I'm finally back and ready to begin the next arc of my story! SO SORRY for the very long wait! Life just kept interfering plus me getting that one-shot out there! But not now! This time we will focus on the cast of GX! I know some of you have been waiting impatiently for me to get to this, but as I have said before, I feel I write better when I'm not feeling rushed. I usually take a couple of weeks to get a chapter out, but it may take longer depending on what's going on at my end. Please understand that. So to the guest reviewer or reviewers frequently asking me to update, please STOP (especially to the one that insulted and threatened me recently. Doing such things will not help me update faster). Also don't use a review in my Young Justice one-shot to do so. And finally, if you want me to answer questions, do so as a registered member of this website. I cannot answer you directly if you are simply a guest. By the way, to the guest reviewer who asked why certain characters didn't duel, Tristan did have a Duel against Duke and Yuzu vs Mai earlier in the story did count because that chapter was a prequel to the first arc. Miho didn't duel because I wanted her to be useful in other ways other than being a Duelist. With all that said and done, let's start the Kaiser Arc! Oh, and have a very safe and Merry Christmas!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 29: Kaiser Arc – Part 1
Judai stood before the door that led into Sho and Ryo's apartment. He had gotten a text from Sho asking him if he could come to his and his brother's place. Sho didn't know it but Judai was already nearby when he got the message. So here he was. It had been a while since he saw either one of the Marufuji brothers, as well as Flame. He hoped he could do something to help his friends inside. He dreaded to see what Ryo looked like in his dying state. Still, he refused to turn away. He then knocked on the door.
"Sho! Ryo! It's me, Judai! Anyone home?" Judai called.
"Be right there." Came a tired, low voice from inside. Judai recognized the voice as his best friend's. The way his voice sounded didn't give any good vibes, worrying the young man. A few seconds later, the door opened. Judai was surprised to see how Sho appeared. He looked like he hardly gotten any sleep lately, judging from the bags under his eyes. "Hey Judai. Thanks for dropping by. Come on in." Sho closed the door as Judai entered.
"Hello Judai." The Duelist looked to see the Fire Ignis himself settled on a nearby table, still connected to Sho's Duel Disk.
"Hey yourself Flame." Sho then walked back over and slumped in one of the chairs at the table. Judai sat in the opposite one. The more he looked at Sho, the more he got a feeling something was definitely wrong. "So um… how's Ryo? Is he up for visitors?" He kindly asked. Sho scrunched up his face and didn't answer. "Sho?" Judai then turned to Flame, now starting to dread what was going on. "Flame? Is… is Ryo…?" Judai couldn't bare to fully ask the question. Flame glanced over at Sho before meeting Judai's eyes.
"He is. It happened less than 24 hours ago." Said the Ignis quietly. Judai gasped and looked back over at Sho, his face buried in his hands. Judai nearly felt like crying himself as he let the news sink in.
"Sho… I'm so sorry."
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Alright kids, time to head for class! Hurry up now! You don't want to be late!" Grace called to the students in Osiris Red. She stood aside as they all filed out, with Alex and his two buddies, Tyler and Stacy, right along with them.
Grace smiled as she watched them go to the main building. She was enjoying her position as the supervisor of the Osiris Red dorm. She was offered the job by Principal Samejima shortly after arriving in this world with everyone. After hearing the details, she gladly accepted it… along with the new sleeveless red uniform she now wore. The Red students got along well with her due to her kind and cheerful nature. It didn't matter to Grace that it was the lowest ranked dorm in the school, as long as the kids staying in it were happy. This was a refreshing change of pace compared to life in Academia. She was loving every second of it.
That wasn't the only thing going for Grace in her new life. For the past month she and her new crush, Jun Manjome, had become official. Though he was busy with his new life as a Pro Duelist, he still found the time to spend time with her.
