After Flamberge's eventful first day in Duel Academy Fantasia, the next day really shifted her duel curriculum into high gear. Although not one to be the studious type, she would aim to try her best in every subject offered to be the best possible duelist she could be.
Kathlaa was more or less the same, studying intently as the days kept rolling, aiming to keep pace with Flamberge as they went through the classes that they chose.
Flamberges favorite classes to take were History of the Cards, because she never knew the lore that many of the Archetypes within Duel Monsters were so deep, and of course, Legendary Duelist history, so she could pick up some great dueling tips from some of the all time greats.
Kathlaa meanwhile took classes on Card Optimization, where she learned that some archetypes were strongest by finding strong generic cards to mesh with them, fully delving into strategy and how to hone her dueling by knowing the best cards to use.
Days turned into a few weeks, the Fire Mage and the Overworld Warrioress working hard to improve their game their way. And then, one day… it was time to initiate the Blue Eyes Aspirants signature study course….
Class 400, Blue Eyes Aspirants Class….
"Greetings to you all. It's time at last to begin the Blue Eyes Aspirants signature study project." Hurota said.
"Alright! Finally!" Rex said. "The Path of Azure Aspirations! This is what I was waitin' for!"
"Waiting to get stomped again by most of us, you mean?" Okada jabbed at Rex, recalling how this time last year, Rex lost to all Aspirants at least once, a dubious distinction for #8.
"Yeah, at least I'm 2 higher than you, Number 10!" Rex said.
"Uh… whats the path of Azure Aspirations?" Flamberge asked, a little confused.
"Ms. Hurota admitted you to this program, and you don't even know?" Marina asked. "The path of Azure Aspirations is the signature Dueling Course of the Blue Eyes Aspirants. Each year, the top 10 ranked duelists in our school, which are ourselves, duel each other in tests of strength, wit, technique and determination in order to test our resolve towards becoming the best duelists we can possibly become."
"Make no mistake about it, it is BRUTAL." Rex said. "Ive heard a few guys before us couldn't take the heat so much, they up and quit the program entirely after just three days."
"It's the true Gauntlet to prove you're an Aspirant. I wager since you and your girlfriend aren't yet part of our ranks, it's going to be even more worse for the two of you." Olira remarked.
"Yeah? Well, I say bring it on!" Flamberge said. "I wanted to become a Duelist because the game was just fun. Anyone can play Duel Monsters if they know what theyre doing, and if i can make it far in this environment, it proves that I can be one, no matter what anyone says!"
"Well said, Flamberge." Xander nodded.
"So how does this work? Is there something we need to earn during this point of time?" Kathlaa asked.
"The 12 of us will be dueling to earn Azure Aspirant points." Aria said. "They are awarded to us depending on how well a duel is performed, and if certain conditions are fulfilled."
"You get 5 points if you knock your opponents life points down to zero, and 3 if you manage to survive longer than 8 turns." Jason explained. "But that's just the basics, there's more technical parts to it than that."
"Jason is correct." Hurota said. "10 points are awarded if you achieve a dominant victory in a duel. In like fashion if you can manage to keep a dominant board through the whole duel, you gain another 5 points."
"So… its not just about beating your opponent, but also HOW you beat them?" Flamberge asked.
"Precisely." Hurota said. "The key is to win the duel of course, but also to maximize your playing effectively. I look forward to seeing how this goes. Perhaps one of you will even go the distance and try to break Oliras point record from last year which earned her the top spot in the aspirants to start this year."
"Really? How many points did she earn last year to get Number 1?" Flamberge curiously asked.
"105." Olira remarked.
"WHAT?!" Flamberge gawked.
"Yep. Not even Yurina came close, and she had 64 points." Olira nodded.
"Alright then, Aspirants. It's time to begin. One change we are making this year compared to last year is this: You all may duel other students, teachers and faculty, as well as family, to earn your points." Hurota declared. "As a matter of fact, we had a teacher volunteer to be the first duelist of this year's trials, which as you know are broadcast across the school."
"Wait, a teacher actually wants to duel us!?" Okada exclaimed. "That's cool!"
"Who might they be, Ms. Hurota?" Marina said.
"Maybe it's Mom or dad… or Kite! Oooh, or even Yugi! Or Yusei! Or… oooooh so many choices!" Yurina said with a big hopeful smile.
