I'm back with another chapter guys, this will be a much shorter one than the last, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Now time for me to answer some reviews:

Dragonkeeper10: I agree, Yuma having Duel Spirit interactions would've brought more life into the show for me at least. I honestly wasn't particularly fond of him summoning Utopia all the time either, but yeah I'm gonna have him use more of his Number Arsenal in this story. Yuma and Leviathan are definitely gonna have their moment in Chapter 4.

Star-Eyes Pendulum Dragon: I know, but I aged her down by a year for this one. I mentioned it in Chapter 1.

Anonymous: I honestly have no idea whether or not I want to have Cyberse or Illusion monsters in this story. I love me some Mathmechs and Azaminas, but I would have to think of a way to incorporate them without it feeling random. I honestly thought about using some Rush Duel cards in this story, because I really love a lot of them. Although, I don't know if I want to use any of the Main Cast archetypes from Sevens and GO Rush, just doesn't feel right to me at least, but the cat archetype I can definitely give to Cathy.

Letting Rio have Icejade or Ice Barrier Synchros did in fact cross my mind, but I'm still not sure about it though, and yeah Rio will definitely not like what Shark has been doing all this time.

HunterHQ: Man 2024 really gave Zexal archetypes a lot of love for sure. Ngl, I was always curious as to how Yuma's mom ended up in Astral World in the first place? I will try my best to explain how some of the characters received their Numbers, don't know if I have it in me to explain how each Number came in to someone's possession. Hopefully I can get Bronk and Tori to do more, Cathy as well because out of Yuma's usual friendship group she was like my favorite.

You know I always did wonder about who the mothers of the Arclight Brothers, and the Tenjo Brothers were, I just ended up having my own interpretations about that whole ordeal based on the characters' personalities. Frozen Lady Justice fits Rio so much despite being Kyoji Yagumo's Number in the Manga. Still though, I imagine Rio is a lot more emotionally connected with Crystalzero and Ragnazero. Anna will definitely get opportunities to use Number 27 and Number 81.

kaiser Younes: Thanks, I enjoy writing Duel Spirit interactions, it's my favorite thing to do while writing this story.

Anyways without further ado, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter 3: Awakening of Ice!

(Two hours later, Heartland City Hospital)

While two hours had passed since the end of Yuma and Shark's Duel, Rio had been busy getting tested at the hospital ever since the doctors found her awake. She had to put up with these tests if she wanted to get out of the hospital and go home. So far, surprising her doctors, she's been passing every test perfectly, in fact, there was only one more test left for her to complete. Her Duel Test. Of all the examinations she had taken so far, this one was the one she was most looking forward to because Dueling was her absolute passion.

Although Yuma and Shark's Duel had ended two hours ago, Rio had been busy getting examined at the hospital ever since the medical staff discovered her awake. She had to put up with these tests if she wanted to get out of the hospital and go home. Surprising her doctors, she has passed all of her tests so far, with only one remaining to complete. Her Test of Duel. Of all the examinations she had taken so far, this one was the one she was most looking forward to because dueling was her absolute passion.

She was now on the hospital rooftop with a female physician and the first physician to discover her awake; the latter was supposed to be her opponent. During her examinations, she found out that his name was Jones, and that he was one of the most successful young doctors to have ever been born in Heartland. He was happy to talk to her at first and exuded a more upbeat vibe, but after an hour he stopped talking altogether and became more distant. Rio surmised that he had simply become gloomy all of a sudden.

"Are you ready Miss Kastle?" Rio grinned broadly as the female doctor reminded her. "Remember, if you pass this one, you get to go home."

"Finally! After this Duel, when I'm finally able to leave the hospital, the first thing I'm gonna do is buy some ice cream on the way home." Rio exclaimed as she was really looking forward to having some after being comatosed for a long time until she remembered something. "Oh no, I forgot! I don't have any money on me right now, dammit I was looking forward to that vanilla sundae. Perhaps I ought to steal some from Reginald?"

While Doctor Jones remained silent, the female doctor giggled awkwardly, not knowing how to reply.

"I don't know why you're acting mute right now Doctor, but oh well if you won't break the ice, then I will! I'll have you know any Duel with me is gonna take a cold turn before you know it." Rio bragged, but the doctor merely looked at her with fatigued eyes. Rio assured her opponent with a smile on her face as she launched her D-Pad into the sky before it landed and connected to her Duel Disk, turning it on. She then covered her left eye with a purple-lensed Duel Gazer, prompting her opponent to activate his Duel Disk and put on his yellow-lensed Duel Gazer.

"Augmented Reality Vision Link Established!" The duel pads called out as the AR Vision Link was set in motion.

