Mario was shown closing his locker as he prepared to return to his dorm. Following his first-round win with Dahlia, the boy was looking to get some rest despite not breaking a sweat during his duel. As he headed across campus, he was stopped by two sisters fuming at the mouth upon seeing the boy.
"What?" asked Mario.
"You lied to us!" yelled Zipp.
"You said you had no interest in entering!" added Pipp.
"You guys are stuck on that?" asked Mario, as he didn't see the big deal.
"What did Dahlia say to you to get you to be her partner?" asked Zipp.
"What blackmail does she have that we don't know?" said Pipp.
The two sisters slowly approached the boy, surrounded him on both sides, and wanted to know why Mario chose Dahlia as his partner instead of one of them.
"Why did you choose her?!" said both sisters in unison.
"Simple. She doesn't annoy or pester me like you guys do occasionally. And two… she's cute," responded the teen.
Mario began to walk away as the duo was left to process his words. He didn't quite hear their response, but based on their shouting, he was glad he didn't stick around for their berating.
Mario was shown approaching the school library. He was set to meet with his tag partner to discuss some things. As he walked in, he stumbled upon the girl on top of a chair, trying to put some books away. Upon entering, Mario heard some familiar singing.
" Oh, how I just love to clean. Clean the library room! Just takes a flash of light, and then it all goes boom! A flash and then a big boom! "
"If you blow up the library, where will we put the books?" asked Mario as he entered.
" A flash and then a big— Bah! What are you doing here, Mario?!" said Dahlia, as she almost fell off the chair when she heard the boy's voice.
"You said we should meet here. That and I heard singing," remarked the boy.
"You were watching me again, weren't you?" responded Dahlia with a heavy sigh as she exited the chair.
"Well… your skill is impressive, I'll admit!"
"Oh, today of all days! I knew I should've chosen a different song…"
"A different song? Like what?"
"Any of them! The box song! Or maybe the dungeon song?"
"Now those sound interesting," stated Mario.
"No, they're just regular songs! Oh, forget it. While you're here, can you help me clean up? I need the books on that shelf up there, but I can't reach them…"
"Oh, sure. No problem."
The boy set his backpack down and grabbed Dahlia's books from the table. As he went to put them away, he turned to look at the girl, who stared back at him.
"What? You're not going to sing anymore?" asked the teen.
"No way! It's too embarrassing! And that song isn't even finished, anyway," stated the girl.
"Ah, that's too bad. I wanted to hear what happened after the library was blown away."
"Hey… Don't look at me like that! OK, fine. If you insist, I'll sing just a bit more…" stated Dahlia as she took a moment to compose herself, " Oh, how I just love to clean. Clean the library room! Just takes a flash of light, and then it all goes boom!"
"..."
" A flash and then a big boom, suddenly the deed is done! My! What a great job I did! Who says cleaning isn't fun? "
"Huh?" said Mario as Dahlia finished the little tune she made up. "That doesn't really explain what happened with the library. Maybe they'll build a new one?"
"Ugh, this is so embarrassing…" remarked Dahlia as she just wanted to hide from her humiliating scene.
The next day came, and everybody was excited to see the rest of the tournament continue.
"Good morning, students. After a thrilling first round yesterday, we continue with our tag tournament. Now then, let's see which teams will be battling first!" said Principal Celestia as she turned everybody's attention to the screen.
The computer began to randomize its selection as the remaining participants looked on. Soon, it calculated the results and flashed four individuals on the screen.
"The first tag duel of the day will be Izzy and Roll against Posey and Sugar Moonlight!" said Vice-Principal Luna.
The four students appeared as they entered the building and got on the field. Sunny and the others were seated behind their friends, who were looking to cheer them on. Mario and Dahlia were by themselves, looking over the railing on the top balcony level.
"Why do we have to be here? Can't we just sit with the others," asked Dahlia.
"You can if you want. Me… I like to have a bird' s-eye view," said Mario as he continued to watch.
"You really are like your heroes," muttered Dahlia, as Mario's gaze over the entire field felt like that of an actual superhero watching over the city for any signs of trouble.
"Alright, are the teams ready!" shouted Celestia as all four girls were shown strapping on their rectangular devices and slotted in their decks as their energy card trays ejected out. "Then let's… begin!"