"She's actually someone I least expected to come in for it. Aspirants, here is your first opponent." Hurota smiled as they turned to see someone approaching, who had a muscular build, wearing a mechanic's outfit with brown hair and blue eyes. She was comparable to Kathlaa in build, standing in at 6'5" and weighing in at a stunning 243 pounds.
"Wait… that's Ms. Genextra!" Okada exclaimed.
"Hello Aspirants!" Aubrey Genextra waved, as she was the Duel Runner mechanic instructor. "I was hoping I'd get this chance, and I can't help but be thankful to you, Hurota, for allowing me this chance!"
"Think nothing of it, Aubrey. You've done so much in helping Fantasias Turbo Duel scene that we had to include you. If I may ask, what deck have you brought for this challenge?" Hurota asked.
"Well, I've been so passionate about machines, you know this. But I couldn't leave one behind like so many more of you have done! I've strived to make it one of the best decks I can, and I won't allow it to be shunned! I'm going to make them proud… I'm using the Genex archetype! For the next Genexration!" Aubrey declared with passion.
"What?!" Rex asked in disbelief. "Ms. Genextra, those scrapheaps have been, well, scrap, ever since they debuted in 2011!"
"YOU WANNA PIECE OF THIS, KID?" Aubrey suddenly roared with anger in her eyes and a tick mark appearing with her fist clenched tightly.
"Yikes!" Flamberge cried.
"EEP!" Kathlaa jumped. "I thought I got angry!"
"Rex… what does Yusei always say in Turbo duel class?" Yurina stated.
Rex sighed. "There's no card that is truly useless. Every card has its purpose." He repeated.
"Exactly! And I'm applying that to Genex!" Aubrey smirked. "Now, shall we get started? I wanna try out this new blood you've got this year. Flamberge, right?" Aubrey asked as she looked at Flamberge.
All the aspirants looked to Flamberge, who couldn't believe that
"Wait… me?" Flamberghe pointed to herself. "You wanna duel me?"
"Why not, kid? I heard you're quite the spitfire, in more ways than one. Gettin' Hurota down to the LP total you did? That's impressive stuff! I wanna see if it can match the spirit of my Genex cards, and the cards they can make that will truly make you understand their uses!" Aubrey smiled.
"Aw, well in that case, let's do this!" Flamberge shot up from her seat, all fired up. "Ooooh yeaaaah! My flames and I are fully stoked now!"
At that moment, the classroom began shifting to the duel field, as things got prepared.
Suddenly, around the school, the TVs began to turn on to a special program that all students were allowed to watch, even during classes, as Carly Carmine, the reporter hired by Fantasia, was getting set up as the intro played. Soon enough, Carly would appear on screen.
"Heeeeelloooo you lovely students at Fantasia! It's your favorite reporter Carly Carmine here to bring you the annual action you've all been waiting for! Get your notepads ready, because it's time to learn something about dueling for real! It's time for the Path of Azure Aspirants!" Carly introduced, as the flashy title would appear.
"Hey, the Path of Azure aspirations is kickin off!" one student said.
"The first duel of the courses semester, awesome, whos dueling?"
"As you may have heard in rumors, I, your most informed reporter, can FULLY confirm two things! First, this year, the Aspirants can take on anyone and everyone on the school grounds~!" Carly beamed proudly.
"Oh wow! Sweet!" A Uria Ruby student exclaimed. "A chance to duel the Aspirants! Wow!"
"To kick things off, we're gonna see two brand new faces to the school's duelist records! Officially, both are recorded at 0-0, though I hear Flamberge has beaten an Aspirant already! Let's see if it helps, the inaugural duel is gonna be the newest of the Aspirants, FLAAAAMBERGE!" Carly introduced as Flamberge's image flashed stylishly on screen with her main monster, Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix, next to her.
"Hey, its that new kid!" A Raviel Indigo student remarked.
"Shes the one who almost defeated Hurota! She had her down to 75 Life points!" another exclaimed.
"No way! Olira only ever got her down to 1500 last year!" a Hamon Gold student added.
"And her opponent, with the most interesting deck we may have seen, it's the Duel Runner Mechanic Class Instructor… MISS AUBREY GENEXTRA!" Carly remarked, as Aubrey appeared in a flash with several Genex cards near her portrait.
