ARC V - Wings of the Dragons: Synchro Saga

by SurvivorTierEXO

Book 2: Smile happens if you win, right? Enter the Synchro Dimension. A dystopia divided by two sides: the Commons, the poverty-stricken masses, and the Tops: the wealthier and urban elite groups. Winning is everything. A wall between two sides that cannot be crossed. That's where Yasuko Yukihana comes in. She will do everything to help Yuya Sakaki realize the dream of smiling now.

3. Chapter 3: The Topsiders

Disclaimer: I do not own the properties of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise or the work of the cards; I only own the OCs that could or may be involved in this series. I own nothing of the real OCG cards, just the formal OC character.

---

Chapter 3: The Tops; Yasuko Yukihana vs. Mikey

---

The journey to Neo Domino City begins. Upon exiting the apartment, Yasuko finds herself in the middle of the sidewalk, looking upwards at the skyscrapers over her.

She can hardly believe this is called a city. Unlike Maiami City, Neo Domino City is much like Tokyo, only more high-tech than the other one. She doesn't even know where to start. She must consider Neo Domino City to be as big as Tokyo. If she were back in Tokyo, she would first find a city map where she could get a dictionary for all the buildings, the names of the streets, and a place with the Internet.

Lua and Luna's house is out of the picture. Reason? She doesn't want to touch somebody's stuff and invade their privacy. She must find a library with free Wi-Fi and a place to eat. Speaking of food, she doesn't know how long she is asleep. Lua said she had been sleeping since yesterday, so she must find a place to eat. The only real question is, where is she going to go?

Yasuko feels like it's the first day of Maiami City all over again, only this time, she is alone. She looked at the buildings around her. She's seen other cities with marvelous skyscrapers from photos Chloe sends to her on her photography trips. Still, this one's out of the ordinary.

Even the citizens of the so-called Tops the twins mentioned are different. They are all rich. She doesn't know economics, but if she can guess, the rich are always on top, making them wealthy and powerful in both financial, class, and social status. They seem to have expensive clothes that Yasuko or Chloe couldn't afford.

"So, this is what it looks like for the rich, huh?" Yasuko wondered. "I can't wait to see what this city holds." She started walking with her head looking upwards, unaware she bumped into a man in front of her.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" the man shouted, turning around to face Yasuko angrily. The man paused, examining the girl with eyes narrowing down on her. "Wait for a second, who the hell are you?" he demanded, his breath smelled of cigarettes and smoke.

Before Yasuko could even retort, Luna's voice calls her from behind. "Oh, there you are, Cousin Rinke!" Yasuko turns around, spotting the twins running up to her.

Lua pants, bending his knees with exhaustion. "We've been looking all over for you, cousin," he said exaggeratedly. "My dear sister and I were lost. I'm so sorry we had you worried." He stands up straight to give the man a sheepish smile. "Clumsy ol' me. I forgot to check the time."

Yasuko had no idea what to do with the twins, who acted as if they knew her when they had just met about three hours ago. She decides to play along with their façade.

"Well, you should have," Yasuko responded in her normality. She doesn't want other people to notice her, so she needs to keep it cool. "I was worried about you two." Yasuko brings the twins to hug them as if she's a worried mother looking for her children. Her mouth was so close to their ears that and whispered, "Don't tell anyone who I am."

Luna nodded slightly and patted Yasuko's back. "I promise we will never do it again," she wailed, faking her expression to fool the others.

The man seemed unconvinced and made a demand. "I said, who are you?"

Yasuko mentally curses in her head, already frustrated with the man who is suspicious of her.

Lua and Luna held Yasuko's hands. "She's our cousin, Rinke," Lua began.

"Who happens to be visiting us for the weekend," Luna added.

"Birmingham Boarding School for Gifted Youngsters," Lua mustered. "Yeah, she isn't used to seeing the changes here, mister, so please don't be too hard on her."

Luna makes it even more convincing by hugging Yasuko as if she's a lost child. "We promise it won't happen again," she said.

The man eases up on his gaze, confiding himself to see the innocent look on the twin's face. "Well then, you, kids, better be careful," he said before the man leaves, grumbling something Yasuko doesn't hear.

Luna and Lua sighed with relief and then turned to Yasuko, angered by her irrational decision to leave their apartment.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Lua advised, pulling Yasuko's hand to make her follow him.

Wherever the twins are taking Yasuko, it is something that will get them off their backs from the other citizens. She doesn't know why, but Yasuko might need the twins for the time being, especially when citizens give her strange looks. The twins lead Yasuko into a plaza where many people are going on with their lives, ignoring the three youngsters.

"Look, miss, you can't just walk off thinking you belong here," Lua cautioned. "This residential place is for the people from the Tops only."

"Lua's right," Luna agreed. "Everyone here knows each other, and they don't know you, so please don't go off on your own like that."

"And why not?" Yasuko demanded.

Lua places both hands on his hip, sighing with irritation at how clueless Yasuko is when dealing with people in the Tops. "Listen," he began. "The Tops don't like seeing Commons here in their property. There are rules, and just because you said you aren't from the Commons, they still don't think so."

"Which is why you have to be careful," Luna cautioned. "You can get arrested."

"Arrested? For what? Trespassing into some open road that anyone can use?" Yasuko interrogated the twins since all of the city didn't make any sense to her. "And then the next thing you want to tell me is, "the Tops don't like Commons here, and if you get into trouble, they'll ID you, so they'll know who you are." Sheesh, can't you kids give me a break? It's not like the city does that anyways." Yasuko doesn't like it one bit.

Indeed, they are okay since Lua and Luna are from the Tops. If they are rich just like everyone else here, then there is a chance she might come as a pass-up if she can keep low without drawing attention.

Of course, the exchanging glances between the twins made Yasuko realize something about Neo Domino City's society. The realization makes Yasuko sag her shoulders with disbelief. So, the rich can identify her, and if she isn't in their identification systems, she will be sent to jail. "Seriously? You mean to tell me you people can copy and identify anyone through face alone?" Yasuko questioned; the only thing she got out of the siblings was cringes from their faces. "Great." She rubs her temple, trying to get her mind off of anything the city can do.

She has another thing on her mind. Turning to the kids, she wonders about their reason for stopping the man who was about to identify her. "Why'd you come out here?" Yasuko questioned. "If you kids knew I am a foreigner and certainly not a Common, why'd you help me back there?"

"Because you're different," Luna answered. "You don't seem familiar with the city, but you don't care if we were from the Tops." Luna does make a good point about Yasuko and her reactions to her encounters with the Tops residents here.

"I don't give a crap about what's the Topsiders or Commons," Yasuko pointed out. "Hell, I don't even know what that has to do with this city."

"And that's the problem," said Lua. "You aren't from around here, and if anyone finds out, they'll arrest you because you're not a resident of the Tops."

"Plus," Luna responded. "You hit your head when we found you, so we may think you have amnesia or something."

"I don't have amnesia," Yasuko claimed, eyes full of doubt. "I know who I am. I just need to find someone."

"Who?" Luna inquired.

"Yuya Sakaki," Yasuko revealed. "Tall. A boy who is about my age, maybe younger. Has a funny haircut. Needed saving. I have to know if he's here." She looked around, wondering if she knew anyone who's seen a person like Yuya Sakaki.

"Do you know where to find him?" Lua inquired.

"That's a good question," Yasuko commented, looking at the skyscraper on her right.

Since it's a long, or should she say, bizarre journey, there is one thing she needs to do. "Who wants pizza?" Yasuko asked out of the blue, earning the twins' bewildered stares.

---

It was the first time the twins had something as common as pizza. Much to Yasuko's confusion, they claimed they'd never tried a pizza from a regular shop before in their lives. Yasuko doesn't know what kind of lifestyle the rich people live. Since there could be many shops selling pizza, Yasuko chooses to eat at a very ordinary pizza shop at random. The twins were awestruck by how there was a pizza shop in the Tops.

"What? You kids' never been to a pizza shop before?" Yasuko raised one eyebrow as she watched the twins like they were tourists.

"We usually have pizza being delivered to our apartment, but this is my first time coming here," Lua said, looking at the pizza shop.

The older girl rolled her eyes, understanding what this meant for her. Because the twins had never been to a regular shop before, this was their first time being in a place that was something different than their own.

"Typical rich people," Yasuko muttered under their breath. She opens the door with a bell ringing from the top. "Come on, I'd take it; you kids haven't got any lunch yet, so why not we have pizza."

Sometimes, Yasuko wonders what rich people do. Don't they have their own or a machine that makes pizza for themselves? Of course, both Lua and Luna claimed they did not have that. Yasuko figures the siblings had some sort of expensive meals that may cost over fifty, a red flag for her taste.

At the counter was a middle-aged man with a mustache with his receding hair swept back. "Why, hello there, kids," he greeted warmly. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," Yasuko and the twins responded.

"What can I get for you?"

The twins and Yasuko stared up at the menu, and what made Yasuko sick was the price of each pizza on display. "You've got to be kidding me," said Yasuko. "Is everything in this town expensive?" She looked at the twins with one eyebrow raised, full of scrutiny. "First, your house, and now this? These prices are incriminating, even for a pizza that size."

