[A/N]
God, how long has it been since I've first played Yu-Gi-Oh?
I remember how I got my first cards. When I was around 5 or 7 when my dad and I went to the swapmeet, like we usually did once every couple of weeks. I remember one stall had a bucket with all sorts of things, one of those being old cards from 2002 to 2006; around 70, I think. I thought I was the coolest kid in school when my dad bought them for me. I even had a fake version of Exodia.
I didn't really get really into the game until Zexal came, and that was partly because of how cool the Number cards looked. Seeing Yuma summon Number 39 for the first time was like magic. It was, dare I say, absolute cinema. Peak fiction, perhaps. Yuma as a character also resonated with me. Seeing this absolute dumbass slowly get better at this wonderful mess of a card game was inspiring in a way that other characters that I liked could only come close to. It made me feel like I, a dumbass, could improve in school.
RWBY was something I discovered later in life. It was… Well, I recognize why people liked it at first, and why they like the newer seasons. I also recognize why some might not be fond of them. To be honest, I don't feel safe sharing my opinions on it. (: Though, I'm hoping that at least some of you reading this will realize that criticisms I do levy at this series are not from a hateful, spiteful place.
(as a newcomer coming into the fandom, it's not a good look when somebody posts a video about how they were harassed, only to get harassed some more, AND some people in the fandom to defend their awful behavior by saying nobody will care soon).
(and that's even mentioning RoosterTeeth's myriad of controversies).
That being said, Yu-Gi-Oh! And RWBY are two series that, through all of their highs and lows, have fascinated me to no end. I look forward to what they have planned for in future, and I deeply respect their two wonderful creators, Kazuki Takahashi (1961-2022) and Monty Oum (1981-2015), for giving not only me but thousands of other people something to enjoy.
This fic uses Master Rule 5, and will (mostly) follow the current banlist. I also have no problems with creating original cards to boost the power of mediocre or bad decks.
Now, let's open the game.
DUEL 1
Three Black Noises
Ruby likes dreaming.
The real world was fun. Very fun, sometimes. She had Yang and her dad, and her pet dog Zwei. It was all she could over ask for. Her neighbors were nice, the new people she met were almost always friendly after a few minutes of talking.
But she could do things she couldn't do in the Real World in the Dream World. She could fly in the air with her entire family. She could visit vibrant, weird planets as far as they could see. She could be a superhero, or ride dinosaurs or fight mechs. She had lucid dreams, so the possibilities were, quite literally, endless.
Almost endless, anyways. Ruby tends to avoid watching anything scary or depressing when she's about to go to sleep. Her dreams are meant to be someplace happy. Where she can enjoy and be herself for a time.
Not a black palace.
"Um… hello? Is anybody there? …Can you turn on the heater? It's cold here!" Ruby asked cautiously. She shivered slightly. As she walked down the singular path. Each torch she walked past, a black flame ignited. It was kinda cool.
In general, the palace looked neat too. Plush red carpet with gold tassels; windows that revealed a dark red sky with black masses of land floating in the background. Black walls with quartz pillars and dark purple crackles littering the otherwise smooth stone.
Aesthetically, the palace was killer. Shame it looks like it could kill her.
"'Scuse me! Anybody! Dad? Yang? M–!" Ruby paused and shook her head a moment. She has no control over this dream.
"Helloooo…?" Ruby asked again, this time looking up at the ceiling with fancy looking chandeliers. She keeps her eyes on them, mesmerized as she walks forward. As she's distracted, she accidentally bumps into a door.
"Oof! Ow…!" The girl whines. Her glittering silver eyes open as she looks up at the eye glaring down at her. "Oh, spooky…" She quips before getting up and dusting herself. Slowly, she raises her hands and pushes the black, bony door open.
Blackish, purple gas leaks out from the blackened abyss on the other side. Ruby coughs, and lifts her shirt to avoid inhaling it. It doesn't stop the gas from clouding her vision, however.
Once it dissipates, Ruby finds herself in an empty throne room. "Woah…" she gasps. Her eyes automatically lead up the black steps to and land on the blackened throne. It looked old and decrepit, even cracked in some areas.
"I'm gonna sit on it," Ruby decides. She raises one boot-clad foot, and the moment she does, she notices a pulsating mass underneath the throne. "Oh… um, I'm sorry?" Ruby's half-hearted shrug does not please the mass.
It rises, tendrils floating out from the base and converging above the seat. They solidify and harden, forming into a ghastly, humanoid figure with bone-white skin. Well, humanoid was pushing it, actually; the face looked normal enough, save for the black cracks, black sclera and crimson eyes. "A-A Grimm...?" Ruby breathed out.
The rest of the body was some sort of chimeric, monstrous fusion. Furry arms, multiple tails, feathers coming from its armpits. The feet were hooved, and multiple sharp spikes came from all over its body. Ruby stepped back.
The human face let out a shrill, monstrous cry. It sounded like… it was in pain. Like it was hurting, emotionally and physically.
"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, reaching out a hand as she began to climb up the steps. It didn't like that.
Like a wild animal, the monster bared its fangs, misshapen tusks that were now growing from its mouth. Ruby paused instantly and raised her hands in surrender. "Whoops, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, I just…"
She didn't get to finish. With a wild, manic cry, multiple tendrils shot out from the chimera's back and latched onto Ruby's arm. She shrieked as she tumbled down the stairs and landed on the floor in a heap.
"H-hey, wait! I didn't mean to scare you, honest!" Ruby said, trying to keep her voice low to not scare the creature further. Still she pulled against the tendrils, grunting until it snapped off.
"I just want to help…! Please? Maybe we can… huh?" She then felt a familiar weight on her left arm. Looking down, she noticed her official KaibaCorp Duel Disk strapped to it. "What is this doing here…" On the deck slot, she noticed a thin tendril leading up to a human arm on the chimera.
On that arm was another Duel Disk. This one was organic, made of black flesh and supported by stark-white bone. "It can… duel…?" Ruby murmured. She feels like she shouldn't be so surprised; this was a dream, after all. But even in dreams, the Duel Disks were weightless. This thing felt like a real Disk.
Soon, a massive bulge began to grow on the chimera's body, under the head. The human face roared. The bulge popped, black liquid flying out and then flowing down the steps. A nude, female body now stood on the neck of the chimera, looking down at Ruby.
"OzMaAAaAA!" It shouted in a corrupted, echoey voice.
"Ozma? Who's that?" Ruby asked. The monster did respond. It raised its arm and yanked the tendril connecting their Disks. Ruby staggered forward, and muttered, "Oh no," as it was forcibly activated.
Ruby Rose (4000 LP) vs ? ? ?
It's All or Nothing!
DUEL!