"DUEL!" Rio and Doctor Jones yelled out in unison and drew their first five cards.

(Meanwhile)

Meanwhile, Yuma was walking down the street next to the hospital on his way home with Astral floating beside him with his arms folded. The 13-year-old youngster just wanted to be left alone since he grew tired of being followed by an alien ghost. "Didn't I tell you to get lost already Astral?!"

"You did, and it's not that I don't want to leave. I just don't know how." Astral replied, implying that he would leave him if he just remembered where his home was. Yuma let out a defeated sigh; he didn't want a spirit to follow him everywhere he went, but it appears as though that there is nothing he can do about it. He thought to himself having Astral around wouldn't all bad though, after all if it weren't for his assistance and guidance, the thirteen-year-old was fairly certain he would've completely lost the duel against Shark. That didn't mean he would let Astral make all the decisions for him, Yuma was after all still his own Duelist. He paused as he pulled his first-ever Xyz Monster out of his Extra Deck, gazing in wonder at the card. After all, it was this card that gave him his first triumph, so who could blame him for appreciating it?

"Is there something the matter?" Astral had observed that his unwilling companion had halted his stride and was concentrating on Utopia's card.

"Thank you Utopia! I don't know why I feel so connected to you. As soon as I called upon you, I felt unstoppable and capable of accomplishing anything. I would love for you to fight beside me forever because you gave me a chance to experience what it's like to win for the first time in my life." The Number Monster's card was glowing a fluttering golden hue, and Yuma grinned as Utopia could clearly hear what he was saying. Astral was amazed by what he was seeing.

"It amazes me how someone like you can converse with Duel Spirits, and receive positive reactions from them." Astral pointed out, much to Yuma's displeasure.

"Can it already! Nobody asked for your opinion! Just so you know I've been able to speak to my Duel Spirits for years now, so it's nothing new. You're the only one who knows I can interact with them anyway." Yuma revealed that as of right now, nobody aside from Astral was aware of his gift.

"Remarkable. For how long exactly if I may ask?" It was evident that the transparent creature became more interested in Yuma as he realized there was much more to him than first meets the eye.

"Well, Gate or Gagaga Magician as you know him told me that I most likely always had the ability to see them, because it's usually an innate ability or whatever he called it. A birth present basically. But I didn't truly interact with one until a week after my best friend went missing from my life." Yuma explained how he became aware of his gift for the first time to Astral. He felt sad upon thinking about those time times because Rio went missing from his life, but there were still some good moments back then as he was able to engage and make friends with all of his monsters.

"Your best friend? As in the person the closest to you? Who was he?" Astral felt curious about who this person Yuma claimed was his best friend could be.

"First of all, she's a girl, and second of all why do you care?!" Yuma roughly corrected and wondered why Astral would have any interest about who his best friend was.

"I figured it would be in our best interests if we learned more about each other, seeing as destiny has decided that you're supposed to be my partner." Astral explained his reasoning for wanting to learn more about Yuma. The crab-haired boy looked away for a moment, pondering over what Astral had suggested. He glanced at Astral again while maintaining a composed expression.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you. Her name is Rio, and she means everything to me. She was my first true friend..." Yuma thought back to the good old days when it was only the two of them playing around in the park. "We promised each other that we would be the Duel King and Queen one day. Just like I how used to go on and on about being Number 1 in the world, she used to do the same, but mainly because she wanted to surpass her brother I guess, and our late Duel Queen."

"Late Duel Queen? She sounds like a person of utmost importance if she bears a title like that."

"Well I don't know much about her either, aside from Rio claiming whenever she enters her fangirl mode that she was supposedly the strongest Duelist to have ever lived in Heartland, despite the fact neither of us had ever seen her Duel live." It never really dawned on Yuma to ask more about the Duel Queen from Rio, but the way Rio was hyping her up from all the recorded footage and documents she found back from when she was still amongst the living, felt too good to be true, yet he knew better than to doubt his friend.

"This planet certainly does have intriguing people living in it." Astral mused. However, the ghostly creature soon experienced strange sensations as he turned to gaze at the adjacent hospital. He could detect an awful atmosphere radiating from the rooftop. He was able to instantly identify what was causing these sensations. "We have to go!"

"Go where!?" Yuma exclaimed, leading Astral to point to where he wanted them to head next.

"Foolma listen to me! I'm sensing another Number Monster within our vicinity. It's that place over there!" Astral insisted even though he mispronounced Yuma's name once more.

