Comment Corner:
White War Crewmate: Glad that you enjoyed it! Well here's more of those ZEXAL shenanigans.
shadowdark7: Oh god we're already over 800k lmao. He probably can, if Yuya can make Pends Mags off of the air, he can have accel synchro. The Hot Res would be something, but giving cards to Jack specifically is a bit harder since he's, well, Jack.
Zet4: Thanks for reading! Here's the next one!
AkumaESPer: Glad that you enjoyed it! What a coincidence for something like that to happen lmao. Happened to me a few times too. Ah, so I see I have brought another to hell lmao, we don't remember everything, most barely remember what the cards in their deck do lmao. Oh that is an interesting take on what's going to happen, I'm just gonna write them down now lmao. Probably not modern Shark deck though, I mean they did just get a support and all. Man we're going to get that like, at the end of Yugioh at this point lmao.
A Sycnhron Fan: A format of all time indeed. It's basically the same penalty as in standard and Fusion's battle royal so… Undoubtedly, but which main girls will move forward? Academia? Interrupting an ongoing tournament? Surely not. Its bad Fiendish Chain yes, but otherwise it was a fun duel to write. But yes, Chronomaly pre-Vimana and the trap is very bad. Machina in comparison is better, Googly is very funny, and Ruinforce is a card with text. It's Ancient Gear, it punch hard. Oof, fair. The deck does that every once in a while.
King of Bots: Well, here's another one.
Guest: It's a cute nickname yes, very fitting as well. Those are fitting examples too, the new ones are the same as well. It's fitting, and does differentiate her too, glad that I picked it up and glad that you enjoyed it.
Guest: It would be mind blowing, what with how Links and all are. It will be a lot of kabooms yes.
King Atem: Reasons : ) Plot reasons yes. Yep, they noticed, but probably won't be meeting for a while : )
Pjo crossover: Probably will, yes. That is plot relevant yes, very much so. The decklist being registered is very much important.
Shadow Guest: Eh, she's doing well with the pool of cards that she had anyway. It's a 'modern' deck, it does that even as rogue. It do be like that sometimes.
Blackving: It was pretty fun to write to, so glad that you enjoyed it! They're probably here too aren't they? Nope, but I gave him like, two good cards and that's it. It would be fun, but that would happen like, in the far future at this point, though that means that I'll actually have to read them... That remains to be seen~
Peter Kim: Probably at Standard, when we get there eventually in a decade or so lmao.
Kingofbots: Glad that you enjoyed it! They have mutually found out about each other yes. Welp, not yet on that front though sadly. Bro never heard of Tier 9 deck Chronomaly smh. Googly Eyes is the only Machine Rank 8 that isn't a Number and is isn't a random Extra Deck rip so… yeah.
yann0406: Thanks for reading! Here's the next chapter!
Guest: It can be either really, depending on which one I feel like writing.
Yugioh Guest: Probably not with how the rulings are.
I own what I own.
Which apparently includes,
A Link that I have for some reason:
https/ PandorasJailofCreativity/m embership?view_as=patro n
Discord Link that I have for some reason:
https/ / 4bg8TRm2Gk
Twitter that I have for some reason:
https/mobile . / pandorajail
Shout out to Zeranion, pyro stick figure 76 and 13arabba who actually paid for , along with the people on the discord, absolute madlads.
Note that this work is also crossposted on Webnovel, AO3, and Space Battles, all because I hate myself lmao.
Anyway, to farm engagement, give me your tcg banlist takes what with the new list coming out lmao.
Trading Game
47th Pack
Attack Gimmick
"Then I'll attack with my Infinitrack River Stromer, and end the game!" A brown haired poncho wearing boy shouted as he shot his fist forward, and a large black and red tank fired its three cannons straight towards an opposing armored warrior monster.
Though it put a valiant effort, the golden armored warrior was soon felled by the beams shot out by the giant machine's cannons. Felling it and turning it into golden motes of light as the summoner received damage from the battle.
"GUAAAAAGH!" The barrett wearing boy screamed as his Life Points reached zero, the chime of his duel disk noting his defeat on the duel.
Chitaro Ariga: 0LP
"Alright! That's another win for me!" And Allen shouted with a wide grin at another successful duel, pumping his fist while his opponent groaned at his defeat. Others came to console him, while the brown haired boy merely hummed as he went to his own group of friends.
"Hey, Allen! Over here!" A silver haired girl shouted as she waved her hand, gesturing to him to come closer. And he does, walking closer to where Myu and Sayaka were standing waiting for him to finish his duel. "So you're done right? I don't think there's any other duelists here with higher points than the one that you just beat."
"Well, no one other than me now!" The brown haired boy said as he puffed his chest. A smug smile on his face, his points being the highest having beaten the bounty that was near the area.
"Yeah, well, that also makes you everyone's target you know." Myu pointed out with a huff, crossing her hands in front of her. "It would have been nice if you also shared some of those points for us too, you know."
"Eh, I guess I can give you the next one." The poncho wearing boy said with a shrug, and began walking with his duel disk out in front of him. "Now let's go to the next one!" Following the path that it said to reach for the other nearest duelists with the highest point tally.
And the other two girls followed him, with the twin tailed girl huffing as she said, "That's what you said about the last one too! And we agreed that we'll let Sayaka duel against the next one too!"
"I-I'm fine with that Myu." The glasses-wearing girl shyly pointed out, interjecting her friend's complaint. "I-it's not like I entered the tournament because I wanted to go far… I just wanted to help Yuuna-san with her… problem."
"Ugh, right. That." The wind was taken from his sails as soon as he was reminded of that, the poncho wearing boy slumping even as he continued walking. "We haven't been seeing much of those, if any huh."
"Well it's only just been two hours since the tournament started. And we haven't gotten far from where we even started too." Myu suggested. "Maybe they're just on the other side of the city?"
"Man, that could be it huh? That kind of sucks. Hopefully Yuuna and Nee-san have better luck I guess." Allen huffed. Then went and continued forward, his sights already set towards another target.
"Anyway, we'll definitely find more of those Numbers people if we just keep getting points! Then they'll probably come to us instead of us coming to them!" He shouted as he raised his fist. "And if it also gets us a spot in the finals, then that's just extra!"
"Allen…I'm pretty sure that Yuuna-san told us to tell her when we find a Numbers." Sayaka warned her childhood friend, who merely waved away her concern.
"Eh, we handled the last one just fine didn't we? I'm sure that we can handle others too just fine! Now come on!"
The two girls shared a look with one another, before letting out a sigh as they followed Allen.
They started the World Duel Carnival normally. Like almost every other duelist roaming around in the city, they immediately duelled.
Not each other of course, though most of her explanation most likely went over Allen's head, she at least got the point across that that would be bad. No, instead they were all challenged by some of their classmates.
They agreed of course they treated it as if it was another day in school even. Dueling one another, just like they had always practised, though this time without a teacher to watch over them.
It was something that she's already done many times before, of course. Dueling together with Allen and Myu was almost a daily occurrence at this point, mostly due to the former's insistence of wanting to be a better duelist, to want to surpass his sister.
And as his childhood friend, what could Sayaka do but help him?
In truth, that was also the reason as to why she had entered the World Duel Carnival as well. Unlike Myu or Allen, she doesn't have the will nor the skills to become a professional duelist, to etch her name in the annals of dueling history.
She was proficient at dueling, yes, but… she also knows that she was not proficient at handling pressure. The first time that she had to duel on a stage, while all the other students were watching, she had promptly fainted on the spot.
It was embarrassing, an event that was etched into her mind for the rest of her life. And though others had laughed at her for that incident, Allen had stood firm and defended her. Like he always had.
And that Allen wanted to help Yuuna, who was dealing with the numerous monster cards that seemed to have scattered themselves across the city. Possessing the people without enough willpower and making them more violent. A supernatural incident that they somehow found themselves right in the middle of right after meeting the red haired girl.
So she would help, in any way that she can. And if it meant entering a tournament where the level of competitors would be far, far, above her class? Then she would gulp and do her best to try and eek out a victory.
So far, they haven't met any pro duelists, which she was gratefully thankful for. No matter how much Allen complained that he hadn't had a challenging duel yet, something that Myu solemnly agreed on.
If anything, she wouldn't want any of them to meet any of those so called pro duelists at all! If they do, there's a large chance that they would lose! And if they lose, then that means that their chances of helping out Yuuna would be lessened!
So it would be best if they didn't meet them at all! Sure that might not mean that they wouldn't be getting as much points, because they all know that the pro duelists would be those who would have the most of those, but that just meant that they would have to duel more right?
To scrape by the tournament was just fine for her. That should give them the best chances to help Yuuna on hunting down the errant Numbers that are scattered all around the city. Though with how Allen kept trying to go for the bounties… then it was really only a matter of time for them to find an actual pro duelist.
Sayaka could only sigh as she lamented this fact, and the brown haired boy that both she and Myu were following shouted while pointing towards his destination of choice. "Alright, if this thing's right then there should be someone strong somewhere over there!"
And the place that he pointed at was one of the many amusement parks that the city had, the tracks of roller coasters could be seen even beyond the walls of its gates. A giant ferris while twinkling as it spun in place. The sounds of cheers could even be heard from where they stood beyond its walls.
"Wait, so the next place where a bounty duelist is is in an amusement park?! In Heartland Amusement Park of all places?!" Myu spoke out as she eyed the large crowd that gathered at the park's entry gate, eyeing it with a groan. "I don't want to waste time actually waiting in line for that. We could just search for another place and duelist right?"
"Hmmmm, but… come on! It shouldn't be that long right! And we can also just… play around at the theme park you know! Come on!" The brown haired boy whined and went ahead of them anyway, uncaring of their own both their words as he ran off to wait in line.
Both she and Myu turned to each other, locking eyes with one another and let out a sigh. Before they followed suit with their willful friend.
"YEAAAH! WOHOOO!"
"KYAAAA!"
"NOOOO!"
The three screams could be heard alongside many others as the trio walked out along the lines of others, having finished a ride of one of the park's many roller coasters. Allen beamed, still brimming with energy while both Myu and herself shambled out as they attempted to take their breaths.
"Man that was fun! I wonder what other attractions we can ride." The brown haired teen said with a grin as he spread the Heartland Amusement Park's pamphlet which doubles as a map, looking at the many rides and attractions that the place has.
"You know what, no. No more. Allen! Focus!" The silver haired girl mumbled to herself as she walked forward to the poncho wearing boy, and ripped the map off from his hands.
"Wha-hey!" Allen whined as he glared at Myu, and the girl did the same. Meeting his glare with her own.
"Focus!" The smaller girl hissed as she merely let out a sigh as she managed to catch her breath and not hear her beating heart right in her ears. "We're here to find that bounty duelist remember! We're in a tournament for goodness sake! We can't waste time riding all the rides here!"
"Wait, you're right!" He shouted with wide eyes as he whipped out his duel disk, and snapped to a direction. "He's that way!" And ran while leaving them behind once again.
"Ugh, I should have done that earlier. Come on Sayaka. We have to follow the idiot. Again." Myu grumbled as she extended a hand towards her, and she nodded and took her hand. Letting the smaller girl guide her as they both followed after Allen.
They walked for a few minutes, not needing to weave through the crowds with Allen rushing in first and making way for them to follow. Though that didn't stop Sayaka from apologising for her childhood friend's behaviour.
And they finally did manage to catch him, to see the brown haired poncho wearing boy talking to someone. A person that she felt was familiar.
"No way! I'm a huge fan!"
"Oh? A fan? I see." The teen with blonde and brown spiky hair said with a smile, taking Allen's hand in his own as he shook it. "Well, I'm honoured! Honestly, to meet a fan in a place like this is quite the surprise!"
"Hold on, that's…" Myu muttered as they approached, also finding the figure that Allen had met familiar as her eyes widened in recognition. "Isn't that…IV!? The professional duelist IV?! the Asia Champion!?"
"Hm? Oh! Are these your friends! Haha, well yes! Yes I am!" IV spoke aloud as he turned towards them, with Allen motioning for them to get closer to them. "I assume that you've heard of me?"