"'Evilswarm Zahak'!" The figure shouted, slamming a card onto her Disk. The frills twitched, and another bulge grew on the monster's back. Like the body, a three headed dragon burst free, its body covered in liquid as it fell down the steps (LV 4 / 1850 ATK). It immediately jumped to its feet and started chattering like a rabid animal.
"Woah… what kind of monster is that?" Ruby wondered. She would say she's never seen anything like it, but considering Duel Monsters is the game where VTubers moonlighting as jewel thieves can fight against literal Lovecraftian (like, the actual H.P. Lovecraft gods) horrors, she honestly shouldn't be surprised.
"Still, that's a cool monster," Ruby hummed to herself. She waited for a moment, but the monster did budge. In that case, if the chimera was only going to summon a monster this turn, "I guess that means I draw!"
Thankfully, she didn't get shocked for breaking the rules. "I summon 'Summoner Monk'!" She slid the card into the middle Main Monster Zone which caused the projector in front of it to shine. In front of her, an aging old man in drab white and purple robes appeared, his face partly to allow only a single red eye to shine through (LV 4 / 800 ATK).
"Summoner Monk lets me discard one Spell Card from my hand to summon a Level 4 monster from my deck! So, I'll send 'High Ritual Art' to the grave in order to summon 'Rescue Rabbit'!" Ruby continued, somewhat relieved that her opponent didn't respond.
The monk's visible eye glowed. It grabbed a gohei from its robes and started to wave in the air, creating a portal that allowed a small white and gray wearing rabbit to fall through. It blinked in confusion as it landed on the field (LV 4 / 300 ATK).
"I activate 'Rescue Rabbit's' effect! I can summon two Normal monsters with the same name by banishing it!" Again, there was no response, so Ruby continued. "I summon two copies of 'Dark Blade'!" The rabbit stood up on its hind legs and blew on its tiny whistle. The monster then ran away. A few seconds later, two men in black armor marched on field, both dual wielding wickedly sharp swords (LV 4 / 1800 ATK).
"Monsters summoned by 'Rescue Rabbit's' effect are destroyed in the End Phase," She added, almost as an afterthought. Mainly because it was. "Next, I build the Overlay Network with 'Summoner Monk' and 'Dark Blade'!" The monsters in question knelt to the ground; their bodies dissolved into dark and brown colored orbs respectively. As they flew into the air, a vortex made from multiple red stars appeared in front of Ruby, which the two monsters flew into.
"I Xyz Summon 'Magikey Spirit - Vepartu'!" Ruby exclaimed. The vortex collapsed in on itself, and then exploded outwards in a bright supernova. The new monster that took their place was a young man in blue clothing and hair, dual wielding strange pistols (Rk 4 / 2000 ATK / 2 OU). The monsters used to Xyz Summon now orbited around the monster as Overlay Units.
"When 'Vepartu' is summoned, I can detach one Overlay Unit to add a Level 4 or higher Normal Monster from my deck. I detach Summoner Monk, and add 'Clavykis, the Magikey Skyblaster'!" Ruby continued (2 OU to 1 OU). One of the Overlay Units fizzled out, and Vepartu reloaded one of its guns.
"Next, I use my last 'Dark Blade' to create my circuit!" Ruby exclaimed. She tapped a button on her Duel Disk, causing an Extra Monster Zone to slide out from the second monster on the left, as well as the hologram of a large circuit board to appear in front of her. "By sending 'Dark Blade', a Normal monster, from my field to the graveyard, I can Link Summon 'Link Spider' from my Extra Deck!"
The remaining swordsman yelled; its body turned into code, and flew into the bottom-middle arrow of the circuit board. The space in the center glowed, and allowed a light blue metal spider with wheels on the ends of legs to slide out (LINK-1 / 1000 ATK).
"'Link Spider's' effect activates. I can summon a normal monster to the zone it points to! So, I summon 'Clavykis'!" Ruby slammed her card onto designated space. 'Link Spider' shivered and began to rev its wheels, creating a large cloud of smoke. From it, a younger version of 'Vepartu', now only wielding one gun, jumped out with a smile on their face.
"At this point, I enter the Battle Phase! 'Vepartu' attacks 'Evilswarm Zahak'!" Ruby exclaimed, waving her hand forward. The monster took aim at the three-headed dragon, which growled.
"Fire!" At her command, 'Vepartu' fired a barrage of bullets at the target. 'Zahak' shrieked as all three of its heads were shot, each one popping like evil blueberries. Ruby grimaced as the monster exploded, leaving a dark stain on the floor.
She waited to hear a Life Point counter tick down, but she heard nothing of the sort. "W-well… 'Clavykis' and 'Link Spider' attack directly!" As Ruby ordered her monsters to attack, a creeping sense of unease shot up her spine. Link Spider lunged forwards and slammed its body into the black mass, while 'Clavykis' fired from its magic pistol.
Ooze poured out from the monster's wounds. Ruby felt a pang of sympathy as it writhed in pain. Even her monsters looked somewhat nervous now, with 'Clavykis' and 'Vepartu' frowning, and 'Link Spider' squeaking softly.
"Um… I-I enter my Main Phase 2, set a card, and end my turn…" Ruby muttered without the confidence she had earlier. Her eyes widened. "W-Wait! Let me take that back, I still need to set–!"
"Draw!" The woman cried out, making Ruby squeak. "Evilswarm Mandragora!" The new monster was a small, almost cute looking plant creature with sharpened leaves and white hair. It also had an emo haircut, with how its hair covered its right eye (LV 4 / 1550 ATK). "Evilswarm Coppelia!" That monster then disappeared, replaced by a rather large machine that looked like a corrupted train with two thick arms (LV 6 / 2450 ATK).
"Battle!" The train chugged forwards and raised an arm, ready to strike.
"'Vepartu's' second effect activates!" Ruby interrupted. "When it battles, and I have a Normal monster in my graveyard with the same Attribute as the other monster it's battling, I can detach an Overlay Unit and make you send it to the graveyard!" (1 OU to 0 OU)
This time 'Vepartu' grabbed the Overlay Unit and loaded it into the chamber of its first gun. It fired, the bullet piercing through the main hull of the train. The monster exploded, but as it did, the smoke from the blast morphed into a hand, and grabbed 'Vepartu'.
"H-Huh!?" Ruby cried out as her Xyz Monster yelled in agony, the gas seeping into its body through every available hole. Its eyes rolled into the back of its head as it walked over to the chimera's side of the field.
"D-Did that thing just Snatch Steal my monster!?" Ruby cried out. If she were Dueling someone else, say Yang, she might've thought that move was cool. But now, since she knows she could've avoided it by not ending her turn preemptively and the fact that her opponent was a writhing mass of black flesh, it was definitely not cool especially since it's still the chimera's Battle Phase.
The corrupted 'Vepartu' fired at its own comrade, striking 'Link Spider'. The hail of bullets crumpled the digital spider's body, causing it to spark and explode. Ruby yelped as the flames of the explosion singed her skin (4000 LP to 3000 LP).
