Alright, I think it's time that Arc-V Ryo dealt with the past and present in regards to Yusuke. How will he? Probably not in a subtle way… (A.N. It was pointed out to me that Misawa's Burst Fire Dragon and Ryo's Quasar are too similar to each other. To make the latter stand out more, I've changed it's Attack Points and took away it's damaging effect from destroying Magic and Traps. Just wanted you all to know that to avoid confusion.)
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 31: Kaiser Arc – Part 3
"Yes, I think this will do. Everything is in perfect order. Nice job, Ryo." Said Chronos de Medici, impressed by the young man's paperwork. He had to admit, when Principle Samejima informed him that he was getting an assistant, he felt slightly annoyed. He was most capable of running the Obelisk Blue boy's dorm on his own. However, Samejima told Chronos the decision was made and he was overruled. His indignity became shock when he learned his new assistant was none other than Ryo Marufuji.
Last he checked, Ryo had started working on a new Dueling League with his younger brother, Sho. Samejima explained that the "Ryo" that would be working for him was not the one that graduated a couple of years ago, but in fact came from another world altogether. Chronos could hardly believe the story of this other Ryo and the circumstances of his arrival. Once he heard everything and that Judai Yuki was responsible for him being here, his tune completely changed. Throughout the following month, Chronos taught and instructed Ryo on his new position and tasks that came with it, as well as the responsibilities. To his surprise, and delight, the new Ryo took to his new job with great efficiency.
Ryo looked up at the teacher and nodded. "Thank you, sir." He said respectfully. Sure, it hadn't been easy learning from a man like Chronos, but he learned to adapt to his new work. He was very grateful to the change of pace in his life after departing from his world. No fighting, no madmen to take down, and no war. For the first time since in a long time, he felt at peace with himself.
'No… not exactly at peace.' Ryo thought while he was working. After helping to stop Leo Akaba and avenging Yusuke, he thought he could put the past behind him and move forward. That was his initial plan when he arrived in this world with Gloria and Grace. His inner peace was massively shaken when he came face to face with the Yusuke Fujiwara of this world. It was something he never expected and could not have prepared for.
Since that initial encounter, Ryo had done his upmost best to avoid his best friend's counterpart. He felt childish in doing so. After all, this Yusuke did nothing wrong and even wanted to try being his friend. The thing was, Ryo just couldn't bring himself to do the same. The pain from his past was just too great.
So far he had been successful in evading him, but his actions had not gone unnoticed. Every now and then, either Gloria or Grace would question him if he talked to Yusuke yet and straightened things out. They both told him that Yusuke had been asking about him recently, wondering if he was willing to talk with him. This made Ryo even more uncomfortable. Each time the sisters asked, Ryo told them he was just too busy to find the time. The most recent attempt had been yesterday evening.
Grace just sighed and walked away from Ryo's response, but Gloria wouldn't drop it that easily. She reminded him of his promise to talk to him and demanded that he'd better do it soon or things would "get ugly" between him and her. Ryo then told her he would talk to him the next chance he could. Gloria narrowed her eyes in suspicion but did not argue further before walking away, telling him he'd better keep his word.
When Ryo met with Gloria during her gym class earlier in the day, she seemed to be in a better mood. She didn't bring up Yusuke again, though maybe she just didn't want to mention it when she was in the middle of teaching. Still, he felt she would say something once more before long.
Ryo sighed and rubbed his forehead. He still kept his distance from Yusuke, but he knew it would need to end at some point. 'The very last thing I want is for Gloria and I to have another fight like the one that ended with us breaking up. I know I should talk to Yusuke. But, I just don't know how I can…'
"Ryo, is something the matter?" Chronos asked, concern starting to show on his face. Ryo shook his head quickly.
"No, it's nothing." He said to him. "Just remembering a matter I keep putting off."
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Once his work was done for the day, Ryo put the other papers away and left his office. He only just realized it was getting close to his scheduled date with Gloria. He had been working longer than he thought it seemed.
As he walked, he once again pondered whether or not he should finally make good on his word and talk to Yusuke. The thing was that every time he saw his best friend's counterpart, he would immediately turn the other way and move with his tail between his legs. Ryo just couldn't bring himself to face him. What should he do?
As fate would have it, the question had been answered for him. When he turned a corner in the hall, Yusuke was standing right there waiting. Ryo stopped dead in his tracks. "Y-Yusuke! I… uh… I didn't expect… That is…" Words ultimately failed him and went silent.
"Ryo, I have a message for you from Gloria." Yusuke's tone did not give off any good vibes.
"What did she say?" Ryo asked nervously.