"Heard of you-I've watched your exhibition match! And that grand final match for the Asia Duelist Championship was amazing!" The silver haired girl shouted, Allen also nodding his head while she, instead, paled.
A professional duelist! An actual professional duelist was the one that her childhood friend hand met! Most likely the bounty duelist of the area considering who he was. Because of course the Asia Champion would participate in the World Duel Carnival!
Though she held the smallest of hopes that he was merely visiting, such was dashed as he turned towards her childhood friend and spoke. "So then, you want to have a duel against me is that right?"
Her heart plummeted as she heard that, but before the brown haired boy could let words out from his open mouth, Myu kicked him in the shin. "Ow! What gives!?" He cried out and turned towards the silver haired girl, who was giving him a stink eye.
"You. Promised." She said, merely repeating two words. That in itself brought out many emotions on Allen,
"Uuuugh. Fine… I don't think I'll be dueling you. Sorry about that." He said with a grumble and a groan, and she let out a sigh of relief.
"But Sayaka will though."
The air left her lungs again, and her head snapped towards Allen so fast that her glasses almost flew off of their place.
"Wha-!"
"Right, that was the promise wasn't it. Glad that you at least remember that part." Myu huffed, and her head snapped towards her from Allen.
"But I-!"
"You know I wouldn't mind if you all were to duel together, you know? It is in the rules isn't it?" The formal dress wearing teen said with a small smile as he eyed them, a hand lazily placed on his side as he continued. "Think of it as a fanservice from me."
"I-"
"No thanks. It wouldn't really work out for us. And we don't think that it'll be fair for you anyway." Myu spoke for them, placing a hand on Allen's shoulder.
"Huh? Why not?" The boy asked.
"Idiot, only one of us would get the points anyway. There isn't a need for us to possibly lose all of our points." The silver haired girl barked as she eyed him, and his mouth opened and made an 'o' as his eyes lit up in understanding.
"H-huh!? For real?"
"Oh is that so? I hadn't thought that it would be like that." IV muttered, placing a hand on his chin. They all shared a look of disbelief at a professional duelist of all people having missed that part of the rules, but he seemed to find their looks amusing instead as he chuckled and said, "Well even for someone like me there are things that I miss too you know." The professional duelist said with a laugh.
"A shame though, I would have loved to duel with you all." He said with a smile, and Myu shook her head as she eyed the small crowd that they were gathering.
"Well, there's a lot of people around anyway. We'll duel them to make sure that no one interferes with yours." She said, as she turned around, and walked towards the people that started to make their way to them.
"You can do it Sayaka! We believe in you!" Allen said as he then did the same. Giving a slap to her shoulder before he left and followed Myu.
"Now then, shall we?" The blonde haired professional duelist said as he extended his left hand, a blade-like crimson duel blade manifesting on his gauntlet-like duel blade. A special design that she had never seen before, even on the many duels that she's seen him play.
"I-right!" She nodded her head and hastily activated her own, the shining yellow duel blade extending from her duel disk/ she fixed the placement of her glasses before she then fully readied herself for a duel. Taking a deep breath, and nodding to herself.
With that, the duel began.
""DUEL!""
Sayaka Sasayama: 4000LP
IV: 4000LP
"I'll allow you to go first." The yellow haired teen said to her with a gentle smile, gesturing towards her with his right hand. "Go ahead." He said, giving her the opportunity to go first in the duel.
"I-Isee. Then, I will take the first turn!" She sputtered as she nodded her head, taking the given offer as she began her turn. And as usual starting out with five cards in her hand. "I will start by activating the effect of Hecatrice in my hand!"
Following the declaration she revealed the monster card in her hand, and began explaining its effect. "I can discard Hecatrice from my hand to the graveyard, to add one 'Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen' from my deck to my hand."
With that explanation finished, she discarded the monster in question and added the titilar Continuous Spell from her deck to her hand. "And I will activate it!" She shouted, placing the card that she had just added right onto her yellow duel blade.
"Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen allows me to once per turn special summon a Fairy monster from my hand if I control no monsters!" She shouted, explaining its effects as she revealed another card in her hand.
"And with it, I will special summon Starry Knight Orbitael in defence position!" She declared, placing the monster card onto her duel blade, and the shield bearing angel appeared before her, his wings spread wide as it kneels before her, shield right in front of him to defend her from any attacks.
Starry Knight Orbitael - Light/Fairy/Level 4/Effect: 400/2100
"Starry Knight?" Her opponent hummed as he saw her summon her first monster. "I must say that I don't think I have ever heard of a monster like that!"
"Ah that's-" She stopped herself from spilling any information about her deck before opponent, shutting her mouth as she gave her opponent a look.
"Ah! I must have interrupted you. Sorry about that." IV said with a small laugh as he held both of his hands up. "Do continue." He said, gesturing towards her again as he allowed her to continue her turn.
And that she does, pursuing the cards that she still had in her hand as she continued with her plays. "Then next I will normal summon Starry Knight Rayel." She declared, placing another card onto her duel blade.
Soon the monster then manifested before her, white wings fluttering as the fairy appeared onto the field. Wielding its blade in one hand as the angelic monster descended to her side of the field.
Starry Knight Rayel - Light/Fairy/Level 4/Effect: 1800/700
"Then I will activate Raye;'s effect!" She declared, waving a hand forward towards the monster that she had just summoned. "When Rayel is normal summoned, I can add one 'Starry Knight' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand!"
The effect then resolves, and she took out a card from her deck and showed it to her opponent. "I will add the Spell card, Starry Knight Balefire from my deck to my hand!" And then shuffled it with the other two cards that she had in her hand.
But she wasn't done with adding cards from her deck of course. "Then I will activate the effect of Orbitael!" She shouted, "Once per turn, as a Quick Effect, I can target one Light monster that I control, tribute it, and if I do, set one 'Starry Knight' Spell or Trap card directly from my deck!"
Having finished the explanation, she waved her hand to the side where her newly summoned monster resided. "I will target Starry Knight Orbitael itself! And tribute him, to set the Field Spell, Starry Knight Sky from my deck!"
The shield bearing fairy then raised its shield as its shining wings spread wide, its own body turning into golden motes of light as it tributed itself for its own effect. Allowing her to set the archetypal Field Spell directly from her deck.
"And I will activate it!" She shouted as she flipped the set card face-up, and the arena around them began to darken, the vastness of the dark night sky consuming both of them. Golden streaks and dots shining, stars decorating the night sky that engulfed them.
"A Field Spell huh…" The formally dressed spiky haired duelist said with amazement as he glanced around him, the stage having turned with the activation of the Field Spell. "I don't think I see many of them in use these days. So you actually play them huh?"
"Yes, I do." She briefly answered her opponent as she glanced at the cards that remained in her hand, and decided her next move. "Then I will activate the Spell, Starry Knight Balefire!" By playing the Spell card that she had added earlier with Rayel's effect.
"Starry Knight Balefire allows me to add one 'Starry Knight' monster, or one Level 7 Light Dragon monster from my hand!" She explained the card's effect briefly, and chose which effect to use.
"With it, I will add Starry Knight Flamel to my hand!" She said, taking the card from her deck and showing it to her opponent. Before of course shuffling it with the rest of the cards in her hand.
"Then, I will normal summon him!" She shouted, placing the monster card onto her duel blade, and the bow wielding armored angel appeared before her. A flaming arrow already notched and ready to fire against her opponent.
Starry Knight Flamel - Light/Fairy/Level 4/Effect: 1500/1000
"What!?" IV shouted, the first time that he raised his voice in the duel. A look of genuine shock on his face as the gentle look that he had disappeared in a flash. "A second normal summon!? How did you even get that!"
"Ah, that's, Starry Knight Sky allows me to normal summon one 'Starry Knight' monster. Or one Level 7 Light Dragon monster in addition to my normal summon or set." She said, explaining the effect of the Field Spell that she had set directly from her deck.
"So that's it." He muttered, eyes narrowed and smile gone. Only for it to appear back in the next moment. "Well you should have said so! And here I was worried that you might have just cheated!"
The small smile that she had faltered as she heard his words. An accusation for cheating isn't something that someone should throw around lightly, and though it was slightly her fault for not explaining her Field Spell's effect in the first place, for her opponent to just say that she was cheating like that was…
She shook her head, focusing back on the duel as she waved her left hand upwards, and declared aloud. "I will take the Level 4 Starry Knight Rayel, and the Level 4 Starry Knight Flamel, and overlay them!"
The shout was followed by the two monsters letting out their respectives battle cries, their forms shining as their body turned into pillars of light. Both of them swirling around one another as a gold and black vortex appeared right before her.
"With these two monsters, I will construct an overlay network! Xyz Summon!" She continued on, performing a chant as the two golden pillars of light entered the galactical vortex, and exploded into a pillar of light.
"XYZ Summon!" She shouted once more, bringing her hand down as the pillar of light started to recede. "An angel's smile for the heroes who keep fighting! Appear now! Fairy Cheer Girl!"
And took on the form of the XYZ Monster that had been with her for the longest time, large blue butterfly wings fluttering and leaving sprinkles of shining dusts as she raised the two bright golden pom poms held in her hand. The green skirt of her dress swayed along in a beat of a rhythm that only she could hear as two golden orbs orbited around her.
Fairy Cheer Girl - Light/Fairy/XYZ/Rank 4/Effect: 1900/1500 OV: 2
"An XYZ Monster on your first turn! That's amazing!" Her opponent gave praise with a smile, eyeing the XYZ Monster that she had just summoned onto the field. "And it's completely different from the other monsters that you have already summoned too. Why, your deck certainly is interesting isn't it?"
She reflexively nodded her head as she continued with her turn, waving a hand forward towards the XYZ Monster in question. "And I will use her effect!" She shouted. "Once per turn, I can detach one XYZ Material from her to draw one card!"
Following the declaration, the winged fairy monster fluttered in place as she threw both of her arms out with a cheer. One of her randong punches hit the golden shining orbs that flew around her with the golden pom poms in her hand, absorbing it into herself as she used her effect.
Fairy Cheer Girl - Light/Fairy/XYZ/Rank 4/Effect: 1900/1500 OV: 1
The effect resolves, and with it she drew a card from the top of her deck. Recovering back to three cards in her hand. But she was not yet finished with this turn however. "I will use the effect of Starry Knight Rayel in my graveyard!" She declared with a wave of her right hand.
"Its effect in the graveyard? I see, so you detached it for the XYZ Monster's effect then."
"I can banish her from my graveyard, to target one 'Starry Knight' monster that isn't 'Starry Knight Rayel', and special summon it!" She explained the monster's graveyard effect, and took out the one and only target in her graveyard to return it to the field.
"I will summon back Starry Knight Orbitael in defence position!" And once more the shield bearing fairy returned onto the field, wings spread wide with his shield bore forwards to preserve against any oncoming attacks.
Starry Knight Orbitael - Light/Fairy/Level 4/Effect: 400/2100
"Then I will set a card face-down, and end my turn." Then proceeded to set a card that was in her hand before she ended her turn. Ending with quite the board of two monsters, one of them being an XYZ, her own Field Spell set up on the field, and a singular backrow in addition to the two cards that she still had in her hand.
"Then it's my turn I see. I draw!" The blonde declared as he began his turn, drawing a card for his turn and starting out with six cards in hand. IV glanced down towards the card that he had drawn, and smiled.
"I can say, you're quite talented." The formal clothes wearing teen said, his purple eyes trailing from the monsters on the field and then onto her. "If it's like this then… I will have to give you a real fanservice."
"Huh?"
"Now then, let's begin." Her opponent began ominously as he took out a card from his hand. "I will start by normal summoning Gimmick Puppet Egg Head!" He shouted, placing the card onto his crimson duel blade.
The monster appeared as soon as the card was placed onto it, a strange orange egg-like monster with curled blonde hair, and skeletal puppet-like limbs that danced onto the field. Its eyes locking eerily onto her own XYZ Monster that inched back with unease.
Gimmick Puppet Egg Head - Earth/Machine/Level 4/Effect: 1600/1200
"Gimmick… Puppet?" She muttered at seeing the unfamiliar monster. A monster from an archetype that she had never seen him ever play in the many duels that she's seen him on.