"Aaah!" She hissed in pain. Pain that felt very real. "This isn't a cool dream anymore! Brain, wake up, wake up, please!" She practically begged. She pinched herself, slapped herself, but nothing happened.
"Oh… boy…" Ruby groaned. Her own monster and the chimera looked down at her, expectantly. "I, um… I…!"
She could feel her breathing getting heavier. Her lungs felt empty. She took deeper breaths, longer breaths, but none of them provided what she needed. "It's just a dream… I'm freaking out over a dream…!" Ruby bit her lip, hard enough for her teeth to puncture skin and draw blood.
She wanted to call for a mother that no longer existed.
"I…!" Ruby fingers grazed her deck. It felt warm. For a moment, all the tension, all the fear she had; it all disappeared.
"I…!" Ruby grit her teeth. "No… I won't back down! My mom might not be here… but her memory still does!" Ruby gripped the top card of her deck.
"I draw!" Without looking at the card, she slammed next to 'Clavykis'. "I summon 'Megalosmasher X'!" A pool of water formed next to her, and it soon erupted, allowing a large, aquatic dinosaur to swim in the air.
"I Overlay Level 4 'Megalosmasher X' and 'Clavykis, the Magikey Skyblaster'!" Spiraling orbs of blue and purple flew into the air, but this time, they fell into a galaxy made of millions of shining, golden stars.
"Rise on up, Number 39! King of Wishes - Hope!"
The inside of Ruby's left silver eye glowed, blazing with the red light of Number 39 emblazoned inside her pupil.
From the explosion, a large mechanical device slowly rose from the floor. It looked like an ornate, fancy key. It then began to unfold, mechanical parts shifting and sliding into place. Eventually, the key then transformed into a large, humanoid warrior with white skin and golden armor; large metal wings hung from its back, and two large swords were sheathed on either side of its hips.
[Number 39: King of Wishes - Hope]
[LIGHT / Warrior / Xyz / Effect]
[2500 ATK / 2000 DEF]
(Number 39: King of Wishes - Hope & Number 39: Utopia)
(LIGHT & DIVINE)
"Attack 'Vepartu', Hope!" Her new monster's red eyes shined brightly as it unlatched one of the blades at its hips and flew towards the corrupted gunman. "Next, I attack Hope's effect! By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can negate that attack!" One of the orbiting spheres of energy flew into the core on Hope's chest, which caused its sword to dissolve.
"Then, I activate the Spell Card 'Double or Nothing!'! Since an attack was negated, Hope's Attack Points are doubled, and it can attack again!" Ruby exclaimed. Hope unsheathed its other sword, which began to blaze with fiery red power (2500 ATK to 5000 ATK).
"Go! Hope Sword Slash!" The shining warrior's wings extended as it raised the blade over its head. With a loud shout of "HOPE!" the monster cleaved through Ruby's monster with ease. The sword cut into the ground, which soon began to crack.
Streams of light erupted from the ground, rays causing the palace to shake and crumble apart. The geysers then struck the weird Grimm monster, making it hail in rage as the beams tore through its body, ripping apart at the lump of limbs and flesh.
The monster squealed in pain. Ruby's smile faltered for a moment at the horrible sound, and it completely vanished as the monster pulled out another card.
"King of Despair - Hopeless!"
Ruby's eyes widened as a dark mirror to her own Hope deflected the attack. Gleaming dark metal reflected Hope's bright light, coating Hopeless in shadow. It too had giant, metal wings, but the armor which they sprouted from was black and silver; tattered cloth hung from the monster's waist, billowing in the invisible wind.
"What's going… on?" Ruby whispered.
With a demented roar, 98 knocked back 39, knocking the curved blade of the golden warrior's hand. "No!" Ruby cried.
She wailed in pain as the King of Despair cut down the King of Wishes, stabbing it through the green core. Ruby felt blood gushing from her chest.
The palace collapsed on top of her shortly thereafter.
"No!"
Ruby sat up straight on her bed, her chest heaving as she struggled to take in air. She was sweating; a thick sheen coating her forehead and a dropping from her brow. She placed a hand on her chin to try and calm herself down.
"M-My head…" The girl moaned in pain, feeling a dull throbbing coming from the front of her head so close to her eye. "Argh, that dream was so weird…" She grumbled. Ruby turned her head to the–
"Oh, no! I'm gonna be late!" Ruby cried in a panic. She jumped out of her bed and raided her drawers to find a suitable outfit.
She couldn't believe this was happening. Ruby had been accepted into the one of the greatest Duel Schools of all time, and she was going to be late for orientation. "They're gonna expel me the moment I walk in class!" She wails as she quickly picks up one of throws off her sleepwear and pulls on the cleanest looking sweater off the floor.
Now in a hoodie made for winter, not the August heat, Ruby jumps down the stairs. "Yang! Yang!" She yelled. Strangely, she heard no response.
"Yang! What are you doing! Why didn't you wake me up!" She asked, barging into her older sister's room. "Wha– YANG!"
She's asleep. No wonder they're late.
One trip to McDonalds for breakfast later, Ruby clings to Yang's waist, her helmet protecting the smaller girl from a face full of her older sister's long blonde hair.
Yang had haphazardly put on her modified RA Yellow uniform; a sleeveless white shirt with a yellow collar, matching gloves with flared cuffs that reached her shoulders, and a yellow skirt. She also had black shorts under her skirt, and wore a brown jacket over the shirt, which was slightly unbuttoned to show off her cleavage.
"You're panicking as much anymore!" Yang chirped.
"Well, it's partly because I can think straight now," Ruby whined slightly as she slotted her hashbrown underneath the helmet and took a small bite. "Plus, the Hello Kitty merch is nice," She added, raising the penguin mascot wearing OBELISK's headdress. "I don't even like Hello Kitty."
"Slander," Yang said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, which she probably shouldn't be doing since she's driving. "Anyways, we're almost there." Ruby blinked and looked at where Yang was pointing to.
It was a highway exit, one which led to Beacon Academy. Ruby could barely believe her eyes. It's a dream come true.
Ever since she first picked up a deck, Ruby fell in love with the game of Duel Monsters. Not even her imagination was as imaginative. Mechas, demons, waifus, funny animals and clowns all existing in the same pile of cards, all in the same game, each with their own ways of interacting with each other?
Sign her the heck up!
"Excited?" Yang asked. She could feel Ruby's hand shaking on her shoulders.
"Yeah, obviously!" Ruby said with a big grin hidden behind her helmet. "Beacon's a place where brilliant minds converge for one thing, and one thing only: to Duel! I'm going to see so many strategies I've never seen before!" She giggled gleefully. After a point, it started to sound almost maniacal.
"That's not the only reason, y'know," Yang gently reminded her.