"FOR THE LAST TIME! MY NAME IS YUMA, Y-U-M-A, YUMA." Yuma crossed his arms in frustration and huffed as his so-called fated partner got his name wrong again. Seriously, how hard was it to just say Yuma? But upon realizing the possibility of another Number Monster might be within their reach, Yuma looked at Astral with less hostility now. "What's this about another Number? Also, the building you're pointing at is called a hospital.

"Alright Yuma, could you please assist me in finding that Number. You understand how crucial it is that we gather all 99 Numbers, don't you?" Astral reminded him of their quest to gather all 99 Number cards in order to help restore his memories.

"Alright fine then, I could use another Number monster to help boost my Deck. Race you there!" Yuma called out in delight as he started dashing towards the hospital, with Astral quickly floating after him, keeping up with his pace.

(Heartland City Hospital, Rooftop)

Rio Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5

Dr. Jones Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5

Rio 1st Turn:

"The first move is mine! Here I go, I draw!" Rio called out with a smile as she dramatically drew her card. Rio studied the cards in her hand, trying to figure out what play she should make. "Hmm, not a bad starting hand for my first Duel since forever! Alright, I got this in the bag!" Rio picked out a card in her hand, and placed it on one of the monster zones face-down. "I set a monster face-down. Then, to reassure myself even more, I place two cards face-down, and call it a turn. Over to you old man!" Rio declared as she passed the turn over to Dr Jones, calling him an old man to get a reaction out of the doctor, but it didn't work since the doctor continued to stare at her with a look of indifference. Rio still wondered what happened to the cheerful guy from an hour ago, and why he was so stoic all of a sudden.

Rio Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 3

Dr. Jones Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5

Dr. Jones 1st Turn:

At that moment, Yuma and Astral had arrived on the hospital rooftop. The crab-haired youngster panted as he held his knees while trying to regain his breath. Now he regretted running up all those stairs instead of taking the elevator. While Yuma was busy waiting for his lungs to recover, Astral took his time to observe his surroundings. He instantly noticed that there was a Duel going on, an older man wearing a white coat was dueling a young girl. He was able to quickly sense the ominous aura the older man was emitting, meaning that he was the one who had a Number. Yuma who had finally managed to pull himself together, turned to spectate the Duel as well, only to receive the shock of his life.

"What in th-." Yuma began to say as for the first time since forever, he went completely speechless at what he was seeing. He instantly recognized the dark pink eyes albeit her left eye was covered by a Duel Gazer, but the dark blue hair and the light blue bangs more than made up for it along with her overconfident smile. She had grown too, just like him. She was currently wearing a white jack over a light pink shirt, black stockings, white skirt and shoes. "It can't be..."

"What can't be Yuma?" Astral inquired, wondering what it was that had left his partner speechless.

"But why now? Rio..." Yuma couldn't believe she was here in front of him after all this time. This had to be a dream right? He didn't expect to find her so soon after winning his first Duel.

"Rio? Is not that the name of your best friend?" Astral tried to recollect from his conversation with Yuma a couple of minutes ago until it dawned on him what was going on. Yuma simply nodded while his eyes were still focused on Rio, not wanting to let her out of his sight even for a second. Astral didn't say anything else as he figured Yuma needed time to process things and watched as the Doctor finally began his turn.

"My turn, I draw! First I activate Heavy Storm!" Doctor Jones declared as enormous raging whirlwinds appeared, causing Rio to shield her face with her arms as her two Trap Cards were destroyed. The winds quickly died down soon after, allowing Rio to finally let her arms down.

"Well this stings. He got rid of my Aurora Barrier and Torrential Reborn in one go." Rio pouted since she wanted to at least get some damage off of him with Aurora Barrier, but she then let out a confident smile. "Now I know this will be a Duel I can enjoy!"

"Yup, that's Rio alright. Somehow always manages to stay confident no matter what obstacle she faces." Yuma smiled as he always admired the radiant presence Rio brought with her whenever he witnessed her Duel. That was the ironic part about her, she had a natural affinity for the ice element, but her smile was as warm as the sun. The doctor resumed his turn.

"I activate the Double Summon Spell Card! This Spell gives me the opportunity to conduct two Normal Summons this turn instead of one! I Double Summon Destroyer Golem, and Cyber Falcon!" Dr. Jones called out as his two monsters appeared on the field.

Destroyer Golem: ATK: 1500/ Level: 4

Cyber Falcon: ATK: 1400/ Level: 4

Yuma instantly managed to notice what the two monsters had in common. "He has two monsters with the same level on his field..." Yuma confirmed for himself as he took note of the Doctor's field.

"The probability of him performing an Xyz Summon using those two monsters is certainly high. Most likely his Number Monster!" Astral figured.