"She said that unless you keep your promise to talk to me about your issues, then you can forget about your date with her tonight… or any date in the near future." Yusuke said. Ryo was shocked.
"Gloria threatened to break up with me?!" He asked, not believing what he was hearing. Yusuke nodded. Ryo was angered by this. "I don't believe it! Why didn't she tell me this herself?! Why did she ask you to do it?!"
"Because she believed you would just keep on avoiding me unless I confronted you instead." Yusuke gave Ryo a hard stare. "Ryo, you've gone a whole month without keeping your word. It's time for you to stop running away and face your problem. Don't you agree?"
Ryo went quiet and thought over his options… which were very limited. If he chickened out now Gloria would never forgive him. He would lose her for good this time. But talking to Yusuke… he just didn't think he could handle it. Ryo put a hand over his face and grimaced. "Yusuke… I don't know how to… deal with this." He finally admitted, his voice shaky.
Yusuke saw how much the other young man must be suffering. 'This must be more difficult for him than I thought. Maybe just a face to face conversation isn't enough. How can I…?' That's when he thought of it. "Duel me Ryo." He said loud and clear.
Ryo lowered his hand and stared at Yusuke, stunned. "What? A… Duel?" He asked. Yusuke looked determined.
"Yeah; you and me. On the dorm roof. Now. As the "Kaiser" and fellow Duelist, I know you can't refuse! What say you?"
As surprised as he was, Ryo knew Yusuke was right. He cannot turn down a challenge to a Duel. He had to accept. Besides, Yusuke challenging him like that reminded him of just how his own Yusuke used to… "Alright… the roof it is then."
Several minutes later, Ryo and Yusuke stood before one another, Duel Disks activated. "Don't hold back on me! I want you to go all out!" Yusuke told him.
"As you wish." Ryo replied, starting their match.
"DUEL!"
(Ryo: 4000) (Yusuke: 4000)
"I will take the first turn! My turn! Draw!" Ryo declared before drawing his card. He wasn't sure whether or not this Yusuke had a Deck like the one he knew. He needed to know. "I Summon Cyber Dragon Zwei!" (LIGHT; Level 4; ATK: 1500; DEF: 1000) A cybernetic dragon with glowing yellow lines appeared on the Field. "I then Set two cards facedown and end my turn."
"Good setup. Now it's my turn! Draw!" Yusuke eyed his opponent's facedown cards. 'I know one of them has to be something to protect his Monster. Possibly even damage me. If he's anything like the Ryo I know, then it won't be easy either way…' He decided not to take any chances. "I activate the Quick-Play Magic card, Hand Destruction! Now both of us have to discard 4 cards in our hands to the Graveyard and we draw the same number of cards we discarded! But since you had less that, you only get to draw 3!"
'He's being cautious… just like him.' Ryo thought, remembering that his best friend also acted that way before his life was taken.
"Next I Summon Decoy Dragon!" (FIRE; Level 2; ATK: 300; DEF: 200) A mini dark green dragon materialized before Yusuke. "After that, I Set one card facedown and end my turn."
Ryo narrowed his eyes. 'The Yusuke I knew never played that. What could he be up to?' "My turn! Draw!" Playing it safe wouldn't get him anywhere, so he went for the attack. "Battle! Cyber Dragon Zwei, attack Decoy Dragon! Circuit Burst!" A light yellow energy beam fired from the mecha dragon's mouth and headed for it's target. "Zwei's Monster Effect now activates! When it battles a Monster, it gains 300 Attack Points during the Damage Step!"
(Cyber Dragon Zwei's ATK: 1500 + 300 = 1800)
"That wont be enough! When it is targeted for an attack, the Effect of Decoy Dragon allows me to Special Summon a Level 7 or higher "Dragon" Monster from my Graveyard and makes that Monster the new attack target! From my Graveyard, I Special Summon Darkblaze Dragon!" (FIRE; Level 7; ATK: 1200; DEF: 1000) A slender black and orange dragon with four wings but no arms emerged next to Decoy Dragon.
"It is still weaker than my Monster!" Ryo said, his Monster's attack now changing to the new dragon.
"Not for long! Since Darkblaze Dragon was Special Summoned from the Graveyard, it's Attack and Defense Points are now doubled!" Yusuke revealed.
"Doubled?!" Ryo exclaimed, surprised by the move.
(Darkblaze Dragon's ATK: 1200 x 2 = 2400; DEF: 1000 x 2 = 2000)
"Thanks to it's increased Attack Power, your Monster is toast!" Yusuke said as his Monster overpowered Ryo's and disintegrated it.
(2400 – 1800 = 600)
(Ryo: 4000 – 600 = 3400)
"Good move." Ryo complimented.