"Ms. Genextra's dueling?!"
"With GENEX!?"
"Ohhh this is gonna be a stomp! Flamberge will win, easy!"
"Grab your pen and paper in case your teachers quiz you, cuz it's almost time to start! Let's head to the Aspirant Classroom dueling field for the start of the duel!" Carly beamed, as a HUD appeared with Flamberge and Aubrey's pictures next to their LP totals.
With the whole school watching and Kathlaa and the other aspirants in attendance, Flamerge and Aubrey soon faced off. Flamberge powered on her new Arc-V-era duel disk she received after being admitted to the Academy, while Aubrey rocked a KC Corp. Stylized Duel Disk, from the Dark Side of Dimensions specifically, as a black and red color.
(Cue: Barmaley Steelworks (Round 1)- Street Fighter 6)
"Ms. Genextra, thank you for this opportunity, but i gotta admit that speech you gave REALLY fired me up!" Flamberge said. "Im gonna give this all I got right from the start, so dont blame me if you get burned!"
"Heh, I won't hold back either, kid, so you best be ready for a beating at the minimum!" Aubrey smirked. "And let's make this interesting. If you win and fulfill more than 2 point requirements, I'll get you a free seat into my Duel Runner Mechanic course! How about it?" Aubrey asked.
"Ooooh, that sounds awesome! Now im more stoked! Challenge Accepted!" Flamberge said.
Carly: It's time to spin the Wild Card wheel! The duelist won't know until the end, but this will be crucial in the fact that it's an extra, unknown point requirement! Let's see it!
Spin the wheeeeel…..
Wild Card Requirement: Activate a Field Spell and have it active for 3+ Turns, or until the end of the duel! (8 Points)
Carly: With that revealed to you audience members and no one else….
"Let the first duel of the Path of Azure Aspirations… commence!" Carly exclaimed.
Flamberge/Aubrey: LET'S DUEL!
Flamberge (Going Second)
8000 LP
VS.
Aubrey (Going First)
8000 LP
"Let's see what we got to start!" Aubrey remarked, drawing her hand.
Aubrey's Starting Hand:
Limiter Removal
Margin Trading
Defense Draw
Genex Ally Duradark
Genex Blastfan
"(Okay, not a real hot start, but let's work it.)" Aubrey remarked. "I summon Genex Ally Duradark in Attack Mode!"
Genex Ally Duradark
Level 4 DARK Machine
1800 ATK/200 DEF
"I'll set down 2 cards and end my turn!" Aubrey declared.
Aubrey's Field
Genex Ally Duradark 1800 ATK
2 Face Down Spell/Traps
Hand: 2
Flamberge's Turn
Flamberge's Hand
Salamangreat Beat Bison
Salamangreat Jack Jaguar
Salamangreat Claw
Salamangreat Charge
Salamangreat Fennec
Flamberge draws: High Tide on Fire Island
"(Okay, let's go!)" Flamberge would think. "I summon Salamangreat Jack Jaguar in Attack Position!"
Salamangreat Jack Jaguar
Level 4 FIRE Cyberse
1800 ATK/1200 DEF
"And from there, i'll blaze the circuit! I set Salamangreat Jack Jaguar in the Link Arrows in order to Link Summon this little guy! Salamangreat Balelynx!"
Salamangreat Balelynx
Link 1 FIRE Cyberse
ATK: 500
"What will that do…?" Aubrey wondered aloud.
"Well, since I was successfully able to bring out Balelynx, I can add a Salamangreat Sanctuary from my deck to my hand." Flamberge explained, searching out her field spell. "I'll set 1 card face down… and its back to you, Ms. Genextra!"
Flamberge's Field
Salamangreat Balelynx - 800 ATK
1 Face down Spell/Trap
Hand: 4
Carly: Oooh! Flamberge has the field spell in her hand! She needs to put it on the field though!
"Okay! I'll draw!" Aubrey smiled.
Aubrey Drew: Genex Ally Remote
"(Hrm… not great…. But maybe…)" Aubrey hummed. "How about a deal, kid?"
Aubrey would activate Margin Trading.
