[A/N]
So, something that I've noticed is that I kinda don't use the other teachers much, only Glynda, and only then, I use her sparingly. Why is that?
Well, for one… the teachers are barely characters. The only characterization for any of them is that Glynda is strict, Oobleck is cooky, and Port… exists, I guess. He gets even less characterization than the others; we at least spend some time with Oobleck on Glenn, and Glynda is tied to Ozpin. All Port really gets is telling Weiss to stfu about the Ruby being the leader.
Well, once we leave the beacon, they kinda just disappear into the ether, never to be mentioned again.
Specifically, for this fic, their roles also overlap with Kaiba, Yugi, and Joey's, especially with Glynda. They're in on the plot, and arguably more important than her because they, especially Kaiba, do more than just nothing and get a fight scene once every blue moon.
At the very least, at least they make sense; it would be odd if a school setting had only one teacher, and at least they do something, unlike that one guy named after the roman god of the sea whose name I can't remember because what does he add to the story?
Because of their lack of character, and limited screen time, it ends up being incredibly difficult to actually build a deck for them. I'm not even sure if these men specifically have fairy tale inspirations.
If I were to give Glynda a deck, it would probably be Kozmo. That deck is literally just Star Wars x Wizard of Oz. It also does more with modern (well in this case, sci-fi), fairy tale aesthetic than RWBY everdid. They made the red slippers a space-ship, and the monkeys are stormtroopers.
This game is really weird. And also really gay. Like, have you seen Eldlich's alt art (fun fact, I own Eldlich's alt art)?
While I was listening to Antinomy's theme for the Duel, I found a video in my recommended titled "Gay Yu-Gi-Oh Cards - A Short Essay", which discusses how the Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG & TCG portrays lesbian storylines.
I assume you're here, in some part, because of the fact that this fic is also kinda gay. If you are, I'd recommend this video, i think it's fairly interesting.
Okay, enough yapping, let's open the game.
Duel 16
Utopian Aura
"She wants me to help her destroy the White Fang! My comrades, my friends, my family! I… Aurgh!"
Alister blinked slowly as he sat on his mattress and watched Blake pace around her dorm room. She barged in roughly half an hour ago, startled him awake, and once she apologized for doing so, started to basically rant about Weiss' goals.
"Okay…" The falcon faunus said slowly. Truthfully, Alister had a myriad of questions, and he's not sure if Blake would be willing to answer them. "But, why come to me? We've known each for a grand total of, like, three minutes."
"Because you're the only one who knows that I'm in the White Fang, and I have to talk to someone!" Blake exclaimed as she turned to face him. He noted that her pupils had been slitted for the past few minutes.
Alister nodded. "So, then what exactly is the problem, here?" He asked her. "You left because of, and I quote, ideological differences. This could be an opportunity to reform the White Fang to better suit what you want it to be."
"It's not that simple, and I know you know that," Blake hissed at him. "The White Fang sends supplies that it needs to Kuo Kuana, because humans that a desert island swarming with Grimm and miles away from the mainland was good enough for us!"
Alister calmly raised his arms in surrender and Blake jabbed a finger to his chest. "I know that much. I might've been born in Vale, but my parents ARE from Kuo Kuana," He said. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but raising a child in a place like that isn't the best for anyone's health." His sarcastic comment made Blake sneer.
He placed a hand over his chest. Blake was acting much, much more aggressive than he expected she should be. Last week, she was aggressive towards Russel, but now, it seemed like everyone of his snippy comments agitated her much more than it reasonably should.
"So, how does White Fang give Kuo Kuana the supplies it needs?" Alister asked.
"I thought you already knew what we did?" Blake huffed.
"Humor me. I only have an outsider's perspective, after all." Blake set her jaw, but nodded.
"Most of the time, we would find odd jobs. It doesn't matter if it didn't pay well, we all collectively agreed that 90% of the money we got would go back home. Of course, that wasn't our main source of… revenue." Blake shifted on her feet awkwardly and hugged her arms. "We would raid SDC refineries, mines, and storage units. We only take a fraction of what was produced."