Lua turns to scold Yasuko. "Hey, you wanted to have pizza, and this is what you got," Lua argued. "Now, are you going to order something?"

"How?" Yasuko inquired. "I don't have that kind of money."

The guy with a mustache at the counter impatiently tapped his finger on his face. He scans the girl with narrowed eyes staring at them. "If you don't have money, kid, then why are you here?" he asked.

"To grab a bite," Yasuko answered, looking at the man with a nametag written "Javier" on the tag. "And obviously, your price tags are ridiculous. How can anyone afford that amount of money for a single box of pizza?"

Javier scowls at the girl. "You got a problem with my services, kid?" he threatened.

Luna didn't want to escalate things like the last time. She picks something out of her pocket and then places a card on the counter. "I'm sorry if my cousin's being rude, sir, but please understand. She just came from Birmingham Boarding School, and everything she used to grow up here has changed a lot since then," she stated. "So, can we get ourselves a cheese pizza, please?"

The cashier looks at the card with an eyebrow raised and takes it to inspect it. He looked surprised. Javier had this look on his face which tells Yasuko he was astonished by a single card Luna had placed on his counter. "Wow, this is a surprise," he said. "Where'd you kids get this card?"

Yasuko was even more puzzled than the man at the counter. "Isn't that supposed to be a credit card?" she wondered.

"A credit card?" Javier said incredulously. "This is a premium bank gift card." He shows Yasuko a closer view of the gold card. "It's mostly for well-known people from the Tops who get this kind of thing." He was even more curious about the kids now. "And let me tell you something, I know what premium bank cards are when I see one." He checks the legitimacy of the card before staring at Yasuko suspiciously. "You kids from the Tops?"

"Yep," Lua and Luna responded, except for Yasuko.

"Been a long time since anyone from the Tops came to my pizza shop," Javier responded. "And you, kids, are very lucky too." He taps the card into the cash register, making loud beeps before handing it back to Luna. "This place here makes the best pizza in the town." He types down the keyboard, and a receipt is printed as the man takes it to be clipped to the open window. "Hey, Janet, one mega dough cheese pizza," he called.

"Alright, we'll have that pizza ready in fifteen minutes," a girl's voice called from the kitchen in the back.

"Thank you," said Luna, nodding her head slightly.

Yasuko comes to the nearest table and takes a seat. The twins were also amazed by the furniture despite being under their price. They sit across from Yasuko, looking at her with some curiosity.

"You mean to tell me you have pizza like this before?" Lua asked, earning Yasuko's bafflement. Don't kids like them ever have anything besides what kind of rich and expensive food they eat? She will never know rich people.

"Seriously, you kids never had something as simple as a pizza?" she asked.

"Well, we've tried many things," Luna replied quickly. "But this isn't something we have."

"We never had pizza outside before," Lua stated.

Right on cue, a girl wearing an apron comes out with a big pizza plate in her hands and comes to their table. She had a single bun tied to her brown hair and grey eyes. "Well, you're in luck," she said. "My pop's pizza is the best in this town." She placed the plate on the table, and Lua was amazed at the pizza size.

"Wow, look at this, Luna," Lua beamed. "This is going to be delicious." Unlike Lua, Luna was rather composed and calmer than her brother.

"You don't need to be impressed, Lua," said Luna. "We're just having pizza with our mysterious guest here."

Yasuko and Lua take in as many slices as possible while Luna takes her own, and they all start eating the pizza. Although Luna eats softly, Yasuko and Lua are devouring the pizza like they haven't eaten anything for breakfast.

The older girl stares at the cooking girl. "Huh, this is good," Yasuko commented, her mouth stuffed with pizza.

"A courtesy of someone from the Commons," said the girl. "The name's Janet."

"Yasuko," she introduced. "Yasuko Yukihana." She made one big bite of her pizza while conversing with the twins and Janet.

Luna and Lua stopped eating, now aware of her real name. "Yasuko Yukihana?" they inquired.

"Yep," Yasuko confirmed. "That's my name."

Janet seemed impressed with Yasuko. "I'd take it; you aren't from around here, aren't you?" she suggested, making Yasuko stop eating her pizza.

"How'd you know?"

"I know a Common when I see one, and you aren't from the Tops, I can tell you that," Janet responded, giving the girl a salute with two fingers. "It's that look in your eyes. You don't have this air like you're above everyone or a Common's desperation. If I can guess, you're from out of the city, probably in the countryside, visiting here to see someone or find something. Do any of them fit your character?"

Yasuko wouldn't say she is from the countryside, but she isn't from out of the city, more specifically, from out of a dimension. "In a way, you could say that, but I am not from around here." She drank some orange juice as the twins took another slice for themselves.

"Where are you from?" Lua questioned.

"It's kinda complicated if I tell you," Yasuko responded.

"You said that before, so how complicated?" Luna wondered.

Yasuko sighed. "Like…really complicated." She bites off the crust of the pizza and takes another slice. "And speaking of complicated, what are these Tops and Commons, you're all talking about?" She wants to know about the city more.

Janet, Lua, and Luna were all amazed by Yasuko's lack of reaction to the city's society. She doesn't seem to care anything about Tops and Commons, nor that she doesn't behave like one of them. She may be what they considered to be rare.

"Wow, so you are from the countryside," Janet commented. "Well, since you're new here, let's all have something to say."

Lua takes a drink from his lemonade before devouring some more pizza. "Okay, so here in Neo Domino City, there are the Topsiders, which are basically like us, people who are super rich and can afford anything we want," Lua explained. "Then there's the Commons, everyone who isn't as rich as us."

"Basically, about 99 percent of Neo Domino City's population are the Commons," Luna added.

"And most of us don't have the luxury to find a place to be," Janet commented

"Oh…." Yasuko nodded slowly, now understanding what kind of lifestyle is like in Neo Domino City. She hoped it wasn't one of those kinds of society, but Yasuko realized what the Synchro Dimension is all about.

She is living in a dystopian world, where the super ultrarich people live in tall structures, and the ones who cannot afford anything are the masses below her feet. No wonder there were so many expensive items in the apartment. She is in the Tops, the land of the rich.

Of course, if there is one thing she hates about the rich is that they get away with anything and everything. It's not like a common person like her, an orphaned immigrant, to be given anything.

"So, it's this kind of society then, huh?" Yasuko responded acquiescently. "No wonder this place was expensive." She drinks her orange juice as the twins ask her more questions.

"Are you a turbo duelist?" Lua wondered.

Now that's a topic Yasuko wanted to know, changing their subject to the city. "What's a turbo duelist?" she asked, causing Lua to gasp.

"You mean you don't know what a Turbo Duelist is?!" Lua inhaled, slamming his pizza on the plate.

"Lua," Luna called. "She said it herself. She's a foreigner; she doesn't know what Turbo Dueling is."

Janet raised one eyebrow of curiosity. "I highly doubt she even knows what it is, considering that Turbo Dueling's the awesome thing to see," she commented.

"Turbo Dueling?" Yasuko finishes the last slice of pizza on the plate. "Is that some kind of new dueling?"

"New dueling? Turbo Dueling is the greatest thing that's ever been invented. The whole world knows what Turbo Dueling is. You should've seen them." Lua sounds very excited to tell her everything about Turbo Dueling.

"Here's how Turbo Dueling works. So, basically, you ride on these things called Duel Runners, right? They're like basically motorcycles, but they're all modified to be used in dueling. In Turbo Dueling, you ride these Duel Runners around the city, and then you duel right there." Janet points at the window, specifically at the network of highways around the city. "You can ride there on those highways and start your Turbo Duel. If you're good enough, you can even become the King, just like Jack Atlas."

Yasuko had no idea Turbo Dueling had competitions, and this person, Jack Atlas, sounded like a very strong duelist in this Dimension. "Who's Jack Atlas?" she asked, only to regret the name because Lua leaned forward with eyes horrified by her reaction.

"You don't know who Jack Atlas is?!" Lua gasped.

Luna sighed, annoyed by her brother's overreaction when it was clear that Yasuko was a foreigner who didn't know anyone as famous as Jack Atlas. "Lua, of course, she doesn't know who Jack Atlas is," Luna pointed out.

"As your sister said," Yasuko agreed. "Who is Jack Atlas?"

"Hold on." Lua checks over his duel disk for something. He was done scrolling over and showed Yasuko a picture. He seemed eager to show Yasuko the person called Jack Atlas despite her lack of interest in seeing other dueling champions.

"Here, this is Jack Atlas," Lua said. "I had his photoshoot during the Friendship Cup last year."

Yasuko takes the photo to get a better insight into the champion of Neo Domino City. For someone who is the champion, he looks relatively young, maybe as young as Declan, but slightly older. He has purple eyes, fair skin, and spiked blonde hair with two much longer strands in front of his ears that hang further down the rest of his hair.

Upon first impression, Yasuko wasn't very impressed with the champion of Neo Domino City. Despite his younger age, she had no eyes for him, just like Lua and the rest of the city who looked up to him.

"Uh huh," Yasuko responded expressionlessly. "So?"

