green wind, "However, Force Strix isn't, which means your effect will send him straight back to my Extra Deck."
Shun places Force Strix back into his Extra Deck.
"Now with that, I end my turn!" Sawatari smirked. "And with the end of my turn, since Mayosenju Daibak was Special Summoned this turn, it returns to my hand."
His green ghastly canine is returned to his hand.
"..." Yuuji had an exasperated expression on his face. "Are you serious right now?"
"Huh? What's wrong?" Sawatari looked confused.
"Why did you Pendulum Summon Daibak? You could've just Normal Summoned Yosenju Kama 2, and use its effect to get Daibak on the field without having it return to your hand."
Sawatari's jaw dropped in shock. Yuuji facepalmed at the teen's stupidity.
"Whatever," Yuuji shook his head, "What's done is done. I'll just have to do this myself. Draw!"
Yuuji drew a card, though was surprised when he saw what he had drawn.
Alya, the Hope Valkyrie? Isn't this a repeat of what I had during my duel with Sawatari? I even have Nirvana Crest's Ritual Spell.
However, he couldn't think of Ritual Summoning Nirvana Crest right now, he didn't even have Nirvana Crest Ritual Dragon in his hand, nor would it help in a situation where his opponent's monster is unaffected by card effects. And it was an Xyz Monster, which literally counters Nirvana Crest's other effect.
One day, I'll get a chance to use Nirvana Crest to its full potential. Yuuji thought before returning his attention back to the duel.
"With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon!" Yuuji announced as two beams of energy appeared from a portal. "Returning from the Extra Deck, Starve Venemy Dragon (ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7) in defense mode! And from my hand, Alya, the Hope Valkyrie (Light/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1300/LV: 4/SC: 7) in defense mode!"
Appearing on Yuuji's field was his formerly destroyed dragon, and a beautiful warrior with long pink hair and silver armor.
"That disgusting Fusion is back again…" Shun gritted his teeth.
"I end my turn," Yuuji concluded.
"You're bashing on me for my plays, but you didn't do anything either," Sawatari frowned.
"Because I couldn't do anything," Yuuji stated, "And besides, I only said what I said because your play only made yourself vulnerable. All Kurosaki would have to do is summon another powerful monster, and you would be finished."
"My turn! Draw!" Shun began his turn. "I summon Raidraptor - Rush Lanius (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1700/LV: 4)!"
An orange jet falcon with large booster engines appeared on his field.
"Rush Lanius' effect now activates, allowing me to Special Summon a Raidraptor Monster from my Deck to my field—!"
"Not so fast!" Yuuji interrupted. "I activate Starve Venemy Dragon's effect, targeting your Rush Lanius and negating its effect!"
(Rush Lanius — ATK: 1400 → 900, DEF: 1700 → 1200)
Shun — LP: 3000 → 2500
"When I take effect damage, I can Special Summon Raidraptor - Avenge Vulture (Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1700/DEF: 100/LV: 4) from my hand!" Shun continued as a brown machine vulture with golden ornaments that attached its wings to its body appeared. "Now with my two Level 4 Monsters, I construct the Overlay Network once more!"
His two monsters are absorbed into a black vortex, a pillar of light emitting from it.
"Falcon rise. The embodiment of my raging soul," Shun chanted, "Spread forth your rebellious wings, as you annihilate your enemies before you! Xyz Summon! Soar, Rank 4! Raidraptor - Rebellion Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/R: 4/OU: 2)"
A large purple falcon with a golden coating on its wings appeared on Kurosaki's field. Behind it was a glowing purple ring that floated slightly above the monster.
"Rebellion…Falcon?" Yuuji was surprised.
"When Rebellion Falcon is Xyz Summoned while I have three Xyz Monsters in my graveyard, I can target an Xyz Monster in my graveyard, and Special Summon it!" Shun declared. "Rise once again, Revolution Falcon (ATK: 2000/DEF: 3000/R: 6/OU: 0)!"
The formerly destroyed monster with a grey and yellow coating appeared on his field once again.