Rio wasn't all too worried about it though. Rather, the prospect of having a chance to face off against an Xyz Monster in this Duel excited her greatly. "You're gonna Xyz Summon right? Bring it then!" Rio encouraged as she was certain that she could handle whatever Xyz Monster the doctor could dish out.

"I overlay my Level 4 Destroyer Golem and Cyber Falcon. With these two monsters, I construct the Overlay Network!" the doctor exclaimed, raising his right hand as his monsters turned into energies of light. The black and yellow galaxy-like colored portal unveiled itself on the field, as the energies of light entered it, causing it to close itself and explode. The man held a glowing card in front of him while maintaining a sick grin on his face as the number 52 appeared on his cheek and glowed purple.

"Wait a minute, that isn't your average Xyz Summoning portal? What is going on here?!" Rio was taken aback, Xyz Monsters were supposed to appear out of a red portal right? Why was she seeing a space-like one instead?

"Oh no, that is a Portal that summons forth Number Monsters right Astral?" Yuma asked for confirmation. Rio may be among the toughest duelists he knew of, but even he figured that she would struggle against a Number. He would have to warn her.

"Indeed it is, your friend may have landed herself in quite the predicament." Astral stated while being curious about what the Number that was about to be unleashed could do. "If she can't win this one, I'm afraid we might have to deal with the threat instead."

"I Xyz Summon! Destroy everything within your vicinity! Number 52: Diamond Crab King!" The sealed form of his Number monster appeared on the field as it quickly began to unveil its true appearance. True to its name, a huge dark-blue crab with diamond shards protruding from its back appeared. Just like how its master had the number 52 symbol glowing on his cheek, the monster also had a glowing number 52 symbol embedded in its left claw.

Number 52: Diamond Crab King: ATK: 0/ Rank: 4/ OVU: 2

"Did you just say it's a Number? There are more of those!?" Rio was amazed to see another monster that had "Number" in its name like her newest addition. Yuma took that as his cue to inform her that a Number could only be destroyed by another Number.

"Hey Rio! Listen up!" Yuma shouted as he caught her attention by calling her name from the sidelines. One thing he knew for sure was that this was gonna be an awkward reunion, but he knew Rio needed to be warned about the Numbers' powers. Rio turned upon hearing her name being called, and stared at Yuma in confusion.

"What the? How do you know my name!? Are you stalking me?" Rio had no idea who this boy is, she had never met him before, had she? She wasn't all that eager to find out either as he was intruding on her fun in this Duel.

"What do you mean how do I know your name? Is that what you say to your best friend whom you haven't met in years?!" Yuma was confused, he figured Rio would be overwhelmed with joy to see him again, not trying to prank him by pretending to not know who he was.

"Best friend I haven't met in years?! Say what?!" Rio didn't figure the day she would wake up from her coma, if she had even figured at all while being in said coma, that there would be some random boy whom she can't ever recall having met before claiming that he's her best friend. As long as she could remember, she didn't have a best friend. It was just her, her brother, and their close friend from the orphanage.

"Don't act like you don't know who I am! It's me Yuma! We had lots of awesome times together. Hello!" the crab-haired boy didn't wanna play along with this anymore. He just got his best friend back in his life, and just wanted to spend time with her again.

"I'm afraid you must be mistaking me for someone else." Rio suggested albeit with uncertainty as she knew her name wasn't that common, and this young boy managed to call her by her name with utmost name perfectly.

"Are you kidding me? I know it's just like you to joke around, but come on Rio. We haven't seen each other in years." Yuma thought to himself, there was no possible way that Rio could ever forget him while she was always on his mind every year. His friendship with Rio still meant a lot to him even to this day. "Ok! But about that Numb-"

"Look kid I appreciate what you're trying to do, well kinda, but can you just let me finish my Duel with this doctor who hasn't been replying to anything I've said for the past hour. He'll be dealt and done with soon enough, and then we can talk." Rio offered, because she really needed to get back to the Duel, and would prefer to sort this problem out once she has finished.

"KID!? We're the same age!" Yuma flailed his arms around, he definitely did not like being called a kid by someone who was around the same age as him. Rio just ignored him. "Ugh, she's still as infuriating as I remember her to be."

"It seems she does not know you? Are you certain she's your friend?" Astral wondered, he could automatically tell that she sounded genuine when she said she didn't know him.

"Of course I am, that's Rio alright. Look, if she uses an ice monster, that practically confirms she is my best friend, because if there is one thing that the Rio I knew was always attracted to, it's winter-related things." Yuma was confident that Rio still used ice monsters even to this day. She was after all an Ice Princess.

"If that is the case, why doesn't she remember you then?" Astral asked his partner.