"Thanks, but there's more! Darkblaze Dragon's second Effect activates since it destroyed a Monster in battle and sent it to the Graveyard! Now you take damage equal to that destroyed Monster's original Attack Points! Your Cyber Dragon Zwei originally had 1500 Points, so that's what you get!" Yusuke informed him while his dragon launched a fireball at him. Ryo wasn't going to get damaged twice this turn.
"I won't allow it! Trap card open, Damage Polarizer! When I'm about to take damage from a card effect, I can reduce the damage to 0!" Ryo was then protected by a force field, blocking the fireball from reaching him. "After that, we each draw one card!"
Yusuke smiled as he drew his card. "That's definitely a Ryo Marufuji move!"
"What do you mean?" Ryo asked, confused.
"The Ryo I know also played that move in some of his Duels." Yusuke explained.
Ryo didn't know how to respond to that, so he moved on. "I see. Well… anyway, since I now control no Monsters while you control one, I Special Summon Cyber Dragon from my hand!" (LIGHT; Level 5; ATK: 2100; DEF: 1600) Yusuke smiled more as another familiar card appeared.
'The original Cyber Dragon. Looks like both this Ryo and the one I know are not that different as Duelists as well…'
"Continuous Trap open, Cyber Network! This can be activated when I control "Cyber Dragon" and will destroy itself during my 3rd Standby Phase after it's activation! Once per turn, I can banish one LIGHT "Machine" Monster from my Deck! I banish my second Cyber Dragon!" A ghostly image of Cyber Dragon briefly appears before vanishing. "After that, I Set two cards facedown and end my turn."
"Something tells me I'll be seeing your banished Monster before long." Yusuke said. "In which case, I should be ready for what you got in mind. My turn! Draw!"
"I activate Cyber Network's Effect once more to banish my third Cyber Dragon!" Ryo declared, removing his third copy from his Deck.
"That won't matter after I play my next Magic card, A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon! By returning a Level 5 or higher "Dragon" I control to it's owner's hand, I can destroy all Magic and Trap cards on the Field! I return Darkblaze Dragon to my hand!" Yusuke said, his stronger Monster vanishing on the spot.
"That will destroy your facedown card as well!" Ryo pointed out.
Yusuke smirked. "That's why I'm doing this now before my card resolves! Trap card open, Dragon's Rebirth…"
"So will I!" Ryo told him quickly. "Trap card open, Attack Reflector Unit! By Sacrificing a Cyber Dragon I control, I can Special Cyber Barrier Dragon from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard! I'll Special Summon it from my Deck!" (LIGHT; Level 6; ATK: 800; DEF: 2800) A red lined Cyber Dragon with a metal circle on it's neck took the place of the original. This momentarily surprised his opponent, but recovered in time.
"Wasn't expecting that, but that still won't change anything! Now back to my Trap! By banishing a face-up "Dragon" Monster I control, Dragon's Rebirth can Special Summon another "Dragon" from my hand or Graveyard! I banish Decoy Dragon and Special Summon Darkflare Dragon from my hand in it's place!" (DARK; Level 5; ATK: 2400; DEF: 1200) Replacing the weaker dragon was a mostly black dragon with orange sections here and there and was surrounded by a ring of fire. "And with all that out of the way, your remaining Magic and Traps are gone!" Both Ryo"s Cyber Network and his remaining facedown card were blown away. This didn't really bother the otherworldly Duelist.
"When Cyber Network is destroyed, I can Special Summon as many banished LIGHT "Machine" Monsters as possible, but those Monsters will not be able to activate their Effects! I Special Summon both of my banished Cyber Dragons in Defense Mode!" The two Cyber Dragon copies appeared alongside Cyber Barrier Dragon. "Also, my other card you destroyed was Calling Magic! When it is destroyed by an opponent's Magic or Trap card, I can take two Magic cards from my Deck and Set them!" He showed his two chosen cards before Setting them.
Unbeknownst to the two Duelists, Gloria appeared during the Duel had been watching it since. She was impressed, and surprised, by Yusuke's tactics. 'This Yusuke doesn't like to take chances when his opponent has facedown cards on their Field. That's a trait the Yusuke Ryo and I knew also had.'
Ryo also came to that conclusion. 'He's weary of his opponent's cards… just like him.' The resemblance between the two Yusuke's just grew in Ryo's eyes… eyes that were starting to feel a little wet. He quickly shut his eyes and blinked the tears back. Luckily, the Yusuke in front of him didn't seem to notice.