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said the devices as all four linked up and projected the portraits of the teens.
Izzy and Roll's Life Points: 8000-
Posey and Sugar's Life Points: 8000-
"Izzy and Roll will take the first move," stated Luna.
"Hey, Iz. Care if I start this time?" asked Roll.
"All yours!" saluted the girl to her friend.
Turn 1: Roll (Hand 5)
"Thanks. Now then… let's get it!" said Roll as she drew her card and looked at it before adding it to her hand to analyze her first move. "Time to see if you two can swim with the sharks. I activate the continuous spell card, Sea Lord's Amulet. All my Water monsters are safe from your destruction cards with this in play. However, this card is destroyed at the end of your third turn."
"Smart play by Roll. Being able to secure her monsters' safety right off the bat," commented Sunny.
"Next up, I'm summoning Depth Shark(1400/0)!" A set of red eyes appeared before it swam from the darkness and deepest parts of the ocean and appeared from a whirlpool. "When I control no monsters, I can summon this guy without making a sacrifice. With that, I end my turn."
"I was expecting a move with a little more bite to it," responded Izzy to her partner.
"Don't worry, Iz. I'll show my teeth when the time's right," remarked Roll to her friend. She acted like a shark, waiting for the right time to pounce on its prey.
Turn 2: Posey (Hand 5)
"Then it's my move," stated Posey as she went to draw.
"And now my Depth Shark's ability activates."
"What?! It's my turn. You can't do that!" complained Posey.
"Oh, yes, I can," smiled Roll. "Depth Shark's ability allows it to double its current attack point during your Standby Phase and until the end of the turn."
"I want a recount!" said Posey as she looked to both principals to justify Roll's actions for not playing fair by not telling her everything about her monster.
"It's fair, Ms. Posey. Roll is in the clear," said Luna. "Now, get on with your turn!"
"Ugh, some help," groaned the girl as she continued. "I'll play the spell card, Rose Bell of Revelation. Now, I can add one plant monster with 2400 or more attack points from my deck to my hand. Next, I play the field spell, White Rose Cloister."
The field around the four girls began to change, creating a cloister with tons of white rose bushes around them.
"I now activate the effect of my field spell. Since I control no monsters, I can special summon one plant-type monster from my hand. So I'll summon the monster I just added, Queen Angel of Roses(2400/1300)!" A monster appeared as she wore a dress made entirely of roses, and her angel wings were also comprised of flowers while wielding a sword.
"I then place one card facedown."
Turn 3: Izzy (Hand 5)
"My turn. Here I go!" stated the girl with an excited smile. "I'll begin by summoning my Scrap Raptor(1400/1000)!" A dino-like monster made of junk parts appeared and let out a screech. "Now my monster's ability activates. I target one monster and destroy it. So I choose my Raptor." The girl's monster exploded as the metal parts rusted away. "By doing that, my Raptor's second effect triggers. Since it was destroyed by a 'Scrap' effect and sent to my graveyard, I can add the field spell, Scrap Factory, to my hand. Then… I'll play it!"
Izzy slotted her card in as she and Roll's side of the field now changed. The rose gardens on their side wilted away and were replaced by metal piles of junk, and behind the two girls was the factory that emitted smog and gas.
"Now that my factory is open for business, I now use the third ability of Scrap Raptor, which allows me to make an additional summon this turn. So make way for Scrap Kong(2000/0)!" A gorilla-like monster made of jun pieces appeared as it banged its chest. "My Scrap Kong's ability activates. When I normal summon it, it gets instantly destroyed."
Izzy's monster then rusted away, leaving a pile of metal in its place. At that moment, steam emitted from the top funnels of the factory as a loud whistle alarm rang out. A crane arm appeared, and the pile of metal was picked up before depositing it on the conveyor belt at the factory entrance as it headed inside.
"My factory kicks into high gear with my Scrap Kong being destroyed. First, since a card effect destroyed a 'Scrap' monster, my field spell allows me to replace it. So I summon Scrap Unicorn(1700/1500) from my deck!" A unicorn made of junk appeared; steam emitted from its nostrils, and it raised on its hind legs, kicking its front legs up high as the horn on its head gleamed with power. "Next, I'll activate my Scrap Kong's ability. Since it was destroyed by a 'Scrap' effect and sent to my graveyard, I can select a 'Scrap' monster in my graveyard and add it to my hand. So I'll take back my Scrap Raptor."