"I have no idea..." Yuma looked down at the ground in sadness. He hoped Rio didn't forget the bond they shared. He and Astral continued to spectate the Duel, anxiously waiting for Doctor Jones to unveil Diamond Crab King's abilities.

Doctor Jones resumed his turn. "Before I strike you with Diamond Crab King, I shall play the Spell Card Stop Defense!"

"Stop Defense!? That means he can flip my face-down monster into ATK Position." True to Rio's words, her face-down monster was forced to unveil itself thanks to the power of her opponent's Spell Card. "Fine then, seeing as you're that eager to meet my monster, say hello to my precious Aurora Wing!"

Aurora Wing: ATK: 1200/ Level: 4

"See, what did I tell you Astral, she uses Ice Monsters. She is the Rio I know, and she still uses Aurora Wing even after all this time." Yuma was enthusiastic upon seeing that Rio still had Aurora Wing. Usually, Yuma hated to see one of the monsters Rio frequently used against him during any of their duels when they were younger, but now upon seeing the said monster again years later, he could finally confirm that she was the Rio he knew.

"I activate Diamond Crab King's effect! By detaching one Overlay Unit, Diamond Crab King's DEF points become 0, but in exchange, all of the points it lost will be added to its attack instead, which means my precious Crab King will have 3000 ATK Points!" The doctor said as Diamond Crab King crushed one of it's overlay units with its right claw.

Diamond Crab King: OVU: 2 - 1 = 1

Diamond Crab King: ATK: 3000/ DEF: 0000/ Rank 4/OVU: 1

"So it gains 3000 ATK Points just like that?" Yuma was in awe by how easy it was for Diamond Crab King to gain 3000 ATK Points like that, but there had to be a catch right?

"Now Diamond Crab King! Annihilate Rio's Aurora Wing!" the giant royal crab was surprisingly fast, seeing as it didn't take long for the monster to reach Rio's field, and crush Aurora Wing with its right claw, effectively destroying the monster. Rio quickly shielded herself again as the force of Crab King's vicious attack managed to send intense shockwaves her way. (3000 - 1200 = 1800).

Rio Life Points: 4000 - 1800 = 2200

"Impressive, but too bad for you Doc, Aurora Wing is too stubborn to go down just like that!" Rio proved her point as the blue/green aurora bird rose from the ground, causing the doctor to click his tongue in annoyance.

Aurora Wing: ATK: 1200/ Level: 4

"You see when Aurora Wing is destroyed by battle and sent to the graveyard, she can revive herself here in Attack Mode. Comes in quite handy if I may say so myself." Rio giggled since she had done this many times before, she always loved how stubborn Aurora Wing was in battle.

"Hmph it doesn't matter in the slightest. At the end of the Battle Phase, Diamond Crab King switches to DEF Mode, and its ATK Points and DEF Points become normal again!" Doctor Jones informed.

Diamond Crab King: ATK: 0/ DEF: 3000/ Rank 4/ OVU: 1

"Now my turn is over. It doesn't matter anyway, this Duel is over!" Doctor Jones declared as he passed the turn over to Rio.

Rio Life Points: 2200/ Number of cards in hand: 3

Dr. Jones Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 1

Rio 2nd Turn:

"Yeah, it's over alright!" Rio said with her eyes shadowed. She then let out a confident grin that Yuma knew all too well. "For you that is! I draw!" Rio drew her card in a dramatic fashion, and saw that it was her favorite Field Spell, Land of Frozen Flames. "Alright, let's try this out, I activate my Field Spell, Land of Frozen Flames!"
She called out as she placed her card on the Field Zone. The scenery around them proceeded to change into a beautiful frozen wasteland made from the purest ice and snow.

"Looks like Rio's learned a few new tricks. I've never seen her play this card before, heck I'm not even sure if I ever saw her play a Field Spell to begin with." Yuma tried to recall if Rio ever played a Field Spell against him, but sadly couldn't think of a single instance. He didn't dwell on it any longer tho, since the scenery changed him in complete awe. Everything about this field was beautiful. "Rio sure knows how to set up a majestic field. Winter would be my favorite season if it always looked like this." Astral didn't say anything, but he too loved the scenery.

"I'll tell you what my Field Spell is capable of in a couple of moments old man. Let's do this, for my next act, I'll play this monster. Make it hail Icefeather Raven!" Rio called out as she summoned her new monster. The newcomer had a sleek and slender frame. Its body was covered in feathers that transitioned from a deep, jet-black color at the base to frosty, icy white and pale blue at the tips. Its wings were broad and elegant, its eyes were silver, and its beak was sleek and pointed, shaped like an icicle. The monster looked eager to fight as an icy aura surrounded it, swirling with small, delicate snowflakes and frost.