"Next, I discard both my DARK Black Dragon Collapserpent and LIGHT White Dragon Wyverburster from my hand to Special Summon Lightpulsar Dragon from my Graveyard!" (LIGHT; Level 6; ATK: 2500; DEF: 1500) A white and dark blue dragon with little white lights circling around it appears next to it's counterpart. "Here I come Ryo! Battle! Darkflare Dragon, attack Cyber Barrier Dragon! Cosmo Blaze!" A blast of dark orange fire streamed right at Ryo's dragon mecha…
"Cyber Barrier Dragon's Monster Effect activates! When my opponent's Monster attacks while Cyber Barrier is in Attack Mode, that attack is negated!" A red force field blocked the dark dragon's attack.
"Good thing I have another one! Lightpulsar Dragon, attack Cyber Barrier Dragon! Cosmo Light!" White and blue fire came forth and succeeded where it's fellow dragon failed and destroyed Ryo's Monster.
(2500 – 800 = 1700)
(Ryo: 3400 – 1700 = 1700)
"This is definitely proving to be an interesting Duel." Gloria said to herself, impressed by this world's Yusuke.
"With all that hard work done, I end my turn." Yusuke declared. Ryo was also impressed, but he planned to take things up a notch.
"I'm not about to let you get the upper hand Yusuke! My turn! Draw!" He smiled when he saw his drawn card. "I activate my facedown Quick-Play Magic card, Photon Generator Unit! It allows me to Sacrifice two Cyber Dragons I control to Special Summon Cyber Laser Dragon from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard! Like my previous Monster, I'll bring it out from my Deck!" (LIGHT; Level 7; ATK: 2400; DEF: 1800) This time, a blue lined Cyber Dragon with a laser at the end of it's tail appeared before it's controller. "I activate the Effect of Cyber Laser Dragon! Once per turn, I can destroy one Monster with Attack or Defense Points equal to or higher than it's own Attack Points! I'll use this Effect to destroy your Lightpulsar Dragon! Beam of Destruction - Photon Extermination!" Yusuke's stronger dragon was blasted by the Cyber Monster's tail.
"Grnn." Yusuke groaned under his breath.
"Now I activate Megamorph and Equip it to Cyber Laser Dragon! Since my Life Points are lower than yours, Megamorph doubles my Monster's Attack Points!"
(Cyber Laser Dragon's ATK: 2400 x 2 = 4800)
"This is gonna hurt." Yusuke muttered nervously.
"Battle! Cyber Laser Dragon, attack Darkflare Dragon! Evolution Laser Shot!" A more powerful blast was fired and Yusuke's second Monster was disintegrated.
(4800 – 2400 = 2400)
(Yusuke: 4000 – 2400 = 1600)
"Shoot, there goes both my dragons! But now because your Life Points are higher than mine, Megamorph cuts your own Monster's Attack Points in half!" Yusuke told Ryo, whose Monster's Attack Power became half of it's original, which was 1200.
"Not for long it won't!" Ryo countered. "I Set two cards facedown and I activate my other facedown Quick-Play Magic card, Emergency Provisions! I gain 1000 Life Points for each of my Magic and Trap card I send to the Graveyard aside from itself! I send my Megamorph and one of my facedown cards to the Graveyard to make my Life Points go up by 2000! And with Megamorph gone, Cyber Laser Dragon's Attack Points return to normal!" Yusuke watched as Ryo's Monster regained it's original 2400 Points. "I end my turn."
(Ryo: 1700 + 2000 = 3700)
"Damn. You're definitely not going easy on me Ryo!" Yusuke remarked, sounding excited. "And you haven't even brought out your Ace yet! Well I'm planning on bringing out mine first! My turn! Draw!" 'Yes! This should get my plan into motion!' Yusuke thought when looking at all his cards. "I play Dark World Dealings! First we both draw one card from our Decks, then we discard one!" Ryo didn't seem bothered that he drew and discarded the one and only card in his hand. "Then I Set one card facedown and play Card of Demise! It lets me draw until I hold five cards, but then I have to discard my whole hand on my 5th Standby Phase after playing it! Next I Summon Paladin of Felgrand in Defense Mode!" (LIGHT; Level 4; ATK: 1700; DEF: 300) A blonde, armored man holding a long sword materialized before Yusuke in a kneeling position.
'I know that can't be his Ace Monster.' Ryo thought.
"I activate Paladin's Effect! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can take a Level 7 or 8 "Dragon" from my hand or Deck and Equip it to my Monster! I'm choosing my Level 8 Felgrand Dragon from my Deck!" At once, a shadow of a huge dragon appeared behind Yusuke's warrior. "Also, since it is now Equipped, my Paladin cannot be affected by the Effects of other Monsters! I think I've done all I can for now, so I'll end my turn."