Izzy's duel disk ejected her card as she grabbed it. As she added it to her hand, Izzy looked at her duel screen as it was asking her if she wanted to trigger her unicorn's ability. She touched her screen to get an overlook of the field as she clicked confirm and thrust her hand out.
"I'll now activate my Scrap Unicorn's ability. I can target one 'Scrap' monster from my graveyard and summon it. So my Scrap Kong returns!" The mechanical-like gorilla appeared as it pounded the ground. "Now, my monster's additional effect allows me to destroy a card. So I'll get rid of your Queen Angel of Roses." Izzy's steed aimed its horn as power pulsed from it and fired a beam; it made contact with the flower angel as she burst into a sea of red petals.
"Now… I'll tune my Level 3 Scrap Unicorn with my Level 4 Scrap Kong!" said Izzy as her steed turned into three giant green rings that circled its comrade, who turned into four white stars that lined up with a yellow light surging through. "I Synchro Summon! Scrap Archfiend(2700/1800)!" Emerging from a junk pile was Izzy's fiend. The giant hand horns on its head and wings as steam emitted from it with the circuits running at full power.
"Lastly, my field spell gives all my 'Scrap' monsters an extra 200 attack and defense points," stated the girl (2700/1800 2900/2000).
"I end my turn."
"Nice turn, Izzy," smiled Roll at her teammate.
Turn 4: Sugar
"My turn. I'll summon my Cyber Gymnast(800/1800) in defense mode." An acrobatic appeared on Sugar's field as she took a defensive position. "I then activate the effect of my monster. I can destroy one faceup attack position monster by discarding one card from my hand. So, I'll choose to destroy Izzy's Scrap Archfiend." In the blink of an eye, Izzy's monster exploded as she raised an arm to cover up.
"With my monster being destroyed, my field spell kicks in. So I'll replace my Scrap Archfiend with my Scrap Golem(2300/1400). And don't forget, he gets 200 attack and defense points due to my field spell!" stated the girl (2300/1400 2500/1600).
"Well, I activate my Quick Summon spell card. This allows me to normal summon one monster from my hand. So, joining the battle is Cyber Petit Angel(300/200) in defense mode. And when she's summoned, I can add one 'Cyber Angel' or a 'Machine Angel Ritual' to my hand from my deck. And I'll choose to add my spell, but it won't stay in my hand for long because I'll play my Machine Angel Ritual. With that done, I can perform a ritual summon using my two monsters!"
Both of Sugar's monsters vanished as they entered a magical gate that revealed the outline of her new monster that she was bringing out.
"I Ritual Summon! Say hello to Cyber Angel Benten(1800/1500)!" A ninja warrior appeared as she wielded a fan with a chain connected at the end, which she held in her other hand and struck a fighting stance. "Now, Cyber Angel Benten, attack Roll's Depth Shark!" The female warrior threw her weapon as it sliced and diced Roll's shark into pieces before exploding, making the girl flinch and cover-up.
Roll and Izzy's Life Points: 7600-
"Normally, Benten's special ability allows her to deal you damage equal to the original defense points of the monster she destroyed. But since your Depth Shark didn't have any, you lucked out. But don't think you're safe just yet. I place one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 5: Roll (Hand 4)
"My turn, I draw! And I summon Double Fin Shark(1000/1200)! And when this shark swims to the surface, it counts as two monsters when I use it to Xyz Summon!" stated Roll as her monster quickly made a second copy of itself appear. "I overlay Double Fin Shark to build the Overlay Network!" Her monster then transformed into two lights combined into one as it entered a portal that opened before her. A pillar of light exploded when the orb entered. "Let your roar create tidal waves in every ocean! I Xyz Summon! Bahamut Shark(2600/2100, OLU: 1)!" A tall and giant shark appeared as it stood on its hind legs and let out a roar. It was white and blue and appeared to have four giant fins on its back.