Icefeather Raven: ATK: 1900/ DEF: 1400/Attribute: WATER/ Level 6/ Winged Beast/ Effect

Effect: If you control no monsters, or all monsters you control are WATER Winged Beast monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.

"Did I just see Rio summon a Level 6 monster without tributing a monster? Let alone the fact I've never ever seen her summon a monster higher than Level 4 before!" Yuma was amazed, for as long as he's known her, Rio has never played Field Spells or High-level monsters before. Just how much had her Dueling skills improved compared to his own?

"It must have an effect that allows it to special summon itself somehow." Astral figured.

"My darling Icefeather Raven here can Special Summon herself if all of the monsters I control are WATER Winged Beast monsters. She can also be Special Summoned if I don't control any monsters." Rio happily informed everyone.

"Even if that may be the case Miss Rio, I'm afraid I have to point out your monsters still don't measure up to my Diamond Crab King!" Doctor Jones gave her a wicked grin.

"Oh? You don't need to worry about that, here have a taste of what my Field Spell can do! Thanks to Land of Frozen Flames, if I used a WATER Monster to Xyz Summon, it counts as two monsters!" Rio revealed what her Field Spell is capable of.

"SAY WHAT!?" Yuma couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That Field Spell allows WATER monsters to count as two monsters each for an Xyz Summon?!"

"That means instead of having to actually use two monsters for an Xyz Summon that requires two monsters, she only needs to use one thanks to that Field Spell, remarkable." Astral had to commend this girl who Yuma claimed to be his best friend for using a much more advanced way to Xyz Summon. It was already clear to him that she was leagues ahead of Yuma in terms of actual skills, seeing as for starters, the girl knew what she was doing, while Yuma went with the flow for most part.

"Alright, I Overlay just my Aurora Wing to build the Overlay Network!" Aurora Wing turned into a blue orb of energy that entered a spiraling red portal on the ground. "I Xyz Summon! Descend from the skies, the Sub-Zero Bird Beast herself! Ice Beast Zerofyne!" Rio called out as the Xyz Monster that Yuma knew all too well arrived on the field despite only seeing it once before.

Ice Beast Zerofyne: ATK: 2000/ Rank 4/ OVU: 1

"Zerofyne..." Yuma let out a sad smile, Zerofyne was the first Xyz Monster he ever saw, and it was the last monster Rio used to beat him with. To him, seeing Rio summon her felt just as special as back then.

"That pathetic monster can't do anything to me. Only a Number can destroy a Number, which I'm afraid you don't have Miss Rio!" the Doctor told his opponent as he glared at her.

"Really? Only a Number can destroy a Number? I didn't know that..." Rio found it interesting how Number Monsters had a special rule for themselves. Not that it matters because she was going to bring out her newest monster of ice anyway. "Which is why it's quite fortunate that I have one as well then."

"Rio has a Number/She has a Number!?" Yuma and Astral called out in unison. Astral found it impossible, because if she had a Number, then why wasn't he sensing any sinister aura from her as well.

"You're bluffing!" the Doctor shouted in disbelief.

"If you don't believe me, then you can see it for yourself. My Field Spell's effect is limitless, so I can use it how many times I want. This time I will Overlay my Icefeather Raven to form the Overlay Network!" Just like Aurora Wing, Icefeather Raven also became a blue orb, but instead of entering a red portal, she entered a space-like one just like the Doctor earlier. Yuma and Astral picked up on it too.

"She wasn't kidding about having a Number..." Yuma didn't imagine that Rio would have a Number as well.

"Then why wasn't I able to sense it?" Astral wondered.

"The swordswoman of ice, in the depths of icy judgment, where truth is frozen in time, I call upon the enforcer of absolute law! I Xyz Summon! Let everything take a cold turn, Number 21: Frozen Lady Justice!" Rio finished chanting as an ice sword with a yellow center appeared floating on her side of the field. Soon after, the beautiful wielder of the said sword manifested next to it in her entire form, and grabbed it. The Number 21 was glowing golden on her stocking-covered left knee. Frozen Lady Justice gave Diamond Crab King

Number 21: Frozen Lady Justice: ATK: 500/ Rank 6/ OVU: 1

"Woah, Rio's Number is almost as awesome as Utopia!" Yuma had to admit that Rio. He noticed that Frozen Lady Justice was giving Diamond Crab King the coldest of glares as if she were making a silent promise that whatever she was about to do, it was really going to hurt. Yuma didn't wanna be Diamond Crab King right now, but still though, how did Rio plan to win when neither of her Xyz Monsters could match Diamond Crab King's 3000 DEF Points?