Ryo was starting to feel overwhelmed, but not because of Yusuke's dueling tactics. No, it went deeper than that. 'It's not just his dueling style, but the way he acts while playing the game. It's exactly like the Yusuke I knew…' He then shook his head vigorously. He shouldn't be thinking that. 'No. I can't think about him… not now…'
"Hey Ryo, you okay over there?" Yusuke asked aloud, sounding worried. Gloria also started to feel concerned about her boyfriend, the way he looked. Ryo instantly snapped his attention back to his opponent.
"You should be more worried about your own situation! My turn! Draw!" Ryo saw that he couldn't do much with what he had at the moment. Still, it would do. "I'm now going to clear your Field! Battle! Cyber Laser Dragon, attack Paladin of Felgrand!" The kneeling Monster was vaporized by another blast from Ryo's mech. "Then I… end my turn."
'Ryo seemed pretty unsettled just now. Could dueling his best friend's counterpart be getting to him somehow?' Gloria wondered. Yusuke couldn't help but notice it too. It seemed like Ryo might be close to cracking.
'Whatever is going on with him, maybe I can help him through it. Perhaps a good push might do the trick.' Yusuke thought as prepared for his next move. "My turn! Draw!" Yusuke inwardly smiled. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your remaining facedown card!" Ryo grunted at the loss. "This is it! I'm going to go all out now Ryo! First I Summon Dragon Knight of Creation!" (LIGHT; Level 4; ATK: 1800; DEF: 600) A well muscled, sword wielding man wearing a dragon mask showed itself.
"What does that do?" Gloria asked herself, wondering how it could help.
"I now activate Dragon Knight's Effect! Once per turn, I can send one card from my hand to the Graveyard, then target a Level 7 or 8 "Dragon" in my Graveyard! Then, by sending Dragon Knight of Creation to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon that Monster! It's the one you sent when you destroyed my Paladin on your last turn! From my Graveyard, I Special Summon my Ace: Felgrand Dragon!" (LIGHT; Level 8; ATK: 2800; DEF: 2800) The dragon Ryo glimpsed before now took full form. A big armless creature of black and gold with a silver lower jaw.
"Now that's an Ace Monster!" Gloria said in amazement. Ryo thought the same thing as he gazed up at it.
"Felgrand Dragon can only be Special Summoned from the Graveyard after it was sent there from the Field! So thanks for sending it there for me!" Yusuke said appreciatively. Ryo made no visible sign of annoyance. "If you think it tough now, just wait! It's about to get even tougher thanks to it's Monster Effect! When it is Special Summoned, I can choose a Monster in my Graveyard and increase Felgrand Dragon's Attack Points equal to that Monster's Level times 200! I'll pick my Darkblaze Dragon! With it being Level 7, my Ace gains 1400 additional Attack Points!" The big dragon roared while it powered up.
(7 x 200 = 1400)
(Felgrand Dragon's ATK: 2800 + 1400 = 4200)
"4200 Attack Points!" Gloria exclaimed, while Ryo was merely speechless.
"Time for me to fight back! Battle! Felgrand Dragon, attack Cyber Laser Dragon! Grand Flame!" A burst of golden fire came out of the creature's mouth and melted Ryo's Monster into nothing.
(4200 – 2400 = 1800)
(Ryo: 3700 – 1800 = 1900)
"That was quite the comeback." Gloria noted impressively.
"I'll bet that had to sting a little. I Set one card facedown and end my turn." Yusuke declared. He then saw that Ryo had lowered his head, his face hidden beneath his bangs. He was further surprised to see a tear running down his cheek. "Ryo?" Yusuke asked, sounding concerned. Ryo did not look up as he answered.
"Yusuke… I'm sorry. I am… so sorry for avoiding you all this time. The truth is, every time I look at you… everything you said and did…I was haunted by my friend's memory. I am constantly reminded that I… failed him."
"Failed him?" Yusuke asked, startled by the sudden confession. Ryo went on.
"If I had acted sooner, the Yusuke Fujiwara I knew would still be alive. I did nothing, and my closest friend was killed as a result of a madman's cruel experiments." More tears fell at this point. "You remind me so much of him. It pains me each moment we interact like this. Sometimes, I wish I could forget all of it so I wouldn't suffer anymore..." He didn't see that Yusuke flinched from the statement, but Gloria did. Ryo finally looked up again, his eyes wet with tears. "You don't know how lucky you are, Yusuke. Lucky that you get to live a different life than he did… a better one. You never had to suffer like he did…"
"Actually Ryo… that's not quite true." Yusuke said softly, surprising Ryo and Gloria this time.