"Egg Head's effect!" He declared aloud as he struck his hand forward. "Once per turn, I can discard one 'Gimmick Puppet' monster, to change this card's Level to 8 until the End Phase!" And he revealed one of the cards that he had in his hand.
"I will discard Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll, to change Egg Head's Level to 8!" He shouted aloud as the egg-like monster gave out a monstrous mechanical noise, brown aura engulfing its form as its level was modulated into 8.
Gimmick Puppet Egg Head - Earth/Machine/Level 8/Effect: 1600/1200
"A Level modulator… a Rank 8 deck?!" She said in surprise as she put the pieces together, figuring his strategy as soon as she saw him modulate the Level of his monster.
"Hm, so you figured it out then? Well it's no matter." Her opponent hummed as he took out another card from his hand, placing it into his modified duel disk. "I will activate the Spell, Junk Puppet!"
And said spell card manifested right before him, shining on the field as he explained its effect. "Junk Puppet lets me target one 'Gimmick Puppet' monster in my graveyard, and special summon it!"
The kind smile that the scarred duelist had was replaced with a grin as he took out the card that he had discarded and showed it once more. "I will special summon Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll onto the field!"
He swiped the card and placed it onto his duel blade, and a large dark blue casket then appeared onto the field. Said casket's lid was then pushed open from the inside, revealing a bandaged blonde haired doll who giggled ominously as she entered the battlefield.
Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll - Dark/Machine/Level 8/Effect: 0/0
And she knew exactly where this was heading. "Two Level 8 monsters! Here it comes!" She muttered, preparing herself for what was to come.
"Now then, allow me to give you a grand fanservice! I will overlay the Level 8 Gimmick Puppet Egg Head and the Level 8 Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll!" The two monsters began to glow, turning into a brown and dark purple pillars of energy that flew high into the sky as they crossed one another.
A giant black and golden vortex appeared before IV, and he raised his hand as he chanted. "With these two monsters I will construct an overlay network. XYZ Summon!" And the two pillars of light swerved and entered it, creating an explosion of light.
And from it, a new XZ monster took form. "Appear, Numbers 15!" A giant black mesh of limbs, resembling a heart, tied with strings hanging from a giant dark cross. The envoy from hell who pulls the strings of fate. Once more, lift the curtain to the stage in the depths of the deepest, blackest darkness! Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder!"
And the mesh of limbs then untangled itself, revealing the giant's machinery that it was. A black mechanical giant whose body was tangled in strings hanging on from the machinery that it was attached to. The monster itself wore a giant golden crown, a mark of the number 15 shining blood red on its head. The XYZ Monster's form eclipsing any of her monster as it filled the dark starry field they resided upon as two purple orbs trailed over its body..
Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 1500/2500 OV: 2
"That's! A Numbers!?" She gasped and stumbled back at seeing the monster's sheer size and scale. The monster somehow giving a feeling that was far more ominous than any of the Numbers that she had ever seen before
"Oh? So you do know them!" IV said with glee. "Then that makes this easier really. But before that, I will activate the Equip Spell, Gimmick Shield!" The blonde haired duelist declared, placing the card on his spell and trap zone, and its holographic projection shone.
"I can equip Gimmick Shield to only a 'Gimmick Puppet' XYZ Monster." He began, "and while equipped, that monster's attack and defence are switched!" He shouted as a wave of dark aura swelled from his only monster, its attack increasing as a giant circular gear-like shield appeared in its hand
Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 2500/1500 OV: 2
Yet switching the monster's attack and defence wasn't all that the Equip Spell could do. "But that's not all! I will activate the second effect of Gimmick Shield!" IV declared. "Once per turn, I can inflict 300 damage to you for each XYZ Material the equipped monster has!"
"300 for each material, then-!" She muttered as her eyes widened at seeing the effect.
"Gimmick Puppet Giant Killer has two materials, which means that you will receive 600 damage! Take it, my fanservice!" The teen cackled as the two purple orbs orbiting the giant puppet shot out streaks of energy, all headed towards her.
"Kya!" She yelped, holding up both hands up as a streak of purple energy hit its mark, kicking up a cloud of dust behind and making her flinch as her Life Points lowered.
Sayaka Sasayama: 3400LP
"How's that? Are you impressed? But the fanservice has just begun! I will activate Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder's effect!" The formal dress wearing teen shouted as he swung his right hand forward, the manic grin he sported growing wider as he did so.
"Up to twice per turn, during my Main Phase, I can detach one material from this card, then target one special summoned monster my opponent controls, destroy it! Then, if it was an XYZ Monster, I can inflict damage to you equal to its original attack!" The blonde duelist shouted the monster's effect with a manic smile.
One of its glowing purple orbs floated and flew right into the monster's golden crown, being absorbed right into the monster's body as it then raised both of its hands. Preparing itself to use its effect.
Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 2500/1500 OV: 1
And with its cost paid, IV swung a hand outwards towards his target of choice. "I will target your Fairy Cheer Girl, and destroy it!" He shouted, and following his command, shining strings erupted from the monster's palm. All of them heading towards her own XYZ Monsters.
"That's! I won't let it go through!" She shouted back, regaining her composure as she waved a hand out. "I will use the effect of Orbitael! I will target Fairy Cheer Girl for its effect!" She declared, chaining the winged fairy's Quick Effect in response to her opponent's own effect.
With nothing else to respond with, the chain of effect then resolves backwards, allowing her to set a Starry Knight Spell or Trap card directly from her deck.
The shield bearing monster's wings spread wide as it raised the shield in his hand, the butterfly winged XYZ Monster from beside him disappearing into motes of light as she was tributed for his effect.
"I'm sorry Fairy Cheer Girl."She muttered under her breath as she then took out the card that she would set directly from her deck. "I will set the Continuous Spell, Starry Knight Ceremony from my deck." She said, placing the card onto her spell and trap zone.
"Tch. Then with its target gone Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder's effect will resolve without effect." Her opponent clicked his tongue, a look of annoyance flashing through his face as he narrowed his eyes.
"Well aren't you quite an annoying one. Well no matter, we'll move to battle!" He commented as he leaned forward, moving on towards the Battle Phase, and waving his left hand forwards.
"Go! Giant Grinder! Attack her monster! Final Dance!" IV shouted, and the XYZ Monster heeded his command, raising its right hand as a gigantic whip manifested in its grip. Then swung, intending to destroy the defence position monster that she had on her field.
She didn't have anything that could stop the attack, but! "I will activate the Trap card, Stained Glass of Light and Dark!" She shouted, waving a hand up as she flipped the set card that she had set during her turn.
As the card's projection shone before her, she explained the relevant effect which she would use. "This card allows me to apply the following effects in sequence depending on the type of effect monsters that I control!"
And she continued to read out the one which would activate in her current deck. "I only control a Fairy monster, which means that with its effect, I can draw three cards, then place two cards on the bottom of my deck!"
"Ho? So you're trying to draw your way out of it then?" Her opponent says in amusement.
The effect resolves, and she draws up to five cards in her hand. She glanced through the new arrivals that she now had,and the cards that she had before, and placed two of them back at the bottom of her deck.
"Are you done then? Then the attack continues! Giant Grinder!" IV shouted as the giant XYZ Monster resumed its onslaught, cracking its whip and swinging it towards her monster.
"Then, I will use my card! A second Starry Knight Flamel in my hand!" She shouted, revealing one of the cards that was in her hand. Whose effect was now online thanks to the draws that her Trap card had granted her.
"When an opponent's monster declares an attack, I can send this card from my hand or face-up field to the graveyard, and special summon one Level 7 Light Dragon monster from my hand!" She said, explaining the monster's effect as she sent it to the graveyard from her hand and proceeded to reveal its intended target
"Appear! Starry Night, Starry Dragon!" And raised a card that she had drawn earlier before placing it onto her duel blade. The glorious white dragon descended onto the field like a shining star. Majestic white wings spread wide as it faced off against her opponent's dark XYZ Monster as it was summoned in attack position.
Starry Night, Starry Dragon - Light/Dragon/Level 7/Effect: 2500/2300
"A dragon? So that's what your deck is all around then?" Her opponent hummed with narrowed eyes as he eyed her newly summoned monster, clearly noting the synergy of the cards that she had previously activated as the dragon shared the others' archetypal namesake.
"That's right, and I will activate its effect!" She shouted, waving a hand towards Starry Dragon. "If this card is normal or special summoned from my hand, I can target one card on the field, and destroy it!"
"What!?" IV shouted in surprise at the monster's effect, his head snapping to the one target that he knew she would target.
"I will target your Number monster, and destroy it!" She struck her hand forward, as the large white dragon opened its large maw, unleashing a golden torrent of flames from its maw heading towards her opponent's XYZ Monster.
"Tch! As if I'll let you! I will use the Quick-Play Spell, Forbidden Dress!" The formally dressed teen shouted as he threw one of the cards that he had in his hand onto his crimson duel blade, and its holographic projection shone before him.
"This card lets me target a face-up monster on the field, until the end of this turn, that target loses 600 points of attack, but cannot be targeted or destroyed by other card effects!" He exclaimed, explaining his counter to the situation as he extended his hand forward.
"I'll target Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder, and make it immune to your card effect!" The brown and yellow haired duelist declared aloud, as a wave of light emanated from his XYZ Monster. With the effect of Forbidden Dress taking its form, giving it targeting and destruction protection until the end of the turn.
Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 1900/1500 OV: 1
The chain continued to resolve, with Starry Dragon expelling a blast of light from its maw towards the gigantic black puppet before it, only for the attack to leave no lasting effect on said monster thanks to Forbidden Dress.
"But now your monster's attack is lower than Orbitael's defence." She pointed out, after taking a deep breath. Of course that tidbit wasn't something that her opponent missed, as after the chain of effect resolved as he did not redeclare an attack with his now weakened monster.
"Tch! Fine then! I will use Giant Grinder's effect again!" He shouted, waving a hand forward towards his XYZ Monster. "I will detach another overlay unit, to target and destroy your dragon!"
The last orbiting material on the gigantic puppet was absorbed onto its crown, empowering it as the sounds of mechanical gears reached her ears once again.
Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 1900/1500 OV: 0
The black giant raised both of its hands, and released a web of strings all aimed towards the dragon of the stars. Only for it to flex its wings, cutting all of the strings that approaches it with a victorious roar.
"What!?" Her opponent stumbled. "Giant Grinder's effect not working?!"
"Starry Night, Starry Dragon cannot be destroyed by battle with a Dark monster, nor can it be destroyed by a Dark monster's effect." She explained to her opponent, letting out the breath that she had unknowingly held as soon as she heard him activate his monster's effect once again.
"That's!" He grit his teeth as he stopped himself, sending a glare that made her flinch at its intensity.
"I will set a card, and end my turn." Her opponent said, the smile and manic grin that he once sported gone as he eyed her eerily. Finishing his turn by setting a card face-down on his spell and trap zone. Ending with an XYZ Monster equipped with an Equip Spell, along with a singular set card as his backrow, no cards remaining in his hand.
"And at the end of the turn, the effect of Forbidden Dress would wear off." He noted aloud as the strength that was sapped from his XYZ Monster returned.
Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 2500/1500 OV: 0
With his turn ending, her own then soon began. "Then, it's my turn! I draw!" She spoke aloud as she drew for turn, beginning with two cards in her hand. This time, she was the one to eye her opponent, dissociation between the duelists that she knew, and the duelists that she faced now.
She didn't know if this was true…. him. That this was IV's true character that he does not show when cameras are on him. That all of what she had known about the duelist was merely a front that he put on for those that watched him.
Or if it was the Numbers card in front of her influencing him. Turning the kind and friendly duelist who was well known across the world and twisting his personality so.
She… didn't really know. She couldn't tell.
And that terrified her.
She shook her head, getting her head back into the duel that she was in, now with its stakes raised higher than before.
Her deck can't get rid of his Number monster by battle. She doesn't have a Number of her own after all. But as Yuuna said, the Battle Phase isn't everything.
This was what Yuuna had prepared them for, ways of dealing with problematic enemies with Number cards as their aces. Monsters that are, to them, indestructible by battle. But just like everything else in this game, not completely immune to everything else that they can do.
"You… want to change your deck?" Yuuna had asked her, the girl most well known for her red garb raising an eyebrow at the request that she had suddenly dropped onto her.