Grace's sister, Gloria, also got a good working position in the school. As for Ryo, his situation was a bit more complicated. Grace sighed, still concerned for her sister's boyfriend. 'Poor Ryo. His problems are also frustrating Gloria. I just wish he would get over his issues and move on already…'
"Are you okay, Grace?" The voice that brought Grace out of her thoughts was her dorm's most recent resident. Dressed in her new Osiris Red clothes, Masumi looked up at her dorm head with concern. Grace shook her head and smiled.
"It's nothing. I'm fine. Thanks for asking Masumi." Grace saw that Masumi appeared skeptical. "Really, I am. Now get going or you'll be late." Masumi sighed in defeat before leaving. Grace dropped her smile and sighed again.
The teen girl wasn't convinced Grace was okay. Masumi, along with her other friends, knew what could be troubling her. She knew there was nothing she could do about that, but that didn't stop her from feeling bad about it. Maybe talking to her new school friends would be helpful…
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Come on! Did I say you could stop because you're a little tired?! These are called "warm ups" for a reason! Finish all your pushups! I know you guys can do it!" Gloria instructed, watching her class going through some warm up exercises. Some were a bit slower than the rest, so she made sure they didn't slack off.
Emi Ayukawa, the previous gym instructor, watched from the distance with satisfaction. She taught Gloria for the past month to be her replacement while she focused more on her duties as Obelisk Blue manager for the girls and school nurse. Emi was impressed with Gloria's ability to push her students to do the best they can without going too far. She certainly looked the part in her new Obelisk Blue uniform.
Once the students finished their pushups, they all got to their feet. "Good. Now, who's up for a few laps around the gym?" A few students started to groan. "Don't give me that! Start jogging!" The kids then got moving. Gloria eyed the class as they ran. She actually caught a couple of them not keeping up with others because they seemed to be talking to each other. "Hey! Less chatting and more sweating!" The students slightly panicked as they picked up the pace. Gloria smiled at their response. "That's more like it! Don't let up until you finished your laps!"
"You seem to have things under control." Gloria turned to see none other than Ryo approaching from the side. He was wearing a dark blue and white uniform, similar to the outfit his counterpart in this world looked. The woman smirked at him.
"Compared to all those years of looking after Grace as a toddler, this is actually a breeze." Ryo chuckled.
"So I see. You and Grace have really adjusted to your new lives pretty well." Gloria smiled to herself.
"Yeah. Grace tells me she loves hanging out with the Osiris Red students. They've really taken to her. And I actually do like making sure the students get the proper education. It really is refreshing, looking after and teaching these kids in ways that don't involve war." Gloria then gave Ryo a curious look. "Haven't you adjusted well yourself?" She asked.
"Being the assistant head of Obelisk Blue has it's merits. A lot more paperwork, but I actually don't mind. After everything, I prefer a much quieter life. Chronos is a bit pompous, but learning from him hasn't been all that bad."
"That's good. What about Sho's Cyber-Style Pro League? Aren't you interested in helping him out with that when he comes back here for potential future recruits?" Ryo frowned as he looked away.
"To be honest, I don't think it would be… appropriate. You know, regarding his version of me." Gloria frowned as well.
"Right. I still find it hard to believe there is another you here, and that he is dying."
"How do you think I feel?" Ryo asked her. They were both silent for a moment before Gloria spoke again.
"I am sorry for what Sho is going through. Still, it makes me glad to have you in my life again… after all the fighting." Ryo nodded.
"Me too." He then cleared his throat. "Look um, Gloria, I should let you get back to your class. They look like they're about to pass out." He said, nodding at the now tired looked students. Gloria sighed.
"Yeah, I guess I should. Are we still on for tonight?" She asked. Ryo smiled at her.
"Definitely. See you later." After giving her a quick peck on her cheek, Ryo turned and walked out of the gym. As he turned back to see Gloria telling her class they had a good run, he smiled again. He was truly fortunate to have her back in his life. And soon, he would make their lives even better. When he was sure he was alone, he took out a small box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a beautiful diamond ring. "And when I do, I'll have this little surprise for you…"
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Is Gloria always like that? Someone who doesn't let up even if you are showing a small amount of weakness?" Masumi complained as she ate her lunch.