Lua looked at Yasuko as if he saw her real face with bug eyes for the first time. "Are you kidding me?" he hollered. "You have a duel disk, but you've never even heard of Jack Atlas? The greatest Turbo Duelist in the world?"

Yasuko finishes her last pizza. "Let's just say I'm…whatever you kids called it, old school," she said. "I don't ride on these motorcycles you called Duel Runners." She had a short flashback coming to her head. Apparently, she had experienced Duel Runners before. It was only with Yugo, and she only dueled him using her duel disk while he was riding the motorcycle.

"I…don't know if that's my thing," Yasuko pondered. There's nothing wrong with her trying out Turbo Dueling. She's already experienced Action Duels, so it's not bad if she can get her hands on some Duel Runners. Even so, she still has something else to do first, and her top priority is to find Yuya Sakaki.

"Anyways, thanks for the pizza," said Yasuko. She picks up her gym bag and heads off to the strange and marvelous Neo Domino City.

As Yasuko exits the pizza shop, Lua and Luna follow right behind her.

"Wait, Yasuko," Lua called. "Why not you come with us to the park event today." Lua wanted to show Yasuko something about the park event that makes it special for duelists like her and Lua. "Maybe this Yuya person is there right now," he suggested. "This park event is usually exclusive for us Tops residents, but since you're here, why not you come and see if the person you're looking for is there."

Perhaps Lua may have a point there. She can't be sure how long she'll be here, but it's better to come and see what kind of duelists the Topsiders have.

---

The park event doesn't seem as flashy as Yasuko had expected. It's what she expects from those rich, an audience full of well-dressed people with expensive clothes. Yasuko can only afford something as simple as a long sleeve shirt and jeans.

And, of course, when it comes to dueling, it's the residents at her age who are dueling. Like Lua, they all love dueling. The kids wanted to show their friends every new card they now had that was stronger than the other. Like Maiami City, nothing's changed for dueling.

Yasuko is trying her best to avoid any unnecessary attention, but the way some of the duelists are staring at her suspiciously tells her it will not be easy since she is a foreigner.

"Wow, there's like so many people here today," said Lua, looking around at many duels being commenced in the central park area.

Yasuko doesn't seem impressed with everything around her. Her focus was looking at Yuya. "Not much to look at," she said, trying her hardest to spot green and red hair with a pair of goggles. "Plus, you people need to practice more on dueling."

Luna looked up to Yasuko. "You can tell?" she inquired.

"It's clear these people don't even have the luxury of honing their skills," Yasuko stated. "Sure, the difference between a few good cards and a lot of bad ones is money, obviously, but the only thing that matters most is how each card is being played in a duel." She kept on walking past the duelists with the twins.

"You sure know how to duel, huh?" Lua had another idea for the girl. Looking up at Yasuko, he said, "Hey, why not we have a duel?"

His reply forced Yasuko into a stronger response to his proposal. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer," she declined, turning down Lua's expectations.

"Aw, why not?"

"Because I don't want to," Yasuko replied.

"But you are a duelist, and my sister is still learning to be one," Lua pointed out. "Surely, you got any tips and advice on how to be a better duelist."

Yasuko has seen this scenario over again. Someone called to her to teach them how to do better, and then she has to be the one to straighten them out. It's not the first time anyone's been looking for her advice.

"I have a lot of things to do," said Yasuko, "and I already have a student, so my hands are full." She can even tell how persistent Lua is to know about dueling better. "What makes you think I can teach you anything? You have the cards, do you? All you need to do is make them work together."

What Yasuko didn't expect from Lua was his mood shifting down to become somewhat saddened. She doesn't understand why, but Yasuko should know since Lua and Luna are the only people in the Synchro Dimension she met.

"Haven't got experience with the big kids, huh?" Yasuko wondered, looking at the brother with small sympathy.

"I've tried to be better on my own," said Lua. "But every time I did, the other kids my age got new cards that were even better than the last." He looked at the other kids with envy, a sign Yasuko was confused about since the kids were from the Tops. "Every time a new card gets released, the other kids want them, and even after I got them, others still got even newer cards."

The most confusing part for Yasuko is how Lua can be called a duelist if he's got no real-world experience constantly. Even duelists back at You Show had entered the Arc League Championship, and they all had some competition experience.

"You mean to tell me you spend probably two thousand on cards, and none of you didn't even know how to use them?" Yasuko pondered, and when Lua nodded, it was enough to answer her question. She sighed, unable to cope with the idea of how the young people in the Tops ever learned to duel. "Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath. The thought of teaching someone as clueless as Lua about dueling is an even bigger drag for her.

Luna notices how irritated Yasuko is when teaching her brother. She doesn't want to antagonize Yasuko because of her brother's lack of experience. "It doesn't have to be much," she said. "Lua can duel; he just needs a tutor, that's all."

"A tutor? More like a dictionary," Yasuko snarked.

The twins and Yasuko stops to take a look around the duelists. They were so immersed in their matches that they didn't recognize the three.

"As the same goes for these slackers wasting their time and money for anything they want," Yasuko mocked, unaware that about four to five boys overheard her.

The girl sighed, accepting the fact Yuya was nowhere near the park. "Like I thought, Yuya isn't here," said Yasuko. "If you kids wanna stay, then go ahead, but I don't care for this." She decides to cut it short and start to leave the place.

When Yasuko turns around, she doesn't seem to be welcomed by those around her age. About a dozen boys and girls stand in a semi-circle in front of Yasuko and the twins.

"Oh great," said Yasuko sarcastically. "An audience with the elite douchebags." She could tell by the looks on their faces. They seemed to be getting a better look at her, and everyone seemed wary of her or hostile.

Out of the crowd, a boy stands out of the way to confront the girl.

"Who are you supposed to be?" the boy said. "This isn't a place for Commoners."

Yasuko has no plans to deal with the boy's arrogance, but she can't deny how irritated she is now. "Hey, twerp," Yasuko called. "Do you see a foreigner when you see one?" How the kids react to her presence gives away the attitude of the ones from the Tops. Yasuko knows this isn't the first time she's experienced this form of intolerance before.

"Do you know we don't allow foreigners to come here without approval?" one of the girls responded with a question Yasuko didn't care to answer.

Lua comes forward in front of Yasuko while Luna pulls her sleeve to get away before things escalate. "Cousin Yasuko," she said. "Why not we try the cotton candy over there." She acts like Yasuko is the oldest sibling in the group.

"Oh yeah, I think I saw that thing over there." Even Lua is acting like Luna. There is no reason to get involved in the game with the Tops.

"Yeah, let's go," Yasuko responded and held Luna's hand to start leaving, but then, someone else called to them, more specifically, Lua.

"Hey, Lua, you never told me you have a cousin." It was not the same boy who questioned Yasuko but another older one. He had black hair cut into a faux hawk and dark grey eyes. He seems to have a smug attitude toward the twin brother.

"Is she really your cousin, Lua?" The boy sneered. "I don't think I ever saw her before."

"She's from out of state, Mikey," Lua responded harshly. "And yes, she's my cousin." His tone sounds hard, a surprisingly strong response from Yasuko herself. "Now, leave us alone. We're showing Yasuko the park."

Luna pulls Yasuko's sleeves to take her away from the crowd. Lua follows, but Mikey is very full of himself about the ordeal. In fact, he sounds what Yasuko expected from a kid of the rich: a spoiled brat.

"What? You don't want a rematch?" Mikey boasted. "I know how much Ancient Pixie Dragon means to your sister, but if you do, just let me know." Mikey's voice dies out as soon as the three are far away from him and the crowd.

However, Yasuko could only think of what Mikey had said earlier about him having Luna's Ancient Pixie Dragon. The more she put her thought to it, Yasuko stopped walking, earning the twins' attention.

"Something wrong?" Luna asked, noticing Yasuko's

Yasuko didn't realize until now her eyes were frowning. Staring at the twins, she could only imagine what Mikey was talking about. "Did you wager that card your sister had for something?" she questioned.

After mentioning that Mikey has what seems to be Luna's card, Lua turns out upset about it. Even his eyes can tell Yasuko otherwise.

"I didn't wager anything," Lua admitted. "My sister gave up her card because I lost to him." Yasuko is starting to understand more about the twins.

"You see, I had these new cards and wanted to try them out so I could become like Jack. He was a legend. And then, other kids had new cards of their own," Lua explained. "And I ended up betting on my best card."

"And then, you lost, but Luna came over and decided to offer hers instead of letting you lose it. Do I have that right?" Yasuko speculated. The thought of duelists wagering their most prized card in a duel makes her sick, especially with the rich people. Since Lua and Luna didn't answer, she can confirm that Lua did lose, but Luna gave up her card just so her brother could keep hers.

"I see…" Yasuko responded. She turns halfway to see Mikey chatting with his peers. Her mind was set up to make her own decisions.

Yasuko turned around and marched to him. Lua and Luna saw her gaze setting on Mikey, and they were worried about what Yasuko will do to him.

"Hey, wait, let's just leave it," Lua suggested, trying his hardest to pull Yasuko back. "You don't need to prove anything."