The glasses-wearing girl gulped, taking a deep breath as she nodded her head. "Yes." She said, "I… I know that I'm not the best at dueling, and I know, I know! I know that I'm getting better!" She spoke before the red haired girl could give a rebuttal, waving her hand in front of her.
"But… seeing the new cards that you gave Allen and Myu, and seeing how they all work together so well, and then seeing how my deck just… doesn't." She closed her eyes as she clenched her skirt. "I… don't want to be a burden. I want to help more, as best as I can."
"Sayaka." The taller girl started, placing down the handful of cards that she was fiddling with as she turned towards her. Taking her hand in hers as she continued. "You're never a burden. No one ever thought that you were a burden."
Yet before she could even put up an argument, Yuuna continued. "And I can assure you that you are helping. You helped me just last week when I was clearly sick and being hard headed about it. You always help out Allen and Myu, Anna too for that matter."
She unconsciously grip the red haired girl's hands tighter, and she only gave a smile in response. "So don't ever say that alright? Now, if you don't mind me asking, where did all of this come from?"
"I… it's just…" She sputtered, unable to form her words correctly, but eventually managing to. "My deck… Even though you've given me these Starry Knight cards I-I can;y use them right. Allen's and Myu's decks changed so much and I-even with my new deck I still can't-"
"Sayaka." The red haired girl spoke out once again, "calm down. Listen to my voice. Take deep breaths." She asked her, and she followed the words that she spoke. Taking deep calming breaths, one after another.
"Oh thank goodness that that actually works, working part time at a call centre has its perks after all." The girl muttered under her breath, something that she hadn't managed to catch as she continued on. "But anyway, you don't need to say anything else, Sayaka. I more or less get what you're trying to say."
"You do?" She asked, looking up to the purple-grey eyes of the girl in front of her, who smiled and nodded her head.
"I know that you think that you need to get a new deck just to help, just so that you can get better at helping, but we both know that that won't be the case." The cap wearing girl spoke, caressing her hand to keep her calm.
"But I-"
"Sayaka." The call of her name stopped her. "The thing is, no one can be perfect at their new deck just in the span of a week. Let alone a few days. You need to familiarise yourself with what the deck does, its intricacies, and its weaknesses too."
And deep down, she already knew what Yuuna was telling her. The fact of the matter is, if she were to change her deck now then she would be even more of a burden.
But still…
"Is it because of the deck that I chose for you is bad?" Yuuna spoke as she kept silent, a soft tone that denotes disappointment. One that wasn't aimed for her, but rather at herself. "If that's the case then-"
"No! It's not that!" She shouted out as she hastily shook her head back and forth. "It's not-it's not your fault Yuuna-san it's-" And yet the words refused to escape her lips, she could find no correct way to explain her feelings.
The cards that Yuuna had given her, the deck that she had built along with it, it's great. It's amazing how well the cards work and mesh together, how they were able to support one another, like a well oiled machine. They all worked well together, like an orchestra that performs a beautiful melody of which she conducted.
And yet.
If she were to be said conductor then the deck would never be able to play to its fullest. It would be a machine which was well oiled, yet not maintained correctly. A deck which would never meet its full potential under her command.
Unlike Allen. Unlike Myu. Unlike Anna. She would never be a great duelist. Of that, she knew deep in her heart.
The silence was seemingly enough of an answer however. "I see." The red haired girl said with her eyes closed. "If it's not the problem of the deck itself… then you think that it's you isn't it?"
It was not an accusation. The soft and kind tone that the girl spoke with as she gently held her hand for comfort told her all that she needed to know.
And yet.
It still hurt, to hear the words that her mind had been telling her all this time to leave the lips of someone that Allen, Myu, Anna, and even herself had come to admire in the span of a handful of weeks.
"It's just. With the World Duel Carnival starting in a week or so, and with the case of the Numbers-I couldn't help Allen and Myu with Shark and-" Her hands shook as her vision became blurry, yet Yuuna's grip remained steady.
"Hush now, it's alright. Everythings alright." The older girl comforted her again. This time bringing a hand to wipe the tears at the edge of her vision.
"I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't-"
"Hey now, it's fine. It's fine. If anything we can call this even with the time that you took care of me." The older girl said with a small smile and a wink, then closing her eyes again as she continued. "But I think I see the problem now, do you really think that your deck isn't a good fit for you?"
"It's not-not that the deck doesn't fit me. It's just… I-I don't think that I can use it-"
"Sayaka. You've only had the deck for just around a week." The long haired girl pointed out. "And before you say anything else, just listen alright?" Yuuna said, urging her to hear what she had to say first before continuing.
"I understand that you're feeling like this because you're comparing yourself to Allen and Myu aren't you? And though it's good to have rivals and the like to grow with, your circumstances with theirs are different." She spoke out, gently taking her to take the empty seat beside her instead of constantly standing.
"Allen and Myu's decks are different. They've changed over time with the new cards that they have, yes, but in truth, the core of their decks are still the same." The hat wearing girl said. "They have new lines, new corner cases, and of course new ways to use their cards, but the axis of their decks remains the same."
The red jacket wearing girl raised a finger as she continued. "Myu's deck has always been focused on summoning her Extra Deck monsters. The problem that she had before was that she couldn't do so, and now she doesn't have access to just the Rank 4s that are Dolkka and Laggia, but also Rank 6s in Solda and Lars."
She continued on as well. "Though Allen's deck did shift in their axis slightly, his original deck does mostly focus on his Rank 4, what with his monster of choice being Heavy Armored Train Ironwolf, but he also do play Rank 5s like Digvorzhak and cards that access it like Jumbo Drill. Its just that with the Infinitrack, he can access those far more easily, and can pivot into other Earth Machine XYZs too."
"I see…" Though most of the explanation did went somewhat over her head, she could understand what Yuuna was trying to say. That at the end of the day, though their decks has changed quite a bit, the core of how their decks works hasn't changed.
"But yours are a different story." The red hat wearing girl pointed out, her eyes meeting her's. "I did my best in trying to find cards that can help you summon Fairy Cheer Girl, and to help extend your strategy-"
"But that's-that's not enough." She managed to mutter out, as her head ducked down and looked at her own hands. "If I end up fighting against a Numbers monster… my Fairy Cheer Girl can't do anything…"
Yuuna hummed at hearing her thoughts.
"Did you know, Sayaka, that against Numbers Monster, against XYZ Monsters in general even, your deck would most likely work the best off of all three. Between you, Myu, and Allen that is."
"Huh?"
"Allen's deck is proficient in toolboxing if I am being honest. That's what Earth Machine does best after all. Be it their normal summons with Level modulation, Crab Crane for Rank Ups to access higher Rank XYZ Monsters, and Drag Shovel for Trap based spot removal. It can do quite a lot."
And she kept continuing. "Myu's deck though, it really does well going first. Unlike Allen's Earth Machine, it isn't that great at breaking boards, but setting a board is the best out of all three most likely."
With that all said, she then turned towards her. "Yours though, Sayaka, has a deck that underwent the most changes. The base of your strategy completely changed, your plays evolved from just summoning Fairy Cheer Girl to having her as a mere midpoint of your starting turn."
And she continued. "The fact that you managed to learn the intricacies of the Starry Knights as fast as you did already showed that you are a good duelist Sayaka. You had to learn about them from the ground up, and the fact that you're proficient at them shows that you've already done well."
The words of genuine praise struck her at her core. Her lips wavering as she kept tears from spilling once again.
"And if anything, the cards that I have been giving you all are cards that would go well against Numbers." Yuuna admitted, and her head turned towards her. "Allen gets spot removal, Myu too to some extent, and she also has Lars' spot negation to remove a Numbers' protection. Your Starry Night, Starry Dragon is both spot removal and can even remove an XYZ Monster's material by battle. Banishing it and getting a second attack and all that." She spoke out, pointing out the ways that the decks of all three of them could deal with Numbers Monsters.
She was left speechless at that, at the amount of thought that the red haired girl had put into the cards that she had given them. The many cards that were intended to work together to find ways to work around the Numbers Protection that the Numbers Monsters had, all while improving their decks in general as well.
"But if you really do think that you want, no, that you need to change your deck, then I won't stop you. I'll do my best to help you search for new cards that could help with your strategy of choice." The crimson haired girl said, and she raised her head to meet her eyes. "So? Do you still want to change your deck?"
"I…" She muttered, the resolve that she had built to speak with the girl wavering after the talk that she had given her. "I don't know…"
"You know what, why don't you give it another week?" Yuuna said, tilting her head and placing a hand at her head. "This isn't that easy of a decision to make for you, of that I'm sure. So take some more time to think about it. We've still got some time after all."
She didn't know whether her decision was correct at the end of the day, but even then she did not know whether she would have changed decks at the end of the week if the World Duel Carnival had not started so suddenly.
But she knew, that during the time that passed, that she grew better at handling her deck.
All three of them have ways to deal with Numbers now, and she almost did in the last turn. She already had a way to get rid of the empowered Giant Grinder. Her Starry Night, Starry Dragon's effect when it hits the field. Now it was just a matter of triggering the effect again.
So she would start with that. "I will start by activated Orbitael's effect!" She shouted, activating the monster's effect for the third time this duel. "This time, I will target Starry Night, Starry Dragon!"
"That card again!" IV clicked his tongue as he saw her activate its effect once more. "But you're tributing your own dragon?"
The shield-bearing angel raised its shield as light shone to highlight the white winged dragon, who let out a rumble as its form turned into shining motes of light as it was tributed with the fairy monster's effect.
"I will set another copy of the Spell card, Starry Knight Balefire, from my deck." She said as she took out a second copy of the archetypal searcher, placing it face-down onto her spell and trap zone directly from her deck.
"Then I will use the effect of Starry Knight Flamel in my graveyard!" She declared with a wave of her hand, "As a Quick Effect, I can banish Flamel from my graveyard, to target one Level 7 Light Dragon monster that I control or in my graveyard, and return it to my hand!"
She raised a hand to fix her glasses while waving the other down. "I will return Starry Night, Starry Dragon that I had just tributed back to my hand!" She said, taking the card back from her duel disk's graveyard slot and adding it back to her hand.
"So you got it back to the hand." IV frowned at seeing the monster essentially recycled, preparing himself for when it eventually returned onto the field.
"I'll flip the Continuous Spell that I had set on the previous turn, Starry Knight Ceremony!" She declared, raising a hand as she flipped the Continuous Spell card face-up, letting its holographic projection shine on the field.
But she had not just activated it for nothing. "And I will use its effect!" She declared, and began explaining what the Continuous Spell does. "Once per turn, during my main Phase, I can reveal one Light Fairy monster in my hand, and if I do, I can add one Level 7 Light Dragon monster from my deck to my hand!"
"So more ways to add cards into your hand." The formal dress wearing duelist sneered. "How annoying. You're going to add another one of those Starry Night, Starry Dragon to your hand then?"
And she answered his question by revealing the card that was in her hand, a battle trick that she would trade for something else. "I will reveal Honest in my hand, and add Sairavis, the Ancient and Ascended from my deck to my hand!" She declared, revealing the Ritual Monster card that she then added to her hand.
"That's! A different dragon? No, that's…" His eyes narrowed as he looked at it properly. "That card is…"
"And I will place Hecatrice at the bottom of my deck." She continued on, knowing exactly what the source of his newfound confusion was, because it was that the same feeling of confusion that she had the very moment that Yuuna gave her the card that she had just searched.
Sauravis was a Ritual Monster, a summoning mechanic that supposedly went out of style a long time ago with how unfavourable it was when compared to XYZ Summoning. And in truth, she was not ever going to summon the monster.
As Yuuna had said, the monster was an added protection. An additional search target that she could always use from her hand to defend her weaker monsters from effect that targets. Effects like IV's very own Giant Grinder, though the monster in question had already used all of its XYZ Material.
But it was always better to be safe than sorry. "I will activate the Starry Knight Balefire that i had set!" She declared, waving a hand up and flipping the Spell card that she had set face-up. "And with its effect, I will add Starry Knight Astel from my deck to my hand!"