"I use one overlay unit to activate Bahamut Shark's ability. Go, Divine Soul!" shouted Roll as her monster ate its circling material, making its mouth glow before the power transferred and coursed throughout its entire body. "Now I can summon one Rank 3 or lower Water Xyz monster from my Extra Deck. Here comes Number 47: Nightmare Shark(2000/2000, OLU: 1)!" Another shark appeared as this one had the body of a leviathan with sharp, long claws for arms and spread out its wing span to let out a roar. "When Nightmare Shark is summoned, its ability activates. It transforms a Level 3 Water monster into an overlay unit from my hand or field. So I'll attach my Drill Barnacle!"
Roll's monster appeared momentarily before it transformed into an orb of light and shot toward her new monster as it circled it.
"I now activate Nightmare Shark's ability! By using an overlay unit, I can target one Water monster I control and have it attack you two directly this turn. Reel 'em in, Nightmare Shark! Direct Effect!" shouted Roll as her monster opened its mouth to fire a stream of energy at her opponents. The attack knocked Posey and Sugar off their feet as they hit the ground.
Posey and Sugar's Life Points: 6000-
"Why didn't your sister choose her Bahamut Shark? It has more attack points," said Dahlia.
"Because Bahamut Shark can't attack the turn, it uses its special ability," explained Mario to his teammate.
"Due to Nightmare Shark's ability, no other monsters of mine can attack the turn it uses its effect. So for now… I place one card facedown."
"Before you end your turn, I'll activate my facedown. Spellbook Organization. Now I look at the top three cards of my deck and rearrange them in any order I want," said Posey. She flipped over her top three cards and put the second card on top, followed by the third and first.
Why play that card?
"Nice move by Roll. She dealt damage and brought out two powerful monsters to protect her and Izzy," commented Sunny.
"Though, I wonder what Posey is thinking," said Hitch as he was too curious why she activated her spell.
Turn 6: Posey (Hand 3)
"Now that it's my turn again, my field spell activates. So, I have to declare a card type before I draw my card. If I reveal it and it's what I say, my field spell will give me a special effect. So, as for the card I'm about to draw, I declare it's a monster."
"That's why she played her spell before I ended my turn," remarked Roll.
"Now to reveal…" said Posey as she drew her card and smiled. "It's a monster. More specifically, it's Twilight Rose Knight(1000/1000), which I'll summon!" A small knight dressed in armor and a cape appeared as they wielded a sword. "When Twilight Rose Knight is normal summoned, I can summon a Level 4 or lower Plant-type monster from my hand. So, joining the fray is Rose Fairy(600/1200)."
"A tuner monster? That's not good for them," said Zipp.
"I tune my Level 3 Twilight Rose Knight with my Level 3 Rose Fairy," said Posey as her knight turned into three giant green rings that circled its comrade, turning into three white stars lined up with a yellow light surging through. "I Synchro Summon! Splendid Rose(2200/2000)!" A woman appeared wearing a latex suit that was half-red and green; near her ankles were bushes while vines came out from her sleeves before disappearing.
"I activate Splendid Rose's special ability. By removing one plant-type monster from my graveyard, I can cut the attack points of one of your monsters in half. So I remove my Queen Angel of Rose to cut your Bahamut Shark's strength in half!" stated Posey as her monster made some vines appear. They wrapped around Roll's monster as it sucked some of its strength away. "Now, Splendid Rose, take it out."
Posey's monster put its hands together before extending them out as it made a vine appear, and she threw it out like a whip. It made contact with Roll's monster as it exploded, and the girl covered up again.
Roll and Izzy's Life Points: 5100-
"With that, I end my turn with a facedown."
Turn 7: Izzy (Hand 5)
"My move. To start, I'll activate my Scrap Golem's special ability. So, I choose to revive my Scrap Unicorn." stated Izzy as her monster rose from a portal. "Next, I'll summon my Scrap Raptor once more. Just like before, I'll activate my monster's ability. So it gets destroyed."
Izzy's monster exploded and turned into a pile of metal. At that moment, the factory's alarm went off as a crane grabbed the junk and deposited it on the conveyor belt.
"Now that a 'Scrap' effect destroyed my Raptor, I can add a non-tuner 'Scrap' monster to my hand. Then, my field spell triggers. So, I'll replace my Scrap Raptor with my Scrap Worm(500/100)." The ground opened up as a small metal worm appeared before the girl. "And not only does he get the bonus from my field spell, but his special ability allows him to attack you two directly."