"And how much is a 'fraction'?" Alister asked.
"...roughly 30%. A member had a 'Raidraptor' deck, so she summoned them with her Aura and flew back to Kuo Kuana with the supplies." Alister listened carefully to each word Blake said, but otherwise didn't make any sounds or movements.
"I imagine you faced some opposition," he commented.
"We dueled and fought whenever we had to. Most of our decks are OTK oriented, so we ended Duels quickly," Blake said. Alister didn't say anything, so Blake assumed she had to keep talking. "Normally, we just knock them around. If we saw that employers were treating faunus workers harshly we would rough them up a little more."
"How much?" Alister asked.
Blake hissed, which made him flinch. "Okay, what the fuck is up with you? Are you interrogating me?" She hotly asked.
"Well, technically, yes, but before you say anything or do anything," Alister said, he raised a finger when he saw Blake's muscles tense beneath her tights, "you came to me for help. And, I can't help you if I don't know what the hell's going on."
"It's obvious what's going on. Weiss has been brainwashed by her family into believing anti-faunus sentiments!" Blake practically snarled at him.
"And right now, I want to find out how those sentiments were reinforced," Alister hissed back. His intense eyes made Blake back off slightly. "So, tell me, buy how much did you rough those people up?"
Blake sat back down and crossed her arms. "We'd bruise them up more than normal. Maybe give them a broken limb or two," she eventually answered. Alister hummed and nodded.
"Have you ever killed anyone?" He asked, which made Blake jump. "I'd assume… yes, by your reaction?"
"And if I did?"
Alister tilted his head and examined Blake's form. Her muscles were incredibly tense. "I feel like… you're jumping at any excuse to leave," He commented. That only confused Blake. "I think you're looking for a logical fallacy in more words so that you can claim I'm not trying to help you," He clarified, which only made Blake more agitated.
"You're asking me all these questions that have no point in being discussed. Weiss is racist. Her family is racist. And Weiss wants me to help with her racist goals," She hissed. Alister caught a subtle pink glow that came from behind her right ear.
"I'm asking you because Weiss' view of us and our people is extremely limited. Yes, her family taught her those racist views, but they needed to reinforce those views in some way, and I want to figure out what information, true or false, they gave her," Alister said. "So, tell me. Did you, or any other member of the White Fang, kill anyone?"
Blake sat still for a moment, which slowly, slowly, dragged on for what seemed like forever, she looked down at her lap, and her tail wrapped around her waist. "Promise me that you won't judge any of us. Promise me."
Alister dropped the sarcastic facade. "I'm no judge or jury. It's not my place," he murmured gently.
Blake didn't move initially. She remained still, and quiet, until Alister noticed a tear rolling down her cheek. Then she started to tremble.
"I… I-I didn't…!" She gasped. Her nails dug into her arm, and nearly broke the skin. "I didn't h-have a choice…!" Slowly, Alister walked up to her and hugged Blake. She rested her forehead on the crook of her neck as she silently cried. "I beat her, a-and she had a g-gun…!"
GAME!
Blake let out a sigh as 'Black Rose Dragon's' vines retracted back into its body. The woman who had challenged her skidded across the floor and crashed into the wall.
"Stay down. I don't want to hurt you," Blake said, her voice distorted by the modulator in her mask. The woman she Dueled sneered at her, but didn't move. "Okay,"
'Crossrose Dragon' and 'Carrotweight Champion' continued to drag containers filled with Dust out of the storage room. 'Black Rose' could easily drag out with its viners, but since it was FIRE Attribute and Dust, purified or not, is explosively volatile, she had it stay back and guard her flank.
The guard that Blake defeated moments earlier staggered to their feet. 'Black Rose' huffed at her, but didn't pay her any mind.
That was a mistake.
All forms of modern weaponry is banned in every Kingdom, and yet, the guard had a pistol attached to her hip. She unlatched the gun and pointed it at Blake's head. Blake's ear flicked when she heard the safety snap off.