She added said card to her hand, gaining a fourth card for her hand before immediately placing it onto her duel blade. "And I will summon him!" She said, as the white winged, staff wielding fairy then descended gracefully onto the field right beside Orbitael.
Starry Knight Astel - Light/Fairy/Level 4/Effect: 500/2000
"And I will activate Astel's effect!" She declared. "Once per turn, as a Quick Effect, I can target one Light monster that I control, tribute it, and if I do, I can special summon one Level 7 Light Dragon monster from my hand!"
With the explanation complete, she waved her hand to gesture towards her target of choice. "I will target Starry Knight Oribitael!" And with that, Astel raised its winged staff as light shone above the shield bearing angel, turning him into motes of light as another monster took his palace.
"Appear once more! Starry Night, Starry Dragon!" The dragon of the stars once more descended onto the field. Letting out a magnificent roar as it returned with it white wings spread wide.
Starry Night, Starry Dragon - Light/Dragon/Level 7/Effect: 2500/2300
Then she waved her hand again. "And I will use its effect! I will target and destroy your Number Monster!" She shouted, giving a command that the dragon followed as it prepared another attack to destroy her opponent's only monster.
Yet once again, IV was prepared. "Ha! Then I will use the Trap, XYZ Reflect!" He laughed as he raised his right hand, flipping up the one set card that he had in his backrow. "When Spell card, Trap card, or monster effect is activated that targets a face-up XYZ Monster on the field, I can negate the activation, and if I do, destroy it!"
"Wha!" She shouted in surprise as the blast left her monster's maw, only for a dark blue buried to appear before Giant Grinder, protecting it from harm.
But it wasn't just that. "Then I can also inflict 800 points of damage to you!" The blonde laughed with glee as the barrier crackled, sending back the shot that it absorbed and throwing it back towards her and her monster.
"Kya!" She yelped again, this time not managing to brace herself as she stumbled and fell from her opponent's retaliation. Her own monster being destroyed by the counter with a roar as her Life Points was once again drained by burn effects.
Sayaka Sasayama: 2600LP
"Ngh, that was…" She groaned as she pushed herself back up, shakily righting her glasses as she stared at her opponent. Who was giving a satisfied smile.
"Well? What now?" He said, "I don't think that there's much else that you can do in this turn is there?" He taunted, knowing that the one card that she had left in her hand, Sauravis, could not do much in this situation.
"I… I end my turn." And she knew it as well. Regrettably ending her turn with a lacklustre board of an attack position Astel, accompanied by the archetypal Field Spell and Continuous Spell. The singular card that was left in her hand being the known Sauravis, the Ancient and Ascended.
"Hmph. It seemed that I was worried for nothing then. My turn, I draw." IV said as he began his turn, drawing a card for turn. Beginning with but a single card in his hand.
But that was more than fine with her, if anything the less resource he had, the better. "I will use Rayel's effect once more! Banishing it from my graveyard, to add back the Starry Night, Starry Dragon to my hand!"
The declaration of the Quick Effect activation was soon followed by the effect resolving, and she added back the destroyed monster to her hand on her opponent's Draw Phase. Getting the monster back into rotation as soon as possible.
With that, she was once again set. With Starry Knight Ceremony on the field, she just needed her opponent to activate any card or effect, and she could just-
"Battle!" IV shouted at the top of his lungs, waving his hand out as wide as he could as he commanded his monster. "Attack her monster! Final Dance!" And the giant puppet of darkness then struck, purple whip in hand.
And it was to her surprise that she hadn't managed to even use the effect of Astel, even if it would have gotten her ahead in the duel. Instead she stood agape like a fish as her mouth hung and her eyes went wide at the oncoming attack.
"Kyaaaaa!" She screamed as the attack landed, obliterating the attack position monster on her field. The pressure that the strike generated throwing her off of her feet as she was left sailing in the air for a handful of seconds, before harshly landing into the ground with a loud thud.
All accompanied by her titular drain of her Life Points as it reached critical levels of danger.
Sayaka Sasayama: 600LP
"Ugh…" She groaned as she attempted to stand back up. Lifting her head and opening her leary eyes only amounted to seeing the satisfied grin that her opponent had, a crooked smile that showed his enjoyment at her current situation.
"Hm, well aren't you a tough one." The blonde duelist said with a small laugh, trying and failing to hide the twitching smile that he had with his hand. "If you want you can always surrender, you know? It would be easier for you that way."
She didn't give him an answer. Instead she stood up, brandishing her duel disk against her opponent and sent a glare down his way.
Her opponent scoffed. "Persistent huh? Well that's fine too." He said with a shrug, fiddling with the card that he had in hand. "I will set a card face-down, and end my turn." And with that, he ended his turn in record time. Emptying her field of monsters by battle and then passing his turn after setting the one card that he had drawn.
She would have started her own turn, had it not been for a shout.
"Sayaka! Are you not done yet?" The distinct voice of the only boy in their group of three could be heard as he came closer, entering the Field Spell's barrier. She could see her brown haired friend looking around the starry field before his eyes landed on her and smiled.
And then immediately freezing as soon as he saw her current state. Wobbling as she tried to stand up straight. An arm cradling the other as she stood facing against her opponent's gigantic monster.
"Sayaka!" Allen shouted as he came to her side in a rush, halting right in front of her/ Standing in the way between herself and her opponent. "That's… a Numbers!?"
"Hmph, so another one that knows then?" IV said with a mocking smile as he grandly spread his arms wide. "Well you're in luck! You're just in time to see me deliver a grand fanservice to you good old friend there. I'm sure that it will be a show to behold."
"What the-the heck are you talking about you freak!" The brown haired boy shouted back with a full blown scowl, seemingly ready to throw hands against the famous pro duelist right in front of him.
"Oh? And what are you going to do about it then?" The formal dress wearing teen mocked. A hand on his side while the other beckoned Allen to come at him with a gesture, infuriating the poncho wearing teen even more.
"Allen… you should…" She tried to warn him, only for it to be too late.
"Well screw you! You're on!" The brown haired boy shouted at the top of his lungs as he swiped his left hand out, activating his duel disk. And proceeding to enter a duel which he wasn't supposed to be a part of.
"Entry Penalty, 2000 Life Points" A mechanical voice erupted from his duel disk.
"Tch!" The spiky haired teen grimaced as sparks of electricity danced across his left forearm. The battle royal rules taking effect immediately as he entered and taking half of his Life Points at his interference.
Allen Kozuki: 2000LP
"Ha! I can't believe it was that easy!" And that made IV laugh, his body arching back as he held his head in his hand while his laugh echoed throughout the starry field which they stood on. "I don't know whether to feel sorry that you're this gullible or respect you for your bravery!"
"You can respect my foot as soon as I'm done with you! My turn! I draw!" Allen roared out as he started his turn, drawing a card for turn and starting out with six cards in this free for all battle royal.
"I'll summon Infintrack Harvester!" And immediately played a monster straight from his hand, summoning the futuristic harvester onto the field. Its engine revved as it ploughed the ground before the sharp blades at its front.
Infinitrack Harvester - Earth/Machine/Level 2/Effect: 0/2100
"Then I'll use its effect!" He shouted, "If Harvester's normal or special summoned I get to add an 'Infinitrack' monster from my deck to my hand except itself!"
"Another unusual deck huh? This day is full of surprises, it seems."
Allen ignored their opponent's remark as he took out a card from his deck, and showed it. "I'll add Infinitrack Brutal Dozer to my hand!" He roared as he added and shuffled the card with the others that he had in his hand.
Then revealed it again as he activated its effects. "Then I'll use it! With Dozer's effect, I can tribute an Earth Machine that I have to special it from my hand in defence position! I'll tribute Harvester to summon it out!"
Wasting no time he tributed the monster that he had normal summoned to get the monster on the field. The dark grey giant dozer decorated with shining amethysts decals appeared from the ground, landing and parking itself right in front of its summoner.
Infinitrack Brutal Dozer - Earth/Machine/Level 5/Effect: 1900/2100
"Then Brutal Dozer's effect!" He continued on, not stopping for even a single moment as his eyes burned with rage against his opponent. "If this card is special summoned, I can special summon an 'Infinitrack' monster from my deck in defence except another Dozer!"
And he took out another card from his deck, showing it to the blonde duelist in front of him before shouting out, "I'll summon Infintrack Trencher!" And then placed the monster onto his shining duel blade, and the large vehicle with an even larger chainsaw appeared from the ground with a flash.
Infinitrack Trencher - Earth/Machine/Level 5/Effect: 500/2400
"Since it was summoned with Dozer's effect it's effect is negated, and I can't special summon monsters but Earth Machine for the rest of the turn, but that doesn't matter!" Allen shouted as he waved his hand out, and the two other duelists already know where this was going.
"I'll take the Level 5 Infinitrack Brutal Dozer and the Level 5 Infinitrack Trencher and overlay them!" The brown haired teen shouted as he raised his hand, the two monsters turning into shining brown pillars of light.
The galactical vortex appeared right before him as he continued to chant, "With these two monsters I'll construct an overlay network!" And the two shining pillars crossed one another as they swerved and entered the black and gold vortex, exploding into a pillar of light.
"XYZ Summon!" Allen shouted. "Appear! Infinitrack River Stormer!" And from the pillar of light came forth a new XYZ Monster, a dark red tank with glowing blue lines, three barrels aimed towards their opponents and ready to fire. While two brown orbs orbited the newly summoned machine.
Infinitrack River Stormer - Earth/Machine/XYZ/Rank 5/Effect: 2500/500 OV: 2
"Ho? Would you look at that! Maybe you aren't just all talk!" IV gave a slow clap in acknowledgement of Allen managing to bring out his XYZ Monster on his first turn. Yet the condescending look that the blonde teen had clearly told that it was all but praise.
"Oh you-! River Stormer's effect!" Allen roared out as he swiped his hand forwards. "I'll detach one material from it, to take an Earth Machine monster from my deck to either add it to hand or send it to grave!"
His words were soon followed by the giant red and black machine absorbing one of its two glowing overlay units. Using one of the two XYZ Materials that it had to allow its effect to be activated.
Infinitrack River Stormer - Earth/Machine/XYZ/Rank 5/Effect: 2500/500 OV: 1
Without a pause, he took out his target. Once again showing the card to them as he decided whether to add it to his hand or send it to the graveyard. "I'll take Infinitrack Crab Crane, and add it to my hand!" So he said, adding the monster card to his hand and replenishing it back to six once again.
Though as expected, it would not stay for long. "Then I'll use Crab Crane's effect! I'll tribute an Earth Monster to summon it to the field!" The brown haired boy declared, revealing the card again as he activated its effect in hand.
"I'll tribute River Stromer! And summon it in defence!" A wave of his hand was what it took for the giant XYZ Monster to disappear from his field, and in its place was a giant purple and green crane-like machine which stood defensively ahead of Allen.
Infinitrack Crab Crane - Earth/Machine/Level 5/Effect: 2100/500
"You tributed an XYZ Monster for another Level 5?" IV frowned as he saw the brown haired boy's plays. A frown making its way onto his face as he became wary. "What are you up to?"
"I'll show you what I'm up to, I'll use Infinitrack Road Roller's effect!" The poncho wearing boy roared, showing one of the other cards that he still had in his hand. "If an Earth Machine monster is tributed, or banished face-up, I can special summon this card from my grave or hand!"
As soon as he was finished explaining the monster's effect, Allen immediately slammed the card onto his glowing duel blade. Like all the other monsters that he had summoned, the green futuristic construction machine appeared with a flash, landing in front of him and created a cloud of dust on the field.
Infinitrack Road Roller - Earth/Machine/Level 5/Effect: 2100/2100
"Two Level 5 monsters again?! Don't tell me, another Rank 5 XYZ Monster?" The blonde duelist braced himself, eyes narrowing as he saw Allen managing to assemble yet again a pair of Level 5 monsters.
But a Rank 5 wasn't what he was aiming for. "Next up I'll use Trencher's effect in grave! I can banish it from there to target a Level 5 or lower 'Infinitrack' monster except another Trencher, and summon it in defence!"
Allen pumped his fist as he roared out his target. "Come on back, Harvester!" And with Trencher's graveyard revival effect, the orange harvesting vehicle reappeared onto the field.