"A little bit of Margin Trading. It works like this. I search your deck, and you search mine. We each pick a card to add to the other's hand. Of course. If you don't want me being nosy, you can send a card from your hand to the Graveyard and stop all of that from happening. What's your pick, kid?" Aubrey asked.
"I dont want to get rid of any cards in my hand just yet… so lets do it!" Flamerge said.
"Alright, have a look, kid!" Aubrey smiled as their decks were now in full view to each other.
"Whats that hothead thinking? Ms. Genextra's clearly tryin' to peek inside Flamberge's deck, even if shes takin after Soulburner. Shes just gonna reveal her whole strat to her." Rex said.
"But this is also her revealing her strategy to Berge. I wonder how she makes Genex so good." Yurina remarked.
While Flamberge did see many Genex cards… the support cards she saw were immaculate. Honest, Dark Honest, Waboku, Defense Draws, a bunch of cards for Machines, it was no wonder Aubrey had the idea to use Genex with these supports! …But Flamberge spotted one to try and take advantage of this opportunity.
"Alright… its a bit of a risk but… i choose Spellbook Inside the Pot!" Flamberge declared, the spell card being added to her hand.
"Alright. Lemme see…. ….Ooh, show me what you can do here. I'll give you Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon!" Aubrey remarked, as Flamberge's secret ace flew to her hand, as both players shuffled their decks. "Now, thanks to your goodwill, I'll use Spellbook Inside the Pot! Now we'll each draw 3 cards!" Aubrey smiled.
Aubrey Draws:
Mirror Force
Pot of Greed
Genex Doctor
Flamberge Draws:
Burning Draw
Fusion of Fire
Rising Fire
"Oooh, just keep getting lucky! I'll keep drawing with Pot of Greed!" Aubrey smiled, drawing 2 more cards.
Aubrey Draws
Machine King - 3000 B.C.
Waboku
"Now Ms. Genextra has 6 cards in her hand. What's she gonna do with em?" Okada asked.
"(This will be an epic setup! But I'll save it for now. Don't wanna get too nuts with this after all.)" Aubrey remarked. "I'll summon out Genex Blastfan!"
Genex Blastfan
Level 4 WIND Machine
1600 ATK/1300 DEF
"As you can see, I have 2 level 4 monsters on my field. Wanna know what might happen?" Aubrey asked.
"Wait… Genex cards dont have any XYZ monsters!" Flamberge recalled.
"Nope! But this is where the principle Yusei taught comes into play, alone, Genex aren't strong, but with the right help, they'll be amazing! I overlay Level 4 Duradark and Level 4 Blastfan!" Aubrey exclaimed, the two monsters rising to a blue spiral. "With these two monsters, i build the overlay network! I XYZ summon….!"
*27*
"Number 27, Dreadnought Dreadnoid!" Aubrey exclaimed, as the massive battlehip sailed onto the field.
Number 27: Dreadnought Dreadnoid
Rank 4 WATER Machine
2200 ATK/1000 DEF
"And our very own Aubrey Genextra busts out a Number Card!" Carly announced.
"Let's go into battle, shall we!?" Aubrey smiled. "Dreadnought Dreadnoid, attack Balelynx!" Aubrey exclaimed. "Take aim, and fire!"
"Total overkill, y'know?!" Flamberge said as Balelyx was destroyed by dreadnoughts cannons.
Flamberge LP:
8000→6300
"Urg… but it's not a total loss! When a Cyberse monster summoned from the extra deck is destroyed by battle or card effect, Salamangreat Fennec can come to the field from my hand or graveyard!" Flamberge said.
Salamangreat Fennec
Level 3 FIRE Cyberse
ATK 1600/ DEF 200
"Nice move, but if you thought that last move was overkill, then let's go to review! Pop quiz, class! For 5 points on whoever gets this right, what happens with Number 27 after the Battle Phase if it destroyed a monster?" Aubrey asked.
"Ms. Genextra, if Dreadnought Dreadnoid successfully destroyed a monster in battle, then you are immediately allowed to summon a Rank 10 or higher Machine XYZ monster using Dreadnoid as the entire material, itself and its Overlay units transferring to that card." Luna said.
"That's right! 5 points for Luna! As expected of the student with Stellar Grades." Aubrey said.
"So wait, what does she have in that mish mashed Extra Deck then!? Is it gonna be the Superdreadnoughts or something else!?" Okada exclaimed.