Yasuko halted and then bore her eyes down on Lua. "You are okay with this? Leaving that prick with your sister's card while she had to clean up your mistakes?" she dared.

"I didn't know Mikey would be here," Lua defended himself. "But please don't forget, you're not from the Tops."

"But I am not from the Commons," Yasuko added. "And I don't like people stealing someone else's stuff just because they're rich."

In truth, Yasuko doesn't care about those who are rich. They can do whatever they want because they're rich. She has had that mindset for the longest time since she was with Chloe.

And then, there is Lua and Luna. They are twins from the Tops, but they are different. They don't have the diva or the attitude of those from the Tops. They seem like ordinary people who aren't rich. They didn't rat her out or tell anyone she was not from the Tops. They were just the right kind of people she needed to know.

"So, this is my way of thanking you for your help," said Yasuko.

Lua and Luna were stunned by Yasuko's decision. She seems like a good person, but she has a firm conviction for their own. Yasuko pulls her arm away from Lua and makes her way to Mikey and his peers.

When she was right behind him, Yasuko started off with an insult. "Hey, douchebag," she snapped. "You're an asshole, you know that."

When Yasuko speaks of her words, Mikey turns his head, glaring hard at her. "What'd you say?" he dared to make Yasuko threaten him again.

"You heard," Yasuko responded harshly. "I also heard you took Luna's card because her brother lost to you."

Despite the high risk of getting attention, there was no way she wouldn't let someone like Mikey slide.

"What's it got to do with you?" Mikey inquired.

"The truth is, I don't care about you," said Yasuko. "But if you taking someone's card after beating them in a duel is the dumbest decision ever." She lets out a hand. "So, give it back."

Mikey responded to her by slapping her hand away. "Fool, do you know who you are talking to?"

"I don't care," Yasuko replied, speaking with the same tone as Mikey. "Give back Luna's Ancient Pixie Dragon." This time, she raised her voice to make the demand.

"You want it?" Mikey provoked. "Then duel for it. But since we all have good cards. What's there you can offer? I mean, surely you are their cousin. Don't you have anything valuable?"

Yasuko knows what kind of offer a kid like Mikey wants. She takes out her duel disk from her holster and attaches it to her arms. She then pulls out one card nobody could pass up.

"How 'bout this one," Yasuko offered. She flips the Clear Wing Fast Dragon card to show Mikey and the rest of the rich kids. "This is a limited-edition Synchro-Pendulum card that's being tested for the new line of Synchro monsters, and I am a beta tester for this new card."

Right after showing Mikey Clear Wing Fast, he was dumbstruck to see such a new card; in fact, all the kids saw her card.

"Whoa, look at that!"

"What is it?"

"I never heard of a Synchro-Pendulum monster before."

The whispers and gossip don't deter Yasuko from getting Luna's card back. "In fact, I've got about more cards like these in my deck," she added, hoping to entice the boy to get into his head.

"That is so cool! How much do you want for it?" Mikey asked, very enthusiastic about seeing Clear Wing Fast Dragon.

"It's not for sale, nimrod," Yasuko retorted. "Money doesn't make any difference to me. The only thing that matters is if you can beat me in a duel for it."

Mikey snorted, amused if Yasuko's decision. "Are you serious?" he sneered. "Do you have a deck that can beat mine?"

"How 'bout I show you what his deck can do against yours," Yasuko suggested, jabbing her thumb at Lua, much to his shock. "I heard you beat him because my cousin's a lousy duelist, huh?" She doesn't hesitate to make a final decision. "I bet I can beat you with Lua's deck, and if I win, you give me back Luna's Ancient Pixie Dragon."

Mikey seemed to like the wager. He appears confident he can beat someone like Yasuko. "Alright, but if I win," he suggested. "I take your Clear Wing Fast Dragon and keep that Ancient Pixie Dragon as a bonus."

It's okay for Yasuko to see an overconfident boy like Mikey underestimate her. Most of her opponents seem very confident about themselves, and she plans on using their greed to her advantage.

"Fine," Yasuko agreed.

"No, wait, hold on a minute," Lua called suddenly, pulling Yasuko's shirt to him and his sister. "Can we have a word with you, Cousin Yasuko?" He pulls Yasuko from the crowd forming around them to meet up with his sister.

From the looks on their faces, they don't seem very happy about her decision. Not that Yasuko cares about their decision.

"Are you insane?!" Lua hissed, keeping his voice low but loud for Yasuko to understand his anger. "You can't just go up and challenge someone like Mikey to a duel!"

"And why the hell not?" Yasuko questioned.

"Mikey's one of the top duelists in our school," Lua replied. "He was placed 3rd last year in the Festival of the Moons. Do you think you can beat him with my deck? You should've seen him duel."

Despite Lua's desperation, Yasuko does not care how strong or skilled her opponent is, even by the slightest. She's faced other strong opponents before, which isn't new to her. "So? You said you wanted tips on how to be better at dueling, right? Well, let me show you just how much you can improve after seeing mine," she said.

Yasuko hands out a hand to Lua. "If you want to see how much your cards are worth compared to his, then I can show you what cards you've got that can compete against someone like him," she stated. "So, hand me your cards."

The twin boy doesn't know what to do with Yasuko and her absurdity in dealing with Mikey and taking back his sister's card. He looked at Luna for approval. When Luna nodded once, she gave her decision.

"Okay," said Lua reluctantly. He pulls out his duel disk and takes out his deck. He hands it over to Yasuko. "I sure hope you know what you're doing."

"So, Yasuko, about my deck…." Lua began. "It's okay, but it needs tweaking to be the best. I just don't know how it stacks up to Jack Atlas."

"I sure hope you can learn something from this," Yasuko replied with a comment. She takes a look at the cards, flipping through each one. Once she was done looking through all of them, Yasuko stared up, her eyes blazing with determination, at the boy in front of her. "You ready to feel humiliation?"

"Are you?" Mikey mocked.

---

The duel takes place in Central Park, where the Topsider spectators watch duels. One of them, in particular, is Mikey going up against an unknown girl. Mikey doesn't know that Yasuko's a veteran in dueling in the big leagues. If Lua said Mikey was placed third in some school festival event, then it's a brainer she can deal with him. It all depends on how much firepower Lua's deck can do.

"I can't wait to get my hands on that sweet card you've got," Mikey sneered.

"I can't wait to wipe that smug off your face," Yasuko commented. "Since I heard you were the top duelist in the Festival of the Moons, I wanna see you hit me with your best shot."

"My best shot?" Mikey sounds very focused on Yasuko. "I'll give you my best shot."

"DUEL!"

DUEL:

Yasuko Yukihana (LP 4000)

VS

Mikey (LP 4000)

The duel between Mikey and Yasuko has begun. With both players holding five cards in their hands, they are ready to duke it out. The spectators are the twins and all the Topsider residents watching the duel.

Luna was concerned more than Lua despite the latter holding his anxiety down to prevent anyone from seeing it. "Do you think she has what it takes?" she asked her brother. "She only took a glance at your cards."

"I'm sure whatever she's hoping to do will suit her fine," Lua assured. However, he felt it was terrible for Yasuko to take on the duelist with his own deck. Lua should've stopped her, but Lua thought he should trust her to duel with his deck. He wonders why she would be using his deck instead of the one he and his sister saw. The ones with the different cards. She has them, but why is she only using his deck when there are good cards like that Synchro-Pendulum card she mentioned.

"I'll go first," Mikey called.

Turn 1: Mikey (5x cards)

Mikey looked at his hand setup and smirked as soon as he saw what cards he had at his disposal. He takes out one and activates the Spell Card: Card of Destruction. "I activate the Spell, Card of Destruction," he declared. "This makes us discard our entire hand, and then we draw equal to the same number of cards we've discarded." By doing so, both players discard their entire hand and draw back to the same number of cards they had previously.

Yasuko checks the cards Lua has in his deck. Since she discarded her other cards, the cards she has now available are some of Lua's most authentic ones he's ever gotten. And yet, Lua claimed he doesn't know how to use them.

"I Normal Summon Laval Blaster," said Mikey. He Normal Summons Laval Blaster (ATK 1200/DEF 800). The first monster Mikey summoned was a lava rock monster with two huge blasters attached to its arms. "When Blaster is Normal Summoned, its effect activates, allowing me to choose up to five cards from the top of my deck if I have a Laval monster in the graveyard and then send them to the graveyard." The molten lava blaster chooses the number Mikey wishes to send, and the number is five. "I choose five since I have Laval Magma Cannoneer in my graveyard." Mikey mills out the five cards from the top of his deck and sends them to the graveyard.

"And since there are now three Laval monsters in my graveyard, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand! Laval Coatl!" Mikey has three Laval monsters in his graveyard: Laval Cannon, Laval Lakeside Lady, and Laval Judgement Lord, allowing him to Special Summon the Tuner monster, Laval Coatl (ATK 1300/DEF 700) in Defense Position. From the ground, molten lava spews out before a pterodactyl made of molten rocks appears on the field.