Infinitrack Harvester - Earth/Machine/Level 2/Effect: 0/2100
"Oh but we aren't done yet! I'll use Harvester's other effect!" Her childhood friend shouted with a wave once again, his hand outstretched towards the revived monster. "I can target another Machine monster that I have, and combine both of their original Levels until the end of the turn!"
"What!? Combine their Levels?!"
"I'll target Road Roller, and add up both of their Levels! Making both of them level 7!" Though the explanation was shortened the effect still resolved, and the two mechanical machines glowed a soft brown as their Levels were modified and combined.
Infinitrack Road Roller - Earth/Machine/Level 7/Effect: 2100/2100
Infinitrack Harvester - Earth/Machine/Level 7/Effect: 0/2100
"Two Level 7s! So this is what you were up to!"
"You bet! I'll take the now Level 7 Infinitrack Road Roller and the now Level 7 Infinitrack Harvester, and overlay both of them!" Allen shouted with a grin as he raised his fist, the two monsters morphing into shining pillars of light that flew up at his command.
A black and golden vortex appeared once again in front of him, and he continued on with a simple chant. "With these two monsters I'll construct an overlay network!" And both brown pillars of light entered it, creating a bright flash of light.
"XYZ Summon!" He roared, bringing his fist down. "Appear! Infinitrack Mountain Smasher!" With that a new monster appeared onto the field, with its giant blade like shovel at the forefront of the machine, purple blades glinting under the starry sky of the field that they currently dueled on.
Infinitrack Mountain Smasher - Earth/Machine/XYZ/Rank 7/Effect: 2100/3100 OV: 2
"A Rank 7! But." Though the appearance of a new monster made him wary, IV still kept his composure. Assessing the field that his opponent had formed. "That still won't matter." He said with a smirk.
"Ha! You wish!" Allen shouted with a smirk, "Because my monsters have another effect!"
He waved a hand forward, gesturing towards the newly summoned XYZ Monster and spoke. "A Machine XYZ Monster that has Infinitrack Road Roller as a material gets the effect to change all face-up monsters you have to defense! And they also lose 1000 defence!"
"What!?" IV shouted in surprise, his head snapping to his own XYZ Monster. Allen's own Mountain Smasher shone with a brown aura, before letting out a pulse of energy that engulfed the field. Said wave hitting the gigantic puppet monster as it let out a mechanical groan as it was turned to defence position, and had its defence lowered.
Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 2500/500 OV: 0
"Tch." And to that, the blonde formal wear wearing teen clicked his tongue. Glancing towards his own XYZ Monster which targeted to use its effects. "But that won't matter, my Numbers monster still can't be beat!"
"We'll see about that!" The brown haired boy barked back, waving his right hand as he declared aloud. "I'll use the effect of Crab Crane! I can banish a Machine monster from my grave, and add one 'Outrigger Extension' from my deck to my hand!"
Again, he waved his hand as he declared his target. "I'll banish the Brutal Dozer in my grave to add Outrigger Extension to my hand!" He shouted, banishing the declared card to add the Continuous Spell to his hand.
"And I'll use it!" The poncho wearing boy shouted, slamming the card onto his duel blade. The large holographic projection of the Continuous Spell shining on the field as he activated it.
"While Outrigger Extension's on the field, you can't target Machine XYZ Monster that I have with card effects!" He said, explaining the card's continuous effect while it is face-up on the field.
"But I'm not done yet! Cuz I'll be using Outrigger Extension's other effect!" Allen roared, pumping his fist out towards his XYZ Monster as he shouted out. "Once per turn, I can target an 'Infinitrack' XYZ Monster that I have, and special summon from my Extra Deck a Machine monster that's 2 Ranks higher than that target by using that target as material!"
"That's-! A Rank Up!?"
"That's Right! I'll target my Mountain Smasher, and use it to reconstruct the overlay network!" He shouted as the black and golden vortex once more appeared, this time right under his XYZ Monster. Where it then slowly sank down into it.
"Rank Up! XYZ Change!" Allen shouted as a pillar of light erupted right in front of him. "Come on out! Infinitrack Earth Slicer!" And a new monster dug itself out from beneath the earth, its large mechanical saw cutting down the ground in its way. And the giant mechanical machine parked itself before its summoner, its size rivalling IV's own Numbers monster. Three glowing orbs orbiting around the ranked-up XYZ Monster.
Infinitrack Earth Slicer - Earth/Machine/XYZ/Rank 9/Effect: 3100/2100 OV: 3
"That's! A Rank 9 Monster! And its attack is higher than Giant Grinder!" The Numbers duelists glared at the newly summoned monster, glancing at its enormous size and its high attack power. "But so what! Numbers Monsters can't be destroyed by battle other than with Numbers Monsters!"
And that was true, yet it wasn't what Allen was aiming for really. What he was aiming for instead, was the monster's on field effect which would allow it to destroy cards on the field.
And Sayaka of course knew that. And it was around then that she regained her bearings once more, shaking her head as she called out. "I-I'll activate the effect of Starry Knight Ceremony."
"Sayaka?" Allen said as he turned towards her, and she nodded her head as she explained her card's effect.
"If my… opponent activates a card or effect, I can special summon one Level 7 Light Dragon monster from my hand!" She said, explaining the Continuous Spell card's effect as she then took out the one target that she could summon in her hand.
"I will summon out Starry Night, Starry Dragon again!" She shouted, placing the card onto her duel blade, and once again the white winged dragon of the stars graced the field with its presence.
Starry Night, Starry Dragon - Light/Dragon/Level 7/Effect: 2500/2300
Yet with Allen's XYZ Monster having Infinitrack Road Roller, and with the battle royal rules being what it was, her own monster was turned into defence position, as its defence was lowered as well.
Starry Night, Starry Dragon - Light/Dragon/Level 7/Effect: 2500/1300
It was quite troubling that her own monster was also affected by the continuous effect that Infinitrack Earth Slicer, but she was still fine with it. "Then I will use Starry Night, Starry Dragon's effect! I will target and destroy your Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder!" She shouted.
With its target given, the white dragon of the stars spread its wings wide. Opening its maw as energy manifested before it, and shooting a ray of light towards the giant puppet of darkness that her opponent controlled.
And the effect resolved. The strike hit the giant XYZ Monster directly, as the mechanical giant exploded. The sounds of mechanical groans could be heard as gears and metal fell to the ground below, creating a large cloud of dust as the monster dispersed into motes of light.
"Alright! Way to go Sayaka!" Allen shouted as he pumped his fist with a grin, watching as the cloud dispersed, revealing IV who had both of his hands up in front of him, and a large scowl marring his face at the destruction of his monster.
"Well here's the finisher! I'll use Earth Slicer's effect too!" The poncho wearing boy shouted as he waved a hand to his XYZ Monster. "I can detach any number of materials from this card, then target that many cards on the field and destroy them!"
He waved a hand up, and declared so. "I will detach a material from it, to destroy that set card of yours!" And the giant earth destroying machine absorbed one of its three overlay materials, using it for its effect as its engine whirled with energy.
Infinitrack Earth Slicer - Earth/Machine/XYZ/Rank 9/Effect: 3100/2100 OV: 2
"Tch! Then I'll use the Trap! XYZ Reborn!" And IV responded by waving a hand forward, flipping the set down card. The Trap Card's holographic art shone on the field, and the blonde duelist began explaining the generic XYZ trap's effect.
"XYZ Reborn allows me to target one XYZ Monster in my graveyard, special summon it, and if I do, this card is attached to it as material!" And he raised his hand with a shout. "Return! Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder!"
A dark hole appeared before him as the gigantic puppet of darkness returned back onto the field, gears and machinery groaning as it appeared before them once more. The Trap Card that had revived the XYZ Monster then shone as it flew onto the giant puppet, turning into a purple overlay material that orbit it.
Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 1500/2500 OV: 1
The monster was then turned to defence position. With Infinitrack Earth Slicer still having Road Roller as material. And its defence points was lowered by a thousand points.
Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 1500/1500 OV: 1
"Tch!" And the reappearance of the XYZ Monster made the brown haired teen click his tongue in annoyance. Having essentially wasted the one way that he could out the monster to destroy the backrow.
"Fine then! I'll set a card face-down and end my turn." He grimaced as he set a card from his hand, ending with an XYZ Monster, a Continuous Spell and a single set card in his spell and trap zone. Three cards remained in his hand as he passed his turn.
And giving control to her. She took a deep breath and placed her hand on top of her duel disk. "Then, it's my turn. I draw!" She shouted, drawing a card for turn and beginning with two cards in her hand.
"And before you even start, I'll use the Trap Card, Spin Turn!" Allen declared, interrupting the start of her turn as he flipped up the one set card that he had. Revealing his own in archetype Trap card.
As the Trap card's holographic projection shone, he explained what it does. "Which this card, I can target an Earth Machine XYZ Monster that I have in attack position, and a monster that my opponent has, change the battle position of my monster, and destroy that opponent's monster!"
Though it was once more a simplified explanation as he didn't bother to explain the Trap Card's second effect if his monster was in defence position, Allen continued on as he waved a hand out towards his monster.
"I'll target my attack position Infinitrack Earth Slicer, and your Numbers Monster! I'll change Earth Slicer to defence and destroy your monster!" He shouted, as the giant earth excavator switches its battle position, then a blast of energy was shot towards the revived Numbers XYZ Monster.
The Trap Card's effect then resolved. And once more their opponent's Numbers XYZ Monster was destroyed, turning into dark motes of light. "Tch!" IV clicked his tongue in annoyance at seeing his revived XYZ Monster once more was destroyed.
With that effect resolving however, she could then properly begin her turn. Checking the card that she had drawn and the cards that she has, both on the field and in her graveyard, she found that she could… do nothing.
It wasn't that she had drawn a bad card. No, Little Fairy was still one of her dearest cards, the card that she had kept for her own sake. Something that Yuuna even encouraged to do what with her attachment to it.
If anything she wanted to exert pressure against her opponent, but with Allen's Infinitrack Earth Slicer still having Infinitrack Road Roller as one of its two materials then her own Starry Night, Starry Dragon could not switch its battle position.
She could have had some more plays if she had a way to return her own Starry Night, Starry Dragon to her hand. Which would then summon back Starry Knight Orbitael from her graveyard and letting her draw an additional card with her Field Spell's effect, along with turning on her Continuous Spell's effect.
But it was sadly something that she couldn't do. "I'll set a monster face-down and… end my turn." She groaned out, biting the inside of her cheek as she passed her turn, having taken the monster which she had drawn for turn and set it. Ending with her board essentially the same barring the new monster which she had set.
And giving the turn back to the opponent which they had teamed up against. "Hmph! Well would you look at that, it's my turn! I draw!" IV shouted aloud as he drew for turn, drawing a card from his unusual duel disk and began his turn with a singular card in hand.
He sent a glance towards the card that he had just drawn, and smiled. "Ha! I'll normal summon Gimmick Puppet Scissor Arms!" He shouted, placing the card that he had drawn onto his crimson bladed duel blade.
With it, a monster appeared onto the field. A man-sized purple puppet with blade for arms, whose arms was crossed and joined one another to form a giant sized scissors. The newly summoned puppet standing right before its summoner and faced against their monsters.
Gimmick Puppet Scissor Arms - Dark/Machine/Level 4/Effect: 1200/600
A pulse of energy was released from Allen's now defence position XYZ Monster, turning the newly summoned Gimmick Puppet to defence position. Lowering its attack points to nonexistence.
Gimmick Puppet Scissor Arms - Dark/Machine/Level 4/Effect: 1200/0
"Hpmh, then I will use Gimmick Puppet Scissor Arms' effect!" IV declared, his right hand outstretched towards his normal summoned monster. "When Gimmick Puppet Scissor Arms is normal summoned, I can send one 'Gimmick Puppet' monster from my deck to the graveyard!"
The formal dress wearing teen then took out a card from his deck, and showed it to them. "I will send Gimmick Puppet Fiendish Knight to the graveyard, where its effect then activates!" He declared, sending the monster card to his grave and immediately activating its effect.