"It's impressive how she managed to Xyz Summon twice this turn, including a Number Monster at that." Astral sensed that Rio wasn't being controlled by her Number unlike Shark and her opponent. Is she also special in a way just like Yuma?

"What good is a monster like that gonna do you? She's still too weak to even be a threat to us." the Doctor mocked Frozen Lady Justice for her seemingly low ATK Points, causing the Number to turn to glare at him. The doctor was afraid upon being on the receiving end of such a hateful gaze.

"It's not always about ATK Points you know, sometimes you have to factor in their Special Abilities. First off, Frozen Lady Justice gains 1000 ATK for every overlay unit she has. Seeing as she only has the one right now, her ATK Points become 1500. " Rio mentioned as her Number Monster was encased in an icy blue aura in order to strengthen itself.

Number 21: Frozen Lady Justice: ATK: 500 plus 1000 = 1500

"Now I'll activate Zerofyne's effect. By detaching one Overlay Unit, she can negate the effects of all face-up cards my opponent controls! Perfect Freeze!" Rio commanded her first Xyz Monster activate her special ability. Zerofyne quickly flew into the air, glowing golden as she stopped in mid-air. She then unleashed light blue colored lasers from her wings towards towards Diamond Crab King, causing the latter to grunt in pain as it was slowly being encased in ice.

Ice Beast Zerofyne OVU: 1 - 1 = 0

"Now Zerofyne gains 300 ATK points for every face-up card on the field excluding herself. So let's see, you only have Diamond Crab King on your field, while I have Lady Justice, and my Field Spell face-up on my field. 300 multipled by 3 is 900!" Rio called out as Zerofyne's ATK Points increased.

Ice Beast Zerofyne: ATK: 2000 plus 900 = 2900

"Did you forget that an Xyz Monster can't be destroyed by a non-Number monster in a battle, so this is pointless even if your monster happens to be stronger now."

"But isn't that an effect though? It's true Number Monsters can't be destroyed in battle by non-Numbers, but based off of what I'm reading from Frozen Lady Justice's card, it's considered an effect right?" Rio pointed out as she closely read through everything her Number Monster could do.

Yuma looked confused by what Rio meant. "Uh, do you have any idea what she's trying to get at exactly Astral?"

Astral unlike his partner instantly understood what the girl was trying to say. "She's saying that Number Monsters can only be destroyed by other Numbers is a part of their effects, and due to her using Ice Beast Zerofyne's special ability which negates every face-up card her opponent controls that rule no longer applies since Diamond Crab King was affected by Zerofyne's effect."

"Wait a second. Does that mea-." Yuma began to say before Astral quickly interrupted him.

"Yes. She can easily destroy Diamond Crab King with Zerofyne now." Astral confirmed what Yuma was going to ask him.

"Amazing, Rio really has improved to such an extent that she already has a better understanding of Number Monsters than me..." Yuma would be lying if he said he wasn't envious of Rio being a better Duelist than him. She always had a natural affinity for Dueling, to the point he found her unbeatable at times. She always managed to shut him down no matter what he tried. Imagine to his surprise upon finding out that Rio herself was on a major losing streak against her big brother. Whoever her brother was, he surely was a monster at Dueling too. Oh if he only knew.

"There is no way, this can't be possible!" the Number-possessed doctor couldn't believe it, he was absolutely cornered.

"Don't worry, I won't be using Zerofyne to destroy your Number, otherwise I would have to wait another turn in order to win against you. So I'll just use my Frozen Lady Justice's effect. By detaching one Overlay Unit, she can destroy all monsters in DEF mode on my opponent's side of the field! Say goodbye to your precious crab! Absolute Judgment!" The blue Overlay Unit that was circling around Frozen Lady Justice was quickly absorbed into her sword, allowing her to hold her to raise her sword high. She summoned forth a wide blizzard storm that she directed towards her adversary. The attack made contact with Diamond Crab King, causing it to quickly be encased in ice. A couple of seconds later, the frozen form of Diamond Crab King shattered.

Number 21: Frozen Lady Justice: OVU: 1 - 1 = 0

Number 21: Frozen Lady Justice: ATK: 1500 - 1000 = 500

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" the Doctor screamed as he held his head in shock. How could his Number be bested like this? Frozen Lady Justice gave the man a grin of satisfaction. She felt happy that she managed to get payback for him calling her weak earlier.

"Relax, I only have one last thing to do before we enter my Battle Phase. I play my Blizzard Jet Spell Card! This card allows me to boost up a WATER Winged Beast monster's ATK I control by 1500. It's really a no-brainer that I'm picking Zerofyne!"