'Black Rose' used its vines to push Blake away just as the gun fired. She screamed as the bullet struck her back, inches away from her spine. She coughed up blood and collapsed on the floor. Immediately, 'Crossrose' and 'Carroweight' dropped their containers and rushed towards her to protect her.
The guard, still injured, raised their gun to fire at her again. 'Carrotweight' and 'Crossrose' did have the range to knock it away, but 'Black Rose Dragon' did.
To stop the guard, it opened its mouth and breathed fire.
Blake trembled against Alister. "Sh-she shot me in the back…! I-it hurt so much…!" She didn't wail, or cry out. She sniffled and trembled as she clung to Alister tightly, while her tears made a mess on the sleeve of his shirt.
"God, I can still hear her…!" Blake hissed as her nails dug into his skin. "I can– I can still smell her… She was so loud… she begged for… for…!"
"...How long ago was this?" Alister asked.
"...Two years. I… it was two years ago…" The falcon faunus remained silent until she began to still and her breathing became steady. Once she was, he patted her on the shoulder and pulled away slightly.
"...shit," Alister whispered. Blake definitely needs some sort of therapist. He is very much not qualified, nor empathetic enough (to his own frustration), to be someone to support her like this. "Oh, by the way, somebody text you."
"Huh…?" Blake sniffed and wiped her eyes.
"While you were crying, your scroll vibrated," Alister said, and pointed to the slight phone-shaped bulge on the side of her shorts. Blake, bleary-eyed, grabbed her scroll. It was a text… from Ozpin.
She blinked, and turned away from Alister so that he couldn't see the screen. "I have to go. A have a… make-up test to do."
"...Okay." Blake clicked the scroll and turned back to Alister, who looked completely unconvinced. "Are we going to continue this conversation at some point?"
"If I feel like it," She answered without looking at him. She then briskly walked out of the room.
Ruby fidgeted on her feet as she and Weiss rode up the elevator to Ozpin's. The girl in white shuffled through her new cards and hummed in satisfaction. Ruby glanced at her.
"You've been shuffling them ever since they came in the mail today," Ruby commented, which made Weiss pause. "Something wrong?"
"Aside from my intense disappointment that we didn't pull any 'Fiendsmith' cards?" Weiss straightened out her cards. She slid her Deck back into the Disk with a satisfying click. "No. I'm just concerned that I haven't tested it yet. I might embarrass myself in front of Ozpin by misplaying."
"Relax, Weiss. You won't embarrass him," Ruby said with a smile. Weiss flinched, taken aback by the sudden kindness.
"O-oh, Ruby…" Weiss stammered.
"You already embarrass yourself on a daily basis," The girl in red added a moment later. Weiss gave her a deadpan stare. Weiss crossed her arms over her chest, huffed, and pouted. Ruby rolled her silver eyes as the elevator ride continued with relative silence.
Moments later, the door of the carriage opened directly into Ozpin's office. It was a wide room at the top of Beacon's tallest tower, with three glowing lights above them. The floor, aside from the circumference of the room, was a thick, green glass pane with gears visible underneath them.
"Hey, Ruby!" Yang said as soon as they walked out. She and Blake were already inside, as was Ozpin.
"You're all here. Excellent." The headmaster said. He stood up from his seat behind his desk and made his way to the center of the room. "Now, we can start today's lesson."
"Lesson?" Blake asked. She shared a glance with Yang, who, while Ozpin's back was turned, gagged inside.
"What lesson. It's Sunday," Yang groaned.
"A lesson on how to defend yourself," Ozpin answered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out four small rectangular devices. Ruby narrowed her eyes when she saw them. They looked familiar…
"These are Aura Aptitude Tests," Ozpin explained. "After a quick scan, they reveal your average Aura output."
Blake frowned. "Aren't those normally handed to people who want to join the Duel Force?" She asked. Her ears were flat on her head.
"Normally, yes. But, these aren't normal circumstances, are they?" Ozpin asked. He turned around, and pointed his cane at Ruby, Weiss, and Yang. "In the past week, all you have been admitted to the hospital due to grievous injuries caused by your Duels with the Numbers."