Since the monster Mikey summoned is a Tuner, Yasuko would expect a Synchro Summon. Since this whole city is from the Synchro Dimension, it is all about the Synchro monsters. "Of course, it had to be that," she muttered.

"Now, since there are three Laval monsters in my graveyard, I can Special Summon this monster, Laval Burner!" Mikey declared. Since there are three Laval monsters in his graveyard, he can Special Summon Laval Burner (ATK 2100/DEF 1000) from his hand in Defense Position. The third monster Mikey had summoned was a behemoth golem made of molten rock with a long red mane and flaming gauntlets.

"Now, I tune the level 2 Coatl with the level 5 Burner!" he announced. The molten pterodactyl flies ahead, transforming into two green flowing rings with the molten behemoth following through. It scans the monster, removing its solid mass until it is nothing but five glowing white orbs aligning themselves in the center.

(5 + 2 = 7)

"Flaming Rock of the earth! Rise up and become the destruction of power and fire! I Synchro Summon! Rise! Level 7! Lavalval Salamander!"A white light flashes out of the rings as Mikey Synchro Summons Lavalval Salamander (ATK 2600/DEF 200) in Attack Position.

The Synchro monster Mikey had summoned is a giant winged reptile made of molten lava all over its body, from the claws to the wings. It has four oval symbols on the wings and the legs, all symbolizing the fire element.

"When this card is Synchro Summoned, Salamander's special effect allows me to draw two cards and then send two cards from my hand if I have a FIRE monster to the graveyard," Mikey explained as he drew two cards. By looking at the two cards he drew, Mikey smirks with satisfaction, indicating he must've drawn something good. Mikey takes two cards from his hand and sends them to the graveyard.

"Next, I activate the Spell, Rekindling!" Mikey activates the Spell Card: Rekindling. "This card lets me Special Summon as many FIRE monsters in my graveyard with 200 DEF, but they are banished at the end of the turn." He pulls out four monsters to Special Summon Laval Lancelord (ATK 2600/DEF 200) in Attack Position, Laval Volcano Maiden (ATK 500/DEF 200) in Defense Position, Laval Lakeside Lady (ATK 200/DEF 200) in Defense Position, and Laval Archer (ATK 1000/DEF 200) from the GY in Attack Position. "And the monsters I'm gonna summon are Laval Lancelord, Volcano Maiden, Lakeside Lady, and Archer!" Once he has decided on the monsters he will summon, the ground opens up, sprouting fire like a volcano erupting from the earth. Four fires blasted down to reveal the four monsters that Mikey had summoned. One is a bulky monster made of molten rock holding a lance. The second is a lady with burning red hair wearing a blue dress and tanned skin. The third monster is another maiden, but this one is also made of molten rocks with colored rocks engraved into her body like a dress. The fourth monster is a molten rock monster that has a slingshot attached to its arm for its arrows and a blaster on the right side of the shoulder.

Mikey's field is full of monsters, and it is becoming more worrisome for Lua and Luna. They knew how strong Mikey was, but he was stronger than before.

"Four monsters?!" Lua gasped. "Mikey's even better than the last time he dueled in the Festival of the Moons!" He was panicking so much that he practically shook his sister like Yasuko's duel depended on him. "I can't believe I agreed to let her duel with my deck! How'd I become so sloppy in this!"

Despite Lua shaking Luna frantically, the sister doesn't seem bothered but more annoyed with her twin brother's behavior. She pushes him off and gives a reassuring compliment. "Oh, relax, Lua," she assured. "Can't you see how focused Yasuko is right now?"

Lua heard his sister talking about Yasuko without even getting worried. "How can you be so calm about this? We don't even know if she can take him on!" he exclaimed.

Luna makes a response with a sigh. "Because I can tell she's got experience," she said. "Obviously, she asked you to pay attention, and then you'll understand what she meant."

Mikey throws his hand and begins his Synchro Summon. "Now, I tune my level 2 Lakeside Lady with my level 6 Lancelord!"

(6 + 2 = 8)

The molten lancelord jumps up as well as the lakeside lady. She puts her hands together to transform herself into two green rings. "Fire and smoke shall create a new monster of molten rocks and lava. Bring out the next lord of molten lava!" The two green rings scan the molten lancelord, removing the solid mass before turning it into its outline with six glowing orbs that realigned themselves. Once the orbs are aligned, white light streams out of the rings. "I Synchro Summon! Come out, Lavalval Exlord!" he chanted as Mikey Synchro Summons Lavalval Exlord (ATK 2900/DEF 200) in Attack Position. From the white light is a humanoid monster made of molten lava rocks wearing silver armor around the chest and the head.

"And now, I tune my level 3 Lakeside Lady with my level 4 Archer!" Mikey makes a second consecutive Synchro Summon as the lakeside lady bursts into three green rings, which scans the lava archer into removing the mass to become an outline with four white orbs in the center. The rings burst a white stream of light when the outline was gone.

(4 + 3 = 7)

"Molten lava and rocks, form together and create a new monster of ultimate destruction! I Synchro Summon! Come forth! Level 7, Lavalval Stennon!" Mikey Synchro Summons Laval Stennon (ATK 2700/DEF 1700) in Attack Position.

The second Synchro monster Mikey had summoned was a molten rock monster that is entirely blue with two bulky arms, one of which was a blaster while the other was normal.

Usually, suppose anyone from the Standard Dimension saw it, they'd be impressed with their opponent making two consecutive Synchro Summons. For Yasuko, it was nothing out of the ordinary. She's seen other opponents doing something similar to Mikey. "At least, I'll give him credit for that," she muttered.

"I end my turn," Mikey concluded.

Turn 2: Yasuko (5x cards)

"Now then, let's see what you can do against me with that pipsqueak's deck," Mikey taunted.

If Yasuko had to rate the dueling from a one to ten, it would be a negative five. Is this guy whom Leo called an elite that much of a duelist? She's seen worst duelists than Sylvio before, but this was a whole level worse.

"You kidding me? That's it?" Yasuko inquired, sounding more offended than surprised. "This is the best you've got?"

Mikey started to raise an eyebrow. "What?" he asked.

"I mean, that's all? Cuz, that's just atrocious," Yasuko admitted. "You never go easy on your opponent, especially when you have no idea what you're up against."

"I never go easy on my opponents, especially against a deck you're using," Mikey responded with a sneer. "Leo is the worst duelist in the entire school, hell, maybe even the whole city." The taunting was getting on Yasuko's nerves. Not only is Mikey an arrogant little brat, but he's also insulting the person who sheltered her after she arrived in the Synchro Dimension. They're just like the other duelists back in her dimension.

"Everyone sucks, you twerp," said Yasuko. "Everyone sucks in dueling, but if they took the time into the cards they have, they'd become even better than before." She places a finger on top of the deck. "And now, it's my turn!" She draws a card from the deck.

"Ah, man," Lua whined. "I knew I should've gotten better cards for her." He is panicking about Yasuko betting on Clear Wing Fast Dragon with his deck alone.

"Lua," Luna called to her brother. "I think you should observe her more carefully." Her response causes an uproar from her twin brother.

"What?!" Lua gasped, shocked.

"Just trust me…I feel like something is different with Yasuko," Luna stated, looking at Yasuko more thoroughly. "She's not like anyone we've encountered before." Lua blinked once, curious about what Luna sees in Yasuko that he doesn't. As his sister told him, Lua returned to the duel and watched Yasuko pull out a card from her hand to activate the Continuous Spell Card: Blockout Curtain. "I activate the Continuous Spell, Blockout Curtain," she announced.

"Blockout Curtain?" Luna inquired. "Didn't you receive that one last week?"

Lua catches on to what Luna pointed out. "Oh yeah," he realized, scratching his head. "I did get that card, but I haven't gotten the idea of how it works."

Yasuko didn't need to turn her head around, but she could guess Lua and Luna were both observing her duel. Now, she's got their attention. "Then you're gonna be glad you had this in your deck," she said. Yasuko takes another card from her hand and then Normal Summons Gadget Gamer (ATK 300/DEF 300). "From my hand, I summon Gadget Gamer!" Yasuko summons the first monster from Leo's deck. This robotic android has three plasma cannons in plugs and four keyboard missile launch pads. "When Gadget Gamer is Normal Summoned, it's effect activates, allowing me to add one level 1 Machine monster from my deck to my hand," she explained.

"Good, because now that you've activated a monster effect, my Lavalval Exlord can activate its special effect!" Mikey responded. "When my opponent activates a monster effect, Exlord can destroy that monster, and you take 1000 points of damage!" The lava exlord raises a hand and fires off molten lava to melt the gamer gadget. Yasuko, however, was more prepared than most of the kids in the Topsiders realized, and she will demonstrate it right now.

"I activate Blockout Curtain's effect," Yasuko declared. "When a monster I control is about to be destroyed by battle or card effects, I can destroy this card instead." She throws her hand to demonstrate the ability of the card. "My Gadget Gamer's destruction is negated by destroying the Blockout Curtain." The molten laval overshoots the gamer gadget and hits the spell, effectively destroying it into dust.