"Yeah, I know," Ruby said more despondently. Because of the Grimm, those obnoxious monstrous rats and vultures they were, Duelists were heavily encouraged to join the Duel Force and defended the last cities on Remnant with their monsters.
"'Kay. Just reminding you, because those who want to be on the Duel Force are probably going to be grumps!" She joked, making Ruby smile again.
"So, have you thought of joining?" Ruby asked cautiously.
"I mean, I definitely want to mess around with the Solid Vision projectors those guys get! Imagine getting to hear, touch, and even smell your own monsters!" Yang said. Her words were followed by a concerning giggle.
"Yang, that's weird! Stop being weird!" Ruby pouted.
"Oh, hush you! You act like you don't have your own quirks!" Yang said, swerving on the street and making Ruby wail in a panic.
A few minutes later, Yang drove off the highway and onto the nearest parking lot. Ruby quickly jumped off from the bike and tossed the helmet to Yang. "See, I told you we were gonna get here on time. You even have time to spare."
"...Well, yeah, buuut I felt like you went a bit too fast, y'know?" Ruby said with a shrug.
"Well, I still got you to school on time, didn't I?" Ruby nodded. "Then all's well that ends well!"
"I mean, I guess…" Ruby turned around and looked at the main campus of Beacon, her eyes drawn to the large, castle-like structure looming over her. For a moment, she felt a tad bit intimidated. "So, you're going to get my stuff for my dorm room now, right?"
"That's the plan. I'll be back by the time orientation is over to help you decorate your room. It'll be fun! I wonder who your roommate will be." Yang said excitedly.
"Hopefully they're not too intense…" Ruby said with a slight sigh. She loved Yang, but sometimes, she was just a bit too much, y'know.
"Even if they are, I hope you can at least be friends with them. Anyways…" Yang pointed to a building on the right side of the castle. "That's where orientation is going to be held. Still, you got ten minutes before it starts. Why don't you explore the campus? Meet some new people?"
"Okay, well…" Ruby bit her lip anxiously (for some reason it stung), but eventually she nodded. "Sure! It's the first day of school! I'll definitely make some new friends…! Definitely!"
"That's the spirit!" Yang revved her bike and gave Ruby a thumbs up. "Have fun, okay! I'll see you later!"
"Bye, Yang!" Ruby got on her toes and waved goodbye as her older sister drove away, leaving behind a cloud of dust. "It's happening! Today's the biggest night of your life! Mom's definitely smiling down on you from heaven!" Ruby spun on her wheel, and with a determined expression on her face, walked towards the Beacon Academy campus.
The school is a lot larger than she thought it would be. Following the trails of concrete led Ruby all over the castle, both inside and out. In the past, the Beacon Academy was a castle that was used as the base of operations for the old King of Vale in the Great War. As such, the campus was also part museum.
There were many incoming students, much like herself, wandering the halls, reading the text blurbs that appeared on holographic screens in front.
"So cool…!" Ruby breathed out. There were statues of famous Duel Monsters, carvings and paintings of days long passed. She was especially drawn to an odd mural, depicting a fight between two armored figures in some sort of warped library.
She could stare at this painting for hours.
But, she heard a commotion from outside. "Huh?" Ruby turned around, and saw other students walking outside, some faster than others. Her curiosity peaked, she followed them outside.
In front of the museum, there was a crowd surrounding a pair of girls. One of them was a faunus, dark brown hair and bunny ears sprouting from where her normal ears should be. And standing in front of her was–
"No way…! That's Weiss Schnee!" A blonde boy exclaimed.
"Huh? Weiss…?" Ruby breathed. She heard of the Schnee Dust Company before, obviously. They effectively had a monopoly on Dust, a pseudo (definitely-not-magical-in-anyway) energy propellant that gave Duel Monsters life through the Solid Vision projectors in each Duel Force members' Disk.
Also, SDC has had multiple lawsuits levied against it regarding its treatment of its workers, especially faunus workers. Ruby likes to see the best in everyone, but considering there's at least one class action lawsuit every few months… ehhhhh…
"Do you really expect me to believe that this card is yours?" Weiss said loudly, in a prissy voice to boot. She waved said card in her hand, revealing it to be 'Nibiru, the Primal Being'.
"Holy crap, that's one of the better hand traps in the game!" A random onlooker gasped.
"Y-yes! It is mine! That's my card sleeve! I bought it with my own money. I still have the receipt! The faunus said, her worried voice carrying a slight accent. Weiss scoffed at her.
"Please. As if someone like you could ever pay for this!" She exclaimed. "'Nibiru' is an exceptionally powerful monster, not only in Duels, but for the Duel Force as well. Copies can go upwards to thousands of Liens per copy. A playset is even more costly."
"But it's true!" The faunus exclaimed.
"That's a lie and you know!" Weiss shot back, making the bunny girl flinch. "I saw you rifling through my bags earlier! And, I just happened to be missing a copy of 'Nibiru' from one of my bags!"
The crowd gasped at the comment. They started whispering. "No way," they said. "Somebody really tried to steal from a Schnee?" Another added. "I knew she didn't belong here," another, more disdainful voice said.
The rabbit faunus looked around, feeling way too many eyes on her. She froze like a deer in headlights. Worst of all, Weiss looked pleased with herself. She did turn the crowd against the girl.
"You know theft of another's card is punishable by expulsion, correct? A Duelist's cards are sacred, and their deck moreso," Weiss said, her face growing a fierce scowl.
"B-But i-it's not yours!" The faunus reiterated. "I spent a fortune on that card! You can't just take it!"
"Disgusting…" Weiss growled, making the faunus flinch. She was definitely glaring at the faunus' ears now. "You are a disgrace to every student who worked hard to enter this esteemed academy." The whispering started to get louder.
"No, you are!" Weiss froze, and the whispering had stopped completely. Slowly, she turned around, and noticed a small girl in red clothing. Ruby.
Instantly, all eyes were on her. Ruby's face became as red as her hoodie.
"...I seem to have misheard you," Weiss muttered. A dark scowl grew on her face as she glared at Ruby. "Can you repeat what you just said?"
"Um…" Ruby deflated somewhat at the massive number of eyes on her. Still, she didn't take her eyes off Weiss for a second. "I said, you're the disgrace! You're taking that girl's expensive card! What you claim that girl did, you're doing yourself!"
Weiss felt her eye twitch. "Are you going to defend this criminal? Look at her," Weiss growled, pointing her finger to the panicking faunus. "Do you not see the guilt in her eyes? She knows that she's been caught, and she knows that she'll be punished for it. Why do you insist on defending her?"
"Because I hate jerks. And right now, you're being a massive jerk for no reason at all!" Ruby exclaimed. Weiss took a step back upon hearing her words. She scowled, her grip tightening on the faunus' card.
"Fine." Weiss crossed her arms. "We'll settle this soon, after orientation. Until then, I'll be holding onto this." Weiss pulled out her deck box, and slid 'Nibiru' inside of it. She then began to walk away.