Yuri, sitting next to her, chuckled. Like Masumi, he also got a new school outfit. He was now a current student for Ra Yellow. "Yeah, pretty much. Surprised it took you so long to complain about her." He said. Serena, sitting across from both her new classmates, smirked.
"Out of the Tyler Sisters, Gloria has always been the serious and strict one. It's nothing I haven't dealt with during my time in Academia." Serena told her. She had also gotten used to life in Duel Academy. It was definitely a reverse of her previous school days. No war dueling drills, no merciless staff members, friendly fellow students, and no dungeon to be locked up in. As for her classes, they were challenging but not in a bad way. Overall, she was really liking her new life.
"I personally think it's one of the things that drew Ryo to her from the start." Yuri added, also smirking. Masumi groaned.
"I don't see how you two can stand her." She told them.
"Gloria just wants us to do our best in her classes. You should know that by now." Serena told her.
"Yeah, I know." Masumi replied with a slight groan. Yuri patted Masumi's shoulder.
"Don't sweat it… at least, while you aren't taking her classes." This actually got a laugh out of her.
"You can be funny sometimes, Yuri." The boy smiled.
"It's part of my charm. I'm pleased that an attractive girl like you thinks I'm funny." The dark skinned girl squirmed before turning away, blushing.
"I-I see." She said shakily. Masumi actually thought more of Yuri than just funny. As she got to know him in the past month, she saw that he was also confident, strong, smart, and supportive. 'Yuri really has turned his life around. It's hard to imagine that he used to be one of the bad guys… and one of the worst at that. I really like him like this…' Masumi then blushed more. 'Masumi, don't get into that! You don't even know if he's interested in you that way!'
"Something wrong Masumi?" Serena asked. Masumi quickly shook her head.
"No, I'm fine Serena." She said, her voice a little higher than normal. Masumi never said this to anyone, but she recently began to see Yuri as more than a friend. Perhaps it was all the times he "flirted" with her… of course, she had no clue if he was actually flirting. It bothered her that she still couldn't quite figure out how Yuri truly felt about her. Was he messing with her or not? She was growing tired of this confusion and planned to do something about it soon. Still, she couldn't help feeling how she felt toward him.
Yuri smiled to himself while drinking his juice. He was having a ball seeing Masumi react to his words. 'Masumi sure is fun to tease. So serious about everything. She needs to lighten up a little and enjoy herself more.' With his peripheral vision, Yuri once more looked over Masumi's overall appearance. He thought the girl was cute before when he first saw her. Her new look actually made her even cuter. With her admiring personality traits and her physical attractiveness, Masumi Kotsu was quite a girl. At least, he thought so. He had noticed lately that some boys were staring after her, though none have made any moves on her… yet. Yuri figured that would change before long. He wasn't worried, though. He knew she wouldn't accept dates from just some random guy. But what about from Yuri himself? He wasn't quite ready to try that out just yet. For now it was more fun for him to tease and flirt with her.
Serena smiled at her classmates. They both seemed to be fitting in alright. Masumi quickly adjusted to school life here and made some new friends. Yuri was a much bigger change. Despite his past, he too was happy with his new life. He especially appeared to like hanging out with Masumi a lot. She could tell Yuri's antics annoy the hell out of her, but she strangely didn't protest. Serena may not be an expert at social studies, but she could tell they may become more than friends before they knew it.
While observing their interactions, Serena frowned. Seeing boys and girls getting together, or "hooking up" as they called it, was beginning to really bother her. 'Judai and Asuka, Ryo and Gloria, Manjome and Grace, and possibly Yuri and Masumi. Why am I thinking about stuff like this? I shouldn't! I'm studying to become a Pro Duelist! I shouldn't be distracted by couple stuff like hand holding or kissing or anything like that!'