"Now I activate Rebellion Falcon's other effect!" Shun announced. "Once per turn, I can detach one overlay unit from it, and give it to one of my Xyz Monsters with no materials! I choose to give Revolution Falcon an Overlay Unit!"
(Rebellion Falcon — OU: 2 → 1)
(Revolution Falcon — OU: 0 → 1)
"Now I activate Revolution Falcon's effect! By detaching one Overlay Unit, it can attack all Special Summon Monsters on my opponent's fields! And whenever Revolution Falcon battles a Special Summoned monster, it reduces both their ATK and DEF to 0 during the damage calculation!"
[What!?] Yuuji and Sawatari cried out in unison. Yuuji then turned to Sawatari.
"Battle!" Shun declared. "Revolution Falcon, attack and eradicate everything!"
Kurosaki's falcon rises into the air, dropping bombs from its compartments that destroy the area around it. Yuuji quickly grabbed Sawatari's hand, dragging him out of the way of an incoming bomb.
"Antique Lost Soldier's effect activates!" Yuuji shouts. "With it, I can negate one instance of an attack targeting it and add a Pendulum Monster from my deck to my hand. I then chain Dark Mirage's effect, allowing me to tribute it and protect a monster that's on my field from one instance of destruction! I choose to protect Starve Venemy Dragon!"
Yuuji's toy soldier pulled out a shield from its pocket, protecting itself from the bombs as Yuuji took a card from his deck. Dark Mirage's cloak expanded to be even larger than Stave Venemy, shielding it from the oncoming bombardment.
Sawatari's and Yuuji's remaining monsters were destroyed, with Sawatari losing a large chunk of Life Points as a result. However, thanks to Yuuji's quick thinking, Sawatari was able to survive the bombardment with little damage.
Sawatari — LP: 3600 → 1600
"You're not safe yet!" Shun declared, staring daggers at Sawatari. "Rebellion Falcon attacks you directly! Raging Rebellion!"
Kurosaki's falcon erupted into a purple light as it soared into the air, flying down at an intense speed as it threatened to ram through Sawatari.
"I activate Yosenju Oyam's effect from my hand!" Sawatari declared. "When my opponent declares a direct attack, I can send discard 1 Yosenju Monster from my hand, and Special Summon it to my field (Wind/Beast/Effect/ATK: ?/DEF: ?/LV: 6) in attack position!"
A tall monster with connected to the ground appeared.
"Yosenju Oyam's ATK and DEF are equal to that of the attacking monster!" He continued. "Meaning that both your monster and it will be destroyed!"
(Yosenju Oyam — ATK: ? → 2000, DEF: ? → 100)
Both monsters collide with each other, getting into a short clash before creating a large cloud of dust.
"However…" Sawatari smirked. "I activate Yosenju Shinchu L's effect! When my monster is destroyed by battle or card effect, I can destroy it instead! Meaning my Yosenju Oyam is safe from destruction!"
The dust clears, revealing the tall monster still on the field.
"Rebellion Falcon's effect now activates!" Kurosaki declared. "When it is destroyed by my opponent's monster, I can target 1 Xyz Monster in my graveyard, and Special Summon it!"
"What!?" Sawatari was shocked.
"Arise, Raidraptor - Arsenal Falcon (ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/R: 7/OU: 0)!" The giant falcon coated in silver appeared once again. "Now my Battle Phase continues! Arsenal Falcon attacks your Yosenju Oyam!"
(Yosenju Oyam — ATK: ? → 2500, DEF: ? → 2000)
Arsenal Falcon flies forward at sonic speeds using its boosters, crashing into Yosenju Oyam and creating a shockwave that knocks both Yuuji and Sawatari away.
"Arsenal Falcon's effect now activates upon its destruction, allowing me to Special Summon another Raidraptor Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck, using this card as material!"
"Just how many effects does this guy have!?" Sawatari's jaw dropped.