"This isn't good," Ruby muttered. Yang always told her that rich people liked to delay lawsuits against them because normal people didn't have the money to pay for a lawyer for a long time. This might not be a lawsuit, Ruby suspects Weiss might not be doing something similar; unnecessarily delaying the conflict so that she could hold onto that card for as long as possible.
Ruby can't let that happen. For all she knows, Weiss might be petty enough to "accidentally" destroy the card, if she couldn't have it.
"What's the matter? Chicken?" Ruby taunted.
Weiss froze. A long, excited "oooooooo!" came from the onlooking crowd.
"What are you doing?" The faunus girl whispered to Ruby.
"I'm getting your card back, what does it look like?" Ruby stated in a slightly confused manner.
"But you're painting a massive target on your back!" The rabbit argued, practically begging. "Please, take it back! She can have my card for all I care, just don't tease her anymore!"
"No way, no how, not a chance!" Ruby exclaimed. "I'm gonna get your card back, no matter what."
As soon as she said that, her blood froze as she heard a prim, proper giggle coming from Weiss. Her back was still turned to Ruby.
"I know I definitely didn't hear that," Weiss said very, very slowly. She turned around so that one freezing eye glared at Ruby over her shoulder. "What. The fuck. Did you call me?"
Ruby gulped. Still, she didn't relent "Sorry, what was that? All I hear is clucking and ba-cawing!" Ruby teased further. Yang talked to her about this multiple times, about how some students' egos are so big that even calling them a mildly offensive name gets them ready to duel on the spot.
And, it seems Weiss took the bait.
"I'm going to enjoy this," she growled. She turned around and snapped her fingers. A bracelet on her arm glowed, causing a custom made, sharp, ice-themed Duel Disk to appear on her arm. She slammed her deck inside with an audible snarl.
"If I let you!" Ruby said. She tossed her backpack over her shoulder and slid her mass produced KaibaCorp Duel Disk on her left arm, sliding her deck in afterwards. The crowd began to spread, giving them space for the holograms to appear. "If I win, I get that girl's card back! Deal?"
"Fine. But if I win…" Weiss pointed to the cards in Ruby's deck slot. "Your entire collection is mine!"
"Sounds good to me!" Ruby agreed, but not without flinching, to Weiss' terms.
"Please be careful…" The rabbit faunus pleaded. Ruby looked around and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. Just sit tight and enjoy the show!" Ruby reassured her. She then turned back to Weiss as their decks ejected their first five cards.
Weiss Schnee (4000 LP) VS Ruby Rose (4000 LP)
Go for Broke!
DUEL!
"As you are the challenger; per the rules outlined in the Duelist Handbook, I'll begin!" Weiss explained. "I begin by activating 'Sakitama's' effect! By revealing it, I can summon it automatically!" A yellow orb made of flames appeared. As it woke, it bore a wide smile and made the joyful sounds of a baby (LV 4 / 400 ATK).
"Next, I summon 'Star Seraph Scepter'." This time, a large staff appeared next to a ball of flames, one with a blue orb at the tip and yellow energy flowing inside (LV 4 / 1800 ATK). "When 'Scepter' is summoned, I can then add a 'Star Seraph' monster from my deck to my hand. I choose 'Sovereignty.'"
Once Weiss replenished her hand, she reached into her Extra Deck to pull out a card from it. "I Overlay my Level 4 'Sakitama' and 'Scepter'! I Xyz Summon the Rank 4 monster 'Starring Knight'!" Her new monster was a humanoid monster wearing golden armor lined in a shiny pink metal. Long silver hair flowed behind it as it brandished its silver blade and feathered shield (Rk 4 / 1900 ATK / 2 OU).
"'Starring Knight's' effect activates! By detaching 'Sakitama,' it can special summon one LIGHT attribute monster from my hand. The card I summon is 'Diviner of the Herald'!" Ruby grimaced as a woman in a light purple dress and rainbow colored wings appeared on the field (LV 2 Tuner/ 400 DEF).
"When 'Diviner' is summoned, I can send one Fairy monster from my deck to the Graveyard to raise my 'Diviner's' Level by the level of the sent monsters. I send 'Trias Hierarchia', a Level 9 Monster, meaning 'Diviner' is now Level 11!" The monster's wings flared, glowing brighter and growing larger (LV 2 to LV 11).
"I set one card. That shall end my turn," Weiss declared. Ruby nodded. "At this time, 'Diviner's' Level returns to normal." The monster's wings shrunk significantly, returning to their normal size (LV 11 to LV 2).
Well, that was a large nothingburger of a turn. With Weiss' earlier gloating, she assumed that the cards she would pull would be much more intimidating than that. It doesn't even look like she has a negate on her board.
Is Weiss… looking down at her? Does she really think that she doesn't have to take Ruby seriously in order to win?
"Oh, I'll show you! I draw!" Ruby exclaimed. "I activate the Spell Card 'Unexpected Dai'! Since I control no monsters, this card lets me summon a Level 4 or lower Normal monster from my Deck! I summon 'Clavykis, the Magikey Skyblaster!'" A large black box appeared in front of Ruby. Soon, it began to dissolve in many small pixels, revealing a blonde haired youth wielding a magic gun (LV 4 / 1900 ATK)
"I then activate the effect of my 'Magnificent Magikey Mafteal' from my hand! By revealing it, I'm allowed an extra Normal Summon of a 'Magikey' Monster!" Ruby exclaimed. The card in question glowed, and above her, a blue-skinned, djinn-like demon appeared over her head and flexed its arms and pecs. Weiss groaned at the sight of its boasting.
"I activate 'White Elephant's Gift'! By sending 'Clavykis', a Normal Monster, to the graveyard, I can draw two cards!" Ruby said, her monster disappeared as she did so. "Now, I summon 'Magnificent Magikey Mafteal!'"
The monster from earlier appeared in full this time, revealing itself to be a humanized version of 'Clavykis'' gun (LV 4 Tuner / 1600 ATK). "When 'Mafteal' is summoned, I can revive a Normal or 'Magikey' monster from my grave! So come back, 'Clavykis'!" 'Mafteal' shot a bullet out from its gunhead, which landed on the floor to make a portal for the earlier monster to jump out of (LV 4 / 1900 ATK).
"Next, since I control a non-Effect monster, I can summon 'Ringowurm, the Dragon Guarding the Hundred Apples!'" A shining tree sprouted from the ground, and around it, a small yellow lizard with wide, leathery wrapped its long body the trunk (LV 2 Tuner / 100 ATK). "I also Normal Summon 'Elementsaber Molehu'!" She added, allowing a scythe wielding, grizzled man with dark blue hair and purple armor to appear next to the slim dragon (LV 4 / 1900 ATK).