"What do you mean?" Ryo asked. Yusuke took a deep breath and gave his answer.
"I lost both my parents when I was very young, and that had a big impact on me. I grew up paranoid, believing that my friends will all one day forget about me, and the bonds I formed with them would cause me great pain. I decided it would be better for me to forget about them before they forgot about me. One night, in the old Obelisk Blue dorm, I conducted a ritual to do just that. Only, it turned out not the way I had hoped. That ritual actually caused me to be possessed by an evil entity named Darkness, who nearly sent all of humanity into eternal despair. Judai Yuki, and my Duel Spirit partner Honest, were able to save me and showed me how wrong I was about all of it. I learned that my friends will never forget me, and I in turn will never forget them."
'Yusuke…' Gloria thought, stunned at how this Yusuke also suffered. In some ways, his suffering was worse than his counterpart's.
Ryo was even more shocked by the story. "You… wanted to forget everyone?" Ryo asked. Yusuke nodded.
"Yeah. Pretty dumb huh? My point is though, you're not the only one who wants to forget something to avoid pain. Ryo, don't forget all the times you two shared together, especially the good parts. I don't want you to forget anything about the me that you knew. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to either."
"Yusuke…" Ryo muttered. For a split second, he thought he saw his best friend standing next to his counterpart, smiling and nodding at him. When Ryo wiped his eyes and looked again, he only saw the Yusuke Fujiwara dueling him. Was he imagining it? Did he really see a ghost? He decided that it didn't really matter. What was important was that Yusuke was right. He was trying to avoid the pain and suffering from the loss of his closest friend by steering clear of said friend's counterpart. 'Well, no more. No more running away…' Ryo decided. He closed his eyes for a second before facing Yusuke again. "You're right. Running from my pain won't make it stop. If you can survive the pain from your past, then so can I."
Gloria was very happy to hear that. "About time." She said softly with a smile.
Yusuke was just as pleased. "Good to hear that. Ready to continue the Duel?" Ryo nodded, now smiling.
"I am now. My turn! Draw! I play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two more cards!" Ryo started to form a plan with his drawn cards. "I activate Double Magic! By discarding a Magic card from my hand, I can play a Magic card from your Graveyard as my own! I discard Polymerization to play your Card of Demise! Now I also draw until I hold five cards in my hand!"
"But then you'll have to discard them all when your 5th Standby Phase comes!" Yusuke reminded him.
"This Duel will be over long before that happens!" Ryo said. "I activate Cyber Revsystem! It let's me Special Summon a Cyber Dragon from my hand or Graveyard and make it unable to be destroyed by card effects! Return from the Graveyard, Cyber Dragon!" Ryo's primary Monster returned. "Then I Normal Summon Proto-Cyber Dragon!" (LIGHT; Level 3; ATK: 1100; DEF: 600) An incomplete version of Cyber Dragon now stood alongside it's completed counterpart. "Proto-Cyber Dragon's name becomes "Cyber Dragon" while on the Field!" Ryo smiled confidently. "Yusuke, I have just the Monster in mind to win this, and it was one your counterpart left for me before he died! Now I will show you his final gift to me! I am Tuning the Level 3 Proto-Cyber Dragon with the Level 5 Cyber Dragon!"
"Tuning?" A confused Yusuke asked, never having heard that dueling term before.
"He's going to Summon it?!" Gloria said in total amazement. One of Ryo's mechs turned into five green rings which surrounded the other and turned it into a stream of light.
"Dragons of circuitry and metal, mold together now and blast away the enemy's support! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 8! Cyber Dragon Quasar!" (LIGHT; Level 8; ATK: 2700; DEF: 2500) Now standing in front of Ryo was a light green lined, white metal dragon that stood as tall as Yusuke's Monster. It had wings, a long tail, no arms, and a single head with bright red eyes.
"Synchro Summon?! So this is a… Synchro Monster?!" Yusuke said in awe of the type of Monster he never witnessed. When he was told of Ryo's story, he learned of other types of Special Summoning besides Rituals and Fusions. But then he realized something. "Wait a minute! I heard that you need a Tuner Monster to perform a Synchro Summon! You didn't use one!"
"I did! When I use Cyber Dragon for the Synchro Summon of this Monster, it can be used as a Tuner! Now I activate the Effect of Cyber Dragon Quasar! Once per turn, I can destroy all Magic and Trap cards you control, but my Monster cannot attack this turn as a result! Cyber Burn!"
"What?!" Yusuke yelled as a green energy ball obliterated his Set cards.