"Whoa," Lua gasped. "That is so cool!" After seeing Yasuko averting destruction, Lua pays close attention to the duel. "She used that card to save my monster. I mean, her monster." It's not just Lua that Yasuko's got attention. All the other kids around his age and Yasuko's are watching the duel. They seem to wonder who the new girl is.

Mikey was surprised and realized that Yasuko wasn't who he assumed she was. "Lucky break right there," he commented. "Next time, I'm gonna get you for sure."

"I like to see you try," Yasuko replied. "And since Gadget Gamer isn't destroyed, that means your 1000 points of effect damage is also negated." She continues on with her next move. "Thanks to Gadget Gamer's effect, I add Morphtronic Lantron to my hand." Yasuko picks one monster she wants to add: Morphtronic Lantron. "Now, I tribute Gadget Gamer to activate its other special effect," she stated. "I can Special Summon one Morphtronic monster from my hand and one Gadget Hauler from my deck." The gamer gadget bursts itself into dust as Yasuko Special Summons the Gadget Hauler (ATK 1300/DEF 0) from the Main Deck and Morphtronic Lantron (ATK 200/DEF 200) from the hand. "I Special Summon Gadget Hauler from my deck and Morphtronic Lantron from my hand!" Two monsters appear on Yasuko's field, revealing a big semi-truck with a large cannon at the cargo, and a robot with the body of a lantern.

"Sure, bring out those two," Mikey said sarcastically. "It's not like they're gonna do anything together."

"And you shouldn't underestimate your opponent, especially when someone like Lua has cards like these," Yasuko replied. She brings her hand to start the Synchro Summon. "I tune my level 1 Lantron with my level 6 Gadget Hauler!"

(6 + 1 = 7)

The lantron robot turns into a single green ring, scanning the hauler gadget into its outline with six glowing white orbs in the center. Once the orbs are aligned, the green ring shoots a single white beam "Robotic gadgets, unite and form the ultimate contraption of power and tools that fight any beasts! I Synchro Summon! Appear, level 7! Power Tool Mecha Dragon!" Yasuko chanted as she Synchro Summons Power Tool Mecha Dragon (ATK 2300/DEF 2500) in Attack Position. The monster Yasuko summoned is Lua's best monster in his deck. The white light fades to reveal a yellow robotic dragon with a green screwdriver on the left arm and a blue power shovel on the right arm as its tail extends back with a shovel attached to the end. Red lines glow up on the wings, activating the mechanical machine for the first time.

Lua was astonished at Yasuko using his deck to the fullest. He had no idea his own deck could bring out a monster like that. "Woah," he gasped. "Look at that! She summoned my best monster with my deck. I never knew she could do that!"

Even Luna was impressed. She knew her brother wasn't a strong duelist, but she saw someone dueling with her brother's deck to its peak. "Apparently, she can," she said. "It's like she's been able to do this for a long time."

"I equip my Power Tool Mecha Dragon with the Equip Spell Card: United We Stand!" Yasuko equips the mecha dragon with the Equip Spell Card: United We Stand. "The equipped monster gains 800 ATK and DEF for each monster I control." The Equip Spell card flips over and shoots a red bolt to power up the mecha dragon, increasing its attack power.

(Power Tool Mecha Dragon: ATK 2300/DEF 2500 → ATK 3100/DEF 3300)

"And when an Equip Card is equipped to Power Tool Mecha Dragon, its effect allows me to draw one card," Yasuko added. She draws one card from her deck.

"No way!" Mikey gasped.

"Battle!" Yasuko throws her hand over to the first monster of her choice. "Power Tool Mecha Dragon, attack Lavalval Salamander!" The mecha dragon flew over and pierced the lava salamander with its screwdriver, destroying it with a single punch. Mikey covers his face from the dust as he takes battle damage.

(Mikey: LP 4000 → 3500)

Once Mikey recovers, he seems more annoyed that Yasuko managed to deal damage despite using Lua's deck. "That was just a lucky shot," he said. The sound of his voice caught Yasuko's attention. Now she's agitated him.

"Luck's not everything," Yasuko replied. "All I did was exploit and use Lua's card to work together." She pulls out two cards from her hand and Sets them both face-down. "I Set two cards face-down and end my turn," she concluded.

Turn 3: Mikey (0x cards)

Lua and Luna are watching the duel very carefully, especially Lua since this is his deck Yasuko's using. "Was that all she could do?" Luna asked her brother.

"I don't know," Lua answered. "I mean…I guess…"

Mikey was getting serious about the duel now. When Yasuko brings out the mecha dragon, it becomes clear that the girl has experience. "Alright, time to get serious," he said. "My turn!" Mikey draws a card from his deck and then activates the Spell Card: Pot of Avarice. "I activate the Spell, Pot of Avarice!" he stated. "This card allows me to target five monsters in my graveyard and then shuffle them into my deck, and I get to draw two cards." Mikey will target five monsters in his graveyard: Lavalal Salamander, Laval Lancelord, Laval Lakeside Lady, Laval Coatl, and Laval Blaster. "I target and shuffle Lancelord, lakeside Lady, Coatl, and Blaster from my graveyard and then shuffle them all back to my deck, and then I draw two cards!" The duel disk ejects the five monsters he will shuffle to his Main Deck and draws two cards.

"Next, I activate the Spell, Birth of the Prominence Flames!" Mikey takes one card from his hand and activates the Spell Card: Birth of the Prominence Flames. "This card lets me target FIRE monsters in my graveyard with 200 DEF and then banish them to Special Summon one FIRE Synchro monster from my Extra Deck whose level is equal to the monsters I banish." Mikey chooses to target Laval Forest Sprite and Laval Archer in the graveyard. The spell card flips up, allowing two fire monsters from the graveyard to be banished; one is a molten rock archer monster, and the other is a maiden wearing a scarf over her fire hair and flaming boots.

"I banish my Laval Forest Sprite and Archer to Special Summon Lavalval Dragon!" The two fire monsters disappear into the fire to allow Mikey to Special Summon Lavalval Dragon (ATK 2000/DEF 1100) in Attack Position. The fire vanished, allowing a dragon made of molten lava to appear on the field.

Yasuko doesn't seem worried despite the three powerful monsters because the mecha dragon has more power than all three combined. "That's all?" she questioned. "I'd expected more from you."

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet," Mikey berated. "Lavalval Dragon's special effect allows me to shuffle two Laval monsters in my graveyard to my deck and then target one card on the field and return it back to the hand." He starts off by activating the monster effect of the lava dragon. "I shuffle Laval Volcano Maiden, and Burner back to my deck to target your Power Tool Mecha Dragon and return it back to the Extra Deck!" Mikey shuffles his monsters back to his deck and points at the mecha dragon. The lava dragon spews out a fireball made of molten lava that hits the mecha dragon, dispersing it from the field.

"Oh no!" Lua exclaimed, horrified that Yasuko's strongest monster was gone. "Power Tool Mecha Dragon's gone! That means she's wide open for a direct attack."

"She better do something," Luna concurred. "All those monsters are gonna end her life points."

With Yasuko's field now empty, Mikey had a satisfying smirk. He is blind for an OTK. "That Clear Wong Fast Dragon is good as mine," he boasted. "Battle! Exlord, attack Yasuko directly!" he declared.

Upon his command, the lava exlord roves its hand and then forms an energized circle in front of it. The exlord pours out molten lava over to Yasuko.

"Oh no!" Luna gasped. "If this attack comes through, the others are next."

Lua was panicking even more than his twin sister. "I knew I should've gotten a better deck!"

As the attack comes close, Yasuko quickly defends the attack. "I activate the Trap! Morphtronic Scramble!" Yasuko flips up the face-down Trap Card: Morphtronic Scramble! "When my opponent's monster declares a direct attack, I can negate it and then Special Summon one Morphtronic monster from my hand." The molten lava blast was about to hit Yasuko when an invisible forcefield shielded her from the attack, protecting her life points. "Now that your monster's attack is negated, I can Special Summon Morphtronic monster from my hand." She takes out one card and Special Summons Morphtronic Scopen (ATK 800/DEF 1400) in Attack Position. "I Special Summon Morphtronic Scopen!" The monster Yasuko summoned is a robot that is designed from a microscope.

"Alright!" Lua cheered. "Now Yasuko can survive this!"

Of course, the opponent doesn't find it amusing. He was more annoyed by Yasuko's persistence. "Oh, whatever," he scowled. "At least I get to destroy your monster this time."

"No, you won't," Yasuko retorted. "Because I activate my Continuous Trap Card: Morphtronic Bind!" Yasuko flips up the face-down Continuous Trap Card: Morphtronic Bind. "As long as I control a Morphtronic monster, all your level 5 or higher monsters cannot declare an attack."

As Yasuko makes the final move, Mikey's face becomes more irritated. He was angry about how Yasuko could defend herself despite using such a weak deck from Lua. "Are you kidding me," he growled. Since he has no other plays, Mikey takes out one last card from his hand and Sets it.

"I Set a card face-down," he concluded.

Turn 4: Yasuko (1x card)

The more the duel goes on, the bigger the crowd becomes. Almost all of the residents from the Tops are watching the duel with interest. All the kids around Lua and Luna's age watch Yasuko duel against one of the best duelists in their school.