At Izzy's command, her worm disappeared back into its hole. It then jumped out from the ground and fired some oil at Sugar and Posey, who covered up.
Sugar and Posey's Life Points: 5300-
"Then, I'll activate the quick-play spell card, Scrap Sheen. By destroying my Scrap Worm, I can give all my other monsters 1000 extra attack points until the end of the turn!" stated Izzy.
"Smart play by Izzy," remarked Mario as Dahlia merely turned her head to look at her partner. "Scrap Worm's effect destroys itself at the end of the battle phase. So since it's gonna get destroyed regardless, Izzy used it to her advantage by playing a card that not only gets rid of it but boosts her monsters' strength so that they can now have a chance to attack this turn."
"Scrap Unicorn, take out Cyber Angel Benten!"
"I activate my facedown! Doble Passe!" said Sugar as she touched her duel screen, and her card flipped up. "With this trap, I can change your monster's attack on my monster into a direct attack!"
The steed then changed course as it leaped over Cyber Angel Benten and headed straight for Sugar; she covered up and took the hit as she dropped to a knee.
Posey and Sugar's Life Points: 2600-
"Why did you do that?" asked Izzy.
"Because my trap card now allows my monster that you were about to attack to wage a direct attack on you!" said Sugar as her Cyber Angel Benten leaped and landed before Izzy to deliver her blow. The girl covered up as she dropped to a knee.
Roll and Izzy's Life Points: 3300-
"You okay, Izzy?" asked Roll to her teammate.
"Yeah…. Now, Scrap Golem, take out Splendid Rose!" commanded Izzy as her monster opened its refrigerator body to fire a cold stream of air.
"I reveal Rose Blizzard! Thanks to this trap, I can change your Scrap Golem into defense mode and negate your attack!" stated Posey as she stopped Izzy's attack with the cold blizzard colliding with a rose petal blizzard.
"Well, I end my turn."
Turn 8: Sugar (Hand 1)
"My turn. I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Cyber Petit Angel. And when I bring back my monster, I can add another 'Machine Angel Ritual' spell card to my hand. Then… I'll play it, so I'll use Posey's Splendid Rose and my Cyber Petit Angel to perform a ritual summon!" said Sugar as the two monsters vanished, and her new monster appeared. "Meet Cyber Angel Izana(2500/2600)!" A female four-armed warrior wearing blue armor appeared, holding a lance with one hand holding an axe.
"When I ritual summon my Cyber Angel Izana, you two have to choose a spell or trap card to get rid of."
"I'll choose to get rid of my Sea Lord's Amulet!" stated Roll as her spell vanished.
"Now… Cyber Angel Benten, attack Scrap Golem!" shouted Sugar as her monster leaped toward the giant junk and took it down. "And don't forget Benten's ability. Now you take damage equal to Scrap Golem's original defense points!" stated Sugar.
Roll and Izzy's Life Points: 1900-
"Now, Cyber Angel Izana, take out Scrap Unicorn!" instructed Sugar as Izzy's mechanical steed exploded, resulting in the two covering up.
Roll and Izzy's Life Points: 1300-
"Next, I activate Cyber Angel Izana's special ability. It can be allowed a second attack when it destroys a monster in battle and sends it to the graveyard. So now… it's gonna take out Nightmare Shark!" instructed Sugar as her monster turned its attention toward the last monster on Roll and Izzy's field as it jumped to raise her lance.
"I activate my facedown, Hide and Shark! Since we have less than 2000 Life Points, I can banish my shark to end the battle!" said Roll as her card flipped up, and their final monster vanished just as Sugar's monster swung and missed. "I know it's a risky price; we have to give up half our Life Points so I can banish my shark."
Sugar's monster then turned to look at Roll and Izzy as she threw out a slash attack that made contact with both girls as they fell onto the ground hard. Both groaned as they took a moment before getting on their hands and knees.
Roll and Izzy's Life Points: 750-
"You barely managed to survive," responded Sugar as Roll got to a knee.
"But at least we did… Now Hide and Shark's other effect activates! My Nightmare Shark swims back onto my field, and it gets attack points equal to the number of Life Points we lost!" said Roll as her monster appeared stronger.