"There is more! Cyber Dragon Quasar also gains 500 Attack Points for each "Cyber Dragon" Monster in my Graveyard! I have seven, so that's 3500 more points my Monster gets!"
(500 x 7 = 3500)
(Cyber Dragon Quasar's ATK: 2700 + 3500 = 6200)
"You've got to be kidding me?!" Yusuke shouted in disbelief.
"Let's see you try to beat this Monster! I Set one card facedown and end my turn." Ryo declared.
Yusuke knew he had just one chance to pull off a win, if he drew the right card now. "Come on old friend, I can really use some help here right about now. My turn! Draw!" Yusuke nearly cheered. 'Yes! You're here!' He shouted gleefully in his mind. "I play Dragon's Warrior! For this turn, a "Dragon" Monster I control becomes a "Warrior"!"
"Why would he do that?" Gloria asked herself, not seeing the logic of this move.
"Now I'm all set to win this thing! Battle! Felgrand Dragon, attack Cyber Dragon Quasar!" Yusuke's Monster launched it's attack once more.
"But your Monster is not strong enough!" Ryo said. Yusuke smirked.
"I have a friend of mine that can change that! I activate the Monster Effect of Honest in my hand! When my Level 7 or higher "Warrior" Monster battles another Monster this turn, I discard Honest to add the opposing Monster's Attack Points to mine! Thanks to Dragon's Warrior, Felgrand Dragon became the type it needs to become stronger!" A transparent form of an long blonde haired angel with red, yellow, and orange tipped wings momentarily appeared before merging itself with Felgrand Dragon. As a result, it's wings became that of Honest's.
(Felgrand Dragon's ATK: 4200 + 6200 = 10,400)
'It's Attack Power is over 10,000! That's insane!' Gloria exclaimed in her mind.
"It's over! Grand Honest Flame!" Strangely, Ryo did not appear to be alarmed as the empowered blast made contact and covered Ryo in smoke. "Looks like I win, Ryo!" Yusuke called out, thinking the battle was over.
"I have to disagree with you on that, Yusuke." Ryo said calmly. Yusuke was stunned when the smoke cleared to reveal Ryo and his Monster were both unscathed and undamaged.
"What the?! How?!" He questioned.
"Before your attack could touch me, I activated my Intrigue Shield Trap card! It protects my Monster from being destroyed in battle once per turn as well as prevent me from taking any battle damage!"
'Crap! So close!' Yusuke cursed. Now he didn't have any more options. He used the last cards in his hand and he had no more facedown cards on his Field. Honest had been his trump card, but Ryo's move rendered it useless. Despite this, he still smiled. "Welp, looks like you outsmarted me. I got nothing left, so I end my turn. With my turn over, Felgrand Dragon's Attack Points go back down to 4200 and becomes a "Dragon" again." Ryo smiled back as he prepared for his last turn.
"You have fought well Yusuke, much like your version from my world. He was also strong and nearly got me a few times. But I'm definitely winning this one! My turn! Draw!" Ryo got his final attack underway. "Battle! Cyber Dragon Quasar, attack Felgrand Dragon! Evolution Fire!" A solid stream of green energy roasted Yusuke's dragon and the rest of his Life Points.
(Yusuke: 0)
Yusuke was down on his knees when Ryo approached him… and offered his hand. Smiling, Yusuke took it and stood back up. "That was a hell of a Duel, Ryo." Ryo nodded.
"It was indeed." The two then laughed.
Pleased that things were finally okay between them, Gloria silently walked away. "About damn time." She quietly muttered as the guys continued to laugh, not knowing she had been there.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Later that evening, Ryo hummed to himself as he set the table in his living quarters. He was really looking forward to his upcoming date with Gloria, so he had to make sure everything was perfect. He had the whole thing planned out. "Alright. Let's see now. Clean plates, check. Gleaming silverware, check. Sparkling drinking glasses, check. Main course and appetizers, hot and ready to serve. Wine bottle, nice and chilled. Candles, lit. Romantic music, ready to play at the push of a button. What else? Oh yes… the most important item of the agenda." Ryo smiled as he once more took out the small box from his pocket and opened it.
He remembered the day he got the piece of jewelry he was now holding. It was during his voyage to find the Cyber Three cards back in the Fusion Dimension. As he stopped on an island to refill his fresh water supply, he came across something sparkling in the sand. He bent down, picked it up, and was amazed. It was a golden ring with a clear diamond that reflected the sun like a prism. It captivated him. He then started imagining Gloria wearing a ring like this, knowing she would love it.