"So, you still want my Clear Wing Fast Dragon?" Yasuko provoked. "And they say you're supposed to be the best." She only said it to get a rise out of the arrogant duelist, and Yasuko could see how much it worked. Mikey was now agitated over Yasuko's success with Lua's deck.

"This isn't fair," Mikey growled, growing infuriated. "How can you beat every card I've got when Lua couldn't do it himself."

"That's because you underestimate your abilities by comparing mine to his," Yasuko answered. "You assume I wouldn't be much of a match because I'm dueling with Lua's deck." She doubts anyone may listen or care, but Yasuko has to get it off her shoulder. "That entitlement is what's making you lose this duel." She placed a finger on top of her deck. "It's my turn now," she said. Yasuko draws a card. She looks at the card she's drawn. By the looks of it, Yasuko could guess it was the one card she needed to change the duel around in her favor.

Both twins observe the duel between Yasuko, who uses Lua's deck, and Mikey, the supposedly top duelist in their school. "Wow, so this is what my deck can do?" he inquired.

"Obviously, she knows what she's doing," Luna informed. "I hope you're learning anything after this ordeal."

Lua turns to his sister, disbelieving that Luna is skeptical about his lack of focus. "I am watching this duel," he said. Turning back to Yasuko, Lua cannot help but feel admiration for her. "I mean, Yasuko's beating Mikey with my deck. Can you believe how much fight she's putting it in?"

This was the first time Luna had heard Lua acting so excited about a duel. The twin sister looked back at Yasuko, wondering how much she was giving it all.

"I Normal Summon Morphtronic Celfon!" Yasuko declared, as she Normal Summons Morphtronic Celfon (ATK 100/DEF 100). The monster she summoned is a yellow android that is entirely designed based on the flip-up cellphone.

Upon seeing that monster, Mikey makes one upheaved expression, taken back by the surprise of how weak the monster is. "What?" he queried. "You summoned that thing? That monster can barely stand up against my own weakest one in my deck."

"Maybe on its own, but unless I had this card, then I can bring out more of it." Yasuko activates the Spell Card: Machine Duplication. "I activate the Spell, Machine Duplication!" she exclaimed. "This card allows me to target one Machine monster that has 500 or less ATK points and then Special Summons up to two more copies of the same monster I control from my deck." She gestures to the flip-up android. "I target Celfon, and then Special Summon two more Morphtronic Celfons from my deck." The yellow flip-up phone android dials its numbers, allowing the spell card to flip up and shoot two yellow bolts. The bolts hit the ground, revealing to be two more of the same yellow android designed from a flip-up cellphone.

Yasuko can finally make her move against Mikey with Lua's deck. "Let me show you what happens when you deal with someone you've never faced before," she said. "I tune my level 3 Scopen with the level 1 Celfon!"

(1 + 3 = 4)

Upon her declaration, the scopen leaps up and turns into three rings. The first celfon android flies into the rings, being scanned by the circles, and then the solid mass disappears into nothing bot a single white orb in the middle. "Spotlight twins of all eletronics, dance to the sound of the beat and become the machine that will make music! I Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 4, Morphtronic Earfon!" Yasuko uses the scopen and the celfon to Synchro Summon Morphtronic Earfon (ATK 1200/DEF 1800) in Defense Position. The new robotic monster resembles the twins, but they are white androids. The boyish blue robot holds a pair of twin sabers, and the red girlish android has a shield and a ray gun shaped like an earphone jack.

Luna doesn't know how to respond to that monster, but for the most part, she feels creeped out by the fact the monster has her figure and image. "Uh…Lua, what is that?" she asked her brother, pointing at the earfon android.

On the other hand, Lua was embarrassed to even explain the monster to his sister. "Oh crap. It was from an online custom card game I played about two months," he clarified. "It turns out they chose my thing, and then I didn't even know how to use it."

"It's a good thing you did, Lua," Yasuko replied. "How 'bout I show you what Earfon does." She gestures to the monster to activate its effect. "I activate Earfon's special effect! When this card is Special Summoned, I can target one monster on the field and treat it as a Tuner until the end of the turn."

"Then it's a good thing that card was all for nothing," said Mikey. "I activate my Exlord's special effect! When you activate a monster effect, I can destroy that monster and inflict 1000 points of damage." Mikey then flips up the Trap Card: Spiritual Fire Art – Kurenai. "And in addition, I activate the Trap! Spiritual Fire Art -Kurenai! This card lets me tribute one FIRE monster on the field and then inflict damage equal to its ATK!" He motions to the lava stennon. "I tribute Laval Stennon, and then inflict damage equal to its ATK!" The molten stennon crumbles into piles of rock before the exlord uses its power to conjure all of it to form a massive fireball made of molten rock. The monster then hurdles it over to destroy the earfon twins, destroying it.

Yasuko covers her face as the fire burns around her and her life points.

(Yasuko: LP 4000 → 300)

The girl recovers from the blast, looking at the field of her setup. Only two of the celfon robots remain.

"Oh no!" Lua panicked, holding his head. "My monster— I mean— her monster was destroyed. That means she won't be able to Synchro Summon Power Tool Mecha Dragon without it!"

"No, there has to be something your deck can do," Luna protested.

Mikey had a satisfied smirk on his face, content with the result of the match. "This match is decided," he stated. "Your monsters are weak against all of mine, so I think it's best to save you the humiliation and just hand over the new Clear Wing Fast Dragon."

Mikey may soon regret threatening the girl since Yasuko is scowling at him with full intent to obliterate the boy. "You won't get to have it," she growled. "I activate Morphtronic Impact Return from the graveyard!" as she declared, Yasuko activated the Trap Card: Morphtronic Impact Return in the graveyard. The trap card spins before revealing itself in front of her, showing Mikey and the other kids from the Topsiders the card.

"What the—That wasn't in the graveyard!" Mikey accused.

"Remember when you first activated Card Destruction," Yasuko recalled.

When she spoke of her words, Mikey had a sudden flashback of when he first activated his spell, which affected him and Yasuko. "You mean that…." He realized what had transpired from the beginning of his turn.

"While you were piling your graveyard, I just happened to draw this card before you made us discard our entire hand." Yasuko also had a short flashback, remembering how the trap card was in her hand before Mikey forced her to discard her entire hand and draw. "There are cards that can do this. All I have to do is give it good use." Yasuko targets Morphtronic Earfon and then Special Summons it in Defense Position by banishing her trap card. "By banishing Impact Return from my graveyard, I target Earfon to Special Summon it back in my field." The trap card is banished, allowing the earfon twins to reemerge back on the field, much to Lua and Luna's surprise.

"Wow! She had a trap card in the grave all this time, and now, she's using it," Lua beamed. "That's so cool!" Although Luna isn't as excited as her brother, she is amazed by Yasuko's dueling with Lua's deck.

"If you spend more time on focusing the deck instead of getting some more cards, you'll be able to do what Yasuko's doing right now," said Luna.

The girl didn't stop there. If she's going to beat Mikey with Lua's deck, then she must exploit all of its abilities. "I activate the second Celfon's effect," she declared. "I roll a number 1 to 6, and I can excavate the number of cards equal to the number I roll and Special Summon one level 4 or lower Morphtronic monster from those excavated cards and shuffle the rest back to the deck."

The second celfon starts dialing on the buttons as a dice roll. The light beeps to a halt, ending up on a 4. "I rolled a 4, which means I can excavate four cards from the top of my deck," said Yasuko. She excavated the four cards, one of which was Morphtronic Telefon. "I Special Summon Morphtronic Telefon in Attack Position." Due to the effect of her second celfon, Yasuko was able to Special Summon Morphtronic Telefon (ATK 100/DEF 100) in Attack Position. The second robotic monster is more of a predecessor of the celfon. It was designed based on digital telephones before cell phones.

Mikey sniggered, amused by Yasuko's seemingly futile defense. "Really? That's the best you can do? That monster doesn't even give you enough to bring back Power Tool Mecha Dragon," he sneered.

"Don't underestimate me or this deck Lua has built," Yasuko retorted. "I still haven't used Telefon's special effect." Once Yasuko activates telefon's special effect, the six number buttons on the shoulder pads start dialing. "Once per turn, I roll a six-sided dice, and the number I rolled lets me gain LP equal to that amount, and then I can Special Summon a Morphtronic monster from my GY whose level is also equal to the number." The number continues to roll until it stops to land on a three.

"The number I rolled is a 3, which means I gain 300 life points and then Special a Morphtronic monster whose level is 3 or lower," said Yasuko.

(Yasuko: LP 300 → 600)

"I target my scopen in the graveyard and Special Summon it back to my field," Yasuko declared. The robotic telefon brings out its blaster shaped from the phone and then shoots a beam to the ground, allowing Yasuko to Special Summon Morphtronic Scopen in Attack Position. The robotic microscope is resurrected back to the field.

"Now, I tune the level 3 Scopen with the level 4 Earfon!" The scopen turns into three rings that scan the earfon twins, allowing them to disperse their masses until it is nothing but 4 white orbs at the center.