He began to walk around the room, handing each girl their test. "You place your thumb on the scanner, and raise the camera to your eye. Do not blink when it flashes. A few minutes later, you should see your average output," he explained. "As you know, using your Aura in conjunction with special ARC Duel Disks will allow your monsters to take physical form. It also acts as a shield that reinforces your body through physical stress."
"Don't the Numbers themselves already make our monsters physical entities?" Yang asked as she remembered the Duel she had with Ruby a week ago.
"Not entirely," He said as he pointed to Ruby and Weiss. "If your life is being threatened, then yes, the Number will prioritize your safety by making your monsters real. But, it cannot defend you from direct attacks, effect damage, or while it is not on the field."
Ruby blinked. That must be why 102 and 39 were normal holograms when they dueled. "You're going to train us on how to use our Auras, then?" Ruby asked as she fiddled with a test between her fingers.
Ozpin nodded. "You catch on quick. I can't have you all in the hospital whenever you encounter a Number. In addition to it affecting your grades, leaving you in the hospital for a day or two will allow Number Hunters to ambush you."
"Will it be just to defend ourselves…?" Blake asked in a timid voice. Ruby and Weiss didn't think it was strange, but Yang gave her an odd look of confusion.
"For these first few weeks, yes," Ozpin confirmed. Blake initially gave out a sigh of relief. "However, I want to prepare you all for every possible scenario. There may come a time when you do not have access to your Numbers and will not be able to rely on them to make your cards physical." He walked back to his deck, and gave a side-eye glance to Blake as he walked past her. "That goes doubly for you, Ms. Belladonna."
"What are we going to do then?" Yang asked.
"First, we shall take note of average Aura output. We'll go from there."
The girls nodded and took their tests. Ruby yelped as the light flashed in her eyes, while Weiss and Blake remained stone faced. Yang, meanwhile, began to blink a little more from the slight irritation.
(Ruby: 490 AP) (Weiss: 322 AP) (Blake: 674 AP) (Yang: 309)
Ozpin took the tests from them once they were done. "Hmm. surprisingly average for the two of you," he commented to Yang and Weiss. Weiss straightened up slightly out of pride, while Yang rolled her eyes at Weiss "Given how… driven both of you are, I expected higher."
"What about me?" Ruby asked curiously. Ozpin examined her device and hummed thoughtfully.
"A bit higher than I expected," he commented. "Ms. Belladonna's, however, is on par with the trained Duel Force member." He turned to Blake, who flinched slightly. He didn't think it was odd at first, but given how she reacted just now, his eyes twinkled. "Have you ever trained your Aura before?"
Blake shook her head quickly. "No, Professor Ozpin," She said. He nodded slowly.
"I see. In that case, I suppose it's time we begin. He reached underneath his Desk and pulled out four Duel Force Duel Disk; one red, one white, one black, and one yellow. "Take these. I trust you will take good care of them, and use them responsibly."
The girls all took the small, tablet-like devices that represented their favorite color. Ruby inspected hers from top to bottom. She could feel butterflies in her stomach fluttering more and more. She looked at the ones sister and the others had, and realized hers looked… scuffed. The underside was dirty, and corners weren't as sharp. Even the screen looked smudged.
Ruby frowned. Her silver eyes glittered.
She looked into the Deck Slot, and was about to place her cards inside, but she noticed one card was already inside. She looked at Ozpin, but was helping Yang with something. Ruby slowly drew the card, and gasped.
'Magikey Mechmortar - Gareglasser'.
"Mom's… ace?" The card was slightly faded. The edges were blunt, and the thin sides were darker.
Was this… her card? Why did Ozpin have it…?
Ruby shook. "Doesn't matter…" She placed 'Gareglasser' on the top of her Deck. She slid the card into the slot, and the deck shuffled automatically.
"So, how are we going to train?" Weiss asked once.
"We will be participating in a Raid Duel. I will be your opponent," Ozpin said. The girls all looked at each other warily.