"Using my Arsenal Falcon, I build the Overlay Network!" Shun announced as the vortex appeared in front of him once again, absorbing Arsenal Falcon as he began chanting. "The unseen bold falcon. Reveal your wings' unknown power here and now! Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 5! Raidraptor - Stranger Falcon (Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2000/R: 4/OU: 1)!"
A machine falcon with thick wings that glowed a bright yellow appeared.
"Now to end you!" Shun shouts. "Stranger Falcon attacks you directly!"
A destructive energy blast begins charging in the falcon's mouth, before being shot at Sawatari, threatening to do unseen harm to Sawatari. However, before the attack connects…
"Starve Venemy Dragon! Protect Sawatari!" Yuuji shouts, as his dragon flies in between Sawatari and the energy blast—protecting him as the energy blast connects, creating a giant explosion that shakes the area. However, his Life Points still dropped to zero.
Sawatari — LP: 1600 → 0
"You saved me?" Sawatari was surprised.
"Don't mention it," Yuuji replied, "There's no way I am going to let anyone else get harmed or worse because of this bastard."
"So you want a piece of the action too, Fusion scum?" Shun furrowed his eyebrows. "Fine with me! Ultimate Falcon, attack his detestable Fusion Dragon!"
The red orb at its center began glowing, shooting an energy beam that annihilated Yuuji's dragon once again and leveled the ground beneath it.
Yuuji winced his eyes at the ensuing shockwave.
"And with that, I end my turn," Shun concluded before beginning to walk forward, his eyes set on Sawatari, who was sitting on the ground still shocked at what had just happened. Yuuji seemed to catch on, running in between the two of them.
"You leave him out of this. He's no longer you're opponent. I am!" Yuuji stated.
"I'll get to you soon, I just need to take care of some loose ends before they become a problem," Shun replied as he tried to step forward, but was blocked by Lost Soldier, who pointed its wooden sword at Xyz Duelist in defense. Kurosaki's monsters surround him, screeching at the toy soldier, who stands its ground in the face of monsters much larger than itself.
Yuuji smiled at his monster for a moment, before hardening his look. He turned to Sawatari and shouted:
"Get out of here! You'll only be a liability if you stay here!"
"Is that some way to talk to someone who beat you—"
"Go! Now!" Yuuji interrupted with an intense look.
"R-Right!" Sawatari quickly fled the scene. However, unknown to the two, he decides to hide behind a building, watching the duel from a safe distance as he begins calling someone on his phone.
"Now that he's gone, how about we get back to our duel, Kurosaki?" Yuuji asked as he created distance between the two of them.
"Doesn't matter to me," Shun replied, "I'll deal with you first, and then I'll wipe out those runaways."
"And I don't plan on letting that happen. Draw!" Yuuji drew a card. "So, it looks like fate is telling me to use you now, right partner?"
In his hand was Nirvana Crest Ritual Dragon, which began glowing slightly as if it was resonating with him.
"With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I can summon monsters Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji declared. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Pendulum Summon! Return from my Extra Deck, Dark Mirage (ATK: 100/DEF: 100/LV: 2), Alya, the Hope Valkrie (ATK: 1800/DEF: 1300/LV: 4), Starve Venemy Dragon (ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)! And from my hand, Mirror Maker (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 1600/DEF: 1400/LV: 4/SC: 3)!"
Yuuji swarms the field with monsters.
"This again?" Shun frowned. "Give up. No matter how many times you bring out your monsters, you won't be able to defeat my Ultimate Falcon."
"Who said I need to defeat Ultimate Falcon?" Yuuji smirked. "You have two other monsters on the field that are prime targets."
"What?"
"Starve Venemy Dragon's effect activates!" Yuuji declared. "With it, I can target your Stranger Falcon, negate and copy its effect, reduce its ATK and DEF by 500, and deal 500 points of damage to your Life Points!"
Vine erupts from the ground, trapping Stanger Falcon and slapping Shun backward a few meters.
(Stranger Falcon — ATK: 2000 → 1500, DEF: 2000 → 1500)
Shun — LP: 2500 → 2000
"So what, you can't even use its copied effect since Starve Venemy isn't an Xyz Monster," Shun spit out some blood from his mouth, "Even if you destroy it with your dragon, it still won't be enough for you to win. I'll simply wipe out the rest of your pitiful Life Points on my next turn."