"Let's find out! Number 27, time for an Xyz Evolution! Let's push the limits with another bonus, if Flamberge can deal with this monster, she'll get 10 points! Better be ready because here he comes! I Xyz Evolve Number 27 into…!" Aubrey exclaimed as the portal exploded in bright light. "Superdimensional Robot Galaxy Destroyer!" Aubrey beamed.
BONUS! Remove this monster in any way from Aubrey's field for 10 Points!
Superdimensional Robot Galaxy Destroyer
Rank 10 LIGHT Machine
5000 ATK/2000 DEF
"5000 ATK points?!" Olira asked in shock. "...To think… Genex could bring out this…!"
"Yusei was on to something! Rex, do you believe him now!? CUZ I DO!" Okada exclaimed in panic, as Nuria watched with an impressed look on her face.
"Yup, I'm starting to become a Yusei believer! And a Genex believer!" Rex exclaimed.
"I'll end my turn by placing 3 cards Face Down and end my turn!" Aubrey declared.
Aubrey's Field
Superdimensional Robot Galaxy Destroyer 5000 ATK
5 Face Downs
Hand: 2
"She ended her turn? But Ms. Genextra could've slammed Flamberge for big damage with Galaxy Destroyer." Luna remarked.
"No, remember. Number 27's ability activates after the Battle Phase. So right now, this is a 5000 Attack massive wall for Flamberge to climb…" Yurina explained.
"How the heck is she gonna get outta this one?" Jason asked.
"I believe she'll find a way." Kathlaa spoke hopefully.
"I draw!" Flamberge exclaimed.
Flamberge Drew: Fire Recovery
"I activate Fire Recovery! This lets me special summon Balelyx back from the graveyard, but In exchange I gotta send one card in my hand to the graveyard." Flamberge said, as Baelynx was revived in exchange for her discarding Salamangreat Claw. "And next… I activate the spell card, Fusion of Fire! I can fuse monsters from my hand or either one of our fields into a new Salamangreat monster! So now i can take Balelynx on my field and Beat Bison in my hand, and fuse them together!"
The two monsters the fused together in a cyclone of red and blue flames, before erupting into a pyre of purple spiraling flames.
"When the flames consume the old, a new creature emerges to reign supreme! I Fusion Summon! Burn through, Salamangreat Violet Chimera!" Flamberge declared as the purple armored lion chimera fusion monster appeared, swathed in Blue flames.
Salamangreat Violet Chimera
Level 8 FIRE Cyberse Fusion
2800 ATK/2000 DEF
"She's doomed! That won't help!" Okada whined.
"No, watch!" Olira remarked.
"When Violet Chimera is successfully fusion summoned, he gains Attack strength equal to half the combined attack power of Balelynx and Beat Bison until the end of the turn!" Flamberge declared.
Violet Chimera: 2800 - 4450 ATK
"So close…" Yurina winced.
"Keep watching!" Olira snapped.
"I'll now play my face down! High Tide on Fire Island!" Flamberge exclaimed, flipping her single face down face up. "Now since a Level 7 or higher FIRE attribute monster is on my field, I can destroy one card on yours!"
"What!?" Aubrey gasped.
"Then…!" Okada gasped.
"That means…!" Rex exclaimed.
Suddenly, in a massive explosion of flames and mechanical parts melting to slag, the giant robot exploded, falling down in a massive heap to the cheer of the students watching.
"Wow! Flamberge completed the challenge set by Ms. Genextra and takes the lead with 10 points because of the completion!" Carly exclaimed in shock, as cheers rang throughout the school for Flamberge! "Of course, since she used High Tide's effect, that means another card from her hand has gotta go! Looks like she's ditching Burning Draw." Carly explained.
"But I'm not done yet! I activate the Spell, Salamangreat Charge! Since I control an Extra Monster from the Salamangreat Archetype whose Attack points are higher than usual, I can blow up one of your face downs!" Flamberge smirked.
"No…!" Aubrey gasped. "(If she selects Mirror Force…!)"
"Ms. Genextra has five face downs…. how is she supposed to figure out which one to eliminate?" Luna asked.
"She must let fate decide the outcome." Nuria explained in her usual cryptic tone.
"I'll select…" Flamberge declared, pointing at a random choice. "That one!"