"Um… we don't know how to summon our monsters, though?" Yang commented.
"That's the easiest part. Strength comes from within, as does your Aura. Before you take damage be sure to have your favorite memory at the forefront of your mind. It can be anything. A touching moment between friend or family, a funny jest that you remember; anything that makes you happy, it will cause your Aura to protect you."
The four girls paused, and considered what memories brought them happiness. Blake, however, bit her lip anxiously.
"Don't worry about that for now. I will focus my strategies on burn damage, that way, you can focus on protecting yourselves with your Auras, rather than making your monsters real," He reassured them. He then pushed his glasses up his nose.
"Of course, I'd prefer if you'd all treat this as a real Duel. Do try your best to defeat me."
The girls all gulped in unison.
"Well, there's now better way to practice than to be thrown into the thick of it!" Ruby said. She looked at her friends and nodded. "We can take him, definitely!"
"Of course we can, it's four against one," Weiss said with a huff.
"Though, given this is a Raid Duel, and we're playing with Aura, I'd imagine this isn't as easy as you all think it is," Blake muttered in a cool voice.
"I, for one, am already raring to go!" Yang exclaimed. She raised her arm, and the tablet strapped to her wrist unfolded. A red holographic blade shot out from the projector. Let's do this already!"
One by one, the other girls activated their disks as well. Ruby's was silver, Weiss' was cyan, and Blake's was purple.
Ozpin smiled at them. "Very well. Let's begin the lesson immediately."
Ruby Rose (490 AP), Weiss Schnee (320 AP), Blake Belladonna (674 AP) & Yang Xiao Long (309 AP) (4000 LP) VS Ozpin (16000 LP / ? AP)
RAID DUEL!
"Don't hold back. I summon 'Hieratic Dragon of Eset'." A shimmering golden sphere appeared in front of him, and unfolded to form a dragon covered in gold armor, and with scales made of purple energy (LV 5 / 1900 ATK to 1000 ATK). "I can summon this monster without tributing, so long as I reduce its attack. Then, I will tribute 'Eset' to Special Summon 'Hieratic Dragon of Su'."
That dragon disappeared, its body turning into stardust, and forming into a new sphere which contained a blue dragon (LV 6 / 2200 ATK). "Furthermore, when 'Eset' is tributed, it can summon a Normal Dragon monsters from my deck, so long as its ATK and DEF become 0. I will summon the Level 6 'Wattaildragon'."
A wyvern with light blue scales and a tail made entirely of electricity was summoned while curled up inside of a clear sphere (LV 6 / 2500 to 0 ATK).
"Two Level 6s already?" Ruby muttered to herself.
"Let me guess, he's going to go into 'Atum' and use it for Dragon Link combos?" Yang said with a smile. Ozpin returned the expression.
"Not… exactly. I overlay my two Level 6 monsters," Each of the girls stiffened as a galactic Overlay Network appeared before them. "I Xyz Summon Number 78: Numeron Library."
The Overlay Network exploded, but nothing happened. Weiss looked around and behind her, confused. "Well, where is it?"
Suddenly the room began to shake, and shift. As if Ozpin had activated a Field Spell, his office began to glow and take another form. "Oh, what the–! Ack!" Rub cried as the floor she stood on transformed into a circular bookshelf.
From all sides, the girls were surrounded by books placed on golden shelves. They floated between a light green void and sky, with Ozpin in front of them. He pointed up, and the girls all followed his finger to see a much larger bookshelf with the Number 78 emblazoned on the bottom.
[Number 78: Numeron Library]
[LIGHT / Spellcaster / Xyz / Effect]
[0 ATK / 0 DEF / 2 OU]
(AKA "Number 78: Number Archive")
(LIGHT & DIVINE)
"Wait…' Yang looked around, and noted how familiar the monster looked. "This is where me and Pyrrha dueled on the first day of school!" She realized.
"Pyrrha and I…" Blake corrected half-heartedly, but even she was taken aback by the Number. They all knew that all the Numbers were from a different world, but somehow, this felt the most… alien out of the ones that had encountered so far.