That's when her most distracting thought popped up. A certain light blue haired boy had been on her mind lately. Ever since Sho left to spend as much time as he could with his dying brother, the Ryo of this world, she had missed him a lot. He had departed the day after Judai and the others came back and explained the whole Lightning, Zarc, and E'Rah situation. Flame, the Ignis Judai brought here, left with Sho to keep him company after transferring himself from Judai's Duel Disk to Sho's. Judai had gone as well to check in on some "old friends" of his but promised to be back soon. But when Sho left on the departing boat, she had the feeling he wanted to get away as quickly as he could. Strangely, when Serena tried to give him a hug, he backed away. He barely looked at her before he said goodbye and took off.
Serena wondered why he behaved that way. When they first met he didn't seem to have any problems wanting to be close. But for some reason Sho gave her the cold shoulder before leaving the island. What had changed? Was it something she said or did? But what really bothered Serena was that during the past month, in his absence, she started fantasizing doing stuff with Sho like other couples would. But she and Sho weren't a couple! She had no idea why this was happening to her. She and Sho were just good friends, right?
'This is agonizing. I need to get these distracting thoughts out of my head! But how?'
"So Serena, how do you think Ryo is doing?" Serena came back to reality when Yuri spoke to her.
"Which Ryo are we talking about?" Serena asked, grateful to discuss anything to not think of her personal dilemma.
"The one we know." Yuri clarified.
"Oh. Well, from what I understand, he's fitting in as Professor Chronos de Medici's assistant supervisor for Obelisk Blue." Serena said.
"I think he's talking about his personal problems." Masumi said. Serena understood what she was getting at.
"He's still avoiding Yusuke?" She asked. Her friends nodded.
"You'd think that after a month they'd be good pals by now, but nope. Ryo is still not wanting to be in the same room with the guy." Yuri said.
"You can't really blame him for that." Serena told him. "This world's Yusuke looks exactly like the one from our world."
"And we know what happened to him." Masumi said softly. "Still, that's no reason not to try to get along with him. I can tell Grace is bothered by it."
"No doubt Gloria is not liking this any more than her." Yuri said while frowning.
Serena frowned as well. She knew if the Yusuke situation doesn't get resolved soon, it might cause bigger problems for everyone involved… especially Ryo and Gloria.
"I'm worried about them too, but there's really nothing we can do about it." Serena told them. They then ate the rest of their meals in silence, wondering if anything could be done about it.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Later, after classes were done for the day, Serena went up to her room in the Obelisk Blue girl's dorm. As she did she found her roommate and friend, Rei, doing a homework assignment. Rei looked up and smiled when she saw her come in. "Hey roomie!"
"Hey." Serena said back, closing the door behind her. "I need to talk to you. Are you busy?" Rei shook her head.
"Just finishing the last bit of my homework. Give me a sec." Serena sat on her bed and waited for Rei to finish. She then fiddled with her bracelet in the meantime. She still found it hard to believe it had a big hand in saving a world from destruction. She wondered if it had any kind of power left after stopping Zarc in the past…. "Done!" Rei announced as she closed her book. "Now then, what's on your mind?" She asked as she sat next to Serena.
"It's Sho." She said.
"You miss him, don't you?" Rei asked. Serena nodded.
"A lot. I hope he comes back soon. But that's not what's really bothering me."
"Then what is?" Rei inquired. Serena scowled before answering.
"Right before he left to be with his brother, I tried to hug him. You know, for comfort. But he wouldn't let me. Instead he put some distance between us before he said goodbye and got onboard the boat." Her anger grew as she clinched her teeth. "In fact, ever since Judai and the others came back, Sho hardly spent any time with me. He just kept finding excuses to avoid me like the plague." The frustrated girl hit the mattress with her fists. "Sho wouldn't let me near him or touch him at all! He wasn't like that when we first met! Why the hell would he act that way toward me?!"