But then he remembered the terrible fight they had right before he left Academia. Ryo doubted she would accept anything from him after the things that were said. Although… there was always hope. Maybe one day they would patch things up? He honestly hoped they would. With that hope in his mind and heart, he pocketed the ring and carried it with him ever since.
Now, Ryo and Gloria had more than just made up. They both had started new lives in a new world, side by side, as a happy couple again. And he was about to take it a step further. 'Tonight, Gloria Tyler, will be a night to remember.'
Ryo then heard someone knocking on his door. "Be right there." He called out, hastily putting the ring away. He straightened up his collar and made sure there were no wrinkles in his suit. Putting on a confident smile, Ryo opened the door.
Gloria stood there, as beautiful as ever in a sleeveless blue dress. "May I come in, handsome?" Ryo stood aside and gestured her to enter.
"You may, my lady." He said quite formally. "I take it Yusuke told you everything?" Gloria nodded after Ryo closed the door behind them.
"Yes, and I was very pleased you finally kept your promise." She hesitated before she went on. "Ryo, I'm sorry for threatening to break up with you… and that I had Yusuke tell you that. I felt I had to do something drastic to help you deal with your issues regarding him." Ryo shook his head.
"I'll admit, I was pissed when he gave me your message. But in the end, it worked out for the best. Thanks for giving me the push I needed." Gloria smiled and said she give him a kick in the pants anytime, making them both laugh.
Once they sat at the table, the two ate their meal and discussed recent events. Ryo laughed when he heard of Manjome's antics during Grace's Duel with Daichi Misawa, as well as Grace's reactions to them.
"Sounds to me like they are a perfect couple." Gloria sighed.
"From what I've seen, definitely. They really do seem happy together."
"Daichi Misawa sounds like a good guy. I'm sad that he got his heart broken." Ryo admitted. Gloria nodded.
"Me too. What was even worse was the rejection wasn't because Tania didn't love him. She pushed him away so that he could live. Perhaps one day he'll find someone better." Gloria then shook her head. "You know, I never mentioned this to anyone, but the idea of "Duel Monster Spirits" and a world full of them is just… weird." Ryo shrugged.
"Maybe for us, but then… we haven't been in this world long enough to fully understand it."
"That's true." She said. After another quite moment, Gloria put her silverware down and looked her boyfriend right in eye. "Ryo… how do you think Sho is doing, along with the other you?" Ryo frowned.
"I don't know. I haven't heard anything yet. But something tells me things aren't going so well." Gloria frowned too.
"I was thinking the same thing." They both sat in silence for a long moment before Ryo got up and approached his girlfriend. "What is it?" She asked. Ryo looked more serious than she had ever seen him.
"Gloria, no matter what happens around us, I don't want any of it to affect us and what we have. It's too precious to risk losing… again." Gloria nodded.
"I couldn't agree more. Maybe we should…" Gloria's voice died in her throat from what Ryo did next. He took her hand and got down on one knee. With his other hand, he took out the small box from his pocket and opened it. Gloria gasped at the sight of the ring inside it. "Ryo…" She started, but could not go on. Was he doing what she thought he was doing? Ryo smiled lovingly at her.
"You are the love of my life and I do not want to wait another minute to ask you this: Gloria Tyler… Will you marry me?"
Gloria sat in shock for several long seconds before she started crying. "Yes… Yes Ryo, I will!"
Feeling his heart leaping for joy, Ryo slid the ring onto his fiancé's finger, which fit perfectly. Still shedding tears, Gloria jumped out of her seat and hugged Ryo before kissing him. It was the perfect ending for a perfect date.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Hey Sho, are you sure you feel like heading back?" Judai asked the next day, carrying his backpack. It was early and the next boat to Duel Academy was due to depart in less than 10 minutes. He and Sho had just arrived at the dock where the boat was parked.
Last night, Sho informed him and Flame that he decided to return to Duel Academy. He felt he needed to get away and return there for recruiting possibilities for his Cyber Pro League. His best friend and the Fire Ignis were skeptical and argued that if he went back, he'll sooner or later bump into the other Ryo. They were afraid that Sho seeing him so soon after his brother's passing would not be good for him. Sho told them that wouldn't be an issue, but he didn't sound so sure about it. Still, it was his choice and they should support him.
"Yeah Judai, it's fine. I feel I need to be there." Sho said to him, carrying his own bag.
"It's your choice, Sho. We are just concerned for you." Flame said from inside Sho's Duel Disk. Sho nodded.
"I appreciate that Flame. You too Judai. It's okay. Let's get onboard." With that, they walked onto the boat that would carry them to their old school… not knowing of the terrible danger that awaited them. A danger that would soon threaten everyone on the island… especially the young, grieving Sho Marufuji.
To be continued.