Ice Beast Zerofyne: ATK: 2900 + 1500 = 4400

"Oh damn Zerofyne's got 4400 ATK." Yuma. "That doctor just got schooled badly. As expected of the Ice Princess."

"Ice Princess?" Astral turned to look at Yuma, wondering why he called her that.

"It's just a title I used to call her by when we were younger." Yuma had always referred to Rio as an Ice Princess ever since he suffered his first defeat against her.

"It's over Doctor Jones. Normally I wouldn't be petty and finish the Duel as quickly as possible, but I really didn't appreciate what you said about my monsters being weak earlier. Frozen Lady Justice! You can go first! Frostbite Slash!" Lady Justice grinned upon hearing her mistress' order as she coated herself in an icy blue aura while raising her sword into the air. She quickly dashed through the air over to the other side in just a few seconds before delivering a powerful sideways slash that phased through across his body. Even though the monster didn't physically slash him, the pain from the shockwaves could still be felt.

Doctor Jones Life Points: 4000 - 500 = 3500

"Now it's your turn Zerofyne. Finish it with Icicle Storm!" Rio commanded as she held her right hand out in front of her while allowing her Ace Monster to twirl around in the air as she glowed light blue. Zerofyne then brought her hands up the into the air, before swiping them to the side, firing a stream of icicle shards at the Doctor, who tried to shield himself from the attack, but to no avail as the power of Zerofyne's icicle shards managed to easily send him sliding across the ground in defeat.

Doctor Jones Life Points: 3500 - 4400 = 0

Winner: Rio Kastle (LP: 2200)

Upon sensing that Rio won, the Augmented Reality and the holograms all quickly dissolved themselves. "Phew. Thanks for the Duel doc, it was fun while it lasted." Rio beamed. She was happy that she managed to win her first Duel after waking up from her coma. However, unexpectedly a card flew out of unconscious doctor's flew out of his heart, and then his body, before stopping and floating in front of Rio, who was confused upon witnessing it. She grabbed the card with her hand and studied it, and it was indeed Number 52: Diamond Crab King. "Why did this card come to me?"

Yuma who had noticed the Duel was over, quickly ran up to his best friend with an excited look on his face before giving her a desperate hug. Rio was taken aback by this, but Yuma was quick to speak and congratulate her. "Man Rio, I've missed you. I didn't think you could become this much stronger, but girl did you prove me wrong, am I right?" Yuma laughed as he didn't let go, simply feeling afraid that she may leave him again if he were to let her go now.

Rio on the other hand was unsure whether or not she should push this stranger off of her, or let him hug her. For some strange reason she didn't feel bothered by him hugging her despite not being able to recall if she had ever met him before. So she decided to not push him off of her yet. "I'm sorry, I don't know who you are kid."

Yuma ignored the part where she called him a kid again, and looked at her confused as he finally ended the hug. "What do you mean by that Rio? You don't remember me? The one and only Yuma Tsukumo, your childhood best buddy?"

"Are you sure you're not talking about a doppelganger that looks like me or something?" Rio suggested that maybe he got her confused with someone who shares her features.

"You've got to be kidding me? You can't remember when you were five that you used to go on playdates with a boy your age all the time at Heartland Central Park?" Yuma tried to remind her of their past. They were friends when both of them were just five years old, and then got separated from each other some time after both of them turned seven.

"I'm afraid I don't..." Yuma couldn't deny it now, since he managed to easily discern how sincere Rio sounded this time. He didn't wanna believe it, but Rio truly had forgotten him. Maybe it was the shock of her losing her parents? Or was it something else? Another possibility popped up in Yuma's head.

"It can't be? Could Rio have amnesia?" Yuma really hoped that wasn't the case, but aside from this, nothing else was making any sense to him. He didn't wanna lose his friendship with Rio again all because she couldn't remember him. He hoped that fate wouldn't try to separate him from his friend again, but if so, he would be prepared to fight to keep their friendship intact this time.

Yeah that was the end of this chapter, I hope you guys enjoyed it. Yuma and Rio have finally reunited, but gotta feel bad for Yuma since he had treasured every single memory of their friendship together, while Rio on the other hand can't seem to recollect anything. We'll get answers to what happened to Rio in later chapters.

Also, in this story Yuma and Astral realized a lot earlier that Numbers can only be destroyed Numbers as long as their effects aren't negated. Which may or may not change the outcome between Yuma vs Shark round 2. We'll just have to wait and see for that one.

Card Catalog:

Icefeather Raven: ATK: 1900/ DEF: 1400/Attribute: WATER/ Level 6/ Winged Beast/ Effect

Effect: If you control no monsters, or all monsters you control are WATER Winged Beast monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.