"I will activate Numeron Library's effect," Ozpin then said. "I can summon any Xyz Monster from my deck, with a different from the ones on my field, in my graveyard, or attached to monsters as Xyz Material… but it also allows me to summon a copy of a Number that I have witnessed before."
"A… copy?" Blake murmured.
"Allow me to demonstrate. I Xyz Summon 'Number 16: Shock Master'!" One of the Overlay Units flew out of Number 78's orbit and flew into the sky, where it entered a red Overlay Network. It exploded, and a large metallic, biblically accurate angel with a human face on the point of its mechanical face appeared (RK 4 / 2300 ATK / 1 OU).
"And this effect isn't once per turn, either," Ozpin added. The girls froze. "I Xyz Summon 'Number 39: Utopia'!" Ruby gasped as, from the red Overlay Network, a gold and white warrior that looked exactly like her own Number floated down next to Ozpin (RK 4 / 2500 ATK / 1 OU).
"That is insane," Blake muttered.
"You will be happy to learn that monsters summoned by this effect cannot be used as Fusion, Xyz, or Link Material. However, I'm afraid it gets worse. For you, anyways," Ozpin chuckled. "Numeron Library's Original ATK is treated as the combined ATK of all Xyz Monsters on the field."
"That's… 4800 Original ATK!" Weiss realized. Ozpin nodded, and smiled as the shelf began to glow with power (0 ATK to 4800 ATK). "And lastly, I will activate 'Shock Master's' effect! By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can declare Monster, Spell, or Trap. The one I declare cannot activate its effects."
"Why is the generic Rank 4 a floodgate!?" Weiss screeched. Despite her outrage, it could not stop the Overlay Unit from flying into the angel's horn on the face of its face (1 OU to 0 OU). The horn was fired, and exploded against their field.
"I set one card, and end my turn," Ozpin said. "So which one of you will go first?" He asked them.
"That's… a good question," Ruby muttered. With this being a Raid Duel, they shared not only LP, but fields as well. They can't over-extend for the sake of each other's strategies, and with 'Shock Master' stopping monster effects, they likely wouldn't go very far in their combos.
"Ruby!" Her silver eyes, and turned to see Yang's eyes sparkling mischievously. Ruby returned the gesture.
"I'll go first! I draw!" Yang said, "and I start by activating 'Interrupted Kaiju Slumber'!"
"That card destroys every monster on the field, and replaces them with a 'Kaiju'," Blake said.
"Everything except Number 78 will be annihilated, which will drop its ATK to 0, and the 'Kaijus' have massive ATK stats!" Ruby further explained. "We've got this in the bag!"
Ozpin only smiled.
"Alright, come on out, boys!" Yang said excitedly. The ground began to crumble and erupted, which caused books to fly off the shelves. Ozpin's two 'Numbers' were replaced by 'Kumongous' (LV 7 / 2400 ATK), while they gained 'Jizukiru' (LV 10 / 3300 ATK).
With them gone, Numeron Library's ATK was reduced to nothing (4800 ATK to 0 ATK). Also, it had three Overlay Units.
"Wait, what…!?" Yang gasped as the smoke cleared. She rubbed her eyes, and the three glowing orbs still gently orbited the largest bookshelf (0 OU to 3 OU).
"Professor Ozpin, what's going on?" Blake asked in a somewhat panicked voice.
"When you finish reading a book, do you throw it in the trash, or destroy it?" Ozpin asked them. The girls all looked at each other.
"N-no, you return it to the shelf," Weiss answered.
Ozpin nodded. "Numeron Library works in much the same way. It's clear that my knowledge was not needed at this time, so it was stored for use later. Whenever an Xyz Monster is destroyed, it and any Overlay Units it had are transferred to Numeron Library instead. Also, once it gains 20 Overlay Units… I win."
"...Number 78 has an insta-win?" Ruby asked quietly. Ozpin smiled at her.