Rei remained silent while her roommate vented out her frustrations. When she was sure Serena was done, she asked a question of her own.
"Why does this bother you so much?" Serena looked away but still looked angry.
"I don't know. It just does." She muttered in a low voice. Rei realized then why Serena was so upset.
"You have feelings for Sho, don't you? You want to be more than just his friend. Am I right?" She asked while smirking. Serena merely looked down.
"What if I do? Doesn't really tell me why he suddenly decided to not so much as touch me anymore." Rei thought about it for a bit before coming up with a logical reason.
"Serena, I think it may be because he's older than you." Serena looked back at her, confused.
"What's age got to do with anything?" She demanded. Rei went on.
"This is just a guess, but here's my two cents." She paused before explaining. "Serena, you're 14. Probably going on 15 soon. Sho on the other hand is 18. That's a good 4 year difference between you two."
"So what? Is it really that big of a deal?" Serena asked.
"Well, it wouldn't be such an issue if it weren't for the following facts. Sho is an adult who has left school to begin his new dueling career. You, on the other hand, are still underage currently attending school. A relationship between you two right now would not be a good idea." Serena raised her eyebrows.
"You think that's why Sho acted the way he did when he left? Because I'm… too young for him?"
"Could be. You should talk to him about this when he comes back." Rei suggested.
Serena planned to do just that. Of course, she had no idea when Sho would return. She clinched her fists, feeling the anger at the uncertainty of Sho"s feelings. She then turned to Rei again. "You told me once that you always have crushes on much older boys. Why is that? Why not chase after someone more your age?" Rei shrugged.
"I really don't know. Maybe that's just how I'm wired. My first major crush was the Ryo of this world, then Judai. Both rejected me of course, but they let me down gently. I didn't really move on from Judai until after I learned he and Asuka hooked up."
"How do you handle your feelings for someone with such an age gap that isn't interested in you?" Serena asked. Rei sighed.
"Well, I was hurt at first. But I always find someone else to cling on to. Maybe one day I'll find someone who will take me seriously." Serena didn't seem to agree with that.
"I don't want to just bounce from one guy to another. What if Sho does end up rejecting me for some reason? What should I do?" She asked. Rei could see this whole thing was bothering her. She thought this wouldn't be settled until Serena confronted Sho himself. Therefore, she thought of the one distraction that might work.
"Look, I know you're having an emotional crisis, but would a Duel help you feel better?" Serena perked up at the suggestion and smiled.
"That actually sounds like a good idea."
A short time later, the two of them stood just outside the dorm, right in front of the small lake. Both girls put on their Duel Disks. "Ready?" Rei asked.
"Always." Serena said as they activated their Disks and got their match started.
"DUEL!"
(Serena: 4000) (Rei: 4000)
"I'll go first! My turn! Draw!" Rei declared as she took the first turn. "I Set four cards facedown and Summon Bountiful Artemis in Defense Mode!" (LIGHT; Level 4; ATK: 1600; DEF: 1700) Rei's Monster was a silver and light blue angel with no legs and wore a purple cape. "I end my turn."
"Wait Rei! You Normal Summoned a Monster in face-up Defense Mode! That move isn't allowed back in my world!" Serena pointed out. Rei smiled understandably.
"Serena, it's okay. We have different rules here, remember? Summoning a Monster this way is a completely legal move." Rei assured her. After a second, Serena calmed down.
"Alright. Sorry about that." She apologized.
"Don't worry about it. No harm done." Rei said.
"Good. Now then, I'm up next! My turn! Draw!" Serena studied her cards and acted accordingly. "First, I Summon Moonlight Kaleido Chick in Defense Mode!" (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 1400; DEF: 800) A small humanoid baby bird in a multicolored outfit knelt in front of Serena. "When Kaleido Chick is Normal or Special Summoned, I can send a "Moonlight" Monster from my Deck or Extra Deck to the Graveyard! I will send the Fusion Monster, Moonlight Sabre Dancer, in my Extra Deck to the Graveyard!"