"If this card is sent to the graveyard except from my hand, I can add it back to my hand!" He said, as he then took the card that he had just sent, and added it to his possession. "But for the rest of this turn, I cannot summon monsters from the Extra Deck except 'Gimmick Puppet' monsters." He added, noting the restriction that the monster put him in.
"Now behold! I will activate Fiendish Knight's effect!" IV declared, revealing the card in hand with a grin. "If this card is in my hand, I can target one 'Gimmick Puppet, or one monster in my opponents' graveyard, and special summon them to their owner's field in defence position, but their effects are negated, then I can special summon this card!'"
"An in hand revival effect?! And it summons itself too!" Allen baulked at seeing the monster whose effect could essentially be activated at no cost, and his opponent waved a hand forward as he declared his targets.
"I will special summon back Gimmick Puppet Egg Head!" And in front of him a dark vortex appeared, from with the egg headed human-sized puppet crawled itself out of to reappear onto the field.
Gimmick Puppet Egg Head - Earth/Machine/Level 4/Effect: 1600/1200
"And I will summon Gimmick Puppet Fiendish Knight in attack position!" And then placed the monster card in his hand onto his crimson bladed duel blade. The armored puppet then appeared with flourish, wielding a bronze blade in hand as it shone while the monster let out a mechanical roar.
Gimmick Puppet Fiendish Knight - Dark/Machine/Level 4/Effect: 1800/500
Both monsters were then switched to defence position, and their defence lowered by the effect of Allen's XYZ Monster.
Gimmick Puppet Egg Head - Earth/Machine/Level 4/Effect: 1600/200
Gimmick Puppet Fiendish Knight - Dark/Machine/Level 4/Effect: 1800/0
"That's three Level 4 monsters!" She noted aloud, and both Allen and herself braced as they prepared themselves for the inevitable XYZ Summon that their opponent was about to perform.
"Dang it! Is it another Numbers monster!?"
"Ah, close, but sadly no." Their opponent chuckled as he waved a finger at their remarks, before raising a hand with a wide smile. "I will overlay both the Level 4 Gimmick Puppet Scissor Arms and the Level 4 Gimmick Puppet Egg Head!"
The two monsters gave their respective mechanical roars and performed a curtsy, as they transformed into glowing purple and brown pillars of light that lit up the sky, as a giant vortex of black and gold appeared before him. "With these two monsters, I shall construct an overlay network!"
And both pillars of light danced around one another, before finally entering the vortex before him. "XYZ Summon!" And exploded into a bright white pillar of light that engulfed the field. "Dance! Gimmick Puppet Gigantes Doll!"
The monster came with a cacophony of distorted laughter, as a giant blood red scythe cut the pillar of light from which it emerged from. Standing before them was a monster whose body was a hellish combination of many different dolls merged with one another. A giant gear changer on its back, along with a giant pair of scissors.
While the singular giant red head with a small yellow hat eyed them with its dark blue eyes. A pair of dark purple orbs orbiting and leaving a trail along the monster, representing the two overlay units that it possessed.
Gimmick Puppet Gigantes Doll - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 4/Effect: 0/2000 OV: 2
Like all other monsters however, they glowed a deep brown as their defence were reduced due to Infinitrack Earth Slicer
Gimmick Puppet Gigantes Doll - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 4/Effect: 0/1000 OV: 2
"Ugh! What the heck is that!?" Allen physically repulsed at the sight of the monster, inching away as his eyes lay on the monster's sight. And she herself was the same, yet she was physically unable to say anything and could only remain silent at the monster's monstrous appearance.
"Hmph. Can't you see it for what it is?" IV remarked with a small frown, a hand lazily on his side as he spoke. "Its art you know? A. R. T." A mocking smile was on his face as he gestured to his newly summoned XYZ Monster.
"Dude I've seen a bunch of monsters and this one takes the cake for being freaky!?" The brown haired teen blanched and shouted back. "The heck are you planning summoning a 0 attack monster anyway!"
"That's because it won't be staying for long." He huffed. "I will activate the effect of Gimmick Puppet Gigantes Doll! I can detach two materials from this card, then target up to two monsters that my opponent controls, and gain control of them until the End Phase!"
"What!?" "That's!?" Both their eyes widened, head snapping to their respective monsters
"And for the rest of this turn, I cannot special summon monsters except 'Gimmick Puppet' monsters, nor declare an attack except with XYZ Monsters." The blonde haired duelist added on, noting the summoning and attack restriction that he now was under due to the monster's effect.
"You-! You're stealing two monsters!?" Allen shouted, moving to the XYZ Monster that he had. "But since Outrigger Extension is on my field, you can't target my Infinitrack Earth Slicer with that effect!"
"Hmph, I wasn't aiming for it anyway. I will detach two materials from Gigantes Doll, to target both your Starry Night, Starry Dragon, and that other set monster that you have!" So was the target that IV declared, targeting both of Sayaka's monsters, and with a swing of its scythe the XYZ Monster made of an amalgamation of puppet absorbed both of its XYZ Materials.
Gimmick Puppet Gigantes Doll - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 4/Effect: 0/1000 OV: 0
And raised the crimson scythe as it glowed with power, radiating a wave of red that engulfed the field. Both her Starry Night, Starry Dragon and the fce-donwn monster groaned as they were enveloped by a red aura.
Both monsters then disappeared, turning into golden motes of light, before once again reappearing, but under the control of the puppet master that was IV.
"And I shall flip summon the monster." The formal dress wearing teen declared with a tilt of his head, and the set monster was revealed for all to see. The white fairy that was closest to her heart appear on her opponent's turn.
Little Fairy - Light/Fairy/Level 3/Effect: 800/800
And now that it was flipped, her own Little Fairy was then affected by the continuous effect of Allen's Earth Slicer, which still has Road Roller as one of its remaining materials. Returning it to defence position and lowering its defence to naught.
Little Fairy - Light/Fairy/Level 3/Effect: 800/0
"Dang it! So you stole our monsters, so what! You can't do anything with them. And they'll just come back at the end of your turn!" Allen shouted back at seeing her monsters taken by their opponent.
"Well why don't I show you then? Witness this grand fanservice! I will activate the second effect of Gimmick Puppet Gigantes Doll!" IV declared, waving his hand out towards the his XYZ Monster who does not have a single overlay material.
"I can tribute Gimmick Puppet Gigantes Doll, to make all monsters that I currently control become Level 8 until the end of this turn!" Was the monster's effect explanation that came from the formal wear wearing teen, and he waved the hand again as he continued on.
"I will tribute Gigantes Doll, to make all of my monsters Level 8!" With one last cry, the amalgamation of dolls raised its scythe, granting all the monsters currently on IV's field a dark purple shine as it then disappeared into motes of light. Tributing itself for its own effect to modulate all of their Levels.
Starry Night, Starry Dragon - Light/Dragon/Level 8/Effect: 2500/2300
Little Fairy - Light/Fairy/Level 8/Effect: 800/0
Gimmick Puppet Fiendish Knight - Dark/Machine/Level 8/Effect: 1800/0
"Three Level 8s? That's-" She took a deep breath at seeing him do that. Managing to overturn a situation where he had essentially nothing on board whatsoever, and managing to somehow get steal their monsters, and even modulating their Levels.
"Oh for the love of, another XYZ Summon!?" Her childhood friend groaned through gritted teeth as he saw what IV was undoubtedly going to do. With their Levels now the same, there was no doubt that their stolen monsters was not returning to their side during the End Phase.
"Now then. Behold! I will overlay the now Level 8 Starry Night, Starry Dragon and the now Level 8 Little Fairy!" IV declared with glee as he raised his hand, the two monsters letting out dragonic and angelic whimpers as they were turned into golden pillars of light.
"With these two monsters, I shall construct an overlay network!" The blonde declared as the giant vortex of gold and black once again reappeared before him, and the two glowing pillars of light crossed over to enter it. "XYZ Summon!" And exploded into a shining pillar of light.
"Appear, Number 40!" And a giant numerical 40 shone, as another giant appeared before them, once again vaguely resembling that of a heart with a large purple orb sitting in its centre, and a large and sharp white wings by its side.
"The envoy from Heaven who plucks the strings of fate. Once more, set the stage of the depths of the deepest, blackest darkness! Gimmick Puppet of Strings!" The giant black heart then unfurled itself, the singular white wing spreading into its full length, the crimson numeral 40 shining in its base.
The monster's body split, growing larger as limbs formed with the giant purple orb shining in the centre of its human-like body. The monster's head soon took form, the left side of its face shrouded by its pale blue bangs, white the other showed its lifeless doll-like eyes as it brandished the singular sharp blade in its hand. Two dark purple orbs shone and orbited the newly summoned Numbers Monster.
Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 3000/2000 OV: 2
"A second Numbers!"
"And this one's bigger than the other too!" Allen clicked his tongue in annoyance at its appearance, yet remained undeterred. "But with Infinitrack Earth Slicer still on the field, that Numbers Monster of yours is changed to defence and loses 1000 points of defence!"
The brandished blade was then placed right in front of the giant puppet defensively. Its battle position changed as its defence points was also reduced like all other monsters that were on his field.
Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 3000/1000 OV: 2
"Hmph, that's fine. It isn't like Numbers Monsters can be destroyed by battle with your monsters anyway." IV snorted as he then waved his hand out again. "But before that, I will use the effect of Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll in my graveyard!" He shouted as he stretched his hand outwards.
"If this card is in my graveyard, I can banish one other 'Gimmick Puppet' monster from my graveyard, to special summon this card!" With a grin, the scarred duelist took out a card from his duel disk's graveyard slot and revealed it.
"I will banish Gimmick Puppet Scissor Arms from my graveyard, to special summon Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll!" With a wave of his hand, a giant black coffin erupted from the ground before him, its lid opening as the once broken doll reappeared with its haunting giggle.
Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll - Dark/Machine/Level 8/Effect: 0/0
With it already being summoned in defence position, along with its nonexistent defensive abilities, the monster was essentially unaffected by the effect of Road Roller.
"More monsters! No way, is it going to be another XYZ Summon!?"
"Sadly, that is not in the plans today. This level of fanservice should be enough." IV answered Allen, the bloodthirsty smirk that he had never once moving as he then spread his arms wide.
"And now, I will use Gimmick Puppet of Strings' effect!" He declared. "Once per turn, I can detach one material from this card, and place one String Counter on each face-up monster on the field, except this card." The blonde haired teen explained, and the giant XYZ Monster swung its blade, absorbing one of the two overlay materials that it had.
Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings - Dark/Machine/XYZ/Rank 8/Effect: 3000/1000 OV: 1
And then placed the blade on the strings that parted its body, playing them as if it was a harp with its blade before it pointed the blade upwards."Behold! A grand fanservice! The red strings of destiny that decide your fate!"
A giant vortex appeared above the XYZ Monster, from which a rain of crimson coloured strings fell and connected to the other cards that were on the field. Which included IV's own monster.
Infinitrack Crab Crane - Earth/Machine/Level 5/Effect: 2100/500 SC: 1
Infinitrack Earth Slicer - Earth/Machine/XYZ/Rank 9/Effect: 3100/2100 OV: 2 SC: 1
Gimmick Puppet Fiendish Knight - Dark/Machine/Level 8/Effect: 1800/0 SC: 1
Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll - Dark/Machine/Level 8/Effect: 0/0 SC: 1
"Counters? Even on his own monsters?" Sayaka let out as she heard the effect, her head arching to see the crimson strings that were attached to Allen's monsters and IV's own as well. "But what would those counters even do?"
"Well those don't matter anyway. On my turn, I'll just destroy it with Earth Slicer!" Allen shouted, his declaration was followed by the giant machinery in front of him roaring its engine. Unbothered by the numerous crimson strings that were attached to it.
"Will you now?" IV spoke with a smirk. "If I remember correctly, there was three of you wasn't there?"
"Huh?" She whispered out, as the sounds of steps could be heard.
"Sayaka! Allen!" And Myu broke into the field's barrier and entered the sphere that they were in. Her eyes immediately trailing onto the giant XYZ Monsters that they faced. "That's! A Numbers?!"
"Myu!? You're-"
"Stay out of this Myu! I'll deal with him!" Allen shouted at the incoming girl, who frowned and huffed at his remark and activated her duel disk.