The card flipped face up…
The students all gasped.
"No! Not Mirror Force!" Aubrey exclaimed as the trap blew up in her face!
"Incredible!" Carly exclaimed. "With Mirror Force cleaned out, could this be the key Flamberge needs to come back and win!?" Carly exclaimed.
"Time to battle!" Flamberge declared. "Violet Chimera, Fennec, attack Ms. Genextra directly! Violet Slash! And Vixen Flare!"
"GAAAAH!" Aubrey screamed as she flew through the air and landed on the ground hard.
Aubrey LP: 8000 - 1950
"Way to go, Berge!" Kathlaa cheered.
"Alright, that ends my turn!" Flamberge said as Violet chimeras' attack points returned to normal.
"Rgh. During your end Phase, I'll activate my face down! Machine King - 3000 B.C.! This brings him to my field as a Monster in Defense Mode!" Aubrey declared.
Machine King - 3000 B.C.
Level 4 EARTH Machine Trap
1000 DEF/1000 ATK
Violet Chimera ATK: 4450 - 2800
Flamberge's Field:
2 monsters
No spells or traps
Hand: 3
"(This kid's tougher than I thought…. If i dont pull off a combo that gets me back in the game, she's gonna wipe me out on her next turn!
Aubrey would draw her next card…. As her eyes widened.
Aubrey Drew: Iron Call
"Jackpot." Aubrey smiled. "First, I activate Iron Call! Because I control a Machine, I can bring back a Level 4 or lower Machine from my Grave! And I choose Genex Ally Duradark!"
Genex Ally Duradark
1800 ATK
"Next, I summon the Tuner Monster Genex Ally Remote!" Aubrey declared.
Genex Ally Remote
Level 3 DARK Machine Tuner
500 ATK/1200 DEF
"I didn't bring all these Machines here just to let them be seen! It's time to put them to use for the true boss of my deck! It may not be a Genex, but one thing Genex does well is Synchro Summon! AND THAT'S EXACTLY MY PLAN! Genex Ally Remote! Tune with Level 4 Machine King and Level 4 Genex Ally Duradark!" Aubrey exclaimed.
(Cue: Yusei Synchro Summon Theme - 5ds)
Remote turned into three rings of light as Machine King and duradark flew into them, turning into 8 plots of light.)
"Wait… carry the one… add the…! …That's Level 11. Genex doesn't have a Level 11 Synchro!" Okada remarked.
"Whoever said my strongest monster was a genex?" Aubrey smirked. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON, LEVEL 11, PSYCHIC END PUNISHER!"
Out of a portal came a large gray and green creature, wings pulsating with Psychic power as it took flight, before letting out a roar of true might for all to hear.
Psychic End Punisher
Level 11 LIGHT Psychic Synchro
3500 ATK/3500 DEF
"Oh, sweet jambastion…!" Flamberge gulped.
"Youre right to be scared, and say that, because now youre in bigger trouble than when you faced Galaxy Destroyer!" Aubrey smiled. "You wanna know why? When my life points are equal to or less than yours, Psychic End Punisher is unaffected by ALL your card effects! And get this? During EVERY Battle Phase, Psychic End Punisher will gain Attack Power equal to the difference between my Life and yours! Starting now!" Aubrey exclaimed.
"Flamberge has 6300 life points left, and Ms. Genextra has 1950 so….!" Yurina recalled.
"During this battle, Psychic end punisher will gain 4,350 ATK points, puttinf him at…!"
"7850 Attack points!" Aubrey smirked.
Psychic End Punisher ATK: 3500 - 7850
"And if she goes for Fennec…!" Yurina gasped.
"FLAMBERGE IS ONLY GONNA HAVE 50 LIFE POINTS LEFT!" Kathlaa exclaimed.
"PSYCHIC END PUNISHER, NUKE HER FOX! ENDING PSYCHIC BOLT!" Aubrey ezclaimed, as the attack fired at Fennec!
"I activate Salamangreat Balelynx's special ability! I can banish him from my grave in order to save Fennec from being destroyed!" Flamberge said.
"Sure, you save it from being destroyed… but you still take the damage." Aubrey smiled, as the Psychic Lightning coursed into Flamberge's body!
"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" Flamberge screamed.