"Why would Serena do that?" Rei asked herself, surprised by this opening move. Serena continued.
"Now I activate the Effect of Moonlight Yellow Marten in my hand! I can target a "Moonlight" Monster I control, except "Moonlight Yellow Marten", and return it to my hand! And if I do that, I can Special Summon Yellow Marten in Defense Mode, but it will be banished when it leaves the Field! I return Moonlight Kaleido Chick to my hand and Special Summon Yellow Marten in it's place!" (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 800; DEF: 2000) A yellow humanoid furry creature took the place of Serena's first Monster.
'She's setting up for a Fusion, I'm sure of it. And when she does… I'll be ready.' Rei thought confidently.
"Now I activate Polymerization to Fuse Moonlight Kaleido Chick and Moonlight Purple Butterfly in my hand! The baby bird with several colors glowing in the night! The butterfly that wields violet poison! Swarm in a vortex of the moon's gravity and revive with a new power! Fusion Summon! Come forth! Moonlight Cat Dancer!" (DARK; Level 7; ATK: 2400; DEF: 2000) Serena's Fusion Ace, a blue skinned cat like woman in masked costume, appeared on the Field. Rei smirked.
"I thought you might do that! Counter Trap open, Black Horn of Ascension! When my opponent Special Summons exactly one Monster, I can negate the Summon and destroy that Monster!"
"What?!" Serena yelled as her Cat Dancer was instantly blown apart.
"That's not all! I activate my Continuous Trap card, Synthetic Seraphim! Every time a Counter Trap is activated, I can Special Summon a Synthetic Seraphim Token to my Field after that Counter Trap has resolved! I will Special Summon it in Defense Mode! (LIGHT; Level 1; ATK: 300; DEF: 300) A small ball of white and blue appeared next to Rei's Monster. "Now for Bountiful Artemis' Effect! Whenever a Counter Trap is activated, immediately after it resolves, I can draw one card from my Deck!" Rei said as she drew another card. Serena grunted.
'Rei had a good counter strategy ready. I shouldn't take her lightly after all.' She thought. Still, she had her own tricks. "Not bad, but I'm not giving up that easily! Since Kaleido Chick was sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can take Polymerization in my Graveyard and add it back to my hand! I Set two cards facedown and end my turn."
"Pretty good, but maybe not good enough! My turn! Draw!" 'Nice! This will work!' Rei thought. "I switch Bountiful Artemis to Attack Mode, then I Summon Angel Sage Minerva!" (LIGHT; Level 4; ATK: 1700; DEF: 800) A tall winged woman in a white dress with a large golden ring surrounding her materialized before her controller.
"Trap card open, Moonlight Bite! When my opponent Summons a Monster while I control a "Moonlight" Monster, that Monster's Summon is negated and goes back to your hand!" Serena countered. Rei smiled again.
"Not going to happen! Counter Trap, Dark Bribe! I can negate and destroy your Trap card!"
"Dammit! Not again!" Serena cursed. She was really starting to hate Rei's Counter Traps.
"Don't sweat it, there's an upside! Even though you lost your Trap, you still get to draw one card from your Deck!" Serena did so, but it would do her no good. "You know what happens next! The Effects of Bountiful Artemis and Synthetic Seraphim kick in again!" Rei said as she drew another card and Special Summoned another Token. "Now for Minerva's Effect! When a Counter Trap is activated and fully resolves, she gains 500 Attack Points!
(Angel Sage Minerva's ATK: 1700 + 500 = 2200)
'Her advantages are growing. I feel like she's building up to something big, but what?' Serena asked herself. Her answer came the hard way.