"You really shouldn't shout at me like that Allen." The silver haired girl huffed, hefting her shining duel blade before her as she entered the duel.
"Entry Penalty, 2000 Life Points" The twin tailed girl's duel disk sounded out as her starting Life Points was cut down to half just like Allen.
"Kuh!" Myu winced, as the titular chime of her duel disk resounded as her Life Points was drained.
Myu Chiyoda: 2000LP
"Oh darn it Myu! I had him on my next turn!" Allen groaned, shouting at the silver haired girl while pointing towards her. And that comment made the twin-tailed girl frown and shout at him in response.
"Well, I'm sorry Allen that I wanted to help my friends fighting against what's clearly a Numbers!" Was the retort that the silver haired girl came up with, giving a good reason as to why she entered the battle royal, like he did. With essentially the same reason that he did as well.
"Haha, well would you look at that? It seems that you aren't as tight knit as you might seem!" IV laughed, pointing towards the arguing Allen and Myu, to which Sayaka merely watched with worry.
""Shut up!"" Both the brown haired boy and silver haired girl shouted at him at the same time.
"Hmph, at the very lest you're both in sync. I'll end my turn." The spiky haired teen said with a smirk as he points at the both of them. Ending his turn with a field of a new Numbers XYZ Monster, along with another monster, both of which had been turned to defence position. No cards left remaining in his hand.
"And at the End Phase, Gimmick Puppet Gigantes Doll's effect would end." He said, as once more a dark purple glow enveloped the blade wielding puppet as its Level returned back to its original.
Gimmick Puppet Fiendish Knight - Dark/Machine/Level 4/Effect: 1800/0 SC: 1
"Whatever, I'll deal with it!" Myu spoke out, placing her hand at her duel disk's deck slot. "My turn! I draw!" And with that, Sayaka then began her turn. Starting out with six cards in her hand to attempt breaking her opponent's board.
"Be careful Myu!" Sayaka shouted. "IV's Number Monster has an effect to place counters of some kind! But what they exactly do, we don't know!" The lilac haired girl said, warning her of what their opponent had done in the earlier turn.
"So it already used its effects then. And there's no Spell or Trap card of any kind too." Myu said, glancing back from the glasses wearing teen to the giant winged XYZ Monster, along with the field that its controller possessed.
Then he glanced to the fields that her friends has. "And since you all already have those then… I got it." She said with a nod and returned to focus on her own cards.
"I'll start out by normal summoning Evoltile Megachirella!" The twin tailed girl declared as she placed the card onto her golden duel blade, and the small winged reptile monster appeared onto the field with as it let out a hiss.
Evoltile Megachirella - Fire/Reptile/Level 1/Effect: 0/0
Though as all other monsters currently on the field, the monster was turned to defence position as soon as it was summoned. Followed suit by its defence points also dropping, but with it already being zero, it was essentially unaffected.
"This is-Allen! How am I supposed to attack with this!" She snapped her head and shouted back at her friend, who snapped back a response.
"You weren't supposed to! I was going to-ugh!" He muffled himself in frustration while IV commented on the appearance of another rare monster he had never seen before.
"Another rare deck it seems. Aren't you all full of surprises." The comment caused a twitch to the silver haired girl, before she shook her head and shouted.
"And I will activate its effects!" She declared as soon as she could, waving her hand outwards towards the crimson reptile. "I can tribute one Reptile monster, then discard one card, to special summon one Fire Dinosaur monster from my deck!"
With her monster's effect explained, Myu then chose the costs that she would pay for it. "I will tribute Megachirella itself, and discard from my hand Evolsaur Vulcano from my hand!" She declared.
The cost paid, the crimson reptile releasing a hiss as it was tributed for its own effects. And the effect then proceeded to resolve, with the silver haired girl taking out a monster that she would summon directly from her deck.
"I will special summon Evolsaur Elias!" With that shout, she took out the card that she had declared and placed it onto her duel blade. The long necked dinosaur then appeared with a loud roar, its neck arching to see the opponent before it.
Evolsaur Elias - Fire/Dinosaur/Level 6/Effect: 100/2400
And though the monster was already summoned in defence position, as was the dominant status that it possessed, it was nonetheless reduced due to the material that Earth Slicer possessed.
Evolsaur Elias - Fire/Dinosaur/Level 6/Effect: 100/1400
"Then Elias effect activates! When this card is special summoned by the effect of an 'Evoltile' monster, I can special summon one Level 6 or lower Fire Dinosaur monster from my hand!" She said, explaining the monster's effect which had met its requirement.
"I'll summon Evolsaur Lios from my hand!" The long necked dinosaur arched its head and let out a roar, a pool of fire erupting from beside it as it summoned forth a four winged dinosaur straight from her hand.
Evolsaur Lios - Fire/Dinosaur/Level 4/Effect: 1600/400
Who was subsequently weakened as soon as it was summoned. The dark blue scaled dinosaur let out a growl as it was switched to defence position, and its defence subsequently lowered due to Allen's card.
Evolsaur Lios - Fire/Dinosaur/Level 4/Effect: 1600/0
"Hm? Mismatching Levels? Do you perhaps-"
"Lios' effect!" Myu declared as she pointed towards the monster. "If this card is normal or special summoned, I can set one 'Evolutionary Bridge' or 'Evo-Singularity' directly from my deck!" She explained, revealing the monster's on summon effect.
And then taking the target of the two cards that was listed, and showing it. "I will set Evo-Singularity!" She said, placing the card onto her spell and trap zone.
"Then I'll use Lios' second effect!" She continued out, the four winged dinosaur letting out a roar once again. "During my Main Phase, if I control this card that was normal summoned, or special summoned by the effect of a Fire Monster, I can send one Fire Reptile or Dinosaur monster from my deck to the graveyard, then I can make 2 monsters on the field become the same Type and Level as that monster!"
With that lengthy explanation done, she then sent the target from her deck. "I will send the Level 6 Fire Dinosaur, Evolsaur Terias." She said, sending the monster to the grave. "And I will make my Evolsaur Lios and your Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll the same Type and Level as that card!"
Then proceeded to declare the two targets whose Levels she would modulate, that being her own monster and one of IV's. The doll who sat inside her own coffin and the winged dinosaurs were enveloped by a crimson glow, their Levels and Types being changed due to Lios' effect.
Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll - Dark/Dinosaur/Level 6/Effect: 0/0 SC: 1
Evolsaur Lios - Fire/Dinosaur/Level 6/Effect: 1600/0
"You're changing my monsters typing and Levels as well?" IV spoke with a frown as he warrily eyed Myu's cards. "No, that's not right, that effect… it has to target two monsters, otherwise it can't change the Levels. You had to have targeted another player's monsters with a Level to actually change your other monster's Level to six."
"That's-! You figured it out just from seeing that?!" The silver haired twin tailed girl's eyes widened at seeing their opponent managing to discern the reasoning as to why she modulated his monster.
"Hmph. Who do you think I might be? I am the Champion of the Asia Duelist Championship after all." He said with pride, the frown being removed as he regained composure. "So now you have two Level six monsters it seems."
"That's right! And I will overlay both of them!" Myu declared as she raised her right hand up, the two dinosaurs letting out their respective roars as they turned into crimson shining pillars of light.
"With these two monsters, I will construct the overlay network!" She shouted, as two pillars of light cross over one another, entering the sparkling dark vortex that formed right before her. "XYZ Summon!" She shouted, as the pillars of light entering the vortex, and exploded into a pillar of light.
"Appear! Evolzar Solda!" Said pillar then turned crimson, exploding like it was magma a large monster appeared from within it. The giant lanky white winged dragon floated on the field as it let out a roar with its wings spread wide. Two flaming orbs orbiting the monster representing its overlay units.
Evolzar Solda - Fize/Dragon/XYZ/Rank 6/Effect: 2600/1000 OV: 2
The monster then was turned to defence position, its defence also reduced as soon as it entered the field. The continuous effect of Infinitrack Road Roller once again took effect while it was a material under Infinitrack Earth Slicer.
Evolzar Solda - Fize/Dragon/XYZ/Rank 6/Effect: 2600/0 OV: 2
"I will set two cards from my hand, and end my turn." So she said, placing two cards directly from her hand before ending her turn, a singular card remained in her hand as she passed her turn. Passing with a single XYZ Monster, three cards in her spell and trap zone, and one card left in her hand.
Said set cards were three cards that would do her well in the following turns. Two of them being Evo-Singularity, with those she could go into any of her other XYZ Monsters at anyone's turn.
She could have gone for Evolzar Lars, but with Sayaka's exclamation that the pro duelists had already used his XYZ Monster's effect already, to put counters of some kind all around the field.
So there wasn't really a need to go for a monster negation, be it Dolkka or Lars. And with how her hand was, she couldn't exactly go into Rank 4 monsters anyway. So she went with Solda, and if need be, she could go and summon any of them that she needed with the two copies of Evo-Singularity that she had.
And the last one? Well it never hurt to have some battle traps for certain cases. It certainly helps that Dimensional Prison would banish the monster. A form of removal that most couldn't easily recover from, if possible.
"Well now, you're finished already?" IV spoke out, a relaxed smile, a look that brought unease to the three duelists facing him. "Then at this moment, I shall activate the effect of Gimmick Puppet of Strings!"
The Numbers XYZ Monster then moved under its order, raising its blade once again as its singular eye shone. "What the-effects in the End Phase? I thought it just placed counters or whatever!" The brown haired boy shouted with a confused look.
"Then why don't I tell you?" And they turned to IV who held a smile, his hand gesturing to the XYZ Monster. "The fact that none of you even thought of what the counters would do tells the level of duelists that you are. Gimmick Puppet of Strings allows me to, once per turn, during the next End Phase of the opponent of the player who placed a String Counter by this effect, I can destroy the monsters with String Counters!"
"It destroys during the End Phase?" Allen spoke aloud as he heard the monster's effect, a shocked look on his face. "Darn it! But so what if they're destroyed! With the three of us, we can just-"
"And." The blonde formal dress wearing teem added, interrupting the poncho wearing boy with a large vicious smile. "I can inflict 500 damage to my opponent, for each monster destroyed!"
"What!?" "That's-!" "No way!" The three of them exclaimed with wide eyes and shocked looks. "But there's-there's four monsters with those counters! So-!"
"It will deal 2000 points of damage to all three of you!" IV said with a maniacal grin as he raised both of his hands, as if he was a conductor to a play. "Now behold! A grand fanservice just for all of you! Melody of Mayhem!"
And the giant puppet of strings swung its blade outwards, severing the many crimson strings that were attached to the multitude of monsters on the field. And as they all fell, so too did all the monsters that were connected to it, as they all exploded in a grand fire.
Doing so, also dealt 2000 damage to all of his opponents. That being all three of them. Dealing more than lethal damage to every single one of them with the burn damage's activation.
"KYAAA!"
"GUAAAG!"
"KYAAAAH!"
And it blew all of them away, the effect of the giant puppet feeling real as they soared through the air and crashed harshly onto the paved road below them. All of them were left battered as their duel disks recorded their loss with their Life Points reaching zero.
Sayaka Sasayama: 0LP
Allen Kozuki: 0LP
Myu Chiyoda: 0LP
The three of them laid down, groaning on the paved road that was below them as the victor of the duel merely laughed. "Well now, that was quite the duel! I do hope that you've all enjoyed the fanservice that I have given you all. A full show of my dueling prowess."
They couldn't see the look on the teen's face, yet they could tell that the Asia Champion had an ear splitting grin as he enjoyed the sights of their defeated forms. The sounds of the soles of his boots hitting the brick road could be heard as he closed in on them, walking towards them.
And as she looked up, she could see him looking down. A maliciously happy smile on his face at their suffering.
The look changed though, as his attention turned away from them. Loud rushed steps was what she could hear as IV's head arched away from them. The smirk that he once had flickering before settling on a smile.
"Well now… who are you again?"
"You… YOU!" A familiar voice spoke out, and as she arched her head, she could see the source.
A look of absolute fury, on the infamous delinquent of Heartland Dueling School. The one and only Kamishiro Ryoga, more known under the name of Shark, opened his mouth and roared with clenched fists..
"IV!"