"FLAMBERGE!" Kathlaa exclaimed in horror as she hit the mat hard.
Flamberge LP: 6300 - 50
"I'll end my turn." Aubrey smirked as she folded her arms. "Now do you all see? Genex is the Next Genexration of dueling! If I do say so myself." Aubrey snickered at her pun.
Aubrey's Field
Psychic End Punisher 7850 ATK
4 Face Downs
Hand: 2
Flamberge suddenly then got up. "Ms. Genextra? I'll admit it. Your Next gen genex strategy is amazingly awesome. But… im not ready to burn out just yet!"
"Then by all means, this is your one chance, my Punisher is most vulnerable! Can you ascend it?" Aubrey asked in a challenge.
"Flamberge is just hanging on by a thread!" Carly announced. "Can anything save her from losing to a member of Fantasia's faculty?!"
"I…. DRAW!" Flamberge yelled, flame trailing behind herher as she made her Destiny Draw.
Flamberge Drew….
Rise of the Salamangreat
"I activate a Ritual Spell! Rise of the Salamangreat!" Flamberge exclaim.
"Ritual!?" Aubrey gasped, completely off guard by this!
"With the power of this ritual spell, I can tribute monsters on my field equal to the level of a Salamangreat Ritual Monster in my deck. Sadly I don't have a Link monster, or I could have shuffled instead. But no need. I Tribute Salamangreat Violet Chimera! To bring birth to the great phoenix! From the ashes of this battle, I will rise to victory with this great symbol of revival! I Ritual Summon! Ignite and Take Flight! SALAMANGREAT EMERALD EAGLE!"
Out from a flaming ritual circle came the green eagle monster himself.
Salamangreat Emerald Eagle
Level 8 FIRE Cyberse Ritual
2800 ATK/2000 DEF
"How can she win with that!? It's puny in the face of Psychic End Punisher!" Xander remarked.
"Next, I'll blaze the circuit with Fennec! I set him in the link arrows to Link Summon! Reveal yourself, Link 1! Salamangreat Almiraj!" Flamberge said.
Salamangreat Almiraj
Link 1 FIRE Cyberse
0 ATK
"I'll sacrifice Almiraj with Emerald Eagle! Now, BATTLE TIME!" Flamberge declared, as Almiraj would become a blue flaming wisp and surround Emerald Eagle. "Emerald Eagle, swoop in and attack Psychic End Punisher now!" Flamberge declared.
"Wha…!?" Aubrey gasped.
"Is she crazy!?" Okada exclaimed.
"At Battle start, Punisher gets stronger yet! You're done for!" Aubrey yelled. as Punisher gained 1900 more ATK.
Emerald Eagle: 2800 ATK
VS.
Psychic End Punisher: 7850 - 9750 ATK
(Cue Finisher: Whats your FIRE (Chorus)- Rider Chips)
"Thats just what i was hoping for! I'll use Emerald Eagle's ability!" Flamberge exclaimed. "Because I sacrificed Almiraj in my Main Phase, when Damage step begins, Emerald Eagle destroys Psychic End Punisher!"
"WHAT!?" Everyone exclaimed as Emerald Eagle fired a hailstorm of Emeralds, as a wail escaped Psychic End Punisher as it blew up.
"And now, you take damage equal to Psychic End Punisher's Attack power!" Flamberge remarked.
"All of it?!" Aubrey gasped.
"All of it! GO! FLAMING EMERALD HAILSTORM!" Flamberge roared as Aubrey was pelted by the Emeralds as she yelled out, flying across the room and skidding across the floor, steaming from the damage.
Aubrey LP: 1950 - 0
WINNER: Flamberge
(end song)
"IT'S OVER! Flamberge wins it!" Carly announced as cheers echoed throughout the school. "She came from behind in a 50 Life point standoff!"
"YEAH, BABY! My first duel monsters victory!" Flamberge cheered.
"Incredible…" Aubrey remarked as she stood up. "You're gonna go far in the dueling realm, Flamberge. Congrats on the win. Because you won, and defeated my challenge, it's official. My class is every Tuesday and Saturday from 3 to 5, and you're in it." Aubrey smiled, patting Flamberge's shoulder.
"Im gonna learn how to make Duel Runners!" Flamberge cheered.
"Awesome, way to go, Flamberge!" Kathlaa exclaimed.