"Molehu's effect activates! I can send 'Elementsaber Lapauila' from my hand to the graveyard in order to switch 'Starring Knight' into defense mode!" As Ruby discarded her monsters, 'Molehu' raised his blade, which began to spark with electricity. He swung, striking 'Starring Knight's' chest and forcing it onto its knees (1900 ATK 1000 DEF).
"Now, it's the Battle Phase! 'Mafteal' attacks 'Starring Knight'!" The djinn grinned widely and took in a deep breath, and began to charge a ball of energy at the gun chamber on its head.
"Before you do," Weiss interrupted. "I activate my 'Hierarchia's' effect from my graveyard. I can tribute my 'Starring Knight' and my 'Diviner of the Herald' in order to special summon it from my grave."
"Oh," Ruby muttered, deflated. The two monsters vanished from the field, and what replaced them was a large, angelic machine with six hands, six wings, and with a massive rocket thruster at the bottom of its body (LV 9 / 2900 DEF). "In addition, since I summoned 'Hierarchia' using two monsters as tributes, I can destroy one card you control. I choose your 'Ringowurm.'" The eyes of the metal angel glowed and fired beams of heavenly light at the tree, burning it down and slaying the dragon.
"Also, as my 'Diviner' was tributed, I get to special summon a Level 2 or lower Fairy monster, like 'Light Law Medium,' from my deck to my hand," Weiss said. Next to the giant angel, a much smaller girl with light-blue skin and long purple hair appeared, kneeling on the floor (LV 2 / 300 DEF).
"Oh… shoot!" Ruby cursed. "Well, that's no problem!"
"Is it really? I think I see you shaking, little girl," Weiss taunted a smug smirk crossing her pale face. Ruby frowned. And then she smiled.
"I'm shaking from excitement, because I got you…!" Ruby teased, making Weiss blink in confusion. "I guess I won't enter the Battle Phase right now. No biggie, cuz I can just activate the Spell Card 'Magikey Maftea'!" She exclaimed. As she slid into her deck slot, 'Mafteal' began to change, morphing into 'Clavykis'' signature gun. "Now, I can Fusion or Ritual Summon a 'Magikey' monster."
"Y-you tricked me?" Weiss breathed out in shock. She could barely believe it. She was outplayed? Impossible!
"Yuppers!" Ruby said. Weiss couldn't believe how embarrassed she was. She was outplayed by a person who says "yuppers". "And here's the kicker! Since I control a Normal monster, I can also send Normal monsters from my deck to the graveyard to fulfill the summoning requirements!"
"That means…"
"That means I can fuse the 'Mafteal' on my field and the 'Alexandrite Dragon' in my deck to fusion summon 'Magikey Dragon - Andrabime'!" Weiss scowled as a dragon with precious gems for scales appeared and flew into the chamber of the gun monsters. It fired, releasing a large green dragon with curved horns and a long prehensile tail (LV 8 / 2800 ATK).
"Impressive beast," Weiss grumbled begrudgingly. "But, it's still not as strong as 'Hierarchia'. You can't get past it."
"Well, that's because I haven't activated my monster's effect yet!" Ruby smirked. "Once per turn, 'Andrabime' can target one Normal monster in my graveyard, 'Alexandrite Dragon', and then, it wipes your field of every monster that shares 'Alexandrite Dragon's' attribute."
"'Alexandrite' is a LIGHT Attribute, which means–!" Weiss realized.
"Your scary angels go bye-bye! Give 'em what for, 'Andrabime'!" Ruby's new dragon roared as it opened its mouth. It began to charge a bright flame into its maw.
"Oh, you insufferable dolt!" Weiss cried out. She yelled in surprise, as 'Andrabime' doused her monster in fire, causing 'Hierarchia' to melt and explode, and 'Light Law Medium' to disintegrate.
"I should add that when a monster is destroyed, 'Andrabime's' other effect lets me draw a card!" Ruby said excitedly. She got this in the bag. "Now, I finally enter the Battle Phase, and–!"
"I activate Waboku!" Weiss cried out, her voice significantly angrier than before. Ruby blinked as a shield of energy wrapped around Weiss' body.
"Oh…" She said in a disappointed voice. 'Waboku' prevents her from dealing battle damage. "I-in that case, I'll Overlay my 'Clavykis' and 'Molehu' in order to summon 'Magikey Spirit - Vepartu,'" Ruby murmured half-heartedly (Rk 4 / 2000 ATK) / 2 OU). "I'll detach 'Molehu' to activate 'Vepartu's on summon effect, which will let me add a 'Megalosmasher X' to my hand" (2 OU to 1 OU). "I set two cards and end my turn."
"Finally," Weiss breathed out in relief. She took a moment to adjust her hair and dust off her dress. "It seems you have more skill than I anticipated. Congratulations, you actually managed to surprise me."
"Um… thanks, I guess?" Ruby murmured. "I still think you're a jerk."
"Do I look like I care?" Weiss sneered, making Ruby shrivel up slightly. "As you have shown your worth, I will have no issues crushing you like the ant you are. I draw." Without looking at the card, Weiss gestured to her field. "I activate 'Starring Knight's' effect from my Graveyard. I revive it, and attach 'Diviner of the Herald' as material."
"What!?" Ruby exclaimed. She watched as a dark portal appeared in front of her opponent, revealing the gold knight (Rk 4 / 1900 ATK / 1 OU). "Does it at least banish itself when it leaves the field?"
"No," Weiss growls flatly. "Once again, I activate 'Starring Knight's' effect. By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can special summon a LIGHT monster from my hand. I summon 'Star Seraph Scale'!" The Overlay Unit flew into the sword (1 OU to 0 OU), and it fired a beam into the ground, creating a set of scales made of gold and light (LV 4 / 1500 ATK).
"What an odd-looking monster…" Ruby breathed in wonder.
"At this point, 'Star Seraph Sovereignty's' effect activates when 'Scale' is summoned. I can summon it, then draw a card. If that card is a Star Seraph monster, then I'm allowed to Special Summon it!" Weiss slammed her card into the reader, which created the hologram of a golden chair next to the set of glowing scales (LV 4 / 2000 DEF). "Now, I draw!" Weiss yelled. She glanced at her new card, and smirked.
"I summon 'Star Seraph Scripture'," She said, summoning a light blue rectangle with a golden spine that opened in the middle, revealing glowing pages. "I activate 'Scripture's' effect. By sending 'Starring Knight' from my field to the Graveyard, I can summon forth 'Star Seraph Scepter' from my graveyard!" Again, the large staff appeared, this time glowing even brighter (LV 4 / 1800).
Ruby gulped. Weiss went from having no cards to having summoned five monsters with only a few moves. And by the looks of Weiss' elated expression, she wasn't done. "I then activate 'Scepter's' effect to add 'Star Seraph Saber' to my hand," She said with little fanfare.