"Yes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to summon more monsters from my Extra Deck, and outside it," The girls paled as Ozpin snapped his fingers. Three of Numeron Library's Overlay Units flew into the sky into red Networks. "I Xyz Summon 'Number 90: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord', 'Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon', and 'Hieratic Sky Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis'!" (3 OU to 0 OU).
As quickly as his field was emptied, it was suddenly filled to the brim with powerful, imposing monsters that the girls had never seen before. The first was a large, armored man with a body made entirely of plasma who wielded a massive claymore made of stardust (RK 8 / 3000 ATK / 1 OU). The second was an equally massive mechanical dragon made of dark metal and with segmented, holographic wings (RK 8 / 3000 ATK / 1 OU). The last was a dragon made of bright red and purple fire, and protected by golden armor that covered most of its body (RK 8 / 3000 ATK / 1 OU).
"And… that means…!" Yang hissed as Number 78's attack skyrocketed (0 ATK to 9000 ATK).
"I will also activate my set card, 'Xyz Import'," Ozpin said, which only made the girls cringe even more. "Since 'Jizukiru' has less ATK than Number 78, it will gain the 'Kaiju' as an Overlay Unit." Yang groaned as the massive machine sputtered and sparked, and soon dissolved into an orb that orbited around the Number (0 OU to 1 OU).
Ozpin hummed to himself. "I suppose… I will use that unit immediately to Xyz Summon 'Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon' (1 OU to 0 OU).
The last Dragon to be summoned is a large, two-legged dragon covered from head to toe in black armor. The tips of wings sparked with bright fire, while bright red eyes gleamed from underneath its helmet. Unlike the Grimm, its red eyes were vibrant and eager, alive (RK 7 / 2800 ATK / 1 OU).
"And, of course, that means my monster gains an additional boost in power," Ozpin said casually as Numeron Library's ATK increased again (9000 ATK to 11800 ATK).
Slowly, everybody looked at Yang. The blonde looked away and started to whistle.
"I-I can still salvage this!" She reassured them, though even she wasn't sure if she could. "I activate the Spell Card 'Hidden Armory'! By giving up my Normal Summon this turn, I can add any Equip Spell to my hand, and then mill the top card of my deck afterwards."
"I assume, then, you're aware that 'Flare Dragon' will automatically deduct 500 points each time your card effects resolve?" He asked her.
"I know that!" Yang huffed. "Anyways, I'll take 'Mikanko Water Arabesque', and then mill… 'Friller Rabca'!"
"At this point, you are all dealt 500 damage," Ozpin said. 'Flare Metal Dragon' opened its mouth and prepared to launch a large fireball. "Remember, focus on your happiness. Your positive memories will fight back against the pain."
'Flare Metal Dragon' launched its fire breath at them.
As Ruby crossed her arms over her chest, she thought back to simpler times. To when they didn't have to train, or worry about Numbers or possession. She thought back to when she felt her Mother's arms around her, holding her tightly, the only time she remembered they embraced.
As the fire ball struck, Ruby staggered backwards, but she brushed off the attack and recovered a moment later.
As Weiss raised her Duel Disk to protect herself, she thought back to her family in Atlas. She thought about how much she hated her father, how much she missed her sister. She hated how distant her mother was, and wished she knew her brother more. Then she thought about the kindness of her caretaker… And the blunt, hot-headed words Ruby told her. Not even Klein would speak to her in such a way.
Weiss gritted her teeth and hissed. The fireball pushed her back, and once it exploded, she nearly fell off the edge, but managed to find her footing and stand back up straight.
As Yang raised her fist, she thought of the memes Weiss watched when she was in the hospital. They weren't that funny, but… some of them did make her chuckle.
She punched the fireball, and hissed slightly as heat burned her lightly.
Blake's eyes widened as the fireball careened towards her. She tried to stay calm and remember happier times. When she and her mother played together, when her father acted as her teacher, but those thoughts weren't at the forefront of her mind. The fireball only reminded her of the sounds, the loud scream, the smell of burning flesh…
The flame crashed into her chest. Her aura struggled to form around and protect her, so when it exploded, Blake was launched off her shelf. "Gaaaurgh!"