"That's where this comes in," Yuuji reveals his Dawn of the Crest in his hand. "I activate the Ritual Spell, Dawn of the Crest! With this card, I can Ritual Summon a Light Dragon Monster using monsters from my hand or field as long as they equal or exceed the Level of the Monster I'm trying to summon. I tribute my Level 4 Antique Lost Soldier and my Level 4 Alya, the Hope Valkyrie to Ritual Summon a Level 8 Monster!"
A golden shrine appears behind Yuuji, absorbing his two monsters into it before a giant pillar of light erupts from it.
"Brilliant dragon who has reached the peak of enlightenment," Yuuji chanted, "Burn all to ashes as you bring heavenly judgment to your enemies! Ritual Summon! Arise, Level 8! Nirvana Crest Ritual Dragon (Light/Dragon/Ritual/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2000/LV: 8)!"
A giant dragon with blue scales and ethereal wings appeared in the glowing light. It slowly absorbed the pillar of light around it, transferring that light to ignite its golden, fiery wings.
"Nirvana Crest Ritual Dragon's effect now activates!" Yuuji declared. "When this monster is Ritual Summoned using only monsters on my field as materials, all of the monsters on your field lose 500 ATK for each Special Summoned Monster on both of our fields!"
"Three on my field, and four on yours…" Shun's eyes widened. "That means…!"
"That's right! All of your monsters that can be affected by card effects lose 3500 ATK! "
(Revolution Falcon — ATK: 2000 → 0)
(Stranger Falcon — ATK: 1500 → 0)
"Now for the climax!" Yuuji announced. "Nirvana Crest Ritual Dragon, attack his Stranger Falcon and end this duel! Enlightenment Ray!"
Yuuji's dragon soars into the air, erupting into a light as blinding as the sun. Beams of light were emitted from it, indiscriminately shot towards Shun's falcon.
"No way!" Shun took a step back and gritted his fists. "To lose to a Fusion User, to Academia! I'm sorry, my comrades."
—BOOOOOOOOM!
A large explosion is created as Stranger Falcon is annihilated by the energy blasts, sending Kurosaki flying and ending the duel.
Shun — LP: 2000 → 0
Winner: Yuuji
All the monsters on the field dematerialize as the duel ends, with Yuuji's eye color returning to its regular, grey color.
"Nice!" Yuuji pumped his fist into the air and cheered. "I finally got to use my ace to win a duel!"
—Clap. Clap. Clap.
Yuuji heard clapping behind him. When he turned around, he noticed a grey-haired man wearing red glasses and a similar-colored scarf approach.
"You've done well, Haruki Yuuji," Reiji complimented.
"Who are you?" Yuuji asked. "And how do you know my name."
"You don't know me?" Reiji was a bit surprised but maintained his composure. "I am Akaba Reiji, the current head of the Leo Corporation."
"You're Akaba Reiji!?" Yuuji exclaimed, before quickly activating his duel disk. "Duel me! I've heard about how you were super strong, and I want to put myself against that!"
"Another time." Reiji declined, much to Yuuji's disappointment, "I have more important business currently, involving your opponent from this duel."
"You mean, Kurosaki? He's over there." Yuuji pointed towards a blue crate, where Shun sat with his back against the crate, surprisingly unconscious. "I may have roughed him up a bit, so if you have any questions for him, you'll have to wait until he wakes up."
"You've done well subduing him. It makes my job easier," Reiji stated before making a call on his duel disk. Not even a second later, LDS personnel appear, handcuffing Kurosaki Shun and taking him off somewhere. "We'll be taking him in for questioning. You're free to leave now, we'll handle this."
"Right." Yuuji nodded as Akaba Reiji soon left. He then sighed and looked up at the sky, which was already sunset. "Sucks that I couldn't duel that guy right now."