"Now, I will begin the path to your loss," She said calmly as Ruby breathed. "I overlay 'Star Seraph Scepter', 'Star Seraph Scales', and 'Star Seraph Sovereignty' to build the Overlay Network!" She exclaimed, raising a hand to the air. Three orbs of light flew into the sky, and came crashing back down to a bright yellow galactic spiral.
"I Xyz Summon Number 102! Holy Lightning - Glorious Halo!"
Ruby was blinded when the Overlay Network imploded. When the vision returned, she was met with the sight of a large golden ring with a needle floating underneath it. As the needle began to bend, the halo began to break apart and rebuild itself, transforming into a giant glowing soldier wielding an equally massive bow.
[Number 102: Holy Lightning - Glorious Halo]
[Light / Fairy / Xyz / Effect]
[2500 ATK / 2000 DEF]
(Number 102: Holy Lightning - Glorious Halo & Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry)
(LIGHT & DIVINE)
"A N-Number…" Ruby breathed in surprise.
"Wh-what is that...?" The rabbit faunus gasped.
"Number card?" Somebody in the crowd whispered. "I've never seen anything like it!"
"It looks so powerful! Where can I get one?"
"How come she gets a one-of-a-kind card like that!?"
"Okay, here me out guys..."
Weiss smirked as her newest monster drew in the eyes of the crowd. She puffed out her chest, the praise increasing the size of her already massive ego. "If you think that's impressive, then watch this!" She pointed to one of the Overlay Units orbiting around Number 102. "As my Glorious Halo was summoned using 'Scepter' as material, I can destroy one monster you control, and draw 1 card."
"Oh no," Ruby muttered with wide eyes.
"Of course, that's not all. As Number 102 is considered a 'Star Seraph' monster, I can summon my second 'Sovereignty' from my hand as well, and draw an additional card!" Another golden chair appeared next to the angelic book and the humanoid monster.
"Glorious Halo! Eradicate 'Andrabime'!" The monster's face glowed; it pulled back on its bow and fired. A golden arrow pierced through the monster causing it to explode.
"Nooo…!" Ruby hissed in annoyance.
"I'm afraid I'm not done," Weiss interrupted. "'Scale' also grants my Halo an additional ability. As I summoned my 'Sovereignty', and 102 still has Overlay Units, I gain an additional draw." She said, smugly.
"Th-that's insane! You've already drawn so many times this turn!" Ruby cried out. Weiss smirked at her.
"Don't worry. I'm almost done. Since I've yet to use my Normal Summon, I'll go ahead and summon my 'Star Seraph Saber'!" Weiss said. Another angel made of metal appeared, this time taking the form of a large claymore (LV 4 / 2000 ATK). "I build the Overlay Network once more, this time Overlaying my Level 4 'Saber', 'Sovereignty', and 'Scriptures'! I Xyz Summon 'Vylon Disigma'!"
Another mechanical fairy appeared, this time with blackened metal adorning its lower body. Long claws extended from the main body as wide wings of gold and black steel flared out from the back (Rk 4 / 2500 ATK / 3 OU).
"I then activate 'Disigma's' effect! By detaching a unit, I can equip 'Vepartu' onto it!" Weiss shouted (3 OU to 2 OU). The Unit containing 'Saber' disappeared and the long arms extended to grab the enhanced gunman.
"Nope! I activate 'Magikey Battle'! I can shuffle my 'Mafteal' back into my deck, but that's not all! Since I chained it to 'Disigma's' effect, 'Vepartu' is immune to it!" Ruby quickly explained. 'Vepartu' fired at the darkened angel's arms, causing them to fly back.
"Very well. I enter my Battle Phase!" Weiss raised her hand and pointed at Ruby's sole monster. "Number 102: Holy Lightning - Glorious Halo attack, 'Magikey Spirit - Vepartu'!" The large, angelic warrior created an arrow made of pure light on its hand, and drew back on its bow.
"That means I can get rid of it!" Ruby exclaimed with joy. "I activate 'Vepartu's' second effect! By detaching 'Clavykis', and since 'Alexandrite Dragon' is a LIGHT monster just like 102, I can make you send it to the graveyard!" Her monster pointed its guns at the angel and fired. As the bullets crashed into its metal skin, they exploded, covering Weiss' field in dust and soot.
(3 OU to 2 OU)
For a moment Ruby smiled. But then, she noticed a light shimmering inside the clouds. She blinked, and the next thing she knew, an arrow pierced through her monster's chest (2000 ATK to 1000 ATK). "H-huh?" She stuttered.
"I activated Halo's effect," Weiss stated as the dust settled. "When a monster activates its effect, it can detach one of its Overlay Units to halve its ATK."
"B-but why how would that help? Even if its ATK is halved, Number 102 should still be in the graveyard!" Ruby cried out.
"Incorrect, as usual," Weiss gloated. "You see, any monster whose Current ATK is different from their Original ATK are not allowed to activate or resolve their effects."
"Ooooooh… oh no," Ruby blinked. Weiss smirked.
"Glorious Halo! LIGHTNING CLUSTER!" Glorious Halo summoned another arrow and shot 'Vepartu' again with it. The monster exploded, dealing massive damage to Ruby (4000 LP to 2500 LP)
"Would you look at that? Just enough for me to win," Weiss smirked. "'Disigma', end this!" The monster started to charge a sphere of energy.
Ruby grit her teeth as she saw the orb grow and grow in size, eventually becoming larger than her. "Fire!" Weiss shouted.
Ruby's eyes glittered brightly. "I activate–!"
However, both their Duel Disks shut off suddenly. The holograms of their monsters disappeared. "Eh?" Ruby blinked. She tapped the button to activate her Trap, but nothing happened. Number 102 lingered for a moment, but even it disappeared as well.
"So, there is where all of you have dawdled off too." Ruby and Weiss both got shivers up their spine. They and the crowd all turned around to see the Vice-Headmistress, Glynda, glaring at them. "I was wondering why there was a large section of empty seats in the amphitheater."
Ruby blinked. "Oh…" Orientation had already started, hadn't it? Even though she's not looking at her, she could feel Weiss' ice cold stare on the back of her head.
"Who started this?" Glynda asked.
"She did," Weiss and Ruby spoke in unison, pointing at each other.
DNF
No Victor
[Number 39: King of Wishes - Hope]
[LIGHT / Rank 4]
[Warrior / Xyz / Effect]
[2500 ATK / 2000 DEF]
2 Level 4 Monsters
(This card's name is also always treated as "Number 39: Utopia".)
While this Xyz Summoned card from the Extra Deck has Xyz Material, it's attribute is also always treated as DIVINE, and your opponent cannot remove this card from the field (by battle or card effect), except by "Number" Xyz monsters, DIVINE monsters, or cards empowered by the Numeron Code, also, your opponent cannot tribute this card. This effect cannot be negated. When a monster declares an attack, or activates an effect that targets a monster you control: you can detach one material from this card; negate that attack or effect. If an opponent's monster declares an attack or activates an effect that targets a card you control while this card has no material: you can destroy this card, and if you do, inflict 1000 damage to yourself and negate that attack or effect.