"Blake!" Weiss yelled out.
Ruby immediately jumped off her shelf and dove after Blake. She managed to wrap her arms around her. Before either of them could disappear into the green aether, the holograms shut off, and they landed on glass floor with a thud.
GAME!
Raid Boss Surrendered
"Ms. Belladonna, are you okay?" Almost immediately, Ozpin was kneeling beside the two girls. Slowly, he pushed Ruby away to inspect the damage. Thankfully, there wasn't much. The front of her shirt was smoking and slightly charred, and one of the buttons was half-melted. Thankfully, aside from her toned stomach looking a little red, she was alright physically.
Whether she was alright mentally was another question entirely.
"Ms. Belladonna?" Blake twitched when the words reached her ears. She stopped hyperventilating and looked to see the others with concerned looks on their faces.
"I…!" Blake coughed and doubled over, but when Ruby leaned forward to lift her up, she pushed her away. "I-I'm fine. Just… I-I wasn't ready, that's all."
Ozpin's lips tightened into a thin line. Blake's heart beated faster, and she wondered if Ozpin bought her excuse. He nodded, and he and Ruby helped her up. "I will procure you ointment for burns and have it delivered to your dorm room. And I apologize for any distress I have caused, for all of you," He said.
"No, y-you don't have to…" Blake's tail wrapped around her waist, which made Yang frown. "It's just… knowing something that is normally a hologram having physical mass made me panic, that's all."
The headmaster nodded in agreement. "I suppose I will have to take a different approach for future training," he commented, as he scratched the tip of his cane against his head. "In that case, why don't we end things here, for today. You have school tomorrow; I don't want you all to be aching in the morning."
"Sounds good to me," Yang said. The girls agreed.
"When will we come back for more training, then?" Weiss asked him.
"Next Friday, in the afternoon should suffice," Ozpin suggested, which only made Blake stiffen. Why is everything important happening this Friday. "Unless, anyone has objections?"
"I certainly don't," Weiss said as she raised her hand. Ruby frowned at her.
"Don't you have a Penalty Game with Kaiba on Friday?" She asked.
"This is much more important!" Weiss said. "Is it possible for you to… pull strings and reschedule my Game?" She asked Ozpin.
"I can," He said with a nod. Weiss blinked in surprise. "I will tell Kaiba that you wish to take it in the early morning. I can provide you with a pass for the classes you'll miss." Weiss let out a choked sound.
"Wonderful…" She groaned.
"Let's head back to our dorms, then," Ruby suggested. She was about to take off the Duel Disk, but Ozpin placed his cane on it.
"Keep them. You never know what dangers might arise," He warned them.
Ruby blinked, and looked down the screen, contemplating. Her reflection stared back.
"Okay," She eventually said. "Blake, can you walk…" She looked behind her, but the faunus had disappeared.
"Well, she could've at least waited for us to join her in the elevator," Weiss groaned.
[Number 78: Numeron Library]
[LIGHT / Rank 0]
[Spellcaster / Xyz / Effect]
[0 ATK / 0 DEF]
2 Monsters with the same Level
[Number's Divinity]
If this card has Xyz Material (Quick Effect): you can Special Summon 1 Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck, OR 1 false copy of a "Number" Monster you have witnessed before this Duel began from outside your Extra Deck, with a different name than Xyz Monsters on your field, GY, banishment, or attached to Xyz Monsters as Material (except this card), and if do, attach 1 Xyz Material from this card to the summoned monster. If a monster summoned by this effect would be destroyed, you can attach any Xyz Materials attached to it (if any) to this card as Xyz Material instead. This card's Original ATK becomes the combined total of other Xyz Monsters you control.
Yes, I am aware that Numeron Library is absolutely busted and should have a xeno-lock. No, I will not put a xeno-lock, because then Ozpin wouldn't be able to summon LADDL.
I have nothing insightful to add, other than Track 34 of the YGO Seven's ost is a banger.
K bye.