"I Synchro Summon! Appear! Power Tool Mecha Dragon!" Yasuko Synchro Summons Power Tool Mecha Dragon in Attack Position. Like before, the mecha dragon returns to the field, all brand new.

"Now, Yasuko's brought out my best monster," said Lua.

"And that's not all," Luna added. "She still has Celfon that was treated as a Tuner." Her response made Lua turn to her in surprise.

"Since when was Celfon a Tuner?"

Luna sighed, obviously annoyed by her brother's cluelessness. "Didn't you know any of your cards?" she asked.

Lua makes a gesture that would've made Yasuko angry if she saw him given he only paid half the attention to the duel. "I guess it slipped out of my mind," he said, earning a disappointed head shake from Luna.

"Now, I tune the Level 1 Celfon that's treated as a Tuner with the level 1 Celfon and Power Tool Mecha Dragon!" Yasuko declared. The second celfon flies along with the third celfon and the mecha dragon.

(7 + 1 + 1 = 9)

The second celfon turns into a single green ring that scans the third celfon and the mecha dragon. It removes all their solid masses until eight white orbs align in the middle. "Robots, upgrade yourself and become the newest mechanical being that will destroy all my opponents! I Synchro Summon! Appear, level 9! Power Tool Braver Dragon!" Yasuko uses the two celfons and the mecha dragon to Synchro Summon Power Tool Braver Dragon (ATK 2500/DEF 2300) in Attack Position. The Synchro monster Yasuko had summoned is an upgraded mecha dragon with its screwdriver arm replaced with a powered drill. The power shovel was replaced with a power clamp that acts like claws. Its wings are more silver than yellow, and it doesn't have red lights circuiting across its body.

Mikey felt his jaw just drop to the ground after seeing Yasuko bring out such a different monster. Not just him but all the residents around the park were watching the duel. Most of the duels around the park stopped once Yasuko brought out the braver dragon.

Lua and Luna were amazed at Yasuko performing her best with Lua's deck. All those who perceive Lua to be a terrible duelist may be accurate, but in the hands of a specialist like Yasuko, it is a whole different story.

"Power Tool Braver Dragon's special effect activates!" Yasuko declared, easing her hand to the beaver dragon in front of her. "When this monster is Special Summoned, it can equip up to three different Equip Spell Cards from my deck or graveyard." The braver dragon plunged its drill down and extracted some of the Equip Spells Yasuko had chosen to use.

"I equip Life Extreme and Mage Power from my deck and United We Stand from my graveyard!" Once Yasuko has decided, the braver dragon's drill bursts three golden lights that fly over to the monster, equipping itself with three Equip Spell Cards, Life Extreme, Mage Power, and United We Stand. The three equipped spells appear on the field, powering up the braver dragon.

(Power Tool Braver Dragon: ATK 2500/DEF 2300 → ATK 5600/DEF 5400)

"United We Stand gives Power Tool 800 ATK and DEF points for every monster I control, and the monster equipped with Mage Power gains 500 ATK and DEF for every Spell and Trap I control," Yasuko explained.

The sight of the braver dragon having more attack power frightens Mikey. He'd never expected someone he didn't know in the neighborhood to be as good with just Lua's deck. The duel is astonishing to watch for most of the residents of the Tops.

"5600 ATK points?!" Mikey gasped, mortified that Yasuko's monster was now the strongest on the field.

Lua was shining stars in his eyes, amazed at how cool his deck could actually do if the best duelist knew how to play it. "Whoa! Look at that! It's my deck's strongest monster! Power Tool Braver Dragon!" he beamed, shaking with happiness. "Now that's a monster I knew would be coming in handy someday."

Luna was also amazed by the duel. She was concerned Yasuko might lose with the deck Lua had, but it seemed she was wrong. "That's really strong," she said.

Yasuko's fierce determination tells Mikey and the others that the duel is going through. "Now, I activate Earfon's special effect from the graveyard! By targeting one Synchro monster, I can equip it with this card," Yasuko stated. "I target Power Tool Braver Dragon and equip it with Earfon!" The ground opens a portal, allowing the earfon twins to fly like a rocket. The earfon twins transform into two earpods that attach themselves to the braver dragon.

"What good will they do? They don't do anything," Mikey mocked, but Yasuko had another reason why she did it.

"I've seen cards that can do much better than what they're worth," said Yasuko. "And Lua's cards are worth more than what your parents can afford for you. A monster equipped with Earfon can conduct an attack on monsters twice." She can hear Mikey gasp in shock, realizing that she has him.

Battle!" She throws her hand over to the monsters Mikey has on his field. "Power Tool Braver Dragon, attack Exlord and Dragun!" Once Yasuko has decided to attack, the braver dragon obeys and brings down its drill. The monster then drills down, creating a seismic earthquake, shattering the ground before the cracks reach the two monsters. Mikey can only watch in horror as the monsters are destroyed, dealing a heavy blow to him and his life points.

(Mikey: LP 3500 → 0)

(WINNER: Yasuko Yukihana)

Mikey was thrown to the ground, shouting as the monsters were destroyed in the blink of an eye. Once the duel was over, the braver dragon disappeared along with the remaining debris. Yasuko triumphs over Mikey, proving how much of a hypocrite he is in dueling. Many residents from the Tops were speechless. Many of the kids were astonished by how much Yasuko put into defeating someone like Mikey.

Yasuko swept a bang from her face and then walked across the field to confront the boy who stole Luna's Ancient Pixie Dragon. "Now that I beat you with Lua's deck, I want that Ancient Pixie Dragon back," Yasuko demanded, holding a hand in front of Mikey. The stern gaze on her face tells Mikey he'd better give it back. The boy felt humiliated after their duel. He thought he could beat Yasuko since she was dueling him using Lua's deck, but she proved him wrong.

Reluctantly, Mikey digs into his deck and pulls out the one card Luna gave away to clear up Lua's mistake: Ancient Pixie Dragon. Yasuko takes it and turns around to head for the twins.

The twin siblings had nothing to respond to the girl who had just beaten one of their school's top duelists. They all looked up at her since they were a head shorter than Yasuko. The girl held the card in front of Luna, offering it back to her since it was her best card.

Luna looked up, moved by her resolve to get back the card she had given away to make up for her brother's mistake. She took back Ancient Pixie Dragon from Yasuko and said, "Thank you."

Yasuko nodded once before turning to the twin brother. "So, I hope you learned something from this," said Yasuko, pulling out Lua's deck from her duel disk.

Lua nodded eagerly, almost as if he's found a new player to look into. "Yep, no matter how much I spend on the cards, it's always important to know how to use them," he stated. "If anyone can duel just like Jack Atlas, they're just as good as him." He was very stoked about Yasuko's duel.

"You've gotta teach me how to use these cards," Lua requested. "I'm only a beginner, so maybe you can be my teacher and help me."

The girl narrows her eyes, obviously irritated by Lua's lack of attention to the duel. "I cannot just teach you entirely, Lua," Yasuko responded. "I already have another person who just happens to be a student of my own." Much to Lua's dismay, Yasuko's response was stern. "I can only say that the more you put your thoughts into your dueling, then sooner or later, you'll find yourself feeling more confident in your skills." Yasuko is sure Lua will listen to her words if she can put them correctly.

"Just remember, Lua, consistency is everything, and the more you work on it, the better duelist you'll become," she advised.

Yasuko starts walking away from the park, with the twins following her. Lua then came up and halted her in the front. "Wait," he said. "Yasuko…um…do you have a place to stay for the night?" When Lua offered her a place to stay in this new and strange dimension, Yasuko thought it was best to stay behind for a bit.

"Uh…sure, why not?" Yasuko inclined. "That duel was a bit longer than I thought." She looked up at the sky, noticing that the blue color was slowly turning orange. "Speaking of, it's about to get late." It appears Yasuko has no choice now that she will be staying in the Tops for a while.

Lua beams at her with excitement. "Great, maybe you can tell me more about these Pendulum cards, like that Clear Wing one you mentioned earlier." Lua stays close to Yasuko, asking her many questions she doesn't want to answer.

"Lua, give her a break," Luna called out. "She just had a duel, and now Yasuko's tired. So can you please don't bug her?"

"Aw, come on," Luna whined. "We have a guest staying over, and I have to know more about if I'm gonna be just like the King." While Lua was ranting about being one of the best duelists in the city, Yasuko felt her sleeve being tucked. She looked down to find Luna getting her attention.

"Hey, Yasuko," Luna whispered. A small smile formed as she said, "Thanks for getting back Ancient Pixie Dragon for me." There was a chance Yasuko might need to get some people in the Synchro Dimension to be on her good side. She has taken the first step; now, Yasuko needs to find Yuya to get more allies.

---

Hello readers.

I apologized if there was a delay in the updates in the chapter, but I had to deal with some issues, and with the holidays. I just wanted to prioritize my issues until I can get them settled. So, here is the first duel of the story. Not much yet, but there will be more coming along the way.

Anyways, if you like what you've read so far, then don't forget to like it down for more updates, follow through if you want to keep track, and post down some comments on what the story needs to improve, what needs to be corrected, and what needs to be done.

Happy New Years!