"Now to call out my Ace! Because I activated a Counter Trap, I can banish two "Fairy" Monsters I control to Special Summon this big guy! I'll banish my two Tokens! Show yourself, Angel Paladin Arch-Perseus!" (LIGHT; Level 9; ATK: 2800; DEF: 2300) A huge blue and gold angel with huge wings appeared.
"You're definitely not holding back now, are you?" Serena said while smirking. Rei smirked back.
"You got that right! Battle! Angel Paladin Arc-Perseus, attack Moonlight Yellow Marten! Angel's Light!" A huge spear of gold light formed in Arc-Perseus' hand before it was tossed at Serena's Monster, destroying it. "Now for my Ace's Effect! When Arc-Perseus destroys a Monster that was in Defense Mode, the difference is dealt to you as damage!"
"It what?!" Serena yelled as she got jabbed by the golden spear.
(2800 – 2000 = 800)
(Serena: 4000 – 800 = 3200)
"There's more! When Arc-Perseus inflicts battle damage to my opponent, I can either add a "Parshath" card or a Counter Trap from my Deck to my hand! I'm choosing the Counter Trap, Riryoku Field!"
'Another Counter Trap. She never seems to run out of those.' Serena thought in frustration. "Trap card open, Moonlight Reincarnation Dance! If a Monster I control is destroyed by battle of card effect, I can add up to two "Moonlight" Monsters from my Deck to my hand! I'm adding Moonlight White Rabbit and Moonlight Orange Gopher to my hand!"
"That won't help you for this! Now I'll attack you directly with Bountiful Artemis! Bounty Arrow!" Another projectile attack and Serena took even more damage.
(Serena: 3200 – 1600 = 1600)
Rei then prepared for her last attack. "Time for the winning blow! Angel Sage Minerva, direct attack! Rings of Light!" Rei's other Monster fired half a dozen gold rings at her master's opponent.
"It's not over yet! I discard Moonlight Orange Gopher to negate your direct attack!" The rings dissipated before they could reach their target. "Also, since Orange Gopher got sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can destroy one facedown card you control! You only have one facedown card left so it's automatically gone!" Rei didn't seem bothered by the loss.
"Nice one!" Rei said. "I knew you weren't a quitter! I Set one card facedown and end my turn!"
Serena's gut told her that Rei's new facedown card had to be the one she just got, Riryoku Field. If so, she needed to get rid of it before making any kind of comeback. She couldn't afford to trigger another Counter Trap. Good thing she drew the card she needed for that, but she still lacked the one to actually help her win. She needed to draw it now. "My turn! Draw!" Serena looked at her drawn card… and smiled. "I've got what I need to win Rei!"
"Then let's see it!" The girl said eagerly.
"Be careful what you ask for! I Summon Moonlight White Rabbit!" (DARK; Level 2; ATK: 800; DEF: 800) A humanoid rabbit dressed in white and held a long hammer appeared before Serena. "I activate Moonlight White Rabbit's Monster Effect! Once per turn, I can return a Magic or Trap on the Field to it's controller's hand! I'm sending your facedown card back where it came from!"
"Darn it!" Rei said, disappointed that her card got returned instead of activated.
"Now I have no more Counter Traps to worry about! I activate Moon Light Perfume! With this, I can Special Summon a "Moonlight" Monster back from my Graveyard! Return, Cat Dancer!"
"Why bring her back?" Rei asked herself, clearly confused. She did learn of it's Effect to attack multiple Monsters twice, but that would do Serena no good. If she tried, the only Monsters she could attack were Minerva and Artemis, and even if she did attack them both twice the total damage Rei herself would take would be only 2000. She did recall Serena's Duel with Sho about Summoning Panther Dancer. Serena did recover her Polymerization card earlier and she had all the necessary Fusion Materials needed. However… that wasn't Serena's plan.
"Now I activate the Effect of Moonlight Sabre Dancer in my Graveyard!"
"What?! The Monster you sent there earlier?!" Rei shouted. Serena smiled.