[Number 102: Holy Lightning - Glorious Halo]
[LIGHT / Rank 4]
[Fairy / Xyz / Effect]
[2500 ATK / 2000 DEF]
3 Level 4 LIGHT Monsters
(This card's name is also always treated as "Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry".)
While this Xyz Summoned card from the Extra Deck has Xyz Material, it's attribute is also always treated as DIVINE, and your opponent cannot remove this card from the field (by battle or card effect), except by "Number" Xyz monsters, DIVINE monsters, or cards empowered by the Numeron Code, also, your opponent cannot tribute this card. This effect cannot be negated. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 monster your opponent controls; halve the target's ATK. If this face-up card on the field would be destroyed, you can detach all of its Xyz Material instead. If you do, all monsters your opponent controls lose 250 ATK for each material detached this way. Monsters your opponent controls whose Current ATK is not equal to their Original ATK cannot activate or resolve their effects.
[Star Seraph Scripture]
[LIGHT / Level 4]
[Fairy / Effect]
[1600 ATK / 1400 DEF]
During the Main Phase, you can send one card from your hand or field to the GY: Special Summon 1 "Star Seraph" monster from your hand or GY. If this card is in your GY: you can target 1 "Star Seraph" card in your GY or face-up banishment; shuffle this card back into the deck, and if you do, add the target to your hand.
[Star Seraph Saber]
[LIGHT / Level 4]
[Fairy / Effect]
[1900 ATK / 1000 DEF]
If this card is in your GY (Quick Effect): You can banish this card from your GY, then target one monster your opponent controls; it loses 500 ATK. An Xyz Monster that was summoned using 3 or more monsters, including this card on the field, as Xyz Material gains this effect.
· Once per turn, you can detach all Xyz Material from this card (min. 2): draw 1 card for each monster your opponent controls whose Current ATK is lower than their Original ATK, then shuffle cards from your hand back into the Deck equal to the number of Xyz Material detached to activate this effect.
[A/N]
Woah! That was a much longer chapter than I thought it would be! I was originally going to go ahead and leave Ruby vs Weiss for a second chapter, but I found a decklist for Magikey that I really wanted to use!… only to find out halfway through the duel that Elementsabers and Magikeys do not synergize. At all.
Big oof.
The main problem is that the Extra Deck / Ritual Magikey monsters have effects dependent on the attributes of NORMAL or MAGIKEY monsters in the gy. I don't know if you noticed, but Elementsabers are neither normal or magikeys. I have no idea what the chef was trying to cook; he didn't even make the dough rise. Needless to say, they won't be appearing again anytime soon.
Before we leave, I wanted to talk about the Decks I assigned to Salem, Ruby, and Weiss in this chapter.
First is Salem. For those not in the know, the "Evilswarm" Archetype was born from a virus after the defeat of the Steelwarms; their predecessors. This infection corrupted multiple Duel Terminal archetypes; it was even capable of reviving the three Ice Barrier Dragons.
Throughout the course of RWBY, Salem manipulates those around her, almost corrupting them (literally, for some characters), transforming them into the worst version of themselves for her own gain. So, the Evilswarm monsters are fitting.
Interestingly, "Evilswarm Bahamut" does not exist yet.
Next is Ruby. She's supposed to be a simple, honest soul, a person that leads towards the light at the end of the tunnel. But she's not unique in that regard. Ruby, silver eyes or not, Number cards or not, would still try to help those suffering. So, she has Magikey, an archetype focused on Normal Monsters, and later, she will obtain support for Utopia: Hope.
I'd also like to talk about the Numbers' new abilities. All Number monsters will receive (probably overpowered) retrains. Considering most modern decks can practically sneeze in their general direction to get rid of them, I feel it's fitting to increase the power. It also increases the stakes, because when you see that galactic Overlay Network, you know shits gonna go down.
In addition, Utopia now inflicts damage to Ruby to protect her other monsters. One of my favorite scenes in season 9 is when Ruby snaps, particularly because I think it's one of the more well written scenes in that arc. You can really feel how frustrated, hurt and confused she from her voice, props to Lindsay Rose for her performance. However, I always felt as though it sort of came out of nowhere? Ruby has had multiple stressors on her ever since the beginning of the series, but the writers feel like they never really do anything substantial with it until season 9. Like, it I get it comes after an incredibly dramatic and traumatic experience, but its weird that Ruby doesn't have a character arc until this point in the story.
Here, it's much more apparent that Ruby's method of dealing with her emotions and trauma is self-destructive, that bottling up her feelings and refusing to reach out to her friends or her sister or letting them help her will only hurt her and everyone else in the long run. On that cheerful note, I do plan to have seen where Ruby uses Utopia's last ability to protect someone, only for it to KO her and have her team lose because Utopia wasn't there, because Hope was lost.
In terms of her other cards, she also has a small DinoRabbit package and plays both Rank 4 Evolzar Xyz monsters. For her Magikey boss monsters, she only has Magikeys Ansyalabolas, Andrabime, Verpatu (which is her Ace), and Batosbuster.
(As an aside, I find it odd that nobody really gives Ruby a ZW/ZS deck whenever they give her a yugioh deck. Like, they're robot animals that turn into powerful weapons, canon Ruby would probably be in love and salivate the moment she sees those.)
That, and the only Synchro she has is Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier.
Last is Weiss. Right now, she's not playing her own deck.
The "Star Seraphs" are a powerful draw engine. But, this is less of a reflection of Weiss as a person, and more so of reflection the SDC, and Jacques, as a whole. This is especially evident by Saber's ability; removing all material to draw. However, the Numbers only have their protection through their xyz material. They just want more wealth, more cards, everything else be damned.
To that end, Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry is a representation of how oppressive the company is. You try to fight back? You'll be punished. You're not strong enough to work long, unfair hours in dangerous conditions? You'll be punished. You're following the rules? Fuck you, we're still going to milk every inch of money we can from you anyways.
Other than the Star Seraph's, Weiss really have her own strategies. Her deck is a hodgepodge of fairy monsters that don't really support each other, and if they do, its not in a way that significantly advances the game state in any significant way. emblematic of her homelife. As she develops, she'll receive a more defined deck and archetype to play with. It might be Fairy LIGHT, it might not be, but it also won't be so focused on negates.
So, we've arrived at the end. I would like to write more, but right now, I've got a Sonic Movie 3 trailer that needs to be watched over and over again. So, what did you guys think? What sort of decks do you want to see, piloted by our main characters or antagonists? What Numbers should they use?
How long will the next chapter take to come out? Who knows.
K bye.