"But because you banished your monster, you removed its overlay unit. So that means you can't use its ability to attack us directly," remarked Posey as while Roll now had the stronger monster, she couldn't end the turn using her monster's special powers.
"I end my turn," said Sugar.
Turn 9: Roll (Hand 2)
"It's your move, Roll!" said Izzy.
"I draw!" yelled the girl as she looked at the card she got. "Since I control a water monster, I can summon this creature without making a sacrifice. Swim on out, Cyber Shark(2100/2000)! Next, I'm playing the spell card Aqua Mirage! This creates a copy of my Cyber Shark, which can count as a monster when I Xyz Summon." Roll's monster appeared as a water-like mirage appeared next to it. "Okay, now I overlay my Level 5 Cyber Shark and Aqua Mirage to build the Overlay Network!" Roll's spell and monster turned into orbs of light that hovered in the air. A portal opened up as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light exploded.
"Purify chaos with your scared water! I Xyz Summon, Number 73: Abyss Splash(2400/1400, OLU: 2)!"
Emerging was a tall, blue-skinned warrior wearing blue armor slashed with gold and adorned with aquamarine-colored stones. It wore a gold headpiece on its forehead set with the same aquamarine-colored stones; its green eyes lit up with power before raising the gold staff it held as it glowed.
"Nice monster, but my Cyber Angel Izana is stronger than it."
"Yeah, for now… until I play this. The spell card, Armored Xyz!" said Roll, holding her final card in her hand for all to see. "The power of this card allows me to equip one monster on my field with one Xyz monster in my graveyard! Bahamut Shark, rise and equip onto Abyss Splash!" The girl's monster appeared as its spirit was transferred to its comrade. "Abyss Splash's attack points become the same as the monster that equipped itself onto it. So it has Bahamut Shark's attack points."
"Oh no," remarked Sugar as she knew what that meant.
"Now… Nightmare Shark, attack Cyber Angel Benten!" said Roll as her first shark fired a steam of water from its mouth that blasted away its target, causing Posey and Sugar to cover up.
Posey and Sugar's Life Points: 2350-
"Now, Abyss Splash, take out Cyber Angel Izana!"
Roll's tall warrior raised his staff and swung it as it took out the female warrior, making Posey and Sugar drop to a knee, respectively.
Posey and Sugar's Life Points: 2250-
"I now activate the other effect of my Armored Xyz. By sending Bahamut Shark to the graveyard, Abyss Splash can attack again. But that's not all; I'll activate Abyss Splash's special ability. Using an overlay unit, Abyss Splash can double his attack points until the end of the battle."
"4800 attack points!" said Posey and Sugar as they saw how powerful Roll's monster was.
"Do it, Abyss Splash! Final Fall!"
With the command given by Roll, her monster absorbed one of its materials into its staff as it glowed with power. The tall warrior then made a huge wave of water appear, and Posey and Sugar could only look at it. The wave came crashing down on the pair as they were washed away and taken off their feet. The wave ceased as Posey and Sugar lay on the ground.
Posey and Sugar's Life Points: 0-
Winners: Roll and Izzy
"Ladies and gentlemen, the team moving on to the next round is Roll and Izzy!" said Vice-Principal Luna as their portraits appeared on the screen behind her.
"Way to play, Roll!" said Izzy to her partner as she got up.
"Thanks, Iz," smiled the girl to her friend.
"Looks like your sister is moving on," responded Dahlia.
"I had no doubt," said Mario, smiling at his sister. "That just means we might have to face them. That is, assuming you'll be ready for that."
"As long as I got you, I think I'll be ready for anything," stated the girl.
Mario didn't respond; he just kept his attention moving forward. At the same time, a certain pop star was looking in his general direction as she was far from done with the boy who rejected her offer to team up. The same could be said for a certain heiress who had her issues with the boy in question.
Author's Note: The Tag Tournament continues as Izzy and Roll have secured their spot in the next round. As for Mario... it seems he's gotten in his own hot water with both Pipp and Zipp for not only declining each of their offer to be their partner, but to go for another girl in Dahlia as his partner after he rejected them both. Either way, this tournament continues and in the end, only one pair can win it.