"That's right! During my Main Phase, except during the turn it was sent to the Graveyard, I can banish Sabre Dancer from my Graveyard to give a Fusion Monster I control 3000 Attack Points until the end of the turn!"
(Moonlight Cat Dancer's ATK: 2400 + 3000 = 5400)
"No way! 5400 Attack Points?!" Rei knew she was in for it now.
"And there's still more! Next is Cat Dancer's Effect! By Sacrificing a "Moonlight" Monster I control, my Fusion Monster can attack all my opponent's Monsters twice but are not destroyed in the first battle! I Sacrifice Moonlight White Rabbit!" Serena's weaker Monster vanished while giving the stronger one the ability to defeat it's enemy. "Fortunately for you Rei, I only need to take down one Monster!" Serena said before she pointed at Rei's strongest. "This has been a great Duel, but I'm taking the win today! Battle! Moonlight Cat Dancer, attack Angel Paladin Arch-Perseus! Full Moon Cresta!" With a double swipe of it's razor sharp claws, Cat Dancer shredded Rei's Ace Monster and fell down, defeated.
(Rei: 0)
Serena walked over and helped Rei back on her feet. "Feel better?" Rei asked. Serena shrugged.
"Yeah, a bit. It was what I needed for right now. Thank you Rei."
"No problem. I really did enjoy our Duel." Rei told her.
"That was a nice Duel you two." The duo turned to see Asuka and Kenzan standing nearby.
"Hey. You saw the whole thing?" Serena said. The new pair nodded.
"Pretty much. Loved every bit of it." Kenzan told the girls.
"So did I." Asuka added.
"Thanks. So what brings you two out here?" Rei asked. To their surprise, Asuka and Kenzan's face took on a more somber look.
"Something's wrong." Serena deduced. "What is it?" Asuka rubbed her eyes and breathed in and out. When she looked back that the younger girls, she seemed even older.
"I just got a phone call from Judai. He's met up with Sho earlier today to see how he and Ryo were doing. When he got there…" Asuka hesitated.
"What?" Serena asked. Rei suddenly gasped and cover her mouth, realizing something.
"No! Don't tell us!" She begged, her eyes starting to water. Asuka still didn't look like she wanted to finish.
"Go on." Kenzan told her. With another deep breath, Asuka told Serena and Rei the worst news they've ever heard.
"When Judai met up with Sho, he was given the bad news. Ryo… passed away yesterday." She revealed as she shut her eyes, a tear ran down her face.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"So that's the plan?" Amon asked. He stood in a small room next to the bed where his little brother lay, strapped to some of the best medical equipment money could buy. Echo, the only other occupant in the room, nodded.
"Yes. Devil Kaiser said this may have the best chance of reviving Shido. I strongly recommend it, my King."
Amon looked down at Shido. The boy looked as fragile as he always did. When Shido was born, Amon wanted to kill his little brother so that he could have the life he worked so hard for. But he knew that wouldn't work. Instead of doing that, he chose to support Shido out of family obligation. Nevertheless, he still felt great jealousy toward him. As his brother, it was his responsibility to look after and help Shido, the true heir to the Garam Group. Even if it meant he would forgo his second chance of being a king in this world. "Cogito ergo sum." He said quietly to himself.
"Amon?" Echo asked, sounding concerned.
"I'll be right back." Amon said as he walked out of the room. Echo sighed, knowing what was going to happen soon would be for the best for her precious King… her love.
Amon marched through the hall, down a set of stairs, then stopped before a door to a closed room. Making sure no one was around, he knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Said the inhumanly voice within.
"It's me." Amon announced.
"Come in." As the young man entered the room, he came face to face with his "guest". The man smiled. "Made your choice?" Amon nodded.
"I have agreed to your plan. When can we start making preparations?" Sitting at a table and admiring a card he was holding, Devil Kaiser gazed up at Amon with a victorious smile.
"Immediately."
To be continued.