Reiji seemed busy, so it made sense why he can't duel right now. But it still made him a bit annoyed regardless.
"Oh well, what's done is done," Yuuji stated, "At least I survived that."
A high-stakes duel where if he lost was something that was never on his bucket list, but it happened.
And little did Yuuji know, this was only the beginning.
Custom Cards/Altered Cards:
Dark Mirage
ATK: 100, DEF: 100, LV: 2, SC: 5
Dark/Spirit/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum Effect: You can tribute this card from your Pendulum Zone, and destroy a monster on your field.
Monster Effect: You can tribute this monster from your field, and negate the destruction of your monster.
Alya, the Hope Valkyrie
ATK: 1800, DEF: 1300, LV: 4, SC: 7
Light/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 Light Monster you control; change its Level to any value between 1 and 8 until the End Phase.
Monster Effect: When this monster is Normal or Special Summoned, you can target 1 monster in your Pendulum Zone and destroy it.
Antique Golden Carol
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5, SC: 1
Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum Effect: When this monster is in one of your Pendulum Zones while you control none in the other, you can place 1 Antique Monster from your deck into the empty Pendulum Zone.
Monster Effect: If this monster is Special Summoned from the deck, add 1 Ritual Spell from your deck to your hand.
Raidraptor - Rush Lanius
ATK: 1400, DEF: 1700, LV: 4
Dark/Winged-Beast/Effect
Monster Effect: Once per turn, you can target 1 Raidraptor Monster from your deck: Special Summon it onto your field.
Raidraptor - Rebellion Falcon
ATK: 2000, DEF: 100, R: 4
Dark/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect
2+ Level 4 Dark Winged-Beast Monsters
Monster Effect: If this card is Xyz Summoned while you have 3 or more Xyz Monsters in your Graveyard: You can target 1 Xyz Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 Xyz Monster you control with no Xyz Materials; attach this card's detached Xyz Material to that monster as an Xyz Material. When this monster is destroyed by battle or card effect, target 1 Xyz Monster in your graveyard other than this card; Special Summon it.
Halve Attack
Continuous Trap Card
Halves the battle damage you receive as long as this card remains face-up on the field
Pendulum Call
Spell Card
Place 1 Pendulum Monster from your Deck into your Pendulum Zone. During the End Phase of this turn, destroy that card. You can only activate 1 Pendulum Call per turn.
Starving Fusion
Fusion Spell
Fusion Summon from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand, field, and face-up in your Extra Deck as Material.
And that's the third chapter. Featuring two duels, a short one against Sawatari Shingo (which resulted in Yuuji's first loss) and one against Kurosaki Shun. To be honest with you guys, the loss against Sawatari was completely unintentional. I was trying to come up with a cool play but then realized during Yuuji's second turn that the position I had put him in made him lose to Sawatari's combo. I found it funny and thought it would help with the dynamic between him and Yuuji, so I decided to just leave the duel in. So yeah, technically Yuuji is now 3-1 for his W/L record, 3-0 if you want to ignore the Sawatari duel. I honestly love the way this chapter ended up going, it was way better than the original chapter I made.
Though, just because Yuuji won the duel in the end, doesn't mean that he's stronger than Kurosaki as you could tell, at least for now.
As for what's next. I want to include one duel between Yuuji and Yuzu before it is time for the events that surround the Maiami Championships, so I might just lump it in with the chapter. At best, expect the Yuzu duel plus the starting events of the Maiami Championships which may include another duel against a certain Xyz Duelist, which would make it the third Xyz Duelist that Yuuji would end up facing so far. But luckily, it's the last one for a while, so that's good. At worst, it would just be the Yuzu duel plus some exposition that leads to the Championships.
Though I'm kind of annoyed at myself for not having Yuuji duel Gongenzaka, even when I mentioned in the first chapter that he was interested in dueling him. But it's too late to do it now, at least during the Standard Dimension Arc (potentially).
Aside from that, thank you for reading. If the next chapter is out, go ahead and read it (if you like this story enough to read through these three chapters, you'll probably like it enough to read a fourth.)