"Flamberge. Excellent work. Time to tally your score." Hurota smiled. "Unfortunately, you missed your chance to play Salamangreat Sanctuary, so you do not receive points for the wild card bonus. However…. You DO receive 5 points for depleting Aubreys life points, and 10 points for completing her challenge. Additionally, you also qualify for two of our special points challenges, first, the comeback bonus. You not only surmounted two monsters with over 5000 Attack, but also overcame a 6250 damage attack to win the duel, earning you 10 points. Also, because you won with 50 life Points remaining, you will be given an additional 15 points for the 'Near Death' bonus. As such, your grand total point total from this duel is a very impressively earned 40 points. Well done, Flamberge." Hurota exclaimed.
Flamberge receives 40 Aspirant Points!
NEW DUEL RECORD!
Previous Record: 35 Points
"Wow… I'm first up on the board!" Flamberge said. "And that was a really great duel to earn all those points!"
"And of course, to finish our tally, Luna, for correctly answering the pop quiz, you gain 5 Aspirant points." Hurota tacked on.
Luna gains 5 Aspirant Points!
Aspirant Leaderboard - End of Duel 1
Flamberge - 40 Pts
Luna - 5 Pts
"Damn…who woulda thought the rookie would get top of the leader board on the very first day?" Okada said.
"I did not foresee it, truly." Aria replied.
"Okay, but are we forgetting that happens for everyone who duels first? Still plenty of time left, and plenty of duels to go." Rex remarked.
Later….
Aspirant Leaderboard - End of Day 1
Flamberge - 40 Pts
Olira - 32 Pts
Kathlaa - 23 Pts
Yurina - 22 Pts
Xander - 21 Pts
Luna - 20 Pts
Okada - 18 Pts
Aria - 18 Pts
Nuria - 17 Pts
Jason - 15 Pts
Marina - 13 Pts
Rex - 5 Pts
"Okay, now we can say that Flamberge is on top after the first day." Okada deadpanned.
"We dueled our butts off today, and none of us could match her score…" Rex said. "And I'm dead last!"
"Except Olira. Of course." Nuria remarked as Olira scratched her head.
"I did literally everything and was 8 points shy… Damn!" Olira growled a bit. "Looks like I'm in jeopardy of losing my reputation!"
"I'm still amazed you were able to get that many points, Olira." Flamberge said. "You're definitely worthy of being number 1."
"I woulda shot past you if I used my Ace deck… but I said I'd challenge myself this year." Olira admitted. "This year I'm using Superheavy Samurai and winning my #1 spot with only monsters!"
"Anytime you wanna duel to get back on top, just let me know." Flamberge said. "I wanna know what its like to duel the best duelist in the school one day."
"Huh… you're not full of yourself because you got a lucky Ritual Draw, are ya?" Olira asked with a tick mark forming with her smile.
"N-No! If I didn't get that draw, I wouldn't have won! I barely was able to win admittedly, it all came down to luck." Flamberge said.
"I think there's one thing we can all agree on after today though." Okada remarked.
"That is?" Nuria asked.
"Never count out Genex." Okada remarked with a smile.
"Preach!" Flamberge smiled.
Authors note:
Siege: Wow! What a duel, what an absolute banger duel! Nice to see Genexes performing well, eh? Well, this is where I jump in and say it's a promo gag! Well, not a gag, but a promotion for an event I'm hosting! For all you Yu-Gi-Oh readers interested in facing down Aubrey Genextra's deck, her deck is an exact copy of my personal mission: Making Genex good in modern, and, well, what do you think? Did it do good? Or not convinced? Well, I'm hosting a 2 week long event (At the time of this chapter posting to roughly March 14th-17th abouts), I'll be dueling this deck on EDOPro with a special ruleset to make things fun for everyone involved! Let's see if you all can handle the Next Genexration!
Hope: I decided to feature this deck in Flamberge's first winning duel to promote the challenge. As you can see, she was barely able to scrape by and win with her life points nearly empty. But now she's top of the leaderboard in the Blue Eyes aspirants! Will Olira and the other members of the top 10 be able to catch up?
Siege: We'll find out soon! Next chapter, Kathlaa takes the field. Will she continue her good day from Day 1? Or will she trip on her own tongue in an unfortunate L?